Hands up who thinks we will win tonight? Mmmmmm seems I am in the minority. OK, Schalke dominated the game at The Emirates and were deserving winners, but tonight is a chance to rectify those mistakes and continue on our path to winning the Champions League ….. And before you start to say BR is 3 sheets to the wind, may I remind you of who is the current CL Champions and how they won Big Ears?
We can win and here is why ……
First and foremost, Mr Jack Wilshere. We are unquestionably better with him in the side. I guess that under normal circumstances AW would rest Wilshere for tonight but given his coming enforced rest, Jack must start. I would like to linger on Jack for a moment. How did he escape media and fans rebuke for getting sent off? How could it be that it was Mr Wenger who took all the brickbats for JW’s stupidity? Wilshere is an established International, he has played over 60 games for Arsenal, yet at Old Trafford he was on a yellow, had been warned by the referee as to his future conduct and still committed a foul that in the ref’s view deserved a yellow. Why was he so reckless? To say AW should have taken him off is unreasonable – should every player on a yellow get subbed? No, of course not. A great player needs to be on the pitch to assist his team and JW let us down, tonight he will make amends.
Another plus: Bacary Sagna: At least BS should get some decent crosses into Giroud who I predict will score tonight.
The second Leg: Mr Wenger will address the way Schalke double teamed Santos. Gibbs remains unavailable so a different solution must be found – perhaps playing Coquelin in place of Podolski?). Much mooted is the idea of playing Vermaelen at LB and bringing back Koscielny. My concern with this tactic is the pace of the Schalke’s wingers. TV is a fine player in a poor run of form and works best as a CB. I would prefer to continue with Santos and make TV aware of his covering responsibilities.
Schalke are good, very good but we should remember that for the first 20 minutes of the last game Arsenal were well on top, we looked comfortable and the following hour remains a shock . That Affellay, Farfan and Huntelaar are quality players should come as no shock.
The injury list is just so annoying – Ox, Gibbs, Szczesny, Diaby , Gervinho – all fine players, all would be vying for a start tonight. And that is without important squad members Rosicky, Fabianski, Ramsey etc. Will there ever be a time when we can choose from an injury-free squad ?
My team: …. I was asked whether this my ideal choice or those I anticipate AW will make – it is the latter.
The news that Walcott is doubtful due to sickness came after this post was written, your guess as to his replacement is as good as anyone’s
We have to be more attacking than we have been in the last few weeks. I understand the need to secure the defensive side of our game and in the absence of both Ox and Theo there were few alternatives but the team has been dreadfully short of creativity.
The Schalke fans were superb at The Emirates and they are fervent at home, 60,000+ will be willing their team on. We almost silenced the German fans at Borussia Dortmund, we can do the same tonight.
Today’s explorer: John Rae (1813-1893). Rae’s speciality was ice – lots of it. He tried to find the Northwest Passage – some say he did find it – once walking 1200 miles through forest in two months during a Canadian winter. He learned Inuit and explored Greenland and Iceland .
Dr Rae anticipating a good performance tonight
Schalke have only kept one home clean sheet in 14 games in Europe. As another great Scot Dave Mackay once said “Attack is the best form of defence ” (Charles Buchan Football Monthly Feb 1964).
COYRRG
Written by Big Raddy
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Walcott is ill.
Wilshire Cazorla Arteta need to gel. They need to all have pretty defined spots in a midfield full of technical players.
They need to pass the ball forward.
Cazorla needs to find his inner bergkamp again… he was head and shoulders above his opponents until the chelsea game… now he has a handbrake on..
TV needs a break
Santos needs to take the next sleigh out of here… play meade or tv in the lb spot
Post was written last night before any announcement about Walcott.
Morning Raddy, who would you like in place of Walcott – I will make the changes
My preferred lineup (3-4-1-2):
Mannone(GK)
Sagna(RWB/RM) – Koscielny(CB-RB) – Mertesacker(CB-SW) – Vermaelen(CB-LB) – Santos(LWB/LM)
Arteta(CM-Holding) – Wilshere(CM-Box2Box)
Cazorla(AM/Free) – Arshavin(FW/WideForward) – Podolski(FW/MainForward)
Subs: Shea, Jenkinson, Djourou, Coquelin, Walcott, Giroud, Chamakh
Note: Technicality of starting front players – Cazorla/Arshavin/Podolski against the Schalke defence led by their captain and key defender, Benedikt Howedes.
With moving closer to qualification to the next round of CL as priority by avoiding defeat.
Morning all, thanks for the PM Raddy. The loss of Walcott does create a problem as The Pod, and Cazorla prefer to play from the left. I wouldn’t want to see Giroud be asked to do a ‘Bendtner’ and play wide right.
Maybe this situation might force us to play a 4:4:2 (in my dreams) with a midfield 4 of Arteta, Wilshere, Coquelin and Cazorla with The Pod and Giroud as a front two.
But I’m deluded, it will be 4:5:1, with Giroud up top on his own and the other 5 packing the midfield.
Cheers, BR.
John Rae and Charles Buchan. 🙂
Will we win tonight? Logic says no, but when has football ever been about logic?
Cmon you Gunners.
I think Coquelin is a good shout, Rasp.
I’ve a feeling Koscielny will play, too.
Raddy,
I know I should focus on the football stuff first, but no, its straight to the explorer and the best bit is always the pic caption. Love it.
BR,
Incidentally, Percy Harrison Fawcett thought the Ice Explorers were a bunch of glory hunting ponces.
@ JM
When has Wenger ever played three centre-backs?
I think Wenger will replace Walcott with Coquelin to win possession of the ball more often. If you don’t have possession you can’t score goals like Roy does! (Roy of the Rover’s annual, 1964).
Formation 4-5-1 as usual.
This is Wenger’s team. Yes, Santos again.
Mannone
Sagna – Mertesacker – Vermaelen – Santos
Cazorla – Wilshere – Coquelin – Arteta – Podolski
Giroud
Re Walcott, and in the words of Basil Fawlty: “Ah yes, of course, the flu”
Oh hello, I see many many people, despite the loss of Ox, Theo and Gerv doing anything to unearth a formation that does not have Ramsey out right.
I know exactly who Arsene will start with 🙂
Ramsey’s injured, Micky.
@ MickyDidIt89, and all
Apparently Ramsey is unavailable, presumably injured (?)
Like Big Al’s proposal (Wedding Monthly, Readers Letters, March 1978)
Chas,
Ah, the injury! Sure its not the family bereavement? That’s another good’n.
Ok, enough sarcy comments from me.
My serious thoughts…let’s try and get Podolski into shooting areas.
Good Post, BR and I have a gut feeling that we will surprise many by achieving a snatch and grab victory.
I’ve just come across this photo of Big Al nervously awaiting tonight’s game.
http://twitpic.com/basczd/full
I think we could see the little Russian tonight if Ramsey is not fit, and it wouldn’t shock me if Kozzer and Coquelin started. Who they would replace is anyone’s guess!
Don’t rule out a draw tonight.
Wenger needs a performance.
A win is secondary.
He needs a fist pumping, chest thumping rage of a performance.
He needs Shalke to be under the kosh… their keeper has to work harder than Mannone.. if we lose he needs the commentator to say that it against the run of play and that their keeper played out of his skin.
I’d play Arshavin.
I’d play walcott if he recovers and tell them the starting shirt is theirs if they play well tonight.
Sorry to stray off the topic of today’s game, but Henry Winter is a journo I really respect and I think he’s talking a lot of sense in this article…….particularly the part about wages….
