Source: TheGuardian
Hodgson, Pochettino and a distinct lack of love in the air at Crystal Palace
As much a staple at Selhurst Park on match days as Ian Bright sitting next to Steve Parish looking glum, the Crystals cheerleaders haven’t had much to wave their blue and red pompoms about this season. Tasked with geeing up the crowd ahead of kick-off before forming a guard of honour at the entrance to the south London ground’s narrow tunnel, these entertainers can at least, unlike the home team they welcome on to the field, be relied upon to put in a solid eight-out-of-10 performance whatever the weather. The sight of the Crystals strutting their stuff is likely to be the only thing tonight’s match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea has in common with last night’s Super Bowl, a spectacle that seemed to serve as no more than the preamble to a passionate post-match clinch between Taylor Swift and her victorious squeeze Travis Kelce. Love is unlikely to be in the air over Selhurst Park, given that both Mr Roy and Mauricio Pochettino have spoken in the buildup about the lack of affection they have inspired among their respective teams’ fans.Ifab’s idea of blue cards (Friday’s Football Daily) appears to show its ignorance of colours and how they work. It may need to consult a colour expert (artist or designer). According to its plan, two blue cards would equal red, or a blue and yellow card would equal red. However, as any person knowledgable about colours, blue and blue makes more blue, while blue and yellow make green. Or maybe Ifab’s just colourblind, which goes along with the ignorance and arrogance behind this idea” – Nigel Assam.For my sins, I referee football on Saturdays and umpire hockey on Sundays. If my weekend is going to be ruined I like passing the favour on. In hockey, a green card is a two-minute sin-bin and a yellow card a minimum five-minute sin-bin. And in both games red is red. In football, sin-bins for professional fouls and dissent (10 minutes) and for two yellows (20 minutes) are a long overdue improvement. Brian of Northampton is a visionary not a reactionary” – Roger Prowse.Are the proposed cards for punishing dissent coloured blue to reflect the language they’ll be penalising?” – Richard O’Hagan.Just to put a lid on the recent Lionel Messi non-playing affair in Hong Kong. He could not have appeared any more disinterested during the entire trip. While David Beckham got involved in training sessions with local kids and schools, pressed palms, kissed babies’ heads, signed autographs and generously spent time posing for selfies with fans, Messi stayed locked in his hotel. On match-day, while understandable that he was unfortunately knacked, he could at least have displayed some interest, said some words (admittedly in Spanish, but with a translation) and posed for photos and signed autograph books. He looked grumpy, bored and desperate to get out of town. His standing and reputation here in Hong Kong could not be lower” – Marc Meldrum.Re: Matthias Schill (and others) in Friday’s Football Daily letters. Abe Simpson is not entering, and leaving, a brothel in the famed gif, but in fact a burlesque house. The bordello, though mentioned in Bart After Dark, is never seen. And yes, I should get out more” – Adam Griffiths (and others). Continue reading......read full article
