Gorgiesaint

The counter arguement is that he may well be motivated to get his career back on track and put his past behind him. In that case, I don't think his wages would be too high and has the potential to do a job up to the nPC (already proved the PL is beyond him). It would be a gamble, but not a massive one.

You (and DBP) are probably right. I went back to the original thread about the Fc Sochaux game, and DBP indicated that the Echo knew about the tour a month ago but weren't allowed to go to print. That said, the date of the first game has changed since the original article and the venue for the second game has only been decided recently (FC Sochaux's website even yesterday still had venue & time to be confirmed). I still cannot see how the club can be blamed for not releasing details that were not finalised. It's ok for those of you who say, but I would have camped out for 10 days to catch both matches, but at least one person (MK Saint) has said they are flying out for the weekend match. Imagine they'd booked flights and then the club announce that the date has changed to Thursday night when he's still in the air - how impressed would people be then?

adriansfc, Don't let the fact that Saints were the first of the 3 clubs involved to announce the actual details (i.e. Venue & time) get in the way of a good conspiracy theory!

This again fits with the explanation that I suggested yesterday. The training camp was originally intended to be just that, a training camp behind closed doors and nothing more. Late in the day the prospect of playing 2 friendlies have come up and the club, for whatever reason, appear to have changed their plans. This is indicated by the poster wh advised us that the dates changed, the announcemnet on the OS that the resort were holding our booking (again indicates dates changed) and the fact that Thun's OS had not announced the match when we announced it & Sochaux's was still showing time & venue to be arranged. So tell me DBP, why would you want to book a holiday to get to a training camp that is behind closed doors so you would see potentially (and probably) see nothing? Regarding the Ted Bates Trophy, you're right - it looks like it's been dropped which is a real shame. Maybe it will return when we are capable of facing a team that will do justice to the teams we've faced previously?

Hmmm - listen that team would have got murdered in central midfield as Hargreaves & Bullard are both crocks. But don't think you're a million miles away. I'll go with... ------------- Robinson ------------- -Richards - Cahill - Jagielka - Warnock- ------------- Parker ---------------- Walcott ----- Wilshire ------ Johnson ------- Agbonlahor - Zamora -------- If Zamora is unfit then Bent

Well laugh of the morning so far is in the Daily Mail where Cotterill is 'confident of persuading David James to stay' - slightly different to the headline of James is staying but there you go. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1291279/David-James-stay-Portsmouth-New-boss-Steve-Cotterill-confident-keeping-England-No-1-Fratton-Park.html The Daily Star has a better balanced approach (never thought I'd ever say that) saying Fulham want him and although they want him to stay, they're in administration. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/142328/David-James-is-wanted-at-Fulham/ The BBC rumour column also has Lazio have only offered £5m for Belhadj & Boateng - apparently in the Star but I can't find the story. Had been previously reported (in the Mail) as £8m, but see above for how accurate they are likely to be. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/8781632.stm

I'm not sure. Reading the release on the OS and having looked at both other clubs websites, I suspect this might have originally been planned as training camp only (behind closed doors), and changed when they managed to sort out the friendlies. I say because, there was a poster who said that the date changed, this ties in with the hotel/resort keeping the booking open to accomodate us. Together with the fact that FC Sochaux's website only announced the friendly on Tuesday and still says time & venue to be decided, and FC Thun's website still does not have the game announced at all - all together suggests these games have been arranged late in the day. Of course, some may question why the plans changed fairly late or why the games were not organised earlier.

Can see why we got rid of Gillet & james now, they would have drowned in that midfield !

I had a quick glance at FC Thun's website & that game wasn't on the front page - they did show the 3 pre-season games that they have prior to playing us. Edit: Just checked their list of friendlies & it's not showing

The problem is that as soon as the pressure bites financially in the domestic game, they'll be off to a European Super League only available on pay per view so they can continue to fleece more money out of the plastics in the far east. Sad fact but a Man Utd fan wearing a shirt in Japan will soon be worth more than a season ticket holder at Old Trafford. The implosion in the domestic game will then be immense, lets hope we will be able to stay solvent & hence stay afloat.

You would expect that will be the case so potentially an exciting week ahead, or alternatively certain posters will be moaning even more this time next week!!

No I don't think its right to remove the memorial game but I was answering the question about why it was bad to play a top-flight team. Should we play a pre-season game for the Ted Bates Trophy - absolutely yes, should we make sure its top flight opposition that are likely to play us off the park & damage morale with 1 week left to go before that start of the season - absolutely not HTH

Well how did it help us being played off the park by Ajax? If we think we can compete then fair enough, but right now as a third level team, playing top class opposition will just demoralise the team right before the start of the season.

haha says he who supports a team with a transfer embargo. How's AA getting on with your application to play in the Europa League next season?

I'm just glad that there isn't a transfer window that opens on 1st April.... .... imagine the carnage then !!

He's not with them now - was at St Etienne until December last year when he was sacked.

The concern is that by trying to get nPC level players & still being in L1, we'll completely miss out & the best L1 players will have gone. It is a dangerous strategy being played out by the club here & one that may backfire. Yes the existing first 11 is strong, but there is little depth at the moment considering we've released a number of fringe players. That said, there is still plenty of time so no-one (except Alpine) should be panicking just yet.

To be honest, I think he's had a fantastic world cup. Together with his assistants, they've got every big decision right and been one of the outstanding refereeing crews at the world cup. But I've heard this morning that they have been overlooked for the semi-finals & final. Shocking decision IMO.

The Mail are reporting that Sunderland are close to signing John Utaka for £2m - it's just a one liner and it's the Mail so doubt there's anything in it.

...

Went on redcafe to see if they had anything about Rooney - and found this on Gerrard which is pretty much along the lines of what you were saying http://www.redcafe.net/f7/lates-version-those-rumours-300640/

Not altogether surprising considering where the question is being asked

I don't know if Cortese is right or wrong, but if 92 clubs all keep doing the same thing then nothing changes. Think of it like 4-4-2 if you like, it works for a while but does that mean we should keep playing it or do we do something brave & try something different to improve things. Given the profitability (or lack of) of the the majority of the 92 clubs, maybe Cortese thinks just following the tried and trusted method isn't the way to go. Time will tell if he's right or not.

Don't let sensible reasoning like that stop people from joining the wagon train of criticising anything that moves!!

Sorry to break up the love in between Norway & Alpine, and to attempt to get this thread back on track... .... interesting article in the Irish Times giving a neutral view of England's demise http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0629/1224273557820.html