Monthly Archives: June 2014

Why Liverpool Fans Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves

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Unless you’re living under a rock, you will have heard by now that FIFA have decided to ban Luis Suarez for all footballing activity for 4 months, and 9 International matches. This means as well as missing the rest of the World Cup, he will miss 9 Premier League games for Liverpool as well as Capital One Cup and Champions League qualifying games. By my estimations it would be around 14 games in total.

However, he has not been banned from moving to another club, and it has been confirmed that he would be allowed to move to another club, with Barcelona and Real Madrid reportedly interested in the player.

But the response I’ve seen from Liverpool fans has been nothing short of disgraceful.

Strangely, after defending Suarez for his bite on Branislav Ivanovic, and his racist abuse towards Patrice Evra, they are now condemning Suarez for his bite on Giorgio Chiellini.

Now I’m not excusing Luis Suarez from the biting and racist abuse by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re going to defend him for doing those disgusting things then why turn on him now? At least have some consistency.

The other point about all this is because this is the third time this has happened, clearly Luis Suarez needs professional help. It’s not a once in a blue moon occurrence, this is something which repeatedly happens. Liverpool and their fans supported him through the biting incident with Ivanovic and the racism accusations again Evra, so surely they should be supporting him now more than ever?

Henry Winter made the point that Suarez is not the type of person you would expect to be biting people on a regular basis. He says how the staff at Liverpool see him as a humble, family man who puts in so much effort into extra training and is dedicated to his craft. Apparently, when Suarez was told about being nominated for player of the year he went round the Liverpool changing room and thanked every single teammate.

Liverpool fans are talking about taking £80 million and Sanchez and/or Pedro so they can get rid of him. There is no doubt Luis Suarez is a very special footballer and now the punishment has been handed down to him by FIFA, surely Liverpool would be best served to make sure he gets the professional help he needs.

 

Why Arsenal Should Try To Buy Luis Suarez!

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Almost a year ago, I wrote a piece which was possibly the most “controversial” of all the posts I’ve ever published on this blog. I said I didn’t want Luis Suarez at Arsenal as he was vastly overrated. Cue a lot of angry Liverpool fans telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about (which is half true I suppose) and a lot of abuse on Twitter. Now though, I’ve gone full circle and would like him at Arsenal.

And here’s why. Since I wrote that he had a phenomenal season, and was deservedly player of the season. He scored goals from every possible angle, and single-handedly propelled Liverpool to where they ended up – almost winning the Premier League.

In the article I wrote last year the main reason I didn’t want him was because he was a complete disgrace. He had been banned twice for biting opponents, been banned for being racist and dives around like er… Tom Daly (apologies, my diving knowledge is limited, but you get my point).

And now he’s done it again. He’s been widely condemned for his actions but I for one don’t care. So what? It’s all becoming a joke now. Some Liverpool fans are defending him, while others are saying he should be booted out of the club. Funnily enough, the same Liverpool fans who are now condemning Suarez are those who were defending him last season – how fickle football fans are hey? If he did it in a Liverpool shirt it would all be so different.

While his actions are stupid, ridiculous and have no place in the game, the most sensible viewpoint is the one Liverpool took last summer. If Liverpool obeyed his contract, he’d be an Arsenal player – but they stood strong and denied his move away from the club, despite the fact Suarez did all he could to engineer a move.

He stayed at Liverpool, scored goals for fun and almost fired them to the Premier League title. Let’s be honest here, most football fans think of their hearts and not their heads.

His footballing talent outweighs any stupidity he might do on the pitch. Liverpool’s hierarchy realised that and reaped the benefits last season and it almost rewarded them with the ultimate prize.

Look, it’s not as if I have no morals. I know what Suarez did was stupid and unforgivable, but football these days is a very superficial and shallow sport. Joey Barton can still have a career after pretty much assaulting people when in real life he’d be in prison, footballers can perform Nazi salutes and get off with a slap on the wrist – it’s all a ridiculous environment. Players can shag other players wives, shag their own brothers wives – morals in football died a hell of a long time ago.

Football has turned into a world where players can hold football clubs to random (look at Wayne Rooney and his regular pay rises), moan about a football club that pays them stupid wages because they didn’t get a handshake on their birthday – football does not play by normal rules.

The bottom line is Luis Suarez, for all his failings, is one of the best players in the world.

And if Liverpool are looking to sell him, then he is someone that should be on our radar.

 

Cesc Finally Joins Chelsea – And Arsene Needs To Be Held Accountable

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The news we all knew was coming has now been confirmed – Cesc Fabregas has finally joined Chelsea and he has been given a 5 year deal. Although the exact transfer fee has not been disclosed, it is believed to be around £30 million as no other club went in for him, and that was the amount Barcelona were happy to let him leave for.

