American gooners - whatever next! Still given that the US has no history of football, one shouldn’t be too suprised. Frankly it would be no suprise if the gooners upped and moved to America - after all they are nomadic.
Re: Denis Berkamp. The story of his signing is to me the most pivotal moment in the relative histories of AFC and THFC. Berkamp was offered to us first - for £7m (and he wanted to come - what with being a Spurs fan etc).
At that point there wasn’t a lot of diffrerence between the two clubs (IMHO).
Sugar, being a total fucknut, had a “carlos kickaball” tantrum and refused to pay the fee. David Dein at that time had made a commitment to quality players, and being prepared to pay the going rate.
Sugar paid £6m for Sir Les.
This sent out a huge message in football circles that THFC (previously very high spenders) were no longer in the market for the top end talent that we used to be, but that AFC were.
The rest is history.
Last night proved a pet theory of mine; which is if Wenger has a serious weakness it is in organising a defence.
CASDAVE: The thing about Revie’s Leeds and the modern AFC is that even the biased (eg me) can see that people like Pires, Henry, or Giles, lorrimer, Clarke etc were supremely talented and that is why it is doubly disappointing that they have such unattractive aspects to their sides. (I used to feel much the same about Klinnsman and ginola’s diving).
And the chelsea defender you’re thinking of must surely be Ron ‘chopper’ Harris. (No worse than Norman “bites yer legs” Hunter though)
I don’t think his defensive abilities are a theory Owl any more than is the notion he’s not all that in the transfer market, either.
Take out the stokes of luck, (notably Anelka) and his inside track with all things Frenchie and whatchagot. Bollocks is whatchagot.
He is very talented in other areas, though. But like everyone, he has his achilles heel, or heels. And normaly in high heels, if he can find a size that fits . . .
A gooner just e’ed me in response to the 03 joke with a reminder that we have Thompson’s as a sponsor because it’s the only way we’ll ever get into Europe.
A gooner “friend” (I keep him well awy from the kids - so don’t panic) once told me that they only way arsenal would win anything in Europe is if they wrote a song.
I grew up playing the beautiful game starting in the mid '70s.
In America, you say? Well, it was the heyday of the old NASL.
Anyway, my parents came to the states from Norway, so when I got older, the football I got for my birthday was black and white and round, not brown and pointy (ouch!).
I didn’t really realize all the stuff about DB10 almost going to Sp*rs (ptooie!). I knew was some history, but didn’t know the whole deal.
It looks like Arsenal received a continental education last night. We do need to do something about the defense. In Sol’s defence, he did receive news about his father’s stroke not long before the game, and was definitely not mentally all there. However, Lauren and Toure were out of position on the left, Ash needs to quit with the Roberto Carlos act, and Paddy needs to be a fucking captain and direct his men, take charge, and for god’s sake, shoot the ball once in a while.
On the other hand, it was just one game. Things can change. ManUre spanked Juve last year, and Juve still won the whole thing.
My local cable station (Southern California) isn’t showing the Arsenal Man Yoo game this weekend. Instead we are getting Wolves/Chelsea and Everton/Boro. Luckily I found a “English” pub in Pasadnea that willbe showing the game, 8AM.
BTW, some of you may or may not recall my thread asking for help in picking a side to call my own. Well I have settled (I think) on Man City. Why? 1) They aren’t Man Yoo; 2) They play a pretty appealing style of football; 3) They aren’t Man Yoo; 4) Claudio Reyna; 5) They aren’t Man Yoo.
Which would come as quite a surprise to Milan, I’m sure.
Gangster Octopus, decided against Sheffield Wednesday then? They’re Man City circa 1998. Good choice anyway… great fans, good squad and of course, Keggy.
Heard Glenda’s interview yesterday in which he compared now with his time at Chelsea – Chelsea were n the bottom three at Christmas, then beat one of the leaders (Newcastle, I think) before going on to qualify for Europe that season. Ditto Sir Mad Jock a few years ago.
Not sure I believe very much in this ’We just need to turn the corner’ stuff. The spectre of the Hammered looms large . . .
