Football Focus

[jimmy two times]

In the first seven years of Wenger's reign Arsenal players received 52 red cards.

[Atila Reincarnate]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> In the first seven years of Wenger's reign Arsenal

> players received 52 red cards.

Old news, but none of those lead to leg breaks as far as I know, also how many were straight red? Let's have it straight we wouldn't be having this nonsense if it was any other team managed by a British manager making the comments Le Boss has made.

[Sandperson]

Yes everyone. Stop picking on Arsenal or they'll take their ball home. :))

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Yes everyone. Stop picking on Arsenal or they'll

> take their ball home. :))

Or we could follow the highly adult Ferguson and refuse to talk to people.

[Sandperson]

It's certainly worked for the last few seasons. :))

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> It's certainly worked for the last few seasons.

> :))

Yes, in alienating him from the footballing community, well done.

[Sandperson]

And winning trophies. I'm not sure how alienated he is. He seems to be top of the list of invitees to the major award ceremonies. He's asked to speak at memorial services etc. I think you are confusing 'the press' with the footballing community.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> And winning trophies. I'm not sure how alienated

> he is. He seems to be top of the list of invitees

> to the major award ceremonies. He's asked to speak

> at memorial services etc. I think you are

> confusing 'the press' with the footballing

> community.

And you forgot my dads bigger than your dad.

[Sandperson]

Good one...if I knew what you about? (?)

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Good one...if I knew what you about? (?)

Oh I think you know only too well, don't feign ignorance,It's what a little kid says when bragging about something, I thought you'd have spotted that one straight off, as you seem to do brag about how wonderful Ferguson is.

[Sandperson]

I am beginning to think that you are genuinely certifiable. Do you read the posts that come up on the screen or do you just look at the user name of the person and type a reaction to what you think they would say? ;-)

[Ted Max]

If Levein is capable of reviving the Smith/McLeish habit of carving out 1-0 victories hugely against the run of play, things could be looking up for Scotland.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> I am beginning to think that you are genuinely

> certifiable. Do you read the posts that come up on

> the screen or do you just look at the user name of

> the person and type a reaction to what you think

> they would say? ;-)

Cerifiable, please calm yourself down sunshine, have I hit a nerve. Anyway I thought you vowed to ignore me, you just can't can you.

[Sandperson]

What nerve would you have hit Atila? The one where you hate Fergie and United? I think I have come to accept that. I can go back to ignoring you if you like. I'm just waiting for the next tirade that gets you banned.....again. ;-)

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> What nerve would you have hit Atila? The one where

> you hate Fergie and United? I think I have come to

> accept that. I can go back to ignoring you if you

> like. I'm just waiting for the next tirade that

> gets you banned.....again. ;-)

You can't get me banned old boy, nice try. I just like winding you up and reeling you in every so often, just to see if you can keep to your vow to A. Ignore me, and B. Avoid the Football Focus thread as you threatened to a while back, but haven't. Love the use of the smiling face, very artistic, just one step up from finger painting.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Chris Waddle has launched a withering attack on Theo Walcott after his performance for England against Egypt last night, accusing the Arsenal winger of lacking a "football brain". The former England international is not convinced Walcott has developed his game since he broke into the Southampton team as a teenager. "He just doesn't understand the game for me - where to be running, when to run inside a full back, when to just play a one-two," Waddle said. "It's all off the cuff."

Everyone is against Arsenal Even old Spurs boys don't like em...

[Jah Lush]

Well going on last night's performance Waddle definitely has a point. Walcott was beyond poor but to be fair to him he's had his fair share of injuries recently and he's still only 20 and he's still learning.

[ruffers]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

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> ratty Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Man's Game - get over it Gooners! :p

>

>

> Mans game, hmmmm, it may have escaped your notice

> but women also play this game.

At which point that is a woman's game. When men play it's a man's game.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Tackling in English football is out of control and must be addressed by the authorities before more damage is done to the game.

That's the view of Patrick Barclay of The Times , who was reacting after seeing Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey taken to hospital with a badly broken leg after a red-carded tackle from Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross.

The injury was reminiscent of the bad injuries suffered by Ramsey's team-mates Eduardo and Abou Diaby in previous seasons, and while Barclay does not believe there was any malice on Shawcross's part, he feels there are too many wild challenges which would not be tolerated abroad.

