Football The 2013 / 2014 Season Thread

[soze]

Slightly an aside but does anyone know how this affects a players income?

Do they get paid a straight salary or are there match fees?

Do they just get statutory sick pay or some enhanced deal?

Do they insure against loss of earnings?

Players basic salary of say £60k a week they will get regardless of being fit or not. Just look at Kaka asking not to be paid until he is fit again. They will lose appearance and goal bonuses though. I assume most teams will have insurance that covers this?

Also if they get injured on International duty some nations cover the wages until they are fit I believe.

 

[megadave]

Essien, Romeu and now Van Ginkel, not having much luck with our defensive pivot players. Atleast we have mikel :-D

 

[Scouse]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iak0_tZRcWs

 

[Raven]

Some awkward results yesterday!

 

[caLLous]

We could slide down to third if Liverpool put more than 2 past Sunderland (looking very likely). Not bad though after "only" drawing with Chelsea. Based on our first-half performance I think we should've been 2 or 3 up at half time but it's fair to say that Mata pretty much single-handedly changed the game. Also, Torres is an 'orrible cunt.

It made me laugh to hear Mourinho moaning about players trying to get other players sent off, all I could see in my head was David fucking Luiz lying on the ground in "agony" last season with that stupid fucking smile on his stupid fucking face.

City and United though, oh my. I thought that, with Kompany back, City would be insta-fixed (to be fair they were a bit unlucky - Villa's first was offside) but they still looked a bit hapless at times. United though... Holy shit they were bad. Ferdinand is so far over the hill he's out of sight. They are going to really struggle this season. It's fantastic!

 

[Shagrat]

Was a great day for Arsenal yesterday, the results couldn't have gone much better for them.

 

[caLLous]

I went my whole post without mentioning the gooners and you've just blown it.

I still think that they (and Liverpool, but especially Arsenal) are going to falter later on in the season with their total lack of depth.

 

[Raven]

Had money on West Brom beating UTD 2.1 too. Though sadly I had Rooney to score 1st. Missed out on £300 by 3 minutes or something

 

[Turamber]

We were terrible yesterday, no idea how we won! The Bacuna free kick was something else though <3

Birmingham 5 Manchester 3. United were atrocious but fair play to the Albion, two of the best goals you will see all season.

 

[Embattle]

Also, Torres is an 'orrible cunt.

Jan Vertonghen is a big girl.

I personally was worried about the game yesterday so a draw was quite a nice result although without Torres getting sent off in the second half I think we stood a good chance of getting all 3 points but can't complain to getting 1 at White heart Lane.

 

[Jimmy]

I went my whole post without mentioning the gooners and you've just blown it.

I still think that they (and Liverpool, but especially Arsenal) are going to falter later on in the season with their total lack of depth.

I'd have to disagree we may have a lack of depth at the moment but when you look at the players out with injuries and when come back there will be more room to rota some players.

would also not surprise me if Wenger did more business in January even if does hate the January transfer window

 

[Scouse]

Well, LFC are a bit shit right now. Making scumderland look like a mid-top table side :|

We never take an advantage when it's handed to us

Edit: Having just said that, 1-0 sturridge

 

[soze]

Handball goal You can see him looking at the lino to see if it has been ruled out. But the muppet is stood there staring into the sun with no hat or glasses.

 

[Billargh]

Sunderland didn't complain about handball, because to them hands and feet look the same.

 

[caLLous]

Man Utd boss David Moyes has Champions League doubts

I saw that headline and my first thought was "he's right, there's no way they're getting into the CL next year". Turns out he's talking about winning it this season!

 

[Raven]

So Liverpool then, the elephant in the room that everyone wrote off.

 

[Scouse]

So Liverpool then, the elephant in the room that everyone wrote off.

Give us time to fuck up, eh. We've been playing shit so far and have been lucky IMO.

Having two working strikers for the first time in as long as I can remember doesn't hurt tho.

