Arsenal

[Dude Ranch]

Fact:

Before the games this weekend, we'd scored more goals from outside the box than any other team. In fact, in scoring 10, we'd scored twice as many as the next team, Man City.

Fact:

Everything is relative. Did you watch Saturday? Did you not shout SHOOT once? So we've scored ten from outside the box. Amazing, title winning form. How many games have we overplayed, stuck rigidly to overplaying and got nothing from? How many times has the oppo keeper had nothing to do for an entire half or our shots on target reads fuck all? We must gave a 100% record from shooting outside the box cos I can hardly remember us doing it.

[BlinkyBear]

Fact:

Everything is relative. Did you watch Saturday? Did you not shout SHOOT once? So we've scored ten from outside the box. Amazing, title winning form. How many games have we overplayed, stuck rigidly to overplaying and got nothing from? How many times has the oppo keeper had nothing to do for an entire half or our shots on target reads fuck all? We must gave a 100% record from shooting outside the box cos I can hardly remember us doing it.

Of course I watched it, of course it was bobbins and of course I get frustrated because we're rarely as ruthless as we need to be, but: yesterday was an improvement of late simply because we didn't conceed. The only reason we're not challenging for the Prem still is because of our defence and specifically, individual errors at the back. As far as I'm concerned, the defending comes first right now and then we sort out the lack of 'edge' up front.

[LyonJacques]

Still, if you get Chamakh in the summer it'll be like a new signing!

[carlito]

Haven't checked this thread for a bit and I honestly thought that the post saying we should swap RVP, one of only two players in our squad that could walk into any team in the world, for Newsnow champion Fili Melo and Grandpa Buffon would be the most insane post on this page but imagine my surprise to see, just a few posts below, a suggestion that it might make sense for Jack Wilshire to take Nasri's spot in our starting eleven! Incredible stuff!

[Art Vandelay]

In fairness I'd much prefer to see Wilshere playing for us next season that chipping away at Bolton. I'd hardly class Nasri as undroppable either.

Anyway, I'd contend that our inability to shoot hasn't been a consistent problem for 5 years as when Adebayor was actually playing well we were always capable of getting some scruffy, offside, deflected penalty that went in off his head which could break down teams when plan A went awry. Sort that out and we're laughing.

[mop]

I guess once our season dies, like properly dies, people start to go a bit crazy and maybe try a bit too hard to perhaps think outside the box, for want of a better term. It isn't my favourite time of the season.

As has been said I think our main problem is at the back. When we've been shit this season it's looked a lot different to the shit we saw on Saturday. A lot different.

We need a new goalkeeper but we can't let ourselves go crazy with it. No matter how much it might feel like it, it isn't a case of anyone will do. We need a proper replacement. We need to put some proper stock into the position.

[toythatkills]

Haven't checked this thread for a bit and I honestly thought that the post saying we should swap RVP, one of only two players in our squad that could walk into any team in the world, for Newsnow champion Fili Melo and Grandpa Buffon would be the most insane post on this page...

If we could get more than three and a half games a season out of Van Persie, it'd be different.

Anyway, this Man U shirt, if real, could have that really nice Arsenal shirt in the background. (Or it could not.)

[SeanR]

has there ever been a "new shirt" posted on this forum that turned out to be real?

[The Fox]

I think Man Utd normally change their home kit every other season, in which case they're not due for a refresh in 10/11, and that picture is hella fake.

[SeanR]

I think Man Utd normally change their home kit every other season, in which case they're not due for a refresh in 10/11, and that picture is hella fake.

what about the collapse of AIG and the need to change sponsors?

[The Fox]

what about the collapse of AIG and the need to change sponsors?

That doesn't necessarily mean a change in shirt design though.

[redbloodcell]

That doesn't necessarily mean a change in shirt design though.

Why waste an opportunity to bring out a brand new style kit and push the sales numbers up a bit though?

[Rev]

Why waste an opportunity to bring out a brand new style kit and push the sales numbers up a bit though?

It's probably the right thing to do, really. If they're making new shirts, they might as well move the re-design forward a year. If they're nice* they can leave the new shirt for 3 years.

*Lol.

[The Fox]

Kitbag seem to be knocking the Man Utd home shirts out for £25, and it is billed as the '09/10 home shirt' rather than '09/11'. So I guess maybe they're putting themselves on the Barcelona rip-off model of a new home shirt every season.

Fingers crossed Nike won't do the same for us (and that the lush retro shirt is real).

