*Official* English Football Season 2008-2009

[Agent TBY]

Does a job, tbf, and that still doesn't change the fact that they could buy three of Valencia's best players, two of which are very, very good, with the money they get selling one.

 

[Craig]

Plus probably a defender or two.

 

[aussie]

Word Ronaldo should go, if he felt the fans where a bit rough with him after his altercation with Rooney in the WC when he came back i can see a even more harsh reception if he ever plays for United again.

United will have to reshuffle the system a bit if they sell him though. Although a good move to go after Berbatov, that wouldn't really replace Ronaldo's presence from the right, so it will be interesitng what SAF doess.

 

[aussie]

Crouch isn't the worst English striker, miles better then Defoe, Johnson, Ashton, who are utterly awful. The problem is we just tend to hit aimless long balls when he's playing, so I'd rather he didn't. Not his fault though, really.QUOTE]

No Ashton is not awful just unproven at the international level.

 

[sledger]

Crouch isn't the worst English striker, miles better then Defoe, Johnson, Ashton, who are utterly awful. The problem is we just tend to hit aimless long balls when he's playing, so I'd rather he didn't. Not his fault though, really.QUOTE]

No Ashton is not awful just unproven at the international level.

Neither is Francis Jeffers, but I don't need to see him play for England any more times to tell you that he is poor.

 

[aussie]

So nothing you have seen of Ashton has suggested to you that he could be useful to the national side?

 

[grecian]

I'm afraid Dean is one of the most over-hyped strikers in christendom, Aussie. He came into West Ham's side with a bang, but actually only scored 6 goals in 16, but he played well and made an impact. That could well be put down to being a n00B in the Prem, often players have an initial impact, because defenders aren't that certain how to play them at first. Rickets, Warhurst are just two examples of that, Paul had been converted from a centre-half and was incredible for a season before everyone sussed how to play him. Ashton then got injured, as often happens when a player gets injured he became exponentially better through his absence, everyone saying he was our new Alan Shearer, twaddle. He was back all last season, the result 11 goals in 35 matches, average and at times he was dropped for ****ing Bobby Zamora and Carlton Cole, personally I think he should retire in shame after that. It is possible he was better before and his injury has had a long or short term effect. Yet all you can go on is last seasons form when he was injury-free, and he was moderate when I watched him. I actually like West Ham a lot, they're the Prem team I want to do best, I was bitterly disappointed with Dean last year.

I actually hope I'm wrong for Ashton, England and West Ham's sake, and I'm certainly not one of those that bizarrely slag off England players doing well, because they wish to be proven right about a player more then they want their own team to do well, yet I look at Dean, and I see emperors new clothes, I'm afraid.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I look at Dean, and I see emperors new clothes, I'm afraid.

He'd almost certainly enjoy appearing in front of men naked if the rumours I've heard are true.

 

[Barney Rubble]

He'd almost certainly enjoy appearing in front of men naked if the rumours I've heard are true.

Haha, where'd you hear that? Always take that sort of stuff with a pinch of salt, TBH - the Matt Taylor rumour was one of the most common ones I've heard of that sort, but it was complete rubbish.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Haha, where'd you hear that? Always take that sort of stuff with a pinch of salt, TBH - the Matt Taylor rumour was one of the most common ones I've heard of that sort, but it was complete rubbish.

Embittered Ipswich fans mainly, so probably cobblers, him being ex-Norwich & all.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Embittered Ipswich fans mainly, so probably cobblers, him being ex-Norwich & all.

Yeah, just like the Matty T rumour came from bitter Scummers after we hit the big time.

Of course, the fact that Taylor has now joined Bolton means that those rumours are automatically true once more.

 

[GIMH]

Brumby is definitely right about Ashton, I know this for a fact, would say how but there are probably legal issues involved that are against forum rules...

Beaten 1-0 today, and ground was full of red shirts, felt great booing Gerrard though

 

[Craig]

Brumby is definitely right about Ashton, I know this for a fact, would say how but there are probably legal issues involved that are against forum rules...

Beaten 1-0 today, and ground was full of red shirts, felt great booing Gerrard though

Why was he offering himself to you?

 

[Craig]

A new type of contract

Hey why not?

 

[Barney Rubble]

A new type of contract

Hey why not?

The idea of performance-based pay, using Opta stats and things like that, has been mooted for some time. In favour of it TBH, although I'm sure the likes of Darren Fletcher would disagree.

 

[grecian]

He'd almost certainly enjoy appearing in front of men naked if the rumours I've heard are true.

Haha, where'd you hear that? Always take that sort of stuff with a pinch of salt, TBH - the Matt Taylor rumour was one of the most common ones I've heard of that sort, but it was complete rubbish.

Embittered Ipswich fans mainly, so probably cobblers, him being ex-Norwich & all.

Yeah, just like the Matty T rumour came from bitter Scummers after we hit the big time.

Of course, the fact that Taylor has now joined Bolton means that those rumours are automatically true once more.

Yeah, not really into the footie rumours thing myself, the genesis tends to always be oppo fans forums. The famous Woodgate one was started on a Barca forum just after he got transferred to Real. The thing is there's enough tabloid scum out there tracking top footballers, so if it's concrete it'll appear in the "News of the screws" soon enough.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Biggest transfer of the summer - Marcus Stewart to Exeter.

 

[grecian]

I was just going to post that, well with some grammatical errors probably

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He was back all last season, the result 11 goals in 35 matches, average and at times he was dropped for ****ing Bobby Zamora and Carlton Cole

Actually, I live with a West Ham supporter, so I've followed them very closely (not entirely by choice) over the past 2 seasons, and I disagree strongly with this. While Ashton was average occasionally, in general he played quite well last season, and his lack of goals is a reflection of the type of striker he has become. Ashton, like Kenwyne Jones of Sunderland, has a bigger impact when he's not scoring goals than when he is. His general play is so good to link up with other players. He brings is team-mates into the game and set up at least a couple of beautiful goals last season with lovely assists.

And when Cole and Zamora were favoured, it was not necessarily because Ashton was in poor form. Rather, it was Curbishley being mildly insane. He mishandled Ashton at times last season, and when he did play him, it was in a system not necessarily conducive to his style of play. 11 goals in 35 games isn't great by any means, but keep in mind what he did in between those goals.

 

[grecian]

Well, played quite well to a point. I was perhaps being harsh on Dean, but Aussie keeps on talking him up to international class, and I really don't see it. Yet it may be all different with a full pre-season behind him, we shall have to wait and see.