I’m Heading West As Gunners Go East – That’s Norfolk ‘n Good
Oct 18th, 2012 by 'holic
So, erm, I am heading off for a weekend away tomorrow and I have absolutely no team news for Saturday. Nonetheless I have to cobble together some sort of preview of the trip to Norwich on Saturday.
I could distract you with a few words about Terry Anderson, among the first players I recall watching in a red and white shirt, who moved on to Norwich and ended up making well over 200 appearances for them in nine years. It is only this evening I have been reminded of his premature passing at the age of 36.
Then there was the day my mate was hauled away from our village side to play for Reading reserves as they didn’t have a fit goalkeeper to take to Norwich. Poor sod had to pick the ball out of the Carrow Road nets five times. The Norwich reserves that day fielded Robert Rosario up front. Sledgehammer, meet nut. My mate also died far too young.
There is a theme developing here. Perhaps I should change tack.
Norwich used to be a good day out, and I am sure in these days of all seater stadia and closed circuit tv it is even more of a craic. From memory my first trip there was in 1973. We won 4-0 and Charlie George was among the scorers. Norwich finished rock bottom that season and were accompanied into the second division by Manchester United, believe it or not. They both got promoted the following season, and we went down 3-1 at Carrow Road in 1975/6 when we only avoided the dreaded drop by eight points.
This season again looks like being a real test for the Canaries. They are without a Premier League win, shipping five goals against both Liverpool and Fulham, and four at Chelsea. On the plus side they are unbeaten in North London this season, having held the little club up the road to a 1-1 draw in the village of the damned.
Grant Holt remains the principal threat, the only City player to have scored twice this season. Should Bacary Sagna make the bench he will be in an Arsenal squad for the first time since Bradley Johnson broke his leg in the Grove fixture last season. The shame of that incident was that it soured a very impressive performance by the visitors. Have they deteriorated that much in five months? We shall see.
It must be said though that the Arsenal of May were psychologically a different side to the one that will take the field on Saturday teatime. The Arsenal of Arteta and Cazorla, of Podolski and hopefully Giroud, have a confidence that had been pressured out of us at the end of last season. I have to be positive with the ‘holic pound. Gunners Gaming are offering 21/2 on a 1-3 away win and that looks a decent punt to me under the circumstances. Click on the banner above to take advantage of their generosity, thanks.
So that is pretty much it. I will be in the wilds of Cornwall this weekend hoping and praying I can get some sort of a 3G signal on the ‘hPad. Fearing the worst I have arranged for a magnificent guest poster to bring you his observations on the game. That is likely to appear at some stage of Sunday I would have thought. Not only does said guest have to recover from his Saturday night goings on in his away juicer of choice, but I will need to get in range of an O2 signal to reproduce his words. It could be a late one 
Have a great weekend, ‘holics. I’m off to pack.
376 Responses to “I’m Heading West As Gunners Go East – That’s Norfolk ‘n Good”
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We have a much better chance of taking 3 points this weekend than you have of getting a good 3G signal in Cornwall, ‘Holic, but enjoy the weekend.
Enjoy! I shall be watching in Bermuda on Fox Soccer Channel where even Alan Shearer would seem a genius
The Milky Bar’s are on me!
The village of the damned that has lost more than its’ fair share of idiots, in fact.
Not THAT media whore again?
Time he got a real job!
Heh!
ttg @ 2
People in Bermuda a bit dim, then?
Have a fine weekend ‘Holic.
You didn’t leave Zico in charge, did you.
Heh, NorCal,
I can run any outfit.
Into the ground……
But no, I have a feeling the match report will come to you this weekend in gold lame swimwear
Hey fellas. Thoughtful of you Holic to pay tribute to Terry and your mate. As for the latter, that’s why I have such empathy for keepers. They’re the last remembered at the scene of a crime (goal scored)so are the first to take the blame. 1-3 sounds wonderful to my ears. Eagerly await our ‘secret’ host (smiling), sure he’ll do just fine. Cornwall sounds like a lovely place to take a stroll and just kick back ( hard for you Capricorns, but give it a try)
er, hang on, I was wondering why there were no more new drinks.
Did I miss the >>>>>>?
Nope, not a single fucker to tell you there was a new blog.
The interlull is dulling your senses, folks….
Saturday night in the away juicer of choice?
I wonder who that could be…. ;D
Strong rumors that JW will be on the bench on Saturday.
Nice one,Guv,you really “cobbled” this one together,sorry about your mate’s passing. Go on and enjoy your weekend off,you do a hard enough job tending this bar all week. Two prediction from me; 1. Trev is our “Guest writer”. 2. The game to end 4-0 to the Arse.
Don’t go, ‘holic. I have it on good authority that “Thy’m eat babbies in Cornwall, you don’t want to go there.” Well, that’s what my mate from Devon says and surely you can believe what neighbours say, can’t you?
Great piece Guv. Is there really real football the day after tomorrow?
Hope you survive your trip; if you manage to enjoy it too, then so much the better.
COYG ICDDR
I love your title, Holic. Those neurones are resistant to blunting by alcohol clearly.
Har, Har ‘Holic…
BMBD.
Rework of an oldie, bath. Fortunately it bypasses profanity filters effortlessly. ‘Twas always a favourite
May be an oldie but certainly a goodie.
Sweet Cornish dreams, maestro.
From the sublime (Holic’s title) to the ridiculous, we lead the League in injuries (no surprise, but…). Theo out for 2 wks. Fab has a NEW injury, Diaby out for? Woj? and Gibbs, Rosicky 2 wks. Snir I think it is a safe bet to say that Bac and Jack will see some action. Hope Gervais is well rested from his adventures and has the spirit of Drogba in him (ferocious warrior)
Trev, Catalan – http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-will-be-able-to-predict-injuries-1385836
Apart from the fact that the article doesn’t go into detail on how the medical center would provide predictions, I’m struggling to see how it would be able to predict injuries (even if they’re muscular and not impact) SIX MONTHS in advance.
Surely, that’s impossible, isn’t it????
Abb – That’s not true.
United is top of the injury table.
And it most certainly is not certain that we’d see both Jack and Bac at Norwich.
I was certain we’d see JW against QPR ’cause I figured AW would want JW to feature at home first.
Snir, I’m confused. That article lists 6 players (though it says 5). We have 6 players out, so it’s a tie. Yeah, we tied United
Great title, ‘Holic. Channeling your inner Humph.
And Smalling and Young are set to return this weekend against Stoke (God help them), so I don’t think we can count those 2. So that makes United 4 Arsenal 6 in the body count
Don’t we have eight on the injury list?
Fabianski
Walcott
Gibbs
Diaby
Szczesny
Rosicky
Sagna
Wilshere
NBN, How can you include Jack and Bac, when they have both been playing?
Neither is back to 100%, would be my answer, abb.
Snir, Milan is the granddaddy of sports medicine for footballers. http://www.acmilan.com/en/club/milan_lab
NBN – I’m aware of the Millanello lab, and we even had a discussion in this bar about it with Trev and Catalan, but it isn’t the top lab in the game anymore.
Arsenal’s new medical center has surpassed it, being based on NBA, NHL, and NFL labs, which for all of American Sports’ faults treatment of injuries isn’t one of them.
I’m just so perplexed on how a lab can PREDICT an injury SIX MONTHS in advance and if it’s even possible from a medical standpoint.
Great article again ‘Holic. Not bad for somebody claiming to be struggling to think of what to write!
I actually think that we will keep a clean sheet this weekend although I am wary of the 3 and 4 goals in our favour predictions too. For those reasons I am going for a 2-0 to the Mighty Gooners!
Enjoy a Ginsters on the motorway and then a real one once you get to PastyLand. Maybe even a pint or two of the local brew to wash it down?!
Milky Bars eh Zico?! Almost forgot how much I loved those as a nipper! Thanks for the reminder
Got lots to do here at the moment, hence why I haven’t been around for a few days but will see you all again on Sunday!
Have a great weekend!!!
One last thing…
Predicting injuries in advance?!
The Rotter from Rotterdam to be injured inside the next six weeks…
There you go! Who needs Toshiba?!??!
All that Apple technology and you’d be better off with two cans and a few miles of string where you’re going.
The Norwich of my youth was Kevin Keelan, who almost had the same concrete hair as his almost namesake and the likes of Martin Peters. The good old days of the Texaco Cup, home internationals and Sunday lunchtime football highlights on the telly. Days when you could leave your back door wide open and nobody would ever nick anything.
Not because they were more honest, but because everybody was so poor there was sod all to nick.
G’night Nonny…
Actually there is a big problem in sports medicine on both sides of the pond. Addiction to and misuse of prescription painkillers. And over use of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti inflammatories). A growing trend is take a pain med prior to a match prophylactically, to dull the pain caused by any knocks the player may pick up during the match. Most shockingly of all, is the case of American Footballers who were injected with Toradol before their games, to ‘hide’ the effects of a possible concussion. This info comes courtesy of The British Journal of Medicine. All this high technology is grand, but ‘they’ need to address this growing problem. Acute pain v chronic pain. Theoretically, acute pain should be managed with pain meds, as well as adjunct therapies. The risk (to most) of addiction in the short term is low. But if an athlete is brought back too quickly, before the injury is completely healed, he risks facing re injury, leading to chronic pain. And that is much more challenging to manage in the long term.
Howdy Nurse…
Shame on you for casting aspersions on my beloved NSAIDs. When I was in the Army, we called them “Ranger Candy”
BMBD.
Ah yes……pain…..one of my specialties.
Carlos, the nurse wants to talk Pain!
Howdy Lonestar, Hey NorCal!
Just having back drunk from the previous bar, Clive and NorCal – I tip my hat off to you gentlemen. Great stuff too, Wind!
Now that the interlull is finally coming to an end, anyone up for a quick Friday pint?
Starting Eleven : Don Vito. Santos-Mert-TV-Jenks. Arteta-AOC-Santi. Gervinho-Giroud-Poldi. Subs: Martinez, Sagna, Kos, Jack, Ramsey, Coq and Arshavin. Both AOC and Mert scored goals this week, fresh in AW’s memory, so this should be an advantage for them both. I figure Coq and Johan might be utilized Wednesday against Schalke. Ok, that’s a wrap. Go Arsenal!!!
Snir@30: I guess they are predicting the risk of injuries from fatigue, strain, etc. extrapolating how much wear and tear a body can take. There is obviously no way to forecast a Shawcrossing. And a hairdrying is probably a weekly occurrence at OT.
abb@35: there is too much dependence on medication in the U.S. full stop (period?). I remember seeing a U.S. magazine a couple of years back with the cover story saying you’d be a lot healthier if you ignored what the doctors prescribed and didn’t take any pills at all, whatever was wrong with you. There is also a problem in American sports culture of playing through pain. That could be a problem everywhere. But it is acute in the U.S. There is also a big, big problem with the use of steroids.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/team-news-walcott-gibbs-and-fabianski
So will we see Santos (to the great delight of TS and a few others?) or Vermaelent at left-back and Perkos in the middle of defence?
Abb – No chance for Djourou against Schalke. It’s the most important game of the group stages and our strongest eleven will play.
Ollie – Don’t think AW will go for the TV at LB option again. He just seems so uncomfortable there. And frankly? He is an outright poor LB.
Yeah I know, but the question is does he trust Santos now? (I guess he does). Interesting though that TV plays (or does he still, I know he once played in the middle but that was a friendly) as left-back for Belgium though.
