Football Thread
So as these Michael Owen to Man United rumours gather pace (fwiw I think it could be a good move for both parties) there is another GLORIOUS VICTORY FOR FOOTBALL as Chelsea reject a Man City approach for John Terry.
The 2009/10 season began last night with UEFA Cup Qualifiers, Motherwell lost 1-0 at home to Llanelli in Jim Gannon's first game in charge.
Paul Hartley and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink both leave Celtic.
Another Honduran signs for Wigan.
Crystal Palace sign Darren Ambrose
Cardiff sign Mark Hudson, Anthony Gerrard and Michael Chopra with Paul Quinn expected to follow.
WBA are on the verge of signing Simon Cox for £2million
Damien Delaney signs for Ipswich
Lee Camp is set tot sign for Forest.
Watford sign David Graham from Carlisle whilst the Hornets receive a £1.8million bid for Tommy Smith from an unnamed club.
Ross Turnball completes his free transfer to Chelsea
Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey both sign long term deals at Arsenal.
In the numpty press...
Man United in for Fabiano
Crouch to Milan
Oh I can't be arsed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/8131978.stm
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got to bump the important threads
owen having medical at united. Heh.
That's gonna piss liverpool fans off,
Think it's a good move for both too, we haven't got a lot to lose considering he'll sign on a free and I guess a chunk of his wage will be performance based.
I don't think SAF will sign another striker either, if he sees Rooney and Berbatov as his two main strikers, with Owen, Manucho, and Welbeck as back-up.
Possebon's gone out on loan too, hope he gets some games - looks a great prospect.
I don't think Liverpool fans will be that pissed off
More likely to find it quite amusing. There's no emotional attachment with Owen like there would be with other players. He always cared more about getting England caps and making money than he did Liverpool. I don't think anyone would seriously want him back at Anfield.
Personally I think it could be quite a good move for United. If he can stay fit and score goals it will look like a masterstroke from Fergie. If he doesn't, then it's not costing anything.
Here's one:
http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/social/4188626#r4726939
That's true, my only concern is that it if he does sign it might stop Fergie from going out and buying one of the multi-million pound strikers we're being linked with. Benzema's on his way, and I think he's overpriced and unproven so far and Villa's said he wants to stay in Spain.
I'd be tempted to see how much Real would like for Huntelaar, he's not suddenly lost his ability after one poor(ish) season.
If Villa would've come to England, he'd have come to us.
You're busy signing Wigan players and washed-up has-beens.
We're building a team around an unstoppable Spanish backbone, and we're looking for a striker to play alongside or instead of Fernando Torres.
*Ricky Villa
Nah
He was never going to come to England. Besides, Liverpool could never afford him.
I think it's a rather big 'if'.
But with all their Spaniards, and Benitez he'd probably have preferred to go there.
He's always maintained he'd never leave Spain
Liverpool were never any more likely to sign him than anyone else
The unstoppable Spanish backbone that's looking in danger of being broken up?
most ridiculous transfer conjecture of the summer so far!:
Sol Campbell to spurs!
http://www.championshipmanager.co.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.999?PHPSESSID=6fd259ff00081f608f832e19b8b1412c
BRING BACK STUART NETHERCOTT
thnx.
Venegoor of Hesselink available on a free
if we sign him I hope we sign Sol Campbell too. For obvious reasons.
You do not want JVoH.
He was horrendous last season.
but come on!
Sol & Venegoor!
i love you
Question for Celic fans.
Paul Hartley - good signing for Bristol City? I can't see why he wouldn't be but'd be interested in your thoughts.
Yes.
If you need someone to break up the play he will do a great job.
He always plays best for Scotland and Celtic in the big games when we're getting pummelled by better teams so if that's the type of player you want then sign him up!
It's pretty much what City need.
Our record against the teams above us last season was pretty terrible.
