gbandit

Think you're pushing it a bit there. London is a lot like anywhere else. It's the busyness and the size that make it a difficult place to live but there are large areas which are beautiful with people who are very much the same as in Newcastle/Edinburgh (the only other two places I've lived). The tube is ugly and around Bank you'll find a lot of twats but if you can handle a fast pace then it can be a really exciting place to live. I love the countryside however and would love to live in a rural spot later on in life

That's a huge contradiction. Someone mentioned Zaha on the other page, I actually think he'd be a decent acquisition, definitely expecting him to make the PL grade at some point this season or next.

Lived in London for two years now. Pretty much really disliked it for the first 6 months due to location. I find that the longer you stay here, the better it becomes. I wish I had more cash and more free time but that's the working/living world. I would happily stay here until I was in my early thirties but then look to get out. Can see it being a massively attractive option to foreigners.

Don't know how I feel about Everton starting the season well - this better mean they fuck the end up

He's quality, funny as fuck, loves the club and is actually really talented. If he gets a full season he'll show how good a player he is

Who's laughing now, cock nose? Hope Pardew doesn't read that, could really hurt his feelings

Think I'd go with Ferguson on the left, Marv on the right but apart from that, the side's decent consortium. Would definitely be playing Campbell at some point, especially if we take a lead. He'll almost definitely play Obertan though

I agree about pinpointing most important players being stupid but I think the link between getting to CL football sometimes requires an attacking player that is really rare. Someone who drives the team towards seemingly unlikely victories. I think HBA is capable of that in the way that his individual talent can win matches in a way others maybe can't

Do people think he's the most important player in the squad as regards our chances of getting CL football (by chances I mean, very unlikely chances)?

I was trying to find a good derp image for that. Think Jdc broke on that post

Personally don't have a problem with any thread being derailed as long as it's buy decent debate. No thread gets derailed for more than 3-4 pages anyway. The worst thing though is when there are three-four pages of puns, wouldn't mind that being outlawed

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3983681624_1b2ebcd9d4_m.jpg What have you done?

If cisse continues where he left off last season, we're odds on for CL football

same thing is said every year ... they will click and bounce back. There is an abundance of quality in that squad. Far more than in our own. Wenger is a very good tactician, he will assess his squad and configure a game plan that works for them. I'm a big fan of Wenger, I love the style he gets them to play and I think he develops talent superbly well. However, I really don't think he's an excellent tactician. He gets good movement and has so many fast players with good technique that going forward, they're a great side. However, his spending in the market and the amount of times he buys 17 year olds when he should be buying full professionals makes me wonder what's going through his head. Really don't think the dynamics of their team have been balanced for about 7 years and last season they were incredibly fortunate to finish where they did. Take out RVP and replace him with an ok striker, they'd have finished 7th/8th

Beardsley in his talk in said he thinks Marv is just as good as Ben Arfa. In training hard to split them, both have their days. Nice to hear but they're very different players. Ben Arfa is just a tank at running at people and moving forward with the ball. Marv releases it much earlier but with really precise passes, his movement is superb and he has incredible touch. while he doesn't have the pace and dribble technique of Ben Arfa he probably has the best technique after Ben Arfa in our squad

How's it terrible? It's was Skrtel being a clown. If ben arfa nipped in front of galas, took the ball away and gallas has swiped his legs when attempting a pass, i'd be screaming a pen and expecting a pen as well. Doesn't matter if you actually going to pass the ball and kick the players heels it's still a foul surely? Long was in possession and in a dangerous position and he gets brought down. Stonewall for me. Perhaps I need to see it again but for me, it looked like there was barely any contact. I'm not someone who says - contact = pen. But like I said, I'll need to see it again

They were more up for/ready for the game for the first 45 no question. Don't think we'll find many teams pressing as hard as they did in that first 45, they chased everything. Was surprised by how lacklustre we were at that when it was one of our best attributes last season. Sure it was just first game lull

Personally don't think he's ready yet

Perch is class, his ability to both pick a pass and deliver it over short distance or range is massively underrated

Van Der Vaart curly the ball beautifully and scores some cracking goals but it papers over the cracks of him not actually being a well-rounded player. certainly don't think he ever controls games. Them losing Modric is a nightmare. Sandro is an excellent player in my opinion and will show it this season. Sigurdsson strikes the ball better than most in the league and can move with it but he's certainly not going to be dictating the play or controlling games

Champions League every time??? The stench of delusion from that site is appalling. I honestly think they'd struggle to understand they're not a top four club anymore if they ended up in the bottom half

should never have sacked the great King Kenny - not only a man, an icon, a winner, a twat

I'd be deeply offended if I was a Villa fan and someone accused me of not giving McLeish a chance. People are generally decent when new managers come in and despite what's happened before, they'll put it aside if the football/results come right. Neither did and proper fans can tell how dangerous the situation is when they see shit football. See our Soundess/Allardyce eras

He's not injured. Should be starting. I'd also be giving game time to Campbell, at least 30 mins

He's not a one trick pony and even if he was, his left foot is so good at striking the ball it'd be a damn good trick. He is excellent at cutting in, very fast, can beat his man and deliver decent crosses. Really think as soon as he gets out of Man City he'll get a lot more respect You've just highlighted his only trick, all he ever does is cut in. Whenever I've seen him on the left he's been poor because he doesn't/can't make driving runs past his man, he's not a byline winger at all, he's certainly not very fast either. It's always the same story with him, receive ball on the right, move forward a bit, do a step over or seven, cut back inside, cross or shoot. It might be somewhat effective but only good enough for the bench with our current team and he would be an awfully expensive benchwarmer. I don't want him because we don't need him. I'm not advocating we buy him, but he will be a really good player for other teams. I don't think you can call him a one trick pony when his trick is beating his man/crossing the ball in well or scoring regularly. He doesn't make driving runs but he plays on the wing - he does most if not all the things you'd ask of a winger to good effect