Sunday's gossip

Gunnar said:
Liverpool target Keisuke Honda is a regular Japan international
Liverpool are set to hold talks with CSKA Moscow attacker Keisuke Honda over a pre-contract deal. The 26-year-old Japan international's deal with the Russians expires this summer and he will not sign a new contract.
Full story: Metro
Click to expand...

Honda's too good for fecking Liverpool. It would be sad to see him wasted there..
 
This can only be as a long term replacement for Gerrard. Maybe he'll play the 'Allen role' in the team in the meanwhile. Certainly a strengthener if it happens.
 
And they might get him for free as well. Now thats a steal. I am surprised no one else has really shown interest.
 
Shite on 10/03/13

Wayne Rooney will be offered a new contract by Manchester United with the 27-year-old striker keen to sign a new deal at Old Trafford.
Full story: Sunday Mirror

Rooney may be forced to take a pay cut in order to secure a contract extension.
Full story: Mail on Sunday

Tevez's contract expires at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich may move for Rooney when Pep Guardiola takes over at the Bundesliga leaders in the summer.
Full story: Sunday Times

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has criticised the Football Association's handling of Rooney.
Full story: Sunday Telegraph

Real Madrid are putting together a £110m-package to lure Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale, 23, to the Bernabeu.
Full story: Sunday Mirror

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, 29, is close to making a summer move to Monaco.
Full story: Sunday Express

Arsenal could reignite their interest in 29-year-old Malaga midfielder Jeremy Toulalan over the summer.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

Kompany can play in defence or in midfield
Barcelona are targeting Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, 26, as a replacement for defender Carlos Puyol.
Full story: Sunday People

City manager Roberto Mancini is set to make an £8m move for Leeds defender Sam Byram, 19, who is viewed as a long-term successor for Pablo Zabaleta.
Full story: the Sun

Fiorentina striker Mounir El Hamdaouis says he is flattered to be linked with Liverpool but the 28-year-old has dismissed the move as "paper talk".
Full story: Sky Sports

Liverpool are also tracking Valencia's Algeria midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, 23, although the Spanish club will want around £13m for the player.
Full story: Sunday People

Stoke have decided not to offer former England striker Michael Owen, 33, a new contract for next season.
Full story: Mail on Sunday

Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, 25, is targeting a move to a London Premier League club in the summer, with Tottenham top of his list.
Full story: Sport Witness

Arsenal sent a scout to monitor 23-year-old Saint Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this weekend as they ponder a summer swoop.
Full story: Metro


Valencia coach Ernesto Valverde, 49, is being considered as a potential replacement for Roberto Mancini after Manchester City failed with moves for Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini.
Full story: Sunday Times

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs, 39, says he has never experienced a shock on the field like Nani's red card in last week's 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid despite the match being his 1000th game.
Full story: Mail on Sunday

Former England star Paul Gascoigne has returned to the UK after spending 32 days in a rehabilitation clinic in Arizona.
Full story: Sunday People

Valverde's Valencia were knocked out of the Champions League by PSG
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville says Cristiano Ronaldo would be welcomed back to the Premier League if the 28-year-old Real Madrid playmaker were to make a shock return to Old Trafford.
Full story: talkSPORT

Samir Nasri's agent insists he wants to stay at Manchester City despite the French midfielder, 25, facing criticism from manager Roberto Mancini.
Full story: Sunday Express

England boss Roy Hodgson could make a dramatic U-turn by recalling Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 34, to his squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers.
Full story: Sunday People

Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker, 32, believes that Spurs are emulating the famous Manchester United sides with their ability to grind out late victories.
Full story: Sunday Telegraph

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez believes Tottenham's Gareth Bale has the potential to emulate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of today's meeting with Spurs at Anfield.
Full story: the Sun

AND FINALLY

Former England manager Steve McClaren, who left Dutch side FC Twente last month, could return to the national set-up after refusing to rule out replacing outgoing Stuart Pearce as England Under-21s coach in the summer.
Full story: the Sun
 
Gunnar said:
England boss Roy Hodgson could make a dramatic U-turn by recalling Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 34, to his squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers.
Full story: Sunday People
Click to expand...

