How would you feel if you had a car which was steeped in history; a car that you bought because it had a certain style, a bit of class, maybe a Jag XJ6 or a Saab. Then someone comes and sprays it yellow, lowers the suspension, fits some furry dice, and a huge spoiler on the boot. That must be how West Ham fans must feel about their club.
Fat Sam’s WHU (note chewing gum on windscreen)
The Academy of Football and Fat Sam, hardly a marriage made in heaven but clearly one that is bearing fruit, they sit above us in the PL. The Jag has become a Toyota Corolla; efficient, goes through walls unscathed and never stops.
Allardyce’s teams have always caused us problems, the long ball, pacy wingers, monstrous centre forwards, hard working spiteful midfield and Easter Island figures at centreback are his trademark. Add to that a GK who invariably plays out of his skin and we can see why an artistic team would struggle.
I don’t like FSA or his teams, which is a shame because I have always had a soft spot for the Hammers. From the 3 world cup heroes to Alan Devonshire and Trevor Brooking and onto Macavennie and Cottee they have had style. A trip to the Boleyn guaranteed entertainment (not least from the Chicken Run). But Allardyce? Shame on the Director’s of this once classy club. They have become the London Orcs and why? Because the shouting, angry, gum-chewing Chewbacca is the anti-Christ of passing football.
I watched their away win at QPR and they look very strong, we will have to be at our best this afternoon and totally concentrated. Kevin Nolan has been a thorn in our side in the past and although he is close to the free bus pass he still causes problems. Jarvis is tricky and expensive, Carroll expensive and dangerous, and Vaz Te is just tricky (and a diver). Whether CArroll starts ahead of Cole is questionable but perhaps the Walrus will pick them both what with WHU being at home.
The midweek win will have re-assured the Arsenal that they are a quality team. I know many have been very critical of our CB’s display but I thought the Greek goal was very good – a superb cross finished off with a sublime header. Had Giroud scored it we would have been ecstatic. Apart from a little tweaking I think a similar team will start today. Hopefully, BFG has recovered from his E.boue because his height and organizational skills will be important.
My concerns are about the power and strength of our midfield, it is a game which cries out for Diaby’s height and power, instead we have a choice of short people. Ramsey, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ox – all short people. However, they are also clever and pacy and highly motivated.
My Team:
I really want to see Giroud start – he looks so sharp and needs the chance to show what he is capable of over 90 minutes. Yes, The Swerve is on a run of goals but he can cut inside from either the left or right wings. Problem with this line-up is that it is essentially a 4-4-2 as Podolski drops so deep.
Concentration will be the key today, no silly yellows for daft tackles, no giving away free-kicks just outside the box, closing down the flanks so as few crosses come in as possible and clinical finishing.
My area of concern? Mannone. This is not a game for a GK who doesn’t boss his area. If he plays well we win, if not ……
Our last 5 trips to Upton Park have resulted in 4 wins and a draw.
A difficult game today but one we can win.
COYRRG
Written by Big Raddy (who will be absent today)
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Coquelin over Ramsey who seems to be on thriving on form as of late? Weird pick :s
Coq gives us a little more bite in midfield, a bit of a plus in this fixture so I’d lean towards starting him and I think he will as he’s also done well recently.
Fantatsic Pre match as always Raddy. I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone but the last time we dropped points there was down to Mannone (I think)
Excellent pre-match, BR.
I’d like to take issue with Ramsey (6 ft), Chamberlain (5ft 11) and Coquelin (5ft 10) being classified as short.
Bit sizist, isn’t it? 🙂
You need to get your facts straight. We are not a long ball side this season, look at the stats, as per this weeks daily mail article. Good luck, you’re need it. COYI!
I’m sure we are in for a surprise then Peter and we will see West Ham at their passing best.
Maybe Long Ball is harsh, direct is probably more appropriate. But this is a results game so if it works then it doesn’t really matter. If it doesn’t it gets boring to watch, we know we went there.
Raddy top pre match as ever.
Chas….can’t think why you think 5ft10 is tall?
I didn’t say it was tall. Can’t you read?
