Football 2010-2011

[Benj]

Don't know why people care so much about the figures really. I don't. Not my money. If we get the players Kenny wanted it doesn't matter if we get them for £5m or £50m. And I wouldn't be gutted with 5th next year, rebuilding process after near decimation. Everyone always said it'd take time under Roy and now Kenny's in it is expected to be rapid just because of how well he started. Young squad, cash to spend, a top academy bunch coming through. We finally have a united club moving in the same direction.

Don't worry though, laugh at our slow recovery by all means. A sad fact, but Everton are never going to have any chance of competing whilst fans pay more attention to us than the evident flaws at their own club.

[ralph250]

Brown exit to Sunderland concluded then. O'shea to follow.

Brilliant servants to the club and wish them all the best. Brown's exit was expected as emergence of the twins/smalling has curtailed his gametime. Supposedly calling Fergie a c**t last pre-season probably didn't help either , supposedly it was meant with humour as opposed to malice but don't think Fergie saw the funny side. O'Shea is a big surprise though, probably played around 30 games last season and the twins pick up knocks pretty regularly. Unless we're in the market for a young fullback that won't demand much gametime, I would guess Fergie's hoping that Evra, Fabio and Rafael will be enough, with Jones, Smalling, Evans filling in if needs be. Them 6 plus Rio and Vidic make 8 for 4 spots, so might be deemed enough. Played Smalling at fullback a couple times last year and Evans has played LB for Northern Ireland. Bit risky though given the twins (and Rio's) recent injury history

Both Brown and O'shea were heading into the last year of their contracts (was never anything official that O'shea signed that supposed 80k a week deal, so presume it was bollocks), and with them being over 30, I guess Fergie is thinking that he needs to make room in his 25 man squad.

Obviously remains to be seen what happens to Kuszczak, Diouf, Obertan etc who could be sold/loaned out, but with Brown, we were at the maximum 25 players that have to be registered (over 21 at 1/1/2011 etc), and De Gea, Rafael, Fabio, Welbeck and Amos will all have to be registered next season, so case of needing to sell to buy/free up space.

Going to be damn strange next season though; no Scholes, Neville, O'shea, Brown

[Benj]

I would agree with you 100% that those excuses won't hold a drop of water in the future.

That said, I wouldnt be laughing maniacally like you if we finished fifth after a solid consistent season with hugely improved style of play and solidifying of team spirit and understanding. Think Spurs and Arsenal will both feel the pressure this season. Citeh, Manyoo, Chelsk will scrap it out for the top three leaving a right old tussle for the 4th place. No question we are in a better position to take on that challenge this year than last. No question we are headed in the right direction now.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Benj

[strummer77]

Believe me with these spends, if you don't get CL football sooner rather than later, it will all come crashing down, you can not afford a slow recovery. Henry is a business man, not a train set hobbiest/ philanthropist. He obviously has faith things will work, he'll bail or at least start recouping his cost if the money looks like its not going to come back.

£100+ million is not a slow recovery its a massive reaction to a serious situation. LFC need the CL AND a new stadium

I know all about the flaws at my club, Everton are properly goodsed at the mo, I just don't discuss it on here, here is for winding up the RS

[The Nal]

Going to be damn strange next season though; no Scholes, Neville, O'shea, Brown

[ralph250]

Factor in the fact that Rooney has a Keano clause in his contract (has to be at least on par with Utds highest earner) and it looks increasingly unlikely

[eFestivals]

Seems to be different journalists saying different things.

Guardian reported rejected bid.

Times/Telegraph reported that bid has been on the table for fortnight. Surely if so it would've been rejected before or BBC/Skysports would be leading with Arsenal reject United bid etc?

the beeb are now reporting that they know for certain that a bid of less than £20M has been on the table for 2 weeks.

[Benj]

We've spent £22m so far, as you mentioned earlier- Torres. Henry isn't a bailing man. He's a winner.

You don't really wind us up either. It's reassuring to speak to a blue as it shows people still care about us.

I'm smug, I'm happy. We've got our club back and we're on the up. I don't think its a particularly mad prediction to say in the next ten years we have a good chance of winning the league and you have a pretty decent chance of spending a year in the Championship.

[pink_triangle]

Think Spurs and Arsenal will both feel the pressure this season. Citeh, Manyoo, Chelsk will scrap it out for the top three leaving a right old tussle for the 4th place. No question we are in a better position to take on that challenge this year than last. No question we are headed in the right direction now.

[Benj]

A much better position if you use the benefit of hindsight of knowing how last season turned out which obviously you cant do for next. Last season liverpool started with a proven premiership scorer in the team (admitedly it didnt work out for him), they start next season without one. I feel there are al ot of assumptions going on based on the form of last season which was amazing considering the squad strength but I feel unlikely to continue. Only 1 player kenny has bought in (suarez) is in my opinion top 4 standard. So Im not sure I understand why bringing players below that standard will catapult liverpool to a higher level. There has to be a reason that last years top 4 showed little interest in these signings liverpool have brought in.

