Can't he just buy a decent centre half?

[Tony C]

Why persist with Elneny, Maitland Niles and Kolsaianec in the back 3

Thought Per was just a one off performance if the cup final and not to be relied upon for 38 games.

Can't just keep it simple...has to always try and be fkin clever about. You can't do that for some positions

Fkin Elneny :banghead:

Just because there are two other centre halves doesn't mean you can take the p iss

[SWv2]

Why persist with Elneny, Maitland Niles and Kolsaianec in the back 3

Thought Per was just a one off performance if the cup final and not to be relied upon for 38 games.

Can't just keep it simple...has to always try and be fkin clever about. You can't do that for some positions

Fkin Elneny :banghead:

Just because there are two other centre halves doesn't mean you can take the p iss

I doubt Elneny will ever play there in a real game.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

"Real game". What is the point of these games if not to give players who won't get many chances to see if they can fit in the team and do something? Chambers? Holding maybe?

Instead we play Elneny, who is on his way out, out of position and we play guys like Ospina (instead of Emiliano) who hasn't gone because he can't get an offer. What on earth is the point?

[Monty92]

"Real game". What is the point of these games if not to give players who won't get many chances to see if they can fit in the team and do something? Chambers? Holding maybe?

Instead we play Elneny, who is on his way out, out of position and we play guys like Ospina (instead of Emiliano) who hasn't gone because he can't get an offer. What on earth is the point?

Fitness, obviously, you spastic

[Sir C]

Fitness, obviously, you spastic

Jew know why the Irishers hate jew?

I can't work it out.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Fitness, obviously, you spastic

ahead of a player who is staying? Do you know anything at all about football?

[SWv2]

ahead of a player who is staying? Do you know anything at all about football?

Perhaps Elneny is not on his way out. Who knows. Funny old game etc.

In general, and I mean no disrespect, working yourself into a state of anger regarding the tactical nuances of team selections within the Emirates Cup reflects poorly on you, not Wenger.

[Burney]

Jew know why the Irishers hate jew?

I can't work it out.

All he said was that the joos are good at taking care of their financial interests. :shrug:

Oh, and there was the holocaust denial, of course.

[Sir C]

All he said was that the joos are good at taking care of their financial interests. :shrug:

Oh, and there was the holocaust denial, of course.

Yes, the minor issue of the Holocaust denial...

[Tony C]

It's not just the Emirates...it's been the entire team pre season.

Would have like a bit more commitment to the back 3 after it served it so well in the last few games last season.

Not having a recognised defence for the first game last season came back to haunt us and I hope we're not doing it again

[SWv2]

It's not just the Emirates...it's been the entire team pre season.

Would have like a bit more commitment to the back 3 after it served it so well in the last few games last season.

Not having a recognised defence for the first game last season came back to haunt us and I hope we're not doing it again

I would suggest maybe waiting and seeing what 11 the French puts out next weekend at Wembley.

Players like Mustafi, Holding and Chambers have only just returned to training with the group having been given extended holidays due to summer football, throwing them straight into weekend games may well have been seen as physically counterproductive, perhaps even ill advised.

People just need to relax a little, no game the club has played since the Cup Final matters one jot, it simply a case of proving or improving fitness. Different players need different things.

[Burney]

Yes, the minor issue of the Holocaust denial...

:hehe: Yes, he seems quite the lad that writer. The Holocaust denying article was extraordinary. How on earth that got past an editor is impossible to discern.

[SWv2]

:hehe: Yes, he seems quite the lad that writer. The Holocaust denying article was extraordinary. How on earth that got past an editor is impossible to discern.

He steamed into single mothers a few years back, caused a stink at the time.

[Sir C]

He steamed into single mothers a few years back, caused a stink at the time.

I've steamed into a number of single mothers in my time :-(

One had great fat sausage fingers and did stink.

[Peter]

I would suggest maybe waiting and seeing what 11 the French puts out next weekend at Wembley.

Players like Mustafi, Holding and Chambers have only just returned to training with the group having been given extended holidays due to summer football, throwing them straight into weekend games may well have been seen as physically counterproductive, perhaps even ill advised.

People just need to relax a little, no game the club has played since the Cup Final matters one jot, it simply a case of proving or improving fitness. Different players need different things.

Wenger also seems to think that putting young players in defensive positions for meaningless games helps to improve the defensive side of their game. I can see that with younger players, not so much with Elneny.

He will be flirting with the idea that some of his existing full backs and midfielders could become centre back options in a three. He has a little history with this sort of optimism that has led to some alarming statements such as 'Gilberto is a great centre back'. I believe the same phrase was used about Justin Hoyte.

Anyway....we have good centre backs. This is not something to worry about at all.

[Burney]

He steamed into single mothers a few years back, caused a stink at the time.

