Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Mind you, nor is anyone else, seeing as you've just made that up :PP:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

According to Sky Sports News Keegan has left Newcastle.

Dennis Wise is favourite to take over.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

That was a short come back !

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Are you refering to Keegans time at St James or Dennis's height lol.

Maybe its got something to do with Joey Barton.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

both :d

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Apparently Man City are now known as Middle Eastlands. Not very politically correct, but made me laugh :rofl:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Makes sense - Chelsea became Chelski after their takeover and Man United became "The Manchester Redsox" when the Glaziers turned up (even though United's "sox" aren't red).

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I wonder what they would have been named if they were still at Maine Road???

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Guess it means the end of this joke:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

yayyy robinho signed for the all might Citizens last night...sneaked it just under chelseas nose but i do have a worry that robinho wanted to sign for chelsea like 2 days ago but because calderon didnt allow him to move to chelsea he opted for city instead...is he using city as a stepping stone to be united with scolari...mmm so much drama lol oh and btw we are now the richest club in the world lol muahahaah

p.s sorry just read previous posts and i see that robinho signing has already been covered...and imagine how good the city line up on fifa 09 on ps3 will look...cant wait for october 3rd (fifa 09 release)...

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

bit of a strange time to sack the manager as whoever comes in now will have to get to know the players and can't buy anyone either. Not too convinced this Ashley bloke knows how to run a club.

Having Wise and Keegan was never a good move in the fist place, adds another team to the relegation candidates now

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Has anyone heard from Graeme Rix about the Newcastle job?

Unwritten Rule of football #47 - whenever there's a management position going at any club, Graeme Rix's spokesperson has to officially rule him out of contention for the job, even if he never was in the running in the first place.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Ashley is a bit clueless, but he didn't sack Kev, he walked himself due to the transfer policies.

Its a bit of a shame as Kev is a nice guy and given the chance, could really make an impact in the Premier League. Still, on the other hand, we are playing them shortly, so with a bit of luck they'll be in disarray.

Apparently there's an angry gathering outside SJP right now, but I hope they are looking to lynch Ashley than Keegan.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

BLAH,:p:

They are definitly not from Dubai.........:D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Damn - my well worded witty riposte was caught out by my own stupidity ... again :D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

No idea, but it brings a new slant to the phrase 'Local Dhabi'... :erm:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

maybe Keegan's not gone after all

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ed/7593683.stm

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I am not sure if Keegan has gone or not.
NUFC website says he has not been sacked
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page....html#continue

:shrug:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I will love it if he stays, love it! :D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

City to bid £135million for Ronaldo - http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...086955,00.html

What a joke.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

If Ronnie was going anywhere, it would (and will) be Real Madrid.

Bet Chelski fans are gutted now there's a team who can outbid them on any player. Still, at least they set the trend for sugar-daddies buying them silverware.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Not for your lot who will be pocketing it.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Not a chance. Just the Arabs trying to flex their muscles.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Just heard that they have made a £250 million bid for the Arsenal first team, they want them to replace Man City's reserve team.:p:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I would be very surprised if that went ahead, especially to our neighbours.

__________________________________________________ _______________

The Arabs seem to be talking big at the moment, as they have something like 1.3 Trillion at their disposal. It makes Rio Ferdinand's £30 million pound transfer from Leeds to Man Utd in 2002 like a dip into the pick & mix at the Sainsburys checkout :erm:

__________________________________________________ _______________

Things seem to be getting all out of proportion at the moment, and I can't say I am a fan of all this silly money talk.

Enter Mr Blatter (not that I am a fan of his)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

The thing is, i can 100% see them making a bid like this in January. I would rather sell him to Madrid for half that money then sell him to what looks like is going to be a proper rival in years to come.

It will be intresting to see who the money grabing players will be come January and the end of this season, signing for a club who havn't won anything for 32 years, are not in the Champions league and in my opinion still wont be next year with the players they currently have.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

And what will be even more interesting is in 2 or 3 years once City have probably won the league (or anything significant), is if their fans will do what Chelsea supporters do and say things like "No, we didn't buy the league, it was a combination of good players and an expert manager".

