Football

Did Wenger write all of those?

According to the authors of "Why England Lose", the best example of a club that out-performs its potential is Lyon.

Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has tweeted his views on new Liverpool striker Andy Carroll's future, saying: "Andy Carrol will be a great player for Liverpool and England #fact."

FACT

From BBC

The same Lyon that used to be chock full of Brazilian players?

this looks so wrong

I can't believe he is going to pull on that shirt. How can he live with himself?
It is truly disgusting.

BTW my anger is also a reflection of the fact I can not ride a bike at the moment and I am very frustrated :(

Simple question Mike - have you ever changed jobs? How did you feel afterwards?

Like I was stabbing someone in the back...

Simple question Mike - have you ever changed jobs? How did you feel afterwards?

Yeah I know. But I didn't tell my last job how happy I was to work there how much I loved them, get a pay rise to 140K a week and then fuck them off a couple of months later

here is a really good article which sums up the liverpool policy for the next few years

Soccernomics
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/paulkelso/100015034/soccernomics-why-liverpool-and-john-w-henry-will-not-beat-the-market-on-transfer-deadline-day/

here are the 12 commandments

1. A new manager wastes money on transfers: don’t let him
   
2. Use the wisdom of crowds (take opinions on players from a number of coaches)
   
3. Stars of recent World Cups or European Championships are overvalued: ignore them
   
4. Certain nationalities are overvalued (Brazilians and Dutch, for example)
   
5. Older players are overvalued
   
6. Centre-forwards are overvalued; goalkeepers are undervalued
   
7. Gentlemen prefer blondes; identify and abandon ’sight-based prejudices’ (blonde players are, sub-consciously, disproportionately popular with scouts because they stand out from a distance)
   
8. The best time to buy a player is when he is in his early twenties
   
9. Sell any player when another club offers more than he is worth
   
10. Replace your best players even before you sell them
    
11. Buy players with personal problems, and then help them deal with their problems
    
12. Help your players relocate
    
    

Interesting that the writer has missed off the number one conclusion of the book, which is that the most important factor in determining the success or otherwise of a club team is total spend on wages, as opposed to transfers.

@mike - something to learn there then. ;-)

The same Lyon that used to be chock full of Brazilian players?

I suggest you read the book - there's a long section on Lyon, describing exactly how a team that wasn't even the biggest in the region (St Etienne were for years the biggest team in that part of France), never mind the country, became so successful. I have it as an audio-book, if you're at all interested.

Any Gooners fancy a pre/postmatch pint tonight with yours truly?

Sorry Pisti, working till 1930, otherwise I would most certainly have taken the opportunity to meet post to crow/congratulate/vituperate.

Interesting that the writer has missed off the number one conclusion of the book, which is that the most important factor in determining the success or otherwise of a club team is total spend on wages, as opposed to transfers.

Well Liverpool broke even on cash / transfer monies
We got two strikers instead of one
We are paying the same wages
We have refreshed the team
We have younger players
We have an eager new strike force rather than a lackadaisical torres

Up front along side any permutation of Drogba, Anelka, Kalou or Malouda with Lampard, Cole, Boswinga Ramieres and Essien providing.

Will be a little different from Liverpool

either being cocky or you don't know

Kalou isn't a first team starter now is he? do you feel Anleka will get less game time or Malouda drop back or on the bench?

Dicki; You've got a cannibal and a wife beater!

Well Liverpool broke even on cash / transfer monies
We got two strikers instead of two underperforming ones.
We are paying the same wages
We have refreshed the team
We have younger players
We have an eager new strike force rather than a lackadaisical torres

We sold Babel too, I think he's technically a striker.

Dicki; You've got a cannibal and a wife beater!

Passion aggression a healthy appetite
All things Torres seemed to lack towards the end of his stay

We sold Babel too, I think he's technically a striker.

Oh right I guess we did better than break even over the transfer window then.

Liverpool in profit
Unlike Chelseas numbers yesterday
£70.9mn loss in the year to June 2010

Sorry Pisti, working till 1930, otherwise I would most certainly have taken the opportunity to meet post to crow/congratulate/vituperate.

I'll be in The Duchess of Kent and/or The Hemingford for post match banter

So, Kopites

Is Torres still 'the best striker in the world'?

So, Kopites

Is Torres still 'the best striker in the world'?

paraphrase much?

even if he's not as his best he's a bloody good striker. His pace is slowing (or he just really couldn't be bothered for us this season

So, Kopites

Is Torres still 'the best striker in the world'?

I think we all know thats Andy Carroll...

So, Kopites

Is Torres still 'the best striker in the world'?

According to Dicki

'We have an eager new strike force rather than a lackadaisical torres'

Now I'm pretty certain I've recently heard both Alan 'fucking twat' Green and Phil 'this is our year' Thompson describe Torres as rejuvenated since the arrival of KING KENNY.

I think we all know thats Andy Carroll...

Isn't he out for 3 months though?

According to Dicki

'We have an eager new strike force rather than a lackadaisical torres'

Now I'm pretty certain I've recently heard both Alan 'fucking twat' Green and Phil 'this is our year' Thompson describe Torres as rejuvenated since the arrival of KING KENNY.

I'd love to hear Spoony's take on it too

Isn't he out for 3 months though?

He's out most nights from what I hear...