Dec 10
I don’t mind losing, lord knows we’ve gotten used to it this year. I guess Graham Souness is now telling his players to win without class. Owen, Given and a few others played the game well. But there were others, like their captain, who should be ashamed. Shearer himself should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute. Let’s count the offences 1) Throwing down Lauren after he won a free kick 2) The foul on Campbell (which the commentators should have been a red) 3) Elbowing Lehmann in the face when he had the ball 4) Picking a fight with an 18 year old (Fabregas) 5)...
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Dec 09
Hey everybody, Rick Liebling here. I’ve been in Leipzig, Germany since Tuesday and am in the Press Room right now (one building over from the draw). Spent yesterday with Lothar Matthaus, spokesperson for the Gillette Best Young Player Award. Very nice guy. Let’s see, who have I seen? Bruce Arena, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Bora Milutinovic, Gianluca Vialli and Phil Scolari. Tomorrow I’ll be hanging out with Pele, Sir Bobby Charlton and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Mostly I work with the journalists from around the world. Believe it or not only four are here from the U.S....
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Dec 08
If I were not an Arsenal fan I’ve always thought I’d support Newcastle. Big fan of Alan Shearer, the colors, the stripes, the history and I love the Nut Brown Ale. Ever since they changed the shirt sponsor they have changed as a club. Gone are the days of full out attack with little regard for defense. Gone are the wins, too, as Newcastle look to fail in being a top 5 club.
It certianly isn’t money that keeps them down. I could talk about the injuries or the lack of chemistry on the pitch, but it comes down to one thing and it’s Souness. He is not the right manager...
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Dec 07
Some levity is required here.
Check out the top-right image on the page MSNBC.com
You can clearly see the “O2″ sponsor logo. Too good.
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Dec 06
From Sports Illustrated.com:
“Am I nominating Henry for SI’s Sportsman of the Year based on his performance on the pitch in 2005? Not at all. Henry’s year ranks behind Lance Armstrong, Bode Miller, Annika Sorenstam and a host of other athletes. But he stood up in 2005 against a much bigger foe than Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Professional athletes today, especially in America, are decidedly apolitical. Dissent and protest these days comes in the form of a wide receiver upset with a $48 million contract. I don’t...
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Dec 05
Italian league games were delayed by 5 minutes to protest the racist abuse hurled at Black players, it didn’t work. During Juve’s victory over 4th place Fiorentina which kept them at the top of the table and extended their winning streak to 9, Patrick Vieira recieved his now customary ‘Monkey chants’. Vieira is a classy, soft spoken guy who try’s to downplay the situation, but it’s becoming obvious that 1 season in Italy…land of sunny sky’s, sandy beaches and RACISTS is enough for Paddy. So what are his 5 options?
...
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Dec 05
Well, that was’t very encouraging, was it? As some had predicted, when this Arsenal squad ran up against a decent side, especially on the road, they were going to be exposed. And it seems they were.
While winning the league is out of the question, I still think a European place is well within reach. Whether or not that is a disaster depends on your interpretation. What is fairly clear however is that the side needs some alteration. I must say, I do tend to agree with those that say there is a certain toughness missing from the squad. I’m not suggesting Wenger grab a couple...
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Dec 04
Christmas came early for Real Madrid fans toaday (Dec 4th) as they dismissed their Brazilian head coach. I say early because it gives the fans about 6 months to argue the merits of who should be the new man in charge and it’s only a 2 Horse race. Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger. Madrid cannot afford to mess this one up, they have to look towards not only the present but also the future when they make this decision. What Mourinho has acheived at Chelsea with money and what Wenger has acheived at Arsenal without leaves absolutely no doubt that the 2 of them are the Worlds best coaches. Although...
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Dec 03
Deeply depressed after Bolton away but who isn’t? Watching that game I developed a hatred for Faye and increased my distaste for Diouf but it started me thinking about the players and teams I hated the most. The teams were easy - Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool and Bolton. West Ham came close but I am sure that there wouldn’t be much debate over the top five teams - most people would include two or three of the above at least. However, the top five players I hate is harder to compile, is more debatable and given that I have to consider nearly 30 years of supporting Arsenal,...
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Dec 01
I HATE TO PLAY BOLTON! I’ve started every preview for the last 4 meetings with just such an introduction. Every time, Bolton does not dissappoint and seems to steal points from the Gunners. This Bolton team would appear stronger and deeper than those of the past and look to set themselves amongst England’s top five. They won an UEFA Cup berth last year and remain in that competition. They’ve proven to be strong enough to play amongst Europe’s best and deep enough to fight on the fronts of several competitions.
It’s hard to believe that this side was just...
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