There have been a lot of whispers over the years of local investment/takeovers, but all have fizzled out. That could be down to pure rumours or it could be that Mike Ashley nipped them at the bud, which is what I believe. The next time our club changes hand we should be debt free and have a club that makes quite a large profit year in year out, we're in a good place. But Ashley hasn't set a price any more mate, in the last 2 years he has repeatedly said the club is not for sale at any price, for now at least. The new TV deal is only going to strengthen his position.
Give it 5 years and the fat **** will drop dead of a heart attack pissed, while topless on a dance floor at a spit and sawdust pub
De La Pena was a wondeful player and would have been more appreciated if he'd played at the top level a decade later. Xavi-esque although not on the same level.
I'm not a fan of Italian football but I do like Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga. Ligue 1 I watch regularly, it's not the best football but it just seems a lot more innocent than English football. Great players stand out a mile in that league as well, it's really a platform on which they shine, they come to England and get suffocated, Cabella being prime example, although I think he'll do great under McClaren for what it's worth. Bundesliga is definitely catching up though, there's some great teams playing there, far less controversial than any other European league from what I've seen, in terms of ref's mistakes, talking points, diving etc (Bayern aside) so it's quite refreshing I'd say. You should really take more time to watch these two leagues if you like football, they're not as bland/2nd rate as you think and once you start getting attached to it, you start seeing how over rated the prem is.
Comical Cardew ........ "There is no presence of the Smug infidel making me look deluded on this thread," he declared to posters as gunfire echoed across the Toon and tanks fired from the banks of the Tyne just a few hundred yards away. As the audience of bemused posters pointed out the fierce firefight across the river, he continued: "There is no chance of Smug winning this argument at all. Today, the tide has turned," he continued confidently. "I am destroying him." please log in to view this image
I've seen a bit of the Bundesliga and quite a lot of Ligue 1. I thoroughly enjoy watching both, more than a lot of premier league teams. But like you say, a lot of players go from Ligie 1 to Spain or England and are useless, that's not really true the opposite way round. Bundesliga would be a brilliant league if Bayern weren't in it. Oh, and Cabella is quality, nothing can be done about ****e managers. Slightly related, I see Ben Arfa finally completed his signing for Nice today. *crying emoji* **** you, I bet you think Carrick is ****e too? Carrick is just a less gifted version of De La Pena. Tempo dictators.
Get back in my pocket where you're most comfortable, and stay there. EDIT: Also, the English in the above post actually caused me physical pain. I'm starting to think I over-estimated your intelligence.
Dunno like Luke Chadwick got a bit of stick for how he looks To be honest, my seats aren't in the rowdy section, I hear more abuse from the away fans than anything from our own fans. Your lot were nice enough mind, always turn up in great spirits at Old Trafford (**** phone)...
Carrick is the bollocks, did you see how we steamrolled everything in our path on that 6 game streak when he was fit? Trouble is, he's not fit long enough. We have very different opinions on Ivan De La Pena mate, he always seemed interim at Barca which turned out true, just didn't do enough. Very few players go to Ligue 1, you're right, it's like a talent pool or a feeder league but I wouldn't call it 2nd rate, in terms of entertainment give me that over the 'Classico' handbag fight any day of the week, the biggest game in world football? It's a load of ****, half of them end up crying every time they play.
De La Pena was just born in the wrong generation, that's all I agree with you on entertainment, you can get some great entertainment watching the MLS too. I was just talking about judging individual player's though, you can't do it off the likes of Serie A and Ligue 1 alone.
MLS is one I'm not fussed at all about. I watch the odd game, but I'll watch owt pal if there's blokes kicking a ball about I'll watch it unless there's another better match to watch. MLS really doesn't do it for me, the commentary probably makes me not like it more than anything.
Were you there? I suspect not. Was I there? Definitely. I know what I saw and heard. I did say there was a percentage of fans who were against SBR come the end of his tenure. I just refute that it was a majority. Think what you like though. No skin off my nose.
Can't argue with the 2nd part. When I was a kid, Shearer used to be on of the three people I'd love to have round the dinner table. Now, I am not so sure!
