Barclays Premier League 13/14 Thread Part 'x'

[monty junior]

First topic message reminder :

It is kind of weird CS that Duty considers us an elite club and the quality of players (that Wenger has signed) and our CL football as the main reasons, but then he considers Wenger a failure. It looks like a logical inconsistency to me. And I can't name 10 clubs in Europe bigger or better than we are.

Bigger - Manchester United, Liverpool, AC Milan
Better - Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Dortmund/Napoli.

There we go. The first three have better history and are a "bigger" club in that respect. The other seven are just...better.

Is that why Napoli got knocked of our CL group. Dortmund is nowhere near the team they were earlier in the year when we played in CL in terms of injuries and we split with them. If you really want to measure we have to look at criteria. If it is "better" I disagree certainly with regards to Dortmund and Napoli as of right now or throughout the season. Dortmund is behind Schalke and Leverkusen and neither one of those teams are all that mighty this year. Here are the teams if I am ranking the "better" aspect

1. Bayern
2. real
3. Barca
4. Chelsea
5. PSG
6. Juventus
7. Man City
8. Atleti
9. Arsenal

So Arsenal are in the top 10, even if you would rate Dortmund who is on the skids right now as being better, which I don't. Liverpool would have a fair shout right now at coming in ahead of us. That would still put us in the top 10 in terms of quality.

Dortmund are a fairly comfortable second now and are almost certainly in to the CL quarters. Depends what you regard as elite, for me the word elite is the very very best like Bayern, Real, Barca even Man U, teams who have a history of domestic and European domination. Arsenal are the level below, certainly no disgrace.

[sportform]

I have been saying all season Crouch should be in the England team (forget the Carroll argument that is based on height and after he past several international tournaments that Spain have won that should be irrelevant). Crouch is the best six yard box/ goal poacher England have had since Gary Lineker.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I have been saying all season Crouch should be in the England team (forget the Carroll argument that is based on height and after he past several international tournaments that Spain have won that should be irrelevant). Crouch is the best six yard box/ goal poacher England have had since Gary Lineker.

Yeah that Michael Owen fella was awful

[Hammersmith harrier]

I'd say Defoe is a better poacher than Crouch, such an amazing poacher would have a better goalscoring record than he does.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Hughes is making Stoke play better stuff, but he's not idiotic enough to try and change too much too quickly (like he did at QPR).

Please stop the Crouch for England talk, he wouldn't start, and offers sweet bugger all coming off the bench

[compelling and rich]

I'd say Defoe is a better poacher than Crouch, such an amazing poacher would have a better goalscoring record than he does.

defoe- 55 caps 19 goals
crouch -42 caps 22 goals

crouch has a much better scoring record, defoe offers very little to a england team. crouch at least offers that aerial threat and can hold the ball up something which in a england team that struggles to retain possession is important. dont think either are great options if im honest would rather have lambert over both

rooney
wellbeck
strurridge
lambert

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Crouch doesn't even hold it up well, he's very weak for a man of his size.

[Champagne_Socialist]

Crouch is better than Defoe.

[Fernando]

From what being said behind the scenes at the Emirates. Rumors are suggesting that Arsene is about to hang up his zip up coat. We've canceled all media conferences tomorrow and banned players from talking to the media.

[Ent]

You'd think he'd give it another season and use this money to strengthen the weak spots in the team and have a serious tilt at trophies.

[westisbest]

How fkng poor was that defending.

Just shocking.
Not really going to blame Bacuna, for his bad defending, for me its Lambert.

Play Lowton, a right back at right back ffs.

Bacuna is not a right back. 
Please start Albrighton.

Do not let Sylla anywhere near the team again. Possibly the worst player in the league.

2 good wins at home, then this today.

Defend like that next saturday, Utd will put 6 past us.

[hampo17]

How fkng poor was that defending.

Just shocking.
Not really going to blame Bacuna, for his bad defending, for me its Lambert.

Play Lowton, a right back at right back ffs.

Bacuna is not a right back. 
Please start Albrighton.

Do not let Sylla anywhere near the team again. Possibly the worst player in the league.

2 good wins at home, then this today.

Defend like that next saturday, Utd will put 6 past us.

Not sure Lambert told him to defend like he had his shoes laces tied together.

