France v Republic of Ireland: Cheating to Prosper

Having watched tonight's game, the Irish were very, very hard done by, by one of the world's respected footballers. If you are reading this and don't know what happened, this was the 2nd leg of a World Cup 2010 qualifier between these two nations, and France were leading 1-0 on aggregate from the 1st leg.

With Robbie Keane of the Republic of Ireland scoring in the first half, that levelled the game at 1-1, both scoring an away goal. So extra-time of 30mins kicked in after the original 90mins, and shortly before the first half of extra time had occurred, France had a free-kick within the Irish half. The ball was chipped over, the Irish failed to defend it, failed to clear it, it bounced to France's Thierry Henry, and as the ball came to make contact the 1st time with his forearm, Henry moved his palm to control the ball and square it for William Gallas to head in.

Now, Henry ran off with a celebrating grimace as the France players celebrated over to Gallas, he clearly felt very relieved and showed no sign of any regret for what he had done. Ireland's goal-keeper, Shay Given, immediately remonstrated to the officials about the handball to no avail. The goal stood. This coming some time after France's Nicolas Anelka feigned contact in the box to try to gain a penalty, only for the referee to give a goal-kick.

Superb refereeing to deny Anelka a penalty, should have booked him. But Henry, considered one of the most respected, respectable players in the game, at the end, sat alongside Ireland's defender Richard Dunne on the pitch as if to console Dunne! The gall of it.

I don't condone cheating. Some players, if not most, are skilled enough, fit enough, wise enough, shrewd enough, to gain that advantage without resorting to any influence outside the rules of the game. Henry was one of those players, and now isn't. Some still say the English have still not gotten over the 'Hand of God' by Diego Maradona in 1986. It shouldn't be called that but instead the 'Hand That Robbed'. It gained an advantage that should never, ever, have stood but inexplicably it did and the damage was done thereafter. England was so close to matching Argentina but for that moment.

Maybe some will say Ireland would have gone out on penalties, or they would have gone to South Africa and become whipping boys. Well, when you consider the likes of Henry, Anelka, Sidney Govou, Karim Benzema (who remained on the bench throughout), Patrice Evra, and the Irish have modest players who gave heart and valour in France's own ground.....the French were very, very fortunate. Very fortunate, indeed.

And a stay of execution has happened for Raymond Domenech. Having kept Benzema on the bench, with France not scoring up until nearly 105mins, this dreadful cheating moment has earned him a last-gasp reprieve. Do the French deserve to go further into the tournament? No. While they did well enough to earn a place in the final, they don't look the same side to repeat that again this time round.

But if there was going to be any poetic justice, they would repeat their feat in 2002. Because no way should Henry be captain and hold that magnificent trophy aloft. Does not deserve to even touch it as a player any more.


RedsMan.

LIVERPOOL FC: The Fall Before The Rise?

Well, almost 48hrs has passed from the debacle of our defeat to Aston Villa at home. Now, it is not the defeat that hurts, as a team can recover form from a defeat and go on well. Man Utd showed that last season dropping positions and then perking up. I can put into perspective what the result on Monday possibly meant to most, if not all, LFC fans, in three points:

1) Losing to Aston Villa. Aston Villa were beaten, at home, in their opening game by Wigan, who were starting with Robert Martinez. They then went away to Austria to lose to Rapid Vienna, just by the single goal. They then face up to coming to Anfield, after we had beaten Stoke 4-0, and even that match was after we started so lethargically at White Hart Lane. The prospects of an away win, or even Villa scoring, were slim. We were to capitalise on Villa's current woes and our recent found form. We were not suppose to lose on Monday.

2) Losing at Anfield. I think the last time we had lost at home was to Man Utd in December 2007, to a single Carlos Tevez touch. Almost two years ago. Anfield is a fortress, so why did we simply down tools and allowed it to be invaded?


3) Losing 1-3. Following on from point 2 above, we were not suppose to lose. We were not to lose by a margin of having conceded three and scoring one. We allowed ourselves to be 0-2 down by half time, and I care not for whether a corner should have been allowed or not. Once the referee gives it, we positioned ourselves and we defend the goal. The last time we lost 1-3 at home to Villa was back in September 2001. Eight years ago.


So those who had written us off for the title just couldn't hold themselves from the laughter. Funny how so many make predictions so early into the season. If that would be the case, then Man Utd's positioning of 19th two seasons ago meant they would be relegated. But we all know they didn't, doing the exact opposite by winning the title. So how, three games in, we're meant to be out of the title race is bewildering, unless people wish to make out something from our squad. When you compare the teams of the top 4 favourites, people think they have a justifiable cause to do so:

Liverpool 1st XI: Reina; G Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua; Mascherano, Leiva; Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun/Babel/Reira; Torres

Man Utd: Foster; Rafael, Evans, Vidic (back from injury), Evra; Valencia, Fletcher, Anderson, Park; Rooney, Berbatov

Chelsea: Cech; Boswinga, Carvalho, Terry, Cole; Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Malouda; Anelka, Drogba

Arsenal: Almunia; Eboue, Vermaelen, Gallas, Gibbs; Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby; Arshavin, RVP, Eduardo


That is how those teams are right now. They can, most certainly, change, with some absentees returning and vying for a place, maybe even slotting in straight away in a few cases. But Liverpool shouldn't be declining at the moment, not with the push we had from last season, with the only difference being Xabi Alonso's omission. Did he really make such a difference or are we missing a player who we have not yet learned to cope without and can only do so with a few matches under our belt? Was Monday's defeat another bad day at the office, to be blamed on the players, or one that is the manager's fault?

For me, there are few excuses to make one feel consolable. After Monday, I had to think, think what went wrong, what can be done to put things right. No doubt anyone reading this will let me know their views, but one person I really hope to be interested with a POV is Rafael Benitez. Tall order, and from some of the comments I have read from certain forums, it is a good thing he doesn't read them....Or does he? I hope he does pass by EFT, and picks up on these points from me:


1) At the earliest opportunity, link Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger in defence. Jamie Carragher is 'Carra', and that alone is 'nuff said' in LFC. But I think he be more of a benefit to us now providing support coming off the bench than starting on the field. Agger is a pacy, strong, tall centre-back who provides a good header for dead-ball moments and a left-foot strike. Skrtel is our 'henchman', a die-hard, putting himself on the line with his blocks and tackles. They are our up-n-coming centre-backs. The onus is on getting and keeping Agger fit. The onus is also on getting and keeping all our players fit!


2) Drop Lucas Leiva. Impressive as the U-20's Brazil captain, not as the central midfielder for LFC. Not anything in the slightest in the mold Alonso brought, and RB, you know why you brought over Xabi. You brought over Mohammed Sissoko to be the new 'Patrick Vieira' and he was anything but. You made a central midfield well out of Alonso and Javier Mascherano, another you know well why you brought him over for. You made it so Steven Gerrard could aid Fernando Torres upfront, accompanied by Dirk Kuyt and another. Changes, Mr Benitez, changes. And it's changes needed now to spearhead our season, starting with Leiva. You may not want to hurt but instead develop the youngster, but we dont have time for that right now.


3) Move Gerrard into central midfield in front of Mascherano. The Argentinian appeared to want a move from Anfield but for negotiations failing. To lose both Alonso and Mascherano would be akin to cutting into your veins. I don't mind bleeding Red, but it is bleeding that has to be worth it. So we managed to hold onto Mascherano, and we've acquired Alberto Aquilani. 'Injury-prone', 'Sicknote', I've read him being called (unsurprisingly) but we can rehabilitate him to provide us that strength and vision from central again. In the interim, Gerrard should be moved to central midfield, with Leiva dropped.


4) With Gerrard central, that can bring out the defensive and attacking flair of Mascherano on the counter, with Gerrard taking over on the attack to feed the flanks and/or upfront. Saying that, we want our wingers. We have a choice out of Ryan Babel, Albert Riera, Yossi Benayoun, and Nabil El Zhar. Anyone who has seen El Zhar perform should know the Moroccan is an eager winger with pace and skill. Is he ready for a regular EPL run? I don't think so but he is coming along. That said, Benayoun was dropped against Spurs after performing so well last season. That was to give Babel a chance he has been itching for. The Dutchman didn't come up to scratch.


5) Both Babel and Leiva, for me, have this season to thoroughly impress. I still think Babel can give us a lot more, Leiva not so right now. Now Riera is available, it is he on the left and Benayoun on the right who should start, every game. That then relieves Kuyt, finally, to go up front as the second striker to Torres. Kuyt can feed the flanks, hold the ball up from central, and bring in the wingers, and when you talk about Riera and Benayoun, they are both inquistive and determined players who take on full-backs. And they both provide crosses and assists.


