Beano

Posts: 3,455

August 2011 All last season, it was !Moyes will never drop his favorites no matter how poor their form/fitness/ability"
It was "Anichebe is untouchable, Arteta is untouchable Fellaini is untouchable".


First game of the season, all these players are dropped and it changes to wtf was Moyes at not startng Fellaini and Arteta?

A bit of perspective - We had an absolutely awful half hour between about the 50th and 80th minute or so - but the rest of the time we weren't THAT bad. Created lots of chances, gave them no chances apart from the goal and one flash in the first couple of minutes, but things just wouldn't go our way.

I was very happy when I saw the team sheet before the game. With the possible exception of Rodwell on the right....but I was more relieved that Vic wasn't there than anything! I think when Arteta came on, he showed Moyes was right not to pick him - absolute muck performance!

I've been saying all Summer that I'm all for selling Jagielka if we can get Arsenal's bid up to around £18 Million. After Saturday I am saying louder than ever, take Arsenal's dosh and 4ookin LEG IT! What's he gonna be like against a team that actually carries a big forward threat? That kind of money for a 29 year old is something we can't afford to turn down!

Fact is, if Baines' free kick had gone 2 inches lower, we'd have hammered them and nobody would have had any problem with team selection! If we were to play the game again next weekend, with the same circumstances, I don't know what I would do differently except maybe try Osman and Arteta in the wide positions with Rodwell not starting! But as I said, given Arteta's awful form and lack of a pre-season, I don't really think it would be any better - unless something fell our way and we got some better luck than Saturday! Saha would have been a starter if he was fit enough - but he wasn't - as usual!

I also think people need to stop talking about formations and actually look at the positions players are operating in rather than just what players are on the pitch. It was the same all last season - people talking about us playing 4-4-2 when we weren't - people talking about us playing 4-5-1 when we weren't. I've even heard some say we were playing 4-6-0 for a time on Saturday. Tripe!

I'm gonna miss the Blackburn game next weekend. I must remember not to come here to try to get a feel for what the game was like - coz here, with most people, it's all as simple and fundamental as; if we win, the team selection/tactics were great. If we don't....selection/tactics were all wrong!

But I'll watch Tottenham tonight with great interest for signs on whether the delayed start to the season has any effect on them! Not sure if it was an issue for us, it certainly didn't help. But watching Spurs tonight will be interesting!