The visit of Wolves over the last two seasons has produced two wins for the boys in red and white keeping clean sheets on both occasions. Although Wolves have some robust players McCarthy tries to get them to play football.
He is one of the few managers who I like listening to in post match interviews as he rarely complains about decisions and outcomes of games, choosing instead to inject some humour in his “call a spade a spade” approach to cross examination.
Having read the BBC head to head I am slightly concerned about today’s game as there are too many statistics in our favour. Here are a selection (you can read the rest here):
- Wolves are yet to take a point off Arsenal in six previous Premier League matches.
- Arsenal have kept clean sheets in each of the last three contests between the sides. Wolves’ last goal was JodyCraddock’s 89th-minute consolation in a 4-1 home defeat in November 2009.
- It’s now 13 top-flight matches since Wolves beat Arsenal. That win was at Highbury in 1979 under the management of John Barnwell.
- Wolves’ only away win this term came in their season-opener at Blackburn. They are winless in seven subsequent matches.
In addition to the probability that these stats have to be upset sometime there is the added pressure of elevating ourselves to fourth today. On numerous occasions last year United performed poorly in a game and gave us the chance to leapfrog them, nearly every time we failed to maximise on the opportunity.
Today we find out whether most of us are correct to believe that this is indeed a New Arsenal and that they actually have a mental toughness that matters, one that can be used on a football pitch to grind out results rather than the kind that allows one to turn a blind eye to the cry of man overboard.
McCarthy has rarely sent his team out to face us with bus firmly parked, but they will almost certainly be up for the battle. The team need to be prepared to win the battle of midfield first and the right to pass and play.
For me there is not much to figure out in team selection. I fully expect the same line up for Villa except Song will return. There is also a hint that Djourou could be fit, so he could return at right back.
Team for me should be:
We could see Coquelin at right back again but Jarvis offers a threat down the left flank and I think a more experienced defender in Koscielny will stop any early tail lifting danger.
All in all another game where result is more important than the performance which earns it, although perhaps I’ll be greedy and ask for at least two of the three goals Robin needs to surpass Shearer’s calendar year record.
I am struggling with inventors but have managed to come up with Sunbeam – a company founded in 1912 by John Marston and based in Wolverhampton which produced popular bikes, motor bikes and later cars (or at least it did according to wiki).
For those going to the Tavern I’ll see you there.
COYRRG
Written by Gooner In Exile
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Good morning and well done GIE, 🙂
Your pre-match is a credit to you. I am sure Raddy will be well pleased you are maintaining his high standards. 🙂
I was in Cornwall (Looe) briefly in the summer and saw a Sunbeam Talbot parked in a drive there. It did not look like it ever goes anywhere, as it was in a sad state, but it must have been someone’s cherished vehicle once upon a time.
How could you leave out Slade and front many Noddy Holder, especially with their Xmas number 1 ;).
Expect us to win and we need to boost the goal average up as it appears most likely any 4 will be competing for the final 2 PL places.
Delia get your lot going today and can the canaries put the cockerel down.
my dad had several Sunbeam Talbots in the fifties and took part in the Monte carlo rally which was won several times by the Sunbeam, Sheila van dam (sp) won it on more than one occasion.
off to bowls on this sunny morning a mild 22 degrees 😉 have a nice day.
Kelsey,
The sky here is a brilliant cyan blue and I am sitting here typing in my best T-Shirt as the temperature hits 32C.
I feel bad that you are having such a tough time stuck in a chilly 22C! 🙂
Thanks for a great pre-match GiE, ‘m looking forward to meeting you and the missus in a couple of hours at the Tavern.
My dander is up after having read this article from a Leeds fan. I broke one of my own rules and had to leave a comment – but I see many other gooners too have put the aurthor in his place.
http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/why-i-hate-arsenal-by-a-leeds-united-fan/
Nice one GIE.
I think we need to be 100% focussed, get the job done early doors, run like stallions and keep it tight at the back.
