The Arsenal

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:48 am

Quote:
Robben should be at Man Utd, but chelseas money came along, and whereas in the past Man Utd would have done anything to bring the quality players in it just didn't happen. Say what you want about Robben, but if he was playing for Man utd they would have wrapped up a couple more titles.

Ill say that he was injured all last season, so thats makes no sense, how could have he helped united to a title when he wasnt playing?
United recovered by buying Ronaldo, who is younger.

But plays right wing, so left wigner Robben, who played a lot of games last season for chelsea even though was out injured for a while, would fill the gap that fergie is currently using for Rooney, allowing rooney to play as a striker, his best position?

Quote:

In fact the best thing to happen to Man Utd in years is Glazers takeover, with him in charge there is more chance mn utd can go buy big, because I don't think the PLC would have sanctioned the money that fergie needs to spend to get back into pole position.

But sanctioned 30 mill for Rooney, as you go on tostate in a few lines
Doesnt add up does it?

Look, they had to, they lost millions through marketing when beckham went. Fact. They saw this investment as another monkey maker in the marketing sense. Yes world quality player, but they were never gonna spend big likke that again. So yes it does add up.

Quote:

£30 m wasted on Veron

25 actually But sold for 18mill so you do the maths.
He just didnt work after season 1, no big loss.

Only the £90,000 a week after tax they were paying him, before bonuses, you doo the math, 4.7m a year in wages after tax without bonuses?

Quote:
over the odds paid for Rio, reports suggested they could have beaten down the price from leeds but didn't

No they didnt. Rio is a good player.

Yes good player, can't deny that much on his day, but still they could have got him for less.

Quote:

Plus all the cash wasted on kleberson, bellion, forlan, Djemb-Djemba, the cost and compensation for the new roy keane Liam Miller (now on loan to leeds).

Every teams buys players that dont work all the time. look at Arsenal.
for every player United didnt have a success with they have had huge success with others.
ill continue this later

Which Arsenal players? only Hleb I can think of really, maybe jermaine pennant, but realistically, they haven't spent the astronomical amounts on players other teams have.

as for it being the best thing, to happen. id argue that Rooney is the best thing in recent years.

Yes, I take it back it really is.

Its a bad season for United sure, thats life, but we will be great again soon, we have the firepower to sink the best, createive young talent in midfield, great defenders when fit and young talent there too.

all we lack is to midfielders who apparently are on there way. so im not fussed. I think thats the generall feeling in football to be honest.

Didn't argue with that I just think it may take another seeason for the team to adjust properly. But I'd love them to prove me wrong. It's not only top three fans that get bored with the title.

im not going to justify United any more, I always seem to have to, I guess united are just more interesting then other clubs.

But thats because they are the most high drama, and a lot (not all impy) of their fans (the glory hunting, not real fans) seem to think that their world is collapsing in when they don't win a trophy. All I can say is go and watch Wrexham, loyal supporters shafted by a board who have left them with a club in the proverbial Sh*t. People discuss Man Utd IMpy because they are a good model of how money has a negative affect on the premiership. They for a year or two panic bought players, aware of Chelsea and Arsenal's appearance on the scene. Fergie hasn't become a bad judge of character or a crap manager, but has lost his way a couple of times with players who have promised so much elsewhere but haven't performed for him. Not gonna stress this point again, not slagging utd off, far from it, but expressing my opinions on areas of interest in conversation. However it is funny how some utd fans have to fall on a red sword to justify their club, when other fans take criticism of their club on the chin, you always hear a utd bleating. Villa are crap at the moment, I know that other fans know that, I know where our problems are, other people tell us where our problems are, but I won't blindly justify my team when it is obvious that faults are there, you just have to let them get on with it.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:59 pm

I understand that some Utd fan have 'fallen on the sword' but i hear that loads of arse 'fans' (and I say that lightly) switched to Chelski when they started to win, I think thats the fickle nature of football supporters.

