Time To Get Back To The Deli, Arsene
Jan 1st, 2013 by 'holic
“If you eat caviar every day it’s difficult to return to sausages”
Arsene was forced to defend his champions after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough in 1998 and the words he chose resonate even more today. In the short term he had a point then, and one could argue it is valid today. Three consecutive wins have been followed by an incredibly poor performance at Southampton. There is a danger of over-reaction to one disappointing display when set in that context, but this is a trend that is repeating too often.
This one disappointing display comes three weeks after the one disappointing display at Bradford. Ten days before that we had the one disappointing display at home to Swansea. Villa Park, Old Trafford, Norwich, home to Chelsea. Need I go on? Yes I am fully aware that in between times we have put six past the team who should have beaten us this evening. I was as thrilled as anyone by the seven goals at Reading, the five against the little lot up the road, five more at Reading, and seven against Newcastle.
The truth is though that for every good performance there is an equal and opposite reaction. That is football, I hear some say. To an extent they have a point. My life has gone full circle. This is the Arsenal side I grew up with in the sixties, and I have only just made the glaringly obvious connection. When we get our attacking game going we can dismantle any opponents, but a lack of belief and determination when the going gets tough display themselves all too often. I’ve got MY Arsenal back.
In 1963/4 we scored 90 goals, just two less than champions Liverpool. We put four past Bolton, Fulham, Tottenham, Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, and Birmingham (twice), five past Blackpool, and six past both Ipswich and Everton. Joe Baker and Geoff Strong both scored 31 League and Cup goals in the season. So we must have been top four, right? No, we finished eighth, having lost fourteen games, including fixtures against sides that finished below us in the table. Wolves, Leicester, Aston Villa, Forest and Sheffield United all finished in the bottom half of the table but defeated us at least once.
That Arsenal side could enthral one week, and stink the place out the next. Did I say full circle? Where does the desire and application go in between the weekend demolition of Newcastle, and the lifeless display we witnessed earlier? How can a midfield so effective against sides of the quality of Newcastle and Tottenham be completely overrun by Southampton, Swansea, and Norwich. Admirable though these opponents were they should not all be able to embarrass a club with the resources available to us. After all, is it not a question of resources that prevents us from competing with the oil barons? You can’t have it both ways, surely?
This morning we had nine points from the last nine, and a clean bill of health aside from our second choice goalkeeper. We were going into the new year with spirits rightfully raised. Then came that complete no-show. The one positive to come from St Mary’s is the affirmation that this is a squad that needs supplementing, and as luck would have it the transfer window is opening. I won’t drag over all of the arguments about what we may or may not spend, and who may or may not be available, for that just creates further division.
I think there would be a significant groundswell of opinion though that would concur if I suggested we spent the next thirty days offloading some of our sausages and stocking up on just a little bit more caviar.
What say you?
648 Responses to “Time To Get Back To The Deli, Arsene”
Thirst/first/wurst
First.
Don’t know who to buy but know who to sell.
First?
Oh poopoo. 🙁
Thing is, if we did buy who would you leave out?
Sounds silly after some of the performances to say that dropping or replacing just about all of them would be unfair, but there you go… I think our biggest problem, not counting being unable to defend, is midfield. Too similar, too keen to pass it to the next man in the chain rather than go a bit longer, quicker.
2nd place is the first loser Nonny, but you knew that 😛
lurky, you lacked sharpness in the final third.
Brilliant Holic – very much to my liking, and great parallels drawn.
I will take the liberty of reposting what was cut off in the previous drinks.
That, may not be to your liking. ;(
They must have had a club new years party last night. You aren’t telling me that you didn’t recognise the Sunday morning pub pissheads out there tonight?
No names, no pack drill, but some of them were a fucking disgrace to the shirt. Lack of confidence I can understand. Lack of fucking effort I can’t tolerate.
Oh, and new signings ….
Well, we have Rosicky, Diaby and Fabianski to name but three LA… oh, 🙁
Don’t really know why you felt the need to almost apologise for that piece towards the end of the last drinks. A very balanced and factual account if you ask me.
We dropped our first point in five league games and the doom mongers are out again. F.O. to Man U with the rest of the glory hunters and leave us supporters alone to actually support the club.
I think Sagna had his eyeballs in the wrong way around tonight. None of them were any good but he was the worst by a distance
Shocking performance.
Our two full backs are costing us dear. They are constantly out of position and, if that is down to their attacking duties, they need cover, help, assistance, rescuing – call it what you like, but get someone the bloody hell back there with them.
They rarely stop a cross coming in, and our centre backs are pulled all over the place as a result.
Their efforts going forwards are little or no better – one decent effort each today, against Southampton ffs.
No disrespect intended to Southampton who worked hard and wanted it more than we did. Now where have we heard that before and before and before and before and ………….
Walcott looked every inch the £113,000 per week striker (I believe someone calculated) NOT !!!!
Whatever else he thinks he might like to do, and in whatever position, he has to be able to win one physical challenge per game and occasionally hold the stuffing ball up. Non-existant today. Completely.
Too many players, late in the game when it was still to be won, pulling away from physical challenges in important areas.
Gervinho’s cameo was the predictable pathetic waste of time, but did include the only moment of entertainment when he lay on the ground making love to the Invisible Woman following his attempt to tackle their right back.
Hopefully that is the last time we will ever, ever see him (just avoided the illegal abusive noun, there) in an Arsenal shirt again.
Don’t usually bother posting anything for 24 hours after a performance like that, so as to avoid ranting hysterically.
That was a performance too far for me though. Utter sloppy shit.
Two main things for me
1) we can ‘deselect’ players out of the 25 man squad this window (I think) so we could arguably sign without selling.