I said I didn’t approve of it being classified as short. 🙂
Cheers for the pre-match, Raddy…good read as always.
I dread these days. Last season was soooo pleasant ‘cos they were missing. I’m not talking about playing WHU…I’m talking about having to listen to Sam “shoulda been England manager and would’ve been if I had a foreign surname” Allardyce’s incessant moaning, prattling and ignorance. By the by…Fat Sam’s surname IS foreign. It’s Scottish. 😉
Expecting a rugged game, think they’ll be testing our full backs the same as everyone else, Gibbs and Jenks will have to repeat their performances of midweek today. Punt is on Giroud to score his first today…Ramsey is the way forward, for me. Coquelin has been playing box to box (notice how often he charged upfield in the week) and I think that Ramsey offers a touch better quality in that sort of a role (although his last 10 mins last week begs to differ!). 3 points, odd goal win but wouldn’t be surprised if we get only a point today. Set-pieces…
Nice to see WHU fans getting on here and throwing a Harry “Wheeler-Dealer” Redknapp style wobbly, too…
🙂 This is where i come for my previews, BigRaddy delivers as always. Thanking you.
I’m not worried about the game, if we are on our metal we will win, if we are not then we wont.
This is the kind of game we latterly take for granted and just coast, lets see if this side has grown, i want to see pressing and concentration. The wayward casual blind passing of TV, Coq & Rambo have to be absent today.
COYG
And if i need more than a Big Raddy preview to get me up for the game & the fight, then i turn up the volume and full screen this amazing vid –
oh well i dont seem to have Chas’s talents in the embedding department.
Morning. Am back from travels and ready for our return to good form.
Excellent prematch Raddy, love the Jag analogy and the pic.
Like most right thinking football fans, I like West Ham, but Allardyce inevitably reduces the level of affection. They may have started well, Fat Sam does like his systems and that does give a sense of structure for his players that has gone well. But they haven’t faced particularly stiff oppo so far (W3 D2 L1 from Villa, Swansea, Fulham, Norwich, Sunderland and QPR). I think we’ll be too much for them today, though we’ll need to keep an eye on Vaz Te and Carroll. Perhaps Yossi will get a run-out today, which would increase the threat levels, but so far he’s hardly been given a chance to show his talents to Hammers fans again, having just had scraps of time coming on as a sub a few times. Seems Fat Sam may not trust the most skilful player in his squad.
For us, I don’t really mind whether Ramsey or Coquelin the nod, they’ve both got something to offer. Am very keen on Mertesacker making his return, I just hope it’s alongside Koscielny. Up front, yes to Giroud as a starter. And also yes to Chamberlain being on the bench alongside Walcott, the Ox has been distinctly off form and needs to start building up again.
2-0 or 3-0 to us.
Jon…true that these are exactly the games we’ve tended to take our eye off the ball for in the past (both figuratively and literally!), but think we have a more focused attitude these days.
Raddy just came into my shop. Lovely to put a face to the name.
Gm
Bet he didn’t have a trim. ROLF
Thanks for the usual top stuff Raddy. Really hope you are right on selection. Nasty feeling we won’t see OG start anx AW will go for AR and Coq
Sorted for you Jon 🙂
Always enjoy reading your pre-match BR.
It seems you are in the smoke? Have a great day.
It’s nice to know that we can all sit back and relax today in the knowledge that Chas has been fed to the Lions and is doing the match report 🙂
I hate ESPN late kick-offs when the wife is going out. Mainly ‘cos I don’t have ESPN. If someone can post a link to a decent stream come the time it’d be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks for the pre-match, make sure you haven`t mucked up any pairings this week as Arsene`s reading ! 🙂
Have a nice time in London .
Rhyle http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=172529&part=sports
The streams will appear there in about an hour or so.
If you have time download SOPcast to play the better bandwidth streams, if you can’t be bothered just use the flash ones (although they suffer a lot of stutter)
Team in full: Mannone, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski, Gervinho, Giroud.
Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Santos, Coquelin, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arshavin.
