Tackles, balls and Seaman - The footie thread

[2NaFish]

a thought just crossed my mind, have man u actually signed anyone?

[Judge Dredd]

^ Not that I'm aware of.

And Torres has today declared he is staying at Atletico for at least one more season, which he seems to have said for at least the previous 2 summers.

The Carrick deal seems to be going nowhere and if Van Nistelrooy goes to Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, I wonder who they'll get.

[2NaFish]

that was basically my line of thinking. Nothing happening with carrick, torres gave them the elbow and nothing likely on the transfer front outside the donkey and winking christiano heading out. Maybe they're just waiting to offload them two before they commit.

But when you see that chelsea will have spent upto ?70 or so million again this summer on sheva, mikel, kalou, ballack and either Carlos or Cole it makes you wonder how they're gonna challenge without 3 or 4 quality signings. I don't want the premiership finished before its started again.

[Judge Dredd]

I don't want the premiership finished before its started again.

Liverpool will be strong this year, and The Arsenal are going from strength to strength.

You can spend all the money in the world, but it doesn't ALWAYS work. Mourinho has a lot of big names to keep satisfied. If he can't, things could get interesting...

[2NaFish]

i hope your right, but i seem to remember saying money doesnt always equal success last year and the one before that.

[Judge Dredd]

i hope your right, but i seem to remember saying money doesnt always equal success last year and the one before that.

Aye, but in previous years there have been less 'stars' at Chelsea. Now they have a similar set up to Real Madrid's galactico system. Especially in midfield. I'm looking forward to seeing how he fits Robben, SWP, Joe Cole, Essien, Makelele, Lampard and Ballack into 4 places.

[Judge Dredd]

According to the BBC website, Liverpool are close to sealing a ?6.2 million deal for Jermaine Pennant.

It would appear a major reason why an earlier ?3.5 million offer was refused is because The Arsenal get 25% of whatever Birmingham sell him on for. So selling him for ?3.5 million would have meant they would have lost money on a player they bought for ?3 million.

Oh, and Liverpool are also said to be close to sealing a deal for Dirk Kuyt. But that's been going on almost as long as Carrick to Man Utd and Davies to Arsenal.

[Jim]

Yeah. Gutted, Izzy. 

6.2 million is absoloutely absurd!

[Judge Dredd]

All 4 Italian clubs found guilty of match fixing have had their sentences reduced.

Lazio and Fiorentina have been allowed back into Serie A but with point deductions.

AC Milan have had their points deduction reduced to 8 points and are allowed back in the Champions League.

Juventus have had their 30 point deduction reduced to 17 points.

[Izzy]

Excellent!

Serie A is now sorting itself out after those absurd penalties

The point deductions are fairly inconsequential now - 8 points for Milan? That will leave them about 2nd come the end of the season - and back in the CL - hell, effectively they havent been punished

All those sentences will now be crushed through the next wave of appeals - that they have let them off indicates how weak the case is against them all, i'd imagine Juve will be back in Serie A and the points deductions reduced further

Ah - corruption! There was NO WAY the sponsors would allow those teams out of Serie A - and lo and behold they all got on the phone and now things have been sorted out

The punihsments for Lazio, Fiorentina and Milan are about as mild as u can get without doing nothing

But i want them cut further, all bans, point deductions etc removed. Wasn't the players fault, and isnt the fans fault. Target those involved.

and frankly - how dare UEFA and FIFA or any of the various FA's punish clubs for corruption when they are so hideously crooked! Suddenly it becomes a crime when others do it - they need to look at themselves and all the money they embezzle and the damage they do to the game - all those seats for 'corporate sponsors' - and i bet the individuals involved get nothing in return!

When half the refs cant tell a goal kick from a corner and where diving is allowed to become as much a part of the game as half time - how dare they look to others for their crimes!

[Judge Dredd]

Well, I think the Italian FA have proved themselves to be spineless cowards.

They may as well put them all back in Serie A and give them a 30 point advantage over the clubs who don't involve themselves in the seedy side of the game.

The whole thing is a shambles.

By the time these appeals get finished, I doubt Serie A will start on time.

[Izzy]

Well, I think the Italian FA have proved themselves to be spineless cowards.

They may as well put them all back in Serie A and give them a 30 point advantage over the clubs who don't involve themselves in the seedy side of the game.

The whole thing is a shambles.

By the time these appeals get finished, I doubt Serie A will start on time.

I'm loving this whole thing - they get relegated for corruption - and then their corrupt sponsors bring them back - its gloriously Machiavelian!

The Italian FA has to look tough - but earns all its money from Juventus and co - the teams are bigger than the league itself, by relegating them they destroy their own sources of funding

What a delicious mess!

If they had ANY SENSE AT ALL

They would scrap all bans etc - but instead garnish Juve and co's profits/net/turnover etc by 10% - this money would then go to the weaker sides

A ban from the CL and 2 years in Seri B would cost Juve over 100 million euros - the above solution would be significantly less damaging to Juve, would act as a deterant and would actually help the league!

Genius! How ruining ur best teams helps the league i'll never know....

[2NaFish]

dammit, i had a whole tirade ready against the cowards in italy and izzy in particular. But then he goes and says its "gloriously Machiavelian!". Be thankful i've been reading a lot of oscar wylde lately and i have a taste for flowery chit-chat today.

[Izzy]

Mr Pennant is to move to Liverpool for 6.2 million, frankly i think we should raise that to about 7 million to give Crouch a bit more competition as 'the worst buy ever'

Not that annoyed - after all Liverpool's modus operandi has been for years to sign crap but for the cost of a good player

One does wonder why we pay the scouts.....

Apparently we're also after Kuyt - which does beg the question

''does mr Benitez really have that little faith in Bellamy and Crouch?' - they will obviously be the new attacking line, with Fowler as cover - so why another striker?

...peronally i'd like to see all the strikers go (bar Fowler) and just start again....

[2NaFish]

bellamy will be dumped out on the left wing

[Izzy]

bellamy will be dumped out on the left wing

another fine Liverpool tradition - signing strikers - playing them out of position and then selling them for failing to score

Diouf, Cisse and now Bellamy

[Miz]

Why the fuck has no-one bought Saviola? Barca don't even want him cos they're retarded so he's going cheap...

[Izzy]

Why the fuck has no-one bought Saviola? Barca don't even want him cos they're retarded so he's going cheap...

Mainly because he's just not very good....

[Izzy]

Liverpool have signed Jermaine Pennant from Birmingham in a ?6.7m deal.
The price for the 23-year-old winger, who has joined on a four-year contract, could rise to ?8m with add-ons.

 

Nice one!

Beware Chelsea!

[Judge Dredd]

Why the fuck has no-one bought Saviola? Barca don't even want him cos they're retarded so he's going cheap...

?60,000 a week and allegedly asking for a ?2 million signing on fee may have something to do with it.