Snir,
How come YOU don’t predict the injuries?
Oh, and any mention of Diaby doesn’t count…..
Morning peeps. Snir, I’ll start with you. Johan is versatile (remember last season when he was called upon when Bac, Per, Santos were out). Plus he really needs the play time (realize he might be loaned out). NBN, I could talk all day on that subject. Most Americans would rather take pills then lose weight, exercise and quit smoking and other bad habits. The easy way out, or so they think. Took care of a semi professional wrestler a few years back who used steroids. He ended up losing his right buttock (where he injected himself). The amazing thing is that he planned to continue using once he recovered. Another concern is the potential damage that is done with repeated heading of the ball in our sport. Jury is still out on that, but I’m a bit wary. In American Football, many players until recently, suffered repeated concussions. Now retired, these men are encountering short term memory loss, violent mood swings and some have even commited suicide.But getting back to these facilities you and Snir brought up, fascinating work they are doing. We just need to pay attention to these problems, as well.
Mark Hughes
A defeat to Everton on Sunday, and QPR will hit The Redknapp Line. A little-known fact; when a team only managed to gain two points from eight games, a light appears in the sky, with the silhouette of an open car window. The Arrysignal goes out, and somewhere on the south coast, an engine starts up.
heh, splendid from F365
I had to go back to the top of the game to re-read the title, and when I did, I
Played Holic 
Thanks Harsha
You all should know about The Sweeper & NorCal’s incredible generosity towards me, but The Sweeper came up with the immense idea of me seeing the crème de la crème of Category A games, the NLD at Home. I checked recently but its sold out far, wide & yonder across the entire stadium on Arsenal.com, if anyone hears anything about a ticket here for there going by some chance, could you let me or Clive know, or tell Holic so he can tell us. Grazie
Ollie – Vertonghen plays as LB. TV and Kompany play CB.
Abb – JD was extremely poor as RB. Plus, it would be outrageous to put our fourth choice CB for our most important game of the group stage when we have all three first choice CBs fit. This is not a Capital One cup game. This game is the game that can virtually secure winning the group (9 points as opposed to 4 points by Schalke and at most 4 by Montpellier if they win, and 3 by Olympiacos if they win in the other fixture played that day).
That would let us rest our guys for the 5th AND 6th matchdays. If JD needs playing time, then he’ll get it there.
Plus I’m not even sure he is our 4th choice ahead of Miquel.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see him off in January. In fact, scratch that. I’m certain he’ll leave.
Cheers, Snir.
I’ll look Wind, but have to sort myself out too.
Wind… Talk to me, I might be able to hook you up.
Just tell me the date and game.
Good morning,all.
Re manure’s medics, i think they are just starting what we have been doing for a while now,can you people seriously not remember Arsene talking about players been in the red zone? I think that’s essentially what manure wants to start doing now,what the machines do is tell when a players body is fatigued to a point where a little knock can result to serious injury. I remember Arsene saying Wilshere was in the red zone and warning England not to play him in a certain friendly,ofcourse Capello played him and he sustained the injury (stress fracture) that kick-started his injury woes.
Talking about Jack,our good old friend,Stuart Pearce,says he wants to call him up to the under21s,apparently he wants to “give him a chance to compete for trophies at that level because he never had that chance”.
Cent – the red zone is NOT six months in advance.
Journalists, heh. Or American and their geography:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/18/us-alcatel-jobs-idUSBRE89H1AY20121018
In France, the company will close the headquarters of its French unit now at Velizy, near Paris, and move the roughly 2,400 staff to another office in Villarceaux, 100 kilometres southwest of the capital
I was wondering where they got their idea from.
I thought of checking on GoogleMaps, and the if you ask for Villarceaux you get that indeed:
http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=villarceaux&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=fr&sa=N&tab=wl
(zoom out).
Bang about 100km South West of Paris.
Real location of the site:
http://maps.google.fr/maps/place?ftid=0x47e5d7bce02cddd7:0xbb959467fa9893fd&q=Route+de+Villejust,+Nozay&hl=fr&ved=0CAwQ-gswAA&sa=X&ei=iQ-BUKb0O4nsiAay14CQDw
Thankfully a lot closer to Paris, eh?
Lazy idiots. Reuters using a Google Search to locate a place? Fuck me…..
Morning Cent, Sure we remember that. All for this technology.But if a player (in any sport) is taking anything that masks symptoms, he or she is headed for trouble. Snir, I agree JD is inferior to the others but we’re talking 3 games in the space of 8 days. Miquel probably will play, as you point out. But Rotation is my motto!
Wind (and Ollie) fingers crossed for you both.
Well there’s a surprise. The only Rolling Stones tickets left are the £406 ones. Who would have thunk it?
I see it’s on now, heh. And with other posts removed. Thanks barman
Bargain, Andy, bargain.
Abb – I refuse to believe that AW would choose his 4th choice CB to play a CL game that guarantees qualification when his first 3 choice CBs are healthy. Regardless of the amount of games we’ve played in an 8 day span.
AW already had TV and BFG for both Southampton and Montpellier and was about to pick them for City, only for TV to be sick and miss out altogether.
There is absolutely 0 chance Djourou will play against Schalke (if all three CBs are healthy).
Before people get crazy on me…
The cheapest season ticket for Arsenal is 985 pounds and contains 26 games, which equals out to 37.8 pounds a game.
I know people don’t do that calculation normally, but would you say that’s fair, and value for money?
Please consider all factors, and not the recently empty trophy cabinet…
And I’m merely talking about that specific season ticket, not the ones that cost upwards of 2000 pounds.
I know that 37.5 pounds as the cheapest is higher than what you’re used to, but the prices everywhere have risen. And I mean everywhere. Almost every industry.
Thoughts?
My thoughts, Snir as I think I have put above, is that a lot of people are jumping on the figures forgetting the extra 7 games.
I wouldn’t say Arsenal tickets are cheap. I think Cat A games are a proper rip-off, and sometimes the spectacle isn’t up to scratch.
But overall, given the location, facilities and etc., I’d say, it’s certainly not as bad as the reports imply.
It’s certainly better value for money than the Eurostar (especially comparing year on year…).
I don’t think ‘recently empty trophy cabinet’ should much count for this specific thing. Otherwise you might also consider the whole history of each football club and then it’s normal we are the most expensive ticket in town
Snir,i agree that six months is diffrent from the red zone,i want to see how it works for them though.
Abb,i agree with snir,i don’t think Djourou will start aganst Schalke,especially if all three of our first choice centrebacks remain fit. I agree with you on players masking injuries.
P.S Miquel is NOT ahead of Djourou in our pecking order.
Ollie – You’re thinking of the CAT A games as an individual game.
My question is for a season ticket where you get 26 games for 37.5 each…
Surely, that has to be a good deal.
Cent – I think he is, because I’m certain JD will be sold/loaned in January.
Yes, I know, Snir, I was just adding a different point to add to the overall pricing discussion, but I agree with you on that particular deal.
I have to agree with Snir on Djourou too.
Snir, Cent
He may be talking about the Red Zone, and just using lazy meedja type speak to explain it.
Another possibility I guess, would be that they are proposing doing regular CAT / MRI scans to detect minute tissue tears and areas of bone inflammation etc before they become symptomatic.
The medics / physios / biomechanic experts etc would then be able to focus on addressing the cause of this and repairing the injury that already exists it before something “snaps”.
And yes, those wear and tear injuries do build up slowly over months until the point of failure and symptoms.
That would be ideal if practical.
No idea.. I´m just hypothesising. What say you Trev / NorCal / NBN??
Meanwhile, for a little light relief….. (even featuring two of our own)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioyt2zzm530&feature=youtu.be
Catalan,
Those dives are hilarious and disgraceful, but Sir Bob was clearly trying to avoid injury.
Abb –
there is more chance of me playing against Schalke than Djourou, FACT!
Stuart Pearce wants Jack Wilshere to play in an U21 tournament next summer.
No comment – before I resort to four letters again.
Trev – I’m gonna be extremely selfish and pray for that to happen.
The U-21 Euros will be in Israel. I just want a picture!!!
Cheers Holic, nice preview, enjoy your break.
This guest writer, (whoever he is) must surely have been humbled by your use of the adjective “magnificent”, only to then be brought crashing back down to earth by Dr Z’s description @5!
You pays your money, you takes your choice I suppose
Cent@15 – I can only hope that your second prediction is rather more “on the money” than your first.
Now who was it that started banging on about our injury-free squad just a couple of weeks ago? Ah yes, one Dr Z, and I’m still bitter!! That bitterness will only be alleviated with large quantities of the good stuff bought with the easy-earned of the Feelgood Foundation.
Apparently Kos is the latest to succumb to the Zico curse, so that puts to bed any talk of TV5 playing at LB (which wouldn’t have happened anyway).
Injuries predicted 6 months in advance? Whatever happened to the days of a rub down with The Sporting Life and a big kiss from Fred Street to have you fit and raring to go on a saturday?
Snir is of course right re Djourou. Barring injuries, there’s about as much chance of him playing against Schalke as Arsene deciding to give me a run out. I would however be very surprised if he left in January. As things stand, we are only one injury away from Djourou coming in. Arsene knows that there aren’t many better 4th choice centre halves out there.He won’t want to disrupt that mid-season. That he remains above Miquel is self evident. Djourou has made the bench. Miquel hasn’t.
Whether he leaves next summer will presumably be down to how many opportunities he gets between now and then, and whether he is able to earn more money elsewhere.
Will have to wait ’til later for thoughts on ManUre’s balls and predicting injury as time is limited atm.
Not really much different to what Catalan said though as most of it has to be supposition.
Cent – the guest reporter tomorrow is not me.
Ah Trev, I see we drew the same analogy regarding the possibility of Djourou playing!
You never know, perhaps we are the central defensive partnership for Schalke !? Got your shinpads?
Great link Mr C. I miss Jens!
Ollie & Snir @ 51/52, I appreciate it massively. Clive said that the Barman has also come good before, so there’s still hope I suppose
Snir, gameday is Saturday the 17th of November 2012, 12:45pm kick-off.
I would pay good money to see given a run out at right back, Wolfie .
Better watch those heels don’t get caught in a divot
zico curse……
Jings.
You’re a superstitious lot – I smash mirrors in your general direction……
Wolfie glides in heels!
Snir @66,see Tabs @73 re Djourou. @72,with a little effort you can get your picture during our return leg against olympiacos in the UCL this year.
catalan @69,agreed.
Tabs@73,i take it you’re our “guest writer” then.
Trev @74,i see i’ve failed with my predictions,again.
Cent – only way I’ll be able to take a picture with JW at the away game in Greece is if I photoshop it!!
‘Holic – It’s amazing what a hop and potato supper can help you to write. Thanks for another mini-trip down memory lane.
From the previous drinks:
Clive & NorCal – I salute your magnanimous gestures for one of our own. It’s lovely to share this bar with such decent and kind people.
Wind – Your response showed your humanity too. Take a bow young man.
Right, enough kissing….
tabs, Kos out of the game indeed, so centre-half pairing picks itself.
Snir, no Wilshere either.
Yeah I saw that… I still think he’d wanna introduce him at home… Qpr sounds reasonable.
Snir,hahahaha,sorry,i confused Greece with Isreal.
Tabs @75 – great minds mate.
Cent @79 – you need to ask Snir if you can have a look at his balls.
