Boxing Day Football **SPOILERS**
- Thread starter Ripper
- Start date
)...
Don't you need a decent DM and possibly a keeper more than you need a striker or wingers?
Surely he means that RvP is their worst striker at playing up front on his own rather than him being their worst striker.You believe RvP is one of your worst strikers?
edit: too slow
I think that's why he wants to bring Heskey in. Part of me doesn't want him, is he any better than a confidant and in form Harewood? But MON knows exactly what he's doing and, at the end of the day, who got the very best out of Emile Heskey?
I don't think Harewood can cut it for us now, he'd be an OK signing for a mid table side or a cracking signing for a team like WBA but not for us if we're a team pushing for 4th place.
LB/RB issues must be sortedin january if possible, and MON knows this - but he'll only go for his man, and won't take second best if he loses out. Credit to him for getting square pegs top play adequatley in round holes and if we ever get a team playing in position out there i think we'll be pushing for 2nd.
Caporegime
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Some Arsenal fans, Gallas was immense today, cleared loads of headers, some great tackles, some good balls forwards, was rarely rushed and the penalty, frankly he got between the ball and the defender , was along side, went to ground and Gabby acted like both his legs were taken, which they weren't still not sure if it was a flat out dive or there was some marginal contact on his right foot. The problem is it looks more like he left his leg there till there was contact, not convinced it was a penalty.
Either way, you CAN'T blame the centre backs for absolutely no cover at all from the midfield. yet again, Toure was marking his man in the box, Gallas was covering near post, there were more Villa players in the box than Arsenal, why? The defending midfielder yet again failed to bother to follow the midfield runner (well in this case, Knight) into the box to get between player and ball, he did his usual, "i'm in this half of the pitch, that counts right?" mode and made zero effort to get back into position from the throw in, he's truly awful. I'm not even sure he'd make a good central attacking mid anymore, he's only good within about 12 yards of goal, shoot from outside the box and he's laughable, inside the box and he's a good finisher, hell, its just about a striker and not a great one, slow, no vision, passing has dissappeared from his game.
Song was dreadful again before he got injured, failed to stay back , failed to track runs into the box, failed to get goalside of whoever he was marking, lost his marker for the goal. Those two were at fault for the goals.
2 centre backs can't cover 4 men, its simply not possible, without help of course they will concede goals, Gallas barely put a foot wrong today and TOure, well didn't look great but he's barely played in the past 2 months so he looked rusty, hardly surprising.
Yet again an injury to someone else was the only way he could get a start, and why the hell was CLichy not starting considering Villa's pace and Silvestre's total lack of it?
Villa defensively were always going to be worse today than any game yet this season, so our bright decision was play defensively? rather than with 2 up top as attacking as possible and take the game to a frail, injury plagued defence? Pathetic, there were times when Wenger would play all out attack against a full Villa team, let alone a massively weakened defensive team, we just asked for pressure. Diaby managed a 10 minute spell of greatness but was awful before, and after.
Eboue did very little wrong the whole game and did plenty right, was almost always running into space making himself available for a pass and used it effectively and did fantastically to setup the goal. Why Clichy wasn't brought on for Song I don't know. Of all the games, a very mobile VERY experienced midfield and a team whose rightfully in the top 4 hardly seemed the best game to blood him in. While clichy in a defensive role in midfield would have worked well. Nasri looked, shockingly, tired, back from injury and having just played a full 90 minutes not up for another. he was poor throughout and should have been brought off much earlier, for the sake of protection as much as he wasn't helping either.
Generally, pathetic, management, subs, starting line up, Denilson and SOng don't belong at the club in any way anymore, Diaby seems to be getting really bad and Toure has no chance of picking up form if he gets dropped every game for no apparent reason.
I should also point out that yet again one of the in form players, infact two of them Gabby and Young were silenced this game, Eboue + sagna(who seemed to find his old form this game which is great news) were great defensively, they contained Young very very well and in doing so limited Gabby's supply drastically. Gallas covering Gabby very well the whole game aswell as those two were very effective containing Villa's main threat. Infact both goals came from woeful midfield marking and a complete inability of the players at different times playing that role to remotely track who they were marking. Which frankly isn't where Villa have been strong this year, had we had a decent DM playing today I don't think they would have scored, mistakes happen at corners fine, but that second goal was truly pathetic marking. Any semi competant DM would have tracked that run and it really should have been easy to clear that.
Either way, you CAN'T blame the centre backs for absolutely no cover at all from the midfield. yet again, Toure was marking his man in the box, Gallas was covering near post, there were more Villa players in the box than Arsenal, why? The defending midfielder yet again failed to bother to follow the midfield runner (well in this case, Knight) into the box to get between player and ball, he did his usual, "i'm in this half of the pitch, that counts right?" mode and made zero effort to get back into position from the throw in, he's truly awful. I'm not even sure he'd make a good central attacking mid anymore, he's only good within about 12 yards of goal, shoot from outside the box and he's laughable, inside the box and he's a good finisher, hell, its just about a striker and not a great one, slow, no vision, passing has dissappeared from his game.
Song was dreadful again before he got injured, failed to stay back , failed to track runs into the box, failed to get goalside of whoever he was marking, lost his marker for the goal. Those two were at fault for the goals.
2 centre backs can't cover 4 men, its simply not possible, without help of course they will concede goals, Gallas barely put a foot wrong today and TOure, well didn't look great but he's barely played in the past 2 months so he looked rusty, hardly surprising.
