OT: Futbol chit chat

[Ray_Dogg]

Shea is looking good. I hope he keeps it up because its nice to actually see something happening up front for a change.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

re: Germany.....maybe a *bit* of hyperbole here, but not as much as you might think:

"Has Germany found its Messi?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/sports/soccer/12iht-SOCCER12.html

 

[clyde_carbon]

Ozil is so underrated and Mueller will be a gem for Germany for Cups to come.

I have no idea how Mueller gets his goals. Dude isn't super fast or quick, isn't a a great technician, isn't the best passer or shooter, and doesn't have any eye-popping physical traits. I'd be willing to bet his World Cup performances were a fluke.

Ozil on the other hand is a stud. He should play for Turkey.

 

[trancemeister]

... that the board and front office of Arsenal is more to blame for taking profits in this environment where every dollar is needed to compete.

That right there hit the nail on the head! It is not so much breaking the bank like City or Chelsea does since Arsenal's owners don't have the deep pockets that the Russians do. You can still find experience at an affordable price. Players that have been to the next level, being home some silverware and know what it takes to get there.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

I have no idea how Mueller gets his goals. Dude isn't super fast or quick, isn't a a great technician, isn't the best passer or shooter, and doesn't have any eye-popping physical traits. I'd be willing to bet his World Cup performances were a fluke.

Yeah, one of those players that isn't immediately obviously good. But you have to look at the sum of his parts rather than the individual factors in isolation. He is a big, strong guy that plays smart and efficiently, both feet, can play any attacking position. Not as fast as some wingers but much bigger, not as creative as some midfielders but much more dynamic.

And not just the world cup....he had 19 goals for Bayern last year as a 20 year old. They are another fun team to watch I should say, between he and Kroos and Scheweiny they have as good a set of passers of any team east of Barca.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

That right there hit the nail on the head! It is not so much breaking the bank like City or Chelsea does since Arsenal's owners don't have the deep pockets that the Russians do.

Yeah, and apparently there's a new tycoon on the scene who wants to start throwing money at players:

Inter agree deal with Anzhi Makhachkala for the sale of Samuel Eto'o - report - Goal.com

Another guy who will spend the money he bled from Soviet transition into making an absurd fantasy football team. Not saying I wouldn't do the same if I had a few bil....

with the player picking up a salary of €20m-per-season over the course of a four-year contract.

I think this takes him over A-Rod for highest paid player, and certainly so when you factor in generous Russian income taxes.

 

[Yoshi]

That right there hit the nail on the head! It is not so much breaking the bank like City or Chelsea does since Arsenal's owners don't have the deep pockets that the Russians do. You can still find experience at an affordable price. Players that have been to the next level, being home some silverware and know what it takes to get there.

I hear you Trance but I don't think it's the board at fault here:

Arsenal's Ashburton Grove/Emirates Stadium packs about 22,000 more people than Highbury. Arsenal also charges its fans one of the highest ticket prices in all of the EPL (out of the most expensive luxury tickets Arsenal actually charges the highest):

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02082011/58/premier-league-arsenal-top-price-survey.html

Their owners may not be tycoons such as Roman A., the Asian dude from Man City, or Glazer of Man U, but I've heard this before - the Arsenal board has come out stating that Wenger has this amount to spend only for Wenger to spend much less than what the transfer kitty is.

I used to believe what you and Space believe now, but after years of being an Arsenal fan, I perceive this as a manager who really believes in his methods of building a team through kids and smart transfers while costing little to the club. He just did it with Alex Odelaide Chamberlain the other day and has done it in the past when he got Henry, Vieira, Ljunberg, Ashley Cole, etc. However, it's obvious there are weaknesses in the team and he has yet to address them. Arsenal has depth issues at central defense and Vermaelen hobbled off the other day - yet no sign of reinforcements. Why? He needs to bring in muscle into this team the way they had it when Vieira and Sol Campbell played for Arsenal, and even further with Tony Adams. As far as I know they have nothing close to that and I can't really fault the board for that.

Reports are coming in that Fabs and Nasri are about to leave before the weekend? As a barca fan, solid move, but as an Arsenal fan, this hurts quite a bit. They will have to expect Ramsey, Wilshere, Song, Arshavin, etc to step it up and I'm not quite sure those players are mature enough to handle 38 games a season plus FA, carling cup, uefa CL, etc. This could very well be one of the saddest weekends for ARsenal fans if both Fabs and Nas jettison for other clubs.

 

[Yoshi]

Btw, Fabs > Nasri. I'm still not sold on Nasri despite the hype and I want to see this kid bring it for an entire campaign.

