Football 2011-2012

[eFestivals]

He looks decent from what I've seen, a few decent touches and nice strikes. Problem is, it's the SPL. Having a good record for one of the Old Firm doesn't mean much when you move to a decent league. Probably worth a gamble considering Liverpool won't be able to attract anyone better without European football.

worth a punt perhaps, but Liverpool are still capable of attracting better than only SPL players. They might not have euro footie, but they're still one of the world's biggest and best known clubs and unlikely to be in the doldrums for too long.

[eFestivals]

Arteta and Wilshere injured won't be helping. Arteta's turned out a really good signing for you.

yeah, they missed Arteta a lot yesterday.

And while Utd were deserved winners, Arsenal weren't that far behind matching them so I really don't think things are quite as dire - just yet, anyway - as Steve has posted, even tho they need to fatten out the squad a fair bit.

The worry I'd have if an Arsenal fan is losing RVP in the summer, cos he's so important to them getting goals at the mo. But even that might not turn out as badly as it might cos he's likely to get injured before the end of the season which will no doubt put off a club or two at least.

I guess that Arsenal fans might hope he gets badly crocked in the last game of the season and makes himself unsignable by other clubs because of that.

[Steve P]

Arteta and Wilshere injured won't be helping. Arteta's turned out a really good signing for you. Something must be up with Benayoun though. Every club he plays for he looks decent, but when he moves the manager always seems to stop trusting him quite soon.

I think the big thing is that without spending huge numbers, you can't get pacy players with touch, the sort that'd fit in at Arsenal. Anyone who'll suit the style and be an improvement would be stupid money, so instead Wenger buys young unproven players and develops them, but unfortunately, because you're now lacking the experience to win trophies, you're not winning trophies, so they're leaving once they make a name and go elsewhere to win trophies.

[lharris92]

watching that balotelli "stamp", sure it does look bad but how can he see where to aim if it was intentional. will probably be argued over for a while but from that gif it seems he doesn't know where parkers head is.

[strummer77]

watching that balotelli "stamp", sure it does look bad but how can he see where to aim if it was intentional. will probably be argued over for a while but from that gif it seems he doesn't know where parkers head is.

[The Nal]

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp received payments of $295,000 as "bungs or offshore bonuses", says prosecution at UK trial.

[eFestivals]

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp received payments of $295,000 as "bungs or offshore bonuses", says prosecution at UK trial.

As I've said for a long while, 'Arry's going down.

The only defence it seems he can give to stop that happening would be if he was able to prove that the money that HMRC found was money he'd already declared as income and paid tax on, and while it's possible that's the truth of things, I suspect it would involve him having to disclose so much other info that he'd then be up on other tax fiddling charges which he'd have given HMRC the proof of his guilt for.

If that's really his money and it's money that's been declared, you have to ask yourself why he'd then have that money in accounts that pay no interest that are located in tax havens.

'Arry for England? The nearest he'll get is giving Her Majesty some pleasure.

[kaosmark2]

worth a punt perhaps, but Liverpool are still capable of attracting better than only SPL players. They might not have euro footie, but they're still one of the world's biggest and best known clubs and unlikely to be in the doldrums for too long.

[kaosmark2]

yeah, they missed Arteta a lot yesterday.

And while Utd were deserved winners, Arsenal weren't that far behind matching them so I really don't think things are quite as dire - just yet, anyway - as Steve has posted, even tho they need to fatten out the squad a fair bit.

The worry I'd have if an Arsenal fan is losing RVP in the summer, cos he's so important to them getting goals at the mo. But even that might not turn out as badly as it might cos he's likely to get injured before the end of the season which will no doubt put off a club or two at least.

I guess that Arsenal fans might hope he gets badly crocked in the last game of the season and makes himself unsignable by other clubs because of that.

[eFestivals]

In January? Managers are right when they say the market's flooded and difficult to get a decent value signing. Clubs ramp up their prices because they haven't got that long to get a replacement, tend to have to gamble by reputation rather than based on proper long term scouting (see Torres triggerring Carroll), and realise that the impact of that player staying for 5 months might be worth more with season-success revenue than the short term sale (See Adam at Blackpool, Samba at Blackburn).

Good buys in January happen, but it's rare that they're majorly helpful. They tend to be best for the purposes of filling any holes in the squad short-term.

You're mistaking what I'm saying as Liverpool going for a well-established name. I think it's more likely that they'd go for a young-ish player at a minor-ish club whose performances are being limited by being at that minor-ish club.

There's plenty to tempt an ambitious player to Liverpool which wouldn't exist for most of the clubs in the Prem.

