By Walter Broeckx
Arsenal team at the start: Leno, Maitlan-Niles, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Iwobi, Özil, Lacazette.
On the beach: Cech, Elneny, Suarez, Nketiah, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang
Arsenal having most of the ball in the opening minutes and Newcastle defending deep and in numbers so not much room to create much openings. Arsenal get a corner that is put in goal but Taylor has seen the pull from Sokratis so the opening goal from Ramsey is not given. I wonder if we will get a penalty when one of our attackers is pulled in that way… One could say that at first Sokratis was held by the defender so the goal could have been or a penalty could have been given. So after 15 minutes still 0-0.
A low cross from Kolasinac is deflected in the arms of the keeper. Really not much happening so far when it comes to chances. Iwobi blocks a clearance but the ball goes well over. A header from Lacazette goes wide. A long ball from Newcastle goes all the wey to Leno. I think this is the firs time he had to touch ball. Arsenal attack through the middle Ramsey flicks it to Lacazette who tries to go past his man but the ball bounces in front of the foot of Ramsey who burries it in to the far corner with his left foot. GOAL! 1-0 to The Arsenal after 30 minutes.
Rondon with a low shot for Newcastle but Leno pushes it in to a corner. Leno trying to launch Iwobi after the corner but Newcastle can stop him and win a throw in. Arsenal players cannot really touch Newcastle players without being called back by the ref. Özil trying to find Kolasinac but the keeper could intercept his cross back in front of goal. Özil just can’t get his foot against the ball after a low cross from Kolasinac. Then the pass from Kolasinac is too far for Ramsey to reach. A great attack over a few players finds Lacazette taking a shot on the turn with the keeper beaten but a defender on the line to prevent a second Arsenal goal. Then the ref blows his whistle when Arsenal is taking the following corner. I wonder if he would do that if it was the other way round. 1-0 after 45 minutes. Arsenal dominated but finding it difficult to create much against a team that had only one thing in mind so far and that was defending.
Maitland-Niles down after 51 minutes and he needs treatment after being hit from behind but nothing was given of course. Özil and Lacazette combine but the cross is cleared in front of Maitland-Niles and then Kolasinac with a low crossbut the keeper can stop the ball in front of Lacazette. Arsenal trying to get that second goal. Taylor giving a corner as a goal kick for Newcastle. Taylor doesn’t penalise any foul from Newcastle but Monreal goes in the book for a clean tackle on the ball. Nice play acting from the Newcastle player. Still 1-0 after 60 minutes.
Aubameyang comes on for Iwobi after 61 minutes. Taylor now really firing on all cylinders to give Newcastle the ball. And the assistants seem to join in… Taylor refuses to give a penalty when a defender glides the ball out for a corner with his arm. Ramsey now down and he immediately gives the captains armband away when the physio is with him. Elneny enters the field after 66 minutes. Aubameyang with a long run but the keeper catches the cross in front of Lacazette. A big cheer for Taylor when he finally gives a foul in favour of Arsenal. Kolasinac gets a yellow card for calling the ref for what he is. Özil with a great ball to Aubameyang but the keeper with a good save. Still 1-0 after 75 minutes.
A good run from Maitland-Niles but the crosses can’t find an Arsenal player in the end. A shot from Newcastle goes over. One of the first shots I can remember in the second half. Taylor givig advantage deep in our own half. Really. But minutes later Lacazette loops the ball to Aubameyang who heas it back to him and he simply lobs the keeper. GOAL!! 2-0 to The Arsenal after 82 minutes.
Mkhitaryan enters the field for Özil after 83 minutes. Maitland-Niles with a low cross but Aubameyang just can’t push it towards goal. The keeper fumbles the ball in his own goal and Taylor judges that Lacazette scored with his hand. Well I never have seen that Lacazette was wearin gloves. That is two goals disallowed now by the ref. It could come down to goal difference of course….Taylor playing his part…
Arsenal trying to add a third goal but the final ball not good enough. Leno with a good interception on an attempted cross. 4 minutes of extra time. Mkhitaryan twisting and turning in the penalty area but his shot is deflected for a corner. Another chance for Taylor to disallow a goal? We take it short so no chance this time. Arsenal play out the match with passing the ball around with ease.
