Featured: That was the week that was (Nov 17-23 2018)

[tlw content]

 

Saturday Nov 17: 

 

Big Virg follows Lovren’s lead. “Ramos is not the best. He’s a great player and I respect what he has achieved, but he is not my type of central defender. Personally, I don’t defend the way Ramos does. I try to avoid the kind of situations in which he excels and I don’t even try to make sliding tackles.”

 

Basically he’s saying great defenders don’t need to make slidies all the time. Not sure I agree with that. Hansen never needed to but Lawro was one of the best there’s ever been at the well times slidey. Big Sami never slid but Carra had no qualms about flying in there. Still, Virg is saying what he needs to say to needle Ramos and I love it.

 

The bigging up of Varane is part of it too. “He (Varane) won the Champions League, he won the World Cup (with France), so he should be the best defender in the world. I think Ramos was it, they chose Ramos? That’s the decision which you cannot change.”

 

I like this Varane strategy. Lovren said the same thing last week and it’s not a co-incidence. Ramos best in the world? He’s not even the best at his own club etc. That will irk Ramos more than any other comparison I reckon. 

 

Meanwhile, Lovren himself isn’t done with Ramos. “He’s a coward. He took a cheap shot at Mo but he doesn’t like it when someone gives him some back. I elbowed him in the back of the head the other night and I told him “that’s for Mo” and that the next time I see him I’m going to knock him out”

 

Ok, he didn’t say that, but I had you going didn’t I? It’s no longer out of the question that he would say something like that either, the big crazy bastard.  

 

In other news today, Mané is given a rough ride from the Senegal crowd and he was in tears on the pitch. Normally I’d be pissed off, but I’ve convinced myself that he’s running down his contract and pulling an Emre Can on us, so *shrugs* whatever.

 

Sunday Nov 18:

 

Hendo is sent home by England because he needs treatment. He used to be indestructible but the last three or four years he seems to be falling apart. I think Brendan broke him in that 2014 season when he played him in virtually every minute of every game.

 

England scored twice in seven minutes to come from behind and beat Croatia. Vintage England that. Lose to a team when it matters and then get “revenge” in a game that means fuck all.

 

 

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[dylstar]

"This might pay off down the line if we get this ref in the Champions League. He’ll be in Virgil’s pocket now after this. Captain's behaviour."

 

 

We'll  have to get Troy Deeney out of his pocket first Dave ...

[Anubis]

There’s no way Deeney is fitting in anyone’s pocket...

[UnwelcomeinPeru]

Painful as it is, I do not think Ramos did 'fail a drug test'. He was given a glucocorticosteroid (a 'GCC'), which are not permitted in competition unless (a) they are administered in a certain way or (b) the player has a special permission (a TUE) to use them. It sounds like he was given a GCC but that it was administered in a permitted way (GCCs are often given in conjunction with painkillers to reduce inflammation caused by a painkilling injection). There are a number of different GCCs and it appears that the club doctor recorded one type on the relevant forms, when in fact he was given another. He did not break any rules, and WADA has confirmed this. 

[DaveT]

4 hours ago, UnwelcomeinPeru said:

Painful as it is, I do not think Ramos did 'fail a drug test'. He was given a glucocorticosteroid (a 'GCC'), which are not permitted in competition unless (a) they are administered in a certain way or (b) the player has a special permission (a TUE) to use them. It sounds like he was given a GCC but that it was administered in a permitted way (GCCs are often given in conjunction with painkillers to reduce inflammation caused by a painkilling injection). There are a number of different GCCs and it appears that the club doctor recorded one type on the relevant forms, when in fact he was given another. He did not break any rules, and WADA has confirmed this. 

Doesn't make him any less of a cunt, though.

[UnwelcomeinPeru]

No, there was no dispute about that whatsoever from anyone. 

[dave u]

Nah hes on steds, that's why he's so aggressive all the time. Until I see evidence to the contrary that's my take on it.

[index1000]

Don't worry about the ESPN article Dave. What's another 5 or 6 people thinking 'whats this ***** on?'