I'M BACK ! ! ! !

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

I'M BACK ! ! ! !

GarethGardner · Cult Status

Welcome back Steve. Iv made a few transfers since youve been gone. Iv brought in Ito,Navarro,Landon Donovan and Hatem Trabelsi. Nolly Solano and Steven Hughes this week. No loan signings yet as my feeder club are not yet back on line. Watch the Leeds this year, unbeaten at the moment

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

I see the Crystal Palace Job is up for grabs - Might be a way of getting promoted GG. What happened to him anyway???

GarethGardner · Cult Status

I didnt even realise it was up to be honest. Who was the Palace boss ? Im making a real effort with Leeds now and waiting for people to come to me with offers. Playoffs here I come. Think i may get 5 penalty takers just incase

GarethGardner · Cult Status

I was quite shocked to see Danny Rose go to Coventry this week for 2.5 mill. I would have tried to get him

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Ahh but there's more to that deal than meets the eye my young Padowan!

Luke_C · Cult Status

I still dont get the fuss over Rose lol wouldnt pay the 2.5m on its own...not that I got 2.5 to spend DOH

Stupid Rich stingy chaiman...off the record of course

messiah · Cult Status

I thought you had been very quiet steve. how does it look from down in 10 th place?

biggrin

even coventry are above leicester!!!!!!!!!!

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Yeah We get a nice view from everybody from 10th place but all you lot are having to look over your shoulder at us - Esp when we start rising up the table!

I am a big fan of Kelly Holmes' running technique and we plan to do the same, We will sit and wait until the right time to make a move on the rest of the pack and then deal a devestaing blow to all the rest of the front runners. We are starting to put abit of a side together and I'm sure that we will be up there again this season.

You must be disappointed only taking 4 points from a possible 6 mate, As favourites - that must have not gone down too well with the Vicarage Road faithful???

messiah · Cult Status

I too am not looking at the points early in the season. Most of the managers have had a season to build the team they wanted in this league so I am having to sell as I go. I have sold the best three players in my team already so dropping points is expected this early. If you watched serie b last season napoli took 6 weeks to turn around and then something clicked. If we are still ahead of you by week 6 this season you should worry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

biggrin

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

You say that mate but then you started off with far and away the best squad in the league so selling a few players hasn't really hurt you and the fact that you have £15m sat in your account wouldn't really worry me too much as you can make quality signings anytime.

Yeah a few managers in League 1 have had a season but even thn most do not stand up to Watford. You still have the best squad and now any £££'s to spend to there is no reason what so ever for you not to win the league.

Us managers of 'Smaller' teams sell which weakens us just so that we can buy maybe 2 or 3 squad players. Don't get me wrong - I still think with some good loan signings and a bit of 'Harry Redknapp Magic' in the market - Leicester can still give you a run this season but we are not lucky enough to be blessed with a great squad already.

It should be a good season and I don't see anyone finishing above Watford, or at least .....they shouldn't! weirdface

messiah · Cult Status

If you like to think that to make you feel better I will let you.

If you sell Pique Johansson and King for money you could have 15 to spend. most managers really want to keep their best 3 players and that is why I have the money and others do not. even before I sold players my team was not the best. palace and southampton had better rated squads than me when I joined and even bristol had as many bonus points in their squad as I had in mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We can though be favourites if it makes you feel better.

aww

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

C'mon Jame,
I admire your attempts to deflect the attention off your team but look at the facts...

1 - You have the best set of strikers in the league!
2 - You have £15m to spend on anyone you like - Almost £5m more than the next richest team (Wolves)
3 - Even though you have sold players - You are still the strongest unit in League 1
4 - Watford have a manager that calls himself Messiah and likens himself to Jose Mourinho etc

How could they possibley not win the league????

messiah · Cult Status

I aim to win the league do not worry about that steve.

biggrin

I am just tired of being told we are some super team when we were perhaps the third best team in the league when I moved here.
I looked up your team just now to see how good you are and I think you should be worrying about getting 6th not about automatic promotion steve!!!!!!!!!!! you will need alot of help from simon this season if you do not want to be fighting with coventry at the bottom of the division.

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

lol Jamie, you do make me laugh!

