Written by Camberwell Gooner
And so we find ourselves in the second week of the Interlull (copyright Arseblog.com), with entire days stretching ahead of us before we can get our teeth into our shiny new signings and, er, find out what they taste like. During this prison sentence we are forced to contend with the twin ills of a lack of real football (apologies to genuine fans of internationals – they just don’t count for me, someone usually comes back injured, England are crap, and then when they play well I have to look at pictures of that genetic-experiment-to-fuse-Mr-Potato-Head-and-The-Elephant-Man (gone wrong), Rooney, flashing his horrible grin at a camera – word to the wise, Granny Shagger: you should have left the hair alone and spent your thousands down the orthodontist’s) and a dearth of news (meaning precious little to get the juices running and stimulate thought or debate).
In some ways, this week will give the transfer window a run for its money in terms of: which period of time makes you want to grate your eyeballs more? Well at least we signed someone last week. This week we’re not just scraping the barrel, we’ve gone through the base, burrowed into the floorboards and fallen into downstairs’ bathroom, giving Mr Patterson a nasty turn as he sits reading National Geographic on the bog.
It’s clear, then, that we need to stop waiting for the fun to come to us and find our own entertainment instead (stop sniggering at the back). With this in mind, I offer you the following ways to pass time before the jailers end the lockdown and set us loose in pubs and living rooms across the country.
1. Try to predict Saturday’s line-up.
In my deeply untechnical knowledge of formations and which combination works best and all that jazz, I would have thought our current full-strength first team looks something like this:
A pretty dangerous line-up I’m sure you’ll agree, but with the curse of the “early-season tweak which puts you out till May”, normal injuries and, of course, our new friend the “red card every game”, I guess we’ll see Kozzer in for Vermy, Pingpong for Song (can we not have a combined chant for both of them? Answers on a postcard), Benagoon for Jackie and perhaps Park for Gerv.
2. Learn some facts about Swansea City FC
Fret not. I’ve done the in-depth analysis, trawled through the stats, drawn up spreadsheets and graphs and run the rule over their first team, all so you don’t have to. Here are the facts and figures to impress and astound your mates in the pub pre-game.
Nickname: The Swans or The Jacks (the latter relating to their legendary sailors of yesteryear or something like that)
Manager: Brendan Rodgers; stats at The Swans: played 59, won 30, drawn 11, lost 18, win rate 50.85%
Pedigree: The second best team in Wales
Final position last season: 3rd (beat Reading 4-2 in the Playoff Final)
Danger men:
- Scott Sinclair, winger (voted goal.com’s world player of the week – yes, week – for scoring a hat-trick in said final, two of which were penalties) – has scored 19 in 45 appearances
- Ferrie Bodde, Dutch MF – 13 goals in 54 apps
- Craig Beattie, Scottish striker – 7 in 45
- Luke Moor, striker – er, 3 in 15
Weaknesses (carefully researched by typing “Swansea City weaknesses” in Google): Lack of pace or solidity at the back; poor passing game; vulnerability at set pieces (ring any bells?)
3. Decide who is the most odious person in football. Supply reasons.
Also done for you. It’s Rooney, but feel free to disagree.
4. Follow another sport
Big in sports news right now: Murray in the US Open tennis, England in the Rugby World Cup, umm…Deutsche Bank Championship golf, some other stuff.
So there you have it. I’ve done the donkey work, now you can let the juices flow.
Just don’t get any on your shirt.
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Top work Camberwell, very amusing post to break the monotony of nothing.
Hopefully an injury free final international fixture and we can start gearing up for the Swansea game.
Should we believe Vermy stories afterall the media reported Malbranque had quit football due to his son suffering from cancer.
Strangely he doesn’t even have a son:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14797761.stm
Congrats CG
A very entertaining post.
Does any one know if The Merte is right or left footed?
Most Odious…. Hmmm
Rooney is a candidate alright but you’d still have him in your team. So he can back up his arrogance and alround wankosity (sorry ladies).
My current loath-ometer is divided between four people 2 of whom are crap and yet still on the football stage for some reason…
They are
Robbie Savage – whose punditry is as cringeworthy as his onfield histrionics. (mertesacker failed at real – yeah robbie so did roy keane and thierry henry by the same fact that neither played for them)
Joey Barton – if wayne rooney beat up his team mates, stabbed cigars out on youth players faces and hacked his way around old trafford he still wouldn’t be as despicable as this sociopath.
Roberto Mancini – What a loser? – he has more money than god and buys 3 or 4 top players in each position and still churns out muck. Even Mourinho didn’t complain that he still needed midfielders when he already had 15.
Francesc Fabregas – I loved him – he betrayed me – i hate him. I will boo him when barca come to the emirates and his comments about how wonderful/crap arsenal are will wind me up no end. in fact I’d rather joey barton than this tart.
We may have scrapped our way down to Mrs Patterson sitting on the bog but the gutter press had already made their way down there before we arrived.
They must be so confused now as to how to slag off Arsenal, gone are the standard criticisms that Wenger doesn’t spend money, that he only buys kids, that he refuses to buy defenders, you know the drill, robbed of these tried and tested sticks to beat us with they are resorting to exaggerating every knock that that befalls an Arsenal player; tomorrow Szczesny will drop a spoon while making a cup of tea and that will be enough for some sections of the press to predict that he will be out for the rest of the season.
Sadly as much as I try and blame the press I suspect that it is a fact that Vermaelen has had an operation, I also suspect that the club knew this was going to happen and kept it quite to avoid the selling club, of any defender Arsenal showed an interest in during the transfer window, adding a zero to the price as soon as they realised we were absolutely desperate which it seems we were. The same applies to Wilshere and the reason we paid more that we would normally have done for a 29 year old, still at the present time Arteta can do all Jack can and more, like score goals, so this gooner aint complaining too much about that one.
Hell knows no fury like a scorned Arsenal supporter.
Morning 98
Barton gets the prize for me then the F.A. gets it for not ordering all referees to red card him. Every game.
Also – very upset about Vermaelen being injured. He was looking so awesome coming back this season. He is our defensive equivalent of Cesc Fabregas and his absence is why we have been so unsteady at the back.
Top post, CG.
I’ve been reading that TV has had surgery to his left ankle which was damaged by an impact injury against Udinese. Wasn’t it his right ankle which had the damaged achilles last season? If this is the case, any scaremongering about Tommy’s injury is completely misplaced.
That’s a fair point Chas.
I also think these knocks are the scourge of the modern pro, these are in the most case at Arsenal tuned to athlete standard, and perhaps that is a criticism (if any) to be levelled. Track athletes run in straight lines with no impact or sudden changes of directions are our boys too finely tuned for football? Should they add a bit of meat.
