De Jong today

[King Kev]

Alan Hanson has just been highlighting on MotD how good De Jong was today. But hey, what does he know compared to some of the football geniuses on here!

I wonder if Lawro or Merson had said as such if you would be namedropping those two mental giants of the game as proof that your point is correct. I like the way we quote newspapers and pundits when it suits our needs and call them know-nothing fucktards when it doesn't.

Good point, however, as John pointed out earlier, Hansen demonstrated his points with graphics and freeze-frames from the game. Sure people can chose to ignore the obvious, I just don't understand why they chose to do so.

Do Jong is a good player, he is our player, he had a good game yesterday, so why slag him off?

[Fish111]

De Jong is a weird one really, i comented yesterday that i thought he was doing fuck all but then decided to watch him more carefully, it was only then i really saw the amount of work he was actually doing, breaking down attacks passing the ball sideways, always finding a blue shirt. I realised he isn't on the pitch to be a flare player, no long raking passes, no thrusting runs, no tricks and dribbles. He's there to disrupt the opposition and he did it absolutely superbly yesterday and he will do it again next week.

[King Kev]

De Jong is a weird one really, i comented yesterday that i thought he was doing fuck all but then decided to watch him more carefully, it was only then i really saw the amount of work he was actually doing, breaking down attacks passing the ball sideways, always finding a blue shirt. I realised he isn't on the pitch to be a flare player, no long raking passes, no thrusting runs, no tricks and dribbles. He's there to disrupt the opposition and he did it absolutely superbly yesterday and he will do it again next week.

I think this is why you don't always see the full picture when watching on TV. The cameras just follow the ball and the natural flow of the game so, unless you make a real effort, you don't really appreciate the kind of work that players like De Jong do.

[Zezou]

put it this way if de jong was in arsenals team yesterday swp wouldnt have scored, cant believe how much room bellers had in the middle of the pitch, he ran 50 or so yards unchallenged in what would have been de jongs "area"

[Slim]

Alan Hanson has just been highlighting on MotD how good De Jong was today. But hey, what does he know compared to some of the football geniuses on here!

I wonder if Lawro or Merson had said as such if you would be namedropping those two mental giants of the game as proof that your point is correct. I like the way we quote newspapers and pundits when it suits our needs and call them know-nothing fucktards when it doesn't.

Good point, however, as John pointed out earlier, Hansen demonstrated his points with graphics and freeze-frames from the game. Sure people can chose to ignore the obvious, I just don't understand why they chose to do so.

Do Jong is a good player, he is our player, he had a good game yesterday, so why slag him off?

Because he really didn't. As I don't have any graphics to demonstrate I will use stats. De Jong had ample opportunity to prove himself yesterday, as I said earlier the ball spent 52% of the time in our third. He managed 3 tackles and 3 interceptions. Arsenal managed 20 shots.

When Barry was playing as our holding midfielder versus Blackburn, he had 7 tackles and 3 interceptions, they managed 18 shots. Against Pompey? 2 interceptions and 9 tackles. Against Wolves who are hardly the most attacking force in the league, he still managed to get in for 4 tackles and 3 interceptions.

He managed to give the ball away 6 times due to bad passing, four of which were right in front of our own area and heaped pressure upon our back four. In our two goals he stood on his heels for the first one and watched and was almost taken the piss out of with their passing for the second.

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

put it this way if de jong was in arsenals team yesterday swp wouldnt have scored, cant believe how much room bellers had in the middle of the pitch, he ran 50 or so yards unchallenged in what would have been de jongs "area"

Alex Song (a.k.a. their De Jong) - who was having a decent enough game - came off on 77... We sealed the game on 80 and 84.There aren't many coincidences in football.

[King Kev]

Alan Hanson has just been highlighting on MotD how good De Jong was today. But hey, what does he know compared to some of the football geniuses on here!

I wonder if Lawro or Merson had said as such if you would be namedropping those two mental giants of the game as proof that your point is correct. I like the way we quote newspapers and pundits when it suits our needs and call them know-nothing fucktards when it doesn't.

Good point, however, as John pointed out earlier, Hansen demonstrated his points with graphics and freeze-frames from the game. Sure people can chose to ignore the obvious, I just don't understand why they chose to do so.

Do Jong is a good player, he is our player, he had a good game yesterday, so why slag him off?

