Park Life

Simply put Villa had another gear.

There is a rumour* he don't really want to be here.

My main concern is Ashers not KK. It's clear he isn't engaging with the club correctly or in a sustained manner. The recent hirings are further proof that the heart is ruling the head.

Probably since about 2003 at the very least. Yup. We have no centrocampista, no fulcrum....only crumbs.

This is what worried me from day 1 though. Allardyce didnt turn us into a nothing team, he did nowt I agree but he didnt dismantle a squad of creative flair players and bring in knackers. Yet already we're planning to move any blame, should the unthinkable happen, firmly away from KK. Allardyce didnt pick that team today, Allardyce didnt give the team talk at half time and Allardyce sure as fuck didnt sit there on the bench nattering to Terry Mac while we were torn apart. This nattering is getting out of control. It looks like a total confidence meltdown as soon as the other side score.

It looks like it will come down to us, Reading and Brum for the last slot. And we have to play B'ham away and Reading at home.

I just think we have "holes" in the team, therefore even short term buys would have been a good thing. You don't have to think long term in everything you do. Football is always such that a player who improves the team is worth buying at the right price and at the right terms. You replace with better as you go. We have had a small squad, low on quality and numbers up front all season and have played a dangerous game. Now its all going tits up. We could be in a serious position here now. Agree with most of that. The flak I took for suggesting we should freshen the squad for the run-in (even one quality player gives the side a lift) was people locked into an imaginary mindset that there are perfect times to buy players and bad times. There is IMO never a bad time to buy a quality player. It won't be any easier in the summer either if we finish 4th bottom etc...

It all seemed a bit half hearted to me. But yes they did try. I reckon Gordon Ramsey should be in charge of negotioations yes? What's that based on though? Well the Barnes bid was paltry, we tried in KK's own words try and "hijack" the Woodgate deal and the e mail to the Spanish defender was from a lonely prison officer.

It all seemed a bit half hearted to me. But yes they did try. I reckon Gordon Ramsey should be in charge of negotioations yes?

Need to keep an eye on those ''panick buys'' apparently.

Are you saying the clubs didn't break away from the Football League? Eh? And if anything the relationship between the clubs in the top flight and the FA was closer after 1992, since the FA Premier League even shared premises with the FA. So, how was the relationship different between the the clubs and the FA post-1992 and how did it constitute a breakaway from the FA? 'Do some research' doesn't constitute an explanation btw. Everything in Rico's brain can be stored on a floppy disk.

Michel Platini slams Premier League's plan By David Bond, Chief Sports Writer Last Updated: 12:47am GMT 09/02/2008 Michel Platini, the Uefa president, yesterday led an international chorus of disapproval of the Premier League's plans to go globall by ridiculing the proposal to play 10 extra matches a season overseas as a "joke". As world governing body Fifa announced the idea for the "international round" would be examined by their executive committee next month, Platini told The Daily Telegraph he believed it would never get the backing of the sport's international ruling bodies. Point made: Michel Platini opposes the Premier League scheme Although the Premier League insisted last night that the project required only the blessing of the Football Association and those federations eventually chosen to stage the fixtures, the opposition of Platini and Fifa president Sepp Blatter threatens to kill the scheme at birth. It has also placed the League on a fresh collision course with the Uefa president, who has repeatedly attacked the English game for putting money and commercial opportunities before sporting interests. "It's a strange and comical idea," the former France international said. "I was laughing. I laughed because it will never be received by Fifa, by the fans and by the national associations. It's a nonsense idea. It's like if I am president of Uefa and I put the house of Uefa in China. "It's ironic. Soon you will have in England no English presidents, you already have no English coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It's a joke." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtm...9/sfnbon109.xml

Where is Oba?

Barcelona is another one of those 'failing clubs' I suppose. Muppet. Barca have never been taken over by their fans to regain 'local football' from the chairmen. Learn your history. Not the point I'm making is it? They are members and they elect the president every 3 years. If they don't like it he's out. Like to see them try that at ManU. The reason I use Barca numbnuts is cause they refused sponsorship on their shirts and in the end only let a charity on there. "Whereas most European soccer teams get huge sums of money for wearing a sponsor’s logo across the front of their shirts, FC Barcelona players wear the UNICEF symbol across their chests, much to Laporta’s pride. The club also donates 1.5 million euros per year to the foundation." If you don't understand something special and important about this I'm wasting my time with you. It's easy to be magnanimous when you have money pouring out your ears you sanctimonious prick, I'm talking about the fan converted clubs from chairman ownership to 'local football'. Barca is a complete irrelevance to that situation. Barca is a club essentially run by fans yes? And the membership (the fans) has a big say yes? The reason they have so much money is that they actually don't really need it....Their actual powebase IS the fans. 'Mythical local football culture'??? You don't think footie culture exist in Britain or Italy or Spain?? Strange.

Barcelona is another one of those 'failing clubs' I suppose. Muppet. Barca have never been taken over by their fans to regain 'local football' from the chairmen. Learn your history. Not the point I'm making is it? They are members and they elect the president every 3 years. If they don't like it he's out. Like to see them try that at ManU. The reason I use Barca numbnuts is cause they refused sponsorship on their shirts and in the end only let a charity on there. "Whereas most European soccer teams get huge sums of money for wearing a sponsor’s logo across the front of their shirts, FC Barcelona players wear the UNICEF symbol across their chests, much to Laporta’s pride. The club also donates 1.5 million euros per year to the foundation." If you don't understand something special and important about this I'm wasting my time with you.

Every single move now by governing bodies will be to protect the franchise of the 'bigger clubs'. Globalisation eh Parky? They won't take me alive mate.

Barcelona is another one of those 'failing clubs' I suppose. Muppet.

I love this rumour that the U.S. owners (can't remember if it's Liv or ManU) let it slip that they would use some of the profits/capital from the U.K business (the football club) to fund their ice hockey side in the U.S. Utter cunts really.

Every single move now by governing bodies will be to protect the franchise of the 'bigger clubs'.

Anyone doubting MA's level of trickery need look at nothing more than the return of KK.

All this reminds me of how America made sure they destroyed the internal German art market with a carefully constructed campaign to introduce Rauschenberg, Pollock and Warhol into old Europe. It is the case that football is intertwined with national identities and tribal loyalties, something which is an anathama to branding and big business. Seems far fetched I know. Liverpool and Man Utd are the front line atm in this project.

Is Football so different here these days. I've never been to a 4 hour game of football. I have, I've also been to an all day game of cricket, no difference IMO I wonder if cricket will take off in the U.S.? That wasn't the point, the point was that different sports attract different audiences. The danger for football fans is that the traditional fan is no longer the audience that is being persued. Well this has been the case already for a decade or so. Growing football as a brand for the world I will always support. But all brands have to have core identity or they destroy themselves.

Guaranteed. For burn out they'll figure something out like have bigger squads, more substitutions, or even a series of games over a longer period offshore. Lets face it flying 23 hours to Melbourne in cattle-class like we'd have to do will fuck you over, flying in luxury I would guess is a LOT less tiring. It's not our game anymore. Our local team is simply a cog in the machine that is the EPL, and money is the oil that makes it run. IF a club can make more money from playing "away" than it can at home, what do you think they'll do. I think you're miss reading the singularity that is football culture. Not sure where you're from but in the 'old world' blood ultimately will win over money.