A week is a long time in football. Just 7 days ago we were wrapped up in enthusiasm following our last minute victory, and yet those happy days seem a long gone. Will the confidence of the team plummet because we got spanked by a rampant AC Milan? We shall see today.
I cannot remember a time under Mr Wenger when there has been so much uncertainty amongst the fans. It appears that the team go on a winning run and imbue confidence then implode leading to calls (from some) for the manager’s head. If we are confused imagine how the management at THOF feel. When your most reliable defender over the past 3 seasons make elementary mistakes like Vermaelen did, then what can you do?
However, the Malaise in Milan was a team effort and it would be wrong to put blame on any one shirt. If blame is to be dealt, then the manager must be included because this is his team and his tactics. Mr Wenger will do all he can to improve things and hopefully the lads will do better today.
I really disliked O’Neill’s tactics last week. Sunderland parked the bus and played with 10 men behind the ball – if I were a paying Sunderland fan I would be seriously worried about the prospects of seeing entertainment over the coming seasons. I guess O’Neill could point to their extra time Cup game midweek and that the game was lost in the final 15 minutes but prior to that Sunderland offered nothing and their goal came as a result of pure good fortune (very bad fortune for Arsenal).
How will Mr Wenger respond today? I expect a much changed side – not a weaker team but one with different faces. There are players whose confidence will have taken a mighty bashing; Ramsey was completely over-run in a way he has probably never experienced, same for Theo, who must have been shakes to be removed at half-time. Should they “get back in the saddle”?
My Team:
Controversial I know but I believe Song needs a rest. He is unlikely to get one and Ramsey is more likely to be rested. Rosicky has been playing well and getting far more minutes than I expected, but Ramsey needs to get his mojo back and that is best done away from home. – which is an awful indictment of our home “support” (more of this subject another time).
Another Sunderland Inventor; This may upset some of our American readers but Edison did not invent the electric Lightbulb, it was invented by Sir Joseph Swan, an extremely hirsute resident of Sunderland. Swan (1828 – 1914) patented his lightbulb in England a few years before Edison took out his worldwide (bar UK) patent for an identical product (cheap Yank copy was the term used). The first building to be lit entirely by electricity (1880) was The Savoy Theatre in London using 1200 lamps supplied by Swan. Swan also invented Bromide paper which is still in use when developing black and white photographs.
Bloody Septic stole my bloody invention!
O’Neill will see this as the ideal opportunity to take revenge upon a tired and shell-shocked Arsenal. The vast majority of the Arsenal baiting media will be looking to stick the knife in should we lose as they are predicting. It is up to our team to prove them wrong.
COYRRG
Written by Big Raddy
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
What a beard!
With the exception of some fanatical Muslim Cleric or a member of ZZ Top, I think Mr Swan achieved legendary status with that alone!
Thanks Raddy, and I love the inclusion of Ox and Coq. Fresh legs will be vital. I have a feeling AW may go for even more changes, and I also wonder whether the Gerv will be recovered. Very interesting team selection I think the Boss will have for us today.
For Evonne:
Rory’s gonna get ya!
great pre-match BR.
I like the mixed up team and would also prefer a fired up coquelin at the moment. Walcott needs a kick up the back side. So him benched and forcing to look at Ox and gerv should be a wakeup call. God knows he needs one.
Never have I looked forward to a game with so much dread. Dread at the result, dread at the further destabilisation of the support, dread at the morale of the players.
Thanks for the prematch BR. A very apt summation of the day and game ahead
does anyone have a good link to watch the game? never watched one on the computer so wouldn’t have a clue where to look. Preferably not one with Asian commentary
Bang on, BR.
Superb, oz. 🙂
Cheer up, GIE. If you’re not positive, we’re f*cked.
Micky,
Love your blending in suggestions.
Thanks once again for the post BR but i think you may have got the team selection wrong. Does a leopard change his spots?. After the alleged rollicking AW gave the players he may actually play the same team as at Milan and I would expect Gervinho to be on the bench. Walcott is the interesting one.Will he start or be a sub.
my dread would be djourou and fabianski in our defence.
it’s ok chas we have a backup if GiE isn’t positive, we can always count on TMHT or Dandan. If they aren’t we are stuffed!
Oz,
wiziwig.tv (recommended by tomstoned) has been fine when I’ve used it. The sopcast software (which you have to download) has never failed to produce a good stream for me, but you may be averse to downloading software. I’ve used sopcast for 4 or 5 years now with no problems I know of.
If you did use it, I’d suggest you have a play with an earlier game to get the hang of it.
http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=145363&part=sports
cheers for that chas, much appreciated
I presume ITV player doesn’t work in Oz?
not to sure chas, never heard of that. Over here FA cup matches are on the setanta sports channel which is a waste of time getting unless you enjoy the scottish and spanish leagues. cheers for your help
It’s a UK terrestrial channel, oz, which is broadcasting live.
A nice easy reading pre-match, Raddy, thanx-much! 🙂
I am with the Kelser on team selection.
Major changes will, in Arsene’s eyes, be seen as engaging panic mode and I think 1 maybe 2 changes, other than enforced by injury, will be the order of the day.
Please NOT Chamakh! 😦
chas. ITV inly works in UK.
oz. I use the wiziwig for the cricket and it works very well. Sometimes one has to try a few stream before finding one that works best.
I do not have sopcast because it doesn’t work on a Mac but all the flash players streams work.
Some great comments this morning. Good to see such good humor prior to a difficult game.
If the post is substandard it is due to my having some major dental surgery yesterday and when the pain killing injections started to wear off I started to use m own liquid form of pain reduction 🙂
The mixture of drugs and alcohol made for an interesting night – It was like being a teenager again!!
oz
http://www.liveonlinefooty.com costs £2 for a day pass but its always reliable if you have a decent pc.
Your Post is not sub-standard, at all, Raddy – especially given the dreaded visit to the dentist! Sympathies!! 😦
Micky. I always look out for some facial fuzz when doing my research.
Oz. I once had a business importing furniture from Bali into UK and visited Bali every 3 months. Loved it away from Kuta and Nusa Dua.
chas. The Arsneal Collective article was great – thanks for the link and have a brill day. We are all in your pocket.
Tommy,
Have they opened up the liveonlinefooty, again? Whenever I go on there are dire threats about even applying!
Thanks to Raddy’s recommendation I have been with them for several months, and am very happy with them.
Morning Raddy,
The prematch was up to your usual high standard. Sorry to hear about your dental problems – I empathise 😳
I do so hope we don’t see Chamakh (ever again!!) he is so symptomatic of the lack of balls we showed on Wednesday. MoN will have his payers fired up, we need to match their desire. Today will tell us if theis squad have what it takes.
I think bringing in players from foreign leagues is all well and good but it takes a long time for them to get used to the physical challenges of the premiership. The injuries to Mert and Santos resulting in surgery and long lay-offs are almost certainly down to overplaying them.
Good post BR
I think Songs efforts have dropped over the past few games, so i think you are bang on, its time for Le Coq!
My team – same as yours except i’d play thomas instead of rambo.
Sunderlands ploughed field is unplayable so an arial bombardment from the wings may give Chamach a new lease of life.
BR. It is my understanding that Gibbs did not travel, due to stiffness.
Kelsey. 10:18. This is what’s getting infuriating with Wenger. I see and hear everywhere I go people saying how useless Djourou and Fabianski are. BUT he still perseveres with them. After sooooo many months/years of watching them perform for the Arsenal it is painfully obvious they are not good enough to wear the shirt. He should have addressed this problems many moons ago, but here we are depending on sub standard back ups. Surely Barkley would be a better bet than Djourou???
I’m sure I read somewhere that Wenger has extended Djourou’s contract?????????
Madness/Madness/Madness. He will never make a top premiership defender as long as he has a hole in his a—.
Sorry to be blunt about some of our players but it’s time to stand up and be counted.
Morning all 🙂
Great prematch Raddy! I have no doubt Wenger will send out his strongest team, but what I am really interested in is the formation. Will it be another 4-3-3 or is he going for 4-4-2/4-4-1-1?
O’Neill will have had 7 days to think about how to beat us and he only has to look at recent games against Milan and Swansea to see what needs to be done.
Come on Arsene, try something different until Wilshire is fully fit. Put the Gerv and RvP in the middle upfront and Theo and the Ox on the wings, with Song and Arteta/Ramsey in the middle and we’ll spank them properly this afternoon!
Oz, great picture for Evonneski!!
Morning all,
Won’t be around match time, going to the pub to watch it, I didn’t have near enough alcohol on Wednesday night. I think we’ll go through.
Hi Red
I’ve never had a problem with that site or seen any threats and i use it loads, are you maybe getting your coms mixed up with your nets? biz? orgs? 😉
sorry to hear BR, tooth pain is bloody awful.
substandard…not possible when your delivering a pre-match.
cheers Tommy and BR
Cheers, BR.
Tommy,
It’s always time for Le Coq, ask Cornwall!
I’ve just had a gargantuan full English to set me up for the day and am feeling even more positive. See you all later.
Good call Total,
i would love to see something different like that. A formation change would be refreshing but sadly it won’t happen.
Rasp: ‘I do so hope we don’t see Chamakh (ever again!!) he is so symptomatic of the lack of balls we showed on Wednesday’. You have reached a new low for me: blaming a player for a performance in which he did not even take part! 🙂 Only you could come up with something like that. 😆
I,m with you Total. But as Tommy says…It won’t happen.
Same old, same old
Tommy, has he got any choice? The formation was the main reason for our demise on Wednesday: it just does not work for our players at the moment.