With this win Arsenal climb up to third place. If we can get our away form up to the highest possible standard we could qualify for the CL.
This page is not updating Walter, not sure what is happening.
Come on Lacazette, get some goals!
COYG!
Post a comment, and now I see updates to this page.
🙂
Need another goal to put this to bed. Need all 3 points. COYG!
Now Ramsey needing treatment, and still the buzzard form PGMO notices nothing.
COYG!
And Aaron can’t continue. Sure ref buzzard, no foul there. Surely not a card.
COYG!
Has Taylor taken a free kick for Newcastle yet?
COYG!
How to go Lacazette! Good assist PEA!
COYG!
Should be 4 nil, two phantom fouls. Anthony Taylor is not having his best game. Except of course to the PGMOL and TomP he’s doing just fine.
Congratulations Gunners! I hope Ramsey isn’t seriously hurt. Taylor I hope you choke on your meal tonight/tomorrow.
Very solid performance. 3 points, clean sheet, up to 3rd in the table! COYG!
Anthony Taylor is competing with Atkinson, Dean et al for the position of Riley’s favourite ref.
It’s a mark of how obvious the shit cheat decision on the goalies own goal was that Bitter Smith and the other mug just clammed up because obviously not allowed to call it for what it was.
So third in the league – but we have the majority of our remaining games away. We need good away form to secure that spot at the end of the season.
That’s pretty much it from me – packing is done, about to have breakfast, and then off to the airport to fly back to the UK (via Singapore).
Thanks Walter for the report.
MOTM performance from Ozil
Very impressed with Ramsey & how he hasn’t downed tools, even though he’s leaving us. Nice goal!
Beautiful goal from Laca!!
Just amazed at 2 disallowed goals ( even though they both went on to score!) & Monreal’s booking was harsh imo.
Up to 3rd… happy days!!
Rerunning the model, now that our game versus Newcastle finished, we are expecting a smidgen over 14.5 points, so by proper rounding rules we expect6 to finish with 78 points.
Chel$ea don’t play Newcastle in games remaining, so they are still expecting 73.
ManU don’t play Newcastle in games remaining, so they are still expecting 74.
The spuds don’t play Newcastle in games remaining, so they are still expecting 76.
Come on St.Totteringham!
Some of the Arsenal play tonight was breathtaking, and the overall team performance was excellent. The PGMOB penguin tried his best to manage the result, but came up short. I noticed ironic cheering when we got a free kick in the second half after a spate of dodgy Newcastle free-kicks. We need to push for third place, just in case Chelsea fluke the Europa League.
WOO HOO , HOO ! Watched only the last 20 minutes of the game , but was suitable impressed with the effort and application of our players. Well done guys.
No mention of the disallowed own goal , by the experts on my coverage.Townsed was crap as usual , with Jenas being a Spud as usual, with some saving grace from Robb Stark ,… sorry Owen Heargreaves ! Winter is coming, after all !
During the post match report , they seemed most intent to discuss Ramsey’s leaving ,and how we cocked up big time by not getting any money from his leaving .
And what a big loss he is going to be .And what a great midfield player he is. I don’t remember them ever praising him like that before. Took the usual snide and sideswipes at Ozil too. Thank god the didn’t mention AW !
I gave up before they could interview UE. Sleep is important at my age !
Like Tony , I hope we do well enough in the away games to maintain this third position in the league.
Up the Gunners !
I suspect many more attempts at a taylored type result before the season is out.
Completely obvious what the ref was trying to do , glad to see the fans let him, and an inept linesman have it.
Well done to the team for overcoming twelve men.
The match programme said that was Taylor’s sixth Arsenal game this season, and despite generally getting decent results under him and despite him, hope it is his last.
No wonder this site is dying a death.All it has become is a moan about referees and thats without menace posting.The opening goal was rightfully chalked off for a tug on the Newcastle defender and i thought monreals yellow was fair considering studs up.Some of you are definitely blinkered and biassed beyond belief.Having said that it was a great performance with some breathtaking football.More sterner tests to come for our defense away from home but we are in the driving seat for 3rd or 4th.A massive improvement on the last 2 seasons and already more points than last year .Onwards and upwards with Unai.Goes to show that Tonys stat was a myth about new managers as Emery has shown.
