Well I’m writing todays post because Pedro is still in bed so you won’t get individual reports on players.
Today was a landmark and saw Robin Van Persie get the 300th goal at the Grove, Gilberto got the first to equalise against Villa, Ade got the 100th, Theo the 200th and the boy wonder the all important 300th!
Yes I know Huntelaar scored the first ever, but I’m talking Arsenal goals.
We needed to do well in this game to keep in touch with the jammy mancs who once again fluked a victory. We were playing the team that beat them last week and they were playing the team that had no imagination and parked the bus at our gaff.
Well I watched the game and I must say we played them off the park, we were sublime from the first minute and what a relief and a joy to see Johan Djourou back to boss the defence, he really is turning into the find of the season, Jack is fast becoming the best youth product that the Arsenal have ever seen and I include Chippy and Cesc in that and Robin today for me became the best striker in World football, yes, even better than Messi.
There’s not a lot I can say about this game other than we kept our shape, we pressed well, we held a high line and we battered them, Theo missed at least a hatrick, Cesc missed a bunch and when Bendtner came on with Chamakh, we missed some more, this game could easily have reached double figures and on this performance I can see us and only us winning the English Premier League.
Other news was that Barca drew after being one nil down and them coming to the home of football on the back of that bodes well for Arsene’s army.
Alex Song for me is growing with every game, Clichy has re-found his mojo, Koscielny looks as solid as any centreback we’ve had since Keown and Theo and Arshavin are starting to torment defences, Theo’s pace yesterday was sensational.
If we get Nasri back for the Barca game we’ll be unstoppable, do you hear me? Unstoppable!
Arsene, Pat and the whole team get a 10 for that performance.
I understand that Abramovich is after Steve Rowey, that won’t happen, money can’t buy you everything Roman.
Also the whole point about buying kids is you then have to stand back and wait 5 years to see what happens, in the case of the chavs that berk can’t even wait a season before he throws players and managers away.
That’s it for the match report, we played as well as we have all season, fantastic Arsenal, fantastic!
Tomorrows post is an initiative Grovers, make sure you tune in, tomorrows post is of biblical proportions, well maybe not biblical, but think Egypt and think protest, the rest you’ll have to wait until 9am on Monday.
Enjoy you day Grovers and watch MOTD it will be worth it!
Moe
U bastard. That video is depressing as fuck.
Please not again. At least we go in full strength this time.
Rohan, maybe that is because he started life as a LB. I would expect him to be better defensively than Theo.
I would choose Theo all day long. Most teams will have Bale in their back pocket before long. He will still move this summer for an astronomical amount though
Not a shit player by any means but completely overated imo
Theo’s sister.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01100/SNA0735_01_1100528a.jpg
Mayank
Hazard plays in a much less open league in France, he would certainly score more for us.
Also every other area of his game is far in excess of Theo. Hazard can become a true great, Theo will probably only ever be a quick player who can sometimes finish well.
Pardon me, but bale is a LB no?
Why are they being compared?
Lille are topping the French 1st division atm. It’s a much more defensive league than ours but still. Also PL is much more relentless on the Hazard types.
Can’t compare the two atm I’m afraid, Hazard may well go on to be a better player than Theo but then so might Ryo.
Zeus
Erm Bales a right winger. In other recent news Arsenal moved stadium from Highbury to The Emirates.
Bale used to be a LB. He’s a left attacking midfielder now.
Assou-Ekotto is their left back
He does seem to be more comfortable with the ball Gambon but still, Theo proved much more in his short career than Eden.
And for the record, Theo’s got much more in his locker than just pace.
I just don’t get it why you have to put Theo down every time you mention Hazard. It’s like Hazard can’t be good unless Theo’s crap.
Left winger, not right, gambon.
In other news, gambon is a manc.
Bale was shit at LB. Don’t really see a future there for Gibbs either. He’ll have to improve his defending a lot.
Mayank
I said Hazards gonna be better than Theo, how the Fuck is that a put down? I also think Hazard will be better than Nasri & Arshavin.
Why is everyone on here on a quest to uncover hate or racism in every post?