Shit! Pls Leave Rio alone
 
I'd hope Rio snubs him too but he said a few weeks ago that he'd be there in a shot if recalled :(

The Bale to Madrid story... He suits their style but a certain CR7 plays pretty much every single game in his position. Would he just end up like Luka?
 
Think Rio will accept, if recalled. Otherwise he would have retired anyway.
 
LR7 said:
I'd hope Rio snubs him too but he said a few weeks ago that he'd be there in a shot if recalled :(

The Bale to Madrid story... He suits their style but a certain CR7 plays pretty much every single game in his position. Would he just end up like Luka?
Click to expand...

Are you a United and a Madrid fan?

Just curious because of your location.
 
I am sure Rio would go back if recalled. I dont want him too, injuries are catching up with him and he does not play enough games for United.
£110 mil package for Bale! If that is true Spurs would be daft to turn that sort of money down.
 
LR7 said:
I'd hope Rio snubs him too but he said a few weeks ago that he'd be there in a shot if recalled :(

The Bale to Madrid story... He suits their style but a certain CR7 plays pretty much every single game in his position. Would he just end up like Luka?
Click to expand...

pauldyson1uk said:
I am sure Rio would go back if recalled. I dont want him too, injuries are catching up with him and he does not play enough games for United.
£110 mil package for Bale! If that is true Spurs would be daft to turn that sort of money down.
Click to expand...

£110M includes player wages, anyway:

Bale to Madrid to replace Ronaldo to United to replace Rooney to Tot...no PSG...no Rooney staying put. :devil:
 
Tevez's contract runs out this Summer? feck. I had no idea.

Seems he'll go for free then, unless City fancy offering him a contract between now and the end of the season (fat chance).

Hopefully he'll go back to his beloved Argentina.
 
Nu Gunnar this morning so I'll take up the duties today

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United have been told by Tottenham that it will cost them £70m - almost three times the sum required to secure Robin van Persie's signature - to sign 23-year-old winger Gareth Bale.
Full story: Daily Star Sunday

Meanwhile, United's Brazilian midfielder *Anderson, 24, is set for a *summer departure from Old Trafford, while 38-year-old midfielder Paul Scholes is likely to retire at the end of the season.

Manchester City are ready to break the British transfer record with a £52m bid for 27-year-old Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao.
Full story: Sunday People

Roberto Mancini's City are also making a late attempt, along with Real Madrid, to persuade Brazil forward Neymar, 21, to change his mind about joining Barcelona.
Full story: Mail on Sunday

Samir Nasri could be on his way out of City as French side Paris Saint-Germain weigh up an offer for the 25-year-old attacking midfielder.
Full Story: The Sun

Chelsea captain John Terry, 32, is set to be offered a big-money deal to end his playing career in the Middle East, with clubs in the United Arab Emirates interested in the defender.
Full story: Sunday Mirror

West Bromwich Albion are in no rush to offer Scotland international midfielder Graham Dorrans, 25, a new contract.
Full story: Express & Star
OTHER GOSSIP

Everton will target Wigan Athletic's 39-year-old manager Roberto Martinez if David Moyes, who is out of contract in the summer, decides to leave the Toffees.
Full story: Mail on Sunday

England manager Roy Hodgson has assured Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson that defender Rio Ferdinand, 34, will be looked after properly on international duty following his call-up for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.
Full story: The Sun

Hodgson also contacted Ferdinand to give his assurances, leaving a long message on the defender's phone.
Full story: Sunday Express

San Marino striker Andy Selva, 36, says his country's main aim when they face England in a World Cup qualifier next Friday is to avoid ridicule. "England are a super team and we are almost all amateurs," he adds. "The difference is ridiculous."

Former Reading manager Brian McDermott is being lined-up as the successor to Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni, who celebrates his 74th birthday on Sunday.
Full story: Daily Star Sunday

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini flew back to Italy refusing to talk about the title race after his team's hopes of retaining the Premier League crown all but ended after defeat at Everton.
Full story: Sunday Mirror

Chelsea captain John Terry, 32, says interim manager Rafael Benitez is right to rotate him, even though he has found it frustrating not playing in every game since recovering from a knee injury.
Full story: Mail on Sunday

Tony Pulis says he will only quit Stoke City "when it's right - but that's not at the moment". Pulis has come in for criticism from some fans after one win in 11 Premier League games.

