Village Idiot

This is the time in FM where I offer a 5 year contract with 1 year extension for games played, before the kid's reputation grows too much.

I never NEVER transfer anything until all the internationals are finished, there's always injuries. Some are good opportunities, even. Depending on the severity of Costa's injury, you now have Remy starting up top for Chelsea.

He's gonna get in there if I finally settle for a 3-4-3

Diego Costa pulled his hamstring yesterday, apparently. Munir has been called up to replace him

Reports that Costa has been injured in international duty.

Remember him playing for Mallorca at the Camp Nou, making this incredible Ronaldo-esque run and getting fouled in the box. He then asked to take the penalty, which his teammates allowed after such a great play. He then took one of the weakest penalties I have ever seen, Valdés didn't have to move to stop it.

Janmaat Coloccini Williamson Santon Anita Colback Sissoko* Cabella Aarons Somebody *That or Obertan, choose your poison. Seems good enough.

Gutted for the lad, was looking forward to see him play for you since he seems talented. You're still too good to go down (there, I said the cursed words).

Yeah Keeping with the theme... http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2kDbbXIFrTs/R8hv55mveAI/AAAAAAAAAVY/N36RTE88y-I/s400/David+Luiz.jpg

Loads of foreign players have hit the ground running in the PL, even coming from "weak and slow" La Liga. It's a gross generalization.

Oooooh, it stings. Have Barca ever let any amazing players go (Fabregas aside) Youth player? Arteta and Alba come to mind, although we rebought the latter. Speaking of Reina, this gets me to another photo: http://efeitofuria.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/pepe-reina-valdes-barcelona.jpg I didn't realise that Arteta had been at Barca. Hmm. http://periodistasdeportivos.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/arteta.jpg Rangers offered a lot of money for him (€6m for a young Spanish player was a lot of money in 2002), and we were in bad financial shape, so he was sold. Also, him and Xavi came through at about the same time, and the staff considered that we could only develop one young midfielder properly.

Oooooh, it stings. Have Barca ever let any amazing players go (Fabregas aside) Youth player? Arteta and Alba come to mind, although we rebought the latter. We sold Reina, too, but he had already played for the senior team. Most great players, like Fàbregas or Piqué, we didn't let go willingly. There used to be a loophole that allowed English clubs to offer professional contracts to Spanish players one year before their clubs could. It wasn't closed until last season. Speaking of Reina, this gets me to another photo: http://efeitofuria.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/pepe-reina-valdes-barcelona.jpg

In the Raúl frame? You can if you understand Spanish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vOvYb1E-R4 They were homaging an Atlético youth team for winning the league and Jesús Gil - then Atlético's prez - singles out Raúl as the best player in the team, with 55 goals scored. The following season, Gil disbanded Atlético's youth setup citing financial concerns and Raúl joined Real Madrid.

We rested a few of our theoretical starters too, to try some new boys. It was just a friendly afterall.

Real Madrid have included some Finnish man-monster that was playing for their B team in their CL squad.

Raúl González Blanco http://www.colchonero.com/media/galeria/4/1/2/5/8/o_atletico_de_madrid_submundo_historia-4388521.jpg

Agent Bruce Dunno about that. I was never that impressed with him until who I saw he got deadline day and the type of footy he wants to play. He shot up in my estimation. Di Matteo would be my choice though or Laudrup Still surprised nobody has offered him a job after being sacked at Chelsea.

Aye, it's hysterical. Not even our reporters do that for Barça/Madrid.

Oh man, if only you had a creative attacking midfielder to cover for him.

Well, he didn't specify how many of them.

First defeat against France in 8 years, with no shots on goal. Grand.

Sorry, I honestly meant no harm Sissoko's best play was sadly disallowed, he put in a great low cross for Benzema.

Remy has been so much better on the right than Sissoko...

Remy scores. Great vision by Valbuena to spot him. 95% of players would have taken the shot from that position.

So many ex-NUFC in the pitch.