Dr Spectrum

Damn right. There's no need to piss in the faces of everyone who supports a lower league club - If these clubs can't manage their overly large squads they shouldn't be signing so many players. And if they are that desperate for some of there youngsters to get a game they could send them out on loan and get the exact same result. Its a pointless suggestion. Frankly I don't know how they get away with it overseas - Do these leagues have no soul?

thing is though, its so easy to say that, but not easy to bring into practise. Like this summer - we needed 2 strikers, that was a definite. SO, it left us with little dosh for everything else the team needed. Benitez wanted Alves (who is class), but he'd have cost double what Pennant cost, and he simply didnt have the money - it really is that simple sometimes I'm afraid! It;s so easy to say he needs to be more ambitious, whats he to do? It costs. And when you also need so many other players, you have to juggle the money. We ain't all got it easy like Chelsea you know This summer he could have bought Kuyt and Alves. And I tell you what - all hell would have broke loose, the fans would have been stamping their little feet cos he'd have left us short on forwards. So he did what he had to do, not buy Alves, and buy Bellamy and Pennant, And the likes of Alonso, Agger, Kuyt, Reina, Sissoko - are of the calibre. What Liverpool desperatly need is a couple plaeyrs who can change a game in an instant, players with a bit of magic, but they also happen to be the most costly. Bellamy I have no problem with, at 6 mill he was a good player to grab as the 2nd striker we needed. It's not easy, no. But he is a good manager - Who knows a lot more about who is out there than me - I think he could have managed better. Looking at the 3 big summer signings: Kuyt = £10m Bellamy = £6m Pennant = £7m £23m available - He's spent it on one player who is hardly going to get off the bench unless there is an injury crisis (Like at the moment, granted) as well as two forwards when you already have a decent one. Why not go for someone who could make a real difference - I presume Alves (Don't know much about him) for £12m or so, then you have £11m for the two forwards that you apparently needed. You could have still signed Bellamy - Would it have been that bad to have been left with Alves and another forward of similar calibre and someone who cost a similar fee instead of Kuyt and Pennant? Or Alves and a better forward (Perhaps Kuyt) and someone very much in the backup category, and play Crouch. When you have that much money to spend (Which is a LOT for everyone bar Chelsea) there is a lot of room to maneuver, I don't think he has done as well as he could. Too much squad building, not enough 11 improving.

Individual signings aside I think Benitez could have done better in the transfer market. He obviously spent far too much on Pennant - And some of his other big signings - whilst good players in their own right, aren't title winning calibre. I think they could probably have been more ambitious on bigger signings rather than hedging their bets on so many middle of the road players. I know they need to maintain a squad but they have a decent youth setup to compensate to some degree. I think they would be a lot higher up the league if they bought someone special instead of god knows how much on Pennant and Bellamy this summer.

Not forgetting Fulham, who have been in foreign ownership for over a decade. Portsmouth this year too. And there has been someone buying into Everton without taking over.

Thats an interesting read and it makes a lot of sense. But City being worth £13m? That seems bizarrely low compared to some of the other numbers being thrown around. So we're theoretically worth less than Micah Richards? I really don't have a clue over this stuff bluebiggrin.gif PS: English Football sold itself in 1992.

I think Barca, Chelsea, and Lyon are a cut above this season. Apart from that its wide open. Being objective I can't see that lot winning it, I just don't think they are good enough when they don't have possesion. They've already lost twice - not looked special at all. A lot of it depends on the draw of course but I imagine Barca will have hit some form by the time the knockout stages come around (They should have Etoo and Messi back by then?) and will be a tough game for anyone. I think Chelsea look a good bet too but there is a feeling they are not as good as they could be (Shevchenko not really doing it, midfield 4 not quite right). Lyon are definetly the value, I think it will take a good side to beat them. I voted for those 3 - token 4th vote to AC Milan who I imagine will be competitive but I don't think they are quite good enough to win it.

I assumed that part of the £70m being touted was about the debts. Ie. Half to buy the club, half to pay the debts or something like that. But I'm not clued up at all on these money things and haven't got a clue how it all works. Plus this is only a very sketchy rumour, no guarantees over how accurate any part of it is. And Stoke isn't that far away. 50 miles at a push? Thats local compared to Glazer, Sheik whatsit, Ambamovich, Lerner, Iceland bloke, etc...

Extent of the Green (ahem) rumour: Thats it. I was just listing all the names I had heard. I don't know anything about him other than what he owns but I can't see it being him either. I think its much more likely to be one of the people who got knocked back by West Ham.

Be class if he changed the club's name to Goals4u. He could get that annoying bloke to do your adverts and that. I think a part of me just died... What a prospect. Thankfully he doesnt have anything to do with the company anymore - he just sold it. The money he's got lying around as a result is probably what caused someone to suggest he is interested. Frankly I find it impossible to believe a local billionaire is interested in City - Too good to be true.

Trading in our shares is currently suspended pending an announcement. Don't really know what's going on at this stage but if we are to be taken over all I want is (1) to be able to compete in the transfer market again and (2) for the owner's heart to be in the right place. I've read 3 names about who the person interested is: 1. Pini Zihavi - Linked with a a takeover of "a leading (sic) english club" in the Telegraph. No thanks, crooked as Steve Bruce's nose 2. Phillip Green - Rich as fook but the only link is someone posting "Rumoured to be Phillip Green" so in all probability a load of shite 3. John Cauldwell (Phones4u) - Someone posted a rumour a few weeks back about this guy's son being interested, well before any takeover stories hit the press. Never know. Probably none of them but wheres the fun in that.

