"We've momentum and we can't afford to lose it tbh"- The '13-'14 summer transfer window thread for PL and beyond

Wolves' Karl Henry insists tackle that injured Bobby Zamora was fair
• 'I felt it was a good tackle,' says the Wolves captain
• Midfielder sends his sympathies to the Fulham striker

Karl Henry insists he did not intend to injure Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, whose right leg was broken in a tackle by the Wolves midfielder. Zamora, who also has ligament damage, will be out for as long as five to six months despite a successful operation.

fuck the world tbh

i grimaced when we signed derry and rbrqch but this really is something else

Just as well Bobby Z's not the sulking kind. Is he staying btw? The big league needs Bobby Z imo.

Oh, and another defeat for Man Utd. Moyes is acquiring an air of haplessness, rarely agl.

people say these pre-season friendlies don't mean anything but a string of defeats kind of does imo.

maybe two not a string yet. i'm just thinking back on liverpool losing loads of warm-ups before finishing seventh in 09/10

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68896000/jpg/_68896447_163578688.jpg

stop. martino time.

no chance bobby's leaving, he's a top top lad, you know what you're going to get with him

Henry's reputation as a dirty player is a bit unfair. He's slow as fuck so he gets to the tackle late if he gets there at all but mostly he doesn't get there. also he panics if he's got possession and struggles to pick out a pass at 3 yards, and as a shield for the defence he's not up there with a sodden paper bag, but other than that he puts a shift in. kudos.

I'm more concerned with the quixotic nature of our transfer policy than another pre-season loss. It's all a bit...Arsenal

maybe two not a string yet. i'm just thinking back on liverpool losing loads of warm-ups before finishing seventh in 09/10

Given Liverpool have stayed at that level for four years now, I think it was due to more than an unfortunate set of pre-season friendly results

Isn't that what he's saying?

I'm not sure.

FWIW I don't think I know *any* of United's pre-season results in *any* year, so I can't help much in deducing whether this is A Worrying Trend

if my Football Manager experience means anything then a good run of pre-season friendlies is usually the sign that you won't win a real game for a month

Dawson said: 'We’re confident we can challenge for the top four this season. We’ve had a good pre-season, scored plenty of goals and the fans are excited by the new players that have come in.

'If you look at the signings we have made — Luca, Giovani and others — that shows the club’s ambition. David Bentley will also be a good signing.

'They will all bring quality to the team and Darren Bent is also on fire at the moment.

Given Liverpool have stayed at that level for four years now, I think it was due to more than an unfortunate set of pre-season friendly results

no, it's definitely my point that those bad results created the next four years of results.

at least after the Preston and Indonesia All Stars XI results the next four years are looking good

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/9170/oidy.jpg

yesss, get that right up ye h8rs

I remember that pre-season that Nilmar is referring to. We were on fire. And then bottom of the league in November.

Pretty sure we had a shit pre-season before 09-10 as well.

I think the one thing that almost always carries on from a bad pre-season is defensive uncertainty.

Ya, ramos was both

Arsenal have offered £40,000,001 for Suarez according to The Guardian. Apparently this means Liverpool have to notify him of their interest, as he'd have never guessed otherwise, but isn't a release clause.

wtf point of that?

My cousin the rural dj informs me that cast-iron itk sources say soldado deal done

were you just allowed to not tell players about bids for them before, idk

"a legal dispute over the wording of Suárez's contract cannot be discounted" would seem a credible likelihood

suarez would have to have historic balls to push for this tho

check out big man arsene laying down 99p more than required btw

My uncle built a boat 50cm longer than his rival's once iirc

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2013/07/23/karl-henry-signs-for-qpr/

still mildly cautious until i see him in a QPR shirt but this close season keeps getting better

http://www.qpr.co.uk/cms_images/gallery/0564-939125_478x359.jpg

“I am very pleased to have him here – it’s a really good deal for the club. He’s a good character and a winner, the type of lad I like. I think he will come in and do a great job for us.”

“We’re trying to change the club around a bit and Karl’s another piece of the jigsaw that can hopefully help us build a team that can challenge for promotion. He’s a combative midfielder and you know what you’re going to get from him week in, week out. He’ll be ready for the Saturday, Tuesday slogs and you know you can rely on him."

Henry, who will train with his new QPR team-mates tomorrow (Wednesday), added: “Harry Redknapp being manager was a massive pull and a big attraction. I spoke to him and hearing where he wants to be I jumped at the chance of joining the club.

“I have been promoted to the Premier League before and played for a few years in the top-flight, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Championship is a tough league and it sounds like Harry wants to bring in the kind of players that will get this club out of the division which is fantastic.”

He added: “I always want to win, whether it’s a game of football or a game of monopoly. Hopefully that mentality can help the team.

“It takes hard work to get out of this division. Team spirit is key; to make sure everyone in the dressing room is pulling in the same direction. If you work as hard as other teams and you have better players you win the game – it’s that simple. I can’t wait for the challenge.”

wonder what karl's monopoly strategy is

always be the boot, hotel on old kent road, somehow draw go to jail chance card every turn

Harry keeps saying Karl's a winner, where's he getting that from?

Have Arsenal signed anyone of note yet?

Nope?

Oh, carry on then.

The summer we finally have some money and its still bloody tedious with Wenger being really shit at negotiations.

"Obviously it [Arsenal's first bid] was an offer we didn't deem worthy of the talent and even if they came back with that kind of amount [£55m] there's no guarantee he would be sold even for that because we are trying to build something here."

I'm looking for a riposte a bit stronger than this tbh, maybe some swearing.

Is Suarez really that much better than ooooh, say, Higuain?

https://twitter.com/John_W_Henry/status/359926622922608641

amazing.

idgi tho, arsenal make a p good bid for a player looking to leave..?

so yeah just accept it. regardless of whether you want or need to sell him.

no, but hard;y any need for the owner to be tweeting something like that?

I really hope we don't sign Suarez.

I would love it if Suarez went to Arsenal

Imagine poor Luiz's face when he arrives at Arsenal and realises it's in Britain after all.

Luis, even.

Not real england tho

no, but hard;y any need for the owner to be tweeting something like that?

keeps fans happy. doesn't damage a deal you prob don't want to happen anyway.

I dont wanna balance something as ephemeral and objective as dignity vs keeping the fans happy but cmon

I really hope we don't sign Suarez.

― My god. Pure ideology. (ey), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 09:18 (9 minutes ago)

I assumed you'd be a Liverpool fan with a name like that

who are we to be criticising lazy zings, c'mon

Kinda think that Arsenal need this kind of a bitchslap really, remind them that for all that flashing of cash they're still a beta club.

Henry should start a Walcott-to-City rumour just to compound the insult.

He's right though, £40m isn't enough. It's also good because if the objective really was to force Real to front up, he'd be all eyes at Arsenal's (supposed) kitty.