Village Idiot

We already reached an agreement about it and dropped the case, years ago.

I think the biggest issue is that unless Abramovic is willing to splash the cash again, they just don't have the money to replace all those 30+ players themselves anyway. Still a great squad this season, mind.

You lot remind me of a bunch of moths circling a light and getting burnt time and time again, yet you still rush to it every time it lits. And I'm not saying this with contempt.

Actually I can see Downing as CM, he has showed some good passing in my opinion. But he signed him with a broken foot, and won't feature until Christmas.

They've spent a lot of money to probably finish in the same position though. But looking at things at the moment, Man City have spent a hell of a lot more money and won't break the top four... and if they do it will be at a very high cost (a very unrealistic cost for Villa) Was Barry even that good for them? I remember Brummie saying that he wasn't and tbh i can't remember anything special from him last season... I'm not saying that he was the cornerstone of the team, but surely one of their more important players. And he hasn't been replaced with a player of similar stature (not necessarily the same kind of player!).

They've spent a lot of money to probably finish in the same position though. Yeah, other teams will improve, so you have to improve too. This year it looks like Spurs and City have jumped above them in terms of squad. If Everton manages to recover they could have problems getting into Europe (not that MON seems to care anyway!)

I'd agree with that statement if Barry was still in the team.

Liverpool haven't spent that much, have them? Johnson - 18 Aquilani - 20 Greek guy - 1 1/2 Correct me if my figures are wrong.

So he's a mutant.

Works for me, Xavi will start to decline by then. But depending on how our (Arsenal and Barça's) seasons are, there's a good chance it will get done next season.

We know that, you know that, the papers know that yet it doesn't get put to rest. He will come at some point though. Fear not. Incidentally, Marca reporting Tottingham tried to sign RVN on deadline day, and he refused.

what absolutely stunning and beautiful name Pretty common Spanish name, my grandfather has it. Continuing with exceedengly tiresome transfer sagas, both Barça and Madrid "ITKs" claim that they will get Cesc and Ribery for Christmas. The Cesc thing, apparently, would happen if Arsenal doesn't make it past the group stages, which is as likely as me getting to practise bed gymnastics with Scarlett Johansson.

I was hoping Bendtner would leave Arsenal and thus guarantee our second CL title on the trot, now my dreams have been quashed.

Incidentally, highlights of the game were the two drunk Turks in Newcastle Emre shirts sitting in front of me.

For a moment I thought you just got sold.

Guess I am spoiled. Ibrahimovic, though, such good touches. Pity he's obviously off the pace, as he was really tired towards the end (he didn't even run to celebrate his goal).

Honestly, we had the ball a lot but did sod all with it. And if Sporting had decent forward players they could have launched pretty decent counterattacks since we lost it several times rather stupidly. Busquets had a mare on that regard.

Well, we didn't really play all that well today, and I reckon that better opposition would have given us problems. Sporting were courageous but ultimately pretty poor. Their deadball defending was dire, and that's where we got the goals. I'm chuffed that the likes of Bojan, Pedro and Keita had pretty good games though, they are not first teamers but we'll need them this season. Regarding Ibrahimovic... At last a player we can launch long balls to

I have a suitably foreign name and a home video of myself hitting an overhead kick on a playground ten years ago. Where do I sign?

This is not Football Manager, injuried players pass medicals all the time. It's a matter of checking that the injury is healing well, and it isn't worse than reported.

que? I have been owned, it seems.

Pity you didn't build that Alan Shearer statue outside SJP, I would add pace to your forward line.

I remember when the news broke out that Newcastle was paying pretty penny for Xisco. It was a collective Wh-What? accompanied of Lendoiro filling up his car's fuel tank to drive him up the chunnel. But I reckon that unless you plan on lining up cardboard figures of Shearer, Beardsley and MacDonald, you should have kept him.

Really? It's on the club page. Strangely, the English version seems not updated yet. http://www.realracingclub.com/default.aspx It's a loan move, so no money (was he on high wages?)

Racing Santander just confirmed Xisco's arrival.