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I'll start this blog with some honesty. I don't like Wigan. I went there in 2010 and saw Arsenal lose 3-2 as another hopeful title bid spectacularly crumbled and for obvious reasons didn't enjoy my trip to the DW as much as I'd hoped. I don't really like that Wigan can't get more than 200 fans to come to an away game. I sometimes feel that there are clubs that would bring more to the circus of the Premier League than Wigan Athletic.
However I have nothing but the upmost respect for Roberto Martinez, and Dave Whelan as their chairman. Whereas other chairmen might have sacked a manager that was in charge of a team that seemed in free-fall, Whelan stuck by Martinez and it's paying off at this stage of the season as they are now looking like a good bet to avoid relegation. Loyalty can go a long way in football. Martinez hasn't just got Wigan playing boring, functional football either. They play with ambition and he has developed a different formation that is hard for anyone to play against. Martinez is getting the best out of a limited squad at the most important part of the season.
• Wigan blog: Great escape on for giant-killers
However the best thing about the way Wigan Athletic are playing at the moment, and thing Arsenal really should learn from, is to pressure the ball high up the pitch, to play with freedom and without fear. A classic Wenger-ism to say that we have the handbrake on; Wigan's was non-existent at the Emirates whilst ours was firmly on. With so few games left this season, that shouldn't have been the case.
The match was a reminder that, as much as Arsenal have been playing well recently and have been on a good run of form, we're still a long way off winning the league. We're still not consistent enough when playing against lower teams. This season, we've lost to Blackburn, Wigan, QPR, Swansea, Fulham, and dropped points against Bolton. That tells its own story as to why we haven't wrapped up a place in the top four with four games to go.
The Wigan match in particular was frustrating because the early signs were that we could win the match comfortably if we didn't allow the visitors to settle. Vermaelen had a shot go wide, Benayoun had a header saved and Arteta hit a free-kick into the wall. We were on the front foot and should have stayed there. We were undone by our own naivety and a good counter attack from Wigan.
Mikel Arteta was clearly struggling with his ankle injury when Wigan broke away for the first goal, but no-one covered for the Spaniard by busting a gut to get back and help those few who had chased back. To be so open from our own corner against a team that have someone like Victor Moses to lead the breakaway was strange. When the ball reached Franco di Santo in the middle, I think Wojciech Szczesny could have done better by not committing himself so early by going to ground.
Having gone behind, we still had Mikel Arteta off the pitch, and should have been more careful with possession straight after conceding. Wigan showed more fight and more desire to hound us down, win the ball back and attack again. It would have been easy for them to immediately drop back and have a flat back five sitting on the edge of their own penalty area, but given their need for points, they didn't do that, and we weren't ready for it. Victor Moses did well on the left, and put the ball into a good position in the box, but both of our centre backs shouldn't have been going for the same ball at the near post. Szczesny again wasn't decisive enough, and we conceded another needless, scrappy goal.
Arteta went off, and even though we had more possession, we looked unbalanced in midfield and lacked drive in the middle of the pitch. Rosicky worked hard, but Alex Song looked like a different player without Arteta next to him, and Aaron Ramsey seemed to be trying too hard and often delayed passes when we needed to inject pace into the game. When Arteta went off at 2-0 down, there is an argument that we could have brought Oxlade-Chamberlain on, however with over 80 minutes left, we shouldn't have needed to make a significant tactical change in midfield. Those on the pitch should have been good enough to drag us back into the match.
Whilst Wigan were really organised, passed the ball well when they had it and weren't afraid to attack, Arsenal looked short of ideas on how to break down a team with three centre backs. Gary Caldwell was able to follow Robin van Persie's every move, whilst having two other centre backs there to sweep up other players breaking forward. Theo Walcott didn't continue his good form on the right when we needed to stretch the Wigan defence, and Yossi Benayoun cut inside too much.
We could have utilised our full backs more to create chances and stretch the defence. Bacary Sagna was covered by Jean Beausejour for much of the game, and it was difficult for him to push too far forward because of the danger of Victor Moses on the break. On the other side, Andre Santos drifted inside far too much, both when attacking and defending. He is capable of whipping in some great crosses, yet he didn't stay near the touchline to be dangerous. Thomas Vermaelen didn't seem to be in the defence for most of the game, and as he showed with his goal, his presence going forward did cause problems. Numerous times however, he swept the ball out wide, continued running towards the box but the move slowed down so momentum was lost.
It's hard to know whether the team were complacent, but they didn't seem ready for Wigan to show ambition, actually play good football and attack us at the Emirates. Even when we were chasing the game in the second half, there was a lack of imagination and shape to side. Without Arteta anchoring everything, the team always looked suspect on the counter attack and we didn't have anyone make themselves available to receive passes to make space like the Spaniard has done for us this season.
We now go into Saturday's Chelsea game with a lot of pressure riding on it. Since the 8-2 at the start of the season, we've not performed badly against the bigger teams, and there should be no danger of complacency now. I'm concerned by who'll replace Mikel Arteta with him likely to miss out with injury. Aaron Ramsey is being made a scapegoat by some fans, and he is out of form, but he had an excellent game away at Stamford Bridge when we won 5-3. Abou Diaby might be available but won't be fit enough to start the game, so I'd like to see Oxlade-Chamberlain in the middle. He played there when Arteta was unavailable against Milan at the Emirates in the Champions League, and he absolutely bossed the midfield. Chelsea could be tired after facing Barcelona, so having the pace of Oxlade-Chamberlain could stretch them.
Regardless of who plays, we'll have to show the same desire and willingness to close the opposition down, as Wigan did against us on Monday. I'm not suggesting we play three centre backs (we'd never have enough fit to do that anyway!), but we need to be more flexible when faced with something different. As with the QPR defeat, we shouldn't have needed the kick up the backside to improve, and it's these lapses that have meant we haven't won major trophies. Take Wigan's attitude against us when we play Chelsea, and we can get a grip on third again.
It remains to be seen if we'll be without Mikel Arteta for the rest of the season, but we definitely won't see Jack Wilshere in this campaign. He is a player that can make a difference in tight games, so it'll be beneficial for us that he won't go to the European Championships and be part of England's inevitable inglorious exit and risk another potential injury setback if rushed back into action.
Finally, if you want to see an Arsenal team that have won a lot of trophies in recent seasons, I recommend heading to the Emirates on Thursday 26th April as the Arsenal Ladies are playing Chelsea in the Women's Super League. The domestic season has just started, and Arsenal are in the semi-final of the Champions League. The WSL also have digital ambassadors to increase followers of the league, and Arsenal's is Steph Houghton, so follow her on Twitter @StephHoughton2 to keep up with the Arsenal Ladies.
*sigh* I am still annoyed by the lost... but not shocked. As soon as Arteta got injured, I expected this may happen in spite of all our comebacks.
Benayoun wanted a goal, and was intent on going inside/forward but not covering nor staying to his wing. Santos did the same. After the break, you could tell that they were told to stick more to the wings but this ended fast.
I could not figure out if Walcott was on the field half of the time. Sagna seemed to have a hard time with Moses and Walcott did not lend a helping hand.
Ramsey might be a scapegoat but he just overdoes it. He does not make the simple pass and always waits too long to shoot.
The one relief I have is that Koscielny comes back. I hope Gervinho will start and his pace will be exploited. As you pointed out, the Ox did amazingly in Arteta's role against Milan and I hope to see him there.
Sam, Sp*ds has the easier end of the season compared to Newcastle and Chelsea or us. What's your prediction for 3 and 4?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. I think we can still finish third as we'll have to react against Chelsea, and I have a feeling Newcastle might sneak fourth because of the run they're on.
You are absolutely correct. Form inconsistency like this is most worrying. We had an opportunity to go eight points clear of the chasing pack of shadow dwellers - and now there is a good chance that that will dwindle to two before we kick off against Chelsea this weekend; a negative result against the Blues, and, all of a sudden, we are no longer sitting pretty atop the table in third place, are we? Is it proper for us to be pessimistic - having had an opportunity to wrap up that final automatic Champions League qualification spot...and failing to capitalize on it?
You mentioned player fatigue in your piece. Is it really showing? Have we been overworking our top dozen or so lads too hard? RVP is the first name that comes to mind, of course. Miguel Delaney, of ESPN Soccernet, wrote (quite convincingly) recently that Tottenham's demise over the past several months can be attributable to precisely that - might we be in similar danger?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. Fatigue is definitely an issue, as we haven't really been able to rotate RvP because of the lack of depth up front. Compared to Chelsea however, we've not got a fixture pile-up to the end of the season so it should be manageable.
Thanks for the compliments regarding my club but lay the hell off my home town pal. You live in the London area and you all think you hung the moon down there. I was born in Ruislip, Middlesex. I moved away to the north at the age of 3. I'm glad. I grew up among people who are real. People who appreciate the natural beauty of the north. Something you don't have in the south! I bet you've never even been north of the Watford Gap have you, other than to watch football. Never had anything against Arsenal. Matter of fact you have one of the best managers in the game and I hate the French. You are complacent. You don't appreciate what it means to come from nowhere and in actual fact Wigan Athletic's story is one of the most successful stories in the game. Surviving in the Premiership is important to the club but the average Wigan Athletic fan would be just as happy seeing us as an average Championship side. BTW, we are funded by local grass routes money, not Arab money. SOD OFF!
