Soccer Thread 2004 (3 Viewers)

[copious]

he's a DM, according to cm.

 

[LMF^^]

Chelsea was crazy last year, this year they're even worse.

 

[reno2004]

Stupid Chelsea management buying all the good players and then wrecking their careers cause they dont get enough play time. Just look at Joe Cole, Scott Parker since he moved, Wayne Bridge. Hopefully they dont destroy duff and robben by switching between the two all the time. Good that they didnt get their hands on Ronaldhino or Deco.

 

[flyin']

Chelsea will only get better. And I think Parker will eventually (1 maybe 2 seasons later) get to play as a defensive CM. Cole needs time to develop, and will play some matches, imo (most likely MR). Bridge has been given the DL role, and has been doing what he's always been doing well. Duff was injuried half a season, so Robben can cover. Also Robben's often injuried as well.

Man Utd
Arsenal
Chelsea
Liverpool
Newcastle

 

[reno2004]

Why do all u guys think that Man Utd will win the premiership, especially ahead of arsenal?

 

[flowin']

Man Utd are better than Arsenal. Also Wenger hasn't won back-to-back EPLs. If Viera is shipped off to Real, Arsenal have NO chance at all. Chelsea are still team building (they won't buy too many players next season). And Liverpool have a real manager. The Newcastle defense looks as good as ever (shakey that is).

 

[HeCtic]

Man Utd are better than Arsenal.......if Viera is shipped off to Real, Arsenal have NO chance at all.

I don't see how you can say that, after Arsenal finished 15 points ahead of them last season. Manyoo's signings don't exactly scare anyone. Alan Smith has a Heskey-like goalscoring record and Heinze needs to get used to England before we see him gunning it down. He also seems to have a nasty habit of picking up cards. Rio is back which will make a difference, but for Arsenal we can also say that our back 4 have had a season to gel togethor and should improve again. Reyes also, has had time to get used to London and after a good pre-season should know the players better and should be fit enough to make a big impact.

Wenger has won 4 trophies in the last three years and most of the squad havent even reached their peak yet. All this "Vieira/Henry/Wenger off" shit we hear at this time every year. Three years ago it was Vieira to Real/Juve, then it was Wenger to France/Real etc and last year it was Henry to Barca/Real/Chelsea. It seems that every summer when there's no big sporting news over there the papers decide to make up stuff just to stir the shit a bit. I havent seen one direct quote from Vieira/Arsenal saying he wants out. All we've heard is stuff from Perez in Madrid and from suspiciously unnamed sources. In other words it's bollocks

Edit : I'm editing my post because some guy at arseblog, who gets just about everything right has said that Vieira is off and it might be to another english team. So Fucksocks to all I wrote there

 

[reno2004]

Lol. Viera apparently wants to leave Arsenal now and go to Real Madrid. If he does go, Arsenal is stuffed, and Man Utd will be better than them easily, but until that happens, Arsenal is still the best team in England.

 

[LMF^^]

Yeah. Read stuff last night about Wenger goin to come out to speak to the press about Viera. It seems as though Arsenal is conceding that they will lose Viera. Hard thing for Arsenal fans, as Viera always says he will stay. If Viera goes, then it may be the beginning of the end for Arsenal.

 

[HeCtic]

Well this is the exact post:

from what i've heard tonight i think i can guarantee that we've seen paddy play in the red and white for the last time. the only thing that can turn this around is a BIG change in everything that has gone before.

i thought that everything that had gone on would fall on deaf ears at arsenal but it appears that paddy is on the verge of a move to madrid. he visited the training ground yesterday and i don't think he's coming back.

i can't say a great deal about it but a deal has been agreed after yesterday's meeting and what we all hoped wouldn't happen has happened.

i hope i don't get flamed but i hope that my relatively accurate posts in the past mean that this one is considered credible.

its a kick in the teeth for us all going into a new signing, i would say that this is the best signing for RedübercuntsfromSurrey PLC and Cuntski this season.

For the doubters this guy is a shareholder there, and since you can only buy Arsenal shares by knowing someone at the club he is a pretty credible source and hasnt been wrong so far. Btw any arsenal fans should sign up to www.arseblog.com forums cos they have a couple of guys "in the know" and it's easily the best Arsenal site going around.

Oh and as for the beginning of the end, I'm not so sure about that. We lost Petit and Overmars at the same time and they were just as important as Vieira is now. I'll wait to see if we can sign anyone else before having a cry about all this. Shit happens and the club will move on from it.

 

[...]

i think arsenal can live without vieira, if seriously madrid wants him, arsenal can ask to trade in players like guti and other decent players and make a profit...

and here is my 04/05 guess
1. man utd
2.arsenal
3.liverpool
4.chelsea

 

[LMF^^]

But back then Arsenal wasn't such a force with Overmars and Petit, even though they won the double in 98. Man U went on to dominate over the next few years before Arsenal came back. Well since Viera is going I would think Henry would be hard for them to keep too, who knows, Henry might just follow Viera's lead, unless Arsenal wins the Champions League this season. Otherwise it is difficult to continue seeing Arsenal dominate the English game.

