Slice Backhand Compliment - The San Jose Earthquakes. Yes, they finished at the bottom of the USA's Major League Soccer, but they are going all the way in 2009! During the off-season, they are traveling to England to play the Premier Leagues top teams! Well, to be clear, they're playing against the reserves, but I think they will learn a lot and dominate at the world stage in as little as two years. Also, they are holding tryouts January 17-24 at three sites in the Bay Area, and I'm pretty sure that's gonna go well. So, basically you European and South American guys better hope your sides are training hard this winter, okay?
True, he was right about this one though. Will be interesting to see if everyone who goes into a challenge for a bouncing ball gets sent off in the boxing day games, see if it's set a precedent. In a game we needed to win to be top of the league at Christmas, with all the good luck it has brought teams throughout the years... we lose pretty much any chance we had to a soft decision from a referee, what kind of football fan would ever take that? If they could stomach it then they're no football fan.
I'm not sure how how much he's connected with Everton so I can't really say whether he'll move or not, he's probably staying until at least the summer. I'd love to have him as we need someone for set pieces and who can win balls in midfield since Elano is average in those areas at best - when Petrov comes back the set piece problem hopefully can be fixed but that's not for a while.
On a lighter note... Keep your Villa, Kaka, Messi, we've got the one, the only..BIG PHIL CAICEDOOOO!!
Lol that goal he scored (the backflick) was soo flukey. I admit it took skill to do that and actually pull it off but it took a deflection then hit the keepers hand/post and went in. And it was only going like 3mph
Maybe, but 4 goals in 3 games (less than 90 minutes playing time) is better than the rest of our "strikers" combined. About time he got a start.
Yea I suppose, I just don't really see that stand-out-ness (dont know the word for it... maybe "twinkle") in his play. I much rather prefer Sturridge's style... I see a bright future for him
2-0 to the Arsenal! 2-0 to the Arsenal! That goal was silly! Diaby nutmegs one, knocks it past the other straight to Eboue, Eboue runs it all the way to the edge of the area... Diaby overlaps and Eboue knocks it to him, and Diaby smashes it into the back of the net!
Ya undoubtably Sturridge will be better long term, the only bad thing is that with Hughes' stubborness in playing one up front it's difficult for him to be a target man up there. One thing Caicedo did today and in his few stints in the last couple of weeks is OVERPOWER defenders and win headers and 50/50 balls, something Jo/Benjani/Sturridge/Vassell/Evans can't do. He'll be solid as he grows into a better player, and probably will be the only one along with Sturridge to stay after January, Jo/Benjani/Vassell/Evans don't have much longer I'd say.
Oh, and Arsenal have been very lucky, should have been up 2 or 3 nil before that Denilson goal and it's all been downhill from there. Fair play though good management with half of their first team missing.
This what Arsenal have failed to do for many years, actually win when they're not able to execute plan A. Although many *cough*chelsea*cough* fans will argue we do this quite often. I think to be a title contender you have to have to ability to get those undeserved wins
Agbonlahor was free anyway, would have been a goal either way good decision by Gallas to try to take his chance there in my opinion. It was a deserved goal anyway but now Villa have their confidence back, wouldn't bet against them scoring another here.
You really don't like the facts do you? lol. It's not even an argument, pretty much everyone (including Arsenal fans) know they aren't going to win if plan A doesn't work. I don't really find Arsenal all that pretty to watch like most people do. In my opinion, something beautiful is something that is rounded and complete... The Power, grace, skill, determination in equal measures that they had with Pires, Henry, Viera, Bergkamp, Cole, Campbell etc.. was truly brilliant. The odd pretty passing move here and there that you get from them these days are often followed by examples of their soft centre, lack of balls and general failure to fight for each other. It's like an attractive person, however good they look.. if they're dead behind the eyes they're never going to amount to much.
Just got back from Bolton away. great win for us. I think that takes us up to 7th! Europe here we come
Nice ground eh? One of the best pies in the league aswell imo! Wigan and Blackburn give them a run for their money.
Yeah, its a decent ground. Nothing special. Hot dogs were massive, didnt have a pie! You cant beat Wigans pies though!
Haha! Tell you who have massive hot dogs, Manchester City! I like the JJB, the car parking is brilliant and the ticket prices are the best around... the entire family can go for £50, whilst tickets for the likes of West Brom are £40 each! Crazy.
STUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURIDGE YA BEAUTY!! Finally a last second result turns in our favour, Danny boy made the best of his minutes out there to save us from an embarrassing result. Brilliant he's going to be a star.
Haha I expected good out of him but not within two days time! Big Phil played well but pure class from Sturridge if you haven't already seen it the last 10 minutes controlled by him and the way he cut through the defence in the end for Robinho..pure class, haven't stopped smiling since it ended haven't been this happy with a draw in years
Yeah i've been to every Chelsea v Wigan game at the JJB, apart from the opening day of the season when Crespo got the winner at the very end. This years was great, a nice warm August day and a fantastic Deco free kick! Was also there for the FA Cup tie when the pitch was just frozen mud, the league game where Belletti scored that screamer. The best one though has to be the 3-2 win a few days before Christmas where Robben got the winner in the 93rd minute
I really ought to get rid of the Portsmouth players in my fantasy football team seeing as they're gash at the moment, I should have seen this would happen when 'arry left.
