May I be the first to say that we're going to get gubbed tomorrow?

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Mack]

I wanted to be the first to say that. They are due to give us a hiding.

[PSRB]

Great forward line but not a lot else there

3 points should be very possible

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

A team that you would regularly defend as being very good.

[PSRB]

Alcaraz just shouldn't have been on the pitch

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Bitch moaning about injuries gets right on my tits.

[PSRB]

smacked them with ease, it's not moaning or bitching just a fact

Our team should be more than capable of beating of Liverpool

[Red N White Army]

[Peter]

:-)

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Just a little dismissive to sum them up with "Great forward line but not a lot else there".

They're 4th so clearly they are a decent side. Their midfield may not have the aesthetic quality of our own but they are effective.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

4 if you add the Spanish lad who would have played ahead of Demechelis.

[PSRB]

we should have more than enough

[Ashberto]

There's also an injury league table. Arsenal & Newcastle are top. Next come Everton .

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_in jury_table.php (http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php)

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Part of the game as such. Get on with it.

[Red N White Army]

Negredo was waaaaay off the pace.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Useless fat druggie ****house.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Sometimes chance or coincidence or illness leaves a squad somewhat short of first choice players. :shrug:

[PSRB]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

The players they did put on the pitch didn't perform as they would have hoped.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Using it as an excuse less so.

Clubs know it will happen so squads etc play their role. A club missing 3-4 players is not a reasonable excuse in my view.

[Monty91]

that's not what I had in mind :-(

[Red N White Army]

What were we playing our 8th and 9th choice full backs?

But you are right that clubs should just suck it up. Especially those with unlimited incomes or WAR CHESTS sat unused in January transfer windows.

[Monty91]

One man's excuse is another man's explanation

[PSRB]

I'm sure Everton would have far rather had Fulham at home than Liverpool away

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

No one has a squad of 24 players all equally good. You might be able to replace a midfielder and a centre half with similar quality, but what if you lose another 3 or 4? Your team with inevitably be weakened and this will contribute to the result :shrug:

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

What I am saying is that when we or another team lose a match and the default excuse is used of the absence of player A or B then I (personally) think it is horse ****.

That's all.

[Monty91]

Certainly not Wenger

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

inevitably be an important factor, and there is no reason why this should not be pointed out.

End of. FACT.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Brentwood]

and then wheel it out as an excuse constantly when they lose games.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I am talking about the default reaction of supporters you thick c**t.

Managers talk *******s at the best of times. They are hardly going to voluntarily look like a dick coming out with a comment like that in a post game interview.

[Classic Jorge]

[Ashberto]

If team A have several key players out we can use it to explain why they underperformed against team B. Emotions such as sympathy or complaininess are irrelevant to the cold analysis.

[redgunamo]

Or vice versa, I suppose.

[Monty91]

It's obviously stupid to solely blame injuries, because that suggests you believe that if you'd had a full compliment of players to choose from you'd have DEFINITELY won the game.

Quite frankly, and I do not say this lightly: end of.

[Monty91]

considered an excuse?

"We defended badly for their 7th goal" = "We did not defend in the good way that I have tried to encourage in my training methods and team talks"

[redgunamo]

[Alexism - Atheoist]

[Monty91]

that one was my fault. I didn’t anticipate the opposition doing X or Y" etc etc...

But even Wenger, who is more comfortable than most, never says that. I think it’s self-protection in terms of their job, but I also think it’s protection of their ideas. Because ideas are a manager's most valuable possession.

[redgunamo]

understanding, I think.

And that's always been considered fair enough.

[redgunamo]

simply not a trait that they ever allow themselves (or are allowed) to have. That explains Wenger's responses.

Here and there, maybe, like a good hound occasionally taking a moment off to chase a rabbit instead of hare. But underlying? No.

It's all about breeding, and that is just not a characteristic that they can ever afford. That's why they bang on about improvement all the time.

[redgunamo]

Ridiculous though, of course, but there it is.

[Nicosia Gooner]