Here are some results to put the fear of God up you:
- Losing 2-3 at home to Blackburn Rovers.
- Losing 0-3 away at Newcastle.
- Losing 0-1 at Everton.
- Losing 0-1 at Sunderland.
- Losing 0-1 at Everton (again).
- Losing 1-2 at Stoke.
The good news is that none of them are Arsenal results.
The first two defeats belong to Manchester (Surrey) United; the second pair were secured by the Abu Dhabi Oilers and the final two results were achieved by the Neanderthals from N17.
My point being that, in the context of the above results (which are all from this season), a 1-2 defeat away at QPR does not look so bad. Every top club this season has had embarrassing defeats and there will surely be more before this season is done.
The EPL is a competitive league and – literally – anyone is capable of beating anyone on a given day.
Arsenal losing at QPR is now a fact and a statistic, but it does not need to be a milestone. Reading through the comments on AA and elsewhere I feel there has been too much criticism following Saturday’s defeat.
On the day, Rangers played to the best of their ability and we played to 75% of ours. Somewhere in that gap, QPR found the room to win the game and take all three points.
But if you need to know anything about the current Arsenal squad it is that it has repeatedly proved its ability to bounce back from disappointment to confound the critics.
I am delighted that we have the Oilers up next. If we had a park-the-bus team battling against relegation I would doubt our ability to break them down. But a title-challenging Manchester City is exactly what we need.
The Spuds, meanwhile, are away at a confident Sunderland. I fully expect us to win and the Rioters to lose, courtesy of a Nik Bendtner brace, putting us back to a three point lead over the enemy.
QPR?
It was sh*t.
Now we move on.
We are The Arsenal…
RockyLives
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
morning Redders 🙂
agreed on the offside rule..IMO if 1 player is offside whether active or inactive it should stand as offside..this 2nd phase rule only benefits lazy players who choose not to read the play..its schoolboy football..
in regards to your scoring system between Aussies and Yanks, i think you used the term ‘wordsmiths’ to describe some writers on here at AA and in that dept. im excluding ozgunner so…
Yanks 200 Aussies 0
(its probably why i feel intimidated in writing a headline post..i compare the situation to a gym where the scrawny guy(me) doesnt want to workout because of the steroid junkies (wordsmiths on AA)
does that make sense? 🙂 🙂 🙂
ps sorry guys that was a re-post from this mornings thread, will go now and read another Rocky special
Fantastic Rocky,
need to think about that one..it was not down to a fluke result by QPR..we made mistakes and we should not just sweep it under the rug..
yes the result has happened, and its time for us to get behind the team and stay positive, but id hate to think that the team and coaching staff wouldnt look at that game and learn from the mistakes made first..Its the way forward for self-improvement..
Fully agree about $hitty, im glad its them next and not a park the bus team..Playing at home too will help, where the pitch is like glass and players have room to exploit..I see young theo having a blinder against Gael
Super stuff Rocky. positive and accurate… I know, I know, I never see the negatives, hence my post yesterday, Accentuate the positive has been my philosophy throughout my life, so cant see the point of changing now, not when the Arsenal are obviously on the way back and have just had a bad day. Sorry Raddy 😦
City bewaaaaaaaaaaaare THE GUNNERS are aiming to destroy any chance you had of buying the league..
No panic here Rocky.
Utd could well be 8 points clear by the time we face City, leaving them with a must win game, and that should suit us down to the ground. A draw will be no good to them at all. That’ll leave lots of lovely space with our un-cluttered midfield 🙂
Great post Rocky and all true as far as it goes.
We can call it a bad day at the office or whatever we want, but the fact remains that we haven’t learnt from the last 3 times we sent out a team with that midfield configuration – it doesn’t work!!!
We will lose more games unnecessarily if we continue in the same vein. Its nothing to do with positivity or negativity, its about picking a side to give us the best chance of winning.
The fact that a lot of our players weren’t up for it as much as the QPR players is more worrying and I put down to the fact that they (the midfield) were unsure of their role.
Once again I saw Ramsey take the ball off Arteta’s toes – if that isn’t enough evidence of a cluttered midfield I don’t know what is. TV’s performance was very disappointing, I don’t know why he was surging forward so much, maybe he thought the midfield wasn’t functioning.
I’m not panicking Mr Manwaring. Those oilers don’t like it up ’em you know.
