Football - 2008/09 Season

[buttgammon]

Is he really worth just under £15 million anymore?

I think whoever signed Ronaldinho would end up coming to see it as a waste of money, so maybe city did have something of a lucky escape. They were offering roughly the GDP of a small-ish country for him by the sounds of it!

[rudi]

He was always going to Milan. He said he preferred Italy and, with Milan blowing their budget, Barca now have a clear run at Adebayour.

And yeah, £15m seems about right. He got lazy at Barca under Riikyard; he just needs a wee bit of a kick up the arse (figuratively).

[chand]

Is he really worth just under £15 million anymore?

I'd say so, yeah. It's a challenge, but if you could get him up to even 80% of his former glory it would have been worth the risk. Bear in mind this is still a player who a couple of years ago would have cost easily four times that amount. If you can get him feet and keep him out of the nightclubs for a bit then he's still got a lot. He still got 8 goals in 17 league appearances last season despite being fat, shit and shagged out. I'd agree with geraint he's not what Milan need, and as a United fan I wouldn't taken him now whereas I would have bitten Barca's hands off for him two years ago, (partly because of our own squad strength though), but if you can afford £15m it's not a terrible price in the current climate for a two-time World Player Of The Year who's still only 28.

[thehungerartist]

Word has it that we (Liverpool) are very close to signing Robbie Keane for something in the region of £18m-£20m.  If him and Torres click and the defence - bolstered by Agger's return - stays tight, then I think it might time to wheel out the old 'this is our year' cliche for real.  I'm totally serial.

Re: Ronaldinho, if he shifts this:



and gets back to anywhere near the form he was in a couple of seasons back then he'll do well for AC.

[Vitalstatistix]

Well that's a shame. I would have loved to see Ronny in the Premierleague, especially if it had been for Man City. I mean, that's fucking hilarious. I think he would've done alright actually, as there's no way Sparky would have let him sit on his arse. Well, it's moot now. Bargain for Milan though I reckon.

Hleb off to Barca?

Keegan in for Pablo Aimar?

[drberbatov]

Word has it that we (Liverpool) are very close to signing Robbie Keane for something in the region of £18m-£20m.  If him and Torres click and the defence - bolstered by Agger's return - stays tight, then I think it might time to wheel out the old 'this is our year' cliche for real.  I'm totally serial.

Can Liverpool afford Keane?
Would he be assured First Team Football considering Rafa likes to play only one frontline striker?
What about Gareth Barry, is the deal now dead?

I can see why he would join Liverpool but I'm not convinced that this deal would even be considered considering Berbatov seems the most likely striker to leave this summer.

[thehungerartist]

Can Liverpool afford Keane?

Apparently so.  Pompey paid upfront for the bulk of Crouch's £11m and Alonso is still probably going to be sold.

Would he be assured First Team Football considering Rafa likes to play only one frontline striker?

Spending that much on him, I can't see Rafa resting/rotating/dropping Keane all too often, especially in the Prem.  I think it means we won't have to stick to a rigid 'one up front' formation for every game.

What about Gareth Barry, is the deal now dead?

I fucking hope so, but fear it's just asleep for the time being.

I can see why he would join Liverpool but I'm not convinced that this deal would even be considered considering Berbatov seems the most likely striker to leave this summer.

£20m is a very good deal for Spurs though, isn't it?  Seems United are the only ones willing to stump up what you want for Berbatov and if they don't he might not be going anywhere.

[Vitalstatistix]

I fucking hope so, but fear it's just asleep for the time being.

How comes?

I think Barry could be the bees knees at Liverpool. Stevie loves him.

[chand]

£20m is a very good deal for Spurs though, isn't it?  Seems United are the only ones willing to stump up what you want for Berbatov and if they don't he might not be going anywhere.

If they were only gonna sell one it would most likely be Berbatov; Ramos has apparently sanctioned it, he's worth more, and he's keener to go it seems. I'd be surprised if they sold both given they've already sold Defoe, and the rumours I've heard from Spurs are that Berbatov is almost certainly going, with the fee the main stumbling block. I'm expecting that to be resolved with some kind of structured deal with clauses for the last few million, which seems to be the way United are working at the minute. I have no idea though, a few days back it sounded like the Berbatov deal was going ahead and now it seems to have cooled off somewhat.

I really hope we get Berbatov, I've definitely come around to thinking he's exactly what we need up front, a kind of cross between Cantona and Sheringham.

[drberbatov]

With Transfer reporting going into overdrive I'm quite interested why journalists do not research where players actually are during the summer. For instance the reporting of Tottenham's training camp in Spain allows you to deduce the following.....

