mozy

He was genuinely excellent today, both playing ahead and when he covered in for Anita at the base. Cracking set pieces too.

After today there is at least hope. The shape was excellent and the style of play was how I like to see, direct but pleasing on the eye. We have the players for a fluid 4-3-3 and I truly hope this continues.

That's all nonsense. The guy is a complete liability defensively who doesn't position himself well and switches off far too often when someone makes a run from behind him. Furthermore, as we don't have a line hugging left winger the width needs to come from the left back, which exposes Santon's reluctance to both hit the byline and cross with his left foot. Haidara is very raw, but he's naturally stronger, quicker, a better defender and also happens to be left footed.

Santon has had 3 seasons in our first team and not improved one bit. Furthermore, leftbacks should be left footed, sick of seeing him spack up a clearance down the line because he doesn't know what his left foot is supposed to do.

Real are so refreshingly direct. Excellent stuff.

Surely you can agree Haidara deserves a chance to nail down the spot though? Santon has had a free run at it since coming into the club with no competition, and rarely looked exceptional.

Haidara and even Dummett deserve a run of games before Santon gets back in. And the fact he has no fucking left peg to speak of.

If he went like this I'd actually give the guy some credit. Unfortunately neither of those things will happen.

Obviously words aren't Alan's strong point but in today's Sky soundbite he did say something along the lines of 'If Siem and Cheikh are back then I'll have my strongest team available.' To me that means he sees the supposed 'strongest 11' as a 4-4-1-1 to which I'd guess Krul, Janmaat, Mike, Colo, Haidara, Sissoko, Tiote, Colback, Cabella, De Jong, Riviere. That is quite simply a terrible usage of the forward 6 players.

Agree with all of that apart from Colo instead of MYM. If De Jong is still injured then probably have to play Colback.

Classic Obertan - loves playing in pre season, the reserves, Europa league, can't hack the PL.

The old ice hockey unit change

This is just so much better

Hard not to get excited by Aarons

This 4-3-3 is the way forward

Not sure if you're insulting Anita or Colback Colback is a shit footballer but he knows where he should be on the pitch. Anita would be so much better as a single pivot. No he doesn't, he runs forward for no reason giving Anita nobody to pass the ball to Running forward from CM is one of the lost skills in modern football. A deep holding duo is one of the worst things to watch. Although as Kaka said, I'd much rather have Sissoko there.

5 laps of the pitch and some shuttle runs before ending with a 30 minute crossbar challenge.

Not sure if you're insulting Anita or Colback Colback is a shit footballer but he knows where he should be on the pitch. Anita would be so much better as a single pivot.

We've had a couple of nice combination moves but nothing like consistently or regularly enough. Cabella obviously at the heart of everything good. Colback playing ahead of Anita which is good, at least he has a semi functioning brain even if he is shite.

Bearing in mind we currently have G. Obertan as the backup right winger, I think we can say he improves the squad.

I suppose the defence is what I want to see, that's about it. If Colback plays slightly ahead of Anita then it might work, inevitably he will sit right alongside him as we concede possession.

Am I alone in thinking Arsenal have got a great fee for a very average centre back?

The incredible thing is that as bad as Pardew is, he's probably still around the middle of the pack if you were to rank the premier league managers.

What we will get is a huge level of inconsistency in results as per. Certain teams struggle against the hoofball we inflict so invariably that means the odd 'Freee' points. The talented squad we have will keep us in midtable boredom until the cycle repeats itself and the good ones choose to follow the ambition. I hope to be proved wrong.