ROLLING MCNULTY THREAD

Gerard Houllier's biggest move in the transfer market since his arrival at Villa Park has been to secure the services of a forward who comes with a guarantee of goals. The deal is also an emphatic show of faith in his manager from Villa owner Randy Lerner.

The shock transfer has already been portrayed as either a panic move by a Villa hierarchy fearing relegation or a coup that has stunned their rivals and makes a spectacular statement of intent about the future under Houllier.

Some may say Bent has gambled by dropping down the Premier League to join Villa and that Houllier has taken a punt by splashing out so much on one player - but the striker's goalscoring record makes him a safe bet as a finisher.

There can be no doubt in even the most cynical football fan's mind that Darren Bent is a striker, formerly of Sunderland, [huge lengthy pointless link]who will bag you goals in the Premier League[/lengthy pointless link]

However Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, in charge of the great northern side for over 20 years, may have other ideas. One thing is sure. Bent's transfer will have set tongues wagging throughout the English game, and from [lengthy link]pub to terrace and back[/lengthy link] the debate about his abilities will continue without any definite answer. Watch this space.

Bebe a slow burner surely?? Or not as the case may be.
2:23 PM Jan 17th

Sources within the kitchen have been speculating feverishly all evening about the possibility that the milk is probably a bit off by now. Phil McNulty is a man with a well earned reputation as a fastidious planner and it will sit uneasily with his carefully honed domestic philosophy to take a chance on the ageing dairy product at this stage of its lifespan. And yet sections of the McNulty camp may feel that after his gruelling work day - and the relative distance of the off licence - the senior BBC man may be willing to take a gamble in order to secure the crucial brew he so desparately craves. One thing is for certain - his wife will not be home for hours. This is one saga that may yet have a twist in the tail.

West Ham manager Avram Grant on seeing Hammers striker Frederic Piquionne sent off for celebrating after putting his side 2-1 up against Everton in a game the Hammers drew 2-2: "It's a joke. What is football about? It's about emotion. We are not computers. Freddie did the right thing, he went to celebrate with the fans. I need to check who created this law, I don't like it. Emotion is part of the game and we should encourage it."

Chief football writer Phil McNulty at Villa Park: "Gerard Houllier is smiling. Fabio Capello is smiling. And Darren Bent is certainly smiling as he reacts first to Joe Hart's save to score his first goal for Aston Villa. His first serious contribution to the game - but isn't that what Darren Bent is all about?"

Goals are what you get when you sign a player of Bent's calibre. Gerard Houllier will have known this. And indeed this column will have written itself in light of Bent's fine debut. Nothing will have surprised anyone and yet some things may raise eyebrows with those same people. Yet one thing is certain, the end of this paragraph will put the lid on this series of statements of the obvious without a great deal of aplomb. And for now that will do very nicely indeed.

actually from BBC, this summary:

"Does Darren Bent justify his £24m price tag? Phil McNulty ponders"

http://www.garden-fountains.com/famous-statues/thinker.jpg

oops http://www.garden-fountains.com/famous-statues/thinker.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UygC8.jpg

Kinda looks like a rejected Limmy's Show character

was expecting someone a bit younger with more of a raffishly haughty air of invulnerability

dude's clearly just what he seems: middle-management bore, probably more worthy of compassion than disdain save for the fact he is the BBC's mouthpiece

le tissier could read the protocols to jeff stelling in fake patois and still be a more valuable member of the nation's football punditocracy than nulty

well the thing is that he brings nothing and is completely expendable, which makes him weirdly omnipotent - our cavilling cannot graze he who is absent

http://i.imgur.com/Cd5NW.jpg

ok, just seen this

:D

the only rules -- mspaint, less than two minutes

the floor is yours

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs280.snc6/180796_731371488880_36910239_44760365_1662240_n.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/318/nultcollage.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/frigtwetch2535/nultlinkface.jpg

ronan that is fucking brilliant

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/01/can_fa_cup_cheer_moyes_ancelot.html

fucking hell...is he getting even worse or is it just me

so much "if", "should it", "may have" in that article - disappointing absence of the usual big phil certainties

Yes when David Moyes leaves Everton everyone will surely say well done on limited resources but you never won a trophy.

If the stakes were high when Everton met Chelsea in the 2009 FA Cup final at Wembley, then there will still be plenty riding on the outcome when the two clubs meet again in fourth-round combat at Goodison Park on Saturday.

tbh i kind of like the brain-meltingness of presenting this as an if-then.

18 out of 29 paragraphs there are Pat Nevin verbatim! At least phil checks back in to sign off with a flourish.

Chief football writer Phil McNulty's half-time snapshot at Craven Cottage: "Fulham's 4-0 lead is fully deserved - and it could have been a lot worse for Tottenham. Harry Redknapp's side have been taken to the cleaners. A magnificent display from Mark Hughes' side."

it could have been a lot worse yes, their stand could have been bombed

that's IT as I'm supposed to be busy here I'm going to go back and pull that night of liveblogging the Man Utd - Spurs game into one mighty footcelsior post.

Latest football blog posts
Fulham progress as Spurs falter
Phil McNulty on a day to remember for Fulham but one to forget for Spurs

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty on Twitter: "Scenario unfolding is once Torres signs for Chelsea, Liverpool will close in on Carroll asking price. It will be gamble by Liverpool owners and a Chelsea side trying to find the last piece of the puzzle."

And his retirement should be accompanied by total respect for his achievements, even from the many who could not warm to his character. This is the very least a one-club man who became a symbol of a silver-lined Old Trafford era deserves.

As he goes, we can be certain we have not heard the last of Gary Neville - even his critics will agree with that.

At 10:39pm on 02 Feb 2011, James_Heneghan wrote:

Very worthy blog of one of the most passionate and dedicated players ever.

Gary Neville = Legend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5d8N0j5e9w

Leighton Baines went in ahead of Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock against Egypt, and while he did himself no harm, the Everton defender did not necessarily do himself a lot of good either.

Baines grew into the game after some early uncertainty, but he played within himself and did not add the attacking flourishes that mark him out as such an excellent performer at his club.

It could have been first-night nerves, or even strict instructions from Capello, but there is more to his game than was on show on Wednesday. Baines came through without any damage, which seemed to be his main ambition, and can feel satisfied with his England debut, but he is capable of better, more assertive displays.

England's Italian coach will have relished the victory as preparation for a Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales in Cardiff next month that he simply cannot lose. It was also a game that effectively started one international career and revived others.

On that basis alone, those who cared to label this as a game without meaning must think again - and would certainly get an argument from Capello.

And for Rooney himself, would this be a move that would take his career on an upward curve? He may well feel City's bottomless pit of cash makes them a viable option but there is an element of Rooney needing to be careful what he wishes for.

there is an element of Rooney needing to be careful what he wishes for.

