You have to feel for Kieran Gibbs don’t you? He puts in a MOTM performance, scores a brilliant goal to give us the lead with five minutes to go and then some of his team-mates conspire to show the very worst of our defending and give away a goal to level the score at 2-2.
Gibbs is currently one of our Marmite players. I love his energy and the effort he puts in to go forward and join the attack but many criticise him for his lack of defending prowess. Short memories, I’d say, as it should be remembered that it was his amazing tackle against West Brom that ensured we finished third last season.
Thank you Kieran, you put in a fine effort yesterday.
In fact Arsenal played some really good football yesterday and were unlucky to go behind to a Michu goal in the 58th minute. The first half had been a bit of a bore fest but we started the second half brightly and looked like the team to take hold of this game. Laudrup could see we were taking control and brought on Michu who scored within 2 minutes of taking to the pitch.
What did we learn from his two goals at the Emirates last month? Nothing, we gave him time and space on the ball and he punished us as the hour mark approached. 1-0 Swansea.
Now we had a cup game. We were finding our passes, weaving our magic but Swansea were also going for more goals and the excitement was growing, pretty much end to end stuff. I’m not going to squeal on those that put their chances wide when a goal was needed but suffice to say Podolski found himself a bit of space, swiveled and fired home a chance. 1-1 on the 81st minute. Come on Arsenal!!!!
Two minutes later Gibbs powers into the box and exchanges a neat one two with Giroud before rifling the ball into the roof of the net. Cue pandemonium as the Arsenal players jump into the crowd. 1-2 on 83 minutes.
As the game played out we still had good chances to score again but when required to clear the ball from our penalty area we were useless!!! Swansea scored to level at 2-2. Theo got the ball into the back of the net but the whistle had already gone for an earlier foul. Five minutes of extra time were played out with neither side able to seal the win.
Schoolboy defending undoes us again. We really are rubbish at holding onto a lead and seeing a game out. We now have another game in January, squeezed into an already crowded programme against top teams. Hopefully we can finish Swansea off at the Emirates in 10 days time and look forward to a trip to Brighton in the next round.
There was a bit of a tiff on here after the game yesterday. It amazes me that some supporters can be so calm about a poor performance and seek to reprimand others for using the blog as an outlet for their frustration. I would ask you all to be kind to those that wear their heart on their sleeve even if you find their comments difficult to swallow. We all support the same team even if some wish that changes could be made to help us progress. What will be, will be…………
Written by peachesgooner
Our resident Welshy – Sheep Hagger was quick to send a report from behind the lines and here are his thoughts.
Quick post for us all, most of us saw the game yesterday and again we weren’t great.
But we are still in the cup and we should beat Swansea at home even though they have beaten us once there.
We must have a go at the FA cup as I feel it’s our only real chance of wining a trophy.
Coming up, we have a few tough games in the EPL.
Following a really difficult January we will meet Bayern Munich in the Champions lge.
So if we can take 5 points from 3 matches it may be enough to make up a few points, city chelski and Liverpool are good sides.
You know the way I feel about the management, and I have been that way since the summer but that’s my view only.
I don’t know about the board and the finances as I’m not in to it all, it’s above my head,
And again why is the Theo deal taking so long to tie up? This should have been sorted last year not now, same thing with Cesc and Rvp, they should have been offered new contracts 2 years before the deals run out.
I love my Arsenal my son is named after an Arsenal player, even though I’m a taffy that means nothing.
And I think u know me by now life’s to short to row that’s why I come on here and act a clown.
I like a laugh and a bit of banter,there no malice in the sheep.
To end the post I’ll show you all a pic of the wife she’s from New Zealand.
There she is my darling she the middle one, god knows who the woman is!
Chill out life’s too short.
See you all tomorrow when I get out of HMP Swansea.
Much love
Sheep Hagger™🐏
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
No ratings I have not got chance to see the game… But we could have won the game…
When will we learn? A defender’s prime purpose is to defend. Gibbs is a poor defender, it doesn’t matter how good he is “getting forward” if he can’t defend he shouldn’t be a defender. One good tackle last season doesn’t make up for the lapses he regularly suffers from.
Superb match report Peaches. Reading someone’s opinion of the game is so much more interesting than someone trying to simply repeat what happend.
I love Mr Sheep’s joke at the end.
Excellent, Peaches!! 😀
Sheeper, your harem looks ace, especially the lovely one on the right!
Mind you, you are telling porkies, of course, that beautiful young lady is a famous sheep judge, and well known on TV, and married to an English born, Welsh millionaire!
Mucho loving, boyo!! 🙂
Well Sheep what a nice picture of your wife 🙂 between you, you must have seen more sheep than thee are Arsenal supporters.
peaches, i as you know wear my heart on my sleeve and tell it like I see it.That doesn’t make me necessarilly right or wrong.Pity i only heard the game but IMO there is still a long way to go to get the right players playing in the right position and at least two additions are required to the squad.is zonal marking the answer,not sure myself.
Up to now all we have done is loaned two players out with a string of others that need to leave the flock.
We seem as a club to be getting even more spendthrift , hopi i am wrong and someone like villa is purchased.
@Norfolk Gonners… Gibbs is a good player in both the aspects of the game he is still young and he got into first team last season.. I dont think most of the supporters will agree with your comments…..
@kelsey we need a DM a Strong DM who sits back and defends… Villa i dont think wenger will pay the prize then you never know we already lost holtby but I am ok with that we dont need more MF.. Zaha,Mbia,Villa,Mvila any of these two player shud be boute by wenger now…
Pleasa A Wenger, employ either Vermaline or Laurent C in the holding role, to reduce the burden on our backline. If not buy a holding (good tackler) midfielder otherwise Arsenal will not qualify for champions League!!!
