World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

I heard a rumor that Wenger has a rule that the manager should be the highest paid person and not the players. I know the manager is in charge, but that's an archaic way of thinking.

I'm pretty sure that's not the case. I don't have numbers in front of me, but I've seen numbers in the past that make me pretty sure that there are players at Arsenal that make more than he does. If it were true, I agree that's rather archaic. You wonder when the financial fair play rules go into effect in the near future, how a team like City is going to be treated. I think UEFA is already investigating their recently signed sponsorship deal to see if it's legit or a way to get around the new financial rules.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Well, that was a big ouch against ManU. Wenger's in a bind, as he's going to take a lot of heat if he doesn't spend some cash to bolster his depleted roster (Traore is the latest to go, today), but sellers will know he needs to do something and will jack the prices up. But, you just can't compete with the financial muscle of Chelski, ManU, and now City, while being a net selling team for the last decade or so. Really, it's getting to the point in the EPL where you can't run a football club as a business where you balance the books and even try to make a profit while simultaneously competing against the biggest club in the world (ManU) and two clubs that have endless checkbooks (Chelski and City).

Which is, of course, his own ****ed fault.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Which is, of course, his own ****ed fault.

True. There's no way to paint this summer that doesn't make Wenger and Arsenal's management team look bad in how they handled the transfer market. They let Barca and City drag the Cesc and Nasri transfers way too late, and they should have been actively shopping months ago, assuming one or both would be gone.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

True. There's no way to paint this summer that doesn't make Wenger and Arsenal's management team look bad in how they handled the transfer market. They let Barca and City drag the Cesc and Nasri transfers way too late...

Let Barca drag the Cesc transfer too late? Barca wanted to do that a year ago.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Let Barca drag the Cesc transfer too late? Barca wanted to do that a year ago.

I'm talking about this summer. They waited until just recently to table a halfway decent bid. Arsenal tried setting a deadline or two, but couldn't or wouldn't hold Barca to it. Barca gets the blame this summer for the long delay, not Arsenal.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

I'm talking about this summer. They waited until just recently to table a halfway decent bid. Arsenal tried setting a deadline or two, but couldn't or wouldn't hold Barca to it. Barca gets the blame this summer for the long delay, not Arsenal.

OK, I see what you mean and you're right, but I still find the irony amusing.

And the Spanish league is off to a predictable start: Madrid hammered Zaragoza 6-0 (hat trick for the fake Ronaldo), and Barca are up 4-0 on Villarreal (who finished 4th last season) about midway through the second half, despite playing with a patchwork defense.

 

[pirate]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

OK, I see what you mean and you're right, but I still find the irony amusing.

And the Spanish league is off to a predictable start: Madrid hammered Zaragoza 6-0 (hat trick for the fake Ronaldo), and Barca are up 4-0 on Villarreal (who finished 4th last season) about midway through the second half, despite playing with a patchwork defense.

So, what you are saying is that the Euro leagues should have a confab with heads of the US football conferences and re-align.

Barca, RM, ManU, City, Chelsea, Inter etc. go off and form the Big 10 conference (regardless of number of teams), the next wave becomes Conference Euro and so on until they get to the North Atlantic 10 and the MEC (Middle-Eastern Conference obviously).

They can get together at the end of the year based on BCS rankings...probably no need to change the math, nobody understands it anyway and have the Tostitos European Championship Bowl on New Years Day, really January 9th.

The case is solv-ed.

 

[J.D.]

Agreed. The ones in the United-Arsenal match were on the softer side, but still penalties in my view.

I just have a higher standard for when they should be called. I don't like them being given for the slightest contact or when a guy catches someone on the shoe lace.

 

[J.D.]

Sooo how about getting that striker and midfielder we need before Thursday?

Rovers need scoring punch and quick, or they are in real trouble.

You're referring to blackburn rovers as we?

 

[J.D.]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

I know all the times arsenal has come up short, but what have they won under wenger?

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

I know all the times arsenal has come up short, but what have they won under wenger?

3 Premier League titles and 4 FA Cups. No League Cups. No UEFA titles.

Edit: He's also got a 485-207-160 record as manager of the Arse. I don't know what's the best way to look at that, given the amount of ties that happen in soccer. It's 1662 out of the 2556 possible points in 852 games (65%), or 1.95 points/game.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

I just have a higher standard for when they should be called. I don't like them being given for the slightest contact or when a guy catches someone on the shoe lace.

Understandable. For me though, my standard is more along the lines of "if it was a foul outside the box, it's a foul inside the box". I thought all the penalties this weekend met that standard.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Crazy transfer news this morning as Owen Hargreaves was spotted leaving a hospital in Manchester and appears to be finalizing a deal with Manchester City.

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Things are getting worse. Brett Emerton (midfield) is done at Blackburn. He is joining Sydney FC. Everton was his last match.

If they don't get 2-3 players they are going down this season. So much for new ownership...

I should add there is rumor that Wenger's embarassment to ManU has him looking at Christopher Samba. Which would further deplete the team if allowed to leave.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Things are getting worse. Brett Emerton (midfield) is done at Blackburn. He is joining Sydney FC. Everton was his last match.

If they don't get 2-3 players they are going down this season. So much for new ownership...

I should add there is rumor that Wenger's embarassment to ManU has him looking at Christopher Samba. Which would further deplete the team if allowed to leave.

Arsenal have been interested in Samba all summer. But I haven't heard much about it lately, so I doubt it's going to happen.

 

[pirate]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Villa have signed a guy by the name of NOBODY, he doesn't produce much but he comes at a good price

we'll be lucky to have 10 field players available at the rate we're going...L. Young and Makoun are both gone...we did pickup a new ticket taker and one part time trash can emptier...so, we've got that going for us.

If Given can work on his speed he could play striker and goalie, how often are they both involved in the same play?

We could play with 10 instead of going up to 11...which is more, isn't it?

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Arsenal have been interested in Samba all summer. But I haven't heard much about it lately, so I doubt it's going to happen.

I meant to say 'renewed' interest. Due to needing to do something to save face.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

I meant to say 'renewed' interest. Due to needing to do something to save face.

All the talk I see is about Cahill or Mertesacker for central defenders (and now Santos at leftback). Sounds like Mertesacker is pending according to reports this morning. Wenger is notorious for being secretive about acquisitions and you sometimes don't know they are in the works until they are announced, but I just don't think Samba is on the radar screen that much. Just my HO.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Did see this one, which I'm sure will generate some interest. Apparently there's talk about Arsenal acquiring Clint Dempsey from Fulham.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/08/30/2642782/arsenal-make-move-for-clint-dempsey-but-fulham-demand-10m

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XXI: Don't Tread on the Red, White, and Blue

Villa have signed a guy by the name of NOBODY, he doesn't produce much but he comes at a good price

we'll be lucky to have 10 field players available at the rate we're going...L. Young and Makoun are both gone...we did pickup a new ticket taker and one part time trash can emptier...so, we've got that going for us.

If Given can work on his speed he could play striker and goalie, how often are they both involved in the same play?

We could play with 10 instead of going up to 11...which is more, isn't it?

I read a rumor you guys are signing Alan Hutton. The Makoun deal seemed odd.