Football

According to the Birmingham Mail, we are the least plastic club in the country... Sort of:

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-social-media-success-5097677

The statistics show that Arsenal top the twitter league with 2.5 million followers, while Southampton prop up the table with just over 12,000.

Aston Villa are tenth with nearly 182,000, Stoke City at 15th with 118,000 and West Bromwich Albion 16th with 83,000.

But if you strip out overseas fans, and count just UK followers, then the tables are, quite literally, turned.

The new table is then topped by West Bromwich Albion, followed by Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Norwich City and Cardiff City.

twitter >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Is there a plastic echo in here?

nope just great minds thinking alike

it's not that great minds think alike, it's that members of the same breed think the same. This is why all dogs try and lick their own balls, you're not the next einsteins, you're just a bunch of stick chasers who in the absence of an ability to self fellate get off on chasing ManU like a terrier after a garbage truck and pissing on the wheel whenever it stops. The truck does not notice and if it did, it would not care.

Get over it.

^repped!

Oh dear! Did someone get out of bed the wrong side?
Quite funny regardless

Interesting choice by Pep to sign Thiago. Could potentially through their midfield out of kilter and annoy the record new signing or halt last seasons imperious rise of Kroos.

Will be interesting to see how it goes....

Loin, I find it strange too, more from the point, that Thiago is going to Bayern to play more first team football, but there seems to be just as many players in the way as at Barca, Kroos, Goetze, Muller.
And Guardiola before he left Barca didn't seem to give him enough run to see if he could oust Xavi/Iniesta etc..

Thiago became a full time first team player in the 2011/12 season, with Pep Guardiola on the bench. The midfielder played a total of 45 matches that season, and he scored four goals. FC Barcelona won the European Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup that year.

I think Kroos will be the one to make way.
Heynckes - really loved Kroos, he had him on loan at Leverkusen before he joined Bayern.

there are rumours of a bid for Shaquiri from Liverpool (certainly a loan would make sense).

It is also thought that Javi Martinez could and will drop back into centre back, a position he occupied for the majority of his time at Atletico.

You can see why Guardiola would want him and why Thiago would go. But for me, it is not a signing I would have made and believe it will halt the progress of Kroos and doesn't say much for Pep's confidence in guardiola 'yes Goetze is good, but I need Thiago'

For sure the Bayern squad, now looks one of the most incredible in europe. Though I still think they are short in defence and in strikers.

I would take Kroos at Arsenal in the blink of an eye.

Jaw, how many matches did he start and how many were off the bench? You can't be making out that he was an integral part of the team, because I'm pretty sure he wasn't. You could make arguments for keita also being a fixture if thats the case..

Guardiola did feel that Keita was an essential part of that squad, maybe his idea of essential is different to mine and yours CB

With Cavani looking to be heading to PSG, I wonder what will happen to Ibra?

There still seems to be a lot of potentially big transfer moves left. The 13m Gomez deal looks to be increasingly brilliant value, with Benteke, Suarez, Jovetic et al quotes.

@Loin, no point in being part of a squad when the manager views you as essential, but then leaves you out of the big games, only brings you on as a sub. See Rooney, Wayne for english perspective on this.

Think the Gomez deal reflects also his age, other strikers mentioned, are younger, with the possibility of resale value, plus everyone knows the Premier League is awash with money so won't let one of their assets go cheaply there..

Kicker reporting a 40.5m bid from Arsenal for Suarez...

Tbh I think Thiago will play alongside Schweinsteiger - for the majority of games.

Luiz Gustavo will be the real loser in this scenario, having played outstandingly in the confeds cup and being pretty consistent for them last term.

Kicker reporting a 40.5m bid from Arsenal for Suarez...

Jesus it's getting silly now.
I say we test their resolve and hold out for 50million. Then we will see who is serious

I'd take £40M

Jaw, how many matches did he start and how many were off the bench? You can't be making out that he was an integral part of the team, because I'm pretty sure he wasn't. You could make arguments for keita also being a fixture if thats the case..

Here's your answer
27 League appearances, 7 as a sub and he was subbed 4 times playing 1,825 minutes. Not bad for a first season if you ask me. He's played in over 70% of all league matches that season and 53% of all playing time. That's a big part for a young player if you ask me.

He was out injured for most of the first part of the 2012-2013 season and had a clause in his contract that Barcelona were stupid enough to agree to.

I think the report is in euros, so it would be 35m gbp

but silly money.
And I dont want him at Arsenal

I think Kroos will be the one to make way.
Heynckes - really loved Kroos, he had him on loan at Leverkusen before he joined Bayern.

there are rumours of a bid for Shaquiri from Liverpool (certainly a loan would make sense).

It is also thought that Javi Martinez could and will drop back into centre back, a position he occupied for the majority of his time at Atletico.

You can see why Guardiola would want him and why Thiago would go. But for me, it is not a signing I would have made and believe it will halt the progress of Kroos and doesn't say much for Pep's confidence in guardiola 'yes Goetze is good, but I need Thiago'

For sure the Bayern squad, now looks one of the most incredible in europe. Though I still think they are short in defence and in strikers.

I would take Kroos at Arsenal in the blink of an eye.

so the most incredible midfield in europe you mean ?

So Man Ure have offered Barcelona their money back for Fabregas.

Interesting move by Moyes.

@Jaw. don't Arsenal have first refusal on Fabregas?

I believe so. They also negotiated a 50% sell on clause which makes it all even more interesting.

Oh they won't spend all of it. They'll just spend some of it on a flock of French teenagers no one's ever heard of.