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2009-10 Football Thread – The Second Half

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XIII said:
And yeah, I read those stories too.. probably not much to be made of them to be honest.. as per usual! Who Wenger "swoops" for with his "warchest" is barely ever correctly predicted.. perhaps Chamakh will be the exception...
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Not at all, I believe in this instance he's planning an audacious transfer raid using his transfer kitty. :p

Arsenal were supposed to be tracking him prior to him signing for us, so that may very well be the source of the rumours. Clearly Arsenal didn't sign him back then so that may be our answer, unless his performances since joining us have shown Wenger got the potential to be a decent Premier League defender.

Of course, clubs send scouts out to watch lots of players and they may never actually put an offer in for them – I do know a chap though who sits in the West Stand and he often finds himself sat next to folk scribbling feverishly into notepads whenever a certain player gets a touch of the ball. Apparently they deny they're scouts but their club ties are generally a bit of a give away. :D

Lord Blackadder said:
Condolences about Saturday Jaffa.
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XIII said:
Naturally - that result could well be season defining for you. :(
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I've not decided who we should set fire to yet. I was tempted to say Brian Laws, but his urine soaked trousers would be hard to set light to.

Our squad can effectively be split in two – the players who care about the club and want to stay up but don't have the required quality, and those who do possess the quality but don't seem to give a toss...
 
I cannot believe after all this time I have avoided this thread through fear it was about handegg... Well I'm glad I'm wrong, and even though there's only a couple of games left, I look forward to joining in :D

imagesfootball-20vs-20handegg.jpg
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I could say just about the same for Liverpool - except that if we win the Europa League it will paper over the cracks to a certain extent.

I think Liverpool's squad is not in need of a total rebuilding, but it does need a lot of work. We need a second striker, a midfield playmaker and probably a left back and center back for starters. Hicks and Gillette can make a substantial profit on the club if they sell now, but they seem to be greedily holding out for more. And every month they do that makes the problems at the club worse.
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what liverpool needs is somebody who actually knows what he is doing.. currently Liverpool seems to be spending outragous sums for players who are OK at best like Glen Johnson (22 million euro) and Aquilani (20 million euro)
meanwhile bayern bought Arjen Robben for 25 million euro and 2 years earlier Ribery for 25 Millions

Liverpool has to drop the fools who throw around with money for average players
 
Jaffa Cake said:
...

I've not decided who we should set fire to yet. I was tempted to say Brian Laws, but his urine soaked trousers would be hard to set light to.

...
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Maybe Joey Gudjonsson for uniting the Burnley dressing room?

Chamakh - can the English game deal with his and Nani's hair?

Manchester United - what Silencio says, plus a replacement for Hargreaves if he isn't viable.

Cheers,
OW
 
takao said:
what liverpool needs is somebody who actually knows what he is doing.. currently Liverpool seems to be spending outragous sums for players who are OK at best like Glen Johnson (22 million euro) and Aquilani (20 million euro)
meanwhile bayern bought Arjen Robben for 25 million euro and 2 years earlier Ribery for 25 Millions
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Bayern has spent their money pretty wisely - but the quality of the squad is probably every bit as uneven as Liverpool's. The difference is we spent more to get there.

I agree that our record in the transfer market is poor. We did well on Torres, and only average or worse on everyone else. Players like Voronin, Aquilani, Keane (winces) and Riera have been poor value for money or even outright flops. We have a decent core to build, but the team is incomplete right now.

I feel like the pressure is truly on for Benitez to prove he can spend money more wisely - that is, if he's given money to spend.
 
Not only are Chelsea likely to be crowned the best Premier League team, they are a decent basketball team too.:rolleyes: A bout of the 'Rochdale Jitters' wouldn't go amiss - lost 1-0 at home to Darlington after a 5-0 defeat at Torquay United.

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
lost 1-0 at home to Darlington
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Funny you should mention them, drove past their stadium the other day, very impressive. Apparently some sugar daddy built it for him only for his plans of housing on their old stadium have been thwarted (and gold star to me for fitting in the word thwarted.)

I now have every sympathy with his Lordship being sent to Alaska for a bit as I am currently in exile for the next two months in Middlesbrough (come and smell the fumes) and without t'internet for most of the time thanks to the shtty budget hotel my benefactors put me up in. It does mean however that I get to spend most evenings in a pub watching footie (or golf) on the telly. I've got no intention of attending any games at the Riverside!

Still, Ross County gave me something to cheer me up!:D
 
Fuzzy14 said:
Funny you should mention them, drove past their stadium the other day, very impressive. Apparently some sugar daddy built it for him only for his plans of housing on their old stadium have been thwarted (and gold star to me for fitting in the word thwarted.)

I now have every sympathy with his Lordship being sent to Alaska for a bit as I am currently in exile for the next two months in Middlesbrough (come and smell the fumes) and without t'internet for most of the time thanks to the shtty budget hotel my benefactors put me up in. It does mean however that I get to spend most evenings in a pub watching footie (or golf) on the telly. I've got no intention of attending any games at the Riverside!

Still, Ross County gave me something to cheer me up!:D
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Not going the the Riverside? You must not be a Celtic supporter then. :p
 
Fuzzy14 said:
I now have every sympathy with his Lordship being sent to Alaska for a bit as I am currently in exile for the next two months in Middlesbrough (come and smell the fumes) and without t'internet for most of the time thanks to the shtty budget hotel my benefactors put me up in.
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I just had to do "How to use a shotgun on a Grizzly" training today....I hope there aren't any bears in Middlesbrough....erm, I mean the big, hairy ones that attack - er, nevermind. :rolleyes: :D

Pretty much anywhere is a football Mecca compared to this town....
 
