I know this was discussed, and I didn't want to keep post non-EPL news in the EPL thread.

Villa to Barca is official now for 34.2 million Euro.

That looks like a fucking steal based on what Chelsea and City are ready to splash out on Torres. The question is what happens to Ibra now? Back to Serie A?

5/19/2010 10:28:09 AM

if they get fabregas too, it'll be a solid offseason for barca. it's almost like they're playing fifa with team they're amassing.

i don't know how a feel about the possibility of henry coming to the mls. i know soccer in america will always pale in comparison to europe, but i don't want the league to become a place where once good players come to die.

5/19/2010 1:37:07 PM

-------------Valdes--------------

Alves-----Pique----Puyol------Maxwell

Xavi----------Fabregas---------Iniesta

Messi---------Ibrahimovic---------Villa


Fucking A that is a squad. Then, you still got Bojan, Sergio, and Pedro off the bench.

5/19/2010 1:59:48 PM

^^^

Ibra to Red Bull NY with Thierry Henry! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

5/19/2010 2:07:24 PM

puyol should probably go ahead and come to the mls too

5/19/2010 2:54:58 PM

villa to barcelona would be ridiculous, and at 30 mil thats a steal. i wonder what'll happen to david silva? i remember reading an article about him wanting to go to man utd, that be pretty sweet and they could use a good attacking mid like him. since valencia is getting rid of villa they might as well sell silva too and rebuild.

5/19/2010 2:57:44 PM

Quote :

"but i don't want the league to become a place where once good players come to die."

Yeah I know right... Beckham came to MLS and then revived his career with England (he'd be in the WC if it weren't for injury) and then played two spells with one of the best clubs in Europe. He died alright.

Henry is still class. He's definitely not going to MLS to "die."

5/19/2010 6:29:27 PM

yeah henry will dominate the mls...

i'm loving all these CL repeats fsc has been showing lately...that robben goal from the fiorentina tie...whewwww

5/19/2010 6:35:48 PM

No way Bojan stays at Barca with Villa coming in. I don't know where he goes, but dude can't be happy there getting no burn at all.

Ibra I think goes to Arse to try and make up for the $$$$ needed for buy Cesc.


And GG on this thread, Ribs

5/19/2010 7:24:36 PM

maybe bojan goes to arsenal, they could do a part exchange for cesc. bojan always goes to arsenal in my football manager game so its possible

5/19/2010 7:42:04 PM

Ibra could be packing for Man City due to his past with Mancini and the club's deep pockets: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/7737979/Manchester-City-manager-Roberto-Mancini-keen-to-be-reunited-with-Zlatan-Ibrahimovic.html

5/19/2010 9:17:34 PM

Blackpool beating Cardiff City 3-2 at the moment in the Championship playoff final

5/22/2010 11:17:51 AM

BLACKPOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5/22/2010 11:56:05 AM

nice

5/22/2010 12:12:37 PM

double posstttt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYLGtrnY4QA

some of the best CL goals ever. The Ronaldinho one against Chelsea is one of the more memorable ones for me... and to that Hagi goal

5/22/2010 12:46:29 PM

i remember that ronaldinho goal

"hmm, i'm just standing here...might as well chip it in the corner of the net over there. yep, done."

5/22/2010 1:11:12 PM

Ribery renews his contract with Bayern till 2015. Great news on an otherwise sad weekend.

5/23/2010 11:48:34 AM

Any hope that he'll put some of that money toward plastic surgery?

5/23/2010 3:04:02 PM

also, wow at mourinho leaving inter to coach madrid.

5/23/2010 3:07:23 PM

why wow

5/23/2010 3:17:30 PM

Ibra recently said he dislikes England's rainy weather and that England doesn't "feel close" to him, so don't expect to see him lining up with Tevez at Eastlands next year. Of course, the right amount of quid might have him singing, "God Save the Queen."

[Edited on May 23, 2010 at 5:17 PM. Reason : quote]

5/23/2010 5:02:52 PM

Saying you don't want to play in the EPL because it rains too much = bitch move

I see Maicon is interested in following Jose to Real now. Ramos and Maicon would be

5/23/2010 5:36:14 PM

yeah thats not happening. they might as well just buy daniel alves too and hog all the right backs

5/23/2010 7:04:23 PM

i really doubt ramos is going anywhere, and they don't need two right backs that dont play defense

5/23/2010 7:17:30 PM

What's stopping one of them from moving to left back?

Also, isn't Ramos talented enough to play wide in the midfield since he is a pretty good crosser of the ball? It seems like he would be a good weapon to make runs out of a defensive-minded formation without the fear of leaving the right side uncovered.

