GET INVOLVED - will Liverpool win the Premiership 2013/14?

Joe Kinnear in charge of a talented yet inconsistent, poorly organised crew of Gallic shrug-merchants, what a story

Got to agree xp on the basis of these ninety seconds I've been watching

five Man City players simultaneously breaking the Newcastle offside trap was pretty nice.

a particularly FIFA-esque moment

yeah the dink in for that from yaya was superb

be interesting to see if nasri responds to new management, you kind of totally forget just how good he once was

Gotta be annoyed getting injured in this

dearie me

Debuchy has been really awful tonight

iirc he's been pretty bad from the moment he arrived

yeah, I don't think the Newcastle fans have taken to him at all

damn aguero's goal was a beaut

goal of the weekend imo tbh, get that challop right up ye

Wanna say Barkley or Welbeck for how unexpected they were, but on balance I think I agree. Kompany striding out / the big man's flick / dat finish = a special goal

i wasnt really bothered about the build-up tbh, just that his options running through were 99% thwack and hope it rifles into the top corner and 1% slide it to the inch where krul won't reach, and he executed the latter

Pardew added: 'We've prepared with the lad for three days and then for him to have his head turned by this bid from Arsenal on the eve of a game is just disrespectful in my view. Why it couldn't have waited until tomorrow morning I do not know and I don't think the result would have been the same if he had played.'

lol idiot

In a direct conversation with Dick Law, Arsenal’s contract negotiator, it is understood that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley responded to the offer for Cabaye with the words: “Which part of him do you want to buy?”

It's still Welbeck btw

i really liked van wolfswinkle's header, beautiful arc to it. cavani's goal has them all beat, though.

Wenger’s detailed knowledge of every player’s contract even created an issue when Oxlade-Chamberlain was making substitute appearances for Arsenal last season. Written into the England winger’s deal is a clause stating that Arsenal must pay Saints £10,000 every time Oxlade-Chamberlain appears for more than 20 minutes. Incredibly a trend emerged, with Wenger bringing him off the bench after 72 minutes (v Stoke), 73 minutes (Liverpool), 72 minutes (Coventry), 65 minutes (Norwich), 76 minutes (Fulham), 86 minutes (Tottenham), 67 minutes (Swansea), 73 minutes (West Ham), 71 minutes (Swansea), and 75 minutes (Reading). Arsenal’s accounts department were stunned to receive an email from Southampton demanding payment for the appearances, with the south coast club justifying their argument based on stoppage time. Eventually Arsenal agreed to pay for the appearances and the story worked its way around the offices at the Emirates with bafflement among staff.

oh god somebody sort this out

where's that from?

The Mail. Quite possibly bullshit but funny if true

Surely it's fairly normal to bring on a relatively inexperienced but exciting player who likes to run with the ball sometime after 70 minutes? If this is evidence of Wenger taking an unusual interest in contract details I would think it's more likely that he suggested this clause be inserted knowing that he would likely play for ~15mins quite often rather than Wenger delaying bringing him on in order to save the club a few £.

He pretty much always makes subs around the 70 minute mark (which itself is a problem reflecting his inflexibility), so it's hardly "incredible" that he'd do the same with Chamberlain. The club is a complete mess atm (and arguably has been for some time) and there's a bunch of stuff that could be criticised but the Ox sub stuff sounds exaggeration (if not made up).

I like the idea of someone who works for Southampton starting a stopwatch as soon as he comes on

Agger: "Barcelona are obviously a big club, but I have never thought about leaving Liverpool, unless they want to sell. Everyone at the club are an integral part of my life. I. I have a YNWA tattoo. Frankly I don't mind if we don't finish in the top four, I love the club as if it were my own family."

First part of the last sentence needs a bit of work but otherwise otm.

I like Fulham this season, kinda like an old school mid-table Spurs. They'll win the FA Cup.

^absolutely in no way will they do this in this era. maybe transposed 18 years into the past they'd have a shout.

yeah, the final is all about big clubs like Wigan, Stoke and Portsmouth nowadays

In the sense that most of their players peaked in 1995, perhaps so

Well, I picture a nonchalant Berbatov strolling around Wembley, cup aloft. Though I guess it could be a mug from Primark.

Wayne Veysey ‏@wayneveysey 10m
Lots going on at Spurs. Willian has chosen #THFC over LFC & is undergoing medical today. Roma chief Sabattini meeting Baldini about Lamela.

Wayne Veysey ‏@wayneveysey 7m
Told #THFC have offered Roma £29.9m for Lamela & a 5-year, £65,000-a-week contract is on the table.

cya bale

uneasy about willian tbph.... at what cost

i thought it was either/or with those two

we're overlapping on both threads

there was talk at the weekend that liverpool would buy damiao if they couldn't get willian. be interesting to see damiao and soldado pairing up.

Is there a word for the uneasy feeling during the interregnum where the two threads are running in parallel? There should be, it's a very modern malaise.

if the authorities would do the decent thing and have the end of the transfer window coincide with the start of the season we wouldn't have this problem

yeah, the final is all about big clubs like Wigan, Stoke and Portsmouth nowadays

― beans on toast and ghosts (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 10:53 (1 hour ago)

all of which were capable of sustained dedication to a *system* - fulham are far too fancypants lightweight for a serious cup-run

Benteke <3

Lovely.

http://i.minus.com/iZZuDJm6kPmZZ.gif

why is this game happening today? and why is demba ba playing? thought he was going to roma.

Super Cup this weekend?

Villa are gorgeous to watch on the break, in a rustic kind of way

Lukaku at least a head taller than Okore and Vlaar, feck

my old man was looking for this on TV, Super Cup be damned

gah, shouldn't be on the pitch etc