Woodgate Signs For Spurs

[JJ]

Like he would turn down Arsenal and join spurs lol.

This has always bugged me.And as someone with no affiliation to neither club I can say that it's not as clear cut as you may think.Arsenal are a fantastic team, but think about the facts;As an Englishman, who are you going to relate to in the dressing room? Pat Rice? Hope that you hit it off with Theo or Justin? People may scoff at it and say you dont need other players to hold your hand, but when you're spending pretty much your whole life for the duration of your contract with this group of players you need to make sure you fit in there.Especially when your travelling across Europe and spending nights in hotels with these guys.Also when you hook up with the national team, you travel there on your own and you go in pretty much as a loner, who are you gonna talk to?Arsenal fans may say this would bare no relevance as Arsenal are a bigger and more succesful club with Champions Leauge, but, I bet 99% of you chose your secondary school because of your friends rather than how good it would be for you later in life?There have been numerous reports saying that part of Theos problem is the lack of English spirit in the dressing room. Bentley also put down one of his reasons for leaving Arsenal was that it wasn't 'fun' without the British spirit and lack of banter.Spurs also offer an immediate chance to play in Wembley and win something.And offer more wages.Arsenal play better football as well, but as a centre half would that really effect your thinking?I'm not saying I'd chose Spurs over Arsenal, but as someone on the outside I can say that its not as clean cut as you think...And, if all four clubs in the top 4 offered me a similiar place in their team, Arsenal would be my last choice.

So Theo & Bentley has/have a problem with the lack of English Spirit? & this is effects their football form? & An English player would gladly sacrafice top level football so he can have a laugh in the showers?The sad thing is your probably right & this is why English players make me sick.It takes guts to come out of your comfort zone & overcome barriers to achieve something great in your career & most of these English players don't posses this.Infact English plp fullstop should feel embarrased by their narrow minds. We go to other plp's country & don't bother learn at least a few phrases, expecting plp there to fluently speak our language. I bet Beckham still can't speak Spanish!Imagin if Berbatov was such a weak person that he didn't want to join spurs cause their wasn't another player from his homeland playing there?If any player openly said he joined a smaller club cause theirs plp he could rave with there, I'd throw eggs at him at the press conference.

Could see the 'english lack of ambition blah coming a mile off.How can you accuse Bentley of having a lack of ambition, the guy left a top four club where he was a bit part player to join a lesser club where he became a key player.and your ridiculously naive if you think the atmosphere at a club doesnt affect a players performance, a happy worker is a productive worker applies to football as well.From time your using Bentley and Walcott as examples you lost, considering Bentley's hunger showed how ambitious he was and saying a players happiness and sense of belonging doesn't affect their form considering Walcotts woeful performances. Loads of foreign players can't hack it in England and cite the difference in social culture as one of the main reasons so I don't see how its different with Walcott or Bentley saying it about Arsenal considering your a minority as an englishman.berbatov is a poor example as well, the English league is amongst the best in the world so of course English players are more likely to stay here whereas Berbatov will have had to accept from early that he is more than likely going to be a minority considering he's Bulgarian and he wants to test himself at the highest level.English people are notoriously stuck in their ways but would you rather be 'open minded' like the Spanish,Italians or Serbians who still think monkey chants are acceptable in the 21st century

^Agreed.Arsenal fans agreeing with us as well in other posts, Dizzle 'most clueless fan'.

[Agony]

and Dawson isnt a donkey, he just isnt wise enough right now to be the lead defender so he needs a more experienced defender next to him all the time right now.Vidic without Rio isnt the same Vidic either.

Yeah, he's just any guy that was part of a defence that only conceded one goal during the 2006 world cup qualifiers.

[Benicio del Toney]

and Dawson isnt a donkey, he just isnt wise enough right now to be the lead defender so he needs a more experienced defender next to him all the time right now.Vidic without Rio isnt the same Vidic either.

Yeah, he's just any guy that was part of a defence that only conceded one goal during the 2006 world cup qualifiers.

Serbia as a whole were a very organised unit.Vidic has the attributes to be part of a very good unit, as he has formed with Rio, Evra and Brown.Theres things he can do which Rio cant and vice versa, but take Rio out and he will get exposed like he did against Milan last year.That word again, Balance.

