Fixtures March 31st - Manchester City - Etihad Stadium - 3:30 Pm

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Post #495161  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:44 pm 
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How many of the same type of goal do city score!? The wide man getting in behind, low flat cross or pull back for a first time finish, near post central or back post.
I understand how efficient that method of scoring is I don’t understand how they manage to get in behind teams so regularly. Devastating pace in wide areas, magicians with through balls and sharp poachers all helps but even if a team defends very deep and with 10 behind the ball they find a way!
Really hope city beat Liverpool to the title


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Post #495162  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:45 pm 
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long time gooner wrote:
long time gooner wrote:
Well this is fun. Now it’s 4.

Great fun. Now it’s 6.

Which takes us above Chelsea in to 5th place! Haha take that 6th place


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Post #495163  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:48 pm 
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Man City 6 : Chelsea 0

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Post #495164  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:30 pm 
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At goal 6, Arteta should have fist pumped past Sarri on Chelsea bench. :14laughter:

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Post #495165  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:36 pm 
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Rich wrote:
long time gooner wrote:
Great fun. Now it’s 6.

Which takes us above Chelsea in to 5th place! Haha take that 6th place

Nice!!!

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Post #495166  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:35 pm 
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Rich wrote:
How many of the same type of goal do city score!? The wide man getting in behind, low flat cross or pull back for a first time finish, near post central or back post.
I understand how efficient that method of scoring is I don’t understand how they manage to get in behind teams so regularly. Devastating pace in wide areas, magicians with through balls and sharp poachers all helps but even if a team defends very deep and with 10 behind the ball they find a way!
Really hope city beat Liverpool to the title

It is Guardiola's way. His teams move the ball across the pitch to get the opposition to shift position and when the gaps open he has the technicians to pick out the pass. He has DeBruyne, Gundogan and both Silvas. All of them can play those through balls. It also makes it much easier when you can mix it up with the individual brilliance of Aguero and Sane. It looks like Jesus is now moving up a level. Guardiola has always had superb players at his disposal, but there is no denying that he is very good at improving players too.

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Post #495167  Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:45 pm 
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The thing is though it helps when your 3 subs today are Silva, Jesus and mahrez

Basically 150 million quids worth of talent on the bench.


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Post #495168  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:06 am 
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Motd did an interesting comparison between Henry and aguero. Henry scores more but aguero is still going. Aguero has a better goals to minute ratio but Henry won more top goal scorer and pfa awards.

One thing I don’t think is taken in to account is the quality of defenders in each era, each had/has 8 years in the prem, Henry 99-07 and aguero 11-19.
The best defenders in henry’s era were Campbell, Adams, terry, carvalho, Gallas, Ferdinand, vidic, carragher, hypos, cygan
In aguero a era the best defenders were, kompany, ivanovic, vertonghen, Cahill, an older terry, and....and there really aren’t CB of the 99-07 standard in many top teams today


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Post #495169  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:07 am 
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I would rather City win the title than the scousers (the lesser of two evils) but when you looks at the quality and depth of City's squad two things spring to mind.

1. How on earth are we supposed to bridge the gap given our meagre transfer budgets? We do not have a single player who would get in City's side.

2. How on earth have they been able to circumvent the FFP and PL wage rules and restrictions given the colossal amounts they are spending on players and wages?

I now have serious doubts over Emery. Notwithtanding the obvious injury issues (which Wenger suffered with just as much) his team selections and tactics, man management and game management have not impressed me at all. Our defence is worse than it was under Wenger and our style of play is less easy on the eye. He was like a breath of fresh air when he first arrived but he seems to have lost his way.


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Post #495170  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:10 am 
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socrates wrote:
I would rather City win the title than the scousers (the lesser of two evils) but when you looks at the quality and depth of City's squad two things spring to mind.

1. How on earth are we supposed to bridge the gap given our meagre transfer budgets? We do not have a single player who would get in City's side.

2. How on earth have they been able to circumvent the FFP and PL wage rules and restrictions given the colossal amounts they are spending on players and wages?

I now have serious doubts over Emery. Notwithtanding the obvious injury issues (which Wenger suffered with just as much) his team selections and tactics, man management and game management have not impressed me at all. Our defence is worse than it was under Wenger and our style of play is less easy on the eye. He was like a breath of fresh air when he first arrived but he seems to have lost his way.