Re: Owen
Although the signing does reek of desperation somewhat he's still a 1-in-2 striker, and although absolutely not comparable to Tevez in the slightest, i wouldn't rule out Ferguson getting a dozen goals plus a season from him from the bench. Owen made a huge error of judgement going to Newcastle. It obviously made him a very rich man, not that he wasn't already, but it's almost ruined him. He strikes me as being a player who needs to play with good players, and have a manager who'll put an arm around him, he'll get both of those things at United, imo.
What is extremely funny is the reaction of the United fans, nearly all of whom suddenly see it as a terrific piece of business, after writing him off previously and finding it extremely funny that he might go to City or Liverpool, or even Hull or Stoke.
Re: Terry. Well, y'know, i told you a fortnight ago that there'd be a bid very soon. I don't go around trusting randomers word on things like this, but the two 'sources' that seem to get things right both said that there'd be a solid bid within a couple of weeks. It's one thing to say 'well, you've been linked with him a few times', but to be very specific, after between them calling other transfers, well, i'm inclined to believe them. Anyhow, we'll see if their other bits of information come true...
I personally, though neither have said nothing along these lines, expect us to go back with another bid for Terry, and i wouldn't be at all surprised to see the player make his interest in moving known. I've been saying for months that i think Tevez and Terry will be City players, whilst admittedly airing a certain amount of caution about the later incase someone did gazump us.
Anyway, in bigger news than that useless twat Terry getting himself a big move, Benjani to Stoke for £5m. Arf!
* about the *former* incase someone did gazump us...
I really cannot see Terry moving to Man City.
I cannot see what possible sense there would be in him making the move. Not only that, but he is Chelsea through and through.
I'm with you for the most part.
The move would make little sense and i can't really come up with any logical reason why he'd move, even a monetarial one, seeing as he's allegely on over £135k a week already, but he's not Chelsea through and through. It annoys me that he successfully plays up to this Cockney hardman persona, he's a lifelong United fan (which if anything just gives another reason why he might not come to City, but still...).
he's from East London
I know where he's from.
I should've said 'It annoys me that he successfully plays up to this Chopper Harris Chelsea4lyf hardman persona'.
Added to which
I can't see him leaving Chelsea without having lifted the Champions League trophy.
He's not a life long United fan
He's from a West Ham family and was a Hammer as a boy. Was with them until he was 14. It's why West Ham fans hate him.
I'm 100% sure he won't go to City. It makes me laugh that (supposed) City spokespeople think he's interested in "at least" talking to them.
I don't think that's really why West Ham fans hate him
You're right
Probably all just jealous of his success!
Regardless, he's not a Man Utd fan.
I think it's just his piggy eyelids
I've read him say that he supports (well, supported) Manchester United.
He couldn't really come out and say he still does, you know what football fans are like. He turned West Ham down when signing for Chelsea as a kid, i think i'm right in saying, though i've no doubt at all that his family might be Hammers.
That source is probably just fabricated, but if City were told privately that the player had absolutely no interest in the move (you can pretty much ignore anything he or any players says to the press about such matters) then they wouldn't continually try and sign him. I agree that the move would make no sense, but there must have been at least a little interest, if not from the player then the agent, for us to make another bid when being told catagorically at least once before that the player's not for sale at any price.
Perhaps you've read that
In that case you're misinformed; he was definitely a Hammer. He's said as much many times on our website and in matchday programmes when we've been playing West Ham. Maybe he said he admired or liked Man Utd and was misquoted. Not that it's important really. I think 14 years is long enough to say he's Chelsea through and through.
Don't agree with your second point though; Kaka's agent/Dad repeatedly said the player had no interest in City, but the two clubs involved persisted with negotiations. And Terry knows he could never have "at least" a conversation with City; he'd be done for.
I'm not a betting man but this is 100%, nailed on not gonna happen. There's absolutely no reason it would.
Kaka's dad was the one trying to push the transfer through.
Him and the player's other representatives would've allegedly shared a £20m pot of cash between them. He flew to Manchester, was at a game and shown round the stadium. I don't want to get into all that again, lots of players will reject Manchester City, i'm not denying that, but whatever the reason was for him not coming, and in truth it may've been down to the player to a certain extent whilst also a very obvious case of smoke and mirrors from Berlusconi, City wouldn't have spent over six months laying the groundwork having been fully aware that the player had absolutely no inerest in signing.
