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Drogba falls over himself to praise Tioté

Posted on December 2nd, 2010 | 169 Comments |

I'm not touching him, okay?
I'm not touching him, okay?
Cheik Tioté has, I think, looked pretty solid since he joined Newcastle, showing strength and proving to be a handful when players are coming at him, yet also showing not a little skill when he’s going at them.

I remember reading rumours about him having a ‘reputation’ at Steve McClaren’s FC Twente when we bought him and I kind of expected him to be sending the opposition home on crutches after most games. Or at least clutching their shins in abject agony.

That has not however turned out to be the case.

Sure, he’s tough and he tackles hard and he certainly will pick up cards, but I don’t think it’s anything beyond the realms of ‘good hard football’. Not so far, anyway – and I have no reason to think he’ll suddenly turn into a screaming psychopath.

It turns out that fellow Ivory Coast team-mate Didier Drogba rates Tioté highly too:

“I think Cheik is going to go on and be one of the strongest players in this league,” Drogba said.

“I have to say that physically he is a bit stronger than me. Newcastle well and truly have a star player on their hands in Cheik.

“I think their supporters have only seen half of his potential so far. You have only seen half the player but the more Cheik plays at Premier League level the better he will become.”

Praise indeed from the clumsy centre forward.

Defensive midfielders are, I think, sometimes undervalued, but they have to add muscle to the defence and are still expected to go forward and help with the attack, so they need to be versatile players. They are an important lynchpin to a good team and Chelsea use one to good effect themselves in Essien.

Tioté’s only 24 and fairly new to the team and, knock me down with a feather, but I find myself agreeing with Drogba here – I do think the best is yet to come from him. We’re still a team in the process of reconstruction and, to me at least, Tioté looks like he could be an important part of that reconstruction.

I’ve been impressed with him since he joined Newcastle, anyway!

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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169 Responses

  5. Any other similar headlines?
    How about “Alan Smith misses……being in the team” “Shola Ameobi stumbles over…. a difficult word”? ” Gutierrez loses possession…..of a holiday home” – no that’s getting a bit far-fetched.
    Sorry. the tea was a bit strong today.

  6. personally – i dont give an sh one t about the world cup bid. wewere shafted by the russkies ages ago. its gannin there and good luck to them. itll be the worst world cup since the last one

  7. tiote is drogbas mate so he aint gonna slag him off – prob trying to get him a pay rise :)
    yeah world cup bid is bollocks – would rather it went elsewhere to be honest

  8. 6699-I still have no idea what youre trying to say mate. The title is essentially just a silly play on words. Have you read it? It doesn’t actually have anything to do with Drogba falling over..
    None of the titles you came up with really have any relevance as further examples of what’s being said.
    And please don’t take this the wrong way and think I’m purposely trying to be a tw@t, I’m not. I just don’t understand, lol

  9. I said after the Everton game how great he was and that he’s what we’ve been missing for years.I’ve also said he’ll be one of the best buys of the season in the Prem not just at the Toon and he’s done nowt but reinforce that imo.

  10. With Joey back on the pitch, I’m hoping Tiote can come forward a little more and unleash that hard, low shot he has. There is nothing like one of those bullets to shake up a settled defense. Probably just what it will take to unlock WBA.

  14. Ice…and Friday ;-)
    That was Spam on the other thread I think mate, there’s loads of them popping up on the older threads.

  15. RICHIE you getting to work mate,still hacked up here and still comeing doon,lanchester to consett road closed

  17. Carroll and Tiote will be the difference against West Brom. I fancied Tiote against Mulumbu, and I am even more confident of our young Ivorian having a stormer now Mulumbu will miss the game.

    In regards to Carroll, the only defender they have that can cope with him is Olssen. He is out until what looks like the New Year. Mike Dean will have to keep an eye out for that little dirtbag Jara though. Very dirty little player.