You all know how I feel about Cesc. All the AKB’s are going on about our war chest is better spent elsewhere, whereas I believe Arsene has reverted to type and will try and “strengthen” the squad but shopping in the discount section.

A world class midfielder who is at his peak, has vast experience of the Premier League and is full or goals and assists, and we let him slip through our fingers. Lallana is being valued at £28 million, and Juan Mata was £37.5 million – and someone who I firmly believe is half the player Cesc is. Selling Mata and buying Fabregas – and pocketing £7.5 million in the process – is excellent business from Chelsea.

With the World Cup having a big effect on transfers and with signings before the tournament, this is going to be another frustrating transfer window for Arsenal fans. Last summer, most of us were upset at the lack of activity until Mesut Özil arrived.

But make no mistake, that wasn’t planned – Özil was only available because Real Madrid managed to sign Gareth Bale at the 11th hour.

So there we have it. A big signing that would please the Arsenal players and fans has been passed up.

Frustrating summer ahead? Don’t you know it.

 

Arsene Has Reverted To Type / Özil Signing Was A One Off

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In a week where Arsenal have rejected the chance to re-sign one of the best midfielders in world football, and someone who knows Arsenal and the Premier League like the back of his hand, another transfer revelation is that we are going to re-sign another former Arsenal player instead, in Carlos Vela.

Regular readers will know that I was astonished at how Arsenal could even pass over the opportunity to bring Cescy back. For £30 million or thereabouts, it’s a complete no brainer. Emotion aside, it still made perfect sense. Midfield was an area we struggled in last season in terms of strength and depth, Cesc already knows Arsenal and England so wouldn’t need any time to settle in or “find his feet”, he has improved over the last few seasons and was already one of the best players in the Premier League, a league he knows like the back of his hand. In short, he would improve any top team he did join.

And when you consider players like Adam Lallana are being valued at £28 million, signing Cesc for £30 million is an absolute steal. Juan Mata was £37.5 million and doesn’t have the goals, physical presence or assist record of Cesc. And Cesc has more pace and can tackle as well.

So when the disappointment of the Cesc saga sunk in, you assumed that Arsenal passed up the chance because he wanted to use the money elsewhere – and sign some big players in other position such as defence and attack.

But it now appears that Arsenal are bringing Vela back, for around £3.5 million.

It could all be paper talk, but wouldn’t that be Arsene all over? Pass up on a big-name signing which would improve our squad and improve the moral amongst the team and the fans, and sign a striker who has yet to prove himself in England for peanuts.

If you thought missing out on Cesc was the start of big money buys in other areas, you would be wrong.

Now Arsene has secured his new contract he’s back to the same old shite. Trying to find bargains from France usually, in the form of young players with “potential”.

Was the Özil signing a complete one off? You bet it was.

 

Arsene Wenger Has A Lot To Answer For After Snubbing Cesc Fabregas

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I was furious yesterday after news broke that Arsenal had opted out of re-signing Cesc Fabregas. It makes no sense whatsoever. We need to build a world class squad if we want to really compete in Europe and in the Premier League instead of being also-rans in both. Next season will see another fourth spot finish (if we’re lucky with United and Liverpool strengthening) and possibly a last 16 finish in the Champions League.

When we went the whole season unbeaten our midfield consisted of Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Edu, Ray Parlour, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Jose Antonio Reyes.  We also had David Bentley coming through the ranks as well as a very young Cesc Fabregas, who would become more of a regular the season after.

In 2004 we had 7 really top midfielders, most of which you could consider world class – and three of them were World Cup winners. Arsene Wenger (seemingly knew) that we needed an extremely strong midfield to compete at the very top. 10 years later however, it’s a different story.

Currently our midfield consists of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Özil and er… Abou Diaby. Whereas in 2004 we had 7 really excellent midfielders, today we have probably three? Mesut Özil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey are the only ones you could consider top drawer. Wilshere is injury prone, and Rosicky and Arteta are getting on a bit.

If you put the 2004 and 2014 midfields against each other there is absolutely no contest.

So not strengthening and bringing Cesc Fabregas back is criminal. How often is the signing of a world class midfielder handed to you on a plate? And for good measure, he actually wants to return to us!

I mean honestly, it is completely f*cked up.

Unless Arsene Wenger has a trick up his sleeve and has two world class players lined up to appease the fans, then I can’t see how Arsenal fans will forgive him for snubbing the chance to bring back one of Arsenal’s most popular and inspirational players.