Gallowgate Toon

He has the main attribute to deal with the PL that alot of foreigners don't, and that's pace. Based on that i don't think he'll be a flop like Luque etc.

       Toure

Xavi          Arshavin

 

 

Messi         Keita

         

         Henry

 

They're not going to drop Iniesta after the season he just had.

Tel you who isn't getting enough credit  is Marcos Senna. Has been brilliant throughout this tournament and he was all over Arshavin like a rash yesterday.

 

Arshavin is still a good player and is allowed the odd off game, but what I didn;t really like about his performance was that he didn't seem to really make more of an effort to get into the game, ether that meant dropping deeper to pick up the ball or switching out wide a bit more to get more space. You wonder if he is one of those guys who just looks great when everything is setup perfectly for him, but otherwise doesn't really standout if an effort is made to shut him down.

Senna is class like, but Arshavin has never played against a holding midfielder in this tournament or one of any real class. All CL teams have a holding midfielder, and some are even better than Senna so i think put him in at Barca where he will be meeting these types of opponents week in week out then i think he'll be shown up big style.

 

 

Yes but in the champions league playing for Barcelona teams are not just going to stop Arshavin there is Messi Iniesta Xavi and whoever else they bring in

 

He was singled out yesterday because of how good he is put him in a team with other world class players and he will be brilliant

Man marking? if he signs for Barcelona he'll most likely be their AM, he's going to meet well balanced teams who play a holding midfielder, how's he going to cope.

Lots of players can be brilliant for Barca though, doesn't make them great, a great player can lift a shit team, can make a shit team good, Russia aren't shit and he didn't look good when he finally got some tough opposition.

Tel you who isn't getting enough credit  is Marcos Senna. Has been brilliant throughout this tournament and he was all over Arshavin like a rash yesterday.

 

Arshavin is still a good player and is allowed the odd off game, but what I didn;t really like about his performance was that he didn't seem to really make more of an effort to get into the game, ether that meant dropping deeper to pick up the ball or switching out wide a bit more to get more space. You wonder if he is one of those guys who just looks great when everything is setup perfectly for him, but otherwise doesn't really standout if an effort is made to shut him down.

Senna is class like, but Arshavin has never played against a holding midfielder in this tournament or one of any real class. All CL teams have a holding midfielder, and some are even better than Senna so i think put him in at Barca where he will be meeting these types of opponents week in week out then i think he'll be shown up big style.

 

Some of these posts on here are great. Suddenly he goes from being a amazing player to a pile of crap after one game.

 

Personnally I'm still on the amazing player side. Fingers crossed though chairmen around Europe are as fickle as some people on here and they'll not pursue their interest. *Wishful thinking*

Alot of people on here have never said he was great, i personally have never before mentioned that he's a 'great' player because i've never seen it in him. He's never played against the top opposition, so how can you judge him to be great? it was ridiculous to say how he was amazing after 2 matches.

Tbh he's not as mint as people have put him up to be, yeah he was class against Sweden but they're s*** and Holland suited the Russians, the Spanish control play whereas the Dutch are all about getting to the goal as fast as possible, Arshavin had loads of holes to drop into against the Dutch because they were so open but again its the opposite with the Spanish. I don't think it was a Spanish tactical masterclass, just the fact he's not good enough against the best teams, simple. This was his first big test, and he failed but the worrying thing is he's 27 he should be dealing with it better, never be a great player imo.

 

So, would you be saying you wouldn't welcome him as a signing then?

For us, he'd be class and i'd welcome him as he's miles better than anything here, but for the likes of Barca where he'll be playing in the Champions League i think its too much. I'm not saying he's not a good player because he is, but he'll never be great like he's been hyped up to be.

Tbh he's not as mint as people have put him up to be, yeah he was class against Sweden but they're s*** and Holland suited the Russians, the Spanish control play whereas the Dutch are all about getting to the goal as fast as possible, Arshavin had loads of holes to drop into against the Dutch because they were so open but again its the opposite with the Spanish. I don't think it was a Spanish tactical masterclass, just the fact he's not good enough against the best teams, simple. This was his first big test, and he failed but the worrying thing is he's 27 he should be dealing with it better, never be a great player imo.

