Our season begins tonight and could end on Saturday unless the boss starts backing up his rhetoric with decisions.
He has backed his youth policy, yet every time he loses he either blames the fact they are young or whines about rough tackles, free kicks, corners and long throw ins.
You can’t have your cake and eat it mate so get on with it or get your cheque book out, it’s as simple as that.
In pre season we saw him buy the likes of Nasri, Coquelin, Ramsey and Bischoff, all but Bischoff played in pre-season and youngsters like Gibbs, Randall and Wilshere all played as did Diaby and Djourou, yet he doesn’t want to play them, they all did great and against top class opposition.
I have seen enough of Ramsey, Coquelin and Wilshere to want them in our regular squad and I have seen enough of Song to want him as far away from the Grove as money and flying time will take him.
One or two people stick by Song but they are a minority, unfortunately one of those is the manager.
He ignored his captain in our loss against Stoke and that for me is enough of a reason to drop him.
I also have to say Kolo is not the player he was, though he still wears the badge with pride, give him a rest and bring in Djourou tonight.
Play a midfield of Nasri, Ramsey, Cesc and Wilshere with Bendtner up top and Diaby tucked in, or a midfield of Nasri, Diaby, Cesc and Wilshere with Vela and Bendtner up top.
Defence should be Clichy, Gallas Djourou and Sagna with Eboue deputising or Silvestre for Gallas.
I would give Fabianski a run in goal to show Almunia that we won’t tolerate indifference between the sticks.
I’m told that Bischoff is not ready yet but I would sooner see Watt or Coquelin in midfield than Song.
Coquelin reminds me of Makelele, and that’s what we need in the midfield, a ball winner that’s not afraid to thread through a long ball or have a shot.
If you’re not going to use them Arsene, go and buy someone that will do the job and give us something at the end of the season.
We lost to Stoke because we were shit, not because they were any good, wake up and smell the roses, stop making excuses, play to win, play with youth but make it the right youth, Ramsey is twice the player that Song will ever be, that’s why the Mancs, the Scousers, and Everton tried to sign him, he proved how good he was against England when they fielded 8 premiership players, does anyone remember the Mancs going after Song? No course they can’t.
This is not an anti Song post, it’s a ‘we have the players, play them’ post.
We can go out tonight and stuff these Turks, qualify for the next round in Europe in style and get excited about the big one on Saturday, all I’m getting at the moment is groundhog day from last seasons FA cup.
Don’t allow that to happen, you can make the difference by getting off your stupid, stubborn high horse and putting it right.
Give the kids a chance, go after them tonight and tear them 11 new arseholes, then do the same to the Mancs, everyone in football will kick us now you invited them to, live with it and stop whining, this is Arsenal, our Arsenal, go and make us proud again.
5 nil the Arsenal if he picks the right team, and the right defence.
We’ll be singing Arsene, because we’re all Arsenal fans, we were before you got here and we will be long after you’ve gone, you are the manager that plays the greatest football I have ever seen, pick the right team and we can win this thing, after the spuds game I have never felt so bad, not since we lost to Ipswich in the FA cup final in 1978, against Stoke when you sent out that shocking team I wasn’t even upset, carry on doing that and you’ll lose me.
If you are concerned about the long term future of our club, then start winning stuff again otherwise the young kids starting out will be chavs or mancs and no one wants that, in ten years time we’ll never fill the ground, do you want that as your legacy?
We’re all behind you, don’t let us down, we are worth more than that.
Have a great day Grovers.
[polldaddy poll=1077804]
JD and Toure played at OT 2 seasons back, did they not? And we kept a clean sheet!
Personally I think we should break the bank for Villa or Huntelaar in Jan. I our Strikers are so inconsistent and none of them are World Class. both Ade and RVP should be back up Strikers behind Huntelaar and Villa. In fact yes fuck it we should buy both, especially if the extremely hyped by injury Eduardo does not come back as quick as expected.
Neither are in CL football so why not. Bring in Barry as well and we are on the way. I think we are covered at the back as long as Djourou gets to start regardless of if Gallas, Toure, Silvestre and Song are fit. It should be Djourou + 1.
Covered on the wings too
Its sad how you blame Wenger for this. We were solid on defense and created enough chances to win the game. This was the players’ fault, not Wenger.
