Premier League 9th-11th February Discussion Thread

bowyer just misses by less than a foot after a nice couple of one-two passes

Aliadiere scores for Middlesbrough. A day for ex-Gunners so far.

Neill must be tired, hes starting today after playing for Australia on wed.

Such a depressing second half. The two quick goals just after half time killed off a team low on confidence and on talent - we never really looked like scoring after those two goals, which were both somewhat fortunate, against the run of play after a first half in which we were genuinely the better team. We really needed another break six minutes after half time to sort ourselves out.

Again, the main issue is just that our players are not good enough. I am not exaggerating when I say that all of Barton, Butt, Smith, Cacapa - the spine of our team - do not look like Premiership players. It is remarkable how bad Barton is at passing the ball, how weak, effeminate even, he looks besides from the odd lunge or scuffle. Butt is not a positive influence on the team, and his passing is dreadful too. Smith was better today, but on this season, he looks like a Division Two player, who however he plays lacks any quality when it comes to passing, creating, scoring, getting into good positions. Cacapa isn't particularly strong, he is clumsy, he doesn't work with the rest of defence. You can almost add Carr to the list too, since he is absolutely useless positionally for a defender.

I like Duff, but he isn't the fastest of players anymore. Milner had a very good game but he isn't the quickest either, Owen did nothing besides from his goal, and with those three comprising our attack we look lightweight and devoid of real threat or imagination. N'Zogbia and Martins are absolutely vital to our attack, and N'Zogbia simply must play the rest of this season in an advanced role. The commentators kept whinging about Viduka, but the fact is that he is slow and lazy and never fit, and he's not likely to change a game.

Taylor didn't have a good game, didn't dominate in the defence as he sometimes can do, Beye looked tired and didn't perform. Given slipped for the goal. In our defence, there were positives in the first half, the goals were sudden and fortunate, we are missing key players. The referee was abysmal - Carew should have been sent off well before his second or third goal, shoving all game but for one incident in particular, after he had already been booked, where he just took several blatant kicks at the back of Beye's feet. Harewood made an atrocious challenge on Taylor that went unpunished, only for Butt to be booked seconds later for a minor trip, more a dive by Ashley Young. Barton did shove Maloney in the box, Villa should have had a penalty first half - then, Maloney was responsible for a similar shove on Butt, and there was one incident where a Villa defender, slow on the ball, was caught out by our player who pushed the ball past him towards goal only to be blocked off, and we didn't even get a free kick, when a red card would have been a more appropriate decision.

In sum, I didn't think much of Villa today, but we seriously need a win and have some serious issues that are only going to be sorted in the summer - at which point we will hopefully still be in the Premier League (I am still very confident that we will be). The squad needs a complete overhaul, the spine of the team is rotten and we have been ruined due to the gradual accumulation of rubbish players.

The central midfield is our biggest issue, because it's the most important area of the pitch and the players we have for it cannot pass a ball, are completely devoid of any creativity or attacking instinct, and they offer nothing in terms of covering defensively either.

Looking back, it's sorry to consider the slow dismantling of our central midfield since Robson's time. When he arrived, we had one of the best central midfields in the league in Rob Lee and Gary Speed. I think he bought well in order to add youth to that, eventually replacing it with Jenas and Dyer, both excellent players when on form - for all the criticism Jenas gets, I'd have him back in a second today. But in retrospect, some of the problems with our central midfield now stem from this time. We sold Speed who was one of our few experienced players, which left the likes of Jenas without a leader and a role model, replacing him with Butt who simply isn't a good player, nor is he a leader. Robson's own tailing away didn't help the likes of Jenas and Dyer fulfill their potential, whilst we entirely ruined Hugo Viana, who, with any proper coaching and playing time at this point, would have turned into a world class player by now.

Bowyer was one in a line of poor footballers, more focused on kicking the opposition, and he and Ambrose in place of Solano did nothing for the balance of the midfield overall, deprived us of another leader for some time. And from there we have just replaced players for worse players. Jenas and Dyer for Parker and Emre, selling Parker and bringing in Barton.

The forward line is a different story but with similar results. Shearer held us together up front despite partnering a lot of average forwards in his time, and we haven't replaced him well. All of Owen, Smith and Viduka have been misjudged, we shouldn't have bought any of them, they're all past their respective bests, they're not what we need, and we are doubly cursed because whilst the latter two in particular are not good enough, they're well respected players who won't be removed from the team easily.

Cole just misses a very good half volley.

Bashmachkin wrote:Such a depressing second half. The two quick goals just after half time killed off a team low on confidence and on talent - we never really looked like scoring after those two goals, which were both somewhat fortunate, against the run of play after a first half in which we were genuinely the better team. We really needed another break six minutes after half time to sort ourselves out.

Again, the main issue is just that our players are not good enough. I am not exaggerating when I say that all of Barton, Butt, Smith, Cacapa - the spine of our team - do not look like Premiership players. It is remarkable how bad Barton is at passing the ball, how weak, effeminate even, he looks besides from the odd lunge or scuffle. Butt is not a positive influence on the team, and his passing is dreadful too. Smith was better today, but on this season, he looks like a Division Two player, who however he plays lacks any quality when it comes to passing, creating, scoring, getting into good positions. Cacapa isn't particularly strong, he is clumsy, he doesn't work with the rest of defence. You can almost add Carr to the list too, since he is absolutely useless positionally for a defender.