Because he really didn't. As I don't have any graphics to demonstrate I will use stats. De Jong had ample opportunity to prove himself yesterday, as I said earlier the ball spent 52% of the time in our third. He managed 3 tackles and 3 interceptions. Arsenal managed 20 shots.

When Barry was playing as our holding midfielder versus Blackburn, he had 7 tackles and 3 interceptions, they managed 18 shots. Against Pompey? 2 interceptions and 9 tackles. Against Wolves who are hardly the most attacking force in the league, he still managed to get in for 4 tackles and 3 interceptions.

He managed to give the ball away 6 times due to bad passing, four of which were right in front of our own area and heaped pressure upon our back four. In our two goals he stood on his heels for the first one and watched and was almost taken the piss out of with their passing for the second.

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

Sorry to hear about your toast. Did you scrape the burnt bits off or throw it away and start again?

[Slim]

Alan Hanson has just been highlighting on MotD how good De Jong was today. But hey, what does he know compared to some of the football geniuses on here!

I wonder if Lawro or Merson had said as such if you would be namedropping those two mental giants of the game as proof that your point is correct. I like the way we quote newspapers and pundits when it suits our needs and call them know-nothing fucktards when it doesn't.

Good point, however, as John pointed out earlier, Hansen demonstrated his points with graphics and freeze-frames from the game. Sure people can chose to ignore the obvious, I just don't understand why they chose to do so.

Do Jong is a good player, he is our player, he had a good game yesterday, so why slag him off?

Because he really didn't. As I don't have any graphics to demonstrate I will use stats. De Jong had ample opportunity to prove himself yesterday, as I said earlier the ball spent 52% of the time in our third. He managed 3 tackles and 3 interceptions. Arsenal managed 20 shots.

When Barry was playing as our holding midfielder versus Blackburn, he had 7 tackles and 3 interceptions, they managed 18 shots. Against Pompey? 2 interceptions and 9 tackles. Against Wolves who are hardly the most attacking force in the league, he still managed to get in for 4 tackles and 3 interceptions.

He managed to give the ball away 6 times due to bad passing, four of which were right in front of our own area and heaped pressure upon our back four. In our two goals he stood on his heels for the first one and watched and was almost taken the piss out of with their passing for the second.

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

Sorry to hear about your toast. Did you scrape the burnt bits off or throw it away and start again?

I scraped the burnt bits off, it's still good.

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

defer then... coaches scout players/opposition at matches for a reason - if stats + footage did the job nobody would've taken the piss out of Sven. The vast majority of the people who disagree with you have seen all that you have and more that you haven't. You cannot see all of a football match by following the ball.
It's not even about "interceptions and tackles" - it's about positioning.positioning. His was exemplary.

allow me to illustrate in the style of Hansen:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/5B3jsj66J1DCu961LS6A]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

Now obviously Makelele was the king -and his chalkboards are consistently on another planet - but look at the areas which he occupies, it's very apparent that De Jong takes up the same ground - the ground which Arsenal like to play through.

Now look at Makelele (playing at home) vs. Arsenal:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/0Y29wkIo1s71485rvHIE]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

well similar - if anything the King was pulled around more.

[edge275]

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

defer then... coaches scout players/opposition at matches for a reason - if stats + footage did the job nobody would've taken the piss out of Sven. The vast majority of the people who disagree with you have seen all that you have and more that you haven't. You cannot see all of a football match by following the ball.
It's not even about "interceptions and tackles" - it's about positioning.positioning. His was exemplary.

allow me to illustrate in the style of Hansen:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/5B3jsj66J1DCu961LS6A]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

Now obviously Makelele was the king -and his chalkboards are consistently on another planet - but look at the areas which he occupies, it's very apparent that De Jong takes up the same ground - the ground which Arsenal like to play through.

Now look at Makelele (playing at home) vs. Arsenal:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/0Y29wkIo1s71485rvHIE]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

well similar - if anything the King was pulled around more.

That was when Makalele was 35!

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

defer then... coaches scout players/opposition at matches for a reason - if stats + footage did the job nobody would've taken the piss out of Sven. The vast majority of the people who disagree with you have seen all that you have and more that you haven't. You cannot see all of a football match by following the ball.
It's not even about "interceptions and tackles" - it's about positioning.positioning. His was exemplary.

allow me to illustrate in the style of Hansen:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/5B3jsj66J1DCu961LS6A]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

Now obviously Makelele was the king -and his chalkboards are consistently on another planet - but look at the areas which he occupies, it's very apparent that De Jong takes up the same ground - the ground which Arsenal like to play through.

