Search
Follow me:

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Week 20

[print_link] | Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Congratulations to Inter Milan for becoming the world’s best team although after yet another fantastic performance I doubt many in Catalonia would agree with that. Man City and Tevez are in the news again while the football world actually felt sorry for Big Sam! You can listen to these and other stories on our weekly podcast. Explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be found at the foot of the post.

The Good

Well done to Rafa Benitez and his Inter Milan side for becoming champions of the world after their 3-0 thrashing of unfancied Congolese side TP Mazembe in the FIFA Club World Cup championship in Abu Dhabi last weekend. Goals from Pandev, Samuel Eto’o and Biabiany gave the neroazzurri their third title and their first since 1965, a win that may take some of the pressure off their Spanish manager.


The Bad

It’s been a bad week for Blackburn fans as their new owners see their new acquisition only drawing 1-1 at home with bottom side West Ham, one of their best young players requires surgery after a serious knee injury and the captain of the club Ryan Nelson speaks out against the sacking of former manager Sam Allardyce. Blackburn, possible candidates for relegation?

The Ugly

Not an ugly but definitely a stupid! After a less than successful start at Liverpool, Paul Konchesky has been criticised by many fans. He hasn’t won the terraces over with his pedestrian performances as left back for the Reds and is seen by many as a symbol of the new manager, Roy Hodgson’s lack of ambition – Konchesky was bought from Fulham, Hodgson’s old team. But, if he kept his head down, he could win over the fans. Step in his mother, who used her facebook account to defend her son. Her defence was not a rational one however, instead it was a short rant which branded Liverpool supporters as ‘scouse scum’. I think the Liverpool fans will separate the player’s performances from his mother’s ill-judged attacks, but it doesn’t look good for the Liverpool left back.

Vocabulary

thrashing: Heavy defeat

unfancied: Not predicted to do well

neroazzurri Nickname of Inter Milan (black and blue colours)

acquisition : The thing that the Venkey brother bought; a buy

requires surgery: Needs an operation

the sacking: To be fired

win the terraces over: get the support of the majority of fans

pedestrian performance: very average performance, normal, not special

keep your head down: concentrate on your job, don’t do anything that sticks out

brand: to accuse, to call (usually something negative)

scouse: an adjective referring to the areaA  or accent of Liverpool, a scouser – a person from Liverpool

scum: worthless person, dirt, the worst kind of person, often used with criminals

Welcome to the website that helps students interested in football improve their English language skills. Soccer fans can enhance these skills with lots of free language resources: a weekly podcast, football phrases, explanations of football vocabulary, football cliches, worksheets, quizzes and much more at languagecaster.com.

Google | Facebook | Twitter | Mail | Website

Join the discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from this show

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly