₦airaland Forum

@Doctor Kit

I personally never rated Eastmond, infact I was shocked he was the one Arsene initially played, mentioned it here and I thot it was just a ploy to get him out of arsenal quickly. The fact that both Frimpong and Coquelin were preferred to him in the Academy despite being younger is enough proof of their qualities, he was restricted to playing RB for the U18s and never had the pace to do it well. Steve Bould said of Coquelin and Frimpong 3 seasons back that at least 1 of them would go on to become a regular first teamer, he never said the same about Eastmond.

I rate them this way:

1. Coquelin
2. Frimpong

I don't rate Eastmond at all and I never did. I rate Coquelin higher because he is technically better and covers more ground like Flamini, Frimpong is the stronger of the two more powerful and equally reckless in the tackle and he could easily be an enforcer like Tiote.

[quote author=kay_pumpin link=topic=743413.msg9290278#msg9290278 date=1317938368]I wonder why everyone's thinking it must be Walcott that must suffer the emergence of Chamberlain.Is there a rule the two can not play together?Especially when playing at home?What has Gervais and Arshavin done to play ahead of Walcott?[/quote]I thought Arshavin had already lost his place, you know Arshavin is on the last year of his contract and no one is even bothered about it.  you could say Gervinho is still settling and he's mostly played on the left so far. I guess its because so far they've played the same position for both club and country, Theo won't likely replace RVP soon cos he can't play that role and so far Arsene hasn't mentioned changing the formation. Theo can play central but it remains to be seen if he can be any better than the likes of Agbonlahor and Defoe from such a position in a 4-4-2. Basically as things stand now, Theo would be royally fcked if he doesn't change position and nothing disrupts OX's current progress . He might soon be on the verge of losing his position for both club and country.

[quote author=kay_pumpin link=topic=743413.msg9290278#msg9290278 date=1317938368]Also i think Coquelin,Song and Arteta should be our midfield three.We've deployed Arteta too deep anytime Ramsey's played and i will like to see him play farther the pitch.[/quote]That MF will likely beat most mid table PL teams but would also likely come unstuck against the likes of Tottenham as presently constituted. Ramsey was nigh abysimal against the Spuds and arguably the worst player on the day but he is still one of the best passers with vision in that team. Lets not forget that we atimes lost in the past to teams like Hull with players like Cesc on the pitch but lets not also forget that we beat Manure with Ramsey on the pitch last season. He is currently struggling for form and confidence but I believe he'll come good, the unfortunate thing is we also can't bench him for now until Diaby or Jack come back (or if this level of performance persist bringing in Benayoun) cos yu also don't want to push the likes of Coquelin too quickly. All they need to be doing for now is delivering anytime they are called upon so they can earn their place. So far, all the new young players have done well when called upon.

Some mid-level PL club should be taking a gamble on Sordell soon, he needs a break. I've not followed him but that was a sweet hit and his stats aren't bad at all for a player of that age in the championship particularly if a good number of his goals are like that.

dayokanu:
^^ Didnt I tell you that by the end of this season Walcott should consider retirement

The boy na quality, it was critical for us that Manure didn't get him. Quality all over. What I find most interesting is that he looks like the type who can sustain a certain level of performance most of the time just like Wilshere. His off days won't be many.
If Manure got him and Phil Jones, that would have been another era of domination in the making. A new and young spine is already emerging for England, I hope these ones don't go the way of the golden generation.

OX gets his second

OX just scored for England U21s against Iceland, live on ESPN.

4ller, DK is being nice naa, why are you provoking him? 

dayokanu:
So whats the attraction to prospective players to play for your club if you are not in the CL

Unless you can pay the wages of the likes of PSG, Malaga and man City

Haba DK, he didn't say he expects us to always be out of it naa? are we the only ones with a divine right to always go to UCL?

olabukola:
Aww your CRITICAL comes b4 United's. I never know i will read this from you.

