Arsenal
Celine Dion Believes Arsenal Have a Chance Season Preview
The Future?
By Celine Dion
July 18 2009
I am beginning to think that Arsenal Times is beginning to produce some of the most thoughtful posts in the Arsenal speaking world. It's not a matter of agreeing or not, its a matter of ideas backed up by logical argument. Regular poster Celine Dion has provided a most interesting spin on how recent events in the Premiership might impact on Arsenal's coming season.
Celine Dion's friday night drunk post - shifting landscape of the EPL... new
Posted by: celine dion
Date: 18 July, 2009 00:12
Friday night as some of you know is my main night for posting s%*t on this old website, tonight I have had a lot of time to think because the wife has gone to some theatre trip in London and I have spent the evening trying to get AS ROMA to the champions league final in EA Sports Football Manager 2008. I have succeeded, by the way.
Anyway, this is important, I reckon there are some pretty interesting things going on in English football, interesting enough in fact to render irrelevant all our worries about Arsenal, and my (very relevant) concerns about Adebayor.
The European market is made all the more interesting because of tonight's transfers of Et'oo to Milan and Ibrahimovic to Barca. Two more marquee players who dont want to pay 50% of their wages to Gordon Brown.
As I have said already, I reckon next seasons prospects for Arsenal are fairly bleak. We have an untried, young, ungelled, and meddled-with team that for long parts of last season didn't look like qualifying for the CL. And for whatever reason, there's no guaranteed goals corer in our team for next season. Adebayor will be gone, and although I am an admirer of his basic footballing skills, I realise that he has to go, by hook or by crook, especially after today's nonsense.
But although me and mainly Billy the Kid (Arsenal Times Regular Poster) complain about our teams lack of spending power against the superior power of our rivals, for some reason, this summer, that superior spending power just isn't happening.
So, just for a minute, I am thinking, that Wenger's way could end up looking a whole lot more progressive by the end of next season than it does at the moment.
First of all United. People can try and tell me that whatever Ferguson does, his team will always be in pole position. But they have just lost a player that scores 40 goals from midfield, plus a 20 goal a season world class multi positional striker. I don't care how good Owen, Tosic or Valencia COULD be, Ronaldo and Tevez were the real deal. Witness effortless moments like Ronaldo's 20 yard equaliser against Villa last season or Tevez' crucial backheel at Wigan. They aren't there now. For the first time since I was about 15, United aren't having everything on their terms. And most importantly, Berbatov could have been the player to carry them through this, their last 30 mil purchase, but do you think Fergie rates Berbatov, given the amount of times he gave him a starting place last season? I don't. You can argue the toss, but at the very least, next season will be one of United's 'transitional seasons' ala 2002. And at most, it is the start of their economic chickens coming home to roost.
Chelsea. I ask you one question. What is the point of having the biggest yacht in the marina, if some Arab boy turns up in a f*%king battleship. I personally see City's situation as the death knell for Abramovic. Can he compete? of course not. Is his heart in it? Well, who have they actually been after this summer, to bolster a squad of 30-somethings. Is their new manager an accomplished proven Champions League threat? What's John Terry going to do? What is the average age of their squad? what are their youth players actually like? (well we all saw Stoch come on against us at the bridge and he was s%*t). Have they spent their succesful years building a new ground to capitalise on all the 5 year old little scrotes round my way in Frank Lampard shirts? er, no they havent. Why not Roman? What's your long term plan Roman? Roman? Peter? Roman???
Liverpool. Now that's different. There was something I liked about them last year. 4-1 at Old Trafford is not something to be sniffed at. They did the double over United, the double over Chelsea. There's something about Liverpool even though they only have 4 or 5 world class players and their mangers a world class fruit loop. If I was a betting man, which I am, my money would be on the dirty scouse. But can they rebuild their squad after next year, when it patently relies on major 20 mil signings like Kuyt Torres Mascherano and Babel? Rafa doesn't do stuff on the cheap. Although to be fair, when he buys someone, they stay bought.
Man City. They will do it, mark my words. You can criticise their penchant for buying forwards as opposed to defenders, and the fact that their manager is a brutal old Welsh battle axe who used to like standing on people's faces, but the fact is that once you've got enough money, you can chop change and chop again. The best you can hope for is that they will need a couple of years mixing and matching ala Ranieri in 2004.
Aston Villa. Ha ha har de ha ha. Gareth Barry-less, and strangely quiet in the transfer market, I tend to think that their whiny grandma of a football manager is suddenly realising his limitations. Teach you to reckon yourself against the mighty Arsenal you nasty little tow rag.
Anyway. Although I don't hold Arsene's recent teambuilding achievements in high esteem, the point of this very long post, is to say that some pretty strange things are going on in European and English football. Why hasnt Frank Ribery, or Benzema gone to United like we all thought they would? Whats the point of Liverpool refinancing themselves if they are only going to buy Glenn Johnson of all people. And are we looking at the return of Chelsea to a crappy outfit of national front and rich boys rattling round in a dilapidated car park in West London. We can only hope.