[Daley]

Wasn't there something a while ago that said clubs had to keep kits for at least two years? Or am I making that up?

[SeanR]

maybe thes posts belongs in the man utd/general football discussion threads?

my bad.

[Dude Ranch]

a suggestion that it might make sense for Jack Wilshire to take Nasri's spot in our starting eleven! Incredible stuff!

You've invented that you hysterical dummy. Don't bother replying properly, it won't make worthwhile reading. You can't even spell Wilshere .

[The Fox]

You've invented that you hysterical dummy. Don't bother replying properly, it won't make worthwhile reading. You can't even spell Wilshere .

...Rosicky and Nasri only having OK seasons in spells despite coming back from injuries would you stick with them or go with Wilshere as a tiny bit of a wild card but who's shown spirit, bollocks and class at Bolton recently?

I think I'd bring him back and stick him in.

Ok further clarification needed I guess because to be fair to carlito it really does read like you're advocating Wilshere over Nasri/Rosicky.

[Dude Ranch]

Ok further clarification needed I guess because to be fair to carlito it really does read like you're advocating Wilshere over Nasri/Rosicky.

Or Arshavin. Or Theo. The bits of my post you haven't quoted either. Along with all the other stuff I've used to explain my thinking. At least you quote some of it, I suppose.

And yes, I might be advocating Wilshere over Nasri or Rosicky. If anyone cares to go face to face and get all passionate about either, saying how they've set things on fire this season I'll get the popcorn out.

I like Nasri. He looks best centrally. Cesc, assuming he stays, slots back in there next term leaving Nasri out wide where he's much less than convincing. He did score a good goal though. One of five in total across three competitions. And four assists, two less than Eduardo.

I'm trying to drill down to the 'incredible' part of me suggesting Wilshere could, in theory, come in for him or the three other names mentioned.

[Shoes]

Nasri is the new Hleb: the assist assister.

[The Fox]

Or Arshavin. Or Theo. The bits of my post you haven't quoted either. Along with all the other stuff I've used to explain my thinking. At least you quote some of it, I suppose.

And yes, I might be advocating Wilshere over Nasri or Rosicky. If anyone cares to go face to face and get all passionate about either, saying how they've set things on fire this season I'll get the popcorn out.

I like Nasri. He looks best centrally. Cesc, assuming he stays, slots back in there next term leaving Nasri out wide where he's much less than convincing. He did score a good goal though. One of five in total across three competitions. And four assists, two less than Eduardo.

I'm trying to drill down to the 'incredible' part of me suggesting Wilshere could, in theory, come in for him or the three other names mentioned.

Right so are you saying that Wilshere is preferable to Nasri or not, because when you initially seemed to suggest it and carlito laughed at you, you had a go at him.

(FWIW I agree with you that he'd be no worse than some of the options you've listed (not Nasri though), but he's getting more regular Premier League football than he'd get with us right now so I think the Bolton loan is good for him at the moment. Plus he's less likely to get crocked by some no mark clogger).

[SeanR]

I think the Bolton loan is good for him at the moment. Plus he's less likely to get crocked by some no mark clogger).

except in training

[carlito]

You've invented that you hysterical dummy. Don't bother replying properly, it won't make worthwhile reading. You can't even spell Wilshere .

iPhone - for all it's technological advances has an incredible ability to transform the most basic of sentences into gibberish.

It seemed to me like you said exactly that you want to "bring him back and stick him in".

Now I'm not sure how you can count such magnificent qualities as "spirit, bollocks and class" but I know how to count to one, and, as luck would have it, that is all I need when approaching the daunting prospect of tallying up both his league goals and assists during his time at Bolton. One goal, one assist. Phew, there we go. Hold on, hold on, that's not fair, this is Bolton we are talking about, they don't score a lot of goals do they? Perhaps a more fair yardstick would be to compare him to some of the rest of the Bolton attacking contingent during that period see how that pans out -

Kevin Davies - 3 Goals 3 Assists

Matty Taylor - 4 Goals 0 Assists

Chong-Yong Lee - 1 Goals 4 Assists

Vlad Weiss - 0 Goals 2 Assists (from two starts!)

Even Fabrice Muamba has scored one!

Now I am a not a big believer in stats being the be all and end all of an argument, but I would really have expected him to be at least close to the top of the pile at Bolton Wanderers if we were to seriously start considering dropping full international, and titular hero of the "BenNasri" generation of young French players Samir Nasri.

