The hand of CESC: When cheating is cool + the return of the ratings!

February 11, 2010

I didn’t want to have to write another depressing match report. I didn’t want to write about the same old problems again. I didn’t want to watch the same game plan repeated unsuccessfully.

We’d gone from competing for the league to competing for 3rd place. If tonight went sour, we could have found ourselves fighting it out for 4th. That wasn’t a scenario I wanted to consider.

Almunia
Eboue Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Diaby Song Cesc
Nasri Bendtner Arshavin

Well, I liked the team. Eboue got his first start since returning from the ACN, the midfield looked good and finally we could boast a striker. I expected a big game from Arshavin. He is to Liverpool what Drogba is to us.  I was expecting Nasri to show some steel and prove he wants a future at the club.

We wanted fight tonight… blood, guts and thunder! I wanted to see proof these players cared.

Well, it didn’t start well, the first Liverpool freekick bounced on the 6 yard line.

Liverpool set out to stifle like they always do. They are incredibly effective at that and so it proved during the first half.

Gallas went close with early header. He should have done better.

Nik B broke the offside trap and blazed over. A Good run regardless.

Reina weakly punched a corner away. Nasri snapped at the shot which was blocked.

The rest of the half played out in tepid fashion. It was good to see a striker gracing the pitch and despite him not playing amazingly, he was nodding on balls and putting himself about.

Cesc needed to pick up his game if we were going to win this.

Ngog broke through on goal, Gallas slid in and tackled, the ball travelled straight up the other end, Rosicky was slipped in by Arshavin and was so scared to shoot he pretty much ran it into Reinas hands!

Then came the penalty shout. Bendtner burst into the box, Agger clipped him, Howard booked Bendtner for diving. It was a penalty by the letter of the law, even though I’m not a fan of that type of gamesmanship.

Then came the moment we were waiting for. Fab played to Bends whose first cross failed, the ball came back out, he fed Rosicky who crossed to Diaby who buried the header! Get in! No more than we deserved.

Almuina spilled a freekick he should have caught. If newsnow allowed naughty words, I’d tell you what the whole country shouted in the direction of the Spaniard at that moment. Don’t worry, I noted who gave the freekick away.

Al made amends with a super save from a Babel shot.

Arsenal were holding on for dear life. We were giving away space in a most casual fashion…

Theo managed to pick the ball up in Liverpools half, instead of holding onto it, he played it back to Reina! What a muppet, that put us on the back foot almost immediately! Gerrard and Kuyt both dived one after the other, Howard Webb gave a freekick. After much kerfuffle, Gerrard smashed it at the wall, Cesc decided to clear it with his HAND! Superb, couldn’t have  asked for a better finish!

Oh but wait, it could… Spurs lost, ManU drew and Chelsea lost! Was I dreaming? No! We’re back!

Do I think we’ll win the league? No. Will I enjoy the rest of this mad as Gazza season? Yes! We’re back from the ashes of defeat… AGAIN! Crazy… I’m elated… so elated in fact, I don’t care that I have to go to a gift wrapping factory in Bradford today… honestly, I’m pleased as can be!

Fantastic result, heart, guts, blood thunder, sloppy last gasp defending, dangerous play… who cares about the bad stuff, we won! That’s all that matters. Like Ballack said in the week, football is a results business, if you get them, the crappy stuff is ignored.

Great substitute by Wenger late in the game. Eboue was proving to be a liability and Wenger brought on Sagna who provided solid cover.The timing of the sub was strange…

The team ground out a win, having Bendtner back helped. We had a target man. He’ll grow with the season. Diaby was very good today, he made up for an off Cesc game. Arshavin also looked much more effective. I’ve heard he may have a thigh injury, lets hope that’s not the case.

Gallas was immense. He was a warrior tonight and easily my man of the match. The best way to ensure we keep a clean sheet is to make sure Almunia doesn’t have to deal with anything too tricky. Willy G recognised that and  made sure he was largely untroubled.

A word for Gerrard. You disgust me.

A word for Kuyt. You disgust me in a footballing sense and a visual sense.

I hope Liverpool finish 5th and lose out to Everton.

Speaking of the league. Chelsea and United both have a horrible fixture list compared to ours. We really are back in it. Are any of the top 3 capable of winning all their games? Not this year. This really could be one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the Premiership.

It’s not quite there for the taking, but 6 points is hardly insurmountable…

Ratings

Almunia: Still looks like he’s just been given the bad news after his X-factor audition. He looked shaky tonight but he did pull off a superb save late on after Babel escaped his marker and flew a shot at the goal. 6.5

Eboue: I have more love for Peter Sutcliffe than I do this man. He played well in patches but his constant feigning of injury and crazy decisions were driving me up the wall. 6.5

Gallas: His best appearance in the red and white. He was commanding, took responsibilty and dealt with everything thrown at him today. 10

Vermaelen: Wasn’t equal to his partner, but helped hold the defence together. 8

Clichy: Still gaffing like George Bush without an autocue. His positional sense was off tonight and his passing was patchy at best. He pulled it together late in the game though. 6.5

Diaby: He’s cut out the rubbish passing and he’s turning into quite a player. He held the midfield together in the absence of the normally immacculate Cesc. His header showed great persistence and hard work to get up the pitch. 8

Song: I felt he was back to his bumbling best today. He was giving away fouls all over the place and his passing was less than desirable. He fails to shut down people with urgency sometimes and that really does worry me. Give Song the tenacity of Flamini and you’ve got something very special on your hands. 7