Interesting post RL
I shall not name names, but I am sure most of you know by now that the configuration of the team was poor in certain selections. To add to this we made far too many errors. I decided to write these comments in defensive mode so that you won’t be tempted to rush for your potato men images of me and start ramming the pins home in my delicate parts.
good stuff Rocky, the typical monday special from you to start the week on a high. I think the formation with song, arteta, rosicky and ramsey should be binned though.
But definitely time to move on, the oilers are going to get pummelled i think!
@ RuVP
i hope Clichy doesn’t get pinned to far back by theo, because as we all know his attacking is very sub par. Give him all the space he needs and he will punt it into row z every time. Gervinho should definitely play to pin back richards though.
hey don’t discount me in that word-smith count, i’m as unword-smith-like as you’ll get. I thought the dictionary was 20 pages long until i came on this site and conversed with RA
TV was involed in both of Their goals. Robin should have scored. Song passed it to the crowd behind the goal line at one point. Almost everything was wrong about that performance. Theo took his goal well which was a plus.
Morning reddawn and welcome,
We will never castigate a blogger who puts his points reasonably even if we don’t agree. Your comment is fine and as it happens I share your view on this occasion.
@ Dandan
just get desert loving plants like we have down here. Save on money, look decent and when your parents go away on holidays for a month and you forget to water the pot plants everything is still thriving.
Kids can’t even wash up anymore. I give up.
I’m going back to yesterdays comments as I feel I’m missing something
Oz 🙂
Just read them. dandan listen to Peaches she’s a professional. It’s great all the advice you get on here. Where’s Terry my tax is due 🙂
Oz Thanks for the advice, but if my parents are away on holiday, I am going to get one hell of a shock when they come back 🙂
ive watched the replay of the QPR game a few times and i must say that our keeper had switched off prior to their second goal when Kozzer was waiting for him to come collect in his usual commanding fashion, and instead had to hit n hope the ball away himself..
It was remenisent of the CC final..in fact there seemed to be a lack of communication all over the pitch
https://twitter.com/#!/BigBadBazza/status/186738555140325376
I won’t panic if Arsenal are third with only two games left.MC will be fired up to maintain their title challenge.It aint going to be easy with Wenger saying going back to basics.
I don’t know but if Arsenal want to finish third they have to play like Newcastle and Everton game for all the remaining games. Then I will feel confident.
they only reason i was so said about the loss was i really wanted use to remarkable come 2nd because if we had one @ QPR and beat City on Sunday we would only be 7 points behind then second place would now seem possible
GM,
just imagine, two hair cuts like that in 180min before lunch time and you can put a deposit on an island in the bahamas….oh wait, i forgot you and the sun dont get along 😉
I won’t be around much today, but I just had to pop on and say; RurP, Oz, I have really liked your comments (AND Posts) from the start.
You are both far too modest regarding your writing skills and vocabulary. You both have a wonderful, clear, no nonsense, down-to-earth, Ozzie style that speaks directly to all Arsenal fans in such an erudite way, which is reflected in the high regard with which you are held here on AA.
You are also correct that there are any number of other gifted writers on AA who delight us all on a regular basis.
I, on the other hand, frequently stumble over English UK/English US spelling differences, and my prose and vocabulary is often incomprehensible leaving most other football fans scratching their heads and wondering “what the f**k is he on about?”
Now, as far as writing dry as dust board papers, project finance appraisals or in-house accounting/tax manuals — I am your man. 🙂 No good for blogs tho’.
I envy both of you, as well as many other AAers, for your natural ability to communicate with each other! 🙂
Now you know why I do not write Posts anymore! 🙂
(This boy’s mom did not raise no stoopid kids!! 🙄 )
Rocky, you obviously wrote that Post in Cannes, France, because it definitely reads with a French accent and a splendid whiff of aioli!!
In other words it is lovely, my friend. 🙂
RL. Sorry mate you are wrong.
We need change – root and branch, starting at the top and going all the way down to the programme sellers.
Things are rotten. We lost to a relegation team and did so with our first choice 11. What does that show us? It shows that we are not good enough.
Our team believes the hype, they think they are a quality outfit despite having lost to Fulham, Swindon, QPR, Blackburn etc it is obvious to any but the blind that we are way short of quality.
Apart from the Dutch fella none of the Arsenal team would get into the Everton side let alone the mighty Spurs.
As to the manager. Retirement is the only option. Fine chap in his day but he has allowed a once great club to deteriorate into mediocrity.
……
……
Just kidding 🙂 Feel we needed some balance.
It was April 1st yesterday Raddy 🙂 – mind you we didn’t feel in such a happy mood yesterday!
