It’s True Man, We’re Up Against A Yorkshire Attack.
Dec 10th, 2012 by 'holic
“We will have an experienced squad at Bradford. We have a good recovery time ahead of the game at Reading on Monday. So we can use the players we want to use.”
I would be surprised if that wasn’t Wengercode for ‘We will pretty much start the side that played at Olympiacos last week’. The major difference between the midweek cup fixtures may be the quality of the players on the bench. It would make some sense to rest key players like Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla, and Lukas Podolski, but have them available to come on at some stage if we require that little extra bit of quality to secure the result.
Certainly I can see at very least eight of those who started in Greece getting the nod to start against the League Two promotion chasers. Do you want to make yourself worried before the game gets underway? Then you’ll just need to recall the Bantams qualified for this COCup quarter-final by winning on penalties away to Premier League Wigan Athletic. Want to feel better? Their two home defeats this season came at the hands of Port Vale and Exeter City, although both by the only goal of the game.
The winners will book a semi-final berth alongside, probably, Chelsea, Swansea City, and Norwich City. No easy matches there, but close enough to offer a tantalising glimpse of a first League Cup success for a manager in need of just such a lift. Victory would see Arsenal set a new outright League Cup record by qualifying for the semi-finals for the fifteenth time, but Final defeats against Chelsea and Birmingham City are the best Arsene’s Arsenal have managed. We last lifted this trophy in the domestic cup double season of 1993.
The conditions and a lively Yorkshire crowd will make this a test of our squad strength, but as tough as Athens just a week ago? Provided the attitude is right then we should be up to the task. The ‘holic pound seeks a rare hat-trick of successive results. Gunners Gaming offer 10/1 against a 3-1 away win. If we approach it correctly that looks value for money. Don’t forget to click on the banner above to have your punt. Thanks.
For those that are going, wrap up against the elements and get behind the boys in the shirt. Those of us left behind in the UK have the benefit of Sky Sports 2 showing the game live, doubtless praying for an upset. It will make a nice change not having to stay up until after midnight to watch a delayed stream of a match against lower league opposition. Wherever you are I’m sure there will be some decent stream options as a result of the Sky broadcast.
That’s it for now. Come back after the match for my initial thoughts on the performance.
Take care ‘holics.
487 Responses to “It’s True Man, We’re Up Against A Yorkshire Attack.”
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Thirst
II
third!
WEll in H2H
We will have an experience squad at Bradford
The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Are you experienced?
I know I’ve said it like four times now, but barring a missed flight this will be my last live match tomorrow.
Let’s hope I’m singing about Wembley on the way out. COYG!
In the top 10. That’s a first. Good write up Holic hoping to see Eisfeld play from the off.
Just as I suspected though :
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/team-news-giroud-walcott-and-mannone
.con editor to blame, ‘holic simply a victim of copy-paste.
It really is a winnable cup and as you say just the sort of tonic we could do with. A two legged semi-final is the only piece I’m not so keen on with our apparent tiredness. When are they – mid/late January rings a bell – before European matches return.
League 2 side, even away from home should see a reasonable strength side get though fairly comfortably but I bet the atmosphere will be decent if they are in it for at least 45 minutes. They are more focused on promotion this season than this but of course would love to beat us. Looking forward to it…
Victory would see Arsenal set a new outright League Cup record by qualifying for the semi-finals for the fifteenth time
Hang on, I thought we were always disrepecting that Cup and, etc….
+s !
Tim, we could play Swansea up to 4 times in January…. which could bring about a lot of weariness for fans&players alike.
Surely we’d win a few of the four?
Good stuff ‘holic and I agree that you’re probably right about our would be line up. I’d personally prefer that we pay this fixture a little more respect by putting out a team that could come away with a moral boosting high scoring victory, after all, it will be a full six days until we have to take the field again and if that is not a long enough rest then I feel that our players are at the wrong club, because Arsenal are a team that competes at the high end of the game where three games a week is not the exception but the norm.
The world will be watching and hoping that we slip, we can not, must not give them a stick to beat us with. Underestimate lower league opposition at are own peril.
Come On You Gunners!!!!
It does make me feel old when I think back to floodlit League Cup matches at Highbury with big crowds when we were all banned from Europe. My imagination isn’t playing tricks on me when I recall it being almost as important as the FA Cup does it?
Of course it was never more important than the FA Cup – but we had some wonderful (White Hart Lane!) League Cup nights out.
James, you’ve made more last appearances then the Rolling Stones.
Enjoy mate.
Experienced team sounds good, but then again youthful enthusiasm might be just as important in this game to counter the risk of under-estimation which really should be the only way Bradford could win this. I’d go with a team along the lines of this, subject to availability of players of course:
Mannone
Jenks-Djourou-Squillaci-Meade
The Coq
Eisfeld-Rosicky
Gervinho-Chamakh-Arshavin
Against League 2 opposition, that is a team that should win it quite easily provided they have the right attitude.
Is it really 13 years since Bradford were in the top flight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHv9JW9wP24
Vivas, Manninger, Kanu, Silvinho…
@16 H2H
Heh. Tis too true. It’ll be a long journey up and back tomorrow but I have faith they’ll make it worth it.
I’m with Lars there. And his wallet.
Trueman, now that man liked a pint. Not a bad bowler either by all accounts.
Going to miss the game live – my boss is insisting in liberating the company credit card tomorrow night to buy food and drink – so expect to watch it delayed on a hazy sky-plus, circa midnight.
That looks about right Lars.
Nice preview, ‘holic, i expect us to play (and win) with maximum of five players that played from the start at the weekend.
Off to read Wind’s North London experience.
Cent, bring a packed lunch.
Nice one H. Did well to make a Bratfud (@TS) preview interesting.
Nice title too. I see Zico is boycotting the game though.
Wind won’t be Old enough to remember playing Bradford. Daughter and I are looking forward to seeing the youngsters on’t telly – yes, we
both-am.
Ok, coat please.
Free drink Trev.
It’s my duty.
Enjoy, mate.
You haven’t been down for far too long. Man City I believe.
Is it just me, are do there seem to be an inordinate number of draws this season? And ynited don’t have a single one. Weird.
Lets go corporate cup kids, and Arshavin!
Hookah Bob with a brace. 3-1 the stoned guys.
Is it just me, or do there seem to be an inordinate number of draws this season? And ynited don’t have a single one. Weird.
Lets go corporate cup kids, and Arshavin!
Hookah Bob with a brace. 3-1 the stoned guys.
Schalke-in-crisis shock !
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/dec/10/schalke-bundesliga-huub-stevens-manager
And AFC will (allegedly) secure K-J’s signature in January. And he’s in a slump. It’ll end in tears.
I hadn’t posted much today so I thought I would post everything twice.
Ditto
@ 28
Yeah, that’s the plan.
Greetings all. The only think I worry about tomorrow evening is the attitude of the side – which Arsenal is going to trott out and play. As me and my trusty train travellers said coming back from the match on Saturday, if the attitude is correct, any 11 of ours should win the match.
Good write-up Holic, looking forward to the game tomorrow especially after our comeback last time and I was looking forward to that fixture as well on the night!
Too right Trev @ 26, earliest fixture I remember I think is United – Arsenal in 1999-2000, FA Charity Shield, one team was in white, them I presume in hindsight and it was a fierce game, we won 2-1 though
A 2000-2001, 2001-2002 or 2002-2003 fixture between us and them sticks in the memory, caught some of it in my usual corner shop on a small TV in my old area of London before my Family moved, but the scoreline and the kits worn don’t match up to my memories when I’ve researched the fixtures 
(And no it wasn’t the League Winning Game! 
)
Sky Sports News just running an item on, guess what, Santi Cazorla’s dive. Dermot Gallagher was included to say that something has to be done about it, and if it means a video panel taking retrospective action then so be it.
Our own manager has said the same, and most of us would probably agree. But where is all this determination when Bale dives – he now has FOUR yellow cards for diving this season.
The Daily Express today ran a special article with pictures of Santi, in which they labelled him a cheat, said that he would now be grouped with Bale and Suarez, and that the stigma of being a cheat would stay with him.
They also ran an adjacent match report titled “Arsenal get their Jack back”.
