Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

GeeZa · Post by **GeeZa** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:39 pm 0

Rev. Stuart Campbell wrote:
GeeZa wrote:
Rev. Stuart Campbell wrote:Celtic ship four more goals, this time in a 4-4 draw at Motherwell in the SPL opening game. How long can Wee Gordon Strachan hold on to the job?
It's not as if he's actually any good as a manager anyway.
Oh, do shush.

Don't support him just coz he's a Jock come home. I don't like him much and I wonder if he went to the same man-management school as the equally dour Souness. Getting spanked 5-0 in Europe by nobodies and having the mighty Motherwell put four past you aint a sign that this guy is a defensive mastermind. Celtic fans can look forward to a number of exciting signings (over the age of 25) from English Championship division teams.

I am biased. My family are all Hibs fans.

Zen-Chan · Post by **Zen-Chan** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 11:40 am 0

Owen officially on his way out of Real . . . but where?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4730405.stm

Real 'will allow Owen to leave'

Real Madrid are ready to open the door for England striker Michael Owen to return to the Premiership.

Owen has been pushed down the pecking order at the Spanish giants following the arrival of Brazilians Robinho and Julio Baptista.

Manchester United are set to head the race with an Â£11m bid for Owen, according to reports.

Owen's former club Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle have also been linked with the 25-year-old forward.

Flabio · Post by **Flabio** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 11:55 am 0

Meanwhile, in Nottingham Forest news...

And I thought we had a bad campaign last year, this is going to be painful...

romanista · Post by **romanista** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:53 pm 0

Clubb brugge win the belgian supercup in the most boring game ever..1-1 against Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen...

currently watching arsenal - porto at the amsterdam tournament, think porto will win it... tonight ajax-boca juniors..

fog · Post by **fog** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 8:14 pm 0

romanista wrote:currently watching arsenal - porto at the amsterdam tournament, think porto will win it...

Ooh so close

So Owen to the Toon then.....well we can dream

PaulEMoz · Post by **PaulEMoz** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 8:25 pm 0

fog wrote:So Owen to the Toon then.....well we can dream

Yeah, dreaming is all it is. I don't think he'd even come to us as a last resort.

Zen-Chan · Post by **Zen-Chan** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 8:29 pm 0

The remarkable thing to remember is that Owen is still only 25 - he could easily have another 7 years of top flight football in him.

romanista · Post by **romanista** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:03 pm 0

fog wrote:
romanista wrote:currently watching arsenal - porto at the amsterdam tournament, think porto will win it...
Ooh so close

well if they made that chance in the last minute

but my prediction was based on the first 10 minutes or so the 2nd half arsenal was better..

ajax is losing now

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:35 pm 0

PaulEMoz wrote:
fog wrote:So Owen to the Toon then.....well we can dream
Yeah, dreaming is all it is. I don't think he'd even come to us as a last resort.

Yeah your right CL footy is his main port of call, and im affraid thats just not on offer at Newcastle at the mo

I don't think it will be Liverpool either sadly

even though it would be great to replace Baros with him. but there's little money left in the kitty for an Owen sig. Although theres talk of a loan

Maybe Manu, but after being ex liverpool im not so keen on this for obvious reasons

I think Arsenal maybe in with a good chance. which i would be more happy with if he's gonna (gooner) go somewhere

Zen-Chan · Post by **Zen-Chan** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:19 am 0

Mourinho back on form as the new season approaches:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 734095.stm

On Gerrard choosing to stay at Liverpool

"It will be a loss for him, for his career. He can say 'I was European champion at Liverpool' and that is correct."
"But I can say to him in the next 10 years we will compare trophies at Chelsea and Liverpool. And he'll lose."

On improving on last season

"We lost only one game and we broke every record in the English game to win the title. How do you improve on that?"

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:56 am 0

Zen-Chan wrote:On Gerrard choosing to stay at Liverpool
"It will be a loss for him, for his career. He can say 'I was European champion at Liverpool' and that is correct."
"But I can say to him in the next 10 years we will compare trophies at Chelsea and Liverpool. And he'll lose."

Rather lift the European Cup at a glorious club with a peerless culture and history like Liverpool, than a few domestic trophies as part of the interchangeable toy-soldier troop of some Russian rich kid.

On improving on last season
"We lost only one game and we broke every record in the English game to win the title. How do you improve on that?"

Er, not lose a game? Like Arsenal did?

GeeZa · Post by **GeeZa** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:56 am 0

Mourinho is the best thing to happen to the Premiership in *years*.

Lots of 'paper talk' about Owen this morning.

Rev. Stuart Campbell · Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:02 am 0

GeeZa wrote:Mourinho is the best thing to happen to the Premiership in *years*.

I'll vote for that.

GeeZa · Post by **GeeZa** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:32 am 0

Rev. Stuart Campbell wrote:
GeeZa wrote:Mourinho is the best thing to happen to the Premiership in *years*.
I'll vote for that.

And do you know what I love about Chelsea? It's the fact that the Axis of Evil (ManUtd, Arse, Liv) had it all their own way for decades. They kept all their money for themselves, poached all the best young players from lower teams without a care for the implications, kept the poor clubs poor, and just generally didn't care provided they were winning and the cash dollars were flooding in.

Now Abramovich has come along and ploughed enough money into Chelski to buy all three, effectively letting them fight amongst themselves like mid-table minnows. And all's we've had since is whinging that it isn't fair, that there's no heritage, that it's a noveaux riche play-thing or some other sour grapes. He's just able to do what you lot have been doing for decades, only now he has the finance to buy *your* best players. No wonder it hurts.

For me, it's just plain funny and has transformed the Premiership to something worth watching again.

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:39 am 0

I'll agree it's amusing, but I'm still not sure it's a good thing for football. Until Abramovich came along the transfer market was finally getting a bit more sensible, but his money has distorted it badly again. There'll be a European salary cap within five years, mark my words. Might have even been after this year if he'd got the Champions League last year.

Originally I thought the salary cap would be a great thing and finally rebalance football a bit, but then I realised it would be a percentage of income cap, which will only be levelling the playing field with respect to Chelsea (and probably Real) and not significantly affect the other large clubs.

And even despite having one of the larger incomes in the Premiership I slightly despair of Newcastle sorting themselves out