₦airaland Forum

dayokanu:
Saheed Owairan the saudi guy

I think Owairan`s goal was a fluke.That of Maradona was more like it.

I`ll give it to Idris Kameni,he was good for club and country.

debosky:
Is there a muppet/plonker school you must attend to become president of FIFA/UEFA? Platini and Blatter are seriously competing for the most stupid CEO right now, Platini's beef is soo blatant.

Wenger must've snatched his girlfriend or is making more money than he can imagine.

Methinks there is more to this Platini-Wenger feud than meets the eye.Both of them being French, i`m tempted to beleive that something must have gone down,outside the game circuit,and what we see is just a spill-over effect.They need to watch it before it snowballs into something unhealthy,because it`s apparent Platini is out to frustrate Wenger ._{Abi Wenger sell Platini Papa land?}

HNIC:
Cristalz,
Those weren't Raimond's thoughts
He was quoting someone and the source is at the bottom of the post!!!
Me thinks its you that should come in here less!!!
Or any other ulterior motives
Thank God, Pos' leg isn't broken.
We won't have heard the last of it with Fergie ranting and ranting like some of his players haven't attempted murder on the footie field before.
Keano readily comes to my mind and of course, volleyball star Scholesy

Ur right HNIC,the post was about modern day attacking formation in soccer,just sad dt the writer  of the article quoted Manchester United a lot.Cristalz i won`t discuss on ur thread, sorry _{(Not even on a season long loan)} .I love when i wax my canon here.

Man United, Arsenal and the death of the striker

Do the playing styles of Manchester United, Arsenal Roma and Barcelona signal the end for the typical number nine?

I´ve been watching how Dimitar Berbatov is fitting in at Manchester United with real interest and found his performance against Chelsea at the weekend particularly illuminating.


Many fans and pundits thought, prior to United´s acquisition of the Bulgarian earlier this month, the former Tottenham forward was viewed by Ferguson as the solution to a perceived vacancy in the striking department. In other words, it was assumed that United needed a number nine and Berbatov was the answer.


It would seem, however, that many of us are little behind when it comes to the latest tactical trends and able to overlook the fact that United, Arsenal and Roma have been playing without a traditional centre forward for some time. Manchester United walked off with the silverware in both the Premier and Champions league last season: without an old fashioned number nine. Who were we to decide they suddenly needed one and that Carlos Queiroz would abandon a principle that had previously delivered trophies to United, not to mention a number of other top European sides.


Against Chelsea, last Sunday, Berbatov did not play the role of centre forward: a player who plays in an almost fixed position up front, there to hold the ball up and spearhead an attack, particularly on the counter. Instead, the Bulgarian operates in the same areas of the pitch as Rooney and Tevez. It´s a system that Queiroz introduced to United a few years ago, after being inspired by what he saw in practice at Spalletti´s Roma.  


Roma found it by accident and Barcelona by excess of talent, but those two teams alongside Manchester United and even Arsenal have discovered that life without the traditional number nine can still be sweet. In fact, if you ask any defender that has had to face them recently, he would tell you they are making steps towards a new football: one that could make the role of striker redundant but also one that makes defending very difficult.


Roma lost badly to Lazio a few years ago and after that, due to injuries to Montella and the poor form of Vucinic, Spalletti decided to use Francesco Totti, the archetypical number 10, as their most advanced player.


It was an experiment, but it paid off, and Spalletti stuck with it. For the captain to be effective in that role, he needed the mobility of the four players behind him so he could be provider as much as a finisher –and it worked. Carlos Queiroz went to see Roma with the idea of introducing a similar style at Manchester United and the success of those tactics (thanks to the movements of Rooney, Giggs, Ronaldo and now Nani or Anderson) means Alex Ferguson has since felt less urgency to add a centre forward to his side.


The continuous high tempo of Roma and United, their intelligent and quick passing and movement, are weapons that Arsenal use as well. Adebayor is not the archetypical striker and you can often find him out wide or at the end of a cross.


Previously, Barcelona had to find a way to accommodate Ronaldinho, Eto´o and Messi. During that period, all of them had to play in the centre of an attacking three but never stayed there for the whole match. Eto´o did not like it when he had to start from the left, but now he understands that the zonal marking favoured by most sides makes the static old striker easy to defend against - and that the movement of the three forwards makes defending a very difficult job.

