Benayoun

Signed for your lot. A real classy player you've got there, and a nice bloke to match. I'll always like him after 3 great seasons at West Ham.

A player i've always rated.However, is this an indication that Chelsea no longer consider Arsenal as top 4 rivals? Loans between the top 4 are very rare,i'm struggling to recall the last one.

QBVILLA wrote:A player i've always rated.However, is this an indication that Chelsea no longer consider Arsenal as top 4 rivals? Loans between the top 4 are very rare,i'm struggling to recall the last one.

Yes it's a strange one. Funny things are happening in football though.

You could say that Man City have dismissed Spurs as well by loaning them Adebayor and paying a percentage of his wages.I doubt they'd have done that 12 months ago

QBVILLA wrote:You could say that Man City have dismissed Spurs as well by loaning them Adebayor and paying a percentage of his wages.I doubt they'd have done that 12 months ago

Adebayor has been sent in as an industrial saboteur. I wonder who will chin who first.

Yossi is a class player - a touch lightweight IMO but he's been around English football to know the score. He's a gem to have picked up on loan - I suspect Chelsea don't rate him for some reason and I don't consider taking him off their hands is in any way a put-down (as that footballing genius Robbie Savage tried to suggest, along with his comment about Mertesacker failing at Real Madrid - WTF is he talking about?). Again, let's wait and see.

Yossi will do well I think. I'm not sure either he or Arteta have enough about them to worry the big 3 but along with Mertesacker I think Arsenal will be able to put a challenge up against Liverpool for 4th.

villainies wrote:Yossi will do well I think. I'm not sure either he or Arteta have enough about them to worry the big 3 but along with Mertesacker I think Arsenal will be able to put a challenge up against Liverpool for 4th.

I'll always tell you The Arsenal will finish top.
Right now it's looking all-Manchester with Chelsea tucked in behind BUT :
ManU They've started off great but I think defensively they're not as strong as they might be;
ManC On paper they've got a magnificant squad but with all those stars, all those egos - well, I'd like to think Mancini might be experiencing some problems by Christmas (not to mention the reaction to English mid-week winter fixtures);
Chelsea Going forward they should be strong but defensively I'm not so sure.
And now -
Arsenal All over the place until now. However their 25-man squad, when named should look at least as strong, on paper as last season's - indeed the defensive unit is a whole lot better. Have to admit that we'll have to wait for the new players to find their feet but I'm "quietly optimistic".

jpr60 wrote:Yossi is a class player - a touch lightweight IMO but he's been around English football to know the score. He's a gem to have picked up on loan - I suspect Chelsea don't rate him for some reason and I don't consider taking him off their hands is in any way a put-down (as that footballing genius Robbie Savage tried to suggest, along with his comment about Mertesacker failing at Real Madrid - WTF is he talking about?). Again, let's wait and see.

Thought that when he came to West Ham but he doesn't shirk on his defensive duties and is more than happy to fight for the ball.

jpr60 wrote:

villainies wrote:Yossi will do well I think. I'm not sure either he or Arteta have enough about them to worry the big 3 but along with Mertesacker I think Arsenal will be able to put a challenge up against Liverpool for 4th.

I'll always tell you The Arsenal will finish top.
Right now it's looking all-Manchester with Chelsea tucked in behind BUT :
ManU They've started off great but I think defensively they're not as strong as they might be;
ManC On paper they've got a magnificant squad but with all those stars, all those egos - well, I'd like to think Mancini might be experiencing some problems by Christmas (not to mention the reaction to English mid-week winter fixtures);
Chelsea Going forward they should be strong but defensively I'm not so sure.
And now -
Arsenal All over the place until now. However their 25-man squad, when named should look at least as strong, on paper as last season's - indeed the defensive unit is a whole lot better. Have to admit that we'll have to wait for the new players to find their feet but I'm "quietly optimistic".

JPR, once again your never failing optimism impresses me

QBVILLA wrote:

jpr60 wrote:

villainies wrote:Yossi will do well I think. I'm not sure either he or Arteta have enough about them to worry the big 3 but along with Mertesacker I think Arsenal will be able to put a challenge up against Liverpool for 4th.

I'll always tell you The Arsenal will finish top.
Right now it's looking all-Manchester with Chelsea tucked in behind BUT :
ManU They've started off great but I think defensively they're not as strong as they might be;
ManC On paper they've got a magnificant squad but with all those stars, all those egos - well, I'd like to think Mancini might be experiencing some problems by Christmas (not to mention the reaction to English mid-week winter fixtures);
Chelsea Going forward they should be strong but defensively I'm not so sure.
And now -
Arsenal All over the place until now. However their 25-man squad, when named should look at least as strong, on paper as last season's - indeed the defensive unit is a whole lot better. Have to admit that we'll have to wait for the new players to find their feet but I'm "quietly optimistic".

