Messages

Dolores O'Riordan
fukin hell

Messi never does it for Argentina except when he scores one of the all-time great hat-tricks in a do or die World Cup qualifier after they've gone a goal down. Well worth a look on YouTube.

In a game they desperately needed to win, at altitude in Ecuador where they had something like one win in about the last billion years. The man is a footballing God.

To be fair, it was against a depleted Ecuador team with nothing to play for.

Good hat trick but don't let it paper over the fact that Messi has flopped big time in an Argentina jersey and his influence on managerial decisions is not conducive to a healthy team spirit.

Flopped??
Facts are that in this campaign Argentina without Messi (8games) have a won 7pts
He played in 10 and they won 21pts
He is streets ahead of any other player in that squad and is carrying them

His displays are papering over the fact that this is the worst set of Argentinian players in years
Its must be ten years since they last started a game with a good defender
Were it not for him they wouldn't be near qualifying let alone getting to the WC or Copa America finals in recent years

[I like the promotion/relegation format that we have]

I like the promotion/relegation format that we have. I would be willing to be a co-commissioner in a division if the stuff I linked to earlier works. If you could get 2 volunteers from each division to be co-commissioners it could lessen the load.

I wonder is it possible to be a commissioner in a division that you are not competing in so that there is no way you can make decisions in your own favour?

Same as that.
Its a good competition and would be shame to let it slide as I think they are plenty who would help out with the workload.

Dublin v Laois

Kilkenny v Limerick

Offaly v Waterford

Tipperary v Westmeath

A selection of Messi moments of genius from the game and the systematic assaults to stop him.
https://youtu.be/F2X6vwgqV7M?t=11

Anyone think there's a chance that Marcelo's elbow was intentional?

100%
He even had glance over at linesman to see if he spotted him.

I'd have Maradona ahead of Ronaldo but it's absurd to suggest the Portuguese Ronaldo is anywhere near their level.

Nobody has came close to leaving an imprint on a major international tournament like Ronaldo did in France 98 and Japan/Korea 02 (to a lesser extent) since.

That's the pinnacle for me. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have struggled to impact major international tournaments like greats such as Maradona, Baggio and Ronaldo have

Djimi Traore has more champs league/european cup medals than those 3 put together... legend

Has anyone been to the Nou Camp for one of the top European games or for a Athletico/Madrid game?

The atmosphere last night seemed to be unreal akin to one of those crazy S Amercan club teams

Have been to 7-8 of them all in knock outs. If Barca had won the 1st leg the 2nd leg was usually a duck shoot so atmosphere was tame enough
Few of them were good. Chelsea in 2006 even though Barca had won the 1st leg, Jose was involved and there was needle from the 1st leg made for a great atmosphere.
PSG in 2013 were ahead in the tie at one stage so that made it a nervy finish.
Heard from a hungover Catalan season ticket holder this morn and he said they had never seen anything like it. It topped the 4-0 comeback V Milan a few years ago and the 5-0 V Madrid in 2010.
Normally the stadium would empty in 20mins but last night nobody wanted to leave.

I think the fans know that this team is coming to an end and it gave them one more special night to appreciate them.

1.03 points. Over a 14 game season. That's pretty crap.

Correction - looks like 0.03 point? Was there a stat correction? Is AZ praying for another one?

What's that.. About 21 inches of rushing..

Yeah, Minder, Robinson was a huge letdown.  So glad that I picked David Johnson instead of Todd Gurley.  DeAndre Hopkins was another first round damp squib.

I broke my golden rule in fantasy never ever pick a RB with 1st pick. Picked Gurley and will be relegated.

The Hitmen (won last 2games) made the play offs by 1.03pt over the turfmen (lost last 2games) after both finished 7-7. A game of inches!!