Yes the city stuff is mad. If you look at their 3 subs they brought on yesterday in Mahrez, Silva and Jesus they would be the first names in our team sheet every week. FFP did nothing as the authorities bottled it and they should have been given a massive fine and points deduction.

I respect your opinion and I have doubts about what Emery is doing right now as well. His team line ups don’t make sense at all to me he’s far far too conservative but he’s having to deal with major injury problems and 2 contractual situations that will resolve themselves in the summer. If you asked me where I think we would finish before the season I would have said 6th and that’s where we will. Apparently we are on course to get around 10 more points than last year. Whilst it’s frustrating I don’t think anyone can be overly critical on Emery right at this moment


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Post #495171  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:15 am 
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What I would say is that no matter what happens Emery is on a hiding to nothing,

Yesterday I saw someone say on Twitter we should look at Chilwell the highly rated Leicester defender and someone else mentioned it would blow our entire summer budget on one player. That’s the problem, there is no massive rebuild coming that can get us competing at a level that will be satisfactory to our fans.


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Post #495172  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:19 am 
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Then you have the Özil situation. Absolute pure madness when the team is crying out for creativity.

Let’s say we get to the Europa League Final, will Emery leave Özil out of the squad again? What if we are one nil down and need a goal. Will he ditch his World Cup winning playmaker for El Nenny and Willock.

Just bonkers


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Post #495173  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:51 am 
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TOP GUN wrote:
I respect your opinion and I have doubts about what Emery is doing right now as well. His team line ups don’t make sense at all to me he’s far far too conservative but he’s having to deal with major injury problems and 2 contractual situations that will resolve themselves in the summer. If you asked me where I think we would finish before the season I would have said 6th and that’s where we will. Apparently we are on course to get around 10 more points than last year. Whilst it’s frustrating I don’t think anyone can be overly critical on Emery right at this moment

This is exactly where I'm at with Emery. I think this season is too hard to judge primarily due to the circumstances he's working under with regards to injuries, finances, contract scenarios.

However, if this time next season we're playing in exactly the same way, with exactly the same kind of dynamic around the place then I think it's fair to say we will have an issue with our manager. But for now, I think it's only right and fair to give him some time.

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Post #495174  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 10:09 am 
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TOP GUN wrote:
Then you have the Özil situation. Absolute pure madness when the team is crying out for creativity.

Let’s say we get to the Europa League Final, will Emery leave Özil out of the squad again? What if we are one nil down and need a goal. Will he ditch his World Cup winning playmaker for El Nenny and Willock.

Just bonkers


With every game he doesn't at least participate in his transfer value falls. We will end up giving him away just to get him off the wage bill.


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Post #495175  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:00 am 
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Darren wrote:
TOP GUN wrote:
I respect your opinion and I have doubts about what Emery is doing right now as well. His team line ups don’t make sense at all to me he’s far far too conservative but he’s having to deal with major injury problems and 2 contractual situations that will resolve themselves in the summer. If you asked me where I think we would finish before the season I would have said 6th and that’s where we will. Apparently we are on course to get around 10 more points than last year. Whilst it’s frustrating I don’t think anyone can be overly critical on Emery right at this moment

This is exactly where I'm at with Emery. I think this season is too hard to judge primarily due to the circumstances he's working under with regards to injuries, finances, contract scenarios.

However, if this time next season we're playing in exactly the same way, with exactly the same kind of dynamic around the place then I think it's fair to say we will have an issue with our manager. But for now, I think it's only right and fair to give him some time.


It’s very hard to criticise someone who is working under such restriction. He needs to be given the benefit of the doubt but my goodness if Wenger had picked that side on Saturday and put in that performance we would be giving him absolute pelters and rightly so.

Ditching Özil and not renewing Ramsey are big calls and if their replacements aren’t up to scratch then my goodness he will get it both barrels.


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Post #495176  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:34 am 
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Rich wrote:
Spurs 1-0 up give away a pen, Leicester bring Vardy off the bench totake it, poor penalty and it’s saved. Spurs then score a second.

There have been so many 50/50 moments in spurs games this season and it always seems to fall jam side up for them.

The harder you work the luckier you get.

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Post #495177  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:37 am 
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TOP GUN wrote:

Yes the city stuff is mad. If you look at their 3 subs they brought on yesterday in Mahrez, Silva and Jesus they would be the first names in our team sheet every week. t


Jesus would not get on ahead of Lacazette or Aubamayang. I'd also question Mahrez being anything other than a sub which is what he is at City.