“Arsenal seem to have lost their will to win. They need a change in culture, acquiring unity, defiance and a greater hunger for glory. It is as if the constant pronouncements from Arsène Wenger that finishing fourth is actually a trophy in itself, a philosophy the board has willingly echoed, have eroded the competitive streak on and off the field.
Football is about winning, about trophies, about fans having their day out at Wembley or at finals across in Europe. For Arsenal fans of recent vintages, their memories are shaped by Michael Thomas sealing that “it’s up for grabs now” title moment at Anfield in 1989 or Alan Smith striking that elegant Cup Winners’ Cup winner in 1994. They do not talk about the game when Champions League qualification was secured. They reminisce joyously about titles, about Tony Adams beating Everton’s keeper Thomas Myhre in the 1998 title-winning victory or the indomitable drive of Patrick Vieira and finishing of Thierry Henry in the era of the Invincibles.
Since then, Arsenal’s focus has seemed more on the bottom line than the finishing line. Club accountants across the land chatter excitedly about the £30million on offer for being invited down the red carpet into the VIP club of the Champions League. Yet thanks to Richard Scudamore’s negotiating skills, elite English clubs’ earnings will increase by that figure each year when the new broadcasting deal kicks in, like happy hour at the Klondike.
Arsenal should stop worrying about Uefa’s gold and focus more on silverware. That means a more intelligent wage structure, rewarding excellence with substantial, performance-related deals and not overpaying the underachieving such as Andrei Arshavin, the club’s top earner on £80,000 a week despite being patently surplus to requirements. Marouane Chamakh, Sébastien Squillaci and Johan Djourou are in the £50-£60,0000 bracket yet contribute little.
Arsenal have become the Comfortable Club. Theo Walcott, a huge asset, is on £60,000 a week and has been offered £75,000 a week with a new five-year deal. Even if his people are pushing their demands (as agents do), Walcott certainly deserves more than Arshavin, particularly given the England premium and that Walcott is of immense lucrative use for commercial campaigns and is a public-relations one-man charm machine for community initiatives.”
We definitely need to get Podolski shooting.
Here are his shots/goal stats from before the manc game (EPL only).
Hi chas, I didn’t think Santos was that much worse than most others against manu and I am purposefully avoiding any scapegoating of players in these difficult times … but. ….. I saw some stats from Santos’ performance last Saturday that were damning to say the least. Did you read the same article, it gave ratings on all the players based on pass completion/tackles won etc … can you find a link?
…….. Mertesacker came top of the player ratings taking everything into consideration. …….
Crikey Rasp,
I had no idea AA was top earner. Great article and it does highlight a real problem in that rewards in any business need to be seen to performance related. The club is run like some public sector doss house.
Yikes…ruuuuun
I agree Micky. At the last AGM Gazidis specifically said that the wage structure policy had been wrong and that they were going to try to correct to become more in line with other top clubs, but at the AGM this year no mention was made. I still get the im,pression that AW believes in wage parity … that idea more than anything I believe has contributed to our lkack of trophies and players wanting to leave.
By a modest calculation, £250k a week is probably being wasted on players who aren’t good enough but we can’t sell because no other club wants top match their wages. I’m sure other clubs have some players in a similar position, but not as many as Arsenal and not as a result of policy rather than form.
Chas,
Your Pod stats back up what I said post Utd game.
130 mins per shot on target!!!
Kind of begs the question, why buy a top scorer from a good league and stick him wide left, a position that Arsene just said has increasing defensive duties.
Damn it, I’m moaning again,and I’m really trying to be positive and excited on match day.
New reformed DidIt from here on 🙂
This is what Gazidis said in June this year……
“We have inefficiency of spending in our squad – but we are moving towards as efficient a model as possible. Our wage structure has been based around a flatter salary structure – that is part of a team ethos the manager develops, it’s about interaction between players – not superstars.
“But we have looked at this carefully and we have to make adjustments for top talent. They are earning a lot of money and I don’t think that will slow down. We have to adjust our model.”
Rasp,
There is no doubt at all that Arsene is from the touchy feely, group huggy, we’re all equal here school.
Schalke lost at Hoffenheim on Saturday, so it is not just us licking the wounds
Great PM BR thanx
Micky – you forgot ‘happy clappy’ 🙂
Excellent as always, BIG Radinsky 🙂
I cannot find any info that Theo is definitely out. He was ill yesterday, but has still travelled. I really hope the Pod will not play on the left but centrally tonight, with Theo and Arshavin on the wings (and allowed to interchange positions during the match).
I don’t agree with you on Jack letting us down on Saturday. He really seemed to understand what was at stake against the Mancs. He was fighting for something, not just doing his job, and for me he set a big example on the day.
As many others have said, we need a proper team-performance tonight. I don’t think it will be all guns blazing, because that would be suicide against Schalke 04. It will be the battle of midfield again, which we need to win slowly but steadily, and JW10 will hold to key, I reckon.
Is this it, Rasp?
I didn’t see it but this came up with a search.
http://blog.squawka.com/2012/11/05/six-tried-five-didnt-player-ratings-for-arsenal-vs-united/
Good God, its Total, aka King Touchy Feely. Quick, hide 🙂
Although, before I vanish, I do like your idea of Theo and AA wide, with Pod central.
Chas,
I shouldn’t, but I am ROLFING here, afterall, however those scores are calibrated, it does seem a tad harsh giving a player a score of -33 🙂
I think if the price is right we should takeover the club, providing I get to sit bang in the middle of the front row.with peaches and evonne either side of me. GIE naturally centre back with Red arse.
GLIC and TMHT on the flanks ( providing there is no wind)
Micky and RL wherever they like and GN5 on dandan’s lap. Chas will of course take the photo.and TA and BR any translation needed.
Yes thanks chas, that’s the article, not comfortable reading … but also possibly not as objective as it is portrayed?
As far as tonight is concerned, I consider it to be a less important game than Fulham on Saturday. We are lucky we managed an win away at Montpellier, the home game against them could be the one that decides whether we progress through the group stage.
We have to put in a good peformance against Fulham, it will not be the end of the world if we lose tonight, we can still qualify for the next round, lose to Fulham and the atmosphere at the club will become toxic.
Your splendid pre-match put me in mind of a somewhat different pre-match of my own some years ago.
Trying to ensure I remained in my uncle’s good graces — and his Will — I tried to convince him that there were more things in life than the NY Giants, and that despite his besotted insistence that the love of his life, were the only sporting institution worthy of discussion, I would introduce him to a club that were the equal or better than these NFL behemoths.
“You must come and join me at Highbury to see the fabulous, world famous Arsenal, when you are next in London.” I said, in a demure tone.
“Arsenal, what’s that a gun club?” he asked. “No, no, the Gunners are a footballing institution, beloved of millions of fans world wide — just like the Giants”, quoth I.
Back came the swift and disinterested riposte, “A football club called Arsenal, or is it the Gunners? Never heard of them, but I suppose you are actually referring to soccer or soccerball, my boy.”
With a characteristic languid and dismissive wave of his hand, that I could actually sense down the ‘phone, he continued, “Spare me, please, your turgid rhetoric and boot licking protestations that the mighty Giants and this, this ….. Gunner club can be considered in the same breath, and while on the subject of protestations, be equally sparing of the soda you always injudiciously put in my whiskey.
