"The Championship is not an option" - I Love Football off-season and transfer speculation thread 2012

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Surely an Owen Hargreaves 'pay as you play' deal? QPR aren't that insane are they?

don't think stevie g's ever seriously been thought of as a future manager, but carragher certainly has. if he turns out to be good then fair enough, but i hate the idea of him just being handed the job in some sort of sentimental nod to 'the boot room'.

he could go somewhere else - Tramere? Huyton Juniors? - to learn the tropes.

no value in pay as you play with the 25 man squad rule, either you've wasted a place or he can't play even if fit

likelihood is some berk negotiated an automatic extension if we stay up, idk

The famous Tranmere literature boot room
xp

ah yeah that sounds a more likely clause r/t/c

http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=529324

Bellend of the Season 2012 - Venkys, Steve Kean and the corrupt agents involved.

Fun write-up until one scary reminder: "The truly terrifying thing about the Venky`s is that it could happen to any club."

Daily news-

Joe Cole... might be staying at Lille! :D Rudi Garcia wants to keep him but knows it is Liverpool's decision.

Deschamp seems to have said Thanks But No Thanks to LFC.

[Removed Illegal Link]

And finally, thank whatever diety may exist - Abidal is out of the hospital and seemingly all has been successful so far in treating him.

hey folks you know that previously 4th place team in EPL would have to go through the qualifying stages of champions league (amirite?) who now goes through the qualifying stages, if any?

fuck, sorry wrong thread.

Chelsea, I think.

so looks like the drog's off, to cash in on china. seems a little bit premature in that as a late starter in football he's probably actually got similar, maybe even less, wear and tear than torres has but understandable i guess

i'm guessing they won't go so far as letting lampard go?

could lure him away with a trail of M and Ms

http://twitter.com/#!/1Dev/status/204649529260244994/photo/1

hey noodles seen this

eh a qualifier from a smaller european league must now go through an extra qualifying round iirc

Drog more than good enough to be a league-winning striker imo, but he's had long injury niggles for every season since forever

lolineux. dunno, that picture doesn't look like it's from seat level, but nowt wd surprise me. people wd probably have paid extra to only see half the game this season.

Anticipating a summer in which we are tantalized by all manner of new and exciting tricky Eastern Europeans whose value will rocket and will look amazing until their tenth game in the Premiership.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/may/21/harry-redknapp-daniel-levy-spurs

silent billionaire

Just talk to Sébastien Bassong who, when on the brink of a transfer to Queens Park Rangers, watched Levy wake up in the morning and double the agreed fee.

mrs bassong was right all along; this had been no way to force a transfer through.

Probably figured it worked for Keane-to-Liverpool.

Keegan
Hoddle
Tigana
Sven-Goran Eriksson
Curbishley
Neil Lennon (pretty good fit given relations Celtic - LFC?)

yeah i mean, they might as well just appoint anyone who actually is a manager, you're right. you forgot dave bassett though and ian branfoot too. and brian robson. fuck it maybe terry phelan can manage, worth a try. or someone from another sport like tim henman or graham gooch.

this morning's news anyway, is that capello is to have talks with FSG

it's psg

f u sg

Ooh - does that mean Ancelotti out? Henry, Henry, sign him up.

All four English sides automatically into the group stages btw xp, darragh's right.

Change the rules and stick 'em in the same group I say.

Darragh's "psg" was a "joke"

f
s
g
when the crowd say booooo
seleeeeeeect martinez

I get my news from ilx, lol me

Robinson became something of a hero for Rovers fans this season as, unlike the rest of the team, he continued to acknowledge their support when the going got tough. However, this 'connection' brought the goalkeeper a lot more credit than his performances deserved. The weekly compilation of Premier League Numbers & Stats caused gasps in F365 Towers whenever Robinson's performances were reviewed in the cold light of day. With the worst saves-to-shots ratio in the division, and by far the lowest passing accuracy, England's former number one has dropped into the level befitting his current ability. The surprising thing is, someone will probably take a chance on him this summer for one last top-flight hurrah.

nah, capello just had smthg against him iirc. The only possible explanation for his exclusion from the national team.

