The Circus - 4 August

Jeer factor

Remember how people boo Cristiano Ronaldo because he is beautiful, rich and good at football?

Well it turns out that some people, maybe the same people, also sometimes boo Luis Suarez.

"I think they jeer me and they boo me because they must be scared of facing a player like me," Suarez said after receiving a hostile reaction during Uruguay's 1-0 loss to Team GB in the tournament held by The Circus's five-ringed cousin.  

"They fear me, but that doesn't affect me. I'm just hurt because we lost and we are going home. I can take the abuse."

Until Suarez cleared things up, some may have leapt to the conclusion that Suarez was booed because of this.

Or because of this.

Or simply because during his time playing for Liverpool in the county currently hosting the tournament held by The Circus's five-ringed cousin, he has developed a reputation for throwing more hissy fits than a South Korean fencer. But all those reasons would be mad, and wrong. And probably fearful.

The master's apprentice

Chelsea's David Luiz met Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama during the week. The static electricity generated was reportedly enough to power the Blackpool Tower.

My dream come true! My idol #Valderrama! #geezers #CFCTour #KTBFFH #chelseafc #Colombia instagr.am/p/Nl_9H1DHSI/

— David Luiz (@DavidLuiz_4) July 27, 2012

Know thyself

Meandering posts containing the phrase "I got thinking earlier today" is exactly what The Circus was hoping for when, fingers a-trembling, it typed 'JoeyBarton.com' into its internet search thingy and hit 'enter'.

"If I had a chance of reaching gold (or just competing) in an Olympic event," Barton writes in a recent post, "what would my top three events be?"  

Joey likes boxing, where winning gold would be a "personal reflection of your fitness and skill as a gladiator". He likes the hammer throw; for its blend of technique and power. And archery, where he fancies the stillness and focus that "draws you in the more you try".

Or, to put it another way: maiming at short range, maiming at medium range, and maiming at long range.

Barton, on club suspension, has been left at home while QPR gallivants around Malaysia, and he had his first hit-out with non-league Fleetwood Town on Tuesday, successfully playing 45 minutes without punching, skewering or clubbing anyone.

However fitness, not discipline, could be his major concern.

"It will take me a while to get up to speed," he puffed after Fleetwood beat Kilmarnock 4-0 in a friendly. "I think I'm 3 or 4 weeks behind some of these lads."  

Shove thy neighbour

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be an asset to Paris Saint-Germain this season and is well worth the money spent.

Also, The Circus wishes Zlatan's team-mates all the very best in their recovery.

The spoken word

"That was what Nike sent me. They are f---ing s--t, aren't they? I will have to get some other, darker ones. They're not really my style, are they?" – Manchester United youngster Paul Scholes discovers his nice new white boots don't cope well with grass stains.