The Domestic Football Thread

[Hollywood Naitch]

For as much as I hate them Sunderland are making some good signings.

Larsson, Westwood and now the absolute steal of Connor Whickham for £8million. That's £8million spent and three quality players brought in plus there's the likes of Craig Gardner on the fringes of a signing would be a few good buys for sure.

Craig Gardner and Seb Larsson are quality signings, especially getting Larsson for nothing. I would have happily seen either of them join Bolton. I am really surprised we didnt go in for Larsson tbh.

Wickham is unproven but must have something about him for all the top clubs to be sniffing around him. I am pretty surprised he chose Sunderland but will probably get more chances in the first team there, and getting a young English player with so much potential for £8m could prove a fantastic bit of business by Brucey.

I have heard that he has a clause in his deal which will allow him to talk to other clubs next summer though? So if that is the case then Sunderland will be hoping he bangs in the goals next year so they can demand a much bigger fee for him.

 

[Ming]

The player of the season has to be Scott Parker. He was the only man to come out of West Ham's season with any credit and almost single-handedly kept them up. He deserves a move to a much bigger club, he is absolute quality.

I concur, I'm disappointed that he didn't play this well at Chelsea . I'm surprised to see that he's not signed for another club yet. He'd be a perfect signing for Man Utd or a great replacement for Luka Modric if he leaves Tottenham.

Also, after joining us in January on loan, Daniel Sturridge was a revelation, scoring 8 in 12 games and looking like an England star of the future. We are trying to get him back on loan next year, but I am unsure if Chelsea will want to loan him out again. He is a definite star of the future, so fast, so good on the ball and an awesome finisher.

I have a feeling that Sturridge will be a permanent fixture for Bolton next season, he's already said numerous times that if he isn't a starter next season for Chelsea then he's leaving and that won't happen with the likes of Drogba, Torres and Anelka still around.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I have a feeling that Sturridge will be a permanent fixture for Bolton next season, he's already said numerous times that if he isn't a starter next season for Chelsea then he's leaving and that won't happen with the likes of Drogba, Torres and Anelka still around.

I bloody hope so, Sturridge is a fantastic talent. It's a shame he won't get much chance at Chelsea this year, but I would be surprised to see him sold as Anelka and Drogba are getting on a bit now and surely only have a couple of good seasons left in them?

Sturridge is a top player and he is only 21/22, so I can't see Chelsea wanting to sell him when he could lead their attack for 10 years. If they do decide to do business I would expect bigger clubs than Bolton come in for him, he is worthy of a Liverpool/Spurs sized club no question about it.

I would LOVE to see him as a full-time Bolton player though, LOVE it

 

[Brilliant Human Being]

And so the great Arsenal exodus begins.

Gael Clichy has left for Man City for £7 million, which is an odd signing as I thought left back was one place where they were more than adequately stocked. At the very least, Arsenal could have asked for Kolarov in a trade for Clichy, and now they will be quoted astronomical prices for any left back which they seek to replace him.

Added to this the impending and inevitable departures of Fabregas and Nasri, and without significant investment it seems Arsenal will be playing at the level of Tottenham and Everton next season, and not with United, City and Chelsea as their fans would have hoped. Without doubt these are worrying times for Arsenal, especially when considering some of the names they've been linked with: Scott Dann and Kevin Doyle, among others. Christ.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

And so the great Arsenal exodus begins.

Gael Clichy has left for Man City for £7 million, which is an odd signing as I thought left back was one place where they were more than adequately stocked. At the very least, Arsenal could have asked for Kolarov in a trade for Clichy, and now they will be quoted astronomical prices for any left back which they seek to replace him.

It did seem a strange signing for City, but getting in someone of Clichy's quality in this day and age for just £7m is a good signing in my book. With Lescott and Kolarov there already it does seem a bit unneccesary though..

Was Clichy's contract coming to an end though, as I am surprised he went for so little, especially knowing City's penchant for paying well over the odds for everyone.

It must be worrying times for Arsenal, as they will need to replace him with someone around the quality of Leighton Baines, who I look at as someone who could fill Clichy's shoes at left back. However, Everton are demanding £20m or thereabouts for Baines, which would surely be out of Arsenal's price range? So I do not know where they will turn next, proably to another rookie from abroad.

Added to this the impending and inevitable departures of Fabregas and Nasri, and without significant investment it seems Arsenal will be playing at the level of Tottenham and Everton next season, and not with United, City and Chelsea as their fans would have hoped. Without doubt these are worrying times for Arsenal, especially when considering some of the names they've been linked with: Scott Dann and Kevin Doyle, among others. Christ.

