World Football Thread XV - Life after the World Cup

[alva]

Great player and probably the most beautiful one to watch.

[reds4ever]

Watching that film just reminds me how woefully under used Jari Litmanen was for Liverpool.

[Terra Nullius]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Inclusivist 'world' footnote for posters not familiar with parochial English rivalries:

Nice touch.

Thank you.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Terra Nullius

Nice touch.

Thank you.

A pleasure.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by duke o' york
So who are your teams going to buy before the new season, who do you really want (that they can reasonably afford without a shock arrival of a Russian oligarch), and who has been rumoured to join that you could really do without?

Arsenal have lost/let go of Campbell, Bergkamp, Pires and almost certainly Cole.

We've signed only Rosicky so far.

We would like to sign Curtis Davis from West Brom but as usual English players are overpriced. We were rumoured to be interested in Ribery, but he's too hot & cold imo.

One player I'd really like is Aaron Lennon, but he's only recently signed a new contract for Spurs, and probably won't be available for years, and if he ever does become available will probably be put on the market at £30m or something crazy that only Chelsea can afford.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Campbell is saying he wants to play on the continent for some reason. Though the speculation he was retiring is unfounded.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Wow!

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=374308&cc=5901

Damien Duff's transfer from Premiership champions Chelsea to Newcastle was completed for just £5million, a statement to the Stock Exchange has confirmed.

Only 5 mil pounds? Incredible!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Triple post (as I scour soccernet this morning ), another American NFL owner wants to get in on the EPL gig (RUN, it's the American Invasion!):

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=374314&cc=5901

NFL billionaire Lerner linked with Villa takeover

Billionaire Randy Lerner, who owns the franchise to NFL side Cleveland Browns, is believed to be preparing to enter the race to buy Aston Villa.

Sources close to Villa are indicating 44-year-old Lerner is understood to be ready to make an offer for the midlands club to chairman and major shareholder Doug Ellis on his return from holiday later this week.

Lerner is chairman of credit card giants MBNA and took over the running of the Cleveland team following the death of his father in October 2002.

Ellis put Villa up for sale in October but the West Midlands club have received no concrete bids and the interest of a consortium including Irish property developers the Comer brothers has fizzled out.

Life-long Villa fan Michael Neville was also part of that consortium and he indicated over the weekend he was confident of obtaining mystery backers to make a fresh bid.

But it is unclear at this juncture if those backers include Lerner - or whether the former Columbia Law School graduate is prepared to go it alone in his efforts to take control of Villa.

An unnamed Saudi Arabia-based consortium is also understood to be considering the possibility of attempting to buy into Villa, who are desperately in need of a massive cash injection.

Villa Shareholders' Association chairman Jonathan Fear said: 'We can't obviously hang our hats on anyone interested in buying Villa until they come in and it is seen what they have to offer.

'But the fact there now appears to be interest in buying Aston Villa is excellent and it seems obvious the reign of Doug Ellis could be coming to an end.'

Lerner began his career as an investment analyst. In 1991, he started an independent investment firm with Progress capital called Securities Advisors Inc. (SAI) which he owned and managed until 2001.

In 1993 Lerner became a director of MBNA and became chairman nine years later. It was also following the death of his father that he became owner of the Cleveland Browns.

Lerner also spent 1983 at Clare College, Cambridge, England. He is a member of the New York State and District of Columbia Bars.

Martin O'Neill remains the fans' favourite to succeed David O'Leary although the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann, Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce are also being linked with Villa.

[Cort Haus]

Now there's a coincidence.

The other two guys in my band support Man Utd and Aston Villa. We were recording yesterday and the Villa fan was saying "O'Leary gone, that's one down, one-to-go. (Ellis next)".

I looked at the Man U fan and said "Well, maybe someone else from the US fancies an English 'franchise' - USA! USA!"

- and whaddya know!

[Imran Siddiqui]

You are a prophet, Cort . Though Lerner's acquisition seems to be better for the club than Glazer's of ManU. For one, it doesn't seem like there will be any borrowing of money that would count against the team once the owner takes over.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
For one, it doesn't seem like there will be any borrowing of money that would count against the team once the owner takes over.

I could never get my head round that. You buy a company and then send the bill to the company you just bought....

[Imran Siddiqui]

Modern day business practices, I guess . Though it should be a debt on that idiot Glazier, as much as I like to see ManYoo suffer.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's official: Thuram to Barca for 5 million Euros:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=374337&cc=5901

[duke o' york]

Damn.

I'd have loved to get him, but there was no chance he'd play for us.

Locutus, I was only laughing at your claim that reliability was his middle name - I don't think he's a bad player at all.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
It's official: Thuram to Barca for 5 million Euros:

Damn.