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. My negative view of the place is mainly down to seeing Arsenal lose there, and I don't hold anything against people from the North of England. Plus there are many places within London that I like less than somewhere such as Wigan so it's just unfortunate that I had a bad experience there.
thats ramsey is useless...enuf said!
wenger started wrong he shouldve subbed arterta with gervinho and pushed benayoun into the middle.No need for ramsey.
Poor game all around. The sickening part about it is all our problem areas are surfacing again. With or without Djourou in the game, our defense is still prone to make 1 or, in this case, 2 costly errors. I do agree with Sam, we will not suffer the mental loss of edge against Chelsea that occured to Wigan. But we have to have some way to breech a defense. Chelsea can be beaten at the back, and it's high time to pull a double on them.
Wenger is the biggest clown I have ever seen. Shake the man's hand. They are playing with a limited budget, actually play good attractive and attacking football, with less than top quality players. Of course they time wasted. They have to try to win anyway they can. Nobody owes Wenger anything. Why does he expect the world to play football the way he does?
Arteta is out Sam? Who does Wenger play and why?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. As I mentioned in the blog, I'd like to the see the Ox in there after his performance there against AC Milan.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ram just hasn't lived up to expectations. It's good that you point out the last time we played Chelski, seeing as how that's the last time I haven't wanted to reach through the TV and give him the hook myself.
You're spot on with the call for Arsene to give the Ox the start in the midfield. Ox seems to shine the brightest when we throw him into the deep end of the pool (United, Milan, etc). And you're also right that Chelski will probably be knackered from chasing Barca all over the pitch in midweek.
We need a strong performance from everyone this weekend; and we need all three points.
Great blog as always, mate.
Great blog Sam. Couldn't agree with you more, especially about the AOC part. I would personally expect Arsenal to pull this off, but Arteta's unavailability would be a huge blow. Like you said, this game is a strong reminder that we're simply not title material yet; and need to think long and hard about which players we need to sign who can provide us that steely edge and experience.
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In this match it was loyalty (plus the defensive gaffes you noted) to a system when it was clear by halftime at the latest a change in tactics was needed. Having the lead at 2-1 Wigan were bunching in. In fact the commentator on the FSC broadcast said Wigan was comfortable allowing the crosses in their box, all we had in the area was RVP who while capable with his head is not known for winning air battles. The situation called for a taller stiker to pare with the golden left leg (C. Ronaldo can point and lavish his right all he wants). Unfortunately rarely does the Prof allow for a plan B in such matters. Sometimes, as with the recent Tottenham and the cup comeback against Villa, perseverance is rewarded. However, at other times its like sending out Charlie Adam for another pk! True an in form stilt walker was not on the bench, so I would've been happy with keeping TV forward (he tried to do so anyway). We essentially gave up crosses as they were fruitless.
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Another possiblity of scoring when facing the "lockdown" defense seems quizzically lost on our players. The teams around and bove us all o draw penalties. I don't mean diving or "simulation" but actual fouls in the area. I can't fathom why we abandon our speed and craftiness when inside the keeper box. Yet it seems that only the Ox (and the little Russian when he was here) is willing to run at defenders in the box. This would be my focus on individual player training for next year for all our wings and mids. Maybe not Song, who I support when others gripe, but he needs to be reminded where the midfield line is and stay closer to that than the box.
A last look back, I love Arsene but not shaking Martinez's hand was beneath him. Someone get him a mirror to remind him the class he represents. I'd rather Martinez remain up and McLeish lead to a drop again
Sam, thanks for the write-ups. Do you expect Blues to play open or cagey? "Cheer" Mata if you're there
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. Ordinarily, I'd say Chelsea will be cagey, but they need the points to get in the top four, so I think they'll be more adventurous, which should play more into our hands.
We learn a lot from every defeat it seems fixing it is the problem.....
Im sorry but this is a negative comment & its only my second..
Top four is a hope atm & next year.. no thinking of titles.. No depth in the squad(AT ALL).. conceding the silliest goals, just cause we didnt track back..(just like the Saha one).. Djourou is terrible & shouldnt be playing for arsenal(should take up a spokesman job because i do like him as the insider)
Kosceilny was missed & Arteta(a subpar replacement for nasri)
Silly goals tend to happen (wolves,fulham,tottenham,SWANSEA..) too often in this team(the back 4 are totally unreliable) Santos believes hes a winger(no defensive contrbution) Vermealen goes up too often & leaves the rest who cant defend stranded.. Short of a total rejuvination of the defense & extra strikers to help with goals we can say goodbye to top4 next year let alone trophies.. I say this knowing Wenger wont do much & will stick to his "ideals" & we'll b singing the same song this time next year.. cont..
This was at home to Wigan, i mean cmon.. They wernt any good just organized.. They made us look like the weaker team just because we didnt even run after the ball the first 10 mins.. Early goals are those that set the game.. Im really sorry Sam(truly) & everyone else but Im frustrated..Thoroughly frustrated..
Like Phil says I don't like it when people jump on Wigan's back just because we have a small fan base. In fact when I started watching Latics it was considered a good attedance if we got more than a few thousand, and I'm only 21 so it wast really all that long ago. Other clus are just as badly supported but nobody even comments when quite a few top Championship clubs can't even manage to fill 50% of their stadium.
Not got anything against Arsenal, in fact they are one of my favorite teams to watch with easy on the eye attractive football. All you need to do is keep it tight at the back for the first 10 minutes!
whatever the outcome between barcelona vs chelsea, we fully expect Arsenal to be at their top of their game against Chelsea this weekend. We don't like to see silly mistakes around coz we hated them definitely. It was quite hair-pulling to see Arteta got injured. It was hard-wrenching to see it happen coz he was a vital cog of a team almost all the time. I hope the Ox can truly step up his game in Arteta's shoes. Last I heard of him, he was in leg cluthes right now. Hope his recovery is better than expected. A win against Chelsea is very very important. It can push Chelsea to 6th position and not getting UCL next season is to teach them a lesson that money is not everything. I can't stand the Chelsea owner to do what he likes and spends huge money as carrots to entice potential suitors ...
I would like to say i was surprised or shocked at the loss to Wigan but after i watched the Wolves game i expected a loss.Wigan got it's tactics right they stopped Arsenal using space behind the defense which take's Walcott out of the game they got ten men behind the ball waited for the mistake and scored on the break replay of the QPR game.Arsenal have had the same problem's they had all season the defense does not defend as a unit so get pass one defender then you are on goal does not matter were you are as was Wigan and City goals given away from an attacking corner that cleared quickly.The problem now is that they must win the next two games or face finishing sixth rather than third this is why Arsenal are not in title race because they fail against teams they should beat but fail to do.Arteta injury could be the staw that breaks this seasons chance's of a top four finish,they need the midfield to maintain the tempo and stop making so many silly passes that just give the ball away
Another concise analogy of our inept defense, thanks Sam. Do you think AW will eventually hire a defensive coach so we don't continue with these schoolboy Benny Hill-esque catastrophes at the back?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. A defensive coach could be one solution to it, but it would have to be the right man. Martin Keown is always a name mentioned and I think he'd be good.
Sam mentioned we should make the deal of Benayoun permanent in his last post and i strongly objected to that idea. now Benayoun proved me right once again. it was his fault that we gave away 2 goals and he is not creative and fast enough to play at the left midfield. Song once again showed that he is not the anchor midfield we expect him to be. look at how easily opponent took the ball away from him. look at how many time he passes the ball to the opponent rather than our own players. as for walcott.....i still said we should sell him. a mini revival from him and for the past week, ppl keep saying we should keep him. but playing well in 3 matches in a season is not good enough for him to be in arsenal team. once a team put a quick left back on him, he is gone. he also lack confident to take on defenders. please, i hope we will not see these 3 players next season.
Hi Sam, fair stuff this time (LOL)since horror defeats.
Agreed with you that Wigan was 1 of the boring team in EPL and I was really hope they will get relegate since after their impressive 1st season (05-06 if not mistaken). But still wondering when it could be happened.
Ramsey and Rosicky absolutely can't play together in central position and was proven in couple of matches whether for Arteta role or behind RvP. I still remembered your article about them (not sure which match) that Ramsey seems to forget his role of Arteta. So for Chelsea match, I hope (even all fans) that Ox and Gervinho will get into starting 11 and place Ramsey on the bench (Benayoun ineligible). What do you think??
As my comment and your answer on previous blog (Wolves), we really hope that Newcastle will end up on 4th (we are 3rd). So both Spurs and Chelsea will suffer in Europa League that must play on Thursday night and effect their performance in the league. Agree??
GUNNERS for LIFE
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. Definitely agree that it'd be good to see Newcastle finish 4th and us 3rd. As I said in the blog, I'd like to see the Ox start against Chelsea, and Gervinho should add pace to the left.
Arsenal team,please win against Chelsea.