GarethGardner · Cult Status

Cmon Leeds. Sort em all out.My team is not as strong as most yet but we are playing through determination to do well due to media pressure

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Jamie,
I know that we are a Playoff team at best mate and we certainly don't have the players like you do at your disposal! I think your Niave to think that either Coventry or Leicester will be towards the wrong end of the table and I hope for your sake that you don't drop any points against either team or it could be abit embarrising for you after your previous words.

messiah · Cult Status

coventry might challenge for the playoffs but I really think you will be in the bottom half with leicester and if I lost to you it would be a disaster.
good luck gareth today I think you might grab a result against us.

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

I'd be happy to match any bet you would be willing to make that Leicester are not in the bottem half come the end of the season fella. Over the next 2 weeks, I think I will be bringing in real quality with a couple of loans and a couple of permenant deals so I think that's a brave statement to make so early on.

I think your right that it would be a disaster to lose to a team supposidly looking at mid table mediocrity at best. Looking forward to the game already. I certainly admire your braveness Mr Walker and only time will tell if you have been right or wrong to make the assumptions so early on.

Good luck to everyone this week. Especially to us Relegation battlers!!!

messiah · Cult Status

week 9 coventry
week 10 leicester
6 points in the bag then?
biggrin

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

I truly hope so for your sake mate! I think if you even draw against either of us now there will be a fair bit of quoting from this thred going on. All I can say is that you shoud take 6 points of us as you are in a different pedigree to us so it SHOULD be easy pickings for you mate but as for all 3 side - there is alot of time before then to dabble in the transfer market and I would like to think that I have shown I have what it takes to pull off good signings like the much tracked Gerard Pique who is currently producing 8-10 emails per day for his services.

Good luck Mr Walker although as you are 'The Messiah' you don't need devine fate to help you out on this one!

messiah · Cult Status

I took a team from 11th to 2nd last season in about 18 weeks. the messiah delivered I think.

wink

this season will be a tougher challenge because most of the opponents are at a better standard and because all of the great signings are stuck at napoli now so finding bargains I want is harder. but if I do not get top 2 I will be disappointed and if you finish above me I will eat my hat.

I hope watford fans are enjoying seeing you big up your team at the start of the season to putting down your chances of even making the playoffs now. how long can the bad run at the walkers stadium go on before the chairman and fans get fed up?

biggrin

GarethGardner · Cult Status

Id be more than happy with a point tonight. My team doesnt start taking shape till at least week 5.And still I cant get hold of my feeder club which normally guarantees 2 good players(Barcelona). Steve I think you have met your match in the media mate.This boy is good ! But be wary Jamie, Arsenal normally pump a lot of players into Leicester which make them so strong.Expect a half season superstar to play against you as they will then have to go back very soon after Watford game.All the best for tonight anyway. I just checked your midfield out and I think mine may just edge it. It certainly would have next week but thats just silly to say as their not here yet. Expect an old but strong Leeds team this year hoping for the playoffs

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

Jamie, this is really boring! Lets just get on with the season!

-- Edited by Spartikus47 at 16:25, 2008-01-04

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Gareth - I think you'll find that He's met his match not me. As for the loans mate - That's what a feeder club is there for to provide young players on loan so they can get experience and then I sell my better players to Arsenal in return. I'd hoped that pulling out of the 2 'big' signings before the playoffs would have shown that I'm not in this game for cheating and as much as I want to beat Watford - I won't be loaning someone just for a couple of weeks to beat Jamie.

Jamie - I never said we weren't going to get into the playoffs fella, infact - That's where I expect us to finish. There will be some intresting games well befor then but at least by then we should know alot more about our teams and where they are going to finish come what May.

GarethGardner · Cult Status

Im looking forward to the head to heads between Watford, Coventry and Leicester now. lol.
The media should be very entertaining

messiah · Cult Status

I think people will underestimate you gareth and bristol and wolves this season. you have a team good in most positions. you are right steve has arsenal backing him but he will need it because he has nothing special in his team no match winners.

why did you agree to sell your best players to arsenal steve? I think simon has ripped you off good there.

are you bored mark because you know you cannot get involved in promotion banter because you cannot back it up?

biggrin

everyone is talking about their teams being in a stage of rebuilding so who is everyone signing in the next few weeks? or maybe no one is brave enough to reveal their transfers in case they get hijacked.

