The 2012-2013 Football Thread

Zut alors mon amie!

And it seems Arsenal have given up on their youth/no spend policy and trying to relive the glory years, as one of their defenders is arrested for drink driving

I await the Wilshere cocaine/gambling scandal and the Sunday Sun pictures of Wenger on a park bench with a brown paper bag full of used £20s

Santos was probably just preparing for Gran Turismo 6. We're being linked with a £12m bid for Navas who was recommended by Carzorla. Problem is the guy seems to come with eye-brow raising baggage.

This likely means Wenger is prepping for another player's exit...Walcott's. Will it be Liverpool or Chelsea i wonder.

Well, if Wenger sees himself as a messiah


It makes sense to sign Jesus!

RDM quoted saying newly promoted sides are full of 'enthusiasm and spirt'.
Makes us sound like the fat kid at sports day...

Oh well, anything below 3-0 and I'll be happy.

Wolves and Sunderland have agreed a fee of £15m for Steven Fletcher. Eh?!

Makes Podolski look a real bargain!

Lord Blackadder said:

But don't call him Joey. It's Joe now.

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oscillatewildly said:

He is England's best midfielder according to the Barton Chronicle.

Cheers,
OW

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Jaffa Cake said:

Joseph. He's proper respectable now, you know.

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http://whatculture.com/sport/qpr-transfer-news-joey-barton-to-evade-fa-ban-by-joining-marseille.php

Looks like he could be off to France, to show them how it is done.

Jaffa Cake said:

Be grateful! We were just grubby little oiks who were taking up a space that should have been taken by a proper club.

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daneoni said:

Santos was probably just preparing for Gran Turismo 6. We're being linked with a £12m bid for Navas who was recommended by Carzorla. Problem is the guy seems to come with eye-brow raising baggage.

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He was excellent at the Euros. If he can hold himself together he could be a real asset.

Jaffa Cake said:

I give him a fortnight before he's stubbing Gauloises out in the eyes of bistro goers.

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The ferocity of the French tauntings will take him completely by surprise.

Jaffa Cake said:

As will, I suspect, the fact that they're in French.

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I can't wait for the French sequel to this....Barton at the Louvre...

So Chelsea survive Reading's sucker punch with a goal that was miles offside. Also Chelsea seriously need to find another out and out finisher because if they rely solely on Sturridge and Torres to lead their line then they're in trouble. Ivanovic won't score in every game nor will they be gifted a Lampard penalty every match.

Speaking of avoiding trouble, Blackburn's Kean has obtained 4 out of the 6 points needed to save his job.



On another note, why AVB selling his club captain Michael Dawson, a 28yr old solid defender with potential but keeping William Gallas, a 35yrs old who is past it *scratches head*

The only thing I can ever remember about Ivanovich is that he has a huge backside.

I'm sure Miss/Mrs Ivanovic agrees.

EDIT: Apparently Liverpool are the ones who will actually get Sahin after all The lack of an option-to-buy clause saw Arsenal turn up their noses.

EDIT2: Fulham have fined Dempsey AND filed a formal complaint against the Scousers.

Columbus 2-1 Toronto

A fine performance was almost spoiled by a late collapse but the Crew held on for the win and take the Trillium Cup back to Columbus (where it belongs). Higuain (Frederico) scored and got an assist to continue his blazing start as a Crew player. More, please, from our Higuain!

We still need teams above us to start dropping points, but if we can keep up the positive results a playoff spot is not out of the question.

daneoni said:

EDIT: Apparently Liverpool are the ones who will actually get Sahin after all The lack of an option-to-buy clause saw Arsenal turn up their noses.

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It makes sense; Arsenal feel they are too big of a club to take crumbs from Real Madrid. Liverpool have no choice but to do everything they can to improve the squad, and a loan deal is better than nothing.

daneoni said:

EDIT2: Fulham have fined Dempsey AND filed a formal complaint against the Scousers.

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I'm definitely disappointed in the way Dempsey is handling this. I'm sure he feels like this is his last chance to make a big move (and it is), but in my mind he's making a big mistake. He's burning his bridges at Fulham and he may not make the move anyway. In the end this is all going to hurt him (and the USA national team) more than either club.

A home win against Toronto is usually a safe bet! Our schedule coming up is crazy though, so we badly need the points. Most fans feel that our manager should be fired if we miss the playoffs, but I don't think the club feels the same way. It will be interesting to see what the offseason brings if we end up in that situation.

News Flash: Liverpool have won a game. Any Carroll wasn't fit, so we started Own Goal up top with Borini and it worked beautifully against European Powerhouse Hearts. Now with all our renewed confidence we'll surely go on to win our next game against...oh.

Just watching Real Madrid vs Barça on telly, and don't read too much into this as I don't usually watch Spanish football, but it all seems a bit dive-y. Nothing like the Championship, and to a lesser extent the EPL, which both seem to be a lot 'tougher'.

Just me?

Lord Blackadder said:

It makes sense; Arsenal feel they are too big of a club to take crumbs from Real Madrid. Liverpool have no choice but to do everything they can to improve the squad, and a loan deal is better than nothing.

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Ey? Arsenal bigger than Liverpool? When did they last win a trophy? How many European cups have they won? League championships? Obviously Liverpool's negotiating is dire so probably why RM prefer to loan to us as they cut a better deal, but ultimately Sahin is not the sort of player AFC are desperate for. They need a Mascherano type player. Or Lucas Leiva. Would have taken Sahin to compete with Arshavin for second striker sub role but at LFC given size of the squad, will take Downing's place and probably play most games. Which is why the deal got done in LFC's favour. On this rare occasion! (Although I am fullynexpecting him ti watch him to be another Aquilani, such is our success rate in the transfer market)

The whole thing is confusing. BBC are now reporting that LFC have an option-to-buy clause at the end of the season for £14m. So why did Wenger bail on the deal?

Maybe Mourinho played hardball because he wanted Rodgers to have him instead of Wenger...or as his lordship says Rodgers begged more and used his old connection to the manager. Meh....whatever.

Lord Blackadder said:

It makes sense; Arsenal feel they are too big of a club to take crumbs from Real Madrid. Liverpool have no choice but to do everything they can to improve the squad, and a loan deal is better than nothing.

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Well according to Wise Sage Robbie Savage Arsenal are no longer a big club. So we better stop that pretentious nonsense.

Confuzzzed said:

Ey? Arsenal bigger than Liverpool? When did they last win a trophy? How many European cups have they won? League championships?

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I'm not judging either club - I merely opined that Arsenal might feel they are above taking players on loan without options to buy. Then again, many Arsenal fans are already complaining that they've become a feeder club to the Spanish Giants (and Man Utd).

As for Liverpool, at this point I don't care what they won in the 80s. That's great. But right now we are a 9th-placed club until proven otherwise. Tradition is great, and the trophy cabinet is bulging - but dusty. Rogers needs to think big if we are to go anywhere, but I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch.

Arsenal desperately need a player more like...well, Alex Song, actually. Some have said Sahin is basically the same type of player to Song. Haven't seen enough of him myself to say.

Sahin is more creative/attack minded than defensive. Though he can do the latter, he's not the enforcer/Makelele type.

Song is gone so we have to move on. Would like Tiote in our squad but i know Pardew would try to rape us if we moved for him. So Capoue, Biglia or M'Villa it is. Hopefully.