Jack Wilshere is a young boy of 18, and we've all seen his goals for the reserves on Arsenal.com and we've also seen two or three impressive displays in the Carling Cup, but do you know what mate? It really doesn't mean all that much. I've seen Carlos Vela look like the second coming in the Carling Cup, I've seen Julio Baptista slot four past Liverpool in the Carling Cup and I've even seen Jeremie Aliadiare look like a player in the Carling Cup. Unlike Wilshere though, I've seen all of those three play a few games in the Premiership too, and I can tell you my friend, it was not the stuff dreams were made of.

I have also seen Samir Nasri play for Arsenal, and if you asked me who had shown the most "spirit, bollocks and class" in the team over the difficult period we have endured, Fabregas heroics aside, I wouldn't think twice about saying him.

Samir Nasri is already a player of the very highest calibre and he is 22. He has filled the roles of Cesc Fabregas and even van Persie when called apon to do so. Samir Nasri has scored big goals and made big contributions in games where we have needed it - at the highest levels of competition. When he was Wilshere's age he was Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season - not returning from a loan spell at Bolton that was marginally less successful than say Seb Larsson's similar stint at Birmingham in the Championship.

I am not saying that Wilshere, will be this or will be that. I am saying I don't know, because no one does. He might make it, he might not.

So if a spelling mistake in Wilshere's name doesn't jump out at me because I don't see it in every ill-judged Newsnow hype link or copy shifting "Great British Hope" tabloid filler articles that you so obviously have taken such great stock in then so be it. I'm probably better off for it.

[cantonarv]

Wasn't there something a while ago that said clubs had to keep kits for at least two years? Or am I making that up?

looks like their will be a new manc kit

The English Premier League has been impacted by the global financial crisis. It is anticipated that the lucrative contracts of Manchester United and Chelsea will change the outlook for next season. Manchester United, which is the second biggest earner behind Bayern Munich, has signed a new shirt sponsorship deal with U.S. insurance broker Aon Corp, reported to be worth EUR 23 million a year for four years.

[The Fox]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/ap...celona-football

Can't see Barcelona being that interested after the emergence of Pedro this season, and there's also a lot of talk about them buying David Silva. I actually wouldn't be all that bothered as long as we actually got a replacement in this time around (and perhaps one who looks like he gives a shit more than once every four games). Arshavin out, Hazard in would be ok I think, but it won't happen.

[Steve007]

I just read the interview quotes here: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6119295,00.html

I just wish he would do more of his 'talking' on the pitch and stop gobbing off in the press.

[mop]

Truth

Great post, man. Nari needs to get a lot more love. The guy, who missed the start of the season with the default arsenal injury (broken leg), has performed pretty fucking good in team that hasn't.

[Benji]

looks like their will be a new manc kit

The English Premier League has been impacted by the global financial crisis. It is anticipated that the lucrative contracts of Manchester United and Chelsea will change the outlook for next season. Manchester United, which is the second biggest earner behind Bayern Munich, has signed a new shirt sponsorship deal with U.S. insurance broker Aon Corp, reported to be worth EUR 23 million a year for four years.

Further more the premier league ruling used to be that except for special occasions, eg... centenary kits, you had to keep your home shirt for two seasons, it's been scrapped as of the forthcoming season! Hence United & Chelsea also getting new home shirts!

[mop]

Hey guys!!!

Emm, did you see the quite amazing, if true, quotes Arshavin came out with, here?

Yeah, I thought you would've. How about the shit Wenger came out about regarding a keeper and how he doesn't see it as a postion that needs filling with a new signing? Read it here.

Yeah, pretty shit alright.

So, how about today's game then?

[Baz]

Hey guys!!!

Emm, did you see the quite amazing, if true, quotes Arshavin came out with, here?

If he really said all that then it's pretty ridiculous to be honest, I would be happy to see the back of him. However I don't reckon Barcelona will splash the 20m needed to buy him. As for Clichy - if a 15m bid was made & he wanted to leave then I think it would have to be considered. Gibbs is ready IMO and the money could be used elsewhere.

How about the shit Wenger came out about regarding a keeper and how he doesn't see it as a postion that needs filling with a new signing? Read it here.

I'm pretty confident Wenger will be bringing in another keeper over the summer - don't see that Fabianski could do anything to cement his place in the team in these final 2 games. At best he could dissuade Wenger from searching for a young #1 (ie Hart) - rather he'll buy an experienced keeper and Fabianski will get his chance. I'm sure Almunia will be off.

So, how about today's game then?

3-0 to the Arsenal.