6) Brush up on our defending from dead-ball situations. This is where, for some reason, we are most vulnerable. Some blame it on this 'zonal-marking' strategy. It's a point worth noting. Mark a space, fine. If a player moves out of that zone when the ball is played, that adds confusion and we're exposed. Go back to player marking, ensure someone is designated to being the ball winner to head away danger, instead of the ball coming over and people are looking for anyone to head the ball. That is what we use to have in Stephane Henchoz and Sami Hyypia, made them formidable defenders.


7) An obvious point but one that needs making. I've heard some voices and opinions say the difference between Benitez and Alex Ferguson is Ferguson pushes his team to win, no matter the cost, no matter the match, pre-season, league, cup matches, Europe, it doesn't matter. Benitez was said to prefer a draw at some stage in a match if Liverpool aren't making the waves they should be. So we should install into the players that we will not settle for anything but a win in every match. If they can get close enough to make a chance, they should execute it. Too often we have not punished chances, too often. Against Villa on Monday, we were similar to Man Utd in Rome - starting well for the first 20mins and then waning, which allowed the two goals before half time.


I believe that if LFC were to implement my points, we will become stronger and go more formidable for the title. It is no way whatsoever over for us in the title race. Our focus now in every game has to be as stated in point 6 above. Besides, we could be having a lull in our play to improve much later on.

In the season of 2001-2002, when Villa last won 1-3 at Anfield before Monday, Arsenal won the league and FA Cup; LFC ended 2nd; Man Utd ended third, trophyless and failing to win the title to make a historic four consecutive title wins. Does all of that sound appropriate for this season? Well, Chelsea ended up 6th in 2001-02, so we perhaps cannot read too much into the above! However, by my reckoning, on balance of how we've finished under Benitez since his arrival, we could finish 2nd this season, 3rd next season.....to win the title in 2011-12. How is that?

2004-05 - 5th;
2005-06 - 3rd;
2006-07 - 3rd;
2007-08, 4th;
2008-09, 2nd;
2009-10, 2nd;
2010-11, 3rd
2011-12, 1st
2012-13, 1st

Well, some can get a nice chuckle out of that, especially LFC fans, but you never know. It's been a slammer so far, and Bolton away will provide a firm test for us to gain a win and get back on the track, but even after that we must press on, no more false dawns. Champions League football and cup competitions will soon turn the corner and we have to put our defeats to the back and concentrate on each match.




RedsMan.

Why Liverpool may struggle this season

I have been following Liverpool's pre-season games. The stats read played 7, won 2, drawn 2 lost 3.

I am not normally too concerned about friendly matches, as they are all about getting players fit and ready for the new season. Perhaps I shouldn't therefore read too much into Liverpool's disappointing form, but there are several reasons why I am concerned that Liverpool may struggle this season:

1. Absence of Alonso - no doubt he will be missed. Rafa will replace him with Lucas until Aquilani is fit. That's the double wammy here - Lucas is a poor player and Aquilani sounds as though he won't be fit for another 2 months. He will also need time to settle into the English football (not a certainty for a player who has only ever played in the Italy). Alonso's absence has created a massive void in Liverpool's midfield and I cannot see any current Liverpool player who can come in a do as good a job.

2. Defensive frailties - Carragher, Agger, Skrtel and Aurelio have all suffered injuries in pre- season and are doubts for the start of the season. Johnson is a good signing but Liverpool look seriously vulnerable in defence when they replace any one of the above with their younger reserve players.

3. Lack of wingers - this is a old old problem and for some reason has not been rectified. Kuyt on the right and Benayoun on the left - where is the width?

4. Gerrard and Torres cannot play every game - if they could, they would be supermen. If either one of these players gets injured, Liverpool virtually lose 50% of their attack. Liverpool have no decent replacements for these players - Voronin, Ngog, Babel are nowhere near as good.

5. Will other players want to leave? Mascherano has already given Barcelona the green light to make an offer. Thankfully they didn't, but how long will it be until he and others get fed up?

6. Lack of transfer funds - Liverpool have to sell to buy - period. They simply don't have the power in the transfer market like Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City etc do. Liverpool risk being left behind.