― nakhchivan, Friday, 11 February 2011 04:27 (0 seconds ago) Bookmark

Boring as it might sound to some, Liverpool need a pair of safe hands that will restore dignity and credibility to Anfield after times of turbulence on and off the field.

Hodgson is a deep thinker about football and other things besides, as an avid reader of Milan Kundera, John Updike and Philip Roth. Liverpool will hope he can apply the intelligence gleaned throughout a long career to rebuild one of the fallen giants of the game.

A close study of his work at Craven Cottage confirms he fulfils all requirements at Liverpool. Listen to Anfield old boy Danny Murphy, speaking in Hamburg on the night before the Europa League final.

"The manager doesn't sprinkle magic dust on us," said Murphy. "The manager and his staff work damn hard to make sure the lads know their jobs. He does his research on players and the mentality of players who come into the club. He is a manager who organises his team well."

There are other facets of Hodgson's character that will have appealed to Liverpool's power brokers as they drew up their shortlist.

Bridge's situation will elicit sympathy, but it is unlikely too much of it will be on offer from Capello and his thoughts will have moved on almost instantly.

Kevin Davies will be his usual physical self up front, and it is highly unlikely many Bolton games will have the purists purring, but the thick-skinned and combative Megson will be supremely disinterested in that small matter.

He will hope to keep central defender Brede Hangeland beyond August, while Danny Murphy's experience and tactical awareness keeps things ticking over in midfield.

With Hodgson in charge Fulham can expect more of the same this season.

I fucking hate this thread because I have no idea when people are quoting and when they're making it up. It's distressing. Like Conservapedia, it's some kind of horrifying hall of mirrors.

these are all quotes

"Arise Sir Ryan Giggs" read a small banner tucked away in one of the quieter corners of Stoke City's thunderous Britannia Stadium.

And the current Knight of Old Trafford will be in no mood to argue after another emphatic demonstration of the class and composure contained within the Premier League's most enduring talent.

Sir Alex Ferguson introduced Giggs after finally tiring of Nani's posturing and lack of end product, and within minutes the gulf between the pretender and the consummate professional ensured Manchester United's superiority counted for something in Saturday's 2-0 win at Stoke.

Quinn appears to have pulled off a massive coup, and make no mistake Keane has had the best managerial education available under his mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

He has long been regarded as the on-field embodiment of the fire, desire, and will-to-win of his brilliantly successful and single-minded manager at Old Trafford. His master's voice on the field.

One thing is for sure, once Keane walks into the Stadium of Light, life will never be the same again for Sunderland.

Arsene Wenger's lavish boast that Arsenal's Champions League meeting with Barcelona would illustrate "the art of football" came to fruition as a masterpiece was unveiled at the Emirates.

Barcelona provided brush strokes of rare beauty, especially in a mesmerising opening 25 minutes that will be imprinted forever in the memory of those of us privileged enough to witness it at close quarters.

Without a hint of his tongue forcing a hole in his cheek and with the straightest of faces, England goalkeeper James announced it was simply "a game against a decent outfit".

"Welcome To Warp Factor 10" was how Burnley chairman Barry Kilby announced the return of top tier football to Turf Moor after an absence of 33 years.

Colourful stuff from lifelong fan Kilby - a successful businessman who has crossed the often hazardous divide between terrace and boardroom - but a billing that was fully justified at the end of an emotional night at Turf Moor.

Up front, McLeish's capture of the giant Nikola Zigic from Valencia will add, literally, huge presence to their team. The impact he makes will have a big bearing on their season.

Snobs attack Pulis's style but you will not find many complaints in the Potteries.

He has brought in Titus Bramble from Wigan Athletic, a defender he has the highest regard for despite his accident-prone nature, while he has high hopes for Paraguayan midfield man Cristian Riveros. Nedum Onuoha is another shrewd signing by a manager who has a track record in these matters.

Darren Bent, however, will be his main man. Regular readers will know I am a confirmed Bent fan - a proven Premier League goalscorer who I would have happily had in England's World Cup squad ahead of the vastly inferior Emile Heskey.

James McArthur follows the path trodden to the DW Stadium by James McCarthy - Scottish, young, hungry, talented. Real Wigan hopes.

Football's most famous new father may have been short on sleep just a day after the birth of his son Kai, but he woke a dozing Old Trafford from its slumbers and made sure Ferguson got the point that fulfilled his wish for early qualification for the Champions League group phase.

Rooney's name made a surprise appearance on the list of United substitutes - and with early paternal duties fulfilled the stage was set once Vasili Berezutski headed CSKA's third two minutes after half-time.

the vastly inferior Emile Heskey

this is remarkably bold from our man, musta been a copyeditor changing it from "the other option".

I fucking hatelove this thread because I have no idea when people are quoting and when they're making it up. It's distressing. Like Conservapedia, it's some kind of horrifying hall of mirrors.

― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Friday, 11 February 2011 04:37 (6 hours ago)

well yes, that too.

Had United claimed all three points, it would have meant they would have had to lose three more games while Arsenal won all of theirs, and realistically that was very unlikely to happen.

Alan Hansen was talking to Phil McNulty

trawling through the archives of nult, one of the very few threads of 'opinion' is a fealty to the titans of antifootball - pulis, megson etc

this is a common enough trope among explayer hacks like hansen who want to show their insider commitment to 'proper football men' contra the media love for 'champagne football', and kinda resonates with nult's commonsense aversion to aesthetics/reason/disharmony

it makes me want to cry he's so bad. he writes in ways nobody would ever speak.

just so fucking LUMPEN

my h8 of nulty and his peers (not that he has any at this point but..) prob goes back to the time i got censured for using the word TORRID in an essay when i was about 10....one of those words that only crap football hacks use, and never correcly, cf nult;

Johnson was a constant threat on City's right flank, giving Daniel Agger a torrid time under the watchful eye of England coach Fabio Capello's right-hand man Franco Baldini. He fired narrowly off target early on and pulled another effort just wide as the interval approached.

tor·rid (tôrd, tr-)
adj. tor·rid·er, tor·rid·est
1. Parched with the heat of the sun; intensely hot.
2. Scorching; burning: the torrid noonday sun.
3. Passionate; ardent: a torrid love scene.
4. Hurried; rapid: set a torrid pace; torrid economic growth.
[Latin torridus, from torrre, to parch; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]

agger was latin for a raised dyke iirc? that shit be mad exposed to the sun

the john-sun

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Day-Daniel-Agger-Elbows-Fernando-Torres-060211/199737293374266

tis xxp, tho i had to look it up

how much latin did u study

1/5 of my BA was Latin, I'm pretty 'versed' (is this the academe equiv of 'torrid'?) in the language (although I haven't studied nearly enough of the literature to claim expertise)

"Welcome To Warp Factor 10" was how Burnley chairman Barry Kilby announced the return of top tier football to Turf Moor after an absence of 33 years.

