Football The 2013 / 2014 Season Thread

[soze]

The arseblog was good yesterday talking about the whole Luis Suarez thing. Pointing out how similar it is to the Nasri situation. It is weird for us to be on the other side of things. There is no hope in hell we will be paying £60m-£80m for the guy, if I am honest I think the £40m plus £1 bid will be as high as we go. And as we have proved time and time again sitting in his way will hurt no one but Liverpool in the long run. It is all well and good saying he can sit in the reserves and rot and I doubt he will give a single shit if you do that as he still gets paid. If you force it to stay and get him to play they he will not make an effort and he will not risk injury until December when he will put himself in the shop window again.

Liverpool would do so much better to get rid of him as soon as possible so they have time to replace him properly. I know they don't want to sell to us and they think he is worth £80m but they are dreaming. He is not even worth the £55m Cavani went for because no one else wants him there is no bidding war. I can see him going to RM last minute for about £30m if they don't get Bale. Which will leave Liverpool scrambling to replace him.

And with Countinho they actually looked better when Suarez was banned so I don't even think Liverpool will miss him honestly.

 

[caLLous]

Bloomberg predictions for the league.

I know I'm a Spurs fan and everything but I genuinely don't see it ending up like this. It's a fairly useless prediction to make halfway through the season, let alone at the beginning (before the transfer window has even warmed up)...

 

[Lethul]

Bloomberg predictions for the league.

I know I'm a Spurs fan and everything but I genuinely don't see it ending up like this. It's a fairly useless prediction to make halfway through the season, let alone at the beginning (before the transfer window has even warmed up)...

Think Spurs will finish ahead of Arsenal, and hopefully ahead of United as well

 

[caLLous]

Yeah and, sorry not to reciprocate the love, but I don't think Liverpool will get as high as 6th.

 

[soze]

If Spuds keep Bale then they could go 3rd. If you sell him you will bottle it and be 5th again. That is taking the fairly safe bet that we don't drastically improve the squad.

And it looks like Suarez or his lawyer need to learn to read before signing.

However, Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor explained there is no clause in the player's deal that means Liverpool have to sell him if a club offers more than £40m.
"If there is a minimum offer of £40m then the parties will discuss things but it does not say the club has to sell," said Taylor.
"There is a 'good faith' clause in relation to serious discussions, but I can't say it is a cast-iron buy-out clause."

 

[Lethul]

Yeah and, sorry not to reciprocate the love, but I don't think Liverpool will get as high as 6th.

Hmpf! I think we will come 6th, close to 5th but probably not making it.

ps. And my Goaldado give me lots of Fantasy points

 

[Raven]

Yeah and, sorry not to reciprocate the love, but I don't think Liverpool will get as high as 6th.

I think they can actually. They finished very strongly last season and have made one or two good purchases. If the squad gels then there is no reason for them not to really. I actually think Arsenal are going to struggle for a top 5 finish this season. All the teams around them have strengthened their squads too much. If Spurs can keep Bale (Which I think they will do) then they will almost definitely finish above Arsenal and possibly even challenge for 3rd.

 

[caLLous]

If Spuds keep Bale then they could go 3rd. If you sell him you will bottle it and be 5th again. That is taking the fairly safe bet that we don't drastically improve the squad.

I think we're good tbh, we've made some fantastic signings and who knows who else will come. We've signed our first proper striker sincer Berbatov ffs. I'm still optimistic (it's not a known emotion for a Spurs fan) about Bale staying, too. With Capoue joining (still not confirmed), we're becoming strong all over the team.

And Suarez is done at Liverpool, I don't see any way back for him there. On top of all the bitey stuff, who would want to sign a player that keeps suing his club?

And tbh Lethul, I think you will get a solid Europa place this year. I don't think Everton will be as strong with Martinez so you might even become the best club in Liverpool again.

 

[CorNokZ]

Deluded Arsenal "friend" on my Facebook came with this glorious prediction this morning of how the EPL would look by the end of the season

1. Arsenal - They will sign Suarez, score the same amount of goals as last season + 20-25 extra from Suarez and let in fewer goals
2. Chelsea
3. City
4. Tottenham/Swansea/Newcastle - These three will be battling for fourth spot

United will end up struggling for Europa qualification.

It is funny because he is 100% sure this is how it will pan out. A few months ago when Suarez took a snack outta Ivanovich he ranted at him calling him a rat, a horrible person, racist etc. Now he is apparently the best player in the EPL and deserves a quality side with a solid manager

 

[Aoami]

i think it's a pretty widely held opinion that Suarez is an odious little cunt, but an exceptional player.

