Egypt Speaks, You Listen

Plenty of good reaction to our post last week from (and with) Mohamed, the current overall #30 (up from 37 last week). So we've asked him for another round of player suggestions which you'll find below.

Egypt Speaks, You Listen

Although Neal and I are hip deep in this stuff every day, sometimes it doesn't seem like we're actually doing that well. We're usually in the top 5% of teams, but it has been a while since either of us were knocking it out of the park - to mix sports metaphors - on any regular basis.

One friend of the blog (FOB) who has been killing it for the last month or so is Mohamed Kileeny. Mohamed participated in our Liverpool Round-table before the season started and now finds himself in the top 50 teams overall. Mohamed rotates the majority of his team week-to-week, looking for the best match-ups rather than holding players long-term. And he has an uncanny knack for finding the week's random goal-scorer be they MGP, Huth, Crouch or Evra -- just to name the ones from the past month!

I've solicited Mo's (I hope you don't mind if we call you Mo) help and asked him to preview the week for us. Here's a little insight into how one of the top players approaches his team:

A Glimpse Inside

A glimpse inside my Friday, in blog round-table fashion.  You'll see a lot of back-and-forth, some hemming-and-hawing, a fair bit of over-thinking and a pinch of... well, a lot more over-thinking.  In the end, I think my team will look like this this weekend:

PRobbo // Bale Zhirkov Boateng // VDV Brunt Walcott Obertan // Drogba Hernandez Gyan

Or maybe...

Fabianski // Bale Zhirkov Boateng // VDV Brunt Milijas Obertan // Drogba Hernandez Gyan

As for how I got here (where ever that is)...

Manchester City versus Liverpool - Live

For what it's worth, four of these players are on display today.

Neal Thurman: wow, no DSilva vs. Liv
Neal Thurman: Hart, Richards, K. Toure, Kompany, Lescott, De Jong, Barry, Y. Toure, Milner, A. Johnson, Tevez
Neal Thurman: 5 Ms, no Silva, and still no K2 - not going to go well for them today is it?
Neal Thurman: Liverpool on the other hand going all out in attack and have Ngog, Torres, Kuyt, Jovanovic, and Gerrard all starting
Jeremy Spitzberg: wow
Jeremy Spitzberg: citeh at home, right?
Neal Thurman: yup
Jeremy Spitzberg: milner wide right?
Neal Thurman: I know he's Italian and all but isn't this the same Mancini who regularly played Inter to 4-3 matches with all sorts of crazy twists and turns?
Jeremy Spitzberg: he and aj crossing for...
Jeremy Spitzberg: um...
Jeremy Spitzberg: never mind
Jeremy Spitzberg: they'll swap flanks so they can come inside
Jeremy Spitzberg: someone described mancini's inter teams as "let's keep it tight and ibra will do something to win it for us"
Neal Thurman: I remember watching them come back from 3-0 to win 4-3 in the last 20 minutes at least once while he was there (pre-match-fixing scandal) and remember the reverse happening at least once as well
Neal Thurman: maybe he manages differently when he (theoretically) has more talent but when Inter was 3rd best behind Milan and Juve he seemed to let fly a bit more
Jeremy Spitzberg: it's crazy
Jeremy Spitzberg: three holding players to protect 4 center backs
Neal Thurman: and they STILL aren't going to stop anyone
Jeremy Spitzberg: guess toure gets forward, but all i've ever seen him do is play balls over the top
Jeremy Spitzberg: sometimes it works out...
Jeremy Spitzberg: often times not
Jeremy Spitzberg: especially if your fwd players are silva and swp
Jeremy Spitzberg: or aj and milner as the case may be
Neal Thurman: I mean, Spurs went through them like they weren't there in the first half
Jeremy Spitzberg: with tevez dropping deeper and deeper
Neal Thurman: 4-6-0
Jeremy Spitzberg: balotelli saved for Europe?
Jeremy Spitzberg: Jo to Fulham! ;-)
Neal Thurman: lol
Jeremy Spitzberg: will be interesting to see if liv are in 4-4-2
Jeremy Spitzberg: jova and kuyt wide?
Jeremy Spitzberg: without jcole he's changing formations?
Neal Thurman: seems likely
Jeremy Spitzberg: or torres being back the bigger factor?
Neal Thurman: most likely JCole replaces N'gog
Jeremy Spitzberg: but cole plays deeper than ngog
Jeremy Spitzberg: though we'll see
Neal Thurman: perhaps but no real like-for-like alternative available
Neal Thurman: unless you want to move Maxi centrally (blech)
Jeremy Spitzberg: no, but kuyt could move infield
Neal Thurman: true but I like him more as the right side of a 4-3-3 much more than as the 2nd striker in a 4-4-2
Jeremy Spitzberg: leaves LIV with no strikers on the bench
Jeremy Spitzberg: for what it's worth
Jeremy Spitzberg: while not even enough room for all of citeh's
Jeremy Spitzberg: jo to liv!
Neal Thurman: lol
Neal Thurman: heck, he's over 6' tall - Jo to the Citeh starting line-up
Jeremy Spitzberg: lol
Neal Thurman: Balotelli is apparently out with a knee
Jeremy Spitzberg: thank you, neal simmons
Neal Thurman: :-)
Jeremy Spitzberg: alright...
Jeremy Spitzberg: time to fire up espn3
Neal Thurman: nice - any reports are welcome
Jeremy Spitzberg: will do
Jeremy Spitzberg: after these important messages
Neal Thurman: lol

