Football Focus

[red devil]

Nice when you do though :)

[Mick Mac]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> I will be as happy as anyone if we win a trophy.

> But supporting a team isn't all about winning

> trophies

eh.... it was a joke. The obvious answer being nil.

[Otta]

Apparently Bale wants to talk to Real Madrid. BBC reporting that Spurs won't sell even for ?85m. If that is true, then I think Spurs are mental! ?85m?!?!?!? they could get 2 or 3 real class players for that money.

Weirdly I had a dream the other night that Spurs had sold Bale to Arsenal. I remember thinking (in the dream) that I must wind up Jah Lush! ;-)

[StraferJack]

Spurs (read Levy) are notoriously hard/good at negotiations tho. Apparently it's one of the reasons Man U have baulked at the thought of bidding for Bale

[red devil]

Can't be any worse than Barca :)

[Mick Mac]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Spurs (read Levy) are notoriously hard/good at

> negotiations tho. Apparently it's one of the

> reasons Man U have baulked at the thought of

> bidding for Bale

Although its the first time since Gazza that they have had anything worth selling.

[StraferJack]

Sol did alright for us...

[StraferJack]

but yes yes, another joke. I didn't miss it ;-)

[red devil]

I reckon he'll still stay at Spurs for another year with a fatter pay cheque, and then go to RM next year with the club's 'blessing', a la Ronaldo...

[Mick Mac]

http://www.goal.com/en/slideshow/4335/7/title/goal-50-2013?ICID=OP

Top 50 world players of 2012/2013 (Victor Wanyama at 44)

[El Pibe]

We're looking at a top four finish after signing a lad from Stockport County and beating Borehamwood 3-0 in pre-season.

Phew, never have I been quite so excited about a coming season.....*nods off into issue of match with picture of small child captioned as tony cottee*

[Jah Lush]

Otta Wrote:

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> Apparently Bale wants to talk to Real Madrid. BBC

> reporting that Spurs won't sell even for ?85m. If

> that is true, then I think Spurs are mental!

> ?85m?!?!?!? they could get 2 or 3 real class

> players for that money.

>

> Weirdly I had a dream the other night that Spurs

> had sold Bale to Arsenal. I remember thinking (in

> the dream) that I must wind up Jah Lush! ;-)

It's all bollocks. Poor reporting from journalists who are just copying what Real Madrid's mouthpiece newspaper Marca are saying. There are no quotes from Bale. Marca even had the gumption to reprint the exact same quotes that Luka Modric came out with last season and attribute them to Bale. He hasn't said he wants to leave. He's staying for one more season at least. I'm certain of that. I'm fed up with Real Madrid's tactics of trying to unsettle and tap up our player.

However, a good article here by Gabriele Marcotti - http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/469?cc=5739

[Mick Mac]

I hope you are right Jag. Would be good for the EPL to have some more Bale next season.

[red devil]

If he signed for Utd you would have 5+ more years Mick, I think you should start a petition...

[Parkdrive]

Couple of things on Higuain and the Suarez debacle. 1. most Arsenal fans knew we wouldn't get Higuain. 2. Most, in fact the vast majority, don't want Suarez. Both of these seem to gather momentum when the season ticket renewals were announced. Funny that. I find the Cesc to the Mancs far more amusing/interesting, coupled with the fact that they, like us, have not done anything in the transfer window thus far. Could it be that Moyes has no where near the pull/kudos that old whisky nose had?

[Alan Medic]

Madrid change managers regularly, so I think pull is more to do with the club etc than whatever manager is in place. Anyway as you should know PD, it is money that talks in football these days. Pay a player enough he will go anywhere.

[El Pibe]

I know you're (depressingly) right AM, but I do find that mentality hard to understand.

20k a year to 40k makes a hug difference.

120k a year to say, 150k can still make a significant difference.

80k a week to 120k a week. I can't see why you'd be swayed. I genuinely can't think of any way to spend money quick enough on 80k a wwek, I mean really, what would you do with it, let alone ANOTHER 40k on top of that. Unless you were saving up for a coup in a small country or something.

Or are hair implants REALLY REALLY expensive?!?!

[Jah Lush]

I'd be very surprised if Fabregas went to Man Utd. Money may talk but he will be paying a lot less tax playing in Spain and he is also at the club he wants to be.

[StraferJack]

one of the clubs he wants to be at anyway

[El Pibe]

I wasn't a million miles away with the small country coup thing then

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-money-dried-up-but-at-least-dubais-celebrity-investors-are-not-left-out-of-pocket-8738682.html

[red devil]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> I'd be very surprised if Fabregas went to Man Utd.

> Money may talk but he will be paying a lot less

> tax playing in Spain and he is also at the club he

> wants to be.

Isn't the top rate in Spain around 50%? And even if they do pay less tax over there, he would probably still 'take home' more at Utd than he curently does at Barca. Anyway, I'm sure tax isn't that big an issue for most footballers and their creative accountants.

After engineering a move to Barca I'd be surprised if Fabregas wanted to leave so soon, but it's not like Utd to be so public about bidding for a player, so I can only presume that Fabregas has privately indicated he would move to OT. I think there will be a third and final 'take it or leave it' offer...

[Mick Mac]

Not quite Gareth Bale territiory but...Celtic move to replace Hooper with Ajax's Derk Boerrigter. He will be in the squad for the champions league qualifier tonight against Elfsborg - he looks like a good signing to me for less than we sold Hooper for.

Ajax (second period)

On 14 April 2013, coming on as a substitute for Christian Poulsen in the 75th minute, Derk Boerrigter scored the match winning goal against rivals PSV Eindhoven in the 77th minute off a long assist from his teammate Christian Eriksen, in which he challenged PSV's defender Erik Pieters and then shot the ball past Boy Waterman the keeper, only two minutes after having been brought in. The match ended 2?3 for Ajax, and proved to be a crucial win for the Amsterdammers, with only four matches left to play in the season. Ajax topped the table at that stage with 66 points, leaving PSV in third place position with only 60 points in the title pursuit.[12] On 13 July 2013 Derk Boerrigter scored a hat-trick in the first half of a 1?5 win over his former club RKC Waalwijk, in a pre-season friendly encounter scoring in the 17', 21' and 28' minutes, helping his side to a 1?3 lead.[13]

Celtic

On 30 July 2013, Boerrigter signed a four-year deal with Celtic.[14]

[Mick Mac]

Spain is now one of the highest taxed countries in Europe for high earners.

[Jah Lush]

Is it? If you're right. I'm happy be corrected.

[red devil]

Spurs letting Caulker go...selling club ;-)