Have to love the media! (Wenger comments on Chelsea)

[Eddie26]

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/3344002

Read the article, then read just the comments. Wenger said nothing bad about Chelsea. He said Arsenal play more entertaining and offensive (which I don't think anyone could disagree) and that Arsenal plays more risky (same, no one can argue) but by reading the article, they try to make it seem as though he blasted Chelsea. It's ridiculous.

Anyone agree?

[sanariot]

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/3344002

Read the article, then read just the comments. Wenger said nothing bad about Chelsea. He said Arsenal play more entertaining and offensive (which I don't think anyone could disagree) and that Arsenal plays more risky (same, no one can argue) but by reading the article, they try to make it seem as though he blasted Chelsea. It's ridiculous.

Pretty football...schmitty football...Top of the league, having a laugh and all that...

Is that the best the tabloids can do?

PS: Falcons are gonna take down the Iggles later today and are gonna bitchslap the Patri-Steelers in the Big Game!

Warrick Dunn, MVP, MFers!!!!

[sanariot]

Just effin wit ya, Eddie...If the Iggles do the biz, I'm behind them 100%!

[BridgeMonkee]

He said Arsenal play more entertaining and offensive (which I don't think anyone could disagree)

I disagree. Chelsea play great football, brilliant technical football, which I prefer to watch to Arsenal. I find Robben and Duff far more entertaining than any of the gooner wingers at the moment.

Wenger is a pratt. He has Just be warned to keep his gob shut and stop having a slanging match with sir red face and he tries to start a row with Jose. Wenger has no class.

"We are more attractive to watch than them," said Wenger.
"They might have a better balance in defence but we score goals..."


Arsenal have scored 52 goals, Chelsea have scored 48 goals in the league. We have scored more goals in Europe than Arsenal. So we have scored as many goals as Arsenal and yet again Wenger is talking out of his arse. Wenger is rapidly becoming a fool.


"You have to adapt to the quality of players you have. If you play a Pires, a Bergkamp or a Ljungberg and you say defend, you can't do it. They have players who are happy to defend."


So what is he saying that he has team of prima-donas who dont like to defend? Why would he be proud of a team like that? No wonder are Arsenal are third if thay are so jaded and unmotivated. Bergkamp and Ljunberg? give me Robben and Duff any day of the week as they are better players.

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=251511&cpid=8&CLID=&lid=2&title=Wenger+swipes+at+Blues&channel=Football_Home

btw - eddie why are you such a gooner lover? ;):p

[Clan]

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/3344002

Read the article, then read just the comments. Wenger said nothing bad about Chelsea. He said Arsenal play more entertaining and offensive (which I don't think anyone could disagree) and that Arsenal plays more risky (same, no one can argue) but by reading the article, they try to make it seem as though he blasted Chelsea. It's ridiculous.

Anyone agree?

I disagree with him on almost everything he's said, as Monkee pointed out, they're nothing of they're nothing of the sort.

[lobomojo]

I disagree. Chelsea play great football, brilliant technical football, which I prefer to watch to Arsenal. I find Robben and Duff far more entertaining than any of the gooner wingers at the moment.

Wenger is a pratt. He has Just be warned to keep his gob shut and stop having a slanging match with sir red face and he tries to start a row with Jose. Wenger has no class.

"We are more attractive to watch than them," said Wenger.
"They might have a better balance in defence but we score goals..."


Arsenal have scored 52 goals, Chelsea have scored 48 goals in the league. We have scored more goals in Europe than Arsenal. So we have scored as many goals as Arsenal and yet again Wenger is talking out of his arse. Wenger is rapidly becoming a fool.


"You have to adapt to the quality of players you have. If you play a Pires, a Bergkamp or a Ljungberg and you say defend, you can't do it. They have players who are happy to defend."


So what is he saying that he has team of prima-donas who dont like to defend? Why would he be proud of a team like that? No wonder are Arsenal are third if thay are so jaded and unmotivated. Bergkamp and Ljunberg? give me Robben and Duff any day of the week as they are better players.

