The Soccer Thread

[relaxedanderson]

In the true spirit of transfer deadline day today I went into the local shop two minutes before it closed and paid £45 for a loaf of bread.

 

[1ke]

Soooo,

LeArse - I think they did well. Per, Arteta, Yussi, and Santos for a decent sum is good biz by the Frenchy. I think Arteta will prove to be very very good. Also FINALLY found somebody to take Bednter. Lol nobody wanted his ass,

Chelski - I think Raul is very very good, and damn near carried them at a point last season. Once he fond out Chelski wanted him, he made it so, and considering his low wages, he got the fuck out and good for him.

Tottenham - They whiffed badly on Cahill, dont know how. But they did get Scott, and Adem and most importantly kept Luka. They also managed to trim a shit load of fat. Jenas, Bentley, Hutton, Crouch and also Polacios.

Liverpool - King Kenny didnt stop. Coates was an easy one, then the not so shocking shocker of the night was Bellamy going back to the scouse. Also some good biz, getting rid of Joe Cole, Ngog, and Poulsen, although i think they will miss Raul.

Shitty - Signed United's garbage. I still think he could have been good, had gone anywhere but City. But since he chose there, over a place like West Brom where he would have played a bit more easily, will serve him right and now I hope his knees fall off. PUT THAT ON YOUTUBE!

United - Well, Wes wouldnt budge, and once that was clear, that did not sit well with SAF. The midfield has been on fire so far, so here is to hoping SAF knows more than me, and they continue the good form for the year. Also was checking to see who would get some loans. Kiko Macheda to Newcastle had some steam, but never turned over so he stays. Good luck getting a game, to him and the 6 other strikers.

Crazy shit for the top six, but its even crazier after them. QPR took SWP, Barton, A. Ferdinand, Luke Young, Traore. Fulham got some good stuff while keeping Clint. Wigan with some sly dealings. Still think what Newcastle did was very very good. Bolton with Ngog, Tuncay, Kakuta, and Boyata.

Lots of fun shit goin on today.

 

[Fappin Raptor]

I think Arteta will prove to be very very good.

:jonesy:
Until he starts taking their free kicks and blasts them into the wall every time.

 

[spiker]

:jonesy:
Until he starts taking their free kicks and blasts them into the wall every time.

Assuming he stays healthy enough to take those FKs.

 

[Fappin Raptor]

I never saw Arteta as Arsenal quality, maybe it's just me.

Assuming he stays healthy enough to take those FKs.

He's just like Fabregas, except older, more injury prone and not as talented.

 

[spiker]

He's just like Fabregas, except older, more injury prone and not as talented.

LOL

I like the fee that they got for him and the fact they didn't ship out Baines or Rodwell yet. That is a win in my book.

 

[Bigpapa42]

So almost a full day later and I'm still mulling over Arsenal's signings. I am still conflicted over them.

From the negative perspective, they very much smack of desperation signings. None were second or third choice signings... More like 8th or 9th choice. A couple of them have some injury concerns. They all represent a direct departure from the squad approach that Wenger has set forth. And when are you being heavily linked with some of the top prospects in Europe, getting 30-year vets instead is hard not to see as a disappointment.

From the positive side, I don't know that being a departure from Wenger's "youth first" mandate is a bad thing at all. Since Henry left, the Gunners squad has seemed to lack a certain level of determination, and it perhaps even goes back further than that. There was just something missing from the makeup of the squad on the pitch, whether it was depth of courage, self-belief, or maybe depth of leadership. I've heard that the squad leadership has been solid since the Gallas debacle but its not truly forceful leadreship, which pushes every player on the squad to be accountable. I can't really say its down to youth, as United have a young squad right now and they don't have that issue. Yet you could see it when Arsenal would give up an early stupid goal against sides they should beat, or if they were trying to find a late goal (whether to draw even or go ahead) and there just wasn't that faith within the players that it would happen. Will these players change that and give the squad the depth of personality it has lacked? I don't know... but I have more faith in veterans bringing in that kind of change than more under-22 year olds doing it.

