2013/2014 Season

[Gladstone]

Well, this is weird:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26849392

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Yeah, first half of the season at Vitesse, second half at Lazio.

 

Remember that time Lee Hendrie almost signed for Aberdeen? Scary.

[Moose]

So Barca cannot sign ter Stegen now?  Surely they don't need Valdes and ter Stegen?  The latter is young, but has like 100 apps for BM (not even going to try and spell it) and German caps.  Surely he's worth making their #1?  It'll pay dividends in the future. 

[Adam Easy Wishes]

That's the problem, they've signed ter Stegen and Halilovic (sp?) already, but the registration window isn't open yet.

 

I imagine the transfer ban specifies that they are not allowed to register new players for 14 months, because it's the registration that FIFA oversees, rather than saying they cannot actually purchase a player.

 

Possible then that the signings go through and they immediately send them out on loan somewhere, therefore registering with a different club? I don't know if that is even possible.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Adam Easy Wishes

[Soda Jerk]

Gladbach have already sorted Ter Stegen's replacement too, Yann Sommer from Basel, so if the Ter Stegen deal has to be cancelled, then Gladbach will be in a bit of a muddle as well.

 

Ter Stegen is regarded as hot property, but everytime I've watched Gladbach this season, which is only a handful of times, he's always let in a total stinker of a goal. Was he bought based on his sky-high FM potential?

[Adam Easy Wishes]

There's potentially a legal battle to be fought here too. If a financial deal has been agreed - a contract with 'Gladbach for the transfer of player registration and a contract with ter Stegen himself, is that subject to Barcelona being able to register the player? I would think not given the unlikely scenario that a club is issued a transfer embargo. It certainly wouldn't be a 'standard' clause, unless Barca officials saw this coming.

 

Therefore there is a still a contract to buy the player, there is still a contract to employ and pay the player, just no means for him to be registered to appear in any FIFA-governed competition. Interesting!

Edited April 2, 2014 by Adam Easy Wishes

[Soda Jerk]

I was always led to believe that when transfers are agreed outwith the transfer window, the money, or at least a payment structure if not being paid in full, was hammered out at the time. Based on that, Gladbach may have already been paid cashmoney for Ter Stegen (or at least some installment will have been paid) and Barca have a player they can't put in the team.

 

Kind of like when Ross buys a couch, but he can't get it to his apartment.

 

Pivot!

[Woodsinho]

DOUBLE PIVOT

[ca_gere]

[Paranoid Android]

Weren't Barca given special dispensation to sign a new keeper out of the window when Valdes got injured? They decided Pinto would do to the end of the season but maybe the goalkeeper would still be a special case because of the Valdes situation. Should wait and see what happens with the appeal. What happened with Chelsea again? Was it three windows down to one?

 

Barca fans are quite angry about this. I think there'll be more boardroom changes very soon which can't have a good affect on the team.

[Woodsinho]

Thiago Silva sees Pastore's goal for PSG; takes it well:

 

https://t.co/3Ljx2n0ULl

[Soda Jerk]

Benteke is out for 6 months, and misses the World Cup. Shame for him.

 

Looks like it's Lukaku leading the line at the World Cup for Belgium. 

 

Advantage for Villa is that it keeps Benteke out of the shop window, and he'll probably still be at Villa at the end of the summer if he's injured until September.

[Captain America]

Speaking of Lukaku his agent has said today he's already been in talks with Levy at Spurs.

Good move for spurs that although if Chelsea are willing to sell to rivals I think there will be more competition...

[Paranoid Android]

I hate the months before world cups sometimes. I'm always scared that top players might get big injuries that will keep them out. Especially players in their peak who should have their best world cup.

[Soda Jerk]

I hate the months before world cups sometimes. I'm always scared that top players might get big injuries that will keep them out. Especially players in their peak who should have their best world cup.

 

Don't worry, man. Tom Cleverley's tough. He'll be fine for June.

[ca_gere]

I like how Joey Barton has to remind everyone about his existence every few weeks. This time bumping his gums about Wazza Rooney for no apparent reason other than someone offered to record him. There's nothing more annoying than a really unintelligent person thinking they're being thought-provoking and profound. His LAD-wizdom is something else.

[Soda Jerk]

With Barton, his opinions are often kind of agreeable, but then he goes and spoils it with something mental at the end.

