It was possible to script the narrative of Arsenal exhibiting time-honoured failings, chiefly the one about coming up short when the prize is in sight. They were passive in the second-half. They looked tired. After the 1-1 home draw against Everton on Sunday, this was another bad result and, next up for them, is Manchester City away on Saturday lunchtime. It is all going wrong … David Hytner
Aw c'mon, I mean I know you need to find an angle and I know a touch of hyperbole gets readers going - but maybe give it a week before unleashing this sort of challops?
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 12 December 2013 10:43 (ten years ago) link
David Hytner had AVB sacked last week didn't he?
― pandemic, Thursday, 12 December 2013 13:34 (ten years ago) link
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/sports/soccer/ray-hudson-mixes-soccer-calls-with-awe.html
love the dour sad sacks in the comments, people are jealous of ray
― dan m, Thursday, 12 December 2013 14:31 (ten years ago) link
Okay, this is awesome
“Cristiano awakens his sleeping sword of destruction — and it is Excalibur!”
― pandemic, Thursday, 12 December 2013 15:07 (ten years ago) link
"Messi, merciless, like Kathy Bates with that sledgehammer."
― pandemic, Thursday, 12 December 2013 15:12 (ten years ago) link
Lol yeah, that @liverayhudson account is fantastic value
― Windsor Davies, Thursday, 12 December 2013 15:15 (ten years ago) link
"1-0, Pandev. "Pandev emerges from the shadows and Dracula, on a plate of liver, feasts!"
― Windsor Davies, Thursday, 12 December 2013 15:16 (ten years ago) link
they might be funny written down but he is genuinely impossible to listen to
― Number None, Thursday, 12 December 2013 15:23 (ten years ago) link
The past year or so has seen the resurgence of the out-and-out centre-forward – Robert Lewandowski, Falcao, Gonzalo Higuaín, Asamoah Gyan, Olivier Giroud
― pandemic, Wednesday, 18 December 2013 13:52 (ten years ago) link
Admittedly I haven't seen much any UAE football but that seems like typical Wilson throwing in Gyan's name amongst that company.
― pandemic, Wednesday, 18 December 2013 13:54 (ten years ago) link
Ha! Just looked up his stats. 53 goals in 48 appearances!
― pandemic, Wednesday, 18 December 2013 13:56 (ten years ago) link
Guardian doing their best 100 footballers of 2013 thing. Nice to see that Kagawa had a better year than Javi Martinez.
― pandemic, Saturday, 21 December 2013 11:09 (ten years ago) link
got Nesta on the voting panel though, even the ILF Awards can't compete with that
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 21 December 2013 12:18 (ten years ago) link
Wonder where Emmanuel Mayuka will be this year.
― Ramnaresh Samhain (ShariVari), Saturday, 21 December 2013 12:19 (ten years ago) link
Shinji Kagawa is no longer a footballer. He's an idea. And it's only gotten more powerful
― Number None, Saturday, 21 December 2013 12:23 (ten years ago) link
A one year away from MLS Frank Lampard better than Isco as well. Madrid have missed a trick there.
― pandemic, Saturday, 21 December 2013 12:32 (ten years ago) link
Nice to see Conca on there. I've still seen no evidence that he actually exists.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1893299-ranking-the-10-coolest-teams-to-support-in-world-football
― A Skanger Barkley (nakhchivan), Sunday, 22 December 2013 19:15 (ten years ago) link
Conca probably isn't the best player at Guangzhou Evergrande atm. Elkeson has had an amazing season. xp
― Ramnaresh Samhain (ShariVari), Sunday, 22 December 2013 19:22 (ten years ago) link
FC St. Pauli are perhaps the closest thing to a cult in world football, with their fans up there with the most diehard in world football. The punk-rock-esque club also proudly boast one of the biggest female fanbases in world football due to their anti-racist, anti-homophobic and anti-sexist nature.
― wantaway strikers make money working from home (DJ Mencap), Monday, 23 December 2013 11:48 (ten years ago) link
Dan Talintyre's had a worldy there
― wantaway strikers make money working from home (DJ Mencap), Monday, 23 December 2013 11:49 (ten years ago) link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25488518
kompany in garth crooks' team of the week
― A Skanger Barkley (nakhchivan), Monday, 23 December 2013 23:00 (ten years ago) link
Juventus have joined the queue of Serie A clubs ready to take Tottenham misfit Erik Lamela back to Italy.
