Arsenal Banter Archive February 07 2019

 

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07 Feb 2019 22:22:18
Some great news as far as injuries are concerned, mykis back full training, soc back light training, the only downside, xhakas back light training too. Meeeeoooow. Lol.

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07 Feb 2019 22:35:59
Has Xhaka been injured?
I wondered why he'd suddenly disappeared to.

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08 Feb 2019 06:50:36
He disappeared shortly after joining us :)

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08 Feb 2019 07:05:25
That is good news - hopefully Emery gets a full defence back to help him and his standing with the fans as I WANT him to succeed.

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07 Feb 2019 16:27:35
I know we love our statistics and banter - interesting read. Also, interesting to see that our fan base is still divided!

It's sweet to see a Premier League manager being given time and patience, and it's refreshing to witness previously hysterical Arsenal fans calling for calm. In fact, lots of those who were vocal against Wenger are now overcompensating so extremely for Emery that you suspect he could break into their homes, lay a fat steaming turd on their kitchen floor and they'd just shrug their shoulders and say: "It's great that he makes substitutions at half time. "

But all this tolerance is wearing thin in one aspect of Emery's performance: the Arsenal defence. In the summer, he dropped nearly £70million on a new goalkeeper, centre-back and defensive midfielder - a whole new defensive spine. He's had eight months to coach both them and the existing Arsenal defenders.

A new spine and eight months to work with them - you'd expect to see some evidence of defensive progress, wouldn't you? At least a hint of improvement or vision. But the Gunners are still as shambolic defensively as they were in the dark dying days of Wenger.

They are worse, statistically: after 25 league games last season they had conceded 34 goals. They have already conceded 36 after the same number of league games under Emery. He has managed fewer clean sheets than in the equivalent number of games.
Emery, who went an entire season without an away league victory at Sevilla, has maintained the tradition of the Big Arsenal Away Defeat: a 5-1 loss at Liverpool. The Gunners currently have the seventh worst defensive record in the Premier League. What the absolute frig is going on?

His defensive decisions are puzzling. In the summer he sent the promising and versatile Calum Chambers out on loan. Without Chambers to call upon when the inevitable injury crisis kicked in, the Gunners are relying on Emery's past-his-peak summer purchase Stephan Lichtsteiner and the adorable but ridiculous Carl Jenkinson.

The gaffer dropped another clanger in the winter window. With the Gunners painfully short at the back, he signed not a defender but the attacking midfielder Denis Suarez. And here's a thing to keep Gooners awake at night: Unai reportedly sees the wildly inconsistent Shkodran Mustafi as one of the more reliable Arsenal defenders.

When the new boss was unveiled in the summer, we were told he was hired to bring order and structure to the team after Wenger's more artistic, mercurial approach. It's said that when Emery was interviewed for the job, he showed up with a file bulging with forensic analysis of each squad member, detailing their qualities, weaknesses and how he would improve them individually and collectively.

And yet Emery looks increasingly baffled on the touchline. That dominant, prowling presence has vanished. Instead he stands there forlorn and confused, looking like a Mediterranean cousin of Alan Partridge, who's just been told he won't be getting a second series.

Exactly how many more 'series' are commissioned depends on how motivated Stan Kroenke's club really is to get back among the big boys. The Gunners look nailed on for a sixth-placed finish this year. It will then be up to the club hierarchy to decide whether he's the man to spend the summer transfer kitty.

In the meantime, he must show some sense of his vision for the team, like Ole Gunnar Solskjær has managed in just ten games at Old Trafford. United fans can already see their caretaker boss's vision - they've even coined a name for it (#Oleball) . He hasn't needed to play the 'too early' card that has been readily handed to Emery.

Didn't realise that the stats back up that we've gone backwards.

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07 Feb 2019 17:12:57
In all fairness the key difference is that we started the season without a fit LB (with even Xhaka filling in there) and Koscielny, lost Holding (who was our most consistent CB) just before xmas, also lost Bellerin around xmas over the busy festive season and are now without him for the rest of the season, lost Sokratis until end of Feb, and are now stuck with having no real other option other than to play Mustafi and Licht (unless Mavro and Jenko get a chance) who are both full of mistakes and simply need to be rid of in the summer

Emery has used soo many different combinations of back 4s and back 5s due to persistent injuries, its no surprise no solid defensive back line has been established. i'm sure if a back 4 of Kolasinac-Sokratis-Kosc/ Holding-Bellerin got a run of games together with Leno between the sticks then we'd see better defensive performances. There is no doubt we need a top CB and a young, reliable RB to provide competition/ cover for Bellerin (also a LB if Nacho leaves)

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07 Feb 2019 17:16:30
I’m all with give Emery time, its his first season and he’s not Pep so he needs time.
Next summer will unveil the real deal about Emery, if nothing changed on the defensive side it will be history repeats it self.
but what baffles me is the all anti wenger fans somehow they see we have improved I just cannot figure out at what front. I can’t figure what what is the difference between last year and this one, beside the halftime changes.

