Nelsen: Blackburn vs Arsenal (3/19/05)

[elconejito]

Blackburn Rovers vs Arsenal
FOX Soccer Channel (US)
Sa Mar 19 7:30am ET/4:30am PT LIVE

Three games this week for Nellie on TV.... Don't see any replays for this game either....

[Pints]

Blackburn Rovers vs Arsenal
FOX Soccer Channel (US)
Sa Mar 19 7:30am ET/4:30am PT LIVE

Three games this week for Nellie on TV.... Don't see any replays for this game either....

Ahh thanks for the post, FSC generally re-airs it's 7:30am match around 5pm on saturdays, sometimes 8pm. Tomorrow afternoon soccertv.com weill probably post it.

[ursula]

Blackburn Rovers vs Arsenal
FOX Nellie Channel (US)
Sa Mar 19 7:30am ET/4:30am PT LIVE

Three games this week for Nellie TV....

Fixed yer post.

[delo_pata]

I finally got around to watching the Everton match last night. Nellie not only looks like he belongs, he could well be among the toughest central defenders in the league. What Fulham would do for someone so solid.

[Sundevil9]

I was kinda looking forward to seeing Nellie vs. Henry.....but with Henry out for two weeks, we'll need to wait until next season. :(

[cwste]

Not necessarily - they could meet up in the next few rounds of the FA Cup! (Nelsen is eligible even as a mid-season transfer, right?)

[Pints]

Not necessarily - they could meet up in the next few rounds of the FA Cup! (Nelsen is eligible even as a mid-season transfer, right?)

Nelsen has been playing in FA cup matches so far he has appeared in 3 I believe, even captained during the last one.
The next one he is slated to appear in is against Leicester this Sunday. A thread has been opened for that match as well.

[Publius]

When Nelsen was going to the EPL I was really hoping it would be to Arsenal to replace Pascal Cygan. The fact that he's doing so well in England really makes me wish Arsenal had signed him, but alas, he is not French.

[Sundevil9]

Not necessarily - they could meet up in the next few rounds of the FA Cup! (Nelsen is eligible even as a mid-season transfer, right?)

Wel sir, you were correct......Arsenal has drawn Blackburn in the FA Cup Semis!

[Pints]

Wel sir, you were correct......Arsenal has drawn Blackburn in the FA Cup Semis!


A good idea how this FA Cup semi match is to go will be played out this Saturday.

Sat Mar 19 07:30AM Eastern
Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE
FOX Soccer Channel (US)
English Premier League
Blackburn Rovers vs Arsenal

Granted this one is without Henry correct?


For ******** sakes, sorry folks didn;t realize which thread I was posting in.
Thought this was still the leicester thread.

[rugman]

Granted this one is without Henry correct?


Yep, no Henry. After marking out the Liverpool strikers it would have been great to see him against Henry and Arsenal but the Gunners without Henry will have to do.
Will Slainte be open for this one Pints?

[elconejito]

Arsenal has plenty of firepower they can field as well, and i think the greater danger comes from their midfield...

[rebelzero]

Big Nellie story in Lancashire Evening Post (http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/rovers/sport/ROVERS0.html)

Selected excerpts:
Nelsen has not looked back since he arrived in England from Major League Soccer outfit DC United at the beginning of January.

The 27-year-old has already established himself as a regular in Mark Hughes' line-up and was even given the captain's armband for the recent FA Cup victory over Burnley at Ewood, a clear sign of the faith his manager has in him.

He added: "It's different to the MLS of course, and it has not been easy, it has been hard work but that's what I love about it, the step up to this level.


"I'm not surprised at all by how well Ryan has done," said the Rovers boss.

"I was fortunate enough to pick him up and we had him in the club for two weeks on trial but within half an hour of his training session, I knew that he was a player.

"We've talked a lot about mental strength, and he's a guy who's got mental strength in abundance.

"He's got a winning mentality and he's added so much to the team.

"The fact he was a free transfer as well is fantastic."

[LN-Jonas]

Fox Sports en Espanol
Sat. 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
English Premier League
Blackburn vs Arsenal

[rugman]

So far, sounds like the Gunners are making Brad Friedal work hard. Arsenal up by 1. Sounded like they caught the defense sleeping but then Todd, their captain and center back with Nelsen, was substituted as he has the flu. Didn't see it so I don't know how Nellie is really doing.

[JoeSoccerFan]

So far, sounds like the Gunners are making Brad Friedal work hard. Arsenal up by 1. Sounded like they caught the defense sleeping but then Todd, their captain and center back with Nelsen, was substituted as he has the flu. Didn't see it so I don't know how Nellie is really doing.

probably need to put the [R] in the title thread given that a score is given.

