Listened to a debate this morning about Gazza on TalkSprt radio. He's fit. He's not fit. He's fat. No, he's slim. He's match fit; he won't last half an hour. Lots of contrary reports, but there appears to be no doubt that he suffers from depression at the moment, for whatever reason.

I hear everyone's opinion. Most say he should give up now. Others say Everton are mad paying £20k a week for a crocked player, they should terminate his contract now and stop any more embarrassment.The odd few say he should play on.

I feel heart sorry for the man. Yes, he may have brought a lot of it on himself, but for years he was more sinned against than sinner, especially through the tabloids.

Gazza, you'll always be something extra special to me, a local hero whose exceptional talent was beyond your ability to cope with the repercussions of. All those who castigate him, at least he did it. He threw his hat in the ring and didn't just comment from the sidelines. And if he failed occasionally, well fuck me I'm not perfect either.

I wish him one good season. One last time showing the genius. I fear otherwise though.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

Answers

Awful Prediction

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

don't think he ever recovered from not getting picked for the 98 World Cup. It was the right decision by Hoddle, but it was the end for Gazza, no more dreams left

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

I wonder if his alleged depression is anything to do with his good ginga radio buddy's new child?

Gazza certainly has/had genius in his feet, and a football brain - which lets him down like some other great footballers. I don't think he did himself any favours by courting controversy at every opportunity (smacking his wife, boozing with cockney twats celebs, his Rangers pipe antics etc). Perhaps he missed a steadying hand...or a decent crack across the back of his head to wake him up.

Don't know about one more good season. I think that ended 5 year ago at Wembley. A Mars Bar away from beating the Germans...

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

It may have been the right decision by Hoddle to leave him out...but it was bad man-management in that it obviously came as a huge surprise

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

You mean the same man management skills that YBR showed when he dropped Keegan? :-)

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

nevr thought I'd say this but bollocks to you Buff. Gazza was the lynch pin of the England side since 1990. I very much (was going to put that more strongly) disagree with hoddles decision about 98 since what happens at the key moment when his so called sucessor and not half the footballer gets sent off, where's the ball player, where the pivot? Nowhere, we haven't got one. Hoddle's pious blind bloody box head let him down, Gazza down and England down. That one decsion to leave him out. Not Gascoigne but a bloke that could have done a job, not all game but an option - we were shite boring, predictable and at the end of the day we just didn't have the flare even with Owen on fire. Stuck in a belief system that had footballers as good professionals and not humans with frailties and personalities that need managing....MANAGING....MANAGER...not simply coach that is the difference between worse coaches and hoddle (who is turning into a better coach and a half decent manager I might add). Gazza has made me proud, ashamed, sad and delerious. I love the guy for all his faults and I won't justify that and it's a damn shame that he's got no discipline left and so much pride. I wish him the best I have to offer and great sincerety, if he gets the discipline he'll have the swan song, I think that's what he wants at the end of his career, just to prove he's alright. I think he is, still rpoud for all his numerous fauls he's a Geordie.

Tynedale Man.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

Hi TM - at a guess I think you meant me not Buff?

Nowt wrong with what you said - and he is certainly a proud Geordie and Englishman. But so are half this BBS. The difference is he had a gift, which we only saw sparingly in his career.

That's the tragedy, that his only consistentcy was his inconsistentcy. Both on and off the pitch he is a big character, but with serious flaws.

And I stand by the fact that he missed the ball in Euro96 due to bad judgement - either a)wrong choice of foot in lunge or, b)unfit

Would the film title "Angels with Dirty Faces" be close to accurate?

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

I hereby withdraw my craich from the clique , gee that`s painful , TM anticipated apolgies not required , I can also identify with senility (-:)

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

...but do you think he should pack it in now?

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

what does it say about us that we choose to discuss this subject?

for gazza life was always easy, he was able to play professional football and get plastered as often as he wanted.

now he can't do either very well and he's all upset. nothing to look forward to except one more year of 20K per week followed by retirement at 34. what a shame. but life's so much harder for so many people, and we're obsessed with a bloke who had 3 or 4 good games for england eleven years ago.

no i don't have much sympathy, if he came out and admitted the affect of his lifestyle on his life and career as some kind of lesson or warning maybe i'd change my views, otherwise he's just another waster, albeit one with a lot to waste.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

It was right not to tell him until very late pre-98, and it was right not to pick him. Yes he potentially had the skill but he wasn't fit and hadn't proved he was physically up to it. He also had the downside of his personality and the press coverage that it brought with it. Just as Beckham had to suffer from 98 until last year probably, and it was difficult to say his presence was woorth bothering with, then Gazza had too many p(o)ints against him.

What ever tantrum he blew when he was told he wasn't in the squad he would likely have thrown if he wasn't in the side. You don't need that conflict when your in a tournament situation, ask the Dutch.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

He should have been in the squad, even at the expense of our own midfield general. Just think of th eoption he gives coming off the bench. By far the best player I've ever seen in B&W.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

Not as good as Gullit...

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

I feel Gazza has serious pschycological problems, and fear for him as his career comes to an end.

Love the daft sod, adored him as a player: one of our very best. He's one of us, but he needs help.

I read somewhere that a US Club had made him an offer - that could possibly be his best route now. It would take the media pressure off him, and he will be a relative unknown over there. Play out the final chapter in surroundings where he can disaply his skills and have some fun entertaining an appreciative audience.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I agree with Clarky that Gascoigne appears to have psychological problems which I feel have been exacerbated by his fame rather than brought on by it. So all the stuff about drinking, depression, wife- beating etc, are symptoms of the problem, not the cause. I recall his nervous twitch in the Cup final he played for Spurs. He looked too fired up by half, and when he committed the tackle that almost wrecked his career, it was a red-card offence and bad luck for the opponents it wasn't called as such.

Fantastic player but he must surely have kicked his last ball in the Premier. He has enough money to last the rest of his life and beyond. If he spends a chunk of it on the psychiatric help he needs, hopefully he can enjoy his retirement a lot more than he "enjoyed" his career. I wish him well, but fear for him when the regime of keeping physically fit is no longer necessary.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I will always love Gazza, a local lad with amazing skill and talent, whose full potential was unfortunately was never realised . I think he was a character who the press latched onto elevated him to hero status then took great pleasure in knocking him right back down again. Obviously his personality and flaws made that easy. As for picking him for the squad in '98 I think the other players wanted him there in some capacity. Most people that know him personally ,like him and I reckon that has to say something for him.

I used to go and watch the lads when they trained at Benwell, when Gazza was playing, alongside Mirandinha etc. He chatted to me made me laugh but also used to pick me out and recognise me behind the goal in the Gallowgate, or in the away end at matches elsewhere. I can't condone his behaviour over the years but the little I knew of him I liked and he'll always be my local hero.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001