Much to look forward to today – a possible Merinho breakdown, Klopp’s second defeat in a row, the Classico, MU downed by the rampant Hornets. What I am not looking forward to is the physicality of a game at the Hawthorns.
I have nothing against WBA, I admired them during the Big Ron era for their support of black footballers, also that they would routinely gift us 3 points at home and away, but things are different today; today they are managed by Tony Pulis.
Imagine how you would feel if it was announced that Mr Wenger was to be replaced by Pulis? First out of the door would be Ozil – Pulis would never have an artist in his team. Theo Walcott? No chance – the man is a wimp. Cazorla? A holding midfielder who can’t kick indiscriminately and physically oppress the opposition. Going through our team how many would get picked by Pulis? I would hazard a guess at Alexis, Coquelin, BFG and Gabriel.
Having said that, it is one of the pleasures of football that there are many ways to win 3 points and perhaps it would be boring if only fluent, attacking, exciting, skilful, intelligent football was the only style on offer. (a little BR joke for those who are too literal)
In 12 PL games WBA have scored 10 times, have collected 26 yellow and one red card (we have the lowest in the PL with 12/2). They have 4 points from 6 home games and are without question the dullest team to watch in Europe, if not the world, universe, galaxy, etc.
I wonder what Pulis makes of Mr. Wenger. What must he think when reading of AW wanting to bring out the beauty in his footballers? Of his eloquence following a match and his humour at press conferences?
This is not to say that Pulis is thick – he clearly isn’t but I hate his football philosophy. I hated his violent Stoke team. I hated his defence of Shawcross. I hate his idea that if you cannot win by playing with the ball then play the man. It is offensive.
We celebrate the return of Bellerin. I understand Debuchy’s frustration regarding his relegation to the bench which may affect his Euro place but Bellerin is fantastic – perhaps the best AFC debut season since that bloke who is on the bench at Stamford Bridge.
Unfortunately Ramsey is not available until mid-week and IMO he is the lynchpin of the side. We have struggled in his absence especially in the Spurs game.
Santi is fit again and played well for Spain, scoring a fantastic goal which may initiate his Arsenal goal scoring. It is a mystery that such a talented player cannot hit the target.
Alexis played two full competitive games for Chile and will surely be rested for much of the game. Who takes his place? I guess Campbell will continue out right and Arteta or Flamini alongside Coquelin allowing Cazorla to play further forward.
The bookies have us as 8/15 favourites. I am less confident.
But beating a Pulis team makes for a happy Big Raddy household and I am sure the Arsenal squad and backroom staff are all in favour of that.
Let it be so.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Tin hats on, kevlar pads on, face guards on and pray for no serious injuries.
Wow, It really is have a pop at Pulis time. I actually like him and respect him a lot, and as for the shin pads ? We arent Stoke. We have a good fair play record. West brom havent been able to play our system well because of the international breaks, Our main striker Rondon is knackered because he’s spent more time in Venezuela than here. Berahino has had his head scrambled by your much loved rivals Spurs, and is only just coming round to thinking that the world doesnt revolve around Spurs, something I believe we can both agree with. Arsenal have always been a second team to me (since I was a kid) and I know West brom can play with a lot of flair and that maybe Pulis is concentrating on defence which to be fair has been long overdue with West Brom….so I believe we may be the new 1-0 to the Albion, instead of 1-0 to the Arsenal….worked for you….why not us ?
Hope for a good game today lads and I wish you all the best for the season and I would like to see you crowned as champions to be honest, and as for us ?…Stay in the Prem and build solidly and slowly but surely.
boingy
A lot of stuff on this site is said in jest – but it is still an Arsenal blog so …..
As you would have read, the author had a good feeling for the Baggies in Big Ron’s day – and managers do influence the way fans think of a cub — take Maureenio ……. please! 🙂
Nice one Raddish! 🙂
One of these stats really stands out, guess which one Henry 😉
I will thank you again Raddy but I think WBA play a much more open game than you suggest even under our next manager, Tony Pulis.