VCC – victory through hope for change hahaha! 🙂
hey fellow AA’ers,
Solid pre match raddy!
i expect there to be many changes in the line up today and would really like to see Coq get a start..one player that we dont see in your line up that im convinced will get a start is AA23 and if so im hoping for a good return from him along with the others..
id also like to ask a stupid question if i may? (NO, im not blonde)
does the name of sunderlands stadium (stadium of light) have anything to do with Sir Joseph Swans invention?? haha ZZTop 🙂
Total, I think the word ‘symptomatic’ makes it clear that I am not blaming Chamakh for Wednesday.
He, like Theo needs to grow some balls.
Football is a game of physical and mental challenges. A player need to be brave when going for a 50/50 ball against a big defender, he needs to be brave to try something risky to give you a chance of scoring, he needs to be mentally strong to dig deep when things are not going your way.
In my opinion, Chamakh is lacking in all those departments and the last thing we want in a really tough game today is Chamakh running around calling for the ball and then passing it straight back and running off in a different direction as if he’d just received a live grenade.
I would however play Theo today. Whatever was said when he was subbed against Milan, he can only take it to mean that his contribution was not good enough. If he is hoping for a new contract and a pay rise, then he’d better show us he’s worth it today – otherwise bye bye!
well said tommy, and it’s doomed for failure when we have a non-existent work-rate. If we aren’t going to close down the opposition we might as well not step onto the pitch.
Total,
If he changes personell then he should play to their strengths. So if chamach plays then get some crosses in and stop playing backwards sideways and backwards again.
Our 4.3.3 system is aged and is not working against people who defend in numbers. Change the formation, yes he has a choice but will he?, he’s stubborn dont you know? LOL 🙂
Anyway I wonder if some of these players have the capacity to comprehend another formation.
Same Old Same Old has done us very well so far., as it does Barca and MU.
We have our system which is bred into the lads from youth level. Will it change? No.
What is missing is “attitude.” It is not the fault of the system. Change it and you get what happened on Weds, when the players couldn’t cope with the extra man (TR) in midfield.
BTW. The reason I have no Theo in my team is not because he is out of form, it is because we saw how awful Sunderland’s pitch is and Theo’s control is not good enough to play on it 😦
Oz
thats what i find most frustrating about this arseal – the work rate, its unforgivable really. Barca showed us a few seasons ago what is required with work rate and sadly those lessons were not taken on board.
You are probably right about me being in a tizwaz, but apparently LOF got fed up with people ‘lending’ their email and password to others, and temporarily suspended the site to new subscribers while they checked their security, and threatened to bar anyone ‘lending’ in the future. (they now check the IP address, so know where your computer is). 🙂
Perhaps they have relaxed the subscriber restrictions now.
Sorry, my 11:23 was meant for Tommy! 🙂
Anyone know why my gravar won’t load when i log in the twitter?
Thanks
Thanks Red. Fotunately we are on ITV today.
When are you writing a post again? i always enjoy your writings!
As I see it, our 4-3-3 formation allows for the “wingers” to drop back into midfield and form a 4-3-2-1. Furthermore, when Song covers the area in front of the back 4 we go to 4-1-3-2-1 !
I would say the system is flexible. The problem lies with the players using it.
Tommy. Go back into WordPress and repeat …. Sometimes it goes tits up
Total,
i agree with you about a formation shake up..
it was interesting to read Dennis Bergkamp stating that he believed that RvP, in his mind, was not playing in his best position but found it hard to argue with the managers call considering hes been banging them in with ease..
he went on to say that he believed RvP would be best suited playing in his old position in the hole so as to get more of our players involved and lose the predictability that we possess..
i remember arshavin doing a great job as our main striker in a season when RVP had a long lay off..he can shoot and can get into smart positions..
even if arshavin wasnt the flavour of the day i would like to see a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 with RvP in the hole..sometimes he seems so isolated up front and id like to see this experiment before Jack returns or is this game just too important??
@ Rasp
i don’t know what happened to MC though because when he first came he was going for everything. He was getting hit from pillar to post though so i wonder if he couldn’t take it anymore and has become more reserved!
Rasp. Did you see the comments from GM about Ronnie Scotts. I played upstairs a couple of times. Would I be correct in assuming you did the same?
@ tommy
the infamous game against chelsea showed we have it in us. The problem is it was a one hit wonder! Why it hasn’t happened again is beyond me because if we played that way regularly we would be destroying teams. If the lower teams can why on earth can’t we?!
Hi Raddy, no sorry I missed that. Sadly I never played RS’s, my venues were much more downmarket dives – the Marquee, Nashville Rooms, Brecknock, Music Machine, 101 club etc.
Hi oz,
Chamakh did have an encouraging start with his trademark headed goals but I think that was the exception. If you look back at his history prior to joining us you will see that he has never been a natural goalscorer and has a surprising lack of ability to score with his feet for a striker?
I’m afraid the same is true of Gervinho. Don’t get me wrong he is a great player and I’m happy to have him, but he is a winger and not a goalscoring striker. I expect that 6 goals a season is about what we can expect from him, but his jinking runs should produce many assists and make him a valuable player in the squad.
@ Rasp
perhaps he was just trying to succeed at a new club, and it’s since long gone. That coupled with a complete lack of confidence has left him a shell of a player. His lack of ability with his feet is amazing at this level.
I hope you are wrong in regards to Gervinho, because he always gets into good positions. If he tweaked his finishing a bit there is no reason why he can’t be that pires type player who nets 15 goals a season. His preseason left us thinking he was a clinical striker! Why oh why can’t we get another eduardo type finisher! he was something else, that volley with the outside of his foot was a joy to behold
Right I think my early morning malaise was brought on by two long days working and driving culminating in a four hour drive home from Heathrow yesterday (and unfortunately I hadn’t even been to the airport). Which saw me get in at 11pm.
So time to defend the players not good enough for the shirt Djourou and Fab1 have been mentioned this morning. All I ask is look around the PL at 4th choice CBs and 2nd choice keepers and show me players that are better. Then look at teams outside the top half 1st choice and again show me better players. I know some will say we have to prepare for injuries, 2GKs, 4 CBs, 4 FBs, 8MFs and 3CFs is a squad that should be able to cope with the demands of a full season, we seem to be ultra unlucky that we suffer injuries in similar positions at once. Now we have BFG and Koz out, who you can’t argue have been very good this year.
I’m not sure we can risk a weaker side today, but on the other hand a defeat for our first choice will continue the fears over capitulation.
We need a performance we need to be shown that they care. I could take the drubbing midweek if we had put in a performance, I know that sounds backwards but at least we know they left it all out on the pitch. That’s all I ask of my club.
@ RuVP
The name Stadium of Light is a tribute to the traditional mining industry which brought prosperity to the town; a Davy lamp monument stands at the entrance.
cheers oz,
good to see your back and safe..nobody wants to see a repeat of the schapelle corby incident…not that im implying anything, just that i wouldnt trust that part of the world..
il stick to the western beaches with the good old fremantle doctor 🙂
Oh gosh, I have to ensnare someone to write the match report. Anyone fancy putting their cards on the table now 🙂
Am I the only one looking forward to Today?
I can see a big change in attitude coming. We are going to press them all over the pitch and get stuck in. If the lads aren’t fired up today then I will be mightily cheesed.
3-1 to the Gunners.
Thanks Raddy,
ive never heard of that Swan geezer, yet he invented the lightbulb, amazing.
Its definatly a day to stand up and be counted and ime confident that these boys will do it. i dont buy the argument that this team lacks fight or charachter, its more a case of youthful inexperience when we crash, but the ability is there and i expect them to go and give sunderland a good stuffing.
On a side note, a stat that i saw the other day summed up our problems. From the 2008 team that beat Milan, there was only one survivor, Alex Song. Losing players has been our achilies heel, but i feel the worst is over. I am totaly convinced that by keeping the core of this current squad together we will go on to become the dominant force in domestic and european football.
well said GiE
In djourou we have a squad player who doesn’t complain and is still a relatively good player (when confident, as we saw in the run of games he had last season). Fab on the other hand relies to much on confidence, which is impossible to get when you play cup games. A mark schwarzer type goal keeper would be better suited, because he is experienced, focused and could give valuable experience to szcz!
lets look at other teams 3rd/4th choice CB’s:
Chelsea: ivanovic and luiz
Manu: smalling and evans
Scum: Kaboul and gallas (assuming dawson and king are first choice)
Pool: coates and carragher
city: lescott and savic
toon: williamson and ???
So djourou doesn’t look that bad after all. We also have miquel and song who can play their also (i’d prefer to think of song as 4th choice)
Guus Hiddink has signed for Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala..
looks like AVB is safe for a little wile longer
Afternoon all, great pre-match again BR
Agree with your team selection, though I’d like to see it tweaked a bit. What with Arsene trying to return to 4-4-2 with Henry and Robin, I’d like to see him try it again with RvP and Chamberlain.
I think the Ox can play anywhere and with his finishing I’d consider him as a foil to run around RvP and score goals.
Imagine that with Theo on one wing and Gervinho on another?
That’s one pacy attack.
I’m going out on a limb, I’d like to see RvP play up-front with Chamakh. Obviously the lone-striker role doesn’t suit Chamakh but we know he can score goals as he’s done so in the past. Arsene should back him and give him more opportunities or should have sold him in Jan. The same goes for Park who I feel hasn’t had the opportunity to shine.
Keep your eyes on Miyaichi at Bolton, I’ve heard lots of good things coming from Trotters who go to the training ground. I think Miyaichi will be a star for us.
