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

i like hooper, definitely think he's got the knack

whether that by itself makes a top class footballer is another thing tho

He's decent, and I think would shine in any set-up that provided chances for him.

twitter saying qpr are getting fabio on loan for next season

sounds like a crap signing to me

depends on whether it refers to capello or the model/actor

any premiership clubs been linked with him?

New boys Southampton had a wee bite in January and might have another go. No rumours I'm aware of about anyone else. He's currently being offered a new deal and making noises about having a crack at the Champions League with Celtic but things can change quickly when/if the cash rich EPL comes knocking.

I think he's a better goalscorer than Jelavic but not as intelligent or productive around the box. He's usually as selfish as you'd expect from a penalty box player - excellent knack for finding the far post across the goalie. Uses his body well for a relatively wee guy. Quicker than his awkward running style suggests. His goals per game ratio so far is better than Henrik Larsson's - though imo the league is of a lower quality than it was then so that doesn't tell that much of a story.

As r|t|c* says - he's got the knack. It's something you just see in a certain kind of player. Feed him and he'll score.

* I can't help thinking Rangers Tax Case when I see those letters.

Fabio will be good, and i hope he stays in England when he goes on loan. I like this quote from Berba's agent

"Plus, there has never been a Bulgarian player at PSG, so it could be good."

dunno i'm probably just feeling burnt after macheda the useless cunt

implication he'll be here instead of taiwo is what's unwelcome mainly. if he's to compete with onuoha for rb then fair enough i suppose, saves the pennies

plus sparky's not up sir alex's arse like most managers so i guess it does suggest there's plan to it at least

How much did Macheda actually play? He is shite obviously

didnt dmac say he was gonna start a thread about england b teams or something, yer man hooper's a prime candidate for that

think if defoe wasnt there you'd like to think a football man would see hooper's otherwise rare talents and call him up for a once-over at least

xp i dunno, couple of games? maybe half a game, either way it was immediately apparent he'd be pointless. starstruck warnock signing

WEST HAM BID 7M FOR BAS DOST

Do not let this happen, other 19 members of the Premier League. Although, if he laughed at the idea of going to Villa, i'm not sure spending a year picking up balls rebounding off Kevin Nolan's arse is going to have more appeal.

Time for a Bas Dost thread I say.

BIG SAM SEEKS BAS-RELIEF

is a headline i didnt see today

remind me again why we're forcing the cult thing onto this dude?

Sometimes you just know, y'know? Here's his chance to let us down in record time.

on his way to Utd or Arsenal allegedly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JKRr605voU&

surprised swansea appear to be being given a free run at sigurdsson

It’s been my first full season. I thought I started well and then had some ups and downs towards the end. Overall, I am happy with the way things have gone. From where I was with the injury that I had I think I’ve done pretty well. It was a long season and it was something my body has not been used to. It was quite obvious that I would get tired towards the end. To ask me to play to a high standard week in, week out in the Premier League when you think of the pace that goes with it, was very physically demanding.

People do forget how long I was out of the game and what happened.

?

nice to see italian police wait until the end of the season to arrest lazio captain Mauri and... possibly search the home of Juve boss Conte

I'm seeing conflicting reports on the Conte thing - he has at least been part of the investigation and some say his home was one of the 17 searched.

Liverpool need to slow down on Martinez, Emery could still walk in the shadow of Rafa

Emery, who has already accepted an offer to coach Spartak Moscow next season

ok one day i'll learn to do more than read headlines

hiddink is all but confirmed in DoF role?

Getting the manager/head coach to do press conferences and gee the team up a bit, and the dof to do everything else (tactics, signings, youth set-up etc) seems a smart move to me. If that IS how they're gonna do it.

Van Gaal is it not

https://twitter.com/hazardeden10/status/207052543505858560

"...and you can find out my decision on my live tv special"

Johnny Stokes, voice of the people.

Johnny Stokes ‏@johnny_stokes
@hazardeden10 your a twat. Your not even in england yet and I dislike you. Your not messi or ronaldo.

p sure that tactics fall under coach's remit, essentially the goods are supplied as per yr operational requirements, up to you to then get results.

Traditionally tactics fall under the coach's remit, but I don't see why it necessarily has to. Managers who are good with the press are often not the best actual managers, and the Rafa/Hodgson/Kenny run of poor public faces maybe convinced them to switch it up a bit. I mean, why pay Hiddink an enormous amount of money just to sign players when his reputation is largely based on his tactical nous?

guys, why do you keep saying Hiddink

fair question, i can't answer it tbh.

but, dof role is really designed as a background role providing longterm supply of suitable players and taking the responsibility for transfers out of the hands of a coach that may typically stay in the role for only a few years.

There's an argument for tactics being allied to that role, i suppose, but were you to make that argument then you'd not really be leaving a role for a coach. tactical decisions inform selection, probably have a lot of influence over motivation, and why you'd want someone dealing with the press when they aren't actually answerable for these calls i couldn't say- or, at least, call a spade a spade and just have the pr guy do it and forego the pointless 1st team coach role entirely?

hiddink and van gaal are the same person, NN? Hiddink Van Gaal?

Emery, who has already accepted an offer to coach Spartak Moscow next season

Ooh you are awful... but I like you

Haha Number None, Eden Hazard is acting v Lebron-esque. Shame he's not currently one of the best 2 players in the world.

Dunno whether anything's happening at Liverpool or not, but Brendan Rodgers is now favourite with some bookies. Klopp's odds have also come right in. That run on Hiddink still hasn't materialised though.

Do these betting exchanges accept bets on someone NOT becoming the next LFC manager? If so I would look into re-mortgaging my house to put money on Klopp not taking the job.

Emery, who has already accepted an offer to coach Spartak Moscow next season

Ooh you are awful... but I like you

― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Monday, 28 May 2012 11:54 (49 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haha

van gaal dof is going to be a big fat fuckin car crash just you wait

what happened to martinez? thought that was a done deal, having ice cream and all.

also it looks like gylfi is staying at swansea? that makes me happy

http://www.goal.com/en/news/596/exclusive/2012/05/28/3131748/sevilla-in-hunt-for-reo-coker-agent

uh huh

The press still says Martinez to be confirmed tomorrow. I just happened to notice he was no longer favourite and thought it odd. I don't actually know if anyone knows anything tbh, it may all just be Dave Whelan shooting his mouth off.

Just give Van Gaal the manager's job if the alternative is Martinez imo

did not know that bobby martinez has released an autobiography. will have to get myself a copy.

apparently no one wants to sign you Eden because you waited too long. sorry about that Eden you'll have to stay at Lille. Awkward!

http://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2O3oy.jpg

http://www.footballfancast.com/2012/05/championship/return-of-pride-will-stop-hammers-going-for-barton

i know picking on random bloggers is fish in a barrel stuff but oh how i lol'd long and hard at this