What sort of reception will young Ramsey receive at the Potteries today? Will it be a” well done lad upon recovering from a dreadful injury?” What do you expect from the superb fans at Stoke – according to Sky Sports who regularly tell me about the marvelous atmosphere. We know better – they are pond-life, requiring amplification of their offensive chanting in order to create an atmosphere in their half empty stadium.
I think it important to insist that this game is not about Shawcross/Ramsey, it is about Arsenal doing all they can to gain 3 valuable points against a team who have caused problems in the past. Unfortunately, the focus of the media will be all about our young Welshman’s return to the scene of Shawcross’s grievous assault.
Even more than usual the referee is going to be a central figure in creating the tone of today’s game. Halsey is a decent ref, even handed and experienced, plus we tend to do well when he officiates (may I recommend Untold Arsenal’s well researched Ref Watch). If Stoke start the game as I expect with a flurry of strong, “let them know you are there” tackles which go unpunished, we could be in for a long 90 minutes, however should Halsey , in what is likely to be his final game as a PL ref, stamp his authority upon the perps, we could flourish.
Injuries to our creative players will deny Mr Wenger the chance to play an expansive game though we have talent in such depth that their absence shouldn’t hinder us too much. Could any other team lose 3 International attacking MF’s and still put out such an effective midfield?
You know what to expect from Stoke, and theirs is just the style of play to upset us. Arsenal’s record of goals conceded from set plays is alarming and we must hope for a fit Djourou alongside Koscielny. The strength of Szczesny will be important today , he cannot stay on his line with all the crosses and throw-ins which will arrive into our box. There is rumour about Vermælen making his PL return and should JD be unfit I would welcome his return,however this is tempered by a total lack of competitive football – 90 minutes of reserve team action is no preparation for a team with a playing style like Stoke.
On the ground Kenwyne Jones is a major threat; in a decent team he could flourish (ours?), that said, he is just the type of player Kos likes to defend against. Koscielny has been improving throughout the season and shows excellent tactical awareness, plus he is very good at linking defence and attack.
I think Arshavin will be the key to unlocking Stoke’s defence. The meerkat is so clever and against MU showed an appetite for work we haven’t seen from him before. More of the same please ,Andrei.
My team:
What I do not want to see is at 70 minutes with a one goal lead AW shoring up the defence. Many on AA have written about the withdrawal of Walcott towards the end of the game and how this affects our ability to counter-attack a team committed to attack. I detest this tactic, it reeks of fear, when one up, go for two, when two up go for three. Did it help at Newcastle, Spurs etc etc to put on another defender?
Stoke have yet to lose at home in 2011 and are in a decent run of form, furthermore they have won 5 0f their last 6 home games against Arsenal; they will not want to get beaten prior to the Cup Final next week, however with this game in mind they may not give it 100% gas. Arsenal have scored the most away goals and have the best away record in the PL.
This is going to be another tough game but one to which the Song/Ramsey/Wilshire should be suited. Counter-attacking at pace will be the key.
Bruno Brookes and Peter Wyngarde come from Stoke ……… ’nuff said!
COYRRG
Written by BigRaddy
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Morning all
Great pre-match Raddy. I would have felt happier if Rambo already had a few games under his belt before returning to the Britannia but hey ho ………
No Cesc or Nasri means that we really get to see how good a partnership Jack and Rambo can be, I’m looking forward to seeing Song being Mr Responsible again today.
I expect Theo, RvP and Arsh to be switching around their positions to hopefully cause confusion to the lumbering Stoke defence.
Good work Big Raddy and I totally agree about your comment regarding the 70 minute withdrawl of Theo. Having him hanging about the half way line while they launch their last ten minute aerial bombardment can only cause them trouser trouble.
Hopefully they will be a little less “honest” with the Final looming.
SOS,
The Micky Gang have been invited to lunch and it is simply unavoidable. Is it possible to record liveonlinefootie or somehow from somewhere watch a repeat, or do I have to sit through lunch with my security-guard-thug-style earpeace in?
Micky,
Sky Sports 1 shows a football Special at 10 p.m. tonight, coverings all three games.
Robbie Williams is from Stoke too
Raddy – excellent pre-match, very informative and positive. I didn’t know about the dire atmosphere at Brittania, about their unbeaten home record this year and that they won 5 out of 6 last fixtures against Arsenal, that is shocking!! Let’s chance these stats today!!
They will ba wary of getting sent off or injured for the cup final. I assume that will be thier biggest game for some time
Excellent pre-Match, Raddy. 🙂
In a way your first para asks the relevant question, re the Rambo ‘welcome’, and answers it as well.
For my pennyworth, I have been mildly disgusted by the comments made by crybaby Shawcross that he does not care about the criticisms and booing of the Arsenal fans because it makes him ‘stronger and more resolute’.
He has thus tried to make himself out as the ‘victim’ bravely standing up to all those nasty Arsenal bullies.
He clearly has a one cell brain if he cannot understand the full horror of his disgusting, even criminal tackle on Ramsey which could have cost the boy his career if not his leg!!
If he had anything decent about him, Shawcross should go up to Rambo, on the pitch, and apologise publicly for his shameful tackle and shameless utterances since.
Will it happen? Let’s not be silly …. that would be beyond the comprehension of “Amoeba Brain Shawcross”!
RA,
Showcross is therefore a single celled unit.
I have no sky. MOTD2 I guess. Maybe back for a massive Utd/Chelsea punch up, resulting in enormous points deductions for both teams.
Off to lunch.
RA. Intelligence has never been a requirement for a footballer. I recall that Alan Smith was nicknamed “The Professor” because he read the broadsheets 🙂
Peaches. A change of title I see 😉
Micky – your wish is mild by comparison to the one Peaches’ expressed lately – Chavs and Mancs kill each other and we win the League
Shawcross has tried to apologise but Ramsey refused it….which is why Stokies are intending to boo.
Listening to them all week has been ridiculous double standards. “Ramsey and Arsenal should man up”, “wolves fans were out of order singing “You’re not going to Wembley” to Etherington”, “Ramsey should accept apology”, “Wenger should diffuse situation and retract what he said about us”.
Absolute morons. And the Wolves thing is a joke considering Stokies’ response to Theo getting carried off before CC final. And looking at then miming a broken leg to us.
As for the game I can only hope they are cautious for their FA Cup slots and that Halsey stamps authority from the first minute.
Dermot Gallagher was asked this week what rule he would like to see introduced to the PL, he replied that the nearest man to the ball should take the throw in….guess he’s not a Stoke fan….and that’s a rule I would love to see introduced.
GIE. The throw in proposal is very good.
