Cronky

Just to make a different point - they've had a particularly difficult time this season with injuries, and whilst they've not been as competitive over the last few years, their problems this season have somewhat distorted the picture. Szczesny Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs Wilshere Song Ramsey Ox-Chamb Van Persie Gervinho is actually a pretty good side.

It hasn't helped, but to lay arsenals problems down to just that is naive to say the least. I didn't say it was Arsenal's only problem. What we're talking about is what happened after 2005 to create the Arsenal trophy drought. I don't think Wenger turned into a bad manager. The opposition changed. Chelsea created a completely different financial climate, and only Man U and now Man City have been able to keep up with them. A lot of other clubs have struggled to win a trophy. Arsenal are highlighted because they were so successful before. Of the 18 domestic trophies in the last six seasons, 13 have gone to Man U and Chelsea. No-one else has won more than one trophy. Look at the players they've lost to richer clubs - Nasri, Fabregas, Toure, Adebayor, Clichy, Cole. It's like Wenger's only able to develop his side to a certain point and then someone goes. And how many other players have gone to those clubs that previously Arsenal might have signed? Well 'that's what's happened' implies differently. Anyway, to go in to it the opposition has changed but it is only a minor factor in what has happened, otherwise you wouldn't see Tottenham where they are now, or hand Birmingham a League Cup. Tottenham have bought well, like other teams including ourselves, Tiote and Cabaye would easily fit in to Arsenal's team, where was Wenger when they were snapped up, or even the likes of Santon, highly rated young fullback who can play both sides, no he's gone for that Santos bloke who is shite, cost more and is a panic buy. Wenger has forced himself in to panic buying, who'd have ever thought that would happen? Same story when going for the German tanker (another panic buy) at the back instead of going for the proven Cahill, young and talented, and people who say Arsenal can't pay the wages so Wenger's hands are tied were shown to be wrong on that one, Cahill didn't want the earth and it was to do with the transfer fee, again 100% controlled by Wenger and not the club. He goes out and buys the likes of Gervinho and Chamerblain while having failing forward/wingers on the books in Walcott, Arshavin etc without offloading them, he sticks with two failed keepers for years making massive blunders and is fuking bloody lucky SirChesney has landed in his lap or everything right now would be 10 times as bad, or he'd have went with Alumina for another 4 seasons. The centre of the park is void of leadership, in fact the whole squad is, someone who could have filled it easily enough, for cheap, Scott Parker, went to their rivals. Parker would have been all over Arsenal if they went for it, instead...Arteta, who is a good player, but consistent, impressionable and gritty he isn't, and that's what's missing. Think Moyes would play Arteta without having protection in the centre? No chance. Arsenal have a great plan A, but don't have the players to pull it off anymore, and plan B doesn't exist because Wenger is so adamant his first policy is spot on and won't change a damn thing. Stubborn doesnt cover it by a long shot. Wenger seems to think he can play his way out of trouble, but he can't his problems on the pitch lie in the heads of his players, as well as his own fans and opposition. Everyone sees Arsenal as a soft touch and should be treated as such, no one respects them apart from RVP, and Arsenal of old has 4-5 players of that quality in the team, which is where you point comes in as he doesn't have them any more, but its his job to replace them. Modric and Bale didn't arrive ready made handed to Spurs on a plate, Arsenal could have afforded and attracted them two at the time and there are many players out there which are the next gen and they are missing out on. Chamberlain will come good, solid player but in this Arsenal team under this Wenger, he'll become a Walcott MKII, there's nothing more than that for him here. Wenger needs to go tough, get some strength, leadership, height and cunning in the team, at the back and in the centre mainly, then the rest of his flair plan will work, until then as soon as pressure is applied apart from Song it all falls apart spectacularly. We could get into a debate about the quality of many of the players you've mentioned, but I reckon we'd then be missing the wood for the trees. You haven't really commented on the points that I raised. Would you accept that, in the pre-Abramovich, pre-Mansour days, Arsenal would have probably been able to keep hold of the likes of Clichy, Nasri, Adebayor, Toure and Cole (players who have gone to nouveau riche rivals), and therefore be in a much stronger position? Would you also accept that, if the pre-2005 side was operating in the current financial climate, Arsenal would have probably failed to keep hold of the likes of Henry and Bergkamp?

It hasn't helped, but to lay arsenals problems down to just that is naive to say the least. I didn't say it was Arsenal's only problem. What we're talking about is what happened after 2005 to create the Arsenal trophy drought. I don't think Wenger turned into a bad manager. The opposition changed. Chelsea created a completely different financial climate, and only Man U and now Man City have been able to keep up with them. A lot of other clubs have struggled to win a trophy. Arsenal are highlighted because they were so successful before. Of the 18 domestic trophies in the last six seasons, 13 have gone to Man U and Chelsea. No-one else has won more than one trophy. Look at the players they've lost to richer clubs - Nasri, Fabregas, Toure, Adebayor, Clichy, Cole. It's like Wenger's only able to develop his side to a certain point and then someone goes. And how many other players have gone to those clubs that previously Arsenal might have signed?