"What we saw yesterday for me was completely unacceptable in the same way as it was unacceptable when Martin Taylor inadvertently, accidentally broke Eduardo's leg," he told Sunday Supplement.

"There's a wildness and a physicality about the English game which I don't think is healthy."

"During the match yesterday one of the best chances fell to Eduardo," he added. " A challenge came in from the side, a fairly lose desperate one, and Eduardo didn't put his foot through the ball, and that's because he broke his leg before.

"Now that is why this is unacceptable, because it is anti-football. And Eduardo's career will probably never be the same again."

Views of Patrick Barclay, who, I'm sure, most people would agree is a reasonable, articulate, erudite man. Well said Patrick.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Rhinestone Cowboy Wrote:

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>

> Everyone is against Arsenal Even old Spurs boys

> don't like em...

Spurs old boys not liking Arsenal? I think you'll find he was commenting on a performance by a single player, not Arsenal as a club, and quite frankly I agree. However he has had a fair number of injuries and fortunately he's still young enough to improve. I think you'll also find he has said that we are one of the only teams he would pay money to watch.

[Atila Reincarnate]

ruffers Wrote:

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> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > ratty Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Man's Game - get over it Gooners! :p

> >

> >

> > Mans game, hmmmm, it may have escaped your

> notice

> > but women also play this game.

>

> At which point that is a woman's game. When men

> play it's a man's game.

Go to the top of the class for your incisive powers of observation.

[Sandperson]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

>

>

> You can't get me banned old boy, nice try. I just

> like winding you up and reeling you in every so

> often, just to see if you can keep to your vow to

> A. Ignore me, and B. Avoid the Football Focus

> thread as you threatened to a while back, but

> haven't. Love the use of the smiling face, very

> artistic, just one step up from finger painting.

Ha, ha. Did I touch a nerve? You are right, I can't take ALL the credit for getting you banned, there were several others who helped. ;-)

As for Walcott, did I see him throwing a bit of a moody as he was subbed last night? He was a waste of a good plane ticket at the last world cup and as far as I can see he would be this time round too.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> >

> >

> > You can't get me banned old boy, nice try. I

> just

> > like winding you up and reeling you in every so

> > often, just to see if you can keep to your vow

> to

> > A. Ignore me, and B. Avoid the Football Focus

> > thread as you threatened to a while back, but

> > haven't. Love the use of the smiling face, very

> > artistic, just one step up from finger

> painting.

>

> Ha, ha. Did I touch a nerve? You are right, I

> can't take ALL the credit for getting you banned,

> there were several others who helped. ;-)

>

And I'm sure you are proud of yourself, well done, take a bow, as Andy Gray would say. AS for touching a nerve, you couldn't find your backside with both hands so as for touching a nerve, naaaaah.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Saturday, 6 March 2010

Arsenal 0 Burnley 2

West Ham 2 Bolton 0

Wolverhampton 1 Man Utd 1

Sunday, 7 March 2010

Everton 3 Hull 0

Monday, 8 March 2010

Wigan 2 Liverpool 2

The FA Cup

Fulham 1 Tottenham 4

Portsmouth 3 Birmingham 0

[Jah Lush]

It's a good point that Patrick Barclay has made. I think that tackling has quickly become a lost art in the game. When I see Paul Scholes trying to do it and he's getting on a bit it's laughable. You'd have thought he'd learnt by now. It's something he's never been able to do and he usually ends up mistiming wildly and fouling a player and getting booked or worse sent off.

Winning the ball in midfield is by and large about making tackles but you don't see so much of it as you used to as the game has become less physical than it was 20 years ago but the game is one hell of a lotter faster than it was then and because of that we are seeing more injuries of the kind that has happened to Eduardo and Ramsey, which are down to mis-timed tackles.

Wilson Palacious is a pretty good example of the kind ball winning midfield player that you used to get. Making good tackles, winning the ball and passing it to someone more creative. He reminds me quite a bit of Dave Mackay in that respect but both men could and can play a bit as well. Mackay also had his leg broken twice in quick succession in the days when it could be a career ending injury.