The whole delap throw in thing is an anti football joke. They give him a towel to dry the ball, I read somewhere that goalkeepers aren’t allowed that privilige. They also defend “playing to our strengths” I hate pulis.
I don’t hate Pulis. He is a pragmatic manager who does the best with the playing staff at his disposal. What should he do, try and play football like Wigan and WHU?
He had this to say about AFC: “‘I really do have the highest regard for that football club. It oozes class and history, is respected globally and is once again brimming with world-class talent.
‘Much has been made of their failure to win any trophies yet again, but we mustn’t forget they are always there or thereabouts.’
Fairplay to him, he could write for AA!
Pulis disgusts me!
Good write up once again BR, An early booking or two would clarify thinking somewhat today, given that then they are one card or mistimed tackle away from missing next week.
Terrible tackle by Adams yesterday, maybe that will give some of the spud supporters pause for thought to.
RA disgusts is a bit harsh on Pullis he may not be total footballs best friend but really has no option to defend his players, think how Wenger is vilified for that.
City and Spuds did there bit yesterday lets hope we can take advantage and cement that third place at least.
I have a feeling that Drogba will take a lump out of the Mancs title ambitions although I cast a few bones for a draw this morning.
Afternoon all.
I’ve no problem with Pulis to be honest, he has said somethings about Arsenal that as a fan I’d take offence to but so too has Wenger about Stoke. Overall he’s not one of the bad guys.
Come on you Gunners.
I have no particular reason for my feelings about Pulis, it is purely a visceral reaction to him.
Come on you Rip Roaring Gunners.
Stoke fans start by singing filth at AW. Expect more of the same from the inbreds
Excellent prematch BR- cheers! This is set to be a battle of Darwinian proportions! COYRRG!
RA – ‘Pulis disgusts me’ – wow, strong words from our usually peace and haddock loving friend.
I am nervous for Aaron, the reminder cannot be good for him
Watching the wonderful YouTube clip from Carlito and GIE made me think, that had we won that game we would be just 1 point behind the Chavs 😦
Poor miss from RvP.
Ver quiet on AA today. Is it a lovely day in UK?
Been lovely for weeks BR! Stoke seem to be finding space down our left which is a worry- have we hit the target yet?
No one on the near post! Don’t we have any tactics to defend set pieces?
chesny
This is just a tad embarrassing
No way we’re even scoring 2 against them. Say what you like about Stoke but they defend like we did under George Graham…
a tad? AW told the fans that we can still win the league this season
That first goal was quite embarrassing. We really do look like a team that does no defensive drills. Ever. Gibbs poor, but it’s hard for any player who’s not playing regularly.
Oh crap……disbelief
Problem is we are lacking on the left because Arsh and Gibbs struggling.
NikB and MC on, time to stick it in the box. We HAVE to deliver deliver deliver no excuses this time.
Like I keep saying, our problem is in the coaching.
Gibbs loses possession in the opponents box and just jogs back. We get a free kick in their half and pass back towards our own goal. The keeper makes a save when they’ve committed men forward and we pass it about between our back 4 until they’re all back behind the ball.
AA should be shot for giving away the freekick that led to the first goal.
Possession means nothing, we are the Arsène Globe Trotters.
Hopeless in that first half. No attacking ideas and all over the place defensively. Gibbs is having a very poor game, surely he has to close off the near post for their first. For the second, what on earth was Ramsey doing back passing without looking first., though to be fair, Pennant was very lucky.
Can we come back? On the first half performance – no chance.
Two subs at half time, well done AW, I hope the players think they are playing for their place in the squad next season
I agree RAsp.
This has to mean something to them. At least give Stoke a fright ….
Hopefully, now we are chasing the game we will put some pace into our play.
My old granny would show more speed and urgency with the passing, and she is 92!
Evonne2, you are right I do like a piece of haddock! 🙂
Anyone else looking forward to the end of the season? 😦
We’ve looked worse second half.
horrendous bunch of chokers. Furious. Have broken a chair in rage. Stream off- going for a sunny walk to calm down
In circumstances like this, the least said the better.
Thank goodness I am not writing the match report, because we were simply not good enough, and no part of the team played well.
This hurts to say, but, embarrassingly, Stoke were by far the better team.
I’m not even that mad now, we’ve been this shite for a few seasons now, all the anger won’t make Wenger open his eyes and see what is so obviously lacking.
Despite what has been said, I hope and doubt that Kroenke will let this continue, he doesn’t seem to do second rate.
I was all for conceding that after what he’s done for us, maybe Wenger deserves 1 more year. Then he makes comments about keeping Bendtner, and today was just pathetic. We are systematically poisoned from within. These players are no-where near the standard required. Gibbs, Arshavin, Djourou, shit!
I think AW has been making some pretty clear noises about proper change this summer. As Rasp says, it’s as much about how we coach them as how they play.
Well a United win will at least mean today didn’t matter, Hernandez has already made it very difficult for Chelsea.
Terrible performance outfought which is just not good enough. 😦
Hernandez “was on our radar…” Does it get any more condescending or insulting than that? He cost £4m less than Koscielny!
HCAA. I cannot agree that JD had a poor game but who had a stinker was Gibbs. What has happened to him? Passing dire, running off the ball poor, tackling awful and worst of all was his positonal sense. We all know he is a decent player but whatever has affected Chamakh has smitten Gibbs.
At least Nik got stuck in and showed some spirit.
Micky’s theory of one in three ratio for RvP was correct today, scoring with his 3rd clear chance. Had the game lasted longer he was sure to score again, but as it was he scored one out of five
Gibbs was absolutely awful today – I’m prepared to make allowances for his lack of regular first team time, but he just looked clueless about where to be in any given phase of play. It was as if no-one has ever told him what to do when playing left back. Which is a worry, when he’s our second choice left back.
As they were about to take the corner that led to their first goal today I couldn’t help noticing that they had four players in the box who were taller than DJOUROU. Never mind Koscielny, Sagna, Song… this Stoke team made JD look weedy.
Having said that, if we had Huth and Shawcross (yes, Shawcross) as our CBs we would have won the league this year.
Now, please Arsene, in the post match interview please show some dignity. Please say: “We were well beaten by a very good Stoke side who wanted it more than us. I would like to wish them the best of luck in the Cup Final.”
Only 4 players would get over 5/10 today. Kos, JD, JW and Chesney.
The pace we played at prevented Theo ever having a run and consequently he was useless.
I cannot say I am surprised, Stoke have an excellent home record against us and Pulis knows that if his team park the bus on the 18 yd line, we will never score. Hence AW putting on Chamakh and Nik, but in order for them to be effective someone has to deliver a decent cross, and no-one could.
On reflection make that 3. JD was just about average, he was directly responsible for two of their goals.
