All Square At Old Trafford As A Big Chance Slips Away
Sep 30th, 2019 by 'holic
Unai Emery made two changes to the side that defeated Aston Villa last week. It’s fair to say they got a mixed reaction. Calum Chambers preferred to Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back generally got a thumbs up, but Dani Ceballos making way for Lucas Torreira gave us a very lightweight, creativity free midfield. So typically unadventurous Emery.
With nine minutes gone Chambers picked up an early yellow card for tugging back at James who was clearly quicker than the Gunner. Lingard avoided similar censure when he brought down a breaking Bukayo Saka.
The opening quarter of the match was devoid of any excitement or chances. In all honesty that probably suited us just fine as the away team. Finally the yellow was flashed at Rashford for scything through Sokratis Papastathopoulos by the goal-line.
The first save was forced from Bernd Leno when Pereira wriggled free and let fly from the edge of the box. It had been almost half an hour in coming. At the other end Saka teed up Nicolas Pepe but his left-footed effort sailed into the Stratford End. Pereira featured again, picking up another yellow card for upending Matteo Guendouzi as the Gunners advanced.
Ten minutes from the break Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang picked out Pepe at the far post but de Gea was equal to the youngster’s shot. Young’s late, late hit on Guendouzi brought United another yellow card. Sokratis had to be alert to deny Rashford in a clear run on goal and Leno tidied up.
As the half drew to a close de Gea had to be at his sharpest to deny Saka and Guendouzi in quick succession, but against the run of play United countered and McTominay fired one beyond the stranded Leno. Did Xhaka really duck under the shot? It was a bitter blow for a team that deserved better out of the opening half.
We had the first opportunity of the second-half but Lucas Torreira (what was he doing in their box?) couldn’t get any power behind a cross from Aubameyang and de Gea once again saved. It was the Uruguayan’s final involvement as he made way for Ceballos. Luiz went close, but not close enough, with a free-kick that slammed off Lindelof..
VAR came to our aid and ruled out a poor offside call when Aubameyang pulled us level just before the hour mark. It was a thoroughly deserved equaliser. United”s response was a curler just beyond the far post from Pogba. A game had broken out.
Lingard was next into the referee’s book for another rotational hack at Guendouzi. The young Frenchman had obviously been identified as the danger man. United poured forward but the Gunners were holding firm. Maguire unleashed a drive from the edge of the box and drew a fine save from Leno.
Time for substitutions. Reiss Nelson came on for Pepe. United introduced Fred and Greenwood for Lingard and Pereira. Xhaka finally collected the yellow card he had craved all evening for catching young Greenwood. Joe Willock was introduced for Saka who had flickered brightly on occasion. We were looking for a breakout to nick something at the death.
In the final minute Luiz body-checked McTominay on the edge of the box. Leno was equal to Rashford’s strike but four additional minutes were signalled. Nelson scuffed an effort at the other end. Our last chance? No, we had one last free-kick. Everybody poured forward. Ceballos crossed but United dealt with it and the whistle blew.
So a top four berth at the end of the night and a precious point away at a rival which is acceptable, no?
111 Responses to “All Square At Old Trafford As A Big Chance Slips Away”
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That was bad. Pretty bad.
But a point gained.
Am not second!
Could have won it, could have lost it. Thank God for Auba and VAR.
acceptable, but barely. we really should have won this. color me disappointed in our team selection, our team performance, and the result.
hope you’re feeling better, guv. some hot tea with honey on the bar for ya. 😀
Cheers H. A point not bad really, although it was a very underwhelming game.
I wouldn’t have picked that team, but I don’t get paid £7M a year for that privilege. Nicholas Pepe has a long climb ahead of him before he’s PL standard. Willock should have been introduced at half time to a tighter, more creative four man midfield with Auba and Saka getting more service.
Make no mistake, Manure were there to be beaten tonight.
And they would have won, and 78,000 people in the ground and millions watching would have been cheated out of their gate money a TV fees in a pointless dead rubber but for one thing. VAR.
Mistakenly hit cashout at 1-1 and made a £16 profit. Thank you Lord.
Absolutely BtM, VAR again proving its worth.