Hi Sam.I admire your write-up alot becos u r a true fan and not a fanatic. you are always objective in your views and that as kept me glued to your blog...lol. Anyway, this is the first time i will be posting a comment and that comment is a question. Dont you think that Wenger is very wrong to always display such behaviors especially when Arsenal loses? I am an Arsenal fan and that is becos we have Wenger as our Manager and i have deep admiration for him, but I hate it when he makes statements (more like complaining or whinning about oppositions' tactics) or refuses to shake hands of some other coaches especially someone like Martinez's who appears to have a lot of respect for him(Wenger).I dont like it when the press/people write bad stuffs about Wenger.It upsets me like my father is being insulted but Wenger does not help matters at all with such behavior.Why will Wenger not Shake Martinez's hand?Should this be accepted?I felt really upset when i saw that and i felt let down by him
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. Without meaning to sound like Wenger, I genuinely didn't see whether he shook Martinez's hand or not. Some of the time wasting was bad but ultimately we weren't good enough. I think Wenger says those things in the media to protect the players and not have a go at them in public.
that was a very very frustrating defeat. actually, we have 82 + 5(injury time) minutes to respond but we failed and we lost. we need a response against chelsea. but if we want anything from the game against chelsea, we need Ramsey to stay out of the game. he never learned didn't he? he is the last person i want to see in midfield, if Arteta can't make it. unless we don't have any choice anymore. but now we have Chamberlain who can play there, Diaby if he ready. Ramsey... when will he learn anything? i never noticed a single creative move or pass from him as a so called attacking midfielder. as an A/Midfielder, he need to be creative, he need to think before received the ball where to pass after that, and all he do was wasting that chances and do a lot of meaningless passes. go and ask Rosicky how to do that. that cross he made to Vermaelen for the goal was a creativity. he have Wenger, Van Persie, Arteta,... ask them all. learn, think, if you want to stay in the Arsenal team.
please,win over chelsea
Just like you Sam, i try to be positive about Arsenal, always. But sometimes we need to face the reality, we are not good enough to challenge for top honours if we keep losing to teams at the root of the table. We dont have like-for-like replacements for our top performers (Djourou for Koscielny, Ramsey for Arteta), this is a joke. Do you remember 2001-2002 season when Pires picked up a serious injury and Ljungberg came back to replace him in the squad? I dont need to remind you the outcome of that season. We dont have the depth of quality and consistent players in our squad. Couple that with Wenger's stubbornness in the transfer market and you realize we will be fighting for a top four finish again next season.
MY VIEW: Arsenal need a massive clear out of under performers (including djourou) and the signing of at least 7 world class players (gk, cd, a holding midfielder, 2creative midfielders and 2 strikers) to land trophies. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW SAM?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. We do need to move some players on, although we had a big turnaround last summer but haven't moved too far forward. I don't think we need as many as seven players, we just need consistent players who are proven at the top level.
Oh, to be a gooner, though it be injurious to your physical and emotional health. So consistently inconsistent has this team been it's so damn frustrating. And it doesn't look good with Arteta likely to be out for the rest of the season though AOC is an interesting prospect. He's been such an integral part of the team you wonder why it took so long for us to get him. I look forward to Chelsea more in hope than in earnest that we will produce another comeback performance to haul in the points we so desperately need for third place ( 8, I think it is from this point on).
Sam, a few points.....
1) Song has been great this season no doubt but in between those occasional excellent passes to Theo and RVP, has he forgotten his fundamental role? I notice that he plays too high up the pitch. The problem is that when then opposition sits back, Song crowds and already crowded final third.
2) Re: Wigan's 1st goal, you mention that Scz came out too early. Me thinks, Santos charged towards the ball too early and left the entire center exposed.
3) Do u think it makes sense to have Yossi, Rambo and Rosc on the pitch at the sametime? it absolutely murders the width that we need.
4) I think most of us fans have been very hrsh on Rambo. He is short on confidence and i blame it on that horrific injury. Prior to that injury, he had the potential to be better that Cesc (seriously). I think fans shold give him more time and Wenger should not rush him in.
A blunt and precise comment indeed, Sam. I love you realism.
Over the years, in my opinion, besides always having the bad luck of having the back 4 injuries, I think consistency is our enermy No 1. Until we can overcome that, winning the Premiership will always slip out of our hands. We need to learn from our adversaries especially Man U. I am an Anything But United. However, I have utmost respect for their consistency. Perhaps, we are too soft. I don't like United for their arrogance but I think it is for that attribute that they have a stronger belief in winning their games. We need to be mentally like them but stay humble as we are now. Otherwise, we will be up at one moment and fall in the next. The past few weeks with QPR and Wigan is a very good example. We lost valuable hard-earned points when against bottom teams.
Why are you unhappy that Wigan only took 200 fans (on a Monday night) for a televised game 220 miles away? What has it got to do with you anyway? Wigan has a population of 80,000. London has 8 million. Do the maths. Your 60,000 fans is 0.75% of the catchment area. Our average home gate is 15,000 which is 18.75% of the catchment area. So get stuffed. Not everyone earns £90,000 in the City pal and can afford to travel to London and pay £40 a ticket. Leave Wigan alone, we are a small club exceeding everyones expectations and we are in the Premier League on merit. We haven't bought success like the teams at the top. You need to stop supporting a team like Arsenal and start off with a team in the lower leagues like I did in 1982. And look where we are now.
Ramsey for quite a few matches has been terrible. He loses possession far too easily and can not make simple passes.
How many times did Ramsey, Song, Walcott and Chamberlin just dribble into 4 wigan players and lose the ball.
Djourou is a nice guy but he does not have the skill to be an Arsenal player. With Koscielny back I could see us beating Chelsea providing Ramsey does not start.
I've read your blog many times and this is the first time I'm commenting. First off i disagree with you about Wigan and the premier league and adding to it. At this time of year Wigan is the most entertaining team to watch as they seem to do the impossible every year...... my friends and I call them the Relegation Kings.... cause just when you thought they were down they rise again. Some of you may disagree with me when I say this but I don't care, it has to be said... It is Wenger's fault for our downfalls. I agree the players have some to answer for but my belief is if Wenger never allowed mediocrity they would never have to shoulder some of that blame. If you add the points from the games we lost this season against weak opposition we would be in the title fight but because of such mediocre players look where we are. Wenger's inability to formulate a plan B is disgraceful for a manager with such vast experience, we have a Barcelona style of play but certainly not Barcelona quality.
Hi Sam! Great post as always. The midfield was all over the place once Arteta went off. Ramsey was trying too hard to prove himself, Rosicky was pretty good in the first half (was he even on in the second?)We all know Song loves to go forward and I love him for that. Benayoun and Walcott did not do enough defensively, specially Walcott who shouldve been putting pressure on the Wigan defense rather than running around like a 7 year old on steroids!!
Im probably thinking too far ahead but just wanted to know your first choice XI next season (assuming everyone is fit), what positions would you strengthen and who would you bring in? Conversely who would you let go? Cheers
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. Obviously it's hard to know who we'll have in the squad for the start of next season. Of the current crop the strongest XI is Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen. Gibbs; Arteta / Wilshere, Song; Walcott, Rosicky / Wilshere, Gervinho / Ox; van Persie. We need to strengthen up front to cover for RvP, and we need to get people fit to be in midfield. I'll do more in depth analysis of the squad at the end of the season.
Sam great write again and on Song, I agree with Dipt, Song who has been given a bit more creative freedom with the introduction of Arteta and has excelled with the role, but he was allowed to make those passes because that was a surprise aspect of his game. Now that teams are aware of the threat he possesses with his passes our opposition have seemed to close down the space and simply not have allowed him the time he was getting before. Song (in my opinion) should return to the role of covering the defense and being the man who connects the defense to the offense.
I watched the match against Chelsea and Wigan was very good. I get the impressions that Wenger does not study other teams and plot how to match them ahead of time. He appears to keep to his style of play nomatter who he plays. Martinez did his homework very well and it worked well.I have not seen Sagna play so bady. Victor Moses was in complete control. I was hoping that Santos would take over from Gibbs but I have changed my mind. I would prefer to keep Gibbs playing unless injured. Rosick has improved in speed and passing but his flop in scoring goals even when he gets sitting duck chances. Walcott was nowhere to be seen. Once I say Ramsey and Jourou in the field, I lost hope. Wigan exploited the sides manned by Santos and Jourou. Hill wood started counting the chicks before they are hatched- talking of extending Wengers time.It will be 8 years without trophy. Arsenal is struggling to qualify for Champions league while Man.U and others win trophies?
Good fair assesment Sam.
Frustrating given that we really wasted the opportunity to solidify 3rd spot. That said credit to Wigan and apparently they will pull another Houdini act this year. I was always concerned that might give us trouble.
To me the lesson is the importance of staying focused for each game and for the full 90 min. Certainly we need to become more consistent and clinical.
We did start off well but two quick, needless, mistakes then changed the direction of the match. The team showed good urgency and fight but lacked the cutting edge.
Frustrated but still not sounding the alarm bells. Great timing with Chelsea vs Barca. Should work to our benefit. Beat them and we should still be in good shape.
Newcastle have some tough games and will slip up and hopefully Spurs continue imploding. Regardless it's all in our hands still. Come on Arsenal!
Great post as always, Sam. Disappointing result but I hope it's just a small blip (QPR) and we'll bounce back in a big game. Should we be worried that RVP visited the barca hotel?
I think it's pretty innocent but it wasn't great timing...
Eden hazard seems to be man utd #1 but with gatian already coming I hope they don't bid for him.
Hernanes linked as well, seems like a good move.
Rumors also claim inter want song
What are your thoughts on the current transfer issues:
Should we make a double bid for vertoghen and erikson?
Should we sell Walcott To make room for hazard?
Is a double bid for giroud belganda smart?
Lastly what's your prediction for the Chelsea match?