[Young £]

and Dawson isnt a donkey, he just isnt wise enough right now to be the lead defender so he needs a more experienced defender next to him all the time right now.Vidic without Rio isnt the same Vidic either.

Yeah, he's just any guy that was part of a defence that only conceded one goal during the 2006 world cup qualifiers.

Serbia as a whole were a very organised unit.Vidic has the attributes to be part of a very good unit, as he has formed with Rio, Evra and Brown.Theres things he can do which Rio cant and vice versa, but take Rio out and he will get exposed like he did against Milan last year.That word again, Balance.

we had one of our first choice back four avaiable for that matchVidic can do very well by himself, he does not need rio to hold his hand

[Benicio del Toney]

What match??Vidic looked like a Blue Square South player against Milan last season.If Rio was there im convinced the story would have been different.

[Young £]

What match??Vidic looked like a Blue Square South player against Milan last season.If Rio was there im convinced the story would have been different.

Ur the talking about the 2nd leg right?he was rushed back from injury?stuck with heinze, o'shea and brownagainst milan at home in terrible conditionsvery unfair to judge him on that

[TF/S4DK]

Like he would turn down Arsenal and join spurs lol.

This has always bugged me.And as someone with no affiliation to neither club I can say that it's not as clear cut as you may think.Arsenal are a fantastic team, but think about the facts;As an Englishman, who are you going to relate to in the dressing room? Pat Rice? Hope that you hit it off with Theo or Justin? People may scoff at it and say you dont need other players to hold your hand, but when you're spending pretty much your whole life for the duration of your contract with this group of players you need to make sure you fit in there.Especially when your travelling across Europe and spending nights in hotels with these guys.Also when you hook up with the national team, you travel there on your own and you go in pretty much as a loner, who are you gonna talk to?Arsenal fans may say this would bare no relevance as Arsenal are a bigger and more succesful club with Champions Leauge, but, I bet 99% of you chose your secondary school because of your friends rather than how good it would be for you later in life?There have been numerous reports saying that part of Theos problem is the lack of English spirit in the dressing room. Bentley also put down one of his reasons for leaving Arsenal was that it wasn't 'fun' without the British spirit and lack of banter.Spurs also offer an immediate chance to play in Wembley and win something.And offer more wages.Arsenal play better football as well, but as a centre half would that really effect your thinking?I'm not saying I'd chose Spurs over Arsenal, but as someone on the outside I can say that its not as clean cut as you think...And, if all four clubs in the top 4 offered me a similiar place in their team, Arsenal would be my last choice.

If only the Sports Room could be like this all the time...Any player who is English or foreign, confident in his ability, and is demonstrated that he is really wanted by Arsenal, would pick Arsenal EVERYDAY of the week over Spurs.However in the subject of Woodgate, had Arsenal bid, it wouldnt have been so clear cut for many reasons for & against...In regards to Walcott & some of the posts which have come after this post, I think a lot of you are forgettng that Chelsea wanted Theo & actually made a BETTER deal for Southampton & Theo, yet he rejected them...Theo's problem is nothing to do with British banter, but its a nice excuse & lazy media journalism.Where did this assumption that Spurs offer more wages come from? Lol.

[TF/S4DK]

And Woodgate quite clearly doesnt have a problem with removing himself from his comfort zone (madrid)

The fact Woodgate went there is more of a reason why if Arsenal had bid, he would have gone.

[TF/S4DK]

Woodgate is planning for 2 years time when Spuds are ACTUALLY better than Arsenal.

Oh dear this is the FUNNIEST ONE...He'll be 30 in 2 years time & the young Arsenal team which is NOW challenging for the league, will be even better...Go hang yourself.

[TF/S4DK]

English people are notoriously stuck in their ways but would you rather be 'open minded' like the Spanish,Italians or Serbians who still think monkey chants are acceptable in the 21st century

WTF!SMH seriously...

[JJ]

I presumed Spurs would offer more wages cos I read hes on 65k there, and that would be unlike Arsenal to offer 65k for someone who isnt guarenteed a starting spot.Anyway, I honestly dont think Arsenal bidded for Woodgate, I was just taking exception to the presumption by Arsenal fans that Arsenal would be a much better club to join than Spurs for an English centre half.

