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This Is Our Year
Throughout all the drama of Liverpool being a club in crisis, am I the only person to note their steady assault on the title? Dream is still on. Third by the end of Feb, second by the end of March and top for the final run in. Easy. Easy. Easy.
Phillip (Rafa is a God) Ward
Who's Out Of It This Week?
Hands up if you believe that if Chelsea or Arsenal lose this weekend's game that you are our of the title race? No? Same time next loss/draw?
By my reckoning so far, Man U have been out of it twice, Arsenal three times and Chelsea once. Still no nearer in knowing how it will play out.
Can we only start the debate from April onwards in future?
Matt, Cheshire
Bentley, Bale And Other Thoughts
A few thoughts from this evening's game 'oop north:
- What a cracking couple of games. Great football. You see some right old s**t in the Premier League don't you. There's so much dosh involved that everyone in the bottom half will do whatever they can to avoid defeat and relegation - pack the midfield, waste time from the 20th minute onwards - none of that on show here
- Fair play to Leeds. Players and fans. I hope you get out of that division.
- Bentley. It's only been a couple of games and he was up against a League One full-back but he's looking like a footballer again. I'll hold my hands up and say that a month ago I, and everyone else I know that follows Spurs, was slating him. He's been a k*** - the drink driving, apparently not trying in reserve games and Lennon's form obviously hasn't helped him - but I thought his interview afterwards was quite telling. He seemed humble. So let's start again DB, if you keep playing football like that we forgive you for being a dick, and back you to be the same fella that scored a hat trick against Man Utd.
-Bale. Like it, massive improvement. Pav needs to take a leaf out of his book now the Robster's buggered off.
- That'll just be the three hat-tricks (I'm counting the five in that) so far for Defoe this season then.
- Harry doesn't like subs much does he.
- Kranjcar is well pretty, it has to be said. He's like a Croatian Ginola.
Andrew, Woodford Green
Defoe: Flat-Track Bully
After Jermain Defoe's latest goalscoring exploits, there will no doubt be numerous calls from those jolly Spurs fans for young Jermain to be first choice for England at the World Cup. The five goals against Wigan earlier this season will be wheeled out as further evidence of his unquestionable class (he banged in plenty for Bournemouth too I recall).
Whilst Defoe is undoubtedly a decent finisher, he is a long way from that much-overused description 'world slass'. I would venture in all actuality he is nothing more than a flat-track bully. I would also make the point that by the time we get to the World Cup quarter-final stages and with the quality of the opposition involved, the pitches are far from flat, they may even have variable bounce and turn a bit too.
Might I suggest young Jermain spends his time more effectively this summer by booking himself a nice holiday to Dubai instead (maybe with John Terry) or helping out his journeyman teammate Robbie Keane secure another dream move to yet another club he supported as a boy as by the time the summer gets here, even Celtic will have sussed out that he is rubbish and can't even score against St Mirren (and they play on a VERY flat track).
Steve McBain, Singapore
A Wag Writes...
Good to see Jenas has finally found his level.
That's all.
Brian (Bentley too) Henry
Dawson > Lescott
As a Leeds fan I would like to say congratulations to Spurs. They really took the game to us over the two legs and deserved their win. Crouch and Defoe are nigh-on unplayable like that.
The main point of my mail though is how good is Dawson? If my memory serves me right Spurs got him from forest for about £2m. In terms of defending I'm not sure there's anyone in better form at the moment. He never lets the team down, has scored a couple and even captains the team in Ledley's absence.
So to summarise...£22m for Lescott? How much must Dawson be worth?
Alex (only Leeds fan in old Trafford) Ashcroft
Bentley For World Cup? Really?
If you were watching the Leeds game on ITV last night, you would have heard towards the end of the game the commentator (apologies, I'm not bothered remembering his name - or googling it - I literally don't want to know) aggressively w**king David Bentley's ego. To such a degree that he suggested Bentley could be a surprise addition to the World Cup squad...
Eh...
Is this tool getting paid for his opinions? A player having a good game, his first good game in over a year, against a side two leagues below him and he is being touted as World Cup material!! Well, if this is the rationale to making the England World Cup squad surely Danny Butterfield is a shoo-in.
Jovan, Dublin
Defending Big Emile
I had to write in and jump to the defence of Emile Heskey.
Being a Villa Park season-ticket holder and regular attendee of away games, as far as I can see Emile has just one problem, He is not called John Carew. A majority of Villa fans almost worship the ground big John walks on, for he celebrates with the crowd, has a nice song and likes to visit strip clubs. This seems to allows them to turn a blind eye to the lazy, disinterested performances from him for the majority of this season.
Meanwhile, Emile has knuckled down, ignored the grumblings from the chavs at the back of the Holte End and made himself into a very important player for the Villa, much like he has for England.
We all know we'd like to see him score more goals, but he wins a hell of a lot more flick-ons than Carew, holds the ball up better, brings others into play and creates space for Milner. Young et al to play in. All the things Carew can't or won't do. But because he's not Carew, I fear he will never win the Villa fans over ( hat, and he played for the Blues as well)
Imagine a hybrid Carew/Heskey forward. Oh yes, he's called Drogba!
Adam Hall
Why Arsene Doesn't Spend
Does anyone else find it amusing when Arsenal fans say 'As far as I can see he doesn't spend because he's chronically stubborn and also, I believe, because he's totally incapable of handling the big egos which often come with the big price tag'? This is from a man who spent £16 million on a player in the last January transfer window and who dealt with Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira and Pires in their primes and kept them all happy? If he were chronically stubborn, he wouldn't have bought Arshavin and if he couldn't deal with egos he'd never have been able to control his players at any stage. Could it not be that he genuinely thinks there aren't any strikers out there who are better than what he has for the money he'd have to spend? Benzema cost £30m, Drogba would cost more than that. Kenwyne Jones is being quoted at £15m! The transfer market is completely mental at the moment and there's no one available who wouldn't be fiercely over-priced or cup-tied.