Thanks a lot:)
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. The RvP story is some newspaper rubbish. He was there, but to see Cesc (a good friend) and Ibrahim Affelay (a Dutch team mate). Andre Santos was also there to see Dani Alves, but no-one in the media made anything of that.
I don't think we should make a double bid for Vertonghen and Erikson, I don't think we should sell Walcott, and I don't think we should make a double bid for Giroud and Belhanda.
For Chelsea, it'll be tight but I think we could win 2-1 or 3-1.
Sam, I totally agree with your assessment of the squad. I think at this point 3rd place is still within our grasp as, remarkably, we have one of the easier schedules of the teams in places 3-6 going in, but I also thought Wigan was a match we should win at least 2-0.
As far as next season goes, on defense, I think we should look at bring Ignasi Miguel more into the 1st team and sell Djourou to someone who needs a CB willing to make horrible mistakes on a regular basis. A 2nd central striker is a necessity to give RVP a break, especially since Park hasn't seen the light of day in who knows how long, and Gervinho only has 4 goals...even Walcott has more than that. I'm looking forward to seeing the midfield back in its full form with Song, Wilshere and Arteta all healthy and ready to go full speed. Wings are still a question mark, but I could easily see Ox supplanting Walcott on the right. It seems he's been more effective at injecting pace and energy into the squad consistenty. AC
If AW doesn't find a replacement for Arteta, this season could go down hill quickly. Arteta has been the signing of the season. Whoever said that he's a mediocre replacement for Nasri is right, because he's not a replacement for Nasri. He is a replacement for Jack Wilshere. Nasri was supposed to be replaced by Gervinho, but honestly Gervinho is driving me insane. All he does is get the ball, go sideways and then lose the ball. I once was excited when he was in the squad. Now I'm sort of like, great a fast winger who can't score and loses the ball too often. Sounds like Walcott.
While on the subject, Walcott will never be a world class winger. He needs to be in the central role as a pure poacher to succeed. Right now, we don't have that place for him in the team. At best he should be used as our cover for van Persie, or in a dual striker role as a poacher.
And why doesn't TV just go ahead and move to the midfield? I mean, then at least we can put another D on the field.
Good points as usual. Consistency seems to be a problem this year. With just a few games left, it's still possible Arsenal will qualify for Europe again. Considering how poorly they were early this season, finishing 3rd or 4th is a major accomplishment. But this team needs to perform better week in and week out. If only we could develop a greater will to win.
I think Arsenal already learned a lot from previous games with bottom teams either in this season or previous season.Sorry to say but again as what I keep saying this about Arsenal is about mentality issue.I hate so much MUtd but I have to say that they are really good mentality and I don't know how Ferguson able to train them to be so dedicated and discipline in their games.
This a the main issue that I haven,t seen yet from AW.If we able to maintain the performance then definitely not because our mentality but from other factors.I think we are still not a winning title team and a lot need to reform or adjust.With this current team,we are just good enough for good challenger or contender.For the title,we need to be more realistic.
On scripts,we should win on Chelsea after they had very tight 2 important games this week but with our lost-morale down and their 2 motivated wins - Who knows?I also see Chelsea is far different better teams from what I seen when they were under Villa-Baos.
If Chelsea play as well as they did in their last two games ..against Spurs and Barca ... I feel they will beat us this weekend. Then, they will go on beating everyone else in the remaining season. If that happens, chances are, come May, we will be pushed out of top four.
It may sound scary, but it's a possibility, isn't it?
This game again proved my concern was right that Arsenal-1]Not consistent to bottom teams especially end of the season 2]Word is louder than action-not play like final games as what they committed 3]Cannot create goal when opponent tighten the defense[Arsenal only good when open game] 4]Creativity getting lesser when we are rushing time-we waste more ball control.We are good when time is not against us.
All above situation tell us that we are not ready for title campaign.AW-do something brilliant than what you had done as we are not at a very right path for glory yet.I still thanks what had we gone so far to stay at 3rd but we need to tune more if we targeting for the title next season.
We still have 3 more high stakes games with Chelsea,Stoke and WBA.However remember Norwich beat Tottenham in their recent away game.
Lastly my comment against Wigan-Sagna is way out of pace & strength to Moses.Luckily he failed to score 3rd goal.At the end we were more lost temper than looking for goal.
Analysis next 4 games -
Arsenal -3 tough games and 1 easy with 5 points ahead-should able to get 4th place and 3rd is possible if can beat Chelsea and no more stupid careless mistake that we kept doing at the end of season.
Newcastle -have the toughest next 4 games among other teams but at very top form.Possible to get 4th if they can do it right.
Tottenham -easiest next 5 games and on script, they could overtake Arsenal at 3rd but with their current form-likely they should easily take 4th but I predict 5th.
Chelsea -quite tough to grab 3rd and they have 50% difficult-50% easy games in hand plus with CL and FA cup tight schedule but their form are now getting better and stronger than ever in this season.It could be an astonishing achievement if they can hang on with all these difficulties.I bet they will.They can overtake Tottenham at 4th.Final prediction-
3rd - Arsenal
4th - Chelsea
5th - Tottenham
6th - Newcastle
Why I got this feeling that Arsenal will lost points on Stoke and WBA??
Mmm Sam you sound like Nial Quinn who commentated on the game you would have thought we were playing Barca,do you need a Wigan shirt? Wigan were so good blah blah,please do me a favour.Arsenal have an annoying habit of making average teams look great.This game showed us the usual things.Wallcott plays hot and cold,and can hardly cross a ball,Ramsey is far from ready,were lost without Arteta and Arsenal need of a defensive midfeild player is strong,"but we have Song" yes he is good and i like him but he's a glory seeker this is about the 3rd or 4th time we have conceded from our own corner this season and Song is playing upfront the furthest man forward if he was were he should be he could have been moping up i still don't know why we only have 2 defenders back when we do have a corner.I know Wenger will buy attak minded players as always but for balance he has to think of the defence 10 defeats this season tells it's own story.
Arsenal should beat Chelsea comfortably this Saturday for the reasons: 1. Their key players are too tired; 2. They probably will rest their key players in the hope of beating Barcelona in two legs for an UCL final berth; and 3. Arsenal enjoy the home ground and psychological advantage having beaten Chelsea 5-3 at SB (though it didn't work against Wigan).
Nevertheless, soccer is always a funny thing and Liverpool did everything right except scoring and they were duly punished by Van Persie's injury time goal. It happened again last night in which Barcelona had 70+% possession and did everything right but scoring and at the end they were duly punished by Chelsea too.
It is a game that Arsenal are not allowed to slip again and other than conjuring up ways to break the solid Chelsea defence they would better guard their backyard properly.
As I believe that Barcelona will turn the table on Chelsea at Nou Camp Arsenal shall beat Chelsea to consolidate the 3rd place.
Sam-wat is wanted to ask..is arsenal luk incomplete widout arteta?
though hez havin his first year...his impact in d team is terrific
nd the example was d second half..wen wigan got d ball..
nobody cud rob dem of possesion..
arteta really does press well nd works very hard to get d ball?
ur comments on dis one sam?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. I agree that Arteta has been vital to our side this season, both in winning back possession and using it well. We really missed him on Monday, and we're in danger of suffering at the end of the season without him.
Sam, great article and agree with your pick of our strongest XIV (your reply to VDB). Would also add Ryo when he gets back from Bolton, as he has played consistently well for them so far. But this is far from being a team capable of winning the PL, in my humble opinion. In fact, this team may struggle to even get us the league cup, which will be very, very sad. Given the players he has, Wenger has done a fantastic job. I do not agree that Rams is a scapegoat, as he's played a great deal of games this season, and showed that he is truly.....ordinary (and that's being positive). If he has some quality, it would be good to see a little of it before the end of the season. Not too much to ask, is it?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment. I wouldn't add Ryo in yet, needs to prove himself more. Not too much to ask, but Ramsey is out of form so hopefully he can turn it round quickly.
The only defensive coach to get is GEORGE GRAHAM. He will fine tune the defenders into a solid rock.
Hi Sam,
I also think our problems will already be half-solved if we get a defensive coach. We've dropped too many points this season because of defensive lapses, even without injuries to first-team players.
Midfield? Please no Ramsey, not now.
Great title!
Well said... I have a very similar view on Wigan, except I don't hate them anymore. Martinez has made me like them. The guy has limited resources, his team is in a dog fight every year, and they keep surviving. Oh, I skipped most of the bits about Arsenal though... Come on you Spurs!
Soccer is about right strategy - using the right tactics to negate the opposition & win the game.
AW is a very stubborn man - insist on players who is not functioning properly, eg playing KANU instead of Bergkamp until Bergkamp speak up openly, the following season he play Bergkkamp & Arsenal become the "invincibles", often playing players out of position, only know how to play "beautiful attacking" but not knowing how to defend; not knowing how to defend, AW is unable to unlock opposing team playing with tight defend for years. Very often lose the game, come up with lame excuses & statistics.
I can't stand seeing all this stuff from other fans saying Ramsey is garbage etc. Let's not forget that he was out with a broken leg during a very important period of his development, and he is now having to go through that stage. I hope Arsenal fans don't turn on Wilshere when he gets back and works his way back up. Great blog and I agree about playing the Ox!
Great piece as always.
With 4 games left to play, indeed 3rd spot looks reachable. The squad tends to raise their game for the high profile games but as you rightly pointed out, we still need some level of grit and consistency in knocking off the mid to lower table teams.
