2010/2011 Season Thread

[Soda Jerk]

The papers are saying he'll go to City, for ULTIMATE FERGIE REVENGE. I think the papers forget that Football isn't Hollyoaks. I think if United are forced to sell him, it has to be January. Next summer clubs will know he's only got 12 months left, and will hold United to ransom, to try and lowball them or get Rooney for free at the end of 11/12 season.

Benzema would have been a good deal if he'd have played over the past season or so, but he can't get in the team. Allegedly he's always late or missing from training too. Sounds like he's gone all Ronaldinho already. They should demand Higuain in the trade. No, actually. Cristiano Ronaldo. Have that!

Then again, nobody has said he's even going to leave. The club have said he isn't, so it's just completely made up as it stands. If he demands to leave, I hope he fails. United have only tried to protect him from the relentless media scrutiny, and he's being a bit of an idiot by spitting his dummy out about it. If anyone thinks that news reports saying "so-and-so injured" are always 100% true 100% of the time, then they are incredibly naive. This happens all the time. Rarely anyone is daft enough to contradict statements from their own club.

[Soda Jerk]

Also, about the racism in Italy, Samuel Eto'o didn't help himself by making a monkey gesture at the crowd after he scored.

[Lemonade]

Things aren't looking good for wee Gordon at Boro. This is funny though:

Gazette Live - Boro FC - Boro News - Boro fans' verdict on boss Gordon Strachan

[Lemonade]

Final comments?

Strachan should be sacked or at least quit. Give Slaven the job, at least he should be able to show them where the goal is! On the plus side, Mowbray is available if we act quickly.

Yeah cos that worked out so well for Celtic!

[Woodsinho]

Yeah cos that worked out so well for Celtic!

and I'm sure Mowbray would love another chance to work with all the players he decided weren't good enough for Celtic when Strachan came looking for them in January.

Strachan pulled out of a press conference 20 minutes before it was due to take place this morning citing 'illness'.

[Soda Jerk]

So, it's confirmed now that Rooney is refusing to sign a new contract. I think United fans have to realise there was going to be a time when he was going to show his disloyalty. He was Everton-til-I-die at 17, then he was whisped away by the bright lights of United/ so even though he said he wanted to follow Ryan Giggs' footsteps, it was never going to happen.

Then again, it could be United lowballing him because he's playing shite. But I doubt it.

[Woodsinho]

That's yer Gordon Strachan out of a job. Time to bring in the Guv'nor.

[Shaki]

Calderwood named Hibs boss:

BBC Sport - Football - Newcastle's Colin Calderwood named manager of Hibernian

[delboy]

I think it would be quite sensational if Rooney quits Man U and goes across to city! That's what the papers are speculating. He wants to stay in the north west apparently and that's what I think prompted the story! But evidently all is not well at Man U and Fergie takes no shite so if he did stay in the North West, City would be the obvious choice.

[Soda Jerk]

I think it would be quite sensational if Rooney quits Man U and goes across to city! That's what the papers are speculating. He wants to stay in the north west apparently and that's what I think prompted the story! But evidently all is not well at Man U and Fergie takes no shite so if he did stay in the North West, City would be the obvious choice.

I think it will be speculated, and City may even make an actual approach, but Fergie won't have it. If Rooney doesn't sign in the next week or two, then a sale will be forced in January to make sure they get what he's worth, either in cash, or players in exchange.

Ferguson won't sell to rivals, and he'll do anything he can to avoid it. Liverpool wanted Heinze and Heinze desperately wanted to go, and even though he was surplus to requirements, he did everything in his power to block that move and shipped him out elsewhere. I think he'll do the same with Rooney.

That's if he actually does sell. I still don't think he'll go. I think there's a huge amount of media twisting involved in this whole ordeal.

[hibbytam]

Calderwood named Hibs boss:

BBC Sport - Football - Newcastle's Colin Calderwood named manager of Hibernian

Got a text saying exactly that. Was really pissed off until I noticed it was Colin, not Jimmy.

[delboy]

Mind you after Tevez anything is possible. Thing is Man City have so much money now that it might go above Fergie's head and its well documented that Man Utd's current finances aren't great. Still doubt it will happen and can see Rooney going to Spain. Be interesting to see how he gets on over there if he does.

[Bigsby]

Too bad things didn't work out for Strachan, good on the man for ripping up hi contract and forgoing any cah he would have been due, not many in the game would do that.

[Lemonade]

Too bad things didn't work out for Strachan, good on the man for ripping up hi contract and forgoing any cah he would have been due, not many in the game would do that.

