The World Cup is over, and the football season is approaching!

[PeteEU]

Pre-season is under way but as of yet no big signings have happened after the World Cup. I am personally a tad baffled and hope the buying and selling season will start up soon.

So far Manchester City is the big spender by pumping out 50 million pounds for players, but that still did not make them able to win it seems. They lost to Sporting Lisbon in a US tournament.. granted with the second string of players, but still.. Also reports they have to get rid of 12 players before the start of the season.. with many stars being shown the door only after a year at the club..

Real Madrid have only signed Di Maria so far in a rather subdued buying season so far. Considering they are loosing Raul and Guti, then one would expect far more from Murinho.. but so far no.

As for the other big teams of Barcelona, Chealski, Man United, Liverpool, AC Milan, Inter and so on.. they have barely entered the market and at best picked up a few bargins on free transfer after the World Cup.

Hopefully this all will change within the next 2 to 3 weeks, since the seasons start in about 4ish weeks all over Europe!

All I know is .. it is gonna be one hell of a season in Europe since FIFA finally have listened and put in extra officials at big games... next stop, technology!

 

[ludahai]

bring on football with decent officiating...

It will be nice to see how the extra officials works out... though I don't remember so many glaring controversies with goals in the major European leagues as we had in the recently concluded World Cup...

Of course, many of my favorite teams actually look well poised for domestic success, especially Marseilles, Barcelona, and Inter Milan but I also think Arsenal is well poised if they can play with more consistency...

 

[PeteEU]

bring on football with decent officiating...

It will be nice to see how the extra officials works out... though I don't remember so many glaring controversies with goals in the major European leagues as we had in the recently concluded World Cup...

Oh there was in the Champions League. Inter vs Barcelona was a clear offside goal like the one Tevez had for Argentina. But last season it was only the Europa League that had the extra officials, now it is being expanded to all European competitions. National federations can if they want I believe also adapt this.

Of course, many of my favorite teams actually look well poised for domestic success, especially Marseilles, Barcelona, and Inter Milan but I also think Arsenal is well poised if they can play with more consistency...

Have a funny feeling Arsenal will have another disappointing season. The whole Fabregas issue needs to be resolved first off all.

 

[ludahai]

Oh there was in the Champions League. Inter vs Barcelona was a clear offside goal like the one Tevez had for Argentina. But last season it was only the Europa League that had the extra officials, now it is being expanded to all European competitions. National federations can if they want I believe also adapt this.

I said "so many..." I didn't say there weren't any... there will ALWAYS be controversies, no matter how many officials and how much video technology you introduce...

Have a funny feeling Arsenal will have another disappointing season. The whole Fabregas issue needs to be resolved first off all.

Agreed, but it is a long season and I am ever the optimist... have to be being an Arsenal fan, I suppose...

 

[PeteEU]

I said "so many..." I didn't say there weren't any... there will ALWAYS be controversies, no matter how many officials and how much video technology you introduce...

Yea in that way.. but the biggest controversies was where there was no extra officials heh.

Agreed, but it is a long season and I am ever the optimist... have to be being an Arsenal fan, I suppose...

Could be a Man City fan or similar.. that would be worse. At least Arsenal has won something in the last decade

 

[Andalublue]

Yea in that way.. but the biggest controversies was where there was no extra officials heh.

Could be a Man City fan or similar.. that would be worse. At least Arsenal has won something in the last decade

I know you're trying to goad me, Pete. As a man City fan I am VERY optimistic about this season. I certainly expect to finish top 4 and get a CL place. A good run in the FA Cup and Europa League would be pleasing too. You seem a little bilnkered in your dismissal of how much City have improved in the past 2 years. We lost just 7 games out of 38 (the same as Man U, 1 more than Chelsea) and had the third highest attendance record after Man U and Arsenal.

We now have a potential starting line-up that could have won the World Cup:

Given
Boateng K Toure Lescott Kolarov
Johnson Silva De Jong Y Toure
Tevez Adebayor

And a second choice line-up that doesn't sound shabby either:

Hart
Zabaleta Richards Onuoha Bridge
Wright-Phillips Kompany Vieira/Ireland Barry
Bellamy Robinho/Santa Cruz

You might like to see how this brand new team settles into the league before writing them off. I'm not expecting to win the league, it is after all the most competitive league in the World, but good things are around the corner.

