Weekend Mailbag - 17 September 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
With Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Manchester United today, one of us at Bookable Offense headquarters is a happy camper today. To celebrate, Brian will take a dip into our mailbag. As always, these are actual letters from actual readers. Enjoy.
Gary in Tuscaloosa, AL: Can y'all believe Lyon put a lickin' on Madrid again this week? If that sure wasn't the biggest surprise of Matchday 1, whatcha reckon was?
Brian: Do you think that Mahamadou Diarra would like to reconsider his move from Lyon to Madrid right about now? Fabio Capello has made a lot of changes in terms of personnel at Madrid, but if Matchday 1 is any indication, it's the same old Real Madrid. Lyon won 2-0, but it easily could have been 5-0 if not for some miracle saves from Iker Casillas. If Juninho isn't the best player not playing in Italy, Spain, or England, I don't know who is.
I'd say that the result was only a mild surprise. A bigger surprise was Sporting Lisbon handing Internazionale a 1-0 defeat. Inter is as stacked as they come, and to hold that team scoreless is an accomplishment. Dyamo Kyiv getting spanked at home against some team called Steaua is also a bit of a shock. Anything can happen in Europe, especially this early in the year before teams start hitting their stride.
Chester in Melbourne, Australia: G'day mates. Krikey, can you blokes believe the bad news from this week? West Ham losing in Europe and twice in the EPL after their big transfer deadline signings? What's wrong with Alan Pardew's men?
Brian: We've seen this kind of thing happen before, Chester. A team will put together an unexpectedly magical year, and then fall flat at home and in Europe the next term. It happened last season with Everton, and it's also happened to Leeds and Ipswich (remember them?). Unfortunately for those on the East End, it's looking like the Hammers are falling victim to this trend this term.
It's a bit surprising that West Ham has started so poorly. In fact, things are looking so bleak that they might be done in Europe after just two games. But maybe we were expecting too much. Remember, West Ham only made it into Europe on account of their FA Cup final appearance, not because they were a top-6 team. While we were all expecting big things from the Argentines, we have to remember that they are only 22 years old, have been there less than a month, and have never played outside of South America before. Plus, with a year of Premiership football under their belt, they aren't going to catch anyone by surprise anymore. And, let's not forget the bad karma that was created with the very shady circumstances of their Argentine acquisitions. You reap what you sow, Chester.
James in Orlando, FL: How is it possible that the defending MLS champions can fail to make the playoffs in the following season without making huge personnel changes? And since when is Landycakes alone not good enough to drag a team into the top 4 in the conference?
Brian: MLS? What's that?
Stewart in Cheyenne, WY: Hey guys, long-time reader, first-time writer. If Manchester United and Chelsea both win this weekend, will they deliver knockout blows to early strugglers and potential title challengers Arsenal and Liverpool?
Brian: Stewie, I'm happy to answer this one. By the time we reached for the mailbag today, we know that the answer is a resounding "no!" I think we'll see mid-table teams take points off of all of the top contenders this term. Liverpool is struggling and doesn't look close to breaking out of its funk. Man Utd should be a contender, but will likely go through some rough patches with a young team and some depth issues up front. Chelsea seems to be hitting its stride, which could be bad news for everyone else. But watch out for Arsenal! Their next four games are against Sheffield Utd, Charlton, Watford, and Reading. The Gunners aren't out of it this year, Stew.
Paco in Guadalajara, Mexico: Did you hear about Riquelme retiring from international duty for Argentina this week? iQue rididiculo! What could drive away such a talented young player?
Brian: Good question, Paco. With Riquelme playing for a smaller club in Villareal, you'd think he'd want to keep playing for Argentina to make up for the lack of European football. But you have to remember the one knock on this guy his whole career - he doesn't like the big stage. Perhaps he's tired of the pressure and wants to live in obscurity at his small Spanish club. Or perhaps he just wants a break until 2008 or 2009, and he'll then make a triumphant return.
This might be a good thing for Argentina. Riquelme is one of those odd half-strikers or attacking midfielders that teams sometimes rely on too much. Entire systems and gameplans are built around players like him since they are so rare and influential. But in international play, when teams have so little time to figure each other out, this can be a bad thing. Argentina should build around Messi and Tevez up front, pack in 4 midfielders behind them, and try to actually win a World Cup without Maradona.