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Any team is a combination of players and manager but most of the time them two variables are dictated by money..

What does get me though is that the big clubs have had the money to go out and buy the best for a long time now and suddenly when another team has that ability they start moaning...

Come on guys it simply means that hopefully the games will be a lot more interesting, and ther'll hopefully be more teams in contention at the end of the season for the premier league title..

What's happened to City is gonna happen to more and more clubs in the future....

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

We've been over this countless times in the past - we moan because we don't have a sugar daddy to come along and buy us the league whilst we spent year in mediocrity. United have spent big over the years but this came from established and built-up success on the pitch and from commercial ventures - something which would not have worked had we not done well on the pitch. No-one is begrudging a team from spending millions from when their results have earned them that money.

Chelsea, and now Man City spent years doing not very much with a handful of decent players. Then a rich bloke comes along, gives the manager a virtual open chequebook and suddenly success appears.

I'm not too worried, Roman tired to buy dominance in the premiership and he hasn't achieved it. True his billions have made Chelsea one of the top teams but United are still the team to beat.

All we ask is these clubs with new-found success is that they acknowledge without their mega rich new chairman's billions they wouldn't have the success.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

You could always count uniteds commercial success off the pitch and also outside of the UK as thier sugar daddy ;)

In the end whether he'd bought city, or one of the other clubs he was looking at (newcastle, everton...etc) it will make the premier league more interesting....

What's the point in having a commercial success if on the field you've already bought all the good players that no-one else can afford which means that you dominate by default. Makes the game very boring....

Also if it fails for the "nuevo rich" then quite simply you have better gloating rights....

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

in some ways I see this as a good thing, the top four have been virtually blocked off for the past 5 years or longer so this means another club has the chance to break into the top four.

The problem is it means the only way to break into the top four is to get taken over by a billionaire and then spend like crazy. A team like Spurs or Villa don't stand much of a chance of breaking into the top four on merit alone

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

You could but you'd be spectacularly wide of the mark. United's commercial success in no way compares to the sort of money Roman has thrown at Chelsea or the Arabs are apparently offering City.

Remember United are in debt to a rumoured figure of £700m - I can't think of any commercial venture which could wipe that out the way an oil-rich Russian or Arab conglomerate could.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

And they forget how they spent big money in the past...

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Read above.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Name a football club that isn't in debt, you know that it's standard practice in finance ;)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Just noticed the Arabs reckon they can land Torres as well as still getting Berbatov next season - this shows they have no idea how our football culture works.

Teams selling their top players to their rivals?

What these Arabs lack in common sense they clearly make up for in cash.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Everyone has a price. That is universal.

If you were offered £135m for Ronaldo and say £50m for Berbatov, that you guys wouldn't take it? Of course you would. Its enough money to buy another team with, let alone two players.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I'm not saying teams aren't in debt but United simply don't have a sugar daddy in the way Chelsea and City - that's been my point. We cannot simply go out and spend over £100m on players and guarantee us the title. I'm not begrudging any team financial power and the ability to bring in new players, after all it makes it even sweeter when we beat them and go on to take the trophies, the point I've always made is Chelsea and certainly Man City were pretty much insignificant in the world until one day a rich man turned up.

United's success and reputation were built up over a very long time. That point is unlikely to to mean anything to a supporter of a team who has a sugar daddy chairman.

---------- Post added at 10:57 ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 ----------

Another team?! Who are you talking about, Arsenal?

United would then balance up whether Ronaldo would eventually earn them a figure close enough or exceeding £135m over time. If they reckon he would they why sell him?

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I don't know what you mean by the Arsenal comment. I meant generically though. (£135m + £50m) / 11 = 16.8m per player. Enough to make quite a team out of.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

My usual dig at Arsenal, I have a quota of 8 per week to achieve.