That admittedly, is far better than the singular baptism I experienced with your insipid beer, on my last visit, as a result of which, the resultant flatulence rendered my best blue pinstripe trousers a faded, ghastly greenish-white shade and the fabric evaporated under the merest touch.”
I took this rebuke to mean I would need to be careful of his clothes on any future visit, primarily by curtailing any offers of excellent pre-match beer, despite my own proclivities. Neither did I wish to expedite any further laundering problems so with all the unction and servility I could muster, I promised that if he would only join me at Arsenal, I would ensure he would enjoy the very best whiskey on the rocks and an altogether exquisite meal after the said game in Rules.
Needless to say, after these blandishments, he accepted and two months later, following a wonderful Dennis Bergkamp display of rhapsodical football, he proceeded to distinguish himself by a show of gluttony that would have dismayed Falstaff.
Sadly, he then proceeded to regale the other guests at the dinner table with a disquisition on the art of love, on which he professed himself to be an expert, and bolstering it with quotations from the Kamasutra so vivid that my girlfriend blanched and almost fainted dead away…. the following morning he was gone before daylight, back to his cronies in NY, accompanied by my Arsenal programme ………. bastard! 🙂
Just for a bit of perspective, Chelsea players Yossi Benayoun and Florent Malouda both earn around 95k a week!
I will use the 4-3-3 formation which we know it will be but that is not to say it would necessarily be my preferred choice of line up. If Theo and Ramsey are still out as well as the Ox then my formation would be :
Mannone
Sagna, Koscielny, BFG, Vermaelen
Arteta Wilshere
Santi
Podolski Arshavin
Giroud
I would prefer to see us line up with more intent to attack and score goals. Whatever anyone thinks about AA he still tries to constantly open teams up and give us more penetration. It doesn’t always come off but that is sometimes the trade off with a player that is trying to make things happen rather than pass safely sideways or backwards. Giroud needs supply and AA consistently provides very high assist rates. This line up also encourages both AA and Podolski to come in closer to Giroud onto their favoured foot for shooting so hopefully it will naturally encourage more support for him. I would play Vermaelen at LFB because AA will not provide as much cover in front and TV will be the best left-footed defender we have available to deal with this. That is the trade off for playing a more attacking player ahead of him. If Gibbs was available then I may think differently. Podolski has been a bit indifferent on the left recently so try him on the right where he has played for Cologne before. We have set up a bit too defensively recently for my liking with line-ups that seem more designed to contain teams and it doesn’t seem to suit us. Lets rediscover our attacking verve and go for the jugular with a more attacking line up. COYG’s
Hi sgg, there is no argument that the chavs, city and manu can and will pay higher wages than Arsenal (well certainly not from me), what concerns me isthe policy of staying within a narrow band that overrewards at the lower end and undervalues at the top of the scale.
Hi GoonerB, I agree about AA’s assists – I just wish our other forward players had the same faith. If AA has the ball out wide faced with 2 defenders in a tight position, he invariably gets a cross into the box, we just need our forwards to take a punt once in a while and anticipate the delivery by being in the right place to poke the ball home.
Redders, your 11.53 is a linguistic feast for the eye. 🙂
STATS!!
“Mertesacker : succeeding with 1 out of 1 tackles.”
1 tackle made against Man Utd of all teams?
Perhaps he should have tackled more?
Two sides to a coin.
“Mertesacker succeeded with 98 of 101 passes, incredible for a central defender.”
erm, no… He passes backwards, sideways, and forwards by a distance of 5 yards. He never passes a long ball. Never!
Therefore it’s practically impossible for him to fail with all his passes – in fact I’m surprised he actually failed with 3 passes.
Passing the ball, or passing the buck?
Two sides to a coin.
@ Chas, 10.53am
Yellow smiley face.
Walcott ill? ? Is he really refusing to play? Is he that unhappy with Wenger? Really, could we have possibly handled his situation any worse? I dont think we could have if we tried. every step of the way, its a disgrace.
Rasp, you are right about players taking a punt on getting on the end of things. It is something Utd always do well. If you have more players attacking balls in the box you have more chance of getting on the end of them. Bigger clubs that claim to play an attacking style have to be brave enough to commit men into the box. We have not been brave enough recently. early in the season we had attacking players committing themselves in numbers into the box but we seem recently to have reverted to our normal way of only having one player at most getting in the box. Committing players like this can leave you slightly exposed but that is the chance you take if you are an attacking side. I am sure we would end up with more positives than negatives.
One thing in the Utd game highlighted this for me. It was mentioned on this site somewhere but more in reference to Giroud where we had got down their flank away from their RFB and were looking to play the ball in. Giroud pulled back slightly where some feel he should have attacked the 6 yard box. I actually had no problem with the position Giroud took up as he was attempting to provide an option. The defenders would have been watching and tracking him anyway. The bigger problem was Ramsey coming in behind him. He had the time and opportunity to attack the 6 yard box coming in behind Giroud but instead of that he ambled into the centre of the box almost on the same line as Giroud and the player looking to play the ball in. He could have provided the 2nd option but ruled himself out by his positioning and not taking a chance. He also can see where Giroud has gone and that he is drawing the defenders with him which would have meant Ramsey ghosting into the 6 yard box at the right time may not have been picked up. i found it very frustrating that a player at that level is either not trained or doesn’t have the instincts to recognise a potential opportunity like that.
It may not have been exactly as I put it here but if anyone has any footage of that moment of the game it may be interesting to review as for me it is one of those simple things that you often see with us and that we just seem to ignore that could make such a difference.
Gone for a bit now. catch up later.
Hi Big Al, 🙂
Statistics are a valuable tool for assessing significant trends, but as you imply, the interpretation of the available data is all important.
A guy throwing paper balls into a waste paper basket can have a low success rate of say 15%, but still be the best shot, because the only other player is Stevie Wonder.
If you are right about Mertesecker and his 5 metre passes, he might appear on the face of it to be more successful than Cazorla, for instance, who may be less successful (?), but it is obvious that his passes would produce more goal scoring chances etc.
Nice post Big Raddy. I also believe we will win! [waves hands]
Big Al 🙂
To do the boring stuff consistently well is a great attribute – just ask his best mate Vermaelen!
Rasp,
Totally agree regarding the wages. It just makes you realise why so many players have gone to the opposition recently. Theo played with Yossi last year, could you imagine how Theo must have felt finding out that Yossi is earning the amount he does as a player surplus to requirements!?
I can accept the likes of Arshavin and Chamakh being on high wages, because when they were signed, Wenger obviously believed he would get his monies worth. he cant get every signing correct, and you only have to look at the Chelsea examples to see that every manager makes transfer mistakes. The salaries i cant get my head around are people like Squillaci, who Wenger obviously never really fancied to make an impact seeing as hes only played a handful of games, and the younger players wages. We have to stop rewarding these young players with such high salaries. We would still be able to sign these youngsters without paying the ridiculous amounts we do. They should only be rewarded once they’ve proven themselves.
TA. Exactly – were Adams or Steve Bould ball players? No, they got the ball and passed it short to the MF’s.
There are very, very few Baresi’s in the world.
This is the squad for tonight’s game:
Keepers: Vito Mannone, James Shea
Defence: Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Thomas Vermaelen, Johan Djourou, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Andre Santos
Midfield: Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin
Attack: Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh
Only 4 midfielders so we can be pretty sure they will all start……..
….. Walcott is listed in the squad. There is a bug going round that makes you feel sick all the time … my son has it.
Thanks sgg @ 1:29, we are in harmony 😛
Mertesacker doesn’t need to tackle so often because he is very good at cutting out the danger before a tackle is required. I’d bet his interception stats are very good.