Cesc: An off day for the main man. His passing was poor and he didn’t really orchestrate the game like he usually does. Great handball at the end… a fitting way to end the game! 6.5

Nasri: He wasn’t playing very well before he was subbed, lets hope his injury isn’t a serious one. 6

Bendtner: You couldn’t say his performance was vintage. His touch was off and he didn’t really impose himself like I know he can. Still, he offered something different and he can win a header! 6.5

Arshavin: I thought he was having a good game. He needs to cut out those selfish tendencies when he has better options available, but overall, good to see him out wide again. 6.5

Subs:

Theo: His pace caused problems like it always does and he worked hard. I’m still aghast at his pass back to Reina in the ninty second minute. That was embarrassing regardless of his age. He needs to be pulled to one side over that incident. 6

Rocky: I prefer him to start ahead of Nasri. I think he offers a lot more to the team. So it proved with his deft cross to Diaby for the goal. 7

Sagna: Strange to bring a right back on for the tallest player on the pitch when you’re defending a dangerous freekick… but hell, I’ve seen Nikki B turn the ball into his own net or gift the oppo a goal many times before in similar situations. Sagna strengthened the right side of defence and helped us see out the game.

So Grovers… then there were three…

See you in the comments! Actually, that’s a lie, you’ll see Geoff. I’m in wrapping paper land!

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Posted by Pedro

Time to dish out a lesson to the playground bully, Arsenal, it’s time to deliver!

February 10, 2010

Ok today I’m forgetting what our leader is saying about sticking to his guns and developing young talent, even though we don’t have that much and what we do have was on show last night at Eastlands, go figure, I can’t!

Today it’s all about doing Liverpool, the scousers come to the Grove on the back of a very dodgy win against the team we hammered 6-1, and it was only 6-1 because that day we had Almunia in goal.

Gerrard, the one who last week said he wouldn’t feel comfortable if Terry got sacked, and he was made captain, got his wish, he didn’t get made captain, ha, ha, did that backfire or what!

He is the tough guy that punched a DJ in the face for no other reason than he had his mates in the bar protecting him, well no one can protect you at the Grove dipstick, tonight we’ll give you some if you start, tonight the Arsenal are like a wounded gun, Ok wounded bear, dangerous, we’ll come out blazing, (like a wounded gun would) and if we play football like we did at the Bridge, you’ll get hammered, we’ll then put an 8 point gap in there and your quest for 4th place or better will be over. Screwed.

Arsene put Bendtner and Rosicky on at the start, Theo likes to torment his boyhood team so as daft as it sounds, I would give him another go.

Arsenal, on the back of 3 defeats and a draw, you owe us one, I’ll be there to make sure you deliver, tonight Arsene, is for Harry, for England and St. George, tonight it’s about finishing top, not third, but numero uno, tonight the real Arsenal have to turn up or that’s it, season’s over.

Get in there you reds, get in there and show all those worthless journalists, pundits and ex players that your boss was right to stand by you and we are right to keep cheering you.

Tonight Arsenal, tonight is for us, the fans, go and deliver.

Have a great day Grovers, and more positive and my head will explode!

P.S. Did you see the Paddy to Ade goal? He can score goals like that because he is the right age. Arsene, take note. Pedro still has a single for tonight, e-mail in for info!

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Posted by Geoff

Time to move on and prove that finishing third was worth it Arsene.

February 9, 2010

So yesterday saw unprecedented criticism levelled at the boss, not just from most of the blogs, but from just about every journalist, football pundit and ex player in the world of football, home and abroad, so who is right, Arsene Wenger, or everyone else?

It’s time to stop treating the boss like a demi-God that can do no wrong, it’s time to open your eyes people, we need to change tack or we’ll go another 6 years with nothing to show for it bar a shiny new stadium, a posh training ground (or should I say treatment room) and a shed load of rich people benefitting from it that really don’t care about winning.

We play Liverpool tomorrow, a must win game, in our leaders quest for finishing third, they don’t come much tougher than this one, win it and we are on track for that coveted 3rd spot, lose it and the chasing pack are on us, and we could end up out of Europe and out of new young fans.

Two years ago we, here on Le Grove stressed the importance of beating ManU in the FA cup, field a weakened side we said and the confidence will go and we could blow the Premiership, of which at that time we were leading, we blew it and the rest is history.

Wind the clock forward and up step Stoke, we fielded a crazy team and lost, followed by a draw at Villa Park and two hammerings to title rivals and now we are out of the cups, and out of the league, so what’s left? That’s right, the bonus target of finishing third and the outside chance of winning the Champions league. Great. That was worth every penny I scraped together to buy my two expensive season tickets.

Every season we all say Wenger must learn from his laughable project youth and in the summer he will buy, well with season ticket renewal on the way, Wenger has once again started telling the French press he wants Chamakh.

We all renew and we buy a player only then to sell two first teamers, I could list all those that have gone, Reyes, Henry, Hleb, Kolo and Ade but I won’t, oops, I already did, sorry, but Chamakh could have and should have been bought in August, we could have got him for £12mil, we didn’t because we can get him on a free, but by the time we pay him a signing on fee and inflated wages, it will be the same, so we failed to get a player when he could have made a difference and another year of nothing drifts by.

I don’t even think he’s the one, Dzeko or Villa would have been better, it’s not like we didn’t have the money is it?

This year though, we got the added bonus of the whole footballing world laughing at us, thanks for that boss.