Anthony Gardner has been in talks with Stoke, Younes Kaboul has openly admitted he wants to join the Spurs old-boys at Portsmouth, and Paul Robinson and Paul Stalteri are also looking for new clubs. All of these players did not travel with the First Team squad to the training camp in Spain. Boateng and Rocha featured yesterday against a St. Albans XI, though being away from the First Team training squad suggests they are also likely to leave the club.

Lineup's for the first training game of the season were

First half: Alnwick, Gunter, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Chimbonda, Lennon, Jenas, Taarabt, Bostock, Keane, Bent.

Second half: Jansson, Hutton, Townsend, Tainio, Archibald-Henville, Malbranque, O'Hara, Huddlestone, dos Santos, Berbatov, Pekhart.

Heurelho Gomes, Ledley King, Gareth Bale and Jonathan Woodgate were the only players on the 26-man tour not to feature, although the quartet have joined in all the training exercises thus far. Luka Modric, who has completed his holiday following the European Championships, and arrived at Spurs Lodge on Tuesday, will jet out to join his new team-mates on Monday and could play a part in another friendly against Hercules on July 24.

Zokora and Lee were also absent having featured in International Games.

During this time there have been reported Robbie Keane sightings in Glasgow and Liverpool, Berbatov was alledgedly pictured smoking, looking moody and agitated in London. I know these players could use Private Jets to come back and forth from Spain to the UK but it seems highly unlikely with both players training and playing in Spain. Both of these players may well leave the club this summer but the standard of reporting has been shocking in all forms of the sporting media, the speculation is getting tiresome.

[chand]

Berbatov was alledgedly pictured smoking looking moody and agitated

...and 'fucking cool', I might add.

[buttgammon]

We've gotta sign him now, bloody hell!

I'd smoke if I could look like that while doing it. So it's probably a good job I look like a bulldog when I've got a cigarette in my mouth then because as a result, I don't smoke.

[thehungerartist]

With Transfer reporting going into overdrive I'm quite interested why journalists do not research where players actually are during the summer.

Because - and this isn't any great revelation - journalists are a lazy breed.

Wild speculation might not shift many papers anymore but it certainly gets website hits as it's easier for fans to check online sources.

How comes?

I think Barry could be the bees knees at Liverpool. Stevie loves him.

Would rather keep Alonso.  I've always rated Barry: he's more versatile and better from dead ball situations but Alonso has great vision and immense passing range.  Say Gerrard gets injured who would be the driving force?  I just don't see Barry in that role whereas Alonso has done it brilliantly (Everton when Gerrard got sent off and Juventus away spring to mind).  But Rafa seems to have chosen Barry over Xabi.

When he's in the mood Berbatov is incredible - the most naturally gifted forward in the league and I reckon Fergie can get more out of him *but* no matter who he gets in United will have a hard job replacing Carlos Quieroz.  Huge loss, that.

[chand]

no matter who he gets in United will have a hard job replacing Carlos Quieroz.  Huge loss, that.

Possibly, I suppose it remains to be seen though. There's no doubt he made a big difference to the way we play, it's a question of whether that's a change he's made that will stick after he's gone, or whether it was a result of his day-to-day work. I mean, he's supposed to be largely responsible for the system we play with now, and that's likely to remain now he's gone, so it may not be that dramatic. For that reason it could be something that we only really see the effects of maybe a year or two down the line.

[The Boston Crab]

Hey, gang! How about a veto on Spurs/United/Liverpool talk until the season has begun? I'll give you a quid to get half a pound of sherbet lemons between you which you could drag out til August 15th.

[fanny splendid]

Who else is there to talk about? Half-a-pound of Toffees?

[rudi]

will jet out

Did you really write that or was the para cut n pasted?

[The Boston Crab]

Hiya fellas and Spursises football fans! If you want to come up with your Spurtenhams 2008 Potential First Elevens, get a few pieces of scrap paper and a felt tip, draw them up all nice and pretty and store them up under your little bed. Come the end of the season, burn them all and enjoy knowing you've destroyed the evidence. When the players come back from their holidays in Spain and Spurs start saying they want this one and that one and, oh, we'd like him too, if you please, sir, and you can get all excited again that next year will be the one for the Mighty Whites! Come on, Spursies, you can do it, fellas! Do it for old Bobby Brebham and Frankie Blancham and Brebby Bartle and Pongo Watlingdon, remember when he died in a dodgem crash and granddad said he'd never seen a player could use that football like old Pongo, like glue on his feet it was but he'd kick like a bloomin rocket! Well never say die, good lads and good boys, just like how you supported them by filling up your Division 1 sticker album with Top Totteningham Totty on every team's page! That's how it should be, champs, Totters all the way! We're Tott to Trot on Cup Final Day! Huzzah! Just like the good old days of the boys in white Totting up goal and goal after goalden goal and on their way to Wembley every week and coming home with more cups than you could carry and, oh, who can forget the Argies? Remember Maradona's wig? The Cruyff moonwalk? Pele's erect penis? White Hart Lane memories for years to come, we'll keep telling our Grandyids it all really really happened, all the magic of football under one fantastic roof! The open-topped cracking fab White Hart Turf, cor! Remember someone dropped a ciggie on the Blenchmouth End and the place got evacuated? Remember when them kids found some leaves? Different times, lads, different times but one thing never changes, eh? That trademark Totters Magic! Come on, Totteneren! Come on, football, boys and boys!!!

