Football Season 09-10/2010 World Cup Thread

[Patrick Bateman]

I wonder what corruption we are in for with Webb in charge on Saturday.

He's bound to favour Bayern seeing as they'll be wearing red.

[Fugitive1979]

Webb being the ref is a joke. He couldn't officiate a game of musical chairs at a kids' birthday party.

[Undertaker]

*Seeks wall chart to find out the probability of South Korea playing North Korea*

[Patrick Bateman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 714650.stm

[Fugitive1979]

*Seeks wall chart to find out the probability of South Korea playing North Korea*

The earliest possible meeting would be the quarter-finals, so it is unlikely - though it would be interesting.

[Patrick Bateman]

In Rafa we trust.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 719210.stm

[Danny C]

Some will be pleased but I'm disappointed. Any manager would find it tough under the conditions imposed upon us by the diseases who own our club. £1m net transfer budget a season is in no way enough to maintain a realistic title challenge.

[Drico One]

How accurate is the Transfer League, lads? According to this he's had quite a bit of cash to throw around at least in terms of transfer outlay.

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/index.p ... e&Itemid=1

A fuller picture, of course, would need the wage bill for each of those seasons.

Drico.

[Undertaker]

To be fair though Danny, Liverpool were third highest for net spend over the past 5 years behind Chelsea and United. He still deserved at least 1 more season though. I think Benitez's weakness was there never seemed to be a plan B when things weren't going right.

I can't see Gerrard or Torres staying either and it's going to get increasingly difficult to compete unless a huge takeover takes place. That goes for most clubs. If Man City get the right boss, they are going to dominate.

[Undertaker]

How accurate is the Transfer League, lads? According to this he's had quite a bit of cash to throw around at least in terms of transfer outlay.

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/index.p ... e&Itemid=1

A fuller picture, of course, would need the wage bill for each of those seasons.

Drico.

Sky had the last 5 year average and Liverpool were third behind ManUre and Chelsea. Wages do play a big part as well. No idea if they have a wage cap, although i can't see it. Gerrard, Torres and Reina must be on huge wages.

Surprised Villa are so high and surprised Spurs aren't higher than Liverpool, considering the mega millions we spent on utter trash before Redknapp came in.

[Patrick Bateman]

He deserved to go. They got lucky when they won the Champions League. If it wasn't for Gerrard, they'd have been out in the group stages. He's made too many mediocre signings, played too negatively away from home on too many occasions, and antagonised their most creative player Alonso before he finally ended up leaving. Sure the Americans are wankers but Benitez ended up being the Spanish Houllier.

[Danny C]

How accurate is the Transfer League, lads? According to this he's had quite a bit of cash to throw around at least in terms of transfer outlay.

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/index.p ... e&Itemid=1

It's mostly accurate, but some glaring errors. Torres is listed as costing £26.5m, this was an inflated figure put around to mollify the Atletico fans; his actual cost was £20m. Mascherano is listed at £17m, but this figure included wages over the course of his contract. The actual figure was somewhere below £10m. Robbie Keane's sale price is shown as £12m but it was nearer to £15m.

Even from that table though you can see he's had practically nothing to spend over the past two seasons outside of what he's brought in in transfer fees. None of the TV money, none of the prize money, commercial revenue - that's all gone to wages and servicing the ballooning debt.

A fuller picture, of course, would need the wage bill for each of those seasons.

Wage bill is far and away the most accurate predictor of league finishing positions there is. Liverpool's wage bill is 5th highest in the league at the moment, I understand. I would bet it will be 6th highest going into the new season.

You can make an argument that Rafa should have gone, but who is there to replace him?

[Undertaker]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/

Ferdinand out of the World Cup. Quality defender but never liked the bull lipped t***. One of the reasons my interest in England has dwindled a bit over the past few years. Too many tossers. John Terry better not be re-instated.

[Danny C]

Haha, good riddance you duck-mouthed gimp.

Drogba broke his arm today too, it's karma central around here.

[Patrick Bateman]

Well done Emile, you big lump.