I have been highly critical of the Arsenal lately. Their absurd ticket pricing schemes, and Arsene's haphazard teambuilding. But something, just something, tells me that Arsene's 3 year plan could come good, even if its completely by accident. I for one want to be there just in case....
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:07:28:17:43:44 by Padre Pio.
Very good read and all on point imo. As for us, we'll be in the mix for all trophies and could very well end up winning one or two (PL and CL/FA). When you go through our squad and compare our players to the rest, we're good enough. We always perform when we're the underdogs, and we're defenitely underdogs in most people's eyes.
1) I missed your humorous, twisted reasoning like your normal post.
2)
Quote:If I was a betting man, which I am, my money would be on the dirty scouse.
I do some betting too, and my pick this year, if you want to be a bit adventurous then it should be for Arsenal at the begining of the season my guess around (1:8). Or if like to take some risky betting well taking a pick on City shouldn't be bad. It should be around 1:12 at the begining of the season.
For CL, I've said earlier, I'll put my bet on AC Milan atleast should be (1:10) but I wouldn't do it at the begining of the season. Coz, I expect, some sparkling performance from Real, Barca, Inter, Juve may be Chel$ki or Manur will push the Milan price even higher at the startig of 2nd round. My trust for Leonardo (my time hero) and Dinho tells my head this...
I didn't expect United to buy big this season, they won't go for EPL this season rather watch out of the Refs this season. I expect some oweful favored refreeing for Manur this season.
Chel$ki will be favourite to win EPL this season but my money is not for them.
That leaves Pool and I've a gut feeling they'll be chickened out in the end. That leaves a very good chance for us. But, not with this current team, we need atleast one immidiate 1st team starter impact player like Arshavin who can change the landscape.
Lastly:
Quote:Adebayor will be gone, and although I am an admirer of his basic footballing skills
Are you serious on this point, you can be his admirer for his strength, height, over powering opponents defence and powerful strike to score goals, occasional header but basic footballing skill, I think like MJ's childhood, he missed that out when he was supposed to learn that..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:07:18:16:58:19 by SandyB1.
Liverpool
Inter
Real Madrid
Marseille
Bayern Munich
Do you have horse racing in Brazil, by the way?
Other places really arnt as good or logical
For football betting, I too mostly play match betting on Asian handicap, but like in 2007-2008 season at the start of the season I put a hedging bet of $1000 on Bayern as Bundes Liga champion at 1:3 start of the season. It was a narrow finish and covered the entire seasons lost bet.
For regular matches, I normally play 90 minutes scoreline prediction on Asian handicap only on win/loss probability eliminating draw.
A pretty scary betting strategy considering anybody has money to carry on:
Choose a 90m scoreline prediction of away games for any team for Eg. 2-4 with odds around 1:15 mostly on high scoring teams, starting with $10 and double the bet as long as it doesn't hit the scoreline.Theoritically it's sure profit bet. Like for eg: if you take Arsenal winning 2-4 a match with odds around say 1:15, start with $10 bet and you double it everytime you loss. If 2-4 happens after 10 matches. Total investment: 10+20+40+80+160+320+640+1280+2560+5620=11,300
Return 5620*15=84,300
Return on investment: 84,300-11,300=73,000
I've tried this on a defensive prediction of 2:1 scoreline on ManU with odds around 1:7 and it hits within 4 chances.
Vermaelen and Gallas need to prove themselves as a pair, but the rest looks totally fine (if we do sign those two players - midfielder and a striker)
Fabianski
Sagna
Toure
Vermaelen
Clichy
Walcott
Fabregas
Denilson/New CM
Nasri
Arshavin
van Persie
And you can take van persie out and put in Bendtner, take out Sagna and put in Eboue. Strength in depth.
Wenger asked us to judge him by the end of last season and the verdict was FAILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! POOR!!!!!!!!!!! nothing to right home about.
since we can't really compete with the money bags then the best option is to face reality; no pressures and just watch the season roll by.it would be tough since our passion makes us fans. but putting no pressure on the team may be the best option so that if we win something it would be a pleasant surprise.
bosingwwa-terry-carlvaho-cole
ballack-essein-lampard-zhirkov
----anelka-drogba
bench: hilario, kalou, mikel, malouda, deco, j.cole, ivanovic, alex
-----reina
johnson-carragher-skrtel-arbeloa
----mascherano-alonso
kuyt----gerrard----rieira
-----------Torres
bench: Gk, agger, aurelio, benayoun, lucas, babel, voronim, babbel,
------Vds
Gary-ferdinand-vidic-evra
valencia-carrick-sholes-giggs
------berbatov-rooney
bench: kuzcack, owen, park, nani, anderson, fletcher, hargreaves, oshea/brown/rafael
----almunia
sagna-toure-gallas-clichy
nasri-denilson-fab-arshavin
------rvp-----eduardo
bench: fabianski, bendtner, rosicky, walcott, vermaelen, eboue, song, diaby
we have the weakest first eleven and the weakest bench.
-----cech
sagna-ferdinand-terry-evra
--gerrard-essein-lampard
--rooney-drogba-torres
bench: reina, vidic, alonso, masch, arshavin, fabregas, rvp, gallas
we also have the least quality players.
At the moment we're d 4th best squad in the league.
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