Sporting4ever

i've looked around the portuguese papers' sites, and the only thing i saw was that "A Bola" news that Everton gave up on him. Seeing has they're benfica-sided paper, i tend to think it's true, and this may indeed be over. there's a translated link in the other topic, on a post by storm. jamie said there we're opposing reports in our press, but i couldn't find none.

well, we do have plenty of mid-field solutions this year, and we'd get a replacement fast enough, i believe Soares Franco has something already lined up in case they do. I think a bit like you do, but i don't discount the possibility that they will in fact pay it. They need him alot, at the moment. i hope he stays, i really want us to make a strong start this year, seeing as we play pretty much everyone in the 1st 6 weeks. I honestly think this is the best squad yet to challenge porto, and i'm sick of those tripeiros winning every fking year.

I didn't mean field hockey. i meant this: Roller hockey (quad) Main article: Roller hockey (Quad) Roller hockey (quad) is the overarching name for a roller sport that has existed since long before inline skates were invented. Roller hockey has been played in sixty countries worldwide and so has many names worldwide. The sport is also known as quad hockey, hóquei em patins, international style ball hockey, rink hockey and hardball hockey. Roller Hockey was a demonstration roller sport at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. As for tennis, i like to see it, but beeing in mid-season, it's kinda strange, tbh. and i just thought of a new possibility. Bridge, or chess. Maybe it's time to see some brain games instrad of just physical things...

depends on what moyes has planned. if he wants to save the season and play for mid-table or uefa spot, he'll loose the big signings and go for quantity instead of quality. i think it's pretty easy to find players out there for loan or for close to no cost that can fill in gaps and keep EFC above the line easily. players like tiago, hugo viana etc, who don't fit into their current teams plans and could easily fill in the gaps in midfield you guys have, and they'd cost virtually nothing to sign. IF, however, he wants to aim higher, he'll need quality, and quality costs. The longer it takes, the more it's gonna cost, since it's no secret atm that EFC are in dire need of fresh blood. if he goes for quality, i sincerily doubt it's possible to sign 3 or 4, much less the 6 or 7 he mentioned he needs, so i see a very tough choice for moyes. for ex, imagine you go for quality, and sign 3 top players, moutinho, m'bia and love (note this is an example, i know love's deal is pretty much dead). if you get another major injury, like the one you have now, you'll be short again, and strugling again. if you go for numbers you can compensate. In all fairness, from JM's performances the previous season, he's an extraordinarily regular player. lsat season he didn't miss a single club game. that means no injuries, major or minor, no misses due to red or yellow cards, and i never saw him play badly. not always good or brilliant, but never badly. That boy is the definition of regularity, and, looking at both our squads atm, you definitly need him more than us. but like i said a few days ago, i doubt we'll give freebies...

I feel sorry that Hockey played out so badly in Barcelona, and i think another go should be made of it, but i see more something like cricket going up. or some X-treme sport of some sort....

i know, but doesn't mean i haven't been around reading. pretty much everything i tell you, you can check online at the portuguese sports sites. or you could, if you could read portuguese... But until you do sign him, you can check this and imagine it's him doing it for EFC:

Hi, guys. Haven't written in a few days, tough break on the weekend, even with all the problems, you had really bad luck to come away with no points. Anyways, news from here, regarding this issue, i haven't heard ntthing in our media about lowering the value. Haven't read anything about a delegation arriving either, but, who know, maybe they have. BUT, atm, João is with the National Squad, and he's playing on our friendly with Faroe islands midweek. Also, since we took our version of the charity this weekend, 2-0 vs Porto, moral is pretty high atm, and i still think that to take him you'll most likely have to match the release clause, so unless they're prepared for that, they're going back empty handed.

yeah, those are big names. we've always had a good youth prospecting program, and in recent years, with a new complex build where all our youth teams train, play and most of them live there, since we have youngsters from all over the country (and some foreigners too), we have had a greater nunmber of top notch players recently, and i don't think it'll stop. already i see some interesting youngsters that just made seniors this year. I know we're mostly a seller, in our country, and in our current economic state, we can't really be anything else. BUT it would be nice to hang on to them for a few more years, win some more trophies, get better conditions so that maybe, down the road, we don't have to sell anymore...

don't know really... besides, i like ham. hummmm..... ham :speak_cool:

Well, Figo, Ronaldo, Hugo Viana, Quaresma, Nuno Valente, Nani, and quite a few more that you probably don't know about. who did west ham form? and does west ham win trophies? cuz we do. consistent top 3 finishes, regular european presences, all that jazz

You leave my arse out of the conversation, he has enough confidence issues as it is and if you can find a fee that we basically say "that's a too good an offer to pass on", well kudos for you. we're known for our skill in youth training. We'll make more altough i still think it's rumor. my take on it, until you know what you'll have left over from other signings, you won't move on him.

