Barclays Premier League Season 2009/2010

[Subject Delta]

Yep, scraping wins is united's speciality alright :laugh:

[Shibby]

Oh yeah LIVERPOOL SUCKED!

[nothuman]

Yep, scraping wins is united's speciality alright :laugh:

Even in your world a scrappy win is better than a loss. :cool:

[Rappy Veteran]

Oh yeah LIVERPOOL SUCKED!

oh noes Martyn is going to killz you! :p

[Martyn]

Oh yeah LIVERPOOL SUCKED!

Portsmouth were brillia...oh wait :laugh:

Suck my slong.

[Shibby]

So Martyn do you feel your chances of winning the league are still good? Do you have enough players to go for the league and progress far enough into europe?

Portsmouth were brilliant .... a season or two ago!

Then again a Tony Adams Pmpey side outplayed Liverpool and AC Millan but sadly lost both games.? God how I miss big nose!

We know if we stay up we're lucky. ?Most the fans are pretty unhappy with the takeover, we'd rather Al Fahim f' off. Although there has been a few rumblings that Storrie has some backers while another is a rich chinese man who might be a buyer or a backer of someone.

[Kralik]

For me it was strange to hear Martin O'Niel after Villa's game. He was actually complaining that his players were 'tired'!! And its only the first game..

Another thing I did not expect to hear came from David Moyes

For me the disappointing thing was that I thought Arsenal bullied us and pushed us around. They won more contests and nudged us off the ball. You wouldn't have known Arsenal for that. You'd probably say that was Everton.

Song was inspirational in this regard.. he played like a proper DMf.. Bendtner was also great.. it was evident that a lot of work was put in by AW and Co. to fix the lack of physicality in Arsenal's game.. well it will be put to test very soon against Celtic..

[Martyn]

So Martyn do you feel your chances of winning the league are still good? Do you have enough players to go for the league and progress far enough into europe?

Our chances of winning the league depend solely on keeping Gerrard and Torres fit. Overall, our squad is lacking depth in terms of quality players, as was shown by our relatively poor bench yesterday, and Gerrard and Torres have the quality to drag us up the table on their own.

Aquilani won't be fit for two months, and it remains to be seen whether he will be a success in England or whether the pace of the game will be too much of him. His injury record of late is also questionable, and I guess we will find out sooner or later if that is down to Roma's poor record in terms of injuries of if he is actually a ?20 million crock.

It is a big season for Lucas now that Alonso has decided to jump ship. He has had a lot of stick over the last twelve months, but recently he has started to demonstrate the potential that we bought him for.

Babel is a liability, who has shown nothing of note over the last twelve months. Arbeloa is a big loss, and whilst Johnson is a lot better going forward than Arbeloa, he is defensively suspect at times and this is something Rafa will be working on.

We are also struggling at centre back with the loss of Hyypia (legend), and the injuries to Skrtel and Carragher (who were both injured in pre-season, and yesterday again). Agger, whilst he is a brilliant player, seems to be fit for about five games a season as well.

We have made a profit this summer in terms of player sales. The Yanks have invested nothing, and considering we were looking to take the next step up we could well be taking a step down if Rafa doesn't get the money he needs before the end of the month. Hicks and Gilett need to go as soon as.

The league is a priority for us, and in answer to your original question (now I am coming to the end of my rambling), I don't think we have enough quality in depth to challenge on both fronts. I am actually quite worried about Liverpool at the moment, and a lot of answers will be revealed over the next month.

[Subject Delta]

Yep, if the Americans don't do the right thing and sell to DiC who actually have the money to strengthen the squad, I feel things may go downhill. It is disappointing to see quality players going, with no real replacements coming in.

[Shibby]

Johnson should come good for Liverpool, he improved his defensive game by miles when he joined us at pompey. He was pretty poor when we first got (defensive wise). So there should be no problems improving.

[Martyn]

Funny fella Bullard

http://www.inthestands.co.uk/2493#utm_sour...m_campaign=feed

[Subject Delta]

Johnson should come good for Liverpool, he improved his defensive game by miles when he joined us at pompey. He was pretty poor when we first got (defensive wise). So there should be no problems improving.

I don't have any problems with Johnson personally, it is the fact that he is one of only 2 important signings made, yet 3 very good players have been lost. You need a strong squad to win a premier league title, and it is out lack of strength in depth that is the major worry

Funny fella Bullard

http://www.inthestands.co.uk/2493#utm_sour...m_campaign=feed

Awesome :laugh:

[Martyn]

Rafael Ben?tez, the Liverpool manager, will step up his pursuit of much-needed central-defensive reinforcements in the coming days, armed with a budget of no more than ?2 million.

Despite having recouped at least as much as he has spent in the transfer market this summer, Ben?tez has been told that there are no significant funds available to supplement his first-team squad and is scouring the bargain basement for a potential recruit.

Liverpool scouts were at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday to watch the highly rated Ryan Shawcross score in Stoke City?s 2-0 win over Burnley, but with the 21-year-old valued in the region of ?8 million, any player move would only be made possible if at least one member of Ben?tez?s squad was sold first.

Given his paucity of options in central defence, Ben?tez knew that he had to recruit in that position before Sunday?s 2-1 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur. That he was forced to send on Daniel Ayala, the 18-year-old, for his Barclays Premier League debut when Martin Skrtel suffered a jaw injury, reinforced this belief.

