Dr Spectrum

Come on the Milan. Forza Milano or whatever. Hopefully Ferdinand isn't fit, should cruise past whatever muppets they put in his place. Lets have a nice 3-0. Kaka Hatrick. :parky: I wouldn't. IMO he is one of the few Manure players who is not a cunt and deserves a go after missing '99. However, Wayne Rooney (finally) getting sent off for swearing at the ref would go down a treat.

No, I said that because I read that thread too. The person who posted that originally was not at the training ground as far as I know, but a good friend of Micah Richards (Richards used to lodge with his family while he was in the academy). He gets loads of good info from him altho he has to be pretty hushed up about most of it because everyone knows what his HP is, but he posted that Barton's city career was over before this news broke... the rumours that he had done in Dabo came seperately which this poster then confirmed with that post. I believe it to be true, and I gather some of the papers this morning have ran with a similar story. Obviously the end of Barton at City, and probably knocked off half his value when we sell him in the summer. The daft cunt. >

Owen doesn't have the presence to be a lone striker. He's struggled immensely in that role in the past.

Little birdie tells me its much worse than that article suggests. Apparently Barton had him in headlock, and kept on giving him a right twatting until he was unconcious. Unless it comes out that it was actually self defence, its probably the end of his City career, and the end of any chances of getting a decent move.

What I'd like to know is...whats the person next to him thinking? What would you say to someone who sits down next to you holding a carrier bag that stinks of shite?

What does your Reading mate say about the Sidwell situation...? :parky:

I don't understand why people suggest the name of Houllier to be a DoF(Not just this thread, I've read it before). What does he have on his CV to suggest he could do a good job in the role, other than being a sucessful, experienced coach? I don't follow French football so I don't know what things are like at Lyon but his time at Liverpool didn't suggest to me that this guy had a lot to offer. Depends what you want from him I suppose. If he's going to be a glorified chief scout he should at least have some background in spotting good players on a regular basis be the ability to spot a decent player, but Houllier brought some right shite to Liverpool. Would you want to spunk millions on players of the calibre of Bruno Cheyroux, Igor Biscan, El Hadj Diouf, Titi Camara, Djimi Traore, Gregory Vignal, Vladimir Smicer, etc in the vain hope of hitting the Sami Hyypia jackpot? Wasted too much money for me, can't see why you would want him on that basis. Or would you want him to oversee improvements to the youth/reserve team/etc? No-one has broke through at Liverpool since Gerrard, almost a decade ago. Won the youth cup a bit, but thats not the name of the game, they should be producing first team players by the bucketload with the ammount of money they poor into their academy but whenever the kids come into the league cup side they get spanked royally. Not good enough. Really the only thing I see he has to offer would be for him to "help" Roeder with his experience of being a much better manager. Even then I don't see the point, why not just replace him. Someone enlighten me please.

Blistering heat that reduces almost every game to walking pace? World Cup should always be held in a temperate climate IMO. And yet two of the best World Cups in the history of the competition took place there. Both before my time. But I've seen the Brazil-England game from '70, boring as owt. Elite football shouldn't be played in those conditions, nor should they have been played in 200 degrees in '94 or 300% humidity in '02, it basically equates to giving the cup to Brazil before the start. Might make for a good show while they piss all over all the teams who are too wasted to get a tackle in, but it doesn't make for a good competition IMO.

Blistering heat that reduces almost every game to walking pace? World Cup should always be held in a temperate climate IMO.

The main reason I hate it is because I don't see why we should tack on an E to our league. Its ours, we don't need an E to know the difference between our league and one in another country. Foriegn people can use it if they're also getting coverage from other countries that also have a league called the Premiership, but even still, they'd be called something like Primera Division so I still don't see the point of it unless you're presenting the Round the World in 0.8 seconds Sports Round-up and you need to say everything in the blink of an eye. Don't agree with this abbreviation theory either. As an abbreviation; Firstly, its innacurate. There is no such thing as the "English Premier League". Secondly, the E is pointless...how many other PL's are there? Even if for some unfathomable reason you can't be arsed writing "prem", you could go with PL, who is going to get confused as to what you're talking about? Its differentiating between nothing.

Non starter. He might be from your neck of the woods, but as soon as he takes over he'd sell all the local players youve spent so long assembling in this thread and buy half of his old Everton team instead. Then he'd quit and take over Everton again.

I'm as much against this idea as I am against the use of the term "EPL".

