A Nice Semi?

March 14, 2017

In anticipation of the FA Cup Semi-Final draw there were mixed feelings.

Man City probably play the most open football, so perhaps drawing them would give us the best chance of progressing.

It seemed an opportune moment to play the spuds at Wembley as they have had a torrid time there in Europe. 🙂

The chavs are firing this year under Conte this season so would likely be the least attractive draw.

When the draw came out, I was pleased for selfish reasons. A day out at Wembley could easily be spoiled by supporters of both the hideous chavs or the N17 swampies. Though, of course, if we are to progress we will have to play either in the final.

The suggestion that the police would not want chavs versus spuds on London Marathon day, Sunday 23rd April, makes perfect sense, so I’d imagine that’ll be when we play.

Whether the draw gives us the best chance of reaching another final only time will tell.

What do you think?

chas

 

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Posted by Jeremy Bongo

To Protest or Not

March 13, 2017

The reactions on twitter to the current protests when we play at home seem to be either one extreme or another……..

Entitled morons who make us all look a bit thick if they think that a few hundred of them will make any difference whatsoever……..

Or

Good on them; if you want to see a change right now or, at a bare minimum, want a managerial change in the summer, then you ought to get up and at least attempt to do something about it.

It would be great to see banners about the football again rather than about everyone’s overriding obsession with the manager.

My personal favourite banner of all time……ahhh, the good old days when we had “our Arsenal back”. Does this translate to, when we were winning stuff?

Thoughts?

chas

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Posted by Jeremy Bongo

She wore, She wore ….

March 11, 2017

Today we celebrate both a home FA Cup fixture and the birthday of one of our most esteemed bloggers. Happy Birthday.

What was your reaction to drawing Lincoln?  Joy? A quantum of fear?  Both understandable as this is a no-win situation for the team and a possible disastrous, history-making banana skin.

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I cannot see any way Arsenal will not win this tie, our U-23 team should be good enough to win handsomely. Or cheapest purchase costs more than the entire Lincoln squad.

Lincoln City have a long history playing in the same ground (Since Bank) since 1895! They won Div 3 in 1975. This afternoon may be the biggest game in their long history – I hope the Imps have a good time.

What to say of our team? Rifts, cliques, disappointment, dissatisfaction, resignation and anger – this seems to be the language used about the dressing room in recent weeks, even our club captain stated that there was not enough fight. It is simply not good enough. These charlatans are paid a fortune to do one thing …. give 100% for 95 minutes. To lose is OK, what is not acceptable is to go missing when under pressure. Can you remember the last time Arsenal gave a 90+ minute performance? I can’t.

Do you give credence to the stories that Oxlade-Chamberlain wants to leave? I think it must be agent talk ahead of his new contract. Ox has played 35 games already this season and started more than half of them. He  appears to be committed and is one of the few to work continuously. It must be paper talk.

My Team:

Ospina

Bellerin     Holding     Gabriel    Gibbs

Ramsey   Xhaka     Coquelin

Perez    Giroud     Jeff

Given the flu bug (and I know just how debilitating that can be) I doubt Welbeck, Ozil or Iwobi will play. We can have a brilliant bench with Sanchez, Theo, Kos, Maitland-Niles etc

I am hoping for an open game with Arsenal scoring early to settle the nerves. A goal for Lincoln would be good gesture as long as we have at least 3 goals more.

Beating Lincoln will allow us to go into what is sure to be the most competitive semi-finals in FA Cup history.

Let it be so.

COYRRG

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

March 7, 2017

We were humiliated in Munich. Did OK in the first half and got smashed in the second.

Will AW give it full gas against BM at home? He tried it at Liverpool and despite a second half revival we got sucker-punched. Or should AW batten down the hatches and hope for a morale boosting draw or even a narrow victory?

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No Ozil, though he was conspicuously absent in Munich, so his input will hardly be missed. Sanchez is likely to start if only to shut up the media.

My Team:

Ospina

Bellerin   BFG   Koscielny    Monreal

Ramsey    Xhaka    Iwobi

Ox    Sanchez     Welbeck

Walcott is so out of form he surely cannot start but perhaps AW will give him some pitch time in a no pressure game. I would drop Coquelin, he just isn’t good enough to compete at the highest level.

I would like to see BFG return to the side and add some calm to a nervous defence

I am sick and tired of my friends ribbing me about Arsenal following the BM game. Given the milliions spent on the squad  we should be able to compete. We are good enough to do so but have lost our way in recent weeks.

100% application and pride in the shirt is all I ask.

COYRRG

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

To Ozil or not to Ozil? That is the Question.

March 4, 2017

Hard to predict this one; we could win handsomely or get tanked. Neither team is playing well and yet both are capable of pulling out enough moments of quality to win the game. Should be interesting.