Colourful stuff from lifelong fan Kilby

<3<3<3 this

20 mins of intensive nult cribbing is an effective soporific btw

27 uses of 'will' on PM's Hodgson West Brom piece

nult exceeding himself there, so fucking repititive..

Hodgson, 63, has not been given the job on the basis of his time at Anfield - and it would be an injustice to define a competetent career by those six months of failure - but on the evidence of his work at Fulham.

Also in their minds will have been Hodgson's reputation, pre-Anfield at least, as a mature, steadying hand on the tiller and a man who has proved he can engineer a miracle escape of the sort he accomplished after being appointed at Fulham in December 2007.

West Brom will want him to bring all his experience to bear to reverse this dangerous trend and they will be getting a manager with points to prove after the wounds he suffered at Liverpool.

Hodgson's reign at Liverpool will not be recalled with any affection by anyone involved and Anfield's history will unquestionably be cruel on his work, but his past suggests there is sound logic behind his latest appointment.

am liking the DN obv, memories

he will have recalled the last play-off final his club was in with some fondness, although michael gray will not look back on his penalty miss with the same feelings

a name floating around in the ether of retired footballers, i'd forget he played for charlton, tho doubtless the addicks will have been cheered by the reminder of one of their favourite sons, and make no mistake, clive mendonca was arguably a legend to the fans of that storied south-east london based institution

his crucial penalty miss, which he will have known would have prevented his club from reaching the top flight, which would have ensured promotion and legendary status for the full-back, who will now surely look back on that day with a mix of emotions as he considers what would have been should his penalty have been converted

oh my word

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96AGVb6CBOE

he will have watched that with some disappointment upon realising that the renowned BBC pundit has not been featured in a parodic skills compilation

HOWEVER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7AxtF5dy7c

l-r: spawn, monster

http://home.olemiss.edu/~shodges/MasterPupil.JPG

Phil McNulty is another visitor to our region. After escaping the dreary winter months in the UK, Phil is here for a couple of weeks enjoying our warm weather and the fantastic shore fishing on offer. Phil has been fishing near the Mildura Wreck and has found good numbers of spangled emperor plus a range of other species, which have all been willing takers of squid baits fished on the bottom around the high tide period late in the afternoon. Phil mentioned that in all his years of fishing he has never experienced a place where the shore fishing is as good as it is here, and all with in easy access of a 2wd vehicle.

the spangled emperor will have been disappointed to have so easily taken the bait of their esteemed northern hemisphere based visitor - but make no mistake, the squid baits will have provided a nutritious final meal to the imperially monikered australasian reef dwellers, many of whom will have been glad for the calories in the depleted trophic zone that they will arguably have experienced before their untimely, and some would say unexpected, death at the hands of the experienced fishing-based holiday packtage tour patron and gastronome mcnulty.

Mubarak, a seasoned dictator in the pressurised environment of the Middle East, will have known that, with public anger mounting, they day will have always been coming when it was time to stand down. Indeed the significant events of the past few weeks including protests and civil unrest suggest a country in need of a serious rethink at the top. Yet his decision to hand over the country to the military may yet prove a wily decision by a man with many years experience at the business end of a top flight African country under his belt.

As a definite resolution approaches doubts will rise in the minds of many as to the quality of Mubarak's spell as leader, however if there is one unhappy party he will be several hundred miles away in a certain corner of Manchester. Namely one of football's most famous dictators, Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson. He will have known that Mubarak's fall can only mean his own demise comes ever closer, and the great man will be absolutely livid. For politics fans, the spectacle just rumbles on, with the tantalising prospect of an Egyptian attack spearheaded by an Al-Quaeda backed government sure to whet the appetites all over the world.

Roberto Mancini showing his hand now as the giant Edin Dzeko comes on for James Milner. City's boss must know they need to work Edwin van der Sar, who has been relatively untroubled.

― if there is a King Moaty, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 12 February 2011 14:08 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i used to support liverpool when i was in primary & prep school, but past that age i've been too dispassionate/miserable/rational to care about any club, so i just like particular sides....like bolton this season, cska in recent years, barca most of the time

i'd like it if liverpool were better tho

― itv digital manqué (nakhchivan), Saturday, 12 February 2011 14:11 (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

City's boss must know they need to work Edwin van der Sar
City's boss must know they need to work Edwin van der Sar
City's boss must know they need to work Edwin van der Sar

― itv digital manqué (nakhchivan), Saturday, 12 February 2011 14:13 (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Even the BBC liveblog guys must feel dirty having to cut and paste that shit, the temptation to append "thanks for that incredible insight you fucking mong" must be unbearable.

― MPx4A, Saturday, 12 February 2011 14:15 (34 seconds ago) Bookmark

Big question Man City fans asking. Will Roberto Mancini take the handbrake of this talented team and let them go at Man Utd

but then they'll have no handbrake! surely he will have wanted them to would had a handbrake were.

sort of developing a theory in which nult's future perfect passive subjunctive inner world reflects some traumatic brain damage

unable to amalgamate sensorial data into a coherent experience of the present, he is doomed continually to try and guess what is already happening

there's no doubt that the coffee will have been poured into the cup, but what about the milk? the lactose based dairy product will have been supposed to have been combined with the caffeinated broth

one thing is sure though - there is no sugar, so it is arguable that the coffee will not have been sweet

At the tender age of four I started my education in St Vincent’s primary school. Unfortunately there was another girl in my class called May McNulty which caused some confusion amongst the teaching staff. Later the nuns decided to rename me by my confirmation name, ‘Philomena’, and from then on I was to be known by the alias Phil McNulty. Many of my school friends will not be aware that the author Mary A Larkin is in fact Phil McNulty from their childhood and teenage years.

WILL HAVE KNOWN.

FUCK OFF.

^^^still read this dude's mcnulty.jpg every time it's bumped tbh

have a motorik groove stuck in my head now

there is a cacophony of chants going in the rhythm 'nul ty nuuuuulty nult (bom bom bom) nul ty nuuuuulty nult' as a laconically driving bassline modulates 2 semitones up and down every 8 beats

eventually the cacophony of voices bursts into multi-part vocal harmony but the harmony is somehow diseased, sickened...it will have announced its presence on the world music stage, but what will Sir Alex Ferguson think?

have u been doing coke

There was a sub-text to Old Trafford's ecstatic celebrations. Rooney's goal won a derby and straightened United's course towards another Premier League title, effectively killing off City's hopes of claiming the crown at the same time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/02/rooney_magic_rekindles_love_af.html

Final whistle from referee Mike Dean. Fulham 0-0 Chelsea. Not great result for Chelsea but could have been a lot worse in last moments

HOW COULD IT? OH YEAH THEY CONCEDED A PENALTY IN THE LAST MOMENTS

IF FULHAM SCORED THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE COS CHELSEA WOULD HAVE LOST 1-0

http://www.neoseeker.com/forums/35/t1553335-football-culture/#9

colourful stuff from the bbc man, he'll want to have that kept quiet

He will have known she was a married woman.

