*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[duffer]

Solid win last night. Cesc was exceptional and Eduardo's two assists were very good too. That **** Mark Bright gave me the ****s though; Cesc is probably just outside world class at the moment. Yeah and you're just outside the biggest **** I've ever heard on commentary. Including Spain games he has 32 appearances 17 goals and 15 assists this year. Heh, he is the don right now. We showed how to get on with the disappointment of having a stonewall penalty turned down to dominate a game. Crazy how with no production from our fill in forwards we're still scoring for fun.

Also interesting to hear the little nugget that Cesc and van Persie have missed more games for us than Gerrard and Torres have for Liverpool this season, without even mentioning the long term injuries to Nasri, Diaby, Walcott, having both our top two strikers out and playing large periods of the season with our third choice keeper and third string left back.

We're still top or close to the top of the injury table even now and are coping especially well. It's taken a while but a strong squad with young players champing at the bit and ready to fill in is developing. EDIT:Just need a striker this window please and a keeper in the summer.

 

[Johnners]

It's not a disservice to call them fullbacks, because that's what they are, even if Aurellio does occsionally play left midfield. Degen is a rubbish fullback, just like he's a rubbish winger. Don't particularly care if Maxi only just signed, there's an obvious difference in their quality of output, that afaic even negates the fact that Maxi was only a new signing. I'll open myself to slander here, and admit I have never seen him play a match, but from what I've been reading about him, and have picked up from various highlights, is enough to tell me he's far more likely to win us a game than Degen.

Just because we usually play with 2 def midfielders when Gerrard/Torres/Benny are available doesn't mean we should when they aren't. The team had absolutely no attacking flair in it whatsoever for 80 minutes, and was incredibly lucky to have even been 1-up. It didn't have to been an attacking kind of game, but having at lease one player on the pitch who had the ability to at least create a decent chance or two for a shot on goal could have made the world of difference.

The injuries excuse may have some merit to it if we were playing a team like City/Villa/Spurs etc., but against Stoke.....

 

[Ikki]

Aurelio is actually a left-midfielder turned into a full-back, that's the irony. And Degen is perfectly up for playing RM; he is fast, attacks a lot and is far from defensive. In fact, defense is probably his weakest attribute. It was either him or Pacheco, a reserve player who has only played a handful of minutes. Maxi only signed and even in the little cameo looked off-pace. Seriously, you admit you've never seen him play; so you probably don't know that he hasn't played for Athletico much this year either. We always played 2 DMs, so talking about the decision to playing it as being defensive is just ridiculous. This is our team's tactic, and it brought us a ****load of goals last year; where ironically Xabi gets less forward than Lucas does. The injury excuses have no bearing on who we play. That was the best XI we could put out in that game. If it was City it would have still been the best XI we could have played. Geezus.

Duffer: Fabregas is the best player in the world right now. Have been saying it for a while. He's been incredible since the start of the game and his numbers are phenomenal, especially so when you consider he's been injured.

 

[Johnners]

I haven't seen him play, but I did know he hadn't played much for Atletico. Going to have to agree to disagree then, as there's no way that was the best XI available afaic.

 

[Ikki]

What was the best XI available, name it.

 

[Matteh]

Alonso would've been more defensive than Lucas, but unlike Lucas Alonso could actually pass a football.

 

[duffer]

Duffer: Fabregas is the best player in the world right now. Have been saying it for a while. He's been incredible since the start of the game and his numbers are phenomenal, especially so when you consider he's been injured.

Yeah on current form I wouldn't swap him for anyone. We'd be competitive without him but when he's fit for us we're a top team. If he stays fit through till the end of the year he'll carry us very very close all by himself.

 

[Matteh]

Yeah on current form I wouldn't swap him for anyone. We'd be competitive without him but when he's fit for us we're a top team. If he stays fit through till the end of the year he'll carry us very very close all by himself.

Best example of this was that game recently where he wasn't at full strength. Came on for something like 17 minutes, scored twice and won Arsenal the game.

 

[duffer]

Yeah, Villa at home, willed the team to a win even with an injury. Simply cut from a different cloth. Laugh every time I see my Spuds supporting mate who said he wouldn't swap Modric for him. Ever.

 

[marc71178]

Please, there were too many injuries and simply naming Aurelio or Degen as full-backs is a disservice to them. Degen is such an attacking full-back that it makes complete sense to play him as a winger. Aurelio actually DOES play in the midfield; he is just a versatile player. Carra is not a CB when he is playing RB - a position he has played oodles of times. Still, they would have been far from first choice had we fit players. And we always play with at least 2 full-backs and 2 holding midfielders, that is standard in a 4-2-3-1 and there is little defensive about it as we've proved.

Aquilani is not totally match-fit and had played 120 minutes of football in the FA cup. Rodriguez was just signed FFS. You're off the mark. It wasn't an attacking kind of game mostly because the team that we put out have probably never played together and many were out of position; added to the fact the way Stoke play means it's usually an ugly kind of game.