Nice one GIE, just wish i was there today……….Will watch from under my quilt on a stream with my lemsip………
Sing loud and proud for me…………
I have an inkling we will smash them today, we are due a game with 5 different goalscorers……!!
Redders,
If my central heating was turned up that high, I would be typing in my Mankini,sipping a Martini, talking to Mancini, wife in Bikini !
GiE,
Until I got to the end, I thought it was Big Raddy !
Top stuff,
Interesting stuff GIE enjoyable read, Rasp suprised you reacted to that pathetic ranting, I dont suppose he remembers when his club had a proper team and a real dodgy manager.
ox about to be unleashed! http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1001537/arsene-wenger-tips-alex-oxlade-chamberlain-to-be-star-of-2012?cc=3436
Hi GLIC,
Sshh, don’t tell Kelsey.
I received an email from you regarding that Leeds plonker, sent by those other plonkers Sabotage Times. What a shower! 🙂
GLIC,
So we appear to have a teeny weeny, roberto mancini, in your mankini, while you are wearing your mrs’s bikini! 🙂
Ohh to be in Cornwall when the full moon is at its peak!! 🙂
Redders,
Almost right, It`s our Terry Mancini, his syrup makes a fine hairy chest ! 🙂
Wenger tips Oxlade to shine in 2012
December 27, 2011
By ESPNsoccernet staff
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has vowed to give Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the chance to shine in 2012 and expects the young winger to make a huge impact on the Premier League.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, a £12 million signing from Southampton in the summer, has struggled to make the Arsenal bench on occasion this season but Wenger says the England Under-21 is now ready to be let loose.
Ahead of Arsenal’s home clash with Wolves on Tuesday, Wenger said: “In 2012, at the beginning of the year, he will play games. He is not far away. He is a talented boy, it’s all there he just needs that toughness in the game because every game for us at the moment is so tight.
“The other night, again, I could have brought him on at Aston Villa and you have no hesitation to do it. But you do not want him to be a little bit overawed by the intensity of the game. He is ready to play.
“He is just missing that experience at the top level. You have to throw him a few games,” Wenger told the Daily Mirror.
Although Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored in the Champions League and Carling Cup, the 18-year-old’s only chance in the Premier League came in the 8-2 defeat at Manchester United and Wenger admits he should have held the youngster back at Old Trafford.
“On the day, it was not a favour for anybody to come on. The team was completely lost and it was not the best of favours I’ve done,” said Wenger.
The Arsenal boss is likely to use Oxlade-Chamberlain from the bench against Wolves while he will also get more opportunities when Gervinho goes with the Ivory Coast to the African Nations Cup.
Great pre-match GiE. Those statistics scare me a bit, but like you, I trust the New Arsenal to take things serious from the start!
COYRRG!
Hi TA, 🙂
The good news is that Wigan Gooner is back from wherever he went and is now Posting again on his website WiganGooner.
BTW, it is a compliment to you that I occasionally notice small typos — ‘serious’ should be the adverb ‘seriously’, as I suspect you know.
I would love to be as accomplished as you in a foreign language! 🙂
thanks GiE, as others have said BR would be proud.
I predict a stoll in the park with a nice 4-0 victory. Robin with 2 (hopefully 3!).
Peaches/Rasp if needed i can write up the preview for the weekend game. I’ve always wanted to do a pre-match and if BR can’t i’ll be happy too.
enjoy the game all!
Wilshere boost for injury-hit Arsenal as midfielder steps up recovery
By Sami Mokbel
Last updated at 11:16 PM on 26th December 2011
Arsenal have received a massive boost with the news Jack Wilshere could start running by the end of the week.
Wilshere has missed the entire campaign with an ankle injury sustained in pre-season. But the key midfielder, 19, is about to take a major step in his return to fitness.
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, who was boosted by defender Bacary Sagna’s return to running last week, revealed: ‘Wilshere is doing very well. He is one week behind Sagna so he should start to run this week.’
In addition to Wilshere and Sagna, the Gunners are missing Andre Santos, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, Johan Djourou and Abou Diaby through injury for the visit of Wolves on Tuesday.
Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh leave for the Africa Cup of Nations early next month. Wenger hopes Park Ju-young and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can fill the gaps left by the departing pair.
Wenger said: ‘It has been difficult because I have not given Park the chance to play and the intensity of the challenges – it takes you time. You see a player like (Laurent) Koscielny. Last year, he was still sometimes surprised by the physical demands. And this year, he dominates the physical challenge. That shows it takes time.
‘In 2012 Chamberlain will play games. He is not far off.
‘He is a talented boy, it’s all there – he just needs that toughness because every game for us is so tight.’
Theo is dropped, Benyahoun starts.
Szczesny, Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Benayoun, Van Persie, Gervinho.
Subs: Almunia, Miquel, Coquelin, Arshavin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Chamakh.
Walcott out because of illness. I was surprised that Djourou come back earlier than the initial estimation of 3 weeks.
May RvP score 3. 😉
Thanks for the write up GiE. Stats like those for todays game scare me too.
I really like Bobby Zamora. I think he’d ‘do an Arteta’ and grab his chance with both hands. He knows where the goal is, and has some really good link up play. Thumbs up from me.
This line up makes me nervous. I don’t like Rosicky and Djourou. It’s Yossi’s first league start for us. I’ll settle for a one-nil……
I’m liking the look of that team.
Please please please let the Ox be the first sub off the bench today !
hello boys and Irish
Peaches has delegated nagging so here I am looking for the match report….anybody?
Has theo gone cold turkey 😉
Don’t worry Danny, Rosicky’s ability to keep the ball and move defenders round will cause Wolves real problems today
Thanks for a fine prematch GIE.
Come on you Gunners!!!!!
RA 🙂 well spottered my friend! I don’t mind at all. In fact, when I read back my posts and comments I often spot mistakes.
Sorry Evonne, I cannot do the MR today. I will be out all evening looking to sort out some Spuds in our town centre 😛
Oz, I think you would be excellent at doing a pre-match. You always comment on the strengths and weaknesses of other teams, and that sort of knowledge would come in handy for PMRs.
COYRRG – Attack – Attack – Attack!!!!
TA – ok, just make sure you do some long lasting damage. I’d take a draw if Scum were to lose
Oz – how about the match report? You are not studying xmas time, right? Let this be your special extra curriculum assignment 🙂
Arshavin – that is one desperate measure
GM – I don’t think Attwell loves his girlfriend very much; either this or your tea was foul tasting
GM – no, I take it all back, he loves her !
Gutted.
We can’t beat wolves ffs
Don’t deserve CL football
Gutted, absolutely gutted.
I’m completely baffled as to how the Ox doesn’t get a look in today.
RVP..two pieces of better control from him and we have no problem. I guess he’s human after all
Whay bring on arshavin and chamakh before Ox?
Well, GiE warned us…
What a massive blow. I’m disgusted
@SharkeySure
Sorry mate, but I had a terrible feeling when I saw that line up. Well at least we didn’t loose. Bring on QPR and Joey Barton!
We were unlucky not to get the win today, but I did find Gervinho’s decision making extremely frustrating.
Danny
I thought TR7, Benny and JD all did pretty well.
I hate to say it, but Robin needs a rest.
Disgusted? Didn’t the boys give everything?
It just wasn’t to be. full stop.
Spuds will pull away from us now. We really needed (and should be able to) win that.
It is sometimes hard to comprehend Arsene’s decisions.
As you say GM, why bring on two players so lacking in confidence as Arshavin and Chamakh clearly are, but not the tricky, fast and confident Ox, especially when we are desperate for a goal!
RVP is only human, but we simply have not got anyone else to help him out when he needs another player to take some of the weight and score a goal occasionally.
That was a lot worse than losing to Citeh!! 😦
AW himself said that these Christmas fixtures were must win games.
I thought we had a chance to pull away a bit from the 4th place dogfight, but it’s not to be.
I am furious! Leading in the 7th minute and not able to score in the following 90!! After the early goal they ‘sat’ on it, didn’t try hard enough until wolvesd equalised. Very significant loss of 2 points 😦
Rocky, TA,
The team played well in defence and in midfield, and we could have scored 5 on another day. That is what makes it feel worse.