Casillas sent off in the first minute, anyone watch the Santander game from last night ? There’s been some great matches from the lesser teams in the last few weeks.
Umm Gambon I don’t think you made much of a secret of how crap a footballer you think Theo is. And it’s not like you mention Arsh or Nasri every time anyone says Hazard.
It’s like the Vela thing, every time Hernandez scores people pick on Vela.
Nothing to do with hate, more like over the top self-deprecation.
hazard has by far more technical abilities, dribbling skills, awareness than theo. He’s their club main player and regarded as the best player in the league with nene, lucho.
stats show nothing those are close numbers
So the main player of the table topping French team, who has by far more technical abilities, dribbling skills, awareness than a debatable first team player for Arsenal has lesser goals + assists than the latter.
How good is Hazard then ? Who does he he most closely resemble ? How quick is he ? What stands him out ?!
It’s taken Nasri the best part of two years to show the sort of skill and talent we saw on youtube clips of him in France.
Okay Gooby, he’s still largely untested against top opposition. Anyway, we can’t sign him till the summer so lets leave it for then. If Arsene, Ancelloti and Mourinho likes him there must be something there.
Mayank
watch him play you’ll see then
I’ll try to catch him Gooby. That’s not the point though, if I saw Theo playing in the French league I’m sure I’d want him to be playing for us. Difference is Theo already is.
Hazard just nutmegged two defenders.
Adebayor is playing well for MAdrid…
And Gervinho just scored.
When was the last time Theo nutmegged two defenders.
Messi got injured yesterday…when i was playing FIFA 11 online..I think he’ll miss the game on Wednesday
hazard has a robben-esque style of play that’s what make him exciting
The below is an example of how you can get burnt on buying young players.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/9396428.stm
We were trying to get this lad about 4/5 years ago and AW wanted him at the club, but the bindippers got him. Played about 5 games for them and is now going on loan to Hull.
The list of players we have had who were going to be the next big thing is endless.
Paul Shaw, Paul Read, Adam Birchall, Ben Chorley, Arturo Lupoli, Quincy, Thomas, Pennant, Aliadiere, Muamba, Bentley, Larsson.
If you look at us now, the list is still huge:
Freeman, Frimpong, Aneke, Afobe, Coqauvin, Sunu, Watt, Bartley, JET.
How many of these can make it in reality and how many will end up at Bolton, Brum, WBA etc. Buying youngsters can be a risky game!
It’s also hugely profitable, Zorro. Wilshere makes all those flops worthwile.
you’ve got to have many to get a few classy ones like wilshere and gibbs.
was bentley supposed to be the next big thing? i never thought he was tbh
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibJ7PgQDyCI&fs=1&hl=en_GB]
Reading Juventus v. Inter team sheet is like a history lesson at times.
Oh sure Rohan, I reckon that transfer fees and especially sell ons make it a break even part of the business, but we are often waiting for one of the kids to make it good and it seems to be so infrequent.
Of course, finding a kid who is good enough for us is a hard task as you have to be top top class to make it.
LJW is a freak player, absolutely brilliant and will be in our side for the next dozen years and future skipper.
Gooby, they spoke about him being the next Beckham, especially after that goal v Boro.
Just think sometimes you have to admit you can’t nurture a talent and just go and buy it. A mix of the two is what we want.
I don’t know why ppl are saying that walcott can never be a good player! He scares every defender, and here in Holland, everyone is talking about walcott is a worldclass player etc. Walcott is a player who can make the difference, and he is one of the players who is outstanding this season. Walcotti s great already and he will be better! I love him and i have him on the back of my shirt because he is worldclass.
Yes, he has not the skills ronaldo has but he is quicker then ronaldo and every defender is scared of walcott, barca will be scared of him too!
About yesterday, we played facking great and the 2nd goal was one of the best i’ve ever seen. I wonder why there is not much talking about that goal! This goal was as beautiful as the one against united from nasri!