Nellie doing fine. Nellie had been marking Persie out of the game - confusing him.

On the goal Cole dragging the ball with his sole, beat 2 Blackburn defenders and unbalanced the blackburn defense. With that surplus of time, Cole presented a beautiful pass that van Persie, in one motion beat Todd and was 1 on 1 with Friedel. van Persie dragged the ball across his body with his favored left to beat Friedel on a tap in with his right foot.

[mkpage]

Big Nellie story in Lancashire Evening Post (http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/rovers/sport/ROVERS0.html)

"The fact he was a free transfer as well is fantastic."

I enjoy watching Nellie playing so well in the Premiership, but the fact that he's there on a free transfer still burns me up a bit.

Nice to see him wearing the captain's arm band again today.

[GrillMaster]

I enjoy watching Nellie playing so well in the Premiership, but the fact that he's there on a free transfer still burns me up a bit.

Nice to see him wearing the captain's arm band again today.Look at it this way: if there had been a transfer fee involved, how many trials would Nellie have been able to arrange? Sure, gaffers are kicking themselves now, but where were they when Nellie was fruitlessly looking in 2003 (when there was a transfer fee involved)?

MLS is not quite 'there' yet, but Nellie is greatly helping the cause of underpaid MLS players. Indirectly, Nellie is probably earning MLS many future transfer fees by enhancing the reputation of the league with his fine form.

GM

[griffin1108]

GrillMaster makes an excellent, but possibly disturbing point. If an MLS "Best XI" player can make what appears to be a seamless transition to the EPL, other "Best XI" players may draw similar attention from the EPL and comparable leagues. Indeed, Nelsen's work for Blackburn should raise interest from foreign leagues in quality MLS players.

My fear in all of this is that because of MLS very stringent salary cap, MLS just becomes a feeder league to higher European leagues. In the last year MLS lost Donovan and Beasley to Europe and undoubtedly will lose Johnson after this season (jeez Benfica already offered $5 million for him). Adu probably goes "east" at 18 as well. I'm reconciled to the fact that for the next 10 years at least, if not forever, MLS will be like a AAA baseball league sending its best players to the "majors." While it's fun to watch Nelsen play like a rock in the EPL, in the "kid from the small town takes the big city by storm" type of way; in another way it's sad because all of us know that the truly great players we will see in MLS will just pass through for a few years until the bright city lights, and deserved bigger paydays, beckon.

[Sundevil9]

GrillMaster makes an excellent, but possibly disturbing point. If an MLS "Best XI" player can make what appears to be a seamless transition to the EPL, other "Best XI" players may draw similar attention from the EPL and comparable leagues. Indeed, Nelsen's work for Blackburn should raise interest from foreign leagues in quality MLS players.

If players gain any interest, I'm sure that European clubs would also guage the style of the player to see if he can hack it in their league.

Look at last year's Best XI:

Joe Cannon
Ryan Nelsen
Eddie Pope
Robin Fraser
Jimmy Conrad
Eddie Gaven
Kerry Zavagnan
Ronnie O'Brien
Brian Ching
Jamie Moreno

Some of these guys came to MLS after European careers ( ex: 2004's POY Ronnie O'Brien) some have tried to catch on to clubs, and failed. I think that there was just something in Nellie's character that allows him to accel. But I think if a Josh Gros gets recognized as a Best XI player, there may be interest from abroad (I seem to remember that the Forrest manager was quite impressed by him).

My fear in all of this is that because of MLS very stringent salary cap, MLS just becomes a feeder league to higher European leagues. In the last year MLS lost Donovan and Beasley to Europe and undoubtedly will lose Johnson after this season (jeez Benfica already offered $5 million for him). Adu probably goes "east" at 18 as well. I'm reconciled to the fact that for the next 10 years at least, if not forever, MLS will be like a AAA baseball league sending its best players to the "majors." While it's fun to watch Nelsen play like a rock in the EPL, in the "kid from the small town takes the big city by storm" type of way; in another way it's sad because all of us know that the truly great players we will see in MLS will just pass through for a few years until the bright city lights, and deserved bigger paydays, beckon.

I've never thought that MLS would be a 'destination league', as the EPL, Spanish, German, and Italian leagues are. I've always thought that we're doing well if we can slide in along with the Dutch first division. Sure some of their best players are sold and play abroad, but they've still got some successful teams, they develop A LOT of talent, and they keep a good portion of their developed talent.