 

[PeteEU]

I know you're trying to goad me, Pete.

Not at all! Man City due to its money has to be mentioned among the greats.

As a man City fan I am VERY optimistic about this season. I certainly expect to finish top 4 and get a CL place. A good run in the FA Cup and Europa League would be pleasing too.

So would I with 100 billion behind me

You seem a little bilnkered in your dismissal of how much City have improved in the past 2 years. We lost just 7 games out of 38 (the same as Man U, 1 more than Chelsea) and had the third highest attendance record after Man U and Arsenal.

Hey I never said you had not improved. But you have to admit you started at a low level

We now have a potential starting line-up that could have won the World Cup:

Given
Boateng K Toure Lescott Kolarov
Johnson Silva De Jong Y Toure
Tevez Adebayor

And a second choice line-up that doesn't sound shabby either:

Hart
Zabaleta Richards Onuoha Bridge
Wright-Phillips Kompany Vieira/Ireland Barry
Bellamy Robinho/Santa Cruz

Quite a few of those are going to be sold off. Man City has 37 players and are only allowed to have 25. Bellamy, Robhino, Santa Cruz, De Jong, Ireland, Richards are just some of those rumoured away just this week.

You might like to see how this brand new team settles into the league before writing them off.

I have not written them off, quite the opposite. With that much money then at some point you will get a team.

I'm not expecting to win the league, it is after all the most competitive league in the World, but good things are around the corner.

No doubt about that. You have suffered long enough :2wave:

 

[Jetboogieman]

Liverpool til I die!

 

[PeteEU]

Liverpool til I die!

A big rebuilding year for them. Hope they are able to keep Gerrrad and Torres, else it will be a very very hard year. Mascharano looks like on the way out though, so they can fund more buys. Hope also that the ownership is settled asap and those yanks are kicked out.

 

[Andalublue]

Quite a few of those are going to be sold off. Man City has 37 players and are only allowed to have 25. Bellamy, Robhino, Santa Cruz, De Jong, Ireland, Richards are just some of those rumoured away just this week.

I think that Robinho, Santa Cruz and Richards may leave. De Jong won't and Ireland, an always tricky character, may stay. Certianly we shouldn't pay much attention to the press rumour mill. They have got it so wrong, so often. How many times have they predicted the transfer of Cesc from Arsenal to Barca? Or gerard away from Liverpool and have been wrong every time.

I have not written them off, quite the opposite. With that much money then at some point you will get a team.

It's not JUST about money, although that helps. It's also about collective will, infrastructure and development. The new owners have been in place for less than 2 years but the Academy, fan base and facilities infrestructure have been evolving for over 10 years. I remember being invited to lunch at Maine Road (our old stadium) in 2001 and listening to a speech by the then Chairman, David Bernstein speaking passionately about the future of the club and the recent past that had seen us drop into the 3rd division of English football, about how that would never happen again and about the bottom-up development that, irrespective of glamour-driven shareholders with deep pockets, would ensure long-term success.

As a City fan since 1969, I felt that the tide was turning, for the first time since those glory days of Lee, Bell, Summerby, Mercer and Allison. It has been a slow but steady improvement, not an overnight cash-driven dash. Bit-by-bit, manager-by-manager, the improvement has taken shape, through Keegan, Pearce, Eriksson, Hughes and Mancini we have improved. Maybe this year, maybe next or the years beyond, we will see some achievement and success. If non-City fans want to paint it as cash-bought success, so be it. Those of us who have been there, who stood in the p1ss-smelly away stands at Colchester United or Lincoln City in the harsh winter of 1998-1999 supporting a shamed and struggling, sleeping giant won't care what others say. We know that we (club, fans, players) have earned the right to something better and more glorious.

No doubt about that. You have suffered long enough :2wave:

You can say that again (and again)!

 

[randel]

i seen football in the title, and yes, i am excited that FOOTBAll(WHAT AMERICANS PLAY) is getting ready to start up, not that 'soccer' crap that the europeans play:lol::lamo :usflag2::fueltofir

 

[MaggieD]

The World Cup is over, and the football season is approaching!

Great!! Another reason for U.S. husbands to plant their butts on the couch and burp.