Opta stats
West Brom have registered just two wins in their 18 Premier League meetings with Arsenal (D3 L13) and are without a win against the Gunners in the last nine top-flight clashes.
The Gunners have scored in every one of those 18 Premier League games against West Brom, the longest 100% scoring record of any side against a single opponent in Premier League history.
West Brom have averaged 0.5 points per game against Arsenal in the Premier League, their joint-lowest return against any side they’ve met more than twice.
The Gunners have taken 31 points from a possible 36 in the last 12 Premier League matches on the road (W10 D1 L1).
Olivier Giroud has scored in four of his last six Premier League appearances.
Since joining the club in 2012, Giroud has scored more headed goals than any other player in the Premier League (15), including one against West Brom in May 2014.
Including blocked, West Brom have fired in the fewest shots this season (113) while Arsenal have mustered the joint-most (221, level with Man City).
Only 56% of the shots on target faced by Arsenal have been from inside the penalty area – the lowest proportion in the top flight.
Only Southampton (six) have scored more headed goals in the Premier League than West Brom and Arsenal (five each).
80% of the goals West Brom have scored have been netted in the 15 minute periods either side of half time
I always remember the last day of the season when the keeper gifted us all of our goals to secure 4th spot.Sad to hear that the keeper Fullop died at the age of 32 a few days ago.
RA, with ya all the way dude…….humour is a vital component of a football supporter…and probably more so if you support WBA.
boingy – what a terrific guy you are!! Top sportsman!
We are used to getting abuse thrown at us if we dare abusing other teams on the Arsenal blog, but seldom do we witness such positive input, well done!
I wish your team all the best too, perhaps not today, but starting from tomorrow 🙂
boingy. As I said, I like WBA but not your manager – he will turn your team into Stoke. It works.
kelsey. The lowest scoring record in the PL does not reflect an open game.
Raddy – a beautifully written post, thank you. Little to add to it – tough game, unpleasant Pulis, good to see Hector back…good guys should win.
their team are not pushovers though – McClean, Fletcher, Ben Foster, Berahine, Lambert and Myhill – all good players. And Brunt is very capable too. Not, I am not 100% optimistic, perhaps 65.
I have to admit to not knowing where West Bromwich is 😦 Very silly, I know, but I have never been there and have not known even one WBA supporter. looked it up on Google and got a photo of a Billiard home, very nice, but hardly a Big Ben
Not such a short post after all, thanks BR.
It’s always nice to welcome the odd one or two opposition fans boingy. I only once went to a game at The Hawthorns and I have an abiding memory of sitting next to an elderly lady who very loudly exhorted her team in a broad Black Country accent. The loudest screams were reserved for her favourite player Asa Hartford.
Incidently, Wiki has sixty-five year old Asa Hartford’s current team listed as Norwich city. I do hope he hits a hat-trick against the Chavs this afternoon. 😀
chas – it is Billiard Hall, not home, sorry
Why are you calling Chas a billiard ball Eddie? He’s not bald…yet.
Excellent read BR always appreciated.
So Sanchez played two full games during the break, that would make him, I would say, the first name on the team sheet then.
I know Ramsey is extremely important but there is a little something inside me who is quite pleased that Campbell is going to get one more crack at the whip. I am not holding my breath but I am convinced that there is more to him than we have seen to date.
boing – a friendly warning if you are still around – if you thought Raddy’s take on Pulis was a tad harsh then DO NOT read any comments from GiE under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
Excellent PM Raddy, as usual, I concur on every point.
It is such a shame that a fine club like WBrom opted for Pulis but I guess the financial need to stay in the EPL was a major factor.
Nice to see boingy on here joining in the spirit.
I confess to being nervy about this game, it is exactly the sort of fixture we often slip up in – despite history showing we usually prevail. Pulis is the difference and he will no doubt try to get them to play like Stoke for this game.