 

[CalamityX11]

I have no idea how Mueller gets his goals. Dude isn't super fast or quick, isn't a a great technician, isn't the best passer or shooter, and doesn't have any eye-popping physical traits. I'd be willing to bet his World Cup performances were a fluke.

Ozil on the other hand is a stud. He should play for Turkey.

Just touching a relevant point to the bold. The German National team and associaiton for Soccer made a smart move by including or allowing non 100% Germans join the team. Ozil, Boateng, Gomez and others, aren't 100% German, they would never had made the team back in the day. Now with the new face, it's allowing them to expand their potential as a dominant country.

 

[Yoshi]

Just touching a relevant point to the bold. The German National team and associaiton for Soccer made a smart move by including or allowing non 100% Germans join the team. Ozil, Boateng, Gomez and others, aren't 100% German, they would never had made the team back in the day. Now with the new face, it's allowing them to expand their potential as a dominant country.

Isn't Khedira part German as well?

Also, technically, Podolski and Klose could have opted for Poland as well.

 

[Yoshi]

I don't pay as much attention to Arsenal, but I do think the endless criticism of Wenger is a bit unfair. Arsenal is the only team to sustain success in the EPL without an unrealistic budget. If he had $50 million to spend on transfers every year like each of his competitors does, it would surely be a different story.

Seems to me, though I don't really know enough about the situation to comment, that the board and front office of Arsenal is more to blame for taking profits in this environment where every dollar is needed to compete.

Space, I wrote about my qualms with Wenger, but I"m not 100% sure if it's truly him or the board that led to this mess. However, Barcelona called Wenger on his bluff and it appears now that Cesc is going back home. An astute manager would have sold a player, whose heart is no longer settled with the team, and use the funds to strengthen the team. Instead, Wenger waited and waited til the last minute and now the team is in a tight wad not being able to strengthen itself before the first game of the league season. That in itself is ALL WENGER.

BBC Sport - Fabregas and Nasri near moves to Barcelona & Man City

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

I hear all that Yosh......obviously my issue is that I haven't watched this happen year after year like you and the rest of the fans have.

But really, I think Barca just didn't have the appropriate amount of funds to sign Cesc given the number of other expensive signings they've made. I have thought it was pretty lame that their negotiating strategy seemed to consist of a lowball offer (25 mil for arguably top-5 playmaker in teh sport?!?!) and constant pressure in the press. If they wanted him badly enough, maybe they could have foregone mega-millions on the highly-redundant Alexis Sanchez and paid Arsenal what Cesc is worth to get him a while back. I really don't see how it was Wenger's responsibility to take that lowball offer, he would have played right into their hands.

Instead, by holding out he not only got them to pony up legit funds, but got them to pay it all up front rather than the generous financing they Barca been trying for from the beginning.

As you can see, I remain annoyed by a lot of things Barca does. Neutrality slipping away.........but man, with the additions they made this year they will be absolutely nuts, substantially better than even last year if Sanchez can keep up his progress.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

Oh, BTW.....Ozil was born in Germany, and has said he never would have even considered playing for Turkey.......where his parents were from I believe.

 

[trancemeister]

Anyone else watching the Arsenal - Newcastle game? Gervinho looking pretty good so far.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

Wow....just came to comment on the game...Gervinho not looking so good now, eh? Obviously a shit call though, Barton pulls a combination pussy/punk move......just terrible. How ridiculous is it when a dangerous guy like Barton goes down like he was shot from a finger to the face? And maybe even more ridiculous when a ref gives a red for an infraction he obviously didn't see. Brutal stuff.

 

[trancemeister]

I am fuming at the referee's decision there. I agree that Gervinho deserved the red card there but anyone would have reacted the way he did if they were pulled off the ground by their jersey. Barton obviously was still heated for the Song incident but he had no business getting in Gervinho's face. I am speechless at how he did not get the red card as well.

On another note, it is painfully obvious how much Arsenal is missing Cesc and Nasri.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

What, you don't like Rosicky? LOL. Definitely not an intimidating starting 11 at this point.

 

[trancemeister]

What, you don't like Rosicky? LOL. Definitely not an intimidating starting 11 at this point.

LOL!! They definitely have lost creativity as well as pace with the loss of those two. Wilshire missing this game didn't help either.

Back to Barton for a second - he reminds me so much of Gazza! Tremendous talent but his hot head always seems to get in the way.

 

[yehyeh]

They really need to get one of Hazard or Mata just to get some creativity in there...

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

Hazard fits every Wenger preference but the price......I believe he would cost over 20 mil. But if there was ever a time for him to shell out some cash.....I read the crowd was chanting "Spend some fucking money" pretty loudly at the end of the match today.

But he said "no Mata"......I'm guessing his price was exorbitant.