Football 2011-2012

[strummer77]

Strong calls now for Wenger to go. A lot of people seem to think he has done all he can do. No trophy for 7 years!?

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77

[The Nal]

When people say Wenger has done all he can... What more could he realistically do ?

Arsenal budget seems to be in line with their performances really... Or am I missing something ?

[TheGayTent]

Many Charlton fans felt Curbishley had taken them as far as he could...

[TheGayTent]

He has defo had a few quid in the last 5 years to buy a full back and a midfield boss. Always thought he should've got Diarra or someone like that. Arsenal are a crowd of pussies now. How many times have you heard "Arsenal" and "bullied" in the same sentence? Same last night. Even Ibra was getting rightly stuck in and despite his size, hes not the type of player to do that unless hes sure he'll win the ball.

[strummer77]

He has defo had a few quid in the last 5 years to buy a full back and a midfield boss. Always thought he should've got Diarra or someone like that. Arsenal are a crowd of pussies now. How many times have you heard "Arsenal" and "bullied" in the same sentence? Same last night. Even Ibra was getting rightly stuck in and despite his size, hes not the type of player to do that unless hes sure he'll win the ball.

[The Nal]

He did!

Edited February 16, 2012 by The Nal

[strummer77]

They should of probably picked up a cup but there is an element of luck comes into winning a cup...

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77

[pink_triangle]

Arsenal are budgeting so they cam cope without champions league football, may not be exciting but I suspect there will be big changes in English football in upcoming years with bad business models causing sides to become the next pompey. If all club lived within their means arsenal would do better but, that shouldn't make them imitate other unsustainable clubs.

People.moaning about arsenal missing out on top 4 should look at their record pre wenger when they missed out regularly.

[eFestivals]

I think its more luck base than you give credit...

There is a reason why Wimbledon picked up a FA cup but got nowhere near a league...

There is a reason why Greece won a European Cup...

Luck of the draw, luck of the other team having an off day, luck of a team getting injuries... (or bad luck in the case of Aresnal)...

Yup, I agree with that - any one-off win in a knock-out competition can be pretty much credited to luck rather than anything else.

After all, any team is capable of beating any other team on their day. If it wasn't just that, it really does get to mean in all seriousness that Aldershot are closer to the strength of Man Utd than Man Utd are to Man City - which is completely ridioculous of course.

Doing it more consistently than a one-off gets to show it as more than a one-off lucky run.

So, for example, it might be (I don't know, I'm not old enough to know) that Celtic got their European Cup via that sort of lucky run. But you couldn't say the same thing about Liverpool, who managed to win in the days of a knock-out competition on a pretty consistent basis, and that takes more than a lucky run.

[TheGayTent]

On Diarra...I seem to remember when he was at Arsenal he was rarely a regular...Fabregas and Flamini (what club is he at now...) kept him out of the side.

Diarra, Fabregas, and Flamini are better than anything Arsenal currently have...

[strummer77]

I think its more luck base than you give credit...

There is a reason why Wimbledon picked up a FA cup but got nowhere near a league...

There is a reason why Greece won a European Cup...

Luck of the draw, luck of the other team having an off day, luck of a team getting injuries... (or bad luck in the case of Aresnal)...

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77

[eFestivals]

Flamini (what club is he at now...)

Milan, isn't it?

There was some paper talk within the last few days which suggested he could be on his way back to Arsenal in the summer when his contract runs out.

[TheGayTent]

Milan, isn't it?

There was some paper talk within the last few days which suggested he could be on his way back to Arsenal in the summer when his contract runs out.

[kaosmark2]

If Liverpool win the Carling Cup, and especially if Sunderland do them next week, pressure will really mount on Arsene. Speaking to a couple of Arsenal fans, I feel he's kind of getting away with it at the moment because LFC haven't won anything since 06 either. He even did that 'at least we aren't Liverpool' thing the other day. And before people go with the, 'oh but he qualifies for the CL every year...' whilst that's true they don't ever look like winning it and fans aren't businessmen, ultimately they want trophies not fourth place finishes. Rightly or wrongly fans are going to be getting on his back.

Not that I really see many top European managers dashing to take up the reigns. What managers with titles and CL under their belt are currently in exile? Rafa and Capello? Can't see either wanting that job for various reasons.

[strummer77]

2006 - West Ham

2008 - Cardiff & Portsmouth

2009 - Everton

2010 - Portsmouth

2011 - Stoke

EDIT: looking back to 2000 I think there is only three times two top sides have featured... Ready to guess this is pretty much the case gong back a long way... Its the nature of cup competition...

[strummer77]

I doubt Liverpool's failure to win anything has anything to do with Arsene getting more time.

[The Nal]

On Diarra...I seem to remember when he was at Arsenal he was rarely a regular...Fabregas and Flamini (what club is he at now...) kept him out of the side.

[strummer77]

Look at the "top" team they played again... They also had easy run ins...

You seeing a pattern here yet ?

LUCK

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77

[kaosmark2]

Oh I just mean the pressure builds. That would be Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and United with silverware in the last couple of years. They wouldn't have.

Not that I think Wenger should go by the way, I think he is doing an all right job. Just not a great one, and he needs to win things.

[strummer77]

I don't think Liverpool getting one trophy and not sustainably would do much.

There'd be a lot more of a problem if Spurs won something though....

[kaosmark2]

If Spurs win the FA Cup, come third and Arsenal win nothing North London might see riots like it hasn't seen since... well August?

[strummer77]

Never before has someone been so unacknowledged on football than strummer...

Anyone who doesn't think luck plays a healthy part in winning cups is just plain wrong. I will leave you to your wrongness... Why change a habbit of a life time

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77

[strummer77]

They're not particularly violent clubs though?

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77

[TheGayTent]

Those sides often got easier sides of the draw but they all, except 2008, eventually found their match in the Final against a 'big' side.

[strummer77]

Met their match or beaten due to extremely unsporting behaviour by the supposed 'big' club?

Edited February 16, 2012 by strummer77