Watching the FA Cup - Arsenal

[Assasin]

As Ruud Guliett said 'your mind is saying one thing and your body is saying another" after been out for a long time with injury.

[Karl]

That is expected. I made allowance for rustiness. Look...it is a bit like riding a bicycle. You never forget the rudiments. Walcott seems to have never learnt the rudiments!!! ...great at attacking runs and good on attack forays. Gives zilch on defense and not much more in terms of passing ability.

It is simple, at the top no TEAM can afford to play with less than 11 technical and tactical players half of the time....or even 20% of the time. It means at that level i.e. against those TEAMs it is most often not a win!!! Stands to reason 11 good attacking and good defending players will most often defeat 10 good defending and 11 good attacking players. For my GUNNERS once Walcott is on the field...against the good TEAMs...we play 11 - 1 (Walcott) = 10 on defense!!!

---

Our Costa Rican I would have to see a bit more. After-all I have ready only got a good look at him in the World Cup qualifiers, the World Cup, a few cameos for my GUNNERS and this last match (approx. 8 matches + the bit parts). So far he is possible the best of the Costa Ricans up front...but at this club level looks slow (or to be kind not quick enough, lacks proper kicking technique (based on number of misplaced passes - inclusive of shots) and tactical awareness (how often his movement was poor).

[Assasin]

What was your assessment of Alexis Sanchez a few months ago?? and what is it now.

looking for the truth and nothing but the truth, knowing we can go back and find the archives.

[Assasin]

You are the most frustrating analyst I have ever come across and it is not surprising since X is second. LOL!!!

Did you say the best defense is offense??? How do you match all of this with that?

There are some strikers I do not want nowhere in my 18 yard box. An example is Mata. Karl people are talented but not all are talented at everything, there is strength and weaknesses. That is why you have a coach to play to the strength and limit the weakness.

"specialist defender goal-keeper's " Define this for me. Where do you find one?

[Gamma]

paul scholes tackling and defensive abilities were ATROCIOUS but but tackling and breaking up passes was roy keane's job can anyone deny scholes value to man united? how many teams did he play for and how many titles did he win with those teams?

a good man manager knows how to get the best out of his players based on their ability. look at zidane, he was MOST successful with makele in front of him. that relationship worked because makelele did the defensive work and that freed zidane to do what he does BEST .... makelele doing what he does best so that zidane could do what he does best!

then there was petit and then vieira with bergkamp and later pires that is the symbiosis need for the team.

that is how a team works everybody contributing their unique talent and skill, and not everybody trying to do the same thing with the same level of expertise!

[Karl]

What was your assessment of Alexis Sanchez a few months ago?? and what is it now.

looking for the truth and nothing but the truth, knowing we can go back and find the archives.

Great technically!
Not so good tactically! ...many poor decisions.

I stopped making comments on him after the entire board started saying how great he was. ...guess I was cowed by fear of going against the crowd. You should find references to a comment or 2 that the man was a popping fool (not verbatim).

He just was not TEAM on decision-making. ...you need the star to bring others into the play to make TEAM better prepared for the 'big boys'. ...but when you have a player hogging the ball it needs the teacher/coach to explain the concept behind 'TEAM' advantage of sharing that ball...and also the individual player's advantage of doing same. Makes for 'better' of each (individual player & TEAM=the unit) and all...leads to improved performances and better results.

Yes...the archives are there...and I know I just said - No more on football. Guess I take that back (fanatic)...I shall just make my comments as non-threatening as possible.

[Assasin]

and where did you think he would improve??? He was not loaned out. You think he was playing on the hospital bed??? LOL

Walcott has a very good record in the games he has played and bear in mind that injury has taken toll on his career. I can bet you this if Walcott is still playing in March you will sing a different tune.

[Karl]

btw Sass - Did you see the matches when Luther Blisset,

John Barnes and Aldridge et al came to Jamaica? They had retired so they were coming back after years out of the game...they played great football as much slower pace. After being out years they still played 'sensible' football!!!

..as mi seh commonsense does not go while a player is out with an injury!!! The timing may go...will go. The pace of the game may take some getting used to...but acts, attempts at playing always show 'use of sense'=good sensible football being attempted.

Tell me how Walcott's being away from the game makes him forget the commonsense act(ion) that he must try to win the ball back when he loses same?

What suddenly tells him...or he learns while out...that jogging after a man running full tilt away from him with the ball suggests he shall catch up and get back the ball for self or his TEAM?

[Gamma]

how many assists does sanchez have I wonder? is an assist a measure by which one can judge whether the player involves teammates?

[Assasin]

Ozil and Podoski made good decisions right??? Who you think adds more to Arsenal TEAM????

With all his bad decisions which I assume makes him Anti-team.

[Karl]

how many assists does sanchez have I wonder? is an assist a measure by which one can judge whether the player involves teammates?

Oooh yes! ...but do you know of any place where the number of times good passes could be made to well placed attacking players were not made?

...and do you have the GUNNERS stats for 'set-ups' from which goals were not scored and total of assists plus missed chances on assists given by each GUNNER?

Hypothetical - One player makes over a season 50 passes to players in great goalscoring positions but no assists/goals recorded...and another gives 2 and 2 assists/goals recorded?

Mmmm? Wonder if the guy who gave the 2 assists involved TEAMmates more than the guy who supplied 50 balls to TEAMmates in good goalscoring positions?

In front of goal our GUNNERS is a 'baaad' misfiring TEAM! Go no further than the last FA Cup match. Chances galore but heavy whether on winning - scoring 2 goals.

I do not know...but I am now wondering on who set up teammates on goal the most in that match????

[Assasin]

Imagine is a case that you need 2 goals to stay in EPL. The fact that he made the two assist, doesn't matter how much he missed. IF it is assist then the goals was scored. Now image if he made 50 good passes and no goals scored. Chances are not goals.

[Gamma]

Well he leads the gunners so as bad as he is, he is better then anyone else on his team!!

[Karl]

Sounds fair...but is it?
Can he match Podolski's output of goals for the GUNNERS? It is a loan...but...?

btw - Guess he is gone: Podolski?
http://www.transfermarkt.com/lukas-p.../spieler/15185

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukas_Podolski

http://www.soccerbase.com/players/pl...layer_id=37300

What? Rarely used? Too often a few minutes here and there, yet --- 82 matches - 31 goals - 17 assists at my GUNNERS? Say what?

If stats are the alpha and omega...then...?

...and in his first match for Inter reminds he is superb 'set-up' man!!!

Icardi had a golden chance to snatch the three points for his side after latching on to a cross by Podolski, however his shot went wide of Buffon's post.

[Assasin]

Is this the same Sanchez we talking about???
http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/...-league-career