Tomorrow we have to win, tomorrow we have to field a team that can score and put some distance in between us and the pack, tomorrow we should play this lot.

Fabianski

Eboue Campbell Gallas Traore

Diaby Cesc Vermaelen

Rosicky Bendtner Arshavin

This has to be the team we play, a solid back four, a half decent keeper and a defensive midfielder with pace, strength, the knowledge to read play and score goals with a forward line that has presence and the ability to hold play up.

Almunia is just a joke, Clichy and Sagna have lost form and Song is too slow, Arshavin is too small to be a centre forward and Theo has lost his ability. Time to drop your favourites and start thinking of the poor fans.

We need to get in their faces from the off and shoot when we get near the goal, time to stand up and be counted and time to stop the embarrassing and pathetic excuses.

Oh and finally time to start winning games again, the players we’ve been playing in key games are either not old enough, not strong enough or not good enough, time to realise that and show the pundits we are a team that can challenge, either that or time to change, and you all know what that means.

I want to write blogs that are happy ones, all I can find to write about these days are critical ones, and you know what? That’s not my fault, it’s Arsenal’s, and finally it’s time to man up and admit when you’re wrong. Because you know what? You really are.

Can someone tell me what the benefit in moving stadiums has been? At Highbury we had no debt and beer was £2.25 a pint, we had a better atmosphere, we were winners and we spent money on players, we were told we needed to move to compete with the mancs and the chavs, if we had been told 7 years on and we’d still spend no money and be pot-less would you have been happy? I know I wouldn’t, and that 7 years is only if we win something next year, and that’s a big if, would you have been happy if you were given the caveat that we would would not be trying to win any domestic cups and that third place would be our new target? I’m not.

Have a great day Grovers, it’s win tomorrow or bust, oh, and we have a spare ticket for the game, if you’re interested email Pedro.

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Posted by Geoff

Disrespecting domestic tradition and real sporting values. Arsene deserved today.

February 8, 2010

The game opened in thunderous fashion. Drogba almost found himself one on one within the first minute!

It didn’t take long for a goal to come, sadly it went to Chelsea.

Theo did well to clear the first ball into the box. It went out for a corner. A near post cross was nodded wide by JT, Drogba was on hand to knock it in at the far post. The catalogue of errors was impressive. Vermaelen lost Terry’s run, Song managed to lose Drogba and Clichy managed to lose his post! Inexcusable defending, yet all too familiar.

The game flattened out. Arshavin was played in with a unbelievable 40 yard Cesc pass, but his volley was saved.

Arshavin was single handedly trying to craft a goal, he lost the ball on the edge of the Chelsea box, Lampard began the counter attack, passed to Drogba out wide, he jinked inside Clichy and powered it past Almunia.

The keeping looked typically questionable as did our complete lack of respect for footballing tactics. Ancellotti said he’d play us on the counter attack, he wasn’t lying.

2 down in 23 minutes. The only way back? If Kanu was on the bench! He did it for us 11 years ago. Then again, we had quality oozing through the squad.

Chelsea took a back seat for the rest of the half, knowing it would only be so long before we exposed ourselves again.

Ashley Cole nearly nipped in but for the quick feet of Walcott. That really would have capped a dreadful half.

Arsenal looked flat, out of ideas and very inexperienced compared to the professional group of athletes Chelsea had on show. We had a lot of possession, but Chelsea were allowing that. They knew we didn’t have a recognised striker and Arshavin was going to struggle to create.

Once again, we were tactically naïve and due to the world class transfer policies of Arsene Wenger, we didn’t really have many options from the bench. I mean really, in your heart of hearts, did you feel Bendtner could come on and turn the game for us? I didn’t. Still, I was interested to see what the coach was going to do. He had that rabbit caught in headlights look sitting on the bench, Pat Rice had that, ‘what’s for dinner’ look on his.

First attack of the second half, Vermaelen was the only player in the central striking position. Crazy!

Nasri was played in by Cesc, through on goal, only the keeper to beat, but he didn’t pull the trigger! What was he thinking!

Cesc had the next chance in the shape of the freekick. He powered it low under the wall, Cech saved superbly, Gallas was unlucky not to turn it in. Cech really did prove the value of a having a proper keeper between the sticks. Brave, agile and concentrating when called upon.

Song clipped Frank Lampard and gave away a needless freekick. Drogba stepped up to the ball and I said to my brother, ‘Why is Almunia giving him so much of the goal?’. Drogba smashed his kick over the wall and against the bar, Almunia actually gave up. Couldn’t even muster a dive. Shortly after, Anelka blazed over from 8 yards. For all our huff, it didn’t take long for Chelsea to show that they had another gear.

The game fizzled out without any more drama, Arsenal slumped to their second defeat in a week and raised the white flag of surrender on the third trophy of the season.

How disappointing.

Yes, there was some fight and the boys put a lot of effort in but when push came to shove, we just lacked the quality Chelsea had in abundance. Did it need to be this way? No, and that’s why the result hurt so much. People can talk about the overall lack of activity in the transfer market this winter,  the fallacy there are no players to buy or point the the fact we were very close … but when all is said and done, we had a transfer kitty bigger than most teams in Europe and instead of being proactive, we sat on our hands until the last day and came up with nothing.

We’ve flunked all 4 big game tests so far this season. That tells a story. We’re the third best team in the league. Well, we hope we are. Can Wenger change that? Well, if he carries on with this project, no.

