Premier League 21/22/23 December 2013

Lineker reporting at half-time that Tim Sherwood has been offered the Spurs job until the end of the season.

Telegraph and Guardian both going with the Sherwood story.

will.i.glenn wrote:Telegraph and Guardian both going with the Sherwood story.

  

We really shouldn't fear Chelsea when we go there on Saturday. No doubt Mata and Oscar will play against us though.

Sherwood until the end of 2014 - 2015 season I read.

So Sherwood is a better option than AVB? Good luck with that one Spurs.

It basically means that they have an agreement with Van gall. Or they might go for Rikard in the end. Anyway, boring Arsenal game!

Isco Benny wrote:Sherwood is mental. Cavalier, gung ho naive football is back. Great to watch when it works. Going to be a disaster against the better sides.

True. I can't remember AVB got battered by a top club.

Che schifo.

Poor all round from both team. Very uninspiring. Kept a clean sheet with Vermalen in the team so that's the positive, but he was playing against Torres.

Wenger failed to make an attacking substitution today. So, what he is saying that he doesn't think what he has on the bench can win him the game. He has no excuse not to add to the quad if that is the case.

We badly need a player who can independently dribble and create when we're playing so poorly. Giroud has proven he just isn't deadly enough for the club that wants to challenge.

Top of the league at Christmas   

Luis wrote:We really shouldn't fear Chelsea when we go there on Saturday. No doubt Mata and Oscar will play against us though.

Chelsea are a different team at home, Mourinho wasn't even trying to win today.

Luis wrote:Top of the league at Christmas   

could be 8th by New Years Day though

will.i.glenn wrote:

Luis wrote:Top of the league at Christmas   

could be 8th by New Years Day though

Very true. As I've said though 2 points would be good from these next two games, 3 very good, anything more, unbelievable. We have winnable games after that - Hull at home and Stoke away should be 6 points - don't think Stoke are the team to be feared when you go there now like they were under Pulis, Crouch is one of the more laughable front men in the league. Sturridge and/or Gerrard might be near to returning midway through January as well.

I liked a quote from literally Jamie on Sheerwood in his column.

"Sherwood won’t talk tactics, he’ll talk football. He’s no bluffer, he’s a football man and he’s exactly what Spurs need."

I literally don't know what the first sentence means.

Anyway, for the first time I think we could actually finish above Hotspurs this season. The press can get behind their cockney coach, but the fact is they've appointed a novice.   I wonder if the same people that think this is a good appointment also criticised AVB for a lack of experience.

The Sherwood appointment is intriguing. I suspect he's on very little money in relative terms: they're keeping him happy with a 2 year contract, but no doubt he'll be gone in the summer if we don't finish 4th or win a trophy, given the ambition of the board.

I'm willing to give him time before passing judgement. Whilst initially perturbed by his arrogance, it's become clear that is one of his strengths. Apparently he's a popular choice with the players, and despite being a novice, merges man management with discipline well. The question mark is obviously around tactical acumen. I doubt he'll have a plan B when the cavalier 442 fails him.

Oh, and we'll still finish above Newcastle Kimmy. I'm willing to bet on it given Pardew's limitations are not all that different, and that squad wise we're better set for the full season

Kimbo wrote:I liked a quote from literally Jamie on Sheerwood in his column.

"Sherwood won’t talk tactics, he’ll talk football. He’s no bluffer, he’s a football man and he’s exactly what Spurs need."

I literally don't know what the first sentence means.

Anyway, for the first time I think we could actually finish above Hotspurs this season. The press can get behind their cockney coach, but the fact is they've appointed a novice.   I wonder if the same people that think this is a good appointment also criticised AVB for a lack of experience.

Yes they did. Many Spurs fans like someone like Sherwood because they can 'relate to him'. In other words, they are also halfwits.

I think Spurs will finish above Newcastle but if Spurs finish 4th then something must go horribly wrong at Liverpool, United and Everton between now and the end of the season.

Luis wrote:I think Spurs will finish  above Newcastle but if Spurs finish 4th then something must go horribly wrong at Liverpool, United and Everton between now and the end of the season.

Liverpool will finish top 4. Primarily because they have the best player in the league by some distance and no European distractions.

I think United will depend on who they sign in January. I don't think it's unrealistic to think that with their non existent midfield, Champions League distraction, RVP injury/form problems that they could well finish short.

Ditto Everton - having a great first half of the season, but a paper thin squad.

Whilst I think it'll be difficult, it wouldn't be the first time a team in the top 4 at Xmas fell away. It's happened a fair few times historically. This season the gap is also so small.

Did Ozil clap the Arsenal fans tonight?

Isco Benny wrote:The Sherwood appointment is intriguing. I suspect he's on very little money in relative terms: they're keeping him happy with a 2 year contract, but no doubt he'll be gone in the summer if we don't finish 4th or win a trophy, given the ambition of the board.

I'm willing to give him time before passing judgement. Whilst initially perturbed by his arrogance, it's become clear that is one of his strengths. Apparently he's a popular choice with the players, and despite being a novice, merges man management with discipline well. The question mark is obviously around tactical acumen. I doubt he'll have a plan B when the cavalier 442 fails him.

Oh, and we'll still finish above Newcastle Kimmy. I'm willing to bet on it given Pardew's limitations are not all that different, and that squad wise we're better set for the full season

I also liked an interview I saw from him on literally Jamie's column, he said "I'm going to tell Adebayor to attack, the defenders to defend, and the midfielders to... be in midfield". I suppose that is what's meant by talking football and not tactics, just listing the basic roles.

