Although Alcorconazo added to Pellegrini's suffering job security at Madrid though!

Guti

Seriously though, how do you think it would have went if you'd given him another year?

I've always said we'd have been further up the road than with Mourinho - even before Mourinho got started.

We may have missed out on the cups, but in La Liga we showed the sort of consistency we could have built upon the following year. The distance to Barcelona was much slimmer than in Mourinho's first season, and then you also have to take into account that Pellegrini was handed an almost all-new team.

If we'd kept him, by now we'd have 2 leagues, at least 1 CL plus Isco and Cazorla.

And it's also quite likely North Korea would've nuked Barcelona.

I've never watched "Game of Thrones".

comment by The Pinkerton (U4457)
posted 29 minutes ago
I've never watched "Game of Thrones".

++++++++++++++++

Rectify that error.

I was sceptical at first but it is compelling viewing.

TRC
I so much agree with you. GoT is really one of the greatest TV shows I have ever watched.

And trust me I am very snobbish when it comes to this stuff.

I'm the same wumpatrol. I'm terrified of watching an episode of it in case i like it. I don't have time for another tv show in my life.

Is it just castles, naked birds and swords?

Is it just castles, naked birds and swords?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Pork swords from what I've been told.

No, it is waaaaay more than that. The plot will blow your mind! Be ready to have tiny fragments your soul chipped away as you watch the show, one relateable character at a time. Seriously, drop whatever you are watching and pick it up.

I'm scared though


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/jun/12/sids-2013-la-liga-season-review?CMP=twt_gu

Sid Lowe's La Liga Awards

Excerpts :

Best fan protest

Among the Málaga fans protesting against their Uefa ban was one ever-so-polite supporter wearing a T-shirt that across the top read: "With the greatest of respect, Platini…" And across the bottom concluded: "… I cráp on your sainted mother." Sevilla's Biris refused to go to games, but they weren't about to miss the city derby against Betis, finally returning in November carrying a banner that said simply: "sorry for the delay." But no one does protests like Rayo Vallecano do protests and certainly not quite so consistently. They started the season as they meant to go on by vacating the end but for a banner directed at Javier Tebas. "If football belongs to Tebas, let his fúcking mother cheer them on," it ran.

Then there game against Real Madrid which didn't take place at all after the floodlights failed. The club published photos of the cables that had been cut, Madrid carried out an impromptu training session in the semi-darkness of the pitch and the match was put off 24 hours, as the president cried "sabotage". There's still no proof that Rayo's fans were involved but outside the stadium they were remarkably calm and there was a cheer when they were told the match was off. Almost like they already knew.

Best fans' wind-up

Sevilla is one of the great Spanish cities but if there is one thing that it hasn't got, and one thing that the rest of Andalusia loves to remind them that it hasn't got, it's a beach. So when Sevilla played at the Rosaleda, Málaga fans spent the game playing with lilos, dinghies, rubber rings and beach balls, sending them bouncing around the stands and laughing at their sea-less rivals.

Best threat

Atlético's Madrid's rock band lead singing, former goalkeeping assistant coach Germán "the monkey" Burgos was one man who wouldn't let himself be pushed around by José Mourinho, warning the Madrid manager: "I'm not Tito: I'll tear your head off." Mind you, that's nowhere near as frightening hearing the quiet click of the door closing behind you and turning round to see Levante centre-back and man mountain Sergio Ballesteros standing there in just a towel. "It got a bit messy because it seems I'm not allowed to be there," Ballesteros innocently said of his accidental arrival in the Madrid medical room, where he ended up in fight with Pepe.

"If he doesn't like this sport, he can take up boxing," Sergio Ramos said.

Dirtiest player

Diego Costa says he never takes his work home with him. Which is probably a good thing. If he did, the Atlético Madrid striker might walk through the door, goad the dog with a stick, surreptitiously elbow his wife out of the way on the stairs, shrugging his shoulders innocently as she lay in a crumpled heap at the bottom, and whisper insults to his children, looking the other way and whistling when they burst into tears.

He would stroll into the living room and dramatically collapse on the floor, rolling round the rug holding his head and appealing for a penalty. And he might even get it too. Diego Costa wears gloves, even with short sleeved shirts.

Presumably to make sure he leaves no prints.

Best coach's protest

Diego Simeone, who came off his bench to remonstrate with the referee for showing a red card. To opposition manager Mauricio Pellegrino.

Simeone

Was just going to post exactly the same link.

GoT is great.

I'm stuck in no man's land at the mo though - GoT season finished, Breaking Bad doesn't start until August.

No big footy tournament in between.

Oh well, at least for once I timed my holidays right.

IAOG

Kindred spirits ken.

I'm looking forward to Breaking Bad. Bit shít that they took a year just to do 8 episodes

I'd rather my daughter got pregnant than Betis went down.

That was quite a quality article! Great reading!

I already knew the Hugo Mallo story, but I still think it's great.

Also, what a classy goal by De La Bella, hadn't seen that one.

Loved the Floro Flores anecdote, liked the Diego Costa para even though it was a bit predictable, and this bit on Celta fans and Salva Ballesta: "they're left-wingers and he's somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan." That you pekky?

Best put-down

One man not impressed with Mallo, or team-mate Iago Aspas whose red card in that game cost Celta victory and almost survival was striker Mario Bermejo.

"When you go to bed with children," he declared, "you wake up covered in píss."

That's actually a common Spanish saying.

I think, in this Yewtree age, such sayings are unlikely to take in England

Shame it doesn't exist over there. Some of your former TV presenters might have taken note.

When you go to bed with children, you wake up covered by the BBC

swag

The lack of interest in the Confed cup here is surprising!

I don't see the point of it tbh. The players would be much better off getting a good post-season rest.