HNIC:

Halleluyah HNIC welcoooooooommmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeee Baaaaaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkkk

Am glad u are ok, we had not heard from you since the gunners proved everyone right again.

Am glad u are back with a smile.

coded guy:

Halleluyah HNIC welcoooooooommmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeee Baaaaaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkkk

Am glad u are ok, we had not heard from you since the gunners proved everyone right again.

Am glad u are back with a smile.

Always with a smile,before during and after the game.
3 points lost.No wahala.
Its another weekend with some interesting drama coming up.
Waiting to see positions swapped once more

How can Manchester city be a big club?Because they buy players alone?What a the club's pedigree,heritage and history?Don't those two count anymore?
What have City won to be labled a big club?
Just because Fergie and co claim it is a big game doesn't mean it is by default,unless we're saying that every word that comes out of their mouth be law and order. . .which I don't buy into.
City aren't even as big as United,even if they buy the whole world.That is why any game involving City is mere hype.The United City game is based on a CITY rivalry,that's why it recieves attention.But the gulf in class between the two sides cannot make it a big game.

City don't have to be a "big club" for it to be a big game. . . City are (potential) title contenders, as are United, Chelsea, Arsenal. If a game between two CLOSELY MATCHED teams with the ability to compete for the title isnt a big game, then what is?

Chelsea spanked Wigan 8-0 last season to win the title. Do we say it wasnt a big game for Chelsea because Wigan arent a "big club"?

You are just embarrassing yourself left, right, and center. . .

Happy with the draw. Could have been alot worse but you have also been better but cant complain about it.

Mr_TA:

Happy with the draw. Could have been alot worse but you have also been better but cant complain about it.

Marseille away will be tough though but overall, we should be too strong for them.
Not a bad draw.

Chelsea got the easiest draw on paper.

ritchboy:

City don't have to be a "big club" for it to be a big game. . . City are (potential) title contenders, as are United, Chelsea, Arsenal. If a game between two CLOSELY MATCHED teams with the ability to compete for the title isnt a big game, then what is?

Chelsea spanked Wigan 8-0 last season to win the title. Do we say it wasnt a big game for Chelsea because Wigan arent a "big club"?

You are just embarrassing yourself left, right, and center. . .

You aren't even in your twenties, yet you're getting senile.
So Chelsea-Wigan will be a fixture to look out for every season abi?
So a game between say Blackburn and Bolton is evenly-matched,and should therefore be termed a big game too. . .
In the context of Arsenal "don't do well in the big games", you feel that is an adequate answer, abi?
From the way you talk,one would think the Rapture has happened and you were left behind.
I can understand why you deem City a big team:fellow trophiless contenders who never win anything.Other than Adebayor's acrimonious departure from y 'all to City there's nothing else to tell me it's a fixture what seeing.Tell me why I should tune in to see that game.

chamotex:

Marseille away will be tough though but overall, we should be too strong for them.
Not a bad draw.

Chelsea got the easiest draw on paper.

marseille away will be easier than marseille home. we are a better team away from home cos the opponents are burdened to come forward and attack us - which suits us perfectly. at ot, they sit back and we always struggle to break them down a la rangers and valencia. in the last 2 seasons(without ronaldo and tevez), we won all our away games bar the odd one(bayern munich).

I'm happy with the draw. Marseille cannot beat UTD over 2 legs or else I chop shyte again

@eastbay
Stop getting sentimental! Ur coach has said Citey are d new super power in d EPL and other footie pundits. Ok if you don't believe them, a big game is a game where the outcome of the match is difficult to for tell. I'm not saying there are games you can easily predict but I'm sure u understand what I'm saying. If you hit the bookies and check the odds between UTD and City u'll understand why its called a big game. Same for arsenal and Citey

A city vs arsenal tie would probably be a match of d week if the other top sides aren't squaring with each other. A big game is known from the calibre of players on parade on d given day not the history heck we say Forest vs UTD is a big game

Its the intensity, the hype, the din/noise that go with such games that qualifies the game to be tagged a big game

City have good players, they have a good manager and they are very competitive

The table doesn't lie!

cou-gar:

marseille away will be easier than marseille home. we are a better team away from home cos the opponents are burdened to come forward and attack us - which suits us perfectly. at ot, they sit back and we always struggle to break them down a la rangers and valencia. in the last 2 seasons(without ronaldo and tevez), we won all our away games bar the odd one(bayern munich).