Jack is in the squad for Norwich.
Snir,Trev said i should ask you if i can “have a look at your BALLS” can i?
@SkySportsPeteO: Jack Wilshere included in the Arsenal squad for the trip to Norwich on Saturday. #AFC
Ollie – you were saying
?
I was saying nothing, Snir, Arsène was. Cheeky bugger
Woo hoo! thank God the interlull is over. Cant wait for the men in red tomorrow.
It has been a busy week or so for me so I havent been able to backdrink on all the drinks but I noticed Sweeper’s and Norcal’s kind gestures. Nice stories of how various people got to be arsenal fans.
Abb, your post about the wrestler who lost his cheek made me laugh, I know the issue you raised is quite serious but I couldnt help myself.
Gotta love the main picture on .con with Arshavin looking very lost among all those tall people, heh.
I hope it’s not info based on training pictures though, otherwise they’d have to add Frimpong, Gnabry and Miquel. Mind you, given the defensive injuries, I guess Miquel WILL be in the squad, as well as Djourou.
Good stuff ‘holic, enjoy your trip.
Snir, I have perfected the technology to predict injuries in advance.
It involves a complicated procedure of looking at the fixture list to see when you’re up against Stoke.
Nurse abb.
Most Americans would rather take pills then lose weight, exercise and quit smoking and other bad habits.
Does this mean I’m eligable for a green card?
Good point Ollie – Miquel can cover LB and JD covers RB *shudder*.
Great news about Jack, but personally I hope he waits another week until he comes on. Not worth rushing anything after 14 months…
Must take all points before we meet Man Utd ! would love Giroud to score a hat trick
Ollie – it’s confirmed.
His father – @wilsh65: My 1st tweet….back in the 1st squad after 14 long months injured! Well done to Jack and the AFC medical staff #COYG
His agent – @SiBayliff: It’s been two “good news” days in a row. Doesn’t happen very often. Jack travels to Norwich in the #AFC 1st team squad! Delighted.
Not based on training pics
I am absolutely buzzing.
Can I wake up to at least an assist ?
Stretching out his leg……..
Better yet H2H, you don’t even need a green card to be eligible for our shitty healthcare!
Stretches out his other leg……….
Don’t make me stretch out the third.
To the byline and pulls it back….
Otherwise, I am yet again playing with myself, ….OH!
Yep, crotch shot for the goal. Needed a Wolfie assist.
Have a good day everyone.
Nicely in, NorCal.
ABB (and NorCal, Trev) – just reading a book about wellness etc (ie good habits and common sense) as opposed to the “pill for every ill” culture that we have, which is great reading..
http://www.thewellnesspractice.com/default.cfm
Have a look, you might enjoy.
Hi everyone. Catalan, Will do right now
Well in NorCal.
Although the assist was not a Wolfie one.
I could never pull off, or pull on for that matter, a Speedo – Jimmy Choo combo.
H2H, I felt like a hypocrite when I wrote that cause my weakness is potato chips and diet soda. Today it will be cheap red wine. Cheers!
We all have our vices abb.
Catalan, Nice link (enjoyed the dives, too. Oh Bobby). As we all know, one prescrition leads to another (domino effect). Take narcotics, causes constipation, which leads to stool softeners. And on that pleasant thought, I’ll stop
Vices! I hear vices.
First Lady, You are a sight for sore eyes, welcome back. Very cheeky today, I see
Now we need Fun and Delia to complete The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Wolfie and Dr T at centre-back?
Being of a nervous persuasion, I might not be available for selection, Arsene, if those two are playing “behind” me.
Feelgood’s chair just collapsed.over in the corner ……
Too many stool softeners.
Do you mind btw, Abb, I was trying to have my lunch even though it’s nearly 4 pm. Some of us have to work you know.
We will be fully distracted by having The Sweeper behind us.
Hey trev, Hi Zico
+ 
= 
!!!
Looks like Arsenal are clearing out all the dutch contingent
RVP
Nacer Barazite
and now this
http://news.arseblog.com/2012/10/u18s-looking-to-forget-holland-reign-whilst-scotland-provides-interesting-destination-for-arsenal-youngsters/
washed up in france, So Pat was dismissed, was curious about him leaving, now I know why. Any luck with your ticket for Schalke ?
Heh, wash’.
Gatting is a gooner through and through, good luck to him.
ABB.Thanks for asking but I think it’s pretty unlikely they will come up with a ticket going by other people’s experiences.In the small print you can’t cancel and they have until 30 mins before kick off to produce the ticket!So if anyone can offer me another ticket,at cost price I’ll be up for it.
I am posting a Million Euros reward for the capture of 8ball. Please, if you see him, approach him with extreme caution, as his zany enthusiasm is contagious and there is no cure for it (thank heavens). Miss you pal!
30 minutes before kick off?
That’s ridiculous.
washed up in france (great moniker btw) was afraid of that. Fingers crossed
Cheers Snir (although fucking hell, I think I’ll be back to hating twitter: dad&fucking agent confirm Wilshere in the squad? Spare me…)
Well in NorCal, lovely assist H2H
washed up, there were a couple more floating on twitter.
Might be gone by now, but I can ask the guy who was offered them (by his boss).
I’m no fan of Twatter either Ollie.
But you just vcan’t get around it, even the BBC quotes his agents tweets in their piece on the sportspage;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20003287
Sad.
Yeah, I’ve long given up on the BBC as a bastion of things classy and well informed….
Ollie, H2H – What’s the problem with it?
It’s there.
Use it.
You know full well that I don’t post everything I see on twitter here, but only stuff I filtered, so I don’t get what’s the problem in that.
It would be just the same if Sky Sports News woulda wrote a piece and I woulda linked the piece.
Exact same.
It’s all gone downhill since they made McNumpty Chief footy writter. The mans a cathechism of cliches and regurgatated opionated crap, he writes three or four blogs a week without actually saying anything, but appealing to the lowest common denominater. His comment section just ends up a pissibetween Mancs and Mickeys, no matter what the subject matter.ng competition
Snir.
I don’t use it, but I’m not saying you shouldn’t.
I just don’t have the time or the inclination to wade through all the bullshit.
Ollie,if there is a possibility of a ticket I want it. I can get an english or french check in the post tomorrow to claim it.I’d prefer to go with a proper ticket and a possible than just a possible.I will be going anyway because flight to Dusseldorf and hotel in Gelsenkirchen plus flight on to Leeds afterwards to see my sick mother are all already booked.Get in contact by red banner above.
washed up, Nothing happens when you click on your banner. Hope your mum feels better soon.
No I tried to leave my email address but it didn’t work
my mum had a couple of strokes a year ago so is physically frail but mentally on the ball.Her five children are all going to be there together for the first time in 30 years.So should be a great occasion for all.
gooner@goonerholic.com (this is a test)
washed up, good to hear she has such a good support system in place. As you can see, Holic’s email worked. Maybe try again as a post instead.
sigh, well it doesn’t work…
Snir,
Visual evidence on a scan, declining performance levels, essentially what Catalan said re predicting injuries.
Only thing I can think of apart from that would be blood testing. Maybe the appearance, or lack of, some proteins, amino acids, iron, manganese, vitamin D, and other ‘joint health’ related elements may be indicators of impending doom.
All guess work though, as Catalan said, without a bit more information.
Maybe a peek at Carlos’ diary would give a clue to future ” accidents”.
He will forever be etched in our memories, but it seems like his memory isn’t working too well…
Has he forgotten that Mikel has been the best holding midfielder this season?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19931126
Always the cliché that you have to win something to learn how to win something. Very circular argument. I think it has been physical fatigue the last few years more than mental that has seen us falter at the end of the season.
Ah well, lets keep going. Need a good off tomorrow to get the momentum going again.
A bit of Arsene love….
For all his faults I just love the way that Arsene deports himself in his press conferences. I really cannot imagine any other man in charge of our club but I guess, one day, it must happen. I believe we are very fortunate to be Gooners during the reign of Arsene. It will be decades before we see another of his ilk.
A bit of Quackery love….
Drs T & C – Informative as always. From scans, to blood analysis through to soft stools. They’re the men who know.
BTW, how’s my prescription coming along?
washed up, I guess I can guess the e-mail from the red link though?
Just so as not to cause any confusion or let anybody down, if it’s on you’re definitely taking it if the other one eventually turns up? -meaning you might have to find another taker yourself?
Nice one Professor @ 138
I wrote a long tirade about “you never had it so good” for the TalkShite generation, but lost it – if I get the chance I will try and get my synapses working and reproduce it one day…..
And yes at 131, make the most of it, it’s good you can all be together.
washedupinfrance1@gmail.com
just created a new account to avoid putting my everyday email up.
Yes Ollie I definately want the ticket even if the other one turns up and will weigh in straight away if needed.
Dr.z
Please try and recall that tirade. I might ask Edwin to try and dig out his ‘synapse tickler’…. and no, it isn’t French
Nice one Ollie. We’re a decent lot, us Gooners.
I’m on it.
Might need hops.
Hop & tatties seems to work for The Barman
And yes at 131, make the most of it, it’s good you can all be together.
Fair play squire but at 131, you’d be lucky to be able to make the most of anything.
Bordeaux one up.I like Lille ,but hate boy wonder Landreau
True Storey @ 81, thank you
NorCal @ 100, well in your Crotch Man!
Cheers, washed up, I’ve sent a message anyway, so we’ll see when I get news. Off to Norwich tomorrow so I may only get the news on Sunday anyway.
heh TS
Half-time in wet Bordeaux, still 0-0.
And by ’0-0′, of course I mean ’1-0 to Les Girondins(
brilliant Ollie,have a good weekend and thanks for looking out for me.
So, Norwich tomorrow. They will have had pretty much the whole squad assembled for two weeks and done little but prepare for this game, so we need to be disciplined and on our toes from the start. If we do that, Norwich will run themselves into the ground and we’ll get enough chances to score goals and win the game. I’ll be quite disappointed if we don’t win this one, to be honest.
TS@138: it’s quite difficult to imagine someone else sitting there in the manager’s chair at Ashburton Grove, but some day it will happen of course. It will be a very, very strange day.
And I agree, managers like Arsene don’t pop up very often. It will take someone with enormous cojones to take over after him.
Nearly 2-0, great save by Landreau, it has to be said.
Random fact:
Klonaridis is not a clone of Tavlaridis (who also played for Lille).
Bordeaux should really be two up now, I fear the worst.
Bollocks. I called it, didn’ I?
1-1 in the 93rd minte.
Same old same old, still unbeaten but Wenger out.
Oh no, sorry, wrong club
Lovely. Leeds fan punches Kirkland in the face, Warnock after the game is angry but says the keeper made a meal of it, then at the end of the game they all go over and applaud their fans. Dave Jones furious afterwards and wants Leeds fans banned from every away ground in the country.
How can Warnock have a go at someone for getting hit in the face with both hands? Well, it’s Warnock…
Lars @156,
How do you know what size Arsene’s cojones are ?
This is strictly confidential Quackery information.
Snir’s balls are the only ones available for general perusal.
Hey Snir,
Read your bbc link. It says we haven’t won anything since 2005 !
Who knew ? Laziest piece of journalism since Lazy McSloth couldn’t be bothered to write anything at all.
Ollie
Who the hell invented soft stools anyway?
About a much use as a chocolate frying pan
Now now Mr T, I didn’s say anything about the size of Mr Wenger’s cojones!
