**OFFICIAL Association Football 2010/2011 Season thread**

[Hellsinkey]

Macheda had a ridiculous stat to his United career and, realistically, it can only be downhill from there for him.

Yeah, well two important winning goals that helped to win the season before last. After that pretty much nothing.

[MickeyG]

Dude was injured much of last season. I'm not sure what his main quality is supposed to be as a forward. The other night I thought his first touch was poor, his link up play was poor, he didn't create much and he never really looked like scoring. I think he's supposed to be a goal scorer. Someone who is invisible, doing nothing, then strikes when he gets one chance.

[Sleazyjack]

Milner will sign for Man city this week.

Bit of a loss for my team , although believe Keane deal is done.

Guess O'neill is happy that Reo Coker can do the midfield job , not so sure myself

Wouldn;t be surprised if Stephen Ireland is part of the Milner deal

[MickeyG]

Very poor from United tonight, losing 2-1 against 10 men for a full half. Only saving grace was that it was far from the first team regarding team selection. Same for Shitty City who also lost today against New York Red Bulls.

The start of the season is gonna be interesting for teams only getting their World Cup players back shortly before the kick off. United play Newcastle first game of the season. They may not get a better chance to put one over one of the big boys than that.

[coatsy]

talksport reporting that fernando torres will sign for chelsea amd ballotelli has joined manchester city.

[Rageman]

Don't give me bullshit about backups playing or World Cup stars not being there for City or ManU. There was a time when MLS played their best against big team, no name academy players and got smoked. MLS wasn't playing their full strength squads either and played lots of guys that only see action during these pre-season and post season tours.

MLS squads have been improving every year and I expect that talent level to continue to increase since the last CBA that was signed ensured more Americans will stay to play in MLS instead of getting more money from lower Scandinavian leagues. That is the biggest move made in American soccer history since the inception of the league, if not ever, IMO.

Don't worry though, your teams aren't really playing that badly. They're just not playing in misty, 60 degree England right now. They're getting ran into the ground in 85-100 degree America against teams that have been playing and practicing together for almost 6 months. Big difference.

All-Star game should be interesting.

[Hellsinkey]

talksport reporting that fernando torres will sign for chelsea amd ballotelli has joined manchester city.

All these rumours go back and forth in the press, joining and not joining...

[MickeyG]

Don't give me bullshit about backups playing or World Cup stars not being there for City or ManU. There was a time when MLS played their best against big team, no name academy players and got smoked. MLS wasn't playing their full strength squads either and played lots of guys that only see action during these pre-season and post season tours.

MLS squads have been improving every year and I expect that talent level to continue to increase since the last CBA that was signed ensured more Americans will stay to play in MLS instead of getting more money from lower Scandinavian leagues. That is the biggest move made in American soccer history since the inception of the league, if not ever, IMO.

Don't worry though, your teams aren't really playing that badly. They're just not playing in misty, 60 degree England right now. They're getting ran into the ground in 85-100 degree America against teams that have been playing and practicing together for almost 6 months. Big difference.

All-Star game should be interesting.

Except those back ups really aren't good enough to be playing in the Premier league either, though. Gibson was shocking the other night, and he's never been that good in the Prem or Europe.

Even though United only beat Phily 1-0, it should have been more. That game was one sided.

[Hellsinkey]

Ferguson is wondering if he'll include Hargreaves in the squad of 25, as he's still injured. He's played 20 seconds since 2008!

[MickeyG]

I'm not sure if I like the idea of this 25 man squad thing. I need to check the rules because there is something about having an unlimited number of players under a certain age as long as they are all home grown. Or some such shit like that.

[Sleazyjack]

I'm not sure if I like the idea of this 25 man squad thing. I need to check the rules because there is something about having an unlimited number of players under a certain age as long as they are all home grown. Or some such shit like that.

I think the new rule in England is that 8 out of the 25 suad have to be homegrown or have lived in England for 3 or more years or something like that

on another note , went to the Villa v Walsall friendly today and Villa havea young right sided homegrown midfielder , Allbrighton, that is going to be a star and get a lot of minutes this season I would imagine

Carew absolutely tore the Walsall defence to pieces ans is looking sharp , he was the only first team player for Villa on the pitch

[MickeyG]

I just read that apart from the 25 man squad list, any player who is 21 or younger on Jan 1st 2010 can play and not be counted on the list. So if you have a long term injury to someone on your list, you can use an under 21 player to replace them.

[Hellsinkey]

He's got plenty to choose from, the list is from Soccernet and it isn't even the complete squad, I'm not sure if it's totally up to date.