[kaosmark2]

The injury to Arteta has shown the problems we've got. The whole "players in the red zone" that Wenger was banging on about at the end of last season, is exactly what's done for Arteta and I think Ramsey will be next. We just don't have anyone capable of coming in to allow players to have a rest, even for the last 20 mins of a game. Before Arteta picked up his knock, he'd played every game for us, and the same is true with Ramsey. Even when Wilshere returns, only having 4 players in midfield that the manager actually trusts (ignoring the perma-crocked Diaby) just isn't enough. I'd love us to sign a top player for huge money, but for now what's needed is a few decent players that can do a job, whilst letting the other players stay relatively fresh.

We just seem to have learnt nothing from the past 3 seasons. The titles in 09 and 11 were there for the taking, but burn out due to lack of strength in the squad cost us both times. At least then the quality of the players we did have had enough to keep us competitive, however now we can't even really say that. Depressing. Still at Least i'm not supporting Liverpool.

[kaosmark2]

You're mistaking what I'm saying as Liverpool going for a well-established name. I think it's more likely that they'd go for a young-ish player at a minor-ish club whose performances are being limited by being at that minor-ish club.

There's plenty to tempt an ambitious player to Liverpool which wouldn't exist for most of the clubs in the Prem.

[eFestivals]

I don't even think there's anything wrong with Arsenal's squad size. The main problem is it includes too many injury-prone players (Diaby) or players out of form (see Rosicky, Arshavin).

Are the players injury prone or is something about Arsenal causing them to get injured? I have no idea which it is, but their "bad luck" with injuries never seems to clear up.

I wasn't meaning "squad size", but the quality & experience of the players they have. While Arsenal have always used youngsters there's too many of them now with too little experience between them - it only takes a glance at the bench in any game to see how short they are of decent cover. It's more than just the injuries.

The likes of Benyoun should have given them that cover, but it's no bloody good if the manager doesn't fancy the player and won't play him.

The kids they're playing are doing very well considering, but when they're having to use so many of them in almost every match it's not going to be enough to get past Chelsea. Wilshire coming back sometime soon will help a little but I'm not sure it'll be enough.

[eFestivals]

True enough. But what young strikers are worth a gamble for the short term? If you're short of goals, you want someone proven, or with high enough prospects or good enough form that you hope they'll carry that on. Carroll last year for instance. I can't see who'd be worth a punt.

If I were a footie manager I'm sure I'd be able to give you a list of players. But I'm not so I can't.

But as an example, Maynard at Bristol City outscored Carroll two seasons ago when Newc were in the Champs, and Maynard is still at City (tho rumoured to go this window). He's got to be worth a punt by some club, tho he's perhaps of too low standard for what Liverpool are looking for.

[strummer77]

If I were a footie manager I'm sure I'd be able to give you a list of players. But I'm not so I can't.

But as an example, Maynard at Bristol City outscored Carroll two seasons ago when Newc were in the Champs, and Maynard is still at City (tho rumoured to go this window). He's got to be worth a punt by some club, tho he's perhaps of too low standard for what Liverpool are looking for.

[the_hedge]

Maynard's a very good player with 6 months left on his contract I think. He's not signing another one either. Could be a little bargain. I saw him play for Bristol City in a friendly against Royal Antwerp (might have been his debut actually). Got a hattrick and looked very good indeed. Surprised if nobody takes a gamble at all on him.

[strummer77]

I would like to see Shane Long at Liverpool. I think he's a great player.

[pink_triangle]

As I've said for a long while, 'Arry's going down.

'Arry for England? The nearest he'll get is giving Her Majesty some pleasure.

[eFestivals]

I never quite trust a jury when theres a celebrity with a rich barrister. Look at how gerrard got off on evidence that would have put any normal person away. I expect both arry and jt to wiggle themselves out of the charges.

That's a very different thing - in that case the jury had Gerrard's claimed motivation in the mix, something they had to accept as a possibility or dismiss completely.

There's nothing like that with 'Arry. Either he's paid tax on the money or he hasn't. There are only solid facts to be considered, nothing that is subjective at all.

'Arry's only get-out is if he can show he'd paid tax on the money he recieved. The tax records of HMRC seem to say that he didn't, so he's stuffed.

[Gothenburg83]

Intentional?

At first I didn't think so, but after looking over it a few times, It looks pretty bad.

[eFestivals]

I do believe he did it intentionally as well

looking at it again, it might have been Modric he was trying to kick, as Modric was shoving him.

Not that that changes anything about it.

[Ed209]

I think its fairly obvious he intentionally stamped. I don't think the Parker's head was the intended target. He probably didn't even know Parker was on the floor. Doesn't really make much difference though, its still a massively c**tish thing to do.

[pink_triangle]

So Balotellis charged but lescott isnt, how does that work? Is it just another case of one rile for england internationals and another for everyone else.

[The Nal]

So Balotellis charged but lescott isnt, how does that work? Is it just another case of one rile for england internationals and another for everyone else.

[The Nal]

'Arry latest. Kept bungs in a Monaco bank account named after his dog.

Also, first brawl of the year in the Gaelic Football yesterday

Edited January 24, 2012 by The Nal