2) I’m starting to consider that it’s not all down to the players. Too many different players have moved through the first team with the same results and lack of consistency/effort etc.
As has been said before – massive season for the club and the manager.
‘Holic
I’m not pleased that you’ve got your Arsenal back.
Mine is the win one, lose one, draw one of the mid 70s. I don’t ever want that one back but we tread close to that standard on performances such as today’s. Having said that, I’ve definitely seen us play (far) worse.
I don’t much care for caviar, I am partial to the odd sausie or two. However, a couple of ‘statememt-of-intent’ signings in this TW and no defeats in the same period will, I’m sure, lift the spirits and set us back towards a side that can satisfy most peoples’ tastes.
UTA!
Lots of clamour for a striker, but what’s the use if he has no service? Need a Diaby-type sans injuries and give MA a more forward role.
Open your eyes Mike, and don’t abuse anybody here.
Thank you.
Also wonder if Mr Reliable Sagna has entered pre-departure mode.
Oooh! Trev in super-quality dark and moody moments.
And ‘Holic too! 🙁
I pity your first patient tomorrow morning, Mr.T. Will I hear the screams from my office?
Top top stuff ‘holic! That’s what purpose and commitment means in a nutshell! This side is full of too many tippy teapot wannabe fancy Dans (not me I might add 😉 and not enough grit and steel that just digs in and does an honest hard days work at the office!
Whether that’s because they fear nothing from above or they’re just flattering to deceive and are actually quite shit and inept, I’m not quite sure any longer. What I do know, and totally agree with you on is as much of the sausages” must be shifted this transfer window as they are transmitting a rotten stench of “it doesn’t matter if you’re shit, they’ll still keep you around and that’s alright Jack”! (And i don’t mean our JW10). Even sending the sausages out on loan would be better than having that stench of lethargic negativity around the place! Recalling our hungry players currently out on loan may help too and they may now be caviar! Hell, I’ll even have Denilson back right now! Of course buying 2 proven Belugas wouldn’t go amiss! I really hope that Arsene’s reached his plateau with many of this lot now as they’re disgracing and screwing him and us all far too often and predictably now! COYBG! It’s all still mathematically possible!
Bath @338 (prev drinks),
totally agree. And everyone seems to have forgotten that we STILL need a credible back-up goalkeeper.
And, please, not Buttery-Bill Fingers from Division 3 of whatever football backwater takes your fancy.
And, btw, if Diaby proved to be a fit LANS he would be fantastic. But please don’t put all our eggs in the Diaby basket Arsene.
Truth is, we don’t have the desire or the physicality to beat intense pressing like we encountered today.
But that’s not news either, is it ? 🙁
Mel – fair point on Sagna.
I have never seen him play that badly before, especially during the first half.
To me, it was like he was in the departure lounge already.
Hang your head low this evening Mr.S.
I missed the match as I was out and couldn’t record it. First match I’ve missed all season and as I was following it on my phone I just kept getting more and more frustrated.
We just can’t make things easy on ourselves. If we don’t beat City next week (we can definitely do them) we’re gonna have yet another hole to dig ourselves out of. Ugh.
Walcott looked every inch the £113,000 per week striker (I believe someone calculated) NOT !!!!
Tonight didn’t prove he can’t play there just like Saturday didn’t prove he can. All strikers have games when they are on fire and games where they look like they never saw a ball before. That we were no better after the substitutions speaks volumes for me.
The problem was centre midfield and not moving the ball. Most will probably think Wilshere had a good game, but winning free kicks because you get caught holding onto the ball for 90 minutes isn’t a good game.
We were just shite.
I thought taking off AOC was wrong and I thought bringing Ramsey on was a strange decision. Not getting at Ramsey (who was dreadful when he came on 😉 ) but he’s not going to get you a goal when yo really need it, is he. Rosicky on, leave AOC on, switch to 4-4-2. Could have tried that.
Unfortunately TS, I’m not working until next Monday, otherwise someone would have been suffering.
Maybe a rearranged Spud into the first session ?! 😆
Trev @13,
Nice stuff, now that’s passion! “Making love to the invisible woman”! Heh 🙂
Consistently inconsistent. Best phrase you have ever used holic to sum up this season.
Not too sure we have dined that much on caviar this season to be honest. Of course there have been great performances and at times we have played some great stuff. But we have also got out of jail more than once this season.
One shot on Target against southampton is not good enough. Let’s be honest, we did not look like scoring and relied on the own goal.
January is now upon us and quite simply its time to go shopping. Quality, not quantity. We will just have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks.
Ponderous, careless and lacking invention. A shambolic performance which suggests a team that has lost the will to live. Given the opposition, the worst I have endured for years.
And AW’s answer? Gervinho (hopeless, but we all knew that) and Ramsey (horribly out of form, but we all knew that). Where was Rosicky? Am I wrong in remembering him as largely responsible for the turnaround last season? And hasn’t he looked as lively as anyone in his rare appearances this season?
I hate to criticise the master, BUT……
Oskar
PS: Would commentators please stop talking about Arsenal’s ‘passing game’. That has been missing for several season now. Am I the only one who’s noticed?
Nonny,
for the money you keep suggesting he is worth he does have to be consistent.
That is not apprentice’s money. He should not be paid that much to be learning and trying to improve on the job.
This is Arsenal, and that salary would tell you he is our best player.
That, in my book, demands a degree of consistency, not invisibility.
Heh! at Mr.T or ‘der weisse engel’ as I shall refer to him from time-to-time.
As for BBF, our new back-up keeper, I don’t want us to sign Glass Ankles McThruster as our next mid-field enforcer.
