Mathieu Flamini Thread (official)

[Syn]

Leave it yeah

[GP]

#Bench

[BOBN]

He was pretty much everywhere today, glad to have him back .

Everybodies heat map looks like that tbh.

Would have prefered Gustavo but this guys a man you'd want to go to battle with. Glad to have our best CM from the 07/08 season back.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Ramsey was everywhere too. It's why having a generic DM is redundant in a team like ours. If you have good footballers like Flamini, Arteta, Ramsey, Wilshere and Rosicky who can cover a lot of ground, work hard defensively as well as contributing to the forward play, it's a much more effective option than having a scrote to break up play and do the water-carrying. It's why Bender was a potentially great signing and someone like Gustavo would have been a big "meh". Not that we were ever in for Gustavo outside the world of daily internet transfer bullshit.

Having a proper DM gives confidence to players like Jack and Ramsey to go forward knowing someone is there to cover their arse properly. You put someone like Cabaye there and eventually he'll drift forward forgetting his defensive duties, leaving us screwed for the counter. At least with someone like Flamini you minimise that.

You've categorised Flamini with the rest of the players but he's very different from what we have. He's the only real tough tackling player in the whole team. Yesterday he clattered his way around the pitch and although it seemed a nuisance to concede free kicks, it gave our players a vote of confidence knowing their 'backs were covered', as to speak. We don't need players that are good on the ball, we have plenty of them. We need an imposing c*nt like Flamini who just wants to win the ball back.

The sight of him going straight into Diakite in the second half and leaving him squealing on the floor, god that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. We've missed that over the years.

[Munchies]

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

That video is superb.

Not only does he throw himself about and command others into place, the way he's able to play the ball under pressure when opposition are closing him down is excellent. Something posters like PnG always says is crucial for a DM as he lambasts Arteta for not being able to do it.

So glad to have this guy back.

[Ollie the Optimist]

just goes to show, price tags in football mean nothing. superb signing so far

[LDG]

Was it Matty who did that bit of skill on the touchline toward the end as well??

[Ollie the Optimist]

Was it Matty who did that bit of skill on the touchline toward the end as well??

and then clapped the fans straight after it

[Power n Glory]

That video is superb.

Not only does he throw himself about and command others into place, the way he's able to play the ball under pressure when opposition are closing him down is excellent. Something posters like PnG always says is crucial for a DM as he lambasts Arteta for not being able to do it.

So glad to have this guy back.

It makes a big difference having a DM that's comfortable on the ball. Remember when United stuck Rooney on Arteta and shut us down. We struggled to get the ball out of our half and we'll have the same sort of problem against high pressing teams. Was watching the City game and Yaya was just immense. Was able to collect from deep areas and just turn and shrug players off to help mount attacks. I remember when Vieira left they did an analysis of on his role of the club and why we miss him. It was the simple stuff. Just collecting the ball from deep and passing it off. It's an important part to our game. It's good to see Flamini back in the squad.