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We lost at home on the opening day of the season in a strange game – we dominated for 70 minutes – Liverpool had 5 shots all game yet we conceded 4.

Good news: No Henderson, no Sturridge. Bad news: Mane, Firmino and Coutinho are back and playing well.

Good news: Liverpool are struggling at the centre of defence. Bad news: We do not have a centre forward in form.

Good news: We play better away from home. Bad news: Liverpool are very good at home and just beat Spurs.

Good news:We have few injuries, OG, Ramsey and Koscielny are available. Bad News: Ozil has been off sick and is a doubt.

Once again, Mr Wenger has to find the midfield key. With Ramsey, Xhaka, Ox, Coquelin, Elneny, Iwobi and Ozil to choose from he has yet to find a combination that delivers security and creativity. I don’t know either!

My Team:

Cech

Bellerin      Mustafi      Koscielny     Monreal

Ramsey     Xhaka     Coquelin    Iwobi

Walcott    Sanchez

Theo gets an hour to prove he is still an important player at Arsenal. Seems unfair to drop Oxlade-Chamberlain as he has been playing well but IMO Ramsey is a more adaptable player.

There have been calls to rest Ozil as his performances in recent weeks have not reached his usual excellent standards, I tend to agree. Even Dennis got rested when he was out of form. We have so many attacking MF options that giving Ozil a reminder that every player has to fight for his place will do no harm. On the other hand it may convince the German Genius that his future lies away from the Emirates!

We have been crap away to the big clubs this season and Liverpool have been very good at home, the portents are not good, but if Arsenal are to stay in the Top 4 they cannot afford to keep losing against direct rivals, as such this is a huge game for us, and let’s be honest, we haven’t played well since before Xmas.

I would take a draw though a repeat of 26/6/1989 would be preferable.

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Is Kroenke killing Arsenal?

March 2, 2017

We did well under the stewardship of the Hill-Woods. Even better under the ownership of  Dein and Fizman but Silent Stan? Has he been a hindrance or a help?

I was one who rallied against Usamov, I felt he would take us in the Chelsea route – no history, no tradition, just a money club, but in hindsight I may have been wrong – if we are to compete we have to do so with financial muscle, and with Stan at the helm this is unlikely.

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Kroenke is a businessman not a football fan. He has no allegiance to Arsenal and my guess is that he never will, we are just another of his sporting franchises. And what an investment Arsenal are, the share price has almost doubled since he bought in! Does Stan care if we win trophies? Probably, as it increases AFC’s value but judging by the success of his other franchises he prioritises profit over glory.

Why am I writing this? Because I was thinking about Pogba. We needed a player like him but we bought Pogba Light, Xhaka, who cost €60m less. And this is significant because if Arsenal are to win the title again there needs to be massive investment. Will Silent Stan sanction a €100m transfer? Of course not, he hasn’t elsewhere and he won’t at Arsenal.

Doing things the Arsenal Way is all well and good when we are winning but it seems less significant when we see Spurs above us in the table.

To improve we have to keep our best players and improve the squad. Will Kroenke buy the players to augment Ozil & Sanchez or will they leave to play in better teams? I think you know the answer.

As Terry MHT knows – never trust a man with a wig

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Posted by Erik the Red

Big Decisions

February 28, 2017

This morning post is lifted from yesterdays comments ….

The point about contracts is an interesting one as there are quite a few players other than Özil and Sanchez who are in the same position as those 2 (contracts due to run out soon).

Szscesny
Cech
Jenkinson
Debuchy
Gibbs
Ox
Wilshere
Campbell

This is according to research by Arseblog so may not be 100%.

I think wether Wenger stays or goes there are some big decisions to be made at Arsenal. If he does go I think it would be interesting to see who’s contracts get renewed. I’m not sure if it’s a positive or a negative that he stays with regards to contract renewals. Whilst Özil has said he would prefer Wenger to stay, there may be some others who think otherwise. There is also the fact that Wenger has an attachment to these players and therefore he may renew contracts of players who a lot of us believe are no longer good enough to represent the club. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can see things that maybe the current manager will turn a blind eye to. Having someone new could result in quite a few of these players leaving the club.

Either way, it’s a massive window for Arsenal’s future.

written by FGG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Santi Cazorla – Out For The Season

February 24, 2017

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Cazorla has been out since limping out of the Champions League group stage game against Ludogorets at the Emirates Stadium in October.

He underwent surgery in December and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger hoped the 32-year-old would be back before the end of the season.

But Spain international Cazorla is now focusing on being fit for next season.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

This news from BBC Sports makes me wonder if Arsenal would have been more capable of challenging for trophies if he Santi had not been injured. In my opinion he is the type of player that definitely makes a difference and he has been sorely missed. Our midfield has been one of the keys to our success and without him it has not been nearly as efficient or effective.

santi

I also wonder if after close to a year off he will return as the same player who left, we may well have seen the last of Santi at his brilliant best – but I hope I’m wrong.

