Football Season 2012/2013

[Fierce_LiNk]

I've no idea how you got Kagawa for that much, he's going to be brilliant. Was he in his last year or something?

 

Yeah, last year of his contract, so Dortmund weren't really in a great bargaining position. They were excellent last season, so it was going to be hard for them to keep their players. Excited about seeing Kagawa in the league, he looks brilliant so far.

 

Chainrai has withdrawn his bid for Pompey. That could be it now.

[Charlie]

BREAKING NEWS

 

Robin van Persie has failed a medical at Man United due to back problems after carrying Arsenal for the past few years.

 

 

(I actually think Arsenal are going to do very well in the league this season, with or without him)

[Dog-amoto]

I thought Portsmouth were taken over by rich Arabs around 2007/8ish and there was talk of them buying all kinds of players. I think the owner sold up after a couple of months

 

What went wrong? Why aren't they in the same state Man City are in now?

[Happenstance]

Sad to see Fabrice Muamba has retired after medical advice

[Dog-amoto]

Sad to see Fabrice Muamba has retired after medical advice

 

Would rather have him alive and not play for us though, but yes it's a real shame. What does a 24 year old, accustomed to a Premier League salary do with himself afterward though is the real question. Bolton have always said he'd always have a place here, be it as a player or coach, but those things are often said in the throes of emotion.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens to him, career wise.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Would rather have him alive and not play for us though, but yes it's a real shame. What does a 24 year old, accustomed to a Premier League salary do with himself afterward though is the real question. Bolton have always said he'd always have a place here, be it as a player or coach, but those things are often said in the throes of emotion.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens to him, career wise.

 

Yeah, he's got no other choice but to retire. Sad, but so necessary.

 

I reckon he'll get a coaching role. He seems to be well liked and he's been through a lot, so I think Bolton will keep him on in some way, or they'll help him on the next step of his career, whatever that is.

[-Dem0-]

His retirement is sad news indeed, however if he does wish to go down the path of coaching he's at a very young age and can develop well over time, I think Bolton will help him if that's his decision.

 

Correction.

BREAKING NEWS

 

Robin van Persie has failed a medical at Man United due to back problems after carrying Arsenal last season.

[Emerald Emblem]

The joke has been made and the same day a fee of £24 million has been agreed between Arsenal and Manchester United.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19179833

 

I think we got a good deal there if it goes through if the personal terms are agreed. I think Wenger has a target or two in mind for this investment.

[Jon]

Apart from the fact we're starting to look like a feeder club, this is a decent bit of business. £24 million odd for a guy is 29 and has only managed to play fully for 1 and half seasons out of 8 years at the club.

 

Obviously i'd prefer he stay but it's time to move on. This time i'm glad we've already got more than adequate replacements in and i'm sure we'll be seeing more. I hope he respects the fans though and avoids any cliched statements about how he loves the club and always will.

[Emerald Emblem]

I hope he respects the fans though and avoids any cliched statements about how he loves the club and always will.

 

Didn't he say that in his statement that started this transfer saga?

[Fierce_LiNk]

Pretty good deal for Arsenal there. 24million is a lot of money for somebody his age. I still don't know what to make of this. Outstanding last season, but we've already got Rooney, Hernandez, Welbeck, Berba and Macheda, as well as Henrique who we just signed today.

 

I'd love to know what formation we'll be playing next season, or how we're going to accommodate all of these players. Berba will get sold, I imagine Macheda will be loaned out, as well Henrique. So, that leaves Rooney, Hernandez, Welbeck and RVP, provided the medical goes ok and he agrees personal terms. If this means either one of Welbeck or Rooney get pushed to the wings, I won't be pleased.

[Ramar]

I'll be amazed if he plays more than 30 league games for United. He's gone 18 months injury free, he's due a breakdown.

 

Yes I am bitter. Leave The Arsenal, just don't go to Spurs, Man Utd or Chelsea. In that order.

[Jon]

Didn't he say that in his statement that started this transfer saga?

 

That was before there was any talk of him signing for Man Utd.

[James]

I thought Portsmouth were taken over by rich Arabs around 2007/8ish and there was talk of them buying all kinds of players. I think the owner sold up after a couple of months

 

What went wrong? Why aren't they in the same state Man City are in now?

 

Harry Redknapp, that's what went wrong.

[Platty]

Not sure how I feel about RVP transfer. A lot of money for a guy who I always thought was a bit of a sicknote before last season when he smashed it and had a blinder. Plus he is ex Arsenal. No doubting his quality but it's gonna take me a while to get on board with an ex gooner.