The American sport franchise model where there is no promotion or relegation might mean that clubs would put entertainment before just winning (and managers like Pulis wouldn’t be necessary), but we’d also lose all the excitement at the end of the season 🙂
Morning all
Eddie, West Bromwich is in the West of Birmingham….. to a brilliant place. I used to visit the Steel Works there regularly during my time working at the now Emirates Stadium site. I used to date/see/slip one to…. the secretary (who was uite lovely) on my visits. If I had to be there to collect a check at 8am I used to go the night before and spend the night with her…. all the usual stuff, wine and dine, flowers and talk about steel joists and RSJ’s ha ha ha
Edit: “not a brilliant place”
Lovely stuff Raddy…. you’re on form mate, mine comes out tomorrow 🙂
Keep it zipped Soixante-Neuf, remember…Never on a Sunday!
Pleasure talking to you too guys, to be honest nothing you do to us tomorrow can be worse than when I sat in the Brummie end to watch WBA v Barnsley lose 1-2 and watched two old ladies from Barnsley knitting Barnsley scalves during the whole match…..just too much to bear. 😦
Boingy
Is there a time difference of 24 hours in Birmingham? The game is today mate…..
And speaking of Pulis…. I’ve always quite admired him. He gets the job done with mediocre teams… keeps them up and does it his way, although most of us don’t like ‘his way’…. it often works.
Lol, northbank..forgot. but if they dont do anything to us till tomorrow we should be ok today 😉
I have a completely different perspective on what I am happy with at West Brom at the moment. Sure I want to see players like Willie johnston and cyrille regis and bomber brown banging goals in left right and center, but a lot has happened since then…and taking 16 years to get out of the championship is one of them, and I dont want that again. Teams like Leeds, Notts forest, Wolves,Derby are trying to get out now, big teams with great histories. Blackpool came up and everybody swooned at their expansive exciting football and the second half of the season they bombed and now they are in tatters. Safe is good enough for me until we develop, hopefully into a team that can emulate the one that beat Man utd 5-3 home and away.
boingy. Fine riposte 🙂
Just had a random memory.
When I started going to Highbury George Eastham was our star player – a right footed Liam Brady.
Just checked …. George is 79 y.o. lives in South Africa and is chairman of the South African Arsenal Supporters Club. What a top bloke!!
By the way, I bought the Arsenal kit when I was a kid, and had the number 10 put on the back..Ray kennedy, great team..I always played as a winger or center forward and often wore my Baggies kit and the Arsenal one (seperately of course 😉 )
Cheers, BR.
I don’t like Pulis, but I’m sure I’d grow to love him if he was ever our manager. 🙂
Still gutted we couldn’t get tickets for today as the pubs around the Jewellery Quarter are the dog’s doodahs.
Though having been out and having had pinky and perky completely retreating inside my pelvis, perhaps it’s a blessing after all. 🙂
I fancied seeing a Tony Brown goal after his mention. This one also features Johnston and Regis.
An Arse goal for balance
One more to make it 2-1 to us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baef2jCJDxo#t=0m25s
Quality pre match as ever Raddy.
But I have an icky feeling about today, Pulis would have drilled any non internationals hard in last couple of weeks in terms of defensive organisation and these are the kind of teams I hate after an international break where some of our team might have had two or three days training together tops.
Boingy as others have said there is nothing to really dislike about your club, apart from your manager. It’s the way in games like this he believes getting in the opponents face is a good tactic, and find it may reward with the odd upset but invariably the opponent wins and counts the cost of injuries. I’m not sure if he has the players to really deliver that kind of performance I do find it a shame that after briefly convincing people that he could coach another way whilst at Palace he is reverting to type at WBA.
No idea if this is true as official line-ups not out yet.
https://twitter.com/iainmacintosh/status/668055041446682624
lovely PM, Raddy. 🙂 glad that proper footie is back. 🙂 COYG. 🙂
BR
Is this you at the 1971 Cup Final?
apols to all, particularly Evonne, Redders and Vintage, for knot bin ear. 😦
and Steve. 🙂
“it is one of the pleasures of football that there are many ways to win 3 points and perhaps it would be boring if only fluent, attacking, exciting, skilful, intelligent football was the only style on offer.” 🙂
welcome boingy. good fun, is it not! 😛
Gibbs starting left wing…..interesting….but also good decision.