[strummer77]

Hahahhaah typical RS re doing the numbers, so the other 60 million spent in January doesnt count at all any more! briliant stuff.

"Kenny has only had 22 million to spend!" How is he meant to compete?! hahahhahahahah

NET SPEND!

[TheGayTent]

Wes Brown has robbed a living

[strummer77]

Their form near the end of the season was actually not that great, Everton and West Brom's was as good.

[strummer77]

Wes Brown has robbed a living

[ralph250]

Can't doubt it'll be strange Nal. O'shea and Brown have around 750 appearances between them. Alright, perhaps not the greatest technically on the ball, but both been reliable and valued members of the team. Both both incredibly professional and United through and through. Sad to see them leave personally but sometimes those are the decisions that need to be made.

Going back to the Sneijder thing, I guess the one thing that could possibly mean it shouldn't be completely ruled out is that United's net reduction in the wagebill through the exit of VDS, Scholes, Hargreaves, Neville, Brown, O'shea etc probably covers £200k p/w.

Possibility that Berba could be sold aswell; entering last year of his contract though have read we're meant to have a unilateral 1 year extension option. That we don't seem to have exercised that yet, and Fergie seems to be having an overhaul could mean we're looking to move him on.

With that reduction in the wagebill, need to factor in that remaining is a young squad that will be rewarded with improved deals as they develop. We've secured quite a few though though in the last 12-18 months. Vidic, Evra, Anderson, Carrick, Fletcher, Rooney all signed new deals last season so are tied down for a while. Nani signed 4 yr deal in March 2010 (but profile raised since then). Fabio signed 4 year deal in April 2010. Rio's contract doesn't expire until 2013 where he'll be 34, so no great rush.

It's likes of improved deals for Rafael (expires 2013), Welbeck and Cleverley if they make their mark, Hernandez improved terms possibly, Valencia probably has 2 years left so probably look to extend etc.

[Benj]

Of course it is about net spend? Teams are about net loss and gain in players so therefore spend has to come into it too. There's a massive difference between selling £50m worth of players and bring in replacements, and a £50m spend on its own. You have to completely ignore how the game works to think otherwise. Can't quite work out how you couldn't understand that?!

Such a small time poster mate its untrue.

[Benj]

Um, from around mid-January it wasn't. West Brom's wasn't even close. Of course we can ignore facts if that helps the argument?

Edited July 7, 2011 by Benj

[ralph250]

that we had a manager and an assistant who helped team spirit and didn't alienate some of our best players through bizarre media comments.

[The Nal]

He's been given a FOUR YEAR DEAL.

Edited July 7, 2011 by The Nal

[ralph250]

On twitter,

Man City supposedly sold stadium rights to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Air.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-07/manchester-city-said-to-have-sold-stadium-name-to-abu-dhabi-s-etihad-air.html

Boost for them in FFP. FFP meant to look for fair value and not mate's rates, but Arsenal get a pretty hefty amount for Emirates.

[Benj]

On twitter,

Man City supposedly sold stadium rights to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Air.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-07/manchester-city-said-to-have-sold-stadium-name-to-abu-dhabi-s-etihad-air.html

Boost for them in FFP. FFP meant to look for fair value and not mate's rates, but Arsenal get a pretty hefty amount for Emirates.

[ralph250]

Does this fair play thing stop them from being able to sell the rights for say 1 biiiilllion dollars? Etihad are in effect the same mob aren't they, so if they can use sponsorship as income, they can pretty much get as much is as they like

[Benj]

City also have sponsorship agreements with Aabar Investments, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Etisalat, Ferrostaal (all Abu Dhabi based).

FFP meant to look at "fair value", but tough for UEFA to ascertain the value of something. A sponsor is likely to get more exposure with say, Man Utd (or Man City once they raise profile/expand into international markets) than they would Wigan Athletic.

Think Bundesliga's commercial deals are a fair amount higher than prem ones aswell, so room there aswell. Doubt they can go majorly in excess, but if go for say £10-20m above market rate, then I think it's going to be tough for UEFA to proclude. They could just argue that the sponsor midjudged the potential return of their investment.

[strummer77]

I miss Hodgson at Liverpool.

"Northampton are a formidable opponent"

[eFestivals]

FFP meant to look at "fair value", but tough for UEFA to ascertain the value of something.

isn't it the case tho that an owner can pump as much money into a club as he likes, as long as it doesn't go on the books as a debt?

If that's correct then ultimately, for the likes of Chelski and Shitty, the FFP rules come to mean very little.