Regards, the point you make about Terry being done for if he was found to have spoke to City, well, i'm not sure about that. Tapping up is a very obvious part of the game, but only the numpties do it face-to-face, at least in England. Lescott, for instance, would've been made aware of the contract on offer from City without ever meeting an official of the club, not a high-profile one at least, and well before a bid was made. Barry was whizzed off to Dubai for a 'family holiday', and on his return seemed especially keen to sign for a club who finished below his current one. Terry, or at least Terry's agent, would've been informed about what's on offer (£1m a month and a few seasons of mid-table football), so there needn't ever be a reason why he could be 'outed' as having spoke to us. If he's any interest at all then we'd have been informed and urged to make a bid. If there wasn't then i don't think we would've, but it's only an opinion.
Yeah, probably not worth dragging up the Kaka stuff
I'm sure someone has tried to speak to JT. I'm open to idea that he even listened for a few minutes. But the idea that he'd be interested is ridiculous.
I imagine he'd be interested to hear what their offer is
Depends what you mean by interested
If someone came to me with a ridiculous proposal, I'd probably want to hear it. I wouldn't be 'interested' in it
Perhaps from the agent, yes...
Eyeing up 10% of however many hundreds of thousands a week he can get his hands on.
West Ham fans hate him
'cos he's a prick.
and he's bessie m8s with that other cunt in the chelsea side.
and he looks like a lesbian
He was never with West Ham
We hate him because he's a cunt.
...if he does get a dozen games from Owen...
he'll have been improvement on Tevez, so i guess it's worth the risk given he'll be on a free an' all...
He got 97 games from Tevez in two years.
71 starts, 34 goals. I know you're joking around, but i think people underestimate Tevez's part in the trophies they won during that time. I think i'm right in saying he had a better goalrate than Rooney, and whereas i know that the latter probably provides more assists, a striker's there to score goals, and a one-in-two record is better than most.
^
I think Tevez' presence was a lot to be spoken for too. When he was stuck on he'd give the team a lift in going forward and get the fans going. I think having such a huge impact on games is just as if not more important than scoring goals all the time.
I'm with you on this one KiK
hope he stays in England and if it's at City then so be it
I hope he stays in England...
so we can have a 'Tevez Watch' to document him being avaerage at another club (Man City would be fine for me ;))
he's played for two clubs in England and has been far from
average at either of them
And Owen probably won't spout off about not feeling loved
And if City sign Eto'o - they'll have Eto'o Robinho and Roque Cruz.
I wonder how Tevez will feel about another season on the bench
i'm not sure that a free transfer signing at the beginning of the transfer window can reek of desperation
...if it was late august, maybe. this just strikes me as a case of opportunism and "why the hell not, we've got all this cash to spend and we can stick him on mostly pay as you play anyway"ism
how many man utd players are seeing it as a terrific piece of business?!
ive heard almost no positive comments from man utd fans
That story about money laundering in football
the other day will have something to do with Arsenal.
Ince back to MK Dons.
Hmmmm.
the Asda in MK still has a parking space set out for him.
Says 'P.I' and it's right in front of the door.
Di Matteo must have been a classier guy!
Also BSP fixtures were released today
Kettering have got a stupidly hard first month, not confident at all.
Saturday 8 August Forest Green Rovers (A)
Tuesday 11 August Oxford United (H)
Saturday 15 August AFC Wimbledon (H)
Tuesday 18 August Kidderminster Harriers (A)
Saturday 22 August Wrexham (A)
Saturday 29 August Luton Town (H)
Monday 31 August Mansfield Town (A)
It's funny how quickly Man U fans have turned on Benzema...
a few days ago he was a fantastic prospect and would be a great signing for them now he's overrated, overpriced and unproven at the top level...
whereas Owen was a crock whoring himself out to small clubs
a week or so ago
Football fans in being flippant eejits shocker
In other news, world continues to turn and bears deficate in areas with a high density of woodland
It's also funny how people take a couple of people's opinions and use that as gospel,
On the flipside, of all the united fans I know, very few wanted to sign him (at that price anyway). He IS overpriced, and he IS unproven at the top level. Granted, we'd all rather have him than Owen but they're hardly comparable.
