Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 11:17 am  

El Pac Carnegie wrote:

Not a bad piece of business by Arsenal on Fabregas. Let Barca develop him, nick him for free then sell him back for £30mil+ profit!

Or you could look at it the other way round. Barça let him go to Arsenal who then pay his wages for seven years and give him first team football experience in the best league in the world and the Champions League. They then buy him back, a ready made, world class central midfielder.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 11:20 am  

Catalancs wrote:

Or you could look at it the other way round. Barça let him go to Arsenal who then pay his wages for seven years and give him first team football experience in the best league in the world and the Champions League. They then buy him back, a ready made, world class central midfielder.

My understanding was that Arsenal essentially poached him as soon as he reached contract age? Obviously you will know more about this than me and I stand to be corrected.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 11:25 am  

El Pac Carnegie wrote:

My understanding was that Arsenal essentially poached him as soon as he reached contract age? Obviously you will know more about this than me and I stand to be corrected.

I'm not splitting hairs mate. If I remember rightly it was Fabregas' decision to leave as he didn't want to wait in the 'B' team.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 11:26 am  

Arsenal should give Fabregas back. Barca didn't 'let' Cesc go, they would obviously rather keep him at Barcelona than have to pay £35m+ for him a few years later.

Will Cesc even count as home grown for Barca?

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 11:49 am  

Catalancs wrote:

I'm not splitting hairs mate. If I remember rightly it was Fabregas' decision to leave as he didn't want to wait in the 'B' team.

No worries mate. None of us will truly know what went on. Just seemed iffy that he suddenly upped sticks at the age of 16(?) to move from the club he loves. Any news in the Catalan media as to any other moves Barca might be making?

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 11:57 am  

El Pac Carnegie wrote:

No worries mate. None of us will truly know what went on. Just seemed iffy that he suddenly upped sticks at the age of 16(?) to move from the club he loves. Any news in the Catalan media as to any other moves Barca might be making?

I might be wrong but Pique and Merida did something similar.

Villa and Fabregas in
Marquez out

Other than that it's all rumour at the moment.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 12:56 pm  

Paddy Evra wrote: Even though we "have the Ronaldo money and £50m from the bond issue" and we all had a slight bit of hope that we might strengthen the squad, there was always the fear that we'd end up with a few new kids, and the rest of the squad the same. City and Chelsea will both strengthen this summer, if we want to have any chance of battling with them we need to lose the $hite and bring some new faces in. EDIT: This probably explains why he won't be strengthening. The following quote by Gill makes interesting reading: "Our season ticket sales, renewals, for this upcoming season are on track with previous years. Our executive ticket renewals are on track." Now, I know it isn't impossible to believe that Gill is lying, but I had heard a rumour that United were planning on extending the renewal deadline until after the WC due to a lack of sales. It'll be interesting to see if/how MUST/RKs boycott campaign is working. We have no chance of competing if we don't recruit imo. A goalkeeper can wait until next summer as VDS is here for next season but we must sign another striker and another midfielder. If it's a lack of moeny I wish they would just be honest and if it's not then I would love Fergie to explain why a squad that was not good enough this year will be good enough next considering all the nearest challengers will be strengthening.

Paddy Evra wrote: Even though we "have the Ronaldo money and £50m from the bond issue" and we all had a slight bit of hope that we might strengthen the squad, there was always the fear that we'd end up with a few new kids, and the rest of the squad the same. City and Chelsea will both strengthen this summer, if we want to have any chance of battling with them we need to lose the $hite and bring some new faces in. EDIT: This probably explains why he won't be strengthening. The following quote by Gill makes interesting reading: "Our season ticket sales, renewals, for this upcoming season are on track with previous years. Our executive ticket renewals are on track." Now, I know it isn't impossible to believe that Gill is lying, but I had heard a rumour that United were planning on extending the renewal deadline until after the WC due to a lack of sales. It'll be interesting to see if/how MUST/RKs boycott campaign is working. We have no chance of competing if we don't recruit imo. A goalkeeper can wait until next summer as VDS is here for next season but we must sign another striker and another midfielder. If it's a lack of moeny I wish they would just be honest and if it's not then I would love Fergie to explain why a squad that was not good enough this year will be good enough next considering all the nearest challengers will be strengthening.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 1:18 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

If it's a lack of money I wish they would just be honest...

First of all, if Fergie says at the beginning of summer that he isn't interested in buying anyone, I wouldn't be surprised if at the beginning of next season Man Utd are lining up with 3 major new signings and a couple of up and coming new young players. What Fergie says right now means absolutely FA. He's not going to show his hand, especially when Citeh will be right there jacking up any price they pay.

But, on the issue of MU just being honest with the fans, I think you've just jumped in from a parallel universe where MUST/RK don't exist. In this reality there's absolutely no way that MU can say that they won't be bringing in new players because they can't afford them. And the fact is, if MU do go out and spend £100m on two of the best players in the world, MUST will just be bitching over that as well anyway.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 3:26 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

First of all, if Fergie says at the beginning of summer that he isn't interested in buying anyone, I wouldn't be surprised if at the beginning of next season Man Utd are lining up with 3 major new signings and a couple of up and coming new young players. What Fergie says right now means absolutely FA. He's not going to show his hand, especially when Citeh will be right there jacking up any price they pay.

But, on the issue of MU just being honest with the fans, I think you've just jumped in from a parallel universe where MUST/RK don't exist. In this reality there's absolutely no way that MU can say that they won't be bringing in new players because they can't afford them. And the fact is, if MU do go out and spend £100m on two of the best players in the world, MUST will just be bitching over that as well anyway.

That's a fair post tbh.

Re: Season Ending Football Chat : Wed May 19, 2010 3:45 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8691007.stm

Unbelievable!!! We will be battling to finish in the top four next season I fear.

Come off it, fella. You'll be there or there abouts once again next season.