Morning all; thanks for your combined efforts Peachy and Mr Hagger, I feared we would lose yesterday, although I hope that didn’t come across too much in my preview, however a replay is going to stretch our squad and more rotation than is desirable will have to be done to our starting 11.
Did I hear correctly that Wenger said that as Diaby was coming back we wouldn’t have to bring in more than “one or two additions” ?
If so, WT-bloody-F is that all about ? I am not impressed him continually expecting Diaby to be our saviour when year in year out he doesn’t play more than a handful of games.
The man is a busted flush and we should be planing for him not to be available for more than a twenty or so games a season(which is his average number of starts for the 6 years he has been here), so either we get TV5 to play that role or we bring in a specialist DM.
I know, I haven’t managed a club for 900 matches so what the hell do I know ?
We still look disjointed in to many postions, crazy thing is Podolski looks average out on the left but as soon as He gets involved centrally he scores and looks ike He can link things up with Santi and Jack.
I like Gibbs and see him as one of te stars of the future. I would like to see a back three with Janks and Gibbs playing wing back. This should narrow the gaps at the back and give us width up front.
I agree Theo’ s deal is taking too long and RvP’ s contract should have been sorted too but Cesc had 4 years left on his deal as he had signed a new deal the year before. He just wanted to go home nothing to do with the club or his contract.
Chary
Diaby would be the first out the door if I was in charge. He is a joke.
Recent day Arsenal reminds me more and more like that lot down the road.
Flattering to deceive and persisting with mediocre and injured players whilst selling the Star names.
Everyone saying they will take our place will be suckered in again as they will sell Bale and whoever else is worth more than the chance of winning something.
We have copied their template in my opinion.
Theo is better in the wide then middle….
We missed out on Holtby did we really need a MF?????????????
Thanks for the report peaches/sheepy, it paints a slightly rosier picture than the radio commentary I was lisening to. The undeniable fact is that as a team we are still less than the sum of our parts and that is the opposite of the way it should be.
We (apparently) want to attack like Barca – I’d be happier if we defended like Barca – as it is we do neither.
This is down to coaching and the quality of player. There doesn’t seem to be any combination of squad players that gels into a solid team from top to bottom. The midfield should be our strength and yet it often fails to connect the defence to the strikers and lacks movement and forward momentum. Proper wide players may be one answer, particularly if we want to get the best out of Giroud – but Ramsey out wide was ridiculous and it is a waste of Podolski’s talents.
We sold the best striker in the country to manu for £24m, we should spend £24m on a replacement if such a player becomes available.
Good article,Arsenal played very well second half, I knew we would score eventually, however as usual we gave away to stupid goals. I have always supported Wenger,but I now worry about our tactics.
Stewart Robson, who hates Wenger, states Bould is not allowed to train the defence, is this true ? We need to buy a defensive midfielder, forward, and possibly a centre half. Will the Board give Wenger the money, or does Wenger not wish to spend?
My conclusions are Wenger now has too much power, He is the only spokesman for the club. this is not acceptable to the supporters. As a season ticket holder for 50 years now living overseas,attending most home games, I cannot accept all the secreatcy surrounding the club’s affairs, we the supporters are the club!
Even before Wenger Arsenal have always been an enormous club, something Sky’s sports will not tell you, we are the most watch British team overseas. Arsenal must now be more transparrent with the supporters, otherwise there will be a big backlash. Top four is not good enough for a club of our stature.
Rasp…
Arsenal will never pay 20+ to any player… Eventough player deserved because of all these transfer policy we follow we lost most of targets and other team secured it Mata,Hazard now Zaha all were Wenger findings and becoz of prize we missed out….
El Tel, that’s the annoying thing, the man has been on our payroll for 6 years and what has he given us ?
We’re supposed to be a football club not a convalescence home for injured players.
The argument was that VanJudas was injured a lot he averaged about 25 appearances a season but as soon as he fulfilled his potential by having an injury free season he was off – what are the chances of Diaby doing that too if he ever manages a normal number of appearances in one season ?
The man can’t be a footballer and he will be 27 this year so why are we still thinking he is young and his potential is about to be unleashed ? The man is finished and we should have cut our losses with him 3 seasons ago.,
Hi Manthan, up until this year, Arsenal could not afford to pay £20m+ for a player, we can now so there is no excuse except we don’t have the will. I agree with those that have said we should clear out the backroom and move on players like Denilson, Bendtner, Squillaci even if it involves making a big loss – it can’t be good for morale to have freeloaders on the wage bill, what’s the point in keeping them?
JordanGooner
Wenger goal is to finish in top4.. He himself stated dat.. We are the only supporters who supports our team eventough we lost to bradford in quaterfinal… Arsenal are becoming pathetic slowly slowly something need to be change…
Rasp Now we already got rid of chamakh,djouru Asharvin and other fringe players has only 6 months left… Still we are not active in dis window see Spuds already bought two players we need singings now if we have money why the hell wenger is not spending we never react quickly and our target goes to other team… Holtby went to spuds now we are loosing on Zaha… Main problem arsenal face in all tranfer windows for last 43 or 4 seasons is contract saga dis year walcott saga…
I wish we had got rid of Chamakh and Djourou Manthan – they’ve gone out on loan until the end of the season, but will come back unless we can find a buyer and they have enough ambition to take a wage cut to secure regular football.