  21. They usually do around Madrid and up North mate, just very rare to get it in the city itself.
    I can’t stand that Olssen, he’s a dirty sh!te too just he’s a wee bit more sly about it and whinges at the ref non stop, I wouldn’t mind but he doesnt need to do it cos he’s a canny player.

  22. 5/2 for the draw against the Baggies. That’s what I’d put my money on. Wouldn’t be a bad result by any stretch either.

  23. T.C. your reet mate lets not forget they are playing canny at no mo there on a bit of a high

  24. WBA are playing well just now like, they’ve got a few canny players and are good with the ball on the ground. As others have said though, their center of defence wont be at full strength. We’ve all seen what Carroll AND Shola can do when they’re in the mood against good teams at full strength, I expect them to give the back four serious problems on Sunday. We’ll have players like Barton back aswell of course which will be a plus. Nee offence to Guthrie but I thought he was off the pace against Chelsea, some of his passing was really poor. Get quality service into the box and we’ll give them problems, definitly.

  25. Shame Arfa got hurt. He and Titote was an absolutley fine piece of business ofr one window…

    I just hope Tiote likes it at Tyneside as a DM of his caiber and style is a rare breed and sure to draw attention from the vultures

  26. If you don’t care about the world cup then you are either a jock or you are not a football fan.
    Forget whether you follow England or not, the chance to be able to attend a world cup in my home country is something I’m very excited about.
    Remember euro 96? Fantastic summer all round.

  27. Curious to learn exactly who was responsible for scouting and bringing him into the side ?
    Tiote is the keystone to this team, we have lacked someone of his stature since Parker.
    However they are not exactly the same type of players, Parker could put his foot in , but in general played a more attacking role.
    Something we have yet to see from Tiote.
    It`s early days and i`m sure he has his instructions, but look forward to him becoming the complete midfielder in the mold of a Roy Keane.
    Yep! CH is slowly but surely building an interesting side, he needs a decent long term contract in order to reach the goal we are all waiting for, a side competing for silverware that plays entertaining football, no?

  28. MT-Spot on, I feel exactly the same. I’m only 22 now like but the thought of being able to attend a World Cup is a very, very exciting one. Is SJP one of the registered stadiums?
    It’s a chance to watch some of the best players in the world, live, on your doorstep. I don’t see why everyone wouldn’t want to host it.

    You watching SSN Aye?

  29. Agree Mickey toon , be great for england if ye got it , be even better if Ireland qualify :)

  30. I have no time for the England football team, but I would love the World Cup to come to this country.

  31. England out at the first stage of voting, so much for Sir DB and co, what a load of bullcrap, it was always going to be Russia despite the hype.

  33. Rumours spreading like wildfire in Zurich and across the UK that the voting has gone to a third round, however we went out at the first round of voting.

  36. Toonsy-Everyone is saying we went out at the first hurdle. It wouldn’t surprise me if we had, wouldn’t surprise me if we won it. I can’t see it happening now though. So many people saying the same thing it’s like it’s confirmed, lol.

    What gets me though, is the media. They went out to ruin the bid and then there’s “Come On England” headlines all over the place today.

  40. Blatter might aswell be talking to the English contingent here. Taking a stab by going on about football being created in China and learning to be good losers. There you go, Russia.

  42. Folk were piling out of Shearers before the announcement had even been made. LLambias bought a round for everyone aswell, he was obviously well out the loop.

  43. why the shock surely everyone must have know it was all pomp,russia had this a long time ago.

    just care aboot the toon anyway move on

  44. Well Qatar has won this then. If people spreading the rumours claimed to know that Russia had taken 2018..

  47. And apparently, Qatar are holding the “Two Twenty Two” world cup. Well done Blatter. He’s always hated the English game.
    Going to be brilliant to see the world descend on Qatar though in 2022. Drinking in public being illegal etc, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

  49. Ah well, 2 corrupt organizations, Russia and FIFA, they are well suited to each other. Considering how racist the russian’s are, will any of the african teams want to play there?