That is a very attack minded side, I wonder if Arshavin will make an appearence; I hope so, I reckon the penny has made it all the way to the bottom now; that’s to say, he must realise that his days of being the star are over and if he doesn’t start working very hard when he gets and opportunity he could be without a job sooner than he ever thought possible.
Maybe LB, he can still be useful, and he could do a job relieving Santi if we start finishing games off.
Rambo deserves to start given his recent showings, and as Welsh captaincy was taken off him Friday needs a little lift.
Up front is the three many of us called for after Wednesday, will be good to see the other two play off him an switch around.
COYRRG!
COYRRG!
Made it
Love the team
Come on you Gunnnnnnners
Hmmm don’t believe our friend Peter anymore
Bollocks!
Against the damn run of play.
this is bullshit.. all over them, with fantastic football and all the chances and bang…like an injection 😦
Cmon boys, lets turn this game on its head and bring home the bacon….
Cmon Arsenal!
2nd yellow for Diame sir?
Refs a wanker, we are up against 12 players today…typical
Think the ref might qualify as “home-grown” talent for this game…
Phil Dowd really is the worst referee
Will always give free kicks against Arsenal if bigger man goes over, but if they foul us its always because we’re soft so nothing given
Dowd is chicken shit.
Diame was already on a yellow, his foul on Arteteta was a clear yellow, from behind…the man shouldnt be playing and in the showers already..game changer
WHAT A BEAUTY BY BY GIROUD!
OLIIIIIIIIIII great goal
PuRRRRRRRRFECT…!
I love him, he has style, and now he can stop pulling faces 🙂
COYRRG!
Pride of London We ARE and the World over
THANK YOU VERY MUCH OLIVIER! Tidy few quid in my pocket this weekend!
time to change my grundies…
that was close just before half time….phew
GIE…thanks for the suggestion…never trusted Wiziwig (or whatever it used to be called) but this is FANTASTIC.
Brilliant genuine strikers goal. So pleased for the man.
Micky,
Now watch him pull a hat trick out of nowhere 🙂
Tight and tense and contrary to Peters opinion earlier West Ham under Allardyce are still a long ball team. It’s still all about the restart.
Funny moment that half was seeing 5 or 6 claret shirts charge forward in a line through the midfield because they had managed to hold the ball for more than 5 seconds out wide and up the pitch.
Normally I would say we need to find a way to play through the defensive lines but it seems to be one bank of 8 we are up against, with Nolan patrolling in front and one man left up.
Good to see we haven’t been afraid to shoot early from distance but needs guile rather than power to pick a route over the amount of bodies in the box.
Need an early one at the start of the second.
Thought we held a better line against the long ball today would still like to see us a few yards further out and win a bit more second ball, Arteta and Rambo just need to be around wherever Carroll is.
Oh and if Carrols marking BFG then he shouldn’t be our target.
Glad you’re watching Rhyle 🙂
GIE…me too, believe me…although “glad” may be stretching it as my host at the moment has decided to turn on to MTV for some outrageously poor pop music rather than listen to the pundits…
Can’t say I blame but…MTV?!
What’s impressed me most with Giroud is his footwork in possession…and he was unlucky with some earlier efforts.
😀 let’s hope he remembers to switch back.
We allow the crowd to lift the opponents sometimes.
hasnt taken long for miss injuries to show her ugly face… Diaby now gibbs 😦
when it rains it …..
Dirty f*******
PPP that was strategic for Gibbs ….. can’t be selected for England now 😀
Thats Karma Vaz Te..
He left his leg out and could have easilly concussed Don Vito when he connected…
Ahh, yeah forgot about that.
great defending theo
thats four times poldi has laid a ball on a plate from out wide..purrfect distribution, and per is AAAAAAAAMazing…
Those Germans and their efficiency 😉
Vaz Te…dislocated shoulder, that ‘ill learn ya kiddo
Dowd absolutely swallowed it there…did NOT want to make the tough decision!
PurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrFECT..
Get in baby!!!
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Theo!!! Great finish, away fans sure loved that!
