Football 2013-2014

[The Nal]

http://injuryleague.com/injury-league/

Top of the leage by a big margin!

From football 365

'Chamberlain got injured in the first game of the season, didn't play until January. Walcott has barely played and is out until next Season, Ramsey has been out for 2 months now and Cazorla was out for a month at the start of the season. Podolski missed pretty much August through December, Sanogo missed 5 months. Arteta also spent about a month out on 2 occasions, Monreal missed almost 2 months. Even Zelalem missed 1.5 months right of the bat.

Now Wilshere is supposed to be out for over a month and Özil as well.'

[zahidf]

Every single season? Nah.

Really poor excuse. As the lone excuse anyway. "Oh we had lots of injuries".

Utd have had bad injury lists for as long as I can remember. You wouldn't catch Tony Adams, Bergkamp, Henry, Pires, Keown etc laying injuries down as an excuse for failure.

[eFestivals]

Not true at all.

you sure?

I can't remember any other team losing around three of their most major players for 1/2 a season or more in what seems like every season.

[eFestivals]

Every single season? Nah.

Really poor excuse. As the lone excuse anyway. "Oh we had lots of injuries".

Utd have had bad injury lists for as long as I can remember. You wouldn't catch Tony Adams, Bergkamp, Henry, Pires, Keown etc laying injuries down as an excuse for failure.

I'm not trying to give it as any excuse, I'm merely noting that Arsenal seem to suffer much worse than other top clubs - a number of their bigger players for very long spells season after season after season.

In terms of today's Utd squad it would be around the equivalent of Rooney never playing for three seasons on the trot.

Other clubs get injuries, but they don't seem to be as many, for as long, or to their bigger players - at least, not all those things at once in the way that Arsenal seem to suffer from it.

Edited March 13, 2014 by eFestivals

[Wooderson]

LFC still going on about. Surprised they didn't release it on DVD.

[Wooderson]

Wonder will he have the guts to curtail some of this shite on Sunday?

https://vine.co/v/MWieQE5d7OL

[The Nal]

I'm not trying to give it as any excuse, I'm merely noting that Arsenal seem to suffer much worse than other top clubs - a number of their bigger players for very long spells season after season after season.

In terms of today's Utd squad it would be around the equivalent of Rooney never playing for three seasons on the trot.

Other clubs get injuries, but they don't seem to be as many, for as long, or to their bigger players - at least, not all those things at once in the way that Arsenal seem to suffer from it.

Edited March 13, 2014 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

But the list above mentioning Arsenal at the top of the list has Bendtner, Sanogo, Monreal and Kallstrom on there. Hardly players that will win you the league.

I'm thinking more RVP (when there), Walcott, & Wilshire as the very regulars, but also each season a few one-off biggies such as (this season) the Ox, Walcott, Ramsay - players who might well win them the league.

But they still get bullied in games. Maybe the injuries have something to do with that?

perhaps, tho I think it's probably got more to do with their training methods. I'm not seeing anything of much significance towards injuries happening on the field* so I'm guessing it's something out of sight.

(* aside fro the biggies - leg breaks, & the like).

[The Nal]

perhaps, tho I think it's probably got more to do with their training methods. I'm not seeing anything of much significance towards injuries happening on the field* so I'm guessing it's something out of sight.

(* aside fro the biggies - leg breaks, & the like).

[eFestivals]

But Arsenal aren't playing that way really so why all the injuries? Weakness?

everything bad about Arsenal is always 'weakness'.

It could be nothing more than bad luck, but it's probably something they're doing differently.

[The Nal]

everything bad about Arsenal is always 'weakness'.

[eFestivals]

Other teams fear certain teams and players from clubs who have been successful (regarding trophies) over the last 10 years.

yeah, you just keep on believing that everyone fears Utd.

[The Nal]

yeah, you just keep on believing that everyone fears Utd.

[eFestivals]

They did for over 20 years up until August last year. Utd aren't going to win anything this year. Much like Arsenals last 10 years.

What you said is a meaningless nothing, because other clubs stop fearing Utd in an instant just as Arsenal will show no weakness when they win the league while people say they won't.

[The Nal]

What you said is a meaningless nothing, because other clubs stop fearing Utd in an instant just as Arsenal will show no weakness when they win the league while people say they won't.

[eFestivals]

I really don't think they'll win the league with the current group of players.

that may or may not turn out to be right. I suspect that they're only really a player away from being able to do it, in much the same way as Sturridge took Liverpool up a few gears.

A team that gets regularly out muscled in 5-6 games a season doesn't win leagues.

Whether any team "out muscled" or not is completely irrelevant to where they finish in the league.

It's winning that wins the league no more or less than it's losing* that loses it.

(*and drawing)

"out muscled" means fuck all. When you mean losers, say losers.

Anyway, how's your Thursday going Simon?

Edited March 13, 2014 by eFestivals

[Wooderson]

Anyway think theres only been one celebration from Moyes this season!

[The Nal]

that may or may not turn out to be right. I suspect that they're only really a player away from being able to do it, in much the same way as Sturridge took Liverpool up a few gears.

Whether any team "out muscled" or not is completely irrelevant to where they finish in the league.

It's winning that wins the league no more or less than it's losing* that loses it.

(*and drawing)

"out muscled" means fuck all. When you mean losers, say losers.

