Barclays Premier League 13/14 Thread Part 'x'

[mystiroakey]

First topic message reminder :

Oh you are SAF? or a Glazier?

[socal1976]

true duty. I really dont agree with the petition in the slighest

But you are right he deserves to be criticized. I have no idea why Moyes is defending players that just are not perfomring.. Smalling, cleverly, young, RVP, even rooney and jones who started well have tailed off.

Evra is working his socks of as is De gea.. but not much else really

This players are better than they are showing. Moyes has lost his marbles

I agree Mysti, injuries are part of the game but I can't think of another top team that has the consistent and crucial injuries that Arsenal have had from start to finish. Podolski, Santi, Aaron, Ox, Theo, Jack all of him missed lengthy stretches of the season with injuries not just two or three weeks here and there. It has certainly impacted the form of the team the last few weeks and placed a heavier burden on Giroud and Ozil, which in honesty they have not performed under that added spotlight. With the team Everton has I can see us losing that match. Very concerned.

[mystiroakey]

You quoted my wrong post mate   

but yeah its been so harsh on you.. I am gutted myself- Loved the way you guys were playing, you can still do something off course- Its not over yet

[socal1976]

You quoted my wrong post mate   

but yeah its been so harsh on you.. I am gutted myself- Loved the way you guys were playing, you can still do something off course- Its not over yet

Yeah realize that little mistake, thanks for pointing it out. I agree, I hope Arsene puts out the best possible lineup for this FA cup tie. I would be extremely happy for ARsenal to win that trophy. It shows how important the development of Ramsey and Theo's goals are for the club. Yes injuries happen but when those guys were playing we had a totally different cutting edge and goals were so much easier to come by. Some players you can't just replace in your lineup. Arsene needed to get us a striker and he just didn't do it and now it is costing us in terms of results.

[CFCNick]

You know what it is Socal? It's the backroom staff at Arsenal. The trainers, physios, dieticians, etc. Something must be contributing to it all because all the Arsenal players that get injured have about three different injuries between them.

[socal1976]

I have no idea what it is, but it seems to happen every year. Is the club adequately training these guys with techniques to prevent injuries? I just have no idea but there certainly seems to be a trend.

[mystiroakey]

Maybe its the fact you play a tika taka style , and your players maybe a little bit more light weight that your average - The PL has plenty of strong aggressive types of sides

[hampo17]

true duty. I really dont agree with the petition in the slighest

But you are right he deserves to be criticized. I have no idea why Moyes is defending players that just are not perfomring.. Smalling, cleverly, young, RVP, even rooney and jones who started well have tailed off.

Evra is working his socks of as is De gea.. but not much else really

This players are better than they are showing. Moyes has lost his marbles

I agree Mysti, injuries are part of the game but I can't think of another top team that has the consistent and crucial injuries that Arsenal have had from start to finish. Podolski, Santi, Aaron, Ox, Theo, Jack all of him missed lengthy stretches of the season with injuries not just two or three weeks here and there. It has certainly impacted the form of the team the last few weeks and placed a heavier burden on Giroud and Ozil, which in honesty they have not performed under that added spotlight. With the team Everton has I can see us losing that match. Very concerned.

Liverpool have had injuries to;

Sturridge
Gerrard
Lucas
Enrique
Agger
Johnson
Sahko

There's probably more but they're off the top of my head.

Three of those players are the main part of our defence, so we've been hit just as badly as Arsenal in my opinion, we just don't moan about it Plus we had the Suarez ban, doesn't appear to have had an effect though

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Right my Nodge tips for today

Both teams to score, draw and Redmond anytime

[Hammersmith harrier]

The injuries we've had to Carrick, Rooney, Vidic, Jones and Van Persie are not an excuse for us being so awful this season but poor little Arsenal are the only ones who suffer because of injuries, give me a break.

In the 2009-2010 season we had our whole defence decimated; Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Vidic, Neville, Hargreaves, Brown, O'shea and Van Der Sar all injured at the same time, we came second by one point.

[Guest]

Right my Nodge tips for today

Both teams to score, draw and Redmond anytime

On it   

[CFCNick]

We had Joe Cole and Essien out for 9 months each during their primes. Had to suffer through a busy Christmas period with JT out with a back injury. Lampard had a few knocks a couple years ago. For the last two seasons Ashley Cole has been in and out the team with this and that. Had Robben out with a knee during 04-05 & 05-06. Drogba had malaria once. Cech had a double skull fracture when he was easily the best keeper in the world.

Everyone goes through it.

[Hammersmith harrier]

We had Joe Cole and Essien out for 9 months each during their primes. Had to suffer through a busy Christmas period with JT out with a back injury. Lampard had a few knocks a couple years ago. For the last two seasons Ashley Cole has been in and out the team with this and that. Had Robben out with a knee during 04-05 & 05-06. Drogba had malaria once. Cech had a double skull fracture when he was easily the best keeper in the world.

Everyone goes through it.

The Cech injury arguably cost you the title, losing your goalkeeper for a prolonged time is something that you can do nothing about, the pivot of any defence.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Even we've had bucket loads of injuries this year, Howson, Fer, RVW, Hoops, Turner, Pilkington, Snodgrass have all been out for long periods

[mystiroakey]

aww poor little arsernal.       

From my(neatral) pov its more about enjoying the way they played with a full team.

If Arsenal still win the title(cant see it know) it still wont change the fact that they dont look as good without key players.. If they dont win it no one is going to whinge over injuries.. Injures are one thing that's guaranteed in footy.

A high level striker or two  can get you out of an injury crises to the midfield.. And that is why arsenal will now lose the title.

