Official Football Thread - 11/12

[dR3]

Season 10/11 has ended, for some in a good way, for some in a bad way. Time for the pre-season preparations to start.


Transfer news, speculations, wishes, friendly games results... post them in here, until the new season starts.

I really hope we buy a good play-maker, I don't have my eyes on anyone in particular, but anyone who can actually create chances for the strikers would be a great addition to the team. That's what we currently need the most, we all know Lampard's time is almost up.

[Kevin Paul]

Can't wait already I'm sure Celtic will have a good run in Europe for the first time in ages, shit is exciting.

[Kevin Paul]

I might just be blind but I haven't seen any posts about Ancelotti
Was curious of your guys reactions

[momentsgolden]

The players United need to buy is a bit iffy but i do know those who should go. My wishlist of those to join VDS, Neville and Hargreaves is

Carrick
Bebe
Kuzack
Evans
Brown
Gibson
Scholes
Owen.

Well, right now, De Gea is almost signed and thats great. Sneider looks like it might finally happen which should also be good news. Oh, Evra needs to step up or ship out. His drop in form has been costly.

[One Mic]

The English League is in decline IMO.

Barcelona outclassing Man Utd the other night (the English League Champions) supports this claim.

Real Madrid were too much for Tottenham to handle aswell. And even though Man City are going to spend millions on their squad in the summer, I think they will flop in the Champions League.

Spanish football >>>>>>>

[dR3]

The English League is in decline IMO.

Barcelona outclassing Man Utd the other night (the English League Champions) supports this claim.

Real Madrid were too much for Tottenham to handle aswell. And even though Man City are going to spend millions on their squad in the summer, I think they will flop in the Champions League.

Spanish football >>>>>>>

The EPL is a much stronger league when you look at it overall, not team by team.

R. Madrid and Barcelona are the only two strong teams in the Primera, no offence to the other teams but that's reality. On the other hand, in the EPL you have more teams that are a potential threat to the current champions.

The best Spanish team might be stronger/better than the best English team, but when you look at it overall, EPL > Primera.

[dR3]

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING MAKELELE! One of the greatest players to ever play for us, and THE BEST destructive midfielder we've had in years, maybe ever.

Happy retirement.

[cityfan31]

My end of year man city summary:

Simply the best season in my lifetime. Those 2 days at Wembley are days I'm never ever going to forget and the final whistle against Stoke was the happiest I have ever felt!

Next season:

We need a new Left Back, a Creative midfielder, a winger and a striker (if Tevez leaves)

In: Baines, Fabregas, Sanchez, Aguero

Out: a whole bunch of rubbish including Adebayor, Bridge, Bellamy etc

We can win the league and get to the Champions League quarter finals. That would do me!

[momentsgolden]

Alright, one down. Scholes officially retires. Let the circus begin.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... ll?cc=3888

[Sleepy]

Goodbye Paul Scholes

Thanks for all the memories
REDLEGEND

[Sleepy]

Micah Richards : "He's always in the right position, always seems to be at the end of the box when the ball drops in. The complete midfielder - when he's fit, he's the best. Some go missing but he's in the right place at the right time. He's my favourite player of all-time, unbelievable. If you give him a chance it's a goal, isn't it?"

Glenn Hoddle : "There isn’t a player of his mould anywhere else in the world."

Terry Venables : "He’s the best one- or two-touch passer in the country. He sees the game unlike any other player."

Alan Shearer : "If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. He can tackle, and his passing and shooting is of the highest level. He’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time."

Eidur Gudjohnsen : "I'm more an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but he has 10 other great players around him every week...Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I've ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him, I never felt I could get close to him."

Edgar Davids : ""Every one of us (midfielders) is just trying to become as good as him. Everyone can learn from Paul Scholes."

Edgar Davids : "I'm not the best, Paul Scholes is."

Tony Adams : "I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn't got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn't get too much attention, but he is one very good player. He is an intelligent player, he works hard and he scores some great goals. He is not flamboyant and is a quiet lad off the pitch but he is a tremendous asset to Manchester United and to England. He has already got my vote as player of the year."

Cesc Fabregas : "He is the one whose level I aspire to. He is the best player in the Premier League."

Patrick Vieira : "The player in the Premiership I admire most? Easy - Scholes."

Thierry Henry : "I can't understand why Scholes has never won the player of the year award. He should have won it long ago. Maybe it's because he doesn't seek the limelight like some of the other 'stars'."

Zinedine Zidane : "My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder."

Zinedine Zidane : "Scholes is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation."

Sam Allardyce : "There is not a better midfield player in the world."

Kevin Keegan : "What United have got that Chelsea haven't is Paul Scholes. I think he is different to anything else in English football."

Marcello Lippi : "Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team - that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. Scholes is a player I have always liked, because he combines great talent and technical ability with mobility, determination and a superb shot. He is an all-round midfielder who possesses character and quality in abundance. In my opinion, he's been one of the most important players for United under Sir Alex."

Ray Wilkins : "I'm saddened because I think we as spectators, not only in this country but right through out Europe and the rest of the World, will be missing one hell of a footballer."

Gordon Strachan : "Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You'd probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb."

Veron while at Chelsea being asked in an interview who's the best english player : "Paul Scholes."

Peter Schmeichel : "People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is, For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed.If he is having a bad game, a team-mate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn't notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. His reading of the game is unsurpassed.He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen."

Peter Schmeichel : "Still the best player in that United midfield."

Laurent Blanc : "Scholes is the best English player. Intelligence, technique, strength... all the attributes are there. At Manchester United I saw what he could do on the training field. Phew!"

Michael Carrick : "Paul Scholes is just fantastic. When you play alongside him, you realise what a special talent he is."

