clintdempsey

It could be that he's home in Spain for his rehabilitation, couldn't it?

Trained with the rest of the squad for the first time today.

Communication breakdown between Williamson and Perch for the goal. Think we have a good chance to turn this around though. Would be more worried if we just sat back, but we've had a good go and created numerous opportunities. Good gamestop so far.

Holland U21 coach compared him to Patrick Vieira Yep, I saw that. Also read that he's played as a RB, DM and AM for Feyenoord. And that his name translates to "The King of Iron" in French. Which alone should make this potential signing a must.

Fer doesn't look like a DM on Youtube. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that he looks rather Youtube-tastic. Seems to have a good stride on him and full of tricks.

Surely not now we've got Tiote? But Fer is supposed to be more of a creative midfielder right?

Didn't show him on the telly. Only Dekka.

Smith will be the one to go I think. And rightly so.

A good DM has been a priority that no one has done something about for years. It's not a secret.

i haven't disagreed with what you said before, but guthrie and barton give away the ball far too often by especially in barton's case trying the killer ball too often, instead of going for the simple pass, that is very likely still to happen with or without this guy! the strikers need good service especially if we're not signing another striker Giving away the ball comes a lot from them being tired due to having to do Smith's work as well. Neither Barton nor Guthrie are spectacular athletes in any way but if we could give them a midfield partner that is able to do the work of a true DM we will both save them some defensive work and give them more time and space to do what they do best. Which incidentally is giving support to the striker/s and wingers. In Barton's case that would be making late runs towards the opposition's area and spreading the play. In Guthrie's case, as he's more of a deep lying playmaker it would mean more time and space to give the ball to the wingers and striker/s.

Despite me slagging off the idea in your thread, any upgrade on Smith has to be a massive positive. I agree on the upgrade, but it the lack of goals that sent us down really Bollocks was it. It was the fact we had a midfield who neither kept the ball nor offered any ounce of protection to the back four. Our defence was made out to be our weakness, when really they were the best players in the team. Your fucking clueless! Goals cost us, our midfield scored around 7 goals all season when you should be around 15 off them! is that why steven taylor 1 defender scored nearly as many as them all season then? also the lack of fire power to our strikers also was a major factor Our midfield was constantly over run because they didn't have any legs at all. If we put someone in there who had energy, could keep the ball and play the most basic of passes we would have stayed up. Obviously there were other problems but our midfield were bummed in the face all season. I agree on this, but people just blaming the defense for us getting relegated is so naive about the amount of goals we scored that season! we scored 24 home goals in 2008/09 is that good enough! no in my opinion It's a horrific stat for sure. But if you watched the games closely our biggest problem was that we never got a hold of the ball in the right areas. Our midfield sat to deep due to their lack of mobility and strength. You can't play well as a defender when you've got your own teammates 2 metres in front of you all of the time. If you let the opposition play keep ball in their final third you suffer from it. And that is exactly what happened back then. This signing would solve an ancient problem as far as our team goes. We really haven't had any mobile and tough CM's that could actually pass a ball since Acuna. i agree on this, and like wise with a creative attacking player as well! But surely you must see that if we can get in a player such as Tiote that seems to be able to actually break up play and then pass the ball to one of our own players (something that Smith seems incapable of doing, other than giving it back to our CB and thus putting even more pressure on them) it must be a good thing. By having a player such as Tiote that actually seems to have the stamina and mobility to get up in to a pressing position you automatically make some room and space for our more creative CM's such as Barton and Guthrie to actually do something with the ball.

Despite me slagging off the idea in your thread, any upgrade on Smith has to be a massive positive. I agree on the upgrade, but it the lack of goals that sent us down really Bollocks was it. It was the fact we had a midfield who neither kept the ball nor offered any ounce of protection to the back four. Our defence was made out to be our weakness, when really they were the best players in the team. Your fucking clueless! Goals cost us, our midfield scored around 7 goals all season when you should be around 15 off them! is that why steven taylor 1 defender scored nearly as many as them all season then? also the lack of fire power to our strikers also was a major factor Our midfield was constantly over run because they didn't have any legs at all. If we put someone in there who had energy, could keep the ball and play the most basic of passes we would have stayed up. Obviously there were other problems but our midfield were bummed in the face all season. I agree on this, but people just blaming the defense for us getting relegated is so naive about the amount of goals we scored that season! we scored 24 home goals in 2008/09 is that good enough! no in my opinion It's a horrific stat for sure. But if you watched the games closely our biggest problem was that we never got a hold of the ball in the right areas. Our midfield sat to deep due to their lack of mobility and strength. You can't play well as a defender when you've got your own teammates 2 metres in front of you all of the time. If you let the opposition play keep ball in their final third you suffer from it. And that is exactly what happened back then. This signing would solve an ancient problem as far as our team goes. We really haven't had any mobile and tough CM's that could actually pass a ball since Acuna.

I'd imagine Hughton would play Vuckic and Raylor on the wings.

I don't really want to bite, but you're talking nonsense, again! We don't have a player capable of playing that role as things stand. I'd imagine though that you'd find a way to find a negative in any signing we make. And you talking nonsense aain ino We have no defensive midfielders, we have no creative midfielders as well Oh, we do. The only problem with our particular creative midfielders is that their legs are gone. Both Guthrie and Barton's got a decent pass and a good eye for working out chances.

You do realize that it's Ben Arfa's agent and lawyer that are guests of the show?

It actually makes some sense. OM will not get out of this in a satisfactory way. The supporters wouldn't be best pleased with them letting HBA go out on loan for a minimal fee. But by playing hardball in public their president makes it look like they're getting a good deal after all. When the transfer is completed it will be for an undisclosed fee and all will be happy. Except Dassier of course. All in all I don't think HBA can stay at Marseille.

Sweden has been really good though. We're so different in style since Hamrén took over from Lagerbäck.

Isn't it accepted that Ben Arfa doesn't want to go to Germany? Marseille can't force him to go to Werder Bremen, they could be be stuck with an unhappy player until January. If he only wants to come here, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll end up here one way or another.

No. Kakuta would certainly count as a homegrown player. EDIT. If he stayed in England until he turns 21 that is.

To stop the clubs from stockpiling the most talented youth players we would have to have a standardised age for when to sign your first professional forms. Isn't this age limit different in different countries (which was why Fabregas went to Arsenal)?

I think so, which proves the ridiculous nature of the rule imo. More and more players are gonna be dragged across the world before they're out their teens. Not Mikel Obi right? Isn't the rule that a player has to be part of an English set-up for three years or three full seasons before their 21st birthday to be counted as homegrown. Mikel Obi signed for Chelsea when he was 19 which would make this impossible since he would've been 22 at the end of the third season.

Good goal from Shola. Piss poor goalkeeping from Krul on their 2nd.

Signed. Official Club SMS.

Oh, and Tokushima Vortis is winning 2-1 against Sagan Tosu in the Japanese 2nd division with a couple of minutes left.

What games are on today then? Lyngby - Aalborg, Danish SAS League Tromsø-Lillestrøm, Norwegian League ...among others.