Official Premiership 06/07 thread

[ONO]

Liverpool confirm Voronin signing

Liverpool have announced Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin will join the club in the summer on a four-year deal.

The 27-year-old, who is a free agent at the end of the season, will move from Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer.

Voronin has also had spells with Cologne, Mainz and Borussia Moenchengladbach and has 40 caps for Ukraine, scoring five goals.

He was part of the Leverkusen side that knocked Blackburn out of the Uefa Cup earlier this week.

Voronin was also in the Ukraine side that reached the World Cup finals in Germany last year.

And he twice played against Liverpool two years ago when Rafa Benitez's side beat Leverkusen 6-2 on aggregate en route to winning the Champions League.

Voronin's transfer is the first under the new regime of American tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who agreed a takeover of Liverpool earlier this month.

If Robbie is not with us next season, we will have to look for another like him

Rafael Benitez

His arrival puts a doubt on the likelihood of Robbie Fowler earning a new contract next season.

Benitez was full of praise for the Anfield favourite's finishing abilities after he scored twice from the spot in the 4-0 defeat of Sheffield United at the weekend.

But with Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy and Peter Crouch also vying for places up front Benitez refused to discuss a new deal for the 31-year-old Fowler.

He told the club's website: "He's a really good finisher, still the best we have, and I sometimes think that if we could have Bellamy running at defenders and carrying the ball 20 yards, then turning into Fowler with the goal in sight, it would be perfect.

"If you create chances for him, you know you can rely on his finishing and that is a very important quality to have.

"We have four very good strikers, all with different skills. You can make the most of Peter Crouch's aerial ability, Dirk Kuyt works hard between the lines and Bellamy runs behind defences.

"Robbie operates in and around the box and, of course, he snaps up chances.

"We can talk about Robbie's future at a later date but, if he scores every time he plays over the next few months, you never know.

"You need a regular supply of goals from someone and, if Robbie is not with us next season, we will have to look for another like him.

"It will not be easy, but it is clear we would need someone with the same qualities."

[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

Can't go round headbutting boots like that.

[Buford Ripley]

YAKUZA KICK!

[Guest Ringu]

That is classic Kawada.

[therockbox]

Do you think it'll make the Kung-Fu bit on Soccer AM next week?

[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

The handbags might.

[Guest Ringu]

Poor John Terry getting carried away with an oxygen mask! Stop the mockery!

[TGC]

Poor John Terry getting carried away with an oxygen mask!

Maybe his lung collapsed from him sucking so much.

oh and lol, soccer

[NobBe Nobbs]

For once TGC says something right. The first part at least.

[Turbo Yannis]

Am I the only one that doesn't see the funny side of a player (apparently) swallowing his own tongue on the pitch?

I don't give a fuck if he's the captain of the team I support or a shitey non league player or anyone, I think it's a fucking horrible thing to see.

Edited February 27, 2007 by Turbonegro

[TMM]

Am I the only one that doesn't see the funny side of a player (apparently) swallowing his own tongue on the pitch?

I don't give a fuck if he's the captain of the team I support or a shitey non league player or anyone, I think it's a fucking horrible thing to see.

It's not particularly funny no...but he's fine.

I like the fact John Terry owe's his life to Gary Lewin...I think he should repay him by scoring an own goal in every game and helping Arsenal win the league.

[MDK]

Am I the only one that doesn't see the funny side of a player (apparently) swallowing his own tongue on the pitch?

I don't give a fuck if he's the captain of the team I support or a shitey non league player or anyone, I think it's a fucking horrible thing to see.

Exactly.

But to be fair, its John Terry, he was never in any danger of getting injured. He is hard as nails. I'm suprised he didn't just shake it off and keep playing.

[Farmer Reil]

Crouchie getting booted in the face was more visually entertaining

[IAceI]

So if walking off the pitch in protest is a disgrace Fergie, what do you call having your 'keeper charge into an opposing striker and not have a penalty called?

:-\

A refereeing mistake? You can't compare that, which happens all the time, to a team's coaching staff telling players to walk off the pitch in the middle of the game. What do you expect Fergie to say? "It's OK that Lille acted like a bunch of little girls, because they had a penalty claim turned down".

It's more the fact Fergie bitches and moans, yes about an incident that was blown out of astronomical proportions, but then it's not like his team have exactly played fair then.

[Lord Nibbler]

If you feel like having a pop at Fergie, fine. Everyone else does. But deciding that Van Der Sar was deliberately trying to foul Helguson, something I've heard nobody else even suggest, because you think it would make Fergie look like a hypocrite (it wouldn't) is just...pointless. He went for the ball, he missed it, it should have been a penalty, it wasn't given. It's completely unrelated to the Lille thing. Let it go.

[IAceI]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ic1daX9dMs

Personally, I see more intention of just impeding the run than going for the ball. Like, 60/40, 65/35 in favour of taking out the player but meh, each to their own.

Edited February 28, 2007 by IAceI

[ONO]

He clearly comes out for the ball with the intention to get it, the ball is played away from both players and they run into each other. That isn't a penalty. I've seen penalties given for weaker incidents than that, but in my view that wasn't a penalty and the referee got it spot on. However, the referee throughout the game was terrible and Fulham maybe deserved that penalty going by past decisions.

[Liam]

Being a Fulham fan, here was how I saw it:

He didn't go for the player, but it was clumsy, and in doing what he did, he impeded the player getting near the ball. If that challenge had been anywhere else on the pitch, it would have got the team a free-kick, it is just one of those things where sometimes the laws outside the box don't always get carried inside the box also. It was a penalty for sure in my eyes, but we didn't get it, and I don't think Van Der Sar meant it, so its a bit of a meh point.

[LexChaney]

Crouchie getting booted in the face was more visually entertaining

[-A-]

'West Ham Charged with Fielding 2 Ineligible Players'

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