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Completely different situations, approaches, and methods. Obama's policies turned most people back from or near the border, whereas we're now seeing people dragged out of cars, chased down the street, etc. Google AI mode will give a better answer than I can - just punch in "what's the difference between ice under trump and obama" and take it from there, ie follow up with "did Obama's approach mostly turn people back from the border" or whatever". The approaches and motivation are so far apart they're incomparable.

Great post, and a welcome injection of common sense. He's been signed to give cover, and when he does play, to annoy defenders, give us an outlet, hold the ball up, bring others into play, and score the odd goal. He ain't going to be a poor man's Drogba, but given where we are in the league, we wouldn't have had many (if any) better players beating our door down. Let's see how he gets on, but I'd imagine (hope) he'll be a significant upgrade on DD.

I think the plan was always to play this way, but DD was so dire, and Stewart crocked, so we couldn't. Playing AA up top and trying to play as if he were a big man has been tried countless times this season, and failed. Understandably so. Playing with a little man up top, coming short for the ball, laying it off, running channels, etc, is a million miles away from playing a big man who can hold it up, and give an outlet The simple point is that if we're playing 4231 with a big man up top, AA just doesn't fit. Who the alternative to Stewart should be is a separate issue - people are conflating those 2 points.

I think he's the wing option in place of AA.

We're "short" in the physical sense up front if we play AA. The starting point is whether AA should be our man up top. We all seem to agree it shouldn't be, and that it should be a big man. Yes? AA doesn't suddenly become that big man if he stays. What's needed is someone else to do the Stewart job - bullying, holding up, etc - if there's no Stewart. Your focus is a naive focus on AA or a replacement for him, not Stewart cover. We're playing a new way and need to be able to continue that when Stewart comes off/is crocked. AA coming in to replace Stewart changes how we play. Another big man doesn't. It's not difficult, if you stop flapping and think about what they're trying to do.

I've put him on ignore. Don't feed him and he'll get the point.

Yep, that's massive. We have AA mourners who have been calling for a clear out of the players who've been here before and been part of the failure. I'm not sure how you can want a clean sweep of those players, want a big man up front, and be devastated that AA is leaving.

Ha. I haven't identified anyone - I'm not the armchair expert saying he's a dud. I'm also not one of the people simultaneously saying we're better with a big man up top, that AA isn't the answer, but moaning because we're getting rid of AA. There's a slight lack of logic there.

I'm not sure you get the point that he wants to play 4231 with a big man up front, and the wide men plus Azaz in behind. AA is not that big man. I think it's nuts to sell AA, but I get why they'd cash in and bring in a Stewart alternative to bully CB's and hold the ball up - AA is not that player. You can't moan about AA going without recognising how he won't fit into how we want to play - the Stoke game made the point loud and clear.

Quite. It's easy to say "we can do better than him", but not so easy to say who. The January window is not a great time to be in the window for a CF when you're mid table, and have been through more managers than we care to remember. Clubs will want to offload shite to shift wages - that's the pond we're fishing in.

Wnat physical centre forward are you suggesting we could/should have got in the January window? Please don't talk about what we could/should have done on previous windows - right here, right now, who's the alternative?

Yep. Most of us would have have been up in arms if we'd signed 33 year old Kiefer Moore in the summer. With hindsight he'd have been what we needed.

So if AA isn't the answer, and you'd prefer a big man up top, why keep AA? He's hardly a directive replacement if Stewart is out.

If you agree that we're better with a big man up top, how does thay make AA the answer if we don't have a big man up top?

I'm not sure anyone would suggest that Larin, Stewart, and a kid are the way to go for the rest of the season. Archer goes regardless, but I'm not sure I'd keep AA purely as wing cover. Perhaps we'll see Edozie again...

I take your point, but, it ignores that we're better off playing a 4231, and with a big man up top. Assuming you agree, where does AA it into that? Ditto Archer? AA up top would mean changing how we play, or using him as wing cover. Archer would continue to be Archer. The positive about this move is it shows a commitment to playing a new way.

Indeed. You can guarantee that people will mourn Archer like a lost Grandma, despite having moaned non stop about him since he arrived. Yesterday confirmed that we're better with a bit more size up front. Whilst we can surely do better than this bloke, I'd rather roll the dice on him than persist with Archer or bringing back Downs.

Sadly accurate.

We'll limp to a mid table finish whatever we do. But yeah, it looks a particularly crap bit of business all round.

No outcry, and a sorry attempt at deflection. Saying that people "love seeing kids raped by foreigners" and that "I hate people like you who...fiddle with kids" was as bad as anything I've seen posted on here. As I said yesterday, you're a disgrace, and I'd have booted you off for that. If you somehow avoided that, I'd have booted you for being an antagonist troll. You're lucky that the mods are as generous as Thailand's immigration policies.

Ditto. My daughter grew up while away at uni. She graduated with a lesser degree than her ability, which she hasn't used, plus a shit load of debt, but she had 3 wonderful years that will serve her well. That said, I know lots of people have done incredibly well by taking alternative routes to a decent job or profession, and offer at least as much as graduates. A degree is far from necessary to succeed.

No suggestion that that the 8 Palestinians seen took any action, just that they were seen somewhere that Israel has occupied. 31 now dead as a result. That's well over 500 killed and 1500 injured following the "ceasefire", since when there have been over 1300 ceasefire violations by the Israeli military.

Around

Mate, you're as tedious on the main board as you are in the lounge. I've said that I'd like to see us play 4231 but we didn't have the players. I said when Brew came back that he gave us that option. Just watch the game rather than focusing on me. Fecking idiot.

Nice. Play off charge incoming...