2006-07 Soccer Thread

[scooter]

I have a few comments about the game:

- Where was this beautiful football that Milan has spent the last two weeks saying that they play? All these comments about Liverpool being a long-ball team and how they play an ugly "English" style. Milan - I was not impressed.

- Is this supposed to be the best refereeing crew in Europe? I don't think they are even the best refereeing crew in Germany. How can you ignore substitutes for that long (for both teams)?

- What was the foreign substance that Kaladze brought in when he was substituted into the game? He gave it to Maldini who I'm assuming gave it to Nesta. Nesta looked like he had labor pains and was starting to get contractions, but miraculously he stayed on to complete the game.

I knew it was going to be hard to live up to the last final between these two teams, but this was disappointing.

[st.cronin]

Well, I'm not a soccer guy at all, but it seemed to me Liverpool played quite well, except that they just couldn't complete any passes in the "red zone" so to speak.

[bhlloy]

The referee was shocking, but UEFA always has had a hard on for referees that are whistle happy and call the game to the exact letter of the law rather than referees who actually do a good job managing the game and let's the players play. The number of calls on fair aerial challenges tonight was a joke, and really screwed Liverpool who were trying to get the ball to Kuyt in the air a lot.

It will be interesting to see if any action gets taken against the ref for calling the game 30 seconds early (at least - you are supposed to add in the substitution called after 90 minutes so teams can't take advantage). I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that the referee cannot, under any circumstances call the game before the amount of time the fourth official specifies is up - which is why it is announced as a MINIMUM of x minutes added on.

[scooter]

You could clearly hear on the ESPN broadcast the official announcement of "at least 3 minutes of extra time". I was shocked as well when the ref blew the whistle after only 2:45. In the end, I'm not sure it would have mattered. I do know for a fact that he should have added at least 2 minutes for the amount of time it took Inzagi to get the 3 feet to the sideline with his ball-to-the-gut injury at the end of regular time. I though Kewell was going to drag him over there himself.

[bhlloy]

No, of course it wouldn't have mattered. But refs have been demoted for less beforehand. Not a very good time to screw it up in a one goal Champions League final.

Actually, I was pretty disappointed with Liverpool in the final 3 minutes after they scored. They were absolutely exhausted, sure, but they weren't giving it their all IMO. Gerrard mailed in one pass in a decent attacking position allowing Kaka to walk the ball back up the other end. The only one hustling was Reina. Sure it's easy to criticise and soccer players get tired at the end of a game, but there seemed to be a worrying lack of urgency and hustle on their part.

Also a questionable decision to leave Bellamy on the bench. 2-0 down, bringing off Finnan was the right move but not sure about replacing him with another full back? Bellamy would have given a tired and slow Milan defense fits running at them in the last couple of minutes.

[Katon]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

The Premiership being a 'strong' league has a definite disadvantage for England in the lack of chances for young english players generally (especially true for Goalkeepers) and Chelsea are worse than most for purchasing promising talents and then letting them rot away on the bench for a few seasons until they're past their 'prime' development years - at which point they return them to circulation now they're no longer a 'threat' to Chelsea.

Its no coincidence imho that in the past both Man City (SWP) and Charlton (Parker) caused Chelsea problems on the pitch and then had their key players poached.

Couldn't let this pass without defending Chelsea's transfer policy. As regards SWP, anyway. I completely agree with your assessment of the Sidwell transfer (no use to us except during the African Cup of Nations, and won't be an automatic starter even then; I'm not sure what Jose & Kenyon think the point of the signing is), and I suspect that Parker's performance in our 4-2 loss at the Valley right before that transfer window had a lot to do with his signing. Claudio seemed to genuinely have a use for the player, so his getting buried on the bench was more a result of the managerial changeover, but denial was probably part of the logic there.