Manchester United v. Newcastle United - Live

Updated below (after the jump) with second half "call" and post-match wrap up.

Neal Thurman: sigh - Rooney and Valencia in, Fabio out (apparently the Evra resting thing was a red herring)
Neal Thurman: O'Shea was the right choice
Jeremy Spitzberg: boo
Jeremy Spitzberg: well, if i had to pick 2 outta 3...
Jeremy Spitzberg: those would be the two
Neal Thurman: grr
Jeremy Spitzberg: espn3?
Neal Thurman: I'm still between internet providers so I don't have an ESPN3 account to use right now :-(
Jeremy Spitzberg: loading
Jeremy Spitzberg: nice
Jeremy Spitzberg: MAX BRETOS?
Jeremy Spitzberg: oh hell no
Neal Thurman: yeah, he went over to ESPN over the summer
Neal Thurman: just when you thought it was safe...
Jeremy Spitzberg: yuck
Jeremy Spitzberg: carroll is a big dude
Jeremy Spitzberg: not pretty either
Jeremy Spitzberg: fabio not even on the bench
Jeremy Spitzberg: sigh
Neal Thurman: oh well - my only non-starter of the weekend which puts me up on lots of people - now I can comfortably root for a ManYoo loss, Rooney RC, etc
Jeremy Spitzberg: comm shield Owen's swan song?
Neal Thurman: could be - nice of SAF to give him a send-off but would have been nice if he'd told any/everybody

Monday Morning Managers

Is this Bolton's third-choice left back?  It'll all make sense if you keep reading.

Your two fearless managers expound on Premier League news and build our teams before your very eyes... in classic roundtable style.

Warning: This is the better part of two days worth of conversation and covers a lot of topics without the courtesy of a segue.

The One Where Jeremy Picks a Team

Jeremy Spitzberg: have you put together a "real" team yet?
Jeremy Spitzberg: guess there's no hurry
Neal Thurman: check your text messages
Neal Thurman: :-)
Neal Thurman: EvdS, Boateng, Koscielny, [space for Korolev], MPet, Eth, JCole, DSilva, Chamack, new LIV striker, Roonaldo
Jeremy Spitzberg: why don't you just TELL me what movie you want to see
Neal Thurman: ?
Jeremy Spitzberg: never mind
Jeremy Spitzberg: jcole super cheap?
Jeremy Spitzberg: or you have expectations?
Neal Thurman: 7.06
Neal Thurman: cheap
Jeremy Spitzberg: too bad jovanovic is a striker
Neal Thurman: Riera already out the door, rumors that Maxi will follow - seems like they're making room for JCole - even if his stats are "Yossi-like" that's not terrible at 7
Jeremy Spitzberg: true
Jeremy Spitzberg: we'll see
Jeremy Spitzberg: emerton a middie
Jeremy Spitzberg: starting from the last page and working fwd
Jeremy Spitzberg: in case any bargains jump out at me

Considering Group F

A profane (you've been warned) take on the final Group F matches - Italy/Slovakia and Paraguay/New Zealand - in the style of a blog roundtable.

Considering Groups G and H

Video of this "wonder" goal after the jump.

In which we are disappointed with Ronaldo, curse the Swiss, and bash a generation of players through no fault of their own.

Considering Group C

The only goal-mouth action we got from England/Algeria.

In which we consider the situation in Group C after yesterday's matches and somehow end up talking about Arsenal. But then again, don't we always?