United is past critical, hence why they are already opting for a rights issue without missing out on UCL participation. 
Whatever happens, Arsenal is on a sound financial footing and can easily do without a season in the UCL I can assure you.
The day Manure miss out on a UCL finish is the beginning of their end, the financial plan is built on a cashflow guaranteed only by continual success.
Woe betide Manure if they ever go 2 season trophyless.
The sporting side and the business side of a club are almost completely separate entities.

debosky:
It is foolish talk at this point in time - it is virtually an admission that the board think we won't make it to the CL. If the board has given up, why should we keep faith?

What are you on about? In the days before Hodgson's sack, the attendance dropped massively (against Wolves for one) - the board had no choice but to sack him and bring in Dalglish AND spend money to get the fans onside again.

That is what will be needed if fans get really disillusioned - either someone gets fired or a massive injection of capital to the playing side, or both.

If you believe selling RVP will 'make up a shortfall' then you are imagining things - losing RVP means even worse performance upfront and even further diminishing of fan interest as yet another 'star' player leaves.

How did Liverpool get touted to overtake us? Is it not by spending? Somehow you think we'll drop out of the UCL, not spend or sack Wenger and STILL have fans supporting in their numbers? You need a reality check.

Before it gets that dire, the board will do the needful,  the size of the shortfall will determine what the response will be as the club has chosen to remain conservative and not take risks. Whether its selling players, doing a rights issue, selling out to Usmanov or whatever it will take, they will do it before they get hit in the pocket. Kroenke has to pay back the loans he took to buy the club and he can't leverage it on the club cos he needs 75% to do that which he doesn't have. There must be an end to all this and it has to come soon.

It is their project and they have to deliver.  I also can't imagine Arsene staying on if Arsenal don't make top 4 and offer no consolation in terms of a trophy to calm seriously frayed nerves, I honestly can't imagine it, the board would have to do something extraordinary to convince him to stay after that. January is critical in the history of this club. I just pray it turns out right. We're close to rock bottom but I'm not sure we've hit it yet. I think missing out on a UCL place might be the final straw.

Debo, that one is for the board to worry about jare, I'm not sure they really mean all these statements or maybe they just want to relieve the pressure on Arsene and put the buck squarely where I've known it to always be, the board.

When Liverpool descended to Europa, their fans didn't go anywhere and they are the ones being touted to overtake us now, its the ribbing from other fans that might be difficult to accept. Attendances will pick up when results pick up anyway they can always sell RVP to make up the shortfall or take the leveraging route as well if push comes to shove or even opt for a rights issue for capital injection. I'm sure that would make Usmanov's day as with all the noise people are making he is still moping up shares like a dyson.

Arsenal is run as a business, a well run one. That is the simple and bitter truth, I think even the press is realising that. I expected more anti Wenger rhetoric after the defeat to Spurs but the deluge I expected is yet to materialise, maybe people are finally smelling the coffee.

Arsenal do not need UCL to survive says Gazidis.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/conversation?id=966423&cc=5739

Extra cash never hurt anyone though, we can use it to setup a trust fund for a cranial surgical procedure for DK.  

are yu serious that is naijababe? what the hell happened? who ruffled her mink coat and got her banned? no wonder why I'm still expecting those panties in the post. 
our most delectable mod, I hereby approach the bench and beg for mercy, you can sentence me to as many years as you want working under you. 

WTF? who is afraid of a red pepper picture?   
Madam mod, I humbly submit that I did not post anything vulgar. What sort of nonsense is that?
I will humbly suggest you therefore remove any picture that anyone posts here or anywhere on this forum if a picture of red pepper is considered vulgar where the hell is this world going to?
and what forum rule have I contravened?

edoyad:
meanwhile his family in Nigeria are carrying on like nothing has happened. One wonders if the SS have his father and the rest of the family under observation. Or are we going to claim his case is an isolated one ?

Ed, nobody wants to be judged solely on the basis of what a black sheep in the family chose to do, people should be judged as individuals. The pain of being kindred with someone like this is already more than enough punishment for any mistakes in his upbringing. Leave the family be abeg.

Agnosticism is the way to go IMO, it makes no assumptions and demands proof or well thought out reasons of any opinion you hold as to the existence or relevance of god as an entity. Personally, to me everyone who is not agnostic is a liar or simply not facing up to the truth that god is a mostly human created construct to fill the vacumms of human knowledge.