Can you imagine the disharmony amongst fans, the lifeblood of any team (other than a sugar daddy of course) if any team sold its star player to a rival whether it was Ronaldo at United or Torres at Liverpool?

I'd love to see the scousers crash and burn as much as anyone but even I can see they'd be stupid to sell the one player who looks like he can turn them in to a decent team again.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Hey that's not fair...

Man u fans gets to have a dig at arsenal, liverpool get to have a go at everton..etc...

..but city fan's are expected to have a go at city ;) No justice there :p:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Oh don't worry, once you lot start claiming your team has always been successful and you never actually needed the Arabs then we'll start aiming our snipers :D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I know you were digging at Arsenal but I don't know if you meant that £185m was expensive in that Arsenal were over-priced prima donnas, or that that £185m was cheap and that Arsenal are stingy.

Everyone does have a price. And that descision stands with your American overlords.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

OK well bookmark this page - I am telling you there's no way United will sell Ronnie to City.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Not even for 130million? Come on, one man doesnt make a team, and I thought Utd didnt solely rely on Ronaldo.

Besides I'm sure that great developer of players, Fergie, could turn another 11-15 million signing into a player Ronaldo now is (I hear quite a few people give a lot of that credit to Fergie)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Tell you what - Villa have spent nearly 50 million during the transfer window so, if Randy's up for another go, can we have him in January instead?

;)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

If Ronnie can make United £130m in commercial sales, gate receipts and other methods such as his talent winning trophies then why sell him? To a main rival? It doesn't make sense.

And I've never said United don't soley rely on him - of course we do! 42 goals last season which went down to the final game?

So far this season we've lacked any serious firepower with the inexperienced Campbell, and Rooney still not entirely fit. And Ronnie's still not back. Are United a 1 man team? No way but he's definately our star player, just like Torres for Liverpool, like Berbatov was for Spurs and Henry was for Arsenal.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

In my mind, and of course i may be proven wrong, I can pretty much guarentee that United would not sell Ronaldo to City. We will not sell our star player to a team that is already a rival and who it looks like are going to become a rival who will actually challenge us and i can pretty much guarentee Ronaldo wont want to go to city, he wants to go to Madrid, i don't see him as a money grabbing player, more a player who wants to win trophies with the club he has supported his entire life. It's not about one player making a team and solely relying on one player, it's about keeping a star player and not strengthing your rivals. If United were desperate for money they would have already offloaded Ronaldo to Madrid for £70million or so.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Well considering they finally paid 30 million, it seems like Utd aren't giving a toss about sell on values either huh.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I don't ever remember United needing to make money from sell-ons?

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

My post was in response to a Utd supporter (I think he spuuorts Utd) implying that it was something for clubs other than Chelsea and Man City to worry about.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Well they did care about the sell on value because they originally offered about £20million. They were forced to up it to £30million by City's bid, they didn't just up the bid for no reason, not caring about the sell on value.


In other news Curbishley has left West Ham - http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...090532,00.html

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Not sure how I feel about Curbs, time will tell I guess

---------- Post added at 14:21 ---------- Previous post was at 14:10 ----------

What like last season? Over 70 million wasn't it, plus another 30 now and that's in a year, true though you can't guarantee the title, no one can otherwise what would be the point, you might as well dish out the title in August

And also gives you something to bleat about when you win nothing.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

You mean like what Chelsea have tried to do? Tell you what, when we've spent more than £220m in 3 years on players then you might have a point.

Well we'll have to see about that won't we ;)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

If I were a bubble blower i'd be pretty peeved at WHUFC. They've lost a good man.

I do think its good though that managers like Curbs and Keegan are standing up against the clubs that push them around. Clubs force players in and out of of the club against the manager's wishes, and then expect them to cop 100% of the responsibility. Hopefully this will force clubs to return to the old days, when managers decided which players should come in and out, and chairmen negotiated and paid.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

That isn't what you said though is it and anyway when you compare the 2 teams, Uniteds cost more to assemble anyway

We have already seen it in the past, those years when United won nothing were hilarious, you could taste the bitterness, didn't matter if you lot were moaning about Chelsea's billions or Arsenals lack of Englishmen

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

You know we've been through this before. United's funds were earned, Chelsea's funds were thrown at them over a few months by the Russian.