However Mertsaker should be pretty good and Kozzer should do well with a steady head like Mertsaker next to him.
Will we see all the new signings on the field this week? at least from the bench?
Morning,
Thanks for the entertaining post CG 😛
Most odious person in football is Joey Barton by a country mile, I hate him most because he finds it so easy to to disrupt our entire team. His plan to get Diaby, Song and Gerv banned worked perfectly and we fell for it like suckers.
The most sickening thing is the way he goes round shaking hands and back slapping our players at the end of the game, smiling from ear to ear just so that small amount of trust may be restored in him so that he can pull the same trick again next time.
I will officially retire from supporting Arsenal if next time we play against Barton he succeeds in getting one of our players sent off.
Absolute, cat-kicking, pain in the arse re Vermaelen, esp having lost Wilshere already. We can only hope it’s a brief absence this time. If TV only misses September, the fixture list means we should be ok, assuming we don’t lose anyone else, but it’s galling to see our run of bad luck has continued into this season.
Taking Camberwell’s advice on how to cope with this international week rubbish by looking forward to when proper football resumes, I’d like to see us play two up front against Swansea, not least given that they had comfortably the tightest defence in the Championship last year, so we can expect that bus to be making an appearance this weekend. Were we to go 4-4-2, it would probably be RvP and Park up front, with Walcott and Arteta on the flanks, and Ramsey and Frimpong in the centre. But my guess is we’ll see the usual 4-2-3-1, with Arshavin in rather than Park. Whoever plays, I hope we use Swansea as a punchbag to get over the frustrations of the last game.
Thanks CG for a bit of light relief, it was desperately needed on this damp, dark, windy morning.
The news about Vermaelen was bad enough but now it seems Walcott has a hamstring injury as well.
I’m dreading the casualty reports following the current round of internationals.
Can we claim a special dispensation and get the transfer window re-opened for a couple of hours?
I know you’re kidding Rasp. At least I hope you are….
Most odious person in football? There are so many candidates: Mourinho, Barton, Cashley, Rooney, Evra, Terry, Garry C(r)ook, Brian Marwood, Lou Macari, Joorabchian, Adebayor, el-Hadj Diouf, Pulis, Abramovich, Mark Lawrenson, Sandro Rosell, Joan Laporta, Florentino Perez, Sepp Blatter (in fact, everyone connected with FIFA), Alan Green, Richard Keys, Richard Scudamore, Gordon Taylor, Phil Neal, Peter Kenyon, Graham Poll…… A very tough call, that one.
Bladder and Mourhino tie for top tarts.
Barton and the rest are a bunch of devil spawn.
Blimey 26, is there anyone in football you don’t hate?
Richard Scudamore, Mr 26?
Isn’t he a jockey? And I noticed you did not list all or any footie lawyers. Your card is marked my man!!
Sorry, Camberwell, well written and amusing Post. I enjoyed it! 🙂
Not many, Lifelong, not many…. Adapting the Public Image Limited song, Hatred is an Energy.
Hi 26m,
The comment was tongue-in-cheek’ish, in the same way as I will resign if we are top of our group in the CL with 2 games to go and we put out a weakened side for the remaining games, drop to 2nd and meet Barca in the knockout stage again 🙄
I really have to stop ranting, it’s just that failure to learn from mistakes (overplaying players leading to long term injury – oops said I’d stop) is very costly.
Lawyers, as you know Red Arse, are all marvellous but misunderstood people. Except the ones that disagree with me, they’re tossers.
The Scudamore I had in mind was that tool who “runs” the Premiership.
Rasp,
You couldn’t retire from supporting the Arse. Just volunteer to eat an item of clothing!
26,
Magnificent list…hard to separate any of them as being chief odious little nerk.
No, carry on ranting Rasp, it’s all good!
I still haven’t stopped mentally berating Alex Song for being so utterly dumb as to get himself suspended for the United game. With him on the pitch, it could have been just a 6-2 humiliation….!
There are many despicable characters in football, but my all time hate is for the anonymous drunken Glasgow Rangers supporter who, during the sixties, vomited down the back of my wifes coat minutes after the kick off of match against the Gunners, She insisted on leaving the ground immediately and went taking my sarnies with her.
Just teasing,26. The ‘tool’ is a cousin to the jockey Peter Scudamore.
I have to take the unusual step of disavowing my own ‘lawyer’ comment, above. The respectable half of my close family, who are gainfully employed within the legal profession, are already giving me grief for previous comments I allegedly made.
Mea Culpa! 🙂
Lifelong,
At least she had the decency to wash the sarnies before giving them back to you later.
Chas, good suggestion to help out the Rasper. Perhaps he could eat London’s only surviving posing pouch. 🙂
chas, I don’t think London’s wardrobe is big enough 😛
26m, here’s a little snifter that have been exercising my mind……. apparently we signed Benayoun without a medical (and probably at a time when we thought the Arteta deal was dead) – do you think that was a panic buy? I’m very pleased to have him, no problem there but in terms of ins and outs, he is an extra.
Apology accepted RA, and good to hear you have such a nice family. And thanks for the Latin too, you know we’re fond of the dead language. 🙂
Rasp
To be honest, and I know there are many here who disagree, but I think there was a strong dose of panic across our business in those 48 hours. My guess is we were riding various horses on the creative midfilder role, Arteta and Benayoun being two, and ended up taking them both on the basis of “why not”, when one was just a loan signing.
I’ve been becoming increasingly anxious about Arteta, having discussed it with a colleague whose dad is on the coaching staff at one of the leading Championship clubs, and apparently there are plenty of people in the game who think Arteta’s knees are buggered. I really hope that’s not true.
With all the talk of long-term injuries and squad strenghths, it is interesting to note that Arsenal have only named twenty-two players in the Premier League squad instead of the permitted twenty-five. The byzantine regulations are too complicated for a short post, but we are allowed to supplement the squad with an unlimited number of players under the age of twenty-one.
The lack of experienced players is once again highlighted.
Hi Lifelong. I agree that we still lack some experience but the number and quality of our U21s (who include Wilshere, Ramsey, and Szczesny) is significant. And remember, that United side that ripped us apart had a lower average age than our side.
Great, witty and yet informative post CG 😛
Most odious (further additions to 26’s venomous list): Sammy Allardyci, Shawcross, D Alves, A Hansen (never said an original thing in his life), S Collymore (and anybody else at Talkshite), sheik mansour, Abramovich, The Glazers, G Souness, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh – That feels better!! Thanks CG.
I tend to agree with you 26m. Was Arteta also signed without a medical? surely we would be aware of the state of his knees.
Good post CG
The most odious people in football are those who combine the delightful qualities of seeing football as a money making exercise along with the attitude that to acheive their riches they can sell footballs soul down the river. The proposed 39th game is a classic example. as ’26th May’ has pointed out, the creep Scudamore is right up there.
