Is Kabasele that bad?
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/01/13/s ... -who-arte/

Indeed I did see the "leaky hose " Gaz .....but being as it is a " needs a bit of work sort of buy " the boat didn't have a fuel tank or fuel line so that wasn't an issue .

I only played rugby union at school and being vertically challenged at 5 ' 9" centre half for Arsenal is out of the question .

After we play Burnley on Feb 2, there is a mini winter break and we don’t play another game in any competition until Newcastle at home on Feb 16.

I played but I was a terrible player. More like Gervinho than Messi.

Barnet Sunday League for me, although at my school the bloke who was the sports master (or whatever his job title was) knew a scout from Tottenham. He told me he’d advised the Tottenham scout I was worth looking at. I’ve no evidence that it was him or one of his colleagues as I never discussed it with the sports master. But there was a game we had against another school where there was some bloke watching from the sidelines. Very out of the ordinary.

That day I had a nightmare and nothing I tried came off. If it was someone from Tottenham, unsurprisingly I never got invited for a trial. I played so badly that day I didn’t want to speak to the sports master about it, and he never mentioned it, as I must have made him look a prat if he had got a Tottenham scout to come along.

So I was never compared to Glenn Hoddle at the Tottenham youth academy.

Only one weekend off. Is there an international break?

Yes I would. My brother was saying I shouldn’t but my dad, also a lifelong Arsenal fan, said of course I should. There have been lots of Arsenal fans who played for Tottenham and vice versa. Don’t forget, scouting as well as support was probably more localised back then so Arsenal and Tottenham’s scouts would have covered similar or the same areas, thus assessing fans of both clubs. Same goes for Liverpool and Everton, the Manchester clubs and countless others.

I played left wing or inside left as a youth, school and Sussex County League. I had my moments, but overall it would be accurate to describe me as fairly rubbish. Loved it always, even though I realised quite early on that I wasn't going to make it as a pro.

Not sure to be honest. So long ago I can barely remember the sports master’s name. Regarding your other post, I remember you saying before that you were once on Tottenham’s books.

Midfield, hence the Glenn Hoddle comment earlier. He’d have looked average in comparison to me.

That was a joke, in case anyone thinks my last sentence was serious.

I always played football with my mates but my school only played rugby, so I didn’t play much organised football until my mid-20s. By then I’d been watching the Arse for most of my life; I knew exactly what I should be doing, but I couldn’t bloody do it. Bizarrely, my rugby experiences – always in the scrum, mostly as a prop – equipped me pretty well for a role as an old-fashioned (even for those days) centre forward. I was utterly devoid of talent and slow as lipstick - but I was quite big, pretty fit and though I say it myself, fearless. Physicality was my only asset but I scored a hatful of goals for the teams I played for.

However when I played at a better level, I was quickly found out. I came up against decent centre halves who were just as physical, just as fearless and either kicked me where it hurt or ran rings around me. Some did both; they were the worst! I took the hint.

Carl Hoddle played for Barnet didn't he?

Glenn was playing for the Chavs when Barnet were drawn to play them in the Cup. I think it was the first and only time the two brothers played against each other. TV interviewed the parents about the special occasion. I remember it because Ma & Pa Hoddle admitted they wouldn't be attending as they'd already booked a holiday in Yarmouth with friends!

Played from age 6-19. There was one season where my uncle coached the team and had this idea to play me as a ball-playing sweeper (I modeled my game that season after Philippe Albert, if anyone remembers him), but mostly I was played as a winger, which was what every unimaginative coach did with undersized players who were quick and had good technique.

Always thought I had my best games as a central midfielder as I found it pretty easy to navigate those tight spaces (trying to come up with a comparable, probably an extremely one-footed Cazorla but with better hair). However, the coach we had for most of those years had a penchant for playing big guys in the middle. His son was a staple in central midfield; big as a house, he made Xhaka look like Usain Bolt and couldn’t control a ball to save his life, but there he was.

Scored four goals in my very first competitive game as a 7 year old, and that was probably when my career peaked.

Ain't that the truth! I played right wing to a decent level until my mid-teens when everyone else got better and I didn't. Rather handily I also developed a dodgy knee so can obviously blame that for not having the stellar international career I should have had.

