Beren

Arsenal to win on pens 11/1. Good value. Same for ET.

Weighing up a treble of: Southampton Arsenal DNB Barca Might wait for some more team news though.

Steven Taylor has mentioned the bonus issue as being a big deal a fair few times.

Spot on! Erm, don't think thomas was definitively diagnosing it as depression whatsoever. His explanation was an offshoot from alpal's rationalisations as to why depression would or could not possibly make sense. [/my understanding]

We haven't lost against them in three attempts (home and away), I think. Two draws last season and the Carling Cup win. http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/9454/jonasa1.png

Nah I agree. Knowing that you are 1 mistake away from a red is punishment enough for any yellow card offence tbh. I can see why the ban is in place like, to try and reduce the ammount of yellows a player picks up, but I doubt it makes any difference. No way. Maybe just paranoia from a younger Beren, but I could have sworn Fergie used to employ Phil Neville first half to go in hard on opposing teams star players, pick up a yellow and then get subbed off at half time. Consistent yellows deserve punishment beyond the threat of reds within the games they're picked up. Anything else would be absurd IMO.

Hopefully that money will be going to the charitable work and community action work he does.

Man Utd were on the box, I guess.

Well, you've picked their second, third and fourth centre backs and pitted them against our fifth choice (possibly sixth - if rumours re: Santon are to be believed!). That's by the by though. It's more about defending as a unit - even though their personnel on paper may be better than ours. They were absolutely diabolical (and I don't step on Hansen's toes lightly) when they had an injury or two at the back last season. Their first choice centre backs aren't too fantastic either anymore. It's not as big a mismatch as your quote intimates.

Agree too, but that could equally just lead to someone intentionally getting their 5th yellow just before a Wigan match to avoid serving a suspension in a 'bigger' match. Absolute possibility, but it's the same competition at least. Stamping it out completely is impractical to enforce/impossible, really. Also the merits for doing so are questionable. My suggestion is (I think!) feasible, enforceable and logical.

I don't think it's that bad, really. Agree with the above about bookings collected in the league going towards league suspensions only though.

I needed the money! The sweet, sweet fake FF money 71 this week and almost into the top 50

I was actually alluding to the fact that you could level either of those accusations/statements at Chelsea.

You support Chelsea?

the way go on you'd think best was a workaholic, he's not. he tends to win a lot in the air which leads to us going longer and higher instead of keeping possession. more of an issue is our old problem of a lack of getting forward from the midfield (rob lee style) to support the striker Agree with you partly. Having a forward who is good in the air is a great excuse to pump it long, but I think that's a) harsh on Best's contribution to the team b) caused more by full-backs who aren't comfortable on the ball Best is actually pretty vital for holding the ball up when the ball is played to his feet, and he encourages our often deep-lying midfielders forward very well. Ben Arfa has been pretty good at transitioning us from defence to attack too - though obviously using a much different style! Ben Arfa and Ba are improving together, and time may prove me wrong, but so far the best I've seen us play this season is with Best as a key component. He's very difficult to pick up for such a big guy and he pulls/stretches defences forward by dropping deep, and creates space for Ba/midfielders around him. The temptation to knock it long is a problem, but can be addressed by transitioning Santon into the side IMO. Simpson is quite adept at knowing when it's good to knock it long IMO. you also have to bare in mind the teams that the ben arfa/ba combo has played against. Good point. Interesting to see how they fare against teams which sit deeper against us. Losing possession will be more costly in such circumstances I would imagine. I think the Ben Arfa/Ba partnership is more likely to lose the ball often since it's a little less measured/controlled than our slower, probing style. will it lose more possession than the longer, in the air style we use with best ? I don't think we do lump it forward most of the time though. In fact, I would say we only begin to do that when we lose confidence, or when we (are presumably instructed by Pardew to) sit on a lead - which is when many of our problems begin.

Yeah, yeah. You couldn't just wait to be in ownership of T-Hib. I was so happy with my score this week. Then I found out I was still behind you. Oh, the shame!

No, Hernandez got 3. Ba got 2.

the way go on you'd think best was a workaholic, he's not. he tends to win a lot in the air which leads to us going longer and higher instead of keeping possession. more of an issue is our old problem of a lack of getting forward from the midfield (rob lee style) to support the striker Agree with you partly. Having a forward who is good in the air is a great excuse to pump it long, but I think that's a) harsh on Best's contribution to the team b) caused more by full-backs who aren't comfortable on the ball Best is actually pretty vital for holding the ball up when the ball is played to his feet, and he encourages our often deep-lying midfielders forward very well. Ben Arfa has been pretty good at transitioning us from defence to attack too - though obviously using a much different style! Ben Arfa and Ba are improving together, and time may prove me wrong, but so far the best I've seen us play this season is with Best as a key component. He's very difficult to pick up for such a big guy and he pulls/stretches defences forward by dropping deep, and creates space for Ba/midfielders around him. The temptation to knock it long is a problem, but can be addressed by transitioning Santon into the side IMO. Simpson is quite adept at knowing when it's good to knock it long IMO. you also have to bare in mind the teams that the ben arfa/ba combo has played against. Good point. Interesting to see how they fare against teams which sit deeper against us. Losing possession will be more costly in such circumstances I would imagine. I think the Ben Arfa/Ba partnership is more likely to lose the ball often since it's a little less measured/controlled than our slower, probing style.

Bonus points are fucked the fuck up. Raylor got one.

the way go on you'd think best was a workaholic, he's not. he tends to win a lot in the air which leads to us going longer and higher instead of keeping possession. more of an issue is our old problem of a lack of getting forward from the midfield (rob lee style) to support the striker Agree with you partly. Having a forward who is good in the air is a great excuse to pump it long, but I think that's a) harsh on Best's contribution to the team b) caused more by full-backs who aren't comfortable on the ball Best is actually pretty vital for holding the ball up when the ball is played to his feet, and he encourages our often deep-lying midfielders forward very well. Ben Arfa has been pretty good at transitioning us from defence to attack too - though obviously using a much different style! Ben Arfa and Ba are improving together, and time may prove me wrong, but so far the best I've seen us play this season is with Best as a key component. He's very difficult to pick up for such a big guy and he pulls/stretches defences forward by dropping deep, and creates space for Ba/midfielders around him. The temptation to knock it long is a problem, but can be addressed by transitioning Santon into the side IMO. Simpson is quite adept at knowing when it's good to knock it long IMO.

63 before bonus points. Sold Enrique for Hibbert. [i needed the money, okay!]

Newcastle 3-1 Chelsea Ba '31, '47, '67 Torres '80