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=251511&cpid=8&CLID=&lid=2&title=Wenger+swipes+at+Blues&channel=Football_Home

btw - eddie why are you such a gooner lover? ;):p

What he said, and should'nt Wenger be playing his mind games with Moyes and Mclaren as they fight for the last CL spot?

Surely Eddie must have meant offensive as in the odor of long spoiled fois gras.

[johno]

Pretty football...schmitty football...Top of the league, having a laugh and all that...

Is that the best the tabloids can do?

PS: Falcons are gonna take down the Iggles later today and are gonna bitchslap the Patri-Steelers in the Big Game!

Warrick Dunn, MVP, MFers!!!!

I'm an Eagle hater too... so go Vick... who is the NFL's version of Ronaldinho

[|--LdC--|]

I think the real difference are the coaches, look at Joe Cole now, Mourinho warned him and he accepted the new style and right now he his playing with his heart following directly what Mourinho thinks that a player should do, the Chelsea players know that with Mourinho on comand there are no space for individualities, only the team is important.
When Mourinho went to Chelsea i said that he would turn Joe Cole in an Deco type of player, finally it seems Joe Cole is listening the "master" :)

[Forza Moskva]

I actaully disagree. I think that Chelsea have more of a feel for each other, and more depth than Arsenal. If I wanted to see a purely offensive game, I'd watch hockey.

[mad theory]

I think the real difference are the coaches, look at Joe Cole now, Mourinho warned him and he accepted the new style and right now he his playing with his heart following directly what Mourinho thinks that a player should do, the Chelsea players know that with Mourinho on comand there are no space for individualities, only the team is important.
When Mourinho went to Chelsea i said that he would turn Joe Cole in an Deco type of player, finally it seems Joe Cole is listening the "master"

So you like Mourinho? I thought Porto fans hated him?

[Forza Moskva]

So you like Mourinho? I thought Porto fans hated him?
Well he did win CL, Uefa Cup, and Portuguese league with Porto...

[Clan]

I think the real difference are the coaches, look at Joe Cole now, Mourinho warned him and he accepted the new style and right now he his playing with his heart following directly what Mourinho thinks that a player should do, the Chelsea players know that with Mourinho on comand there are no space for individualities, only the team is important.
When Mourinho went to Chelsea i said that he would turn Joe Cole in an Deco type of player, finally it seems Joe Cole is listening the "master" :)

What do you make of the idea that Mourinho is good, but, not as good as he likes to think he is.
All being based on the idea that quite a few people in England have, that he couldn't really help but challenge for the title with the sheer strength of the squad he has?

[BridgeMonkee]

Entertaining? !!!

I think <st1:city w:st="on"><st1 ="">Chelsea </st1></st1:city>are far more “entertaining” than Arsenal. For instance, Cech, although he has less to do than the Arsenal GK’s, when tested he produces great saves, entertaining saves that no other keeper in the league is capable of. John Terry plays with great passion, makes great runs and scores great goals, which in my opinion is far more entertaining than any Arsenal defender. The <st1:city w:st="on"><st1 ="">Chelsea </st1></st1:city>defence is sublime, organized and guess what “entertaining” to behold. Lampard, JoeCole, Tiago’s flicks, Robben, Duff, Drogba, Eidur, Makalele, etc are all great, brilliant and “entertaining” players too watch. Wenger’s comments are a crock of sh1t. Wenger is a fool.



<o ="">Joe Cole the new Deco? :)
His distribution and long range passing was awesome yesterday.
</o>
Clan - Having read JM’s bio and getting some insights into the man I can assure you he really is that great. Sure CR left him a good bunch of players, but just look at Real Madrid, you need more than a collection of great players.

http://www.cfcnet.co.uk/content/low/results_details.asp?Type=News&ID=5004

[|--LdC--|]

So you like Mourinho? I thought Porto fans hated him?

