Lets Talk Football

Haha fair enough, well your location is Northwest England so I'll let you off

To be honest I don't understand why my family (those interested in football) all support Liverpool, it's completely stupid and I didn't even realise Welsh teams existed until like I was 11, then I started supporting Cardiff as it made more sense. Like I said if it hadn't been for 2005 Istanbul and other great memories I would have probably stopped 'supporting' them.

All my friends support Swansea though (only since they got promoted, glory hunters), so constantly getting abuse of them but now that Cardiff are up it's a bit better

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Ferdinand didn't get banned because he is a Man United player, obviously. FA = Fergie Association, but that doesn't mean that the Suarez ban isn't justified. He was banned for 7 games for doing the same thing in the past, but it's obvious he still hasn't learnt his lesson. Hence, a longer ban.

Never played Football Manager, I do play Online Football Manager (OFM), though.

I wouldn't be unhappy with the length of the ban if it was consistent with everything else the FA did, which it isn't. I don't know what the Dutch Football Association is like, but even then I think 7 games is a bit excessive. Okay biting is extremely strange and pretty disturbing, but when it comes down to physical injury there is a lot worse a player can do.

And fair enough, well I used to be addicted to Football Manager but since I got FM13 I have never played it and it just doesn't appeal to be any more, strangely, as I really was addicted to it

I don't think a 10 game ban is out of order at all. However, I can see an argument for him being unlucky, but only because it's the FA and, therefore, it's a lucky dip, dependent on the public mood, the national press, what they had to eat and whether or not they got laid in the previous 24 hours, among other random occurances. It could've been worse, he could've missed a test he took the next day and been banned for the rest of the season. That said, Rio could've been banned for upto 2 years (or was it 3 years?), so, you could argue that he was lucky, too. The truth is, you commit a 'crime' and you take the consequences. It could be said that the worse thing about the latest Suarez incident wasn't the bite, but that it was an action which didn't benefit himself nor his team in any way.

We'll see. Whilst there are signs that this may be happening, it wouldn't be the first time that people had decided that Barca were finished. They're going to be challenged over the coming seasons, not least because key players are coming to an end and will need to be replaced, Puyol and Xavi being the most important, IMO, and, considering Puyol's influence, he may be irreplaceable atm, even by the best defenders. Xavi, again, is irreplaceable, just in terms of talent and ability and there's also the possibility/probability of a new keeper and the ever present danger of Messi getting a serious injury/becoming injury prone again.

While I'm sure I understand what you mean by "Barcelona's reign",we should remember that United were in three finals between 2008-2011 and, if we jump ahead of ourselves and say Bayern are in the final, that'll make three finals since 2010, with Inter and Chelsea winning during that time. So, while it's fair to say that Barca have been the 'best' team and, certainly, the most feared during this time, to say they've reigned, might be pushing it a bit. They, like every other team since the Milan of 1989/90, didn't win the trophy in consecutive years.

As for Spannish football. Spanish football has been dominated for years, and will continue to be until the inevitable Mega Super Euro Champions League (or whatever they decide to call the breakaway european league) by Barca and Real, because that's where the majority of the tv money goes.

For those who don't know (and things may've changed as I think there's a new tv deal this season or next in Spain) Real and Barca get about €120m each, while Valencia and Athletico Madrid get around €42m each. The rest are nowhere to be seen, which is just one reason why Michu went to Swansea for a couple of million. It wasn't that he wasn't good enough for Spanish teams, it's that he wasn't wanted by the top 2, might not get the wages/first team at the next 2 and was well out of reach for the rest of the league. The Spanish league, as with the Spanish national team, is Real and Barca.

True, but intent is usually harder to prove. The Roy Keane incident was only admitted afterwards, in his book. Not at the time. You can say you mis-timed a tackle, almost regardless of how late it is and, therefore, prompt doubt to its intent. You can't do that with a bite.

I'm still playing FM10, despite buying last seasons version. 22 straight La Liga titles and the last six CL. There's no way I'm stopping this till I have to.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Who's that with, Barca?

Last year on FM12 I had played like 18 seasons (I think) with Plymouth Argyle, had a stadium named after me, had won like 7 CLs and loads of other trophies (the league for like the last 8 years at least), but with FM13 I just really strangely stopped playing it, I've tried to play them again but just can't get myself to love it again

No, it's with Real Madrid. 25 out of 27 league titles. 16 CL (and twice runners up), I think I've won 27 other cups. I've spent £1.6bn on player and sold just over £1bn, managed 6 nations (Uraguay twice) won the World Cup and the Confederations Cup (Spain and Brazil) earned £460m and have nearly racked up 10,000 days in charge.

I tried to play FM12 a few times but, whether it's because I have this game going, I had trouble settling into it. I've not even completed my first season on that game.

