I headed out after the highlights of the Blackpool game - Blackpool are interesting. The 4-3-3 clearly works for them; Taylor-Fletcher is not a man overburdened with pace but looks capable of putting a fair few full-backs in difficulty; Ormerod's persistence coupled with Harewood's physicality will give lots of people trouble; and Grandin, about whom no-one seems to know anything, was making plenty of probing surges from midfield. On paper, they should be DOA, but on paper they shouldn't have been anywhere near the play-off picture last season, and here we are...
― William Bloody Swygart, Sunday, 15 August 2010 01:17 (fourteen years ago) link
we were good today, midfield lost their way in the 2nd half though. crouch is still a 2nd string target man.
no mention of the peno we should have had anywhere. i guess we're not a big club yet.
― "It's far from 'loi' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Sunday, 15 August 2010 01:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Didn't Kirkland used to be a half decent keeper? How did he end up worse than Blackburn's 3rd choice?
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 06:52 (fourteen years ago) link
I think the general problem with Kirkland (forgetting yesterday) is that he's one of those cripples who can't actually train properly. And he's presumably, unlike King, not considered good enough to be worth the bother.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 15 August 2010 12:55 (fourteen years ago) link
I think if Spurs can continue playing like that and sharpen up their finishing then they'll be a pretty terrifying prospect for a lot of teams this season. Obviously we should have started with Pavlyuchenko instead of Crouch but then I always say that. There aren't many teams who will line up as defensively as Man City did yesterday. Oh shit, it's Stoke away next.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:08 (fourteen years ago) link
The MOTD opening sequence this year is kind of fantastic but doesn't indicate a great deal of enthusiasm about the current Premiership crop.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:16 (fourteen years ago) link
I won a competition to watch Liverpool train at the club's Academy in 2003. Chris Kirkland was by himself working with a couple of doctors/physios, having photos taken of him in various positions (presumably to analyse body shape/movement?). I was also lucky enough to be shown around Melwood a couple of years later. Went into the gym, and Chris Kirkland's there, on his own, on a treadmill, recovering from another injury.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Also yeah Chelsea clearly going to win their first four or five games 5-0 and then suffer an inexplicable collapse in form.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:22 (fourteen years ago) link
By at least 5-0 I mean.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Even with that piffling 2-0 v Liverpool queering the pitch, 23 goals in four games (with none conceded) has to be a Prem record right?
― Melodic Man - I Need Geir (DJ Mencap), Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:39 (fourteen years ago) link
Wigan must be closing in fast on the opposite record.
What was the competition, Chris?
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 15 August 2010 13:43 (fourteen years ago) link
The training at the Academy thing was just a "What number does Michael Owen wear?" kind of question on the official site. There were about 10 winners and we could all take someone with us, so I went with my Dad. At the end all the players gathered around and Phil Thompson had a word with them, "Great session", etc. Funny that when Gerard Houllier started talking all the players had to move closer towards him; very softly spoken. Had our photo taken with the squad, met a few of the players. I remember John Arne Riise being particularly sound. Carra was hilarious, taking the training games deadly seriously, screaming his head off. For some reason they all called Bernard Diomede (remember him!) 'JoJo'. No idea why. Maybe he was a fan of the singer.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 15 August 2010 14:00 (fourteen years ago) link
Did he leave his home in Tucson, Arizona for the California grass?
― Hey Jabulani! Pope of four four two. (aldo), Sunday, 15 August 2010 14:10 (fourteen years ago) link
I remember him being amazing in Championship Manager 97/98 and a disaster in my Fantasy League team, yes.
― if, Sunday, 15 August 2010 14:14 (fourteen years ago) link
Wonder if Fabregas' "chest infection" is the same "chest infection" Almunia had last season?
― James Mitchell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 14:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Masch's beard is terrific, shame it won't be in our league come Sept 1st.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:30 (fourteen years ago) link
arsenal look good, very direct. nasri has been excellent so far.
