Football

Is that the best you can come up with, Clive?

Christ, Wenger has won almost as much silverware in English football as Chelsea have in their entire fucking history.

But remarkably little in the past 7 years.

Like Chelsea for most of their existence then.

Well past his sell by date and should have been sacked yonks ago. But Arsenal prefer to wallow in their history.

I would have thought that Liverpool and Arsenal fans would have been praying for AVB to stay not clamouring for his dismissal. We used to sing "we want you to stay" to Rafa and still do to Wenger, not, "you'll be sacked in the morning".

Oh, for all his faults, AVB was only 3 points behind Wenger.

Oh, for all his faults, AVB was only 3 points behind Wenger.

I think that's what everybody is getting at.

Wasn't it Athletico Madrid that changed their managers every couple of months? Well you can see how that paid of for those giant of Europe.

My views on Wenger have been well aired on this thread and haven't changed. His time has past.

I wasn't 'clamouring' for AVB's dismissal, in fact the opposite. Chelsea need stability to allow them to replace an ageing team of over paid underperformers. The hiring, and subsequent firing, of AVB must've cost the best part of £30 million and yet the problem that existed before his arrival still needs to be addressed.

If it wasn't for the colossally stupid waste of money, it would almost be amusing.

Well past his sell by date and should have been sacked yonks ago. But Arsenal prefer to wallow in their history.

I would have thought that Liverpool and Arsenal fans would have been praying for AVB to stay not clamouring for his dismissal. We used to sing "we want you to stay" to Rafa and still do to Wenger, not, "you'll be sacked in the morning".

Chelsea a team so well beyond their sell by date being bossed by a core of players equally beyond there sell by date over seen by a owner who still has no grasp of loyalty or 'style' ... the Blackburn of the era.

AVB is well out of that jumped up merry go round. Until someones given the time and mans up enough to get rid of the jose hangovers its only one way down.

Despite recent lack of cups and my personal feeling that Wenger should be on the way out I think the running of Arseanl and History equals more style than chelski can dream of...

Well Simpson, you've got that wrong haven't you.

This programme behind the scenes at QPR on BBC2 looks pretty good. At the moment it's following Briatore trying to understand football, which consists mainly of 'he's facking sheet, sell him'

Not my thread, but this Chelsea thing's too good to miss.

So Abramovich has ploughed in £1 billion so far. A couple of league titles is not a good return on a billion. Not much would be really. They want to emulate the Jose period, which is easy to understand but impossible to replicate. Like him or not, Jose was the right manager for Chelsea, and may well have had sustained success had he stayed. They were a good fit. But Abramovich knows best, which he doesn't.

Then consider the number/proven quality of the managers that have been and gone since Mourinho. It's incredible, and now there's another with a handsome payout. Roman may well be rich, but he's equally deluded. The problem is 'Lamps', 'DD' and 'Casual Racist'. They seem impervious to fault. AVBs was to realise this immediately and try to do something about it. They're finished, that lot. Everyone knows it. Roman may well too, so he hires a new guy who makes it clear he's up for rooting out the problems and starting again.

Roman apparently can't bear to see that happen. They're gone for a few years now, and are set for a slide which mimics the current state of Arsenal. Not before those unbearable established fuckers leave the dressing room once and for all and a manager is given time and carte-blanche over affairs will they recover. AVB was right to say they can't compete with City financially. It's all boom and bust, and they're bust now. They crave to be top-dogs financially and on the pitch so badly they're blinkered. I cannot imagine who Roman will appoint now, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has been wooing Jose all over again. I hope he tells him to fuck right off.

Thats style for you

Well Simpson, you've got that wrong haven't you.

Not really.

i am appalled at AVBs dismissal.. but then again being a gooner, suspect my viewpoint doesn't count.. third spot here we come ;-)

third spot here we come ;-)

thanks for making me laugh man! its been a long day

Right then, XH, fancy another wager?
Arsenal to finish third?
£10.

"So Abramovich has ploughed in £1 billion so far. A couple of league titles is not a good return on a billion. "

Anchelotti also won stuff.

"Like him or not, Jose was the right manager for Chelsea, and may well have had sustained success had he stayed."

I don't think Maureen's style is set up for long term winning and stability. He's a manager that takes about a year to mould his expensively assembled team. Then they win a lot of stuff. He flogs the shit out of those players for about three years getting them to run through walls. He gets off, leaving the new guy to clean up the reminance of a shot squad of players. Lest you forget the words uttered by those same smiling assassins when Jose was sacked Chelsea? They were happy to see the back of him.

"They seem impervious to fault. AVBs was to realise this immediately and try to do something about it. They're finished, that lot. Everyone knows it."

I'd have to disagree again. There's a good way and a poor way to go about things and from where I'm standing AVB was the architect of his own down fall. He had a worse persona than Rafa in media interviews with that muffled drone. Conceding superiority to your rivals in public isn't good for moral. Calling your players 'competent' is not the way to get them to run through walls for you. His choice of selections and decisions to drop certain players were baffling. Meireles seemed un-droppable[sp] irrespective of form yet "Lamps" appeared to get it right when he did get his chance, yet was never guaranteed any play time at all. Surely player psychology is as important as tactics?

Take the old heads to one side tell them how awesome they are and their importance to what the club needs but they may not play every game as you need them fit for the whole season etc and you have a happy/(ier) camp where everyone is pulling the same direction. Surely he should have dropped them once he'd got the faces he really really wanted. They could have helped the numerous talented young guns they have; like liverpool if they don't use the rest of this season to blood youngsters they're fucked until deep into next season as a new season brings new pressures not compatible with blooding youths. Scholes and Giggs anyone? Sir Alex showing again how it's should be done.

The mad thing is CFC may not have CL footie, so who'd wanna manage them in the event they failed to get top 4? How will this effect their spending in the FFP era?

wow makes the £35mn we paid for carroll look like a bargin plus we'll recoup something for him when we flog him back to newcastle on the cheap

AVB most expensive manager in history ?

i fear you will get benitez and he'll show you how to win a european cup... sadly

Glad I didn't head out in the constant drizzle to go and see spurs capitulate to man u once again. From MOTD it seemed we had the better of the play and more of the ball, but lacked the cutting edge up front. After a bright start to this run of murderous games we've taken a bit of a hiding.

We need to find ways of winning games without the guile and craft of vdv and the pace and pressure of bale. Not sure pushing Modric out to the left works, it lessens his impact and influence. The need for a striker to bury chances seems even more evident, as does 'Arry's lack of faith in Defoe as a top of the line striker.

This season has been full of surprises so far and as I've mentioned previously us qualifying for the champions league is still the priority and a good cup run as well. Fingers crossed Chelsea don't bounce back manager less against us, and we keep a grip on third place.

Your season's over, Corny... Ours has only just begin...

Oh, for all the astonishing wealth at his disposal, AVB was only 3 points behind Wenger.

ftfy

yeah, our defeat at the hands of arse has finaly put pay to this seasons title challenge
darn another trophylesss seas....... oh no hang on a minute we're not arsenal are we

One for the stattos. Is Pavel Pogrebnyak the only player to have racked up 5 goals or more in his first ever three Premier League matches?

Aguero?

no but using a triple word score you can acheive 139 points