Teasy

That was the point of my post, he made a mistake in a game because like anyone else he isn't perfect. Doesn't make him suspect (which is what I was replying to), he's a very good defender IMO.

He's not perfect, he's still very good defensively though.

He'd clearly been told to stay fairly deep when Stoke were in possession and to drop back towards right back if Debuchy made a run past him. He did that quite conscientiously and create a few chances on the few occasions he did get forward. Couple of excellent balls in behind for Sissoko and Debuchy and beat a couple to get a dangerous cross in before the sendings off After the sendings off he was obviously unplayable, but not because he had less players marking him, he had no problem with that in the first half. The difference was the amount of times he was allowed to get forward and pick the ball up near Stokes 18 yard area. In the second half he had far less defensive responsibility, and so he regularly picked the ball up well inside Stokes half, with the obvious consequence that he tore them a new anus. Excellent overall, set up three and was extremely unlucky not the score two himself. If Pardews can allow him some freedom and wants to go at Arsenal from the off then he has to start. But if he's going to go with keeping it very tight and orginised then attack in the last 30 mins (which is almost definitely what he'll do) then it might be best to save Ben Arfa till the second half. Not because he can't be orginised, because he was against Stoke, but because he's really wasted being so deep all the time.

No chance, us winning the league would be significantly more likely than relegation.

How the fuck, the lads unbelievably useless in front of goal!

Good point and I would have thought that was the case (except maybe with players who have their wages defined as after tax in their contract). But apparently its being levied against employers rather than employees. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/412438b6-97e9-11e2-b7ef-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2oZrt5JKF

They were paying 45% before. So they pay a player £100k per week and his take home pay is £55k per week. If the player now wants the same take home pay they have to pay him £222k per week. Significant doesn't even describe it, its massive. Also I have no doubt they're already pulling every trick to circunvent the ruling as much as possible. But in the end there's only so much they can do. If Uefa take FFP even remotely seriously then its going to have to have a significant impact on their spending.

The new tax doesn't make the move impossible but it could definitely have an impact IMO. Without it they'd likely have been able to lure him their for £70k or so, with it that would now be a significant pay cut, they'll probably have to offer something like £150k instead. Its not a wage you'd think is out of their reach normally, but its significantly higher than they would normally have to pay. Also their's the fact that their costs will have already sky rocketed from the effect on the new tax on current playing staff (its going to be paid retroactively for 2013 season). They have to manage costs to some degree or Champions League Football won't be a lure at all because they'll be banned from it.

Also factor in the 75% tax rate the French Govt are imposing on higher earners and the proposed deal is a total pile of s**** dreamt up by bored journalists. That proposal has been turned down I believe, or at least an exception has been made for French football clubs.. It was turned down in November when they wanted to also apply it to Monaco. But they've since amended it to make Monaco exempt (since its a principality) and AFAIK its now gone through and includes all normal French clubs. Might be wrong but that's how I understood it at the time. EDIT: French clubs are still hoping to get it overturned but it has been voted into law: http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1658022/french-clubs-continue-tax-dispute?cc=5739

Wayne Routledge doing a Matrix impression their.

Get rid and replace him, preferably with someone who isn't thick as fuck or made of balsa wood.

89th minute at best if we're winning (probably Obertan instead), some time after 60th minute if we aren't.

Is everyone in the ground apathetic or just thick as pig shit? How is it so difficult for them to remove a fucking squirrel from a pitch?

Zaha's certainly better than some of our players and I'd be happy to have him normally since he could end up a very good player in the future. Its the short term loan I don't like and its probably the same for some others here. I'm not doing somersaults about it, but I can't pretend I'm disappointed that we aren't interested in the deal either. I was one of the people doing somersaults that we didn't sign Bent or Downing though, don't regret that at all.

We've actually bought in every January window since 2010. So does just about every club in the football league. Whoopy-do. The point is, just because we invested properly for the first time in years last January doesn't mean we'll do it again. Signing multiple quality players in January isn't the norm no, but making a signing or two is and that's based on more than one occasion that's all I'm saying. Not sure about the validity of that first sentence BTW.

Should people be desperate for players they don't even think we should be signing based on the assumption we're unlikely to sign anyone? If we're unlikely to sign anyone who cares what players we're linked with or what the Journal says on any potential transfer anyway? Decent improvements to the squad over nobody at all thanks, see the summer when people were saying thank fuck we didn't sign this player or that player because they weren't the perfect signing. Instead we bought nobody but these people were still presumably still happy as Larry. I'm sure if most people were given a direct choice between nobody or Zaha on a short term loan they'd go for the later. But the fact is if we're to assume Zaha is a possibility we have to assume others are as well and in that case why shouldn't we have preferences? Also I'm still very glad we didn't sign Darren Bent.

Should people be desperate for players they don't even think we should be signing based on the assumption we're unlikely to sign anyone? If we're unlikely to sign anyone who cares what players we're linked with or what the Journal says on any potential transfer anyway? Aye, considering we'll be playing Shola, Jonas and Obertan in their place. Their place?, does Zaha have multiple personality disorder or did I miss something?

We've actually bought in every January window since 2010.

Should people be desperate for players they don't even think we should be signing based on the assumption we're unlikely to sign anyone? If we're unlikely to sign anyone who cares what players we're linked with or what the Journal says on any potential transfer anyway?

Chelsea are the best team every game apparently..

Man City, Spurs, and Man United still in it at the moment, semi finals over two legs - can't see them winning it. Think that's a key point there, its now over two legs, not a chance they're beating two more teams over two legs.

Yep. Into the semi-final. Meanwhile our manager and owner have no interest in winning cups. Should we have beaten Man City? To be fair we had the chances, Cisse right before full time for instance.

If they draw they're gone.

Nah they aren't winning it like.