*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[BoyBrumby]

Alright, guys. Need some help. Decide I need a team to follow, and properly.

Used to follow Chelsea, until Roman took over, and so I followed Middlesborough for a while following Jimmy Floyd over. But heart was never in it.

Don't really care whether it's Premier League or Championship, or even below, but I need an icon to follow in that side; prefer a side that attempts to play good football but has fatalistic flaws (like my favourite side in the AFL, Geelong).

Arsenal play the prettiest football, but Geelong are way better than us currently.

Might want to consider Reading, play decent football and looked like they were going to get promoted last season until they fell at the last, not unlike the Cats' GF woes. Plus their kit a bit of a ringer too, albeit with different shade:

 

[vic_orthdox]

Arsenal play the prettiest football, but Geelong are way better than us currently.

Might want to consider Reading, play decent football and looked like they were going to get promoted last season until they fell at the last, not unlike the Cats' GF woes. Plus their kit a bit of a ringer too, albeit with different shade:

Hmmm, like it.

Yeah, if it were to be a Premier League side, it'd be someone outside of the Big 4. A side that'd be happy to scrape into Europe, that sort of thing. Still open to other options though.

 

[Craig]

Negotiations between Inter and Chelsea are underway to bring Deco and Ricardo Carvalho to the San Siro according to Massimo Moratti. Also David Trezeguet is the 50th player Real Madrid are trying to sign.

 

[Craig]

Hmmm, like it.

Yeah, if it were to be a Premier League side, it'd be someone outside of the Big 4. A side that'd be happy to scrape into Europe, that sort of thing. Still open to other options though.

Aston Villa, Everton, Fulham could be good picks. Won't recommend Arsenal's neighbours though.

 

[GIMH]

Everton would be an awful pick

 

[Johnners]

Everton or Fulham, can get behind Cahill or Schwarzer respectively then (y)

 

[BoyBrumby]

Hmmm, like it.

Yeah, if it were to be a Premier League side, it'd be someone outside of the Big 4. A side that'd be happy to scrape into Europe, that sort of thing. Still open to other options though.

Fulham, maybe? Try to play football, exceded all expectation by making Yurp last season, have a properly insane foreign chairman (whose son's semen was on Princess Di's dress when she died, if The Chasers are to be believed ), a wily but slightly world weary ageing tactician in charge &, for an icon, big Mark Schwarzer.

 

[GIMH]

It has now been confirmed on our site, Barnes & McAteer. Statement says that he left the jamaica jjob specifically to join us and all sorts of propaganda, such as "the most capped Tranmere manager of all-time."

Wouldn't have been my choice, as soon as Moore was sacked I read that this would be the case. The person I got this story from also provided us with rumours of some sort of takeover, so it could be an interesting summer. Ah well, whatever happens I have no choice but to get behind our new management team, can't believe McAteer is back but c'est la vie.

 

[The Sean]

Hopefully, without Ronaldo, we'll learn how to play football again. Wingers who like to pass and cross, strikers who feel the need to get into the penalty area once in a while. Become a team again rather than a one man show.

Get Berbatov to stay up front, allow Rooney the right to roam without care, with a solid 4 anchored behind them (by solid, meaning no Anderson for at least 6 months untill he remembers what football is)

Like it or not we need a left winger more than we need a right winger (though one of them wont hurt too, especially if Nani decides the only shoes of Ronaldo's he's stepping into are his pink slippers), depending if Hargreaves can find a kneecap or two, might need a holding midfielder.

Oh and a keeper without Parkinsons would help (even the one with Tourettes could control himself better)

Agree with most of this. Berbatov playing like something resembling a centre-forward would be just lovely, and the Hargreaves situation is a biggie - if he's back and firing on schedule then I don't think we need to spend money on our midfield, but if he's going to be out for as long as some reports say then that will force something of a re-think in our transfer policy.

I'd imagine that Tosic will play a much bigger role this season so that will go some way to addressing the left-wing issue, though he's still very much settling in and we don't really know how effective he'll be. The guy I'm most looking forward to is Ljajic in January, excited to see whether the reality is anywhere near the reputation.

Up front I'm torn - there's a lot of talk about a big name forward like Villa or Benzema and it would be great to get a player like that but if we're going to have Berbatov and Rooney as our first choice front pairing then spunking another £30m+ on a striker seems strange, even allowing for squad rotation. It may be that Fergie wants to sign a forward to offer something different when required, which is why I can see some sense in the Huntelaar rumours. I'm not convinced he's a good enough all round footballer to be a first choice or to lead the attack in our biggest games, but he's an out-and-out finisher of the kind United don't currently have and having not settled at Madrid he would offer a pure goalscoring alternative at a reasonable price.

