Poor Aaron Ramsey.

[Sir C]

Probably one of the best 20 midfield players in Europe, yet reviled by much of our fan base.

Without the tender ministrations of Shawcross, who knows what he might have become? :-(

[Luis Anaconda]

Probably one of the best 20 midfield players in Europe, yet reviled by much of our fan base.

Without the tender ministrations of Shawcross, who knows what he might have become? :-(

He's only reviled by WES and Withnail - and half of those people don't count. Should have had 5 last night though

[Burney]

Probably one of the best 20 midfield players in Europe, yet reviled by much of our fan base.

Without the tender ministrations of Shawcross, who knows what he might have become? :-(

It seems to me that he's a very fine player of a certain type who suffers from fans' expectations that he should be another sort of player altogether.

[Sir C]

It seems to me that he's a very fine player of a certain type who suffers from fans' expectations that he should be another sort of player altogether.

Some of the curtains of fog have shifted slightly from the party the other week, revealing to me just how truly, deeply, outrageously and fundamentally píssed I got your Pa on Black Velvet. :hehe:

wd me.

[Pokster]

Probably one of the best 20 midfield players in Europe, yet reviled by much of our fan base.

Without the tender ministrations of Shawcross, who knows what he might have become? :-(

Might find out when he goes to another team if we don't offer him a new contract soon :( I think he is just the sort of player we should keep, needs the right sort of midfield players with him and not sure JW and GX are the correct combination

[SWv2]

It seems to me that he's a very fine player of a certain type who suffers from fans' expectations that he should be another sort of player altogether.

Therein lies the issue and quite often the crux of the Canadian argument.

Last night he was playing in a system where he had two others generally operating in a midfield role and he was free to charge with utter abandon into the opposition area which is largely his game.

Stick him in a midfield duo, where perhaps for argument sake let’s say both have decided to abandon the concept of defending, then there is issues when he again charges with utter abandon into the opposition area and is found to be too far ahead of the ball when play breaks down.

There has been a recent marked improvement in discipline in this sense from the Swiss pass master, and for sure when Elneny plays he offers a platform to allow others to steam on.

When he is allowed that role, that freedom, he is peerless in the Premier League. Students of the game such as I and the German have known this for years.

Plus, speedy forwards and Golovin aside, the Russians were utter fúcking toilet.

[Burney]

Some of the curtains of fog have shifted slightly from the party the other week, revealing to me just how truly, deeply, outrageously and fundamentally píssed I got your Pa on Black Velvet. :hehe:

wd me.

Really? It wouldn't normally be his sort of thing. All in all, it sounds to me like it was a general debauch.

[Luis Anaconda]

Therein lies the issue and quite often the crux of the Canadian argument.

Last night he was playing in a system where he had two others generally operating in a midfield role and he was free to charge with utter abandon into the opposition area which is largely his game.

Stick him in a midfield duo, where perhaps for argument sake let’s say both have decided to abandon the concept of defending, then there is issues when he again charges with utter abandon into the opposition area and is found to be too far ahead of the ball when play breaks down.

There has been a recent marked improvement in discipline in this sense from the Swiss pass master, and for sure when Elneny plays he offers a platform to allow others to steam on.

When he is allowed that role, that freedom, he is peerless in the Premier League. Students of the game such as I and the German have known this for years.

Plus, speedy forwards and Golovin aside, the Russians were utter fúcking toilet.

Musa is truly a Tony Daley for our time - scares the **** out of you with his pace and then has not a clue what to do with the ball. Hat-trick next week

[Sir C]

Really? It wouldn't normally be his sort of thing. All in all, it sounds to me like it was a general debauch.

He was mad for it.

[Burney]

Therein lies the issue and quite often the crux of the Canadian argument.

Last night he was playing in a system where he had two others generally operating in a midfield role and he was free to charge with utter abandon into the opposition area which is largely his game.

Stick him in a midfield duo, where perhaps for argument sake let’s say both have decided to abandon the concept of defending, then there is issues when he again charges with utter abandon into the opposition area and is found to be too far ahead of the ball when play breaks down.

There has been a recent marked improvement in discipline in this sense from the Swiss pass master, and for sure when Elneny plays he offers a platform to allow others to steam on.

When he is allowed that role, that freedom, he is peerless in the Premier League. Students of the game such as I and the German have known this for years.

Plus, speedy forwards and Golovin aside, the Russians were utter fúcking toilet.

:nod: Mind you, if they'd had anyone who could finish, it could have been 4-4.

[SWv2]

:nod: Mind you, if they'd had anyone who could finish, it could have been 4-4.