Think before you talk. Wenger has been shit annoying lately, but he was not at fault today. United game is far more important than Fener.
Fabiański
yes everyone forgot to credit the lad !
he was all class tonight !
not only ramsey – and johan but Fabiański too !
3 good things came out of this game , wenger would do well to acknowledge it ! and play them regularly ! infact 5 good things, we didnt lose ! and we got 1 point !
For me, JD and Toure are the strongest pair at CB.
pat do you really think we will last the distance for the PL ?
Pat, I think he got the starting 11 right.
I think he got the Subs wrong. Certainly the Diaby for Ramsey one.
pat
good to see you come around to my way of thinking !
nothing beats class strikers !
currently its like trying to run with no legs !
yes pat i agree , but over all you cannot be too unhappy with the result ,only 3-4 days ago we got rolled by stoke .. so to draw with fener , isnt too bad ..
im looking foword to tomorrow’s post.
Ethan, I have always been thinking that way,
I rated Adebayor last season and still think he has the potential to be World Class, but he is damaged goods now and has gone backwards not forwards. I have been critical of RVP for a couple of years, he has never done it for Arsenal, has never been consistent and does not look like being consistent.. We need a striker that you just know is going to score in more games than not.
Choy not sure what Pat you were asking that to, but for me, we will come 4th.
I am happy with the clean sheet Ethan but not too impressed with the draw.
Fenerbache are better that Stoke, but as per the last three years it is the same old comment
We should be winning those games.
Still think we will win on Saturday though.
i think we will come 4th if we buy in jan !
If we are to sign a striker, I would like Benzema. But I would be very surprised if we do.
We still need the DM. Denislon is not the man…
like the optimism.. i for one think we will get hammered
No, I don’t think we’ll win the league but its worth a go.
I agree Ethan, but which great players are ever sold in January? any team that has a chance of getting silverware is going to want to keep their best players.
I realise money talks,but would AV sell Barry, or ‘pool Alonso ? We may be able to pick up Noble from WHU, but he is not good enough. Ya-Ya Toure is a possible, as he is hardly getting a game at Real.
Strikers – Lyon will not sell Benzema until summer. ANd we need someone with experience, not another player with potential.
Plus Dudu is on his way back
Night ‘all
Looking forward to tomorrow’s post. It should be a cracker, particularly with the mood Geoff was in today !!
Trust me, Fabianski shouldn’t play against United. He’s impressive, but he is too inexperienced against top sides. I’ve watched him play in Legia(I’m polish). Not ready yet.
Line-up:
Sagna Toure JD Clichy
Theo Cesc ??? Nasri
Diaby
Nik
That looks really weak
I think Barry will be available at the right price
I think Alonso is untouchable now, he is on fire.
Yaya is possible
Huntelaar is possible
David Villa and David Silva are possible
What I dont want to see in Jan is unproven risks or average Silvestre like signings. definately no Nobles or Krancjars.
I want to see a couple of genuine World Class players coming in. In saying that 1 squad player I would love is Ireland from Man City. I think he is top drawer and creates a lot and puts in 110% every game.
Will Theo be fit for Saturday?
I must be the only one who thought RVP was top class tonight, especially in the first half. Made great runs, runs Ade never makes. He just couldn’t convert. No big deal.
Oh, and one more time, Hleb>Nasri.
Yea, RVP was great today. Can’t even fault him for the finishing really. First chance was a last ditch tackle and the 2nd was a wonderful save.
Theo MIGHT be fit.
Paulinho, agreed with the Hleb > nasri. Always have and always will. I don’t think Nasri will ever reach that level. Hleb was something special.
RVP missed about 4 sitters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If RVP was top class tonight he would have converted at least one of his chances. He panicks in front of goal and tries to kick the ball too hard rather than pick his spot. When have you ever seen him put a delicate chip over the goalkeeper’s head.
Just got home & after watching this club for over 40 years I am short of words.
Here we are calling or pinning our hopes for Vela, Nasri, Bendtner Ramsey, Wilshire even Theo, hoping for change or the spark, buts its desperation because these players are too young too inexperienced or not good enough to perform.
There is nothing we can do at least til January as some of you have already said, those players may not be available.
Yet once again he sticks Diaby on the left & Vela up front instead of left. Is Wenger losing it ??