On a side note i repeat what i said after the Utd game, Alex Oxlade is a fantastic prospect and could prove to be the purchase of the season.
26,
How can you say Latin is dead, you Philistine? 🙂
I have always enjoyed Latin from my schooldays. It is widely used or integrated in many ‘live’ languages.
Here are a few well used Latin words commonly used in English (US and UK).
alibi: elsewhere, alter: another, bellum: war, bonus: good, corpus: body, derma: skin, ego: I/me, erectus: upright, sapiens: wise, vox: voice, terra: earth and so on and on.
D98 😆 You really have it in for our ex El Capitan, don’t you?! When Figo had left Barca for Real, he was greated by the supporters at the Nou Camp – on his first game back there – with a banner (in Spanish) reading: ‘We hate you so much, because we loved you so much’: I can see you do something similar if and when he returns! 🙂
Yeah RA, all agreed, but what is the latin word for football, hey, hey?
D98
I can undrerstand the Fabregas thing. I hated Frank Stapleton so much that i used images of the git as a replacement dartboard for near on 3 years. Very satisfying when i got him in the eye.
TotalArsenal,
Try… Aliquam in ludo….The game of football
There is an interesting hypocrisy befallen Arsenal supporters.
Last season we all bemoaned the fact that Wenger refused to give the go ahead to sign a new CB at Christmas when it was obvious that Vermaelen was not going to play anywhere near the kind of important role that we needed from him for the rest of the season, Samba being the most obvious candidate to stand in.
And yet, now that it looks like Wilshere is going to be out for two months and that could turn into an Arsenal coaching staff two months, Wenger has authorised the signing of replacements in the form of Arteta and Benayoun and many are looking for fault.
Benayoun is a loan deal so I fail to see how we can possibly lose out there, he may even work his socks off to try and get a permanent move. Arteta is simply a stand in until Wilshere returns, what’s wrong with that?
As for the signing of Mertesacker, I think there may have been serious protests, I mean very serious protests had we found out that Vermaelen needed an operation and Wenger failed to identify back up and the board failed to secure at least one. In brief the signing of the German has abated a revolution.
TA,
The Latin word for Ball is pila, and in colloquial English the term “to kick the ball” has been referred to as “kicking the pill”.
The Latin word for foot is “Pedes”. ( used in Pedestrian etc).
The Romans apparently played many ball games and so perhaps they called football ‘pedespila’. Who knows?
LG, you need to get out more! 😛
Lifelong,
“Aliquam in ludo…”, probably means ‘to play in a game of ……’, and not specifically football, as such.
Better stop now because Kelsey will get cross! 🙂
London,
Fair enough, but what is the hypocrisy?
Doesn’t it mean pretending to believe something that you really don’t?
Hi London,
Is your @ 12:41 directed at anyone on AA?
Red Arse,
Non reprehendimus, nuntius.
Thanks Chas – it brings it all back again!
RA, 🙂 ‘pedespila’ sounds very beautiful, but the more I say it, the more I believe this would be the name of an item of furniture at Ikea.
London, you are spot on there re the signing of the Merth. It would have been sheer mayhem on Saturday.
omnis traductor traditor
LG
Not sure why you are blaming me …. and what message? 🙂
Arsenal sempiternum! 🙂
I think 26 has covered most odious little sods but I would like to add Lee Bowyer for running round kicking anything that moved at St Andrews this year, and also Barry Ferguson for patting Kozzer on the head at Wembley.
As for Benayoun fitness I would assume any serious injury would result in a return to Chelsea. As for Arteta I think some of it is from Everton fans who suggest he hasn’t been the same since the injury, but they fail to realise he has also been without players like Cahill and Fellaini for large periods so had less to work with.
TA,
Me? A traitor? I am really not going any further with this — I can feel the natives are becoming restless!! 🙂
GIE,
What about that toad Perez (?) the Brazilian FA Chairman?
Rasp
No, my comment wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular but the accusation of panic buying, we failed because we didn’t get our business done early etc are all quite wide spread.
Maybe I should have stuck to talking about my favourite colour or who my most loathed player is or something like that.
RA, Good to see someone defending Latin.
Sorry to be a pedant by the way, but derma comes from ancient Greek.
Great post CG, very light hearted with some serious points interlaced within the humorous undertones…….
Most Odious (love that word) well there can only be one that gets the title with a word like that……
Step Forward Mr Joey “Daft Haircut and complete all round tosspot” Barton…..Even leaves Robbie Savage behind, although there is a couple of referees that make it in there somewhere….
Injuries not looking good, no surprise then, that Wenger did a trolley dash on the final day, under that sort of pressure and not sure what was avaialble on which shelf, he got some good ones in his trolley, so well done to him, just as well……..
Although TV’s absence has tainted my positive mood for Saturday, I am still looking forward to it.
I suppose if nothing else the next 6 games are all winnable with what we have available………….That momentum will aid us massively, just need to win the 6 games now……
Biggest need right now for AFC, is that ALL fans in the ground get behind the team and dont moan and groan at the slightest thing……I’ll be cheering the boys on saturday, all meeting at the Tavern from say 1330hrs?
Hi TA – Yep – its rare that a support gets so emotionally attached to one player – in my life it has been Liam Brady, Dennis and Cesc.
Even Ian Wright and Thierry never seemed to demand that level of love – though they both had its somewhat inferior substitute – adolation.
Liam left and broke my heart – but he did it upfront and with a long goodbye, i forgave him and desperately wanted him to sign again when he went to west ham.
Denis retired rather than play on in an inferior club, league, team a legend.
cesc stole our hearts and then ripped them still beating from our chests and he and Puyol are sitting over in a cafe on las ramblas and they are laughing at us.
TMHT – Frank Stapleton and Viv Anderson both upset me but not like Liam. He was the sun moon and stars of my early arsenalling.
Oh and “pedespila” sounds like something that Josef Fritzl or a catholic priest might get up to….
98
Snap, as to the order of players I have felt the most loss after their departure.
Red Arse,
wasn’t blaming you, translation reads “don’t blame the messenger”
Arsenal perpetuum, perhaps?
Kelsey
Why aren’t you joining in this Latin conversation lol
RA, yeah we better. I only had one year of Latin lessons. The teacher was already retired – 67 years old – but there was such a shortage of Latin teachers, he was asked to come out of retirement. He taught us for the pricely sum of one guilder per hour (about 30 pence in today’s money). He taught us with such passion and desire to share with us his wisdom (things that I value very much now), but I had only eyes and ears for Monique, in whose beautiful eyes it was always Spring.
D98
I agree about Liam, thats why i could never have thrown darts at him.
London,
Not at all, you must continue with your perceptive comments.
