Bradford. Seems an age since they were in the Premiership, and yet it was only 11 years ago. Today they sit 65 places below us. having had 17 (yes – 17!) managers since Mr Wenger came to Arsenal; Chairman Julian Rhodes has employed 9 managers since 2004! Current manager Phil Parkinson was an Arsenal scout and remains a fan.
Checking through some of the stats (kelsey kindly provided many yesterday) one fact stands out, tonight is Bradford’s 31st game of the season (we have played 24). That is a heavy workload and one must ask how is it economically viable? Plus, how can they do it with such a small squad?
The Romford Pele scored the last time we played Bradford(PL )
Having beaten Wigan in the last round Bradford will be looking to add an even bigger scalp tonight, can they do so? What do you think? Could a weakened Arsenal team really lose up in the frozen North? Even playing second strings AW will field a team full of current Internationals, however tonight will be about fight and spirit, not just talent and skill. Put these two teams on an indoor training pitch and AFC would win every time but tonight Bradford will be spurred on by 23,000 fans, their biggest crowd for 50 years, and they will not go down without a fight. The question is can we match their passion?
My Team:
Whether the above team has enough attacking potency is open to question and perhaps we will see Ox start in place of Eisfeld. We are likely to get a sub appearance from Gnabry – a young player who is very highly rated by Mr Wenger. This could be the final game for Arshavin and Chamakh with both available for sale in January.
Today’s English explorer: Augustine Courtauld. (1904-1959) This young chap was another ice specialist. Trained as a stockbroker and son of the industrialist and art collector, Samuel Courtauld (the Courtauld Institute) he was typical of the English loony explorers. Greenland was Courtauld’s area and he once spent 5 months on his own during a Greenland winter observing weather conditions. The highest peak in the Arctic region is named after him, Mount Augustine.
Preparing the Valley Parade pitch for the visit of Arsenal
It would be a monkey off the back should we win this cup. OK it isn’t the silverware we would choose but nonetheless it is a trophy and one all the PL clubs compete in. Furthermore, it was George Graham’s first trophy and one which was the springboard to greater glory.
Embarrassing if we lose, a semi-final if we win. Well worth fighting for.
Written by Big Raddy
Arsenal News 24/7
Agreed BR, I for one would like to see us win this cup, and shut a few people up!! I feel if we get our passing game going and are patient we could enjoy a big win . We also need to ensure we don’t give away cheap free kicks and corners
we need one cup and AW is looking serious now…. Would love to see ashravin very good professional he is….
Thanks for the pre-natch read BR
Can anyone tell me why Djourou is not expected to play?
Phew.. 5 months on his own! Must a=haveen a real “Into the Wild” character..
I would like to see Eisfeld start but can’t see it happening with that kind of calibre midfield available and almost certainly not on the wing. So, that being the case if we add the Ox we have one hell of a strong starting line up.
Meant “Must have been a real “Into the Wild” character..” Regarding today’s match Arsenal have not lost to a non-league side in the Carling Cup before and I don’t expect that record to be broken today..
Eislfield is a very good player he can be our next jack whilsere.. He should start atleast today in wings or in AM positon.. Rocisky or ox can be on subs….
I have no idea why he Djourou is not playing but its better if he dont play i would love to see miquel and TV in CB… Miquel height is the key point for us….
Top stuff BR.
Had never heard of Courtauld (and he clearly popped off at a relatively young age – 54. Did he perish on his travels?).
This could be a tricky fixture as Bradford have nothing to lose. An early goal would be good. If we can establish our superiority early on we should see their heads drop. But if we leave the door open (ie if we’re not winning by two clear goals with 15 to go) we could be in for a bumpy ride.
I would like to see Djourou play. He is a very good CB. But he’s a lousy FB and most people are judging him on his awful performances in that position when all our real FBs were out injured this time last year.
Manthan
Don’t know how often you come on this site but telling us that Eisfeld is good is a bit like telling us that grass is green. That said, hope you come back tonight after the game and discuss his performance.
If Squillaci starts it will be a sop to help him try and find a new job when his contract ends with us.
Not sure I’m in agreement that Djourou is a good CB. For me, he always has a mistake in him. Ok 3rd/4th choice but I would not want to rely on him week in week out . I also think the number of years he has been at Arsenal, if he was cutting it we wouldn’t have needed to buy Mert
LB
I started following football from past 3 years bcoz i am an indian and people here follow only cricket no football… I mite be wrong but i had seen him playing for reserve in youtube so I want him to start the game because there will be less pressure if he will come as subsitute yu never knw we mite be goal down and pressure will be more so its better if he starts atleast for 45 mins i dont knw wheatr it will happen or not…..
Rockylives
If you are finding Djourou a very good CB. then after so many years he is still our 3rd/4th choice..
sory i mean why he is still our 3rd or 4th choice its proves he is not worth
As a long time Gooner yourself Big Raddy, you should know that the magic hat belonged to George Graham. He may or may not have lent it to Arsene Wenger, but the hat still belongs to George.
Did you know that Arahavin’s first game in England was at Bradford. he played for Zenit St. petersburg in the intrertoto cup or something similar.
Manthan
I see JD as our fourth choice CB (behind Merts, Verm and Kozzer).
As a 4th choice I think he is good – and certainly better than the vast majority of other clubs’ fourth choice central defenders.
Do I think he is better than Merts or Kozzer? No.
But if he had played instead of Vermaelen when Verm was making lots of mistakes this season we might now have more points.
Thankfully Verm appears to be finally rediscovering his form.
If you want to check out how good JD is, go back through the match reports on AA for games where he played as CB (and NOT the ones where he played at fullback). I think you will be surprised at the ratings he received from the match reviewers.
Morning Peeps, and especially you Raddy. 😀
I could not help notice a challenge issued, yesterday, by 26M, (in which he is the sole judge and arbiter) 🙂 asking me to contrive an alternative mathematical expression of his avatar name, to beat Chas’ √676.
Well, 26M how does this grab you, my liege? 😆
‘√(√676)) = (5.09901951359) squared = 26 + may1989 = 26may1989
How d’ya like them smackers? 😛
Sorry, BR, I digressed! 😦
A nice gentle and very interesting pre-match, (much better than Rocket’s) 🙂 and another scoop in the loopy explorer stakes!
I loved the “Greenland was Courtauld’s area and he once spent 5 months on his own during a Greenland winter observing weather conditions.”
When he returned he wrote down his conclusion — “Freezing! Turned my pee into an icicle in mid-air – could only remove it by roasting my cojones over a candle. Not going back to the bastard place!”
This is actually a big game for us tonight. 2 wins on the bounce would give us a little bit of momentum, and with Chelsea having a tough game against Leeds straight after their foreign adventure, we could become very strong favourites to win a cup.
Whilst not the silverware we wanted, it could still prove to be a very good motivator for the end of the season and future seasons.
It’s also a great game to get TR7 back in the swing and to give Jenks, Coq, Meade a good run out.
Looking forward to it
I heard Arsene saying on the Radio that he would be putting out a strong team, tonight. Then rumours have been percolating through the aether that Arshavin and Chamakh would be playing.
