This is what is wrong with clubs these days, you don't need financial backing to challenge you need 11 players with heart soul and determination. Look at the cost of United's squad and then that of City yet United are still beating city. 

Also, Liverpool have financial backing. Also like I said before, financial backing will soon mean jack shit when the new financial fair play rule is introduced.

i think given where you were r.r...a top 6 finish....who knows maybe even top 4 will be a good season.........

as for us...you know what?..........i just don't know......essien will be fine as will cole.........jt i think will be forced to retire rather than the age thing.lamps looks like his legs have gone in some matches..........cech has never looked the same player since his injury..

i think it will be a rebuild.........but with that comes patience.......and alot of the top bods don't have that.......especially abramovich

United have been spending though, the only difference is that their team has been playing together for a good few years. Ours is all new to each other, Liverpool have financial backing... but is it big enough to compete with Chelsea and City? No, Liverpool would get blown out of the water when it comes down to a bidding war.

The FFFP rules will mean piss all... City are already on the way to making sure it gets past it, building work is going on which will all generate income to City. Then making the club self-sufficient, the stupid rules won't stop clubs spending. Its simply an attempt by Fifa to keep big clubs in the champions league.

Don't know how they came up with the name "fair play" anyway,

Barcelona and Real Madrid have a huge advantage, their domestic league tv package pays them about £50 million more a year than any other clubs. Their league pays them a lot more than any of the other clubs.. This makes FFPR seems impossible to manage. Whats the difference between that, and a owner that kicks in to help with wages?

(looked up the numbers)

Real received £96 million from their league.

Chelsea received £15 million from winning the PL (We got 12.4) and all league teams get £14.6 million as part of their of the TV revenue.  City got 27m total. So you can see that those two spanish teams, have a huge advantage that at some point will make CL unfair and difficult to compete against (thats if the English clubs don't try find a way of income).

excellent points meaty.............still i think all supporters agree that blatter and platini are soooooooooo far up barca's arse it's untrue.........

ion..........wolfsburg have sacked steve maclaren........

The two Spanish teams are a disgrace Meaty, everyone knows it. I don't expect Blatter, Platini and co to do one thing to sort them out. No doubt they'll be some get out jail free if you're Spanish clause to any rules brought in.
Plus Barca get a lot of funding from the Catalan regional govt through their poll tax. I might have it wrong but I've been told that all the council tax payers in the region have to pay a few euros a year which goes directly to Barca.
Can you imagine any council doing that here?

Why I hate our club at times We always take a morale high ground approach and dismiss players who are badly behaved.... Bellers ran riot in last years derby, we will struggle without him. We need a pacey winger aswell.

Glad Cardiff won yesterday, nice to see Forest in top 2 and that will keep my uncle happy.


Knew United would lose at some point, Fergie said we would lose and it was just the press making a big deal out of being unbeaten so far. United were lucky during the majority of it but the team spirit, determination and not giving up whilst not giving a top performance is typical but we're normally better in second half and now the players need to up the ante.


Filled in one of those score prediction sheets earlier, so need a few results go my way.

Evening Darlo, I'm rubbish at score predictions - absolute pants.
Some Arsenal fan has set up an online petition to stop Mike Dean reffing the Carling Cup final

Hello Veggie, aww hopefully you'll win on one soon, lmao go that Gunners fan because it's annoying how he dishes out cards like almost all the time.

The thing is that they posted the link to the petition on the official Arsenal site ( modded by the same cretins who used to mod us on C4) and they promptly locked the thread saying they had to take advice from the club about it!!
Same old Tempero moderating eh?

My cousin went along to the Munich Air Disaster Memorial today... when I spoke to him on facebook earlier he was fuming, the minute silence was disrupted by a club tour. apparently a coach was reversing and a bus full of tourists got off all laughing with no clue about what was going on.

He said he had put a complaint in to the club... still waiting on a reply.

By the sound of it, the club didnt think at all about having no stadium tours while it was on.

On the olympic stadium... fans views.

