Answers On A Postcard

Sometimes, some days, I have more questions than answers. Some days, everything seems as it should. Questions get raised, I have the answers. Today, I have the questions and I would welcome any answers.

I am watching Real Madrid v AC Milan this evening. Did anybody else see the fan run on the pitch in the first minute? He slips on the grass just around the halfway line, and allows the steward to catch him, who promptly kicks him and takes him down. Is that allowed even? Fair enough, it was wrong of the fan, but it was pretty unnecessary of the steward.

I went for a run this evening. Before running, I felt I needed something to snack on so I had a bag of crisps and a small piece if chocolate. I ran strong, just over 8km in 47 minutes and felt very good. Why did I need to eat crap before the race, making me feel guilty for eating it and thus running longer and faster? Would I have run the same if I had a cereal bar instead?

So, today we had the revelation that Wayne Rooney wants to leave Man Utd. I was pretty surprised to be honest at just how fractured the situation seems to be. I cannot remember a player under Sir Alex, a world class player at that, want to leave the club at the peak of his game. The word peak may be debatable based on this season, but you know what I mean. I have met Rooney a couple of times, and I have to say I am not his biggest fan as a person. And nope, it is nothing to do with him leaving Everton – that £30m was essential. So, where does he go from here? I would be amazed if it was Chelsea or Man City, and do Real need him? My guess is Real sign him, and Higuain makes way.

I was at a thoroughly enjoyable Merseyside derby on Sunday. A deserved win for my boys and I was proud of them. Liverpool are really struggling right now and all jokes aside, I do actually feel sorry for Roy Hodgson. He had limited money to spend in the summer in a difficult situation. I accept his signings have not turned out to be successes just yet, but at the same time, I think it is grossly unfair to judge signings when it is still October. Fernando Torres has not been fit for six months and is a shadow of his former self. Hodgson inherited a number of players who were unhappy such as Mascherano and Aquilani and had to be shipped out. The whole situation was far from perfect, and I can’t quite understand the reaction of some of the fans. Would anybody else have done better? Who will Liverpool attract that can improve things? I say stick, not twist.

I was on the receiving end of a pretty blatant fib last weekend and it wasn’t the only one I’ve heard recently. I was in a hotel that I go to fairly regularly, and the lady on reception said that the lift was out of order. It has literally been out of order for the past six months. I don’t really care to be honest, as I am perfectly fine taking the stairs. However, when I made a joke remark about it not working a single time I had been in the last few months, she said it had been working fine. It was a fib, and unnecessary. There are some times when one just needs to hold one’s hand up and accept it. As said, far from major, but why did she need to fib to me?

I read a headline on BBC’s website today – ‘French strikers step up pressure’. Isn’t Laurent Blanc muttering to himself ‘If only’??

A 20-year-old American Football college player was paralysed this weekend after a tackle he made went badly wrong. My heart goes out to Eric LeGrand and I hope he can somehow make a recovery. There was a horrendous collision in the NFL also this weekend with DeSean Jackson coming off worst in a sickening clash. I won’t post links, but you will find both on youtube if you wish. The question of concussions and injuries like this have been hotly debated in the last 18 months in NFL. The NFL have now decided to suspend players committing such tackles. I agree with it, but why does it take such horrific injuries to happen before taking such action? This is nothing new.