Rest as normal
Rasp. “nervy” is an understatement, at least for me! 😛
whey hey Gibbo is our new centre forward…. team has been announced
Cech
Hector. BFG Koz Nacho
Coq Santi
Alexis Ozil. Gibbs
Giroud
Subs as well
Cannot complain. COYG. 🙂
Why do they only show Paul Easter as ‘Gabriel’? Why not Paulista Gabriel?
Straight out of a nasty video game
feck
Who’s on the sofa then?
MU must be the luckiest team ever. Once again they are completely outplayed over 90+ mins, score as always in the extra time and have De Gea make a series of wonder saves.
Which goes to show that a proper GK makes a huge difference as we will see when Courtois returns
Deeney gets the equaliser against Utd and three minutes later score a own goal to give Utd the 3 points.
chas 1.46. Could be 🙂
I am, NorthBank. 🙂 as of now. what happens at half time we shall see. 🙂 COYG.
Raddy 2.42. 🙂
Thank you Erik
Any mention of Big Ron is good news. He being of “tactics bollocks” fame
Here we go again then
Must win, or Wenger out 🙂
Surprised how many girls in that 71 photo, although a few I’ve counted towards the back could be fellas given all the hippys. We’re the girls there to see the footy or to swoon over Charlie?
Having a Crystals moment
Which channel Erik
says 16, but home pop horeses
NB69
Mr Stillman is married to a Brazilian girl and said this about Gabriel….
ok got it
Bloody cheeky, GIE.
Admit it, you just want to be assaulted by Peaches and Eddie, don’t you?
Chas…. I’ll stick with Paul Easter then…. maybe from Easter Island and refers to anybody from Easter Island 🙂
Giroud doesn’t know the words!
Any chance we might sometimes play in our traditional colours not Wolves second team kit.
It’s because of the white shorts/socks clash, kelsey.
Chas you know me so well.
Kelsey which one would you like, I’m rather fond of the claret and blue
http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Arsenal/Arsenal-change-kits.html
Gibbo to get a hatrick today!
shite…. the Big Coq is down
I hope Gibbs does well, this is the big chance for him. 🙂
Le Coq has smashed his knee so off….Arteta on.
I’m only watching text commentary, did Coq just get injured by hand balling?
Self fooking inflicted. Didn’t even get the ball
Ok not his hand then?
We need to wake up a bit.Monreal just got clobbered as well.Yes this is a Pulis team but even so we need to up a gear.
No, a beautiful slide, but so dangerous
Dived in a bit, GIE.
I’m not sure it wasn’t the opponent’s leg which banged into his knee. If so, it might just be a bang rather than too serious. Fingers crossed.
He needed a rest
Giroud !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Girooooooo
yessssssssssssssssss
ha ha ha. the bloody Frenchman. 🙂
and the assist of course …..ozil
ok, nothing funny now, until half time
Lovely pass from Ozil.
Ozil to Ollie again Mesut loves TBFP
oh shite
noooooooooo
Bollix
Bollo
Bellerin’s fault in fact the young man is not having the best of games nor is Santi
fcuk
Bollo II
could be worse. could have been a penalty, red card even.
Come on!
Double bollix
Let’s hope that doesn’t put Cech to about 0 in terms of points earned
I wouldn’t describe this game as a looker
Actually, something of a boiler so far 😦
Poor first half by us, have never dominated and apart from our goal only one other real chance that being Sancahez’s free kick.
We are so limited of quality players to bring on to change the game. Not lost as yet, but we really need to up our game in the second but my gut feeling is that the majority of the players are jaded.
Can’t blame Cech. Awful defending.
And rubbish refereeing. Never a free-kick for the first..
We have looked lack-lustre through the first half. Alexis not working on the right.
I expect to see Campbell on at 70 mins.
Is this the first time this season WBA have scored two goals in a half?
And Arteta? – what was he doing so close to Cech who had saved the cross?
Perhaps Flamini would have been a better sub for Le Coq
Arteata is at best used for 10/15 minutes when we are 3 up.No strength in depth.
