The Real Football Thread

[gooner]

What happened to all the anger towards Wenger after the start of the season then? How quickly things change, eh?

I'd be more than delighted if I'm proved wrong. Remember there is a long way to go to the end of the season. There will come a time when I will have another one of my long written rants I'm sure. I still think they will come up short but one thing that is good to see, is that the football is back to being great to watch and a lot more pleasing on the eye. I thought they lost a lot of that after Fabregas and Nasri left and even more so again after RVP left the season after.

On Dutch tv tonight, Aad de Mos said that he thought it was a criminal mistake by Real to let Ozil go, and that he would take Arsenal far this season. Henk ten Cate said that the **** were his favorites for the Prem title. Both are mega-impressed with Ozil. So am I, always rated the lad very highly.

It says it all when the Madrid fans were shouting towards Perez at Bale's unveiling, not to sell him.

West Ham had a bad couple of defeats. Very unlucky in both. You could do nothing about Baines's free-kicks but that penalty on Brady by O'Brien(international teammates too) was a shocking decision. W.Ham had a blatant pen turned down themselves. That was a hard defeat to stomach.

 

[gooner]

Jean-Louis Dupont the lawyer who has represented Bosman and Contador in the past is now taking on the case against Financial Fair Play. Excellent article about it and FFP in general. It goes to court on Thursday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24333604

 

[Cyivel]

The big football story of the week

http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/local-news/relief-as-kenny-jumper-safely-returned-1-5524216

 

[gooner]

Amsterhammer, brilliant result today. I was watching our game with West Brom and on Sky they were saying Morrison got a super goal which was one to watch.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Amsterhammer, brilliant result today. I was watching our game with West Brom and on Sky they were saying Morrison got a super goal which was one to watch.

I was about to post....be sure to catch MotD2. The second half was the best I have seen a West Ham team play in many years. Really. The Morrison goal was awesome, candidate for goal of the season so far.

Spuds didn't show up, or BFS completely outfoxed Villas-Boas. My jaw dropped reaction, before I got the silly grin that stayed with me for ages, was, 'Who are these guys? They can play football.'

 

[gooner]

I was about to post....be sure to catch MotD2. The second half was the best I have seen a West Ham team play in many years. Really. The Morrison goal was awesome, candidate for goal of the season so far.

Spuds didn't show up, or BFS completely outfoxed Villas-Boas. My jaw dropped reaction, before I got the silly grin that stayed with me for ages, was, 'Who are these guys? They can play football.'

There was no way I was missing MOTD2 with them losing.

A great solo goal by Morrison and a lovely dink over Lloris to finish it off. He's a gem of a player and if he keeps his head straight he will be an England player.

Ferdinand a few weeks back.

Rio Ferdinand ‏@rioferdy5 15 Sep
Having all the ability alone is not enough. You need the right attitude & work ethic to go with it.

Rio Ferdinand ‏@rioferdy5 15 Sep
Adnan & pogba were not as good at youth team level as Ravel but by 18yrs old they had progressed further football wise.

That is some statement to say he was better than those two in youth football.

 

[gooner]

I don't know if anyone else has been reading the serialisation of Harry Redknapp's new book in the Daily Mail but I think he has been a bit disrespectful to the likes of Hodgson and Trevor Brooking in it.

 

[Amsterhammer]

I don't know if anyone else has been reading the serialisation of Harry Redknapp's new book in the Daily Mail but I think he has been a bit disrespectful to the likes of Hodgson and Trevor Brooking in it.

Don't get me started on wide boy Harry ****ing Redknapp.....

 

[gooner]

Don't get me started on wide boy Harry ****ing Redknapp.....

And I see Billy Bonds doesn't want to speak to him.

Redknapp has the British media wrapped around his finger.

 

[Cyivel]

It's one of the reasons I wanted him to get the England job as when it almost inevitability ended badly they would most likely turn on him in a delicious manner.

 

[gooner]

It's one of the reasons I wanted him to get the England job as when it almost inevitability ended badly they would most likely turn on him in a delicious manner.