Nonny, there is a reason he’s called Colin Wanker and that is not just because it is an actual anagram of his name.
Lars,
I’m afraid you did indeed,
“It will take someone with enormous cojones to take over after him (Arsene)”.
Have we been sneaking into the Quackery, old chum ?
Hydroceles can be quite painful. Best course of treatment is ice and elevation
And a wheelbarrow to aid walking.
Hi Trev
Wind,
In coming mail.
Cheers wind
Received NorCal, replied back.
I’ve waited so long for someone to say I have Mail in the Bar
And I think NorCal’s compassion is near Limitless 
Reminds me, I’ve got that film on my USB, need to get round to watching to it…
Gooners are the greatest. This was epitomized by NorCal’s and the inimitable Sweeper’s generosity to young Wind. That was a great gesture indeed.
Wind: Limitless is a very intriguing movie. Really like it.
Looking forward to a great display against Norwich tomorrow.
4 – 0 to The Arsenal!! Gunners4Life
The wilds of Norfolk and the wilds of Cornwall are all well and fine but they don’t have too much on the wilds of northern Minnesota, where I paddled by canoe this morning across Gunflint Lake to Commonwealth territory, aka Canada. Brief wilderness experience now over, I am back in civilization and ready for Norwich v. Arsenal. Come on the Gunners!
But Mr T, that refers to the size of the cojones of his successor. I never said it was about replacing cojones like for like
Good morning,friends.
I predicted a 4-0 win to the Arsenal just like many of you but i just thought about something Lars pointed out in one of his earlier drinks,Norwich don’t have (m)any international player(s) so they would have spent the best part of the interlull working on their defensive shape and organisation. Having thought about that for a while,i think this game might not be as easy as we all expect,fingers crossed we will get an early goal that will force them to come out and take a mauling. COYRRR
Sounds great 8 ball.
And you’re back in civilisation? Did you decide to stay in Canada, then?
Awesome 8ball, sounds exhilerating.
Heh @ zico @179
Just a little update for those who asked in previous drinks, my missus is more mobile thanks to a physio who puts her through the mill each week
Im allowed out this p.m for a bridge competition in wet and windy Royan (at the mouth of the Gironde where it has come from Bordeaux), so to all those who are watching the match – good hunting and get a good win please
COYR
Greetings Holics
Good news, Canary Margaret has just come up with a spare ticket and I am off shortly to Carrow Road. She warns me that the locals around the seat ,River End, lower tier, back row, behind the goal, are an odd bunch, so am likely to be in for an interesting evening in more ways than one!
Will report back much later, if I get out alive!
COYRs
Afternoon All,
Good luck Delia! (Gooner Delia that is, not crap cook Delia!)
2-0 win today with goal machine Giroud and Ramsey finding the net.
Colin Wanker really is a disgrace. He should have been drummed out of the Sport in the wake of the infamous Sheffield Utd West Brom game when, after having three payers sent off, Warnock instructed his players to come off injured, reducing his team to 6 and forcing the referee to abandon the game. There should be no place for such a conniving cheating scumbag as Warnock in top level sport, or indeed any sport.
Sacking of Pat Holland a bit weird. Very unArsenalesque. That said, his appointment always looked a bit of a strange one in the first place, given that he had no Arsenal connections in his playing career. Perhaps a case of Chippy doing a favour for an old mate from back in the day and realising very quickly it wasn’t going to work out? Who knows. Anyway, good luck to Steve Gatting.
TS @138 – I couldn’t agree more.
Dr Z as Harold Macmillan? Who knew!
Right, gonna take a peek at the Chavs and the LWCs. Think I want the LWCs to win. Never a good position to be in , but I think it preferable that the wheels on the Chavski bandwagon are punctured fairly quickly. Winning breeds winning and it’s important that they are hauled back in pretty sharpish. If the cost of that is some short-lived and utterly misplaced Tottenham crowing then so be it.
Sounds great 8Ball.
Wish her all the best, Cognac.
Good luck and enjoy Delia.
Tabs, I agree, he really is a prick. I know that the club can’t be blamed for the action of one retarded fan, but I’ve read reports that the Leeds fans were constantly singing songs about the SW manager, comparing him to Jimmy Saville. For him to then instruct his players, at the end of the game, to go applaud the fans seems to me very bad judgement and that’s putting it mildly.
I completly understand why Jones is upset.
For those who missed it, this happened;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbjdslWdQio
Good luck and enjoy Delia.
I think I missed a comma there.;)
Hi H2H, completely agree with you. You can always rely on Warnock to make a bad situation a million times worse with inflammatory words and actions.
Cheers for the link – appalling.
BM on the Bar Sir.
Heh @185
Chelski one up. Dreadful defending from Billy Boy Gallas and a screamer from Cahill.
Aaah, Lunch is served, thank you very much.
I just watched another link of the same incident and the question arises of what the fuck were the stewards doing?There was more then one guy out of the terraces, check it out;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y87gfB0TpKU
My goodness Spurs without Bale are so fucking poor.
Their ball retention skills are horrendous.
Blimey! 2-1 LWCs
If there ever was a fortunate goal, that was it.
Actually made me laugh.
I tried to watch the Twats v Cunts game but couldn’t stand it. Getting going towards the pub seems a much better idea at this point.
2-2 Mata.
It had been coming. Will be surprised if the Chavs don’t go and win this one now.
Ah 3-2 Chelsea.
Lars, I´m already in the bar (as usual) but the twats from the cable company still haven´t sorted me out. Tossers. The Spuds Chavs game seems pretty decent.
I can’t wait for the NLD.
Spurs’ defense is comical. Truly awful.
Very impressed with the Chavs going forward – still think they can be got at though. The season is long.
Impressed with Vertonghen as well – looks like he would’ve been a good addition to our squad. Pity he has no ambition.
The LWCs are getting a right fisting pardon my French (apologies Ollie
)
Rolls it across the box…
Yes!
No. Well in h2h
No. Well in h2h.
Hmm, good game.
Chavs worthy winners sadly. Still think you can get at them, but it has to be said that going forward Chelsea look very good at the moment. Hazard Mata and Oscar were all outstanding. They are going to take some pegging back. Successive away victories at first our place and now the Marshlands can’t be argued with.
As for the LWCs they looked pretty toothless without monkey-boy. Dempsey showed with every touch why the calls on Transfer Deadline Day for millions to be spent for his signature were nothing more than the empty bleating of the hysterical.
Well in H2H.
Trust sp*rs to always choke.
Ah Dr Z @197 … Great minds
Well in H2H.
*Bows*
“Arsenal, who haven’t won a trophy in……blah, blah, blah…..”.
So the way I see it is this:
Herbert Chapman era aside, Arsenal haven’t created dynasties of achievement in the way that say, Shankley and Paisley did at Liverpool, or Ferguson (as much as he is the biggest Cunt from Cuntsville) has achieved at United.
From that Chapman period of domination, there followed long periods of mediocrity and non-achievement. I won’t say under-achievement as I wasn’t around to determine what might have been deemed an acceptable return on the investment on the playing staff in those days. But look at the stats, look at the numbers, we didn’t actually set the heather on fire in any of the 40s (one title) 50s (one title and one FA cup) or for virtually the whole of the 60s.
I’m not sure there is anyone on here who can tell us about the 40s and I think the 50s would be a stretch of the memory even for The Sweeper (no offence intended, Clive). The Barman has waxed lyrical on a regular basis about the transition of Arsenal from the mid-60s to the ultimately successful Fairs Cup winning side that then went on to win the Double. And whilst that double-winning side was clearly formidable, the emergence of Revie’s dirty Leeds followed by Shankly’s and then Paisley’s era at Liverpool (and to a lesser extent Clough at Forest) meant that the hiatus experienced between 1954 and 1971 in terms of titles, was followed by another from 1971 which ended in that Fever Pitch night in 1989.
With George Graham as Manager, there was an intimation that we too might form a dynasty. I watched from afar as Arsenal started to win things on a “regular” basis and whilst the football was often far from pretty (at times it made my sky-sports eyes bleed), you couldn’t argue with the results. We were very effective. And very much a team. It wasn’t to be though – as George’s star began to wane, we lost 17 times in his last league campaign. Can you imagine the numbers of people primed to throw themselves off a cliff, today, if we were ever to lose more than we won in a league campaign?
And then there was Arsene. (Well actually, a year of Bruce Rioch, who achieved not very much, the signing of Bergkamp aside). And THEN there was Arsene Wenger. Arsene Who? I was as much in the dark about him back then as most, I suspect. But single-handedly he completely transformed the culture not only at Arsenal but in English football itself. And he won titles. And cups. Blazing a trail in sports-science, educating and enlightening even troglodytes like Allardyce. And the stick that he and we are continually beaten with (Arsenal haven’t won a trophy…..blah, blah, blah), is because of the height that Wenger himself, set the bar. In truth, we’ve never had it so good.
In the first part of his tenure, the biggest, indeed only real competitor, was Ferguson. In addition to being a great team-builder himself, he (Sir Cunt) also had the freedom to browbeat and intimidate officials with impunity, and the FA have shown little appetite (ever) for taking him on. Arsene, the “foreigner” on the other hand, continually found himself suffering brickbats from both the authorities and the media for indulging a set of so-called ill-disciplined players and suffering from an acute case of myopia. Of course, the reaction that Wenger induced in Ferguson and his players, and the media, told it’s own story (and sowed the seeds for much of the unsavoury treatment that Wenger still gets from the pond-life when we visit Old Trafford). They were worried.
It is one of life’s ironies that the prime objective of the move to The Emirates was to compete with United in terms of increased capacity and revenue generation. Nobody foresaw the advent of the PetroDollar fed clubs and the inflationary impact they would have on the game. And in the midst of these new kids on the block AND paying off the mortgage on a new home, plus United and McGrump still an ongoing irritation, we have still been continually in the mix every single season. With a bit of luck with injuries we may well have won the league in at least one of these seasons. To listen to wankers like Durham, Brazil and so on, at any point over the last few years, you would think we had been fighting off relegation.
We have no divine right to win trophies, irrespective of the cost of our match tickets (and some seem to think that one equates to the other, when it is in fact a whole different debate) and there are only 4 trophies to win each season, so there is a fair chance you wont . Because Wenger has failed to do so for…..(how many years is it again????) confers on Arsenal an expectation by the want-it-now generation, to perhaps compete beyond the means at our disposal. And when we “only” qualify for the Champions League season upon season, these same idiots are keyboard bound and demand that Arsene gets the sack. It wasn’t that long ago the brain surgeons on Le Groan were suggesting that we should replace AW with Martin O’Neill. Enough said really.
We may not win a trophy this season. Another blemish on the report card, perhaps. But I am categorically convinced that the next Arsenal manager who wins a trophy will be Arsene Wenger.
And there’s four to fight over.
Bring it on.
Re: Tabs, In retrospect I can truly say that my deadline day bleatings for us to sign Dempsey were no more than deception, ensuring the LWC’s wouldl move quickly and toss even more of their easily earned cash into the Dempsey bidding hat, and of course ensuring they would have no money left to sign more deserving players. In short, agent bt8′s plan seems to be working out to perfection.
*Stands up, applauds, stamps feet and whistles*
It always makes me laugh when Sir Awful Fergiscum complains about CSKA Fulham or the Vulgarians splashing the cash. He used to spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave, 30mill plus for defenders, kids and one season LWC wonders. He had distorted the market long before the petrocash flowed in.
