Football Focus

[ruffers]

So that's the top four in place, just need to work out what order they'll finish in now.. ;-)

[SimonM]

I wonder what odds the bookies will offer against two Liverpool sides being relegated from the Premiership this season?! B)

[Tarot]

Is there a seperate training group for goalkeepers?

[Emerson Crane]

Not a wholly unexpected loss for The Arsenal. Mr. Wenger I think your mantra that we can win something with this squad is like whistling in the dark. The first goal should have been saved, any keeper worth his salt should save at his near post. The second goal, as good as it was, could have been avoided if Song had stood his ground. Nor can we moan about injuries. Any club with the stature and resources of The Arsenal should have 2 top quality players in every position, we haven't.

As for the rest of the results, the only unexpected result was the Liverpool score. What is going on at that club??? Financial meltdown off the pitch and meltdown on it. How the mighty have fallen!

City very lucky against Newcastle who had two stone wall penalties turned down, but that's football for you.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I thought the Drogba goal was excellent and pretty much unsaveable ? I?m more inclined to point the finger at Nasri for allowing Cole in to cross

No complaints about the game ? we didn?t embarass ourselves as much as last year but still fell way short and the better team won.

[Emerson Crane]

No the goal was very saveable, as I was warching the game with a my sons mate who is a semi pro keeper, and he agreed it was very saveable. The cross shouldn't have been mase, sure, but the keeper was almost standing on his near post. Woeful.

[Jah Lush]

Saveable perhaps but I thought Drogba's flick was unexpected and to be fair to the keeper probably took him by surprise but by and large I agree you a keeper shouldn't let anything go past him on the near post. No stopping the free-kick though.

Very pleased with the Spurs result especially with a makeshift back four and Villa in such good form since Houllier took over. No Champions League hangover either and Van Der Vaart looking like the bargain of the season.

[red devil]

Well at least Utd are still unbeaten...:-S

I think credit needs to be given to Drogba, it was a clever drag back on the run.

I wouldn't of been upset if van der Sar had let it in, near post or not.

I'd be more concerned at the Arse player who gave Chelski the ball when a free kick was awarded to them, while the defence was still sorting itself out, which directly led to the goal.

Any thoughts on de Jong's tackle, I didn't see it, but what with his kung fu 'tackle' in the World Cup he's certainly gaining a bit of a reputation.

Good on Big Eck for giving the 'fickle' B'ham fans a bit of stick for booing at the final whistle.

Looking forward to the upcoming Merseyside derby :)

[Jah Lush]

red devil Wrote:

> Looking forward to the upcoming Merseyside derby

> :)

I was in the pub yesterday watching the football and someone commented that it was already looking like a six pointer.

[Emerson Crane]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Any thoughts on de Jong's tackle, I didn't see it,

> but what with his kung fu 'tackle' in the World

> Cup he's certainly gaining a bit of a reputation.

>

It was awful as was Camara's for Wolves. Tackling is one thing but these were all out assaults.

[red devil]

de Jong dropped by Holland...

[Emerson Crane]

Perhaps Mr. Wenger has a point after all regarding the level of misguided aggression at the top level.

[kpc]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Good on Big Eck for giving the 'fickle' B'ham fans

> a bit of stick for booing at the final whistle.

>

I appreciate that Eck is defending his team and more so his tactics, but Birmingham fans are not being fickle. We just have an expectation that we should be looking to win our home games and playing 4-5-1 is not the way to do this. The start to the season is similar to last year in many ways except that Eck had switched to 4-4-2 at home by now and that was the catalyst for the win against Sunderland that started our unbeaten year in home games. At least that monkey is now off our back. I'm a big fan of Eck and what he has done on limited resources but I think that he has to be more positive. I don't condone booing myself but understand the reaction of those around me last Saturday who did boo.

[Sandperson]

Emerson Crane Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Perhaps Mr. Wenger has a point after all regarding

> the level of misguided aggression at the top

> level.

Perhaps he should spend more time toughening them up for such games. Everyone from Chelsea to the bloke down the pub know that Arsenal don't like aggressive play and many teams take advantage of it. I say play up, play up and play the game.

[Jah Lush]

You've only got to blow on an Arsenal player and he'll go down. Nasri's dive at White Hart Lane a couple of weeks ago for their first penalty epitomised that.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Several broken legs suggests we aren't falling down at a gust of wind

[Sandperson]

I am not advocating dangerous play.

[Mick Mac]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> Several broken legs suggests we aren't falling

> down at a gust of wind

No it doesn't.

It suggests that as well as falling down with a gust of wind, Arsenal players have also sustained several broken legs.

[Narnia]

A recent study of the PL teams show the Arse to the the shortest and lightest players on average. They get so many injuries of the non deliberate kind perhaps they should look at how they are training.

[red devil]

Oh I can't wait until Ati...I mean EC sees these posts, let me throw in 'Arse are a bunch of Ladyboys' for good measure...

[Emerson Crane]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> You've only got to blow on an Arsenal player and

> he'll go down. Nasri's dive at White Hart Lane a

> couple of weeks ago for their first penalty

> epitomised that.

Contact was there so it was a penalty. Unlike the dubious awards for Spurs against Twente, and as for Huddlestones fore arm smash, well the less said the better, distinct lack of talent and tekkers.

[Keef]

Oh I can't wait until Ati...I mean EC sees these posts, let me throw in 'Arse are a bunch of Ladyboys' for good measure...

I've always thought of you as less of a goader R_D. Poor form.

Well ignored though.

[Emerson Crane]

Narnia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A recent study of the PL teams show the Arse to

> the the shortest and lightest players on average.

> They get so many injuries of the non deliberate

> kind perhaps they should look at how they are

> training.

Interesting point. Barcelona are one of the shortest and lightest teams in La Liga. I don't recall them having to put up with as many broken limbs as The Arsenal. This because they have far fewer argicultural, journeyman players that litter the English game.

[red devil]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh I can't wait until Ati...I mean EC sees these

> posts, let me throw in 'Arse are a bunch of

> Ladyboys' for good measure...

>

> I've always thought of you as less of a goader

> R_D. Poor form.

>

> Well ignored though.

C'mon Keef, my post was very much tongue in cheek, although I hate using them perhaps in hindsight I should've added a winking smiley...

http://www.theamericanmind.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/smileywink.jpg

[Narnia]

Emerson Crane Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Narnia Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > A recent study of the PL teams show the Arse to

> > the the shortest and lightest players on

> average.

> > They get so many injuries of the non deliberate

> > kind perhaps they should look at how they are

> > training.

>

> Interesting point. Barcelona are one of the

> shortest and lightest teams in La Liga. I don't

> recall them having to put up with as many broken

> limbs as The Arsenal. This because they have far

> fewer argicultural, journeyman players that litter

> the English game.

I think you missed the point.