Anyway, how's your Thursday going Simon?

Edited March 13, 2014 by The Nal

[zahidf]

Its not. Its a massively irrelevant match for Utd compared to any in recent memory. Big game for Liverpool.

[The Nal]

Ha, more like the other way around. Man Utd need to win to be in with a chance to Top 4. ( And would need Spurs to beat Arsenal), If they lose and Spurs lose, they can kiss goodbye to Top 4. If liverpool lose, they can still get top 4 relatively easily.

And a home game to long term rivals like Liverpool?

Anyway, i expect liverpool to score around 3 in the first 20 minutes, and then Man Utd to maybe get a couple back. I say 4-2 to Liverpool

[eFestivals]

Arsenal have been consistently "out muscled", "bullied", "overpowered" - whatever way you want to put it - for 10 years now.

Nope, they've just beaten just like every other team gets beaten. Sometimes well beaten, sometimes a scrappy win, etc, etc.

Utd have been bullied all season long.

How many times have you seen analysis of them ducking out of 50/50s

in which case Moaniho wins by getting bullied. His team ethos at every team he's coached is not to go for 50/50s but to take advantage of the fuck-up of the other guy.

People choose to put an emphasis on some particular incidents because it suits their agenda. Rarely does the proportion deserve that emphasis.

For example, some people have been saying that England are shit because Cleverly has been playing for them, but that's not really it. Cleverly *is* shit, but England are just as shit with Cleverly or someone else, because England are shit.

and collapsing against Stoke and the other bruisers in the league? Bradford in the cup? How any times have you seen Chelsea do it? How many times have you seen them buckle after a goal or two and then collapse? Liverpool this season?

Ahhh. In that case Utd have always been weak, cos now and then they've got beaten by shitter teams.

There isn't another top 4 team who have taken as many hammerings.

and that'll because....?

There's no top 4 side that has as regularly sat in that 4th position in the last 10 years than Arsenal.

FFs, Nal.

The list goes on. Arsenal aren't a physically strong team and I can't think of a physically weak team who have won the Premier League?

Well guess what Einstien? There's never been a not-good team that's won the Prem either.

The best team wins the league, the less-good ones don't. That's the whole point of it.

Arsenal haven't been good enough, but to pin all of that not-good-enough onto the idea that they're physically weak is laughable. It's no more relevant than saying their skills aren't good enough - because if their skills are good enough no one gets near enough to them for physically weak to matter.

You might as well be saying that Utd have been shit this season because Rooney does a funny shake-thing with his leg sometimes.

Its not. Its a massively irrelevant match for Utd compared to any in recent memory. Big game for Liverpool.

No, it really is your biggest game of the season. Your cup final. The best it's going to get for every season to come (for a while, anyway).

[eFestivals]

So its 3 points Liverpool need.

it's really not 3 points that Liverpool need. I've been saying since the turn of the year that this games means naff all in the scheme of things to Liverpool and getting top 4, and that still applies.

Liverpool currently have 5 more points from the return fixtures in the 2nd half of the season than they had in the 1st half of the season. They can lose against all of Utd, City, Spurs and Chelsea and it still doesn't matter a fuck. They'd still get top 4.

(They'll get at least 4 points from those fixtures, so it won't matter anyway.)

Unless theres a spectacular collapse from Liverpool (which wont happen as theyre really strong) or maybe Arsenal. Arsenal have a really tough fixture list coming up. Spurs, Chelsea, City and Everton in their next 5.

Every team below Chelsea and City will drop at least 8 points between now and the end of the season. It would take a cruel twist of fate for Arsenal to finish outside the top 4 even if they lost those 4 (much as I say with Liverpool in the para above).

[jammy2211]

It is a bigger game for Liverpool then Utd, but only because the win could see them pull further clear of Arsenal and really make a push for top 3. And a top 3 position for Liverpool would be a big deal too, as while 4th is their 'target' 3rd would give them automatic qualification to the group stage and thus a bit more flexibility with the finances they can spend in the summer. With the way the playoffs are done now, whoever finishes 4 could draw someone like Bilbao, Schalke or Inter / Fiorentina and whoever Russia, France, Holland, Portugal etc put in the playoffs.

Liverpool really need to be looking up from here. Man U could really make some ground on Arsenal over March if they did pick up the wins, but it doesn't change the fact they're a mediocre side who'll drop more points between now and the season end and thus won't do that lol.

[eFestivals]

It is a bigger game for Liverpool then Utd, but only because the win could see them pull further clear of Arsenal and really make a push for top 3. And a top 3 position for Liverpool would be a big deal too, as while 4th is their 'target' 3rd would give them automatic qualification to the group stage and thus a bit more flexibility with the finances they can spend in the summer. With the way the playoffs are done now, whoever finishes 4 could draw someone like Bilbao, Schalke or Inter / Fiorentina and whoever Russia, France, Holland, Portugal etc put in the playoffs.

Liverpool really need to be looking up from here. Man U could really make some ground on Arsenal over March if they did pick up the wins, but it doesn't change the fact they're a mediocre side who'll drop more points between now and the season end and thus won't do that lol.

I can't disagree with you there, from that point of view it's an important game.

I was coming from the angle of it not being a game they need to win, tho it's of course good for them if they do win.

[kaosmark2]

There isn't another top 4 team who have taken as many hammerings.