I agree about Flamini but we may well see him at around 70 minutes playing up front.;)
Only going by what BBC commentary said, he said we were in control 1 nil up keeping WBA at arms length only likely goal was set piece which they got and then Cech and Arteta gifted them the lead.
AW has to find a solution to the year on year injury crisis.
We would win this with a right sided attacker and Alexis on the left, as it is we are really struggling to find any pace in our attacks
kelsey. He was shite for the last 10/15 minutes of that half 🙂
Ozil hits post. Arteta injured and subbed.
Not a good start to the half 😦
Well we didn’t really have any options on the bench to improve the attack anyway, maybe time for Joel Campbell?
It’s the fault of the grass. Too long.
(so far 🙂 )
No options Exile!!!!! We have Jeff, who is better than Messi 🙂
“put himself about and make his presence felt”
ie no skill whatsoever
Oh dear, sooner or later we were going to pay the price for not buying decent backup for Coquelin in the summer 😦
Or for all the injuries……
Need a point at least to rescue something from this….don’t care about a win now, just keep us in contention until the cavalry returns.
Campbell is sadly not good enough for AFC. Turkey awaits.
At least Sanchez is not letting us down.Campbell is pretty poor.our defending has really been poor today.
Turkey ah yes it’s nearly Xmas. When is the beheading 🙂
Penalty
ooo pen
missed it
that does it! 😦
We missed it? Wtf is going on today? Told you I had an icky feeling
Oh FFS
He kicked his own other standing foot.
bad luck
In the face of adversity, we always seem to bottle it
Luck had nothing to do with it Eddie
“There was a touch of encroachment but when isn’t there? Everybody was in the box. It had nothing to do with Santi Cazorla missing, but Mark Clattenburg ordered the retake, then changed his mind. Incredible.”
There’s a rumour on twitter that Ollson urinated alongside the penalty spot while the penalty award was going on to make Sant’s standing foot slide.
We had all the possession, Campbell missed a sitter, Santi ‘s penalty was appalling though I have to say it was a harsh decision. Another two midfield injuries.
The only positive was another OG goal and Ozil assist.
Well played WBA, We created few chances and WBA took the two they had.
ian – did you watch the game??!!! We bottled it? Really?
Arteta’s OG, Coq’s injury, Campbell’s miss and Santi’s flop. All bad luck that would not normally happen and were not a result of any wrong doing.
Not bad luck Eddie, get real! 🙂
There can be no other explanation.
https://twitter.com/MC_of_A/status/668108184943468544
https://twitter.com/7amkickoff/status/668107386846994434
I think ‘tamper’ is being polite.
Eddie, these things happen all the time in football – injuries etc. You need the mentality to get over these rather than continually use them as an excuse. We should beat WBA, even with injuries
Look on the bright side lads, we’re just two points behind Leicester 🙂
Actually, I was looking at sky sports site to see league table and make a light hearted comment about how points from the magic 40 we may be, and was genuinely shocked to see Leicester top
Wow
Looking at that clip there was an encroachment by at least two WBA players.
Unfortunately year after year we get one injury after the other but Arteata and Flamini and Campbell shouldn’t be in a squad challenging for the title,as that is the benchmark to look at.
Sanchez is amazing but Gibbs is no real threat as a winger, Campbell is a headless turkey and Santi is woefully out of form.
Ozil, Sanchez and even Giroud had reasonable games but let’s be honest as a team we didn’t play well, no fluidity, and WBA were in our faces most of the game.
On another day with all first teamers fit,we most probably would have won, but the end result is that we now have yet another two injuries and as i said during the game defensively we looked extremely vunerable.
We are on a terrible run of only one point from the last two games. We need to concentrate on getting another ten points as that will probably guarantee us safety, then we can rest all the players until next season and start with a fresh squad….so fresh that we will not need to buy anyone in the Summer transfer window as back up for the non existent injured players.
Superb plan if I say so myself !.
One foot Gibbo playing up front !…………………..fcuk !….we must be short on players !