In 11 years of Arsene I am now seriously worried.
4 sitters? i only recall 2 clear cut chances and it wasn’t hit fault that he didn’t score. You’re bing much to harsh. 1 was a great save and the other was a great tackle. What the hell was RVP supposed to do?
Jesus. Vela was garbage today and so many were calling for him. No, he’s obviously not ready.
PAT:
You’re clutching at straws re; Hleb. He had great technical ability, but was a wimp mentally & physically. His performances in his 3 seasons probably added up to about 10 very good games.
But at least he’s making them. The chances came from great runs and it’s not as if he spooned the chances to row Z, he was just inches away. RVP has been in great form recently. In open play and a great set-piece threat. We could really do with him on Sat. Set-pieces seem our best scoring opportunity at the moment!
I think the game was encouraging. We tailed off near the end but I liked the template of our game. You have to remember alot of these players haven’t played regularly. That ten per cent sharpness could have made all the difference.
Three cheers for Kolo Toure. A real sherman tank going forward!
Pat and double gooner, I agree on both fronts.
the team selection wasn’t the mistake…the subs were, ramsey shouldn’t have been taken off and song shouldn’t have been bought on
fabregas now officially to me is a GONEr…he showed that tonight with the lack of effort he put in.
all we need to do now is spend big in the summer, like pat said (villa / huntelaar) we need a good (not average) consistent forward and maybe a midfielder who is comited and cares and puts effort into his game
Ramsey was fucked Mark…
No, I’m not clutching at straws. Hleb was world class. Barca buys world class players, something we will never do again under Wenger.
Don’t read into his stats. Nasri hasn’t shown me shit yet. He’s just not good enough yet and I cannot wait for Rosicky to get back.
A wimp physically? Umm, last year the improvement in his strength was really visible.
You’re just mad he left us for a clearly better team, with much more ambition.
he did better than denilson was doing
Doublegooner, you said it yourself- great technical ability. Players like him in ‘wimpish’ mode are still better than switched on Denilsons.
Anyway, he wasn’t a wimp. Wimps don’t ask for the ball in midfield with opposition players waiting to come through them from behind, like Noble and Carew did last season. Wenger said a similar thing yesterday.
Wimps are Denilson who never takes risks and play square passes all night, never getting himself into high risk/high reward situations.
Very slight odds, but the guy who sits next to me is head press & PR for major online bookies & they have opened a book for Wenger to not be here next year.
Ramsey might start against United. Thats why he came off.
If Hleb was a wimp, every single fucking player on the Arsenal is a wimp
RVP goes down far too easily. A defender only has to flick an arm in his direction and he’s writhing in agony on the ground. What he should be thinking is, I’m getting back on my feet in case a goalscoring opportunity comes my way.
We are all familiar with that plaintive look he give’s refs when he doesn’t like a physical challenge. He is a really gifted player but not consistent or tough enough. Theo now rides takles that a year ago would have left him sat on his arse – RVP need to be a more honest hardworking player to compliment his undoubted talent.
I agree that I think Cesc will be off next Summer and Wenger can only blame himself for that.
Cesc dropped enough hints about playing alongside World Class Players. Arguably we had 11 of them in the Invincibles year, now we struggle to field 3 or 4.
What we can only hope for is that Cesc goes for in excess of 30m and the right manager and it might not be Wenger spends it wisely.
For me Villa or Huntelaar is a must. I know some point to Eduardo coming back but somehow his Injury has elevated him to Pele like status and yet all he did was show a bit of promise in a couple of games, he was not exactly Fernando Torres or Etoo. I would ship either RVP or Ade out and get a top flight goal scorer in.
Pat – Kolo, Clichy, Sagna, JD and Ramsey are not wimps, though they do have more guts than the rest of the team put together.
Paulinho:
IMO he was a wimp because he never lived up to his potential. Denilson isn’t a wimp as he tries but he’s just woefully short of the right stuff.
We have far too many players who should not be playing for this club that just 4 years ago graced World Class players in a magnificent team.
Wenger must take the blame for that.
Helb was a great player and very underated. If he could score more goals he would be World Class.
Fabregas seemed pissed off that the crowd booed tonight. Total idiots. Do these morons ever use their brain and realise booing does nothing whatsoever? Especially when the application of the players has not been found wanting.
