Carling Cup Tonight

[FLiam]

Well, we got the gooners and their "kids" which consist of eight full internationals. Uh huh.

It made me chuckle to see Arsenal fans bringing up the squad's age. If they'd brought up the squad's cost, as they usually do, they'd have realised that Blackburn's first team is cheaper than their "kids".

Doesn't change the fact that the Blackburn squad have so much more experience in top flight football than our players did. How long have Savage, Dunn, Friedel, Santa Cruz, Pederson, Reid etc been playing in a top flight over Bendtner, Traore, Randall, Denilson, Fabianski and Song.

And why call them "kids", they were.

[fineintent]

I still don't see why Wenger gets so much credit for this. He obviously has brilliant scouts who've helped him pluck the best talent from around Europe. It's not like he's walked around Woolwich, Tottenham or Enfield and found the next big thing.

[TMM]

I still don't see why Wenger gets so much credit for this. He obviously has brilliant scouts who've helped him pluck the best talent from around Europe. It's not like he's walked around Woolwich, Tottenham or Enfield and found the next big thing.

Why does Alex Ferguson get so much credit for the likes of Giggs, Beckham, Neville, Scholes?

[Baddar]

I still don't see why Wenger gets so much credit for this. He obviously has brilliant scouts who've helped him pluck the best talent from around Europe. It's not like he's walked around Woolwich, Tottenham or Enfield and found the next big thing.

Why does Alex Ferguson get so much credit for the likes of Giggs, Beckham, Neville, Scholes?

Because Ferguson so obviously found those himself.

[fineintent]

I still don't see why Wenger gets so much credit for this. He obviously has brilliant scouts who've helped him pluck the best talent from around Europe. It's not like he's walked around Woolwich, Tottenham or Enfield and found the next big thing.

Why does Alex Ferguson get so much credit for the likes of Giggs, Beckham, Neville, Scholes?

[therockbox]

I still don't see why Wenger gets so much credit for this. He obviously has brilliant scouts who've helped him pluck the best talent from around Europe. It's not like he's walked around Woolwich, Tottenham or Enfield and found the next big thing.

Why does Alex Ferguson get so much credit for the likes of Giggs, Beckham, Neville, Scholes?

[fineintent]

The difference is whether you spot it at 12, or a scout spots it playing for Barcelona at 16. Of course it makes a difference. One of areas Plantini actually sounds coherent in is when he talks about the transfer policy of Arsenal (and seemingly of every other big English team) of buying/stealing talent at 15 or 16. It's not really healthy for football.

[TMM]

The difference is whether you spot it at 12, or a scout spots it playing for Barcelona at 16. Of course it makes a difference. One of areas Plantini actually sounds coherent in is when he talks about the transfer policy of Arsenal (and seemingly of every other big English team) of buying/stealing talent at 15 or 16. It's not really healthy for football.

You understand one of the main reasons for these signings is because of the utterly ridiculous rule where, in England you can only sign under-18's (I think) within a stupidly small radius.

Platini is a tit in pretty much everything he talks about, and doesn't sound coherent because, as Wenger has said, you can get a fantastic talent from Barcelona, but can't sign an equally fantastic talent from 80 miles away in England. Think about that.

[fineintent]

But surely that belies the nature of a community club? And if you're telling me London, Manchester, the midlands or Liverpool aren't big enough areas for big clubs to cultivate players, you must be joking. It's more than possible, then if you sign a player from another club, you give them worthy effort for their hard work. That way, smaller teams don't get raped when the bigger clubs come around.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Wenger deserves to be commended for the kids he's got in his team because he has helped to create the entire structure present at Arsenal. He put in place the motions, the signing of the backroom staff and so forth to see this succeed. He puts these kids in the matches to give them the experience and he has as much a hand in the rearing of them as the men and women who train with them on a daily basis.

He doesn't have to sign them, no. But he still has a good recognition of talent, otherwise the board wouldn't sign the staff he recommends. He helped create Arsenal's policy and I think this season has been a strong indication of the success of that policy.

Edited December 21, 2007 by 'Wildcat' BSIG

[supergrass]

While scouts play a big part in all the young players who join Arsenal, Wenger will either send scouts to watch certain players, or in all cases I would assume he has the final assessment and say of everyone who joins the club. This is why he deserves credit, I'm sure he doesn't sign ever player who is recommended to him. Special recognition should go to Gilles Grimandi for his good scouting work - who knew he knew anything about the game?

On the subject of young English players against foreign ones. Watching the Blackburn games I think there was a major difference in the foreign and English players on display. Mark Randall, as well as he did, just didn't have the composure or technique and confidence on the ball that the foreign lads (the same age, with the same experience) were showing. You can see it in Walcott, fantastic potential and speed, but his technique and ability with some of the foreign players at his age (look at Fabregas for example) just isn't even in the same league.

[Baddar]

Alright, the Arsenal fans can obviously just revel in it, and have a look on their face something like this " ^_^ ", but ...

Anyone else annoyed how the commentators are saying the saaaaame old things about Arsenal's youngsters/Credit to Wenger for playing them/So much experience such a young age etc etc whenever they play?

Ok, there's probably a part of me that's slightly envious, but for fuck sake ...they don't shut up about them.

[Guest Ringmaster]

The commentator here isn't doing that, though he has provided me with a complete historical background on Jamie O'Hara. Did you know his dad was a great fan of Glen Hoddle? He did push his son away from Arsenal and into Spurs though!

[Baddar]

The commentator here isn't doing that, though he has provided me with a complete historical background on Jamie O'Hara. Did you know his dad was a great fan of Glen Hoddle? He did push his son away from Arsenal and into Spurs though!

Alan Parry hasn't been that bad, but we did get a five-minute stiffy from Ray Wilkins ...if it is indeed him sat with Parry.

ONE NIL SPURS OMGZ

[Guest Ringmaster]

This guy is actually felating O'Hara, even when Jenas scored, he's all "O'Hara truly deserved to be on the winning side of this effort". What the fuck? He's not even involved in the goal scoring, go back to commenting on Chivas USA matches.

[Baddar]

This guy is actually felating O'Hara, even when Jenas scored, he's all "O'Hara truly deserved to be on the winning side of this effort". What the fuck? He's not even involved in the goal scoring, go back to commenting on Chivas USA matches.

Lol, fucking quality.

As I read your post, I hear "I think that was handball on O'Hara's pass as he tried to get it to Berbatov...........yeah, handball."

EDIT: Ok, he's still boning him - he officially loves O'Hara.

Edited January 9, 2008 by Baddar D

[Guest Ringmaster]

"Breath taking piece of play by O'Hara"

... he's just taken a corner and it got nowhere. And then O'Hara did that cross that lead nowhere and was all "OH MY O'HARA".

Also I'm fairly sure this guy is an American posing as an Englishman, he's got one of those really fake accents coming along.

[Personal Jesus]

O'Hara has been sex since Juande came in. Along with Jenas.

[Baddar]

I have absolutely no clue how Spurs haven't been able to score more than once...and now Walcott scores.

HANDBALL YA BASTARD

Edited January 9, 2008 by Baddar D

[therockbox]

No wonder Ramos has told Defoe he can leave, what a stupid fucking haircut.