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How Rubbish Is Toure? And More...
A few musings from last nights game at Eastlands...
- Paul Robinson...what a horrible little man. Not content with rocketing himself up City fans' most-hated list for getting Craig Bellamy his second yellow card at the Reebok earlier in the season he cemented his place near the summit after last night. First, the penalty. Not only was it a ludicrous (not dirty, but what was he doing?) challenge but his appeals afterwards made him look like the top k*** that he is! Owen Coyle didn't think it was a penalty either but he is quite good at the understated whinge, maybe purple nose should ask him how he does it? Next, Robinson then does his best to kick SWP off the pitch in the last 20 minutes of the game. I have not seen a replay of his assault where he sent SWP somersaulting but if it was as bad as it looked he could have gone. As could Muamba for what can only be described as persistent fouling.
- What is Mancini's fascination with playing three holding midfielders? We have all of a sudden lost all shape to the team and don't look half as dangerous as we did before the turn of the year (or when Bellamy is playing). If his idea is to give the back four more protection then I think we will need about five holding midfielders because we looked ropey at centre-half again last night.
- Which brings me to my next point...how bad is Kolo Toure? Constantly out of position, seems to be losing what pace he had and looks like he hasn't got a clue in general! I'm delighted that Mancini has realised that Vince the Prince is by a mile our best CB. He has discarded him from our ever-growing pile of defensive midfielders to play him in his best position. And he was a relative bargain (£7million I think) compared to the other pish we bought last close season in Toure and Lescott.
- Jack Wilshere looks like he is going to be top notch. Great touch, passing and awareness. He isn't afraid to put his foot in either. Bolton might be better served if he played in a more central role instead of out on the left where he spent most of last night.
- Kevin Davies whinges aaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll the tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmme!
- There was a large section of pompous twuntards (work it out) in the Colin Bell stand around me that were giving Adebayor a hard time for being lazy, sloppy with his passing yadda yadda to the point where they were begging for his withdrawal after about an hour. Then on 73 minutes he latched on to a super Vieira pass to control sublimely then smash is past Jussi for a great goal. My brother then kindly pointed out "That's why he's on the fuc*ing pitch" to which there were muted responses. Absolutely loved it! Given what he has been through recently I would cut the guy some slack. Ten goals for the season I think isn't too bad a return is it?
- Adam Johnson looks a bit handy doesn't he? Bolton were uncomfortable with him all night...a trip to South Africa? Probably not, but if he keeps playing like that he'll do himself no harm at all!
- With many an England CB having less than glowing injury records this season another one looked tidy and dealt with Tevez and Adebayor quite comfortably last night...don't laugh...Zat Knight! He was composed on the ball and I don't remember him losing one header all game (he is a giant though). Maybe he will come into his own now that Cahill is out for a while. Just a thought...
- Finally, the Bolton fans were good fun. They got very excited about ANY shot their team had on goal, no matter how near or far to the posts it was, which for which they got plenty of stick. Good banter throughout though.
That is all!
Mark (anyone else think Wilshere looks like he should work for Willy Wonka?) MCFC, M14!
...Just watching Man City play Bolton, 60 mins in. Adam Johnson looks good. He and Jack Wilshere for Bolton have been the best players on the pitch. Yawn, it's not a great game.
Adebayor looks like a giant Robinho.
Bellamy, Ireland and Wright-Phillips. Where are they? I miss them. Oh hang on - didn't I just see a shot of them all on the bench... Vieira, Barry AND De Jong, however are on the pitch. At the same time, in basically the same position (all three mainly in the centre circle irrespective of the ebb and flow of play), at home. Against Bolton. Oh dear. And it looks like we might not even win it.
I hope the City fans who wrote in defending Garry 'the s**t' Cook and Roberto Mancini are happy with what we are now seeing. All our youth team, and other loyal players like Bellamy, who give a toss and have carried our team all this season and last are out of the side. And he we are 1-0 up, struggling to beat Bolton at home.
