English Premier League 2016/17

[Treva ★]

Before Wenger tried to turn us into Barca (lite) I seem to recall he was famous for not seeing an endless catalogue of assaults and dives. Vieira still holds the joint record (8) for red cards, and Pires could have stared for the French Olympic diving squad... Simeone is an amateur by comparison.

No, no, Simeone's not just that type of cheat. On top of that, he's also the type who wouldn't hesitate -sorry, hasn't hesitated- to buy off referees and/or opposing players, have matchdays changed, and so on.

[Halie Satanus]

No, no, Simeone's not just that type of cheat. On top of that, he's also the type who wouldn't hesitate -sorry, hasn't hesitated- to buy off referees and/or opposing players, have matchdays changed, and so on.

Pfft, par for the course in Spain, no?

[Treva ★]

Yes, well, but if you want to do that and you're in London you can always choose Chelsea for that.

[Petrucci]

I beg your pardon Treva?

[Basil II the B.S]

Leicester City is the only English team qualified for the Champions League quarter finals.
#best league in the world.

Also, while it's an amazing achievement and I'm likely to support the underdog, their run will likely stop there.

If they get Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern, it'll be like nothing they have faced before. No English team is at the same level as them.
Juventus and Atletico are also out of their league. They have a chance against Monaco and Dortmund. Then again, the ball is round.

[Treva ★]

I beg your pardon Treva?

Totnam and Arsenal fans have railed against the Abaramovich-era Chelsea Football Club's antics (especially under the first tenure of the self-appointed Special One) and now Halie wants Arsenal to get Diego Simeone, somebody who has shamelessly done all that they've accused him of, to replace Wenger. And also wants to claim that English football is the cleanest ever™ when there's no such thing as cleanliness in football in the first place.

[Halie Satanus]

Totnam and Arsenal fans have railed against the Abaramovich-era Chelsea Football Club's antics (especially under the first tenure of the self-appointed Special One) and now Halie wants Arsenal to get Diego Simeone, somebody who has shamelessly done all that they've accused him of, to replace Wenger. And also wants to claim that English football is the cleanest ever™ when there's no such thing as cleanliness in football in the first place.

Nope, what I said was he's my preference of the candidates currently in the frame. I would have preferred Pep, even Lowe. As for 'cleanest,' again, nope. I said Wenger's teams were well known for being masters of the dark arts before he became obsessed with Barca...

[Treva ★]

"The dark arts"

[Petrucci]

Many means are allowed to get points in football. Mourinho was master of it, but he never played with intention to disable or harm opposing players. Unlike Simeone. Chelsea isn't known as a team who purposely tries to injure rival's players , unlike Stoke or AM.

[Treva ★]

I've been (mis-)treated to Simeone's teams too often for me to have any appreciation for the man's methods. I'll admit I have a one-way personal enmity that I have with few other managers in football.

On the same vein as the ‘mastery of the dark arts’, Guardiola claims that he has ‘more power than ever’.

Key excerpt:
‘There is no sign City are losing patience. Guardiola has received the backing of Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, despite the Champions League disappointment and said he has never felt more powerful at a club.’

After the Thais expressing support for Ranieri in the first week of February, I'd be wary of such ‘support’.

[Treva ★]

Lo and behold, Leicester win again and it's not an April Fools' joke. Five defeats in a row followed by four victories (not counting matches in the Champions League). These players should be unhirable.

[Halie Satanus]

When you think it can't get any worse, 3-0 at palace.

Good grief.

[Treva ★]

When you think it can't get any worse

Oh but wait…

[Halie Satanus]

Come the Spuds game I'm going to find a quiet mountain to climb, far from social media...

[General Nuisance esq]

When you think it can't get any worse, 3-0 at palace.

Good grief.

Big Fat Sams red and blue army

what a job that man has done

[Treva ★]

Before Wenger tried to turn us into Barca (lite) I seem to recall he was famous for not seeing an endless catalogue of assaults and dives. Vieira still holds the joint record (8) for red cards, and Pires could have stared for the French Olympic diving squad...

He still claims Alexis Sánchez doesn't dive.

[Halie Satanus]

That was just weird/hilarious/embarrassing.

Why we can't just hold the ball and run it to the corners is beyond me but it's been a thing with Arsenal for a long time.

[Halie Satanus]

So, done by the spuds today. No St Totteringham's this year, probably out of the top four for the first time since Wenger took over. The media buzz phrase is 'shift of power.'

The game: They were better than us, plain and simple, tactically, hunger, organisation. Just better in every department. It's not that hard to admit, we saw this coming.

Arsenal; there has to be changes. Seems to beyond belief, almost, the same changes fans have been calling for for years. We don't have a DM and we don't have a quality striker, but other positions are looking slack too.

If Wenger stays he needs to be ruthless and clear out the players who aren't good enough or past their best. Ramsey - Ozil (all to often, passengers), Gabriel, Cech, Giroud, Monreal, Iwobi (Loan), Cazorla (too many injuries), Ospina, Mertasacker, Debuchy, Jenkinson, Sonogo, Szczęsny (won't return unless Wenger goes), Coquelin/Elneny (squad players at best), Perez (wants out), Joel Campbell (never going to make it under Wenger).

Unbelievably, even if we got rid of all of them they could be replaced with a handful of better quality players. Bring back Chambers, Wilshere (one more shot).

Wish list:
DM: Sven Bender, William Carvalho.
ST: Lacazette.
CB: Virgil van Dijk, Harry Maguire.
RB: Djibril Sidibe.
LB: Sead Kolasinac.
GK: Kasper Schmeichel.
Marquee signing to replace Ozil - Marco Rues/James Rodriguez.

Of course we won't be in the CL next season so attracting anyone of note could be either very expensive, or simply impossible.

Stayers: Martinez, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Koscielny, Chambers, Gibbs, Alexis, Ox, Walcott, Welbeck, Wilshere, Xhaka.

[Treva ★]

Özil out? Why? I'll admit that I haven't seen him play in 2017, but when he joined Arsenal and the club won two cups in a row he was hailed as the best signing in the past 5 or so years.

[Petrucci]

That wishlist would cost around 300m pounds. Why do you want Cech and Ozil out? I heard Sanchez may want out too.