Top pass by Oli, lovely finish by Theo
He keeps aking Wenger the question that Feo
*asking*
Awwww yeeeeaaaah….although you spoiled it a little for me Triple-P! Goal hadn’t gone in on my stream when you posted that!
NO FUCKING CHICKEN DANCE TONIGHT..
THats the title of tommorrows post..
sorry i cant do it, i gotta go 🙂 🙂 🙂
What the f*** was wrong with that celebration?! He didn’t take his shirt off, he didn’t put it over his head…maybe he should take a very shallow bow, run to the half way line while the other players give him a very polite “golf” clap and then just get on with the game…wouldn’t that be nice? To totally eliminate the passion from the game?
What a goal!
PURRRRRRFECT BABY
WENGER your a rip roaring genius
I like the 3 at the back
Good display today, especially from TV5
You know what, that Arsenal are looking a bit special
Off out again, and I’m not sulking this time either
So so happy
Give them all a pay rise. Underpaid the lot of them
I bloody love The Arsenal
Gloat away my merry fellows
Two happy weeks ahead
Mannone did well, at least he didnt get bored
Micky and PPP rofl
Where is everyone?
Hi all
How good was that? I love it when it’s scary and then we win anyway 😆
There were some seriously good chances laid on a plate where Wham players got in the way. Great win though, happy happy happy 🙂
It seem like Vermaelen join the attack less when he played with Mertesacker.
Cazorla? wow, just wow. Arsene should have a statue outside the emirates just for buying him..
If the ‘Fabregas Arsenal’ side have had half of the spirit that the current Arsenal side have, Chelsea would not be the first London team that won the CL trophy.
Hi GiE – Mannone made some good saves I thought but what do I know, was he OK did you think?
Fantastic win, we didn’t get the refereeing decisions (red card for wham and penalty).
Wham are definitely still a long ball team when they play against footballing teams.
We need Theo to sign. The psychological effect of his situation is bringing out the best in him, we want that quality at the Arsenal.
Anyone remember who had the assist for Cazorla’s goal?
Walcott was the one who provided the assist.
I’m here GIE, just trying to work out your 6:48.
Dirty F*******. Dirty Feathers?
Code for ‘rude birds’? Maybe. 🙂
Better today Peaches but some occasional blips where he went for balls badly (ie not attacked enough).
Overall ok though.
Rob think TV5 knew he couldn’t go running up field today and on such a right pitch it’s impossible anyway as he would just create more bodies.
Really liked how comfortable playing 3 at the back at the end was. Always had a passing option and it pushed Santos and Jenkinson up. Hopefully it’s planted a seed for Wenger going forward, 3-4-3 could actually work quite well with our current players.
Also wish Theo would stop with the “I want to be a centre forward”, if he makes runs like today and playing with Giroud up front he could score a lot of goals from that position.
😀 RA it was automatically censored
Peaches’s mum saves the day, again, eh GIE? 🙂
Totally agree with you about Theo too.
He took his goal superbly, but Giroud cannot be taken out of the team now. He is a genuine CF and opens up the attacking options with his runs, his aerial power and also his defensive skills when we are defending corners.
Nice . Very nice. Watched the last 30 mins and we were strolling. Can’t wait to watch the whole game.
We remain unbeaten away.
Lovely to meet Goonermichael today. What a good looking man he is – Well, that is what Mrs Raddy said and she is a World Expert on good looking men.
Peche, walcott provided the assist. Still dont trust Manonne
Strange that Hammer saying his team don’t play hoof ball. The man is deluded. Most headers won – Carroll.
Chas. I must have my tele on widescreen because I thought ou MF’s were all about five eight. To discover Ramsey is 6′ is a surprise.
Bit worried about one of our youngsters, he tweeted how “we were unlucky, linesman was a *********, and Nolan missed three chances”
I asked him if I was following a West Ham youngster by mistake….have unfollowed him now.
Whereas Nico Yennaris tweeted that Santi had unbelievable tekkers. Can’t disagree with that.
Time to be shot down, have we seen a player at Arsenal as two footed as Santi?
Dennis?