The first sentence of the report started “Santi Cazorla’s dive was ugly …”
So who was saying there is no anti Arsenal agenda in the media ? Or does that all seem perfectly proportionate ?
10/1 against a 3-1 away win in Yorkshire. Seems fair, shouldn’t be too Close. Might have a few shillingworths in that one
NorCal,
It seems that us Americans are required to find a stream for the game tomorrow? Can’t see any signs of it being on here. Am I missing something that you may know about?
Holic,
3-1 it is!
Our daily paper here in Redding California had an article this morning about Diving….. Or was it driving? Thriving? Conniving?
Aw shit…. I can’t remember.
Maybe an article about Santi Claus or the price of a Bale of hay. I Suarez there was something in our paper.
Damn.
BtM,
I show it being on bein sports or what used to be Gol TV. I have directv, not sure about cable.
NorCal. Thanks for the info. Bein Sports is what I’ll be tuning to tomorrow afternoon. The announcers are an improvement with Bein, I’ve noticed Gol TV used manic Colombians who sounded like they had only spoken English for a few months.
Good morning, all.
So i dozed off in between reading Wind’s ‘report’ of the North London Derby, i’ve read it all over again this morning. Nice piece of work, mate, i think at this juncture, giving you an award for pouring the longest/largest ever drink in this bar won’t be out of place, overall, it sounded like you really had a good time. Your birthday is almost same with an ex-girlfriend of mine, the only diffrence is she was born five years earlier than you, speaking of girlfriends, i noticed how nervous/tensed you sounded been around Sian and the other girls, you’ve never had a girlfriend, have you?
Lastly, i must salute The Sweeper, who made it possible for you to have such an awesome experience, Clive your kindness is top class and is deeply appreciated from here, cheers.
Nice write up holic…
really looking forward to this one , hope AW plays a good mix of players… would love to see podolski as a front man…and hope Eisfield & Gnarby get a start….
still cant forget the final we lost to Birmingham… I was so hopeful
But this time we have a better chance…
Go Gunners!!!!!
A long day ahead of me, a one-day conference followed by dinner at my employer’s expense and then off to the pub for the footie.
Trev@37: that is just sickening. The xenophobic undercurrent to the focus on Santi’s dive is disgusting. Now all we need is for Steven Gerrard to come out with yet another statement about how “divin forriners” are ruining the Premier League.
Heh ‘holic, remember this day in 1979? Day we went out to fucking Swindon! Mind you was still a top trip down the west country for various reasons.
Cent @ 44
Many thnks for your kind words.
Wind’s [ Gone with the Wind ] epic post about what a great day he had Pre,and Post his first NL Derby,coupled with putting 5 past the Neighbours again,made it an extra special day for me as well.
If that hasn’t made him a Gooner for Life,then nothing will.!!
Cheers
The Sweeper.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrr
Trev 37. Quelle surprise.
In the immortal words of Charlie George during a Stadium tour:
‘I hate the meedja, they’re all cunts’.
Regarding 31:
Things at Schalke have fallen apart to such an extent that the manager, Huub Stevens, might not even survive until Christmas
Jaysus, they don’t just sack managers over there, they shoot them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20672812
Is John Terry foreign?
I wonder if Wenger might start a stronger side than we all expect this evening.
Usually, I’d advocate a spot of rotation with an eye to the weekend, but I note that our next opponents are also playing this evening, which rather evens things up.
Whoever finds themselves wearing the shirt, I hope they have it drummed into them what an important game this is. This tournament represents out best chance of silverware and we’re at a crucial point in the season where momentum is vital. Another first half like the one at Reading is quite simply out of the question.
Hoping to see the metronomic Iceman get a start.
COYG
Bah, fuck I’ll have to work in Paris (city centre) next week already. I was really hoping the delays would mean staying in the office next week and only starting in the Orange lab in January.
I’m a bit pissed off. Not, very pissed off.
Cent @ 44, glad you enjoyed it, had a feeling you’d fall asleep or something
On the girlfriend thing, Correct shout (bit blunt mate [!]), boys only secondary school from 11-16 years old doesn’t help with overall confidence and I’d say I’m alright with girls but a bevy of beauties interested in you is one thing, when they all support Arsenal its a completely different ball game
You don’t want to cock it up by saying something stupid and I think that was the nervousness that you might have picked up on. Or, I must be better than I previously estimated
Clive @ 48, Gooner (even though I didn’t know it) since ’01 or so here
Fell in love with being a Gooner on that League Cup 3rd Round game in 2011 when I saw the Arsenal with my own god-given eyes, every subsquent game I’ve seen live and all the people I’ve talked to at games has only served to reinforce that love, but the pinnacle was watching us take out Sp*rs with my own eyes, and I have you to thank for that Cilve 
IndianGooner,welcome to the bar, mate, i don’t think we have a better chance of winning the COC cup this season than we had in the 2010/2011 season, we are not even into the semifinal yet (hopefully we will get in there this evening) Chelsea and Swansea are still in this Cup, we’ve lost at home to these two teams already this season so i think winning this Cup, or any other Cup at all, has more to do with our application and determination rather than the team we face on the day.
Clive, you are definitely a Gunner for life.
Ollie, I forgot to commend your equally kind gestures to young master Wind on the day, you are a good man, Senor.
Hahaha, Wind, i choose to be ‘blunt’ just so that the question comes as a little bit of a surprise to you, i agree, attending an all boys secondary school doesn’t help in socializing with the opposite sex, a little advice for you though ; having a girlfriend is not all that.
I feel like I’ve been doing the pros and cons my entire life Cent!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/santa-hats-for-arsenal-fans-at-bradford
Santa’s Clause.
Jaysus, have just checked Eurostar prices for Newcastle game, it’s ridiculous.
Why the fuck are people travelling bang in the middle between Christmas and New Year.
I might exceptionally consider flying, since I only have enough points to book one single leg, and both out and in are stupidly expensive.
Yes, it’s €425 return, in second class, for non-refundable tickets.
It never ever used to be like that.
Ridiculous.
Morning all. It is feckin freezin down here today!!!
A glass of something hot please barman.
Going to be out tonight until the wee hours, so God knows if I´ll be in a fit state to watch the game on Sky+ when I get back. I suspect not..
Has anyone else seen the weird “Nani to Arsenal” rumour?? Truly left field….
Wind, the key lies in finding a balance.
Wind
There are some who prefer leasing a car, with an option to renew or trade in for a better model, than buying one outright.
Just saying…..
*Random Stat Alert*
sir Chez has the best save to shot percentage rate of all ‘keepers in the premier league this season.
Hart didn’t make a single save vs United on sunday.
Thank you for the welcome cent….
Go gunners!!!!
I agree there are strong teams left in the competition n i think chelsea will trying hard as they are out of CL… but after last win, the team looked different n I hope as u said with determination & correct application we will have a better chance…
I heard the Gustavo rumour, does anyone know how gud a player he is???????
I’ve watched Gustavo a few times (including against Chelsea in the UCL last season) he’s a defensive/Box to box midfielder, if i remember correctly he’s left footed and impressed me well enough for me to note his name and wonder where Bayern nicked him from.
Ah, good stuff, the Newcastle game is sold out
Did you guys hear the latest ? Alex Ferguson is going to pay Wenger 20 million pounds to take Nani off him . Or did I get it wrong ? Surely not .
To Ollie – no experience like the Jimi Hendrix experience
(I am experienced)
Good day holics. Now, if you follow Holic on twitter (part of our home work), you will already know today is Arsenals’ 126th Birthday! Holic, I reckon tonite will be a real treat for both clubs, tasty as biting into a York Peppermint Patty.
This is what Arsene said of the Bantam Fans, “They show a fine mental strength off the pitch”. Ha ha! I read where their fans found out which hotel our lads were put up at and they they planned to make a lot of commotion. Gosh, what a lovely bunch they seem to be 
Let’s return the favor! 
Trev.
The meeja have been xenophobic/boarderline full blown racist for donkies. I know it seems like we get the worst of it but that ‘s because of;
a) We have a lot of foreigners*
b) We are percieved as being the first club to have a lot of foreigners
c) We have a foreign manager
and d) We pay more attention to stories about Arsenal then other clubs.