As for the real thing, do people think Lewandowski is coming to United? I'd heard it was a done deal with Bayern and, while I think that's more likely, the purchase of Mario Gotze for £31.5m makes me wonder whether Lewandowski might actually turn up at Old Trafford. Obviously Bayern could afford to buy both and buying the best players of their closest rivals is their MO, but these two, for such a large amount of money when they already have Mandžukić and Muller, as well as a very attacking midfield and, now, Gotze? I'm sure Dortmund would rather sell him to a club outside of Germany. I don't know. It sounds like it could actually happen.

As for the real thing, do people think Lewandowski is coming to United? I'd heard it was a done deal with Bayern and, while I think that's more likely, the purchase of Mario Gotze for £31.5m makes me wonder whether Lewandowski might actually turn up at Old Trafford. Obviously Bayern could afford to buy both and buying the best players of their closest rivals is their MO, but these two, for such a large amount of money when they already have Mandžukić and Muller, as well as a very attacking midfield and, now, Gotze? I'm sure Dortmund would rather sell him to a club outside of Germany. I don't know. It sounds like it could actually happen.[/quote]

i would love to have Lewandowski at United. For some reason i cant see him coming though. Also, having my Mystic Meg head on i can vision him going to City and Dzeko going to Dortmund.
Question for me is..... Where will Rooney be next season?

Personally i think he'll still be at Old Trafford but its hard not to listen to speculation regarding PSG, Barca, Real etc

Man Utd do not need another striker. Van Persie, Welbeck, Rooney, Hernandez (Zaha on the way and Henriquez).Kagawa looking like a very good player in behind attack.

They do not need any defenders either. Vidic, Ferdinand (for at least another year), Jones, Evans all in central defence. Rafael and Smalling(good central defender too) on the right, and Evra (another year?), Fabio and Buttner on left.

Cental Midfield is the priority.

Carrick-Better than ever but getting on a bit.
Fletcher-World Class a few years ago but may never be same player due to injury.
Giggs-Still class but can only play 50% of games due to age. Man U can;'t rely on 39 yr olds.
Cleverly-Has shown signs of becoming very good player but not of the calibre Man have had before.
Scholes-Retired again
Powell-Superb potential, could become great in a few years.
Anderson-The enigma that really hasn't been good enough.

Really need that midfield passmaster that can tackle too.

The wings are strong with Valencia, Nani, Young but could use a strong addition like Bale if Tottenham fail to qualify for CL.

A superb Midfield player + strong winger/attacking mid could make Man U unstoppable next year.

Maybe Rooney could become that midfield dynamo?

It's not really happening, is it?

He's not a Terminator, y'know, although a T1000 would have been even more formidable if it'd been equipped with The Hairdryer. "I want your boots and your bottle of vintage Red" Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it.

Fergie's up there with Paisley and Clough, and arguably better than both, as the best manager of my lifetime. From a longevity viewpoint I sincerely doubt if we'll see close to his like again.

Maybe Man U heard about some hitch in Jose's negotiations with Chelsea and forced his hand? However this plays it'll be fascinating seeing who they choose - Jose's got the swingers for the job, for sure, but would he want to work without his Real and Chelsea budgets? OK, he'd still be able to spend big for (a certain number of) players and he's got a fine squad to work with but the debt is always in the background, needing to be serviced.

Moyes? I think his ship has sailed for a big job unless he wins a cup, although if the board are after the Angry/Scots template again there's only really him left unless Billy Davies proves us all wrong. It'd be interesting to see how Moyes would get on with a squad of proven winners though, but I dunno if the Man U board would take the chance.

EDIT - Moyes in pole position according to Sky. Well well...

They'll not have to pay Everton compensation, I suppose.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

As much as I love Wenger and Del Bosque, Ferguson has to be the greatest manager of all time. To do what he did at one of the biggest clubs in football history for as long as he did, unparalleled.

The legend has gone!

The man has seen off dominant spells of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and now Man City.

Suppose it's the right time to go. Cue tribute programs to Ferguson for the next month.

Greatest manager of all time!

I would settle for Mourinho, hopefully he would bring Ronaldo back with him.

Really is gonna be strange without SAF in the Premier League next year.

Nah, **** Mourinho. You don't wanna be playing his kind of football, do you?

Ah, as an Everton fan it would really hurt to lose Moyes, but he has looked ready to leave since mid-season. I would think that Man U would want stability for the long haul, and Moyes would be a good choice for that (Mourinho would not, obviously). The timing seems right, and I have little doubt that Moyes would succeed with the resources and players available to him at such a prominent club. Yes, he never won a trophy at Everton, but I still think his record speaks for itself. Losing him and possibly Fellaini this offseason will be tough, but that's the way it is. Hopefully Everton can unearth another Moyes somewhere.

I went to bed waiting for someone to deny it, but it didn't happen.