If that turns out to be correct, our man Arsene is guilty of communicating a giant oxymoronic contradiction! 😆
They say winning is a habit,
It all starts with a cheeky toot of a Capital One Cup bong, and before you know it your offering out BJ’s so you can score a few Champions League medals!
🙂
Hi RA, if you’ve followed Wenger over the years he often blatantly does the opposite to what he says! Interestingly the usual squad announcement has not been forthcoming
Rock Man,
I was disappointed to read that Chelsea have homed in on Mbwia of Montpellier as a replacement for Terry.
I have learned not to take too much notice of press speculation on possible Arsenal transfer targets, but I was much taken by Mbwia’s performances against us and it seemed he might well fill a dual role in our squad.
He is an excellent CB and frequently plays there for his current club, but he is also an imposing, robust and pacy defensive midfielder to boot.
AW never takes any notice of me, and I cannot imagine why, 🙂 but he would be an excellent addition to the side, and if we really do have some dosh to spend this January, Arsene would, at last, please the fans by beating Chelsea to his signature, as well as giving the team the vital impetus they need to secure 3rd or 4th place in the EPL.
Some of the cost of such a signing would be recouped by selling the unpopular (in footballing terms) Djourou and Squillaci, and redistributing their salaries.
1derman [aka Wonderman??] 🙂
You are correct in implying AW sometimes plays a mischievous game by disseminating non sequiturs at his press conferences.
They are not untruths, simply that they are inferences that do not necessarily reflect what he really intends to do.
He then leaves it to the journos to make what they want of it.
Personally I am all for it — why broadcast your intentions gratuitously before an important game.
Agreed RA ….. The 1derman/wonderman seems to be a WordPress foible !! Lol
Redders
Interesting question. Does it count as strong team if Arshavin and Chamakh start?
I would say the former makes it strong the latter makes it, shall we say, less strong.
Mind you, I need the finely coiffed Moroccan to bag a few more goals if I am to win my Peroni off Rasp, so I hope he starts tonight (Chamakh, that is, not Rasp).
Rocker,
I think Rasp would have more impact! 🙂
I do not think there is any doubt that AW is minded that AA and Chammie baby should move on, possibly in January – ipso facto he does not think they are good enough for Arsenal, so it puzzles me that the rumours persist that they will play tonight in ‘a strong team’.
My views are not important in the grand scheme of things, but if I had my ‘ruthers’ I would rather have the youngsters playing tonight, whatever the outcome!
My line-up would be in 4-2-3-1:
Szczesny
Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs
Coquelin, Ramsey
AoC, Rosicky, Gervinho
Podolski.
Subs: Mannone, Angha, Bellerin, Meade, Eisfeld, Chamakh, Gnabry/Arshavin
(1) Arteta, Cazorla and Wilshere rest for this match.
(2) We almost messed up against Reading the last round; winning only in extra time. This is the QF and should be taken more seriously.
(3) We have a good recovery time ahead of the EPL game at Reading on next Monday. So most of the available 1st team players should be starting.
I’ve just watched an amazing video on Telegraph sports, it’s Lionel Messi aged ten years old mesmerising everybody with his technique and goal scoring ability. At the end of one of the games he is shown juggling the ball with his knee, foot and chest an amazing 105 times before the ball hits the ground.
RA, I’ve sent your 12.06 for analysis, and the report confirms that meets all the relevant standards! Thanks!
As for this evening, and thanks for the prematch review Raddy, I think it should go ok for us. I hope not too many first teamers get rested.
Little factette re the Dutch striker we’re being linked to: Huntelaar was born within a week of van Persie.
Rocky, i agree about djourou. Id like to rest as many regulars as possible against a side like this myself.
Platini says NO to goal line technology!
Something along the lines of the costs being too high and hed rather hire the extra manpower (goal line refs) and invest the money elsewhere for the sake of 1 or 2 goals a season..
Question- what if one of those debatable goals was to fall in a game and possibly cost a Champions league title or a relegation battle?
The costs for those clubs who could fall victim far outweigh the costs of establishing goal line technology that was mentioned.
Grrr.. Platini-What a kunny funt!!! 👿
26 – I wish you kept the factette to yourself, put me right off the dude, too many common factors
Call me confrontational, bu I hope that ALL of the first teamers get rested tonight
Thanks BR, good as usual
BR, top post.
I think we may be a little paranoid in regards to Bradford and Wenger has this one covered (comfortably?). I say this because you mention the amount of games Bradford have played in comparison to our fringe players who will be out to prove to both the Boss and any European suitors (American for AA23 😉 ).
I think it might get boring as i expect Wenger and Bouldie to go out with a plan of possession football for as long as possible to tire the oppo out, before maybe unleashing some impact players to make the difference (Eisfeld, Arshavin??) who knows?
A drab first fourty minutes before we snatch a half time lead.
Far from content at half time 🙂
Another drab 20 min in the 2nd half before the game opens up, the tackles start accumulating and the cards start flashing. At this stage in the 70-80th minutes its 3-1 to the good guys with some suprise scorers, a couple of rattled crossbars and some hold the breath nervy moments.
In the end its gonna be a 5-1 steam rolling for us with plenty still to pick at the teams display. Continuity is the key for Arsenal at this stage.. We must get into a flow and positive state with the games coming thick and fast…
Let it flow, Arsenal, Let it flow 🙂
COYG!
This should be an easy win for Arsenal but could well be banana skin. If Wenger gets this wrong the pressure will mount!
PPP, Of course we should win tonight but all will depend upon our desire on a cold Northern night, a passionate crowd and a rubbish pitch
Why can’t i even find out who travelled North.
Cracking pre match BR. Informative, speculative and educational.
Ps. The explorer theme was a proper masterstroke on your part.
Great PM Raddy.
Courtauld, although top bloke, was by some distance the least interesting character of the four on that expedition. I’ll reveal more later if I escape from work.
Hope Rosicky does not start. Could be the perfect night for Icefield 🙂
Back later hopefully.
blimey, the game is on SS2, that’s lucky already
ps The really interesting bloke on the Gino Watkins expedition was Freddy Spencer Chapman, who later spent a year and a half on his own behind Japanese enemy lines, surviving, while blowing stuff up.
Evening all, top pre match Raddy, and you are right to highlight the crowd tonight, and the pride and work ethic we will need to apply.
For me this is one of those games where we have had a habit of going wrong in the past. We simply cannot give the home support anything to get behind, we need to be controlled in everything we do, and we need to take hold of the game and silence the crowd.
We have seen on more than one occasion how giving the home team a lift has led to the crowd becoming a real 12th man and we have not been the best at dealing with the pressure, think Fulham away, Newcastle away, Ipswich away etc etc. We must not let that happen tonight.
Hi
This should be a win for us tonight but beware.
We have a lot of not Britishs players and the other ones may not take to the cold weather and rock hard pitch.
Plus they are expecting a full house.
I do think we will win 1-3.
Much love SH
Much love right backatcha Shagger.
#WelshNutter 🙂
Lets hope it don’t go to pens tonight as Bradford have won the last 7 penalty shoot outs
Useless info from SH
Sod work.
If Bradford field their strongest side, then they immediately have a massive advantage in that the understanding between players is alive and well.
This could be very tough.