Believe me, the meeja are equal rights racists, they pick on them all.
*Although I haven’t seen anything been made of WBA not fielding a single Englishman against us last weekend
====
Ollie, that’s a fucking ridiculous price, you could have an all inclusive week away in the sun for that amount.
====
Hehs @ 51 & 63.
Seems we’re (presumes to use the royal “we”) not alone in finding MoTD a tad, nay a lot, painful.
Mick Dennis says in today’s Daily Express that “Shearer’s vapid tosh adds nothing to complacent Match of The Day”.
Dennis cites as an example his own detailed analysis of the changes Norwich have made since losing to Chelsea at the start of October, since when they have not lost another game. They include personnel, team structure and tactical changes.
When asked for his take on how Norwich have changed, Shearer managed the following -
“Well, who would have thought it on the first day of the season when they conceded five goals at Fulham, then five against Liverpool and four against Chelsea on consecutive Saturdays ?
I mean, they are playing now with such an air of, of, of …. confidence and you have to give tremendous credit to Chris Hughton for staying calm, erm, for telling his players to have faith in them.”
Yes, well, most illuminating…….
Indeed, H2H. I predict the game to get cancelled on the day anyway
Hope it’s not before ‘holic turns up though
If you look carefully you can see that Shearer is wearing a small earpiece in which he recieves instructions from the programmes directors.
I wouldn’t be surprised if these instructons were “breath in, breath out”.
‘Nadal to make Abu Dhabi comeback’.
I wish he could make Abou Diaby come back.
Trev, Shearer is a genius. I have no other explanation.
I hope he is our new manager soon.
Hmmm, am I getting this right?
Hello friends,
It looks to me like we have got quite the team of foreigners right here in the bar today. As your clueless gaffer I may play you in some foreign positions today but just remember I am an American so I haven’t a clue about what’s going on.
Right,
Indie goal we have a fresh youngster who has bided his time and not wants a step up and that IndianGooner.
At right back we have someone who is nothing but money, all the way from Nigeria,cent.
Keeping the middle safe since 54 and adding that famed British Steal to all we do is Clive and if I had to guesso I would say Esso.
Now at left back is a man who has travelled far but has his heart at home, a man who is as Dutch as we get: H2H. I don’t think he ever drinks H2O.
In our midfield 3 we have a trio of international that keep the bar moving. Lars, a man of swede words and actions who is always moving the ball around. Next to him we have our assist maker extraordinaire. He is so casual but lethal, our French correspondent Ollie. To fill out that trio and keep the other 2 in line I see the ever gracious but always vivacious ABB.
That just leaves today’s front line. Heading the line is our always practical but never dull man of optimism a clinical finisher if ever there was: N7.
Flanking him and running the channels like his name says is The Wind, himself. Now our team is completed only be adding a little Spanish flare on the opposite flank. A hard worker who has flare but is never Gaudi it is the Doctor of Catalan.
Our only sub is always late but never bitter. He loves the meedja like no other. He needs no introduction but yet revels in the attention. He always scores after the game. Well, run to the corner and Take a Bow Son.
Right, that’s today’s team.
Everyone say thanks to the owner on the way by.
Thanks Holic.
Cheers NorCal.
As one of the team centre forwards I would just like to reassure everyone that there is not a “little boy in me” and that even if there was he would most certainly fcuking not be “screaming for Utd”.
Screaming abuse at Utd and the scarlet-conked tool who helms them, maybe.
Sorry for the typos. iPhone and a bit distracted.
Cheers all. Lets get to the semi’s!
Cheers NorCal.
That’s the second “holic team that I’ve been put in as LB, not surprising because in my youth I was always Left Back (in the dressing room)
Oh NorCal, love being a midfielder with Ollie and Lars as me mates! What could possibly go wrong
Cheers mate 
“There’s nothing there to be found,
except skeletons on the ground.
You can stand there and weep,
over things that used to be sheep.
Down in the Valley Parade!”
A hat-trick of successes? I see this is what happens when I finally lose faith.
Keep (losing) the faith, Adam.
It seems even ESPN can’t keep up with the corporate cup name and has referred to it as the Carling cup on their website.
I hope we brought a team that enjoys playing in the cold. Maybe Adidas can make up a shirt with a built in snood for these games.
Cheers
I’ll have to keep a complete media and phone lockdown: due to Valenciennes vs PSG, our game will be shown with 10 or 15 minutes delay, at least for the first half.
Yo Adam!
NorCal: NOT Adidas….
That was just for you Ollie
Afternoon Holics. I have tracked down a bottle of Crabbie’s Green Ginger Wine so that the drams can be spiced up to help y’all deal with tonight’s plunging temperatures.
COYRRRs
I don’t give a toss what people say about this cup, I like it and I’m excited about the chance to be in the semis.
Come on you reds. ‘Ave it!
What I find really sweet is that their fans are so PROUD that their team has this chance to take on The Arsenal. I know it sounds corny and mushy, but it touches my gooner heart. Love fans who show pride in their team
Plummeting temperatures you say? Did they decide to switch the venue to Minnesota then?
Surprisingly strong line-up.
wow, quite a lot of streams for our match, here you go http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=182241&part=sports
Fred Trueman’s definition of a gentleman always makes me chuckle.
“A gentleman is someone who will get out of the bath to go to the toilet”
Line up, Ollie?
Ollie, I got Valenciennes vs PSG, followed by the PL fixture on the box.
Will be stream surfing for the Arsenal game as I can’t find it on tv.
Cheers Bath, don’t mind if I do. It’s chucking it down with snow here, taters in the mould.
You and me both, Cam’.
They’re nearly as sweet as you, abb! I take it you don’t take sugar in your coffee?
Oh, an assist from midfield is due.
Assist from today’s Gaffer?
Left foot
H2H, I have Valenciennes vs PSG followed by our game here (slight delay as mentioned).
BtM : Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Wilshere, Coquelin, Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski, Gervinho.
Well in NCA!
have you got tonight’s team Ollie @93
Hmm Ollie, No I don’t! ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB, I WANT MY FIGURE BACK (lol, gained 10 pounds in the last couple of months)
Blame it on Arsenal, of course 
Whoops. A goal from the sideline.
Good omen!
You sure about that lineup Ollie?
That’s very strong. Even for us in the corporate cup.
Substitutes: Mannone, Jenkinson, Squillaci, Rosicky, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh.
Jaysus, even the bench doesn’t have youngsters, I didn’t expect that.
Slightly worried as we’re on a hiding to nothing if we don’t qualify.
No washed up but Ollie at 102&107 does
woah, would not expect Arsene fielding such a strong squad against bradford, not including the likes of gnabry, eisfeld, akpom and such is really surprising. Against who else should they play?
Please I injuries!!
I= no
Top assist Ollie, well in NorCal.
Nice line up, looks like we’re going for it.
COYG’s
BtM,
Will you get to see the game on Bein Sports?
Hope so.
Have a round on me gang.
I’m actually worried that Ibrahimocunt scored 2 more goals just after I tweeted that the game was Valenciennes vs him (rather than PSG).
Looks like Le Boss wants them to build a bit of confidence. Hope they don’t ‘freeze’ on him.
Minus 6 here tonight. Not good for us warm-blooded Brits
Minus 6??
That’s beach weather for those of you with a caledonian leaning.
good news PSG three up so no extra time fot those watching Bein in France
Yo ‘holic. If you missed my earlier drink: Newcastle sold out
washed up: it’s a League game, no extra time
whoops cup fever here ,PSG is ligue mqatch
My sports channel is not showing the game, but there is a stream available on internet from them.
Wierd!?
thought you’d spot that Ollie
Good evening,all.
Norcal @74, Top post, mate, i’m honoured to be in the same line-up with 10 legends of this great bar.
Alright gentlemen and ladies, I will have to exit the bar for a while to go watch the game but not to worry…wait for it…i will be right Bac like Sagna.
Listening on player fellas, so be chatty on what is going on, please
I too am surprised no Eisfeld and company on the bench. But Bradford has won like their last 10 out of 11 games, so, deep breath 
Winger in the Holic team, sounds about right, thanks NorCal
Time for the media lockdown due to the delay!
Here we go holics, Good Luck Arsenal!!!