WG
P.S. I’ve done a post my site today…lazy old me 🙂
Anyone watching the Chelsea v Birmingham coverage on ESPN?
Just had a very awkward interview with Gary Cahill. Things are definately not right at that club. For someone who has just signed a month ago, there was zero enthusiasm towards his manager or team mates.
@ RuVP
cheers for the welcome. no question some people over there are dodgy (a lot of people try to sell you drugs and either are undercover or dob you into the police). I think Corby is guilty though. The police are crooked as they come, when i crashed into a hotel barricade and got taken back to the police station, the officer in charge asked for $50 Australian, once i gave it to him he put it straight into his front pocket (no doubt his to keep) and sent me on his merry way. $50 would not have covered the banged up barricade that’s for sure, but i ain’t complaining, i was panicking big time!
hard to beat the beaches in west oz.
oz,
that doesnt suprise me (the slip of the 50)
without getting into the whole corby thing though, i do question why a DNA test was never done on the bag of weed…my suspicion is that her brother had more to do with it than has been publicised..
by the way, i agree on the whole song for a centre back role..his discipline in his defensive duties has been lacking of late…i suspect that is due to the free roaming roles that wenger has lisenced to our 3 midfielders..they all seem to be trying a bit too hard they forget their roles..
Coq is the way forward and future imo..
@ RuVP
completely agree about song. I don’t know if he was told to work on his attacking game, or whether he is trying to prove something but he hasn’t been sticking to his job (has happened regularly the last couple of seasons. Yes he has has some amazing assists but as someone mentioned earlier i’d cancel them out if he stuck to the task at hand).
In 3/4 seasons time who do you see as our defensive midfielder?
* frimpong
* coquelin
* song
* other
My guess is coquelin, with frimpong playing in the tougher fixtures requiring a bit more physical presence. Song moving to CB (did Arsene not say at few times that this is Song’s best position and where he sees him ending up?!)
Reliant Raddy 🙂
I`m suffering today , I have Man Cold ( you Lady AAers wont understand ).
I liked chas`s Hayley and Jules vids, Marks out of ten
?, I`d like to give them both one and then give them one again and again and again………………. 😉
Micky,
There`s an evil looking Bond villain pussy at Lydford `s “Cat Protection League” ( dont know where It Is ?, Put It In the “CatNav” ). It was glicettes Aunties cat who sadly passed away this week.
Todays game , please no Chamakh, no Flappy, I`d like 11 Vs 11.
Must have Ox and Le Coq In !. We shouldn`t be tired as we were on a sight seeing trip in midweek !
I’m watching the Chavs 😀
oz,
i cant recall Arsene saying that but i am more confident these days seeing Song at CB and i definately prefer him to Djourou who looks clumsy at times..
their was a time, not so long ago where i considered Song as the best defensive midfielder in the premier league and challenging for that spot world wide (big call i know, but this was at a time when the two names tossed up were his n Mascheranos’)
However his urgency to push up has left gaps in our midfield and when tracking back has left him vulnerable to having to make clumsy tackles and earning pointless yellow cards..
I dont know if its his own doing or Wengers but trying to play a Yaya Toure style role and it just doesnt suit him..
I love Coquelin, hes come a long way and i see him as the future..as you say there is definately a flamini-esque style to his way around the pitch and it is very much in Arsenals philosophy and style..
Frimpong- his attitude is unquestionable, but i do think he is still green (raw), but they will be fighting it out in the near future..by the way, i can see song leaving or getting sold soon..his head just doesnt seem to be in it anymore, like hes too good for our team..
i would love to meet birmingham next round!! 🙂
chelski is flat-lining!!
should of put some $$$ on Torres getting another clean sheet 😉
very well said RuVP, i agree i think we will see the back of song soon enough. Which will be quite remarkable considering how much we payed for him and not even charlton wanted him.
I think it was when he filled in at CB for a few games a couple of season ago. Arsene said he sees him as a CB in the future, however that may have changed considering how good he’s become in the defensive midfield role. Amazing how at one time it was our weakest position (when denilson was playing), and now we have song and two very promising players
Great pre match Raddy. I’ve learned about another of you business ventures. Fantastic. As I said last night I played upstairs at Ronnie Scotts in the 80s. I was the archetypal one fingered sunth player. I was shit but bluffed my way through and loved every minute of it.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150787362334126.508575.758744125&type=3
You don’t have to be on facebook to look.
oz,
the wiziwig link chas gave is the way to go for tonight..ive had no dramas with it.
i miss the days SBS was our football (soccer) station, martin tyler was n still is the man even if there is a hint of manURe bias in his commentary
Chavs are losing oh dear. I’m almost feeling a bit sorry for them. Am I f**k.
Live Text Commentary
45:00
+1:19 The whistle is blown to end the first half.
44:05 Juan Mata takes a shot. Save by Conan Doyle
Chelsea manage two shots on target in 46 minutes, playing at home…
Raddy, you wrote:
“As I see it, our 4-3-3 formation allows for the “wingers” to drop back into midfield and form a 4-3-2-1. Furthermore, when Song covers the area in front of the back 4 we go to 4-1-3-2-1 !
I would say the system is flexible. The problem lies with the players using it.”
Obviously as the season moves on we learn more and more about our formation and the players we have. It would probably be a good discussion for a post next week, so best not to spend too much time now. Good points though (although you need to do your sums on your ‘4-1-3-2-1-Song’ variant 🙂
Apparently 3 teams have sacked their manager immediately after having played Birmingham this season
cheers RuVP, which stream did you choose from the site?
i agree, SBS used to have a lot of cup matches now it just has the final. The good old days when the premier league show was on monday night before south park
GM. Those pics are great! You had some tasty equipment for the day.
Rasp. Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s was a step down from the North London venues you played in. Downstairs was totally another ballgame.
Right time for some footie ….
TA. 😀 My first ever job was as an Articled Clerk which in the pre-electricity days was the training to become an Chartered Accountant. As you can see, I failed (thank heavens)!
oz,
id suggest you download sopcast rather than watching on flashplayer..
then choose anyone with english commentary first (EN) and than i go for the anyone with a four star rating next to it..once its up you need to give it a minute or so to find its range and get perfect connection..try get on to it a few minutes before kick off..
other than that its trial n error, i was thinking bout paying the $100 for setanta on my fox but watching n paying for the scottish premier league is money id rather spend on a new home kit every year..
ps.south park?? ahh the good old days 🙂
Our game is on ITV, so I suppose only non English viewers will have to revert to the Internet to view.
For the first time in many years I am not getting excited about this evenings game, which is worrying me! I cannot remember the last time I felt this low before an Arsenal game, I really can’t.
Micky – you are right!
I was informed that Chas posted something for me; I was driving home trying to guess what it was. I was hoping for a naked RoryD or at least bare chested James McFadden.
But it was a love song form Poland 🙂 Never mind the 2 twats singing it, the idea was soooooo sweet, thank you Chas
Sorry I am not blogging, I just cannot take another defeat, i was in great pain after Wednesday, can still feel it 😦
Raddy, I am sure you wrote another masterpiece, but I am having a a bit of a rest, sorry x
Raddy haha, your were saved from a life looking at beans, beans and nothing but beans 🙂
sopcast check, english check, chelsea game check. thank you all for your help
If this goes to a replay? That would be good news for us.
Probably better than the chavniks losing
chelski having to replay their game could be very handy for us in the race for 4th
GM, you rascal, why were you doubting my parentage yesterday? 🙂
evonne. DanDan wrote a superb comment about the ups and downs of a football fan. If I can find it (maybe Thurs) I will put up a link
I thought I might actually find a school photo. Great site though.
I watched a great documentary about Ronnie Scotts last night Raddy. He chain smoked in every interview. It was made in the eighties. I’m not a big jazz fan (a bit ignorant really) but I enjoyed it and the music in it.
WOW.. why did ancelotti get the sack i will never know
A replay for the chavs. That’s good news. I think I’d rather lose than draw today.
Fairly confident we’ll win though. Most people (including o’neill) think we are going to lose.
GM, I rather draw than lose today. To get to the last-8 of the FA-cup is really important and to take the game back to THOF would not be bad for us.
Anyway, we are not going to lose today. I dont go to the bookies a lot but am going to put £10 on Arsenal winning 3-1 today. This is a different team from the last few seasons: it has character and fight and will bounce back tonight. COYRRG!!
GM.I went there often, usually to see record company put on pre-album/tour gigs for bands. That was in the days of ligging !
Chelsea were awful today. But the focus will be entirely on AVB and not on the players who let him down.
great piece in the Telegraph by Thom Gibbs
Ryo has put Bolton 1-0 up by all accounts skinned last man and finished like Thierry
Are we going to have a match report tomorrow?
What has struck me, reading the posts over the last few weeks in particular, and ignoring the loony sites is that most fans have a list of players they would be happy to see leave.
Interestingly, there is no real consensus in the lists apart from certain players deemed to be beyond the pale, such as Almunia, Chamakh, (altho’ Rasper would like to keep him….. obviously) 🙂 and so on.
There is a tremendous diversity of opinion between sensible and discerning bloggers about the merits or otherwise of many of our players.
Take Ramsey. To some he is just not good enough, lacking in any real virtue…………but to others – like me—–he is courageous, hard working, cares about the club, and will be a legend in time.
Theo is a huge disappointment to many — lacks a football brain, apparently, gutless, “a one trick pony”, and should be hurried out the door…………….. whereas to my good friend TA, he just needs more time, can be devastating with his pace, and an important match winner.