I'm still amazed that Feltz is still employed by the BBC. Where does she appear?

[SWv2]

Wenger also seems to think that putting young players in defensive positions for meaningless games helps to improve the defensive side of their game. I can see that with younger players, not so much with Elneny.

He will be flirting with the idea that some of his existing full backs and midfielders could become centre back options in a three. He has a little history with this sort of optimism that has led to some alarming statements such as 'Gilberto is a great centre back'. I believe the same phrase was used about Justin Hoyte.

Anyway....we have good centre backs. This is not something to worry about at all.

Gilberto started his career as a centre-half. On this basis, coupled with his obvious intelligence as a footballer, I would imagine he could have made a decent defender as long as the system suited.

Your ignorance in this respect is of little surprise really, it is a football based topic of course which we both know and have acknowledged for quite a while now is not your strongest point.

He does talk a lot of nonsense all the same, that much I will give you.

Wenger out!

[Peter]

Gilberto started his career as a centre-half. On this basis, coupled with his obvious intelligence as a footballer, I would imagine he could have made a decent defender as long as the system suited.

Your ignorance in this respect is of little surprise really, it is a football based topic of course which we both know and have acknowledged for quite a while now is not your strongest point.

He does talk a lot of nonsense all the same, that much I will give you.

Wenger out!

He also played there a number of times for us and was ****. That is what made the phrase rather strange. But I take your point.

I am still giving serious thought to taking a dislike to you. I shall keep you posted.

[Luis Anaconda]

He also played there a number of times for us and was ****. That is what made the phrase rather strange. But I take your point.

I am still giving serious thought to taking a dislike to you. I shall keep you posted.

Almost as if just dropping a player in there for one game here and there might not represent the true ability of the player if given a long run. Incidentally, apart from the Blackburn debacle where he came off the bench after about 20 minutes to replace Martin Keown in a defence that also included Cygan and van Bronkhurst, when else do you think he played centre half for us?

[SWv2]

Almost as if just dropping a player in there for one game here and there might not represent the true ability of the player if given a long run. Incidentally, apart from the Blackburn debacle where he came off the bench after about 20 minutes to replace Martin Keown in a defence that also included Cygan and van Bronkhurst, when else do you think he played centre half for us?

Complete wrong 'un.

[Peter]

Almost as if just dropping a player in there for one game here and there might not represent the true ability of the player if given a long run. Incidentally, apart from the Blackburn debacle where he came off the bench after about 20 minutes to replace Martin Keown in a defence that also included Cygan and van Bronkhurst, when else do you think he played centre half for us?

Pretty sure he played there against Spurs once. May not have started the game there.

The thing is, he wasn't a great centre back. I think Wenger was trying to gloss over the fact that we were lacking cover in that area, or at least attempting to deflect the conversation away from spending money. My point was that isn't what is happening now- we have loads of options for the back three- Koscielny, Mustafi, Holding, Per, and then Chambers, Gabriel, Monreal, the new lad.

Not all great, but plenty to be going on with. Holding must be due a run in the side after his end to last season.

[World's End Stella]

Pretty sure he played there against Spurs once. May not have started the game there.

The thing is, he wasn't a great centre back. I think Wenger was trying to gloss over the fact that we were lacking cover in that area, or at least attempting to deflect the conversation away from spending money. My point was that isn't what is happening now- we have loads of options for the back three- Koscielny, Mustafi, Holding, Per, and then Chambers, Gabriel, Monreal, the new lad.

Not all great, but plenty to be going on with. Holding must be due a run in the side after his end to last season.

Away to Spurs in the game we won 3-1 on that strike from Cesc and the flick and volley from Adebayor. We were awful at the back that day and had Spurs (Bent and maybe Berbatov?) been more clinical we might have lost 6-3.

Seven sisters road was an interesting experience post match :yikes:

[redgunamo]

Complete wrong 'un.

Well, quite. Surely everyone knows that it was his very inconsistency at centre back that led to his then manager, Carlos Alberto Parreira, moving him into midfield in the first place.

[Peter]

Away to Spurs in the game we won 3-1 on that strike from Cesc and the flick and volley from Adebayor. We were awful at the back that day and had Spurs (Bent and maybe Berbatov?) been more clinical we might have lost 6-3.

Seven sisters road was an interesting experience post match :yikes:

Excellent, thank you. And in an otherwise 'settled' back four I note. :D

[SWv2]

Away to Spurs in the game we won 3-1 on that strike from Cesc and the flick and volley from Adebayor. We were awful at the back that day and had Spurs (Bent and maybe Berbatov?) been more clinical we might have lost 6-3.

Seven sisters road was an interesting experience post match :yikes:

You're a big unit, no problem to you.

[Luis Anaconda]

Complete wrong 'un.