 

Fergie likes having 4 good forwards to rotate. It's always the way but just not sure how RVP will fit in with our current squad. Good problem to have though, I trust in Fergie so only time will tell.

 

I take it this means Berba and Macheda are probably off and that new 18 year old henrique will be sent out on loan, probably back to the club he has just come from. Also where is our defensive midfielder eh?!

[James]

Liverpool apparently close to signing Sahin on loan, quality player while he was at Dortmund, not sure why he fell off the wagon at Madrid, but can only be a good signing for Liverpool.

[MadDog]

They're signing Modric, and he wasn't getting much of a look in anyway. Plus i'm sure he had a injury that kinda halted any progress. But yeh, would be very good to get him.

[Ramar]

Liverpool apparently close to signing Sahin on loan, quality player while he was at Dortmund, not sure why he fell off the wagon at Madrid, but can only be a good signing for Liverpool.

 

He got injured early on at Madrid.

[Jon]

Fuck you Alex Ferguson.

[bob]

Shall we do predictions e.g top 5 and bottom 5? Then we can point and laugh at the people who got it wrong later on?

[Fierce_LiNk]

Fuck you Alex Ferguson.

 

 

In fairness, Van Persie said he wouldn't be signing a contract long before we expressed any interest in him. Also, if somebody else had come in with a decent price, I'm sure Wenger would have flogged him abroad.

 

Shall we do predictions e.g top 5 and bottom 5? Then we can point and laugh at the people who got it wrong later on?

 

I'm up for that. But, I'll need to think on it.

 

Also, it looks like Song could be leaving Arsenal, as well. Crazy.

[Jon]

 

In fairness, Van Persie said he wouldn't be signing a contract long before we expressed any interest in him. Also, if somebody else had come in with a decent price, I'm sure Wenger would have flogged him abroad.

 

 

 

I'm up for that. But, I'll need to think on it.

 

 

It had to be done, we've ended up making a lot of money for a guy who cost us a Million odd and was injured for 6 years. I'm more then happy with who we've replaced him with. Still, it obviously leaves a bitter taste to see another player the fans worshipped leaving, especially to join them.

 

Man Utd do have an enviable forward line now but I'd absolutely still take an Arsenal player over a Utd player in any other area of the pitch, I feel we're stronger than them in Goal, Defence and Midfield and i'm confident we'll finish ahead of them this season.

 

I feel most sorry for Wenger really. Another player he's 'coached' so extensively to become the player he is today has upped and left. He didn't give van Persie his ability but he believed in him 100% to be the main forward he has been the past 2 years, a position he never himself felt he could do.

 

Happy to see Vermaelen as captain. He's my favourite Arsenal player and is fully committed to the cause. Arteta is a good choice as the Vice Captain, though i'd have been tempted to go with Sagna, although his injury problems the past season may have counted against him.

[Fierce_LiNk]

It had to be done, we've ended up making a lot of money for a guy who cost us a Million odd and was injured for 6 years. I'm more then happy with who we've replaced him with. Still, it obviously leaves a bitter taste to see another player the fans worshipped leaving, especially to join them.

 

Man Utd do have an enviable forward line now but I'd absolutely still take an Arsenal player over a Utd player in any other area of the pitch, I feel we're stronger than them in Goal, Defence and Midfield and i'm confident we'll finish ahead of them this season.

 

I feel most sorry for Wenger really. Another player he's 'coached' so extensively to become the player he is today has upped and left. He didn't give van Persie his ability but he believed in him 100% to be the main forward he has been the past 2 years, a position he never himself felt he could do.

 

Happy to see Vermaelen as captain. He's my favourite Arsenal player and is fully committed to the cause. Arteta is a good choice as the Vice Captain, though i'd have been tempted to go with Sagna, although his injury problems the past season may have counted against him.

 

Player for player doesn't really mean much, it's about how the overall team plays and gels together. As "poor" as this United team are said to be, we finished 19 points ahead of Arsenal last season, and that was with Van Persie playing out of his skin. Plus, we will have the likes of Kagawa in midfield and a fit Cleverley to give an extra dimension to what we had last season.

 

I understand Arsenal have strengthened, but so have other teams. 19 points is a huge gap to make up. Can't really see them finishing higher than 3rd at an absolute push, and even then, I think it'll still be another 10 points or so off the top.

 

As for Wenger, yes, I do feel sorry for him to an extent. But, he stopped competing and was too stubborn with his philosophy. It would have made him look stronger if he admitted he had got things wrong and made changes in previous years. There are always quality players there if you look for them, as is evident with the signing of Cazorla this season and Kagawa for United. Ultimately, if the likes of RVP were sure that Arsenal would be competing for the League, they would have stayed.

