I think its time to get this thread back on track with some transfer news... Sky Sports paper talk... GOAL.com...
I'm getting really hacked off with Arsenal. What kind of message does it send to your squad and the fans when the manager admits that one of the world's most popular football clubs is now a selling club thanks to the stadium that they fill every week ? Our match day income has doubled. Doubled. Yet we still can't pay off the debt so we have to sell players to cover it ? We have the cheapest and smallest squad in the big four, we're in the Champions League and the Premier League. Where is all the money going ? How come Spurs can afford to make huge bids for players and we can't ? I am absolutely furious about Arsene's comments yesterday.
^ Spurs making bigger bigs will soon catch up on them I feel, there rich but not that rich, however am sure there wage bill is smaller than yours. I do admit I feel this situation could eventually see Wenger leave but it could be worst you could be like Liverpool and have 2 rich owners but no actual money and thats before you build a new stadium.
Major news about the UEFA Cup... Am not totally against the idea but I knew UEFA had fucked it cup after they changed it from the old knockout format that I loved watching in the 90's when I first got into football. Can we have a better name than the one they choose, UEFA Cup sounds fine or UEFA League Cup.
If it was me, I would make it like the FA Cup. A straight, randomly drawn, single elimination cup. No seeding, no away goals rule, one leg per tie, winner takes all on the night. No dumping teams eliminated from the Champions League in to the tournament, either.
If it was me, I'd reverse the European Cup completely back to the pre-Champions League format, so that only actual champions would get to play in the Champion's Cup. I'd get rid of all that group stage-bullshit, seeding, UEFA-coefficient, regional allocation, etc. But noone's asking me. And bring back the Cup Winner's Cup.
^I don't think this new European Club's organisation that has replaced the G14 would go for that idea. Just drop the word "Champions" from the title. I'd argue that a team that finishes fourth in England, Italy or Spain is going to be a lot better than the champions of Luxembourg or Estonia.
The Champions league should be renamed back to the European Cup. No amount of renaming is going to change the fact that the UEFA Cup is a secondary competition.
Four words: News of the World. When you take a good look at the actual quotes in the article, Arsene is saying nothing that we didn't already know. He is not saying Arsenal are strictly selling club. NotW is. He is saying that the club favors less expensive, younger players over older more expensive ones. And he doesn't buy "stars" but talent that fits the Arsenal Way. As proven with Henry, Vieira and to a lesser extent, Pires, he seems to know when to get rid of that expensive talent to cash in. Nothing new here, then. All that said, I do share in the frustration that I wish once or twice he would go out and buy proven expensive talent.
It does look like the UEFA CL 3rd place teams will lose there rights to drop into the UEFA cup once the new format is up so some good news but I agree with people about re-naming the CL as well.
Sepp Blatter latest wisdom over the Ronaldo transfer saga: Emphasis mine. That's right. Blatter said a footballer on £100,000 a week is a slave if he is unable to break his contract, which as United pointed out, was entered into with an agent in free and fair negotiations. In the process, such a declaration, from the Fifa president of all people, risks disrupting the single thing, the enforceable contract, that keeps football transfers from being more of a farce than they already are. Idiot.
Many aspects of modern football certainly resemble slavery, but not at the top-level. Having a long lasting contract is an insurance for the player too. edited to add: and I don't believe for a second that Blatter gives a shit about these things.
So everytime a club refuse a transer offer for a player its slavery ? The clubs are becoming a slave to the players. A contract is a contract no matter what your job is so Ronaldo should shut up and do his job. Glad to see UEFA disown the comments made by Blatter nice to see they have some balls left.
Two bits of transfer news, one was the worst kept secret in the world and the other is a bit of a shock. Arsenal have completed the signing of Samir Nasri from Marseille for an undisclosed fee. (Hence the new avatar ) The surprising news is that Robbie Fowler has signed for Blackburn Rovers from Cardiff City on a free transfer. Cardiff only offered Fowler a Pay as You Play deal. He proved his fitness to new Blackburn boss Paul Ince and a one year deal was struck.
Gave him the number 8 shirt I see. Nasri looks to be such a direct replacement for Hleb that I'm surprised they didn't just give him the 13 shirt right off Hleb's back. I watched some YouTube highlights and he looks quite the dribbler - runs through crowds with close possesion; defenders slipping and falling onto their butts all around him. But, then again, YouTube clips make every footballer look like a genius. Looks to be a very good signing, though. Time will tell.
Here's a question for Arsenal fans, I am so desperate to see him play upfront and assuming you keep Adebayor, I think a tall/small partnership would be great though in Euro a 4-5-1 would be better. I think Theo, Robin and Adebayor could help Arsenal push for the PL Title but what do you think Wenger will do with Theo next season and where do you want him to play.
He's best off being an Henry-style roaming striker. If he wants to drift out wide, or come in to the middle, leave it up to him.