TRon

Precisely which is why I said I thought they were as poor as each other today Well we might need to look at which two central defenders gel the best then. I'm not convinced by this pair tbh, they don't look on the same wavelength but it's early days. They looked good as a pair last weekend IMO, and have played Man United & Arsenal in their other two games, playing well against Arsenal. A decent start, certainly nothing to be "not convinced by" I'm not asking you to be convinced or not convinced, I'm just saying how I saw it. They seem to end up a fair way apart and don't look like they are reading each other's play as a unit at times. But then it's only three matches in so that's maybe why.

Doesn't look fit at all. I said earlier on he's been abysmal today but I don't think he's over-rated. He was very good last season, but he doesn't look right at the moment. He was walking around by the end, don't know if he was injured or what?

The difference between the two today from what I saw anyway, was that Fabregas took chances in terms of playing the ball forward, making runs and joining up with the attack. I've seen a good range of passing from Guthrie and he can clearly pass the ball well, short and long under pressure and with time and space, but where are the killer balls? I'd rather see a player attempt 5 such balls even if they all failed than 20 tippy-tappy square passes because it only takes one killer ball and we have the player in Owen to make the most of such a ball. To his credit he did ping one such ball which Owen badly miscontrolled. Had he not he could have shot first time, controlled and dragged it to his left to shoot or squared. Hard to gauge a midfielder's final ball when there's no effective strikers up front, that applies to Jonas too who looks like he can pick a pass given half a chance.

Precisely which is why I said I thought they were as poor as each other today Well we might need to look at which two central defenders gel the best then. I'm not convinced by this pair tbh, they don't look on the same wavelength but it's early days.

i didn't think taylor was that bad. he made quite a few good contributions. Precisely, I can't understand how Butt's poor performance only let Colocinni down of the two centre halves? No surprise to see you jumping to Taylor's defence again. he's right though, and i've been pretty critical of taylor recently. colo didn't perform any worse than he did in our first 3 games imo, and taylor played a lot better than he did against manure imo, but arsenal were just better than us. But Coloccini was better than both Taylor and Beye today without doubt, even if he wasn't at his best. I really can't be bothered with the "he was better this week" which is as bad as the Martins vs Owen shite, but people seem to be running Colo down as a way of deflecting criticism from what was a worse performance by Taylor. I'd say its exactly the other way around. No one wants to say that Colo was just as poor as Taylor when that really is the case. It does get tedious though when people draw battle lines over certain players.

Maybe I like Colo because he's one of those defenders who takes the ball off forwards or intercepts. Enrique does it and funnily enough, Bassong looks like he can do it as well. Colo loooks like a decent tackler as well, maybe there is a question mark over his heading, but in general looks a good defender to me.

sad thing is, that's how an awful lot of people seem to see it. He was no better than anyone else in our back four today, but is saved criticism because he is the new boy. Most new boys will get some slack, especially if they come from a foreign league because it takes time to adjust to the Premier. That said, I think he's done ok, and should get better.

Pretty much word perfect

The tackle on Nasri was clean, but I'm pretty sure he's going to miss a few of those and they will end up looking pretty nasty. If he's off the pace like last season in any case. At least he looked a bit more lively today.

I don't mind being out-classed. I don't like being out-run and out-fought which we were mostly. They looked much hungrier.

Sounds like a head case.

I see Taylor making those blocks which in one way show great commitment and bravery, but in another way make you wonder why he's not closer to a striker and is looking like "last man standing" so often. Taylor isn't good at man-marking IMO, for a CB that's not a weakness you can carry. The blocks he made were when nasri, fabregas and vela when he dropped off were runing at the defence from deep. You can't manmark CMs as a centre back, it's not right. truth be told Guthrie and Butt should have been chasing back making tackles but htey weren't. I'm not saying Taylor's perfect, or even good (i think Bassong's going to be better at CB than him, but given 5 yeasr of further education his best footballing years from 27-32 will be good ones i feel, very good ones). I'm saying Taylor did at least as well as Colo today, who stepped out to make so many challenges and missed them. If you go high up the park to win a tackle, you have to make it. Colo didn't plenty of times and left holes in behind. But he's new, and he'll learn. He was clearly tired and stretched his calf out on the 78 min mark. Also, Colo daudled on the ball at one point and adebayor almost got in when it needed a quick pass back to shay or a clearance. I'd love to have heard the comments on here if taylor or (dare i say it) bramble would have done that. Colo does step out to make challenges, and that takes anticipaion and a good reading of the game. I wouldn't say he missed many, but he has looked like getting caught a couple of times when he thinks he has more time than is safe. I would agree with HTT though, that the defence was probably exposed a bit today, the Arsenal midfield were allowed far too much room. They certainly didn't allow us much.

ON the plus side, it's the last time we'll be seeing him in an NUFC shirt. No, he's not going anywhere, I just can't believe KK will ever let him start a match again.

