Football 2012-2013

[sifi]

Why shouldnt footballers take recreational drugs?

[The Nal]

Ask Diego.

[TheGayTent]

Alou Diarra - on the face of it, a decent signing.

Can't help but think Noble and/or Collison's days are numbered though - would be a real shame.

[kaosmark2]

Joe Allen signed for Liverpool. Reported as £15m! Good player but I can't believe the price. They should breeze past Hearts in the Europa qualifier.

Of course, our stubborn refusal to pay over the odds has stopped us bringing anyone in yet. Although reports are we're close to signing Vernon Anita from Ajax. Should be a good signing if we pull it off, primarily a DM (which we need), but reportedly solid in both full-back spots.

Still hoping Debuchy goes through, although there's talk that we're moving on to see if we can get Van Der Viel.

Also, a nice long trip to Greece 2 days before the Chelski away game. We're allowed to request the game's played on Tuesday or Wednesday, but Atromitos can refuse it. Hopefully they'll be kind enough to do us a favour but there's no real reason they should. Fucking UEFA.

Edit: Reports are that Ashley buying a 10% stake in Newco Rangers relate to automatic loan-deals and first-refusal options on purchasing. Anyone hear any more on this? Seems quite strange and also like a few other club owners might have been interested if that's the case.

Edited August 11, 2012 by kaosmark2

[thetime]

Joe Allen signed for Liverpool. Reported as £15m! Good player but I can't believe the price. They should breeze past Hearts in the Europa qualifier.

Of course, our stubborn refusal to pay over the odds has stopped us bringing anyone in yet. Although reports are we're close to signing Vernon Anita from Ajax. Should be a good signing if we pull it off, primarily a DM (which we need), but reportedly solid in both full-back spots.

Still hoping Debuchy goes through, although there's talk that we're moving on to see if we can get Van Der Viel.

Also, a nice long trip to Greece 2 days before the Chelski away game. We're allowed to request the game's played on Tuesday or Wednesday, but Atromitos can refuse it. Hopefully they'll be kind enough to do us a favour but there's no real reason they should. Fucking UEFA.

Edit: Reports are that Ashley buying a 10% stake in Newco Rangers relate to automatic loan-deals and first-refusal options on purchasing. Anyone hear any more on this? Seems quite strange and also like a few other club owners might have been interested if that's the case.

[kaosmark2]

Can see a few rich people trying to get in the act at rangers as they will be dirt cheap to get into rangers now.

Rangers have great history(technically no history), stadium in the top 4 in britain, fanatical supporters. My brother travels from staffordshire to every league game, he just goes for game and then comes back down.

[lost]

Rodwell to City, didn't see that coming

[kaosmark2]

Me neither, but I reckon it's a good signing. De Jong isn't just a dirty leg-breaking, karate-kicking scumbag, he also wasn't playing that well last season, putting pressure on Yaya to waste his talents on defensive work. And signing someone English helps with all those homegrown rules.

Have Everton bought anyone yet? Benj?

[pink_triangle]

I'm not sure about rodwell, whenever I have seen him I have never thought he was great or terrible, seems to always be linked to big teams, so I must be missing something. Could go either way, some players like valencia really step up when they go to a big club, others like parker got lost in the shuffle at chelsea.

[lost]

I'm wondering if Everton have been offering him around? After Baines rejected Utd, Yobo's agent said Everton tried to offload Heitinga to Fenerbache with him which held up the deal, the "undisclosed" transfer fee also stops questions being asked if the money isn't spent, the mail claims its £15m.

With Cahill, Yobo, Bilyaletdinov, Yakubu, Saha, Arteta, Beckford and now Rodwell all off the wage bill in the last year with only Jelavic, Gibson and Naismith coming in and apparently Pienaar resigning on a lower wage than he was offered before he went to Spurs you would hope Everton are close to balancing the books?!

Edited August 12, 2012 by lost

[Benj]

Me neither, but I reckon it's a good signing. De Jong isn't just a dirty leg-breaking, karate-kicking scumbag, he also wasn't playing that well last season, putting pressure on Yaya to waste his talents on defensive work. And signing someone English helps with all those homegrown rules.

Have Everton bought anyone yet? Benj?

