Village Idiot

Good try (no sarcasm), but Barça's youth setup is known as "La Masia" (it would be "La Cantera" anyway). The concern is that Henry really has no understudy, and if you buy, you should always aim to improve the incumbent. We were fantastically lucky last year with injuries, lack of depth is going to be a concern this year.

Where does Tottingham get all that money from anyway? They aren't that big of a club to support that kind of spending. Although they seem to be able to resell at good prices.

we? I need a less obscure avatar I guess.

Great start for us this season as Espanyol goes down 1-0.

Spanish press reporting we have had a €40m bid for Robinho refused.

Can't wait to go to the Camp Nou tomorrow for my yearly Barça game.

Even with Modric fubared? Bentley could do a job for Tottenham now.

These past 4 years, every time I have been in town and Barça has played a home game, I have gone to the Camp Nou. That's two games, mind. (actually, make that 3, I caught the home leg of the Milan CL semifinal the year we won it)

considering the state pompy are in who could blame him Just pointing out - no sign of David James in the Portsmouth game today. Not even on the bench. Knee injury.

Wow, Milan were truely shit. Inter has a cozy little squad too.

Are we?? are we really?? .... From a friends facebook: Is nt happy that danny collins has gone t stoke. Whats that al about?x ABSOLUTE JOKE! X SERIOUS???????????? Yea serious billy. Its a joke alrite, im stil tryn t get ova it. . Thort he mite av had a fallin owt wit bruce like x Collins has apparently bn left owt the squad tday so its gota b tru. Im propa guted me lyk ha x Tell me you made up that grammar

Eto'o wasn't very good for us tonight tbf.

Diving is awful. However there are legitimate cases where a player goes down after a lawful tackle. It's easy to lose your balance if there's contact, hence I don't see a clear way to persecute this. Of course if you make a big deal of it to get a penalty awarded you lose legitimacy. However, I am a bit uneasy regarding after-the-fact refereeing. Where do you draw the line? UEFA is now admitting that Eduardo's penalty should have not been awarded. What if that penalty won the tie for Arsenal? Should the result be changed? Isn't it a moral hazard to admit the result was not lawful but allowing it to stand?

Looks like Chygrynsky is a done deal and will be closed after today's game. He should play 45 minutes for each side tonight.

Isn't Butt one of the few players to have played in the EPL every single season?

UEFA is the main culprit though, with the bloated CL money and the privileges it gives big clubs and leagues (four places, seeding, byes, etc...) that makes it an exclusive group hard to break, and devalues other competitions that are easier to break in, and could work as stepping stone otherwise.

And we rant about Real and then go and spend €60m on Ibrahimovic. I would love to see the whole madness brought down, mind you.

Thanks.

Can't wait for Arsenal trashing all those mediocre teams and all the British media calling them the second coming of football.

You'd think they'd say right 70m for Ribery plus Robben. Current rumour is that Van der Vart will also be thrown in the deal. If they don't, though, I think Real Madrid will have seriously undermined their squad advantage with getting rid of all the Dutch players. If thy get Ribery just call the other teams off, as it's a straight race between Barca and Madrid.

Group G is very open: Sevilla, Rangers and Stuttgart + some shit... all 3 have a chance and would be a fresh presence in the second round.

Inter, awesome. Eto'o to score a hattrick. Oh wait!

You'd think they'd say right 70m for Ribery plus Robben. Current rumour is that Van der Vart will also be thrown in the deal.

Arjen Robben to Bayern for €25m. Does this mean Ribéry will be travelling the other direction in short?

Netherlands "B" list of football notables (the Overmars, De Boers, Kluivert, Rijkaard, Winters, Robben, Wouters, Stam, etc...) is far above what Portugal regularly produces.