We've lost more games in Mancini's ten than all season under Hughes and Cook has managed to make us into an even bigger laughing stock than when we were poor, with his drunken New York tirade of bollocks. My worst fear has come true, all my favourite players are out of the team and were containing teams like Bolton at home.
What a funny-tasting bunch of Canneloni this thing called 'success' is.
Ben Sidebottom
PS. As I type, Adebayorinho scores the second and we are two nil up. We don't deserve it but everyone will say 'this is Cattenacio' or whatever, we planned it all, like little blue Machiavellis. If we sell Ireland I'll be gutted. If we sell him to Man Utd, I'll shed a little blue tear.
We Knew Johnson Was Good...
Jinky showed a few signs of what Manchester City fans have to look forward to over the years. What's £8 million for a player who is only going to get better, especially playing with the stars that City have?
Boro fans didn't lose too much sleep about losing Downing as we knew we had Johnson to keep us entertained. Unfortunately that didn't last very long, but the cash we got for him has helped the Ginger One get a few more battle hardened Scots in the team, and appears to be making a difference.
I, and many McBoro fans wish all the best for the lad, and hope he can break into the England squad.
Kris (FREEEEEDDDOOOOOMMMMM) Holt
You're Aving A Laugh
Enough is enough already! What is the point of sending a manager to the stands as punishment to both him and his team, and then allowing them to blatantly talk on a mobile phone and run the team from the stands as if nothing happened? Even the ridiculously dim-witted commentators during the Sunderland-Pompey match could see that Grant was on his phone relaying instructions to the assistant manager for the entire second half. Shouldn't the manager be restricted from sending instructions to his team? He may as well have stood there and just yelled down the instructions off the balcony. I have to say that I'm not completely naive, we all see text messages being sent back and forth from a banished manager to the interim tactician, but to blatantly be on the phone, really?!? What's the point of sending him into the stands?
There will be plenty of mails regarding the red cards and such, but this is the real controversy for me. The ref did a decent job out there, but someone higher up than him has to put an end to this nonsense. What other reason would a manager or player need a phone in the dugout? Ban these devices and if a manager is caught relaying instructions there should be additional punishment. Otherwise, give him a slap on the wrist and send him back to his touchline.
On a side note, the Pompey fans were amazing last night. When you're bottom of the league, a debt-collector just took over your club, and you lose a player in the 8th minute of the match - but you still sing your heart out for the other 82 minutes and spur your team on to a last-gasp equalizer... those are true fans.
Bobby (not sure whether to give the Foster-Westgarth MotM award to Jamie O'hara or the pompey fans, he was just as brilliant - WC outsider?) Foster-Westgarth, England-SAFC-LFC
At Least We Have Proper Football...
Can everyone stop whinging please? The mailbox has been insanely boring of late. I'm actually getting really p*ssed off with the Villa and Arsenal debates now. Will you all just stop and think about one things for a minute.
At least we have proper football! I had to sit through the Superbowl this week with a mate of mine, and I have never been so bored in my life. I would honestly prefer to watch Sunderland-Wolves again!
We have Villa-Man U in the CC final coming up, a decent run-in for the CL places, A surprisingly high number of big-boys out of the FA cup and Inter-Chelsea & Man U-AC to look forward to next week. So next time you all want to sitting there being miserable, at least we have a proper sport. Not the effin stop-start nonsense that is the NFL.
A bit of perspective please lads.
That is all.
Mike Roberts
Roll On Next Year
I am looking forward to next season, not due to any real footballing reason but for the new access granted to the media. This is due to the new Premier League deal kicking in
This may sound a bit strange, but as I have stated before I am sick and tired of the Sunday Supplement hacks, their personal agendas and almost pre-agreed questions.
The new rules allow more access and will enforce managers to talk to all facets of the media. This will mean that Sir Alex will have to talk to the BBC, and if any manager fails to adhere to the rules they will get punished. The punishments will increase on a sliding scale. Therefore I hope to hear the following questions next season.