[AFC East - NY JetsAFC West - RaidersAFC North - BengalsAFC South - Colts]

AFC East  - NY Jets
AFC West - Raiders
AFC North - Bengals
AFC South - Colts

Wildcard
Browns
Pats

NFC East - Giants
NFC West - AZ Cardinals
NFC North - Packers
NFC South - Panthers

Wildcard
Seahawks
Philly Eagles

AFC - Pats
NFC - Cards

Super bowl winners - NE Patriots

Feel free to copy and stick in your own, couple of out there selections but this league constantly changes and there is always breakout teams.

That 4 timer is over 200/1

I have a premium level in Cusack stand for the football. Looking to swap for 2 X tickets anywhere in the ground

Still only 4 wins from 11 in Europe since 2008 and haven't won this since 68.
Missing a deadly striker to avoid the lottery of pens when they get to the knock outs

[A brilliant tournament side particularly on European soi]

A brilliant tournament side particularly on European soil.By far the best performance so far.I would actually fear for Ireland against them and a fired up Belgium out to make amends.Cant see Ireland getting a point from either of these games.

They have been awful of late
Last night was only their 5th tournament win from Euro 2008-12-16 and WC 2010-14
Germany on other hand have 16. Spain have 15 so they have a bit to prove yet before we can say they are a contender.
Hope they get their 6th v Sweden however and can rest a few players for the Irish game

Buffon celebration..
http://www.joe.ie/sport/video-gianluigi-buffon-had-an-epic-fail-in-his-attempted-celebration-last-night/548968

[I really don't know how much of an affect Pep had on their national team.]

Simeone's team are far more negative than Mourinho's but how can you blame him given the players he has, he plays a way that gets the best out of his players and gives his team the best chance of success. He's done some job at Atletico, his team in 2014 was taken apart and to get back to the final with a vastly different squad is a phenomenal achievement.

As for Pep not getting that Bayern team to a CL final is a failure given the circumstances, he inherited the European Champions and has added Alonso, Vidal, Goetze, Thaigo, Lewandowski, Costa, Coman to a team that already had 6 or 7 world class players. Bayern were hammered in 2014 & 2015 and they might have been a bit unlucky last night but everytime Atletico put 2 passes together they were nearly in on goal. City will be his biggest test as he's not inheriting anything like the squad he's had at Barca & Bayern.

Agree re Pep. He didn't do much for Bayern considering how easy it is to win the Bundesliga

He was unlucky last night. Muller scores the peno and they qualify comfortably in my book.
Whatever about not improving Bayern, Germany give him a lot of credit for the improvement in the national team.
Still that will be no consolation to him

I'm not sure, Atletico were always going to score a goal so Bayern always needed 3 as far as I'm concerned and Bayern had a bit of luck with the deflected free kick. He joined Bayern in 2013 and Germany won the world cup a year later, I really don't know how much of an affect Pep had on their national team.

Agree with this. Germany overhauled their playing style at national level long before Pep came along. That great U21 side which included 4-5 starters in the WC final all were technically very astute.

Not saying I agree with it but have read it on numerous sites previously with comments from Germans
Found one again today... they do say partially which is probable fair enough

http://www.squawka.com/news/why-germany-can-partially-credit-their-success-to-pep-guardiola/143859

Simeone's team are far more negative than Mourinho's but how can you blame him given the players he has, he plays a way that gets the best out of his players and gives his team the best chance of success. He's done some job at Atletico, his team in 2014 was taken apart and to get back to the final with a vastly different squad is a phenomenal achievement.

As for Pep not getting that Bayern team to a CL final is a failure given the circumstances, he inherited the European Champions and has added Alonso, Vidal, Goetze, Thaigo, Lewandowski, Costa, Coman to a team that already had 6 or 7 world class players. Bayern were hammered in 2014 & 2015 and they might have been a bit unlucky last night but everytime Atletico put 2 passes together they were nearly in on goal. City will be his biggest test as he's not inheriting anything like the squad he's had at Barca & Bayern.

Agree re Pep. He didn't do much for Bayern considering how easy it is to win the Bundesliga

He was unlucky last night. Muller scores the peno and they qualify comfortably in my book.
Whatever about not improving Bayern, Germany give him a lot of credit for the improvement in the national team.
Still that will be no consolation to him