the 370Z.com OFFICIAL football (soccer) thread

[phelan]

Cesc won't start against Shakhtar, we need him 100% fit for ManCity. That's going to be a tough game...and I'm biting my nails already with the thought of Fabianski in goal. Who, I gotta say, has turned a little corner in my mind right now, but not enough for me to be comfortable. Bendtner is an idiot, he's nowhere near fully match fit. Theo? That's the X-factor for me. If Theo is pre-injury Theo, rocking the right wing and wreaking havoc with good crosses and ridiculous runs, then we're good as gold there.

I hope we spell Arshavin. He's playing too much right now. It'd be nice to give Vela some burn too and spell Chamakh for ManCity. We can start Chamakh, then bring Bendtner on at 60 minutes, I think.

...................Fabianski

Eboue.....Djourou.....Squillaci.....Gibbs

.....................Song

.........Diaby.....Nasri.....Rosicky

...........Chamakh.......Vela

Now then, for last week...because I got REALLY pissed off during that game.

Birmingham is just pissy, but I agree with Arseblog, Birmingham is the one that's always howling about Martin Taylor's tackle on Eduardo now. We've been pretty quiet about it.

Yes, Chamakh does go down easily, but if there's contact, there's a penalty. Yes he embellished it a bit, though, so hopefully he puts a bit more subtlety in his approach, especially now that the refs are going to be watching him a bit more closely. You know, maybe a tad more than Roger Johnson (whoever the **** that is) coming out with a "perfectly good center-back tackle" and planting an elbow in Chamakh's head. And Johnson still comes out to the press with a "woe is me" story? You've got to be kidding me!

(Speaking of which, did anybody else get pissed off with the commentary? "perfectly good tackle" my ***, Trevor Francis, go **** yourself)

"The tackle by Nasri is a sending-off for me. He's kneed the guy in the back. Is that not violent conduct? I don't mean to be a whiner but we've had a lot of decisions go against us over the last wee while. One of our players is going to have to get hit with a baseball bat to get a penalty, that's for sure."

Nasri should have been recarded? What the ****? He knee'd Ridgewellin the arse because when Birmingham tried to do the free kick the first thing Ridgewell did was try to snap his ankle off. Go look at the video again, his leg just comes out of nowhere and kicks Nasri. I'd be pissed too, what kind of silly conduct is that? **** you Birmingham, you sorry sack of cunts. I'll be the first one in line with the baseball bat, thank you very much.


Sad side note. I think the Emirates is so much worse than the old Highbury days. It's so quiet now, there's only one corner that really screams support. The "greatest team" chant is so lazy, because the supports have nothing more imaginative. It's so...blasé now. Anybody else think so?

EDIT: I guess we won't see Don Vito this season?
Arsenal goalkeeper Mannone joins Hull on loan
So...Fabianski -> Sczesny -> Almunia. Right? RIGHT????