Football

Chelsea's four-pronged death-by-meandering-about attacking unit

Great line BTW

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/26/garerth-bale-transfer-spurs-real-madrid

most expensive transfers through the years

1961 ? wtf

This would be far more interesting if they normalised it to the price of a loaf of bread or a season ticket or something. How the hell are you meant to read something with a massive inflationary trend in it? Or am I asking sports journalists to do some work...

@Jaw I jump to no conclusions about how the season will eventual end up, just rebutting both TS and CliveO's assertions that this match was "entertaining", it was anything but, lacking in excitement, goal mouth action, even some argy bargy, false handbags, the most you could say about it was that the players were committed, if limited..

And that Barney Ronay's got a good turn of phrase, this encapsulates the match for me

"English football taking its own revenge for a month-long barrage of fruitless intrigue by dishing out an old-fashioned meandering mess of a match"

anyway enough of this talking about an actual match that was played, lets spend more time in the rumour and endless possibility of what might happen and who may buy whom.

After Chelsea locking up Willian (subject to the proverbial work permit/personal terms rigmarole) things are looking up for Spurs pursuit of Erik Lamela from Roma as from the Guardian's Rumour Mill: One transfer that should go through is Fiorentina's Adem Ljajic joining Roma. Suggested fee: €10m plus add-ons. Good deal for Roma!

Which should then open the door for Spurs to get their clammy hands on the Argentinian forward..
Also read somewhere that we'd put in a 12m bid for Eriksen as well, though I assume Ajax would hold out for more for him..

I don't recall him being a Liverpool target, what are you doing signing him?

the game last night was not one for the neutrals, simple as that. but i was on the edge of my seat for the full 90 minutes. considering the title is gonna be played out between these two and citeh it was always going to be a bit like a semi-final.

and can we just say well done to the ref for letting the game flow.

great crowd at the effra hall.

There's a difference between letting the game flow and booking a player for getting elbowed in the mouth.

There's a difference between letting the game flow and booking a player for getting elbowed in the mouth.

he wasn't booked so will there be retrospective action?

last word on this nerge of a match from everyone's favourite tactical genius Jonathon Wilson

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130826/manchester-united-chelsea-0-0-analysis/?sct=hp_wr_a2&eref=sihp

"This was two disciplined, conservative teams, neither with any motivation to risk defeat by stretching for a win, whose diligence in midfield resulted in mutual negation."

Finally caught up with this thread, after being a week behind. All the spud cunts with their almost signing of Willian was brilliant.

Anyway, good to see a strong plastic turnout at the polo this weekend, especially when the Liverpool game was on. About half the thread was there at various point, shame Pisti didn't make a guest appearance.

Finally caught up with this thread, after being a week behind. All the spud cunts with their almost signing of Willian was brilliant.

Anyway, good to see two actual Liverpudlians, one woollyback and a strong plastic turnout at the polo this weekend, especially when the Liverpool game was on. About half the thread was there at various point, shame Pisti didn't make a guest appearance.
Bloody glory hunting Oxonians...

Who's the woollyback? Chan? Isn't he a proper scouser then?

Pretty sure he's a wool.

Derby v Brentford tonight. Big match. I hope the LFGSS gods don't get upset if the Bees lose.

Both managers came up super small in this match with neither having the gumption to have a go. Me and Clint were of the opinion that these sort of matches should be delayed till Christmas and the end of the season to put some proper drama into it, thereby making it make or break for both teams.

Not sure if SRS? So at the start of the season the EPL sits down and plans all the matches between possible contenders and puts them at the end of the fixture list?

FFS, football is screwed.

yeah it is a ridiculous idea. i think the cider had got hold of corndog by that point.

Hey, whoa there, this is the football thread, lets not shoot the messenger, and anyway since when did spitballing an idea in the effra, repeating it in the football thread, make it the death of football...

methinks you take the football thread to SRSly.

And if it gets boring overhyped contests between two of the leagues supposed heavyweights, which turn into a negative we mustn't lose snorefest, out of the way so they actually become meaningful competitive contests, then I see nothing wrong with that..

Hey, whoa there, this is the football thread, lets not shoot the messenger...

...Shoot The Guardian instead...

ftfy

snore

If I was Romelu Lukaku or Demba Ba, I would be royally hacked off.

Chelsea should loan Torres out and stop persisting with him. And play one of the other two.

They also are lacking a water carrier still. Obi-mikel isn't that player even though Mourinho crushed his attacking instincts first time around, he isn't suited to that position. Someone like Wanyama or Gary medel would have been good business.

Chelsea have a dearth of attacking options which seem to have a staccato integration. The player able to bring them together in chorus is Mata and it seems he isn't going to be played.

De Bruyne, Schuurle, Willians, Oscar & Hazard - this is one player too many, unless getting rid of Mata is the plan.

I enjoyed Gary Neville last night saying that ManU had to stand up to Rooney and refused to be bullied into parting with him. Not to do so would spell the death of football.

Presumably, he and his brother did not feel that Everton should be so bold with respect to Baines and the other one.

Monkey Boy doesn't turn up for training with the Spuds...

Now watch the transfer merry-go-round go into full swing...

I'm scared...

So what players outside the PL should we be looking out for this year? The less know the better. So don't bother with Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Papadopoulos as most of us are already aware of them.

I'm going with Shadrach Eghan, Tecatito Corona and Zakaria Bakkali in the Eredivisie and Haris Seferovic and Léo Baptistão to be the next big things in la Liga and Andre Hoffmann has the potential to do big things in the bundesliga providing BMG finally gel again.

Ghana's number 10 has a buzz around him, Aboagye. Here's a cracking game:

Ghana vs Chile U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 All Goals and Highlights (High Quality) - YouTube

Another u20 Spian's Oliver Torres

Similar players with quick feet and brains

If the spuds sign Lamela and Eriksen, then I'll be seriously jel of their transfer activity.

I would be happy to let go of Bale if it meant bringing those two in.

Monkey Boy doesn't turn up for training with the Spuds...

Now watch the transfer merry-go-round go into full swing...

I'm scared...

Bale to United taps nose

I'll wear an item of clothing that I own, on the top half of my body, every day for a month, if it doesn't happen.