Pat The Goon:
I’m with you, only thing I query is who are the possible 3 or 4 World Class players
?
Why are we going on about a player that left us in a disloyal and underhand way? We should be talking about the players we have and those we hope to get, not dwelling on a player with whom we won nothing.
The point is though Hleb was absolute top echelon regardless of living up to potential. If we had brought in an improvement fair enough but have we? I don’t think so. People seem to think we have because Nasri is more ‘productive’. This magical word that automatically makes Nasri an improvement on Hleb for some reason. I don’t get it personally. It’s clear to see Hleb is vastly superior in nearly every department bar shooting every now and then.
I agree about the booing Paulinho. To be fair the crowd did try to lift the players in the last 15 minutes, but as you say, I didn’t think the players lacked effort so booing was completely out of order.
Well Said Doublegooner
Yet if Wenger had have replaced like for like instead of shipping out Proven Class and Experience and replacing with no experience and potential or even balanced it, we would have been in a position to challenge every year since.
When you get players like Ribery and Etoo expressing an interest in coming to play at Arsenal and you turn them down, it fucking sucks. I just wish for once that we would finish a season in the red as far as transfer dealings go. Wenger seems to have personal targets based on financial rather than success and winning trophies. He needs a wake up call.
Now, people, stop going about Hleb. It’s not as if I mentioned him to start the whole thing off again
Double Gooner, for me Clichy, Sagna and Cesc are definate World Class. you are right I struggle to name the 4th one.
FFS – what the hell is it with Hleb. He’s gone – get it. What are you trying to prove. It’s your opinion and your welcome to it. Can’t you play another record – it’s bloody boring!
Rasputin, leave it alone. He’s gone
You no bloody well I didn’t bring it up and I told you he’s gone…….
Why do you insist on winding people up with this shit when we’re all frustrated after yet another disappointing performance – it’s not clever and not calculated to promote harmony. So how’s about you leave it?
Bendtner is starting to look to me like a 6-8 goal a season man. Just not quite good enough for a top club.
Chillax.
Anyway, it’s not winding up. It’s extremely pertinent to the current mess of our midfield and why Fabregas is below par. More relevant than blathering on about Pires, Viera etc. Players that were quite clearly past it and left at the right time.
Guys… love and happiness… Al Johnson…
Just think, you’ll have a great post from me to look forward to in the morning!
Oh I see – so thew answer to our problems is to discuss ad infinitum a player that left for a ‘better club’, doesn’t want to play for us and would never come back – just exactly how does that help?
More likey is the fact that you have some weird quest to evangelise the memory of hleb until we are all beaten into submission and say ‘OK paulinho, you are right, we are wrong, hleb was our saviour, we just couldn’t see it’
it is too early to praise fabianski. he was not tested much tonight. Until he plays physical opposition, it is better to delay saying anything.
Now that wasn’t too hard was it. Mission completed
Bollox
Its understandable when we are upset and disappointed with our team that we should all have players from the past that we feel would have made the difference to tnites game – I wish Bobby had been out wide on the left instead of Diaby – when he came on.
I’ve only just signed on and apologise if this point has already been made, but I would have liked to seen Diaby play behind vp and vela out wide on the left.
I’m I banned??? hehehehehe
I found your comment on RVP tonight very revealing Paulinho.
“He just couldn’t convert – no big deal”
It’s similar to your views on Hleb that as long as he can play the pretty pretty passes then he has no responsibility to contribute to the scoresheet.
For the record, it was a pretty bloody big deal. tonight. It was the difference between 3 points and 1 point.
No peaches – with great respect, that’s called nostalgia.
It is great to reminisce, but it is only helpful when discussing ways of strengthening our present team as an example of the type of player we should be looking for perhaps.
It’s the old ‘if my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle’ argument. Fact is, those great players are gone and no degree of wishing will bring them back.
Strange thing is I think Hlebs ability to dribble was missed tonight, it might have unlocked a way through. Then again, I’m not sure we’d have finished the chance even if one had been created.
In fact if the second hald had lasted 3 days, we’d have still not scored.
Thanks rasputin for putting me in my place – ouch – i was only trying to make you all feel a bit better – this Hleb debate has been raging for days and I think its not a bad thing to reminisce about players who have left, just unrealistic.
