: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:36 am  

Adebayor should be ok for the so-called "riot inciting" slide in front of the Arsenal fans if FA precedents are anything to go by.

Gary Neville's £5000 slap on the wrist for his badge kissing to the Liverpool fans coupled with Robin Van Persie's "F*** off, F*** off" to us City fans as part of his goal celebrations which has now seen the FA "reminding him of responsibilities" should ensure that.

Or, do City fans need to learn that you need to be totally incensed by such an action as it unfolds, akin to the Arsenal fans, to ensure the FA sit up and take note?

Breaking into the Big 4 seems to imply that you also need to understand the various caveats/criterium to such events if you are to avoid demonisation by the media et al

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:37 am  

Neill has Everton medical http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/09/17/SOCCER_Everton.html West Ham sign Franco http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/09/17/manual_095852.html

Neill has Everton medical http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/09/17/SOCCER_Everton.html West Ham sign Franco http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/09/17/manual_095852.html

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:39 am  

Lucas Neill? Noooooooooooo!

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:44 am  

Premiership footballer Fernando Torres has been asked to take a gender test to eliminate concerns he is a woman, according to football's governing body FIFA.

FIFA says it demanded the test three weeks ago amid fears he should not be able to play in the all male' Premier League.

Liverpool Football Club, said that they are "completely sure" that Torres, 25, is a female but felt that she should be entitled to play in the all male league due to her popularity with team-mates Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:52 am  

Fresh Prince of Chesh-air wrote: Premiership footballer Fernando Torres has been asked to take a gender test to eliminate concerns he is a woman, according to football's governing body FIFA. FIFA says it demanded the test three weeks ago amid fears he should not be able to play in the all male' Premier League. Liverpool Football Club, said that they are "completely sure" that Torres, 25, is a female but felt that she should be entitled to play in the all male league due to her popularity with team-mates Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard. Does that explain why girls are allowed in La Liga?

Fresh Prince of Chesh-air wrote: Premiership footballer Fernando Torres has been asked to take a gender test to eliminate concerns he is a woman, according to football's governing body FIFA. FIFA says it demanded the test three weeks ago amid fears he should not be able to play in the all male' Premier League. Liverpool Football Club, said that they are "completely sure" that Torres, 25, is a female but felt that she should be entitled to play in the all male league due to her popularity with team-mates Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard. Does that explain why girls are allowed in La Liga?

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:12 am  

D.D. wrote:

Well no appeal from City over the stamping incident then.

So the strikers rota for Sunday equals:-

OUT
Adebayor
Tevez
Robinho
Santa Cruz
Benjani

IN
Bellamy

Stevie Ireland very doubtful too.

I might as well rip my ticket up.

Perfect excuse for city to play 10 men behind the ball now though. Would have preferred all the big guns to be playing so you would at least have a go.

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:14 am  

Clay Davis wrote:

Actually Lucas albeit slowly is starting to win over the fans. His work rate was excellent. Last night he was one of the top 3 performers and some peoples choice as MOM, bigger names around him not performing.

The people criticising him are used to seeing Alonso playing long balls and slow the game down which isn't the Lucas style, prefering short bullet like passes.

Not really. If anything, Lucas slows the game down more than Alonso did. Gerrard moving deeper had to happen, simply because Lucas was too slow to get the ball to him in space. He always has to take an extra touch and he seems afraid of playing the ball forward at times. He can pass pretty well and he's shown he can do it for us, he just seems to leave you expecting more.

Alonso never really slowed our play down, he was excellent at picking the right pass and timing it well, Lucas isn't anywhere near Alonso for passing ability so those criticizing him are criticizing him for not being at the standard of Alonso. Alonso's long range passing was overrated IMO, people used to bang on about it as though that made our team, but it was his ability to link midfield to attack so well with his short passing game that we're missing most. He was the cog in our midfield that kept things moving, Lucas doesn't seem to do this, or at least anywhere near the level we expect.

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:47 am  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

Not really. If anything, Lucas slows the game down more than Alonso did. Gerrard moving deeper had to happen, simply because Lucas was too slow to get the ball to him in space. He always has to take an extra touch and he seems afraid of playing the ball forward at times. He can pass pretty well and he's shown he can do it for us, he just seems to leave you expecting more.

Alonso never really slowed our play down, he was excellent at picking the right pass and timing it well, Lucas isn't anywhere near Alonso for passing ability so those criticizing him are criticizing him for not being at the standard of Alonso. Alonso's long range passing was overrated IMO, people used to bang on about it as though that made our team, but it was his ability to link midfield to attack so well with his short passing game that we're missing most. He was the cog in our midfield that kept things moving, Lucas doesn't seem to do this, or at least anywhere near the level we expect.

I think he's more of a replacement for Mascherano than Alonso anyway, whom i can see leaving at the end of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a fair bit of rotation between these two this season if Gerrard and Aquilani both stay fit.

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:51 am  

Clay Davis wrote:

I think he's more of a replacement for Mascherano than Alonso anyway, whom i can see leaving at the end of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a fair bit of rotation between these two this season if Gerrard and Aquilani both stay fit.

Lucas got MOM on the offical website by the way lol.

He had a solid game yesterday, the bigger guns failed to fire but Lucas can be happy with his performance.

I'm unsure with Mascherano, I think he's a player who Rafa's massively reluctant to sell. I don't think Mascherano is irreplaceable, but I'd be annoyed to see us sell two of the better midfielders in the world in the space of two summers, especially if Lucas is deemed his replacement.

: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:04 pm  

Fresh Prince of Chesh-air wrote:

Lucas Neill? Noooooooooooo!

Cracking move by Moyes, been hoping since he left the Hammers that he would come to us. Pleased with this one.

Only worry is that Moyes will now start to use Heitinga in the Neville defensive midfield role I'm not convinced, anytime he play for Atletico in a central, pressured role he fell apart, I fear the same here.