12/13 Football Thread

[king mob]

It's the start of July, so it's time for the new season. This is the ALL-NEW, ALL-WONDERFUL thread where we discuss all-things football related for the 2012/2013 season.

World Cup qualifiers, SPL, English Premier League, Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, South American Leagues etc.

Headlines, players transfers, rumours, signings, Champions League, Europa League, Copa, opinions, whining, rantings, predictions, & all manner of nonsense.

[king mob]

Predictions for the season:

SPL-winners-Celtic
Relegated-Ross County

First Division-Partick Thistle


Premier League-Man City
Relegated-Stoke, Wigan, Reading

Championship-promoted-Bolton, Blackpool, Leicester
Relegated-Peterborough, Millwall, Barnsley

League One-Promoted-Swindon, Sheffield Utd and Bournemouth
League Two-Promoted-Bristol Rovers, Wimbledon, Port Vale and York.

Spain-Barcelona
Italy Juventus
Holland-Twente
Germany Dortmond

Champions League-Real Madrid
Europa League-Spurs
Scottish Cup-Hibs
FA Cup-Boring, boring Chelsea

Player of the Year-Balotelli
Wanker of the Year-Balotelli

Financial collapse of the year-Whomever HMRC are supposed to take on after Rangers are finally sorted out. The rumours are we're looking at a 'big English club' in the Premier League.

[king mob]

The smarter Rangers players are starting to find new clubs with Jamie Ness off to Stoke, Steven Whitaker off to Norwich and Kyle Lafferty off to Sion. There's still Alan McGregor and Steven Naismith to find new clubs but these were the club's top two players, and rumour is Everton want Naismith while several clubs are circling round McGregor, but Charles Green (the owner of Newco) is trying to claim the likes of Norwich and Sion own him money which they don't.

This means there's a longer legal string to untangle that there was because if Newco haven't had the contracts transfered then what exactly do they own and why can't they get any banking facilities with anyone?

[Puma]

I realized yesterday that now I only have the MLS til August...sigh. It's not that I don't like the league, although the pace is slower, it's how it is presented on television; pandering announcers and the crowd audio tends to be the drone of the damn vulvelas (sp).

[Walsh06]

Predictions for the season:

SPL-winners-Celtic
Relegated-Ross County

First Division-Partick Thistle


Premier League-Man City
Relegated-Stoke, Wigan, Reading

Championship-promoted-Bolton, Blackpool, Leicester
Relegated-Peterborough, Millwall, Barnsley

League One-Promoted-Swindon, Sheffield Utd and Bournemouth
League Two-Promoted-Bristol Rovers, Wimbledon, Port Vale and York.

Spain-Barcelona
Italy Juventus
Holland-Twente
Germany Dortmond

Champions League-Real Madrid
Europa League-Spurs
Scottish Cup-Hibs
FA Cup-Boring, boring Chelsea

Player of the Year-Balotelli
Wanker of the Year-Balotelli

Financial collapse of the year-Whomever HMRC are supposed to take on after Rangers are finally sorted out. The rumours are we're looking at a 'big English club' in the Premier League.

Haha, what are you smoking??

[Alan Lynch]

Haha, what are you smoking??

Regarding who? Stoke presumably? Wigan's luck has to run out sometime and newly promoted teams often struggle. I'd love to see Stoke go down but unfortunately can't see it happening.

Bit early for me to make predictions. I'll wait and see who signs anyone and whether Scottish football will be dead to me or not.

[Walsh06]

The best you can come up with is "newly promoted teams often struggle". Surely you can do better than that. And at least dont say it regarding the team who swept the championship last year. You could go for one of the others.

[Puma]

Too early for predictions. Must wait and see how the transfer game plays out and then the tune up friendlies.

New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is considering a move for £7million hitman Demba Ba.

Juventus are poised to pounce for unsettled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

Robin van Persie will hold crunch talks with Arsene Wenger this week, as Arsenal insist they are not "in the remotest bit" interested in selling him.

Manchester United defender Fabio da Silva has signed a season-long loan with QPR.

Steven Naismith is keen to be reunited with Nikica Jelavic at Everton.

Luka Modric's move to Real Madrid is on the brink of collapse because the player offered as part of the deal doesn't want to move to Tottenham.

Leon Best is finalising his £2.3million switch to Blackburn from Newcastle - and Steve Kean hopes to sign a trio of Portuguese players to join the striker.

Aston Villa have signed midfielder Karim El Ahmadi from Feyenoord on a three-year deal.
Transfer stories from other papers and websites

Manchester United could be closing in on Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho for a £25m fee. (The Sun)

New Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is lining up a £10 million move for unsettled Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge. (Daily Mail) (fine with me)

Andre Villas-Boas wants to launch his Spurs reign by signing Brazilian boy wonder Oscar, though Tottenham chief Daniel Levy is reluctant to pay the £20m asking price for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder. (The Sun)

Martin Jol is keen on a reunion with Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone as he steps up his search for a replacement for Danny Murphy at Fulham.