I just didn’t want you to think that I was unhappy with any of our signings – because I’m not 🙂
Well spotted CG. 🙂
Cutis would probably be closer! 🙂 From that we get cuticle for example. (But you obviously know that). 🙂
Hated people in Soccer, This one will surprise many I think………
David O’Leary.
I used to pay to watch this guy play for us many, many times and loved the way he played for us.
Changed my mind on him after he became Leeds Manager and then continuously slagging us off many times whilst being their manager.
Redders
Pedes+pila=football – very clever.
Perhaps we have misjudged the crowd at Man Utd. Rather than being a parade of humourless beetle-browed northern monkeys perhaps they are a weekly gathering of classical scholars. And when they appear to be abusing our manager, they are in fact singing “sit down you pedespile”.
It would certainly explain their Juvenal behaviour.
Very entertaining post CG.
Lifelong, I knew what you meant, just being flippant. 🙂
Funny thing, the saying ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ was put about by …… the messengers. 🙂 Usually before they were ever so gently shot!! 🙂
@all – Much appreciate the praise of my humble blog offering (‘bloffering’?).
Rocky – Dad joke of the day goes to you (I can’t talk, I absolutely love puns…)
VCC
Oh yes David O’leary. If a mans ego had the ability to manifest itself physicaly, his would consume the whole planet.
alex fucking fergiescum
Hi Rocky, 🙂
I am a bit worried about looking a bigger plonker than usual, but I am going to bite!! 🙂
In your 1:42, were you referring to a satirical context when writing “their Juvenal behaviour” , (Juvenal being a famous Roman poet and satirist, which fits your humor very well).
Or was it a typo for juvenile — (and I have embarrassed myself for mentioning it, when I am always making mistakes of the typo kind!) 🙂
Your famous prose makes a mere member of the proletariate, like me, doubt ourselves.
I am old enough (unfortunately) remembering that the BBC news was read with a gentleman who spoke the Queen’s English dressed in a Dinner Suit…now we get Robbie Savage as a main contributer to football.
Double98,
Same here with Liam, i was devastated at the time…….as you say should have returned…….
But no one comes close to Bergkamp, loyal and quite simply the best football player I have ever watched……….I am bias but he was the best for me……quite simple a legend…….
Cesc could have been, sadly wont…….Still admire him and thank him for want he did for us, but he has felt short in so many ways….
TMHT – his ego manifested itself as nose apertures and they have consumed many planets. its said that battlestar galactica is a documentary filmed live entirely in his left nostril.
Frimpong is going to play for Ghana. A wise decision.
The ox is getting rave reviews.
blogus fartus (see)
VCC,
another one who you wouldn’t imagine to be a real nasty money grabbing ex footballer is Bobby Charlton. He always wants the highest fee available for any guest appearances and won’t do anything for free.
In entertainment Terry Wogan is by far the worst.If you are invited on to one of his shows be it TV or Radio you get a letter stating that Terry would very much appreciate a small gift in return for him inviting you to his programme.How do I know, because it happened to my wife on a couple of occasions.
Nicest man by far to have played for arsenal is Bob Wilson. My wife and i have met him on more than one occasion, a real gent.
D98
During the 90/91 season, QPR away, me and my mate managed to get in the players lounge. My mate asked Oleary a stupid but innocent question ‘Dont leave the club David we need you’. All i will say further on the matter is that due to the reaction received we were asked to leave and to make matters worse i had just got a round in.
nice read CG,
To join in the most hated people in football debate, here’s my top 5 (yes, i have a Top 5!)….
1. Joey Barton (i have sunk as low as following him on Twitter just so i can send abuse!)
2. Sam ‘if i was manager of Real Madrid i would win the CL’ Allardyce
3. John ‘i will shag my teammates cos im the England captain and can do what the f*** i want’ Terry
4. Tony ‘tracksuit wan***’ Pulis
*5. Guillem ‘i make up stories about Spanish players and think i know everything about Cesc and Wengers conversations even though they go on behind closed doors’ Belague
*not a footballer but qualifies for this by being involved in football and also by being a massive pr**k!
I watched a good bit of the u21s last night.
The first half was truly dreadful and the passing in particular was turgid.
In the 2nd half oxo came on and was routinely isolated for the first 10 minutes, but even then he showed what a skillful player he is and with an eye for a pass.
After Lansbury came on the ball (pila) found its way to the Ox more often, and he showed some great deftness and pace.
All being well we have a good un in this kid. 🙂
just realised that i have suggested that John Terry shags his own teammates!!!!
i meant his teammates wife!!!
Kelsey
I’m so glad to hear bobby charlton is a c**t. I can’t stand the twat
I think you were right the first time FGG 😉
Really happy to have stoked up a proper debate on who we hate most in football, blog chums.
Interesting how the same names come up again and again…and again, nice to see some unanimity in here.
FGG – Guillem Balague is a very good shout and an original one I must say.
sammy nasri is a oribble little twat
London @ 12.41pm.
Unless someone now criticising the club for doing its business late or being driven in part by panic in the closing stages of the transfer window didn’t think it was necessary beforehand for the club to act differently in the transfer window, I don’t see there being any question of hypocrisy. Those who make these criticisms of the club may be wrong, but if, like Rasp or me, one said from the outset that this particular summer, above all else, the club needed to get at least a good chunk of its business done early on, an accusation of hypocrisy can’t stick. For what it’s worth, I’m pleased with the signings ultimately made, and feel we are now about on the same level we were at the end of last season (though City and United have moved away from us now, and Liverpool are closer).
But I maintain that this summer was a failure for the club, because if they’d taken financial hits (as Wenger it transpires advised them to do on the Cesc sale), they could have got more than Gervinho plus kids in for pre-season training, bedding into the squad and building confidence in players and fans alike. Instead, we’ve had an absolutely dog of a start to the season. As an optimist, I think we’ll do better this season than many expect, but the situation now could have been a lot better had our club approached the summer with the same clarity of purpose that Liverpool and United showed, rather than, come what may, appearing to prioritising the financial aspects. We’ve ended up making a trading profit of about £20m (even having been shafted on the Cesc sale), and we would have had £20m to £30m in the pot before that. Some of that money could have been spent paying the premium to get business done early.
By the way, I failed Latin O Level.
Kelsey,
Apparently the knights of the realm have good lawyers, my internet crashed as soon as your post came up 🙂
It’s back now, did someone pay you a visit ?
Can’t say I’m that bothered about Barton – he’s just a pantomime villain.
Top of my list would be that twunt of a Swiss ref who cheated us out of what would have been a memorable two-leg victory over Barcelona – and then got promoted by UEFA for his efforts.
Oh… and everyone at UEFA.
Rocky – he’s a strong contender for sure. The guy is clearly cuckoo.