[Jon]

Player for player doesn't really mean much, it's about how the overall team plays and gels together. As "poor" as this United team are said to be, we finished 19 points ahead of Arsenal last season, and that was with Van Persie playing out of his skin. Plus, we will have the likes of Kagawa in midfield and a fit Cleverley to give an extra dimension to what we had last season.

 

I understand Arsenal have strengthened, but so have other teams. 19 points is a huge gap to make up. Can't really see them finishing higher than 3rd at an absolute push, and even then, I think it'll still be another 10 points or so off the top.

 

As for Wenger, yes, I do feel sorry for him to an extent. But, he stopped competing and was too stubborn with his philosophy. It would have made him look stronger if he admitted he had got things wrong and made changes in previous years. There are always quality players there if you look for them, as is evident with the signing of Cazorla this season and Kagawa for United. Ultimately, if the likes of RVP were sure that Arsenal would be competing for the League, they would have stayed.

 

We had terrible injury problems at the start of last season, as evidenced by the demolition at the hands Utd. I'm aware every team has problems with injury but not to the degree we did. The 2nd half of the season we were as good as any team in the league.

 

I don't look at it like we've got to make up 19 points, that side we fielded before the turn of the year was barely recognisable. We've got Wilshere to return, a fully fit Diaby, more or less a whole season out of Sagna. Mertesacker is fully fit again, not to mention a more experienced Chamberlain. Gervinho will be for the whole season and should only get better. Factoring in the added talents of Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla.

[Fierce_LiNk]

We had terrible injury problems at the start of last season, as evidenced by the demolition at the hands Utd. I'm aware every team has problems with injury but not to the degree we did. The 2nd half of the season we were as good as any team in the league.

 

The demolition was also evidence of Arsenal leaving things late in the transfer market and lacking in squad depth. As for injuries, Nemanja Vidic played 6 league games last season. Darren Fletcher played 8, Anderson played 10 (played well in the games he did play in), as did Tom Cleverley. That's 3 central midfielders out, and our best defender. In addition to that, we had players coming in and out of the team like Jones and Smalling, both of whom are very young, but who gained vital experience. This season, we will have Vidic back, Jones, Smalling, De Gea, Evans, Lindergaard are all more experienced and a year older. Fletcher should also be back if he recovers.

 

The important thing is that you just have to learn to cope with these problems. Just like United never complained that having Vidic out for so long meant we lost the title. We lost it because we weren't good enough. Goal difference is still hard to take, but City played better than us and finished well.

 

I don't look at it like we've got to make up 19 points, that side we fielded before the turn of the year was barely recognisable. We've got Wilshere to return, a fully fit Diaby, more or less a whole season out of Sagna. Mertesacker is fully fit again, not to mention a more experienced Chamberlain. Gervinho will be for the whole season and should only get better. Factoring in the added talents of Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla.

 

It doesn't make a difference though when it comes to the final league table, which is really what matters, and pretty much decides the future of the club. You finished one point ahead of fourth. 3rd sounds good, but it doesn't sound good when you actually look at the table and see the points. Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla are all unproven in the league and will take time to adjust. Once again, this is a "new" and "unproven" Arsenal side. Consistency helps you win games which will then lead to trophies.

 

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if somebody like Madrid or Barcelona come in with a bid for Vermaelen next season.

 

Edit: Just had a look at previous league tables. The last time Arsenal were within 10 points of the team that finished top was 2007-08, and they still finished third.

 

Edit2: Injury league for last season

 

Conversely, Manchester United’s season was blighted by an exhaustive injury list including a ruptured cruciate ligament to captain Nemanja Vidic in December. The Old Trafford club suffered more significant injuries than any other clubs (an astonishing 39 of them), losing the players involved for a combined total of 1,681 days.

 

Michael Owen was the player missing the single longest spell for one single injury: 193 days for a thigh problem between November and May, although three other players also had at least one injury sidelining them for more than 100 days: Vidic’s ligament damage kept him out for 158 days, Darren Fletcher’s bowel illness means he missed 152 days and Tom Cleverley’s ankle problem kept him out for 102 days.

 

The following United players each had one or more ‘significant’ injuries that kept them out for at least 14 days each time: Anderson, Dimitar Berbatov, Tom Cleverley, Ritchie De Laet, Jonny Evans, Fabio, Rio Ferdinand, Darren Fletcher, Darron Gibson, Ryan Giggs, Javier Hernandez, Phil Jones, Anders Lindegaard, Federico Macheda, Nani, Michael Owen, Rafael, Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling, Antonio Valencia, Nemanja Vidic, Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young.

 

 

I've heard the medical staff aren't very good. May as well replace them with monkeys.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Fierce_LiNk