Pardew's limitations are very different, he's not cavalier, if anything he's too focused on organising a defence, though this season that has worked out well against unimaginative "big" sides like Spurs, Chelsea and Man U, all you have to do is get behind the ball and they don't know what to do.

It's also funny that we're being totally disregarded again, I read an article in the daily mail about the strength of the premier league this year, citing the top 4 sides, and the 3 outsiders, ofcourse we were the odd one out from the top 8. Very similar to a couple years ago when people were ignoring us and predicting we would fall away until the season actually ended, and then people looked at the league table and wondered wtf we were doing in 5th.

For us it all depends on January, if we sign the right players we will keep pace, it's not as if the teams we're competing with are anything special. Man U looked like a bog standard midtable side against us, we had more shots on goal and more possession than them at OT, Spurs have a fixation on CM's that look like they should be playing Rugby League, but they seem to think they are back on track because they beat a Southampton side that are imploding, and Everton are pretty unremarkable.

Chelsea beat Arsenal home and away last season hashtagSpecialOne winkyface

Kimbo wrote:

Isco Benny wrote:The Sherwood appointment is intriguing. I suspect he's on very little money in relative terms: they're keeping him happy with a 2 year contract, but no doubt he'll be gone in the summer if we don't finish 4th or win a trophy, given the ambition of the board.

I'm willing to give him time before passing judgement. Whilst initially perturbed by his arrogance, it's become clear that is one of his strengths. Apparently he's a popular choice with the players, and despite being a novice, merges man management with discipline well. The question mark is obviously around tactical acumen. I doubt he'll have a plan B when the cavalier 442 fails him.

Oh, and we'll still finish above Newcastle Kimmy. I'm willing to bet on it given Pardew's limitations are not all that different, and that squad wise we're better set for the full season

I also liked an interview I saw from him on literally Jamie's column, he said "I'm going to tell Adebayor to attack, the defenders to defend, and the midfielders to... be in midfield". I suppose that is what's meant by talking football and not tactics, just listing the basic roles.

Pardew's limitations are very different, he's not cavalier, if anything he's too focused on organising a defence, though this season that has worked out well against unimaginative "big" sides like Spurs, Chelsea and Man U, all you have to do is get behind the ball and they don't know what to do.

It's also funny that we're being totally disregarded again, I read an article in the daily mail about the strength of the premier league this year, citing the top 4 sides, and the 3 outsiders, ofcourse we were the odd one out from the top 8. Very similar to a couple years ago when people were ignoring us and predicting we would fall away until the season actually ended, and then people looked at the league table and wondered wtf we were doing in 5th.

For us it all depends on January, if we sign the right players we will keep pace, it's not as if the teams we're competing with are anything special. Man U looked like a bog standard midtable side against us, we had more shots on goal and more possession than them at OT, Spurs have a fixation on CM's that look like they should be playing Rugby League, but they seem to think they are back on track because they beat a Southampton side that are imploding, and Everton are pretty unremarkable.

tldr?

summary: Kimbo writes off Newcastle/Pardew, complains that the media are writing off Newcastle.

will.i.glenn wrote:
tldr?

summary: Kimbo writes off Newcastle/Pardew, complains that the media are writing off Newcastle.

It depends what we're writing off, finishing above Spurs is very possible, and as much as I don't like Pardew I wouldn't want us to get rid of him and put Steve Stone in charge.

Newcastle are 6th. Most predicted they'd finish 11th-17th, you included. So it's not a suprise you don't want to replace Pardew with Steve Stone. Tottenham's expectations were much higher and I'm sure if Newcastle were in the relegation zone 5 points from safety and playing as poorly as Tottenham were, you would be singing a different shoe on the foot.

It's far too early to talk about whether Sherwood is a good appointment, and we all knew Levy wasn't going to pay compensation for anyone credible.

will.i.glenn wrote:Newcastle are 6th. Most predicted they'd finish 11th-17th, you included. So it's not a suprise you don't want to replace Pardew with Steve Stone. Tottenham's expectations were much higher and I'm sure if Newcastle were in the relegation zone 5 points from safety and playing as poorly as Tottenham were, you would be singing a different shoe on the foot.

It's far too early to talk about whether Sherwood is a good appointment, and we all knew Levy wasn't going to pay compensation for anyone credible.

Last season we performed well below expectations, I wouldn't have been in favour of bringing in Steve Stone then either. It's a joke appointment IMO Glenn, but you're right that we have to wait for that to be proved, as a spectator i'm looking forward to Tim and Les's Only Fools and Horses remake.

My prediction for this season was mainly based on a lack of faith in our coaching staff, our first team is good enough to compete. I've also learned to expect disaster so i'm pessimistic in my predictions, but the disaster doesn't always happen.

You'll be 1st-9th at the halfway stage, most likely 6th/7th and above Manchester United. If I'd offered you that at the start of the season you'd have bitten Ivanovic.

Predictions give me a messy penis too.

Sherwood has the job because at this point in the season getting a quality long term replacement who will hit thenground running is nigh on impossible unless you throw Man City style payout/wages at it.

Fact is, it makes sense. Sherwood knows the club/players, has the opportunity to fit straight into the role, will be cheap and if it all goes tits up there will be more time and options in the summer.

I see Mourinho is finally starting to go back to a more defensive approach. Hopefully this will be reserved not just for the big games but also others because their defence is too bad.



Ozil went missing again   
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/jokes-circulate-on-twitter-after-arsenals-mesut-ozil-goes-missing-against-chelsea-tweets/