  50. Gutted. Absolutely gutted. I blame the brummies kicking the shit out of each other last night.
    In reality it was always going to Russia. That’s why putin didn’t bother travelling, he didnt want to waste his time. Fifa are as bent as george Michael and they are pissed at us telling them they are.

  53. It was becoming obvious early on we wern’t going to get the world cup,pictures of prince William showed him haveing a face like a smacked Royal arse.never mind a bit dissapointed was looking forward to taking my Grandson to a world cup,probably give Russia a miss.

  55. Qatar is going to be hilarious. Absolutly nothing to do with the game of football. No successful leagues, no successful team/teams, just keep themselves to themselves. Can you imagine thousands of Brits/French/Spaniards/Yanks…everyone else in the world, arriving and being told things like if you havent got a licence you can’t purchase alcohol? Surely they’ll have to cater for the event?

  56. What a way to show that bribary aint a problem at Fifa, Russia and Qatar what a fcuking joke…

    Why are we sitting back while these 3rd world w@nk pots are destroying our national sport (That we invented) ??

  58. I wonder what the fans of African nations will make of the banana banners and the huge issue of racism in Russia?

  59. Lads lads lads…it’s nowt to do with money or corruption, the bid was lost as soon as the FIFA delegates were taken on a tour of 5under1and :lol:

  61. Toonsy-Will African team’s even want to play in Russia like? They’ll take abuse without doubt.
    Every cloud has a silver lining and all that though. I mean, it’s only about 12 hours on a train from one side of Russia to the other…..
    Oh and the temperature will peak at like 40/42 degrees max in Qatar…Prime footballing conditions. Given the fact that the European countries will be the most heavily supported, it’s going to cost fans Thousands, to get to either WC.

    Proof that there certainly was no surprise in the result either. All “rumours”, being reported by 10’s of sources accross the world come up good. The look of dejection on the faces of the English contingent before anyone had taken to the stage, it was quite obvious everyone knew we were never at the races long before that envelope was opened.

  62. ganning to dig some more snow ffs.

    they havent got grounds to handle this or hotel accm, ect ectthink of all the bribes ganning aboot building this stuff,so the mafia will get there cash back ten fold

  63. Ice-It’s clearly just been bought. FIFA blab on about corruption in football, it’s pretty impossible to stamp out when they themselves are accepting bribes.

  64. FIFA don’t care about existing fans, they want new ones so they can increase revenues, hence russia and qatar get the world cups – obviously I’d imagine both countries to have commited billions to supporting football in under developed markets

  65. ROSS aye m8 maks you sick,money makes the world gan round,when doo we get our bit lol,away to shovel

  66. Looks like the rumour that England went out at the first hurdle is true also.
    LLambias on Russia: “This is a disaster”
    Beresford: “It was nailed on for months Russia would get it. It was never a level playing field”

  67. i refer you to my comment at 6 – made this morning.
    by the way Mickytoon – i’m neither a jock nor a non football fan. but i bet your either a t*at or an a***hole.

    me – i support my home town team :)

  68. Beresford is right, Russia have never had the WC before and they were always the favourites, its got nothing to do with any of the conspiracy theories and why would anyone vote for the circus that is the English FA, full of bluff and bluster and what a waste of public money it has been.

  69. FIFA apparently said they’re going to show you the voting structure after the results. Who voted for whom, when each bid dropped out the running. Should be interesting. “Why” is surely the next question.

  71. Russia and Quatar…

    As if we ever needed proof that FIFA is corrupt, this will put it to rest once and for all.

  72. I can’t even spell qatar correctly- should have been England in ’18 then USA or the Aussies. rRumor is that China gets it in ’26 so it looks like WC for us ’til I’m old and grey (or dead)

  74. Anyone who’s spent any time in Russia knows it’s a god-awful place to hold a tournament like that. I love the irony that this happens on the day when Wikileaks publishes the memo about how Russia is considered a ‘mafia state’.