I did play in goal one time for my prep-school team. The school was so bad at sports I think I'm right that they hadn't won at anything in over 5 years. Anyway I was playing up-front and had a great first half. Scored a hat-trick, hit both posts and was running defenders for fun. At half time (4-1 up) the sports master said we were too good and put me in goal for the second half. I made a couple of reasonably decent saves but didn't have much to do until late on when I let a soft shot in straight through my legs. Oops. Anyway we won 4-2 and were lauded in assembly the next morning and after that I wanted to play in every team available.

Here's a pic of the wonderful Paul Davis today in 1984.

Maybe the Ferdinand brothers played against each other, but not sure.

If you are an athlete who has tried different sports, you pick up certain things from previous sports to learn the new one. What I found about football is that, its similar to ice hockey the closest. Constantly going back and forth from attack to defense. Same with basketball. They share a lot of similarities. Also, endurance is a huge factor.

Also, like baseball and pool, you look at the ball when striking it, not at the target. Basketball is the opposite, you look at the net, same with American football, you look at the target.

Barcelona is one of those rare teams that will fire a coach when they are first place.

Apparently he’s already been in contact with Stan, sent him an email to say his money is tied up but if he forwards his bank details he send funds immediately.

Only claim to fame was creating 4 of the 5 goals Ian Allinson scored one Sunday morning, clearly the scouts signed up the wrong one.

Hodd when you were at Spurs did they have a young striker Jimmy B? He played at b international level for England late 80s early 90s I believe.

Reading Alan Smith's (self-written) autobiography at the moment. Tells the story of how George Graham blanked Paul Davis for 18 months around 1992 because of a row over Arsenal's style of play. I guess we were route 1 to Wrighty then so Davis didn't see much of the ball. He certainly didn't see much of it during those 18 months. Such a shame. A really class player. Thankfully George brought him back in time for the 93 Cup Finals and Copenhagen in 94, but Davis is still to this day upset about losing 18 months of his career. George wouldn't play him, but wouldn't sell him either. George was not a man to be crossed clearly.

I love that we are being linked several defensive choices but I want us to get some deals done. It's mid month. Man Utd and Chelsea look close to getting deals over the next day or so if it hasn't already happened.

I played for Islington as a kid but my secondary school (Woodberry Down) was more rugby than football. Later on in teens and 20's I played for Eton Manor in the Essex Senior League. Decent standard.

Yeah it’s a sort of staggered winter break, half the teams play one weekend and rest the next and the other half do the opposite. So 2 weeks between games for each team.
The interesting bit will be who you play after your two week rest and of you play any team after they’ve had 2 weeks rest and you’ve had only 1. Some managers have probably got their moans lined up already

When I was younger all I did was play sport, I was the complete stereotype who got in from school and went straight back out to kick a ball about with mates until I was called in for dinner, then back out again until it was so dark you really had to give up.

Football with school and youth teams until I was 16, loved playing rugby union at school as well, gave that up at 16 when my 5ft 10”, 11 stone frame at fly half became a brutal target for the boys who just kept on growing. Eventually I ditched both to concentrate on swimming as I was much better at that, commonwealth, European and Olympic trials but never made the team that went to the games.

Football I was always central midfield on the left side of an adventurous 4-2-4 formation. We used to beat teams 20 or 30-0, fun at the time but not really a football education for anyone involved. I do recall constant battles with the same team from age 12-16, always tight games, and it felt like proper football because the scores would be 1-1 in U12’s but full size pitches rather than the ridiculous 15-3 score lines that were common place.

My best memory was playing in the equivalent of the county fa cup final for U12’s and they played the game at Yeovil Town FC’s ground (where I grew up) it is a big date in the town’s calendar and we got over 1000 people to watch and Yeovil Town’s first team were the ball boys for the game. I always wore number 8, we were drawn in the away team dressing room and I realised that as Arsenal had beaten Yeovil Town 3-1 earlier that season I got to sit in the very same seat as Arsenal’s number 8 at the time, Ian Wright - he scored his hat trick that day! Wrighty was my absolute hero as a 12 year old - probably still is now. Anyway we lost the game 2-1 to one of the most controversial penalty decisions ever.....bloody ref!!

Played a fair bit at uni but it was more the social side I enjoyed then, fitness dwindled a bit so I started playing as a striker then. Then I scaled back to work 5 or 7 a side for fun and fitness.....but after an Achilles’ tendon rupture and doing my ACL on the same leg I struggle to get much football in now.
Now I’ve got a 1 year old son who I’ve already taught to kick a football as he learnt to walk!

Out of interest what did you think of the book? I was a bit disappointed by it - it's a decent autobiography but I expected a little more from him being as though unlike many footballers he can spell his own name.

