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Good morning.
We wake to a new dawn. The mighty Arsenal vanquished by a new…
Look let’s get a few things straight. I have a sore throat from screaming yesterday. I got so wrapped up in proceedings I didn’t even get around to drinking the house dry. But we just beat one of the worst Arsenal teams to play us in maybe over a decade.
Yes I am delighted, but we need to look at what happened yesterday. Enjoy some pomp, but not entirely forget the circumstance.
The team sheet managed to pit Modders and PNB against four and occasionally five of their lot in midfield. I would suggest that Arry actually fielded a side that would appeal to a Lane baying for a wrought rather than one that would be more suited to doing the job. He needed Sandro on from the start and he bottled it.
His line up’s success hinged upon ‘things going our way’ and with some particularly crap passing and a good few insane hoofs at Adebayor that didn’t transpire.
6 An illegal card game was broken up in the Park Lane and it was discovered that Friedel was the dealer. ‘Just wanted some action, man’ the big man told stewards.
8 His goal was ‘spiffing.’ Not my words, but those of What Goal? Magazine. A good shift all around. Brain working much much faster than ever before. More please.
8 Bar that Vin Repast moment he as predicted his teaming up with Ledley King made him a solid as you could want. That’s what she said.
8 I shudder to imagine what we would be like without him after games like that. I guess the real question is who is lined up to replace him? He’s tip top.
6 Mmn. Needs to rapidly turn around recent form. He’s going backwards and Assured and Elegant has become plain old A&E again. Whassssup geeze?
7 Played out of position. So what is he supposed to do, write to his MP? Great finish but we could have had more had he been – played in position. Geddit?
6 Outnumbered and having an off day. What a cracking combination.
9 MOTM faced with a huge burden he got stuck in. Really impressed with his commitment and his seamless transition into the squad. Top charlie banana.
6 Some good runs but fluffed numerous chances this combined with being a defensive passenger made for a pretty lame performance. Must do better.
6 An A for effort but as low as a C+ for achievement. He needs more space and time than Doctor Who. That said a goal, and we’d be all over him, eh?
6 Not at the races. Not at all. Spent all of last week apologizing to Arsenal fans and should spend all of this week apologizing to Tottenham fans.
I hope that the hidden cost of Harry’s midfield experiment is not losing Parker to injury. The guy looked like he was playing through some serious pain barrier by time the final whistle went. So much for “thickening things up a bit”!
I think sandro and Parker are undroppable on current form which creates a problem in midfield so I don’t think a Parker injury would hurt us, it would make selection a whole lot easier!
Agree on Parker and Sandro being undroppable. Would like to see them both on the pitch playing a 4-2-3-1 with Bale and Mod wide and VDV behind Ade. One stays and covers if the other ventures forward. That and the fact that one can always slot in at the back effectively if Walker or BAE decides to bomb forward. Loved seeing Ledders ambling forward yesterday. Knee, what knee?
Don’t see it as a problem at all. Parker and Sandro in the middle gives us the best CM pairing anywhere outside of Barcelona. Build the team around them and we will be very, very difficult to beat.
gives us the best CM pairing anywhere outside of Barcelona
I love it when you talk sexy!
:daumen:
As I may have posted here before, the problem is VDV and how you fit him into a system. Seems to me you can have him or Defoe in the same XI but not both. Play him wide right and you lose all shape and balance because he just isn’t fit enough right now. Their goal came through the gaping hole he left in front of Walker (who deserves a medal for all the covering he did in the first hour). By the time he was subbed he looked like he couldn’t even have beaten Ledley in a sprint. Much better to play him off Ade in areas where the speed of his brain is more important than the speed of his legs (a la Sheringham) with Defoe as the impact sub.
Totally with those scores on the doors bar BAE, his shove on sagna to put him in the hospital was worth an 8.127
Gooners up and down the land are crying in their coco pops – cnuts
im glad you didn’t allow the occasion to gloss over a very poor performance at times especially first half. The fact we we are beating an arsenal side while playing poorly is a testament to how far they have fallen. Agree that Bale and especially bae weren’t at the races. Thought kaboul was all over the shop (in a bad way first half) modric was non existant. I blame twitchy but then i always do don’t i
Not sure why we waited so long to bring Sandro on but he made a big difference.
Their numbers made the difference in midfield and gervinho/VP gave Walker/Kaboul a torrid time but let’s not forget that we had more/the best chances.
The north/South London derby is about the result anyway – nothing else matters.
Was benny that bad? Thought he was quite good, a solid 7 for me. Same with ade, although he shoul have buried his chance, not enough has been made of the save, it was awesome, he shot it low and hard but the keeper got a good strong hand to it!