₦airaland Forum

Premier League - Wenger's ageism costly
Eurosport - Thu, 07 May 13:44:00 2009

In his 12-and-a-half years at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has seen almost everything.

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Along the way to completely rejuvenating the North London club from top to bottom, Wenger has captured two league and cup doubles, reached the club's first European Cup final and completed an entire league campaign unbeaten.

One thing he had not experienced until recently, however, was the handful of fans calling for him to leave the Emirates Stadium.

Such deluded demands are well wide of the mark; disgruntled Gooners might like to ponder the 21-game unbeaten run in the Premier League. But Tuesday's humiliating home defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League has condemned Arsenal to at least five trophyless years, something the fans are not used to.

The French coach now faces the realisation that he must reinvent himself as much as he reinvented the club he has come to define if he is to drag them back to the top.

For years he has justified his heavy reliance on young players by insisting that - with the Emirates being built and Highbury yet to be sold - he does not have the transfer budget to compete with the other big clubs, despite club chief Peter Hill-Wood repeatedly declaring that the money is there to spend if he so wished.

However honorable Wenger's intentions in refusing to commit the club to the kind of 'financial doping' that has left Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea saddled with huge debts, the simple fact is that the Gunners have more often than not been left struggling to keep up rather than setting the pace.

A lot has been made of Arsene's Junior Gunners' weakness, but Wenger's insistence on marginalising players once they turn 30 is just as significant.

While Arsenal have five players born in the 1990s on their books, of the first-team squad only goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defenders William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre - both unwanted by their rivals - can look back on their 20s.

Compare that with Chelsea who, with more than twice as many over-30s in their squad, are third in the league with one major final confirmed and another pending. Even his supposed nemesis, Alex Ferguson, still feels comfortable enough to field senior players like Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, to the point where this season the former passed the 600-match mark and the latter notched up 800 and was named PFA Player of the Year.

Robert Pires was forced to leave to find for job security than the one-year rolling contract on offer in North London, and he and Thierry Henry continue to perform at the highest level in Spain, while the midfield struggles of Denilson and Alex Song show that Patrick Vieira, sold to Juventus in 2005, is still missed.

If nothing else, the presence of Pires at London Colney would hugely benefit the likes of Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott, while Henry's haul of goals in La Liga this season is equal the combined total of Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor.

That is not to say that Wenger's youth policy has not reaped its rewards. Cesc Fabregas is one of the most highly-coveted midfielders in the game, and a great deal of the future of the England team rests on Walcott's shoulders, but the balance is all too often skewed towards emerging rather than established talent.

The jackpots that the club have hit with the big-money sales of Nicolas Anelka (£23 million), Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit (a combined £30m) and most recently Alexandr Hleb (a mind-boggling £11.8m) have not nearly been matched in the opposite direction.

Even the signing of Andrei Arshavin would not have happened had the Russian not flown himself in to complete the deal.

The Premier League, and football in general, has much to thank Wenger for, but unless he makes his peace with the financial realities of the game as it is now, he may never lift any silverware at his team's shiny new home.



http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/07052009/58/premier-league-wenger-s-ageism-costly.html

Wonderful decisions,deny Ade the pen and fail to spot Malu da?s offside,no be una fault jare,Wenger let pear ripe for una.Make una enjoy

I'll say chelski is reaping from Arsene counter productive transfer policy which always leaves us bare to the bone once we have one or two injuries
That does not mean that chelski is no longer a useless club though  

debosky:
Gibbs skies it after a goalmouth scramble. . . .

Gibbs was so wasteful

Bendtner has cancelled one,thank God he is sober and his pants are up today

I need a point from this game,such a shame AA23 is not playing

I only hope we fight back to salvage a point from this game
The chavs are the least desrving of any mention in the football anals of England,win or lose today,chelski sucks and I'd naturally hate to lose to them by any margin.

I don't even mind losing to coventry,but to lose to paraga London dry gin?yawwwwk

Is it 3 - nil to the chavs or what?

switch47:
They will be searching for penalties again and agian. but referees are wiser now. [b]please dont touch yor TV set during the game or Drogba will fall o!! [/b]

hahahahaha

deekseen:
Congratulations Rasputinn!