Raspers, do you think that retaining Theo(if it happens) will be seen as our “signing” for this window and the business Wenger said would be in arranging loan deals for the squad players?
Would I be cynical in thinking that the Theo situation is being stretched out so that when he does re-sign Gooners will be overjoyed and it will be a good way to hide the fact we are not getting anyone else in ?
If they perform well in der respective loan spell they will get buyers for sure one person who will never get buyer is Bendter 😀 😀 .. First person i wanted to get rid of in dis arsenal squad Diaby why he is der in the squad…….
Chary Spot on Mate… As soon as he will sign Arsene comments will be we signed new striker in the form of theo and now we dont need anymore addition to the squad….
RVP was right the club lack ambition.even allowing for his injury record he was magnificent last season and is now carrying on as before with what was once our rivals
.We now have Bendtner,Chamakh,Park,Squillacci,Arshavin and Djourou out on loan or not wanted and there remains big question marks over Diaby,Rosicky and Fabianski. Add up the wage bill for that lot and throw Santos into the mix. We are in a right mess and our manager has lost the eye for a so called bargain and just isn’t ruthless in getting rid of players for a top club like Arsenal and keeps playing players out of possition thus we don’t get the true benefit..How can Wenger say this is the strongest squad he has ever had.
.I don’t care if we don’t win for a while but I expect 100% from the players who should be wearing the shirt and the manager being over frugal, we will regret this.The acid test is in the next 3 weeks.
That’s what I fear Manthan – Theo and Diaby will be unveiled as “Like a new signings” and “the most important business of the transfer window”
I hope I’m proved wrong.
chary @ 10:40; I wouldn’t be at all surprised, it is in keeping with our transfer preformance of late. Its hard to target any particular weak spot when in any given game, it can be the defence, midfield or attack that is at fault. It is the team that is underperforming and although I want to see new top quality players coming in, it will be a waste of time unless we can play as a team.
Kelsey I have been saying dis for a while RVP was right eventough it is huting but he was rite… For example take last transfer window manure had 3 good strikers but still they bought RVP and on other hand we had fit arteta and Ramsey Fragile Diaby and Whilsere was injured.. AW comments on possible DM buying was “WE HAVE DIABY COMING IN HE IS LIKE NEW SIGNING SO WE DONT NEED AND POSSIBLE DM ADDIATION” and we all know what happend to Diaby and how much we miss a proper DM now…. dis the differnece between two clubs…..
What can you take?
I can take Arsenal signing ANY player during a transfer window.
I can take us not signing players during transfer windows.
What i cant take is getting players back from injury (and/or) extending contracts which should of been done ages ago and told WELL ITS LIKE A NEW SIGNING.
Graham in the 6 yard box had enough time and space to control the ball and pick his spot for the equalizer. That is poor defending. Is it the players or the coaching? It is no surprise when our best players get pissed off and leave, when after their best efforts, our defence throws it away again.
Our offensive players do their jobs well enough, but they have to do it for 90 minutes because the defence can’t do theirs.
rant over
Stop starting Ramsey. Each time he starts it is always difficult for Arsenal to win.
Raspers, that’s the thing, the team “being less than the some of the parts” makes you wonder if one or two signings will make any difference.
The saddest thing about us this season that any team facing only has to say “Can we be better than Bradford ? If we can we can see off this team” – we present absolutely zilch fear factor to our opponents nowadays. 😦
NG,
That’s not really a fair assessment when you consider the games we have drawn 0-0 ie Sunderland, Stoke, Southampton etc. the whole team has under performed in various parts of the season.
Whilst I feel we need to buy new players, I don’t want to see players brought in just to appease the fans. We need quality, and if that means setting up deals now for the end of the season then I can live with that aslong as it happens. What I don’t want though is Wenger saying we could do some business in the next window (like he said in August) only for nothing to happen.
If we singed a proper strong DM this tranfer window we are good to go.. But without DM i doubt we can finish in top 4 given the competition in the PL dis year….
http://hereisthecity.com/2013/01/07/arsenal-fans-react-on-twitter-to-olivier-giroud-fa-cup-performan/
One point about the risks involved in bringing in players in January – it seems the old adage about the importance of premiership experience rings true, Ba and Sturridge both scored in their debuts and neither cost a fortune.
The major problem at arsenal is that the club as whole is mired in mediocrity to the extent that the manager and the board go to great lengths to convince all and sundry that this is an acceptable standard.
Ever since Abramovich walked in at Chelsea, we’ve developed an inferiority complex that we cannot compete on any level with the moneybags clubs, and look to every excuse in the book for our poor performance from finance to injuries to bad luck, so how is it then we expect the players on the pitch to show the mettle and desire to come through tough times?
Manthan
I am curious about something: if we signed a “proper strong DM” then it goes without saying that he would play 95% of the remaining games, makes sense, otherwise there would be no point in signing one, right? That being the case and there only being three midfield starting berths, which of the three current midfield players would spend 95% of the rest of the season on the bench?
Congratulations Breezy that is the most contradictory comment I have ever read on this site.
Rasp
If Wenger is able to convince Walcott to stay I am sure that he will use the point you make in your 12.04 to drum home to us the importance of the “new” signing.
London, I’m not trying to speak for Manthan(and sorry for interjecting if it seems rude 🙂 ), but if I was guessing I would say that it’s been obvious that Santi and Arteta in particular have needed a rest.
To my mind mind playing 80% of the games is on average what a first teamer should be playing, so therefore 40% of the playing time for one of the other 3 MF’s will have to be shared out and with injury/suspension/loss of form I’m sure we wouldn’t see too much dissent from people being rotated in this way.