Then do one nick and go somewhere else. Easy isn’t it. You wont be missed.
@ Nick
Are you deliberately trying to wind people up?
Do you rweally think we would have been given a penalty if a small tug on the shirt sleeve had been by the defender on one of our players?
And you need to look at the Monreal incident again. His studs were not up. If you actually check, you see him twist his foot to ensure that is the case.
If you don’t like the site and think it’s dying a death, why are you still here?
Some of us are blinkered??? Monreal got the ball.. Almiron made the most of it!
Yes Sokratis tugged that guy’s arm, but that doesn’t make you fall over!!
How do you explain our other disallowed goal, Nick?? I guess we’re blinkered about that too! 🙄
I am probably blinkered but I could see that Monreal turned his foot when he went in the tackle so that there was no studs showing. His studs were in the direction of the floor.
And for the first disallowed as the camera angle showed that the ref had no view on the holding by Sokratis he had in fact no right to call a foul. It is something that they used to tell us every lesson when I followed the referee course: you only give what you have seen with your own eyes (or what the assistant has seen). VAR can stop that. 😉
So as Taylor could not see the slight pull he just gave a foul because:
a) He didn’t fancy Arsenal scoring that early
b) He wanted to help Newcastle a bit
c) Because Riley told him so as he had something to make up for after the spuds match?
And for the second: Taylor clearly indicated that Lacazette had scored with his hand. That was an outright lie from the ref. Lacazette wasn’t wearing gloves as far as I could see. And it was clearly a hand with a glove that pushed the ball in the goal. Now again he might have been unsighted but then why did he disallow the goal and then invented a handball from Lacazette?
Just imagine with 4 clubs playing for 2 CL places it might come down to goal difference…. and then to miss out on 2 goals?
So yes we moan. Even when we win. Because winning against a bad referee feels great but it also leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Can any of you Nick or TomP remember when the last time a goal against Arsenal was disallowed in such a way? I can’t. Even when our keepers are attacked on corners before a ball is played they close their eyes…. But hey refs are doing a great job…. LOL
Mikey and Walter
As I said yesterday, engaging with TomP is absolutely pointless.
Anyone who has a combination of 2 eyes and 2 brain cells knows our referees are indefensibly useless, and anybody who attempts to defend them as TomP does, has been seriously short changed in one of those departments, possibly both.
Similarly nick who will defend any decision made against us no matter how ludicrous.
Yes we all saw the slight tug on the shirt, but that isn’t the point, as nick well knows. The point is, can you in your wildest dreams imagine a goal being chalked off against US for the same minimal contact ?
And what has he had to say about the other disallowed goal ? A truly awful decision.
At least the first decision, though incredibly harsh, was subjective, where as the second disallowed goal was a matter of ‘fact’.
Did Lacazette handle the ball ? Clearly not as it was a gloved hand that handled the ball, so Taylor could NOT have seen it.
Therefore he cheated. Plain and simple.
I didn’t watch the match so I have no comments. As for the refs performance, I’ll read up Dermot Gallagher’s assessment on ref watch, at least I believe it won’t be tainted with bias.
As for nitram’s statement “anyone who has 2eyes and 2 brain cells knows our referees are indefensibly useless”, I’ll refer you to Tony… Maybe he can help you understand that the evidence of what my eyes see is not tenable in the court of untold debating. You need to do better. Also Tony and Walter could also tell you that just as non managers (especially successful ones) were not qualified to judge arsene Wenger, so also you who’s not a professional ref, are not competent to pass such judgment on EPL refs
TomP
Please engage the other braincell because the one you’re currently using is really not up to much mate.
OT: Intel 3D imaging
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/04/02/intel_sport_technology/
TheRegister has an article on this 3D technology, which is coming to Man$ity, Liverpool!! and Arsenal.
I guess a few years ago, it took 90 seconds (of delay) in order to generate the 3D “map”. This delay is now down to 20 seconds. The intent is to get the delay to less than 1 second (which is essentially live).
No redeeming comments at the moment.
