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Footy: Yaya Ascendant


MercenaryChef

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Arsenal are such a funny team.  They were playing fantastic, nigh untouchable football games for a few weeks but somehow lost their flow completely and have been lucky to manage draws in recent weeks, albeit against better organized teams than the ones they trounced. 

I know Cazorla is a big miss but they're stacked with options at CM and have lots of play-makers elsewhere in the team. They (is it Wenger or the players?) just don't seem capable of shifting either formation or positions to make it work.  

I know they'll bounce back eventually but why do they fall quite so far from peak levels?  Aside from their voluntary shortage of strikers, their squad is much deeper than most.  

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I suppose you can also look at it from a positive angle - Arsenal grinding out a result despite not playing well. There was a time when Arsenal could be a bit of a soft touch and would have ended up losing both games. This team, however, seems capable of digging deep and grinding out results which is important if they are going to seriously challenge for the league as no team is going to put in stellar performances week-in and week-out.

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I find it strange that Xhaka is still not getting a game. I can understand why Wenger might think that partnering him with Cazorla is too risky, but now Santi has been injured Xhaka can add much greater creativity than El Nenny or Coquelin, whilst still retaining more bite than Cazorla would offer. I'd say he is better than Ramsey too, but even if he is not then no longer having a reliable player to move into any of the five midfield slots seems harmful.

 

1 minute ago, Consigliere said:

I suppose you can also look at it from a positive angle - Arsenal grinding out a result despite not playing well. There was a time when Arsenal could be a bit of a soft touch and would have ended up losing both games. This team, however, seems capable of digging deep and grinding out results which is important if they are going to seriously challenge for the league as no team is going to put in stellar performances week-in and week-out.

A draw is little better than a loss for Arsenal. They still need Ludogorets to get something off PSG away to top the group.

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14 minutes ago, Horse of Kent said:

A draw is little better than a loss for Arsenal. They still need Ludogorets to get something off PSG away to top the group.

Topping the group would be nice but perhaps not as important given that there could be other big names finishing second as well. Bayern are already confirmed runner's up of their group and a chance that Real Madrid finishes behind Dortmund as well.

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Gerrard announced his retirement from playing football.

I hope he returns to Liverpool in some way. Being part of Klopp's staff may or may not be a bit too much for him right now, but I'm sure he could help in youth systems and work his way up.

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2 hours ago, Raja said:

Glad we didn't buy Cavani - not that we were ever seriously in for him, but *many* afc fans would have taken him ( then again, they would probably have taken any striker this summer) 

But Cavani and Ozil! Imagine how many flubbed chances that combination could produce!

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41 minutes ago, Mark Antony said:

He is the main reason I'm a Liverpool fan. 

 

I became a Liverpool fan just before his debut. I still remember seeing him play for the first time, I don't know if it was his debut. He got on the pitch with some 15 minutes or so to play, against Blackburn Rovers. He played on the right side, had two great crosses, and I remember thinking: "Wow, this guy looks great!" He sure proved that over the years.

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3 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

Arsenal are such a funny team.  They were playing fantastic, nigh untouchable football games for a few weeks but somehow lost their flow completely and have been lucky to manage draws in recent weeks, albeit against better organized teams than the ones they trounced. 

I know Cazorla is a big miss but they're stacked with options at CM and have lots of play-makers elsewhere in the team. They (is it Wenger or the players?) just don't seem capable of shifting either formation or positions to make it work.  

I know they'll bounce back eventually but why do they fall quite so far from peak levels?  Aside from their voluntary shortage of strikers, their squad is much deeper than most.  

Given the fixture list and international break around it. Heated derby against Tottenham, tricky Man Utd tip or PSG who is unpredictable. Arsenal last season or seasons before it would've lost those games somehow, to even get a point is not so bad for them. At least in the league, in UCL group not so much, PSG got a better position. But they can manage if Ludogorets helps them.

1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

Farewell to the fourth-best English midfielder of his generation.

I suppose, you count Scholes as one of those four. Who are these other two?

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Just now, baxus said:

Lampard is the most likely candidate. I can't think of the other one.

Oh yeah, that seems to be one. Traditional debate who is the best from these three.