As no doubt would the great man of Old Trafford himself - Sir Alex Ferguson, were he to have ever known the woman in question.

there's no doubt that the big man will have wanted the sordid kicks that only an extramarital tryst in a travelodge off the m62 could provide him, but what about the law teacher? the cuckolded pedagogue will be devastated, not unlike chelsea fans who face the very real prospect of going over 10 months without a trophy.

"you can almost predict when he's going to produce an article, and what he will be saying in it"

while this may have shown that comments on Nult tend towards his style, the author will have cause to regret the deployment of future tense where scope for future perfect passive will have been present

it would had been even better if he employed the future pluperfect passive - but that underused and some will had said controversial tense is still a bit too real for all but the most adventurous sportswriters

the warnings have come true and when confronted with a requirement to do some akshul writing today on limited sleep, flecks of nultspeak ran through the stream of consciousness like little rabies virii through the bloodstream of a sardinian dog

The Gunners boss insisted the La Liga leaders remain favourites to progress but Arsenal will feel they have applied pressure to Barcelona as they carry a weight of expectation into the second leg.

Arsenal were determined to guard against the type of chasing they suffered in the opening half at the Emirates when the sides met last season and this time around they more than held their own against the Catalan artists.

what i hate most is how every paragraph is a massive sentence. kinda smacks off really hasty sub-editing of his shit copy.

the thought that the stuff he sends is even worse....

i've also become irrationally paranoid that my writing work is getting "nultified" btw

what I hate most is that he gets to go to the games, then sends out a tweet with less insight than anything else on the live scores page

also his job title is like something from a kids tv program, wtf would be wrong with the less inane 'senior football correspondent' or w/e

chief enemy of thought

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=";chief+*+writer"

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=%22chief+*+writer%22&fp=1&cad=b

Ronan you still work at the BBC? Losing insight could get you some promotions :D

the bbc man will surely have considered as much

believe me, where i work now when my boss looks at me i can see him thinking he will have known he must fire the seasoned fan of things that aren't total shit.

http://i.imgur.com/Y0Rm4.jpg

think my boss must be reading this thread, or nult has and will have reported me. just heard today i need a new job come the end of march, rather than end of june!

worrying having to find a new one but feel pretty well drilled and have some good contacts. i had known this was a risk and will have been preparing accordingly to draw on my contacts and secure a job the fans will have demanded for many seasons.

there will have been longstanding calls for the irishman's head, but many will have felt that given until june he may have turned things around. One thing is certain- sir alex will be loving it

I'm a little surprised that none of the 1270 Google results for "very much a case of after the Lord Mayor's show" appear to be by McNulty.

If Sir Alex was taking positives from Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge, they will focus on a first 45 minutes that was the best I have seen them play this season. Ferguson will believe if United replicate that form at Anfield on Sunday it will be good enough to come away with something.

Alan Hansen was talking to BBC Sport's Phil McNulty.

"CALLING OUT FROM NULTLAND, CALLING OUT FROM NULTY'S WORLD, IF YOU WANT TO BE FREE, YOU WILL HAVE LISTENED TO ME, YOU WILL HAVE LEARNED HOW TO LIVE, IN YOUR FANTASY"

Defeat will have been even more galling for Ferguson because Liverpool themselves are entering a period of heavy transition when they will reconstruct a squad that is still top heavy with players ill-equipped to meet the standards Dalglish will eventually demand.

vintage nult

this will is soon, that will is far away

think i'm beginning to forget what 'will' means because of this guy.

Spurs have conducted themselves in the Champions League in a fashion that has done justice to those great names under a manager showing a mastery of the light and shade of European football at the tender age of 64.

Hold on: present perfect, present perfect, present participle? That will not have been his intention.

It was only a fortnight ago that Arsene Wenger confidently contemplated a challenge for four trophies as his most emphatic answer to charges that Arsenal had forgotten how to win silverware.

In a brief spell of desperate disappointment, Wenger has watched Arsenal's aspirations picked apart as Carling Cup final defeat against Birmingham City was followed by a Champions League exit against Barcelona before this FA Cup quarter-final loss at Manchester United.

Wenger's trademark words of defiance emerged almost like a reflex action and his well-practised brave face did not survive long before he was forced to hint at how the psychological damage of seeing Arsenal's targets removed one by one may have an impact on their final salvation, the Premier League title.

It was only a fortnight ago that Arsene Wenger confidently contemplated a challenge for four trophies as his most emphatic answer to charges that Arsenal had forgotten how to win silverware.

In a brief spell of desperate disappointment, Wenger has watched Arsenal's aspirations picked apart as Carling Cup final defeat against Birmingham City was followed by a Champions League exit against Barcelona before this FA Cup quarter-final loss at Manchester United.

Wenger's trademark words of defiance emerged almost like a reflex action and his well-practised brave face did not survive long before he was forced to hint at how the psychological damage of seeing Arsenal's targets removed one by one may have an impact on their final salvation, the Premier League title.

1720: Chief football writer Phil McNulty at Eastlands: "Manchester City fans just starting to vent their frustration at Eastlands, as is captain Carlos Tevez - he exchanges words with Nigel de Jong, presumably demanding more urgency and better service."

Not sure which one is demanding more urgency and better service but we're all outlaws of meaning in mcnulty's world aren't we...

actually laughing out loud at these...nult wtf are you smoking

An all-Manchester final may have been an even more enticing prospect for some, but the semi-final will be mouth-watering enough to be going on with as they fight for the right to face either Stoke City or Bolton Wanderers.

For all the money spent at Eastlands, City's hierarchy will know silverware must be a return on this lavish investment.

http://gloryglorymanu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Screen-shot-2010-09-16-at-23.23.22.png

FAIRLY BORING THING HAPPENING? A MAN MAY WATCH THIS EVENT AND ANOTHER MAN TOO COULD HAVE HEAD TURNED. #NULT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/03/john_terry_will_have_had.html

Exemplary Nult URL

haha

beautiful. i will have chuckled that having read it.

chuckled to that...who the fuck will have subbed this?

And even in ,what is widely regarded as a less-than-vintage Premier League season when measured in quality, this is a draw that allows the elite of English football to loom large over the closing stages of Europe's premier tournament once more.

Both Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson will silently believe the draw, with the winners facing Schalke 04 or Inter Milan in the semi-final, gives real hope that there could be English participants in the Wembley final on 28 May.

so retarded, like either of those will give a fuck about 'english participation' other than themselves

also the intimation that neither will have too much difficulty with fucking inter milan

the bludgeoning assault of three line paragraphs makes me wants to cry, one after another after another, a wall of nult's dreary waffle. it's like whoever subs it can't even be fucked to try and make it look interesting either.