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07 Feb 2019 17:43:50
Spot on CB. Its obvious we have been unlucky in defence as far as injuries are concerned, i'm not sure anyone could deal with all that.

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07 Feb 2019 17:52:47
To be fair, it doesn't take statistics to see our defending is still awful. However, as were talking statistics SY4, i think its only fair to be slightly more balanced, and also compare goals scored and total points versus last season as well. Based on these; 5 points better off this season, and 5 more goals scored, resulting in an improved good of +3 versus last season, and using your logic, i didn't realise the statistics have shown we have gone forwards!

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07 Feb 2019 19:23:50
To me Dick doesn't (so far) appear be any more defensively aware than Arsene did, I personally am really disappointed that our new manager hasn't (so far ) shown any more appreciation of just how important it is to be as difficult to score against as it is to create and take chances at the other end.
I was very excited when Emery came in but am now extremely concerned with absolutely no improvement in our defence, not even 1% and anyone who isn't concerned is just seeing what they want to see rather than what's really there.
None of us know what the future holds and it's easy to say Dick will do this that the other one day but the reality is all we have to go on is what we've seen so far and for me it's been absolutely no different to what we had before.

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07 Feb 2019 19:46:49
Gunner, i think everyone is concerned including Dick but sometimes in life, you have to make do with the hand you are dealt until a better hand comes along. The most important thing is points and ultimately prizes. Do you honestly think pep would have done better against citeh, if dick had been in their dugout and pep in ours, how would he have played the three 100 year old center backs any different. Personally i like the way he gets on with it and i haven't heard him moan once about the massive injuries we have in defence nd that's quite refreshing. He isn't an idiot, he knows there are limits to everything. He doesn't blame the money, he doesn't blame the refs, he doesn't blame the fixture scheduling, he just get on with it. But i'm afraid if you are sat at the traffic lights in a battered old cortina and a Ferrari pulls up beside you, it doesn't matter how much you slip that clutch and rev that poor old 1600 engine, that Ferrari will beat you. And at the moment he is relying on cortinas, while some of the mondeos are getting repaired in the garage.

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07 Feb 2019 20:12:02
Well that's an opinion Steve but what's not an opinion but a fact is that if you put Dick and Arsene in the same motor there would be a photo finish based on everything we've seen rather than imagined.
In fact with Papa Torreira Guendouzi it bought for Dick it could be argued he has a slightly betrer motor than Arsene had but isn't any more capable of getting the best out of it.
Facts are facts and opinions are opinions and all we have to go on is the fact of what we've seen so far and the answers is " nothing different to see here "
Maybe next season will be betrer or maybe it will be exactly the same none of us can possibly know that now but if our defence doesn't improve by this time next season Dick won't be starting a 3rd season, he doesn't have to make us champions or even top 4 but he absolutely does need to show real genuine improvement to prove his at present questionable ability to do.

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07 Feb 2019 20:36:33
No gunner you haven't quoted fact, youve quoted opinion.

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07 Feb 2019 20:44:39
And i'm sure and this is opinion if he or any manager in the league next season has the same problems in defence that we have had, they will suffer also. I don't accept flannel, like some mangers give but i do accept problems within the squads due too injury. Doesn't mean i'm happy but sometimes you have to accept sometimes you haven't the quality to deal with the challenge. I don't think recently we have had the quality to deal with the challenge. I also think added to that, there is a mental problem to deal with, we don't suffer with results/ defending at home, the way we do away. For me that's something else he has to find a solution too.

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07 Feb 2019 20:50:45
Sy, getting off arsenal for a second, do you honestly believe what happened at utd is down to solshkar. I think Peter Kay could have gone in there and done what he did.

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07 Feb 2019 21:16:25
Question that's been bugging me is why are we picking up all these injuries, its been like it for a while now. Do we buy fragile players that clubs sell to us because of that reason?

Its hard to be consistent whaen you struggle to put out the same team week to week.

