brummie

Not yet. His stock is way too high here. He's done very well this season having been parachuted in late.

It is a gesture by Hayward, who is possibly the best intentioned chairman in any league. He wants the club in safe hands and with decent investment, so he's given it away to make sure it happens. He's much respected round these parts (and there aren't even any Dogheads in my part of the midlands)

Regardless of the annoying, gobshite fans (and to be honest, the fact that that 5 times song must annoy ManUre fans immensely almost makes up for the trauma of hearing them sing it all the time), a Liverpool win will only go to further stretch the financial gap between the big four clubs and the rest, so I'm supporting Milan. That's not the only reason why, but is one of them

Come on, if silly money is offered - he'll be off. We all know this. EVERY player in every team has his price. If Chelsea offered, for arguments sake £26m, could any chairman turn it down? Yes. Any chairman wanting to get his club into the big four is going to have to do that at some point. It would be good for football if Spurs did turn down stupid money for Berbatov, otherwise nothing ever is going to change. Other than my own club, I personally don't care which club does it, but someone needs to breach the big four at some point soon, it can only be good for the game. Witness the crushing predictability and national non-interest in the cup final yesterday, for example.

Doesnt tell me much more than Leverkusen were Champions League finalists and a very good team when the G14 was formed and they havent expanded since Chelsea became "big" tbh. .. which shows the folly of basing an elite league on a snapshot of football at any given time.

They must hold some sort of importance to there criteria if they're going to ask Newcastle to join. Because I really don't see how we fit into there big plans at the moment outside of our big stadium and high Uefa ranking. Then again I'm sure they'll find some way to ignore this if they ever decide they really need Chelsea in there group. I'm certainly not going to assume that greasy russian has refused an offer to join them at this point though. The fact that Chelsea are not in the G14 and Bayer Leverkusen are tells you all you need to know about G14.

There is no real criteria for joining the G14, that is what makes it so laughable. Look at the presence of Bayer Leverkusen for the best example. They used to laughably suggest that the clubs within the G14 were the most successful in European competition, which is a joke, given that by their own scoring system, Nottingham Forest had more points than Arsenal. There's no two ways about it, the only criteria that matters in admitting clubs is whether they fit in with plans to satisfy the never-ending greed of the clubs already there.

The only reason they aren't is because they don't meet the criteria..... Which criteria don't they meet? I suspect it is the criteria of not being a threat to the long term income stream of Manchester United and Liverpool. Greed, greed, greed.

Martin Samuel, whilst been imho a bit of an idiot most of the time, has a habit of occasionally coming up with an article which smacks the nail very firmly on the head.

Good point, that. The huge TV money plus the influx of billionaire owners is starting to create a more level playing field. In a league where everyone has cash, things like whether players want to play for the manager at the club play a large part. I can't imagine any player particularly wanting to play for Roeder, but I could imagine SA swaying a lot. I'd also expect things like club facilities (training and other) to play a large part in persuading players to move, too (as well as the obvious lure of CL football, although that goes without saying). Unfortunately, I also think that with a more level playing field, players will also get swayed by things like location, so you'll have people like Bent or Sidwell not wanting to leave London, and foreign players seeing London clubs as more attractive

There'd also be pretty much zero away fans, thus taking away the traditional element of confrontation in the game, there'd be no local rivalry, there'd be no common binding factor through the country (frankly, if your team isn't in the SL, why are you going to give a shit - even with the CL it is interesting because you are watching teams you play week in week out). There'd also be no promotion and no relegation, and no European spots to aim for, so unless you're in the uber elite (and have no doubts, do you think Spartak Moscow are goint to compete with Barcelona), the huge majority of all your games are utterly pointless. Personally, the only positive thing about this breakaway league idea is that we get left with a more competitive, interesting league at home.

This is a good thing? You'd get absolutely murdered. Every fucking week. If this organization creates their own European Super league the money they will recieve will be enormous. And every week Newcastle will be playing with clubs like Milan,Inter,Barca,Real Madrid while Manchester City will be playing with the likes of Birmingam,Sunderland,Wigan and Fulham Still think its not a good thing to be involved in this? Yep just think of all the banter on the Monday morning in the office with all the Barcelona and Inter Milan fans .... Oh

The G14 is an evil, evil cabal which will contribute largely to the downfall of football, mark my words. And the only reason Chelsea aren't in it is because they won't let them join.

I like Fulham. Nice traditional ground in the best setting of any ground in the country. One of the best away days.

I too think Bolton will really struggle next season. It was clearly SA's club from top to bottom, and even if some of the backroom team are still there, they will find it very hard. I'd expect Liverpool to start making a proper, serious challenge for the league. I'd expect Newcastle to become much, much harder to beat. I'd expect Villa to start turning some of those draws into wins. I'd expect West Ham to have another tricky season, based on the fact they're lumbered with all those arsey, expensive panic buys from last season. And the possibility of points deduction, obv. I'd expect Everton to do the same or slightly less well, depending on how they buy. I'd expect Spurs to have another good season and improve again. I think the newly promoted clubs will all find it hard, but suspect West Brom may stay up. I think Reading may well be next season's Wigan and find it much harder, again, depends massively how they buy.

He was brilliant in his first two or three games, then dreadful for months, then when he stopped having to play with Gavin McCann and started playing the holding midfield role himself, he was excellent. Expecting big improvements from him next season, but his end of season form was good.

Same? After a season of consolidation, and with a billionaire owner whose CEO has said last week that there is "no limit set" on what he will spend this summer, that he wants CL football as soon as possible and is fully aware of how much that will cost? I'm not expecting CL football for a good few years (if at all) at least, but there's no doubt the club will be stronger next season. Your lot been linked with anyone interesting? Defoe, some Portugese left back (Antunes) (which puzzles me, as Bouma has been excellent this season) and Boruc, the Celtic keeper. Early doors yet, innit.

Same? After a season of consolidation, and with a billionaire owner whose CEO has said last week that there is "no limit set" on what he will spend this summer, that he wants CL football as soon as possible and is fully aware of how much that will cost? I'm not expecting CL football for a good few years (if at all) at least, but there's no doubt the club will be stronger next season.

10 quid for a programme is, I'm pretty sure, what I paid for one at the 2000 final.

Sunderland are going to have to do some serious investment to stay up. Keane has done a fantastic job getting them up and motivating them, but that's not going to cut it in the Prem. I can't think of a single Sunderland player, which probably says something. Albion have Koumas, Davis and Gera who are all Prem quality.

4 quid for a hot dog isn't too bad. I pay 3 quid for one from a mobile botulism dispenser parked outside Villa Park.

10m at most I've heard, it doesn't matter how much they have to spend anyway when Steve Bruce is the manager. Straight back down imo. 1st time around they didn't do too badly, and he had some shocking injury problems the season they got relegated. I wouldn't write them off at this stage They're going straight back down where they belong, hopefully. Scum.

Man U have hiked theirs 14 percent havent they?

I know people will say it's only Wigan and they don't fill their ground anyway, but i'd go see Wigan vs *insert any decent team with world class players here* for £13 even though neither mean anything to me. I agree. 13 quid is close enough to the sort of sum people throw around without a second thought these days. Most Prem games at 30 odd quid are well above that level. I too would go and watch them play a half decent team for that money if they were near me

PS just noticed your comment re Wigan prices. That is exceptionally good. I'd love to think the TV money is getting to the level at which they can start to think about Bundesliga style prices rather than spaffing it all away on higher player wages.