I don’t want to hear that expectations were low, so this shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a major problem. If the fans can see the weaknesses and the management can’t, there is a huge problem.

A question for the board.

Do we want Arsenal PLC to be a vehicle to deliver trophies or are we happy to just generate a nice profit every summer?

For those who are waiting for the day we pay off the debt in the naïve hope everything will be ok then… think again… paying the debt off only increases the share value, helping to line the pockets of the few. Then someone buys the club and the fans are back to square one… looking down the barrel of another 20 years of paying off debt.

I don’t really know what else to say that hasn’t been said a thousand times before? We lack two or three quality players. We lack a plan B and a management team who believe in tactics. We have too many players who aren’t good enough and outside of the first 11 we’re really short of ‘now’ quality. We’ve got a goalkeeper who looks like he’s just been told a Chinese firing squad are waiting for him in the dressing room, we’ve got a player on £60k a week who looks like he’s never played football, a left back whose ability is actually regressing before our eyes and we don’t have a proper striker outside of the most injured player in history.

Our coach only cares about two trophies he can’t equip his squad to compete for. At any other top club in Europe, his nonchalant attitude to domestic traditions and winning in general wouldn’t be tolerated. This is sport. If you’re not in it to win it, take a job upstairs. I don’t care about his agenda or what he deems to the be the right way.

His stance is a bit like that of Don Corleone’s in the God Father. The Don didn’t want to move into the drugs trade as he deemed it a ‘dirty business’. Wenger sees spending money in the same way,  yet misses the flaw in his argument. Luring other clubs teenagers to Arsenal with the offer of huge wages before they sign a pro contract with the club that schooled them is equally immoral. Preaching values in a valueless industry that you’re a part of is futile. It’s growing tiresome.

He wont change, he doesn’t have it in him anymore. He’s lost that adaptable edge that brought him so much early success. After disrespecting the FA Cup, telling us the Carling Cup doesn’t count as a trophy and failing to sign any players because of his vision, I can’t help but think Wenger deserved today. It should be a reality check. It won’t be though. It’ll just make him more resolute.

See, the trouble is, I can wait for him to leave… will Cesc, Arshavin and Robin Van Persie? I hope for the next managers sake they do.

Have great day. I’m in West London. Yippee. Just what I need.

Pedro

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Posted by Pedro

I am responsible for United defeat says Arsene Wenger

February 7, 2010

Yeah we know Arsene, who’s fault did you think we thought it was? Pat Rice’s? Anyway if that’s your way of saying sorry, I accept, what I don’t accept however is this statement…

‘It’s very important that we win something, we’re here to win trophies, but it depends on what you call trophies, Is it the Champions League, the Premier League, the League Cup? If you win the League Cup you cannot say you win trophies for me’

Well at least he’s finally admitting he doesn’t recognise the league cup, something I have been saying now for a very long time, perhaps some of the sycophants will now believe it, as he’s finally admitted why he fields a youth team, that hasn’t a hope in hell of winning it.

What was more sinister though was this outrageous comment…

‘Of course [finishing third is better than winning a domestic cup]. It’s much more difficult’

So after reading this on Pravda, he has now finally got round to telling us, he isn’t interested in the FA Cup either and qualifying for the Champions league is his target, and why? It’s because he gets a huge bonus for qualification and the club earns good money.

I know that  4th place also qualifies but only for the qualifying rounds and not straight in.

So there you have it, from the horses mouth, Arsene and the board are only interested in the continuance of the gravy train, the Champions league shilling. At last it’s out and the doggedness of Le Grove sticking to our guns against all the abuse from certain quarters, that our leader won’t spend money on building a great team because he and his board are just not interested in silverware, it all about making money.

Onto today and our trip to Stamford Bridge, a big well done to Fabio Capello for being man enough to rid the country of that lout Terry from the England captaincy.

That turgid little arse kisser Pearce tried to tell the world, knocking up your best mates bird has nothing to do with football, Stuart, I bet your wife is proud of you mate, what a nice bloke you are, and another great example of celebrity loving, broken Britain.

Fabio, all I want to know is why it took 12 minutes, was it because you laughing yourself silly for 11 minutes and 50 seconds after you tin-tacked the mug and he was begging you to phone his bint?

Well let’s just hope as you are reading this that Cashley has been revealed by the News  of The World as being the 5th man, I’d be surprised, as I always suspected that wasn’t really his thing, girls that is.

So I was offered the chance to sit in the directors box at the Bridge, by a very good friend, I declined his kind offer because it’s a long way back and I wasn’t that confident, that was however before we heard all the news about their shagging, I’m now hoping that will serve to distract them and we’ll get a result, well that and the way they played against Hull.

Mind you, I did say that last week. If he drops the hapless Denilson, we may have a better shape, if the team mans up and act like they want to win then we may have a chance of getting a result.

With the Mancs starting to play football again, we need to win to stay in the race, and with the scousers winning again, we really need to look over our shoulder, so a win will take away some of the pain and maintain a healthy gap in the table.

We absolutely have to play Bendtner and Diaby today to have any chance, I also hope we don’t see Eboue on the wing.

So this is my guess for the team, well it is if we want to show the chavs we mean business, please don’t make them laugh as hard as Fergie must have last week when he saw that team sheet Arsene.

Anyone but Almunia

Eboue Gallas Vermaelen Clichy

Song Cesc Diaby

Rosicky Bendtner Arshavin

I have never in my footballing life heard any manager, let alone an Arsenal one say that finishing third is more important than winning a trophy, so Arsene, let’s at least do that then, and start by winning today.