Anyone here what the L'Pool fans sang about him? 'You're just a $hit Steven Gerrard, la la la' Wrong way round, City fans sang "You're just a shit Joey Barton" at Gerrard a couple of weeks back. (Final score: Liverpool 1, City 0 (Gerrard)) I don't think Barton is especially dirty.

I don't know. But they did boo Ryan Giggs.

Cheers, mate. Miracles do come true. I'd like to apologise to French Tony for claiming he hates the baby Jeebus. I misunderstood Bonk's post. No, he just hates me. 4 headed goals, FFS mental.gif Good win for yous then. Bit of a run going.

The player is only 23. That's the coach.

I agree on the first one, he is right up there (Although he has been behaving himself since he came back from his ban) Thankfully, the second one is no longer a premiership player.

Fabregas?

You are like Wayne Rooney. You're a fat waster and find older people sexually exciting. You have the talent, but when things don't go your way, you have a serious hissy fit and start blaming everything and anybody. Your partner's a chav and you gamble too much. Sort your life out before it's too late.

Sibierski took the odd penalty for City. Only recall him missing one (Shootout vs. Doncaster) but he was decent enough at it.

The attendences aren't that bad. The lowest ever attendance at the stadium (A few weeks back against Fulham) was higher than the capacity of Maine Road.

The worst thing about the 5:15 games is that it destroys the day. You have to spend the day waiting for it and if you're with a family or not that keen on the ol' shandy its a load of shite. Not keen on the noon games either - It used to be for when the police want to kill the drink factor at local derbies - understandable - but when Sky do it, it must be shite for the away fans and for the home fans who have been out the night before and are battling a hangover. Midweek games are shite too, the time most people get home makes it hard for the out of towners and people with young kids. I don't think people would mind if it was only an occasional thing but how hard is it to fork over hundreds of quid for a season ticket for something that should be fun, but instead is going to take a serious effort to keep up with because of the whims of TV? And lets face it, most teams aren't good enough or cheap enough to make up for it in fair weather fans. Football 1863-1992 rip.gif

I presume its about City. Looks to be maybe 35k or so there, probably our lowest attendance of the season. You know this is our 8th home game - 2(!) of those have kicked off at 3pm on a saturday. No suprise they were our 2 highest attendences of the season. It takes the piss really, last season we even had a game against Everton that kicked off at 10:15am. I really think we would sell a lot more season tickets if fans knew they would be able to get to games instead of having to shift their ticket at Sky's whim every other week. I wonder how many fans decided not to renew for this season after Sky forced us into a 10:15 kickoff against Everton last season to pander to the far east TV/betting market There are other minor reasons too but they won't really affect the hardcore fanbase - Football too direct, no prospects of glory, no SWP, hard to get a ticket on the day of the game on a whim, and for tonight at least, the weather. PS: No fans of any club who have spent any serious ammont of time at the business end of the leageues or have eever won anything could be considered the best...Surely that title belongs to the fans of the clubs down amonst the dead men who have never done anything and never will.

I agree that the Guitar one at Villa was horrible - Beyond cheesy. Liked the Knighthood one tho - Pretty inventive. Not sure why he's not getting booked for it tho. I think the worst celebrations come from Robbie Keane. Someone really ought to tell him hes shite at gymnastics.

I think its mostly down to teams copying Everton and to a certain extent Bolton, and the success (ie, being the best of the rest) they have had playing with this 451 nick a goal mentality. But I think its strange that so many teams try to emulate it. These are teams designed with players who are suited to the formation and tactics (Cahill and the like) but most teams are built on the premise of playing a 442 most weeks, especially at home. Why do teams convert to 451 on away trips when they only have strikers who need a partner or don't have the midfield to join the attack? Its supposed to be a more defensive formation but the ineptitude of the attack invariably means it ends in teams walking all over them. Wigan 4-0 for us, Manure 2-0 for yous, Charlton's entire season, etc. I think we'll see an improvement in goals/game when more teams realise that they'll do better if they actually give the opposition something to think about.

Not patchy enough for my liking *stroppy face* Heh, our form only becomes "patchy" when we make the trip to Villa Park....Everyone else beats the fook out of us. That Olaf Mellberg voodoo doll was the best fiver I've ever spent bluebiggrin.gif PS: Good luck in the cup mate Cheers, mate. What made it gutting was that i *knew* Darius would score against us, yet resisted the temptation to put money on it. Fair play to him for the total lack of celebration, though, he's a good lad Darius and was treated shittily by O'Dreary, he deserves all the success he gets. Was reading a couple of Villa forums after the game and there did seem to be a lot of love for him (As well as a fair bit of lament for the man who DO'L essentially paid £4m and Vass for, Baros). I'm not suprised, Vassell is one of my favourite players nowadays. Not only does he always put in a good shift, he never moans about playing out of position, and played with a hernia for the 2nd half of last season. Top, top bloke. He's not top class but with his athletism and attitude he's just the sort of player teams at our level need and looking back I'm suprised you let him go. One of DO'L's many failings I guess - He really came across poorly when he was there (constantly seemed to be talking your club down) so I'm not suprised players went stale under him. A shame for Vass really, as much as I like him playing for City, I think the difference between his enthusiastic celebrations of last season compared to the more respectful ones of last week say a lot about his feelings for the club (As well as its previous manager). If it was up to him I could certainly see him playing for Villa again in the future.

Not patchy enough for my liking *stroppy face* Heh, our form only becomes "patchy" when we make the trip to Villa Park....Everyone else beats the fook out of us. That Olaf Mellberg voodoo doll was the best fiver I've ever spent bluebiggrin.gif PS: Good luck in the cup mate