Rafa to finally pen 5 year deal next week?

[Catch22]

More to the point though, they have finished above us 2 out of the 4 years Rafa has been in charge... lets not count our chickens for this season just yet.

 

 

 

You saying Arsenal had the 2nd highest budget in 1997-1998? Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle who spent hundreds of millions at the time had far bigger budgets... are you sure you didn't start supporting us when the Delloitte reports starting getting published?

 

 

We wont finish any lower or higher than 3rd this year & that has been obvious for months.

 

Arsenal had the 2nd highest budget that season.

That following summer we lost out on Desailly to a pre-Roman Chavs because we couldnt match the wages they were paying.

 

I have no idea why you are obsessed as to when I started supporting us but I'll repeat that it's roughly 30 years ago if you must know.

I have no idea whether you have been a Red for shorter or longer than that & it is utterly irrelevant to the discussion in front of us.

[Ted]

Who would you have in the team?

[hamstrung]

And when was Voronin our 2nd top scorer after half a season?

 

It was the other bit, however unlikely, that pushed the definition of the word "fact" to its limit.

[Code]

I see Rafa`s PR machine all are avoiding the fact we have brought in 27 new players since the 05/06 season when we finished 1 point behind the mancs while they only have brought in 10.

 

Any reason for this?

 

Maybe the fact we already have sold or loaned out 22,22 of these same players, while the mancs have loaned out or sold 10% them also should tell us something about where the real problem lies when it comes to our transfer dealings.

 

Its not about money, its all about being able to spot a good player and make your players perform to the top of their potential, not the other way around in 80% of the matches.

[ToxtethTerror]

We wont finish any lower or higher than 3rd this year & that has been obvious for months.

 

Arsenal had the 2nd highest budget that season.

That following summer we lost out on Desailly to a pre-Roman Chavs because we couldnt match the wages they were paying.

 

Arsenal had the 2nd highest budget in 1997? errm 12 years ago, 1997 not 2003. You keep going on about the Premiership and teams not able to win it without money well Arsenal in 1997, and Leeds in the early nineties defies your logic.

[hamstrung]

TT - Catch22 disagrees with you but doesn't feel the need to have a dig at you in his posts. Why do you?

[ToxtethTerror]

I see Rafa`s PR machine all are avoiding the fact we have brought in 27 new players since the 05/06 season when we finished 1 point behind the mancs while they only have brought in 10.

 

Any reason for this?

 

Maybe the fact we already have sold or loaned out 22,22 of these same players, while the mancs have loaned out or sold 10% them also should tell us something about where the real problem lies when it comes to our transfer dealings.

 

Its not about money, its all about being able to spot a good player and make your players perform to the top of their potential, not the other way around in 80% of the matches.

 

 

Repped - The best points in the whole thread. Be prepared for people to come back and say "we overachieved, they underchieved that season" though.

[The 5th Benitel]

It was the other bit, however unlikely, that pushed the definition of the word "fact" to its limit.

 

Keane scored 15 for Spurs in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Voronin has never played for anyone else in our league and if he did he'd only get past 10 goals cos defenders were confusded that they found themselves marking Sally Gunnell at set pieces.

[ToxtethTerror]

TT - Catch22 disagrees with you but doesn't feel the need to have a dig at you in his posts. Why do you?

 

Because any football fan who goes on about money, wages and the like as much as he does can't have been around when penniless Aston Villa were winning league titles, or when Leeds did it 18 years ago. In fact we were penniless in the 60's and went from lower 2nd division to Champions pretty quickly... the guys is obsessed so I conclude that he doesn't understand the soul of football and is obsessed with football post Abramovich.

[hamstrung]

Keane scored 15 for Spurs in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Voronin has never played for anyone else in our league and if he did he'd only get past 10 goals cos defenders were confusded that they found themselves marking Sally Gunnell at set pieces.

 

It was a joke, you don't need to try prove me wrong.

 

Because any football fan who goes on about money, wages and the like as much as he does can't have been around when penniless Aston Villa were winning league titles, or when Leeds did it 18 years ago. In fact we were penniless in the 60's and went from lower 2nd division to Champions pretty quickly... the guys is obsessed so I conclude that he doesn't understand the soul of football and is obsessed with football post Abramovich.

 

He's already said he has been following us for 30 years. He can keep it rational and non-personal, don't know why you can't.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Has he signed it yet?

 

Just curious like.

[aws]

Who would you have in the team?

 

Ideally torres with a happy keane sitting on the bench ready to come on and put some chances away if required.

 

I'm happy we sold Keane but pissed off we didn't bring in some cover. Why we didn't I've no idea. Similarly I've no idea whose decision it was not to bring in cover. My guess is Parry's inability to do two things at once but we'll probably never know the full story.

