**OFFICIAL Association Football 2012/2013 Season thread**

[Hellsinkey]

We got Felliani for 27.5 million.

His buyout clause was 23 million. Talk about a panic buy and a complete gong show.

Was that it?

Not very Scottish of him. Moyes has been somewhat a clown shoe.

[Hellsinkey]

[CliffByford]

Andy Johnson didn't leave, and alongside BAE we picked up Tom Carroll and Niko Krancjar. I've always rated NK, as has Arry seeing that it's the third time he's signed him. Krancjar is the Depp to Redknapp's Burton.

For a while I thought we only had one confirmed signing on transfer day but 'Arry knew what he was doing. Two hours before the window closes he's joking with Danny Murphy on the radio about tapping him up. Then he signs two more players, both "'Arry's boys' and no doubt a 'triffic pair of lads'. Pretty much vintage Redknapp.

Loving the Herrera farce. Also, a guy at work made a point about the Özil signing by stating that 'you don't buy a luxury carpet without fixing the leak in the roof first'. He has a point - Arsenal need a presence in the centre. In flashes Diaby looks the part but he's injured so often that he can't be relied on. Perhaps it's worth giving Frimpong an extended run?

[MickeyG]

Arsenal have quality midfielders but not a lot of steel. Wilshere, Cazorla, Arteta, Diaby, Rosiky, Flamini, Ramsey and Ozil. I'm including the whole of the midfield here, as well as attacking midfield. I suppose Walcott should be thrown in as well. I've always thought they're vulnerable at the back being honest.

[Rageman]

That gash on Rooney's head is fucking nasty. Holy shit that must have been one hell of a collision.

[jellyheadrobertson]

That gash on Rooney's head is fucking nasty. Holy shit that must have been one hell of a collision.

or lobotomy.

[Hellsinkey]

Hair transplant gone wrong.

[MickeyG]

Don't fuck with Phil Jones.

[Hellsinkey]

Strange that Young is only good at getting penalties nowdays. Januzaj and Fellaini did well. Again no Kagawa, if he doesn't play at next CL game, it's fucked up.

[MickeyG]

I read Kagawa is ill, dunno what with.

I think they're being very careful with some players. Kags had pretty much no pre season, and also played in Japan this past week. Nani apparently played well for Portugal in midweek after coming on, and didn't feature today either. Hopefully they are both in the squad midweek against Leverkusen.

Valencia was shite again today. If Nani gets a chance on the right, stays fit and delivers any kind of form he surely has to get in before Val. Impressed with Januzaj too today. I know it was against 10 man Palace, but if yoy can't look good in that situation then you've no chance against anyone else. Anderson was shit too.

[SebastianLeeDanzig]

I actually thought Leverkusen had a chance there for a while. You can thank the refs for that goal.

[Hellsinkey]

Suspect defending and goalkeeping on both sides.

[SebastianLeeDanzig]

Yeah, it was a rather depressing game no matter who you're rooting for.

Dortmund really fucked themselves last night. I actually wouldn't mind if they failed quickly, because so far they look like they might really ruin Bayern's Bundesliga season if they could concentrate on that.

Nice to see Arsenal doing well with Özil, and even nicer to see Chelsea fail against fucking Basel!

[MickeyG]

United fans are just pleased to have scored some goals from open play.

Good result for Swansea in Valencia tonight.

[Hellsinkey]

Liverpool will drop a few places this weekend.

Lingard does four in half an hour at Birmingham. Cool.

[Hellsinkey]

What a rubbish performance.

Vidic and Ferdinand can't play three games a week together anymore. Again, Young starts and no Kagawa. What in the fuck.

[pieceofme]

What a rubbish performance.

Vidic and Ferdinand can't play three games a week together anymore. Again, Young starts and no Kagawa. What in the fuck.

Dreadful performance.

This is what someone on twitter said about Welbeck: 'Danny Welbeck reminds me of how I play football. Gets in the way of passes, barges into keepers and can't hit the ball cleanly.'

But he was hardly the only culprit. Young was somehow even worse. Fellaini lumbered around midfielder doing f all. I don't know what happened to Valencia from two years ago but the change in shirt number isn't helping. Rooney looks frustrated and rightfully so, he's probably regretting not pushing through the transfer to Chelsea. Great free kick which is the only positive in the game.

I don't know what Moyes has against Kagawa. Is he an carrying injury? A player to unlock a defense is what the team is crying out for. How did Ozil do today? Oh he was involved in all three goals for Arsenal.