I really miss Eduardo. He provided us something we dont have, a player who does try this pass bullshit- he strikes and scores. RVP is our only player. but he hits it so hard its like he is trying to punt it into the goal. the lad needs to calm down a bit because the talent is there. We wont need a new striker if Eduardo can come back in form.
. . . . . . . and I don’t think reminiscing means that you want them back – because clearly you can’t have them back, its just a way of reminding yourself how it could have been different.
The great players that have passed through our club cannot be replaced, however much the scouts search there is never going to be another Vieira, Bergkamp, Pires, Henry etc. What we want are new world class players at our club, thats what we should be looking forward to watching.
Very true alex.
Queen, in the long term it’s not big deal. Someone with RVPs’ quality will not keep missing those chances. Everything is there in his game bar the finish and that’s better than someone whose hopelessly out of form and not looking like scoring. It’s too fickle for my liking. That shot goes an inch under the bar and everyone would be singing his praises.
I don’t get the overall criticism with RVP this season anyway. He’s been our best striker by a distance. Great set-piece taker and getting himself into good positions. I don’t slag players that are generally playing well and RVP has been in good form, looking dangerous, which is a pre-cursor to him scoring goals in the future.
Peaches – you need to go back and read the context of the comments because you misunderstand the nature of the debate. I, like you, love to reminisce about the past and I have never said that it is a bad thing – just not a solution for the future – its a different subject. If w are talking about the future, let’s be realistic. If wre,re talking about the past – let ‘s reminisce.
Don’t worry Peaches. It’s always the ones who never rated a player.. then find out they were wrong….that get especially fragile when people talk about it for a length of time. They don’t have that same problem when other players are mentioned strangely enough. It’s an ego thing for them as well.
It seems that this discussion is coming down to the classic I’m happy to watch beautiful football’ against the ‘I just want to win trophies’.
If your opinion is that a player can be described as great even if he doesn’t score or create scoring chances, or, in the case of RVP at 24 years of age we still have to wait for him to develop his goalscoring skills – I’m guessing you may be firmly in the ‘beautiful football’ camp.
If however you want to see resilience, consistency and hard work in equal measure to talent and creativity – you are probably in the ‘winning tropihes’ camp.
What do you mean develop goal-scoring skills? Have you checked RVP’s scoring record recently? it’s pretty handy. Not every striker converts every chance they’re given. Forgive me for not going apeshit over RVP hitting the bar and going close on a few other occasions while the rest of the team are playing shite. In a hum-drum champions league game as well that shouldn’t mean a great deal in scheme of things.
As for beautful football versus trophy winning football – we’ve got neither at the minute. At least we had beautiful football for large spells last year.
Oh rats, just wrote a comment and it disappeared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paulinho – my last word on hleb and your monotonous obsession. Don’t tell me or anyone else that I have found out I am wrong. That is pure ignorance and cowardice.
You cannot win a discussion. As far as I’m concerned there is no argument.
Why don’t you just set up your own ‘I love Hleb’ site. Then you can ramble on about him until your heart’s content and share the love-in with other like minded individuals. I find you very boring and suspect that your overwhelming need to try to prove you are right is a way to compensate for some personal inadequacy.
It’s funny how such a monotous discussion provokes a stream of garbage from yourself at every turn. Most people who find something boring usually just read on – I know I do.
Your pretty tough in type paulinho – want to meet up sometime? Tell me I’m talking garbage to my face.
It is you who resorts to insults as you cannot stand anyone who can argue against your biggoted opinions.
god i just want to kill myself tbh after tonight. It was like watching your gran try to eat an apple without her dentures in. No penetration whatsoever, no bite, no power.
Even when we get chances we dont take them. I totally agree with others, I have been desperate for months now for Eduardo to come back, at least you can rely on him to hit the net.
Players out of position everywhere, players performing nowhere near their potential, injury list as long as your arm again, I don’t know if I can cope until January – and god knows what will happen if we don’t bring someone in.
Okay, thats enough from both of you, please put this to bed before you make other people feel uncomfortable on the site.
You disagree about hleb – don’t use him as a tool to wind each other up.
No thanks. I’m strictly butterside up
Wenger always plays Eduardo on the wing though, unless it’s a cup game. He doesn’t like using number nines through the middle as he doesn’t feel they are contributing enough in general play. Problem is, that’s where his predatory instincts are best used.