GIE
I posed the same question a couple of weeks ago. Dennis naturally springs to mind but I don’t remember him being anywhere near as good with his left as SC. The right, of course, is a whole different story.
SC certainly was MOTM by the length of the Northern Line, I would say.
GIE…who was that?!
Dennis is the only one I can think of who was truly two footed…my dad says Peter Storey but he’s a million miles away from me and being pissy ‘cos he missed the game…lol…
Good fight back today, we could have buckled, it all bodes well for the near future.
I have never seen Gervinho put in a memerable performance of the right wing, he is so much more effective on the left but we have the Pod. Wenger had to find a place for the Ivorian with his recent goals and all so I understand why he gave him another go out there on the right.
Nice to meet you too Raddy. Your wife is very attractive!
It wasn’t just me then. vaz te did leave his foot in and it was Karma. Dowd was disgraceful. i thought he’d failed a fitness test and wasn’t going to work this season.
OK, I will pose the question, probably to be shot down very quickly but here goes.
How many long range goals can anyone remember DB scoring with his left foot?
I just know Chas is going to post about 10 youtube clips in the next hour.
BR 8:09. You need to got to Specsavers.
🙂
-OO-
VCC nothing wrong with the eyesight, the judgement on the other hand ……..
I’m happier than Louis Walsh bathing one direction!
Arsenal with a brilliant last 20 minutes to beat West Ham, Giroud banging in the first of many, Cazorla smashing home a beauty, Fat Sam looking like he wants to cry, and finally the Rhinos winning the Grand Final (rugby league, it’s not as big down south!).
Happy fudging days!
And don’t forget we got the second best defence in the league!
Can’t defend? Tall sides? Getting bullied? Pfffft!
We are the bullies!
Report in the Nuts bomb bay.
By popular request…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0iIiXvjYdg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR3BEYbUQQ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ogtegu8F4
I figured Denis but he wasn’t necessarily a shooter and passer with both.
Aaron Ramsey seems to be quite two footed as does Arteta. To have control with two feet should be a given in football at the top level as should being able to pass 5-10 yards, but being truly two footed allows Santi to wrong foot defenders. He played that reverse pass to Giroud with his right but the defence were running to block a shot he was shaping to hit which made the pass easier, it’s such an asset to have at your disposal. If that had been say Podolski or Giroud shaping on their right I doubt the defence would have been as quick to move to block.
Should say the second goal was a very good counter attack, again something we have failed to exploit in recent seasons on the rare occasions the opposition have broken ranks.
It’s unsurprising that we bossed passing stats again but I am also impressed by some of the less artistic parts of the game.
West Ham—————–AFC
74.8—-Passing Success—–87.3
15——Tackles —————-21
73.3—–Tackles Success—-90.5
31.3—–Possession——–68.7
41.5—-Territorial Advantage—-58.5
266—-Total Passes —–606
16——Total Crosses—–34
135—–Lost Balls——–148
52——Recoveries——-60
31.2—-1st Half Poss.—-68.8
29.7—–2nd Half Poss.—70.3
Before MotD I may have to watch some of te Liverpool Documentary, apparently Brendan Rodgers is coming across a bit David Brent.
Great display. Giroud is goingf to be very good!
I hate international week!!!!
GiE,
Double the amount of crosses is an interesting stat too. I don’t think that would’ve happened had Giroud been benched.
Morning all.
I only saw extended highlights but overall a very good team performance.
However how often do we boss a game for the first 25 minutes (78%) and then the inevitable happens with the oppositions first attack they
score,.Not nit picking over that goal,it was a great strike.
Pleased for Giroud and goals will come.
Still think Podolski hasn’t found his right position in the team.
Now Theo, a man I often critisize but today he was calm and scored an exquisite goal at a vital stage of the game and what can you say about the ever smiling Santi, most probably the best buy of the season a true orchestral leader.
Mannone still scares, me.Made some good saves but rarely feels comfortable at corners or set pieces and either flaps or misses most high balls, and talking about corners,we need to work on that as 99% of them are wasted.
