James

He would be a canny player if he'd do something about his work-rate. I’m a bit gutted that it had to be pointed out though, it’s the last time I follow the ball on TV. I was taking the piss with that one, you know.

I think I watched a different game to you, he was all over from what I could see. Perhaps you were mostly watching the game as in mostly focusing on what was going on around the ball? Being the sad superfan that I am, I was mostly watching Arshavin both off and on the ball. if you were his manager,basiung your game plan around his use of the ball would you be telling him to work more off the ball so he wouldn't have the legs to make those runs when he had it. Fair play to Hiddink if he advised Arshavin not to overexert himself until after the hour mark, but we have to remember that it will be 90 minutes rather than 120 minutes in the average game. henry and begkamps workrate was s**** then ? (or martins) Exhibits a and b are good examples of a team being built around an individual attacking player, something I can't see a Top Four side be willing to do at the present. The other quite rightly does not play for a top four club and is the perfect example of a talented but damaged player.

Played some excellent passes into the wide areas, but whereas Modric would continue to move forwards to get the ball back afterwards, Arshavin seemed content to let his team mates do the running.

I think I watched a different game to you, he was all over from what I could see. Perhaps you were mostly watching the game as in mostly focusing on what was going on around the ball? Being the sad superfan that I am, I was mostly watching Arshavin both off and on the ball. if you were his manager,basiung your game plan around his use of the ball would you be telling him to work more off the ball so he wouldn't have the legs to make those runs when he had it. Fair play to Hiddink if he advised Arshavin not to overexert himself until after the hour mark, but we have to remember that it will be 90 minutes rather than 120 minutes in the average game.

All a matter of opinion, but we'll see one way or the other if he ends up in the Premier League next season.

I think I watched a different game to you, he was all over from what I could see. Perhaps you were mostly watching the game as in mostly focusing on what was going on around the ball? Being the sad superfan that I am, I was mostly watching Arshavin both off and on the ball.

How is he too damaged for the top 4? Lazy and in need of a team to be built around him. Spending his whole career in an inferior league, I suspect he has been able to get by on attacking talent alone. In an earlier post, a team mate accused him of this, and from what I've seen, I would have to agree. If I was a fan of a top 4 team, I would want him as a substitute or cameo player. Anything else would be unsettling the balance of the team. As a Newcastle fan, i would want to have him as the focal point of our team.

He'd chase if he had an opportunity, but other times he was fairly static, especially in the first half. Would get away with it as a striker, but I'm not sure that he'd be a striker in the Premier League unless a team produces a tactical workaround. Laziness worked in his favour though tonight. There were times he should have used that quick burst of his to join play around the penalty area when other players got wide, but he remained 35 yards out pretty stationary. However, by not busting his gut at those moments, he was able to do so with great effect during extra time when he got a sniff of glory.

Other way around in my opinion. A team needs to stick a couple of hard workers behind Arshavin and give him the ball, and let him do his stuff. Very one dimensional, he is a good enough player to get results for a tactically organised slightly smaller team. At the more multi-dimensional top four, he'd negatively affect the teams balance, and they aren't gonna drop players to get the best out of him.

Although I say he his too damaged for the Top Four, I can see Abramovich ordering Chelsea to buy him but Scolari not picking him as regularly as the hype would predict.

Think people are overrating him to be honest. Brilliant attacking player when the ball is on the deck, but there is more to elite football than that. Doesn't do enough work when the opposition have the ball, and doesn't put the effort in off the ball in the final third at times when he should be offering more support for his team mates. Doubt he'd be very good at the physical side, especially at times when he needs to play off the shoulder. Player of big strengths and big weaknesses like Laurent Robert. Teams will have to pick a team that gets the best out of him. He is a bit too damaged for the top four.

There is a chance, he hasn't agreed a move to anywhere so we've really got to push the boat out and bring him in. I think the fee won't rise too much, i don't see him going for more than £13m max, i reckon the £11m bids would still be accepted as long as its cash up front, its the personal terms, and with him on a reported £50kpw, then were going to have to double that, then we've got to ask ourselves is he worth doing a U-turn on our wages policy? Could we give him that and expect Owen to take a cut? Brings up all sorts of issues, but it would be nice to see the club deal with those issues, ie, put a fuking bid in you stupid indecisive fools. Well Russian sources say we put a bid in. Zenit took steps to deny an Arsenal bid, but didn't deny us. That could be interpreted in two or three ways though. Regardless, Arshavin has already said he won't talk to anyone until after Euro 2008 so whether we bid now is going to be irrelevant if other clubs are interested. At least we can now move forward with van der Vaart. He won't talk, doesn't mean we cannot get a bid accepted from Zenit. Like I said, this may already have happenned. Regardless, it is irrelevant, as when a couple days after Euro 2008 Arshavin is contacted by Zenit with a list of clubs that want to speak with him, we could be amongst other clubs, and bidding first won't put us top of the list.