Oz to dandan,
Brilliant advice. “Get desert plants”. So obvious 🙂
While you’re about it dandan, sod the grass and get some sand in!
Big Raddy 🙂
Thanks for the post Rocky. Like you and every body else, i agree we were below par on Saturday.
The defeats this season against teams outside of the top six and away from home, Blackburn, Swansea, Sunderland, Fulham, and QPR, all have a commen theme. Teams have set there stall out to press us high, and then retreat in numbers to create a wall of defence. Once they have snuffed out our attacks, they try to counter, either by swift passing or a more direct long ball game. I think you will find that in many away games this season we have scored goals when there is about 18 players in the opposition half, and when we have conceded theres about 8 or 9 players in our half.
How do we eradicate this problem?, well obviously the first thing gos without saying, we have to minimise our defensive mistakes, hahahaha genius. The second thing for me is going to take some time. We have to get more out of of attacking play, and to do that we need players to mature to full potential and add 1 or 2 to the squad, Christ ime clever, move over Arsene, Terry is taking the reigns hahahaha.
In all honesty, ime not concerned in the slightest. As long as we keep the squad together and add the odd player of quality, our defeats ratio will plummet to levels were we can win leagues, and that happy scenario is just round the corner.
Tax GM?, ime all ears.
Redders,
thank you for your kind words..
Now its time to grow some…
hmm..”erudite” ?? 🙂
Raddy,
Before you are given a cement coat for your balanced comment, please satisfy my curiosity before you disappear.
You said you have never worked in an office, so, were you strutting your stuff on stage or in a studio; flying jumbo jets; assisting Peaches in the great outdoors; mining for gold in your mountain retreat — do tell?
Or, don’t if you think I am being too nosey! 🙂
It’s funny how y’all need NB52 now huh??
Mata, No it’s not funny and No – we don’t! Huh!!
Redders,
leave the balance sheets alone and get up on stage..comedy is your forte 🙂
Mata’,
i like it when my is not scratched and the badge stays on the car spank you very much
*my car* is not…
Carlos Vela on the other hand is a different kettle of fish
Robin,
Spank you too. 🙂
@ RA
you sir are far too kind, that has made my day. Thank you.
That is the best way i’ve ever been told i’m sh*t with words haha.
Trust me I would trade prose and vocabulary’s with you in a heart beat. If I stumped someone with words (in a good way) I’d run down the street giggling like a school kid. Perhaps I should move to Tottenham…
Can I be spanked?
@ Micky
that is a very good idea, it’d be like having a beach in your front yard. Dig a moat, grab a deck chair and a beer and your in business. Sure as hell beats spreading mulch and pulling out weeds
Arsenal, beaches, and spanking……”shut the gates”..
Arsenal Arsenal Rocks
Aiyeiya…. Better said, the rioter will get the resurged B52 who will work and do everything in favour of his mother club. In EMIRATE it will be woees and booes as money bag NANAS008 walk empty handed trophyles as he could have gotten even if he was in arsenal
@ John
lets hope so. We can never forget that brilliant header he scored against them after just coming off the bench. Come on a bendy hat-trick
Rocky nice post to start a Monday and another long week of no football.
To be honest I feared Saturdays result before it happened, but i am a bit of a gloomier when it comes to tight grounds, we don’t do well in them. TMHT above states the games we have lost away this season (to apparent lesser teams), Craven Cottage, New Vetch Field (or whatever Swansea call their new stadium), and now Loftus Road are all grounds where the crowd are closer to the players than at the Emirates, it seems to stifle the players. Some would argue that the formation/selection in those games was’t right either.
There were a couple of moments in the game where the team could have asserted themselves better, and neither were when we or they had the ball.
1) Five minutes in, Clint Hill goes through the back of Theo, Theo takes the hit looks at the ref for help.
2) Five minutes into the second half Theo takes another clout through the back from Clint Hill and again is left looking to the ref for help.
When Theo looked up and saw Dean he should have realised this could be allowed to happen all afternoon before any card would be produced for what should be an automatic yellow (especially the first one where Hill goes to ground too).
At this point I would like to have seen Theo turn round and square up to Hill and a few players join in, I think we were bullied o Saturday, and thats still one part of the game we need to improve.
As for the selection of the midfield that got nothing, the only other time I can remember that midfield being played together was Everton away (which we won), Yossi played against Spurs in a very similar setup. I’d like to know the times that midfield or a similar selection has led to defeats.
I know Everton was a struggle but from reading text commentary at the time we could have been 5 up after about twenty minutes.
