Interesting you may think, has Geoff completely lost it, 2 comments in two days because he’s having a massive sulk and he comes back and says drop the team, why? well here’s the short list.
1) Because the whole team were shite.
2) Because with the money we collect by not paying their salaries for Saturday we could buy a new team?
3) Because the first team will all be on international duty bar 4 players.
Well 1 is out because that’s too obvious, the AKB’s will say I hate the manager and I’m anti Arsenal, it’s not yet January so 2 is out so that only leaves 3,
It is indeed 3, and here’s why, I think the four players not away are Denilson, as he’s too young for Brazil to pick him, Sagna because he’s injured, Almunia because he’s shit and Song because Cameroon don’t have a game. I could be wrong about Song and if he has a game then he’s shit just like Almunia.
At the start of the season I thought Almunia could make it, but over the last month and Fernebache aside he’s been truly shocking, he himself is now admitting he was crap, so that only leaves Wenger who has an eyesight problem.
After all the good things I said about Wenger, he goes and blows it all on Saturday, why does he make wholesale changes 2 minutes before time against the spuds when we don’t need it and we end up not winning, then not make them at half time against Villa when we do need them and we end up losing?
With all the first team away we have a great opportunity to play the Carling cup team against Man City, they’ll be fresh, they’ll work hard and they’re actually better and more deserving.
Give the armband to Fabianski or better Ramsey. Ramsey for me is already miles better than Denilson and with Jackie boy in there with him and maybe even Randall we have a good engine in their.
Cesc has been rubbish and should be rested, simple, I love him, but he’s not been performing so he needs resting, you don’t become bad overnight unless your name is Manuel and Song was bad the night before so he doesn’t count.
I read somewhere that another team are thinking of making Song an offer, what ever it costs us Arsene, pay it, I’ll chip in.
Not a lot else save this amazing comment from the boss,
‘After defeat to Aston Villa, Wenger snapped, we had no player we really wanted and for now we have no regrets. You cannot explain Gael Clichy’s own goal here by the fact we haven’t an experienced player in midfield. We were not, as a team, sharp enough to dictate the pace and be dominant in the fight’
Okay if there wasn’t a player you wanted then why enquire about Barry and make offers to Alonso and Toure? If we had a midfield enforcer like any of the above or Cana then Gael Clichy wouldn’t have headed into his own goal because the ball wouldn’t got that far and if we had a decent keeper, he would have saved it.
What pisses me off is the lies from Wenger and the board, things like we have no money and there was no one we wanted are clearly lies, as we know there is money and we know he tried to buy two players.
So that’s it, that’s my return from a sulk-up, I’m still hugely depressed and I can’t shake it, and all I seem to read about is we are after another couple of youngsters, we he never learn?
Le Grove is now smart phone compatible!
Pedro
Geoff
November 17, 2008 at 09:28
1
November 17, 2008 at 09:29
Hahaha. Choy. your time is over. I am first today.HAHAHAHAHAHA
November 17, 2008 at 09:29
Very sad weekend. But I am 2nd. So i can celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 17, 2008 at 09:31
are we going to be depressed all week?
I think Wenger’s hand will be forced by players returning late with knocks.
November 17, 2008 at 09:31
I’m still depressed!
November 17, 2008 at 09:35
Gr8 post Pedro. We are again on th trail of STAR-LETS fabian Delph and Joe Ledley. You are righty, we’ll never learn.
November 17, 2008 at 09:35
its not plausible in reality though..changing the whole team around..
November 17, 2008 at 09:36
xeeeez. Are you from Pakistan?
November 17, 2008 at 09:36
xeeez. Are you from Pakistan?
November 17, 2008 at 09:37
Why aren’t my posts appaering
November 17, 2008 at 09:38
Xeeez. Are you from Paksitan?
November 17, 2008 at 09:40
I call for the following changes though:
Almunia->Fabianski
CB=Toure, Djouru OR Silvest, Djouru
Cesc->Rvp
Nikki->Ade
Nasri->Ramsey
Ok play a midfield of: Theo Diaby Denilson Ramsey. Have jack on the bench and don’t be reluctant to bring him on.
Sagna is injured so I hope Eboue is back and he plays him at RB. I bet though that he is going to play JD20 out of position at RB!
November 17, 2008 at 09:40
yea spurdozer I am from Pakiland
November 17, 2008 at 09:41
yea spurdozer I am from pakiland
November 17, 2008 at 09:42
Who’s interested in Song Geoff?
Maybe we can have a donation link to pay for his departure…….I’ll donate first if you want………
November 17, 2008 at 09:42
Good call Geoff about playing the players who are going to be here all week, we can prepare them, they would play out of their skins I have no doubt about that, and give every ounce for the cause.
But how sad is it that fans of Arsenal FC are seriously calling for the manager to play our 17yo reserve team ahead of our first team? It should NEVER have got to this point in the first place. And on that note, I will repeat something I said a few minutes ago on yesterday’s post…
I think our problems are far more widereaching than a simple lack of personnel – imo our problems go all the way back to the boardroom, when it comes to football as opposed to property development, there is a total lack of drive vision and ambition within the board, who are a bunch of fusty old men, which in turn allows Wenger to operate in total comfort and freedom within his top-secret youth laboratory, which in turn makes the players operate in this lackadaisical state of mind with no balls or determination, unless it’s a big game on Sky against one of the top four when all their pals in Togo/Paris/Barcelona will be watching down the pub/bar.
We need a root and branch reform basically. Someone vibrant calling the shots up top, pushing Wenger to buy, identifying targets, suggesting available players, pressing the players for results. Kenyon might be the world’s biggest baldest cunt, but at least he keeps the club moving upwards. We have been sat in the same position for four years now.
It is scandalous that our board has taken this long to appoint a new dynamic man to deal with the football side of things. We are a FOOTBALL club! It should have been a PRIORITY! Instead PHW, Friar, Sir Chips and Lord Harris are sitting around in leather-upholstered chairs with snifters of brandy in their hands and working out how many millions Arsene will save the club this year.
November 17, 2008 at 09:42
Morning Grovers!
I don’t think I am as depressed as the Bear. I don’t know what the coach can do to shake things up though…
Adebayor will come back into the fold… Maybe he could play Carlos alongside him. I’d drop Cesc and play Diaby next to Denilson, or play Ramsey… I think I’d also think about dropping Nasri.
Oh, and I would drop Almunia for Fabianski. I’d rather see a keeper miss a cross than do nothing… inaction is infuriating… becuase it means you are not shouldering responsibility.
November 17, 2008 at 09:43
Count me in Song for donation too..Yea spurdozer I’m from Pakistan
November 17, 2008 at 09:44
Morning pedro..
Count me in Song for donation too..
Yea spurdozer I’m from Pakistan
November 17, 2008 at 09:44
Top post guys,
I’ve already accepted we’re shit this season, and wont win sod all until AW sees it himself.
This is the worst crop of players Wenger has EVER had, and anyone who disagrees should take time out and compare the squad man for man with previous ones.
We’ve got our worst 1st choice goal keeper since before spunky, our worst central midfield for over a decade, worst set up of back up/utility players since before AW, and the most inconsistent strike force I can remember.
Add all these together with the fact that our manager will continually try and convince us that the likes of Song,Eboue,Diaby,Denilson,Almunia,Bendtner,Ade and RVP are world classs, and you begin to realise we’re truly fucked!!
Dont get me wrong, I hate seeing us win, but the way this season is panning out, I think we’re going to have to get used to it and be pleasantly surprised when we win the odd game!!
I’m thru having my weekends ruined by a bunch of over paid under achieving passion lacking coulndt give a toss wannabe footballers who turn up week in week out churning out crappy performance after crappy performance, while true reds like you and me go into mourning after watching their shambolic displays!
AW has to take the blame here too, because he was the one that decided some of these twunts are good enough, when they’re obviously not!
Get your act together Arsenal!
And that goes for the board, manager and players, because it just isnt good enough at the moment!
November 17, 2008 at 09:44
Wheres Big Raddy? Surfing the sports channels in Denmark for England victories over the weekend
November 17, 2008 at 09:45
Good shout Seb… we need a football man from a successful club. I don’t want Charltons old Chief Exec or Watfords… you want someone who can do the same job as Dein.
Surely there must be a busy young upstart in the football industry desperate for that job?
November 17, 2008 at 09:45
Howdy Odub, is your avatar Rocky?
November 17, 2008 at 09:45
A decision was taken some years ago to prioritise wealthy, corporate fans (who sit in silence but pay large amounts) over the supporters that create a positive atmosphere. Away fans are allowed to stand unchallenged (I sat directly behind the Man Utd fans and they stood for 90 minutes) whilst we are constantly told to sit, or face ejection. Billionaire Mike Ashley can down a pint at his seat but try it for yourself and see what happens to you.
Talking of alcohol, I stayed behind to drown my sorrows after yesterday’s shambles but within ten minutes, 20 or so dayglo clad stewards (each of whom failed charm school) were herding us downstairs – the only thing missing was a shout of “Raus, raus!!”
Before being so rudely interrupted I watched bemused as the usual procession of Bentleys, Rolls Royce, Audi R8s or Aston Martins left the club car park. Oh well – at least I got a seat on the tube!
What was once a friendly and welcoming club is turning into an unfriendly money making machine, simply because young players are demanding higher and higher wages, whilst threatening to leave unless said wage rise takes place. Stand up Mr Adebayor and show us your wage slip – £320,000 per month!!
November 17, 2008 at 09:46
Just read it on online gooner.
November 17, 2008 at 09:46
First to read, and yes I agree, we have to rotate, the Carling Cup team were sharp and gave a great performance, the first team need to analyse what went wrong and try to find a solution before risking all of them again.
Fabregas is out anyway because he has accumualted 5 yellows.
This is only a temporary dip because these players are some of the best in the world when on form. The whole team is off form, not normal by Arsenal standards but I’ll even go back to the unbeaten season when we were scratching for a win. I remember there were 3 draws on the spin (I can’t remember the names of the opposing teams, I’ll have to look it up) and the same questions were being asked then and they bounced back.
I remember Manyoo had a similar crisis 4 years ago, they didn’t win the league but they finished in the top four. Usually what happens with class teams, just like class horses, is they have dips but they return to their real class eventually. Even big spending Barca had major dips last season, and what these dips usually reveal is, a problem that existed in the team before the dip, the dip is like the inflammation….and we can deal with it. Lets finish licking our wounds today and hope this dip will soon go away.
What we know at the moment is that we cannot expect consistency so we’re looking at every match as a “here we go, lets see how it goes” affair.
Because we’re inconsistent, I predict at the moment that we’ll get approx 70 points at the end of the season, ets not start believeing we’ll lose every game.
It’s normal for fans to call for additions to the squad at times like these, and as I’ve stated before, Ashley Young would be who I’d add, he would definitely improve our goal tally.
November 17, 2008 at 09:46
Good comeback Ethangunner from previous post. I don’t mind the more passive you.
November 17, 2008 at 09:47
Morning pedro..
Count me in for the Song donation too..
Yea spurdozer I’m from Pakistan
November 17, 2008 at 09:48
Morning GG9,
It is indeed, a player half the current lot dont even come close to!
November 17, 2008 at 09:49
Yea spurdozer I’m from Pakistan…
November 17, 2008 at 09:50
no point in being depressed, get used to the mediocrity this season!
November 17, 2008 at 09:52
TAXI FOR SONG:
I’ll lead the whip round & personally give him the money as I know where he lives..
November 17, 2008 at 09:52
I’ll 2nd that Odub,
November 17, 2008 at 09:53
Morning Finest,
Which ones of the current crop would you say are among the best in the world on their day?
I count Cesc and maybe 3 of our back 4…..
November 17, 2008 at 09:53
I think we will beat Man City though, They do not know how to get amongst us. They will play similarly to Man Ure did so as long as we can score one more goal than them we will be ok
Chelsea on the other hand I am not looking forward to…..That could be a rout
November 17, 2008 at 09:53
Pedro,cesc is suspended.I will have a bet with you that if Fabianski plays instead of Almunia and he makes a howler as he probably will,it will prove both keepers are vunerable.and not up to the standard required.
All this talk about us having Villa,Barry Alonso,it didn’t happen and it won’t.There is an underlying problem that the team aren’t bonded,not enough leaders and with so many younger players,it is clear that there is a clash of personalities within the squad.
November 17, 2008 at 09:54
On Their day I would say Sagna, Clichy and Cesc
That is it
November 17, 2008 at 09:56
Pedro it’s a feature of any successful business, the men at the top put pressure on the men directly below them, which in turn gets passed on down to the workforce. There is no pressure at Arsenal! Complacency is the watchword for our club these days! At least Dein gave a shit about things, when do our board ever make any noises about anything – they just say ‘We have total faith in Arsene and we leave all the football matters in his hands 100%’ – they have basically put the club in his lap, and his manner sometimes seems to betray that he believes that.
Ferguson is trusted by his board (with far more reason) but you still get the impression he recognises he is only a cog in a machine, he maintains a respect for the club and the board, there is discipline. Arsene is a maverick who does things the way he wants to.
I must add for any haters out there, I am one of AW’s biggest admirers, he has worked miracles for us over the years, he has changed the face of English football in many ways, and what I want is to see him performing at his best like he used to. Until he gets some stern direction from above, and I don’t mean God, I can’t see things getting back to the good old days.
November 17, 2008 at 09:59
SEB 1000000000000% agreed. Just what I thought.
November 17, 2008 at 10:01
arsene faces no pressure from the board so it’s natural his passion for winning is wearing off although his obsession with kids is getting bigger and bigger.
November 17, 2008 at 10:02
Pedro – If we extrapolate our current trend (win at home against good teams, lose home and away against lesser sides) we will finish the season 6th or 7th, Wenger will still be in denial for the months of May, June and July (and we will agonize), then he will call his mate David Dein in despair who will coach him in getting a lot of needed replacements just in time for a decent pre-season preparation and we will win a nice piece of silverware next season.
November 17, 2008 at 10:02
Morning Odub……good question….best in the world.
None of them are the best in the world, but some are amongst the elite.
Sagna, Clichy, RVP, Walcott, those four are our most talented.
I hate to say this, but it’s true. We used to be driven by Thierry Henry, he was the major difference. We all know it, Henry was the maestro, he scored goals, created goals, and no one has replaced him. The team have not evolved sufficiently to make up the deficit post Henry. It’s just that we never mention it.
People used to call us a one man team (we knew it wasn’t true) because Henry made an impact season after season. It looked like we had an immediate post Henry response last season, but then we dropped a 5 point lead and lost the title.
November 17, 2008 at 10:02
Time to face some facts.
At this point in time, our team/squad could be best described as young, talented, low in confidence, over-paid but most importantly spinless, gutless and lacking in fu-king respect for the club and the fans.
Our young team is in many ways indicative of the young (sub 30) generation of today. They don’t care enough and want everything for fu-k all.
We have had many a shite team in the past, but we never had such a collection of talented players who collectively did not give a shit. It sickens me.
I put the blame firmly at the doorstep of the manager. We needed to hold onto experienced players and good pro’s such as Pires, Gilberto to bring the right attitude to the dressingroom and pass on good habits.
Our club is in a complete mess – rudderless.
Let the rollercoaster ride continue.
November 17, 2008 at 10:02
i would have rather watched eastenders back to back for 5 hours than watch that crap we produced on the weekend.
what makes it worse is that i cant even stand the programme.
November 17, 2008 at 10:05
well anyone knows what sharpness means? Arsene uses it again and again. we lacked sharpness in our game. What the fuck. Sharpness means
.
. ………………. 1. Having a thin edge or a fine point suitable for or capable of cutting or piercing.
2.
a. Having clear form and detail: a sharp photographic image.
b. Terminating in an edge or a point: sharp angular cliffs; a sharp nose.
c. Clearly and distinctly set forth: sharp contrasts in behavior.
3. Abrupt or acute: a sharp drop; a sharp turn.
4.
a. Intellectually penetrating; astute.
b. Marked by keenness and accuracy of perception: sharp hearing.
5. Crafty or deceitful, as in business dealings: sharp selling practices.
6. Vigilant; alert: kept a sharp lookout for shoplifters.
7.
a. Briskly or keenly cold and cutting: a sharp wind.
b. Harsh or biting in tone or character: sharp criticism.
8. Fierce or impetuous; violent: a sharp temper; a sharp assault.
9. Intense; severe: a sharp pain.
10.
a. Sudden and shrill: a sharp whistle.
b. Sudden and brilliant or dazzling: a sharp flash of lightning.
11. Strongly affecting the senses of smell and taste: a sharp pungent odor; a sharp cheese.
12. Composed of hard angular particles: sharp sand.
13. Music
a. Raised in pitch by a semitone.
b. Being above the proper pitch.
c. Having the key signature in sharps.
14. Informal Attractive or stylish: a sharp jacket. See Synonyms at fashionable.
adv.
1. In a sharp manner: hit me sharp on the brow.
2. Punctually; exactly: at three o’clock sharp.
3. Music Above the true or proper pitch.
n.
1. Music
a. A sign () used to indicate that a note is to be raised by a half step.
b. A note that is raised a half step.
2. A slender sewing needle with a very fine point.
3. Informal
a. An expert.
b. A shrewd cheater; a sharper.
So which one meaning fits in here? EXPLAIN!!!!!!!!!!
November 17, 2008 at 10:08
The team was not sharp enough , I believe in the quality of the team , I think we are still in the title race until its mathematically impossible , I believe buying and spending money is not always the correct option , I believe they kicked us alot , It was the ref’s fault. We were not sharp enough.
Thats the bunch of lies weve been given in the post match interviews , honestly if he was not a miser he would actually pay someone to right this script for him insyead of just asking denilson to write it everyweek who he just rewards with a first XI berth !!
One more dose of this and i think i will puke. I think most ppl at AFC need a stick up their rear end and i dont think i have any doubts who will be my first choice.
At least i will get away wid it cause he will not see it as usual.
November 17, 2008 at 10:09
Xeez… their is a word in Pakistan that trips the spam filters. That is why your comments are being moderated!
November 17, 2008 at 10:12
Spurdozer…
sharp (CLEVER) Show phonetics
adjective MAINLY APPROVING
clever or quick to notice things:
Bird-watchers need to have sharp ears and eyes.
She has a sharp eye for a bargain.
Our new director is very sharp.
She manages to combine a sharp mind/intellect with a sympathetic manner.
