Blue Armour

Slow day, sloth?

True. In the first half Malouda was the sole outlet for creativity. He probably thought Meireles would link up well with Torres, but Raul didn't really turn up today.

Can't do much about those 2 goals... Still disappointed that we couldn't break Newcastle down though....

They're double teaming on Sturridge....predictable given how he raped them in the previous fixture...Need Ramires and Meireles to step up... Atm, Malouda is the sole creator out there.

Need one of Drogba/Mata/Lampard to come on. Fast.

Not sure, but I think he had made the most number of key passes in the final third of the pitch last season. This is about Malouda's and Mata's contribution in the 2011 season:

Imo, they don't have either a Mourinho or a Lampard/Terry. Kompany and Hart are pretty good though...

Don't think he's fond of Liverpool either However if I'm correct, Liverpool, after Arsenal, is one of the big sides he scores against regularly.

Depends on whether he's up for it. He did start against Spurs, and then Barcelona 2 days later

Not really.. IMO, he went into a lot of tackles, and even (or at least nearly) got himself booked. He even tracked back at one point to tackle and clear from a QPR attacker in our d-box...You can see this in the 2nd half highlights. when JT goes over and applauds him for it.

He has lost quite a bit of sprint speed. Everything else seems to be coming back, however..In his current state, I would say he's still an excellent squad option.

If this wasn't such an important game, I'd want RDM to experiment with Drogba in the centre and Torres on the wing,... There's a good chance that both strikers will get some game-time though....

Not to mention the long passes. I think him and Ramires have an excellent understanding of each other. He seems to pick out his runs perfectly, just like today and in the 2 Barca games.

If they haven't started feeling sorry for them by then

You should replace Drogba and Messi with Terry and Sanchez

Should be interesting to see both in action on the day:

So that some poor old tramp can have a good time..lol

Same. Ever read about Baryon asymmetry? You might find it interesting : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baryon_asymmetry

Also in the green. Slightly.

I doubt it. Off-the-ball incidents are generally dealt with harshly, like Iva's suspension. All the same, the linesman probably wouldn't have noticed it in the PL.

Well, then you will agree that your examples are subject to opinion? I could still say that Biesla's style is more true to the original style of play, where you don't see all the players sitting in the opponent's half like Barca did against us. I could also say Ronaldinho had more in his locker than Messi ever did. Overall, a better attacker, who could also create chances for others around him with his vision.

That's a fine point... Just saying your highlighted examples weren't the best. In my opinion, which I also believe is Pep's honest opinion, Biesla is a better practitioner of Total Football.. And there are quite a few people who believe the heights which Ronaldinho reached in his two best seasons at Barca haven't been reached by any other player, so what Messi was saying was true and not just a form of flattery.

By "actual" point do you mean your original argument? The one which started two pages back?

Didn't understand your own point?

I still can't believe we can prevent Messi from scoring in what...seven or nine attempts?..yet people like Jermaine Beckford, Maxi Rodrigues and whatshisname find the net