Alan Pardew's comments re Arsenal

[iROBOT]

On a purley personal point. I dont give a fuck who's been playing the awsome football at Highbury since the arrival of Wenger. He's totally transformed the club from a Boltonesque kicking machine into a team that plays with flair and approches total football, even in this season we've seen flash's of utter brilliance.

Every neutral I know, love's to watch The Arsenal

 

[hammerntongues]

.

Every neutral I know, love's to watch The Arsenal

only in with the hope they get beaten

 

[mattie]

I don't agree with that argument, our national squad seems as strong as ever to me, but Pardew didn't make it; he was just talking about the league.

I agree that Pardew didn't explicitly make the argument - I inferred this interpretation as otherwise I'm at a loss as to what he meant by the 'soul' of English football - it's quite a nebular concept, I'm afraid, with many interpretations of which mine is just one. I don't think Pardew really made it clear quite what he was thinking, but (the key argument I'm trying to make) is that it's not racist, and labelling it as such is disingenuous.

Interesting article in Guardian

 

[Streathamite]

Clearly you will never get a Gooner to disagree with Wenger and its a safe bet that those posters going so are Gooners .

I'm agooner. amazingly, and astonishingly enough I can - gasp! - talk sound, objective sense.
we live - like it or not - in an internationalised, globalised era of football, and - leaving every other factor aside - this will be the case as long as we are EU. arsenal being such a multi-national side is as inevitable - and desirable - as night following day. And to wish it were any other way is purest Luddism, and laughably behind the times. yes, it would be nice if arsenal had more homegrown players. it wiuld also be nice if i woke up next sunday morn a lottery millionaire, and that is every bit as unlikely and unrealistic. You have to adapt your ways and values to your era, in football as everything else.

 

[hammerntongues]

I'm agooner. amazingly, and astonishingly enough I can - gasp! - talk sound, objective sense.
we live - like it or not - in an internationalised, globalised era of football, and - leaving every other factor aside - this will be the case as long as we are EU. arsenal being such a multi-national side is as inevitable - and desirable - as night following day. And to wish it were any other way is purest Luddism, and laughably behind the times. yes, it would be nice if arsenal had more homegrown players. it wiuld also be nice if i woke up next sunday morn a lottery millionaire, and that is every bit as unlikely and unrealistic. You have to adapt your ways and values to your era, in football as everything else.

I am agreeing with you entirely , football fans however are not rational they always have a biased agenda , given any opportunity to knock another club we grasp it with both hands , particularly if it involves Chelsea , Man u or The Arse . We are jealous of the success even if we may pretend otherwise but don`t expect us to admit it with good grace.

 

[tommers]

arsenal being such a multi-national side is as inevitable - and desirable - as night following day.

but they're not multi-national are they? they're french. or french african.

 

[fela fan]

Every neutral I know, love's to watch The Arsenal

Not just neutrals mate, just that they're quicker to acknowledge this!

Good to see arsenal back to their flowing best against liverpool. Football like that is a total joy to behold. Being your team makes it better, but really, we're all football fans, and it can't help to rouse the spirit watching total football... and that is what wenger brought us.

 

[fela fan]

but they're not multi-national are they? they're french. or french african.

From france, ivory coast, england, italy, spain, switzerland, holland, sweden, brazil, german.

Hey that's not very multi-national now is it!!

 

[hammerntongues]

Not just neutrals mate, just that they're quicker to acknowledge this!

Good to see arsenal back to their flowing best against liverpool. Football like that is a total joy to behold. Being your team makes it better, but really, we're all football fans, and it can't help to rouse the spirit watching total football... and that is what wenger brought us.

Another Gooner .

who are you trying to kid ? do you really think fans other than Gooners like to see Arsenal playing good football , its bollocks , total bollocks , unless its against overseas teams (and even then its close ) we get more pleasure seeing Arsenal playing shit and this year we have had more pleasure watching Arsenal than most

 

[tommers]

From france, ivory coast, england, italy, spain, switzerland, holland, sweden, brazil, german.