*looks it up* you mean vulgar? i don't really know, i just want to annoy benfica fans by diverting players they want somewhere else

Ok, i have a suggestion to make, so if someone can pass it up to EFC management, that'd be great Espanyol, the 2nd team from barcelona, is having financial problems, and there's a guy there that's on top form, at the moment, called Luis Garcia. Our "dear" rivals benfica have been after him pretty much all summer, but the spanish side is asking for what benfica think it's too much, around €12M, roughly £9.4M. I honestly dont know how good a player he is, but he had a wonderful last season, earning him a spot on the spanish team at the euro. for your consideration

call her on the phone?

Fans, maybe? the other on that joined is a multi-billionnaire based in london, and i think it's the only london club still "on sale", as it were... well chelsea was bought by RA a long ways ago, and only after mourinho did they achieve top form, so, u know, it's not always about the money. it's much more about knowing WHAT or WHO to buy

who bought QPR?

Ei, another one! yeah, SCP rullez but i think EFC have the funds for him, just that it would blow their budget and severely limit any other signings. bias aside, i dont see it happening this year. and i hope it doesn't happen period it's about time we stop sending our best away. can't even imagine what we'd still be like with viana, quaresma, ronaldo still here...

well, i think this is a bit of rumour mongoring on the part of a clearly benfica-sided paper, but... http://www.abola.pt/nnh/ver.aspx?id=146260 It says basically that, acording to english media, EFC hasn't given up, and it's studying a way to make a bid of about €23M. that seems alot to me, tbh, given what i've read lately about ur funds for signings. Anyways, it quotes the BBC sports section site, so maybe someone may want to do a check around if there's anything new. 23 million euros is close to £18 million, seems quite a leap up from the £13 they offered last week.

Actually, benfica did want him to stay, he just didn't want to stay at benfica. Can't say I blame him, and that's not just cuz im from Sporting. benfica has pretty much changed their whole squad every year for the last 5 years, always claming that this year is the one, and they've always failed. This year, they aren't even going to the CL. so MF did the smart thing and left. Nut you're right, he is too flamboyant, too many neat tricks and not enough consistency. But if he settles down and focuses more on results than show, he can be a lethal player. i see him as a R7 wannabe, but ronaldo transpires class. Manel is gifted, but he has to learn his limitations.

well, seems like they're gonna get him next year. http://www.record.pt/noticia.asp?id=798577&idCanal=292 Basically, what it says is that fergie had a meeting with him and he refused to extend his contract for 5 more years, with increasing wages each year. Ronaldo refused because the main reason he returned to manchester was that Fergie promised him he would let him go next year.

There's some truth in that, ofc. However, you're missing a few key points, that just might seal a dealm Love-wise: -Most of the interest in him is from brazilian sides, and trust me, very few players wish to return, since it's common practice there to be late on wages, and pretty much all of europe can afford to pay more for them; -EFC, even if not playing for championships, is clearly a step up for him; -He's brasilian, and Russia is damned cold!!! trust me, it matters

i agree as well. and i think, i the future, we may see a change in that regard, but not now. there's a sence of independence in having your own stadium, generating your own revenues, etc. a shared stadium would bring too much division, who pays for what, who gets a share of what. small example, shared box seatings... how can you handle that? i can easily imagine benfica fans leaving small "presents" for their sporting rivals the following week... But i agree, i think higher autorities should intervene, FA, city officials, etc. It's best for the city, it's best for the clubs, it allows for a place that neither could have on their own, so it should be done. but can it?

Yup. u can check it here, if u're curious: San Siro I can relate to this discussion, since we had a similar one a few years ago here. Sporting was set to build a new stadium, and we started financing and all that ever since around 2001. when we got the euro2004, there was talks about a shared stadium in lisbon for sporting and benfica, and possibly also belenenses, another city club, but that got turned down for a multitude of reasons, sporting already had it's own stadium planned, and a good portion of the funding taken care of, and it's highly doubtful we would see eye to eye in a shared stadium. milan's san siro, since it's been around for ages now, is hardly a good example. I doubt 2 city teams, with a big rivalry as you (and we) have would ever consider building and sharing a stadium, even with all the financial benefits that would be gained.

don't know. Miguel Veloso had something, but i think moutinho was more fatigue than anything else. he did play over 60 (possibly 70) games last season, and that's quite a feat, but he's at 100% form atm. played yesterday, scored from the spot at 82', was substituted a minute later, to the croud's applause.

There's 2 guys i blame for the loss, one was between the posts, the other was sitting on the bench. both have (thankfully) left. as for wagner, he might not be the best choice for a yakubu partner. He's a very fast player, plays very well in from the back. Him and daniel carvalho were a verifiable headache on that game. still, he could be a good fake winger, pulling defenders and clearing the path for your powerhouse... still, you guys would know better has to wether he'll have room on the team and tactic or not...