Chelsea stars Salomon Kalou and Jose Bosingwa have been released. (The Sun)

Arsenal are lining up a £12million bid for Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. (Daily Star)

Wigan are lining up a move for Marseille defender Rod Fanni. (The Sun)

Chelsea will bid £4million for Southampton's highly-rated left back Luke Shaw this week as they begin a massive rebuilding job at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Mail)

West Brom are closing in on Sweden international striker Markus Rosenberg, 29, on a free transfer. (Daily Star)

West Ham are continuing their preparations for the Premier League and have made approaches for Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea and Inter Milan's Dejan Stankovic. (Times)

Manchester United and Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Axel Witsel after Benfica signalled their willingness to cash in on the Belgium international. (talkSPORT)

Hamburg sporting director Frank Arnesen has confirmed that the club remain interested in re-signing Tottenham attacking midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. (Goal.com)

Arsenal forward Joel Campbell has claimed that he will spend next season on loan at Real Betis. (Goal.com)

[mcgaffer]

Chairman Malcolm Murray has issued an apology on behalf of Rangers for the "distress, disruption and difficulty inflicted on the football community".
"We are acutely aware that events at our club, brought about by people who are no longer here, have triggered a crisis in Scottish football," he said.
"Ally McCoist, the staff and players have nothing to apologise for.
"But the club needs to make an apology. It is only right that someone expresses our sorrow and regret."
Rangers, champions of Scotland a record 54 times, lost their Scottish Premier League place when the old company was consigned to liquidation last month.

(Wonder what price Celtic will be next year to win the League?)

[mcgaffer]

Sean Dyche has been sacked as Watford manager, paving the way for Gianfranco Zola to be appointed as his successor, BBC Sport has learned.
It is understood Dyche was given the news at Vicarage Road on Monday.
The 41-year-old had been in charge since June 2011 and last season led them to 11th place in the Championship, their highest finish for four years.
Watford's new owners, the Pozzo family, say they already have a verbal agreement with Zola to become manager.

[Captain Clarkie]

I realized yesterday that now I only have the MLS til August...sigh. It's not that I don't like the league, although the pace is slower, it's how it is presented on television; pandering announcers and the crowd audio tends to be the drone of the damn vulvelas (sp).

Yeah, I've been watching the MLS. Love the commentary eg - "Medium Long Ball into along the right, centre-back owns it!". Though I noticed one commentator describe a move (or play, if you will) as "offsides" ??.
That Beckham eh? He's a good loser, got to be a hefty ban there I'm thinking.
Still there's a few young English lads for me to watch in the Olympic football, hopefully they'll kick on at their clubs.
Anyway Predictions.

EPL - Chelsea
FA-Cup - Chelsea
Carling Cup -Chelsea
Champs league - Chelsea
SPL - Chelsea
La Liga- Chelsea
Ligue 1 - Chelsea
Serie A - Chelsea
Championship - Chelsea
Blue Square Premier League - Chelsea.

[king mob]

The best you can come up with is "newly promoted teams often struggle". Surely you can do better than that. And at least dont say it regarding the team who swept the championship last year. You could go for one of the others.

Southampton have a great set-up, and a pair of quality strikers who can score goals. West Ham will be fine, even if they'll be horrible to watch. Reading are thin on the ground and I'm not convinced they'll score enough goals, or keep enough goals out. Wigan have played well but they're using up a stream of luck that's amazing to watch. While I'd just love to see Stoke go down because Pullis is a vile little man, but they probably won't but we can but wish.

[king mob]

Chairman Malcolm Murray has issued an apology on behalf of Rangers for the "distress, disruption and difficulty inflicted on the football community".
"We are acutely aware that events at our club, brought about by people who are no longer here, have triggered a crisis in Scottish football," he said.
"Ally McCoist, the staff and players have nothing to apologise for.
"But the club needs to make an apology. It is only right that someone expresses our sorrow and regret."
Rangers, champions of Scotland a record 54 times, lost their Scottish Premier League place when the old company was consigned to liquidation last month.

(Wonder what price Celtic will be next year to win the League?)

Less than evens but the idea of Rangers making a half arsed apology on the eve of the vote to see whether Newco are allowed into the SPL stinks. Rangers have had years to apologise but they've avoided even acknowledging how corrupt they've been, and as for Celtic the silence coming from them speaks volumes.

[king mob]

Still there's a few young English lads for me to watch in the Olympic football, hopefully they'll kick on at their clubs.

A quick word on Team GB before I go back and treat it with the contempt it deserves. All the players play in the English league which I assume is a way for the Welsh FA to be totally ignored as the English FA have always been the main supporter of this publicity stunt for Beckham which has slapped them in the arse.

Wales had better be sure that FIFA keep their word because the English FA have put their independence at risk.

[Captain Clarkie]

A quick word on Team GB before I go back and treat it with the contempt it deserves. All the players play in the English league which I assume is a way for the Welsh FA to be totally ignored as the English FA have always been the main supporter of this publicity stunt for Beckham which has slapped them in the arse.

Wales had better be sure that FIFA keep their word because the English FA have put their independence at risk.

Oh yeah, the whole Team GB thing is a total joke. Like I say, I'll watch purely for the young lads who I want to see improve by getting competitive practice.