And the last thing i want to say is that miyaichi is defenitly going to make it at arsenal. You guys are saying that he has only played 2 matches at the top level but that’s exactly why i think that he is going to make it because he is only getting better! He is a real winger and he beats his man easily. He is already the fans favourite in Rotterdam. Love him, and wenger has to give this boy a chance ( and wenger will do that). An other reason i think that miyaichi will make it, is because his attitude is the best you can expect from a youngster!
Oh and i forget Wilshere! He will be the world bests!!
Agreed Zorr0, not only is the failure rate huge with kids, but you have to suffer while giving them necessary experience.
If you look at the more experienced ones we have Barazite & Nordveit have just gone after being “the next big thing”…and I really don’t think Hoyte, Traore, Randall, Vela, Sunu, Freeman, Watt and Jet have what it takes, although the latter has a chance.
“miyaichi is defenitly going to make it at arsenal”
Lol.
Miyaichi sounds like the footballing equivalent of one of those coding god workaholics who I hang around with.
*cough* nerd!
Gambon, indeed. I mean it is nice to see so many of our youth products still making a living for themselves in pro football, but it would be nice to see afew more make it. Maybe the next batch coming through at the same age a LJW will make it, as they have all been at Hale End and Colney since age of 9.
I suppose as long as they are not failing in the first team and therefore harming our prospects, then it’s not such a worry. Makes you realise how lucky manure were when that freak group of players came through together.
Dutchman
I have only watched the match highlights for Miyachi but fair play, he has gone from playing in high school football to a top flight league in Europe so to do what he has done in only a couple of games is quite impressive.
Will he make it? God knows, but hopefully. Either way the Marketing team at Arsenal will be rubbing their hands.
Agree with you on Theo too, I think he has had a very good season and is starting to score and is starting to have an end product on his runs. He plays some lovely cut backs. Sadly our strikers are still not reading them. When they do, his assist tally is going to go through the roof!!!
Keyser, lol.
An update from Holland:
Jan Everse is a very good coach here in Holland and i look at a talkshow about soccer, and Jan Everse is there. They were talking about miyaichi, and all the men who sit there are over the moon with miyaichi!
Jan Everse was absolutely impressed with him and he said thing about him what do you think : “this guy is special”. Miyaichi is already a legend in Holland and he only played two matches! The men from “studio voetbal” described him as a future worldclass player!
gambon, i can’t take your seriously. You have to live in Holland to see how special miyaichi is.
Has a bloke whose name starts with J been banned here?
Dutch, let’s hope that it is tru, not only would it be brilliant to have another world class player, but it would open up the Japanese market for us! I remember the number of Japanese at THOF to see Inamoto!
Goonerman, don’t you mean name starts with ‘c’?
Adebayor back to his old self…misses two goals…one on one with the keeper….
You could say that that Zorro. I ain’t seen any posts from him and I can’t use his name in full as this site won’t let me.
Yep Joppa is 100% banned.
Jag?
I must admit I am getting a bit excited about the Barca game
Who the f is Joppa?
He invented those Jalapeno flavoured penny sweets didn’t he ?!
Nah, it was lollies, Joppa Jups!
miyaichi sounds promising Dutchman. i think we should give you the benefit of the doubt on this one as i’ve never seen him. Jack is easily the most beatifully gifted all round midfielder i have ever seen. Theo has belief and Rvp looks like he will score goal after goal forever and ever!!!!
So I hear Dowd was demoted to a division 2 linesman this weekend. Funny how the media doesn’t pick up on that.
Div 2 lino? Funny as fuck!
dowd was dropped and his linesmen were dropped to div 2.
just did a search on it … its on golem’s blog.
Pat. Well as long as the other referees picked up on it.
Wait so Dowd wasn’t used at all?
can’t say definitively Honest Bill, but i’ve seen it written – as I said, its on Golem’s blog…
so yeah, Dowd was completely dropped for both EPL and Championship this weekend.
http://refworld.com/news/4/article/appointments-11-02-2011-16-02-2011/128553
i am getting excited about miyachi, he looks good. Very good start of his professional career, hope he can keep it up and build his fitness to play in the prem
Why’s everyone writing off Ryo? The guy has just walked out of sixth form to rip up the dutch league. He probably didn’t even have a full time football training schedule. Imagine him after a proper pre season with the Arsenal this summer. What a mouth watering prospect.