If Nasri and Fabregas both go...and it is looking likely, then Wenger has some SERIOUS business to do this summer. I have also read that there are teams interested in taking Arshavin and maybe even Walcott, but I cant see all of them leaving. Arsenal needed to strengthen this summer, not sell all their best players, and as you mentioned the players they have been linked with....Dann, Doyle and also Chris Samba and Gary Cahill , those are not players who will win you the league. Good players, but not the major players you need to replace the likes of Nasri and Fabregas.

Definitely worrying time for Gooners fans!

 

[Schwing]

It's sad to see Arsenal begin to disintegrate like this. I always enjoyed watching Arsenal play and it was players like Nasri and Fabregas who were always part of the fluid movements and Barca-esque passing. With players like that leaving and Gael Clichy, interestingly the only player left at Arsenal who has ever won a trophy, heading to Eastlands, leaving a big hole in defence you start to worry that Wenger is once again adopting his look to the kids approach and I just don't see Kieron Gibbs as ready for the role just yet.

Wenger has never been the manager to break the bank. He very rarely spends over £10M so I can't see them getting a suitable replacement in the market and letting Clichy go for just £7M was a huge surprise.


In other news, a fantastic bit of business today from Liverpool, agreeing terms with Blackpool for Charlie Adam. I'm surprised it's took this long for anyone to make an offer. I just wonder where he fits in with Gerrard, Henderson, Meireles and Maxi. It's also worth considering Spearing who had started to push his way into the first team last season. I'm surprised Tottenham didn't bid as he'd be a suitable replacement for Luka Modric but perhaps them not signing him is a sign that Modric really isn't for sale.

 

[Brilliant Human Being]

I couldn't disagree more with Charlie Adam being a fantastic signing. I find him to be one of the most overhyped footballers of the last few seasons, a by-product of the simultaneous wankfest most of the mass media have/had over Blackpool and Ian Holloway. I think he is too similar a player to Meireles and Gerrard in that he likes to have the presence of a more energetic midfield partner to get the ball and give it to him (Vaughan did this very well last season). But yeah, I can't honestly see why Liverpool need him, or how he's getting to fit in unless two already existing central midfielders leave. Should've kept the £9 million and gone for Mata instead.

 

[Барбоса]

Don't think it is too bad a piece of business for either Blackpool or Liverpool (I have heard both £7million and £9million), although I share the reticence about where he fits not just into the team, but into the squad. We now have essentially six players contending for 2-3 spots (Gerrard, Henderson, Spearing, Lucas, Adam and Meireles). Competition can be good but it can also breed disruption as those left out become restless.

The daily Downing episodes continue to cause me physical pain. £15 million already offered for someone that should not reach double figures and now the reports are that we will go back in with a bid of £19million... how can we pay the same or even more for Downing than Utd paid for Young? Painful.

I cannot help being feel that while I applaud KK, DC, JW and NESV for going after British talent we have made it so obvious that clubs are hiking up their prices even more.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

It seems that today, whenever a good player is touted as being a target for a top club, that the fees quoted as just skyrocketing to unrealistic levels.

The BBC website today states in its rumour-mill pages that Chelsea's new manager Andre Villas Boas will return to his former club Porto to snap up their midfielder Joao Moutinho as a replacement for the injured Michael Essien.

FOR 35 MILLION?!

Seriously, Moutinho is a good player, but this would represent one of the biggest transfer fees in British football history. How can a guy who has achieved nothing on a European club level, or even at international level, and isn't even the highest profile player at his club demand such a high fee? This is getting ridiculous.

Wigan are also meant to be demanding £20m for Charles N'Zogbia, Southampton want £12m for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is a 17 y/o who has played 41 competitive matches in his career and Birmingham are turning down £8m offers for the painfully average Cameron Jerome.

Unreal!

 

[KettleFace]

Pre-Season Friendlies

Crewe (A) - 16th July (3pm)
Walsall (A) - 19th July (7.45pm)
Notts County (A) - 23rd July (3pm)
TBA (TBA) - 26th/27th July (TBA)
Ipswich (A) - 30th July - (3pm)
Real Zaragoza (H) - 6th August (3pm)

I'll be off to the Walsall & Zaragoza games. Hopefully be going to the Ipswich game to and I'll be going up to Leeds for one of their friendlies, think it's the one against Kidderminster.

