Arsenal Relegated in 2009?

[MOBIUS]

With Henry gone and Wenger leaving at the end of this coming season...

Who knows, maybe Eriksson will step in and steady the sinking ship...

[Kropotkin]

Don't you worry 'bout 'em. I sure they still have cash enough to buy some hammers talent at bargain prices.

[Maquiladora]

Eriksson would be perfect for Arsenal. Their fans don't mind watching boring football, and they couldn't care less about supporting England. Perfect match!

[Cort Haus]

Well, at least relegation would get rid of the glory-hunters and bring ticket prices down.

It's hard to lose a club legend who was one of the best players in the world and the clubs top scorer ever, but OTOH he was a crap captain who thought he was bigger that the club, was past his best, cast a shadow over other players, and was incredibly expensive to run.

Losing Wenger would be harder. There are counter-rumours though that he's prepared to sign until 2011.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Their fans don't mind watching boring football

It's been a long while though.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
OTOH he was a crap captain who thought he was bigger that the club, was past his best, cast a shadow over other players, and was incredibly expensive to run.

Surely that's a job requirement for any Premiership or country captain these days.

[Footie Mad]

Out of a mountain of miserable whiners to chose from among the players in the upper tier of football I found Henry one of the worst to watch. His skill with the ball was in no way greater than his dreadful whining, self imposed poor balance at the right time and stupid goal celebrations such as jogging along with a blank face.

Ps. Any teams that breaks up the top four in England will be my personal heroes.

[Cort Haus]

FM, you obviously either missed TH14's incredible skill or you are chosing to ignore it. Most observers of English football will have seen it.

Now if only we could get rid of that overpaid-and-past-it non-performer Freddie Ljungberg we'd free up the budget nicely for someone useful.

[Maquiladora]

It is strange that Wenger has kept Ljungberg so long past his prime, if you consider Vieira, Pires, Overmars, Petit all left with their best seasons behind them. I guess no one else wanted him.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
FM, you obviously either missed TH14's incredible skill or you are chosing to ignore it. Most observers of English football will have seen it.

Now if only we could get rid of that overpaid-and-past-it non-performer Freddie Ljungberg we'd free up the budget nicely for someone useful.

Looks like your wish has come true after all...

Upto £3m seems like very good business for West Ham, considering IMO he is essentially cover for Faubert's freak injury...

If he can avoid injury, he is still only 30 and could still be a very influential player.

Now, about my thread title prediction...?

[Kropotkin]

£3m for an injury prone has-been, yeah West Ham might be relegated in 2009... that was the thread title, right?

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by MOBIUS
If he can avoid injury, he is still only 30 and could still be a very influential player.

He'd lost his pace last season, when he was fit at all, and was an extremely expensive-to-run squad player. He even seemed to have lost his ability to win dubious free kicks.

I'm sure he's been practising his "c'mon ref" pleas over the summer though.

Having said all that, the guy was a legend for Arsenal at his peak, and his contribution to the 2002 double will long be remembered.

"We love you Freddie, cos you've got red hair
we love you Freddie, cos you're everywhere
we love you Freddie, cos you're Arsenal through and through"

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Kropotkin
£3m for an injury prone has-been, yeah West Ham might be relegated in 2009... that was the thread title, right?

Up to £3m...

He was just made captain for Sweden and was their player of the year or whatever it's called last year, not that that is saying much...

Anyway, that gives him reasons to make an effort in my books. As for injury prone, one of his persistent 'injuries' was found out to be blood poisoning from his tattoos...

At the Prem level, £3m is a very small gamble on a player who is only a couple of years off his best during a time when Arsenal as a team has been sliding anyway. If he does a Vieira, I'll be more than happy!

So, where will Wenger go when he leaves Arsenal next year...?

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by MOBIUS
So, where will Wenger go when he leaves Arsenal next year...?

If he goes, it'll be to Bayern or Barca. Never Real Madrid, or Italy. The thing is he won't find a job anywhere with the security or power he has at Arsenal.

[MOBIUS]

Dein just left...