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Football Thread 2012/13 |OT| The Beautiful Game

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S

Slizz

Member
Yurt said:
Pato-gol!

This whole beat the keeper to the ball and then deliberately crash into him needs to stop.
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Referring to Hulk's play?

No choice really, too stiff of a touch to beat the keeper and re-gather possesion. Tried to draw the penalty instead. Probably should have gotten a yellow.
 
Y

Yurt

il capo silenzioso
Zabojnik said:
When are Arsenal / Wenger coming back from China? It's time for the final push
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We'll know about Jojo in the next two days apparently, so there's that! If it goes tits up, Arsenal will have the upper hand :/
 
S

Salvadora

Member
Arsenal bid for Málaga's Santi Cazorla and close in on Nuri Sahin

Arsenal have submitted an offer of £16m to Málaga for Santi Cazorla and are confident of making him their third signing of the summer, while also closing in on a season-long loan deal for Real Madrid's Nuri Sahin.

Arsène Wenger has tracked Cazorla since the beginning of last summer, but the Arsenal manager was deterred from making a firm move for the Spain midfielder by his price tag. Cazorla left Villarreal for Málaga in a €19m (£15m) deal, while Wenger took Mikel Arteta from Everton at the last moment for £10m to bolster his midfield. Wenger, though, has come to see the value in Cazorla, an all-round midfielder who is capable of playing wide or centrally, and the Frenchman is hopeful of completing the deal after he and the Arsenal squad return from their tour of the Far East. They play their third and final match against Kitchee in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Cazorla has agreed personal terms in principle with Arsenal and the sense that the deal is close has been reinforced by events at Málaga in recent days as the club's problems with debt threaten their participation in La Liga. The club's Qatari owner, Sheikh Abdullah al-Thani, sent the executive Moayad Shatat to Spain last Thursday to resolve the raft of problems, among them Cazorla's future.

At the same time, the Málaga manager, Manuel Pellegrini, said that selling Cazorla for €20m would amount to "giving him away". Shatat was supposed to offer immediate reassurances but worryingly for Pellegrini and Málaga he has said nothing and it emerged on Saturday night, according to reports in Spain, that he was investigating the sale of the club. Cazorla has not gone on the Venezuela tour, although he was never going to after his exertions for Spain at Euro 2012.

Arsenal, who have already signed the strikers Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, are in talks with Madrid over Sahin. José Mourinho, who signed the the Turkey midfielder from Borussia Dortmund last summer, has suggested that it would be better if he looked for a fresh opportunity in light of his struggles to establish himself at the Bernabéu. The 23-year-old Sahin was not happy to hear that and he is not yet entirely sold on the proposed loan move, particularly as there is no option for Arsenal to buy him at the end of it.

He travelled with the Madrid squad to the United States morning for their pre-season tour, which presents Arsenal with a logistical difficulty, but the London club remain hopeful of convincing him to join them. They want to have both Cazorla and Sahin available for their final pre-season friendly away to Köln on 12 August.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/28/arsenal-santi-cazorla-nuri-sahin
 
A

Arnie

Member
Isn't that old?

I'm convinced that Arsenal will push the two Manchester clubs this season, as long as they get in a defensive signing, probably a fullback. So eager to see how Giroud does, was a massive fan of his last season, seems like he's got everything in his locker, very similar to Van Persie. Can head, finish, strong, decent acceleration.
 
S

Salvadora

Member
HixxSAFC said:
Cazorla has signed for Arsenal, the Other One said so.
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Yeah he did.
Arnie said:
Isn't that old?
I'm convinced that Arsenal will push the two Manchester clubs this season, as long as they get in a defensive signing, probably a fullback. So eager to see how Giroud does, was a massive fan of his last season, seems like he's got everything in his locker, very similar to Van Persie. Can head, finish, strong, decent acceleration.
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There have been quite a few articles concerning Cazorla & Arsenal in recent times. I have to admit, I'm quite excited about the coming season.
 
G

GorillaJu

Member
Arnie said:
Have to think that a midfield three of Sahin/M'vila, Arteta, and Cazorla is by far the best in the league.
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Think you're letting your "foreign players is best" goggles blind you. Only one of those three is actually proven to be a good PL midfielder. Not saying that it couldn't be the best midfield in the PL, I just don't think it's a given.
 
A

Arnie

Member
odd_morsel said:
Think you're letting your "foreign players is best" goggles blind you. Only one of those three is actually proven to be a good PL midfielder. Not saying that it couldn't be the best midfield in the PL, I just don't think it's a given.
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Assuming the two of the three who've yet to feature in the premier league manage to display a similar level of form to that which they've enjoyed in other top European leagues, I can't envisage a current trio in the league that I'd rather have.

I've already made note of how much I rate Arteta, I think he's one of the best midfielders in the league in terms of dictating the tempo of play and keeping things ticking over. Goes relatively unnoticed.
 
Y

Yen

Member
odd_morsel said:
Think you're letting your "foreign players is best" goggles blind you. Only one of those three is actually proven to be a good PL midfielder. Not saying that it couldn't be the best midfield in the PL, I just don't think it's a given.
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Premiership proven, you say?
blackpool-charlie-adam-cropped
 
G

GorillaJu

Member
Arnie said:
Assuming the two of the three who've yet to feature in the premier league manage to display a similar level of form to that which they've enjoyed in other top European leagues, I can't envisage a current trio in the league that I'd rather have.

I've already made note of how much I rate Arteta, I think he's one of the best midfielders in the league in terms of dictating the tempo of play and keeping things ticking over. Goes relatively unnoticed.
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I agree. I'm just saying you're relying on the presumption being true, that they'll be able to replicate their form from the Bundesliga/Ligue 1/La Liga in the PL. There are certainly cases that work out, and just as many that don't.
 
A

Arnie

Member
odd_morsel said:
I agree. I'm just saying you're relying on the presumption being true, that they'll be able to replicate their form from the Bundesliga/Ligue 1/La Liga in the PL. There are certainly cases that work out, and just as many that don't.
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Whilst there are notable failures, I don't think the odds are even that a quality player is going to under perform when he arrives in England. In general I believe true quality will adapt and show, whether it takes a bit of time or not.

If the likes of Mata can be so good, so quick, I believe Cazorla won't struggle to adapt, especially with people like Wenger and Arteta helping him.
Salvadora said:
Neymar's hair is fucking horrible.
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I hope that in Brazil his hair is as frowned upon as Carroll's is here.
 
W

Wilbur

Banned
odd_morsel said:
I agree. I'm just saying you're relying on the presumption being true, that they'll be able to replicate their form from the Bundesliga/Ligue 1/La Liga in the PL. There are certainly cases that work out, and just as many that don't.
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I think Sahin and Cazorla could easily cut it; the Bundesliga is far more similar to the PL than La Liga, and I personally rate Cazorla higher than Silva (said this at the Euros).

Agree with Arnie that Arteta is a phenomenal player. Simply sublime at dictating a tempo, but I think if Cazorla, Sahin and M'Vila came in that would be his first choice three, with Song in place of whichever one didn't.
 
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