In any case why not raise the standard and make players fight for the right to start rather than allow them to become complacent as is the case if there is no competition ?
Oh dear LB
Here we go again 🙂
How about we wait until the business end of the season and MA is red zoned out.
Last term City had two top players for each position. They had the least injuries and won the league
Why couldnt AW play Coq and have given MA a rest?
Because he doesnt think he’s good enough. He’ll wait until burn out or injury, whichever comes first.
@LB what part of my comment is contradictory?
@LB the back four + new DM would have to be permanent. Then permutations on the rest of the positions as appropriate. DM would also offer cover for RB and LB who would now be less worried about tracking back and offer more forward support. I think it could work.
Arteta and DM would take shifts depending on the game (Champions/FA/League). Arteta has played almost every game this season. He’s 30+!
Kgooner, that raises the issue of why Rosicky hasn’t been used to give the MF a rest as he’s been available for the last 2 games.
Also why has Arshavin been frozen out ? If he is on the way out during the games where we couldn’t unlock the opposition defence then why has he not been tried ? I know he’s on the way out then why not send him on the pitch and say “put yourself in the shop window, show potential buyers what you can do.”
Sagna has been poor for a few games and you would have thought it was worth giving Jenko a run out not only to keep Jenko in form but to make a statement that poor performances won’t be tolerated,
I suspect there is molly-coddling for some and hissy-fits for others for no discernible reason. I always thought the best system for first XI selection was meritocracy based, at the moment it seems we are not seeing this or any consistent approach.
And why oh why are our substitutions nearly always on the 65-70 minute mark regardless of the match situation ? That’s so thuddingly predictable.
Put simply, if you buy someone that is better than you have, then you have a stronger team.
If the replaced doesn’ like his new squad role, you flog him.
My money says that with clever rotation and use of subs, all parties would get plenty of game time.
And be in peak condition.
Mdi89, I reckon running JW into the ground in the 2010-11 season is what helped prolong his spell of injury – as you say, there was no-one good enough to take his place so he ended up getting “red-zoned.”
Apparently Ade-barndoor IS going to the ACN; hopefully that will bugger up the spuds form for a while. 🙂
As it seems I’m talking to myself here I might as well go for the Hat-Trick…..into the onion bag !!
The only way to deal with the our demise is to accept the fact that we are now a feeder club. If not, then make a stand! I do not see us doing the latter, so lower your expectations as you are only setting your self up for disappointments week in week out.Our model is there to prioritize shareholder interests above and beyond any stakeholder- so get used to it. It is no coincidence that we have ended up with an investor who does not give two hoots about the game.
Do you really think that he purchased us to make Arsenal the best football club in the world? No, this would come at too much of price particularly given the competitive nature of the market. Why expose your investment to huge amount of risk when you can get a guaranteed return at little or no risk. That’s why using the minimum amount of capital possible , to achieve the top four makes great investment sense. Its not just about how much money you can make, but more importantly the return on your capital.
Let me put it to you this way. Would you rather invest £1000 at 20% risk and get £1300 back, or opt for investing £2000 and £3000 back at 80% risk. There is a common misconception between some fans (even some accountants) that because he is business orientated, he will strive for success on the pitch to better his investment, and so everybody’s happy. This is only true to a degree, but ultimately it comes down to the return on capital employed.
He has no interest in going past the ROCE risk-return cut off point, and this what Lady Bracewell smith (former Non-exec) was alluding to when she confessed her regrets for selling her shares to Kroenke. We are operating at the level which provides our investor with the best optimum ‘personal gain’. To put it simply, The club is enhancing its balance sheet and building up gains that can be realized at some time in the future.
No socialism about it Mr Wenger, we have become the ultimate pristine capitalist where shareholder is king.
It does seem to me that the owners of the Oiley clubs(Abramovich and the Camel Shaggers) are in it for the glory and not to get a return on their investment.
The little GiE is one clever kid! I am not surprised he/she doesn’t want to come here, knowing full well what it is like to be a Gunner!
Sheep – thanks for the post. I was lucky to miss the game, my general health suffered one blow less.
just noticed – Swansea are playing Chavs on Wednesday night and Everton on Saturday. i am not proud of the fact that I want the micky mouse opposition to be too tired to compete on 16th.
@ charybdis1966
yes mate… it does appear that way.Certainly not for just pure economic agenda like our owner. But on flip side, its’ been suggested that these oil rich owners are perusing political agenda by purchasing these clubs. None the less I’d rather have an owner who actually gives a toss then one that does not.
vp
Wow, this is amazing, you are the only person ever to come on this site who has personally spoken to Stan Kroenke, please tell us what he is like?
I would but he don’t speak.
LB 😆
they call him silent for a reason
Ah VP, I see what you mean, Camel shaggers interests buying up large shareholdings in media companies, I’ve seen that in other areas. Facebook having a large Camel shaggers shareholding to censor political views that don’t concur with theirs.
Micky
Your comments like “same old chestnut”, “here we go again” give me the impression that you are picking up the wrong end of the stick.
My question is quite reasonable: who would a “New Strong Powerful DM” replace?
My guess is that you are assuming I wouldn’t want to see such a player at the club, nothing could be further from the truth, I am simply asking how such a person who calls for such a player envisages the midfield working.
So with the greatest respect if I want to generate a bit of conversation, would you mind letting me.
PPP
Unlike Abramovich and Mansour, not to mention the Glaziers who are on Sky Sports News on a daily basis.
The idea that the club should make all their business goings on public knowledge is so naive it is laughable.
Chary
If you had used the word “Jew” instead of “Arab” in your 3.49 some people might have thought it a tad racist.