Zico, not a single word I can disagree with there. Have a Guinness on my tab!
@MartinYAngha: wishing my brother @SergeGnabry good luck today! making the bench against Norwich in the Premier League! #vielglück
Rumors that Poldi will miss today with a slight ankle problem.
@GeoffArsenal: Team Today; Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Santos, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Gervinho, Giroud, Podolski. #COYG
According to yesterday at 8 pm.
Coulda changed.
Zico @ 208,i agree with you on every count.
Very well said Zico
Heh 8Ball, hadn’t realised you were one of the “bleaters”. Now I’ve heard your reasons, I fully understand
Great piece Lord Stockton.
I couldn’t agree with you more re the “I want my Arsenal back” tossers. As you so eloquently make the point, what Arsenal do these bollock-brained clumpnuts want back?
That said I thought you were a tad harsh on pre-Arsene Arsenal.
- I think Chapman did form a dynasty. Don’t forget he died in ’33(?), and Arsenal were successful until ’53. Forties Arsenal were still pretty good. We suffered more than most Clubs (bombed stadium, lost players) as a result of the war. There were only 3 Championships to win in that decade and we won one of them in an era when the trophies were dished out amongst a far wider clutch of clubs.
- Graham’s reign can definitely be divided in two. Whilst the second half did indeed produce sterile football capable of making both your ears and eyes bleed, the Championship winning sides were far better than merely “efficient”. Why Graham changed course midstream to a far more negative game allowing ManUre to accede to the throne vacated by the Mickeys, is known only to him. A huge opportunity was lost.
As for what you say about Arsene, I couldn’t agree more. Such a shame that he was competing a very shrewd adversary up north who not only was enjoying the benefits of a once in a lifetime crop of youngsters but also a massive financial advantage.
To my mind, the second half of Arsene’s reign has been even more impressive, despite the lack of silverware.
By the way, none of the above should be read as in any way presenting a “counter-argument”
They are just a couple of observations from my point of view .
I agree completely that pre Arsene and subsequent to 1953, we have not been able to build a dynasty and that the two opportunities to do so, 1971 and 1991, were lost amongst a welter of either mismanagement and/or corruption, neither of which would occur on Arsene’s watch.
Sadly, all that won’t stop Le Grovers et al peddling their meaningless rhetoric.
You want a fight?
Heh
So all results going as expected – now a big 3 points up for grabs.
Team above is right – COYRRRs.
Oh go on then, but take your monkey boots off first
cognac@181: Hey! Another Bridge player!! Let us know how you get on. If you’re ever back in Blighty and happy to take pot luck with a partner, you need loo no further.
Great news about Mme Cognac.
zico@208: Well said Sir! Hear him, hear him.
Up the Arsenal
COYG ICDDR
How the flying f*ck have City escaped with a win today? Gutting.
Team looks good. No surprises.
Off to the juicer. Good luck Everybody.
Come on The Arsenal!
Arsenal team: Mannone, Jenkinson, Vermaelen (c), Mertesacker, Santos, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Gervinho, Podolski, Giroud.
Subs: Martinez, Djourou, Coquelin, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arshavin, Gnabry
COYRRR’s
Come on boys!
lovely combination between poldi and santos..shame.
anyone got a working stream??
watching russian one but good quality on sopcast here Catalan sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/133323
Thanks Eandy!
Fat cunt.
shit keeping
oh vito -_-
Will we ever break that “gets scored against from first shot after keeping possession comfortably” pattern? So avoidable this goal -_-
I think Vito did well to stop it, hard to hold onto a bullet.
Well, that’s the customary one goal lead given away, now it’s time for us to score a few.
ABB.. if you can´t hold onto it you push it away from the goal, not back out into the middle
It was a good stop abb but should have punched it to the side …but I think lads should now start their engines.
To be fair to Vito that ball was moving in the air somewhat.
Good feed back fellas:)
This is a good argument against the international breaks. Disrupted our rhythm. Come on you Reds!
Whats bit worrying that we dont seem to have movement in final third, need to pile up the pressure a bit. Norwich keeping us at bay pretty effectively right now.
Fuck we were lucky there.
CoYR’s
Very lucky to get away from this chance..another free header after corner …really shaky myself here everytime Norwich has the ball.
Shocking first 35 mins. Very poor. Bad mistake from vito. Very poor. We need to wake up and fast. We look a shambles at the back.
How many more stupid offsides?
WAKE UP ARSENAL. SWITCH ON…….
Briliant from Mikel..very important interception.
Okay..have to agree with Steve T, this was very poor first half from us, compared to West Ham game when after we went down I had no doubts about us scoring, today we look very sluggish and sleepy, hopefully Arsene will give some mean half-time team talk to wake lads up.
That wasn’t that great.
A lot of pocession, but not really used to great effect. I would like to see a few more attempts on goal, we’re not shooting enough.
Same half time score as last season, but we’ll have to play a lot better then the last 45mins to take anything away from this game.
Come On You Reds.
Awful first half.
Sort it out lads.
Maybe Jack on for Aaron? Want Gervhino to play down the middle. And Arteta to take some corners.
Surely we cant do no worse than that first half, i mean, what was that!
It is all just so sloppy and so poor. AW needs to earn his wages at half time today. We are lucky not to be two down.
Even Keown calling him Carzola
Too much pressure to bring Jack on to win the game. Don’t think we’ll see him unless we’re 3-1 up. Poor in the first half and three goals is a big ask.
I’d rather see Gerviniho make way.
His one touches are good, but everytime he controlls the ball the pace of the attack dies and the chance goes away.
Well now there can be no doubt that Mannone & 3rd Choice Keeper should go hand in hand.
Jack most certainly should not be relied upon to win us this game. A rocket up the arse of certain players is required though.
Time we woke up from our slumber – that was a really poor first half.
And when are we going to actually create a chance from a corner?????
COME ON ARSENAL!!!
well our whole attack been pretty anonymous through the whole first half H2H, we surely need to step up our game also in midfield.
H2H.. you beat me to it. Was just about to say the exact same thing.
Come oNNNNNNN!!!!!
Shock, horror – amateur goalkeeping costs us again.
Generally sloppy, too negative, no movement.
Tempted to opt for juve vs napoli, feisty game, almost every player on the pitch is on a yellow…
would be good to see Poldi drive at them a bit too..
Gerv non-existant on that right flank to be honest.
C’mon guys lets get something going
Damn!
Mikel looks like only one who wants to play from our team, COME ON GUYS WAKE UP!
Time for a couple changes…need some new ideas
Oh we suck in this half too!
Arsenal in a trance. Really poor stuff.
I won’t say what I want to say about Gervinho, Ramsey and Mannone….
Ramsey is so weak on the ball.
Sterile going forward. Gervinho off please, Ramsey off too.
Podolski off? Was he even on?
Missing Gibsy bombing down the flank
Wrong change imho.
Come On OX
I don’t agree about the pressure. If Wilshere is properly fit he should be on. If not, then he shouldn’t.
We desparately need someone with some positive drive.
Gervinho is staring at Ramsey who prefers to play it backwards ffs.
What is Santi doing on the flank? There is virtually no movement from our forwards after we get to opponents half, I am starting to fear the worst..
Rely so much on Cazorla to play well it’s scary. One man team again?
I think that throwing in little Russian for Aaron might be a good thing to do.
Worst thing is Norwich is not even playing that well :-/
this is painful. It is a special type of lethargy we excel at
Eandy, with you on that. We need an infusion of creativity NOW!
Exactly abb, we need someone to step up and start to drive us forward, we arent really playing with any kind of urgency right now.
Chamberlain knackered ! Looks injured.
Ball floats in to the box, only OG in there, commiting more bodies lads uh? How about that?:P
Ooh how worse an we get!
Wtf is happening
It is so laboured it’s bordering on embarrassing.
Can’t even drink, cause I’ve got to work
Worst game in recent memory.
If we are going to get point from this game we are going to be very lucky indeed.
I’m drinking, abb, but it’s not helping.
I hear you H2H…you and I always have to work matchday. Double whammy when we’re losing
Finally a shot.
Looks like Gnarby comming on.
SOMEONE FUCKING SHOOT! their keeper has not even had to work to earn his wages today.
Worst performance in a year. Absolutely bloody terrible.
Fuming. Won’t say more until I’m calmed down a bit.
5 extra minutes.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
What a load of rubbish! Maybe they can still apply for Ladies League to fill out rest of the season in obscurity away from the real men’s game.
I cant bear to watch the end!
It’s rather embarrassing….
Utter shit.
Beaten by a team including the only striker in the Premier League who needs a sports bra.
Game to forget. Our token piss poor performance out of the way now. Schalke will feel our wrath, you’ll see.
AW. “Our season starts here.”
Let’s hope he has never been more wrong.
Utter garbage.
Three points needlessly lost, roll on Schalke..fuck the interlulls really, worst performance of the season by far..
Faaaaack. That was *dire*. Fair play to Norwich. That was the worst display I have seen by arsenal going forward in a long time. Shades of Chelsea, with even less incision. God, now it’s going to be a shit day.
Missed the game but not the disappointment.
Arrgghh
We looked pretty clueless I’m afraid. No penetration and no real ambition in the final third. A well below par performance.
Credit to Norwich who stiffled us at every turn. They played like they wanted it, we didn’t.
That’s enough from me, I’m off to tie down my knee in order to stop it jerking and leading me to post something I may regret later down the line..
Good luck with the write up tabs sir, I don’t envy you mate, it will take some doing picking positives out of that game.
abb – we usually have more tokens than your average pub fruit machine
If Wenger uses the international break as an excuse I hope the interviewer mentions that Ubited, City and Chelsea all won and they all had players away as well.
There is not a single positive thing I can say about that performance.
I shall mostly be going into a dark room for the rest of the night…..
that was the poorest i’ve seen us play this season against the poorest side in the league. Norwich were not troubled at all. created nothing wasted loads of time on possession. too neat and tidy, easy to defend against. the first shot from outide the box came on the 85 th minute from Arteta. There was nothing from anyone to try something different.
That was a pile o’ stinky stuff
Only saw the last 40 mins or so.
Seriously, if this team can’t win away to Norwich, then how can we honestly say we have a realistic chance to win fuck all this year?
Something is really wrong here. *Sigh* Good luck, TaBS…you’re gonna need it.
BMBD
the funny thing this same norwich team will get thumped by another team. as long as you keep discipline it is actualy easy to defend against the style we play
wow, this was just shocking. i hate to put in writing exactly what this implies, but just one conclusion is that we are very far off from what the top teams are doing right now. in the past, it was possible to say that arsenal had the talent to challenge for the title, maybe the last one aside, but for me, despite playing some decent games, we are nowhere close. many were saying norwich were looking like the worst team in the league; we didn’t even look like troubling them.
Absolutely seething right now. When we are poor, we really are piss-poor. This was a collective failure of gargantuan proportions. No excuses for anyone, we were playing a shit team full of shit players but we managed to make them look solid. We had made a decent start to the season but today we more or less wasted all that we had done up to today. Fucking bollocks.
I know Arsene is loath to make changes very early, but on a day like this one or two substitutions around 50th minute may have made a difference.
This really has become a running theme: not taking certain oppositions seriously enough and consequently not being ready to fight. Other than Arteta and Jenk and maybe Santos not a single starter showed the physical desire. Internationals cannot be an excuse as all other top teams own following the break.
