*Official* English Football Season 2011-12

[The Sean]

Agreed. For me: Henry, then Ronaldo.

Hmm I'm inclined to agree. But Ronaldo would have been just as good in any team and I don't think you can say that of Henry.

Yeah, probably right - though without ever being a great personal fan of Ronaldo, had he stuck around beyond the age of 24 I don't think it would even be a question. The heights he hit in that 07/08 season - top scorer and player of the year in the PL and CL, winning both, and being unquestionably (or as close as it's possible to be) the best player in the world that year - were IMO beyond anything any other attacking player of the Premier League era has reached.

 

[James]

Huge game for the Hammers tomorrow morning Australia time. Really hoping for a top performance.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, probably right - though without ever being a great personal fan of Ronaldo, had he stuck around beyond the age of 24 I don't think it would even be a question. The heights he hit in that 07/08 season - top scorer and player of the year in the PL and CL, winning both, and being unquestionably (or as close as it's possible to be) the best player in the world that year - were IMO beyond anything any other attacking player of the Premier League era has reached.

Yeah totally agree, he was just insane that season.

As for Cantona I am simply too young to really remember, only football I was properly aware of took place at Griffin Park and Italian football on channel 4, knew far more about and Lecce and Cagliari than I did about Manchester United or Liverpool.

 

[The Sean]

Yeah totally agree, he was just insane that season.

As for Cantona I am simply too young to really remember, only football I was properly aware of took place at Griffin Park and Italian football on channel 4, knew far more about and Lecce and Cagliari than I did about Manchester United or Liverpool.

Ha ha, fair enough. To be fair Cantona could and probably would have been a disaster at a lot of clubs (and was for plenty before). But for United he was just the right player at the right club at the right time.

Speaking of Griffin Park, I've been meaning to ask you - is it usually easy enough to get tickets there? I ask because it's the closest League ground to where I live (and has been for all but a month or two since I moved to London) so I figure I really am long overdue a visit to support my local team and all.

 

[sledger]

I miss football italia on Sunday afternoons, it's kind of sad/funny that the only place I ever see James Richardson pop up these days is when he hosts things like "World's Strongest Man" on channel 5.

 

[sledger]

Really? Seems to me that Bergkamp is rated pretty fairly (ie. very highly) around these parts.

Haha, well, I may not be remembering correctly, but it seems to me that the only real devout Bergkamp fans on here are the Arsenal contingent.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Ha ha, fair enough. To be fair Cantona could and probably would have been a disaster at a lot of clubs (and was for plenty before). But for United he was just the right player at the right club at the right time.

Speaking of Griffin Park, I've been meaning to ask you - is it usually easy enough to get tickets there? I ask because it's the closest League ground to where I live (and has been for all but a month or two since I moved to London) so I figure I really am long overdue a visit to support my local team and all.

There is not a ground in League One where you can't just walk up and get tickets ten minutes before kick off.

The only exceptions to this rule are probably away ends at local derbies.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Haha, well, I may not be remembering correctly, but it seems to me that the only real devout Bergkamp fans on here are the Arsenal contingent.

This discussion doesn't come around to give a fair cross-section of the general take on things, does it? I don't think I've mentioned Bergkamp more than a handful of times on these forums - I just don't have any reason to - but that doesn't mean I don't massively respect him as a footballer (and, come to think of it, I recall him being a pretty good bloke as well).

I think you're probably getting confused by the fact the rest of us aren't all desperately harking back to the days when our side was actually a realistic contender for silverware...

 

[The Sean]

Haha, well, I may not be remembering correctly, but it seems to me that the only real devout Bergkamp fans on here are the Arsenal contingent.

Maybe the Gooners + Corrin love for him is clouding my perspective. I'm a big fan of his* myself TBF.

*Bergkamp, not Corrin obv.

 

[Pothas]

Ha ha, fair enough. To be fair Cantona could and probably would have been a disaster at a lot of clubs (and was for plenty before). But for United he was just the right player at the right club at the right time.