    FIFA – bent? Russia – bent?

    Bribes are a way of life over there. Part of the business model.

    And in Russia too. :)

  75. Ahhhnyhoo. Baggies:

    We’ll skin ’em. Barton, Carroll, Ameobi, Tiote. Sol at the back.

    Now THAT is a decent spine of a team. The others are no slouches either.

    3-1 to the Toon, I reckon. :)

  76. Apparently England only recieved 2 votes,considering one of the 22 commitee members allowed to vote was English it wasn’t very good was it .Instead of Prince Willy maybe we should have sent Simon Cowell .

  78. Toonsy-

    My comment is awaiting moderation but I don’t know what I said. Here it is slightly more abridged:

    Russia and Qatar. I thought those cuntries were members of the “Axis of Evil” LMFAO.

    Seriously. What a crock?! QATAR? I mean what have they EVER done in football? And the no public drinking thing is just going to make this thing a circus. Ridiculous Theocracies. How could any civilized people allow themselves to be governed by a theocracy?! Such unmitigated bull crap.

  79. Ok… anyway-

    FIFA sux. Russia and Qatar suck too. US and England deserved that. As Patton said in WWII, “It is the eminent destiny of the British and the Americans to rule the world [FCUK the Russians].”

  81. Ross, aye confirmed mate.

    Vatican City for the 2030 world cup, they’ve never had it before and as corrupt as they come.

  82. I’m disappointed about the World Cup, but is anyone really surprised? It was always just a load of corruption from square 1. It’s like Eurovision, except we spend even more of the public’s money on a world cup bid than we do trying to convince Greece not to vote for Cyprus.

    If you want in, you have to bid higher than Russia and Qatar. Simples. Why can’t they just openly do it that way and save us all years of b.s., cost and schmoozing?

    I lived in Whistler when they were bidding for the winter olympics. I had mates who were engaged in the unbelievable levels of indirect bribery, and plenty knew of the direct stuff that went alongside it.

    (I was waaayyy out into the backcountry mountains one day and came across two bow-tied waiters standing behind a huge table COVERED in champagne bottles, waiting for the IOC delegation, miles up a dirt track away from cameras. I got a free drink out of it at least.

    There are now only two types of people working in sport governing bodies: convicted crooks and the ones who’ve just not been caught yet. Tis very sad. Was looking forward to going to some matches…

  83. Oh, yes. Drogba. The article.

    Umm….

    Yep, he’s a corrupt, amoral waste of carbon who considers cheating and dishonesty ‘part of the game’. When he retires he’ll be straight into a senior job at FIFA.

    To use a wonderful Shropshire curse: may his earholes turn to arseholes and shit upon his face.

    …am I being a bit harsh?

  85. so do you think the three members the british broadcasting company accused of bribery voted for us then>?

  87. simple solution is to not send England or any other football developed nation to World Cup – let them have it between developing nations and see how much they earn!

  88. Worst part is it’s the bloody BBC and the papers that have managed to completly f*ck it up for all involved. Maybe not them entirely but they played a massive part in it. And then we get the “come on England” headlines today. Two faced tw@ts.

    I don’t think we should bother trying for another World Cup if i’m completly honest. None of the big Footballing European nations should. Let them send the best footballing competition in the world to places like Russia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi. Even just listing places like that shows it all centers around money. Countries where money talks and half of them wouldn’t know a football if Kaka volleyed one square at their face. FIFA will soon realise it’s a joke, but if their pockets are being lined with dirty money, will they care?

  89. we’re missing an obvious point about Qatar.
    I’ve lived in the Middle East and people there hate people from the Gulf because during the Summer, the humidity is unbearable, so everyone migrates North, meaning in places like Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon the price of living goes up massively.

    So if the people who are from there can’t even live there because of the heat/humidity during the summer, what the f*ck is a sporting tournament going to be like to play in?