[Flojo]

English people are notoriously stuck in their ways but would you rather be 'open minded' like the Spanish,Italians or Serbians who still think monkey chants are acceptable in the 21st century

WTF!SMH seriously...

Bare of your posts are like this, basically pointless because they don't actually tell people what you mean.Blues Clues is after my time so could you explain what your getting at

[TF/S4DK]

I presumed Spurs would offer more wages cos I read hes on 65k there, and that would be unlike Arsenal to offer 65k for someone who isnt guarenteed a starting spot.Anyway, I honestly dont think Arsenal bidded for Woodgate, I was just taking exception to the presumption by Arsenal fans that Arsenal would be a much better club to join than Spurs for an English centre half.

Newcastle offered more than Spurs.Wenger says they didnt so I guess they didnt.But they would be, nine times out of ten, thats the point.

[Gundam]

lol @ Woodgate getting 65k a week

[TF/S4DK]

English people are notoriously stuck in their ways but would you rather be 'open minded' like the Spanish,Italians or Serbians who still think monkey chants are acceptable in the 21st century

WTF!SMH seriously...

Bare of your posts are like this, basically pointless because they don't actually tell people what you mean.Blues Clues is after my time so could you explain what your getting at

I didnt see how you connected the two... Thus the - What The f*ck!Spanish, Italian and Serbian players are hardly leading the monkey chants, are they?

[RaRe UnO.]

its not about having to injury prone centre backs.

[Flojo]

English people are notoriously stuck in their ways but would you rather be 'open minded' like the Spanish,Italians or Serbians who still think monkey chants are acceptable in the 21st century

WTF!SMH seriously...

Bare of your posts are like this, basically pointless because they don't actually tell people what you mean.Blues Clues is after my time so could you explain what your getting at

I didnt see how you connected the two... Thus the - What The f*ck!Spanish, Italian and Serbian players are hardly leading the monkey chants, are they?

True, Milhajlovic was only calling Vieira a Monkey jokingly and Amoruso was messing around with Ikpeba.At the end of the day these players are products of the same enviroment and communities that think monkey chants are ok, anybody who think that because a player pulls on a football shirt he is suddenly any different is fooling themselves. People always go on about how narrow minded English people are and in many respects I agree but the idea that people on the continent are much more open minded is foolish.

[TF/S4DK]

So England or English people suddenly aren't racist? Come on now...If one person tarnishes a nation then England would be the same as any other country.

[Flojo]

So England suddenly isn't racist? Come on now. If one person tarnishs a nation then England would be the same as any other country.

Nah definitely not but the idea that the rest of Europe is so open minded is a myth. The actions of the players mentioned aren't isolated incidents. Italian football is openly cool with Racism (how can you have fans bringng banners with racial abuse to stadiums like its normal)How many times have black players been subjected to racists taunts from Serbian fans and players?Look how many times in Spain players like Eto'o have been subjected to racists taunts.going off topic now this is kinda sociology meets football but you get what I mean.What I'm trying to put acroos is that the notion English players are lazy, over rated, unambitious and narrow minded etc has gone into over drive as of late but this outlook that foreign players are exactly the opposite is flawed.

[TF/S4DK]

Ok... but I still dont see how you connected the two.It is a myth in the general population & acceptance of people from other cultures, backgrounds & languages, because here in the UK we are very diverse & publically accepting.But we are talking football and in particular footballers, where it is not a myth, English players are less open minded to the idea of moving around the world plying their trade & intergrating with foreigners in their land as opposed to non-English footballers. This cant really be argued...Matter of fact, us even discussing that Woodgate would rather join Spurs over Arsenal, because of the lack of English players at Arsenal, says a lot of what we think of English players intergrating here let alone there.I think the lazy, over rated, unambitious and narrow minded tag English players get given is a sterotype, which we all know there is due reason for it existing, however is not true of every individual. Just like the cheating, diving, weak, inconsistent and disloyal tag given to foreigners is as much a sterotype.

[Gundam]

100% RECORDNO ONE HAS SCORED PAST HIMFACT!!!!!!!

[Rsonist]

Got Man of the Match.Certain users look very dumb at this particular moment in time.

[bane]

its not about having to injury prone centre backs.

King aint really injury prone though...

[Dizzle]

Got Man of the Match.Certain users look very dumb at this particular moment in time.

Who said he wasn't a good CB when fit?