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Mourinho Isn't Short-Term, Football Is
There's more in the afternoon Mailbox about Jose Mourinho and his potential return to Chelsea, while there's also a link to some pictures of eagles that look like Arsene Wenger...
Should Chelsea Be Worried About Jose Return?
After a disappointing end to his three years at Real Madrid, could Jose Mourinho struggle to bring immediate success if he completes his anticipated return to Chelsea?
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Smile, We Won 5-1
I was having a read through the comments page of Arsene Wenger's views on last night's game (we won 5-1, in case you were unaware) and man alive some Arsenal fans are never happy, are they? We're not known for being the happiest of bunch, but come on, a victory is something you celebrate, isn't it?
It got me thinking. If these fans cannot enjoy the team winning a match 5-1, and play some lovely football at the same time, then what's the point in supporting them? Every Arsenal fan, nay football fan, is aware that the club has some serious issues, they are well documented and I'm not going to go into them, because that isn't the point of this mail. My point is: at it's essence, football is about winning football matches, winning a match is supposed to make you happy, give you a little bit of joy in your otherwise miserable lives, and if these fans are unable to enjoy the team handing out a 5-1 sch-lacking, and instead still wish to focus on the negative issues surrounding the club, manager, transfers, players and blah blah blah, then I really struggle to see the point in their continued support.
Yes, we have problems, lots of them, but we won 5-1. So smile.
Si (Chamakh. He's there because you're sh*t, West Ham.)
Loving Giroud
I imagine that if Olivier Giroud scored 30 goals in the remainder of the season, assisted every other goal the team scored and started crapping platinum encased diamonds, there would still be people running him down. Why? Because he's not van Per$ie...I even hate typing it.
31 appearances (12 as substitute), 11 goals (and 9 assists, or 31 appearances and direct contribution to 20 goals). I could trawl through the league and pick players (a good example would be Benteke - 22 appearances, 7 goals), who are either comparable or worse and yet are still lauded and certainly not derided. Any Arsenal fan who has watched Giroud play should have been encouraged by his performances.
The labelling of him as a flop, the continued 'even Giroud scored two' style jokes - strikes as laziness and based not at all on the man's performances (and certainly not on his dreamy good looks), but rather on this idea that he's supposed to replace a 30+ goal a season striker. The reality is, there are so few capable of that. And you don't get them for less than £20million these days.
So please allow me to stand up and say, not just because of that picture of his muscular frame in hotpants (married with child here, he just really is a very handsome man), that I like Giroud greatly, think he's a very good player and would be more than happy with him playing for us for a long time yet to come.
Adam (PS:- Can we sign Cavani and Villa though please?)
...Why does F365's editorial line state that Giroud is in poor form? He has 12 goals and 9 assists in his first (as yet unfinished) season in England, in which he has had a few small injuries and has therefore been unable to start every game. You certainly are not biased, but it would seem that your chosen narrative of Arsenal doom is prioritised over contrary evidence in this particular case.
Josh Richman
...Thus far, Giroud has scored 11 goals and made 9 assists in 31 appearances for Arsenal. Am I missing something, or this actually a reasonable return for a player who only cost £12m, and who's playing in a team that just isn't particularly good? I appreciate he misses some sitters (as does everybody), and can generally be profligate, but a sense of perspective might be of use.
Chris, MUFC
Run, Bac, Run
Just a quick thought on Bacary Sagna's drop in form.
Has anyone ever seen a player in the EPL have to chase half as many passes as Bac does? I swear that he must have an identical polarity to the ball and its repelled away from him. For a team thats lauded for our great passing ability I'm surprised I haven't seen Bac give someone a standing ovation when a ball is played to his feet. The poor guy is most likely knackered by half time as he's had to cover twice as much ground as everyone else to retrieve passes.
Just have a look next Arsenal game you watch, you'll be disturbed by what you see.
Hoges (ten minutes of greatness is still usually not enough to cover 80 minutes of dross, we got lucky), AFC
Where Have All The Wingers Gone?
With the seemingly impending signing of Zaha to Manyoo, it made me think about the current wingers in the PL and wonder if there are any really decent wingers over the age of 25 in the PL. It seems that once they get past this age, they seem to lose their ability to beat a man with a mazy dribble. Is it something to do with the gung-ho attitude of youngsters and not worrying about the consequences so much?
Are there any properly tricky wingers over 25 in the PL (I'm not talking about Lennon or Valencia who just knock the ball past a defender) who beat defenders with skill? You look at Ronaldo, Ronaldhino, Giggs, McManaman, Robben - they all started to be more conservative as the years passed by.
Chris (Wondering how popular that ballboy will be with the ladies after last night) W
Are French The Safest Bet?
Given Newcastle sorry Newchateau's insistance on buying all things French lately it got me thinking are the Frenchies the most succesful nation of players coming to the Premiership from foreign shores and by in large seem a pretty safe commodity in terms of adapting to English football?
Thinking back, you can list a pretty top-quality list of French imports who have shone in the Premier League. Looking back, the likes of Cantona and Ginola, who took to English football like ducks to water then came Arsene and the French invasion, the likes of Henry, Vieira, Petit, Pires, Anelka, Nasri et al there's also players like Gallas, Desailly, Makelele, Cabaye, Ben Arfa etc.