"Sir Alex, your team lost today, what excuse will you use today, was it the refs fault, the wrong type of grass or are you blaming aurora borealis? Or will you admit that you just pick the wrong team?"
Or to Mr Wenger, "So Arsene, today your right back actually took out an axe, chopped off the opposing player's leg and then beat him around the head with it. This happened right in front of you. Did you see it?"
And finally to Rafa, "Rafa, Lucas is rubbish, not a replacement for Alonso, but you still play him. Will you now admit that he is your son, and that's the only reason he is in the team?"
Hopefully the media will now dare to ask the difficult questions and we will see that Sir Alex is not Zeus and wont strike a journalist down with a lightening bolt for questioning him, we will see that Arsene does not have the integrity of Atticus Fitch, and hopefully we will be able to get different answers from Rafa instead of "we are working hard" and "Lucas is a fantastic player".
Roll on next year.
Ian Hewison
Here's The Man With The Berbaflop Obsession
I see Ken N's email has slipped through un-noticed? Well, allow me to pull his argument apart.
He aruges Dimiflop Berbaflop isn't a massive flop, based on his starts. Well, now that I've stopped laughing at the sheer insanity of Ken's stand-point I thought I'd show the true figure.
I thought I might include all games played, Ken. And for balance I thought I would also drop last season's figures in:
Berbaflop; 21 games; 8 goals [31 games; 9 goals]
Ronaldo; 12 games; 8 goals [33 games; 18 goals]
Eto'o; 17 games; 8 goals [36 games; 30 goals]
Ibrahimovic; 25 games; 13 goals [35 games; 25 goals]
Benzema; 19 games; 7 goals [36 games; 17 goals]
As Ken points out these players are still finding their feet in new teams and indeed in new countries/leagues. Dimiflop does not have this as an excuse.
More accurately Ken, Berbaflop is once again being outscored by Dirk and his diggler. Last year Kuyt only got one less assist than Berbaflop yet outscored him from RM. Guess what? It's the same again this year Ken...
It's all fair and well stroking in the 4th against Pompey but trust me Ken, Dimflop is the biggest flop of this and indeed any century.
Gregory Whitehead
Keep Gallas, Please
I'm aware that you shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers however from what I have seen this morning, I am annoyed. Apparently, William Gallas has only been offered a one-year deal due to Arsene Wenger's Over 30s policy. This is not the first time a player with a couple of years left in him will be allowed to leave just because he is over the legal drinking age (Robert Pires being the best example)
Gallas, for all his faults in the previous two seasons, has been awesome this season alongside Vermaelen (though I am aware we've just been tonked twice and we were defensively crap but forget that for a second) My point is, that just because he is coming towards the end of his career, doesn't mean he should just be let go for nothing. He brings experience as much as anything into the dressing room, something Arsenal obviously lack in vast amounts. So why is Wenger apparently just going to let him leave? It is obvious Arsenal lack leaders all over the pitch. But with Fabregas surely off to Barca (who can blame hime?!), supposedly vocal dressing-room characters like Gallas will now be needed just as much.
We should be tying down experienced players like Gallas down to two-year deals, even if he doesn't play every game. We still need someone to come in at centre back, but Gallas could offer advice and guidance. Also, if we are in talks with Maruane Chamakh, just say it - give the fans some hope of a new signing, even if he is on a free. Chamakh will probably never be the answer to our problems but at least he is tall!! Arsenal fans were listed as big losers by F365 in the transfer window column and these are reasons why- false hope, no concrete statements from Wenger, lies (David Villa - hahahaha).
On a different note, I'd like to know what Bolton fans thought of Jack Wilshere last night? I watched the whole game, and I barely remember him giving the ball away, he looked wise beyond his years. Having said that, I also don't remember him having a shot- nice pretty passes and no end product - I wonder where he usually trains?!
Joe (Was looking forward to Liverpool at home a month ago, but not now!!) AFC, East Sussex
Wenger Alternatives...
Somehow it's rather strange to see fans of other clubs writing in support of Arsene Wenger. Must be that they are bored of seeing their clubs play sh**ty football without winning. The Arsenal fans on the other hand are bored with seeing their club playing nice football with no trophies to show for!