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

No Jamie i am bored because every single post from you is exactly the same just dressed differently. Do you just ask your mummy to move the words around a bit? or just get the synonyms up on word?

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Oh Jamie, I like the fact that you think I'm weak enough to react to a comment about Simon ripping me off matey but unfortunatley, I am wise enough to know what is and isn't a good deal and to be honest mate - You are the one making excuses that you may lose the next few games coz you've sold your 3 best players!

I would be quite happy to tell all as far as my transfers go as I completley trust all parties involved but I do think it would be unfair on the other people to disclose their deals as it may put unwanted pressure/attention on them but nice try Mr Walker. Shame no-one seems gullibale enough to tell you who their getting

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

And i have no problem talking about my transfers. Barry Venison is joining this week , along with John Fashanu. Then next week i am getting in Mikel Beck on a short term basis!Hijack them deals!

-- Edited by Spartikus47 at 16:54, 2008-01-04

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Sorry to inform you first Mark but Barry Venison's agent has just been on the phone - He's turned us both down to appear on the next series of 'I'm a celebrity - Get me out of here!'

I know that was the player you were looking to build your team around too, sorry fella

messiah · Cult Status

your maturity knows no bounds mark.

that was a truthful comment about simon actually. I was invited to join sevilla at the start of the season so I know what he was offering and taking my players was not a part of his deal so I am a little surprised anyone would accept such an offer. I had already agreed to link up with the mighty real valladolid so I had to turn down the offer.

the transfer I ask about to see if it is all talk about rebuilding. I have an italian young lm joining this week for a couple of million. I have baretto from wba coming in but he is leaving in a few weeks sold already. I have agreed to buy savi and dessena from parma as well. of course if no one can show the same trust in their deals that I have........

wink

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

Its allright, Darren Pea**** has said he will fill in for him!

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Nothing to do with trust mate, I will happily send you an email stating my deals but I don't want the other managers involved in my deals to have thier business banded about on here.

I wish you all the luck with the new players but as for selling mine to my feeder club, It's a good agreement that works very well for both of us. If it didn't - It wouldn't happen.

Good luck to you all over the weekend - I'm now off for the weekend so I will see you back on here come Monday morning.

Cheers

messiah · Cult Status

I can see it would work brilliantly for arsenal for sure!!!!!!!

Stu · Cult Status

Rejected for Real Valladolid. I'll never live it down wink

If only I'd known what Arsenal were proposing to their feeder clubs! I hope Rob and Dale realise what a great deal they've got now. The reward should be that you're giving his players experience Steve, he shouldn't need more incentive to send you his young proteges. Walcott is alright this year but he was overhyped last season

Stu

Safehands · Cult Status

Woooowww there Nelly.........!

Lets get a few things straight shall we boys?

1. Arsenal get no automatic right to buy ANY prospect from Leicester. All I have asked for is first refusal on them. Sometimes this means I buy them - but I dont rip people off - so it has to be close to any other deal that Steve has recieved or it would be unfair on him. Mostly it means that when Steve has received an offer for a player im keen on - he lets me know so i can have a chance to match the offer. If i can - i get the privelege of them normally coming here as a payment for having all my loan players

2. Steve has first refusal on ALL my players that I am willing to loan.

there are other parts of the deal - tactical chats, transfer targets etc that come with it - but its not the be all and end all of FA life

Steve is no mug (contrary to some belief lol) and would never accept a deal that wasent good for his club. There is no ripping off and Steve is under no order to have to sell to me

A lot of talk is said and done about "feeder club" - but what are they really? They arent part of the proper FA rules -and all it really is an agreement between Steve and myself - nothing more or less than that

ps Stu - i rate my youth prospects quite highly. (When I have cover for Bale anyway) - Steve can pick from Pique, Diaby, Manuel Irrarusso, Kasper Schmiechel, Gareth Bale and Walcott so i think it makes the backbone to a good team. You are welcome to dissagree of course! He also gets the young gunners that come through the academy at any point (Bertnder, Vela, Mannone, Djorou. Merida etc) so myself and him like the deal to be honest.

