Happy St. Totteringham's Day

[DB10GOONER]

Who's playing up front Quartz? Think I'd take Defoe over Giroud personally. Strange one at right-back because Sagna is head and shoulder above Walker but I'm reticent to pick Sagna over anybody the way he's played the last few months, but Walker is incapable of defending and actually apart from being very fast is pretty cack going forward too.

Used to think Dawson was actually a good centre-half and a future England regular but since he had that long-term lay-off he's struggled for form (and a place in the team) - if Kaboul was fit he wouldn't have been first choice.

DB10Gooner

I think Sandro offers a physical presence that Arteta does not.
Also he seems to be more proactive, less reactive.

But I think we are not seeing the "real" Arteta, that he is playing under orders for strict positional discipline, so it is hard to judge between the two.

Absolutely don't agree there Quartz. One of the main things that Arteta brings to the role is that he anticipates and positions himself to snuff out alot of attacks. The majority of the time he acts rather than reacts, which was one of the main problems with Song - he only ever reacted, and often too late to do anything but lunge in and give away a free kick. Arteta does so much good work off the ball by his positioning and intelligence (like Gilberto in his first few seasons) that alot of it isn't noticed because he's not leaping around reacting to things. Similarly, I'd say Sandro's "physical presence" is similar to Song's on too many occasions; he fouls alot and gives away unnecessary free kicks. For me it's Arteta over Sandro by a country mile every time.

[QuartzGooner]

I do no deny that Arteta has a Gilberto like role, doing off the ball work and intercepting, but I admire Sandro's proactive role in bringing the ball forward and starting off attacking moves, whereas Arteta plays a lot of sideways passes and has this season lost the ball too often.

But yes, Sandro does give away too many fouls.

Go to bed!

[DB10GOONER]

I do no deny that Arteta has a Gilberto like role, doing off the ball work and intercepting, but I admire Sandro's proactive role in bringing the ball forward and starting off attacking moves, whereas Arteta plays a lot of sideways passes and has this season lost the ball too often.

But yes, Sandro does give away too many fouls.

Go to bed!

Wish I could, mate. Insomnia is a bastard. (But he could do a job for us at RB!)

Agree that Arteta doesn't get forward enough, but as you wrote earlier this is probably because he is playing under orders, which is a shame because he is usually a good passer and he has a shot on him too.

[QuartzGooner]

I do no deny that Arteta has a Gilberto like role, doing off the ball work and intercepting, but I admire Sandro's proactive role in bringing the ball forward and starting off attacking moves, whereas Arteta plays a lot of sideways passes and has this season lost the ball too often.

But yes, Sandro does give away too many fouls.

Go to bed!

Wish I could, mate. Insomnia is a bastard. (But he could do a job for us at RB!)

Certainly is.

This might help?
Gonna give it a go now.

http://www.northkoreatech.org/2012/04/1 ... ns-speech/