SWP, on the other hand, was signed for reasons that had nothing to do with what he did against us (which wasn't all that much - we dropped points against them due to a combination of poor attacking & David James being in top form). We were playing a 4-3-3 that year, so needed two wingers on the pitch at all times for our offence to function. Unfortunately, we only had three wingers in our squad. More, Arjen Robben was the most fragile footballer this side of Darren Anderton and Damien Duff had gone nearly comatose at the end of the season from overuse. So we clearly needed another winger, and there was every reason to expect him to get decent playing time. A right winger was much more desireable than a left winger for obvious reasons; given the targets available, SWP was genuinely the best choice regardless of what he did against us or who else might be interested in him. Sadly for him, Robben had a (relatively) healthy season and Joe Cole turned into one of our best players, thus reducing the number of opportunities he got. Also, SWP frankly didn't play very well - he didn't start to look like someone who was actually good enough to wear a Chelsea shirt until halfway through this season, at which point he started to play a bit more regularly. All of which is to say that I think using SWP as an example of Chelsea trapping promising young English talent on the bench is overstating the case quite a bit.

[muzz81x]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

sweetness.

nice 1st post muzz

And about Liverpool,they played good but Liverpool really need a football player at the forward!Look at Man U,Chelsea,Milan or Real Madrid forwards and look Liverpool.Liverpool team is good and they fight strong at the field but i think they will be much better if they buy a good forward next year!

[GoldenEagle]

The guy I was suppose to go to the pub with to watch the game, had to go on a sales call, so I did not get to watch the game. I also did not DVR it since soccertv said it was going to be playing again at 6 local time. I get home, turn the tv on and it Roger "Fat Ass" Clemens pitching in a Rookie League.

[henry296]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

The guy I was suppose to go to the pub with to watch the game, had to go on a sales call, so I did not get to watch the game. I also did not DVR it since soccertv said it was going to be playing again at 6 local time. I get home, turn the tv on and it Roger "Fat Ass" Clemens pitching in a Rookie League.

They ran a message saying the game was on ESPN Classic at 7 EST and again at 11 EST on ESPN2. You can catch it then.

[cthomer5000]

1. That was a hand ball.

2. Why the hell did Rafa wait so damn long to bring Crouch on? Absurd.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

1. That was a hand ball.

I don't think it was intentional at all... therefore no hand ball.

[flere-imsaho]

Dude, it's Pippo Inzaghi... of course it's intentional.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by scooter

- Is this supposed to be the best refereeing crew in Europe?

No. Observers who keep an eye on such things and try to prognosticate appointments for big events were very surprised by the selection of this crew. Michel was the odds-on favorite going in, I think.

[wbatl1]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wednesday

No. Observers who keep an eye on such things and try to prognosticate appointments for big events were very surprised by the selection of this crew. Michel was the odds-on favorite going in, I think.

BUT, he's the first CONCERT PIANIST to officiate a CL final....that attention to detail must be why he called everything.

[cthomer5000]

I got to see a pretty entertaining Ireland-Ecuador game at Giants Stadium last night. Solid crowd of 20,000 for a weeknight friendly with next to 0 publicity. Of that 20K, at LEAST 15K were Ecuador supporters. Great turnout for them.

Really good first half, including a fantastic diving header goal by Kevin Doyle of Reading. 1-1 Final, and an enjoyable time. Yesterday was a good day for soccer.

[Ajaxab]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Yesterday was a good day for soccer.

Except for the fact that a club convicted of corruption won Europe's biggest competition.

I know. The players can't be blamed for what their club's administration did, but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth anyways.

[Ajaxab]

Dola

I've watched football for the better part of a decade and I'm still confused about how fouls are judged on headers. Yesterday's game was no exception. Anyone have any enlightenment? Is it the equivalent of the block/charge call in basketball where it usually could go either way?

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Ajaxab

Dola

I've watched football for the better part of a decade and I'm still confused about how fouls are judged on headers. Yesterday's game was no exception. Anyone have any enlightenment? Is it the equivalent of the block/charge call in basketball where it usually could go either way?

Unless it's Peter Crouch, where he gets called for 5 fouls a game that he didn't commit.

[Mac Howard]

I've just watched two Asian Champions League games with referees from Hong Kong and UAE. All I can say is "be grateful for European referees". Sometimes I wondered if I was watching a game of soccer at all

[Fighter of Foo]

Originally Posted by Ajaxab

Dola

I've watched football for the better part of a decade and I'm still confused about how fouls are judged on headers. Yesterday's game was no exception. Anyone have any enlightenment? Is it the equivalent of the block/charge call in basketball where it usually could go either way?

