The Real Football Thread

[Dazed and Confused]

Redknapp gotta be one of football's biggest wage pumpers. And then when he leaves, a crater will emerge.

Use him, but stripped of all transfer responsibility. In another era we would call such a person the trainer.

 

[del1962]

Agree. No sympathy whatsoever for Redknapp. I don't want him a near the Premiership next season.

Remember this beauty when he took over.



http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/20828024

Then you look at the disaster of him signing Samba on a 100 grand a week. He's been backed hugely even in The Championship and January just gone proved it. Have one look at their loan signings where they are probably subsiding a fair amount on in terms of wages. The likes of Kranjcar wouldn't be exactly on peanuts.

When you look at the players they signed, you wonder how they got relegated, Samba was excellent at Blackburn, Hoillet another decent player, Andros Townshend on loan, Loic Remy, Jenas all in the team that went down and not just down, but with less than 30 points.

 

[del1962]

Redknapp gotta be one of football's biggest wage pumpers. And then when he leaves, a crater will emerge.

Use him, but stripped of all transfer responsibility. In another era we would call such a person the trainer.

The only club not financially ruined by him was Spurs, I expect that is because Levy is more savvy than most chairman.

 

[gooner]

When you look at the players they signed, you wonder how they got relegated, Samba was excellent at Blackburn, Hoillet another decent player, Andros Townshend on loan, Loic Remy, Jenas all in the team that went down and not just down, but with less than 30 points.

Take the players he has signed be it on loan or permanent deals since they went down, Charlie Austin, Dunne, Kranjcar, Benayoun, Carroll, Henry and Assou-Ekotto. In January just gone he got Doyle who I know was on big wages at Wolves which meant they couldn't get rid of him. They must be paying him decent coin and they also added Aaron Hughes and Morrison to the ranks. That's a massive outlay in Championship terms and they should be walking the league getting automatic promotion.

The only club not financially ruined by him was Spurs, I expect that is because Levy is more savvy than most chairman.

Redknapp knows how to play the media and they lap up the good old Harry wheeler and dealer headline. The reality in all this is he only ever goes where the money is. He goes to Portsmouth and then leaves when a director of football comes over his head. That's grand but then he goes to Southampton and relegates him and then says nobody could have kept that lot up. In the Championship Southampton were mid-table when he moved back to Portsmouth knowing full well there was going to be a lorry load of money spent by Gaydamak. Then as soon as that starts to freeze up he jumps ship to Spurs. He was messing around the England job for months to the point that Spurs bottled a 10 pt lead to Arsenal to miss out on CL. As soon as Hodgson is then confirmed he expresses a desire to have his contract extended at Spurs. He tried to pull a fast one and Levy seen right through it. Redknapp is all out for himself and he doesn't look to build up any lasting legacy at the clubs he has been at to set them up for the future.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

http://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-how-will-the-2014-world-cup-ball-swerve-22985

Hard Evidence: how will the 2014 World Cup ball swerve?

 

[Christian]

Let's go gunners! Make this an interesting game

 

[Christian]

Arsenal has a history of signing players that I like, therefore I have always had sympathy for the club, though I am by no means a fan, and I don't usually follow their results. I am neutral about their current team.

Here are some historic Arsenal players that I liked:

Freddie Ljungberg (cool *** guy)
Thierry Henry
Jens Lehman
Patrick Vieira
Dennis Bergkamp
Davor Suker
Ashley Cole
Gilberto Silva

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Let's go gunners! Make this an interesting game

Very limited spirit and willpower in the London team here. Playing to limit embarrassment imo.

 

[Christian]

Yep it's not going very well, is it. They did make a lot of announcements but now are not following up on them

 

[gooner]

Cazorla and Chamberlain played well but you cannot compete at this level with the likes of Giroud as your striker. He is not an Arsenal player in any way shape or form and ruined their build up play on numerous occasions tonight. I've had enough of him and I can't make out how Wenger has still persisted with him with no acivity in the transfer market to address it.

Arteta needs to be replaced too. The two previous seasons he has done well and the signing has worked as he helped stabilise the team when they were in trouble after the humiliating defeat to United in 2011 on top of the departures of Nasri and Fabregas. Wenger has converted him deeper to a defensive midfield role but a more specialised midfielder in that role is now needed. Arteta nowadays lacks athleticism to cover the gaps defensively.

Sagna is out of contract and will be needed to be replaced. Vermaelen will probably leave which will leave only 2 recognised centre backs at the club. Fabianski is out of contract as well and that area will need to be looked at to put Sczcesny under pressure for his place. Wenger's hand will be forced here.

The funds are there, if Wenger is still the great manager that some still think he is, he will address the obvious weaknesses in the team and be ruthless once and for all in the transfer market.

What's more frustrating is that I fell Bayern aren't this unbeatable machine. They're a great side but I don't get that same vibe from this team that I had with Guardiola's Barca team.

 

[gustienordic]

Does anyone think City can beat Barca today? I'm expecting a game similar to Bayern v. Arsenal. PSG vs. Lever should be another washout!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Does anyone think City can beat Barca today? I'm expecting a game similar to Bayern v. Arsenal. PSG vs. Lever should be another washout!

I think City will go all in. Could be a great game.

PSG too strong.

 

[gustienordic]

I think City will go all in. Could be a great game.

PSG too strong.

For how well Lever has been doing so far this season (minus last monthish) they really don't have that great of a team, especially compared to Schalke & Dortmund.

 

[Pricey_sky]

For how well Lever has been doing so far this season (minus last monthish) they really don't have that great of a team, especially compared to Schalke & Dortmund.

I agree, they got hammered by Man united after all...

Take Bayern and Dortmund out of the bundesliga and its actually not that strong a league.

 

[Christian]

For how well Lever has been doing so far this season (minus last monthish) they really don't have that great of a team, especially compared to Schalke & Dortmund.

Schalke and Leverkusen have similar quality, except Schalke has been missmanaged for years while Leverkusen has always been managed well. I think that makes a big difference

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Ebandit ....what is going on? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1T6KT74Rnc

 

[del1962]

Did he go on to run the length of the pitch beating 10 men and scoring a wonder goal with a statuesque Terry Fenwick watching on

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I like the part where peter reid just gave up or was that the other goal?

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Uli Hoeneß found guilty of tax evasion and given 3.5 years in prison.

Lot of not-unhappy people in Germany today.....

 

[Amsterhammer]

Uli Hoeneß found guilty of tax evasion and given 3.5 years in prison.

Lot of not-unhappy people in Germany today.....

Hi Susan! What a pleasure to see you. Hadn't you 'retired' from your forum position?

I thought he might get even more than that. How high is the fine?

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

That is the only news that has come out so far.

I have retired from "actively" moderating, but still serve in an advisory role, and of course can post as a regular user!

 

[Christian]

Wow, who would have thought! Certainly not me.

Hoeness in den Knast.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

There was a lot of feeling that he would get off on the Celebrity pass. ON the other hand, he and his team are not popular with a lot of people....

I understand that the prosecutors have said they will appeal (for a stronger sentence), no doubt Hoeneß will appeal as well.

 

[Christian]

There was a lot of feeling that he would get off on the Celebrity pass. ON the other hand, he and his team are not popular with a lot of people....

He is popular with the people who count.

Bayern München board of directors:
Herbert Hainer (Adidas)
Rupert Stadler (Audi)
Martin Winterkorn (VW)
Timotheus Höttges (Telekom)

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

It will be intereting to see what the club does about him. If he does go to jail and they actually remove him, I have no doubt he will become president again the second he comes out of jail.