Great Article mailed to me by a friend



I have had some horrific moments as an Arsenal fan. Being at the Nou Camp when Teddy Sheringham scored for Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final.....

Intersting observations from an Arsenal fan. This is contrary to all my friends who are arsenal fans who keep harping about 'beautiful football' and how arsene has not been tempted by the money path that other top clubs have followed, and is still in the top 4 blah blah. But I always said Arsene just has to spend - for good or for bad, Chelsea and Abramovich brought the money factor into european football and like it or not, its here to stay. Arsene has the funds, why he doesn't invest heavily is beyond me. Also, a youth policy is only useful if the youths develop into well rounded players for the club a la carragher or terry...its no point arsene developing talents into world class players and then other clubs then stepping in and taking away those players, as has happened recently. Wenger has to be one of the top managers in Europe but he can be stupidly stubborn sometimes.

Look at the backbone of the other top teams - Utd have Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Schole, Ferdinand...Liverpool have Torres, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Carragher...Chelsea have Drogba, Lampard, Essien, Terry, Carvalho...compare this to Arsenal's backbone - not one department is fully developed, not even cesc and the midfield. And i also think a good goalkeeper is worth at least 5-10 points in a season...and Almunia falls well short of Cech, Reina or VDS (tho its about time for VDS to go now!) in this respect. Also, captaincy makes a big difference as a talismanic figure when things are going touch. Liverpool and Chelsea have club icons as captains, Utd too has a relatively strong captain, but Gallas is not even close to these 3 in terms of leadership..i think this is a big factor because ever since Gallas had that breakdown after that last minute penalty last season, Arsenal have just not been the same - its as if the youngsters lost faith in their captain...basically the long and short of it is that Arsene just has to spend.

Thats all I have to say.

It's official Jamie Carragher is not a scouser but a lilywhite.

Reason is simple

This is his third own goal (not in his career, but his third one for tottenham). very dubious record if you ask me

Ya and he has scored only 3 for liverpool, so if he scores an og again in the liv-tot return fixture, he would've scored more for spurs than he has for liverpool haha!

P.S.: Its not Rory Delap, its Delap the BOMBER

He's also called the Human Sling! I reckon in some ways, his throw in is better than a corner or free kick even, because he can vary trajectory, make it loopy or flat and of course the accuracy is far higher when one is throwing it instead of kicking..he somehow manages to land it on a coin every time! The only counter I can think of is to have very big defenders or for the keeper to come for it, but thats risky with all the bodies in there..I think even top teams will find it difficult against this delap-fuller combination.

More than any grit shown by Spurs, I think they've got an unlikely draw, and now an unlikely victory, due to sheer dumb luck. Of course, we should've finished better. We came close numerous times, and if we had converted even half our chances, it would've ended in a total rout.

True, everyone is on about the Redknapp revival but really he's been extremely lucky - it was Arsenal's naivity and inability to keep the ball that gifted spurs the draw, and a match like yesterdays would've ended at least 3-0 or 4-0 to liverpool any other day. Not that i'm complaining, chelsea are back on top and the football is purring at the moment!



Good to see a three horse race after a long time though - three horse because I think Arsenal are well out of it now. Its not just their dropping points but who they've dropped against - fulham, hull, stoke, sunderland and bottom of the league spurs. Only one way to get back is to beat Utd this weekend but thats a tall order. Liverpool meanwhile are well in it, having already taken 6/6 points against the 'big 4'. still though, chelsea have to be favorites right now, playing the way they are without drogba, ballack and most importantly essien. United are worryingly gathering momentum but I still think the forward lineup is a case of too many cooks - tevez is feeling the brunt of it right now, and he can't be too happy; meanwhile with January approaching, Real Madrid have already started making noises about the Ronaldo situation, so intersting times ahead!

Has anyone read the transcript of Joe Kinnear's 1st press meet as Newcastle's temporary manager(he was apparently the 6th choice in Mike Ashley's list)? This guy has a 2-game touchline ban and Newcastle people didn't even know before recruiting him!!!

Read it!!Amazing stuff

Premier League: Newcastle's Joe Kinnear: 'I have had a million pages of crap written about me. I'm ridiculed for no reason. I'm defenceless' Football | The Guardian

Haha what a knob! He has either lost it, or is an attention seeker...either way, thank god for newcastle's sake he's just interim manager.

Anyway, the South African consortium most likely to take over Newcastle have already met with and been impressed by Keegan, so looks like King Kev is going to be back in any case.