I was so lucky on boxing day and yesterday. Boxing day i had Lampard(C), Zaki, Robinho, Lescott, Cech. I got 70 points. And yesterday, the same! i got 67 points!
I had Robinho (C), Ireland, Zaki, Ashley Cole, Carragher, and now Arteta dominant with those free kicks yesterday. 85 then 55. Now just have to worry about Ronaldo for Fantasy Cup thing that he doesn't get more than one goal and I'm fine.
Yeah the guy never stops running from the little I've seen of him it's amazing the pace and power he has in his game, it'll to be interesting to see where he goes in the summer if Wigan can't make a good enough offer. Oh, and Gerrard the scouser proves his "worth" yet again. It'll be interesting to see how he gets out of this one.
Moving in January?! I'll say! He was damn good on Boxing Day. Good call, but Gerrard gets away with everything. I heard that Liverpool is full of crime (heard it in the Torres song mocking). But spot on with Zaki, but I think he'll only be around for a few years, he's pretty old, right? Isn't he like 27 or 28? If he was 5 years younger he'd be the hottest prospect in the attacking third besides Benzema, Ben Arfa, or one of those guys. He'll probably leave Wigan pretty soon, though. If nothing comes through in January (there will be offers, though, that's for sure), he'll make a huge move in the summer. Madrid maybe? If they can't get Ronny or Tevez he's probably next in line. Imagine him alongside Huntelaar, they'd be incredible! Oh, that was good, but that scouse c**t can get away with murder in that city. God knows he'll just get a fine and have to do some charity work.
Apparently the DJ wouldn't let him play his favourite tune, which is said to be a Phil Collins track. Hahahahahahahahahaha
People still listen to Genesis? That's news to me. Onto the football: Word going around is that Real Madrid want to do a double swoop on Wigan in January by getting both Amr Zaki and Luis Antonio Valencia to sign next month. Juande, what the hell are you thinking? Madrid has tons of strikers, who are they going to offload in January?
I have JUST heard, Real Madrid want Valencia for 17 million euros(16million quid nowadays!) and Drenthe!
haha is that actually true? I had him down as more of an Anfield Rap fan! I bet he will only get community service for it all aswell, they should lock him up for a bit. As for Real Madrid.. I see they also want Pennant and Jenas! Losing out on Ronaldo looks like it's shot their confidence in going for decent players, neither player is good enough for a top 10 Premier League side so why the hell does Ramos want them at Real Madrid?
He probably wants Jenas because he liked how he played when JR was at spurs. Real Madrid chairman says that Ramos will be out unless he wins Champions League or La Liga.
Yeah he probably will, but are Jenas and Pennant the ones to bring him success? lol. There were signs that Ramos was losing it when he was at Tottenham and if he thinks Jenas is going to bully teams and get Champions League goals against the best in Europe then he really has got problems.
As in this season? It's already halfway over, how in God's name can you take a team in 6th place at the winter break and have them win not only the League but the Champions League as well? How about Calderon sacks himself before getting rid of a coach who has been there for less than 3 months (much less a coach who only has a month to build his own team)? Utter madness. Calderon, sadly, won't go anywhere, and will continue to blame everyone but himself for the club's mismanagement and failure to make a dent in Europe.
Calderon will be out in june 2010, it is impossible he wins another elections. I think it's safe to say he's the worst president in the history of Real Madrid. The problem is that before he goes he'll have the time to spoil the good things we still have and keep stealing some money in the way. Hopefuly, someone will start a vote of no confidence at the end of the season and he'll be out before but it is not easy. As for the signings, Ramos wants a right wing attacker, and his favourite was Ashley Young. The thing is we just bought Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra and they just discovered, after spending 46 million Euros, that only one of them can play Champions because you can only sign one player that played UEFA for the Champions League (of course, nobody resigned or gave a press conference to explain it). So now they are looking for someone who hasn't played UEFA, and Pennant and Valencia are the ones that comply the requirements even though they're not good enough for RM. On the other hand, Calderon knows his popularity has plummeted, and that his only chance to win again is to win the Champions League next year. So he's planning to spend something like 200 million euros this summer buying Benzema, Kun Aguero, Ribery/Ronaldo (and probably Maradona, Pele and Cruyff) If he's gonna spend that money it will be absurd to buy another right wing attacker for 20 million euros, so they're trying to get Valencia on a loan. But, us we all know. Of each 4 words Calderon says, 3 are lies. So we'll probably end up buying Valencia (whom I had never heard of before) for 20 million, and next summer we'll make again a fool of ourselves saying we're going to buy 3 superstars and not signing any of them. It is really a shame, but I have to take my share of the blame because I was fooled by Calderon's promises and voted for him.