Yes, sort of.

You're supposed to go straight up in challenging for a ball. Thanks to physics, that's not usually possible. Climbing over the back is usually called against the person not being jumped over, though someone flying in from far away will usually get some leeway if they're trying to avoid doing so. The most common instance is when there's a goal kick and a striker and defender are jostling for position, and whoever ends up behind jumps over the person in front (or tries to).

Fistfulls of jersey are usually easy to spot and called regularly, as is the evil, spiteful bump in the lower back.

Intent plays a part too. It's easy as a ref to just watch a player's eyes; if they're firmly focused on the ball there's almost never an egregious foul. Lastly, ticky-tack fouls are MUCH more commonly called in the midfield as opposed to anywhere else.

Waaaaaaaaaaay too long of an answer.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

1. That was a hand ball.

2. Why the hell did Rafa wait so damn long to bring Crouch on? Absurd.

1. I can see how the ref let the goal stand. He had his arms in at his side and didn't seem to intentionally swipe at it (although I was screaming handball of course).

2. To be fair, once Crouch came on and Maschereno came off ... Kaka finally was able to get free to setup their second goal. Rafa didn't want to open up the midfield until the last possible moment. He could have taken off Kuyt (but Kuyt did actually score the only goal) but he might have subbed Crouch in for Alonso instead for better effect.

I'm really not sure though why he left Bolo in for as long as he did. He was pretty bad. Bolo's a nice guy, but it says alot about Liverpool's depth that he was starting a champions league final.

Liverpool's problem all season (and yesterday) is they lack a creative scorer. Actually other than Fowler, they lack any natural finishers. But I think they really need a forward who can create goals for himself when the defense packs it in. There's not a lot of Henry's/Drogba's out there, but they desparately need one if their midfield service doesn't improve. I think Bellamy is gone, so it should be interesting to see who comes in.

End of the day though, Liverpool could have won / at least tied had Gerrard come through like he has so often in the past. When he had a 1:1 with the goalkeeper, I would have sworn that was going in the back of the net.

[cthomer5000]

Beckham is just a crazy difference-maker for Real Madrid right now. Another fantastic game from him.

And he gets a recall to England as well. Not a bad day.

[Dunleavy]

the crazy season is all ready in full gear, today's rumor have Eto eyeing Liverpol (who apartently have more cash then anyone, for the moment anyhow) and Lampard leaving Chelsea?

[Critch]

Originally Posted by Dunleavy

the crazy season is all ready in full gear, today's rumor have Eto eyeing Liverpol (who apartently have more cash then anyone, for the moment anyhow) and Lampard leaving Chelsea?

Rumor is that Lampard and Terry are both upset that they've been offered less salary than Shevchenko. Now it's all down to whether Lampard is playing hardball to force Chelsea to pay him more, or whether he's actually serious. As a sidenote, Lampards significant-other (and mother of his kids) is from Barcelona..

The craziest story of the day is that Newcastle United are going to bit 10mil pounds for Crouch.

[AlexB]

Why's that crazy? Crouch is Liverpool's best forward, and I'd guess Crouch would move, as Benitez doesn't seem to like him. Plus he has done well with owen a couple of times for England. £10m sounds like a steal.

Unless you meant crazy because Liverpool wouldn't sell for that?

[Critch]

I meant crazy because Liverpool bought him for 7mil and he's not been a success (he's mainly a novelty late substitute) but this would be selling for a profit, crazy because Newcastle already have Martins and Owen (assuming Owen isnt moving on), and crazy because Newcastle have a poor defence and are talking of spending a lot on a striker.

I also don't agree that Crouch is Liverpool's best striker, Kuyt is a better player, maybe Bellamy too. The main reason Liverpool couldn't compete in the EPL last year was that they didn't have a regular scorer, that's at least partly Crouch's fault.

[Katon]

I'd blame Liverpool's problems more on their wingers - who vary between inconsistent and just plain bad - than on their forwards. Kuyt, Bellamy, and even Crouch would all make perfectly decent backups for a top-class team. Thad doesn't mean you'd want them as starters, of course, and Liverpool still need to upgrade up front if they want to contend, but it's not their main problem.