Seems we've agreed a £7million fee with Birmingham too for Roger Johnson.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Seems we've agreed a £7million fee with Birmingham too for Roger Johnson.

Not a bad fee, I would have been happy for Bolton to sign him as a replacement for Gary Cahill if he goes. Decent bit of business there by Mad Mick.

I am getting a bit worried about the lack of transfer activity at the Reebok this summer. With the tough start to the season we have (2 promoted teams and Man U, City, Arsenal and Liverpool) in the first 6 games, we need to strengthen badly, especially after losing Elmander, Sturridge going back to Chelsea, Cahill probably off and a few squad players leaving.

Definitely need quite a few decent players to come in over the next few weeks or we could be struggling.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Seems we've agreed a £7million fee with Birmingham too for Roger Johnson.

Awesome bit of business I must say. I know Bolton's Cahill has been linked a lot with Arsenal but I'm surprised they overlooked Johnson, and even Scott Dann too because they could probably get him for another £7 million. Although they were part of a team that was relegated, Birmingham's biggest problems were up front as the season before they were winning games by the odd goal, yet last season it was reversed.

Also hearing Nasri and Fabregas will be at the Emirates next season but there's still gonna be a lot of time left after they get back from their tour of Malaysia (I think) so it'll be interesting to see what happens when they get back.

What are people's take on the Modric/Spurs/Levy situation? Seems now that he's been told he is staying he wants to leave even more.

 

[KettleFace]

Yeah I've always rated Johnson highly and it's a good bit of business for us. Definitely goes a long way to strengthening at the back which is what we so desperately need to do if we're going to keep ourselves in this league for yet another season. Makes it even better that we've got him from the Bluenoses .

Naitch - whatever happens, your boys will do well to replicate the start you made last season. You were in the top half for alot of the campaign only to slip away towards the end of the season and you managed to get an appearance at Wembley under your belt (we won't go there, can't imagine you'd want to re-live it). Sturridge and Elmander are two big losses, though.

 

[Ming]

What are people's take on the Modric/Spurs/Levy situation? Seems now that he's been told he is staying he wants to leave even more.

I don't know. I think he'll be a Tottenham player this coming season however there's not a doubt in my mind that it will affect his performance, he won't be the same as last season.

Maybe Tottenham will realize that it's hopeless keeping a player who will have an always negative attitude that will affect the other players, who doesn't want to be there. Maybe then they'll gladly accept any amount over 22 million pounds in January and let him go.

 

[Brilliant Human Being]

Yeah, with regards to Modric I definately think that he's more likely to be a Chelsea player than a Spurs player next season, and this posturing from Levy is all a ploy to get more money out of Chelsea. As soon as they offer more than £30 million for him, Levy will accept it, much like he did with Berbatov, Carrick, Keane and others. If there's anything previous pursuits of Tottenham players has told us, its that Levy never lets his good players go for any less than he believes their worth.

 

[Ming]

Yeah, with regards to Modric I definately think that he's more likely to be a Chelsea player than a Spurs player next season, and this posturing from Levy is all a ploy to get more money out of Chelsea. As soon as they offer more than £30 million for him, Levy will accept it, much like he did with Berbatov, Carrick, Keane and others. If there's anything previous pursuits of Tottenham players has told us, its that Levy never lets his good players go for any less than he believes their worth.

Thinking about it, this is quite likely.

 

[Miko]

Seems Wenger is convinced that Arsenal will keep Nasri and Fabregas going into next season, good news for them, on the Nasri front that is, personally I think they could do without Fabregas, good player, shit captain, heart in Barcelona. I'd just let him go when Barcelona eventually offer over £40 million which I am fairly sure will happen at some point before August 31st, move Nasri into his position and make up the rest of the squad from that, give the captaincy to somewhat a bit more Roy Keane/Patrick Viera like (if Arsenal have anyone like that left) buy a decent centre back (Cahill, someone of that ilk, not a world beater but has it in him to be one) and they might do okay. Or they might suck I dunno, I aint a fucking manager.

United have been told they'll need to spend mega money to get Sniejder, if they do spend mega money to get him then Nani is fucked. S'alex spent less on him than he did on Valencia, Rooney, Young, even Park I think, so he's not getting in the squad ahead of any of them especially if Sneijder turns up, just look at Tevez being benched for Berbatov for proof of that.

Speaking of Tevez, he might be going to Brazil, good, fuck off.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Supposedly the Tevez transfer to Corinthians has broken down as they arent willing to match City's valuation for the Argentinian striker.