Come on you Red and Whites!
What a line up, Wenger’s going all out, wish Eisfeld was on the bench though
Wonder if Ramsey and Wilshere will rediscover their connection ala May 2011…
Tony Adams and Ian Wright on the stream in the studio
Mike Dean Ref
Hey Wind, Wave to Tony and Ian for me
Good stuff from Le Coq!
Heh abb, Ian was on my stream in the last round as well
Thank you Woj! Sounds like he made a terrific save!
Hi Wind, Ian Right, Right, Right
Gervinho what the hell was that?
Why is Gervinho up front and podolski playing out wide? Not sure I get that one.
C’mon Arsenal! That’s the way to do it Gervais! Our first corner. TV misses
Another save from Woj, whew!
Ohhhh Poldi! Misses header.
I just realised that Steve T, I wouldn’t even line-up the front 3 like that on Fifa 13… Hope it comes off.
Oh boy. Bradford first to get on the sheet. 1-0
am I dreamin?
Had a bad feeling about that, immediate response?
Come on you Reds!
Oh dear…and I was gonna write we have a good spell!
Terrible marking!
Yes, we must fight back NOW!
More shocking defending.
WEAK!!
why are we always making things difficult for ourselves? O.o
Wenger is off his seat already!
See, we must get players in the box!!!
BTW Evening all
Hi ATG
… Jack?
THAT more than anything else sums Ramsey up.
That was awful from Ramsey is he asleep?
Linesman incorrect on offsides call on Gervais (again?)
Why oh why do we persist with this zonal bollocks?
And after 24 min we haven’t shown a great deal…
Come on Arsenal!
Glad Arteta and Rosicky on the bench J.I.C. (just in case).
Great performance from Bradford so far
Make the keeper work god damnit!
very frustrating so far
What are they doing Jesus
Woj saving our hide.
Question boys, where is our goal coming from?
4 min to halftime, dear me
Good question where is the goal going to come from they don’t really look up for it or is Bradford that good so far?
I haven’t seen us play this bad since…. ahem…
Oh yeah… this year, this is how we play…
Ramsey you slipped end off
Arthur, I think Bradford are set up beautifully. Happy for us to have the ball until 10 yards inside their half
OK…just tuned in to the match…all will be fine now
How bad has it been?
It’s slightly embarrassing we have practically our first 11 out and we are toothless!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, Le Coq almost!
Great stuff from Le Coq
That move deserved a goal
ooh shame
Now Conquelan showed some skill there!Unlucky son!
No width. It’s all too central and too congested. Need pace on the wings.
Class act gervinho, what a useless cunt!
Come on Arsenal !!
Verminator is having another shocker
Gervinih-nooooooooooooooooooo
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Great instinct but not the finish, ffs Gervinho!
Gerv-fucking-ho HOW ON EARTH!
And that wasn’t even his head, seriously no corner flag is safe
How the fuck has flipper missed that?????? FFS.
Get a Fucking grip.
Gervinho misses from a yard! Fuck sake!
Gervinho — easier to score than miss — surely. Sounds all too familiar… again.
Rights, that’s it — negativity over
I wonder what bradfords wage bill is?
blimey…could have been 2
Travelllin’ Goonahs are first class.
Maybe they should play.
WHEW! ..okay …this is getting embarrasing, come on you gunners! get a freaking grip of the game!
Vermaelen is being taken for a mug X_X
Wilshere smashed and ref plays on?
Well played Bradford!
I hope Wenger throws a fucking boot at them at half time!
its Dean tim, dont forget that but seriously, we have not shown much, Gerv should have scored, without doubt. We are static its beyond belief, painful to watch, slow paced passes, no real urgency, yet again lethargic Arsenal showed up. Hard to single out someone who is playing well so far except of Woj.
Well that was a rather shit first half… to put it very mildly.
Pretty sad that, but fair play to Bradford.
Still 45 mins to put it right and then we can laugh that half off.
Come on you Gunners………………..PLEASE
Does what only Gervinho cannot…
That was a fucking awful miss! What the fuck?
Why not play Poldi through the middle and Gervinho on the right?
That was genuinely embarrassing. 2 top quality centre backs given the run around by two 2nd division strikers. Very little creativity and no width. I know its cold but some of those players need to find some heart and some fight because that was dreadful.
We don’t need another Wrexham….
There’s trouble at’ mill.
Vermaelen cannot handle Wells at all, and up front we have Gervinh-oh, who has inherited Adebarndoor’s understanding of the offside rule, doesn’t even challenge for anything in the air, and now has a genuine contender for the greatest miss of all time.
Sorry if I’m ‘having a go’ at one of our players but I’m sick of the sight of him codsing up chance after chance after chance.
Sagna is crossing to nobody – why not put Podolski in the middle and keep Gervinh-oh out the way on the wing.
Come on Reds, we have to be better than this.
You guys, Bradford a good team (they beat Swindon
! Umm, never judge a team by their league.
Don Bloody Goodman? He looks like he just crawled out of a wheelie bin.
Thanks for the assist H2H.
Sorry about the snide anti-Gervinho comment, but he is fucking useless, isn’t he?!
We have to turn this around second half but with him up front I have to agree with Geoff…
Who is going to actually stick the ball in the back of the net?
The main difference is that Bradford wants to play, we dont, I really hope Arsene gives them proper rollicking they deserve now.
..and never judge a man by his hair. Oh, wait
Bouldy. Get changed son and get out there. We need some desire and some leadership.
Disjointed, monotonous, predictable, complacent, arrogant, diva-esque performance against a club 2 divisions below!
Furthermore, only 3 first-teamers missing from the starting line-up!
Win or lose, utter, utter garbage from all but Le Coq!
Well played Bradford; that’s what “desire” actually looks like!
If Vermaelen can’t handle Wells does that mean Wells should be playing in our division or Vermaelen should be playing in theirs??
Seems like Sagna has been crossing to nobody for years.
I know I missed the first 35 mins…but why not bring Chamakh on?
Yes and just who is this Well’s chap, didn’t make my scouting report! Bloody hell!
That said, shore up defensively and things SHOULD start going our way. Not sure about Gervinho though. His head seems seriously somewhere else.
We seem to be making heavy weather of what should be a relatively easy game . Arsene for heaven’s sake put Poldi in the middle and I can see Arteta and TR7 having to come to the rescue.How did Gervinho miss from a yard out?
I thought Tommy V had got over his poor spell but he is being given the run-around tonight and my friend Szczesny needs to be on his game in the second half, all their set plays are making me nervous.
A large drink is required!
COYRs
Sorry, 3 divisions below!
Dan C, probably right on your assessment, but I’m only able to hear this fiasco
Shouldn’t laugh but that miss had me in Stiches what a waste of space
That was pretty much as bad as it gets utterly toothless, Should still win but Fuck me we are poor side these days 
Hey Delia, I’m buying you a drink
So good to have you here 
Why the feck do our back 4 look so edgy on the ball?! No composure or confidence when a little bit of pressure is applied! Useless!
Bring on AOC, Rosicky and Arteta, please
3 mins in and still shocking – no movement off the ball.
Abbs, it’s utterly embarrassing! I envy you not watching this shower! At least against Reading it was entertaining!
Well Arsenal never make it easy for themselves ( or us) DanC
Clearly no rocket at half-time. If anything we’re worse. What is Verm playing at?
back 4? Gibbs has just gone wandering this half….
So feckin’ predictable and too many set pieces being given away! Bring on Rosicky and AOC!
I’m not sure a rocket will work anymore it’s not like we’ve got an abundance of talent that can come in and take under performing players positions, The players we have got in reserve all seem to have been frozen out completely it’s bizarre,
The Welsh Wizard strikes again.
Please Arsene, put Ramsey and Gervinho out of their misery!
I mean really…we should be passing them to death and creating easy finishes…this is horrendous.
55 mins and not one shot on target. Totally inexcusable.
Gervinho dances OFF the ball again. Woe. Ful.
Hope our subs are warming up because this just isn’t good enough.
Switch to a 3-5-2 for all the good TV is doing…..
Our travelling support is amazing.
