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football: the beautiful game


RobbertJan

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Didn’t see the 2 of them smiling. But I saw them hugging and Willie whispering something to Drogs at the end. Probably something like get me out of this sinking ship.

Wenger’s subs are just like those on the pitch. Quick and quicker. I recall young Theo was in the box and could test Cech with a kick in an acute angle. Instead, he passed it to Eduardo or Vela I think, and Chelsea cleared it. In fact, Chelsea’s defence was so stout, gunners couldn’t do a damn thing and Cesc was so frustrated in the end he lost his composure and was carded. More ammo for Willie to say Gunners are not ready for silverware.

And Gunners didn’t have a clear chance at goal or made Cech sweat, other than Eduardo kicking the ball out of Cech’s hands for Arsh to score.

All in all, a bad day in the office and you know Wenger wont spend in January. Even if he does, it will be someone young and untested.

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yeah that play by Walcott was a perfect way to sum what they tend to do... shoot themselves in the foot.

To avoid being selfish or because he was nervous... no way you'd want that kinda guy in the English line up... unlike Defoe who has been on a bender!

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yeah that play by Walcott was a perfect way to sum what they tend to do... shoot themselves in the foot.

To avoid being selfish or because he was nervous... no way you'd want that kinda guy in the English line up... unlike Defoe who has been on a bender!

Actually Capello wants someone speedy down the flanks. I will rather take him than Lennon or even SWP. At least young Theo show some end product like in Croatia unlike Lennon and SWP seems to lose the ball too easy going back to his Chelsea days.

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another great november to be a gunners fan. injuries stacked up. shortcomings made loud and clear. losing 4 out of 13 games. not scoring in last two games and defensive frailties still not corrected from last season. fuckin a.

Plus its not even X’mas and their BPL hopes are dashed. Again.

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on current form i would take lennon than swp then walcott. though to be honest lennon v swp is a push.

regarding betting on wigan vs burnley to be relegated, all i said was that burnley wasn't going to be - they're on track to be this season's stoke with an impressive home form making up for poor away results. i expect they'll finish 15th or so. obviously wigan is more likely to finish higher than burnley, only an idiot would take that bet on even odds.

btw i tried to look up odds on liverpool finishing outside fourth but the standard bet for that seems to be league winner excluding the top four. i think at some point we will see burnley not being relegated having better odds than liverpool to finish top four

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arsenal played with no substance. They held the ball well in the beginning but it was all for nothing. They really deserve to lose.

Actually no. Their passing and movement were good but they lack a RVP or even Adebayor who can make something out of nothing or make the best of the least. They were at the edge of the box, in the box or broke the offside trap and could have scored plenty but the end product was not good. They just huffed and puffed and nothing came out of it.

Of course Chelsea defended real well. Like the commentator said, when Arsenal was at the break, many blue shirts would raced back in their box defending and JT made a couple of good tackles.

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possible but i doubt it. i still think liverpool will finish top four (most likely 4), burnley will be under wigan (most likely relegated).

right now for me relegated teams will be wolves, burnley, bolton or everton :D

looks like chelsea will be champions, unless something goes very wrong.

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possible but i doubt it. i still think liverpool will finish top four (most likely 4), burnley will be under wigan (most likely relegated).

right now for me relegated teams will be wolves, burnley, bolton or everton :D

looks like chelsea will be champions, unless something goes very wrong.

What about Pompey or Hull? Everton wont get relegated with Moyes around. Last season they were also in deep shit early on with tons of strikers injured and yet they made it to Europe.

If Pool doesn’t make it to Champ Leagues next season, at least it will have someone new who probably wont get knocked out at the group stages. Plus you can imagine who Man City will get to join them when they make it to Europe. Messi? Ribery? Pato?

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Pompey will buy in the winter. They are not playing badly, they just can't get the results. I think Grant can keep them up with few additions.

Hull is playing better now that Bullard is back and there was some kind of higher up that left as well and I think that suits Brown a lot more now. They might stay, but just.

The only ones I see are Spurs, Mac City and Villa. Depending on the draw I don't see any of them being better than Liverpool in Europe. (Liverpool also had lots of injuries this season but I guess that's different discussion)

I don't think City can get Messi or Pato. Ribery maybe but he plays as much as Kewell now. People think that City will throw money and every player will join them. First they need to get a better manager, better defenders and maybe then some real stars will come.

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Pompey will buy in the winter. They are not playing badly, they just can't get the results. I think Grant can keep them up with few additions.

Hull is playing better now that Bullard is back and there was some kind of higher up that left as well and I think that suits Brown a lot more now. They might stay, but just.