Or Banjo D’Barn-Door, the striker from Ligue 2 who can score 65 goals as season…. in the Dordoigne.
Has anyone else noticed what a shambles we are at the back when big Per is not there to organise?
Very good key point there about the pattern. It is NOT about this one game, it is the pattern. Trouble is, given his recent record, do you really trust this manager to sign the players required (and then assemble them into a team capable of consistency), even assuming he would spend the money?
TS @30 – 😆 😆
First time I’ve laughed since 5.30 🙁
Stroud Green,
I trust him to sign the right players, yes, because I know he will only sign super-super quality.
In case anyone hadn’t realised, I am F*CKING ANGRY !!!!!!!!
I too remember some good old days, holic. I remember when Joe Mercer was captain and I was there to see Doug Lishman score hat-tricks in three successive home games. I remember when we had great keepers like Jack Kelsey with Jimmie Logie the midfield genius and Pat Jennings behind Liam Brady. That pair played about eight years with Arsenal and had only a single FA Cup winners medal to show for it … but I don’t remember all the fuss about not winning trophies back then.
I remember … etc etc etc. … but I still reckon they never played such entertaining football as they do under Wenger’s management.
Er, make that … as they DID under Wenger’s management until a few years ago…
Oskar
Top posts Holic and Trev@13.
Time for a colonic squad irrigation.
Oh dear oh dear, new year, same old Arsenal away from home!!! No urgency at all, poor passing and lack of movement, no pressing the ball, hardly any shots at goal, unable to camp ourselves in the opposition’s hallf, shabby defending for large periods. When will people realise that until we perform consistently well away from home finishing 4th is a pipe-dream, unless Spurs collaspse again. They have actually learnt to win away from home and that could be our undoing.
Oh Bollocks – just go and read TS @30 again and have a laugh !!
and heh TS @30
Sagnas performances lately saden me. He’s my fav player and it looks like he’s mailing it in.
Spot on post holic. Spot freaking on.
Jappy New Year holics. I hope.
And btw – spurs are shyte they will not, repeat NOT finish above us.
I just realised that there is one thing I don’t entirely agree with in the Holic report:
“Admirable though these opponents were they should not all be able to embarrass a club with the resources available to us. After all, is it not a question of resources that prevents us from competing with the oil barons? You can’t have it both ways, surely?”
Well, they did in a way outperform us today (but I have just watched the entire game again save for the first 20 minutes and we weren’t quite as bad as I thought and we were by no means dominated by Southampton, but we lacked creativity up front and it was still a very poor performance over all). But over the season we have far outperformed them – just like we can outperform any team above us in individual games but not over the course of a season. It IS still (in general anyway) a question of resources, because it is those very resources that allows them to buy the players that are more consistent than ours, just like our greater resources have allowed us to by players that in the long run far outperform those at Southampton and various other clubs.
Great post as usual Guv, I really admire the way you manage to express yourself in clear terms even after such performances.
Some people above make interesting points, some others still can’t think for themselves or asses a game without sentiments or (un)concious hatred for certain player(s) i posted an ‘offside’ drink in the last set of drinks before reading the drinks in this post, i think that drink still apllies here.
‘Holic, you close your excellent piece by asking ‘what say you?’
Well I’ve been slaughtered on here unfairly when I say the manager has to go yet performances like today’s which are no longer a rarity show that he has lost the ability to motivate his players.
Today’s performance was a disgrace.
Top 3, one cup, Ollie g 20 goals. I’m entitled to my opinion just as much as you are, you write beautifully but your inability to accept others views does you a disservice.
Glad to see you smiling again Herr. T.
Homer – I have come to accept that the LWCs have an even better chance to finish above this season than last. Doesn’t mean they will, of course, but we are unable to string more than 4 wins together. We were better than that last year. I’m fairly certain the final two CL spots will go down to the wire again this season. Right now, the small club from N.London are in a consistent vein of form. I don’t like it but there it is.
Cheers bath but can I pass on the enema please?
Anyone know where we can find another Romford Pele?
Oskar
Lars @41, good points.
David, i think you’d be surprised to know that we have one of the best away record in the league this season.
And where are my manners.
A drink on my tab for the house.
For the guvnor – anything ya want – for being the voice of reason (or nearly so) is a messy world.
Steve T :- 9.58. I thought that too.
Oskar, one parallel I steer clear of because it invokes an ‘entitlement’ argument, is the question of cost – which I believe is relevant.
People put up with more back in the sixties and earlier because it cost a few bob to watch a game. I believe in 63/4 the terrace price was 20p, and rose to 30p not long after (half that in the schoolboys enclosure). That and the fact there were no 24/7 channels of communication kept the grumbles pretty much under wraps, but grumbles there most certainly were.
Today a matchday costs me the thick end of a couple of hundred quid. The club treat me as a customer. Could I be blamed for expecting a little more value for my purchase?
A little bit of Devil’s advocate may be involved in that question 😉
in the final few minutes i see Wilshere getting frustrated standing over the ball stretching his arms out suggesting he need someone to make a run or make himself available for a pass, he did it few occasions and that summed up the lack of movement in this team. A team that is desperate to win the game would move around tirelessly to get into dangerous areas instead you get static players who don’t know where to make a run or simply too slow to run.
Mike @11,
just noticed your carefully considered comment.
I do not consider myself a “doom monger” after four games.
I just ran out of patience after watching the exact same failings for four years.
Which aspects of today’s game did you find especially encouraging then Mike ?
And, yes, I do go to the stadium, and I shout and sing, and NEVER boo, EVERY week.
But I do have eyes, Mike.
Do you ?
