Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

Never underestimate the cost of not buying a birthday cake.

 

It must all be true then of its on Twatter

 

Apparently it was a false account.

 

I believe everything that's ever been posted on Twatface

 

And Fleecebook.!

They're quick, but they're often incorrect.

 

My Missus (Lisbon area) and her family say something that sounds like (and it is hard to convey the phonetics in a way English would read)

Joosay Forntch

 

Slim chance of going to the world cup in 2 years? He was their youngest CB this time and forced his way in by performance. lol. I think he is a dead cert for Portugal in the next World cup and if Mourinho were to buy him he would most definitely be buying him as first choice no matter how short term he is thinking of that being the case.

Saying that I don't think he will go. I just can't see it. These teams should have bought him years ago when he was younger and making other CBs look good before they were snapped up.

 

I am not arguing or validating what City or Chelsea have done but this part of your post is what I am talking about.

Manchester City ARE NOT a plastic club. They were getting big gates in the lower divisions and I would bet you money that "most people that attend" DO actually remember cold nights in L1 playing at Hartlepool or Carlisle etc.

Compare Chelsea who averaged 15,731 when they were in the second flight to a Manchester City side that averaged 28,261 in the third tier and 32,088 in the second tier the year after

The year Manchester City were in the 3rd tier (1999) their average attendance as I put above was 28,261. Chelsea in the same season in the top division was 34,754 and that was a season they finished 3rd in the Premier League!!!

Whether you think they have bought the league or not you have got to take these sort of stats and think about them!!! Manchester City are in no way a plastic club and a huge amount of the support they had in those bad days are still season ticket holders and are quite rightly enjoying the success. Massively different to a club like Chelsea who started picking up support only after Ranieri's era. Before Ranieri took over they were getting attendances of less than 20,000 in the PL.

 

As a Manchester man born and bred 58 years ago (a United supporter for about 56 of those years), I can confirm that City have a large and very loyal fan base. The fact that most of them cant even spell their own name is irrelevant, they exist and always have.

 

See no relevance in these debates. Local population and success are the only reasons for a size of a support.

Just because Chelsea are having there successful period now as opposed to 20, 30 or 60 years ago doesn't make their support base any less legitimate

 

I think that is a major part of the debate/argument, some teams have very poor support in the lean years and suddenly become very popular when successful, others have that high core support regardless of performance.

 

Look back through history. Chelsea had success years ago, then fell away and their support disappeared. Their supporters went and out of the top flight they had smaller crowds than many other second flight clubs. Their first 6 years upon their return to the top flight were averages under 22,000. Then it started to climb again in the Hoddle/Gullit era and culminated in Ranieri/Abramovich where it has sky rocketed.

What is your point about support and success?

Chelsea had success and lost their support through the bad times and now have support again now that they are succesful again.

Man City had success but already had support, they kept their support through their bad times.

I don't like teams buying success but thats football. Different scales maybe but we did exactly the same. Outcompeting our rivals in the leagues we were in.

Man City are one of those rare examples of huge loyal support. They had larger crowds than a lot of Premier League clubs when they were in the third tier of English football.

I do not understand how Southampton supporters can think that just because we are not spending as much that we are any different. We are not afraid to spend money. We might have a more considered approach and spend less money but it is the same principle.

If the sheiks want to spend money so what? At least they are spending it at a good club that has always had massive support and real fans that support their club through thick and thin. I would rather it be them than some other clubs. Let them enjoy their success. They went a similar route to us down and up and we are quite happy to enjoy our rise and were not afraid to brag about our owner's wealth.

 

Exactly my point. Fair weather fans. Some teams have fans that turn up no matter the conditions.

 

There is a whole stream of variables to the decline in support.
When sighting city in the third tier and even ourselves to a degree you should consider the length of time in the "doldrums" - from memory city suffered consecutive relegations and then consecutive promotions. Their time away from the top flight was comparatively small when compared to teams like Portsmouth, Preston, Blackpool who have experienced close too or more than a generation of lower league football. The time it takes for support to drift away.

Another point on Chelsea is that their decline and ascension coincided with the popularity in football.
Hooliganism drove attendances down and the premier league has driven them back up.

Plus their are other factors like ownership and ticket prices. Leeds fans are still getting fleeced and I don't blame them for staying away.

Sorry to come across as self righteous, but the which club is bigger? or which fans are better? just comes across as petty to me

 

My comments were never meant to be a "which club is bigger" argument, I was just pointing out the fact that some clubs have a very loyal fan base where as others don't. It isn't even location based, some teams with very little local opposition have a poor fan base compared with others who have more (and more successful) competition in other areas.
A clubs base support goes back a lot further than one generation, it is usually family based and continues through the ages, a lot of rivalry's are lost to most of us but the (blind) passion for our clubs will never really die.

 

We have contacted Napoli about Gabbiadini
(Tutto mecato)

 

HE was good at Sunderland all those years ago. Is he still going?

 

Fair enough....all I'm saying is he will be pushing 36 for the world cup. I accept some country's do use older players so I suppose it will depend on his form at the time. I can't see MU using him as a first line player for more than a year. Their history regarding older defenders doesn't suggest they will so he could be benched for that vital period. I guess time will tell..............

 

Hopefully time will tell us that Jose is going nowhere.


I've said this before, about other players, I know.


But Man Utd can eff right off.

 

In truth I hope he doesn't go....I don't think he will either.......There is an extended contract on the table.............Move to United for a two year deal? For me it wouldn't make sense. Hey what do I know.....a lot of the moves that have happened in the past just hasn't made at times. Just to show they played for a bigger club in their old age? Hmmmm........