BR
No RvP? He was our best player by a very considerable margin.
Absolutely gutted. Worst performance of the season. No chances created. Do you think that if the defence wouldn’t have made such big errors that we’d have won the game. Based on today’s performance, I don’t think so.
This is supposed to be the most pessimistic article I’ve ever written:
We can slaughter individuals all day, the truth is, collectively from the top of the club down, we are pathetic, not good enough. Fergie has built his 6th team in 25 years. That’s what you call a manager.
RL. Ooops … I forgot we had an attack!
BR 🙂 – easily done!
I turned off as soon as the final whistle blew, was Wenger dignified in his post match comment?
HCAA go somewhere else if you want to praise that red nose c**t please. This isn’t a manc site, as for our performance that was absolutely disgraceful. They don’t even want 2nd place.
Not sure how JD qualifies for more than 5 out of 10 after his school boy error that gifted them their third goal.
Not good enough – perhaps. Pathetic – a definite NO.
This is the very team who last week beat MU and did so with some comfort. And I cannot recall any supporters being abusive towards the manager or the team.
This afternoon we got beaten by the better team on the day- end of.
I should read all the comments first, I’m still dazed, confused and bumping into things.
London. You are right which is why I reconsidered.
I agree Raddy. Stoke were a better team. How bad is that?
It’s like one of those games
You know your bad when……..
GM,
Stop wearing blinkers man! This isn’t a Manc site, and I hate Man Utd as much as anyone, but accept that Ferguson is one of the best managers our shores has ever produced, and he is head and shoulders above Wenger. Had Arsenal not quibbled over the timimg of the press-conference back in 1986, he’d have been our manager. Who broke the Old-Firm dominance in Scotland?
You know you’re bad when Stoke look the better team.
You know you are bad when Pennant looks better than Walcott.
“Who broke the Old Firm dominance?”
I better leave otherwise a tirade of expletives is going to explode in my next comment.
Guys,
Probably helps to let off steam on here (AA) to help get over the disappointment of a shocking display.
I have just been over to Le ***** and my eyes are burning with the comments made. (Admittedly somewhat repetetive use of anglo-saxon cuss words).
The Mancs are stuffing Chelsea. So, watching them both, and replaying the Stoke match, in my head, I played the old game … who from the Mancs/Chavs would get into our team.
Actually, I inverted the process, and I struggled to think of a single Arsenal player from today’s team who would get into either of those sides. 😦
I’m at a loss to blame or praise anyone today it was collective awfulness from the first minute, no pace no heart.
As well as JD’s poor clearance, Jack had turned away and if he hadn’t he would have been first to the ball for their third.
The first came from an awful free kick gift, and failure to deal with a near post delivery, which isn’t rocket science you just put your tallest player in line with the near post and let him go and win it.
The second was a poor pass from Ramsey compounded by no one shutting down Pennant when he got possession.
All discipline gone today, against United Sagna and Clichy id not commit forward as much which gave us a good solid base to win the ball back, today we went back to committing more and more men forward which left them to break 2 on 2 which as defenders is always going to be difficult to defend.
In the second half we just looked confused when playing with MC and NikB on the pitch, today we could have at least tried to break them down with a bit of aerial bombardment but if we haven’t got the players with the desire to win knockdowns it wouldn’t have mattered.
Still take Ashley Cole (Clichy), Malouda (Nasri) and Lampard (Cesc) out of Chelsea and do they look as good? Probably not.
The problem with Gibbs as I have consistently said he is not a left back he never will be. He needs to either play his position (Centre Midfield) or be moved on.
The look of disgust on Arsene’s face as he trudged off at half time told more than any defense he has given of his players in recent months.
London,
Do you not accept that during his time at Aberdeen in the early ’80’s, he broke the Old-Firm dominance, or is that a myth? They beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the 1983 ECWC Final. Or are we supposed to be so myopic that we don’t recognise the achievements of others?
This is a comment I have just read on Sky.
— Asked if his side had been competitive enough, Wenger told Sky Sports: “No, certainly not. On that front, we were not at the right level, certainly not in the first half.
“It is always difficult to say why, but it is a fact.
“You are never happy when you are not competitive enough.”
The French tactician was happy to acknowledge that the Gunners were second best on the day, with defensive fragility once again costing them dear.
Wenger added: “Congratulations to them. We made too many mistakes to win a game like that. They defended well and it was always difficult for us.”
At least AW did not spout ‘we wuz robbed’ excuses, and congratulated Stoke.
Another trophy-less season. Haha, don’t worry, at least you can win the Emirates cup.
Pathetic gutless shambles.
I hate it how nice little away trips keep being ruined by the football.
Mugabe media lockdown for me. Season’s over.
The whole club is a laughing-stock. Catching Man Utd on an off-day should not mask the shit that was served-up at Stoke today, the same Arsenal we’ve been watching for at least three years. And they’re charging us 6.5% more next season to show us the same impotent tippy-tappy football.
HCAA charging us 6.5% more? No they’re not they are adding 4% (first time in three years there has been an increase) and the VAT increase has been added by the Government, and most of us have been paying that increase since 4 January. HCAA are you lucky enough to have a season ticket, if your disappointed by rise and lack of trophys I’ll have it.
Footy Fan, just who do you support? Trophyless season maybe, still a lot better than so many others. Chelsea are on course to win f*** all this year too, difference is they spent £75 million in January to try and stop that happening, but of course everyone thinks we should spend money because that clearly presents the answer.
By the way HCAA I love the way you have bought in to the media idea that Man Utd had an off day last week, why would you ever dream of praising the team you support? You much prefer sticking the knife in when they’re down.
I know I’m not going to be besieged with offers, but as it stands, we do not have anyone to write a match report tomorrow.
Come on, show you’ve got more grit than our team today (not you Robin), any voluteer will go straight to the top of my Christamas card list 🙂
No comment on the Ferguson breaking up the Old-Firm dominance, London?
How was the atmosphere Chas? Any glimpse of something to enjoy about the game?
Christmas Car? Fantastic what do you drive?
Yes GiE, I give everyone a car for Christmas, and a yacht at Easter 😆
HCAA I don’t give a toss how good he is or much better he is than anyone else. I’m not wearing blinkers. I’m suckk of mancs telling me that so I don’t want to listen to it on here as well.
HCAA- who gives a f*** about breaking the old firm dominance in the 80s? Will old red nose come and coach our team? no. So what on earth is the point of yoiur argument? Trying to rub salt in people’s wounds? Come back when you have something constructive to say…
Very generous Peaches 🙂 but it’s still a no from me I’m afraid. Put aside time to watch the game which I now have to make up 😦
HCAA
No one on here gives a fuck about that red nose twat. Drop it we get the point. Ot’s bad enough having to put up with the shit we had today and the mancs taking the piss at work without you gushing over him.