I feel very lucky to've been a United supporter during, what will probably be, the most sustained period of success I could ever hope to enjoy. Thanks dad.

Moyes as his successor? It'll be interesting if nothing else. Personally I think I'd like a year or two break before trying to find someone to build a similar dynasty, maybe Jupp Heynckes or Mourinho, but if Fergie thinks Moyes is the man and the time is now, I'll go with that.

My favourite joke so far, Thatcher's dead and Fergie's retired. Somewhere there's a Scouser with a magic lamp and one wish left.

Ha!

According to the BBC, Moyes (one minor trophy over a decade ago) is set to be named manager. Would Fergie have spoken so highly of him had he not been a fiery Scot? It's a conspiracy!

Lots of questions then - How will he handle a different calibre of player? How will he cope with his predecessor sitting in the director's box? How many days until Rooney hands in a transfer request? I don't think Wayne and his new boss are the best of friends any more.

I like Moyes and he's done well at a club who's ambition is balancing the books at the end of a season but taking over arguably the biggest club in the world? Put it this way - I'd like to see him succeed purely because he's a home-grown manager but I think he'll have a very tough job.

Somewhere, alone in a corner, Alan Curbishley is quietly weeping into his dusty CV. If only, Alan, if only...

EDIT - Martinez is apparently odds-on to succeed Moyes at Everton so it looks like he'll be buying that house on Merseyside after all. I know it'll never happen but I'd love Mourinho to take over a club like Everton - Could he get results without a huge transfer kitty? He'd certainly galvanise the squad and make them difficult to beat but that's what a certain angry Celt has been doing for a decade.

I do think that had, at least a part, in his decision. Apparently he is the annointed one. I like him, but I can think of 5 or 6 managers off the top of my head I'd rather see in the job. I fear Moyes will be given too much time and we'll fall further away. Here's hoping I'm just being my usual, pessimistic self. If we're scrambling for 4th place in 5 years I'm not going to be happy. Of course, once Fergie left, that's always been the fear, regardless of who came in.

Already heard rumours of Rooney to Bayern and there's been talk of him leaving this summer for months.

Me too, and if it was any other big club than mine, I'd be excited to see what happened. Sadly, I think Fergie's shadow will be far too large for Moyes and he'll freeze in it.

That'd be a great move for him. It'll be good to see how he does at a bigger club

BTW, should it be Moyes, do you think his letting his contract run out this summer is merely a coincidence?

I heard someone tonight saying that Mourinho has missed his chance of managing United. While it's possible, I think the position will be open again before he retires and, when/if it is, I think he'll be the #1 choice.

I can remember people saying, when Everton had a rough patch earlier in the season, that Moyes would be better signing a new contract with The Toffees because he was spoiling his reputation. I couldn't see it myself because there were a number of clubs at that level who would love to have him - Just couldn't see him even strongly linked with a really big job unless Everton had cracked the top 4 or won a cup. Don't think the lack of compensation would have been much of a factor for Utd in deciding whether to have him or not but Jose still has time left on his contract, no? *That* might be a factor.

I suppose one thing which might count against Mourinho is that he tends to buy in players rather than look to the youth teams and that's going against the framework Fergie and the Glazers have put in place at OT. Again, I can't see it being much of an issue because he's surely smart enough to cut his cloth according to a club's needs - Chelsea needed big investment and didn't have much of a youth set-up when Jose took over so he took the logical route, I think.

If he does end up back at Chelsea I think it'll be his riskiest career move - Apart from the old 'never go back' adage Abramovich isn't the richest kid in town any more. Terry doesn't have much left in his legs, Lampard is halfway out the door, Cole is showing signs of wear and there's the £50mil misfiring Spanish elephant in the room.

Here's a scenario: Jose's smart enough to realise whoever follows Fergie needs instant success (probably in Europe, the only slight chink in the old man's armour). Moyes tries valiantly for a year or two but an FA cup and a couple of runner-up finishes don't cut the mustard. Buying Tony Hibbert is seen as the final straw and he departs.

In rides Mourinho, the Knight in shining armour with the promise of cash to spend to rebuild a faltering club. He re-buys Rooney ('It's like being in a foreign country', says Wayne of his time in Germany) to replace van Persie who's sadly reverted to type and is a perma-crocked 30-something.

David McDonnell ‏@DiscoMirror Man Utd confirmed Rooney went to Ferguson a fortnight ago, asked to leave this summer and had his request turned down #MUFC

Daniel Taylor ‏@DTguardian Stories about Wayne Rooney asking for a transfer are correct. Asked to see Ferguson two weeks ago, request was rejected #mufc

@DuckerTheTimes Rooney went to see SAF 2 weeks ago & asked to leave.Was told he would not be sold.

I wondered what was up when Fergie didn't start Rooney against Real Madrid.