Hey that's not very multi-national now is it!!

no, that is a veritable league of nations...

however, of the 11 players to walk back to the arsenal dressing room at half time on sunday, seven spoke french as their first language....

"flying the flag for england in europe"

 

[Streathamite]

Pardew has also said if he managed a portuguese team he would insist on protugeezers making up the spine of the team.

then he's living in dreamland, which is why he will never manage a club big enough, or a team good enough, to win major trophies

 

[Streathamite]

or french african.

you do know that over 1/3 of Africa has french colonial history, don't you?

 

[tommers]

you do know that over 1/3 of Africa has french colonial history, don't you?

and?

 

[tommers]

then he's living in dreamland, which is why he will never manage a club big enough, or a team good enough, to win major trophies

ouch. that hurts....

he manages a team good enough to take four points off you lot this season.

 

[hammerntongues]

then he's living in dreamland, which is why he will never manage a club big enough, or a team good enough, to win major trophies

Thats more like it ! all this politeness was making me feel a bit queasy .

 

[Streathamite]

ouch. that hurts....

he manages a team good enough to take four points off you lot this season.

true; but this is a transitional team, we can and will 'train on' from this, whilst this season is prolly as good as it's gonna get for west ham. which is a pity, because I have a lot of time for the club. However, the world has moved on from the Moore era - or even from the Brooking era. it seems to have left not just WHU behind, but also Pardew.
Life - alack - is harsh like that.

 

[tommers]

true; but this is a transitional team, we can and will 'train on' from this, whilst this season is prolly as good as it's gonna get for west ham. which is a pity, because I have a lot of time for the club. However, the world has moved on from the Moore era - or even from the Brooking era. it seems to have left not just WHU behind, but also Pardew.
Life - alack - is harsh like that.

no... absolutely. the first season back in the premiership is always the best that a newly promoted team can hope for. the increased revenue, ability to attract better players and the increase in experience for the playing and management staff almost always leads to a decrease in performance.

and with the spine of the team - ferdinand, reo-coker and ashton - all under 23 it would be fair to say that their careers can only take a downward turn from here....

you're right. of course you are.

 

[hammerntongues]

true; but this is a transitional team, we can and will 'train on' from this, whilst this season is prolly as good as it's gonna get for west ham. which is a pity, because I have a lot of time for the club. However, the world has moved on from the Moore era - or even from the Brooking era. it seems to have left not just WHU behind, but also Pardew.
Life - alack - is harsh like that.

Well I think we would like to consider West Ham a team in transition given that we only scraped into the play-offs last season , the difference being that our transition has been on an upward curve rather than down.
I genuinely hope that Arsenal manage to persuade Henry to stay at the club because he is trully one of the greats of the game and would be a shame for the premiership if he left but without him your transtition is likely to be a disappointment.

 

[iROBOT]

only in with the hope they get beaten

This is why season 2003/4 was soooo sweet!

 

[hammerntongues]

This is why season 2003/4 was soooo sweet!

and why this season has been so painful

 

[iROBOT]

Another Gooner .

who are you trying to kid ? do you really think fans other than Gooners like to see Arsenal playing good football , its bollocks , total bollocks , unless its against overseas teams (and even then its close ) we get more pleasure seeing Arsenal playing shit and this year we have had more pleasure watching Arsenal than most

make the most of it, it wont last (and deep down your quaking in yer boots!)

 

[Harold Hill]

Well I think we would like to consider West Ham a team in transition given that we only scraped into the play-offs last season , the difference being that our transition has been on an upward curve rather than down.
I genuinely hope that Arsenal manage to persuade Henry to stay at the club because he is trully one of the greats of the game and would be a shame for the premiership if he left but without him your transtition is likely to be a disappointment.

Thats putting it mildly. Another way of looking at it is, take Henry out of Arsenal and they're no better than Bolton, Spurs or west ham on paper.