So the player we tried to sign was Sorenson, if that’s true he needs to drop Almunia, today, but the final word belongs to Cesc, we are offering him a new 5 year contract to stay, why? He already has one to 2014 doesn’t he??? What is the matter with us, that’s 4 years!

Have a great day Grovers, this is a must not lose game.

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Posted by Geoff

Wengers PreZzz conference / I know the mystery player! / Dissent threatened

February 6, 2010

“I believe we have the unity, the desire, the spirit and I know that before this game there will be a lot of scepticism around us but I believe in my players and in their spirit. We will show that.”

Like counting sheep, Arsene's press conferences have become repetitive

Sometimes, I do wish Arsene would think of something fresh to tell us at his press conferences.

“I believe we should be more relaxed at this time because at the start of the season nobody expected us in the top four or in the title race,”

Comments like the above just enrage fans further. If no one thought we’d compete at the start of the season because of his poor transfer policy, does that mean we should be ok with the fact that we’re out of two competitions and struggling in the Premier League race?

If you didn’t think you’d land that dream job at the start because there were 100 others applying, you got through to the final three and lost out because you forgot to wear a tie and a pair of clean shoes, would you be ok with it because you didn’t expect to get that far? No way. You’d wish you sorted out your problems when you could. Our dirty shoes and missing tie are a striker and midfield cover.

The expectation should always be that we’re going to compete… challenging when you’re Arsenal should never be a bonus.

We’ve got the only PR firm that is so useless they can’t detect a story that contains a conflicting message.

‘Yes, we did try to sign someone’ —- followed by —–> ‘In England, it seems all the problems are sorted out by buying players. I don’t believe that.’

Sorry Arsene? You don’t believe in signing players to solve a problem yet you just admitted tried to sign a player, and we know that you were in for Smalling. Are you completely off your rocker?

I don’t want to hear…

We were very, very close to a new signing.

I’ve heard the player was Thomas Sorenson, others believe it was Loic Remy. I reckon he’s having us on, he probably shared a taxi with Spurs new signing Gudjohnson, he’s got us on a technicality! Regardless of who it was, we didn’t get them. A failure of Gazidis and a failure of Arsene Wenger to do the right thing and purchase at the start of the window.

If you’re hoping for some action in the summer, forget about it, Wenger’s favourite excuse is there for the taking this year… THE WORLD CUP! You know how prices go up in the summer, don’t you!

So, here is the full list of excuses -

  1. World Cup
  2. Euro Championships
  3. Inflated transfer market
  4. Having to wait for City, United or Chavski to buy players
  5. Killing the career of a youngster
  6. Giving money to other teams strengthens them
  7. The solution isn’t always to buy
  8. My bonus will shrink
  9. Recession
  10. Our budget includes wages as well as transfers, plus, despite record profits and player sales, we’re skint.

George, if the press conference was a person, how would gesture to it?

Couldn’t have put it better myself. I believe that finger was also the one Fabio Capello raised to John Terry as he removed his captaincy. Oh, and the one he raised to Jason ‘Being a scumbag is ok as long as you’re a footballer’ Cundy.

I love being lectured on morals by the sanctimonious bunch of scoundrels they have running talk s*ite. It’s akin to being taught financial prudence by a stock broker or having your marriage counseled by Tiger Woods.

So, onto team news. Diaby is facing a late fitness test which means Denilson will probably retain his place in the team. I’m keeping every digit crossed he’ll be ok, as a precaution I’ve taken up 6 religions and I’ve prayed to all their gods.  Nik B didn’t get a mention, so he should start which means Arshavin will be allowed to devastate on the wing. Below is the team that will take the Chav’s apart!

Almunia

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy

Song Cesc Diaby

Rosicky Bendtner Arshavin

Seriously, I truly believe we’ll turn Chelsea over. I think the revelations of sl*t-gate have cast a large grey cloud over the Chelsea dressing room. Last week JT came out fighting because he had something to save, this week, he’s lost his captaincy, he’ll feel deflated more than anything. Wenger reckons the influence of the captain is overplayed, says the man whose last proper captain that won trophies will be turning out for City this weekend. Wenger thinks the English have an obsession with Captaincy because we’re a warrior nation. Spot on Arsene, there’s your problem, we have very few warriors in our team. Would Nelson have allowed one of his men to be out run by a ref on the pitch? No way… he’d have been given 20 lashes! That point tells us a lot about how out of touch you’ve become.

Where were we? Ahh, a depressed, untrustworthy leader in charge at the Bridge, lovely!

I think we’ll nick it by one and we’ll keep a clean sheet. I just can’t see us losing, this season is too crazy for the obvious the happen.

I feel in a world of confidence… I hope you do too!

Onto something of a more serious nature. Now, I’m not one for bringing my politics to the blog, but after the whole climate-gate fiasco which was pretty much entirely exposed by the bloggers of the world, the ruling elite are looking to put an end to web anonymity by making all site owners register their details with their Government and apply for a license. You may think I’m talking rubbish here, but it doesn’t take long to find mainstream reviews of the idea in Time magazine and the NYT (Both authors unsurprisingly backing the idea).

Just to put the proposal in perspective. The Chinese tried to implement a similar thing but it was deemed too draconian even for a communist Government!

The big corporate media sites want the web back due to plummeting web traffic and weak hard copy sales. Government want to be able to get on with their own agenda without having to debate the reality of their lies and they need a strong main stream media for maximum effect.