Throwing away should-win matches & climbing injury list. It is surprising how quickly we hit the lack of depth problem with having to rely on Gnabry…
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose …
Currently we are ranked 9th, it would be a hard climb up the table.
Lars, no reason to get worked up mate. I don’t think this loss troubles many of the players or coaches. Why should you let it worry you?
BMBD
Had a sneaking feeling that today wasn’t goig to be the cakewalk that most were expecting, but at the very least expected a performance.
I think that Norwich realised they had the game won when Santi began spending more and more time out VERY wide looking for the ball and a yard of space.
They called us a one man team with Fabregas…We were and when he got shut down, we got shut down. The same with the Rotter. Are we now a one man team based around Santi? It looks frighteningly like it. A complete lack of a Plan B, yet again, seems to be our biggest problem. If the opposition can get Santi off the ball or in positions where he cannot influence the game we just look clueless in the final 3rd.
With the Canaries in the typical “Park The Bus” formation of two banks of four, one just in front and a lone striker (who has to be as bad as Suarez in terms of hoodwinking referees), why on earth did Wenger not get iPod and Gervinho making runs into the centre to support Giroud? Olivier looks like a player who doesn’t have any help around him, and he IS!
Ramsey went off about 80 minutes too late for me too. He really is a conundrum right now and I think that the faster we can get Jack back in that role, the better.
I don’t know, but I got a distinct sense of dread when Wenger started yapping on about the need to refocus the players after the Interlull. Not a word about it from the likes of Ferguson, Mancini and Bob Matthews, not a word, and look at the difference. Man U and Man City both played teams with little or involvement in the internationals, Citeh down to 10 men for the majority of the game and yet there were no problems forcing the 3 points home for them. Is it just me or is Wenger almost telling the players that things are going to be difficult before they even get on the pitch?
The season starts here?
I seriously fecking hope not.
…all other top teams ‘won’… disgust to dyslexia
Lonestar @ 314:
“I don’t think this loss troubles many of the players or coaches.”
Whilst I understand your point, I truly, depserately, seriously hope you are very very wrong indeed.
If not, maybe there should be a list of those who should be leaving the club immediately.
Thierry – I sadly agree with your points @ 315. Performances like this makes it seem as though nothing has changed.
BMBD.
Lonestar @ 309: I think it is abundantly clear the league is already a bridge too far. I know it is early, but we cannot expect all three of Chelsea, City and Man U to have a miraculously poor run in the remaining thirty matches and for us not to show up again with this crap. So league is gone. I know it is a cardinal sin to say things like that about your own team, and I would be the happiest to be proven wrong, but I think this season’s league is no longer a target. Top 4 is, it would be hard but eminently achievable.
Now about the cups I am more optimistic, even CL, because we can turn up when we want to.
Maybe we got used to see them so much at their best we forgot how they are at their worst..
You know, back in the late 80s and early 90s, the NBA’s Detroit Pistons instituted the “Jordan Rules” to stifle, erm, Jordan. The Bulls had find the mental toughness to break down that strategy.
We HAVE to find the mental toughness to break down teams who park the bus.
Right now, the less talented teams park the bus and we struggle. The Big-3 teams play us straight-up, and we lack the mental strength to battle them.
We’re in a bad spot strategically. I don’t know how the team is going to emerge. It’s not about the players’ bodies…it’s about their minds.
BMBD.
BTW, why not take Santi off early — he was not having much of a joy — and let Arshavin play down the middle? I know it is a balance between preserving confidence, team shape, and on-the-spur inventiveness in strategies…but if we are playing like this in a CL match the changes would have come earlier.
Collectively we do not ever seem to take certain oppositions seriously unless they start to become a persistent menace. Same happened with Stoke, now we always turn up against them, but lowly Norwich is not on our radar…
Anyway, enough rant. I just hope International breaks are not used as excuses.
I think I am still in shock at how inept that all was. I thought we had started to eradicate those sort of performances, I really did.
I am with Zico and Trev earlier. There is not one positive to be drawn from any of that. Not one.
That was a bit shit..
I hope there are some fcuking big rockets being put up some extremely lazy arses as I type.
That performance was totally unacceptable. Barely even first gear. I thought Gnabry looked decent when he came on, but that was it.
When you’re bringing on arshavin to try and help up the tempo, something is seriously wrong.
We need to follow this with a couple of wins and no further injuries. I’d also like to see coquelin get some game time, because he looks hungry to me.
I am so sick I don’t know what to say. Everything went wrong today: EVERYTHING.
I’m perplexed at our performance today,i don’t even know how to describe it,you all have said everything that needs to be said so i will just go and sulk in a corner till i get my head around that performance.
Very, very disjointed and lethargic performance! Poor! Poor! Poor!
A significant part has to be put down to the competitive international break – far too lengthy! With that said, absolutely no excuses for being so attackingly impotent! Shocking performance and I thought that the loss to the Chavs would be our poorest showing this season?!
Nevertheless; the silver-lining: still only 6 points behind the Manc clubs which, IMHO, are the sides to stay on the coat-tails of. The Chavs have started with a blinder which won’t last as the season develops.
Le Prof, you have to consider rotating-in those players that are not actively involved in the internationals or midweek matches if you feel that fatigue may be a concern?! Have more faith in your squad and the “desire” of your players to perform if given the opportunity. Thought Serge did well in his brief cameo; showed the exciting pace and trickery some of us have seen in the U-21′s! Great prospect! Come back soon Jack; but not too soon!
“Norwich wanted it more than us”
What an indictment on this team. Some of those players need to be shipped out and a couple of them have only just arrived… Ah well, there’s always next year.
The only surprise is people are surprised
Fair play to Norwich totally deserved the 3 points,we were shit but we ain’t winning the league anyway so in the grand scheme of things dosent Hurt like it should, We will make top four and have a chance in the cups.
OK, so I have been thinking hard about something I ALMOST posted just after my last scribblings here in the bar. If I am straight up honest, my knee jerked directly at Wenger and, although I have now had time to calm down, I wanted some feedback from you guys to check the temperature a little on the subject of the boss/boardroom.
So, here goes…
This time last year:
- The faithful were calling for some serious changes from the very top down.
- We were a club in serious crisis.
- A one man team. A selling club.
- A manager out of ideas at the end of a career that should have ended 7 years before.
- Having witnessed 7 long years without a trophy and hearing the cries from the normally 100% faithful and believing, Wenger himself said, if he cannot win us trophies, he should go.
- A team with no idea how to break down stubborn defences and with no Plan B.
- A team that would be lucky if it escaped relegation, let alone qualify for the Champions League.
- We had just 2 points less than we do now.
This time last year we had no chance of winning the league after only 8 games.
So, considering all of that, has anything or even enough changed in the past 12 months in reality?
I said that Gervinho was surely in the middle of a purple patch and I think we can almost all safely agree that WAS the case.
Giroud genuinely looked Sunday league quality at times today although I am still desperately trying to cling onto the belief that “the goals will flow” once he finds his feet (or, more realistically, his shooting boots).
Ramsey could not possibly play any more into the hands of those who claim he is simply not good enough since his injury.
Mannone is the liability that Wenger knew he was when he was happy to let him go on a free. Why did we not secure the services of a proper back-up goalkeeper in the close season? Signing “super, super quality players is all well and good, but not having a second string player any better than Flapianksi or Mannone is surely a dereliction of duty amounting to almost criminal negligence on the part of the boss?
Santos is EXACTLY as hopeless defensively as we all thought he was, but it appears now that he is equally hopeless going forwards too!
I recently heard from a fairly good source that Podolski has been carrying an ankle injury since the Citeh game, almost a month ago, and that is why he has only been playing in stints for both club and country since then. Why is the Ox not getting a run out so that he may be treated properly before a knock turns into a real problem? How about Walcott until his injury? Even Arshavin would make more sense if Podolski is simply not fit enough to see out 90 minutes, no?! Is this what we do to too many of our players causing the ridiculously long term injury problems we so often see?
I realise that I am asking for the opinions of others here whilst spouting many, many of my own thus colouring the waters a little, but I will end with one last little thought…
I STILL believe that Wenger CAN fix this before it is too late (again) but I want to know why it is the ever so obvious always appears to be the last thing in the minds of those that run our glorious club.
When all is said and done, I am, of course, a Gooner forever and no amount of disappointment or disillusionment is going to change that.
I just want the best that we can be to be what we really are and not what we keep talking about being or showing flashes of in purple patches when everything “just falls right”.
We play some off our best stuff, when the fixtures are fast and furious. So yes, I do blame the Interdull, most certainly. Very disruptive. But I do agree with you fellas 100%, we were god awful. As for Vito, hey he is only one man. Plenty of real SLOPPY play out there today, plenty of blame to go around. Shoundn’t rest squarely on his shoulders. Arteta got my MOTM vote. And Gnarby looked lively.
Agree that subs should have come earlier too. Tabs, look forward to your assessment, in the AM. Nite all and buck up!!!
Chippy. I admire your optimism. After 8 games top 4 is still a long way off.
I don’t think its the players. The tactics we play are the same in every game. It becomes easy to defend against if you are disciplned enough you can a result against us. We could not score against Sunderland Stoke and now Norwich. Chris Hughton did use the same tactics when he was with Newcastle and they beat us at the Emirates 1-nil. i remeber that game its a copy of this one. I don’t think he needed to prepare a lot for this one, same tactics, same result.
We don’t score defelected goals or scrambled goals, it is all neat passing that need space. if we are denied space around the box we hit the wall. It is Wenger’s way and he will never change . I admire him sticking to his principlas but some time you have to let the players try different things, long range shots, high balls whatever gets you the win.
if Manone thinks he wants to be N0 1 then he needs to think again. Even kids know you need to parry the ball away from from danger area. Santos is not a left back in my opinion, he is a midfielder, i don’t really know his position, Gibbs was badly missed today, he offers more with his runs down the flank.
So far it looks like a real fight with Spurs for 4th
Good points TW. Sadly nothing that has been raised before by many over the last few years.
I really don’t want to get all knee jerk and negative but the more I think about it the less surprised I am with today. I had hoped that this kind of game was beyond us. But that was hope with a big pair of rose tinted glasses on.
I can’t see many accepting too many performances like that today. Any more and some searching and serious questions might be asked of those at the helm of our club.
Wenger’s coat @ 334:
I have to say that I agree with pretty much all of what you have said there.
Apart from one part…
I also agree with Steve T in that top four is a long ways off right now.
A fight with Spurs? I think that a fight with Liverpool and Newcastle may be more realistic.
@Thierry Wirghtkamp . You might be right its more likely Eurovision contest with liverpool and Newcastle. I agree with you on Giroud i’m starting to doubt his ability, If that was Chamack people would be on his back. I can’t see what Giroud is doing better than Chamach. Still early days but I just feel he is a bit too slow for the premier league. So far I have not seen him go on a solo run and smash one in. i really don’t know what is exactly his game, he is tall but does no win enough headers in the box, maybe like Chamach he is suffering from the fact we do not play high balls into the box its all on the ground and his type do not benefit from that.
Holics
I really don’t know what to say about my evenings excursion to Norwich. At least the ticket was a freebe. I used my bus-pass, took a snack and a flask of tea with me, my only expense being £3.50 for a programme, so it could have been a lot worse.
We were dire and I agree with everyone’s posts, a pathetic display as I have witnessed in years. The only one who wanted to give his all was Arteta, the others were lethargic in the extreme.