QUitely I still go to watch Bournemouth play, we are poo, or average for the league, I watch becaue of the atmosphere, at the same time im drawn to united by thier exciting (if sometimes sucidel) style of play.

I wont deny United have made mistakes, they have taken chances on players that to be fair didnt work here but do work in thier other countrys, look at Forlan for example, golden European boot winner last season, says it all really.

Utd have said that the two midfield players they hae been tracking are on thier way to OT in the summer, I belive having watched every united game available that this will make a difference because we fail to dominate that area as we once did in big matchs, and i say big because squad players like smith and fletch are good enough to keep us in 2nd place, also the lack of decent midfielders opens are defence up to critisism, thats the way we play, u need Keno cover for example.
If it gets sorted this summer, good, if it doesnt, then i will bitch.

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 1:01 pm

(gives Impy a hug) Sod the Premiership, let's go watch Peterborough.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 1:21 pm

Haha - lower league stuff is so different to the clean cut nature of the premm is strange, its like being at achool or somthing.

My friends talk about this alot, when a 2nd div sides players are worth a few thousand, and a premm player is like 30 million, is the 30 mill player really that much better?

Its like CHelsea colchester, Colchester cost £15,000 chelski, £350 mill or somthing. you would expect Chelski to score a trillion goals at that price. but it never happens.

I wonder if u took all the COlchester players to Chelski, gave them expert coaching and stuff, could they survive in the premm?

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:04 pm

I go and watch peterborough with my mate a lot, more this season than i've seen villa. From wales, including the ticket etc, it is still less than it would cost me to go see villa. I have somewhat been making my own little protest against Villa's tickets, I used to be able to go see them for no more than 15 quid a ticket, now it's that much to go and sit in the mixed fans area.

Plus, the last time I went to the villa, I took my 9yr old sister who's mad on villa, sat in the family stand (the mixed stand) and I'm sorry to say it was against Man Utd (last year I think) and we had a bunch of what only could be described as tw@ts in front of us who not only smoked in a non smoking stand from the start of the match, but were swearing like sailors in the middle of all these fans, when no-one else really bothered standing and saying somthing, they were all complaining amongst themselves, I asked them if they could at least keep the language down, I got swore at and called a peado, because I dared to take my younger sister to a football match. The stewards never said anything, and I didn't get a reply off villa so still in protest.

Post by **snarl** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:11 pm

Phone up 5 live and talk sport. Shame em up!

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:48 pm

On-topic

I don't know if their play was good, but the result surely is.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:44 pm

Arsenal beat top Spanish team at home shocker.

As for me, I let the team (Man Utd) do the talking, cry if the team doesn't win, cheer if the team does win.

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:07 am

That was the best I've seen arsenal play in years. Quick tempo, superb personal performances, fabregas i'm lookin at you, and to round it all off how out of condition did a lot of the real players look? Ronaldo fat as fook, so is carlos, and a lot of them just looked out of shape.

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:21 am

Real Madrid is a ******* mystery to me.
They buy everyone (Zidane, Beckham, Ronaldo, Raul, etc) for shitloads of money.
They never win anything (no prize money) and they never sell anyone (okey, they sold Owen) - yet they are now the richest team in the world.
They must make hell lot of money on merchandise.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:05 am

just before becks joined they were amazing, but they are all to old now and havnt rebuilt properly

Post by **snarl** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:08 am

Aging squad, fickle fans leading to high manager turnover - lack of stability, so they haven't quite nailed success in the last 3 years.

They have the largest turnover in the game, Beckham is a cash mountina. They sold their old training ground to real estate development for a ******* tonne. I haven't checked the story out recently, but at the time there was widespread outrage at the deal, it was hugely inflated if I remember correctly. As I remember, they were (are?) in real financial trouble, but they are bankrolled by people in high places - Real are a large enough attraction to create a situation where if they went capput it could be considered a Spanish national disaster.