*gets coat, leaves quietly*
Redders
Hello 🙂
Re your 1.58
I am livyd that you thought my use of Juvenal might have been a mis-spelling. I thought we had a tacitus agreement never to question my use of puns. Your comment is virgil on the offensive and I am tempted to consult my good friend 26May and philo a law suit.
CG 🙂
Kelsey
I agree about Bob Wilson surely soon he should become Sir Bob.
I was lucky enough to attend one of his goalkeepong courses at Trent Park (Enfield) and I still remember his applause for a save I made in a 2v2 GK match where my teammate had been left stranded and I covered the 8 yards to block the easy tap in from a poacher. He stopped the game to comment on the save pat me on the back and got everyone to applaud. I was maybe 9/10 and left feeling 10ft tall.
Because I wasn’t a boarder his wife would pick us up from Oakwood tube station everyday in her white convertible XR3i a real treat and she was lovely too.
chas,
I’ve just watched your vid of Figo getting peppered with missiles by the Barca fans – I assume Barca was hit by a much tougher punishment than Arsene received for doing what they told him was permissable for their failure to control their fans
26
Thank you for taking the time to answer my comment.
The crux of my annoyance is that I know you understand that Barcelona held all the cards in the Cesc negotiation; you know we could not start buying in earnest until that deal had been completed. So with that in mind it irks me that you criticise the club for not carrying out it’s business earlier, not only that, you then go on to praise man u for doing so and yet, again, you are well aware that they were not hindered by losing players like Fabregas and Nasri.
I am sure you are happy with the signings who isn’t but to suggest that the club “failed” during the transfer window is plain wrong.
“26may1989 says:
September 2, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Hi London (re 3.00pm)
My point is: it was a difficult situation for reasons that are known and unknown to us, but it was critical to get the business done early, and failure to meet that need for whatever reason constitutes a failure. Extenuating circumstances or none, this is what these guys get paid for.”
Most odious person?? Robinson, De Jong ..or another similar defender who excuses breaking peoples legs by saying it was an “honest” tackle.
Robben who specialized in getting people sent off bu playacting.
But none of them could touch the 70s Leeds team who were a bunch of thugs. The pity being that when they wanted they could play football.
Geoff Strong ( I remember your namesake playing) I hope your computer doesn’t crash again 🙂
GIE,
I don’t know how old you are, but many people don’t remember Bob fronting Grandstand around 1974 and a couple of years later I met him.How he never got ribbed for having a middle name of Primrose, I will never know.
London, 26
From Cesc’s comments it seems there was some division between AW and the Board over the issue, with the Board wanting to keep him (unless Barca stumped up the asking price) and AW persuading them (eventually) that they should let him go on the cheap. Presumably AW was basing his position on footballing reasons – ie, that he didn’t feel he would be able to get the best out of Cesc in the coming year after such uncertainty.
Or, perhaps, that AW really did promise Cesc in the summer of 2010 that he would not stand in the way of him going if he gave us one more year. And AW likes to keep his promises.
Im with Rocky on the pitch Barton is more a panto villan and not a bad player either. Off field..well who are we to judge? I am sure if we knew the private actions of the Arsenal players there are a couple who would do things that disgust us. Off the field I truly dont care about.. in this world there are good and bad, Im sure all of us have things we did that we now regret in our past. I certainly do.
But none of them could touch the 70s Leeds team who were a bunch of thugs. The pity being that when they wanted they could play football. said neamann, weren’t they just.bremner hunter and all. I heard that revie changed the kit to all white as they wanted to be like Real Madrid. not sure if that is true or not.
To me the biggest toe rag in the modern game is the Djouf(sp) who spits in peoples faces.
26th/London
You are both forgetting one thing.During cesc’s final season the BoD changed dramatically and Kroenke became majority share holder.Cesc should have been sold earlier.negotiations were 90% agreed in February , but none of us are privy as to what really happened except there was and I believe still turmoil in the boardroom.
Capello has admitted that Wilshere picked up his injury while playing for England against Switzerland in June. Is it coz Jack was hacked down for the England penalty? Thanks Djourou!
You’re right London, Barca did hold all the cards, but a good card player knows how to play a weak hand as well as a strong one. And Arsenal played their weak hand badly, appearing to focus on getting the market value for Cesc (which they didn’t) and keeping Nasri (which they didn’t).
OK, I’m being unfair on the Nasri side, they got a very good price for a player who was uncommitted, only really did the business for half a season with us and who more than pretty much any other individual player was at fault for our collapse last season.
But the overarching priority wasn’t getting the best prices; we had money in the bank (as disclosed in the annual accounts) and we also knew that, one way or other, Cesc would almost certainly leave this summer. The priority had to be to get to mid-July having done the lion’s share of our business.
We’re definitely not going to agree on this one, seems we’re about as stubborn as each other. But whether my criticisms are right or not, I just hope the club analyses this summer carefully, as I am certain there are lessons to be learned and possibly changes to be made; I would hate to think that just because they got Arteta, Mertesacker and Benayoun in at the end, they would automatically assume everything has been ok.
neamman – If I could briefly way in here – have you ever battered someone so badly they were hospitalised? Or stubbed out a cigar in someone’s eye?
I have my regrets too, but they’re more along the lines of stuff like, ‘I could have been a bit nicer when I dumped that bird’, or ‘when my wife kicked off the other day I should have said this or that’.
Barton’s level of thuggery and violence matters to me, I don’t have time for people who can allow themselves to do things like that. If an Arsenal player did something that bad I’d go off them quicker than you can say GBH.
Kelsy 2:20. Top bloke Mr.Bob Wilson. Such a shame what happened to his Daughter.
Rocky,
I bow my head in desperandum. In order to make up, I am going to give you your favorite Latin poem, and so as not to fall out with Kelsey, I will give an English translation!! 🙂
Latin Ode:
Caesar ad sum iam forte
Brutus et erat
Caesar sic in omnibus
Brutus sic in at
English (cockney) translation:
Caesar had some jam for tea
Brutus ate a rat
Caesar [was] sick in [the] omnibus
Brutus [was] sick in [his] hat
(With that Kelsey, you have cracked Latin!!) 🙂
I am glad, Rocky, that you are going to speak to your friend 26 (you are his only friend, after all) for advice on suing me. Good luck with that! 🙂
Hi All.
Does any one know how to add a song to a Heading?
Christ on a bike, did I actually say “way in”??
That should – of course – say “WEIGH in”.
Apologies.
Why VCC,
are you going on the X Factor 🙂
Actually Red Arse,
I learnt Latin in school but only up to O level and it’s surprising that there is quite a lot of latin in Spanish.
