₦airaland Forum

But Cristalz, the way you guys have all been slandering Arsenal just because Flamster left,by simple deduction, what y'all meant was Arsenal cannot do without him.
And if a club can't do without someone or would find it difficult to replace him, it means he must be the best.
Only Flamster has left and u are all prophersying doom and gloom.
Your mentioning Owusu is still making me laugh.

@ Debosky,
I rarely involve myself in arguements with dem manure guys anymore.
i think it was hucarson that said we had not won anything in 4 seasons, I reminded him that he was wrong.He then changed it to, 'we have not won anything in 4 years.I gave up!!!
The last time we won something was in 2005.(The FA cup).Let's all do some Maths.
Someone mentioned now that we should still have had Owusu-Abieye in our books,
I am having a laugh
It's no point arguing with them.
In their eyes now, Flamster is Arsenal's best player.
Like I have said earlier, the dude has had his best season in 4 years and there is no guarantee he would reproduce that same form next year.He came on a free and has left on a free.As for me, thanks Matthieu, wish u luck at Milan

@ loyika
No one has left after Flamster.
Even the Hleb rumours are slowly dying out.
I am sure the gaffer has told him what it involves, if he wants to buy out his contract.
I know AW won't want to let Hleb go.
and I am sure he must have warned him to talk more intelligently next time.
London is noisy and chaotic my foot!!!, Then why Milan?he should move to Wigan, where everywhere is qiuiet and peaceful or just go back to Belarus
Let's see how it goes

@ dayo and Akola
naija footie was interesting back then.
I remember
1) I think in 1985 or 1986 when Leventis united against all odds defeated star studded NNB in the semi finals of the FA cup by 1-0 and also beat Star studded Abiola babes 1-0 in the finals.
MKO Abiola was the Abramovich of those days. , able to buy all the stars available.Yisa Sofoluwe,John Zakari,Toyin ayinla, Raymond King etc,
Leventis had Edward ansah,Leotis Boateng,Matthew Onyeama,Bunmi Adigun,James Etokebe,Andrew Uwe etc.
2.) The allegation that Shooting Stars and Leventis(both based in Ibadan)always fix their league matches.It always ended in a draw(1-1 or 0-0).Heard this was a gentleman agreement between the two teams, so that Leventis would continue to enjoy the support of ibadan soccer fans
3.) Wakilu Oyenuga(stationery stores ace striker) who scores 95% of his goals using his head.
4) The all conquering NNB team, I think in 1983 that had Henry Nwosu,Samson Ozogula(zion train),Lawrence Orairo,Sunday Eboigbe,Stephen Keshi,etc.
5.)The 1984 Caf cup final, in which 3sc lost to Zamalek.I cried my eyes out that day.Why the hell was that match moved to National Stadium?Why was it played in the afternoon?That was the first time that I hated negative football.Zamalek parked the bus in front of goal,(they won the 1st leg 2-0) played 11 men behind the ball and their solitary chance to score came when Ogbein Fawole headed an own goal past Raymond King.
6.)The famous 10-10 incident at the 1988 CAF cup where Bright Omokaro injured the Algerian striker on purpose, so that nigeria and algeria finished the semi-final game with 10 men, after a nigerian player had been sent off(i think it was demola adesina).
7.)The Super Eagles team to the 1990 Nations cup which started the competition losing 1-5 to Algeria and ended up playing in the finals and losing to Algeria 1-0.
8.)Nigerian players nicknames reputed to have been given to them by the late famous radio soccer commentator,Ernest Okonkwo(God bless his soul).Etim 'maradona' Esin, Segun 'Mathematical Odegbami,'Chairman ' Christian Chukwu,Samson 'Zion train' Ozogula,Uwem 'Hurricane'Ekarika,Stephen 'Big boss' Keshi,Alloy 'Blockburster'Atuegbu etc,
Wow, those were naija glory days back then, more to come

nightrider:
Hleb has no final ball and can't pass to save his life.

OMG. I can't believe what I just read.
As much as I believe that if Hleb doesn't believe in the cause any more he should go, Hleb is an EXCELLENT passer of the ball.In fact, let me go further, while Cesc controls the midfield,Arsenal's creativity in the last third of the field is marshalled by Alex.
Watch any of Arsenal's matches this past season and you would see what I am talking about.
What lets him down is his inability to shoot at goal.I really don't know what makes him afraid to take a shot.
I said it earlier that even when Hleb has beaten the goalie, I still expect him to pass to a team mate
Watch the match vs manure again at OT, where he meandered thru their defence and gave a 'no look' pass to Ade, only for Ade to roll a back pass to VDS
If Hleb has no final ball and can't pass to save his life, Why the hell does Inter want him
To save him from the misery of living in noisy and chaotic London

Some interesting news.

