The Lusophone

I always sell all my high earners anyway.

Why sell when you can, in most cases, negotiate down?

Cut Argyle's wage bill in half with about 6 renegotiations.

That list may have some correct numbers but it's pretty shoddily put together looking to me. My main question is: Over what period of time are some of these managers being judged for their spending? Is that all SAF has spent in 25 years? Why does it include some clubs and not others?

It's the spending of the club during that manager's tenure *shrug*

It starts 1992, judging by the 92-2011 list: http://www.transferleague.co.uk/league-tables/1992-to-2011.html

I'd imagine he spent a lot of money at Blackburn compared to other manager's of that period.

Presumably.

I do like that Arsene's season average spend isn't even in the millions.

Interesting to note that Kenny has an average spend per season of £25,266,667, higher than his 3 predecessors (Hodgson: -£5,150,000, Benitez: £17,341,667 and Houlier: £10,393,33) making him the 9th highest spending manager (on season average) in Premiership history (discounting his time at Blackburn and Newcastle, which might make him even higher).

West Brom beating Chelsea 4 - 0 in my game and then go on to be routed by Wigan 6 - 1... somethings not quite right there...

Although on the subject of big teams being in weird league positions, I remember one game I had as Plymouth on like FM09 or 08 where Chelsea, Arsenal and United were 11th, 12th and 13th respectively in April... it was weird...

Jouz - like I say, I always want teams to drop points, it's just when they do, my immediate reaction isn't to troll the fans of that team.

Terrible attitude! Trolling is what makes matches fun. Especially when it's Liverpool.

Lol Liverpool.

This. If we can't laugh at an increasingly irrelevant club from Scouseland that's stuck in the past, who can we laugh at?

Blanchard you beautiful piece of French defensive meat you.

And Dag lose 4-1 to Crewe. Huzzah!

Just got to hope they lose their game in hand.

And welcome back Mr Plymouth Argyle, Paul Wotton.

N'Gog hattrick please.

Two Exeter City directors have flown to Rio de Janeiro in the hope of setting up a match between the League One club and the Brazil national team.

The Grecians are hoping to celebrate the centenary of the national team, who played their first-ever match against Exeter in 1914.

Vice-chairman Julian Tagg and business development manager Bruce Henderson are in Brazil to meet officials.

Exeter marked their own centenary with a game against Brazil Masters in 2004.

In the side that day were former Brazil stars Dunga and Careca.

"Whilst we have no guarantees that we can deliver a repeat of that amazing first game, we owe it to ourselves, the club and its supporters to explore ways in which this important centenary for both Brazil and for Exeter City can be celebrated," said chairman Edward Chorlton.

"The Brazilians are keen. I am sure that during their visit our ambassadors Julian and Bruce will do their best to progress negotiations so that we can pull this off and do so in our normal way without cost or risk to the football club."

The Exeter duo have been invited to Brazil by Fluminese official Eric de Menezes and they are hoping to set up contacts with television companies and potential sponsors.

"There is long way between a dream and reality and we harbour no false illusions or hopes," Julian Tagg said.

Exeter are no strangers to high-profile occasions.

In 2002 Michael Jackson was made an honorary director of the club after he and magician David Blaine visited St James Park as guests of then-Exeter City director Uri Geller.

Despite not being a fan of City (more a "supporter" when they aren't in the same league as Plymouth Argyle, who will stay up. They willwillwillwillwillwillwillwillwillwillwill), i'd love for this to happen in Exeter. Couldn't go to the 2004 one cos of a stupid knee operation on the same day

No matter how much of a dick Warnock might be, it's so disrespectful to the guy who brough you into the club and made you captain instantly, on massive wages no doubt. Barton seems to forget what an amazing job Warnock did to get QPR up!

Anyway.

City council bosses have said they will be appealing to the media to continue to refer to the Newcastle United ground as St James' Park.

In November it was announced the ground was being renamed Sports Direct Arena, after owner Mike Ashley's company.

Many fans reacted angrily but the club said it was a prelude to securing a new global sponsor.

Councillors agreed to write to media outlets "respectfully requesting" them not to use the new name.

The motion was debated, amended and carried unanimously at full meeting of the council.

It "requests that the city council write to the media and asks that they continue to use the name of St James' Park in all reporting and refuse to use the name Sports Direct Arena.

"We respectfully request that you take this approach."

The authority also decided not to change any signs bearing the name St James' Park and has called on the club to reconsider its decision.

Newcastle United refused to comment.

The BBC said in a statement: "As of 10 November, the Sports Direct Arena became the official name for the ground as chosen by the club.

"It is not the BBC's place, as an impartial public broadcaster to decide or debate on whether this is correct or not, rather to report on the matches which take place on the field.

