Re: The EPL thread (IV)

[Steve]

I hope you're all starting to fear what damage Hull City are going to inflict on you all next season. So far we have signed Fagan, Geovanni, Mendy, Boatang and Halmosi - be afraid, be very afraid!

If I were them, I'd be afraid of your fans. They're animals.

I wouldn't say we displayed a greater degree of animalesque behaviour compared to your average set of football fans...?

[Steve]

I hope you're all starting to fear what damage Hull City are going to inflict on you all next season. So far we have signed Fagan, Geovanni, Mendy, Boatang and Halmosi - be afraid, be very afraid!

Is Dean Windass strapping the boots on again? I can see some Vinnie Jones style studs-down-the-Achilles coming if he does.

He'll be there for the odd cameo appearence I guess, would be suprised if we got more than that out of him at his age.

[Brass Monkey]

I wouldn't say we displayed a greater degree of animalesque behaviour compared to your average set of football fans...?

Dunno. Had many a row with Hull blokes(on footy forums or real life; wherever). There seems to be an apparent disproportionate amount of them who're pretty racist.

They love a fracas/affray/ruckus too.

[Basil]

I know this isn't an EPL issue, but does anyone else feel that Luton Town have been right royally shafted by the FA and the League. I know that they have the burden of having Nick Owen as a supporter (which is probably enough for a points deduction in itself), but what have the supporters done to deserve this punishment?

[JKLever]

Agree totally - when you think of how clubs like West Ham weren't punished.

Luton may as well not bother playing this season.

[Basil]

Agree totally - when you think of how clubs like West Ham weren't punished.

Luton may as well not bother playing this season.

League clubs should be made to sign up to an undertaking whereby they agree to their accounts being spot-checked by an independent firm of auditors appointed by the league. That might stop the fun and games that LTFC's previous management indulged in, and might also serve as an early warning of clubs that might be getting into difficulties.

[JKLever]

An end to the 'nondisclosed' fee might help too!

[JKLever]

Looks like Arse could struggle this year - lost Gilberto & Hleb and Adebayor rumoured to be on the way.

Have they signed anybody?

Meanwhile Man City are invloved in European competition already FFS

2-0 up at some Faroe side.

[Lara Lara Laughs]

The signed Nasri. Wenger needs to get off his arse and buy a few players, starting with a midfield destroyer and a world class striker.

Jean Makoun from Lyon and Karim Benzema would do nicely. The former would be a bargain and the latter will be worth the money.

[LeFromage]

Looks like Arse could struggle this year - lost Gilberto & Hleb and Adebayor rumoured to be on the way.

Have they signed anybody?

Aaron Ramsey, the "new Steven Gerrard", 17. Would imagine he'll play some games this season, as he was physically man enough to cut it in the hurly burly of the championship last season.

They probably won't want him to be their first choice holding midfielder, though - bit soon for the lad. So they'll either promote from within - Dennilson and Abou Diaby are really highly rated, but injuries have held them back thus far, and Mark Randall is highly rated - or sign a proper, established anchorman. Rumoured to be sniffing around both Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso.

They won't sweat too much over Adebayor. If he goes, they've lined up the better and younger Klass Jan Huntelaar for less money than they'll receive for him - good business. If not him, they're also interested in Martins from Newcastle, who is available at a fairly reasonable price for a 23 year-old striker with pace to burn.

If all else fails, they've finally been able to secure a work permit for their young Mexican striker Carlos Vela who, by all accounts, is a brilliant prospect. Throw a fit Eduardo into a mix which already contains Van Persie, Walcott and Bendtner, and they've got five striking options right there.

Samir Nasri will be a straight swap for Hleb. He'll attack from either of the wings.

Don't think they're in bad shape, personally.

[JKLever]

Sounds like another season of putting a squad together though, rather than competing for trophies...

[LeFromage]

The signed Nasri. Wenger needs to get off his arse and buy a few players, starting with a midfield destroyer and a world class striker.

Jean Makoun from Lyon and Karim Benzema would do nicely. The former would be a bargain and the latter will be worth the money.

No chance of signing Makoun - he only joined Lyon last month.

Benzema would cost too much. Arsenal are still tied into a yearly budget that pays back a large chunk of the loan they took out to pay for their stadium - and will be for years to come.

They can't blow £25+ million on one player.

[Gary 111]

Looks like Arse could struggle this year - lost Gilberto & Hleb and Adebayor rumoured to be on the way.

Have they signed anybody?

Aaron Ramsey, the "new Steven Gerrard", 17. Would imagine he'll play some games this season, as he was physically man enough to cut it in the hurly burly of the championship last season.

They probably won't want him to be their first choice holding midfielder, though - bit soon for the lad. So they'll either promote from within - Dennilson and Abou Diaby are really highly rated, but injuries have held them back thus far, and Mark Randall is highly rated - or sign a proper, established anchorman. Rumoured to be sniffing around both Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso.

They won't sweat too much over Adebayor. If he goes, they've lined up the better and younger Klass Jan Huntelaar for less money than they'll receive for him - good business. If not him, they're also interested in Martins from Newcastle, who is available at a fairly reasonable price for a 23 year-old striker with pace to burn.

If all else fails, they've finally been able to secure a work permit for their young Mexican striker Carlos Vela who, by all accounts, is a brilliant prospect. Throw a fit Eduardo into a mix which already contains Van Persie, Walcott and Bendtner, and they've got five striking options right there.

Samir Nasri will be a straight swap for Hleb. He'll attack from either of the wings.

Don't think they're in bad shape, personally.

Think he's nearer 33 than 23 personally though.