(First 20 minute commentary from BBC)
20:40 Foul by Johnny Heitinga on Robin van Persie, free kick awarded. Robin van Persie restarts play with the free kick.
18:23 Tomas Rosicky takes a shot. Blocked by Johnny Heitinga.
17:41 Thomas Vermaelen takes a shot. Blocked by Johnny Heitinga. Corner taken right-footed by Mikel Arteta from the left by-line, Sylvain Distin makes a clearance.
16:20 Corner taken by Mikel Arteta from the left by-line to the near post, clearance made by Leon Osman.
13:32 Headed effort from inside the area by Leon Osman misses to the left of the goal.
13:02 Free kick awarded for a foul by Thomas Vermaelen on Nikica Jelavic. Johnny Heitinga restarts play with the free kick.
10:00 Kieran Gibbs gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Royston Drenthe. Royston Drenthe crosses the ball in from the free kick, Kieran Gibbs makes a clearance.
9:42 Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Tony Hibbert gets a block in.
9:20 Robin van Persie takes a shot. Save by Tim Howard.
7:21 Assist on the goal came from Robin van Persie.
7:21 Goal scored, Thomas Vermaelen scores a headed goal from inside the six-yard box. Everton 0-1 Arsenal.
6:47 Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Sylvain Distin gets a block in. Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Robin van Persie played to the near post,
5:24 Effort on goal by Aaron Ramsey from inside the area goes harmlessly over the bar.
3:03 Robin van Persie takes a inswinging corner to the near post, Sylvain Distin manages to make a clearance.
Wasn’t it the same line-up we used in Milan GiE?
Also apart from the first 20minutes when we shell shocked Everton it was rather ineffectual. At times they controlled the game for large parts instead of us.
4-0
Arsenal starting lineup v Milan 2012:- Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Song, Rosicky, Walcott, Ramsey, Arteta, van Persie.
My comment was about the midfield configuration – too many similar players, a lack of width, no specialist on the left and a lack of clarity in their roles.
When Ramsey collects the ball off another midfielder, does he think that the player is incapable of a 20 yard pass? No, its just that 2 are trying to play the same role. When the midfield run out of options and is too congested, the result is that they hold onto the ball for too long and our attacking play loses momentum and penetration.
Stats all show that when Ramsey starts we lose or draw games.Ramsey should be dropped to the bench and instead go for Gervinio,Rosicky,Arteta,Walcot Ramsey should only come on for Rosicky or Arteta.Butknowing Wenger will start Ramsey again against the oil drillers.sorry if i upset anyone re Ramsey.
As far as I am concerned, Arteta is the perfect anchor for our miidfield. He needs Song to help him in his defensive duties on occasion and the other midfielders to give him options when he’s in possession. When we’re not in possession, all the midfielers have to work hard and help the defence.
If you want to know why bookies get rich, look at the odds for Spurs or Arsenal to finish above each other. Both are at 17/20, less than even money on either horse in a two horse race looks a good way to make money to me. Unless all the punters are bright enough to know Spurs have no chance, that is. 🙂
Oz there you go who started the game??Ramsey.
I agree Rasp and that lack of width leaves us exposed to crowding. The get out of dodge ball/forward pass is left to Walcott and RVP, cutting our options forward by 33.333333333…% leaving us predictable and allowing for their right back and right winger to go on attack mode (pushing gibbs in our half resulting in even less options down the left). Their midfielder’s and defenders can then close down our forwards leaving us ineffectual in an attacking sense. (i could be completely wrong, and if i am I’m blaming TA because he is the man for this).
Listining to Arsenes post match conference he was asked about Ramsey and the formation. He explained it by saying that this gives us a 442 formation when we dont have the ball, and also allows Rosicky to get forward to support RVP in attack.
I suppose we can only ultimatly judge by results, and it does look like its not working. A word of warning however. Did we not play 2 wide men in earlier defeats?
For me, a tactical change like playing Ramsey wide should make no difference against teams like QPR. The soloution lies in player improvement and a few additions to the squad, which as ive said before, is just round the corner.
The alternitive theory is that Wenger botched it up big time. If he had played Gervinio wide and OX instead of Rosicky we would have beaten Rangers 3-0. This would have agravated QPR, Barton would have head butted Diaby, even though he wasnt playing and got sent off, Tarrabut would have been subbed and nutted Hughes who would then have attacked Wenger,( because hes jealous of Wengers good looks), but before he could get to Arsene he would have been decked, for a second time, by a crazed pitch invader called Chas.
So all in all, Wengers failure to play a natural wide man cost us 3 points and the sight of Hughes been decked twice.
