Rattue criticises NZ Cricket (Then pauses to fix the Premier League!)

2/3 down the article Rattue decides he has space in one paragraph to fix (arguably the most followed domestic competition in the world) the English Premier League by introducing a playoff series to "make the whole season more meaningful thanks to the possibility of one-off upsets."  Now I might be simple minded, but doesn't that do precisely the opposite of making the whole season more meaningful?  Oh, and to fit it in he wants to throw the FA Cup into the rubbish bin!

Troll article. Makes zero sense so obviously just trying to create interest/sell papers.

Good lord. Rattue writes some alright stuff sometimes I think but that makes no sense whatsoever, stick to sports you know stuff about....

It's just a sporting culture thing really. In our part of the world we do playoffs. Just the way it is.

The EPL also already has things to play for all the way down. With the title at the top, top 6-7 qualifying for Europe and the bottom 3 getting relegated. No need at all for playoffs. 

Not to mention that there's apparently a 1 - 2 million pound difference in prize money for the mid-table places. So even 8th - 14th or so (not fighting for europe but safe from relegation) have importance right to the end.

Ratpoo says SACK RICKI . Because it's safe to do so right now. The bit about how no-one dares criticise Mighty Ricki apart from brave people like him (AND Danny Hay AND Billy Harris AND Sam Worthington AND AND AND...) is particularly funny.

Yeah, and it was Ricki who "lost" Smeltz, Kosta and Marco. Even though Smeltz said he would have come back to us instead of the LOLry if Terry hadn't been going broke.

Brilliant timing after a 1-1 draw with the league leaders. 

Exactly. He is the Kiwi verion of Steven Jones, and is what Mark Reason aspires to be. Never approach anything he's written seriously, just laugh at his attempts to stir up controversy. Quite sad, really

Huh?

All White on the night? Don't bet on it

"Net Worth
As snappy titles go, CONCACAF falls dreadfully short. But Fifa's Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football will become a sports household name here in 2013. Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and the United States play a home-and-away series throughout most of the year with the team finishing fourth playing a two-leg World Cup soccer qualifier against the Oceania winner in November. The All Whites are almost home as the Oceania representative, even though they still have New Caledonia and Solomon Islands to play in March.

Qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be the sports story or disappointment of the year. It is a huge deal and especially so for New Zealand Football which splits about $12 million with the team if they get to Rio.

But the All Whites were patchy in 2012, ace leader Ryan Nelsen isn't getting younger and the CONCACAF opponent has a higher quality build-up. Our pick: Disappointment beckons."

Yeah, this is the guy who said that he hoped we would lose against Bahrain in Wellington because obviously we'd get munted and embarrassed if we made the World Cup.

Ryan nelsen may not be getting any younger, but he is developing as a coach. He'll see us through.

Ahh, that joke never stops being funny