Effect of Rio fiasco/strike rumours

[Tooting Gull]

It's the sort of thing you traditionally associate with Holland, good team that always have some sort of major personality-based crisis in the run-up to big games and tournaments - but not us.

I know there won't be a boycott on Saturday, but the fact it has even been mooted is utterly incredible. What must Turkey be thinking? They can just sit back and watch us self-destruct.

I know sometimes you get the 'strength in adversity, bring the players together' line, but that doesn't seem to quite ring true this time. Very gloomy about the prospects.

 

[Simster]

Apart from the fact they haven't scored against us in the dozen or so internationals we've played against them.

We'll win well, mark my words. Turkey are overrated.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I can't believe the players had a vote and came out 24-0 in favour of Ferdinand.

THE MAN FORGOT TO TAKE A COMPULSORY DRUG TEST!

He deserves a ban and if him playing the turkey game jeapordised us in anyway then we were right to leave him out.

 

[beorhthelm]

im not convinced that there ever was any sort of threat to boycott the game

 

[Tooting Gull]

I can't believe the players had a vote and came out 24-0 in favour of Ferdinand.

THE MAN FORGOT TO TAKE A COMPULSORY DRUG TEST!

He deserves a ban and if him playing the turkey game jeapordised us in anyway then we were right to leave him out.

You've nailed that side of it Chappers. It really worries me just how far now the players are divorced from reality. Not saying for a moment that he did have anything to hide - but from the perception side, clearly if any player could say 'I forgot' if he had taken something, and get away with it, the testing procedure is rendered totally worthless. And as you say, Turkey would obviously have cried foul if they had lost with him playing. It's staggering how the players can't see that.

 

[ditchy]

Cant believe how bad the fa have handled this and the sol campbell affair...why didnt they have both hearings after the Turkey game when there ia a period of relative inactivity within the english fa ..that way they are deemed to get whatever punisment is given without the distraction of an important championship qualifier...Any other FA would have scheduled the hearings until after the game . Its not as though they didnt know when we were due to play Turkey and the significance of the game ..At the end of the day its a bunch of "suits " who seem to be out of touch .

 

[FamilyGuy]

Disagree.

Rio is a professional - he should know the rules and he should abide by them. He missed a compulsory drug test and should accept the consequences.

The FA couldn't be seen to sit back and do nothing until after the Turkey match - the rules are the rules are the rules.

Perhaps it could have been handled better, but to bend the rules to our convenience is just not on - and if the Turks did it we'd all "cry foul".

Rio is paid a lot, he knows the rules, he broke them and so should be banned. England is not a one-man team and the team is bigger than the player. The game is bigger than the team.

If the England squad has voted to strike then they should be ashamed of themselves - "Its not as though they don't know when we are due to play Turkey and the significance of the game". The game is bigger than their ego's and bigger than their mate Rio.

Rio should stand up and tell his teammates not to be so stupid - and own up to his mistake.

If they do boycott the game then they should be sacked and we should play the match with a squad of players who want to play, and deserve to play (which on recent performances by definition precludes many of the current squad).

 

[CHAPPERS]

Disagree.

Rio is a professional - he should know the rules and he should abide by them. He missed a compulsory drug test and should accept the consequences.

The FA couldn't be seen to sit back and do nothing until after the Turkey match - the rules are the rules are the rules.

Perhaps it could have been handled better, but to bend the rules to our convenience is just not on - and if the Turks did it we'd all "cry foul".

Rio is paid a lot, he knows the rules, he broke them and so should be banned. England is not a one-man team and the team is bigger than the player. The game is bigger than the team.

If the England squad has voted to strike then they should be ashamed of themselves - "Its not as though they don't know when we are due to play Turkey and the significance of the game". The game is bigger than their ego's and bigger than their mate Rio.

Rio should stand up and tell his teammates not to be so stupid - and own up to his mistake.

If they do boycott the game then they should be sacked and we should play the match with a squad of players who want to play, and deserve to play (which on recent performances by definition precludes many of the current squad).

Couldn't agree more.

Holier than thou mother fuckers.

 

[Spiros]

Can't agree ditchy. It wasn't the FA who leaked out Ferdinand's name to the press. They (quite rightly in my book) didn't want to risk using a player in Turkey who had just failed to take a complusory drugs test. This might have then given the Turks the right to challenge the result if it goes our way. The blame for this lies solely with Rio Ferdinand, who seems to have a new story each time this is reported - first he was moving house, now it seems he had a 'urinary' infection.

The only 'suits' that are out of touch are Man U's lawyers who are trying to defend the indefensible. I'm just amazed he has been allowed to carry on playing as long as he has, because if it was one of our players you can bet your bottom dollar that he would have been suspended pending any investigation as soon as it was known he'd missed the test, not 2 games later.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Couldn't agree more.

Holier than thou mother fuckers.

-oOo- -oOo-

Thanks, a good point, well made !

 

[CHAPPERS]

Yeah, i forgot about the Man U lawyers, they are also Holier than thou Mother Fuckers. How can you defend him. He forgot because he reckons he was moving house that day? Give me a braek, stop acting like you run football in this country and accept that Rio has f***ed up and should face the consequences you Prawn Sandwich eating tossers.

 

[beorhthelm]

Agree with Family Guy, if there really has been talk of a boycott by the player then they can all get lost. I really think could find it difficult to watch the game and cheer them on if they want to behave like such little spoilt twats

play some proper players like Hart, Mayo and Cullip instead.