Football 2009-10

[Paul Clement]

very dissapointed with yesterdays game as our recent awful record against Spurs continues and yet again Harry, remains unbeaten against West Ham since he was sacked. was out for most of yesterday so I didn't see the game but it dose seem Spurs were rather lucky to win as both their goals were gifted to them by a couple of pieces of bad defending.

It was a close game, and to be fair to West Ham, they didn't deserve to lose it. However, whilst watching it, I the impression that Spurs could step up a gear at any time, while West Ham weren't able to offer any more than they were doing.

[duncan]

We are top of the league say we are top of the league!

[Jonno]

We are indeed top of the league! Best start to the season for 49 years - yup, even in my lifetime!

Fancy revising your prediction of finishing 8th, Paul?!

[Paul Clement]

Fancy revising your prediction of finishing 8th, Paul?!

Well, I was being a bit harsh on Spurs, compared to my usual over confident optimism. I still think a top four place may be beyond us, although Liverpool are throwing their chances away with alarming speed. Perhaps 5th or 6th this season?

[Jonno]

Yeah, top 6 and a domestic cup to boot! One thing which I really think will help our league prospects this season is the fact we won't be playing in Europe with all those Thursday night games!

The Liverpool result was a real surprise to me - saw most of it last night as I have free access to ESPN for August. They only lost 2 games in the league all last season - and now they've lost 2 already!

[Pip Madeley]

Was Larry at Upton Park last night?

[Larry]

Was Larry at Upton Park last night?

don't go to upton park, anymore but even when I was able to go West Ham v Millwall was the only game I would never go to I've been a West Ham fan for 30 years and seeing those pictures on sky news and sports last night I was thoroughly ashamed of what happened.

[duncan]

The surprising thing for me was that none of it was started by Millwall fans. I have promised my son a few away games with Charlton this season. We missed Orient as we were in Ibiza last week and we intend to go to Gillingham and Southend and possible Norwich. But I have ruled out a trip to the New Den as I predicted the Millwall fans kicking off.

[Paul Clement]

I'm hoping to take my son to the Charlton game when they come to play Gillingham, as they are the nearest thing the Gills have to a local rival.

[Larry]

The surprising thing for me was that none of it was started by Millwall fans. .

the trouble inside the ground was started by West Ham fans , but the violance around the tube station was pre-organised what I found amazing was how few riot police there seemed to be holding back both sets of fans. certainly questions need to be asked as to why there wasn't a much bigger police presene in and around upton park.

[Larry]

. I have promised my son a few away games with Charlton this season. We missed Orient as we were in Ibiza last week and we intend to go to Gillingham and Southend and possible Norwich. But I have ruled out a trip to the New Den as I predicted the Millwall fans kicking off.

well you've also got Brentford and Colchester is not to far to go either.

[duncan]

Colchester is quite a trek in the car, but I had forgotten that one to be honest. I don't fancy going to Brentford though.

[Captain Tancredi]

You missed a treat today, Duncan- Charlton in charge of the game from start to finish and playing so attractively that it didn't feel like a 4-0 defeat. You couldn't fault Tranmere's workrate but we had too many youngsters out against a side who were more controlled, physically stronger and more confident.

[Larry]

You missed a treat today, Duncan- Charlton in charge of the game from start to finish and playing so attractively that it didn't feel like a 4-0 defeat. You couldn't fault Tranmere's workrate but we had too many youngsters out against a side who were more controlled, physically stronger and more confident.

have to be honest i'm supprised at how well Charlton have started I certainly had them down as promotion favourites but to win theire first 5 games.

as for West Ham pretty boring 0-0 draw at Blackburn but i'm happy with that.

[duncan]

As I don't rate Parkinson at all as a manager, I too am surprised by how well we have started. But, with no offence to the teams we have played so far, we have hardly been tested as yet. The real test comes when we play Leeds and Norwich, Millwall and even Southampton which is in a couple of weeks.

I could only watch Charlton on the Football League show on BBC1 last night and from the coverage they got you'd think that Leeds were running away with the top spot as we only got a passing mention with just the goals shown on TV. But, that sort of makes me happy in a way as it means that with little media coverage we will have a good chance of holding onto our better players like Bailey, Shelvey and Sam.

2 home games on the trot coming up now. brentfors next Saturday which is live on Sky and Pardew brings Southampton to the Valley following that. I can't wait to give that man the reception he deserves.

[Captain Tancredi]

The Charlton team I saw yesterday could lose one or two players and still do well- very comfortable on the ball and able to slow the pace down or liven things up as required. Apart from your number 5 (Llera)- the lanky Spanish defender who thinks it's clever to make a meal of a challenge when you're 4-0 up with quarter of an hour to go.

Difficult to know exactly where the problems lie- whether it's Barnes and McAteer (or Digger and Trigger as they're affectionately known) trying to get the players to do more complicated things than their skill levels allow, not enough money being put in Barnes's hand or just the after-effects of losing half the team plus a manager over the summer. Our keeper and half of our first choice defenders are on loan from Championship and Premier League sides so you think they'd be motivated to give a good account of themselves- it does them no good when it comes to winning a place back at West Brom or Blackburn to be playing in a defence which has shipped seven goals in the last two games and even let two in during the one game we've won.

