Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:12 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Villa, Pique and Puyol? Anyone else?
Journalist asks player if former club player, lifelong club fan and 'local' lad would be a good addition to squad. Player says yes. SHOCKER!

Yeah quite a few actually, how about: Messi, Xavi, Pique, Puyol, Pedro, Iniesta, Busquests and Guardiola.

Bit more than just answering a question, you can't believe it hasn't been done to unsettle and tap up Fabregas plus the whole putting the Barca shirt on him too.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:20 pm  

OoOGazOoO wrote:

Have we? ? ? Says who...

I thought the deal wasn't going any further due to his high wage demands? ? ?

Their Chairman, even if he has spouted a lot of crap during the whole saga. Seems to have been picked up by the French media now anyway with several reports saying he just needs to agree terms with us.

Dear me Gareth, please tell me you haven't started believing the NOTW now?!

OoOGazOoO wrote:

A French sports paper says something about 25 games for us and then weh ave to pay 5% (of what i dont know), to FIFA.

From what I can gather, 5% of the agreed transfer fee goes to Ben Arfa's previous clubs.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:27 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Villa, Pique and Puyol? Anyone else?
Journalist asks player if former club player, lifelong club fan and 'local' lad would be a good addition to squad. Player says yes. SHOCKER!

"He (Fabregas) wants to come here and is talking to the club about that," Xavi said.

"I have always said that he has the Barca DNA and he should be confident there will be a solution soon.

"He should play for Barca and it has to be now.

That's Xavi.

"Now it is something he feels he must do. The World Cup has not been a good thing for Arsenal.
"It has meant that he has been spending every day with myself, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Victor Valdes – and he has made his feelings very clear to us.
"He is keeping his mind focused on Spain but his heart is in Barcelona. I think already in his heart he is wearing a Barcelona shirt next season."

That's the fudgepacker.

"He isn't just being deprived of moving to the best club in the world. More importantly, he is being deprived of coming home.

"He has tried everything to win trophies at Arsenal and when he sees the success so many of his Spanish team-mates are having at Barcelona, it's only natural that he should want to be a part of that."

"He is the future of Barcelona and Arsenal can't do anything to stop that. I have just spent six weeks with him and there is only one club he wants to be at.

"The worst-case scenario is that we have to wait another 12 months for him to join us - but Arsenal, Barcelona and Cesc know that is the very worst-case scenario."

That's the 'greatest captain ever ever'.

“Javier won’t play for the club again, I can assure you of that, and I think the Liverpool coach knows that now,”

“Javier’s family are unhappy and the pressure of seeing that is making him depressed and Liverpool must act humanely and let him go.”

That is Messi's input on Mascherano.


There are probably many more, but why don't they just shut up and keep their nose out? Is it fair on Arsenal/Liverpool fans to have people like Messi and Xavi rubbing their nose in it? Who are they to come out and tell clubs how to behave? If Messi is after the humane thing, maybe he should give Liverpool the extra £10m we want, as his club are wasting our time.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:28 pm  

Dan_FC wrote:

Yeah quite a few actually, how about: Messi, Xavi, Pique, Puyol, Pedro, Iniesta, Busquests and Guardiola.
Bit more than just answering a question, you can't believe it hasn't been done to unsettle and tap up Fabregas plus the whole putting the Barca shirt on him too.

Pique, Puyol and Reina. I suppose a Fabregas-less Arsenal would be a boost for Liverpool.
It's been an open secret that Fabregas wanted to 'go home'. Really don't see what's so different about this transfer saga (to use Skysports speyk) compared to many others.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:39 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Pique, Puyol and Reina. I suppose a Fabregas-less Arsenal would be a boost for Liverpool.
It's been an open secret that Fabregas wanted to 'go home'. Really don't see what's so different about this transfer saga (to use Skysports speyk) compared to many others.

The difference is you don't usually have seven players and the coach coming out trying to unsettle a player with comments in the media. Everyone knows he wants to go back to Barca but plenty of players want to leave clubs but you don't get this very often.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 4:14 pm  

Who's the lass presenting the Champions League Draw?

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 4:27 pm  

ash4hullfc wrote:

I think you're expecting far too much. It's not as if we're going to be selling all of those players either. There is still crap in the squad but there is also some promise.

Lovenkrands was fine in the PL last time and performed very well in the Championship. Not a world beater but a decent option and very much needed in our squad as he's the only striker we have with genuine pace. Routledge doesn't have as much pace as people make out but uses his good footwork to get away from defenders. Again not a world beater but is another decent option. How many times have you seen Ranger play? I agree that Best and Smith aren't good enough.

You said defenders first off, which is why I questioned it. Enrique is the best player in our squad, nevermind just our best defender. Coloccini is also better than Taylor. It could also be questioned whether Campbell is better than Taylor, same for Williamson. Like I've said, I like Taylor - he's one of my favourite players and I'd like him to stay - but he isn't our best centre-back. Coloccini was a rock last season and has started this season well. Both he and Williamson had a couple of slightly dodgy moments at Old Trafford but both still came out with a lot of credit. They were both awesome on Sunday too.

Don't get to many games so only see Ranger for us on the telly, my mate goes over regularly though and has had very little in good words to say about him and he is a fairly positive sort of fan.

Coloccini loses concentration and composure far too easy. It was more than a dodgy moment when he was stood, finger up his *rse, too slow to react when Fletcher was right next to him. I'll give him time to prove he can justify the money we paid for him though.

Routledge can get away from defenders but what is the point in having a player that can beat men but has sod all of an end product whether it be pass or cross.

Ok I agree about Lovenkranks, I don't think he is good enough but is perfectly adequate as a squad player.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:56 pm  

Very nice Mr Alex

See you in Round of 16.

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:32 pm  

Where is that wire bloke to tell us Roy is useless?

Re: Close Season Football Chat : Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:47 pm  

Sooper Woy, he is de greatest, much better than evrybody else!