Thank youuuuuuu and may you always have reasons to celebrate

deekseen:
Nice work you've been doing on this thread.

I was born on the 15th, can i meet my mates?

Hmmmmmm Deekseen,I like that spelling
Well you've got quite some September 15th bairth mates,they are Stephen P,Gagnant,Ernalibot,GB777,Blackspade,lawrea and Kulus,so reach out to them

Welcome to the thread

Stock Market Posts Biggest Weekly Gain in Six Months

Buoyed by positive company results and renewed foreign interest in Nigerian equities, the stock market recorded its highest weekly gain in six months, rising 10 percent after five days of trading.
Share prices posted their steepest weekly gain in almost six months after United Bank for Africa Plc and Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc both announced increased earnings.
The market rally is coming on the back of efforts being made by stock broking firms to negotiate and restructure their exposure to banks that lent them margin loans for investment in stocks.
The All Share Index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange rose 3.7 percent yesterday to 23,516.06, bringing its advance in the past five days to 10 percent, the biggest weekly climb since November 14, 2008.
But the ASI has still slumped 25 percent this year, making it the world’s worst performing stock market.
The market is “beginning to claw back,” Matthew Pearson, an analyst at Renaissance Capital, a Russian investment firm with an office in Lagos, wrote in a note yesterday. “Outperformance is delivered to those companies that deliver the greatest transparency.”
UBA, Nigeria’s fourth-biggest lender by market value, advanced 62 kobo, or 5 percent, the maximum one-day gain allowed by the exchange, to N13.04, according to bourse data, for an increase of 22 percent in the past five days.
The bank, Thursday, announced an increase in its net income by 8 percent to N19.9 billion naira in the six months through March.
Consolidated Hallmark, a Lagos-based underwriter, also on Thursday reported that first-quarter profits had advanced by 45 percent. Its stock closed unchanged at N0.50 in yesterday’s trading.
Rencap is leading a pack of foreign investors showing renewed interest in Nigerian equities which have declined in value by several percentage points in the last year.
The investment bank, last month, raised the allocation of equities in its Nigerian portfolio to 30 percent from 10 percent.
Access Bank Plc, Diam-ond Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, United Bank, UAC of Nigeria Plc, Niger-ian Breweries Plc and Guinness Nigeria Plc are among the brokerage’s top 10 picks.
In a related development, efforts to turn around the stock market may soon yield desired results as banks have begun to restructure their credit exposure to stock brokers to make way for longer repayment periods.
The stock market has been on a prolonged bear run since March 2008. Apart from the exit of foreign investors due to the global credit crunch, the market took a massive hit when banks, mid-2008, hurriedly started calling in margin facilities lent to stock broking firms.
While the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put banks’ exposure at below N1trillion, the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) put total exposure at over N1.5 trillion.
The CBN had approved the restructuring of the margin loans till December 31, 2009. But CIS at a meeting with the CBN last February proposed a restructuring of the loans into term loans repayable in five years or more.
CIS was of the view that until the loans are restructured into term loans, the stock market would remain under pressure as investors and would continue to sell to repay their facilities.
In some instances, some operators (stock brokers) had canvassed a repayment period of seven years with a two-year moratorium.
However, while no collective agreement has been reached on the terms of repayment, THISDAY learnt that Intercontinental Bank Plc may have made a definite move to agree to new payment terms with stock brokers.
It was gathered that Intercontinental Bank has agreed with stock broking firms to which it extended margin loans, that facilities in the region of N500 million and above be repaid within a period of four to five years, while those below N500 million be repaid between two and four years.
It was further agreed that a uniform 15 per cent interest rate across board will be applied on the facilities by Intercontinental Bank.
“The thinking is that it is better to restructure the loans into term loans instead of foreclosing which would be costlier for the banks. Besides, the value of the shares, which serve as collateral have been eroded, so what’s the point in holding on to share certificates that may not amount to much,” a source conversant with the deal said.
In accepting to restructure the loans, said one analyst, banks on their part are accepting responsibility that they lacked an understanding of the risks associated with margin lending and market fundamentals.
Given that several banks have already started writing down their bad loans, and all banks are expected to adopt international accounting reporting standards (IFRS) and a common year end by December 31st 2009, it is uncertain if the CBN is being kept abreast of developments between banks and brokers.
However, market sources said that it is unlikely the CBN will stop them because the new terms agreed with stock brokers shouldn’t deter the banks from making the necessary provisions for non-performing loans by the end of the year.
“The latest measure being adopted by banks and stock broking firms will give them (stock brokers) some rep-rieve that will enable them raise fresh funds and take advantage of low priced stocks in the market,” an analyst said.