Terry,
that would be a fair comment if and only if Ramsey stayed out wide..he kept coming inside and overlapping Arteta to use theo as an attacking outlet, and when he didnt have the ball again he was coming back inside to take the ball off Arteta which left gaping holes in his position and in turn kept gibbs pegged back..
All our attack was being instigated on the right wing through theo, it became predictable that even a relegation team such as QPR had read it and rectified the danger by manning up on theo..and we hardly attacked on the left…
ok fine, we tried that approach and the formation didnt work
why did it take as long as it did to make the changes..why are we sitting on a 1-1 draw in the 63min, why did we wait to go behind to make the change?
Before this game we were all saying that ‘momentum’ was key to success, i fail to see why we mixed our midfield when we had a winning formula..
Attack is our best defence, it always has been but with the formation we have played in the last 2 games it seems like we want to invite the pressure and hit them on the break…its NoT working..
as us Aussies would say, Why fix it, if it ain’t broke?
Hello All
Sorry for the quick post today – I’m at a work conference in France which started yesterday, so I wrote it very late last night and mostly p*ssed.
Lots of good comments about our formation. I’m not sure it was to blame for the defeat – although perhaps it played a part. I think we were below par in too many positions and seemed not to concentrate properly.
Right, back to the meetings… see you later 🙂
Robbin, look on the bright side, if we had beaten them, Chas would be doing bird now….but on the upside, he would have got pleasure, delight, and satisfaction from clumping Twat Hughes. hahahaha.
Terry 🙂
your a star always shining brightly..now where is GLIC, can we expect to hear from him any time soon?
wordpress is really annoying me. I just lost this comment
Forbes
I don’t think he’ll play that team against shitty on Sunday as it seems to be an away tactic.
Terry are you going on Sunday?
Thanks Robbin, ime working on Cornwall. Keep up the surfing Dude.
GM, yeah i am, are you going to the Tavern?
I’ll be waiting outside for it to open as usual Terry 🙂
agree GM, every time I refresh wordpress now it takes me to the top instead of where the last comment it. They shouldn’t have changed it.
Terry tell Cornwall to stop being so selfish and get back on here. The cuckoo club has disbanded without it’s chief cuckoo. Evonne is a bit part player too now. Laughter is the best medicine after a loss so we need all the humour we can get!
hehehe, let me know a time GM and i will come down.
Working on it oz, i was stalking him with my telescope the other day, so might have to threaten him with what i saw he was doing with that bale of hay and pitchfork hahahaha.
hahaha i bet he gets up to all sorts down up there. All his cows are turning in sour milk because he’s scared them half to death with his antics. Poor Mrs Cornwall has to put up with him pestering her, she’s probably the only hope we have!
Terry,
Your 1:40; can I say you are absolutely right in your skillful and deeply researched analysis of Saturday’s tactics — provided you are bonkers!! 🙂
Are you and Rasp perhaps thinking of setting up a franchise for;
“Get Your Tactical Strategies Here”
Well that clears up the cause of our demise on Saturday, and sets my mind at rest that you are in good company, my cheerful little friend!! 🙂
Thanks Redders, hahaha. It would definatly have been a more pleasing outcome to win 3-0, and see Chas chin Twat Hughes. Hopefuly this is a wake up call that this seasons battle is well and truly on. If we play to our abilities we will get third……and Chas can chin Twat Hughes next season. hahaha
qpr will be in the 2nd division though Terry
It doesn’t matter what tactics we employ if we don’t face up the the physical battering teams are permitted to give us when the referee is as poor as Dean.
I am sure it is no coincidence Theo was quiet after he got scythed down by some Orc
Cheers Corky…..
Oz and DanDan…lol
Forgot about that GM, and Twat Hughes will probably managing Rochdale. hahaha
On behalf of the Cuckoo club family and friends, and Loons the world over (even down under*)….
BRING BACK GLIC AND THE FHWP (EVONNE)
*No not ‘down there’ Terry, I meant in Oz !!
“Virtual Demonstration” with banners, signs, loons and the lot
who do we want
THE CUCKOO CLUB
when do we want it
NOW
Nice one Rocky 🙂 Indeed, best not to overanalyse the game. Was it the tactics, the formation, a few players having a below-par game, the crappy pitch, the hunger of the fighting for their lives QPR-players, the ‘fatique’ of not having enough competitive games at the moment, the lack of protection by the referee, or just a bad day at the office?