Still working my way through it but yeah that's how I'm feeling. Was expecting a bit more bite. But then Smudger was never the most confrontational of personalities was he. He touches on that himself in the book, says it probably held his career back a bit, being so laid back.

That's a fair point.

Great site - thanks.

I played in central midfield for Arsenal for a few seasons in the late 70s/ early 80s. Scored the winner in several cup finals. Conveniently, all of the games were played in my back garden.

I didn't get quite the same buzz playing right back in school and college.

Opened Pandora's box with that one Greeny ... jinky winger in the other code , then moved in to fly half .

I've played two games of soccer ...first for a pub team in a friendly against a local low life club , just out of high school I was still pretty fit .
I ran around like a demented blue arsed fly , not really knowing what I was doing .

" You're pretty handy " says the opposition captain "Want to play for us "

Wasn't especially thrilled but said " I haven't got any boots " " We'll soon sort that .

Next weekend we travel about 70 kms to play another town . They shove me in at right back .

I scored ; we were losing 5 - 0 ; getting hammered ... their striker homes in on our goal , rounds our keeper , puts in an underhit shot which trickled towards our goal .

I streak across , smash the ball in an off the line clearance attempt ....... KAZAM ... the net bulges 6 - 0 .

No one seemed that keen to talk to me at the after match beers and sausage rolls ........... so that nipped in the bud a very promising career .

Forward but I could miss the easiest chances at times. There is still a miss that I relive 45 years later. It was because it could have put us 2-1 up to reach the final. We were a player short after a send off. I missed it when we broke upfield. Then 15 minutes later our keeper made a howler and we went out. Jeez I’m getting annoyed just writing about it now.

The tight shorts and coiffured Liberace hairstyle might have had a lot to do with that

Been thinking about under rated but personal favourite Arsenal players over the time I’ve supported them. For this I go for Lauren.

Overshadowed in the team by Henry, bergkamp, Vieira, sol etc
A silent tough guy - didn’t need to go round thumping his chest, just a glare of those eyes
He was a converted midfielder to right back
Those nerveless penalties
Brilliant gamesmanship - the classic ‘oh you meant throw in not free kick ref’ time wasting routine
Having Man U players running for cover after that infamous draw at OT....the still image of him grabbing Phil Neville by the throat is one of my all time favourite football images
He looked like Dwayne Dibley when he first arrived - and scored on his debut I think

Most auto biographies are pretty lame affairs ; they see themselves differently for starters , and rarely tell all the nitty gritty .

Obviously saying you had it off with three groupies on an away trip to Newcastle is out of the question if you are still married .

Plus footballers always seem to start with pure boredom in chronological order ... Namby Pamby stuff

" I played for Upper Lichington under 5's , at primary school I tripped over a scooter so couldn't play for ....
I always loved Thomas the Tank Engine " .... tra la la ...... makes you want to throw up

Think I 've said this before ; start with some bloody action , get the reader involved .

Andre Agassi does this ...... he's got cramp , crowd chanting , cold night , opponent looking mean and focused , down 15 - 30 , quarter finals at Wimbledon

You are living it from the outset .

Pete, I told you about what happened when the players stayed at mine in confidence. For goodness sake don't tell them all about the fireplace incident.

Oh. Oops. Erm, anyone fancy chatting about mesh? Hmmm, pretty mesh. Look into the mesh...not at the mesh but into the mesh. Deeper, look deeper...and...sleep....

Yeah positive first signs. My minor concern at the moment is what might happen if the team don't start seeing the results to match the effort. At the moment they're buying into it but the real test will be Arteta maintaining this bright start, especially with the annual injury crisis.

When all and sundry were falling over themselves with praise of Solskjaer's start at Man U, I remember thinking, "All good when he's winning but what will he be like after they lose a few". We've all seen what happened next.

I remember breaking the back window with a beautiful curling effort then blaming my brother for not saving it. That ended my prospects.

Great player. On of my favourite moments was in the 2002 Community shield. Lauren 'accidentally' sending Riise to get a mouthful of grass in an off the ball tangle around the 41st minute. The look on Riise's face when he got up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8DDiSSAoHw

Commentary from the BBC "41mins: Riise and Lauren clash off the ball and the Norwegian makes his feelings clear to the referee."
Also worth watching 27mins: John Arne Riise is floored by an Edu free-kick..."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/2183671.stm

As long as the missus never got wind of it, I'd be shouting that from the roof tops.