Having read the review, I think we saw same game. It’s sad we lost this game because our manager didn’t know his business when it mattered most. His love for Xhaka is looking like Wenger’s love for TV5. I’d be patient till the end of this season with a hope that he’d leave our club alone. Kola had a good game interestingly.
Am really pissed!
Damn pissed!
Freakishly pissed!
#EmeryOut
I’m sorry to say we make bad teams look good , Xhaka got his normal booking
UE is only reactive not proactive IMO that game there was for the taking he’s not good enough , with the players he has at his disposal we should be doing far better
Quick lighting report guvnor as always exactly what I saw.
I honestly think Cebalos didn’t do anything special as did Pepe but we can let these guys off as they need to adapt.
I would send in Martineli on for Saka and get Willock in the middle of the park. What worries me the most is that when we levelled we couldn’t string few passes together when Man U came at us.
The hunger from these lads is yet to be seen perhaps is a tactical move from Unai. We allowed them too much time and space o the ball.
Not happy with a point it has to be said yet another season where we could have been this lot in their yard!
Another poor performance, precious little creativity, awful set piece deliveries, and yet again we were saved by Leno and the individual skill of Aubameyang. Something’s gotta give
been=beaten
We have too much respect form them we always have it’s a mental scar in the back side!
Like last season we alaways play better in the second halves so I improvement there fro Unai either!
Not a game to put in the memory bank, very scrappy first half but we deserved a point in a competitive second . Guendouzi once again caught the eye and Auba once again got us out of trouble. I thought Pepe had another disappointing game, thought Emery should have started with Ceballos . We needed to be more positive from the start with creative support for Auba.
Hope Thursday’s trip to the HOF will be as entertaining as last Tuesday’s.
COYR
I repeat my previous words that I’m not judging this team or this manager until we’ve had our first choice defence in the League for ten games. Surely they will all play against Bournemouth? Although he’ll probably play them on Thursday instead.
Interesting that the assistant referee made such a terrible error at Old Trafford. In Fergie’s day that would have stood but something about the place intimidates officials . Fortunately it could be rectified. It was a great finish from Auba who really is a top striker and a super ball from Saka . I would of course think Xhaka could have done better on the goal. Can’t see Adams/ Keown/ Vieira etc shutting their eyes like he did .
I’m pleased with a draw. Its what I predicted down to the score . It’s an unlucky ground for us and we are up to 4th. We aren’t any better than that and we’ve played Tottenham, Liverpool and United ( two away) in the first seven.
I hope Tierney isn’t injured and turns out against Bournemouth but suspect we won’t see him in the League until after the interlull.
[…] Original article: https://goonerholic.com/2019/09/all-square-at-old-trafford-as-a-big-chance-slips-away/ […]
Fine report at top speed.
Unlike most of our play.
…..which is acceptable no?
Well yes and no Guvnor.
With the team we put out
yes. But overall no, we don’t
learn and it’s frustrating.
We have the squad to do
better.
Excellent, speedy work ‘H.
It sounds like another game where we might have done better and might have done worse.
Drinkers can, and will, decide for themselves whether to be furious that we didn’t do better or grateful that we didn’t do worse.
COYG
I think we shouldn’t begin to judge Pepe until Christmas but what does surprise me is that we spent £72 m on him when we have Saka ( especially ) and Nelson coming through and had secured Martinelli. Pepe appears to be a diffident lad and needs more confidence . I hope tge home crowd don’t get on his back.
Saka is going to be a big star but a few of us have been saying this for some time
@7
hahaha. Who says we pay for
our mistakes? 🙂
One good thing to say for UE
– I like that he played Saka
again tonight.
Pepe will have to fight for
his place once Laca’s back
but it’s much too early to
be judging him yet.
no surprise though
the mighty pan G
is seldom right
such a wrongun
Not read the Guvna’s pearls of wisdom or any drinks yet but that was an opportunity spurned by a coach who didn’t have the balls to take the game by the scruff of the neck after 30 minutes when it was clear how ordinary that Manure team is. Having said that, we looked quite ordinary all over the pitch as well. What does Xhaka have to do to get dropped, by the way?
He had a very poor night overall but we have to praise the referee. Much as it sticks in the gullet.
Had he blown his whistle before the ball went in the net, the goal would not have stood, as no VAR review would have taken place.