Current Squad
G40 Ben Amos M24 Darren Fletcher
G29 Tomasz Kuszczak M28 Darron Gibson
G1 Edwin van der Sar M11 Ryan Giggs
D6 Wes Brown M4 Owen Hargreaves
D37 Craig Cathcart M43 Matthew James
D39 James Chester M17 Nani
D20 Fabio M47 Oliver Norwood
D21 Rafael M26 Gabriel Obertan
D30 Ritchie De Laet M8 Anderson
D44 Joe Dudgeon M13 Park Ji-Sung
D31 Cory Evans M Paul Pogba
D23 Jonathan Evans M34 Rodrigo Possebon
D3 Patrice Evra M18 Paul Scholes
D5 Rio Ferdinand M46 Cameron Stewart
D45 Oliver Gill M25 Antonio Valencia
D2 Gary Neville F9 Dimitar Berbatov
D22 John O'Shea F32 Mame Biram Diouf
D Chris Smalling F Javier Hernández
D15 Nemanja Vidic F41 Joshua King
M16 Michael Carrick F27 Federico Macheda
M35 Tom Cleverley F7 Michael Owen
M46 Daniel Drinkwater F10 Wayne Rooney
M42 Magnus Eikrem F19 Danny Welbeck

[MickeyG]

I'd forgotten about Possebon. He looked decent before his injury.

[Hellsinkey]

Torres will stay in Liverpool. Looks like Fabregas is stuck in Arse.

[coatsy]

Torres will stay in Liverpool. Looks like Fabregas is stuck in Arse.

barca will now turn their attention to mikel arteta of everton.

[Hellsinkey]

Torres will stay in Liverpool. Looks like Fabregas is stuck in Arse.

barca will now turn their attention to mikel arteta of everton.

He's not for sale either I hear.

[coatsy]

Torres will stay in Liverpool. Looks like Fabregas is stuck in Arse.

barca will now turn their attention to mikel arteta of everton.

He's not for sale either I hear.

everton are not in a position to knockback a seriously large bid.

[MickeyG]

Barca would be better served strengthening themselves defensively, either midfield or at the back than sign attacking midfielders.

[arucho]

They defend through possession so it would make sense, kinda...

I'd agree they would need a DM, Busquets gets too many cards through the season, though Pique could play there.

[Hellsinkey]

Five years for Arteta at Everton. Charity Shield today might be interesting.

[MickeyG]

Fergie was at the Fulham/Werder Bremen match. Casting an eye over Ozil possibly?

[Hellsinkey]

Fergie was at the Fulham/Werder Bremen match. Casting an eye over Ozil possibly?

Probably. Maybe WB will wait if they qualify for Champions League. If they fail they can get something for him, he's free next year.

Nice win today. Scholes and Van Der Sar were great. Good that Berbatov and Hernandez scored.

[MickeyG]

Scholes was class today. Carrick after a slow start, got with the pace of the game and did ok too. I do worry about the center of midfield though. That's why Park will get games, so he can help out in there, at least, more than Nani would.

Hernandez was a threat when he came on, and his link up play was good too. Good first touch, and he doesn't fuck about and take all day when he's got it. He moves it on or looks to run rather than dally on it and then get tackled.

Owen was horrible. Looks to me like he needs a spell in the reserves or drop down a division to get some game time to catch up. Both Berba and Hernandez should be ahead of him in the pecking order.

[coatsy]

martin o'neill resigns as aston villa manager.

[MickeyG]

Villa lost 43 mil last year so I'm not surprised Lerner won't give O'Neill more money to spend, or fight to keep Villa's top players. So O'Neill probably figured he's taken the club as far as he can. Uefa's new rules that will come into effect in a few years will fuck the likes of Villa and City no end. They don't generate enough money to pay the costs of maintaining a top squad.

[el_nino]

Here comes the Villa implosion, can't wait.

Very selfish of O'Neill to jack it in 5 days before the start of the season. that's very poor form.

[MickeyG]

O'Neill's management career although successful has had a few dodgy moments. At one time I wouldn't have minded him as Alex Fergusons successor, but not any more.

[Sleazyjack]

Here comes the Villa implosion, can't wait.

Very selfish of O'Neill to jack it in 5 days before the start of the season. that's very poor form.

We will not implode, we still have the basics of a very very good squad and will still surprise a few people this season.

Some of the Villa players were caught texting popping champagne bottles to each other when the heard O'neill had gone, he has done a great job , but we have finished 6th 3 years in a row, whihc is great but shows no growth (apart from the cup runs last year).

I want this Milner deal done now, we need to settle and get a manager in quickly.

I agree Oneill was selfish, he knew what the score was and has dropped us right in the shite.... thanks Martin!!

funniest rumour going round Birmingham today is that the Blues chairman is panicking and trying to get Mcleish to sign hs new contract as he thinks Villa will try and poach him .... that woul be hilarious!

probably be Erikson though unfortunately

[MickeyG]

I don't really see what Lerner was supposed to do considering how much money the club has lost and the fact that in a few years the new Uefa rules will come in. You can't keep operating at a huge loss every year. I think that is why Chelsea have let some old timers go, and Joe Cole but haven't spent that much really. They need to get their wage bill down, as well as get younger. Some youth teamers will be making their squad this season.