Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

think Liverpool need to sort this out before they can get a new manager really. Who wants to join a club that is being sold.

Those Gerrard rumours seem to have died down now so maybe they were just internet rubbish.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Maybe he just wanted Rafa out really bad....

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Hicks is probably hoping for a good run next season to try and justify his valuation of the club. He seems to be forgetting that there's no champions league revenue next season so it's going to be increasingly difficult for them to cover the debt interest when RBS's deadline for looms.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I wouldn't mind seeing Joe Cole at United, and as it would be for free, I would expect Gill or maybe Fergie wouldn't mind either.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ea/8729993.stm

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I've just heard on BBC news that FIFA have abandoned their 6+5 rule.

No doubt Man Citeh owner Sheikh Itallabout had a quiet word in Blatter's ear.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Good, it's bad for the game imo

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

shame I thought this rule was a good idea.

When teams in the Championship and below are stll full of foreigners I think something has to be done.

I guess it was the EU and other organisations that said this rule was against employment law but having a football club field nationals from theor own league sounds like a good thing to me

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I thought it a bad idea, I want to see the best players contesting Champions League finals and what I certainly dont want to see is the best young kids in the country poached to play Champions League football when they aren't ready, look at Daniel Sturridge and all those other Chelsea kids wasting time and their talent.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

for the elite sides in Europe the foreign players they have are fine but when you look at clubs like Hull, Wigan, Fulham and clubs in leagues lower down they employ foreigners who are rubbish and no better than any English players. These are the ones who shouldn't have a place in the English game.

I don't see anything wrong with an English league being made up of English players and this isn't just a English problem either. The Nordic leagues are littered with African players now who are owned by the elite clubs in Europe who stick them there for a few years to get an EU passport and see if they are any good

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Man City bidding £27 million for James Milner, surely thats evidence enough to show how bad the rule would have been if it had been put in place.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

That`s a ridiculous price for the lad, he may be a half decent player but not worth that by a long stretch. Would like him at City though at least he doesn`t mind putting a shift in!

I suppose this is a transitional time for Man City whereby they have a load of dosh which means any player they go for gets sold/bought for an inflated price. Maybe if the team reaches a position where there challenging for trophies, players will wan`t to sign for the club and the selling club can`t ask silly money...

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Not a bad free transfer....

Arsenal have released French defender William Gallas after failing to reach an agreement over a new contract.
Full story: Sunday Mirror

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Man City have Spurs (away) and Liverpool (Home) for their first two games, Will be a nice pointer as to the 4th/5th place fight for next year

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Kymmy, Arsenal has got Liverpool at the 1st game of the season....nice way to start :)

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Soccer Saturday is being withdrawn from freeview

All I can say is Good Riddance

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Steve Cotterill unveiled as Portsmouth manager. All he needs now is a team to manage!!!!

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...r/10349721.stm

Get well soon !!!

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Oh well !!!!

I think Harry Redknapp is a fan so it looks like he could be off to Spurs.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ested-joe-cole

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Wow. How can Utd afford not to go for him?

I don't think Arsenal will go for him and given their previous connection I can see him joining Spurs now. Although our squad is pretty congested in attacking midfield.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Arsenal have enough attacking midfielders as well. Spurs will go for him, Redknapp isn't the type of manager got to go for a player if he can.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

The kicker is Cole really doesn't seem enthusiastic to go to Spurs. People that are in-the-know (or claim to be) keep saying he's refused to come.

Now if Utd are out, and Arsenal aren't interested, it doesn't leave many clubs other than us that could afford him or give him top level football. Its only us or City. If Villa or Liverpool were even slightly interested someone would have said something by now.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I cant, he is paid over £100k a week, nearly double what the top Spurs player gets, he wont take a pay cut and Spuds wont break their pay structure so unless he is going to get a massive signing on fee, like Arsenal did with Campbell, it wont be happening.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

No surprise there then. :cool:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8755857.stm

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

And if he doesn't want to take a sabatical then he'll have to make his expectations more realistic. The only people who will pay silly money are Citeh. And they don't appear to be interested.

Meanwhile apparent Hodgson has got the Liverpool job:

http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmn...48/index.shtml

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Tottenham are in negotiations with Palermo in a bid to take Danish centre-back Simon Kjaer and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani to White Hart Lane, with the Italian side hoping to bank £28m for the pair.
Full story: Daily Mail

Both very good players who'll improve that team no end

Birmingham hope to beat Liverpool to the signature of Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic, who is available on a Bosman transfer from Belgian side Standard Liege.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Except he has already signed a pre contract agreement for Liverpool :rolleyes:

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Sabatical and realistic expectations on hold perhaps

England midfielder Joe Cole will decide on his club future within the next two weeks, with Inter Milan the latest team to show an interest. Chelsea announced earlier this month that Cole would be leaving on a free transfer this summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Does anyone know if there are going to be any pre season games on TV, like last season ?