City definitely deserved their win, and I wouldn't have held it against them if they had scored more. At this rate United will be struggling to qualify for the Europa League.

[MickeyG]

Awful today, but a typical big game away performance from United that we've seen in recent years. They've played like this, post Ronaldo under Fergie since 2009. Moyes didn't/couldn't do any motivating, tactic changing or subbing well enough.

Edit: Starting team lineup was so conservative and shit. Very Fergie like in big games away from home.

[Hellsinkey]

I can't understand why the creative players like Kagawa, Januzaj and Zaha get left out. All too conservative and shite from Moyes. Now there could have been a chance to put Rooney and Kagawa up front, with RVP out. Also Januzaj and Zaha on the wing. But Young, Valencia and Welbeck... Only Giggs was missing.

[Hellsinkey]

Wow. Owned by West Brom at OT. Didn't look like winning at any stage though. Ferdinand played though he's been shite recently, I think he was involved at both goals. Kagawa shouldn't have been substituted. Thinking at the situation, I'm reminded of a Marillion lyric: "I'm 13th at the table.."

[pieceofme]

Wow. Owned by West Brom at OT. Didn't look like winning at any stage though. Ferdinand played though he's been shite recently, I think he was involved at both goals. Kagawa shouldn't have been substituted. Thinking at the situation, I'm reminded of a Marillion lyric: "I'm 13th at the table.."

I thought we were 12th...

When Hull and Cardiff are above you are after this many games then there are issues. Arsenal performing well. Ozil looks like a good signing for them.

[Tenacious_Dio]

Aston Villa-MC match was crazy.

[MickeyG]

Awful again. Rio looks done. Was at fault for both goals. Dunno why Kags was taken off. Fuckin Buttner . Moyes reckons there will be more days like the city one. Although the teams had problems since Ronny left, this squad still won the league at a canter last season, so surely top 4 should be a gimmie for a manager that has managed in the Prem the last 10 years.

[Hellsinkey]

Somehow I'm not even sure of a top 4 finish this season. If Moyes doesn't make that, he'll surely get sacked.

[MickeyG]

Yep, I'm not sure of top 4 either after seeing the dross the teams given so far. He won't be sacked unless it hits the Glazers where it hurts, in the pocket. As long as the commercial deals are coming in they don't care about trophies.

[pieceofme]

Awful again. Rio looks done. Was at fault for both goals. Dunno why Kags was taken off. Fuckin Buttner . Moyes reckons there will be more days like the city one. Although the teams had problems since Ronny left, this squad still won the league at a canter last season, so surely top 4 should be a gimmie for a manager that has managed in the Prem the last 10 years.

We won by how many points last season? 9 or something right. Have pretty much the same players. It's a disaster thus far. Rooney looks really good. I thought after the summer saga he would lack motivation but the opposite seems to have happened.

[CliffByford]

Moyes needs a season; Man Utd are so attuned to Sir Whiskeynose's style that I genuinely believe it's a case akin to turning an oil tanker around. That said, it is the same team, more or less, that romped the Premier League and Moyes has made a couple of missteps:

a) Purging the backroom staff to bring in his guys is understandable, but he's got rid of a bunch of professionals who have been heavily involved in the success that United have enjoyed in recent years.

b) Moyes has been saying some odd things, such as his belief that United possess only "five or six world class players." Perhaps true, but maybe he should keep it to himself for now. Fergie never undermined his players like that, not in public.

Moyes was successful at Everton through cherry-picking his signings (Bilyaletdinov being a rare, and expensive, mistake) and implementing a tough game that involved pressing all over the park. United under Fergie were not a pressing team; they were excellent at absorbing pressure, containing teams before striking with lightning counter-attacks. Which route will Moyes go?

Ultimately I don't care because QPR are doing alright. Up the Rs!

[Hellsinkey]

b) Moyes has been saying some odd things, such as his belief that United possess only "five or six world class players." Perhaps true, but maybe he should keep it to himself for now. Fergie never undermined his players like that, not in public.

He doesn't even believe in that, he's trying to lower expectations. He'd just better shut up.

"To win the Champions League, you need five or six world-class players. Look at Bayern Munich, they have it. Look at Barcelona, who had it in the past and Real Madrid, who have maybe got it now. That's the level you have to be at to win it. We've not got that yet."

[James Bon]

Moyes replacing Ferguson is like Blaze Bayley replacing Bruce
Dickinson!

[pieceofme]

Moyes replacing Ferguson is like Blaze Bayley replacing Bruce
Dickinson!