He was a man of sharp wit/sharp-witted man who always spoke his mind.
The play was full of sharp one-liners.
sharp (ABLE TO CUT) Show phonetics
adjective
1 having a thin edge or point which can cut something or make a hole in something:
Both of those.
Metaphorically the second explanation regarding finishing chances off, not being able to cut through defences and score.
November 17, 2008 at 10:12
GG9
I can only say that as a nation we have become the Spurs of the sporting world !!
Desperate times indeed.
Off to enjoy the freezing cold mornig. Have a good days banter…..
November 17, 2008 at 10:13
what was really worrying was the lack of desire,if we gave it our best and lost then fair enough!
but to lose the way we did is bad news for this season,these players need to get off there arse’s and proof to us how much they want to play for this great club.
YOU THE PLAYERS, OWE IT TO THE FANS!
do they understand the pain we go through and how much it hurts,not even xmas yet and it looks like the tittle race is over for us!
please arsen we have waited long enough now,we need you to get this right.
November 17, 2008 at 10:13
Finest
I’d go with Sagna,Clichy and Cesc, Theo’s still too inconsistent, and so is RVP, his temperment and injury record doesnt help matters either.
I’d actually add Gallas because on his day he is still a top defender, only problem is his day seems to be 1 out of 4 games recently!
November 17, 2008 at 10:13
Big Raddy
November 17, 2008 at 10:13
Geoff i am holding off doing my article as im still gutted over the weekend!!!! i don’t know how you guys do it. I suppose this blog means alot to you. But im just shutting myself out from the rest of the world as i have no idea what the fuck is going on with our players.
November 17, 2008 at 10:13
yea spurdozer I’m from Pakistan..
btw is something wrong with the comments posting today?
November 17, 2008 at 10:15
I posted saturday night what to do;
1. Gallas shipped out in January .
2. Djourou to be immediate installed to play next to Kolo or Sylvestre
3. MUST have a 3 man midfield with Ramsey, Diaby & Cesc
4. 1 winger of either Theo/Nasri/Vela
5. 2 forwards from Ade, with either RVP/Vela or Theo ( if not the wingers)
5. BUY A FUCKING DCM MONSTER IN JAN !!!
November 17, 2008 at 10:16
ali the ref had a stinker,but that does not change the fact that we deserved to lose.
we was rubbish pure and simple,we didnt stand up and be counted!
there was no desire by the team to win!
November 17, 2008 at 10:16
Odub, what did you think of the centre backs at the weekend?
November 17, 2008 at 10:17
the kids should play against man city.
Roughly same team as wigan game with maybe adebayor in for simpson. Thats not a dig at simpson i just think now ade is fit he should get a game cause he is due a goal or two.
——Fabianski——
Hoyte–JD–Silvestre–clichy
LJW–Ramsey–Randall–merida
—–Vela—-Ade—-
November 17, 2008 at 10:17
Looking for a director of football with no experience ?. Looking for a man steeped in football with above average footballers intilligence?. Looking for a man that will not accept losing. ? Looking for a man with International experience that would gain respect from younger players ?.
Step forward : Martin Keown.
November 17, 2008 at 10:18
From which city xeeez?
November 17, 2008 at 10:19
I would say Fabregas as well but at the moment his form has dipped to mediocre.
Theo is top class, but he is still 19, and he has not yet played a full Premier League season.
Gallas…….hmmmm …………..he scores important goals but at times is reluctant to go for a header…..and sometimes he goes a bit too far forward…
There is no doubt in my mind that he is a good defender but, I feel his form will not get back to his peak. When I watched him in the Euros he was not the Gallas of old, and this season he has had a few dodgy performances.
November 17, 2008 at 10:20
seb
your right the board are a bunch of old greedy wankers .. i said that pre – season ..And a change , an injection of cash with a new rich sugar daddy coupled with wengers nous we would of seen this team on track by now.
but if they say wenger can buy, then you have to shift that blame on to wenger , or at least that’s what we are told .. to believe .. ( not sure i buy into that however )
Good strikers will score goals .. give them the ball and watch them score ..:)
weve always been a team that needs to score more than the opposition .. and currently it would go a long way if we had
some … Not sure if the problems end there … but we need some class in the midfeild also ..
i think we have that … vela – jack – ramsey , but again wenger refuses to play them ..
favoring his average more established players ..
The body language from cesc tells me he wished he went when his 2 other buddies left ..
and im sure this is the final season youll see him in the red and white ..
He is playing like a man who has already left the club if you ask me !
November 17, 2008 at 10:21
If Cesc is injured, IMO Ramsay should be given a start. Didn’t he start the F A Cup Final; he’s scored a CL goal and what a beauty it was, & against Wigan in the Carling Cup he was the man.
November 17, 2008 at 10:21
That is the spirit Odub, why should anyone continue to be sad about some bunch of idiots who collects fat week in week out wheathjhey perform or not. IT IS TIME FOR ARSENAL FANS TO GO TO STADIUM OR WATCH THEIR TELEVISION HOPING FOR TO SEE ATTACKING FOOTBALL REGARDLESS OF WHEATER WE WIN OR NOT. WE SHOULD STOP TAKING PAIN KILLER FOR OTHER PEOPLE HEADACHE.
November 17, 2008 at 10:21
November 17, 2008 at 10:22
Pedro,
It’s simple really the goalkeeper does not instill anyone with confidence, as a result panic sets in any time there’s a cross or set piece lobbed into the box.
This in turn is making them both look worse than they actually are. I do however think that Silvy should be moved to LB to give young Gael a couple of weeks off, and JD (still yet to let in a goal on his watch) played alongside Gallas with Kolo at RB (Sagna injured, Eboue not fit)
Back 5 should be Fab,Kolo,Gallas,JD and Silvy.
And if that doesnt work I dont know what will!
November 17, 2008 at 10:23
cesc is dreaming of being home in sunny spain,while we sit here freezing our arse’s of with nothing!
how many times now, season after season are we going to have to replace players because they do not share the dream?
November 17, 2008 at 10:25
I watched citeeh yesterday, and I think a team of
Fab
Kolo Gallas JD Silvy
Theo Rams Diaby Nasri
RVP Vela
Would do them good and proper.
November 17, 2008 at 10:28
I like the look of that team Odub, we should send that team out against Citeh.
November 17, 2008 at 10:29
Cesc is banned on saturday anyway which is a good thing. he has been poor. Ade will come in and he should be partnered by Vela not Bendtner.
Ramsey needs to come into midfield. the boy is quality.
and I know he is young but Coquelin is exactly the type of player the team needs. a nutter who doesn’t stop running and makes tackles all day long. I would rather have a 28 yo player in the same mould but given that that isn’t possible Coquelin is the next best thing.
Failing that Djourou.
Fabi is a better keeper than Manuel too.
November 17, 2008 at 10:30
Morning All, good post…
What i cant get my head around is how that 11 played so well against Manure, then so shocking against Villa –
Cesc is now out for a game anyway so he will be replaced with Ramsey I hope
Almunia – well I have to agree, he is going through a bad time, or is he just showing his true colours – Fabianski deserves a run now imho
JD – I hope he gets his chance against Man City, he deserves it, surely
Saturday I would love to see
Eboue Willy JD Clichy
Theo Ramsey Diaby Nasri/Merida (yes Merida)
Ade RvP/Vela
Bench – LJ, Almunia, Kolo, Nik/Simpson, Randall Nasri/Merida Vela/RvP
November 17, 2008 at 10:32
And Fabianski in goal – woops
November 17, 2008 at 10:32
i would change ade for rvp.
then it makes him see that you cant be stupid and get yourself sent off.
then at least we have great fire power coming of the bench!
November 17, 2008 at 10:33
If cesc is dreaming of Barca then he should be sold in the summer. we dont need an under performing player who doesn’t want to be here. we can still get £35m for him that wenger can stick in the bank and give nice hefty pay rises to all his crappy players who still wont have won any trophies.
November 17, 2008 at 10:33
no.1 goon,yes it is sunny here in Spain,but why do you and several others have this notion that Cesc will leave at the end of the season.he has played non stop football for 15 months and at 21 it is a lot to ask for everything we do well should be down to him.If as some say he is not a shadow of the player he was especially in the first half of last season,and his game goes downhill no one will want him anyway.Not one player performed well on saturday,give him the benefit of the doubt and judge him at the end of the season.if he goes,he goes but for now I remain optimistic about him staying.
November 17, 2008 at 10:36
Gazzap… I think Cesc still loves the club, he just needs to know the board have the same ambition he does.
Did you read the interview by Adams the other day saying he was going to leave? Then the board said wait and see what the new coach does before you make a decision… then Adams stayed.
Maybe the threat of Cesc leaving at 22 will force the boards hand…?
I don’t think we can just ditch a player because he is unhappy… lets address the root cause…
November 17, 2008 at 10:36
It don’t matter what team we put out against City, the problems we have are within the club and the entire squad.
Its akin to moving the deck chairs on the Titantic.
Our manager and board have got this season so wrong. We are in real danger of losing our top 4 status, and drifting into the abyss. I think it has got that serious – very sad to say.
November 17, 2008 at 10:37
kelsey… why would he stay? what have we done to show him we are a serious team… we dont even deserve to called ‘title contenders’ at the start of each season any more!!
November 17, 2008 at 10:37
Oh… and how board (<- pun) is everyone regarding the replacement of Dein?
We were told the end of September… what a joke.
November 17, 2008 at 10:37
I agree with Seb on the whole club situation and it is symptomatic of what we are witnessing at the moment. Business and football are being run as 2 separate and distinct entities within the club with no visible cohesive strategy and with one objective in mind – clear the poxy mortgage on the stadium. There is nothing else on the table other than that. That is worrying.
On to recent matters. Finest your view that the dip in form is a temprorary situation and that we can hope that it will improve soon. The pattern of results does not show a dip in form but rather a worrying trend. It’s hard work and a hugely improved attitude that is needed. There are clearly motivational issues with some players that need to be addressed. If playing for one of the greatest clubs in the world, getting paid shit loads for the privilege and playing in front of 60,000 fans on a regular basis doesn’t do it for you then I don’t know what does.
November 17, 2008 at 10:38
because he is playing like he couldnt give a toss,
did you watch the way he was passing the ball,that has nothing to do about tired!
we are all tired in life,he should try doing some real work where you dont get thousands for kicking a ball about.
i would snap he’s hand’s of if wanted to swap places with me,face it mate he has given up on the arse and wants to go home.
November 17, 2008 at 10:40
we all love cesc,but what right now is keeping him here?
November 17, 2008 at 10:40
Kenny it took me two days, Pedro held the fort!
Xeeez I’m going to take the word ‘Paki” out of the banned list because we are getting more and more of you guys from the sub-continent on so it doesn’t make sense to keep it in there, if we get any knobbers on we’ll put it back.
I have a simple solution to stop Wenger having to lie and not having to worry about not signing who we should.
MAKE IT UP WITH DAVID DEIN, DON’T CUT OFF YOUR NOSES TO… GET THE DRIFT THE BOARD?
November 17, 2008 at 10:43
No. 1 Goon… he loves Arsenal, that hasn’t changed. We can’t just give up on a player who is out of form.
November 17, 2008 at 10:43
Well said Geoff.
November 17, 2008 at 10:44
pedro… they are probably looking for the best business man…. if they genuinly wanted whats best hill-wood and co. would never have fucked dein off like they did, and if they still want whats best for the club they could just bite the bullet and get dein back in to help arsene and have minimal contact with him
November 17, 2008 at 10:45
Seems like everyone at AFC has decided to goof-up. Now why on earth does a Top Ten rich list member club ( according to Forbes) , Winner of 13 domestic titles , a cultural brand and atleast according to the Manager capable of a title challenge put a disguesting headline of not ” having any rational explanation ” for the villa debacle on their official website.
I mean we will give you a rational explanation something most have been saying since the summer , buy some experience you tit , we aren’t good enough!!
November 17, 2008 at 10:46
Morning everyone its a sad state of affairs at the minute we have 0 consistency & leadership.
It reall annoys me when you see AW sitting there shaking his head only he can do something about it.
November 17, 2008 at 10:46
great minds geoff
November 17, 2008 at 10:46
Ali, welcome to Le Grove.
I read that and thought the same.
What sort of business uses the excuse of, ‘No idea?’.
November 17, 2008 at 10:47
Geoff,
dont see it happening mate.
November 17, 2008 at 10:48
Nor do I Odub but we if we can make enough fuss, they’ll know we want it.
November 17, 2008 at 10:48
the only way to get Cesc back on side is to do something big in January. Buy a name to partner him. he is not thrilled to be next to either Denilson or Song, while theo is not running into the right areas for him. cesc is still pining for Flam and Hleb and I suspect is thinking about Barca.
November 17, 2008 at 10:48
pedro agree,he has given everything so far.
but after the euros he look like to me he has a change of heart!
who could blame him,i reckon the next signing has to be special someone who will lift cesc and maybe he will stay.
right now he’s body reactions say he is off!
November 17, 2008 at 10:49
I think
Spanish Waiter or Fabianski (neither are convincing)
Silver JD20 Gallas Clichy
Theo Ramsay Diaby Nasri
Ade Vela
Night boys & girls
November 17, 2008 at 10:49
cesc is nackered because he is doing it all in CM where as last year Flamini did a shift every game.
November 17, 2008 at 10:49
Tom just read your comment, top man!
Ali, TIT is a great word for what he’s doing my friend!
November 17, 2008 at 10:50
Exactly Gazzap… that is also the only way they are going to get 100% renewals this year.
No.1 Goon, I know the situation was a bit different way back when… but when Bergkamp camp back from world cup after missing a penalty… he was a broken man.
November 17, 2008 at 10:53
I think its time AW woke up and realised Eboue,Song,Diaby,Bendtner,Denilson will only ever be consistent enough to be squad players not first teamers.
November 17, 2008 at 10:54
maybe a few weeks off we do him good,who knows could be the start of ramsey if given a chance?
November 17, 2008 at 10:54
well thanks Geoff for taking ‘Paki’ off the list.. its kinda funny
..
spurdoser I’m from Lahore..have lived in Rabwa for quite some time as well..
November 17, 2008 at 10:55
afc53 second that mate,i would take diaby out of that list because i still think he could be a great player for us!
November 17, 2008 at 10:55
bentder looks like he needs to go back on loan, he was appalling on sat in every respect.
November 17, 2008 at 10:56
Thanks for the welcome Pedro , been following this blog for a while , pity really that a run of baffling perfomances manage to get my goat enough for me to let out steam.
Hoping for calmer times ahead.
November 17, 2008 at 10:56
am I still using a wrong word here? coz my comments aint appearing ..
I am from Lahore spurdozer
November 17, 2008 at 10:57
I would pick Randall ahead of Denilson. At least Randall has a bit of bite in the tackle and doesn’t keep giving the ball away. I criticise Denilson at nearly every game ive seen him play. He is a poor player who wouldnt even get in Spurs team. He only passes the ball sideways and backwards which Fab has started doing. The quick one touch football we used to do has been replaced by a slow methodical way of playing where we let them get all 11 men behind the ball. Arsene THIS IS NOT WORKING. The best way to beat teams is with pace. Everyone is scared of it.
November 17, 2008 at 10:57
Based on our current form, we’ll end up losing between 8-12 games this season!!!
That’s not top 4 form, that’s mid table form!!!!
How the hell are we going to attract new better players next season when we’re in the uefa cup?!!! (I know Milan have done it, but they’re Milan!!)
November 17, 2008 at 10:57
maybe the computer is taking Lahore==La’ Whore and that why my posts aint appearing!
November 17, 2008 at 10:57
afc53, Diaby was our best player on saturday, and he was subbed off!!! the reason we are not in the title race is because we have too many players who are not at that level. its not rocket science. they might have the talent but if you haven’t got the right mental attitude to put in 100% effort and are prepared to fight for the team then talent alone means very little.
November 17, 2008 at 10:58
We cant solely blame the manager for this. Wenger, like Cesc, is being asked to do too much and consequently, his time spent focussed on football tactics and the team have obviously suffered. Denilson is a good player, but he is not a DM. He is the sort of player who should be replacing Cesc in the last 20 minutes or so, when, by then, we should be in a winning position. Yes, bringing in experienced players will stop a youth/reserve player stepping straight into the first team…but there is nothing wrong with that…it means more competition for places,which is only a good thing. I think Wenger has said what he has so far out of loyalty and respect for the board and for the club. The board need to reciprocate this respect by either bringing David Dein back, or someone as good as him, to take the pressure off of Arsene and let him focus on the team. It is glaringly obvious now that we need a DM and a strong, proven CB. We have the flair, tachnique and skill to destroy any team on our day, but we need these two positional signings to GET THE BALL BACK and move it to these players!!
Cesc will welcome the game ban, he needs a rest. Nik B is not looking comfortable on the ball and he needs to be dropped IMO for Carlos Vela. The boy is magic and will be a handful for any defence. Vela and Ade should start for us, with RvP as sub, and Nik B also. Ramsey and Wilshere need to be brought on as subs at later stages too…if only because they displey hunger and a positive attitude. Those are two key elements which are missing at the moment.
I will continue to supprort the team and back them…we must remember that our support is needed, but now it is also time for the board, the manager and the team, to take hold of this situation and build towards a good, strong run, starting with our next game.
What do the rest of you think??
November 17, 2008 at 10:59
Odub things really look bad..but I think we lost 11 games when we got 4th on the last day, the same year we lost to barca in the UCL final..
November 17, 2008 at 11:02
Agreed xeez!
Not good… we only lost 3 last season and 5 the season before,
November 17, 2008 at 11:02
gazzap thats AW for you look at the spurs game “we should have gone for the 5th goal”
his words but he takes of Theo,Nasri & RVP & replaces them with Eboue Song & Diaby beggars belief really!
November 17, 2008 at 11:04
Spot on Odub
The abyss beckons – major surgery needed in Janaury
November 17, 2008 at 11:09
if we finsih 4th dont we have to play 2 qualifying rounds for CL next year???
November 17, 2008 at 11:09
Michael Pitt… who assembled the team together? The Manager
November 17, 2008 at 11:12
i don’t think it’s major surgery needed more like keyhole!! How much would anyone pay for Bendtner on a performance like that!?!?
November 17, 2008 at 11:12
AT
From next season the CL qualification format changes and we’d have to play the team placed 3rd of 4th in an Eropean league of the same quality as the EPL. Which means we could get a team from Italy, Germany, Spain etc….. Let’s see if we finish 4th first!!