I watched that game in a Cork pub with my United supporting cousin and a Blackburn fan - it hurt

[Peter]

I watched that game in a Cork pub with my United supporting cousin and a Blackburn fan - it hurt

I watched the game at Newcastle with Bergkamp's famous goal in a pub in Cork. It was hugely entertaining watching a pub load of united fans trying to convince themselves it was a fluke.

[Luis Anaconda]

Excellent, thank you. And in an otherwise 'settled' back four I note. :D

:clap: You are still basing it on startlingly little evidence. And even if it was a settled back four, dropping a player in is hardly going to help

[Peter]

:clap: You are still basing it on startlingly little evidence. And even if it was a settled back four, dropping a player in is hardly going to help

Of course. Just basing it on the evidence I have. And was just answering your question.

Also.....hate to be picky but dropping in the player in question is a necessity if you are going to play him there. Surely dropping a 'great centre back' in is going to help? Just to note that 'settled' back four included Clichy and Toure.... hence the inverted commas. It also had Almunia behind it.... I'm not going there.

Anyway....... the original point was that we don't need to sign a centre back or convert a midfielder. We have loads of options already and are arguably better covered than we have ever been (Since George Graham left). Nobody needs to worry about a bit of experimentation in friendlies.

That said, Maitland-Niles is clearly a **** centre back :p

[Luis Anaconda]

Of course. Just basing it on the evidence I have. And was just answering your question.

Also.....hate to be picky but dropping in the player in question is a necessity if you are going to play him there. Surely dropping a 'great centre back' in is going to help? Just to note that 'settled' back four included Clichy and Toure.... hence the inverted commas. It also had Almunia behind it.... I'm not going there.

Anyway....... the original point was that we don't need to sign a centre back or convert a midfielder. We have loads of options already and are arguably better covered than we have ever been (Since George Graham left). Nobody needs to worry about a bit of experimentation in friendlies.

That said, Maitland-Niles is clearly a **** centre back :p

I quite agree we don't need a centre back :)

[Peter]

I quite agree we don't need a centre back :)

Kind of hoping chambers doesn't leave. I think there is a decent player in there, particularly in a back three.

I think the back three trend is at least in part a response to the lack of quality centre backs around. We are pretty lucky with the quality of ours.

[redgunamo]

Kind of hoping chambers doesn't leave. I think there is a decent player in there, particularly in a back three.

I think the back three trend is at least in part a response to the lack of quality centre backs around. We are pretty lucky with the quality of ours.

I think there's enough decent ones about, but we're just not nurturing them right anymore. Exhibit A: John Stones, but it's not actually his fault; when he sashays the ball out from the back, everyone is so busy applauding that they forget to ask "Very good, but can he actually defend."

[SWv2]

I think there's enough decent ones about, but we're just not nurturing them right anymore. Exhibit A: John Stones, but it's not actually his fault; when he sashays the ball out from the back, everyone is so busy applauding that they forget to ask "Very good, but can he actually defend."

Still very young but a decent player in there for sure.

All about systems of course, systems and team mates, systems and team mates and defensive units, and of course midfield cover.

I would expect Stones, and indeed City as a whole, do be a lot better this term.

And United who have bought well.

And Chelsea, who have bought very well.

[Peter]

I think there's enough decent ones about, but we're just not nurturing them right anymore. Exhibit A: John Stones, but it's not actually his fault; when he sashays the ball out from the back, everyone is so busy applauding that they forget to ask "Very good, but can he actually defend."

Hard to tell. Part of it is coaching. I don't know how well Holding was coached as a youth player. Perhaps it was that coaching that means he is currently better prepared than Chambers, or maybe its because he had played a couple of years of first team football in the Championship. Maybe both.

I wouldn't have thought Pep would be the ideal choice as mentor for a defender.

[Ash]

All about systems of course,
systems and team mates,
systems and team mates and defensive units,
and of course midfield cover.


https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/uncyclopedia/images/3/31/Spinquisition.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20060828224102

[redgunamo]

Still very young but a decent player in there for sure.

All about systems of course, systems and team mates, systems and team mates and defensive units, and of course midfield cover.


Yes, that's right. Also players as a whole group, I should have said. They've been having the same discussion in the cricket all week.

[redgunamo]

Hard to tell. Part of it is coaching. I don't know how well Holding was coached as a youth player. Perhaps it was that coaching that means he is currently better prepared than Chambers, or maybe its because he had played a couple of years of first team football in the Championship. Maybe both.

I wouldn't have thought Pep would be the ideal choice as mentor for a defender.

First team experience, no doubt. @GNev says the thing that most readied him to play for Manchester United was playing Lancashire club cricket as a teenager; you are playing with and against tough, well-seasoned, implacable men who only want to win, and when you drop a catch or give your wicket away, they don't care that you're just a young kid.