Bloggers of the Round Table 2: Top 4 Pretenders

From Neal's kick-off:

I am going to nominate James Milner as the topic of this next post and even get more specific about what he means as a symbol of the ability of each of the current pretenders - AST, MAC, LIV - to challenge for a Champions League spot for next season OR the ability of England's highest profile club - MAN - to attract and pay top level talent given their financial situation, their location, and the higher taxes imposed on footballers in the UK compared to elsewhere in Europe.

You can read the whole discussion at Y!AM's blog.

Blog Roundtable

In which we discuss Fabregas, Aston Villa and their upcoming double match week, and look at keeper choices for the remainder of the season.

Blog Roundtable

Because you haven't demanded it, the return of your least favorite blog feature.

[12:57] JSpitzberg: ok...
[12:58] JSpitzberg: kpb/sonko --> sidwell/mears
[12:58] Neal J Thurman: who does Mears have this week?
[12:59] JSpitzberg: home to hull
[12:59] Neal J Thurman: seems reasonable
[13:00] Neal J Thurman: although Sidwell got killed in F365's winners and losers feature for just not being very good for pretty much the entire duration of his post-Reading career which makes it hard to pull the trigger on that today
[13:01] JSpitzberg: ha
[13:01] JSpitzberg: that's what made me look at him
[13:01] Neal J Thurman: the reverse Sports Illustrated/Madden Jinx?
[13:01] JSpitzberg: buy low
[13:01] Neal J Thurman: if those guys tend to start underperforming as they regress to the mean, then Sidwell should be better as he progresses back toward the mean?
[13:02] JSpitzberg: sonko @ 3 something....
[13:02] JSpitzberg: hate that
[13:03] JSpitzberg: enablers should be a buck
[13:03] JSpitzberg: hate a midfield enabler too
[13:03] JSpitzberg: but at 2 per match...
[13:03] JSpitzberg: that's 4 v. sonko's 0
[13:03] JSpitzberg: assuming you don't bring him back having kept a cleanie
[13:03] JSpitzberg: then i like mear's matchup and return
[13:03] JSpitzberg: i dunno
[13:04] JSpitzberg: don't like anything about this
[13:05] Neal J Thurman: I'm hoping to just write this weekend off as picking around the points (DBent over Saha, Cesc over MPet, took risk on Bily, etc) and try not to stress about it
[13:05] Neal J Thurman: Milner looked a good bet but did f*ck-all
[13:06] JSpitzberg: yup
[13:06] JSpitzberg: but gotta ride him through the 2 games
[13:06] Neal J Thurman: yup
[13:07] JSpitzberg: then maybe he becomes bily?
[13:07] JSpitzberg: so sidwell becomes someone decent...
[13:07] JSpitzberg: well 1/2 decent... as well
[13:07] Neal J Thurman: will have to see what the prognosis for Bily is (between health and Pienaar coming back)
[13:08] JSpitzberg: and osman being out
[13:08] Neal J Thurman: right
[13:09] Neal J Thurman: Everton a bit of a mess really
[13:09] JSpitzberg: and of course saha scores
[13:09] JSpitzberg: after we all loaded him up and then bailed
[13:10] Neal J Thurman: yup
[13:11] JSpitzberg: collison interesting
[13:11] JSpitzberg: but that might mean gutting kranc instead of kpb
[13:11] JSpitzberg: and i'm 1 for 1 betting against Ars ;-)
[13:13] Neal J Thurman: guys who take kicks always seem to be a good bet against ARS - lots of bad penalties and scrambles at the back that lead to corners
[13:13] Neal J Thurman: penalties = fouls
[13:13] JSpitzberg: some of both
[13:13] Neal J Thurman: but the occasional penalty too
[13:20] JSpitzberg: kightly off the schnide...
[13:20] JSpitzberg: into the black for the year ;-)
[13:21] JSpitzberg: @stoke (wouldn't have him this week anyway)...
[13:21] JSpitzberg: ars (taking kicks against)....
[13:21] JSpitzberg: @che (ouch)
[13:21] JSpitzberg: brm, bol, @spurs, @man, burn, @liv, mac
[13:22] JSpitzberg: *sigh*
[13:28] Neal J Thurman: gonna be tough to pick him - especially now that he's shown that he's a big YC guy
[13:29] JSpitzberg: but for the cost...
[13:29] JSpitzberg: gonna be hard to stay away :-(
[13:29] Neal J Thurman: true

Odd Moves?

