2013/2014 English Premier League Thread

[Barnet Flame]

There is a code - and everyone involved in the game knows what RVP was at. He was our Captain, he behaved like a d-bag. But of course you all knew he was a d-bag before he signed for you.

We'll see how cheap the owners are in future windows. If they revert to type, then yes, they are cheap. If they continue to build the team where required, following the largest capital infrastructure project ever undertaken by a football Club, with absolutely no public money, then I'll cut them some slack.

[Pagal4321]

Originally Posted by devo22

it's pretty funny, especially since we're on a hockey forum. Hockey players change clubs all the time and celebrate against their former clubs, we've all supported former Oilers and Canucks playing for the Flames and will do again now that Smid will wear the Flaming C. There always seems to be more drama with that stuff in football ... don't really know why. RvP has always been dramatically more professional than ####heads like Adebayor, Tevez, Nasri, Cole etc ... oh well. There were probably only two options today -

United lose - all the Arsenal and Liverpool fans gather to mock us
United win - all the Arsenal fans pile on RvP to distract from the loss

I'll happily settle for option number two.

Was Adebayor even captain of Arsenal? Na$ri and Ca$hly are in a completely different category. You can't compare any of them to RVP who spent more of his career on the treatment table than on the pitch but yet the team stuck by him, did they not? Wenger still holds a soft spot for him but the club was held hostage as RVP only wanted to go to Manchester United.

Would I act the same way if Fabergas did the same thing, you betcha.

But yes, we Arsenal fans are totally trying to distract from a loss that I saw coming...that has to be the answer. I'd happily take a win against Liverpool and Dortmund and a one goal loss to Man U.

And you are telling me if CR7 came back and celebrated like that, you'd say nothing? Riiiiiiiight.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Was Adebayor even captain of Arsenal?

to be honest the fact that RvP was Arsenals captain has never been more than sidenote to me while it's obviously a big deal to you guys. Me personally I couldn't care less about stuff like that, there must have been at least a dozen players wearing the armband at some point for United over the last couple of years alone. But I get that it could be a bigger deal at other clubs.

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

And you are telling me if CR7 came back and celebrated like that, you'd say nothing? Riiiiiiiight.

as I said, RvP behaved like an absolute pro when he scored vs Arsenal twice last year. If Ronaldo went to another club in the PL and scored regularly vs United, I doubt he'd put on his sad face forever. Does RvP celebrating a huge goal with a slide to Rooney mean he suddenly disrespects Arsenal? We'll surely have different opinions on that one.

And by the way: Ronaldo has been mocked all the time for his antics, dives and all that stuff (both at United and Real), but suddenly he's the poster boy for sportsmanship? Good one.

[Barnet Flame]

That whole post is off the wall. Particularly the last bit. Nobody said what you claimed in your last paragraph, but feel free to run with that.

[Pagal4321]

Oh discussions with Man U fans are so entertaining....

Oh I guess I should add some substance. Where did I call CR7 the model of sportsmanship...I'll wait for you to find an instance of that.

CR7 respects his former club, a club that helped him become one the best players in the world. Yes, he's one of the best players in the world even with the diving and the whining and the silly hairstyles.

Ya, full time captains mean nothing to anyone....they just choose those kinda guys at random.

[devo22]

sigh ... oh well, one last post before I'm off to bed.

*) CR7 as a model of sportsmanship was obvious hyperbole. Pagal mentioned his non-celebration vs United last season as an example of respect and how to treat your former club. That's fine, but as I said, RvP did the same thing last season too. Pointing to Ronaldo in that matter doesn't make a lot of sense to me because both players reacted in the same way when they scored their first vs their former team. We don't know how Ronaldo would celebrate goal #2, #3 or #4 vs United in the PL.

*) I didn't say that full time captains mean nothing to anyone and I obviously don't think captains are chosen at random lol. I simply said that TO ME it's not that big of an issue. I could care less if it's Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Carrick or Rooney wearing the armband at United, that's all. Those are all guys that have spent a lot of time at the club and it's not that important TO ME who is the official captain.

That's all I have left to say and I don't care if you think that's off the wall or whatever. We'll obviously have different opinions on this and won't find much of a common ground ... shocker.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

a loss that I saw coming...that has to be the answer. I'd happily take a win against Liverpool and Dortmund and a one goal loss to Man U.