 

[Andalublue]

i seen football in the title, and yes, i am excited that FOOTBAll(WHAT AMERICANS PLAY) is getting ready to start up, not that 'soccer' crap that the europeans play:lol::lamo :usflag2::fueltofir

The you probably need to find a different thread on which to post. Here we are discussing football, y'know, the game played with your feet. I like Gridiron (were it not for all the ad breaks) but that is a very different ball-game. God bless you!

 

[Andalublue]

Great!! Another reason for U.S. husbands to plant their butts on the couch and burp.

They always have and they always will, and they are not just Americans.

 

[ludahai]

Great!! Another reason for U.S. husbands to plant their butts on the couch and burp.

You got the wrong brand of football, Maggie. We are talking about the version where you actually use your feet most of the time...

 

[randel]

You got the wrong brand of football, Maggie. We are talking about the version where you actually use your feet most of the time...

then shouldnt it becalled 'feetball'?? just askin':2wave::mrgreen::2razz::2razz:

 

[PeteEU]

then shouldnt it becalled 'feetball'?? just askin':2wave::mrgreen::2razz::2razz:

No.. Football was founded long before American football, hence we got the name.. deal with it.

 

[PeteEU]

Now back to the topic...

Overnight, Man United lost to Kansas City Wizards :lol: on a 1966 type goal .. only a friendly but highly ironic.

Newest rumor.. Torres to Man City.. someone will be happy about that one

 

[Andalublue]

Overnight, Man United lost to Kansas City Wizards :lol: on a 1966 type goal .. only a friendly but highly ironic.

Happy about that.

Newest rumor.. Torres to Man City.. someone will be happy about that one

Not so happy about that. Torres to City? Bit of a waste of money, I think. He's too fragile and too injury-prone for it to make good business sense to pay tens of millions for him. I'd prefer Dzeko or Balotelli.

 

[spud_meister]

i seen football in the title, and yes, i am excited that FOOTBAll(WHAT AMERICANS PLAY) is getting ready to start up, not that 'soccer' crap that the europeans play:lol::lamo :usflag2::fueltofir

i saw the title and got confused, 'cause the FOOTBALL (WHAT AUSTRALIANS PLAY) season is almost at an end.

 

[ludahai]

No.. Football was founded long before American football, hence we got the name.. deal with it.

Oh stop it, the word soccer had been used in the UK and other English speaking countries for a long time... and there are several varieties of football including Australian football and Gallic football, among others...

 

[ludahai]

Now back to the topic...

Overnight, Man United lost to Kansas City Wizards :lol: on a 1966 type goal .. only a friendly but highly ironic.

Newest rumor.. Torres to Man City.. someone will be happy about that one

Just read about that... and with 'Pool and possibly Man U looking to have off years, definately a chance for Man City to get into the top four...

 

[PeteEU]

Happy about that.

I knew you would be

Not so happy about that. Torres to City? Bit of a waste of money, I think. He's too fragile and too injury-prone for it to make good business sense to pay tens of millions for him. I'd prefer Dzeko or Balotelli.

He aint really. It is just that this last year or so has been very hard him. He has played pretty much constantly for 2 years due to the Euros and so on, and that is hard on the body.

As for Balotelli.. he is more injury prone than Torres heh.. Dzeko will be more expensive than Torres since his club refuse to sell him.

Regardless if you are getting ANOTHER attacker, then you will need to dump some of those you have.. you almost make Real Madrid look like amateurs when it comes to stacking a team with attacking players

 

[reefedjib]

Oh man, this sucks. I saw football and thought we were talking AMERICAN football, the only real football. Enough with soccer already, it's over.

 

[Andalublue]

Oh stop it, the word soccer had been used in the UK and other English speaking countries for a long time... and there are several varieties of football including Australian football and Gallic football, among others...

Of course everyone knows what the word soccer refers to, it comes from the original English distinction made between Association Football (shortened to soccer) and Rugby Football. It's just that no one uses the term soccer except Americans and Australians and perhaps Kiwis. The sport's World governing body isn't the Fédération International de Soccer, but the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The IOC also refers to the sport as Football. It's no big deal, but for ease of global comprehension why don't we stick to Football, Gridiron, Rugby and Australian Rules?