For the first time in a few years, Arsenal have made significant signings for today, rather than for tomorrow and beyond. The young talent like Frimpong and Gibbs will still get time and could still become really good, but now there isn't the need for it to happen now. With Fabregas and Nasri both gone, Arsenal are a less talented squad than they were last year... Yet they could be almost as successful if the likes of Arteta, Mertesacker, and Santos can infuse some more character into the team.

While I'm not convinced that the signings are great or that any will make a huge impact, the additions should at very least be an improvement over the situation that saw Arsenal get decimated last weekend. I truly believed that Wenger might stick to his guns and not buy if it wasn't a player he coveted and at the "right price". While I have no more faith in the season ending up with silverware than I was a week ago or five weeks ago, I am less fearful of having a truly mediocre season (by Arsenal standards).

 

[Prodigal Son]

 

[calgaryballer]

I think people are giving Mertesacker a hard time. Is he slow? Yes. But he's also 6'6", and Arsenal have always done well against the tippy-tappy teams. It's the guys like Crouch or Kenwyne Jones or Cameron Jerome that start shit in the box they can't handle. If all goes to plan, Vermaelan will be behind to sweep up anyway

 

[wr50l]

I think people are giving Mertesacker a hard time. Is he slow? Yes. But he's also 6'6", and Arsenal have always done well against the tippy-tappy teams. It's the guys like Crouch or Kenwyne Jones or Cameron Jerome that start shit in the box they can't handle. If all goes to plan, Vermaelan will be behind to sweep up anyway

English people criticisng a German international? How ironic.

 

[Bigpapa42]

I don't mind the Mertesacker buy. I'm not convinced that it will be great and he'll do fantastic, but I don't mind it. I do agree that he's the kind of tall, powerful defender that Arsenal haven't really had since Sol Campbell. Guys like Djourou and Senderos have never really managed to impress at the top level of competition. Squillaci was supposed to be that kind of back, I think, but he turned out to be a bum who is an own-goal waiting to happen whenever he's on the pitch.

Mertersacker is taller than any of those, obviously. In addition to helping Arsenal be able to with the more powerful strikers in the Prem, I'm hoping he can bring a sense of organization to the defense and especially to set piece defending. I do worry a bit that Werder Bremen seem to have been actively trying to get rid of him much of the summer, despite being relatively short on talent. Then again, then might be short on money and I doubt he was on a small wage packet there.

Good lord I hope he helps with their set piece defending... There is no way a big club with top level ambitions should have such an Achilles heel that any side can exploit... Its FM-like, for fuck sake.

 

[1ke]

:jonesy:
Until he starts taking their free kicks and blasts them into the wall every time.

:smh: Come on now, RVP takes every damn FK in range for LeArse.

 

[Obst]

Netherlands beat San Marino 11-0 today lol.

 

[webbi]

this team looks so much better this game.. you can see the difference JK makes..

 

[webbi]

shea is a player..

 

[Chrispy]

US has looked sloppy, #3, i think Castillo is awful

Horrible passing and ball control

 

[Prodigal Son]

The US needs a forward. Altidore just isn't that good.

 

[FirstTimer]

US has looked sloppy, #3, i think Castillo is awful

Horrible passing and ball control

Shea looked really good.

Torres played a beautiful game.

Castillo sucks. How he stays on the pitch is beyond me.


I like what the US will have up front/in the mid field once they are full strength with guys like Shea, Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Altidore, Agudelo, Rogers, etc

Howard is a class keeper IMO but our defenders are terrible.

 

[wr50l]

Can't wait for this international shit to be over so I can get back to making money.

 

[citizenerased]

When Kenny steps down, I really hope Steve Clarke takes over. He just seems to get it.

Steve Clarke, to quote the Special One, "Could be the story of a donkey who worked for 30 years but never became a horse"

There must be a reason why no team has hired him, despite the fact he's been whoring himself out for a managing job for the past 6 years.