Wenger? An endearing trait?

[Karl]

It is amazing to see that within today's football manager's culture he differentiates himself by never (?) berating his players...

He uses stuff such as "we were not good today"...etc.
"Southampton wanted it more"..."of course they were better than us"...

He tells the truth on the game...but he does it in a manner that lets his players down easy. That is his way in public. Wonder if that is also how he tells it to his players in private????

His classic understatements makes you hear in your mind's eye..."we were not so good today". Gotta give him a for speaking softly but if we think on acts like the deliberate and controlled, created and managed rivalry between Walcott and Giroud that so far has been producing prodigious returns when the hounds - (myself included) - are braying for a specialist striker along the order of a Suarez or Sergio Aguero then it is clear he has toughness to go with his unquestioned 'smarts'.

Let us see what his team does next as it responds to his brand of 'speak softly but wield a big stick'?

[Peter R]

Karl,

I think your team put all their chi into the ManC game. We saw the reversal of this in the Liv v Wat game and LFC came storming back yesterday. The EPL landscape has changed this year and not as predictable as in past seasons. Who would have thought that the "big" clubs ($ity, Ars, MU) would have the numbers they do in the "L" column at this time?

I am not in the prediction business, but Arsene's men will put a spanking on Bournemouth tomorrow.

Next thing, off topic, is I think the team to watch is Spurs... bloody sneaky group that!

[Sir X]

I Take issue with comparing us to Arsenal..................The watford game was a one off ,of note Klopp didnt say we played without passion or conviction ,he said we lost our head and it seemed that way to me .He said that Leicister has a similar style to watford before playing them.I saw an inexperienced keeper whose nervousness,compounded the return of Sahko who himself looked nervous or struggling to adapt, then Skertel got injured and Coutinho was also coming back from injury,you are bound to have a residual effect of rust and lack of chemistry, they played like they were swimming up the river, i forgot Clyne- my laaawd was he terrible.

The win vs Lecister to me was expected,we beat Chelsea and to me if any team mirrors lecister it was them, same style of defense and counter attacking.

I see that with consistency Klopps pool will start to come out,depending on who can maintain that consistency as players we will see them around for next season.AS i see it we are heavy on strikers ,and injuries - midfield ,defence and goalkeepers are weak-

I expect 2 defenders ,and 2 midfielders to be brought in for the summer ,be it from loan or bought outright.

Louis Alberto- Sevilla Loan - Attacking midfielder winger
Markovic -Fernebahe Loan - Winger
Wisom ,Tiagori and Flannaghan- Defenders Injury and Loan .

Point is we have quality players out by injury and loan, that should never have been there,for obvious reasons- lack of depth.

I understand why Klopp says he isnt in no rush to jump in the market ,and If he does ,I expect it to be in the defence or defensive midfield area.

Central defence and Defensive midfield need cover,if lucas goes out injured it would mean inserting Allen or moving Henderson ,Can or Millner into that role which has the residual effect of leaving the midfield unbablanced because others have to be moved to balance their respective positions (when moved ).Which would mean players playing out of their natural positions. remember those days.

A Monkey wrench and Arse nuh ave dat excuse.

[Karl]

Karl,

I think your team put all their chi into the ManC game. We saw the reversal of this in the Liv v Wat game and LFC came storming back yesterday. The EPL landscape has changed this year and not as predictable as in past seasons. Who would have thought that the "big" clubs ($ity, Ars, MU) would have the numbers they do in the "L" column at this time?

Agreed!

Then there is -
...it is exciting watching the evolution of English Football. I do not know how many here got hooked when Lindy brought "Big League Football" to Jamaica when he started at JBC (for those who were not around then - JBC = Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation and our first TV station)...but the frenetic rushing around, big kick down field and rough and tumble of the game has morphed into a more 'cerebral' context where sharing of the ball, greater acceleration, speed across ground over say 10...20 meters and beyond, greater endurance, stronger players who are physically more flexible and technically more advanced. ...the speed with which this has spread from the top tier English game to its lower leagues eye-popping.

...and on the other side: ...it is perplexing how it is that the learning curve, within context of greatest learning takes place through observation, among us - Jamaicans...in our local football - are blind to the realities of advances in and of the game and our reality of virtually no upward movement in the our quality of
our local play - lower levels through national teamS! (scratch 'ead emoticon).

btw - Has StGC instituted our first real football academy?
On the teaching of football at StGC has there been a curriculum development process, production of teaching manuals and practical institution of those teaching mores that has led to, under Bertis Bell, a refinement of Arthur MacKenzie's 1958/59 "Dynamite" Lyn led, pre-Barcelona (of Spain) type play? ...a first form through to the school's first TEAM curriculum? ...capped with avenue to tertiary institutions with possibility of 'best players' stepping into professional club rosters (...a few years down the road)?

NB: Arthur MacKenzie had the attacking part down 'pat'. No way am I suggesting he had the "TEAM defensive part" anywhere near similar to that of Barcelona.

I am not in the prediction business, but Arsene's men will put a spanking on Bournemouth tomorrow.

I shall be watching as 'student of the game', separate from GUNNERS' fan(atic), with bated breath!

Next thing, off topic, is I think the team to watch is Spurs... bloody sneaky group that!

Yes!
...but there are also others!
The league is now chock-full of top quality TEAMs.
...all part of the long march towards the unatainable perfect football.