Phil Dowd, one of England’s top referees, is facing a sudden fight to save his career after it emerged on Tuesday night that he has failed a fitness test to continue next season.
The news hit the 49-year-old Staffordshire official within three weeks of his proudest achievement of taking charge of the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Dowd, who became a Football League referee in 1997, has just completed his 12th season in the Premier League. He must work to regain the rigorous fitness standards required of elite referees if he is to make a 13th campaign.
Referees are regularly tested on a series of timed runs in order to meet the strict criteria. Dowd’s bosses want him to continue and there is no question of his age being an issue since the relaxation of automatic retirement rules.
He has always had a naturally stocky build but has never previously struggled to hit the fitness mark. The fact that referees have to take the test in May, immediately on the back of a long and strenuous season, may now be called into question.
Instead of having a chance to recharge his batteries ahead of the test, Dowd will go on holiday knowing his future is under threat more than three months ahead of the start of next season.

Surely you would be much fitter at the end of a season than at the end of summer spent 'recharging your batteries'?

That might not actually be a metaphor. Phil Dowd could be the proud owner of Britain's largest collection of rechargeable batteries and it's only in the off-season that he gets a chance to help them reach their potential.

'reach their potential', clever

As a coach he is known as a slow starter who frequently finds his players needing ample time to grasp his tactics and intent of play. Generally his teams gather results in the second or third season under his coaching

I'm fine with this if it happens, I think. A little wary of having someone so spiky operating above the actual manager, but at the very least worth a go and there's the promise of much entertainment along the way.

I'm talking 'bout Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal to Liverpool as Director of Football btw, that wasn't a great quote to pick.

has there ever been a "Director of Football" job with a UK team that was more than bullshit PR man tho?

Comolli I guess. You have to think this is something entirely different though. What it would do is heavily restrict who the new manager can be - Martinez has got to be a lot more likely if this comes off.

"Torres is Chelsea's future" - says 34-year-old who kept him out of the team before moving to China.

"Torres is Chelsea's future" - says 34-year-old, failing to stifle his giggles, who kept him out of the team before moving to China.

― Djibril Citté (onimo), Wednesday, May 23, 2012 8:25 AM (43 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Torres is Chelsea's future" - says 34-year-old who is 20 times the player Torres ever has been or will be.

Newcastle United took the latest step in their successful French revolution yesterday when Romain Amalfitano arrived in the North-east to finalise a three-year contract. The Stade de Reims midfielder agreed in principle to move to Newcastle in February, and he returned to their Benton training ground to push through his transfer from the French side, who have just won promotion to Ligue 1.

Newcastle will not end their interest in France with his signing, either, as they hope to buy two further players from Ligue 1 during the summer transfer window.

The club have already been involved in talks with the Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. The 23-year-old has just helped his team land the title in France, for the first time, and there is huge interest in dismantling a side that was put together for very little. Newcastle are aware they face competition for the central defender, but believe they currently lead the race to land Yanga-Mbiwa as he has indicated he is keen to move to the club.

There is also an approach to Lille to sign their full-back Mathieu Debuchy. The 26-year-old bid an emotional farewell to his club's supporters on Sunday following their 4-1 victory over Nancy. That is seen as the surest indication yet that he is ready to end his 18-year association with Lille, whom he joined as an eight-year-old. That Debuchy is such a good friend of Cabaye is seen as a huge advantage to Newcastle, as they search for a new right-back.

i know debuchy and yanga-mbiwa are meant to be the business, anyone (jibe) know the scoop on amalfitano?

double European Cup finalists Stade de Reims

tbh don't know a thing about this amalfitano and i thought they were talking about the one playing at marseille except that one's name is morgan (and upon googling is the elder brother of romain). so yeah sorry don't have a lot to offer on romain amalfitano since i'm too far to actually follow ligue 2 closely.

Time for Ashley to show that lauded ruthless streak and replace Pardew with a proper manager because that's an incredible squad they're putting together.

^^^ shook

I like how that makes Jibe's post look like a mouthwatering endorsement of the lad Amalfitano