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1766_3564675,00.html

We might see two brothers in the gunners first 11.
I am not too sure it has happenned before.

The truth is that if Hleb wants to go, he should go.
I am not sure AW would stand in his way.
He's not demanding a wage increase anyway,so the serial analysts with warped logic would not have much to say.
He says London is noisy and chaotic, well, we all know Milan will be a quiet and paeceful city
Well,au revoir Mr.Hleb, if you no longer believe in the Cause.

@ MC Omo,
You meant, at the nations cup,
I think the Nigerian Press have to be blamed also for overbloating the club performances of our players.
I wasn't shocked at the disastrous outing.In fact, I was shocked that we qualified from our group!!!

As for me, let Amodu invite Odejayi or Dele Adebola orAkinbiyi or any of dem naija ballers in division 1
Invitation does not mean they will make the team.At least, they have been given a chance.

@ Nightrider
So, with Ben and Etoo,and a few others, we will win
Truth is this, no ne is happy about going trophyless this season.Even the gaffer isn't .
Now what do we do?Should we get rid of the gaffer?If we do, who would replace him?
Isn't that another rebuilding process?Or will anothe manager come to Arsenal and do the Mourinho thing.
Get rid of everyone and buy all the best players in the world and boom! we are champs again.
AW has had his own fair share of criticism.It got to a level where he spoke out and said, he refuses to be disrespected.
FOR ME.RATHER THAN A WHOLESALE CHANGE TO THE TEAM, I WOULD LIKE US TO ADD TWO OR THREE PLAYERS WHERE WE NEED THEM AND PRAY FOR AN INJURY FREE SEASON.
Come on, imagine if Sagna,Rozzi,RVP and Dudu were all fit for the run-in.
Methinks we would have won the EPL this season.
The AW I know would not buy more than 3-4 players for next season(no wholesale changes).
Meanwhile Ben arfa yes, but Etoo, no way!

@ Hucarson
How can say there is no difference between 3rd and 11th
Please someone help me out here.
Top 4 qualifies for the money spinning champions league.
and please which team has stayed trophyless for 4 seasons?Certainly not Arsenal!!!
Come on mate, u know it, AW couldn't have said this was his worst season.Maybe he said he was disappointed.
It was a better season and please I would rather my team in the CL than finish 11th

hucarson:
@ Vicade,

. Give Adebayor a break and stop comparing him to Eduardo who couldn't stay fit to rescue his team.

@ Hucarson
How can u say that about Eduardo
He couldn't stay fit to rescue his team
Please go and see that terrible tackle again from Taylor and revert.
What a shame?

@ Hucarson
I am having a laugh  
So, the spuds have had a better season than us because they won the Milk cup
and Pompey too has done better because they are appearing in the FA cup final
Hell, Cardiff too has done better, may I include Barnsley also.
Take a look at the league table and see where the Spuds are.
Back in August, after they spent 16 million quid on Darren Bent and we let Henry go,the pundits said the Spuds will replace us in the 'Big Four'.What happened? The Spuds finished 11th(Couldn't even make top 10)
Its disppointing not to win a trophy, but last year we were 21 points off the pace and this season we were just 4 points behind the champions.
If we had won the milk cup, we would be a bit happy that we dint go trophyless, but for God sake, the CC is not what Arsenal should be aiming for.
I insist, it was a better saeson than the last.

@ Vieira

Good Talk. I really wonder whether it's 'by force' to support Arsenal.Gosh, there are 19 other teams to go to.
I wonder how frustrating it is for Spurs down the road.Every year they keep spending much more than Arsenal and keep ending up below us on the table.
Read what Keano said about AW,

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1766_3545701,00.html

I still believe we are moving in the right direction.
Looking back, we could have won it, even with the injuries that affected the core of the team.
Some defensive problems let us down and AW has promised to address it.
It will be laughable to expect a wholesale change in a team that finished 4 points behind the winners and only lost 3 games all thru the season.
All those stories about Ade are all untrue(at least he has come out to deny all)
AW said it all when he said, this is the saeson for AGENTS.
The rumour mill will continue to spurn all sorts until August 31.
For now, it was disappointing to lose out, but we are making progress.
The red  and white army will continue marching on!!!