Come on Chamakh…this is your tournament
About f**ckin time — Arsene decides we need a proper striker
Does anyone really know what they want to do upfront?! Yeah Chamahk on for Gervinho! On wait…….feck! For Le Coq?!
Coq off?
You don’t know what ….
Gervinho – a very poor mans Wiltord.
Why is Verm committing so many fouls this season?
Vermaelen! Every feckin time he fouls! Is Hanson Drogba or what?!
I think with that most recent miss I’ve lost patience with Gervinho.
Chamakh on, good to see we’re still going for it…
Which one of these sides is in the Premier?
January window can’t come soon enough.
Fucking awful!
I’m embarrassed, and I’m watching it by myself !
oh my god…they look more dangerous than us……
this is all just a bad dream…it’s weird cos all the other ‘holics are seeing the same thing
Totally dreadful so far ..hard to find any positives really
Alright, that’s enough! Lace up holics, we’re doing a pitch invasion NOW!
Where the fuck has the Arsenal side that played at Anfield gone? This performance is inexcusably bad.
Finally! AOC & Mozart!
If Chamakh is our trump card we really do have problems.
TR and AOC coming to the resue (please lord).
Oh, the Welsh Wizard is off. Finally we can play. 20 minutes. Enough time.
Already! Improvement!
better…come on you sods
TR, what energy !
Poldi DOWN?..whyyy? I mean he is not much better than Gerv today but at least he can finish.
alright…last 20 mins should be entirely in their half
Better. COYG
Come on ffs! Give it wide to the Ox and get in the feckin’ box!
18 min….tick tock
Bradford are smart…no sign of parking the bus and thus keeping us unable to commit 100% to attack
Move it quicker ffs!
Ox slow down a little
Ox is trying to be flash fucking hell
GET A GRIP FOR GOD SAKE!!!
one goal. what we need. (basic analysis, I know…)
Come on Arsenal…come on Arsenal
One Arsene Wenger, There’s only one Arsene Wenger.
Do the decent thing man and pass the baton
Yorkshire Bitter…..I’m starting drinking early
Pains to watch this shyte
this is just painful to watch, what the hell is happening.
Jack should have passed to the Ox there…
Its like these lot have never played together, I’m in disbelief.
Bit of desire from Wilshere from range.
Crimminey Arsenal! Jeez
Shameful performance. And we’ve seen some awful games these past few seasons. Past few weeks actually. Pitiful
Sagna can’t ever beat the first man!
GAAAAH! COME ON
This is a seminal moment we’re watching here!
no one, literally no one is moving up front…
The unity in the side (or extreme lack thereof) is seriously concerning. This is not about any need for signings- we just don’t seem like a team in any sense of the word.
Come on Arsenal!!!!
pass and fucking move Arsenal….so static it’s sick
Finally!
There it is!!!!!!!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS about time too….
Let’s get another
TV scored ! I’m delirious!
FINALLYYY!
Get in there Vermaelen!
Never in doubt.
At fucking last !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
unlucky TR
lol @BTM
Oh BTM, sooooooooooooooo glad you’re here
schoots
Yes we’re fantastic. We showed great spirit and mental strength to score an 86th minute equaliser against Bradford.
What a fucking joke.
Just crap performance after crap performance
Gerv keep it simpleeeee
That’s why the game lasts 90 Geoff
C’mon you rip roaring, alcohol inducing REDS!
Regardless of the result, this is still a seminal moment! So many “below average” players! Possibly 120mins and Reading away to play on Saturday! Tut tut!
we don’t play til Monday
Geoff… if Arsenal scoring makes you angrier, you might consider doing something else. I appreciate some of your frustration, but there’s gotta be some joy in that for ya.
COME ON YOU REDS!!!
The next game is not until Monday. But understand your point.
Please explain to me why the feck Gervinho always has to beat himself after creating space?
Who can it hit from that distance?
let’s hope they know there’s an extra 30 (unlike Reading)
Holics CHANNEL ALL YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS NOW!!!
Santi!
Santi….Santi….Santi…..
extra-time
Thanks for the clarification Tim & Norcal!
Gerv always has at least one defender on him, his head.
If we make it to the final and win it…I couldn’t give two fucks about how we get there
That’s what cup ties are about, Geoff and all the better for it.
Not sure I can take another 30 minutes of this garbage.
Barca, Juve, Bayern and the like must be shitting their pants.
I might be getting old with this but I just cant admire how much energy TR injects to this side, putting some other lads to shame with the attitude and effort. Now lets turn this game on its head and score two or three in extra time.
Abb, are there other thoughts than good thoughts then?
Well, with all this we have caught up and the game is now live, heh.
Eandy, TR7 is class. Always!
Extra time. What’s extra about it?
Here WE Go Again! Will name my next cat on the next Arsenal player to score
Bacary is a great name for a moggie
Waves to BTM
and the ollister!
That gives me the opportunity to say that Mike Dean is a cunt.
If any of you had any doubt
Well a draw after 90mins with Bradford is a shocker!!! Luckily we are gifted with extra time!
Hey Tim
surely I meant Moggy
Well put Eandy! TR7, immaculate technique with attacking intent!
Vermaelen at it again! How can a player be so naive so often?!
Luckily gifted it? By our own endeavour and success in equalising?
I’ll take that.
Rosicky needs to hit the winner ASAP
Observe.. TR7, soon to be 32 just showed fastest sprint from whole match.
Sagna looks knackered
Rosicky has made a big difference his energy levels alone have injected a desire into the team – Saying that the captains goal has probably saved Wengers job as this is just pure garbage !
Tim, you make some very valid points.
A game lasts 90 minutes to allow a premier league team with a wage bill of 140 million equalise 4 mins from the end of a game against a league 2 team
Ohhhhhhhhhh Jack! Great effort!
If he was right-footed, that cat would have been called, Jack, abb.
Wilshere’s chocolate leg
ST, they would be diahorraeic if they had to play on an ice rink in Bradford. Would get very Messi in the underpants.
336, yes he does indeed pik
Ooooh almost
Gervinho never a central striker in a million years!
The troika of Jack, Santi & Mozart; I’m liking that alot!
That was your chance Sagna!
Yup, those are the facts, Geoff. Do you care who wins still?
Hey Ollie, I’m warming to the name of Jack!
Geoff, for now we are still in that cup. Some big teams with bigger wages aren’t.
Gibbs hits it like a lefty Titi
Oh Gibbsy and Sagna, sounded close!
Sagna wants it!
C’mon Chamachk’s head!!!!
Protect Woj and keep on attacking!
Geoff…..switch it off if it makes you so unhappy.
I’ll let you know who gets our winner.
Geoff, what’s your seat number at The Emirates?
Regardless of the result,i wonder whether AW erred in going with a full strength side.
I just get the feeling the players thought being picked to play in this game was beneath them.
Having said that,I have no doubt that the team chosen, expected to go to little old 2nd Division Bradford,stroll about and win comfortably.
And that is exactly how they have played.
If AW had picked some of the up and coming youngsters with plenty to prove,and desperate to impress the Boss,i am sure they would have turned up with the positive attitude and mental desire to match Bradford’s,and we would have seen a different game.
Cheers
The Sweeper.
Aw shit. Just remembered I am recording this mess to watch later since I’m at work but not sure i recorded enough for the extra time. If you think it’s frustrating to watch then try hitting refresh on your iPad while reading the comments.
Nice one Tim!
Narrow! Narrow! Narrow!
Shouldn’t be so, ’54, given the first team’s lack of recent form/ results, but I think you have a point my friend.
Sweeper, in the USA us Yanks call that Monday morning quarter- backing.
BtM
Only had my season tickets for 40 years season ticket holder. Please don’t get all sanctimonious on me.
I’m entitled to voice my opinion as you are yours.
C’mon Arsenal! C’mon Arsenal!
Hang in there NorCal! Where there is TIME, there is HOPE!
I think Gervinho needs a permanent run-out for the reserves
Sweeper, I wondered too, I would have quite liked a more classic ‘Carling Cup’-style line-up rather than risk the ‘A’ team getting mentally slaughtered.
But hey-ho. We’re here now still in it,and just in need of the finishing touch.
Gervinho needs to be put down like a lame horse
Not getting sanctimonious Geoff and your opinion’s welcome here. Just never want to find myself sitting beside you. I’d be suicidal before kick-off.
