ponsaelius

West Ham fans like his attitude but all seem to agree he's basically shit.

We're going for Adrian as well apparently. Honestly don't think he's that much of an upgrade on what we have, but maybe I'm underselling him.

Watford are in talks with Karnezis.

Of course he would be a backup, or an option. That's the point. It means we're replacing Murphy with a younger version, rather than using his freed space to bring in a new first choice. Disappointing, and shows we have fuck all to spend.

Jees, we are scraping the barrel here. Pathetic stuff.

I'm going back a few pages but I'm interested again as to why people rate the Bundesliga so highly as a league. It seems to be largely from the fact the national team is successful and that there was an all German CL final 4 years ago. I find German football a bit of a contradiction for me. It has lots of ideals that should be admired - cheap tickets, full stadiums, 51% fan ownership, focus on youth development. If I lived in Germany I think it would be fantastic to be a match-going supporter. However out of the top 5 leagues it's easily the one I watch the least from the armchair, and I would now probably not tune into anything other than maybe Bayern vs Dortmund. I find the atmospheres bizarrely sterile despite the huge attendances. It's like watching Pro-Evo crowd, full of colour and the bouncing up and down happening without any correlation to whats going on on the pitch. Then I also find that tactically every game is very similar, with teams playing largely the same style of football and the same systems. Add to this the clubs that have competed at the top in recent years are often plastic, corporate style clubs - Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Leipzig, Hoffenheim. Despite the good ideals, it always comes across very packaged, sanitized and boring. I'd struggle to list the derbies too, other than Dortmund vs Schalke. All seems like something I should enjoy, but I really struggle to do so. Find it dull tbh.

anyway if Qatar weren't spending it on Neymar's salary they'd be spending on funding ISIS wahhabism so it's probably for the best

Flip is right. He is going because of a combination of the money, the new challenge, the greater responsibility, the location, and that he's joining a team who are - in all honesty - a similar level to the current Barca side. Barca only beat them last season by 1 goal, thanks almost entirely to Neymar himself. Arguing that it is PURELY the money is a poor argument. If in an alternative reality APOEL Nicosia or BATE Borisov paid his release clause and offered him the same amount of money Neymar would not be going there.

Don't really have any issue with any club from a lesser league spending loads of money. FFP and the way European Football is structured is screwed anyway. If some dirty oil state wants to pump billions in and fuck around with the establishment then good for them. Hope Chinese clubs join UEFA as well.

Top players could go and play in the Moldovan league for all I care, tbh. Ligue 1 produces endless amounts of talent every year that gets raided by foreign clubs. Some external financial backing takes a player the other way and Barca's worldwide fanboys are having a whinge about how unfair it is.

not a chance Leipzig and Hoffenheim finished 2nd and 4th in the Bundesliga last year. Two clubs who were founded about 10 minutes ago and riding entirely on corporate investment. It's like MK Dons and Fleetwood being 2nd and 4th in England. Overrated league just because of Bayern and the fact you can have a bevvy in the stands.

Aboubakar Kamara has chosen #47 at Fulham. So he can be known as AK-47.

Speaking of players who spend most of their time out on loan, Michael Hector (25) is enjoying some career:

Palermo played 3-5-2, 4-3-1-2 (one of the 3 dropping in as a CB) or variations of this system when he was there. This means he was always played as a left midfielder or wing-back rather than a full back in the traditional sense. In that context his signing never made sense. Not even like he could have played further forward, as the wide player in a 4-2-3-1 is a very different role too. Either he was signed without proper scouting or we wrongly thought he could adapt to a new position.

Aye, one from the glorious Deila regime

Diame is intolerably shit. I had almost forgot over the summer.

Pretty sure Volkswagen have stopped pumping as much money into Wolfsburg since the emissions scandal.

Atsu today

Definitely should. They play great football.

Which one? How many Lomana Lualua's do you know? Kazenga? Lomana? (spelling?) I have to say this comfortably the stupidest post I've ever seen on this forum.

Lomana Lua Lua is training with South Shields

Far as I'm aware you're allowed unlimited international loans, as they're seen as actual transfers.

I think striker and a keeper too. If we're lucky perhaps another midfielder/winger, but would really depend on shifting bodies. It'll be enough to keep us up, but we'll be back to Rafa vs Ashley next summer with increased intensity.

I can't see Atletico letting Correa go before Vitolo and Costa arrive in January. That's if they're even considering letting him go at all.