[Archived] Other Pl Happenings 2009/10

[Mr. E]

Well when you spend 150 million on new players, eventually you'll get it right. Looks like the title is between Chelsea and City this season. Which would have been a ridiculous scenario just 8 years ago.

[S15]

Well when you spend 150 million on new players, eventually you'll get it right. Looks like the title is between Chelsea and City this season. Which would have been a ridiculous scenario just 8 years ago.

Not as ridiculous as ruling Manchester United out after two games.

[CrazyIvan]

I wouldn't rule anyone in or out just yet. Two games in is way too early to call end of season winners and losers. Having said that, I have genuinely never seen a Liverpool team this bad. City have not broken sweat tonight. They had more of a game when we lost 4 - 1 there last season.

[Commondore]

I think Arsenal can challenge as well, they've hade a good transfer window and if they can get a new keeper in they have patched up most of their problems from the last few seasons.

[Tom]

Johnson is the best signing City have made, would have been perfect had we got in there first.

If it carries on this way Hodgson may not make Xmas, sad really as I love to see Liverpool lose but I have a soft spot for Roy.

[CrazyIvan]

Johnson is the best signing City have made, would have been perfect had we got in there first.

If it carries on this way Hodgson may not make Xmas, sad really as I love to see Liverpool lose but I have a soft spot for Roy.

So do I. Roy is a gentleman.

[ABBEY]

LIVERPOO going down lol..woy sacked by end of sept is a distinct possiblty!!

[Mr. E]

Not as ridiculous as ruling Manchester United out after two games.

eh, they'll be up there, but there's only so far Scholes & Co can carry them. They'll be in trouble when they get injuries. City on the other hand have enough top players for 2-3 teams.

[S15]

eh, they'll be up there, but there's only so far Scholes & Co can carry them. They'll be in trouble when they get injuries. City on the other hand have enough top players for 2-3 teams.

I'd back Ferguson to finish above Mancini if he had a squad full of geese.

[BuckyRover]

I wouldn't be too convinced about that if I was a Man Utd fan. Man City will catch them at some point and Utd haven't really strengthened in a while.

[John]

Birmingham are set to make an improved £9m offer for Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia and are also keen on £2m PSV Eindhoven leftback Carlos Salcido.

[The Gull]

I can't look past Chelsea for the title this year.

All the others ate going to have be virtually faultless to keep up with them in my opinion.

They have a pretty settled squad with class in depth throughout.

[bazza]

I wouldn't rule anyone in or out just yet. Two games in is way too early to call end of season winners and losers.

I remember the days when a league table was never published until after the third game had been played.

Now the media display a table before a ball is kicked. All the numbers are zero and Arsenal are always top and a team beginning with W are always bottom.

[John]

Harry Redknapp has made a move to sign Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid and talks with the midfielder are believed to be progressing positively.

[92er]

Harry Redknapp has made a move to sign Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid and talks with the midfielder are believed to be progressing positively.

No competition when he realises Sam and the Rovers are after him.

[DE.]

Thought City looked alright tonight, but let's face it, Liverpool were rubbish.

Thought Roy got his tactics wrong, which isn't a huge surprise. His away record at Fulham was pretty bad IIRC, playing 4-4-2 away from home just doesn't work. City's midfield was so heavily anchored (three defensive mids... at home!) that Liverpool needed an extra body in the middle or they were going to get overrun in midfield, and so it was.

Saying that, City weren't exactly dominate, most of that game bored me to tears because neither team was doing anything remotely useful with the ball. Liverpool just defended poorly, passed poorly, and seemed to be confused as to what system they were supposed to be playing. City weren't really dangerous but they seemed to understand their system and be able to pass the ball around far easier than Liverpool, and that comfort on the ball made them look far superior.

Have to admit, looking at that Liverpool squad, it's one of the weakest in a long time. Ngog is assumedly some kind of strange joke, Torres has been in poor form for months now, Gerrard is similarly losing his ability to carry Liverpool by himself, and the rest of the team range from average to inconsistantly-decent. Kuyt and Mascherano are two players who raise the quality level a little bit, and both may be leaving before the window shuts

Bad times ahead for Liverpool, think Roy may have been better off staying at Fulham tbh. I know he wanted a last crack at a "big" job but let's be honest, he couldn't have picked a worse time in recent memory to manage Liverpool.

[philipl]

after a flurry of activity it looks like the transfer Market has gone quiet again

Squillachi to Arsenal looks like the only new done deal.

[DP]

So when did the everyone decide Gareth Barry was only a defensive midfielder? Nothing to do with his role for England by chance?

Always a goal threat at Villa. Played alongside De Jong at City for the past year or so.

Oh yes, and he popped up and scored last night too!

Not another one Fabio got wrong, surely?

[philipl]

Some interesting stories in the Guardian diary.

I would imagine that City will get round the UEFA rules by accelerating their write-down of transfer fees in the current accounts so they don't have those huge annual amortisation hits when they are "constrained" to E45m losses.

Rovers would have to do something similar if there were to be some big signings in January.

[Majiball]

Principles come first.

[Majiball]

Gallas shows he's still not found all his marbles.

[Hughesy]

Some interesting stories in the Guardian diary.

I would imagine that City will get round the UEFA rules by accelerating their write-down of transfer fees in the current accounts so they don't have those huge annual amortisation hits when they are "constrained" to E45m losses.

Rovers would have to do something similar if there were to be some big signings in January.

Those rules wont come in straight away....Can you honestly see the big teams being kicked out of Europe?!

[philipl]

Those rules wont come in straight away....Can you honestly see the big teams being kicked out of Europe?!

Read the article and then repost- the rules will come in and the losses of football clubs in the future are being determined by transfers made today.

City have spent £160m on transfers this summer which means accounting charges of £40m for each of the next four years. Add to that the £200m previously spent which implies charges of £50m per year and it is already all but impossibe for City to limit losses to keep within the rules when they come in without taking a one-off write-off of transfer fees now.

[thenodrog]

"Manchester City thanks Sheik Mansour" Yuk!!!!

[den]

Hodgson looks like he might be facing the same problems at Liverpool, as he did at Ewood - unsettled players wanting away and causing disruption. Rovers were doing really well under Roy until he lost the battle to keep hold of the better players and had to bring in replacements. I reckon that will be his undoing at Liverpool as well. That and using tactics that don't work against the top clubs. 4-4-2 is well past it's usefulness nowadays, far too rigid and allows the big boys to murder you in midfield. Having wingers that stand out wide and watch the opposition flood midfield and play inside them isn't too bright.

Love seeing Liverpool struggle though. Love seeing all those local scouse fans, who have no links with the City of Liverpool, suffer.