P S what means Santi moaniass?
Gervinho is at his frustrating ‘best’ today Matt(2)
24 shots to 5. Why arsenal. Why?
Oooooooooooooooh, nearly Santi
SANTI!!
Come on you blue and purples or whatever we are
BtM:
NorCal. Just get home and hit delete. You have done nothing that deserves putting yourself through this.
OOOOOH FUCK CLOSE!
Screamer !! Santi
Steve T, I can pull out some special California green reserves for you if you’re in extra need. We probably all are!
score in a minute…
Probably best I can’t see it. I’ve got a box full of drugs sitting next to me. Don’t need to invitation.
Shall we get ready for pens?
PIK. I am very grateful for the offer but I am beyond that now.
Oh Steve @ 376 Luv the British sense of humour !
Geoff, good to see you smile @ 375 
Tim, just cause 
let’s not
HORRORS
AOC – you get to shout at teammates after you’ve won us a few games
or deliver a better cross than you did a few minutes earlier
Shit pass from Chamakh to the Ox. But what do you expect from a striker who never plays. And who’s fault is that?
Who’s responsible for this shite? For picking a team that thought Bradford were below them. For persevering with players so hopelessly out of form (Ramsey, Gervinho)
Whatever happens tonight, I’m starting to lose patience with Arsene. What the fuck is going on?
do not want pens…..
Aside from Santi, can anyone else cross the feckin’ ball?
We have a striker who can head the ball…so we slide crosses on the floor? Come on Arsenal !
Lottery time
COYPABHs
I wouldn’t put it past AW to give the 1st penalty to Gervinho
Pens!!! What a joke!
Come on Chezzer
BE A HERO
Matt: you’re no longer a voice in the wilderness
Come on Santi, please!
Why do we put ourselves in these positions?
Can you assist a peno?
oh dear…
You’re right Steve T. No hiding now. We stand up and take this.
shocking
is this really happening?
WOJ!
C’mon Alex.
C’mon Woj!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Woj!
WOOOJ!
pants
And there she goes…. fuck all.
Damn it.
And goodnight
Need to go and have a long sit down in a dark room before I post anything.
Just as expected; seminal moment! Well done Bradford! Well deserved! Goodnight ‘holics!
Shambles …shambles ..and again shambles …three posts, one crossbar. ..fuck it ..night.
Completely hopeless!! Absolutely shit!
Sums them up no passion for playing in normal time shocking penalties!
WE GOT WHAT WE DESERVED!!!!
Arsene knows……………………….
Right, looks like its one for the patient and 2 for me. Damn.
Only thing that is keeping me going right now is reading Fever Pitch everyday a realizing things will change. Things will change. Things will….
Rock bottom, ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll bottom.
Fair play to Bradford.
We need to take a long, hard look at the squad in January and make some difficult decisions. It’s starting to feel like there are less and less players who can be trusted out on the pitch.
Well done Bradford!
Well that was Arsene’s swan song.
No-one, not even me, can defend him now.
Who was it who said the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing even when it’s not working (or something like that)?
The press are going to have a field day.
My guess is the next BSM demo will have a few more attendees.
Well.
Chamakh’s done at this club after that joke of a penalty. And the Captain’s confidence is going to be shot yet again, even those he saved our collective arse with the equaliser. This is the situation where the next game being on a Monday is the worst possible outcome. And this competition was our best chance of a trophy and all.
Well done Bradford. Your players showed great mental strength and belief.
This result has been a long time coming and for all who still support Wenger you’ve just had a perfect example if why I want him to go.
Again, congratulations to a fantastic Bradford performance, proper david v goliath and reminds me why I love football.
And forget 4th place – this lot don’t have it in them.
Out of the darkness comes the light…or something like that.
Let’s see if the media (who apparently don’t hate Arsenal) have fun with this.
Hopefully, NOT the seminal moment. Pathetic and darkly comic, yes.
But serves us right for sending out a full strength team. This is always the danger of taking a really unimportant competition that seriously. A League Cup won would not have mattered a jolt — those who are clamoring for any trophy at all would not have been satisfied in any case and would not have mattered to the overall health or progress of the club anyway. Liverpool and Birmingham are the last two winners.
However it shows the kind of pressure that Arsene is under to win something. I am sure deep inside he would have preferred to stick to the typical youngsters policy for this match.
Meader, Eisfield, Akpom, Gnabry — playing them would have been a better idea, as it has been.
Hopefully this result has been the slap-in-the-face of the terribly underperforming senior players that was needed and serves as a wake-up call and not the demoralizing tailspin losing out in 2011 final was.
Yes…let’s forget 4th place, with 22 league games remaining and us being 2 points back.
For utter rubbish being spoken we’d be top of the league this season.
holic, I’ve been a Gooner since 1971. Been all over the country and Europe like you. Priced out since 2006 but that’s another story. Never been one for knee jerk reactions. Arsene Wenger has given me the best memories of my life as an Arsenal fan, but now, I’m going to say it, he’s got to go. It’s not that this is a surprise, more that it’s not. That was the best team he could have put out, and we don’t have a centre forward. You like a bet – I’ll bet you now Jack Wilshere is not an Arsenal player in two years time, any odds you like, if Arsene remains. I say this with great sadness, I am not ranting and raving, but it’s over. Our best team is not good enough to beat a team three leagues lower. Nobody else bought Gervinho etc. All we will get is more of the same. It’s time for respected men like yourself and Arseblog etc to get off the fence. We’ve all played the game and watched it for decades, and we know when things are broken. The brutal question is not whether we can win anything with Arsene, which we surely can’t, but just how bad things can get. And I love the man, by the way. Like I say, I could feel angry, and feel bad for those 4,500 who made the trip, but mostly I just feel a great sadness.
Another one of many many one offs. Utter shite. I feel totally embarrassed by that performance. Nights like that call for players to stand up and be counted. Very little back bone. Poor mistake for their goal but not having a shot on target for 70 minutes is completely inexcusable.
I wonder what the excuses will be this time? Ball too round? Lines to straight? Grass too green??????
Trev. If you think the media are biased against Arsenal then I suggest you stay well clear of the paper shop. I genuinely dread to think what they will be saying tomorrow morning.
Still, just as long as we have the best squad then all is still rosy I guess??????
I used to dread the day Id awake to the news Wenger had left Arsenal now it will be a relief – And as for Silent fucking Stan and his commander in chief Gazidis please please do us all a favour and sell up, It’s finally reached a defining moment and the sooner they go the better, Then again it’s only a game we should be happy we’ve got such a good brand
Norwich lose 4-1 to Villa.
Reading lose 3-0 to Sunderland.
Arsenal play like a bunch of part fucking timers for 70-odd minutes and we will STILL have to hear about how things will be fine.
Seriously people, anybody who thinks that Wenger hasn’t almost finished destroying his legacy is living with him in cloud cuckoo land.
What was that? Rope-a-dope against Bradford City?
So many bad decisions made again.
So many obvious holes in the team again.
So many broken promises again.
So many false dawns again.
So many players lacking drive and passion again.
Same old, same old…Again.
Sorry guys, finally going to say it…
Wenger and half the squad have to go.
Hate that it has come to this, but where else can it go? We are simply atrocious. We cannot get our tactics together. We have the worst squad under Wenger’s reign. We keep trying the same thing over and over expecting a different result.
These are all problems that the manager is supposed to take care of. He isn’t doing any such thing and we are now a club that is so far in decline that it is impossible to see a way out of it.
Buy Falcao. Buy Llorente. Buy Goetze.
No…
Sell Fabregas. Sell The Rotter. Sell Na$ri. Let Theo leave for free. Let Sagna leave for free.
It’s the Arsenal way, don’t you know.
A SUCCESSFUL sustainable business model MUST include success in the end product or it is simply sustainable until the lack of success destroys the brand. This is not degree level economics, this is business 101.
Who would WANT to join us in January playing like this, regardless of how much money we choose to throw at the problem? And let’s face it, we all know we will do no such thing.
Sad days indeed.
Bring on the reasoned, thoughtful, intelligent debate that is going to change all of this. Or the general abuse about not being able to criticise the management of the club.