He's played enough Champions League games...
As well as in Euro 2008. I'd call that the top level.
Yes he's played
but is he proven? He didn't shine at Euro 2008 did he?
To be fair
He's a fantatic prospect and also overrated, overpriced and unproven at the top level.
Owen's never had unconditional love from us,
as the chap up there says. He was more interested in England and money and was given the chance to stay which he rejected.
So in that respect it's not as hurtful as it would be if someone like Carra went. It's still not ideal though.
However, the best bit about this is that if I was a United fan, I'd be a little bit confused. Maybe even worried. Fergie's just let go of two of the most influential attackers. To replace them, he's signed a sicknote whose career is pretty obviously over who scored lots of goals for our greatest rivals a few years ago, and a Wigan player. Hmm.
A fucking good Wigan player though, to be fair.
I don't think they'd be confused.
It's still only July and the transfer window's been opened three days. Obviously if it got to the end of August it might be confusing but not yet.
hang on...
this is the same Benzema who has scored plnty of goals in the Champions League?
If anyone wants Claude Davis, he's for sale. Thanks.
Though i agree with your last point...
I seem to remember you feeling very different about Owen only last week. I can't remember exactly what your words were, but you were certainly painting him out to be some sort of godly, forever Kop hero.
Nope, the conversation was comparing his reputation on Anfield to Fowler's.
I was saying he never had the love Robbie did. And rightly so.
C'mon now,
'a Wigan player' - that doesn't writes him off now does it? A Wigan player that has performed well and drew interest from Real as well as United.
Don't worry about us worrying though, we're fine.
Dammit, I'm biting :D
Although I think circumstances have changed,
around eighteen months ago there were whispers around Chelsea that if a stupid money bid came in for John Terry, especially from abroad, then the club might cock half an ear. There were thoughts that he was getting a bit too full of himself and that he had lost a lot of form through what looks like a recurring back injury.
Never heard any of that
Although incidentally I think an appraoch from a foreign club would be more credible
John Terry isn't worth £30m, let's be honest.
He's no better a centre-half than Carvalho (who seems to've been pretty much written off as a crock after the first serious injury of his career, and after for me, being the best centre-half in the country these last few years). Alex had played alright, Ivanovic looks promising, plus Mancienne would need games at some point.
It sort of makes sense from a footballing perspective, it's more that a) he's probably their most high-profile player, b) he's their captain, and c) it's be a kick in the dick to Abramovic that some mongs with a bit more cash than him forced the sale of the England captain. The latter point would be the biggest reason for it not happening, imo.
He's infinitely better than Alex
who divides his time neatly between being competent and being a lumbering liability. Ivanovic does look promising but again is nowhere near Terry's level and Mancienne prefers playing on the right.
He's an excellent centre-half, reads the game as well as (if not better) than anyone else in the world in that position, has captained the side to two titles, captains a national side with a 100% qualifying record and scores a fair few goals too. In terms of age he's just hitting his peak.
In today's ridiculous market he's worth more than £30m, if anything.
I'd be happier with us signing Carvalho, tbh.
As i get the impression most City fans would be.
It's more likely
Inter are apparently being silly buggers about him and Deco, offering £6m for the pair. Even at his age and in his state, Riccy is worth at least that alone.
It makes no sense from a footballing perspective whatsoever
if Carvalho is on his way out. Chelsea won't get rid of both and with Carvalho being the wrong side of 30 now there's no chance of Terry going.
So, this new Honduran player at Wigan.
24?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/8130045.stm
REALLY?
Haha, my thoughts exactly on seeing this morning's Metro.
Obafemi Martins all over again.
The metro picture was even better
It made me wonder where the hell Freddie Adu is these days... :D
Freddie Adu
was in the US Confederation Cup Squad and had been on loan at Monaco from Benfica last season. Only just turned 20.
benfica
Just thought...