November 17, 2008 at 11:12
the manager is the only one we can blame… yes the players played shit but who trains them, who puts his ideas, attitude and philosiphies on them, if they wernt up for it its because he didnt get them up for it
November 17, 2008 at 11:13
I think many on here are being a bit unfair on Cesc.
He’s just 21 & been expected to be our magician for the last three years.
It was to be expected to have a dip in form & this is no suprise with Wenger’s ridiculous non transfer policy & team selection.
You don’t buy an Aston Martin to drive off road.
November 17, 2008 at 11:14
AT no we don’t but we will probably have to play 3rd or 4th placed from one of the other major European leagues like Italy, Spain, Germany etc. That won’t be a walk in the park like the last 3 seasons.
November 17, 2008 at 11:14
A midfield of Denilson, Walcott, Nasri and Cesc looks lightweight on paper and it is in reality. Take Walcott and Nasri replace them with Hleb and Rosicky, do the same with Denilson and Flamini…. Do you know how many tackles those 3 won last season when playing together? We use to pass teams around looking for an opening and when we lost the ball we used to press aggressively to get it back. It was Wenger’s duty to ensure that the midfield had bite but he refused hoping that every team we played would present themselves like lamb ready to be slaughtered.
November 17, 2008 at 11:14
cheers odub… doesnt sound great does it!?? finishing out of the top4 wouldnt make a huge difference in terms of transfers cos we dont go for big targets anyway
November 17, 2008 at 11:14
i think wenger is showing that he is tactically inept. Yes he can find good young players but tactically at the moment……. well you can only say they are poor!
November 17, 2008 at 11:15
Michael, Wenger is not being asked to do too much – he is taking on too much. he is a control freak and he wants the power in every area of running the club. he probably even cleans the loos at the training ground! If the board were forcing these things on him then i think the fans would realise that was where the problem lies but wenger needs to delegate more, listen to those around him more and when given the money to spend then spend it.
November 17, 2008 at 11:15
Franchise…read my comment again….I didnt say that he didnt assemle the team…all im saying is that he needs to be given more time to fiocus, work with and motivate the team, by the club bringing back Dein or someone similar, leaving Arsene to focus on what he does best!
November 17, 2008 at 11:17
Gazzup…since Dein has left, Wenger has taken on many of his duties…and that is because the board have not put enough effort in finding a suitable replacement.
That there is a problem at Arsenal has been realised, and the fact is we need someone to do Deins job…not load Wenger with more duties.
November 17, 2008 at 11:17
I would agree Arsenal Tom.
I think Wenger has been struggling for some time now. As he is getting older, he is finding it harder to get through to the young players. Skillful play is evident, but heart and fight are sadly lacking.
More than ever, I think he needs a youthful new Assistant Manager. Ferguson has a new AM nearly every 3 years, not always by choice – it keeps him fresh.
November 17, 2008 at 11:18
Doublegooner that’s probably where I’ve been going wrong!
Xeeez it’s definitely clear now!
Cesc is having a dip, drop him, that’s why we have 47 players, no one is un-droppable and no one is irreplaceable, take note the board and the manager.
November 17, 2008 at 11:19
I think Michael Pittordis u have very rightly pointed to a serious problem..BUT I think if Wenger wanted he could have easily gotten dein’s replacement!
November 17, 2008 at 11:21
If a replacement for Dein was brought in he would not have had much to do anyway considering Arsene’s inactivity in the transfer market. And I believe that the reason Dein has not been replaced is because of a Wenger’s ‘anointed’ replacement has not been identified
November 17, 2008 at 11:21
‘We had no player we really wanted’ – Arsene Wenger, yesterday.
That was a lie and no one ever thinks Wenger would lie, that to me is half the problem, they all lie but we hang on their every word.
November 17, 2008 at 11:22
fab is poor but …
on the field he is with the ball and see around to pass, he sees bendtner ambling in his dreamland, song if playing will be nowhere to be seen, and denilson will be always square to him.
only choice are flanks, clichy, walcott, sagna and nasri, and then a lame cross, opp break and goal against us instead. Thts how most of the games have been.
November 17, 2008 at 11:23
Xeeez…possibly, but I would say that Dein is a difficult man to replace, big shoes to fill and I think Wenger wanted someone of that ilk, not kust anyone to fill the position. Hey-Ho…..
November 17, 2008 at 11:23
Its Wenger’s stubbornness that has us in this situations..
its his stubbornness to not get a replacement for dein..
…to not bring Keown as defensive coach after the UCL run..
…to not pay a couple of million more for the players he had earmarked to fill the flamini void!
November 17, 2008 at 11:24
I think its time AW forked out a bit of cash for the players we are short
Definately a CB,DM, maybe a CF & GK
these are a couple of areas we have been short for a while
November 17, 2008 at 11:24
Michael Pittordis..those guys from Fulham, Celtic and vodafone had all been short listed..may be there was this wage problem as usual!
November 17, 2008 at 11:26
Wenger didnt need Dein to realise that £16 mill for Alonso wasn’t too much a price to pay. Carrick £18 mill two seasons earlier, Bentley £15 mill, Hargreaves £18 mill of crock. He is just a stubborn man set in his own ways
November 17, 2008 at 11:28
why didn’t those guys want the job? what is the problem? I get the feeling we are not being told everything by the club who are dragging their heels on a very important issue.
November 17, 2008 at 11:29
Hi guys. Is choy on? His record of consecutives numero unos is broken by the next big thing of football “spurdozer”……HAHAHAHA
November 17, 2008 at 11:29
I think it’s time to realise that all these people are just people, anyone with common sense could do Dein’s job, we all could, Cana, Alonso, Barry, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where we are going wrong.
Before Dein took over, he sold fucking sugar for Christ’s sake! And fruit and veg.
We just all believe in the bollocks that ex footballers say that you need to have played at the highest level, Moanrinhio didn’t, Scolari didn’t, even Wenger didn’t, all you need is common and shed loads of money.
November 17, 2008 at 11:30
Why do player transfers have to be treated with so much secrecy like they are defense/CIA projects? ‘I have surprised you with Silvestre, I might surprise you with another’ What sort of comment is that? Its not a game its business, if you promised the fans that you would be replacing a player you do it.
November 17, 2008 at 11:31
Pedro/Geoff you guys said sometime ago Keown is starting to work with the team part time. Is it true?
November 17, 2008 at 11:33
lol @ spurdozer..haven’t seen choy around..at least u have something to be excited
November 17, 2008 at 11:34
Xeeez are there gooners there in Lahore, there are a lot of gooners here in Karachi.
November 17, 2008 at 11:34
I agree geoff..the mourinho example is the biggest..I say: “Geoff for Dein’s job”
November 17, 2008 at 11:36
whats confusing to me is the team of invincables we had was broke up as soon as we had won the league,
But this band of players he is reluctant to change because they are young and he doesnt want to harm there development.
tell that to Cesc a youngster with the world at his feet and a truly world class player who is full of ambition.
November 17, 2008 at 11:36
Geoff good point. Another thing I want to point out is the fact that Carrick and Hargreaves cost so much and United werent struggling with any other clubs i.e. in a bidding war when they tried to sign them. So if 3 clubs are interested in signing Alonso then £16 mill is a modest sum to pay for a player with 3 years premiership experience, an FA Cup, CL and European Cup winner. His supposed replacement Barry who IMO is at best ‘only as good as Alonso’ was supposed to cost Liverpool £2 million more . That even makes Alonso look like a bargain at that price. Everton paid £15 mill for Fellaini?????? I think I would stop there
November 17, 2008 at 11:37
Geoff the difference Dein built up a good reputation and an impressive football contact network which gave him a lot of gravitas in the game. He was on the FA committee, chairman of the G14 and had good access to key people in Uefa. He spotted Wenger’s potential and was instrumental in him joining Arsenal. None of this should be underestimated.
There are not many people out there who possess a good understanding of the game combined business acumen. Dein has both. This club has failed to replace him on both fronts.
November 17, 2008 at 11:37
spurdozer we have quite a lot of gooners here..not anything official or organized though..but u see most of the idiots that start off with football here usually becomes a MANC or a Chav to follow the trend! I have a couple of Leeds fans, no spud around though
November 17, 2008 at 11:37
I say ethan is the best candidate for Football dir.
November 17, 2008 at 11:37
to be honest, i’m starting to think that finishing 5th this season might actually do us some good. finish 4th and we’ll be in the same ‘the squad is good enough we won’t buy anyone” spot.
November 17, 2008 at 11:39
Sarge…well said…we need to start a bring back Dein campaign!!!
November 17, 2008 at 11:39
make that 4 years Prem experience Alonso has
November 17, 2008 at 11:40
Two of my diehard Goon mates, who have loathed to want to criticise Wenger finally conceeded saturday.
I have had to keep reiterating that I’m not calling for his head, but he is not above criticism nor can he keep living off what he did the first 8 years.
November 17, 2008 at 11:40
xeeez most football fans here in Karachi are Gooners or Liverfools, you’ll find some Mancs here too. No Chelski’s Thank God. the biggest surprise is there are some spuds here in Karachi. Two of my friends are spuds. ( HATE THE DAY I BECAME FRIENDS WITH THEM)
November 17, 2008 at 11:41
Isaac, I’m not sure that finishing 5th would force AW’s hand to change things. He’ll quote that they are a year older and more experienced and that next season they will be better equipped to challenge. We only finished 4th by the skin of our teeth 3 years ago and that didn’t soften his attitude
November 17, 2008 at 11:44
yea rightly said Sarge
November 17, 2008 at 11:44
Attila said 1 day ago:
You tossers make me want to vomit! IN WENGER WE TRUST! WENGER KNOWS!
FUCK OFF!!!
That’s what I read on The Gooner Forum. SUrely there’s no cure
November 17, 2008 at 11:45
I think there are too many glaring problems at the club, and the fact is that 3 strong signings in the right areas is all that we need. Arsene, we are told, has the money. I for 1 feel that we will invest heavily in new players this january. Why? Because EVERYONE knows that we need this, everyone, and no-one at Arsenal can tell or convince us otherwise anymore. This squad has had long enough this season to prove their worth. Players like Song have no place at Arsenal, and the fact that Wenger has tried to find his ‘best porition’ and even try him as Flamsters replacement have proved fruitless and, on a grander scale, detremental to the team. The points we have dropped this season have shown we need to bring in some proven, experienced, world class players to sort our season out. Alonso, IMO, is not the answer. Barry would have been a better option, but now, however difficult it may be, we must, and I think will, pick up some much-needed signings this Jan. We can only wait and see…..
November 17, 2008 at 11:47
lol spurdozer… morning everyone…
November 17, 2008 at 11:48
I’ve gotta go to watch my district’s football team. As I am ussually a substitute.
November 17, 2008 at 11:49
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. choy. I got you today. Bye.
Up da gunners.
November 17, 2008 at 11:49
What makes you think Alonso is not the answer Michael? The guy is a very good passer of the ball and he is as industrious passionate and as his English teammates. he has a deadly shot on him, hard enough in the tackle and would have cost 2 mill more
November 17, 2008 at 11:52
2 mill less I meant
November 17, 2008 at 11:53
It still beggers belief that some gooners wake up every morning convinced that all will be well still this season and we can still win the league!!!
Whta planet are these people on?!!!!
9 points behind in November having played 13 and lost 4, and still to go away to the chavs,mancs,scousers,citeeh,villa and spuds?!!!!!
November 17, 2008 at 11:53
If we all had a choice between keeping Flamini and buying Alonso or Barry what would we choose ?!
Just wondering like..
November 17, 2008 at 11:55
keep Flamini
November 17, 2008 at 11:56
Alonso is too similar to Cesc, is my thinking. A fantastic passer, good vision and an eye for goal….but we need some bite in the midfield…Look at how well Cesc played alongside Senna for Spain, someone who is willing to track the attackers, to go in and win the ball and move it to the creative players quickly. That is what the Flamster did for us on a regular basis. And that is what Mascherano does for Alonso…and Gerrard.
November 17, 2008 at 11:57
keep flamini.. its better with the devil you know.. why the hell couldn’t we give him 10 k more?!?! when rvp is reportedly set to get a 80k per week?!!?!
November 17, 2008 at 12:00
i also wish we kept hleb. if we did that then we could have easily built on last season’s ‘achievements’ which was finishing rd in the league after leading for over 6 months. If Rosicky’s injury was rightly diagnosed then Nasri coming in wouldnt have been a bad idea considering that he would be out until next year and that is being positive. Silvestre’s signing and Senderos’s loan move would have made sense. We could have affored also to loan out players like Denilson or play him in the Carling Cup. Vela returning from loan. Arggggggghhhhhhhh. COMPETITIONS FOR PLACES WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUTHAFUCKA
November 17, 2008 at 12:00
keep flamini.
November 17, 2008 at 12:01
i think i have a replacement for hleb… Lionel Messi.. he is like hleb with an end product.. what a player!!!
November 17, 2008 at 12:01
Odub, for most it’s probably a defence mechanism or a lack of intelligence. For them it’s like finally finding out Santa Claus doesn’t exist (sorry kids if I’ve spoilt your Xmas). They know it’s true they just don’t want to believe it
November 17, 2008 at 12:02
Then don’t we need someone that has the same sort of qualities Flamini had ?!
Out of Alonso and Barry, Barry probably fits that better.
Who would provide the same sort of energy and cover Flamini did ?! Any thoughts ?!
November 17, 2008 at 12:02
It’s UEFA Cup spots for us this season boys, and the sooner we accept it the better, hopefully there will be some moving and shaking both behind the scenes and in the transfer market while we regroup over the rest of this season, and then maybe we can get it right next time.
Aggressive pruning can encourage later growth – you don’t need to pull it out by the roots, just sort out the problem parts.
November 17, 2008 at 12:03
I wouldnt have kept Hleb AT ALL Franchise!
The guy didnt yield any direct assists or score goals! I think Nasri’s already beaten his tally for his whole Arsenal career!!!!!
November 17, 2008 at 12:03
mascherano… anderson… coquelin… essien…
November 17, 2008 at 12:04
Michael Alonso is not that similar to Cesc. He is mor of an anchor man. He is content to sit deep infront of the back 4 and spraying passes from there. His job at livepool has been to break the play and release the ball. He is one of the best passers in the league and he also has a physical presence. Next time you are privileged to watch L’Pool keep a close eye on Xabi
November 17, 2008 at 12:06
We would never get a Messi, we won’t even spend what Everton do on players, Messi would be huge money.
November 17, 2008 at 12:07
What Hleb could have done against the Villas and Stokes of this world Nasri can only dream of it at the moment. That guy had magical feet fare enough he didnt score a lot of goals but he was a crucial part of the team. The guy was magic at times. The way he used to pick players with passes from wide positions, or the way he accelerated past players on the counter attack. Are arsenal not big enough to have hleb and nasri in the same squad????? That is the question
November 17, 2008 at 12:08
I would have kept Flamini!
new avatar choy? btw this is a really nice one!
November 17, 2008 at 12:08
I think Kompanu coould have been a nice company for Cesc!
November 17, 2008 at 12:09
For what we spend, we wouldnt even get a player over 12 years old!!
November 17, 2008 at 12:10
LoL Essien would be perfect, Coquelin looks exactly the sort of player we need if only he was a few years older.
.. there must be others around ? How many people watch french football ?!
November 17, 2008 at 12:10
Privileged to watch Liverpool?….hmmmmmmm
Anyway, fair point Fanchise, I just think we need someone a little more Senna-like.
Seb….thats abit premature mate…we are in Novemeber, and while the title may now be somewhat unrealistic, I cant see a finish outside of the top 4 …..if we play to our potential and to our strenghts….and we buy some quality where its needed in january.
A lot of ‘ands’ there but we must keep things in perspective!
November 17, 2008 at 12:11
Xeeez, I don’t think that Flamini going is the who issue. After the Villa game, everyone was saying the same thing . . . “where was the passion?” Someone posted a lengthy comment from a Chelski blog, and it noted that this is an “Arsene Experiment.” If you asked me that 2-3 years ago, I would have laughed, but now, the thought is very much a real one.
November 17, 2008 at 12:12
for me Hleb is still > nasri
to think abt it, who do i want from one who pierces defense time and again but refuses to shoot and gives Ade the 13 chances that he needs to score a goal (Hleb) or the one who is mostly individualistic and goal hungry, but neither is a goal scoring machine nor one player with consistency (Nasri)
Hleb any day.
November 17, 2008 at 12:13
Interseting to know that Nasri has more goals this season than Hleb has had shots. Hleb has had 3 shots in total, none of which have been in the league.
November 17, 2008 at 12:13
the year hleb joined we had pires, reyes, ljunberg as the wide players, the year nasri joined we have eboue, walcott as the wide players (crosicky wasnt added for obvious reasons)
November 17, 2008 at 12:14
And Franchise, you are spot on. Because our squad inveriably gets injured, and we run all season long with a thin group, there is no competition for starting roles. Look at Chelsea . . . Drogba and Anelka are dueling it out for the starting role. I am sure that Drogba hates that he is not starting, and that pushes Anelka that extra bit. It is simple business/sports 101.
November 17, 2008 at 12:16
I used that phrase ‘Privileged to watch Liverpool’ cos I myself wouldnt bother watching the bore they serve up. I might be tempted Michael to watch Liverpool v Manchester or Chelsea but even that is not guaranteed. Liverpool v Arsenal then I have no choice
November 17, 2008 at 12:19
Nasri’s only 21 so still elarning, Hleb was at or approaching his peak when he was with us (25-27)
I think come in the next few months young Samri will be an even better player and we’ll all be saying Hleb who?
November 17, 2008 at 12:19
Michael I disagree (obviously)
If a backs-to-the-wall 2-1 win over United can’t inspire the team to push on and show the same commitment against Villa the following week, you can only conclude that there is a huge lack of team spirit and conviction. Given the way AW works, given the lack of leaders in the side, I can’t see things improving now. We will have a succession of false dawns over the next two months, and if Villa keep playing like they are – and there is no reason why they won’t, given that they already HAVE a midfield leader in Barry who desperately wants to play in the CL – then there is a very real prospect of us finishing fifth. We may even get caught by another side if we really struggle.
Our players aren’t happy, our team isn’t settled, we are prone to injuries, the manager has no pressure on him to perform other than from himself… what are you basing your optimism on? Team performance is down to a hell of a lot more than the individual potential of the players.
