Deuce

Hate that attitude. "We won everything, but we didn't look the prettiest doing it." Fuck off

I wouldn't be surprised to see the whole trio (Terry included) out the door. Terry still rumored to Valencia?

Well yeah but there's more and more deep-lying playmaker becoming defensive midfielders. Take Arteta's role at Arsenal for example i reckon he could do that to perfection as long as we actually pass the bloody ball anyway. Fair points.

And that's the sad thing, really wanted QPR to go down this season. Yep. Can't stand 'em for some reason.

Am I the only one who sees Anita less as a traditional defensive midfielder and more as a deep-lying playmaker?

Oh lord, I would change so much. I don't even know where to start. Firing Pards and throwing money at Roberto Martinez would probably be first. Doubt he'd come here though, supposedly turned down bigger jobs to stay at Wigan last offseason. Martin Jol would be my second choice. Point is, we need someone who can get the most out of what we have, rather than keeping the manager and completely overhauling the roster. Considering the current roster, at full health, this is the team I'm trotting out: -------------------Krul-------------------- ---------S. Taylor----Coloccini---------- Santon-------------------------Ferguson -----------Tiote----------Anita----------- ------------------Cabaye----------------- Ben Arfa-------------------------------Ba -------------------Cisse------------------- Now, this system also has flaws. Time will tell if Ferguson is a capable enough defender to play LB. I think he shapes-up better there than he does at LW. And I also don't think Ba and Cisse can co-exist. They're the same player and neither would be happy playing on the left in a 4-3-3. Anita should be played as a deep-lying playmaker with two box-to-box CMs in front of him. I think Juventus is the ideal type of how to play a 3-man midfield with such a player. Pirlo, obviously heads and shoulders above Anita as a regista, has Marchisio and Vidal to worry about traffic. Their roles are largely interchangeable, as both are equally adept at dropping and pushing. So if we're going to play Anita in his natural role as a deep-lying playmaker, ideally we'd have 2 box-to-box CMs in front of him. Tiote, imo, is more of a box-to-box player than Cabaye, but neither really fulfills that role. Tiote is best hanging back as the midfield destroyer while Cabaye is at his best just behind the attack, making things happen. I think our best bet is to sign 1 box-to-box CM, with Sissoko being talked about the most recently. Bringing in Sissoko allows Tiote to drop into his natural DM role and Cabaye to push forward. But this pushes Anita out of the picture. Could do worse than Anita and Jonas as back-ups, though I don't think Ashley spends 7mil on Anita to have him ride the pine. I also suspect that if we were to sign Sissoko, it would mean Tiote's exit. Despite them being quite capable of existing on the same pitch, as they're quite different players, I don't believe Pards/Ashley would see it that way. Considering the roster, at current health, this is what I'd do: -------------------Krul-------------------- ---------S. Taylor----Coloccini---------- Simpson-------------------------Santon ---------Tiote---Anita---Jonas---------- Ben Arfa----------------------Marveaux --------------------Ba---------------------

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Amazing Watch him qualify for Europe

Jordi Alba (Spain, Barcelona); Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur); Giorgio Chiellini (Italy, Juventus); Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea); Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona); David Luiz (Brazil, Chelsea); Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United); Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United); Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund); Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia, Chelsea); Vincent Kompany (Belgium, Manchester City); Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid); Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona); Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid); Gerard Piqué (Spain, Barcelona); Carles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona); Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid); John Terry (England, Chelsea); Thiago Silva (Brazil, Paris St-Germain).

I doubt this will surprise anyone: http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/statszone/archive/2012/11/22/the-top-passing-teams-in-europe-are.aspx They ought to run an analysis of which teams directed the most set pieces towards players with surnames beginning in W.

I'd be surprised if Drogba isn't rewarded for his CL victory. Though Katongo might take it for captaining Zambia to victory in the ACN.

Does that mean if we make the Europa final, god forbid, we'll have to wear the highlighter kit?

Join the crowd, Ashley.

Unfortunately. With a sprinkling of Obertan from time to time.

Okay, so what does our first-choice midfield look like now? -------Anita------- Tiote--------Jonas Perhaps?

I won't be shocked if he struggles his first couple years in Europe. Spain is a completely different beast than Brazil. That being said, he has looked just as dynamite for the national team as he has for Santos.

Simpson is a more than capable defender lost in a system that has increasingly come to expect fullbacks to be attackers first, defenders second.

Anglicized Spanish names are great. The first name of a guy I met in Mexico was Angel of Jesus.

He is a good footballer. Not a world beater, but that's never been claimed either.

no, I think he is a pile of s***, I just didn't agree with taxfree saying Marveaux is 10 times better, because he has been just as s***, maybe even more when he has played. I think you'll find few who has watched them both who'll say anything else. Marveaux has really not shown much of anything for NUFC. He's been injured yes, but the chances he's had have been woeful. Obertan, especially in his last few appearances, has looked useful. I do think Marveaux is a better footballer overall, but he's in no way shown it this season. I'm talking their whole career. Well that's not all that relevant, as neither has had a pretty prolific career to this point.

no, I think he is a pile of s***, I just didn't agree with taxfree saying Marveaux is 10 times better, because he has been just as s***, maybe even more when he has played. I think you'll find few who has watched them both who'll say anything else. Marveaux has really not shown much of anything for NUFC. He's been injured yes, but the chances he's had have been woeful. Obertan, especially in his last few appearances, has looked useful. I do think Marveaux is a better footballer overall, but he's in no way shown it this season.

We produce the most long passes but have no one capable of bringing them down and holding-up play.

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If you don't count the Q-League amongst the top 3, we've got nothing else to discuss here.