Jeremy and I were IMing earlier today about some of the moves that seem likely to be completed in the next day or two. I'll spare you the transcript - Jeremy likes that gimmick more than I do [I sure do... and here it is] - but here are some thoughts:

1. Fulham striker Zamora joins Hull in £5m deal - Huh? I don't object to Hull picking up Zamora for depth, he's an adequate 3rd or 4th striker for a team with aspirations of being mid-table. On the other hand, paying £5M for him seems, well, insanely high. In my opinion this shows how lazy or unable to scout outside the obvious places - those being other people's leftovers, the Championship, the SPL, and maybe some of the other Continental leagues. Steve Bruce may get some flack for non-Argentine/non-Brazilian South and Central Americans but they're certainly better value for the money if you're willing to do the work to find that talent.


2. Sunderland confirm Crouch talks - I don't really have anything to say about Crouch one way or the other with the exception of the fact that he's definitely not a replacement for Cisse as Kenwyne Jones' partner. I assume this move would imply that KJ is on his way elsewhere - seems like a little bit of a downgrade to me but only marginally. Seems like the Black Cats would be better served letting Crouchy head to Fulham and focusing on that Darren Bent rumor.


3. Villa try to clinch Downing deal
   Villa working on Downing capture - I actually like this one a lot more than Jeremy does. One of Villa's biggest problems last season was that the squad was too small. They now have Ashley Young, James Milner, Gabby Agbonlahor, and Downing to rotate between two wing spots and one "small" striker to partner Heskey/Carew. If Petrov fills in Barry's spot as a holding midfielder which he was doing reasonably well when asked last season then they're in pretty good shape outside of the defence. Maybe a little expensive for someone who might not be a first choice starter every week but still a good deal if they can afford it.

---

As threatened, here's the 'blog roundtable' we had over instant message today.

[08:49] JSpitzberg: EJ doing well for FUL in their pre-season
[08:49] JSpitzberg: set up 2 for nevland yesterday
[08:49] Neal J Thurman: wow
[08:49] Neal J Thurman: could be a nice thing for him if he can get some PT
[08:50] JSpitzberg: welcome back
[08:51] JSpitzberg: odd xfer rumours...
[08:51] JSpitzberg: zamora to hull for 5mil
[08:52] JSpitzberg: not odd, but surely overpriced
[08:52] JSpitzberg: crouch to sunderland? thought he was going to ful to replace zamora
[08:52] JSpitzberg: and downing to villa...
[08:52] JSpitzberg: who have the left wing covered, thank you very much
[09:12] Neal J Thurman: the only one that makes much sense to me is Downing - Villa's big problem is squad depth so having a mix and match of Downing, Gabby, BFAY, and Milner (plus maybe Bentley?) for two wings and the "small" striker seems reasonable
[09:13] Neal J Thurman: assuming that Kenwyne heads somewhere (maybe FUL?) if Crouchy goes to SUN
[09:13] Neal J Thurman: Zamora is too expensive at that price