"Changing the way we display the graphics or refer to the ground on our programmes ensures consistency with every other ground which has a sponsor, be it new grounds that came with a sponsor like the Emirates, or old grounds that have changed their names like Bradford City's Coral Windows Stadium (formerly Valley Parade)."

I can't honestly remember a single time I've heard Valley Parade called the Coral Windows Stadium in any BBC coverage I've watched :/

Jamil Adam

I'm still playing '11 but Jamil Adam has pretty much dragged my Bradford team from the depths of League Two to challenging for a playoff place in the Championship by himself.

Adam hasn't actually scored that many in the league for me (leaving that for 16 year old Matt Lecointe and Pablo Counago) but he leads the assists ranking for the entire football league and scored twice against Leyton Orient and 3 times in 45 minutes against Reading in the League Cup.

Jamil Adam

Question: Have you ever had a game where the referee seemed biased? I know referee personalities are in, some are strict, some are lenient, but the other day I was playing a game where the opponent was throwing out dropkicks to the knee and flatliners and getting away with it, and then getting free kicks for clean challenges. I'd never seen a game where the officiating played such a large factor.

I wasn't so much mad as I was amused that EA would do something like that.

oh god this.

Ritchie De Laet has returned to United after his loan at Norwich was terminated. Not sure yet if it's because of injury or we just need him for cover.

Probably the latter. He's a decent centre back and allows us to use Phil Jones in midfield more as and when needed. Still a bit miffed we sold Darren Gibson when we've got an injury crisis in centre midfield :/

I am sorry you didn't like my "post", and I am shocked and "disheartened" that you believe I were trying to "troll". Please accept one thousand apologies.

Just kidding! I wasn't trying to "troll". I was merely correcting you (respectfully, I must add), as Wayne Rooney is actually by no means the first to act in such a fashion!

wuv u

Well.

That makes me look like a right prick, doesn't it?

:/

He's not. :/

Whilst I am disinclined to respond in a similar fashion to that which "Mr -1" has, I'm not entirely sure as to the purpose of this post, especially if it were an attempt to "troll".

If it indeed were an attempt to troll then you are clearly one of the worst, judging by skill, trolls in the history of... well, ever. :/

Real classy Mancini.

Especially as Rooney's clearly the first person ever to do that ever in the history of football ever.

Good business this window for Plymouth Argyle so far, with Wotton coming back and now Joe Lennox signing and with Nick Chadwick, Maxime Blanchard and Darren Purse all making temp. spells permanent, hopefully this'll be enough to out score Dag & Red on points for the rest of the season (also hoping D&G lose their game in hand of course).

Reading 1 - 3 Plymouth Argyle.

Surprising result is surprising, but progression in the League Cup hopefully will prevent sacking by the new owners of the club.

Putting my United game on the back burner, i think, to continue my Argyle game. A 2-0 loss to Swindon on matchday 1 was followed by a surprise win in the league cup v Leyton Orient despite putting out an almost all under-21 side, 1-1 draws vs Port Vale (away) and Crewe (home) came before an action packed first ten minutes against Accrington left me 2-1 up at half time, with Jamil Adam getting a third (and second of the game for the free transfer signing) on the hour, and then a tense finish was set up as the other Kompany, Francois, reduced the gap to one. Finished 3-2.

Reading in the League Cup next, looking for an upset :0

Hopefully a good career move for him... though there's precedent for Chelsea messing up the progression of England fringe players

Wow, you have to be an absolute bellend to fork out for any of those.

I remember an article in Four-Four-Two magazine i think it was, a few years back where they compared the prices of the cheapest season tickets of the top three clubs in all of the big leagues in Europe (Prem, La Liga, Serie A etc). Arsenal's was something £885 while AC Milan's was just £85.

You guys make me sad for not having an xbox .

PS3 guys, make yourselves known! See if we've got anyone to make a team.

Mainly playing PES12 and RAGE atm tbh...

bit annoyed with PS3/FIFA12 anyway when they renamed a Jaap Stam dl player to John Smith cos it allegedly was an offensive name >_>

Jamie Noble, who now works in a backstage capacity for WWE, faced World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan at Friday's Raw live event in Yakima, Washington. Noble has not competed before a WWE crowd since November 2009.The two combatants have past history as Noble lost the ROH World Heavyweight Championship to Bryan in September 2005.

source

Maybe change Jamie Noble in light of this? IDK

Well, it was a live event near Danielson's home town. Could've just been a one-time treat to fans in the area.

Yeah probably that, I don't see Noble coming back unless WWE have plans to actually do something with their lightweights/cruiserweights *shrugs*

Plymouth Argyle are to appoint a coach to mentor manager Carl Fletcher, rumoured to be Sean O'Driscoll.

Excellent news, as is the win today.

Now just need Dag to lose their game in hand whenever it is.