That may have been mentioned in commentary but I had my sound off at the time.
Fine report Guvna. You are more generous than I am. That midfield was predictably light and lacked creativity despite Guendouzi covering every blade of grass to make up for his partners (especially Xhaka). Willock should have been on far earlier and frankly should start instead of Xhaka. Torreira should be the DMF. If he can’t play that role, we need someone else, not Xhaka sitting at the base of MF. I thought the back 4 did OK. Thank the Lord for PEA. Saka looks very promising. Pepe needs to go to the gym (I do worry about that lad). Ceballos isn’t going to make it at RM. We need a coach with courage who can also spot an unbalanced MF.
Cynic @25, agreed. On the other hand the lino is either blind, one-eyed or a Man or all three. He should be sacked.
Manc
Evidently it’s the first time that Manchester United have not reached double figures after seven games since 1989/90.
The manager then? Mr Alex Ferguson.
Good job Twitter wasn’t around.
Good point, cba@21. He’s a complete wanker.
Xhaka has been booked four times in six games ( he missed the Burnley game). Another sign of his inadequacy. Until we get the midfield balance right we won’t defend properly or create enough . Guendouzi is by far our best midfielder this season. Torreira is out of position and Willock must be given the berth furthest forward .
On Thursday I’d imagine it will be something like
Martinez
Bellerin Mustafi Holding Tierney
AMN Ceballos Willock
Nelson Martinelli Ozil
Toblerone army
Like that side for Thursday
TTG
Though based on the current
approach AMN may be on the
bench to come on for Hector
after an hour. Torreira only
played 55 min so may play
again.
We have 5 players for CM
roles – Torreira, Guen,
Willock, Ceballos and
Xhaka. You could throw in
Calum, Bob and AMN as
possible DMs as well.
Dani, Ozil and Willock could
be plausible AMs.
For home games and many
of our away games too I want
to see Ceballos as a CM from
the start. With Ozil or
Willock in front of him.
Guen, Torreira and even
Calum are possible pairings
with Dani. Xhaka is too
fucking slow. With our first
choice full backs that would
be a powerful attacking
line up capable of playing
entertaining football. Not
the safety first dross (except
it isn’t even safe) we are
being served up now.
If this endless struggle for
4th is what we have to accept
for this season then let’s at
the very least try to play good
football while we do it.
UE won’t of course. It’s fair to
give him this season to see how
he does with a better defence
available but if it’s still this
disjointed dross then regardless
of whether we make 4th or not
I’d rather see him gone.
And while I’m moaning thank
fuck for VAR, Auba and our
young players.
The first two got us a draw
and the third are the most
interesting thing about
watching us so far this season.
The assistant ref should be
dropped for a month for a
clanger like that. Though he
might point out that Xhaka,
Papa and Bob do the same for
us and they keep playing.
Guendouzi has improved this
season. Still, a couple of
minutes before Manure
scored he nearly gave a
goal away losing the ball in
midfield. We’d have lambasted
Xhaka for that. Papa got him
out of trouble with some good
standup defending against
Rashford.
With some time to reflect
we were a little unlucky on
the goal. We got back well,
Calum is quicker than I
thought over 60 metres.
Papa can’t spread himself
as in the old days because
it’s too big a risk with
handball. Mctominay has
3 goals in 38 games for
Manure, so 3 times a
season the little fucker will
do that and finally I will
generously say Xhaka
misjudged the flight with
a split second attempt to
head it away.
Good result, fairly ordinary performance. I thought we defended pretty well but our midfield is a real concern, especially the way we gave up possession after we equalised, a la Watford. We played our best football up until we scored and looked marginally the better side and then allowed them to come at us for the last thirty minutes. I’m still not sure how much that is due to the tactics, team selection or the quality of the players, especially in midfield. It will be nice to see the team play with proper full backs and Laca back in the side.
Sokratis might not be able to spread himself but he doesn’t need to. He just needs to get in front of the ball instead of out of the way of it. Even getting out of the way, he manages to fuck it up and get enough of himself in the way, as he turns side on, to deflect it and I wonder ….
I’d quite like to see a Hawkeye of that goal, like they do in the cricket when they show the line of a delivery if it didn’t spin. I wonder if Xhaka would have blocked the undeflected shot with where he put his head, and whether the deflection makes it look like a duck when it wasn’t?
Hmmm.
Sokratis tried to block the
shot IMO. He has a second
to guess and did. I don’t
believe he tried to get out
of the way. The height he
went for actually makes a
ball in the head more likely.
Of course we’ll never know
what was in his head or Xhaka’s.
I’d like to see that angle too,
it’s a thought about the deflection.
Reports around that Kierney has had an injury set back. He’s been withdrawn from the Scotland squad. I guess we won’t see him Thursday or Sunday.
Unusually was forced to listen on the radio last night.
The away support sounded fantastic – you would have thought we were the home team. Props to them on a horrendously wet Monday night.
Good match report as always.
Tierney’s withdrawal sounds like a club protecting a player, rather than a setback. They don’t want to allow him to potentially play two full games in a few days with only 70-odd minutes of Carabao action under his belt for the first team.
Weak international teams will always pick the best available players and flog the bollocks off them.
I think my dislike of Xhaka is well-known but even I wouldn’t blame him for not blocking a slightly deflected , hard hit shot from about eight yards away. If he’d dived on the ground I’d be giving him stick .
?30
and that me
i wouldn’t give him houseroom either
cba, TaBS returns your good wishes.
Dave
brilliant
thanks a million
yer a goodun
long may both yer speedoes sparkle
here
in old stylee
have a tune
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPV43ZdkZk
.
.
bust ye both a move
but
break ye not a hip
i love both o you cunts
like a Pete Wylie dance
intense intense and trev
NO INTERRUPTIONS !
.
“I’m dancin’ here”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph57IaYdEsY
@52 Not at all bad, cba, y’auld moondog.
But if it’s a real tune your after………..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hAtxZXNrA
“How are you, Jimmy?”
“Guy weel, Ian. How’s yersel’?”
well of course
that goes without saying big man
F*ck, Spuds looking good v Bayern. Lead 1-0 thru Son.
Lead only lasted two minutes! 🙂
F*uck them get in Lewy
Should have never sold Gnabry
LWC are getting destroyed ?
Gnabry was always going back to Germany.
Currently ripping Spurs a new one. 1-4 with two from SG in two minutes
Never a penalty
We don’t want all the English teams in the Europa after Christmas or Real Madrid . But it is fun to see Tottenham in their new stadium imploding with an exciting Gooner lighting the fuse
Look at the Juventus bench tonight to see the level we need to aspire to. Buffon, Dybala, Ramsey and Rabiot. Scary!
How is that not a penalty for Bayern?
Hat trick for Gnabry. 2-5.
Multiple speediest does sound rather profligate.
Speediest = speedoes but for the spillchucker
Ha ha there goes the 6th
7
Sperz a crippled horse needing to be taken out back and relieved of its suffering
?
That was funny I needed that but you can also see we are miles away from this sort of football
@73 Light years, Arthur, my friend. So is Emre. We do have good youngsters, just need a talented coach.
For goodness sake back off with the Emery agenda! I’m getting very bored with it. At least wait until his first choice back four has taken the field a few times. The full backs will make a huge difference. If they don’t, fair enough.
iBtM is spot on . We could do reasonably well in the CL but not with Emery as coach . Totts are paying the penalty for Shaggate as I have heard Vertonghen’s indiscretion called . Bayern were schooled by Liverpool last season in Munich
You speak nonsense, or at least are highly premature. I thought we were better than this.
Just to lighten the mood, Stoke lost again. ??
C100
I don’t think I speak nonsense but I may be premature and your point re the full backs isvvery fair. You are a sensible and balanced Gooner and I understand your loyalty and wish to hold off negative judgement. However Emery will still pick Xhaka as captain , play Torreira completely out of position and mismatch midfield and attack . We will still be open to any team attacking us like Watford who managed 31 shots. This team is allowing record numbers of shots from the opposition and good full backs won’t stop that This is a decent squad and may as you say improve significantly when at full strength but in my view there is no way Emery will improve it. But in deference to a sensible point I will suspend my criticism and hope he can turn things around. No one would be more pleased to me to be proved wrong
Fair enough TTG and nonsense was a bit strong – apologies. We’ve always agreed on most things and both see most of our football from within the stadium.