This is exactly why Arsenal will not win the league this year.
We have NO depth due to injuries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As much as I like the guy, Arteta has no place being near 1st team at this point in his career. He has had a calf problem for 2 years, and when Coq went down we were starting to become exposed. Then Arteta went out, Flammini came in and Campbell missed a 2 footer- that is when I knew we were in trouble. No Theo, No Danny, No Ramsey, No Ox, No Rosicky, No Wilshire, No F’n chance is what we got right now!
Sanchez is burnt out beyond belief, and without any support, Arsenal will not be able to sustain a run on 1 goal games.
Huge props to Sanchez, and Mesut-those guys came to play.
Really hope we get someone in January or we will be mid table by February, but I don’t expect us to.
Another huge problem is when and if all these chronically injured players come back it takes games to get match fit, not just some bicycling, sprints and half a$$ed scrimmages, while all the other teams in the league are going full blast.
December could get ugly. grrr
Go Gunners.
Arteta is too friendly !….so friendly that he plays games like they are friendlies …..warm up pace !.
The pace of Arteta and Merts must terrify the opposition !. 😆
Afternoon all
Very disappointing return to football 😦
Sir A Hussein has gone to the match and will be sending me a post for tomorrow so no nagging from me 😉
Thank fuck we didn’t get tickets!
Fcuk !……………..the next league game is away to Norwich !….. they are all inbreds in that part of the world and known for their limitless bounds of energy for shagging anything that moves at a family gathering !……we may need to sacrifice Norfolk and GIE in a pagan ritual for any chance of a point .
chas – I thought as much, you can always eat the pies at home in front of the telly
Eddie!!!!
You’ve just ruined my brilliant plan for Ant ‘n Duck away days when they cant get tickets
I was going to suggest “pretendies”
Anyway, we can discuss in the morning, I’m off to a bday party
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/football-is-cheaper-if-you-dont-bother-says-survey-2013091379436
I’m on a pretendie at this very moment.
Kompany out 3 goals conceded…..no strength in depth……..and they spent how much on their back up centre backs?
GIE
You know full well that doesn’t excuse our parsimony.
Great game going on in Madrid 0-2 at half time. Suarez and Neymer with the goals.
We’ve had a power cut all afternoon so I don’t know the Arsenal result , I’ll be watching the replay on Sky a bit later.
Off now before I’m tempted to look at the comments.
Laterz.
I have to say Liverpool are playing really well and have klopped three times in thirty minutes 🙂
And there was me thinking that the International break was frustrating.
Evening all, Thank you Raddy.
A bit of a disappointment, but i have to say we have been batting above our weight. No excuses we were beaten by a side that knows how to win ugly. But it has to be said they did score two good goals.
Yes we were short of quality, but that is no excuse, we were also slack in our defending, and woefully short up front. Of course things will get worse Coquelin will be a big miss, but he just joins the other injured.
Many will start to moan about the last transfer window, and many will talk about the next one, but with a whole team of players out, what more can we expect.
I have to say that the ref was a little biassed, but he was not bad enough to take the blame. Apart from the injured, it has to be said that many of the players was off their game. A missed penalty was unfortunate, but when luck is not working for you, then misses like this happens.
Even though we were not very good, we still managed to make chances, had those chances worked in our favour, we could have possibly won, but the law of averages says when you have as many out as we do you dont really deserve luck.
Players who are nursing long time injuries are in no rush to come back and the ones who have only knocks and strains, were not really upto a game at West Brom.
Many players who have spells out injured, usually suffer when they come back, Arteta probably didn’t think he would have to come on, but he did and had a set back, Flamoney stepping up was also a gamble but who else have we.
Arsenal have had a reasonable run, but we knew that we have been punching above our weight, with limited players. I see this pattern every year, many of the same players miss most of the season, I felt that our Diaby days were over, but all that changes are the names..We got what we deserved, bugger all.
dont bother, Norfolk. 🙂 ah well, he’s gone. 😛
Chas. relieved.