---

[12:33] Neal J Thurman: Any chance that Downing to Villa signals that BFAY will be moving along?
[12:35] JSpitzberg: that was my first thought
[12:35] JSpitzberg: but i just don't see that
[12:35] JSpitzberg: who knows
[12:35] JSpitzberg: downing also played through the middle a little
[12:35] JSpitzberg: off a striker
[12:35] JSpitzberg: so maybe they can convert him like barry to a left-sided, central player
[12:36] Neal J Thurman: would fit his pace (err, lack of) a little better
[12:36] JSpitzberg: and if petrov has really found a role holding in mid...
[12:36] JSpitzberg: could work
[12:37] JSpitzberg: but who takes kicks? ;-)
[12:37] JSpitzberg: sure hope it's BFAY
[12:37] JSpitzberg: downing hasn't met a cross he couldn't over- or under- hit
[12:37] Neal J Thurman: lol - excellent question with the worst possible likely answer is that they get split up between Downing/BFAY/Milner/Petrov
[12:38] Neal J Thurman: but agreed on Downing not being an upgrade in that regard
[12:40] JSpitzberg: they also played downing on the right at times
[12:40] JSpitzberg: so he can cover milner
[12:40] JSpitzberg: but not sure i agree with that
[12:40] Neal J Thurman: would work in a pinch
[12:40] JSpitzberg: not sure you can look at anything boro did last season and say "hey, we should really try that"
[12:41] Neal J Thurman: they definitely need some additional cover
[12:41] JSpitzberg: 12million worth of cover
[12:41] JSpitzberg: and someone who needs to play to have a shot at 2010
[12:41] Neal J Thurman: seems to be the price of admission for a decent player these days - see Zamora for 5M
[12:41] JSpitzberg: ugh... that's unconscionable
[12:41] Neal J Thurman: it really is
[12:42] JSpitzberg: and fulham bought him for the same price
[12:42] Neal J Thurman: but in fairness, Hull paid much more than that for someone who only has one leg last January
[12:42] JSpitzberg: 4 goals later and they don't lose money on the deal?
[12:42] JSpitzberg: hull are getting desperate, me thinks
[12:42] Neal J Thurman: agreed
[12:42] JSpitzberg: we'll hear about zamora's work rate and how he helps the team
[12:43] Neal J Thurman: OR Zamora recaptures that WHU form of two seasons ago and Jummy is healthy and they're a much better team
[12:43] JSpitzberg: but i don't remember AJ or duece terrorizing anyone off zamora's work rate either
[12:43] Neal J Thurman: but probably the former
[12:43] JSpitzberg: did that form last more than a month?
[12:43] JSpitzberg: anomaly
[12:44] Neal J Thurman: probably
[13:03] JSpitzberg: melo to juve
[13:03] JSpitzberg: back to the drawing board
[13:43] Neal J Thurman: yup :-(
[13:44] Neal J Thurman: although I had a hard time getting TOO excited about him after Brazil gave up two early goals to the US :-)
[13:44] JSpitzberg: maybe they can get lucio instead
[13:44] JSpitzberg: LUCIO SMASH!
[13:44] Neal J Thurman: :-)
[14:11] Neal J Thurman: I still want them to go after Marco Senna
[14:16] JSpitzberg: old and injured
[14:16] JSpitzberg: jeremy toulalan!
[14:16] JSpitzberg: or if you want an injured player, how about poaching mammadou (sp?) diarra from real madrid?

Premier League Transfer Round-Up

Zhirkov 'a Chelsea player'
Chelsea sign Russian winger Zhirkov
Zhirkov is a realy quality player, but I'm not sure I understand this signing.  Neal seems to think that there was already a deal in place and given Chelsea's Russian ties, it makes sense.  But Florent Malouda and Ashley Cole finally started clicking on the left-hand side for Chelsea and you wouldn't think it worthwhile to break that up.  The only thing I can think of is that FloMa moves infield as a second striker and Zhirkov plays out wide.  Now if he's also listed as a defender in the fantasy game... +10 for sure!

Foster inks new Man Utd deal
Now the only question is where will Ben Foster play this season on loan?  Hopefully it's a half-decent Premier League side though most teams seems to be settled at keeper.  Maybe Portsmouth tries to cash in on James and gets Foster on loan for a season until their ownership situation is settled.  And speaking of loan signings...

Jo set for Everton deal
Seems good business for all involved.  Well, if you don't count the 18million that Citeh paid to CSKA Moscow.  That looks like a bit of a waste now, doesn't it?  But clearly Hughes doesn't rate Jo, despite his good form at Everton.  On the other hand, Moyes gets to keep a player who flourished in his system (at least at Goodison Park) and hopefully will get to play him in tandem with Yakubu.  After all, Jo only looked an 18million player when partnered with Wagner Love.

Fiorentina ponder Melo swap
Felipe Melo for Emmanuel Eboue?  For most Arsenal fans, I think this falls into the category of "I'll drive him to the airport!".  But what is it with Wenger and Brazilian holding players?  First Silva, then Denilson and now Melo?   It's like going to France for the beer.  Or Italy for the hamburgers.

United favourites to bag Obertan
Obertan on brink of Man Utd move
French ace set for United
Another for the future, or with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, on for the here and now?  Tosic, Nani, Park and possibly Rooney akready give SAF options on the wing.  But none have the experience or the game-changing skills that United will need next season.  None, save for Rooney and I'm thinking that it is less and less likely that he'll be deployed through the middle.  Perhaps a front three of Rooney, Berbatov and Samuel Eto'o trying to replicate Eto'o's Barcelona from this season just past?

Martin makes Ipswich switch
Not Premier League, but with an opening like this... "Ipswich manager Roy Keane has raided former club Manchester United to sign winger Lee Martin for an undisclosed fee."... I couldn't resist an "who could have seen THAT coming?  Next thing you know he'll sign a former Ireland teamate! Sheesh!