The individual awards over the last few seasons reflect the changes in football. None of the considered three best players in the world (Kaka, Ronaldo and Messi) are traditional strikers but they are regular goalscorers: players who can sometimes be found in the space where a number nine used to be. Maybe what we are seeing is the death of the traditional strikers?


I´d love to hear your thought on this. Will United persist with playing Berbatov in this role, or will the United coach eventually ask him to play a similar role to Torres at Liverpool? How has this affected Rooney - is he less effective the less time he spends in a goalscoring position?



http://www.guillembalague.com/blog_desp.php?id=84

CHANCES OF OUR YOUNG STUNNERS BREAKING INTO THE 1ST TEAM

Simpson - I’m afraid isn’t gonna make it as Barazite and several younger players look better.

Gibbs - I really thought he played well but Gael Clichy is so dam good and with Traore and the lad on loan in Spain I do worry for him. Can you really see him moving back in midfield? for me no. I can only see him staying if Troare leaves.

Senderos - Is not coming back and with good reason. Song/ Djourou and Nordveit are all better options.

Hoyte - Too short to play CB and there is also better players coming through in that position. He’s quick but lacks the technical quality to be considered a good full back.

Randall - Again played really well but I fear Merida isn’t a LM. We saw that from him drifting inside and lacking the pace to go outside of his man. I feel it’s either Merida or Randall that are gonna make it, not both. Also with Ramsey, Thomas, Frimpong and the young frenchman all knocking, perhaps they will both struggle.

Lansbury - From the above list I also forgot about this man who can also play in the centre. He needs a very big season imo to stick around.

http://youngguns./2008/09/24/wenger-hails-the-best-crop-of-arsenal-kids-ever/

debosky:
Bros Raimond cool down o!

Vela this Vela that, remain small you go begin see am for dream

Vela is quality no doubt, but better than RVP? Lets wait and see, after all, this is only Sheffield United.

Congrats to him though, the second player to score a hat trick at the Emirates.

VEEELLLLLAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A-40 R U FEELING MY VELA??!!!!

I`ve been shouting about this guy`s potential for eons now,yet AW thinks i`m kidding-RVP`s position is getting threatened with the way he has been missing .I think we have a more potent left foot

Hannibal:
Vela's goal was top draw.
Long ball from the back and he controlled with the chest to take the ball over the last defender and just chipped it over Paddy Kenny.
The last player to do this was Pele in 1958 world cup.

5-0??
This is getting ridiculous.
Has Wenger bribed again as usual??
Wilshere's low drive found the net. . . . .Sheffield might as well play with no goalie n defence.

Haba Hannibal,na something wey i dey do for morning training every Saturday!

A-40:
Arsene are you still in doubt on Vela's class? I can't wait to see more of him

@Raimond
You where right on Vela

A-40 i feel like screaming- i`m vindicated!!!

In Vela we Beleive

4-0

This is getting ridiculous. Carlos Vela, highly rated and in stunning form tonight, races through the Blades defence and with only Paddy Kenny to beat, he cheekily chips the ball over Paddy Kenny. This boy's a Mexican magician.

These boys are simply incredible,they need some taste of 1st team action-WOOOOWWW!!!!!!!!

Men these boys are not disappointing at all.I`ve been Preaching this Carlos Vela Message since-The boy is hot!

Nice job Bendtner (Being a good giraffe today)

Adebayor`s case is peculiar.Just like samson,the moment he cut that his hair,the guy simply lost it.I guess now that the hair is growing back,let`s beleive he`ll get it right eventually, at least he has scored a hat trick already,so it`s begginning to look good.

Nice one Debosky!

Seeing my neighboura fuuly grown family man,dash down the street in his birthday suit that night.That memory seems to be the only thing i and my family remember.

agaba123:
Does he fart?

abeg Sagna na my man

LOL-Sagna na my man too o.Anyhow wey goal take come,we go take am.Na silverware we dey find na

grand jedi:
As for his goal, well, offside or not I think it's good for his confidence. We're going to need as many players as possible in different positions apart from strikers to be able to score fairly often. We're going to need all the goals we can get to lift silverware this season.

