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When I saw the team all I could do was laugh. 6 defenders, a defensive midfielder and 3 attacking players! But in fairness to them, the formation actually suited most of the players, and we bombed forward from the start. Aurelio was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for the 1st half, the full backs were playing as attacking wingers and even Agger and Skrtel were often joining the attacks! The problem was Babel and Ngog werent doing it.  Their movement seemed to show that neither is a natural poacher, and often their poor touch ended up in the end of our possession.

The second half was definitely crazy. How Babel missed the open goal I'll never know (it definitely wasnt offside, but setanta said the flag was up, though BBC never mentioned it). Got a bit of the manc luck to win it. Crouchie and Jamo came up trumps, but as I always say the more you pile forward (as the mancs always do, and we did for 90 minutes on Saturday) the luckier you get. Kuyt showed he's a great super sub    and Masco and Benny did superbly for the winner.

The biggest disappointment was Reina was shocking for the 2nd goal (as he was for Cahill's equaliser in the league game). Dunno what he was thinking. Hopefully normal service will now be resumed.
Biggest revelation is that Aurelio is well able to play centre field when required so no need for any more Lucas.

I see rafa was talking of striking options int he wake of selling keane.
He went as far as mentioning Nemeth (season long loan and broken cheekbone right now) and Pacheco

Where did you see this? I heard him mention Torres Babel Kuyt an Ngog but not Nemeth and Pacheco.  Nemeth is only on a months loan, probably another month before he is back from his injury though.  After his performances last season in the ressies and pachecos form in pre-season loads of liverpool fans were complaining about Rafa for not giving them a go, now they are complaining cos he is mentioning them as options.

It was on the Liverpool website. He mentioned Kuyt, Babel, Ngog, Nemeth, Pacheco, Benayoun and el Zhar as striking options. No Voronin though!

Torres (fit but tired) and Alonso (knock on his ankle) both doubtful for Saturday. Lucas suspended.

Up the Dubs!!

....and Liverpool 

I wouldnt mind seeing Babel getting a start this week ahead of Riera. Himself, Yossi and Kuyt can switch between left, right and centre. Must must win

Interesting that Mike Ruddock (Welshman, who also coached Wales to a Grand Slam) has two sons playing for Ireland (U20s) rather than Wales, even though they both play and live in Wales. Mike's wife is Irish so perhaps they were born over here.

According to Newstalk this morning, ITV missed the goal. Is that true?

Yeah pretty much everything went Everton's way on the night, they got the goal so deserved the win. I was far more disappointed when Cahill scored in the league.

Lucas - 1 match ban for 2 yellows, 9 match ban for gross stupidity
Proved again that even when he plays alright, he's a liability.

There's no way Gerrard will be 100% fit come Saturday and I doubt very much he'll risk him so, especially as if he doesnt play he likely won't have to go on international duty. Rooney is back fit and training but I wouldnt be surprised if he has a "recurrance" before the weekend to avoid playing for England.

Massive game on Saturday now, important for the likes of Kuyt and Yossi to really step up to the plate with Gerrard out.

keane was liverpools 3rd top scorer this season 
If torres and gerrard got injured it would be interesting to see what yous win this season.

What would United have won last season without Ronaldo?

If he had of got injured in february then probably still the premiership

Yeah, lets pretend.
If Chelsea had a fit Essien playing in midfield all this season they'd be 8 or 10 points clear at the top.
But, like your initial post on the matter, its all irrelevant.

keane was liverpools 3rd top scorer this season 
If torres and gerrard got injured it would be interesting to see what yous win this season.

What would United have won last season without Ronaldo?

Rois maybe I am letting my emotions get the better of me but my reference to the business classes is related to the constant message from people involved in the Financial Services industry telling us of the need for cutbacks etc when they are the very people who caused the situation in the first place. I bow to your superior professional knowledge and know that the external auditors can only verify what is put in front of them but if a loan is on the books at one stage of the year and then not in the end of year balance sheet I'd have thought it may raise some questions in their minds - but that's a simple layman's view of the world. My respect for that profession took a huge hit with the Enron etc scandals and the percption amongst the chattering classes is certainly that they are all part of the golden circle

As a former Big 5 employee myself Declan (albeit in tax rather than auditing) I saw more than enough to concur with your opinion. Audits, while lucrative are merely a means of keeping a foot in the door so that the real money can be made with consultancies (tax evasion avoidance, financial planning etc). human nature being what it is, the hand that feeds is seldom bitten.

There's a huge difference between evasion and avoidance, despite what some in the media might say. Very surprised that someone who worked in tax in the Big 4 would put the two together like that. In Dublin anyway, nobody in the Big 4 will countenance any client who wants to evade tax.

Just started in the Dublin city centre. And it is pelting down!!

Why did they not just give ... Ballyshannon the glamour game against Dublin

Media hype works. Surely the glamour game is against All-Ireland champions and local rivals, Tyrone, who will also bring large numbers of supporters and not  AIQF-defeated Dublin, whose few stragglers will fall by the wayside pubs before they get beyond Chapelizod, never mind Ballyshannon ?

Betchya the Donegal v Dublin attendance beats the Donegal v Tyrone attendance.

And whatever about glamour there is no question the Dubs bring the most noise and most colour to wintery away league games.

No snow at all in Dublin today (that I saw). RTE weather forecasters are truly useless (especially the wimmin  ).

Snowing at the mo where I am Hound (in Dublin).

Snowing here to where I am(in Dublin)

Well no snow in the city centre, unless you count the odd bit of scuttery stuff that turns to liquid on contact with the ground.
Certainly no sign of the blizzards they were forecasting.

Is their really snow sticking in parts of Dublin? Where?

No snow at all in Dublin today (that I saw). RTE weather forecasters are truly useless (especially the wimmin  ).

France team named:

Clement Poitrenaud
Julien Malzieu, Florian Fritz, Yannick Jauzion, Maxime Medard
Lionel Beauxis, Sebastien Tillous-Borde

Lionel Faure, Dimitri Szarzewski, Benoit Lecouls
Sebastien Chabal, Lionel Nallet
Thierry Dusautoir, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Imanol Harinordoquy

Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Nicolas Mas, Romain Millo-Chluski, Louis Picamoles, Morgan Parra, Benoit Baby, Cedric Heymans

[had]

If auditors can't 'find' evidence (even when they're not looking for it) of mismanagement on the Anglo scale, then either: (a) Anglo were masters of deceit, or (b) they're not doing their job adequately.  If (a) is true, and the auditors can be codded, is there a point to the 'audit' at all?

Indeed Billy, i'd expect a layman never mind an experienced auditor to spot 82m dissappearing then reappearing annually. I'd be interested to see what the revenue commissioners eventually make of these loans.

But did I not read that the only disclosure that had to go into the accounts was the balance at the end of the year - which was properly disclosed. So the letter of the law was not breached?

There is nothing wrong or illegal with a company (more especially a bank) granting loans to employees or directors. Of course if what I said in the 1st paragraph is correct, then the law is an ass by not insisting on the average balance for the year being disclosed rather than the closing balance.

Presuming Seanie was getting a preferential rate of interest, then that benefit would be subject to tax. I'd be surprised if he didn't disclose that to Revenue, but if he didn't I'm sure they'll go after him.