11/12 Premier League thread

[Bobby Sands]

Roy Hodgson has made a frank admission that Liverpool could be vulnerable to a bid from Manchester United for Fernando Torres in January. The Liverpool manager also revealed he was caught unawares by Christian Purslow's departure as managing director only five days after overseeing the sale of the club to New England Sports Ventures.
Torres, out of form and out of Liverpool's squad to face Napoli tomorrow night, has looked a disillusioned figure at Anfield this season but has been touted as a potential replacement for Wayne Rooney should United sell him in the next transfer window. Sir Alex Ferguson has often dismissed the prospect of bringing a Liverpool star to Old Trafford as "unthinkable", while the last player to move directly between the two fierce rivals was Phil Chisnall in 1964. Rafael Benítez, Hodgson's predecessor as manager, insisted he would resign if Torres had been sold on his watch.
The present Liverpool manager, however, believes a United move for Torres cannot be discounted. "When a great player like Wayne Rooney is looking to leave his club, Manchester United will be in a position to target a lot of players around the world," Hodgson said. "I don't think Fernando Torres will be the only striker they target, and I don't think that we will be the only club that will be worried their striker can be targeted.
"I am not naive to believe there won't be any danger and we will never lose a player like Torres, I understand these things can happen. I don't believe we will lose him, we will do our best to ensure he stays, and I only hope I can do everything in my power to help him return to the very top level we know he has. I certainly hope he will get back very quickly, we want to get him back to form and back to the level we know he can achieve as quickly as possible."
One confirmed departure from Liverpool was that of Purslow, who was instrumental in the recent takeover drama and the appointment of Hodgson as manager in the summer. Purslow will continue at Anfield as a nonexecutive director and special adviser to the new owners but his exit as managing director, and its timing, came as a surprise. With the chairman, Martin Broughton, now in a transitional role while the Americans formalise a new board, it means four of the men who ratified Hodgson's appointment – Purslow, Broughton, Tom Hicks and George Gillett – have gone.
"Christian Purslow leaving doesn't impact on my position as far as I know, but that is not a question for me to answer," Hodgson said. "I came to work for Liverpool Football Club not an individual. I had no idea before today that Christian was going to leave the club. I believe I have the backing of the club, and I want to continue with the rebuilding job that we have here. We knew it was a big job, and as far as I am concerned nothing has changed."
Purslow, blamed by Benítez for Liverpool's recent woes only 24 hours before his departure, said he was looking forward "to assisting the owners in any way I can at this exciting time as they drive the club forward to a bright future".
Excitement and optimism do not describe the mood around Hodgson's team, however. It said everything about the paucity of the squad the Liverpool manager selected for this tie that, on their flight to Naples this morning, the most famous person on board was the pilot. Captain Paul Bruce Dickinson, whose numerous guises include being the lead singer of Iron Maiden, lent a celebrity touch to a journey minus three first-team players through injury – Dirk Kuyt, Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger – plus four more omitted by choice. Cue several shameless Maiden references from here on in.
Hodgson, a man on the edge, may have every justification in sparing Steven Gerrard, Torres, Raul Meireles and Lucas from Europa League duties ahead of Sunday's Premier League visit of Blackburn Rovers. A "must-win" game, the former Rovers manager admitted following Everton's convincing victory at Goodison Park.
For a manager yet to develop any continuity or understanding in his new team, whom the vast majority of supporters wish he would run to the hills and whose last gamble imploded against Northampton Town in the Carling Cup, his selection threatens to play with madness at the Stadio San Paolo.
"It was a very straightforward decision for me because it's a question of priority," Hodgson said. "We have four points from two games in this group. We've started well. We've got four matches left to get the six points or so we need to qualify. For me it's quite simply a priority after our very, very poor start to the season and our bad results. If you've got to make a sacrifice with the team on one game then I'd make the sacrifice in this game. I agree we need to win but we badly need to win on Sunday. If we lose tomorrow night and people say I prioritised for Sunday, I will hold my hand up and say yes I did."

Roy out now please.

 

[Duke]

lol @ bale!

 

[Bobby Sands]

he is a fantastic player. been saying that for the past 3 years.