I am another to jump on the players wages bandwagon and agree with Rasp and SGG in that why does the club pay the youngsters so much in wages, when they are unproven, on the lowest rung of any professional ladder etc. For me, that is where the club has gotten it incrediabley wrong and continue to do so. Our top players should be rewarded correctly and that is probably, no, surely why they all eventually leave.
Sort it out Arsenal before it really is too late to address such problems.
Good post by the way BR and another one I enjoyed reading.
As for tonight, I cannot see anything other than a defeat, sorry, but that is me being me!
Slim,
Although I agree, we need to understand that Arsene is a good old fashioned socialist, who believes that “we are all in this together”, and that having players on considerably less than others would undermine their inclusivity and self worth.
Micky, you missed off the smiley face that tells us you’re being ironic in that last comment 🙄
Micky,
I fail to see how paying young kids who have yet to prove themselves in the game, a wage that is similar to that of a proven International, could provide harmony. Espescially when players at other clubs who are maybe not as good, are getting paid so much more.
I don’t doubt that Wenger introduced the wage structure for the reason that you speak of, but I think we can all agree that it has quickly become a dated concept and one that needs reviewing.
sgg, this is a quote from IG that I posted earlier, he attributes the ‘flatter salary structure’ to the manager….
“We have inefficiency of spending in our squad – but we are moving towards as efficient a model as possible. Our wage structure has been based around a flatter salary structure – that is part of a team ethos the manager develops, it’s about interaction between players – not superstars.
“But we have looked at this carefully and we have to make adjustments for top talent. They are earning a lot of money and I don’t think that will slow down. We have to adjust our model.”
Can we really deduce from IG’s statement that we pay young kids yet to prove themselves in the game a similar wage to that of a proven International?
I’d love to know where Henry Winter gets his Arsenal wages information from. I didn’t think how much the players get is revealed anywhere (except perhaps on Le Grove or Cashley Hole’s biography).
Is Squiddly really paid between 50k and 60k a week?
Hi chas, Henry Winter has no axe to grind as far as I am aware. I believe those figures to be in the right area and IG acknowledges in his statement that the balance is wrong.
That wasn’t what I asked, Rasp.
I have to be careful what i say after yesterday’s rebuke but it was my understanding that the club do not publish individual player’s wages . in fact usmanov has repeatedly said that when he gets to 30% he can look at the books (but I am not sure if that is true)
I do think that it was common knowledge that AA was our highest wage earner but I remember reading AWsaying that they have to pay the youngsters really well before they are proven, hoping they will get to the standard required of at Arsenal and that is a gamble that is absurd to me because the percentage is so low of those who finally make the first team squad.
chas,
i was typing whilst your comment went on, asking basically the same question
Nice pre match as ever Big Randy but have to say I fully expect us to get beat. Schalke will target our left flank and Wenger’s tactical inflexibility will mean the result will be the same as on Saturday – a loss. Sorry guys.
And how come the Champions League banner is not on the title header as is customary on ECL match days ?
Might as well make it a hat trick as everyone seems to have scarpered.
Baresi was a fine player BR, agreed, and so was Koeman, and of course Der Kaiser, and to a lesser extent Lothar Mattheus, but Adams is still my – and I am pretty sure your – favourite of them all. 🙂
@ Red Arse
Yeah. What you said. About what I was implying.
Sometimes I find it difficult to express what I want to say, especially regarding STATS (!!) which I find… erm… errr…
help me out again if you’d be so kind, Red Arse, there’s a good chap.
Or maybe it’s just me 😦 – or maybe not.
@ Total Arsenal
“To do the boring stuff consistently well is a great attribute… ”
What do you mean? To to boring stuff?
Oh, right! You mean, to post boring stats… consistently… yeah, I’m with you there, mate! Hang on a minute…
OY, YOU! Yes, you. You with the dodgy ‘tache. Chas isn’t it?
We don’t like you ‘statty’ people on this site. And tell your mate, Rasp!
Two eyes and half a brain is all you need to know if a player is good or not.
Hey, Red Arse…
Wanna hear a good joke about Chas, Rasp and Stevie Wonder?
Chas,
Fair enough, it was far from fact when I said that we pay unproven players a similar wage to internationals, but if we have one of the highest wage bills in football yet our top earner is paid only 80k, then we can deduce from that that we either have a huge squad, or our younger players are earning above the average.
I think the point overall is that Wengers philosophy of paying everyone within this scale so as not to cause disruption leaves us very little room to manoeuvre when our top players come up for contract renewal. We need to broaden the scale to allow us to be competitive in the market.
Big Al 😛
Is the sweet smell of willing beauties not yet calling you? 😉
Thank you Raddy
I cant make out what team Arsene will put out tonight, as at the moment he is a blubbering wreck !. I think me and Stretch over done it with the Chloroform !, anyone know of a anti-dote for it ?.
Actually, he looks quite content in the boot of the Capri Ghia as Stretch has got his 8-Track knocking out some Earth Wind and Fire, Lets groove tonight !
We have blended in quite well with the krauts, we have false tashes with Hoff mullet syrups and the Capri Ghia is Red with a Starsky and Hutch white stripe, we look like Stretchsky and Butch !
Whats that Stretch ?, the Munich girls love my mirror……….what do you mean the Munich girls ?………we`re supposed to be in Gelsenkirchen, you clunge !……….laters AAers…….put the hammer to the floor clunge mullet, otherwise Gazidas will pick the f**king team !.
PS
kelsey, are you saying me and Stretch are a couple of Flankers ?. hahahaha
Give me back my bloody Capri, Glic monster, or VCC gets it!! 🙂
Big Al – go on then, what’s the joke
It was nice knowing you VCC !. hahaha
Splendid as ever BR
I would like to see Arshavin start tonight. He has looked dangerous in all his recent appearances and was fit enough to play 120 minutes in the four-nil-down, seven-five-up League Cup game.
It’s strangely enjoyable to have low expectations of the performance and the result.
I am looking forward to being pleasantly surprised 🙂
Can someone please teach Big Al how to do these 🙂 😦 😳 etc?
Redders?
That article that was linked to earlier with ratings for players from the ManUre performance is bullocks.
If Giroud gets a -29 score then you know the rest must be cobblers.
But I agree with Micky, the -33 for Santos is quite ROLFworthy.
@ TotalArsenal, 3.36pm
Funny you should ask that… look who’s calling me at 4.18pm
Sorry, forgot…
Yellow smiley face.
Redders?
Help!
I don’t know, Rocker, click your fingers and here I am, rushing to fulfil your every wish — what am I, a genie? 🙂
Big Al, just for you — but don’t use them all at once! 🙂
smile = 🙂
lol = 😆
biggrin = 😀
redface = 😳
sad = 😦
cry = 😥
surprised = 😮
evil = 👿
twisted = 😈
confused = 😕
(I pinched them from Bergkampesque when TA wasn’t looking!!) 🙂
Thank you all for you well-wishes yesterday, just another reason this site has the best sense of community/family on the interwebs. A special errrmm, “thanks” to RArse for the “jokes” & riddles, all kidding aside though…you’re a class act RA, despite what everyone else on here says. 🙂
Still no electric so I’ll be playing the match out in my head later this evening as I scroll through the comments. The Gooner in me is expecting a 3-1 win today with a goal from Santos if he plays & Giroud with a double. The realist in me is saying a 2-2 draw.