November 17, 2008 at 12:19
Isn’t it strange how the teams sponsored by Nike tend to play the better football. I dont mean in general but think about it. Us and United(dare i say) tend to play the better football, as seen in the 2-1 win. Whereas Liverpool and Chelski are more functional than attractive. Wierd huh!
November 17, 2008 at 12:20
Ikon, I could not disagree with you more. The Hleb issue was one of a few components. He ran on a line with Flamini, Cesc, and Tomas. There was the “friend” factor, which was a big component that Arsene over looked. They enjoyed playing with each other, and knew each other’s moves. That would be issue number 1. Hleb was just a part of that line up.
Issue number 2 was that we needed a feeder that could pass and shoot. Hleb did not fit that bill. It drove most of us crazy that Hleb never would shoot. I would almost equate him (distantly at that) to Clichy. There have been some very clear cut chances for Clichy to shoot both now, and in the past, and he doesn’t. Hleb did the same thing. He would try to dribble the ball all the way into the net.
Nasri will take the shot. You talk about selfish, if you want goals scored, you have to be selfish some times. If you take too many pases (which we do), you loose the window of opportunity to score. There is a phyics component to football, but we don’t have to get into that today.
And the third issue, was that Hleb wanted to go. He did not want to stay at Arsenal. Be it that he thought that he wasn’t going to win anything, or he wanted to make more money, but in the end, I would not have kept him either. If you have someone that wants to leave, and you keep them, that is one bad apple, that can spoil the whole bunch.
November 17, 2008 at 12:21
Dont know, im just tired and have nothing to do really. Want to go play snooker tonight or something?
November 17, 2008 at 12:22
Oops!! Never mind that. LOL
November 17, 2008 at 12:23
I said a blog or 2 ago , we will be grasping for 4th spot this season ..
but wenger will need to spend or he might find that his last season at the club ( under contract ) he will be OUT of C.L football ..
he pretty much has returned us too the spot he started the club at ..
we had some great high points in the middle of his campaign .. But its like looking back on a good holiday that happened 4 years ago ! A memory .. What happened ?
Something needs to be done ,
he needs to bring in ramsey – jack – and vela and give them a run !
in the short term anything else would just be utter madness !
FAB 2 must be our 1st choice ! i cant see it happening .. but .. onward and upwards !
Id like to see RVP – vela get a shot in front of goal , and im glad you sort of agree with me pedro ! Get an early goal or 2 and we might see some change !
In fact im sure we will …
everyone knows our team responds well too public negative criticism ,
so i expect we will do better in the next outing ..
Its just a shame we need to hit every low point imaginable before the squad will respond ..
consistency ! is needed ..
OPEN THAT FUCKIN CHEQUE BOOK!
November 17, 2008 at 12:23
I just came across our team in 2005-2006 the year hleb joined us the same year we had the great run in the CL there are only 5 players left today and bar Cesc I wouldnt rate any1 as a crucial player with Cesc’s current form then they are all exempt
Lehmann
Senderos
Cygan
Campbell
Lauren
Cole
Toure
Eboue
Clichy
Gilberto
Hleb
Pires
Flamini
Cesc
Ljunberg
Reyes
Henry
Bergkamp
Van Persie
November 17, 2008 at 12:23
k grovers I’m out..
..bye guys
btw the Next up=Dynamo thing has been fixed I was about to mention it
November 17, 2008 at 12:24
Why should a team change so drastically in 2 years????? Hleb and Flamini’s departure look even sillier
November 17, 2008 at 12:27
Seb, after the Villa game, I truly started to wonder what is going to happen with Arsenal this season. If we drop out of 4th, and loose the CL monies, I could see the board re-assessing Wenger’s policies. That is some serious $$$ for them to miss out on because of his inability to spend.
Remember this, we don’t know if his contracts (Which he just re-signed last year) state that if the team drops out of the top 4, his contract could be up for review. Truthfully, Arsene has done wonders for the club, but at the end of the day, the board is there to grow the brand, make the club profitable, and make sure that they win trophies. Arsene is not completely above the law. That would be a foolish board of directors, and let’s be honest, they would not want to slide back to the days before Arsene.
November 17, 2008 at 12:27
My point Odub is couldnt we have had them both? What stopped Arsene from convincing him from staying for another year?
November 17, 2008 at 12:30
maryland if the board had pulled their finger out when they got rid of Dein – regardless of whether that was a mistake or not, which it appears to be now – and brought in another man immediately to do the football side of things, then we probably wouldn’t be in this kind of situation. The board will only have themselves to blame if they do have to consider the position of a manager who could have been one of the all-time greats with a bit more control over him.
November 17, 2008 at 12:30
Franchise, didn’t Flamini want us to break the bank to keep him? He drew a line in the sand . . . . so to speak.
November 17, 2008 at 12:30
Franchise,
I think he was hell bent on leaving, and any player that keen to depart should be shown the door sharpish before he starts having a negative effect on the rest of the squad….looks like we didnt need him around for that to happen anyway!!!
November 17, 2008 at 12:31
Seb, im basing my optimism on the fact that we have the players to turn this around, and as shown against Manure, we do have the spirit and fight in the team…just not on a consistent basis….Villa havent had the best run of late, and the fact is that they turned up and we didnt. They deserved to win. There is obviously somthing not right with the squad – and to be precise, the team spirit.
November 17, 2008 at 12:31
So David Dein was the balance that kept Arsene on the straight and narrow? Didn’t Dein help buy Henry, Pires, etc.?
November 17, 2008 at 12:31
Ronaldo wanted to leave United this season but he didnt. He was either forced to stay or convinced to stay. What are the returns? He is again their most influential player in the team. Has scored 9 goals after missing like the first 4 or 5. Consistency can not be bought but nurtured. We are building blocks, then demolishing them, then building again. That is why we are not consistent. Cesc is the only surviving member from last season’s midfield if he is playing crap now it should be no surprise.
November 17, 2008 at 12:32
There is no professionalism left at the club. How could there be given that the vast majority of the squad is so young. Bergkamp, Pires, Henry, Vieira – all model professionals. They knew what it took to win but the team now is all still learning.
Im not even sure Gallas is in that bracket anymore. It seems he left his winning mentality at Chelsea. Wish he brought it here!
November 17, 2008 at 12:32
Ethan… It’s tough times for Wenger… kids on the cusp of being ready… but what do you do for the next year?
I reckon he needs to ship out the players who aren’t superstar quality and replace them with experienced ready made players.
That is how it should be right?
Play the best kids… and if you don’t have a kid good enough, ship him out on loan and get someone in who is good enough.
I would have loved to have seen a couple of seasons of Gattuso… Imagine how that would have helped? Kind of like Davids did for Spurs.
November 17, 2008 at 12:34
Cesc looks disillusioned purely because Wenger did not bring in the quality of modfielder required to play alongside him.
We need to put this right in January.
We need a DCM, and a CB -minimum- both world class.
And Fabianski needs to be given a run of games, starting from now!!
November 17, 2008 at 12:34
Michael, I posted this after the Villa game, but I think that what I saw during the pre-game warm up merits repeating. When Gallas was giving the warm up “pep talk” you could see that the majority of the players weren’t even paying attention. I know that there have been many that have stated that Gallas isn’t fit to captain, but in the end, you really know what a person is worth, when the chips are down.
I think that in and of itself, is not why we aren’t doing well, but I do think that it does not help that we don’t have a on-field leader that has the respect of the players.
November 17, 2008 at 12:37
Flaminis case was different cos his contract was running out and if Arsene really wanted to keep him we could have now we are talking about signing Alonso for 16 million. His wages wont be less than what Flamini was asking for. If Flamini was asking for say 60k a week that would have set Arsenal back about £3.12 million a season. Alonso say he asks for the same that would be 3.12 + 16 /no of years he signs for. So say he signs for 4 years he would have cost us £7.12 million a season compare that to £3.12million a season Flamini was supposedly asking for. Bad Management eh…..
November 17, 2008 at 12:37
Pedro you need to forget Gattuso, he’s past his best, Cana’s the man, fuck even Barry would do, he was all over us on Saturday.
November 17, 2008 at 12:38
Maryland…i make you 100% correct. We need a leader for the team, and to be fair to Gallas, it is a big job – but we need someone who is proud and willing to take on that responsibilty, and not shy away from it. Or, even worse, only ‘turn it on’ against the big boys! He was an excellent leader, IMO, against Manure!
November 17, 2008 at 12:38
u guys r just overeacting.our young players will step it up coz wenger has faith in em….yep! other teams hav world class talent n all we hav is FAITH! ITS WON US NOTHING but at least wenger won us the double TEN years ago n just recently in 2004 we went unbeaten.n at least we reached the cl final n led the longest with ten men.it doest matter that every season we sell off our best players(flamini n hleb last summer n prob cesc n ade next summer)we hav pretty football n a 65000 seater stadium……….
FUUUUUCK THAT SHIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW LONG R WE GOIN TO KEEP ON REMEMBERING WAT ARSENE WENGER MO LYK ARSEHOLE WANKER DID 4 US BACK THEN N NOT WAT HEZ DOING NOW?i know we o hate that cunt alan hansen but when u thnk of it,hasnt he bin proven right?we all want wenger 2 start spending but guess wat…..HE.WONT ! he will never change n as much as he has won alot 4 the club,he wont win anything else.if arsenal r 2 win anything,we only hav 1 thing we must do….i dont think i even need 2 mention it.
November 17, 2008 at 12:38
Correct me if im wrong but this is what i thought happened and i dont really understand.
A year or so back DD asked the board to just listen to what Stan Kroenke had to say but the rest of the board went apeshit and fucked him out of it, forcing him to leave. Then a couple of months ago i read that Stan was asked to join the board. Is that true?
If so then it is total bullshit that they fuck DD off and then bring in the man he was fucked out of it for. Can anyone explain what happened there???
November 17, 2008 at 12:41
pedro
That is how it should be right?
i agree 100%
“I reckon he needs to ship out the players who aren’t superstar quality and replace them with experienced ready made players.”
everyone is marveling at the chev’s – man U – pool ..
they are all doing the same thing, adopting the same logic when it comes to player recruitment .
wenger has just lost touch with what works .. his way must surely spell that it doesnt over 38 games .
i think the proof is in the pudding ..
November 17, 2008 at 12:42
That is correct, as far as I am aware Stu…and very baffling…
November 17, 2008 at 12:43
For the fact that Flamini came to us for free and played so well last season. I think we should have given him what he was asking for and tied him down to a long term contract in January. As usual Arsene left it until late and we lost out on the player. Fine where is his replacement? Forking out a few million for Flamini’s replacement would have left a sour taste in the Prof’s mouth. Economically it would have been too hard to bear hence he refused to sign any1 but hope that Denilson or Song can do a Flamini this year.
November 17, 2008 at 12:45
morning grovers…
ok here’s the deal …this morning i had a dream..Le Gaffer was sitting in a press conference and the media was shooting away.. guess who was sitting next to him … Jan Klaas Huntelaar !!! who was speaking in broken english and explaining why he was delighetd to be able to sign for arsenal and that he hoped for a long stint at the club… my son woke me up at that point.
sigh!
November 17, 2008 at 12:45
Franchise…i couldnt agree with you more!
Pay the Flamster what he is worth….well, we should have anyway….
ahhh…hindsight…..
November 17, 2008 at 12:46
i know we all love cesc but dont try heaping ur blame on anybody else michael pittordis, cescz been shite this season n has no1 else is 2 blame but himself
November 17, 2008 at 12:46
Nasri is a decent player but all he seems to do is cut back on his left,cut back on his right, and then cut back on left, before putting a cross. There’s no driving dribbles that come inside the pitch that involve Cesc. It’s just him and Clichy tip-toeing around eachother going nowhere.
It’s a damning indictment that Gourcuff is seen as the premier playmaker for France and Nasri isn’t. Pat has watched Nasri for two years and says Nasri used to do the same for Marseille. One good game five crap ones.
November 17, 2008 at 12:46
The ball was dropped big time with the flamoney saga. I doubt anyone’s head rolled for it either.
In any other job, someone would have been held accountable for a cock up of that magnitude….not at arsenal though.
November 17, 2008 at 12:46
The thing of it was that however suprised we were by Flaminis eergence as a top player, we could have seen it coming. I remember a couple of seasons back when we were pretty injury hit. We were about to play Chelsea and both Gilberto and Vieira were out but Cewsc and Flamini started the game together and played excellently. We came away with a 2-2 draw and probably should have won. That was the first incling that their partnership would work. Never have i seen Song or Denilson put on such a show.
November 17, 2008 at 12:47
Franchise, have you watched an AC Milan game this season? Flamini doesn’t even start, and when he does, he is crap. Seriously, TvIo a game, and see if he even gets a run out. If he does, he just pats the ball around.
In my honest opinion, I think Flamini played well in the Arsenal model, and it allowed him to try things that most other teams would not want a holding midfielder to do. With that being said, AC Milan have had him on the bench for most of this season. Just thought that you might want to take that into condiseration since we all seem to be crying about Flamini leaving.
November 17, 2008 at 12:48
financially liverpool are in deep shite.gilett and hicks have until january to repay £200 million personally,and dic are not budging on their takeover price,therefore is anyone is a seller in january it will be liverpool.
Love him or hate him,we are not improving without DD,wenger is lost without him in being able to handle astute wage increase and the buying of players.why give ade85k a week and now rvp a reported 80k. madness,sheer madness.
November 17, 2008 at 12:49
Stu I think the board were angry that David Dein was trying to engineer a a ‘forceful’ takeover. He contacted Kroenke to buy ITV’s shares w/o informing other members of the board. he should have cos they were a substantial amount. His next plan was to sell his own shares to Kroenke but Kroenke refused to buy them after discovering the conniving dirty tactics of Dein. Dein having being kicked out decided to sell to Usmanov. His plans were still the same. The Board werent happy for his lack of transparency that is why he was kicked out. I think anyway
November 17, 2008 at 12:50
Stu, you just summed up my comments. Flamini played well with the players around him. For some reason, he isn’t melding with the players at AC Milan.
November 17, 2008 at 12:50
Something else that makes no sense at all is that RvP just signed a new 80k a week contract! FOR WHAT!???? For being shit, missing loads of opportunities and acting like a spoilt cunt whenever he doesnt start. What a gimp. Flamini plays out of his skin gets nothing. RvP lies on the treatment table and gets a pay-rise. Now thats what i call justice!
November 17, 2008 at 12:51
Yeah that’s what I thought about why they kicked him out aswell, all he had to do was wait, if he wanted change he could’ve done it much more easily from the inside than where we’ve ended up now and he’s not even in the picture anymore.
November 17, 2008 at 12:52
I don’t understand the David Dein thing. I mean, what did he actually do? Hold a gun at Wenger’s head and say ‘buy some players you stingy git!”?
Surely Wenger still meets up with Dein and listens to his advice. Maybe the loss is with transfers. Dein was good at tieing them up. But then, we don’t know what players Wenger has gone for and who was controlling the finances and deciding how much money to offer.
November 17, 2008 at 12:53
Veron was a world beater at Lazio he moved to Mancs and was crap. The Mancs fan would say why did we waste our money on this prick but the lazio fans would say why did we sell our superstar. My point Marlyland is Flamini is not the first player to leave a team where he looked good to another where he is crap. Like you said he could play Wengerball which is all that matter. The way we play average players can look world class. Ashley Cole is not seen in the same light at Chelsea as he was at Arsenal. Henry is shite at Barca but arguably is the best ever to wear an Arsenal shirt.
November 17, 2008 at 12:54
jaimz….compare Cesc playing next to denilson and song to flamini… and then come back to me. Im not saying he has been brilliant, but Cesc needs a good DM next to him to thrive – just look at him last season campared to this…oh, and look at him playing for Spain in the summer….
November 17, 2008 at 12:55
The thing of it is that Wenger doesnt value defnensive players, something we all know, and when Flamini asked for a bit more money Wenger said no because he probably thought he was easily replaced. But then AW goes and hands TT a monumental pay rise for what? for trying to leave.
Wenger is an economist but instead of saving money he wastes it on shit.
November 17, 2008 at 12:55
jeimz, re-read my comments, i dont think you understood them the first time around…..
November 17, 2008 at 12:56
i dont think wenger has to spend ludicrous amounts ..
he can , with what he already has, complement the team with experience for under 20-40 mil ..
and considering they have made money for several years on the transfer market prior , and the eventual sales of players like senderos , and whoever else he has in mind to remove come the end of the season , realistically he wont have to spend anywhere near 200 mil ….
in fact if cesc does go i’m sure he will easily recoup his January spending ..
but i feel he needs to move on villa – alonso .. someone to put the fire back in cesc’s belly !
or he will leave ..
November 17, 2008 at 12:59
Paulinho – I think he was just the wheeler dealer type, something Wenger isn’t really, a bit of a Delboy, Wenger said I would like this player and Dein used his charm to get him.
I can’t even remember the last time Wenger was seen at an away ground looking at someone else play.
November 17, 2008 at 12:59
If AW doesn’t get us into the mix of things with this season (Meaning a comfortable spot in the Top 4), I can assure you that he will buy in January. If we are in the Top 4 come January, he probably won’t buy.
On that note, who do you think he would/could buy?
November 17, 2008 at 13:00
Remember the amazing midfield of last season. Rosicky cesc Flamini Hleb, Whenever one of them scored they all ran eachother, laughing and smiling and cesc was on top og the world. Now when ever a midfielder scored Cesc has to hug Denilson,Walcott or Nasri.
He played with friends last season and loved it, now he plays with youngsters and probably thinks ” dont touch me or i spit on you”.
November 17, 2008 at 13:03
If i cud swap places with wenger for the next game cesc will play i would put coquelin in centre midfield. Tell coquelin a couple weeks before the game to watch a few DVD games of last season and watch flamini and tell him that CDM position is his if he puts the effort in. Ive seen him and he works really really hard. Ive no doubt he could knock in a shift every game and with being 17 or whatever i reckon he would jump at the chance to play DM. Say to him hey you might not score many goals etc but at least you will be in the first team! He is better than SONG anyway!!!!
Diaby is too attack minded for DM, denilson is more cesc than he is flamini, ramsey is a welsh fabregas so cant play him there, Randall could maybe play there but he is cocky and would maybe get caught out more than most, but either coquelin or randall for me.
November 17, 2008 at 13:04
i dont think cesc has lost form .. i think he is just unhappy at arsenal currently .
he seemed on fire in the Euro’s ..