Any "normal" FC Porto fan like him, here in Portugal everyone loves him, now even more since he left us lol...so the Sporting and Benfica supporters(the biggest fan bases in Portugal) are right now doing what the Arsenal, Manchester United and others will do when Mourinho leaves Chelsea.

[|--LdC--|]

What do you make of the idea that Mourinho is good, but, not as good as he likes to think he is.
All being based on the idea that quite a few people in England have, that he couldn't really help but challenge for the title with the sheer strength of the squad he has?

Most of what Mourinho says to the press is only to get all the attention towards him, not because he wants to be the star but because he wants to protect his players and his team, so he offers himself has a "target", almost as an shield that will block everything that could bring problems to the squad.
Obviously i think Chelsea has a great squad probably the best in England but with all the changes the team suffered isn´t an easy task to fight with established and dominant teams like Manchester United and Arsenal.
Not to mention the pressure, i know that most of the Chelsea fans loved CR and were unhappy to see him going because he made a great work, so Mourinho had to impress his players, the Chelsea supporters, Roman Abramovich, EPL and England... not an easy task to a "newbie", that SAF said was coaching a team(FC Porto) that bought titles on the supermarket...

[Clan]

Clan - Having read JM’s bio and getting some insights into the man I can assure you he really is that great. Sure CR left him a good bunch of players, but just look at Real Madrid, you need more than a collection of great players.


Well, never being one to refrain from 'rocking the boat' i shall add this then.

At the start of the season we weren't playing anywhere near as well as we're playing now, we had that bloody poxy diamond thing going on each week, and it was rather dull to be honest.We could have lost more games than we'd like to think about.Of course, we had a dead solid back four to shore things up and we continued to win games, so all was forgotten rather quickly as we looked forward to tyhe next game and the chase of Arsenal was higher on the list of things to notice than Mourinhos die hard attitude of playing straight up the middle at that time.

Then we had the Duff situation, the lad was back to fitness and playing exceptionally well for Ireland, yet couldn't get a game for Chelsea.We were still playing dull...but winning...and were not only crying out for some width, but screaming for it.Mourinho was dogged in his pursuit of the diamond.
Finally, for whatever reason, perhaps all the talk about him being 'unhappy', or perhaps it was the continous bashing of our style of play being so mundane and predictable, up the middle, or perhaps it was the fact that he recognised that we were easy to stop by teams that plugged the middle as we had no width and saw that it was rather razor edge, the difference in us winning and losing at the time...all the time the Arse were surging now mind you, playing fantastic football and knocking in goals for fun,...he decided to give the Duffer a cameo.The rest, as they say, for that tactic has been history.

Now, then, we have the Robben phenom at the Bridge...a player not purchased by Mourinho i hasten to add,, yet the team's winning and he's playing perhaps the best football in England that this time.The signing of the season, without a doubt, in English football!!!!
Mourinho lauds it all up, recieves the credit as the winning manager...and Ranieri must be wondering what if?
The same has to be said of Cech, the best keeper in England!

Now, added to that we have the signings of Mourinho himself.
Ferriera has been stunning, slow to start for sure, but simply stunning since.
Tiago...um....Jury still out.
Drogba...another um...
Carvalho...good at first, i actually think he was getting a tad worse as the season wore on.Terry and gallas have been the best center half pairing in the English game (Europe this season?) to date, i await with wonder, to see if he'll break it up to give Carvalho a game in the league.
Jarosik...um..
Kezman...no um needed there!

So, in short, whilst i think he's been doing great, i think he's a far better manager than Ranieri would have been, has done the 'g' word with the team and we're on course to win the title and god only knows what else this season, i still look upon him as rather 'steady' than 'great'.

[lobomojo]

Well, never being one to refrain from 'rocking the boat' i shall add this then.....

I will admit last spring I was skeptical about hiring JM, now I think he may be the best manager not only in football but in any sport.