 

[Uppercut]

Villa or Benzema would be unreal. They'd improve any team in the world.

My first choice would still be a centre-mid.

 

[The Sean]

Villa or Benzema would be unreal. They'd improve any team in the world.

My first choice would still be a centre-mid.

The thing is, if (and it's a big if) Hargreaves is back on schedule then we've got Hargreaves, Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson and Giggs, with Scholesy still bringing his unique brand of dangerous-tackling-disguised-as-loveable-clumsiness to the party as well. Even assuming that Gibson will be sold and Possebon sent out on loan, we're well stocked for central midfielders at the moment and I don't believe Fergie has any intention of letting any of those first choice blokes go. If Hargo is crocked long-term then I could see a move for someone like Senna or - indulging fantasies a little - De Rossi.

The one thing our midfield presently doesn't have is a goal threat the likes of which Giggs and Scholes used to provide, and I think we'll be looking to address this if/when we sign a new wide man or playmaker.

 

[chaminda_00]

We should buy Timmy. It about time he went to bigger club.

 

[roseboy64]

In theory maybe, but there was nothing announced until the SWA job came up. There's no doubt that Moore was sacked specifically for Barnes to be appointed.

I'm sure he would have stayed until after the Gold Cup if finances were there. Went for the cheap option in Whitmore though.

 

[roseboy64]

One ov van der Vaart or Sneijder would be good when the clearout at Madrid begins. Also, Huntelaar, Rossi, or Eto'o as the new striker.

 

[Uppercut]

The thing is, if (and it's a big if) Hargreaves is back on schedule then we've got Hargreaves, Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson and Giggs, with Scholesy still bringing his unique brand of dangerous-tackling-disguised-as-loveable-clumsiness to the party as well. Even assuming that Gibson will be sold and Possebon sent out on loan, we're well stocked for central midfielders at the moment and I don't believe Fergie has any intention of letting any of those first choice blokes go. If Hargo is crocked long-term then I could see a move for someone like Senna or - indulging fantasies a little - De Rossi.

The one thing our midfield presently doesn't have is a goal threat the likes of which Giggs and Scholes used to provide, and I think we'll be looking to address this if/when we sign a new wide man or playmaker.

That's a pretty long list of average-to-good central midfielders but it doesn't go that far to disproving my point- we need someone better than those guys. We're challenging with midfields of Ballack, Lampard, Essien, Fabregas, Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard- all are better than any of the players you listed IMO. Only Ballack vs. Carrick is even debateable.

 

[GIMH]

I'm sure he would have stayed until after the Gold Cup if finances were there. Went for the cheap option in Whitmore though.

Theo is a bit of a legend round these parts. Never started many games when at Tranmere but was always good to watch. Played in goal at Hull when both our keepers got taken out, was an unmitigated disaster with us losing 6-1 but he'll always be remembered fondly for having the balls to do it.

He came back late for pre-season training in his second season and it was at this point that we all realised Brian Little had lost the plot. He said, "it's okay, Theo has been keeping himself fit by playing five-a-side on the beach," without even a hint of sarcasm

 

[The Sean]

That's a pretty long list of average-to-good central midfielders but it doesn't go that far to disproving my point- we need someone better than those guys. We're challenging with midfields of Ballack, Lampard, Essien, Fabregas, Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard- all are better than any of the players you listed IMO. Only Ballack vs. Carrick is even debateable.

Ha ha I don't think we're in wild disagreement here mate - my point wasn't about quality, it was that we have that long list of midfielders and Fergie doesn't seem to want to let any of them go, so the odds of us adding another player to that list - especially at significant cost - are fairly low IMO.

For all that though, I personally think that a fully-fit CM axis of Hargreaves - Carrick - Fletcher - Anderson with Giggs and Scholes for cover is better than people give it credit for. Fully-fit is of course the important part of that statement.

 

[GIMH]

How can you guys even discuss Man United on a day when the whites appoint a new management team. Terrible.

 

[The Sean]

How can you guys even discuss Man United on a day when the whites appoint a new management team. Terrible.

Typical arrogant Tranmere fan, just thinking the world revolves around his team like there aren't 91 other clubs in the League. Sometimes the smaller teams like Manchester United deserve a bit of publicity too, you know. You've probably never even been to Tranmere, you're all from Surrey or South East Asia anyway.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Typical arrogant Tranmere fan, just thinking the world revolves around his team like there aren't 91 other clubs in the League. Sometimes the smaller teams like Manchester United deserve a bit of publicity too, you know. You've probably never even been to Tranmere, you're all from Surrey or South East Asia anyway.

Never has an attempt at humour made me so physically ill.