Football 2010-2011

[pink_triangle]

Pretty expected, another chance for youth and last chance saloon for some of the underperforming players. Do think we probably needed to freshen things up a bit even if sell to buy. Also wish Gill and co would stop coming out with how we've got £80m available to placate the fans that the money's not going (gone) to the Glazers, does nothing but send a message to any selling club "hey we'll have some of that" and hike prices. Perhaps, Fergie's message is just mindgames that we won't pay those hiked prices but doubt it.

Still not all bad and got plenty of players returning that could possibly make a difference if play to previous levels; hargreaves etc. Big ask on Rooney to replicate last season though.

[ralph250]

I think man utd would be making a big mistake not to strengthen. I dont think rooney is finished because of a poor world cup but would say he is more likely to have a worse season than better season. Looking at the man utd squad Im not sure who could be a massive player and make up for it if rooney has a very good but not great season. Its a lot to ask a young mexican moving to a foreign country, having to learn a new language. Saying that Im not sure chelsea are going to strengthen significantly so it could be like last season which was good because the big teams were so bad.

As a neutral I just wish aresenal would gamble and spend some money to bring in some proven expeirenced players. I honestly dont think they need more than 3 or 4 players to turn them into champions.

[ralph250]

Unlikely Hernandez making a impact as apparently he's gonna be shipped out on loan to Valencia for the season, very strange.

[luckysalt]

Good to see this thread back, hadn't realised it was

[pink_triangle]

Guess it'll be dependant on where he is in the pecking order with Rooney, Berba, Owen, Hernandez, Macheda, Diouf, Welbeck. Macheda's younger but probably more adapted already so might be ahead, but then Hernandez's world cup wouldn't have done him any harm. Took both goals excellently, seemed pretty two footed (strong finish with left against Argentina), fifa announced him as the fastest player at the world cup, good movement, owen style stay on shoulder etc. Looked pretty encouraging, so might be a case that Fergie gives him opportunities.

No point having all seven around though so would expect at least two to probably go out on loan, if not three.

[ralph250]

I would be interested to see macheda going to lower premiership side on a season loan. I think he could stagnate at man utd and a year at a team like west ham or newcastle would do him the world of good.

[Cardboard Box City]

We've signed Kris Boyd.

[ampersand]

We've signed Kris Boyd.

[Cardboard Box City]

the golden years! so you have two lazy f**ks for strikers?

[ampersand]

Who's the other one? That lanky shower we signed from the Shetlands or where ever?

There's a lot of teary eyes on a Rangers forum I've just been reading.

[Cardboard Box City]

shit, you've 3, i forgot about killen. though he's not lazy like the aussie f**ker!

[ampersand]

I was refering to Lee Miller.

[Cardboard Box City]

christ, it gets worse. how does it feel to know that your manager has f**k all else knowledge other than scotland?

[Steve P]

Televised games for the first weekend of the season

Sat 14th

Tottenham vs Man City

Chelsea vs West Brom

Sun 15th

Liverpool vs Arsenal

Mon 16th

Man United vs Newcastle

[Steve P]

Strange things happening woth the Reserve leagues next season. Seems that Arsenal, SToke, Fulham, Birmingham and Spurs have all pulled out of the competition for next season. This despite a revamp of the competition that's been announced, trying to remove some of the North/South split. Apparently we'll be arranging lots of friendlies instead.

I wonder how much of this is a knock on from the new 25 man squad rules. It looks like we'll be sending a lot more players on loan this season. Anyone else heard much about this?

[ralph250]

Strange things happening woth the Reserve leagues next season. Seems that Arsenal, SToke, Fulham, Birmingham and Spurs have all pulled out of the competition for next season. This despite a revamp of the competition that's been announced, trying to remove some of the North/South split. Apparently we'll be arranging lots of friendlies instead.

I wonder how much of this is a knock on from the new 25 man squad rules. It looks like we'll be sending a lot more players on loan this season. Anyone else heard much about this?