Credit to Hennessy tho’ as he was splendid and joins the list of a long line of GKs who have played out of their skins against us.
Oh, well. 😦
My life as an Arsenal supporter has been a mixture of these sort of disappointments and also exhilaration too.
That’s football, that’s life, and I will have rationalized it by tomorrow and be looking forward to the next game and whopping QPR.
That is true for you guys too, I am sure.
Disgusted that we can’t beat wolves when 4th place is at stake. Everything obviously wasn’t good enough. 10 men too.
Bugger! Standing eating a hog roast contemplating what might have been.
Perspective is Wolves score a bit of a fluke and the keeper has a worldy.
Arshavin actually convinced me when he came on (for a change recently). Hard to judge most of our second half onslaught as it was up the other end, but is frustrating to hear shoot around you when the players are clearly further out. On first look TR7s chance looked easier to score but then I and everyone round thought he was an penalty spot when actually he was on the D.
Wasn’t to be today and it was disappointing yes, disgusting no.
Disappointing result. I guess it hurts if your expectation is too high. At this rate top 4 might be a dream. Good thing that chelsea and liverpool recent results not too good. We’re unlucky today but we’ve rely to much on our luck since the win over everton. 😦
I hope we have better result for the next game and hope that AW learn that his fringe players (AA23, Chamakh, …) are far from good.
Well maybe disgusting is the wrong word. But I am gutted and thought we weren’t good enough.
hennessy did make some good saves the best from mertsacker’s downward header but our over passing and reliant on Robin remains the same. No one to really give the ball a good whack.
I thought it was strange to take off benyahoun who as quite lively.
If i hae to single out one really poor performance it was djourou .
Crucial 2 points dropped and i agree with above that the game should have been won within 30 minutes and RVP looks knackerd.
too many teams know how to defend in numbers against us and we need an auxilary striker who can score.
GM, it’s just a word — no biggy. You were just using another word to express your disappointment.
Next time just say “I’m durglegummed” and we will all agree.
“GM,” we will say, “you are definitely durglegummed!!” 🙂 And no one could argue with that! 🙂
GM
On a lighter note, I wrote a “dictionary definition” for you yesterday but when I cut and pasted it vanished.
It was:
GM crop
(noun) short haircut with image of a cannon etched onto the hair.
I thought you’d forgotton me 🙂
GM
As if… 🙂
I really think we need to sign a couple of players in the window. I think we should sign Henry on loan too. I don’t think RVP will beat the bald headed geordie twats record now but he has had far fewer games than shergar.
Just twigged about the GM. Very clever Rocky
OK, already replaying the game in my limited cerebral cortex (no GLIC – cortex did not beat up the Incas) and the image I am struck by is the complete domination by Arsenal, but playing at a snail’s pace – except for some Gervinho dribbles.
This slow and deliberate passing, as opposed to the fast one touch passing we are rightly famous for, allows limited teams like Wolves to play to THEIR strengths of all out defense and gives them time to marshall themselves to keep us out.
We must move the ball quickly, and reduce the amount of sideways back and sideways again football (heard that before?) or worse the continual passing back to the GK.
Agreement/disagreement? 🙂
So difficult to comment, Red Arse summises well at 5.16pm…..Whether I can rationalise it by tomorrow as well is unlikely though.
It was not good enough today, made worse by scoring early and not capitalising and then playing the last 15/20mins against only 10 men.
I dont think there was any bad performances out there today and no one in particular that I would have a dig at.
In the 1st half it was the pace that we attacked at which worried them, I was so sure we’d see the Ox on 60……..
We just seem to lack something at stages today and yes their keeper had a “worldly”…..but we lacked a sharpness in the final 3rd.
For me just seen too many of these type of games, where we dont press on and turn teams over, like certain other teams do, probably our biggest achilles heal (certainly one of them)……..
So for that today, I would question Wenger’s line up / tactics, his team talk, his ability to turn a game and also his substitutions……..but I still wouldnt swap him, but this is where maybe a more influential no2 might make a difference…….?
