Me

Phil Hughes at CM for me

That's fair. I guess my point was, we do what we must, and we must find a way to compete with City and everyone else.

Or this is what it takes to compete with a cheat

Or buy the best players and outspend your competition. Or cheat. Or sell to an owner-state.

Hilarious! Chapo!

Kai sets a tone. If ref is allowing a a physical game, Kai says "ok, I can do that." Odegaard was mostly good when he came on, but once again very soft in duels i.e. watching his man head a ball. Kai raises physical intensity and steel in a way MO cannot

I think he earns his rep. Ozil also transformed the perception of arsenal as a selling club and nearly helped us stay in the title race. Over time, he spent more energy on the German MNT and was ostracized. Same is happening with Odegaard. When I see him lose duels, I see Ozil

Always a kit leak after a bad result. This looks like a newer version of the neon fingerprint

Why does Ben white always look like he doesn't have a fogging clue when he takes a throw? Pick it up quickly, and find an open man. The longer he waits, the more the opponents get set, and the more runs the midfield must make to get open (again).

Hmm snowed it and not leaving. I can dwell about arsenal or dwell about our POS POTUS. I choose dwelling about my fat lazy ass and time to workout!

Meh, I put that 100% on saliba and arteta tactics. Yes most times zubi handles it, but Saliba dwells on the ball several times in that phase and attracts the pressure, which certainly is an arteta instruction

Ill look for that on the rewatch. There was a moment at the D, where he and merino gave the ball away, and eze gave everything to nick the counter pass and succeeded. I see a player trying to play his way in. In MO, I see a player trying not to get hurt. I see different effort levels.

Omg - he is the worst at it, isnt he? It is so maddening

Meh. I guess i dont put much value in him giving the ball to our best player. I think he looks busy but isnt really adding. I want our captain to win duels and set a competitive tone

Eze was much better I thought, sacd for Cunha's goal, where he, rice and merino are too close togetger.

Odegaard had rhythm? I may need to rewatch. I thought he might get booed off the pitch.

Just clarifying this was the first goal

Arteta shook the lockerroom when he ostracized Ozil and he may need to do the same our our new MO

Okay, bad all round, but my takeaway from this is that our captain doesn't perform the non-negotiables. He has become temu Ozil, failing his duels, not challenging for headers, and setting a weak non competitive tone, only with a worse left foot

"Bar merino" = "bar merino's goal" every touch and action of his, including the goal was off the pace. He was dreadful

United's goal is 100% on saliba and arteta... saliba is being asked to do too much and spends too much time standing on the ball and dribbling. I know he has the skill to dribble, but he should be just moving the ball safely. He does it often, so it must be instruction. CB passes need not be genius

Spread this far and wide.

I don't hear enough non- football talk on TalkSport to know if that is typical

I was listing to TalkSport late night NY on a US based soccer station, and they were discussing POTUS and Davos. I could not believe that the sentiment and tone. Complete Trump apologists. It was like listening to Fox News, which has a extreme right bend

Said the same thing

I prefer the comfort of being defensively sound, even if it means we are risk averse at the other end. It will keep us in games and is more predictably successful. Remember when Mikel inherited this team, Auba, Laca, Pepe, Ozil but who was behind them? Embrace our current identity. Who would revert?

Jose Mourinho: Chelsea boss jokes about Arsenal & Man City One team played without goal posts, one played only half a season - what was Jose Mourinho on about at Chelsea's awards.

A system of not conceding shots is more likely to be successful. These days, I am so reminded of Mourinho's speech on winning the league in 14-15. www.bbc.com/sport/footba.... You need to defend your own goal through the whole season. Otherwise, you don't win the league

I reckon that the back office scene at Palace is dismal and he is glad for the change, but a reporter worth his/her salt would have asked whether the 115c was a factor

I remember when Havertz was struggling and won the fanbase over due in part to his physicality in the press. I have not given up on VG14. He seems determined and we need him. Let's go!

Califiori's injury record is becoming his brand. The most important skill is availability and he has yet to demonstrate he commands that quality. Love him, as I did Wilshere, Tomi, Santi, Diaby. It remains early and I am keeping receipts