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07 Feb 2019 21:20:32
He’s done well but we will see the real deal in a few months.

As for Emery - I really hope he turns it around and sorts the defence out. I have huge doubts as he’s got a poor record and doing nothing todate. But hopefully something happens or let’s get a new person in Season 3! Bad thing is - we can’t afford too many managers buying “their players” and failing. fingers crossed and I will be very happy to be wrong. I still believe anyone with an once of coaching skills would have improved our defence. pretty sure most were saying that last season but not this. Casualties are an excuse but not for no defensive shape or organisation.

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07 Feb 2019 21:22:37
For me Steve I set the bar at exactly the same height for Dick as I did Arsene, some fans kept lowering and lowering their Arsenal expectations bar so Arsene could still get over it out of loyalty while other fans have lowered thier bar simply for Dick not being Arsene.
For me it's exactly the same for both, give us a defence worthy of the name and get us back on the road to competitiveness.
So far like Arsene Dick is still showing no signs of getting even close to clearing the bar for me, in fact when it comes to the world of high jumping they both look accomplished limbo dancers.

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07 Feb 2019 21:34:54
Peter Kay yes Steve but could Dick:-)
This time last year we would both of been saying Peter Kay could do better than Arsene, makes you think mate doesn't it :-)

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07 Feb 2019 21:36:51
Epping - when did PEA join? Not sure goals scored is a fair comparison. We now have PEA and Laca so should score lots of goals
The issue is the other end of the pitch.

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07 Feb 2019 21:56:52
Sparky, i asked a question the other week, which there really isn't an answer too but is our pitch at all to blame. It is i believe partly synthetic, maybe all pitches are like that now, i don't know.

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07 Feb 2019 22:16:58
Sy, i think EG was just balancing up your stat. The one that only focused on the negative. Lol.

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07 Feb 2019 22:26:44
Gunner, i think even wenger could have done what peter kay could have, probably one less win with a draw against arsenal in the cup.

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07 Feb 2019 22:49:45
So we know what Peter Ole and Arsene can do now what about Dick?
If we can belittle Ole and Arsene why is Dick made of Teflon Mate?
If we stick to what was with Arsene and is with Dick rather than dance around in hypothetical circles then surely we are now exactly where Arsene left us bar Svens signings.

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07 Feb 2019 22:43:57
SY, I think it's disgraceful you have to write such a post after 8 months of emery being in charge.

Where would Wenger be if he didn't inherit a back 5 from George Graham.

Emery has inherited a shambles of a squad from an absolute failure.

Hang your head in shame for writing such bull.

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07 Feb 2019 23:08:13
If Arsene left us so poor ( which I agree he did ) and Arsene was so poor at his job in the end ( which I agree he was ) then why hasn't it been so easy for Emery to improve us instantly if he's so good ( which I don't agree he is ) .
Our defensive players as individuals are not by a long way the worst defenders in the premier league so why collectively did they perform like they were under Arsene and continue to do so under Dick.
When Arsene was our manager it was all his fault but now Dick is our manager it's still Arsenes fault.
It does seem to me Dick is a hero to some fans simply for not being Arsene Wenger, absolutely nothing more.
Arsene has gone boys and he ain't coming back, the battle now is where Dick came in and where we are now 8 months later.

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08 Feb 2019 01:23:49
Yeah good point malaga. I don't think the defence was the same after the last GG influence left.

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08 Feb 2019 07:01:38
Malaga - firstly, do you really think Emery has done anything for the defence. Secondly, weren’t you anti Wenger and any moron could do better and have better tactics? Thirdly - it’s an article to debate and 4th I said I would give him another season

What’s your issue?

You seem to have double standards buddy and I believe he’s shown ineptness as a manager while his pedigree is average at best. My opinion and shared by many

If you think he’s organised the defence well - good on you.

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08 Feb 2019 09:21:29
We are scoring more goals because of Emery, but we wre conceding more goals because of wenger left us with team. This is the most idiotic debate ever. If we have a better midfield and we added a new CB and DM which we didn’t have when arsene was that means he added to soin of the team and nothing changed defensively in fact we are worst.
You can’t absolutely cannot blame arsene for this season, a new manager with a new tactics and organisations, if managed to improve us going forward he certainly failing with the defence.
And as 62 mentioned we definitely don’t have the worst CB individuals but need to be coached and set better.
When we bought Mustafi he was a german international, bellerin was chased by barca, kos was a french international until his injury, Lich was one of the best RB in the world he might lost a bit of legs but not the sence of defending, so I’m sure they have something in thier lockers and our current coach is failng to get the best out of them.