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

The Emirates Cup (which I shall be attending) will probably be on Sky again.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Palermo chairman has now been quoted as saying we've had a £28m/€35m bid accepted

http://www.sportinglife.com/football...al_225446.html

So just appears to be personal terms to be agreed. Don't really know anything about the players but everyone's raving about them and they are young so its looking good.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

The Hammers were interested in Cavani 18 months ago but couldn't stump up the required £7 million, the boy has everything, quick, shoots with both feet and is pretty good in the air + IIRC he has an Italian passport now to

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ty/8775740.stm

Silva to City

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Yeah. Still in for quite a few big players as well. Definatly top 4 this year if not the title. Title dominating for a few years after that I reakon. It's impossible for anyone to compete. United full of debt but even without that their profits cannot compete. Chelsea trying to limit their losses now. Arsenal never pay too much for anything/don't have the money if they wanted too. Liverpool in debt, same as United. Spurs willing to spend but only with what they got.

City will be the dominate force for a while now I think. Just hope Arsenal can stay in top 4.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

More rumors about Cole heading to Arsenal. I really can't see it, he is not exactly young, we have a lot of good attacking midfielders, and does he have the technique to play at a club like Arsenal? Maybe it's just culture shocking at a British player at Arsenal...

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I can see him at Arsenal and his wages wont be a problem as they have proven before with Campbell they'll just pay him a massive signing on fee and so what he isn't young, not everyone Wenger has signed in recent years is, Gallas and Silvestre for instance and there is a deal in place for Mark Schwarzer (37)

Might have a bit of competition for his signature now though

1059 BST: Roy Hodgson is keen to make midfielder Joe Cole - recently released by Chelsea - his first signing for Liverpool, once he takes over the reins at Anfield.
Full story: caughtoffside.com


Midfielder Joe Cole is set to be offered £3m a year to join Italian side AC Milan after being released by Chelsea.
Full story: the Sun

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

can he aford the paycut though :dozey:

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Hodgson confirmed at Liverpool, a completely underwhelming appointment imo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ol/8721942.stm

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Cant see either move happening

Tottenham are set to enter the race to sign Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and are prepared to offer as much as £25m for the Sweden international.
Full story: footylatest.com

West Ham are expected to make an improved offer for Brazilian teenage star Neymar after Santos rejected a £12m bid.
Full story: Daily Mail

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Zlatan has done well despite the failed assassination attempt by Mido back when they played for Ajax ;)

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Spurs are after so many players, you could run a Spurs2, I think that Spurs will only buy two players, one of them will be Cole, and the other one will definately be a striker, as they will probabley sell Keano to Celtic, and Pav could go, as Gudjohnsen has said that he will sign on a perm basis.

And don't forget Spurs have a salary cap WHICH ALL clubs should have, and they won't go above that.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Its so difficult because every top name we've chased has publically turned us down. So far: Fabiano, Ibrahimovic and now Cavani. Also Eto'o (but that was last season). We need these players to maintain 4th, but they won't come unless we're solidly 4th. Catch-22

Latest Spurs ITK says we're closing in on Micah Richards. He's young, talent and Harry must think he can bring his career on track a bit.

I think we do have far too many players but i'm not going to question Harry/Daniel Levy. They know what they're doing.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

glad Hodgeson got the Liverpool job. I was thinking that we wouldn't see another English manager at a top four club for ages.

The only problem is with the state Liverpool are in he will have a hard time and then it will enforce the "foreign managers are better" thinking everyone seems to have these days

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

It was a shame when he bulked up as he was a fast mover with tons of talent, now he's heavier he doesn;t seem to have the flair he used to have. He is though a great long throw-in specialist

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Someone on a podcast I listain too made a very similar point about Heskey. That when Heskey first emerged as a player he was a fast winger, but the culture of English football caused him to bulk up and he lost a lot of pace and flair and this was put forward as one of the possible reasons we don't do well on the international stage.

I happen to agree. I think there is too much emphasis amongst the British talent to be powerhouses, and a slight disrespect towards creativity, technique, and speed with is not the case with the South American teams or a lot of the European ones such as Holland and Spain.

As international players make their mark in the UK I think that is started to change amongst players who will be just coming though the ranks now (Arsenal have Wilshere for example) and ones who will be there in a few years.