Right, so you start off by defending the selection of Aurelio and Segen in midfield then go on to blame the result on players playing out position...

 

[Johnners]

What was the best XI available, name it.

As I said from the start, Aquilani for Lucas & Maxi for Degen. Rant all you like about how one's a new signing, the other isn't fully match-fit, but even at 80% Aquilani can at least pass the ball (quite unlike Lucas) and it's not like we needed two defensive midfielders against Stoke. Without Torres/Gerrard/Benny, there was no-one who even looked remotely like creating a chance, could have afforded to play Lucas on the bench, and give Alberto 50-minutes to do something. As I said earlier as well, it wouldn't take much to be a better right winger than Degen.

I said basically the same thing earlier, and you've already said you disagree though, so I'm not sure why I'm repeating myself.

Missed it before, butRe: Alonso going forward less than Lucas, it matters little. Alonso could actually pass, and create attacking opportunities from his deep-lying position. Lucas can barely do either

 

[Ikki]

Right, so you start off by defending the selection of Aurelio and Segen in midfield then go on to blame the result on players playing out position...

Erm, yes, they are out of position because they have to be out of position. There was nobody else. That doesn't take away from the fact that the team had not played together with that set-up ever. You missed this part:

"Still, they would have been far from first choice had we fit players."

As I said from the start, Aquilani for Lucas & Maxi for Degen. Rant all you like about how one's a new signing, the other isn't fully match-fit, but even at 80% Aquilani can at least pass the ball (quite unlike Lucas) and it's not like we needed two defensive midfielders against Stoke. Without Torres/Gerrard/Benny, there was no-one who even looked remotely like creating a chance, could have afforded to play Lucas on the bench, and give Alberto 50-minutes to do something. As I said earlier as well, it wouldn't take much to be a better right winger than Degen.

I said basically the same thing earlier, and you've already said you disagree though, so I'm not sure why I'm repeating myself.

How do you know Aquilani was even 80% fit? He had complained about not feeling well after the FA cup, so he was sat out. This is not Fifa 10. Maxi for Degen is debatable. First, Maxi isn't game-fit, secondly, he didn't do much even when he was on and squandered a 5v2, nevermind that he has probably only had 1-2 training sessions with the rest of the team, so you're clutching at straws. An unfit Aquilani and a lost Maxi wasn't going to change the result. And even on that count it would still be 3 CBs, 2 full-backs and 2 holding midfielders.

Missed it before, butRe: Alonso going forward less than Lucas, it matters little. Alonso could actually pass, and create attacking opportunities from his deep-lying position. Lucas can barely do either

Alonso is a more defensive option than Lucas, that's the irony. Through Lucas' little time at the club he has a better goals/assists record than Xabi. Xabi was a fantastic passer, but your gripe at 2 holding midfielders is just misplaced. Furthermore, if you really wanted an attacking formation you'd sit Mascherano and keep Lucas.

If the game had finished 1-0, none of this crap would even be a talking point. Lucas should have had a penalty and that would have settled the match.

 

[duffer]

Erm, yes, they are out of position because they have to be out of position. There was nobody else. That doesn't take away from the fact that the team had not played together with that set-up ever.

Lots of Liverpool fans I know rant about how good the crop of young guys they have in the reserves are. Pacheco, Amoo, Kelly, Buchtmann etc, why aren't some of them being given a chanc?. Whenever we've had a shortage we've been able to bring in guys who can slot into their natural positions and do a serviceable job for us(see Craig Eastmond last night). Although I do think Insua is doing as much as can be expected of him there.

 

[sledger]

Thought Craig Eastmond had a reasonable match considering it was his first prem start actually, gave the ball away a few times perhaps, but generally got back and covered well and didn't look at all blinded by the lights and seemed very happy to fit in with the generally attacking nature of the team. Plus that's one more game where we don't have Alex Song out of the way.

In other news, will be going along to the next match against Bolton on Weds, should be decent night out with any luck.

 

[Johnners]

Erm, yes, they are out of position because they have to be out of position. There was nobody else. That doesn't take away from the fact that the team had not played together with that set-up ever.



How do you know Aquilani was even 80% fit? He had complained about not feeling well after the FA cup, so he was sat out. This is not Fifa 10. Maxi for Degen is debatable. First, Maxi isn't game-fit, secondly, he didn't do much even when he was on and squandered a 5v2, nevermind that he has probably only had 1-2 training sessions with the rest of the team, so you're clutching at straws. An unfit Aquilani and a lost Maxi wasn't going to change the result. And even on that count it would still be 3 CBs, 2 full-backs and 2 holding midfielders.

Alonso is a more defensive option than Lucas, that's the irony. Through Lucas' little time at the club he has a better goals/assists record than Xabi. Xabi was a fantastic passer, but your gripe at 2 holding midfielders is just misplaced. Furthermore, if you really wanted an attacking formation you'd sit Mascherano and keep Lucas.

If the game had finished 1-0, none of this crap would even be a talking point. Lucas should have had a penalty and that would have settled the match.