Who knows?! Bring on the Oilers and then we’ll see what this team is made of again. Knowing Wenger a bit, he’ll start with the same 11 on Sunday again – just to prove a point. 🙂
FIL, has even got his own gravatar (avatar?) now!
Impressive! 🙂
If he starts with the same eleven on Sunday Total, he is more likely to prove my point 😦
I bet kelsey’s bowling trophy that AW changes the team on Sunday.
You rang, me lord. 🙂
Sorry I have been a bit occupied. I have read all the comments on here and elsewhere and so many are looking for a scapegoat.Wrong team, wrong timing of subs, vermaelen is shite, RVP should score everytime he has a chance, Ramsey should be in the championshp, Song can’t chip on a small pitch and the pitch was too small and uneven and whatever.
We lost it will be in the record book until eternity,now we have to move on and we will.
My word. The jungle drums are efficient
can’t load wordpress. All red and white.
Oz Gunner.
Big Raddy is going on holiday for a while and humbly asks you to continue your excellent pre-match writings.
BR will only miss the Man City game which is a shame as it is one of his favorite pre.matches,
GM. You are a computer wizard. If you can’t make it work what hope have the rest of us mere mortals
https://twitter.com/#!/mick_wilkinson/status/186858507943944192
LMAO
just fell off the couch
https://twitter.com/#!/LittleDutchVA/status/186860231584788480
isnt that what Micky likes before a game….Catbab with cheese and hommus
keep em coming GM
2 weeks after being admitted to Hospital with Pleurisy and Pneumonia Mrs Dandan is at last on the mend. Although still very weak, she has started physiotherapy on her lungs and is hoping she can be home for Easter.
Fantastic news Dandan..good to hear mate
Did any one else notice that smug look of satisfaction on Hughes heinous boat at the final whistle. I realy do wish Chas had chinned him. I would do it myself, but he might hit me back, and Terry wouldnt like that. Then there was that idiot who threw the coin, ime sure he was aiming for RVP. I would definatly stick the boot into him…… but only if Redders is sitting on him. hahahaha
Great news Dandan, you shall have a great Easter.
That’s the best news I have heard today. Wish her well, dandan
Stats from the weekend.
QPR v Arsenal
Shots: 11 – 13
On target: 6 – 6
Possession: 32 – 68
Pass accuracy: 69 – 85
Aerial duels won: 38 – 62
Top passers (at least 20): Samba Diakite 81% from 31 – Mikel Arteta 91% from 99
Most touches: Adel Taarabt 76 – Alexandre Song 125
Most tackles: Shaun Derry 6 – Alexandre Song 7
Most interceptions: Taye Taiwo 4 – Laurent Koscielny/Thomas Vermaelen 5
Clearances: Anton Ferdinand 9 – Thomas Vermaelen 7
When we use the size of the pitch as an excuse we ought to remember that we should be the masters of how to set up a side for a small pitch.
Highbury was 109×73 yds, 7657 sq yds.
Loftus Road is 112×72 yds, 8064 sq yds.
With our small pitch experience we should have been forewarned and forearmed, instead we walked into a booby trap.
I’m reluctant, but willing, to join in the chorus of poor team selection.
Ramsey is, maybe, a player for the future but at this time he runs around like a blue arsed fly and always gravitates back to his preferred position of mid-field. He’s like the proverbial battery that keeps on going – but lacks a control/guidance system.
At one point in the game he was in the right back position. How can the team possibly be cohesive when one player is all over the place, to say he slows us down is a classic understatement. I cannot remember us looking so disorganised.
All Ramsey’s fault – not in the least- after all it was AW that made the selection and AW that did not change the set up and it was AW that left the changes to late.
And as for bringing on Cham-bles when we needed a goal – well that was particularly bizzare.
a defensive mid was pushed back to centre half, our centre half was moved to left fulback, and a winger was put into midfield…
go figure..
Great news DanDan, good point on Milan line up by those that made it.
But as Kelsey says it really is time to move forward from the result and stop looking for reasons. It is clear that there was a lot poor performances by the team and manager. But just like at 2-0 down to Spuds the team need our support going forward.
cuckoo FIL and Robbin at 5, cuckoo 🙂
I was away last week, jet-lagged now, speak soon x
Good news dandan! 🙂
Fine post, Rocky. You’re right it was shite but it’s history.
I don’t think the size of the pitch was a problem at all.
However, I do think the state of the pitch had a bearing on our football. Being at the game it really does look so different to on the telly.
Recent defeats at Milan, Sunderland and Rangers have all been on bumpy, slow pitches. I honestly think we need a pitch of similar quality (i.e. ropey) at Colney to practice on before games such as this.