Newcastle really are becoming parodies of themselves - spending big on forwards and not doing anything intelligent about their defence has been the plan for how long now? If they're going to spend an eight-digit sum on a striker, then Crouch is a decent enough choice: knows the league, can play with Owen, and offers a real change of pace from their current forwards (and just about every other forward in the league, for that matter).

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Dunleavy

Lampard leaving Chelsea?

There have been rumors for years linking Lampard to Barcelona.

[cthomer5000]

I view Crouch as totally underrated. £10 Million seems maybe a tad high, but not unreasonable. The guy had 6 goals in Champions league, with only Kaka doing better. He's got actual skills with the ball at his feet, and obviously his height is a big plus in the box. It would be nice to see him somewhere where he is wanted and would be a regular in the lineup.

In other transfer news Tottenham seem to have heard my pleas. Sounds like Garreth Bale is a done deal for between £5-10 Million. He has a chance to win the starters spot at LB by opening day. They're also linked to what sounds like a done deal for Younes Kaboul from Auxerre. They need a solid 3rd option to Ledley King and Michael Dawson at center back, and it seems like he'll provide it. If they can bring in someone who can fight for time at RB, or at least be an adequate reserve for Chimbonda, i'll be estatic. I thought they needed at least 3 new bodies in the back 4 rotation, and they've got 2 promising additions already. Then they can sweep out some of the trash who are there now (im looking at you, Anthony Gardner).

[SirFozzie]

Looks like DeMarcus Beasley is going to Rangers next year

[ISiddiqui]

Newcastle has had two major weaknesses in the past few years, defense and strikers. I don't think 10 millions pounds for Crouch is all that bad an investment. Much was spent on Owen, but he hasn't played all that much for the side. Martins was a great pick up. But who knows if Owen is going to be back much?

Plenty in the kitty after a 10 million pound signing for Crouch (if it goes through).

This past season, for instance, Newcastle was 9th in least Goals Allowed. But they were 13th in Goals Scored.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Looks like DeMarcus Beasley is going to Rangers next year

Yeah, seems that Rangers will pay PSV a fee to assume the last year of his contract, then use that year to decide whether to offer him an extension.

He'll get his chance on the left at Rangers, not really much competition for that spot at the moment.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Plenty in the kitty after a 10 million pound signing for Crouch (if it goes through).

You think? Are you basing it on the new guy buying out Freddy Shepherd and pumping in cash, or has there been other talk about money being available?

All I've read so far is Allardyce talking about signing players from outside the UK who are not big names, but who want to prove themselves in the premiership, so that sounded like more of the bargain basement stuff he did at Bolton.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Critch

You think? Are you basing it on the new guy buying out Freddy Shepherd and pumping in cash, or has there been other talk about money being available?

All I've read so far is Allardyce talking about signing players from outside the UK who are not big names, but who want to prove themselves in the premiership, so that sounded like more of the bargain basement stuff he did at Bolton.

Well the new influx of cash will be nice, but Fat Freddie hasn't been exactly holding onto his wallet of late in recent years either.

And Allardyce will probably continue his bargain basement stuff... that's what he knows best. But he does have money for higher profile signings as well.

Some selling off of midfield players, of which Newcastle has many, may happen as well. Though unfortunately some because of how they were treated by the previous manager (N'Zogbia comes to mind).

[bhlloy]

If Crouch goes to Newcastle my wife is going to go ballistic. Huge United fan and she despises him with a passion. I don't see Crouch as the type of player Allardyce is interested in though - 1) too much of a circus around him and 2) he has always preferred strong, hold the ball types up front.

As for Bale, great kid and certainly Wales' best player for the next 10-15 years, but I would be worried if he is Spurs' opening day LB when he will be barely 18 years old. Defenders take a bit longer to develop and he's going to get killed going against the likes of Ronaldo. 2 year project I'd say with a view to him being a very good Premiership full-back when that period is up.

