1.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 07:40:15
Morning Ed!

Wow Matic, what a man, I love hearing stuff like that.

Have a good day Ed mate, I'm sure you will when you see us rip Southampton a new one ;) .

{Ed001's Note - very true mate, fingers crossed.}

2.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 08:06:50
Nice touch from Matic that, it's good that some players so feel a sense of responsibility and generosity towards those who are in less fortunate positions - only wish more players were of this mindset.

{Ed001's Note - it is good. You would think all of them would see the benefit in it.}

3.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 08:19:58
Morning Redmen.
Nice touch by Matic. It’s good that you seek out and let us know of some of the positive things footballers do Ed. Good one.
Steven Gerrard - Un Caballero?
Another day, another massed defence?

{Ed001's Note - I do keep a look out for those kind of stories, I think it is nice to know who are the decent blokes in the game. It is good to remember that when you see someone like Cristiano Ronaldo strutting about the pitch, there is a lot more to him than that. Such as not getting tattoos as it would mean he could no longer give blood or the huge sums he gives away to charities on a regular basis. It is easy to forget that he is not just a preening peacock otherwise, but a good guy underneath it who hides beneath the arrogance.}

4.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 08:30:36
6 minutes to success LOL. Ed001 you can try your hand in editorial section in newspaper. But I really wished Brazil drops Firmino from their squad. Our first 11 needs some rest after this hectic schedule almost every match is against big opponents.

{Ed001's Note - apparently that is all it takes these days. Funny how Tite mentioned he had a great season last time out, which is why, he claimed, he was picked, yet he couldn't get near the Brazil squad last season while at Bordeaux. Now he has moved to Barca and only played 6 minutes, that season at Bordeaux is enough to get him into the team. Nike really need to stop picking the team.

Do newspapers still do stuff like that?}

5.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 08:55:51
Why would having tattoos mean you can’t give blood?

{Ed001's Note - because there is an increased risk of infections, so you have to wait 6 months after having a tattoo before you can give blood.}

6.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 09:40:51
I was once wondering why he hasn't got any tattoo, coz most footballers got lots of those 'sleeves'. Now I know why. Thank you so much Ed01.

Wow, Matic. And he even did it anonymously. Wow.

{Ed001's Note - personally the risk of infection etc is why I think footballers should leave their tattoos until the summer. It is like riding motorcycles, going skiing etc, they are not allowed to do those under the terms of their contract because of the risk, so why allow them to do something that does, ever so slightly, weaken the body midseason? Plus I would like to see it being enforced in their contract that they all have to give blood on a regular basis, and every single one of them should have a small sample of that blood tested for peds etc. No point in random testing, it catches very few and only those stupid enough to be irrelevant. Make it regular and it will be a deterrent. I would rather deter people from going down that route than catch them after they are already halfway down the road.}

7.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 10:09:38
At least Indian media likes these types of quotes.

{Ed001's Note - ah ok.}

8.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 11:02:24
Great from Matic top top man
I rememeber a few footballers doing some great things like Andy Cole in 2000 setting up a Childrens foundation in Zimbabwe and Kanu opened the foundation in Nigeria for kids with Heart issues, I Also remember Steve Waugh doing a lot of charity stuff and donating cash to various places in Asia during and after his cricket career ended.
Such great men and giving back just a little of what they earned is superb.

9.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 11:08:17
Morning Ed, it strikes me that winding down as a back up at Chelsea would be perfect for a 32 year old Cahill, but instead he wants to go and try his luck at another club. I fully understand he wants to make the most of a short career, but that seems a bit silly to me. It does seem to be the thing to do as soon as an early thirties player falls out of favour at a massive club - like they feel they deserve to be the main man somewhere because of where they’ve been playing. It very rarely works as far as I can remember and in Cahill’s case he’s simply not good enough to hold a regular place in a successful Premier League defence, in my opinion. Did players always do this or did they just take a step back with grace, until their contract runs out? I’m thinking successful players at successful clubs, not journeyman types who follow the pay check.

{Ed001's Note - players always used to have to step down to lower leagues as they needed the money in the past. I disagree with you completely, why would you want to sit watching a sport you love playing when you could go elsewhere and play it? Sitting on the bench is something no player should be happy with. Any player happy to sit on the bench and watch has a poor attitude imo.}

10.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 11:39:06
I agree for a player in their 20’s who is in or is approaching his prime, it’s players like Cahill who would be very quickly in the same situation that i’m talking about. Unless he moves down a league or two, then I can’t see the point. That’s all I mean. The Milner type 32+ is a rare beast indeed.

{Ed002's Note - There are going to be options for Gary Cahill in the Premier League, in the Championship and in mainland Europe; and indeed beyond. He turned down a move in the summer but Chelsea will not stand in his way or create a financial issue if a new home that he is satisfied with can be found in January.}

11.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 12:36:29
Thanks again Ed. Have a great day.

{Ed001's Note - you too mate.}

12.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 14:29:29
Well good on them and good luck to all involved then.

13.) 22 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 21:07:43
I was actually thinking of asking you about this anyway before you mentioned it ED but why is it that Cristiano Ronaldo gets such a bed press? I know he has that arrogance/ confidence in him but I imagine this is what makes him the player that he is. As a person he sounds like a genuinely top bloke - the amount of stuff he does in terms of charity and general decency, and the amount of time he gives to fans/ others marks him out as one of the best players off the pitch too. I just never understood the hatred he generates.

{Ed001's Note - because he doesn't care about PR the way Messi does. So he became the bad guy to Messi's good guy.}

14.) 23 Sep 2018
22 Sep 2018 23:51:47
Sorry just read up on the tattoo thing, I just ignorantly assumed that since all blood is screened in this day and age that it wouldn’t be an issue. I guess there are infections that can be missed in the screening process when they are in the early stages.