I’m certainly not claiming Emery as the second coming, just want to see him given a fair crack.
Let’s see how we go!
Now I’m tuning in to TS listening to Spurs fans demanding Poch’s head.
Excellent!
I want to see him being given a fair crack too, Countryman and I’ve been singing the Bellerin, Holding and Tierney song much more loudly than you – in tune most of the time 🙂 They’ll make a huge difference, Tierney in particular, as long as he picks them and then plays them in the correct positions.
And contrary to much of the TS we read, Arsene left him a good squad and a super crop of youngsters as well. Let’s hope he soars across the sky like an eagle on the wing and, at least, secures a top four spot.
When you get paid more in a week than most punters earn in a year (or much more), a soupçon of scrutiny and some critical appraisal come as part of the golden package.
As for Spurs, a chorus of “I can’t laugh without you” would appear to be in order. An aggregate score of 14-2 would do quite nicely.
My Spud son-in- law informed me he was off to watch his first game of the season tonight. I said that at least they’d get a better result than we did last time out against Bayern but to watch out for Gnabry who would cut Aurier to pieces . One out of two isn’t bad ?
I don’t wish to pour petrol on troubled waters, but I do wish to put on record my agreement with C100@75.
COYG
and, by the way cba, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, worse than a partial wanker.
2-7 at home, thanks Spuds
for a cheery morning start
What Pangloss said at 83, especially the bit about the wanker.
Elsewhere I have seen it said that Arsenal is too big a club for Emery. It ain’t, but perhaps the job he was left to do is too big for him or anyone else for that matter.
We all know, and admitted (even the most loyal) that this was a club mired in mediocrity, gone stale, with a poorish squad and in dire need of change.
If my memory is not completely shot, there was a widely held view that Emery would need time and multiple transfer windows to get things right.
We’re now seeing people wanting rid and I do not want to see us fall into the same trap as United did when they tin tacked Moyes. Belive it or not, I know a few United fans and their view now is that had Moyes stayed, they would be a lot better off than they are now, because he would have put the years in and had a stable squad.
It is funny that on Monday we saw two teams who were all about continuity, one of which has swapped and changed managers (two of whom have been top class elsewhere but failed) and one where the fan base appears to want to follow suit.
Count me out of that.
I also recall certain “wise heads” claiming, when I was all for getting rid of Wenger, that I would be first to want the new guy sacked and there was some scoffing when I said I would give anyone time (and mentioned five years) to clear up the mess and turn the club around.
I’d be prepared to give Emery time. He needs at least one more season after this if we’re to rebuild the club properly and the interesting thing will be whether or not the club extends his deal. I would.
Objectively I agree with C100
and Pangloss, it is only
reasonable to give UE time
with Bellerin, Tierney,
maybe Rob in defence and
Laca back after the interlull.
Then I watch us play, my
frustration builds and poor
old objectivity goes hurtling
out the door ?
Just read Cynic’s mail and
add him to the Pangloss,
C100 role of honour.
Though I’ve never heard any
Manure friends of mine
express the slightest regret
about Moyes to be honest
I hear some of you guys saying give Emery a chance with his 1st choice backline. I am not sure he knows how to pick the right team. And to make matters worse, he hamstrung himself by making Xhaka captain of the team. Bummer!!
While we are at it, I think Pepe should get most of his playing time in the Europa league games until he proves himself. Dude has no speed, doesn’t like to track back. Watch Emery have Pepe play more minutes than Laca when he comes back.
Roll of Honour not role.
Just watched the spud highlights
and enjoyed the usual shots of
dejected marshdwellers slinking
out at 5-2 down.
Anyway, looking forward to
seeing Emi, Hector, Rob and
assorted kids on Thursday.
Might be an idea to give Pepe
a start too but let’s see who’s
at the team news update first
I like this stat: Serge Gnabry has scored as many goals at Spurs’ new stadium as Harry Kane.
We’ve never let in 7 at home
in our new stadium either
🙂
Or our old one I think
?
I’m looking forward to
Spuds at Brighton this week
for a Glenn Murray hat-trick.
https://shewore.com/2019/10/02/plenty-a-plenty-for-arsenal-fans/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
I’m not trying to prolong this discussion and think we should shelve it until the new year, but she wore.com makes the case I’ve been trying to make for patience very well here.