If United bring in Owen, on a free, probably a yearly rolling contract, smaller pay than he was on at Newcastle, obviously, he might cost them around £4m.
Frazer Campbell's going to Sunderland for £6m.
Pays for itself.
especially if they sell manucho too
kiko, as things look at the moment,
what are your predictions for City next year?
9th.
sheesh
That is a lot of money for promise.
I think Wellbeck has what it takes, though. Wouldn't be surprised to see him play 15-20 games this season. Seems a bit greedy, mind.
thought it was Hull that were buying him?
if we sign Owen I think that means Fergie has massive confidence in Macheda, and Wellbeck to a lesser extent (Wellbeck can play midfield too).
f365 article on why Owen might be a good move
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8750_5412915,00.html
FAO: DanielKelly
Have you read John Terry's book? If so, can you confirm wether this is an actual excerpt from it?
http://tinyurl.com/nd9x5c
Haha
I've never read it! That's fucking bizarre though, he's maintained he's (was) a Hammer every other time he's spoken about it.
Conclusion: he's a glory hunter.
yuck.
typical cockney.
Oh please
Everton fans make up the 'backbone' of your side
Carra would be flattered that you think he alone is our side's 'backbone' lol.
ZING!
That's not his book
It's a book about him
I wish you wouldn't let your eye for
detail get in the way of KiK's factual posts. Honestly.
Return of the King
Reliable source from inside the club reveals to This Is Anfield that King Kenny is about to sign a deal to return him after 18 years.
YES.
christ I think I'd rather Owen
yeah
not gonna get into a debate about whether kenny was better than owen. lol.
but this is completely pointless, and a bad move.
You're letting past sentiment get in the way of common sense. Few players speak well of him in a coaching capacity, since he left Blackburn anyway. Don't get me wrong, i've got a lot of time for him, but i'm not sure i'd be bringing him back to the club in any sort of capacity, least not one where he was coaching the academy sides. Could you imagine United suddenly giving. It's a token gesture, nothing more, even in just an honorary role it would be completely nonsensical, and a desperate move for the owners to win a little face with the fans.
I meant to delete the following incomplete sentence...
'Could you imagine United suddenly giving'.
bullshit.
Having the all-time best Liverpool player on board Rafa's ship can't be looked at as a 'bad move' from wherever you are.
The players love him and look up to him. He was a brilliant manager with a brilliant attitude.
He loves the club and the club loves him. It's the best possible back-room appointment we could get.
I think you're being a bit silly.
It's a move that attracts unecessary attention, and undermines Benitez even if it's happened with his blessing. Bringing back an ex-manager, twenty years after his prime, well it just comes across as a desperate attempt to try and fabricate the Liverpool bootroom mentality of old. The game's move on, they need Dalglish in no way whatsoever, though he'll rightly be remembered as a legend as both a player and manager there. Arsenal wouldn't suddenly bring George Graham back, or Everton Howard Kendall. Pointless.
I think you're being very silly.
Right, we don't need him, but if he wants in, we'll fucking have him.
Comparing him to Graham and Kendall (lol), you probably aren't aware of how he's regarded at Liverpool. Obviously you're seeing the glass half empty because you dislike the club, but denying that King Kenny could have anything other than a positive influence on us is bending over backwards to be stupid.
I don't really dislike Liverpool.
I just wish they'd stop living in the past. Dalglish, though you won't like to believe it, has a certain reputation for being a sour-faced twat of a man, though as a fan i guess you'd much prefer to go by the smiley image you see of him on whatever ITV4 friendly he's playing in next. I appreciate he's Liverpool's greatest icon, and massively important history-wise, so if they want to call him Honorary President or something and sit him in a cupboard somewhere wheeling him out when they need soundbites around cup finals, much like United do with Bobby Charlton, then fair play, but to bring him back in a capacity with any sort of coaching or managerial sway whatsoever is backwards and completely uncessary.
Some Fulham speculation..
