Totally nerding out. I don't think I have ever been more excited for a movie than I am for this.

Sudoku? Come on Captain, time to man up and start doing crosswords. If you can do them with a rye on the rocks and a pipe, all the better.

I'd argue it's more like two big name players and a smaller named player brought in for our link-up play between the two new big names.

Sorry, but I have to vote "neither". I want him out, but I like Tony Adams and I would never give him a player like Denilson. Ferguson on the other hand...

Burnwinter wrote:

Should be a surefire victory provided we can keep them down to fewer than two shots on target then.

It's so sad that every year at this time, the words "should be" just don't seem to hold the same weight.

This second string just has no penetration in the final third. No one has that instinct, power or pace to really make runs at the right moment and when playing against two banks of four, that means that our chances are only ever going to come from the odd Arshavin counter.

Sad really, just a real disjointed and lacklustre performance.

It will be interesting to see how Vermaelen forms a partnership with either Djourou or Kos. I think on an individual level, Vermaelen walks back into the time no problem. I'd say he is still our most talented and skilled defender individually. But the thing about Kos and Djourou is that they have formed a fantastic partnership where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That doesn't always happen when you just take two strong defenders and pair them together.

There is a definite balance there and for Vermaelen to just walk back into the team, he can't just improve the backline on an individual level. He also has to at the very least maintain that balance (or preferably improve on it even more).

I think he looks simply dashing in pink.

Klaus wrote:

It makes sense to not sign a player if you only really need him as a backup first hand for as little as six weeks. We've got a fairly easy run of games too. The problem is: What if Vermaelen has another setback after this? Or, what if he needs a month in the team post those six weeks to really get going? It's not an easy question. The best solution might be to get someone in on a loan, but that's easier said than done.

The most obvious question is what if Vermaelen has another setback and at the very least, we can likely expect some post-injury niggles even if his Achilles operation does turn out. However we should also consider that Djourou, while he is near the end of it now, is still in the process of recovering fully from his injury last year. Not to mention he has a history of being somewhat injury prone to begin with.

Given those two factors, I'd say the chances of us only having a back two of Kos and Squid for the run-in area little bit too high for my liking. Maybe it's a case of expecting the worst, which I know can have its own implications if you plan for the worst and the worst never comes.. But without either Vermaelen or Djourou in the back, I don't know if our defense will be strong enough to steer us to the finish line.

Rio Ferdinand trying to tap up Jack on Twitter.

A few good touches, but it seems like overall it wasn't a great performance from him. Maybe it's the quality of the team he's playing on and their typical style of play (I have never seen Norwich play to my knowledge), but he seems to just kick it up the field and hope the striker can latch onto it. With that said, he does seem to have a good physical presence about him.

I really don't like his reactions when calls don't go his way though like 5:15. Sure, it was probably a corner, but his reaction is completely egoistical. And not the good kind of ego like Chesney has, but a petulant kind of ego that can sometimes do more harm than good.

Funny that he has a go at Wenger for speaking out about him when Arsenal isn't winning just a couple days before he gets walloped 5-0. You know if Wenger was anyone else he'd be rubbing that right back in Mourinho's face.

Whether it will actually happen is one thing, but the thought of Cesc as a deeper lying play maker feeding Van Persie supporting Chamakh (who also gives us a threat from crossing) just seems unstoppable to me. If this were to happen though, one of two things would need to happen in order to accommodate this:

1. Song would have to drastically improve the defensive side of his game. None of this running into the opponent's box stuff, we'd need him to be a wall at the back. Hopefully he'd notice that with Cesc, Van Persie and Chamakh (and presumably Arshavin and Nasri on the wings) he won't be able to masquerade forward and he shouldn't need to as they are all far better than him offensively.

2. We'd need to get someone other than Song to take his place and be more protective.

It'll be interesting to see what sort of action Wenger takes.

y va marquer wrote:

est wrote:

His set piece delivery was also quite brilliant.

We've missed that.
We don't take advantage of the majority of our set pieces.

We definitely don't and that's a big area for potential improvement with Robin around. FIFA 11 always mentions that Arsenal are a real danger from set pieces and after this season I always scoff whenever they mention that.

It says right in that article. Three goals and three assists in seven games. I'd say that for a 17 year old who has just walked into that team, that's pretty near incredible.

All I know if I am sick and tired about hearing FIFA11 mention every game how we haven't won a trophy since 2005. Say all you want about the quality of the silverware, it will be nice to not have to be reminded of this simple fact every time I play a game.

How has Yennaris been growing size-wise? I don't think I've seen a picture of his full body in at least a year, but I remember him having a relatively small structure. Has he been growing anymore now that he's at that age?

Dear world,

Please do not let Sagna get injured on international duty this week. I know he doesn't get injured very often and I am so very grateful for that, but please don't let this be the time it happens. You see, there is this guy named Bale. I think he is somewhat overrated and I know Sagna can handle him just fine. But you see world, there is this other player named Eboue. He's funny and seems like a light-hearted fellow and I like that about him. But you see, Eboue for all of his fun is a rather poor defender and while I don't think Bale is as good as the English press seems to believe, I think he would be pretty dangerous playing against an empty flank while Eboue runs into a corner in the opposing 18-yard box.

I am willing to give up video games and study extra hard before Saturday in return. I will even eat salad with my dinner every night. Just please, let Sagna come home safely.

Sincerely yours,
Dave

While I'd love to think it's the case, I don't see this affecting the Cesc situation come next summer. Afellay or no Afellay, I figure we'll be having Barca figuratively (and hopefully not literally) shoved down our throats come the end of the season.

There are two things in film right now I am especially excited about:

1. The Dark Knight Rises. It will be phenomenal.
2. Inception out on blu-ray with hopefully some great special features.
3. The Arrested Development movie, whenever it's released. Though I feel it may pale in comparison to the show.