This had me in tears

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/cl...stadium_fans_decide/

Since we don't have any matches for a wee while what players do you sort of like/admire from other teams:

City- Tevez
Chelsea- Drogba, Lampard
United- Giggs
Arsenal- Nasri, Van Persie
Spurs- Bale
Newcastle- Nolan


Just off the top of my head, the Chelsea duo will maybe surprise most outside Chelsea but I think Drogba is a great player and even though he does his fair share of diving he isn't dirty. I like Lampard as well, he seems a gentleman off the field unlike the Chelsea captain grrr I cannot abide him!!

lol, seen a few funny photo shop reworkings of this screenshot, this is the funniest though. (Ps this is not a dig at anyone in case I cross anyone again  

RR that's a great question and really deserves a thread of its own but I'll answer here anyway.

Man U: Rooney, Berbatov and Nasri. Rooney is unstoppable on form, Berbatov stepped up to the plate when Roone didn't and really doesn't get the credit he deserves at all. Nani is a future Man U legend imo.

City: Tevez, just brilliant, ditto Balotelli he's a twonk but will really make his mark on the PL. Dzeko is a red herring for them imo.

Liverpool: Gerrard, Carragher and Kuyt. Gerrard wins games on his own, Carragher is a brilliant defender with great awareness (he was the one who stopped Torres the other day when he was about to slot one in) and Kuyt is an unspoken hero always does the biz but nobody ever talks about him.

Spurs: Bale and Defoe. Bale is a great winger I'm not sure he's Godlike as has been suggested but Defoe is one of the best strikers in the world he has just always been lumbered with shit  teams (sorry Spurs fans).

Arsenal: Van Persie and Fabregas. Their only two really outstanding players but they are indisputably world class. Either of them can turn any game.

Well, that's enough of my babbling

Prom Nasri doesn't play for united

I can't stand Rooney and I especially can't stand Nani!! Don't care too much for Defoe but I think that's because he has a reputation in the gossip columns as being a tosser.

I agree with your Liverpool comments, not many people appreciate him (Liverpool fans are only beginning to) but Lucas is turning into a great player, the hard working grafter type that isn't noticed but he put in a great shift. he is turning into Kuyt mark 2.

Nani, obviously, pedant 

He's a twat but he's a brilliant player. Him and Balotelli seperated at birth imo.

See I think Nani is all style little substance. He gets it wrong more often than he gets it right... Mr Raul Merieles is the #1 portugese player in the Premiership I'll have you know!

That would be Kalou . Time will tell but he's putting in a shift for them every game. Even if he doesn't score he causes enough trouble for other people to score. Merieles isn't all that. Suarez is much better I was glad he didn't play on Sunday or a bad day could have been a lot worse.

Or Carroll. I'm glad we have him because he is virtually unmarkable!

He's distinctly average. Prolific goalscorer he ain't. Kenny got a bit desperate. They'll offload him in a year or two.

He has been superior rather than average. However I'm not sure whether there is still a place for an old fashioned centre forward within the current set up. I'd rather have him in my team than Torres though. I hope he has a successful career.

Morning all *waves*
Well done Brentford making it to Wembley. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9383989.stm
Feel sorry for Andy Scott that he got sacked and won't have a chance to enjoy all his hard work.

"On the olympic stadium... fans views."

As a fan of one of the clubs, I don't want it, and I can't see them filling it,

What I'm unsure about in all this is how a cash strapped local council can loan West Ham £40million when services are being slashed to the bone and over 90% of the support comes from outside the borough.

((Spurs: Bale and Defoe. Bale is a great winger I'm not sure he's Godlike as has been suggested but Defoe is one of the best strikers in the world he has just always been lumbered with shit  teams (sorry Spurs fans). ))


Neither of them are the main man at Spurs, Don't believe the hype, Luka Modric is by far the best and most influential player at White Hart Lane at the moment.

"Well done Brentford making it to Wembley."


Nice to see them get there as it's only up the road for them. Must be Carlisle in the final.

Liverpool: Gerrard - Simply is Mr Liverpool... something we don't have at City, he's been nothing special recently. But still a good leader and gives it his all for England.

Rags: Vidic - best CB in the world in my opinion... he's been solid this season, at least when he was partnered with Ferdinand. One of the best CB pairings at the moment, Ferdinand has stepped up his game aswell... just injury seems to be holding him back. Had they had Ferdinand/Vidic partnership at Wolves. They wouldn't of lost the game.

I would of added Nani to the list... talented and plays similar to Ronaldo, but he's trying to be too much like him. The whole diving thing puts me off him. He does it more than he needs to.

