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*Official* English Football Season 2014-15
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
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Anyone else coming round to my theory that, once you get past the circus, he's just a decent but not amazing player?
Cabinet96
Hall of Fame Member
I agree 100%, and I think he's bang average. What is he actually meant to bring to the side? He doesn't offer great movement or link up play, and he's not clinical enough to just be a poacher. He's big enough to be a decent hold up player, but he ruins that by shooting from 30 yards with a wall of players in front of him when he brings the ball down to feet. Suppose he's a good ariel threat.
A good 80% of my Arsenal timeline on twitter wanted Arsenal to go out and spend £30m+ on him as well.
Furball
Evil Scotsman
I'm coming round to the idea that people (and I include myself in this) over rate him because he's had a couple of games (6-1 thumping of United, Euro 2012 semi v Germany) where he's been spectacular.
I'm also coming round to the theory that virtually every player at a big European club has that level of performance in them and if we say those two performances were 10/10s, the truly top players like Messi and Ronaldo hit an 8/10, 9/10 or a 10/10 more often whereas for Balotelli they're the exception and he usually pulls out a 6/10. The fact that they're the exception also makes them more memorable.
He also doesn't have the temperament to be a really top player, although that's stating the obvious. He's a complete screw up, and this manifests itself with occasionally making really weird decisions on the field. I remember at the end of the Champions League semi against Barcelona in 2010 he was getting a hard time from sections of the crowd, so his response was to shoot from 45 yards the next time he got the ball.
Tangles
International Vice-Captain
I think it was just badly mistimed and that made it look much worse than he intended. If your going to clip someone on the break missing the ankle and hitting the knee/above next to the ref is dire. A cynical tug of the shirt or running across his legs for 'accidental' contact would have stopped the play without a red card. Now we have to listen to the commentators bang on about his petulance again.
flibbertyjibber
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What a save
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Did Arsenal have a shot after the goal?
Decent result for Spurs but nothing there to suggest they'll threaten to finish in the top four this year. Absolutely shocking on the ball second half.
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
National ones are worse. Wanted to punch so many ****s who proclaimed last season 'a great season for Merseyside'
Cevno
Hall of Fame Member
I'm split whether he got frustrated with the no handball call in front which was clearly missed by the referee just before that potential break and lost his rag or whether he just panicked and did the hack as whatever it takes to stop him.
Such a stupid thing to do either way though.
Thankfkully managed to held on to the lead and the 2 New CB's and fullbacks all had good games given the situation. Rafael was brilliant again and Shaw pretty good too while Rojo and Mcnair given the circumstances dealt well at CB.
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