Football 2011-2012

[The Nal]

Cisses goal, wow. Best I've seen this season. Never really seen a goal like it.

Also, Madrid won the league last night. Mourinho - unbelievable.

Edited May 3, 2012 by The Nal

[thetime]

Cisses goal, wow. Best I've seen this season. Never really seen a goal like it.

Edited May 3, 2012 by thetime

[strummer77]

One thinks your counting liverpool in that 7!

Edited May 3, 2012 by strummer77

[The Nal]

I'd have Cisse's as goal of the season yeah. Wide left, outside of the right boot on the half volley, far top corner. Never really seen a goal like it.

Crouch a close 2nd.

[pink_triangle]

I think it's going to be a bit interesting transfer wise over the next few years. With only the two Manc clubs guaranteed CL football (and possibly in the near future just City) the CL places could conceivably be shared out amongst up to 7 clubs in the next few years. Not sure top players will necessarily be able to guarantee themselves CL with a move like they could a few years ago...

[pink_triangle]

I am indeed because I said 'next few years'. In three years it's a reasonable assumption we could challenge for fourth.

[The Nal]

Liverpool have just announced a loss of £50m for the year. A lot of it exceptional, Hogdson, new stadium plans, backroo staff etc.

Not sure if they'll give Daglish any more money in the summer though?

[strummer77]

I just cant see liverpool, spurs or arsenal throwing money at the squad. i think a big deciding factor could be where Hazard ends up as he will be a huge player.

[strummer77]

Liverpool have just announced a loss of £50m for the year. A lot of it exceptional, Hogdson, new stadium plans, backroo staff etc.

[Benj]

I agree with that, the top of the premiership is mainly down to finance and liverpools oweners have the financial power to make it happen, whether they use it is another thing.

[eFestivals]

Liverpool have just announced a loss of £50m for the year. A lot of it exceptional, Hogdson, new stadium plans, backroo staff etc.

Not sure if they'll give Daglish any more money in the summer though?

They got to, I'd have thought ... unless they're going to have a sell-off this summer instead, and downgrade the club.

Those are the only two scenarios that make any sense to me from a business point of view, so I reckon they'll be something like £30M made available to spend net from the squad (tho some of that spending money might come from non-squad sales - eg: J.Cole & Aquilani). I've plucked that £30M from the air, but I'm meaning enough to make two significant purchases.

As a new owner, and someone with the money, I reckon Henry won't be disillusioned with the business possibilities as yet. If he doesn't keep investing or doesn't do a sell-off and down-grade then he'd be throwing away what he's invested so far. I'm guessing he's been convinced that any mis-investment was Commoli's doing, so he'll go with trying to correct things now.

[strummer77]

FSG are business men (like the Spurs and Arse ones), they're in it to make money, they will not throw money at anything unless they're likely to see a return. I see them being more sensible and trying to build slowly, ensuring they're financially sound, rather than spunking another 100 million on transfers in the hope it may scrape them into the now very competitive 4th spot.

Liverpool would be daft to budget expecting CL Football, they need to grow commercial activity elsewhere to improve the squad (as they have with the kit deal, Standard Chartered deal etc), I really can't see transfer activity like they carried out in the Summer or previous winter.

[Benj]

Oh I agree. I think it will be limited 20-30m spending, which is within our means, in an attempt to create a long term working model. They will certainly expect better negotiations than in previous windows. Although I'd hope that we would spend more than in the previous winter... We didn't spend anything even if we did waste our profit...

[thetime]

Oh I agree. I think it will be limited 20-30m spending, which is within our means, in an attempt to create a long term working model. They will certainly expect better negotiations than in previous windows. Although I'd hope that we would spend more than in the previous winter... We didn't spend anything even if we did waste our profit...

[pink_triangle]

Those are the only two scenarios that make any sense to me from a business point of view, so I reckon they'll be something like £30M made available to spend net from the squad (tho some of that spending money might come from non-squad sales - eg: J.Cole & Aquilani). I've plucked that £30M from the air, but I'm meaning enough to make two significant purchases.

[eFestivals]

Reckon it will 2-3 cheaper foreign signings, hoping to get the next Cabeye, Tiote, Cisse, as opposed to Aqualani, Cheyrou and Gonzales. I don't think the cash will be available for any 15 million+ signings, they need to pick out some pearls as opposed to spunk loads on established stars

Not entirely sure about that, even tho it makes a lot of sense from lots of angles.

I'd have thought that Liverpool's stats from this season suggest that a striker is what they need more than anything else, and they might well be prepared to spend big to get one (or the right one). They'd only need to be getting the average conversion rate from chances made for their league position to be massively better I'd have thought - because while their league position is poor they've been making a hugely greater number of very good chances than the teams around them. The right striker would make a huge difference for them if everything else were to remain equal.

[eFestivals]

I think Cole and Aquillani could be very hard to shift assuming their contracts are not up. I heard Lille would be struggling to maintain the current amount they pay on coles wages but then again maybe selling hazard will give them some extra funds.

yeah, I've read that the chances of selling them look slim. My point wasn't that they'll definitely be sold, it was that if they're sold I don't think Kenny will be given the money from their sales as extra money to spend (beyond what he might get anyway), in the way that normally happens. If they're sold it'll be money for the club rather than more money to buy other players.

[strummer77]

Reckon it will 2-3 cheaper foreign signings, hoping to get the next Cabeye, Tiote, Cisse, as opposed to Aqualani, Cheyrou and Gonzales. I don't think the cash will be available for any 15 million+ signings, they need to pick out some pearls as opposed to spunk loads on established stars

Edited May 3, 2012 by strummer77

[pink_triangle]

Might get Aquilani back at this rate. Wouldn't mind that personally, he's better than Adam.

Thing is you can get some decent foreign signings for cheap. £30m on foreign players is a lot more than £30m on British.

We may go for one big marquee if everything suits, but I don't think we'll go looking for one and wouldn't at all expect one.

[The Nal]

Might get Aquilani back at this rate. Wouldn't mind that personally, he's better than Adam.

[strummer77]

On Serie A, Buffon made a big miskake last night and Juve dropped 2 points. Theyre still ahead by 1 and AC have the derby on Sunday night.

[The Nal]

It's nice seeing Serie A back being competitive. Loved watching it on C4 as a kid.

[thetime]

Lock myself into a room for a week and do that. More of a winter thing really.

[eFestivals]

It's nice seeing Serie A back being competitive. Loved watching it on C4 as a kid.

What you mean is that you love seeing Serie A back to its old corrupt self.

Another corruption scandal is just blowing up over there.

[The Nal]

What you mean is that you love seeing Serie A back to its old corrupt self.

Another corruption scandal is just blowing up over there.