[Archived] Other Pl Happenings 2009/10

[imy9]

Bruce has spent how much at sunderland?I find it interesting how clubs with a bigger budget than ours are struggling below us.

[American]

They have £60m of debt, all of it overdue. Directors have a legal duty to treat all creditors equitably which means if a cash fairy godmother comes along, creditors will suddenly all be extending their palms. You simply cannot, outside of administration/insolvency, easily manage a creditors' settlement for less than all of the money owing especially as Pompey have failed to honour any number of previous payment schedules so have zero credibility, HMRC are in Court with a winding up order and there is a creditor like Lens from overseas who doesn't give a fig for any niceties now. Pompey cannot legally pay off Lens or the HMRC because they are screaming and doing nasty things and then refuse to pay another creditor in full and not expect to find themselves facing legal sanctions and possibly a day in Court especially if Pompey still fail. So I cannot see how anyone can keep Pompey going to mid May without a huge amount of cash to buy peace with that £60m of overdue claims bearing down on whatever is left of the Pompey business.

Chuck in about £12m for operating costs (wages are still £2m+ per month) to get them to the season end on 30 June when they hand back their share in the PL and that is where the £72m comes from.

Then explain how the 750k that Crystal Palace has gotten for the next FA cup match can go to pay players wages and not to the 40 million owed by them. If when a club was in administration and any money coming in would go to the creditors, most clubs that have gone into administration would have folded by now.

Not doubting, just curious about what makes Portsmouth a special case in administration that operating costs can't be pumped in to keep them afloat.

[47er]

That lad Wilshere is quite good too.

Perfect set of results for Rovers - can we take advantage tomorrow night ?

Bit picky there Jim! I knew it was spelt differently but couldn't be arsed looking it up!

No bingo on at the retirement home?

[meerkat]

Call me old fashioned, but I would much prefer Burnley. Bolton, Wigan and any club north of Birmingham to stay in the premier league, as opposed to the soft southern tarts?

[jim mk2]

Call me old fashioned, but I would much prefer Burnley. Bolton, Wigan and any club north of Birmingham to stay in the premier league, as opposed to the soft southern tarts?

Not old fashioned, perfectly reasonable statement.

I want all the Lancashire town teams to do well, but not at the expense of Rovers of course.

[Tom]

The Pompey Sunderland game was a cracker, packed with incidents

[PAFELL]

Prize money and media moneys do change slightly each season within the three year media contracts dependent on the non-fixed elements of the PL's trading. Take £72m out and there is £72m less to spread about- simple as that.

Back to football, Sunderland had 2 sent off and suffered an injury time equaliser at Fratton so Rovers stay 12th tonight.

Is the premier league 'obligated' to help pompey or can they just let pompey go into administration / fold?

Because if there is an obligation then other clubs who are feeling the squeeze could do the same, build up debts by buying good players, fail to pay them, go into administration etc, knowing that eventually the premier league will bail them out.

[CrazyIvan]

On the match between Sunderland and Pompey, Steed Malbranque went off at halftime with chest pains and was taken to the hospital. I hope he's ok. Hopefully it wasn't anything serious. Quality player.

[tcj_jones]

Gallas only Offered One Year Deal

Looks like Gallas will be off this summer then. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up - of course he could still sign for the Gunners.

I'm not a fan of Wenger's footballing philosophy and policies. Limited resources and building for the future do not necessitate what appears little short of a chronic obsession with young players (cue jokes). He's so short on defensive options that he's actually brought Sol Campbell back to the club, who is obviously considerably older than Gallas. Yet, he will risk letting another top player go on a free simply to meet this silly policy.

He sold Diara for what would now appear a very small fee, only for Flamini to leave on a free and before that he sold Edu, only to let Viera leave at the end of the season. After selling Toure, it now appears that he is going to lose Gallas too. He doesn't learn from his mistakes.

Watching Arsenal these days, I don't sit back in awe. Long gone are the days of the invincibles when the team seemed to have a great mix of youth and experience, flair and grit, pace and strength. All the team has now is an abundance of small, weak and injury prone players who can pass the ball brilliantly around the half way line, before throwing ten men forward, only to appear too scared to actually take it into the penalty box before being counter attacked. The former masters of the counter attack are now being exploited by it week after week. I've found it embarrassing how they've simply been ripped apart by United and Chelsea this season who have done little more than stand off and hit them on the counter.

Arsenal need to change their age policy and bring in a few experienced heads. They need a new powerful CB, a strong midfield enforcer who's not afraid to get stuck in, and they need another striker in the mold of RVP. They also need to learn to mix up their play a bit and not be so predictable. Until that happens, they'll never have a hope of winning the title.

[jim mk2]

Watching Arsenal these days, I don't sit back in awe. Long gone are the days of the invincibles when the team seemed to have a great mix of youth and experience, flair and grit, pace and strength. All the team has now is an abundance of small, weak and injury prone players

You obviously weren't at the Emirates on two occasions in the recent past when they hammered a combined total of 12 goals past us.

Of all the supposed "top" teams I want to fail, it's this lot and their smug suvvern supporters.