CLELAND REVEALS KEEGAN MEETING Football Transfer News, Football News, Fixtures, Results, Match Reports, Stats

Add to this all the injured players returning, and things look like they will be back on track for the toon soon...then spurs will be the only joke club left! (no offence )

Welcome Back AGAIN... I didnt understand you were a regular but didnt show up after the UCL Final between chelsea and manchester united, why such a hiatus

I was in mourning for a few months after the CL final!
No, seriously i was on the road mostly so didn't get time to post, but settled now so once again PG will be my one stop shop for all things football! :clap:

The treatment table as chelsea is also increasing so there are a lot of factors that will come in.. Carvalho is out, Terry is also doubtful, so is alex (that makes your complete center of dence on the treatment table)... Drogba injury extent isnt known yet? Deco seems to be also injured

Its funny...injuries have been synonymous with Chelsea for the past 3 seasons, they've had more than their fair share but Chelsea in the past could hardly afford to complain considering the wanton spending and size of their squad.

But ironically just when the new coach bucked the trend and actually cut his squad has the most injuries struck at the same time and as many as 8 first team players may be out. This weekends game against Aston Villa could have only 3 outfield regulars in Bosingwa, Lampard and Ballack haha its turning into a joke! The only good thing is the games at the Bridge with the impregnable record and all that.

As for Drogba's injury, thankfully its not as serious as first thought and he should be back much sooner than expected...should've known, he is such a drama queen!

with 3 forwards--------kalou,anelka and drogba,of which drogba is out for quite sometime,i dont see much hope for chelsea in either of the tournaments,they might just do well in the carling cup as it's a 1 off match affair,but then u cant count big fil out,that's the only thing whcih can save them

Big Phil doesn't tend to use Kalou as a forward, as Jose did, but more as an offensive winger on the right hand side (which is not his favored side) so its actually only Anelka and Drogba as out and out strikers!...with di santo as cover.

So if Terry and Alex do have to sit out, the Chelsea squad will be without a main central striker (drog), no creativity (cole, deco), limited strength in midfield (without essien), and a back 4 consisting of 0 centre-backs and 4 full backs! So even Carling Cup seems v.distant right now . But the good thing is none of the injuries, apart from Essien, involves a long lay off so as long as Chelsea can hold fort till then, I think it should be all right.

And what is with Barca man! They look like a world class team who cant seem to score till the 8*th minute!

Good question! On paper, they look scary + they have the best player on the planet right now, in my opinion, but apart from that Guija game they haven't looked anything like the dominant 05 side for example. I think the problem may be in the management with Guardiola being new right now but I reckon its only a matter of time before the system is set and in my book they're still best bets for the liga and are the only side in Europe, apart from Inter, capable of challenging the Premiership's big 4.

Ferrari fume over Singapore circus

read this

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) Sports Ferrari fume over Singapore circus

Even though Im a ferrari/kimi supporter I found the above article laughable...amazing how Luca would be praising the singapore track if they had won Im sure. What lost it for ferrari was not the track or the safety car lottery, which incidentally was the same for every driver, but their futuristic pit exit system coupled with pit crew error and later, driver error from kimi.

I would still favor massa for this years title tho - simply because its going to be massa + kimi as a rear gunner vs. hamilton alone. I wouldn't even be surprised if there's quite a bit of blocking and gamesmanship in the last three races...after all, this IS ferrari we're talking about ...at any rate, its going to be one hell of a finish, cant wait!

Arrey Waah! Logging back on after ages, fully expecting the thread to have dried up but its better than ever..hats off to all the regulars! Even the legendary God Mod has returned!...will try to be more regular from now.

Anyway, all has been said about the mid-week games so I am going to indulge in my favorite pasttime and play God and give a broad opinion on the season to come from what I've seen so far - I think this year's going to be a straight out dogfight between Chelsea and Liverpool in both the PL and the CL.

Chelsea because finally an all star squad is with a manager who gives them the license to express themselves...bookies rightly have them as favorites for both CL and PL and injuries are their only worry really.

Also, Liverpool because Rafa finally seems to have abandoned his silly rotation policy and somehow they're at the top of the PL and 6/6 in the CL without being at their best - a sure sign of a season end winning team. And when (not if) the Torres-Keane partnership hits off, Liv's offence will be downright scary!

Of course, one can never discount the mighty Manchester United but after the past couple of years it looks (so far) that its a bit of a hangover time for their players this season...and with both Ars and Liv upping the ante, they cannot expect to recover a sloppy start like last year. So either they're right back in it in the next few weeks or it'll be v. tough for them...the creative backbone looks a bit aged in scholes/giggs, the right back position is unsettled at the moment (brown is sometimes 1st choice, sometimes 3rd choice!), the less said about VDS this season the better, the attack looks like a case of too many cooks and the main man ronaldo knows he will not be at the club from more than a season or two at the most...oh, and nani is so crap ive recently discovered! Still, who knows what the wily SAF will be upto at end of season! As for Arsenal, well they will enthrall the fans and the neutrals till jan-feb whence the inexperience will inevitably tell...just like last year...if only there were 2-3 more quality experienced players in this squad they might well be challenging at the top but not with these kids IMO.

MavericK Says

Does ESS have the rights for this year's UCL ? Or is it a shared feed from Sky ?