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli, 22, says in an interview with Italian TV show Le lene that he used to argue with Jose Mourinho during their time together at Inter Milan and prefers Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini "as a person".
Full story: Mail on Sunday

Football shirts left by well-wishers as Fabrice Muamba's survival lay in the balance are to be shipped off to Africa. It is one year since the former Birmingham midfielder, 24, collapsed on the pitch playing for Bolton against Tottenham in an FA Cup tie at White Hart Lane.
Full story: Birmingham Mail
AND FINALLY

Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill says his players were right to turn down an invitation from sponsors to attend the Cheltenham Festival following a poor run of form.
Full story: Sunderland Echo
 
No mention of 'Rooney for sale' then. :D Figures...
 
Mad Winger said:
Bale is just 23? Holy shit, he's actually a very promising player then.
Click to expand...

you epitomise with this statement all I hate about muppetry and predicting player ceilings. You believe that because he has X ability at what you presumed to be 24-26 years old, now you find out he's 23....

he's actually a very promising player then
Click to expand...

His age is NOT indicative of their ceiling, players can go on being very average then open up in later twenties, Drogba being a good example, or they can be a finished player at 18/19 like Michael Owen, but you will find they won't just necessarily keep on getting better...
 
Jaybezia said:
you epitomise with this statement all I hate about muppetry and predicting player ceilings. You believe that because he has X ability at what you presumed to be 24-26 years old, now you find out he's 23....



His age is NOT indicative of their ceiling, players can go on being very average then open up in later twenties, Drogba being a good example, or they can be a finished player at 18/19 like Michael Owen, but you will find they won't just necessarily keep on getting better...
Click to expand...

It's a fairly good indication though....you've named 2 players who peaked at different points in their careers. There are 1000s of examples of players who progressively get better from a younger age and peak in their late 20s.
 
Jaybezia said:
you epitomise with this statement all I hate about muppetry and predicting player ceilings. You believe that because he has X ability at what you presumed to be 24-26 years old, now you find out he's 23....
Click to expand...

While you may be right by claiming that age is not definitive in determining ceiling, it is still fair to speculate that younger players in general, hold greater capacity to improve. They are generally seen to be heading towards a peak of their powers, acknowledged to be around mid to late twenties. As you say, not all, but most would fall into that category, as it is considered the period when experience gained up until that point, allows a maximising of ability to produce a consistently high level, viewed respectively of course.

Bale may or may not have more to show us in terms of ability, but at his age he surely has capacity to learn more about how best to use his ability to find a consistently high level of performance.

Similar to CR really. In my view he has not really shown anything new in Madrid in terms of ability, that we have not already seen during his time here. But his consistency levels are off the charts, and you have to attribute the maintaining of such high standards to added experience combined with the ability we already knew about.

Drogba is a good example of the point you are making, but Owen is not so good imo. Owen was one of the most feared strikers around, but it was injury not age that was indicative of his ceiling. Injury robbed him of the generally accepted 'peak' we are discussing, so not really fair to simply suggest he didn't improve. Had he kept the pace and movement that had taken him to the top, how could anyone reasonably suggest he couldn't have stayed there?
 
Jaybezia said:
you epitomise with this statement all I hate about muppetry and predicting player ceilings. You believe that because he has X ability at what you presumed to be 24-26 years old, now you find out he's 23....


His age is NOT indicative of their ceiling, players can go on being very average then open up in later twenties, Drogba being a good example, or they can be a finished player at 18/19 like Michael Owen, but you will find they won't just necessarily keep on getting better...
Click to expand...

First of all, I'm one of the least "muppety" people in here. I can say that with confidence, as I usually don't give a flying feck about the transfer windows, nor do I bother to speculate that much about players and their "levels".