I am sure I will get it all in spades and yet I KNOW that we all KNOW that the inevitable is coming. Why not begin the necessary preparations and make the necessary adjustments now?
Well, all of us know apart from BtM
Lovely to see you back in here Pires but what a night to make your return….
There are no words…. well maybe three
SH*T, F*CK, B*LL*CKS.
The HT MKII is banished to the sidings for a night or two.
A dieu ladies and gents, I may be a while….
Don’t worry lads, I have it on good authority we’re going to get 4th place, win a trophy and OG will score 20 goals. Sorry mate but you deserved that for questioning my support, no hard feelings eh
Sadly Its well jntentioned but misplaced support and wild optimism that will allow Wenger to remain in charge.
As long as he does we’ll get more of the same.
Perspective gents…..in 1992 we were the reigning league champions, we lost 2-1 away to Wrexham who had finished bottom of the old Div 4 the year before and were about to finish 14th.
It happens….
That’s football ladies n gents,cup football,tips hat to bradford.only prob I have with the game tonight is this why are the midfielders not whipping balls cross the 6yard box when chamack comes on?looking at his game tonight he’s pointing in the direction he wants it,in fairness to the lad he’s making the runs but were not playing to his strength,so buck up and give the boy a break.
Well to be honest – the dim-witted, dead-eyed, tedious numbnut did bang on and on and on and on (not with me by the way – I wouldn’t let him anywhere near – but that’s another story), about the same old same old things, in the same crass, classless way – over and over and over, year after year after bloody year (though to be fair he did crawl back under his well-worn hand-knitted comfort blanket his nan made him when he was a toddler – and seethe quietly, favourite thumb in mouth, for months on end – when things weren’t going his toys out of pram/bed-wetting way. A heavan-sent relief for all of us, I must say. But as soon as things got tough, he was off again – wailing away).
You know, I’m not entirely sure why he takes these things so, so, so personally – cos in the end they don’t actually have all that much to do with him – really.
But I suppose he wants to feel included and loved and important – like we all do. Although I did always used to wonder whether it also had something to do with the fact that he had to wear school-boy size underpants (he always insisted that his dear-old mum bought them for him, and she didn’t seem to acknowledge that he was supposed to be a grown-up at all).
So perhaps the tight 70’s purple nylon racing-car patterned pants that used to make him wince (me too!) as he pulled them on – stunted him in some way – you know, in the soul.
Plus they must’ve been a right pain in the youknowwhatsits – which might, in the end, be enough, all on its own to make anyone an incessantly miserable arrested personality-type whinger – the poor, pitiful, emotionally parched lamb.
Still, after a while, like everyone else he comes into contact with, I stopped listening to him. I’d had enough. It was too late. The damage had been done – I was sick of him.
So I ran off with the tall, clever, sensitive, erudite, rangy, calm, sophisticated, educated, articulate, decent, interesting, witty, wealthy (he gets surprisingly good tips), well-mannered, generously-thatched, worldly-wise (yet charmingly humble) French head-waiter what worked in the local restaurant – Les Pistolets Rouges.
But tragically, heart-breakingly and to my everlasting, profoundly sincere and deep, deep, deep super-quality regret – that dreary cunt’s had it in for us ever since. Siiiiiiiiggggggggggghhhhhhh
Speechless.
Apart from that.
Not a happy Gooner. How many chances did we have against a 2nd division side ? More than enough to put this game to bed. The crosses were poor, the shooting from both inside and outside the box even poorer.Why do we never have anyone anticipating a parry by the keeper?
I couldn’t believe we gave Chamakh a spot kick. So it all ended in tears, I’m afraid there is going to be quite a bit of flack falling Arsene’s way following this defeat. We need a class goal scorer and quickly!
As always COYRs
We’re all gooners, passionate for our club but seriously if we have an ounce of ambition we have to relieve Wenger of his job asap, for his health and ours.
Put Bouldy in charge for the season and the vacancy for a manager in the shop window.
Anybody can miss a penalty. The game should’ve been wrapped up in the 90, this is a team 3 division below us, Gervinho all he had to do is poke the the ball into the net, what we normally call a tap in. Apart from Giroud and Walcott I cannot see who is going to score for us and this is a big problem. One thing wich made me laugh tonight was the qualirty of the crosses, absolutely awful, everyone of them. Any team who can defend with discipline can beat us.
Tim,
Indeed it does but over the past year we’ve seen our biggest ever league hammering – Our biggest ever European Hammering – Watched us lose a 4 goal lead and we are going backwards at a rate of knots That’s not even to mention watching our best players sold off year in year out The clubs in a rot and it needs a full on sweep clean, This isn’t knee jerk this car crash has been coming for yonks!
Perspective tim…
We are NOT the current reigning champions and we have a team that will be champions of precisely nothing yet again.
Aren’t you getting the least bit bored trying to support a management team that is obviously not supporting the people that pay it’s wages?
This is NOT about supporting AFC, this is about supporting AFC PLC.
440: BtM that’s utterly brilliant!!! Thank you
Chippy @ 445
That.
Nice to see a few of the anti-Arsene mob out and vocal, sporting massive boners at the result.
Enjoy it lads, Xmas has come early this year.
must be fatigue
Embarrassing.. I thought things couldn’t get any worse, but I clearly overlooked being knocked out of a cup quarter final by a fourth division team.
Wake me up on Monday night.
Ultimately the League Cup is listed as fifth on Wenger’s priority list. When all is said and done that does make perfect sense. How we do on our quest for the other four will probably determine whether he decides to come back next August to start it all over again.
He won’t get the sack, nor should he. I do think he has the pride to say he has done all he can. Whether he has been the fall guy for the board since leaving Highbury we’ll never know unless he writes a book. What we do or don’t do in January may be some indication.
Changing manager mid-season is what you do when you’re either in danger of getting relegated or are Chelsea. We’re in neither camp and it won’t happen – so save your energy. If we finish outside the top 4 Arsene may well walk away.
Tonight was shit. Yes. We drew the match really – penalties prove nothing. Of course we’d expect to beat a lower division side and that was only the 2nd time in 16 years we’ve failed to do so under Wenger.
However, we’re only 2 points off 4th and through in Europe as usual. Saying the kids should have played tonight is as easy as saying we should have put a full strength team out if the kids had managed to lose. Hindsight tastes so filling I guess?
Wenger deserves to finish this season and I genuinely hope our performance merits more. If he’s waited over half a decade to have some money to spend and we actually now have it I’d rather he got the chance to do it than rent-a-manager.
Be the best you can be. It’s all I ask. It’s all I have ever asked.
Are we??????
N7,
If thats aimed at me I’ve never been Anti Arsene, Anti Kroenke and Gazidis Yes – I carnt stand the pair of cnuts,
there was only one winner once it went to penalties. Bradford have won their last 8 shoot out that is a record. winning takes all forms. Our team is not set to win at all cost but rather to look pretty and get praised how lovely our football. Play dirty, play long ,play to beat your opponent.
Tim and Steve T both applying nail to head in very different ways.
@Chippy…
If we finish 7th with 52-58 points in the league I’d agree with “we’re going backwards at a rate of knots” – if we finish 3rd or 4th with 68-73 points then we are exactly where we’ve been since 2009.
We also had our biggest comeback in history (in the last round) and our best defensive start to a season in history this year. A handful of games and streaks don’t paint a picture, just a piece of it.
Either way we won’t know until May.
Chippy – not aimed at you at all.
Aimed at the minority on here tonight who seem to take more delight in being proven right than pain in seeing Arsenal lose.
Criticism is fine, gloating about your own team losing and coating others for having a bit of hope is a game for mugs.
Roll on Monday night.
Diehards dying fast wtf,where’s the good dr z to put some perspective on a bad night.to the he has to go brigade, 1 question not taking the p,who do we bring in? Thought so.
A day that was mostly a massive clusterfuck of a day finished accordingly. I’m off to bed and hope to wake up to a far better tomorrow.
Take care everyone, see you later.
@TW
I’m bored with people expecting us to win the league when we can’t match the payroll of the existing top 3. Our payroll has gone through the roof since 2008 just trying to tread water.
Changing manager won’t change much unless he is allowed to operate with a completely different set of financial rules.
