Premiership kick orf, 16th August. 25 days to go, it’s driving me nuts!
Still, this transfer malarkey is better than most half-time entertainment. So, Damien Duffer finally committed the great error of moving south (I’m not sure (yet) it’ll suit him), and Sir Mad Jock will regret not taking him to Old Trafford for the rest of his days. I hope.
Spurs have been more active than a whore in the 6 o’clock rush. Another story today:
“Tottenham have moved to bring Lokomotiv Moscow captain Dmitry Loskov to White Hart Lane. BBC Sport understands that Spurs have made enquiries about the 29-year-old attacking midfielder, who is also a regular Russian international. “
Given my last trip on the ‘Great Eastern’, this is about the only connection with Locomotives I’m ever likely to have. And besides, Russians always do well at the Lane . . . .
Fwiw, I think Spurs are trying very hard to buy without selling any quality, and it’s proving a challenge keeping both Simon Davies and Matty Ethrington while strengthening the forward line and midfield.
But I like the emphasis on youth now: Robbie Keane, Postiga, Zamora . . . and remember Rebrov is still on the books (I believe he was released by the Turks ?). Damn! that reads well.
I wonder whether this apparent interest in the Rooskie a devise to nab Scott Parker from Charlton for a more sensible fee . . .I think Glenda wants Parker but, at the moment, it might mean losing a player (Ethrington ?) . . . . this could just be negotiating tactics.
What’s going on with your teams . . .l osing sleep, looking forward, a little apprehensive ? Oh, and Foxtrot Oscar to the Ashburton Grove wannabies; it’s all falling in around their ears. Shame that . . . .
Hey, it’s not only the Premiership fans that are suffering LC
Celtic’s pre-season friendlies have been somewhat encouraging. We have a number of promising youngsters, and our attacking players have looked as sharp as ever. The loss of Broto in goals was an unwelcome shock but Magnus Hedman looks finally fit and the fight for his place can only help Rab Douglas improve.
We still haven’t signed anyone, though. That is a big worry.
Meanwhile it’s already a couple months into the League of Ireland season. Bohemians have got off to a poor start but seem to be turning a corner - though we’re only in eighth place (out of ten), we’re also only ten points behind the league leaders Shelbourne, and with two games in hand. Plus the return leg of our Champions League qualifier against Bate Borisov is tomorrow night. The first leg, away in Belarus, ended in a 1-0 defeat but we’re all quietly confident about turning it around. Fingers crossed anyway …
Hi ruadh - I’m sure I heard your knuckle-dragging friends up the road were interested in signing that dreadful waste of space Kevin Phillips, they haven’t yet, have they ?
Yeah, now they can afford to out the dodgy foreigners and buy the cream with monoploy money. Didn’t make a whole lot of effort before, though - not playing any English players at one time, IIRC.
Still, probably looks good on the UK balance of payments.
United have been linked with Dyer for nine hundred billion pounds, but the toon want a trillion.
Seriously, I rather hope Fergie doesn’t go and throw a load of cash away for some Veron II. I haven’t yet grasped the apparent logic of having to replace a famous player with another famous player (read expensive) which seems to be de rigeur according even to the broadsheets. I think we have enough squad cover for midfield (Ole was fantastic on the right last season, so can take Becks’ place), my only worry is…at the back. Wes Brown’s out again (the unluckiest footballer ever?) but even so, we did improve drastically last season and maybe O’Shea/Silvestre/Ferdinand/Neville will do the trick. I’m glad about getting Howard, although I do worry for Bonkers Barthez’s mental health.
Up front. Easy. Throw Ruud a shirt, watch the goals fly in.
Fingers crossed Ruud doesn’t pick up any serious injuries.
Bellion/Fortran up front…??
Questions from an outsider. Do people get sick of seeing the same teams (Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool) win all the time? Is Old Trafford widely hated outside of Manchester the way the baseball’s Yankees are hated outside of New York? Do the other teams have any real chance of winning? Do the big boys just have a lot more money to throw at players? Is the competitive balance getting worse? Have Crystal Palace fans given up on life?
Sorry if this seems like a highjack. I’m just curious.
**Questions from an outsider. Do people get sick of seeing the same teams (Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool) win all the time? Yes
Is Old Trafford widely hated outside of Manchester the way the baseball’s Yankees are hated outside of New York? If anything, more. It doesn’t help that there are 7 zillion ManUre fans from nowhere near Manchester that decided to start supporting them when they got successful circa 1991
Do the other teams have any real chance of winning? They do now Abrimovic the Russian billionaire has turned Chelsea into Chelski with the spending power of a large corporation. He’s attempting to buy the premiership crown, if necessary by purchasing every player in the entire world so that no other team has anyone left except Barthez.
Do the big boys just have a lot more money to throw at players? It actually seems to be something more than that. A tradition of winning really seems to help and teams attempting to buy success haven’t had a great deal of success in the past. However, Blackburn managed it in… ooh… was it 95?
Is the competitive balance getting worse? Depends what you mean. I think it is now more competitive in the top six or so than it has ever been. However, the gap between those top six and the rest has become enormous.
Have Crystal Palace fans given up on life? Yes, in about 1988.
It’s been verrrrry quiet at Arsenal this summer. Almost nothing going in or out of Highbury (though Chelski has been sniffing around, unsuccessfully, for Vieira and Henry). Word is that the club has invested so much money in the new stadium at Ashburton Grove that they’re trying not to overextend themselves with new signings.
The transfer silence is a little unsettling, since we really need a new centre-half–the Keown/Campbell partnership can’t go on much longer (in light of Keown’s age), and the less said about Cygan the better. Wenger, though, has made it clear that his first priority is a new keeper to replace Seaman.
It was just announced today that we’ve signed Jens Lehmann from Borussia Dortmund:
The lack of any big signings might be a blessing in disguise, though, as it should open up some opportunities for younger talents to make a name for themselves. Wenger has been criticized (rightly to some extent) for relying on imported players at the expensive of Arsenal Youths (Ashley Cole being a notable exception). This might be the right time to introduce these lads to the Premiership, and letting them play alongside Henry, Vieira, Pires, et al could shape them into the new Arsenal.
A gooner posts from Florida, that’ll be right . . .
Is Barthez still shagging Claudia Schiffer ? Cos, I tell you, I wouldn’t mind 90 minutes between those goal posts. Hell, 90 seconds would be enough . . . at least for her.
As a lifelong liverpool supporter I have to say I’m amused to see that we “win all the time”. That could only have been written under the influence of severe halucenogenics.
hi guys! i’m a life-long gooner as well! I live in fatarseville, Idaho and have supported the gunners since I was 8. I’m 12 now and think they’re awesome, especially Henry and that big black French guy who isn’t gay. if they leave and go to manyew I might support manyew because they’re just so awesome. I love manyew although it’s a shame david left. I like Madrid as well . . . .
Yeah, I suppose it is unfair. Americans don’t have a choice when it comes to football/soccer and I sometimes forget London has 5 teams in the Premiership.