7. No new stadium - as much as we love Anfield, it is too old and too small. Liverpool need that new stadium built asap to generate the revenue to even get close to the likes of Man Utd. The stadium won't be built any time soon however.

8. Pressure - Liverpool came very close to wining the league last season that there will be even more pressure this time round for them to go one better. Ths slightest sign of a stuggle will pour the pressure on Rafa. 3 season without a trophy - how long can this go on for?

9. The Americans - enough said.

The Passing of a Blessing to Football

Sir Robert William Robson, CBE

Where do you start on one who was so positive on and off the pitch?

Player, Manager, a knight, a commander. One who transformed his experience and thought into a sport as a 'teacher', who raised a quiet side in Ipswich Town to the FA Cup famously over Arsenal, the UEFA Cup thereafter against AZ Alkmaar, the Dutch league twice consectuviely with PSV, and again in Portugal with Porto (after he was unfairly dismissed from Sporting Lisbon) and then the domestic trophies with Barcelona, as well as what is now the UEFA Cup.

He took on the mantle of his 'home' club, in Newcastle United, his boyhood team, and he made them a worthwhile competitor in the top flight of English football. I implored for him to remain there when he was passed on for Souness. And Bobby showed how much of a competitor he was off the pitch, as well as on it, in his sparring rounds with cancer. Four times that re-match occurred, and eventually Sir Bobby was defeated. But put up a fight he did, nonetheless, as such a character he was. It truly made him a gentleman, an honourable professional and a figure of football that there is clearly a rarity of right now.

Football now is a competitive arena almost as much off the pitch as on it. In fact it would seem more off it. Money has become a catalyst to some success and where would our English hopes be if the managers of the top flight teams were compelled to restrict their spending and be persuaded into nurturing more of the homegrown talent. I would think our national team would simply flourish and prosper, continental teaching (in some cases) mixed with homegrown application. That is the kind of football Sir Bobby would have an integral part of in his later managerial period.

From when he was pushed from St James' Park, instead of having to hang onto such roles as a consultant to Steve Staunton for the Republic of Ireland squad, Sir Bobby would have been better placed to bring through more of England's talent in a sophisticated national football school, something separate and yet parallel with those being taught under the tutilage of the top flight coaches. He would have cherished that role.

My fondest memories come mostly from the 1986 & 1990 escapades in the World Cup. How we made waves into the QF in Mexico, only to be out-done (still bewilderingly) by Maradona's 'Hand of God', and then further by his run for the 2nd goal. Italy, where a tearful Gascoigne had to be consoled, where an equally tearful Stuart Pearce missed, in the semi-finals.

Other tributes have stated Sir Bobby would be sorely missed. I echo that. Other than the likes of Bobby Moore, the Charlton brothers, there hasn't been a more gallant person. Thank you, Sir Bobby.


RIP.

Can Ajax and Belgium supporters describe the qualities of Thomas Vermaelen?

It is one summer overdue but finally Arsene Wenger went out into the transfer market and bought Arsenal a much needed centre-back: the Ajax Amsterdam captain and Belgian international, Thomas Vermaelen.

It would be great for readers and visitors to our site if Ajax or Belgium supporters could let us know what this guy is like as a player and a personality? Is he comparable to any current premier league centre-backs?

Personally, I am hoping that Vermaelen has fighting spirit and leadership qualities similar to a John Terry or Tony Adams. Does he have this type of character?

It would be great to know this sort of detail from regular Vermaelen watchers!?

Ronaldo - Goodbye and thank you for the memories

In the last few days, hundreds of column inches have been dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo’s imminent record breaking transfer to Real Madrid; articles about the rights and wrongs of the transfer, the second coming of the “Galacticos” era, who United will buy to replace the irreplacable. What I have really taken an interest in though is the reaction of the Manchester United fans.

Most United fans have been saying that the team can cope without him, that in the last few months the tactics of the team have detrimentally been skewed to accommodate his talent (the Champions League final being case in point) and that Sir Alex Ferguson can build yet another great team but this time based around the mercurial Wayne Rooney. I would agree with all those sentiments and feel that they need to be aired. However, what has largely been missing is the expression of thanks to Ronaldo for his six brilliant years of service to United.

