2014/15 International Football

[VictoriaGooner]

Chelsea loses its first Premier League match. It was a good run.

Can't believe Chelsea lost to 10-men Newcastle and Mourinho goes on and on about the ball-boys and how this is unethical time wasting. Ummm Jose, you do the same thing when you play keep away from visiting players by picking up the ball... I guess what goes around comes around.

As for the Stoke-Arsenal debacle of a match today, Arsenal deserved that loss today. Poor, dire defending has yet again reared it's ugly head for Arsenal. What the hell was Wenger thinking putting Chambers (a left back) as a center back and Bellerin in at left back when you have a good center back in Koscielny on the bench? Mertesacker and Koscielny was one of the best center back partnerships last season. But we have a young left back who doesn't know who to keep his hands off players, tugging and pulling instead of playing with his feet. Wenger has lost the plot. He is stubborn, will not change his tactics or formations based on the tempo of the games (hence why all teams who we face know exactly how to defend and counter attack against us), zero ambition to improve the club (did not replace the loss of Vermaelen or Sagna in defense in the summer) other than Sanchez. As well, Wenger has no new fresh ideas or forward thinking. He still believes that fourth place is a trophy. Yes 18 straight years qualifying for UCL group stage is impressive but if you don't make any deep runs into the tournament like a club of Arsenal's stature, why bother showing up. Yes we made it to the UCL Final in 2006 and it was a fabulous evening. But we will never get there again with Wenger in charge in my opinion. Wenger said this week that in two to three years Arsenal will be Premier League winners again with him in charge. So we have to wait another three more years of mediocre play with him in charge. How long do any other club allow sub standard results from their manager before they are sacked? It is now nine years and he wants three more...joke! He is Kronke's and Gazidis' puppet trying to say money whenever they can. I do remember Gazidis saying as soon as the Emirates is paid off (and that the case in summer 2013) they would spend more in players to become more competitive. But it isn't the case. We have a war chest supposedly over €100m for transfers but nothing to show for it. And now we have people protesting at home and away matches showing their dislike for Wenger lifting banners and posters to leave. But Wenger moans on that the people who lift those banner against him are not truly Arsenal supporters. And even now, stewards at Emirates Stadium have been told as of December 4 home match v Southampton to confiscate any banners or posters that show any dislike toward the manager or club. Wow dictatorship on the go here especially from an American owner we barely see. I can't see why Tottenham and Man United supporters can get away with banners and planes flying overhead the stadiums but we at Arsenal can't.

I am neither in the WOB (Wenger Out Brigade) or AKB (Arsene Knowns Best) camps as those are both polar opposites of the spectrum. But I have to agree with most Arsenal supporters, thank you for the memories Arsene but please leave before more damage is done to this beautiful club.

Women's World Cup groups have been decided:

I like Canada's group.

It's interesting to see which countries have a much better women's program than their men's.

I like Canada's chances on progressing from the group after the draw. But I think the "Group of Death" has to be Group D.

[HedleyLamarr]

Pretty nice of Pete Carroll to make an appearance at the Women's World Cup draw...

[VictoriaGooner]

Well Tuesday's Matchday 6 was was full of a little intrigue. LIverpool again fall short like they have all season (yes yes I know so has Arsenal) fail to qualify for the Round of 16. Just like Wenger, Rodgers hasn't addressed the defensive problems within the side. Basel was a little bit today than Liverpool. I'm hoping Reds supporters are enjoying Europe because I doubt we will see Liverpool next year in Europe.

[Berlin Wall]

I never laughed so hard at a goal.

[Berlin Wall]

Dortmund loses AGAIN!

But this time, at least, against my Hertha!

[dfwabel]

EPL rights for 2016-2019 are not up for bid, and the package includes Friday Nights.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30451616

[crashcarson15]

I am neither in the WOB (Wenger Out Brigade) or AKB (Arsene Knowns Best) camps as those are both polar opposites of the spectrum. But I have to agree with most Arsenal supporters, thank you for the memories Arsene but please leave before more damage is done to this beautiful club.

...but you just said you want Wenger out, so...?

[VictoriaGooner]

I am neither in the WOB (Wenger Out Brigade) or AKB (Arsene Knowns Best) camps as those are both polar opposites of the spectrum. But I have to agree with most Arsenal supporters, thank you for the memories Arsene but please leave before more damage is done to this beautiful club.

...but you just said you want Wenger out, so...?

