Football 2011-2012

[thetime]

investment isnt everything to get champions league football, how much have liverpool spent in the last 5 years and look where they are.

I bet they have spent the most other than city in the last 5 to 8 years.

[The Nal]

investment isnt everything to get champions league football, how much have liverpool spent in the last 5 years and look where they are.

I bet they have spent the most other than city in the last 5 to 8 years.

[eFestivals]

great win by Aldershot last night against Carlisle in the Carling Cup 2nd round. Next up is a home tie against Rochdale.

If we beat 'em, let's hope we get one of the big teams.

[ralph250]

I don't see that, when both those clubs finished the season with dreadful form. Why should one of those clubs gets the benefit of your doubts but not the other?

[The Nal]

great win by Aldershot last night against Carlisle in the Carling Cup 2nd round. Next up is a home tie against Rochdale.

If we beat 'em, let's hope we get one of the big teams.

[thetime]

who thinks city will struggle like spurs in the champions league this season?

have the likes of tevez, ballotelli got the personality to cope with playing away at bolton? thinking were not good enough for the cl but they expect us to play at bolton.

[ralph250]

who thinks city will struggle like spurs in the champions league this season?

have the likes of tevez, ballotelli got the personality to cope with playing away at bolton? thinking were not good enough for the cl but they expect us to play at bolton.

[eFestivals]

Saw the goals. Quite a rowdy crowd down the end on the right! Place went mental.

if that was on the right in the stand behind the goal that'll have been the away fans (they have about the last 1/4 of that stand, on the right).

So I'm guessing you mean on the right from a view across the pitch, which somehow classes as being the same area as the main 'shots stand behind the goal.

[eFestivals]

Rumours Balotelli's off. Might be people reading too much into it but his player profile is showing page not found.

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Players

just read something on the beeb about £14M, to Spurs. I'm guessing it's bollocks.

[ralph250]

Hazard supposedly handed in a transfer request. Would presume Arsenal. There's Wengers marquee signing if so.

edit: might not be true.

Edited August 31, 2011 by ralph250

[The Nal]

if that was on the right in the stand behind the goal that'll have been the away fans (they have about the last 1/4 of that stand, on the right).

So I'm guessing you mean on the right from a view across the pitch, which somehow classes as being the same area as the main 'shots stand behind the goal.

[Wooderson]

not like a liverpool fan to get over excited after a few games is it, I like how your taking the carling cup very seriously.

[Wooderson]

Hazard supposedly handed in a transfer request. Would presume Arsenal. There's Wengers marquee signing if so.

[The Nal]

Maureen took the Carling Cup very seriously in his first season at Chelsk. I say try and win it. Particularly without a European comp.

Edited August 31, 2011 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

Hazard supposedly handed in a transfer request. Would presume Arsenal. There's Wengers marquee signing if so.

are you working from the beeb's page? Stuff like that is being published from people's tweets, the majority of which are extremely likely to be bullshit.

But if they're not, The Nal is going to be VERY happy.

[ralph250]

Isnt Joke Hole going to Lille on loan?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[eFestivals]

Isnt Joke Hole going to Lille on loan?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Possibly not - talking to Villa now apparently.

But LFC have lost Insua, Aquilani and some other dead wood (I forget who now) in the last 24 hours, with Poulson, Ngog, Degan, Cole and perhaps others still to go.

[The Nal]

But if they're not, The Nal is going to be VERY happy.

[ralph250]

are you working from the beeb's page? Stuff like that is being published from people's tweets, the majority of which are extremely likely to be bullshit.

But if they're not, The Nal is going to be VERY happy.

[pink_triangle]

who thinks city will struggle like spurs in the champions league this season?

have the likes of tevez, ballotelli got the personality to cope with playing away at bolton? thinking were not good enough for the cl but they expect us to play at bolton.

[ralph250]

City should be fine. Stronger squad depth and a good proportion of the players are CL experienced. Nasty group though.

Edited August 31, 2011 by ralph250

[ralph250]

Vicente supposedly to Brighton. Struggled with injuries but used to be pretty class.

Will be interested to see how Santon does at Newcastle aswell. As mentioned when discussing Enrique, he's stagnated a bit so might've been too much of a risk for the top clubs but Newcastle will be pretty good move for him to rediscover form/confidence and get his career back on track. Really highly rated when he broke through at Inter (the next Maldini etc), and he handled Ronaldo excellently in the 0-0 at the San Siro 2009.

[jammy2211]

I don't particularly think they've got worse - tho it is the case that the goals aren't going in as they were.

The year they came 4th was more down to the weakness of other teams rather than the strength of Spurs. Those other teams are now much stronger.

[eFestivals]

Well that's where we clearly differ - I don't think those other teams are much stronger. Well, Liverpool are, but they finished 7th and 6th in the past two years below Spurs, so they need to be. I've not yet seen enough of them to know if they've improved enough but non of their signings were top 4 material before (Except Suarez) so as I said, the jurys out. I really don't wanna say a lot about pool till I see a full game, only seen them on MOTD so far.

Arsenal are clearly much worse then they were too, no debating that. The question there is are they still good enough? I don't think so, but we'll wait and see.

I don't think Spurs are much better then they were 2 years ago, but the point is they don't have to be if Arsenal have fallen as much as I think, and Liverpool haven't improved.

We'll know better in 11 or so hours I'm sure.

The year Spurs got 4th, City weren't too strong. Do you really think they've not improved?

As for Liverpool, their form since Kenny took over & Suarez arrived puts them above every team bar Utd. Do you really think that was a half-season fluke that won't be repeated even tho they've very significantly strengthened their squad since then? You might not rate those players too highly, but you'd be mad to say their squad hasn't been hugely improved by their arrival and the going of some rather duff players.

Arsenal are clearly much worse (at this moment anyway, it might not look so bad at 11pm), but I'd still rate their strongest 11 significantly above Spurs' strongest 11. How each team ends up at the end of the season will depend on how they strengthen their squads and how those squads are affected by injuries. While Arsenal are in a poor state right now most of the players out are short term, and things aren't as bad as they might look at first glance.

[thetime]

is there a reason why transfer deadline is at the end of august rather than the start of august?

vast majority of leagues dont start until august, seems a bit strange to have the deadline when teams seasons have started.