    Players will be passing out left right and centre! Remember Beckham spewing on the pitch on South Korea? Think of that, but worse…

  90. ROSS the bbc/papers knew it had no chance but couldnt/wouldnt say oot about it,just like all of us did forget the arseholes mate we can do sweet fa,we just have to move on,never beat good back-handers,would you say no to mill in back pocket nee tax,or whatever that would be only 22mil all up,chicken feed m8 to what they will make

  91. ILM-Thats exactly what I said earlier mate. 12 hours on a train across Russia, and temps of anywhere from 40/50 in Qatar. They CLAIM, they’re going to fit all stadiums with technology that means the temperature will never surpass 28 degrees. I personally don’t think there’s a chance.

  94. People need to stop blaming this on the BBC, Brummies etc.

    Russia had this wrapped up regardless of all of that.

  95. At least Qatar will be able to build it’s climate controlled stadiums rather cheaply do to the slave labor system currently in place for laborers. The poor Russians will be forced to over pay diue to the “mafia tax” on goods and services

  96. 28th October – Betting suspended on Christ Hughton being sacked as Newcastle manager. He’s still there.

    2nd December – England 2/1 favourites to land the World Cup 2018.
    They ended up last, with 2 votes (one from themselves) out of 22.

    Moral of the story? Never trust a bookie…

  97. Toro-I’m not so much blaming our inability to get it on the BBC, it more just confuses me that the media would go out their way to ruin it for the sake of a story, before backing the English bid the morning of the vote, it’s pathetic on their behalf.

  98. chuckles says:
    December 2, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    “Curious to learn exactly who was responsible for scouting and bringing him into the side ?”

    Chuckles, Chris Hughton was sent over to The Netherlands to check out the talent way back when he was a coach. He was impressed with Tiote among others, and kept monitoring him until he had the chance to sign him as a manager.

  99. WARNING TO ALL THE LADS,off topic,i have always loved the cops,heres the new one,a guy at my sons work-place has just been done £60 and 3 points;offence to much snow on top of car roof while travling to work D.W.D.C.A.it could fall on windscrene if you brake hard limiting your view.
    how much is to much i dont know up to cop,guy swears he only had 4/5ins is that to much?this was 5.am and was froze on.
    so watch oot lads or you to will get a xmas presant off cops

  100. Ice said on the radio today they were fining people, but they said more to do with the snow and ice hitting the car behind.

  101. RICHIE all he told guy if he braked hard it would come forward,had followed him about 4mls,maybe with it being froze on, thought they would get him for sumit,what made me laugh is it took about 10/12min to deal with,leaveing a long line traffic stuck in the snow unable to move,result road blocked, dicks

  102. ~ El Toro ~ says:
    December 2, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    “People need to stop blaming this on the BBC, Brummies etc.

    Russia had this wrapped up regardless of all of that.”

    When they interviewed the Russian bid chief, Alexei Sorokin and he commented on how irrelvant it was sending David Cameron to the bid do, he was very matter of fact about how irrelvant it was, because he knew that Russia already had 2018 in the bag for some time. It was bought and paid for.

  103. Worky-I liked the fact Putin wasn’t there for Russia’s presentation as he wanted to “dim it down in an attempt to show that they’d put the work in prior to this”..Essentially the money had already exchanged hands and he just couldnt be arsed. He was still sitting waiting for a flight to Zurich sipping on his champers to go and celebrate though, knowing it had been in the bag for months!

  104. whats the odds on England NOT qualifying for wc2022? Now that would be a shame. LMAO

  105. One of the things that killed me about Qatar, was that when the US got it in 1994, part of that was on the condition of creating a league…to my recollection. So, is Qatar going to create a league? Do they have one? I just can’t believe it’s going there. Ah well…bring on Sunday.

  106. NorCal-Twatter was going on about how they wanted to take the game to new places, places it had never been before. Money talks basically. As was said earlier, when the world descends on a country that essentially lives in its own little bubble, they’re going to get a shock. Especially when it’s football fans.