GiE,
We out-played Man Utd last week and deservedly beat them. Onto the bigger picture and performances of the past few seasons, given the size of their wage-packets, the players don’t deserve praising. We beat Barcelona, Man Utd and Chelsea, but we couldn’t beat Tottenham (PL), two promoted sides Newcastle & WBA, Sunderland, Birmingham in a Cup Final, or even win a piss-easy CL Group. We can’t even keep hold of a lead at Wigan, two seasons in a row! The most expensive team in the world to watch! The whole set-up stinks.
HCAA couldn’t give a toss about Scottish football. But Dundee Utd won the league in between Aberdeens three titles….just saying.
Please ban him. I’m depressed enough as it is without manc loving comments on here
The best team won,because we as a unit just did not perform and deservedly lost. Sad for sure, but hardly the end of the world as we know it.
Why that should immediately be adjudged( using those overworked and unprovable catch all phrases) as gutless or bottling it, is beyond me.
So two more games and then the close season awaits, during which no doubt, changes will be made.
In the meantime the insults will be ratcheted up by those serial malcontents who seem to have a strange inbuilt belief that defeat is not an option, purely because we are the Arsenal. How crass is that.
Oh and by the way well done Fergie great performance today, the champioship is won
Carlito,
because sometimes you have to acknowledge the achievements of others as a yard-stick for which to measure your own club’s achievements. This is the time of year for the serious silver-ware to be handed out? Where are we? Clinging to 3rd, City 2pts behind with a game in hand. If you want to be winners you have to adopt the mind-set of winners. As I said, Ferguson was a press-conference away from being our manager. I’m not ‘gushing’ GM, merely pointing out how poor our own manager is in comparison.
Dandan,
Of course you are right, but after a very disappointing game/result to many fans it is like the end of the world.
Tomorrow many fans will have rationalised things, and tho’ undoubtedly still unhappy, time will help put things into perspective.
In the meantime, those who choose to keep agitating about how terrible the team or individual players or the manager was/are should leave it alone before tempers rise.
HCAA,
Now is not the time. Leave it alone, please.
HCAA are you a masochist who is enjoying this pain or a sadist enjoying twisting the knife into my wounds? Your comments have made me want to dismantle what’s left of the crappy ikea fold-up wooden chair I smashed when we conceded the third goal… 👿
GM,
If you’re that petty and can’t have a rational reasoned debate about our club’s woeful short-comings, stick it where the sun don’t shine! I’m as passionate about the Arsenal as anyone alive, but I am a football fan as well who recognises winners and losers, and accept that on every level we are not good enough, and haven’t been good enough for some time.
Carlito as I very much enjoy the interesting contributions you make to our blog, should you require it I am happy to offer you my normally hyper expensive anger management course, free of charge.
I concede this will not reimburse you for the material damage your home has suffered today, but would remove your nearest and dearest from harms way. 🙂
No Carlito, I want a medic to come along and rid the club of the insipid poison that currently resides there. The poison that is over-riding our losing mentality and has divided our club and its fine supporters. A massive over-haul of biblical proportions is needed and no-one has the balls to say or do it. Not while Wenger the Godfather is in town.
Carlito, GM, 🙂
I am off now, but wanted to commend you for not responding to the provocation.
Well done ….. don’t bite! 🙂
Tomorrow.
Dandan 😆 I am home alone- no danger to anyone! I am giving up cigarettes amongst other stress inducing news and finally snapped when, having been given faint hope by RVP we immediately capitulated in embarrassing fashion! I have a very long fuse and don’t believe I require anger management counselling, but HCAA’s comments are pretty provocative in the current circumstances and I should probably remove myself from the forum for the time being…
Cheers RA- a demain!
HCCA, We are a friendly bunch on here and allow a great deal of freedom for people to have their say, you have been asked very nicely to give it a rest, please do take notice or else I will take it into my own hands and remove your contributions.
You stay then HCAA I’ll go. See you all tomorrow.
Dandan,
If that’s the way it is, I won’t visit your site again. Peace to you all.
HCAA stop it now. Poison in our club, please! Did we get relegated?
No we reached just about got where everyone said we would (if not better than those that said this was the year we would drop from the top 4 and the CL).
What is annoying is that the players don’t seem to recognise why most of us believe so much, why we defend them to the hilt, why we say to others just watch they’ll prove you wrong. Unfortunately they haven’t, in my mind this was the year that they should have done it, I lay a fair share of the blame at the players doors as I don’t think they have believed since the small hiccup that was the CC final.
1-0 today was not the end of the world, but the heads dropped like it was. Its that which hurts more.
To be honest if I was Arsene’s friend I’d advise him to leave, go and enjoy a peaceful life somewhere, manage a team where he can spend what is necessary without his hands tied and prove once again how good a manager he is to the idiots who seem to have forgotten what he has brought our club. Maybe the Man City job could be his next year and all these people would be really happy to see them win the PL and us slip out of the top 4.
One lovely tweet I saw today about Looking On the Bright Side of todays defeat:
“Less plastic fans to annoy us”
Now a lighthearted moment brought to you courtesy of the BBC Match Report:
“Bendtner waltzed into the penalty area and laid the ball to Van Persie”
I don’t think any of us have seen NikB waltz anywhere 😀
GIE At least you have your home town Canaries singing well to cheer you up. 🙂
A quote from Shakespeare to cheer us up:
‘Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.’
Victoria Concordia Crescit.
Strange how some so called supporters only comment when we lose.
HCAA’s 6.35. What poison? Be specific. Biblical proportions? Be constructive instead of destructive. What do you propose? New manager? New Board? New Captain? Sell Cesc? Abandon Youth Project? Get in a coaching staff comprising of the GG years team? Sell half the team? Invest hundrerds of millions like MC and Chelsea (and get the same results?)? Buy a new GK?
I guess you were complaining when we beat Barca and Chelsea and MC and the Europa Finalists 6-0.
We have had a disappointing season but remain in the top 3. Like every other Gooner I think we have thrown away a great opportunity but it just wasn’t to be. Just as it wasn’t for the Billionaires.
To whoever owns/regulates this site,
Are we not allowed to criticise our hallow’d club or players, or question what it is they represent?
Well said BR.
HCAA. As a regulator on the site, I have enjoyed the alternative viewpoint you take, and you should note that nothing you have written has been “managed”.
It is purely that I and many others disagree with your assesment of the problems at the club.
Of course you have the right to criticise but please offer something constructive
Oh dear oh dear oh dear, and I refer to Carlito.