The situation is even more grave given that Daniel Agger?s back injury shows no signs of clearing up and, with the Denmark defender unavailable for the visit of Stoke to Anfield tomorrow, Ben?tez will have only two senior centre backs available if, as expected, Skrtel is passed fit.

Unless Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the Liverpool owners, release the purse strings then Ben?tez will have to trim his squad to bring in the funds he needs or sign a cheaper centre back, even if he does not meet the Spaniard?s standards.

It is all a long way removed from the day, a little more than two years ago, when Gillett gave an interview after Liverpool?s Champions League final defeat by AC Milan in which he said: ?If Rafa said he wanted to buy ?Snoogy Doogy? we would back him.?

Ben?tez has wheeled and dealed this summer but has made only two significant signings, Glen Johnson, the right back, and Alberto Aquilani, the injured midfield player, for a combined total of about ?36 million.

This outlay has been more than matched by the proceeds from the sales of Xabi Alonso, ?lvaro Arbeloa and Sebasti?n Leto, as well as Adam Hammill, Jack Hobbs and Paul Anderson, the squad players, for an estimated ?38 million.

The Liverpool owners argue that the club must be run as a business and made it clear that pay increases handed out to Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Agger would be subtracted from the money made available to Ben?tez.

2 million? ****ing joke.

I'm going to the Stoke game on Wednesday, and there is going to be a protest by SOS.

[Rappy Veteran]

?2m?

wow:||

[Subject Delta]

Blithering idiots... You can't run a football club like that, it is unacceptable. If it weren't for them using our profits to pay off their debt, we would still have about ?30 million in the bank to reinforce our squad.

When I heard they where buying us out I was nervous, and now they have messed things up.

[Shibby]

If I were Ben?tez I'd just walk. The owners are taking the p***

[Martyn]

Blithering idiots... You can't run a football club like that, it is unacceptable. If it weren't for them using our profits to pay off their debt, we would still have about ?30 million in the bank to reinforce our squad.

When I heard they where buying us out I was nervous, and now they have messed things up.

We pay around ?60 million a year in interest, and the Yanks have not invested a penny of their own since they bought the club.

If I were Ben?tez I'd just walk. The owners are taking the p***

He has been treated like **** over the last year or so, he would have walked if it wasn't for his love for the club, the fans and the city.

If he sticks through this and managed to get us the league he will be on par with Shankly and Paisley for me.

[Subject Delta]

Yeah, the interest deal is a real sucker blow. They should have known what they where getting themselves into to be honest, their mismanagement is unacceptable. Benitez is IMO pretty brave to have signed a long term deal, knowing that my local town team could probably afford more in the transfer market than Liverpool's owners at the moment.

Something needs to change, or I feel that we will start sliding into another decline.

[Martyn]

Mismanagement? They are just *****. They claim ?2 million a year in expenses from my club!

Everytime I go the match (like I am tomorrow) I am paying for their business class jet accross the Atlantic.

[Subject Delta]

2 million? holy crap. Sounds to me like they are more interested in taking a free ride at the expense of Liverpool Football Club, than delivering success. About time the fans started more of this:

[Martyn]

There is a protest tomorrow. Are you not in with Spirit of Shankly yet Frank?

Heard some more about our new Greek defender...

This guy will kick lumps out of everyone and will not lose a ball in the air. If you're expecting passing though look elsewhere. Also, is possibly the most fearless player I've seen in a long time.

OK, here's what you need to know:

He will hoof the ball at every given opportunity. This means that he should never play with Carragher as the middle two.

He is unable to pass to a player more than five yards away, Daniel Agger will be shaking his head from the bench.

But, and this is a big but, he will win every single ball in the air. Every single ******* one. He is as strong as an ox and there is not one player in the Premier League who will be able to bully him. He takes no prisoners.

He is the best no-nonsense defender I've seen play in Greece. This may not seem like the best reference ever, but he is totally suited to the Premier League. He is getting on a bit though so will only be good for a couple of seasons at best. You never know though.

Totally happy we've signed him.

[Subject Delta]

There is a protest tomorrow. Are you not in with Spirit of Shankly yet Frank?

Heard some more about our new Greek defender...

Sadly, no. I know its only ?10 but I am so overran by bills at the moment, that I am basically putting off every penny of unnecesary spending until I have cleared them (shouldn't be much longer now, I have a bit of overtime coming from work). Annoying, but I intend to join it ASAP. Also, as I don't have the time to attend a game at the moment (again something in the list after new year:laugh:) I can't make my voice heard in public.

And thats quiet an interesting little bio there, to be honest a physical no-nonsense presence will be extremely useful, I feel bad defending in part cost us in the the 4-4 games against Arsenal and Chelsea.

[Shycho]

There is a protest tomorrow. Are you not in with Spirit of Shankly yet Frank?

Heard some more about our new Greek defender...

Sounds like you've re-signed Neil Ruddock.

[Shibby]

Good news for pompey!

http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/index.php?cm...article_id=2737

PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB STATEMENT

A new consortium led by chief executive officer Peter Storrie is in negotiations with the owner of Portsmouth FC to buy the Premier League club.

The group is very positive about the talks and are confident that the deal can be completed.

Sulaiman Al Fahim may partner the new consortium through Al Fahim Asia Associates.

The necessary Premier League regulations and requirements regarding beneficial ownership will be complied with.

No further comment will be made by the club until any purchase is complete.

[Shibby]

I just heard on my local radio (The Quay) Who are currently doing football hour before the Pompey game. They've just said a better company (I think paddy power) have stopped taking bets on Rafa being the first manager to leave.