The Soccer Thread

[killgod]

Sounders vs Monterrey tomorrow. Can't wait to watch Monterrey plank the field for 90 minutes.

We're hosting Dallas. They haven't been playing well of late and we went toe-to-toe with them a couple weeks back when all our new players had their first match.

I think we knock them off and take over our group....which is just mindboggling of an achievement when you look at our MLS season so far.


Speaking of Dallas, they've reportedly sold defender George John to Blackburn for 3.2M. Yeah that's right you euro snobs, MLS selling the Prem starting players now....WORLD TAKEOVER MLS!

[Chrispy]

Arsenal agree terms with Manchester City for £22m sale of Samir Nasri

France midfielder to undergo medical in Manchester

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/23/arsenal-manchester-city-samir-nasri

[PP]

Does Arsenal have any players left?

[Bigpapa42]

Does Arsenal have any players left?

Healthy...?... not much...

With only about €55m coming in this summer, its clear that Arsenal can't afford to bring in any reinforcements... Too bad...

[killgod]

looks like Lisle Austin had reason to go after Chuck Blazer before FIFA defended Blazer and canned Austin.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/us-soccer-fifa-fbi-idUSTRE77F6UT20110816

let the CONCACAF corruption extravaganza continue...

[Bigpapa42]

Can't confirm if these numbers are accurate... but I keep seeing the number 220k per week as the wage that Citeh is paying Nasri. And the entire deal - including transfer fee, agent fees, and total wages - adds up to 69m.

[1ke]

What dumb money. I cant express how happy I am United got out. Its not a lie that he wanted United over City, he's good friends with Patrice Evra, but if he had gone to United, he would gotten 150 p/w tops. Over 200 p/w is so fucking stupid its beyond stupid even for City.

Nasri, 2010: "I think we have more merit as a club than those who have built their teams with millions of pounds."

Arsène on Aug 9th: "Imagine the worst situation, we lose Cesc and Nasri, you can't convince people that you are ambitious after that."

-----------Hart--------------
Twat-Twat-Kompany-Twat
--------De Twat-------------
--Ya Twat---Twat B---------
Twat C---------Twatri-------
---------Aguero--------------

[Bigpapa42]

Some of the comments from Wenger this summer have bordered on absurd. Especially when every indication was that both Fabregas and Nasri wanted out and the club was negotiating... and he's saying nope. He's always been able to overlook certain incidents, but how do far in denial do you have to be?

The thing I find frustrating right now is that I have no faith they will buy. Nearly 60m in this summer, barely 10m spent, and are they close to signing some reinforcements? I know clubs are loathe to sell at this point in ths season, but how do you sell your best player and another quality player yet buy no one? Have Arsenal become Newcastle?

As for Citeh, I don't know how much better this makes them. It just gives them even more depth. But you can still only put 11 players on the pitch at once. It definitely makes the project even more unsustainable. I've said it before, but it the Sheik ever decides that dumping millions into the club isn't fun anymore, they are entirely fucked. No club in the world can afford to pay out the kind of wages that Citeh do based on their own incomes, and Citeh is a long long way off the incomes that clubs like United, Barcela, and Madrid enjoy.

[1ke]

Some of the comments from Wenger this summer have bordered on absurd. Especially when every indication was that both Fabregas and Nasri wanted out and the club was negotiating... and he's saying nope. He's always been able to overlook certain incidents, but how do far in denial do you have to be?

The thing I find frustrating right now is that I have no faith they will buy. Nearly 60m in this summer, barely 10m spent, and are they close to signing some reinforcements? I know clubs are loathe to sell at this point in ths season, but how do you sell your best player and another quality player yet buy no one? Have Arsenal become Newcastle?

As for Citeh, I don't know how much better this makes them. It just gives them even more depth. But you can still only put 11 players on the pitch at once. It definitely makes the project even more unsustainable. I've said it before, but it the Sheik ever decides that dumping millions into the club isn't fun anymore, they are entirely fucked. No club in the world can afford to pay out the kind of wages that Citeh do based on their own incomes, and Citeh is a long long way off the incomes that clubs like United, Barcela, and Madrid enjoy.

Twitter's just kicked off with rumours of Gary Cahill -> Arsenal. Apparently a fee has been agreed!

My thing is this. If Arsene didnt want to let Sami go to United, fine. I get it, rivals, fellow title contenders ok. But dont go and sell him to City, who WILL take YOUR (LeArse) CL spot. LeArse will not be a top 4 team this year. Its just not in the cards. They have a lot of talent and potential. But this is the wrong time to rely on potential. Liverpool = Better, Tottenham and 'Arry will bring in people once Modric goes and they'll be better. City = Better. United:devil: = Better. LeArse = :ionno: Chelski = Better....

