Football Focus

[El Pibe]

anyway enough musing on the death of football, as you were.

[red devil]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> is it a good thing? maybe not. But it's how Man

> Utd and to a lesser extent Arsenal dominated much

> of last 16 years until the BIG money came in .

At Utd, Fergie would identify a transfer target, and after getting Board approval(according to Fergie the Glazers never once baulked at one of his targets) David Gill would then go away and conduct the business end of it.

Apparently at Arsenal, Wenger gets involved in the wheelin' and dealin', right down to the size of the fee, something Fergie didn't.

I think the new Moyes/Woodward axis is run along similar lines...

[red devil]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not qualifying for CL this season a disaster? It

> won?t help us attract players for sure, but it

> will think out our fixture list and allow a bit

> more focus.

You won't get much focus time in the Europa League, ask Liverpool...

[StraferJack]

we lose qualifier, i don't think we even make Europa league

I might be wrong but that was my understanding

[Parkdrive]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You've always been pretty supportive of your

> manager PD. Where do you stand at rhe moment?

>

> BBC reporting today that the ox is out til

> November.

Its an all too familiar pattern, with the exception of a mass clear out of players, many not before time. While I wouldn't like to have the kind of backers City have, they have at least got their business done early. As for Wenger, I'm not sure who would come in if he was shown the door or who is available. I have no great expectations this season at all. I've not felt like that since the dark days of the 80's. I have a feeling City may take the title this season.

[maxxi]

Death of football maybe not but I certainly think we're heading for a huge punch up between league and international footy thanks to the Qatar debacle.

I think Patrick Barclay was right when he said it's an opportunity to put the world cup on in the winter rather than the 'off season' and would revitalise it - but league football would suffer and there would be a big dip in tv revenue which could be a mini financial crisis for some clubs not to mention the injury/fatigue knock-on effect which clubs would be clamouring to get compo for.

Lately I find myself caring less and less about England's prospects/performances. Given the choice would the panel rather an England world cup victory or their club winning the premiership or (for those teams for whom that has become the norm) doing the treble?

[red devil]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> we lose qualifier, i don't think we even make

> Europa league

>

> I might be wrong but that was my understanding

I don't know either. I was alluding to the long term scenario ;-)

Despite what Jah thinks(hopes) I'm sure Spurs are already reinvesting the money that they will be getting for Bale in quality players. IMO this is something that Arsenal never really did after selling RVP, Fabregas etc. I'm holding back on my predictions until the transfer window closes, but as things stand I can see Spurs finishing above Arsenal this season. If that happened, as well as not attracting top players by not being in the CL, Arsenal then might have a problem holding onto their best players e.g. Wilshire. Add in the loss of income from the CL and future commercial deals, and you can see how quickly things can unravel. If it can happen to Liverpool it can happen to anyone. None of this is wishful thinking by the way, just how I see it...

[Jah Lush]

Interesting article here on Spurs spending. The media tells you we've spent ?60 million but our actual net spend is ?22 million.

http://www.spurs-web.com/spurs-news/spurs-spent-22m-net-transfer-window/

[El Pibe]

"Given the choice would the panel rather an England world cup victory or their club winning the premiership or (for those teams for whom that has become the norm) doing the treble?"

Entirely academic question on both counts.

Stevenage in the Premiership would be nice and is the most achievable of the three.

[red devil]

maxxi Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Lately I find myself caring less and less about

> England's prospects/performances. Given the choice

> would the panel rather an England world cup

> victory or their club winning the premiership or

> (for those teams for whom that has become the

> norm) doing the treble?

Having already won The Treble, I'm quite happy to share the love of a world cup win ;-)

Joking aside, I enjoyed the Olympic spirit last year and I think a WC win for England would be in simialr vein, a once in a lifetime experience, something the whole country could share in...just as long a Utd player scores the winning goal ;-)

[El Pibe]

It's become old hat for my other team, time to let someone else have a go (that being Brasil obviously!!!).

I'd have actuially hated to see the generation just petering out win it, they didn't deserve to win, but probably for the reasons that they actually poerformed so indifferently, which was kind of self fulfilling I guess.

If the players play like they care then I'd be delighted, but the talent isnt there, and so far from what I've seen the commitment to do, say, a greece, isn't really there either.

[Otta]

World cup win every time. England winning the rugby world cup, the 2005 ashes, the Olympics, these are things that stay with you and put every one in a good mood.

Agree abour the national side, but that Scotland match reminded me what our can be like when there's some passion.

[Jah Lush]

I still remember the country's euphoria the last time we won the World Cup though I was very upset that my childhood hero Jimmy Greaves missed the match through injury. I'd be enormously happy if we won it again. But if in the unlikely event that Tottenham Hotspur won a treble I'd probably come in my pants.

[????]

We may have never won the league BUT.......*drum roll.......we have won the World Cup

[Ladygooner]

Very encouraged by Arsenal's performance last night and the news that we might be buying 2 Real Madrid players.....

[red devil]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We may have never won the league BUT.......*drum

> roll.......we have won the World Cup

Not without our Bobby's netbusters on the way to the final... ;-)

[Parkdrive]

Ladygooner Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Very encouraged by Arsenal's performance last

> night and the news that we might be buying 2 Real

> Madrid players.....

Same here, but our squad is wafer thin and I'm certain we won't get either Benzema or Di Maria.

[red devil]

The timing is suspicious, but maybe the Board/Wenger have been shocked into action by the fans' reaction to the Villa game...

[Otta]

Parkdrive Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Same here, but our squad is wafer thin and I'm

> certain we won't get either Benzema or Di Maria.

Someone on the BBC website had tweeted something along the lines of

"Arsenal stengthen, whilst giving Real the money to get Bale and weaken Spurs. Wenger is a genius"

Made me laugh.

[Parkdrive]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The timing is suspicious, but maybe the

> Board/Wenger have been shocked into action by the

> fans' reaction to the Villa game...

Guillem Balague when asked about this rumour last night stated neither was anywhere near the truth, and of all of the broadcasters out there, he's the one that I take heed of as 9 times out of 10 he's spot in respect of Spanish football.

[red devil]

That's a good point, GB is the man...

[Otta]

Looks like Chelsea have snatched Willian from under Sprurs' noses.

So Bale off for ?93m. All I can say is that if I was a Spurs fan I'd be over the moon. How can he be worth that, I'm sorry but he is no Messi / Ronaldo. Not yet anyway.

Will be interesting to see how he gets on. I hope he flops, the diving whinge bag.

[maxxi]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I hope

> he flops, the diving whinge bag.

-and that no one tells him that his little trademarked celebration hand gesture actually means "Fuck yr Mama" in Espana :)

[El Pibe]

| |

------

| | | |

------

| |

| |

| |

?

[maxxi]

Ah, oh, no well, see I thought the tongue was an integral part of it - or have I got that wrong?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/07/article-2320959-14343721000005DC-356_634x335.jpg