being honest Roo, I have given up on the striker situation. We have'nt had a top striker since Berba. If we did Levy would only sell him. He may buy on the advice of "find them cheap Sherwood" a striker but we all know it will not much be better than we have got now. For me , toothless, 1 man team have unfortunately a lot of truth attached to them. The football we play is very average and can be awful at times. Avb has done ok considering he has been shackled . With our last match winner about to go , more Dembele's (the best we are going to get) or worse Dempsey's , or the limited Sig , means our quality (truth) is so far removed from our so called rivals. There is so little to be optimistic about when we constantly sell the silver. Yes we have Verts, Lioris but these positions are far cheaper to fill. Sadly in one one year our creative element has been ripped out of the team , seems mad to me , but hey who am I, just a silly fan.
what I find bizarre is that we managed to find berbatov for 11mill, was it? Yet since then, we've barely done anything in about 4 years to find another like him, at the very least. Ok, we had Pav, but he didn't work out for what ever reason, but even since we sold him, we did nothing to replace him. We had a better choice of strikers when Jol was in charge and we had a weaker first 11 overall. Now we've improved various areas of the starting line up, and now we have no strikers. We seem to always be missing vital pieces of the puzzle because we sell players who play in positions where we look settled, in order to strengthen another area. we sold Keane and Berba, who have been our best partnership for years, to bring in Modric. Then we sell Modric and Rafa to strengthen our goalkeeper, defence and overall midfield (supposedly). We're like a leaking bucket. So I guess the next move is that we sell Bale and we "strengthen" again. But as always, we've not got CL football to attract top players and what we really get as replacements are "good" players. Good isn't good enough. not for top 4. Like you've said, Bale is our last outstanding player... then what? He's also going to be extremely hard to replace, if not impossible. Also, if our usual "no net spend" or "limited funding from the sale" tactics come out again, it could be the end of our top 4 assault which we've worked so hard at. Our approach for a top 4 spot is a joke. We're hardly any different to everton. - The difference being that like us, they punch above their weight every season, but as a club they don't expect anything. I don't see how we're any different, yet our club seems to think we should be top 4 challengers when we lack so much compared to our rivals.
I agree with everything Roo. It seems so bizarre and cretinous this policy of a "leaking Bucket " A year ago we were two quality players of really going for the league, now a million miles away.
This summer, I can see this partnership with Real Madrid coming to fruition. It might be the only way we can get a top striker, + anyone else we're interested in. Obviously they are extremely keen to get Bale , but our need for a top striker is just as desperate. It wouldn't surprise me if we use this route to get the striker we need. I can see Higuain heading this way as part of the deal.
Attacking teams with skillful players that attack more often get more penalties? Spurs and Swansea have had none this season. To paraphrase Ali G, is it because we wear white?
I think it's because, unlike the likes of Fergie and Whinger and Mancini, our managers never bully the refs and the officials to make them too afraid not to grant penalties. I'm not in favour of bullying refs and officials, but if it's going to even up the advantages of cheating teams like United, Arsenal and £ity, then it is something that we have to develop as part of our strategy. It could be worth 5 or 6 goals a season to us.
I still can't actually believe we've not had a penalty. Then again we've got no strikers, so there's no attacking threat there to actually win them. And one of our only players who runs at defences just gets booked for diving, so actually, thinking about it, it's not surprising really.
Anyone else not looking forward to our game with Sunderland after that performance against the Barcodes?? Only good news is that I am guessing Danny Rose will be unavailable for them, but otherwise from what I saw (admittedly only the 2nd half) they looked reinvigorated. Last thing we need right now.......
always happens when a new manager steps in. By that time, Di Canio will have fallen out with half the squad, so I wouldn't worry too much.
Thanks for clearing that up for me. I said I was skeptical of their report both for the glaringly obvious reason you mention, and for other reasons, certainly including the unlikeliness that anyone is able to correctly overturn all incorrect decisions. I only found it at all intriguing because it happened to jibe very closely (plus or minus a point, I think) with what I remembered of how incorrect calls had affected our games (if--as I thought was too tiresome to point out, you make the incorrect assumption that the game would have played out the same way if the call had been changed.) The Norwich game was highway robbery, but I haven't felt Arsenal have been either particularly favored or punished by officials overall over the last couple of years. The question remains why Spurs seem to consistently get the short end of the stick. No penalties in the Prem this year is outrageous. Why were we the team victimized both by the most outrageous goal given that wasn't, and goal not given that was, in PL history? It's an intriguing question.
First time that Sunderland have beaten the Toon at their place in 11 years or something, so quite significant. And Di Canio's enthusiasm was so OTT!!! I agree with Roo, that the 'new manager' effect can (sometimes) make a difference, but it can last for a few games - especially if the initial impact is positive, which a derby win inevitably instills. Would rather be playing them under O'Neill.....
We'll pose a far greater threat than the Toon, who were toothless today. We've got to get the early goal to put the doubts back in the minds of their players. I don't care how much dressing-room bravado Di Canio spouts, it can all be undone very quickly on the field. And, let's face it, if someone like Di Canio cannot stir his players for the derby, what use is he going to be?
A Chelsea-supporting mate of mine has been mouthing off on FB that he was delayed getting to the pubs near Wembley by somebody chucking themselves in front of a train at Norwood Junction...by saying he;d deck the bloke, as if that's going to do much good. I swear it's turning into Bonehead Weekend, especially given gaf71 has taken up residence on here...
Sounds to me like the inconsiderate bastard deserves a smack... As he's a Chav, I can only assume his reason for going to a Wembley pub was to have a punch up with the Millwall mob?
I'm not bothered who wins this, I just hope they wear themselves out a bit before next Sunday. Tevez & Aguero are looking near on unplayable at times...I was hoping for extra time, penalties, the whole lot.
Come on The Chavs. Let's have a nice bit of extra time - the more these two wear each other out, the better.
