Football 2012-2013

[pink_triangle]

Yeah totally agree, he has been great over the years. Not sure how he is going to do as a pundit though!

[pink_triangle]

Forget the race for top 4, SAF last game as a manager or mass player retirement. The story Im interested in is the names in Brendan Rodgers infamous envelopes!

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

I think overall you deserved to win the Wenger cup. People can talk about how you have had a good fixture run but the games still have to be won. Its been a team effort by arsenal, while spurs has been a bit of a one man show. They really have themselves to blame for not buying a decent forward either last summer or January to share some of the burden with Bale.

Im glad to see the tabloid media who were extremely disrespectful to Wenger (while bigging up arry as a miracle worker) have been proven wrong again. To lose RVP and end up with slightly more points and a similar amount of goals is a decent season. While I think your in a good place to strengthen this season with no obvious stars heading for the exit door, I don't see you challenging for the title as I am still yet to be convinced that your players have the belief against the big sides.

[strummer77]

I think it depends what you are looking for in a pundit, if you want a nice guy like redknapp than he could tick the right boxes. If your looking for in depth tactical discussion and learning something new, then I am not convinced. When I have seen him discuss football I have found him a bit bland, however I do accept that I look for something different from a pundit than your average football fan which BBC/BT/Sky will target. I also think to be a good pundit you have to be able to put your personal feeling to the side and I could never see a situation where Carragher would ever be critical of Gerrard.

[pink_triangle]

Have they been proven wrong? Like you said, when you take into account circumstances of this season, its fairly decent, but its still a poor showing for Wenger and Arsenal overall.

[pink_triangle]

I dunno, I think he'll be alright. Much the same was thought about Neville beforehand- especially the bias- but he has been for the most part exemplary. Carragher's a proper football man without a lot of sentiment (some of his interviews this week have been almost too honest). I think he'll be really good alongside Neville, very similar characters in many ways.

[pink_triangle]

After watching MOTD goal of the season has to go to Mirralas in my opinion, a fantastic team goal.

[strummer77]

This was our best one, although replays aren't the best. Can't remember what beat it to goal of the month.

[TheGayTent]

4 of the "goals of the season" were conceded by us...

[strummer77]

No idea how reliable this is, but if true is a positive move.

http://www.soccerex.com/media-centre/soccerex-blog/uefa-set-to-beef-up-europa-league/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[TheGayTent]

How many times has the Europa League been won by a team that has come out of the Champions League at the group stage?

What happens if the winners of the Europa League qualify for the Champions League via their domestic league anyway?

I guess what I'm suggesting - without knowing the answer to the above questions - is that I don't mind the idea as long as they remove the chance for Champions League losers to enter the Europa League.

[strummer77]

How many times has the Europa League been won by a team that has come out of the Champions League at the group stage?

What happens if the winners of the Europa League qualify for the Champions League via their domestic league anyway?

I guess what I'm suggesting - without knowing the answer to the above questions - is that I don't mind the idea as long as they remove the chance for Champions League losers to enter the Europa League.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

They were saying they had no chance of top 4, so on that point they are undoubtedly wrong. I wouldn't agree its been a poor showing, they lost their best player last season but have still finished below only teams with a substantially higher wage budget. They were screwed a bit by the champions league draw but were no worse than juventus or barca against the same opposition

[Jackmypie]

WE'RE GOING UP, WE'RE GOING UP!!!!

[Essex_George]

Jose is definitely leaving...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22583729

[The Nal]

Jose is definitely leaving...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22583729

[guypjfreak]

just watched the panorama program about Hillsborough ...nightmare

[pink_triangle]

From the point of view that its a club like Arsenal, and their history, it is.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

If we are looking at it from a historical perspective Liverpool have had a dreadful season and Man City have had a great one. Arsenals historical success was not taking place in a background when 2 other clubs were being run completely unsustainably propped up by benefactors. The boards aim for Wenger was to finish in the top 4 and he achieved that aim. The only clubs who finished above them have a substantially bigger wage bill, if Arsenals board want to compete with those teams they need to spend more money, however they still have a stadium to pay off.

I have no problem with the tabloid media criticizing Wenger and offering in depth analysis to his shortcomings. However the analysis never goes beyond, he wont spend any money, they need an English style centre back, they need a big striker etc etc. Its not just the criticism but the tone which at times both this season and last has at times been very disrespectful and given the impression that he is an idiot. At the same time someone like Arry can do no wrong and any mistakes are brushed under the carpet. To me Wenger is the most influential manager in British football in the last 20 years and commands respect. On the back of signing one of the best forwards in the world, he got more points and a similar amount of goals which to me is a pretty decent final.

[pink_triangle]

I don't think anyone else's bearing has much to do with it. Arsenal have always been competing domestically and continentally with teams with more money. I think its a dramatic drop from a team that were in with a shout of the title every year, to only just reaching CL. Maybe I'm overestimating Arsenal though.

[Steve P]

When Arsenal decided to go for building the new stadium, it was always going to come with a dip in performance. They signed up to long term sponsorship deals, that came with significant payments up front, to ensure that they had the money to build it. It was a long term view in what is a very short term industry now, and I hope that it'll prove the right decision. What they couldn't have forseen when they decided to go for the stadium was the effect that the cash spent at Chelsea and Man City would have. We're now finally in a position to start spending again now though. Our new shirt sponsor and kit deals are bringing in an extra £50m a year to the club. We're undoubtably a long long way behind city, chelsea and ManU in terms of both first team and squad, but we should have the ability to grow again now.

The big question is will we spend? There are no excuses to hide behind for either Wenger or the board now. Another summer off messing around penny pinching and something will have to give. If they have to pay more for players than they want to get them in early then so be it, we can't wait till then end of august as we have the last few years. It's a huge next few months for the club

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Of course someone elses bearing has something to do with it, the more clubs there are spending huge amounts of money the more rivals you have for players/competitions and the harder it is to win things. For the first half of wengers tenure he only had 1 real rival which was man utd. Abramovic took over chelsea in june 2003, Arsenal won the league a year later and havent since. I dont think its jumping to conclusions to say that the rise of chelsea (and later man city) running the club at huges losses has had a significant impact on a Arsenals ability to win a title, a club who are not willing to run at a loss and has had to fund a stadium.

[pink_triangle]

Except even when they were successful, Arsenal have always had clubs spending more than them. It's not a new thing.

[kaosmark2]

When Arsenal decided to go for building the new stadium, it was always going to come with a dip in performance. They signed up to long term sponsorship deals, that came with significant payments up front, to ensure that they had the money to build it. It was a long term view in what is a very short term industry now, and I hope that it'll prove the right decision. What they couldn't have forseen when they decided to go for the stadium was the effect that the cash spent at Chelsea and Man City would have. We're now finally in a position to start spending again now though. Our new shirt sponsor and kit deals are bringing in an extra £50m a year to the club. We're undoubtably a long long way behind city, chelsea and ManU in terms of both first team and squad, but we should have the ability to grow again now.

The big question is will we spend? There are no excuses to hide behind for either Wenger or the board now. Another summer off messing around penny pinching and something will have to give. If they have to pay more for players than they want to get them in early then so be it, we can't wait till then end of august as we have the last few years. It's a huge next few months for the club

[LondonTom]

I dunno, I think he'll be alright. Much the same was thought about Neville beforehand- especially the bias- but he has been for the most part exemplary. Carragher's a proper football man without a lot of sentiment (some of his interviews this week have been almost too honest). I think he'll be really good alongside Neville, very similar characters in many ways.