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Post #495178  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:12 pm 
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Gunfire wrote:
TOP GUN wrote:

Yes the city stuff is mad. If you look at their 3 subs they brought on yesterday in Mahrez, Silva and Jesus they would be the first names in our team sheet every week. t


Jesus would not get on ahead of Lacazette or Aubamayang. I'd also question Mahrez being anything other than a sub which is what he is at City.


I think we would be playing Jesus as a wideman and Mahrez gets in ahead of Iwobi and Mhikitaryan every single day of the week.


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Post #495179  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 1:16 pm 
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TOP GUN wrote:
Gunfire wrote:

Jesus would not get on ahead of Lacazette or Aubamayang. I'd also question Mahrez being anything other than a sub which is what he is at City.


I think we would be playing Jesus as a wideman and Mahrez gets in ahead of Iwobi and Mhikitaryan every single day of the week.


I wonder if it would better for the team and Iwobi to play him as a box-to-box midfielder in a three-man mid rather than at wide position/s. Only 22 I have no doubt he will be a very good player in a couple of years.


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Post #495180  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:23 pm 
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It's a 3 horse race for the 4th spot. Man Utd fans I know think its already a foregone conclusion. Tottenham are playing well enough without Kane so they should lock up 3rd at a minimum. We're not going to make up 10 points.

So, can we beat both Chelsea and Man Utd to 4th? I think we have the better manager of the 3 but not the better players. Specifically in defense. And defense is what is going to get any of the 3 sides to 4th.

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Post #495181  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:25 pm 
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Rich wrote:
Motd did an interesting comparison between Henry and aguero. Henry scores more but aguero is still going. Aguero has a better goals to minute ratio but Henry won more top goal scorer and pfa awards.

One thing I don’t think is taken in to account is the quality of defenders in each era, each had/has 8 years in the prem, Henry 99-07 and aguero 11-19.
The best defenders in henry’s era were Campbell, Adams, terry, carvalho, Gallas, Ferdinand, vidic, carragher, hypos, cygan
In aguero a era the best defenders were, kompany, ivanovic, vertonghen, Cahill, an older terry, and....and there really aren’t CB of the 99-07 standard in many top teams today

Interesting? Shearer said Aguero is better than Henry was. Farcical and self-serving comment. Henry was easily the best striker of the PL era. Far far more than just a goal-scorer. Aguero is a great player but several levels below Henry. I'd put that knob Shearer ahead of Aguero too.

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Post #495182  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:39 pm 
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AmericanGooner wrote:
It's a 3 horse race for the 4th spot. Man Utd fans I know think its already a foregone conclusion. Tottenham are playing well enough without Kane so they should lock up 3rd at a minimum. We're not going to make up 10 points.

So, can we beat both Chelsea and Man Utd to 4th? I think we have the better manager of the 3 but not the better players. Specifically in defense. And defense is what is going to get any of the 3 sides to 4th.


The irony is that we probably have the easiest run of those chasing fourth spot but probably the weakest team.


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Post #495183  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:55 pm 
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How can Aaron Ramsey be earning 400k a week?

It just shows the ridiculous farce that football now is. I mean he's a decent player but I'm not even sure he's good enough to be anything more than a squad player at Juve.


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Post #495184  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:48 pm 
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socrates wrote:
How can Aaron Ramsey be earning 400k a week?

It just shows the ridiculous farce that football now is. I mean he's a decent player but I'm not even sure he's good enough to be anything more than a squad player at Juve.


They are going to regret that. I bet they end up doing an “Özil” and dropping him to try and force him out in the end. There’s few players on that money in the world and if he’s on a 4 year deal that contract is worth 83 million, just insane money. I can’t imagine what will happen when they start getting pissed off with him trying to pretend he’s a centre forward all the time.


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Post #495185  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:49 pm 
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https://www.arsenaltrust.org/news/2017/ ... for-201718

------------------

Looks pretty bleak (thanks to Kroenke of course).

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Post #495186  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:58 pm 
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Now Marcotti suggesting Ramsey is only on 250k a week which sounds more plausible.