Gervinho was a disaster on the right, Rambo went no where, there was no pace on the flanks , our players slipped around on a really good surface, we couldn’t keep the ball and created hardly any chances.
Norwich kept us pinned down in the mid-field area and they looked really dangerous on the break, with plenty of pace. Mannone could have done a lot better with his save from the initial fierce drive and thereafter looked very nervous and at one point came out on a walk- about a la Almunia! Ruddy on the other hand was confident and looked the part of a PL keeper.
Our front 3 were totally ineffective, Podolski had an early chance and that was about all! Cathorla and Giroud seemed to have left their good form in Madrid and the Ox ,who didn’t warm up properly, went off almost as soon as he entered the fray with what looked like a muscle pull.
Our little Russian did give me some hope and did enough to suggest that he might be given a role on Wednesday . I don’t know whether I can face a trip to town this week, even if Gooner Gary is feeling generous with his ST.
The Norwich crowd were terrific and apart from some early singing our away support was pretty quiet. Sadly there was little for them to sing about. All in all a thoroughly disappointing Saturday night out! We badly need some of those on sick leave to be available and soon.
As always COYRs
Effin typical. What do you when you’re a lesser team who can’t score, defend or win any games? Simple, play Arsenal. They might tear you a new one but there’s just as much chance they’ll play like a bunch of wet sponges and gift you an easy 3 points.
It’s days like today when I can’t be arsed to try and see the positives and instead see too many of the players for what they are: overpaid, undermotivated, overrated twats.
Well that was fucking dreadful. Even more so because after Poldi’s close effort and etc there was hope that we could bring one goal back. *Sighs* Bring on Schalke…
Awful game.
But great company down the pub. It also turned out that they sell this thing called “beer” there, I had a bunch of them “pints” as they called them. That was a pleasant experience, think I might try that again some time…
Right, so who’s up for another top 4 dogfight this year? Or am I being too optimistic?
We’re not underachieving, we’ve been in our right place for 8 years now.
Gervinho and Ramsey pretty much played to their norm, Giroud was atrocious. I really don’t know why so many people are seeing him as the main man, who will make us tick up front, when he can’t even kick the fucking ball properly in the direction it is meant to go.
If Podolski has been playing with injury it makes Wenger’s stubbornness over Walcott even more stupid than it already looked. He’s not picking him because he hasn’t signed his contract, yet at the same time says he believes Theo wants to stay and is therefore, logically, committed to the club. After he got us out of the shit last time against West Ham, Wenger said he had great character. If he really thinks that, Theo should be in the side when fit, instead of being kept out for petty reasons.
Last year we were a one man team with RvP, this year if Cazorla doesn’t play well we have no quality to compensate. Certainly not up front.
Changes required.
Just home at 0140 after terrible days bridge and I find out that we wernt’ playing today according to all the drinks
It sounds familiar from last year – no plan B, subs on too little and too late – was it an off day for AW then
BTW Thanks for offer Oxon but highly unlikely in near future
So many negative posts so early in the season yet again?! Hmmmm, all rather déjà vu me thinks! :-/
Come on the longstanding Gooners, where are you?! Such days have happened since time immemorial for all Fans! If it wasn’t for the Chavs’ near perfect start and their attacking trio playing out of their skins, would you all really be so pessimistic as you appear to be now?! What did you all feel after 8 – 2 at Old Trafford last season?! All honours this season still remain alive but a cohesive and consistent method of play is still very much the immediate objective; with a group of new and returning players that have played very little together to attain an understanding of each others’ strengths and weaknesses! That’ll take just a little while longer, and these lengthy interlulls in their club-playing “bread and butter” certainly doesn’t help to speed that up any!
Regarding our lack of a plan B, I disagree with those that believe that we do not have that now! Giroud was bought for just that purpose. In today’s match, AOC’s eat injury was not planned nor was Theo’s during the internationals. If I recall, didn’t such a change in personnel to assist Giroud, against a recent away side called West Ham, not provide evidence to that end?!
Where I may have a criticism is still with our defensive vulnerability on counter-attacks when the opposition has pace in the wide midfield areas. From my observations against the Chavs, the Greeks and today against Norwich, without Diaby, Arteta becomes far too exposed when Ramsey is the other rotating midfielder with he and Cazorla. In addition, our captain is still far too cavalier in his MO. A return to the defensive nouse and discipline observed early-doors, both with and without the ball, and at set-pieces, is much needed from Bouldy’s preachings! You did it very well for the first run of matches lads, before all the usual disruptions in fixtures, so re-focus and regain it!
COYBG! Let’s hit Schalke and QPR with the heavy artillery!
“In October the moment of truth starts for the team.” Arsene Wenger.
Well, that moment of truth might just be one mighty big wake up call for some people.
I meant to say “AOC’s early injury” not “eat injury”!
Steve T @346,
Precisely fella!
Let’s now see who’s up for the fight this season both on and off the pitch amongst both players and supporters alike!!! COYBG!
I see that many are questioning the ability and quality of the individual players and implying they are inferior or not capable. That is not really the case.
This particular type of performance a few times in the season has been Arsenal’s signature in the last few years. Remember WBA at home a couple of seasons back where even before we woke up we were three goals down? Or that magnificent ‘throw away two goal leads in ten minutes’ job at Wigan? Or last year’s utter crap against Swansea at home and away even though at home a goalkeeping madness saved us?
This is not about the individual players, but about a collective psychology of not taking certain oppositions or certain situations or certain periods in the game seriously enough, if not consciously surely unconsciously. This happens to all teams, but to us more frequently than any other top team.
An interesting exercise would be to scan through Arsene’s post-match conferences in the last few seasons for admissions like “maybe we underrated them a little”, “maybe subconsciously we were not ready to fight” etc. So definitely he sees the problem too, maybe the insouciance he likes to cultivate in players need a type of genuine humility to be accompanied with to be successful that is not present. In an interview this season in Arsenal magazine he highlighted the humility aspect of the Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. Maybe his team members after a performance like West Ham fail to maintain the balance between confidence and respect for opposition?
Not a lot to add to what has been written above. Today’s performance was a text book example of what happens when we come up against a parked bus and don’t get an early goal, or, worse, give one away. We look flat and can’t buy a chance. The way this team plays it has a better chance of winning the CL than the Premiership.
Dr F@349 is right in that this was a team, not individual failure today. Negate the style of play and you make all our side look poor. One thing that does concern me, though, (and to Dr F’s point about the mental approach) is that once the team fell behind, the early sureness of touch and pace of pace faded away. It was almost as if there was a collective thought of, oh no, here we go again.
I knew today was going to be shitty when I ran across 4 spurs fans at a pub in cambridge,ma. First time I’m seeing spurs fans in the flesh.
Note to self. Stay away from Cambridge
Here, Here. Sajit.
I’m seeing a disturbingly greater number of spuds here in Dallas as well. Maybe the Mayans’ are onto something…?
BMBD.
I’m going to be the contradicting voice but I don’t think pure panic is needed just net….perhaps panic is the wrong word. Resignation to our place perhaps?
We still have a lot of new parts getting to see how best to play to each others strengths, we knew going in that this team wasn’t going to compete for the title I think. In fact if Chelsea weren’t looking so ominous I’d still have hope to get back in that too. We are not going to be a team to go near unbeaten in the league, we will have one or two games where we just don’t turn up. For me today was the first example of that this season and ideally the last. You can’t compare with our earlier goalless games as we had 1/3 of a team playing together for the first time.
It seems we’ve gone from wondering how we could keep 8 midfielders happy to playing Gnabry in a match we really have to win and needing a late goal. Is that bad injury luck (again) or bad planning? I’m not sure.
For me the player we missed most was Gibbs, I think beyond Santi he has been our most important player this season, occupying the opposition and providing timely tackles throughout his flank.
Someone wrote above are we just where we were a year ago…I know it looks that way but I think we’re still vastly improved, the next 6-8 games will back me up. I saw this match as one in a streak we should be winning, to offset it now we have to go to Old Trafford and win in a few weeks, I think we will.
Still can’t stomach the fact we sold you know who..to you know who…and we have to see him win games for them week after week.
Tim @354,
Agree with the side missing Gibbs; especially TV5 and LP9 on the left flank both in attack and defence. Most of Norwich’s dangerous breakaway play came from that side both due to Santos’ over-adventure and lack of recovery pace which usually bales out Gibbs and Vermaelen.
Don’t agree though on your assessment about Arsenal not challenging for the title. It’s way far too early to make a definitive assessment of who will be there or not. Let’s wait until most of the so-called “big boys” have played each other; so far we’ve won 1, drawn 1 and lost 1.
The Chavs will drop points soon enough and then we’ll see how they respond. All the title contenders will experience injuries to key personnel as we have begun to. I still believe we can win the league if we collectively tighten up defensively as we did early doors this season. For that to become a consistently reassuring feature of our way of play, Steve Bould thinks it’ll take around 4-6months from the season’s start for it to all to become natural-ingrained in this set of players tactical psyche. If we’re still within 6 points of the Manchester clubs by then, then we’re well in with a shout of glory in the EPL! COYBG!
Lads
Terrible result, terrible performance, but a little perspective needed. It doesn’t mean all the players are shit. It doesn’t mean Giroud is a disaster. It doesn’t mean we’ll end up scrapping for a Europa League place.
OK, it was horrible to watch. Exactly the kind of flat, bollockless performance we’d hoped this team had moved beyond. But one result, even an absolute shitter of a result, should not move the needle from cautious optimism to total despair.
Unexpected defeats happen. I seem to recall the red scum getting beat at home by a woeful Blackburn team last term. It’s how you respond to them that counts. I’d like to see how we go in our next three games before I start reaching for the noose.
As for those who are disappointed we won’t win the league: I’m sorry, but it was never on this term, even if we’d won this one. Not while we turn a summer transfer profit. Not while City can bring a £25m striker off the bench to win a tricky away game and we bring on an untested 17 year old. And certainly not while we can’t keep any fucker fit for more than 5 minutes.
It’ll be another top four scramble. Our main rivals are Spurs. Maybe that’s not how it should be, but in the current climate that’s how it is.
Anyway, onwards and upwards. A win in midweek will lift the mood. I think there are a couple who want dropping after yesterday (oh, and can we PLEASE buy a keeper in Jan?), but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
COYG
Good morning,all.
I’m off to take a dip in the pool to see if i can get over the dissapointment of yesterday.
Morning All,
On the money N7.
Well that was a bit tricky! My report, such as it was, winged its way to Holic last night.
Don’t know whether ‘H can pick up a signal in the wilds of Cornwall. Either that, or its being heavily edited
N7, well said. I realize my slightly drunken rant from just after the game yesterday may be interpreted as me giving up or something but I most certainly do not. My main disappointment was the lack of fight, but as I have said before one shit game does not tell you very much about the true quality of a team – it’s the games immediately after the shit game that do.
Onwards and upwards, starting with beating Schalke on Wednesday!
Well, now that I have emerged from the dark room blinking into fierce sunlight:
A bad performance and result does not reduce the season to dust in the space of 90 minutes. Everyone was purring following a good result at Upton Park, one of those notoriously “difficult places to go to”, but there were enough warning signs from that game, which we all picked up on, to realise that there are still loads of things to work on. So we have to expect setbacks (although not excuse sheer lack of effort, which is not the same thing).