One game called off frozen pitch in fa cup
I hope ours goes on , I got some cider to watch it
SH
Balmy summer’s evening for Arshavin; I expect him to start in short sleeves
Sheep,
They had the blankets on the pitch today, but if they don’t have under-carpet heating, the court will be frozen solid by bully-off time. Or something.
Chamak will have tights on and gloves lol
Let’s hope they choose the right boots tonight then. One thing that was pissing me off in the early games was seeing players slipping over.
I expect Chamakh to do well this evening, I don’t know why tonight more than any other game, I just feel that he will have a good set of players around him that could bring the best out of him.
YES 100% agreed GiE..
Team in full: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Wilshere, Coquelin, Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud.
Subs: Mannone, Jenkinson, Squillaci, Rosicky, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh
GIE I thought it was only me being wound up by those damn boots……. Full first team out tonight then, excluding injuries and Arteta
The team has been announced on SS news
So thats a pretty strong team then……. with Monday night being the next game they should have plenty of recovery time.
But bearing in mind most agree with this i want to see no hindsight comments ….”why did we risk x” if/when we suffer injuries tonight.
Fans want a trophy it appears the Manager and team are also in the hunt for one.
There can be no excuses tonight.
PPP – you are joking?? Against Bradford??
Now lets all blame Wenger for lack of rotation..
Good on you proffessor for realising that our game is missing the X factor and the only way to get your mojo back is to play through it..
Good luck Bradford, this cup is ours and NOBODY GONNA STOP US
The welsh wizard starts,sheep will be watching him very closely
Can any 1 ?.
I went to Bradford once it was shut .
Agree again GiE 🙂
Can we have a ban on hindsight comments for at least 2hrs after the game, until all the kiddies are tucked up in lala land 😀
What happened to “Giroud not travelling”? 🙄 (cough cough)
DD and PPP I simply can’t understand why a player can’t look at the pitch and think “oooh looks a bit soft, i’ll wear the studs” instead they wear the poxy blades or moulds.
I’ll admit playing football in moulds is a lot more comfortable than studs, but in this country you can use moulds for training and in summer 5-a-sides. Thats about it. Even on the carpets in the PL they put so much water on the surface surely a stud is needed for traction.
Pitch tonight will be a bugger. Its apparently -2 already, the covers will have led to the pitch sweating, and condensation (especially if they used heaters too) with covers off it won’t take long for that water to harden up on the surface.
Hopefully will only be surface frost but it’ll be bobbly and painful to slide on, lots of vaseline and white horse oils on legs before the game surely?
Ahhh i miss that smell
If the pitch does get a bit dodgy i recommend a delivery of phaals from the nearest curry houses be supplied to the stands, that should put some heat on to the surface 😀
PPP 😀 tucked up in la la land indeed.
Let me step out of line forthwith (promise no hindsight comments) and say I will not attend any Littlewoods Cup Final, or is it Sherpa Van Trophy?, and say that team terrifies me. It’ll terrify Bradford as well I suppose 🙂
In truth Micky I am not happy with the team selection due to injuries, but then i am not in the camp demanding trophies and saying 4th isn’t one.
Soggy pitch means Plan B. Play the ball in the air to Giroo.. Wait, thats our plan A.
………..and getting the coat
Bizarre selection IMO. When do the second string players get their opportunities?
To play almost our first X1 against a Div 2 team is overkill.
IMO Cazorla is playing too much and yet AW continues to play him in a game where we have TR and Eisfeld and Ox available
yes BR, weird
Ooh looks freezing out there.
It is down to minus 15 here tonight. Brrrrrrr
Idiot co-commentator again
BR, i believe Wenger has taken the gamble in believing there is enough recovery time and cover for the Reading game. I think Wenger wants our fluency bang on going into Christmas. Sadly its not there at the moment, but its easier to recover it against a lower division side..
Ffs here we go again
FFS.
Right we attack they boot it long our club captain lets the ball bounce then gets mugged off at the corner flag. Free kick (nowhere near where foul was), and Sagna daydreaming at far post. Individual errors must have cost us 80% of our goals conceded.
Also look at the position of our Centre Backs on the free kick, we let Coquelin and Gibbs mark the near and BFG and TV5 were nowhere near the danger areas.
We really miss Arteta
Gervinho, go to ACN and bloody stay there. My dog could have put that in, you are a disgrace.
We miss a lil bit more than just Arteta, but its sad when we are saying that against Bradford. 😦
Gervinhio must be the most pointless person at the moment!
WTF is going on with our defence tonight, we look so nervy and likely to concede again.
As i said earlier in these games you can’t allow the fans to play a part, and we have, the nervy display at the back is just going to make it worse, be first to the second ball, it ain’t that hard is it? 2 up against our 2 CBs and our 2 CBs look like Conference players right now. What is wrong with attacking the ball once in a while?
That bloke Wells is better than anything we have attacking wise at the club.
The defence never looks safe to me
Bring back TA
LB tonight he is, but probably not every week
That was a horror show.
The defence is all over the place with Sagna playing so high up the pitch. Merts beaten by a Div 2 CF time and time again. TV off the pace.
Where is Ramsey playing – is he our right winger? If so, why is Sagna so isolated?
Gerv’s miss was typical of a poor half in which we could easily be two down.
Must do better.
Our formation and set up is killing us, and the lack of movement and free thinking. We seem to play like a bunch of robots, and our attacks are basically 2 banks of four. Very blunt. No flair, and the only thing that excited me in that half was Coquelins shimmy and shot off the post..
Dennis Bergkamp only last year said that we had become very predictable with no one really willing to gamble and take a game by the scruff of the neck. I agreed with him then and in my eyes and imo its the same now. Throw in a few bad touches, slip ups and near misses and we kill ourselves..
Our players all look miserable, like they dont like football. Where is our soul?
The thing is everyone else knows the attitude for a game like tonight has to be right to have any hope of a result. Why don’t the team, what gets in their head?
Eden Hazard once said that Gervinho was the greatest player he had played with..
Get off the mushrooms kid!
GIE
Errrr, tonight is the only night I am going to watch Bradford.
PPP. You are right. We have the players to get past their defender but don’t take on the man.
I think they are surprised at how good Bradford are and went out expecting to steamroller them.
Hopefully they are getting the hair dryer at half time
I actually like Ramsey..but he his absolutely stockpiling ammunition for his enemies so far tonight !!
Why have we gone out of our way to recruit 2 strikers – Chamakh and Gerv, who can’t shoot? Gervinho missed because he only has one foot, it was a tap in with his rigth but he decided to use his left, truly dreadful
I’ll get this in before Rasp does….we need Chamakh on.
Poor yet again let’s hope 2nd half better.
i am not even watching.if we lose this with this team out i am afraid Mr Wenger should gracefully resign.
I will check in the morning.
😆 yea Chamakh, he’ll boss the game
Not quick enough SSG.
Like Ramsey 🙄
All joking aside Rasp…its disappointing that you throw Chamakhs name in for Gerv’s miss. He’s not even playing.
Its just not right …imho, and I’m not even gonna debate it
We look totally short on ideas going forwards and seem unable to open the defence of a team 65 places below us, what does that tell you about our sideways passing and movement?