Too many supporters a) have short memories and b) think that the solution to a problem is to sack the manager. Financially, they've been squeezed out from the top players by Man City, Chelsea, Man U, Barca and Real. That's what's happened.

It's a silly article, but I've read other articles on NUFC sites which have the same self-important tone. In the course of an argument, Suarez made reference to his opponent's race. That is wrong. The rest is froth.

The usual wisdom is to make yourself hard to beat first, and move on from there.

I am Kevin Keegan. I slag myself off to test how much you love me.

It would had been his own fault completely. If you don't do due diligence then you deserve to lose x amount of money. If you buy a house without doing a survey and the house falls down, it's your fault you've lost your money, but it's not your fault that the house has fallen down. That's down to the neglect of the previous owner. The bizarre logic that's often applied to Ashley is that because he's to blame for not spending his money wisely, he's also to blame for the problems that emerged.

An interesting statistic is that we are 5th from bottom of the league in terms of chances created, but 4th from top in terms of the conversion rate of those chances. It sometimes feels to me like Pardew has pared down the art of winning games to the bare bones, and this no-frills method is what's carrying us through. It's not pretty to watch but tbh results are more important than performances. I do have faith that we're a work in progress and we'll move forward from this point though.

However dodgy this appears, it sounds like this bloke has played a canny game and he and Rangers will probably emerge far stronger for it. At taxpayers' expense, mind.

Right from the start, Liverpool seem to have regarded the incident as Man U trying to get one over on them. Whilst Fergie hasn't been above taking advantage of the situation, there's more to it than that. They should have recognised the situation early and taken it on the chin. Instead, they've taken it up the arse.

Incredibly, it seems that Suarez initially agreed to shake hands, then changed his mind without telling anyone at the club. Either that, or it was a split second impulse. It doesn't say much for the bloke's maturity and reliability. The club must really be wondering whether they've backed the wrong horse.

So in the end, they've been forced to grovel. Even then, it has the feeling of too little too late.

I can remember one of our players - I think it was Dabizas - saying that Dalglish was too close to many of the players during his time here. He didn't keep the appropriate distance as a manager. Dalglish went seamlessly at Liverpool from being a player, to player-manager to manager. That may not have been the best apprenticeship.

Tbh I was a bit worried about Ba's performance in that secondary striker role. He looked ponderous and struggled to keep hold of the ball and couldn't link either with his main striker or his midfield - essentials for that role. A lot of moves broke down with him. Yes, the opposition was tough, but I didn't think he played well against Villa either. Maybe he'll look better in a 4-3-3. Let's hope so, because Cisse is now the player who we want to see leading the line.

Dalglish is out of his depth with this issue. He's talking about the handshake as though it was not his concern. If Ferguson had been in his position, he'd have ordered Suarez to shake hands and there's no way that Suarez would have done otherwise. Dalglish is identifying too much with the player, and not enough with the welfare of the club, or the game as a whole.

I suppose if we'd been told a few weeks ago that we'd be at White Hart Lane with Perch and Guthrie in CM, we'd have predicted this kind of result. So let's leave the panic button alone. Incredibly, we're only a point off 4th place with 13 games to go. Our dreams are still intact.

I don't understand how you can do that without comparing to the alternatives. What was disciplined about Assou Ekotto being allowed to amble into our area while the bloke who should have been tracking him was stood thirty yards behind him? If you look at my original post, it's clear I'm speculating as to Pardew's reasoning. I'm not saying whether he's right or wrong when it comes to an Obertan v Ben Arfa decision. I think Pardew was seriously pissed off with Ben Arfa during the Blackburn game, hauled him off, was pleased at the effect, and that has affected his thinking.

Perhaps people could actually read what I've said. I wasn't comparing his defensive abilities against anyone else's. I was saying there's an additional issue for Pardew to do with team discipline and keeping the side's shape. Rightly or wrongly, I think that's why he picked Obertan rather than Ben Arfa.

With Ben Arfa, you clearly gain creative ability at the expense of defensive strength when you select him. I suspect the additional problem though as far as Pardew is concerned is his willingness to go by team instructions. He looks very undisciplined in his play. I think a telling moment for Pardew came when he subbed Ben Arfa for Perch at half-time against Blackburn, and all of a sudden we had a much better shape and started to look like a team.

But we didn't attack though Well we did try, but nearly all our attacking play broke down 30 - 40 yards from their goal.

It was a fairly positive selection with two strikers and two wide men, but we weren't good enough to match them. Ferguson's a very promising young player who did a decent job and should get more chances. Colo seemed to lose heart, which you don't want to see in your captain.

No challenge at all by Colo for the first header. Not good enough.

I've no problem with the Fergie switch. A midfielder who can defend. A young lad who needs experience.

A big part of the manager's job is take unpopular but realistic decisions. It feels like the Villa game made Pardew a bit over-confident, or at least reluctant to make any changes.