football: the beautiful game

[fatchino]

Arsenal are now a selling club ... will be 'til they pay for the Emirates. Wenger predicates domination in a few years too. That club confuses me like a Claudio Ranieri post match interview.

[readytoignite]

Why hasn't anyone gone in for Samuel Eto'o...suspect attitude maybe?

that's what happens when your wage demands can only be met by a handful of clubs.... though not sure why neither man city nor newcastle have been linked

[Harry Sledge]

Chelsea have over crowded themselves again, having signed Deco, there is no room to also keep Lampard & Ballack in the starting 11...none of these are squad players. Doesn't matter which formation they use, I doubt even 2 at a time can play at their maximum. Just like the signings of Shevchenko & Anelka (Chelsea tend to use just 1 striker) what's gonna happen up top seen as though nobody is for sale. Boswinga's arrival means Essien also contends a midfield berth so Scolari's got alot of pack shuffling to do.

[fatchino]

He says Lampard's staying.

Being seeing more of old chunky this year.

Nice.

[Harry Sledge]

^ lol...woulda +rep.

[polishmike]

[beast]

Chelsea have over crowded themselves again, having signed Deco, there is no room to also keep Lampard & Ballack in the starting 11...none of these are squad players. Doesn't matter which formation they use, I doubt even 2 at a time can play at their maximum. Just like the signings of Shevchenko & Anelka (Chelsea tend to use just 1 striker) what's gonna happen up top seen as though nobody is for sale. Boswinga's arrival means Essien also contends a midfield berth so Scolari's got alot of pack shuffling to do.

Nah. They are probably clearing out real soon. Makelele probably got his final one year deal. Sidwell is out. Following him will be Pizaaro, Ben Haim, SWP.

Lamps will probably go. Yup their midfield will still be incredibly packed even wirh Lamps gone. Drogba is interesting. Now AC is more keen on Adebayor than him, he is backing down.

But looking at their strikeforce, Sheva must go but Abramovich won't sell him. Drogba will still stay because no one wants him at Chelsea's asking price and his high wages. Anelka probably wont last because of his emerging bad attitude.

Hope Scolari do a clearout and get some flair players like Robinho and Kaka (no way though).

[fatchino]

Dudek's the original slave though. Coined the term but when he was sitting on the Liverpool bench. Then Domenech went and described Makelele as Chelsea's slave. it's all quite funny to me. Work ... what 3/4 days a week. Earn more than most people earn a week a year ... this of course only applies to the top players but I'm guessing that's all Blatter's interested in anyway.

P.S. I know its early but who's in ...

Fantasy football is BACK

[polishmike]

i'll do fantasy but only for $$$

[fatchino]

Sounds like a challenge.

If it's set up my money's there.

[polishmike]

yeah we'll just paypal one person the money and we can do winner takes most, second place gets his money back.

$20 is fine with me but we can go higher

[redshirt]

P.S. I know its early but who's in ...

Fantasy football is BACK

code for the mini league por favor.

[78]

Count me in!

[fatchino]

$20 in then seem right to everyone? Suits me. I've set up a league on the site. Can give out the code when we have numbers and monies sorted ... if everyone's cool with it.

Who took the money last time? Same again? Should this go in a new topic?

[LaiShin]

If there's at least 10 in, I'm definitely in.

Whoever handled the money the previous time, should do it imo.

I recalled I was 1st in the SuFu league, but I wasn't one of those that payed for it.

And new thread for sure.

[fatchino]

New thread for fantasy football

[Harry Sledge]

So the mystery bid was on Berbatov then, not that I'm surprised, just know Fergie can from time to time. Wasn't particular excited when hearing the link in the past, but now I know he may come I'm feeling good about it especially after reading the Premiership's top 5 most effective players since 2006, goals & assists wise are...

(In this order)

Cristiano Ronaldo

Wayne Rooney

Dimitar Berbatov

Emmanuel Adebayor

Frank Lampard

P.S. Ronaldo...you just got told last week bruv. Fergie put his arm round his shoulder & gave him the iron fist at the same time.

[readytoignite]

some wet spammers got shown up by the columbus crew's firm, this is so classic

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=556405&cc=5901

[evil_educator]

Arsenal are now a selling club ... will be 'til they pay for the Emirates. Wenger predicates domination in a few years too. That club confuses me like a Claudio Ranieri post match interview.

zzz how are they going to win the premiership if they keep selling their good players.

