Road to Bejing - Olyroos 2008

[marinermick]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_O%27Connor

not that tall for a modern day keeper

 

[mariners4ever]

too right with that...
i would've thought arnold would've picked a younger GK like pasfield

 

[brett]

I don't know the original source but it was posted in our forum

Games snub stings striker Dario Vidosic

Marco Monteverde

Arnold, who chose 30-year-old striker Archie Thompson, has explained the controversial omissions of Burns and Djite, expressing concerns about their age and ability to play in the Beijing heat.

Archie is getting older by the day.

Monteverde...I suppose the Courier-Mail was responsible for this?

 

[dibo]

Archie is getting older by the day.

aren't we all?

 

[brett]

Archie is getting older by the day.

aren't we all?

Not a year older...Starchie isn't 30 until October.

(I get that you're joking but ^ is for the benefit of others)

 

[radar]

I've currently got the U23 Olympic team moving into the hotel where I work.

So, whose hot water should I shut off, and who gets the extra chocolates on the pillow..?

 

[mariners4ever]

change the locks on arnold's room, turn off his hot water also

 

[radar]

robbie slater's in the restaurant too.


he's got a head like a dropped pie.

 

[serious14]

Put a months worth of laxatives into Arnold's coffee.

Please do all possible to hurt Jade North whilst you're there.

Extra chocolates and mints for Spiro.  The kid is class. 

 

[Paolo]

Take good care of all.....they'll have enough trouble performing well without being f**ked around with prior to leaving

 

[soccersensei]

I've currently got the U23 Olympic team moving into the hotel where I work.

So, whose hot water should I shut off, and who gets the extra chocolates on the pillow..?

Can you rig the showers to run extra hot instead?
I want to see how well Arnold can handle the heat!!!

 

[clarence]

Arnold: Put salt in his coffee & tea, and sugar on his meals. Set his room temp to 33C and break off the knobs that set it. Better still, publish his room number and hotel and let the CCY handle him!

 

[serious14]

I've currently got the U23 Olympic team moving into the hotel where I work.

So, whose hot water should I shut off, and who gets the extra chocolates on the pillow..?

Can you rig the showers to run extra hot instead?
I want to see how well Arnold can handle the heat!!!

Judging by his sideline efforts in Bangkok last year, and his flat out refusal to even acknowledge us people in the stands existed, not very well. 

 

[soccersensei]

I love the way the FFA have "defended Arnold" by saying that he did consult with Pim and others before making his selection...

Arnold: Pim, I need your advice on something very important...
Pim: Yes Graham, I thought...
Arnold: Pim which colour sneakers do you think go best with my new tracksuit?
Pim: errrrr...ahhhhmm.... this question Graham...
Arnold: The blue do pretty clearly say handsome upcoming international coach don't you think?
Pim: Um Graham, this team...the one you have selected...I do not...
Arnold: The red though... I think the red do still say handsome upcoming international coach... but they also say "hey look at this guy, he can probably still kick a ball alright too!!" What do you think Pimster?
Pim: Gr...
Arnold: Red?
Pim: Grah...
Arnold: Or blue?
Pim: Graham!! The national team...
Arnold: Blue is pretty nice...
Pim: YOU ARE GOING TO LOSEEEE YOU MORONNN!!!!
Arnold: The Red are...
Pim: LOSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........BADLLLLLLYYYYYYY!
NATIONAL, DISGRACE, AGAIN....BADLYYYYYYYY!!!!!
Arnold: Whats that?
Pim: The team!!! The bloody national team!!!! Then one you just selected!
*Arnold stares blankly*
THEY ARE GOING TO BE DESTROYED!!! DECIMATED!!! DECAPITATED! BEATEN! BASHED! MUTILATED!!!!!
Arnold: Your talking about the team??
Pim: YESSSS I"M TALKING ABOUT THE FARKINNNG TEAMMM!!!!!!!!
Arnold: My team??
Pim: OH FOR CHRISSSSSSTAKKKE!!! YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! YOUR FARRRKINNNNG TEAM!!!
Arnold: Oh yeah, I know! Bloody awful pick isn't it!? What a day that was! LOL. You know when your just not in the mood at all for all that... pick him... Oh but what about him...he did this... and he wasn't there... and no Mr Arnold you can't have him, he's actually a linesman...blah blah blah blah...BLAH! Unbelievable!
*Leans in close, chuckling...*
So you know what I did..I just hatted the bloody lot of em! Fark me!!! Even I was surprised at some of the people I selected!!! Amazing really! Can you believe I even had to google some of them just to find out who the f**k they were!!!? And Thompson!!! Oh wow!! Word is he can't even run! Bugger me did I piss myself silly over that one!!! Can't even run!!! LOL Man thats was some pretty funny...
Aw no... NOOOO!!! SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!! Oh FFS, I can't take f**king Thompson!!!
How the f**k can I take Thompson!!!!
Pim: Ah Graham finally... Yes, yes...this is exactly one of the...
Arnold: Blue!!! He wears farking BLUE boots the little f**ker!! Well he's f**kin gone! I don't care what the public of the FFA say, theres no way I'm letting him or anyone else limit my selection options!!!
*Staring down lovingly at his sneakers* Making selections is just to important, you could even say it's everything... don't you think Pim?