[George Oscar Bluth II]

I think we should talk about Samuel Eto'o's imminent signing for Uzbekistani side Spartak Justdoingthisforthepublicityakov. Or something.

[buttgammon]

I've just seen footage on Sky Sports News (there was nothing else on, I don't usually watch it) of Eto'o in Tashkent, apparently in talks with the club!

I'm still skeptical about the possibility of the transfer happening but it's still all very strange business. Surely they wouldn't be able to afford any fee/wages unless they've suddenly got funding from an oligarch or other very wealthy person?

[weekender]

http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=18576.msg927562#msg927562

Old news, fuckos.

Of course there are no very wealthy people left in a former soviet state, just biding their time and waiting to make sure that they've got away with murder.  That would be wrong.  Besides, the FA 'just person' football check means that no-one would possibly bring in a load of money to English football - regardless of the money's origin - for their own benefit.  I'm sure the FA would not like that - millions of dubious pounds inflating their own pockets and the pockets of the richest clubs, that's got to be bad?


What next?  You'll argue that people like Abramovich are buying people like Arshevin at inflated prices to channel money back into Russia.  And that people like Abramovich are using a UK football club as some sort of money-laundering haven.  And that clubs in Uzbekistan are somehow coming up with money that they never had before as some sort of financial tax dodge?  Then there'll be some sort of link between Uzbekistani football clubs and Russia, although I've no idea how that could happen, because the FA checks this sort of thing.

Gareth Barry may as well sign for Moldova.

[hoverdonkey]

Sunderland bid for FOUR Spurs players. (Sorry Boston) Apparently accepted too. This window is weird. We're gonna have a completely new 11 from the one that started before the January window at this rate. Could go horribly, horribly wrong

[rjd2]

Do Liverpool fans seriously think that signing Gareth Barry would make them serious title challengers? Oh dear oh dear fourth place beckons if that is the height of Rafa's ambitions!

[The Plunger]

OK - Spurs fans, report card for Hutton please ?

Hutton started off with us (Rangers) as a promising youngster, but cut short his progress with a crazy, Gazza-esque challenge that actually resulted in him obtaining a broken leg. His comeback was slow and stop-start. None of us really imagined he'd be the same prospect post-injury, and envisaged him signing on a free for Killie or summat (not a jibe on Killie, just realistic). Then, suddenly, under Le Guen he was playing and looking good. Actually, he played in the last OF game of the previous season and was a surprising man-of-the-match, but that's not the point. So he was a first pick in the team. And finally Le Guen left, and Wattie returned. And he continued to be first pick at RB. And he was ACE. A modern, defensively sound (he's cut out, or lessened, the daft tackles), and BRILLIANT going forward full-back. A couple of great performances against the French, and a masterful (but CHEATED (still not over it) performance against the Italians really raised his profile. Also, some great Champions League performances.

So, to summarise : he is Scotland's great white hope (at right back). And I would be very interested in Spurs fans opinions of him so far.

[hoverdonkey]

He's been impressive Plung. Ousted Chimbonda with ease and looking forward to him and Bale marauding down the flanks this season.

[micanio]

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

Kaka is going to Chelsea for £80m....discuss.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

No footballer is worth £80m, it doesn't make any financial sense.

But since it's Chelsea...go for it! Milan would be foolish to turn him down. On this basis, one Kaka is nearly two Ronaldo's which is INSANE.

[My Giddy Aunt]

Thats just obscene, there really needs to be some sort of rule about transfer spending to put an end to this sort of thing.

Be nice to see Kaka playing in the Premiership mind, what a player he is. Big shame it would have to be for that shower of bastards though.

[rudi]

Hutton's OK, but I rather fancy young Gunter at right back. Faster, more attacking and, most importantly, never played for the Huns.

Heh, Hutton's alright really; confident and steady at the back. If only he could play at CB I'd love him and all his family.

[My Giddy Aunt]

Why is everyone swapping goalkeepers this week?