₦airaland Forum

Eto'o Mata Mikel and Luiz all start. Good squad use by JM

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]I'm not disappointed.

I'm thoroughly embarassed.[/color]

Embarrassed? LMAO.
You tell me why that isn't the case and why you are embarrassed.

[quote author=A-40]That foul was outside the box but I guess the ref could only turn down so many PK appeals! Yall can't afford to play this way against Leverkussen

Valencia must be the most basic of wingers in all of football! Smh[/quote]He is called a no-frills winger and admired by a few. I am guessing that's supposed to be a positive.
SMH.

El Guapo: ^^ [color=#0066ff]That said, whats ur view on Lampard vs Scholes?[/color]

I won't even mince words mate. Scholes is the better midfielder.

Ref ruined the game.

See pass. Damn!

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]You know what happens to be the pivotal point here?

He stipulated Valid reasons that by miles makes Lampard a way better player than Scholes - now thats having the rivalry apart.

If anyone has got a contrasting view, let him walkup and disparage what Jamie notioned.[/color]

Did you read the article? There is nothing of note he mentions except how Lampard's 166 goals "outstrips" Scholes' 107. (As if any midfielder is adjudged 'better than their counterparts' by the number of goals they score). Everything else he mentions is at best, basic - how Lampard became world class, how he works hard etc. At some point, he came across as though Scholes was never world class and didn't work hard.

Then he topped the tripe up by suggesting that Lampard has perfected how he hits Ronaldo-esque free kicks with his laces. It's false.

He would have done very well to title his article "a tribute to Frank Lampard" and then highlight all good things Lampard has achieved. Instead, he's tried to draw up some irrelevant controversy by trying to use Lampard's basic attributes as a professional footballer to rubbish one of the best English midfielders of all time.

It's clear from the article that Jamie has no clue how to evaluate a midfielder.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Hehe

No doubt, he's pushing for those attention but what matters in this is that we've got a view emanating from a neutral ground that Lampard is world class.

Coog would tell you that Frank is just about the Penalties.[/color]

In England, this is not seen as neutral. He is Liverpool through and through. Not only did he play for them, he is from Liverpool and there is the natural rivalry with anything Manchester that dates back to the 1800s. While I am not suggesting that there is bias in his analysis or that he has an inherent distaste for all things Manchester, he can't prove this is not the case.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Just the kinda articles Coogar should be reading and stop chatting shytes about Lampard

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2420394/Jamie-Carragher-Frank-Lampard-better-Paul-Scholes-Im-proud-him.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490[/color]

There really is no reason for such articles. Carragher is just trying to garner some attention that puts him in the spot light as a pundit. I have been hearing his jingles on Talksports about going in hard. This is going in silly.

FBS: Who will start in attack? Ba, Torres or Eto'o?

It looks like JM will be going with Eto'o for this one.

Making mouth, still.

They are still making mouth.

Those who struggle to beat us fair and square at our weakest should be scared of the future rather than making mouth like they handed us a beating.

FBS: Great idea and I totally agree but what happens if they are unable to secure one?

Good question. As it seems, I do not see any one jumping at the chance. Unless it's all happening under the radar. With Lukaku, we heard in the news. With Chalobah and Josh, not so.

Failing to get a PL club, I guess it would be the championship then.

FBS: DM. And he was quite solid. Can't remember if he made a single mistake.

Solid talent that boy. Their loans (his and Josh's) have not been arranged yet.
I hear the club is adamant on PL loans for them both. This is exactly where we want to see them and assess their ability to cut it on the big stage.

FBS: ^^keeping tabs on the ones for the future eh?

Was watching NatChalobah last night. He was pretty solid.

Absolutely mate. Keeping tabs on them.
Could not see Chalobah last night. I wanted to. Did he play in DM or CB?

Bertrand Traore turns 18 today and is officially eligible to sign a contract. I awaiting news of a contract for him followed by news of work permit.

ritchboy: I think you know what I meant... Anyone who's played Football Manager has an idea of the players that qualify for the "b-list" in CL registration, you want me to explain the rules to you?

But hey, if you feel like listing all your English, Scottish, Jamaican, Vietnamese or Djiboutian players, don't let me stop you

Bros don't blame me for not reading your mind when you clearly stated "home-grown".

ritchboy: That's the price you pay for not having (m)any established home-grown players in the first team and stockpiling AMs.

