Official Football Discussion Thread 2013/14

[Keith]

Meh Suarez would have probably been the top goal scorer last year if he didn't go and get himself suspended for the last few games. Plus with the likes of Coutinho and such we have a decent enough line up going forward. Although do agree one additional striker (shame we just loaned out Borini) would have been nice.



How so? We basically went out and bought players for depth this summer.

I can't say for sure in terms of numbers but in terms of quality and who Arsenal have to replace their top players I think they have a better squad than Liverpool's. Like many others I still think Liverpool are a bit light up front even with Suarez returning. They are much improved and I actually see them instead of Spurs challenging for the top four, but I just think the know how of Arsenal plus the signing of Ozil will swing it in their favour.

 

[CGS]

Defensively I'd say we are definitely more secure than you guys in players & depth quality, We've basically got a main and at least one good back up for each defensive position. midfield is up for discussion for sure, could swing either way. Although I may give the edge to you guys. Forwards I'd say your cover is stronger than ours though. I'd take the options of Podolski & AOC over guys like Moses & Alberto, but when it comes down to numbers we've got a decent amount of precuationary cover. Guys like Aspas can play up front as well as on the wing.

 

[Doink]

lolwut?

United looked blunt as fuck against Liverpool and Chelsea and i'd be damn surprised if they were close points wise to the title at the end of the season, Moyes is totally out of his depth.

Did YOU see the Man City game? If Hull weren't nailed on relegation candidates then they could have easily got something out of that game. I'm not going to say they dominated the game like Cork did but stats don't tell the whole story.

And massive at saying Arsenal were lucky against Spurs, they were comfortable as fuck barring one outstanding save from Sczesny and it could have been a rout if Lloris wasn't on form. Tottenham were never going to score that game, let alone win.

Chelsea and United were scared of each other, neither wanted to attack but United were amazing against Swansea at the Liberty which is always a hard place to go. I did see the City game and tbh it was a comfortable victory in the end, they did what they needed to do. Arsenal were not comfortable as fuck at all, Tottenham dominated possession and both had the same number of chances, Szczesny played well.
[MENTION=39]Keith[/MENTION] Liverpools squad is nowhere near as light as Arsenals. They have just brought in Aspas, Luis Alberto, Sakho, Ilori, Moses, Cissokho, Mignolet and Toure to add to a solid base. They have plenty of strength in depth. Man City, Tottenham and Chelsea have also strengthened massively whilst Arsenal are in an injury crisis and only brought in Ozil.

 

[The Cork]

Not interested in the numbers, statto. I watched the Hull game and they had the better chances, Aluko and Danny Graham could easily of had them winning before City did.

Also we lost to Villa via 2 pens and a red. City weren't unlucky against Cardiff.

Man Utd will struggle in their Champs League group, calling it now. They will lose to Sociedad. Fellaini will be their new Veron.

If Liverpool could work out Suarez and Sturridge as a partnership they could be up there with us and Chelsea, but I think they'll have to sacrifice one for the other. Sad but I think as soon as Sturride hits a dry spell, Suarez will be straight back in till the end of the season.

Prediction
1/ Chelsea - have the biggest and best squad in world football. Eto'o, Mata, Hazard, Schurrle, Lampard, etc. Just too strong.

2/ Arsenal - we'll go on a brilliant run after Christmas and just miss out. Giroud will win the golden boot, if Spurs stop diving so Soldado gets easy pens.

3/ Man City - they have way too many attacking options, can see them outscoring everyone else to cover for their woeful defence.

4/ Man Utd - think they'll have to add in Jan, too many players not of Man Utd quality there (Welbeck is awful and Giggs is ancient)

5/ Spurs - they will gel eventually and Soldado will drag them thru rough patches with his goals. Lloris is the best keeper in the league so can't see them leaking too many either.

6/ Norwich - darkhorses. Made brilliant signings and play attractive football under an underrated manager. Redmond will be Young Player of the Year.

7/ Liverpool - fairly young squad and I can see another Suarez controversy messing things up again. If anything it'll be next season they'll come good.

8/ Cardiff - same as Norwich. Did some good business.

9/ Villa - look 100x better than last season. Benteke doesn't look like he's having second season syndrome and Weimann is still quality. Kozak is a good addition, he'll fit in well in the Prem.

10/ Swansea - Bony and Michu is one of the best CF partnerships in Europe...on paper. Europe will be a distraction.

11/ Southampton - solid signings. Osvaldo is more of a flair player than a goalscorer so they'll be relying on Lambert again. Lost one of their best players last season in Puncheon though.

12/ West Ham - Nolan and Carroll will keep them out of danger. Scrappy, boring team though.

13/ Newcastle - Alan Pardew will be sacked by Xmas. Not because he's bad, but because they are run pretty badly. Cisse doesn't look interested and Cabaye doesn't want to be there. In trouble.

14/ Fulham - One of those clubs that will be in the Prem for millions of years and nobody will ever be intersted in. Like Boro or Charlton were. Getting Bent, Taarabt, Parker & Stekelenberg is a coup for them.

15/ Everton - Most overrated manager in the league, made crap signings and lost their best player. Kone is a headless chicken up front and I don't see where their goals will come from.

16/ Stoke - Their style under Pulis was horrible to watch but kept them in the league comfortably. Trying to play on the floor isn't a good idea for a group of such talentless lumps. Stick to hoofing it route one to Crouch.

