Football/Futbol/Soccer thread

[PorkChop]

Hoping to see the back of Alan Hutton today, wouldn't mind another player brought in either.

[prophet]

tune in to see the annoying fuck Jim White explode!

Blasphemer!

HAPPY JIM WHITE DAY

That's more like it!

January Deadline Day's only wind up being decent every 3 years or so. I remember the Robinho/Berbatov year then we had the Suarez/Torres/Carroll day which at the time was compelling TV. I know this is very ignorant of me to say but does anyone else wind up feeling completely underwhelmed when the 'big news' is coming from the likes of Fulham, Palace, West Ham, Celtic etc?

[PorkChop]

^ Agreed.

Norwich are getting trashed on Twitter over Hoolahan by basically everyone.

[AkydefGoldberg]

tune in to see the annoying fuck Jim White explode!

Blasphemer!

HAPPY JIM WHITE DAY

That's more like it!

January Deadline Day's only wind up being decent every 3 years or so. I remember the Robinho/Berbatov year then we had the Suarez/Torres/Carroll day which at the time was compelling TV. I know this is very ignorant of me to say but does anyone else wind up feeling completely underwhelmed when the 'big news' is coming from the likes of Fulham, Palace, West Ham, Celtic etc?

Sorry, can't stand the Jim White. I really can't.

But yeah good point and I saw an example of it. Julian Warren, the male presenter on SSN, hyped up some big breaking news and I get vaguely excited and then he said, "Let's go to Stoke!" and it was like ahh, right, OK.

I feel sorry for the reporters out in this weather and having to endure schoolkids standing around them like zombies, staring into the camera.

Also, Alan Hutton? Isn't he on loan in Spain or has he been returned to rot in the reserves? Hoolahan - don't see why Norwich just don't get rid, clearly wants to go.

[PorkChop]

One of the dullest transfer deadline days in recent memory imo.

[Daz]

^ Agreed.

Norwich are getting trashed on Twitter over Hoolahan by basically everyone.

Which is absolutely ridiculous quite frankly. An offer was made, it didn't meet the valuation Norwich put on Hoolahan and was rejected. They don't want to sell, which I personally don't agree with. i'd gladly drive Hoolahan there myself, but management don't want to sell him which is their prerogative ... especially to a team in and around us in the league, who'll be involved in the relegation fight until the end of the season. Why on earth would Norwich want to sell to a club and assist them, when every point counts. People are to caught up in this selling to Lambert bullshit.

The only person who should be criticized in all of this is Hoolahan himself, who has behaved like a petulant little child instead of a professional. It's almost as bad as Odemwinge trying to sell himself to QPR last year.

Its no different than the situation with Norwich trying to sign Hooper last year. We didn't meet Celtic's valuation, they rejected repeated offers. It was what it was, no fuss was made, Hooper kept his mouth shut and acted professionally, unlike Hoolahan. Then we signed him in the summer. Fair enough.

Some of the comments I've seen from Villa fans, are quite frankly fucking deluded. You're trying to sign a 32 year old squad player from Norwich, why are they so bloody upset? I half hope Norwich do loan him to WBA just for the laugh factor.

[PorkChop]

Which is absolutely ridiculous quite frankly. An offer was made, it didn't meet the valuation Norwich put on Hoolahan and was rejected. They don't want to sell, which I personally don't agree with.

I'm pretty sure you lot do want to sell him - I'd bet my left nut on that. Especially after he called you lot a "fucking shit club" recently. You just don't want to sell him to Paul Lambert.

i'd gladly drive Hoolahan there myself, but management don't want to sell him which is their prerogative ... especially to a team in and around us in the league, who'll be involved in the relegation fight until the end of the season.

We're in the top half of the table as things stand

Why on earth would Norwich want to sell to a club and assist them, when every point counts. People are to caught up in this selling to Lambert bullshit.

Apparently Hoolahan is heading to West Brom on loan, which clearly isn't beneficial to Norwich as A) He'll still be a Norwich player, and B) West Brom are probably going to finish closer to Norwich this season that Villa will at this rate, so that kind of throws that argument out the window, providing he signs with WBA.

Some of the comments I've seen from Villa fans, are quite frankly fucking deluded. You're trying to sign a 32 year old squad player from Norwich, why are they so bloody upset? I half hope Norwich do loan him to WBA just for the laugh factor.

A lot of Villa fans, including myself, don't want him - they're just pissed off that Norwich are refusing to deal with Paul Lambert after everything he did for them. It's very petty and the bad blood between Villa and Norwich is mostly coming from Norwich, because we took your manager. Villa fans just want the Norwich board to get over it.

[Daz]

Villa are three points above Norwich, Norwich are two points above West Brom. I think all three are gonna be fairly close together for the remainder of the Season, so that's not the issue.

Up until yesterday, Norwich made it abundantly clear they don't want to sell Hoolahan. Hoolahan then proceeded to throw his toys out of the prom. that reflects poorly on the man, not the club.

The offer by West Brom hasn't even been accepted, and I imagine it won't be, as Norwich do not want to sell. I think at this point they'd be glad to see Hoolahan sit in the reserves for the next few months and ship him off in the summer. He did his level best to burn his bridges.

We also rejected an offer from Swansea for Anthony Pilkington. I suppose we didn't want to sell Laudrup because he used to be our manager and left under bitter circumstances? Or maybe, it's just cause the club didn't want to sell one of our players, who we'll be needing to avoid relegation.