We really need to step it up and get at their full backs, whip the ball in and fill the box more, because if we do not, we will be all over the back pages for the wrong reasons tomorrow morning!
We need to see much more from Podolski. Anonymous so far
This would be a disaster. Div 2 v CL team
SSG, he’s a very poor player and symptomatic of our level of recruitment, I make no apologies for expressing my opinion
Rasp I think Gerv is more right footed (always seems to want to cut back on to it).
LB that’s all I was saying tonight their striker looks better than ours as he is raising his game.
BR – agree mate, totally absent and providing nothing of note.
Rosicky and Cham on please. Podo and Ramsey off. Podo hardly even trying
Kelsey he won’t resign he got to much pride
Thanks GiE, that makes it an even worse miss.and it follows his howler against W Brom
The saddest thing is that with this team i cant even see 2 goals in them. Are we not meant to be branded and known for our attacking style? Painful. I think at this stage if we sent them out with no tactics and no formations they would possibly do better, at least threaten more.
Gerv has two left feet, or two right feet 🙄
Bambi indeed
We are awful at the moment and totally devoid of any attacking sense at all. We are in disarray, no doubt about that at all and tbh, i do not blame Arsene, I blame the team. They are simply not bothered it would seem.
Team are starting to panic and play too fast
anyone have a streaming video feed, its not on live in Canada?
Hope it don’t go 2 pens Bradford won last 7 shoot outs
Much love SH
Is it xtra time/penalties or replay in this carling crap cup?
*..in the result of a draw?
Bing I blame Aw he’s the boss
If I don’t make my targets in work I’d get sacked
extra time then penalties
Pod was poor tonight. His form has disappeared
Right subs there and lets hope we can get on the front foot now.
Pens tonight no reply
This isn’t looking good
Now I am getting worried ……..
I’m disappointed with pod 2 be honest with u br I thought he may scored a few more I know it takes players time 2 settle but he’s an expericened player
Rams crap tonight been watching him
It is looking more and more like it is going to have to be a late late showing to win this one.
Jack has been poor tonight, pretty much like the rest of our midfield to be perfectly honest. Not cut and thrust at all and we have made it very easy for Bradford tonight. Why are we not pressing them, getting at them more and attacking their full backs?
Hmm seems like I am lucky its not on TV here
We’re r u nea
i cannot see us scoring
i want to cry
i dont think you could be this dismal in a training session.. The freakin spirit in our team was better when we had gallas and the fat bitch in the team..
This is painful.
Nea watch it on p2p or Sky or vettel google it
Nea, dont do it mate, you will want to slash your wrists if you find a stream!
We haven’t created a single chance in the second half against a Div 2. team and we have 11 internationals on the pitch at the moment
Thank fuck for that
Get in Tommy!
fank foock for that
GM 🙂
Wengers blushes are saved….just.
evonne XX
So when Koscielny returns from injury we play TV5 up front right?
Jack has been immense again tonight, so much responsibility on one so young.
Does Pod care?
I’m still nervous though
GiE, I dont thaink Jack has been that good mate. He has a very good last 15 minutes, before that he was not in the game that much. But thankfully he has found some energy.
Chamahk is absolutely woefull!
We’re does the saying come from
Lucky arsenal
How many more times are our frontline going to get caught offside?
Arshavin must have really pissed Wenger off
I think we’ll kill them now
Evening all,
Joined at 83mins. Doesn’t sound too good from comments.
No injuries is good news.
They won last 7 pen shoot outs we will see
Tonight i would have played more British players cause of weather
Com on gunners
BR is still worried.
If it was an exercise to get more cohesion by playing 90 mins the it has failed spectacularly.
We desperately miss a winger on both sides of the pitch.
Polar Explorers don’t feel the chill
PPP – I think you are right about Arshavin. How Gervinho gets in front of him, I have no idea, especially tonight. It must surely spell the end for him now.
Brigham I think Jack has been the one constant and the main cause of that equaliser he has covered a lot of grass trying to get a foothold in the game for the team.
If I was to do my ratings on 90.
Szczesny 7
Sagna 2
Gibbs 7
Vermaelen 0 (gained 1 for the goal)
BFG 5
Santi 6
Coquelin 7
Pod -5
Gervinho 3
Ramsey 4
Jack 8
Subs
Rosicky 7.5
Cham 4
Ox 6
Yes BR. Failed spectacularly. Which now im starting to believe we have a deeper lying problem.
Does anyone else read the BBC Live reports. They are full of so called AFC fans who do nothing but slag our team and manager off.
Oh …. I have the solution. Stop reading it!
I don’t read it br I only come here
GiE – Pretty much agree with those marks mate and perhaps I was a tad too harsh on Jack. Red wine has no doubt clouded my normal clear vision! lol
This is dreadful!!!!!!! Anyone want to write about it for tomorrow’s post because it could get better 🙄
A BFC player with a worse haircut than Gervinho !!
Well played mate
I’d do one but I’m new here and working early .
Give the old sheep some time , I will read the post In morning if its up b4 8.30 am
Much love
Sheep
23 attempts on goal
U all know my feelings I used to post on here as Andi R
Some of u may not like my post if I do one I type it as it is
Andi R
Aka sheep
We had more attempts than mr amir khan
As poor as Gerv has been…he’s still been a threat, and he has worked very hard. Credit to him for that at least
I’d rather watch him do what he does (badly?) than watch a seasoned pro like Podo walk around like he simply couldn’t care less.
Arshavin would have murdered this Bradford side down the flanks (maybe)
SSG. Have to agree with that. At least Gerv is giving 100%
True SSG, but he still winds me up so much with his running down blind alleys. But as you said, he has at least tried, which is more than can be said of Pod’s performance tonight.
My team tonight
Sheep
Gm. SS Br peaches
ppp Mick and prince
Up front
Evonne rasp and sharks
We would get a draw
Sheep 4 the arsenal job
1000/1
Chamakh has under hit at least 4 passes that I can remember
What has happened to Ox?
Is he over-training? Trying too hard? Whatever it is he is a shadow of the player we saw last season
@ BR. Not counting my chickens, but does Gerv take a penalty? ACN final memory remains.
Pens I think
Our final ball has been very poor this evening and in particular the Ox and Rosicky.
If it goes to pens then I think we will lose, I really do. Hope I am wrong.
We poor all round sorry to negative
We should be beating these
They won last 7 pens shoot outs madford
Oh no. Penalties
Gerv will only take one if it goes to 7 or 8
I’ve got to go ill watch this off line catch u all Tom win or lose
Much love SH
Com on Arrrrrrsenall.
Bradford have defendd brilliantly. Well done to them,
But Pens ….. hate them
I cannae take it
no way we win
Bugger….
Can’t even score from the effing penalty spot. Hopeless.
Tossers. see you all later
Mugabe Lockdown for a few days ………………
Utterly useless and that is one of my all time lows supporting this club including; York City, Wrexham, Swindon to name but three.
Me too Raddy
Talk to you all on Saturday.
The wife decided to wear a Man United top for a week to see the public reaction.The first morning she was spat on, swore at, punched in the face, kicked up the arse and received death threats
.God knows how it will go when she leaves the house.