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Post #495187  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:03 pm 
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Interesting to see the stick and struggles Jorginho is taking/having at the moment. Teams are shutting down any passing in to him and Chelsea struggle. Jorginho excelled in a high pressing Napoli team where he probably had a bit more time and space to dictate play with metronomic passing. It feels that with so many high pressing teams that the ideal deep lying midfielder almost needs the attributes of a tricky winger - good in tight areas, dribble past the press, direct etc

Really wish we could have had a few more years of seeing Cazorla in this position


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Post #495188  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:21 pm 
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We’re being linked with Grimaldo the benfica left back. He’s been on some top teams radar before but not made the move. 23 years old, cane through the Barca youth system. 5 goals and 5 assists this season, top level experience and champions league experience with Benfica. On the face of it he ticks all the boxes - this is the sort of signing we should be targeting


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Post #495189  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:31 pm 
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socrates wrote:
How can Aaron Ramsey be earning 400k a week?

It just shows the ridiculous farce that football now is. I mean he's a decent player but I'm not even sure he's good enough to be anything more than a squad player at Juve.


Where did that figure come from?

Could it be that that is what he's costing them with a substantial part of that figure making up the fact that there was no initial outlay?


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Post #495190  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:02 pm 
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TOP GUN wrote:
Now Marcotti suggesting Ramsey is only on 250k a week which sounds more plausible.


Yes, the £400K sounds like just taking his wage and adding in all the 'huge' signing-on fee that comes with bosman transfers then diving it up over the duration of the contract, slightly misleading to call it £400K a week but it suits making a big headline story (and possibly a PR agenda for a club beginning with A).

Whateva...

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Post #495191  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:30 pm 
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bubblechris wrote:
socrates wrote:
How can Aaron Ramsey be earning 400k a week?

It just shows the ridiculous farce that football now is. I mean he's a decent player but I'm not even sure he's good enough to be anything more than a squad player at Juve.


Where did that figure come from?

Could it be that that is what he's costing them with a substantial part of that figure making up the fact that there was no initial outlay?

David Ornstein at bbc who usually gets his info from the club.

I think recently the club have been giving incorrect figures out to make it look like it was impossible for us to keep some of these players when we screwed up the contract.


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Post #495192  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:56 pm 
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Saw this stat

Biggest overperformance in Expected Goals
Spurs +13.6 goals

Biggest overperformance in Expected Goals Against
Spurs -6.6


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Post #495193  Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:40 pm 
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socrates wrote:
I now have serious doubts over Emery. Notwithtanding the obvious injury issues (which Wenger suffered with just as much) his team selections and tactics, man management and game management have not impressed me at all. Our defence is worse than it was under Wenger and our style of play is less easy on the eye. He was like a breath of fresh air when he first arrived but he seems to have lost his way.

I firmly disagree that our style of play is less easy on the eye now. We do get the ball forward more quickly these days, even if it isn't as quickly as would be ideal. Hence I see that as more entertaining than the even slower build up dross we saw in Wenger's last years.

Regarding the defence, you may disagree but I think we're missing Mertesacker. I presume you saw that research I did which proved we conceded fewer goals when he played, and when he and Koscielny were together our defensive record was sometimes favouribly comparable to other top teams. I recall you once said that we've had defensive problems for many years. I showed that wasn't the case. Our defensive frailties took off when Mertesacker stopped playing either through injury or retirement.

As I pointed out before, we need to remember that our greater defensive solidarity with Mertesacker came despite not having a defensive midfielder of Torreira's quality. Some may claim without any defensive midfielder at all, let alone one at Torreira's level. In short, I believe the balance of evidence supports my view that we miss Mertesacker's organisational abilities. If he was still playing, my money would be on us not conceding as many goals as has been the case.


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Post #495194  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:15 am 
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Rich wrote:
Interesting to see the stick and struggles Jorginho is taking/having at the moment. Teams are shutting down any passing in to him and Chelsea struggle. Jorginho excelled in a high pressing Napoli team where he probably had a bit more time and space to dictate play with metronomic passing. It feels that with so many high pressing teams that the ideal deep lying midfielder almost needs the attributes of a tricky winger - good in tight areas, dribble past the press, direct etc

Really wish we could have had a few more years of seeing Cazorla in this position


Chelsea did themselves no favours dismantling their title-winning squad with sales of Matic and Costa (plus John Terry finally leaving). Hope they lose Hazard soon.