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Arsene Wenger lacks immagination when it comes to substitutions.
It is difficult to bring perspective to a poor result, Harry, but even if it is not tomorrow, your inbuilt Arsenal genes will bring you thru today’s disappointing and unexpected result like it has before!!
Go, Harry!! 🙂
We lacked momentum today, THAT was the word I was looking for earlier. If Theo had played today — or the Ox had come on as sub — that would have made all the difference.
Look at what a flukey Wolves goal has done to us supporters.
AllezKev, you are not alone, see above @ 5:06.
I tell ya what RA, you can almost predict every substitution that he’s going to make.
And if ‘we’ can guess, then it’s not going to surprise the opposition.
Mind you, i didn’t see the game…..
RA; 5.06.
I make you right mate.
It just seems like for like, and the same old faces.
Funny thing is there is one player who could be targeted and blamed for the draw but no one likes to.
Song back heel led to their corner.
Then Song lazily rejoins the defensive line playing Fletcher onside when the shot was hit.
Do I think Theo would have given us anything different….not really he doesn’t make the pass Benny does for Gervs goal and he cannot drive with the ball like TR7 does.
Was Robin a little too focussed on the record today? He had a bit of a strop when Arteta didn’t let him take a free kick in first half and a couple of times he struggled to get a shot off when passing could have been better.
Not sure about that GIE, with regards to Robin.
We all know Arshavin and Chamkh are way out of form but giving them 15/20 and 5 minutes respectively it’s hard to imagine they can just change a game. We haven’t been at our best at home against everton,fulham and today and perhaps the games coming thick and fast are taking away the team’s sharpness and we do look slow on the break apart from gervinho.
In a nutshell we don’t have a good enough squad strength and it could be third or sixth this season unless something happens in the window.
Away keepers have a habit of having their game of the season against us but even allowing for that we should have won from chances created.
Hi all
Just back from the game, I have to admit to feeling proper p’eed off by that result. But we seem to make heavy weather of getting a result when others around us drop points lately so in all honesty I’m not really surprised.
I did feel that we missed Theo though, maybe he wouldn’t have scored 2 goals but without our usual fullbacks at least he gets balls into the box and there’s always a chance he could terrify the oppo into giving us a penalty.
Anyone able to write a small match report for tomorrow please?
……… and what exactly are we saving Oxlade Chamberlain for??????
only canaries can save the day
Hi evonne – we missed you. Raddy sent you a great big kiss mwahhhh
Even the spuds losing won’t cheer me up. We could have gone third. It seems coming above the scum is the limit of out ambition. (I’m not having a dig evonne) 🙂
I’m not playing any more, spuds 2 up …….. miserable, miserable day 😦
Peaches – I have just switched it off, fed up fed up fed up
Fantastic Christmas apart from the football.
GM – even football was looking promising after yesterday. Oh well, never mind, there is 5 months left to claim the top spot 🙂
‘Your’ ref did ok for us, could send Song off, but redcarded Wolves player
I make fantastic tea evonne 🙂
It could have been worse if the chavs and bindippers had won. we could have been 4th. We can still do it but not much more.
Disapointing and frustrating today, but absoloutly no reason to panic. On another day that would have finnished 3 nil. I was pleased with many aspects of our performance.
I am not concerned with our position relative to tottenham either, come the end we will finish above them and they will be moaning about injuries, refs, spaghetti or the luner eclipse or something, wait and see.
I’m taking your word for it Terry. They still ahve to go to shitty and the chavs. Not sure about pool and newcastle.
And they never beat the mancs home or away.
Lots of points to play for GM. They still have to come to our place, i reckon we will rip them apart and send them home crying.
I agree with you Peachy(@8.56pm) I’m pretty cheesed off with the result.
I know we had chances to despatch Wolves but their petty niggardliness and the refs idiocy didn’t help. If anyone’s interested my thoughts on the game are here:
http://www.7amkickoff.com/2011/man-at-the-match-chary-scrooged/
The positives of the day were before the game and meeting up with my AA people and especially Radders – always a pleasure to chew the cud with you sir.