I watch CL on Sky Sports and ITV directly...if the commentators you hear on Tuesday (ITV) are Clive Tyldsley, Peter Drury etc and on Wednesday (Sky Sports) are Martin Tyler, Rob Hawthorne, and Ian Darke then the ESS coverage is from SS/ITV feed, otherwise its independent coverage. And if you hear that mad, crazy cuckoo Andy Gray on weekend PL games, then its a SS feed for sure!

Congratulations to ManUtd.

Last minute goals against Bolton and Wigan cost Chelsea the title, but one can't complain - the best team over the season won it in the end.

Oh well, onto the bigger game now!...21st ko mein spam karoonga!!

edit:
Didn't watch the Utd-Wigan game - so did Wigan roll over or give a good game?

But that type of football has higher pay-offs as well. I doubt 3 years down the line..many would recall the current Madrid side..but the Barca side of 2 years ago..is sure to be remembered.

True, good point. That Barca CL winning side of 05 is the single greatest club team, on pure footballing terms, I have ever seen, I have to reluctantly admit...even better than Arsenal's Invincibles. Their greatness always used to infuriate me for some reason :-...well i suppose if there's one thing Real Madrid and Chelsea FC have in common, its the rivalry with Barcelona FC...oh how i wish Messi moved somewhere else. :-|

|swagatsinha Says

Is he doing that..? Any certain news..

Rumour has it so with one source saying that he himself would like to step down...is an introvert and doesn't like the life constantly under the spotlight apparently, and if that happens, with Hiddink too ruling himself out, Rijkaard is the only other option...of course if he wins the double, things might not be so simple!

swagatsinha Says

BTW, saw your pic in St. James' Park..great stuff..

Yea it was one helluva atmosphere!! Even with not much riding for the home team....

Attaching few other pics which i know fellow fans will enjoy!
(images scaled down)

1.jpg: Ground half-hour before ko

3.jpg: Chelsea players warming up

4.jpg: Captured a classic!..pure fluke of course

5.jpg: Packed to the rafters..awesome atmosphere :thumbsup:

6.jpg: This is abs beautiful when seen live :thumbsup:

7.jpg: Away stand right above where we were sitting :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

8.jpg: Pre kick-off

9.jpg: Set-play...check out where Malouda the cheater is..he got a yellow for this i think

91.jpg: Match action

9.2.jpg: Lamps, JT and Essien thanking me for my support

sumitrocks Says

Bhai...busy schedule mein BBC articles padhne aur match dekhne ka time nahin hoga naa....so discuss kaise karenge? I don't foresee more than a visit or two a week for me after June.

Shame. Another victim....

well can't say i don't understand though...i myself used to post here much before but had to take about a year and half's hiatus from this thread for my masters, before returning few months back...good luck anyway, u'll need it! :cheerio:

@Seeds: couldn't agree more mate!
One more observation over this season - with so much money and pressure in the game these days, I've realized so called 'beautiful, attractive' football gets you absolutely nowhere. It'll only work against lesser teams but against world-class defenders and tactics when push comes to shove, slick one-touch football, of the Arsenal and Barca type, is risky because of the difficulty in executing it - no one can pull it off all the time and one is likely to lose possession sooner or later when trying it and if caught out, quality opposition will make you pay.

Examples:

1. Real Madrid's Galacticos won absolutely nothing, but look at the present side which are more functional than anything else - two la ligas on the trot..against an attractive barca side consisting of eto'o, henry, messi, ronaldinho, deco etc.

2. United supposedly played boring, defensive football against a flamboyant Barca, but who's in the final and who's out?

3. Chelsea's physical play in both PL and CL. While Chelsea did try attacking style a few times with success, two of them were against Villa (started with Kalou, Pizzaro, J.Cole AND Shevchenko in 4-2-4 almost :wow::wow:, and against Spurs, and both ended up 4-4....great matches to watch for the neutrals but not so good for Chelsea!

4. Arsenal-Liverpool 2nd leg...exemplifies how risky attractive football can be against quality oppossition.


The way to win it seems these days, fortunately or unfortunately, is a physical, safety first (typified by Chelsea), and counter-attack style (typified by Real Madrid and ManUnited).


p.s. Grant named manager of the month for April :thumbsup:...over the past couple of weeks, he's made a convert out of a non-believer in me! Though I still have this nagging doubt that its more JT's captaincy and Ten Cate and Steve Clark's contributions than Grants work..oh well, will trust the experts and give deserved kudos to Grant...will be sad to see him move upstairs. :-|

@sumit: what would prompt anyone to leave this thread! :eh:

I was away on another holiday so couldn't post, but even for people with busy schedules, i think it only takes 15 mins or so to read previous post and write one of your own and even one a day is enough methinks...

that being said, the video idea is fantastic - I would like to have the choice for 2 defenders please!