 

I do agree with him that Rooney isn't World Class, though the definition of World Class is open to interpretation, and in itself is a fictional bracket.

 

I don't think he's far off being in the top tier of players, but he's not an elite player to me. You certainly wouldn't rank him with Messi and Ronaldo, and in my mind the next tier of players below those two ultimate freaks are the likes of Iniesta, Ribery, Suarez, RVP, Aguero etc. I'd say Rooney is just slightly below that.

 

But then Barton spews some nonsense about how Rooney hasn't developed at all since he was at Everton. That part was garbage. It sort of stamps on his whole argument and makes him look a tit. Rooney has constantly shaped his game and adapted, which is a credit to him. His role has changed so many times, he's had injuries which knocked off a bit of his explosive pace, but he shaped his game to compensate. His development as an all-round attacker is remarkable really, compared to the raw and arguably position-less prodigy he was at Everton. When United first signed him, they wouldn't have wanted him playing in midfield or on the left wing, but now it's a common occurrence, due to his development as a footballer, and not just a talented individual.

[HeinzHines]

I listened to his interview with Clive Woodward on my drive up north tonight. It was actually quite a good listen, apart from his annoying insistence he is an "analytical" person.

His comments on Rooney during the interview came in a part about the psychology of being a footballer. Barton commented that he thinks Rooney is an outstanding footballer and probably more naturally gifted than Ronaldo, but he lacks the psyche to have ever committed to being obsessive about football, where as he notes that Ronaldo is a freak in this way and absolutely obsesses over ever part of his game, fitness etc... That's where he brought up that you could never imagine Ronaldo having a fag and drinking in his off time. But overall he was very positive about Rooney.

The interview is on as a podcast on five live website, I'm too lazy to supply a link.

[Paranoid Android]

When are Peter Pawlett and Johnny Hayes expected back for the dons? Will either of them make the semi-final? We've been looking a little toothless lately and I won't be confident without them.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Pawlett played 70 mins v Hearts midweek, so it's just about match fitness with him.

 

Hayes at least another two or three weeks out AFAIK.

[Gladstone]

Don't worry though, Zola's match fit.

[Paranoid Android]

Pawlett played 70 mins v Hearts midweek, so it's just about match fitness with him.

 

Hayes at least another two or three weeks out AFAIK.

 

Cheers, didn't realise Pawlet played in that match. Good news.

[Murrr]

Aberdeen aren't the same team without Hayes and Pawlett -- "toothless" is a good word to use. It's been evident in every game since the cup final: Flood/Jack/Robson or one of the full-backs will collect the ball, but have no great options to shift it because there's nobody making the kind of runs made by Hayes and Pawlett. Those two players completely open the pitch up with their movement, which I think is pretty vital to Aberdeen's success. Without them, the other players look like they don't really know what to do with the ball, and end-up making an unambitious sideways pass or doing something daft like giving it to Langfield.

 

Ideally McGinn should be using his movement more effectively to compensate for this, but he's been well and truly Torres'd. Needs a rest, big time.

 

I like Cammy Smith and, to a lesser extent, Nicky Low, but neither can match Hayes and Pawlett for athleticism. Mind you, it is outstanding to have two players of this calibre in the Aberdeen squad at the same time. It's strong to expect a kid like Smith to come in and replicate what they do.

 

I think that Mark Reynolds is similarly vital. I love Russell Anderson, and think he's had some wonderful performances lately (that cup semi vs. St. Johnstone -- Franco Baresi-esque), but he really benefits from Reynolds' athleticism and comfort on the ball. Russell is an excellent defender, but he's a very basic one. Reynolds is a very tidy player who does a lot of work to cover for Anderson's shortcomings. Again, a type of player that Aberdeen are fortunate to have, and one that'll be sorely missed if injured, because ALAN TATE. Lol.

 

tl;dr, obviously.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I don't think McInnes would play Anderson and Tate together. More likely bring Considine inside and play Shaughnessy at full back than have Old Man (+) Tate centrally.

[Murrr]

I don't think McInnes would play Anderson and Tate together. More likely bring Considine inside and play Shaughnessy at full back than have Old Man (+) Tate centrally.

 

Likewise. The thought of Tate and Anderson absolutely terrifies me. I mean, Tate and his chubby Granddad limp terrifies me enough, but sheeeeit.