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08 Feb 2019 12:29:20
Moe quite simple if something good happens it's all Dicks work paying off and anything that goes wrong it's all Arsenes fault, reality doesn't come into it for some.
For some Dick is fantastic for one simple reason, he's not Arsene Wenger and that for some is reason enough to be happy with him.
The reality is Arsene was no longer capable of making us all we could be and so far Dick is showing no more or less signs of being any more capable than Arsene.
We need someone who can get the best out of what we have and then improve from there and Dick is the man with first attempt at that task, by my reckoning he's got about 12 to 14 months to win over those who need and want more from him than simply not being Arsene Wenger.

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08 Feb 2019 12:34:22
Moe on the other side of the coin, mustaffi now isn't a germany defender, bellerin isn't chased by Barcelona (who when they did, i undestand valued him around 20 mil) you are right kos was a french international when he was younger and lich was one of the best right backs in the world but at 35 years old, he's maybe on the slide, or over the hill. But even then, bellerin is now not fit, kos, i hope after his injury is going to give us a few more decent months, mustaffi is a train crash now and has been since he joined, lich is close to collecting his pension and looks like his side of the pitch is made of treacle. We don't have holding, we do have mavropanos, just, we don't have soc but we do have the 33 years young rock monreal. But i'm sure we must be able, with the help of xhaka, make a formidable defence. Lol.

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08 Feb 2019 12:52:34
Steve remember that Leicester city defence that won the title and got 80 + plus points and lots of clean sheets in a season.
Wes Morgan Robert Hugh and Co? No international players on show there mate but they were organised disciplined and very very affective.
Those who can't don't those who can do I guess mate, Arsene couldn't and Dick can't do any better from what we've seen of his coaching so far.

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08 Feb 2019 13:23:29
SY as Steve says, I was balancing your comment out by looking across more than one stat, as you used a single (negative) stat to back your point whilst ignoring other (positive) stats that don't (are you in politics by any chance! ) . I appreciate you were talking about the defensive shambles (which i agree with you 100%) , hence why you concentrated on the goals conceded stat, but stating that the more goals scored this year versus last is not a fair comparison because of Lacca/ Auby is not the point. They may well be the cause/ effect of the improved stat, in the same way that injuries/ changes enforced in our defense may be part of the cause/ effect of the worse goals conceded stat, but they don't change the facts. Whilst the cause/ effect is open for debate, the stats themselves are not, and therefore basing a statement purely on stats alone, in goals scored, and points achieved, we are better off on both this season compared to last.

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08 Feb 2019 13:30:04
Steve, remember that your favourite player xhaka is a regular in Emery’s team and somehow you can’t criticise him for that enough as you used to do in arsene regime.
As 62 mentioned, Emery has to get the best of his defence and recognise thier ability and if they are that shyt then set them up properly to tight and less leaky. They are definitely better than morgan and huth in ability but those managed to do better under more organised coaching.
I’m over the moon we don’t have arsene anymore, he’s past it but we can keep blaming him for all the bad bits and praise Emery for the good work. Arsene is out so we move on, and coaching team on board so they are responsible for their work and tactics.

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08 Feb 2019 14:34:26
That's exactly it Moe we don't need a coach that can't doing anything with our defence we need a coach that can do something with our defence.
If the criteria was to not be capable of doing anything with the players we have then most of us are over qualified for job of Arsenal head coach but as we all know the criteria for any job is to be able to carry out that job better than the person who has the job before who was replaced due to his inability to get the best out of our players.
Over 7 billion people on earth are qualified in the job of not being Arsene Wenger if that's all we were looking for.

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08 Feb 2019 15:03:24
Epping - totally agree. Nice balanced reply. I look at what Wenger did in season one to revamp the side where it needed change and it’s chalk and cheese. I don’t want to compare to the last 2 years as they aren’t our yardstick. We should compare to the glory years as a standard of football - even if it doesn’t come with loads of trophies.

Emery inherited a great attack but poor defence. No real change.

Wenger inherited a great defence but needed an improved attack and midfield. He addressed it. Just like I would expect every manager to do. Wenger certainly coached them to change their style, diet and energy.

Hence my disappointment especially given all the propaganda on here and on line about his defensive capabilities, organisational skills and pressing demands.

Everyone was praising that he’s vocal during a game - does he only look at one half of the pitch? He might as well be yelling for a cab. What’s on the tactic board he holds - Netflix schedule?