Some reports suggest that even Wenger may leave.

 

[HeCtic]

But back then Arsenal wasn't such a force with Overmars and Petit, even though they won the double in 98. Man U went on to dominate over the next few years before Arsenal came back. Well since Viera is going I would think Henry would be hard for them to keep too, who knows, Henry might just follow Viera's lead, unless Arsenal wins the Champions League this season. Otherwise it is difficult to continue seeing Arsenal dominate the English game.

Some reports suggest that even Wenger may leave.

They were a force even then. They won the double out of nowhere and then lost the title by 1-2 points the next year. We still finished second for the next three years and came runner up in the FA and UEFA Cups too. So we were there or thereabouts for the next few years while Wenger allowed Henry,Pires and co to integrate into the side. I reckon we'll still challenge for the title but unless we sign some proven class with the 32 mill we're apparently getting, we'll run out of steam towards the end of the season where traditionally we are the strongest. Unless we make a statement now and sign some quality rather than youngsters it may appear that we lack ambition but the club won't let Henry go now, not after this.

Anyway it seems Vieira wanted to go last season itself, but signed a new contract and decided to stay on for one last season, so Arsenal can get a large fee for him; it seems he was paying his dues to Wenger for making him. And I can't really blame Vieira either. He's been here 8 years, won three Premierships and captained us to an unbeaten league season. He doesnt owe Arsenal anything and if he feels he has a better chance of winning the CL in Spain, wants more money or just wants a change in scene Arsenal fans can't begrudge him the move, even though it looks like lots will turn on him.

I feel bad more because it seems whenever we are really ready to push on and build a great team we take a backward step, and losing your captain and best player for over a decade is a huge step backwards. We might still win the Premiership provided we use the money wisely but I'm not as confident about the league as I was a couple of days ago.

I don't think Wenger will leave either. The new stadium was his idea and he's leading the club into it. It'll allow him to compete on an equal footing to most of the big clubs in Europe and he will be able to bring in almost anyone he can then. I can't see him passing that opportunity onto someone else seeing as he's worked so hard for it.

 

[DoN ToRRES]

I doubt Wenger will go anywhere. It seems like he is really trying to build a Champions League winning team, and he is not one to quit. Arsenal better buy a good replacement for Viera. I propose Steven Gerrard, both are defensive players and Gerrard is becoming a very good player.

 

[nick1048]

go arsenal

 

[LMF^^]

Unless we make a statement now and sign some quality rather than youngsters it may appear that we lack ambition but the club won't let Henry go now, not after this.

It appears to me that if Viera leaves, it may appear to Henry that if they don't win the CL that he may also want to leave Arsenal. When a player wants to go, it's impossible to make him stay.

Gerrard just signed a new contract with Liverpool, so Arsenal can't get their hands on him.

I don't think Wenger will leave either, but he was linked with the job for Germany's coach, which he rejected because he wanted to fulfil his Arsenal contract. But that suggests that Wenger will consider other options. He'll be staying this season, but what happens after that will be pretty interesting.

It does seem like there's a lot of Arsenal fans in this forum. I guess a lot of ppl don't like Man U?

 

[HeCtic]

There arent too many Arse regulars on here. When the season starts we'll see plenty more people bother posting here I guess. Mainly from Manyoo, Arsenal, Chelsea fans but with a couple of Pool fans too.


Oh and there's an Arsenal press conference tonight in England after our friendly game. I can't wait to read about it tommorow morning!! I'm shitting myself about it, but at least it makes the off-season interesting for once. I wonder what Wenger can do for 32 mill especially after all the big name signings seem to have been done already. Except for Morientes and Ballack maybe I don't know any big name players who'd be available.

 

[LMF^^]

It's not in Wenger's nature to sign big name players. But since Viera is going he might make an exception this time. This is 32million euros right...? There is speculation of a Morientes-Viera swap.

I'm talking a lot about Arsenal here, feeling like an Arsenal fan.

 

[HeCtic]

Heh, you reckon if Vieira goes the number of people jumping on the Arse bandwagon will go down with it?


tbh, Vieira leaving doesn't neccesarily shit me too much, it's the possibility of Wenger going which will. I don't think he will but it is shit scary. Vieira leaving doesn't have to mean the end of an era at Arsenal, but Wenger leaving definitely will.

Oh, I just thought what happens if we don't sign any big name midfielders before September and all of a sudden both Edu and Gilberto get called up for Brazil. Fuck me

 

[Seraph]

Viera is doing what now!!!

this is news to me... if its true that really sux

is this all because of France's bad run....??