  107. Not sure I’ll be making the Qatar trip. Just read the State department’s travel suggestions for going to Qatar- something about the “avoid large crowds”, “dress modestly” (whatever that means), and long imprisonment for public intoxication rubs me the wrong way.

  108. MDS-Didn’t even think about the dress code. The only thing I thought about was the consumption of alcohol in public being illegal. But if girls go and wear shorts/a skirt, they’ll be in trouble aswell? In 40/50 degrees. The whole thing is ridiculous.

  109. workyticket says:
    December 2, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    I couldn’t agree more.

    In my honest opinion I actually believe England should withdraw all football funding to other footballing nations and refuse friendlies in god foresaken parts of the world from now on.

    I would like to see England and in particular the Premier League go it alone on everything from goal line technology to refusing any co-operation with FIFA until a full and independant enquiry is held on this debacle.

    Can anyone really tell me that 20 out of 22 delagates(one of them English) thought England’s bid was the worst?

    Possible even pull out of FIFA – they would miss us more than we’d miss them.

    If anybody was wondering why Chelsea’s spending has dropped recently, now we know why – Roman has spent all his money on FIFA!

  110. MDS says:
    December 2, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    How are they going to hold a World Cup in a country the size of Birmingham, that has a temperature of 100 degrees and drinking alcohol is illegal?

    Is there anymore proof needed that FIFA is a complete waste of time?

  111. Ross at 108: I don’t know mate, but I imagine it would be a problem. Women just got the right to drive a car there not to long ago. And the dress code warning was for men as well- not siure we’d be allowed shorst either.

    Stuart79 says:

    Can anyone really tell me that 20 out of 22 delagates(one of them English) thought England’s bid was the worst?
    ————-

    I can’t speak for England’s bid, but here in the States they are saying our 2022 bid was ranked #1 technically. Well,I ask, what the hell else is there besides corruption?

  112. You can drink in hotels and retaurants and there is no dress code for males or females you can wear what you want, doesn’t change the fact it’s a ludicrous decision though.

  113. richietoon says:
    December 2, 2010 at 9:09 pm

    Could you hold a WC in Birmingham?

    MDS – Englands bid was rated 1 technically, 1 commercially and the lowest risk of them all! Any ideas what went wrong?

    Brown envelopes obviously not big enough.

  114. OOOOO….business idea for 2022. Burqas made to look like national flags. I am not patenting the idea…just a raising of your Golden Chalice when drinking to your millions will do.

  115. Stuart…I’d prefer Qatar to Brum…..just :-)

    Brown envelopes is right, thats all it boils down to.FIFA’s own inspection teams rated us best for 2018 and the U.S for 2022 and neither got them, f*ck the lot of them I say.

  116. I would love Israel to qualify at 2022 Qatar – you aren’t even allowed in with an Israeli passport.

    FIFA really went through with the Kick it out Racism Campaign.

    Qatar with the Jews and Russia with the blacks.

    Flicking idiot old bast4rds

  117. Interesting Brettoon. Shouldn’t every FIFA member nation have to officially recognize each other as there is a real possibility of them playing in tournaments against one another. I mean if Isreal beat Saudi Arabia in a Group Match of the World Cup, would SA just deny that they lost because they lost to a team they don’t recognize politically…curious.

  119. MDS-The general consensus throughout watching the presentations this morning was that our’s also, blew the likes of Russia & Spain/Portugal out the water. Like the US, if it had went on presentations it was a simple enough choice. Simple facts are that today was a waste of money and a waste of everyone’s time. These deals were wrapped up months ago.

  120. batty…jammy sod ;-) saving mine for the weekend, see if me luck will continue.

    Is it ever ganna stop bloody snowing?

