Mjvilla

What level do you coach at mate?

I think the club could explore using this in a presser. When asked about jack respond (in a joking but making a point way), about how the injury comes form years of being kicked and hopefully he gets protection from refs rather than being kicked 3 or 4 times before the ref reacts...

Yes and I completely agree. My point about not using west hams performance to pick at our own still stands. In fact, I'd say our arsenal performance was similar to that of west hams yesterday... (Better if anything) and the same poster criticised that too.

I think it's an overreaction to say he's 'never been good enough' and 'theres not a player in there'

Terrible punditry, they are wrong. Certainly about the most shots against on average per game! Did they also mention on MOTD about us having the 2nd highest clean sheets this season? I watch football matches, NEVER listen to the 'pundits'.

Keep up, I agree he should be dropped. I've said so a number of times. Just trying to counteract your overreaction.

Any update on these @Rino8, are any likely to be back? Your picture offends me every time I see that bloody shite thing on his head!

We seem to be saying 'x team won't be this bad again next year' alot recently and guess what... It might feel like a missed opportunity but I remain convinced we are heading in the right direction and we will get there. I don't think anyone expected this 'oppurtunity' at seasons beginning. It is/was a bonus. Trust the system, it's what I'm doing and it hasn't let me down since day 1 of Smith.

Just because he is doing that, doesn't mean there isn't a player in there. I'll trust my own instincts and the knowledge of a large number of professional coaches over an internet forum poster on this one, i think.

I'm feeling the same, maybe not quite as bad. I think we won't see him before the march internationals. Would love to be proven wrong, but I'm definitely thinking along the same lines as yourself...

Someone with 6 international goals in 33 international appearances. Someone with over 200 premier league appearances suggest to me that there's alot of people in football, who would know alot more than you and I, think there is a player in there.

Judging by what you've said and with the way Leeds attack at pace, it might not be the best introduction. We cannot afford to leave space in behind (I particularly want to beat these). But, I think there is definitely a case to try him out, perhaps Sheffield United and Newcastle... Where the attack isn't quite so weighted would be good games to get him involved in. Thanks!

West ham gave away more shots than us yesterday. Spurs hit the bar and post and missed numerous good chances. This against a renowned defensive side. After the 2 goals, and particularly second half, I didn't see Leicester scoring really. Fine margins in football, it really is. Shown by this. Not saying we did well, but using west hams performance yesterday as a way of picking at ours doesn't fit right. Yes, they won and we didn't... and it's a results business. If the 2 results had been switched, no one could complain.

Can you back that up please?

Yes, and that quote is something I agree with. Would you not agree that saying someone has single-handedly cost us 14 points this season is going over the top? Whereas your post, I haven't seen much of anything like that in this thread in the last 3 months.

Yes, Martinez was obviously in my mind here. Feels different in respect to him though. The fans didn't want him to go, they wanted to keep him. Look at most of the others on the fringes and fans would be happy to see him go. Always felt like arsenal made a mistake letting Martinez go. Lingard, well I'll reserve judgement. Barkley was very good for us in the first few weeks. Lingard has played what, 4/5 games? He's had his attitude problems in that he makes it more about himself than football. Lets see how it gets on before we claim victory with that one. I think, generally, there's always exceptions to the rule... Mid career loans from the top clubs don't tend to work out too well.

Where have people gone over the top? Where has the quotation "legend" been used? Where has 'everyone' been invested in the myth? A quick glance through this thread and I'd say 90% of it is that Barkley should be dropped. Doesn't exactly tie in with your post!

Wow, I had to check the date here to make sure I hadn't gone back a year or 2. Had no idea he was still there.

You did look all of those things at Wolves on Friday night!

There will be some on here more qualified than us (they've seen him more) to put forward this argument. Is he ready? Would he better than Elmo? I'm hoping some can answer @sir_gary_cahill, @OutByEaster?? We certainly lost alot of attacking impetus down the right without Cash.

What on earth was Schmeichel doing?? I wondered at the time. Bert scored a good goal and had a reaction against him for no reason. There was one bit on the right hand side where he took on 2 and drove 60 yards up the pitch. We literally have no other players (apart from jack) that can go past a player like that. Which amazes me when I see people saying he should be dropped for trez. Yes, let's drop our best creative player (we have available), the only player that can open up a defence, the only player that can properly take a player on, probably the player with the best delivery... All for someone because they work hard. Makes me lose faith in this game being .... Entertainment. With the object being to score goals to win games.

It was said on this very forum, in the summer, that we should be looking to players at the 'big 4' and taking the ones on the fringes with a point to prove. We've been bitten more than once with this approach now. The signings we made from the championship, the ones which were criticised by certain posters, have been absolute stars. Obviously, getting the right one is always the most difficult. But, with correct scouting and going for players with the correct attitude, it can work. The players at the big clubs on the fringes are quite often on the fringes for a reason, they aren't good enough consistently due to attitude. I think we are finding that out with Ross now. All the talent in the world, he has. But he cannot perform on a regular basis. Big lessons to learn from last summer's transfer dealings.

I think that there was a little acceptance from deano today that things aren't quite working in the middle, Barkley played deeper for me. Having seen it not work again, I do wonder if a change in personnel is on the cards, particularly with Leeds high energy. Barkley is the most obvious choice to miss out, but hopefully we will have a player with fire in his belly if he is dropped.

Praise the lord, we agree!!!

What did you make of west ham's win earlier?