As someone said before, what we really need from them is a performance with heart & passion!! Heres to the players showing some pride in the shirt today!!!
I’ll check back in later, thanks again AAers!!!
sgg,
I get nervous when “information” in the public domain suddenly assumes the status of fact, that’s the point I was trying to make.
Henry Winter says so and so is on this plus so and so is on that and then it’s discussed as though it’s 100% kosher.
I remember seeing the following when it first came out and the same figures being quoted a couple of weeks later as gospel.
In the AT article it suggests Kroenke is on 25k a week.
http://arsenaltruth.squarespace.com/arsenal-truth/2012/2/23/arsenals-130m-wage-bill-exposed.html
In this diagram from the AngryofIslington blog (supposedly taken from the accounts) it says Kroenke is on 25k a year.
Sorry for all the stats, Big Al.
Winking yellow smiley face.
A genie-us of course Redders 🙂
😳 Forgot to say if you type what’s in the – and – with nothing touching you will get a smiley,
smile = -:)-
lol = -:lol:
biggrin = -:D-
redface = -:oops:-
sad = -:(-
cry = -:cry:-
surprised = -:o-
evil = -:evil:-
twisted = -:twisted:-
confused = -:?-
Remember, just type : ? ( with no spaces) or : twisted : (no spaces).
But that’s the last time I rub your lamp…
Rocky,
Did you ever meet my uncle when you were in NY?
If not, that is something to put on your ‘to do’ list!! 🙂
Ces, 🙂
Hope your outage gets sorted PDQ. I think you should consider following the snowbirds and fly down to Miami!! 🙂
Oh hush Rocky, (@ 4:43) you are fooling nobody.
You lascivious journalist!! 🙂
@ Chas, 4.42pm
That’s OK. I’m having a bad day.
And to see DAFT stats any day does my head in. So DAFT stats today of all days got my goat. The stats on Saturday are as follows:
Man Utd 2
Arsenal 1
By the way, sorry about the ‘tache comment.
Al
Try and make a smiley face – that’ll cheer you up 🙂
Big Al,
I was fulfilling a request to retrieve the daft stats.
The Podolski ones were directly of my own initiating though I must admit.
I didn’t understand the ‘tache comment so forgot it completely.
Did it mean statisticians all have ‘taches?
Big fat winking yellow smiley face.
This is from a financial analyst you may be aware of. 🙂
It’s Movember. I am growing a moustache. Mrs Raddy says she will leave me if I still have it on Sunday. …… never expected it to be so easy 👿
this makes me happy …
That’s put a 🙂 on my 😕 face RA. I was beginning to get a bit 👿 and 😈 trying to figure out how to do these faces, almost to the point where I was 😦 and wanted to 😥 I’ve 😮 myself by being able to do them all……ooh nearly left some out 😳 😆
Red Murmur (trademark GIE) are joining the Black Scarf Movement walk on 1st December. Things are moving on.
http://redaction-gooners.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-statement-from-redaction-bsm-walk.html
Bad news, Slim, there are more!! 🙂
I have tweeted Henry Winter twice as to where his information about Arsenal players’ wages comes from. The second time when he was definitely on twitter because he was talking to Tim Payton.
I haven’t had a reply, though I don’t suppose he would be allowed to reveal his sources anyway.
There we go!
roll-eyes = -:roll: 🙄
arrow = -:arrow: ➡
wink = -;) 😉
I liked the sentence you made with the Slim!! 🙂
Cracking pre match randy. Loving this inventor/explorer series.
Not thinking too much about the game until I get team news….
Ooops – thats Randy with a capital R.
Pet peev of mine that….
Hi all
Peaches here, just checking in to ask if anyone has offered to write a match report ………….. ROLF …….. 🙂
That’s peaches with a capital ‘P’ because it’s at the beginning of the sentence ………………….
…………………..even an offer of player ratings would be a start ……. if they’re all 2’s again I’ll provide the rant and if it’s any good I’m sure someone else could do the purrrring 🙂
OK, I know you’re all hiding now so I’ll go and make the dinner and check back before the game xx
Any news on Theo????? We really need him to play ………
Is there a way we can all give a player rating and then take an average? Sorry Rasp 😦
I was walking in the park one day………..oh, hello peaches….must dash……..,,I was running from the park one day ! hahaha
Great to hear from ces1ne again earlier, sorry I wasn’t around to respond.
Hope your power is restored soon, I assume the romance of candlelight is wearing a bit thin 😕
peaches,
I’ll have a go at the match report.
Apologies to everyone in advance.
I’m attending the next three so won’t feel like doing them.
At least the blog won’t be dead all evening now. 🙂
You can all come out now. hahahahahaha.
Rasp,
I thought I recognised ces1ne’s name from somewhere and realised this afternoon that we follow each other on twitter already. (not that I put much on there ever).
How about everyone writes one paragraph for the match report … or one sentence. Could be quite interesting knitting them all together.
I’ve just heard on the radio that TV is left back – can anyone confirm?
Scrap my last comment, a chas match report it is then….. fanchastic 😛
Hooray for Chas!
I wasn’t hiding… honest 😳
walcock and Kos in
Meant Wallcot, i swear to God that was a Typo.
Thanks for the pre match Raddy. We are going to thrash this lot. The fighback starts now
Now then Lads,
Our Gunner chum in NY, ces1ne, is counting on match time comments to keep up to speed as the poor chap has no juice for his telly, so lets get busy come ko.
.
Hey Peaches and Rasp,
Can I make a brilliant suggestion. If there is no match report volunteered, could we copy and paste a write up from within the enemy camp. ie A German Newspaper. Nick it, google translate it, post. Could be interesting to read opinion through their eyes.
I like the idea of a stitched match report.
Perhaps you could do it for Fulham.
9 people 10 minutes each.
Now you just need 9 volunteers!
What is a walcock, Terry, you perv? 🙂
https://twitter.com/TotallyArsenal/status/265887199122296832
Hi Micky, I like your suggestion @ 6:44, we’ll keep it in mind for a future game
Thinking of New Yorkers, have we heard from Johnnie?
Rasp,
I’m quite happy for it to be used in this game. 🙂
Funny enough, thats the same team Arsene mumbled to me, before we chucked him out of the speeding Capri Ghia !.
Thought it was some kind of wall screw Redders, but not so sure. Apparently its something practiced by “Do it yourself” enthusiasts, but obviously i would know nothing about this. hahaha
I’ve already written and sent my piece in form the Fulham game. I did the pre-match nibbles.
Rasp,
Even better, we nick one from a dedicated Schalke Blog. Get something nice and partisan.
Thanks for getting me out of it, Micky. 🙂 🙂 🙂
No no chas, we’d much prefer one of your classy match reports 🙂
Here’s something to take your mind off the game, hope your devices can download it quickly enough….
Only joking, Rasp.
Hoddle, Wilkins and Souness, heaven forbid.
Oh my Dennis, friggin Alan friggin Smith, too.
I’ll be back on later.
I don’t like looking at the blog if I’m on match report duties.
Laters
OK Micky, thanks for volunteering to find a Schalke blog match report and then translating it … it will make a very interesting comment to follow chas’ match report 😆
Thanks chas, what is it with smudger, he has a very boring monotone voice and only says negative things about the Arsenal?
Micky,
JNYC popped in (or should that have been fizzed in) at 12:55. 🙂
This is the Schalke 04 team :
Unnerstall, Howedes, Uchida, Fuchs, Matip, Holtby, Jones, Neustadter, Affelay, Farfan, Huntelaar.