All of them have strengths a bit elsewhere, all of them big time players and legends. While, I don't like other team but surely can appreaciate worthy opponents. Scholes was literally a deep lying playmaker known for his vision and passing, hardly people would find someone so prolific like Lampard (maybe Delle Ali one day) and all-around, complex midfielder like Gerrard, who can play in any positon,.and give you the best performance. Remember Istanbul where he played as CAM,CM, RB, and winger. Always stood out in big games, sometimes even for the wrong reasons like the fastest red card in PL history, usually for god reasons.

Shame it never worked out on internation level for either of them. 

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Its been mentioned before but bears repeating: if there is one club that could improve immensely with the addition of a proper striker, it's Southampton. They are a good footballing side and everything is nice and neat until they get into the attacking third where they don't look like hurting anyone. They've been in control for the bulk of this game against Sparta without looking like scoring. Read some rumours that Southampton might make a move for Sturridge in January - would be great business for them if these rumours are true, although I'm doubtful that Klopp would sanction the move.

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33 minutes ago, baxus said:

Lampard is the most likely candidate. I can't think of the other one.



It's either Gareth Barry or Michael Carrick, take your pick.
I was going to say Danny Drinkwater but he's really the next generation.

But yeah, the two serious picks were Scholes and Lampard.


 

 

13 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

It's been mentioned before but bears repeating: if there is one club that could improve immensely with the addition of a proper striker, it's Southampton. They are a good footballing side and everything is nice and neat until they get into the attacking third where they don't look like hurting anyone. They've been in control for the bulk of this game against Sparta without looking like scoring. Read some rumours that Southampton might make a move for Sturridge in January - would be great business for them if these rumours are true, although I'm doubtful that Klopp would sanction the move.

 

I'm not sure he's the right man, considering what they really need is a focal point up front. Sturridge would run into the same problem as he is at Liverpool, essentially.

With Giroud appearing to be rehabilitated at Arsenal (and the more outside shout of Icardi likewise at Inter), I think they should try for Deeney with Ulloa as backup. Unless they can bring in someone from abroad who escapes me. But, barring being a ridiculously exceptional goalscorer, it really needs to be someone who can hold the ball up and bring their midfield into the attack.


Eta:

 

Quote

Scholes was literally a deep lying playmaker known for his vision and passing, hardly people would find someone so prolific like Lampard (maybe Delle Ali one day) and all-around, complex midfielder like Gerrard, who can play in any positon,.and give you the best performance.


In his later years. The first half of his career, Scholes was a very attacking midfielder who scored plenty of goals (and made fuckloads too).

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40 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

It's either Gareth Barry or Michael Carrick, take your pick.

But yeah, the two serious picks were Scholes and Lampard.

I guess you'd say Fletcher's better as well, but he is Scottish so that ruled him out. ;) 

On your serious picks, I guess we can debate on who's better. Bottom line is, they're all great and every comparison between them essentially comes down to personal preference.

For me, Gerrard is best of the three of them and I would take neither Scholes nor Lampard in his stead.

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1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

In his later years. The first half of his career, Scholes was a very attacking midfielder who scored plenty of goals (and made fuckloads too).

 Got him fixed in my head as deep lying playmaker but thanks to me watching him closely in the second half of his career. 

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33 minutes ago, baxus said:

I guess you'd say Fletcher's better as well, but he is Scottish so that ruled him out. ;)



Hey, if non English players were on the table, I'd have mentioned Roy Keane. But then he was better than all three.

 

 

8 minutes ago, Lord Friendzone said:

 Got him fixed in my head as deep lying playmaker but thanks to me watching him closely in the second half of his career. 


Sadly, there is not that much video evidence of Scholes in his attacking pomp, either.

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We bossed this one and finally got the goals to reflect that dominance. Nice to see Mkhitaryan start and he had a good game too. Hope he starts playing more regularly. Good to see Shaw back as well - he should undoubtedly be our first choice LB as he offers much more going forward than any of our other options in that position.

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Yeah, that was really good. Interesting that we essentially took up a 4-4-2, or a 4-4-1-1 with Rooney and Zlatan swapping (Rooney had his first really good game of the season). Pogba excellent too.


I feel bad for Schneiderlin, if that's our formation going forward there's no place for him, Pogba needs a passer next to him (be it Carrick or Herrera). And for now it probably will be, that was our most consistent performance of the season.
 

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