Crouch (10mil 70k week), Greening and Di Santo (loan)
...plus O'Hara (£4m)
yeah? 4mil, hmm
Deuce is on his way isn't he? I'd like to see them sign Crouch, and someone with a delap throw, Brede and Crouch would score loads!
word on't street
is that the owners have a massive lob on for Terry, and thus the bid. Never, ever in a million years going to happen, unless we offer them something moronic like £65 mill. Which is about 5 times what he's worth. It just ends up with us looking like chumps again, just avaricious money men with no sense of reality. I hope this is the last of it, and we actually start going for people who might want to actually join our club.
Don't want him here anyway, he's just a poor man's Richard Dunne
I disagree.
with this bit 'looking like chumps again, just avaricious money men with no sense of reality'.
We allegedly offered £20m in January, they said no, we offered £30m, they said no. It's not as if we've stormed in with a £95m bid or anything. It might not be a realistic target just yet, but if you can then aim for the best. If they'd stuck with Dunne for another year they'd have got stick. If we'd bid for someone like Hangelaand, after one good season, they'd have got stick. If they'd overpaid for the likes of Upson they'd have still got it. I don't think it looks bad on us at all. We're in the market for a centre-half, start with (those deemed) the best and work your way down the list.
i agree with that.
i don't care that we do
people can think what they like. But nothing has been achieved by this apart from making us look a little bit silly. The thing is, £30 mill is probably the market value for Terry on footballing terms, but in terms of the politics and his position at Chelsea the offer is a bit derisory. I don't see how a deal like this could go through without it being for silly money. A statement of intent, sure, but the man on the street will look at this and think "stupid City just don't understand football".
This is kind of what I think tbh...
To sign the Chelsea and England captain when you're a club that won't be playing in Europe is going to take an absolutely monumental offer. Don't get me wrong, I admire City's ambition but as far as I'm concerned their setting their sights a little too high. If City finish 5th this coming season and push the top 4 then I think next summer you'll look a whole lot more attractive to potential big big name signings than you do at the moment.
But the man on the street's generally knows sod all.
Bollocks to the man on the street.
There's always a small chance the player might completely lose his head and be up for the move. Failing that we've a) laid some groundwork for a possible move in a year, maybe two, or if he becomes available at any point, when we're hopefully not quite so shit, preferably and b) raised our profile just a little bit more. I mean, if players start turning us down left, right and centre, yeah, we might look a bit daft, but this is just us trying to rattle Abramovich a bit.
I want to see more stupid bids like this. I want to see Spurs bidding for Fabregas, United for Torres, MK Dons for Drogba. It's fun. Even it it's a bit barmy, it's fun.
Not a dig or anything;
City fans seem to be very sensitive to how the club is perceived by other fans/the media. Lots of talk about 'if we'd done this we'd have been criticised, but then we get stick for doing this instead' etc.
Of course I understand wanting to defend the team you support and that City probably get a lot more negative press than 18 months ago, but there seems to be a suggestion that public perception should have an influence on transfer policy.
Do you guys really give that much of a shit how the club is viewed? Like I said I'm not having a pop, just interested, a lot of Chelsea fans I know felt the same when Roman was really chucking the roubles around, but now don't seem too fussed.
I'd have to say yes, i do.
If you're going to throw obscene amounts of money round i think you have to do it in a certain way. City have, ridiculously because we're still not a very good side, become public enemy number one, amongst supporters of other clubs and the media anyway. It's impossible to even talk to lots of fans of other clubs (not on here, i must admit, but more broadly) without them going on some sort of completely over the top rant about their club 'having more history than ours' or 'any player moving to you can't possibly be interested in anything other than the money', or 'anything you win won't mean anything because you've bought it', all being complete rubbish of course.
I find it quite annoying that despite saying from day one that their aims are long-term that our owners are painted out to be clueless willy-wavers when if you've heard the chairman or owner talk, you'll have noticed that they talk complete sense, and fans of the club will note that every single facet of the club, especially off the pitch, is moving forward at a rapid pace. Every story that some journalist fabricates is another mark against them, it fuels the bile of the more idiotic elements of other club's support. I guess it's just part of the game.