@ Garsuns
Apparently you’re not allowed to ask who to bring in.
It’s unfair to ask people to fully think through the probable consequences of their angry demands.
Tim: standing still while others progress is going backwards. And by the way we knew in May last year, and the May before (and before that too)
N7 Gooner
Do you REALLY, TRULY believe that I or any other true Arsenal fan is actually ENJOYING this?
Loyalty beyond reason…This is the biggest problem we have as a club, and not for the first time.
I remember when a few of us realised that GG needed to go. 10th place, 12th place finishes were replaced by an unknown called Arsene Wenger (Arsene WHO? if you care to remember) and suddenly leapt to 4th and then champions carrying on a run of trophy-filled years until, inevitably, Arsene said this:
“There is a power-shift taking place in English football.”
That was right before we started to win absolutely nothing whatsoever for 7 years.
Incidentally, when AW won his first EPL title we had also gone 7 years without a trophy.
For the record, and before you throw any more unfounded insults at people like me who have ALSO supported this fine club all of our memorable lives, you know NOTHING about me whatsoever and, truth be told, if you did you may feel a little foolish for claiming that people like myself only speak up when things are bad.
Nothing of the sort. I tell it how I see it and, let’s be fair, it has never been more obvious to see.
Sad days, as I said, but not days for fellow Gooners to tear each other’s virtual throats out when the writing on the wall is so clear to read.
Why not explain why you think that criticising Wenger is such a heinous crime? That would be better than just throwing random stones now, wouldn’t it?
N7. I am just so frustrated. This has been going on for years and tonight may just be the night that gives the camel an horrendous spinal injury. I am just bored with excuses. Excuses for weaknesses that AW himself told us 4 years ago that the club had identified and were going to address. I do not like the way we are being run as a club at present. Unfortunately, lame and limp performances like this evening’s do little to alleviate those frustrations.
Me! Me!
Pick me. I want a shot. Pick me. I’ll turn this mother around.
Sorry AW old chap, my turn.
New manager of The Arsenal: NorCal Baby!
This is a sad end of an era. I’m really sad for Mr. Wenger. I just don’t know what happenned from 2005. Something did but I just can’t put my finger on it. Or fingers?
I’m 47 years old but looking like 57. I kid around a lot but now I’m just sad.
Arsenal must rise. I don’t fuckin’ care who will pay the price but we are on our knees and that’s not where we supposed to be. We are proud.
Hey Tim, do you reckon we can match bradford’s payroll?
Wenger must regret not playing the kids, at least he would have said we lacked a bit of maturity. this is a strong side he put out. I have to say I have defended Wenger over the years but this is the 1st year I’m starting to wonder wether he needs a new challenge elsewhere. small things which has nothing to do with spending huge sums of money, things like playing coquelin from the start, playing Ramsey on the wing and leaving Ox on the bench. get a player who can actually deliver a decent cross, these decisions don’t cost lots of money.Just a bit of tactics and play different when tour passing game is not working
N7-
would like nothing more than to see Arsene pull us out of this hole and go out a winner but for a variety of reasons -The biggest being it will probably be 2-3 seasons worth of rebuilding to get this squad properly re balanced and just dont think he’s got the years in him, In my view he’s been hung out to dry by the board and that’s one of many reasons for my massive dislike of our American Friends !!
Cool Soz for the snappy reply not in the best of moods tonight
Anyone that takes pleasure in us losing is not right in the head
Especially when you realise Cunts like Howard Durham and Morgan will have a field day tomorrow,
Amazing how all the doomers seemed to have lost internet connection after we won at the weekend. My favourite being TW who rather than show any support during the match (yes I know the players can’t see us typing) has his prewritten obituary all dusted up and ready to go right when Vermaelen hits the post with the final penalty.
Who would want to join us in January? The player who can increase his pay-cheque by 25%. Same as ever really.
If I’m wrong in May I’ll still be on here supporting the club. If I’m right and we finish top 4 will you be?
Wow these drugs are like really strong.
Beautifully said TW! I’m agreeing with your every word.
In my opinion BTM is among the most lucid and erudite of contributers,but I simply cannot share his optimism.Bradfords players earn a tiny fraction of ours — surely this is based on thier percieved diminished quality. Hard to tell who were the 4th division side for the first 70 odd minutes tonight. Where do we go from here?
For light relief, (and typical Arsenal Gallows Humour) please re arrange the following sentence into a well known phrase or saying: League,Having,Laugh,A,Champions,Are,We.
Oh, and a Pan Gallactic Gargle Blaster please barkeep,unless you have anything stronger.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A good manager has to be a good motivator and get the best out of his team.
Is Arsene getting the best out of the players at his disposal?
It was a league 4 side ffs.
Two seasons ago we beat Barcelona……..
Geoff
Last May we finished 3rd. Tell me, did you really expect Wenger to get that squad into the top two. Would someone else have done so?
Tim, relax, we’re all here to share our pain, some in ways you may not but we’re all gooners. I was a regular at highbury when 17’000 was our average crowd.
I’ll support us until my dying die and I reserve the right to state my opinion and to hear others.
Chippy- how can you blame the board for not been able to beat bradford? this is a very inferior team that cost a fraction of what we spent.
N7 Gooner@462
No, the problem is that the world of football does not always revolve around those options that we already know of.
Remember, for example, when we employed that unknown Wenger bloke?
Not our job to fire or hire, but an opinion is EXACTLY what fans get as a luxury in return for a lifetime of support.
THE BOARD, sir, have that honour.
How do you fancy the chances of this board actually getting this one right?!
Tim @ 452: I agree that Arsene should and would not get the sack over this and as you pointed out if the season doesn’t end in what the board sees as success — CL qualification — he would definitely walk out. I also agree that if now is the time for us to spend money then I would rather have Arsene than anyone else to spend that by.
However, playing a full strength team away at a 4th Div side in this weather is the type of decision making mistakes that Arsene has been repeating lately. As the League Cup is really the lowest in our priorities why risk Jack and Santi and Per in Woj and Sagna in these conditions where a season-ending injury to one of them really would have been catastrophic? Yes, catastrophic in the context of the season.
He made a similar mistake last season playing TV5 and Santos away at the final meaningless league game in Olympiacos and we had paid the price for that, not having a single recognized FB for a few months.
And then the delicate issue of the morale. Taking the least important competition this ‘seriously’ always has the risk of a failure backfiring on a team where confidence is fragile and a supporter base that is divided at best. ‘!!!! he played the kids again and no wonder they lost’ is better than ‘Our first team is not good enough to win at Bradford, fire them all!!!’, as a reaction from the fans and the media.
And finally the question of policy. Of all aspects of our much debated ‘youth policy’, playing the youngsters in League Cup is IMHO the soundest of all. Why veer from something that is known to be a good principle? That you believe to be a good principle. I thought we are the club of principles.
Oh and as for Managers Klopp would be my First choice, He’s young enough and has built Dortmund up over a few seasons so would seem a perfect fit + Wed have the added bonus of maybe stealing one or two of their fine young players !!
Would I trust the board to make the right appointment Nope
North cal u get my vote,I believe they got some nice green over there
Chippy. Absolutely. Yes Klopp would be the perfect man. people are still not convinced by him yet but he has done a fantastic job at Dortmund. Out of respect for Wenger I would hand him the money and give him another year to prove he can still do it if he doesn’t then that would be it. Klopp would make sense then
Fook it I’m voting for that north cali lad!there is few certainties in life but 1..when we wake up in the morning we will all still be gunners.”
@Geoff
I’m totally relaxed. I have adjusted my expectations for a club that doesn’t pay top wages. You should too.
You didn’t answer my question though – is Wenger failing when he gets us to 3rd last season. It doesn’t matter how – the final table never lies.
I was there with 17,000 crowds too, people were more realistic then.
@Dr F
I think Wenger made the fatal mistake of listening to the press/fans tonight and playing the (almost) first team. He shouldn’t have, but then fans would have send ‘why isn’t he taking our best chance of a cup more seriously’ if we lost or just scraped a result.
My biggest complaint is in the tactics and rotation. Chamakh isn’t as shit as people make out…nor is Arshavin. Never letting them play is never going to allow you to expect much from them when they are called upon.