LondonLax

Apparently he thinks it's good luck :/

Yeah the Guardian just reported that the SD website was claiming it, they weren't claiming anything themselves.

I think it is a superstition thing for him, the mug.

Really? wow. Have a read. Cringe-worthy... http://www.theshedend.com/topic/22073-the-rafa-benitez-thread-merged/page-227

It is the dressing up in full kit to make it look like he was playing that people think is stupid.

Had a quick look through a Chelsea forum and their fans are still slagging Benitez off. Classy.

It must be so frustrating being a Spurs fan.

Well Chelsea are doing their best to bring it back up Two European trophies in a row and for some reason success in the Europa League is worth the same as success in the Champions League.

Happy for Ivanovic. He missed the final last year but scores a great winner this year. He's a good guy by all accounts.

I think Barry is well past his best. Unless he is just lacking motivation this season. I am not sure we would provide that motivation for him either.

I would like to think we could finish above them next season but there should be 3 worse teams than them.

He's not a patch on the Chelsea physio that's for sure

The Dutch camera work has left a lot to be desired as well.

Yeah, letting Torres muscle you off the ball is pretty embarrassing

There is one Portuguese and 3 Englishmen on the pitch

Less than 50% is by no means a majority. Well most people have changed their answers to staying up now of course... The point is though Londonlax some Villa fans did think we were going to stay up & came on the relegation thread constantly to re-iterate their point constantly throughout the season. What I am saying is about singular opinion & not collective. All Villa fans have differing opinions but Savage & Lawrenson are giving us their professional & considered insight from their own single perspective. They talk trash & in an arrogant & conceited fashion & this is a perfect & prime example of it. So they got it wrong, so what? They had an opinion that we would be in danger of relegation (the same opinion many of our fans had) and it turned out to be wrong but only by a very fine margin. Do you expect 100% accuracy from every pundit making predictions before the season starts? If anything Savage deserves credit for getting his prediction so close.

Benfica are all over this so far.

Less than 50% is by no means a majority. Well most people have changed their answers to staying up now of course...

Pretty poor imo. I still think Homework is their best album. I'm liking it. It's similar to Air's moon safari in places and is quite funky at other times. There's not the big club tracks except for maybe 'contact' but it is a cool chilling out in the sun type CD.

Yes, the Guardian is also running the Rooney to Newcastle story. I suppose they are aiming high at least...

Plenty on here would tar all of their fans just because one does something stupid. It is just the pathetic nature of tribalism

5 * ~750k = £3.75m So if we get 11th with the new tv money added to that as well thats gotta be worth a total of what? 60m?......WOW! Am looking forward to see how this team performs without the threat of relegation looming over it actually. Also what PL will do now we're "Bentekeless"... Gotta be Bent & Weimann i guess The new TV prize money comes through at the end of next season, not up front at the start. If we can improve our finish next year we will get a bigger chunk of it. Doesn't really matter. If we're 100% owed it, then it goes into the accounts. When it gets paid is only really a matter for the cash-flow enthusiasts (i.e. poor clubs like Pompey). But we don't know how much we will be owed until we know where we finish next season. It would be risky to borrow against the prize money for finishing 8th but only end up finishing 15th and receive half of what we were banking on. TV money is shared out equally is it not? Prize money depends on place but is not as significant. The prize money comes from the Premier League who get their money from the sponsors (including the TV sponsors). There is a set amount of money everyone receives if your match is on TV and prize money for how high you finish at the end.

Whittingham was also a poor mans Whittingham at his age.

Yes and conversly you will struggle to find good value buying from other permier league sides.

Not if you are buying from a forign league. Unless they jack up the prices after this went through. Probably not gonna be a problem in the start but eventually it will lead to a shift right? Has to. Yeah, it will filter down but premier league clubs will be able to out muscle domestic rivals (even more than usual) when bidding on players from France and the Dutch league. Most prem teams could even outbid most Italian and German clubs for players now.