[thetime]

I'm wondering if Everton have been offering him around? After Baines rejected Utd

[lost]

When did baines reject united? Never saw that one being reported.

Edited August 12, 2012 by lost

[thetime]

Based on a rumour "close to Baines" that he wasn't keen on the move, though various sources have been suggesting Everton have been desperate to make a big sale this year.

Mancini on Rodwell "Its the first time he will play to win things"

[lost]

So he never turned united down then? I know there was a bit of paper talk about baines and united, would of been a strange signing as he would not of been forst choixe.

Edited August 12, 2012 by lost

[kaosmark2]

Rodwell's seemed like a solid DM with potential to be somewhere between good and great from what I've seen. City don't need a top DM considering Yaya drops back when needed, they need someone solid, on moderate wages, that'll grow into the role and claim it within 4-5 years. Rodwell seems to fit that. He might not turn out to be a top top player, but I doubt he'll be a waste of money, particularly when you consider City's finances and their main concern being the wage bill. £15m is about what 2 of their unplayables earn in a year, Rodwell's wages by contrast won't be that huge.

As lost and Benj have said, good deal for Everton as well if the reported fees are accurate. They need money, he hasn't been playing regularly for them, and they've bought sensibly. I'd forgotten about Naismith and treated Pienaar as a non-signing, but the squad does look in similar shape to a year ago, with aging, high-wage players off the books and debt reduced, and a striker who's (currently, I'm always distrustful of what Moyes' teachings do to strikers) in scoring form.

To shift convo to my club... supposedly Newc have virtually signed Anita, subject to a medical, with Debuchy considering handing in a transfer request to force a move, Remy out of the Marseille squad for their next game and Douglas gaining Dutch citizenship just after the Spurs game and wanting to move straight after.

Not sure how likely these reports make these signings, but they'd be exactly what we need. CB and FB (either side) have to be top priority after the Fulham/Spurs/Wigan debacles last season, but we could do with another striker and DM to provide more options in formation/playstyle as well as cover during ACoN when Tiote and Dembas bugger off. Anita's flexibility would fit in with Pardew's policies as well. Long Europa trips on Thursday nights will make demands of our squad and I'd be very happy to qualify for it again at the end of the season, but hopefully our squad will get us through the early stages and our top players can try and push us towards winning it if we make it to the QFs. It'd be a huge shame to waste the opportunity.

[The Nal]

Not often you see a picture of Messi fucked up

[The Nal]

So RVP has signed for Utd for the 10th time and now had 16 medicals at the club.

Here he is throwing his jersey and captains armband to the Arsenal fans yesterday

[strummer77]

Been away working at some athletics competition in London... no internet etc. and turns out didn't really miss anything. RVP, Carroll etc. all still hanging around. Football eh?

[kaosmark2]

I think (based on memory from glancing at transfer centres), that the promoted teams are the only ones in the Prem to have more players come in than leave. Even big-spending Chelski have let a lot go on frees, and I think they're one of the few that have had a net spend (I assume Arsenal have, although that's probably leftover from Fabregas and Nasri).

There tend to be a pattern of transfers happening later in tournament years though, we've certainly been a lot slower this year than last, although there's a few reports of several long-running transfers getting close to resolved finally.... Be good if we can have one or two in the squad for Spurs.

[Benj]

Rodwell's seemed like a solid DM with potential to be somewhere between good and great from what I've seen.

[eFestivals]

Good news for Liverpool that Agger wants to stay. Given that he's one of the best defenders around (if he stays fit ) and Liverpool need the better players if they're going to get back around the top, they really need to knock City back whatever they might offer.

[The Nal]

Shay Given retires from international duty.

We are really in deep shit now!!

[kaosmark2]

Good news for Liverpool that Agger wants to stay. Given that he's one of the best defenders around (if he stays fit ) and Liverpool need the better players if they're going to get back around the top, they really need to knock City back whatever they might offer.

[eFestivals]

From the 'Pool games I've watched in the past 2 years Skrtel looks their best CB.

Skrtel's defo got better, but i'd say that last season it was Agger - he's started being the player that was always claimed of him. It's the first season that he's managed that tho (tho perhaps cos he's spent so much time injured since he's been at Liverpool).