I think he is having a tough time settling into the new teams dynamics and his adjusted role within it ..
I know he is out of the next game .. but i wouldn’t drop him .. he needs to gel with his team mates ASAP . or it could spell the end ..
November 17, 2008 at 13:05
Fabregas is obviously not as benovalent as he appears. His body language seems to suggest a certain aloofness towards with players of a lesser ability.
He talks about his place being under pressure etc but if he did get dropped I think he would throw a right strop and arrange a move to Barca almost immediately.
As for the DM argument. The team needs a defensive midfielder to thrive.Cesc doesn’t.
November 17, 2008 at 13:07
Flaminis departure isnt the only reason for |Cesc doing so bad. Last season Cesc didnt have all the responsibility. Rosicky took over sometimes and he brought the ball forward, Hleb dribbled past a few defenders and layed the ball off to someone else, and Flamini stayed behind Cesc wanting Cesc go roam and work his magic.
This season Theo is really really fast but runs into deal alleys and leaves the ball behind himself. Nasri jinks alot and has the odd shot but doesnt really link up with Cesc. Denilson goes forward alot, he doesnt seem to stay back behing Cesc or even near him, instead prefering to roam himself and leave Cesc behind to make sure someone is defending. Its no coincidencethat Deni already has as many goals as Flamini got all of last season.
November 17, 2008 at 13:13
ANELKA
Anyone wishing we should have brought him back ?
November 17, 2008 at 13:17
Hi guys. I am waiting for Myles’ report too. My favourite Arsenal websites:
1. LE-GROVE
2. Online Gooner
3. ANR
4. The Gooner Forum
5. Wrighty7
November 17, 2008 at 13:18
Who would create the chances for anelka? Most of his goals have been tap ins in the 6 yard box very unlike anelka. Its cos the midfield and wide players are creating chance after chance. we used to have that luxury
November 17, 2008 at 13:18
alonso isnt the answer… we dont need another passer, we need a high energy, running hustler type player… basically what someone else said – another flam, fuck it… buy the orignial one back for all i care!!
November 17, 2008 at 13:21
Cana is the answer IMO. He is basically just a bigger, meaner Flamini. He looks great in ahis youtube videos. If we did buy Flamini back, i wonder how much Milan would want. Imagine that for a kick in the balls – a player leaving on a free and having to spend about 10m to get him back.
November 17, 2008 at 13:21
Worst arsenal website is Arsenal.com
November 17, 2008 at 13:25
A Tom wht makes you think Flamini wasnt a good passer? And what makes u think Alonso isnt a hustler. Senna doesnt run around like Flamini but he does his job. Neither did Gilberto in 2004. Actually no one was. Flamini has to be the first ‘running hustling’ maniac wenger signed. we just need sm1 that understands what their job entails. The mode of delivery doesnt really matter
November 17, 2008 at 13:28
STILL MOURNING —-WOII WOII WOIII
AND THE AKB’S WERE BOLD ENOUGH DISPLAYING A BANNER IN ARSENE WE TRUST.
The problem is Wenger has the players to select but he is not getting it this time.
After missing chances in the Man U game he should have started with Adebayor straight away.
BUT DON’T GIVE UP, WE ARE STILL IN THE FIGHT ………
November 17, 2008 at 13:28
Franchise, Flamini ran and got the job done. Gilberto could read the game and knew where to be to intercept the ball at the right moment. Alonso wont necessarily need to be a hussler, just needs to know where to be. Incidently Alonso is probably on the best form of his career and Liverpool are reaping the rewards whereas if AW had just payed a few extra million we could have been sitting pretty at the sumit of the premiership. Ah well!
November 17, 2008 at 13:29
To be fair even Flamini soetimes last season was pushing too high up the pitch as denilson does and we got punished for it on a few occassions
November 17, 2008 at 13:31
franchise… flam was a good passer, i didnt dispute that….but it wasnt his game… flam might have been the first of his kind but look how effective he was, gilberto was good defnsively but couldnt pass, our midfield won us games last year becuase of the tempo they played at, which was set by flams constant running, alonso is good but i cant see him solving the problems we have
November 17, 2008 at 13:31
Word Stu
November 17, 2008 at 13:32
sorry Atom
November 17, 2008 at 13:32
I wonder if Wenger actually looks aroung the stadium at the array of banners?
What shold be done is : someone should ask the AKBs to not hang their banners and see if Wenger notices that his support is fading. Wenger probably sees those “in arsene we trust” banners every week and thinks the fans are still happy to go along with his failing experiment.
We should send out a message and let him know how we really feel, then maybe he will change. But i wont be holding my breath.
November 17, 2008 at 13:32
wenger chats the up most bollocks and im very tired of hes shit excuses how can you not be sharpe after beating the champions prehaps they need to start playing in the carling cup aswell as the champions league in order to stay sharpe
November 17, 2008 at 13:33
Pedro Says:
November 17, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I reckon he needs to ship out the players who aren’t superstar quality and replace them with experienced ready made players.
That is how it should be right?
Play the best kids… and if you don’t have a kid good enough, ship him out on loan and get someone in who is good enough.
———————————————
That is the solution, if we did that, we’d win the title. We already have the foundations, this would be the final step to creating Arsene’s dream super team. Keep with the academy project, but produce more Bentley and Muambas to sell, and Walcott and Clichys to keep. Use the profits to strengthen the first team. That would work. Grow and sell spuds(really good ones though) to buy diamonds and pearls.
November 17, 2008 at 13:33
flam was much louder than alonso would be to which counts for allot
November 17, 2008 at 13:34
Eboue is probably louder than Flam always moaning to the ref
November 17, 2008 at 13:38
Flamini appeared atimes like a gladiator just like Senderos u cld see the passion in their eyes, the fight. Senderos didnt have the ability to back this though
November 17, 2008 at 13:40
I think Senderos would have made it here had Gallas not arrived and taken his place just when Phil was beginning to look good. Gallas ruins everything!
November 17, 2008 at 13:45
phil looked good next to gallas aswell tho but he’s error prone… he the CB version of gomes… good when he doesnt have time to think
franchise… thats what i liked about him so much… his fight, his willingness to work and unwillingness to loose without a fight… the fact we have none of that now makes his absense even worse
November 17, 2008 at 13:45
Afternoon all.. Why do some keep going on about a defensive midfield type player? The only one we had was gilberto silva and those who attribute that role to flamini clearly don’t watch enough football… The fact denilson has replaced him, seems logical in Arsene’s 12 steps to making the first team but he clearly is not the answer, although he has played a lot better than fabregas this season… Cesc has been woeful, but I for one will not spout such drivel like we should drop him, he’s off in the summer etc.. Every player has these spates of form and you cannot level the blame solely at his door…
1st of all their is almunia… Every other top 4 club has an international class goalkeeper between the posts… For all of Almunia’s patience and hardwork doesn’t mean he deserves to be no.1 on merit alone does it? He can’t get into the spanish squad and has to rely on an english passport to get a sniff? It’s a joke… He’s had a couple of decent games, but he remains a liability in my eyes and once that confidence is shot (which it is) it all starts going wrong…. Fabianski is making his debut for Poland next spate of friendlies… He’s young a bit rash, but at least he comes to collect the ball and as Pedro said the own goal could have been avoided yesterday… No guessing who i’d rather see in goal…
Then there is the back 4…. Somehow it (sagna toure gallas clichy) does not work.. I’m even more convinced that having a whole french back 4 replacing Kolo for sylvestre doesn’t work either… Alot of people are convinced it’s the 2 in the middle but you can’t hide from the fact sagna is having 2nd season syndrome and Clichy has become accustommed to the “titus bramble almighty clanger at the worst possible time syndrome”. I think most Arsenal fans would like to see Djourou in there, but with who? Djourou and Song (hate him or love him) looks solid in the CC, Toure looks like he’s lost it and Gallas for me will never be a leader at arsenal… Cheque book in the summer looks likely… But we can always recall senderos from loan!!!
For all the complaints the midfield is more or less sorted… It’s young perhaps, but we have a great deal of quality in there… I for one will never be convinced by Denilson and having Song start in centre midfield just has catastrophy written all over it… As Pedro rightly said, Theo Walcott is living of that england performance and in my eyes is not Arsenal quality.. Runs up blind alleys, decision making is poor, goes on a wander out of posistion when we need to defend etc He is still best used as an impact sub and that is his fault for his lack of progression and consistency… For all the Eboue vitriol he has been one of our better performers this season and is a good squad player, there is the emergence of Ramsey and Wilshire, a fit Diaby and a new Nasri (who doesn’t seem to play well away from home at the moment)… Plus the likes of Coquelin, Merida & Randall all waiting for a sniff… They should be alot closer because some are clearly not as good as we, the media or the manager think they are…
Up front has come in for debate, but how i do not know…. I have been a staunch supporter of Bendtner, his biggest perhaps… He talks a good game, but shows me absoltely nothing to justify such talk… He’s had a run of games now, his chance supposedly and he has let me, himself and Arsene down immensely… Adebayor, love him or hate him, is a tremendous player for us and with a fit Van Persie, on fire Vela & returning Eduardo means we shouldn’t have much in the way of complaints with the strikers at our disposal….
Which leads me onto team selection…. ARSENE in your 12 years at the club you are very near having the fans turn on you for the 1st time… Fans always like a whinge, think they can do better etc, But these youth experiments coupled with ridiculous subsitutions and loyalty to players who you think deserve their chance when they clearly have had enough chances are making amockery of your tenure… It’s o.k to bleed in the kids, but they need to work harder to dislodge the experienced pros. not all be thrown in the deep end and see who sinkd or swims at our expense… A cup win and top 4 will just about keep you in your job for another season, regardless of what the few fans say on here… Then it really is last chance saloon.. Either you sign a De Rossi (CM), Zalayeta (CB) and Consistent winger i.e De Maria, sell the deadwood and players who have quite clearly only been given their place through sentiment i.e Almunia… I’m not prepared to write off anything yet in november, but any talk of the league would make you look stupid right now.. Get THE HOUSE IN ORDER!!!!
On form you would have to play:
Fabianski
Eboue
Djourou
Gallas
Clichy
Wilshire
Ramsey
Fabregas (Denilson has played better, but some players for various reasons are undroppable)
Nasri
Vela
Adebayor
Bench from: Almunia, Sylvestre, Sagna, Gibbs, Song, Toure, Denilson, Diaby, Randall, Merida, Walcott, Bendtner, Van Persie, Simpson
November 17, 2008 at 13:46
i agree Stu defenders make mistakes that cost goals 99% of the time. these mistakes tend to reduce with experience. Gallas can be blamed personally for a lot we have conceived this year it makes you wonder if senderos would have done better or worse?
November 17, 2008 at 13:49
Rev, how can the midfield be more less sorted when you have admitted all the first teamers are not ready one way or the other and the ones showing form are ridicously young?
November 17, 2008 at 13:49
i’m still coming to terms with the result… and the way we played.
When at the game, i’m the most biased noisiest C**t around me, but this time i haven’t left a game so gutted in ages.
It was like we just didn’t turn up. I mean talk about rest on your laurals… What beating united means you are champions? I tell you what, being 9 points behind at this stage certainly won’t.
A season that started off so opptimistically is rapidly deteriorating into farce.
Good old Arsenal, i’m pround to sing that name. But while i sing they just don’t look like winning the game : (
Richaldo… tired, hungover and completely Gutted Gooner
November 17, 2008 at 13:50
Couldn’t agree more with the post. There were no positives to be drawn from Saturdays performance. Waiting to get on the Holloway Road with about 200 Villa fans just behind me giving it to Arsenal for lack of support (justified) performance (justified) and English players (get a fucking life) was the worst 20 minutes I’ve endured for a long time.
The side’s broken. They don’t need a new man type father to put his arm round them as Wenger seems to think, they need a Victorian Dad style approach with little words just action…wrapping a belt round a hand and dishing out the pain would send a clear message that the level of performance on Saturday by ANY first team player will not be tolerated! As I said, the side’s broken SO FIX IT. Drop the players not performing to their ability now, not when it’s too late.
The things I want to highlight as particularly bad from Saturdays game (apart from my journey to H&I station):
1. In the first 10 mins Walcott ruined Luke Young twice. The Arsenal decided this was enough and that Theo had already had his share of the ball and proceeded to ignore him for the rest of the game. SHOCKING.
2. A common theme in our defeats this season…no physical competitiveness. We just don’t want to get involved in the ugly side of things. How many times did you see a decent challenge go in on Saturday? Not good enough.
3. Bendtner. A lot of people were moaning about service, him being isolated but that is all a bit moot to say the least. Very, very poor performance from him which stood out against a very, very poor performance from the whole side.
4. Wenger not having the stones to change things at half time. It was clear 4-5-1 wasn’t working and still waited until 60 odd mins to make the change. Does this give us enough time to really change the rhythm of the game?
5. Wenger’s unwillingness to put his hands up. You’re wrong, Arsene. Admit it, take responsibility and fix it.
6. A lack of motivation. How else can you explain going from great performance against Man Utd and in the CL this season to losing against the likes of Fulham, Stoke, Villa and Hull? Hull and Villa in particular is a disgrace coming at the Grove. No pride in this side.
Think Saturdays performance can be summed up by the actions of the crowd: the only time they got animated and cheered was when Riley gave a decision in our favour. Shit.
November 17, 2008 at 13:53
Revelation. Its easy for Djorou and Song to look good in the CC against Sheff Utd and Wigan. teams play domestic cup competitions with a different mentality. Survival on its own is worth millions. Uefa cup a few millions more, CL place we are talking about tens of millions if you are in the first round. Winning the league is another 15 mill i believe. If we play our carling cup sides in all of the league matches we have played so far we would have been in the bottom half of the table. The quality might be in the midfield Revelation but the balance isnt there. An arsenal team that used to have 10 shots on target on average every game are barely getting in any. we had 6 against villa the two best of them a cesc shot and an ade header did not really trouble friedel. Where are the chances?????
November 17, 2008 at 13:55
rhyle… and u know what? we’ll probably beat man city and life will be good again… until we get fucked over again when they cant be bothered
November 17, 2008 at 13:56
Paulinho, meaning we have the quality there, but (a) the selection is wrong in cohesion with the players who are in form and (b) It’s just abit too young to get any consistency from a unit. Having a 25 y/o in there would make a big difference…
I think a midfield of wilshire (16), Cesc (21) Ramsey (17) Nasri (21) is better than a
Walcott (19) Cesc (21) Denilson (20) Nasri (21)… Just very young indeed whichever way you want to look at it… Fling in a 25 y/0 de rossi or someone of similar ilk in the middle and it looks a bit better..
November 17, 2008 at 14:00
At 16 if wilshere gets kicked about in the league week in week out he would end up emotionally scared for life and his so promising career might not even kick off. We need some experienced heads Revelation considering what we are facing now Ramsey and Wilshere are not the answer. not at all. not even close
November 17, 2008 at 14:01
GEOFF… u on mate?
November 17, 2008 at 14:01
Would Essien be troubled by Jack? or would Mascherano? their time would come. not yet though
November 17, 2008 at 14:02
FRanchise you are correct, but it’s better to level that blame on selection than what players we have got… We all knew in the summer we hadn’t made enough signings.. We were told that the squad was good enough to challenge for the title and we’ve found out the young squad cannot get any consistency whatsoever, but are able to hammer any team on it’s day (which is few & far between i might add)… There is no point going shopping in the january sales as the best players are cup tied, cost more money to prise away anyway (which means we wont spend), work permits take longer and players are reluctant to leave at such a stage… January is only for emergency cover for injuries and players desperate to move on, meaning we would want neither. Fact is Arsene had faith in his young guns and it’s backfiring horribly.. Best is he can admit it and play the form players, instead of looking like a deluded nutcase.
November 17, 2008 at 14:04
Yes Franchise I know, but they get payed a lot of money and are in the arsenal 1st team… They must be good enough then, i mean we are arsenal aren’t we? So play them! walcott and denilson aren’t exactly covering themselves in glory are they?
November 17, 2008 at 14:05
Afternoon all,
I feel more cheesed off with the state of our club – though less surprised – than after any other of our many defeats so far this campaign. I believe it’s a combination of complacency AND personnel of insufficient quality that has caused this downward slide in our league from. I won’t even say “downward slide in our title hopes” as I’d given up on that after the Hull defeat.
Of course we need a big central midfield (and probably centre back also) signing in January to shore up our team 0 and hopes of retaining Cesc – but this is what scares me. Wenger always says that they’re aren’t any good players available then and if they are any they’ll all be Champions league cup-tied.
I have a sinking feeling we’ll be stuck with this lot till the summer by which time Cesc WILL be off and we’ll be using our Carling squad for the League and UEFA cup(if we’re in it).
November 17, 2008 at 14:09
Rev – that’s the frustrating part. January offers little hope for the reasons you stated. We may get away with a couple of short-term fixes in the shape of loan signings (again something Wenger doesn’t tend to use much) but the longer term issues will have to wait until next summer.
I sense a bit of deja vu. Can some of the older grovers cast their mind back to November ‘83 when Terry Neill lost it in similar fashion?
November 17, 2008 at 14:11
Chary its time Wenger showed one or two players who is boss. if Cesc is under contract then he is under contract. If a team makes a sensible offer then consider it and spend it to get replacements. Cesc cannotdo a Flamini he is under contract. if fergie could make ronaldo stay who IMO has nothing else to prove in England then Wenger can make Cesc to stay. Barca tried to force Etoo out they couldnt get a buyer now he is banging in goals for fun. Club and player seem to be happy. Ronaldo wanted to leave, club says no. he is scoring againg for fun. clun and player are happy. Cesc is not bigger than the club why are we making it sound like the club owes him anything? He owes the club and the fans. So lets stop moaning about Cesc leaving or the probability of it
November 17, 2008 at 14:13
Cesc should worry about the boots of the legends he is trying to fill.
November 17, 2008 at 14:14
see you later guys im off 4 a while
November 17, 2008 at 14:19
I’m here Tom! Rhyle spot on mate, spot on.
November 17, 2008 at 14:23
Franchise – in an ideal world Wenger would “grow a pair” and remind Cesc of his duty and responsibility to his contract AND to our club, in much the same way that Ole 65% proof nose did to the greasy winker.
But for that to happen Wenger would have to break a cycle of repeated behaviour that started with his approval of the Anelka transfer for his stock reason “if a player wants to leave you have to respect that..” Arrgghhh..