@nitram, when people resort to cheap insults in debate, I believe it means they have nothing left to offer. Go ahead, whenever there’s something worth engaging in your argument, I’ll respond, but I’m too busy to waste my time on internet warfare with someone I don’t know from Adam. So cheers man.
TomP
It wasn’t meant as a cheap insult just an observation.
With 3rd spot firmly in our grasp, however we finish will be a tribute to Emery in his first season in charge.
I sense an air of team spirit on the field which has been lacking for some time. Everyone wants the ball.
And there is something about Unai’s antics on the touchline that is catching.
The future looks bright indeed. 😉
Nice story at Arsenal.com about one of the young men in the system.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/victor-macauley-my-own-words
Forced child soldier to Gunner!
—-
Congrats to the U18, for beating the spuds 3-2 (3 goals in the last 5 minutes)!
Moaning about people who moan…LOL
Has Le Grove send out his sons? 🙂
In reply to one of them: we are very happy but we can’t be completely happy as long as we get this ref shit that could cost us a CL place if it comes down to goal difference.
Yes we moan but not about the result. We moan because we wanted to win with a higher score, so we moan about the guilty person, Taylor.
Instead of those at Le Grove who wanted us to lose every match under Wenger to get rid of him, we wanted and still want Arsenal to win every match. Then, now and in the future.
nick the dick, sherlock of the blog.
I am an Arsenal supporter that is biased because of my love for my club, but I hate cheating in sport.
I was at the match & I believe Taylor was an absolute cheating pillock. He called the foul on a meer tug on a sleeve by Socrates to stop a clear goal by Ramsey. The tug did not interfere with any part of the goal. Yet he allowed Dummett to pull Laca by the arm & sleeve and then calls a foul on Laca for some pseudo foul when once again the ball was in the net.
TomP your a prize idiot if you think the PGMOL are an honest bunch of select qualified officials. They are totally unfit for purpose as they do not compete in a fair open scenario for their jobs. Riley is a proven cheat, corrupt to kingdom come with a group of well drilled neanderthals that he together with the FA pass of for officials.
There is no doubt that Taylor was cheating with his selective vision throughout the match (and not for the first time).
Arsenal won that match 4-0. Every Arsenal fan worth his salt knows that. Just as we beat the Spuds 0-1 and should be 5 points ahead of them.
I must correct myself. The PGMOL are fit for Rileys purpose of cheating to provide a set of results that suit his agenda.
The PGMOL officials are not suitable for the purpose of honest interpretation of the Laws of The Game of Association Football.
An ex kids referee being biased about professional referees LOL
Menace my special friend back from your Goa homeland.You are certainly the gift that keeps on giving.Oh how India misses their village idiot when you are back in the Uk.Nagave surely is missing your crazy ramblings .I bet there is only them and UA who will take you seriously on this planet.
Off topic but Spurs U18s are also learning the art of ’Spursimg it up’. Comfortably 2 nil up at halftime they manage to have a player sent off just before the break and then allow our U18s to score three goals in minutes 86 Saka, 87 Lyons-Foster OG and Time added on Cottrell. This result means that we are now 4 points clear of Spurs at the top of the table with 2 matches to play. Spurs have 3 more to go. Two more wins and we will be in the North/South playoff final (currently Derby are leading the Northern group)
Reading next on Saturday then Fulham on April 27.
Ashley diver is sent off!
Go Wolves!
And Smalling scores an OG to give Wolves the lead!
Go Wolves!
Come on Smalling, score another OG!
Go Wolves!
Today’s games affect the possibilities of Arsenal, Chelsea and ManU.
Arsenal 77
Chel$ea 73
ManU 72
Spuds 76
As an Arsenal fan on an Arsenal blog I would much rather listen to guys whooping it up and calling out the refs for the pathetic cheats they are, even if it is a little biased at times. Even if it is a bit OTT at times. Than listen to 2 pathetic shit stirring hecklers with nothing better to do in life than visit a blog they clearly hate and have absolutely nothing in common with.
Honestly, what a pair of sad b””””””ds.
Excellent result from Molineux where Wolves took United apart with sound tactics – yet again.
nick the dick been let out of his pen to forage.