And those penalties sum us up. The two youngest players on the pitch at the end of 120 minutes make it look easy. The other 3 make it look as hard as it can be.
I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, I’d prefer to fill the team with players like Jack, Ox, Gibbs, Ramsey and Jenkinson than support seasoned pros who let us down time and time again!
We cannot blame Wenger tonight, not IMHO anyway. The players have to take the full blame tonight, they were crap, how the fuck can you miss three penalties as well. I am utterly hacked off tonight and fed up with this bunch of no prima donnas.
Ok, whos going to start with the excuses?
Wenger deserves a medal, not grief.
How he has the patience to put up with that is beyond me. If that is the total sum of our players’ desire then they should all just f*** off.
Bradford wanted it and deserved it, and they gave everything. Fair play to ’em.
According to the commentator, AW said that if the game went to pens, then Bradford would be favourites.
Given that pens are 90% down to confidence, then that has to be a very stupid thing to say.
Nite all.
Peaches,
May I suggest joke wednesday, and we forget tonight ever happened. At least AA will be one place we can meet up tomorrow.
wow, the atmosphere seems awful here..
We have none other than we were shite and it is more than obvious that we lost our goalscorer to United. Gervinho could not finish a sentence.
Poor display by the team and that is our season over, because the Swans will dump us of the FA cup next month and we have no chance of winning the league or ECL. How depressing is that?
These are the kind of games when you need experienced players to turn up and help you get players through the game, the best performers from the starting XI were Gibbs and Jack. The only senior pro that stepped up to the plate was TR7. That’s not good enough.
Utter disgrace
How about the likes of Podolski/Chamakh don’t get paid again until they look like they give a shit?! Fucking disgrace to the shirt.
Playing Ramsey out on the wing? Just cop the fuck on Wenger and stop trying to be so smart play them in their fucking positions. Getting a bit tired of this, saying it’s not up to the manager if the players don’t want to try – yeah, at Man Utd you don’t try for one game and you don’t play the next, here you guaranteed a place in the starting XI. Sod off….
1 prolific finisher and a winger who can dribble in January.
More excuses. How cn we score penalties when we cnt take shots on target during games? A lot of balls today were wasted on crosses without Giroud. Scezny motm.
Micky they had already won 3 penalty shoot outs on the way.
I said to the Mrs Exile that all pressure was on Arsenal players…..if a Bradford player missed what’s the issue they’re knocked out by Arsenal….but they could be heroes. Worst thing was they didn’t need to be.
I can support this:
Micky’s idea works for me ……….. Joke Wednesday 😉
All contributions welcome, send them to arsenalnuts@live.co.uk or keep them until the post goes up and we’ll spend the day cheering each other up.
BR said its ’embarrassing if we lose…’
Couldn’t put it any better
Just put up a list of Arsenal players, that’s a joke right there!
This is what the Arsenal youth players are posting on twitter:
“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard!!”
Not very good, was this?
I have never been so disappointed before :S
Do you know what the worst thing is?
5 years ago we would’ve put out the reserves and not really care wether we went through or not. Now, we are so desperate to win a trophy, or at the very least, get some cohesion in the team, that we have to put out a first XI. We don’t even play football to be proud of anymore. It used to be exciting to watch Arsenal play, but now we are just like a run of the mill PL side.
I do believe these players have what it takes to be good, but I’m not expecting greatness anymore, and that’s sad.
I have submitted a joke and no, its not the team sheet for our sorry lot this evening!
Irishgunner , right on the button .We keep on about people not hiding, always looking for the ball etc. So what ? Surely it´s about what they do with the effing ball when they have it – and neither Ramsey nor Gervino should be allowed near a ball !! As for Chamahk , how is he being paid as a footballer ? Vermaelen has cost us goal after goal this season – never mind that he scored one tonight . That can´t excuse his awful displays this season. Knee jerk ? Not bloody likely – have had the same opinion for a while now. Support the team is obviously the way to go but sooner or later the reality rises to the surface. There is something very badly wrong at the Arsenal – and it´s not just on the pitch !
I offer one glimmer of hope
The Cazorla – Rosicky combo started looking like something we might be able to get excited about.
I agree with Brigham that Jack only came to life in the last 15 minutes. I don’t see how you saw him as a constant GIE, his passing was way off for the first half hour.
The Ox: as BR says: what is happening; there was no doubting his determinsation but his touch…….poor, poor, poor.
I talk about these players as we already know about Podolski, Gervinho, Chamakh and Ramsey.
If Mertasacker is the BFG the Podolski is the IFG
Invisible, effing, German.
I can’t even muster a joke about the other three.
Oh well it is time to get back on the cross and suffer some more.
When Ramsey starts Arsenal farts……………………
Does anyone else secretly think that we might have won if Wenger had played BR’s team above?
Spanishgooner and everyone else – can anyone tell me what has happened TV5, he is horrific? Terrible, terrible of late, he has made some last ditch tackles but mainly because he has to recover.
I just don’t know anymore, I know it’s only a League Cup but we’ve been shite for a few weeks and its cutting really hard, I don’t mind getting beat by better teams on the day but lack of effort is appalling. Sad thing is, we’ll all be here again on Monday night to go through the same feelings.
Apart from Jack’s last 20 minutes, the Cazorla/Rosicky combo that LB talks about and the Ox and Jack’s pens, there is very little positive we can say.
Our crossing was the worst I’ve seen and its been pretty dire for a couple of years.
We need a top CF and proper wide players. AW has to take some blame for recruiting players that do not fill the gaps in our team. I cannot fathom how he envisaged Gerv Pod and Giroud combining.
GIE,
If Verm get 0 then Ramsey should get -2, at least..
I didn’t see a single second of the game.
Clearly a bad day at the office.
Back to winning ways on Monday though…
…and I am sure there will be action in the January TW.
I think Giroud is a really top player but we are not playing to his abilities, he makes good runs (not all that quick I know), gets a lot of knock downs and plays some wicked headers – how about playing him up front with Theo playing off him?
Please lay off Ramsey.
I didn’t watch any of tonight’s game but he’s a kid playing in a shite team.
What? You expect him to carry all those mid-twenties internationals?
Jeez.
It sounds like Oxo and Jack hardly covered themselves in glory, but they are not currently on the hate list with Ramsey, Santos and Gerv.
However, within a year I fully expect to be reading crap like “When Oxo starts, Arsenal farts.”
Some Arsenal supporters should be ashamed of themselves.
It is that time of the season isn’t it? When Arsenal looks awful and everybody want Wenger to be sacked, bla, bla, bla..
Am I the only one that still feel that we will win something this season?
Rob
Thank Dennis for a voice in the wilderness.
No – you’re not the only one.
I agree Irish, I wasn’t criticising Giroud – he didn’t play tonight, but he does require service from proper wide players who can cross the ball and that is not Gerv, Ramseyor Pod
I used the word “play” a lot there – I’m too tired to think 😆 I’m off to bed.