Goodnight grovers, sems bed must have called you all away xxx
At the game tonight and wa shappy with the team selection when I saw it, with the exception of the fact that I would have liked to have seen Vela from the start especially as he will probably play saturday.
My opinion of our game tonight was like watching a tennis rally! left, right, left right…I have got neck ache!!! no penetration, decisive runs. nasri, cesc, neither of them wanted to take someone on and make a penetrating run. Kolo was the only one towards the end that looked to do this. Theo was missed! I felt Cesc is not right at the moment, something is wrong I have never seen him play so many misplaced passes..the team just did not function. Cesc needs a rest.
As for the booing…the team did work hard but it did not happen for them…out of order and will not do spirits any good to lift them for saturday. Mind you it was a small %.
Mind you, when I sat down I felt myself looking at the pitch and my mind kept going back to wedensday night! Wonder if they felt the same??
I think some positives came out of the game:
1. Little Nicky
is short of a gallop. Actually he moved like a draft horse, but he needs game time to find the real pace of a top flight encounter, & now we know that,
2. JD20 is the real deal. We have found a potential big CB who will be around for 10 more years or so.
3. AW is starting to listen to Le Grove.
4. Ramsay is pure class, & Cesc could be a ticking time bomb (waiting to go off to Barca)
5. Kolo is back to his old scurrying self. He needs to be the DM. What he misses Johan or Hi Ho Silvestre will mop up.
6. The noise is back @ home games. So what if there is some booing. Fans want success, its their right, & if the players are too precious to take some stick then they can fuck off to pansie land, &
7. If Mr Wenger can build on that defensive performance today/tonight, Arsenal could…….YES COULD!!…….. be Champions of Europe.
Footnote: With Eduardo, Rosicky, Walcott, Sagna, Pass Master, Billy G & The Togo Taranchula still to come in, plus potential January signings, The Arsenal could still go all the way.
Paulinho
Queen, in the long term it’s not big deal. Someone with RVPs’ quality will not keep missing those chances.
Thats true ! he was surrounded for 70 minutes by Nik B who was in a woeful state ..
RVP cannot do it alone ! playing next to nik Last night was like being down too 10 men
(the same way ade usually affects the game ) – he doesn’t !- or only negatively !-offsides – poor passing – lack of movement- passing off in the box recently ..
Besides cesc is suffering from quality because all his partnerships this season suck !
in the same vane as RVP sucks due to his partnerships lacking..
we need better experienced players along side our 3 or 4 great players to make them greater … it isnt rocket science !
RVP for the chances he created ALONE ! he did fantastic !
remember that ! RVP created everything he executed !
he wasnt some ade standing in the box being fuckin anonymous until the perfect pass came in !
to reap glory !
he battled and tried to beat the man … he looked like he has the starting’s of a quality striker ,
he just lacked a class partner !
anyhow it wont matter soon the gangling rock giant will be back and RVP is in a differing class to any striker we have in our ranks (save possibly dudu ) who i wouldnt want to bet on currently either !
when you have a clinical partner up front like DB 10,
your going to get clear cut chances in a game ,
and whilst i think nik is coming along (better than ade) ,
i dont think he has what it takes currently to fill the void !
ive been screaming for a striker since pre – season and now you are seeing
it all for yourselves finally ..
GG9, the games on ESPN in an hour, am i going to be even more depressed about the performance than the result when i watch it?
and i’ve been calling for Kolo at cm since the 1st game of the season, also it was good to see JD20 get a run out and even better to hear everyone’s opinions of his performance
ethan… bang on with ur lack of partnerships point
didnt see the match but I am delighted to see Ramsey start and doing so well…. I am totally for Ramsey starting alongside cesc in the middle, Denilson contributes nothing to his partnership with cesc….. Ramsey does everything, effectively and intelligently, and when in a spot of bother has the (monsterous for a 17 year old) upper body strength to get him out of trouble.
When dudu returns, it has to be RVP-DUDU upfront
else a 4-5-1 with Ade upfront and Diaby behind him.
I dont see us doing very well against manu with Nik as the striker, I say get Rui Fonte in or Simpson in, Fonte is in impressive form, and Simpson will be trying to make a name for himself, he is that kinda lad, we all know….. better to go by some statistics/indications rather than just going by the pecking order… wrongly reshuffled by wenger himself.