Michael Carrick : "He is a legend and he's going to be remembered for a long time. Just to play alongside him and learn from him has been an absolute pleasure. I think he is a footballer's footballer; he has been at this level for so long. As long as he is part of us we always feel we have a chance. We appreciate the way he goes about his business. I have never met a character like Scholesy; certainly not someone who is that good."

Park Ji Sung when asked by the club’s official home page which United player he would like to see in the red shirt of the Taeguk Warriors : “It has to be Paul Scholes.”

David Beckham said that, among his teammates at Real Madrid, which included Zinedine Zidane, Raúl, Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Roberto Carlos, Scholes was the most admired opponent : "He's always one of those people others talk about. Even playing at Real Madrid, the players always say to me 'what's he like'? They respect him as a footballer, and to have that respect from some of those players is great."

Brian Kidd : "Paul Scholes had the best football brain I'd ever seen in a kid. Let's face it. Paul Scholes is in a class of its own."

Rio Ferdinand : "I can honestly say Paul is the best player in the England squad. For me he is the complete player."

Rio Ferdinand : "For me, it's Paul Scholes. He'll do ridiculous things in training like say, "You see that tree over there?" - it'll be 40 yards away - "I'm going to hit it". And he'll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best."

Phil Neville : "Paul, for me, is the best player in the England team. It worries teams. Speak to any other international team and they will single Paul out as England's key player. For me, he doesn't get the full credit that he deserves. He is a world-class player and deserves to be up there with the likes of Zidane and Figo."

Gary Neville : "I wouldn't swap Paul Scholes for anybody. He is quite simply the most complete footballer I have ever played with. He is the best."

Gary Neville : "Paul Scholes is the best player I've ever played with. There's talent in every part of his game."

Steve Bruce : "He's the best player in Britain in my opinion and he has to get himself fit just before we are due to play at Old Trafford. I cannot pay Paul a bigger compliment than to say that he's the most complete footballer in the country. The best bar none."

Roy Keane : "An amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being."

George Best : "To be honest I think England have lost their best player. Certainly he's the most consistent and naturally gifted player we've had for a long, long time."

Sir Bobby Charlton : "I am sorry for England because they don't have any player like him. You can talk about others but there is no one else like him. He is the best technical player England has without any question. He could have had a lot more caps if he had carried on. And if I was the manager he would have ended up with more than I did – easy"

Sir Bobby Charlton : "He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."

Sir Bobby Charlton : "Paul Scholes is my favourite player. He epitomises the spirit of Manchester United and everything that is good about football."

Sir Alex Ferguson : "Very few players can do that, but Scholes is one of them - and I knew he was one of them. That's why, without question, I think Paul Scholes is the best player in England. He's got the best skills, the best brain. No one can match him."

Sir Alex Ferguson : "He has an awareness of what’s happening around him on the edge of the box which is better than most players. As a kid he always had a knack of arriving in the penalty area just at the right time, but he’s proving just as effective from outside the box because he’s using his experience in the right way. It doesn’t matter who I am thinking about bringing into my midfield, Paul Scholes will be included, as he would in any side in the world."

Sir Alex Ferguson : Sir Alex Ferguson gave evidence in court on behalf of one of his former trainees and listened to the prosecution barrister's list of United's top players.

"You've missed Paul Scholes - and he's my best player," Ferguson chided her

Zidane recently said his one regret was not being able to play with Scholes. Hopefully they play together in a charity match in future.

Socrates: "Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scho-les, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt."

Xabi Alonso:
“I’ve still got Paul Scholes’ shirt at home, which I swapped with him once," reveals Alonso in the latest edition of FourFourTwo.

"When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most."
“Maybe he’s not valued as much as he should be in England because of the style of football there and because he keeps a low profile
“Perhaps he would have been more valued in Spain, where midfielders like him form part of the ‘ideal’.”
“He certainly has the talent to have adapted to Spain – or Italy, or Germany, or France.
"Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount

Xavi:

"In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen - the most complete - is Scholes," he said.

"I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything.

"He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.

[cityfan31]

Scholes was always overrated. A good passer but a terrible tackler and a dirty little motherfucker!

[MikeNUFC]

We've signed Cabaye - from what I hear he's a decent box-to-box midfielder.

That looks like Barton and/or Nolan will be out this summer then. Barton has decided that criticising Ashley on Twitter was good cause of action, so that won't help. Would like us to just get as much as we can for him - it's frustrating but you can't be held to ransom by players/agents.

Gervinho is deciding who he's going to join on Friday and, although we've been linked, I'd very much doubt he'll choose us. I did say the same thing about Ben Arfa last year, mind.

It's nice that we're being linked with SOOOO many players so early. If we can get some coup's in early on, then it may encourage the likes of Enrique to stay on, as it shows out ambition.

I'd like our team to be something like this next year

Harper

Simpson
Saylor/NEW CB
Colo
Enrique/NEW LB

NEW RM
Tiote
Cabaye/Barton
Jonas/NEW LM

Ben Arfa (playing in behind striker/CAM)

NEW CF

[momentsgolden]

So, Micheal Owen signs a one-year contract extension with United. Am i missing something here?! Even if we were to sell Berbatov, we still dont have space for this FORMER great player in the squad. People like Walbeck and Macheda are behind him in the pecking order and that hurts for real. Nwae, hope Fergie does some damage limitation because 25 man squads are small. #worried

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... al?cc=3888

[Sleepy]

Scholes was always overrated. A good passer but a terrible tackler and a dirty little motherfucker!

get real Your city bias is really baffling at times

look at those quotes,Zidane,davids,xavi,henry,Fabregas,Vieira,keane,beckham,socrates and even your own Micah Richards