I had this dream last night that we all met up but introduced ourselves by our user name and when your’s came up I just kept smiling to myself actually laughing. (don’t worry it’s my warped sense oif humour)
Bloody work..how’s someone supposed to blog when they give me work to do? Criminal!
London, 26,
Hear yee, Hear yee!
I think it is fair comment that one of you believes one thing and another believes another thing. You both have strong opinions and it makes for interesting reading.
What confused me was the comment alluding to hypocrisy, because in this case 26 said something he believed to be right and he still says the same thing.
The judge has spoken! 🙂
And now, set to it again lads — gloves off — round two.
Red Arse – have you approached VCC about a possible buy-out of his avatar?
Kelsey,
As you are a Latin scholar, you will know that the above poem is ‘dog Latin’ or ‘cod Latin’ and has nothing much to do with the real thing! 🙂
Kelsey 4:07.. LMFAO
The only talent I’ve got is moaning according to my Daughter.
Illy,
You are allowing your imagination to run riot! 🙂
VCC’s gravatar is not what you think — it’s his shoulder — not his ass, and he is very attached to it! 🙂
RA,
I said O level 😉
RA,
as you are definitely the scholar on here and part American (I believe) why do the Americans spell certain words differently to us e.g. color.
Over here A Shopping or medical or whatever Centre is always spelt Center.
Kelsey I never had the delights of seeing Bob play or his early Grandstand outings. I have however watched many videos of him play and read nearly every one of his books.
As a goalkeeper he is as much a hero of mine as Seaman, Jennings and Southall. Southall was such a hero I adopted the same physique as him and adopted the greased eyebrow look 🙂
Hopefully better news re TV5
http://www.daylife.com/topic/Thomas_Vermaelen
From Arse.com
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/vermaelen-back-training-in-one-month
Red arse – that’s confirmed then…I don’t know my arse from my elbow, or indeed shoulder
You’re gonna wish you hadn’t asked that kelsey 😕
GIE,
I haven’t read his books but I saw an interview with bob on the defunct Arsenal TV and I am sure he said something to the effect that he was one of the first keepers to dive head first with arms outstretched against an oncoming opponent and that was extremely dangerous and on one occasion he got injured.I remember us losing 7-2 away at leicester when our keeper had to go off, it might have been him.
Our American cousins also SAY some words differently…we say “the allies defeated Nazi Germany in the war” – they say “we defeated Nazi Germany in the war”. Very subtle difference but you can just about pick it up.
sorry i got that score wrong it must have been another game.ignore it please.
In football the word defence is often spelt defense as I understand it the former is used more in the english language yet the americans seem to use the latter more. i don’t think either is wrong (should i have not asked that as well, Rasp)
Kelsey,
In America, it is accepted that following on from Independence, there was an effort to demonstrate we were different from the ‘old’ country, and language was a good start to show that.
Webster drew up his dictionary and spelled (spelt) the written word more like it sounded.
For example, UK English spells ‘manoeuvre’ as well – manoeuvre – much as the original French word from which it came.
In American English, the ‘o’ is dropped and it is spelled ‘maneuvre’.
And so on and so on. You can blame Noah Webster and his dictionary for the start of the differences.
Other obvious words show this better. Honour = honor; humour = humor; etc.
Actually, there are also regional differences both within the UK and also within the US, and these differences are also found in Australia, New Zealand and other English speaking countries.
Language is a ‘living’ thing (don’t listen to 26) 🙂 and words in common use fall out of use 50 years later, and new words come into being. When did ‘blog’ become an accepted word?
This has the effect of continually separating US and UK English as the cultures are very different.
Well, you did ask! 🙂
and now for something completely different.
http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2011/09/04/spanish-football-team-uses-zombie-porn-to-attract-more-fans/
G’day. Laest favourite in football? You have already compiled a superb cache of odious vermin but
I am surprised no mention has been made of that total tool Roy Keane. A twat of the first order.
However, the man I have hated most in my years as a football fan played for the two worst showers of excrement to grace the PL, namely MU and Spurs, then on to rip off Portsmouth (Harry signed him). Add to that he started his career at Millwall and you can immediately see the cut of his jib. You know whom I mean – I refuse to write the bar stewards name.
Kelsey;
DefenSe is the verb “to defend against attack”.
De fenCe is what separates your garden from your neighbor’s!
Raddy,
Surely not the delightful Sherry Ham? 🙂
BR 4:56 i can’t stand that guy either. Cause us lots of problems over the years though, unfortunately.
Hi RA,
What gets me about the septics is the way they turn adjectives into verbs.
Their olympic commentators will say that an athlete ‘medalled’ or a climber summitted.
A particular hate of mine is at the pool where they say he ‘dove’ (rhyming with mauve) instead of dived.
Hey Teddy Teddy, went to man united and you won …………
….. the treble…….. oh dear, that song fell flat on its face 😦
VCC. So did Fowler and Shearer but for some reason I didn’t dislike them.
I hated that arrogant git Cantona until the drop kick which remains one of my all time fave moments in football.. Now I really like the man.
BTW, I dislike anyone who pulls on a Stoke shirt as well
And let us not forget Robbie Keane. Dick.
Thinking of language. I was reading an American blog which described someone as being “funeralized” !!!
Rasp,
US commentators just get bored just saying ‘we won, agin’ 🙂
I did not know the scousers said dove, but you cannot put anything past ‘pool fans.
Haha, RA, I meant nouns not adjectives, I’m surprised you didn’t pick me up on that 🙂
We’d better stop now, I don’t want you getting all thesaureated.
Rasp/RA – One of those Septicisms that’s made it into our particular branch of the language is ‘hospitalised’.
Quite like the verb ‘to burglarise’ too, but only heard it on a De La Soul track:
“f*ck around with me and find your crib burglarised”
Rasp,
You must know by now, that I would never correct your English —— I would be here all day. 🙂
Actually, I think you have done well not to mention Theo’s sore arse before now!! Kudos! 🙂
CG
I certainly agree with you re Barton and wasnt trying to excuse his acts.. however.. I saw the question as being framed in the context of odious on a football pitch. I certainly would be wary of sharing a pint with said Barton. But, on the other hand, who knows what players do in their spare time. Kiddie porn, who knows what else..for sure there will be some players who do that… we just dont know who ..apart from that Hearts player recently. Is Barton a nice guy?? probably not.. but there are many many odious players around.
neamman
Fair point, any one of the Arse players could be up to some dark stuff behind closed we’ll never know about.
As for Barton, well, on the pitch he’s a despicable little man but I think what winds me up most about him is he can get people sent off and seems to receive almost bugger all for his clear acts of provocation. Filthy chav.
It’s also pronounced dee-fence They annoyingly say offense instead of attack too.
Camberwell,
The word is spelt with a “z” or zee! Burglarize. 🙂 Nice try.