Yes it has become evident that if they had bagged a 40m striker over ozil they may have had a better shot at the title. Ozil isnt making the impact Ramsay made earlier in the season..

when wilshire first came back he had a few top performances to win them games, same with Walcott and same with ox.. But Ozil this season is there 5th best midfielder(and that is being nice to him)

[mystiroakey]

Even we've had bucket loads of injuries this year, Howson, Fer, RVW, Hoops, Turner, Pilkington, Snodgrass have all been out for long periods

Well we have only just got back our best player (by some distance since zaha left) in Murray..

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Everyone has it. We played a few games with no centre backs. There was a period where Collins, Tomkins, Demel, Reid, Downing, Vaz Te, Cole and Carroll were all injured. Not across a season, at once.

Funnily enough, I believe our head of sports science left after that to join Arsenal

[CFCNick]

Few of my bets today

£1 BTTS
Canaries v Potters
Blues v Yids
Dirty Leeds v Trotters
Seagulls v Royals
Robins v Fake Dons
U's v Brewers
Real Dons v Minstermen
Grecians v Daggers

£2 acca
Saints
Rams
Toffees
Owls
Draw - Leeds v Trotters
Blues

£1 acca
Wolves
Orient
Valiants
U's
Spireites
PNE

[mystiroakey]

Ozil just scored lol..

I take it all back   

[GSC]

Ozil gave Arsenal the belief early season.

He's a quality player, I'm convinced its more down to fatigue. He's never been the most fit player

[mystiroakey]

Aye- to be honest he just started looking disinterested maybe its his fitness.. And there might be something to the myth that he isnt a big game player.. BUt this is relatively big i suppose. A cup game worthy of watching any way

[GSC]

Even in La Liga he'd get subbed every game. And he got a winter break.

Needs strength and fitness training after the WC

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Would very much make sense, people dont moan about the toughness of this league for nothing.

More points left behind at West Brom. They might not have expected to win, but they need to get 3 points soon!

[Hammersmith harrier]

Dare I say it we've played quite well today and Fellaini hasn't been useless.

[mystiroakey]

well Arsernal have just sorted themselves out- Lets see if they can play like this in the PL..

Giroud and ozil of fire today!!

[mystiroakey]

Didn't watch the game Harrier- but 3-0 is a very good result- and wellbeck and rooney back on the score sheet- good times!

[Hammersmith harrier]

Smalling was good again at the back while Rooney and Mata were linking up very well, think we need to do away with playing wingers now, any four of Rooney, RVP, Mata, Welbeck, Januzaj or Kagawa is all we need.

[mystiroakey]

"Smalling was good again"

again??

[Hammersmith harrier]

I rate Smalling very highly, he's often the best defender we've had this season.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Ive thought hes been alright for the majority of games for United, he was just awful, as was everyone else, in Greece

[mystiroakey]

not recently mate. I admit he was very promising before. I am glad that he had a good game today though..

[Guest]

Problem with Smalling is, he's either played in the centre & looks good, but then plays at right back on the odd occassion for United or for England & looks terrible because of his lack of technique to carry a ball or do anything attacking wise. People just remember the woeful performances. He's decent, nothing spectacular.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I like him as a right back in hard games. Id rather have him as back up than Walker at the World Cup because Smalling would offer a lot more defensively as an alternative and we're only gonna play one bad team

[mystiroakey]

John lets get real here mate- he played in the centre for England and was the worst player on the pitch.

The last united game again he was awful..

He has had plenty of good games for united. But there was nothing 'again' to note. He has been in bad shape recently. If he had a good game today that was him improving on recent not just bad performances but woefully bad perfomrances

[Guest]

John 'let's get real mate' what????? Smalling is not a great player, nothing spectacular. Yeah, he played for England & looked bad, who else looked good? It's one game, Yaya Toure looks terrible in games before, don't judge on one game though. Don't just blame Smalling for the Olympiacos result, whole team were shambolic.

I don't need to get real, I know he's average but don't single the guy out.

[Fernando]

Palace 0-1 Southampton - Jay Rodriguez

[Fernando]

Cardiff 1-0 Fulham - Caulker

[mystiroakey]

Sorry john. Didn't mean it to sound like that..   

[mystiroakey]

We conceaded in the 45th minute..

The most annoying time to conceade

[Guest]

You're mellowing in your old age Mysti.

Now where are all the goals?

[mystiroakey]

This game is a classic case of palaces problems. We just cant pick up points v the better teams.. WE may not be able to lose to the bottom half ones , but still WE have only picked up 1 or 2 pts v the top half... That is pretty worrying.

Pulis's skills can only;y go so far with what we have.

However If murray can get a chance- he will stick it away!

[Guest]

Sorry john. Didn't mean it to sound like that..   

I was surprised because I don't rate Smalling either mate, just feel he gets singled out though.

EPL doesn't start until 5.30pm. I have no idea why Fulham got rid of Jol in the first place, shame what's happened to them. Woodrow???? Magath doesn't have a clue what he's doing.

[Fernando]

Norwich 1-0 Stoke - Bradley Johnson

[Fernando]

Cardiff 1-1 Fulham - Holtby

[Fernando]

Cardiff 2-1 Fulham - Caulker

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Chris Hughton is going to keep Norwich up down to the performances of Bradley Johnson. Olly's mind will melt

[Guest]

Goodnight Fulham. Magath brought in by a clueless owner. 

[Fernando]

Norwich 1-1 Stoke - Walters Pen

Good jinxing there Dolph keep it up  

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Chris Hughton is going to take Norwich down due to the performances of Bradley Johnson. Olly's mind will melt

Nothing to see here, havent changed a thing

[Fernando]

Cardiff 3-1 Fulham - Reither OG

Fulham as good as gone now?

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Its fine, Walters has tried to kick Tettey's leg off

[Sponsored content]