The good looking, gentlemanly adonis (source: Evonne 🙂 ) aka GIE is a huge fan of Arteta who, he believes, holds the team together in the centre and links the defense and offense………………whereas I, and a number of others, think he is OK but nothing more.
We all think Chezzer is one of the best GKs in the world………….but be honest……………….he has been fairly ordinary this season.
Song is a true enigma………….almost from week to week, if not game to game,…………..he is either the saviour of Arsenal with his strength, positioning, skill, and tackling and many, including the respected Gooner LB, rate him highly…………..while others, think he is disinterested, careless, dallies on the ball too much and is confused as to his role in the team and question whether he is trying to be a holding midfield defender, or a scintillating creative player capable of defense splitting passes.
The above has nothing to do with who is right and who wrong, it just shows that there is a huge diaspora of opinions from sensible, rational Gooners, all of whom see differing attributes in each player.
Can you imagine what would happen if we were all sent out on scouting missions to watch players on behalf of Arsenal and advise Arsene on (a) who to get rid of; and (b) who we would recommend he should buy?
Difficult to predict who will become a smash hit for Arsenal and who will become smashed!! 🙂 Just as well that AW does not have to listen to us! 🙂
Just a thought.
Robin, you are so right about the Telegraph article!
—–Arsenal fans, Spare us the Tears and Remember how Fortunate you really are to be Supporting one of the Elite.
Let’s take a moment to consider how it must feel to be an Arsenal supporter. Seven years without a trophy! Crikey, imagine it.
The shame! The party invitations you’d have to turn down out of crimson-faced embarrassment. The once-proudly-affixed stickers you’d have to peel from your car in the middle of the night, for fear of unbearable public abuse.
The tattoo of Theo Walcott’s face that would cost hundreds of pounds to have removed by lasers from your penitent back. Seven years without a trophy. Poor, poor Arsenal. It must be a bit like supporting practically any other football team.
It’s only in the hyper-tribal world of online discourse that any Arsenal supporter would pretend to feel such levels of suffering at merely qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition year after year.
In that same online arena we’ve seen gloomy words from supporters this week about the club’s soul being violently ripped from its moorings, players lacking the fitness levels to wear the shirt, and seemingly sincere offers to drive Andrei Arshavin to his next club.
It’ll probably be in Russia, which is quite a long way away, so you get some idea of how upset they are.
Even Arsène Wenger, paragon of maddening “we will learn from this” rhetoric after miserable performances, turned on his players after their 4-0 defeat to Milan.
“We were very poor offensively and defensively,” he said. “The result is a disaster.”
Such severity is understandable in the context of Arsenal’s performance at the San Siro, which was somewhere between abject and exactly what you’d expect from a team pinning its hopes on its best player from 10 years ago.
If Chelsea were forced to field Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink up front instead of Fernando Torres… Well, they’d probably have more goals.
The point stands that these are lean times for Arsenal. In such periods of footballing famine it helps to maintain a sense of perspective. No-one likes to be in decline, but Arsenal supporters could have things so much worse.
Ask fans of Rangers, Portsmouth, Coventry, Darlington, practically any other football team.
Supporters of the biggest clubs tend to tread a path of three Es: expectation, exceptionalism and entitlement.
A period of success raises expectation that winning things is the norm, as it is maintained fans begin to believe their club is special in some way, destined for success, the chosen children of the Premier League, and eventually that they are in entitled to carry on winning things forever. No team is.
Arsenal certainly have a stronger claim than most for exceptionalism, but we only need to look back 20 years to see how fleeting such identities are.
Then they were hoofball merchants with a penchant for trotting forward in grim unison with impeccably raised arms. Now they are known for games with more sideways passes than the annual Wilkins family rugby fixture. Times change, teams change.
The bafflingly intense reactions from supporters online go hand in hand with a relationship with football that’s based on watching on television rather than in person.
Discourse during or afterwards sinks to the familiar bilious binary of the internet, and reactions are amplified to compensate for the shouting that would have been done at the game.
If you’re a longstanding match-attending supporter of a team it’s easier to realise that success is cyclical, and there are more important things than winning trophies.
Trophies. This tiresome obsession with trophies. “How many trophies has he won?” It’s trotted out as a witless argument-ender by football internet bores in any discussion about the relative merits of teams, managers or players.
Few of football’s most evocative moments are built on trophies. How many trophies did Ronnie Radford win? Or the mid-90s Newcastle side?
They’re more fondly remembered by supporters than Henning Berg, owner of three Premier League medals.
While these are not vintage years to be an Arsenal supporter, they will inevitably have another day in the sun. For supporters of once-glorious clubs like Nottingham Forest or Leeds United those days may never return.
It would benefit Arsenal fans if they could consider that next time they’re complaining that their team is only quite good. Nothing irritates quite like the whine of the privileged.———-
How others see some of our bretheren!! 😦
who is Henning Berg? haha..so true!
Cracking article here and something that I think we can all learn from…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/9089965/Arsenal-fans-spare-us-the-tears-and-remember-how-fortunate-you-really-are-to-be-supporting-one-of-the-elite.html?
WG
Doh – thats what I get for forgetting to refresh this page!!
Sorry guys!!
WG
Miyaichi!!!!!!!!
Ryo’s goal for bolton
Redders,
would you know when the draw for the next round of the fa cup is / will be?
Robin,
The Draw will be made at about 4:10 p.m. (UK) tomorrow!
If Walcott did not improve himself this season, he’s doom! Either AOX or Miyaichi will certainly replace him next season..
What a goal. He said he would score next match. That’s so Japanese.
I cannot wait to have Miyaichi with us next season – hell I’d recall him from loan if we could. He certainly offers something different!
Bolton will be good for him.
WG
Sorry WG didn’t check comments before I posted vid, lovely goal
Robin is starting
arseblog @arseblog
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FavoritedFavorite · Close Open Details Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Djourou, Vermaelen, Coquelin, Arteta, Song, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho, Van Persie. (via @arsenal)
It’s a monsoon in Shaftesbury Avenue
WG. Ryo plays the same position as Gervinho and Arsh, and to a certain extent AOC.
He will get his chance but not for a couple of seasons
I don’t think Park is on the bench. He must feel like he’s been cheated.
Like that team.
Thierry Bergkamp @JamesGOONER88
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FavoritedFavorite · Close Open Details Gervinhooo don’t like ’em. FUCK THE TOTTNUMB. FUCK THE TOTTNUMB.
theo can kiss his international place goodbye, with his form and especially if twitchy gets the job..
He’s dropped Theo.
Renato @th14Renato
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FavoritedFavorite · Close Open Details Bench: Rosicky, Szczesny, Walcott, Squillaci, Arshavin, Chamakh, Benayoun
No Park
GM. I just do not understand it. At least Park will be earning lots of money – enough to retire in luxury. I would take that for 2 seasons on the bench
vermaelen to the left of me, sagna to the right
here i am stuck in the middle DJOUROU
yes i am stuck in the middle DJOUROU
I think it will be good if he can finish his loan at Bolton WG. If we recall him he will be ended up straying passes instead of running and scoring like that.
🙂 robbin
He’s already said he’s leaving at the end of the season so it’s not just about money for him Raddy.
is that site caled wiziwig?
Peaches, I’ll do a pissed from the terraces match report if you like?
i wonder what FC LILLE think when they see Park on the bench and off the bench week in week out..they could have used him seeing as SOW went to Turkey
Chas
How long did it take to get there?
GM Yes
Robbin 🙂
Don’t think they will be happy selling Hazard to us, should we try and sign him
I found it. It’s just like myp2p
raddy,
i think in this day and age the players and agents have more power than the clubs..
in the end, a player of that calibre will have several clubs to choose from and with that i think we have no chance with his asking price..
although vermaelen could be key IF wenger really wanted him..
Two and a half from Nottingham, GM
I thought you were in Cornwall Chas
great finish by ryo. So we will have Ox, ryo, gerv, hazard (once we sell theo and AA). wow we have a few good wingers!
Hi chaps. i cannot find a stream. Any tips?
I am heartily sick of the BBC and others writing about the Milan game. In the 2 comments on BBC they write of a “humbling” and “thrashed”.
We got beaten but at least we are in it unlike MU,MC and Harry’s media darlings. Grrrrr
http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=145363&part=sports
download sopcast 3.4.8 (download.cnet)
using the Setanta CA (EN) stream
VCC. See above or sign up for live footy online. Money well spent
Cheers Raddy I will try that site. Your a star.
Liveonline footie, courtesy of BigRaddy. I’m now a season ticket holder at £27/yr.
Come on you Gunners.
i don’t think live footy online works atm.
VCC my link above is working great and is free
Ox Gerv and Robin…wow
Cheers Oz. I am trying but with little luck.
Raddy,
You have an email from me 🙂
Right concentrate. Catch you all at half time
@ VCC (sorry unsure if you know so i’ll write it anyway)
once downloaded sopcast has to be extracted. once downloaded open program. Then in the url box paste in the url given on wiziwig.tv (from the setanta CA link), once loaded its perfect
Bollocks Bollocks Bollocks. Losing yet another ill-back and one I really like
You just can’t make it up!!!
That’s the end of le coq
bugger not coquelin again. So looks like squidge to CB and verm to LB, sh*t
Sqilacci 😦
Ramsey too
Since the injury we have been awful. Can’t put two passes together.
Come on Arsenal
Oz.
Working fine now. Your a star also.
Thanks guys.
“the ugly side of arsenal’s game they are always looking to get players booked”
what a joke! since when? how many other players wave imaginary cards e.g rooney and people say nothing
no worries VCC thanks to chas and RuVP i’m able to watch it also. Dreadful start, to slow moving the ball
I hate webb.