Irish
I think it’s your subconscious revealing that you are in a ‘playful’ mood… 🙂
——————— Szczesny ——————-
Sagna ——- Mertesacker —— Koscielny —— Gibbs
——————– Diaby ————————-
——— Cazorla —– Rosicky —– Wilshere ——–
—————- Walcott —— Giroud ————–
Best of what we’ve got me thinks – nothing wrong with Arteta but himself, JW and Cazorla aren’t working, and what I’d give to get Diaby back in the team – if we only get ONE player in January let it be a new Diaby.
😆 Irish, naughty naughty
Ha ha RL – not so sure about that 😆
I’m going to get teased at work tomorrow so might as well just wear the jersey 🙂 Gunner and proud
c’mon irish..you know what will happen..diaby will be back like a new signing…imo..who could ever believe we would become reliant on diaby ???..oh my
one thing Irish…there’s no need fro champers tonite i guess ;..and diaby in form is a very very good player thats for sure…to bad we will never see that over a longer period of time…me i blame the fecking french national team for using him..still cant believe it..
tomstoned – I know yeah but he’s the sort of player we need 😦
I’ll live in hope
Much respect to Bradford, the deserved winners tonight. In extra time, they may have lost the edge they had amazingly had over us for most of the 90, but they retained enough shape and composure to keep us from getting a second, and then do the business with the PKs.
There is precious little to say that is positive about our guys, and I’d have said that even if we’d won. The lack of guile and gumption and energy and concentration would be upsetting had it not become so familiar.
Vermaelen, Gervinho, Cazorla and Sagna are the ones I would target most for criticism, but frankly no-one deserves credit for their performance this evening. Nico Yennaris’s comments are on the button.
I really think the travelling fans should have their expenses paid by the players – why the hell should thousands shell out their hard-earned only for the supposedly anointed ones to bottle it?
remember Song Irish..i just love saying this…he is our missing link this season..and well i used to be SongtheGreat on Le Grove..;)..but i really hate barca so had to change the nick..i still have the same fecked up opinions though ;)..
26may….c’mon..who put out the team..who have bought these players..who have sold our best players..who coaches them ?
whos really to blame ??
Tom, players and manager alike.
Night night all.
😉 good nite 26may..we’ll get over it..
Full on post match report rant in drafts Rasp. Fuck the joke day I want someone to send it to the Emirates, and make sure the IFG* sees it.
*Nice work LB
On Jack, was his passing off the mark or were other players not there? I always look at options, when he finally had some moving in the right direction (Rosicky) he started to look like the player we know he is.
I also thought when watching Jack tonight he would be better suited to a 4-4-2. 😦
Ant and me had a nice little trip to Valley Parade. Perfect parking spot, a couple of excellent beers and some nice food.
The ground was buzzing, well worth a visit, though the passages into and out of that side terrace were ridiculously small and narrow which is surprising after what happened at that ground.
The football was a let down, so what’s new? Rosicky made a massive difference. There was suddenly someone linking the midfield and the forwards. Jack perked up and Santi too. Shame we couldn’t capitalise on the late equaliser. Penalties was never going to end well. The away support sounded pretty mutinous around us throughout the game.
Oh well, at least we get a break from it this weekend.
I’m so looking forward to my trip to Wigan on Saturday week.
Up the Arse.
Rocky,
Ramsey is slow, indecisive and we seldom, if ever win when he starts.
So now you want us to believe that Ramsey looks poor because he is surrounded by shite players ?? — WHAT!!!
You need to wake up and smell his farts…………………………………. his effluvia is hard to miss he expresses it in every game he plays.
I am not blaming him for the loss as he is only one out of eleven but what I am saying is that he stinks…….
GN5 I think thats very harsh from someone who often complains of a lack of support for the manager and reminds us that we have seen worse at the Arsenal over the years.
The facts remain Ramsey is nowhere near the finished article we all know that, but there is one thing we all seem to forget he is 2 weeks away from his 22nd birthday. He missed one whole season of development after that tackle.
One reason I will support Ramsey week in week out is because he works hard, and continues to show for the ball and put himself on the line rather than hide away on a corner of the pitch and do nothing, see Podolski, Arshavin, Sagna, Theo.
The thing about Ramsey, as many have came to conclude time and time again, is that you DO NOT start him on the right. You’d think Wenger would have noticed that we play better with proper winger playing there.
And the proper winger available tonight was…….?
Please don’t say Arshavin he would surely have added to my already extremely pissed off state tonight…..
And the second thing, I’m sure Ramsey knows he is not a right winger, but the manager asks him to do a job, and he tries to do it to the best of his ability.
GIE,
Go back and read what I wrote.
I did not complain about Arsene, just about Ramsey but I did not blame Ramsey or AW for the loss. I just made a just a tongue in cheek comment that was jumped on – so I spoke up for myself – as I am apt to do.
I didn’t see the game, I listened to it on Arsenal player. It sounded as though it was a poor team effort that was compounded by our ongoing inability to finish.
But I do believe that Ramsey is a total misfit, he reads the game to slowly and is the most indecisive player on our team and at 21 years age he is not likely to change.
Strangely enough I am not upset about what will go down as the worst defeat in our history – my hope is that it will it will shake the timbers at AFC and that the shake up will cause some major changes.
Why shouldn’t Arshavin be given a chance if Ramsey was given one to play there? If there wasn’t a proper winger tonight, then surely some blame must be given to Wenger. He could have included Gnabry or some other youth players in the team. If its experienced wingers that he wanted to field, then he could have played Gervinho on the right as well instead of down the middle as we’ve seen time and time again how that’s worked out and it’s obvious he’s not a CF, but once again Wenger seems immune to this view.
If we want to play the fluid 4-3-3 that Wenger likes so much, we do it with proper wingers with great attacking threats that can make quick runs and can take on defenders and not play a midfielder that can hardly cross or take on a defender.
Adrian,
The biggest issue we have is our inability to convert chances.
Rasp/Joanne,
Check Arsenal nuts.
Internal issues of Arsenal F.C. to seek solutions:
(1) What is wrong with our team (of individuals) – a bunch of international “misfits” misfiring when the matches mattered?
Have they been “spooked” every time they stepped onto the pitch?
(2) How had not our manager and his coaching staff arrested the failings of our team’s approach in matches during training (after so many matches played this season …. as well as seasons before)? (And if they did, why did our team of individuals never learn from their mistakes?)
We will not improve on our performances if the internal problems (on the footballing side of things at least) within the club are not resolved and managed properly (which would include writing off players in Jan 2013 deemed as … toxic to team unity/surpluses to team requirements/unwanted and sitting on high wages …. and promoting from our reserves to 1st team, filling in their positions permanently).
GunnerN5,
It only becomes worse when you play Gervinho as a CF, that miss yesterday was a shocker. Surely we’ve seen enough games of him in that CF spot so far that we can safely conclude his best position is most definitely not a CF. Sure as hell hope that the rumor about Huntelaar is more than a rumor.
@ Rocky
well said in regards to Ramsey, couldn’t agree more!
Irish at 10:39
You got it!
.
“How about the likes of Podolski/Chamakh don’t get paid again until they look like they give a shit?! Fucking disgrace to the shirt.
Playing Ramsey out on the wing? Just cop the fuck on Wenger and stop trying to be so smart play them in their fucking positions. Getting a bit tired of this, saying it’s not up to the manager if the players don’t want to try – yeah, at Man Utd you don’t try for one game and you don’t play the next, here you guaranteed a place in the starting XI. Sod off….”