It is this simple reason that has led to the continuous refinement of god himself, the so called holy books, the creation story, evolution of morality and other attendant religious constructs which are not bad in themselves but are mostly built on lies and unproven myths nevertheless and more importantly, the purposes of morality and societal order which they serve are not  really exclusive to religion as most religious folks assume.

I personally do not agree with the Atheistic assertion that god does not exist either because that assertion demands proof which is virtually impossible to come by but I can stand those ones because all they are doing is basically demanding proof for assertions by the de-facto religious world view claiming the existence of god but potentially erring in claiming that the absence of such proofs automatically excludes the possibility of god's existence.

The reason why I now personally detest religion is this, it claims to 'know' and the leadership of its various factions claim an authority which is built on lies and largely unproven myths which therefore engenders more strife as they struggle for followership and relevance but more importantly leaves people susceptible to brainwashing and exploitation regardless of education or knowledge. A very good example is my brother who is a consultant doctor and a practicing christian, an intellectual in every sense of the word much smarter than I am in every other way yet falls flat on his face by neglecting his own better judgement in the face of a religion that somehow convinces him that some questions are better left unanswered when in his day to day job he will demand answers to any such questions and will not accept an unproven default position.

At the end of the day, I believe that individually, those who practice religion every day are either making making up their own personal god, pruning and grafting as their day to day existence shapes their world view in light of whatever religious philosophies they expose themselves to in books, sermons and some personal thought (these I term the safe and moderate ones) or leaving the pruning and grafting to others and swallowing whatever they are told in their various places of assembly (these I term the dangerous and potentially fanatical ones). However, it is very easy to cross over from one to the other depending on personal circumstances and I dare not forget those who actually have elements of agnosticsm in their thinking but can't just bring themselves to throw off the shackles of religion they've carried for so long even if their own logical thought leads them to the obvious conclusion (yeah, like freed slaves who couldn't bring themselves to call their previous overlords by name but still referred to them as master despite being freed) like my afore mentioned brother.

Yes, there are mysteries in this world and some will be ultimately fathomed and understood while some will remain mysteries possibly for ever but there is no claim of healing that I know that has ever stood up to real scrutiny. A religious friend of mine puts it this way that he has never seen a miracle in church and neither has he seen 'Juju' at work but almost every single one of us has heard of such myths.
Until I personally evidence one and every shade of smokes and mirrors or sleight of hand (magic tricks) is eliminated or more importantly 'God' chooses to make a broadcast to every citizen of this world telling us at the very same time who he is and what he wants of us, I will forever remain Agnostic while acknowledging the right of the religious folk to create their personal gods as they see fit and proper provided they don't stuff such personal gods down the throat of others in the name of religious movements and religious laws that everyone must live and be judged by.

[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=774114.msg9275715#msg9275715 date=1317748881]Do you have any idea what a "Technicality" is? How was O.J getting off based on a technicality? His case went to trial, was presented to a jury, and a jury found him not guilyt. That wasnt the case with Amanda Knox. She had to go to the appeals court before she skated back home.[/quote]Go and read up the facts of the case again, both cases were bungled up by technicalities or procedural errors on the part of either the prosecution or police investigation. The leather gloves not fitting OJ was a major factor in putting an element of doubt in the case against OJ just because the prosecution forgot leather could shrink overtime and possibility of his hand swelling due to medication he took. Mishandling of DNA evidence was also critical in both cases. Take away the veneer of racism and stuff, any sincere person knows OJ did it.

Amanda might not be the one who plunged the knife but from her immediate actions and subsequent statements, she knew something about what went on, these oyinbo people experiment a lot when it comes to sex. Up till now, I'm yet to see Africans tying themselves up and whipping themselves with koboko in the name of sex but I'll be glad to do the whipping if anyone is interested Even Meredith herself is not the beacon of purity being portrayed. In my opinion it was a sex game gone badly wrong and someone lost her life but nobody wanted to own up because of the attendant future consequences. Rudy Guede unfortunately like the typical JJC african man in europe jumping around like monkey everywhere didn't know how to or have the resources to fight his own corner and has payed the price for his stupidity while Knox goes on to make millions in America. Life has never been fair.

debosky:
It makes perfect sense - that is what applies when diplomats go to work abroad, that is what applies when people go on short job postings abroad, it is what applies when people go to work in foreign countries like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Algeria, Russia, France, Spain amongst others.