Speaking of Griffin Park, I've been meaning to ask you - is it usually easy enough to get tickets there? I ask because it's the closest League ground to where I live (and has been for all but a month or two since I moved to London) so I figure I really am long overdue a visit to support my local team and all.

Yeah as Neil said you can just turn up on the day and get in no trouble at all, we only have all ticket matches for big cup days and when we used to play QPR.

Make sure you stand though, is the only way to do it.

 

[Pothas]

I miss football italia on Sunday afternoons, it's kind of sad/funny that the only place I ever see James Richardson pop up these days is when he hosts things like "World's Strongest Man" on channel 5.

Guardian podcast twice a week, love him.

 

[GIMH]

Maybe the Gooners + Corrin love for him is clouding my perspective. I'm a big fan of his* myself TBF.

*Bergkamp, not Corrin obv.

 

[Furball]

And we're in administration.

 

[Uppercut]

Hmm it'd be good to see them go under but it's a bit like burning down the rat house- you don't know where the rats are going to go next. Maybe there'll be a sudden increase in demand for tickets for the away end at Celtic.

 

[Furball]

WAC

z

 

[fredfertang]

No disrespect to Furball's lot, but when you look at the **** that 'arry had to go through over a couple of hundred grand, and what Rangers are doubtless going to wriggle out of, at least in part, with nary a criminal sanction in sight, then the sooner Alex Salmond gets his way the better

 

[social]

And we're in administration.

GF, are there any fit and proper person assessments, independent due diligence, etc done on potential owners of SPL clubs?

From what I can see, the owner paid 1 pound for the club, pre-sold tickets for the next few years to raise 20 odd million, sold players and has still put the club into admin despite being aware of the tax case when he bought the place

Something is very wrong when a guy that was previously banned from being a company director can simply waltz in and behave like that

 

[sledger]

In England provided your period of disqualification has finished, you're free to walk into a directorship wherever you're offered it iirc. I know that Scotland has a different legal system to England and Wales, but I'd be surprised if things were particularly different in this regard.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Really? Seems to me that Bergkamp is rated pretty fairly (ie. very highly) around these parts.

Reckon Cantona is pretty underrated here though - I think people are forgetting (or choosing not to remember) just how good he was for United, and the impact he had. No question in my mind that I'd place him ahead of Zola or Di Canio if rating him purely on Premier League performance.

I'd put Cantona ahead of Zola by miles. & Di Canio not really worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as either.

Eric had an aura, sometimes all he did was take a penalty but United definitely looked a far better side with him. Worth noting that yer Geordies' implosion in 96 coincided with the great man's return from suspension.

This discussion doesn't come around to give a fair cross-section of the general take on things, does it? I don't think I've mentioned Bergkamp more than a handful of times on these forums - I just don't have any reason to - but that doesn't mean I don't massively respect him as a footballer (and, come to think of it, I recall him being a pretty good bloke as well).

I think you're probably getting confused by the fact the rest of us aren't all desperately harking back to the days when our side was actually a realistic contender for silverware...

Top bloke, yes. Never shy of a sly elbow either tho, if the occasion warranted it, tbf.

Really had the best technique of any player I've ever seen. His touch was unparalleled. The Bruce Rioch interregnum was worth it for bringing Big Den over alone.

 

[Furball]

GF, are there any fit and proper person assessments, independent due diligence, etc done on potential owners of SPL clubs?

From what I can see, the owner paid 1 pound for the club, pre-sold tickets for the next few years to raise 20 odd million, sold players and has still put the club into admin despite being aware of the tax case when he bought the place

Something is very wrong when a guy that was previously banned from being a company director can simply waltz in and behave like that

Is there ****. If there was then that clown Romanov would never have been allowed to take over Hearts.

Gets better for Rangers - the reason HMRC were after us has nothing to do with the big tax case and has everything to do with the fact that we haven't paid a penny in PAYE or VAT since May.