Really? I honestly thought that a point was going to be the worst case scenario and this was three points dropped. I've started to question if Wenger played it over-cautiously and could have gotten away with playing one of Arteta or Flamini.

[Pagal4321]

Originally Posted by Addick

Really? I honestly thought that a point was going to be the worst case scenario and this was three points dropped. I've started to question if Wenger played it over-cautiously and could have gotten away with playing one of Arteta or Flamini.

The problem with playing one of those two, who else would you have put in their place? The bench is severely lacking in quality right now, so that kills any kind of depth on the bench.

Arsenal pretty much played almost identical teams for 3 big games in an 8 day span, which is why I didn't think they could have taken points in all three games. Especially at Dortmund and at Old Trafford.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

There is a code - and everyone involved in the game knows what RVP was at.

Can you clarify this. Are you suggesting that his celebration was a deliberate attempt to wind up as opposed to one of sheer euphoria and relief?

What exactly was he at?

To be quite honest what I took away from that celebration most was that it was the most emphatic I have seen him and Rooney celebrate together. I honestly don't see the big deal.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Ya, full time captains mean nothing to anyone....they just choose those kinda guys at random.

What were your thoughts at the time on Sol Campbell when he arrived at Highbury?

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Addick

Really? I honestly thought that a point was going to be the worst case scenario and this was three points dropped. I've started to question if Wenger played it over-cautiously and could have gotten away with playing one of Arteta or Flamini.

Wenger certainly had his hands tied with the effects of that bug afficting the squad. However, he did have plenty of room for manouevre inmidfield. I think he was overcautious and that was probably a result of losing Merts, which was a real blow.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Bagor

What were your thoughts at the time on Sol Campbell when he arrived at Highbury?

That is a question to ask a Spurs fan. I remember the reaction not being good.

[cam_wmh]

Marco Reus has a release clause, and garners interest from both Arsenal & Manchester United.

I'd LOVE to have him..

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/16...clause?cc=5901

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

That is a question to ask a Spurs fan. I remember the reaction not being good.

What Campbell did was far worse than Van Persie.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

I'd LOVE to have him..

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/16...clause?cc=5901

That would be a devastating blow to Dortmund. Worse than losing Gotze. It would be interesting to see if he signed with anyone because IIRC he turned down several offers (including one from Bayern) to sign with Dortmund as that was the only place he wanted to play (at the time).

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

The problem with playing one of those two, who else would you have put in their place? The bench is severely lacking in quality right now, so that kills any kind of depth on the bench.

I guess as Barnet Flame mentioned, Wenger did have his hands tied with Rosicky being ill. While I have faith in Gnabry and think he has the belief and talent to do a job if he starts, starting at Old Trafford is a bit more demanding.

Rosicky's drive would have been priceless in the first half and although Wilshere was able to provide a bit of a spark, I don't think he's fit enough for a full 90 at the moment.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by rubecube

What Campbell did was far worse than Van Persie.

He honoured his contract.

What a jerk.

[Igottago]

As much as Van Persie irritates me, as an Arsenal supporter, I don't know if I can direct too much of my anger at him anymore.

If Arsenal don't like they way he celebrates, its up to Arsenal to stop him from scoring. If Arsenal don't like losing their big players to other clubs, its up to Arsenal to keep them.

And if Arsenal don't like losing to United, its up to Arsenal to beat them.

Trust me, I was irritated to no end after the game on Sunday...but Arsenal needs to figure out an answer for United. They have simply dominated us over the last few seasons, even before the RVP transfer. Not good enough, and a big reason Arsenal hasn't won trophies for a while.

This obviously hasn't broken Arsenal's season, or even rescued United's, but if the gunners want to truly be at the top of the league in the end, they will need to win these games, and be merciless against their biggest rivals. Overall a great week but the United loss reminds us that there is some work to be done.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

That would be a devastating blow to Dortmund. Worse than losing Gotze. It would be interesting to see if he signed with anyone because IIRC he turned down several offers (including one from Bayern) to sign with Dortmund as that was the only place he wanted to play (at the time).

If his aspirations are in Champions League...

Well, Dortmund has performed just as well as United in Europe over the past few years.

And then I read this.. Now this is fantastical

Moyes plots double swoop on Dortmund for Reus and Gundogan with flop Kagawa returning to German club as makeweight

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...ji-Kagawa.html

[cam_wmh]

fata