leffe186

Genius. Come on Fulham!

England's squad is so underwhelming on paper. Unconvincing keepers, crocked defence and, Rooney aside, the forwards are just not good enough. We're gonna win it. I'm guessing Milner will also be considered as potential cover for RB.

Darren Bent is a difficult one as his critics would never dispute that he can score goals, but they'd say he's not got the best touch and is not capable of making the next step up. Not sure he's silenced them on that one tbh. Darren Fletcher might be a better example, look at Man U fans' attitude to him a couple of years ago.

How do you mean? They have a massive squad with massive wage bill? Not sure I'm picking you up right, because I don't see the parallel? Agreed. If anything, you were in a West Ham-like situation year-before-last, only you went down whereas they stayed up. Now you've shed (some) dead wood/wages and got a bit of feel-good back (but lost a wodge in the process). If West Ham start badly or screw up any new signings they make they will have a mare.

Not sure about doing decently easily, but I agree that only injuries would stop them. The other promoted sides will struggle more, have less class and experience and not much money. West Ham and Wigan look very precarious and I can see Wolves having a ropey season. In that excel spreadsheet, the three clubs that came up with 100+ points all survived comfortably. It looks like it could get really ugly at the bottom and a decent start will make the world of difference. It might have to be a case of playing the kids in the cups again. 3.

wacko - isn't another major worry the new squad regulations? Gerrard is only one of four homegrown players who aren't out-and-out youngsters. I can't believe that Parry/Rafa/whoever allowed you to get into this position. Every time you look for an English (or "English") player clubs will add at least a couple of million onto the price.

The new squad regulations will make that really interesting though. Max 25 over-21s, 8 of whom have to be "homegrown", doesn't give many clubs room to manouevre, even if they had any money to spare.

Give us a chance, we're not in the bloody thing yet. Been saying that most of the week. You've not got to the group stages yet and Sky are going on like you've won thing?! One of the nice things about moving to the States has been avoiding much of the vast quantities of bullshit in the tabloids/Sky Sports/Talkshite etc. All we have to worry about is Robbie Mustoe and some comedy Irish bloke whose name escapes me.

Give us a chance, we're not in the bloody thing yet.

Did all right against us. You did feel that he was going to get exposed sooner or later.

Has looked a shadow of his former self since he joined. Sure he's a good player to have in the hole behind the strikers, but a Monaco reject? No thanks. Park Joo-Young is a better Gudjohnsen than Gudjohnsen right now. Actually think Gudjohnsen's done all right with us. Nowhere near what he was, but still tidy and did exactly what we wanted of him. Not a first-choice Prem player any more though, and Monaco have been playing silly buggers. I suspect that if he is available then we'll take him. If Villa are releasing Bouma, then I think we can safely assume his career (at this level at least) is sadly over.

Posted this on a Spurs board, but considering the new squad regulations Liverpool have 4 (out of 8) homegrown players in the first XI/subs. Essentially they have no money, are losing money, their manager allegedly has a clause in his contract requiring it to be paid in full if he is sacked, they are no longer in the Champions League and they're relying on kids who would normally never even get on the coach to make their homegrown quota. Mint.

Chuffed, but would have loved them to give it to Mick McCarthy.

70 grand a week for Boa Morte does, to be really frank.

Yeah, didn't want to go up North iirc. He's fine under a chairman with a brain. ITKs at the time said exactly what he's suggested about the Bellamy deal. Then he should report it at the time not wait however many months. This isn't an attack on you btw I wonder if he'll mention the Gudjonson deal at all... No worries I think elbee is right, it was an attempt to take a little bit of pressure off Spurs. I wish he'd shut up sometimes tbh.

Jenas

Agreed, and the media almost succeed in ruining it. Almost, but not quite. It's the fucking World Cup, it's brilliant, watch as many games as you possibly can, fall in love with some random team/player you've never seen before, try to watch games with people from as many different countries as possible. I remember jumping up and down and hugging an Arsenal-supporting mate when Campbell scored that header against Argentina, sitting in a pub between a Romanian family and an Italian family when they went head-to-head, Australia-Croatia in Walkabout etc etc. I had to watch the last one in Glasgow - supporting England actually felt dangerous. I love it. Sure, many of the England team are cunts but, well, every team can say that. I'd rather Spurs won the League than England the World Cup, but it's a pretty close-run thing.

Are those Wolves players real, or wax?

So, anyway, er.... I'm not convinced that the points total required will be much shy of 40 this year. I know it's been going down, but I think the real pish has been excised from the PL this year and 40 will be needed.

The Star had a made-up story about Gudjohnsen on its front page to unsettle Spurs before the match. Apparently two members of their editorial team are City fans. Ultimately, many (particularly tabloid) journalists are lazy twats with agendas - some pro-certain teams, some anti. I know there's an 'Arry bandwagon etc but surely suggesting that the media will "probably claim they're the first team to do it in recent history" implies that it's you with the agenda here.

Yeah, didn't want to go up North iirc. He's fine under a chairman with a brain. ITKs at the time said exactly what he's suggested about the Bellamy deal.

Ha Wei Man.

There's a good reason for that - it was a photoshop job based on a white T-shirt in a catalogue. Look more closely at the collars in the WHL picture. Some claim it's a training top, but can't imagine we'd have a photocall for that! Opinion seems to be divided right down the middle, by age mainly. I like it, but it would be easy for the new sponsor to arse it up, plus word is we have a light blue away top (and we're always shite in light blue).

Taarabt, man. So much debate on the Spurs sites, so many opinions. For what it's worth, I think he'd be a luxury for you guys and potentially divisive in the changing rooms. If he makes that step up he could be a world-beater, but his head just doesn't seem to be in the right place. Lovely touch, great vision, two-footed - but can't be buggered to learn when to do the simple things.

If Arsenal lose their last game and then we win our last two I may explode.