[Bruvva]

Hmmm, looking at the Chelsea squad last night, this lad's not going to relish playing alongside Terry :

Name:Jamal Blackman

[Bruvva]

I'll keep talking to myself then.

Suarez signing a new deal, that's surprised me.

*edit*

£200,000 a week. * me.

[DevilsDuck]

Should be able to get a bigger fee for him from real next summer now

[The Deadly]

He'll have a release fee in the contract so Liverpool fans shouldn't think the contract is worth the paper it's written on. The only way he'll end up staying is if Liverpool win the league which is entirely possible if they buy a couple of world class players in January.

[chrysostom]

The release clause will almost certainly be £1 over Gareth Bale's fee

[Bruvva]

Well, quite, to be honest I'll be surprised if he does go in the Summer now, short of a stupid bid from Real or someone but if that does happen then...money.

Just need to spend it more wisely than Spurs.

[Bruvva]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING FOR BEING TOP AT CHRISTMAS? It's an outrage.

Curious statgasm things though...once since 1993 has a team been top at christmas and not finished in the top 4 (villa finishing 6th in 1999), only once (in 1997/1998) has a team come from lower than 5th at Christmas to win the league (Arsenal who were 6th at the time). IF you put any amount of credence in history and stats then LIVERPOOL ARE NAILED ON CERTS FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION AND MAN U WON'T WIN THE LEAGUE. Possibly.

Oh and if anyone can find stats that pre-date the premiership, I'd be curious to see them.

[Yudster]

I reckon both of those things have excellent chances of happening. Although I would prefer United to win it, because it would make Mr Yudster happy, if they can't, I hope Arsenal do. But that's just sentiment talking. I reckon Liverpool could hang on to this.

[chrysostom]

Suarez is so good that I fully expect him to carry Liverpool into at least 3rd. I can't see past City though - their depth and quality combined with their home form will surely see them as champions.

January will be a big one.

[Bruvva]

Suarez is so good that I fully expect him to carry Liverpool into at least 3rd. I can't see past City though - their depth and quality combined with their home form will surely see them as champions.

January will be a big one.

"Carrying" is maybe harsh considering Liverpool were doing fine in the first 5 league games of the season without him (remember Sturridge was on 9 league goals before his injury so goalscoring wasn't Liverpool's issue) but I take your general point Not convinced his form won't drop off either or that he won't do something stupid again and get another suspension either. Third? Assuming you mean Arsenal second behind City, that means they'll finish above Chelsea and I can't really see that. I may change my mind depending on how the next two games go though.

[The Deadly]

Chelsea are extremely mediocre at the moment. They are desperately in need of a world class striker and the same goes for Arsenal.

[chrysostom]

I did say at least third, so second/first would also be an option

I think the fact that Chelsea have been awful but are still a couple points off top is why they shouldn't be written off.

[Bruvva]

Oh dear, poor Fulham, losing 6-0. When they were in the lower leagues, a lad I worked with and I went to see them on a fairly regular basis, usually standing in the away end as you'd have no queue to get to the really very good chicken balti pies...In fact, the only time I saw them lose was when I was in the home end for an FA cup game.

As for City v Liverpool, decent peformance, Sterling unlucky with the offside decision (which some people can shut up about, Hart had stopped playing as he'd seen the flag so it was HARDLY a nailed on goal) but I think City deserved the win in the end but onwards and upwards

[Bruvva]

*sigh*

Officials eh? If even Marca can see what a farcical non penalty decision that was then christ knows what Webb was on...

[The Deadly]

Howard Webb is a homer and always has been.

[Bonanzoid]

I'd been a fan of Webb in the past, but I swear he's got worse. He's good at controlling situations, but his decision making has been very questionable in the last while. I'm pretty sure Suarez didn't dive there.

[Bruvva]

Mourinho's comments were amusing. Seriously, his comments on sportsmanship are about as valid as Joseph Fritzl's on parenting.

[chrysostom]

I've mainly stayed out of this thread as things have been going quite well for Arsenal, and it''s not as much fun harping on when you're winning (at least for me), but Theo Walcott - bloody hell. Absolutely gutted for him.

Awful that he went to the world cup when he was 17, but will have to wait until he's at least 29 to potentially play in one. This also seriously buggers up Arsenal's season, as Theo creates so much space by stretching the opposition's defence - which allows the midfield to do their thing.

If it were any other club, I'd say that the manager needs to seriously look at getting in an option for a striker, defender and a winger - however this is Arsene, so there's no point wasting my breath!

Gnabry and the Ox will likely contest the right wing for the rest of the season, but it still leaves us with only 1 option up top and 3 options for 2 spaces at CB.

I remember in 2006 when Arsene bought in Adebayor, Diaby and Walcott - since then the only first team signings we've made in January have been Arshavin (in 2009), Sol Campbell (in 2010) & Nacho Monreal last season, so it's safe to say that he doesn't trust/like the January market (understandably as the prices are inflated).

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't buy anyone - however we'd likely be surrendering any chance of pushing for the title if we don't. Le sigh.

[The Deadly]

Jermaine Defoe would answer a lot of Arsenals problems.

[chrysostom]

I'd be inclined to disagree - mainly as his style of play surrenders possession easily, contributes little defensively, can only play 1 position (unable to perform any traditional CF duties) and only creates opportunities for himself. All things which Arsene hates. He works best in a 4-4-2, so is probably better off at Spurs!

[Bonanzoid]

Agreed. The lone striker system that Wenger seems to like would not suit Defoe at all. There's no doubt he can finish, but I feel why that's why Giroud is quite pivotal. He's good at getting involved in the play rather than just being the end product, which he's also proficient at. I'm gutted for Theo Walcott too though, I really enjoy watching him play and he interviews well. One of a minority who can speak well without coming off as gormless.

As for the 'gesture', rightly unpunished. The flak he'd have been taking got a very light hearted response and it would've been criminal to punish that. Too bad we won't see him on the pitch any time soon

[Bruvva]

Oh aye, to criticise him for the gesture would just be ridiculous. Never understood the hysterical reaction fans have when players respond to the crap they get - Fowler snorting the line in front of Everton fans was one of my favourites although I do say Carragher lobbing the pound coin BACK at Arsenal fans was probably one step too far...funny as it was.

[The Deadly]

Of course the greatest goal celebration of all time is the Adebayor celebration against Arsenal. It ranks up there with my favourite things ever to happen in football.

[chrysostom]

If he had gone on to have a successful career I'd probably still be annoyed about the celebration - however it soon became apparent that the celebration will probably be all he's eventually known for

[Bruvva]

Anyway, all this hoo-ha about Utd at the moment. Is it me or is it a bit premature? They're in the knockout stages of the CL....Oh you know what, I was just about to check where they were in the league and say they're still in with a shout of getting into next season's champion's league, only 2-1 down at half time in the league cup semi against the team who're bottom of the league etc and then I read THIS and I lost all sympathy.

Yes Gollum, it's ALL the referee's fault, you deluded *. Jesus.

Also, quite liked this line in the guardian : "What chance does Moyes have? At the very least let him go to Sunderland for a first leg semi without ‘overseeing’ him - Ferguson, Charlton and Robson stood there like a Soviet Politburo on the ramparts of the Kremlin, shaking their heads and contemplating Moyes’ exile and quiet execution." They have a point, Ferguson's hanging around at Old Trafford like Banquo's ghost.