Thought I would check his 'official' age on wikipedia - turns out he's even older than that!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obafemi_Martins

[doremi]

I haven't seen Huntelaar play too much, but he looked classy the little I did see of him. Good signing IMO.

[Chivalry Augustus]

Luton have now been deducted 40 points in eight months or so. I remember when they beat us in the League and the FA Cup, they had a really decent group of players that looked as if it might push on, possibly next season. However, the best way forward to solve their financial problems is, apparently, to sell all these players for 10% of what they're worth, punish the remaining playing staff by effectively relegating them twice, and possibly forcing the club out of business altogether. And Leeds whined all day and night about having 15 points deducted. They were the lucky ones.

[LeFromage]

Sounds like another season of putting a squad together though, rather than competing for trophies...

That's what people said last season, though, and they were so close to pulling off a league and champions league double. A little bit more luck, a few more competent referees, and they might have won something last year.

The loss of Gilberto won't change anything - he's been past it for a while and barely played last season. Players like Flamini are ten a penny. Hleb was useless for the majority of his Arsenal career and demanded a move as soon as he found enough form to get someone else interested. No loss.

[LeFromage]

Looks like Arse could struggle this year - lost Gilberto & Hleb and Adebayor rumoured to be on the way.

Have they signed anybody?

Aaron Ramsey, the "new Steven Gerrard", 17. Would imagine he'll play some games this season, as he was physically man enough to cut it in the hurly burly of the championship last season.

They probably won't want him to be their first choice holding midfielder, though - bit soon for the lad. So they'll either promote from within - Dennilson and Abou Diaby are really highly rated, but injuries have held them back thus far, and Mark Randall is highly rated - or sign a proper, established anchorman. Rumoured to be sniffing around both Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso.

They won't sweat too much over Adebayor. If he goes, they've lined up the better and younger Klass Jan Huntelaar for less money than they'll receive for him - good business. If not him, they're also interested in Martins from Newcastle, who is available at a fairly reasonable price for a 23 year-old striker with pace to burn.

If all else fails, they've finally been able to secure a work permit for their young Mexican striker Carlos Vela who, by all accounts, is a brilliant prospect. Throw a fit Eduardo into a mix which already contains Van Persie, Walcott and Bendtner, and they've got five striking options right there.

Samir Nasri will be a straight swap for Hleb. He'll attack from either of the wings.

Don't think they're in bad shape, personally.

Think he's nearer 33 than 23 personally though.

Thought I would check his 'official' age on wikipedia - turns out he's even older than that!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obafemi_Martins

45! Good old wikipedia - reliable source as usual...

[Ash]

the biggest area of concern for arsenal should be the defence. thats where manure, pool and chelsea trump us - being able to defend a lead.

[beamer]

Sounds like another season of putting a squad together though, rather than competing for trophies...

That's what people said last season, though, and they were so close to pulling off a league and champions league double. A little bit more luck, a few more competent referees, and they might have won something last year.

Or perhaps it was just that everyone wrote them off after Henry left, the young players had a point to prove and just went out and played their football. Then when they found themselves top of the league at Christmas suddenly the pressure and expectation was back on them and they were found wanting - not least their captain Gallas, one of very few senior players at the club and someone who should therefore have been setting an example to the younger players.

This could be a tougher season for them if they don't get off to the flying start they did last time. Of course the top four is decided before a ball has been kicked, given the lack of ambition of anyone else to try and close the gap, but I can see them being a distant fourth if they don't make a few more quality additions.

[spangler]

After losing Hleb and Flamini they've got even less experience than last year, the title is beyond them once again but they'll still play the most attractive football and Nasri's signing is a masterstroke...typical Wenger player.

If Liverpool get Keane it might well be the buy of the season.

[LeFromage]

... but I can see them being a distant fourth if they don't make a few more quality additions.

Don't see how any of the crap Liverpool have snapped up this summer will close the gap on Arsenal in the slightest.

I think they'll do well - probably a repeat of last season: part of the championship race right up until late-March and then just fall short.

Might win a cup, though.

[Gary 111]

After losing Hleb and Flamini they've got even less experience than last year, the title is beyond them once again but they'll still play the most attractive football and Nasri's signing is a masterstroke...typical Wenger player.

If Liverpool get Keane it might well be the buy of the season.

Not when Benitez refuses to play him, when he realises Keane can't track back and play a full part in the 8-1-1 formation.

[Gary 111]

Kaka to Chelsea for £80m!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jul/19/premierleague.serieafootball

Kaka and Deco - not to mention Ballack, how many attacking midfielders do they want?!

[Geoffrey Trueman]

Kaka to Chelsea for £80m!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jul/19/premierleague.serieafootball

Kaka and Deco - not to mention Ballack, how many attacking midfielders do they want?!

Enough to compensate for Fwanks goals after he's buggered off to Milan.

I notice Simon Jordan didn't hold back during his NotW interview...

'The reality is that football is a bull**** world - an insidious, insipid, egotistical and self-motivated game. And the problem is that nobody is going to change that.'

'Frank Lampard is not worth £150K a week. I can tell you a few surgeons who are - but no sportsmen.'

'Sepp Blatter is a bloody fool.'

'Agents are nasty scum. They're evil and divisive and pointless. They only survive because the rest of the sport is so corrupt and because leading football club people employ their sons in the job.'

'The Ronaldo thing is about the fact he wants to go to Spain. I'm sorry little boy, you signed a five year contract and you're going to do as you're told.'

'Wayne Rooneys wife, Coleen, who is just a plain little girl from Liverpool - set up as role models, I think to myself, 'What the hell is going on?'

Maybe he's not such a bad bloke after all?

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