God try Geronimo
Good try
There is zero confidence in this team right now.
Nobody is wanting the ball. There is no movement at all when a midfielder has the ball.
It’s easy to play football when all is well, but the real players step up when it’s hard. At the moment no-one is taking charge.
I hate mon
looked a PEN. WEBB IS A MANC LOVING FRONT BOTTOM
that was ridiculous oshea didn’t touch the ball.
once again:
“vermaelen waving his hands in the air trying to get the sunderland player a card. it’s competitive football you have to expect those sort of challenges. arsenal need to toughen up sometimes.”
rubbish commentary, i’m tempted to mute it. Verm was pissed off at the challenge because it was late, nothing else.
Sunderland are very poor
why on earth is squidge over running the ball in flight? that’s twice now!
I’m fucking fed up of this.
When are we going to get some luck? He couldn’t do that again in 1000 attempts?
FFS
proving once again everything squidge touches turns to sh*t
Why did JD get booked and not the twat who pulled Rambo back?
Second viewing, just a lucky deflection. The football gods hate us at the moment
Sunderland just doing what everyone knows you need to do to beat Arsenal.
Get in their faces.
Stop RvP getting ball to feet.
Defend narrow along the 18 yard line.
Easy
What a shambles we are. Fabianski in goal – why?
Squillaci is an accident waiting to happen.
Sunderland are most dangerous when we have the ball.
Says it all really
We like to play the ball out of defence using the CB’s. Having JD and Squillaci there is causing major problems.
We have created little but I remain confident. No idea why.
We’ll still win
chas – a pissed from the terraces match report sounds perfect xx
At least we are winning the cricket
similar story isn’t it. We stuff around with it, sunderland look more dangerous sitting back and countering. It’s straight from the fergie play book. Exactly how he knocked us out last year even with a weakened squad. Once day we will see alternative tactics!
Hang on Fab1? What has he done wrong precisel?
Goal came from a woeful pass to JD from TV…..basics!
But at least we are trying, we may be shite but we are trying to play, and I’m happier with that 1st half once we settled after the limping spell.
And full stop that’s a penalty every day of the week of if that’s a ManUtd player.
i’m confident of a win also, but god it’s frustrating. Why not move Song to CB and bring on rosicky. At least he can give us more drive, arteta can protect the back four and then we don’t have to see squidge! i’d rather see hoyte at CB than him!
Do Arsenal have a cricket team?
Failure to move the ball on with the second touch is hampering our progress up the pitch.
Confident players see it take a touch deliver the pass. Nervous players see it take a touch look again take another touch and either pass to late or not at all. Look at RvPs pass to Gerv.
Ox not in the game maybe we have too many right footed players who can’t pick a left wing pass?
Oz. Like what?
How do you play against a team that harry, defend deep, double up on the wingers, not allow RvP any space to play and keep one pact attacker on the shoulder of our sluggish CB’s?
We are trying to pass through them and it hasn’t worked as yet – apart from the RvP almost penalty – Couldn’t really tell if the defender got ball or man but with Webb as ref. we had no chance of a positive decision.
Only one booking when our boys have been taking a battering and that to JD for just touching the shirt of a diving S’land cheat.
The only alternative tactic would be to put on Chamakh and play some high balls into their box.
I am not usually in the ref blame game, but Webb disgusts me.
He is giving no protection to our players and Robin WAS fouled in the penalty area.
I won’t question his honesty, but I will question his competence!
You are right, GIE. Flappy did not have a chance with the goal.
We need a Wenger rocket at half time to rescue this methinks, some swift changes too, change to 4-2-4 and go at them properly!
WG
that’s fair enough BR, but we knew months ago sunderland would come out and play like this (something teams have been doing to expose us all season). Why not change the formation, move it on quicker, anything is surely better than how we are doing now
Apart from when le coq got injured we have been playing reasonably well and passing the ball quite well, but they are in our faces and are quicker to the ball and that’s why we conceded.djourou always hesitates a second and then panics gives away a needless free kick and of course with a slight deflection they score.
RVP looks pissed of to me, I hope he is motivated. game is far from lost but our defence with the players available, as a unit doesn’t look great.
GiE, Fab2 has done nothing wrong specifically except he’s not good enough and we should want to win this game = Sz
I’m sick and tired of the manager trying to be ‘clever’, just get the bloody basics right and stop trying to overcomplicate the game FFS
Wenger doesn’t have a rocket in his repertoire, I am beginning to think the players have lost faith in him.
That’s about the nicest way i could say it 😉
oz. The pitch doesn’t help our passing and Sunderland are very good at the pressing game.
Plus as GIE says our confidence is lacking and slowing down the passes..
As I said, I would bring on Chamakh on the hour (for Ox) and play long ball
Lads,
I will be sneaking out ten minutes before the end, so no nasty songs ok!
Come on Arsenal.
would have saved a sub if arsene did that earlier
Interesting subs but AR looked crocked.
We are getting kicked all over the pitch
The squid came on first half and has just been subbed as he is injured and Ramsey is also off injured. Might take my boots on Sunday.
We are looking jaded and out of ideas right now.
Tyldsly and Townsend are getting on my moobs!
Oz. Squill was injured
i know BR, just felt he should not have been on the pitch anyway. As i said earlier song should have moved to CB
Oz. so you did 🙂
Not seen the reason why Theo was brought on yet. Why play with three wingers
not sure if it’s wise sending in crosses to theo, gerv and RVP
because he’s been pleading to play down the middle BR. He is taking his chance by the scruff of the neck as you can see
No shape, no heart, no idea – season over!
We never get second ball.
What do you think we work on on the training ground?
My thoughts are with the 4,000 Gooners whonare up there, supporting what is yet another insipid performance.
I am already dreading what the Spuds are going to inflict on us next Sunday.
I’d like to know why it took so long for Sinderland to get their first yellow. Consistent petty offences interrupting play but it was the 70th minute when the first yellow was awarded.
Not that it would have changed anything.
Ox has been kept quiet, Gerv too by committed full backs and wide midfielders. We have constantly received ball with backs to goal and no one bursting past at pace if we are going to play the passing game midfielders have to run forward, which in turn leads to us being wide open at the back.
The other option is to commit no one forward and watch attacks peter out, then they’ll do the same.
the song and arteta error sums up our game today…embarrassing. It’s been a pleasure watching this at 3 in the morning
GIE, I wondered why also, especially that thug Clattermole.
We deserved nothing once again though and the writing is truly on the wall following this week’s dire performances.
Time to crack open a bottle of red.
well said GiE, how often does it happen as well. Countless times opposition players foul relentlessly yet it can take one from one of our players to get carded (happens to song often). Cattermole is a thug, he collected arteta and got nothing for it. Rosicky was fouled every time he got near the ball. All i know is if that penalty is given the story line reads very differently. Well done Webb!
That’s that then.
Feel sorry for us today, we should have had two definite penalties.
But that said, all credit to Sunderland and their work ethic. Credit to the lad who ran a 100m in 10s to create the second goal. And credit to Martin O Neil. what a job he has done. If AW does get sacked on Monday then I think we should get him.
And for all those who think the Ox will be the answer to all our woes, well we are getting answers now..
The only positive about the game was our away supporters – they were simply fantastic!!
Harrumph, I’m really not enjoying this very much. I didn’t think that that would turn out like that …………….poor Ox tapping in for an og. Theo really showed how he should be given a chance up front didn’t he?
Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh
G5′ cannot disagee with that comment one bit.
@ arsedave
bit tough on young ox there. He has had to play more due to Gerv’s absence and AA/Walcotts lack of effort. He will be a star.
As for o’neill, no way in hell! he can only play one way, and that is not how we go about it! i’d rather Hull’s old manager brown
Two games = 6-0 kinda sums us up………
It’s impossible to be more pro Arsenal or pro Wenger than myself but my faith in our self sustaining model is getting weaker by the game.
How sad is it that our last remaining hope is that we may, repeat may qualify for a playoff position in the CL.
Does self sustaining mean that the B.O.D. sustain while the fans suffer the consequences of their model?
The only guy i really feel sorry for is the Ox. he ran his socks off the whole game, didn’t always come off and the own goal was just unlucky (at least he had tracked back)
As for the rest, we are being sussed out and hassled by nearly every team we play.
As it stands every team would want to play us right now, and it looks like ramsy is out for a while.
As for Walcott playing more centrally, I hardly noticed him.
I agree that the bookings went against us,but let’s face it we have an ever changing team due to countless injuries and for the moment the quality of squad depth isn’t good enough for us to make a statement.
I haven’t quite given up on forth but it might just be better to be out of Europe altogether next season for the sake of the long term,though most probably i am in the minority
Something must now change !! Surely we wont have another season where we will be celebrating 4th place mediocrity (if we are lucky) like its some sort of triumph. AW needs to change his attitude and his team or the Arsenal needs a man who will. Its easy to say Sunderland and Cattermole are thugs but frankly it was men against boys and we were soundly spanked by a team who worked harder, wanted it more and had a game-plan. I am now at a point where I am fed up with tippy-tappy slow sideways football with no heart or bottle, I wonder if RVP is feeling the same way ?
I fell like we are cursed.
I see Coq injured from nothing….
I see no pen given to Robin…
I see our 5th and 6th choices at CB
I see Sunderland score the jammiest flukiest fucking goal you’ll ever see.
My abiding memory of today is one that Wondeerman must take credit for – after Ox’s owngoal, no no e gets to hm to get his chin up. End of the game he wanders around looking distraught…and still he’s alone.