There have also been some flops of course but overall the success ratio in my opinion has been pretty high. I'll admit the Spaniards who have come over in the last few seasons have been amazing, albeit a much small sample size of players. I don't think any other nation's players have come over to England and made such an impact in terms of number of players who have shone then the French.
Nathan (in Arsene we trust...London)
Pardew's excuse Foretold
ToonBano, yes Pardew will have a ready-made excuse if/when the new signings fail to reignite a dour season.
"We brought in a lot of players in January, and they just need time to gel," says Pardew, after Newcastle lose yet again and find themselves rock bottom of The Premier League.
Mark Hughes used this excuse after each winless game this season, before QPR saw sense and booted him out. Steve Bruce used it last season until he was fired too.
Tim
Is Ramires That Kind Of Player?
After the stamp on Coquelin and, though I didn't watch the game, this little beauty on Ki last night http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/gif-ramires-commits-a-nasty-foul-on-swanseas-ki/ can we just decide whether Ramires is or isn't that type of player before the Major Incident this time? Personally I feel like it's bad technique that results in him going in late and studs showing but I may be being swayed by his boyish looks and exuberance. Either way, shouldn't someone have a word with him before someone gets seriously hurt? What was the outcome of that foul on Ki during the actual match? Looks like he's got away with a blatant red card challenge there.
Indie, North London
The Ginger Ninja
I know it's not Friday, but I wanted to throw a random story out there for everyone to take their minds off the tedium of the 'Occupational Hazard' incident, the ongoing Zaha transfer shenanigans (which are thankfully coming to an end) and the obviously stupid claims about David De Gea.
I was on the train heading back home after work not so long ago. I live near Finsbury Park so I get to experience the Arsenal 'bantz' on the train most days. I work in finance and so wear a suit every day. I also don the geek-chic appearance. (Calm down ladies...the clincher is approaching...)
Oh. And I'm ginger and about 5'8". Like I said...clincher.
So on this train I see two lads, probably about 16/17 years old giving us a wave and trying to catch my attention. I ignore it. Snuggle into my self-protective bubble in case something crazy is about to kick off. At the next station they jump off and start jogging to my doorway shouting "Paul, Paul!!" Again, I continue to ignore. They finally arrive into the doorway and promptly look straight at me..."Scholesy, can we get your autograph."
A few laughs later and I discover they were extremely excited about the prospect of the ginger prince signing for their beloved gooners to settle the terrible midfield worries. I didn't know whether to be concerned or petrified by that...
Anyway, like I said...just a change of topic. Anyone else been seen as a random doppelganger to a sporting 'icon'?
Phil Pearce (And no...I haven't used it to pick up ladies), London
Farewell Colin Murray
The Northern Irish accent is not one of the linguistic world's most enjoyable inventions, but you will be missed for your willingness to say things that you thought and which the people watching were thinking, rather than concentrating on redefining the word bland and making sure you didn't make thick ex-pros feel as thick as they are. And you will always have a special place in my heart due to the following TV moment, which to my mind is one of the greatest insults I've ever heard.
During a post-match interview with Joey Barton after one of his non-disaster matches in late November one year, the interviewer commented on Barton's horrible Movember effort of a straggly mess under his nose.
Barton said he was looking forward to the end of the month as he could get rid, and that if he didn't his wife would probably leave him.
Cut to the studio, where Murray said 'Oh Joey, if she's not left you by now, she's never going to.'
I've never been able to decide which of the Bartons he was insulting more.
Rob Phillips, LFC, High Wycombe
Ready, Steady, Sprint
Drew Peacock - yes! There was a sprint competition...memories are hazy but I think it started on Saint n Greavsie with the final being run on cup final day and was called the Rumbelows Sprint. I want to say Franz Carr won it (younger readers - think Walcott but without the tedious internet debates), but that might not be true. Possibly Tony Daley (younger readers - think Ashley Young but with better hair) won it in one of the weeks he wasn't injured.
Thanks for the mail though bought back happy memories. Saturday morning - two paper rounds, home for toasted sandwiches and leek and potato soup in front of Saint n Greavsie followed by an afternoon of reading The Onion Bag and playing Emlyn Hughes International Soccer on my Spectrum +2.
Jeremy (have a nagging suspicion that none of those things were as good as PES/Fifa, soccer Saturday or F365 and I'm just getting old) Aves
...Drew Peacock - MUFC, Manchester (Keith Curle's standing twisted start beat all the crouching starts - didn't work for me), I can't help with who won, but I know that Kevin Barlett of Notts County came second. Amazing the things you remember when it's your club (and you're 10).
Tom, NCFC
...Talking of shock speedsters - how about Sol Campbell being the second fastest player in the PL in 2009. Yes, Sol Campbell. Faster than Torres and Drogba apparently. See here:
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2009/08/23/top-ten-fastest-premier-league-players/
Steven (another false dawn last night) AFC
...Further to the mails earlier, the sprint competition was before the 1992 Rumbelows cup final and was won by none other than the flying postman, John Williams of Coventry City...you can watch it here! www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGkiQnKkp3Q
Paul, Herts