Not applicable, diplomats come to represent their country and are taken care of by their country.

debosky:
The UK government has not forced anyone to move to the UK - if the terms of work are deemed unsatisfactory, the choice is up to the intending immigrant to stay in their country. They are simply saying if you want to come to their country, you do so on their terms - i.e. leave after 5 years.

Correct, calling it slavery is stretching it a bit but its still preying on desperate people and will not attract the skilled labour they need. My cousin just moved to Canada after getting his UK citizenship on completing his Tier 1 and naturalization but that was because he felt he had hit a glass ceiling here in terms of jobs available to Consultant level doctors. If someone tells him he will probably have to go back to Nigeria after 5 of being in the medical profession in the UK just because there is no longer shortage of doctors in the UK at that point in time (despite him holding down a job), he won't come in the first instance.

debosky:
That is not a core question at all - most countries in the world provide a means for workers to come in to work but do not provide for automatic settlement. The UK is not doing anything extraordinary in trying to more clearly define those that will be permitted to settle.

Irrelevant and a lame defense, there are countries that practice Sharia and cut off people's hands for stealing, does that make it right and should the UK adopt that on the basis that some other countries do so?  
I have no problems with clearer definitions, rules can be tightened or loosened just as punishment for crime can be but some underlying principles are wrong. I have pointed out the part I don't like in the proposals.

debosky:
It is that person's prerogative to disrupt his/her own family life. Folk disrupt their family life to go on Naval missions or to work on rigs for months at a time, or work in foreign countries and then go back home.  Do they claim a right to relocate their families PERMANENTLY to those places?

It has always been an individual prerogative, that fact is not in dispute. All those you mention are special cases who are remunerated adequately relative to the added responsibility they are taking over others. If you tell me these people who will work for 5 years in the UK system will be paid more or taxed less I would agree with you but it is wrong to allow people come over to develop your country and then tell them to go and start afresh in new systems and cultures after 5 years. Just because you say there is no longer any skills shortage in the jobs they came to do even when they are still active in those jobs. It is unfair and can only attract the type of people you really do not want.

debosky:
A shortage is exactly that - a temporary need for staff which will disappear after a period of time. I don't understand why you think that a person deserves to stay permanently simply because they've worked somewhere for a period of time. There shouldn't be an automatic connection between the two.

There is nothing morally reprehensible in setting immigration law for the benefit of your own citizens. The family in question DOES NOT have to move to the UK in the first place, neither does the person. Workers do not have a moral right to settle permanently in the  UK so this has nothing to do with morality in the least.

I can't believe you are saying this, why did the UK have those laws in the first instance if their forebears before them did not recognise that foreigners could come in, contribute their quota to the country, integrate themselves and then naturalise?  even the thrust of these proposal still pays lip service to those principles because they can't come out and openly say that is what these laws are actually designed to achieve. How did the forebears of some of these people settle in the UK in the first instance?
There is nothing morally reprehensible in setting immigration law for the benefit of your own citizens but the nature of those laws should pass every test of fairness and those laws should not become counter productive. for example, in an highly unlikely and extreme scenario, would making a law to allow those immigrants to stay and work for half pay while their peers earn full pay or getting taxed more also be a right way to benefit their own citizens?

I second manmustwack, I think there has been miscarriage of justice due to incompetence in investigation. I'm never happy when people are let go on technicalities just like OJ. Too many questions left unanswered. My gut feeling is that she was actively involved, it might have been manslaughter and not murder but methinks Amanda and Rafael were culpable in Meredith's death.

