ELQ2: Birkirkara 1-0 West Ham Utd (3-5 pens) (23/07/15)

[Benny the Ball]

I can't believe that we think Ogbonna should be a second choice CB after just playing in a champions league final. WTF!

It is almost a playback of our great escape year when we put Tevez and Mascerano on the bench for most of the season....one of the more embarrassing stats from our recent past.

Get him in the team now....Tomkins is the back up, not Ogbonna.

BtB

[Colours never run]

He didn't play in the Champions League Final. He was on their bench which he invariably was for Juve.

I also don't necessarily think he's second choice, no one really knows yet how he'll adapt. He could be our best defender, but my suggestion was that it would be wise to start him from the bench initially so he can get used to the pace of the game that way and see how he goes from there.

[IngatestoneHammer]

Ingatestone Hammer you'd better start ironing the spuds shirt. With Valencia having an extended holiday after strolling around for Ecuador, just how much recovery time do these highly paid professional footballers need by the way (although I think he's back now), Sakho's stupid sending off and dare I say no AC then surely we'll have no choice but to play Maiga. We must play two up top against the Romanians and try to get a decent lead 'cos we won't get away with what we did yesterday in Romania for sure as they must be a step up from the Maltesers. In fact my local lot Barton Rovers are a step up according to one on their players who lives in my close. He simply couldn't believe what he saw! . So get that shirt ready

Our half fit forwards are better than a fit Maiga ....I'd even play Collins up front rather than Maiga.

I trust Slavan chooses the right side ....and that shirt stays off my back !

[Rio]

Regarding Valencia the lad clearly needs a rest. He showed that in his performances for us towards the back end of last season.

He's ahead a cycle of full season + World Cup qualifiers & World Cup
Move to us. Increased amount of flying back for internationals as well as settling in a new country.
Then straight into the Copa America.

If anyone needs a rest it's that poor sod.

[Scratchy]

Slightly off topic but I find it fascinating how people view the Tomkins incident so differently. There's probably some scholarly article written about the human psyche and paradigms which explains it all I'm sure.

Got to be a thesis about that somewhere.

If you're talking generally why people interpret events differently, there's too many factors for it to be one thesis. If you're talking specifically about how people interpret the Tomkins event I'm not sure there's been much scholarly research

[SirStoneyOfBow]

I'm of the opinion that Tomkins is our finest bench warmer.
I think Tomkins is an average centre back who can be excellent offensively at set-pieces, but I find he is liability defensively and I find him often guilty of ball watching. He's also not very comforting with the ball at his feet. When I used to see Collins/Tomkins tandem on the starting line-up I could feel my blood pressure soar, knowing if the opposition presses, mistakes will be made. Others may see it different, but I'd like to see Reid and Ogbonna start at Arsenal.

[Simply Moore]

Sorry, this has likely already been said but just seen the penalty shoot out for the first time. Lots of niggly fingers to lips and gestures back and fourth with us and them, all quite embarrassing considering the opposition. We have to be more professional than that, how easily did we let them get under our skin?

Great pens though by all the boys!

[SirStoneyOfBow]

Joey O'Brien's pen was text-book perfection.

[ageing hammer]

Joey O'Brien's pen was text-book perfection.

Agreed, I also thought the bloke who took their last penalty was a beauty.