Why should this matter to you?

Well, if you’re here, you like to get your news from blogs who will cut through the crap. Sadly, blogging will be a target. It’s easy to silence a dissenting voice if you can easily access their personal details. Say, for example, a corporation didn’t like what you were saying about them, they could file a costly law suit against you and force you to shut down because you couldn’t battle the case without bankrupting yourself… regardless of whether you were speaking the truth. Dissent would become easily manged.

So, the reason I’m highlighting this issue is because unless you share this info, web licensing will probably creep through the back door. So when you read stories about how hate websites are fueling the next generation of terrorists and you demand a solution… just be aware of the consequences when the solution put forward is a ‘web license’.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it’s a little off topic but Le Grove was founded as a dissenting voice. Though we’re not performing a crucial role in society, many other sites are. Web anonymity and the free flow of information has helped create a true online democracy, one of the last bastions of free speech.

I’d hate to see that freedom eroded.

Have a marvelous Saturday! Remember, if there’s a God, I’ve prayed to him… bases covered.

Click to sign your name!

P.S. If you’re a British national, it’s your duty to sign the above petition! They’re up to 600 signatures, which means an MP must address it, so thanks to everyone who made that possible! Just click the picture!

421 Comments | Match Preview | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Pedro

Arsenal need the bullies back and the wizard to hit form / BACK NEWSNOW!

February 5, 2010

Given our track record against the two above us this season I should have no hope whatsoever, however being the eternal optimist and trusting in the talent we have to realise at some point this season, I think I have the answer.

We need to bully them a bit at the back, to do that we need some height, to get that we need Diaby back in the middle and Bendtner back to his best.

Those two can be a handful and if he plays Diaby in midfield we can push them through the pitch, leave Song to take care of potato head and we have them through the middle, if not then play them both up front (Bendtner/Diaby) and surprise them, either would work.

Now I suggested the other day he puts Vermaelen into the midfield alongside Cesc and Song and drop Campbell next to Gallas at the back, that’s still my first option, we all know he won’t do that though.

So let me try a team that he is more likely to go with, it cannot include Denilson, he is simply a liability, yes maybe one day he’ll come good, after all Song did, but we can’t afford to carry anyone on Sunday, and given that all three goals were down to him, it’s time to man up and drop him for a couple of seasons, hey, send him out on loan.

This isn’t my choice, it’s my suggestion mixed with what I know he’ll do, so 50/50.

Almunia

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy (wrong mix)

Song Cesc Diaby

Rosicky Bendtner Arshavin

Then use Ramsey as the alternative midfielder and Nasri and Theo up top. As I said Vermaelen could go into midfield with Diaby behind the front line, and Campbell would slot in at the back, the balance would be better then and we could protect the inconsistency of our wandering full backs.

I would also consider Theo for impact, he’s way too good to be bad and he will be back, he is my wizard and one day he will light up and score 5 in one match, I went through the same patch Theo, Ian Rush and I had both gone 10 games without a goal, we both scored on the same day and after that, normal service was resumed, Ok, Rush did his at Anfield, but my back heel at Wanstead flats was every bit as good.

Wellington still does not appear to have signed for us according to some reports, odd that, he must be on the longest trial period in history, I think he has signed, he must have spoken to Denilson who would have said join mate, you get paid when you play rubbish and you never ever lose your place! Do that silly head wobble, like a halfwit, Wenger really likes that, I do it all the time, like a court Jester, it creases him up!

We still have a way to go until we play the chavs so we’ll no doubt talk more, for any of you that are feeling a bit left out for being the only people in football not to have slept with that bird of Terry’s, …I don’t believe you!

Let’s just hope the 5th chav players is Cashley and his old woman dumps him and his mobile phone for a better more faithful model, that has morals.

Have a great day Grovers, only 5 to go before we can start dreaming of winning guaranteed points again!

P.S. Pedro is going write a little bit about internet freedom of speech online tomorrow, but before he does, I’d appreciate it if you could put your weight behind the Newsnow petition about the right to link.

The Sun, the Times, NoTW and a few others have banned newsnow from linking their stories in their news feeds because they wont pay to syndicate their links (not content). Newsnow is one of the most successful websites in the UK and has had a big hand in making Le Grove the site it was today. Stage one in Newsnows campaign is to stop other sites back linking their content without a charge… that could have serious implications for free content on the web and it could affect how blogs like ours operate.

Click this LINK and put your name down on the petition today, get your friends to as well. Bloggers, commenters, twitterers, facebookers, stalkers, we need to unite for the good of the net. Do something now to fight this process… because before you know it, we’ll be blessing the good old days of the internet because we failed to act.

Click to sign your name!

758 Comments | New Review | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

The Duke of Wellington bought his scoring boots to Arsenal, maybe…

February 4, 2010

Ok it was only Dagenham, but he also scored 4 on his trial against Norwich, maybe this 17 year old wonderkid, really is a wonderkid.

We have nothing of note to talk about or even hope for but the one ray of sunshine on another rubbish season is we may at last have signed a Brazilian that merits the tag Wonderkid! We’ll see.

A number of you mentioned there was a very naughty blog that was raising a petition to sack not John Terry, but none other than Arsenal God, Arsene Wenger, many of you were upset and said they only had 16 signatures, others said yes but they had 8,500 hits, either way, heresy or not, in years gone by no one would have dared to suggest we got shot of him. This could be the thin end of the wedge, Arsene, beware the ides of March.