The only ones I see are Spurs, Mac City and Villa. Depending on the draw I don't see any of them being better than Liverpool in Europe. (Liverpool also had lots of injuries this season but I guess that's different discussion)

I don't think City can get Messi or Pato. Ribery maybe but he plays as much as Kewell now. People think that City will throw money and every player will join them. First they need to get a better manager, better defenders and maybe then some real stars will come.

1. I thought Pompey got their own transfer ban cos they couldn’t pay forward their sales of Lsss and GJ?

BTW Average Grant is not as good as he is made out to be. He basically inherited Jose’s team, used the same tactics and got 2nd in 3 competitions. Many were saying Jose will never lose in cup finals although I think he may have done so for Inter.

2. For Man City, they have made their intentions clear. After learning from Chelsea, they want to buy a big name player and build other lesser lights around him. Thats why they made Kaka their main target and they were willing to pay 100 million for him. They made enquiries for Messi when they were talking about the Robinho deal but Barca rejected them. If Barca was willing to sell Messi for 150 million, you think the Sheikh will say no?

Who they will target next will depend on who will be the next breakout star in the WC. Man City not being in a Champ League team is a big drawback. After all, who wants to go to Burnley and get involved in a relegation dogfight in some sandy pitch with the cold wind blowing, 23 fans watching and a dog strolling around the pitch, if you are Messi. Wont you want to be adored by 98000 in the Camp Nou instead? But if they can get into Champ League, now we are talking. Throwing money on a big name coach is not a problem for them. Like Mancini or Guus.

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I think there is only Guus or the Special One comes back. You think Barca sells Messi for 150 mil? I don't think Liverpool sells Torres for 100 mil and Liverpool is financially fucked. And yes, you're right. Big stars don't want to play at Burnley but they will if they want to win the best league in the world.

Winter silly season will be interesting.

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Money talks, bullshit walks.

Guus showed he can excel in BPL albeit it was with Chelsea.

Mancini is Serie A champ.

Jose will bite for Man City cos it will help him create his aura of the 'Special One' when Man City becomes BPL champ under his watch.

Pool nixed Nando sale for 50 million. But if its 100 million, they may bite although Nando might say no and Rafa walks out.

Messi's buyout clause is what? 200 over million? Wont it be great if City buys Messi and they got the Argentina Messi instead of the Barca Messi?

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possible but i doubt it. i still think liverpool will finish top four (most likely 4), burnley will be under wigan (most likely relegated).

right now for me relegated teams will be wolves, burnley, bolton or everton :D

ok - 20 bucks says burnley will not be relegated

BTW Average Grant is not as good as he is made out to be. He basically inherited Jose’s team, used the same tactics and got 2nd in 3 competitions. Many were saying Jose will never lose in cup finals although I think he may have done so for Inter.

that's a little harsh - he was a penalty shootout away from being the first team from london to win the champions league... if you want to blame anyone it should be anelka - he should have gone to the goalie's right

at any rate, saving pompey is a far cry from winning the league - especially if he can spend in the transfer window as they did the last time they were in this position. however, he'll need to get off the bottom of the table before january to succeed

Man City not being in a Champ League team is a big drawback. After all, who wants to go to Burnley and get involved in a relegation dogfight in some sandy pitch with the cold wind blowing, 23 fans watching and a dog strolling around the pitch, if you are Messi.

there's no drawback that throwing money at players can't resolve - maybe not with specific players like kaka but in general this is true. also mark hughes is clever enough to get good players for less than 100 million pounds... at any rate, i dare you to go to turf moor and relay your characterization of burnley's support to their fans
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ok - 20 bucks says burnley will not be relegated

that's a little harsh - he was a penalty shootout away from being the first team from london to win the champions league... if you want to blame anyone it should be anelka - he should have gone to the goalie's right

at any rate, saving pompey is a far cry from winning the league - especially if he can spend in the transfer window as they did the last time they were in this position. however, he'll need to get off the bottom of the table before january to succeed

there's no drawback that throwing money at players can't resolve - maybe not with specific players like kaka but in general this is true. also mark hughes is clever enough to get good players for less than 100 million pounds... at any rate, i dare you to go to turf moor and relay your characterization of burnley's support to their fans

1. If you want to blame someone, it should be Drogs for being red carded and JT for missing the empty net. Even if Nico scored, they would just continue until one team finally miss. Probably Chelsea since its Average’s team.

Average went to the finals beating Pool. I cant recall how they did it since Jose was knocked out by Pool twice in the semis but I think it was largely due to Drogs again. But that doesn’t make him better than Jose.

Just as a point of comparison, see how Guus and Wilkins outsmarted Rafa in last season’s quarters. They exploited Rafa’s lack of man marking in the posts and poor set piece defence and used Ballack and Essien to shut down Stevie G and Nando became ineffective. That was helped by Xabi not playing. But nevertheless their tactical brilliance got them through. What brilliance does Average have or showed?

