*Official* English Football Season 2010-11

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Fair enough with Gerrard, but Torres has never been able to play anything close to a full season so I'm not having that. Saying you might have done better if Torres hadn't been injured a lot isn't far from saying you might have done better had Lucas not played **** a lot. Staying fit is a part of the game, one that Torres is particularly bad at, and that is always going to cost his team over the course of the season.

As Ikki said, he has played full seasons.

That aside though, you bloody quoted me saying 'they should just build a better squad' - i.e. if you know Torres is going to miss a lot of games, you need another top-level striker too

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Craig

Wish news sites would stop making up stories about Fabregas and Inter making a play for him. Unless Arsenal plan to do to it to spite Barcelona (and they won't), it's just not going to happen. Wish these sites and newspapers could be banned.

If Inter can't afford the £25m for Mascherano there's nooo way they can afford Fabregas. We've already blown out one £29m offer from Barca.

Originally Posted by Ikki

If Capello can convince Scholes back too...Arteta and Scholes swapping passes in midfield...that would be a sight.

Would need to make another disabled parking space if they both played tho. Would be slowest midfield ever.

Would have Arteta like a shot tho. Not sure of the rules/gentlemen's agreement & CBA to check but there's a common sense argument that a British citizen (as Arteta now is, according to reports I've read) who's played in England for over five years is at least as English as another UK national who hadn't lived in or played football in England when he was called up to the national team & who doesn't qualify as "home grown" under the new Wafer rules.

[Nnanden]

Originally Posted by Ikki

Ngog > Babel.

Haha, a new season, same old dross.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

If Inter can't afford the £25m for Mascherano there's nooo way they can afford Fabregas. We've already blown out one £29m offer from Barca.



Would need to make another disabled parking space if they both played tho. Would be slowest midfield ever.

Would have Arteta like a shot tho. Not sure of the rules/gentlemen's agreement & CBA to check but there's a common sense argument that a British citizen (as Arteta now is, according to reports I've read) who's played in England for over five years is at least as English as another UK national who hadn't lived in or played football in England when he was called up to the national team & who doesn't qualify as "home grown" under the new Wafer rules.

I didn't read roseboy's links but I'd imagine the sort of ruling should surely be aimed at preventing players from just picking a home nation on that basis, i.e. if Wales approached Arteta?

[Craig]

Sorry aussie, but I see Yoann Gourcuff is now a Lyon player after his €22m from Bordeaux.

[Ikki]

Originally Posted by Nnanden

Haha, a new season, same old dross.

Outscored Babel last year and is doing so again this year. Not sure what there is to argue over really. Babel shows promise one game then shows nothing for another 5-6. Babel is 2 years older than Ngog and cost almost 10 times more than him. Babel has scored 21 goals in 130 appearances whereas Ngog has scored 15 in 60. True, Babel has spent much of that time on the wing but Ngog probably has a better minutes/goal ratio as forward anyway.

If Babel wants to prove himself this is the season to do it.

[Marcuss]

They're both pretty dire tbh.

[vcs]

Originally Posted by Ikki

Outscored Babel last year and is doing so again this year. Not sure what there is to argue over really. Babel shows promise one game then shows nothing for another 5-6. Babel is 2 years older than Ngog and cost almost 10 times more than him. Babel has scored 21 goals in 130 appearances whereas Ngog has scored 15 in 60. True, Babel has spent much of that time on the wing but Ngog probably has a better minutes/goal ratio as forward anyway.

If Babel wants to prove himself this is the season to do it.

It seems Ikki and I agree on all things Liverpool except for Gerrard's suitability to play CM.

N'gog's not great but he's promising, and a useful squad player, like Bendtner for Arsenal.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by roseboy64

Gibson has the loophole of having both Irish nationalities so yeah a stir there. He's the only one to really do it though AFAIK.

Nah, Northern Ireland has a massive problem because the Good Friday Agreement allows those born in Nothern Ireland to choose to have either British or Irish nationality.

FIFA requires players to posess a passport of the country they wish to represent, so if you're a Northern Irish Catholic, you can represent the Republic despite not being born in the Republic and having no family links to the Republic.

UIMM, there's been a few Northern Irish born players play for the Republic's underage side.

[Ikki]

In news that makes me want to kick myself in the face; Roy is after Carlton Cole.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

I didn't read roseboy's links but I'd imagine the sort of ruling should surely be aimed at preventing players from just picking a home nation on that basis, i.e. if Wales approached Arteta?

I'm pretty sure under FIFA's eligibility rules I'd be eligible to play for England or Wales as a British national. However, the gentleman's agreement between the four home boards would prevent me from representing either, as I have no links to either through lineage, being born there or being schooled there.

Players born in British territories overseas, such as Matt Le Tissier, or anyone born in say, British bases in Germany or Cyprus are automatically eligible for all 4 nations. Players like Arteta who might opt to gain British citizenship would be eligible for all 4, but I'm pretty sure the gentleman's agreement would kick in and they'd only be eligible for the nation that they'd qualified in. Could be interesting if Arteta had played for Swansea or Cardiff for 5 years instead of Everton, mind.

[Cevno]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Would have Arteta like a shot tho. Not sure of the rules/gentlemen's agreement & CBA to check but there's a common sense argument that a British citizen (as Arteta now is, according to reports I've read) who's played in England for over five years is at least as English as another UK national who hadn't lived in or played football in England when he was called up to the national team & who doesn't qualify as "home grown" under the new Wafer rules.

Agreed.

Hargreaves played for England ,so why can't Arteta.

Don't think that arteta is too keen to play for England though.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

Nah, Northern Ireland has a massive problem because the Good Friday Agreement allows those born in Nothern Ireland to choose to have either British or Irish nationality.

FIFA requires players to posess a passport of the country they wish to represent, so if you're a Northern Irish Catholic, you can represent the Republic despite not being born in the Republic and having no family links to the Republic.

UIMM, there's been a few Northern Irish born players play for the Republic's underage side.

So does that apply with Aiden McGeady? Born in the Glasgow, and now playing for the Republic?

Originally Posted by Cevno

Agreed.

Hargreaves played for England ,so why can't Arteta.

Don't think that arteta is too keen to play for England though.

Eh?

BBC Sport - Foootball - England call-up interests Spanish-born Mikel Arteta

And FTR, Hargreaves could of played for Wales since one of his mum was from there, and his dad's (IIRC) English.

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

Nah, Northern Ireland has a massive problem because the Good Friday Agreement allows those born in Nothern Ireland to choose to have either British or Irish nationality.

FIFA requires players to posess a passport of the country they wish to represent, so if you're a Northern Irish Catholic, you can represent the Republic despite not being born in the Republic and having no family links to the Republic.

UIMM, there's been a few Northern Irish born players play for the Republic's underage side.

Darren Gibson's the controversial one.

Don't think it's worth opening a can of worms over.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

I'm pretty sure under FIFA's eligibility rules I'd be eligible to play for England or Wales as a British national. However, the gentleman's agreement between the four home boards would prevent me from representing either, as I have no links to either through lineage, being born there or being schooled there.

Players born in British territories overseas, such as Matt Le Tissier, or anyone born in say, British bases in Germany or Cyprus are automatically eligible for all 4 nations. Players like Arteta who might opt to gain British citizenship would be eligible for all 4, but I'm pretty sure the gentleman's agreement would kick in and they'd only be eligible for the nation that they'd qualified in. Could be interesting if Arteta had played for Swansea or Cardiff for 5 years instead of Everton, mind.

Yeah, this is how I understand it.

I think roseboy has got the wrong end of the stick re Almunia & Arteta