Chelsea - Ashley Cole, would have at City in a heartbeat... best LB in the world, quite pacey and good going forward. Off the field has been an annoyance for him, people can say what they like... but he's recently kept his head down. While his Mrs and her close friends are taking shots at him, he seems to just ignore it and get on with playing football

Essien - Often bosses the midfield... didn't look that good against Liverpool (don't think anyone really had a good game) but Chelsea look weaker without him.

Arsenal - Wilshere, I wasnt a fan just over a year ago... came across as a very angry looking brat. He's looking the part now though, in the first team at Arsenal and can hold the ball in midfield well. Should be starting for England, Barry plays a similar role... but he looks tired and old, often looks like he's trying to shift his body and get away a pass. Wilshere just does it without much effort.

Spurs - Modric - Similar to Silva really... rarely see his lose the ball and plays some beautiful passes. Spurs look alot more creative with him on the field.

Bale - Best winger in the league at the moment... ran riot against the world best RB (Maicon).The question is, can he keep it up? We thought Stephen Ireland was the next big thing for us during the 08-09 season... turned out to be a one season wonder and now looks just another average player.

I completely disagree, I really rate him and I was ecstatic when we got him.

I thought it would have been Van Der Vart? I think Bale will have problems in the future living up to his excellent run of form that he has been highlighted for. I think he will struggle to regain that form.

"I completely disagree, I really rate him and I was ecstatic when we got him."



Carol's last game he played for Newcastle was at WHL in a 2-0 defeat, He was certainly markable that day, Not sure he was already carrying the injury he's been out with since , as he faded.


He's a great player, a bit like an old fashioned centre forward, dropping into the Championship last season helped his game.  He reminds me of John Fashanu the way he puts himself about.

I thought it would have been Van Der Vart? I think Bale will have problems in the future living up to his excellent run of form that he has been highlighted for. I think he will struggle to regain that form.


VDV has been a real bonus, but Modric pulls all the strings, goals make the headlines so VDV and Bale get all the praise, Modric has an amazing football brain.

God I love this club


Gone from The pigeon to Berti to Alan and now to the Granma

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Video/Features/Finding-Grandma

Doing the poznan "Im buzzin"

what a fab fab lady.............

I agree Prom, Nani does have the potential to be a future United legend apart from the fact he can be very frustrating like Ronaldo was e.g. diving or staying on the floor too long, being selfish and having his own chance when there is a team mate in a good goal scoring chance although sometimes being selfish can play off.



Can't wait till Antonio Valencia is back in the first team, he'll be a bonus to the United midfield which is weak at present and needs improving in the summer..


Arsenal are vulnerable at the back, they actually have some promising defenders apart from that and a problem with GK at the moment they seem fine in other areas.


Spurs have a strong squad, VDV is quality and i'm a big fan of Lennon and Modric. Think Arry should go for one more striker in the summer. The defense has been a bit leaky, however they seem to have tightened up and HR could make one signing there?


City- Well they can buy anyone they want, their team is gelling quicker than what I expected (thought it would take a season or two) so credit to them. Saturday match will hopefully be better than the borefest that both teams put on at the COMS, I was falling asleep in the pub watching it

Following on from what I was saying about Drogba I found this on Wiki, 

 On 24 January 2007, Drogba was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Goodwill Ambassador. The UNDP were impressed with his previous charity work and believed that his high profile would help raise awareness on African issues.^[68] Drogba's charity work continued when, in late 2009, he announced he would be donating the 3 million GBP signing on fee for his endorsement of Pepsi for the construction of a hospital in his hometown of Abidjan. This work was done through Drogba's recently created "Didier Drogba Foundation" and Chelsea announced they too would donate the fee for the deal toward the Foundation's project. Drogba decided on building the hospital after a recent trip to the Ivorian capital's other hospitals, saying "...I decided the Foundation's first project should be to build and fund a hospital giving people basic healthcare and a chance just to stay alive."

 I have even more respect for the guy now than i previously had. I know Dirk Kuyt also has a foundation in Holland to raise money for unfortunate Kids.  People underestimate some footballers, they aren't all like Asley Cole. I also like how they don't feel the need to broadcast their charity efforts every 2 mins a la  certain Miss Price.

They aren't all like Ashley Cole indeed. He is the best, or has been the best at what he does.

El Hadji Diouf has done similar in Senegal, people still think he's... Well, I can't really say can I...