 

[CorNokZ]

I am not one to question his skills, he is amazing, but as soon Suarez was linked with Arsenal he started licking his balls

 

[soze]

I think we're good tbh, we've made some fantastic signings and who knows who else will come. We've signed our first proper striker sincer Berbatov ffs. I'm still optimistic (it's not a known emotion for a Spurs fan) about Bale staying, too. With Capoue joining (still not confirmed), we're becoming strong all over the team.

And Suarez is done at Liverpool, I don't see any way back for him there. On top of all the bitey stuff, who would want to sign a player that keeps suing his club?

And tbh Lethul, I think you will get a solid Europa place this year. I don't think Everton will be as strong with Martinez so you might even become the best club in Liverpool again.

I just think it is rare for that many new players to instantly gel and perform at their best. So without Bale I think next season could be tough for you until everyone finds their feet. You have strengthened massively but I don't see the players coming in and all playing shit hot.

 

[caLLous]

I just think it is rare for that many new players to instantly gel and perform at their best. So without Bale I think next season could be tough for you until everyone finds their feet. You have strengthened massively but I don't see the players coming in and all playing shit hot.

Keep telling yourself that.

 

[Aoami]

@SinceThfcLeague10m
Tottenham are now officially the biggest spenders in premier league history yet to win a major trophy (£617million). How embarrassing.

 

[Raven]

Net or Gross? Because it's still probably Villa.

 

[megadave]

Did you watch it? Seen the score and the goals, but how did we play?

Madrid were clearly better and the scoreline was fair, overall Ronaldo was the difference though. The first half was pretty even but we made a bunch of subs at half time and Madrid didn't, it was basically their first team from last year and they dominated most of the second half.
Van ginkel was great again but we clearly lack a proper passing CM imo, need one more than a striker.

 

[Aoami]

Not many affordable options out there at the moment. Cheeky offer for Cesc perhaps?

 

[soze]

Barcelona do not want to sell and Cesc does not want to go that would be a very expensive cheeky offer

 

[Raven]

If he goes anywhere it will be UTD. I don't think he wants to leave Barca though and they don't really want to sell him.

 

[Aoami]

GO ON RICKIE LAMBERT

 

[Scouse]

I think the £40m plus £1 bid will be as high as we go

Then you won't get him.

But...

 

[caLLous]

Bernard to Shakhtar.

 

[rynnor]

I still think Bale will go to Real in the next week or so - I tend to think Spurs have been banking on it to pay for their recent spending.

 

[soze]

Then you won't get him.

But...

That's a good thing I don't want him £51m would be a mistake. How much will we lose next year when he wants to go to RM again

 

[ileks]

That's a good thing I don't want him £51m would be a mistake. How much will we lose next year when he wants to go to RM again

That's the problem. £51m wouldn't be too bad if you knew you could hold on to him for the next 5 years.

Arsenal should leave it alone for the next couple of weeks and then reinstate their £40m offer. If he's training alone and the manager has said what he's said he pretty much has to leave.

 

[soze]

That's the problem. £51m wouldn't be too bad if you knew you could hold on to him for the next 5 years.

Arsenal should leave it alone for the next couple of weeks and then reinstate their £40m offer. If he's training alone and the manager has said what he's said he pretty much has to leave.

Yeah that is why I think he will be off to Madrid if they don't buy Bale and it will be for less that £40m.

 

[caLLous]

The optimist (there's that word again) in me thinks RM are trying to back out of the Bale situation...

Exhibit 1: Gareth Bale’s switch to Real Madrid in doubt as Perez admits €100m is too much for any player

Exhibit 2: Gareth Bale's looming transfer from Tottenham 'isn't going down well in Real Madrid's dressing room'

The second one in particular is lots of hearsay-y bollocks but here's hoping...

 

[Aoami]

I do wonder what they want with Bale unless they intend to stick him on the right. Surely ce7 and crazy eyes mesut have the left and AM positions sewn up.

 

[Lethul]

haha, from Rawk

Quote from: kkjellquist on Today at 04:45:07 PM

Anyone else think this is simply Suarez 100% bluffing for a new contract and it's absolutely blown up in his face....in EPIC proportions!! Rooney did it a couple years ago, but played it perfectly at the time.​

 

[mr.Blacky]

No as CorNokZ said, good footballer but mentality of a ....head

I do find this funny from Jim Boardman (Pool fan according to the BBC):
There are sections of fans who are unhappy with him and if he stays he will have to apologise to them, I am sure he can say he's sorry and make it sound like he genuinely means it.

So image is more important that meaning it? Doesn't sound like Liverpool to me.