There is a chance, he hasn't agreed a move to anywhere so we've really got to push the boat out and bring him in. I think the fee won't rise too much, i don't see him going for more than £13m max, i reckon the £11m bids would still be accepted as long as its cash up front, its the personal terms, and with him on a reported £50kpw, then were going to have to double that, then we've got to ask ourselves is he worth doing a U-turn on our wages policy? Could we give him that and expect Owen to take a cut? Brings up all sorts of issues, but it would be nice to see the club deal with those issues, ie, put a fuking bid in you stupid indecisive fools. Well Russian sources say we put a bid in. Zenit took steps to deny an Arsenal bid, but didn't deny us. That could be interpreted in two or three ways though. Regardless, Arshavin has already said he won't talk to anyone until after Euro 2008 so whether we bid now is going to be irrelevant if other clubs are interested. At least we can now move forward with van der Vaart.

Rejected us because he wanted to stay in Russia until after Euro 2008.

WUM or utterly clueless? He is lazy, and he did use it to his advantage. Work rate is the only bad thing I saw though. Just consoling myself for future tears when Abramovich brings him to Chelsea.

Been thinking exactly the same for the past hour.

Bit lazy I thought. Starred in the last ten minutes because he had been resting in long periods of the game when the other 21 players were bursting a gut.

He's really taking the piss now, playing well and deliberately scoring that penalty immediately after Modric missed. It is like he is doing his utmost to hold back talking to Newcastle for as long as possible.

Fucking hell, what a dramatic ending.

Done this before, about 30 people entered, hardly a precedent. Who won? Good question Souness was manager last time I had time to do this. Think it was either Aphrodite or Geordiesned.

Done this before, about 30 people entered, hardly a precedent.

Here is the form you need to fill out to enter. If you decide to make your predictions in a different manner, depending on how understandable it is, I may enter it, I may leave some answers blank, or I may not put you on the spreadsheet at all. Newcastle United Formation: GK RB CB CB LB CM CM CB/CM/RW/LW/ST (delete as appropriate) CB/CM/RW/LW/ST (delete as appropriate) CB/CM/RW/LW/ST (delete as appropriate) ST Sub1 Sub2 Sub3 Sub4 Sub5 Sub6 Sub7 Manchester United Formation: GK RB CB CB LB CM CM CB/CM/RW/LW/ST (delete as appropriate) CB/CM/RW/LW/ST (delete as appropriate) CB/CM/RW/LW/ST (delete as appropriate) ST Sub1 Sub2 Sub3 Sub4 Sub5 Sub6 Sub7 Scoreline: NUFC Win, loss, or draw? NUFC goals: Manchester United goals: First goalscorer:

Points are accumulative, so say you select Arda Turan at left wing for NUFC, and this prediction is correct, you score 20 + 5 + 5 = 30 points

Scoring: Positive Points: New signing: 20 points (but only if the signing becomes official after 1st July to avoid an obvious loophole) Player is correctly predicted as being in the starting XI: 5 points Player is also correctly predicted in the right position: 5 points Player is correctly predicted as being on the bench: 5 points Player was predicted to be in Starting XI, but was a used substitute: 3 points Player was predicted to be in Starting XI, but was an unused substitute: 3 points Correct formation: 5 points Correct result (Win, loss, or draw): 5 points Correct number of goals: 5 points Correct number of Manyoo goals: 5 points Correct number of NUFC goals: 5 points Completely correct scoreline: 5 points Correct first goalscorer: 15 points Predicted first goalscorer doesn't score first, but does score: 5 points (NB predicting no goalscorer will score points if there is an own goal) Negative points: Incorrectly guessed new signing: -2 points Player isn't in the 18 man squad: - 1 point Player has been sold: - 5 points Incorrect formation: - 5 points Incorrect result (win, loss, draw): -5 points