Ironically, Ronaldo arrived in the wake of the transfer of another Old Trafford superstar, David Beckham, to Real Madrid. I will never forget his debut against Bolton where he electrified a pensive crowd with a dazzling substitute appearance, all step overs, tricks and electric pace. It was clear that a superstar had arrived, and a humble, brace wearing one at that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jv8cA9mQt4

Over the years his petulance and tantrums may have come to the fore, but so too have his extraordinary skills and (like my fellow EFT contributor has pointed out in another article on this site) his undoubted bravery. Put simply, Ronaldo has been the most effective player in club football for the past three years.

My favourite Ronaldo moment was his last minute winning goal against Fulham at Craven Cottage in the 06/07 season. He ran the length of the field with the ball seemingly glued to his boots to score a sensational and crucial goal in a game United should not have won. In many such matches, Ronaldo has pulled United through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krxm0s-rYjo

Whatever anyone says, Ronaldo will be missed by United and by English football. He bought flair and skill, the like of which we may not see on these shores for a long time to come. Ronaldo may owe a lot to United for developing him into the player he is today, but the club owe him an even bigger debt for the trophies he has helped them win. So I hope United fans will join me in thanking Ronaldo for his great service to the club and wish him luck in La Liga.

Sorte e adeus!

Wenger, Benitez and Ancelotti should be quietly pleased as Ronaldo's exit leaves a massive void

The team at EFT are currently taking a good rest from football analysis as we enter the off-season. However, the pending sale of Ronaldo from Man Utd to Real Madrid in an £80 million deal can't be left unremarked.

For me he has been the major reason for Man Utd's amazing 'double' win of the Premier League and the Champions League in 2007-2008 and their near repeat of this success in 2008-2009. Not only is his goals tally in the last two seasons simply stunning - approx 70 goals - but he also bought a will to win and intensity for attacking success that gave Man Utd a special X-factor crucial to their success over this recent period.

Ronaldo is currently irreplaceable by any single player if the aim is to recruit an individual who brings the same level of playability to the pitch. This makes logical sense as he is officially the number one player in the world. The only two other players who are in his league is Messi and Kaka - and they will not be going to Man Utd anytime soon.

Franck Ribery has been mooted as a possible replacement and he really impressed me in a France World Cup qualifier I saw a couple of months ago. He is a fearless attacking player with the same 'give-all' attitude of a Tevez and a Rooney. Indeed, I would say he is in the same mould of these two players - as he likes to rove with freedom around the pitch and keep a very high tempo and intensity. Yet, he does not possess the same electric pace and all-round ability of Ronaldo, nor would he give Man Utd the same superstar-presence as the Portugese winger.

I think the absence of Ronaldo will have a marked impact on Man Utd. He was worth more than just a single player in an eleven player team. And his ability to remain practically injury free in the last two seasons contributed so much to Man Utd's success. Ferguson was happy to rotate many players this season and last except for two: one of them being Ronaldo (Vidic being the other). As long as Ferguson had Ronaldo on the pitch he knew his team would possess in just one player the superb attacking talent and intense attitude that could win the match.

With Giggs and Scholes showing in the Champs Final that they are at the very end of their fantastic careers and Tevez seemingly also on his way it could well be the case that next season will be one of 'transition' for Man Utd. Man Utd may need some time to find their rhythm next season which can be exploited by their more settled rivals: Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Indeed, the eyes of Benitez, Ancelotti and Wenger should be more firmly set on achieving Premier League title success next season with the departure of the best player from the current champions. In this context, it will now be even more interesting to see what players come in/stay at these clubs as they look to seize upon the increased possibility of breaking the fantastic 'three year in a row' title winning success of Man Utd.

On a final note it must be the case that Premier League supporters congratulate Ronaldo on his play during his time here and to wish him well at Real Madrid. Although he bought an over-dramatisation and penchant for diving that was quite frustrating to watch - it is important to remember that he also bought a great courage to the pitch and an attacking flair and invention that was thrilling to watch. It is also the case that youngsters in this country are imitating Ronaldo in taking a dynamic and very skilful approach to improving their play. In this way his impact may be extremely positive in the years to come - as his commitment to ally amazing skill with courageous attacking intent may hopefully be reflected in the play of the next generation of English footballers.

EFT Scorecast Weekend 14 (final week!)

Welcome again to the weekly feature on EFT where the team here put their prediction accuracy skills to the test by trying to forecast the scores of the weekend round of Premier League matches.

3 points is awarded for a correct score (e.g. 3-1). 1 point is awarded for a correct result (correct positive result or a draw).