[polishmike]

some wet spammers got shown up by the columbus crew's firm, this is so classic

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=556405&cc=5901

did you just say "columbus crew's firm"? hahaha no such thing in mls. the score still shows how shitty the league here is, a good team in season lost to a team that just started preparing for one. sucks it wasn't on tv, i hope hammers start another fight during the all star game.

[beast]

zzz how are they going to win the premiership if they keep selling their good players.

Wenger's rep will ensure young players will join and Arsenal's styles will ensure 'purists' will join. They will probably be top 4 in the years to come but honestly, Carling and even FA Cup are within Wenger's grasp now if he wants to focus on it.

[plongin]

ok ive really had enough of this bad biased analysis.

[Magsåvningsreserven]

Arsenal fucked up in spectacular fashion imo, they were what? 7/8 points ahead of Man U around winter? Not only did they give that up they came behind Chelsea too. I know they had an injury crisis but a team that's won two league championships and appeared in a champs league final has to prepare better than that. The Emirates stadium shouldn't have affected transfer budgets this much surely?

Now they've sold two of their better senior players already leaving them with more youngsters than older players (It seems). IMO if Wenger doesn't replace them with older players I can't see them challenging for the league at all, the youngsters faltered at many areas, they need more experienced players.

/neutral

That said I hope they crumble along the lines of Leeds or something haha

[evil_educator]

the emirates stadium is the main reason to their financial crisis.

plus despite having to deal with the injury crisis they still just ended up being a mere 4 points behind the league champions

[Harry Sledge]

Now they've sold two of their better senior players already leaving them with more youngsters than older players (It seems). IMO if Wenger doesn't replace them with older players I can't see them challenging for the league at all, the youngsters faltered at many areas, they need more experienced players.

True, Wenger's passion for schooling young talent is going OTT...even my Arsenal friends agree. He looks like he's trying to totally out do Ferguson's/Van Gaal achievements of winning titles with youngsters. You can't keep replacing established with youth otherwise your stuck in a never-ending transitional period. Transfers are also PR too, just look at what Ronaldinho has done for season ticket sales over at Milan. I'm not suggesting signing players on rep alone, but how do fans feel having stars replaced by young unknowns?

Arsenal's team is still very creative & play some of the best football around which makes them still very dangerous, but this squad currently cannot cover for loss of form, injuries & suspentions...so unless Wenger starts dropping some serious P I'm starting to put them in the same bracket as Liverpool....moderate threat.

[readytoignite]

did you just say "columbus crew's firm"? hahaha no such thing in mls. the score still shows how shitty the league here is, a good team in season lost to a team that just started preparing for one. sucks it wasn't on tv, i hope hammers start another fight during the all star game.

eh, go up to toronto and tell the people there. the fact that the feeder club's firm wanted to show how hard they were by wading into the columbus hardcore speaks volumes about how pathetic they really are. if they try any trouble in toronto they'll get caned but since the incident in columbus was due to how awful the security contractors are, it's not going to happen regardless.

the league is fine here, i don't see the point in comparing two clubs with an order of magnitude difference in annual earnings... unless the small club is beating the bigger one in the fa cup at anfield:D.

i'm sure the mls all stars will win on thursday, which is a better indicator.

[readytoignite]

Arsenal's team is still very creative & play some of the best football around which makes them still very dangerous, but this squad currently cannot cover for loss of form, injuries & suspentions...so unless Wenger starts dropping some serious P I'm starting to put them in the same bracket as Liverpool....moderate threat.

his ego has gotten out of control, he thinks he can develop a team of world beaters. he'd rather piss and moan about injuries and players showing no loyalty than pony up for an established player to build a team around or shore up weaknesses. i'm sure with the new premiership tv deal and the outbound transfers they have money to spend if he wanted to.

[evil_educator]

Can't wait for the season to begin. With all the latest signings from Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

[Harry Sledge]

European market's mad slow this Summer, big clubs aren't really making multiple signings.

[LaiShin]

Can't wait for the EPL to just start. Sick of all the transfers that doesn't materialize. Roll over 16th Aug.