Charybdis1966
Yes that type of thing as It allows them to promote their country/ region. I’d be surprised if this was not an important factor to why Man City was purchased. I do however genuinely believe that they are in it for the long term .
London, I should have stuck to “camel shaggers” then.
Much better idea.
Done, London 🙂
Great news everyone – we’ve had a baby!!!!!
Obviously Mr and Mrs GiE had something to do with it but we at Arsenal Arsenal are claiming the safe delivery of a blog baby as our own 😉
Here’s the announcement from GiE
After a 33 hour ordeal, climatising in a rush to an emergency C section, Ali gave birth to our son(yet to be named) weighing in at 9lb 1oz. Ali is doing well, baby is doing well. Love to you all
Fantastic news, AA’s first blog baby 😛
We’re so proud of little Dennis, Liam, Thierry, Herbert, Rasp, Patrick, Robert, Bob, David, Lucky, Freddie, Francesc, GiE …. oh and well done mum and dad 😆
Vp – I’ve seen what happens when shareholders exert influence in editorial control of media outlets, but as this not a political blog I’ll stop there, suffice to say the winning Qatari bid for the World Cup was surely not won for footballing reasons.
Raspers, that is great news and 33 hours is pretty much what my first son took to arrive so I understand what it must have been like for them.
Seriously, many, many congratulations to Mr and Mrs GiE, I’ll put up the poll later in the week so we can all vote on a name for our new blogger 😕
Blimey Howard Webb in charge of the bin dippers game at Old Toilet at the weekend – I wouldn’t bother turning up if I was Brendan Rodgers.
And yikes, we get Mike Dean (of 4-4 Bar code fame) for the Shitty match.
Many many congratulations to the GIE’s 🙂
By the way, this is top secret but diaby is coming back.The prodical son.
LB
I have the utmost respect for you.
You and I have this debate every transfer window and I always look forward to it 🙂
My dm would play behind a Santi Rosicky duo. Or with more of a box to box man if we are being more defensive. Away in a CL game first leg he may start alongside MA with a three in front and a lone striker.
Heck I could go on and if I were on a laptop, I would.
Congrats to the Exiles!!
Lets name him Freddie, he has timed his run into the box with perfection. God bless.
GiE, where are those cigars?
Fantastic news, Mr and Mrs GIE!! 😛
Your baby weighed in at much the same as I was at birth.
I must have eaten more than I intended, I am now just shy of 18 stone, so if he is like me and his dad, he will probably eat you out of house and home!! Get working GIE – more fees needed!! 😀
GiE, I don’t suppose he could write a post for us tomorrow? 🙄
Rasp,
Don’t think I did not notice a sneaky addition to the list of famous names you suggested at 4:17. 🙂
Yea, Lucky Lukic wasn’t all that ….. 😕
We have a baby!! Fantastic!! Best news this year 🙂
Wow great news
Peaches please text GIE and send my best wishes and also tell them I’m the only one on AA to say nice things 🙂
GiE junior is sure to take after his dad and be a goalie … all that time wasting ….. 🙄
That’s a bit rich, Micky, all you wanted to say nice things about is your iPhone and a sexy DM!!
Rasp, 🙂
I will have to get to the Tavern so we can scrag GIE.
You lot grab a leg, and I will grab his other leg and his arms (Evonne can grab what she likes) and we can see how high he goes!!
I’ve decided that my default setting for writing match reports this season is to moan about the defending 🙄
RA – he’s a huge guy, I wish you all luck, I’ll just stand back and watch 😉
Hells Teeth
Here’s a thought
GiE can drink again. He has a barrel of beer in the shed just to get back into his stride
Now onto more serious things …… like posts. It’s Monday and we don’t have a game until next Sunday so lots of you are going to have to put pen to paper and come up with some topics to chat about 😉
RA
Me an Apple man?
Oh do behave
Micky,
I’m sure someone said you were an iPhone addict – a true apple tart! 😀
Oh please please Peaches text GIE ask the lazy sod for a post for tomorrow
Peaches,
I had a mental aberration between 3:30 and 3:45 and bashed out a little note for you/Rasper, as I was slightly bored, but I have just recalled I did not send it to ‘nuttyarsenal’ or whatever. 😦
Mea maxima culpa! 🙂
Congratulations and best wishes Mr & Mrs Exile and baby son
Now listen here GiE. Its important to start early. Don the boy in Arsenal baby gear straight away. The Arsenal shop also does Arsenal nappies so invest in some of them.
If the mrs trys to refuse, start crying, it worked for me.
Have you thought of a name? I dont like all these fany dan modern names myself. Something old fashioned should suffice, like Thierry, Santi, or Terry.
….or Henry, or Tony, or Denis, all good names for a baby GiE
Names like Robin, Samir, Emanuelle or even Francesc are to be avoided at all costs
There is also the pot with names like Pascal, Jose Antonio, Ryo that I would stir clear off too
I bet LB his remaining clothing that GiE will give the baby a middle name that will mean something to all of us
Oh oh, can you imagine in a few years time, both GiE and GiE junior walking up to the Ems and shouting (singing) the Tottehnham verses?? Blimey, that is going to be some noise 🙂
Congratulations GiE. All the best to the three of you.
Great stuff, GIEs.
So 9lb was a fairly small babby in the end. 🙂
How about Santiago Exile? Top name.
Super post, peaches and sheepy.
You nail it every time, peaches. Only trouble is is that each time you do, there’s less need for anyone else to take up the challenge.
