Next : Arsenal Away

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Perhaps, but Balotelli played passes, one twos with Tevez, took men on, & encoragingly SHOT, when he came on. Dzeko did absolutely fuck all and casually flicked the ball to their defenders more times than Balotelli ever has. If Mario had turned in the same performance, it would have been carnage on here.

As I say I've not seen it, but I do see Balo do that shit loads and not score to boot.

Dzeko can look a donkey, but he scores.

Agree to disagree here ;)

[Slim]

Perhaps, but Balotelli played passes, one twos with Tevez, took men on, & encoragingly SHOT, when he came on. Dzeko did absolutely fuck all and casually flicked the ball to their defenders more times than Balotelli ever has. If Mario had turned in the same performance, it would have been carnage on here.

As I say I've not seen it, but I do see Balo do that shit loads and not score to boot.

Dzeko can look a donkey, but he scores.

Agree to disagree here ;)

How much grief does Dzeko get on here usually though? Ted has been forced into the position of defending Balotelli at every turn now, I'm amazed he hasn't played the race card yet.

[pepsi_dave]

I can see this team starting against Arse....

------------------Hart---------------------

Zabba-----Nasty------Komps-----Clichy

----------Garcia----Barry----------------

Milner----------Silva----------Balotelli

-----------------Tevez---------------------

Tevez will probably drop deep which will at times leave us with noone in the striker position, which at Arsenal is a Luxury we don't need. Tevez will drop deep, and help bring the attack forward... and with Milner playing so well, with Mario looking a bit hungrier following his watford cameo, and Silva to help knit it all together, I think this is the best line up we can go with. Dzeko off the bench for impact later on. We can't afford to run the risk of him being a passenger as he often is when he starts.

[Ted Hughes]

Perhaps, but Balotelli played passes, one twos with Tevez, took men on, & encoragingly SHOT, when he came on. Dzeko did absolutely fuck all and casually flicked the ball to their defenders more times than Balotelli ever has. If Mario had turned in the same performance, it would have been carnage on here.

As I say I've not seen it, but I do see Balo do that shit loads and not score to boot.

Dzeko can look a donkey, but he scores.

Agree to disagree here ;)

How much grief does Dzeko get on here usually though? Ted has been forced into the position of defending Balotelli at every turn now, I'm amazed he hasn't played the race card yet.

Amazing that last season I had a crew of wet fish all ganging up accusing me of being biased against Balotelli because I thought he'd brought some of the bookings on himself & his body language is all wrong.

Now, because there is a mob of people on Balotelli's case, most of those heroes of yesteryear drop in one liners about it and fucking disappear because they haven't got a little gang to back them up, & leave me, the target of their snide comments last season, to defend him. What a bunch of goody two shoes fucking, limp dicked pussies.

Just for the record, in case anyone missed it; I would start Dzeko v Arsenal but he did fuck all v Watford to deserve it.

If mario could be trusted, I would start him because he showed more desire. Whatever bob decides has its merits.

I would probably sell both in the summer barring a fantastic showing in the coming months & let someone else deal with them. Giving them a chance this season, as Champions, was fair enough but they are both a pair of weirdos.

[Beefymcfc]

Looking at this fixture what has to be taken into consideration is where Arsenal are in the table. They are currently sat in 6th, 4 points behind Spurswho are away at QPR and 5 points behind Chelsea who are away to Stoke. If they don't win they could find themselves at least 6 points of their [strike]title win[/strike] CL spot.

Wenger always ups the tempo for our game and I see no difference here. It'll be 100 mph from the off and Wenger will be in no mood to drop any points. We'll have to defend very well and possibly get them on the break. It's going to be a very difficult game, as always, and we'll have to take our chances when they come.

[Ted Hughes]

Looking at this fixture what has to be taken into consideration is where Arsenal are in the table. They are currently sat in 6th, 4 points behind Spurswho are away at QPR and 5 points behind Chelsea who are away to Stoke. If they don't win they could find themselves at least 6 points of their [strike]title win[/strike] CL spot.

Wenger always ups the tempo for our game and I see no difference here. It'll be 100 mph from the off and Wenger will be in no mood to drop any points. We'll have to defend very well and possibly get them on the break. It's going to be a very difficult game, as always, and we'll have to take our chances when they come.