@debo

the rule might be clear but that doesnt make it less silly as spelt out in that consultation. The fact remains that it makes no sense to ask someone to come take a job and tell him to go back home after five years. Why dnt everyone just stay in their country then? yu do not address the core question . Why shld someone disrupt his own family life to come address a skill shortage in the UK and then have to go back after 5 years without a change in his circumstances? I.e he can feed himself and pays his taxes and prolly still holds the job he originally came in for. is it not morally reprehensible to only think of the country and not of that family and person? if an immigrant can be accused of looking out for himself alone, should a nation also descend that low?

@norrisman
This is not the UAE, this is the UK where people talk things out. Some portions of that proposal will not stand up to scrutiny. We dont just do things here. We do things that make sense and are fair. At least I'd like to think the UK hasnt lost that. There are other places people can migrate to but that doesnt make those proposals fair or in the UK's best interest IMO.

slimshay:
Dudu abeg free that song nonsense, that particular chant was created by Totoyam fans! They had no problems with it then, why should we? Anyways it's not their fault, na the team dey create this koboko for all of us.

Slim, those chants about Angola were slam out of order. I don't even mind much the abuse about his father and mum as they don't even know them anyway but an event where people died should be off limits. Those people should be ashamed of themselves, I'll be very glad if examples are made of some people.

@4ller

What you need to understand is that Arsene is mostly building rather than buying, of course there are times when yu just have to cut your losses but yu've got to give some of these young ones time to realise their full potential. There is a lot good about Ramsey's game and don't forget this is a 20 year old just a year after a traumatic event of a broken leg. The important thing was that we should have kept both Nasri and Cesc or at least 1 but unfortunately not everything is in one's hands. That is critically where the boat got delayed this year, I'm still hoping seriously that we haven't missed it and that Arsene still does it somehow
If my statement needs clarifying, I never implied there is indiscipline in Arsenal's squad, just personal foibles of players being greatly magnified by a depleted squad which prevent such players from being benched until they get themselves sorted.

@Debosky

I still don't agree with it and those figures are very dodgy. An analysis hasn't been made of how many of those who applied are actually working and contributing to the society, if I'm not mistaken only about a 3rd of those who applied actually made it through.

[Quote]
allowing Tier 2 migrants who do not switch into a settlement route to stay for a maximum of five years with the expectation that they and any dependants will leave at the end of that time[/quote]This is the particular part I find to be very unfair and it will definitely discourage a lot of the skilled people they need. How can someone come to a country and work, bring his family and then you tell him he has to go after 5 years? what kinda 5 years working holiday is that and who will come with such a rule in place? It would be much better never to allow people come at all in the first instance rather than such a slavish rule.

Debo, this is silly there is no other name for it. I am on Tier 1 and I know the stress that goes with it and you need certain breaks which some people never get but if you knew the score from the beginning you get to grips with it but that is because you see a light at the end of the tunnel if you strive hard and yu can always cut your losses at certain stages in the process. With this kind of immigration policy, no skilled people will come I can assure you and that is no scare mongering but the desperate who don't have much to lose will keep trying their luck anyway so I definitely see these rules being changed after much damage has been done to the system.

The truth is that the influx of people taking these so called 'jobs' are mostly from the EU, every figure I know backs that up. I know a friend who started out in Tech Support 2 when he arrived and is now a Core Network Engineer in the 2nd largest company by Broadband penetration while most of the EU migrants I shared house with on arriving are the ones taking all the student jobs of old like waiting, stacking shelves, hotel porter, security and such that used to be available. Not boasting but if you count 100 EU migrants to the UK, yu'll struggle to get one who can hold the position I currently hold.   If someone is working and contributing to society then you shouldn't be limiting how long they can stay when some people can stroll in and start collecting benefits almost immediately without lifting a finger.

I agree it is their country but it is scare mongering that would make a country implement such a silly immigration policy, if those proposals see the light of day, the UK will suffer for it and badly too.
I am more worried because I'm also a stakeholder in the country, my NI and tax might increase or I might have hospital staff shortage on the NHS when these chickens come home to roost particularly with the expected 2.5b bill expected to be picked up with the EU court ruling on the benefit system. I am not afraid cos my permanent residency might be affected NO it cannot, I'm already thinking beyond that.