NO-ONE IS BIGGER THAN ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB.

I have a theory, not a wish, a theory. I think Francesc Fabregas, our best player, and probably the finest midfield prospect in football has had enough, wouldn’t you? 6 years and bugger all to show for it, I often wonder how he must feel trotting out alongside some of the talentless players he has to and wondering what the hell he is doing here.

My theory is this, at the end of the season he will say I’m off, the fact he has a contract until 2016 means nothing to Wenger, those contracts are more about keeping the players happy than the fans.

I think that will give Arsene the get out of jail card he needs to leave us, in good financial shape, but without having to admit project youth is a dismal failure, he’ll go onto Madrid or Milan and start spending gazillions, win the ECL and retire saying had he had the money at Arsenal, he could have done the same.

Then we’ll get a Maureen or someone, he’ll spend the money to build up an instant team and we’ll be in debt. Then Wenger will say, I told you so.

I hope I’m wrong, that we beat Chelsea, win the league and the ECL and sign what we need in the summer.

If Wenger stays and Cesc leaves we still won’t spend the money, we didn’t with the £40mil we got from shitty so I don’t believe we would do it if we got £50mil for Cesc either.

Shame really because had we bought a world class keeper, a world class DM and a world class forward, we could have won the lot.

Robin will get injured again next season, as will Theo, Nasri and by then Gallas, we have to factor that in and stock up, but players like Randall, Denilson and Almunia sadly aren’t good enough for us right now.

I said we struggled with Phil for what 5 years? He cost us games and the boss ignored it, then suddenly he’s gone, did Arsene apologise and say he got it wrong and sorry for putting us through it? No.

Then we watch Song play like a drain for 2 years, then he comes good and Wenger wants the credit.

It doesn’t need to be like that, buy ready mades and bring on a few kids every season, not the other way around.

Ok it’s just a theory, I hope it doesn’t happen and we clean up this season, for me now is the time to make changes.

The back 4 should be Eboue,Campbell, Gallas and Cruise, Clichy and Sagna I like but they’ve gone to pot, so stick them in the reserves until they improve.

Midfield should be Cesc Diaby/Song and Vermaelen and the front three should be Rosicky Bendtner and Arshavin.

Use Nasri, Theo and Eduardo when one of the above is injured.

We have Djourou and Robin coming back, but then we have a whole bunch that really aren’t ever going to make it, so sell them and use the money to buy better.

Hoyte, Gilbert, Randall, Almunia, Denilson and Simpson should all be sold.

Thomas, Eastmond, Lansbury and Watt may make it so have them back in the reserves. Then the youth team can fight it out, Sunu won’t make it in my book but Coquelin will, go through the team and keep only what we need, that’ll bring in some money and save on the wage bill.

If Wenger stays, bring in a number two that occasionally talks, challenges and makes suggestions, all I saw when the third goal went in on Sunday was a silent Pat Rice and an arm waving Wenger, what should have happened was a series of changes long before they were made.

Do all that and I will be hopeful that we are back to being a football club and not an football academy to make average players rich and happy.

Don’t even get me on the youth player that can afford a Maclaren Mercedes but doesn’t think the law applies to him. One word, arrogant dimwit. Okay that’s two!

Have a great day grovers, we are almost at that point where we push on and challenge or have to start looking a the spuds results and worrying about the bosses big ECL qualifying bonus…allegedly! See online Gooner.

852 Comments | Match Preview | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

Fabio, your captain may have the morals of an mangy, disloyal alley cat but think of the kids and how you want them to grow up. Sack him.

February 3, 2010

So reading the Standard last night it emerges that Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard have all said they would be uncomfortable taking on the captains armband should John Terry get tin tacked by Fabio Capello.

Wow, all that’s missing from that bunch of cheats is alleged drug taker Rio Ferdinand. Amazing those pillars of society don’t think Terry has done anything wrong, does that not show what a bunch of spoilt out of touch prats they all are?

Apart from the fact that none of them have ever done a days work in their lives, have no concept of money and how hard it is to come by, so have no idea what in life is acceptable.

So John Terry feels like shagging his mates bird, so does, he only cares about himself, fine example that John, way to go. He showed a similar contempt in a night club some years ago I believe, not to mention that earning £7million a year is not enough he was showing people around the training ground for cash in his skyrocket, or charity, dependent on what story you believe.

So the people who support him are the very people who shouldn’t get the armband either, one is a granny shagger, one is a shagger, or so his wife said, or ex wife and one attacks a DJ in a bar because he had his mates to protect him.

If anyone wants to say so what, it’s about their football ability then cast your mind back to Rooney stamping on Carvahlio’s nuts and pushing Ronaldo over in the quarter finals, just after kicking a water bottle at the bench for being subbed, petulance. And that cost us the World Cup. Another one didn’t want to play for his country because he couldn’t be arsed, yet played for Liverpool that weekend and other one spent two years getting booed by his own fans, what makes any of them deserving?

Give it to Gareth Barry or Wayne Bridge for being more of a human being than his ex-mate John Terry.

Cheating on your wife is one thing, when you have young kids it’s nasty, but to do all that and shag your mates bird, the bird that’s the mother of his kid, and to have had unprotected sex as well is not worthy of the England arm band. Bobby Moore, roll in your grave son.

I’m no angel, we all have crosses to bear, but no one can defend the actions of a spoilt rich thug that has never had a moral compass, don’t even get me on the parents.