If only we could trade in managers. Imagine giving Martin O'Neill, Roy Hodgson etc the chance to manage Arsenal for a while. A chance to lead a club of Arsenal stature. I'm sure they'll do a more better and thorough job knowing that it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Who knows where it can lead to? If only...
Ridzwan (trying to stay positive."Well,there's always next season,and the next,and the next..")
Wenger Is Like Cantona
There have been some vastly differing opinions on Arsene Wenger's credentials as a football manager recently. On the one hand, there are some rather unforgiving people who think he's finished, and on the other there are some quite preposterously overblown views, none more so than Mark, Hampshire, YTFC's frankly bizarre claim that 'history will show Wenger to be the best football manager of the past 30 years - ahead of even Alex Ferguson'.
That is clearly hogwash. In fact, there has been an awful lot of revisionism generally concerning Wenger and his supposed influence on English football: the importance of diet to a professional footballer's fitness was well-documented (and practised) long before the aforementioned arrived at Highbury, while anyone who claims that football was not an art form before Wenger arrived at Arsenal should watch footage of Man Utd in 1993-94, or, much as it pains me to say it, Liverpool in 1987-88 (or Holland in 1974, or Brazil in 1970 - the list is endless, really). Arsenal under Wenger are somewhat like these teams, except minus the physical and mental strength.
I have absolutely no doubt that history will record Wenger in the same sort of category as Eric Cantona. Both are messiah-like figures that had a profound effect, but specifically on one club, and just as no-one - including me and most Man Utd fans that I know -- would claim that Eric Cantona was a better footballer than, say, Pele or Zindane, so no-one in their right mind will cite Wenger as having attained the same levels as Ferguson.
Griff
Let The Euro 2012 Banter Begin
I'm surprised to see so little reaction to the Euro 2012 draw. I guess for England it's not surprising as with Capello in charge England should walk the group they have been given. Bulgaria and Switzerland are decent enough, but shouldn't cause any major problems for England. Montenegro are a bit of an unknown quantity, but only one win in qualification for 2010, suggests they will be the group's whipping boys. The only spice in the draw is the two ties against the Welsh, who have a great crop of youngsters coming through, though you would expect England to beat them at Wembley, though of course with home support wanting to get one over the auld enemy they might prove to be a tough obstacle at the Millenium Stadium.
But I was expecting a lot of optimism from the Irish supporters after their heart break in qualifying for 2010 thanks to UEFA 's last-minute choice to seed the draw and Henry's cheating, they have a genuinely winnable group. On paper Russia have more quality in their team, but they don't have Hiddink in charge anymore, and have always been inconsistant. And with all respect to supporters of Slovakia, FYR Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra; Ireland with a good coach in charge, Trappatoni, should easily win those games.
Scotland have been screwed again though...
Dominic Stevens
Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof
Upon hearing the Sky Sports News stat that Spurs have played the most 'long balls' in the Premier League I'd just like to put this 'stat' to bed before it gets out of hand and Conor Byrne starts creaming his pants.
This particular stat qualifies passes of 30 yards and over as 'long balls'. So then this will of course be square cross-field passes and crosses from the flanks into the box, which are not long balls. And of course the 50 yard+ 'long ball' which we all associate with the term, punted up from defenders. Now, being a Spurs fan I have seen enough punts up to Crouchinio (mainly by Dawson and Assou-Ekotto) to accept that we do use that ball more often than we should but we also play some sublime football through the midfield (Villa fans; that's MIDFIELD) and some of the best football I have seen us play for the past 15 years.
What I'm trying to say is that this 'stat' is ridiculous. I think most football fans know what teams in the league play attractive football and which teams play dour negative football. I really hope that fans of dour, negative teams (I'm looking towards the West Midlands here) don't start writing into the mailbox with 'I told you so' letters.
Yours pedantically
John (HOOOOOOOOOOF) Painter, North London, Spurs
