It'd be shit if loads of countries got automatic qualification to this. The point of having a qualifications process is to ensure the big teams don't expect a place in the tournament - for example, England in 2008.

They've already said that won't happen.

#30690 The Lower League Thread

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06 Dec 2012 17:20:48

Ken Bates can fuck off though.

#30600 The Night Thread Mk. IX

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06 Dec 2012 13:14:31

Yeah, we had half an hour of snow.

Somebody make a 'Snow Thread'. It's that time of year.

#30588 The Manchester City Thread

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06 Dec 2012 12:08:31

By Fantastic | Permalink | On 06 December 2012 - 11:15 AM

Is there any point in charging Stuart Hall with rape and shit? I mean he's so old and it's been such a long time I feel like it's a little unfair, even if he's guilty. I mean, it was the old days, everyone got a bit hands on with girls back then.

5Live isn't going to be the same.

By KEZ_7 | Permalink | On 06 December 2012 - 11:33 AM

Sunderland are rumoured admirers at the minute

He has quite a few. Swansea were interested in the summer. If they're still interested, I reckon he'll end up there rather than Sunderland.

#30568 The Night Thread Mk. IX

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06 Dec 2012 10:18:25

By Fantastic | Permalink | On 06 December 2012 - 09:41 AM

I need to make sure I'm not misrepresented in the media. I don't want people saying shit like "he was a quiet man" or "he was bubbly". When I do kill myself and journalists from The Sun start trawling through my post history on this site I want everyone here to promise me they'll explain, very clearly, that I was a bastard and hated everything.

"He was an angel; he'd never hurt anyone, he wouldn't harm a fly"

#30539 The Manchester City Thread

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06 Dec 2012 07:26:10

I believe he was back in full training this week, I'm not 100% sure though. Sounds like he's on target for a January return and loan deal.

#30418 Welcome To Stamford Bridge

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05 Dec 2012 17:57:03

You're wrong, though.

#30363 English Premier League 2012/2013

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05 Dec 2012 15:46:25

Martin Samuel's normally alright, but that's a fucking riduclous article.

#30327 The Manchester City Thread

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05 Dec 2012 13:46:34

Karim Rekik's signed a new long-term contract.

#30162 Transfer Rumours 2013/14

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04 Dec 2012 21:15:49

By Abbott | Permalink | On 04 December 2012 - 21:08 PM

FYI, Glen Johnson is the best right-back in the league right now.

He's been awesome all season.

That must be some good shit you're smoking.

#30161 UEFA Champions League 2012 - 2013 Thread

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04 Dec 2012 21:14:53

He's started 3 and made a few substitute appearances too.

Samir Nasri has been such a poor signing. It's depressing to think that both Mata and Cazorla were available for less than the £24m we paid for Nasri.

#30111 [FM13] Shortlists by to_madeira

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04 Dec 2012 19:03:26

The worst part about that post was the 3 exclamation points. You should be ashamed of yourself, you're better than that.

#29935 The Manchester City Thread

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04 Dec 2012 07:11:43

Off the top of my head, Richards, Milner, Aaron Lennon. I missed anyone?

#29840 Transfer Rumours 2013/14

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03 Dec 2012 21:18:57

By Franck | Permalink | On 03 December 2012 - 18:34 PM

Can't really compare English fees with German ones though. The financial situations in the two leagues couldn't possibly be further apart.

The Premier League and the Bundesliga are pretty much the complete antitheses of each other as far as the financial side of things go.

And that would make sense if it was a German club trying to sign him. I find it odd that a club like Dortmund (not the richest by any means) wouldn't try to extract as high a fee as possible especially when they are dealing with an English club - and transfers to English club's are inflated more than in most leagues - and one of the richest clubs in Europe at that.

£12m is not a big fee for a player of Lewandowski's talents even if he is entering the last 18 months of his contract.

#29836 The Manchester City Thread

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03 Dec 2012 21:07:16

Leeds shouldn't have released him then. It's your own fault really.

#29758 Transfer Rumours 2013/14

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03 Dec 2012 18:33:00

Yeah, that results in a lower fee but £12m? That's not a reduced fee, that's fucking thievery.

#29750 The Manchester City Thread

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03 Dec 2012 18:24:14

Aleksander Kolarov's version of Jingle Bells is... something.

#29747 The Night Thread Mk. IX

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03 Dec 2012 18:20:45

That does explain Harry going back to Afghanistan.

#29745 English Premier League 2012/2013

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03 Dec 2012 18:19:32

By jumberto | Permalink | On 03 December 2012 - 17:25 PM

Balotelli dived to get Evans sent off so that was an 'unjust' red card too.

#29742 Transfer Rumours 2013/14

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03 Dec 2012 18:18:19

Supposedly it's only for about £12m. Why are Dortmund so bad at getting a good fee?

#29664 English Premier League 2012/2013

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03 Dec 2012 15:28:20

By Ninja | Permalink | On 02 December 2012 - 22:47 PM

I dunno, Dzeko would be the striker of yours I imagine would cause us the most trouble.