Arsenal were very very SOLID. Didn't create many great chances, henry's header springs to mind as the nailed on goal opportunity and he actually missed it - they once looked in trouble through individual error, beckham pissed it right up. other then that, they retained the ball really well and Madrid didn't get near to causing them problems. I couldn't believe how gash Madrid were. No width, lethargic, no... hmm, forgot the word I was going to use - but no spark basicaly - ah! URGENCY, they lacked that big time. Quite a lot of balls into the box but where were the white shirts? Looked stuck in 3rd gear. Only time I thought they may score was from a dead ball, and Guti ****** a free header right up.

Credit to Arsenal though, although the job is only half done.

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:45 pm

Beckham blasts poor Real display

Beckham missed two first-half chances for Real Madrid
David Beckham admitted Real Madrid were lucky not to have suffered a heavier defeat against Arsenal.
Thierry Henry scored the only goal as the Gunners claimed a stunning victory at the Bernabeu in the Champions League first leg encounter.

"That's what happens when you don't work hard and tackle back. I'm bitterly disappointed," said Beckham.

"I knew after five minutes we were going to lose, but we have got away with it, we could have lost by more."

From BBC Sport

Now not wanting to sound cynical, the best way to win? Perhaps not conceeding defeat after 5 minutes of the game starting? Well done Becks.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:23 pm

divebomb wrote:
Beckham blasts poor Real display

Beckham missed two first-half chances for Real Madrid
David Beckham admitted Real Madrid were lucky not to have suffered a heavier defeat against Arsenal.
Thierry Henry scored the only goal as the Gunners claimed a stunning victory at the Bernabeu in the Champions League first leg encounter.

"That's what happens when you don't work hard and tackle back. I'm bitterly disappointed," said Beckham.

"I knew after five minutes we were going to lose, but we have got away with it, we could have lost by more."
From BBC Sport

Now not wanting to sound cynical, the best way to win? Perhaps not conceeding defeat after 5 minutes of the game starting? Well done Becks.

classic - they were gash tho.

In contrast, Liverpool were to, they looked as rubbish as Utd di when they played Benfica, and, also, looked nothing like the team that Utd played on Saturday.

I think Pool will still win, and Real surely cant be worse?

Looking forward to tonight, Chelski - Barca should be a cracker for a neutural... ok,... go Barca!

Post by **snarl** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:02 pm

I bet it is ****!

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:25 am

go Barca!

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:01 am

A quick whooo hooooo about Tuesdays game. Henry's goal was utter class.

We played brilliantly from the kick off. Our finshing could have been better in 3 of the chances which adds tension for the 2nd leg if Real score. But our defence looks solid. Eboure was class at right back (And fecking fast going forward) and Toure and Senderos look like our most solid defensive partnership and they compliment each other well. Reyes actually looked like the player we brought and Ljungberg had hs best game all season. Hleb was pretty involved and strong on the ball, but his passing a p### poor in the final third. Fabregas had his bets game in ages too.
A really good team performance that Real couldn't seem to get around. If only we can bring that sort of class to the premiership (along with a word class centre back) and we could be back up there.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:53 am

Thing about that game that I found surprising was how weak the Real challenges were - Take Henry's goal, he ran through several tackles, beat them with power and pace, not tricks.

I thought Real got bossed around, strange change of events as the Arse have been coming un-stuck to teams the menace them physically, not the other way round.

I wont think this is a change in Arsenal's play till I see it in the domestics, I just thought Real looked weak, not up for it.

I think they expected to win, which is a bad attitude to take.

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:23 pm

snarl wrote:Thing about that game that I found surprising was how weak the Real challenges were - Take Henry's goal, he ran through several tackles, beat them with power and pace, not tricks.

I thought Real got bossed around, strange change of events as the Arse have been coming un-stuck to teams the menace them physically, not the other way round.

I wont think this is a change in Arsenal's play till I see it in the domestics, I just thought Real looked weak, not up for it.

I think they expected to win, which is a bad attitude to take.

