The Football Thread 2011/12

[Chocolate Jim]

French side Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a huge 150m euros bid for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Full story: Sport (in Spanish) 

[Mafro]

USA vs Brazil friendly is starting soon on ESPN.

[Shadow]

The rodgers dchoice is an interesting one. He'll want time to mould his team. Will the Liverpool fans give him that time?
Should be interesting.

If he plays good football we'll give him time. Hodgson's problem was that both the results and the quality of football were the worst the club had seen in decades, we didn't just turn on him because he was unfashionable.

Rodgers will play good football so he'll have the fans backing, it'll be the owners he has to worry about if we finish outside the top four.

The fight for the top four should be really good this year, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool could all finish anywhere between 3rd and 6th imo, should be fascinating.

I don't include Newcastle as I expect their squad to be ransacked over the summer.

[Zellery]

>Finish joint 9th
>Decide 3rd is a possibility next season

[Codename 47]

French side Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a huge 150m euros bid for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Full story: Sport (in Spanish) 

Wow if true Would United fans be tempted to hope that United would accept such an offer for Rooney if they actually did bid that much? More likely is I think they'll get Pato. Looks like Madrid told them that Higuain wasn't for sale.

Cheers for the heads up Maf. Should be a pretty good game.

[Chocolate Jim]

Fergie would sell for that

Edit ... The team would be worse off but I don't like the guy so no tissues for me

[SandyCoin]

I wouldn't because I know with the Glazers we wouldn't get that money to use on new players.

[Shadow]

>Finish joint 9th
>Decide 3rd is a possibility next season

I don't think Arsenal sans-RVP are that much better than us. Chelsea have no manager. Spurs will lose players. As things stand I don't think its that outlandish, none of those teams are guaranteed top 4, similarly it wouldn't be much of a shock to see any of those teams finish 6th.

[bear]

If there's any truth in that story about PSG wanting Rooney then the big problem for United is that presumably PSG would be willing to offer Rooney a significant pay rise to join them. Will United be willing to give him another bumper contract so quickly?

[PES Fan]

Hopefully we'll have the Kagawa deal wrapped up in the next few days and then Fergie will turn his Sauron-gaze upon some other targets. I don't know why United haven't been as heavily linked to M'Vila as Arsenal have, Fergie should be all over him, he is the exact type of player we need to get our defence the protection it needs. Young, powerful, technically capable, he'd be an awesome acquisition [img]http://i.imgur.com/DaMwc.gif[/img]

Then get Llorente, Munain and Baines and we'll be set

Sir Alex has reacted to the suggestion that he should be looking to invest in a holding midfielder during the close season.

The Manchester United boss has explained that he has never used a player to fill that specific role and cited Barcelona’s former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas as evidence that the most effective performers in the middle of the park need not be destroyers.

“If you look at the examples, Fabregas was one of the best midfield players in England for five years but he wasn’t a big lad and wasn’t a holding player,” said Sir Alex. “He was an attacking player. Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta are small players – you can’t call them holding players.

"I don’t think we’ve had a holding player since I’ve been here. We’ve never had a holding player.

“We tried to get Roy Keane to do that but he just couldn’t do it. He had to play a way that was his own way of playing, so I’ve not had it for 25 years. Why should I think about it now?”

Carrick has played more as a holding midfielder rather than box to box. Hargreaves was a holding midfielder rather than box to box. Most of the best teams have a holding midfielder.

But for some reason, Fergie feels we don't need one. I do think we need that extra protection sometimes in Europe. You can't play with two or three box to box midfielders in Europe.

[PES Fan]

French side Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a huge 150m euros bid for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Full story: Sport (in Spanish) 

Wow if true Would United fans be tempted to hope that United would accept such an offer for Rooney if they actually did bid that much? More likely is I think they'll get Pato. Looks like Madrid told them that Higuain wasn't for sale.

Cheers for the heads up Maf. Should be a pretty good game.

Posted that earlier.

But I said, I would usually sell. But under the Glazers, hopefully no. Because we all know where that money is going, and it certainly isn't in the team. It will be in the Glazers account with the Ronaldo money.