[ToxtethTerror]

Ideally torres with a happy keane sitting on the bench ready to come on and put some chances away if required.

 

I'm happy we sold Keane but pissed off we didn't bring in some cover. Why we didn't I've no idea. Similarly I've no idea whose decision it was not to bring in cover. My guess is Parry's inability to do two things at once but we'll probably never know the full story.

 

Rafa did have Keane's replacement lined up - Emile Heskey - thank God crusty vetoed it. Besides he would have been free in 6 months...

[Ted]

You're not falling on the Parry excuse asre you, Andrew?

[aws]

Has he signed it yet?

 

Just curious like.

 

Tuesday

[Guest ShoePiss]

Because any football fan who goes on about money, wages and the like as much as he does can't have been around when penniless Aston Villa were winning league titles, or when Leeds did it 18 years ago. In fact we were penniless in the 60's and went from lower 2nd division to Champions pretty quickly... the guys is obsessed so I conclude that he doesn't understand the soul of football and is obsessed with football post Abramovich.

 

I don't think Aston Villa or Leeds were penniless when they won the league, regardless you have to admit that football has changed since those days.

[ToxtethTerror]

I don't think Aston Villa or Leeds were penniless when they won the league, regardless you have to admit that football has changed since those days.

 

The point is and as Catch22 keeps going on about, neither of those teams were 1st or 2nd big spenders or wage payers but managed to win the league. Even Arsenal under George Graham, known for paying paltry wages and signing mid range players and getting the best out of them or using their much vaunted youth team - they spent nowhere near as much as Liverpool or Manchester United im wages and transfers d they managed to win the league too.

[Guest ShoePiss]

The point is and as Catch22 keeps going on about, neither of those teams were 1st or 2nd big spenders or wage payers but managed to win the league. Even Arsenal under George Graham, known for paying paltry wages and signing mid range players and getting the best out of them or using their much vaunted youth team - they spent nowhere near as much as Liverpool or Manchester United im wages and transfers d they managed to win the league too.

 

So Everton have no excuse for not winning the league lately then.

 

Times have changed and the difference in money between the clubs is greater now than it was then.

[aws]

You're not falling on the Parry excuse asre you, Andrew?

 

But you don't know why we brought in no replacement either, do you? Everything doesn't have to be either an excuse or an apology.

 

I'd be amazed if Rafa didn't bring up the subject as his priority is to have the strongest squad possible. Why on earth would he want to ship out a player and not replace him? It's not his cash he's spending ,is it?

 

My guess is that he was told there was no time to get someone in and to make do with the current squad.

[Ted]

But you don't know why we brought in no replacement either, do you? Everything doesn't have to be either an excuse or an apology.

 

I'd be amazed if Rafa didn't bring up the subject as his priority is to have the strongest squad possible. Why on earth would he want to ship out a player and not replace him? It's not his cash he's spending ,is it?

 

My guess is that he was told there was no time to get someone in and to make do with the current squad.

 

So, if there was no time for a replacement, why did he still get shut of Keane? Is that not just cutting off his nose to spite his face?

[Cardie]

Repped - The best points in the whole thread. Be prepared for people to come back and say "we overachieved, they underchieved that season" though.

 

Spot on, they didn't just underachieve that season, they underachieved the season before as well (although they have won 6 league titles in the last ten years while we've had an average finish of 4th).

 

Point well made Rash.

[Cardie]

So, if there was no time for a replacement, why did he still get shut of Keane? Is that not just cutting off his nose to spite his face?

 

If Keane had been making a difference with his performances I'd agree, problem is he wasn't for the most part he was toiling upfront and missing chance after chance.

 

In that situation did it really make a difference who was missing the chances?

[ToxtethTerror]

If Keane had been making a difference with his performances I'd agree, problem is he wasn't for the most part he was toiling upfront and missing chance after chance.

 

What difference was Kuyt making the months that he was absolute shite in 2 seasons here and much of this season that gets him chance after chance?

 

I'd not mind if Rafa was consistent in player treatment but he isn't which is a flaw in his man management in my opinion.

[Red Nick]

With whom?

 

If you can accept not winning the PL for the next 5 years then obviously if wouldnt be as bad for you as horrendous it is for me.

[aws]

So, if there was no time for a replacement, why did he still get shut of Keane? Is that not just cutting off his nose to spite his face?

 

He wanted shut of Keane because he wasn't performing and the whole saga was starting to distract us so that his presence in the squad was detrimental.

 

My guess (again) is that he was told he could have the keane money in the summer if he sold now but that the keane money would be a lot less if he waited because Spurs would have bought someone else.