This used to be an issue in the amateur era of rugby where the very fit young guys would hit the weights in the off season to increase their weight - but then lots of it would come off during the season. Now they don't have that issue. It's what i find most suss about the Ozil transformation, that a guy with with a very high level of aerobic fitness can at the same time bulk up - but of course he would have juiced to bulk up and then used agents to cut to keep any extra weight off.
It's most likely Froome was caught because he used a blood bag overnight. But they miscalculated on the Salbutamol he took plus what was in the bag.
You can microdose EPO now. And given football has almost no testing - that means you can use it pretty liberally.
There is a philosophical question to be answered about blood doping. Andean highlanders have adapted to the thin air at altitude by naturally producing more hemoglobin in their blood. This is why Brazil and Argentina always struggle when playing Ecuador in Quito. This trait is apparently shared by Kenyan distance runners. So does blood doping, at least in track become a way of leveling the playing field?
Ya. I’m not saying it’s objectionable in some absolute sense. But rules are rules and athletes agree to compete on the rules so it’s cheating. What about small kids taking hgh so they can compete? If Barry bonds and lance Armstrong get asterisks by their accomplishments why not messi?
To get back to the transfers... Confirmed Lichtsteiner Leno Presumed Done (announcement pending) Sokratis Torreira Rumored Possible Soyuncu Banega Golovin Martins Pavon Lozano Confirmed Out Per Cazorla Jack Rumored on the Block Campbell Perez Ospina
Of we get the pending ones done and 1-2 of the rumored I think it will be a productive window...Pending of course the Ramsey situation. I wonder if we might lose someone else though?
I would pass on banega.. Granted I only watched him when he plays for Argentina and bit for Sevilla but I do not rate him highly
Gelson Martins is on a free after terminating his contract, so that's someone we've been linked with. He would give us some much needed wing depth. However, with us being linked with Banega and having signed Torreira, I wonder if Emery is wanting to play with putting one of Rambo and Ozil out wide.
GK is obviously set after selling Ospina DF is set unless we add another CB. In that case I think Holding ends up on loan. MF depth chart could be set (assuming Ramsey stays) if Emery is willing to go young (Ramsey, Xhaka, Torreira, ElNeny, AMN, Iwobi). Otherwise we could see another vet added with Iwobi going on loan. W is a little light (Miki, Ozil, Nelson). PEA, Welbeck and Iwobi could play there as well but I think it would be good to buy another W for depth/competition. ST is in pretty good shape.
You have to take into account the over 21 non homegrown roster limit when looking at potential transfers. If Campbell and Perez are sold there is one roster spot available. If Ospina is also sold that gives you two foreign born over 21 players to speculate about.
I expect us to sell at least one or two players, five or six at the outside. I have no inside info, of course, but I suspect we're working on a new strategy for moving players on. Instead of pleading and bribing them, we're simply buying their replacements first and waiting for them to ask for a transfer (or not). Clearly there are a few players who might expect to be in the first XI in some circumstances who won't be, and we have to see what their ambitions are.
Seen numerous claims since last night stating that Soyuncu has openly expressed a desire to join Arsenal.
RE Banega... seeing reports that A) Sevilla is looking for 10-12m GBP and B) Banega is willing to be reunited with Emery but before he signs he wants a conversation about his role.
Banega is too old. Two years from now we need a crop of young talent that has spent two seasons developing and is ready to push on to the next level. We shouldn’t be in the position of having to dump a bunch of over 30s and rebuild again.
How about Rabiot? PSG has to offload 60m Euro from their roster by next summer. They are supposedly shopping Rabiot (unhappy), Lo Celso & Di Maria (both considered surplus). Saw something yesterday that Juventus was offered to buy 1 of the 3 but they opted out. Rumored asking price is 50m Euro for Rabiot. Would you do it? If we can fit it in the budget I would pull the trigger in a heartbeat. My only concern with Rabiot is the "me first" mentality that comes across in the media.
Always liked him. I’d go for him if Ramsey leaves. We already had this discussion. He’s old, but too old to play as many games as jack did? No. He would be useful for a couple of season, help our players adapt to Emery’s style, bring some experience to the table and he can beat a press with his dribbling—something no one on our current squad can do.
We're gonna need more homegrown players. I think that's why Chambers and Holding are sticking around. They have a chance to be good and fill a quota need.
Really depends on what they plan from here on out and if anyone HG leaves... GK (3) - Leno, Cech, Macey/Martinez DF (9) - Nacho, Kolo, Lichtsteiner, Bellerin, Sokratis, Mustafi, Chambers, Mavropanos, Holding/New CB MF (10) - Torreira, Xhaka, Ramsey, Miki, Ozil, ElNeny, AMN, Nelson, Iwobi, New guy FW (3) - PEA, Laca, Welbeck That's 15 non-HG giving us 2 international spots to play with for a CB and a W if we want. So if Ramsey stays they could in theory add Soyucu at CB (loaning Holding) and Martins and still be ok under the HG rules. If they also have to replace Ramsey, then atleast one of the CB, W or CM will have to be a HG or U21. Not sure if Mavropanos, AMN or Nelson has to actually be registered since they are under 21. So I guess we could see a couple different guys actually registered. Though if they are replaced on the 25 it likely needs to be a HG due to the numbers.
honestly, i really want martinez, holding, and maitland-niles to be on loan and get significant playing time rather than be here for part-time duties.
Reading more on the Sporting situation. Based on what I have heard, just because Martins, Carvalho, etc... "cancelled" their contract, doesn't mean they are 100% free. The players may have to pay some restitution for leaving the club when they had a valid contract. Read this morning that Martins says that he will not sign with any club unless they agree to pay whatever fee he ends up owing to Sporting.
Still will be a relatively low amount. When your supporters crash training and beat you and a bunch of others up, you have valid grounds for cancellation.