November 17, 2008 at 14:29
Chary – may be the contrasting styles in man management between Wenger and Rab C Nesbitt are reflected the levels of success enjoyed by the two clubs. Not a lot to choose between them in terms of footballing ability, however, how they handle and motivate their teams there is
November 17, 2008 at 14:38
Sarge, ideally a good manager should know when to use each extreme of management appropriately – R Nesbitt’s stick or Wengers carrot. Although I can’t stand Maureen-Yo I think he tended to get the balance right and he used plenty of George Graham’s siege mentality motivation too.
Wenger does suffer for not having a strong number 2 to do the nitty gritty of squad motivation also- hence the calls for Keown or Adams to come back and help.
November 17, 2008 at 14:40
It’s like having children, you can’t be there best friend, you have to be their dad, obviously their best dad, but their dad none the less.
Wenger smothers them, they show fuck all loyalty as so many of them leave.
November 17, 2008 at 14:43
Chary I agree. For me there is a lot of wrapping up in cotton wool by Wenger. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to expose them to the viciousness of the media or the fan’s ire. Even the odd public dressing down wouldn’t hurt instead of blaming anything that comes to mind.
I wonder if the players take Wenger seriously when he does blow his top or act like little school boys sniggering behind his back when he’s left the room.
November 17, 2008 at 14:44
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4512016,00.html
There is a player who could do a job for a year.
November 17, 2008 at 14:49
Interesting stor pedro. I feel he could be a good addition to the squad, for obvious reasons. I would personally like to see Senna at Arsenal, along with De Rossi from Roma…..
now, all we need is a world class CB…..
November 17, 2008 at 14:50
Pedro,
one of the dirtiest twunts around….works for me!
November 17, 2008 at 14:52
Won’t happen Pedro, he’s 15 years too old, I broke a habit and read another blog just now, how funny to see other blogs coming round to the way Le Grove think eh? Even using the same terminology for AKB’s such as sheep and zombie.
Better late than never eh!
November 17, 2008 at 14:57
Sarge, I think Wenger doesn’t like being the “bad guy” when he has to be parental, as Geoff puts it.
It’s a lot easier to be the parent who says “yes” to all his kids indulgences when he probably knows it’s not good for them in the long run.
The harder job is to pull them up when their excesses are threatening to ruin their development – whether as human beings or players.
He has to show a touch of the iron fist when necessary – clearly the mollycoddling isn’t working.
November 17, 2008 at 14:58
Pedro…MvB was a great player for PSV but has never really fulfilled his potential either at Barca or Bayern but you’re right…could be a real coup getting him for nowt and adding some bite and experience to the midfield.
Geoff…noticed that myself. Think everyone’s getting fed up with the same old same old and the excuse ‘Arsene knows’ really doesn’t cut it at the moment, does it?!
It makes me laugh to think of the criticism and scorn poured on this site in it’s infancy for it’s contempt for the AKBs…and now everyone wants a piece! What goes around comes around, eh!
November 17, 2008 at 15:01
This made me laugh in a horrible self-pitying way, it’s from Lee Dixon’s analysis of Man City and their defensive deficiencies:
“I know from when I played that a defence is only as good as the two central midfielders ahead of them. I was lucky enough to play behind some very strong midfielders – Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and so on – and it makes the defenders’ job so much easier.”
And don’t we know it.
November 17, 2008 at 15:01
Got that right Rhyle, it shows the people that comment here are real fans that know what they want and are leaders rather than followers eh!
November 17, 2008 at 15:04
Chary, that’s the problem. Having worked mainly with ‘mature’ players in years gone by they pretty much looked after themselves and knew what was expected of them out on the pitch. OK they needed the occasional hoof up the posterior but for the most part were able to sort that out amongst themselves.
The dynamics of the squad have changed so much in the last couple of years. This lot lack the maturity, they don’t have enough role models and leaders and Wenger’s Papa Smurf approach is not working.
November 17, 2008 at 15:05
Lets really carry out a mini after action review for the match. We lost 0-2. Why? We scored an own goal, Gallas allowed a cross and Alumina did not come out to pick, so Clichy was pressured to head in. Gallas allowed Agbonlahor to beat him on a one v one and to take a shot on goal. Our keeper could not punch out an average shot from 18yds. Why? Our keeper lacked confidence and his faults came to the fore. In fairness he saved a enalty earlier. Why? We did not play well in all departments. Our opponents outplayed us in all departments. Why? Our players did not show up, they played as individuals lazying about, their was no running, no fast pace, no leadership. Why? They do not all have the stomach to fight and grind out results, no player stood up, our midfield was weak, our lone striker was shit, our other striker did not link up well, our playmaker was shit and too slow. Why? the players are barely above 20yrs, not too tall, the defenders lack passion and pace and were constantly beaten by the Villa stikersWhy? Our best players for the day were not selected. Why? The coach trusted the boys he selected to deliver and when they did not within the first half, he believed they would change by half time. At 65 mins, he brought in a striker and took out a promising player. He left the shitty striker to play. He also left the off form playmaker. Why? This coach is ot under pressure to perform. He was already preparing his excuse for the press conference. Why? His experiment is more important than the club. Why? The board trust him to deliver 4th place, while the supporters are wound up to believe they will win? Why? The board are more interested in other usiness to bother about football
November 17, 2008 at 15:05
GENUINE NEWFLASH!!
I have just spoken with a very reliable source, who works high-up within the Arsenal and he says that there was a meeting held today, in which it was decided, agreed and confirmed that Arsenal will be signing 3 EXPERIENCED, INTERNATIONAL players in January and that they are putting this into action NOW, during the International break so that Wenger can work with the team for the Man City game and owards until January, safe in the knowledge that the transfers are ‘in the bag’.
You, literally, heard it here first….
November 17, 2008 at 15:07
Just got back from japan so I’ve missed a lot. I went on the official site to see the teamsheet for the wigan game. That really was a young team. We should play more of them against teams like villa if our “bog boys” can’t ge bothered.
Does anyone know were I can download the wigan game as I need cheering up.
November 17, 2008 at 15:09
Michael how reliable is that?
November 17, 2008 at 15:10
geoff… i just read pedro’s e-mails from last week about your offer of a ticket for the wigan game… just wanted to say thanks mate… i got one in the end so managed to go, but wanted to let u know i wasnt being a rude bastard… just a lazy one!!
November 17, 2008 at 15:10
Forgive me for not getting too excited about your newsflash mate. We are talking about AFC, who treat transfers like covert SAS missions, so i’ll believe it when i see it in January.
Welcome back goonermichael.
November 17, 2008 at 15:11
i hope your right michael… any names?
November 17, 2008 at 15:11
Michael you should have read Pedro’s match report to see the team that played! It was on Setanta the Arsenal channel and Sky Sports I believe.
November 17, 2008 at 15:12
You’re welcome Tom!
November 17, 2008 at 15:16
Michael not song’s 3 brothers who are all under 15 internationals according to the sunday times.
November 17, 2008 at 15:19
Michael P we’d all love to believe that, but I won’t be chewing my nails over it for the first 31 days of 2009, I tried that in the summer (and every fucking summer) and it just makes you feel shite afterwards.
November 17, 2008 at 15:21
I just read that Wenger is up for a Vela loan move to Hull, is he fucking mental? Loan out Bendtner and Song if anyone, he never seems to learn does he?
November 17, 2008 at 15:24
fucking hell… vela shows real promise, pace and top top finsihing… so we loan him!!!
bentdner cant seem to run, jump, shoot, control or pass the ball we keep him!!
3 international players in jan? seems very unlikely… and chances are all 3 will be CL cup tied
November 17, 2008 at 15:24
Kelsey – it’s probably Dkembe Dkembe (plus 1 other) !
November 17, 2008 at 15:27
Loan out Vela!! If he gets 25 goals for Hull, and they take our 4th place.
That should make Wenger look a right prick!!
Wasn’t going to post today too pissed off but you forced me Geoff.. no smiley..
November 17, 2008 at 15:27
The Vela story better be a joke.
November 17, 2008 at 15:28
LoL Michael’s comment and newsflash was kinf of nice to read, still won’t take long for that to turn into some sick joke and the impending dooom to prevail.
Michael Pittordis where are you ??!
November 17, 2008 at 15:28
Cant say much more other than my contact is a major sharholder at the club and that this was a meeting called last night!
I can understand peoplpes frustrations (and disbeliefs!) but this is a very reliable source who has previously informed me of the Nasri signing last january and of the Ramsey signing in April this year.
Fingers crossed…..that its not Songs bro’s!!!
And Wenger…dont you DARE let Vela out on loan….to ANY CLUB!!!
November 17, 2008 at 15:28
Geoff you know i am really beginning to see that as was with a famous dictator in 1945 that the boss has gone totally insane but even if we lose the next 3 games he will say that he still believes that we can win the league,whilst the team is getting deeper and deeper into shite.strange analogy but you know what i mean.
November 17, 2008 at 15:29
Why is it alright to lambast players like Song, Gallas, Almunia, Bendtner, Eboue and Denilson then make excuses for Cesc’s poor form?
He cost us the game yesterday and it is no longer tenable to say that Denilson is the weaker partner. It should be clear to all by now that Cesc has suddenly gone to sleep.
I say “Bench him until he wakes up”
November 17, 2008 at 15:29
Am right here! No doom and gloom to follow…i hope!
November 17, 2008 at 15:29
it must be due to eddie coming back
November 17, 2008 at 15:31
Arsenal.com headline:
‘Wenger – Experience not linked to consistency ‘
I don’t even want to click it…
November 17, 2008 at 15:31
michael were any player names/posistions mentioned??
November 17, 2008 at 15:33
Dont be surprised if the 3 new signings are….
Eduardo
Rosicky
Senderos
He’s pulled that one before dont be surprised if he does it again!
November 17, 2008 at 15:35
odub… good point!! itll be 3 players away on loan!!
November 17, 2008 at 15:37
the only aspects about the signings mentioned were experienced and full internationals…..Senna, Alonso and…..a CB????
Odub…i’m praying you are so so wrong!!
November 17, 2008 at 15:38
It’s not Pedro, because all the experienced players were shit!
November 17, 2008 at 15:41
why the hell would vela go on loan.. wasn’t he on loan all this time anyway?!?!?!?!?
November 17, 2008 at 15:42
Avenall you posted because we are all keeping each other sane!
Kelsey the signs are there, remember my Emperors clothes post after the Fulham game?
Michael, if you are connected to a major shareholder ask them what the fuck the deal with Song is because we all think he is shit.
Notice I said them and not him, as it could be Nina!
November 17, 2008 at 15:42
Sagna out for a while…..bring in G.Hoyte ahead of Eboue!
November 17, 2008 at 15:42
I see no point in clicking on anything on arse.com at the mo.
Would just get my back up!!
Michael I really do hope your source is spot on buddy, but I just cant see us getting 3 international players in Jan.
November 17, 2008 at 15:43
Geoff….IT could be Nina…but I said him, so its not!
And, I HAVE asked about Song and Wenger has a very high opinion of him apparently…and as a CM/DM too……
November 17, 2008 at 15:43
I would go further, I would sell Bendtner and Song in the window, that would raise some cash if we have none and buy a player would it not?
That won’t happen because it’s too much common sense for him.
November 17, 2008 at 15:45
Wenger had a high opinion of Christopher Wrey as well but he was shit.
November 17, 2008 at 15:45
Geoff…the way they are playing at the moment, they would fetch about 75K, collectively. Atleast we would save on the wage bill.
Eduardo….save us!
November 17, 2008 at 15:45
Geoff…i make you right pal, but he obviously has seen something we havent.
Or he’s off his trolley!
November 17, 2008 at 15:45
Michael, at least we wouldn’t have to see them on the team sheet, week in, week out!
November 17, 2008 at 15:46
Geoff – I love what you said about ‘all keeping each other sane’. This is the best therapy ever!!!!!! I recommend this site to every gooner – happy or sad – that I speak to.
November 17, 2008 at 15:47
Your right Geoff.. I have been reading at least we all fell the same way..
Wengers new policy is to sign Footballers with Racing drivers names then
Senna,
Alonso.
November 17, 2008 at 15:48
Bliss!!
November 17, 2008 at 15:49
AA……Arsenal Anonymous……
November 17, 2008 at 15:49
Why don’t we all move to the valley
November 17, 2008 at 15:52
Peaches you are a nice person and a good friend to those you recommend!
November 17, 2008 at 15:53
I cannot go along with the argument that AW sees something about a player in training and that is why he perseveres. Geoff’s example of Wreh is one of many. Since all that matters is a player’s performance in competitive games, who is the more objective; someone who sees a player in all situations or someone who only sees him play competitive games. Would Roger Federer be world No.1 (or 2?) if he was fantastic in the knock-up but lost games?
November 17, 2008 at 15:53
for you Geoff:
Arsenal’s Song to follow in uncle’s footsteps
ARSENAL midfielder Alexandre Song believes he will have a great future in the game if he follows the example set by his uncle and Cameroon international Rigobert Song.
The 20-year-old has already started to follow in the former Liverpool player’s footsteps by breaking into the Gunners’ first team this season, having featured both in midfield and in defence.
And Song believes he will only improve if he heeds the regular advice from his uncle, who he has already played alongside in the Cameroonian side.
“My uncle is always trying to give me advice,” Song told World Soccer magazine.
“I speak to him before games and when I need to take a decision. I am very lucky to have him. Now I just need to follow his example.
“I think I have great future and it’s my duty to work hard.
“Rigo was my idol when I was young so I just want to do the same as him.”
November 17, 2008 at 15:54
Would love to believe it Michael I have some reservations for the following reason
What happens if we have a good run between now and January and Wenger says ‘no thanks I’ll stick with what I’ve got’ Will the board say ‘bollox you’re getting them whether you like or not’ or just relent and listen to Wenger again?
I only say this because to call a meeting on a Sunday night and make snap decisions smacks of a knee jerk and desperate reaction (although we know that this has been coming) if you don’t stick by your guns and follow it through.
November 17, 2008 at 15:54
Michael,
I’m going with off his trolley!!
November 17, 2008 at 15:56
It’s like Senderos, we persevere with him for 5 years and lose games because of his howlers waiting for him to turn into John Terry, he doesn’t, and then we get rid of him, that will be Song, and that’s bad management to me, how many howlers do we need to see before Wenger sees what we all do?
November 17, 2008 at 15:57
Players out
rosicky (free no auction price agreed)
song (PERMANEMT DEAL TO CHARLTON,AS A XMAS PRESENT)
bedntner( to sulk city,undisclosed fee)
eboue(Harlequins)
November 17, 2008 at 15:59
Sarge…good point…but rather than smacking of desperation, I think that the fulham, hull, stoke and villa games have all culminated into the board and arsene realsing that something needs to be put in place NOW for Jan, rather than waiting until then.
We cant have another scenario like tha last window where we tried until the last minute to sign alonso and failed. Yes, we have fantastic potential at the club, but the bigger, more experienced players ARE needed. Also, I think that things are being put into place now so that wenger or the board cant go back on this, regardless of us even winning every game from now until end of december.
November 17, 2008 at 16:00
Geoff, i would actually much rather Senderos than Song any fecking day!!!
November 17, 2008 at 16:00
I sure hope you’re right Michael, I’m off for an hour, catch you all later.
November 17, 2008 at 16:01
Michael, touché
November 17, 2008 at 16:01
Kelsey you forgot….
Almunia – Krusty’s clown college
November 17, 2008 at 16:01
Michael P – (that can’t be anywhere near your real name otherwise your ’special source’ will dry up!) – was Wenger at this meeting and was he in favour of these suposed purchases?
November 17, 2008 at 16:01
Rasputin… Federer had the ingredients to be number one. He didn’t just start out as the best did he?
He got a good coach in who told him where he weaknesses were, he worked on them and became one of the best.
I guess that is what Wenger does… he sees a player has the ingredients, then he gives them the tools to maximise them. If the player chooses not to take advantage, that is their fault.
Fat Ronaldo said the most skilful player he’d ever trained with was Kanu… he never became the best though… we only saw his brilliance in flashes… or when he could be assed.
November 17, 2008 at 16:06
Sorry Pedro, are you agreeing with me – it’s not clear.
Are you saying that AW is to blame because he’s not a good coach. Is it OK that he gives a player too many chances to reach what AW believes is his potential to the detriment of the team as a whole?
How many times should a player be given the chance to fail before we look elsewhere. I don’t think most of the great managers have shown the same level of tolerance and repeated acceptance of failure to deliver as Wenger.
November 17, 2008 at 16:10
I am doing a bit of both Rasputin.
I agree that we give players too many chances. Senderos, Song and Eboue immediately spring to mind.
However, I don’t agree that a manager can’t see something in a player that he works with every day.
You can pick a part players that flopped all day long, but that doesn’t mean Wenger is a poor manager. All the best manager purchase flops… how long they persist with them is a different matter.
November 17, 2008 at 16:11
If Arsene loans out Vela and retains Bentner , I will stop going . simple.
Sorry , Bentner is nowhere near good enough .
guys this is Arsenal , not a championship club , Maybe Arsene has forgotten that too
Jeeess . a couple of years ago we had Dennis and TH14 , now we start against Villa with Bentner !!!! No comparison whatsoever .
November 17, 2008 at 16:12
I agree Michael. We will watch this space and hope that something does come of it
November 17, 2008 at 16:13
What about Manninger,he came in for the dozen games when seaman was injured.the boy was young,and grew with stature with every game(i think he saved a penalty against the hammers)and we won the league.seaman only had one season left,and he just shattered the young austrian who eventually left and went downhill.
November 17, 2008 at 16:16
I mean if you want to talk about persisting with a player… lets talk about Theo Walcott.
14 (4) starts, 3 goals and 2 assists.
That is piss poor for someone who wants a £60k a week contract. Are we all ok persisting with Theo even though our centre back has scored more goals than him?
November 17, 2008 at 16:17
Some folks on here defend a player by saying that Wenger sees something in them in training. My point is that it doesn’t matter if they score 50 goals a game in training yet repeatedly miss chances in competitive games.
I am reminded of those guys with the fantastic ball juggling skills – 2 in particular that failed to make the grade at Arsenal and Spuds. They look unbelievable but football is more than just showboating.
Hoping a player who is impressive in training but hopeless in games will one day deliver will not win us trophies. It’s nothing to do with age, it’s about performance under pressure and having the footballing brain and balls in the heat of the battle.