 

[serious14]

Mate, do you think these posts through, or do you just type the first thing that comes into your head??  You are a genius of dark humour!!!!

;D

 

[Bear]

Well...... that was farking random

 

[soccersensei]

Mate, do you think these posts through, or do you just type the first thing that comes into your head??  You are a genius of dark humour!!!!

;D

It was just intended to be a few smart assed one liners, but you know what it's like,  once you move onto the topic of Arnold's ineptitude you suddenly find there's just sooooooo much material to be inspired by that the rest just pretty much flows out from there... ;D

Well...... that was farking random

Not half as random as Arnold's selections Bear!!! 

All said, I don't think a satire piece poking shit at Arnold's inability to make selections on the Beijing thread should be seen as toooo random... but yeah it's certainly not the most typical of posts and so it's a bit left field I'll grant you. But hey playing in left field can be fun

 

[radar]

Saw Matty Simon in the lift, and gave him a MARINERS WOOOOOOOO whilst steadfastly ignoring all the other grubs in there with him.

Also had a chat with Archie - he's a stellar chap. Then I eavesdropped on Arnold telling him he prolly wasn't getting a run for their next game.


...and then Steve Waugh dropped by.


Life is tough

 

[T]

From todays SMH

Arnold slams Olyroos wedge politics
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Sebastian Hassett
July 10, 2008

Other related coverage
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OLYROOS coach Graham Arnold admits he's a long way from being settled on a starting XI for Beijing and concedes that the responsibility for finalising the much-criticised Olympic squad does not rest on his shoulders alone.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's friendly match against New Zealand's under-23 side at North Sydney Oval, Arnold said the squad he picked had to be agreed upon by national coach Pim Verbeek and technical director Rob Baan before it could be made official.

Arnold accused his critics of trying to "drive a wedge" between himself and Verbeek as criticism about the squad mounted following the shock decision to overlook the likes of highly rated duo Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite.

"At the end of the day, I work with Pim Verbeek, and there are certain people trying to drive a wedge between me and Pim, which is ludicrous. And Pim was informed of the squad four to five days before anyone else," Arnold said yesterday.

"I don't just pull out a squad and that's it. Rob Baan was informed of the squad, then Ben Buckley, John Boultbee, the [FFA] board, and they tick it off. It's not my squad, it's the FFA's squad."

While Arnold has just 18 players to choose from, he insists only the three over-age players - Archie Thompson, Jade North and David Carney - are assured of their spots for the Olyroos' first match of the tournament against Serbia on August 7.

Asked how close he was to finalising his starting XI, Arnold was blunt: "Nowhere near it. Normally, the three over-age players will play and you build a squad around them, because they're going to bring experience, [but] the rest of the positions are up for grabs. We've pretty much got two guys for every position."

Arnold stood by his earlier assertion that the squad was picked on form, and that the players - Burns and Djite - "understood" why they had been left out.

"It was form over 20 games [and] statistics. Go have a look at statistics [on Burns and Djite]," Arnold said. "We've had a lot of heat testing, physical testing, tactical testing. And I had to then make a decision on who was the better player. And the players I probably have in the squad here are better players."

Arnold said Perth Glory striker Nikita Rukavytsya would prove himself a more than worthy replacement despite his lack of game time. "The only one who probably wasn't tested [in qualifying] and could be a bit of a shock could be Rukavytsya," Arnold said. "He is someone I can potentially look along the bench if we're losing or during the game we need to change something. He's totally different to any of the other strikers."

Arnold has also come in for some heat about the selection of the three over-age players, none of whom managed any game time at the 2006 World Cup.

"I spoke to every Socceroo that could strengthen the team, but every player pretty much has either come off the back of an average season with their club or they were moving clubs," Arnold said.

"Brett Holman was all ready to come but then at the final moment he left and went to AZ Alkmaar in Holland, Harry Kewell joined Galatasaray, Mark Bresciano didn't have the best season at Palermo and was on the outer for the last six months, so he's in a difficult position."

"Then you've players who have had babies and can't leave, so it was very difficult.

 

[radar]

"Then you've players who have had babies and can't leave, so it was very difficult."

Jade North has his lil baby with him right now, and his wife is smoking hot.