Right guys, my tactics for a certain win. When Uchida Fuchs Matip, we then stick one in ourselves !. Simple but brilliant !. I cant believe I haven`t been given the coaching post. hahaha
RA,
Good news. Nothing worse than damp I hope.
Profuse apologies everyone, we now have our CL banner in place – how could I have forgotten!
Rasp,
Think I’ve found a Schalke site. There are many ladies with little clothing. Is that normal for a German Footie Blog, or has something gone wrong?
I’ll just push “translate”.
Oooo, I saaaay
I am happy with that team. Hopefully Verm will allow Pod to push on.
No that’s fine Micky, naked ladies play an important part in German football
I speak german,so i will make sure it gets translated properly
And I speak naked lady, so I’m happy to help too 🙂
Subs: Shea, Andre Santos, Djourou, Coquelin, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Chamakh.
get off there Micky, your mrs isn’t out again, you’ll get caught!
Cheers Big Raddy.
Bit worried about the prospect of Vermaelen vs Farfan. Surely Sagna at LB can’t be that bad!
I want us to rape Schalkes goal.. I want us to embarass Schalke for being the first team in 45 games to come to our home and walk away believing they beat us when in actual fact we lost to ourselves. I want all the Schalke players to look toatally confused at half time, and totally embarassed when they look up at the scoreboard. I want to hunt Schalke down in their house. And at the end of the game i want all the Schalke players and staff to be in toatal awe of our presence on their turf. We are the greatest club ever. The world seems to have forgotten that, but i never will.
We are the ARSENAL.
BE loud, sing it proud and lets teach these germans a lesson in efficiency and class!!
Gooners worldwide- where ever you may find yourself, enjoy the game, a virtual high five and lets go KICK SOME Schalke ‘GUZICA’ (Croatian word for arse)
COYRRG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kelsey , them subs, is Andre Santos the only one your on first name terms with ?.
PPP – Love it!
Get in that dressing room quick and repeat it out loud to the lads!
BR top pre match as ever. Havnt missed one since i made my home here at AA 2 seasons ago..
Here’s to many more, i always enjoy and get an education at the same time…. BARGAIN 🙂
Don’t be silly GLiC
It’s to avoid confusion with the other Santos – Norbert Santos.
Hahaha PPP strange choice for threatening an oppositions goal!
Love the spirit!
You bet your guzica we will win!
Santos has already swapped shirts with someone and they haven`t kicked off yet !
haha GLIC
Come on you Mighty Gunnnnners
Let’s show them who The Daddy is
First attack down the left. TV needs to have a good game
Thanks Rocky..
I read your headline post yesterday, but my new job has got me by the short and curlies.. Have to say, I LOVED IT…LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT.. words cannot explain your talent in finding and hitting even the numbest (is that a word?) of nerves..
You sir, are a star!
ROCKSTAR 😀
Good starting 11, good options . Happy.
2 breaks that have been quite deadly.
Yep Oz, Their tactic seems to be clattering the midfield when we are in possession and allowing space on our wings (maybe they realise we are average at crossing). They then seem to disperse when they retrieve the ball, and stretch us more than Terrys telescope..
To me that is called occassionaly parking the bus.
I like mannone’s strip, cerise very fetching. Right that’s my opening for the post.
15 mins gone, we are well in control 🙂
Kelsey
cerise?
He’s still stuck in New York with no power…
Ajax one up !!
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well done by theo
Theo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRFECT
Get in
They were ‘Arsenal-d’
(all the play and chances. team goes down the other end with one chance and scores)
For ces1ne…
Suicidal back header from a Schalke defender in his own half.
Giroud almost able to go one-on-one with ‘keeper but the defender got back and nicked it off him… only for Theo to get the rebound, take a couple of touches round the ‘keeper and tap in…
Giroud made a right mess of that,lucky theo read it,well done theo.
Now they have to open up.
This game is made for Theo now, find the space and use it buddy
We’re looking much more up for it tonight.
haha i thought santi had been shot. thats a first
I’d love to know Theo’s minutes-to-goals ratio this season.
I suspect it would make a strong case for giving him 100k a week.
PURRRRFECT BABY
Told you OG would score. !!!!!!!!!!!!
agreed rocky, he has been very efficient!
Giroud!!!!!!!!
He’s going to be a gun! the determination!
Giroud – 2-0!!!!!
Great play by Pod on the left wing, got the cross in, OG with the diving header…
PPP we’ve been mentioned twice by ESPN. and here I thought we were non-existent in the football world
Now i dont want us to sit on this lead and become complacent.. I said i want to rape their goal, confuse and embarass them by half time..
OZ, non-exsistent? haha, if they only knew how empty the football world would be without Arsenal and goonerism..
I wake up every morning feeling Blessed to be a gooner…BLessed!
Im also a very religious bloke, i pray for our opponents and their supporters…”Forgive them Dennis Lord, for they know NOT what they are doing”
hahaha
hahaha very well said!
Scheizer, meinen interneten ist kaput
Vermaelen slip nearly cost us! Gotta feel sorry for him.
Anyone else bitscores (liveonline) problems?
Our captain needs to change his studs/ boots. Thats the 4th slip in 2 wks?
yes mine has gone off completely
you’re far kinder that i, most times i pray that dennis smites the opposition before or during play
Another good chance – Giroud header in the box, straight at the keeper.
Bloody stream has died. Get a grip onlinefooty
What shall we talk about Kelsey?
what was the foul for? good pressure by walcott?? thats soft!
bulldust
Bollocks
2-1
Govno
Sugar. Huntelaar scores in the 46th minute.
santi slip, couple of passes. Huntelaar capitalizes and scores 1-2
half time
Santi just slipped over at the start of that move, meaning we lost possession.
You do wonder about our stud/boot issues!
Oh dear, Raddy has joined the Offliners. What a sad troupe we make 😦
Its that bloody Cinderella feeling again
Last kick of the half
ppp 🙂
Bollocks!
One slip at this level and you get punished! It’s a different ball game now, could’ve been so much more comfortable.
Oh well, if you had given me this before the match I would’ve ripped your arms and legs off!!!!
Come on Arsenal.
Ill provide half time entertainment. Here it goes…
Ajax 2-1 Shitty(ht)
I know its wrong to laugh at your jokes but hahahahhahahahahhahahhahhahhahhahhahahha
Dortmund leading Madrid at the ;burnyourbrow’ 2-1
Regarding THEO…
Since I assume none of you lazy blighters will have bothered, I have looked up Theo’s minutes-to-goals stats this season.
He has played 559 minutes (up to half time in today’s game) and scored 8 goals.
That’s one goal every 70 minutes he’s on the pitch.
And we’re looking for our BSR replacement?
Arsene Arsene sign him up, Arsene, sign him up!
OK. Let’s accentuate the positive.
We look sharp upfront.
A bit more secure at the back and are competing in MF.
And ATM we are winning
Sorry Rocky, didn’t see your balls up there first.
Well, hands up who here wouldn’t have taken a half time of 1-2 earlier.
Given that we always get better as the game goes on…alles ist gut
Stream from Wizigig until Bitscore comes back. Not as good but better than nothing
Hi Evonne, how are you sweetheart?
Sofa comfy? or are you on the hardwood floors behind the sofa? 🙂
still catching up on old comments/posts
but Kelsey I wouldn’t be using Dempsey’s decision to choose the scum over us as a reason to shoot down Arsenal. Regardless of if we offered more ect ect surely it comes down to game time/chance of playing, and at Tottenham he has more of a chance. If he comes to Arsenal he’s a squad player at best.