Remember at the beginning of the the year, most and many here were saying regardless of the aquired talent, it was impossible for any manger to be expected or able to acclimate and implement his system and win major silver in his first year against the likes of ManUre and especially invincable Arse. Nothing won but there are no doubters left that it is at least very possible +.

We are deeper no doubt but there really is not significant differences between the big 3's top 11 overall, though I will take ours.

But he implemented his system from the back up and center out, did not crack or change and won during the "boring boring Chelsea" days, without significant complaint from those not playing as much as liked.

He has built a championship mentality, drive and determination in a side thas not won a title in 50 yerar, not at all as easy as it looks.

He has huge talented egos playing as a selfless, incredibally disciplaned team with near absolute belief in him and his system, near immposible, see Madrid.

Though Duff was playing for his country, he was not fully fit and me thinks, because of the shoulder, not going to ground as JM wanted so he did not play. When he did it as JM wanted he played, a good lesson for all, the same lesson that had to be learned from Cole. If you let one player get away with less disciplane on or off the pitch, the whole system breaks down, see Madrid again.

10 points clear despite Duff missing games due to injury fitness, Drogba missing a chunk, Mutu going tropo, Robben out for many weeks, it is really not that easy JM and the team just make it look easy.

If Raneri were here, we would be in the top 3 but I very much doubt 10 points clear if even at the top, I would be putting a fork in my heart everytime I heard we are not really able to play with Man or Arse but maybe we will get lucky, instead of watching SAF go crazy and seeing the unflappable one, flapping like a madman. Gronks would probably still be starting, Cole would be a spur we would have given up about 20+ more goals and I would be screaming at the tv again about sloppy defense and play and why the f is Veron playing, is Crespo ever going to adjust, why is Mutu's nose always running. Last year I was always nervous, even when leading, now I feel relaxed even a goal down at the library. (ok I was a bit tense but overall still pretty confident)

I love watching us play now, the team organazation, shape, tactical adjustments and complete team disciplane, with the quick attacking flair, and often complete domination and ability to seal a win and very very few lazy or sloppy mistakes and play on the pitch is an absolute thing of beauty.

He just makes it look easy, not only does he work harder than any other manager but the man is an absolute genius and who I want to be if I ever choose to grow up :rolleyes:, unless of course we go silverless:D

[tejedora]

I will admit last spring I was skeptical about hiring JM, now I think he may be the best manager not only in football but in any sport.
I think Clan has a good point about JM reaping the benefits of CR's legacy, and I also have concerns about some of JM's signings. On the other hand, I think JM has done a good job of taking advantage of what opportunities he's had and building on the team's strengths.

He has built a championship mentality, drive and determination in a side thas not won a title in 50 yerar, not at all as easy as it looks.
He has huge talented egos playing as a selfless, incredibally disciplaned team with near absolute belief in him and his system, near immposible, see Madrid.
What lobomojo said . . . this is really a strength of JM's, and also why I don't see him signing someone like Becks. (Thank God.) ;)

I love watching us play now, the team organazation, shape, tactical adjustments and complete team disciplane, with the quick attacking flair, and often complete domination and ability to seal a win and very very few lazy or sloppy mistakes and play on the pitch is an absolute thing of beauty.
Beautifully said. :)

[|--LdC--|]

I will admit last spring I was skeptical about hiring JM, now I think he may be the best manager not only in football but in any sport.

Remember at the beginning of the the year, most and many here were saying regardless of the aquired talent, it was impossible for any manger to be expected or able to acclimate and implement his system and win major silver in his first year against the likes of ManUre and especially invincable Arse. Nothing won but there are no doubters left that it is at least very possible +.

We are deeper no doubt but there really is not significant differences between the big 3's top 11 overall, though I will take ours.

But he implemented his system from the back up and center out, did not crack or change and won during the "boring boring Chelsea" days, without significant complaint from those not playing as much as liked.

He has built a championship mentality, drive and determination in a side thas not won a title in 50 yerar, not at all as easy as it looks.

