Tiresias

Considering money put into team they've been massively overachieving for years, they should have sold fabergas and nasri start of window though and bought from there (thank god though, could have got Cabaye lol) When he joined the league he made everyone look stupid with making a fitter faster team than everyone else, now everyone else has caught up in terms of fitness he no longer has that advantage, and as wages have gone up elsewhere he can no longer attract world class players like he used to or keep them. No new manager is going to be able to do this. Nor do I think Arsenal should be asking for a billionaire to come in and spend loads on them, this is bad for football in the long term, and I think Wenger was predicting the bubble would burst on the Man Cities of the world sometime and all the wage costs will cause an implosion. I just think that finally their inability to pay for as good players for where they expect to be in the league has caught up. They'll retreat to mid table probably. If Wenger stays and the money dries up for the big clubs I could see Wenger winning a league again, (still probably need to sort out defensive coaching), but I suspect he'll have retired form age by then anyway. Would I like to see him sacked? For all his ridiculousness, all his tantrums, he has brought attacking entertaining football that was mocked for being european, fancy etc etc, and yet now think that argument is won. I'd still rather see arsenal play than stoke. It's sad to see it reduced to this pathetic version of himself. I'd like to see him step down on a better note. Those two goals vs Blackburn were proper well worked goals, pity about the backline.

Why wait till Summer, he'll be gone in January Seriously class, Him and Tiote in midfield should be brilliant this season, rest of the team there are worries....

Can't find quote now but seem to remember reading a quote after he failed to get a striker saying he would hopefully ease things a lot...could be wrong. Think you maybe think I'm being more negative than I am, I'm greatly looking forward to him coming back

Players used to be accommodated 6 months for adapting to the game didn't they?

Turning us around maybe a bit harsh but think we have been riding our luck a bit, which is great to get points in early but we need more goals. I'm just saying a lot of people including Pardew seem to think him returning to the team will solve all our evident problems, and in long run maybe it will but probably not as soon as he's fit.

Slightly concerned that he's going to be burdened with the expectations of turning us around as soon as he gets back into the team, and could be very bad for him. He's not going to be fully match fit as soon as he's back from injury and he'll take time adapting back to the game, worst thing would be to rush him back into the team and then him overwork himself and get injured.

The only problem with all the theorycrafting about formations is while I approve of shifting to a 3 man central midfield are we training our players for this football, can they adapt game to game? I am skeptical of Pardew's ability to get players playing exactly to a tactical plan, and players need to know to be making small passing triangles and making themselves available. Worst thing would be is if team panic and start hoofing it up, which is better with 2 forwards up than 1, I wonder if that was the real reasoning behind 2 strikers against QPR, Pardew correctly supposed we'd be overrun in midfield so was just hoping for a lucky goal from a punt upfield.

I'm not sure about Marveaux in the centre yet, can he hold up the ball and spray passes past the backline well? I haven't seen him enough for that at present so maybe wrong, that lineup reminds me of England's present set up, fair amount of attacking threat in the midfield but noone who can keep the ball up in between an opponents midfield and defence, (at least while Wilshere is out).

If shola is to start games it needs to be ones where we think we can boss the midfield without an additional man and their defensive line is a little small and flimsy. On the latter yes I suppose Shola on a good day may be good but Villa's midfield is too good

We obviously can't allow Villa all the chances on goal we allowed QPR, Bent is a good poacher, and has good supply, we need to push further up, I'd probably go for -----------------------Krul-------------------------- Simp Colo Taylor Santon Tiote Obertan Cabaye Marveaux Guti Best Think 4-3-3 sacrifices some width, hopefully a 4-1-4-1 will allow us to protect flanks while still not having the same midfield problems as against QPR, of course at expense of attacking threat, but shola didn't convince, can change it up later, and marveau and cabaye should be pretty good in support of Best who is at least on form.

Worrisome game. Hopefully just an off day, but these sort of performances I worry will convince Pardew not to mess with the defence and effectively have Tiote and Cabaye stuck in almost holding midfielder positions, lest we start conceeding. If we could keep the ball further up the pitch alleviating the pressure will stop us riding our luck. Tiote should be holding, Cabaye needs to be playing off the forwards much further up. I think it's reasonable for Sammy to still be a sub (wouldn't want to ruin his confidence if we give him a start and he doesn't do well) but I'd like him to come on earlier, to get some pace in earlier.