Chas,
If people like you (actually I’m convinced you are unique) keep returning from loyally supporting the Arsenal away from home in such philosphical mood, I may give up feeling sorry for them.
Good on you 🙂
Well, la di da di da!
Actually, I am probably the only one who is not upset.
Saw the team and decided not to watch (I did join in around 80mins).
The CocoaCola Cup is for the Eisfelds and Gnarbys.
I’ve said before, I nine houred round tripped to the CC two years ago to see the Ox debut, and would have watched had some exciting young Guns been on show.
But our 1st XI, on a freezing night in Bradford against real fighters, motivated by Arsene. Come off it. ROLF.
Morning all
As I said I didn’t watch the game but listened to the last hour on the radio.
I am not trying to be clever but this has been on the cards all season.
We fielded practically our best 14 players against a second division side and by all accounts it was yet another inept performance.
We have always had poor players over the years but not to the degree that we have now,by that I mean playing in the same side.
Chamakh and Gervinho will never make it at Arsenal, Ramsey may come in for a lot of stick but for now I would give him the benefit of the doubt and if we had a stronger squad IMO he should have been loaned out.
Again with more depth in squad the OX would not be expected in some fans eyes be the young man to turn a game.
Vermaelen is a good player but is woefully out of form and again I make excuses for Jack as he has had limited amount of games in 17 months.
These past ten or so games whoever plays seem as if they had just been thrown together as if in a training match, Wenger says to whoever why don’t we play (whoever) out of position.
The players confidence if not before will be rock bottom and I do blame Wenger as I honestly believe he has lost it with regards to formation and motivation.
it is a sad time to see how ordinary a team we have become and apart from a few new faces in January which might or might not happen I just can’t believe what we are seeing., and forth at present seems remote, in fact highly unlikely.
No team has a devine right to win a trophy but watching this makes me cringe seeing in two seasons how this team’s game has dramatically changed and is not pleasing on the eye .
That was the censored version 🙂
Morning,
micky, I’m not too upset either. It’s just another of those things that you take on the chin as an Arsenal supporter at the moment. There are far more important things than a loss in the League Cup. The way we are playing (or more accurately, aren’t playing) right now is the bigger concern. I agree with you about playing the kids. They probably play more freely and with less of a handbrake on anyway.
No matter. It’s how we bounce back that matters. The Christmas period in the league is crucial. Any reinforcements can’t arrive before then, and we absolutely need a few wins under our belt.
This season is going to be the toughest one for Arsene. He’s basically blown up the young team led by Fabregas, in the short space of 2 years, and has gone with a different sort of team, both in terms of age, and how we play. As such, it is still a work in progress, both in terms of players from that team still going out (Theo, Sagna?) as well as bringing people in to complete this new team, as well as getting rid of the hanger ons (easier said than done) Can he manage to get us into CL yet again, with another transition? He probably can and that is testament to his genius. Sadly, that genius is undervalued these days, and people focus on just the flaws apparent in that. I still maintain we’ll get the flowing football back. Maybe not this year, but with the increased funds coming, the NEW team should be something we can actually keep building on, rather than having to constantly be in transition.
I don’t believe Wenger is happy finishing fourth in perpetuity. There has to be some light at the end of the tunnel (which it must be said hasn’t been very dark anyway) which he sees and is waiting for. Of course, it’s also possible he’s just riding out the dark times, keeping all our funds handy for the next manager to come in and use, at which point he’ll become the France manager and win them the world cup 🙂
Oh and blowing up a team and starting afresh is the fastest way to change the wage structure at the club. Not saying we’re necessarily doing that, but Gazidis did say we’re looking at.
Bounce back. The balloon is burst.
It’s not a balloon. It’s football.
Micky,
The away supporters you should feel sorry for are the ones who travel all the way up to Bradford from London just waiting for their appallingly low expectations of their team to be fulfilled.
It’s getting to the stage where Gervinho and Ramsey are slated as soon as the ball goes anywhere near them. I can understand the frustration when any of them team does something less than pleasing but moaning throughout after bothering to go all that way. 100% sympathy is in order.
Against lower league opponents AW’s team talk should always be, if you don’t match them for physical effort, you’ll always have a chance of losing. You only get the right to use your superior ability once you’ve put in the hard miles.
Ha
If you didn’t like that,you’l hate this.
Later all.
Loved it, Micky.
Here’s my contribution to joke Wednesday as I’m at work (I know gets in the way of living).
http://bit.ly/X9z0Kh
Gotta go.
How about some old boys having a bit of a dance and a laugh to perk you up?
http://www.sportsessionplanner.com/s/fglf/2nd-Set-of-Transition-Activities-from-Arsenal-FC-Academy.html
This is what we coach our under 12’s maybe we should send the first team to watch because its exactly what we used to be good at, look at number of touches allowed, look at what passes the team are encouraged to play, look at what movement is asked for.
I woke up feeling rubbish and yet tat Cajun tune has really cheered me up.
Thanks Micky
To be honest I’m with Micky, I don’t care about winning the League Cup, I do care about seeing youngsters develop and giving them a chance to develop.
For me there are a few too many turning up and thinking they are better than what they are, the team spirit shown last year seems to have gone.
“Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his side should not be embarrassed by their Capital One Cup quarter-final defeat at League Two Bradford.”
That says it all for me.
Anyone want to respond
Rubbish awful display,you know my feeling about mr Aw .
Time for a change we are getting worse not better this would not happen at any other top club he would have gone last season.
We ain’t going to win anything this season so to be so negative
Much love
SH
Cold day here, well into minus and snow forecast. How is the weather over there?
kelsey . Got any non-football related jokes?
yes I put loads up 2 days ago, no one responded
GIE. What about the spirit shown last Saturday?
Like this:
The following questions were set in last year’s GED examination These are genuine answers (from 16 year olds)…………and they WILL breed.
Q. Name the four seasons.
A. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
Q. How is dew formed?
A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.
Q. What causes the tides in the oceans?
A. The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins the fight.
Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections?
A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election.
Q. What are steroids?
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs. (Shoot yourself now , there is little hope).
Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A. Premature death.
Q. What is artificial insemination?
A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow. Q. How can you delay milk turning sour?
A. Keep it in the cow. (Simple, but brilliant)
Q. How are the main 20 parts of the body categorised (e.g. The abdomen)?
A. The body is consisted into 3 parts the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels: A, E, I,O,U.. (wtf!
Q. What is the fibula?
A. A small lie.
Q. What is the most common form of birth control?
A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium (That would work)
Q. What is a seizure?
A. A Roman Emperor. (Julius Seizure, I came, I saw, I had a fit)
Q. What is a terminal illness.
A. When you are sick at the airport. (Irrefutable)
Q. What does the word ‘benign’ mean?
A. Benign is what you will be after you be eight. (brilliant)
(————— now wearing my arsenal scarf today will get the piss ripped put of me by my mates.
One win in 5 this is one of the worst arsenal teams I’ve watched in 40 years
Not much love
SH
No-one responding does not mean they were not enjoyed.
I find jokes work in one or two’s. Too many and I lose interest.