Dear Chap, you should take great strength and comfort from the fact that you managed to assemble the bloody chair in the first place. Flat-pack assemblage is for the highly intelligent and slightly odd only. I once tried with a table, also from Ikea, and ended up with a non functional toaster. Cheer up Dear Chum.
As for the Arsenal, also cheer up. As I have said, Stan and I have great plans for the summer and one of our signings will not allow this kind of thing to happen. Ever again!
Micky. Always there to cheer us in times of need 🙂
BR,
I like to keep matters of darkness to myself as a rule, but I can tell you things are very bleak indeed on the food front at this end. We are staring down the barrel of the tinned stuff. Sardines (various) or a tin of Squid in Ink (seriously good, but only have the one remaining)!
No baked beans then micky ………..
Micky that sounds like a meal straight off last weeks Great British Menu. Except they made caviar with tapioca and squid ink.
It was your region last week.
Always beans Peaches, but like Raddy, I will pretty much always take the fish option.
GiE,
Now I am a man who likes to explore the rock pools and shallows in search of a bite, but caviar! Here in the West Country? Must look harder 🙂
I’m afraid I’m an injured one-eyed peaches today, something suspect flew in my eye whilst walking the dog and now it really hurts and typing is very difficult with one eye.
I don’t understand why HCAA gets the hump with us when we don’t agree with his point of view surely our differing points of view are just as valid 🙂
Peaches,
Even a dust in the eye feels like a bloomin’ boulder. Sympathy.
From twitter
ON THIS ARSENAL DAY 2002 Arsenal won 1-0 at Old Trafford to seal the Premier League title thanks to Sylvain Wiltord’s goal.
ON THIS ARSENAL DAY 1971 Arsenal completed the double with a 2-1 win & Charlie George’s iconic celebration as they won the FA Cup.
The worst aspect of sunday games (and there are many) is that you do not have the recovery day if things go badly. I want to do what I did yesterday, tomorrow, so that I start work on a high.
Sorry if I lent on him a bit Peaches but, some regulars were getting upset, so I thought best to calm it.
BR,
Offer something constructive? From 1996-2004 Wenger had a winning blue-print, which won us the FA Cup in ’05 and got us to CL final a year later. Then he completely abandoned it to accommodate one player, who to this day still doesn’t start in Spain’s first-choice XI. To execute the football that is Wenger’s vision, it needs a Cruyff or a Messi. Wenger’s Dutch ‘total-football’ -Barcelona style of football will not work within the confines of the English Premier League. Johann Cruyff is responsible for Barcelona’s footballing philosophy today, the architect of ‘total-football’. Three successive European Cups as a player with Ajax & a WC runner-up, and he managed Barcelona to their 1st European Cup in ’92. To be successful in England you need to retain core English values, as Man Utd and Chelsea have. We have no national identity. How many Barcelona players started in Spain’s WC winning XI? Wenger is trying to imprint a DNA onto Arsenal that is alien to our culture, and that’s what is fundamentally wrong. If he could unearth a player of Cruyff’s/Messi’s ability and merge that with the neccessary Englishness we need, we’d be unstoppable. Otherwise it is a flawed philosophy that will continually fail.
Yeah this system of football just doesn’t work in the PL thats why we have finished way below Spurs….they have an English heart and manager but are struggling to hod onto fifth, Liverpool with their English spine/values 6th, do i need to go on?
Home draws/defeats is where we lost this league. In fact I’d go as far to say its a small or rather large matter of consistency that we have missed, perhaps the style of football allows inconsistency to creep into our results, but the football system itself well thats been proved to work, we have won more games than we have lost haven’t we?
We have lost less than Chelsea and despite all the critics still have the best away record in the League.
You complain that the side has been built around Cesc and complain that at 24 he is not a regular in the Spanish side, do you think the Chelsea or Man Utd centre midfielders would get in the Spanish first eleven, not a chance. Would Cesc get in the centre midfield of England, Germany or most other international teams? Almost definitely.
Castigating Cesc for lack of international appearances is the same as ditching Nigel Winterburn because Stuart Pearce always got in ahead of him at Left Back and Ian Wright because he never got in ahead of Shearer, they were just unfortunate to have grown up and played in a generation with someone who was slightly better than them in the International side, same for Cesc.
GIE. Excellent
Peaches. Is it true that it isn’t Mother’s day in UK? It is here – bizarre
GiE,
you miss the point. Why make a comparison between ourselves and Tottenham/Liverpool (neither whom we beat this season), instead of Man Utd/Chelsea, who we did beat, but are above us? The acid-test for whether a footballing philosophy works or not is that ultimately it brings real trophies, not whether or not we win more games than we lose! And I’m not castigating Fabregas for his lack of international appearances, but he isn’t a leader, and he isn’t in the same class category of Cruyff or Messi. He isn’t of good enough quality to have a whole tactical philosophy built around him.
Peaches re:7:52
You make it sound like the ‘Borg’ from Star Trek…”I don’t understand why HCAA gets the hump with us when we don’t agree with his point of view surely our differing points of view are just as valid.” I’m sure if you and I had exchanged different views I would have remembered. Or does a member of your inner-sanctum speak for and represent the collective?
HCAA. Boring …..
HCAA – I respect that ManUtd and Chelsea are above us, but I am making a point that many teams below us have this English spine (or players who play the English way).
What you are asking is that we change manager for a new approach, many of our squad could not adopt a new approach so we would need to change maybe 80% of the squad. Are you prepared for a few more years of no trophies when we are so close using the current system.
This summer needs to see some spending I agree, I’m not sure we will get it, we have to hope Keoenke releases the cheque book from the vault buried in the foundations of the old West Stand. But I want Wenger to be honest and if he doesn’t get the money he asks for I’d accept it if he walked. The Board needs to back him now.
BR,
instead of reacting like a spoilt-child following the in-crowd and pandering to ego’s, offer a feasible synopsis of your own.
GiE,
Close? We’re no further on than we were in 2007! When was the last time we finished in the top 2? 2005. The same year as our last FA Cup final. Are we closer to winning CL? If anything that is getting further away. As for the CC Cup, at least in 2007 we were beaten by the then reigning champions. We’ve hade many many opportunities this season to prove we are winners and choked every time it really mattered. We may as well be a million miles away for how close we are.
I have great difficulty with a culture that says winning is everything, this it seems to me, says that everybody else is a loser. How can this be, if someone achieves a personal best is he a loser, how many people win in the London marathon, just the professional who finishes first?
How about all those who have never attempted anything like that before, but enter the marathon and finish it, are they losers? Are the charities who receive the vast amounts of money raised by these losers, are they losers also, patently they cant be. In the case of the Marathon it is nearer the truth to say everyone is a winner.