My money is being used to bail out Greece, Ireland and greedy bankers and they now want to prevent more people like me to come and carry the burden? while some silly euro policies allow some idiots to just stroll in and start collecting money twiddling their thumbs adding to the problems and you expect me to be happy?

First of all, shame on those fans who made the Adebayor chants yesterday, I'm sure there is some way the media will still make Arsene responsible for what some silly fans did in the terraces. I'm all for banter but there are lines I dont believe people should cross.

Secondly, I mentioned last season that there has always been a tendency with this team to do just enough to get by, there has always been an attitude of doing one's bit and leaving others to do theirs and the players don't cover for each other. I think that has made a lot of players who aren't naturally self motivating a bit more lazy and I'm talking about the players who lose concentration easily or don't respond to the emergence of danger often enough once they feel they've done their bit. Some of those players have left but some remain while some new ones are being added into the mix. I mean the likes of Clichy, JD, Arshavin and now Ramsey, some of Gerv's actions on Sunday gave me concern but for now I'll put it down to possibly fitness, he could have done a lot more to close down Walker higher up even though not one Arsenal player believed Szczesny wouldn't catch that ball possibly.

Atimes these things occur due to fatigue but the current regularity of it is why we are in this malaise. I believe Arsenal and Barcelona are set up to play in the same way, possession based football involving every player on the pitch, I watched Barcelona against Valencia and on the day they looked a lot like Arsenal so unsure at the back, its a kind of pattern that needs good ball players and good communication at all times, it is in the communication we are lacking and that is why slating Per is very premature and could come back to bite some people.

I'll take the first goal yesterday as an example, the goal came about just because VdV drifted infield to the other wing and his progress across the pitch was not properly tracked and communicated as he moved infield cos he played most of the game up against Gibbs, Sagna was so far up the pitch and didnt recover quickly enough because he probably thought he was still marking Bale. When you change players in a team that plays such an expansive game, you pay for it and you pay more when you don't have enough quality to spare your blushes atimes like when you just have a Henry/CR9/Messi type player who just pulls something out of the hat to get you a win or a draw. RVP does his best but unfortunately for now, it just isn't good enough.

If the system is repeatedly failing as its done so far this season, then individuals have to step up and take responsibility while systemic issues are sorted, that is unfortunately what I've not seen this season and why I'll be on the back of people like Ramsey and Djorou. There are games where skills and systems fail and where mental strenght and a strong spirit or just basic hustle helps you through and more importantly you should not be adding to the problems of your team mates by not being at your best or just being content doing your bit at a time like this.

At present, we have to accept we are not direct competitors against the top sides though IMO the chasm is not as wide as some results and media talk would suggest, this 'new' team has to find their confidence and belief from somewhere first after such a poor start (PL or UCL) so it is important to beat those we know that we can beat i.e the lower sides, most of our matches against the top 4 sides in the 2nd half of the season are at home and hopefully we can make that count when we find some confidence and possibly with the return of top players absent through injury. We all have different opinions over players but I'm sure Diaby would not lose the ball as much as Ramsey did on Saturday and his off the ball work is a lot better. I'm looking forward to a MF of Diaby/Arteta/Song sometime after the International break.

For now, we must make sure we beat the weaker teams either home or away to stay close to the top 4 and get through to January, depending on LANS and activity in the January window we should be a lot better than we are now. I'm hoping we turn this around quickly enough to avoid needing another Lasagna episode on the last day to make the top 4. For now, winning the PL would require a miracle.

Religion was made for man and not man for religion. Go figure.

[Quote]
Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'The proposals I am making today are aimed at breaking the link between temporary and permanent migration.
'Settlement has become almost automatic for those who choose to stay. This needs to change. The immigration system has got to be made to work properly.
'We want the brightest and best workers to come to the UK, make a strong contribution to our economy while they are here, and then return home.' [/quote]Seriously, how selfish does that even sound? the family lifes and well being of those people who have contributed to the UK economy doesn't matter? even if their tax contributions over those 5 years have contributed to infrastructural development and their NI contributions have gone towards meeting the bill of EU benefit migrants from other EU countries who can walk in and out of the UK as they wish.   
Anyway, we are waiting for them at the next polls, no wahala.