Well done Wolves, great result.
You’re going to be a very difficult away day for us.
Wow. Good two nights, yesterday and today. True you don’t count your chicks until they’re hatched. A man utd fan said to me last night, that our 3rd position won’t last more than 24hrs… Guys, how many hours is that now… But those lads from Molineux, what are they smoking there….?
@menace, remember you’re the only human (I hope) in the world who saw lacazettes elbow on the Bate borisov player, as a push. So you will forgive me for not taking anything you say as having come as a product of a rational thought process.
Hello proudkev
Some Arsenal website says that today’s Arsenal transfer rumours look “promising”.
I would beg to differ. Today’s Arsenal transfer rumours look like rumours. When a transfer happens and you read about it at Arsenal.com; then making a statement about promising might be worthwhile.
Unless of course you have tons of money, and you can buy a player’s contract; then you can buy the player and turn around and offer him to Arsenal.
Foot.Lon is making noises about that supercomputer again. I don’t know how super it can be, if they can afford to waste CPU cycles calculating the end of the EPL season. Maybe they should calculate something about climate change?
I would imagine they are doing something along the lines of a Monte Carlo simulation, where they predict a score for each team based on past data and then generate many (thousands? more?) of implementations of the remaining games.
This is probably better than what I am doing, because the distribution of goals is very nearly Poisson (with deviations for the slightly long 45th minute in the first half; and the often longer and more important 90th minute). I am making more assumptions and working with unknown probability distributions on a hokey basis.
In any event, Foot.Lon doesn’t think we will finish in the top 4 (nor Chel$ea).
Me, I am hoping that Foot.Lon finishes last.
The Mag (Newcastle magazine) has a writeup on the game. Some comments.
Hayden is ex-Arsenal. But to say that any players are there to “destroy” is not in keeping with the philosophy of the game. Protect I can live with.
Writer is saying that he felt the referee was biased against Newcastle, and that two Arsenal players should have been booked. I’ve no idea who he is talking about, or what incidents. At this point, I’ve no idea about why he would think the referee is biased against Newcastle.
The writer seems to think that Newcastle might still be relegated. I can’t see it. If nothing else, EPL/PGMO xenophobia explains why. Cardiff (and Arsenal) are the two teams getting kicked around by the opposition the most, and the referees see little or no need to do anything about it. And United Kingdom or not, Cardiff are foreigners in the EPL. As I said, xeonophobia will see Cardiff relegated.
The Mag (Newcastle magazine) has a writeup on Chris Sutton’s comments on the game. Some comments of mine.
Sutton notes that the Sokratis shirt pull was a bad call. He doesn’t say that dickhead Taylor couldn’t have seen it, which some people have.
Sutton agrees that Monreal shouldn’t have been booked.
Sutton is commenting about some handball at 63m that Lacazette thought we should get a penalty from. Sutton disagrees it is a penalty.
Suttons comments during the game finish with a comment that Arsenal should have been given a 3rd goal.
Sutton will be labeled a moaner and having blinkered vision or something in that style by our own Statler and Waldorf.
https://www.goal.com/en-ke/news/its-official-alex-iwobi-signs-for-barcelona-from-arsenal/1qa1ggp25muqv1kl6l9vpxwohh
What the darn do these outlets smoke?
TomP and nick are like those annoying wasps that persistently settle on your food when you are trying to have a relaxing summer picnic with friends and family.
The only way to deal with them is to swat them with a lusty blow from a rolled up newspaper.
we’ve had a run of ropey decisions & ref performances, at Wembley, then Moss vs Man Ure was utterly biased, and now Taylors performance was beyond ineptitude, if Sutton is calling you out for being ant-Arsenal you must be bent !
but don’t worry folks, i’m sure it will even itself out over the next few weeks !!!! gulp !
I gather Mike Dean has officiated 477 games, and has now given out 100 red cards and 1731 yellow cards. I presume some of those yellows are “second yellows”. The article I seen, does not talk about penalties (or how many times he has danced on the field).