Have no idea about tomorrow (Southampton at home), the result could be absolutely anything. But a repeat of Fulham and it has to be over - wouldn’t that be better than this slow, lingering death . . . I think so but . . . damn, it’s an ugly business.
I think you’ll get a win tomorrow, thus staving off Glen’s execution at least for the time it’ll take him to rack up another few pitiful losses. Then he’ll win again. Etc. etc.
I’ve been reading Tony Cascarino’s excellent biography recently. He has some interesting, and less-than-complementary, things to say about Hoddle’s management style.
I think (not sure as the injury doesn’t look to be as bad as first thought) we’ve got another permutation (or isit mutation . .) of the back 3, sometimes back 4, sometimes back 5 tomorrow. I like the look of this Saf Efriken (replacing the injured Ledly King) but I fear Hoddle could make Boobby Moore look second-rate . . . yep, we will probably win and this will go on for a while longer . . . <sigh>
Crusoe – That was a result, Dowie not getting the Hammered job ? Nice for you!
Looks like the Ashburton Grovellers will be without Judas this weekend, I sense a drubbing for the Frenchies . . . fingers crossed.
I am told by thems that know stuff that MacLeish is the most likely candidate (bear in mind that ENIC own a big chunk of Rangers). I know next to nothing about him, so it could just be more of the same.
I think tomorrows afc/mufc will pretty much tell us all we need to know about the season. I can see MUFC stuffing them, any other result and it’s all back up in the air.
And cascarino HATES hoddle with a vengence - it’s personal as Glenn always made it clear he thought Cascarino wasn’t good enough to play in any side associated with the mercurial Glenn (which is true).
owlstretchingtime why are you so facinated by the sexuality of Arsenal players?
If you don’t like homosexuals (that’s how it looks to me) take it to GD or the Pit. If you have nothing against homosexuals then please tell me why it is relevant to this discussion.
On the other hand, it was just one game. Things can change. ManUre spanked Juve last year, and Juve still won the whole thing.
Original quote by gangster octopus.
Which would come as quite a surprise to Milan, I’m sure.
Yes, my bad, I forgot that it was a typically boring all-Italian match
that ended 0-0, with Milan taking it 3-2 on penalties.
Juve still made the final, despite an early upset, which was the original point, I guess.
If Sol had moved to any other team than Arsenal, would you still call him Judas?
Match Ticket: £45
Programme £3.00
Kebab £4.00
Pop and chop with the chaps: £150.00
Seeing your side mugged off by a bunch of two bob hedge-bumpers: Absolutely fucking priceless.
Well that’s that for our Glenn. The greatest ever British footballer has mangerial feet of clay. We’ve known this for some time, but still a sad day.
Now to the future: The bookies have closed their books on a sucessor because the large amount of “smart money” being piled on Raddy Antic. I hope this money is not that smart.
What we need is a british type manager to take hold of a talented but spineless squad and get the results that they should be capable of out of them. He could start by having a strong word with that muppet yank we’ve got in goal.
I realise that I appear to have described la-di-dah gunner Graham, but he was a tactical dinosaur.
I want Souness. And I want him now.
Bark’s dog food: Have you ever been to a football match? If not; I really wouldn’t go if you don’t like this level of banter. I am not anti-gay (some of my best friends and all that) but I am happy to use it a a stick to beat Campbell with. You are aware that Ian Wright has a big fat wife? That Posh spice takes it up the arse? That Penant’s mum is a tart? That Georgie Graham’s mother is a whoooor? No doubt that is unacceptably non-pc too. Perhaps you could have a word with the million plus people who watch football in England every week?
And Ivar:
If Sol had moved to any other team than Arsenal, would you still call him Judas?
No. We were resigned to him leaving and he would have gone with our best wishes (a la Hoddle in 87) if he had gone abroad, and even if he had gone to Man Utd we would have accepted it.
The real reasons for the hatred of SC is that he led us a merry dance to run down his contract, when we had a £15m offer on the table from Man Utd. He lied. That’s what we don’t like.