2. Hughes maximizing little known player wont work in City. He joined City when Thaksin was in charge and City being bought by the Sheikh and ended up being the richest club in the world was unexpected by him.

City is now fantasy football and about massaging big egos and managing them by letting them play in rotation when all wants to play since it’s a world cup year no matter what. Also, what will happen when some players speak up and moan about Sparky not having the right tactics and strong arm his sacking like what happened with Scolari.

Robinho obviously cant be controlled. Much. And 7 draws in a row against fodder like Hull and Birmingham is ridiculous for a 200 million pounds team.

Compare Hughes’ man managing to how Ancelotti is buttering up Drogs. Singing his praises like how great a striker he is etc. He must have realized Scolari got nothing from Drogs by not buttering him up and marginalizing him by using Drogs as a sub compare to what Jose got out of him by kissing up to him even when Drogs didn’t get Jose 20 goals each season.

Now see how great Drog is performing. He is performing even better than he did for Jose. Drog was even sub after he scored his 2 goals on Sunday. This makes Drogs feel happy since he got his goals and he wont sulk when he exits.

And that is only drogs, there are still people like Nico and others like Essien and Lamps playing out of position and Deco, malouda being rotated. You don’t hear them bitching like Nani and babel and Pavluchenko about lack of playing time.

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i think so. i would say same top 4 as last year but different order.

Hope not. Nothing against Pool or arsenal. But it has been a long time since someone with caliber crashed the top 4 tea party. Nice to see Man City enter the big leagues and invite Barca or AC to SOL and actually have the resources to make it pass the group stages. I mean their team is so deep, they can field a BPL and European team. And finally Barca will know Manchester have more than one club.

Not to mention City is the only team which can afford to bring all the stars to BPL like Messi, henry, Ronnie, Maicon, Ribery which they cant do now since they are not in Europe.

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So you think they can finally sell out SOL if they bring Barca? Shit club if you ask me when they can't fill their stadium during even big games.

And stars like Henry and Ronnie? Are you having a piss? Henry doesn't have the speed anymore and you really need to see Milan play. I wouldn't trade Milner for Ronnie. Fuck, last match I wouldn't even trade Aurelio for him. Ronnie is done.

I still stand they can't bring Messi. Not a fucking chance.

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nah i wanted to bet on this. wigan above burnley.

but i'll bet you that liverpool will finish above spurs

i don't think burnley will be relegated whereas you do, which seems like a reasonable bet to me - rather than trying to trick me into taking pretty long odds on either of the things above. btw the quote you provided is out of context and was directed in response to this:

Of course [Wigan] wont [get relegated]. THeir home form is much superior than their away form and they have Sunderland at home next.

what i was pointing out that according to beast's own logic, there is a much stronger case to be made that burnley will be safe - yet he is stating the opposite.

What brilliance does Average have or showed?

yet again you are arguing a position i'm not making. grant wasn't brought in to pompey to win the league or beat liverpool. he was brought in to save them from relegation. this doesn't require brilliance.

City is now fantasy football and about massaging big egos and managing them by letting them play in rotation when all wants to play since it’s a world cup year no matter what.

this is exactly my point - hughes is obviously trying to stay away from blockbuster transfers for precisely these reasons.

So you think they can finally sell out SOL if they bring Barca? Shit club if you ask me when they can't fill their stadium during even big games.

i assume you guys are talking about COMS (unless we just switched to sunderland when i wasn't looking)... man city's average attendance figures have been higher than liverpool's this season!

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Hope not. Nothing against Pool or arsenal. But it has been a long time since someone with caliber crashed the top 4 tea party. Nice to see Man City enter the big leagues and invite Barca or AC to SOL and actually have the resources to make it pass the group stages. I mean their team is so deep, they can field a BPL and European team. And finally Barca will know Manchester have more than one club.

Not to mention City is the only team which can afford to bring all the stars to BPL like Messi, henry, Ronnie, Maicon, Ribery which they cant do now since they are not in Europe.

they've lost the least amount of games, but iirc they've drawn something 5 or 6 games on the trot at home, i don't think anyone can really say they're in the 'big leagues' quite just yet.

Also, english /= british

Are you having a piss? .

hahaha

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why is lennon on the left? and i thought you can't win when bale is playing. it could be 3 if berba wasn't a lazy gypsy and got to that cross.

bale broke that run (it was premiership matches) when he was subbed in during our tonking of burnley earlier this season. anyway lennon gets played out left when we have two right midfielders in our squad - the idea is that he cuts into the middle to shoot. anyway it wasn't a bad matchup with bale in support, the two ran riot around the neville sister.

mag - our shit squad is all out on loan now (or playing for sunderland)! i want pompey to go down so o'hara will come back

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