How then does this equate with the Arsenal, we have not acquired any silver ware again this year. 6 years our detractors cry, 6 years without a trophy and winning is everything. So we have failed. Wenger must go, we need a winner in charge, the players are rubbish the youth experiment is a nonsense and a non starter, Mr. Hanson was right you never win anything with kids. We have to become a real club and spend our way into penury
. I have no intention of listing all we have won under Arsene or list his successes in producing fine young players, rebuilding a club whose Marble halls were covered in the dust of complacency when he arrived, its customers bored rigid by the G.G. years. Where yes we won things but lost our soul, as the party ended with the great man getting his fingers caught in a brown paper bag. Was he a winner or a loser, I leave that to you to judge.
We lost to Stoke today so again a section of our fans are out and about among the blogs deriding our achievements and castigating the club its, players and management because as we know winning is everything, well actually it is not, trying to win is everything and under Wenger an Arsenal team has never walked on the pitch without the desire to win buried deep in their hearts.
He does however see progress in defeat, sees players grow in adversity and cares passionately about our club, our players, the quality of our football and strangely given all the undeserved and often vile abuse he takes from them our fans.
Tomorrow is another day, a new season awaits and despite the inane chatter of a disgruntled minority, Mr. Wengers achievements ensure that despite the overtures of clubs around the world to come join them, the directors will ensure that he does nothing else but continues to lead us for the foreseeable future and long may it be so
DanDan…thats top top quality.
HCAA – seriously you need to print that out and keep reading it til you understand it.
Spend money..?? Yep Chelski did that and got nowhere with it.
British spine: Yep, many teams have that and are below us in the table.
Also, you spouted the (media shite?) line about Man U’s off day last Sunday, then retracted it. You seem confused.
We have no divine right to win trophies, but we must be seen to be competing for them. Whilst we can all pick games where points were lost in almost inexplicable circumstances, we still reached this morning in May with a mathematical chance.
There is no way on earth that you can say that we have not competed this season. ‘Winning is everything’ is a tired old cliche in my book, and there are just too many examples that prove the point.
Most of all on a personal level, if my 10 yr old son, runs his heart out in a Cup Final, and loses on penalties, what on earth do you think I’m gonna say to him..??
Seriously, this obsession with shiny trophies does you no credit at all.
The disre was buried a bit too dep todat dandan. We never looked like winning.
Worst momemnts of tye game today is one that we often see. We have barely minutes left on the clock, but we need several passes and touches to get the ball into the opposition box.
Bendtners last strike was set up by a long ball from RVP, played from a position where I think our FB’s should have been sending in crosses for most of the 2nd half.
Why bring on two good headers of a ball, then supply NO CROSSES for them to head.
Last season the mancs finished with 85 points and came second. If they win the 2 remaining games they will have 82 points. Fair play to them (even though I detest them) but I fail to see how that makes red nose a genius unless he knew he’d win the league by by getting worse.
Gooner: give credit where it is due, many of the other teams have improved and most teams have the ability to beat anyone, the league table does not lie if you come out top, you are top.
But the battles further down are getting tighter.
DanDan – top quality sir…..as ever
I think we have got worse dandan. We lost to the spuds at home and they are worse than last season. Tha mancs are a mediocre team this season. They played well today from what I saw and they battle sometimes but they are not a great team. I’m not totally despondant, I think he’ll put things right this summer. I didn’t expect much from this season 3rd is obviously better than 4th. I have a feeling the bindippers will be back next season.
So do I Gooner Mike, So do I.
HCCA
I really value your contributions today – you speak from the heart and are obviously a passionate Gooner. I joined this blog last week because I felt there are some very interesting people here who write very inspiring stuff. However, I have also noticed that Arsenal Arsenal is quite a cosy blog, where a small number of people know each other very well and do indeed think more or less the same. They rather like to agree with each other, and anybody with strong-different views will find it hard to become part of their inner sanctum (as you call it). I am pretty disgusted with today’s reactions to your views and comments, and have decided this blog is not for me, as I like proper, honest debate and not the gang-bullying witnessed today.
It might be wise if you do the same.
It’s not an obsessive desire to be garnished with glittering silver-ware, though Man Utd have done it ALMOST every year for the last 20 years. How many games have we won in the last 10? How can you compare an individual sport to that of a team sport? Of course everybody who completes the London Marathon and raises money for their charities are winners, because they’ve achieved their respective goal. If Arsenal’s objective is not to seriously challenge for major trophies, they’ve achieved their goal too. Is that the analogy you’re making?
Total: I am sorry you feel like that, it is true that this is basically a pro Wenger blog, never the less there are ways of saying things that do not offend, but I for one have never met any body else who writes on here and although a few people do meet at the stadium for pre match drinks, the vast majority are like me and have never met.
We have enjoyed your interaction with the community here and would say to you, stay and fight your corner in a reasonable way and I am sure you will be surprised at the support you get,
Good luck to you which ever way you choose.
I’m not particularly pro Wenger. I agree with some of the points HCAA is making. I can’t liten to anyone heaping praise on that red nose alchy though. I know only too well what he’s achieved. I’m also blogging on a hacking forum as we speak and I’m getting it on there from mancs so I’d rather not have to listen to it here.
Dandan, you a wise man and the fundamental lesson of Rudyard kipling’s “If” is embodied in your sentiments but I cannot react with such equanimity to what I saw today. With respect I have to disagree with this statement of your “trying to win is everything and under Wenger an Arsenal team has never walked on the pitch without the desire to win buried deep in their hearts.” The first part is true- it is the trying, not the winning that counts. however, what I saw today did not speak clearly enough of that effort and desire and that is why I threw my toys out of the pram! My match report tomorrow will detail more but I already know you will not enjoy reading it DD and I apologise in advance for that!
Total
If you stayed more than a week you’d probably find out that people on here do have differing views. They don’t generally slag the team or the manager like some blogs.
HCCA it goes without saying that Arsenal start each season wanting to win the league, my argument is simple, winning isn’t everything, trying to win is. Only the most disingenuous of people would suggest Arsene does not want to win.
But it is either a fool or a very well informed man who believes he knows the full story of the clubs financial situation and its knock on effect on Arsene’s transfer policy.
Micky- you are the man for such dark moments- thanks for lightening my mood 🙂
HCAA- I took exception to your argument, not because you were complaining, which I was also doing. I took exception to the futility of comparing SAF’s record with our current one. We can’t change the past and we can’t have him as our manager now and he is, for many of us a bete noir! It just didn’t help for someone to sing the praises of our arch enemy so soon after a humiliating defeat by I apologise if you feel you were being run off the site. Not my intention at all- I was acting (foolishly) like a wounded animal 😳
That’s me for tonight. It’s been emotional! 😆 See you tomorrow folks 😎
Carlito will look forward to reading your post tomorrow, Dont worry about upsetting me, I have as they saying goes been got at by experts and am still in one piece, 🙂
GM,
do any of us enjoy the reality of football stats? I used it only as a comparison to illuminate how sub-standard our club is.