http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=142941

Them no dey tell pessin,who dey liquid,make e buy some blue chips now

switch47:
chelsea fc is dead. arsenal rocks!! nice people!!

God bless you man for being so consistent.You're predictions about the doom of chelski are gradually coming to pass and they are there blaming Ovrebo,by the end of May dem go blame efrebo

allboyz:
Heard Arshavin is Sick of Flu

Yea,heard that too,methinks he should take a shot of vodka,that'll do the trick overnight

Head-to-head,Arsenal is light years ahead of chelski,trophys won;Arsenal is a zillion years ahead of chavski
It's only an ignorant person that would argue otherwise

One frustrated hull supporter in the stands wrote this on his jersey:"This team you played like a championship side today" How prophetic cos hull will be relegated despite their consolatory goal

GREAT NEWS:Stoke 2 Hull 0 Phil Brown & his useless hull of a club must be relegated

And he gets a boo & a thumbs down from me.I am totally anti-bio diesel of any kind.I remember some years ago when some American & European scientists were jumping up and down with useless stories that biodiesels were the answer to global warming & high crude oil prices,I warned that would usher in a more direct & potentially disastrous crisis:FOOD CRISIS.In a largely hunger-ravaged world,you cant take the corn,sugar cane or vegetable oil that people eat for survival & convert it to fuel,hence I wasnt surprised with the worldwide food crises of last year.

Makes me wanna puke.Somebody should do something drastic to put an end to these ills

debosky:
In other news, Arshavin has a flu and is likely to miss Sunday's clash. If DD and Essien play, we will likely lose given that Ade and crew haven't figured out a way to beat Chelski with that duo on the pitch.

Didier is not going to play,he's psychologically distraught.He's being maligned for his post match verbal attack on Mr Ovrebo.We'll win that match,I'm sure we will

I don't have all the stats on Zesco,heard they too are giant killers but I'm sure Heartland will surmount them

Redman44:
@Poster

Enyimba Fc won the African Champions League back to back, due to a number of factors. The then Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu, was solidly behind the team. Enyimba players were paid well and were motivated daily by Kalu, who sometimes attended the team's training sessions. Enyimba FC also had a passionate supporters club which had a membership that was more than 5,000.

Most of Enyimba's supporters were traders and they spent their money to support the team in different parts of Africa. Enyimba FC also had a good crop of players who were really talented and committed to winning matches. I don't know if the Current Kano Pillars and Heartland teams have the circumstances I have mentioned sorrounding them. I wish them the best anyway.

Very true submission
Kano pillars have got a good technical adviser (yes a foreigner who some state FA goons cannot arm twist to field players from their academies)
All sign-on and other fees to players have been paid and I hear the state government has assured the club of ALL it's support in this quest.It might not be as massive as the Enyimba example,but I'm sure enjoying the kind of support they's never had in the past,the players will leave no stone unturned to do well in the tournament.I hope heartland gets same if not more support than Pillards afterall they're closer to Aba and should have seen how Enyimba was propped up by Orji Uzor Kalu's government

MrCrackles:
Lol!!!


Al Qaeda United

Brashy,na craze dey worry you oo
Where you see Al Qaeda united 

[b]Pillars draw Al Hilal, Al Merreikh

Champions League giantkiller Kano Pillars of Nigeria will fancy its chances of making the semifinals after the group-phase draw made in Cairo on Thursday.