[Parksey]

Not quite the pep most Liverpool fans wanted but I'd have had him at villa. We'll see how he does with liverpools title challenge next year

Let's not even joke about it; Liverpool will NOT be challenging for the title next year. No strawberry floating way. You can sig this.

They'll be joint-top on the first day of the season.

FORFEIT!

[tomvek]

I think Brendan is a great choice by the board, would have rather seen him go to Villa or stay at Swansea though.

[Harry Ola]

Hopefully we'll have the Kagawa deal wrapped up in the next few days and then Fergie will turn his Sauron-gaze upon some other targets. I don't know why United haven't been as heavily linked to M'Vila as Arsenal have, Fergie should be all over him, he is the exact type of player we need to get our defence the protection it needs. Young, powerful, technically capable, he'd be an awesome acquisition

Then get Llorente, Munain and Baines and we'll be set

I'll be amazed if we actually sign anyone other than Kawaga (possibly Powell). We certainly won't be signing Baines, he'll be 28 in December and Fergie has only spent money on one 27 year old in 15 years and that did not work out so well.

I am not sure we can afford to dine at the top table anymore for players, so there will be no marquee signing like Llorente. Up front I reckon he will live with what he has got, possibly sign Powell from Crewe and unless he moves someone else on, like Ando, it's going to be a quiet summer.

[Photek]

I think Brendan is a great choice by the board, would have rather seen him go to Villa or stay at Swansea though.

IDGI

[Tomous]

Has Lambert quit Norwich?

[TigaSefi]

I think Brendan is a great choice by the board, would have rather seen him go to Villa or stay at Swansea though.

IDGI

He's too good for Liverpool @ tomvek

[Mafro]

Hopefully we'll have the Kagawa deal wrapped up in the next few days and then Fergie will turn his Sauron-gaze upon some other targets. I don't know why United haven't been as heavily linked to M'Vila as Arsenal have, Fergie should be all over him, he is the exact type of player we need to get our defence the protection it needs. Young, powerful, technically capable, he'd be an awesome acquisition

Then get Llorente, Munain and Baines and we'll be set

I'll be amazed if we actually sign anyone other than Kawaga (possibly Powell). We certainly won't be signing Baines, he'll be 28 in December and Fergie has only spent money on one 27 year old in 15 years and that did not work out so well.

I am not sure we can afford to dine at the top table anymore for players, so there will be no marquee signing like Llorente. Up front I reckon he will live with what he has got, possibly sign Powell from Crewe and unless he moves someone else on, like Ando, it's going to be a quiet summer.

This. And I dunno what Fletcher's fitness is like, but if he's good to go from the start of the season I can see Fergie giving it the "he's like a new signing" speech

[Codename 47]

Skysports News breaking news bar thingy claims that Liverpool are 'stalling' over compo for Rodgers but then i heard a soundbite from Jim White saying how he'd pretty much got the job so i'm guessing the compo issue is something that'll be sorted easily. Apparently the other two names on the short list were Martinez and De Boer.

As for Man Utd, I can see what Fergie's saying but it'd benefit their midfield if they get themselves a 'box to box' midfielder. Someone that CAN get forward when possible but at the same time is disciplined enough to stay back when necessary rather than maybe getting someone that can 'just' sit in front of the defence and not do much more (sorta like Makelele, Emerson, etc were like in a way). I do agree though, especially in Europe you do need that sort of player

[Wedgie]

>Finish joint 9th
>Decide 3rd is a possibility next season

I don't think Arsenal sans-RVP are that much better than us. Chelsea have no manager. Spurs will lose players. As things stand I don't think its that outlandish, none of those teams are guaranteed top 4, similarly it wouldn't be much of a shock to see any of those teams finish 6th.

Wat. Arsenal finished ahead of Liverpool many more times in the past decade so that's a ridiculous statement I have ever seen in my life. Like something HSH would say. Arsenal have the better set of players than Liverpool, too.

And Liverpool will not finish in the top four next season. Liverpool would be better off if they lower their expectations, and start building again. The "top four or you'll be sacked" will be the downfall of Liverpool if they adopt that policy.