Couple of questions:
1. Do you see RVP renewing his contract?
2. What are your thoughts on bringing back Arshavin to at least be played in his preferred CAM free role? I think he wasn't given enough time to prove himself there , and he feeds a lot on the confidence of those around him and the stadium.
3. What are the most probable summer signings?
4. Ramsey is being used as a scapegoat indeed but he's had a clutchful of poor games. Wouldn't it be better to loan him out since he can't play LM and is still not adjusted to the intensity and decisiveness needed for a CM role?
Sam Limbert: Thanks for your comment.
1. Yes
2. I think Wenger has lost faith in him, plus Rosicky has been awesome there so I doubt he'll ever get a run of games there for Arsenal.
3. Hard to know at this stage. Strongest rumour is that Podolski will sign.
4. We could loan him, but I think he's better getting games at Arsenal. We're usually short of central midfielders with injuries that we wouldn't be able to afford him going on loan.
We really have to think how RDM's strategic mind works. Hmm...let's say Torres will start ahead first and both teams start playing. Arsenal will attack relentlessly and slowly Chelsea will start parking the bus. For Arsenal to have a chance for victory, they have to play at full strength tomorrow coz they can get a full week's rest anyway. First, score a barrage of goals against them by using beautiful long range shots especially rosicky. AOC, RVP and whoever in the midfield can do the same. Verminator should head a merciless ball against them and kick in a long range if he can. These long range shots cannot be wasteful coz every second is precious. from what I heard, *Daroga will not start against them Arsenal due to knee injury. But I believe it's a rue so that he can play against Barcelona at full strength.. By barraging with more goals, chelsea will lose the self-confidence against Barc next week. And Barcelona by the way loved to look at video replays of the teams in the...cont
*in the champion league and putting up all kinds of statistics or whatever it is behind closed-door how to defeat their opponents. That was what happened between Arsenal vs Barcelona in that very champion league FINAL sometimes ago. They are bound to look at Chelsea in the same way. So put in more goals in so that Barcelona will find weaknesses in their last game. It was very important to maintain 3rd place and above. Arsenal should maintain 3rd place and above next season coz 4th place is actually a lousy slot for a play-off for UCL. I hope incoming famous Steve Bould will become assistant coach next to wenger next season. With his wide defensive knowledge of the game, he will steer the ship with 3 future champion league matches next season before wenger comes back.
On the other hand, bring in experienced midfielder m'llva so that there will be more rooms to rotate around in the midfield coz Arteta mayl be injured again next season as he had been playing many important games...cont
cont...I can't remember what was my last few words in my 2nd comment. Anyway, he will be a good mentor to those like Ramsey in the midfield squad. Plus another another thing, bring Italy striker Del Perio to be part of our coaching staff. It will be nice for coaching staff to have diversity at Arsenal. He will add massive amount of experience to the squad. From what I heard, he will like to go to New York Bulls to see out his twilight career. I hope not. Additionally, we have few senior Dutchmaster advisors at Arsenal. We don't have the calibre of legend Johan Cruyff as a advisor coz he preferred Barcelona.
On Wigan the difference between their position in the table and Arsenal's is all down to one player at Arsenal RVP.
With out the goals he scored this season we would be down there with them. If you look at the teams that beat Wigan and the teams Arsenal beat it was not because we stopped the teams that beat Wigan from scoring it was that Arsenal and Mostly RVP scored more goals. We let in 2 vs Chelsea so did wigan but we scored 5 and won they scored 1 and lost.
And they had plenty of chances to score in most of their games as well but they just finished less chances with goals (kind of like Arsenal during those games RVP failed to find the net) We could find ourselves battling at the bottom should we fail to secure the signature of the dutchman this summer. As we let in enough goals to join the bottom table teams fighting relegation without RVP our next top goal scorer is right there with Wigan's top producer or should I say down there.
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Film city in Kolhapur soon: Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan
5 years ago
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Wednesday stressed on adopting new technology and said that the state is trying to facilitate filmmakers with alternate locations for shoots. He felt regional media and filmmaking is creating a lot of excitement the state is, therefore, trying to create alternate locations for film shoots. "A film city in Kolhapur […]
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Three words will drive negotiations for the 2012 farm bill: budget, budget, budget. That's the view from Dr. Gary Adams, National Cotton Council vice president for economics policy and analysis, who spoke at the joint annual meeting of the Mississippi Boll Weevil Management Corporation and the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation's Cotton Policy Committee.


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Prayer Service for Ct. Shooting Victims at St. Michael's Church, East Longmeadow
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 8:27 PM
12-18-12 - East Longmeadow - Republican staff photo by Don Treeger- A prayer service was held at St. Michael's Church for victims of the Newtown, Ct. shootings. Here, a paper angel with the first name of a victim is placed on one of the 26 candles lit for the service. In the backround, Sister Betty Broughan reads the names of the victims.
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Lisette Oropesa will sing for a worldwide audience on Saturday (January 21). The 28-year-old Louisianian will appear on screen at 1,600 movie theaters in 54 countries, including Elmwood Palace and the Hollywood Stadium in Covington.
For the paid audience of 235,000 that is expected to see Oropesa in the live, HD broadcast of "The Enchanted Island," she is a fast-rising diva, one who has earned her place beside the illustrious co-stars — Placido Domingo, Joyce DiDonato, Danielle de Niese and David Daniels — who appear in today's program from the Metropolitan Opera.
For those who knew her as a vocal student at Louisiana State University, however, Oropesa has another claim to fame.
"If I could tattoo my weight loss on my forehead, I would do it. I'm proud about it and I talk about it," Oropesa said. "At LSU I was popping out of a size 16 and weighed over 200 pounds. Starting around my 21st birthday, I've slowly lost about 80 pounds."
Oropesa says that her weight loss has helped her fit into the new reality of opera on screen.
"I know that there is some controversy about HD broadcasts, that they encourage a TV aesthetic and require younger, more agile singers, but all of that is okay with me. Opera is meant to be seen and heard. To me, that's as controversial as saying that Shakespeare is best experienced on stage, instead of being read in a book."
Oropesa began her weight loss regimen after beating a field of 1,500 singers from across the nation in the 2005 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Her lyric coloratura was so exceptional that she was swiftly offered a prestigious spot in the Lindeman Young Artists Development program at the Met.
"When I won the competition, the first thing they said was, 'your voice is great, you need to lose weight.' Nobody had to tell me twice. I was 21 years old and wasn't going to blow an amazing opportunity so that I could stay home and eat cheeseburgers. Instead, I joined a gym for the first time in my life," she said.
These days, Oropesa follows a vegan diet, runs half-marathons and practices yoga. And she says that those lifestyle changes have made her a better singer, too.
"My breath control is much better because of yoga. Better posture makes for better breath support. And my endurance is much better, too. I don't have to worry about singing while I'm climbing steps or kneeling. The costumers are often surprised when I come off stage in a big wig and heavy costume and haven't broken a sweat," she said.
Local opera goers can attest to the change. A year ago, the lithe singer scrambled up and down stairs in her role as a temple priestess in a production of Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers" from the New Orleans Opera Association. In fact, Oropesa looked ready to join the dancers from the New Orleans Ballet Theater who participated in that production.
Oropesa will perform the role of Miranda in "The Enchanted Island," which is a world premiere opera that combines Baroque music with a new, English-language libretto by Jeremy Sams. It features plot elements and characters from two Shakespeare plays — "The Tempest" and "The Midsummer Night's Dream" — and recycles arias from 18th century operas by Handel, Rameau, Vivaldi and other composers. The New York Times called it "fanciful, clever and touching pastiche," and offered unanimous praise for the singers.
"I love being up there with all those amazing singers — and I still have to pinch myself about it," Oropesa said. "I'm starstruck and nervous. I can't help it. But that's a good kind of stress to deal with as an artist."
The Enchanted Island
What: HD live broadcast of New York Metropolitan Opera's acclaimed new pastiche of baroque arias and plotlines from Shakespeare.
Where: Covington (Hollywood Stadium 14), Harahan (AMC Elmwood Palace 20).
When: Saturday (January 21) at 11:55 a.m.
Tickets: $22, $20 for seniors, $18 for children.
Chris Waddington can be reached at email@example.com or 504.826.3448. Read more about classical music at nola.com/music.


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Score one for Michigan State. In fact, score one from the outside with word Bryn Forbes is eligible for the 2014-15 basketball season.
Forbes is a transfer from Cleveland State, a move that normally would have prevented him from playing this season under NCAA regulations. However, he was cleared without the standard one-year wait and gets to play right away.
A 6-3 shooting guard, Forbes received approval because his transfer was because of family hardships involving family illness and a young child, the university said. He has two years of eligibility. Forbes is from Lansing, Mich.
Coach Tom Izzo downplayed Forbes a bit in his media statement, but the Detroit Free Press speculated Forbes would become the starter at shooting guard.
The Spartans lost six players from last season's team, including three who went into the NBA Draft. That team went to the Elite Eight. Plugging in Forbes will help, as he averaged 15.6 points per game last season. Plus, he hit 42 percent of his 3-point attempts.
"On the court, he had a great summer shooting the ball, and we expect him to add that to our offense this season," Izzo said in a statement. "There's still room for him to improve as a player, but I've already enjoyed coaching him in the limited time we've had this summer."