What are your thoughts –

Would we have been able to achieve more with him playing this season?

Do you think he will be as effective next season?

Written by GunnerN5

 

We all love Santi. Even other clubs fans love the little Spaniard. Plays with a smile, incredibly talented, famously two-footed, a tough tackler for a diminutive chap. He is the player around whom Mr Wenger could and should have built his team – the natural successor to Fabregas.

But Mr Wenger couldn’t and didn’t. Instead he signed Xhaka and Elneny, neither of whom has the skill sets of Cazorla. Why? Because as much as Cazorla is a wonderful player, he is fragile and even worse, ageing and fragile.

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Yesterday we got the news that Cazorla is out for the season having played his last game in October. He managed just 11 games this season and only 21 the season before. Prior to that he was averaging  well over 40 games per season. At the ripe old age of 32, things are not going to get better even if Santi devotes the next 5 months to getting fit for next season.

Would you give him a new contract? Should AFC pay him a few million to sit in the stands and train a bit?

No doubt, Santi brings huge benefits to off-field squad cohesion and well-being. He is universally loved. Furthermore, his influence and instruction to the youth players must be a massive boon for all concerned. But is that enough?

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We have seen today, with the sacking of Ranieri, that there is no sentiment in football, if you are not performing the exit door awaits. It is not Cazorla’s fault that he is injury-prone but neither is it AFC’s.

In my opinion Santi is worth another year or two (we kept Diaby & Arteta) if only for his wonderful spirit, however, from a purely pragmatic point of view, Arsenal are likely to see a diminishing return on their investment into Cazorla.

The Metro states that Cazorla signed a new one year contract in December 2016, but this is not confirmed by the club (as far as I can find out). It is not my money and the opportunity to see the Spanish Magician in an Arsenal shirt is an appealing prospect, but if it were my money I may think differently.

written by Big Raddy

 

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Sutton: Team and thoughts.

February 20, 2017

Exciting times ahead, or will this be  ….  I can’t even bring myself to write it

Beating Sutton brings no glory only the opportunity to go further in the FAC. If I had the choice I would prefer to play a PL team at home but such is Lady Luck.

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Will AW rotate the team or will he keep the scoundrels who let him down in Munich, giving them the chance of redemption. I guess he will rotate where he can.

Plastic pitch, so no Danny. I expect us to start with a mix of youth and experience

My Team:

Ospina

Debuchy/Jenks    Holding    Gabriel      Monreal

Maitland Niles     Elneny     Iwobi

Theo      Giroud     Jeff

Pretty exciting team, don’t you think?

And what of Sutton. In the days of Yore I had two season tickets, one for AFC and the other for Barnet. So, I have seen Sutton and been to Sutton Utd ground. It is/was a shitpit. When I went there would be perhaps 2000 fans but the palace will be packed tonight. Millions watching on TV; will the Sutton players freeze or rise to the occasion? Even if they do, we should win. We should win with our U-19 team but Burnley thought that at home to Lincoln. It is the Magic of the Cup.

Sutton play in the Vanarama National League. What the hell is that. Couldn’t they find a better named sponsor? What next … The Poundland Southern League?

A Cup run is exciting and our main hope of Glory this season. A win is a must.

Let it be So

COYRRG

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Hull.A New Dawn?

February 11, 2017

Should be a fine day’s sport. Arsenal, a respite and then England/Wales in Cardiff.

The damage of the last two losses is in the past, the players have to show why they earn squillions and give us a reason to believe (sounds like a song). We are at home against a struggling team much the same as Watford (gold and black kit).

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Do you think Silva’s Hull have the courage to do a Watford and attack from the start? I certainly hope so but as Silva is known as “Clean Sheet Silva”, the chances are high that we will see Hull PTB early. “Clean Sheet Silva”, sounds like a porn star name but the man has certainly improved Hull. Clean sheets against both Liverpool and MU in his last two games is testimony to manager who can organise his team.

Our boys need a boost, an early goal would provide one. Anything will do, an OG, a wicked deflection, in off the woodwork, anything. My fear is that if Hull score first the whole ground will become a venomous environment. Arsenal have millions of fans but far less supporters.

My Team:

Cech

Bellerin     Squillaci    Koscielny    Gibbs

Ox    Coq   Ozil

Walcott    Perez    Sanchez

Why not? Perez at CF? A front three that can all pay at CF? Ideally I would like to see Danny start, he is so great to watch. This is a very small front 6 who will have to do do loads of running about (in a tactical way).

With BM midweek I can envisage a much changed side and this is just a punt.

There is a genuine threat that the Top 4 could escape us this season, it is time to get back  onto the winning horse.

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

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