Bored now. Laters! 🙂
Re Vermaelan
Isnt anyone scared that this is eerily familiar? If I remember rightly last sept we were told TV will be out for a few weeks.. which ultimately became 6 months!! Please not again !!!
On the subject of language and odious players, would the following be appropriate?
Bartoniscled = wound up
Cantonabled = received a drop kick
Adebayorified = found to be continually offside
Gazzastibated = had your tackle felt by another player
Rooneyised = developed a lust for your grandma
thanks RA,
i won’t ask you about 9/11/
Illy
4:44pm top, top comment best of the afternoon I reckon.
neamon
They say it is quite routine and not connected to what kept him out for an eternity
Vermaelen has undergone a minor procedure to remove an inflamed plantaris tendon from his left ankle.
This is the same treatment that he had on his right ankle in January this year and has nothing to do with his Achilles tendon
sorry neamman
Rasp 5.28. Great.
The ball has been “Arshavined” = Row Z.
He’s been “Frimponged” = Flattened
Walcottised = Done for pace
Rasp
The Teddy song did fall on its face when he won the treble, but it was quite amusing the next time he came to Highbury when it was simply converted into: “…..you went to Man Utd and you’re still a c*** “
Haha Rocky,
We seem to have lost the ability at the Emirates to start an amusing new chant like that and have it instantly spread throughout the crowd.
It will be interesting to see what our away fans sing to Adebayoor, after all it was the spud fans who came up with…..
Adebayor
Adebayor
Your dad washes elephants
and your mother’s etc etc
Were you there when a Dutch team came to Highbury and the whole Clock End started the chant
Wife in a Window
I saw your wife in a window
comic genius – even the Dutch laughed
BR
I was there for that. It was AZ Alkmaar. The chant started at the away leg (which was the first leg). I know because I went! That was my last Arsenal Euro trip.
It was very funny and the very nice Dutch fans at Alkmaar did laugh along – even when it degenerated to “your mum in a window”, “your dad in a window” and finally “your dog in a window”.
Hahahahahahahah.
I love those Dutch jokes
“Your dog’s in the window” lmao
It was a good trip – stayed in Amsterdam – Alkmaar was about 45 mins outside of the city by train.
Unfortunately on the way back someone jumped under the train (unconnected with the game!) and we were stuck on it for about an hour and a half.
But with hundreds of Gooners and a decent atmosphere it was alright – plenty of singing.
Away trips in Europe are great. Sadly, many moons have passed since I took one.
I have just been reflecting on today’s comments, I am crap at the humorous stuff, the standing at the bar chatting and swapping stories kind of comments, I appreciate them it’s just that I am not very good at joining in, no, nail me to the cross and let me bleed Arsenal and I am happy or a rallying cry at White Heart Lane of onto the pitch for a charge of the light brigade kind run at the spuds and I am your man but today’s comments are tailor made for a certain blogger who used to make me laugh every day “Avenell” would have loved today, I wonder where he is, I hope he is well.
I achieved a lifetime ambition a couple of years back when I started a song of against Porto. Loosened up by a couple of ore-match Stellas, as the fourth goal went in, I bellowed “you better f-ck off to Nandos,f-ck off to Nandos”. And to my relief a good couple of hundred joined in
Perhaps Avenell is blogging under a new name. Hope so.
What is wrong with Theo? Nothing serious I trust
Nice work Illy
London,
Peaches has been in touch with Avenell and he is well and still loves the Arsenal.
I can’t trump Raddy’s Dutch themed number but I do remember the Clock End, on observing a brightly clad member of Newcastle’s away fans at the front of the away section, singing “Who’s the wanker in the pink?” The Geordies joined in before long. The guy in pink looked pretty upset about it all. Oh well.
I do love fans that make themselves a target.
A follicaly (spelling?) challenged Blackburn fan at Ewood last year was leading a merry band of kids in abusing Arsenal fans and trying to wind us up. When we got the winner a rousing rendition of “Baldy what’s the score?” reverberated around the away end.
RedAction tweeted a new song for Bacary to the tune of Radio Gaga…
“All we hear is Bacary Sagna, Bacary Sagna” short and sweet should be achievable in the Emirates.
I also remember many moons ago a bunch of young cheerleaders coming on the pitch at Half Time at Highbury to be greeted by “Are you Tottenham in disguise”.
There were also the chants of ‘don’t make him angry’ when Hulk came to the Emirates a couple of years ago, but that must happen everywhere he plays.
GIE. Love the last one lol
Szczesny against Mertesacker in Poland v Germany tonight.
Lampard is not very good. That is very useful information for anyone that cares.
Ramsey has been awesome second half. Is Rooney still on the pitch?
Fantastic performance from Ramsey.
Nik scored two crackers for Denmark, and Eduardo got a brace for Croatia. Can we get them back?
Here’s the Ox.
No worries Raddy, Park scored again tonight!
Way too much garlic in me stuffed tomatoes.
Ramsey very very good. So for saturday, Song, Ramsey and Arteta or Rosicky?
Where were South Korea playing?
Hi Mickey. South Korea were playing away to Kuwait, I think.
Song’s still suspended this w/e. Midfield of Ramsey, Frimpong, Arteta, Walcott and Arshavin if we play usual format, minus the Russian if we go for two up front.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/park-chuyoung-kuwait-15372152/
26,
Ah yes the red card. Very happy with Frimpong though.
Being greedy I would like to see Santos, Mert and Arteta start. I would be very tempted to play Park as well in place of AA but I guess that is too many changes.
Noticed your comment earlier about PiL. Did you ever have The Metal Box. Coolest album packaging ever.
Can’t find the Nic goals, only this line about the second: “The tall striker added a second goal 20 minutes later when his rasping drive from 30 metres beat Norwegian goalkeeper Rune Jarstein”.
GIE 7:38
In the tune Valerie, Ami Winehouse (Bacary) i’ve heard this one, it’s good.
I really believe Nic B up front was easily good for 15-20 goals a season. He was never a winger.
Micky
Yup, got that one somewhere but in the Second Edition form, so no snazzy film canister packaging. Too much of my music is still packed away after having the builders in last year. Now that I’m thinking about that bloody marvellous tune again, I’ll have to dig out the PiL stuff at some point.
Maybe we should have just asked Bendtner to wear a Denmark top under his Arsenal shirt, he always seems to score loads of top class goals when playing for the Vikings.
26,
Denmark do play him in the right place! I really think someone will have quite a player on their hands if he gets to stay central.
Saw PIL just the once and that was enough. Maybe our Johnny was having a bad day, but not good.
Right, time me for me to turn in for the night. Leave anyone with a question. Best concert you’ve ever seen?
I’ll log on 6:30 for some answers. I will think of my own answer overnight. Iggy Pop a long time ago? Mmmm.
Nite all.
