The Friday Fit: Behind The H&M Scenes With David Beckham
As we depart for the local pub, we’ll leave you with this: four behind the scene shots of David Beckham filming his H&M underwear advert for the Super Bowl next month.
TTYL, Kickettes!
Jose Mourinho: A Scrub Is A Guy That Can’t Get No Love
Like a lot of you, we’ve noticed that The Special One’s dress sense has gone from GQMF to WTF. Case and point: to sweat out Wednesday night’s El Clasico, Jose wore track pants, a hoodie, and a puffer vest.
A puffer vest! Two years ago Jose would have used a puffer vest as a wee pad for his dogs. So what’s causing the dip in sartorial form?
Jose must have a case of the sadz. Sure, Real Madrid are 5 points clear at the top of La Liga and have a somewhat promising match up with CSKA Moscow in the knock out stage of the Champions League, but when push comes to shove they probably couldn’t beat Barcelona even if all the Blaugranas wore blindfolds and Messi played with his legs tied together.
Trophies are what matter. We think. Or so says Jose’s style.
When we’re down, our emergency stash of chocolate buttons is the first to go. Maybe for Jose it’s his custom-tailored suits. Barcelona is his Everest. Until he conquers it we’re in for Adidas, nylon and *gasp* polyester.
EURO 2012: An Accommodations Overview, Greece NT
They might not be the national team whose pants drawer you’re most interested in familiarising yourself with, but the ‘fun factor’ of the Greek NT’s accommodation arrangements far outweighs any disappointment at the lack of potential fantasy material.
We promise you.
The ‘Folk Restaurant’
Oh. Less shine, more wood seems to be the order of the day in the ‘folk restaurant’. But let’s try and stay optimistic, shall we? No, we have no clue what those wagon things with the inefficient wooden wheels are for, either. We just hope its not to collect the bodies of those who have just eaten breakfast.
We’re just funning.
We’re sure the food is lovely and not remotely poisonous.
-
The Folk Restaurant: Pt.2
It’s the dead animals nailed to the ceiling that offend us. Like we’d really tuck into dinner with a dead wolf suspended over our heads?!
-
The Pool
More evidence (if it were needed) that inappropriate wood is a feature at The Warszawianka hotel in Jachranka (near Warsaw).
For those of you who flunked Dendrology 101 (look the hell at us and our big words on a Friday), palm trees are not native to Poland yet are part of this pool’s ambiance anyway.
Go figure.
-
The Living Room
Now this is more like it. Lovely widescreen TV to watch the games on, plenty of cupboard space and best of all, special sliding door thingy to lock out irritating team-mates. They’ve even supplied a little table and (naughty) chair so the offender can contemplate the nature and severity of their crimes.
-
So, from what we can gather, during the tourney we need to be looking out for Greece NT players sporting splinters, unusual eating habits and homesickness.
They’ll almost certainly pick that up from the palm trees.
Alex Gerrard: Sending Mixed Pram Messages
Kickettes, do you recall the veiled threat we (and many, many other members of the media) received from legal firm, Schillings, on behalf of their clients, the Gerrards, requesting privacy from the paps whilst out with their kids?
If not, read about it here.
Well recently, and as we rightly predicted, Lourdes made her grand entrance into the public world via the same pages that pay Alex for her brainless ramblings, which OK! magazine considers to be “columns.”
We felt the need to remind you of these previous tales due to the odd and slightly amusing story gleaned from Popbitch early this morning.
“It was something of a surprise to get a press release this week showing photos of a beaming Alex out and about pushing her daughter, Lourdes, around in a very particular (and noticeable) make of pram (one she’s already plugged quite nicely in her OK! column).
Keen to protect her family’s privacy as she is, it seems strange that Mrs Gerrard should smile so pleasantly for the (presumably paparazzo) photographer. And if she wasn’t happy about it all, presumably the photos wouldn’t have found their way on to the pages of the magazine that employs her, OK!”