We struggle with Strikers who will dominate Ferdinand and Evans in the air and he's the only player you have capable of doing it. If we go with Smalling and Evans (which, again I can see the sense both in doing it and not doing) I really don't see Aguero and Tevez causing any more problems to them, providing they play well, than they would to any other defence (by virtue of the fact they're very good strikers). Evans is certainly smart enough to deal with most things (and hopefully yesterday was his occasional abysmal performance out of the way) and it wouldn't surprise me if Smalling would win a race against any of your strikers.

As for recent performances, last derby falls very much under the handicapped ourselves category. Scholes Giggs and a Park that hadn't played in about 3 months were always going to struggle. We then beat you fairly easily at the Etihad in the cup (the two goals you scored in the second half really masked how comfortable we were) and were ripped a new shitter at Old Trafford but actually were very unfortunate to be behind when Evans decided to get himself sent off (we'd hardly bossed it, but we'd shaded it and Balotelli scored against the run of play) so yeah, they've been tighter run things than you perhaps remember.

A fair point about the strikers but your memory's fucked if you think you beat us 'fairly easily' in the FA Cup. United were the best team in the first half but in the second half we were all over you - and if not for an unjust red-card, we would have won.

As for them being tight/tighter run things, not really. There have been parts in each game that have been close, or that United have looked the better team, but each time as the game has gone on we've taken control of it and started to dominate you. That even happened in the FA Cup semi-final (although we really rode our luck there) and we've improved immeasurably since then.

#29585 Squad Registration Bug

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03 Dec 2012 09:05:51

Probably a long-shot but anybody else had an issue with the Squad Registration buttons not working? I can clear the squad, auto-select it and confirm it but I can't individually pick players to be registered and I can't see who's been selected.

#29530 The Lower League Thread

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02 Dec 2012 22:42:44

By BR. | Permalink | On 02 December 2012 - 17:36 PM

I'd be the first to admit that Blackburn isn't excactly Paris or New York, but seriously Burnley is f*cking minging. Unbelievable the state of some (most) of their fans, about two teeth between them.

Anyway, 1-1. Gutted about the last minute equaliser but at least we didn't lose. This was their best chance for a long, long time and they still couldn't beat us.

We're falling well behind the promotion places though.

They still got wooden seats in the away end? Fucking inbreds.

#29523 English Premier League 2012/2013

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02 Dec 2012 22:27:31

By Ninja | Permalink | On 02 December 2012 - 17:02 PM

Yeah, I don't think it's quite as foregone a conclusion as that. If we avoid any ridiculous fuck ups in terms of line ups we should at least give you a game even if you're at your best.

I just have a horrible feeling that we'll play one of Scholes or Giggs because 'their experience is vital in games like these' or play Jones at AM again (saying that I don't think he'd be a terrible idea in midfield and might be able to cope with Yaya, but it's a gamble) or persist with the rank average Lindegaard or the clearly off the pace Fletcher or do something generally quite stupid which will handicap us before we even start.

No, it isn't quite as clear-cut as that but my reasoning for saying that is quite straight-forward.

When we play well, our style of play is the sort United tend to struggle with. We keep possession well, we press and we absolutely dominate midfield. To top that off, we have some very good strikers, all of whom - though Tevez and Aguero, in particular - are quick players who are intelligent off the ball something that your defence seems to struggle with.
I certainly think that you can 'give us a game' but given your last few performances against us, especially the last Derby where you didn't even have a shot, it's not unfair to say that you haven't threatened us that much in the last few derbies. That said, RVP should be an interesting addition.

I entirely lost my train of thought half-way through that, so fuck knows if it makes sense.

#29374 La Liga 2012/13

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02 Dec 2012 15:18:29

Not really. You're probably thinking of Pellegrini at Malaga.

#29363 FA Cup Thread 2012/13

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02 Dec 2012 14:53:04

Watford for us.

#29323 FA Cup Thread 2012/13

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02 Dec 2012 12:22:07

Winkleman looks like a sex-offender, that's why he creeps you out.

#29322 What's the last thing you bought thread

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02 Dec 2012 12:19:51

Those fans look awesome.

#29321 The South American Football Thread

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02 Dec 2012 12:18:30

By Skacel | Permalink | On 02 December 2012 - 01:11 AM

Disagree massively with this. Third party ownership can be a great thing in football, it actually keeps the domestic transfer market relatively inflation free. Also prevents clubs doing a Portsmouth and spending massively beyond their means.

Disagree with this too. Of the European leagues I've watched none come near Brazil. The Brazilian game is very counter attacking, nothing in Europe is like it.

I didn't mean European in style. I meant European in terms of quality. It's easily the richest league in South America, the big teams have the money to bring in the best players from around South America - as well as the likes of Seedorf from Europe - I find that boring. I watch South American football for something different and, apart from Neymar, I find Brazilian football boring.

In other news, River have fucked off Matias Almeyda, and have brought in (former-Oxford United manager) Ramon Diaz to replace him.

Boca will be getting rid of Falcioni soon too.