Basically, we're very lucky to have had this opportunity, and we know that, but i'd like us to, if it's at all possible, win hearts and minds along the way, not just bully our way through the transfer market, callously sack managers, and (if we do) get a seat at the big table and throw our weight around as certain others have done. It's important that we do things the right way, not least to stop the shit spouted by others.
Ultimately, i'd like us to be successful, wether we're hated or not, but it'd be nice if we could manage to not be. I'd just prefer it to not be quite so much a puppet show, though, but y'know, i guess it's just the nature of the beast. If we can offend as few people as possible on the way up, then the inevitable fall (this is City we're talking about) might not be quite so unbearably embarrassing.
sod that
upset as many people as you can, make outlandish bids for all the top players and pay wages that make overweight sport journos combust. You've got the cash so enjoy it and if it all falls apart at least the journey would have been exciting.
Nobody wants to have their club labelled 'everyones 2nd favourite team'
^
I genuinely couldn't give a shit that everyone hates Chelsea. In fact, I quite like it. Especially as I can wile away days at work arguing pointlessly with people about it. It's funny when people try and legitimate their hatred of a club when it's perfectly fine to hate a club just 'cos you do.
^this.
See also when folk get angry because you don't enjoy seeing an English team do well in Europe. I dislike Man U/Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal 365 days a year, ok?
The state of Soccer in the USofA
The confederations cup had a little press coverage and was massivley overshadowned by the Shaq trade to the Cavs, this article on the matter is interesting enough.
I still reckon they'll win the World Cup before we do again.
http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9743680/Nearly-40-years-later,-soccer-can't-catch-on-in-U.S
Odious little shits you wouldn't piss on if on fire
#1 Lucas Neill
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5413383,00.html
yes.
prick.
I hope West Ham offer him £1,000 a week or he can fuck off
...
what a c*nt.
what's so bad about that?
Farsley Celtic have been kicked out of the Blue Square
North leaving them without a league to play in next season as things stand. They went into administration earlier in the week to avoid being wound up. The club are appealing to the FA.
will this mean a reprieve for Woking?
No
Farsley were in the Blue Square North, Woking are in the Blue Square South. The fixtures were released today, there won't be any reprieves in those two leagues now. They'll run a team short.
Those three leagues even.
4 signings in 3 days
We've been spoilt this week on Trentside and apparently King Billy has 5 more lined up before the first pre-season friendly, rumoured to be Paul McKenna, Shefki Kuqi, Jay McEveley, Shaun Barker and Chris Gunter respectively. Sheesh!
How come Forest have suddenly got money?
Or did you always have it and just didn't want Calderwood pissing it up the wall?
Also, how the hell is Kuqi still going? He must be nearly 40 and he's massive.
We've had a multi-millionaire chairman
for the past decade. He's just never invested money into the club, just sold our best players instead. I could imagine someone like Billy Davies giving him the ultimatum "back me or I'm off", or maybe the penny's finally dropped that to compete at Championship level he has to spend big and keep our best players rather than sell them. Time will tell I guess, but we're all shellshocked (in an excited way) that's for sure.
hmmm. McEveley is our only left back so doubt we'll sell. Plus Clough likes him.
I think we're using the Tito Villa money to buy Shaun Barker so unlucky on that one...
Jerome Thomas.
Released by Pompey. What's the craic there? He looked brilliant at one point. He injury-prone or something?
Very hot and cold
Looked like a good prospect at Arsenal, and at times when he was at Charlton(I'm sure there was annother team in between). Hardly saw him for Pompey at all really. Like a less good Jermaine Pennant, if you can imagine that.
City appear to have rejected Chelsea's rejection of the John Terry bid.
According to Sky Sports News we've let Chelsea know that the £30m bid is still on the table.
Everything's pointing towards a fragrant tapping-up.
* flagrant.
it's probably quite fragrant as well.
Well, turd.
That's no way to win hearts and minds.
how likely is Owen to pass a medical at Utd?
Apparently the doctor who declared him fit as a fiddle in that brochure has previously worked with Damien Duff, Dean Ashton, Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer!