Yet again an injury to someone else was the only way he could get a start, and why the hell was CLichy not starting considering Villa's pace and Silvestre's total lack of it?
Villa defensively were always going to be worse today than any game yet this season, so our bright decision was play defensively? rather than with 2 up top as attacking as possible and take the game to a frail, injury plagued defence? Pathetic, there were times when Wenger would play all out attack against a full Villa team, let alone a massively weakened defensive team, we just asked for pressure. Diaby managed a 10 minute spell of greatness but was awful before, and after.
Eboue did very little wrong the whole game and did plenty right, was almost always running into space making himself available for a pass and used it effectively and did fantastically to setup the goal. Why Clichy wasn't brought on for Song I don't know. Of all the games, a very mobile VERY experienced midfield and a team whose rightfully in the top 4 hardly seemed the best game to blood him in. While clichy in a defensive role in midfield would have worked well. Nasri looked, shockingly, tired, back from injury and having just played a full 90 minutes not up for another. he was poor throughout and should have been brought off much earlier, for the sake of protection as much as he wasn't helping either.
Generally, pathetic, management, subs, starting line up, Denilson and SOng don't belong at the club in any way anymore, Diaby seems to be getting really bad and Toure has no chance of picking up form if he gets dropped every game for no apparent reason.
I should also point out that yet again one of the in form players, infact two of them Gabby and Young were silenced this game, Eboue + sagna(who seemed to find his old form this game which is great news) were great defensively, they contained Young very very well and in doing so limited Gabby's supply drastically. Gallas covering Gabby very well the whole game aswell as those two were very effective containing Villa's main threat. Infact both goals came from woeful midfield marking and a complete inability of the players at different times playing that role to remotely track who they were marking. Which frankly isn't where Villa have been strong this year, had we had a decent DM playing today I don't think they would have scored, mistakes happen at corners fine, but that second goal was truly pathetic marking. Any semi competant DM would have tracked that run and it really should have been easy to clear that.
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coz the papers today were quoting wenger as saying villa weren't good enough and arsenal would have no trouble beating them. so by loosing a 2 goal lead he's made to look the fool again.
MW
Caporegime
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Can't believe Ireland's only 20. Going to be one hell of a player for City. No idea how they're so low with the players they've got.
Just saw the Hull game and feeling much better when we play them on the 30th - just couldnt deal with the pace or Robinhos/Irelands vision...
Pigeon_Killer - I guess its more a squad of players rather than a team still - if you get my drift...
ps3ud0
Pigeon_Killer - I guess its more a squad of players rather than a team still - if you get my drift...
ps3ud0
I thought about that but i realised Arsenal needed to keep a lot more of the ball which they dont do well by playing four centre mids together just crowding each other in midfield and with decent wingers they'd be able to offload the pressure better than they do currently. Also Arsenal are a bit too predictable these days by playing through the middle. Striker not needed I agree but Arsenal's lack of aerial threat upfront disgusts me.
Caporegime
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Cheeky ****That's probably because he's 22
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He said that Villa weren't good enough to win the title, not that he didn't think it possible they'd get fourth. And that there would be a race with ourselves and Villa for that spot.
Opposition fans love to misinterpret le professeur quite a lot
dissapointed that both ronaldo and rooney were allowed to stay on the pitch today, if theres one thing ive noticed in stoke short stint in the top flight is the amount that the big clubs get from refs. Thats the second time in a matter of weeks that ronaldo has lashed out at other players, yet he doesnt get punished.
Ill be happy to see him leave the english game in the summer.
Ill be happy to see him leave the english game in the summer.
Soldato
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Watched the last half hour of the Arsenal game yesterday and I'm pretty disgusted with the whole situation right now. I know Villa are pacey and in form but what kind of message does it send out when we go 451?! There's also absolutely no composure in the midfield right now, they all look like a bunch of rabbits in headlights. Wenger needs to spend big next month and hope they all gel in time or we're gonna be 5th and lose the two or three truly class players we have 
well I have just watched MotD and three issues stood out for me. Firstly we made hard work of a very attricious and resolute Stoke side. However I will take the 3 points.
Secondly some of the referees decisions beggard belief. Without a shadow of a doubt the Stoke Utd game should have ended 10 v 10. Their sending off was correct and Rooney should have walked for that elbow. The linesman was stood meters away so how is that not a straight red card. Rooney should know by now that teams like Stoke are never going to let you settle on the ball.
Then you go onto the Wigan Newcastle Game. The Lino flags for the pull on Heskey. No obvious advantage so he lets play go on only to on then pull up the same offence and send the player off when Heskey wasn't clear in on goal. Shocking and Newcastle were really hard done by in my opinion.
Finally not seen so much diving in one weekend of football in my life
Secondly some of the referees decisions beggard belief. Without a shadow of a doubt the Stoke Utd game should have ended 10 v 10. Their sending off was correct and Rooney should have walked for that elbow. The linesman was stood meters away so how is that not a straight red card. Rooney should know by now that teams like Stoke are never going to let you settle on the ball.
Then you go onto the Wigan Newcastle Game. The Lino flags for the pull on Heskey. No obvious advantage so he lets play go on only to on then pull up the same offence and send the player off when Heskey wasn't clear in on goal. Shocking and Newcastle were really hard done by in my opinion.
Finally not seen so much diving in one weekend of football in my life
He said that Villa weren't good enough to win the title, not that he didn't think it possible they'd get fourth. And that there would be a race with ourselves and Villa for that spot.
Opposition fans love to misinterpret le professeur quite a lot
must have been how the newspapers worded it
MW