4 nil to Barca, in Madrid, bloody ell, that is worse than our defeat, even worse than city’s result
The problem isn’t injuries, every team suffers them, our problem is we never just lose our no 1 option we lose the no 2 option too, and that happens in three positions at the same time as it has this season we of course look lacking in depth, whereas the reality is there is depth, they are all just injured
Let’s be honest Ox in that side today looks better, Rambo on that team today and we look better still, Jack on the bench, Theo up front Danny on the bench stronger still. We are at our third choices for starters in some positions or only one starter in others with no cover (centre forward), this is the issue and if we can get to Christmas in touch and get players coming back fit and ready for action it will be a huge plus, we have to rotate when we can so the likes of Alexis and Santi will hopefully get a well earned rest when they can.
We are 2 points behind the leaders having played 13 games, level with City, one point behind United and 12 in front of Chelsea, 6 in front of Liverpool.
Given our summer inactivity who wouldn’t have bitten my arm off for that position, given our injury list we should be amazed we are even that close. So rather than focus on the negative we could focus on some positives, if we can achieve this position with 9-10 first teasers out what can we do when we have a full complement? I can guarantee one thing, Campbell, Arteta, Chambers, Debuchy will struggle to make the bench.
Well done GIE, you attempt to explain in your first paragraph what I have been thinking for a while, your explanation is good but, I hope you don’t mind, could be better; although that said, it is far better than I am able to explain.
The stats you need to know
Since joining Arsenal in 2012, Giroud has scored more headed goals than any other player in the Premier League (16)
Ozil has provided an assist in seven consecutive Premier League appearances, the most in the division’s history
Cazorla failed to score from the penalty spot for the first time in the Premier League, having converted each of his previous six spot-kicks
By the way those stats you need to know were from the BBC website. Nowt to do with me.
LB I know what you mean about could be better, I have tried to write several posts on the subject but can’t get my thoughts down clearly enough to make it readable.
Campbell, Flam, Arteta would not make the bench on most top clubs!
We always have some critical guys injured, and then over rely on a few to make it happen. We do not have 4 key personal that are not chronically injured to rotate properly. Jack, Theo, Ros, Ox, Rambo, Diaby (when he was with us all those years, Arsene could have bought some cover) are chronic….most teams they would have to work there way back not just jump in like we always have them do.
We are just short period and until we buy proper cover we will be falling just a bit short in a long, brutal and competitive season.
Why the f**k did I bother watching that?
Can anyone tell me why it is that we never have just one player on bad day? It seems like a virus goes round the entire squad.
We had our first choice defence on the pitch but gave away two goals by sheer bad defending.
Our mid-sized mid-field was out muscled even before Le Coq got Injured.
As to our attack I’m not sure that we had a single shot on target apart from Giroud’s free header.
There needs to be a radical clear out in the summer, if not in January and excuses like “its very difficult to do business in January” are just not acceptable.
By the look on Wenger’s face when Campbell missed that sitter, he’s definitely for the chop.
With the current crop of injuries and the lack of quality on the bench, can we really expect anything but our regular fourth place finish?
Norfolk, we watch because were Arsenal supporters, You, Me, and everybody else hopes that we will get a result. Yes we had our best defence out, if we speak the truth Coquelin and Cazorla would normally start, Sanchez would be a first choice, the same as Ozil, Giroud would have been picked even if we had the other forwards fit Cech would have started.
This team although we have many injured, would probably have been our strongest side. A couple of players could have played better but some need a break. In fact they have to play as we dont have anybody else.
Its not that we had a bad team out, its the fact that these players have had to play every week to cover for players who may have been able to freshen the side up.
Rotation has been the key, Because of the injured, many have not had a rest bite, Many of the players who played have been flying around playing for their countries, they came home only to start for Arsenal, while many players who are injured and have been injured for long spells watch from home.
Arsenal it has to be said, have a squad of players to win this league, Just a goalkeeper brought in at the start of the season, but it has to be said, had the players all stayed fit we would be several points in the lead.
No body has done wrong, we had enough bodies but we have been hampered like we always are, by usually the same players going out with long term injuries.