It definitely doesn't affect people on the Tier 1 scheme, the intention from the beginning was towards immigration, that would be defeated by a judicial review if it is ever attempted.

I totally disagree with you here Debo, the intent is totally wrong and the statement by the authorities is a very selfish one. The stupidity of it is that it solves nothing. Most of the immigration into the country is from within the EU and not from out of the EU.
I think it is wrong if you allow someone to come into your country to work for 5 years and then tell them they have to go home despite what they have contributed to your country and the attendant adjustments their families have to make, it sounds even worse than slavery and I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the statement from the Home office secretary. This is a silly proposed law arising from a knee jerk reaction to a problem for which the root cause has not been accurately identified.
You can say it is their country and they can do what they want with it but I don't think this is good for the UK in the long term.

Coquelin can play RB as well and if push comes to shove JD. The team just needs to hang in there till January when these players are expected to come back. For now all these boys like Ramsey have to stand up and show why the manager is backing them. The 2 I expect to be back soon TV5 and Diaby should improve the team greatly.

Na so we see am o Kay, time for Jekinson to step up or what? so we won't see Bac again till January at the earliest?  this season na wa. Cue some people blaming the medical team for Sagna's broken fibula. Curse you o Essou Akoto.

proudly9ja:
One question Ild like to ask is, what was the point of sending Per upfront?

I think he went up for a corner and had to take time to get back, shebi dem talk say we nor get plan B before? now we have one but I'm not sure its working quite well yet.

proudly9ja:
Ramsey: Failing to get his teammate with a pass when passing to the opponent seemed more difficult, The guy should never ever be allowed in our half of the field again. Good goal though

Don't know what's wrong with him, he's captain of Wales FFS and needs to man up, imagine Arteta was pointing out Sandro's run  to him but my man still chose not to track and kept jogging like Denny.  

Always knew his off the ball work was poor but even what he normally does well, his passing was totally awful today, RVP was feeding on scraps throughout. Aaron might see more bench time when Diaby comes back, he might even lose out his spot to Benayoun before then, there is no excuse for him today as he was well rested midweek.

I doubt Gervinho's fitness today, Kyle Walker (a worthy MOM by the way) had his number all day and he kept missing Gibb's run on the outside (something Arshavin spotted almost immediatly) and you normally know what you get with Theo but even the afterburners weren't on today though I'm not sure if that is because the balls never really came from MF but with a fully fit squad those 2 shouldn't have lasted 45 mins on the pitch.

I'm not too surprised with the way things are, if anything I predicted we would start slowly though I never imagined it would be this bad. The players I wanted gone over the summer, the Arshavin's and Rosicky's  are still here while those we wanted to keep are either gone or injured. It is further illustrative of how bad those I wanted gone have become when they've lost their places almost immediately to the newcomers. The International break is greatly welcomed but I'm still backing Arsene to turn this around. He has done that without fail for the past 14 years.

Our Defence will get the blame yet again but there is not much wrong with with either Per or Song's individual performances bar a single instance when they allowed the ball to bounce and Bale almost got to it. It is still these individual mistakes that keep costing the team and Tottenham's team was also formidable today and well worth their win if only for the effort they put in when we seemed to gain the upper hand. I hope Bac's injury isn't serious or performances might get worse still.

Creditable performances from Song, Coquelin and Arteta as usual though Arteta was beginning to show some signs of fatigue, I'm happy he is not an international cos we might depend on him more than I would have wanted us to this season.

It wasn't the Handball that did it at the end of the day, it was old bad habits coming home to roost yet again. Theo and Gerv were simply not up for it today and Arteta tired towards the end but why Ramsey would refuse to track a player in his own box beats me, Sczcesny had no chance with that late swerve of the ball. We had the game in our hands after drawing level but if we are not firing in attack we're simply dire.
Losing 4 out of 7 games is simply not good enof, a lot of players need to go and have a long hard think if they could be doing much better.

Gervinho hasn't been good today. Hope Bac's injury isn't serious.