Have you seen any pictures of defensive drills in the media or keepie ups / fun / goals etc - where are the drill pictures. What’s Bould doing? Sack him if he can’t coach ( Bould )

We sign our David Dein - he leaves!

Bugger - didn’t want to rant but I love OUR club and I am far from happy and see no direction or green shoots regardless of injuries. 62 was right, we defend like 10 year olds and Emery does nothing. Hopefully it’s down to language and that improves with time.

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08 Feb 2019 15:39:13
I hope your right SY, and we start to see defensive improvements, and don't worry, i can see exactly why you wrote what you did! . Steve Bould is a real disappointment for me. Loved him as a player, a no nonsense center half who obviously took no stick from anyone, but i just can't see what he does as a coach. Its like we more need him to come out of retirement and play but leave the coaching alone! Personally, i still see our overall set up as being the main issue of our defensive problems, rather than just the actual players in defence. I say this as we don't really change or improve whoever plays across the back 4/ 5. We still play a system that relies on our full backs to provide width going forward, which will always leave us exposed down the flanks in defence. We need to change the whole set up of our play, and whether Emery can do this time will show.

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08 Feb 2019 18:00:45
The thing that concerns me most Epping mate is Dick doesn't seem to see the issues you raise or worse still willing to adapt in order to cope with and eliminate them.
Either way it's a worry and doesn't bode well for our future over this season and next.
I genuinely don't see Dick getting a 3rd season with us based on what he hasn't done so far, I'm not sure if it's because either he doesn't want to change or is simply isn't capable of doing so.

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{Ed025's Note - i think he needs more time to be fair G62, maybe when he gets his own players in things will change mate..

08 Feb 2019 19:42:00
Hi Ed025 mate, I really hope you're right and we will see a change in his ability next season because I really want him to be a huge success with Arsenal, I'm just totally shocked at his lack of defensive savy from what we've seen so far, Arsene was really poor in that department and I see nothing to suggest Dick is any better so far.
I accept he has to have next season no matter what happens this season but a 3rd season would be extremely difficult to endure without any progress in his first two seasons.
For me he gets two seasons as a gimme but surely he has to earn a third season for himself mate.

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07 Feb 2019 14:06:32
Hi Ed,
Can you offer any insight as to who won’t be a gunner next year?
Thanks,

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{Ed002's Note - Sure. Ronaldo, Messi, Pele, all of the Gillingham squad - I am sure there are others as well.}

07 Feb 2019 16:17:22
😂😂😂😂.

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07 Feb 2019 16:26:56
That answer made me proper burst out laugh :-)
Sorry Alex I know you meant the question seriously but you've got to admit that answer from Ed002 is absolutely brilliant:-) .
That's classic:-)

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{Ed002's Note - Something like this:
Petr Cech (G)
David Ospina (G)
Emi Martinez (G)
Laurent Koscielny (CB) could leave
Stephan Lichtsteiner (RB)
Nacho Monreal (LB) time to go
Mohamed Elneny (DM)
Aaron Ramsey (CM)
Danny Welbeck (S)
}

07 Feb 2019 17:05:02
Seriously Ed you must be mistaken on a couple of them 😂😂😂
Gold reply.

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07 Feb 2019 17:46:23
I thought the funniest thing was Ed 02 leaving mustaffi and ozil out of the proper list.

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07 Feb 2019 17:57:25
Steve mate, what you’ve seem funny now going to turn into a nightmare at the beginning of next season. 😆.

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07 Feb 2019 18:31:04
Moe, you mean if we can't get rid of those two?

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07 Feb 2019 18:42:10
Exactly steve.

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07 Feb 2019 19:20:59
Thats probably why Ed left them out. He knows they will be harder to shift than rick astley LPs at a car boot.

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08 Feb 2019 07:03:45
Steve - you are right on the balance piece but notecartackvwasnt our issue and we beefed up the attack in the second half of the season. I would expect more goals with those additions. I would expect a better defence with coaching and we hired a “coach”.

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08 Feb 2019 13:25:43
Nowt wrong with a bit of Rick Astley Steve. i would certainly have an LP from the car boot sale.

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09 Feb 2019 00:04:29
EG, where have you been these last 120 car boot sales? Lol.

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Marcelo Bielsa

07 Feb 2019 14:27:28
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new manager profile about, Marcelo Bielsa

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Review Of The Day 7th February 2019

07 Feb 2019 07:29:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 7th February 2019

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