Football spam

[James]

Things seem to be quite lively at the moment with transfer news and managerial change ups. Should be quite an interesting summer!

[shred]

I'm looking forward to the summer transfers. I really hope ManU get a good midfielder, sell Berbatov and have some of the youngsters promoted to the first team.

Also keen on seeing who will take over Chelsea.

[Deleted]

Irene, my cousin actually wants United to keep Berbatov, I think. If I'm remembering his posts correctly. Tottenham definitely needs to make a few changes in its line-up. I'm not sure what I want for Madrid in terms of transfers, etc. I really think the players we have just need to be put together in a way where they're more powerful as a unit instead of individuals.

[shred]

The new season starts in less than two weeks! YUS!!! ;D

[Deleted]

I'm excited, too. We've signed more new players than I imagined we would. I don't remember getting rid of anyone, but we have to have let someone go, I'm thinking. I just can't remember. I really would like Benzema to leave, but if he keeps playing the way he did toward the end of last season and during the off-season he won't be going anywhere. I have to admit he seems to have pulled himself together. I haven't checked to see what Tottenham's done--RM obviously has first-place in my heart.

I believe we've won all of our off-season matches. Of course, not all of them are available on TV here, but I get half-time and full-time score updates on Facebook and I don't remember there being a losing score line to any of the games. I watched part of the match against Chivas and the game looked like it was worth watching, but the American announcers (obviously not the announcers I'm used to hearing when I do manage to catch a Liga match on TV) were so annoying--and kept mispronouncing Benzema's name. After 30 minutes I couldn't handle it and turned it off.

It seems, from what I've read, that our new signings are doing well, and Adan started the match against Chivas. I was so excited for that match, because I don't think I've ever seen a game in which he's played, Casillas is just so solid a keeper. He did make one great save before I stopped watching, so that was nice to see. It's good to know we're pretty safe, regardless of who we have in goal.

They've drawn the schedule for this year, and I think we face Atletico in our first match. First match of the season and it's the derbi. This is going to be one heck of a season. Of course, just before that starts we face Barcelona in the Super Copa, so...you can probably feel my tension through the internet!

[shred]

First game for us is a derby to but it's not a season match. Just the curtain raiser for the new season.

United have been quite busy in the transfer window, which is surprising as we are usually quite quiet during the off season. Now there's news that we might be signing Sneijder! I would love to see that happen.

We've been solid during our pre-season as well, even beating Barcelona. Too bad it was just a friendly though.

[Deleted]

Our first game isn't actually a derby, as I thought. It's against Athletic Bilbao, not Atletico Madrid. Google Calendar just put "Athletic" and expects me to know what it means! It should be a good warm-up match from us. I'm not expecting too much of an upset. We've been strong in the pre-season, so unless something horrible happens in our two matches against Barcelona earlier in the week (Sunday and Wednesday) the team should be set for a good season opener next Saturday.

I'm not even going to try to predict a winner for the Super Copa tourney against Barca. Of course, I want to see my boys win. We did well last season and have been perfect in our preseason friendlies, but Barca was very strong last season and probably just as strong in their friendlies, so I expect they'll walk away with the victory.

[shred]

We won our curtain raiser 3-2 (against Man City), which is always nice. A lot of our young players played and they did a good job. Looking forward to the start of the season - if the matches aren't cancelled.

[shred]

Ooo Spanish football players are going on strike.

[Deleted]

Really? I haven't read any football news today, although I went through all the sites yesterday or the day before, so this must be very recent news. I'm not surprised, though, as it's been public for a while that the financial state of the league being what it is the players aren't being paid on time or in full. I'm sure many of them are still owed back wages from this past season if not seasons before that yet. That's one reason why many of the players are often linked to talks to moves to the EPL during the transfer season. The English teams are at least able to pay their players and that's a large draw for someone coming from a system that's going broke. Of course, I'm speculating that pay has anything to do with the striking. I'll have to take a look at the news tomorrow when I have the patience to sift through it and see what's really being cited.

I saw on my cousin' Facebook that the Tottenham opener (against Everton?) is still on despite the riots, so he's hoping the United opener isn't called off. I missed the first bit of the news program tonight, so I'm not sure if things have taken a turn for the better regarding the riots or not.

[shred]

The Tottenham game has been called off (was confirmed yesterday) and it's the only game so far that has been postponed. Doesn't seem to be any more.

I heard on the news today that the players are already on strike but I'm not so sure about it. Only saw a bit of the news. I think they are going on strike for 2 weeks or something. Not sure for how long - just heard that the first two games of the season won't go ahead 'cause of the strike.

[Deleted]

Well, when Kyle first wrote about it on Facebook it was still on. I didn't see in the news until after I posted last night that it had been postponed. I was rather surprised it hadn't been postponed already.

I've not been able to find any information about a strike by the Spanish players. As I said earlier, it's not very surprising, I just haven't been able to find details. RM hasn't put anything on its site about a strike. La Liga Weekly hasn't mentioned anything that I've seen and elpais.com's lead sports story today is about Fabregas. I'll keep my eyes and ears open.

[shred]

It's always about Fabregas. I'm annoyed with him. He should just go and leave the English league alone.

www.spanishfootball.info/2011/08/start-to-la-liga-postponed-as-players-announce-strike/

[Shaun]

Were there not already two threats of strike already this year from them?

[shred]

Not sure. There might be. It's an ongoing issue so I won't be surprise if there was another threat of strike before this. I don't really keep track of the Spanish league so I can't be 100% sure. Marie would know better than me.

[Deleted]

Shaun, I don't know if any threats were "officially" made by the players' union, though I wouldn't doubt it, but there have certainly been talks and rumors of strikes from several broadcasters, podcasters, and "insiders" for most of the last season. I'm surprised they waited until so close to the season starting to actually follow through on the threats, but am certainly glad it only lasted as long as it did. I'd miss my footy!

We whopped Zaragoza pretty well in what eventually became our season opener. The official stats are somewhere on my Facebook and I don't want to look them up. I think it was 6-2? A nice solid start for us, although against Zaragoza it would be a shock if it had been anything else.

Kyle's been rubbing the win over Arsenal into any Arsenal fans on his Facebook (if there even are any) since the match. He's very stoked about it.

[shred]

I noticed. I love his I 8-2 be an Arsenal fan line. Used that on my cousin as he's an Arsenal fan.

I'm soooo happy with that game. I'm loving this current crop of players. Cannot wait to see how the season goes!

[Deleted]

Kyle's been very impressed with United's squad this year. I haven't been able to catch a match on TV yet, but I look forward to seeing all my boys and yours. From what I've read on the RM site and I'm impressed with how they did in the preseason and am very hopeful we'll have another trophy-winning season.

[shred]

RM has started the season off quite well. I can't wait for the Champions League to start up again soon.

Very pleased with the group my boys are in. Round 16 here we come! ;D

[Deleted]

I'm pretty okay with our group for the Champions League. I think our biggest threat, so to speak, will be Lyonnais. The others we should be able to handle. We should do well against Lyonnais, too, but I think they'll put up the best fight.