I'm so surprised about Barcelona going through.

[Burney]

3 pints of lager
4 bottles of red between two
Scotch scotch scotch oh god

I've decided that if I never drink Scotch again, I wouldn't really mind.

I'm 43 years old and I don't like the stuff. I'm not going to acquire the taste now, am I?

There. I've said it.

[Burney]

I am not denying it, as you will see in my post which you replied to, and I quote - "Yes there probably is drugs in football, be naïve to expect not".

My point is that every win, every performance, drugs. Especially teams that beat us. Drugs.

It is a bit silly.

I suspect that the differences now are in the different extent of clubs' usage. Those with organised, club-wide programmes are probably doing best while those who have certain players at it and others not because it is not mandated by the coaching staff do less well.

I would guess we are in the latter category.

[Sir C]

I've decided that if I never drink Scotch again, I wouldn't really mind.

I'm 43 years old and I don't like the stuff. I'm not going to acquire the taste now, am I?

There. I've said it.

What of the pre-prandial stengah, for God's sake?

[Luis Anaconda]

3 pints of lager
4 bottles of red between two
Scotch scotch scotch oh god

Good effort - you need a stiff drink now though. I would suggest a gin and tonic

[Burney]

What of the pre-prandial stengah, for God's sake?

Gin. Gin is a fine and benign spirit. Scotch, on the other hand, makes one angry, morose and violent - which explains a lot about scotchmen.

[World's End Stella]

You derided Neg for his conviction that Barcelona in particular have been at the forefront of EPO use in football and that that has contributed to their dominance.
That conviction seems pretty reasonable to me. Indeed, I would regard it as fairly naive to think otherwise.

I did nothing of the kind, I suggest you read it again.

I derided him for explaining every performance based on drug use. They may well be doping, but sometimes really good players who are doping play well just because they are very good players. Sometimes doped players play badly anyway, because they are human beings. The idea that every Barca player is doping to the extent that the only variable that determines the quality of their performance is how well they are doping is absurd. It's also absurd that to think that in a game like football that requires so much skill, the only thing you would consider when evaluating a performance is doping.

Which is exactly what he does, over and over again. Football has a drug problem, but football is not cycling, Burney. Not even close.

[Luis Anaconda]

Which is exactly what he does, over and over again. Football has a drug problem, but football is not cycling, Burney. Not even close.

Oh, I dunno about that. The wheels have definitely come off our season. All downhill from here. Seem to be stuck in the same gear

[Burney]

I did nothing of the kind, I suggest you read it again.

I derided him for explaining every performance based on drug use. They may well be doping, but sometimes really good players who are doping play well just because they are very good players. Sometimes doped players play badly anyway, because they are human beings. The idea that every Barca player is doping to the extent that the only variable that determines the quality of their performance is how well they are doping is absurd. It's also absurd that to think that in a game like football that requires so much skill, the only thing you would consider when evaluating a performance is doping.

Which is exactly what he does, over and over again. Football has a drug problem, but football is not cycling, Burney. Not even close.

If it didn't make a crucial difference, they wouldn't do it. In that sense, it's no different to drug use in any other sport.
Is it the only variable? Of course not. But neither is it in any other sport. You and I could take as much EPO as we liked and we still wouldn't win the Tour de France because we're no fûcking good at cycling. The combination of pre-existing excellence AND a comprehensive and efficient doping programme is an unbeatable one. That is what Barcelona have had for years now.

[redgunamo]

I've decided that if I never drink Scotch again, I wouldn't really mind.

I'm 43 years old and I don't like the stuff. I'm not going to acquire the taste now, am I?

There. I've said it.

I'm with you there actually. I really only take the odd nip now and then to keep my old man company.

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

Every year Uefa fix it so it is a Real Madrid Barcelona final I read somewhere today. A theory only mildly undermined by the complete lack of Real Madrid Barcelona finals

Anything so long as the Ingerlish team suffers