 

[iROBOT]

and why this season has been so painful

And joy...Arsenal 1 - O R.Madrid

I have faith, and you cant honestly say that this transitional period isnt starting to look good, and Walcote and Lupoli havent even established themselves yet.

Bring it on suckers!

(just in case you chaps dont know who Lupoli is here's a link....http://www.carlingcup.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewTalentAwardDetail/0,,11995~786336,00.html)

 

[iROBOT]

Thats putting it mildly. Another way of looking at it is, take Henry out of Arsenal and they're no better than Bolton, Spurs or west ham on paper.

That's not quite true is it? These are the stats fro 2005/4 three Arsenal players in the top 20.

Thierry Henry Arsenal 25

2 Andy Johnson Crystal Palace 21

3 Robert Pires Arsenal 14

4 Jimmy Hasselbank Middlesbro 13

5 Frank Lampard Chelsea 13

6 Jermaine Defoe Tottenham 13

7 Andrew Cole Fulham 12

8 Eider Gudjohnsen Chelsea 12

9 Aiyegbeni Yakubu Portsmouth 12

10 Peter Crouch Southampton 12

11 Robbie Fowler Manchester City 11

12 Robbie Keane Tottenham 11

13 Wayne Rooney Manchester United 11

14 Tim Cahill Everton 11

15 Robbie Earnshaw West Bromwich 11

16 Kevin Phillips Southampton 10

17 Emile Heskey Birmingham 10

18 Freddie Ljungberg Arsenal 10
19 Sean Wright-Phillips Manchester City 10

20 Didier Drogba Chelsea 10

That's a team effort.

 

[hammerntongues]

That's not quite true is it? These are the stats fro 2005/4 three Arsenal players in the top 20.



That's a team effort.

Do you think Pires or Ljungberg will be even in the top 100 this season ??

 

[Streathamite]

no... absolutely. the first season back in the premiership is always the best that a newly promoted team can hope for. the increased revenue, ability to attract better players and the increase in experience for the playing and management staff almost always leads to a decrease in performance.

and with the spine of the team - ferdinand, reo-coker and ashton - all under 23 it would be fair to say that their careers can only take a downward turn from here....

you're right. of course you are.

aww shucks
there's also another factor, which is that the prem 'regulars' aren't used to you. watford, famously finished 2nd in their first year in the old D1, and went downhill from there. next year, they'll all be familiar with your idiosyncrasies. having said that, benayoun, mullins and those 3 augur well for the future

 

[iROBOT]

Do you think Pires or Ljungberg will be even in the top 100 this season ??

We are in a transitional period...if you think this is the end of Arsenal...how wrong you are....

 

[iROBOT]

aww shucks
there's also another factor, which is that the prem 'regulars' aren't used to you. watford, famously finished 2nd in their first year in the old D1, and went downhill from there. next year, they'll all be familiar with your idiosyncrasies. having said that, benayoun, mullins and those 3 augur well for the future

And dont forget Ipswich!

 

[iROBOT]

Do you think Pires or Ljungberg will be even in the top 100 this season ??

Oh just found out your a Spanner, fancy putting a £100 bet on to see who finishes above the other next season.

easy money for you considering that Henry is supposed to be going to Barcelona, and after that we'll be no better then Bolton.

Pm me...

 

[hammerntongues]

We are in a transitional period...if you think this is the end of Arsenal...how wrong you are....

I`m not for one minute suggesting that its the end of Arsenal , that would be plain stupid but any " transitional period " is just an excuse for " we are not good enough at the moment but we hope to get better " in the same vein that Spurs , Liverpool and Man Utd and the rest would all describe themselves as being in a " transitional period " until they get close to Chelsea who at some stage will falter for whatever the reason just like you have , Liverpool did and Man Utd did ..

Meanwhile we all get our thrills at different levels and believe me we got just as much enjoyment from taking 3 points from Arsenal at Highbury than you did winning 1-0 at Real , thankfully that is football.