So now I am meant to be rational about this?
Where’s that shaking fist smiley?
Since City will be one of Bayern’s competitors in the first stage of the Champion’s League, I watched them [del]play[/del] demolish Tottenham. Impressive.
Their 4-2-2-2 - with wingers shifted more centrally like deep playmakers and the full-backs stretching the field aggressively - was an interesting idea. It worked very well against Tottenham’s far too static 4-4-1-1. Do they play that formation often?
The role Toure and Barry played, gave Silva and Nasri a lot of space and they knew how to use it – and both had obviously been encouraged by Mancini to roam the field freely (why didn’t Tottenham adapt to it at all in the second half?). I have seen Dzeko play so often during his time in the Bundesliga that I wasn’t surprised by his effectiveness but the improvement of his passing and positional play beyond the penalty box were unexpected.
They will be a tough nut to crack.
I want Arsene Wenger and the board gone from Arsenal. They knew Nasri and Cesc were leaving and they did nothing all summer.
Yeah, that’s a bit strange. Otoh, Arsenal seems to be the only major English club that doesn’t have to worry about the new rules laid out in the FFP - if the UEFA is serious about those rules, City, ManU, Chelsea and Liverpool might find it much harder to adapt than Arsenal that has worked financially more responsibly for quite some time now.
And I have no idea how Barcelona and some other clubs are going to manage FFP - they are black holes for money.
I’ve just read that Per Mertesacker is indeed going to transfer to Arsenal from Werder Bremen. He is an intelligent defender with good positional play who has some organizational skill with regard to the back four but he won’t add any kind of creativity to Arsenal’s play and he is not a switch point between defense and offense - which might have been a more pressing matter for the club than a centre-back. But Wenger still has time left to address other problems as well.
What a brilliant move by the Blues dumping boring McLeish on the Vile. They’ve got hoof ball footie to look forward to; 4.5.1, can’t wait to see the “We’re Not Fickle” banners flying again. Anyway they haven’t won anything this millenium and unlike the Blue half of the city are not in Euope either. Their fans are doing a great job in fancy dress, turning up looking like empty seats. 
Manchester 13 Landan 3 says everything really. Arsenal are simply a feeder to club the likes of the Mancs and Barca…
Yeah, couldn’t agree more. Heartbroken that we don’t have that away game at Doncaster to look forward to as well. Still, I hear there’s a fine pie shop a few streets over where you can cry into the plate as you contemplate another relegation battle.
And blue “half” of the city? Some interesting and creative maths there.
Yep, under McJudas the lone striker will need to be contacted by a megaphone by the midfield. 4.5.1 remember.
It is the time of year again
When football fans get manic
And if they come from Witton way
It’s when they start to panic
But more so now than usual
McJudas is the boss
So reckon on a torrid time
And start to count the loss
While over at St Andrews
The sky is deepest blue
For we off loaded Judas boy
And packed him off to you
You’ll see his wisdom when you play
The striker on his own
And every Villa fan in sight
Will really start to groan
But that is something you know well
You always seem to moan
We don’t want this
We don’t want that
So chant the Villa crowd
You would rather watch the Blues I know
They’d really make you proud
Here’s to a lot of banter this season. I wonder how many matches before we hear THE PLAINTIVE CRY OF “Judas Out!”… Can’t wait.
Well, at least Arsene made some moves. I think it sums up as this:
Out: Fabregas, Nasri, Denilson, Traore, Eboue and some filler
In: Mertesacker, Santos, Arteta, Gervinho, Benayoun, Park
Certainly not the same quality in as out, but I feel much, much better about a top-4 fight this season and maybe a cup run. The depth is there now, as is the experience. I believe Per, Santos, Arteta, and Park have all been captains at either the club or international level - not bad.
Hopefully that experience can help the youth adapt and meld into the team rather then being thrown into disasters like the ManU match.
I do have to take exception to the “Arsenal are a feeder club” comment - you do know that Cesc came from Barca first, right? As to feeding Man City - who isn’t these days? They a have enough money to turn any players head.
Happy from a Bolton perspective. Ngog and Kakuta should be v useful, and we hung on to Cahill. I just hope he will extend his contract (with a lower buyout clause of course)
The only thing tha’s improved for the Gunners over the past week is the ability of their fans to count to eight.
I’ll try to remember to use short words only.
You mean like at a Villa training session. Ball…kick…net…Oops sorry too complicated.
Been to Wembley lately?
**At Arsenal
**
They’re selling postcards of the hanging
Removing the Highbury crown
Everybody’s gone to the Emirates
The plastic fans are in town
Here comes the blind commissioner
“I didn’t see it anyway
I just wanted a team of untried kids
I wanted them to play”
But some fans are getting angry
After fifty years I’m low
As the Chairman and I look out tonight
On sad Asburton Row
An idea was propagated
It takes one to know one I cried
Of disinterested supporters
Ambition is put aside
It’s a necessary function
Of economics I believe
Idealistic stagnation
Really makes me seethe
I pay to watch the robots
At forty quid a throw
And now my heart is breaking
On Desolation Row
Nope. Going to Doncaster soon?
Look on the bright side - the way this season is looking, you’ll get to play Yeovil and Scunthorpe next season. That should be good for 2 points at least.
I think, you have confused me with Bordesley ;).
Arsenal’s squad looks pretty good now. The added experience and overall quality of the players should help to stabilize the team; and Wenger doesn’t need to change his system because those new players should have no problem with his beloved 4-3-3. Let’s see how it works on the field, the major problem was a lack of dynamic and tactical discipline so far - some new key players might be all that’s needed to flip the switch.
Hey up Villa, you never know we could draw you again in the Carling Cup and dump you out like we did last year on the way to Wembley glory. Just hope we don’t meet Arsenal in the final again, cos we would love some real opposition. Two Football facts: 1. Birmingham City unbeaten in Europe for almost 51 Years. 2: Unbeaten in the Carling Cup since 2009.
Up the Villa, Girlie Pink and powder blue. Am yam gooin’ down the Baggies?
Nah, I just didn’t have the heart to quote him as well. Multi-quoting is hard, ya’know? Also, as a yank, I only barely know what he’s trying to say…
Yup - definitely looking forward to the next run of matches, not something I could really say last week. In fact, Sunday was the first time I’ve said “Arsenal are gonna get killed today” before a match since I’ve been following the team (~2005 or so). Even going into the Nou Camp was less frightening than the team ran out there on Sunday.
What Arsenal still lacks, is creativity though; looks like they couldn’t get Hazard and Klopp, coach of Dortmund, has already confirmed that the club rejected a 40 Million offer for Mario Götze without a second thought. Any of those two players would have closed the one serious gap that’s still there - and might doom them in the Champions League.