[Yellow]

Tevez hasn't scored many goals this season (and he's been a sub many times), but he does so much more than just score and assist. He's the most dedicated player we have at the moment. He tracks back, he fights for every single opportunity, and he's wicked on the ball.

He's like Scholes used to be before he turned eighty.

I wouldn't give Tevez up for any player...




...but I'd like to have Arshavin as well You can take lazy-boy Berbatov.

[polishgenius]

I actually disagree there- last season he was good (although at the cost of limiting Rooney, who can do everything Tevez does but better), but this season he's simply tried too hard, and given the ball away too many times by shooting when he should have passed or trying to dribble past everyone or something. I understand he's frustrated,although he's not been as sidelined as many make out, he's made as many starts as Rooney in all competitions and scored less goals, and in the league 3 goals in 16 starts and 8 subs just isn't good enough.

Mind you, that's the case if you see him as a striker, and that's part of the problem (I guess you comparing him to Scholes think the same)- he's not one, and as we don't play with true AMs he's often left behind. His role on Sunday (when I thought he did quite well, contrary to popular opinion) summed up where he should play. Although that still raises the problem of Rooney does the same, better.

Quite simply, I'd like to keep him, but if we're paying 30mil, and if he want's first-team football regularly, it shouldn't be happening, because he doesn't fit.

[Cougar]

I'd keep him for £7m but nothing more. There is a galaxy of more suitable players you could pick up for £30m. Benzema from Lyon, Gourcouff from Milan/Bordeaux. I'll stand by my contention as well that at £30m Berbatov was not the right player for Utd to buy he playes in the wrong posiition, i isn't a question of how good he is - his is brilliant- it's to do with his style and skill set which are replecated in varying degrees by other members of the team. I would never pick up a player of any kind with his attitude either. The same goes for Ronaldo. A side like Utd can simply not afford to have 2 of their main attacking threats 'not fancy it' on any given day.

Rather than spunking £30m away on Tevez Utd should be looking at adding a midfielder, getting rid of Ronaldo and replacing him (unless Tosic is a genius) and securing a quality right back. Those are the priorities; not wasting a vast fortune on a striker who has gone from being an influential flair player at Corinthians to a workmanlike (though much loved) version of Alan Smith.

[polishgenius]

I get the feeling Fergie might place a lot of onus on youth next season. If Ronaldo and Tevez leave, I reckon he'll get one player to replace those, probably a striker, then with the flexibility of players we have go with a first choice of new player plus Berba up front, Park on one side, Rooney on the other, and play Macheda, Welbeck, Tosic, Petrucci and Liajic when it's appropriate. If he doesn't sell Ronaldo I don't think he'll get anyone to replace Tevez and just use said youth.

[Tiste Simeon]

I think Ronaldo might want to stay if we still win four.

[polishgenius]

I hope you're not counting that farce in Brazil or wherever they play it as a real trophy.

I don't want him to stay though, because I dislike it when we have players who don't want to be there - and good as he is he's not irreplaceable. Directly maybe, but we can shift, reorganise and be just as good.

[Macros]

its played in japan afaik.
united can no longer win the quadruple, triple is their best result (still quite likely, depressingly)

[Macros]

Just finished watching the extended highlights of the first half of last nights game.
Fabianski kept arsenal in it!
And yossi is looking the sharpest hes everr been. I eagerly now go to watch ther second half


thank god I didnt watch that in the pub. I would be dead of a heart attack.
Credit to arshavin, took his goals well, but really gifted them, (although the pace he showed on his last goal was frightening) had carra had a little sense and not been up for the corner, who know,s mighta been fit to stop him.

[Cougar]

Macros, on Apr 22 2009, 09:42 PM, said:

Just finished watching the extended highlights of the first half of last nights game.
Fabianski kept arsenal in it!

I agree, how dare they field a goal keeper and a half-competent one at that, I too am getting sick of these underhand tactics.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Jim, you made me lol.

The result is far more concerning for Liverpool than Arsenal. Arsenal conceded 4, yes, but they had a backup keeper, backup LB, and 4th choice CB playing. No excuse, as all of those should be competent enough to do the job, but Liverpool conceded 4 with arguably their strongest backline out, at home, and with Bendtner as the only striker facing them.

Arsenal's problem is obvious, once again, for when the season ends to address. We need a good defensive midfielder, at least one new CB to replace Silvestre (and probably one to replace Gallas as he'll likely be off), and I'd say a GK. But I doubt we'll buy any of those.

[Macros]

cougar, I lol'd

it seems liverpool can only go forward and rampanlty score or sit back and build a wall.
Turning into a regular spurs at the minute

[Cougar]

Well for Arsenal it's simple, they have never really replaced Viera nor are they likely to because he was an exceptional player. It's an oft repeated comment but they need to add some steel to their flare. Adabayor, Arshavin, Rosicky, Walcott, Fabregas represent a superb midfield full of creativity, if Diaby could start to play or they had an Essien then they would be exceptional. At the back only Toure really cuts it for me, Gallas has some talent but his temprament and attitude are beyond acceptable. Clichy has some ability, but he like Sagna and Eboue are flawed players, possesing brilliant skills but with glaring gaps in their ability at times. Even with the 1st choice out the defence isn't good enough, those 4 goals were laughable, I don't really think any of them were goals that a competent premier league team should be conceeding.

