The Football Thread 2008/09

[DML]

Real Madrid are also in advanced talks with David Villa apparently.

Good lord.

[Zellery]

Real Madrid are also in advanced talks with David Villa apparently.

Good lord.

It's being reported on SSN that Villa wants to go too.

Madrid with one of the World's best forward lineups with absolutely no defence still.

[BOR]

Hughes respects Ferguson stance

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8095390.stm

Reaction to Real's Ronaldo offer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 095115.stm

Well, if they got him and toward to David Villa. The Superstar Team will never work, in my opinion.

[PES Fan]

To be fair Madrid have a better defence then they did have in the galactico era. They got rid of cannavaro and replaced him with Garay, Pepe can be good when he wants to, Ramos was indifferent last season but I expect him to improve. They do need a left back to replace Judas. Plus they have the two Diarras and Gago to hold the midfield.

[Octoroc]

How can Real Madrid afford Ronaldo?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8094864.stm

[Zellery]

They need a complete new back line (bar possibly Ramos and Pepe) but all the Madrid President cares about is bringing in big stars for huge sums of money.

The current line-up of Real at the back consists of an average Brazilian (Marcelo), a very attack-minded, but ultimately deconcentrated Spaniard (Ramos), one Argentine who is below average in positioning and crazy with his sliding tackles (Heinze) and one Portugese who has been banned from the game for misconduct and anyhow looks like a raving lunatic on the field (Pepe). Let’s not even mention the German destroyer, Metzelder, who is below-par and can be turned inside-out by any decent striker and there we are: the whole back-line needs to be replaced.

That sums it up perfectly for me.

[Neph]

WE will definitely miss Ronaldo I loved the player thought he was utterly magical although this season still fantastic he doesn't go past players anymore which i loved about his 07/08 season.

Personally Real Madrid havent for the last 4 years had a stable manager i dont know you are going to manage egos like that in 1 team.

Plus lack of defenders Pepe is an agressive prick for starters. They have a world class keeper though.

Don't think we need tevez really or Villa Ronney will take centre stage now we need a worldclass right winger really midfield should be ok really anderson and other players will mature play fletcher alot of the time scholes and giggs will play their last seasons with bit part roles in the smaller games. I think next season berbatov will really shine and show the Fans why he is world class and we have young strikers coming through too. Welbeck and Macheda.

Possibly buy a young CM and AM or striker.

But i guarantee now that 80million will not go towards transfer not all will.

If we assume United pre Ronaldo had Probably 30mill to spend 6 mill from Campbell and now 80mill from ronaldo that makes 116million I bet at least 50 - 60million of that will go into taking down some of our debt seeing as its at like 600 million the Glazers will want to take some of it.

[PES Fan]

To be fair I've been hearing for the last 3 seasons that Rooney will take centre stage, but he hasn't blown the world away. He's been good, but not Messi or Ronaldo like good. We definitely need a goalscorer, Tevez and Valencia aren't goalscorers. It would be silly to think we can just rely on Berbatov and Rooney for goals, with two kids behind them. Both Berbatov and Rooney like to start things off, we need someone to be at the end of the attacks.

[Zellery]

If Berbatov played where he did for Spurs though, with Rooney just behind him like his England position that would seem like a very strong attacking two to me. You would probably see Berbatov return to something more like his Spurs form there too.

I think Utd need another proven goalscorer though, even if they do keep Tevez.

[PES Fan]

If Berbatov played where he did for Spurs though, with Rooney just behind him like his England position that would seem like a very strong attacking two to me. You would probably see Berbatov return to something more like his Spurs form there too.

I think Utd need another proven goalscorer though, even if they do keep Tevez.

It's quite tricky to replace Ronaldo, because apart from Messi no other player can get you 25 plus goals from the wings. Hence why we need to sign a winger and a striker to replace him.

I hope Berba does play like he did for Spurs. I'm tired of seeing him on the halfway line collecting the ball, I dont know whether it's instructions but he does drop a lot deep. When we signed him I expected him to stay up top.

[Cuttooth]

Are Real Madrid just making an elaborate Nike ad or something?

[Poncho]

What I find funny about all this is that Ronaldo costs nearly as much as both Zidane and Figo put together.

[Zellery]

It's a bit different from all those years ago now though.

People were once talking about Andy Cole's record signing to Utd for £9 million.

[Dangerblade]

I wonder how Kaka feels about Real paying about £25 million more for Ronaldo than they did for him.

[DML]

It's a bit different from all those years ago now though.

People were once talking about Andy Cole's record signing to Utd for £9 million.

His was never a World Record though, merely a British one if I remember correctly.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Can anyone explain where Madrid are getting the money from? i know the spanish government helped clear their debts off but surely they are heading back for big debts again?

[BOR]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8085391.stm

[Dangerblade]

Does that say "Women's World Player" in the background?

[Gandalf]

Does that say "Women's World Player" in the background?

Ol' Ronny won that too, the tart.

[DML]

21.5 million for Denilson.