He's not that bad up to a certain level. I think in games against the best teams he just isn't going to be able to cope with their speed and athleticism. Aresenal were running rings round our midfield today, Guthrie just about started to catch up by the end, Butt was chasing shadows all evening. He wasn't the only one though.

I see Taylor making those blocks which in one way show great commitment and bravery, but in another way make you wonder why he's not closer to a striker and is looking like "last man standing" so often. Taylor isn't good at man-marking IMO, for a CB that's not a weakness you can carry.

I only saw Krul in that one Euro game but he looked outstanding in that. To be fair, Forster looks like a hell of a prodspect too. Feyenoord have got themselves a very good young keeper I think.

I'magreed with Kaka on this one, yes Taylor is decent in the air, but on the deck he just backs off and ends up marking no one, IMO making it more difficult for anyone else to know who to pick up. I also thought Habib Beye looked disinterested today, I don't know if he's carrying an injury but he looks way off the pace. Arsenal played well, but we didn't really play with any passion or tempo. Very flat performance. On a positive note, if we are going to have a weakened team, it might as well be at the Emirates, where we probably weren't going to get much anyway. The win last week was much more important.

haha, some people never learn. I'm sure premiership quality footballlers will be playing in the sunday leagues tomorrow. We might find a quality centre forward playing for the Blue Star for a couple of quid. Go get 'em lads they're out there somewhere. I didn't realise that Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourhino had been getting it wrong by buying quality footballers all these years. Slap their wrists. Quite ironic that the 2 strikers most valuable to the club at the present time were "panic signings/trophy signings" bought by the previous regime, but I'll let you absorb that one. There's nowt wrong with trophy signings if they are added to a well balanced squad. Buying one superstar and not being able to strengthen the rest of the squad as a result is what people have usually not been happy about, although you probably already know this. that's what i meant, i.e. we get samuel eto'o in for 30m on monday but don't have a right winger or CM for the rest of the season not sure if he realised what i meant or not Yep that's pretty much spot on.

haha, some people never learn. I'm sure premiership quality footballlers will be playing in the sunday leagues tomorrow. We might find a quality centre forward playing for the Blue Star for a couple of quid. Go get 'em lads they're out there somewhere. I didn't realise that Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourhino had been getting it wrong by buying quality footballers all these years. Slap their wrists. Quite ironic that the 2 strikers most valuable to the club at the present time were "panic signings/trophy signings" bought by the previous regime, but I'll let you absorb that one. There's nowt wrong with trophy signings if they are added to a well balanced squad. Buying one superstar and not being able to strengthen the rest of the squad as a result is what people have usually not been happy about, although you probably already know this.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner. If only Martin O'Neill had your football expertise eh. A smart comment...very good M'ON is a good coach who likes to play quite direct functional football, for which you need certain types of players. KK plays a more passing game which requires slightly different types. Milner might be worth more to one coach than another. For example, O'Neill might pay £12m but Wenger might not be prepared to even pay £6m.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner. True, but if we don't buy a replacement then it isn't such a good deal. 1) I think it's a good deal regardless if you take a long term view to improve the quality of the squad. 2) I believe Keegan when he says there will be players coming in.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner.

Really? then why hasn't he been snapped up by a big club? And does one season where you get noticed really justify this "top, top quality" comment? Enough big clubs have been in for him, but you can't blame them for not wanting to spend £25m on a 27 yr old. I am not justifying the top quality remark, that's just my opinion of him after the Euros. He looks to have everything going forwards...vision, pace, finishing ability. I don't dispute that he has some quality, he has shown flashes of it in the Euros and during last season. But "top, top quality" suggests in my book someone of a standard where a £25m fee wouldn't stop a big club from buying him. Like I said, if he was 23 instead of 27 I'm sure he'd have been sold by now. Drogba? Cantona? Ginola? ""I wish I'd seen him at 21 or 22. I predict he will come to the Premier League, or go to a big club in Italy. The way he plays is something very special."" - Arsene Wenger

Really? then why hasn't he been snapped up by a big club? And does one season where you get noticed really justify this "top, top quality" comment? Enough big clubs have been in for him, but you can't blame them for not wanting to spend £25m on a 27 yr old. I am not justifying the top quality remark, that's just my opinion of him after the Euros. He looks to have everything going forwards...vision, pace, finishing ability. I don't dispute that he has some quality, he has shown flashes of it in the Euros and during last season. But "top, top quality" suggests in my book someone of a standard where a £25m fee wouldn't stop a big club from buying him. Like I said, if he was 23 instead of 27 I'm sure he'd have been sold by now.

Really? then why hasn't he been snapped up by a big club? And does one season where you get noticed really justify this "top, top quality" comment? Enough big clubs have been in for him, but you can't blame them for not wanting to spend £25m on a 27 yr old. I am not justifying the top quality remark, that's just my opinion of him after the Euros. He looks to have everything going forwards...vision, pace, finishing ability.