craig

I think it is a sign of the times of our custodian (and his cronies) downsizing everything to do with the club, including its ambition !

The other clubs, including Celtic, were invited - how do you stick your ned in when it is an organisation by invite only ? I don't think the G14 really add much from a global brand perspective either - they just look out for themselves, which is fine, but I don't see that they add that much. Would I rather we were in there ? Yep. Am I overly concerned ? Nope.

No biggie.

I hope he does well too. Just because he failed with us doesn't mean we should be holding a grudge against the guy - there is no way of knowing if he would have become a success.

I remember at the time hearing of Liverpool having a bid rejected and Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea were all credited with taking a look at him.

There is no doubt he could have offered more to football in Europe - BUT..... he had done everything he needed to do in club football - and trying to increase the public awareness of the game in the US is a HUGE task and I am sure that he would like to do that (although the money is of prime importance). The other thing though about his move to the US is he IMO is thinking very much in terms of his long term future - just think, a country of 300 million and little to no interest in football (soccer), Beckham comes over, makes them interested and then starts to open all these "Beckham academies" - very intelligent move if you ask me !

Yes but the Celtic and Barca games were without Boyd but also without Sebo. If you think we would have got the same type of result using Sebo then I would be astounded. We maybe do look like a team with 10 players with Boyd in the team - but we looked exactly the same when Sebo played - he was shite !! Boyd had at least one thing going for him that Sebo didn't, and doesn't - Boyd can score goals - and as a striker I think that is a pretty important aspect to the game. Buffel just flatters to deceive IMO - vert skilful but either not suited to the Scottish game or just not interested when subjected to a stiff tackle.

It all boils down to though... why should he NOT take the money ? I doubt there is any one of us on here who wouldn't have done the exact same thing. And because he did it, and because it is a HUGE amount of money, we get the "sell-out" explanation. Football is no longer a loyalty driven sport. So why should he show any loyalty to the European game ?

You aren't in the wrong because you don't rate Boyd - that is your opinion. It is your logic which sometimes comes across as flawed. You don't rate Boyd who has scored almost a goal a game but you want Sebo to get runs in the team and he has barely ever scored (even for previous, or present, club). Your logic is that he did a lot of running around against Celtic at Parkhead - that doesn't make him a striker. Anyway, we have flogged the Sebo vs Boyd horse to death. I knew you would retort with Buffel being played out of position and, to an extent, that is fair enough. But he has never really shown too much of a desire to fight for the cause. IMO, and it is only my opinion, I would give Gow a chance first - although I DO have to agree that Buffel is more suited to the "hole" position than Ferguson and I wouldn't be averse to trying Buffel in there with BF playing further back. I just don't think that Buffel has proven that he really should be starting. Good for him saying he wants to stay and play - it is quite another putting forth the application to warrant a start (although his reserve performances would suggest he deserves a chance). You aren't wrong all the time. I was one who didn't want McCulloch so am very happy to be proven wrong with that one - the big man has been a great acquisition. Novo has deserved his chance to start for long enough so I agree with you there. I also rate Hemdani but if we are to play a 4-4-2 in the SPL then Hemdani will be the man left out as Thomson plays that position. Hemdani is a quality player but it seems that he is most effective as part of a central midfield 3 - when it is 2 and BF is the other they seem to negate each other's play.

Don't forget that we havent won a thing for 2 years - so I am sure WS and the boys will want to try to win this comp - so resting both your CB's against a very decent team would be folly. Weir needs the rest more than Cuellar.

But Buffel has had chances under the previous two managers and hasn't consistently shown enough to warrant being given another chance. No doubt he is a far superior player to Faye - but he just doesn't seem to want it enough - he gives the proper sound bites all the time but when he gets his chance he fails to impress.

But how was Beckham letting his country down when McClaren came in and the first thing he did was drop him from the squad - I think that Beckham would have seen that as a slap in the face. So why should he not go and chase his dreams elsewhere ? He had won everything worth winning in club football. I agree that posh would have tried to convince him that the US was the place to go - but they are a family so I am sure they make decisions as a family - and 25 mill a year is a pretty big incentive in itself. McClaren maybe stated the door wasn't closed - but that pretty much was what he did at that point. Beckham was dropped not just as captain but as a squad player. I am not convinced that Beckham's game would drop either - some of these US teams have some very decent players playing for them. Besides Beckham has always looked after himself and apparently loves training - different I know from a real game atmosphere but he has enough quality to overcome the inferiority of the league. Yes he was offered a new deal at Madrid but only after the dicked him around. Why on earth would he sign a new deal for them when they had told him they didn't want him... then they needed him to help them win the league... which he duly did... and then they offer him a new deal - long AFTER he had been told he wasnt wanted and after he had signed for Galaxy. Not sure about the Milan deal.

