Did I mention that I hate the BBC. Every Saturday BBC World, which I get on my satellite radio in the car, plays the Radio 5 matches (I love them for that). So now that it is Euro time, do you think they'd be playing the matches, which I understand they are broadcasting on Radio 5? Nah, that would be too easy. Instead I get to listen, yes listen, to tennis. Not that it is the most exciting sport to begin with, but try listening to it. I'd rather spend a night hanging out with Lofty.

Matches are on PPV, I follow them on Guardian's minute by minute. They will be showing them on a few days delay on FSW. 3 days, I think for the Quarters and 5 for the Semi and Final (or the other way around). Try www.soccertv.com

That's why they aren't scoring. The puking is too much of a distraction!

Can't agree there Paul. We sell Dunn and Duff for £22.5m. The money comes in over the life of the contracts, say 4 years, at £5.5m per year. We purchase Gresko, Amoruso, Reid, Emerton, and Ferguson for £14m on similar terms costing £3.5m per year. In the meantime we finish 9 places down the Premiership table losing £4.5m. Net loss over the year = £2.5m In addition to that we will be paying considerably more out in wages for the five new players than for Dunn ansd Duff. Possibly an extra £40kp.w.? Loss over the year now = £4.5m So, what you are saying is that you have no idea how much any of them make and are just pulling the numbers from thin air? Also, the only player we wouldn't have bought had we not sold Duff and Dunn would have been Ferguson. So he's the only one you can realistically compare numbers with, not the whole lot. And it's fun to speculate how high we would have finished with them, but it's also just that, SPECULATION. Do you factor in the extra points that we got because of Brad having the season of his life a couple seasons ago and not matching it last year?

Also, remember that the seeds are based on recent results in international tournaments. There is a reason Sweden was seeded higher than Italy. They are a better TEAM and have proved it. Italy might have better skilled players, but then again, Real has the best group of individual players, yet won squat because football is a TEAM sport.

I'm Spartacus. The only things missing from this thread are Flemming and Sox. An absolute classic. Oh, and Abbey, it scares me you were so easily able to find that link!!

I won 8-1, but my player experience was disasterous and the guy who got a hat trick only got 1 1/2 stars.

Sweden is a top seed aren't they? Yeah, they'd be a cakewalk....

Well, pre-tournament I picked Portugal to go to the semis, so gotta stick to that, no matter whom they were playing.

Speaking of dubious results... I didn't see the Italian match. Can anyone tell me if 5 minutes of stoppage was legit?

To the grammar police: Jim is missing a comma between the words football and so.

Something tells me that if it came down to having to play either France or England, all the countries listed would be praying for England. For the semi, if it came down to England or Spain, again, they'd be hoping for England.

pot... kettle....

It was probably, like most of the 'documentary', staged, but the point is a good one. Probably one of the few parts of the documentary that wasn't staged or "creatively edited," but that is a very common saying in the media over here. And the ratings show that sensationalistic news like that is what the people want to see. They talk about how outraged they are, but then tune in. A big problem the English have is perception. When we went to London for a few matches this season, and told of our plans to go to Germany in 2006, all we heard was that we had to watch out for all of the hooligans. Never saw even a hint of a problem in the 3 matches we went to. Most of the "problems" seem to occur late at night around closing time, just like most alcohol related problems and fights. The big thing seems to be the overreaction. They talk about the arrests, but in places all over the world, that many arrests are made as the bars are closing.

I'll get you next week Sam!! Challenge me and I'll travel to visit you...

Definitely. I'll bring my top team as well, let's get it on!

Don't see why you aren't a manager in the Prem then Philip. Robson himself said at the start of the second half that England needed to keep bringing the game to the French (I paraphrase, of course), since that is what got them the lead in the first place. But you know more tactics than Sir Bobby, I'm sure.

HEY, HEY, HEY..... WE rescued Europe twice!!!

OK, Bob, I think you have most of it, but forgot one important item: All English are drunken troublemakers who wear Beneficia jerseys.

Kahn Beto Jakobsson Raúl Bravo Jeremies Källström Gerrard Ljungberg Lampard Owen Henry © Subs Stiel Goalkeeper Robert Kovac Defender Smertin Defender Klose Forward Let's hope for about 4-5 or so tomorrow, Henry with all for France and the England goals split between Gerrard, Lampard and Owen.

Great post that beautifully sums up my feelings about the club.

Hard to take sides in that arguement (SIG v. ptholt).

Well, I did a little research and calculations. Last season, as of Christmas time, the oldest team was Wolves with an average age of 30.1, the youngest was ManUnited at 25.6 (this was players having made 5 appearances by that point of the season). For the entire season, we had an average age of 27.26 (counting players with 10 or more appearances). Last I checked, that would be lower than the middle point of top and bottom. (Also, to update my earlier post, both our left backs are under 30, didn't realize Gray was only 29 and forgot that Gresko was only 25.)

Oh sweet irony.

Have to agree i like the look of that, but in reality whats the chances of that team taking to a park? from your list and my port soaked memory - Encks - only plays when brad out Nissa - how many games last season? McEveley - sent him to burnley to get injured rather than play at ewood Trying to sign Pederson, not an older player Thompson - missed large parts of both seasons with us Emerton - hmmm give him the benefit of the doubt that he might cross. Gallagher - needs to play more, fighting with dickov and cole for a place? Exactly my point. You don't shove all those players in at once, you give them time to adjust by supplementing them with older players. If all of them did play, we'd be in "the championship" (though, I think Nissa should be playing more). And Gallagher does better at this point as a sub bringing energy in the last 20-30 minutes. I'm not the biggest Cole fan, but I'd rather see him or another veteran starting alongside Stead.