For the Scaaasers, I think the 4 goals really show up a problem, namely pace, it must be the 100th time Carragher has been humiliated by pace and skill and yet I hear time and again Liverpool fans telling me what a player he is, it's nonsense, Liverpools baffling loyalty to him has been one of the key reasons they have singularly failed to progress as a side. What on earth were they thinking playing such a high line against Walcott and Arshavin? Stripped of the defensive shield of Alonso and Mascherano the Liverpool defense is badly exposed, in some ways similar to how Vidic's pace was shown up when Utd's midfield protection was sucked too far forward to battle Masch and Xabi. It may seem crazy to say when one considers Liverpool are having their best season in years but I feel there are question marks over every defender they can field, which is not something you can really say about 3 out of 4 of Utds starting backline (Rio, Vidic and Ferdinand) or indeed 3 out of 4 of Chelsea's (Terry, Carvalho and Cole)

[Macros]

Against an ageing front line carra's great, same as hypia, but against speed he's done, he's lost at least ayard of pace this season alone.
It makes th emind boggle over the delay on aggers new contract.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Agger's gone in the summer. He wants out, big teams abroad want him, and they'll offer big bucks. I dont see Skrtel as a long-term solution, so I think Liverpool are going to have to do some CB shopping to sustain their improvement next year.

[Macros]

definately, agger will get first team football whereever he goes, and theres a list of teams looking to sign him
I likes agger

[polishgenius]

Cougar, on Apr 23 2009, 07:06 PM, said:

Well for Arsenal it's simple, they have never really replaced Viera nor are they likely to because he was an exceptional player. It's an oft repeated comment but they need to add some steel to their flare. Adabayor, Arshavin, Rosicky, Walcott, Fabregas represent a superb midfield full of creativity, if Diaby could start to play or they had an Essien then they would be exceptional. At the back only Toure really cuts it for me, Gallas has some talent but his temprament and attitude are beyond acceptable. Clichy has some ability, but he like Sagna and Eboue are flawed players, possesing brilliant skills but with glaring gaps in their ability at times. Even with the 1st choice out the defence isn't good enough, those 4 goals were laughable, I don't really think any of them were goals that a competent premier league team should be conceeding.

I think you're properly harsh on Sagna- he's properly solid, I think, not spectacular but gets the job done efficiently - he's a player more like Gary Neville or Steve Finnan than a spectacular attacking fullback. Agree on the rest though, apart from on Diaby because he'll never be a DM or a box-to-box. Song's a good midfielder and their upturn in form coincided with him being played there rather than at the back, but I don't know if he's a long-term solution.
To be honest I think they missed a trick when City got both Company and De Jong, they'd have filled roles Arsenal need. The real problem with Gallas and Toure is they're too similar, they need someone to take command in the air.

For Liverpool, I they need both Skrtel and Agger because one or the other won't cut it. Skrtel has the command and solidity but he lacks a bit of pace and technique so he can't clean up as well, Agger's positionally doubtful but athletic and skilled technically (in defensive forms as well as getting forward). They basically complement each other so if Liverpool lose Agger they'll need a similar sort to fill in (although as neither of them are as good as Vidic and Ferdinand, in the same sort of respective roles, splashing out on proven class might be in order).

[Thelomen Toblerone]

I like Sagna, I think he's been a solid pick-up - that 2-2 draw against Villa he was absolutely immense, and he rarely ever has a bad game. I love Clichy too, and Gibbs is proving himself a promising backup. It's definitely true Toure and Gallas cant play together though, and Id much rather get shot of Gallas, as I think he's worse and is definitely worse for team morale. Djourou's ok but always picking up niggles, so ideally a big dominant CB (like Cristophe Samba, but good) would be the aim.

To give Song his due, he has been playing much better recently, and I'd much rather him in the team than Denilson and probably Diaby atm. But there's no harm done in buying a proven DM in the summer, as one is needed so badly, even if he's an older stop-gap player while Song develops abit more to see if he can make it.

Im still not sold on Almunia, I'd love to see Arsenal get someone like Jaaskelainen to at least provide some stiff competition.

[polishgenius]

It's funny, because Foster is probably about on a level with Almunia.

Mind you, he's probably also on a level with VDS, just the difference in approach and our defence's not being used to him makes for a few shaky moments.

[Cougar]

Foster lacks the ball playing ability of VDS, but so do almost all keepers. A bit more confidence and he'll be ready.

When you say Liverpool need to buy proven class I totally agree but proven class is £15m for a defender, £20m midfield and £25-£40m for a forward. There is no way Liverpool have the kind of money to do that, only 3 or 4 clubs do really. So they have to rely on picking up someone good who there is doubts over (Torres is a good example of this) Liverpool are unlikely to compete for a Berbatov, Rooney, Essien etc as they don't have the cash. Moreoever if you are as good as Liverpool or Arsenal (arguably one of the top 10 club sides in the world) who are you looking at buying? Who are these proven players to be snaffled, you won't get Ferdinand, Vidic, Terry, Carvalho, Puyol, Ramos, etc or any other top bracket defender. Anyone impressing in one of the top divisions is going to be really expensive like Utd buying Carrick or Liverpool trying to secure Barry so you end up looking to say Ligue 1 in France, the Eredivise or Bundesliga, one of the upper second tier leagues and unless they are a mega star youngster (which is rare and then once again you have to go toe to toe with a club with far greater spending power) like Essien, you are taking a chance which may not pay off.

It's really difficult, I believe the way to go is going to be youth development.

[Dolmen 2.0]

is it just me or is it about time anderson scored?

honestly its starting to worry me how our defender real ferdinand has a higher goal count than one of Man Us up and coming midfield...