There is something in particular that is worrying me though. I am starting to suspect that Arsene’s private concerns are being shared with the players and thus are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
He was obviously concerned about the impact of the international double header and how tired and jaded the players might be. As many have noted, all of our so called “rivals” had players away on international duty and yet all managed to come from behind to win, one of them with 10 men. I cannot see Ferguson, for example, letting fatigue be used as an excuse, and In fact I could see him publicly ridiculing any player that even tried to go there.
I heard that our players were flown to and from Norwich, a short trip by some standards by road. That brought a cascade of indignation from many fans, evidence of another example of pampered footballers, out of touch with real life. As one who travels frequently for work and thus knows how tiring travelling can be, I do not under-estimate the impact the international games might have made on the players involved (Arteta interestingly was immune to the lassitude shown by most of the others) , and so I understand why the club avoided the road (or rail).
But it’s as if the club (AW) is saying : “We know you are tired, we will try to do all we can to help….” when in fact, we should be continually telling the players “you are not tired, you are a finely tuned athlete, you can run all day, go out there and rip their throats out.” It’s the only explanation for the lethargy that we saw last night.
I have one other major nagging concern (I won’t touch on the minor ones). Where is the perceived defensive solidity that Steve Bould supposedly induced in the team? The Canaries should have been two up in the first half – the free header that their guy got from a corner or rather the lack of defending from it, was horrific. I see no evidence that we practice defending set pieces or worse if we are practicing, then there are some serially retarded students in those lessons.
Oh, and one final thing – the goalkeeping farce has gone on too long at Arsenal. Wenger MUST sort it out in January – irrespective of who’s fit.
Oh and fwiw, the post from N7 above is on the money.
There is another thing which was a bit odd – this place was virtually doomer free last night.
When was the last time that happened – it’s as if they knew ‘H was out
Morning All
Spot on N7
Hehs! at Lars, I’ll try and join you in that beer thing some time soon.
Same old, same old yesterday. Really thought we had put performances like that behind us but….. we haven’t.
When our main rivals all ground out really good wins and we lose to plucky but very average opposition it makes you realise that thoughts of the championship are somewhat fanciful. Great shame. I don’t blame any individual, not even Mannone, that was a team defeat.
Apparently, we’re only one point better off than we were this time last season.
Positives? Gnabry looks like he could be a real handful. Jenks showed us again why he’s keeping Bac out of the team although his crossing wasn’t as good as usual. Giroud really tried but got b*gger all service. The amazing support of TTF (as always) – they deserved far, far better than what they were dished up yesterday.
Oh well bring on ze Chermans.
Have a good Sunday all.
Here in sydney, went out last night so could not get up at 2am to watch game…old age and alcohol do that to you.
got up at 630 to walk dogs, turned on ipad,straight to bbc sport, saw result……shook head and went for walk.
After following arsenal for 50 years it really was not suprising for some reason.
I do fear for the schalke match as they beat dortmund this weekend.
the wife mentioned the result about 10am, but knew no need to continue discussion
she’s not bad for an Aussie who has learnt to love arsenal.
Its that kind of team.
Zico we crossed posts. Good stuff.
As you say, the boys were whisked from my local airport to Narch. Meh, softies.
Also as you say, SAF (the cnut) would have hair-dryered his players to within an inch of their priviledged lives at half-time had they put in a shift like that.
The GK thing we’ve been banging on about in here for ages and yet the pit of my stomach says we won’t be buying one in January. Hope I’m wrong.
Sorry to say this but for me, it’s days like yesterday where the title challenge is lost. Early and ‘doomy’ to say that I know but that’s how I see it.
We’re still a great team. We don’t look like being champions. Doesn’t mean we can’t win something this year.
*dons bubble-wrap suit and awaits flack*
tabs – Look forward to that report.
I wouldn’t get your hopes up TS
Looks like Dr Z above has already stolen most of my thunder!
Fellas, if you want something Arsenal related to make you smile, got to ACLF home page this morning. Worked for me.
Right, I’m offski. Lars’ plastic is behind the bar for all those that seek refuge in alcohol. That’s what I’ll be doing today.
UTA!
zico@360: “There is something in particular that is worrying me though. I am starting to suspect that Arsene’s private concerns are being shared with the players and thus are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
I have had thoughts along similar lines myself. We are still at a very early stage of the season and Interbull or not the players can’t be tired already – and if they are then something is very, very wrong in their basic training and then we are effed anyway.
Tactical analysis often becomes just a wankathon of pseudo-intellectual claptrap, but this one is spot on:
http://poznaninmypants.com/2012/10/21/a-tactical-analysis-of-the-norwich-game-what-went-wrong-and-how-to-fix-it/
It’s always such fun hanging around the Goonerverse after a poor performance. The scary thing is that this place is probably more positive than most.
Hold the presses – this team isn’t as good as Arsenal 2003-04. FACT. Get used to it. The good news is that none of the other premier league teams is a good as Arsenal 2003-04.
Another shocking FACT: Arsène Wenger isn’t infallible. Don’t waste your time posting, and my time reading, acres of garbage saying that he’s made a mistake. If you think Arsenal would have a better chance with a different manager then good for you, I shall read your arguments in favour of your preferred, available, candidate with interest. Oh, and I shall attempt to destroy those arguments if they’re flawed.
It’s time to get behind the team – i.e. it’s between August and May – and thanks be to Dennis we’re interdull-free for a few weeks. FACT.
COYG ICDDR
Internet problems here – just as well.
Back drink ? Dunno.
Good luck with that match report Tabs.
Back from work. Took care of my first Arsenal fan!!! He gave me permission to talk about it. When I told him that Norwich had won, he said “You’re shitting me”. He then said we don’t have any ‘first class players’ and that we keep on selling off the good ones. He promises to watch the Schalke game on Wednesday. Delia, I want you to know that I thought about you as I watched the game. So sorry for you. Now I’ve read everyone’s comments and think they are reasonable. Where I disagree is the ‘fatigue’ issue. Don’t feel that was the problem. We looked rusty, really, really out of sorts. Not Gnarby though, shot on goal, shortly after coming on. We’ll beat Schalke (won’t be easy), but we’ll do it. This is Arsernal, top of the injury list (again), beaten by a two bit team and this is how we roll. Arsenal Fans are never BORED
The match report is spot on: no Arsenal content ;s
Sunday Bloody Sunday, the day after Sad Arse Crappy Saturday.
After the final whistle I decided it was best to get the fuck off the internet and go into total football lock out mode, MOTD was recorded but not watched, I wasn’t in the mood, esecialy as I’d already heard that our “rivals” had all managed to grab victories from a losing position. AaaaRRRGGHH.
Instead I had a few bevvies, played some darts, it’s quite therapeutic to be able to throw sharp objects at a target when feeling a bit peeved, before retiring to watch some tv which, to my surprise, had programmes and films and stuff that had nothing to do with footy, who knew?
After waking up refreshed this
morningafternoon, I ventured back onto the net to pick through the debris of the aftermath, only visiting the sites that I trust, (ie Arseblog and here) to see what others had to say. The reactions are, as always, varied and I can agree with almost all of the arguments being put forward from the mildest to the extreamist, because that performance, and I mean that in the loosist sense of the word, was as baffling as it was lethargic as it was pathetic as it was avoidable.But, being the glass half full kind of chappy that I am (mainly because I’m always in the vicinity of a beer tap to replenish said drinking vessel) I’ll first try to find a positive thing to say about what we witnessed yesterday………………
Here goes;
The positive aspect of yesterdays performance is that surely it can’t get any worse then that!?
Sorry if any of you were expecting more flowery, happy thoughts, but I’m afraid there weren’t any. Now, I know we can’t win them all, I don’t expect us to, but yesterday it didn’t even seem like we were trying, we were second best in every aspect of that match and it made for painfull viewing. I can accept the fact that we will lose to a better team, as was the case against the Chavs, they outplayed is in midfield, by cutting out our supply lines and closing us down well, but with all due respect to Norwich, they are not a better team then us and although they stiffled us well, they didn’t really have to do that much to stop us playing, just stand there and hold position, we looked clueless.
Fact – Santi Carzola has scored more goals from outside the box then any other player in the top five leagues.
If this is true, then why the fuck did his first shot not happen until the game was almost done? But it wasn’t just him who seems scared to have a go, I posting this at HT;
A lot of pocession, but not really used to great effect. I would like to see a few more attempts on goal, we’re not shooting enough.
I then posted this around the 80th minute;
Finally a shot.
Looks like Gnarby comming on.
Now, I realise that football has changed with all the new fandangled tactics and reliance on statistics and what not, but the simple fact remains if you don’t shoot the liklihood of scoring diminishes, it’s not exactly rocket science is it? And all the tippy tappy in the world will not change that fact.
From the front three, Giroud had a go, but got no service. Poldi, a player who incidently hasn’t managed a whole 90mins in the PL this season, was rumoured to be carrying an injury, raising the question of wtf he was doing there in the first place, was well off the pace. Gerviniho was, well, Gerviniho. Now I know that a lot of you like him and I respect that, but to me he’s way out of his depth, he often takes the pace out of our attacks by running into and not at defenders, he also has the look of someone who’s constantly fighting/getting tangled up with the ball, I half expect him to fall flat on his face. However, what he lacks in panache he usually makes up for in effort, but not yesterday when he seemed happy to just stroll around the field.
The midfield was shoddy, surrendered pocession too easily, even headers won always seemed to either go the wrong way or directly to their players, Arteta gave it a go, Santi was pretty anonymous and poor Aaron was again asked to play in a position in which he’s obviously not comfortable in.
As for the defence, Bouldy can drill them until the cows come home, but I believe it won’t make a shit bit of difference because of the simple fact (sorry my opinion) that they don’t trust Mannone. At the time I didn’t blame him for the goal, even though I now realise he should of done better by coming out stronger for the rebound, but these things happen to all keepers, so that’s not the reason. I’m afraid he’s just not up to PL standards and the defence know that and that makes them jittery, there was one occasion yesterday when he came off his line but made no attempt to get the ball, only god knows what he was thinking, another heart in mouth moment came from a cross where their guy had a free header. You can see that his uncertainty spreads through to those in front of him, every pass back takes on a suicide look, the Norwich crowd picked up on that after the first few fluffed clearances and the noise/expectation levels from them were raised significently even when our own players had the ball near him.
I’ve stated before that I thought it was a mistake that we didn’t bring in a better back up option in the last transfer window, to fail to do so in the next window would border on incompetance, as the old saying goes, a house is only as good as it’s foundations and the chances of winning anything without a proper keeper, one that exudes confidence and has the trust of his coleagues, are virtualy nihil.
I like others would love to blame the Interlull, but that’s bollox, top teams want the best players and the best players play for their respective nations, this is not a new phenominum and like it or not it’s not going to change any time soon. All the top teams are in the same boot as they all lose players, that Norwich didn’t have as many players away as us just meanss that their players are not of the same standard as ours and the fact that we surrendered the points to opposition of a percieved lower standard makes it all the more disturbing, we weren’t up for it and if that is due to being pysically tired or mentaly “not in the right place” then that is what has to be addressed over the next few days.
All in all a very bad day at the office, but luckily we won’t have to dwell on it too long as there are a bunch of Germans hoving in to view on the horizon.
Sorry ‘holics, it was a bit long that, if you managed to get through it all then have a drinky poo on me, cheers and as always, COYRRR’s.
Hi honey, I’m home. Thank TaBS, and BtM. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>