Simon · Cult Status

Jamie - offering to eat your hat? Wouldn't it have been better to say you'd eat your coat if you dont get top 2?!

Steve - 8-10 emails about Pique a day? That's around 70 emails a week! I doubt there are that many managers around every week for him to get that much attention.

Stu - you wont be saying that in a few seasons, although I think Watford must have invested in the manager not the club biggrin

Simon
RV

pricey · Cult Status

there are not managers in league 1 still moaning that other sides have better squads/players than them are there thought that was left back in last season smile

Steve · Cult Status

I wonder whether all these feeder club deals are actually just bleeding the better prospects out of Division 1 for short term benefits that are in some cases simply temporary and in other cases misleading.

1.The loan of high stat older players can make a difference but usually when they leave the club it does not have it's own players in that position to fall back on so you see a weakness that has been masked and the club cannot build on the success achieved.

2.The young loan players are often potentially good but actually middling to poor at the moment (that's why they are on loan). So what happens is a club is obliged to play them (often a lot of them at the same time) and they are not players who can break down opposing teams. So they don't win you games. The odd jewel thrown in to sweeten the pot tends to be one of the older players mentioned above (usually part of the deal because he's not able to get into his base team).

3.Other teams who are not in these systems concentrate more on putting together balanced teams that may not be great but have a good balance of similar players with maybe the odd one or two better players. These teams become very hard to beat - certainly by the teams loaded with loaned youth players. Take a look at Wolves and Bristol City at the moment. So the result is teams who are solid but don't score a lot of goals playing other teams like this or playing teams full of youth players who aren't strong enough to break down the opposition - result is a lot of draws!

4.Managers in the loan system can easily get distracted from having a long term plan because their plan is too heavily influenced by the bigger plan of the loaning club. Money that comes in for their standout players who move to the loaning club as part of the ongoing deal is never enough to buy players who are good enough replacements so the players who really can make a difference simply move away - be it sooner or later.

Watch how Division 1 results develop this season and we'll see whether this argument holds water. For me we will see Southampton and Watford taking the two automatic slots because they are the teams who are different to the ones mentioned above.

Steve
Cardiff

GarethGardner · Cult Status

My transfers Jaimie. Nolberto Solano,Steven Hughes,Djimi Taore on permanent deals. And Nathan Tyson on loan soon. Hopefully some Barca players when Allan comes back unless Rich lets his job go

GarethGardner · Cult Status

Rumours going around that Simon is losing Van Persie to an Italian side this week

Safehands · Cult Status

Arsenal dont comment on transfers untill they are confirmed - but there may be an element of truth to that rumour.................

wont be this week though - as Pique is arriving

cheers

messiah · Cult Status

I think steve is right about teams becoming similar with loans. were leicester this poor last season? I thought they were going to be a highly rated team with the amount of talk they gave last season. was it all cheap talk or is their team being cheapened by the arsenal link?

confused

well done gareth I am happy to share that point with you this week. most of the others have missed a chance to get ahead of us with easier fixtures this week so I know I am pleased.

evertonian · Cult Status

thats quite a few players you've got coming in there Gareth....I've found that the transfer market has been slower lately, with not many managers wanting to sell. That's obviously not the case for Leeds! :)

About the loans, there are some players in the Premiership who arent good enough for some League One teams. Managers should look at this before agreeing linkups, because even though its a big team you are paired with, you wont be getting their best players for sure!!! Im sure Steve @ Leicester knows that, and there is no doubt that Leicester have benefited overall from Simon's loans since Steve took over.

Me and Stu @ Sevilla looked very carefully before agreeing our linkup at whether his loan players would improve Recreativo's starting lineup. I will only take and play players that are better than those I have already, and Stu knows that. We found that the players Stu was offering would help (as they did for many teams in the old game!) and in the long run this will help both Recreativo and Sevilla. I won't be selling first teamers because I have a loan player in, and Stu doesn't have any kind of buy agreement on any of my players. So linkup agreements can be positive!!!

thanks
rob

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Firstly - To Simon (Valladolid), You would be surprised mate - I have all the emails from the past few months and having just done a quick look at some of them - It's closer to 5-7 a day for Pique but would be happy to forward them on so you can check.