"the night against Barcelona in a semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge when they were left heartbroken by Andres Iniesta's injury-time goal and the wayward decision-making of Norwegian psychologist Tom Henning Ovrebo."

longest link ever

"It is a test that appeared to hold no terrors for Spurs' Rafael van der Vaart as he contemplated his return to Real after moving to White Hart Lane earlier this season with an expression of delight on his Twitter feed."

WHAT

Nult fears readership will not understand the term emoticon

"Norwegian psychologist."

"anyone foolish enough to discount Spurs will not have attended their Champions League games this season"

I think this is actually normal English but it's so far from Nult's normal use of the word 'will' that I'm doubting myself here

discount...not a good word to use.

"anyone foolish enough to discount Spurs will not have attended their Champions League games this season"

I think this is actually normal English but it's so far from Nult's normal use of the word 'will' that I'm doubting myself here

― Ismael Klata, Friday, March 18, 2011 5:17 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

he's missing a 'to' between 'attended' and 'their' in that quote.

positively shakespearen, the nult.

he will have been asking his father to forgive them, they will have known nult what they will have done. Barabbas will have been delighted!

easter is of course the most important part of the year for any seasoned christian, second only to the nultivity.

he will have wanted to have will avoided that kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane, but one thing is for will be sure: Caiaphas will have was been delighted.

dont you mean 'he wollen have been'

listen, listen

https://twitter.com/#!/nultroast

My hope will have been that creating a separate repository for this shit, notwithstanding the stringently imposed brevity of the popular microblogging site, will perhaps come to mitigate the ever-encroaching nultification of all of my speech and thought

it is likely that trepidation will have entered my mind when i considered whether to follow the nultroast

Twitter has long been a platform for.........FUCK

Vague will have wanted to avoid bookmarking the site but will have known that he was going to find himself horribly drawn towards the efficient newshound.

nultations

ILX poster Chivan will have done his homework on the BBC scribe before creating this thread, and will leave no stone unturned in mimicking his often complicated style. One thing however is certain. Come the World Cup in 2014.

Fabio Capello swept into a Cardiff hotel just as the wedding party was making its way out - but there is still no sign of the England coach and deposed captain Rio Ferdinand making a happy couple.

Victory will give Capello a cushion against any further siege and might even lead to a kiss-and-make-up with Ferdinand, albeit in a less public place than in front of 75,000 people at Old Trafford.

a cushion against any further siege
a cushion against any further siege
a cushion against any further siege
a cushion against any further siege

Capello knows he cannot have any more mistakes or regrets at the end of 90 minutes that are being awaited with real relish here.

The sounds of one famous Welsh export had only just drifted away when England's thoughts turned to the danger posed to their Euro 2012 aspirations by another.

"Motorcycle Emptiness" by The Manic Street Preachers was a musical choice laced with irony as the media room at England's Hertfordshire base awaited the arrival of Peter Crouch.

And when Crouch started to unpick the potential pitfalls as England prepare to enter the hostility and passion of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium against Wales on Saturday, he might have borrowed another phrase from Blackwood's finest - Know Your Enemy.

And that is exactly what Capello will have wanted after the soap opera that has accompanied his every move in recent weeks.

You can follow me at twitter.com/philmcnulty and join me on Facebook.

thanks nult for new display name

trying this out

immediate trump. like it.

The Italian moved seamlessly from one bone of contention to another

he announced mass changes for Tuesday's friendly against Ghana at Wembley.

ketchup banned again..

former everton man rooney has long been a favourite to the old trafford faithful

many call him 'united legend wayne rooney'

and who will doubt them

the last para is lol

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/03/wembley_fabio_capello_insists.html

was training on a text reader program for visually impaired users yesterday. u haven't heard Nult until you've heard him in a Stephen Hawking voice.

Seconds later, Hodgson had the victory that will give him so much satisfaction as Albion took a stride towards Premier League safety

I HATE YOU

seconds later hodgson had that will....

seconds later Hodgson had that will as Albion took

to be precise

lolz

its almost like he continues to do it just to troll this thread.

if he were here he'd have something to say about that, possibly containing the phrase 'before you were born sonny jim'

lolz

its almost like he continues to do it just to troll this thread.

― Nult AGL (a hoy hoy), Sunday, April 3, 2011 10:19 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

otm, i've begun to think this. and other more dangerous meta-thoughts.

otm, i've will have begun to think this. and other more dangerous meta-thoughts.

corrected.

An angry Drogba can be a deadly Drogba but Ancelotti's powers of recollection will ensure Torres will be factored into the equation he must solve before making his selection

can't parse it...need sleep

fucking hell

this is next lev

i thought he was already at finnegan's wake but it seems he's barely begun his portrait of the artist....

nah it's pretty simple, ancelotti rockin the differential calculus in his team selections innit.

no apostrophe in Finnegans Wake son. [/joyceobsessivecunt]

it's like motty filtered through hunter s thompson

i am tempted to anonymously email this thread to the head of bbc sport online. except i don't even think he'd see the problems. bbc sport prob doesn't even have any sub-editors.

they will not have wanted to acknowledge that there has been a problem

but will they have known? when they received the email it will have been read with dismay

one thing is certain

one thing is certain, sir alex ferguson's taste in wine will have caused great dismay as the telegraph write an article having criticised it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8431388/Sir-Alex-Fergusons-taste-in-wine-rivals-that-of-an-insecure-Russian-oligarch.html

jesus it takes some doing to make me sympathize with Ferg but the Telegraph really is dick n'est pas?

Ugh, but then again we had a bit of fun with music buff Leighton Baines a while back

sub-editors...? ha! i'm very fond of this nondescript passage:

Ancelotti is likely to make a choice between Fernando Torres, that bank-breaking arrival from Liverpool and a scourge of United in the past, and Didier Drogba.

The decision, and its subsequent success, may go a long way towards shaping the rest of Chelsea's season and Ancelotti's destiny under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.

so much to admire in his effortless, meaningless blurb ("its subsequent success" of a decision that hasn't happened, and "destiny under the ownership of RA"). reminds me of being at school and padding out essays to get to a certain word count when i had nothing else to say. reading it is like watching dribble.

we should devise a mcnulty poetry fridge magnet set - you know those boxes with key phrases and words around a theme.

would be brilliant...or a "what nult cliché are you" personality test

Maybe we should work on boosting this thread's googlability? The authors of 'Phil McNulty - twat' have done well getting to #5, while this thread's nowhere.

NB do not read it, you won't like it

"furthermore" i went to his facebook page following the promotion of his great torres-drogba public debate (he "threw the debate open" no less).

this guy's message was a pearl.