Time for bed also, goodnight all, have a nice working tomorrow.
Total and HCAA – neither of you come across as quitters so I’ll be surprised if you don’t pop in for a chat another time.
Many on here are unashamedly pro-Wenger and that is their right, but there are also many that will criticise AW for poor team selection, tactics and subs on a pretty regular basis. There are many blogs that do this and that have been speaking out for some time but strangely nothing has changed and that’s because we only have the opportunity to vent our anger and debate the shortcomings on the blogs.
If you stick around you’ll get a good debate – maybe today after a crushing defeat is not the right time as many of us take defeats really really badly.
Financial restrictions or not, it has been far too long since Wenger assembled a decent solid defensive unit.
I’m depressed at not winning anything for what seems like an eternity but I don’t think it’s as substandard as you say. If you compare any team to the mancs thay are substandard. We’ve won nothing this season same as the chavs. If wenger goes I bet we get someone worse.
I agree that Wenger has built the team around a few nimble talented creative mid-fielders who manage – when the system works – to play sensational football and score lots of goals.
I’m sure at the end of the season there’ll be loads of stats for us to digest but I bet if we’d scored in those 0-0’s we’d have been a much happier crew now.
HCAA – do you think that if we’d signed Reina and Vermaelen hadn’t been injured we’d have been more solid at the back?
That’s the thing HCAA …. “sub standard” do you believe that to be true….really?
It’s my club don’t you flipping dare call it sub standard. It’s The Arsenal, we’re The Arsenal……support it win or lose. Premier League or Conference it’ll still be my only Arsenal and it’ll still make me happy when skies are grey.
I have to go to bed as I have a poorly eye and it really hurts to be reading. Sorry guys.
Raddy – it really isn’t mothers day here. Did you think I was joking?
Nite
Night peaches
I believe our current manager to be sub-standard. I think Stekelenburg was a more realistic target than Reina, and even if we’d had Vermaelen available, Samba would have been a better option than any of Squillaci, Djourou or Koscielny. Someone should tell Wenger France don’t always produce the best defenders in the world, and that there are other countries.
Samba…that’d be the French one right?
But not playing in France, right?
Who would you like to have instead of Wenger?
Kozzer isn’t playing in France. But I know what you mean 🙂
That’s not the question GM, the question is find a top quality manager as good or better than Wenger prepared to come to the club with £30 million (max) budget to spend on players per year.
I’ve answered this question before. Hiddink, Guardiola, Moyes, Paul Lambert (two successive promotions to lead Norwich from League One to the PL). Rijkaard? Someone who like Cruyff, could turn their vision into reality. Before he came along, Barcelona hadn’t won a European Cup, now because of his philosophy, they’ve won three with a chance of a 4th in three weeks. We should long since have been a major force in world football, and it’s Wenger’s fault that we’re not.
GM,
we bought Koscielny from a French club. TA, thanks for your support. What are we if we’re not about wanting to win? We can accept the pain of defeat if the players put a shift in and look like they want it too. Haven’t seen that from our club for a while.
I was asking HCAA GiE. I’m curious. I’m not sure we’ll win anything again with Wenger (I’m not sure we won’t either) But I couln’t name a viable replacement that could do better. I think it would get worse. Maybe get worse to get better who knows. I think I’d give him one more season.
I can’t see Guardiola coming here. I could easily be a massive failure too. Lambert is untested at this level but I’m not saying he would flop. Would be risky imo. Moyes I don’t get. Lot’s of people rate him but then people rated Hodgeson. Some managers can’t take the last step up. I don’t know what Rijkaard is doing now. If abramovic can’t get hiddink we can’t. If Wenger goes we’ll get Owen Coyle at best.
When I said I I meant he.
I have to go HCAA. We’ll continue this later if you want.
Bye eveyone
Moyes has even more restraints financially at Everton than Wenger has had to deal with at Arsenal. Sorry to mention Ferguson again, but he did say Moyes would be a good candidate to succeed him at OT.
First of all, HCAA and Total have a right to put their arguments and, dare I say, to even be unconstructive if they want to.
Total
If you’re still reading, it’s not a cosy club but, inevitably, people who have been bloggint together for a year or more (in some cases) share a certain informality. Don’t be put off – several excellent bloggers (people who you perhaps think are part of an inner sanctum) have in fact only joined in recent months.
Today we’re all feeling sore and tempers have flared. Let’s all be adult about it, stay friends and get back to sensible debating.
HCAA
A week or two ago you decided Wenger was worth one more year. I don’t see why today should have changed that opinion. The inadequacies in this squad were there two weeks ago and there’s not been much he could do about them since. Surely we have to judge him by what he does this summer. His recent utterances seem to hint at a recognition that he needs experience and a winning mentality to be injected into the squad.
I understand where you’re coming from HCAA and share some of your concerns but, as I’ve said before, I think AW has earned one more year.
Not having seen today’s game yet (the recording is waiting for me), I thought I’d check in to see what the view of the result was. Not good it seems…..
If the players really were as gutless as even Wenger suggests they were, and as the comments here describe, that pretty much underlines all the complaints made over the past two months.
Maybe the combination of beating United and losing lamely to Bolton and Stoke is the best thing to happen to us: shows we have real talent but also shows the problems are mostly mental. I hate to say it, because, like many, I really believed this squad would win this season, but Wenger really needs to be brutal this summer. From a genuinely winning position at the end of February, too many of these players have let us down and let their manager down. Whatever the reason, they have pissed it all away.
The difficulty for Wenger is in knowing which ones to hold onto and which to ditch, as well as which new players can fix this mental problem the current group has. Having defended the club for five years while it had no money, and defended a generation of players while the expectations of many were unrealistic, he now has to cull from the group he has nurtured enough of the dangerously uncompetitive and weak-minded players to put this very talented squad back on a progressive path. Because not only has the last 10 games destroyed our hopes for success, it has also created a losing, failing mentality that just cannot be allowed to remain. The knife has to come out.
RL,
What made me change my mind was Wenger’s comments a few days ago saying that he wants to keep Bendtner. He is not worthy of a club of our stature and should have stayed at Birmingham (yes I know it was a loan deal, but you get my point).
Agreed 26. Unfortunately with City getting get CL football they are likely to be spending a lot of money, as are Chelsea, Madrid and inevitably Man U will spend again if they don’t win CL. That means a lot of competition for players, or are we hoping to pick up the dregs from the above in order to add the missing ingredient.