David McNally surely doesn't like Lambert, but if the right bid came in, he's smart enough to sell. It didn't, so he didn't. The whole Norwich board vs. Lambert is just panto bollocks that fans of both clubs have imagined up to make this shit seem like a bigger deal than it really is.

And frankly, the argument that we should sell because of what Lambert did for us is ludicrous. He did very well for us when he was here, then he left us high and dry and hasn't been too kind since leaving. Should we hold some sort of reverence for his transfer offers because he got us promoted? Of course not. They've been treated the same as any other offer.

[PorkChop]

Norwich need to get rid of Hoolahan, though. He's a squad player who doesn't want to play for the club, called them 'fucking shit' and probably won't play for them again. If Norwich don't sell, he'll just be sat in the reserves and still on the wage bill.

Lambert really likes him (for whatever reason) and has reportedly put in 3 bids for him today. Each of which were turned down. But West Brom put in a loan bid? All of a sudden Norwich seem to entertain the idea, despite being a less beneficial offer for the club for several reasons. Hence, people have drawn the conclusion that Norwich won't deal with Paul Lambert and are simply being petty.

[Daz]

I don't think they're entertaining the bid any more than they did the bids from Villa. Norwich made it clear in the summer when Chelsea made a bid for Ruddy, that no first team players were for sale. They've done the same twice this window. I'm not sure that's changed, regardless of what Hoolahan has said. And if the little bastard has any sense, and if he is still here come tomorrow, he'll do a lot of apologizing to the club and to the fans who (for some reason I cannot fathom) hero worship the clown here.

I don't really rate him, but we'd need to bring another attacking minded midfielder in before getting shot of him to be honest. Otherwise we'll be very light up front and we're not exactly banging them in as is.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Brian McDermott sacked by Leeds.

Harsh - he seems a decent chap but alot of turmoil going on there. Anyone fill me in on what this situation is with Ross McCormack, apparently he gave some 'statement' on SSN which he later tweeted was pointless?

[Romo]

Brian McDermott sacked by Leeds.

Harsh - he seems a decent chap but alot of turmoil going on there. Anyone fill me in on what this situation is with Ross McCormack, apparently he gave some 'statement' on SSN which he later tweeted was pointless?

He said he'd stay because he likes playing under McDermott, less then an hour after McDermott was sacked and now he doesn't know if he wants to stay or not

[PorkChop]

Norwich confirm on Twitter that they won't be signing anyone else or letting anyone go, including Hoolahan.

Nice work, Norwich 6 months of Hoolahoop sitting in your reserves eating away at your wage bill and lowering morale, then probably leaving on a free in the summer. I didn't even want him at Villa, but the way Norwich have handled the situation has been terrible. Good business, well played lads.

[Viazon]

Natalie Sawyer.

I love deadline day.

I don't even wanna watch anymore but can't change the channel while she is on my screen.

[Daz]

Norwich confirm on Twitter that they won't be signing anyone else or letting anyone go, including Hoolahan.

Nice work, Norwich 6 months of Hoolahoop sitting in your reserves eating away at your wage bill and lowering morale, then probably leaving on a free in the summer. I didn't even want him at Villa, but the way Norwich have handled the situation has been terrible. Good business, well played lads.

He still has 18 months left on his contract, so he won't be leaving on a free. more time to sell him and bring in a replacement in the summer. The Norwich board made their position clear, stuck to their guns, and Hoolahan is gonna have to force his way into the team and perform well if he wants to get a decent move to a premiership team at the end of the season. I think honestly, the only one who handled the situation poorly was Hoolahan himself. You don't slag off you current employers when you don't even have one foot out of the door yet ... it's just fucking stupid.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Natalie Sawyer.

I love deadline day.

I don't even wanna watch anymore but can't change the channel while she is on my screen.

Hell yes. I feel sorry for her she has to sit next to Jim White but even that new girl Kate Abdo ain't bad either.

On Hoolahan - credit to Norwich for putting their foot down and not letting Hoolahan go and showing that club power still can rule the roost, aka Rooney and United last summer. The club made it very clear that he wouldn't leave at all, never mind sell him to Chelsea. But Hoolahan is 31 so I think might have been best to get rid of purely from making sure team harmony doesn't get disrupted but he's 31, doubt he's on big wages so probably let him go in the summer. I don't think Villa need him massively, think their midfield ain't too bad.

[Viazon]

Natalie Sawyer.

I love deadline day.

I don't even wanna watch anymore but can't change the channel while she is on my screen.

Hell yes. I feel sorry for her she has to sit next to Jim White but even that new girl Kate Abdo ain't bad either.

Thank you! I was wondering what her name was. Now I can Google her. She is indeed very sexy. Is she English? It sounded like she has kind of a slight accent.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Natalie Sawyer.

I love deadline day.

I don't even wanna watch anymore but can't change the channel while she is on my screen.

Hell yes. I feel sorry for her she has to sit next to Jim White but even that new girl Kate Abdo ain't bad either.

Thank you! I was wondering what her name was. Now I can Google her. She is indeed very sexy. Is she English? It sounded like she has kind of a slight accent.

I think she is. She was based in Germany presenting on Sky Germany before she got this gig. But she's multi-lingual which helps her I guess.

Pretty uneventful transfer day besides McDermott getting the sack, seems he was majorly undermined by this new potential Italian investor.

[PorkChop]

Fulham are as good as down. Bottom of the table and in their next 4 games they have United, Liverpool and Chelsea to play.

[Romo]

Hey Aky,