@ dayokanu,
Please read this
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3542463,00.html

and please, stop believing all the rumour mill from all these websites.
Ade knows what it means when 60,000 fans are chanting OH ADEBAYOR, OH ADEBAYOR
Like Debosky said, they are all obsessed about Arsenal, just like other fans of other clubs on nairaland(no need mentioning names, we all know who they are )
When we were leading the table earlier in the season, they kept saying it was immoral, that we had no english players in the team and probably the most ridiculous stuff I heard.Everyone was blaming AW because of England's non qualification.How dumb
Now we finished third with no trophies, yet they can't stop talking about us.
One of our midfielders who has had his best season in 4 years decides to quit on a free transfer, yet we won't sleep,
We keep reading stories that everyone wants to leave.
Last summer also, David Dein left and all sorts of rubbish started appearing.
The Arsenal will continue to march on

The Grapevine has it in Spain that Pep Guardiola is planning a summer clear out and that players that will be shown the exit door include-Gudhessen,Dinho,Edmilson,Henry,Dos Santos,Thuram,Oleguer,Jorquera,Yaya Toure .
I think Yaya would be a good acquisition after we missed out on him when he was still in Greece.
Hope AW will be monitoring the situation.


Meanwhile, this looks good if it's true

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/09/sfnars109.xml

I still ponder and wonder why so many non-fans are this much interested in the dealings at Arsenal.Only Flamster has been confirmed as an ex-gunner.Nothing official as per the rest.
Now everyone is interested in everything about Arsenal's wage structure.
I think I even heard last nite that some back room staff and several ball boys at the emirates have tendered their resignation letters.They just found out that they can earn thrice what they are earning at some other epl clubs.Heard one or two will be off to Italy .

Cougar:
is this true? alexander hleb is buying out the final 2 years of his contract for 3 million??
as much as i cannot stand arsenal, hleb is one player i admire.
is arsenal crumbling as a club?

OH, You haven't heard, there are many more players to follow,including Eboue, Senderos, Djorou,Song and even the gaffer is leaving.(Don't forget that the MD has left also)
At this rate, Lady Nina and the rest of the tight fisted board may pick up shirts and lace boots when the league starts around early AUgust and we may sign up some cheap African starlets from Mauritania and Cape Verde before the window closes.

Don't u guys get tired of fanthoming every year that Arsenal is about to DIE
When Paddy left,same story,when Henry left,same thing,
I have even heard here that AW was stupid to let Ljunberg go.
Is it not the same Ljungberg that West Ham is questioning their mental state for actually signing him. They are on their knees begging him to go.
I think some guys are secretly fans of Arsenal.
Guess that's why they are more worried than the REAL stake holders

I have always said that the SUN is the official manc newspaper

@ Jackal,
How can u compare Fab4 with Flamini?
Flamini was nicknamed 'headless' chicken by the gunners and called a weak Ray Parlour.
Up until 05/06 Cl run in where he played at Left Back, he was tagged another of AW's useless buy.
In fact, he only cemented his place in the first team this season.
So why should a Cesc type of offer be on the table before this season?
No fault of AW at all,the lad decided his time with Arsenal was up and has moved on.

Nice write up.
But I am not sure AW should take the blame.How do u stand in the way of a player who is a free agent?
AW has never stood in the way of a player who wants to leave.He has his faults(plenty)but this wasn't his.
But let's be frank.
Flamini is no Henry just like Cashley is no Henry.
I see no comparison at all.
IMO,Flamini would still have left, even if he was offered something more or even if we had won the league or the CL
only that he was professional about it and still gave 110%.Me thinks, he had made up his  mind a long time ago
Like someone opined, he has had a fantastic season.What's the guarantee that he would have another super season??
Last season, he was about to be off loaded to Birmingham, now a chance to play for AC MIlan comes up,of course he would jump at it.
Remember in all his years at Arsenal, he's been a squad player,from midfield to left back, to right  back etc.
This season is the longest, he's ever played for Arsenal.
What if next season, he suffers a loss of form,next thing would be, how we will off load him to Norwich or Charlton(apology to the fans).
In life, we take risks.
Matthieu has taken one.
He gave his all when he was a gunner.Hope he does well at AC Milan.

@ rasputinn
I don't know what Nigerians have against Ade.Maybe because of that name 'Adebayor'.
Maybe if he had an english sounding name like Martins or Cole OR a latin one like[i] Gomez [/i] , he won't be on the receiving end of such insults from them.
Against Manure, Ade missed a sitter against VDS and everyone shouted,Ade is an idiot,he'suseless etc.
A few minutes later,Shrek missed a sitter against Mad Jens and everyone clapped for Jens for saving Arsenal (I am not comparing Shrek with Ade,before a manc stroll in here to say all sorts )
He wasn't prolific at all at Monaco and many wondered why AW brought him in in Jan 2006.
He scored on his debut at Birmingham(I wonder how many score on their debut).
He did not have a good campaign subsequently in 2006/2007,but let's be real, whoever thought Ade would score 30 goals in the 2007/2008 would have been deemed [i]crazy[/i]when the season began.
Ade's game has developed and he was TREMENDOUS this season, even while not scoring in games,his link up play with midfielders has been great and he does harass and bully defenders.
Obviously, he ain't the finished article yet,but with what he has showed us this season,and if he really works hard, the sky is the limit.
Come on, whoever thought at the beginning of the season that Ade will be amongst the six nominated for the PFA awards, or even in the best starting 11 or that Ronaldo(manure) will vote for Ade as his player of the season
Please, spare Ade! He has had a good season!