Seyi Taiwo
Chelsea need to go into today's game with careful tactfulness and creativity. Winning is a must!

i'm not sure if his nultificated phrasing was an emulation of the master or whether he needs to join this thread....

reads a bit like Sun Tzu

Maybe we should work on boosting this thread's googlability? The authors of 'Phil McNulty - twat' have done well getting to #5, while this thread's nowhere.

― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 15:57 (1 hour ago)

the thought had occured

can subboard mods do renames?

tho i have a notion that ppl who survive in jobs despite evident uselessness (to a degree suggestive of deliberate sabotage in nult's case) ought really to be applauded rather than upbraided

The decision, and its subsequent success, may go a long way towards shaping the rest of Chelsea's season and Ancelotti's destiny under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.

He will have not wanted to suggest that Abromovich owns Ancelotti. Or will he??

Phil McNulty wanker Phil McNulty cunt Phil McNulty twat Phil McNulty wanker Phil McNulty cunt Phil McNulty twat Phil McNulty wanker Phil McNulty cunt Phil McNulty twat Phil McNulty wanker Phil McNulty cunt Phil McNulty twat Phil McNulty wanker Phil McNulty cunt Phil McNulty twat Phil McNulty wanker Phil McNulty cunt Phil McNulty twat

phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted phil mcnulty will have wanked phil mcnulty will have cunted phil mcnulty will have twatted

mcnulty naked nude free cheap and easy safe and anonymous mcnulty phil mcuntly ph1l phi1 mcnluty mccuntly phil

hahaha - can't do renames but that's certainly what I'd call it, yes

nice to see mcnulty called the chelsea striking line-up correctly.

no.1 for the fridge mcnulty poetry set:

And victory will have tasted sweet

no.2

suffered a blow

no.3

main hope of silverware

no.4

alive this season

ok, cheated a bit there, but it's in a good cause.

might suggest this one for the limited edition version for roman

Van der Sar had been a model of composure when Chelsea did pierce United's defence and his handling was secure once more when Lampard's free-kick found a way through the defensive wall.

anyway

he will have found that staying up late writing idiotic stuff will have meant that work tomorrow may indeed suffer, if that were the case that it would indeed suffer.

night x

no.5

pinned much of his hopes

i can't put into words how much nult annoys me. and yet ridiculing the new depths he will have consistently plummted toward is a source of pleasure.

undoubtedly i will have to agree with you

reading Leibniz talk about time and how "obscurity will have developed afterwards" gave me a bit of a McNulty shiver.

Phil McNulty is a British football journalist. He is currently employed as Chief Football Writer by BBC Sport. His columns appear regularly in 'blog' format on the BBC website, and he can be followed via Twitter. Excerpts from the latter are often posted on 'live blogs' of football matches on the BBC website.

Comedian Frank Carson kept Arsenal's supporters amused outside Bloomfield Road with a few one-liners even older than Jens Lehmann. Time will tell if they have the last laugh this season.

You can follow me at twitter.com/philmcnulty and join me on Facebook.

Comments Post your comment

* 1. At 22:43pm 10th Apr 2011, Yasin wrote:

Much rides on this summer for Arsenal.

http://i.imgur.com/GK6bB.jpg

Sun-reading London taxi-driver Phil McNulty. 'People don't believe in Gordon Brown.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/01/the-sun-drops-labour/print

saw that...is it a joke i wonder??

Arsenal had recovered from the disruption of losing goalkeeper Manuel Almunia to a knee injury in the warm-up and being forced to draft in 41-year-old Lehmann, at the club on a short-term contract, for his first start for the Gunners in three years

By Phil McNulty. Cheif football writer at Bloomfield Road.

lol...cheif

cheif related usernames at the ready

kasier cheify

Kerry Dixon just dropped a "one thing is certain" during an interview. Hi Kerry, if you're lurking.

kd nult

i will have been alright, for a while. i am a seasoned relationship campaigner and i will have been able to smile, for a while.

but having seen my former strike partner during last night's performance I will have known that they will have got one hand on the cup and will be saying hello the next phase of the competition

Chief football writer Phil McNulty's HT snap-shot: "Chelsea will be devastated by the manner and timing of Manchester United's goal. Carlo Ancelotti's side had been accomplished throughout but missed the chances that came their way and Javier Hernandez, a predator supreme, has inflicted serious damage."

"The swings in football's emotions summed up in a moment. Didier Drogba, who has been a real threat since he came on, gives Chelsea and their fans hope with an equaliser but Ji-Sung Park restores Manchester United's lead almost instantly. United's supporters, suddenly anxious, now see the semi-final in sight."

feel like "who has been a real threat since he came on" should garner google results but apparently not.

okay he is trolling us. i'm sure of it. here it is, a sentence that can only be describe as NULTOCAUST.

If Abramovich allowed himself a look around Old Trafford on Tuesday, he will have seen the results of an almost unique model of managerial stability and continuity.

The Champions League is addictive, so Spurs and their supporters will not want to go without it now they have sampled its potency.

Gareth Bale's destruction of Inter's Maicon in November has been immortalised on the stalls along the Seven Sisters Road, from a cartoon of the Welshman ordering a taxi for the celebrated Brazilian to a giant image of the Spurs player surging through a posse of defenders on the night the Serie A side simply could not cope.

No-one strode up Bill Nicholson Way or Paxton Road on Wednesday seriously expecting a miracle against Real - and none came. Mourinho is not the man you want to see stepping off the opposition's team coach first when you are attempting to claw back a four-goal deficit.

nultescent

The Italian even cast aside his own trademark cool in the moment of victory, coming not long after the most spectacular touchline rant at, inevitably, Mario Balotelli, after the temperamental youngster carelessly cast aside precious possession in the dying seconds.

if a child wrote that you'd have a word

god

he really is the most useless cunt

it saddens me to say it but having tried to get through this i realise i just can't read mcnulty any more. how is it possible that he keeps getting worse and more and more tortured?

i dunno, the first line had me fair chortlin.

the cushions and the constant comfort. i wonder if he woke up in the night for a piss and came up with that.

reading him is like imagining someone trying to weave yoghurt.

"the pressure, self-evidently, was on"

former northwest local sports journalism man mcnulty will have learned his contrary grammars in a school or similar building

he has got very addicted to alliteration altogether.

They will be looking forward to nult adopting other literary devices, such as iambic pentameter or unreliable narrators.

Arsenal's role in the plot that unfolded with Sunday's fine victory will have been a source of delight, optimism, frustration and disappointment for manager Arsene Wenger, his players and their supporters - all in the space of 90 minutes.

