Rich

What? That suggested line-up from Hans, in the manner it was posted. Ba would have a lonely afternoon. Not usually one to shoot others' ideas down so bluntly, but it doesn't look like a good team selection to me considering what we have available. Who do we have available exactly? Best? Marveaux? Obertan? Vuckic? Even Ameobi? But to play 3 central midfielders with Barton outside of them at home in the first game of the season looks like a bad idea to me. Fair enough if Cabaye plays more advanced in behind Ba - as Pardew hinted at back around when we signed him - or if you're at least trying Gosling there in a roaming role, but that's not what you posted. Barton plays narrow enough as it is in a 4-4-2 and Jonas is hardly the greatest at supporting the striker. It just looks far too narrow and pedestrian to me for a game we should be looking to grab by the scruff of the neck. I'd be looking to go 4-4-2 with the usual midfield (Cabaye in for Nolan, naturally) and Ba +1 (probably Shola based on the pre-season selections). Aye fair enough, It probably is a bit 'negative' like. I would just be weary about throwing the likes of Marveaux and Obertan first game of the season, especialy after the pre-season we've had. I forgot aabout Best in all honesty I'd be happy going 4-4-2, but i'd still prefer us to bring Marv & Obertan (& Vuckic or Abeid) off the bench as opposed to starting them, atleast against Arsenal. I just think Arsenal are there for the taking and we'll have a very strong atmosphere behind us, which we should be looking to take advantage of. Fair enough save Marveaux/Obertan from the bench if they're needed, but at least go 4-4-2 in the meantime. First games of the season are always special anyway, but against a "big" side and slightly later/live on TV I just really fancy us to go at them from the opening whistle. Two big strikers to occupy their centre-halves, good delivery from wide-right and directness from wide-left and see how Cabaye/Tiote do in against their midfield. I'd go with Ba/Best personally, but you just know it'll be Sho Time again, so I can see why some are reluctant to hope for 4-4-2. Hopefully he'll have one of his better days if that does prove to be the case, get himself warmed up for Wearside. Just for the record as well, 3 CM's isn't necessarily a bad idea against Arsenal's formation, but I do worry that we'd have little-to-no support for Ba with the selection you suggested initially. However, if you'd told me we'd beat Villa 6-0 in our first home game last season with a midfield of Jonas, Smith, Barton, Routledge and Nolan(ish) I'd have said you were crackers. No telling how things might actually turn out. Also, to keep the whole thing somewhat on track, I do hope Barton starts (even if he's one of the midfield three).

Totally destroyed, not even going to deny it

What? That suggested line-up from Hans, in the manner it was posted. Ba would have a lonely afternoon. Not usually one to shoot others' ideas down so bluntly, but it doesn't look like a good team selection to me considering what we have available. Who do we have available exactly? Best? Marveaux? Obertan? Vuckic? Even Ameobi? But to play 3 central midfielders with Barton outside of them at home in the first game of the season looks like a bad idea to me. Fair enough if Cabaye plays more advanced in behind Ba - as Pardew hinted at back around when we signed him - or if you're at least trying Gosling there in a roaming role, but that's not what you posted. Barton plays narrow enough as it is in a 4-4-2 and Jonas is hardly the greatest at supporting the striker. It just looks far too narrow and pedestrian to me for a game we should be looking to grab by the scruff of the neck. I'd be looking to go 4-4-2 with the usual midfield (Cabaye in for Nolan, naturally) and Ba +1 (probably Shola based on the pre-season selections).

I can live with a 10252/10253 ratio, cheers.

What? That suggested line-up from Hans, in the manner it was posted. Ba would have a lonely afternoon. Not usually one to shoot others' ideas down so bluntly, but it doesn't look like a good team selection to me considering what we have available.

Ergh.

My brother was in the director's bit for that game, wonder if the same will apply? Very good gesture indeed, regardless.

Enjoying seeing these youngsters getting loans like, if this one happens of course. Hopefully will be a real step-up for them.

He'll be fine, man. Some right ninnies on here.

http://catholicswithattitude.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/father-ted-careful-now.jpg?w=464&h=379 1-1 with the insults, let's leave it at that please lads.

Journalist, writes for the Sun mainly these days I think.

Tooooo far. I don't think many centre-half partnerships would fancy going up against Ba/Bendtner like, there's a lot to contend with there, although as I've said it does have all the hallmarks of being a bit of a hitty-missy combo at times.

It's surely just a case of him being such a likeable, professional chap above all else? Granted he's come up trumps a few times, but for the vast, vast majority of his career here he has been a joke. He has shown some incredible bollocks in times of real need for us that I do feel I should be personally more grateful for (rather than falling into the set pattern of hurling abuse at him in bursts of frustration like the majority), but howay man, he's had plenty back in return. I mean, he's probably got more hats than he knows what to do with by now, it's time to stop the madness. I do worry that Shola ceasing to be employed by NUFC may actually bring the 2012 prophecy into being, though. Testimonial?

A part of me loves him for his crimes against the Mackems, along with quite a few other magical Shola moments, but it is actually beyond a joke at this point. I thought we'd got shot when he went to Stoke, ffs.

Aye, was sort of making the point that statistics don't tell the whole story/can be used any way you like really. I haven't seen enough of Ba to really judge, but I'd be fairly confident saying that he's better than the others.

PS: He only played 415 minutes total in the league, like. 3 of those were starts and he only completed 2 of them. There's no real context in any of these stats at all, which is always the way, I just like winding Sewell up. I happen to agree that he looks like he has everything necessary to be bonza.

Scored a goal every 132.75 minutes last season in games that he started, all but 1 of his goals were scored in these types of games. He actually scored 8 in total for Arsenal, but only 1 in the league. The other 2 were for Denmark if ESPN is right. 5 assists was right, but only 1 of them in the league as well. Assist every 212.4 minutes. All came in games he started. I love stats, me.

I'd imagine the vast majority. No, then. Extremely poor stats work my friend, I expected more.

Did all of those goals/assists specifically come in those games he started?

He's 30 in two months. I ask again, is this for real? I honestly thought next summer would be when we eventually saw the back of him.

Bendtner/Ba looks like a right oddbod partnership to me, not entirely convinced by it. Still, I thought that about Carroll/Ameobi and they were unplayable at times.

Is this for real?

Ah yes, I remember that frenzy well.

I've been wondering about that, if as we have been told that all new contracts(wages), Tiote, Barton (if he signs), the new players, Ba, Cabaye, Marvin, Abeid and now Eggyhead..........have been factored into the £35m, does that not mean that any outgoing turnover from the club can't include the wages of those players for the term of their contracts, as they are already paid in advance so to speak. If the club include those players wages for the year in next years accounts as an expense going out, why ? Who's actually said all of that is coming out of the Carroll fee though? I think its a misunderstanding coming from the fact that the Carroll fee will go into the clubs revenue and all costs will come out of that revenue. Not that the exact way its working is really that important if the end result is money coming in and not going back into the squad (or at leasr a significant portion of it). Course it is, but never let the facts get in the way of a good whinge. Disappointing. Quite a few people have constantly mentioned the contracts within their imaginary budgets, which is what has been frustrating me and what caused me to write that post. It was in response to someone (Punk77) doing exactly that (in bold) immediately before it.