5/23/2010 7:49:15 PM

the midfield/forward(wide) is too stacked for ramos to ever push up from defense.

so if mourinho were to bring maicon and not play ramos i think a lot of people would be upset at real madrid, since i think ramos captains games that raul doesnt play. plus he wouldnt be able to play out wide left as they already have a good player on the left who uses his left in marcelo

5/23/2010 7:55:37 PM

Quote :

"Rafael Benitez says he was "surprised" to read reports that he could be a contender to manage United Arab Emirates and has reiterated that his preference is to stay at Liverpool this season. It was reported at the weekend that the country were planning to offer Benitez an annual salary of £4 million, along with a £5 million 'golden hello' and a free mansion, if he was willing to leave Anfield."

damn. I'd be like, what's up UAE, give me dat mansion

5/24/2010 8:28:35 AM

Anyone watching the UEFA final?

5/24/2010 2:09:53 PM

WUT

5/24/2010 2:10:44 PM

Ramos has the talent to be one of the best RBs in the world, he can also do a good job at CB so he won't go anywhere. They do need someone better than Granero to play opposite Ronaldo though.

5/24/2010 5:57:49 PM

Funny you should mention that, as they just signed Angel Di Maria today.

5/24/2010 7:52:26 PM

Just read about that. A good buy, I think. 40m is a bit overpriced for him at this point, but with Man City also having been linked to him the price tag was always gonna be huge.

5/24/2010 11:18:57 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VTvXYhDbug

This goal is sick.

5/28/2010 8:58:58 AM

The build up play is beautiful in that clip.

5/28/2010 9:26:30 AM

yeah, the finish is top class but the overall buildup makes it even better

5/28/2010 9:42:49 AM

yeah, that was sick.

5/28/2010 9:49:09 AM

I totally forgot about this Argentina goal, very similar quick passing to that one I just posted (fast forward to about :45 if you don't want to see ALL of the possession before the goal)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R_iYLca2gc

5/28/2010 11:03:00 AM

i had forgotten about that one too. i definitely remember that now.

[Edited on May 28, 2010 at 12:46 PM. Reason : k]

5/28/2010 12:41:01 PM

the ball control in that video is amazing.


also, mourinho to real madrid for 19 million pounds. that must be the most expensive deal to get a coach from a different team ever i'm guessing?

5/28/2010 4:23:23 PM

Was it 19 million? I read somewhere that his buy-out was 7-8 million, contingent upon winning the UCL, but then Moratti was trying to play hardball and get 16 million.


I dunno, it doesn't really matter. I know that he's already said he's going to change that back line around, and wants to bring in Ashley Cole, Lampard, and Gerrard.


My prediction for Mourinho's Real Madrid:

League title next year
League, Copa del Rey, and UCL the year after

-------------Casillas--------------

Maicon-----Ramos----Pepe------A Cole

Di Maria------Alonso-------Gerrard

----------????????----------

-------Ronaldo----Higuain------



Those question marks could be anyone, really, because Madrid is STACKED when it comes to playmaking CAMs. If Kaka stays, I think it has to be him. Otherwise Van der Vaart, Granero, or Lampard could all play there.



This job is just a stepping stone for JM to go to Manchester United in 2-3 years, anyway.

5/29/2010 10:47:18 AM

you think Cole/Lampard both want to leave and that Chelsea would let both of them leave?

5/29/2010 12:25:23 PM

Cole is gone. He hates the way Chelsea hung him out to dry while he was injured.


Lampard there might be sort of a fight for, but this is Real Madrid we're talking about. They'll pay too much for him (probably in the mid-20s to low 30s), and it won't matter because the banks will write off their debt. Chelsea would be stupid not to sell.


Also, it's the second time JM's come after him in as many jobs. Remember how he almost went to Inter?

[Edited on May 29, 2010 at 2:38 PM. Reason : .]

5/29/2010 2:34:00 PM

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=791476&sec=transfers&cc=5901


Everton sneak in and sign Jermaine Beckford.

5/31/2010 12:34:53 PM

"500 Greatest Goals" on FSC is definitely worth a DVR

5/31/2010 9:14:39 PM

I hope Beckford keeps up his goal scoring record. He's definitely impressed so far.

5/31/2010 9:36:46 PM

The thing about bringing in strikers from the lower leagues is that you can never be sure how they're going to pan out.


David Nugent, for example.

5/31/2010 10:54:01 PM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/02/rafael-benitez-liverpoo-quit

Quote :

"Liverpool offer Rafael Benítez £3m to quit with immediate effect"

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

6/3/2010 12:22:40 AM

LOL good article

What a shitty situation for Liverpool. I bet he doesn't take the severance and waits to get the 16 mill when they have to fire him.

Inter going from Jose to Rafa would be a HUGE step down as well. Surely, they can do better than him.

If Marca reported that Gerrard was Jose's #1 target in the summer transfer window, consider that guy already in Madrid. There is no way Liverpool can turn down that cash.

6/3/2010 10:05:37 AM

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/liverpool-fc-statement-1

6/3/2010 11:56:11 AM

Quote :

"LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL"

so damned if you do, damned if you don't?

6/3/2010 4:02:25 PM