This is like setting up a metronome beside the bed before you have a fuck and then counting down to pre-planned orgasm regardless of what the bird is up to. She could have headed off and made coffee for all you care because it's the counting that's important. Timing that cum shot just right. You're the world's greatest lover because the stats don't lie.Priceless!
Putting the laughter back into manslaughter
I see where you are coming from, Letters, I really do - and I would have been inclined to raise some of the issues that you do until now - but as I've said, I see the Manure game as something of a Rubicon. Looking at this fixture, the overall quaestion for me is whether we have made any progress at all since Wenger decided to change tack at the beginning of last season and recruit experience. I'm afraid that the answer for me is that we simply haven't, and the common factor is Wenger. I see no plan; I see no characters (maybe apart from Wilshere), either individually or as a team; I think that the manager's methods have become outdated and too easy to play against - but most important at all, I see a manager who cannot raise his team - even for a match against the team who were our bitterest rivals a decade ago, who humiliated us last year, and who took our captain and best player. If this fixture does not raise our players to show what they are made of, then I'm afraid that I see no hope for this, or for any other of Wenger's teams. I agree that we do not have a bad team on paper - but right now we are toss on the pitch, and fundamentally flawed. And while we might put a little run together - and I'd agree that the teams around us are pretty shite as well - I'm afraid that I just don;t see us making progress. We are a quarter of the way through the season, and we are looking like our team at the beginning of last season - with fewer excuses for being shit.Originally Posted by Letters
Putting the laughter back into manslaughter
We've sold our top scorer, our top assister and, for contractual reasons, frozen out the one remaining productive player in our team from last year.
It's a massive creative and goal-scoring burden to place on 3 EPL virgins, irregardless of their pedigree.
We have the 4th highest wage bill in the EPL and in general that means the smart money is on 4th. But we're talking probability only, and in any given season, there are many factors. You can still fuck up - look at Chelsea last year.
In 2 years we have systematically dismantled the most fundamental cogs of our team, that there are teething troubles now is entirely predictable. Last year was see-saw, this year quite possibly the same, so for now I can see it getting better, before it gets worse.
And then better again. And then possibly worse.
Year-on-year progress requires money, both for buying players and for retaining them, over and above the ridiculous rate of football inflation. What we're doing feels like running to stand still. Sooner or later, unless you're superhuman, you gonna slip up.
Can't argue with any of that
I really disagree with Letters on this. I think he is being much too optimistic. I dont think the team is very good; sure, Jack will make a difference if hes fit and keeps calm but people forget how many times RVP rescued us last season and he's not around. Also I saw the Chelsea game and I dont think we were unlucky to lose at all - they were quite a bit better than us. More worrying though were the Norwich defeat and the poor performance against QPR who we were lucky to beat. We no longer have the belief to think we will beat the shit teams whilst we are almost certain to lose to the top ones.
i think he (and others) are right to say that yes, on paper we have some players good enough to at least maintain the status quo of fourth - but as we know this isn't Football Manager. it sort of disproves the theory that all you need to succeed is money, as that will allow you to buy the best talent and you'll walk it. by that reckoning, our talent pool should be enough to keep us in the top four. but man managing a team, ensuring the focus is there game after game, juggling the squad through injury, rotating through form, keeping the forwards sharp and mid/def as a tight unit...none of that comes easy. wenger has shown that over the past 7 years through a failed youth project and selling off our best whilst trying to replace with more experience yet that gelling process does not just click into place.
it was there from the very first game against sunderland as we struggled to find any sort of rhythm with so many new partnerships across the team, particularly in the front 5/6. too many changes in a short period has left us looking like a bunch of strangers happy to give the simple pass but not reading or having the confidence in each other to do something more risky. the problem with that is our style of play depends on a certain closeness and bond between the players to really get it ticking, otherwise it becomes very easy to defend against. the most worrying sign is the lack of goals so far and no matter what the previous issues with old wenger sides, there was always goals in them. we probably do here too but they are either out of position, on the bench or starting life in a new league.
Last edited by Kano; 05-11-2012 at 10:46 PM.
I can't comment on the Chelsea game as I haven't seen any of it, just going on what I heard.
I did see the 2nd half of our game at City though and I thought we were good. We certainly deserved a point and not many clubs are going to get anything there this season. The early season form looked pretty good and while I've certainly not forgotten how many times RvP rescued us last year I thought early season we were looking like a side who would push the top 3 a bit harder.
The recent form has been worrying - Norwich could be dismissed as a 'bad day at the office', all teams have them, but the QPR performance was awful and we showed no fight on Saturday at all. I guess we'll only really know come May where we are. I don't think we're that good, but I don't think we're that bad either.
we're not that bad really, in the context of this country. we're good (not right now but we will improve from this but just not enough to stay as we were) but is that good enough?
wenger is still a good manager, good enough for a top six finish but there is a tendency to call anyone outside the top 3/4 as shit. i'm not sure if people mean literally shit or they mean he isn't good enough for the expectations a club like ours generates - if the former then i can't even take that seriously but if the latter then yes, I think we're 'shit'; our standards should be and can be attainable with the resources we have.
It's all relative, I think most people mean in terms of our stature......we could be a lot better than we are, we're a very big club historically and ultimately moved to the new stadium to compete with the biggest clubs.
People talk about billionaires etc, but the stadium was supposed to have been built to compete with the best, that includes Barca and Real who have always spent loads and spent loads before we built our stadium.
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