Football Thread (formally Soccer Thread)

[Wandarah]

Sometimes you lose football games. It doesn't mean all our players know nothing about football. Sometimes players make mistakes, even the very best ones. Especially when we lack so many players, and every single one of our fullbacks is out injured.

I think I know which forum you're visiting, and it's easy to get caught up in hyperbole and lose all sense of perspective. I'm sure writing a page long analysis of mistakes helps you fit in. If you want to get some perspective, try reading a Manchester City forum after they drop points - this might help realign your mind.

It's true that some of our players are playing like shit. It's true that our squad isn't as strong as it was last year. It's true we'll do well to get 4th (we won't).

Everyone ahead of us in the league, has spent, does spend, and does have far more money than us. This is the true difference here - hundreds of millions of pounds. This is the reality. Without an open wallet, like all the others, we're simply outclassed. Wenger isn't flawless, but he's performed fucking miracles. We'll beat Chelsea some times, we'll lose to Swansea other times. We're still ahead of Liverpool - despite not dropping $100million - is Daglish fucking Liverpool in the arse? I'd also ask you to bear in mind that the stick you're beating Wenger with, is the one he made.

Welcome to modern football.

[JuDgE MenTaL]

Spurs have spent more than you??

Jeez....

[Wandarah]

Uh, Spurs have spent more over the last decade (net), than 17 other clubs in the league, Arsenal being one of them.

[Spork]

Yea, I no longer go on the Arsenal dedicated forum as much, as it is extremely easy to get carried away.

These days most of my football talk goes on the Australian 'Whirlpool' forums, which has a good sports section with a very popular football section which is populated by fans from all types of (English) clubs. Definitely helps to keep the bias down as much as you can.

EDIT: And yes, we will lose some games, and of course our four fullbacks who are injured (Plus Verminator and Coquelin who were covering there) have not helped at all. Of course Wenger is a brilliant manager, and I wouldn't have him replaced by anyone (there isn't anyone out there who could do a better job than he), however if you look at Swansea's squad, they have only lost one game at home this season, we were the first team to score more than one goal at their ground. What is their net spend over the past 10 years? Probably enough to buy one of our players (over exaggeration).

Then look at our players, many of them play for their international teams, many of them even captain said teams, we all know that all of the players who started against Swansea are capable of doing great things, yet instead they were running around like headless chicken half the time, getting pressed every time we were on the ball, giving away the ball easily, spending far too much time on the ball for a team who are well accustomed to beautiful football we sure did our best to look like we belonged in the blue square premier (another over exaggeration).

I admire what Wenger has done with the resources he has used, however for the past three years Ivan has come out and said that there are lots of fund available, and we have only added to them with the sale of Toure, Gallas, Clichy, and especially Nasri, Cesc(Who was sold for half the price he is worth, I don't give a crap about his stupid Barca-D fucking NA, we got ripped off, BAD), Ade, and that is only our recent sales, yet we have spent maybe a third of just the money made from those players on new talent.

Once again, I love Wenger as our manager, and while I have at least once or twice got caught up and called for his head, realistically I do know that he is the best at his job, and while it must have been at least party his fault for not bringing in players soon enough to stop the 8-2 defeat to Man U, he did end up signing on some very good deals in the previous window, and he did something which I doubt many if any other managers in the world would have done with the team we had /have - brought us back and well and truly into contention for a top four spot. It's just that he could have made the job a hell of a lot easier on himself if things were done differently (thanks captain hindsight).

EDIT:

Also, it's probably important to note, that as you may already know I am a very new Arsenal fan (only four or there about years) so I will be impatient, but meh, there's not much I can do about that but I will I get over it.

[JuDgE MenTaL]

Uh, Spurs have spent more over the last decade (net), than 17 other clubs in the league, Arsenal being one of them.

I was sorta joking, but they do seem to do crazy business like the whole Robbie Keane to Liverpool and back thing. They've tried it on with Defoe too, but Liverpool once bitten....

[Wandarah]

oh, heh

[Spork]

Good game United, both teams played well, although Arsenal didn't turn up until the second half. No idea what Wenger was thinking bringing Andrey Arshavin on for Chambo, who along with Mertesacker was our best player (Rosicky up there too).

Yennaris did very well at RB as well, much better than Djourou in this game.