Once the ball doesn’t stay on the floor the opposition have a longer time to get in your face. We are never going to be a ‘hoof the ball up to Zamora’ type team, but you could see that it was that tactic that was successful on that pitch.
Anyway enough blaming the pitch, the point I was trying to make was that we need to be able to adapt our style when we aren’t playing on the Emirates snooker table.
Roll on Sunday.
Dandan,
Good news about Mrs DD. 🙂
Terry,
I like the idea of lamping Hughes.
I think we’ll have to pay for GIE’s ticket to Loftus Road next season. 🙂
Great news dandan. Fantastic.
Got it.
What we need when confronted by a bumpy pitch is a fatty in the squad. During the warm up, we simply roll the lard arse about a bit.
Bring back Nasri, I say 🙂
Or Sammy Lee. He’s roung, he’s fat, he bounces like a ball Sammy Lee, Sammy Lee.
round
Micky,
You know the words very well I’m sure.
He’s fat
He’s round
His arse is on the ground
Sammy Lee Sammy Lee.
emirates on BBC1
Here you go, Micky, some very interesting ‘tactical Bollix’ for you. 🙂
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/04/02/qpr-v-arsenal-diagrams-and-chalkboards/
Those of a sensitive disposition, look away now.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aea_1333380618
Ferrari…long time no see
Chas, hahahahahahha. I think i can safely say, that getting bummed off by a horse makes Terrys list of top 10 unwanted life scenarios.
ramsey for me is a better player coming from the bench and rosicky playing on the wing is no use, no need to play players out of position while we have good players in that position, we saw how djouru fend against villa, but my fear was hightened when carl stood up from the bench. what am saying is play rosicky in the hole and let oxlade or gervinho take the wing.we did this against milan away and this was how it ended *we lost* no more of that formation it affects the team negatively
Fantastic news dandan. Welcome back evonne
How annoying is wordpress nowadays?
What’s up gm? What’s not working for you?
Great news dandan 🙂 Do you need my chicken soup recipe?
It keeps randomly telling me I need to sign in even though I already am
according to bbc the mancs have had 72% possession
they’re toilet GM, and thats with howard webb playing right mid
Is it webb? unbelievable
This is an elaborate April Fool my brother set up for one of his mates who is a Forfar supporter. He’s become a WordPress expert in two days. 🙂
http://forfarfor.wordpress.com/
Webb is having a good game but hasn’t managed to help his team achieve a breakthrough as yet.
DD. Great news. Wish Mrs DD well.
Forfar 5 East Fife 4 🙂
im suprised the only card thus far has gone to valencia and even that was cheap..
people were talking of this game expecting a bit of ‘rough me up’..
By the way, if you were wondering, Angus MacDougall is me.
Hover your cursor over that avatar. 🙂
Ant’s mate has read the ’20 things’ post and we’re still not sure if he knows it’s fake.
Blackburn aren’t a kicking side since Steve Kean took over and Nelsen went to the spuds.
Grant Hanley can be a bit agricultural but only because he has no footballing ability at all.
Just did some research into penalties awarded in the past 372 EPL games. It is of no surprise that Man U are the most favoured.
Here is their record.
Penalties for – every 6.76 games
Penalties against – every 14.31 games
Penalties awarded at home – every 5.03 games
Penalties awarded away from home – every 10.33 games.
In the same sequence our record is….
6.89
9.79
4.65
13.29.
Bias or conspiracy – or a biased conspiracy?
GN5,
Do you think there would be a correlation between league position and the penalty stats? i.e you’d expect that over the last ten years a mid-table team such as Everton, Villa or Tottnumb would all have lower penalty stats than us and United.
By the way, I’m not, in any way, suggesting that Howard Webb and Mike Riley are not complete and utter manc-favouring cheats. 🙂
manure could have been 2-3 down by now..
i think the $hitty fans have their rosary beads out
and thar she blows…1-0 valencia
might be good for us when shitty come to play, they may already feel defeated
Chas,
Only 12 teams have been around for all 372 games, here is the listing shown from the least games between “penalties for” to the most.
Man U
Arsenal,
Liverpool
Aston Villa
Man C
Chelsea
Blackburn
Tottenham
Newcastle
Fulham
Everton
Bolton.
Just got home, Mrs D and I thank all you kind people for your good wishes.
Hate them so much. vermin
Very rapid, GN5.