The updated Scorecast points table is in the EFT sidebar. Abdul enters the last weekend with a firm lead in the Scorecast race and the questions is whether any of the rest of the EFT team can have an amazing weekend of predictions to make up the gap? We'll know by this evening!

Abdul:

Arsenal v Stoke, 16:00 3-0
Aston Villa v Newcastle, 16:00 1-1
Blackburn v West Brom, 16:00 1-1
Fulham v Everton, 16:00 2-0
Hull v Man Utd, 16:00 2-1
Liverpool v Tottenham, 16:00 3-0
Man City v Bolton, 16:00 2-0
Sunderland v Chelsea, 16:00 1-2
West Ham v Middlesbrough, 16:00 0-1
Wigan v Portsmouth, 16:00 2-0

SKG:

Arsenal 2-0 Stoke, 16:00
Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle, 16:00
Blackburn 1-1 West Brom, 16:00
Fulham 2-1 Everton, 16:00
Hull 1-1 Man Utd, 16:00
Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham, 16:00
Man City 3-0 Bolton, 16:00
Sunderland 0-1 Chelsea, 16:00
West Ham 3-0 Middlesbrough, 16:00
Wigan 1-1 Portsmouth, 16:00

Redsman:
Arsenal v Stoke City 2-1
Aston Villa v Newcastle 1-1
Blackburn v West Brom 0-0
Fulham v Everton 2-1
Hull City v Man Utd 0-2
Liverpool v Tottenham 2-1
Man City v Bolton 2-0
Sunderland v Chelsea 0-2
West Ham v Middlesbrough 2-1
Wigan v Portsmouth 0-2

T:
Arsenal v Stoke City 2-1
Aston Villa v Newcastle 1-2
Blackburn v West Brom 2-1
Fulham v Everton 0-2
Hull City v Man Utd 1-1
Liverpool v Tottenham 3-1
Man City v Bolton 2-0
Sunderland v Chelsea 0-2
West Ham v Middlesbrough 2-2
Wigan v Portsmouth 2-0

Wenger got it right! Underlines the power of picking the right players in the right positions

The result was a nil-nil against a team that was taking a cautious approach. Nonetheless, Saturday's Arsenal team selection by Arsene Wenger for the match against Man Utd - and congratulations to them for being very worthy champions - struck me from the outset as correct all the way down the team line-up.

It shows that Arsene Wenger - as you would expect despite ridiculous media hyped-up hysteria that would want you to believe the contrary - is still an analyst to believe in.

Number one good move: Playing Alex Song at centre-back. For me this is the position that is best for Song and for Arsenal. For sure he can do solid job as the anchor Central midfielder - but for me he does not quite have the attacking instincts, nimbleness of movement and forward passing skills to be a top player in this position. Indeed, this was shown in the big games that Arsenal had against Man Utd in the Champs league - an inablilty to apply forward pressure against them left too much of a burden on Cesc/Nasri to launch attacks, who in turn were shutdown by the stampeding Fletcher, Anderson and Carrick.

Number two good move: Playing Denilson in the anchor role. Denilson is my player of the season. I like his hard working attitude and his ability on the ball. Why Arsene Wenger decided he should be left out for Alex Song in the Champs League semis is beyond me. Even a non-Arsenal fan but very astute analyst - Andy Gray - said the same in the commentary yesterday, saying that he feels Arsenal have lacked without Denilson in the midfield. So it was great to see Denny back in the proper first team yesterday - and again for me he had a very solid game.

Number three good move: not playing Mikael Silvestre. Silvestre has the unforunate distinction of having played in two four four draws this season - plus conceding another four against Chelsea last week. For sure these defensive nightmares for Arsenal can't all be pinned on Slivestre - but for me he is noticeably an unsteady centre-back who appears far past his best when playing for Man Utd at left back around six or seven years ago. Song is far better than Silvestre at CB - and must always be the preferred option if there is an available centre-back slot.

Number four good move: keeping Walcott on the bench away from home. Walcott is a superb player in the making. However, when he starts on the right side of midfield away from home the opposition team have an advantage. Walcott is not a natural midfielder and does not have good defensive instincts or ability. This means that the home team have a better chance of winning the midfield battle and getting in our defence. And if you are playing against very good opponents you are then asking for problems. Moreover, Walcott is an excellent impact substitute, as he has shown a couple of times at Anfield in the last two seasons. Putting the speedster on fresh when the game is stretched and the opposition is tired is always a positive move. Next season Rosicky - we all hope! - will be back. With him and Nasri well adept as solid right hand side midfielders, I hope Wenger declines to use Walcott as a starting right winger next season - and instead promotes him to the centre-forward line.