 

[Pittsey]

Man United won't be interested in Torres. Why pay 25 Million for a player who can only manage half a season. I think Wesley Sneijder is a more realistic option.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

I don't think Wesley would leave Inter just yet.

Pastore from Palermo please.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Yea as if Sneijder is gonna leave Inter and join Manchester United.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

Awesome

 

[Bobby Sands]

just what the league needs. 2 more Ferguson arse lickers. Coyle and Holloway

awww is poor Ginsoak being bullied? makes a fucking change doesnt it. horrible old cunt.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

He's more on about player power more than anything else. But I guess your hatred for Fergie/Man Utd blinds you as usual.

 

[Bobby Sands]

^^i agree with that point.

but whats this about feeling sorry for Ferguson? and did you see Coyles giving his view on it?

ok, Holloway wasnt near as bad as that and i like him but Coyle was just sickening. i havent an ounce of pity for Ferguson given his record of treating players ,who gave him good service, like shit when he no longer needed them. e.g Jaap Stam and Roy Keane.

the whole issue about players having too much power, i agree with, but who raised the bar in relation to players wages in the English game?

 

[Pittsey]

Yea as if Sneijder is gonna leave Inter and join Manchester United.

This is football. Would you have said Liverpool would be fighting relegation 2 seasons ago? You were all saying "We''ll win it next year".


Are we blaming the modern game on Man Utd? lol.

Who did raise the bar for wages, Bobby? Rooney is on 90k. Where does that put him in relation to star players on other teams?

 

[Bobby Sands]

^^they set a precedent when they started paying the likes of Beckham and Keane big wages. other teams followed suit to try and compete. with them. what im saying is you reap what you sow.

 

[Pittsey]

^^they set a precedent when they started paying the likes of Beckham and Keane big wages. other teams followed suit to try and compete. with them. what im saying is you reap what you sow.

Let's not pretend that any of the teams in the premiership are any different.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

^^they set a precedent when they started paying the likes of Beckham and Keane big wages. other teams followed suit to try and compete. with them. what im saying is you reap what you sow.

Alan Shearer was on big wages at Blackburn before Keane was on big wages at Man Utd. Blackburn offered Keane more than Man Utd could. Keane demanded the same amount from Utd. So in that case it was the millionnaires at Blackburn who raised it.

 

[Bobby Sands]

whats this about a domestic disturbance at Rooney's house or something?

rumours going around is that it was man utd fans threatening him not join City.

also, i read that Scholes was the one that injured ROoney in training the other day. is it Scholes or Giggs that doesnt get on with Rooney? i remember reading a while back that one of them does. cant remember which one.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Alan Shearer was on big wages at Blackburn before Keane was on big wages at Man Utd. Blackburn offered Keane more than Man Utd could. Keane demanded the same amount from Utd. So in that case it was the millionnaires at Blackburn who raised it.

wasnt Keane himself the first 100,000 a week player in the premier league though? and im pretty sure it was in the early 00s he started earning that much.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Cheshire police were called to Wayne Rooney's house on Thursday night to break up a demonstration which included a banner reading 'If you join City you die'.

Around 30 Manchester United supporters, many hooded and wearing balaclavas, stood outside Rooney's Prestbury home and invited the player to come out.

When he declined, they unveiled a banner reading 'If you join City, you're dead' as he watched from an upstairs window.

Police soon arrived at the scene and the crowd dispersed but no arrests were made.

.....

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

Hahahahahaha idiots.

wasnt Keane himself the first 100,000 a week player in the premier league though? and im pretty sure it was in the early 00s he started earning that much.

I don't think Keane was on that much? That was the same time Keane was whoring himself to Juventus and Bayern Munich. Man Utd wern't the biggest spenders in wage back then either, that falls to Chelsea. They had Winstan Bogarde on how much? There was a reason Chelsea had so much debt. Don't forget Chelsea had a whole team of foreigners even before the Roman era. Di mattio, Petrescu, Desielly, Le beouf all went to a team fighting to finish the in top 6 for a reason.

But in the Premiership, Blackburn set the bar with their spending power which won them the league.

 

[Pittsey]

.....

That would make me leave for definite. Stupid dicks.

It's football you manc morons.

 

[Pittsey]

Rooney Signs 5 Year Deal!!!