Surely this is the reason there is such few British players coming though, they continue to get trained in the way they always used but when it comes to the Premiership, the Champions League, they can't handle it whereas the foreign players can.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

It'll be easier once the qualifying rounds are out of the way, trouble is you'll have to move quick to get them registered in time and players without a club like Joe Cole might not wait that long

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

West Ham have tabled an improved £11.1m offer for Nice striker Loic Remy, and are also maintaining their interest in Santos forward Neymar.
Full story: Daily Mail

Top player, doubt we'll get him, doubt we have even bid tbh or if we have we have done so in the hope they wont accept...

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Always liked Sidwell + think he'll do well with Scotty Parker

The Hammers also seem set to capture Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell, who will reject Fulham to join them. (News of the World)

Manchester City 's new signing Yaya Toure will become the first Premier League player to smash the £200,000-a-week wages barrier. His weekly wage of £220,000 will earn him £55.6m over his five-year contract.
Full story: News of the World

£55 million is disgusting no matter how much cash you have burning a hole in your pocket

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I find the wages to be paid to Toure, are disgusting, and l feel that the City Board need a good kick up the backside for even agreeing to it, the fans will have to pay for this in the long, why we are having to make drastic cutbacks, City go ahead with a disgusting sort of financial behaviour, NO PLAYER IS WORTH THAT SORT OF MONEY.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Few things in football surprise me but that has absolutely astounded me. How can anyone, even Barca, Real, Chelski compete with that?

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I've got a feeling these wages are as much about City making a statement as anything else. Just like Chelsea back in 2003 they are determined to buy success and status at any cost with money they didn't earn. To be fair I don't blame them, they've spent more than 100 million over the last 2 years with nothing to show for it.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Not even Chelsea spent this much though. I thought not getting into the Champions League would stop them but if they are willing to pay 200k then what can you do? Players are going to swarm to them, they will buy more this summer as well. They are determined to win the league and, let's face it, probably will. Hope other clubs don't feel pressured to increase wages in the worry City will swoop into any deals they are going to close. Spurs after all had the issue last year with, I think Bellamy? Where City came to them and hold them to drop their interest or they will go after other players Spurs were targeting at the time.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

The only thing i'm holding on to is that 11 superstar players doesn't necessarily make a team. Too many egos and a couple of bad performances and the team can unravel quite quickly.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

The sad thing is that there is a perfect solution here. City had a lot of money, but no titles, United have no money but loads of titles! So instead of spending millions upon millions on players. Go to United, pay them £100 million, and pick out a trophy they really like?

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Fernando Torres is on the verge of leaving Liverpool after his agent indicated the Spanish striker is bound for another Premier League club, with Chelsea at the front of the queue to sign the Spaniard.
Full story: Daily Mail

I think I'd probably sell him, he is a little bit to injury prone and £40 mil + can do a lot of rebuilding.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

The FA not fit for purpose.....

It's about time somebody told them the truth, well done Mr Caborn !!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8787109.stm

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

There's a couple of million wasted...

England Under-21 defender Dan Gosling has walked out on Everton for nothing because the club failed to put a new contract offer to him in writing. Everton made a verbal offer to Gosling but the Premier League sided with the player due to the club's administrative error.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Well well

Barcelona's financial crisis could scupper deals for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Liverpool's Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Didn't think United had any cash...

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has indicated that Manchester United have shown an interest in Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
Full story: Daily Mirror

United are apparently willing to pay £29m for Inter playmaker Sneijder and the Premier League club are also ready to compete with Manchester City for Inter's £30m-rated striker Mario Balotelli.
Full story: Daily Mail

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Pre Season. Bornemouth 0 Tottenham 4

Spurs will be a force to reckon with this coming season I think

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Pre-seasons are never a great sign of things to come.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Pav is a good striker, that's nothing new.

What's most exciting from that game is how well the academy and youth players did. Caulker, Obika, Townsend, Butcher, Parrett to name a few. Doing well for England U-19s. Always hard to see how they'll break into the first team though.

How well Spurs do I think depends more on how well everyone else in that area does. Namely City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Utd, Villa and Everton.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I think that Spurs will be a major force this season, and sad to say there will be a few moves out, ie Keano and Bentley will be going with Bellamy coming in along with Gudjohnsen.

Its ok for all the other muppets like our arch rivals Arsenal, I have been a Spurs fan for the past 35 years and that result from yesterday is just the start, these are only freindlies.

My theory for this new season.

Man City (champions)
Spurs
Chelsea
Man Utd
Blackpool.
Arsenal.