Meanwhile Hleb and Flamster have been super this season, but damn! They can be replaced.
No player is indispensable.Flamster and Hleb can't play for Arsenal forever.
Trust the Press to start linking everyone in Arsenal with other club's after Flamini's departure and to speak
extensively about our wage structure(like we haven't paid any player above 55k/week before )
and of course, folks from other clubs will pick the little pieces of information that was fed and come up with all sorts of funny analysis
Arsenal pays slave wages,Arsene Wenger is stingy,He has lost the plot,the MD is a certified accountant and was being paid megabucks compared to what the players were earning,bla, bla, bla
So many stories about the Arsenal all around. even at times overshadowing the fact that its manure vs chavs in both the league and the UCL.
Arsenal this, Arsenal that,
OMG.Let Arsenal be!

@ 4 play
Loyika rightly said that you know you are making progress when u do well in the league.
Let's be frank, cup competitions cannot be compared to the league.
Look at L'Pool's team when they won the CL in '05 and compare with the team now.
Well said Loyika
I just wish the haters can just concentrate on their teams and leave the Arsenal alone

@ Presido 1
What must be frustrating to humankind is having to read your senseless posts.
Did u see the emirates yesterday?
60,000 supporters still turn out to support the red and white army.
We remain Gunners till death.
Now,son, depart this thread and write drivel no more!!!

After watching the game yesterday with our first choice midfield for this season out(Diaby, Flamster, Cesc and Hleb), I think for now, we can't do without Cesc and Hleb.Flamster can go.He was great this season but Arsene will never stand in the way of a player that wants to leave.
Also, he's a free agent,how do u stop him?
NO qualms, there has been a thin line between success and failure and we were nearly there this season.
Buying up everyone does not guarantee success.
I am sure Arsene would have learnt one or two things this season and will bolster his squad for next term
The Red and White army will keep marching on!

David Dein coming back as the MD of Red and White Holdings isn't a joke.
I read in a footie magazine earlier in the week where David stated that he has missed the day to day running of football.
I think, this summer will be crucial.
With Keith out, a lot will follow.
Let's wait and see what happens!

What sin did Dayokanu commit to deserve this maltreatment
Dayo, pls come back and take on the EPL teams when Bayern returns to the Champions league

Martins
No way!!!

The shouts of Oh Adebayor, Oh Adebayor went up again at Pride Park yesterday.
I was stunned when I heard he has hit the 30 goal mark
Fine,people believe Ade should be scoring more, but let's be frank, since the EPL started, how many strikers have scored 30 goals in a season?
I have seen a lotta strikers this season( no need mentioning names) miss 'one on one' with Goalkeepers, yet they are pardoned but when Ade does the same,all hell will be let loose.
ADE, u are my man, just keep your head up and we expect 40 from u next season.
The match was a comedy, as it became too easy for Arsenal.
I am sure that Sunshine Stars of Akure(apology to their fans) can defeat Derby County.
Suddenly, we are in it mathematically.
Can a miracle happen?
If the miracle happens,some people will commit suicide ooh

You mancs are funny
Y'all find it amusing when we stutter
but when u 'fumble', you want all of us to pretend like it never happenned.
No way guys,It's time to poke fun.
I really want to see the footage of that brawl very well.
Heard Patrice threw punches which Mayweather would be proud of
Also heard that Scholes might have learnt a bit of Sumo Wrestling when he was recuperating from his last injury
and G.Neville,no surprise,he's always been a thug!!!

More trouble

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7369207.stm

@ Jackal
a 0-0 scoreline at the Nou camp is a good result, no doubt
but let's be frank,it's never gonna be easy at O.T.
Barca are not too good defensively,but Man utd have to come out and play.
If u come out and play, there will be some gaps.
Now,it remains, if Barca would exploit it.
To be honest, the match at the Camp nou was disappointing.
Barca played poorly also.
So many times,VDS and the defence gave the ball away and Barca didn't punish man utd.
A goal from barca changes the complexion of everything, All they(barca) need is a score draw to move on
Well, Tuesday is just a few days away.
Meanwhile don't talk about Arsenal not finding gaps in February.
The team comprised of Hoyte,Traore,Bendtner and co
We did find gaps a few weeks ago,didn't we?
Only that Ade(sorry Samson ) forgot his scoring boots