[Football] Beckham to go to London?

[european son]

been talk about for a while really, but its intensifies since the Becky Loose and Champions League/Cup disasters.

Chelsea, armed with the cash to complete a deal, are hot favourites to make Beckham their showpiece summer signing, although Arsenal have also been mentioned as potential buyers.

more here

thing is, if there's one thing that Arsenal don't have, its 40 million quid.

so, Beckham at Chelsea from next season then?

[Partridge's Love Child]

I presume that if this happens, Utd get a huge wad of cash too, seen as there's a clause in his contract that says he can't go to another English club.

I personally think he'll stay at Real Madrid.

[fanny splendid]

It's just been on the news. He's expected to stay for another year, but hasn't ruled out returning to any of the top three English clubs, although returning to Utd would only happen if Fergie wasn't there.

[european son]

It's just been on the news. He's expected to stay for another year, but hasn't ruled out returning to any of the top three English clubs, although returning to Utd would only happen if Fergie wasn't there.

another trophyless season and he might be....

UP THE MILLWALL!!!!!

[fanny splendid]

Hah, you wish!

[Partridge's Love Child]

returning to Utd would only happen if Fergie wasn't there.

Heh, you've had my brief thoughts on such a thing on a PM if my addled memory serves.  He called me a "bold bugger", pop kids.

another trophyless season and he might be....

UP THE MILLWALL!!!!!

Don't.  I'm genuinely worried about May 22.  I can feel one of those 1995 type finals coming on...

[fanny splendid]

Remember PLC, we've already won this season, by beating the unbeatable team...

[Partridge's Love Child]

Twice.  If you count the Charity Shield (Community Shield, my pants).

Oh, I've dropped my straws.

[fanny splendid]

Twice.  If you count the Charity Shield (Community Shield, my pants).

Oh, I've dropped my straws.

Y'see, that's where are season went wrong. We never win that.

[european son]

Remember PLC, we've already won this season, by beating the unbeatable team...

heh. Spurs were overjoyed to get a point at home from us, and after a decade of bitterness from me it's lovely to see Manchester United's season being salvaged by managing to just scrape past us in the Charity Shield and an FA Cup they value so poorly they chose not to defend it the last time they won.

(watching that Giggs semi-final goal from '99 i get the weirdest sensation now.... it's like looking at a gorgeous painting or sculpture, one which had vast historical ramifications, your head wanting to appreciate its intense beauty and sense of occasion, but your heart wanting to smash the telly to fuck)

[Bilko]

heh. Spurs were overjoyed to get a point at home from us, and after a decade of bitterness from me it's lovely to see Manchester United's season being salvaged by managing to just scrape past us in the Charity Shield and an FA Cup they value so poorly they chose not to defend it the last time they won.

Yeah exactly what Arsenal did last year, its better to win something (although we havent won the FA cup, yet) than nowt, eh Liverpool.

[Partridge's Love Child]

It's great the way we all can pretend not to give a shit about certain competitions, like ooh, off the top of my head, The League Cup, but yet it's gutting when you lose in the final.  Especially after the persuit of a screen to watch it on has caused you to fall out with your bird.  The friends we were supposed to be spending that weekend with haven't spoken to us since.

[chand]

it's lovely to see Manchester United's season being salvaged by managing to just scrape past us in the Charity Shield and an FA Cup they value so poorly they chose not to defend it the last time they won.

Yes, but, I think you'll find most fans disagreed with the decision not to the play in the FA Cup, I know I did. It was a bad decision and it backfired. Obviously the FA Cup is the third choice trophy, but it's a trophy and no season is a failure if it ends with a trophy.

Unless it's the League Cup, whatever they're calling it these days.

[european son]

Obviously the FA Cup is the third choice trophy, but it's a trophy and no season is a failure if it ends with a trophy.

i agree... i remember that despite our collapse last year and the slightly anti-climatic air about the final, i was still chuffed we won something.

the FA Cup does matter...


which is why Dennis Wise will be super happy come May.

[fanny splendid]

which is why Dennis Wise will be super happy come May.

Yes, I heard he was quite a shrewd business man, and Man Utd shares will probably go up after the cup win.