November 17, 2008 at 16:19
Pedro ,
do you not think Nikki B has had enough chances now ??
I don,t mean to pick on him but I just don,t think he is a top level player as his first
touch is not good enough .
November 17, 2008 at 16:19
Wenger is a complete lost cause I’m afraid. Especially in regards to these experienced players in the transfer window. If he does buy them and they replace the likes of Walcott it will mean he is contradicting everything he’s said about ‘killing’ young players.
His ego won’t allow that to happen.
So, I remain very dubious about the transfer newsflash and expect Wenger to continue to argue that black is white for the rest of the season.
Consistency is not necessarily linked with experience?
What is he going to say next? “Quality on the pitch does not necessarily reflect quality of the footballers. You have to analyse why the quality appears to be lacking and why we lack little bit sharpness”.
November 17, 2008 at 16:19
Rasputin,
that applies to any team game or even more to individual sports.
November 17, 2008 at 16:19
Jules, I think Nik will come good. I don’t think he has had enough chances to bin him off yet.
He needs to be dropped though.
November 17, 2008 at 16:20
Rasputin…..is that your real name?
Yes, this is my real name, and I have posted info which my source is ok with…and the fact that he is a family member means no drying up! (unless ofcourse, you were trying to unleash a pun, which i have to say was pretty lame!)
Anyway, yes Wenger was at this meeting, and he is in full control over who we are signing in january….
November 17, 2008 at 16:21
Pedro – are you comparing Theo to Song? – we are persisting with both. AW has said that this is the season that Theo will get his chance. I’m sure most of us can appreciate Theo’s abilities if given the right service. He delivers enough to make him worth persevering, others don’t.
November 17, 2008 at 16:23
what about RVP.. aren’t we persisting with him as well ? new 80k contract? wtf!!
November 17, 2008 at 16:23
Rasputin, I remember the press ripping Ronaldo apart for being a show boater and nothing else… but Fergie saw what he could do in training… bulked him up and he went from scoring 9 goals, 12 the next, 26 the next and then 42 last year.
November 17, 2008 at 16:25
So……if you would get rid of 3 players…and bring 3 in…who would they be????
November 17, 2008 at 16:25
Michael
Thanks for that. I wasn’t in any way implying that you were hiding behind a pseudonym for any reason other than to protect your anonymity. I cannot believe the board would be happy with someone broadcasting details of a private meeting of such importance so I have to say that I am surprised you think they wouldn’t have a problem with you making the facts known.
November 17, 2008 at 16:25
Did Denilson show the potential last season that he could start thirty to forty games a season and produce to the level required? Nope. Did Diaby? Nope. Did Walcott? Apart from a few glimpses, the answer is NOPE.
Yet Wenger has thrown all these players in despite looking out of their depth last season and still expected them to magically turn into dependable players overnight. Throw a young, green, new 21 french kid into the mix and what did Wenger really think would happen?
That’s why the likes of Fabregas get a relatively free ride despite not playing well. The big fat elephant in the room is staring us in the face. Multiple elephants in this case. All mentioned above.
Blaming leadership, Fabregas, Gallas is just stupid.
November 17, 2008 at 16:25
I have just worked out why Fabregas has been playing so poorly
Check the pic in the link….
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/fabregas-suspended-for-manchester-city-clash
He is growing his hair to look like…..
Alex SONG.
Cut it off and play proper football.
November 17, 2008 at 16:25
Pedro .
Im not sure mate , Im really not , not for top level ,
he has no real pace , no first touch , Dennis who I know of course was different level
had a first touch that would give him a yard of space . I don,t see this .
My point is Pedro do you really see him as a top player for THE ARSENAL !???
Bench maybe , but not much more .
November 17, 2008 at 16:25
well, not THEY…..just my contact!
November 17, 2008 at 16:26
and f*ck it….we as loyal supporters NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!!!!!
November 17, 2008 at 16:26
Pedro
if he has no real pace or first touch , what does he have ?
November 17, 2008 at 16:27
Pedro
I repeat a comment I posted yesterday – “this is the only site I know where you regularly have arguments with someone you agree with” You’re not comparing Song to Ronaldo now are you?
November 17, 2008 at 16:29
the number 14
November 17, 2008 at 16:33
I’ve said it on here before Nikki B looks to me like a 6 -8 goals a season man, useful to have around but he needs to develop another side to his game (link up play) before he’ll be anything more than a squad player.
November 17, 2008 at 16:33
if we are really getting these 3 experienced in january,why not last summer.Paulinho is right,the likes of diaby,song,denilson,walcott,djorou and bedtner were not going to improve their game that much if at all from mid may to mid august.
November 17, 2008 at 16:33
Pedro .
to tempt you into a reply , I am going to b a little bit cheeky and read your answer again ,
you think he has,nt had enough chances , will come good but needs to be droped !!????????? lol.
November 17, 2008 at 16:35
dropped even !
November 17, 2008 at 16:37
Kelsey /Guys
Does anyone really think Wenger will sign anyone in Jan let alone three expirienced players !??
November 17, 2008 at 16:38
Actually Jules, Pedro’s comment makes sense. He’s effectively saying that something i’ve been arguing for a while, young players need short spells in the side and then short spells out of the side to develop properly.
Nikki’s still young, the worst thing that can happen is that we persist with playing him, the crowd gets on his back and his confidence is shot.
November 17, 2008 at 16:38
Kelsey…I couldnt tell you my friend, im just talking about what i do know.
Realistically, there is no reason for players not to make such an improvement, especially if they were floating around the first team in the first place.
I personally think that Wenger has been proved wrong about some players (not completely, but just that they are not totally ready for a whole season yet) and that he and the board realise that they muct act now….
November 17, 2008 at 16:38
Re Bendtner:
In Answer to the question what has he got if he has not got pace or a first touch?
Well he has got a first touch. He has got a footballing brain. He score headed goals from crosses, something we have been missing this year. he can occupy 2 CB’s. He can hold up play. he can bring others into play.
He can look better if the tactics suit him. Walcott does not look good if we dont break quickly and pick him out in space.
It is simple really if you play to people’s strengths they will play/ look good.
Fabregas is struggling as he is playing too deep, and the passes he makes get intercepted. He is also not taking easy balls on.
November 17, 2008 at 16:39
Jules….he HAS to sign them!!!
November 17, 2008 at 16:41
QoS – I agree, Nik seems to be an off-the-bench player if the first choice strikers are not delivering. Strangely Ade seems most effective when coming off the bench when given sufficient time (at least 30 mins)
I think Vela nd Ramsey and possibly LJW should be allowed to start games – they were a bit shaky at first against Wigan but improved greatly during the game and were magnificent by the end. I’m not saying they should play 90 minutes, but I don’t think its fair on them to bring them on with 15 minutes to go to try to retrieve a game.
November 17, 2008 at 16:42
That reminds me Kelsey; what a performance by Manninger against the manks at the theatre of prawn sandwiches.
Why on earth didn’t he go on from there and be as good as spunky ?
November 17, 2008 at 16:43
Q of S
Ofcourse I know that , I was being a little fececious . trying to raise the gloom of the weekend .
November 17, 2008 at 16:43
Depends what you call 3 experienced internationals.does that mean current or hasbeens?Personally wenger knows rosicky won’t play again this season,if ever again.eduardo will take a good couple of months to get fit so say not until march.he has hopefully seen that both keepers should be undertudies so a keeper a replacement for rosicky and a central defender for gilberto.
November 17, 2008 at 16:46
The pure unadulterated reason why we suck is because wenger punts on kids ..
he doesnt look at it like other clubs …
he doesnt say right we need a left winger & buy nasri .. well he did after 2/3 years without one but you get my drift ..
he would rather pool from his youth and hope someone can fill the vacant spots ..
and goof off with experiments as the back ..
and taking a punt on ade – bendtner and the injury prone RVP for strikers this season ..
Instead of buying some class ..
the he’s waiting for his youth too come of age and MAYBE one day challenging for a 1st team spot !
Wenger needs to look at each position on the pitch and buy 24/26 year old’s ready to take
on the position from the time they enter the club ..
Im sure half of the youths have lost there way .. does song know what position he really plays in? -(geoff will say NONE
)
diaby sometimes is in the middle other times he a winger , same goes for denilson etc ..
Theo as a striker .. eboue – everywhere !
its a shambles really !
The sooner he buys players too fill the premeditated gaps the better
November 17, 2008 at 16:46
Basically i think we are actually flattering to deceive.bar about 3 or 4 players we have a reserve team and then a third team in a nutshell.
November 17, 2008 at 16:46
Michael
I hope you are right mate , but we all knew who he HAD to sign in the summer and he did,nt . I doubt he will this time as he believes he has the squad to cope .
November 17, 2008 at 16:48
Michael P
Will your source be keeping you informed with the progress to sign these new players?
I’m sure you can understand the scepticism – we had 2 guys on here in the summer (aresnal insider or something similar) who promised us they knew about impending new signings, so don’t take it personally.
November 17, 2008 at 16:48
Wenger will ONLY buy players he feels are better than those we have.
So the chance of us picking up a player in Jan is remote.
1 name to throw in, that has not been mentioned is the Fulham CB, he is about 6 foot 5, and great in the air.
He has been amazing for them, and had a great game against Spurs (and us).
November 17, 2008 at 16:51
I’d love to see three new players come in – it would probably aid the development of our young team not hinder it!
November 17, 2008 at 16:53
We could have signed a player like Vincent Kompany in the summer. He went to man city before their wealthy new owners materialised and he looks a tidy ‘wenger type’ player. He can play CB or DM and cost about 6 million – so why didn’t we?
November 17, 2008 at 16:54
Marc c
good points but I still don,t see him being good enough . yes he has first touch
be so he should have ! the point is its not good enough , he missed some really easy headers on saturday that ade would have burried .
remember the team of 2004 and ask yourself do you think nikki b would get anywhere near that squad
i think not and that is what we SHOULD be aiming for but are currently not
November 17, 2008 at 16:57
Tired of not being able to satisfy the lady in your life?, finding it hard to “keep up”?, does your wife look at other men and dream of what they could give her?
Fuck Viagra – just take out a really big loan, it’s about the money not the size of your cock !!!!!
A shag last minutes (if your lucky) Diamonds are forever !!!
The all new “Keep your wife happy loan” – the loan you’ll be paying forever
Loans subject to terms and conditions we reserve the right to refuse loans because we don’t like the look of you or you’re a spurs fan!!
November 17, 2008 at 16:59
Busy Afternoon
Kelsey
Eboue to Harlequins, Brilliant mate
November 17, 2008 at 17:00
Another player I will throw in is some Swiss guy called Johan , he is 6ft 4 .
good in the air , good on the ball and can play as a dm .
oh , we already have him .what does guy have to do to get a start ?
November 17, 2008 at 17:00
rasputin – no problem, i expected the scepticism!!! I will let everyone on here know more as soon as i do!
And i totally agree with you about Kompany, i really thought we would sign him!!!
November 17, 2008 at 17:02
just got the arsenal newsletter to my inbox….and it finishes with……
Finally, I have been asked a lot about possible transfers in January but it is too early to answer that question. We are mid-November and we have to see where we are at the end of December. At the moment, speculating about transfers won’t help us.
Arsene Wenger
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…………..
November 17, 2008 at 17:03
9th. That’s where we’ll be mid december!
November 17, 2008 at 17:03
yep , we should have got Kompany . Arsene was said to be a long time admirer of the player and knows him well , so why not sign the guy especially for only 6 mill !
November 17, 2008 at 17:05
Why spend £6m when you can get Silly Vespa for nothing would have been Wengers take on it!
November 17, 2008 at 17:11
QoS!!!! Less of the Doom and Gloom!!!
November 17, 2008 at 17:13
Hello!
Odub- Great joke about Almunia and Krusty the clown.
Rasputin-he didn’t sign him because he bought Silvestre. He was worth 750 thousands and Kompany 6 milions…You know Wenger.
I would love to see 3 experienced players but if Arsene will bring them to our Club his ego will be damaged. So it’s unlikely. And besides- who would like to come to the Club which will be fighting for the 4th place and went almost 4 years without any trophy?
November 17, 2008 at 17:15
Speculating about transfers won’t help us………so what will help us Arsene?
Once again you have dampened our enthusiasm. What would have been wrong with saying ‘If our performances haven’t improved by the end of December, we will do our utmost to bring in players who will improve the squad’. This would act as a warning to the players who aren’t performing at the moment and restored some belief in us beleagured fans.
November 17, 2008 at 17:21
I think Arsenes right, I’m beginning to think that the only thing that can help is if one or two of us pull on some boots ourselves.
I for one, could not have played any worse than Cesc on Saturday.
November 17, 2008 at 17:23
Sorry Pedro, if you are going to use an analogy, don’t use Walcott, apart from the fact he is 10 times the player, much faster and has the ability to dribble, he’s played out of position, Bendtner’s not.
All of Theo’s goals have come from out wide, most of Bendtners are because he is taller than the defender, he’s not good enough, he’s not got what Ade’s got, he’s not got what Robin, Eduardo or Theo’s got, the ability to get something out of nothing, in his last 3 games he’s had chance after chance and never even came close. Never even looked like he would score, couldn’t be arsed was what I saw.
Sorry for me he’s had his chances, sell him with Song and move on.
November 17, 2008 at 17:24
At least you would have tried QOS!
November 17, 2008 at 17:27
My spike heels down Ashley Young’s shin would have slowed him down a bit!
November 17, 2008 at 17:33
I just think that Bendtner is in a bad patch at the moment, he can be really good, but he is playing poorly at the moment.
I don’t think the kids experiment is failing, because the kids are impressive, its the “kids” in the first team who are failing Arsene. Arsene actually believes that they can be successful, but it seems he’s having trouble instilling that in the team. Why, I do not know. Is this Wengers fault for his waning motivational skills, or the team for being arrogant and complacent?
The balance is right with the CC team, so why can’t the first team take heart from that? They are too safe IMO, Wenger needs to do something to slap some urgency into them.
November 17, 2008 at 17:34
I would just like to see them showing some effort and enthusiasm.
A few of them just didn’t look like they wanted to be there on Saturday, and I think Nic was the worst of them.
No wonder the Stadium was 3/4 empty at fulltime, why should we bother if they wont.
2 Players as a must in Jan as they were in July. I still think we would be covered at the back if….if…….if……if Wenger would start playing JD20.
Then we need one of
Cana, Yaya, Barry, Alonso
and one of
Huntelaar, Villa, Aguero
And I would also bring back PV4 for some squad cover.
It is not Rocket Science and given the lack activity in the summer and the subsequent lack of results to date, I just dont see why Wenger is still being backed to the hilt by some. Everyone has an opinion though and I guess everyone has a different tollerence level to his recklassness.
Mine personally was finally reached on Saturday, I think the club needs fresh ideas and fresh faces and I think it may need them on the board, Manager, Assistant Manager, Coaching Staff and Playing Staff.
I know Man City are currently pretty shit, but take heed, Hughes wont be there going into next season and those arabs will stop at nothing to get the right manager and vast aray of world class talent in Jan and next Summer. We might and should get 4th this season but Wengers Experiment as is will not get him through another season. Man City will get CL football going into the 10/11 Season.
November 17, 2008 at 17:37
I agree with you Pat about the lack of effort and determination. I actually have no explanation for that myself, other than they have an air of arrogance about them that they need to eradicate.
November 17, 2008 at 17:38
Le Champ=Arsenals kids(carling cup side)
November 17, 2008 at 17:41
“It’s very important to keep winning because if you beat Manchester United but then are not capable of beating other teams then you are nowhere and you don’t deserve to win anything.”
This is what Cesc said recently. And he is right. They don’t deserve to win anything. Thats what WEnger should ask them.
“Do you think you deserve to win?”
November 17, 2008 at 17:42
Nick has been deployed up front alone.. he wins headers but there is no one to knock them down to.. he is a much better player when he plays with a partner.
November 17, 2008 at 17:43
Yeah, I’d go with that Metal Gear!!
CC team, showing the first team how its supposed to be done. At least they would have tried against Villa. If Neil Banfield has taught them anything in the last few months, its to stop being complacent dickheads.
November 17, 2008 at 17:45
What gets me is what they are paid, at least fucking run, shut down and smile for it.
November 17, 2008 at 17:45
Bendtner is pretty much a second striker, thats how he usually operates, so in a sense, he probbaly was out of his depth within that role, but there was no excuse for his lack of effort.
That goes for the whole team. Apart from Denilson & Clichy, everyone else was strolling around, no pressing or anything. If theres one harrowing problem with Wengers new assembled first team, its the appalling lack of off-the-ball movement when not in possession (and even in possession sometimes)
November 17, 2008 at 17:46
Geoff, I 100% agree with you there, they get paid lots of money, why can’t they be motivated every match?
November 17, 2008 at 17:51
Geoff / SDF – doesn’t the lack of effort from players on saturday who had previously given their all suggest that there is a serious problem behind the scenes.
Metal is correct, the only team playing beautiful football is the kids – and they can perform for 90 minutes on a big stage.
November 17, 2008 at 17:53
lack of competition has led to complacency…..that, i feel is a key factor in our lack of consistency….
November 17, 2008 at 17:56
I don’t know Rasputin, but as much as I will be an Arsenal fan for as long as I live, I truly believe Wenger is working very hard for Arsenal, and I would HATE to see him go.
November 17, 2008 at 17:58
I think Wenger should ultimately play the kids in a premier league match.
And its not like we’ve got much to lose right now is there? Man City would be the perfect place, so what if they have money & Robinho, look at their defence lol.
November 17, 2008 at 17:59
SDF – I don’t want him to go either, but I think that DD would help him get everything back into perspective and take a lot of the burden off of him, and I don’t feel like a traitor to Arsenal in saying that
November 17, 2008 at 18:02
I think you hit the nail on the head there
Bendtner is at best a second striker, to play as a loan striker is going to catch him out if others are not on their game. He got away with it against Man Ure as we had Nasri in his one in four decent game mode.
He was out of his depth and to be honest once Ade came on Saturday, I did say to my mate that suddenly Nic looks interested. I think we know now that you should not play him as a lone striker.
And again I say it, I still think we are a Striker lite. last Jan I posted that I was pleased that we did not sign Anelka as I did not want to risk an Asprilla like collapse. Fuck I was wrong. Anelka is better than any of our strikers…and you all know it.
