Idrissa Gueye - now gone

[pauliewalnuts]

Wasn't there some player (Uruguayan I think) at Inter who got in a strop when they wouldn't take no.10 off the incumbent and give it to him? I recall they compromised by giving him 19 and taping in a + between the 1 and 9.

Footballers can be absolute narcissistic wankers. Pink boots, silly hair and special numbers. You're paid millions of pounds to play football, you can shag pretty much anyone you want but it's not enough is it.

If I ever rise to the peak of English (or European or World, why not think big?) football by means of a violent coup, I'll be bringing in new laws regarding stupidly coloured boots.

However, the first thing I'll be cracking down on is the use of anything other than the player's surname on the back of the shirt.

The only case in which this is ok is for Brazilians, where that is the single word name they are always referred to (Zico, Pele) etc, AND said Brazilian is of an extremely high quality (ie not Fred or Jo).

Ideally dispensation to have a nickname rather than a surname on your shirt would be decided by an oversight panel which would accept and decide on applications. The only member of the panel would be me, thinking about it.

I am thinking of the likes of Chica-fucking-rito here. That's not your name. Get it off your shirt, and get your actual name on.

Short sleeved goalkeeper shirts have to go too. In fact, I'd reintroduce them having to wear the same shorts and socks as the rest of the side.

God, yes, there's something just not .... right about goalkeepers in short sleeves. Not to mention shirts that are not green.

[paul_e]

I don't mind coloured boots so long as they put at least the tiniest amount of effort into getting the boots and socks to look respectable together. Some of them look like they get changed in the dark (with just the glow of the rest of the teams boots to go by).

[Clark W Griswold]

Or even better f##k the whole squad numbers and names thing off.

Match day squad.
1 - 11 on the pitch.
12 - 18 subs.

And preferably take the number of subs on the bench back down to 5 or even 3.

This.

I agree also, and would suggest 5 subs max. Bring back terracing, clubs having different types of goals/nets, 90% of league games at 3 on a Saturday, reduce wages and ticket prices by 75% and it might actually be good again. Oh and reduce the number of foreign players so the ones that come in are an interesting exception (and of high quality) rather than most of the team being made up of them.

[pauliewalnuts]

Didn't Belgian amuso-named 1980s keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff used to wear short sleeves sometimes? Think he was an early contributor to what is a very poor state of affairs.

EDIT also that arse of a Donald Pleasance lookalike Fabien Barthez did a lot to encourage that nonsense, too.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't mind coloured boots so long as they put at least the tiniest amount of effort into getting the boots and socks to look respectable together. Some of them look like they get changed in the dark (with just the glow of the rest of the teams boots to go by).

Also, that thing of wearing non-matching boots, ie different colours..... That's really bad. A step too far.

[Hookeysmith]

According to Sky Tim  Sherwood says there is a problem with Gueye's work permit but it should be Ok.

Bugger

[FailsworthVillan]

If I ever rise to the peak of English (or European or World, why not think big?) football by means of a violent coup, I'll be bringing in new laws regarding stupidly coloured boots.

There's hope, a lad turned up in his new boots towards the end of last season at my son's Under 12's and his black boots caused quite a stir.

I'm no fan of the current fad for fluorescent boots but N'Zogbia wore black boots a couple of times last season. It looked like he was running round in his school shoes.

I fear that had nothing to do with the colour of his boots.

[Clark W Griswold]

Yes, and only black or black and white boots allowed.

[pauliewalnuts]

If I ever rise to the peak of English (or European or World, why not think big?) football by means of a violent coup, I'll be bringing in new laws regarding stupidly coloured boots.

There's hope, a lad turned up in his new boots towards the end of last season at my son's Under 12's and his black boots caused quite a stir.

I'm no fan of the current fad for fluorescent boots but N'Zogbia wore black boots a couple of times last season. It looked like he was running round in his school shoes.

I fear that had nothing to do with the colour of his boots.

He might have looked a twat in coloured boots, but judging by the way he plays, you'd think he was in clogs, or orthopaedic shoes.

[Clark W Griswold]

If I ever rise to the peak of English (or European or World, why not think big?) football by means of a violent coup, I'll be bringing in new laws regarding stupidly coloured boots.

There's hope, a lad turned up in his new boots towards the end of last season at my son's Under 12's and his black boots caused quite a stir.

I'm no fan of the current fad for fluorescent boots but N'Zogbia wore black boots a couple of times last season. It looked like he was running round in his school shoes.

I fear that had nothing to do with the colour of his boots.

Quite. You would have thought the silly bastard was wearing wellingtons at times.

[Villa in Denmark]

Now there's someone who should be made to wear stupidly coloured boots, preferably the same pattern as that suit he's wearing in Given's photo.

He'd breeze past defenders as they'd either go blind from looking at them, or be rolling on the floor pissing themselves laughing.

[Ron Manager]

It has occurred to me that Ron Vlaar's many injury problems could be a direct result of having to play in clogs for the Dutch national team.

[paul_e]

Whatever colour they are I think Nzog suffers from the teflon coating we seem to put on players boots, Weimann and Gabby had real issues with that as well.

[joe_c]

Didn't Belgian amuso-named 1980s keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff used to wear short sleeves sometimes? Think he was an early contributor to what is a very poor state of affairs.

EDIT also that arse of a Donald Pleasance lookalike Fabien Barthez did a lot to encourage that nonsense, too.

A very long time ago I was told the fascinating fact that a goalkeeper rolling up his sleeves was a bookable offence in the days before gloves being commonplace as if a sleeve wasn't visible, the referee might have no way of knowing whose hand had made contact with the ball in a crowd. Presumably this has since been rescinded.

[PeterWithe]

On the subject of shirt numbering and Liverpool.  IIRC, I'm sure Tommy Smith wore the number five on his shirt as far back as 1964.  For younger posters, Tommy Smith was a defensive midfielder, sadly now crippled with Arthritis due allegedly from too many pain-killing injections.  Older posters please advise.

Tommy Smith was claiming incapacity benefit for his injuries but he was spotted taking part in a charity penalty shootout in the 1996 Cup Final and had his benefit taken away.

Didnt he get into trouble for flicking the v's at travelling Man Utd fans who were singing 'get to work you lazy twat' at him when he was doing an on pitch presentation at Anfield.