You may know that World Soccer magazine creates a team of the month based on votes from various European "soccer" magazines. The final team is normally fairly predictable (Zidane, Raul, Vieri type thing) with England represented normally by a Man Utd player. However, they do show the voting. This month, Given got a vote, Dyer got a vote, Solano got two votes and one other of our players got two votes. Bellamy for his scintillating attacking play? Shearer for proving the doubters wrong again? O'Brien for some precocious showings in the heart of defence? Robert for his changing the game against Arsenal? No. Robbie Elliott! This is as many votes as Robert bleeding Carlos got. While I'm delighted that some of our players are getting a bit of recognition for the first time in ages in this particular column, you can't help wondering whether these magazine editors sit next to Alan Oliver...

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002

Answers

In this same publication, Del Piero praises, in passing (ie. while praising the atmos at Anfield and in Glasgow), the atmosphere at SJP.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002

You sure Robbie's wife and mum aren't Euro footie journalists? ;-)

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002

More likely they were voting for Matt Elliott.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002

Oooh, just noticed that Olivier Bernard got a vote, too.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002

No surprise that Del Pierro praised the atmosphere at SJP. There can't have been many times he's had a standing ovation from the away support.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002