I can`t agree less Grand Jedi.Even if the force of Sagna`s fart pushes the ball into the opponents goal ,we don`t care,all we need is a goal.Meanwhile i see Clichy score his first goal for Arsenal pretty soon.

You don start mau-mau war,i fear bullets oo

Cool analysis though.

You don`t need SAF to tell you that,it`s a known fact!!!

vicade:
And i have continually stated, until rooney scores 20 Premier league goals in any season, he is not any better than Yakubu Aiyegbeni in my books.

Ya right Vicade,but i need to add that: as far as the premiership is concerned ,Yaks is actually a better striker than Rooney for real!!! Nothing personal!

CHELSUCKS-thugs,thugs and more thugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow for once giraffe (Bendtner) didn`t annoy me._{he is still reserve team material though,Vela is the way 4ward.}

The way Denilson is developing, i`m a bit confused about who,so far,is the revelation of the season ,.<sub>The guy don dey shadow Fab4 oo</sub> .I thought it was Nasri,then came Denilson`s meteoric rise,Eboue is picking up seriously,i`m just loving Alex song everytime,rugged,intimidating,just like Essien (I guess every team needs a hangman) .Carlos Vela is yet to be fully unleashed,who knows what he has under is belt,cos already i see an Eduardo in him.Also Ramsey and Wilshere probably have aces up their sleeves,who knows?.

Overall,the team is gradually growing into a more compact unit by the day,and can only get better.My prayer is that the guys stay fit,cos it seems we have some able back-ups already,though i beleive AW should beef up with one or two experienced bodies by january.I`m actually taking each game as it comes,no high hopes yet.Good we are on top and if we put are acts together,we can go all the way for the jugular.I pray we remain consistent,we`ll send some pundits to the cardiac centers

Sheffield 2moro,is an opportunity to asses my Vela and the other guys,i don`t expect a walk in the park,but it`s a done deal.

Hull City,hmmm this is going to be the test of their true worth,Everton didn`t go full throttle,yet stretched them,how much more the WENGER GANG.If we fire all cylinders,we can wrap this one in the first half,even before they realise what hit them,then use the second to test some more youngstars.We should watch out for set pieces,they,just like Bolton,seem to pack enough under their belt.

Muki,men i trip 4 ur faith in Eboue,i guess it paid off at last.

Nice game in all,i`ll talk later,too sleepy now!!

I guess in Every country,one has a club he/she is favourably disposed to. _{You won`t beleive i love the Milans (AC & Inter),i love Barca and Real M.,I love Ajax etc., depending on which country and their footbal philosophy.}

^{ABOVE ALL ARSENAL IS WHAT YOU`LL FIND IN MY VEINS AS BLOOD}

My prediction for the Bolton game: Arsenal 3 Bolton 0

Goal Scorers:Adebayor, RVP (Dunno how they`ll share the goals, but one of them will score twice).

Muki, Eboue fit score oo!!!

Da Dawg`s gotta move on.Life is dynamic-All da best ma dawg!!!!

The scheme is useless.I almost lost my life in the course of it:I will spare you the gory details,but the truth remains,the scheme is no more useful in present day Nigeria.

Man City fans,hmmm,i`m surprised i`ve not seen Zenit St. Petersburg fans here yet. _{Abeg no do make i laff!!!!}

Just pept _{(my past tense for peep)} at the chelsea forum,phew,i almost suffocated from boredom.

Wenger`s father,you mean he still had a father?

Anyways Papa Wenger Rest In Peace.One candle for you!!!

Zaki seems to be doing quite well already,but i don`t see him doing that to Toure anymore.<sub>premiership no be nations` cup:i hope  for his sake the fear of Zaki is not the beginning of wisdom</sub>

A-40:
Eboue might be having a good run but player pass player.Rozzi possesses technique that Eboue can only dream of a fully fit Rosicky will definitely start in any Arsene line-up they don't call him the Little Mozart for nothing

Rozzi is masterclass,i`ll concede to that anytime. Anyhow sha,the competition is good for the team,if all the players can stay fit,means we`ll have some healthy replacements. _{Meeen our strikers need to start delivering-seriously and can someone please tell Toure to remove that hair,so he can head the ball better !!!}