― mizzell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Loving Woy's tactics of 'ok, give it back to Arsenal in our own half whenever we get the ball'.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:37 (fourteen years ago) link
FUCK YOU JOE COLE
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:47 (fourteen years ago) link
Joe Cole's bogus journey.
― James Mitchell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:47 (fourteen years ago) link
ok not as bad as i thought but you know shawcross/taylor.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:48 (fourteen years ago) link
good to know we only have 1 centre half now.
If it was Gerrard who did that he'd have booked Koscielny.
― James Mitchell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:49 (fourteen years ago) link
Liverpool fans booing as Kosielny goes past them on a stretcher = classy.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:50 (fourteen years ago) link
fuck, i was about to come and moan about andy gray being a prick for not understanding zonal marking, but no way was that worse than wilshere's foul on masch.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:50 (fourteen years ago) link
bring back Sol.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:50 (fourteen years ago) link
Another game ruined by moronic refereeing. If cole's was a red so was wilshere's.
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:51 (fourteen years ago) link
is there actually not another central defender on the arsenal bench?
― mizzell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:51 (fourteen years ago) link
WENGER: SILVESTRE'S RETURN WILL INSPIRE US
― James Mitchell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:52 (fourteen years ago) link
xp Technically no, but Song can play there
― The nation's most valiant right back (Suedey 2), Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:52 (fourteen years ago) link
Why isn't van persie playing? Injured?
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:52 (fourteen years ago) link
Song's kind of a central defender, right? An unfit kind of central defender.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:53 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, so i know he's andy gray and i should completely ignore him, but christ. he does his "rafa's zonal marking is shite" thing, then says that every single liverpool player is marking a man, even though gerrard and masch are clearly marking zones!
and breathe.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:53 (fourteen years ago) link
lol andy gray. yeah cole's was most probably just a yellow on replay, as was wilshere's.
van Injury isn't actually injured, he's just not been in training as long due to playing all summer. Chamakh >>> N'Gog though so it's fine.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:55 (fourteen years ago) link
JUSTICE FOR ENGLAND'S BRAVE JOE COLE
― James Mitchell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:56 (fourteen years ago) link
Jovanovic: The Next Voronin?
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 15:56 (fourteen years ago) link
You mean good start then dire? He looks useful tho, surging run.
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link
hey Koscielny's not dead.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:05 (fourteen years ago) link
JUSTICE FOR JOE, YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
― James Mitchell, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:06 (fourteen years ago) link
Oh they're not worried about ngog, fuck off paul merson footie "expert"
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:08 (fourteen years ago) link
nice finish ;_;
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Oh man, I was just going to post 'arsenal wont win this game' before that goal
― The nation's most valiant right back (Suedey 2), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:08 (fourteen years ago) link
who was it fucking up for the goal?
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Justice for Joe? Lol hillsborough, great jokes there.
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:21 (fourteen years ago) link
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 15 August 2010 17:16 (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
Wilshere for giving away possession, Vermaelan for not tracking his man, Almunia for being beaten at his near post from a tight angle.
Nice to see Arsenal keeping up our fair play and saying we should play with ten men in spirit. Unfortunately didn't seem to decide on which man should be anonymous so most of them took it on themselves to step up.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:28 (fourteen years ago) link
n'gog will one day be sold for over £15m
― nakhchivan, Friday, 23 July 2010 15:03 (3 weeks ago)
― nakhchivan, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:31 (fourteen years ago) link
maybe i'm bored of football or something but this game is tedious
― nakhchivan, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:40 (fourteen years ago) link
^^^I was thinking the same
― Danny Dyer (dan m), Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:41 (fourteen years ago) link
hodgson looks narcoleptic
― nakhchivan, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:45 (fourteen years ago) link
We look awful and Liverpool look like a team with 9 men.
― a hoy hoy, Sunday, 15 August 2010 16:45 (fourteen years ago) link