Injuries to Mert, Koz and Coq really screwed us over for this game.
I’ll say it again…I think we’re cursed. !!
peaches exactly,
but if I said that i would be slaughtered.walcott is the most hyped up player since Peter Marinello, and he is asking for a hyke in wages,you must be joking.
Honestly how many that played today would be on your team sheet every week \?
you are right Sharkespeare. Perhaps Arsene’s house doesn’t have the right Feng Shui in the locker room!
Tip 1: There should be no shoes or slippers lying around outside the main door of the locker room. Remove them if you can. Allow that space at the main door to be free and clear. The chi (energy) rides with the wind and will collect all the smell of those shoes and slippers into your house causing sickness. Ch’i then travels about in your stadium looking for water to stay but if there are no water fountains or fish tanks, then the Ch’i will be dispersed by wind
Kelsey I agree. The only thing that will make the board sit up and take notice will be the loss of champions league money. Then they might see what the rest of us see…..a pale imitation of the side that were good to watch and a man who used to be a great manager.
it shouldn’t have to come to that though. If that happened we could see:
*no rvp
*no arsene
*loss of roughly 25 million
*no new players brought in (harder to attract when we aren’t playing champions league)
Yes it’d be a big wake up call. But scrapping into 4th again and these dismal performances should be enough. If it isn’t i question the board,arsene’s, and the players character!
Oh well, I always enjoyed supporting us more when we were shit 🙂
And I’ll be able to get lots more tickets going forward….and frankly going to watch the Arsenal whatever the result is a perfect way to spend time.
Arsenal allowed the opposition six shots on target this week (Milan five, Sunderland one) yet conceded six goals from the BBC.
now that is really feeling shit 😉
You are right Oz but in a sick kind of way I’d almost like to see us take a step back and start again. Quite frankly I am bored with the philosophy of buying promising young players only to loan them out. Of only having one type of game, of blaming all the other teams for not rolling over for us, of refusing to off-load dead-wood, of missing out on top players for the sake of saving a few million. i love Arsenal and always will but am at a point where I no longer want to defend the ideals of a man who is failing our club.
If the last two games are not enough to wake up the most lethargic Arsenal board for years, then nothing ever will be We are suffering this season for ‘our’ total lack of foresight for the past year or so. Just about every man and his dog knew where the weaknesses in our team were, all except for those in charge!
Well Mr Wenger, Mr Gazidis, Mr Kronke et al, wake up and smell the coffee in time for next season (nothing will change this season). We need to bring in at least three quality players, real players Mr Wenger, not bloody ones for the future, ones who can make a difference from the off. I am sick and tired of you bringing the future of Arsenal and I am sick of your lethargic efforts to change tactics when required.
I really fear that the Don Howe years are only just around the corner and I will end up watching my team celebrate a 0-0 draw and I shall walk away from the ground thinking, that was better! Jesus, can it really be getting that bad?
I have never slagged Wenger off, but I am beginning to lose my patience with the man.
Arsenal have become as predictable as watching ice melt under a naked flame.
So glad I went out after the first half.
I’m a massive Arsene Wenger fan. I love everything he has done for this club, but even I fear his time is cing to an end.
Everything about this club is so prefictable right now.
Another 3 injuries to contend with and a horrible set of fixtures coming up.
We will not finish 4th. I would be happy with 7th and no European football next season.
It’s back to the drawing board. Wenger needs to realise what his teams strengths and weakness are and fit them into a formation that works. Trying to shoehorn players into things they are not just doesnt work.
I still believe Wenger is the man to take us forward and I still maintain that had we had half the injuries we have seen this season then it would be a different story. We have had to play our 7th choice CB Miquel at LB for fucks sake. That’s just pure bad luck.
The likes of Ramsey, Coquelin, Jenkinson, Ox etc are the future, not the present.
The club has been so busy looking at the future that it has lost sight of its present goals. This started back in 2006 when we moved stadiums and started buying young players for the future. What good are those players if they are at other clubs!?
Back to the drawing board, back to a 4-4-2, and back to being a set of dirty, hard bastards instead of moaning, whinging kids.
Vieira would’ve eaten Cattermole for breakfast. Our current crop let him bully us.
Fed up.
Easy chaps. We lost to a deflected goal and an own goal.
The fact is that anything that can go wrong, is going wrong.
We weren’t outfought. We didn’t lose because of lack of desire or work-rate. The lads put in a huge shift.
We had 3 players subbed due to injury, more injuries to a much diminished squad. Once again we have 4 FB’s out and 3 MF’s.
Totally agree BR but cant help thinking that enough is enough and AWs time is up. I dont think he will ever be sacked but may just be ‘allowed’ to leave in the summer.
We only played Sunderland last Saturday, their tactics were no different this week except that they tired last week and possibly some of our team were ‘a bit jaded’ this week.
How could we go into this game with no change to how we played? I know we lost Coquelin but was he going to single-handedly win the game for us? Where was the energy and the fight?
The Ox had three players on him when he had the ball where were the players showing for him to release the ball early?
There has to come a time when we change our play, sending the team out to play their game is having dire consequences. Who’s going to tell him?
Raddy – losing to a deflected shot and an own goal is still a loss. Did we score? How many shots did we have? How many saves did Mignolet have to make?
It’s fine to say we suffered an unlucky loss when it’s once in a blue moon but it’s not, it’s a regular thing now. I always think we’re going to win so imagine how far I fall in 90 minutes 😦
However much I love them it’s just too depressing atm
I think a few of you boy`s need to wake up and smell the coffee !. At the start of the season when we lost Cesc ,Na$ri , Clichy and Jack ( not forgetting other injuries and suspensions ) , did you really think we were going to be challenging for something ?. The sane one`s like myself expected nothing, yet we are still in the driving seat for a CL spot, which I for one thought was out of the question !. Whether we get It or not, I think we are In for an exciting summer. Just have a bit more patience, try and think how the Rangers , Pompey and other struggling clubs fans are feeling, most would give their Wives away to be in our position. Trust me, I`ve been away given their wives one in allsorts of positions !.
I have been saying for a while now that this theory of building a team which will magically become great in a couple of years is a farcical fantasy. Nothing that happened today was a result of luck of any kind – it was, as many have said entirely predictable.
This game we wanted to see a balanced cohesive team that fought for each other, where every player knew his role and that showed movement, work rate and creativity ….. we saw nothing like that.
We have a manager seems incapable of doing anything about it.
glic – losing Cesc and Nasri should have meant we changed the way we play. Cesc was the master of conductors, Nasri didn’t even come close when he deputised for him but they were both a class apart in their different ways and a huge loss to the team.
We didn’t win anything with Cesc in our team not for the want of trying and somehow we always missed ‘something’ at the end. So without Cesc and without the ‘something’ why are we still trying to thread balls through to players when the opposition know exactly what we are going to try?
Yes we are in great shape financially, have an amazing stadium and plenty of really good young players coming through but what about now? I love going to football and I love Arsenal but there is more than ‘something’ missing I feel. Just my opinion.
If a team is lacking confidence as we clearly are, and you have injuries, then you line them up to be hard to beat. What you don’t do is just send them out and hope for the best.
The only times we have won games this season has been when we had the majority of our better players available. Whenever we have had to rely on squad players or youngsters, we have lost. The main reason for that is these players just don’t have the ability or confidence to pass the ball the way Wenger wants them to, yet the tactics never change.
peaches,
I think we would not be in this position had we kept the players I mentioned plus the new one`s and some other quality signings.
To have Cesc, Nasri and Jack ripped out of the heart of the team was just to much. The fans should have lowered their expectations.
I am a Wengerite but I thought he mucked up Big time with Cesc and Nasri and said so at the time, but this summer he has the chance to look back with wisdom and do whats needed, I will eat Terry`s syrup if he doesn`t ! 🙂
I can understand your feeling`s, It`s because you have such a massive love for the club that It hurt`s !.
ps,
I leave the tactical stuff to Total ! 🙂
Has Cesc had any injuries since he left ?
Where`s Terry ?,
I bet he`s naked in some wardrobe in Harlow, waiting for some womens husband to go to work on night`s. Lets hope he`s telescope doesn`t extend and open the door !. ” sorry mate, I`m the ermm…….Moth catcher, little blighters only come out at night !”
Sorry Raddy, but we were outfought and outplayed today. We looked totally shawn of any ideas about how to move Sunderland around. Going forward we looked about as likely to score as finding a female in a Buddist Temple!
Just how many more injuries are we going to suffer? There is something inherently wrong at our club, of that I am sure. As GLIC said earlier, how many injuries has Cesc had since leaving. I will give you a clue – NONE! Something is wrong in the way they must train, how they recover and what they eat.
I have a massive hurt running through me right now, a hurt only fellow Gooners could possibly understand. I fear for our club, I really do. I will always support my club, it will never be questioned, but I will question Wenger and the board until it is sorted out.
……. and what they EAT Brigham, I wrote a post about that last year. I’ll try and find it.
Here it is ………….
http://wp.me/pNcrc-2Dr
From a Sunderland site I visited earlier…
A Solid Performance
Thought that after the first ten minutes we settled into the game well and he tenacity of our closing down and willingness to get forward paid dividends. Let us not forget we were playing a football team who had a bad day on Wednesday and they did not disappoint trying to get the ball down and play football, this was a cracking cup tie.
Well done to all the Gooners that attended today, magnificent support as always.
“I have been saying for a while now that this theory of building a team which will magically become great in a couple of years is a farcical fantasy.”
