Village Idiot

When Oviedo ran that share selling drive to save themselves from going under (I remember some people from here bought some shares, even), a Spanish sports program made a prank call to one of his advisers, trying to convince him to buy out the club. That's how he learnt of the team's situation, and ultimately decided to do just that, matching the capital raised in order to get a controlling interest. He seems pretty hands off, he's only imposed more strict governance standards (the club was leaking money), but hardly meddles in the day to day, or invests more money in the club.

How big of him, it's him who's bailing out FFS.

I just love how he always tries to sign his former players, no matter how expensive and over-the-hill they are. It's almost like he's taking the piss sometimes.

Utterly shameless by Harry. Obviously he doesn't want to be known as the guy that relegated QPR twice just a few years after he was angling for the England job.

I wish I gave a s*** about the NY teams, but they are all pretty grim. Even the Cosmos have gone and signed Raúl FFS. HBA going somewhere might solve my problem of not having a yank team I can really support. As long as it isn't Real Salt Lake. Don't go there Hatem.

Just heard Neil lennon talking about it, the kid refused to believe him as he was expecting to travel to some League 1 side or something Wait why did this happen? God knows, he was actually expecting to be sent back to Plymouth in league 2 Edit: Replacing that Vermij or whatever his name is in the reserve side. Whats the world coming to when Man Utd need to loan someone to fill their under 21 team? We do it pretty often with Barça B, tbf. There's always a hole in your reserve side that you want to plug, and there's little point in signing a player permanently that isn't likely to ever make it to the seniors.

He was gifted all right but it never really translated on the pitch. Perfect example of a street footballer, never really had the fundamentals to make a success of himself at the top level. When he was here he gave me the impression that he took everything for granted; he took for granted that he had to play, he took for granted that he had to be the fulcrum of the attack, he took for granted defences would part in front of him because he was so talented. It just doesn't work that way.

Later this month begins the trial for alleged match-fixing between Levante and Zaragoza a few seasons ago. In the bench there will be - among several others - Ander Herrera and current Atlético captain Gabi. Gotta say that, in order to get a conviction, the evidence that's been made public looks rather weak. Rumours of match-fixing in the low rungs of La Liga have been rampant for a few years, and the public prosecutor has been trying to get an exemplary conviction for ages. So far, it hasn't happened due to lack of evidence.

If I may, I don't think the problem lies in the current situation being better or worse than the previous ones - you can easily find times where the club was better or worse, as people have pointed -, it is the utter lack of willingness to at least try to make it better than it currently is.

So he's a free agent now?

He has had more chances than he deserves, imho. Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea, Porto...

Didn't the former owner of Crystal palace end up owning Brentford and made himself manager at some point? Ron Noads I think he was called We had a Russian millionaire attempting to do the same at several Spanish clubs. Since he didn't have UEFA badges he even posed as a photographer in order to be in the bench.

Front one is Quaresma, second one is Toñito, a Spanish journeyman that was at Sporting at the time. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmfUuAMXoiA/S2rkOiRtixI/AAAAAAAAEII/V5-o3B13ipg/s400/Tonito+Sporting.JPG

I thought he looked promising in his first year at NUFC. Very daring and confident for a lad his age. Then he disappeared.

You wish, the Pozzos actually buy loads of players.

Can somebody point me towards the "photos of footballers when they were young" thread? I'm drawing a blank with search and a friend of mine has just sent me this gem: http://36.media.tumblr.com/3ff4c6f517aaa67bb5480cbec647535e/tumblr_nj5okdS9m61s9y3qio1_500.jpg

He's been absent from today's training

Ashley wants to go full Pozzo? You never go full Pozzo.

Reports in our press that Ings has signed a pre-contract with Real Sociedad. Seems Moyes fancies him.

Eto'o, such a legend http://asia.eurosport.com/football/serie-a/2011-2012/samuel-eto-o-storms-out-of-sampdoria-training-days-after-move-from-everton_sto4587056/story.shtml

Well, not a particularly good game from us, but a win's a win. Happy to see Rafinha getting a good game, we were characteristically fragile at the back.

60 and dropped one place

Off to meet with some mates and then watch us play Villarreal. Should be a fun game, they are in great form and haven't lost since November.

Bah, Leicester look hopeless at the moment, too.

Villa look like a broken toy.