We saw those photos on OK! online earlier this week as well and thought about how weird it was that they were not available on any number of the photo agency sites that we subscribe to.
Surely Alex will come up with some type of response to explain this coincidence, because surely she wouldn’t subject herself and her “reputation” to some shameless product shill.
Right?
Good Week/Bad Week: Grandpas & Great Excuses
Click here to view the embedded video.
The day isn’t close to being done but we’re so giddy about today’s preparedness that we’re willing to share our Good Week/Bad Week update with you all early.
You shouldn’t feel special.
GOOD WEEK
Vintage Gunner: Don’t panic, Arsenal fans. Arsene hasn’t responded to criticism over his kids policy by hiring pensioners, regardless of what the re-signing of Thierry Henry might imply. This happy chappy is Robin van Persie’s Grandpappy Wim, who attended the Arsenal vs. United game last weekend as a 91st birthday treat. As well as a photo opp in RvP’s dressing room cubby, Wim also received an on-pitch birthday greeting from his grandson, via a post goal celebration. We loved his response and bet you will too.
Good News For Giroud: Earlier this week we were prompted to throw out a query regarding the marital status of Olivier Giroud, who has been spending a little too much time in our fantasy features lately. While we’re basically gutted that Olivier is apparently happily wifed-up with ‘Jennifer’, it’s a relief to have you guys rescue us from our fact-check fail oblivion.
Skivvies: Hurrah for Sylvie van der Vaart, who has been unveiled as the 2012 model for Dutch lingerie brand Hunkemöller. The company, who claim to be one of the biggest underwear firms in Europe, said their products “connect perfectly to (Sylvie’s) look and person.” Which we think is just a nice way of saying she looks super hot in knickers. You know who also had a go at lacy lingerie this week, but that’s all we’ll say on the matter.
-
BAD WEEK
Redknapp Revelation: Harry Redknapp has confessed he “…can’t work a computer, (doesn’t) know what an email is… (and has) never sent a fax (or) a text message” during a court case investigation into his personal bank account. Redknapp claims he knew nothing of supposed payments being made because his accountant “runs his life.” On the plus side, at least wife Sandra hasn’t got to worry that he’s been taking pics of himself in the nude, which seems to be the major function of most ‘baller smart phones these days.
Leo Who?: An interesting move from Time magazine, who have Leo Messi representin‘ on the cover of their European, Asian and South Pacific Feb 6th editions, and a plug for a feature about shyness on the US one. Are they being super understanding of the Little Flea’s famed aversion to fuss? Or are the publishers simply afraid that the majority of their readership couldn’t identify the three time Ballon D’Or winner from a hole in the ground?
Keep ‘em Crossed: Fate once again has his wicked way with football this weekend, with the Liverpool vs. Manchester United and QPR vs. Chelsea FA Cup fixtures taking place on Saturday. This will be is the first time the sides have met since the racist incidents that marred their matches earlier in the season and already rumours are abounding about whether JT will be left hanging by Anton Ferdinand, which is becoming something of a habit for the Chelsea man. Hopefully, everyone will behave themselves, but we can’t say we’re optimistic.
Man. Utd.: Scholes- I missed the game
Scholes- I missed the game.Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes has admitted he missed the game more than he ever imagined following his retirement last summer.
The 37-year-old stunned most observers by returning to the game this month, more than six months after announcing his decision to quit.
It is not a career path he expected last summer, when he opted to do some coaching alongside reserve-team boss Warren Joyce. Speaking to MUTV, he admitted: “At the end of last season, I thought it was the right time to finish.”
He added: “But after coming in here for the last three or four months, still seeing people and doing a bit of training with the reserves, I was missing it more than I thought.
“I went to see the manager and said that I wanted to come back playing.
“I didn’t know what he would say. I didn’t know what his reaction would be. Thankfully, it was a positive one.”
