[demonrail666]

Same thing happened to me with Taylor. Disasters all round. I'd banked on Everton thrashing QPR and Chelsea at least keeping a clean sheet. If Man City don't do the business tomorrow I'm fucked.

[the ikara cult]

Bloody Hilario

It was highly amusing hearing that Nasri's transfer has fallen through. Cheer up Arsenal fans, at least you know your price hike is helping pay someone who doesnt even want to be there

[demonrail666]

Arsenal will just have to accept that they're now just another feeder club for the uber rich ones. They're basing everything on Wiltshere but if he turns into the player they hope he'll just be bought up by Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Wenger's whole philosophy is about grass roots team building but the game now makes that impossible unless you're rich enough to keep the spine of your team intact.

[the ikara cult]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Arsenal will just have to accept that they're now just another feeder club for the uber rich ones. They're basing everything on Wiltshere but if he turns into the player they hope he'll just be bought up by Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Wenger's whole philosophy is about grass roots team building but the game now makes that impossible unless you're rich enough to keep the spine of your team intact.

Im a Spurs fan, and in the last 5 years or so we've sold Berbatov for 35 Million, Carrick for 28 Million, Keane for 19 Million (how good does that look now), and might still sell Modric for 30 Million plus.

You kinda have to find a moment where all that good business stops being about money and about pushing up. We beat Man City at the end of 2010 cos we were a better team, and if we sell Modric to Chelsea we will take an even bigger step back. He obviously wants Champions League football, so if we keep him, and we get Diarra, we had better kick Arsenal out of the top 4 this year.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by the ikara cult

we had better kick Arsenal out of the top 4 this year.

I'd say Liverpool pose a far greater threat to you getting into the top 4 this season than Arsenal.

[jon boy]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

How do you see tomorrow's game against West Ham going?

good match and a good result for both teams although Leeds should have won it really. own goal and a missed penalty, the defense lets us down again.

[demonrail666]

I'd have to agree.

[chicka]

how's everybody feeling now after three weeks? Can't wait for the Man U Man City showdown. As much as I love Liverpool I'd be fool if I didn't admit these two are clearly the top of the league. Reminds me of Yankees/Red Soxs back here. Both bought their championships too. What kills me is I predicted Dzecko for a good year and then don't draft him. Oh well I'll have to settle for Ashley Young's performance today. If dam Surez would settle down he'd have about 6 or 7 goals already....Dam Rooney looks sharp. Now I see why everyone was praising him. World Cup and early last year he looked like shit.

[the ikara cult]

The 8-2 eased the pain slightly from getting pasted 5-1 at home. I cant wait for the first Manchester Derby

[chicka]

While I really like Sammy Nasri he should be ashamed of himself for the performances he put in for Arsenal on his way out the door.
Given that the Mans are above the rest besides looking forward to their derby, I also can't wait for Liverpool vs. Chelsea in the battle for 3rd. Amazing the speed Man U. posses this year. I expect Vidic to regain his first 11 spot but I'm not so sure about Ferdinand. Little Pea is also going to have his trouble putting Welbeck back on the sidelines. Where oh where did Cleveley come from? I'm impressed with his play as much as anyone on their squad.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by chicka

Dam Rooney looks sharp. Now I see why everyone was praising him. World Cup and early last year he looked like shit.

When Rooney's head is in the right place he's almost unplayable, but the thing that this season is showing so far is just what an awesome manager Fergie is. On paper this isn't a great Man U side but he has some way of always turning what he has at his disposable into a totally ruthless unit.

Liverpool's only problem right now seems to be in knowing what to do with Carroll. He doesn't seem to have gelled with Suarez at all. It increasingly looks like they can't play together but Carroll so far hasn't shown any reason why Dalglish should ever consider him over Suarez. And the potential signing of Craig Bellamy - a similar kind of player to Suarez - seems to even further marginalise Carroll, who I'd not be surprised to see put up for sale (albeit at a loss) in the next transfer window.

Of course the real drama is that surrounding the almost unbelievable decline of Arsenal. Wenger has until midnight tonight to rebuild and still shows no signs of giving way to the higher echelons of the transfer market. The way it's looking so far (and it's obviously too early to really tell) I think they'll be lucky to be fighting for the fourth Champions League spot with a so-far very unconvincing Chelsea (how long will they be able to keep faith in Torres?). It certainly looks like the top two places will be filled by City and United with current form suggesting Liverpool for the third spot.

Originally Posted by chicka

Where oh where did Cleveley come from? I'm impressed with his play as much as anyone on their squad.