Any other ideas.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

United or Chelsea for the title, City to fall over 5 games from the end of the season, Spurs in the top 4 and Liverpool nowhere.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Blackpool 5th above Arsenal? I'll have some of whatever you're on please.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I think Arsenal have had a poor couple of years, and they MUST bring in new players, I am a Spurs fan through and through, but l think Wenger needs to do something quick, to be a fighting force again.

I think that Blackpool will surprise a lot of people this season, and l think they will finish in top six, I am on Blackpool Rock.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

You must be, Arthur - I see Blackpool as cannon fodder for the big boys. A yo-yo team, I expect them to safely return to the championship in 12 months.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Literally lol'd at Blackpool finishing above Arsenal.

The only players to leave Arsenal are Gallas, Campbell & Silvestre. Not exactly huge losses. And Wenger has brought in Chamakh & Koscielny, with more to come.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Last year Arsenal did well until the last few games of the season. They kept up with the top of the table for a while, showed a lot of mental strength to come from behind quite a few times, not least against Barcelona!

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Hmm aren't yo-yo's meant to come back up at some point though! I really wanted to play them away at the start or end of the season as well, great summer away day, still wasn't to be.

---------- Post added at 08:37 ---------- Previous post was at 08:33 ----------

Dunno about Liverpool finishing no where, unlike their main challengers (Villa, Everton, Spuds and er Blackpool) they have 2 or 3 genuine World class players, I think they'll challenge City all the way for 4th.

---------- Post added at 08:40 ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 ----------

Schwatzer is a done deal and I can see Joe Cole ending up there to + one more at least.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

not sure United will be up there to be honest. We had a poor season and we only stayed in the race because all the other teams played just as bad and all the top four had more loses than normal.

If that trend continues we will be ok but if not I can't see us staying in the title race all season.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

If United have their customary slow start to the season, I think it might be a big job to catch up this time around, they can't keep on relying on Rooney. Hernandez will take time to settle in, plus Berbatov is not up to the mark, so I am not sure where the goals will come from.
There is talk, albeit paper talk that some youngsters will be blooded, if it is a repeat of the class of 92, it won't be so bad, but I have a feeling it won't be.
Still, United have had a fair amount of success, and all things come to an end.
I just wish the Glazers ownership would come to an end, even if it meant United sitting mid table for the next four of five seasons, I could put up with that.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I see Fabregas had his Barcelona shirt on when celebrating in Madrid today, ready for the new season ;) :)

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Yeah, It appears the Barcelona players brought it and made him wear it. More pathetic behaviour from them in their attempts to force the sell to happen. They have been doing this for months now, quotes to the media that the team want him there, that he has Barcelona in his DNA, and that he will come and so on.

Fair enough if he wants to go but Barcelona are obviously using their team members to put more pressure on in order to lower the price to £30 million or lower. Probably because they are in a pile of debt and can't afford him for what he is worth (they paid at least twice that for Ibrahimovic).

Just insulting the way they have gone about this, always thought they behaved better than Madrid did.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Sad, sad day for English and International football as a whole...

Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey has announced his retirement from international football with England

http://www.football365.com/story/0,1...261624,00.html

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Well Done to him for this career as an International Footballer. :clap:

It's fashionable to bash Heskey but successive England managers picked him and he always worked hard, made important passes, and helped all those around him without ever getting, nor seeking, much attention or praise. Just a model of a professional, modest footballer without much of an Ego. England need more players like him and not less.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I for one totally agree and would love to see an England team of 11 Emile Heskeys.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I see HMRC have quite rightly appealed against Portsmouth's CVA.

Best thing Portsmouth can do now is exit admin without a CVA & take the 17 point hit to start over a la Leeds.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

If clubs are to be hit by a points deduction for falling into admin, why don't they relegate them TWO divisions, if they are in the lower league, just boot them out, its that simple.

To give them 8 /11 points deduction is silly, if they cannot get the points to a reasonable position without being relegation, they might as well do it before.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

lololol me too :D

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:54 ----------

And what chance would they then have to get back on their feet?

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Absolutely, we need more strikers with a record of 7 in 62 games and picking him probably has something to do with why 3 of his 4 international managers are no longer in charge and the 4th is clinging on by his fingernails and as for all this guff about 'Rooney likes playing with him' they didn't even pass to each other in one of the group games until the 39 minute!

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

City sign Aleksander Kolarov from Lazio for £16 million. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ty/8829949.stm

Mancini really is going to have to shift some players or we`ll end up with enough players to field 3 teams...

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I hope this is not true.....