  123. Since it started snowing all wor lass has done is look through the window. If it gets any worse out there then I’m going to have to let her in. :-)

  124. Its the same old story with England and the World Cup:

    David Beckham is dubbed a “hero”
    The entire nation expect them to win outright
    The media screws them over by printing the wrong story at the wrong time
    In the end they suffer a humiliating loss to weaker opposition.

  126. At least Qatar will be left with some impressive stadiums for stoning women to death in after the world cup.

  127. How england & usa didnt get the WC is sum-up-able in a word.
    Ok, an acronym,
    fifa.

    It was always nailed on, as money talks & wonky money (untraceable, minus tax) shouts.

    What more do we need to know?

    richie,
    :)

  128. jay jay,
    that’s a top idea mate, maybe we can hold the WC of women stoning in a few years?

  129. That was a well worked little earner for the bookies, calling england faves yesterday.
    Let’s just say: ‘they make a better window, than a door’.
    :)

  130. Russia win the 2018 World Cup bid then…

    In unrelated news, Chelsea have announced there will be no new signings in the January transfer window. :-)

  131. The one good thing to come out of it is the semi-prime minister & prince horseheed losing big.
    That made me chuckle.
    :)

  132. Clint…
    Sepp Blatter had told David Cameron exactly how to win the World Cup Bid,

    but Dave wasn’t buying it. :-)

  133. :)

    He could always make us pay mate. (again)

    Tax the poor!

    You watching ‘When Ali came to Newcastle’?
    ESPN Classic.

    :)

  135. He’s good craic like, apart from the god crap.
    Each to their own, i guess.
    So long as they keep it to themselves.
    :)
    Reet,
    Off, up the dancers,
    later mate.
    ;)

  139. I think people need to calm down, take a step back from all of the patriotism and actually look at what has happened.

    We have no divine right to win the WC 2018. All of this talk about “the best bid” is pointless as we all know that these types of decisions are never made on merit. There is simply too much at stake for it to ever be decided on merit. Those handling the bid knew that themselves. Hence all of the back handed stuff we were that was exposed on Panorama. It seems to me that the England team were caught out so they tried to all of a sudden take the moral high ground and supplant corruption with a proper, credible bit. It was doomed from the start.

    Russia hasn’t got the best reputation when it comes to racial issues, but I suppose that’s what the WC is all about, isn’t it? The football is key, but providing countries with the platform they need to demonstrate to the world how much they have changed and progressed. Russia have never hosted the competition before. I think it is fair to say that they deserve a chance.

    They played by the rules and beat us resoundingly. Congratulations to them.

  142. El Toro ~ says:
    December 3, 2010 at 10:29 am

    Only 2 of the FIFA delegates actually read the technical reports from the bidding countries! That’s a disgrace! Why bother with all the organising and technical details if it’s not even going to be decided on that basis?

  144. awesome some of those stadia like from Qatar, especially the first, boat, one.

    Anyone else though hate football grounds which seem to be used for anything else but football?

    I even hate tracks around the pitch!

  145. Reality is that FIFA is essentially made up of a ton of committees that England can’t be arsed to sit on as we think as we invented football we have some devine right to host a tournament if we end up bidding for it.
    We had the best technical bid but not the best bid to grow new frontiers for football
    Obviously some dealing has gone on and I’m sure that some people have been awarded contracts of one dodgy sort or another but thats life in FIFA – if we can’t be arsed to sit on their sad committees talking about the shape of the ball etc

  146. aye, i think everyone does. It isn’t right for fans to be that far from the pitch.

    The question i have though is why Qatar ? The weather is going to be a massive problem they will have to air condition the fuck out of that country also you can’t drink alcohol there. How can you have a world cup without alcohol and isn’t Qatar a country that is anti-jewish (same with Russia)that doesn’t even recognise Israel as a country. What if Israel qualifies. What if you are caughtbeing lets say overly friendly with your partner(or someone who isn’t), isn’t that a prison sentence. You can’t even justify Qatar getting the world cup down to legacy which you can with the Russia bid. There is no way those stadiums will be in use after the world cup except maybe for the odd international friendly.