Photos courtesy of our pals at yahoo.com. Send in your questions for our next mailbag to bookableoffense@gmail.com.
Gary in Tuscaloosa, AL: Can y'all believe Lyon put a lickin' on Madrid again this week? If that sure wasn't the biggest surprise of Matchday 1, whatcha reckon was?
Brian: Do you think that Mahamadou Diarra would like to reconsider his move from Lyon to Madrid right about now? Fabio Capello has made a lot of changes in terms of personnel at Madrid, but if Matchday 1 is any indication, it's the same old Real Madrid. Lyon won 2-0, but it easily could have been 5-0 if not for some miracle saves from Iker Casillas. If Juninho isn't the best player not playing in Italy, Spain, or England, I don't know who is.
I'd say that the result was only a mild surprise. A bigger surprise was Sporting Lisbon handing Internazionale a 1-0 defeat. Inter is as stacked as they come, and to hold that team scoreless is an accomplishment. Dyamo Kyiv getting spanked at home against some team called Steaua is also a bit of a shock. Anything can happen in Europe, especially this early in the year before teams start hitting their stride.
Chester in Melbourne, Australia: G'day mates. Krikey, can you blokes believe the bad news from this week? West Ham losing in Europe and twice in the EPL after their big transfer deadline signings? What's wrong with Alan Pardew's men?
Brian: We've seen this kind of thing happen before, Chester. A team will put together an unexpectedly magical year, and then fall flat at home and in Europe the next term. It happened last season with Everton, and it's also happened to Leeds and Ipswich (remember them?). Unfortunately for those on the East End, it's looking like the Hammers are falling victim to this trend this term.
It's a bit surprising that West Ham has started so poorly. In fact, things are looking so bleak that they might be done in Europe after just two games. But maybe we were expecting too much. Remember, West Ham only made it into Europe on account of their FA Cup final appearance, not because they were a top-6 team. While we were all expecting big things from the Argentines, we have to remember that they are only 22 years old, have been there less than a month, and have never played outside of South America before. Plus, with a year of Premiership football under their belt, they aren't going to catch anyone by surprise anymore. And, let's not forget the bad karma that was created with the very shady circumstances of their Argentine acquisitions. You reap what you sow, Chester.
James in Orlando, FL: How is it possible that the defending MLS champions can fail to make the playoffs in the following season without making huge personnel changes? And since when is Landycakes alone not good enough to drag a team into the top 4 in the conference?
Brian: MLS? What's that?
Stewart in Cheyenne, WY: Hey guys, long-time reader, first-time writer. If Manchester United and Chelsea both win this weekend, will they deliver knockout blows to early strugglers and potential title challengers Arsenal and Liverpool?
Brian: Stewie, I'm happy to answer this one. By the time we reached for the mailbag today, we know that the answer is a resounding "no!" I think we'll see mid-table teams take points off of all of the top contenders this term. Liverpool is struggling and doesn't look close to breaking out of its funk. Man Utd should be a contender, but will likely go through some rough patches with a young team and some depth issues up front. Chelsea seems to be hitting its stride, which could be bad news for everyone else. But watch out for Arsenal! Their next four games are against Sheffield Utd, Charlton, Watford, and Reading. The Gunners aren't out of it this year, Stew.
Paco in Guadalajara, Mexico: Did you hear about Riquelme retiring from international duty for Argentina this week? iQue rididiculo! What could drive away such a talented young player?
Brian: Good question, Paco. With Riquelme playing for a smaller club in Villareal, you'd think he'd want to keep playing for Argentina to make up for the lack of European football. But you have to remember the one knock on this guy his whole career - he doesn't like the big stage. Perhaps he's tired of the pressure and wants to live in obscurity at his small Spanish club. Or perhaps he just wants a break until 2008 or 2009, and he'll then make a triumphant return.
This might be a good thing for Argentina. Riquelme is one of those odd half-strikers or attacking midfielders that teams sometimes rely on too much. Entire systems and gameplans are built around players like him since they are so rare and influential. But in international play, when teams have so little time to figure each other out, this can be a bad thing. Argentina should build around Messi and Tevez up front, pack in 4 midfielders behind them, and try to actually win a World Cup without Maradona.
Photos courtesy of our pals at yahoo.com. Send in your questions for our next mailbag to bookableoffense@gmail.com.
posted by Brian at 9/17/2006 08:37:00 PM 
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