Bigsby I think your "S" key is broken.

[captain burrito]

Rooney should buy out his Manyoo contract and skip to the end, by which I mean head back to Everton. That way he won't get dropped for shagging hookers and they can build a team around him.

[Bigsby]

Bigsby I think your "S" key is broken.

Thank, thi laptop i a pile of fucking hit.

[Soda Jerk]

Mind you after Tevez anything is possible. Thing is Man City have so much money now that it might go above Fergie's head and its well documented that Man Utd's current finances aren't great. Still doubt it will happen and can see Rooney going to Spain. Be interesting to see how he gets on over there if he does.

Fergie had no say where Tevez went though, as he was never a United player. He was owned by that Kia guy, and some third party sports agency, who he was on loan from. If he was a United player, I'm sure Fergie would have preferred to have bought and benched him than sold him to City. Fergie is a stubborn man, to overwhelming degrees, to the extent that he will give star players the boot than accept he may actually be wrong. United have never faltered as a result though, which is somehow impossible, but it's what makes Ferguson so good. He'll find a new catalyst. It'll probably end up being that homeless kid, or Danny Welbeck, or even Mike 'more than a' Phelan. Who knows?

A terrible time for Rooney to want out though. Next summer will be massive, as he simply cannot go another year without replacing Van Der Sar, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

One thing that seems to be being missed is that it won't just come down to teams who can afford him. There's plenty of teams around who have players United will want. I would't rule out Inter Milan, as Sneijder seems pretty desperate to play for United.

[Paranoid Android]

All this Rooney talk is distracting everyone from the most important issue, laughing at Liverpool. Hodgy will be happy Wayne's taking a few of his column inches.

On the topic of laughing at Liverpool, does anyone here listen to the football weekly podcast? (If you don't you should) Today's edition was hilarious.

[delboy]

thats a good point about Tevez forgot about that. all too complicated for a 5th tier supporter like myself!

laughing at Liverpool should be a national sport. Do feel a bit for the manager as he comes across as a decent bloke.

[Paranoid Android]

This article is a very good read End of an expensive era, but Barcelona's players prove priceless | Sid Lowe | Football | guardian.co.uk Highlights why Barcelona wont be making any big offers for Rooney, or anyone else.

Hodgson does seem like a good bloke but he's showing signs of becoming mad. Liverpool just has a bad affect on people. His comments after yesterday's game were bizarre.

[Soda Jerk]

Roy shouldn't have gone to Liverpool. That's not a job for a nice man to go to. He'll no longer be nice Roy. He'll be Roy, manager of Liverpool, eeeeeugh.

[delboy]

This article is a very good read End of an expensive era, but Barcelona's players prove priceless | Sid Lowe | Football | guardian.co.uk Highlights why Barcelona wont be making any big offers for Rooney, or anyone else.

Hodgson does seem like a good bloke but he's showing signs of becoming mad. Liverpool just has a bad affect on people. His comments after yesterday's game were bizarre.

yes the post-match interview sounded desperate to say the least!

[Murrr]

Andy Carroll released on bail after another assault charge. One of the conditions is that he has to live with Kevin Nolan.

There's a cracking sitcom in that, like.

[Soda Jerk]

Barca have lost an overwhelming amount of money on bad transfer business, especially the ones that never even got a run out. But even though he played and scored, Ibra was just a poor deal. Eto'o, despite his mental instability, is still one of the best strikers on the planet, and they were absolutely mental to lose him, in a swap deal which also included a figure which matched the British transfer record.

It's also quite surprising just how thin their squad is, consisting of only 19 players, 2 of which barely ever play.

[Paranoid Android]

I think if Guardiola was being honest he would admit getting rid of Eto'o was a big mistake. If they had Eto'o playing now with Messi and Villa on either side they'd have pretty much the perfect forward line. They really don't have anyone to play the central role in attack. If they play Messi in the middle with Pedro on the right they drop deeper and get stuck making the little passes outside the box and become a little toothless.

Two seasons when Eto'o was still there and Henry was playing well Barca had a real cutting edge to add to the intricate passing. I saw them beat Bayern 4-0 in the champions league and as well playing great possession and passing football they were also completely clinical in attack. The Arsenal like tendency to pass it forever without really having clear shots on goal is something which only really started in the last year.

The deal with Ibrahimovic became even worse when Guardiola got fed up with him and decided to force him out in the summer. I thought Ibra could have still been a success at Barcelona if he had got another season. He at least would have given the team a better shape and focus point that Messi and Villa could play off.