Cornish Steve

Does anyone know anything about this guy from River Plate and how much would be the fee? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3179997/Chelsea-John-Stones-30m-bid-Manchester-clubs-monitor-Everton-defender-s-situation.html

Romey, let me help you out with this handy template. Just cross out the entries that don't apply, Another [exciting/dull/boring/brilliant] game. Such a pity that Howard had a howler and let in those [one/two/three/four/ten] late equalizers. Ratings for this game. Howard. Couple of awesome saves. Pity about the [howlers/penalties/beard]. Coleman. Great runs up the wing and enjoyed the [goal/foul on Henderson/miskick]. Sucks in defence sometimes. Jags. Great captain but too [quiet/slow/boss] at times. Wonderful half-volley to [score/crack the crossbar/knock out the ref]. Stones. Great in the air. Great on the ground. Don't believe the rumours that he's going to [Chelsea/United/City/Arsenal/Bayern/Harrogate for his hols.] Baines. Superb sense of space. Great defensive plays. Waste of [one/two/three/four/twenty] corners. McCarthy. The man is an engine. 90% pass completion to [Howard/Jags/Stones]. Has struck a real partnership with [Cleverly/Cleverley/TC]. Barry. Looked for him everywhere on the pitch. Only knew he was playing because he [came out the tunnel/got a red/held hands with Bobby] Clev. The surprise player of the season. Two great passes for the season. Only player to have [scored from 50 yards/missed an open goal/have two three Es in his name]. Kev. Doesn't seem interested, but what a [goal/hairstyle/salary]. Gerry. What trickery but too selfish and no [final product/new haircut/hamstring left] Rom. Great goals again today. The man is a beast. Can't [say enough about him/see him staying/control the ball]. Ross: Came on after [85/86/87/88/89/90] minutes. Wonderful shot with his [right/left] foot. Gibson: Nice to see him play this season. Left after [1/2/3] minutes with a torn [hamstring/bicep/shirt]. Will be out for [1/2/3] [weeks/months/seasons]

How was Oviedo? Did he look to be back to fitness?

It's mercey, else you get disciplined.

He really is not a bad player. The issue, in my opinion, is that his confidence is shot after suffering such a bad injury. Will he ever get that confidence back? I have no idea.

It drives me up the wall, too. Those are the kids who go to school with the flu or a raging cold and infect everyone else. Children should not be penalized for staying home when sick. In fact, they should be rewarded.

Goes without saying: a Cornish pasty.

You watch us win it now!

How many times does it need to be said? Don't believe a word that's said during the transfer window. It's all about positioning and negotiating. I despair sometimes!

That's what the bookmakers were saying against Jamaica.

One of my sons attended the USA-Jamaica match in Atlanta. He told me the US were outplayed and deserved to lose. The Panama-Mexico game was very violent. Players were punching each other, even though only one (from Panama) was sent off. He couldn't leave the field because of Mexican fans throwing crap and other things at him, so the Mexican goalie walked over to accompany him off the field. Apparently, the Mexican fans throughout were a total disgrace. The ref appeared to lose it because, in reality, several players should have been red-carded.

What's that exploding sound? Ah, it's Haf blowing a gasket.

That's just a fact of life. When you don't have a billionaire to rely on, you must play smart. To my mind, loaning these top young prospects is very smart.

I really don't subscribe to the doom and gloom in this thread. Even if we were like other clubs, there's over a month to go before the window closes. No team is going to broadcast, "Hey guys. We have 40m to spend!" That would add a few million to every price tag right away. You go about your business quietly and under the radar. If it means waiting until the end of the window to get the best price, so be it. Frankly, who cares what other teams do or who they buy? It's totally irrelevant. Anyway, I have a totally different perspective on this. As a team without a billionaire looking to waste money (thank goodness!), we must have a different strategy. Why not invest half of our available funds in exciting new talent that will come through in two or three years time? Why not upgrade Finch Farm to help these youngsters? Why not establish links with one or two teams in the Championship or League One so these prospects get the chance to develop? Oh, wait a minute - that's just what we're doing! And why not establish links with one of Europe's top teams? Liverpool have links with Roma because they have the same owners. Why can't we establish links with, say, Barcelona? We can take some of their top youngsters and give them a chance to play and develop. Some might even enjoy the experience and make it clear they want to join us for less when other top Premier League teams come sniffing. Oh, wait a minute - that's just what we're doing! This is how we play on a different field. We can't compete if we go out there and buy players like everyone else. The top talent goes to the moneybags. The rest pick out the dregs or has-beens or injury risks. We've don a bit of that. For backup players or to use experienced players to bring along the inexperienced, that's just fine. But we have to be smart and do things differently. And we are. The only issue is that this is building a legacy and not instant gratification. It requires a little patience. And it means letting the other teams do their thing and not allow the latest headlines and rumours get us worked up.

Depends on your definition. We've won 8 titles; Chelsea have won 5.

A number of Chelsea fans have received 5-year bans for their disgraceful racist behavior on Paris. One of them is a director in a human rights organization. That's just plain ridiculous. Personally, I'd like to see them banned for life.

How come Hibs are playing in the Champions League?

As a Celt, absolutely loved it! You have to admit that it was quite amusing to hear all the time how incredibly good the pitch was for batting, and then England are bowled out for little over 100.

Any chance of just saying it's preseason? A time to experiment, determine who's up to snuff, what works and what doesn't, and results mean squat?

It's surreal to see a picture of my youngest son's friend displayed at the BBC website. He was one of the four killed this week by the shooter in Chattanooga. He went to a high school near here. Both he and my son attended the same university, Georgia Southern, and were in ROTC together. They stayed in touch and played online together. Only today did my son learn his friend is one of the dead, and he's rather cut up about it, as you can imagine.

And talking about perspective, "Blues boss Roberto Martinez is planning for a long-term future at Everton with Stones central to his plans." This is why I get frustrated with extreme comments about finishing 11th this past season. It will take two or three years to put all the pieces in place, but, with the spine of young players we're building, we could really build a new legacy over the next decade. John Stones is one of the keys, so I don't see any way he'll be sold. If I was RM, I'd tell the board "sell him and I leave." It's one of those times when you put your job on the line.

I'm willing to go with Galloway and Browning for the first half of the season. It's a bit of a risk, but not a big one. If it works out, we have an excellent core of young defenders. In an emergency, Barry can always play there. If we find ourselves struggling, buy a player in the January window. It's OK to take calculated risks sometimes. Fans get upset if we're unlucky - injuries, etc. - but we'd be laughing if it works out.

I think you're right. If you look carefully at the reflection in the glass, you can just make out the cast on his ankle.

I very much doubt it, but it's usually possible to find a live video link.

Messi isn't messi, so there's no reason to believe that Clasie will be clasie. Must be part of the team's new vision.