Sunny & TJ's Football Thread (Part 18)

[Vicky]

José Mourniho takes charge of his 100th home game as Chelsea manager today and Mourniho does have a cracking record.

Infact he has the best record of any manager in the EPL, he even has a better record than Fergie.

José 76 wins and 1 defeat and 250 points, that's 6 wins and 16 points more than Fergie achieved.

José record is the best of any manager in the Premier League era!!

[Vicky]

Talking of Chelsea..

If they want to sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, they'll have to break the British transfer record.

Signing Pogba will cost Chelsea £154 million pounds!!

[Vicky]

Chelsea have their fingers in lots of pies at the moment!!

However one things for sure, they'll be several new faces at Stamford Bridge by the time the transfer window closes.

[Vicky]

As i was saying yesterday..

Lionel Messi was voted the best player in Europe on Wednesday ahead of the draw for the Champions League.

Lionel was up against his Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo for the accolade!!

Of the 54 votes cast it went like this..

Lionel Messi 49
Luis Suarez 3
Christiano Ronaldo 2

[Trapper John]

As I was saying yesterday, Arsenal will have tough time as they get their Champions League campaign underway next month.

No help from the Premier League with the fixtures has meant that Arsenal will have to travel to Croatia and play Dinamo Zagreb on the 16th September, a Wednesday night KO 19:45 - then fly back and be prepared to play a tough Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 19th September, on the Saturday lunchtime KO 12:45. - less than 3 days (65hrs) later.

Chelsea also have their first game on Wednesday 16th September, so they are under the same time restrictions but, their match against Israeli club, Maccabi Tel Aviv is a home game so they won't have any traveling to do and therefore will be in better shape.

We have a similar disadvantage in the next group game later in the month, where again we play on a Wednesday night against Olympiacos, then again on the following Saturday, away to Leicester - but we do get a little treat this time, a couple of 'extra hours' - it's a 15:00 KO.....whoopee do!

In contrast, the pampered pair from Spain have La Liga at their bec 'n call - Barcelona for instance, play their first CL game on Wednesday 16th September - but their next La Liga match/training session, isn't until Sunday 20th September with a nice 19:30 evening KO.

This time around, Real Madrid don't need as much help, their first game is on Tuesday 15th September, so the following Saturday afternoon La Liga game/training session isn't a problem.

It is in the latter stages where the European clubs really benefit the most, when the knockout stages begin - their leagues move and reshuffle their domestic games 'on spec.'- to ensure they get maximum rest time between games.

[Vicky]

Barcelona are in action later today against Malaga.

The game kicks off at 17:30 pm.

I don't see Luis lads having any trouble picking up another three points against them.

The game takes place at the Camp Nou which has a capacity of 99,354 and is the second largest stadium in the world.

[Trapper John]

On closer inspection Arsenal haven't done very well out of the Champions League/ Premier League fixtures.

The group isn't a problem, I can see us qualifying for the last 16 without too much trouble, personally I think as champions of the group ahead of Munich.

It's the Premier League games which worry me. As has happened on quite a few occasions in the past few seasons, we have drawn big league games either before or after a midweek Champions League game.

As I said we face Chelsea less than 3 days after our 1st group game, we then face Manchester United after 2nd second group game, then Spurs after our 4th group game ....... ending the group stages at home to Olympiacos with Manchester City after that.

This has been a bane for Arsenal before, like I said. Wenger needs to know and more importantly, let the team know, which of the competitions is most important.

If circumstances go against us any further Arsenal, as a team and club, they might have to make a serious choice as to what they want - personally, if it comes to that - it's the Premier League title challenge every time for me.

[Trapper John]

Barcelona are in action later today against Malaga.

The game kicks off at 17:30 pm.

I don't see Luis lads having any trouble picking up another three points against them.

The game takes place at the Camp Nou which has a capacity of 99,354 and is the second largest stadium in the world.

How easily impressed you are - still you've spent your whole life watching a couple of teams roll over a bunch of minnows every season, so I guess you would think that's something worth crowing about.

BTW - that very impressive stadium is owned by Barcelona City Council - not Barcelona FC ........ a bit like how West Ham and Stratford council have screwed the rest of the Premier League, by letting them have the Olympic Stadium for peanuts.