Ramsey had a good game but needs to cut out the hollywood passes and it wasn’t gervinho’s day.
We could have scored at least two more but then so could WH.
The team seem at the moment to perform better away from home and i wonder why.
It’s a nervous occupation supporting and watching our boys 🙂
Morning all,
@ Rasp, i think we need a splash of green in our seasons compared widget (2012/13) 🙂
We had roast chicken with baked spudz for lunch today..
I couldnt stop laughing, Kevin Nolan is a has been, and what gooner doesnt enjoy polishing off some spudz?
happy dayz
ps, Corporal Jenks is using the same protein shake that Kozzer was drinking last season, he is a Beast, and a very fast one…its very hard to stand out when the limelight is on Santis brilliant feet, or Poldis purrfect canon or Ollie’s goalscoring prowess but somehow (in my mind) our two fullbacks have come in leaps and bounds, but more so our young corporal, considering where he came from, the peanuts our stingy mcScrooge manager paid for him, his lack of experience, and the amount of big names he has scalped in his short pro career..
Did i mention he is fast… ok, my ode to Jenks is done 🙂
People were quick to call Olivier Giroud a flop when he joined Arsenal, solely because of two missed chances which he should have buried. Since missing those chances he’s been nothing short of excellent whenever he’s been called upon.
Over the past 6 games Giroud has only played 289 minutes of football, but he’s scored twice and assisted four, becoming Arsenal’s top assist maker in the process. This means he’s directly played a part in a goal for every 48 minutes which he’s spent on the pitch.
Over that 6 game period, Arsenal have netted 11 goals in the time Giroud’s been on the pitch, as opposed to just 5 goals without him. Of those 11 goals scored whilst Giroud was on the pitch, he’s directly played a part in 6 of them.
These stats mean that Arsenal score over twice as many goals with Giroud as they do without him and he directly plays a part in over half of the goals scored whilst he’s on the pitch.
You can’t judge a striker on their goal scoring alone. At the end of the day, a win for the team is all that matters.
Flop? Don’t be stupid.
PPP,
It’s those Malcolm Macdonald legs I can’t get over.
Couldn’t stop a greased pig in an alleyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqtcXX8gL2I
Chas,
haha, thanks for the vid, actually thnks for all of them..
A sparrow just landed on my window sill, and then Arshavin was the focus of the video.. 🙂
Does anyone remember a show, a fair few years ago, about a furry alien named ‘ALF’ ?
My sister reckons Santi looks like Alf when he smiles..
Alf was a favourite of hers when she was growing up..
Its always good to turn a non believer into a gooner, she watched the whole game and Santi is now a favourite and so is Arsenal..
She hasnt really taken too much notice of our results since Freddie Ljungberg 🙂
I WANT A MATCH REPORT AND I WANT IT NOW!
Surely, a 3-1 derby win away to the hammers with a team that will struggle according to anyone not named ‘Gary Neville’ would get Arsene off his arse and dancing..
maybe Chas can post the Arsene dancing vid in the comments section of the match report..hint hint wink wink cough cough 😉
Right, off to walk my puppy..He is a chiuhaha x pom, his name is Ollie, he’s small but ironically has a huge ding dong…hahaha
i also have a goldfish named ‘fluffy’ 🙂
ive got my coat
Morning all.
That was a very important win. Can you imagine having to go into a two week interlull on the back of a loss.
Rob,
Those are fantastic OG stats. Thank you.
The away strip from yesterday?
Has it made a comeback? Is it an official third kit?
Yes it is micky as it was thought our purple haze might clash with the claret.
Morning all
We have a match report from chas ………….
New Post …………………
Morning All, 🙂
Rob, you are spot on in your comment at 7:05. 🙂
Just a slight point, when you said ‘People were quick to call Olivier Giroud a flop when he joined Arsenal, solely because of two missed chances’, I know what you mean, but I think you might have put “Some” in front of it.
Many on here, including your truly, did not hold that view.
I also said, last night, that it must be impossible to drop him now. Not just because of his strength, aerial ability, and assists, but also for his aerial strength in defence, especially from set pieces.