Rasp that is just your opinion, nothing more and nothing less, just as much as it is just an opinion of those who believe in the potential of our squad and reluctantly accept the need for a transitional year. If you, however, feel the need to call it a ‘farcical fantasy’ then at least you could try and explain this to us.
Here we are, two games later, and Arsene should leave? Nevermind about playing with 4th and 6th choice CB, nevermind about the lucky goal, nevermind the shit referee, the bottom line is, Arsene cant do anything anymore to save this club.
Seriously?!!
RA, great comment @3.23 🙂
Raddy and Oz, well done for putting it a bit in perspective this evening. We are all hurting, but Arsenal are our team and we have another game in a week’s time.
I have no doubt that the eliminations from the CL and FA-cup will hurt the players badly though. I feel sorry for Wenger as well and it will be a miracle if he can turn it round against Spuds and Pool. Very challenging times for all of us.
TA, I think Rasp is quite correct. Why are we building for the future ffs? We have been doing that since 2005 and where has it got us? Bloody nowhere, that’s where! A good club needs to balance out the future and the present, United have been doing it for years now and yes, they have the odd blip, but generally they have it bang on.
Since 2005 we have won nothing but the Emirates cup and a few plaudits for our wonderful tippy tappy, keep posession for five hours and look wonderful football. United in that time have won EIGHT trophies, including the Champions League again!
Sod the future, I shall be dead before we win anything again!
I maintain we were not outfought. Check the possession if you believe that. Name a player who went missing. Add to that an awful pitch that assisted the less skillful team.
Sunderland played 10 men behind the ball and scored from a set play and a counter-attack.
Yes, this is a painful time, but let’s keep perspective. With a full team we would have won tonight.
Well said Rob !!
Possession? Are you Wenger in disguise Raddy?
This time last year we lost a Carling Cup final to a team that got relegated because we didn’t take our chances, how have we improved on that?
The thing is Rob, its not just this game or the Milan one is it? He has run out of ideas, he is tactically inept. Yes, we have injuries, but did you see any nouse of tactics in either game? I didn’t at all, it was just the same old Arsenal, lets pass sideways for 70 percent of the game and everyone will think we are in control
Football is all about scoring more goals than the opposition. I am not on about Keegan tactics, I am on about pressing forward, moving the opposition about, opening them up etc. We did NOT do that all game.
I still maintain that a lot of the players were hiding on the pitch today.
They would have their hands in the air as if they wanted the ball, but they knew full well that they were stood behind a defender where they couldn’t recieve the ball.
When things are going well, everyone is running all over the place to get themselves in space to receive the ball. When things are going bad, it’s even more important that players stand up and be counted.
Brigham,
I agree with that. When United had lots of injuries earlier in the season, Fergie made sure they were solid at the back and they were winning games 1-0. As soon as players have returned, there game has become more expansive.
When was the last time Wenger made a noticeable tactical alteration for a game?
Hi Brigham, when did you see us play tippy-tappy this season and keep possession for five hours? How I wish we could return to that sort of football supported by a better defence (which we have as soon as everybody gets fit again)!
We are building for the future for the very reason that we have not won anything for a while, and because of the way in which we finished the season last year, and the fact that we lost Fabregas to Barca and Wilshere to injury for the season. Arsene is struggling with the formation and style of footie we need to play this season, and we are suffering from this at the moment.
I dont care about the Mancs or any other club. We are where we are and we need to find a strategy that gets us back to winning ways. Building on the youth players coming through mixed with experience players is the way forward. You may say sod the future but what is your alternative in the short term?
There is only one thing for it………….we will have to beat spuds.
TA, that was a play on words and I am sure a man of your intellect knew what I was driving at?
I also do not care about any other club, I care about Arsenal, always have and always will, which is why I am saying what I am saying.
You mentioned a mix of experience and youth, that is exactly what I also mentioned, but we are sadly lacking on the experience right now, even you must notice that?
Sod the future? Not entirely, but I am also one who likes to look at our past and realize what we are lacking, can you?
I fucking hate football sometimes!!!!
Wenger is still the man to take us forward, but if he is insistent on sticking with the current formation and tactics then in the summer he needs to find players that are better suited to his way of playing.
At the moment we are using players who are either not good enough to cover the injuries, or are not suited to what he is asking of them.
A first team of
Szscesny
Sagna
Santos
Mertersacker
Koscielny/Vermaelen
Wilshire
Song
Arteta
Oxlaide Chamberlain
Gervinho
RvP
Is still very very good if playing with a bit of confidence, but the back up and youth players are not at the required level at the moment. Building for the future is definately needed, but at the moment the club needs to switch its eyes to the present and get the squad in order for next season.
Brigham, No, I don’t exactly know what we are lacking, but I would like us to start again next season with our current squad, all fit from the start and with an opportunity to get to play good football again. I am sure Wenger (or his successor) will add a couple over the summer as well.
Amen to that TA!
Bergkamp’s got it right. Time for wholesale change. Character is just as important as technique. Unbalanced and becoming unhinged.
The only bright spot (?) is that Chelsea is going thru the same. We’ll soon see who really understands, AVB or AW.
Brigham, it is been good debating with you tonight. I am as disappointed as you are that we are out of the FA-cup and most probably out of the CL-cup in the space of 4 bloody days. Looking at the future, however bright this might be, does not take the pain away. I can understand your frustrations and concerns for the future and let’s hope we’ll see a big improvement in the next 6 months. 🙂
TA, likewise mate and the main thing is, we both love Arsenal and always will do. I am just so upset the way things have gone the last few years. Hey-ho, been worse, been there and done it. Onwards and upwards and to steal Big Raddy’s signature…
COYRRG
Peaches
I thought I would have been wiped from here, but I’m still in the system.
I’m sick of excuses. Pep in with DB10 as his assistant. Arsene needs to be relieved of his responsibilities, & Pat Rice should be retired off.
DB10 is my long term hope, & he could learn a great deal from Pep who has probably done all he can do a Barca, & needs a new challenge. Pep would be the type of Gaffer who would demand the Board give him the necessary resources to get The Arsenal back up where it belongs.
But for me the long term future belongs to Denis Bergkamp. He is the rightful heir to the throne.
His not willing to fly is my only concern IMHO.
Regards GG9
COYRRR
I have been out on the beer and I made a new friend with a Dissy Blonde (Google is there for moments like this).
I met up with my Bruv, we decided we are coming to the Tavern soon for a game. Praying for Spuds Ticket Exchange.
COYG.
Ooh to ooh to be oh to be a GOONER!
Won’t DB10s fear of gluing hamper us in the Europa League?
Gluing = flying I’m really quite pissed
after a snooze it hasn’t got any better.
My main gripe is our lack of a game plan. We are not BARCA, therefore we do not have the quality to go out and think ‘stuff the other team we are going to play our game and it’s up to them to change.’ We can’t get away with that. GLIC it is all well and good lowering expectations but i can’t do that. Yes we lost a few but that’s happened season after season and we have always been contenders. Personally i go into every season thinking we will win 4 trophies (delusional maybe), but i can’t help but be optimistic. Yes we have injuries, yes we are unlucky, but the script is there, teams know the blue print on how to beat us, and until we come up with different tactics/game plans we are in trouble.
hey GiE it’s the champions league!
Brigham, cheers mate 🙂
Hi Oz, we had a good spell when you were on your hols in Bali…maybe you should have stayed a lot longer 😆
You wrote: “until we come up with different tactics/game plans we are in trouble.” Agreed, but what can be done? You should maybe write a post about it for next week!
One of the key issues for me is that, since the start of the season, we are no longer controlling the middle-area between the centre-circle and the oppostions 18-yards box. Whether it is Rosicky, Ramsey, Arteta, etc they all seem to want operate outside of it and pass the ball through it – mostly to RvP – without much success. Arsenal used to own that area and boss the opposition however it liked – now it seems to have become the Bermuda square for us. What has happened to our triangles – moving the ball forwards with our clever passing game?
Anyway, off to bed now. ‘See’ you tomorrow again!
Oz it is at the moment 😦
I was having a little think about Barca and the way they play and I realised why in the main it works. Most teams in the Spanish League play football on the deck as do most in the CL. What would they do against a Sunderland? The answer is probably tear them to shreds. But part of me wonders why it is only the pragmatic approach of Mourinho that seems to beat them? I know they destroyed the pragmatic Fergie sides in two finals but I also think that’s down to the fact that it was a final so United couldn’t do what they do to us.
haha i would have loved to stay there longer…for the benefit of arsenal of course!
If i had an ounce of the footballing knowledge you or GiE possess then i would attempt it, sadly i do not so i wouldn’t even try. You hit the nail of the head, we used to be chastised for trying to walk the ball into the net from around the box. Now we have been pushed back and seem to only control up to the middle of the pitch. I think it all comes down to work rate though. We don’t run and help each other out so the triangles don’t even develop. Teams can sit back and defend all they want but if you work your socks off to close down the player with the ball, harass them, and force them into making mistakes (like the opposition does to us) we can win it back and have a chance to break them open. However, most times when we win the ball back we move it too slow allowing the opposition to get back into position.
We used to be renowned for running out games and being fitter than our opposition, what happened? now our opponents work harder than us. The difference is we don’t work them hard enough so they aren’t tiring around the 70th minute mark allowing us to capitalise.
the skill level is there but the application is not, it appears too many players rest on their laurels. Then when players leave they say it’s because they want to win things (case in point na$ri). This really sh*ts me because some players don’t look at all like they want to give everything they have to the cause. Yes a few players are lacking in confidence but what sort of weak mentality are we instilling into these players that they can’t even be fired up come game time. Especially after the midweek performance.
Oh dear.