The fan base is very divided over this point with respected commentators on both sides. I was guilty of rudeness last night and I’d like to thank TTG for his calm and polite response.
I can’t even blame the drink as I’m restricting myself to a single drink a night at the moment!
Some fair enough points in
that link C100.
Though he could do with a
spillchucker
OM – There are a few. They’re usually couching their desire for more Gollum in “What if?” chat rather than stone cold certainty, but the ones I know are so pissed off at what they’ve become that they wish he’d stayed on, and some of them think if he hadn’t done so they should have kept LVG instead.
So desperate are they…
Good stuff, Countryman. With two excellent keepers, potentially the two best FBs in the PL, a good mix of maturity and youth at CB, a potent pool of MF talent (and his personal pick of Xhaka for captain) plus two of the most predatory strikers in Europe with Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nelson ready to complement their potency, Emery is well set up for success and ready to lift us out of the mediocre mire of mostly top four but occasional top six finishes and regular Cup wins into which we’d slumped and which the majority crave.
He doesn’t even need to sell his best player every year to guarantee a £20M annual bottom line.
All he needs to do is pick the right team, play the talent in the correct positions, build team spirit and forge a tactical plan which doesn’t rely on tippy tapping from the back, allowing opposition of any quality an unfettered run and record number of shots at our goal and actually get the ball forward competently and quickly to the front two/three. Can’t be too difficult. So he should indeed soar like an eagle. I sincerely hope he does and I wish him every success.
I’ll be at the next three PL home games to add my voice to support Unai’s efforts. Maybe catch you at the Tolly?
Interesting discussion in the drinks overnight. As BtM@97 so eloquently puts it, it’s all set up for Emery to succeed, let’s see if he can deliver.
In keeping with an old tradition, lays the ball on with a sweet pass into the box for…..
Well if no one else will ..
Accepts sweet ball inside full back by bath, nutmegs the keeper and rolls it home in front of an adoring North Bank. Thinks about Auba’s somersault, but discretion proves the better part of valour.
So, as well as a sense-talker, C100 is an accomplished goal poacher. Who knew?
COYG
Cynic@96 – I’m not sure I understand “their desire for more Gollum”.
I guess from the context that “Gollum” is the current moniker-of-choice for the odious Portuguee? Who are “they”?
There’s a lovely piece on Gnabry in The Athletic today.
https://theathletic.com/1254383/2019/10/02/serge-gnabry-toasts-his-moment-of-vindication-by-painting-his-old-town-red/?amp#click=https://t.co/tWL1e7JMwf
Gollum is Moyes my precious.
Or is Moyes Gollum?
Who knows?
The resemblance is certainly
uncanny.
OM knows.
Countryman@94,
I try to limit my intake of alcohol along the same lines. I’ve been laid low for almost a week with a bug or something, and am without a drink in that time. As I now feel better, I’m just going out to consume my 21 units entirely in beer!
I have a new GP. When I mentioned 21 units she said that current advice was a maximum of 14 units for men and women.
Bastards.
I like my only drink before dinner between 6 and 7. If I start again after dinner I find I carry on until bedtime ….
But I’m 62, have had my fun and I want stick around to see grandkids if they turn up. So needs must.
New DVD is out! 😀
https://twitter.com/AFTVMedia/status/1179397174259572736?s=20
OM, Cynic – Thanks for the clarification re Moyes. I used to have a reasonable amount of time for Moyes, but sadly there is only one thing worse than a former Manchester Rowdies manager.
Great day today. I’ve had my inbox full of anti- Spud jokes and observations and I even heard Adrian Durham handing them out the stick he usually reserves for us. Boy did they take a hammering yesterday! The wheels have come off big time.
I’m looking forward to the match tomorrow partly because the pressure is less and I like the idea of seeing some of the emerging young talent.
I’d also like to take the opportunity to reassure the estimable Countryman that far from being offended yesterday I thought his response showed a combination of good sense and committed and responsible support. All anyone wants in THIS bar is for Arsenal to do well and if Unai does the business I will be happy to hoover his car out and walk his dog or vice versa. Hopefully he doesn’t have a Great Dane though. They can be hard to hoover
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>