Had we brought 4 or 5 players who’s to say they wouldn’t be sitting in the treatment room as well. We really need to address the problem of the same players with a history of long term injury before we recruit anybody else.
Visual match report
That’s Arteta celebrating his vital contribution to the game.
Not that I’m scapegoating the poor boy; they were all a bit pants.
#wegnerout
p.s. still pleased we didn’t get tickets. ‘pretendie’ went very well, thank you,
kind regards Mr C&U Disgrace.
Agree Steve, and it’s the fact that players are not getting eased back in, the scrapping of the Reserve League was a nightmare in that under 21/Academy league you can only play 2 or 3 overage players which means if we want to give some injury returnees time to get some match sharpness/fitness we have to arrange behind closed doors friendlies, what club is willing to do that at this stage of the season.
Thank you Chas, that photo has lifted me no end.
Morning Norfolk. I dont believe our academy has helped us that much, Yes i know a few have come through, but in the Premier league you need experienced players right from the start, and our aim should be to recruit the finished article right from the start.
My belief is we find a player good enough for the position, and then double check his injury record. We may have to pay high prices but when you look at a Player like Sanchez, who wants to play demands to play and rides tackles well, its then you realise he is worth all the money we paid for him.
He is an example, of value for money, Yes you don’t buy 35 million players every day but when faced with how many games he has played simply outstanding value.
Players are like cars, You pay for quality, and good are usually good value. Buy a brand new model that has just come on the market and you may well fin it has faults a little down the road. Buying young talent is always risky, yes you have a lot of years of service, but you never know about the longevity. History of a player is worth its weight in gold, A player who plays more games in a season than he is injured will be a sound investment, a car that is always going wrong will be troublesome out it and buy reliability
Morning:
An observation:
it has been very apparent for some time that there is very little inter action on here when we are talking football as it is fairly obvious that many posters don’t read previous comments and several people say the same thing but perhaps word it in a different way, instead of acknowledging what someone has said by either agreeing, adding to it or disagreeing 🙂
I agree, people do not want to converse about football but just requote the one thing they said before which happened to be correct.
I suggest the blog is renamed, ‘Cats, Dogs and Bearded Lesbians’
I am all for that title save for the bearded part.
OK lose the dogs…………
Oddly enough, Kelsey, sweetheart, I agree with you! 😀
I find it strange that there is very little interaction between our bloggers on football points, it’s almost like people are not reading previous comments.
😀
GIE,
I think your point [at 8:09] is valid, but does to not come down to;
“If we had all our player resources available – we would have won?”
That about it? 😀
I did not get to see the match, yesterday, but from what I heard hear and there, Santi Cazorla missed a penalty, Mesut hit the post, and Campbell missed a ‘two foot’ sitter.
Umm – add those to the one we did score, and we would have won 2:4 on another day. Football, eh.
Time for a bit of scapegoating – whose turn is it this week? 🙂
Bugger – sorry Chas — hear = here. 🙂
No interaction on football matters?
Well, I often chat away happily to myself, many a time — [no other bloggers were involved in this research]. 🙂
Good morning Ladies…………. from a disappointed ex-pat in sunny South Eastern France. 🙂
GunnersoreArse is back up and running…. new post this morning.
Good point Kelsey…. I’m as guily as some others for not getting involved in ‘football’ discussions. But that’s only because I know feck all. ha ha
Which comment at 8.09 Redders?
See I read other comments 😀
Cats Dogs and Lesbians
TICK
Bearded Lesbians….. depends where the beard is, most important.
GIE is taking the piss and NB is secretly a transexual and who are the gay footballers we have been reading about for weeks who are going to come out.
I have just posted my thoughts on your bog sorry blog NB and let’s just forget about yesterday and do a will he or won’t he play to win midweek in the CL.
ha ha Kelsey….. me a transexual? It’s you and your hair that gives it away, I wouldn’t look good in a dress although I have started to develop breasts ha ha
Morning all
Just sorting the post ………….. back in a bit
Need a New Post……….. Rasp/Peaches?
We have a New Post ………………………