[JuDgE MenTaL]

we drew with Norwich...awesome!

Liverpool fans are quiet, they must be on holiday.

[LeadCollector]

we drew with Norwich...awesome!

Liverpool fans are quiet, they must be on holiday.

No just nothing worth saying..... Happy to see Arsenal beaten again but that is becoming common place these days, upset that Man U won, always good to see the rioters go down but again a shame it was to Man City.... Feel nothing but sympathy for Torres and his continuing run of bad form.... Disappointing weekend all round TBH

[JuDgE MenTaL]

Wasn't all Torres, not his best game he missed a couple of chances where he should have at least got a shot in and didn't, but also was denied by some good saves. John Ruddy had a good game to be fair.
Our midfield is pretty sh1t atm, especially when Frank went off. We looked better when Essien came on, lots of chances though which we should be converting.
Not impressed with Miereles, he winds me up, put a couple of half decent through balls in but was mostly shit otherwise. Malouda is pretty useless, but that's not new. Mata is a off the boil even carrying an injury and you still gotta pick him ahead of Malouda. Lukaku had some good moments, but isn't quite on the same page, wasn't looking for return passes and didn't even react to some passes....quite imposing though, hopefully goijng to feature a bit more now that Drogs future is uncertain.
We at least kept a clean sheet, which makes a change.

[Spork]

Can anyone confirm if Torres has actually been decent except for his goal scoring? I have a couple of friends who are Chelsea supporters and one of them says that he has been pretty important to the side, in the build up to goals and generally helping the team out in attack.

Just curious is all.

[JuDgE MenTaL]

Yea, he's had some good games, was great against Wolves and has been pretty instrumental in making a few of the goals. His off the ball movement is great but it doesn;t get read by the midfield, I don't think Mata has put one decent ball into him since he;s been there. He's having to come pretty deep to get the ball rather than just sitting between the central defenders and waiting for it which just wasn't happening. I think most Chelsea fans can see that he's quality and pretty unselfish considering the pressure he's under. If he was doing f**k all they would be on his case, everyone wants him to come good (Everyone at Chelsea).Obviously as a striker though, you're not measured by assists, but I do wish people/media would lay off him. We're 2 points off third, our problems been all over the park, mostly defence which seems to have been lost in the all the focus on Torres, hence why we bough a defender and not a striker. Now Cahill's there Luiz has started playing good, was our best player against Norwich IMO.
I can see a big bid going in for Eden Hazard for a bit more creativity in midfield before the window shuts, Michael Emanelo has been spotted at Lille numerous times.

Wish we'd got Silva though that ball he played into Nasri was fuckin top, disguised it so well. Poor old Spurs, hah.

[R3DM@N]

Our midfield is terrible..

Ramires just doesnt do it for me, can see why Modric is the no1 target

[SteddieEddie]

I blame the russian

[maorifulla]

Our midfield is terrible..

Ramires just doesnt do it for me, can see why Modric is the no1 target

you have the barcelona midfield compared to what we have

Adam is a friggin dork

[Spork]

It's funny how so mAny teams have poop midfields. Without Arteta we are crap.

[JuDgE MenTaL]

plus Ramires is class, love his engine and he's meant to be a 'box to box' midfielder, which he does very well at. AVB has been playing him out wide where he's wasted.

My mate reckons AVB is clueless, the subs he makes are like for like and never really tries to change anything. Jose was the king of game changing subs.

..................Without Arteta we are crap.

m..u..s..t. ..r..e.s..i..s..t.

 btw loved RVP's little rage up when Wenger took off Chamberlain.

[R3DM@N]

AVB doesnt do it for me ay, Carlo was better when he had Ray Wilkins.

[Spork]

Lol, yea, quite strange.

[JuDgE MenTaL]

Yea Carlo and Ray were doing fine, not sure what Roman didn't like.

[maorifulla]

well we held on

fuckin bring on the cup final

just need to beat Man U and get into the FA cup final and I would be mega stoked

[Spork]

A Liverpool v Arse FA cup final would be epic.

[LeadCollector]

A Liverpool v Arse FA cup final would be epic.

Liverpool would rather have a more challenging opposition TBH :p

[Spork]

Aston Villa?

[LeadCollector]

Was thinking more along the lines of Bolton