Originally Posted by sherer (Post 35288688)

Does anyone remember playing Touch Rugby at school. It's the version where so you don't get injured or hurt you play the girls version and just have to touch someone for a tackle. Sometimes I feel like that is what they are doing with football now.

Originally Posted by sherer (Post 35288688)

There are some younger people who have only ever seen the game played like it is today which is a very sad state of affairs and is starting to make me lose my love of the game

Originally Posted by iadom (Post 35288700)

Song charged with violent conduct by FA.

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35288782)

2) UEFA are going to ask Manchester City questions about their stadium deal. All eyes will be on UEFA and if they now enforce FFP.

Originally Posted by Russ (Post 35288822)

Let's hope they get City ripped apart :)

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35288701)

No surprise. The idiot will now be suspended for the Liverpool and United games. Idiot. Baptism of fire for Frimpong. He was good in pre-season but I don't think he suspected to be involved in such big games! Still that's how Sczesney broke into the team and he is now our no 1 keeper.

Originally Posted by colin25 (Post 35288914)

Sigh...it is ok to bribe officials..and be corrupt...it isn't right to spend your own money..strange

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35288929)

Not much implication of UEFA in the FIFA scandals.



Most clubs have built up organically. United and Liverpool etc all built up large fan bases which allowed them to afford better players, better stadiums, more money and so on in a sustainable fashion. Those two clubs especially became big before the era of big money transfers by winning trophies and playing good football.

The key issue is that can sustain the level of spending as a club, protecting the club from going under. If the owners of Man City suddenly left they wouldn't be able to support themselves. At least with United they can spend big because they earned it, by winning things before.

Originally Posted by colin25 (Post 35288946)

Are you saying that none of these clubs were supported by resources beyond their means in prior years?

And as I said...it isn't fair play. It is merely making up rules to benefit a few people, mainly clubs who have built up support before.

Fair play it is not. If you want fair play...make the finances the same for all...but please don't call this set up fair play

Personally, if people want to spend their money...they are entitled.

Originally Posted by TheDaddy (Post 35289187)

I tend to agree, the G14 or however many it is now seem determined not to allow anyone else into their exclusive little club

Originally Posted by denphone (Post 35289197)

Well Arsenal were lucky last night to get away with a 1-0 win against Udinese and have many problems to boot as well as at times they looked all over the place in the match, up front Chamakh was absolutely woeful but walcott was probably their best player but midfield and defence would be my concerns as Song again went missing in his so called defensive midfield role and Rosicky looks past it by a mile and defensively their full backs are alright going forward but are not that good at defending.
All in all Arsenal play lovely football but my concerns are when they have not got the ball and also Arsenal lack leaders on the pitch as well like Adams/Petit/Vieira and until they get these type of players in their side l fear that they will struggle to win anything.

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35289209)

G14 disbanded ages ago with 191 clubs being members of the European Club Association take their place. From the UK the following clubs are members:

• Arsenal
• Aston Villa
• Chelsea
• Everton
• Fulham
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Newcastle United
• Tottenham Hotspur

It's rather disingenuous to claim it's only the rich protecting themselves albeit that was probably the prime motivation for them. It's main goal is to curb wage inflation, when clubs are purchased by rich oil barons who think nothing of paying wages of over £200,000 a week this creates upward pressure on the clubs who are constrained by actual economics. Wages bills in football are already absurd and unless we create some kind of pressure to push them down they will only get higher and higher.

As an example the Football League, hardly the preserve of the rich, are also considering implementing a Fair Play System.

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The defence were fine. They were the reason that Arsenal did a get a draw. Sagna and our center-backs were dominant and when they did make a mistake our keeper was equal to the challenge. They were also confident and clam in dealing with set-pieces.

In midfield we need someone to replace Nasri and Fabregas but Wilshere was also missing last night and he is quite an important player for us now. Has the creativity and control that was missing last night.

Originally Posted by denphone (Post 35289213)

l think you will find looking back at the match that the defence was all over the place and were lucky not to concede at least three goals and what happens if Wilshere gets injured because if he does Arsenal are up the creek without a paddle and even if he is fit Arsenal lack strength in depth in many areasand need to purchase at least 3 or 4 quality players to replace the ones that have left.