Arsenal fans (and Liverpool fans) have to realise that were their team to win the title it would be a phenomenal achievement. Man U and Chelsea are streets ahead in terms of quality and wages and most times the team with the highest wage bill wins the league because over 38 games quality will out. Wenger clearly spends the cash when he has it and when he feels it's useful. You don't have to spend your entire transfer budget every window. Just because you've got it doesn't mean you have to use it. Investment in facilities, academies, stadium, tours. Arsenal fans seem to want to risk their club (see Portsmouth if you want) for players who might not make the difference.
On another note entirely, Motson actually lost his mind when Beckham scored against Greece. You could hear it pop. Ever since, he's been a tried old pastiche of himself, coming out with increasingly useless random facts and making simple errors between players and even teams. Time to take him out back and put him down.
With Lawrenson.
Tom Barneby, London
...Could people define 'challenging for silverware'? As far as I recall, Arsenal, in the past four seasons, have been runners-up, in the semi-finals, and quarter-finals twice, of the Champions League; been runners up, semi-finalists twice, and in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, were in the sem- finals of the FA last year, and finished only four points behind the League Champions in 2008. Not a bad record!
I'm not saying I'm happy that we haven't won a trophy for five years, but there are only so many 'big' players around. In most instances, if Arsenal did bid for someone like David Villa, Man City, Chelsea, even probably Man Utd, would be able to outbid us (esp. on wages).
Stuart Willsher
...Reading the debate regarding Wenger I felt urged to write a couple of lines in his defence. What makes the great clubs so great is the fact that they stand for something larger than just winning trophies. I believe Wenger has created a team that not only manages to hold its own in the European elite but also does it not forsaking their values. In a time when the world almost melted down due to financial irresponsibility and greed it's refreshing and important that any buisness let alone a football team can have a responsible and viable financial philosophy.
Also looking at Wenger's sides they have also always showed great work ethic and a admirable dedication to beautiful football. These qualities and values resonate far beyond winning trophies in my mind. I would far rather support a team that stands by its values and never wins a trophy (although thats' hardly the case in Wenger's case) than support a team like Chelsea or Real Madrid with plenty of trophies and money but with no underlying philosophy or values. Think about it!
And what if Arsenal would win a major trophy, what a fantastic message to send the world of football and also the world in general. Values and responsibility count for something!
Thomas Kylberg, Sweden
...I'm forced into writing again because of the persistence of the 'Championship Manager' brigade that continue to bemoan a lack of spending at Arsenal. Let's go back to a salient fact about last Sunday's game. It was a collective failure by most of the team, with Almunia, Denilson and Clichy particularly poor. Spending £40 million on any two players you care to mention would not have changed the result on Sunday.
As for Wenger being too stubborn to spend I think it's a case of looking for a player that can improve the team at a reasonable price. Why spend money on players that aren't additive to squad quality? Leave that to Liverpool (cue Scouse outrage).
The other thing that's being missed is 'sustainable business model' concept. Very few Premier league clubs are self sufficient in the way that Arsenal are. The £700 million debt at Old Trafford has been masked by success - if Utd don't win anything watch everyone turn on the Glazers (some have already). Even Abramovich has stopped pouring money into Chelsea and so the only club unaffected is Citeh. There's a very real chance that Portsmouth could cease to exist in the next 12 months, which would be a tragedy. At the very least they are staring at several years in the wilderness.
I asked on Tuesday who would be Wenger's replacement. I'll ask a different question today. Which available players would you buy that would ensure winning the league? Any ideas? Thought not...
David, Hants Gooner
...It's been busy at work recently, I've resorted to reading the mailbox when I get home. I know, lack of commitment. I reached the homepage at 20:30, to the joy of an Arsenal-led title mailbox. Being an Arsenal fan, I always enjoy a mailbox centered around my team. Let's face it, we all do (and by all I mean the other three football teams that a mailbox can be centered around).
Now i'll admit, I only managed to get one post in before wanting to send in my thoughts. I read Marky B's latest ideas on Wenger, and as I got to the bottom and saw he was a Manchester United fan, it all fell into place.
You see, Man U fans can't stand coming second. They've been spoiled for too long, and the vast majority can't remember or weren't a supporter when their team were last unsuccessful. We've seen this season when things aren't going perfectly the toys are launched from the pram.
Well Marky B, we're just not like you. We had five years of great success and three after that of cup finals and fairly good league form. We appreciate that. We appreciate that the landscape of the Premier league has changed, we have new challenges (billionaires) and more competition. So what has Wenger done in five years? Well he's taken us from a 38,000 stadium to a 60,000 stadium, he's starting to reap the benefits of the training facility and academy he implemented 11 years ago, and he's provided us with attractive, entertaining football, which is the yard stick for a minority of genuine football fans, rather than glory fans.
Your analogy is misguided, and, a bit stupid. Wenger is the manager, but he works with the board, rather than for them. They decide what's best for the club, together, and it works. Besides, Wenger doesn't even wear nice ties.
We all want our club to win things Marky, but patience is a virtue, one that clearly you don't have.
Mark
Very Appealing
Alastair Ferguson must hope the FA do take Rio's appeal seriously because it is an appeal against an appeal after all. If the defender wins will the FA be permitted to appeal the appeal appeal? And then saying this is deemed frivolous by the FA (by themselves), can they further appeal their frivolous appeal?
This could run on.
Dan (did get a parking fine reduced by unfrivolous appeal recently) White