Moaning about our defending is fine by me as we would have done so much better recently if we could hold on to a lead for longer than a couple of minutes.
I’ll take on board LB’s comment about someone’s opinion about the game being a lot more interesting to read than someone just trying to simply repeat what happened if I ever volunteer for a match report again. 🙂
Best wishes from the valleys to GIA and his wife. A wonderful baby boy.
Much love
Sheepster
Thank you all for the nice responds to my post last night I was at a loose end,mrs sheep was watching some rubbish on tv so I knocked one up.
I had an hour to kill,I see we have signed no one again today.
Mr Wenger said we need one or two players I’d disagree,I’d say 4 or 5.
And still we are no closer to Jose joe Walcott staying.
Sheep hagger ™
I post two messages and u all leave me here on my own in cider space.
Evening all, thanks for the kind wishes everyone.
I am just back, Mrs Exile and still unnamed bubs are remaining in hospital tonight. I tried to get a few Arsenal names through Terry Henry Exile was dismissed in an instant, as was Charlie Exile, one or two remain with an Arsenal connection for which the missus is unaware.
Many, many congratulations GiE – and best wishes to Mrs GiE and Exile Minor.
You won’t be getting much sleep for the next couple of months, so I expect you’ll be joining the Breakfast Club on here from time to time.
Peaches and Sheep
Many thanks for your fine thoughts today.
I managed to watch the game on Arsenal Player today.
I thought we weren’t as bad as some of the in-game comments indicated (although I fully understand people’s frustration during the match).
If anything I thought we put some decent stuff together but were constantly let down by the final ball (or final decision).
A few things that stood out for me:
The team put in a lot of hard work against a good Swansea side – but despite that, we still looked vulnerable every time the Swans got forward.
Giroud didn’t get in the game first half, but was unlucky not to get on the score sheet second half.
I thought Szcz could and should have saved the Michu goal.
Sagna looks leggy but was nowhere near as bad as he was at Southampton. I agree with those who say Jenks should get a few games.
Arteta worked hard as always but had an off day with his passing.
Theo is trying to do too much on his own and wasted several good opportunities to pass to better placed team mates.
On balance we deserved to win, but sloppy defending let us down once again.
I think we’ll beat them in the replay because we’ll be all fired up after thrashing Citeh 🙂
Congratulations GIE.
Evening all.
Most importantly: Many congratulations to the Exiles – surely this marks the turning of the corner for things Arsenal, this is the moment it all comes good….
Not having seen the Swansea game, I can only take Peaches’ fine report as being the God’s honest truth.
I find myself increasingly in a Rasp frame of mind as far as the fundamentals of our club are concerned, in particular that too often we are less than the sum of our parts.
Whatever the cause, it seems to me that there is a malaise at our club, one that we can’t shake off, even if we manage four league wins in a row or have some other optimism-inducing display of the quality our players can produce. Is it the manager? Is it Kroenke? Is it the players’ attitude, or their technical ability? Is it the coaching? Is it the now constant selling of important players and the failure to splurge the cash we, Sky, the BBC, Emirates and Nike have pumped into the club? Is it the fans, and our nervous fretting over trophies, sense of entitlement and inveterate backseat driving?
Who knows? Probably all of those things. But we just seem to be trapped in a cycle that sees us rise and fall more frequently than can sustain a serious assault on the oilers and United, and may struggle to fend off the challenges of the technically more limited squads of Spurs and Everton.
LB is absolutely right that there is so much we can’t know about what really goes on, there is so much ill-informed speculation fuelled by other ill-informed speculation. But having seen the vicious cycle repeat over and again, I just think we need to change the dynamics surrounding the club. And that ultimately does mean replacing our truly wonderful manager, who is trapped by the players, the fans and Kroenke. It is time to change, though I confess, I also fear that change.
By the way, for anyone who didn’t see this, take a look at a top team goal: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/jan/07/greek-children-goal-video. The keeper’s ability to avoid panicking when under pressure is impressive….
Quality striker moves club in cheap deal: Giuseppe Rossi has recovered from an injury sustained more than a year ago, before Villarreal were relegated, and has now moved to Fiorentina for €10m. Obviously, buying him is a big gamble for anyone, but if he has recovered fully, that is a mighty good deal for a truly top quality player. I would have loved to have seen him in our red and white (as opposed to the horrible red and white he once wore at Old Trafford). Oh well.
Just got back from 12 hours at the hospital and seen the great news about GIE’s baby. Congrats Mr and Mrs GiE.
Hospital? Nothing serious I hope slim.
Nice post(s) BTW
GM, Google Translate suggests that “すけべおじいさん” means “Perverted old man”. Can this be right?? 🙂
Gibbs is another great LB in the making. We have always managed to produce top quality Left Backs in the likes of Cole and Clichy. I remember Clichy going through what Gibbs is now. Once he established himself as a top LB, he left us. That was good news for Gibbs as he finds himself a regular play time with us and that will promote him in the ranks of English National side, now that Ashley is getting old and might even be thrown out of Chelski at the end of the season.
Sunday, we played our usual attacking game in the second half to justify the point that we still have some of that “I will score more than you” attitude left in our squad/ being nurtured in the team that is in itself under construction, I’d say. The problem was not in being nervy with a One goal lead. We’ve always felt insecure with one goal leads. The real problem was in our central midfield.
All or most of our attacks were originating from the flanks. We dearly miss Diaby, though Wilshire was giving something to cheer about from the middle, Santi was off his peak. Maybe the team still needs moer time to gel and put in champion performances against good teams. We need minimal signings this January considering the fixtures and apart from that, this team has the potential and Wenger is the right man to mould them as he as always been IMO.