And the big news of the week, which at this point seems so long ago:

Owen completes surprise Man Utd move
Owen completes stunning Manchester United move
Let's break it down, blog roundtable style.

[09:31] Neal J Thurman: Mikey Owen as the new Ole?
[09:31] Neal J Thurman: 3rd striker behind Roonaldo and Berbs?
[09:31] JSpitzberg: that the latest rumour?
[09:31] Neal J Thurman: y
[09:32] JSpitzberg: interesting
[09:32] JSpitzberg: still don't like it
[09:32] JSpitzberg: but interesting
[09:32] JSpitzberg: why spend all that money on him
[09:32] Neal J Thurman: apparently the odds have moved from 20/1 to 7/4 in the last day or so
[09:32] JSpitzberg: when you have a bunch of young guys you can use as impact subs?
[09:33] Neal J Thurman: not ready for big stage, etc.
[09:33] JSpitzberg: and give them the experience you can capitalize on in the future
[09:33] Neal J Thurman: same reason you don't want to have to count on Bendtner at ARS or Di Santo at CHE
[09:34] Neal J Thurman: he actually seems like the perfect solution for them - no transfer fee, probably not crazy wages, can limit his minutes and play younger guys to "keep him fresh"
[09:34] JSpitzberg: is he free?
[09:34] Neal J Thurman: y
[09:34] JSpitzberg: out of contract?
[09:34] Neal J Thurman: y
[09:35] JSpitzberg: can cover attacking mid too
[09:35] JSpitzberg: still not convinced it's money well spent
[09:35] JSpitzberg: but can't argue w/ it on football terms
[09:36] Neal J Thurman: guess it comes down to the salary he wants and the opportunity cost of that money - not sure what their options are at this point
[09:36] Neal J Thurman: save money for midfielders, i guess
[09:37] JSpitzberg: waiting for the madrid fire sale
[09:37] Neal J Thurman: bring Ruud back
[09:37] JSpitzberg: if you want someone old and past it that can give you a spark...
[09:37] JSpitzberg: why not robben?
[09:37] Neal J Thurman: why not both :-)
[09:37] JSpitzberg: ha
[09:37] JSpitzberg: sure

Blog Roundtable

Your least favorite blog feature returns.  In this episode Neal and Jeremy wonder over the fallout of Real Madrid's shopping spree, wax nostalgic over MLS, and run the rule over Brazil's holding midfielders (really!).