[The Special Juan]

From what being said behind the scenes at the Emirates. Rumors are suggesting that Arsene is about to hang up his zip up coat. We've canceled all media conferences tomorrow and banned players from talking to the media.

If it does happen nando, what do you think? IVVVVHO, it's 2 seasons too late.

[westisbest]

He is not a right back.

He is poor there, much better further up the field.

My point is why not play a right back in his natural position, then someone who cant play there.

Same thing happened away to Fulham.

I blame the manager for playing players in the wrong positions.
And the players for being poor.

[Fernando]

From what being said behind the scenes at the Emirates. Rumors are suggesting that Arsene is about to hang up his zip up coat. We've canceled all media conferences tomorrow and banned players from talking to the media.

If it does happen nando, what do you think?  IVVVVHO, it's 2 seasons too late.

Surprisingly i think this season is about correct Juan. We've paid 90% of what we needed to he had the chance to spend money and hasn't bar Ozil. If he wins the Cup it's a fitting way to go out as ive said to Olly if he didn't win the cup id sack him. If sacked him before hand it would of been 2010/11 apart from that pts wise it's been up hill most season.

[The Special Juan]

From what being said behind the scenes at the Emirates. Rumors are suggesting that Arsene is about to hang up his zip up coat. We've canceled all media conferences tomorrow and banned players from talking to the media.

If it does happen nando, what do you think?  IVVVVHO, it's 2 seasons too late.

Surprisingly i think this season is about correct Juan. We've paid 90% of what we needed to he had the chance to spend money and hasn't bar Ozil. If he wins the Cup it's a fitting way to go out as ive said to Olly if he didn't win the cup id sack him. If sacked him before hand it would of been 2010/11 apart from that pts wise it's been up hill most season.

I think that's a very fair assessment

[Hammersmith harrier]

Much of it depends on how they finish in relation to Liverpool, if they finish fourth you could say they've stagnated a bit and have been leapfrogged by a resurgent team. If Arsenal do come fourth this season it does not look good for the future especially with Wenger in charge because he's too reluctant to spend. United will improve next season of that i'm sure and even now we could end up only a handful of points behind them as could Tottenham.

[GSC]

Eh, Liverpool have yet to demonstrate staying power in the CL places. Still too early to say whether they're the real deal or a flash in the pan like Harrys Spurs team.

[Crimey]

It'd be a shame if Arsene announced it after such a poor result.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Missed the games today, was at Wembley putting some money in the Cambridge coffers to watch them lift a meaningless trophy, nice day out though. Was a nothing day of football really, two unimportant games (as Villa and Stoke are both pretty much safe and Spurs n Southampton are drifting to expectations). Nice to see people realising Hughes is slowly (and smartly in that) improving Stoke.

Thought we were awful yesterday and thats the West Ham side I see and think "maybe Sam can go". We'll lose games, obviously, but when there's no plan B and we show so little skill its disheartening. I do think Rooney fouls Tomkins, a very clever nudge at the perfect time, but it doesnt matter as we didnt deserve to be in that game. United weren't great, but Mata, Kagawa, Rooney showed good understanding and Fellaini played well.

I hope Arsene isnt on his way out. Would seem like the wrong time, now the chequebook can open and they aren't many miles away from being a top, top side. Like going out with a chubby girl while she diets and goes to the gym then dumping her once she's shed her christmas weight.

I think it would be an awful time for him to leave for Arsenal as a club. As we've seen at Old Trafford, replacing a legend is ridiculously hard. They could go only a step backward when Wenger leaves and be jumped by Spurs and a resurgent United. Then they may never reach the heights so easily again.

[Liam]

What I feel is missing from Wenger teams since Viera and co left is a bit of fighting spirit, character and leadership. Someone to lift the team when the going get's tough. Arsenal have an array of fantastic footballers with excellent technical ability, who, when its going well its going great and when its bad its atrocious. In the big games, they needed characters to stand up and be counted and shut up shop. Liverpool soon as they went in front, you could see there were a few goals coming. Yet Arsenal showed no fight and were 4-0 in 20 mins, similar story vs Chelsea and City.

I think the injury to Ramsey has been a massive blow. He was on fire and although unlikely to carry on that goal scoring run for the whole campaign, is overall box to box game was winning games for Arsenal and has been desperately missed since.