Micky best concert? Probably Muse at San Siro on my honeymoon (2010) but Kasabian at the UEA (tiny venue) comes close second.
The Specials at Glastonbury 2009 was also good as were Kasabian the same year. And Prodigy at V in 2008 get an honourable mention.
I have booked my hotel for Bolton game two nights at Waldorf in Aldwych for very reasonable rate courtesy of LastMinute.
So best restaurants in the area recommendations would be good, we like modern British but I’m out of the London loop, I was tempted by Gavroche but the £400 tasting with wine gave the missus a coronary!
Happy Mondays at Gmex in about 1989 would take some topping. But am going to think about it some more…..
Exile
Well done, a very flash weekend for you! Off the top of my head, Indigo at One Aldwych would be one option and for something completely different, the India Club – very old school Indian restaurant opposite the Indian High Commission, formica tables, 1950s style waiters, take your beer from the bar below, good food (not chicken tandoori etc). If you can get to Clerkenwell, there’s my fave restaurant, Moro on Exmouth Market (Spanish/Moroccan).
Cheers 26. The flash weekend was a demand of the wife for coming to the game 😀
I was in London on Friday anyway so seemed to make sense to stay in town….who says football isn’t working class anymore 😉
I will have a look at those restaurants India Club sounds good.
@ Mickey
has to be Muse for me, ive seen alot of bands over the years but nobody puts on a show quite like muse, not to mention bellamy is one of the best musicians going around. Followed closely behind is a band called ‘Brand New’ they have been called americas answer to radiohead (which is a big big accolade to have).
Bendy in internationals is a whole different player altogether, i hope he has a stellar year that way when he leaves we will get good coin for him.
What a game from Ox…3 assists and won the penalty, now that is a second half. I can’t wait to see more of this kid
Morning,
Good stuff. I didn’t expect any answers.
.
GiE and Oz,
You both mention Muse. I know Chris (bassist) and was at his house the other weekend for a party. My eleven year old son is a very talented pianist and Matt is his idol. Going to have to take him to a gig soon. Incidently Oz, Chris was teliing me his favourite place to tour is Oz.
Micky,
Bendy’s goals
http://www.101greatgoals.com/bendtner-does-the-business-as-denmark-beat-norway-bosnia-edge-9-man-belarus/105133/
My best concert was (predictably) The Clash, Christmas 1978 at the Music Machine.
Cheers Chas,
I think we may regret not giving Bendy a chance.
.
Clash. Saw them so many times. Finsbury Park Anti Nazi League ’78. Brighton with Pete Townsend playing four encores ’78 ish were top events .
Chas,
Just looked up the Brighton Gig. It was ’80 and Townsend joined them for three encores not four. Must get these things right.
Morning.
The Clash feature on a long list of acts I’d wished I’d seen but didn’t.
The Flaming Lips are an epic live act, and saw them most recently at Ally Pally supported by Dinosaur Jr. Both were superb. Elbow at the O2 this year were also excellent. And I love Terry Callier, one of his evening gigs at the Jazz Café is mesmeric.
CG-quality read from start to finish
For those of you who chose Robbie Savage as one of the most hated men in football….you will be glad to know that you were indeed CORRECT!
He has signed up for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing……..what a pr**k!!!!
Bruce The River Tour 1980
26may – Poland v Germany 2:2 😦 The krautz equalised in the 94th minute!! Typical
Shame on you to fail O’Levels Latin, such an easy subject! Even Lampard has an A’Level in it 🙂
GiE,
You mentioned The Specials. I saw them, also in Brighton on the same bill as Selector and Madness also around ’80.
The Banshees Join Hands Tour was good. Backed by the Cure with Robert Smith playing guitar for both bands!
Right off for a while.
The Pixies, Leeds Festival, ’05 I think
I watched the Denmark game last night and Norway were awful. Even Jermaine Defoe would have scored!
Nik Played well but had so much time and space.
This is one of the problems with stats. Park may score loads against China, and the Asiatic teams but hat does not relate to how he can unlock a top European defence. Same applies to Nik, scoring against Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands etc
Oliver Kahn: “Tonight there was only one world class player – Szczesny”
High praise indeed
GiE – last night??
GiE – I have read some reports and yes, he played very well, but Podolski and Klose were even better. Per M played too, but there was nothing much about him.
During the post match interview Wojtek was asked about the ManU match and he said that yes, it is at the back of his mind all the time and that yesterday he tried to keep a clean sheet to prove himself again.
Poland has NEVER won against Germany and Wojtek regretted that they failed to make history. Good lad, still very ambitious and confident.
My brother has just mailed me; he watched the game and confirmed that Chesny was 1st Class, some unbelievable saves. My brother strongly dislikes Wojtek’s dad, retired goalie, so to praise his son must have been well earned :~)
…don’t know why I bother typing these in english, jak i tak nikt tego nie czyta. pocalujcie mnie gdzies, ide z psami do parku
Evonne: So 13 Poles played well and only 9 Germans?!
I saw the save Sz made that was posted on newsnow (rasping shot tipped onto the bar), and it was a superb effort. Neither of the German goals could have been stopped by our GK.
26may – thank G for you, I talk to myself all the time, it is nice to have someone else who listens 🙂
I think it was 14 Poles and 8 Germans, Borowski is a volksdeutch too
Szczesny is actually well spoken, he doesn’t look too bright, but sounds intelligent and sensible. Hm, I am a bit happier today 🙂
I am sulking like you do sometimes. Not happy with my Club 😦
evonne, your 8.55am is quite a way to start the day (if Google TRanslate is to be believed)!
Sulk, moi? OK, it’s a fair cop. Am off to a meeting now but will catch up with you guys later on. Have a good one.
26 – you too
The Flaming Lips ? are they a botox group.
Best for me was The Who at The marquee
The Eafges at Wembley indoor
but the best group was The invinsibles mainly seen at Highbury
Morning kelsey,
It’s the Who for me too on the opening night of the Finsbury park Astoria. The show opened with the Tiller Girls doing their high kicking stuff backwards and forwards across the stage until Keith Moon joined on the end (uninvited) and completely threw them out of step.
Morning all
There’s a New Post ………………..
Rasp. It wasn’t the Astoria, it was the Rainbow. I think I went to that gig but those early days are a bit hazy thanks to my youthful penchant for “enhancement”!!
I do recall The Who at the Lyceum for the Quadraphenia tour and of course, the Charlton and Oval gigs. The Charlton gig alongside my favourite Little Feat was brilliant and they had the best light show (only bettered by Floyd and Genesis) – could have been the “enhancements” though
You’re correct Raddy, it was the Rainbow, it was renamed the Astoria some years later.
I loved Little Feat too, of the American bands, Steeley Dan were a favourite of mine.
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