He probably has the work ethic and mentality required: he’s Japanese.
The only thing that can hold him back is his talent. If he has that, he’ll make it. More importantly, this will make us absolutely massive in Japan. Absolutely massive- they go crazy over stuff like this. Asian sales in general will go through the roof imo.
Could be a very very good investment although I guess only one of Silva and Ryo will make it.
Whose writing off Miyaichi?!
I’m quite excited about him, although still waiting for Wellington Silva to make his impact at Levante too!
Miyaichi has the quick feet and talent etc, but the thing that makes me have really high hopes for him is the chat around him regarding his attitude, how intelligent and how much of a hard worker he is. That’s usually the thing that results in talented kids falling by the wayside, certainly sounds good and we’ll have to see what happens between now and the summer!
Don’t see why that would be the case at all Rohan, both of them could certainly make it although probably having different break through years.
We do have alot of players of the same type coming through, and if we snapped up Oxlade-Chamberlain and/or Hazard it’d be even more so!
Japan will probably call him up soon, and he should be with us next year. Although, I’d keep him at Feyenoord playing first team football for a whole season. Wouldn’t do him any harm whatsoever.
He seems like a Park with wayyyy more talent and ability.
I don’t think we’ll get Chamberlain. Hazard is the one for us. I quite fancy one of Arshavin Rosicky Denilson to leave this summer if not 2.
If that were the case I’d love Hazard coming in. Ramsey coming back from injury would sort everything out as well.
That’d do really..Another one of the youths should have a breakthrough next season. Frimpong perhaps. My money’s on Lansbury. Still think he’ll make it with us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBMvGuMvU0
jesus christ, he seems even more innocent than Walcott.
Looks like the typical Japanese hype, media and viral machine is already in full flow as far as he goes. The commercial opportunities there are absolutely insane.
Wenger-san knows!
yeah rohan
i am excited too when i see such a talented player coming to the arsenal, the main concern is the work permit. i think he might get a few caps if he’s consistent enough, then it would be easier to get him this summer.
anyway:
denislon out, frimpong and coquelin to fill in the roles
squill our, bartley coming through
rosicky out with ramsey to take over
myiachi a plus or replacing arshavin(witch would be a gamble imo, at this stage)
Miyaichi plus Hazard replacing Arshavin.
Ramsey coming back with a solid pre-season behind him would be a massive massive boost. It would be a pity if he didn’t get a medal if we win the league this year..
well, it looks like Nasri might be back for the Barca game. If that’s the case then we have no excuses this time. If we can put out 90% of our first team squad then we should have a chance.
I remember last time being so impressed by Barca’s team pressing. We sometimes play like that and when we do, we normally get impressive results. ditto when a team presses us they often get a result against us. So, as I read wilshire say recently, it will come down to which team presses the best.
I just hope theo starts playin with his weaker foot as well he will be devastating just like Nani Rvpmis another example.
http://www.footytube.com/video/manchester-united-manchester-city-feb12-73059
http://www.footytube.com/video/arsenal-wolverhampton-wanderers-feb12-72993
Morning Kush!
I am afraid no live EPL football for us till world cup ends
3-1 to us on Wednesday. RvP free-kick, Theo Walcott to score in a counter attack and the man they call Samir nasri to score a late goal. Mark my words.
Pedro to score for them.
We are N5!
morning all
why did the media didnt pic on Dowd’s story i remember last season when red face criticized one ref on the fulham away game and he was dropped the next weekend all the story was about the ref(i couldn’t remember his name though) interesting
Rohan i hope you’re right
wilshere= future arsenal legend
Just to remind you – today its Geoff’s post of Egyptian proportion if not biblical!
New post up at 0900… on auto post!
Enjoy!
You will love it, it’s my best ever initiative, and it’s all for you lot, you ungrateful cunts!
Geoff top stuff, i love those passionate posts
I am late but this is more like it!!! Great write up.
IF RVP didnt have the ijury issues, he wouldve been the best in the world a while ago.
What a player!!!
More of the same please!!!