Ikon, Simpson…Fonte, u are having a laugh right? Fonte would be eaten alive by vidic, and it would probably ruin his career. And Simpson has no prem experience either and tyou want to stick him in against united :S With Bendtner at least he has some experience in the prem and of playing against big teams, and scoring in important games, ala his goal against spurs last year. Trust in the big fella, he’ll come good, imo he just needs a smaller quicker steriker around him such as Vela or Theo to feed off the chances he can make when he drops deeper.
ikon
it has to be RVP-DUDU upfront
i think your right !
but you know wenger … ade will play every game again when fit ,
or until he is sold !
wenger wants to justify 80 k a week .he cannot be made to look stupid in giving into ade’s pay rise requests …… and he will ruin this club trying to justify it !
Ade really need to get some class … and i don’t mean it rudely he needs to train with his team get too know their ways, sharpen up his game ,and learn to adapt to the arsenal game plan ..
FOR REAL !
Personally ive never liked his game , it contradicts everything arsenal stand for ,and flashes of brilliance surrounded by 80 minutes of goofing off wont win us any titles !
we need better ! a club of our stature cannot afford to pay 80k a week to a loser like that !
david villa would probably be happy with that sort of wage .. and i can tell you who id prefer in a heart beat !
it might get cesc too stay also !
if i was wenger id be approaching villa in jan ! it would kill 2 birds with 1 stone !
or sell cesc when he’s playing like crap and lose 10 million on him !
Tbh we need Dudu back asap because he’s our most clinical striker and he knows how to put the ball in the back of the net when noly goven 1 or 2 chances, something most of our other strikers can’t seem to do at the moment. Just look at the finish agaisnt everton (i think) last season where he was 1 on 1 and just arogantly passed the ball past the keeper, how many of our other strikers at the moment would have not hit the target or hit it straight at the keeper.
how long do we have to put up with that RVP shite…goes hiding in big games, keep ballooning chances after chances. take shite free kicks… gets injured week after week…gets more red cards then playing time…..yet there will be morons out there who think that he will eventually explode into the scene..eventually
reminds me of the The infinite monkey theorem
benno, i am serious….,
Fonte is having a great run with the reserves…. and Simpson has got a great physicality to his game. This is a desperate time for us…. if we dont win against Manu, title race is over for good.
I kinda am liking the idea of playing theo upfront against manu, theo loses the ball so often , its much better if he does it farthest up the pitch, and manu have great wingers in ronaldo and evra, losing ball on the flanks will harm us.
Almunia/Fabianski
Sagna/Eboue-Djourou-Sylvest/Gallas/Toure-Clichy
Nasri-Cesc-Ramsey-Vela
Diaby
Bendtner
I think this is the best lineup we can field.
Vela can act as a striker cum winger, we need to win this one badly.
or no Diaby
and Theo-Bendtner upfront
so that vela theo can switch if need be
Ikon, for someone to step up from the reserves to the mancs without playing at a level in between is like playing russian roulette with his career.
If Theo got behind the defence centrally as much as he got behind the full backs he’d have a fucking hatful of goals this season…if by playing him centrally it allows him to go directly 1 on 1 with the keeper rather than being out wide and having to cut in or cross it surely it must benefit the team. It would also require Evra to play a lot deeper to cover Theo because he’s the only one who can even hope to cope with his pace, and imo the further back uniteds full backs are the better it is for us, hence why i agree that vela should play on the left. Stick Bentner up by himself and then play two CM’s with Kolo playing the holding role behind them. Djourou and Silvestre/ Gallas Cb’s, probs Silvestre because a) he’ll have a point to prove to Fergie and b) I don’t want a less than 100% fit Gallas playing against Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez & Berbatov
benno, wenger tried sticking walcott upfront in almost every pre season game, it was a failure.
He couldnt get past the defenders, he was shrugged off too too easily, it is a gamble playing him upfront, but less than him playing on the flanks. Its very difficult to play Walcott without admitting to taking risks. Tht is why i believe wenger steers clear of playing him from the start whenever possible, and rests him at the slightest excuse.
But we are so short of options, that he might have to play.