People were criticising Levy for getting rid of him at Spurs but he was bang right about it. He was flirting with the England job in interviews/press conferences for 2/3 months while the job was vacant and loving and milking the attention. All this while it was getting into the most important part of Spurs's season and they ended up losing a CL spot when back in Feb they were well ahead of Arsenal and massive favourites to finish 3rd. Not just this, but he had the cheek just after Hodgson got the job to come out and say he would like a new contract. Levy seen right through his BS.

The guy is a bluffer. Like going from Portsmouth to Southampton and then back to Portsmouth. You just don't do that with an intense rivalry like that. He leaves Southampton in mid table of the Championship and only goes back to Portsmouth because they have a rake of money coming in from Gaydamak. He then leaves them in the lurch when Spurs come calling because he knew there was going to be a big firesale of their main players and the money was getting frozen up.

When Southampton went down he said he got told by Christiano Damiano who was in the coaching staff there when Steve Wigley was caretaker manager that he was mad to take the job and it was impossible to keep them up. He says this to spin his way out of his failings as a manager. He's done similar now in his book saying the same thing at QPR that he inherited a mess where even Mourinho wouldn't have kept them up.

We then see him criticising the players and the wages they are on at QPR, yet he buys Samba on 100,000 a week who was a disaster of a signing.

A bluffer like I said.

 

[l.Harm]

Van Persie just scored his 40th goal for Holland and matches Patrick Kluivert his record. After the goal he ran to Kluivert and fell in his arms. Nice moment (y)



- and now he got it.

 

[Amsterhammer]

A bluffer like I said.

I don't call him a 'wide boy' for nothing. I think all old skool Hammers, like me, hate his guts. Nobody ****s with Bonzo who,with Bobby Moore and Lord Sir Trevor of Brooking, the Emperor of Barking, is part of our triumvirate of true legends. More shady deals and brown paper bag jobs than you can count, awful buys who never played, the Rio deal. Nah, harry can do one as far as I'm concerned.

I wasn't even watching the pointless Dutch game, but chapeau to Van Persie for breaking Kluivert's 10 year old record.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Here you go Gooner, this should please you.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...enal-to-work-on-the-clubs-coaching-staff.html

 

[Zam_Olyas]

@DrunkOffNyQuil Pandemonium in Reykjavik following the Cyprus win.Drunk fans are burning an Ikea couch chanting"f*** Norway!Brazil 14!"

@DrunkOffNyQuil
A man in a Batman suit just asked cops how he can help

 

[gooner]

Here you go Gooner, this should please you.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...enal-to-work-on-the-clubs-coaching-staff.html

He speaks a lot of sense and you can see that in the way he analyses Ozil's part in Wilshere's goal against West Brom last week. He's a deep thinker of the game and with Liam Brady leaving his role in charge of youth development at Arsenal, I would love to see him take over this role in the future. His name has been linked with it. I was reading a while back that the whole youth structure is a bit of a shambles now at the club and that Bould being promoted to Wenger's assistant has left a huge hole.

In the coming days when I get the time, a double purchase of his book alongside the new one on Lance will be made. Look forward to reading these.

 

[del1962]

Just got to watch the first Arsenal goal against Norwich last night, what a great goal.

 

[gooner]

I must say I think it's bad form on Ferguson's part to be throwing former players under a bus in his new autobiography. Trust among his players was a big part of his success and now he is dishing out secrets in his private dealings with players he has managed. I just don't see the point of all this, especially as this is his second autobiography and players like Keane, Beckham and Rooney were a big part of his success where they fought tooth and nail for him. He had a brilliant career and I think he should just leave it at that as his loyalty to the club is what should come first. He was manager for over 25 years and well paid in that time so he doesn't need the money. I'm really struggling to see the reason for all this now.

 

[Christian]

Hey gooner, what did you think of the Arsenal vs. Dortmund game? I couldn't watch it but I saw the goals. The German press overall says that Dortmund deserved to win even though they had some luck and lost control of the game for large parts of the first and second half. All the goals were pretty nice though. I was glad to see Mkhitaryan score, he has been a bit weak in recent weeks. Ozil apparently completely disappeared, which German press attributed to Sven Bender. The last goal was a pure beauty though!

