Birkir Bjarnason - Released

[brian green]

Having recently returned from Iceland I can vouch for the natives non gregariousness.  With 85% of the population in a conurbation the size of Shirley and the rest scattered around a vast coastline where half a dozen dwellings is the local town they are hard, resourceful, independent loners by breeding and habitat.  Interestingly they consider themselves descended from the Picts/Celts of Scotland, Ireland and Wales as much as Viking stock.  They certainly are scruffier than Swedes, Danes, Finns and Norwegians.  Good bunch.  Very strong toes.

[Richard E]

Iceland is an eye wateringly expensive country to visit.

[Clampy]

It was a damm fine toe poke as toe pokes go.

[brian green]

Spot on Richard.  My eyes are still watering.  £25 for a sit down fish and chip supper served in a polystyrene tray, condiments in sachets.  £3.50 max in Witton.

[olaftab]

Iceland is an eye wateringly expensive country to visit.

Yes indeed but don't give them any prizes till you have been to Singapore.

[mr underhill]

Norway is prohibitively expensive for tourists at least, if not the locals. I know per capita they are one of the richest countries on earth but I'm convinced there must be a two tier pricing policy

[brian green]

I suspect that Iceland became exhorbitantly expensive in the fall out from their banking collapse and their government's refusal to underwrite losses to savers who made deposits with Icelandic banks.  I imagine as a country their banking status is at rock bottom.  They pay their way in cash of which tourists are a prime source.

Back on topic there are pictures of Bjorn In every Reykjavik shop window.  With his teammates in the national side.

[paul_e]

Norway is prohibitively expensive for tourists at least, if not the locals. I know per capita they are one of the richest countries on earth but I'm convinced there must be a two tier pricing policy

Nah, it's one of the most transparent countries in the world.  The pricing is a funny one, the main issue is that you pay a premium for service.  Go to a bar and order the local beer (Hansa for example) and you'll pay about £8 for a pint (well half litre).  Buy something imported and you'll pay £12-13.  However buy that same beer in cans and you'll pay about £2-3 for the local stuff and £4ish for the imported.  Still expensive but not on the same level.  It's the same with restaurants, you can expect to pay about double what you'd spend in the UK but groceries are about 20-25% higher, again because you're paying a massive service charge.  The main reason is that most of those people are going to be earning 2-3x their UK counterparts (I know a lad who works in a bar in Bergen and is on £17 an hour, he's 19 so here he'd be on £5.60).

Sorry, that's got very little to do with Bjarnason who i still think looks lost playing wide left but he's looking much more confident now than when he arrived.

[Edvard Remberg]

Norway is prohibitively expensive for tourists at least, if not the locals. I know per capita they are one of the richest countries on earth but I'm convinced there must be a two tier pricing policy

Nah, it's one of the most transparent countries in the world.  The pricing is a funny one, the main issue is that you pay a premium for service.  Go to a bar and order the local beer (Hansa for example) and you'll pay about £8 for a pint (well half litre).  Buy something imported and you'll pay £12-13.  However buy that same beer in cans and you'll pay about £2-3 for the local stuff and £4ish for the imported.  Still expensive but not on the same level.  It's the same with restaurants, you can expect to pay about double what you'd spend in the UK but groceries are about 20-25% higher, again because you're paying a massive service charge.  The main reason is that most of those people are going to be earning 2-3x their UK counterparts (I know a lad who works in a bar in Bergen and is on £17 an hour, he's 19 so here he'd be on £5.60).

Sorry, that's got very little to do with Bjarnason who i still think looks lost playing wide left but he's looking much more confident now than when he arrived.

my son is 17 and earns about 16 pounds per hour.Bare minimum. but the Icelandic are the crap navigators, that couldn't find Faroe Islands

[Edvard Remberg]

Brian - Norway is more expensive than Iceland.We fight with Iceland to be no 2

[olaftab]

So based on the above posts was it a toe poke or full on money  driller?

[Jon Crofts]

Iceland is an eye wateringly expensive country to visit.

Yes indeed but don't give them any prizes till you have been to Singapore.

Too bloody true.

[brian green]

If we put our backs into this we could have Birkir's Toe Poke up there with Reversus Africanus, Pourquoi Barry ne prend pas le penalty? and which twat changed the badge?  As legendary topics.

[footyskillz]

So based on the above posts was it a toe poke or full on money  driller?

Well its the Icelandic version of the classic Brazilian toe punt finish. Ronaldinho, Romario and Ronaldo. Esq

However if it was a premier league match or a Brazilian or even current England player every one would be on it.

Brazilian Oscar scored a very similar goal in world cup 14 v Croatia. The dribble and deceptive toe ender finish giving element of surprise and,  bang! good goal.

So Bjarnason has a touch of South American influence on that super finish!

[JUAN PABLO]

I wonder how many Iceland people have started to support Villa even thou there is not a lot of them.

I remember a few norwegians started to get into us a few years ago..