Number five good move: having a right midfielder on right midfield. Basically an extension of the argument above. Having Nasri on the right midfield tightened up the defensive side of our midfield and consequently the whole team had a better stability.

Number six good move: keeping out an out of form Adebayor. After his FA Cup semi final and Champs League first leg performances, I would have dropped Ade and have opted for the in-form Nicklas Bendtner to have started the second leg against Manchester United. Adebayor's demeanour is not good at the moment and he does not look to have a good focus on the game or Arsenal at present. Arsenal need eleven players who are ready to give their all with full focus - and with Ade in the team we would only be getting on 10 and a half players which is not good enough.

Number seven good move: keeping Diaby in central midfield. Please Arsene - do not play Diaby on the left wing anymore like you did in the first leg at Old Trafford. It just doesn't work against world class teams to play a gangly central midfielder on the wing.

Aside from these good moves which gave me confidence before the match on Saturday that we'd see a more stable Arsenal team there was one other move which is very intriguing.

Number one intriguing move: Keeping Cesc in the 'hole'. I prefer to see Cesc play deeper so he can get on the ball earlier from defence, take control of the tempo of the game, and pick out his incisive forward passes. Wenger said last month that he believes Cesc is better at playing deeper and gave reasons to back it up.

So why does Wenger persist in playing him in the 'hole'? Is it because he has someone lined up to play Cesc's naturally deeper position next season and he is trying to groove Cesc in the 'hole' position to accomodate this new player? Is it because Wenger has found out that Xavi Alonso would be willing to come to the Emirates if Liverpool agreed to sell him? Is this the core reason why Cesc is stil being played in the 'hole'?

I would find this move to be an exciting development were it to happen (with respect to my Liverpool supporting colleagues here at EFT).

Saturday for me showed what a difference it makes to get the team selection right. Arsene in my opinion went off the boil in the last month in terms of his team selections for big games. It was reassuring and very good to see him get back on track on Saturday.

EFT Scorecast Weekend 13

Welcome again to the weekly feature on EFT where the team here put their prediction accuracy skills to the test by trying to forecast the scores of the weekend round of Premier League matches.

3 points is awarded for a correct score (e.g. 3-1). 1 point is awarded for a correct result (correct positive result or a draw).

The updated Scorecast points table is in the EFT sidebar. Abdul remains defiantly in first place and his predictions are up first:

Abdul:
Bolton v Hull, 15:00 1-1
Everton v West Ham, 15:00 1-1
Man Utd v Arsenal, 12:45 2-0
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa, 15:00 1-1
Newcastle v Fulham, 15:00 0-0
Stoke v Wigan, 15:00 1-2
Tottenham v Man City, 15:00 2-0
Chelsea v Blackburn, 16:00 2-0
West Brom v Liverpool, 13:30 1-2

Redsman:
Bolton v Hull 2-1
Everton v West Ham 2-0
Man Utd v Arsenal 3-2
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa 1-2
Newcastle v Fulham 2-1
Spurs v Man City 2-2
Stoke v Wigan 1-1
Chelsea v Blackburn 3-0
West Brom v Liverpool 1-3
Sunderland v Portsmouth 0-2

T:
Man Utd v Arsenal 1-1
Bolton v Hull City 2-1
Everton v West Ham 1-0
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa 2-1
Newcastle v Fulham 2-0
Stoke City v Wigan 1-1
Tottenham v Man City 1-2
West Brom v Liverpool 0-3
Chelsea v Blackburn 3-0
Portsmouth v Sunderland 2-1

SKG:
Bolton 1-0 Hull, 15:00
Everton 2-0 West Ham, 15:00
Man Utd 2-1 Arsenal, 12:45
Middlesbrough 1-1 Aston Villa, 15:00
Newcastle 1-1 Fulham, 15:00
Stoke 0-2 Wigan, 15:00
Tottenham 3-2 Man City, 15:00
Chelsea 1-0 Blackburn, 16:00
West Brom 1-2 Liverpool, 13:30
Portsmouth 2-1 Sunderland, 20:00