Secondly - Jamie. It is true that I am ewaker at this point than I finished but then surely that's plausable as I haven't got my second full season loan in and haven't spend most of the season doing deals yet. We did finish well last season and yes, the first 5-6 weeks of this season is trying to mould the team to how I want it.

I think that loans are a good part of the system and you can do equally as good by just getting loans in as you can with just straight out buying players. It's a dangerous tactic as you can't guarentee that you will be able to get the players but then I trust my own judgement and those I deal with to come through. Last season we had the likes of Huddlestone, Cattermole and Walcott etc and now I will be trying to get players in to make us an all-round better team.

As for Arsenal, I think you know how good Simon really is guys. Simon gave me some good advice at the end of last season regarding the 'Super Loans' just before the playoffs. Although it was something I had already decided not to do - His advice also helped me avoid the backlash that Dale got this year so yeah Stu - I hope Dale knows exactly what sort of Parent club he's got.

Simon is also one of the most decent guys I've come accross and has always got time to talk about anything to do with the game or otherwise. He's a VERY experienced FA manager and has the same game ethics as myself - BUY YOUNG!

I am not fortunate enough to have a Premiership club YET and I have to do what I can to ensure I can build the best team for Leicester and Simon and Myself have had hours of conversation regarding how we are going to structure our Feeder Club deal and in the end I think that you will all be eating a decent slice of Humble pie when we are fast becoming the most successful feeder club partnership - Watch this space!

Stu · Cult Status

Bluebird99 wrote:

His advice also helped me avoid the backlash that Dale got this year so yeah Stu - I hope Dale knows exactly what sort of Parent club he's got.

That does seem like its said looking down on our agreement. The parent club isn't mentioned in the rules I don't think and before my set-up with Reading as my feeder club very early in the old game I don't think anyone had thought of it. People trying to set up a group for the first time might make mistakes but I'd hope by now I'm used to doing these arrangements. The youth players look like they'll progress differently to the old game but this just means what is on offer is changed slightly because I can't loan out 40 rated players like before

Adam Goble will always be the ultimate proof that my feeder clubs work. He was a good manager at a very poor club and after a season working together he won the double I think in the end

The backlash Dale recieved was from you and Coventry alone. Southampton took it on the chin and I don't think anyone else cared! Dale will survive this season because he's a good manager and because he's part of a team with myself and Rob. Both their teams will be supported by my young players but they will be improving their own players at the same time because players I find are available but aren't good enough for Sevilla are past on to them to help them build good teams of their own. Rob and Dale have talked with me about tactics and I think that both will have good seasons once they adjust their personel a little to fit their plans. Our arrangement is more than just loans as well

I will say at least Simon is loaning you players. The umbrella group has vanished from sight. Given the choice I'd not swap Recreativo and Norwich for Leicester and I hope after last seasons success Dale wouldn't swap Sevilla for Arsenal

Expect to see Rob and Dale be very successful managers on here

Stu

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Yeah that's all fine and yes you are a very successful club so that will beneft them and like I've said previously - I do hope Dale does survive this season coz otherwise it's gonna make the Alves loan look pointless and silly.

What I will say about my feeder system is that I have actually made a real good mate out of it in Simon and had the distance between us been smaller - I'm sure we would have been out to watch some footy over a few beers by now too. He's a top bloke and helped me out with alot of issues away from the game so I'll always be thankful to him for that too. Luckily for me - I showed to him that I was a decent enough manager in the making and he does hold alot of experience too which I hope will rub off on me in time. I approached Arsenal originally as they youth system is famous for producing wonder kids but I'm happy to say that it's been much more than just that which is cool.

I do think that this has all got out off hand a little but I think that there is obviously personality clashes in this game which is leading to some very good banter/media and long may it continue as I'm loving it all.

Stu · Cult Status

You're right about the media. I know Jamie's looking forward to Week 20

Stu

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Yeah well I am happy to give my personal guarentee here and know that I will not be loaning in Superstars just for the playoffs. If I haven't got a good enough squad by then - I will either have to miss out on them or lose in them!

I am looking forward to week 10 to be honest - Our first clash. It's a definate 3 points to Watford according to Jamie so I aint got anything to lose and Mr Walker has alot.