Not from me you haven't.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

He isn't that good, the football last season was dire, long ball, one up front is not good enough for us and he should have known better

I think the days of the manager are numbered, for about 10 years now clubs here have toyed with going down the continental road with coaches coaching and giving a list of players they want in, now we have so many foriegn chairman, that system will arrive a lot quicker

---------- Post added at 14:56 ---------- Previous post was at 14:50 ----------

and the only person that seems to matter to is you!

---------- Post added at 14:57 ---------- Previous post was at 14:56 ----------

I am not convinced, pity I don't boomark pages :scratch:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I very much doubt that's the case but there's me thinking this is a discussion board where opinions are welcomed...

I've commented that Roman turned up to buy the title but that's about it.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Yes all opinions welcomed, even the trivial ones, as to me the difference is the same whether the club generates its own cash or the chairman gives it to them, either way you have a thriving, vibarent club and imo it's a shame we don't have more of them

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I agree and I'm not knocking any club that has a sea of money, I just wish people would acknowledge the difference between earning a fortune and being given one.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

And I just wish people would acknowledge that a chairman putting his own money into the club does not guarantee success. Its a combination of money, a managers skill and acumen and the players gelling together.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Saaf_Laandon has a point, you can put as much money into a team as you want and can even buy loads of players...

But putting them together into a team that plays well together doesn;t have anything to do with money

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Stephen Appiah is in talks with a few prem clubs now he's been released from Fenerbache. I would love if we (arsenal) get him, he's a great midfielder, bit confused as to why Fener have let him go.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Whether we argue about money or not, come the 2nd quarter of next year the points will be the proof as to which team was the most succesful at getting 11+ players to play consistently well and win games :)

Non of us have a crystal ball and blind faith is probably what drives us to support whichever team we do support :)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I said the exact same thing yesterday morning.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Exactly, as Roman found out when he first took over at Chelsea. They went out and spent tens of millions on a load of good players who couldn't gel. He was like a child in a sweet shop, throwing away the sweets he didn't like the taste of.

Must be nice to have the funds to be able to do that.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Anyway, seems like they meant the other one...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...092158,00.html

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Beginning to wonder what's the point of the game at all? It's stupid to be able to buy your way to the top...It's just going to be one massive investment game of which the actual football is of little consequence.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

true and where does this leave the clubs lower down the leagues. How can they survive as the top clubs no longer buy young players developed lower down the leagues but star players from abroad.

I can see a few clubs going under this year in the lower leagues

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

To be honest big teams are going to suffer as well, How can Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and others compete at the top level if the other big clubs spend millions and millions until they have a dream team. :erm:

Everton as well: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...on/7597159.stm

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I don't think you can include Liverpool and Arsenal in that. Liverpool spent big this summer and last summer whereas Wenger himself said he had another £30million to spend on players this summer ontop of what he had already spent but chose not too. Not every player is going to want to join city so no other big clubs are going to suffer massively, but i do agree that the smaller clubs could suffer in all of this.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

But smaller clubs have suffered long before Roman came along. Back in the day clubs like Wimbledon always lost top players to bigger clubs. It's always been a problem in football.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

The problem is that £30 million is small compared to what clubs like Chelsea and Man City are doing. Liverpool spending is not the same either, whats happening is all this 'super-investment' in clubs to take them to best in Europe as fast as possible.

---------- Post added at 11:29 ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 ----------

One thats going to be made worse though...