That's what I was thinking. Last season they had been shit and then come back on a bit of a run, so were under no pressure as the season had previously been hopeless & anything they got was a bonus. Now they are under threat for their top 4 status & under pressure to win.

[MilnersJaw]

Why not some tinkering with 3 at the back and done systems in place?

[kinkylola]

i want to see balo and tevez up top.

I think the stick he's been getting this season has been uncalled for, our own fans taking media bait to hate him. Last season he scored more but his 'body language wasn't right' to borrow a term.

This season he has worked hard for the team, tried to turn in team performances and made some fantastic runs off the ball that are never seen by any of our other players. I want Balo in, and I sorry, but I have no faith in Dzeko, especially after a performance like against watford. If I see even a glimmer that Mario is turning a corner, I'll pick him ahead of Dzeko. Basically, Balo's end of watford game + EDS performance makes me want him to start against Arsenal.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

When you play with Dzeko, you have to accept that unless he's shooting then you don't want him to touch the ball. There is absolutely no point in asking Dzeko to play tip tappy football- he doesn't have the ability.
Balotelli on the other hand does, at his best he's more of a threat than Edin. He can come deep, drop wide and play the type of pass and move football that we tend to.
If we are going to set up to get crosses in the box then Dzeko should play, if not Balo.

[Swales4ever]

I have nothing to add to what eloquently pointed out by Ted.

I think that Mario, when focused and arsed, can be better than Edin (as he said) but he also knows that the rest of the team, bar Yaya and, seldom, GazBaz, are not as "visionnaire" as Pirlo to play onto Mario's cuts and runs. Hence Dzeko provides more useful leading of the front line, as per recent shows of directness.

I wish Nasri was available but he's not, thus, my proposed line of roaming playmakers behind the CF. I think that having Milner alongside Barry, would booost the whole game of team mates, consequently I wish for Mario-Tevez-David, behind the CF.

[Ted Hughes]

I have nothing to add to what eloquently pointed out by Ted.

I think that Mario, when focused and arsed, can be better than Edin (as he said) but he also knows that the rest of the team, bar Yaya and, seldom, GazBaz, are not as "visionnaire" as Pirlo to play onto Mario's cuts and runs. Hence Dzeko provides more useful leading of the front line, as per recent shows of directness.

I wish Nasri was available but he's not, thus, my proposed line of roaming playmakers behind the CF. I think that having Milner alongside Barry, would booost the whole game of team mates, consequently I wish for Mario-Tevez-David, behind the CF.

I'm sort of glad Nasri isn't available. I don't trust him either.

[sheblue]

mancini threw balotelli into the derby and who would be surprised to see him doing it again on sunday?

[Swales4ever]

I have nothing to add to what eloquently pointed out by Ted.

I think that Mario, when focused and arsed, can be better than Edin (as he said) but he also knows that the rest of the team, bar Yaya and, seldom, GazBaz, are not as "visionnaire" as Pirlo to play onto Mario's cuts and runs. Hence Dzeko provides more useful leading of the front line, as per recent shows of directness.

I wish Nasri was available but he's not, thus, my proposed line of roaming playmakers behind the CF. I think that having Milner alongside Barry, would booost the whole game of team mates, consequently I wish for Mario-Tevez-David, behind the CF.

I'm sort of glad Nasri isn't available. I don't trust him either.

The last 2-3 games' Nasri, really?
I know whre You come from though: Nasri at the Emirates, double chances to see a rabbit on the pitch. still I have much grown my esteem of his attitude of recent: derby wall, a part.... :-(

[Chinners]

City have returned about 900 tickets apparently according to a goon I know ...

Edit ..

Champions Man City return almost HALF of 2,000 tickets for Arsenal match after fans are asked to pay £62 By Joe Ridge
Manchester City have returned 900 unsold tickets of the 2,000 allocation for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates.
The champions were expected to sell out their away tickets but it appears travelling fans have been put off by the £62 Arsenal are charging each fan.
Arsenal were revealed to be the hosts of English football's most expensive day out by theBBC's Price of Football survey back in October. DSSC

[carl_feedthegoat]

I hope Nasty plays.

[Blue Stu]

Think of all the jellied eels you could get with £62.

[Chinners]

Not many (if any) in that part of London

[Blue Stu]

You'll be telling me they don't sow sequins into their flat caps next.

[Chinners]

.... not in that part of London

[Ted Hughes]

I hope Nasty plays.

Oh fuck off.