I disagree that he was letting his country down as at the time he agreed to join LA Galaxy he wasn't in McLaren's plans. I doubt the decision was made bu his wife either - maybe it is me but if I was offered 10 mill a year to play in the EPL, La Liga etc (and lets not forget that Beckham did NOT have that kind of offer - he may have received one but at that point it wasnt on the table) and was offered 25 mill a year for FIVE years from the MLS I am pretty sure I would take the 25 mill - a nice salary to wind down your footballing career having played at the top for 15 years. I believe the decision was made by BOTH of them. I hear what you say about not playing for England Gribz but lets not forget that 1. When he signed for Galaxy he wasnt in England's plans and 2. He played in a qualifier whilst a Galaxy player and played well (I believe) so the standard of football didn't make too much of a difference to him. The travelling may be another factor altogether - but again if it is he case that he and/or his wife want to be in the movies then this was the best move they could have made. And let's not forget that his career is on the downward incline (as he is over 30) so he had to start thinking about the longer term, post football career. Those clubs were RUMOURED to be wanting him - do we know for sure ? Does it matter ? As you say, he was sorted for life financially years ago - that being the case can we just believe him when he says that he went to the US to try to increase the popularity of the game there and to tap into a HUGE market ? Because that was his explanation - personally I don't believe it but if he was sorted financially then maybe, just maybe, he is telling the truth. The US can be a good place to live - the only downside is it is full of Americans (JOKING.... or am I racially stereotyping ?) but it also has its moments too. Gribz.... you know as well as I do that there are some AWFUL actors making a very decent living from movies. I actually think that Beckham could make a living in movies if he wanted to - you don't have to be good to be in movies and it is proven often enough.

Couldn't agree more !

Whoever started the thread should just have had a subject line of "Amdy Faye...." and simply stated in the body of their message "....is shite". Job done. He was truly woeful on Sunday - since starting to watch Gers when I was 6 (about 15 years ago.... aye..... rrriiiigghhhht !!!!) he is one of the worst players I have seen playing for the Gers.

Agreed. It is the WISEST thing he probably has ever done. Reasons..... 1. Football is a short career and much as though we chastise it, players should make as much as they can whilst they have that career. 2. Beckham gets paid GBP25 million per year for the next 5 years. That is good financial and business sense. 3. He has a 5 yr contract which takes him to his 36th birthday - how many 36 yr olds in the game do you know who are getting GBP 25 mill a year ? NONE. 4. As the MLS is a fledgling, minor league I don't think he will be under nearly as much pressure as he would be in La Liga, the EPL, Serie A etc 5. His wife, and he apparently, would like to break into movies - what better place than Hollywood ? From a footballing sense it perhaps wasn't the wisest move - however, from a monetary and business decision sense he could not have made a wiser move. I sometimes get the impression that those who say he sold out or who believe he was stupid to move say that because they are somewhat jealous of what he has - me, I say "good for you Beckham - for a dumb fvcker you actually made a good move"

I wasn't even that convinced by Hutton on Sunday - IMO was quite lucky to stay on the pitch - his tackles are sometimes rash and if he mis-times then by a fraction he will walk a few times this year . Just didn't seem to be himself - but nowhere near the worst !

Pete, Faye was IMO at least 2 yards off the pace - he was a passenger in every sense of the word.

But guys... saying that we should have went and paid the money for Brown is moot - Murray said we COULD meet the valuation but that it was the WAGES that were the problem as they didn't want to break the wage structure. Brown isn't too much of the creative type either and it is the creativity that we lack.

Come on Villa !!!

Bolton up 1-0

Villa, Everton and Arsenal.

PSG are only 3 points above relegation Gav - they have only won 2 games from 11.

Agreed Ian, the less we react the more of a tit he looks.

So did I pete - I hope the bassas pony up at bonus time.... which funnily enough is in the next 6 weeks !