*Official* English Football Season 2007-08

[Craig]

First ex-league team to go to the wall since, what, Maidstone? Feel for the fans, think it's only a matter of time before Cambridge City & Cambridge United merge. Two seasons at the outside.

How is that going to go down?

In Italy when a club hits the wall finically, they can restart the next season (providing they have new owners, like the Scarborough FC supporters trust), in the new season down, but with a whole new squad, everything, including a new name (eg Scarborough United), so I guess something like that applies in England?

But it has to be said, what where the owner/s/board doing to let a club go out of business and surely they will be investigated by the authorities (in Australia it is known ASIC) so the relevant one in the UK)?

 

[BoyBrumby]

How is that going to go down?

Like a cup of cold sick. No-one wants to be forced to embrace the local rivals they've spent most of the lives hating.

 

[Hoole Seal]

In Italy when a club hits the wall finically, they can restart the next season (providing they have new owners, like the Scarborough FC supporters trust), in the new season down, but with a whole new squad, everything, including a new name (eg Scarborough United), so I guess something like that applies in England?

But it has to be said, what where the owner/s/board doing to let a club go out of business and surely they will be investigated by the authorities (in Australia it is known ASIC) so the relevant one in the UK)?

Scarborough ex-Chairman Ian Scobbie is currently in discussions with The Seadog Trust (supporter's trust) to form a new club and apply for entry into the non-league pyramid.

Telford managed it a few year's ago forming AFC Telford, with Telford United Supporter's Trust the sole owner's, having secured the ground lease and the club's asset's. What it did do was remove £4 million worth of debt attributed to the old club, albeit on applying to the FA they had to start four division's down in the Northern (Unibond) Premier Division 1.

Scarborough were undermined by their own Council in the end who wouldn't sanction a ground move, when the sale of the old ground would have cleared the debt. There's no real authority that monitor's if club's spend within their mean's, apart from total wages must only be up to 60% of the club's turnover, and a 10 pt penalty if a club goes into liquidation, but the latter's re-active and doesn't look after the best interest's of the club or the fan's. A Fit and Proper Person's Act was brought in to screen people taking over a club, but this just seem's a complete waste of time.

Despite Telford having to drop down a couple of division's the new club, under the Trust, seem's well run, and is a model for other club's in that predicament.

 

[aussie]

For what? Eto has already rebuffed the thought of joining Untied (many a time).

He has, ah crap. Its Torres or the man from iceland then..

Also the plan last year was to play all four together so unless Eto wants rid or Barca want rid of Ronaldinho, Barca should line up with all four on the pitch next season. Should be a tantalising prospect.

Fair enough, but the reason i'm debating the chances of all 4 playing is that well it will virtually render the likes of Xavi & Deco pretty useless i think. Since only a 4-2-4 formation can accomodate Henry/Eto'o/Ronaldinho/Messi foward & normally in this formation the 2 in mid-fielders are usually Guttuso like players. But we'll see..

 

[Craig]

Eto'o is more likely to end up in Italty, possibily with Milan after they gave up on David Suazo. However Milan don't have really anybody that Barcelona would want in return or would give up, whereas Inter can always through in Adriano or Walter Samuel.

 

[TT Boy]

He has, ah crap. Its Torres or the man from iceland then..

Fair enough, but the reason i'm debating the chances of all 4 playing is that well it will virtually render the likes of Xavi & Deco pretty useless i think. Since only a 4-2-4 formation can accomodate Henry/Eto'o/Ronaldinho/Messi foward & normally in this formation the 2 in mid-fielders are usually Guttuso like players. But we'll see..

Deco is likely to be sold; Yaya Toure (Kolo’s brother) will be Barcelona's ‘enforcer’ in midfield.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Playing all four together isn't going to work IMO if that is what they're really planning.

 

[gio]

Deco is likely to be sold; Yaya Toure (Kolo’s brother) will be Barcelona's ‘enforcer’ in midfield.

I've heard that rumour about Yaya Toure. It's certainly the type of player they need in midfield after capturing Henry.