The club record £30million summer signing has yet to score in the Premier League.
But the Argentina winger has a good reputation in Italy, where he made his name with Roma.
Rafa Benitez’s Napoli want to take him on loan, while Inter Milan could do a swap deal for striker Fredy Guarin.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tottenham-transfer-news-juventus-join-2957008
― Nilmar Honorato da Silva, Tuesday, 24 December 2013 03:13 (ten years ago) link
HIGHEST TROUSERS
Cardiff's popular alpha male Vincent Tan turned out for his first match since seeing off Malky Mackay in defiant garb: beltline higher than ever, with shades, replica top and leather gloves completing this season's must-have look.
― A Skanger Barkley (nakhchivan), Sunday, 29 December 2013 00:34 (ten years ago) link
>>>>>> the observer's football staff
Top 10 Epically Expensive Transfers of 2013From: HuffingtonPost.com
― Pedro Mba Obiang Avomo est un joueur de football hispano-ganéen (nakhchivan), Sunday, 5 January 2014 11:37 (ten years ago) link
FA Cup third round: 10 talking points from this weekend's action
7) Is Everton's eagerness to get rid of Jelavic wise?
It is clear why Everton want Nikica Jelavic off their wage bill after a patchy season and a-half in front of goal, but until Roberto Martínez finds a replacement, the Croatian's departure would leave Apostolos Vellios as the only back-up to Romelu Lukaku in attack at a key stage of the season. Graham Chase
• Match report: Everton 4-0 QPR
― Windsor Davies, Monday, 6 January 2014 12:51 (ten years ago) link
Despite Rafael’s development into a highly-rated attacking full-back, there remain concerns over his defensive capabilities, particularly when dealing with high balls into the far post.
Right-back is not a ‘must-do’ in January, but long-term targets would be Borussia Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek and England right-back Kyle Walker.
― pandemic, Monday, 6 January 2014 15:30 (ten years ago) link
Also goes on to suggest they buy either Lescott or Vermaelen this month.
― pandemic, Monday, 6 January 2014 15:33 (ten years ago) link
terrifyingly plausible tbh
― Number None, Monday, 6 January 2014 20:26 (ten years ago) link
Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Fabio Coentrao, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal are among the names in circulation at Manchester United.
They are the kind of reinforcements David Moyes will need if United are to challenge once again for the Barclays Premier League title.
Aside from their wage demands, here are the two questions they will be asking of United’s chief executive Ed Woodward:
When is Wayne Rooney signing a new contract? And when is Robin van Persie going to play again injury-free?
― pandemic, Wednesday, 15 January 2014 11:59 (ten years ago) link
As someone who used to be on first page google search results for both robin and rapey van injury, i personally would like to lol at some of the utd supporters, the ones who think 2 decent seasons meant he was cured.*
*oh wait, lj is on the first page for robin van injury
― a hoy hoy, Wednesday, 15 January 2014 12:12 (ten years ago) link
'aliardiere'
― a solid one word retort congealed in the vaginal orifice you call (imago), Wednesday, 15 January 2014 12:12 (ten years ago) link
aliardiere was surprisingly good last season. Has regressed to mean this season tho.
― pandemic, Wednesday, 15 January 2014 12:15 (ten years ago) link
well that league title van Persie won Utd is some consolation. Obviously that memory will have to serve us for a quite a while though
― Number None, Wednesday, 15 January 2014 13:53 (ten years ago) link
Of the many refinements Manuel Pellegrini has added to this team a level of composure that nearly topples off the scale is awesome to observe.
Que?
― I don't believe in the beauty standards (Windsor Davies), Thursday, 30 January 2014 10:31 (ten years ago) link
Eh had similar thoughts last night tbh, the patience/confidence to play/hold/keep the ball in and around the box is a rarity in epl terms and possibly historically so? Like if arsenal played on a pitch without goals, say, but with callous end product
― a horse divided cannot stand (darraghmac), Thursday, 30 January 2014 10:52 (ten years ago) link
I agree with the sentiment, was just a bit wtf at how it scanned.
