Yo Darren, what did you think of Wilshere last night? I felt he was pretty good actually and gave a glimpse of the player he could be if he came back to full fitness, gained confidence and played in a system where he has a specific role. The kid clearly has talent Wenger's insistence of signing as many CMs and tring to fit them all in the team isn't helping anyone. They just get in each other's way. Ramsey and Wilshere shouldn't play together, and Ozi and Cazorla shouldn't play together. The reason why we are so unbalanced is we are trying to fit them all in the team!

Also a DM to shield the back four behind those players is paramount!

Yeah I agree with all of that. Wilshere had a good game, I thought he was arguably your best player. Looks a better player when Ramsey isn't in the side.

Definitely agree about the dm. It looks like you're playing a 4141 formation with Flamini basically being tasked with protecting the back four on his own.

That wouldn't be too bad a formation if you had the right players to press from the front and allow Flamini to just mop up behind them, but I'm not sure you do and places a lot of emphasis on the dm - something I don't think Flamini is good enough to do.

Hmmm I actually think we have the players to press feom the front. Except Ozil everyone else in the team can do a great job pressing. Walcott, Ramsey, Ox, Sanchez, Poldi, Wilshere can all press from the front really well. The way we defend when we lose the ball is just comical too! Everyone runs to the edge of the area and we just invite the opposition into the edge of our area! The ease at which Besiktas were able to get the ball from their area to ours was just infuriating! No wonder City, Liverppol and Chelsea destroyed us.

Even in the Spurs away game right before the Chelsea game we were very lucky but I remember saying if we played the same way against Chelsea in the next game they would destroy us. We did, they did!

Wump, but I'm talking more about the players you have that actually play and would be considered first team players.

So that includes Ozil and Santi, who I don't think can, which is where it sort of facks up the formation, in my opinion.

Santi's a Spurs player in Wump's mind.

Darren, but Santi and Ozil should play at the same time should they? That only leaves one play that can'lt press from the front and it isnt like they are completely incapable of doing it either.

No ioag. He is still too good for them

I do agree with him that Santi and Ozil doesn't really work in the same side.

Wump, yeah I agree but they have been playing in the same side so that's more of what I meant. Giroud as well. If you press as a team and three of the players are slow and not particularly good at it it doesn't work as effectively. And if you then have only one dm, that being Flamini, it's no wonder teams get a free run at your defence.

And then a deep defensively line with Mertesacker in it doesn't help. It just looks like there's so much space in between the lines for teams to expose.

Yeah, agreed on all counts there. The balance of the squad is the first problem I feel.

About Mert, not every team will hurt us with him as not everyone has quick forwards. Would be great to play him then and have Chez sweep in behind them for long balls.

In the games where we need to press and we are facing quick forwards, I quite like the look of Chambers and Kos seeing how new a partnership it is and could only get better.

Either way, deep line or not, playing Mert against a team like Liverpool is just asking for teouble!

Your defence looks better with Mert I just think it affects the midfield. I had the same criticism of Vida when Carrick was in cm. It just opened up such huge gaps.

Totally agree! Always said the same thing to my United supporting bro for years. Problem is, remove him and the defence is not looking as solid. It's one of those lose something to gain something kind of deals I guess.

Yeah for sure. We really need to mitigate the loss by improving the midfield.

CL draw So weird not seeing us in this.

Come to think of it, that is probably the reason you guys are suffering so much right now. You were shipping so many goals last season that normally you wouldn't!

Unfortunately, can't watch the draw.

Evra being a lazy caaant doesn't help.

Who do you want in the draw?

No Dortmund, no Roma, no Juve, no Leverkusen, no Athletic, no Monaco.

Donestk, Olympiakos and Malmo would be great

You got Dortmund.

Liverpool could potentially get a group with PSG and Barca or Atleti and Juve.

Liverpool, Madrid and Basel!

Nice.

Or weren't Nice in the CL this year?

Happy with that draw, ioag? Madrid vs Liverpool should be great.

Not a bad draw for the Spanish teams. Big three all have enough to top the group and Bilbao have a good chance of qualifying from theirs.

Real Madrid spokesman saying they're not too unhappy with the draw but would have preferred Shakhtar Donetsk because of the security concerns attached to travelling to Liverpool.