17/ Hull - Weak squad but play above their talent level. Will be in trouble till the final day but I think theres three worse teams than them, luckily.

18/ West Brom - terrible, terrible transfer window. They could of bought 461,000 buckets of KFC instead of Anichebe, which is ironic considering thats what they'll need to feed the fat bastard.

19/ Sunderland - already look in dire straights. The players seem to hate the manager, and I haven't heard of most their signings. Mignolet was a huge loss.

20/ Crystal Palace - Grandin. Bannan. Dobbie. Jerome Thomas. Chamakh. Kebe. Sounds like they are already preparing for the Championship for next season. Dwight Gayle for nearly £7m was an awful buy considering Peterborough are in League 1, surely they could of got him cheaper.

 

[Dale]

Cork has competition from Doink now for being the biggest troll / person in denial. This could be fun.

 

[Wrestling with Shadows]

Why aren't I involved in the race for biggest troll D:? I war for Liverpool till the death, YNWA!

 

[Troy]

I have a question regarding the Bale transfer. How much of that £86 transfer fee goes to Bale, how much to Tottenham, how much to his previous clubs? What I find odd is that the transfer fee is a huge £86 million yet his salary is "only" £15 million, is that normal to pay around six years wages to get a guy to move clubs?

 

[Doink]

Everton 15th and you wonder where we will get goals from - LUKAKU. Guys a monster.

 

[Dale]

I have a question regarding the Bale transfer. How much of that £86 transfer fee goes to Bale, how much to Tottenham, how much to his previous clubs? What I find odd is that the transfer fee is a huge £86 million yet his salary is "only" £15 million, is that normal to pay around six years wages to get a guy to move clubs?

All 86 will go to Tottenham in whatever payment scheme they settled on, could be X million a year for X amount of years.
Nothing goes to his previous club Southampton because they fucked up badly and here's why

Southampton’s top brass had around 20 million fairly good reasons to feel aggrieved when Gareth Bale completed his world record transfer to Real Madrid on Monday morning.
You see, there was a time when the Saints would’ve been contractually entitled to a quarter of the £85.4million (€100.9million) that Real Madrid slung Tottenham’s way in return for Bale thanks to a 25% sell-on clause which was inserted in the Welshman’s contract when he moved from St Mary’s to Spurs in 2007 for an eventual £7million.
Unfortunately for Southampton, they allowed Spurs to buy themselves out of certain elements of Bale’s contract (including the sell-on clause) for a lump sum of somewhere between £2-3million when the club found themselves short on cash just a year later.
And that, kiddiwinks, is how Southampton missed out on £21.3million yesterday!
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The Saints were allowed to cherry-pick Spurs’ youth team keeper Tommy Forecast as part of the Bale buy-out bargain. Five years later, he’s now playing for Chelmsford City in the Conference South. He made no first-team appearances for Southampton.

That salary is extremely high for a player regardless of what the transfer fee is. As far as what money Bale and his agents will have got, the agents will have made some serious bank and i'm sure Bale will have got a pretty packet too as a sweetener or whatever you want to call it, not that he needed it to move to a club like Real. He'll have had to forfit is loyalty bonus from Tottenham though as he was the one who engineered the move and not Tottenham themselves, but given what money he's going to make that'll be nothing.

 

[Gimmick]

I have a question regarding the Bale transfer. How much of that £86 transfer fee goes to Bale, how much to Tottenham, how much to his previous clubs? What I find odd is that the transfer fee is a huge £86 million yet his salary is "only" £15 million, is that normal to pay around six years wages to get a guy to move clubs?

As far as I know Bale doesn't get any of the transfer fee, all that goes to Spurs. Southampton had a 25% sell-out clause for him back when they sold him but decided to sell it for 2 million because they were in a bit of financial difficulty.

You'd normally see young players like him get a five-year contract, but I guess Madrid wanted to give him another year on top of that. They probably could have given him a smaller salary if they tried, but it's because of clubs like Madrid that players would demand that much.

Edit: Doesn't matter. Dale answered your question first, and in a lot more detail!

 

[Keith]

Cork has competition from Doink now for being the biggest troll / person in denial. This could be fun.

Thing is I respect Doink's views but am starting to wonder if he's been watching the same games as the rest of us lol.

I don't even agree that Utd dominated Swansea in that first game. I saw the whole game and it never looked a 4-1 sort of game.

 

[AF.]

Really looking forward to this weeks EPL fixture given some of the moves that have taken place. Disappointed to see Bale leave England, although I fully expect him and Ronaldo to dominate the Spanish league.

Not sure how Fellaini will fit into United. I expect him to come off the bench for a few weeks. Also looking forward to Ozil at Arsenal.

 

[The Cork]

Really looking forward to this weeks EPL fixture given some of the moves that have taken place. Disappointed to see Bale leave England, although I fully expect him and Ronaldo to dominate the Spanish league.

Not sure how Fellaini will fit into United. I expect him to come off the bench for a few weeks. Also looking forward to Ozil at Arsenal.

I'm looking forward to watching the prem this weekend too, all zero games being played.

It's international fixtures, guy.

 

[Dale]

 

[AF.]

I'm looking forward to watching the prem this weekend too, all zero games being played.

It's international fixtures, guy.

Damn there goes my weekend's plans.