I didn't say they were certainties to change the result, but IMO they were a better chance of changing the result than Lucas/Degen.

I said it 5 minutes into the game that I thought the line-up was wrong, so I would still be talking about it tbh. If Lucas hadn't made a complete meal of the dive, he probably would have been given the penalty.

Meh, as I said before, we're just going around in circles, and it's clear you disagree so I'll leave it there.

 

[Ikki]

Lots of Liverpool fans I know rant about how good the crop of young guys they have in the reserves are. Pacheco, Amoo, Kelly, Buchtmann etc, why aren't some of them being given a chanc?. Whenever we've had a shortage we've been able to bring in guys who can slot into their natural positions and do a serviceable job for us(see Craig Eastmond last night). Although I do think Insua is doing as much as can be expected of him there.

Pacheco was on the bench, but even he has played too little, he is just starting to get a go; Amoo might get a look in; Kelly is brilliant, but got injured and has been injured since the Lyon match. Buchtmann is far too young. Their are players that are from the reserve squad getting regular minutes, two have becomes first team players: Insua and Ngog. El Zhar has been injured, Spearing's position has been filled, Darby has played, so has Kelly who got injured as aforesaid, and others like Ayala and Plessis have played when the squad was short but thankfully we have their positions covered as well. Nemeth is on loan and in general I'd agree that we have some pretty good looking players coming through. But this is not the year to try 3-4 reserve players in regular premier league matches.

There have been just too many injuries. People talk about Liverpool not having a good bench...yet they seem to be oblivious to the fact that our first choice bench players have also been injured for long periods of time; and some are still injured or just coming back.

 

[duffer]

Thought Craig Eastmond had a reasonable match considering it was his first prem start actually, gave the ball away a few times perhaps, but generally got back and covered well and didn't look at all blinded by the lights and seemed very happy to fit in with the generally attacking nature of the team. Plus that's one more game where we don't have Alex Song out of the way.

In other news, will be going along to the next match against Bolton on Weds, should be decent night out with any luck.

Surprised he's ahead of JET, Frimpong and Francis Coquelin in the pecking order as they've all been more impressive in the 2nds than Craig has. Much like Wilshere and Fran at Upton park he's never played in a game of that intesity before and showed a bit. I'm sure Arsene sees something in him to be given a go, good experience for him and good that he's coming into an in form team.

Lucky bastard regarding tickets, really need to get myself over there next season or so. Haven't been this excited about our prospects since the 2001/2 season.

Also heard that we've had a bid knocked back for Chris Smalling from Fulham. Papaers seemed to have gotten wind of it recently but the knock back was what forced the hand in signing Sol. Hopefully we can get him in the summer, he looked immense against Chelsea recently and got very unlucky with the own goal.

 

[Craig]

Surprised he's ahead of JET, Frimpong and Francis Coquelin in the pecking order as they've all been more impressive in the 2nds than Craig has. Much like Wilshere and Fran at Upton park he's never played in a game of that intesity before and showed a bit. I'm sure Arsene sees something in him to be given a go, good experience for him and good that he's coming into an in form team.

Lucky bastard regarding tickets, really need to get myself over there next season or so. Haven't been this excited about our prospects since the 2001/2 season.

Also heard that we've had a bid knocked back for Chris Smalling from Fulham. Papaers seemed to have gotten wind of it recently but the knock back was what forced the hand in signing Sol. Hopefully we can get him in the summer, he looked immense against Chelsea recently and got very unlucky with the own goal.

Do it, you can get there and back for jjust over $1000 if you want to the Gold Coast and then fly Air Asia. I have been to Highbury and my favourite part of it all was the random insults at Tottenham.

EDIT - Manchester United fans Alex Ferguson to quit in Glazer protest - Barclays Premier League - ESPN Soccernet

Won't happen. Although if he did resign, I have no idea who would replace him. Also if they want to make their point. Bring a banner in more or less telling Glazer to GAGF, and do a mass pitch invasion and make their point. No amount of police and stewards would stop (eg) 30,000 people running out onto the ground to protest. These people talk a good game when venting their anger at the owners, but they won't do anything about it. SAF won't quit, so show them that you are serious.

 

[GIMH]

John Barnes?




(Corrin to respond)

I'll have you know he is trying to pressure James into putting 'John Barnes' into the filter.

Don't see what the problem is with the words John Barnes tbh. Can't see why he gets annoyed seeing John Barnes in posts.

He needs to get over his John Barnes phobia.

 

[Uppercut]

Aurelio is actually a left-midfielder turned into a full-back, that's the irony. And Degen is perfectly up for playing RM; he is fast, attacks a lot and is far from defensive. In fact, defense is probably his weakest attribute.

Sounds logical, but going from being an attacking full-back to a right-winger is so, so difficult. The positional sense is so completely different and difficult to adjust to. I speak from personal experience and from the fact that so few players have done it successfully. I can't actually think of any, can someone help me out here?