Bloody Chelsea.. getting every decision at the moment..

Big game tonight.. I'm a bit nervous! Come on the Arse!
 
^ Naughty! ;)

Big decisions for Rafa...I am convinced that if Rafa goes, Torres will go, and probably a handful of other influential players as well. In the short term, losing Benitez would be a disaster for Liverpool. It could work out to our benefit in the long run, but only if Rafa was replaced by a better manager and if the owners are gone this summer. And that's a big ask.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
^ Naughty! ;)

Big decisions for Rafa...I am convinced that if Rafa goes, Torres will go, and probably a handful of other influential players as well. In the short term, losing Benitez would be a disaster for Liverpool. It could work out to our benefit in the long run, but only if Rafa was replaced by a better manager and if the owners are gone this summer. And that's a big ask.
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The Italians might appreciate his defensive approach. Would Mourinho be any better at Anfield re style?

If Torres loves Liverpool, he'll stay for ... one season without Champions League football?


Fuzzy14 - Ross County - I'm surprised you've managed to get up off the floor.

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
The Italians might appreciate his defensive approach. Would Mourinho be any better at Anfield re style?
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I'd take Mourinho in a second. He can weep about how much he loves Chelsea on camera as much as he wants (and people will belive it) but he's a true mercenary/journeyman like Hiddink. He'll go wherever money and a high-profile challenge can be found. If by some miracle the club is sold before Mourinho decides where to go next, we should wave lots of money in his face and get him to come up to Liverpool. Style is irrelevant. Silverware is where it's at.

oscillatewildly said:
If Torres loves Liverpool, he'll stay for ... one season without Champions League football?
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At most...

If we are not back in the CL at the end of next season he'll be gone. If we don't strengthen the squad meaningfully over the summer he'll be gone. If Rafa goes, he'll be gone...at least, that's what my cynical side is saying.... ;)
 
Lol...*sigh*...It seems that's our lot then.

Van Persie is the evidence that we really have been a severly weaken side in recent weeks.

We've bottled every big game this season save for Liverpool and even that barely counts. Not title winning form...nope :rolleyes:
 
Some hope for Jaffa's boys as Wigan drop two points against Pompey...

...and a dramatic loss for the Gunners. Can we call the title race well and truly over? Or perhaps we need to wait for the Manchester derby to call time on the season?
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Some hope for Jaffa's boys as Wigan drop two points against Pompey...

...and a dramatic loss for the Gunners. Can we call the title race well and truly over? Or perhaps we need to wait for the Manchester derby to call time on the season?
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Nah its pretty much a done deal now the way i see it
 
I have to agree. Chelsea has been on top most of the season anyway. United's usual late charge has failed to happen, Arsenal are drowned in injuries, and Liverpool just suck right now. :rolleyes:

The drama is now in the race for fourth, and the relegation battle. Wigan and West Ham are far from safe, but Hull City or Burnley need to win some matches to put pressure on them.
 
That's the title race done and dusted.. but very painfully.. we lost to Spurs :(

How good is van Persie..
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Wigan and West Ham are far from safe, but Hull City or Burnley need to win some matches to put pressure on them.
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We're four points from safety with fifteen available to play for – including a game in hand over our other relegation rivals – so we're by no means out of it yet. However, two things really give me cause for concern.

First, a couple of matches ago our run in was much more favourable than many of the teams around us. However, we've squandered chances against teams who we need to be beating if we're serious about staying up. Saturday's result alone is a prime example – if we'd have held our lead against Burnley we'd have been a place higher and be a point from safety, and three points off the heady heights of fifteenth place (taking our inferior goal difference into account). Suddenly, things would look a lot brighter and we'd have annoyed Brian Laws as a bit of a bonus – but we capitulated and sunk ourselves deeper into trouble.

Our remaining fixtures are now Birmingham (A) this Saturday, followed by Aston Villa (H), Sunderland (H), Wigan Athletic (A), and Liverpool (H) on the final day of the season. Realistically our best chances of picking up wins will be against Sunderland and the Latics, but both are going to be tough propositions especially given that our away form is so poor.

Secondly, as I mentioned after Burnley there seems to be a worrying lack of fight among our players. Ideas need to be bucked up sharpish, we're in a position where we need to be scrapping for any points we can get our hands on and we need players who have the stomach for it.
 
Good game for the neutral (;)), and cracking goal by Tottenham Broadway Danny Rose.:eek: Spurs' inability to take one of a number of good chances for a third goal kept the game alive up to the start of Gomes versus van Persie - who as mentioned looked okay:)

First result of a search on injuries came up with:

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php

which shows Hull City currently top of the league.

A lot of teams have struggled with injuries, around the top; Chelsea - Essien and Coles, Manchester United - defence earlier on, Rooney now, and a number of midfielders, Arsenal - pretty much the same spread as Manchester United, Tottenham - defence, Modric and Defoe, Liverpool - Torres, Gerrard and Johnson, and Everton - knees all-round.

As for the Title, Chelsea won't concede many with Cech, Terry and Drogba in goal, so pretty much done.

Cheers,
OW
 
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