World Football Thread XVII : Champions League Final and beyond..

[MikeH]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/6719429.stm

[reds4ever]

I'd like to see how Hargreaves and Gerrard would work.

[MikeH]

Hargreaves is injured.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by MikeH

Former 2 times England fans player of the year Lampard out of his depth at international level? We were playing Brazil in a friendly after a season in which he's alredy played 77 games, what exactly did people expect?

Tiredness does not mean a) you lack vision and awareness, and b) cannot pass a ball foward all game. He's never been creative*, and England needs more from an attacking midfielder than to wait for a shot all the time. Plus his goals come in games where we dominate possession, with 1/2 of our shots (mostly over the bar) from Lampard it's hardly surprising he scores sometimes, and takes the headlines from more hardworking players.

Against Brazil he never made runs to create space either. If he's too tired for that he should admit he's not fit enough for England, and step down.

Let him go back on holiday and then regain his scoring form with Chelsea, otherwise he's even more useless to us.

*besides his set pieces where Chelsea dominate in the air, and which Beckham is better anyway

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by MikeH
Hargreaves is injured.

I meant generally rather than right now.

[Maquiladora]

Hargreaves is still better than Lampard right now.

[reds4ever]

If we're taking that tack then its shame Michel Platini is French.....

[Imran Siddiqui]

Big Sam

Getting Barton to talk Parker's place (and if anyone, I think Allardyce can straighten out the former Man City man), signing Viduka, and very close to getting Rozehnal from PSV for the central defense are some very promising moves.

Just need a LB (and possibly a RB!) now, Sam.

[Cort Haus]

You mis-spelt 'fat walrus-faced Sam'.

[LordShiva]

Messi

[reds4ever]

I hope Viduka is 'up for it' because when he isn't he's one fat, lazy bast@rd!!

Barton is going to love Newcastle, I give it until Xmas before he's arrested after a night out on the Quayside!!

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Messi

They must teach that "skill" from birth in Ar-gen-thina.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Big Sam

Getting Barton to talk Parker's place (and if anyone, I think Allardyce can straighten out the former Man City man), signing Viduka, and very close to getting Rozehnal from PSV for the central defense are some very promising moves.

Just need a LB (and possibly a RB!) now, Sam.

Barton is scum. A total thug. His brother ice axed a black kid to death in a racially motivated attack, and he appears to be a chip off the same block.

[MOBIUS]

Hey Imran!

Nice start!

The greedy little **** has alway gouged your team out of £300,000 without even kicking a ball - if there's anyone I want to see crash and burn next year it's Barton. And if that happens, the fact he's at Newcastle will be the icing on the cake.

Newcastle pay Barton 'loyalty fee' to complete deal
By Andy Hunter
Published: 15 June 2007

Joey Barton completed his acrimonious departure from Manchester City last night after Newcastle covered the £300,000 signing-on fee that had stalled his move to St James' Park.

Sam Allardyce agreed a deal in principle 11 days ago with Barton, who was granted permission to speak to the Newcastle manager and West Ham when they met a £5.5m release clause in his contract, only to become exasperated by City's refusal to meet a "loyalty payment" the midfielder had insisted he was entitled to under the terms of his exit.

With both sides refusing to back down despite attempts at mediation by the Professional Footballers Association, Newcastle emerged as reluctant peace-makers last night when they made a second offer of £5.8m for the controversial 24-year-old. The improved bid was immediately accepted by City, who have banked their required transfer fee with Newcastle effectively paying Barton's signing-on payment as well as tripling his wages from £20,000 to £60,000 a week.

Newcastle's decision takes their financial commitment on Barton to a staggering £15.9m over the course of the five-year contract he will officially sign upon his return from a holiday in Dubai. United felt compelled to intervene having sold Barton's predecessor in their central midfield, Scott Parker, to West Ham for £7m last week, and having made a profit on the exchange of the two England internationals they will no doubt contend they have operated successfully in the market.

Few will dispute Barton represents good value at £5.8m, but there are still serious doubts over his character that his final financial dispute with City has done nothing to dispel.

The midfielder agreed to join Newcastle after a meeting with Allardyce, chairman Freddy Shepherd and prospective owner Mike Ashley convinced him further talks with West Ham were unnecessary. But an insistence he had not submitted a transfer request to City, and was therefore entitled to a £300,000 pay-off under the terms of the contract he signed last year, put the transfer on hold.

City countered that Barton's decision to request permission to speak to the Magpies and the Hammers was tantamount to a transfer request, and were adamant they had a strong legal case in that respect. Barton's agent, Willie McKay, requested assistance from the PFA to resolve the dispute last week but they were struggling to end the impasse until Newcastle made their improved offer.

"Manchester City can confirm that Joey Barton has been sold to Newcastle United for a fee of £5.8m," read a club statement.

"The 24-year-old asked for permission to speak with Newcastle last week after both the Magpies and West Ham submitted bids of £5.5m or more for the player. Newcastle followed their initial bid up with an improved £5.8m offer today, which has been accepted by the Blues."

Barton was suspended by City at the end of last season following a training-ground incident involving team-mate Ousmane Dabo that left the French midfielder requiring hospital treatment. Greater Manchester Police are continuing their investigations into the alleged assault, and have requested witness statements from several City players plus former manager Stuart Pearce.

[Maquiladora]

Darren Bent turned down £75k a week offered by West Ham because he'd rather go to Spurs or Liverpool. but we wont pay the £17m Charlton want. Kind of humiliating when a player would rather stay in the championship than play for WH.