[Vicky]

Well eleven years without a title would embarrass most fans and the fact that a Scottish has done what Arsenal have never done or never will do, must hurt.

However i was under the impression that Arsenal were among the top teams in the world? Surely a team of they're class has no need to worry about fixtures etc.

Or basically you know Arsenal have no chance in either and when you look at they way they've started the season, that's hardly surprising.

[Vicky]

Not much for me today football wise.

Just hoping St Johnstone win i suppose.

[Vicky]

Oh and someone tell the annoying one!!

I'd rather be Scottish and a Glasgow Rangers supporter over being English and an Arsenal supporter any day.

If i was the latter i'd jump into the Thames wearing concrete boots.

[Trapper John]

Chelsea have their fingers in lots of pies at the moment!!

However one things for sure, they'll be several new faces at Stamford Bridge by the time the transfer window closes.

No doubt that will be true - it's all Jose Mourinho knows - spend the owners money to achieve success, the more the better. That's why he's only ever managed one club, which wasn't as rich as Croesus - and that's because he never had a choice.

We've already seen how he shit himself and went crying to the owner this season, not being allowed to spend much and his fantastic team crumbled after just three games.

Still, if the owner wants to give him another £150million before Tuesday tea time that's up to him, presumably he's not worried about the £75million Mourinho spent on Diego Costa, Felipe Luis and Juan Cuadrado last season, who have now either been shoved out the door at loss this season or will be gone before it ends.

Arsene Wenger of course will only buy players if they are either as good or better than the ones he already has - otherwise what's the point? - you only have them hanging round your neck for years on end, draining money in wages or have to sell them at a massive loss.

[Vicky]

Chelsea have their fingers in lots of pies at the moment!!

However one things for sure, they'll be several new faces at Stamford Bridge by the time the transfer window closes.

No doubt that will be true - it's all Jose Mourinho knows - spend the owners money to achieve success, the more the better. That's why he's only ever managed one club, which wasn't as rich as Croesus - and that's because he never had a choice.

We've already seen how he shit himself and went crying to the owner this season, not being allowed to spend much and his fantastic team crumbled after just three games.

Still, if the owner wants to give him another £150million before Tuesday tea time that's up to him, presumably he's not worried about the £75million Mourinho spent on Diego Costa, Felipe Luis and Juan Cuadrado last season, who have now either been shoved out the door at loss this season or will be gone before it ends.

Arsene Wenger of course will only buy players if they are either as good or better than the ones he already has - otherwise what's the point? - you only have them hanging round your neck for years on end, draining money in wages or have to sell them at a massive loss.

I don't know much about the transfer dealings down south, but i can't help but notice there seems to be a lot of hostility between Arsenal and Chelsea.

Yes Chelsea do seem to spend a lot of money and Arsenal don't seem to splash out in the same, but they still manage to compete with the other teams well and i don't believe they've finished outwith the top four for years.

That's clearly to do with the fact that Arsene Wenger is a good manager who only buys when he needs too and has an eye for putting a good squad together.

[Trapper John]

Just under an hour and a half to go and Arsenal will be kicking off the lunchtime game against Newcastle United up in Geordie land.

I haven't looked at the team news this morning, but last night it looked as if we will still be without our two preferred central defenders, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker. Koscielny is a back problem but is a possible starter - though if he's not 100% fit, I'd rather he sat this one out.

Mertesacker looks very doubtful, his is a chest infection and according to Wenger, apparently Germans in general are not keen on using antibiotics unless it's near enough a life threatening infection - a good idea in my opinion - anyway, I doubt he'll be fit enough play.

So it could be Calum Chambers and Gabriel again at the heart of our defence. I'm not worried about Gabriel, he improved in the second half of the Liverpool game, he just needed more minutes on the pitch.

Calum Chambers though, came in for some stick after the same game - he did have a mare. To be honest though, it was a bit unfair on both players - they were chucked into the deep end at literally a moments notice last Monday night, with little preparation and no competitive football under their belts for months.

Hopefully, if they both play again today, they will be much better prepared knowing the other two probably won't play, so I see Chambers in particular having a better game.

We shall see ...... I predict an Arsenal victory.......obviously.

[Vicky]

He's clearly very nervous again.

Still i have a good feeling about the game and i predict a victory for Arsenal!!