Still imo, our biggest worry should be keeping a clean sheet and not the win itself.
The key to Theo playing up front is he needs a through ball played in behind the defence (the type of pass Cesc excels at, and ramsey proved he is highly adept at against England in the U-21′s) so he can use his pace to beat the defenders to the ball. And the Theo playing at the moment is a completely different Theo than that who played in pre season, he actually seems to have the belief and the mentality to challenge defenders and to keep going when things are going against him, rather than being easily subdued by defenders. I admit after pre season i was quite anxious that Theo hadn’t appeared to have made too much progress, but as the season has gone on he’s grown into the sort of player we expected him to be (not the finished article by a long way though).
wanna read the excuse now?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7712255.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7712255.stm
THis is his latest excuse………….
its so sad… pleas e hurry up transfer window
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7712255.stm
I concur Rob, but only if Wenger actually sells off the crap and brings in some quality, otherwise it will just make us even more depressed
yeh, i have no doubt he will bring no-one in but im just looking 4ward to the disappoinment….
http://news.bbc.co.uk and look up arsenes latest excuse making
I think if this club is to have the future every Arsenal fan craves for, the defence has got to become settled, i.e working like a well oiled machine. Its been crap, hence the results have been as well. Let in 12 goals to chelseas 4.
Once the backs are settled then the mid field will be able to express itself more, then, the goals will come from a partnership up forward.
Ofcourse the down side is keeping a fit list coz injuries are so prevelant these days.
Winning 5-2 is ok every now and then but when you come up against a team hell bent on sitting back like Fenerbitche did, then you need to make sure they don’t grout a goal on the counter.
…….see how Yo Yo20 just sickened that spanish Giuza. Giuza in the end never got near the ball coz if he did Yo Yo 20 would belt the pissy little turd.
i take it everyone is agreed that JD20 should keep his slot at Cb?? I for one think he should
I think this time none of the english clubs will go past the quaters except Arsenal…. and juv or arsenal to be the champs…cl that is
JD20 is so solid, but wenger wont keep him there in case he pisses off Bill Gallas or Toure/Song
Gallas & Silvestre are out for Saturday so it should be Toure and JD20 in the middle.
GG9
no point in comparing our defense to chevski’s when you dont compare our midfeild to theres or there goal output either .. (strikers)
everything must be taken into consideration when looking at stats .. thats why ade’s stat of goals scored alone last season didnt make him a good striker … it was the players around him …
have a look at our defense last night … not too shabby , a RVP goal or 2 and we would be praising them now ..
also your comparing ultimate experience to near NO experience ..
but if your saying we should be like chevski ! i concur, however that would take another 100mil in transfer funds ..
Ethan
The spurs game sums up where The Arsenal is at.
0-1 down from a fluke goal, but still the keeper was caught napping.
The forwards etc were good enough to get it to 2-1, then another lapse 2-2.
Immediately its back to 3-2, then 4-2 with injury time to play. There is no way the forwards can be blamed for the 4-4 result. We all know AW fucked up with his subs, but even so, the defence should be switched on. Good clubs play the same system down through the reserves, etc, so that when they step up, they already know the style to play. The body language is poor @ the back, & it is costing The Club points.
When The Arsenal made the Champions League final it was because they did not let in a goal for eternity. If you don’t concede a goal you don’t lose. So surely there is enough strike power up front to score @ least 1 goal per game. 1-0 to The Arsenal.
People used to say “Arsenal are boring”, but they won the double in ’71, umpteen F A Cups, League Championships, etc.
When the wankers from the other clubs take the piss, my reply would be have a look @ the Trophy cabinet.
So, my main focus is on defence.
Ethan with you concentrating on the forwards, we could come up with a winning formula, Chamone!!!
Too true gg9…..look at Real…..all that attacking flair but the defense is non existent (for the Juve game) despite having probably the best GK in the world.
……make no mistake. There are a few disappointed Arsenal people out there, but none would be as pissed off as the Fenerbitche coach, Arogantcunt. Did you see the look on his face during the ame. he knew they had to score and/or win 1-0 but he didn’t bank on Big Johan getting in the way. They are virtually out of this comp now
NEW MEGA POST!
http://www.break.com/index/hilariously-weird-tug-of-war.html
The best article I’ve read on the very first day of the year. Thanks
Happy new year