Agree that Arteta has been a solid addition and his play has helped Song. However, I am not totally convinced that it is the best pairing in the current 4-3-3 formation. Song is physically stronger than Arteta but they are both pretty slow and with Per behind them, it is a real cause for concern, particularly against teams with speed in the midfield and upfront. It would be interesting to see Le Coq playing next to either Song or Arteta and adding more speed and athleticism in the middle.
I've been reading quite a few posts this season that mention Wilshere being the answer to our creative woes and I'm not sure that belief is well placed. I definitely want it to be, but my memory of Wilshere is not of a guy slipping in creative passes to unlock the oppositions defense. I remember him being at his best in deep positions, running the midfield and influencing our transition from defense to attack. I remember him being very spotty around the 18 with his passing and shooting much like Rosicky. Granted, it was his first season and he was a very young man, but I don't recall seeing any glimpses Cesc-like passing from him.
It's been a while but i remember Wilshere as more of a Bergkamp type passer, but with Henry's scoring touch and Vieira's tackling.
With Kirk Douglas' jaw, Burt Lancaster's steely-eyed gaze, and he swivelled his hips like a young Elvis.
Ok, just got back to Jersey from funeral in Chicago, is this nightmare, really worth going back and watching?
charlie15 I agree with your statements about formation. I was speaking more to the players we have that I would like to see the future built upon. I think our formation and stubborn insistence on it is one of the biggest failures we have right now. It doesn't work consistently!
Moneyball is one of the worst things the British could try and import. The Athletics are GARBAGE, Billy Bean should kill himself. It's an utter failure.
That's a little harsh. What is true is that there isn't any competitive advantage left in it, which is similar to the situation at Arsenal even if not exactly the same. We got one really outstanding year from Adebayor and some money. We've got some guys we can build around but the way Wenger manages things buzzkills all the other good things that he does.
I'm from the Bay, the A's have been garbage since he got there. Name me the year they made the playoffs after the Giambi years? i'm waiting.
What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone here is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
they made the postseason the next two years, iirc. The movie/book was based off the year after Giambi left. Their true downfall was when Moulder and Hudson left and Zito started to struggle.
2002, 2003 and 2006 For a team with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, three playoff appearances in a decade is pretty damned impressive.
yeah, we're on the same page. i totally see the vermaelen and koscielny similarities as well. i was thinking/hoping that, maybe, the vermaelen/koscielny pairing could work but, watching it the other day, i realised nobody in the backline would be the organiser. i think, possibly, if the team was playing well and the midfield was controlling possession, they (as a collective group of four) are good enough and, really, smart enough that we could get away with it the majority of the time but, once things start going wrong or if we play a team that isn't being dominated, that organiser becomes necessary and it wouldn't work. i don't feel like mertesacker was getting enough credit as an organiser. both vermaelen and sagna have leadership qualities and are leaders but they aren't organisers who tell people what to do and koscielny is more the quiet type who just goes about his business. i don't know as much about this specific injury but i almost feel relieved that it was an ankle ligament injury (which sounds odd, i know) and not achilles. i feel like there shouldn't be ridiculous lingering problems or as long term of an injury as i initially feared when i thought he busted his achilles.
Per's extremely intelligent in his reading of the game. I think his positional sense is good and his pace is only an issue when fullbacks are too frisky going forward. Imvho his understanding with Sagna's not there yet ergo the errors we saw but I think he'll be very good going forward if a full recovery is on the horizon as predicted. Too bad he's out for the season
How many times have Kos and Verm actually paired together at the back? I thought yesterday was the first time this season. They certainly couldn't have played much together last year either.
He's looking more solid in recent games. I think he and Kos complement each other well, Per is more rugged and gets stuck in whilst Kos is more technical. In honesty, I think Verm has been quite average this season.
I agree with you. My apprehension with Marty is that his overall lack of athleticism will keep him down. Ie, he'd like to be a John Terry/Tony Adams type defender and excel by good positional sense but even if he reads the play right he still has to make an interception or tackle or header. I'm not sure if he has the ability to do that.