I like Duff, but he isn't the fastest of players anymore. Milner had a very good game but he isn't the quickest either, Owen did nothing besides from his goal, and with those three comprising our attack we look lightweight and devoid of real threat or imagination. N'Zogbia and Martins are absolutely vital to our attack, and N'Zogbia simply must play the rest of this season in an advanced role. The commentators kept whinging about Viduka, but the fact is that he is slow and lazy and never fit, and he's not likely to change a game.

Taylor didn't have a good game, didn't dominate in the defence as he sometimes can do, Beye looked tired and didn't perform. Given slipped for the goal. In our defence, there were positives in the first half, the goals were sudden and fortunate, we are missing key players. The referee was abysmal - Carew should have been sent off well before his second or third goal, shoving all game but for one incident in particular, after he had already been booked, where he just took several blatant kicks at the back of Beye's feet. Harewood made an atrocious challenge on Taylor that went unpunished, only for Butt to be booked seconds later for a minor trip, more a dive by Ashley Young. Barton did shove Maloney in the box, Villa should have had a penalty first half - then, Maloney was responsible for a similar shove on Butt, and there was one incident where a Villa defender, slow on the ball, was caught out by our player who pushed the ball past him towards goal only to be blocked off, and we didn't even get a free kick, when a red card would have been a more appropriate decision.

In sum, I didn't think much of Villa today, but we seriously need a win and have some serious issues that are only going to be sorted in the summer - at which point we will hopefully still be in the Premier League (I am still very confident that we will be). The squad needs a complete overhaul, the spine of the team is rotten and we have been ruined due to the gradual accumulation of rubbish players.

The central midfield is our biggest issue, because it's the most important area of the pitch and the players we have for it cannot pass a ball, are completely devoid of any creativity or attacking instinct, and they offer nothing in terms of covering defensively either.

Looking back, it's sorry to consider the slow dismantling of our central midfield since Robson's time. When he arrived, we had one of the best central midfields in the league in Rob Lee and Gary Speed. I think he bought well in order to add youth to that, eventually replacing it with Jenas and Dyer, both excellent players when on form - for all the criticism Jenas gets, I'd have him back in a second today. But in retrospect, some of the problems with our central midfield now stem from this time. We sold Speed who was one of our few experienced players, which left the likes of Jenas without a leader and a role model, replacing him with Butt who simply isn't a good player, nor is he a leader. Robson's own tailing away didn't help the likes of Jenas and Dyer fulfill their potential, whilst we entirely ruined Hugo Viana, who, with any proper coaching and playing time at this point, would have turned into a world class player by now.

Bowyer was one in a line of poor footballers, more focused on kicking the opposition, and he and Ambrose in place of Solano did nothing for the balance of the midfield overall, deprived us of another leader for some time. And from there we have just replaced players for worse players. Jenas and Dyer for Parker and Emre, selling Parker and bringing in Barton.

The forward line is a different story but with similar results. Shearer held us together up front despite partnering a lot of average forwards in his time, and we haven't replaced him well. All of Owen, Smith and Viduka have been misjudged, we shouldn't have bought any of them, they're all past their respective bests, they're not what we need, and we are doubly cursed because whilst the latter two in particular are not good enough, they're well respected players who won't be removed from the team easily.

I love the sentanta announcer, he said he wished Newcastle would get relegated, just so they could win the Championship next year, and that way they can finally win some silverware.

Just on your point about Barton, I've never rated him, I don't see what he offers, not only is he a trouble off the pitch but he's not even a good footballer, can't pass well, doesn't score goals, doesn't tackle well, I don't know why anyone would want him in their team.

Cr@p neill gives away a penalty

McFadden scores, first penalty that Green gives away, though he guessed right.

God Ashtons been horrid this past month.

Mark Noble wrote:God Ashtons been horrid this past month.

He's coming to us, swap deal for Voronin

Should of had a penalty two Birmingham defenders american football tackled cole in the 6 yard box.

Great Cole's taken a knock to the ankle.

Bowyer almost scores again but didn't have enough pace on the ball.

Ashton's ball control is awful

Sunderland 1-0 up

1-0 to Sunderland. Dickson Etuhu with a header.

If Sunderland win they will be 2 points off Newcastle !

"Ashton gives it away" sums up our first half.

Sgoater1 wrote:If Sunderland win they will be 2 points off Newcastle !

thats not saying much.

Sgoater1 wrote:If Sunderland win they will be 2 points off Newcastle !

Excellent indeed. By the way Goater, remember our Sunderland-Man City bet, they're gonna hunt you down!

Man, this boards quiet today.

The good football's tomorrow

A 5-4 classic at Stamford Bridge beckons.

L r d wrote:

Sgoater1 wrote:If Sunderland win they will be 2 points off Newcastle !

Excellent indeed. By the way Goater, remember our Sunderland-Man City bet, they're gonna hunt you down!

16 points off us if they win im quite confident

Henn Glysén wrote:The good football's tomorrow

A 5-4 classic at Stamford Bridge beckons.

We are going to win the derby !

Fuckkkkkk off Chelsea FC
You aint got no History
5 European cups
And 18 leagues
That's what we call history!!!

ashton again gives the ball away.

Baros off. Great, what a bad move that was in FF

and ashton gives the ball away, he sucks ffs.

Mark Noble wrote:and ashton gives the ball away, he sucks ffs.

ooo wait 'til Deano sees this!