Forbes played with Spartans guard Denzel Valentine, a junior to be. Senior point guard Travis Trice is a good shooter as well. Izzo has three other newcomers, all freshman recruits, for his roster.


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The Northwest girls soccer team defeated Alliance 2-0 Wednesday to improve to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the Northeastern Buckeye Conference.
Freshman forward Kathy Demaree and senior forward Megan Green each scored goals for the Indians.
"We're playing real well as a team, we are passing well and moving without the ball the well," Northwest coach Scott Green said. "We are getting a number of good looks at the goal and our forwards are finishing."
Senior forward Ana Saeger, senior center-midfielder Rachel Loepp and sophomore sweeper Katy Kellar have also been key players to Northwest's attack.


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Ooey, gooey pumpkin blondies bursting with chocolate chips! These pumpkin blondies are healthy, packed with fiber, flavor and lots of good stuff. Kid tested and husband approved, they taste fabulous too!! My Sunday supper team is doing a light food theme and I am bringing my decadent but healthy pumpkin blondies. I made this a […]
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Gluten free strawberry banana oat muffins crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. My Sunday Supper team is doing a picnic theme and I am bringing strawberry banana oat muffins. To me picnic food has to be portable, easy to transport and require minimum clean up. I love picnic food and usually take […]
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Flourless Chocolate Cake in a mug! Decadent, creamy grain free flourless chocolate cake. This easy to make flourless chocolate cake took 90 seconds to bake in a microwave and turned out super creamy and soft. Drench it in some chocolate sauce and you have the ultimate single serve dessert in a mug. You can […]


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I recieve this everytime I attempt to change my gamertag. I've searched everywhere and found nothing on it. Please assist.
Hi F7 Fayth,
Sorry to hear this is happening but we do have a few teams looking in to this right now but put of curiosity, are you trying to use your current Microsoft account balance to pay for the GT change? Or are you trying to make the purchase with an attached credit card? Let us know. We are here for ya!
Do you have an idea to improve Xbox for everyone? Share it with us at Xbox Feedback!
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same is happening to me im buying with microsoft account ballance i have 10.01$
[10:27:49 PM] Auzhy "The Biggest Don": ffs i cant change my name i keepp getting an error!!!
Hey Link Auzy, That also describes the issue we're looking into. Haven't heard any news to share just yet, but we are confident that the proper team is on the case. Please let us know if we can help with any other questions in the mean time.
Please tell me if the problem is fixed ill be home in 30 mins i wanna kno if they fixed it yet please reply
Hey Link,If you have $10.01 in your account, it sounds like you don't have quite enough for the gamertag change.The old price was 800 MSP which was $9.99+tax. With tax, your account most likely just isn't covering the cost of the change.
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but i bought an 800 thats how i have that
Hey Link,If that's the case, your best option at this point would be to get in touch with your local Phone Support.They would be best equipped moving forward to help you look into your account and sort out where the issue may be.
I tried that. The was a [MOD REMOVED] and tried to charge me 69.99 to change it for me. i asked him about the status thing and he just said have a great day and hung up. I really need to change it. What should i do?
Hey there Scawy! You wouldn't be charged 69.99 for a gamertag change. I suggest getting in touch with phone support again to discuss this issue.If you have any other questions, please go ahead and make a new thread detailing your issue and any steps you've taken so far to fix it. That is how these forums work best as it lets us tailor our support to you specifically. We'll be standing by to assist in that new thread. =)
Xbox Forum & Reddit Support || Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm PTHow to Use the Forums || Forum GuidelinesDo you have an idea to improve Xbox for everyone? Share it with us at Xbox Feedback!
please help this problem still persis i have $10.01 microsoft balance and i know your probably gonna say its the tax thats why its not working. but no it cant be cus i bought an 800 thats how i got that balance i had some change already on there and i redeemed an 800 but it says theres a problem with xbox service statuss code 8013ab07
i wish xbl would just go back to the microsoft points, it made everything much easier to deal with.
Hey again Link Auzy! As Mister Fizzle suggested above:
If that's the case, your best option at this point would be to get in touch with your local Phone Support.They would be best equipped moving forward to help you look into your account and sort out where the issue may be.
Thats the ting Mister Cerb. He tried to charge me that much to change it for me. (For me... manually) He was charging for the service. I know what i heard. And im really starting to get pissed. I have always supported microsoft but now theyre turning into filthy, greedy, money-hogging, [MOD REMOVED]. The dont even have american people whenever i call anymore. Probably to save money! Im getting PISSED!
Yeah, sounds like some suspect activities are going on in these offshore call-centres again, eh?


text: What would you like to know? We believe that the more you know about us, the more you'll want to work at Saint Clare's. On this page, we'll try to answer some of the more commonly asked questions. How can I apply for a position at SCHS? Applying for a position can be done only through our online application. To search for jobs and apply to Saint Clare's Health System, please click the links below to our campus locations: Saint Clare's Hospital/Boonton Township Saint Clare's Hospital/Denville Saint Clare's Hospital/Dover General Saint Clare's Health Center at Sussex Saint Clare's Imaging Center at Parsippany Commons St. Francis Residential Community Can I check on the status of my application? We review all submitted online applications; but because we receive such a large volume, it is difficult to respond to every one. If one of our recruiters or hiring managers determines your qualifications could match our needs, we will email or phone you to arrange a formal interview. How many positions may I apply for? Though there are no restrictions on the number of positions you may apply for, we do ask that you keep your focus on the positions that most interest you and matches your qualifications. Can I speak to a recruiter or setup an interview? Recruiters are continuously screening and interviewing candidates at all of Saint Clare's campus locations. Appointments, interviews and conversations can only be initiated by a recruiter after the review of an application has been completed and it has been established that an individual is a strong candidate for the desired position. How do I know if my application was submitted? When you complete your online application, a confirmation page will appear on the screen, verifying that your application was submitted and received successfully. How long will my application be held on file? Each application is held on file for a period no less than one year from the date it was submitted. What can I do to better my chances of being interviewed by a recruiter? Having a professional resume with all the information that is relevant to the job you're applying for will help you stand out as a strong candidate. Submitting multiple applications within a short time period will only slow down the process. I have a relative/friend that works at SCHS; can I reference him/her? You can reference a relative/friend that is currently employed or affiliated with Saint Clare's Health System or Catholic Health Initiatives in the questionnaire portion of the online application. I don't meet the exact requirements of the job I'm interested in, can I still apply for it? Yes. If you do not meet the specific requirements for a job but are able to provide evidence of relative or equivalent experience for the position, we encourage you to still apply. I don't see the position I'm interested in on the posting list, can I still apply for it? Our online process allows candidates to submit applications and resumes for future job opportunities as well as current ones. Can I email or fax over my resume? No. The online application is the only way to apply for a position at SCHS. We no longer accept faxed or hand-delivered resumes or previously used pre-screening forms. How often is the posting list updated? We keep our online postings updated as frequently as possible, most often on a daily basis. Because we also post open positions on various career websites, it may take a day or two for positions to show up or be removed as quickly or slowly as our website. For the most up to date and accurate information and postings, always refer to the SCHS website. I'm interested in a position but I'm curious as to what the salary range is, how can I inquire before applying? We do not discuss salary information over the phone/email/fax or any other media format. Salary information can only be discussed during an actual in-person interview.


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You limited your search to:
Partner: UNT College of Information
Department: Learning Technologies
Department: Libraries
Month: January
Collection: UNT Scholarly Works
Digital Curation and Data Management Capacity Building: Curricula and Workforce
Date: January 2012
Creator: Kim, Jeonghyun; Moen, William E.; Whitworth, Cliff; Wakefield, Jenny S.; Warga, Edward; Helsing, Joseph et al.
Description: Poster presented at the 2012 ALISE Annual Conference. This poster discusses digital curation and data management capacity building, as part of the iCAMP project.
Contributing Partner: UNT College of Information


text:
Click here to print the obituary below
Leonard R. Baginski
Leonard R. Baginski, 86, of Middletown, beloved husband of 62 years of Veronica (Pelczar) Baginski died Saturday at Middlesex Hospital. He was born in Middletown the son of the late Harry and Mary (Nicinski) Baginski. Prior to his retirement he was employed as an inspector with Gros-Site Industries. He was a veteran of the
Korean Conflict
Besides his wife he is survived by a son, Daniel Baginski and his wife, Mary of Middletown, three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews; and was pre-deceased by five brothers and three sisters.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at Saint Mary of Czestochowa Church, Middletown at 11 a.m. Friends may call at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver Street, Middletown on Thursday prior to the funeral from 9:30 to 10:30.. Burial will be held at Calvary, Bow Lane, Middletown.
Funeral Home
Biega's Funeral Home
3 Silver Street
Middletown, CT 06457
Published in The Middletown Press on Jan. 8, 2013


text:
All about const in C++
This article talks about all different usage of const qualifier in C++.
Named constant or const variables
const int PI = 3.14
Declares a named constant called PI, which can be used later in the program where ever we want to use the value 3.14.
This is similar to #define macro, but using const is better as it is understood and used by the compiler itself and not just simple substitution in the program which is done by preprocessor on using #define.
const with pointers:
Here one has to be careful in using const to know whether it is used to determine the
To declare a pointer that is pointing to a constant interger
const int *ptrToConstData1;
int const *ptrToConstData2;
Here, we cannot change the data it is pointing to.
