scholes

I found Christoph Metzelder's histionics last night, and all through this tournament generally, simply apalling.
Towering centre half that he is, he does have a habit of falling down as though he's been shot (which he should be).
Against Portugal witness Deco's outstretched arm brushing the side of his face and low and behold he went down like a sack of spuds clutching his head and writhing on the floor.
Against Turkey last night Semih made an innocuous challenge yet whilst missing the ball also managed to miss Metzelder .Yet we were treated to a gymnastics display of epic proportions as he fell to the ground rolling around in agony.
Lawro exclaimed.."behave yourself"...several seconds later he was upright and exchanging pleasantries with a tem-mate.

batman

I totally agree ... he is the Droggy of the German team ... I wish I had put my money on the Russians.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

TheParaders

Let's face it, whoever wins tonight should rip the Germans apart if they go for the jugular. Should and will are two different things though.

Stranger things have happened than the Germans turning up for 90 minutes when it really counts although I'm not sure Low has the nous to change things "on the fly" if necessary.

Rob Compton

Didn't see much of the game last night, but I did enjoy the German first goal - superbly taken, I thought...

rgds
Rob

TheParaders

Ooops, seems Zhirkov isn't suspended even though I'm sure when he picked up his card against the Dutch the commentator said he was suspended for the next game. That's what you get for listening to numpties

batman

There was some sort of card amnesty for the semis I think.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

TheParaders

If you were on one card then it got wiped so that if you got another in the semi you didn't miss the final.

However if you got a second yellow in the quarter you miss the semi ala Kolodin ( or however it's spelt ).

scholes

Denis Kolodin. Correct spelling.

batman

AVRAM HAS GEORGIA ON HIS MIND



Sacked Chelsea manager Avram Grant has been offered a way back into the game as coach of the Georgia national team.

The 53-year-old has been without employment since the Champions League finalists opted to terminate his contract at the end of May, paving the way for Luiz Felipe Scolari to later take over at Stamford Bridge.

And Georgian FA president Nodar Akhalkatsi has revealed the Israeli is his first choice to take charge of the eastern European minnows.

"I have spoken with him and offered him the job," Akhalkatsi said of Grant, who previously enjoyed success in the international arena as manager of his homeland.

"We have monitored his work with the Israel national team and Chelsea and feel he is a good coach. We will speak again soon."

source - online sports news

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

TheParaders

I must admit I quite liked Grant. I never quite got the Chelsea faithful's argument that he didn;t know how to change a game with substitutes.

When Mourinho ripped off two players after 20 minutes against Fulham did it change the result ?

I'm still sure that was in reaction to the substitution he should have made a month earlier after 20 minutes when Del Horno should have been pulled after it became clear he would be sent off after being royally embarassed by a 17 year old Messi at the Bridge.

batman

Most of us Chelsea faithful didn't feel like that about Avram. That was a small section of the supporters but that makes a better story. The majority of fellow Chelski-ites I have spoken think Avram should have stayed, but if he had to go we should have gone for Mancini. I am happy with Scolari (at the moment ) but I would have preferred Mancini.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

DB7

Been a good display from Spain tonight, their defence is dodgy but in midfield and attack I'd say only the Dutch have comparable flair. But the Germans will probably grind them down in the final...

batman

I have to agree .... I have left the match at 3-0 to Spain with the Russians disappearing from view. The players who needed a good match (Xavi/Iniesta) turned it on tonight and Silva got the goal Paraders predicted. Arshavin played about as well as me .... rubbish!

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Harleybloke

So Sauerkraut or Tapas then.......................???

Barca or Werder?

Efficency or flair.............?

So Bats wins his dosh then. The Krauts have been there so many times before, it's a given, sadly....................

................but what do I know, I backed the Cloggies..............

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

samkydd

Should be a good final, and I'll be watching it in a bar in a German resort in Majorca!

The British media did their best to hype Arshavin up as the next big thing after just one outstanding performance, and if rumour is to believed a lot of Premiership clubs are fighting over him. Tonight he didn't have a good game at all. Why do the British press do that? "One swallow does not make a summer!" springs to mind.

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"