[duncan]

We had a team full of loan players last season and look where we are now. They could either make a good account of themselves or they'll take the money and run as did our loaners last season.

Fortunately, we have stuck with the same starting 11 for each of our 5 leagues games so far and have won them all. The only game Parkinson changed things in was the league cup match and we lost that so I hope we can hang on to the players I named in my previous post.

[Jonno]

I had a really surreal moment on Saturday - I'd been watching Final Score from 4.30 onwards and was frustrated to see Spurs being held 1-1 by Birmingham, the sort of fixture you simply have to win to be serious about being Top 6 material. I remember a report from the Lane in the 90th minute or so and the next thing I knew I'd nodded off and came round as the programme was ending, missing all the results, tables etc. and still annoyed at our dropped points.

Watching MOTD I was surprised we were on second for a drawn game and couldn't believe it when we went 2-1! I assumed it was going to be disallowed or something and when it stood I kind of remembered that I hadn't seen the final score!!

I just hope the fortnight off doesn't harm our momentum, but if you'd told me we'd be 3 points ahead of Man U & Arsenal and 6 ahead of Liverpool at the end of August I'd never have believed it!

[Lissa]

This could be huge news

Chelsea have been banned from signing any new players until January 2011 by football's governing body Fifa.

The punishment was meted out after the Premier League club was found guilty of inducing French winger Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007.

"Chelsea are banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next registration periods," said Fifa.

They'll probably win the appeal and just pay a fine but if this stands then Chelsea are in a bit of a hole.

[Captain Tancredi]

If I were Petr Cech I'd be angling for a pay rise for a start.

Not sure if it'll have the desired effect if it stands- probably more likely (given the motivation of most of the players who've signed for Chelsea in the last few years) that they'll hold the club to ransom and threaten to leave if they don't get the deals they want. Assuming that the January transfer window is more about tinkering and offloading the odd bad buy, it's next summer and the post-World Cup frenzy that presents the problems.

[Lissa]

It's UEFA's second worm can opening of the last week - after the Eduardo suspension - and, if enforced consistently, would be a step in the right direction. Fining clubs for rule breaches doesn't work but punishments like this might. It sucks to be the first to be punished and I'm sure all the top clubs in Europe are going to sweat over it but it is still the right thing to do. Top clubs will do anything it takes to become successful and the governing body has to be prepared to do anything it takes to enforce their rules or it becomes a nonsense. Rio missed a drug test, he got suspended for eight months, people take drug tests more seriously now I'm sure.

And no one's kicked a fan during a game for ages so that obviously worked too.

[Paul Clement]

It looks like it could be Man Utd next. Apparently Le Havre are incenced over the way United acquired youngster Paul Pogba.

United primed for Pogba fight
Le Havre ready to report Red Devils to Fifa

By Chris Burton Last updated: 3rd September 2009


Manchester United have vowed to challenge any case brought against them regarding their dealings with Paul Pogba.

The Red Devils saw Premier League rivals Chelsea handed an 18-month transfer embargo on Thursday after they were deemed to have broken Fifa regulations.

The charge related to their acquisition of French youngster Gael Kakuta from Lens in 2007.

United could be the next side in the firing line, with Ligue 2 outfit Le Havre threatening to report them to Fifa.

They are unhappy at the manner in which Sir Alex Ferguson's men went about their pursuit of teenage star Pogba.

United, however, insist they have done nothing wrong, despite the player yet to be officially registered at Old Trafford.

"It is complete nonsense," a spokesman for United said.

"Everything has been done within Uefa guidelines."
Message

Le Havre managing director Alain Belsoeur disagrees and claims to have documentation proving United offered Pogba incentives to join the club.

"We are still pursuing our case," Belsoeur told The Times.

"It is a very serious case. We are confident that we'll win because it is in the best interests not just of our club but of sport.

"We spend 5million euros [about £4.3million] on our academy every year out of a turnover of 12million euros. It is a huge investment.

"We do that to give a chance to our players to develop for our first team, not to be an academy for others.

"What is the point of investing in an academy if the players leave at 16? This is clearly a message from Fifa to protect the education system."

[Pip Madeley]

Although:

"It is complete nonsense," a spokesman for United said. "Everything has been done within Uefa guidelines."

[Captain Tancredi]

That assumes that everything that's within UEFA guidelines is also within FIFA regulations...

After the Eduardo business, though, I do wonder whether what we're seeing is a backlash against big-spending English clubs in general by any means necessary. If it turns out that they've all been at it in one way or another then anything could happen.

[Lissa]

This is clearly a message from Fifa to protect the education system.

Nonsense - it is a message from FIFA to protect the integrity of contracts because without contracts it all goes to piddle. If FIFA/UEFA cared about the buying and selling of 16 year olds they would ban it. Chelsea have been punished because they persuaded a player to sign with them despite having a valid contract elsewhere. It doesn't matter how old he is - it is the contract breach that worries top brass. Had millions not been paid in hush money, this would all have happened a few years ago when they did the same thing with Obi Mikel. United took the £12m rather than report them because it is an issue no top club wants looking too closely at. The smaller clubs may be willing to take a stand but most of them can be bought off with a friendly here, a loan deal there or a cut of any future transfer revenue from the poached player.