I was out all day so recorded the game and just finished watching it as live.
We didn’t play too badly, but while we gave 90%, Sunderland gave 100%. The extra 10% won it for them.
The most worrying thing was the complete absence of a creative spark. Jack can’t come back quickly enough.
But it’s worth remembering that Sunderland are one of the top teams in the country on form. They beat Man City and no-one will have an easy game against them.
With more luck and fewer injuries we would have won up there again, but we didn’t and that’s that.
Spuds next week good define the rest of the season.
Morning tA,
I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your point last night but I was done with blogging.
You ask me to explain why I think that the theory of building for the future is a farcical fantasy.
Well here goes. We can only plan for the current year and folowing season because our best players can be plucked to our midst by teams that pay more and win more.
I believe the standard of player we have has dropped consistently over the last few years for the reason above.
The young players we have are fantastic potential but there is no guaranee that the potential will be realised = Bendtner, Vela, Denilson, Diaby etc etc and therefore their worth is only hypothetical although some do seem to be rewarded with the wages in advance.
So I stand by my opinion that the financial constraints we place upon ourselves are the reason for the decline in our standard of football as it prevents us from keeping our best players and from buying players of near equivalent quality.
Chas,
Recipe of the Day!!!!!
Rasp “nail the head hit on the” rearrange for a well known phrase.
We can’t/won’t buy players of equivalent quality/experience. So do we achieve what we do with acquiring the best youth until we can’t afford them anymore or by buying solid PL players and becoming a Villa/Stoke type club.
At least by bringing through youth we have a chance of hoping for something big in the future.
Oz – Chas told me about the picture of my Rory for me from you 🙂 Thank you darling! Sadly, even Rory’s gorgeous body won’t lift my mood
Rocky – Sunderland have been good for some time now. I had a fierce argument with another AA blogger and i was ridiculed for saying that we competing with Sunderland. Regretably I was right
Rasp,
Morning.
As I said during the game, I had to leave before the end. Heard the 2nd goal drop in on the radio. No emotion from me, or Oscar, whatsoever which is why for me when I just read through the post match comments, it is you that has it in one…..
Predictable.
GiE,
Please, please ask me what I’m crapping myself about?
Morning GiE,
If only it were true. There have been two camps for the last 4 or 5 years. Those that say we have fantastic young players coming through and we’ll be world beaters in a couple of years time and those that have been saying we are just 2 to 3 players short of a side that can be at the top again.
Well we haven’t bought those players and our best young players have left before reaching their full potential. So I have to say that the results show that the former opinion was incorrect (so far) and we’ll never know whether the latter would have been successful.
Micky – I switched the telly off after the second goal and went to bed, to cry a hlittle 😦 Didn’t check the result till now, too scared
LB is right – have to beat the Spuds next Sunday
A little twitter tete-a-tete between Frimpong and Piers Morgan
Evonne,
Maybe plan a nice weekend away in a radiowave free zone with a good book and inflatable Rory!
Micky, I’ll ask – what are you crapping yourself about?
https://twitter.com/therealtompo/status/171042032964468736
Rasp,
Nice try, but has to be GiE 🙂
Sorry Micky missed it.
What are you crapping yourself about?
Morning all,
I`ve had a terrible night with my ManCold, I`ve brought up enough phlem to keep a Pie & Mash going with liquer `till we win another trophy !.
rasp,
I dont think I`m alone in being inbetween them two camps, we have had and got some fantastic young talent ,but we needed to have brought in some super quality to have complimented them. I think this will be rectified In the summer as the penny will have finally dropped with Wenger/board/club, I think the blinkers will be coming off ! ( bloody hope so, otherwise I`ve got a dinner date with Terry`s syrup )
That twitter debate rages for a little longer. What I don’t get is how supporting Arsensl for 42 years validates Morgans view,but I am glad Frimpong told him what he thought. As from his words show how much he is in love with the club.
Micky – for you
Sixteen Logical Reasons Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives:
1. The later you are, the more excited your dog is to see you.
2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name.
3. Dogs like it if you leave lots of things on the floor.
4. Dogs’ parents never visit.
5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
6. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go, instantly, 24 hours a day.
7. Dogs find you amusing when you’re pissed.
8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
9. Dogs won’t wake you up at night to ask: “If I died, would you get another dog?”
10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and sell ’em.
11. When you drop a silent one, dogs don’t run around frantically with room spray.
12. Dogs love to ride in the back of a pickup truck.
13. Dogs never tell you to stop scratching your balls. Instead, they sit pondering why you don’t lick ’em.
14. Dogs will let you put a studded collar on, without calling you a pervert.
15. If a dog smells another dog on you, it won’t kick you in the crotch; it just finds it interesting.
And last, but not least:
16. If a dog runs off and leaves you, it won’t take half your stuff.
To verify these statements: Lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour. Then open the door, and observe who’s happy to see you!
Morning glic,
I admire your optimism but the wish that “In the summer as the penny will have finally dropped” has been held for several years now.
There is a pattern that is very clear. there is no ambiguity, we have set out our stall and as a result of our policies we are now paying the consequence in terms of performance on the pitch.
GiE,
Oh stuff like UHU, Evostick and Superglue. Really, just a general fear of “Gluing”…. ha ha you drunken old sod 🙂
Rasp to elaborate what’s your alternative? You say building for the future is farcical but how do we build for the now when if we aren’t going to spend the money on top talent (and wages)?
Haha Micky 😀
Agree there rasp, but If we dont get the 4th spot this will be a new experience for us and maybe the kick up the backside we`ve needed !
Love number 13, e va va vonne 😆
Good question GiE. It all hinges on whether you thik the way the club is spending its money now is wise.
Answer me this question: I believe the new stadium earns us upwards of £35m a year more than Highbury and that is more than the repayments on the mortgage, where has that extra income been channelled. I do think we were too quick to give players who were yet to prove themselves large pay packets instead of paying the going rate for top quality.
I hope the new contract for Djourou (apparently our 3rd choice CB – mine would be Miquel and JD 4th) does not pay him more than 20k a week. That is the most a CB in the Championship would get and JD is about that standard.
I have to go to work now but look forward to hearing opinion on this when I catch up in a while.
Evonne,
In the spirit of harmony, I’ll send you a heart felt smiley 🙂
BUT, just this once. Poor pussies.
Eboue weighed in
JD is not third choice surely?
TV, Kos, BFG, JD.
Last one Frimpong sums up support.
https://twitter.com/frimpong26afc/status/171035409609003008
I wonder what Frimpong thinks has gone wrong if indeed he does think anything has gone wrong?
chas – you are absolutely my most adorable blogger this morning, a big kiss awaits you at the Tavern next Sunday xx
Just caught up with the comments last night.
Among the understandable gloom one funny but extremely sensible piece stood out. (How does that man make me laugh even when totally ticked off??) 🙂
gooner lost in cornwall says:
February 18, 2012 at 8:46 pm
I think a few of you boy`s need to wake up and smell the coffee !.
At the start of the season when we lost Cesc ,Na$ri , Clichy and Jack ( not forgetting other injuries and suspensions ) , did you really think we were going to be challenging for something ?.
The sane one`s like myself expected nothing, yet we are still in the driving seat for a CL spot, which I for one thought was out of the question !. Whether we get It or not, I think we are In for an exciting summer.
Just have a bit more patience, try and think how the Rangers , Pompey and other struggling clubs fans are feeling, most would give their Wives away to be in our position.
Trust me, I`ve been away given their wives one in allsorts of positions !.
You are a comic and pragmatic genius, Glic, baby!! 🙂
Peaches – Chas is my mate! Why is he your favourite today?
No need to threaten Chas with a kiss from TerryM, Peaches!!
Morning all.
Well a really disappointing week and the hair dryer treatment apparetly given after the Milan game didn’t give us the required results.
We can’t keep talking about playing on bad pitches and that ref decisions always seem to favour the opposition.
IMO there are a number of factors and yet I don’t really know why we can’t be consistently good and string a few wins on the trot.The season has been like this since August
Every time we play,regardless of the line up I ask myself will the team turn up.
our general play wasn’t bad yesterday but real penetration on a regular basis is missing. For that one has to either blame Wenger as he rarely changes his game plan or the squad in depth just can’t play that type of intricate game.
I don’t want to harp upon the signings made in the Summer but Park and benyahoun were strange.
I still think we will come good but my main concern is that we are carrying far too many average players on exhorbitant wages,so the wage structure must be wrong.
Rasp, I doubt very much that a Championship player compared to Djourou is on 20K a week as I happen to know someone’s daughter who is married to a Peterborough first team player and when they briefly came up 2 years ago he was on 3.5K a week and though Peterborough were punching above their weight it gives an example of the huge difference in wages between the top PL clubs and the Championship,let alone the PL clubs whose main aim is to remain in the PL.
Peaches, I don’t think he’s employed to know what’s gone wrong, and I doubt he would air it in public.
What I think is he has shown how the players clearly read what is said on the web and that it affects them. It’s no wonder they dont bite more often, and it shows he does care about the team his manager and the club as much as we do.
Apologies GiE, of course 4th choice – but the rest of my point still stands
Hi kelsey, thanks for the info, so how much do you think we should be paying Djourou – £5-10k a week?
I understand that Gazidis’ team are earning huge wages, I wonder whether they are value for money?
GiE – I just wonder how many times the young guns can be sent out to play ‘their’ football when it obviously isn’t working and not feel a revolution is required 😀 😛 😆
I know you’re going to slaughter me for that ……… off to sort the new post, back in a bit 😉
Morning all…..
…… New post …….
viviendas en sevilla…
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