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/premier-league-football-manchester-united-wolves-mike-dean-referee-red-card-ashley-young/article26717936.ece
Chel$ea 9
Man$ity 9
Newcastle 7
Arsenal 6
Spuds 6
Stoke 6
WBromA 6
That is 49 of the 100 red cards.
Mike Dean
The lead in to that article, was that Ashley diver was the 100th red card. But really, that was a second yellow. Often shown as a yellow and a red. Is that how it is typically recorded, as 2 cards? To me, that implies that the second yellow is a worse offence than a straight red; the player is under jeopardy for a ban on the basis of the number of yellows and the number of reds.
Wishing
There are some games today. Here’s hoping for away wins for Brighton, CPalace and Cardiff. 🙂
TomP I suppose your mother must have pushed with both hands when giving birth.
The use of the arm to push backward will bring the elbow up. So get your thick skull round to understanding what happens when a bear hug is applied from behind. A push backward with the arms will result in the elbow rising.
However, you are no doubt the brightest reflection you have ever seen.
This is so so good … profound distinctions between *Intelligence* and *Wisdom*
Worth reading on …
1. Intelligence leads to arguments.
Wisdom leads to settlements.
2. Intelligence is power of will.
Wisdom is power OVER will.
3. Intelligence is heat, it burns.
Wisdom is warmth, it comforts.
4. Intelligence is pursuit of knowledge, it tires the seeker.
Wisdom is pursuit of truth, it inspires the seeker.
5. Intelligence is holding on.
Wisdom is letting go.
6. Intelligence leads you.
Wisdom guides you.
7. An intelligent man thinks he knows everything.
A wise man knows that there is still something to learn.
8. An intelligent man always tries to prove his point.
A wise man knows there really is no point.
9. An intelligent man freely gives unsolicited advice.
A wise man keeps his counsel until all options are considered.
10. An intelligent man understands what is being said.
A wise man understands what is left unsaid.
11. An intelligent man speaks when he has to say something.
A wise man speaks when he has something to say.
12. An intelligent man sees everything as relative.
A wise man sees everything as related.
13. An intelligent man tries to control the mass flow.
A wise man navigates the mass flow.
14. An intelligent man preaches.
A wise man reaches.
Intelligence is good.
But wisdom achieves better results.
The above post is for those who will duly appreciate it and for those who may learn and gain from it. I’m in no way calling some of those regular idiots who come to cause discord on here , either intelligent or wise !
Rather highlighting to them that there is a choice to learn , to teach and to enrich one’s spirit in wisdom and intelligence .
Oh, and also that stupidity IS often reversible !
In most cases anyway !
Lol @ menace, seriously? No wonder your cohorts celebrate you on here. You really are still insisting on your lacazette push story? And trying to use your pseudoscience to explain your alternate reality?
And you’ll have the guts to mock Trump when he comes up with alternate facts. Isn’t it easier to just go silent on that issue, recognizing that you had a mega brain? Or just change your name like proudkev(now nitram) did after a major whopper
TomP
Wrong
Menace may well go a bit far on occasion, he may not. Either way I’d rather read pages of his musings than a word of your inane ramblings
You really are an idiot mate.
Oh, and if you don’t like being ‘insulted’ (ah diddum’s) why don’t you just f*** o** to a site that will appreciate the bollocks you talk.
Just a thought.
TomP
Being the idiot you are you obviously couldn’t work out that Nitram was Martin backwards so why the hell would I of been Proud kev, which is short for Kevin, just in case you couldn’t work that out either.
You really should engage that dodgey braincell of yours before speaking.
Nitram(proudkev) the hard keyboard warrior ,It says a lot about you if youd rather read Menaces claptrap.It shows that you are as numb as him.You brainwashed Wenger lover.
nick
Do you have to agree with everything your buddy TomP says?
Oh Iv’e got it. You’ve borrowed his other braincell !
Not that it matters, but where the hell you got this Proudkev idea from I don’t know.
Nitram = Martin
Kev = Kevin
Get it? It’s not rocket science.
The thing is, normally once I realise I’m debating with a total wind up I just don’t bother, but in yours and TomP’s case’s, as your both so obviously angling for a row, I thought, why not.
You’re just like 2 naughty children trying to get a reaction, then when you get a reaction and you don’t like it you start this ‘keyboard warrior’ crap.