To declare a const pointer that is pointing to an integer
int * const ptrIsConst;
This has to be declared and initialised and cannot be changed later to point to some other variable.
To declare a const pointer pointing to constant integer
const int * const ptrAndDataCnst;
Here both pointer and data are constant. As it is also a constant pointer, it has to be initialised while declaring itself.
The code
Code: Cpp
const Data Member:
Any const data members of a class has to be initialized and has to be done in the initilizer list of the class's constructor. Only static const data members can be intialized inside the class declaration.
The code
Code: Cpp
Return by const value:
Return by const is meaningful in case of returning:-
- const strings and arrays from functions as they are implemented as pointers. This is to avoid the program altering their lValue and getting crash.
- If a function is returning any user-defined data types like class objects. Where as It does not make sense returning const to a built-in types, as compiler anyway takes care of it.
In above cases by making that function returning a const will prevent using that returned value as an lValue in program as it will be a compier error. Otherwise, it will allow using that returned value as lValue.
The code
Code: Cpp
const variable as an argument:
To make sure, preventing the data that is passed as argument, whether it could be a reference or pointer variable (which was sent to avoid sending by value as copying in case of big user defined data is costly), getting aletred inside the function or callee, then we can send that data by const qualifier.
The code
Code: Cpp
As shown in the example, to ease the burden of caller not sending data as const, we can even implement inside the function by making a const reference to the sent value and then prevent alering it.
const Member Functions:
Declaring as below makes that method as const
int myInt() const
it means, function is not allowed to modify any of the data members of that class object. Normally, get accessors are written as const methods.
The code
Code: Cpp
const int*const myFunction(const int*const&)const
This one is an example of a const method, that will return a constant pointer, pointing to a const integer, also it does not alter any of passed arguments to it.
Related terms to const
operator const_cast < >
This is used to remove the constant quality of a variable or object.
The code
Code: Cpp
As shown in the above example, case-1 we can cast away the constness of a variable or object, that is not explicitly declared with const qualifier. Where as in case-2, if we try to cast away constness of a variable or object that has been explictly declared as const, results in undefined bahaviour.
Also, below is another example showing the usage of const_cast in a class's const member function.
The code
Code: Cpp
Here, in this example, const_cast allows to modify the member of a class in a constant member function.
mutable keyword
Declaring a member variable as mutable allows that particular variable to be modified in a const member function. It means, it allows the declared member of a constant object to be modified.
This concept is used, when most of the data members of a class are kept const, but few need to be updatable, then declare those updatable members as mutable.
The code
Code: Cpp
Also Refer:
Constant and pointer
Re: All about const in C++
Very nice article, As expected from you....
Re: All about const in C++
Many thanks mayjune !!
Then please vote this artcile, if it gets nominated in the August month's competetion!!
Re: All about const in C++
But you posted it in September? It'll get selected in September na?
Re: All about const in C++
Thanks for the very nice article and very very thanks for the pasting a code in it.
Re: All about const in C++
For september's competetion :-)
many thanks michaelsm
Re: All about const in C++
Re: All about const in C++
Guys i need your help T_T my professor gave me a problem and i don't know how to do it, pls help me
"Creat a program that will compute for the grade of students and its equivalent grade point.. the formula for computing grade is GRADE=10%, ASSIGNMENT=20%,Seatwork=30%,Quiz=40%
Note that there are 2 assignment,quiz,and seatwork given
Equivalent grade point:
1.0 = 99-100
1.25 = 96-98
1.5 = 93-95
1.75 = 90-92
2.0 = 87-89
2.25 = 84-86
2.50 = 81-83
2.75 = 78-80
3.0 = 75-77
5.0 = below 75
thanks, i hope you can help me T_T God Bless!
Re: All about const in C++
matrix_jc2001, Do not jump into any thread with that and I see you already have a thread for it.
Re: All about const in C++
Nomination for Article of the month - Sep 2009 Started. Nominate this article.
Re: All about const in C++
I have a doubt here regarding const data members. I guess the static const data members can be initialized inside a class only if they are integral or enumeration type.
Please correct me if i am wrong.
Re: All about const in C++
Hi patelpradeep,
Nothing like that. We can initilize all data types of "static const". Thats why as you can see, purposefully I have taken the example of "double" data type in the article.
All the programs what has been put in the article are compiled successully and result also given for the same.
Re: All about const in C++
Nomination Closed and Voting started for Article of the month - Sep 2009. You can vote for this Article
Re: All about const in C++
nice thread!
Re: All about const in C++
thanks djbrown.
Re: All about const in C++
Oh, thanks, the write is useful,....
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text:
The Bat is back, and in top form.
The wait for Batman: Arkham City has been a long one, especially after its predecessor Arkham Asylum blew away the gaming community back in 2009. Batman had long been a franchise that had done reasonably well in cinema, but laughably badly in the gaming world. Fans of the caped crusader always hoped that the next Batman game would be the gem they were waiting for. So, when Arkham Asylum was announced, many gamers were rightly skeptical. After all the garbage that made it to shelves with the Batman moniker on it, how could this title possibly be any different? Then, we played Arkham Asylum, and our love for the Dark Knight came back with a passion. Who can forget the first time they glide-kicked into a thug and sent him sprawling? Arkham Aslyum breathed new life into an all but dead franchise.
After the resounding success of the first game, the gaming world went into a frenzy when the second game, dubbed "Arkham City" was announced. The mysterious title raised many questions. Arkham City? Why is the asylum now a city? How did Batman let it get this far? What's The Joker up to now? The wait for fans was almost unbearable, especially once developer Rocksteady started the slow trickle reveal of the features and additions this time around. With the tweaking of the already insanely fun free flow combat, and the addition of new gadgets, gamers' mouths were watering at the possibilities. The promise of an even bigger, better Batman was exciting.
Now Arkham City has been out for about a week, and Twitter and Facebook are on fire with statuses, pictures, and videos about their adventures with the caped crusader, not to mention the ferocious feline that is Catwoman (that is, if you bought the game new or paid the 10 bucks for the pass). I have finished the story, but that still left me only about 50% completion in the whole game. The other 50% is packed full of riddler trophies, side missions, free flow combat, catwoman trophies, and so much more.
Lets start with the story itself. Much of the attraction of the first game was the incredible plot. Joker has broken out of Arkham (I know, big surprise right?) except this time, he doesnt leave. Instead, he takes over the asylum and starts wreaking havoc. The opening scene from the first game still sticks in my head as one of the most powerful openings to any game I have ever played, with the foreshadowing thick in the air, and the Joker prattling on nonstop. The player's journey through the asylum over that fateful night was intense, and you really got a feel for Batman's expertise, and his iron determination. Eventually, you defeat Joker and the credits roll, with a bit of setup for a possible sequel (at least we hoped at the time).
Fast forward about two years and we have Arkham City. This time around, the Joker doesnt seem to be the mastermind. Rather, we have Hugo Strange pulling the strings. Somehow, Strange has convinced the now-mayor Quincy Sharp and the city of Gotham to wall off a section of Gotham, to transfer all Arkham and Blackgate prisoners there (as well as a number of innocent people who Strange has a beef with), and call it "Arkham City". Bruce Wayne obviously doesn't care for this nonsense and decides to throw his hat (and considerable wealth) into the ring to try and stop this from becoming a reality. While giving a speech outside the borders of Arkham City, Bruce is nabbed by Strange's Goons and hauled off into the prison town.
The player then gains control of Bruce as he is processed into the facility, and after a quick dispatch of some random thugs, Bruce absconds to the rooftops and quickly calls in his Batsuit from Alfred. This is when Arkham City truly begins, as the player takes there first steps as Batman.
As for the gameplay, the combat is every bit as fun as it was in the previous entry, although this time around it has been beefed up with some new moves for Batman to use to punish his enemies. You can now do a double, and even sometimes, triple, counter attack when two or three baddies approach the Bat at once. All of the animations for the various attacks and counters look great, and they really flow into each other. At certain points, like when Batman does a backhandspring that lands him clear across a map to plant his feet in a thug's face, it stretches the limits of suspension of disbelief. Thankfully these moments are few and far between.
Locomotion around the larger play area is achieved mainly through a combination of Batman's grappling hook and his cape. Players can select a distant ledge to grapple to and then leap off the other side and glide to the next rooftop. There weren't many times when I couldn't continue my forward momentum, and there is always another ledge or rooftop to head to. Later in the game you can unlock another gadget or two that offer different locomotive strategies, but I found myself sticking with the grapple hook and cape combo.
Story wise, the game progresses nicely. The pacing is perfect, so you don't get overwhelmed too early on, and later enemies are certainly not pushovers. Missions are constant, but are careful not to get in the way if you just want to glide around beating up baddies. The missions lengths themselves feel reminiscient of Arkham Asylum, long enough that each establishes its own plotline that adds to the main story, but not so long as to forget your overall goal. Again, the pacing here is spot on, as enemies in the beginning of each mission are substantially easier to take on than the bad guys towards the end. There was only one spot in the game where I really got frustrated, when Batman is having a showdown with Joker at the old amusement park (where else?). What with a titan thug, a one-armed mercenary fellow (much harder than it sounds), constant roller coaster cars flying through the arena, and the Clown Prince of Crime himself, I had to give that fight a good few plays before finally besting it. However, once I landed the final punch, the accomplishment I felt far outweighed the frustration of getting to that point. Other missions, such as the short Mad Hatter mission, and one the main plotline Ras al Ghul missions, weren't particularly challenging but rather offered up a creative twist, and were just plain fun to play.