Delight and optimism at a performance that proved Arsenal, as they have done against the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona at the Emirates, can get it right against the toughest opponents. Frustration and disappointment because they know carelessness and faultlines running through the side have cost them so dearly.

wt absolute fuck

For United, there is still the not inconsiderable comfort of knowing their fate is in their own hands and it will be played out at their Old Trafford fortress, but also suddenly the knowledge that Carlo Ancelotti's side present a shadow on their shoulders.

maybe even better

Sir Alex Ferguson remains in prime position to claim United's 19th title but in a campaign of unpredictability it should come as no surprise that the race is going down to the last few yards.

is he conscious of the contradiction here?

i know it is one of the least offensive things but 'prime position'????????????

phil mcnulty u fucking bastard cunt fuck off i fucking hate u svp

6:14
Steve McNulty concedes a free kick for a foul on Kaid Mohamed. Jamie Stuart takes the indirect free kick.

Those who have lived every moment of the 35 years since Newcastle United were beaten in the 1976 League Cup Final were flying even higher on emotions all the money in Abu Dhabi would find it hard to buy.

The Italian naturally wears a cloak of conservatism tactically, a trait that is still treated with suspicion even by some of his own supporters, but Manchester City will accept success in any form after a starvation diet and two major objectives have been achieved.

Stoke, their manager and their supporters - truly magnificent before, during and after this FA Cup Final - can rightly be proud of their progression this season but this will not be a day for happy memories on the field.

jesus cristo

I would accept succotash in any form after a starvation diet.

Not a single member of the starting line-up that faced Barcelona in Rome began that game on Humberside and the Manchester United official yearbook confessed that "his left-back, Ritchie de Laet, will have been unfamiliar even to many United fans".

wow, never knew the man united yearbook was a man.

just re-read this entire thread...it's madness.

this is the standout: An angry Drogba can be a deadly Drogba but Ancelotti's powers of recollection will ensure Torres will be factored into the equation he must solve before making his selection

i still can't parse it. it's the verbal equivalent of those weird angled rooms they used to use as prisons to drive people insane.

Ancelotti will of course rely on his basic cognitive capabilities, using the gift of memory which we all possess to ensure that players purchased by the club will have be considered for the starting line-up. However this tumultuous distraction will have caused him to leave the laundry in the washing machine overnight causing it to have to be washed again to be rid of that dank odour, hoping all the while that Torres yet become a persistent stain on his team choosing pants.

Obama will be keen to keep his “bin Laden bounce” – and it is almost impossible to imagine that he and Mr Cameron will not exchange words about the future of the battle against Islamic extremism.

"The fires burning inside Sir Alex Ferguson still rage intensely into his 70th year and the emotions stirred by a Champions League final against Barcelona at the scene of Manchester United's first European Cup triumph only serves to fan the flames."

still unable to get basic grammar right.

By Jonathan Stevenson
1630 Commentary

Another excellent piece of writing to consume, this time in the shape of chief football writer Phil McNulty on what makes Sir Alex Ferguson special: "A character of contrasts, capable of considerable acts of kindness but also ruthless in protecting his and United's turf and reputation, the Scot has expertly navigated football's ever-changing landscape while maintaining an unprecedented level of success."

Ferguson the turf protector. "Stay off my grass"

character of contrasts, capable of considerable acts of kindness

this sounds like the that "i am the very model of a modern major general" song...

the that song

In his eventful time at Eastlands, during which the Abu Dhabi riches rolled up at the door, Cook also claimed Hughes had been hit by what he described as "bowling ball syndrome" - namely when you opened a cupboard one of these painful objects landed on your head.

This was not literally true of course. Cook meant that Hughes had occasionally been underminded by events that were unexpected and beyond his control.

this is how i "un-subedit" wikipedia articles...nult explaining metaphors in detail.

He is leaving Fulham after spells in charge of Wales, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and now a new home. Whether this is Villa Park remains to be seen

Hughes and his trusted team of right-hand man Mark Bowen, Kevin Hitchcock and Eddie Niedzwiecki have proved to be an effective and tight-knit unit.

They have are adept at organising a team and uniting a dressing room

It will need a powerful character, a criteria Hughes fulfils perfectly but credentials also high on Ancelotti's CV after a coaching career managing high-profile personalities on the pitch and in the boardroom.

NEXT LEVEL

This was not literally true of course. Cook meant that Hughes had occasionally been underminded by events that were unexpected and beyond his control.

omg

the nultimate

i swear i actually have made that exact edit to roddy collins' wikipedia

my edit was pat dolan

However the levels of performance dropped and a section of the St Pats support openly protested against Dolan, with a "Dolan Out" banner appearing at games. They called themselves the 'Independent Saints' and were criticised by genuine St P...at's supporters for selling their own merchandise but putting none of their profits back into the club. Some claim their dislike for Dolan had stemmed from a wild night of finger pointing, hand wringing, thrust and counter thurst when he accused them of being drunk in Cork. They swiftly returned the allegations, claiming it was in fact Dolan who was drunk. Many things were said, and a lot of drink was taken, in the end some supporters forgot what the row was about. Others to this day insist that the rogue fans were somewhat blind, metaphorically speaking, to Dolan's achievements. This did not mean they were actually blind, merely that they could not "see" in their minds what Dolan had achieved. It is not known today if even one fan was actually blind.

Milner and Theo Walcott failed to justify their selection ahead of Aston Villa's Young as they struggled ineffectually in the first half, leaving striker Bent isolated and starved of supply as Switzerland looked the more composed and ordered team.

The opposition was not at the high end of the world game, but Young fell firmly into the category of player Capello insisted he would encourage when he sat amid the wreckage of England's World Cup campaign in South Africa 11 months ago.

how much do you think he gets paid

It left Capello wide open to charges that his gameplan was the product of muddled thinking and more evidence of his naturally conservative default position as a coach.

this isn't even english

x-post i reckon 40k a year easily...

To suggest, however, that Capello does not care about England is a dangerous occupation. He has a reputation that he protects jealously and it does him a disservice to question his commitment and his in-bred professional pride.

in-bred, lol

sorry but god these are bad

The first after 32 minutes was missed by Rio Ferdinand, who at times looked to be suffering aftershock from Manchester United's mauling at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League Final, as it angled in and goalkeeper Joe Hart reacted too late to make a difference.

England's Euro 2012 destiny is now likely to depend on two testing trips to Bulgaria in September and Montenegro a month later

thought £60k ish would have been more likely

i don't think you can assess nult by conventional financial metrics though, he's very much on another tier of being

what does he spend the money on...what music does nult like?

hmmmn

im guessing a lot of landfill of the northern/mawkish/blokish variety...elbow, snow patrol

oasis perhaps...

would like to see nult move into the arts world. an evening with phil mcnulty, potential bbc 4 hit.

has he done tv before

don't think so...

he has got very addicted to alliteration altogether.

― Will.Have.Known (Local Garda), Thursday, 21 April 2011 17:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

They will be looking forward to nult adopting other literary devices, such as iambic pentameter or unreliable narrators.

― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 21 April 2011 17:59 (1 month ago)

lolled hard at this idea

But Liverpool are still hopeful of striking a compromise deal quickly that will allow them to make Henderson their first major signing since Kenny Dalglish was confirmed as manager.

CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

...

i guess nult refers to his appointment as permanent manager but still pretty sloppy from the gaffe prone former liverpool echo man

yeah figured that's the only excuse for him...

do we need a new nult thread for 2011-12

what i would say is

yes

the prospect of a new nultthread to replace seasoned stalwart 'RMT' will be seen by many as a renewed SEO attempt on behalf of the 'the chief' as many are calling the embattled scribe

Seasoned ILX posters will have known that two things are foremost in their minds as a new thread is mulled, the first the issue of what it will be called the second, not withstanding a decision being made on that very name, they will decide in time, the second a post to begin the thread.

but what about wayne rooney

former everton man rooney has long been a controversial figure to the goodison park faithful

The decision represents a key element in the much-touted Fenway Sports' group's strategy of buying younger players, and sees Dalglish once again raiding the north-east as he bids to bolster his Liverpool side's challenge 2011, also seeking to bring back Champions League football at Anfield.

nult and boyd: corusccating bbc3 seriews in which the bbc man accompanies tubby caledonian goalhanger on a tour of britain's cash-strapped high streets

Nult Without My Daughter: BBC's Chief Football writer visits Iran to investigate failed marriages between Muslim men and American women.

The McNulty Report on the season just gone is up http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/06/end_of_season_review.html

Ian Holloway brought verbal and footballing colour to the Premier League with a dashing approach that was only denied survival by defeat at champions Manchester United on the last day of the season.

verbal colour?

Will Abramovich demonstrate hidden depths of patience and allow Ancelotti's successor to build steadily towards new glory? Success must come swiftly

Martin Jol's swift appointment will help banish some of the disappointment. The Dutchman, still a hugely popular figure with Spurs fans after his time at White Hart Lane

can any spurs fans confirm?

The journey took in 72 matches and almost 22,000 miles, concluding with England's 2-2 draw with Switzerland in a Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley.

Is he saying there were 72 matches in total this season here or...?

Wonderful, flowing style and memorable nights at the Emirates when Barcelona were beaten and Chelsea swept aside but once again no silverware and not even the meagre consolation of automatic qualification for next season's Champions League.

This is "Nult" actually a sentence!

am beginning to think nult just necks 3 bottles of magners and thinks 'to hell with it' before tapping out his bs. it's bloke-at-the-end-of-the-bar stuff.

And yet McLeish, like the unfortunate McClaren who paid a heavy price for sins in a previous coaching life despite winning the Carling Cup and reaching the Europa League Final with Middlesbrough and winning Eredivisie with FC Twente, has much to recommend him to Villa.

a subclause that will have been seen to literally devour its parent sentence

In preparing to criticise Atkinson for a poor, game-changing decision, one must make the usual proviso that not many would seriously want to take the sort of action that sees them villified for 67 minutes of a sunny Saturday afternoon by in excess of 30,000 people.

I, for one, might even accept nailing my hand to a bedside cabinet as a preferable option to taking charge of a Premier League football match with all the responsibilities and pitfalls this entails. It is not a job I would take, a decision confirmed by watching and hearing Atkinson walk off at half-time and full-time, security official at his side, with deafening abuse ringing in his ears.

the heat is getting to him

what was worse the decision or mcnulty?

https://twitter.com/philmcnulty/status/218444402136330240

omg

tbwp?

Some true classics itt

Browsed this entire thread just now. Some of the vintage Nult is so bad they you'd think it was made up. I think he may even have improved, in some tiny way.

difficult to say

there is probaby a slight refinement, a smoothing of the rougher edges, a retreat from the furthest reaches of the future perfect

it's not like he has sold out or anything like that, he's still very much nult

just think about that first sentence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23793389

He must have "no sub-editing" written into his contract

I do it for the love I have of myself, yet contemplating all this amongst the metaphorical trash around me, I can but look at the stars unwontingly, hoping for a better tomorrow as I have grown accustomed to do.

― c21m50nh3x460n, Friday, November 1, 2013 8:50 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Eight songs from those sessions made the final cut for The Men's new LP for Sacred Bones, the tongue-in-cheek-but-still-auspiciously-titled Tomorrow's Hits. This is their first album recorded in a high-end studio and, appropriately, the result is their highest fidelity album to date. That being said, it is still an incredibly straightforward and concise record that nonetheless is full of genre-bending risks. The end result reinforces the overarching theme that has come to define its makers: The Men are a great rock band plain and simple.

Wayne Rooney is the constant factor in Roy Hodgson's set-up but the rise to prominence of Kane adds to his embarrassment of riches.

good work, 9 months after managing 1 point in a World Cup group, England now have "an embarrassment of riches".

Welbeck is the rest of the embarrassment btw

The Constant Factor - Phil McNulty looks back on Wayne Rooney's England career in a new trilogy of books.

yo garda do you still have your nulty mspaint somewhere

The first year of Hodgson's reign I'm pretty sure Tom Cleverley was the constant factor.

Guardiola is the game's most coveted coach with a history of claiming the top prizes.

The combination of the charismatic Catalan's coaching brilliance and the financial backing he will receive makes this a partnership the rest of football world could come to fear.

little alliterative flourish before resolving to peak nult

wonder how 'chief football writer in alicante' is coming along

A different script might have been written had Sturridge not produced that late winner, but the bottom line is Hodgson's ploy worked.

Someone's in a rush for their croque monsieur

The body language of England's players, slumped on the turf in disbelief at how they had not beaten a desperately average Russia, spoke of their disappointment at what had hit them in those closing seconds.

It will have lingered as they made their way back to their quiet base in Chantilly, its restful ambience a sharp contrast to Marseille's edgy bustle - but England had plenty to be encouraged about. It was a performance that, for the large part, bristled with positive intent.

"CALLING OUT FROM NULTLAND, CALLING OUT FROM NULTY'S WORLD, IF YOU WANT TO BE FREE, YOU WILL HAVE LISTENED TO ME, YOU WILL HAVE LEARNED HOW TO LIVE, IN YOUR FANTASY"

― I see what this is (Local Garda), Saturday, March 5, 2011 10:25 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lmao

I also note from this thread that I in fact plagiarised the phrase "Chief Enemy of Thought" for a related project, apologies

xp. somehow managed to miss that post before, killing myself laughing at it

Lots of good stuff on this thread, recommend reading all of it except the actual authentic nult content extracts, which are kind of like unexploded ww2 bombs to my psyche at this point

Southgate will have wanted more goals and more tempo, especially in the second half - but what he wanted most of all will have been victory and that was never in doubt.

In McNulty we will have trust (Ed.)

Total fan service there