[bill hicks]

It's deeply sad that the FA Cup has been demeaned, mainly the dirty Manc Scum's fault but others too.

Third choice trophy?? I watched the 1961 Cup final the other day to ease my woes and the attitude was so different. Leicester were so desperate to win it their right back Chalmers played on even after he was clattered by a Dave Mackey classic. He ended up playing for 60 minutes with a suspected broken leg for christs sake, purely because the FA cup was so important.

And the Tottenham players were clearly not treating it as a walkthrough, and not all down to the possible double they were on. They knew how important a trophy it was and they fought hard to win it.

The lower league teams still treat it with the respect it deserves, and a few other top flight clubs do too (I'm glad Spurs are one of them) but it should be the most important match of the season.

And it's gratifying to know that Arsenal (the greatest team ever etc...) are gaining success by using old school Spurs 'Push and Run'. Watching the '61 game (Spurs 2 Leicester 0) the styles are so similar it's laughable. Veira? Blanchflower running the midfield pocket with twice the skill. Henry? Cliff Jones breaking four or five tackles every single run, absolutely unstoppable. That first Arsenal goal at the Lane the other day was virtually identical to just about everything Spurs did that year.

And then we bought Jimmy Greaves and got even fucking better. That was a great, great side.

[phes]

I hope Beckham does goto Chelsea. Man U fans must be salivating at the thought of seeing that Veron-Becks linkup again. TeeHee!

[european son]

The lower league teams still treat it with the respect it deserves, and a few other top flight clubs do too (I'm glad Spurs are one of them)

Spurs don't have a choice. they can hardly "concentrate on the league" can they?

oh, and if Arsenal's record in the past four years was that of a side not treating the tournament with any respect, i'd dread to think what would happen if they started caring.

i think all tournaments are worth winning. i was dissapointed with our lineup in the League Cup semi-finals.

[Mediocre Rich]

Winning the facup this year or not is not really the point is it?

The beauty of beating Arsenal in that competition was the fact we were stopping the "Best Team Since Cruyffs Ajax" from doing the treble.  Thus leaving the Man U team of 1999-2000 as the definative Greatest English side of all time.

The fact that Chelski then went on to dump them out of the Champions League in their own backyard has only served to further retreive what was fast becoming the worst season in a decade.

As long as Monaco finish of the job and we win the cup I think that relatively we can call it a success.

Now all we need to do is stop Arsene picking up the worlds best young players for fuck all, and hope Roman gets locked up for shady buisness dealings and the hegemony can be restored.

Up the reds.

[hoverdonkey]

I suggest you keep crowing about the Gooners european. Enjoy your time in the sun. Just remember that no matter how good you are now, you STILL haven't got as far as Spurs in the European Cup.

Sigh.... our time will come again. Spurs are the only club in the top 20 'rich-list' to have never played Champions league football - which suggests that if and when they do get it right on the pitch, I think the term is 'financial powerhouse'.

[phes]

The lower league teams still treat it with the respect it deserves, and a few other top flight clubs do too (I'm glad Spurs are one of them) but it should be the most important match of the season.

Nowadays i can understand this not being the case with newly promoted premiership teams. These matches can be pretty lively, and with the small squads that these teams so often have then losing one or two players to injury can be the difference between survival and relegation.
However, now that we appear to be safe! Matthew Taylors superb strike at Anfield, and an unexpected but superb goal from Richard Hughes at Fratton Park that put Liverpool out of the FA cup have to be my highlights of the season.

[chand]

The beauty of beating Arsenal in that competition was the fact we were stopping the "Best Team Since Cruyffs Ajax" from doing the treble.  Thus leaving the Man U team of 1999-2000 as the definative Greatest English side of all time.

I only wish Ruud had stuck away that penalty at Old Trafford, as he did with virually every other penalty ever, and we would never have had any of this 'invincible' bollocks.

[european son]

I only wish Ruud had stuck away that penalty at Old Trafford, as he did with virually every other penalty ever, and we would never have had any of this 'invincible' bollocks.

oh, the invincible bollocks was a creation of the media and the hope of stupid fans.

now, if only Bergy had stuck his penalty away (in a game we were bossing), then United's "historic" Treble would've never come to pass.

CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

[fanny splendid]

Thus leaving the Man U team of 1999-2000 as the definative Greatest English side of all time.

I thought Utd were quite disappointing, that season.

[european son]

Thus leaving the Man U team of 1999-2000 as the definative Greatest English side of all time.

I thought Utd were quite disappointing, that season.

indeed, i thought United stumbled their way to a lucky Treble (did anyone apart from me watch the Inter game?)  in 1998-1999. in fact i'm sure of it, because i remember that you weren't Champions the year before.... (we were).

i'm not worried about all the old great teams in England.... there are many brilliant teams of the past.... but their time is over.

forget about your Old Corinthians and Preston North Ends.... your Manchester United and your Wanderers, and look to the future.

(did you see what i did there?)

[fanny splendid]

indeed, i thought United stumbled their way to a lucky Treble (did anyone apart from me watch the Inter game?)

First of all, he mentions the wrong season, but anyway, I think all the people who saw that game, missed the Juventus game?  

in fact i'm sure of it, because i remember that you weren't Champions the year before.... (we were).

Of course, the irony there being, that during the season you won, Fergie campaigned to stop the second place teams being allowed into the champions league, and if he had been successful, we would never have even entered the next season, let alone won it.

As far as your other comment, then this season being the pinnacle of Arsenal's performance, will be your last at the top?

[european son]

heh... apologies.... i'm being a bit of a tosser. it's the red wine talking i think.

United are a great side.... the difference between us and them has been massively exaggerated by the press, as it makes good copy. United (and Arsenal and Chelsea), will probably be battling for the league between themselves for a few years to come.

i was piqued by how convincingly Arsenal won it this year, especially considering the predictions flying about pre-season. if i recall correctly the Indy had us placed as fifth... behind United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle. meh.

[chand]

Well, even at our best I never felt we were invincible. There were moments in every game where it could go wrong, same with Arsenal, but that's the excitement of football, innit. In the 99 European Cup final, Bayern had a bunch of chances to kill the game off for 2-0 which they wasted. Same with the Inter game. It's these single moments that change the course of a season. If we'd held on against Porto a minute longer, I have no doubt we'd have put Lyon away and be warming up for another semi-final right now.

I hope next season is tighter. In January it was shaping up to be a really fascinating race for us, until Rio went and we started shooting ourselves in the foot. I think the worst thing this season is 3 defeats at Old Trafford.

[Bilko]

indeed, i thought United stumbled their way to a lucky Treble (did anyone apart from me watch the Inter game?)

I it was very nice to be playing Inter in the quaters, then Juventus in the semi (Arsenal never having got to a European cup/Champions league semi final), and then play and win the final (something arsenal have never done).

It was lucky yes, it was lucky that Beckham kicked the ball from the corner, it was lucky that sheringham jumped up heading the ball towards the bayern goal, it was 'lucky' that solskjaer stuck his leg out to direct the ball into the bayern goal.  Not one of these acts were intential, none of them were decisions, they were all 'lucky'

Did you see what I did there, irony.

[european son]

heh, relax....

incidentally i think the best ever English side (of modern times) is 80s Liverpool, but that's neither here nor there.

the "luck" of course, that i was referring to was some shocking refereeing decisions en-route to the final, that and the team being totally outclassed in the final and having two messy goals so late in the game.

(yes, i know a match is 90 minutes, not 85, etc. or with United and Sir Alex's stopwatch, anything up to 95, but to deny that a bit of fortune paid its part, as it does in every sport, is silly)


and United never stopped us winning the Treble really. we were never going to win in Europe this year because we simply weren't good enough. i'm happy to accept this. it's not a pissing contest eh.

Arsenal are not "one of the great sides".... they have to win the European Cup to even be considered. to be considered truly great they have to dominate the tournament like some European teams have done.

but to bring up past seasons is churlish and silly. that was my point concerning the original post. the post was all about a match in 1999. the past.


to be honest, i'm not not enough into football to warrent this heavy posting on the subject. for better or worse, pop and girls and booze took its place sometime after my 12th birthday. but i still enjoy keeping my hand in.