From the same article, I found this quite interesting / ominous (I missed the pre-match build-up)
A distaste for holding midfielders was a topic of conversation in the Tottenham camp before the game. Tim Sherwood and Les Ferdinand had argued against the impact of such a strategic player. Sherwood's suggestion that a midfield shield is "overrated", and Ferdinand's opinion that Claude Makélélé began some kind of negative chain reaction in English football
A belief is a belief but as she points out, going into a game against this City team with this ^ kind of attitude just looks like straight incompetence.
― I don't believe in the beauty standards (Windsor Davies), Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:05 (ten years ago) link
Oh good grief penfold
― a horse divided cannot stand (darraghmac), Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:09 (ten years ago) link
Is Capoue any good as that? Was hard to tell last night, with the red card immediately after he came on. I ask because he's supposed to be for sale, Lucas is crocked, but we're only being linked with more forwards.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:09 (ten years ago) link
Yeah hes good
Sandro is great tho
And livermore was fine as backup
Dembele no, bentaleb no, like them but its never a good role for them nor for them to be in for the team
― a horse divided cannot stand (darraghmac), Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:12 (ten years ago) link
lol penfold reference way over my head old feller, if you're gonna zing then please stick to references from '90s or later just so I know what's what.
How long's Paulinho out for? Don't really know how Bentaleb has got a starting spot in this team given the other midfield options available.
― I don't believe in the beauty standards (Windsor Davies), Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:16 (ten years ago) link
It was the look in Joe Hart’s eyes as he ran down the tunnel at the end, the look of a dedicated professional who has total belief in his team-mates’ ability to sweep opponents aside. It was the look of a man who knew Manchester City have become an irresistible force and was going to do everything to keep that momentum rolling, rolling towards the title. City are on a mission, burning with a hunger to reclaim the Premier League trophy.
P sure henry Winter can turn out this guff in his sleep.
― pandemic, Thursday, 30 January 2014 12:13 (ten years ago) link
Its not zing its despair
But i mean things arent going ..... that badly
Tactics is a nonsense, bill?
― a horse divided cannot stand (darraghmac), Thursday, 30 January 2014 12:15 (ten years ago) link
Balls.ie names achill rovers site funniest irish sports writing
Balls.ie otm obv
― a horse divided cannot stand (darraghmac), Thursday, 30 January 2014 14:20 (ten years ago) link
too much time on .ie
― good day to you, (onimo), Thursday, 30 January 2014 15:02 (ten years ago) link
Sherwood's suggestion that a midfield shield is "overrated"
He was shit at it for most of his career, so I can see why he thinks that.
Maybe in Timmy's mind he was actually Glenn Hoddle for his entire career but seriously, cretin.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 30 January 2014 15:05 (ten years ago) link
JAMIE REDKNAPP
Who will win the midfield battle?
Chelsea and Manchester City have two of the best midfields in the Premier League, so expect fireworks. It’s a crucial area of the pitch and whoever dominates the middle could win the game.
― Pedro Mba Obiang Avomo est un joueur de football hispano-ganéen (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 February 2014 02:52 (ten years ago) link
At the risk of sounding like a broken record (dear younger generation, those were massive black CDs we old folk used to scratch with needles), there was something strange but oddly typical about Liverpool being linked with wingers during the transfer window. It showed that, far from wanting to attempt any dilution of this riveting and entertaining style, Brendan Rodgers sought instead to embellish it.
from espn. EURGH HOW DO PEOPLE STILL GET PAID TO WRITE THIS GUNK?
― a hoy hoy, Friday, 7 February 2014 06:08 (ten years ago) link
Managing in Changing Times: A Guide for the Perplexed Manager (Response Books) :Author(s): Sid Lowe
thought this looked like it could perhaps be interesting but.......
This topical book challenges the hegemony of neoclassical scientific management approach, exploring new potentials for the development of the understanding of management and organization in the post-scientific era of globalization.
― a respected member of the hip-hop criticism community (nakhchivan), Thursday, 3 April 2014 17:26 (ten years ago) link