I agree. Also Anderson, who I never rated before but who seems to have really grown into his position. Again, love him or hate him, Fergie definitely knows how to get the most out of a young squad.

[chicka]

I have to agree with you on Fergie. At first I just thought him to be a manager who's owners bought him the best players and that was it. The way he has these young guys playing and the fact that so many of them are in their first year with the club is amazing. They've gone from a defensive minded squad to an all out attack unit this year. Anderson is twice the player he was last year. The thing that really impresses me about Rooney is he's all over the field. He comes back on defense to help goes to the middle to get the ball and take control always willing to pass and he just has speed to burn. I like how tough he is and he rarely goes to the ground looking for a phantom call. My man Suerez has shown a knack to do this and it cost him last week. On a legit foul the refs just said forget you're always falling. Carroll's great in the box because of his size but he's too slow and not a great dribbler of the ball from what I've seen. He is going to go down as a flop unless he figures out some ways to contribute. It isn't like he hasn't had chances, his teammates are always trying to set him up. If I was Kenny I'd loan him out so he might go shine for a lower team and then they might get some of their money back. They seem to be building a team for speed and he's not up to that task.

[_slavo_]

Yossi Benayoun: Chelsea -> Arsenal

Mikel Arteta: Everton -> Arsenal

Craig Bellamy: Manchester City -> Liverpool

Raul Meireles: Liverpool -> Chelsea

Shaun Wright-Phillips: Manchester City -> Queens Park Rangers

Diego Forlán: Atlético Madrid -> Inter Miláno

Nicklas Bendtner: Arsenal -> Sunderland

Jermaine Jenas: Tottenham -> Aston Villa

Peter Crouch: Tottenham -> Stoke City

Joe Cole: Liverpool -> Lille

Wilson Palacios: Tottenham -> Stoke City

Bryan Ruiz: Twente -> Fulham

Royston Drenthe: Real Madrid -> Everton

Per Mertesacker: Werder Brémy -> Arsenal

Owen Hargreaves: Manchester United -> Manchester City

Guy Demel: Hamburg -> West Ham

Diego: Wolfsburg -> Atlético Madrid

Helder Postiga: Sporting Lisabon -> Real Zaragoza

Dmitrij Bulykin: Anderlech Brusel -> Ajax Amsterdam

Gueida Fofana: Le Havre -> OSC Lyon

David N'Gog: Liverpool -> Bolton Wanderers

Gael Kakuta: Chelsea -> Bolton Wanderers

[demonrail666]

Owen Hargreaves to Man City is a real surprise. I thought his injury had pretty much ended his career but he's obviously passed a medical.

Scott Parker to Spurs is a great bit of business for both sides involved. Amazed that Arsenal didn't go for him. Exactly the kind of player they need right now.

[Bertrand]

Yep, Arsenal probably invested in paper bags to cover their players' faces so that people won't see them blush.
8-2 was too much; Arsene ain't a bad coach, but the players he doesn't have to sell he loses through injury.
I wonder whether Arsenal's financial situation is good. I know some top clubs are crippled with debts, I have no idea about the Gunners. They obviously had to starve a bit after going to a new ground, new stadium.
In a world where when you can't afford to pay, you're not allowed to (a bit like life for you and me), would they be in a better position, thanks to the decline of the others?
Has Arsenal been thinking of making money through harboring young talented players - though I can't see many of them - rather than getting trophies?

[demonrail666]

From what I can gather, Arsenal's finances are fine. The issue seems more about Wenger's dislike for what he sees as the transfer market demanding inflated prices for what he believes to be average players. It's hard to disagree with him but that's how football is right now and principles (while admirable) don't win trophies.

[SonicBebs]

Arsenal are fine financially
thats been Arsen's argument for a few years. They haven't won anything, but they may be one of the only "big" clubs (not just domesticaly) to be financialy sound. And they can play lovely football. And they have alot of kids. And they dont get bent over by agents

but they haven't won anything

[SonicBebs]

just seen Man Utd have declared £29.7m profit, which kind of tells Arsene to shut up doesn't it?

[demonrail666]

It's gonna be interesting to see how FIFA's Fair Play thing affects matters when it comes into force. Surely Wenger's good business sense will put Arsenal at an advantage over teams like Man City and Chelsea, that are used to spending their way out of any slight problem.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by SonicBebs

just seen Man Utd have declared £29.7m profit, which kind of tells Arsene to shut up doesn't it?

It's false economics. Even with the profit, they're still over 300 million in debt.