Session Start (jspitzberg:Neal J Thurman): Wed Jul 01 13:34:38 2009
[13:34] JSpitzberg: seems to be official
[13:34] Neal J Thurman: Karim to Real?
[13:34] JSpitzberg: http://fantasyepl.blogspot.com/2009/07/real-madrid-sign-united-target-benzema.html
[13:36] Neal J Thurman: how are they funding all of this activity?
[13:36] Neal J Thurman: they can't have sold THAT many Beckham jerseys while he was there
[13:36] JSpitzberg: "loans"
[13:36] Neal J Thurman: do the Arabs secretly own Real as well?
[13:37] JSpitzberg: basically govt bonds
[13:37] JSpitzberg: no...
[13:37] JSpitzberg: full faith and credit of the king of spain
[13:37] Neal J Thurman: I guess there's a reason that they're called "Real"
[13:38] Neal J Thurman: I wonder about your point on selling the cast-offs to Champions League competitors
[13:38] JSpitzberg: wonder how?
[13:39] Neal J Thurman: since those are the teams with the money to pay (Citeh aside) I wonder if the can afford NOT to sell to Milan/Inter/ManYoo/Ars/Che/Liv
[13:39] JSpitzberg: true...
[13:39] Neal J Thurman: Citeh can't buy all those guys (OK, I suppose they could but even they aren't that crazy)
[13:39] JSpitzberg: but i'm saying there would be a premium
[13:39] JSpitzberg: for manu
[13:39] JSpitzberg: that say a villa
[13:39] JSpitzberg: that quitely has lerner's money
[13:39] JSpitzberg: wouldn't have to pay
[13:40] Neal J Thurman: guess it depends on whether those clubs have the money to spend - Villa (and Lerner's money) have been VERY quiet thus far this summre
[13:41] JSpitzberg: makes sense
[13:41] Neal J Thurman: Spurs are talking a lot but doing nothing; Villa aren't even talking; EVE don't have any money
[13:41] JSpitzberg: TOO much real and citeh money around
[13:41] JSpitzberg: wait for that to settle
[13:41] Neal J Thurman: Sunderland probably aren't a "big" enough team to attract those names
[13:41] JSpitzberg: NO one else is doing anything
[13:41] JSpitzberg: save for the promoted sides
[13:41] Neal J Thurman: except Burnley who are signing everyone
[13:41] Neal J Thurman: and yet no one
[13:42] Neal J Thurman: and Wolves who (I think) got a good deal on Doyle
[13:42] JSpitzberg: and they're shopping at walmart, not neiman marcus
[13:42] JSpitzberg: tesco, not sainsbury
[13:42] Neal J Thurman: lol
[13:42] JSpitzberg: or something like that
[13:43] Neal J Thurman: so you figure that Villa goes to Barca, Eto'o to Citeh and then the real business starts playing out with all of the crazy money off the table?
[13:44] JSpitzberg: i'm starting to think eto'o to utd
[13:45] Neal J Thurman: could be
[13:45] Neal J Thurman: wonder if he'll take less money to go to a bigger club
[13:45] Neal J Thurman: if he's going to move to Manchester
[13:46] JSpitzberg: i can't speak for him...
[13:46] JSpitzberg: but you figure playing in the CL
[13:46] JSpitzberg: rather than the Carling Cup
[13:46] JSpitzberg: has it's attraction
[13:46] JSpitzberg: and good for him if he's willing to not take top dollar in order to play top football
[13:47] JSpitzberg: speaking of (kinda)... how interesting was it to see GSilva playing at international level?
[14:11] Neal J Thurman: yeah, GSilva was sort of invisible out there
[14:12] JSpitzberg: isn't that his thing?
[14:12] JSpitzberg: isn't he "the invisible wall"?
[14:12] JSpitzberg: but if anyone is a judge of holding players, it's got to be dunga ;-)
[14:12] Neal J Thurman: lol - but only if the "wall" part is working
[14:12] JSpitzberg: or was gsilva the best brazil had... faint praise
[14:13] Neal J Thurman: didn't they actually use two holding guys in that line-up - nelo or melo or something like that being the other?
[14:13] JSpitzberg: y
[14:13] JSpitzberg: that's dunga's system
[14:14] Neal J Thurman: wonder if Wenger was watching what two holding Ms combined with a lot of attacking talent can do
[14:14] Neal J Thurman: :-)
[14:14] JSpitzberg: sanga != maicon
[14:14] JSpitzberg: but it would be fun if they gave it a try
[14:15] Neal J Thurman: sadly, no Amaury to insert come next year
[14:15] JSpitzberg: couldn't gauruntee first team football
[14:16] Neal J Thurman: or that he'd actually be healthy for 10 consecutive days
[14:16] Neal J Thurman: (althought that hasn't led to 'sicky's release yet)
[14:16] JSpitzberg: ha
[14:16] Neal J Thurman: any mid-week MLS this week?
[14:16] JSpitzberg: don't think so
[14:16] JSpitzberg: 1 friday game
[14:16] JSpitzberg: rest 7/4 w/ fireworks
[14:16] Neal J Thurman: makes sense
[14:16] JSpitzberg: biggest attendance day, IIRC
[14:17] Neal J Thurman: something has to draw the crowds
[14:17] Neal J Thurman: means I can deal with line-up changes tomorrow :-)
[14:19] Neal J Thurman: wow, talk about optimistic - I hadn't realized that there is an American Airlines logo embedded in the MLS schedule grid (presumably to encourage people to fly to see a match)
[14:19] Neal J Thurman: I wonder if anyone has ever clicked on it
[14:19] Neal J Thurman: and actually followed through and bought a ticket
[14:29] JSpitzberg: i clicked it to see what it was about
[14:29] JSpitzberg: professional interest
[14:29] Neal J Thurman: and?
[14:30] JSpitzberg: doesn't even prepopulate a destination field
[14:30] JSpitzberg: just takes you to AA.com
[14:30] JSpitzberg: LAME
[14:30] Neal J Thurman: how useless
[14:30] JSpitzberg: btw, check the blog for gold cup/mls info
[14:30] JSpitzberg: lots of players out
[14:30] Neal J Thurman: our blog or the MLS blog?
[14:36] JSpitzberg: ours
[14:36] Neal J Thurman: nice
[14:36] JSpitzberg: ;-)
[14:36] JSpitzberg: i needed the 411 anyway
[14:36] JSpitzberg: for instance, cummings was called up by jamaica
[14:37] Neal J Thurman: grumble
[14:37] JSpitzberg: just an example of the things you might learn
[14:37] Neal J Thurman: and am learning as we speak, err, IM
[14:38] Neal J Thurman: wow, remember the days when DCU was decimated by these tournaments because they had so many good players
[14:39] Neal J Thurman: (and the days when the US roster for an Int'l tournament didn't include so many chumps)
[14:41] JSpitzberg: lol
[14:41] JSpitzberg: usa, boliva, el salvador
[14:41] JSpitzberg: didn't leave us with much
[14:42] JSpitzberg: curt onalfo getting PT
[14:44] Neal J Thurman: I'm not even sure I know who Brad Evans is (East Coast bias and all that)
[14:44] JSpitzberg: seattle middie
[14:44] JSpitzberg: i think he came over from CLB
[14:44] JSpitzberg: takes kicks ;-)
[14:45] Neal J Thurman: which would be great if MLS had a decent fantasy game :-)
[14:45] JSpitzberg: lol
[14:46] JSpitzberg: indeed
[14:46] JSpitzberg: though in a real game you'd be upset that Cummings missed a PK
[14:46] JSpitzberg: in this game...
[14:46] JSpitzberg: meh
[14:46] JSpitzberg: i'm relieved, you are pissed
[14:46] JSpitzberg: but not gutted
[14:46] Neal J Thurman: although I'm not sure I have it in me to learn about obscure wing backs from FC Dallas because they take corners from one side of the other
[14:46] JSpitzberg: lol
[14:46] JSpitzberg: fcd home to nyrb
[14:46] JSpitzberg: but cooper gone
[14:46] JSpitzberg: so why bother?
[14:47] Neal J Thurman: you mean why even bother playing the game?
[14:47] Neal J Thurman: I completely agree
[14:47] JSpitzberg: well, picking for fantasy
[14:47] JSpitzberg: but they could cancel the game for all i care
[14:47] JSpitzberg: save everyone the heat stroke
[14:47] Neal J Thurman: exactly

