West Ham United Message Board

Sorry, you're all wrong, that well known football expert, slayer, says so, and I quote ....

"the sport being referred to as “Soccer” preceded the first recorded instance of it being called by the singular word “Football” by about 18 years."

So there you have it, 'soccer' came before 'football', slayer says, and we all know he's never wrong!

The article you have selected actually shoots you down in flames.

"on October 26th, 1863, a group of teams in England ... formed the rules for “Association Football” ...
Now British school boys of the day liked to nickname everything ... They also liked to add the ending “er” to these nicknames. Thus Rugby was, at that time, popularly called “Rugger”. Association Football was then much better known as “Assoccer”, which quickly just became “Soccer”.

So out of 'Association Football' came the word soccer. How can you argue differently?

Football comes not from kicking a ball but apparently because the sport was played on foot as opposed to horseback!? I wonder how many horses were bummed by the gentry back in the day? Toff #$%$ didnt even wanna play sport with being on a horse. :)

Sorry Ben can't agree with this, and think Hobbs and Colyn are more on the right track. Fact is we just don't have what it takes to attract the biggest names, that being CL football, and or (although in most cases and) lot's of money. Therefore we're going for good players who are likely to have more in the locker that we can take advantage of as the develop.

But I'm not sure that is such a bad thing. Sure it would be nice to collect the biggest names in the game, but even that is not a sure fire way to success. We have to get out of our heads that the only way forward is to bring in the next biggest name from last season. Put it this way, honestly how many on here had heard of Coutinho before we brought him in? Even those who had heard of him, how many of those really thought a player who could not make the AC starting line up and had been farmed out to a bottom half side in Spain would do what he's done?

Now not every little known player we go for will work out as Philippe. Some may flop, some may take a while to bed in, but that is the market we have to play in. Going for any player no matter how well they've done in the past, no matter how big their name is will not guarantee success. However going for players who have done very well at smaller clubs, or in slightly lessor leagues, maybe able to step up, and provide the quality we need, and on a budget we can handle. And, if they don't work out, its a heck of a lot better to take a loss of 7 or 8M rather than the 20 or 30M or even more the big names will demand, plus of course the 150K plus a week they'll be on for the next 3 years, whether they perform or not.

Dont really care about the rumours. If Mourinho got rid of Mata he would be off his chump. Has any manager actually came in to a new team and got rid of the teams best player right there an then? Surely not?

That makes me believe this is 99.99% total #$%$. Hes a great player and any team and any manager would want him if they could afford him.

Actually,

1st. Football - the word football has been around for centuries
Then. Football Association formed
Now. Then soccer from the word 'Association' ('Assoc' - 'Assocer' - 'Soccer')

Pretty much agree with that assessment Gov. Totally what im thinking but put across in a more efficient manner than I would have :)
Saying that my only alternative/additional worry about him would be as John puts it...he could turn Arsenal into a circus.

I agree Dave.

We don't know how Suarez will react or if Madrid will bid.

I think the club have handled it pretty well so far - a one line statement that he's "not for sale and we won't be commenting further" is perfect for me. The ball is back in the Suarez/Madrid court and it's up to them to put up or shut up.

ah so now you have changed your mind, now we wont get relegated but finish in the bottom 1/2.
well yes i agree will probably will finish in the bottom 1/2 of the premiership. but the following season we will still be in it. at least have the courage to stick to your convictions, however daft they sound..............

# 19.

villa 'til i die...............................

you'll finish bottom half again 14th

Good football post, Gov.

Here's an extract from a blog titled Why I’d love to see Wayne Rooney at Arsenal.written by Metro's Jamie Sanderson recently............. I think it explains why Rooney could be a good signing for us.

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"At 27, Rooney is at a crossroads. At his next club he will be expected to adapt quickly and find goals – and plenty of them – but at Arsenal, under the stewardship of Wenger, he can be moulded and adapted into an even better and more effective player.