I know you know him well because of your son’s connection but it’s not like he would admit that as a reason.
If he chose them for any other reason then he is not stable and should be locked up
What is wrong with modern boots the Arsenal players keep falling over.
Wizigig?
Sounds like a Specialist site to me Raddy 🙂
I was just looking that up Rocky, cheers! that is a very good average. Agree, get the moulds off and put the studs on!!!
Almost perfect CL first half performance. Until the goal we looked comfortable, and look very dangerous going forward.
Now they have scored, I worry about the confidence. Lets hope Wenger gives the right team talk to keep us positive.
Micky. They have all the different sports (including cricket) and are very good.
Here is a stream which works ATM
http://tykestv.eu/tykes1.php
Before we were ahead I was taking the game very calmly. Would have been thrilled with a point but the moment we scored and especially after the 2nd, I am on the edge of my seat.
Hope my heart can cope with the second half tension
MAN ONE!
MAN ONE!!!!
Snapski
ppp – no, I am confident tonight, told SS we’ll win this one. Where did govno come from ? not literally of course 🙂
Huntelaar going to Pool in Jan?
@ Evonne
I hope not, he can stay out of the premier league thanks
@ PPP
not enough exclamation marks haha
Why do our boys keep falling over?
Why would he go to Pool? Schalke area bigger team. Chavs perhaps
OZ, !!!
Evonne, govno came from the guzica after they scored 🙂
I would take Affellay and Hunterlaar and give them Chamack and Sqidasauraus with some loose change..We would save money on Cham’s hair products 😆
liveonline back on
that is a bloody joke!!!!!!!
its an ankle/achilles injury he’s not dying or head injury.
And a yellow come off it!
Ref is a DOG
Rubbish refereeing though he has had a decent game so far
and they didn’t give us back possession, what is going on?
Oz, i didnt see, but is Draxler in their squad or still injured?
bench PPP
it was coming
That’s what happens when you play a CB at LB. Come on you Gunners you can still win this
i blame the ref!
Screw ins guys bloody hell
Why the hell cant they stay on their feet, those boots are a joke
1 hour of crossing drills every day is one form of medicine, both for our attack and defense
Stupid of Theo. Pod would have scored
Come on Boys! how bad do you want it?
Target their men on yellows and run at them..
No retreat no surrender
Lets do it!
REF? that was on purpose, foul on Arteta
its a joke PPP, the old i’ll stay down injured so i don’t cop a card
get rid of him can’t finish haha
Could have, should have, but didnt lay it off.. 🙄
Well we might not have won, but that restored some pride, Walcott through the middle has set the cat amongst the pigeons eh?
If we had had O-C available for the final 15 mins we would have won.
But very happy with a point. a vast improvement in spirit and determination.
Would have taken 2-2 beforehand.
Someone earlier on in comments called it right!
Richie. Apart from the goal I thought Walcott was average this evening. He worked hard but rarely beat his full back and often took the wrong option.
But what’s with all this slipping over?
The German players didn’t slip over all game – we had about 7 or 8 bad slips including one (Santi’s just before half time) that directly led to them scoring.
Is it time to make Vic Akers the new hate figure?
Certainly we have taken a 2-2 beforehand. Much bettrer in the effort stakes. Now to start winning on saturday to be in peak condition for Spuds.
Well that’s what a lack of confidence does, espescially when you concede just before half time.
We played 10 yards deeper second half and invited pressure. Had we gone in 2-0, we would’ve won comfortably.
Still, it’s a good result and definately one I’d have taken before kick off. More importantly it was a decent performance and we could’ve nicked it at the end.
A special note to the ref who gave one of the worst decisions I have ever seen when stopping play with Podolski through on goal due to a player clutching his leg! Awful decision.
Proud of the lads tonight, could’ve been better, but could’ve been so much worse
Well done fellas.
BR
“apart from the goal”
2-2 is good. good for confidence for Saturdays meet against fulham. Great goal by HFB/Giroud.
RL. You would have scored it.
Hate to kick a man when he’s down, but the second Schalke goal was all down to Verm.
NOT because he own-goaled it.
But because he forgot he was playing LB and drifted into the centre of the penalty area when we were amply covered for defenders there.
Consequently Farfan For The Common Man had all the time in the world when the ball found him in the right wing position (our LB position).
BR
True – I would, because I am (was 😦 ) a naturally gifted two-footed player 🙂 .
But it was not an easy chance!
Much better fight and effort tonight though, so well done lads.
Late here so I will dream of player ratings. my MoM …. Mannone (I think)
Love an EL&P reference 🙂
Night all
BR
an Evonne, LB and PPP experience?
Weird.
Farfan for the common man 🙂
Who’s going to win the election Rocky?
Micky
You mean who will be the new leader of the world’s greatest superpower?
My money would be on Xi Jinping.
As far that other affair in that struggling Western post-industrial nation… I think Obama, but it could be close.
Sorry, i feel like the pessimist lately. a draw away against a good team is not bad result. BUT knowing that we blew a two goal lead takes any good feeling out of it.
1.2 Billion dollars is spent on the American president every year. Air force one gets dismantled and put back together on average, every 2 months for safety reasons. Not to mention if the president has any hobbys, they are all catered for, from a personal bowling alley in the whitehouse, to a signed mirror from Glic..
Unbelievable..
oh well, buttered toast for breakfast it is for me.. well, “i cant believe its not butter”…. it will have to do..
ces1ne
Hope you’re OK there in NY and managed to keep up with the game somehow.
Despite losing a 2-0 lead we actually did OK and I suspect we would have taken that result before kick off.
Rocky,
I agree, but do not like to go to bed on the thought of the chinese as the world superpower. Cripes, some people moaned about the US, but that’ll all seem like a teddy bears picnic, I’m afraid. Tolerant is not a word that will spring to mind. 😦
No, I shall sleep on how well things are beginning to take shape ahead of crushing spurs.
Really goodnight from me.
Johnnie, i sort of feel the same, a little flat. But just like Rocky i would have chomped your hand off if you offered me a point pre-match….
But dont lose hope, the most important thing is to qualify for the next round, and Rasper picked it when he said that Montpellier will be our judgement day of this competition..
We will start to click sooner than later. We just have to find those other gears that we are missing atm.. I trust our manager, and the boys have proved they can play. Consistency is key and after that game, im actually looking forward to Fulham
Gut Nacht Micky
(That’s made-up German, by the way 🙂 )
I’ll take a point.
Night
ManOne’s a good shout for MoM Randy. Others were Jack, Mert and Koz.
I could watch Jack play football for hours on end, I really could.
I think that was an improvement
Evening all missed the game onTV as have had a long day fighting Back Office and Accounting programs. Thankfully I was far enough away to listen start to finish on the radio, just got home in time to watch goal highlights and must say they were nothing like the picture painted by the commentators, guess that’s TalkShite for you. According to them Theo was miles away at the end one on one with no one around him, not quite.
Not sure ifi can judge rest of game based on what I heard.
Report in Nuts.
I’m not going to read the evening’s comments because I’ll realise all the things I’ve got wrong.
like jnyc I feel disjointed about the result. God result but being 0-2 up leaves it a touch sour!
When is England and Oz going to can the US anyway? Everyone knows we help train the US Navy Seals
Big Raddy……the Inuit or an Inuk speaks Inuktitut since Inuit is a race of what used to be called ¨eskimos¨.