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Post #495195  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:26 am 
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Bernard wrote:
socrates wrote:
I now have serious doubts over Emery. Notwithtanding the obvious injury issues (which Wenger suffered with just as much) his team selections and tactics, man management and game management have not impressed me at all. Our defence is worse than it was under Wenger and our style of play is less easy on the eye. He was like a breath of fresh air when he first arrived but he seems to have lost his way.

I firmly disagree that our style of play is less easy on the eye now. We do get the ball forward more quickly these days, even if it isn't as quickly as would be ideal. Hence I see that as more entertaining than the even slower build up dross we saw in Wenger's last years.

Regarding the defence, you may disagree but I think we're missing Mertesacker. I presume you saw that research I did which proved we conceded fewer goals when he played, and when he and Koscielny were together our defensive record was sometimes favouribly comparable to other top teams. I recall you once said that we've had defensive problems for many years. I showed that wasn't the case. Our defensive frailties took off when Mertesacker stopped playing either through injury or retirement.

As I pointed out before, we need to remember that our greater defensive solidarity with Mertesacker came despite not having a defensive midfielder of Torreira's quality. Some may claim without any defensive midfielder at all, let alone one at Torreira's level. In short, I believe the balance of evidence supports my view that we miss Mertesacker's organisational abilities. If he was still playing, my money would be on us not conceding as many goals as has been the case.


Mertesacker was also a leader on and off the pitch... we have very good players but lacking strong personalities to drive the team towards challenging for honours.


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Post #495196  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:50 am 
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Goonie wrote:
Rich wrote:
Interesting to see the stick and struggles Jorginho is taking/having at the moment. Teams are shutting down any passing in to him and Chelsea struggle. Jorginho excelled in a high pressing Napoli team where he probably had a bit more time and space to dictate play with metronomic passing. It feels that with so many high pressing teams that the ideal deep lying midfielder almost needs the attributes of a tricky winger - good in tight areas, dribble past the press, direct etc

Really wish we could have had a few more years of seeing Cazorla in this position


Chelsea did themselves no favours dismantling their title-winning squad with sales of Matic and Costa (plus John Terry finally leaving). Hope they lose Hazard soon.

I think they got ok money for Matic, I suppose they thought they were spending the money on a younger upgrade in Jorginho - which after seeing him at Napoli and seeing Matic struggle at Man U seemed the right move.
One of chelsea’s big mistakes this year has been playing their two best players, kante and hazard, in not their natural positions.
And they should have bitten Barca’s hand off when they were offering £50m plus Malcom for Willian!


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Post #495197  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:14 am 
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Goonie wrote:
Mertesacker was also a leader on and off the pitch... we have very good players but lacking strong personalities to drive the team towards challenging for honours.

I firmly agree with you here. Look, I'm not going to claim Mertesacker was as strong a leader as Adams or McLintock. But he was far more of a leader than any of our current players who have had the armband this season.


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Post #495198  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:19 am 
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Bernard wrote:
socrates wrote:
I now have serious doubts over Emery. Notwithtanding the obvious injury issues (which Wenger suffered with just as much) his team selections and tactics, man management and game management have not impressed me at all. Our defence is worse than it was under Wenger and our style of play is less easy on the eye. He was like a breath of fresh air when he first arrived but he seems to have lost his way.

I firmly disagree that our style of play is less easy on the eye now. We do get the ball forward more quickly these days, even if it isn't as quickly as would be ideal. Hence I see that as more entertaining than the even slower build up dross we saw in Wenger's last years.



I think over the last few games Bernard our football hasn’t been as good. I would suggest prior to the injuries hitting and our change in formation our football was hugely improved from last season.

Attacking with pace, almost zero dithering on the ball. Pressing and working far harder. It was just much better and anyone suggesting it wasn’t isnt correct.

It’s just over the last few games with no Özil or Ramsey we don’t appear to be able to control a midfield anymore and look less assured in possession. I think the injuries have taken a toll, the formation changed hasn’t helped and energy levels are diminished as players take on more and more games.


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Post #495199  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:21 am 
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RIP Gordon Banks

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Post #495200  Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:43 am 
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Rich wrote:
We’re being linked with Grimaldo the benfica left back. He’s been on some top teams radar before but not made the move. 23 years old, cane through the Barca youth system. 5 goals and 5 assists this season, top level experience and champions league experience with Benfica. On the face of it he ticks all the boxes - this is the sort of signing we should be targeting

A cross between Grimandi and Ronaldo... can't wait!


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