Arsenal
Mirror mirror on the wall who's the ugliest
Lovely Bolton
By Boris Mellor
January 9 2009
It can no longer be claimed that Bolton is a bogey team; the Gunners have beaten them far too often in recent times for that to be the case. Indeed last season Arsenal gave them a two-goal start, went down to ten men and won 3-2. Not bad for a bunch of foreign fancy dan softies.
This season Arsenal beat the Trotters 3-1, but did it the easy way with eleven men, but Clichy was subbed after only 46 minutes as a result of a horror tackle. Wenger has had the temerity to complain about this so the Bolton manager has claimed that Arsenal that are the dirtiest of the two teams.
It's so laughable I shall not discuss that any further, except to say watch out for Elbows Davies. It's not a good time to be without Gallas and Silvestre for the next three weeks. Toure in particular finds elbows hard to deal with, hence his losing his rag with Shearer a few years ago. That resulted in a sending off, and his absence contributed to a defeat by Man U that derailed our Premiership challenge for that season.Well that's enough nostalgia for one preview. Besides nostalgia is not as good as it used to be. Instead, let's look ahead to the brave new world of the transfer window. A fantasy world where ills can be cured at the stroke of a pen, or at least the big fat cheque the pen was used to sign. A world where Man City can sign £100 million worth of players, and pay Bridges £100,000 a week (That isn't fantasy you fool, that is actually happening. Ed).
Transfer news cleared up:
Partly Wenger's fault, and partly due to bad luck the squad is looking weaker than ever, so will the transfer window see the problem solved? Well for those not sure, here is Wenger from his pre Bolton press conference:
"We do not want to talk too much about who we want to buy, - At the moment I cannot give you any good news but in this job no news is good news. Nothing has fallen through. We are on alert in the transfer market."
So there we have it, clear as mud. So if you haven't heard anything by 31 January that will be good news. Am I the only one not that excited by the Arshavin saga? Even if we got him tomorrow - unlikely I know - it will take a while to bed him. Russians and Brazilians rarely fit in quickly, if at all.
It's quite ironic that until Robinho Gilberto is probably the Brazilian that had the most impact on the league. When it comes to Russians, later to become Ukranians, Rebrov and Sheva never made it (crafty correction there.Ed). So maybe the man who had two good games in the Euro, and several mediocre ones, is one for the future. Nothing wrong with that, but it is this season I am worried about.
At the beginning of the season Perry Groves said we needed a big ugly Centre Back. How right he was. Now that would get me excited, I just wish we had him in time for Elbows Davies. Well we should beat Bolton, but expect squeaky bum time at the back. Adebayor put it more politely, he says the team trembles at the fear of conceding. Perhaps they should just get on with scoring; at least RvP is looking up for it at long last.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:01:11:18:07:21 by Padre Pio.
Juninho did well didnt he?
Sylvinho did very well for us if I remember correctly.
Struggling to think of any Russians to actually even try and make it in the EPL.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:01:09:15:32:48 by Zainy.
The last time I checked it wasn't a Morris dancing competition, unless Arshavin is coming under the pretenses that the cut of his lederhausen will be a factor in points, I don't think we should have too many concerns ?!
I've seen enough to know he's class where ever he ends up. He's got Arsenal written all over him and hopefully we'll have something of Arsehavins written all over an Arsenal contract quite soon, or I'm off to Bavaria sticks an' all. Or, we could possibly adopt Barca as our default Arsenal being that they want everything else we have, next they'll want the badge !!
Why does Britain produce so few good footballers now?
Why did Holland produce so many?
Maybe the tradition of Russian football produces different skilss, skills that dont work in the Premiership. Tradition and training cant be ignored. Thats why Wenger has this dream of producing a team that he has trained from their childhood.
People used to go on about Gilberto not being a 'real Brazilian type player' but he did well for us.
We have seen many players do exceptionally well in one league and fail hopeflessly in another. But i think every player should be judged on his own individial merits.
I have to disagree, Billy, about Brazilian goalkeepers though. Marcos and Taffael are both very good keepers. Taffael`s been to the last 4 WCs
Brazil definitely had outstanding goalkeepers in the past. Barbosa, Gilmar and Emerson Leao. Barbosa played during the 1950 WC in Brazil. He had a career spanning 22 yrs and won many trophies but never forgave himself for losing the 1950s final. He was considered a top-class keeper He passed away 8 years ago, very poor and still feeling guilty.
Gilmar played during the 1958 and 1962 WC. He was considered world-class.
Emerson Leao played during the 1970, 1974, 1978 and 1986 WC. He was very young and stayed on the bench during the 1970 WC, though! The Brazilian coach and Leao did not get along in the beginning of the 80’s. As a result, Leao was not chosen to play during the 1982 World Cup in Spain and he did`t get a `chance of a life-time` opportunity to play against that power-house of world football, The All Whites (NZ). He stayed on the bench in 1986 too, but he could have played 5 World Cups.
I've heard and read from many columnists and veteran players, including Pele say, that Gilmar was the best goalkeeper that Brazil has ever had and one of the best in the world at that time.
This is not a new thread but I thought you deserved an additional comment about the past.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
we just have to beat bolton, whatever means we choose to do it.failing far behind villa will be the real bad news.
It doesnt mean they didnt play great football, but it was in a more insular and collective sense.
When you look at exceptions in Eastern Europe, eg Puskas it proves the rule. Hungary had been part of an open European system until WWII. Hungary had a sucession of foreign coaches. Indeed the Magical Magyars came from a tradition instilled by Scottish and Austrian coaches. Russia and Ukraine dveloped thier tactics in islolation. Those tactics suited national and big clubs in Europe. Altough it suited purpose those systems were not common in Europe, hence players may find it hard to adapt.
Quote:weedz
I have to disagree, Billy, about Brazilian goalkeepers though. Marcos and Taffael are both very good keepers. Taffael`s been to the last 4 WCs
Tafferel was not anywhere near the level of Shilton, Banks, Seaman or Clemence he was more on the Chris Woods level and he hardly had anything to do because of Sócrates, Elzo, J. César, Edinho, Branco and Carlos, Josimar, Muller, Júnior, Careca and Alemão, Zico and Falcao in 1986.
Yeh theres always going to be one or two through history but they don't usually have more than one very good keeper for every generation, I think their best keeper was Leao but I don't see that they produce many, but in saying that these are the kind of players that played in front of Leao , Jairzinho, Carpeggiani, Rivelino, César, Piazza, Leivinha, P. César, Edu , Dirceu, Alfredo, L. Pereira, M. Antonio, Zé Maria and Renato I probably missed a few but you must be getting the point by now.
The only below par team that Brazil have had since 1970 was the 1990 team and even then they are only below par in comparison to other Brazil teams.
And whats this shi' ?!
Quote:weedz
ones upbringing helps determine who one is.
Who were you addressing, The Queen ?!
And then, This !
I believe that climate has more to do with it than what most people think. The way a player aclimatized often determines how much skill he or she produces.
The term "acclimatise" is applied to the cultural and social adjustments as well as the style of football that you are adapting to, Unless you are going to play at 10,000 ft above sea level, you plank.
Try not to copy and paste the vast majority of your so called opinion.
I recorded only one alleged a elbow strike on Clichy.
And only one ankle tap on Nasri.
Mirror mirror on the wall who's the ugliest of all?
"Yo! Mofo...just follow the elephant tracks wil ya."
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