Tackles, balls and Seaman - The footie thread

[Judge Dredd]

^ According to various papers today, Didier Zokora is 'close' to signing for Spurs for ?6 million.

[Jim]

I hadn't seen that. Interesting. Though, we're not reknowned for signing people that we've been linked with. We usually just pull them out of the hat on the sly.

Edit: I just read the story. It looks like he is going to sign.

[Izzy]

Well, Liverpool have signed Bellamy - without anyone realising - not even liverpoolfc.tv did an announcement - i found out from an extract of a Gerrard interview...

and just like Cisse and Diouf he'll be played as a right winger Why do we buy strikers and play them out of position

Bah i'm converting to Everton...

[2NaFish]

the draw for the 2nd qualifying round of the champs league was today. hearts have probably got shakhtar - but not the good shakhtar from ukraine, the shit one from belarus. was scared this morning when i thought it was the good one, but we should get a crack at the big boys now. one month to go untill the footie season kicks off.

[Danny Top Hat]

Yay!? Arsenal are cleared of all charges - because we did nothing wrong!

[Wernie]

Well, Liverpool have signed Bellamy - without anyone realising - not even liverpoolfc.tv did an announcement - i found out from an extract of a Gerrard interview...

and just like Cisse and Diouf he'll be played as a right winger Why do we buy strikers and play them out of position

Bah i'm converting to Everton...

You must have missed it. I saw the news on liverpoolf.tv
And I doubt that we'll see him as a winger for many games. He'll be up front, trust me. With Gonzales arriving we've got plenty of options for the flanks:
Kewell, Gonzales, Zenden, Garcia, Gerrard...to name a few.

[Izzy]

Well, Liverpool have signed Bellamy - without anyone realising - not even liverpoolfc.tv did an announcement - i found out from an extract of a Gerrard interview...

and just like Cisse and Diouf he'll be played as a right winger Why do we buy strikers and play them out of position

Bah i'm converting to Everton...

You must have missed it. I saw the news on liverpoolf.tv
And I doubt that we'll see him as a winger for many games. He'll be up front, trust me. With Gonzales arriving we've got plenty of options for the flanks:
Kewell, Gonzales, Zenden, Garcia, Gerrard...to name a few.

He'll be on the wing - (i'll bet u the bracelet i swiped from Axl while he was in custody) on that

He wont play once as a striker, we'll be lucky to see him as an attacking midfielder

Why do succesive Liverpool managers do that - why was Diouf played on the wing - why was Cisse still being played as a winger even as the season drew to a close?

[Izzy]

Fifa needs to be reigned in and fast - they have banned Greece and all Greek teams from all competitions because they dont like the way the Greek government is 'influencing football' - how dare FIFA try to force its authority over a democractically elected government!

[2NaFish]

i have no idea whats going in greece whatsoever, but simply because a govenrment is democratically elected doesnt  mean it isnt answerable for its action.

[Jamie]

Fifa needs to be reigned in and fast - they have banned Greece and all Greek teams from all competitions because they dont like the way the Greek government is 'influencing football' - how dare FIFA try to force its authority over a democractically elected government!

They've done this before, the South Africans were banned from competing in all FIFA's competitions during Apartheid, which I would consider a legitimet reason. But I don't know what the Greeks have done wrong.

[Izzy]

Liverpool have just signed Fabio Aurelio - if he's a fraction as good as he is in Football Manager we've bought a real star

[Judge Dredd]

Liverpool have just signed Fabio Aurelio - if he's a fraction as good as he is in Football Manager we've bought a real star

For a free transfer he could prove to be one of the best bits of business Benitez has done at Liverpool, provided he settles.

[GNR_Green]

Juventus, Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina have been charged with sporting fraud as part of the Calciopoli scandal.

These are the clubs referred to the Disciplinary Commission at the end of a wide-reaching investigation into alleged match-fixing and collusion with referees.

While Juventus were the side at the centre of the inquest following wiretaps on former director general Luciano Moggi?s telephone conversations, and the Turin giants are expected to run the biggest risks.

They could face anything from docked points to stripped titles and demotion into Serie B or even Serie C.

Milan insisted they were the victims of sporting fraud rather than the perpetrators, but they too have been charged.

Lazio and Fiorentina are thought to have had secondary roles, yet risk demotion if their involvement in sporting fraud is proved.

The trial will begin on June 28 and an appeal will be heard between July 7 and 9. The final appeal, at the Federal Court, will give its verdict before July 20.




Should be interesting to see what punishments are actually handed out.

This stuff is incredible.  I can't help but think this must happen in other countries as well.  Fiorentine fans will be pissed off - could be moved down a division for the second time in a few years 

[Gaymo, the Hobbit]

i hope lazio will get punished into the seria c. i hate that fuckin nazi club

[Judge Dredd]

Sol Campbell has left The Arsenal.

He is not the player he was, but for everything he has achieved since moving to the superior part of North London, all Gooners should be truly thankful.

I wish the Sol Man all the best for the future.

[GNR_Green]

Who'd be surprised to see Sol playing at Bolton next seaon?! 

He should come play for Argyle, we could do with a strapping central defender.

[Danny Top Hat]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Real Madrid were all "we are gonna sign Fabregas, i'd say there's about a 70% chance of it happening", and then Fab was all "piss off, i'm 100% Arsenal.? Like i'd wanna go to your crappy club anyway" and Real were like "WAAAAAAA!? We wanted Fabregas! " and now they'll just have to settle for Reyes!

Apparently Arsenal have ?40mil to spend this pre-season and - apparently - that's going towards Buffon, Yaya Toure, Saviola and David Beckham.


Catch you later Sol!? I hope he enjoys the rest of his carreer and finds yet more success.? He's been a cracking player for us.

[Jim]

Buffon, eh?

So, given the Juvi predicament, after that purchase you should have about... pfft... urm... something like,

38.5 million left to spend.

[Judge Dredd]

Apparently Arsenal have ?40mil to spend this pre-season and - apparently - that's going towards Buffon, Yaya Toure, Saviola and David Beckham.

I am puzzled about the Buffon situation. Apparently Real Madrid and Capello are favourites to get him, yet they already have Casillas. Buffon would be a good replacement for Lehmann, but I was under the impression he was under investigation for betting on matches last season (in a separate investigation from the four clubs who face relegation)?

Saviola is alegedly up for grabs at ?2 million as Barca are desperate to get him off the wage bill. He seems a bit flaky to me though, has 2 or 3 good games then goes missing for a bit.

Yaya Toure would be a good replacement for Gilberto, who is supposedly off to Lyon to replace Diarra who is off to Real Madrid.

But Beckham would be a waste. I just don't think he has the legs any longer, particularly with the style of football Arsenal play. And I couldn;t bear all the hype and stupidity that goes with 'Brand Beckham'.

If these Italian clubs do get relegated, I have a very strong feeling Thuram will come to Arsenal to be re-united with Wenger.

But what will really make me laugh is if AC get relegated and it turns out that Chelsea have paid about ?15 million more for Shevchenko than they could get away with in a couple of days.

[Izzy]

Apparently Arsenal have ?40mil to spend this pre-season and - apparently - that's going towards Buffon, Yaya Toure, Saviola and David Beckham.

Yey gods! That's like the list of players i'd hope would never go near Liverpool

Buffon is heavily linked with match fixing and has already said he'll stay with Juve next season, and with his injury record....

Saviola is all hype and little more - he'll be all set to join that growing club of Arentine premiership flops - he can squeeze in between Veron and Crespo in the photoshoots

Becks is a good 3 years past his ''best'' - Bolton Wanderers for him methinks!

You really want those lot at ur club?