This is the same medical team that let Quinton Fortune pass a medical.
they do them at BUPA, just round the corner from kiK Towers.
trufax.
Terry declines to comment about City links.
Surely he could just come out and say 'I will never sign for Manchester City, never'. Then that should be the end of the matter.
Transfer request impending, you know it's true.
this Owen to United thing
will be great for him if it's true/happens
coming off the bench getting a dozen or so goals
people are trashing his time at newcastle but lets face it, if it wasn't for his crippling knee injury playing for ing-ger-land this is the sort of move he'd have made years ago. newcastle was always a stepping stone back from spain. it must have been, his release fee was only £9m.
apparently we've gone and got shot of Lovenkrands - not offering him a new deal when his previous one ended this week. shame, i liked him, one of our best players in the second half of the season and could've really done some damage in the championship.
OWEN SIGNED
Weird
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46009000/jpg/_46009614_owenshirt466.jpg
oh wow
1540 BST: Former Italy striker Christian Vieri, 35, is set to sign for Blackburn Rovers. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
the Liverpool fan in me
shudders at that picture.
Still, I hope he gets his career back on track.
have The Sun been reading my posts today or something?
specifically the final three paragraphs...
http://tinyurl.com/n3znn4
hold on
any champ man idiot knows that before contract negotiations begin then chelsea would've had to accepted a bid for terry from city?
£4m for Chopra?
WTF?
betting on J-League
1 minute away from £400
equafuckingliser
Anyone know anything football-y?
Wolves have signed Ronald Zubar from Marseille. I tried to sign him on FM for Barca recently but he chose Milan, £16mil. This means he will almost certainly be terrible irl.
John Terry withdrew from Chelsea's friendly at Yeovil yesterday.
He's not injured.
<taps fingers on desk>
done deal
:)
Ancelotti has called a meeting with some of the senior players ahead of his first press conference tomorrow. I'm sure the City rumour will be discussed but I doubt that's why the meeting has been called.
Staying quiet works in Terry's favour.
He'll no doubt be offered an improved contract at Chelsea. The move is very unlikely to happen, imo, in terms of England, and winning things domestically, it would make little sense. I expect him to come out and say something at some point, but after letting Kenyon run around like a blue-arsed fly for a bit.
Whatever happens, £40m would be a fantastic piece of business for Chelsea. They might not accept it but it's fun seeing them panic a little, and even more entertaining reading the forums and listening to their phone-ins, where elements of their fans, seemingly having completely forgotten the last five years, are harping on about the money involved being 'obscene', 'money ruining the game' and some even calling for budget and salary caps.
In any fashion, it's great to have rumours like this which are so ridiculous and outrageous, what would be bigger than the England captain leaving for a mid-table club in World Cup year? I think Terry's interested in seeing the offer, as any one on the planet would be, but not sure about him wanting to come. For him and Chelsea it seems like it's very much the case of neither wanting to look the villain. The club will realise that £40m for a 28-year-old centre-half is too good to turn down, but they won't want to be seen to forcing 'Mr Chelsea' out. Ditto, Terry might have some interest in the money on offer but will never request a transfer, it's pretty much destroy his Chelsea legacy, if indeed he has one.
If you were a young man, earning £7m a year anyway, probably with £30m+ in the bank already, on the verge of titles and european glory at the club you've known for over a decade, where the fans worship you and you'll almost certainly be offered a coaching job, maybe one day the manager's role, would you throw that away for £50m? I have to say, i probably would.
* the phone-ins, * it'd
Technically, it wasn't a Chelsea friendly
*punches air under desk*
Luis Figo to Spurs, ahahahaaaha???!?
Surely this is some real nonsense, in other news newcastle are interested in Zidane and Boston Utd have made a record bid for Carol Poborsky.
http://www.imscouting.com/global_news_item.aspx?id=2488
you can smell the bullshit from here
in more realistic news, Fergo wants to tempt Eto'o to Man U (according to the trustworthy tabloid press)
http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8671_5415659,00.html
also, Terry to City - dunniest deal