Once you have finished with the campaign mode, there are still the challenge maps to tackle. This time around, the Riddler in the one putting you up to it. While you can still take on a single combat or predator challenge, the fun is in the challenge campaigns this time around. Each campaign consists of either one combat challenge and two predator challenges, or two combats and one predator. The twist, however, is that there are a certain number of game changers that you have to use by the last challenge map. These can be things like reduced health or no counter indicators above attacking enemies' heads. These serve to test players' skills and make them try out new strategies. You can use as many or as few out of the list as you want during each round, but you must have used all of them by the last one. This adds some replayability to Arkham City as you can vie for the top spot on the leaderboards and compete with your friends.
There will also be a number of DLC packs released for the game, including two packs where you can play as Nightwing and Robin in the challenge maps. Each new character comes complete with their own distinct fighting style and gadgets, which fans are sure to love.
So if you are a fan of Arkham Aslyum, or Batman, or even just video games in general, and you haven't checked this game out yet, what are you waiting for? Play this game as soon as you can, you will most definitely not regret it.


text:
The Courtyard Marriott Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile features a stylish lobby with a Starbucks coffee shop and plenty of comfortable seating to watch the bustling activity of the famous Mag Mile. Our Downtown Chicago hotel is ideally located, just minutes from the Loop business district, Navy Pier, McCormick Place and premium shopping at Macy's, Tiffany & Co., Nordstrom's, and Neiman Marcus. Our experienced concierge and interactive GoBoard will keep you up to speed on the latest news, traffic and downtown Chicago happenings. Pamper yourself with an indoor pool & fitness facility, an upscale restaurant, as well as over 3,700 sq ft of meeting space, nine meeting rooms, on-site catering, and free WiFi in your guestroom and throughout the lobby. Offering an upscale, full-service feel, at the value of a Courtyard, Courtyard Marriott Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile is a leader among hotels in Downtown Chicago.
Now open, Copper Fox Gastropub is a new American casual restaurant and bar serving with a refined menu of craveable share-ables and creative signature cocktails.Starbucks
Enjoy your favorite specialty coffee beverage or snack from Starbucks, conveniently located in our stylish lobby at the Courtyard Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile hotel.


text:
Top Definition
A handsome young man, shy in the streets but a freak in the sheets. Have severally large genitals and is very useful with his tongue.
Wow Markeese I never got it like this.
dodane przez Kxxx październik 07, 2013
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


text:
The video is disagreeable for 2 reasons:
#1: It fails to recognize the duality of the problem. Attention whores, while a minority in the community, have soured the picture for the entire "gaming girl" demographic. SOME Girls are to fault as well
#2: It's solution fails to recognize the sociology of the internet. Spending time to stand up to a sexist when it's a person you know well is worth it. Standing up to a random person over the internet is a losing battle 99% of the time. It's often better to "not feed the troll" and simply ignore the person.


text:
It's not unusual for nurses at Westwood Women's Health Center to start their work week with news that patients gave birth to a baby — sometimes two — over the weekend.
Monday, there was the typical news. But one of the pro bono patients — Neffi — set the weekend record.
Neffi, a Mallard duck with a bright purple stripe on her wing, showed up at the steps of the women's clinic 37 days ago, according to Kathy Thorp, one of the West Deptford nurses.
"She knew we would take care of her," said nurse Tina Deveitro, who named the duck Neffi, short for Nefrititi.
The nurses watched for days as Neffi began building a nest near the front entrance of the health center. The duck would pluck twigs, leaves, paper and any other loose bits of landscaping, and drag the pieces to the corner of the building.
Then, the first part of the miracle happened. Neffi laid four eggs on her West Deptford nest.
With her mate — a male mallard the nurses names Pharaoh — having skipped out just before the babies hatched, it was up to Neffi to sit on and protect the eggs.
"She's a good mother," DeVeitro said, who would notice Neffi laying on the eggs as early as 8 a.m. The duck wouldn't get up until dinner time. "She sat there faithfully for at least eight hours."
With deadbeat Pharoah out of the picture, the Westwood nurses stepped in to do what they do best — care for expecting mothers.
"We felt sorry for her because she made the nest at the front door, and we have 10 people walk past every day," Kathy Thorp.
The group began researching the stages of a duck's pregnancy and keeping watch on Neffi's habits.
Between feedings — lunch and dinner-time meals of fresh vegetable scraps, sunflower seeds, nuts and dried apricots — the women waited.
"We probably have her too spoiled now ... since Mr. Gigolo (Pharaoh) done took off on her," Thorp said, noting that on hot days, she'd drop a couple of ice cubes in Neffi's water dish.
Some time over the weekend — after a big Friday night feeding — Neffi rolled her eggs back and forth, waking up the embryos that turned to duckling.
When the Westwood gang arrived Monday morning, there they were — four black and yellow fuzzy duckling, no bigger than a fist.
Nurse Donna Cabot, who regularly brought in her vegetable scraps every day, teared up at the sight.
Tragedy did strike the nest, however. One egg never hatched, and one of the ducklings disappeared in a suspected raccoon attack.
The three remaining ducklings — not yet named by the Westwood nurses — are walking around the nest, catching flies with their small beaks, and swimming in their water bowls.
"She's a good mommy. She took them for a walk yesterday," DeVeitro said Tuesday.
There's a pond nearby, but the U.S. Geological Survey indicates Mallard ducks are likely to take their babies up to three miles away if mommy Mallard finds wetlands that are rich in an invertebrate food source.
The steady supply of fresh, healthy foods and clean cold water, though, could keep Neffi and her newborn flock hanging around.
Contact staff writer Carly Q. Romalino at 856-686-3655 or email@example.com


text:
With Texas, OU showing flaws, Nebraska might be Big 12's best
Nebraska is back just in time to leave the Big 12.
With a no-nonsense coach and freakishly athletic quarterback, the Cornhuskers look like their old selves again - and somewhere Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany is smiling.
While nobody should be handing No. 6 Nebraska any trophies for beating up a Washington team that does not look ready to make the jump many thought it would this season, the Cornhuskers did prove Saturday that they are nationally relevant again.
Bo Pelini's first two seasons as coach provided plenty of evidence the Huskers were on the right track. They won nine games in Pelini's first season and went 10-4 last year, coming oh-so-close to upsetting Texas in the Big 12 championship game.
Nebraska said goodbye to hulking defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh after last season, but still expected to return a nasty defense. Defense is Pelini's forte.
The Blackshirts were back but Nebraska's offense still had questions to answer.
That was until Pelini handed the quarterback job to redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez. It's as if Eric Crouch or Tommie Frazier returned to Lincoln. Martinez is seventh in the nation in rushing at 140 yards per game, averaging 10 yards per carry. He accounted for four touchdowns in the 56-21 victory at Washington.
Pelini, predictably, downplayed Nebraska's latest statement.
"We are getting better," he said. "This was a good step for us, being on the road against a national program, but we still have a lot more to do, we can still get a lot better."
The Huskers already might be the best team in the Big 12.
With Texas and Oklahoma showing flaws in their 3-0 starts, the Cornhuskers seem to be at least the equal of the Longhorns and Sooners.
Since the Big 12 was formed in 1996, when the Big Eight merged with Texas and three other Southwest Conference teams, that has rarely been the case.
Oklahoma was in the midst of its dark days, otherwise known as the John Blake era, in the Big 12's early year. At Texas, the Longhorns were underachieving under John Mackovic.
Meanwhile, Tom Osborne's long and successful reign at Nebraska was winding down. Longtime assistant Frank Solich succeeded Osborne in 1998.
The Huskers played in three of the first four Big 12 title games, winning two. They have reached the conference title game only twice since and lost both times.
While the Huskers were struggling to beat out Colorado and Missouri in the Big 12 North, Texas and Oklahoma were blossoming into national powers, Mack Brown leading the Longhorns and Bob Stoops guiding the Sooners.
The Big 12 has been terribly imbalanced on the field for most of the last 10 years. Only twice has the North division winner won the league title game.
Off the field, the imbalance was also stark, as Texas and Oklahoma raked in more revenue and held more power in the conference than Nebraska.
The result: Nebraska is in its final year in the Big 12 before it moves to the Big Ten next season.
After all these years, the Big 12 has Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas at the top of their games at the same time. A power threesome even the Southeastern Conference could have a hard time matching. And it will last one season.
In the long run, the Big Ten will get a powerful Nebraska program that the Big 12 only saw glimpses of through the years.
Daniel Thomas, the best running back much of the country has never seen, is on his way to carrying Kansas State back to respectability.
Thomas, who played quarterback in junior college, quietly led the Big 12 in rushing last season with 1,265 yards. This season Wildcats coach Bill Snyder has apparently decided to ride the 228-pound senior as far as he'll go.
Thomas went for 181 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 37 carries in K-State's 27-20 victory against Iowa State on Saturday.
Thomas ranks second in the nation in rushing at 184 yards per game and Kansas State is off to a 3-0 start, with Central Florida visiting Manhattan on Saturday. After a week off, Nebraska comes to the Little Apple.
The Wildcats certainly have a chance to be a bowl team. The bigger question is: Will they win enough to get Thomas some serious Heisman Trophy consideration?