Stats from the end of March: Chances created per game with Cazorla: 6.13 Chances conceded per game with Cazorla: 0.37 Chances created without Cazorla: 4.77 Chances conceded without Cazorla: 0.63 Stats from mid January: Passes: with Cazorla 542, without Cazorla 489 Completed passes: with 464, without 409 Shots: with 17, without 12 Shots allowed: with 11, without 16 Goals per game: with 1.71, without 1.86 Goals allowed: with 0.86, without 1.29 I'm not suggesting Cazorla is the best CM in the world, or even the best in the league. I'm not suggesting there weren't problems with our midfield when Cazorla was playing. But he's our best passer from central midfield, our best short-range dribbler from central midfield, and our most consistently adept player at breaking the press from central midfield. His injury completely destroyed the balance in the team last season, to my mind at any rate.
Yeah, that's true, although Cazorla was a bit of a special case I think, with the way Malaga's finances gradually unraveled over the summer. I suspect that was a case of Wenger seeing a player he liked suddenly become available at a price even he couldn't turn down.
If that's true I would expect there'll be a whole host of clubs after him.
Yeah, this really irritates me. Walcott is a distinctly average FK taker.
Andre Santos? Armand Traore? God, we've had some truly woeful fullbacks in recent years. To be fair to Sagna, he was coming off two leg breaks, before which he'd been consistently one of the best RBs in the league. Plus we played Walcott so far forward that he had very little support in defence and tended to get isolated. I doubt he'll ever be the player he was again, but Coleman is not quick enough and not technically strong enough for our style of play. This is nonsense.
That's a hell of a lot of money considering how much Llorente will be getting as a free agent. Are Juve in that strong of a financial position? Aren't Vucinic and Quag supposed to be being moved on, or was that a nonsense rumour?
He's in his prime, an established international (albeit Wales), and coming from an established Premier League club. I think those wages are more or less the going rate. There should also be less risk than giving that sort of contract to a Squillaci type who has no experience of British football. I'm happy with Williams as third-choice initially, hopefully pushing towards the first 11 when he gets a chance.
He was never 'solid'. He had good games of course, but he's been making the same mistakes ever since he joined us. I don't think anyone is suggesting we sell him without buying a replacement.
I don't watch much Italian football so haven't seen Jovetic play too often. Am I right in thinking that he's a technically strong second striker kind of player, rather than a pure finisher?
From the Premier League handbook: If at the end of the Season either the League Champions or the Clubs to be relegated or the question of qualification for other competitions cannot be determined because 2 or more Clubs are equal on points, goal difference and goals scored, the Clubs concerned shall play off one or more deciding League Matches on neutral grounds, the format, timing and venue of which shall be determined by the Board. So yeah, playoff.
Chelsea finish 3rd on goals scored?
I think you're forgetting how good Anelka was when he was with us. Giroud's contribution to the team is nowhere near as significant as Anelka's was.