I fully expect Tevez to be gone before the start of the season, and it makes sense for City to sell if their Captain does not want to be there any more. His lack of interest in staying at the club could be a negative influence and if his heart is not in it, then he won't play as well as everyone knows he can.

Plus, City have the financial ability to go and buy pretty much anyone in the world (bar a few exceptions) to replace Tevez, so if I was them I would get at least £35m for him, tell him to go and then look at getting someone in to take his place. I would give Kompany the armband.

 

[Ming]

so if I was them I would get at least £35m for him, tell him to go and then look at getting someone in to take his place. I would give Kompany the armband.

Didn't they reject a £35m bid from Corianthians? After his performance last season and Tevez' behaviour, I think Kompany should be promoted to captain anyway even if Tevez somehow stays.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Didn't they reject a £35m bid from Corianthians? After his performance last season and Tevez' behaviour, I think Kompany should be promoted to captain anyway even if Tevez somehow stays.

I think it was a £35m bid they have rejected. Tevez was keen to go according to his agent Kia Joorabchian (what a parasite he is btw), but City want £50m for him.

There are very few clubs who could afford to pay that kind of money for Tevez so it will be interesting where he ends up. If he ends up reluctantly staying at City he will probably be stripped of the arm band anyway.

On another note, I saw a picture in the paper of Jo, Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy sat on the grass at City's training ground after being left at home while the squad goes on tour. That is £250k a week in wages and £50m in transfer fees just sitting on their arses, it just proves how much City are spending. Absolutely shocking.

If I was Bolton I would be looking at trying to get Bellamy to the Reebok, albeit on reduced wages, the guy is still top quality. I would take Bridge too if possible, he is still a solid player but again would not be getting the £90k a week he is on at City.

 

[KettleFace]

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

On another note, I saw a picture in the paper of Jo, Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy sat on the grass at City's training ground after being left at home while the squad goes on tour. That is £250k a week in wages and £50m in transfer fees just sitting on their arses, it just proves how much City are spending. Absolutely shocking.

How lenient is the financial fair-play system? Apparently Arsene was having a go at them for the money they are going to be making from the re-naming of their stadium but I don't really understand it all and how that fits into the fair-play stuff.

It's pretty disgusting that a team as rich as City, with so much disposable income/revenue, could hold onto Tevez who has repeatedly said he wants to be nearer his family in South America just because they want an extra £15 million. Like it makes a difference! Gah!

 

[Miko]

My idle reading has told me that Arsenal and Barcelona are discussing a possible transfer for Fabregas, a breaking news story that.

City claim they have accepted a bid from Corinthians for Carlos Tevez, Corinthians dont know what bid this is apparently. Hope he goes, he is the only striker on City's books that really flows with Mancini's negative tactics on a regular basis, Dzeko's shit and Ballotelli's inconsistent at best, although I dont really know much about this Aguero fellow they want to bring in. Also Yaya Toure might be injured, shame for them, I thought he was consistently their best player last year, one of the best in the Prem, he'd be on my shortlist for player of the season, ahead of a certain chimpanzee-esque Welshman and the wafty haired bastard Scott Parker.

Villa Boas has vowed to bring the Champions League to Chelsea in the next four years, thats all well and good, if, ya know, he actually gets four years to try to do it.

Apologies for only focusing on the big teams for the moment.

 

[Ming]

Villa Boas has vowed to bring the Champions League to Chelsea in the next four years, thats all well and good, if, ya know, he actually gets four years to try to do it.

I certainly fucking hope he does.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I certainly fucking hope he does.

I hope the guy does get a fair shot at Chelsea, and has 3 or 4 years to make a big impact. Yeah he may win the Premier League next year, but as Ancellotti has found out, that isnt enough for Abramovich. To sack Carlo one year after he won the title was a disgrace, and the speculation all year that he was going to be sacked probably harmed the team anyway.

Chelsea will need to rebuild in a couple of years anyway, as players like Lampard and Drogba are starting to get on a bit and are such key men at the club, Anelka too. With players like that coming to the end of their careers it will take some big changes to replace them, and Villas Boas should be given the time to do that.

He is a young, hungry guy who deserves his chance and I hope he gets more than a season, and doesnt get sacked if Chelsea dont finish 1st this season. The club needs stability, and changing the manager every season means players are constantly getting used to new styles of training, new tactics and the new manager's personality etc, which is always going to make it awkward on the pitch