@46 four wins from ten away matches is nothing to shout about – a decent side should be looking to win at least 6 of them. We were limp today, limp at Wigan (somehow we won that), limp at Villa, limp at Man. U. Think back to the battling display at Stoke, and how we took the initiative at Liverpool and City. Those displays are a distant memory. And today, we should have lost – if that goal had been chalked off against us there would have been an uproar! The slightest of touches on Kozzer’s back, so harsh it has to said.
Steve T at 9:58 (31)
Yes, Arteta and Jack have 😉
Geoff,
You are being ore than a little disingenuous. On your website you ban and cut off any who disagree with you in order deliberately to create the impression of a constituency of anti Wenger supporters. Its a bit rich now, in the light of a very poor display coming on here and criticising other websites who allow far more tolerance than your own. This is not the first time you have tried this devaluing technique. It would be more effective if you have the brass ones to come on following good performances. You are the mirror image of the Sky/TalkSpite media – there is no room for grey. If its not white it’s black. Grown ups know the world isn’t like this.
I’m with you Trev, 100%.
Clockendrider: I think you are confusing me with another Geoff, I don’t have a blog or website!
Trev. I agree totally re the full backs as well.
Can’t seem to recall ever hearing of any takers for loaned sausages, though …
8ball – Chippy would 😉
My boy Jesus can be very naughty sometimes.
He told me that he went into a Hotel on Christmas Eve,walked up to the Concierge,handed him 4 nails and asked him if he could
” Put him up for the night.”!!
He thinks it is hilarious,winding people up all the time.
I keep telling him to dress for the ‘ Century ‘ that we are in,not the
‘ Century ‘ we came from,but he won’t listen.
He insists on getting about in his tatty old Robes which i swear he hasn’t washed since the Resurrection.!!
Talking of which,i see my ‘ other boys ‘ were on a bit of a roll trying to resurrect their season after beating 2 or 3 Rope a Dope teams in a row.
But then they turn up at St Mary’s,[ how coincidental is that !! ],
and turn in a stinkeroo.
Yet again they flatter to deceive.
I keep asking my Boy why if he can feed the 5,000 on a few loaves and fishes,and turn water into wine,why can he not turn our underperformers into Title challenging/Trophy winners .??
His answer was,”Mum,certain things are beyond even me.”!!
Happy New Year
MM
No I wouldn’t 🙂
Poor performances all over the park and our passing was atrocious but the Game was perfectly summed up by the foreheads introduction was like a scene out of Benny Hill at times 🙂
Hello all,
I know the temptation to taunt or deride those you disagree with is strong, especially after a performance like that.
Oh do I know!
Please try and refrain in this place. Debate, try and listen and understand.
Accept we don’t all think alike, thank goodness.
Thank you.
I grew up in that era too ‘holic and would give much to have Joe Baker and George Eastham in this side! We are way too inconsistent and now have Sagna playing like Gervinho would play if moved to right-back
We always look like we will concede. We often look like we are unable to take contro;l of games in midfield. Arteta is not a defensive midfielder,this is leading to greater strain on Wilshere and Santi for all his brilliance rarely controls games consistently. We are flat-track bullies and there aren’t that many flat tracks in the Premier Leage nowadays.
It is too much to expect Wenger to sort this out in one transfer window-even if I did believe he still had it in him. Its eyeballs out to qualify for the Champions League but it was always going to be after RVP left.
Sagna has lost yards of pace since his last injury and with it his main asset. I’m afraid he’s not the great man he was but has been a great servant so no bad words will be said.
That’s all.
Anyone think Melancholy Mary and Crafty Clive might know each other ? 😉
Did anyone else see the stories in the papers linking Brian Marwood with a return to the club to assist AW re contract negotiations, and the buying and selling of players? Now I have no idea if Marwood is the right man for the job but I do believe that such an appt is long overdue.
Chippy: the Benny Hill analogy re: Gervinho is a good one, only difference I believe is that dear old Benny intentionally courted laughter 🙂
tag …it may be rose tinted glasses of a long gone youth but Georgie Eastham & Joe Baker were favortes of mine also. Cost was 4s6d (22p).
However, generally we were shit during the 60s and the crowd atmosphere quite variable…often no more than 20000. Times move on.
I also believe that the midfield mix is wrong…too many similar players.. short skilfull passers…Arteta has done a good job but feel we need a big physical player who can also play a bit. Someone who can break up the play and break forward with ace .i.e. Diaby in his prime – sadly his injuries rule him out of the equation. Dembele is that type of player but don’t know if that was a missed opportunity in the last window or whether he’s not quite good enough. Lets hope AW can surprise us with findinf / buying such a player in the window.
SteveT … I’ve read the paper story re Marwood…he fits the category, ex arsenal player, articulate and done a similar role at Middle Eastlands but I don’t think he has a particularly good record of success….there’s a few overpaid duds playing / not playing there and he would have a much lower budget to work with at Arsenal. More importantly, AW allegedly controls all football matter 100% & it’s not a task I would see him relinquishing without a fight. IMHO however, that’s just what he needs to do….he looks totally shattered from it all and could do with lessening of the work load.
Happy New Year to one and all.
I can’t understand the mind-set of the players on show. Didn’t they want to win this game, which with effort could have been another 3 points in the bag.
We shot ourselves in the foot with another comical piece of defending for the Southampton goal and hardly deserved their belated Christmas present of the OG.
Where was our usual final 20 mins onslaught? We were flat as a pancake from the kick-off and got worse as the game progressed.
Why didn’t TR7 get game time and why wasn’t the Corporal on the bench?
Why oh why! Arsene we need a few answers. How can the same set of players put on a champagne show on Saturday and serve up flat beer on Tuesday? Have these players no pride.