Secondly, I merely pointed out that I was suprised to find out that Bale is that young. I thought for sure he was 2-3 years older. Not because of his ability or anything like that. I just thought he was older. Simple..

Lastly, a player's age does matter, at least for the most part. But since there are other posters above who have covered this point already, I'll just guide you back to their posts.

Now, I suggest you let your boyfriend massage your feet or something.. I'm not sure if that will help you in your fight against PMS though.
 
£70M for Bale! That has to be bollox. But then again this is Spurs we are talking about, quote us that price, sell him to someone else for loads less. Like Blackburn with Shearer.
 
apotheosis said:
While you may be right by claiming that age is not definitive in determining ceiling, it is still fair to speculate that younger players in general, hold greater capacity to improve. They are generally seen to be heading towards a peak of their powers, acknowledged to be around mid to late twenties. As you say, not all, but most would fall into that category, as it is considered the period when experience gained up until that point, allows a maximising of ability to produce a consistently high level, viewed respectively of course.

Bale may or may not have more to show us in terms of ability, but at his age he surely has capacity to learn more about how best to use his ability to find a consistently high level of performance.

Similar to CR really. In my view he has not really shown anything new in Madrid in terms of ability, that we have not already seen during his time here. But his consistency levels are off the charts, and you have to attribute the maintaining of such high standards to added experience combined with the ability we already knew about.

Drogba is a good example of the point you are making, but Owen is not so good imo. Owen was one of the most feared strikers around, but it was injury not age that was indicative of his ceiling. Injury robbed him of the generally accepted 'peak' we are discussing, so not really fair to simply suggest he didn't improve. Had he kept the pace and movement that had taken him to the top, how could anyone reasonably suggest he couldn't have stayed there?
Click to expand...

Jesus. Can't you make these posts shorter rather than waffling for the sake off it?
 
golden_blunder said:
Jesus. Can't you make these posts shorter rather than waffling for the sake off it?
Click to expand...

All the randomly interspersed commas make it barely legible in any case.

If you're gonna drone at length about something then the very least you could do is punctuate correctly; perhaps then people would be able to read what you've written without the post being internally narrated in the voice of Eeyore.
 
Clauses. Making people who are saying nothing appear like they are saying a lot.

That post is an abuse of a good vocabulary. One thing said in every way possible.
 
apotheosis said:
While you may be right by claiming that age is not definitive in determining ceiling, it is still fair to speculate that younger players in general, hold greater capacity to improve. They are generally seen to be heading towards a peak of their powers, acknowledged to be around mid to late twenties. As you say, not all, but most would fall into that category, as it is considered the period when experience gained up until that point, allows a maximising of ability to produce a consistently high level, viewed respectively of course.

Bale may or may not have more to show us in terms of ability, but at his age he surely has capacity to learn more about how best to use his ability to find a consistently high level of performance.

Similar to CR really. In my view he has not really shown anything new in Madrid in terms of ability, that we have not already seen during his time here. But his consistency levels are off the charts, and you have to attribute the maintaining of such high standards to added experience combined with the ability we already knew about.

Drogba is a good example of the point you are making, but Owen is not so good imo. Owen was one of the most feared strikers around, but it was injury not age that was indicative of his ceiling. Injury robbed him of the generally accepted 'peak' we are discussing, so not really fair to simply suggest he didn't improve. Had he kept the pace and movement that had taken him to the top, how could anyone reasonably suggest he couldn't have stayed there?
Click to expand...

Or you could have said

Younger players tend to have more capacity to improve than older players. Bale may or may not get better but, like Ronaldo, may not improve further from his current excellence although possibly become more consistent and experienced.

Drogba is a good example of the point you are making, but Owen is not as injury was Owen's problem.
 
Wibble said:
Or you could have said

Younger players tend to have more capacity to improve than older players. Bale may or may not get better but, like Ronaldo, may not improve further from his current excellence although possibly become more consistent and experienced.

Drogba is a good example of the point you are making, but Owen is not as injury was Owen's problem.
Click to expand...

Hindsight is a wonderful thing wibble! :p
 
Only 5 words? Please expand.

You should know that the CE forum is the place to take many paragraphs to say something simple ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.