  147. Drogba falls over himself …. we all know that and some call it diving!

    On the England bis debacle, maybe they should have had ‘Arry Rednap on the bid team!

  151. lesh says:
    December 3, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    Quite suprising when you consider he only signed 11 months ago.

    I would rather we secured Enrique until 2016 to be honest.

  153. Happy to see Williamson sign, but 5+ years for a 27 year old seems excessive. I can only assume the wages are reasonable…

    I agree with Stu- surely Enrique has to be next

  156. Stuart

    Yes that is disgraceful. Yes it is controversial. Yes it is corrupt.

    …But do you honestly believe England were not aware of all of that prior to organising the bid? Prior to the last World Cup? Prior to the last 5 WORLD CUPS, EVEN!? This is FIFA for God’s sake!

    The funniest part is the England bidding teams attempts at alluding to FIFA corruption as if they are alien to the whole thing and deeply hurt by the events that have transpired. It’s ridiculous.

    We all know England are just as bent as the rest, so why the moral high ground all of a sudden? I tell you why, because we were caught.

    Boris Johnson talking about enquiries? Oh please. Pathetic.

  157. England had no devine right to win staging the world cup but i have no idea how ye were beaten so bad, how could anyone think Russia is a better place over england spain/porugal holland/belguim is beyond me. If anyread any of the wikileaks it basically portrays russia as mafia land.

    Tho the biggest Joke is Qatar is 2022

  158. Johno, I think what bothers me most about both WC awards is the process. Both England and the US had the highest ranked proposals but don’t come close to winning. Qatar gets a “high risk” designation from FIFA itself and wins. If FIFA is going to make the awards purely on a whim, or cold hard cash, then fine- they can do what they want. But they should just admit to it rather than go through with an 18 month sham which just wastes everybody’s time. They need to get over themselves with the pomp of the thing and the secret ballots as if they are actually conducting a democratic process.

  159. Very good news about Williamson and Ranger extending their contracts to 5.5 years. While Williamson is 27, he’s a center back. With his height, he will definitely be useful to the last day of this contract.

    Who else thinks that Ranger could move out Shola by the beginning of next season if he keeps progressing the way he is?

  160. well Williamson and Ranger signed for the next 5 years , would be nice to see S taylor do the same and Hughton as well .

  161. I dont get it all mds , Its not like ireland would qualify for 2018 but Id still would rather england got it

  162. WE could have had the worls cup in the bag for £22 million. That would be 22 x £1 million payments in “grace” payments. If you can’t beat em, join em.

  163. As our old mate Mick Dennis said this morning, until Blatter dies nowt will change…if then!

  164. Toonsy I would of taken £500k but if ur offering a million who am i to turn down such a generous gift :)

  165. “As our old mate Mick Dennis said this morning, until Blatter dies nowt will change…if then!”

    Mick Dennis is just as deluded as the rest then. It will never change. It is capitalism.

  168. The weather in July is generally 54 deg C in this region of the Middle East and the humidity really is unbearable, however we have the perfect solution. The Stadiums will not need to be enclosed with Air conditioning etc as many assume. FIFA will be told that the World Cup will be held in January as the weather then is like a mild spring day in Europe and that will save us having to relocate the stadia to all the places we said we would !

  169. Al bri…..

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/04/franz-beckenbauer-qatar-winter

    backs up your thoughts somewhat. Though a typical Franz Beckenbauer statement…almost always politically correct and toeing the FIFA line.
    From the other perspective, Germany prides itself on the World Cup “fan miles” e.g. over 1 million people on the street in Berlin alone to watch ONE game, the same in Munich, all big and small German cities…

    We’d have to move the fan-miles indoors in the majority of european cities..

    Wonder how Kaiser Franz will communicate this sentiment here in Germany…?

    Qatar 2022 is a real bad call by FIFA imo…