I’m feeling cross having earlier secured a very expensive ticket for the Liverpool game and expect more from my team!
As always COYRs
Apologies for too many typos above…effects of a very late New Year’s Eve night and predictive text on the iPad. Time for bed methinks.
Gnite all.
Excellent Mary. We’re you born in 54 BC (Before Clive)?
Delia – HNY to you too!
See how we do against Citeh and the chavs next. Last season we got 6 points from those next to fixtures. If we lose both then Wenker needs to spend up before 31 January. If we get results against both then he won’t buy anyone, guaranteed.
Trev @ 29, I’m not saying he is worth the money just that no striker I can recall ever went through a season without one or two bad games. Or four or five.. or more.
Anyway he’s apparently about to sign his contract so that will upset a few people.
Couple of points from above – Geoff (I think)… I am no fan of the manager but you can’t really blame him for the apparent lack of motivation in this team. All good teams have the hunger to win, they don’t need it drilled into them. You’ve either got it or you haven’t. Blame him for signing some of this lot if you wish, or for encouraging a style of play that at times feels like a pass more than six yards is punishable by fines, but self motivation is the key to success. You can’t turn a jellyfish into a shark by shouting at it.
And Brian Marwood coming back to Arsenal would piss me right off, bearing in mind how he always slagged us off when he was working for Sky. And that was when we had a good team.
Holic, I have grappled with paragraph 5 long enough! Your last question there. Meh. I seem to be suffering from what ails the Arsenal 🙁 Sir, I will not ask you to explain about having it both ways. Perhaps I’m reading too much into ‘resources’. Players/Money? You will no doubt be relieved to know that your further contribution @ #8 I totally understood 🙂 Cheers!
I for one fully concur with you assessment “Holic. A performance graph of our club reads like a relief map of the himalaya’s. I am also in full agreement re you position on resources. If we cant compete with the big spenders because they can outspend us, we must surely beat those whom we outspend so comprehensively. Todays centre back pairing of Laurel and Hardy didnt quite gell for me, and the midfield trio of No-one, Nobody and Awol left a bit to be desired also. Cant comment on the forwards as they barely got a touch. Deeply indebted to Southampton for scoring yet another goal for us, and to the linesman who must surely be a Silver Member.
As you rightly said recently, “Arsenal, Bloody Arsenal”
Delia,
I can only offer you the advice FunGunner gave me if you are feeling unhappy about the value you are getting for your “very expensive ticket”.
“Don’t go”.
Nonny,
“You can’t turn a jellyfish into a shark by shouting at it”.
Brilliant, 😆
Today a matchday costs me the thick end of a couple of hundred quid. The club treat me as a customer… ‘holic @ 49
————————————————————————-
…or as a mug, imo.
I’m sure it was also a business (of sorts) back in the day, ‘holic, but a lot of the fun of following a team has been replaced by something less appealing today.
I can actually remember enjoying Len Shackleton, playing for Sunderland, turning Arsenal inside-out during a game in the ’50s … including the famous moment when he dribbled into the penalty area, stopped and sat on the ball to pull his socks up, before firing the ball into the net.
Shack was a player (hired and fired by Arsenal in his early days, by the way) who never won a thing – not a League Championship medal, not an FA Cup medal, not even a medal for topping the old Second Division. Not only that, but he collected only five England caps … due mostly to the establishment not appreciating his piss-taking. He was dubbed the ‘Clown Prince of Soccer’, but he was really more prince than clown.
No idea what caused that memory to surface, but somehow we seemed to accept results with a better grace in those days. I can even remember a day at White Hart Lane when we won 4-0 (or maybe 4-1) and I was actually joking with good-humoured Totteringham fans after the Match!
Oskar
But the Jelly Fish has a sting that is as deadly as a Shark bite 🙂 Please holics, keep your fantastic comments coming 🙂 Cent, from last set of drinks. Was that young man you?
Abb – “you can’t have it both ways, surely?”
Wolfie assures me this is not the case. 😉
Oh Happy New Year Trev! 🙂
Oh, i forgot to mention our esteemed full backs — highlight of the match for me. Made me realise that my own dream of playing for Arsenal may not be dead………….still got me boots. If thats the standard I reckon I could give it a go, as long as Akkers holds me walking stick.
And to you Abb. 😉
Sluggish full backs IF ?
I’ve seen more life in a tramp’s vest. ……
Oh, didn’t notice the time,
Night all.
Nonny@75.
All players (and people) have different levels of self motivation but surely it’s the responsibility of a manager to ensure he buys self motivated players?
It’s also his responsibility to motivate them individually and as a collective.
“Favourtism is shared by 1-1 or 1-2 to the visitors. I won’t punt on the draw so the single goal triumph it is for me”. Goonerholic; 1.1.2013.
And right there, right then, I knew it would be a 1-1 draw. Sure as Saint Andrew has saintly credentials in Southampton, sure as Simon Templar is THE Saint, sure as Saints go marching, sure as these there Saints were about to try MY patience, sure as I’m proud of my Saint Andrews birthplace, Holic SURELY imposed the curse of the Holic Pound on The Arsenal ☺
And just for fun, Spuds, Manure and City chalked up Ne’erday wins before we kicked off, just to torque up the tension and increase the turbulence in this test beside the River Test.
Arsenal came out of the blocks faster than Usain Bolt, more beautifully than the Mayflower leaving Southamton Water, sweeter than Satchmo’s horn swinging “The Saints” through the New Forest. In the early moments, The Gunners were unHampered in Hampshire, Shining on the Solent.