[Bigpapa42]

Twitter's just kicked off with rumours of Gary Cahill -> Arsenal. Apparently a fee has been agreed!

My thing is this. If Arsene didnt want to let Sami go to United, fine. I get it, rivals, fellow title contenders ok. But dont go and sell him to City, who WILL take YOUR (LeArse) CL spot. LeArse will not be a top 4 team this year. Its just not in the cards. They have a lot of talent and potential. But this is the wrong time to rely on potential. Liverpool = Better, Tottenham and 'Arry will bring in people once Modric goes and they'll be better. City = Better. United:devil: = Better. LeArse = :ionno: Chelski = Better....

Defensive depth...? Wow, i wonder what that would feel like...?

Once Nasri wanted to go and Citeh wanted him, it was going to be tough to sell him elsewhere. Even United wouldn't have been paying him that much over the 90k/week that Arsenal offered him. Neither would Madrid or Milan or Bayern. Given that Nasri had only year left on his deal, which he could have played out and then signed with Citeh to get his massively inflated wage packet. I don't imagine he would have accepted a move elsewhere and taken a significantly lower wage.

I pretty much agree on where Arsenal stands this year. Competition at the top could be more fierce than most seasons. I do think that they could have possibly competed for a title if they still had Fabreags and Nasri. Not won, but been competitive. Without those two, I can't see them managing that.

[Rudi]

City just keeps improving.

[mgoblue2290]

City just keeps improving.

You also keep improving your chances at a complete internal meltdown. I don't think it will happen, but it would so awesome if it did.

Also, what happens next year or two years from now with all these guys on contract when you want to start buying the new flavors of the month?

[Rudi]

Thats something we'll worry about when the times comes. lol

[Bigpapa42]

You also keep improving your chances at a complete internal meltdown. I don't think it will happen, but it would so awesome if it did.

Also, what happens next year or two years from now with all these guys on contract when you want to start buying the new flavors of the month?

I actually do expect their to be some problems. Much as love the sport, players are whiners. When someone isn't getting the playing time they expect, they rarely button-down and work harder in training to earn it. More likely, they complain to the media. They'll talk about going elsewhere to get regular matches, etc. The players agent is only going to agitate the situation, since another move earns them another fee.

One or two squad players getting unhappy and whining may have no effect. Or it can be a major distraction that can derail a season. It depends on the club, the whining player, and the leadership amongst the players. I fully expect a couple of Citeh players to be severely unhappy and vocal about it my mid-season.... Hello, Mario Balotelli! Glad you're still here, Carlos Tevez! Selling them becomes a real problem because their wages are unreal. Mancini is a good manager, but I have doubts he will cope if pressure is coming from all sides and the squad is coming apart...

It will also be interesting to see if Macini is able to keep the side playing an open, attacking style (which seems to suit the talent best) or reverts to a defensive approach like they did so often last season.

Citeh are amongst the favorites for the title this season and I wouldn't be surprised to see them win it. But just like Manchester United and Chelsea, I think they are a side with some flaws. I honestly have a bit more faith in the strength of United and/or the experience of Chelsea to carry one of them through in the end.

Thats something we'll worry about when the times comes. lol

Planning on jumping off the bandwagon before then?

[Rudi]

I actually do expect their to be some problems. Much as love the sport, players are whiners. When someone isn't getting the playing time they expect, they rarely button-down and work harder in training to earn it. More likely, they complain to the media. They'll talk about going elsewhere to get regular matches, etc. The players agent is only going to agitate the situation, since another move earns them another fee.

One or two squad players getting unhappy and whining may have no effect. Or it can be a major distraction that can derail a season. It depends on the club, the whining player, and the leadership amongst the players. I fully expect a couple of Citeh players to be severely unhappy and vocal about it my mid-season.... Hello, Mario Balotelli! Glad you're still here, Carlos Tevez! Selling them becomes a real problem because their wages are unreal. Mancini is a good manager, but I have doubts he will cope if pressure is coming from all sides and the squad is coming apart...

It will also be interesting to see if Macini is able to keep the side playing an open, attacking style (which seems to suit the talent best) or reverts to a defensive approach like they did so often last season.

Citeh are amongst the favorites for the title this season and I wouldn't be surprised to see them win it. But just like Manchester United and Chelsea, I think they are a side with some flaws. I honestly have a bit more faith in the strength of United and/or the experience of Chelsea to carry one of them through in the end.



Planning on jumping off the bandwagon before then?

If we haven't won back 2 back EPL and Champs league titles, then yeah.

:smug2: