Dr Venkman

is this the good news we were hearing about last night then?

Great example, a team that practically gave up on the league to concentrate on the cup and got relegated. Honestly, if you dont want to try and win a cup, why not just give up and stop watching football? Whats the point? You make it sound like I would hate to win it. League position is far more important to me than staying in a cup I think we've got little chance of lifting, European qualification is our main goal and it's what will help attract better players to the club, I think we've got more chance of getting that through finishing higher in the league than winning a cup with Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea still in there. If we get to the semi's I'll show some interest and belief we can win it but until then I see it as a good way of giving some of our young lads more experience, nothing more than that. ridiculous, if we can win the semi final and the final we can win in the quarters Think what you like, I care about this game about as much as I did about losing to Stevenage last season. Nobody cares in the grand scheme of things and will soon be forgotten if we go out. nobody cares about winning cups in the grand scheme of things? i do. but you'll start caring if we win two more cup games? strange. Nobody cares come the end of the season if we get knocked out in the early stages, it's soon forgotten about unless we get to the semi's. Like I said if we get to the semi's then I'll start having a strong belief that we can win the thing, until then it's a mere pipe dream and I won't lose too much sleep if we go out to Blackburn, in fact I'll see it as a good break for our players. right o, i'll be really pissed off if we fail to get to the quarters because we cant beat a blackburn side we pissed all over just a few weeks ago.

best view in the ground, fucking atrocious crack

Great example, a team that practically gave up on the league to concentrate on the cup and got relegated. Honestly, if you dont want to try and win a cup, why not just give up and stop watching football? Whats the point? You make it sound like I would hate to win it. League position is far more important to me than staying in a cup I think we've got little chance of lifting, European qualification is our main goal and it's what will help attract better players to the club, I think we've got more chance of getting that through finishing higher in the league than winning a cup with Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea still in there. If we get to the semi's I'll show some interest and belief we can win it but until then I see it as a good way of giving some of our young lads more experience, nothing more than that. ridiculous, if we can win the semi final and the final we can win in the quarters Think what you like, I care about this game about as much as I did about losing to Stevenage last season. Nobody cares in the grand scheme of things and will soon be forgotten if we go out. nobody cares about winning cups in the grand scheme of things? i do. but you'll start caring if we win two more cup games? strange.

pretty good looking table if chelsea lose like

Great example, a team that practically gave up on the league to concentrate on the cup and got relegated. Honestly, if you dont want to try and win a cup, why not just give up and stop watching football? Whats the point? You make it sound like I would hate to win it. League position is far more important to me than staying in a cup I think we've got little chance of lifting, European qualification is our main goal and it's what will help attract better players to the club, I think we've got more chance of getting that through finishing higher in the league than winning a cup with Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea still in there. If we get to the semi's I'll show some interest and belief we can win it but until then I see it as a good way of giving some of our young lads more experience, nothing more than that. ridiculous, if we can win the semi final and the final we can win in the quarters

Alan parry says it was never easy after city win 6-1

Haaaaaaaaaaahahaha!

I've never said he doesn't track back, You said a number 10 is expected to do it in the first sentence of your last post. I know, I don't remember saying he doesn't track back though. You were just mentioning it as an aside then?

Yep,and cabaye had space to run the ball through the middle as a result of Wigan midfielders dropping off to mark HBA. HBA's individual performances haven't been great but the change to the effectiveness of the team with him in it is undeniable imo.

I've never said he doesn't track back, You said a number 10 is expected to do it in the first sentence of your last post.

Is it just me that finds fans singing the name of their rich owners utterly cringe-worthy? Heard the QPR fans doing it as well,city fans doing it now.awful. Does anyone remember us ever doing this when we were class in the 90's?

Your main creative outlet is your main creative outlet,whether they are wide or through the middle,they're not commonly relied on for a lot of defensive work even though I'd probably say wide players are commonly expected to track back more than a play maker who plays off the striker. The only person who can tell us whether HBA is expected to track back and help for our team is Pardew,fwiw though I did see him getting back into positions to block passes yesterday and you can clearly see it on one passage of play on motd (I think for rodallega's late chance). There's been a lot of excitement about him and it seems like you're playing devils advocate which is your prerogative. The above stuff from both of us is all about opinions and I respect yours but I feel you're being a bit harsh on him. Imo he's twice changed the team for the better in the last two games,whilst losing the ball a bit. The Taylor comparison wasn't a direct one based on tackling,it was about weaknesses in a players game that aren't gonna change and accepting it.