Pillars, shock winner against six-time champions Al-Ahly of Egypt in the final qualifying stage last weekend, drew Al-Merreikh and Al-Hilal of Sudan and Zesco United of Zambia.

Etoile Sahel of Tunisia and Tout Puissant Mazembe of Democratic Republic of Congo, the former champions in a field containing five newcomers, share the other group with Heartland of Nigeria and Monomotapa of Zimbabwe.

The six-round mini-league series will be staged between July 17 and September 20 with group winners and runners-up advancing to the semi-finals of the annual 3.5-million-dollar competition.

With only Etoile, Mazembe and Hilal reaching the group phase of the premier African Football Confederation club competition before, form is of little help in guessing who will make the last four.

But after toppling Ahly on the away-goal rule following draws in Nigeria and Egypt, Pillars will attempt to become the second winners of the trophy after Enyimba from Nigeria.

Merreikh and Hilal are formidable in Omdurman, where sauna-like weather and partisan supporters are formidable assets, but Sudanese clubs often struggle away from home.

Pillars will spot some familiar faces in the Merreikh team as midfielder Endurance Idahor and strikers Kelechi Osunwa and Stephen Worgu are from Nigeria.

Zesco is the first Zambian club to get this far and among their qualifying victims were Africa Sports of Ivory Coast and Djoliba of Mali, who had shocked 1991 champion Club Africain of Tunisia.

Etoile Sahel, twice runners-up before shocking Ahly in the 2007 final, look the team to beat in the other pool with Mazembe, one of just three clubs to successfully defend the title, and Heartland fighting for the other spot[/b]

http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090508141557


Nairalanders,do you think either of the two Nigerian clubsides will go all the way to win the trophy or are there fans in the house who feel there might be an all-Nigerian finals?
Let's here your opinions

@ OP

Why did it take you so long to correct the error in your topic 
Or in the alternative,please tell us what the heck you meant by "Eze Love Machine"title

Una sorry ooo
Make una take heart,the EPL is still there for y'all to win,scum gaffer,Alex Ferguson will do chelski a favour and make sure manure losses all their remaining EPL games so y'all can win (forget about Liverpool,they'll drop points)
Recall Alex Ferguson said yesterday that he's looking forward to meeting chelski in the finals of the UCL,so since Barca has Murdered your ambition,Fergie is mighty dissappointed so I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to ensure y'all win the EPL

Una sorry ooo
Make una take heart,the EPL is still there for y'all to win,scum gaffer,Alex Ferguson will do chelski a favour and make sure manure losses all their remaining EPL games so y'all can win (forget about Liverpool,they'll drop points)
Recall Alex Ferguson said yesterday that he's looking forward to meeting chelski in the finals of the UCL,so since Barca has Murdered your ambition,Fergie is mighty dissappointed so I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to ensure y'all win the EPL

Una sorry ooo
Make una take heart,the EPL is still there for y'all to win,scum gaffer,Alex Ferguson will do chelski a favour and make sure manure losses all their remaining EPL games so y'all can win (forget about Liverpool,they'll drop points)
Recall Alex Ferguson said yesterday that he's looking forward to meeting chelski in the finals of the UCL,so since Barca has Murdered your ambition,Fergie is mighty dissappointed so I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to ensure y'all win the EPL

Cristalz:
but he didn't volley like Scholesy.

Nobody can beat scholes in that modified form of volleyball,but coming from you,careful now,your fellow scummies may not like the comment

Cristalz:
Have some cookies, Nateevs. . .very soothing. Chocolate chip. . .baked 'em myself for tonight's losers.

Awwwwww,you're far tooooo kind criz

ARSENAL

The beautiful,The adored

The beautifully adored

Una sorry ooo
Make una take heart,the EPL is still there for y'all to win,scum gaffer,Alex Ferguson will do chelski a favour and make sure manure losses all their remaining EPL games so y'all can win (forget about Liverpool,they'll drop points)
Recall Alex Ferguson said yesterday that he's looking forward to meeting chelski in the finals of the UCL,so since Barca has Murdered your ambition,Fergie is mighty dissappointed so I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to ensure y'all win the EPL