[LeChuck]

He's so short on defensive options that he's actually brought Sol Campbell back to the club, who is obviously considerably older than Gallas.

They're not short on centre backs, he just brought in Campbell so he could let the useless Senderos leave. That means he has Gallas, Vermaelen, Campbell, Silvestre and Djoourou. Alex Song started as centre back too so he could play there if needs be.

Campbell for Senderos was a wise move really, it made them stronger. Mind you, replacing Senderos with a 40 year old Darren Peacock would have made them stronger.

[RibbleValleyRover]

They're not short on centre backs, he just brought in Campbell so he could let the useless Senderos leave. That means he has Gallas, Vermaelen, Campbell, Silvestre and Djoourou. Alex Song started as centre back too so he could play there if needs be.

Campbell for Senderos was a wise move really, it made them stronger. Mind you, replacing Senderos with a 40 year old Darren Peacock would have made them stronger.

None of them are top quality though. The same can be said for their keeper who isn't good enough for a top four side with title aspirations.

Like many have said they play pretty football but when times are tough and they need to step up and battle they just don't have the players for it. Both United and Chelsea outmuscled a physically weak Arsenal side.

[LeChuck]

None of them are top quality though. The same can be said for their keeper who isn't good enough for a top four side with title aspirations.

Gallas and Vermaelen are quality, and Sagna is probably the best right back in the league. The depth is worrying though, the rest aren't that good as you say.

Totally agree about Almunia by the way, I'm not sure how he's still Arsenal's first choice. I've never been convinced by Clichy either.

[The Rover of Finland]

Steve Bruce did have a good start at Brum and Wigan but the clubs never raised their status under Bruce. He got bored and left both clubs. He was given very large budget by Sunderland and they started league well. Almost even won at Old Trafford. Now it seems to be another lower mid table season for Black Cats again and a lot of wasted money. Without Bent they would be probably second from the bottom. It all seems Bruce will get bored again soon and some poor club will give him another chance. West Ham is my guess. West Ham by the way really must win their coming home games against Brum, Hull and Bolton. They will travel to the every top4 clubs yet.

[speeeeeeedie]

Great results last night, let's hope tonight is just as good. Teams in the botom half are going to be taking points of each other from now until the end of the season.

Regarding Arsenal, I do think that they are too small. They need 4 players at least. Sell 2 of Arshavin, Fabregas, Rosicky, and Nasri (all do essentially the same thing), get in a 6 foot+ battler, a big striker (Klose would be great for them - getting on a bit but strong), a new defender, and a new keeper. Although their back line has quality in it, it does not come anywhere close to Man U or Cheslea's.

Ivanovic Carvalho Terry A Cole

Brown Ferdinand Vidic Evra

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy

[The Rover of Finland]

Walton just sent Nani off. What an awful jump tackle. Didn´t hit too bad but could have ended Petrov´s season. Villa has great chance to take a double on Utd.

[Miker]

Is United's new tactic to make the opposition score own goals? They got like 3 against Portsmouth and another one now against Villa.

[American]

Something like 10 this season....

[Exiled_Rover]

Walton just sent Nani off. What an awful jump tackle. Didn´t hit too bad but could have ended Petrov´s season. Villa has great chance to take a double on Utd.

Won the ball, ###### reffing.

[Quack]

Even Mike Phelan agreed it was a red - that is saying something.

[philipl]

Redknap and Mandaric in Court today over two payments totalling to £183000.

[alexanders]

What an absolutely ridicilous tackle by Nani. Clear red card!

[Claytons Left Boot]

Fabregas' handball last night was as stone wall a penalty as you'll ever see. The free kick came in and Fabregas, at the end of the wall, just stuck his hand up above his head and deflected the ball away. His 'reasoning' as to was it, or wasn't it, was right out of the Wenger school of bull sh!t.

[CrazyIvan]

What an absolutely ridicilous tackle by Nani. Clear red card!

Absolutely. I couldn't beleive that Hansen tried to say it wasn't a red card. It was horrible. Nani went in with both feet off the floor, launching himself at the ball and the player. His right foot went over the ball and connected with the Villa players ankle. Straight red in anyones book.

Am I the only one in thinking that Boateng deserved his red? The reason being (having seen it again as well as live, so to speak) he led with his arm/elbow and was late. Pedersen had long headed the ball before Boateng made contact with him. The intent was there and I think the ref knew it. It was the only reason Boateng stayed down so long. Pedersen, to give him credit, got straight up. Boateng's head didn't look like it had touched Pedersens at all. That entire time he was on the floor was utter play acting.

Fabregas' handball last night was as stone wall a penalty as you'll ever see. The free kick came in and Fabregas, at the end of the wall, just stuck his hand up above his head and deflected the ball away. His 'reasoning' as to was it, or wasn't it, was right out of the Wenger school of bull sh!t.

Apart from the fact that Fabregas wasn't actually in the penalty area, it was a blatant handball. Not a pen but a free kick and yellow which would have seen Fabregas off for a second yellow card.

[alexanders]

I think Boateng deserved the red. He had no chance at all of winning the ball and came with his hand/elbow first. The ref had a great vision of the situation and felt he deserved it.

I think the ref last night was one of the better.