Maybe RA could give us an algebra lesson today 🙂
Good Morning fellow disappointees! 🙂
Temperature at 7 a.m. where I live Raddy was -8 – frosty clear no chance of snow.
Topical joke, as requested:
Four old timers were playing their weekly game of golf, one remarked
how nice it would be to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and without an argument go directly to the golf course, meet his
buddies and play a round.
His buddies all chimed in said, “Let’s do it! We’ll make it a
priority; figure out a way and meet here early, Christmas morning.”
Months later, that special morning arrives, and there they are on the
golf course. The first guy says, “Boy this game cost me a fortune! I
bought my wife a diamond ring and she can’t take her eyes off it.”
The second guy says, “I spent a ton too. My wife is at home planning
the cruise I gave her. She was up to her eyeballs in brochures.”
The third guy says “Well my wife is at home admiring her new car,
and reading the manual.”
They all turned to the last guy in the group who is staring at them
like they have lost their minds.
“I can’t believe you all went to such expense for this golf game. I
slapped my wife on the butt and said, ‘Well babe, Merry Christmas!
It’s a great morning — intercourse or golf course –‘
She said, “Don’t forget your sweater.”
Any resemblance to my methodology with my girlfriend is purely coincidental! 🙂
Hey, wait a minute ———— do you reckon she does not fancy me?
I’ll have to ponder that. Bollix! 😦
Raddy actually I think your question highlights what’s wrong with the squad.
I’ve never known a Wenger side to be so inconsistent, they get a positive result and some feel the rest will follow, and then their reminded again that it’s not that easy and it takes them 2 or 3 games to build on it.
Kelsey what do you expect him to say? Very few managers will admit their players were useless in the post match.
What good is a bollocking. Having been in dressing rooms I can see a few in the squad who exhibit the “well he isn’t talking about me” attitude. Team bollockings very rarely help when you have characters like that in the dressing room.
And please will everyone stop using money as a reason why this team is not as good as we would like, this team is not an Arsenal team, I’m not sure it’s an Arsene team, as Shard says earlier this is a transitional team, it’s been thrown together over 2 seasons. As I’ve said many times before I’d prefer to see Project Youth on the pitch.
how will they recover from this disgraceful defeat?
I don’t think they will
GIE. So would I and was under the impression that the LC was a chance for the kids to shine. What changed? Surely not the chance of winning a tin pot?
What changed?
If AW had put out the kids and they had lost – he would have been pilloried. “Doesn’t care” – “not interested in trophies” – “should have played the senior team players” — yad, yada, yada!!
That is what changed. Fooked if he does – fooked if he doesn’t!
Sorry but money has played a big part in why this team is as it is. We have to take a chance on players like Gervinho and Giroud because we cannot afford Aguiero and Tevez and when I say afford we all know that no matter what we offer City would be able to offer more. Hence we have had to look on the second self and the quality or lack of it can no longer be hidden amongst world class players like Fabregas and Van Persie.
Red Arse…8:29. 🙂
Kelsey
I will respond to your comment at 8am. Wenger is damned if he says the team shouldn’t be embarrassed and damned if he says they should. Personally, I think he chose the right option.
LB but money won’t be the solution, which I badly expressed earlier, for the reason you state (City will always pay £1 more).
My point was more that the club has been pressured into spending by the fans and media. I don’t think Arsene would sign any of these players without pressure (that’s a personal opinion) and if he was going to it wouldn’t be 3 or 4 at a time it would be 1 a season to add to the mix.
Morning all …..
…. New post ……
Actually, I’ve just been looking at the age of the current squad, and I think we’re in for another transition anyway. Regardless of who the manager is. (Ages at the start of next season)
Szczesny 23
Fabianski 28
Mannone 25
Martinez 20
Mertesacker 28
Vermaelen 27
Koscielny 27
Djourou 26
Miquel 20
Squillaci 33
Sagna 30
Jenkinson 21
Santos 30
Diaby 27
Rosicky 32
Arteta 31
Wilshere 21
Ramsey 22
Cazorla 28
Coquelin 22
Arshavin 32
Podolski 28
Giroud 26
Walcott 24
Chamberlain 20
Gervinho 26
Chamakh 29
Frimpong 21
Miyaichi 20
Joel Campbell 21
Afobe 20
Eisfeld 20
Meade 20
Gnabry 18
Yennaris 20
Aneke 20
How many of those will still be in our first team in 2 years?
I still think we have a solid core to build on, and some good young players coming through. It is however, going to take a lot of transfer activity, considering all the ins and outs, to get us back to the top. Still, that transfer activity should help us realign our wage structure, and the extra funds from the tv deal, the commercial deals, and hopefully FFP, should help us keep the players we want to keep, and add the players we need.
Either we’re nearing the end of our self imposed (but necessary) austerity period and Arsene Wenger will start spending again. Or we’re going to struggle to find players to make the top 4. Though we might win a league cup or two under different management.
Problem is the big money clubs are no longer just Chavs and MC, they are Russian, PSG, Barca, RM. We may be able to compete with one or two clubs for a player because they have already a full roster but we cannot compete with more.
Would we pay 24m for a 29 yo and give him a long contract?
I received this letter this morning…
Dear Gary, on behalf of Channel Four may I thank you for your application submitted on behalf of your wife for new reality show. Also the charming photograph enclosed.
Whilst agreeing that she could make a worthy contribution to the program if selected, I would like to point out that the correct title of the series is actually “Fact Hunt”.
Kind Regards
Channel 4
Just when you think it can’t get any worse it does.
This is the worse side I have ever seen under Wenger, there are to many players in this team that do not pull their weight & are just not good enough to be playing for Arsenal.
What the hell has happened to Vermaelen he seems to be getting worse each season & he is never a captain.
Podolski is invisable most games, you wouldn’t know he is playing.
Gervinho is, well just a waste of time, he is utter rubbish.
Ramsey just keeps on getting poorer, even Santi doesn’t seem to be as good as he was at start of season but of course he is one of the bright sparks in this team.
I wasn’t saying this a couple of years ago but now if Walcott isn’t in the side, I just dont know where the goals will come from because he creates so much & also seems to be our best finisher.
& I will question again, what does Wenger say to them at half time, is it “Just carry on doing what your doing” because nothing changes, in fact I think we were less dangerous in 2nd half of game.
We have no drive or urgency about us, which is a disgrace.
I can not believe Wenger has said we shouldn’t be embarrassed with defeat to Bradford, in fact I find that statement embarrassing.
We should be more than embarrassed for we are the Arsenal & if Wenger thinks different well then its time for him to go.
I am a big supporter of Wenger his achievement of getting us CL football is a mini miracle considering the money he seems allowed to spend compared to others but sometimes you just start to think maybe it is time for a change.
I have really had enough of watching us this season, we are so boring to watch most the time now but I doubt if anyone would buy my season ticket off me at the moment lol
We will not even win the “5th trophy” of 4th place this season if we carry on like this & lets be very honest we are not going to win any trophys with this current team.
The best bit of transfer buisiness we could do in January would be to go out & buy a Captain, I don’t know who but one that encourages & shouts at the players because we haven’t got one player at club that does that.
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