He has huge talented egos playing as a selfless, incredibally disciplaned team with near absolute belief in him and his system, near immposible, see Madrid.

Though Duff was playing for his country, he was not fully fit and me thinks, because of the shoulder, not going to ground as JM wanted so he did not play. When he did it as JM wanted he played, a good lesson for all, the same lesson that had to be learned from Cole. If you let one player get away with less disciplane on or off the pitch, the whole system breaks down, see Madrid again.

10 points clear despite Duff missing games due to injury fitness, Drogba missing a chunk, Mutu going tropo, Robben out for many weeks, it is really not that easy JM and the team just make it look easy.

If Raneri were here, we would be in the top 3 but I very much doubt 10 points clear if even at the top, I would be putting a fork in my heart everytime I heard we are not really able to play with Man or Arse but maybe we will get lucky, instead of watching SAF go crazy and seeing the unflappable one, flapping like a madman. Gronks would probably still be starting, Cole would be a spur we would have given up about 20+ more goals and I would be screaming at the tv again about sloppy defense and play and why the f is Veron playing, is Crespo ever going to adjust, why is Mutu's nose always running. Last year I was always nervous, even when leading, now I feel relaxed even a goal down at the library. (ok I was a bit tense but overall still pretty confident)

I love watching us play now, the team organazation, shape, tactical adjustments and complete team disciplane, with the quick attacking flair, and often complete domination and ability to seal a win and very very few lazy or sloppy mistakes and play on the pitch is an absolute thing of beauty.

He just makes it look easy, not only does he work harder than any other manager but the man is an absolute genius and who I want to be if I ever choose to grow up :rolleyes:, unless of course we go silverless:D

"Last year I was always nervous, even when leading, now I feel relaxed even a goal down at the library. (ok I was a bit tense but overall still pretty confident)"
--» That was precisally what i felt during the Mourinho days on FC Porto, i could be tense for some games but something kept me confident even when things weren´t going as i wanted, i knew that most of the times in the end i would be smilling :)

[BridgeMonkee]

Well, never being one to refrain from 'rocking the boat' i shall add this then.

i still look upon him as rather 'steady' than 'great'.

Mourinho is brilliant. The manager of his generation. In time he’ll prove that to you clan ;)<o =""></o>





he started from the premise that he was new, some of the players were new (not just the new players he signed) and the priority to begin with for him and the team was do not lose. Do NOT lose. If he lost games early everyone would have asked for his head. This led to accusations of boring play. But in hindsight he was absolutely right. He secured the team, he got them organized the way he wanted them to be.
Diamonds? Historically he favours a 4-3-3, often playing a 4-4-2 in <st1 ="">Europe</st1>, more importantly he is tactical maestro who will play very specific formations depending on each game and the opponents. Talk about tinkering. He has this book, this bible of tactics, very secret book/dossier, he is somewhat of a footballing visionary in my opinion.
RE: Duff. he doesn’t rush players back from injury, even now he plays Drogba for 60-70 mins tops. Not rushing players back into the team, makes so much sense, especially at the beginning of the season.
the signings of Mourinho himself? Ferriera has been brilliant. Tiago has had his moments, scored some goals, looked a little lost at times, but like Parker/Cole/Johnson he is young, Drogba hasn’t been 100% fit, but most definitely the type of player we needed, an aerial threat to feed on the crosses of Duff and Robben. Carvalho? Regarded as one of the best CB’s in <st1 ="">Europe</st1>, brought into replace the aging Desailly and a good acquisition for the squad. We have three great CB’s. Who are the best two? Time will tell. Btw – we must remember that Gallas hasn’t always shown the most team loyalty in the past eh? Kezman? Looked good on paper, remember CR signed De Lucas and Joka and Veron and Crespo and Geremi, etc. not ever signing works out, that is football.
Cr inherited a team from Vialli - a team that although was aging, it still won silverware, CR never did get us any.
In short, Jose iike Claudio is a man with a lot of integrity and good player management skills and very supportive of his players.