Exactly,obviously not everything but there are certain tackles you cant win,and you having been in possession of the ball previously doesn't change that. As I said in another thread,plenty of people at the match who don't understand the game,they've either never played or can't remember it. We've been crying out for a creative player for ages,don't piss and moan at him for trying to be creative and don't expect 50/50's to be one of his strong points. All of those challenges yesterday he had a good chance of winning or drawing the freekick, I don't buy this jumping out of the way is a good thing and if you don't you don't understand the game. I don't remember seeing Beardsley jump out of the way of challenges in the middle of the park that he had a chance of winning and the same goes for most players in this country, why is it that Ben Arfa should be exempt from challenging for the ball when it's there to be won? The first part of the post up to the comma I consider to be untrue. I'm not gonna defend him or the way he plays on here because it'll go on for ages,you've obviously yet to be convinced by him but in my opinion we're a much better team with him,including him ducking out of a few challenges (let's not forget he's just coming back from a double leg break) My comments on people not understanding the game are related to attacking players being allowed to lose the ball within reason,something that alex ferguson has said is the key to a good team,not to ducking out of tackles (which in my opinion yesterday was a result of him trying to attack Wigan) Robert and Ginola didn't exactly get stuck in. I wouldn't waste your time being upset with ben Arfa for not crunching into tackles,you may as well be upset with Steve Taylor for making the odd daft tackle,it's part of his game that's not gonna change.

My god do I hate Ashley Young,cheating little cunt.

Was gonna post something similar to this,there's so many people at the match that know absolutely fuck all about the game,which us fine in itself,but detrimental when you're gonna jeer your own players. Fans are getting carried away already and the moaning was in over drive yesterday. I wasn't at the game yesterday but I get the feeling the 'fans' we lost when we got relegated have started to make a return. As it has already been said, too many are going expecting spankings and/or looking like the big man infront of their mates. People really need to take a step back and just look where we are - up in fourth, unbeaten, gaining a point/all 3 in games where we previously crumbled, witnessing a togetherness stretching from AP down to the academy and all the time whilst we're not firing on all fronts. There are always going to be weak areas (forgetting Obertan's confidence levels for this arguement, look at the stick Raylor and Simpson are getting despite having one of the tightest defences in the country) but we shouldn't be expecting. I agree a home game against Wigan is a game we should be winning but getting on players backs after a few misplaced balls? Pathetic. I'd hate to think what damage these 'supporters' would have done to the team and themselves had they been at either of the Wembley cup finals, either game in the Marseille/Manure semi final week, the day we were relegated at Villa, being beaten at Blackpool and being stuffed 3-0 to Derby in the Championship season etc. If they believe we have a right to be up in the top four and winning stuff, please politely fuck off to the likes of Liverpool/Spurs and allow the rest of us to take away whatever positives we individually go to the football for! top post

Far far too many changes in the line ups being posted,we 're one round away from the quarters,this is our best chance in years considering the way the first team's playing.

Exactly,obviously not everything but there are certain tackles you cant win,and you having been in possession of the ball previously doesn't change that. As I said in another thread,plenty of people at the match who don't understand the game,they've either never played or can't remember it. We've been crying out for a creative player for ages,don't piss and moan at him for trying to be creative and don't expect 50/50's to be one of his strong points.

Was gonna post something similar to this,there's so many people at the match that know absolutely fuck all about the game,which us fine in itself,but detrimental when you're gonna jeer your own players. Fans are getting carried away already and the moaning was in over drive yesterday.

That's not what he's said, he's just pointing out that Obertan is getting games when he's not earning his place in the team. I agree,doesn't really need to be pointed out. My comment was aimed at the fans that jeered him off,out of some weird satisfaction that they get from slagging players at games,which is only gonna dent his already fragile confidence.

absolutely, disgusting the way he was jeered off Wrong as it was I don't think Pardew has helped by adding to the fans frustration with him by selecting him week after week when he doesn't contribute much at all. depends what's more important to you, the team playing well or dedicating one day a week to pissing and moaning at the players

absolutely, disgusting the way he was jeered off

Absolutely,you have to let your creative players play. Thankfully I think Pardew knows it.

Lot of people on about him losing the ball,which he did do (and will do quite a bit every single time he plays so people need to get used to it) but he provides a threat through the middle which worries defenders and opens up space for other players. That's twice in two games him just being on the pitch has changed our attacking play for the better imo,and he's not even playing that well.

He can do in one touch what Best can do in four,that was the difference in the second half.