[Paul Marin]

I Take issue with comparing us to Arsenal..................The watford game was a one off ,of note Klopp didnt say we played without passion or conviction ,he said we lost our head and it seemed that way to me .He said that Leicister has a similar style to watford before playing them.I saw an inexperienced keeper whose nervousness,compounded the return of Sahko who himself looked nervous or struggling to adapt, then Skertel got injured and Coutinho was also coming back from injury,you are bound to have a residual effect of rust and lack of chemistry, they played like they were swimming up the river, i forgot Clyne- my laaawd was he terrible.

The win vs Lecister to me was expected,we beat Chelsea and to me if any team mirrors lecister it was them, same style of defense and counter attacking.

I see that with consistency Klopps pool will start to come out,depending on who can maintain that consistency as players we will see them around for next season.AS i see it we are heavy on strikers ,and injuries - midfield ,defence and goalkeepers are weak-

I expect 2 defenders ,and 2 midfielders to be brought in for the summer ,be it from loan or bought outright.

Louis Alberto- Sevilla Loan - Attacking midfielder winger
Markovic -Fernebahe Loan - Winger
Wisom ,Tiagori and Flannaghan- Defenders Injury and Loan .

Point is we have quality players out by injury and loan, that should never have been there,for obvious reasons- lack of depth.

I understand why Klopp says he isnt in no rush to jump in the market ,and If he does ,I expect it to be in the defence or defensive midfield area.

Central defence and Defensive midfield need cover,if lucas goes out injured it would mean inserting Allen or moving Henderson ,Can or Millner into that role which has the residual effect of leaving the midfield unbablanced because others have to be moved to balance their respective positions (when moved ).Which would mean players playing out of their natural positions. remember those days.

A Monkey wrench and Arse nuh ave dat excuse.

LOL!!! Is Chrismus season, so me nah bada drape up dat deh anal-ysis, oda dan to seh "oh my lawd ...lucky fi you is not Jan'ry." .

[Sir X]

I am soooo terrified ,the new year is upon us.

[Peter R]

Well, I read X's take and I agree on some things, but the comparison I'm making is the inconsistency... Against Man$ they(Arsenal) looked imperious, unbeatable, and two goals didn't do them justice... and then yesterday?

[Peter R]

As far as the academies etc. I have no idea... Willi might know about the St GC runnings.

BTW, You know I don't think it should be up to schools to implement academies for sports... but, anyway we've been over this before.

Good luck tomorrow!

[Karl]

Got yuh!

[Karl]

Re: tomorrow
Thanks for the good wishes...& Yes we need simple sensible...and if it is...TEAM football! Not the chupidniss of the last match.

[Paul Marin]

I am soooo terrified ,the new year is upon us.

It is wise to know when you are riding your luck. Mi tyad fi mek you look fool, me can tek one week off eena di year. Hope you had a merry X-mas. But come Jan'ry, sorry, is back to So enjoy the season, me know seh you ago work pon patching up di wagon wheel dem and the nuff buss-head mi gi you during the year. LOL!!!

[HL]

LOL!!! Is Chrismus season, so me nah bada drape up dat deh anal-ysis, oda dan to seh "oh my lawd ...lucky fi you is not Jan'ry." .

Marin, he said ".... comparing US to Arsenal. ....".......... what a ting

Soooo who's US.?

THANKS IN ADVANCE.

[Paul Marin]

Marin, he said ".... comparing US to Arsenal. ....".......... what a ting

Soooo who's US.?

THANKS IN ADVANCE.

LOL!!! US? Mussi 'merica? Cyan keep him straight. Nex him ago sta't play fi Isis. LOL!!! But it could also be chrismUS? Me nah deal wid him till the new year...time fi respec the spirit of the season, even the donkey dem deserve a likkle time off from drawing de wagon

[Peter R]

HL, You are on the ball... you obviously did not, and are not, enjoying the Christmas cheer as much a I have, and continue to, cause nothing slipped past your eagle eye...

Senses do get dulled... but anyway, I gave X permission to cheer US (i.e. to be clear, LFC) on yesterday and it seems he did, and switched channels at opportune moments to watch LFC dismantle the upstarts. I daresay he might have stuck with US (LFC) as the football was breathtaking, unlike what he would have been witnessing in the boring Man$ity v Sunderland match... but one needs to remain loyal to the club of one's choosing, in X's case, club of the week , and if he didn't ( I know you would have stuck it out with that boring schtuff), I wouldn't "wrong him" as we were playing the Joga Bonita...

If we play like this, get some clinical finishing, and give how he EPL has been unravelling so far, you done know seh de surprise club at de hen' a May could be... mi nah seh nutten, BUT... big tings a gwaan inna Liverpool!! and

[Dunny]

It is amazing to see that within today's football manager's culture he differentiates himself by never (?) berating his players...

He uses stuff such as "we were not good today"...etc.
"Southampton wanted it more"..."of course they were better than us"...

He tells the truth on the game...but he does it in a manner that lets his players down easy. That is his way in public. Wonder if that is also how he tells it to his players in private????

His classic understatements makes you hear in your mind's eye..."we were not so good today". Gotta give him a for speaking softly but if we think on acts like the deliberate and controlled, created and managed rivalry between Walcott and Giroud that so far has been producing prodigious returns when the hounds - (myself included) - are braying for a specialist striker along the order of a Suarez or Sergio Aguero then it is clear he has toughness to go with his unquestioned 'smarts'.

Let us see what his team does next as it responds to his brand of 'speak softly but wield a big stick'?

Father Karl, that is a great point. No matter the the performance and no matter what his players have been up to Wenger has never berated his players in public but listening to the likes of Ian Wright and Martin Keown it is a different story when the dressing room door is closed to the public. That is why you will never hear a bad word said about him by past or present players. When the situation is sticky he is always man enough to face the firing squad and protect his players that is why players will never down tools on him.