I don't know. All season I've be frustrated that in the last 3rd all we do is suddleny pass the ball across the penality box and nobody finds space to run in. Against Real we did that.
The defence marked well and Ljungberg and Reyes easily had their best games this season. Yes to some degree Real looked complacent but after the first 20 mins they stepped but Eboure and Toure in particular were fantastic to closing down their main attackers.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:41 pm

Real were ****.

Considering Arse have been beaten by 11 teams this season, like Blackburn, are these 11 teams better then real.

Post by **Best First** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:41 am

in fairness Blakcburn have been boss this season, i reckon they could pull it off.

other s***house teams though (like us) - nah.

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:00 pm

Yo, Brendocon. I've heard that Jesus in back in town - only this time his name is Östlund

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:17 pm

So, I just read that Ballack is on his way to Chelsea

Smackdown!

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:01 pm

Sky sports says, his agent says no way and so does Ballack, and so does Chelski - which leads me to ask, where on earth do these stories come from.
On the other hand, its classic CHelski now iit? essentially buy any player who might go to another big club like united.

They should just buy everyone, full proof plan.

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:09 pm

Well, it might just be a "cover up" since Chelsea might play Bayern in CL.

Something similar happened with Henrik Larsson.
His contract with Barcelona will expire in june, and since last year the swedish media has talked about "Will Larsson return to sweden?", "Will Henrik return to 'his' club Helsingborg?"
And about two - three months ago the media said "Oh my god. Larsson in talks with Helsingborg!", "Henrik to join Helsingborg next summer!"

And all of the time Helsingborg, Larsson and Larssons agent said "No no no no... we are not talking to each other" etc. You know, the usual ****.

Two weeks ago. Big headlines, with quotes from Larsson "Yes. I'll be joining Helsingborg next summer. We have been in talks all this time".

So who knows?

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:13 pm

Honestly to, and U might think im whinning but [composite word including 'f*ck'] it, Every single player United mention an interest in CHelski buy them, they just do it to stop united being a threat, I hear ferguson saying that any player they buy now they have to sign NDA's and have Mi5 style security to stop Chelski getting involved.

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:57 pm

Impactor returns 2.0
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:13:pm Post subject:
Honestly to, and U might think im whinning but **** it, Every single player United mention an interest in CHelski buy them, they just do it to stop united being a threat, I hear ferguson saying that any player they buy now they have to sign NDA's and have Mi5 style security to stop Chelski getting involved.

ooooooo stop your whining! lol!

Seriously, Fergie is being given a blank cheque for players this summer, Villa have been told there is a possibility of buying James Milner after we've had him on loan. You may not think he's brilliant, but he has really been outstanding for villa this season, the figure shouted around is £3.5m but O'Leary has come out and said,

"Yes I would like to keep James here, but if we were asked to pay £3.5m there would be no way we could afford him, I can't justify spending my whole summer transfer budget on just one player."

So if you think Man U have problems signing players just think how some others feel. Yes Chelsea go for the same players man u go for and vice versa, but they are both championship chasing teams. But honestly, if you were a footballer in this moment in time, and you were presented with the opportunity of playing for either Man utd or Chelsea, Chelsea would look the better option, especially for forigners who want shedloads of money and don't mind keeping the bench warm! I'm not saying its right but arguably true at the moment.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:58 pm

Id love to be paid 100k a week for the odd game of footy

divebomb · Post by **divebomb** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:00 pm

i'm not greedy, i'd take 5 grand!

Post by **snarl** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:54 pm

O'dreary is a **** moaning ****.

£3.5M is AIDS for Milner. Where does he play for you, wide right? Scored against us this year, not heard of him doing owt else.

How much did you sell Nobby back to the Toon for? I know he wanted to go, but you should have held the [composite word including 'f*ck'] to ransom.

You need to get a Levy type running your place. He has serious transfer acumen. I think but for Jenas we'd post a profit on Transfers in and out in recent years, staggering considering the overhaul we've had take place.