United set to stop splashing cash

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has indicated the Red Devils' triple transfer swoop could mark the end of their summer spending.United have confirmed England international Owen Hargreaves will join them from Bayern Munich on July 1, with only the 25-year-old's signature required to complete a £17million deal.

Neither Anderson nor Nani can expect to play as many games as their fellow new arrival, although if either man shows the type of form Ronaldo produced when he first landed at Old Trafford four years ago, it will not be long before they are providing stiff competition for the likes of Ryan Giggs, who has quit international football in order to prolong his United career.

Queiroz said: "It is really worth stopping to imagine what an attack formed by Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson could do.

On that note, time for a bit of the old blog roundtable:

Jeremy: anderson won't get a work permit and will be loaned back to porto

Jeremy: at least that's my baseless speculation

Neal: don't know how much he's played with the BNT

Neal: will probably be more after Copa this summer

Jeremy: i think he just got his first senior call up

Neal: hard to believe that SAF would spend huge for someone who isn't going to contribute this year

Neal: wonder if he has a Euro passport from his time in Portugal

Neal: regardless of Anderson status - ManYoo looking pretty strong

Neal: Giggs replacement

Neal: done

Neal: Scholes replacement

Neal: done

Neal: two holding midfielders

Neal: done

Jeremy: just a matter of aligning the pieces

Neal: one striker left

Jeremy: no room on the pitch for that striker

Neal: no?

Jeremy: if you figure scholes, carrick, and owen in the center

Neal: Nani the 2nd striker for now?

Jeremy: giggs, probably

Jeremy: nani and cron on the wings

Jeremy: SAF creating his version of AC Milan

Neal: I'd be surprised if Scholes keeps his spot

Neal: he's done

Jeremy: for pirlo/gattuso read carrick/hargreaves

Neal: w/ Giggs playing the Kaka role?

Jeremy: seedorf/kaka read giggs/cron

Neal: so, essentially 4-5-1?

Jeremy: scholes as ambrosini?

Jeremy: basically

Jeremy: keep saha and smith as rooney's cover

Neal: I'm guessing Saha is gone to Lyon based on the rumor mill

Neal: sell him for 6-8M and then pay out for Huntelaar

Jeremy: probably

Jeremy: rossi ;-)

Neal: hasn't rossi already been sold?

Neal: or is he on loan?

Jeremy: loan to parma

Neal: got it