Shall I have a moan about the Glazers......no, I'll give it a miss this time :mad:

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I love how we've become a feeder club for RM :afire:

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Good. Now you know how the rest of us feel.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Such bitterness :D

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

This cracked me up.

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Reserves-...tures-released

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

:D I like :D

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

18 mil is cheap by todays standards to.

---------- Post added at 18:10 ---------- Previous post was at 18:08 ----------

I love to the way RM said Gerrard was to old for a 30 mil move but Ashley Cole isnt

Meanwhile, Chelsea have told Real Madrid they will have to pay £30m to sign defender Ashley Cole.
Full story: the Independent

What are City doing, 3 left backs now rated at 10 mil or over...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ty/8829949.stm

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Spurs are playing tonight Punky and any other Spurs fans who might be interested.

http://www.livesportontv.com/football/

As there is not much else on I will be watching it

---------- Post added at 20:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------


I am sure Fergie will make them up the offer if it is indeed true at all.

I often wonder where they keep getting their money from?

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Yup, cheers Yesman.

Its on ESPN which I get free on VM so pleased about that. All our US pre-season games are on there.

So looking forward to it. Even with a World Cup the close season feels like way too long.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

They get 150 million tv deal every season and should they ever get in trouble the government will bail them out, the government bought their training ground for 300 million a few years back.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8094864.stm

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

:rofl: at the commentator, I am still trying to find out who Jermaine Jeanaaaassssss is :wtf:

---------- Post added at 22:19 ---------- Previous post was at 22:18 ----------

It's a pity that doesn't happen here :idea:

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

And how he keeps calling Gareth Bale "Stud" :rofl:

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Yep, I found that amusing too.

The game was a good run out for Spurs.
I got the feeling that Spurs looked like a pre season side, but Amway Athletic looked like they were playing at their full potential, having said that, the american game has come a long way.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Wasn't bad run out although I agree with Harry these international pre-season tournaments are detrimental to the game. But you need to for money really.

The MLS season is half way through so they are at their peak. We were missing the WC players but still did alright considering the lack of match practice.

Considering most of the country is apathetic to football and they are still the 13th best team in the world ahead of France and Russia and that the top teams can get 20-30k and USA 94 was the most heavily attended World Cup in history. If they can get a decent percentage of the country on their side and turn MLS into a players retirement into a decent youthful league, they can become a seriously big player in world football.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Just in case some of you Utd fans haven't seen it

Celtic 1 Man Utd 3

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

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Aston Villa's Bulgarian midfielder Stiliyan Petrov believes England will never win a major tournament unless a domestic season winter-break is introduced.
Full story: Sunday Mirror

Thoughts anyone. I think he is talking rubbish tbh, the problem is they don't get a break at the end of the season imo, a few less US tours might not add anything to the clubs bank balance but at least the players will be fresh and what's the betting if they do get a break the clubs won't jet of to the middle east to keep the players fit by playing a couple of oil rich clubs. Also why not play the World and Euro finals at the start of the season about nowish rather than at the end of the season.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Fergie made a good point that it is more to do with the fact that around that time there are a load of fixtures and they take place in bad weather and on poor pitches which means players carry strains and such into the season run in. Arsenal can testify to this, we lost a heap of players during the winter months.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

I think he's talking rubbish.

The problems at the world cup won't be rememied by a couple of weeks off half way through. For 1 thing it would mean even more fixture congestion later on and secondly most players suffer some injury and get some form of break anyway.

The problems we've had at this world cup are completely different from Italia 90 and Euro 96 where we played well but lost due to woeful penalty shoot outs. This time was just a farcial approach to management borrow from playing Championship Manager too much.

I'd like to see European competitions streamlined as there are far too many games in there but we can't blame that. La Liga plays the same amount of games as us yet Barca always go well in Euro. Barca pratically won the world cup for Spain. And Diego Forlan, playing 55 games in a season was also player of the world cup tournament.

Its a complete change from the FA not two weeks break in winter.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

That is a fair comment, it'd carry more weight if he'd actually banned his players from wearing blades though

Soz if he did ban them, I did google to no avail and remember him calling for the FA to ban them when Roy Keane got injured but noticed Rooney was wearing them while later when he was injured.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Cole is expected to make a decision on where he will resume his club career in the next 48 hours, while his former manager at Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti, claims the reason for his Stamford Bridge departure this summer was "economic".
Full story: Daily Mail

Hmm economic, so you pay £5 million for his replacement rather than offer him a new deal, that's the type of economics that has got this country in so much debt.

Re: Close Season Football Thread
 

Looks like Cole has signed at Liverpool who have offered 90k a week! I thought they had a massive amount of debt.