@BR9:45 Nothing new there then eh? I can’t imagine Theo going out right when there were openings left can you? Like I said I thought our performance was miles better all round. Theo’s goal? I thought was well taken. My comment about setting the cat amongst the pigeons was; Theo scores and “Nutters” (Yes I said nutters) want to pay him “loadsamoney” i.e. we need to keep him, pay him what he wants type of crap. Let his new contract dictate to both the club and manager where he thinks he should play. Sounds to me like the type of argument in favour of letting the lunatics run the asylum, but that’s just me. The old timer thinking no player should ever be allowed to dictate to his manager much less the club. One of the best things about GG was if a player told him on Saturday morning I expect to play in X position. He wouldn’t even make the squad and might’ve been sold by Monday, bung paid or not.
I also think all of us need to reconsider our attitude to the wages. Just take a breath and think it out thoroughly. Are we going to pay our players based on seniority or performance? If we are looking at the invincibles team (main 11) does Henry as a striker, get paid more than Campbell the defender? Does Pires the (genius) entertainer get more that Gilberto? Who isn’t spectacular but just intercepts everything (bit like Arteta now). And who is it that decides you are playing well you get more? If a players form drops does he take a cut? I’m sorry guys but I’m still with Wenger on parity-ish until I see evidence or one of you wins me over with your logical arguments. If someone can explain to me how you build a team ethic (You Know Like We’re All In This Together) when you are getting double what I get for doing the same job? Then maybe I’ll join you in wanting to break the wage structure but until that time I’m not with it at all.
As a man I might like the idea of getting paid more than a woman doing the same job, but I can’t ever win any logical argument as to why I’m entitled to more than a woman. If I have been doing the same job longer I’ve got a logical reason, seniority.
If a younger person comes in and does the job better should that person not get more? You see there are far too many questions in the proposals being made without the answers also being made.
@Ritchie,
Dude, you gotta send that into ‘arsenalnuts@live.co.uk’.. Im sure Rasper can fiddle around with it a bit, but all ill say is that i smell a juicy post in your last comment… 🙂
..whether i agree or not is a different matter altogether..
Richie,
From the Gazidis comments that Rasp posted, I suspect there is going to be something of a difference of opinions between IG and AW, which will undermine AW authority if nothing else.
I don’t agree about parity of wages, but I certainly agree that no player can dictate where he plays. Certainly not publically,
that is superb chas! love the Wenger one
Chas,
Just sent in my Schalke Fan Report. The translation is, errr…interesting. I would give it 50:50 the AA leadership use it 🙂
chas. That is excellent. There are people with way too much time on their hands!
Here is another fine example of the results of unemployment. Brilliant though ……
Did anybody hear Mancini’s interview before last night’s game? He was so rattled, lost it completely. And then the frakas during the game. I’d say he’s on his way out, shame, he was a nice bloke. Shitty will probably get Arry, he is on a standby 🙂
wow that lego thing is quite possibly the best thing on youtube. But you are right that would have taken forever!
Too much pressure in that job I think evonne. With the money they spend if they don’t dominate it’s time to leave, which works well for us because like we’ve seen at Chelsea it’s hard to keep progression with constant switching of managers.
haha ‘Arry that’d be priceless. Pep is probably warming up as we speak
Morning all
Like Micky my stream on liveonfooty went after 30 minutes and when the women in my house had finished watching some cooking programme on TV I thought ah now I can watch on Sky. But no, the torrential downpour we have had for two weeks broke up certain channels including Sky so I was resigned to updates on the radio.
Oz re your comment at 8.39 re Dempsey, I wasn’t shooting down Arsenal. I was making the point that Wenger alone seems to target the players he wants and as I said previously,we bid for him twice. He would have doubled his wages,has PL experience and from what i have seen of our strike force so far this season, I doubt he would have been a squad player. He is by no means a great player but he definitely is above average.He chose Spurs who payed a lower price than we offered and I would imagine the wages offered would be comparable to what was offered by Arsenal
Hope Arry gets the QPR job.
Last night was the first time AFC have conceded two goals in Germany, yet somehow we all knew when the Huntelaar shot went in that we would struggle to hold the lead. Why? We have excellent defenders on paper, all Internationals and all vastly experienced (Vito is neither but was the best of them).
yes, Pep is in America getting fluent in English. Either he knew he’d be going to Shitty or he prepares just in case EPL calls
Arry is linked with just about every job, but remains unemployed
I will write a post in the next few days as to the acquisition we have bought in the last few seasons, why i think Wenger has had his best days but won;t go or be replaced and why I am of the belief that kroenke and gazidis are not the men to bring the club forward again to at least give us a real chance to win trophies or at least challenge, the wages policy,, the players who are on apparently high wages but are not part of the inner squad, . The trouble is i don’t have the solution..
Call me a doomer but I believe i am a realist and I am concerned at the direction the club is going.
you are such a doomer Kelsey 🙂
As LB (i think mentioned), it came down to Vermaelen thinking he was playing CB for the second goal. I’m just not sure what on earth has happened since the break. We can’t be missing gibbs that much.
@ Kelsey
Yeah but as I said who did spurs bring in as attackers in the TW? Who did we bring in? Podolski and Giroud.
At the peak of his career of course he would choose a more realistic option, he seems like the type of player who would want to play at all costs as opposed to riding the pine. Yes some of our players haven’t set the world on fire but on paper at the start of the season would a blue collar attacker from Fulham want to come when we have Gerv, Podolski and Giroud in front of him?
I look forward to it Kelsey as I always do when you write a post.
Personally i hate the ‘realist’ tagline when concerning Arsenal supporters. It gets chucked around far too often and belittles those supporters who think it’s just a bump in the road.
An I the only one loving Giroud’s diving header I just asked Kelsey and GoonerJon on twitter when we scored the last one.
OZ,
Ok the bigger picture not realist 😉
I will carry on dooming then evonne.
Chamakh against Wolves within 2 minutes of the start of the game was a far better header.
GiE,
Song to Chamakh?
Can’t remember which game though.
Changd my mind not a post but a good old fashioned rant.:)
That was the game micky at wolves.
Damn you Kelsey. Speed typing lessons for me!
haha sounds better Kelsey
GIE loved it, showed his eagerness and determination.
I’ll take his one recently for France, that was a cut above
Kelsey,
Re the post you are going to writ:. I agree with every word. Well, apart from that last sentence, obviously, which is nothing short of vulgar 🙂
Morning all,
Micky – tanks (oops freudian slip 😆 ) for the Schalke fans match report, I’ve tagged the translation on the end of chas’ post with a short introductory para
Oz. “riding the pine”. ROLF
Rasp,
The author used the word “war” which I found incensitive to say the least.
🙂 Micky, I’ve alluded to that in my intro para …..
Looking forward to a bi-polar post this morning.
Rasp,
When you say “para”, are you alluding to the elite airborne forces?
That would be fitting Micky, but in my case paranoia would be closer to the mark.
Bi-polar Raddy 😆 can we all just accept that this is going to be a non-PC day on AA
Does being incensitive make you mad or smell like a meditation room?
If its a non-pc day, you can count me out.
I’m off to my group workshop.
Later.
I was talking to a Shalke fan yesterday. He said any decent player get’s bought by BM even if it’s to sit on their bench so no one else can have him. So much for the bundesliga being a .model of equality
Achtung! you will all stand in a straight line and read today’s non-PC bi-polar post …..
…. New post …….