Indeed, the first half, or first 20-30 minutes were quite the “fúck me this could end up 4-4” type of thing.

Thankfully we got a (rather fortuitous imho) penalty to calm the fúck down after they equalised and should really then have gone ahead.

Like it was a penalty but you can’t help but think that MO was falling over anyway before the tackle. You know the way when you have had 7-8 pints and you hit a stumble, it is almost slow motion and you do what you can to stop it, but you are going to go over.

[Burney]

Indeed, the first half, or first 20-30 minutes were quite the “fúck me this could end up 4-4” type of thing.

Thankfully we got a (rather fortuitous imho) penalty to calm the fúck down after they equalised and should really then have gone ahead.

Like it was a penalty but you can’t help but think that MO was falling over anyway before the tackle. You know the way when you have had 7-8 pints and you hit a stumble, it is almost slow motion and you do what you can to stop it, but you are going to go over.

:nod: He was off balance and I don't think he would have been able to score as a result. Given which, it was decent of the defender to foul him obviously and clumsily and ensure we got a pen.

[SWv2]

:nod: He was off balance and I don't think he would have been able to score as a result. Given which, it was decent of the defender to foul him obviously and clumsily and ensure we got a pen.

Given the defender was Russian, and the weight of evidence we have, can we assume the challenge was intended to kill him?

:sherlock:

[PSRB]

Given the defender was Russian, and the weight of evidence we have, can we assume the challenge was intended to kill him?

:sherlock:

CSKA don't believe the Russian was even there and it was actually Jack Wilshere that fouled him

[Burney]

Given the defender was Russian, and the weight of evidence we have, can we assume the challenge was intended to kill him?

:sherlock:

:nono: Jeremy Corbyn has already asserted that we shouldn't jump to conclusions about the provenance of the defender and that it's irresponsible war-mongering to suggest that he's Russian just because he's obviously Russian.

[Peter]

It seems to me that he's a very fine player of a certain type who suffers from fans' expectations that he should be another sort of player altogether.

I dont think it is the fans' expectations so much as the manager's 'system'. Ramsey is clearly not suited to sitting in midfield and moving the ball around, or staying in position. Yet he is often given a role in the side where this is going to be expected of him. Or he is shoved on to the right.

Credit to Xhaka for actuallydropping deep last night and wanting the ball. Often the most noticeable thing in our possession is how static everyone is ahead of the backfour. Our possession frequently crosses the backfour once or twice and then drops back to the keeper because nobody is showing for the ball orcreating space ahead of them. Last night Xhaka was dropping back and sitting at an angle, offering a pass or creating space. Not rocket science, but it takes a midfielder who has the confidence to actually take the ball in that area.

Defensively we are still dog**** :(

[Pokster]

:nono: Jeremy Corbyn has already asserted that we shouldn't jump to conclusions about the provenance of the defender and that it's irresponsible war-mongering to suggest that he's Russian just because he's obviously Russian.

JC is an Arsenal fan so will see through the Russian bit... TM asked which team was which

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Although MO was stumbling , I think he was clearly fouled as he neared the byline
A bit like putting something half dead out of its misery

[SWv2]

Although MO was stumbling , I think he was clearly fouled as he neared the byline
A bit like putting something half dead out of its misery

Oh he was, no doubt about that.

[Tony C]

Top class sides like Atletico won’t give our attackers the same space, time and freedom like they enjoyed last night imo

Lacazette’s 2nd go summed it up...got the ball with no defenders near him...they didn’t even attempt to close him down. Lacazette has all the time in the world to pick his spot and load his shot up.

Yet this is some sort of great goal and the player deserves a 10/10 for his performance :shrug:

I believe this has been one of our many issues for some time that helps explain our PL and CL failures / capitulations.

I’ll give the players 10s when they beat Atletico 3nil in the final...not against a dog sh*t defence.

[Luis Anaconda]

Top class sides like Atletico won’t give our attackers the same space, time and freedom like they enjoyed last night imo

Lacazette’s 2nd go summed it up...got the ball with no defenders near him...they didn’t even attempt to close him down. Lacazette has all the time in the world to pick his spot and load his shot up.

Yet this is some sort of great goal and the player deserves a 10/10 for his performance :shrug:

I believe this has been one of our many issues for some time that helps explain our PL and CL failures / capitulations.

I’ll give the players 10s when they beat Atletico 3nil in the final...not against a dog sh*t defence.

Kind of like we played differently against Man City and Chelsea in the FA Cup last year than we did against Lincoln and Sutton?

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

He was mad for it.

And his mum?