Now look at Makelele (playing at home) vs. Arsenal:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/0Y29wkIo1s71485rvHIE]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

well similar - if anything the King was pulled around more.

That was when Makelele was 35!

He's only 36 now isn't he?
He was starting every game for one of the 2 best teams in the league (3 best teams in Europe at that time). He was the King (still is i suppose as he's captaining PSG).

Do you imagine Claude was a better player when he was 24 than when he was 33/4?

[edge275]

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

defer then... coaches scout players/opposition at matches for a reason - if stats + footage did the job nobody would've taken the piss out of Sven. The vast majority of the people who disagree with you have seen all that you have and more that you haven't. You cannot see all of a football match by following the ball.
It's not even about "interceptions and tackles" - it's about positioning.positioning. His was exemplary.

allow me to illustrate in the style of Hansen:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/5B3jsj66J1DCu961LS6A]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

Now obviously Makelele was the king -and his chalkboards are consistently on another planet - but look at the areas which he occupies, it's very apparent that De Jong takes up the same ground - the ground which Arsenal like to play through.

Now look at Makelele (playing at home) vs. Arsenal:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/0Y29wkIo1s71485rvHIE]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

well similar - if anything the King was pulled around more.

That was when Makelele was 35!

He's only 36 now isn't he?
He was starting every game for one of the 2 best teams in the league (3 best teams in Europe at that time). He was the King (still is i suppose as he's captaining PSG).

Do you imagine Claude was a better player when he was 24 than when he was 33/4?

But he wasn't 33/34 he was 35 at that time, about Hamann's age.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

Now maybe you are right and I am not seeing off the ball stuff, but I can only judge it on what I saw. And now you made me burn my toast, you bastid.

defer then... coaches scout players/opposition at matches for a reason - if stats + footage did the job nobody would've taken the piss out of Sven. The vast majority of the people who disagree with you have seen all that you have and more that you haven't. You cannot see all of a football match by following the ball.
It's not even about "interceptions and tackles" - it's about positioning.positioning. His was exemplary.

allow me to illustrate in the style of Hansen:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/5B3jsj66J1DCu961LS6A]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

Now obviously Makelele was the king -and his chalkboards are consistently on another planet - but look at the areas which he occupies, it's very apparent that De Jong takes up the same ground - the ground which Arsenal like to play through.

Now look at Makelele (playing at home) vs. Arsenal:

[urlnp=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/0Y29wkIo1s71485rvHIE]Chalkboard[/urlnp]

well similar - if anything the King was pulled around more.

That was when Makelele was 35!

He's only 36 now isn't he?
He was starting every game for one of the 2 best teams in the league (3 best teams in Europe at that time). He was the King (still is i suppose as he's captaining PSG).

Do you imagine Claude was a better player when he was 24 than when he was 33/4?

But he wasn't 33/34 he was 35 at that time, about Hamann's age.

You're going to have to explain how this makes any difference.

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

grow up.

[Grob]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

and Rooney

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

and Rooney

Not the same position. Adebayor is nothing compared to Roonaldo.

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

and Rooney

Not the same position. Adebayor is nothing compared to Roonaldo.

he's got a very long way to go before he proves he is. I hope he does it with us - he certainly didn't with Arsenal.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

and Rooney

Not the same position. Adebayor is nothing compared to Roonaldo.

he's got a very long way to go before he proves he is. I hope he does it with us - he certainly didn't with Arsenal.

Some would point out that Adebayor scored more like goals over last three seasons for Arsenal than Rooney did for rags but obviously those people are silly as he didn't play for mighty Manchester United which makes you top player by default.

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

De Jong is absolutely nothing compared to super stars like Carrick and Fletcher.

and Rooney

Not the same position. Adebayor is nothing compared to Roonaldo.

he's got a very long way to go before he proves he is. I hope he does it with us - he certainly didn't with Arsenal.

Some would point out that Adebayor scored more like goals over last three seasons for Arsenal than Rooney did for rags but obviously those people are silly as he didn't play for mighty Manchester U***d which makes you top player by default.

Of course it doesn't.
But we've already discussed our respective opinions on Rooney - I don't see any point covering that ground again.