Football 2010-2011

[eFestivals]

They got the closest this year but that doesn't mean they aren the closest or most likely to usurp Barca.

I'd have fully agreed with that a few weeks ago.

This article changed my mind somewhat - you might not agree with all it says, but you should at least agree that it makes some reasonable points to back up that idea.

If Arsenal took their skills up a level (so that they reached the skill potential they might be said to have but don't hit for a number of reasons) they'd be around the level of Barca, with Barca chasing the ball from Arsenal in the same way that every team currently chases Barca for the ball.

Meanwhile if Utd took their skills up a level, they'd still be chasing the ball from Barca and wouldn't be able to hold onto it when they did get it because their passing isn't slick enough.

Before someone starts, that's not meant to be a dig at Utd, it's simply a recognition of the different styles of play that exist. Utd's style of play is perfect for the Prem as proven by their titles, but it falls well short when they come up against the likes of Barca playing around their best. Fergie's cluelessness in May bore that out very strongly.

And that's not me saying that Utd can't ever beat Barca either - but they won't ever beat them at their own type of game, which Arsenal can do.

[eFestivals]

I completely disagree. He's not been the same player since doing his cruciate, something that will cause him problems again. He's a month from his 29th birthday and therefore will have zero resale value. The transfer fees being bandied around are laughable.

as someone with ruptured cruciates (both of them - anterior & postier - in my left knee) for the last 30 years I completely agree.

I swerved the chance of an op because every surgeon basically said that while some aspects are better from a repair it's never a as-good-as-new fix.

Back then the improvement rate from the repair op was less than 60% (they'd been less than 50 done in the country at the time), with around 20% being worse off than if they'd not had the op. I'm sure things have improved a lot since then, but there's limits to how good stapling something to the bone as a replacement is able to be - it will never be as tight as the original (which cannot be repaired when ruptured).

[strummer77]

I'd have fully agreed with that a few weeks ago.

This article changed my mind somewhat - you might not agree with all it says, but you should at least agree that it makes some reasonable points to back up that idea.

If Arsenal took their skills up a level (so that they reached the skill potential they might be said to have but don't hit for a number of reasons) they'd be around the level of Barca, with Barca chasing the ball from Arsenal in the same way that every team currently chases Barca for the ball.

Meanwhile if Utd took their skills up a level, they'd still be chasing the ball from Barca and wouldn't be able to hold onto it when they did get it because their passing isn't slick enough.

[eFestivals]

I see what you mean, I just can't ever see the players hitting their potential.

oh, I agree completely - the players Arsenal have are still well short of having the skills that Barca have, even tho they share the same sort of skills.

Arsenal have been in this rebuilding phase for about 8 years now. Lots of youngsters have come and go and their defence is still very vulnerable. As a Liverpool fan out of the current top four, they are certainly the most catchable.

Hmmmm, I'm not so sure about that - tho I know that's currently a widely held idea.

Because of their different skill-set to the other teams, I reckon Wenger's about right when he says they're very close to winning the league and stand a very decent chance next season (providing they keep certain players of course).

(I don't think they'll really win it btw).

For whatever reasons they had a very poor last bit of the season, but until their form dropped they were running Utd very close. And so, with Arsenal, I think the difference between major success and abject failure only takes a very small difference with their form, while I wouldn't say the same applies with other teams around the top who are less fragile in regard to their form.

[eFestivals]

I've just started a new footie thread for the new season - here:-

/index.php?showtopic=165579">http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=165579

[onemangang]

well it seems sergio aguero will be a manchester city player in the next few days. what im very interested in is the likely hood of tevez and sergio up front in the charity shield, even if tevez is sold to inter (the only club that seems to be even slightly interested in him) how amazing would that strike partnership be? one of the best in the world? hmm maybe. i could see tevez staying until January then going to brazil.