But transforming the sheen on the water to leather in the back of the net proved difficult. And as the game wore on we saw the Southampton that had held the league leaders for 90 minutes, grind out exactly the same gritty performance against the Gunners.
While our away fans were murdering the home crowd in the vocal stakes, Southampton were quietly making their mark increasingly on the field. But frankly, it didn’t look like they’d manage to replicate their excellent three goals at Stoke unless Arsenal screwed up. Cue Arsenal TOTAL screw up!
Podolski (who had a shocker), running the wrong way, tried to pass the ball using the foot he stands on. He muffed it. The ball bounced toward Sagna who double-muffed it (Clichy Gingham Style) to set up a very nice opening for 1-0 to Southampton.
Never mind. We had One-Ton-(per week)-Theo on tap. Walcott made his single contribution of the game with a free kick that was bundled into the net for Saints THIRD Arsenal own goal of the season. Thank you lads! (And thank you Theo for that single contribution in 90 minutes). So back to 1-1 and, but for the curse of The Holic Pound ☺ we’d have gone on to win.
So the unbeaten run of five League games continues. The path to Top 3, One Trophy and 20 Beautiful Ollie G goals is a challenging one – which makes this game so much fun. For me though, the sooner the Walcott experiment finishes and Ollie G begins to start in the middle with Theo (or Ox) on the right, the better. As for Bacs, the signs have been evident for the last four games. Corporal Jenkinson and a shake of TR7 at Swansea please, Arsene.
Join me in a Glen, Holics while I reminisce on how much I liked Alex Song and Denilson?
It’s probably been mentioned before but no Walcott or Sagna on the Arsenal calendar. Says it all. And Santos in ahead of Koscielny and Rosicky? At least I won’t have the problem of a couple of years ago having to turn over the page to Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy who had all left before “their month” had arrived.
Was appalled by the fact that so many of our players were dominated by the opposition. Bar Jack verm and sczeney.
And we are playing Southampton. Wow.
89 Dazdownunder
The calendar was done to death months ago. Both players were injured and not in attendance on the day the photo-shoot took place.
As for yesterday – not good, not good at all. There was (some) effort but little real application. Theo was extremely poor, and what the fuck is he doing taking free kicks? The one near the end was an absolute disgrace.
Good morning, all.
Hope you all had a good night sleep or a good day at work/home (depending on your timezone) if you’ve got 90 minutes to spare try watching that game again-preferably with the commentary muted and with the mindset of a neutral-you will discover things you didn’t see in real time.
ABB, yes but that was not the point of that post, the thing is that some people here are so negative i’m begining to fear for their well being so i was just trying to encourage them to find positives not just in Arsenal but their lives in general because no matter where we are in life we can always find a reason to be happy and there are always people who we are better off than.
BTM, another top post, the thing i love most about your posts (and Holic’s too) is that it doesn’t matter if you’re praising or criticizing people at our club, your love for The Arsenal always shines through, and that, maestro, is how i expect fans/supporters to behave.
Nice post Holic… & BTM especially… very nice post
it seems Sagna does not want to play any more, it is evident from last 3-4 games… even in the 7-3 win against Newcastle he was dreadful in defence & attack which got overlooked coz we won… but today again he was slow & din’t look like a player who wants to play…. his link up with Ox was again dreadful(it has happened in prev matches as well), but when Theo went wide his off the ball running was good again I don’t know whats going on there, may be AW needs to have a look at that…. I am getting a feeling he will be the first to leave in Jan.
as for our Left back Gibbs, his errors were overlooked in our last win, he gave Ba the space n time to put in the third, which could have been costly but thanks to our attacking instincts that day, which were at their prime, his face was saved.
Midfield looked tired, attack looked moody…
I m still glad we got a point, but there needs to be some shuffling done to get consistent results.
Gunner for life!!!!!!
Morning all.
A disappointing but totally predictable result is made easier to stomach by the hilarity of play displayed by the Mekon for several minutes.
Still laughing now. 😀
If you don’t laugh you’ll go mad… 😉
What’s that you say doctor…?
78 Trev
Too late for that, I’ve been addicted for 60 years and haven’t the will-power or inclination to give them up now.
Delia,
That was my point, too. I was told that a high price does not entitle you to any sort of expectation though.
I couldn’t stop going either.
But, as Holic said in these drinks already, lack of confidence, or lack of ability, you can understand, but lack of effort is intolerable.
HNY.
It was a point away..if gaston ramirez goal would hav stood, that d’hav fcuked up my newyear good!
But i’l remember this as the game sagna practicaly played for the opposition on a gunners shirt! As for gervinho…someone book him a plane ticket for the AFCoN, i know ivory coast need him more than we do!
Thumps ball from deep in our half into oppo penalty box in a most un-Wenger manner. Yells “Run after that, you midget!”
Best comment seen on an Arsenal blog this morning: “I think that Arsenal, as a club, are finished”.
Laughed so hard I nearly choked on me cornflakes.
Just a word on Bacary. He’s not the sort of guy to not put in a full shift if he can. Always had bags of character and been an inspiration to the team many times. He’s not been doing it since he came back and I fear it’s because he hasn’t fully recovered from his injuries or they have left him permanently short of pace.
Whatever, I would never put his current difficulties down to lack of concentration or effort – it’s just not in his nature.
Give him a break Arsene – Jenks has shown that he’s perfectly capable of filling that role (although his absence from the bench is mystifying – is there some problem we don’t know about?).
And that’s the first ton I’ve ever made 🙂
Or is it a century?
Brain adled today.
Well played ‘h – balanced and thoughtful, as Per Mertesacker.