Link The plot thickens? I always assumed that they were close as Allardyce was a big ProZone man, one of the first IIRC, and Ranson owns the company who runs it...but that makes them seem like they are not on good terms at all. Perhaps he is genuinely interested in taking a break...or perhaps he has been tapped by someone else - Shepherd? The current City board? Another potential new owner? Someone else entirely?

Couldn't be worse than the Cricket World Cup though................................or could it?? Unlike the West Indies they've held World Cups before...I can't see it being anywhere near as fundementally bad on an organisational level with that experience. And the demand for tickets should be a gajillion times higher. Altho...the cricket world cup in SA was pretty shite as half the tournament was rained off and the other half was boycotted cos no cunt wanted to go to Zimbabwe. Don't know what the egg chasing in 95(?) was like, don't follow it.

Whether this particular story is true or not, they were always going to have a fight on their hands to keep him - awesome, awesome player. I was expecting one of the major european teams who were looking to rebuild (someone like Real Madrid or Juve) to come knocking. Not sure how he would fit in at Chelsea tho, replacement for Shevchenko? That would mean them keeping the 4 man midfield long term...and it doesn't really work IMO.

Not to my knowledge, at least...curiouser and curiouser... nah, he didn't. just refused to give any interviews to the BBC. not a big loss..... That's not the point we're hinting at, though. BBC broadcasts program containing loads of allegations against Sam. Sam denies them angrily, says he's going to sue the BBC for this slander etc etc. Several months later, no hint of legal action. Hmmmm. Good manager, mind. Suggesting that the Panorama investigation found out some more stuff that the BBC weren't willing to broadcast, but would come out in court? Or are you suggesting his next job will actually be nither City nor Newcastle....but Director General of the BBC

Roeder has "thanked" Carr for playing a couple of decent games? Odd. He shouldn't need to thank him after the near endless stream of shite performances Carr has put it. Should be the other way round IMO, Carr owes him for giving him so much support, should be on his hands and knees thanking Roeder for giving him an opportunity to play - in whatever position - that he didn't earn.

I wouldn't have Stuart Pearce manage the bin at the under 8s reserve team training ground. Just seen Phil Gartside on the telly there...he didn't seem convinced that Allardyce hadn't quit to take another job which just firms this all up for me. For all this shite about personal reasons, Gartside said nothing about any promises to not take another job (like Curbs this time last year) and was quick to jump on the take action against anyone whos tapped him up line... Now we wait for the rumours in the papers to make it obvious he's coming to City so he can take over sharpish...hopefully before the derby on saturday...

No suprise at all...he's always fancied a bigger job. Was desperate for England and the piss poor job he did of distancing himself from Pearce's job earlier on the season means this was always on the card. He's blatantly been offered a bigger job and decided the time was right. Question is where is the offer from. I'd have to believe its from City due to the timing of this co-inciding with the escalation of the takeover talk but IDK...What I hope is happened that is John Wardle, Ray Ranson, Thaksin Hoojimawotsit, whoever, have all agreed that whoever takes over, Allardyce is the #1 choice to replace Pearce so we can appoint him without waiting for a takeover and risking someone else (cough) nicking in instead. Did I read he turned down the Newcastle job previously? What are the alleged circumstances? For what its worth, I'd be delighted to have Allardyce at City. Gets slated for ugly football but its gotta be improvement on what we've served up this season...and I'd credit with a gajillion times more nouse than Pearce, I can't imagine he'd have 3/4 of his players marking thin air in the 18 yard box while the opposition lines up a direct free kick into a gaping corner of the net

I remember one particularly stunning prediction... When we were in the First Division under Keegan, we were absolutely hammering anyone and everyone - 4,5,6 - no-one was safe. I was convinced that we were going to put 10 past someone, and the day we played Wimbledon at Maine Road, I happily announced to everyone around me that today was the day. 10-0. We got beat 4-0.

I should be sad. Been there with City and playing at that level is really fucking shite. Tragedy when any proper club - City, Forest, Wednesday... - sinks so low. But then again, its Leeds.

I was at that game, and from what I remember of the goal (I can't find it on YouTube to jog my memory), Ben Thatcher should have cut it out easily, but was daydreaming. I wouldn't have that anywhere near a top pass list, I dont think it stands up in comparison to some of the passes played against someone competent.

The fine is going to the Premier League, not the FA. So thats not for Owen, nor Wembley, nor grass roots. More likely, the bubbly at the shareholders meeting...

Carlo "Im not on the take, honest" Nash to Alan Shearer, 10 seconds after the kick off. FFS.

Got SSN on in the background, I think I just heard the presenter say that they have to buy him properly if they want to play him again.