LB,
Your point is valid as we have many MF in the team there is no room for a new DM… But we leak most of the goals because kozz and TV loves to go forwards and we dont have anybody behind covering them… Arteta is good prospect but he is not strong like other DM so i want a DM and we can rotate the squad because arteta is 30+ and can be rested in some games….
In the current arsenal squad only JW is one who gives 100% he plays his heart out he tackles he attacks… If all the player will play like him we can win somethin but dat is not the case now…..
RockyLives,
Point about Theo is valid… He has wasted many oppurnuties by not passing the ball and himself going for the glory as he want to prove he can be striker….
One thing I have noticed dis season is most of the goals opponents have scored agaisnt us is due to our mistake.. for instance wrong decision while passing,back passing we need to improve dat… Now we are not one man team like previous year all the players scores dis seasons santi,theo,poldi,OG,gibbo,JW… SO we are better dis season….
Thanks a lot to all admin as well all the other folks who comments here for accepting me.. I am bascially from india and we indians have minimal knowledge of football as we only cricket… But I love football and day i started following football I started following arsenal due to there attacking playing style and AW… I dont have great knowledge about arsenal or football but people here support me and reply to my comments so I love Arsenal Arsenal…. Thanks a lot…. Three Cheers for all goonersssssss……………….. 🙂 🙂 🙂 and sorry for my english 😀 😀 😀
@26may1989 ©®™ great video to kick kick start my day at the office 🙂
The team could learn a thinf or two from those kids
1) how not to panick when passing the ball back and get out of sticky deadlocks
2) mobility in looking for spaces to receive the ball when there no passing options.
I am really hoping Diaby comes through for us. Rosiscky as well. Remember, Diaby dropped out of the Chelski game last time. Point to prove??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yza3Z1zkrdQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax0zKVrKnLM
Morning Chas
I had an idea for a post then realized some stats type research was required.
Is there a “know it all” site?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vCbux8XHK0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENm0KhWp2nI
26
Did your children enjoy theor roots trip?
Rasp has taken over my King Doom crown and its wonderful to watch someone else taking all the incoming fire 🙂
Morning, Micky.
Was it opta stats you were after?
There’s that Castrol index site too.
I always seem to struggle when I’m looking for individual player stats. The Guardian chalkboards are a big miss.
GIE and Rocky use the stats app Four Four Two for mobiles I believe.
Bless Chas and his private goal fest
In a world of his own 🙂
To be fair I don’t think Rasp ever took his hand off it.
But he hates labels so pretend you didn’t see that comment.
Hi Micky. The kids had a great time in India – a real tourist holiday in Kerala and then a week in the ancestral homeland in western Gujarat, living with very religiously observant Jain family members, seeing long horned cows wondering around the city, the apparent chaos of Indian roads (which are actually ordered, just in a different way). It was great to be able to introduce them to India, and my daughter arrived home on Sunday, saying she wanted to be back in India!
And closer to your heart, we had (as one would expect) lots of excellent food (no meat for us though).
We’re all in a world of our own.
Other people are just an illusion allowing us to cope with the loneliness of our brief existence.
Oooops, that killed it.
I love India.
I’ve been to Kerala once and Goa twice.
A bit touristy I know, but fabulous nonetheless.
Sharing the beach with foraging pigs and scavenging monkeys and the roads with sacred animals is so much fun.
Playing beach cricket with 50 others who love the game a hundred times more than I ever could, is an experience never forgotten.
Morning 26M, welcome back. 🙂
I have never been to India, other than stopping off in Mumbai en route to somewhere else on business.
I regret not finding the time to spend time there.
One thing you will never find in india is kids playing football 😉 😉
So Chas, it seems that I am only a passing illusion in your life, and it therefore holds you are just an illusion in my world.
What shallow illusions we are!! 😀
Gotcha Chas
You ARE Buddhist Steve in disguise
26
My Wife doesn’t eat meat which has made me a semi pro vegetablist
Chas
Thanks for stat sites
I will look later. Have an idea for a post but the thought of following on from an RA is a little uncomfortable 🙂
Manthan
I have a brother who has lived in Nepal for the past 25 years. Comes back to UK, near Brighton, every year armed with a long list of football shirts wanted by the village boys. They all want Utd tops. So he gets half Utd and half Brighton and Hove Albion so they can play reds v blues.
When Brighton get back into the top flight they will have a strangely large Nepalese following 🙂
Haha, Buddhist Steve is my angry alter ego. 🙂
Proud Dad Tweet:
Morning all, thanks for the goal vids, unsurprisingly I missed the match.
RA, I’m definitely an illusion. 🙂
Morning all.
Chas have you fallen out with me 🙂
26th has said more or less what I have been saying and does anyone know excatly the position with the players not being selected.
is Arshavin going to sit on the bench until May ?
What is the position with Park
Is Bedntner still in italy and out on loan.?
Why are there no reports on fabianski,he has been injured for months.?
Is denilson still out on loan ?
Aren’t any of you concerned as everything appears to be hinged with the prolonged talks with Walcott.
All very strange to me
RA, if your had to change planes at Mumbai airport, you’ve already had one of the most annoying experiences you can have in India – it’s all good after that!
Cricket is of course utterly dominant in India, making the national team’s current problems an issue of national angst. But there is football there too. It’s fairly popular in the south but Indian football’s heartland is Calcutta and Bengal generally. The Calcutta derby between Mohun Bagan and West Bengal is a huge fixture, regularly attended by 100,000 crowds. There was one in the 1990s with a crowd of 130,000. The rivalry between the two is as bitter and animated as any derby in the world.