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Chelsea didn't spend £30million this summer and i think i'm right in saying Liverpool spent more than Chelsea this summer as well.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

They still have the stupidly high investment from before, if they are lacking in an area I am sure they will have the resources to buy the best in the world.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

that wasn't the problem I was talking about though. Yes clubs lower down sold to the top clubs higher up the league either through choice or because the top clubs just stole them

Now with these millionaire owners that might happen less and they will just buy a superstar from Man U, Real etc. This means the lower clubs lose a source of income and can end up going under

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I think the ENgland team will suffer even more so (can they get any worse) as the elite clubs overlook their own youth teams to sign foreign/established superstars.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

yes they will and this is something Blatter was trying to help with his 6+5 rule

Also it seems Robinho had no idea who he signed for nor any details of his contract. Once again a player just blindly does what his agent tells him too and all his agent cares about is getting his cut

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ty/7597822.stm

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...td/7598744.stm

Interesting.

Well, not really but we can't have this thread as 'decent-club only' discussion can we :D ;)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

We could try and make sure the thread only contains decent banter though

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

decent clubs only????

OK, but there's only so much you can say about Accrington Stanley.... ;)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Can't stand Noel gallagher but this did make me chuckle

Every litre of petrol bought by the Utd Fans puts 5p into the transfer fund of City.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Keegan has resigned according to 5 live (no link as yet)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Here's the link - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ed/7593683.stm

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

The same could be said of Chelsea, because wasn't that Roman's big break? ;)

King Kev is certainly good entertainment, just for the inevitable stampy-feet departures...

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

He has a very short memory. It wasn't that long ago every Umbro shirt bought by a city fan put a tidy amout into Man U's transfer fund. ;)

Hence the reason they changed to Kappa. :D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

This letter was sent to all Manchester City season ticket holders this morning -

:D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

The Independent says we have bid 7 million for this lad, I hope so he looks really good for a 21 year old :tu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpfjNGkhnwQ

Could City be the club to break into top 4?
 

Man City have been surrounded by media speculation all summer about there ownership issue and how they might not have funds to compete in the market but despite all that they have spent heavily to improve the side on top of the additions Sven made last summer. It was clear the side they had before hughes joined was a top 10 side but with additions Hughes is making they may well go a step higher.

Defensively I dont think they could be stronger especially as they have richards and Dunne partnership but with Addition of Kompany and Ben haim they have increased competition. Zabelata on his way who is a brilliant full back, hes reminiscant of most south americans full backs who likes to get forwards, Left back is key to complete the defence.

Midfield is almost to the level required to meet main sides, Swp whose close to signing will be an exciting dimension and imagine pace him and petrov have for the wings with Elano as playmaker and Youngster Johnson doing holding role.

Final problem remains scoring the goals, midfield has been contributing but Jo is unproven and will take time and hughes need an experienced partner if they want to achieve dream of champions league.

Re: Could City be the club to break into top 4?
 

I'm not a City fan, but saying that they couldn't be stronger defensively isn't quite right. Four words for you - left back, Michael Ball ;)

Re: Could City be the club to break into top 4?
 

Well to be fair he did say

Mind you it is the sort of contradiction only a footballer could make, are you sure you wrote this Mouqeet :)

Re: Could City be the club to break into top 4?
 

Bet he's feeling sick as a parrot now, eh :)

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Stunning performance from England tonight, Walcott had a blinder and Rooney was excellent. A great all round team display.:cool:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I felt it was a good win but I still wasn't that impressed with the performance.

Croatia were poor and weren't the same side I saw earlier on in the year. We played ok but there was still poor passing, giving the ball away.

If you took 5 mins of that game, 5 mins from under McLaren and 5 mins from under Sven you would be hard pressed to actually tell the difference

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Who..What...Where....

There was an England game on last night? Surely not? I watched the telly all night last night, and never saw anything on the beeb or itv.

Oh wait......Now I remember, I saw the goals on the news, silly me!

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Were you watching the same match as everyone else??

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

You should know by now that Sherer is hard to please ;) :D

---------- Post added at 19:53 ---------- Previous post was at 19:52 ----------

Watched the first half live, as it happened, on Setanta :p: ;) :D

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Extended highlights of last nights game now showing on ITV 1. :cool:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

lol, just lucky VDS wasn't playing :D