[Steve P]

Not all is rosey at Barca

£125 million bridging loan to cover "short term liquidity problems" eh, what a pity

[Steve P]

Had seen that you guys had pulled out, amongst a few others.

Be interesting whether this and the call for England's next generation post world cup, will mean amendments for amount of loan signings lower division clubs can make per season, or controversially England adopting a similar system to Spain and Germany where a club's reserve team plays in the national leagues. They just can't play in the same league as the mother club, so for instance Castilla (Real Madrid reserves) play in the Spanish 3rd tier (Segunda , Villareal B play in their 2nd tier (Segunda), as will Barcelona B this year. Bayern Munich II and Werder Bremen II are in Germany's 3rd tier.

Fairly strong argument that a lot of the best English talent would have been poached at schoolboy level by the prem clubs, and so playing in the domestic leagues would be a higher level than reserve. Would aid their development quicker playing competitive football, whilst also meaning they'd still have access to the top level facilities/senior players to seek advice from. Also, continuity if reserve teams adopt similar tactics to the senior team. The more adapt to the system, the more chance to integrate themselves into the senior team and get opportunities at an earlier level.

As I said controversial, and I'm not sure I'd advocate it, but kinda thing I could see the FA looking at, considering Germany's (and Spain's recent) success at international level.

[smog]

We've signed Kris Boyd.

[Cardboard Box City]

Nicky Bailey looking like he will sign too. A goalscoring midfielder at the boro...times are a changing

[Langdale Wolf]

Be interesting to see how he gets on, scored a decent number at a lower level. Also wonder where he's going to fit in and whats going to happen with Gary O'Neil

[eFestivals]

Boyd is an odd one though - surprised you got him - I suppose we'll see how he fares in the Championship compared to the SPL. I thought he'd go to a Prem side, but I reckon he'd struggle in that league.

I thought he'd end up at Brum - every other Scot normally does.

I'd be surprised if he's not one of (if not the) major Champs players next season, but of course, as your club discovered with E-Blake that doesn't necessarily mean much when you move up a level.

[pink_triangle]

There is no short term fix for the England team, and i'm not even sure there is really one for the long term. Football in England is geared towards the clubs rather than the national side. For England to become truely competitive on the international stage would need everything thing to be completely restructured. I was listening to the radio the other day and they said that in this country we have around 2000 UEFA qualified coaches, in Germany they have 32000! That coupled with the total lack of decent facilities means any English kid that gets to make the most of their talents is the exception rather than the norm.

[Lithium05]

I really see joe cole as the wasted player of this generation. I think if he had been brought up in holland or spain...

[eFestivals]

I heard another stat that all the highest qualified coaches in england worked with over 16s while germany had may who had recieved the top qualification working in with the kids. The english system is geared towards big/strong lads who domainate 11 a side games coming through. Having good coaces working with kids will mean the smaller/more skillful players can be identified and nurtured. Also theres something about the england culture which tends to discourage flair. I rememeber when joe cole first came through he got stick for trying tricks, in other countries this would be encoouraged and not frown upon. I really see joe cole as the wasted player of this generation. I think if he had been brought up in holland or spain he would have ended up a great player. England have never seemed to know what to do with him.

It's all the result of the Prem sucking money out of grass roots football - something it was specifically designed to do, the very reason why top clubs pushed for a new structure which resulted in the Prem.

What those clubs still haven't grasped is that a team with huge amounts of money by no other team to play is not a team. Yet that is the ultimate consequence of what they've started.

As for Cole, there's some of that I agree with, but I think you rate him as highly as he rates himself. He's good, but he ain't that good, and a part of why teams don't know what to do with him is due to his own (in)abilities in certain areas of his game. He's cost teams gawd knows how many goals by his habit of being desperate for him and only him to be the player to get the ball in the net (tho the amount of that has been reduced by the changes in how the offside rule is applied), and his habit for England of always coming inside when played on the left has been a large part of England's failings over the years, as the strikers end up moving away from goal to find the space that Cole has lost them (the same happened with Gerrard this WC, tho as he doesn't get as far forward as Cole its impact was less).