 

[Aoami]

Arsenal, that everyone wrote off, top of the league.

 

[Raven]

Yeah but their squad is tiny and their training seems to injure people, they will be really struggling by Xmas, whereas Liverpool seem to have a very good squad.

 

[soze]

Yeah but their squad is tiny and their training seems to injure people, they will be really struggling by Xmas, whereas Liverpool seem to have a very good squad.

We have as much quality in depth as Liverpool with the exception of center backs. If you want to use you Arsenal hate at least do it properly. The squads are similar but we have Europe and Micky Mouse cup games to worry about which they don't.

 

[Scouse]

I don't think Liverpool's squad is up to much tbfh. No strength in depth except in defence.

 

[Himse]

To struggle for 1-0 wins and then still conceed to a down in the dumps Sunderland side doesnt exactly scream league winners or elephants in the room.

 

[ileks]

Arsenal's second choice midfield is still probably one of the best in the league. Ozil, Wilshere, Ramsey, Arteta, Carzorla, Flamini, Walcott, Chamberlain & Rosicky is quite a selection.

Another striker and defender in January and they are set.

 

[caLLous]

And of those 9, 5 are officially injured (fair enough Rosicky and Lolshere should be back next week). I salute your optimism but... you're Arsenal, remember.

 

[rynnor]

Frankly none of the top teams look amazing this season - which is great for the title race but tbh a lot of the football has looked decidedly average.

 

[soze]

And of those 9, 5 are officially injured (fair enough Rosicky and Lolshere should be back next week). I salute your optimism but... you're Arsenal, remember.

How many high end midfielders should we have? If we have 12 and no injuries we would be dealing with people moaning about players not getting playing time. Ozil, Wilshere, Ramsey, Arteta, Carzorla, Flamini & Rosicky competing for 3 spaces in the middle is more than enough. How many players should we have for that position? Having 5 injuries is mental and when players start to come back we will have some very good players warming the bench.

 

[Raven]

You always have high injuries though and always a small squad which means those that are injured end up coming back far to early just to get injured again or have to play with niggles that develop into longer term injuries. With all the tournaments that Arsenal are in, they are going to struggle later in the season due to the size of the squad. They have done very well so far, far better than I thought they would do.

Besides which it's the defence that is the concern, as it was last season. Ozil was not necessary and I think was more a case of the only high profile player still available, not that he wont do well at Arsenal, I am sure he will but Wenger would have been far better off buying a couple of defenders and maybe a striker.

 

[soze]

Yes so how many extra international central midfielders do you think we should have? And what would you do when you then have 12? 15? of them all fit and ready to play? As it is we are playing Jack out of position because we can't fit him in the middle. When Sati comes back we will have 5 midfielders who could play for 90% of the teams in this league for 3 spots.

The depth issues and quality in depth stop at CB for me. Midfield and up front we are fine unless we go for an Ozil style wow factor striker.

 

[Lethul]

So Liverpool then, the elephant in the room that everyone wrote off.

Im not getting carried away just yet, we have gotten rather good results but lost games we should win. And our wins have been close and narrow even against teams we should win more comfortably against. I still think City/Chelsea/Spurs will finnish above us by a couple of points. Hopefully we will manage to keep united below us tho

 

[Raven]

Yes so how many extra international central midfielders do you think we should have? And what would you do when you then have 12? 15? of them all fit and ready to play? As it is we are playing Jack out of position because we can't fit him in the middle. When Sati comes back we will have 5 midfielders who could play for 90% of the teams in this league for 3 spots.

The depth issues and quality in depth stop at CB for me. Midfield and up front we are fine unless we go for an Ozil style wow factor striker.

Like I said, you didn't need to buy Ozil, you needed to buy defenders (and maybe a reliable striker, nobody overly expensive) The only reason Wenger bought Ozil was because he had to buy someone. Ozil was the only big name left that hadn't been bought and Arsenal hadn't been turned down for yet.