Allegedly, Terry wanted a 9 year deal with an option to become Chelsea manager when he retires. Not sure if that is 100% accurate, but if so that's pretty stupid. Terry I think will retire at Chelsea even if they don't give in to his ridiculous demands, but with Lampard I get the feeling they need to pay him or he's gone to Barca. How ironic that Shevchenko was such a bust, Mourino allegedly didn't even want him and now his wages could be the reason the squad breaks apart.

If Liverpool don't get Eto'o, I think Owen is going to Anfield, no matter what Freddy Shepherd says. With all the money that is being pumped in, they could even get both.

[I. J. Reilly]

Damn you West Brom. I had happily given up on you mid season, and then you fight back and make me believe in the dream again. Then this? I know that this team would have surely been relegated next year, but those parachute payments and the one year of TV revenue could have gone a long way.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by I. J. Reilly

Damn you West Brom. I had happily given up on you mid season, and then you fight back and make me believe in the dream again. Then this? I know that this team would have surely been relegated next year, but those parachute payments and the one year of TV revenue could have gone a long way.

There isn't a worse way to end a season than with a promotion playoff loss at Wembley. I had the misfortune of being at Brighton's playoff loss to get to the Premiership back in the early 90's, after the game there were opposing fans coming up to pass sympathy. They were very sporting, saying hard luck and good luck for the next season, but I still wanted to punch them for stealing the Premier place that was rightfully Brighton's

Tough game for West Brom today, they had the skill players and most of the game, but Derby did their normal, well organized, tough to beat act. Rode their luck a bit too.

At least West Brom have the cash in place, a good manager, and a good squad. They'll be back in the hunt next year. Brighton's playoff loss led to a tailspin down the league and financial ruin that they still haven't fully recovered from.

[Dunleavy]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

If Liverpool don't get Eto'o, I think Owen is going to Anfield, no matter what Freddy Shepherd says. With all the money that is being pumped in, they could even get both.

looks like Crouch will be staying http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6857782

Liverpol are going to be making a ton of changes this summer, Bleamey is favored to go after just one year and even though they're bring in the ukraine guy on a free i expect them to make a run at a Spanish striker in David Villa or Torres

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

As for Bale, great kid and certainly Wales' best player for the next 10-15 years, but I would be worried if he is Spurs' opening day LB when he will be barely 18 years old. Defenders take a bit longer to develop and he's going to get killed going against the likes of Ronaldo. 2 year project I'd say with a view to him being a very good Premiership full-back when that period is up.

Have you seen the Spurs LB situation? At the very least it's a much needed 2nd option there, as there is literally no one behind Lee Young-Pyo. If it's an upgrade, that's a definite plus, but no matter what I think their back 4 situation improves with him there.

Tough break for West Brom. I would say they were the better team over the course of the game, but unfortunately you gotta put the ball in the net at some point.

[Dunleavy]

Henry speculation is on again with Barca reportedly making a huge offer

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=469273&CPID=8&clid=3&lid=3&title=Gunners+'offered'+Eto'o+bait

and with the ManUtd Bayern Owen Hargrives done, but not even announced yet, both teams are moving on to their next targets w/ManU another winger from Sporting (Ronaldo) in Nani while Bayern have already signed Italian goal scorer Luca Toni for 11m euro's
------------
and before i finished typing ManU have signed Nani AND Anderson (from Porto). wow this is breaking news at the moment
http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?...ce+double+deal

Liverpol keeps bringing in kids but bigger moves are near

reportedly Scott Parker to West Ham to replace Nigel Rei-Cooker (destination unknown)
while Big Sam may replace Parker with Joey Barton from Man City who may or may not have a new owner and manager

and Lyon is being torn apart

[Crapshoot]

Nani is the "next big thing" - I'm really angry about that, since liverpool could use a left-side midfielder. I'm not sure why Man U is signing more wingers - but Keiron Richardson is probably heading out.

[Critch]

Man Utd have signed Anderson too.

Flashing the cash around.

Guess Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves in is bad news for Richardson, Fletcher and O'shea (in midfield anyway) and probably long term replacements for Giggs and Scholes too.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by Dunleavy

Bayern have already signed Italian goal scorer Luca Toni for 11m euro's

Bayern are really throwing the cash around to try and get back in the Bundesliga hunt, despite not even getting Champions League cash this summer. Toni in, they've already signed Marcell Jansen from Gladbach, Ribery rumored to be close to signing too. They're apparently after Ujfalusi, and their interest in Klose is rumored to be still rumbling on. Add all that to van Bommel, Schweinsteiger (if he fully recovers from his illness) and Podolski (if he returns to world cup form) and Bayern must be strong favorites for next season.

