Hleb was on loan anyway so...

Could we get him? He's not great but a useful squad player. We could land him on loan...

Hleb is world class. I'd take him.

Torquay lost.

The richest game in footall won by a Welsh team.

The richest game in football? I don't follow...

To get promoted to the Premiership in one game really. I think it's worth something like £90m to a club nowadays, I'm sure I heard that figure somewhere. Not in winnings but with all the stuff the Prem brings to a club!

Well, isn't this the first Welsh club ever to be in the EPL? I'm happy for them.

So SAF talked about a restriction that coaches in England have and they can only coach youngsters for one and a half hour every day... what the f*** is that all about, am I missing something? It sounds as random as restricting team staff with non-black cars to park outside the team's facilities... seriously, what am I missing, why is that restriction there?

So SAF talked about a restriction that coaches in England have and they can only coach youngsters for one and a half hour every day... what the f*** is that all about, am I missing something? It sounds as random as restricting team staff with non-black cars to park outside the team's facilities... seriously, what am I missing, why is that restriction there?

It has nothing to do with education or there chances of making it.

Also its not a rule in just england, the UK, Canada and the United States follow it as well.



The reasons behind the rule is that new research came out saying that kids who are trained 2 hours every session in comparison to 1.5 hours have alot higher chances of developing injuries.

Also they say after the 1.5 hour mark, kids don't have the capacity to concentrate and be effective in the practice. Basically their mind begins to wander they become careless and get hurt.


Basic practice structures follow this guideline:

15 minutes warm up

45 minutes of drills (tactical, technical etc..)

20 minutes of game (scrimage, 7v7 etc)

10 minutes of cool down

yes it does

how do you know this you coach under 16's or something?

that hurt mishie



Yeah i've been coaching for 7 years now. Coached all levels from 8 years old to 18 years old and men. Don't you know i'm the next mourinho!!!

so if this rule is "new" how come the coaching sessions i do/done have always been 90 mins and always with the guidelines of education coming 1st.....now if we are talking training at professional clubs (which i take it you do) then every session is usually 2 hours obviously the are getting educated at the acadmy...and as for playing on the streets etc NONE of the boys at our acadamy are allowed to play for anyone else not even thoose still attending school. as for being the next Mourinho well thats your claim....i don't claim to be anything special...perhaps thats were we differ

Man United midfielder Paul Scholes retires

LONDON (AP)—Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes announced his retirement on Tuesday, ending the trophy-laden career of a famously low-key player widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted of his generation.

The 36-year-old Scholes made 676 appearances for United after making his debut for the club in 1994 and was the midfield heartbeat of a team that has dominated English soccer for the past two decades.

Spain midfielder Xavi called Scholes “the best central midfielder that I have seen,” while France great Zinedine Zidane once branded him “almost untouchable.”

“I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honor,” said Scholes, who eschewed the celebrity lifestyle of many modern day soccer players and rarely gave interviews.

“This was not a decision that I have taken lightly, but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing.”

Scholes won 10 Premier League titles—and 24 trophies in total—with United, scoring 150 goals, but was no longer a regular choice in the first team by the end of the recently completed season, leading to growing speculation about his playing future. His last appearance for the northwest power was as a late substitute in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final at Wembley.

Earlier in the month, he had helped United claim a record 19th English title, overhauling Liverpool as the country’s most successful league team. He made 66 appearances for England before retiring from international soccer in 2004 to concentrate on his club career.

A one-club man, Scholes said he will stay at United by taking up a coaching role starting next season.

“What more can I say about Paul Scholes that I haven’t said before,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “We are going to miss a truly unbelievable player.

“Paul has always been fully committed to this club and I am delighted he will be joining the coaching staff from next season. Paul has always been inspirational to players of all ages and we know that will continue in his new role.”

Starting out as a deep-lying forward, Scholes eventually dropped back into central midfield where his touch, technique and vision could be more effectively utilized. He never lost his eye for the goal, though, and turned his late runs into the penalty box into an art form.

Scholes had a particularly fierce shot and was always dangerous from outside the box.

“He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away,” Xavi said. “If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.”

The only part of Scholes’ game that let him down was his tackling, which was often late and clumsy. He missed the dramatic win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final because of suspension, but started in 2008 when United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow to claim its third European Cup.

“It is very sad day for Manchester United fans around the world,” said United chief executive David Gill. “We all know that Paul was one of the players that came through the ranks of the academy system in the 1990s and has established himself as one of the greatest players to ever wear the United shirt.”

After Gary Neville, Scholes is the second member of the batch of young talent to burst into United’s first team during the early 1990s, which also included David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, to retire this season.

“Paul Scholes- The Best! Great Player, Person, Friend,” Neville posted on Twitter.

United defender Rio Ferdinand used his Twitter account to describe Scholes as “the BEST player of his generation.”

“Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game(changed his game while still at top of the game),” Ferdinand wrote.

Current England coach Fabio Capello tried to tempt him back to the national team just a few weeks before last year’s World Cup in South Africa but Scholes declined, saying he hadn’t been given enough time to make the decision.

“If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.”

Very true Xavi!

A good player indeed even of he couldn't tackle! Not a great in my mind but certainly close to it!

Most Villa fans have the same opinion as me on Carlo to be honest. Give him the best squad in the World and he'll do okay. Otherwise you may as well look elsewhere.

Villa have played down the link to Mark Hughes and Fulham are in talks with him over a ex contract. He wouldn't be the worst choice ever, but I'm more of a fan of managers who really earn their way up to the EPL. Moyes, Martinez or Poyet I'd still like. Can't see any of them leaving though.

EDIT: Hughes has quit as Fulham manager. Dammit.

Brad Friedel signed for Spurs, Gomes out then I imagine? Ben Foster to replace Friedel at Villa. Not a fan personally, though pissing off small heath would be one positive of signing him.

The McGregor link has died down a bit, Rangers looking to extend his deal.

Did you hear today's story? Apparently we're in for taking Cuellar back.

Foster and Al Habsi are the only keepers we've been strongly linked with, at least by the papers here. Don't rate Foster, but the small heath fans will hang themself if we take him.

As for Cuellar, I'd be surprised if you could afford him to be honest. He's the best centre back at the club so under a new manager he'll be playing every week anyway.

Doubt cuellar would be going back to rangers. Hes gone too high up and at villa to simply contemplate going back to rangers. was a good player for them though.

No disrespect to Kurt, and he probably knows this; but Villa are nothing these days but an average EPL team. They don't win anything and they're miles off a CL spot. Maybe a new manager would do them a MON and take them a bit higher.