JPR, once again your never failing optimism impresses me

Keep the faith! If we'd failed to bring in defensive and midfield players I'd have probably given up the ghost but, right now I'm feeling good. The new players might not fit in, Jack Wilshere might in fact have a Vermaelen-class injury which'll make him miss much of the season - anything might happen - but right at this moment in time it's all good!
My eldest son was sooooo down after the 8-2 drubbing at the weekend it was almost suicidal - now I'm getting happy e-mails - we're talking serious relief here!

Thing is had Wenger bought in the big German in january i reckon you'd have had at least two trophies at the end of the season.I fear that Arsenal have now missed the boat and a title challenge is looking less likely.

Was listening to German broadcaster yesterday and he says that Wenger stated publicly two weeks ago he wasnt interested in the German bloke. Seems Sunday changed his opinion. Seems a solid player to me, cant be any worse than the rabble on Sunday. Dont know Santos at all, still think Arsenal needed a strong midfielder such as Parker, who apparently Wenger does not think is technically good enough

JPR, cant agree about Man Ure defensively. I think Phil Jones is going to be a top top player, Smalling is getting better, Vidic is still class, Rio will be injured a lot, Evra is class and Evans aint too bad.

QBVILLA wrote:Thing is had Wenger bought in the big German in january i reckon you'd have had at least two trophies at the end of the season.I fear that Arsenal have now missed the boat and a title challenge is looking less likely.

Fair comment re getting the defence sorted earlier but I reckon we're on the boat now. OK, we weren't piped aboard on the gangplanks but we're just hauling ourselves up the side, like pirates, knives held between gritted teeth, just aching to get amongst the gentry aboard. Ha-haaar Jim-Lad, Oi be tellin' yer, avast there ye land lubbers'n let the Cap'n take over!

villanfromluton wrote:JPR, cant agree about Man Ure defensively. I think Phil Jones is going to be a top top player, Smalling is getting better, Vidic is still class, Rio will be injured a lot, Evra is class and Evans aint too bad.

Here's my thinking, Young Lutes (fresh from the wonders of Turkish Delights). ManU have a dodgy 'keeper and relatively untried, young defenders (when the Old Masters are missing). It all sounds a bit Arsenal, dunnit? Look, Arsenals shoddy team scored twice against ManU last weekend, had we scored the pen and had Arshavin not missed a sitter it would've been four! I'm not saying we deserved the goals - we played crap - but if, playing crap we could've scored four what does that tell you about their defence?

jpr60 wrote:

villanfromluton wrote:JPR, cant agree about Man Ure defensively. I think Phil Jones is going to be a top top player, Smalling is getting better, Vidic is still class, Rio will be injured a lot, Evra is class and Evans aint too bad.

Here's my thinking, Young Lutes (fresh from the wonders of Turkish Delights). ManU have a dodgy 'keeper and relatively untried, young defenders (when the Old Masters are missing). It all sounds a bit Arsenal, dunnit? Look, Arsenals shoddy team scored twice against ManU last weekend, had we scored the pen and had Arshavin not missed a sitter it would've been four! I'm not saying we deserved the goals - we played crap - but if, playing crap we could've scored four what does that tell you about their defence?

The keeper will come good IMO, think the second goal came as the game was so easy. Who knows what would have happened if the penalty had gone in, but the gap in class shone through all game. Man Ure could have had double figures easily

villanfromluton wrote:

jpr60 wrote:

villanfromluton wrote:JPR, cant agree about Man Ure defensively. I think Phil Jones is going to be a top top player, Smalling is getting better, Vidic is still class, Rio will be injured a lot, Evra is class and Evans aint too bad.

Here's my thinking, Young Lutes (fresh from the wonders of Turkish Delights). ManU have a dodgy 'keeper and relatively untried, young defenders (when the Old Masters are missing). It all sounds a bit Arsenal, dunnit? Look, Arsenals shoddy team scored twice against ManU last weekend, had we scored the pen and had Arshavin not missed a sitter it would've been four! I'm not saying we deserved the goals - we played crap - but if, playing crap we could've scored four what does that tell you about their defence?

The keeper will come good IMO, think the second goal came as the game was so easy. Who knows what would have happened if the penalty had gone in, but the gap in class shone through all game. Man Ure could have had double figures easily

Two excellent strikes from Young - unbeatable - the rest was pure bad defending (the first goal just totally ridiculous - similar level to the winner we gifted Birmingham in the League Cup Final last season). I'm looking forward to the return game............

Ashley Young looks as if he has settled brilliantly, was my MOTM ahead of Rooney, though have to say Walcott didnt seem to be busting a gut to help the young right back. Ditto Arshavin on the other flank, what the heck has happened to him?

villanfromluton wrote:Ashley Young looks as if he has settled brilliantly, was my MOTM ahead of Rooney, though have to say Walcott didnt seem to be busting a gut to help the young right back. Ditto Arshavin on the other flank, what the heck has happened to him?

Good question!