And all on GolTV too

[Big Fo]

I think the signings point towards Man United using more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-4-2 next season. Something like:

---------Rooney-------
Nani--------------Ronaldo
--------Scholes---------
---Carrick---Hargreaves--

(back four and keeper left unchanged)

Fletcher will get enough games as third choice behind Carrick/Hargreaves, and I suppose Park, Giggs, and Anderson backing up any of the three attacking midfield spots. Richardson is not good enough and will hopefully be sold. O'Shea is a cult hero and will backup both fullbacks.

Now all that remains is will we sign a striker and sell Saha, just sell Saha and stick with Smith/Rossi behind Rooney, or somehow keep Saha even though Ferguson is fed up with his fragility.

I'm surprised by the spending considering the last two summers and the millions of pounds of debt the club is in, but go on Ferguson/Gill, make it a dream summer and land Berbatov or Huntelaar.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

I'm surprised by the spending considering the last two summers and the millions of pounds of debt the club is in, but go on Ferguson/Gill, make it a dream summer and land Berbatov or Huntelaar.

I really don't see Berbatov happening. Tottenham are splashing the cash and showing they have serious aspirations of cracking the top 4. I think we're days away from seeing a Berbatov extension/payraise.

[Big Fo]

Yeah that was just more me being hopeful than anything, I too doubt Spurs would sell us one of their key players in back-to-back summers, especially one who has only been there for one season. And I think Huntelaar said he wasnt to stay at Ajax after they clinched their CL spot. But I would like someone to replace Saha, he's moody, an inconsistent finisher, and often injured.

I've never seen Anderson play and have only seen Nani a few times. I've seen some good Youtube vids on other forums but yeah, Youtube can make anyone look pretty good. Any of you guys ever seen these guys play?

[ISiddiqui]

Fat Freddie, SELL DAMN YOU!!!

http://www.worldfootballers.com/foot...tle-17975.html

New Newcastle United shareholder Mike Ashley is ready to give manager Sam Allardyce close to £300 million pounds to make the club a European force.


Ashley is hoping to convince current chairman Freddy Shepherd to sell his stake in the club this summer in order for him to pursue his ambition of lifting the club to the top of the game.



The UK businessman is looking for the club to win the Premiership inside the next three years.

*faints*

If Fat Freddie mucks this up, I may kill him myself!

[Katon]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

I think the signings point towards Man United using more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-4-2 next season. Something like:

---------Rooney-------
Nani--------------Ronaldo
--------Scholes---------
---Carrick---Hargreaves--

(back four and keeper left unchanged)

I'm sure there'll be some of that formation, but I doubt it'll be the main shape. Rooney's at his best as a support striker able to drop back and get the ball. He can play as a lone striker, but it's not his strongest position. I really don't think Ferguson would put him there as the main option.

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by Katon

I'm sure there'll be some of that formation, but I doubt it'll be the main shape. Rooney's at his best as a support striker able to drop back and get the ball. He can play as a lone striker, but it's not his strongest position. I really don't think Ferguson would put him there as the main option.

I certainly hope he doesn't play Rooney up front. He's not particularly good with his back to goal and you need to have him running at the defence to get the best out of him.

On the other hand, having spend over 50 million pounds on Hargeaves, Anderson and Nani I can't see a striker being bought as well. So that will mean either relying on Saha as front man in the 4-2-3-1 formation with any three from Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Anderson and Nani behind Saha or going to a 4-3-3 formation with the same 3 from 5 and Scholes, Carrick and Hargreaves in the central/defensive midfield.

I wouldn't mind seeing Viduka (on a free, I think) in place of Saha.

Next season just became a lot more interesting

[cthomer5000]

I haven't seen him play a lot, but I've really enjoyed Alan Smith. Seems like a quality part of a duo up front.

(i never saw him pre-horrific leg break)