Love Arteteteaaaaa, Future Cap’n Jack and Santi individually, but together i reckon they come up a little ermm – short – at times; especially when the oppo swamps the middle of the park and we’s forced to play off the back-foot.
Feel midfield is crying out for someone with a bit of power/presence a la what Diaby (???) was meant to bring. But know it would be tough to find the right type and have them settle in quickly to play what would after all be a pivotal role.
Up The Arse!
Dkgooner @100 – good points re Sagna, good goal.
Hey AL, yes agree, and said as much in my rant yesterday.
Sadly, don’t feel the need to retract any of it today.
Agree with dkgooner re Sagna – but then why not play Jenks if Sagna is suffering ?
There was definitely a missing link in those 11 sausages last night. Wenger must add some beef this month or it’s beans on toast for me.
Heh @105. 🙂
Maybe, with all the Germans Arsene has been signing, we have to get used to sausages.
That French Caviar does seem to be yesterday’s menu.
Or, maybe, Sagna just needs to see a good sturgeon ? 😉
Managed to extract myself from bed and having a normal lunch.
Things can only get better after a shit start in 2013.
And then there’s always Trev to cheer you up 🙂
Hey Trev – jus’ back from some patchy back-drinking – as you say you touched on some same bits too, well played – grate minds… annoy others – IMHO!!!
Re the resources bit: this is a bit by the by – a “so what” even – but p’raps worth a look – maybes. (Oh, and i know resources aint just about tranny spend; that it should include wages an’ all – and should probably be looked at over a period of a coupla years or so.) In short (really???) i aint trying to make a point; just dropping in what may be a point of interest – or not…
From a national newspaper September 2012 (remember that year anyone???):
“…Southampton’s recent splurges are anything to go by. The club finished with a net outlay of around £33m during the last transfer window, making them the seventh biggest spenders in Europe, outdoing the likes of Juventus, Barcelona, Internazionale and Real Madrid.” – (and Arsenal perchance???)
So folks – there you have it. We held one of European football’s financial powerhouses to a draw on their turf – what!!!! ReeeeeeeeeZZZZuuuuult!!!!!!
HNewishYear All.
🙂
heh AL, superb! 😀
At #105 & #106 – Come now, that’s not the wurst we’ve seen Arsenal play although Sgana appeared to be a bit of a brat. We definitley missed Meatlocker though. Wiltshire had a pig of a game by his high standards.
Heh! at The Rev. Are you doing a new series for The Beeb? Hope so, I love it.
PS for The Rev – The Newish Year was in September mate.
This season has been as up and down as Arsene Wenger`s coat zipper . And when you lack consistency it doesnt matter how good you are when you`re good . Now let me point you to the positions on the pitch in which we lack consistency . You guessed right . Its mainly the front edge . Walcott , Giroud and Podolsky are great when we are winning . When we dont , they hardly exist . Gervinho isnt even great at garbage time , let alone when we need a goal . Midfield is generally reliable , so is defence most of the time , keeper can improve on certain areas , but scoring six or seven goals in one game and having one or two half decent attempt on target in another is poor , and its been like this since august . Arsene is saying again and again how this team has great spirit and determination . And I believe most players do exibit that in training . But the team as a whole didnt show enough character so far for me . Its a disappointing season anyway because all in all we are competing against Tottenham on a fourth place . But we can at least do it with more conviction .
AL knows! (err, or something…)
I guess I only have myself to blame for suggesting that we were building some momentum. 🙁
1 step forward and a step to the side I guess.
One thing that really concerns me is that if we defend as ineptly as we have of late, against a side that actually knows what they are doing in the final third, we are going to get a serious hiding from someone.
That is indeed a worry, zico. But what these past two games also show is how dependent we are on having Mertesacker there as a calming and organizing influence.
Sadly too many of the lads just not at the races at all last night. One shot on target countless miss placed passes *even the simple ones*
I dont think it needs to broken down it was just a bad day at the office that seem to come up more than they used too.
Very fair and balanced piece ‘H. I can’t really disagree with any of it, save that I think that the point that Lars makes @41 is a valid one.
I should have realised that the evening would not turn out as I had hoped when I wandered into the away juicer half an hour before kick off and it was still full of pissed up celebrating LWCs, all anxious to seize on any Arsenal discomfort.
As for the game itself, I can only really repeat what many others have already said.
I was certainly at odds with Arsene yesterday both in his starting line up, and his substitutions, the latter two of which can only be described as bizarre.
Mertesacker? The Big German should walk into this Arsenal side. If he’s fit enough for the Bench, he’s fit enough to play. The all-too-familiar comedy of errors that led to their goal occurs far less frequently when the Big German is around.
Sagna? That must have been his worst performance in an Arsenal shirt by a country mile. The quite ridiculous attempted clearance that lead to their goal capped off what was by any standard an absolutely woeful performance. There was a period in the second half of at least twenty minutes when he seemed utterly incapable of finding another Purple shirt with even the simplest of passes. I like the man, he has given sterling service, and I defended him in the Summer when he gave that interview, but to me his display yesterday bore all the hallmarks of a man who wants out. Maybe he is injured, I have no idea, but if so, why was he playing. Nor was his performance entirely unforeseeable. Many of us were asking for Jenks to be given a game. Where is he?
Walcott? I take Nonny’s point that not even the best strikers will be great in every game, but the best strikers do tend to give little reminders of why they are so highly prized even in games when they are having stinkers. He was as abject yesterday as he was good on Saturday and I don’t think £100k a week strikers have such a disparity of performance levels within 4 days. Sure he was given little or no service, but Ox was entitled to ask why Theo didn’t beat his man to the near post on at least two occasions in the first half, he didn’t hold the ball up once in the entire 90 mins, and he offers absolutely nothing in that central role from a defensive point of view. No chasing, no harrying and certainly no tackling. Get back out on the wing Theo.