He could play a little deeper, the false nine perhaps, and with his ability to unlock defences and score and make goals, he would be the heartbeat of the side – just the role he craves.

Arsenal could get the most of Rooney, and Wenger could help rejuvenate his fortunes. He has turned the inconsistent, aggressive Robin Van Persie into a calm and clinical goalscorer, and can tame Rooney’s infamous temper and get him primed to enjoy the best years of his career that are still ahead.

As much as it doesn’t make sense at first, it does when you think about it – and I for one would love to see Wayne Rooney in an Arsenal shirt."
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I don't buy the argument that clubs like Arsenal are seen as a [step-down] for any player, Falcao and others recently proved that most players are only interested in their wallet first and foremost. Furthermore, the financial constraints at the club is loosening and Arsenal now have the money to compete for top players like Rooney as confirmed by Gazidi recently. I won't rule Arsenal out of the race to sign Rooney completely, especially if he's seen by the club as the catalyst to propel us to greater things. The money is there now unlike in previous seasons.

Ashley--Pardew--Kinnear, all we need now is a lead singer. I've got Dennis Wise on the way up, he's a gobshyte. What a load of geographical misplaced madness. Anyway, Alan Pardew can smile in secret---the contract deal he signed up to.
H---head won't stop shaking.

I rate Santi Cazorla alongside Mata at this point.

In which case, we don't need him now.

It's a good point Paddy, and if a deal for a deferred sale can be worked out so we have some time to find and or bed in a replacement I'd be for it. However I would caution that the player needs to be fully on-board with the plan, to ensure we still get the best out of the number 7 while he's waiting for the move. That did happen with CR, but not sure all players just waiting things out would actually put in a full shift every week.

But another consideration here is that Real as of yet have not put in a bid, and nor have the likely cast of characters who talk up potential moves (as they have with Bale) been shouting from the roof tops about Suarez. That suggests to me that Suarez is either a second choice, or this is more about Luis wanting Real more than Real wanting Luis.

In which case the question becomes what happens if Real do not come in for him this summer (because they get Bale or someone else)? Will Suarez reaffirm his love for LFC, will the fans forgive him, or will he still want away but somewhere else, or maybe he'll just work even harder to get noticed by those boys in white in Madrid!

The questions are, does he want to leave Utd and would he move to Arsenal.
I don't think Arsenal would match his current salary structure so some give and take would be needed even if he was to be considered by Wenger.
He is one of a few players that nearly every club in the world would want in their squad.
I don't think SAF and Rooney saw Eye to Eye as Rooney is very head strong and his own person and SAF is more use to controlling people at the club and probably found Rooney too much hard work, but that's just my opinion.
Still a great player and would do well at any club.

1st . Association Football.
Then. Soccer
Now. Football (apart from countries where they already have football, where it is still called soccer)

I find it hard to develop an opinion on whether I would happy or not if Rooney would be our big signing this summer.

On the one hand Rooney has shown that when played as the teams central striker he can score 30 a year. On the other hand having sacrificed this position to RVP, it is difficult to get a grip on whether he still could score 30 as a teams main striker. He has not appeared crucial to Man U's title challenge but on the other hand they have a lot of depth going forward.

His body type doesn't seem to lend itself for longevity, ie he is heavy set which is more taxing on the body structure and this can also mean that he will lose a half a step sooner rather than later and look what that did for Torres.

I would try to support his signing and being familiar with the PL would be an advantage but for me the jury would be out on whether he would be good value or not. In contrast, to me there was no doubt that RVP was good value for Man U last summer.

Going back to reality it seems unlikely to me that Rooney would want to come to Arsenal. Like it or not we would probably appear to him as a step back so IF he could go to Chelsea or PSG or an other club competing more regularly for national titles he would probably prefer that.

I keep hoping for Higuain.

I think the only fact anyone knows is that the press have got one good story to run with over the summer.

Would he be a good signing?

No. I think he would turn Arsenal into a circus.