Did you mean club trained? Cos last time I checked, Lamps, Terry, Cahill, Cole, Bertrand, Blackman are all home grown.

RuuDie: In my opinion, doemstically at least, the teams with the 'fewest' changes may have a slight edge!

The team with the most depth will have the edge. That team is Chelsea. The midfield could easily become

-----Mikel Essien-----

Willian --KDB----Schurrle

without fielding a midfield players twice. This, though looking weaker on paper than the first midfield choice, I believe is good enough to pick up vital points against smaller teams. Especially if the team could be balanced out with Eto 'o in front.

This allows us to rest crucial players for big ties.

jackbauersballs: He is not saying Ba is the best in the world.
IMO His statement just says 2 things.

1. Arsenal now has a talismanic player with a proven ability to Unlock Defences
2. Ba is better than any other striking option that Arsenal currently have.


And I agree with him, why give Arsenal an opportunity to effectively utilize Ozil's playmaking abilities by loaning them a Proven Goal Hitman?

I didn't mean "best no 9" literally. Firmly tongue in cheek.

----------

His statement says more than two things really. It also says the following.

1. That Arsenal have a no 10 better than anything we have.
2. That we have a no 9 that is not good enough for us so we thought about loaning him to Arsenal.
3. Then we changed our minds because we know he is good enough to make Arsenal title contenders but not us.


It's not an argument of whether what he has said is true or not (perhaps all he said is true), it's a case of whether there is a need saying it. That's why I started out by saying it is a needless point to make.

Also why ever consider loaning Demba to Arsenal in the first place, Ozil or not?

El Guapo: ^^ [color=#0066ff]He's got a point.
[/color]

It's a needless point. First you claim that a rival club have signed the best 10 in the world when we have our no 10. (I am not saying Ozil is or isn't, just saying as a manager of a different club, JM doesn't need to give an opinion). Then you claim that loaning them Demba would make them title contenders - making Demba look like the best No 9 there is; a statement which stands stoopidly contradictory to the fact that we attempted loaning him out in the first place.

Some JM just needs to say "NO COMMENT".

It doesn't make the deal better. There was a release clause. Pay that. Speak to player. Save £4m.

So this in summary, is an acceptance that the 'promote from within' policy has failed. Let no Arsenal fan ever talk about Chelsea splashing again. Only £8m less than our record signing. One extreme to another.

ritchboy: We've been hearing the same doomsday talk about United every year since Ronaldo left, but they're still crowned champions more often than not.

Maybe it will be different under Moyes, we'll see

One word. Fergie.

FBS: lol. Yeah mate. The boy is good. I've watched this guy since his youth days. He was/is outstanding.
I do agree though that we first have to see Mata's performance under JM's set up.
Why is he (Mata) not even playing regularly sef? Fire on the mountain things with JM? I hope not.

I read an article that quoted JM saying that Mata was tired after playing about 62 games last season alone. About 52 the season before that and that it might take up to 2 months for him to fully recover.


He admitted in the article that he rushed Mata back in the Aston Villa game and will be giving him the due rest he needs.

FBS: bros, I may be a little biased here but personally I just love the way Ozil plays. I mean, who else makes a pass without even touching the ball? Only Ozil can! Moreover, Ozil is never missing in BIG games unlike Mata.

That might have more to do with the collective organization of the Madrid team under JM than Ozil's tendency not to disappear. I will reserve judgement on that until I see Mata play under that set up.

I don't disagree that Ozil might be a little stronger than Mata, Mata himself is not easy to dispossess off the ball.

I do understand why you have love for Mesut, mate I love him too.

FBS: Jose remains my fav coach but how can we allow l'ar..se get away with Ozil who happens to be my fav player (after Raul). He is what I call the Mozart of football!
Not only that, he has the highest number of assists in European football for how many seasons running now. How did we let that happen?

Lukaku going to Everton no surprise me. The boy never ready after that disgraceful PK. He will have enough time to restore his confidence.

So now we have Ba, Torres and Eto'o. I say Yes, we can do it.

That's the spirit man.

Re Mesut, in my opinion, playing alongside arguably the world's best footballer, he is more than likely to churn out those stats. If Mata plays alongside Ronaldo, I am sure he can pull such stats as well if not more. Mesut is brilliant but we already have ours.

Official - Lukaku joins Everton on Loan.

Window closed. The Passenger stays.

United have had a bid for Khedira rejected.