I hate to say it, but in the head to head against Modric, the Croat looked a class above yesterday. Arda didn't do much wrong, but he didn't come close to the heights of Modric who was directing all of Croatia's best attacking play. Modric NEVER loses possession of the ball - as we've seen with N'Zogbia, it's all very well having great dribbling ability, but football intelligence counts for a lot as well. If we've bid £9m for Turan, it's still a good fee for a player who is still quite raw, so I wouldn't rule us out for his signature just yet.

Is that not unjust though, this tournament Arda has been played out wide left, Modric has been deployed in a central role. It's much easier for Modric to be the pinnacle of play over Arda as he is in the centre, where most play is created.

Didn't catch the whole game btw just the penalties, so i'm not sure who was where last night.

We didn't win one single game without Oba, says it all really.

Can I point out that no matter how fabulous Martins is on his day he has a habit of going missing big time, fluffing easy chances, miscontrolling the ball and forgetting he has any pace.

 

A good player? Yes, some of the time. A player we couldn't replace? Don't be daft.

Maybe but that was pre Keegan, where he was under-confident and under isolation, he has never been the same since Keegan put him in that 4-3-3 with a good contribution to the team, much improved general play and goals. I think it would be unfair to judge how good Martins is until we've seen more of him. Please name a player like him? how can you replace that pace when there are not many if any quicker?

Martins scared the shiit out of them but was faced with no options, another defender or turning back on himself to find two players on him. Worked very hard backtracking aswell. Good team instruction to get the diagonal ball down the wing on the break for him at all costs!!Positive game from him.

 

 

Today i think showed how good a player he really is, technically looked good, and was the only real threat for me.

Dunne would be a good signing.

Consistent. Proven. Good player. No pissing about with this signing, it wouldnt be taking a chance it would be a solid buy and I for one would be happy with it

Personally think that Dunne has looked shit without Richards. Never looked a player before this season either.

According to telegraph 91% passing accuracy today, and their MOTM.

 

His build up play has really stood out under Keegan, maybe because he's been encouraged to play the ball around on the floor rather than be expected to control 70 yard balls being fired out from the back.

 

Agree, his infamous first touch has actually looked pretty good, not that it was that bad anyway. Shown good skills and some intelligent passing.

According to telegraph 91% passing accuracy today, and their MOTM.

Enrique really needs to work on his passing

 

 

so many times this season he kicks it straight out of play fs

Disagree, his passing this season has been excellent just today he was a bit off.

 

I can live with the odd miss-hit pass, what pleases me is the intent to play the ball, or the ideas behind the passes. Enrique was trying to set Martins away with a curved channel ball in between the full-back and centre-half, while playing on the touchline himself, one of the hardest passes to pull off. With such passes, you're going to send a few astray, but it only takes one killer ball....

I agree, some of his passes this season have been brilliant, and he seems to consistently pull them off. Him and Martins are an extremely dangerous combination down that left flank.

Enrique really needs to work on his passing

 

 

so many times this season he kicks it straight out of play fs

Disagree, his passing this season has been excellent just today he was a bit off.

Bojan reminds me of a young Michael Owen when he makes those runs of his' in the box. And I think that's a really good thing btw.

 

Pato's quite selfish from what I've seen so if he cannot become more of a team player I don't think he'll fulfill his potential, whilst Bojan will become a world-class striker because of his attitude and of course his top-notch movement and finishing.

I watched Milan vs Empoli (i think) and Pato has an absolute mare, scored the goal but the commentators lambasted him for not passing. Rightly so imo, just tried to dribble past everyone.

Hows that Dos Santos doing at Barca these days? Isn't he supposed to be good n all?

Yer, i thought him and Bojan were supposed to be the best youngsters in Spain.

Personally thought that Martins displayed great technical ability today, first touch looked pretty good imo.

i think it's disgusting how the bbc's priorities lie within the title race over good football games, shambolic.

Delighted Martins was left on and got a goal. He looked over the moon after his goal too 

Did he do some flips?

YESSSSSSS

Henry was something else, he was not as skillful as Ronaldo but alot more elegant with the way he moved and picked things out, he never scored a 'scrappy' goal.

I thought Reyes was good for Arsenal (from memory). The only reason they sold him was because he was doing things like refusing to play and not getting stuck in and being an all round twat. Didn't he score quite alot? certainly remember a couple of screamers from him.

Still think we should try for Santa Cruz, he's like a Viduka except doesn't get injured all the time and is better all round.

Had more than his fair share of injury problems, if my memory serves me correctly.