November 17, 2008 at 18:02
Yeah, Wenger was really down about Dein leaving, I remember. Dein really was the go-to guy that made a lot of things happen. The board is pretty depleted with his depature, and they have never truly replaced him. Ken Friar is well out of his depth IMO, and they need to replace Dein, or sack up and bring him back.
November 17, 2008 at 18:04
Anelka was always going to be brilliant Pat. I think we do need to bolster our attack with some clinical edges. I think we do have clinical finishers in Eduardo and Vela, but perhaps we need some powerful goalscorers, someone like Drogba, or even Anelka in that respect.
November 17, 2008 at 18:08
I know some people are saying that the lack of competition is what causes the complacency it’s true but at the same time it isn’t last season Flamini stepped up knowing if he didn’t Gilberto Silva would come back 2 reclaim his place. But when U look at Hleb he was under no pressure 4 his position but yet he performed. What is going on right now has a lot 2 do with Wenger’s stupidity which ranges from letting Diarra go not signing Anelka and Woodgate during the January transfer window 2 allowing Flamini 2 run out his contract when he wanted 2 sign a new contract at the start of the season, letting your only leader, proven and most experienced player in G.Silva go and then trusting the like’s of Denilson (2 offensive and reads the game poorly and simply not ready), Song (2 clumsy and slow), Diaby (2 offensive and lazy) 2 protect the back 4 and we wonder why we are where we are.
November 17, 2008 at 18:12
I used to think like that SDF but I just dont get Wenger any more
I used to wonder if Arsenal FC had become Arsene FC and that the players were only here because of him, but now surely if that was the case we would not have had a Fulham, Stoke, Hull, Villa, Sunderland performance
Something is fucking wrong at that football club and as outsiders it really fucking frustrates me that Arsenal Football Club who make more money than any other team in the world on a per match basis find themselves in a situation where we field a bunch of cunts that only seem to raise their game for the big boys.
But what really frustrates me was those words spouted out of the club when the Stadium Plans went in (I forget who said them) that the move would see Arsenal attract the best players and pay the best wages. Yet the only expensive transactions seem to be coming from us the fans.
I Fucking hate that I had to make the call following the close of the transfer window to refuse to renew my membership, I really wish I was there every home game but I have had a fucking nuff of these twats. It is time we started moving in the right direction
November 17, 2008 at 18:13
Metal Gear, about woodgate, If woodgate ever came to Arsenal, I would stop watching football, him and lee bowyer are racist cunts and shouldn’t be allowed to play football no matter how good they are or were
November 17, 2008 at 18:15
Well people, have a good evening, its been emotional to say the least….
November 17, 2008 at 18:22
I don’t think motivation is directly linked with money I agree they should perform because there are earning shit-loads but U could say that about all the inconsistent teams in the league we’re inconsistent because we don’t have the personnel 2 be consistent we had that last season because the balance of the midfield was perfect Flamini was the dog-fighter with the energy and work rate, Fabregas was the midfield dictator who trusted Flamini so much that he would frequently make runs into the box knowing his partner could hold his own without his help, Hleb though very frustrating was IMO the best playmaker in Europe at that particular time holding onto possession using his skill and football brain 2 draw players towards him thus creating a lot of space and making key passes that led 2 goal scoring opportunities which explains one of the two reason why the worst finisher in the history of Wengers rein could score 33 goals last season.
November 17, 2008 at 18:29
Sion if that’s true then off course I wouldn’t want him at the club but what I’m tryna say is we needed/need a proven solid defender some1 who could have defended those sloppy goals we conceded against Liverpool CL 2nd leg amongst a host of many man more errors.
November 17, 2008 at 18:39
Pat
Like i said all along, its all fine having this shiny new stadium , but if there playing like crap &
half the seats will be empty ! What is the fuckin point ?id still rather stay in a 38 k cap . ground and win things !
I remember getting carted on ACLF for saying that pat !!
wot a bunch of plonkers those cunts were !
November 17, 2008 at 18:41
I made a point earlier about finances at the big clubs are going to hit Liverpool big time.Hicks and gillete personally owe 200 millions pounds and now read this.
Just went through 2007 accounts as you do! Some interesting figures to back up my points. Unlike United Liverpool FC and Athletics Grounds Ltd ie the club have increased their debt from £26m to £44m with a a further loss this year of c£19m and this is with turnover increasing by c£14.5m although Admin costs also went up by approx the same amount (definately an area for review)!
Bottom line is if DiC or similar dont come in soon, it seems like the banks will,and given loans have been used to make the purchases, it seems players like Torres could be sold.
I seriously had no idea Liverpool were in this situation and though not relevent to us it makes interesting reading for debate.
November 17, 2008 at 18:53
wenger has far to soft on his players and needs be alot more rufless ,publicly critizing the players would good idea,,forget about looking videos and looking at how they played it was clear was was complete lack any effort and will to win, i would sell bretna,put cesc on the bench play song and diaby,wenger realy needs to getting stuck in to players. and thwy bring in the policy no win no pay then then i think they would start winning games then
November 17, 2008 at 19:05
Interesting the chat about Anelka. I was an advocate for bringing him home.
But it must be pointed out that he probably cost the CHavs both the league and the CL. HIs form was shocking last season.. And it was his missed penalty that lost them the CL.
Still like him back tho
November 17, 2008 at 19:07
Comentario tan catastrofista, no se, yo tengo mi opinion, Gallas y Silvestre no son centrales para un equipo como el nuestro, estoy seguro que Djorou puede hacerlo mejor que cualquiera. En el centro no sobra Cesc, necesita Cesc un complemento un jugador que le cubra la espalda y que le deje jugar con tranquilidad, Nasri aun es un recien llegado y tiene partidos muy buenos y otros que no encuentra sitio ni juego, necesita un tiempo para alcanzar regularidad. Por ultimo Fabianski no me ha demostrado ser mejor que Almunia, que con fallos lleva una buena trayectoria en la porteria.
November 17, 2008 at 19:08
got to say great post Geoff TOTALLY BEHIND YOU !
MESSAGE FOR THOSE OVERPAID PRIMA DONA’S WEARING OUR SHIRT ,
EITHER PUT SOME GUTS INTO YOUR PERFORMANCES OR FUCK OFF THAT GOES FOR ALL OFF YOU…………….
me personally i want to see RAMSEY, JD, LJ, IN THE TEAM NOW……
i must say though i like silvestre ,no nonsense defending ,are you listening GALLAS,
MY TEAM FROM NOW ON IS
fabianski- time to ditch coco.
sagna (when fit) eboue, when fit if no sagna,
(if no eboue) Toure ,JD, SILVESTRE, CLICHY
NASRI,(LJ,IF NASRI IS NOT CUTTING IT, DIABY, RAMSEY, (CESC AFTER BEING RESTED)
RVP
TT, AND VELA
DO YOU REMEMBER NORWICH CITY DECIDED TO INVEST ALL THEIR MONEY ON A MARVELLOUS TRAINING FACILITY ,when they were in the top flight instead of investing in the playing staff , and look what happened to them ,
look the kids are fine but we need proven established players,
and oh i would love to send SONG to chelski for essien ,cause wenger says he worth a massive contract and that he’s a top player , BOLLOCKS……….
RESTED )
November 17, 2008 at 19:13
Big Raddy he was played out of position far 2 often.
November 17, 2008 at 19:14
Hey Raddy, so what did we win without him? At least they got to two finals!
November 17, 2008 at 19:21
give ramsey the armband?! come on lads heheh
I think its fantastic timing that fabregas is suspended for the City game. It means we can play diaby alongside denilson, and return to 2 up front (adebayor with Van Persie if hes back (?) or Vela)
November 17, 2008 at 19:22
Euskal is saying Gallas and Silvestre no, Djourou yes, Cesc yes Nasri not sure, Ok! Have a great night I’m off!
November 17, 2008 at 19:26
vela won’t even be in the squad for citeh.. he comes back from around the world on friday!!!
November 17, 2008 at 19:27
Euskal, estoy de acuerdo con casi todo lo que dices.
La cosa más importante en el equipo es la espalda de Cesc! No puede jugar en una manera relajada cuando durante todo el partido está pensando que nadie le da cobertura. Djourou también tiene que jugar en vez de Silvestre. Antes del ‘campionato’ pensé que necesitaba un defensor alto y duro- como Vidic como Skrtel- para complementar el estilo más suave de Gallas. Pero eso no llegó, así que Djourou es la solución mejor de unas opciones males.
November 17, 2008 at 19:44
Chipo, I wouldn’t say Skrtel was a physical defender. In between.
November 17, 2008 at 19:55
chipo – que?
November 17, 2008 at 20:00
Evening Grovers… what’s with the Spanish… what was said Geoff?
November 17, 2008 at 20:03
good post. Drop the lot of them.
but why are we so fucking inconsistent. it baffles me some times. it really does
November 17, 2008 at 20:10
I think they need to be screamed at.. give them a hairdryer treatment…
go ballistic on them … ground them or something like that…
November 17, 2008 at 20:14
whats the point in continuing to buy and develop these youngsters if all we (arsenal) do is play them for a few years (at first they are awful) and therefore we win nothing and then as soon as they play well for a season we lose them because they feel they cannot win anything with arsenal anymore…its completely pointless and a spiral of decline because all arsenal do is not win anything and then make lots of money back by selling the players..the board needs reshuffling, its not just the crappy slightly above average players (almunia etc)
November 17, 2008 at 20:17
almunia saved a penalty.. he did his part in the first half… the lads should have picked on from that… but no.. the midfield was run over and he was hammered.
November 17, 2008 at 20:19
Interesting debate about wether we should have kept the old midfield in place VS. acquiring new, proven players i.e. Barry, Alonso. Regarding Flamini´s situation in Milan; he got off to a slow start, but has increasingly featured in their starting 11 and looks like he´s back to the fine form he showed for us last year. IOW it seems that his first good season at AFC (last year) wouldn´t have been the last. Many fans wrote him off with ease, considering that he only played well for us in his final year. But there´s a good explanation for this, as he was nowhere near a first-team starting place, competing with proven world-class players. I really think that Wenger and his team lost the gamble with regard to the prolongation of Flamini´s contract and from Wenger´s comments it seems clear that he was furious about him leaving…
November 17, 2008 at 20:29
El problema es que no es seguro que Djourou puede jugar como centro campista.
November 17, 2008 at 20:45
Chipo
What does Euskal mean when he says En el centro no sobra Cesc?
November 17, 2008 at 20:56
choy i could agree more its not first time they been out fought hull,stoke and now villa i doint see that complete loving of losing accept from gallas but he expresses it in the wrong way and not a very good captain but you cant use him has skape goat this comes from wenger he continues make excuses for them but i feel there title rane is over
November 17, 2008 at 21:01
My attempt at translating Chipo’s post &.27
Euskal, I agree with almost everything you say.
The biggest concern is what’s going on behind Cesc! He cannot play in a relaxed way throughout the game when he is thinking who is covering him. Djourou also has to play in place of Sylvestre.
Before the Euros I thought that we needed a strong, tall defender like Vidic or Skertel to complement the smooth style of Gallas, but that didn’t happen, so Djourou is the best solution to some bad options.
November 17, 2008 at 21:01
guys… c mon!!!
November 17, 2008 at 21:04
What did Euskal say!
Evening London and Chipo!
November 17, 2008 at 21:10
As I said in my earlier post. I would love to see us buying 3 experienced players but it will never happen because of Wenger’s ego. He will never admit that he has failed. So don’t be so excited gentlemen.
November 17, 2008 at 21:26
Maciek he will if his employers demand it, they should and hopefully will insist that he brings in two or three marquee players, because a) the future success of the team depends on a big step up in quality that comes from experience, and b) they owe it to the fans due to the amounts they are shelling out and indeed the huge profits the club are making as a result. Fans of top level clubs expect to see players coming in, the best players in the world come to the Premiership, in fact we probably started the ball rolling with Bergkamp, it’s part and parcel of being a big team.
Wenger has failed to factor this into his plans, out of all the top four teams it’s Arsenal fans who are being denied that aspect of the top four experience if you will. Yes I know this sounds like bullshit but it is a fact that football is big business and big entertainment, part of that entertainment is the whole shebang of bringing in the best, and if the board don’t wise up to that this winter then they are not quite the businessmen they think they are.
November 17, 2008 at 21:27
My attempt at translating Euskal Gooner’s post
A gloomy post, I don’t know, I have my opinion, Gallas and Sylvestre are not the right CB’s for a team like ours, I am sure that Djourou would be better than either. Cesc cannot do everything in the middle; he needs someone to cover his back that will enable him to play in a more relaxed way. Nasri is still settling in; he has played really well in some games while in others he hasn’t been able to find enough space to play. He needs time.
Lastly, Fabianski has not demonstrated to me that he is better than Almunia there have been a couple of mistakes but he has played well in goal.
A gloomy post, could be off the mark.
November 17, 2008 at 21:29
3 experienced pros?!? hmmm…
Dream List…
A beast of a CM.. a clinical striker and a winger who can cross the ball!!!
November 17, 2008 at 21:55
Cheers London. Gloomy would make sense… it wasn’t going to be a happy post today.
Seb, spot on mate. That’s not bullshit, that is fact.
Big signings lift the fans and the players. Big profits lift some fans… not me though. I couldn’t give a rats ass about our massive profit margins and our towering cash reserves. I’d rather see some cash invested in a squad that is oh so close to being really good.
November 17, 2008 at 21:55
Choy… we have a clinical striker!
Mutterings of Huntelaar wont go away though…
November 17, 2008 at 22:01
who vela?
November 17, 2008 at 22:01
Eduardo!
November 17, 2008 at 22:08
I’m hitting the sack!
’til tomorrow!
November 17, 2008 at 22:20
yeah i do hope he comes back better than ever.. but that is an optimistic view..
November 17, 2008 at 22:21
nite..pedro
November 17, 2008 at 22:30
I respect Your view but can we all honestly expect our board to persuade Wenger to buy quality? And as for quality and experience I’m talking about 25-30 year olds not about kids with potential. When we have signed Reyes I was very excited, because I knew he was quality. I feel the worst. They( Wenger and our managemant) letted me dawn to many times, and that’s why I’m just very suspicious.
November 17, 2008 at 22:34
And, why buy 3 experienced players in january, when You can do it in jun/july and have a bigger chance to fight for trophys?
November 17, 2008 at 22:36
Maciek .. jan window buys are more or less panic buys… don’t know if we will buy anyone though…. but we certainly do need reinforcement… if we are to at least finish in the top 4!!! how sad is that!!!
November 17, 2008 at 22:38
Apparently it’s late in London Town…for what it’s worth, I think that a couple of players will come in January 09…none of them English..all of them French…none of them starters..all of them player/coach-types (old)..as for Cesc?…Ade?…Van Persie?…Song?…Eboue? just keep playin ‘em…because as Wenger says: “These players have the mental strength and intelligence to continue to play ze football the way we believe football should be played and through their collective spirits and mental strength they…” ahh fuck man…worse than the crap we in the states heard during the last election…
November 17, 2008 at 22:45
Choy
It was all dawn to Wenger to buy quality players in the summer. He only bought Nasri and Ramsey so he is to blame. He let us dawn.
November 17, 2008 at 22:50
It disgusts me to see how spoiled so called “Gunners fans” have this idea in there heads that Arsenal can compete with the mega bucks of the “big 3″ week in week out. Inconsistency happens when there is ZERO COMPETITION anywhere in the starting 11. We need 3 to 4 new players challenging for a 1st team spot every week because these guys are way to comfortable & luthargic out there. There is no DRIVE which is pretty sad to say. If you are a professional, you shouldn’t need a letter from the gaffer to give encouragement . It is so sad to see Wenger put way to much trust in this lot. They have disappointed him…
November 17, 2008 at 23:15
Good night all!
November 18, 2008 at 05:50
International breaks! huh……………
November 18, 2008 at 08:19
does anyone else think we should play RVP on the wing? He is great with the ball at his feet, he can cross and take good free kicks and corners…. but he cant fucking shoot!!!!!
I think we should play him R or L wing when eduardo is back fit and play ade and eduardo up front. And then if one gets injured or dropped stick RVP up front or Vela?
November 18, 2008 at 08:21
or even swap RVP and theo around for a couple games. RVP can play on the right wing i have seen him play there before. Stick theo up front fo a while. He hasnt played there in ages so see what he is like again through the middle. Or even switch theo and RVP positions for 20 minutes a time during a game
November 18, 2008 at 08:23
I’d give it a go Kenny.
November 18, 2008 at 08:47
keeny good mornig,though i have to isagree as we could finish up with all our strikers on the wing.theo,nasri,ade9always drifts to the wing0as does diaby,but to say rvp can’t shoot is a hell of a statement.
i watched a repeat of henry’s best 10 goals on arsenal TV,god do we miss a player of his ability.
November 18, 2008 at 08:58
This is a comment from a AKB I just got, I know he’s 9 years old, but you would think they would teach him English at school wouldn’t you. Here it is…
who knows who the fuck you people are where you at i hope some are not frm Antarctic good bye.
peter1010@cooltoad.com
That’s his comment and that’s his address if any of you want to reply, I guess ‘cooltoad’ is all the rage for kids of his age!
November 18, 2008 at 09:00
i second that kelsey !
November 18, 2008 at 09:01
I’m all for playing Eduardo up front, but imo he would play better next to a second striker type who can put the ball through for him. Controversially he actually played really well with Bendtner last year, who is quite happy to play the unselfish strike partner role, he’s just shit as a target man.
I don’t remember seeing Eduardo and Van Persie play together, I would be keen to see that tried, it might bring the best out of RvP.
November 18, 2008 at 09:05
any news about eduardo has he started training fully yet
November 18, 2008 at 09:15
“the post is late today dear”
November 18, 2008 at 09:17
Seb i think it was effective once at everton,but it was more of a hoof upfield and eduardo scored a couple.
the trouble with nicci,is that he ia loner,quite complicated charachter,doesn’t track back,and i feel he doesn’t suit our style of play.i am not sayig he wont flourish but maybe not with us.
eduardo has started training but no physical ball challenges,he is earmarked to play for the reserves against the spurs in mid december,rohan.
November 18, 2008 at 09:18
gm,how was japan?
November 18, 2008 at 09:23
Worrying write up by Myles today
November 18, 2008 at 09:25
The post has been written and is being formatted as we speak, the ANR piece is funny, he’s trying to sound like Le Grove!
November 18, 2008 at 09:35
NEW POST!