 

[Holding's Balls]

dignity says Chelsea will take the title back

dignity for the brothers in blue

 

[Craig]

I've heard that rumour about Yaya Toure. It's certainly the type of player they need in midfield after capturing Henry.

I was on Barca's website earlier today and they had a thing on him at the airport and him saying how much he wanted to play for the Blaugrana so it is more or less a done deal pretty soon. Deco was likely to go to Inter, but with Luis Figo staying I'm not sure.

 

[roseboy64]

He has, ah crap. Its Torres or the man from iceland then..

Umm no. Rooney, Rossi, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith if he stays plus Anderson and possibly Giggs and Ronaldo. If anyone's to be bought I'd rather someone like Darren Bent. Looks like he could make the step up. Would be a cheaper and better alternative to Samuel in terms of already being used to the English league and performing well.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Umm no. Rooney, Rossi, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith if he stays plus Anderson and possibly Giggs and Ronaldo. If anyone's to be bought I'd rather someone like Darren Bent. Looks like he could make the step up. Would be a cheaper and better alternative to Samuel in terms of already being used to the English league and performing well.

The amount of goals we scored from midfield ast season masked the fact that, in the run-in particularly, we were ****ed as far as out-and-out strikers went. Rooney isn't a striker, Saha's always injured, Ole isn't as good as he once was and I'm still unconvinced on Smith, but I hope to be proven wrong next season on him.

 

[TT Boy]

The amount of goals we scored from midfield ast season masked the fact that, in the run-in particularly, we were ****ed as far as out-and-out strikers went. Rooney isn't a striker, Saha's always injured, Ole isn't as good as he once was and I'm still unconvinced on Smith, but I hope to be proven wrong next season on him.

Smith is likely to be sold, hasn’t been offered a new deal (only has two years left on contract) and Boro are willing to match Man United’s valuation. Only problem is Smith doesn’t want to go and going to Boro could be career suicide for the young man.

And good to see you no longer have faith in Ole, the guys finished!

 

[PhoenixFire]

I thought Smith was gonna to West Ham?

 

[TT Boy]

Umm no. Rooney, Rossi, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith if he stays plus Anderson and possibly Giggs and Ronaldo. If anyone's to be bought I'd rather someone like Darren Bent. Looks like he could make the step up. Would be a cheaper and better alternative to Samuel in terms of already being used to the English league and performing well.

£17 million is hardly cheap and given the way Man Untied play Bent wouldn't be an option. Man U do not play long ball/balls over the top and Darren is the sort of player you need to build a side around, which Charlton did. Similar it’s the reason I do not believe Man U really would be interested in Michael Owen.

 

[TT Boy]

I thought Smith was gonna to West Ham?

Isn't everyone?

 

[roseboy64]

Smith is likely to be sold, hasn’t been offered a new deal (only has two years left on contract) and Boro are willing to match Man United’s valuation. Only problem is Smith doesn’t want to go and going to Boro could be career suicide for the young man.

And good to see you no longer have faith in Ole, the guys finished!

Where did he say that? Looks like you've got some kind of hate for him which is quite strange. If it was like Gary Neville I could understand or Roy Keane but Solskjaer?

 

[roseboy64]

£17 million is hardly cheap and given the way Man Untied play Bent wouldn't be an option. Man U do not play long ball/balls over the top and Darren is the sort of player you need to build a side around, which Charlton did. Similar it’s the reason I do not believe Man U really would be interested in Michael Owen.

Bent's physical abilties are similar to Saha in terms of pace and build and the like so I think he could adapt.

 

[aussie]

Deco is likely to be sold; Yaya Toure (Kolo’s brother) will be Barcelona's ‘enforcer’ in midfield.

Sounds good, Juventus look out..

 

[aussie]

Umm no. Rooney, Rossi, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith if he stays plus Anderson and possibly Giggs and Ronaldo. If anyone's to be bought I'd rather someone like Darren Bent. Looks like he could make the step up. Would be a cheaper and better alternative to Samuel in terms of already being used to the English league and performing well.

Bent to United?, no way yo. Smith isn't good enough to ever warrant a first team place & the legendary Solskjaer even though he really played out of his skins last season while many wrote him off his clearly in the twilight of his career.