Mr Capello, broken Britain is full of spongers, cheats, liars, thugs, reality TV morons and overpaid pop stars and sportsmen, we have lost the ability to understand the difference between what’s right and what’s wrong, please do the right thing and show the world that true sports stars count for much, much more than rich ones that care only about themselves

Fabio, do the decent thing, give England back it’s pride, sack him.

So a draw last night, does that mean we’re back in it? Who knows, only if all around us drop points, Saturday becomes even bigger now, but I can’t see us winning that one, we should have done better on Sunday, we can only hope now, I’ve had my moan about us, I feel empty right now, we loaned out Sanchez Watt to the Shrimpers so the last big lad we had is now gone.

I’m thinking we now have to win all of our games, can we do it? Yes, of course we can, the question is will we, time will tell.

Arshavin got some stick for not passing, well I like him, at least he had a few shots, I feel if people were up with him more often, he may pass it, more often.

Have a great day Grovers, the weekend will soon be upon us and we’ll find out if we are competing for 1st or 4th, I have a feeling we all know the answer to that one already!

974 Comments | New Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

Another season goes by, when will we learn? My guess? We won’t.

February 2, 2010

So now that the dust has settled on our hammering to the Mancs, where do we go from here? Another season in tatters, save for any of you out there that continue to believe in the rhetoric of ‘this team has great mental strength’ and maybe we can win the Champions league.

Well when we got beaten by the Mancs it brought back the memories of when we had got beaten by them the season before, what was different to the previous season? We bought Vermaelen in and we sold Kolo and Ade, then we played all the chasing pack and did well, Liverpool aside (and they are hopeless this season) we played no one that is capable of finishing in the top 4, aside from Villa and we got lucky with a point.

Next up we played the Mancs, and our manager said we weren’t the same team that lost to them the last time we played them at the Grove, he was right, we were worse, they had no Ronaldo and no Tevez, they had no Ferdinand or Vidic, and we still lost by the same score, this team has great mental strength…? Half this team are babies and don’t fight.

So after that debacle the manager went out and bought in some much needed talent? Oops, no, he didn’t, so what have we learned? Nothing, that’s what. What we did do was remove Phil off the wage bill so that will further enhance the management bonus. Great, at least someone at Arsenal benefits.

How disappointing for us fans, how many games did we have to suffer a second rate centre back in Senderos, I like Phil, but he was never going to be a Tony Adams, a Steve Bould or a Martin Keown, but after watching him for 4 or more years, he was packed off without a word, did Wenger say, I got that wrong, sorry for putting you all through it? No he did not. He only say things like that if they come good.

Now we have to watch a rubbish keeper and a woeful defensive midfielder, yes I will admit Song has finally come good but Denilson? He cost us yet again and the only one who can’t see it is the guy we happily pay £6million a year not to buy decent players.

It’s not like all these kids come cheap, Theo was £8mil, Denilson was £3.8mil Ramsey was £5mil, I dread to think what the true cost is if you add up their salaries. If he wants to persevere with a young player, throw Ramsey in, at least you can see he has talent.

We just beat the Mancs to another 16 year old, great, how old will you be when he gets good? If indeed he does. Another 8 year wait, hmmm, there’s something to look forward to in your old age.

I believe that we play too many, too young, their bodies haven’t developed and that’s why they pick up the injuries they do, look at Michael Owen!

Yes there are exceptions, Rooney, Fabregas and Messi, but if you want to know why our kids get injured, it’s youth, they are too young.

At best now, even if we win the league next year that will make it 7 barren years, that is just not acceptable, what other world class team puts up with that? If that’s the deal, drop the prices to reflect the fact you don’t want to win two of the trophies on offer and you don’t intend to invest in talent. We don’t have to go bust, just spend what’s available, if he thinks he can’t buy better than Denilson or Almunia, then there is something wrong with him.

Wenger has done more for us etc, etc. We won the double in 98 and 02, we won the league in 2004 and the last trophy in 2005, what was the common denominator? We spent money, and the double seasons he inherited half his team from the previous managers.

We had a great chance this year, we had £40 million to spend just from 2 players we sold, never mind the prize money and all the other bits, he refused to bring in players, all the pundits, journo’s, ex players and existing players were saying it, he doesn’t and we win nothing, so who’s right?

I don’t expect us to win on Sunday, I have turned down a seat in the Chelsea directors box because I refuse to watch the hapless two embarrass us again, I am fed up with this stupid policy and don’t understand why we bought in a huge management team with Ivan, what’s changed, Arsene still rules supreme, no one challenges him and this will go on until he decides to retire.

We have been a lone voice for 2 years now and finally the other blogs are feeling the same, at last, maybe now the board will begin to realise the gravy train is about to end.

Gazidas met with someone from Milan to discuss the sad state of the game, he should meet with his own manager and ask that question, the game is being ruined by crazy wages, and we are top of the league for those. Arsenal, get your own house in order before you criticise others.

I’m sorry to sound so negative but the manager and his policy are doing that, not me.

We didn’t lose to the Mancs for any other reason than a crazy team selection with so many poor players who don’t seem to care.

Time for a clear out and frankly I don’t care who.

Arsene, if you don’t watch it, Cesc will be chosing a house in Catalunia, because he’ll win nothing here.

Have a nice day Grovers, my season has once again been well and truly ruined, and please don’t mention the Champions league, the way we’re going we won’t even qualify for that next term.

1,449 Comments | New Review | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

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