I think Arsene should stand down, allow someone else to come in with a different approach. Crucially, he'd be leaving the next manager with a strong team with obvious transfer targets to try for, namely a holding midfielder and a striker.

[J.Benson II]

I think Wenger should step down at the end of the season. Win the FA Cup and then step down or get sacked if they don’t.
Time and time again, the guy is proven to be a tactical imbecile and never seems to learn from mistakes.
How can a team go from looking so defensively solid one week, to a complete shambles the next?
Most Arsenal fans I know want him gone and have so since around 2011. So would I if I supported them.
Replacing a legend isn’t that difficult. The only reason United have found it difficult is because they took a gamble and replaced a legend with someone with no top level experience. Had they just replaced Fergie with someone like Jose then they would be challenging for the title.
Arsenal would be fine as long as they don't make the mistake United did.

[mystiroakey]

I think united are going to beat up citeh tomorrow- i have this feeling.

But if the sensible betters among you want a good one- Man citeh are over evens for the win- thats decent odds

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It is. And with Toure on form...

[The Special Juan]

And with Man Utd lacking CBs.... Apache, lump on it, lump on it, lump on it....

[mystiroakey]

Not going to touch it myself. But i think its  a very decent bet. At this point in the season emotions play to much of a part in my betting- But the with Masters coming up all good(first golf major of the year) and thats the market i like

[socal1976]

Big match for Arsenal against Swansea tomorrow. We need to rebuild our confidence a loss here and all of sudden 4th place starts to become a bit of tricky proposition. As I have said before we need the FA cup and CL football next season to get to where we can challenge the Chelsea's and man City's of the world. The big losses in big matches will hopefully wake up the club to spend and bring in some quality next season to the good squad we already have.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

A fiver on Citeh tonite at 23/20 was too tempting

Accy is Leicester, Burnley, Wolves, York and Rochdale

[compelling and rich]

im a united fan and even im tempted to stick money on city, think last two results against very poor teams have given some fans a false dawn. think we'll be brought back down to earth with a bump tonight

we've been poor in pretty much every big game this season

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Don't understand that selection from Moyes, keep the winning side together. Mata out wide again

[mystiroakey]

Scholes = Great player
Scholes = Worst personality.

Seriously how depressed do you want to sound on TV.

[compelling and rich]

Don't understand that selection from Moyes, keep the winning side together. Mata out wide again

its filling our weakness with 3 in midfield against one of there strengths, dont think its necessarily mata wide, wellbeck can drift in meaning that at times i think it may well be a 4-3-1-2 with mata in his strongest position. guess we'll see at kick off

[Hammersmith harrier]

What is Moyes doing, why can he not just stick with a winning team, has change something every game and it's disrupting any improvements we might have made.

[The Special Juan]

Moyes can't play both Mata and Shinji against a team with City's (or Bayern's or Chelsea's) strength. Imagine them v Yaya.

[MIG]

No mid week match of the days?!

[mystiroakey]

i understand why united are playing this team- the pundits have just made sense- however every time man u play this system of defending players and then a few front men they allways seem disjointed . cleverly cant link the play- which is what man u need him to do

[mystiroakey]

I havent supported united in a PL game for ages- Come on united.. !!!!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Moyes can't play both Mata and Shinji against a team with City's (or Bayern's or Chelsea's) strength.  Imagine them v Yaya.

Make them worry about you, imagine their movement against Yaya's rather lazy defensive attitude

[GSC]

Moyes can't open it up against City. United would get slaughtered

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

So the defensive plan worked

[Ent]

Absolutely pathetic.

[The Special Juan]

Oh come on, that could have rebounded ANYWHERE!

[mystiroakey]

That took a long time 

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Not being funny but we were better at home against City than this

[The Special Juan]

Not being funny but we were better at home against City than this

You're right, that's not funny.

[mystiroakey]

palace were better at the etihad!! and that really isnt funny.

Hart was MOTM!!

[The Special Juan]

Oh please tell me Cleverley is getting subbed

[mystiroakey]

what is cleverly doing. seriously he just gets the ball and ponders and loses it or lumps it up the field

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

And now Arsenal are losing

[Ent]

Bit of fight at least bit city look like scoring at every attack.

[mystiroakey]

evening up a lot now.

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