Marseille pose a threat in attack and their fans are crazy . . . . i think it will be tougher in France than Manchester.
But we should be too strong for them . . . especially with the second leg at home.

Let's hope everyone will be fit.

@cougar
well said.
Marseille shouldnt be to difficult both home and away given the fact that we got the job done in a group involving Valencia who IMO is better than marseille.I just think we should really put this to bed @ the stade velodrome then consolidate on that, they shouldnt be complacent as our previous games agaist french oppositions have proven that they are no push overs a la Lllle and Lyon.

i think starboard is technically correct. city vs arsenal is not a big game. however, it's a big game for us because it's a derby but it's not the same for arsenal and city. the big games in the england are the fixtures in the traditional big four i.e. arsenal, chelsea, man utd and liverpool. regardless of which positions these teams are on the table, the games they play one another are big games. tottenham vs arsenal is a big game because it's a derby not because of the calibre of tottenham. likewise city vs arsenal. another example, birmingham vs villa is a huge game because it's a derby, not because of the calibre of players on show.

chamotex:

Marseille pose a threat in attack and their fans are crazy . . . . i think it will be tougher in France than Manchester.
But we should be too strong for them . . . especially with the second leg at home.

Let's hope everyone will be fit.

i can easily predict the outcome in france. united to beat them by 1-0 or 2-0 in france with both goals coming late in the second half after marseille go for broke to get a victory. united are now the masters of away games in europe. we will keep it tight and i predict a substitute getting the goal late in the second half.

Cougar
Nothing technical in this. A big game is a big game irrespective of the geographical placements of the teams. In this present EPL, Man Citey are a big team and any fixture between Citey and the other top teams would be a big game.

tkb417:

Cougar
Nothing technical in this. A big game is a big game irrespective of the geographical placements of the teams. In this present EPL, Man Citey are a big team and any fixture between Citey and the other top teams would be a big game.

city vs bolton is a big game? are you aware chelsea vs millwall or qpr is a bigger game than city vs arsenal? man utd vs leeds is a bigger game than man utd vs tottenham.

@Cou-gar,
Nice one jare. . .Those games you mentioned get more attention than City Arsenal.
@tkb,
Let me get you correctly.
The same Fergie who calls City "noisy neighbours" ?How can a team he has derided and mocked be a big team?
Please.
Don't give me "a big game is a big game" talk.
What is the history of the rivalry between City and Arsenal to merit the tag "big game"when they play?
In the present EPL,Man City are not a big team yet.They haven't won anything or finished in the top four consistently for years to be rated as such.So how a fixture between them and Arsenal can be tagged a big game is still yet to be clear to me.
So because City/Arsenal is match of the week,therefore it automatically becomes a big game.Then when Newcastle plays sunderland(another game bigger than City/Arsenal),what will you say?

tkb417:

@eastbay
The table doesn't lie!

So when Hull City reached third in 2008/09,and they played Arsenal in week 8 or so,was it a big game?

evra yet again?

Patrice Evra insists his pre-match attack on Arsenal was justified since Manchester United beat the Gunners on Monday night.

French defender Evra labelled the north Londoners 'an academy team' and 'a load of rubbish' for failing to win a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.

Arsene Wenger's side led the Barclays Premier League before their trip to Old Trafford but surrendered top spot after Park Ji-sung scored the only goal of the game.


'I think we confirmed what I'd said before the match. I think Arsenal played really well, you shouldn't neglect that, but we were better. I really say that without any arrogance,' said Evra.

'I heard people saying that what I said was below the belt, but that wasn't my intention. I just wanted to show how much I believe in my team, in their potential and strength.

'We know Arsenal and we know that if you don't let them breathe - which is what the coach said before the match - then it becomes hard for them, especially at Old Trafford.

'United always show up for the big games. Arsenal enjoyed a lot of possession but only had one chance.

'I think our victory was really deserved, it didn't boil down to small details. But people will have a go at me again for saying what I think.'

it seems evra has a personal beef with some french players in arsenal. it's getting too much paddy! do your business on the pitch.

Don't know how to react to the news.

StarBoard:

Don't know how to react to the news.

We can cope . . . its nothing major.
2 weeks max

chamotex:

We can cope . . . its nothing major.
2 weeks max

Not that we can't.I'm sure we can as well.
I meant that I didn't know whether to be happy or sad for him.
Paul Scholes' presence is part of the reason our middle is the way it is.
So if he's injured,I wanna see him out for a spell so that the others step up or Fergie buys.

chamotex:

Scholes out until New Year with groin injury . . .