Sorry, have just remembered that Mohun Bagan’s rival is East Bengal, not West Bengal.
Of course not, Kelsey.
Do you mean because I thought it was odd you thought Coleman gave a fair assessment of a game you didn’t see? 🙂
At the risk of incurring the venomous wrath of Micky, I don’t really go for this idea that we need a new DM. Arteta with Coquelin as deputy seems absolutely fine to me. But of we did go for one, having heard Celtic supporting friends rave about him consistently, I’d be keen on going for Victor Wanyama.
Wrath incurred 26 🙂
Actually I have to grovel to LB later so I’ll be choking on my own venom 😦
morning all
still catching up after return
Ba went to Chavs, no good
Totts are buying
Chamakh on loan, hm
Shitty on Sunday, sweet Jeezus
messi – that jacket…all the money in the world and he wears THAT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20937775
Pep is looking for a job, that could be interesting, no?
Morning all.
Beautiful baby GiE, must take after his mom. When are you going to get his quiff dyed red a la Freddie? 😛
Rather than being cast as the site doom monger, I’d prefer to be considered as a pioneer 😕
Morning 26,
Nothing serious really, just the wife deciding that she too would like to give birth…..to her appendix! 🙂
On the note of Fabianski, Chamakh, Denilson, Park, Squillaci, Bendtner etc I don’t really give a s*** where these players are, aslong as its on the way out of this club. I really feel that in order for the side to progress, then the aura of failure that these players give off must be removed from the group.
I want to see some competition for places within the team and some hunger to succeed. No matter how big games are we never appear fired up anymore. We played a whole 45 minutes on Sunday in 1st gear! That’s terrible.
I know Wenger made a point recently about us having no egos in the team and that everyone works really hard, that’s all well and good, but that’s how you would usually describe the team who come last at school! ‘It’s the taking part that counts.’
We need to sign some players who have won trophies elsewhere and who know what it takes, because until this lot win something, the attitide in the camp is always going to be that of someone just ‘taking part’.
Great to have you back 26m, I can only dream of visiting such places – but thanks for the virtual tour, it sounds wonderful.
26M,
Did not want to say about Mumbai Airport, and anyway my ‘plane changes were at some ungodly hour!! 🙂
By the way, since Shard arranged to meet up with you in India, he has not been seen since!!
What have you done to him? (He is probably flirting with Untold Arsenal, the hussy)! 🙂
🙂 http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=eeyore&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&rlz=1T4GGNI_enGB499GB499&biw=982&bih=582&tbm=isch&tbnid=3NBJnRHpaSnsjM:&imgrefurl=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheEeyore&docid=oK6J0iSN4T3tzM&imgurl=http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eeyore61_5881.jpg&w=344&h=350&ei=W9_rUM76MYmd0AWy1ICIDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&dur=191&sig=110821450907432698627&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=150&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:169&tx=172&ty=120&vpx=719&vpy=149&hovh=226&hovw=223
Hi Kelsey, 🙂
You ask more questions per comment than mastermind.
At least you finished by admitting you are strange!! 😀
Hi RA.
yes but no one ever answers 🙂
I am in splendid isolation
Oh by the way we have won more games without BFG than with him in the team. I am a stubborn old man and weighing everything up, that is the pros and cons, I don’t think he fits our system under Wenger or more so under Bould..
Ah slime said
“On the note of Fabianski, Chamakh, Denilson, Park, Squillaci, Bendtner etc I don’t really give a s*** where these players are, aslong as its on the way out of this club. I really feel that in order for the side to progress, then the aura of failure that these players give off must be removed from the group.”
Hurrah 🙂 but will it happen. just add up that wage bill
Slim,
I had my appendix removed when I was a boy. The memory that has haunted me since, was, when I was sedated, but wide awake, the two young nurses who had been instructed to shave me, turned up at my bedside armed with a bowl of soapy water and brush, at 4 in the morning.
As I was only 14 and proud of my ‘bumfluff’ beard this seemed odd, but wholly reassuring – make a good appearance in the surgery and so on – so when they whipped down my jim jam bottoms, accompanied by much giggling, I was all agog, especially as one said “have you got the pencil?”.
Despite not being too well, I think both they and I enjoyed the experience – albeit for different reasons, no doubt.
The pencil? Well it seems it is a useful tool in a young nurse’s armoury. If a male patient suffered an ignominious and inappropriate rising of a member, a short, sharp tap with the pencil was a sure cure all! 😛
Didn’t hurt!!!!! 😛
Your wishes have come true, Kelsey!! 🙂
is Arshavin going to sit on the bench until May ? [No one knows!]
What is the position with Park. [No one knows]
Is Bedntner still in italy and out on loan.? [Yes, with Juventus – but he is currently crocked – but still claiming he is world class].
Why are there no reports on fabianski,he has been injured for months.? [Still injured – I will ask him to hurry up!]
Is denilson still out on loan ? [Yes, but Sao Paulo (?) want him permanently]
Aren’t any of you concerned as everything appears to be hinged with the prolonged talks with Walcott. [No. God (or Arsene) acts in strange and unfathomable ways!]
There! How’s that? 🙂
Wonderful RA 🙂
What a cock up at our club which won’t be resolved overnight.
Morning slim, I best wishes to ‘er indoors to make a swift recovery from the op
You’re not a doomer, Rasp, you’d need to be much angrier, more bitter and banging on about how the man who’s revolutionised our club is betraying what we’re entitled to.
Thanks 26m, I try to keep a balanced view.
On that note …….
…. New post ……