 

[pmcg76]

Hey gooner, what did you think of the Arsenal vs. Dortmund game? I couldn't watch it but I saw the goals. The German press overall says that Dortmund deserved to win even though they had some luck and lost control of the game for large parts of the first and second half. All the goals were pretty nice though. I was glad to see Mkhitaryan score, he has been a bit weak in recent weeks. Ozil apparently completely disappeared, which German press attributed to Sven Bender. The last goal was a pure beauty though!

Dortmund were the better team in the first half but Arsenal much improved in the second and Dotmunds second goal came completely against the run of play. TBH a draw would have been a fairer result, not a fan of either team but enjoyed the game.

 

[gooner]

Pcmg's assessment of the game is about right. I thought in the first half Arsenal had problems dealing with the high collective pressing game that Dortmund do. As the game progressed Arsenal got more to grips as it's physically very hard to do that for the entire 90 mins. They got sucker punched on the break when they were going for the win but overall it's really in the balance now if Arsenal can get through the group.

One stat from the game which I found interesting was the difference in the amount of ground covered between the two teams.

Passes completed: Arsenal 423; Dortmund 346

Total metres covered: Arsenal 106,281; Dortmund 117,887

This is big credit to Klopp for getting this level of work rate into his team. The high pressing game where they defend from the front shows the great coach that Klopp is and it was something that Guardiola instilled at Barca when he took over from Rijkaard. It was the reason why Dortmund got their first goal when Ramsey was robbed of the ball. This is something that I think Arsenal are seriously lacking in over the years and until they improve in this area, I think they will be found wanting when it really matters most.

EDIT: Wenger made a big mistake in starting Rosicky over Cazorla. I couldn't understand that before the game and his introduction coincided with Arsenal beginning to get the upper hand.

On Ozil, it was his quietest game since joining the club.

 

[pmcg76]

Pcmg's assessment of the game is about right. I thought in the first half Arsenal had problems dealing with the high collective pressing game that Dortmund do. As the game progressed Arsenal got more to grips as it's physically very hard to do that for the entire 90 mins. They got sucker punched on the break when they were going for the win but overall it's really in the balance now if Arsenal can get through the group.

One stat from the game which I found interesting was the difference in the amount of ground covered between the two teams.



This is big credit to Klopp for getting this level of work rate into his team. The high pressing game where they defend from the front shows the great coach that Klopp is and it was something that Guardiola instilled at Barca when he took over from Rijkaard. It was the reason why Dortmund got their first goal when Ramsey was robbed of the ball. This is something that I think Arsenal are seriously lacking in over the years and until they improve in this area, I think they will be found wanting when it really matters most.

EDIT: Wenger made a big mistake in starting Rosicky over Cazorla. I couldn't understand that before the game and his introduction coincided with Arsenal beginning to get the upper hand.

On Ozil, it was his quietest game since joining the club.

I don't watch games regularly but had been reading a lot about how great Ozil and Ramsey have been for Arsenal so was looking out for them, both had poor games I thought, especially Ramsey.

 

[l.Harm]

Oh wtf was Fer doing in the Norwich game. And then after the match saying in Holland this is common.... not really.

 

[gooner]

Looks like Martin O'Neill will be the next Ireland manager. It's a good appointment but he wants Keane as his assistant if the papers later today are to believed. I'm not so sure this is a good idea on O'Neill's part. Whatever happens they have a big job on their hands for the next campaign. There is some decent players in the squad but they're nothing special at the same time. Just wonder has the extra 8 teams in Euro 2016 appealed to O'Neill where it will give an even better chance of qualification.

 

[gooner]

Finished reading Bergkamp's book last week and it was a very interesting intriguing read into his mindset and policy on the way he thinks the game should be played. It's not your typical autobiography as a lot of the book is done on interview basis with Bergkamp and in other parts they interview Cruyff, Bergomi and the managers he played under at Inter, Henry, Wenger, Viera, Adams etc. To me, it was a refreshing change.

Overall I would say while the book gave some very revealing stories(like the fallout in the Dutch squad at Euro 96 and how he and Wim Jonk left Ajax to Inter not on the best of terms with Van Gaal) the majority and concept of the book is more the Dutch philosophy to football. This is done through Bergkamp's eyes and he gives a great account of it throughout the book.