The people who are both in WOB and AKB camps are such on the far wings. I have always put the club first and foremost, never truly listened to people complaining about Wenger. But lately it seems like Wenger has lost the plot. We supporters have a right to voice our concerns with our clubs as the people who pay season tickets (in excess of €1500 at Red Level - highest in England) and travel to away matches. We pay their wages and without us, they wouldn't be making €6m per home match at the Emirates. So we have a right to moan and complain, we just want what's best for our club

[Berlin Wall]

Bayern Munich signs the norwegian international Martin Odegaard, who becomes 16 tomorrow.

[marble21]

Well, here's a surprise:

FIFA dismisses complaint from lawyer Michael Garcia over report.

[VictoriaGooner]

Well, here's a surprise:

FIFA dismisses complaint from lawyer Michael Garcia over report.

No surprise at all from the most corrupt organization which are full dinosaurs and sexist pigs

[VictoriaGooner]

It was announced today, through Reuters, that FIFA will publish report detailing 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

"We have always been determined that the truth should be known," president Sepp Blatter said in a statement.

"But the report is about history and I am focused on the future. We will not revisit the 2018 and 2022 vote and a report by independent, external legal experts ... supports the view that there are no legal grounds to revoke the Executive Committee’s decision on the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. We are already in the process of incorporating recommendations made by independent experts including the Ethics Committee for how the FIFA World Cup selection process can be improved so that everyone can be confident that the 2026 bidding process will be fair, ethical and open."

What a fool this man is!

But Michael Garcia has resigned in protest as FIFA Ethics prosecutor on December 17 over the handling of his report. In a statement, Garcia says "(My) report identified serious and wide-ranging issues with the bidding and (World Cup host) selection process. (German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert's decision) made me lose confidence in the independence of the Adjudicatory Chamber, (but) it is the lack of leadership on these issues within FIFA that leads me to conclude that my role in this process is at an end."

And the corruption continues in the halls of FIFA.

Gary Lineker comes out to say FIFA has "hugely tarnished" football. There are two videos on the webpage. But the one I want to draw to peoples attention is Blatter stating the FIFA crisis is over. The man is delusional and believes that it's the media's fault for FIFA's poor image...wake the :censored: up Blatter you and your corrupt cronnies are the reason why your image is tarnished and you are looked upon as crooks.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30552218

In other good news, strong rumors are that Sanogo is going to be making an exit from the Gunners in January on a loan due to his lack of production and development since his free transfer from Auxerre in 2013.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30551655

[Jaffa]

Hereford United, formerly of the Football League, are no more. They've been wound up over a series of unpaid debts - supporters are looking to form a successor club, however.

The debt is reckoned to total a shade over £1m - quite the contrast to the huge sums floating around in football's upper tiers.

[VictoriaGooner]

Hereford United, formerly of the Football League, are no more. They've been wound up over a series of unpaid debts - supporters are looking to form a successor club, however.

The debt is reckoned to total a shade over £1m - quite the contrast to the huge sums floating around in football's upper tiers.

It's a shame about Hereford United but their previous owners were not really able to keep the club alive and their successor owner was not really being forth coming to taking responsibility for the problems and how to fix them when he was interviewed last Friday.

I can see the supporters starting up a phoenix club. Unifortuantely, many more non-league clubs are going into non-existence die to the current climates. You would think a nice semi-deep pocketed owner could have swoop in and saved the club.

[Berlin Wall]

And Dortmund loses AGAIN. This time a 2:1 in Bremen.

Half the season is over now and when Freiburg wins tomorrow Dortmund will be on the last place over the winter.

[sportstar1212]

How hilarious would it be if Dortmund were to get relegated? It would be interesting to see where their players end up going.

[Pabig]

Without all the injuries we had this year we probably would be in the Gladbach / Augsburg region of the table... So much potential yet so much bad luck.

And sportstar1212: I doubt we would lose any players in that case. Apart from one or two cases of players who went south, we have a very loyal team!

[Berlin Wall]

It was like a vicious circle actually. They played good for the first 9-10 games of the season but unluckily lost some games in a row. Their confidence sank drammatically and that sucked them like a swirl to the ground so that they really played bad the last few games.

[dfwabel]

How hilarious would it be if Dortmund were to get relegated? It would be interesting to see where their players end up going.

By reaching the Champions League Round of 16, they get at least an extra 13M Euros. They would be OK.

[Berlin Wall]

I think Reus will leave no matter how this season ends. He's the best German player when healthy.

They won't get relegated. But they'll most likely not make it to the European places this year. So I guess at least Hummels is save to leave then, too. I see both next year in Barcelona (I'd rather like to see them at ManUtd though, but rumours say they propably end up at Barca).