Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:09 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10713040/Roman-Abramovich-should-face-sanctions-says-Vladimir-Putin-critic.html

Roman Abramovich should face sanctions, says Vladimir Putin critic

I feel almost prophetic .....

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:31 pm  

Cibaman wrote:

Never going to happen. The London economy, particularly the property market, is too dependent on wealthy foreigners, many with links to dubious governments, for Cameron to go down the route of seizing assets.

I don't even think it's to do with that, because while London does benefit slightly because it's a billionaire's playground, the effect is actually tiny compared to the rest of the 8 million population. And there are strong arguments that maybe London would be better off if it did cater a lot less to billionaires and far more to the ordinary Londoner.

But I think that the main reason that London is so acceptable to billionaires who are shady is that Britain is a lawful and properly regulated place. David Cameron might want the positive poll numbers that freezing a man like Abramovich's assets brings, but if he actually did try and do it he's going to come up against the British court system which will demand he makes the case for it. And IMO he can't make the case for it. Being stupidly rich, Russian and POSSIBLY have some influence with Putin is simply no reason in Britain to freeze someone's assets.

If Cameron was to attempt to freeze Abramovich's and Usmanov's accounts, the main effect would be that the British government are saying they are just as corrupt as Putin is. I honestly don't think British people want our politicians to emulate a complete loon like Putin, even if nearly every football fan would have a big cheer if a fleet of government officials turned up at Stamford Bridge and seized Roman's club.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:43 pm  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

I feel almost prophetic .....

About as prophetic as predicting it will rain tomorrow in some parts of England.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:25 am  

Looks like Van Persie is set to miss both legs against Bayern, typical rotten luck.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:45 am  

100% Wire wrote:

Looks like Van Persie is set to miss both legs against Bayern, typical rotten luck.

4-6 weeks, isn't it?

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:12 pm  

Mourinho was right about wenger. He is a specialist in failure. Time and time again over the last decade arsenal's season has promised so much, only for things to collapse in the space of weeks. With all that's happened it's easy to forget that many times during that time arsenal have been well in the title race, and the latter stages of a cup competition only for things to inevitably fall apart.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:04 pm  

Lot of goals today

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Mar 25, 2014 11:13 am  

FlexWheeler wrote:

Mourinho was right about wenger. He is a specialist in failure. Time and time again over the last decade arsenal's season has promised so much, only for things to collapse in the space of weeks. With all that's happened it's easy to forget that many times during that time arsenal have been well in the title race, and the latter stages of a cup competition only for things to inevitably fall apart.

I was saying this the other day. How much longer, as a fan/board member, can you accept what Wenger keeps achieving each year?

Over the years they've had many star players come and go (Henry, Fabregas, Nasri, RvP) and every year it goes wrong and they end up wanting to leave.

Top 4 every year is good, but considering how long they've been up there, why is it always going wrong in the exact same fashion? When they beat us at the Emirates this year and everybody was raving about Ramsey, I remember saying to my mates it will all go wrong in the new year as it usually does. They just absolutely capitulate, and every time the usual pundits question the experience, leadership and determination of the team.

I wouldn't mind but he isn't even signing that well these days. A quick look at their first team and there isn't much potential to get much better. Are the likes of Arteta, Rosicky, Podolski, Mertesacker, Sagna, Bendtner, Diaby, etc., whilst being good players, really going to take Arsenal to the next level? Ozil is a player I've loved for years, but near enough everybody in football knew Arsenal should have spent £50m on a striker, not an attacking midfield player.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Mar 25, 2014 12:33 pm  

Arsenal will win the FA Cup this season though. So the Emirates will actually get to see what a trophy looks like.

I think Wenger could make the step up to top manager. I think he could be a CL winner with Barca. I think he could stay on at Arsenal and bring more titles to the club. But I do think that Arsenal would need to tell him that they've had enough of the excuses and it's finally time for him to deliver or walk away. I think Wenger managing Arsenal is probably better for them than him leaving and the club starting again with someone new.

Most of my dislike of Wenger stems from the fact that he has been rated as the top manager in England when he's never proved himself at the very top. There's simply no way that I'm accepting Wenger as the equal of Fergie or Mourinho when he's never delivered anywhere near what they have.

There's rumours that Wenger will retire at the end of the season. IMO if he retires he'll deserve to go down as little more than a more fashionable version of George Graham who played prettier football. But I think he really needs to take over at Barca and prove himself if he wants to go down in history as a truly great manager.

I do have respect for Wenger as a manager. He is clearly a very good PL manager with a lot of admirable qualities. But his reputation for making do without money is completely undeserved. He's been managing at a huge club, with significant resources available to him. If he was all he was cracked up to be he shouldn't have been managing the second biggest club in England to zero trophies in 9 years, he should have been managing Stoke City and giving England a great footballing side in place of a semi-rugby team.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:50 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

Arsenal will win the FA Cup this season though. So the Emirates will actually get to see what a trophy looks like.

They really need to, it will be hugely embarrassing now if they don't. Wigan might fancy another upset, though. You might have mentioned the key to their chances, too. Watching a few videos of Arsenal v Stoke games won't do them any harm.