(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

[TheArsenal]

Well Arsenal purchased both Gallas and Diarra recently. So he has shown a willingness to buy from other Premier League clubs.

And on top of the cheap transfer fee its a minimal risk since he'll be on, at most since he's over 30, a two year if not one year contract. Arsenal sell Ponderos and get money for the much needed Flamini replacement. Win-win.

But you're right in the respect that in this summer's transfer market particularly its tough to believe anything you read.

 

[Tomalak]

Isn't Wenger's reluctance to buy from England to do with the massively inflated prices, plus getting his fingers burnt on the likes of Jeffers and Wright? Neither would be a problem with this one.

Definately comes as a bolt from the blue though, and it seems more odd to me that Ferguson would sell to a rival after the Heinze saga.

 

[Hermiod]

Isn't Wenger's reluctance to buy from England to do with the massively inflated prices, plus getting his fingers burnt on the likes of Jeffers and Wright? Neither would be a problem with this one.

Definately comes as a bolt from the blue though, and it seems more odd to me that Ferguson would sell to a rival after the Heinze saga.

Well, yes. Though I think Man U selling to Liverpool is a bit different as there's a lot of history there.

Players moving between Premier League clubs are overpriced.

 

[Hermiod]

Interesting news today, there are apparently 20,000 unsold tickets for the England vs Czech Republic game tonight. I imagine that will be made worse by Club Wembley people, whose tickets are officially "sold", not using their seats.

 

[Tomalak]

I don't think it's surprising. I can't see many making the trip on a week night to see a dead rubber, especially at £30 a pop. It's not as if Capello's made them irresistable entertainment either.

 

[Jax]

I don't get why THE FA don't make midweek non Q/F games cheaper to sell tickets, I mean £15 is better than not selling one at all. The last ENG game I attended was the final home warm up game of 2006 against Jamaica and paid £25 for a high tier halfway line seat and I thought that was a good price for a good view.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

And you get another member of The Arsenal Football Club Giant Weirdly Shaped Heads Association, to go alongside Gallas and alumni such as Dennis Bergkamp, Martin Keown, and the chairman David Platt.

What's not to love?

That is the best argument I've ever seen for a transfer. Still more likely to go to Sunderland though.

I'm writing this whilst hearing that Wales are winning through Koumas and the Czechs are winning through Milan Baros, who the 5 Live commentators have spent most of the first half ripping the piss out of. Good times. The Wales U21s had a brilliant game as well but lost unfortunately. Lucky Romanians...

Lawro: "The Czechs are better in every department" Actually Lawro is all-but spitting vitriol at England at the moment. It sounds like they're really, really bad. Not Man City bad though.

EDIT - 5 Live has just said Silvestre HAS gone to Arsenal. Wow.

 

[Tomalak]

Yep, thought he would. The way the story just broke this morning, it didn't seem like a baseless rumour.

Spain playing brilliantly! They are on another level to which England can never aspire.

 

[TheArsenal]

^Not buying that one until I see him holding a shirt up with his name printed on the back on Arsenal.com.

Arsenal has today signed French defender Mikael Silvestre on a two year deal having joined the Gunners from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee.

 

[Daedalus12]

I don't what to say about this bizarre move. I can't see Wenger being the man behind this transfer.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

Wonderful news!

Brian Barwick is leaving the FA! At last! Something about differences in the direction the FA is go I believe - could it be, sense prevailing at the FA?!

I've all but given up on this England game now. England are absolutely woeful. Even as a Welshman with traditional faux hatred, I'm starting to feel angry not at the English team, but how terrible and outdated they are. Capello has wasted his friendlies, and unless he has something incredible up his sleeve they are not in for a comfortable qualifying season.

 

[TheArsenal]

On the face of it, it is bizarre, no question. Only signing an aging Davor Suker some years back surprised me more.

But it is a perfect opportunistic move. This is not a player Arsene would have gone for or courted under normal circumstance, but at that transfer fee and a two year contract, he is good fit, too good to pass by. Silvestre is a player who could (a) provide defensive cover (b) some experience while younger defenders such as Song and Djourou, who aren't quite the finished product, grow until their roles (c) keep Gallas and Toure honest (d) keep Ponderous out of the team and (e) has Premier League and title race creditials to keep a cool head during the business end of the season.

All strong reasons.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

There's not many English teams who'd say no to getting Silvestre for £750,000. Bargain of the year.

 

[Tomalak]

I've all but given up on this England game now. England are absolutely woeful. Even as a Welshman with traditional faux hatred, I'm starting to feel angry not at the English team, but how terrible and outdated they are. Capello has wasted his friendlies, and unless he has something incredible up his sleeve they are not in for a comfortable qualifying season.

To be honest, I don't think Capello could have done a great deal better. When you look at his record compared with England's, and the time he's had with the players, I'm giving his abilities the benefit of the doubt. He routinely looks astounded at the lack of technical ability of his players, and the fact that they can't string together two passes is quite shocking. Ultimately it's the players who are responsible for that, not the manager.

Maybe it's Wembley. England were generally less bad when they were on tour whilst it was being built. Perhaps they felt more comfortable at St James's or White Heart Lane when they could just pretend it was a bog standard premiership match?

I suspect at some level it's a mental problem. There's never any energy or urgency in their play.

 

[TheArsenal]

September 6 is not enough time to correct the problems. Luckily, first stop for England is Andorra.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

On this display England will be playing Andorra for the draw. Just.

 

[Tomalak]

IIRC last time they were bloody awful against Andorra. Needed a couple of Stevie G goals to save the day. I think you could be right.

 

[StolenThunder]

The Silvestre picture looks like we've taken him hostage. Perhaps we're asking for £750k.

 

[Jax]

THE NOT SO GREAT ESCAPE...

Woeful from the start, we had no shape, no direction and looked like a bunch of school kids. Capello told ITV after he was playing 4-3-2-1...uter bullshit we had no shape and he has to take the blame.

Gerrard is not a left winger, Lampard is not good enough and oh my god Rooney still believes he is a midfielder. I felt sorry for Defoe as Rooney kept leaving him alone up front.

4-4-2 is simple and works more than not...all we need is a difference of personal. Owen n Heskey should start in Septemer if fit and Rooney should be dropped, I have defended him for years but we can't pick on names anymore. Hargreaves must stay fit we so need him alongside Gerrard and STOP picking Dopwning please, J.Cole is our best left winger.

Croatia will beat us 2-0 at this rate and good news that Barwick is going.

rant over for now

 

[Hermiod]

Right now Fabio should consider himself extremely lucky that Eddie is still not fit and won't be playing against England.

I hope most BBSers don't have Setanta Sports and therefore couldn't watch that abomination of a game.