If anyone does feel that they want to write something for tomorrow it would be gratefully appreciated …………..
Peachy, I thought Oz had semi-volunteered for the match report earlier ?
OK, I’ll email him, thanks chary xx
LB,
I know you are ‘AA’ royalty, and watch like a hawk.
You verbally slaughtered me for daring to suggest that your opinion might be flawed, and I am aware you don’t care for my thoughts. Arshavin and Chamakh came on as impact subs against City, did nothing, same against Fulham, and again against Wolves today. Would you consider that to be consistently making the right decisions?
Just to put things in a bit more perspective, I know you enjoy reading ‘Le Grove’. You consider me miserable for a little throw-away comment, the bloogers over on there would probably kill Wenger with their bare hands if they got hold of him! I don’t think I’ve ever displayed such vitriolic hatred in any of my comments.
Peaches, hi. I don’t think Oz promised to do the MR, but he did offer to do the next pre-match report. Anyway, I have emailed you something which is not a match report, but you could use if nobody does write a proper match report. Feel free to do with it what you like: at least you have something to put out if no MR is produced before 9.30 am tomorrow.
Evening all just in from my brothers stag. All I can say is thank Steve Jobs for predictive text.
I omitted to thank people for kind comments earlier so thank you.
As for the result well it was one of those days….I thought Arshavin showed touches of being his earlier self (especially with link up with TR7).
Cham I couldn’t judge from where I was but then I didn’t see him much either. By the end of the game we basically had BFG and Kos back everyone else forward and Ramsey fetching and carrying. Could we have won it sure we could. Do I think we tried as hard as damnit to win it, yes I do.
Kelsey re Robin there are quite a few with that tone of thought, not sure it’s true I just put it out there for discussion.
Herb re LG there’s a reason why most of us don’t bother. It’s called intelligent debate. In reply to your comment I’m pretty sure AA23 and Cham started against Fulham, and to discount AA23 coming on against Villa where his shot led to the corner that led to the goal. I know I won’t change your mind either.
That a result like today beings out the “sack Wenger” brigade is a shame it discounts any good work that has clearly been done. I know we fell over at similar hurdles last season but there was to my eye a major difference, today there was urgency, last season there was lethargy. We tried to win today but for a couple of better touches from RvP and one moment of non world class keeping we would’ve.
However the goal we conceded was sloppy from start to finish, and further proof of TAs theory of the three distinct units. The defence did their job at the corner, a midfielder let them down.
Anyway whilst disappointing result it has not proved to costly and rather than look at others and say we’re lucky they slipped up too maybe we should look at others as evidence that three points at home are never guaranteed.
well said GiE. Getting mighty sick of keepers playing the game of their lives against us e.g al habsi, given, green, carson, foster!
@ Peaches
sorry but i said pre-match on the weekend. To hard for me to do midweek ones because they don’t finish here until early morning and then i’m straight off to work.
Lucky TA is one of those individuals on here who says ‘i’ll do something quick’ then it turns out to be brilliant.
morning all
@ TA
cheers for the compliment, if needed i’ll give it my best, BR’s shoes are awfully big though
Morning early birds
TA – you have been elevated to favourite blogger of the week, thank you so much for sending through a post for this morning.
oz – I’ll check with Raddy what his movements are and get back to you on the matter of the pre-match but thank you for your offer.
Morning Peacy, sorry I must have been labouring under a misapprehension about Oz’s offer for a match report.
Mea Culpa 😳
Blame it on the peronis 😉
My biggest disappointment yesterday was not making it to The Tavern. Still can’t believe the traffic experienced on the way down.
Morning all
New Post ……………….
Fortunately, you can do plenty of ways to help save on printing
cost. If you take a defensive driving course, be sure to let your agent know.
State Farm: Steer Clear – The safe driver discount available through the reputable insurer State Farm operates in a different fashion.
Great value made to measure Conservatory Blinds & Conservatory Roof Blinds