Scholes, half-jokingly, denied his retirement, five months after that of long-time team-mate Gary Neville, was purely a ruse to get out of a lengthy pre-season tour to the United States.
“Part of it was,” he said. “I didn’t fancy going to America for three weeks, I know that.
“No, in all seriousness, I never thought I would miss it as much as I did. Ask any player who has finished, they will all miss it for a period of time.
“I missed it and decided to give it another go.”Source: PA
West Brom.: Hodgson keen on Huszti
West Brom head coach Roy Hodgson is hopeful of concluding a deal to sign Zenit St Petersburg winger Szabolcs Huszti for the remainder of the season.Hodgson has been preparing his side for Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Norwich at the Hawthorns amid ongoing talks with the Russian club about taking the Hungary international on loan with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.Hodgson is keen to strengthen his wide options in midfield, with Zoltan Gera and skipper Chris Brunt both long-term injury casualties, and said: “Huszti is a player who has had a very good career with Metz, Hannover and now St Petersburg, who have been the top side in Russia for two or three years.”He added: “He is a player who comes with a very good CV, a type of player we don’t really have at the club, not least with Gera and Brunt injured long term.”We hope we can finalise the deal with the club and the player himself and he will be a good addition to our squad for the final 16 league games if it all gets tied up.”Hodgson has also not given hope of signing Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell, even though Albion’s initial bid was rejected by their midlands rivals.He said: “I know that Birmingham are still in dialogue with Dan Ashworth [West Brom's sporting and technical director]. Whether that means there will be another offer from our side I couldn’t say.”I was under the impression that the offer we made was pretty much a final one, but who knows? It would be nice for a deal to be done and, if it can’t, then that is okay too.”Hodgson has written off any hopes of signing defender Chris Baird from his former club Fulham, however.He said: “We have been told he is not available. His name was mentioned and I said yes, if he was going to be released we would be interested. Then I have been informed that Fulham will not be releasing him.” Source: PA
Q.P.R.: QPR get malicious communication
The Metropolitan Police are investigating an alleged “malicious communication” received by Queens Park Rangers football club on Friday.A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “I can confirm we are investigating an allegation of malicious communication received today [Friday] at QPR football club. Officers from Hammersmith and Fulham are investigating.”QPR will play Chelsea in an FA Cup match at their home ground, Loftus Road, in west London on Saturday afternoon. Source: PA
Chelsea: AVB- De Bruyne chase club policy
AVB- De Bruyne chase club policy.Andre Villas-Boas on Friday admitted that Chelsea’s pursuit of Kevin de Bruyne had nothing to do with him.
The Blues were this week on the brink of completing the signing of 20-year-old Genk winger De Bruyne, who they have been linked with for several months.
But manager Villas-Boas revealed the decision to fork out a reported £8million for the player had come from above, and said: “You have to speak to the people from the club about that.”
He added: “It’s club policy. It’s not within my immediate projects. He’s a player the club has scouted for some time. I’m a manager who respects club policy.”
It has long been assumed Chelsea bosses have not had full control over transfers since Roman Abramovich bought the club, with the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Alex and even Fernando Torres all said to be Abramovich buys.
But while his predecessors have tiptoed around the subject – sometimes describing such signings as ‘joint decisions’ – Villas-Boas was the first to explicitly distance himself from a new arrival.
He added of De Bruyne, who is expected to be loaned back to Genk should he sign before the transfer window closes: “A club has to look to the future, whether it’s with this manager or another.
“He’s a good bet for the future.”
Someone who has the potential to improve their current squad is Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian, who Chelsea had a £16.7million bid rejected for this week – according to the Ukrainian champions.
Villas-Boas ruled out resurrecting a move for the Brazilian before the transfer window closes, even if Shakhtar lower their demands, adding: “It’s an extremely interesting player, but I don’t think we’ll progress with our interest.”Source: PA
Live scores