2022/2023 English Premier League

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by Swift

So looks like Henderson's joining Gerrard in Saudi Arabia.

Lots of talk that both Henderson and Fabinho could move to Saudi Arabia. I’m surprised this move is so attractive to so many players, but I guess the money is hard to turn down.

[devo22]

I'm not really surprised that the like of Henderson make that move. 33 years old, won it all and they'll apparently quadruple his wages ... not all that shocking.

It's the likes of Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic that are the head scratchers for me. Sure, it's absurd money, but these players are in their mid- to late-20s. Way too early for them to fade into football obscurity just for the bag.

[Freeway]

Really liking the additions Villa's made so far. But they need more.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

I'm not really surprised that the like of Henderson make that move. 33 years old, won it all and they'll apparently quadruple his wages ... not all that shocking.

It's the likes of Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic that are the head scratchers for me. Sure, it's absurd money, but these players are in their mid- to late-20s. Way too early for them to fade into football obscurity just for the bag.

Yeah, thats pretty much the way I see it as well. But this kind of reminds me of the Chinese exodus from a few years back.

Its hard to compete with outrageous wages until the Sheikhs get bored and get new toys.

[Locke]

Manchester United and Barcelona have both been fined for breaches of UEFA's financial fair play (FFP) regulations, the governing body announced in its latest round of monitoring Friday.

United were handed a €300,000 ($336,420) fine for "minor break even deficits" for the financial years spanning between 2019 and 2022.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...e-ffp-breaches

Hahahahaha!!! Oh my God...

I'm sorry, as a Liverpool fan I am legally obligated to take pleasure in the misfortunes of Man U, but if I were a Man U fan, and I see a tiny transfer budget and now a fine because of FIFA Financial Fair Play rules?

And then I look across to the Blue side of Town?

My blood would be goddamned boiling.

[devo22]

honestly? Meh. It's 300k, so my honest reaction to that is "who gives a ####?". This is far from being even a little slap on the wrist for a club like United.

United has been perennially unable to sell players, so this isn't super surprising either. Look at the fees that City, Chelsea and Liverpool routinely collect, even for mediocre players ... United has never been able to do that. There's been zero balance in their incomings and outgoings post-Ferguson, so in this particular matter, my reaction is rather "United just don't operate well enough" than "OMG but Citeh".

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

honestly? Meh. It's 300k, so my honest reaction to that is "who gives a ####?". This is far from being even a little slap on the wrist for a club like United.

United has been perennially unable to sell players, so this isn't super surprising either. Look at the fees that City, Chelsea and Liverpool routinely collect, even for mediocre players ... United has never been able to do that. There's been zero balance in their incomings and outgoings post-Ferguson, so in this particular matter, my reaction is rather "United just don't operate well enough" than "OMG but Citeh".

Yeah, but thats just because United overpay for mid-tier players and their wage structure is wildly out of whack.

Its like old-timey City, I think James Milner sat on their bench for years because nobody on Earth would pay anywhere near their wages.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Rice officially announced this morning .
Timber announced to Arsenal yesterday.

Some great business done by Arsenal this window. It's a good time to be a Gunner.

[Locke]

Well, well...thats a Sunday morning to wake up to.

Harry Maguire said he has been removed as Manchester United captain by manager Erik ten Hag.

Maguire, 30, has been out of favour at United under Ten Hag, making just 16 appearances in the Premier League last season, including just eight starts.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...taincy-ten-hag

Phil Jones come on down??

Referee Mike Dean will step down from his role as a Premier League VAR official and leave the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the referees' body said on Saturday.

Dean, a colourful figure, began officiating in the Premier League in 2000 and refereed more than 550 matches in the top flight before he became a full-time Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official in 2022.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...eague-var-role

Adios Mike, we'll never forget you from Ted Lasso.

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness is confident that England captain Harry Kane will switch to the club from Tottenham this summer.

"Up to now it was the case that Harry has clearly signalled in all the talks that his mind is made up. And if that remains the case, then we'll get him," Hoeness said. "Then Tottenham will have to give way."

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...ch-uli-hoeness

This is dragging on...

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well, well...thats a Sunday morning to wake up to.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...taincy-ten-hag

Phil Jones come on down??

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...eague-var-role

Adios Mike, we'll never forget you from Ted Lasso.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...ch-uli-hoeness

This is dragging on...

Of course it's dragging on. They tried to buy him for £68m. I mean that's not even a serious offer. It's the Price is Right where you can bid $1 and maybe win. Spurs don't have to sell, and Kane seems to be playing out the contract at this point. Yeah, he's 30 years old. He also just scored a pile of goals for a terrible Spurs team in a tough league. If he goes to Germany, he'll score piles of goals for them, as it's less physical and he'd probably thrive. So...if you want him, get off your wallet.

[devo22]

Hoeneß is an idiot for talking about this in public. Hardly surprising, he's always been an arrogant, insufferable idiot, but you'd think they'd have learned from the time when they wanted Callum Hudson-Odoi and completely pissed off Chelsea. I doubt this will make things with Levy any easier.

[Spurs]

Levy will screw this up as he always does.

He will hold on to Kane so we can fight for 10th place hoping that Kane will continue to be stupid enough to put sentimentality above his career and that he can fluke into holding on to him.

Bayern have handled it perfectly. When dealing with a POS terrorist like Levy exposing him for the scum he is is the best way to go forward. Even though our loser fanbase will still act as though Levy did right by acting like an ass.

[cam_wmh]

Levy not selling, is best for United/City, and awful for Bayern and Shearer.

[The Big Chill]

Rumours today that a fee has been agreed for the Henderson sale. This will end up being a wild overhaul in the midfield with Milner, Keita, Ox already gone, Henderson and Fabinho with one foot out the door, and Thiago likely gone after this season.

[Swift]

One of the Saudi clubs is eyeing up Luis Diaz too.

[Locke]

Hendo is 'Saudi Retirement' age, but not Diaz.

[devo22]

sooo ... nobody having an issue with Newcastle selling Saint Maximin to Saudi Arabia in order to help balance their books and fund the Harvey Barnes transfer? Nope? Thought so. Nothing to see here.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by devo22

sooo ... nobody having an issue with Newcastle selling Saint Maximin to Saudi Arabia in order to help balance their books and fund the Harvey Barnes transfer? Nope? Thought so. Nothing to see here.

Well it's them, it's Chelsea getting bailed out of their ridiculous buying spree that should've caused all kinds of FFP violations. It's City with their ongoing flouting of the regulations. It's just so obvious and nothing happens.

Instead it's these smaller clubs that get hit with FFP violations and questions. Basically penny-wise and pound-foolish on a grader scale.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by devo22

sooo ... nobody having an issue with Newcastle selling Saint Maximin to Saudi Arabia in order to help balance their books and fund the Harvey Barnes transfer? Nope? Thought so. Nothing to see here.

What's the recourse even if people have problems with it? What's happened to other clubs in similar situations who aren't abiding by FFP rules?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

sooo ... nobody having an issue with Newcastle selling Saint Maximin to Saudi Arabia in order to help balance their books and fund the Harvey Barnes transfer? Nope? Thought so. Nothing to see here.

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

What's the recourse even if people have problems with it? What's happened to other clubs in similar situations who aren't abiding by FFP rules?

There are very few 'other Clubs' in similar situations.

I think what devo is getting at is that Newcastle is owned by a Saudi Consortium, they're screwing the books, to make up for it the 'owner' (for lack of a better term) sells one of his guys to his brother who sells him to his cousin and voila! Everyone's books look clean! Fair Play all around!