All you both do is disagree with just about every article written. Take these 3 topics just for a start:
Home and away form.
Despite pages of statistics, you disagree.
Money spending.
Despite the 3 biggest spenders City, United and Chelsea winning all but one title since Arsenals last success, as well as a large proportion of the domestic cups, you disagree.
Referees.
Again despite dozens of matches being analised by both Arsenal affiliated and non affiliated ex and current referees, including both subjective decisions and non subjective, in the way of penlty and card stats, you disagree.
If we said the SKY was blue and the Grass was green you’d argue about it.
Yes it’s fine to disagree, but when you are so obviously taking a contrary position on every subject simply for the sake of it, then that’s something else.
As I say, you’re just a pair of shit stirrers, or trolls to use the correct venacular, and I for one am just sick and tired of reading your drivel, but if you want to keep stinking the place out fine, but similarly if I wish to call you out for the shit stirrers you are, I will.
@proudkev, yaaawwwwnnnnn! Have a nice nyt.remember to take a chill pill. Tomorrow will be a better day.
Since nitram(martin or proudkev) is on overdrive bashing TomP(who admirably/maturedly has refused to respond with insults),I thought I should write in to commend TomP. First thanks for your research on wether teams go down after building stadiums. I’d always gone with the untold story that that was the case until your comments in the previous thread made me go digging and I realized the truth seemed to be the opposite. Second, I must say Nitram on one point I’m certain, you’re wrong in your accusations against TomP, except you can show me evidence to the contrary, I remember TomP’s grouse with Tony concerning spending was that very recently Tony was the person writing articles claiming Club spending was not a major key to success (with jamburg disagreeing), then suddenly Tony starts claiming the exact opposite and blaming the media for spreading the previous thought. I remember because in response to another commenter who accused him of not taking the spend of man city and Chelsea into account, he outlined his key factors for club success -ambition, setting of goals/standards good management, and resources. Points I felt perfectly matched my belief of what is required for a club to be successful. From your posts I think your hatred/anger is making you misrepresent TomP. I personally feel his well argued, politely put argument is a credit to the site even though his views are different. Indeed I always look forward to read his opinion and compare with that expressed by the regulars on here. Like I mentioned earlier, I used to take it as fact that when clubs built new stadiums they tended to do worse, but a few days ago, he argued the contrary, with verifiable facts, and now I believe differently.
I really can’t agree Hugo that I have argued as you have said, on the issue of expenditure. At the very best it is a gross oversimplification of what I believe.
Now I will always admit that I can be a sloppy writer, and that the sloppiness was extended by the speed at which I was trying to run the 3 separate blogs that I operate. So on occasion I may have written something that might have sounded along the lines you have outlined, but I find it impossible to believe that I consistently put that point of view.
However for the record here is what I believe…
It is possible for clubs to buy in top players at huge cost, meld them into a team, and then win things. Indeed that is what many teams across Europe have done.
However it is possible to build excellent teams spending far less than rivals, by developing youth players effectively, and by picking up bargains who can be turned into quality players. I won’t bore you with a list, but I’d put Bellerin in that category. Also I would say some mid-priced players can turn out to be gems (Henry is an example) who are quickly worth far more than was paid.
Building a team using the methodologies that brought us players from Henry to Bellerin is I feel, much more satisfactory than simply outbidding the opposition.
I am sorry I have not made that point clear to you before.
TomP here.
Thanks Hugo for backing me on this one. It’s nice to see someone willing to brave the barrage of abuse that usually follows dissenting comments.
@Tony, I will not go back to arguments I’ve made about your thoughts in previous articles and whether or not jamburg constantly questioned them, giving you enough opportunity to clarify your views. You have stated a set of views in your comment above, I whole heartedly agree with them, I would also add that it is possible to spend huge chunks of money and still not be able to put together a winning team, man utd has shown that, also you had in times past when your views were different given us loads of examples. Thus when all is said and done, I believe we can both agree that while money is an important factor in creating a winning team, there are other factors that are equally important, thus saying a team is buying titles is an overly simplified statement of how things came to be.
Lastly, I wanna give a shout out to my “hater” proudkev.