Tiresias

Loan move wouldn't surprise me, January prices are inflated.

I think giving the opportunity to impress to players like Gosling is very important for all competitions actually, it's no good letting them rot on the bench, or bringing them in to cover for an injury and finding they're not good enough. I don't want us to throw a weaker side at this game because we're not taking it seriously, it's more about making sure noones over worked. Ideally we should have a team that we can sub on to bring to reliable strength in great need.

It's true football has evolved away from target men and more towards inside wingers scoring goals, but there of course has to be a whatever works attitude. With Cabaye HBA Marveaux etc hopefully we have enough to play good football that won't get found out against a team that won't be fooled by hoofing it up, and are solid at the back (Blackpool serves as a warning in a way against assuming good football will always work). Possession game has got so good in Spain that it dries up any supply to a traditional target man, which is why it's dying out in Europe level football. Not sure defenses in english league good enough to make them so superfluous, but I also think that more teams in premier league play better we may develop some better england players, and it would be a waste of our players now to say, right hoof it up...

I think they probably need someone to actually go and buy players against Wenger's will. If Cabaye had gone to arsenal imagine how much everyone would be raving about him lol.

Oh I agree he has cocked up badly in not realising the fresh crop of youngsters wasn't good enough and not bringing in a new generation earlier. Fabergas and Nasri transfers were handled badly, and had he done what he should have in the transfer window before last season probably could have kept Nasri (well ok probably not, lot more money at city lol). But who would Arsenal get in to replace? I doubt anyone else could do much better tbh, and Wenger knows all the players well. He could take a step back to a director of footballing role, but which manager would want him breathing down their neck? Villas Boas might have been an interesting high risk gamble but now he's going to fail at moulding the old set in their ways Chelsea team, and be discredited, he could have easily slotted in to an attacking pretty football arsenal philosophy but brought some willingness to revolutionise, however he is pretty untested.

Actually Tiote completed more passes, but only 1 proper one into box...that led to the goal...

The mass intake of breath every time he's tackled in the pitch by the fans will be something to behold...

lol

My mistake misread the thing! :| Wow he was nowhere near as good, completed 18 passes, exact same as Barton. Huge improvement!

Cabaye only came on as a late sub vs Sunderland. Know what you mean, but regardless of the comparison, those passing stats, and particuly how good his attacking ones are are great, he's not just passing it around the middle he's getting them into the box.

in that case can see him on the wing in a 4-3-3 ish formation where he'll cut inside but also play quite high up and not need to be running from as deep at Guti might in that position, i.e. when we're bossing midfield anyway and want a lot of goals.

Why must we rank? Messi is an astonishing player who with regularity gives amazing performances and football is brighter for it. I'd argue he better than any player currently playing in this country, Rooney is on fire at the moment, but arguably hasn't performed outside his comfort zone moreso than Messi whom seems to struggle scoring but seems to play more as a playmaker for Argentina and has given very good assists passing etc, whereas Rooney was hopeless at the world cup. The accusation he drifts in and out of games seems pretty bonkers, very hardworking player, Rooney however seemed to drift out of almost a whole season last year.... Anyway, the fact is the English game hasn't produced enough amazing talent recently, whereas Spain is bursting with mature great players (I include Messi there because he developed there and came through Barca's academy), Germany seems bursting with exciting young talent. We have a bunch of spent, not even that great in the first place, talent and Rooney. Sammy Ameobi for england

Looking at his highlights his passing is superb. Just was fiddling with guardian's chalkboards and compared him to Barton when playing centrally (as i think he was vs sunderland) and while not happy with Barton gone, as a midfield engine Cabaye looks great, Cabaye does 63 successful passes to Barton's 18. Admitably off day for Barton, but Cabaye seems much more involved. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/I4e67tqatg89pfRzSO6q

Needs to start but that's too many first teamers, should be giving b-teamers a chance, think it should be cabaye or tiote not both, Gosling probably deserves another shot. Obviously bring on the A-team when we're down a goal in second half Is Vucknic still injured?

had a terrible preseason, better today, he'll be back to normal soon.

Nasri said something along sorts that he's far too kind to new young players and willing to give them too many chances, which I think is maybe why he got through so many gems back in the day but maybe speaks for why he's failed at defence, he's been too accomodating and waiting to gel of players who aren't good enough and need to be moved on.

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