How about the same teams in average league position order. 🙂
what did vermin ever do to you GM 🙂
They are champions again. I think their star is fading though
One swam up my toilet while I was having a wee fairly recently.
That was one of my favourite AA stories, GM.
Not that you would have enjoyed it much.
I have a thing about closing toilet lids now chas. I also open them very carefully. Are you going on Sunday?
Chas,
For the record here is the “average position” for the top ten teams in the history of the EPL through 2010/11.
Man U = 1.5
Arsenal = 3.7
Liverpool = 4.3
Chelsea = 5.0
Aston Villa = 8.4
Leeds = 8.8
Spurs = 9.2
Newcastle = 9.3
Blackburn = 9.5
Everton = 11.1
The thing about shitty not winning the league is that maureen will be back
Yep, I’ll be there.
Looking forward to it already.
I’m feeling a little bit like this……..
We’ll put nasri out of her misery
Excellent news Dandan.
Thanks, GN5.
I was surprised at Villa being so high but their league position over a longer period shows how well they’ve done.
Reminds me of this.
https://arsenalarsenal.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/heroes-and-villains-match-preview/
A Face like the Smell of Gas…….still makes me laugh.
of course BR, i’ll jump in for a game if it’s alright with peaches and rasp
From the 7:39 link I posted the Zamora and Mackie charts are interesting.
Which is the stronger half of our defence Sagna/Koscielny or Vermaelen/Gibbs?
Certainly on Saturday it was the Bacary/Laurent axis.
Then again I imagine more goals come from the Tommy/Kieran side.
Is this meant to counter the lack of a left-sided forward?
I’m confused. G’night.
Night chas
Hi Oz, I would have loved it if you had replied to BR in the third person:’Of course BR, Oz will jump in for a game….Oz is very happy to do so’ 🙂
TA 🙂
I use 3rd person because, of course, I am not BR.
I am just his mouthpiece.
BR and I are going on a 10 day holiday to Northern Italy where the weather forecast is grim. Hopefully, we will find somewhere to log onto AA (wordpress allowing).
So, it’s Goodbye from me and goodbye from him!
Have a great holiday, BR.
I’m certainly nothing like the uncouth ‘chas’ who posts all sorts of trivial garbage on here. 🙂
Bon voyage Raddy.
I saw your tactical diagrams Chas and my thoughts are “what!”
I think the Utd result was good for us. They play QPR at home in the earlier sunday KO which could put them eight clear of City, meaning they must come at us and open the game up. An early goal from us and its all over for the Oilers. I hoe Nasri is on the pitch 🙂
Nice summary, Micky.
Na$ri is a ho.
Chas,
A tool certainly 🙂
Are you going to City game?
This one’s for Li$a……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uqCocIh3_o
Yes, sir. I’ll be there.
So Fat $am is a heavy roller, a hoe and he speaks with a forked tongue.
Off to work. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
p.s. we didn’t get tickets for the final in the UEFA ballot, so no dilemna about selling them.
Who’s Li$a?
https://twitter.com/mickthegooner/status/187066728092676096
Micky – even I know who’s Li$a! Li$a Na$ri of course
GiE – why that’s funny? He is better than Chamakh. soz, soz, i have just seen the bottom line. Yeah, they all eventually regret
Chas @ 6:49 – it’s internet role-playing. We all do that
Evonne, I said the other day the same, NikB has at least one year left on contract, if I was Arsene and NikB wanted I would keep him in the squad and move Cham on. Also benefits from being homegrown.
If we had wanted a goal in the dying minutes against QPR and NikB had come on would we fans be happier?
GiE – this fan would be happy. NikB is perfectly capable of sheer brilliance, Chamakh aint.
How many goals did Nik score for Sunderland this season? How many Chamakh? I am off to check
GiE – I found this:
‘But you know what is quite cool? He once had his self-confidence measured by French psychologist Jacques Crevoisier who claimed: “One of the categories is called ‘self perceived competence,’ i.e. how good the player himself thinks he is. On a scale up to 9, Bendtner got 10!” ‘
Haha Evonne, are we surprised?
To compare NikB v Cham this season is probably unfair as Chan has very few appearances. However I do believe NikB has the ability to produce something special and I am not prepared to give up on him yet.
News has gone very quiet on Jack recently and not so long ago the Reserves had a behind closed door friendly, am I alone in thinking Jacks back for Shitty game?
GiE – even if Jack makes it for Sunday, is he going to be match-fit?
No, we are not surprised about Nick, good for him! Funny how I love Nick’s confidence, but Szczesny’s cockiness fills me with horror 🙂
Morning all……
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