Sadly the ones that would give us that are the ones they won’t sell, or at least are unlikely to sell to us.
A difficult time ahead for all involved with the club.
HCAA
Arseblog did a good analysis of AW’s comment about Bendtner. Basically, it was Arsene-speak for “he’s off at the end of the season.”
Funnily enough Nicki is one I’d like to keep – but only if we revert to 4-4-2. He hasn’t had a decent crack of the whip this season at al, constantly played out of position and so on.
Wenger plays a lot of players out of position, Arshavin and van Bronkhorst readily spring to mind.
Agreed HCAA
Most manager do at times, but some of AW’s persistent out-of-position decisions do defy explanation.
And we’re supposed to blindly support that? And rewarding shit players with generous long-contracts like they’re super stars?
Arsh has had his best stats in an Arsenal shirt this season, despite some woeful performances.
Nik B needs to be tried up front, he needs ten games up there at least, but unfortunately we are in a results business and even AW could not risk an untested centre forward for so many games.
What is certain having watched AW’s post match with the BBC, he was livid with his players calls it non acceptable when Pearce suggested the players wanted to be on holiday.
AW – “I believe to play football is a privilege, and to play for Arsenal Football club is an even bigger privilege so that is not acceptable”
HCAA
Who’s blindly supporting? Even the most ardent Arsene fans on here have criticisms and reservations. It’s all a matter of weighing up pros and cons. I feel AW’s pros outweight his cons (no joke intended).
On the salaries – which player are you referring to and what do they earn? And how does that compare with equivalent players at, say, Chavs and Spuds?
Wenger is the highest paid manager in England? For what, not winning? Eboue was given a new contract earlier this season, Bendtner was given a 5-year contract not so long ago. And how long do we have to wait for Walcott to deliver? One good game every few months isn’t acceptable.
Maybe he gets so well rewarded for telling starry-eyed fans that he nearly bought Ronaldo, or that Hernandez “was on our radar…” or that he could have had Drogba for £100k, or that he tried to sign Cech before he was eligible for a work-permit. We never tire of hearing how close he was to signing all these big names do we!
Bendtner’s 5-year means we’ll get a better price when we sell him.
Ditto Eboue (although I don’t mind him as a squad reserve).
Walcott was world class at the start of the season but the team has stopped playing in a way that allows him to shine. Expect to see him through the middle next season.
Most of the “nearly bought” stories are just tabloid shit-stirring HCAA.
Wenger is the highest paid manager because he has done what no other manager could have achieved – kept us competitive for five years with no transfer budget while moving to a new stadium during the biggest recession for 80 years.
Does that mean he is beyond criticism? NO. This was the year when it should all have come to fruition and it hasn’t. But I believe AW can see what’s missing and will fix it this summer.
If we change managers this summer I would 100% expect us to drop out of the top four, regardless of who gets the job.
Rocky – words of wisdom. AW is a highly intelligent man and he KNOWS he needs to take action sooner rather than later.
I think that if he was replaced, the new manager would benefit from Wenger’s hard work for a couple of seasons and then we would go down to become a mid table team
I would love to see Guardiola in the EPL….although not with us, well, unless he brought Messi, Pedro, Iniesta, Pique, etc but that is not going to happen and without those players that he originally inherited he would disappear faster than you could say Grey and Keyes……who?
Morning London, could you explain Grey and Keyes, doh …
As annoying as those stories are about nearly bought players the opposite would be more infuriating; that’s to say the players in question were not known to the club.
I think most of us happily buy into the idea that Wenger and the club have an extremely good scouting network so when Wenger comes out and says that Hernandez (Cockrochito) was on the radar I read that to mean: I knew about him, I told the board, I can do no more as it is not my job to set transfer budgets and negotiate deals.
Thank you Evonne, you help make the point perfectly.
Once upon a time there were two Sky TV presenters called Andy Grey and Richard Keyes, both of them were sacked for making sexist remarks, this of course happend a long, long time ago 😉
aha, thank you London 🙂
I wonder who has the dire pleasure of writing today’s post?
Apparently Carlito volunteered, top man that Carlito made of sterner stuff than us fair weathered match report writers.
Morning all! Evonne it was my pleasure to write the post and very therapeutic it was too 🙂 not sure all my points will go down well but I feel better for having had a rant!
Evonne. Sky Sports – sexist remarks – sacked.
Today I am even more p’ed off than yesterday.
The more I think about how clueless we were, the more disturbed I become. # big front men in the second half and not one header on goal,. Why? Two reasons – Stoke have 2 fine CB’s and neither of our FB’s can cross a ball (or Theo).
We appear to have only 4 players who can deliver a cross that gives any hope to the forwards – RVP, Cesc, Nasri and Arshavin. With only RvP on the pitch … etc etc
The first goal. It isn’t as if the players didn’t know what to expect. Did someone forget to stand on the near post? Who was marking Jones? Why did AA give away such a stupid free-kick right in front of the linesman and in such a dangerous area, is he so unintelligent?
Their 3rd goal, JD had to make some contact on the ball and did well to prevent it reaching the man behind him, but JD was the man who tried to stop the follow up shot and to do so, he had to regain his footing , run a few yards and then throw himself at the ball. Where was everyone else? How could there be such a gaping hole in the centre of our penalty area? Dreadful defending.
Carlito is fab!
But when will we have the pleasure of reading your famous posts? You far too young to retire 🙂
Morning All.
Peaches. I phoned my mother yesterday and wished her a Happy Mother’s Day. SHe said nothing, probably wondering why her other children hadn’t called 😀
That will learn me.
Raddy – ha ha ha, either this or she thought ‘poor old boy is losing it’ 🙂
Morning all,
I am disappointed reading through last night’s comments to see that we may have lost TotalArsenal as a contributor. I thought he made his points well (as did HCAA)and added balance to the debate. Some of us who were more inclined to agree with him were licking our wounds behind London’s sofa yesterday.
I’m looking forward to a no-holds-barred discussion today in response to Carlito’s post.
Morning all
There’s a New Post
I agree to an extent Rasp, TotalArsenal has added to debate.
HCAA however only appears on the blog in down times from experience which unsurprisingly winds me up a bit. But I’ll still enter conversation with him as he is not offensive or abusive (just misguided 😉 )
Thanks GiE,
Its easy to get wound up when we’ve just watched a performance that dire 😦
As I have said many times, we will look weak and defensive if we seek to drive away articulate supporters who just happen to have a view t=hat conflicts with the majority.
I would say the same to our regulars as I do to newcomers – by stating one side of a debate you create the opportunity for others to argue the contrary.
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