Shame, the busy period is when we need everyone fit and firing as there are so many games coming up.

chamotex:

Scholes out until New Year with groin injury . . .

wish it's ryan giggs instead of scholes. as long as we keep ando-fletch-carrick fit, we should be strong enough until scholes gets back.

cou-gar:

wish it's ryan giggs instead of scholes. as long as we keep ando-fletch-carrick fit, we should be strong enough until scholes gets back.

With d absent of js park, i wouldn't love dat and as 4 scholes as long as fletcher is fit notin dey happen , 'nyways GGMU

A big game could either be one that involves two strong teams with evident league winning aspirations or a derby. Arsenal/City is a big game based on the first,Manu/city is a big game based on both first and second definitions of big game.
Some pps here just make ridiculous posts? How can bolton/blackburn be a big game when none of them is challenging for the title?
This is a very lame argument,in the least. You dont look foolish when u admit to being wrong in an argument,you look like a f00l when you contest the obvious repeatedly

Our match has been postponed as well. The fixture pileup is going to be ugly for us.

dipo2much:

A big game could either be one that involves two strong teams with evident league winning aspirations or a derby. Arsenal/City is a big game based on the first,Manu/city is a big game based on both first and second definitions of big game.
Some pps here just make ridiculous posts? How can bolton/blackburn be a big game when none of them is challenging for the title?
This is a very lame argument,in the least. You dont look foolish when u admit to being wrong in an argument,you look like a f00l when you contest the obvious repeatedly

I know imbe.cility is inherent in your DNA.That's why you love embarrassing yourself.But even this is ridiculous by all standards.
I look at teams who can realistically win the title.City isn't one of thm.City haven't finished in th top four for AGES.How then can they be termed contenders,let alone a big team, and by conversion, have a "big" game with Arsenal?
If Adebayor didn't move to City,there would almost be no point in watching the game.The game only tool significance last season,and so far the other two games have been tame.So when did it become a big game,aside from it being christened so by you bunch of small-minded louts?
You fail to follow simple logic.A fellow Gunner said a big game in his view is one in which two teams are equally matched,and I asked if Bolton and Blackburn would be a big game judging on that reason.But your sour brain has failed you for the umpteenth time,hence you post just to be heard/read without doing a background check.But what more is there to expect from an Arsenal fan?
Kindly shut up.The school fees spent on you were largely in vain.If I wre your parents I'd be asking for a refund.You didn't deserve the right of education,neither do you deserve free speech.

Mr_TA:

Our match has been postponed as well. The fixture pileup is going to be ugly for us.

True. . .and now would have been the best time to hammer Chelsea. . .but it's not going to be. . .

Dem go still chop am!

@starboard.

That fellow Gunner didnt just say 'a big match is when both teams are closely MATCHED' he went on to give another prerequiste ,that is both teams be title contenders. So bringin the blackburn/bolton example was lame and dumb.

Meanwhile,Go on wit the insults thinkin you are gettin under my skin. If I was gettin angry,then I'ld be a M0R0N like you

Mr_TA:

Our match has been postponed as well. The fixture pileup is going to be ugly for us.

blame the rubbish weather for this but not playing chelsea tomorrow feels like a loss to me. by the time we get them, they will be up and running by then. it's not so bad though, united lead with a game in hand till christmas. i would have taken this in august when united kept dropping silly points here and there.

Fabio Capello: Fergie the best of all time -
"In the history of football, the best manager is Sir Alex,'' Capello said. "For such a long time he managed the team and he has changed a lot of things.
"He changed the team, he changed the players, he has been really, really good for the club. I wish him another 20 years of management at the top level.''
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/855032?cc=5739

Hats off to SAF; the greatest mind in the history of the game, albeit Cappello's comment might be debatable - I think the likes of these coaches are also there at the top:
- Del Bosque
- Sir Matt Busby
- Marcello Lippi

What happened to great managers like Ottmar Hitzfeld and Louis Van Gaal

Van Gaal seem to be the only manager in Rinus Michel school of total football left. The only real manager left playing it.

Hindick has played defensive in some games, Van Marwijk disgraced the Cryuff-Michel school at the World cup and Advocaat is so inconsistent and atimes adopt swift counter-attacking.

But LvG always and always play Total football. A lot of credit goes to him for the Barcelona play right now. He groomed the Xavis of this world who is the world best Midfielder. Great coaches like Mourinho, Pep and even Rijkaard learn under him.

I would think LvG deserves to be on top. IMO