Rival watch

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Nice to see UEFA's FFP rules in action! Or should that be one word?..

I lost track, when was/is that supposed to start? I'd like to see more sports "journalists" doing some journalism instead of making up transfer speculation and actually do some investigation of these financial dealings!
 
So Monaco continue buying every player in the game and will announce both Falcao and Victor Valdes tomorrow.

The Falcao deal alone is supposed to be £51m - add that to the £60m on Moutinho and Rodriguez and whatever is spent on Valdes and you're looking at £120m spent in about a week! :O

Christ, at this rate Gareth Bale will be the only player left for football writers to make up rumours for the entire summer about...
 
I lost track, when was/is that supposed to start? I'd like to see more sports "journalists" doing some journalism instead of making up transfer speculation and actually do some investigation of these financial dealings!

According to UEFA's own site, they have been assessing clubs involved in European competition since 2011. However, it looks like the real thing starts from next season. Maybe that's why Monaco are spending now. Plus, I'm sure there will be a few legal challenges too!.

xxxxx
 
Crystal Palace in the PL. I can't remember the last time they were in the top flight or what our record is against them. Holloway again. He seems good at taking teams up but not keeping them up. Straight back down again.
 
Crystal Palace in the PL. I can't remember the last time they were in the top flight or what our record is against them. Holloway again. He seems good at taking teams up but not keeping them up. Straight back down again.

I see the third placed team gets a trophy. Does the second placed team? Always thought the playoffs (which I was originally against but now must admit keep the season alive) were a bit tough on the runners up. The winners get the champions trophy, the playoff winners get to go to Wembley and a trophy, but the runners up are almost the most forgotten of them.
 
I see the third placed team gets a trophy. Does the second placed team? Always thought the playoffs (which I was originally against but now must admit keep the season alive) were a bit tough on the runners up. The winners get the champions trophy, the playoff winners get to go to Wembley and a trophy, but the runners up are almost the most forgotten of them.

Vimhawk I personally don't think that the playoff winners should get a trophy- how long have they been doing that?
The winning of promotion should be enough.
Also feel sorry for the 2nd placed team.
 
Former Wales, Blackburn and Manchester City boss Mark Hughes, 49, is close to sealing his return to management after holding further talks with Stoke City in the past 48 hours.

....Yes!!!!! Stoke will finally go down!!! Hahaha
 
Vimhawk I personally don't think that the playoff winners should get a trophy- how long have they been doing that?
The winning of promotion should be enough.
Also feel sorry for the 2nd placed team.

It's 3rd placed Watford I feel sorry for. They would have gone up automatically if they had won their last game- at home, but they ended up missing out to a team who finished two places and five points below them in the table.

Benitez confirmed as Napoli manager.
 
It's 3rd placed Watford I feel sorry for. They would have gone up automatically if they had won their last game- at home, but they ended up missing out to a team who finished two places and five points below them in the table.

Benitez confirmed as Napoli manager.

I don't feel sorry for them as it was in their own hands. Cardiff pretty much did all they could to help them.

Did you not see the time West Ham first went up via the playoffs? They beat Ipswich who finished something like 12 points ahead of them.
 
It's 3rd placed Watford I feel sorry for. They would have gone up automatically if they had won their last game- at home, but they ended up missing out to a team who finished two places and five points below them in the table.

Benitez confirmed as Napoli manager.

Nah, they took advantage of the loan system and gave themselves every advantage they could and should have won the league. If their owner wasn't using his other clubs to do Watford big favours and hadn't sacked a manager who had just taken relegation favourites to comfortable midtable I might feel sorry for them. The play offs are important for those big leagues though, it adds extra importance to more teams at the end of the season. The last 5-10 games of the season could become a joke if too many teams get cut adrift from the top 3 and there wasn't many teams in the relegation fight.

I'm just glad we're getting another London club back in the Premier League and one that's gone about things the right way, producing young talent and giving them a chance to shine.
 
Playoffs = Moneyspinner. I've hated the concept from the beginning. The penalty for finishing 3rd over a season, should not be losing promotion to 4th, 5th, 6th.
 
One Stoke fan's reaction to the news that Ol' Sparky is about to take over at the Britannia:

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I don't blame him.

What are Stoke thinking? utter madness.

Tony Pulis' style might have been rugby like, but at least he kept them in the premier league.

Hughes is an absolute liability.

Stoke are about to watch their club be destroyed. I feel for them.