Substitutions? – Why Ramsey and Gervinho and no TR7? That game cried out for Rosicky, someone to get Arsenal on the front foot and up the tempo. After a great half against Olympiakos we’ve hardly seen him. Why? Is he still not fit? If not, why is he still on the bench? I found the refusal to use him absolutely baffling. I would also have kept Cazorla on. Even when he’s having a poor game, he is one of very few of our players who offers you the hope that he might grab you a goal out of nothing.
All that said, I never thought yesterday’s game would be a walk in the park. I don’t subscribe to the view that we should be steamrollering these sides, but the performance, lack of creativity and general listlessness in our play was pretty disheartening.
Two steps forward, one step back. An all-too-familiar refrain.
Cent (last drinks)- Well played mate. I admire your commitment to the cause.
AL @109 Heh 🙂
–
Looks like you and I are doing the Hokey-Cokey Dr Z 😉
tabs, it looks like Jenks was injured
And I agree that the game completely cried out for Rosicky. Baffled that he didn’t come on.
St Mary’s has never really been a good hunting ground for us.
The Liberty on the other hand……. Oh
Most inadvertent but accurate auto-correct we’ve seen in a long, long time: “Invincibles” turned into “Invisibles”. For this season’s side, that’s all too accurate all too often.
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2013/01/02/142253_diaby-comme-un-debutant.html
Well you know, he may hope to stay fit until the end of the season, but I’ve given up on this sort of hope.
Good points as ever tabs.
Something wrong with Sagna, I’m sure.
Feo will never ever hold up the ball.
Sometimes our substitutions make no sense whatsoever.
Fair enough on Jenks, Ollie. I would still have put Coq on for Bac at HT. Whatever the reasons, Sagna just wasn’t at the races yesterday.
Cheers Bath.
I really don’t see us signing anyone of major quality. Who do you get rid of, in all seriousness, if we did sign someone great? I know we’re not sparking as a team but individually, I can’t really think of anyone in our current first eleven who deserves to be out of the side. Not really.
If we make a change in the middle of the defence, we have to simply bring in Mertesacker and we are covered, so we only need a squad centre back (the issue defensively is the coaching IMO, not the individuals so much).
Right back we have covered, left back we could do better than Santos but again it’s a squad player we need.
Midfield is well catered for. I can’t see any way we’ll drop/replace any of our regular starting trio so again you’re looking at signing someone for the squad. In this case you’d have to be getting rid of the likes of Rosicky, seeing as Ramsey has just signed a new deal, and do you see that happening?
Wide is where we could see improvement with the discarding of Gervinho from the squad and probably Podolski going to the bench, but unless you’re going to consign Ox to the bench as well I can’t see us buying anything other than squad fodder.
We are covered up front as well if Wenger truly means to play Walcott more up the middle as an option. We have him, Giroud and Podolski who could play up the middle and I don’t see Wenger spending big on a top class player for the first team having already spent more than £20m on two players who can play that position in the summer.
We do need something to make it all click, but unless you think Wenger is going to discard one of his midfield three, I just don’t see where the top top super quality top player is going to get into the side.
Anybody?
Nonny, there are no super top quality players readily available. And even if there were, why would they choose to join us anyway?
I’m more befuddled then I was last night! Can you even buy caviar at a deli 🙂 Good day all. Delia, well done lass 🙂 As far as Bac goes, Derek’s and dkgooner’s sentiments ring true to my ears 🙁 Cent, just mull this request over, please. It would be a privilege for us if you were to pen some of your experiences encountered in your travels, just to see Arsenal play.
Happy New Haddock, TaBS. Agree with your thoughts on both BFG and Bacs. Would add:
A pairing of Kos with BFG would add additional defensive strength and ability to build from the back. TV is having an uninspiring period in his Arsenal career at the moment IMO.
The balls that have been allowed to come over from the goal line on our right in the last four games have defied belief. I’m a huge fan of Sagna’s, but, for whatever reason, he is well and truly off the pace physically, and I suspect mentally. (I do have sympathy for his gripes over Ox – needs to learn how – and Walcott – doesn’t have the guts or the will – to cover back and afford him some protection. The coaching staff need to help Ox to develop this part of his game. They shouldn’t waste their time with Theo). Jenkinson must start at Swansea, I think.
Without wanting to invoke any January window transfer spew, I must say that I was impressed by several aspects of Luke Shaw’s performance yesterday (YES, I did notice he was “missing” on occasions when we attacked through Ox down their RHS). Andre The Elephant back to the zoo and Luke to skywalk into contention with Gibbsy for the LB berth would score higher on my radar than the constant call for a reliable back up to The Polestar.
Her Nellieness flying to Fife today – so I’ll be batching it for the next couple of weeks. The World at War from beginning to end; baked beans on toast out the wazoo, all washed down with our local brew prepared personally by the great Sam Adams himself, all beckon.
Remember to wash up as you go along BtM….or use disposable crockery and cutlery. Saves the last minute clear up. And Flash wipes are very useful – Good old Molly Weir 😀
heh at F365 headline:
‘Ba set for talks to sit on Chelsea bench’
Happy New Year BtM.
You’re preaching to the converted here re a pairing of Kos and the Bfg. I’ve been singing that particular song all season.
I would love to see Jenks start at Swansea, though Ollie mentioned that he might be injured. In his absence I’d go with either Coq or even Yennaris at RB to give Sagna time to sort out whatever it is (whether it be leg or head) that ails him.
You weren’t the only one impressed by Shaw at LB. Anything, as you say, to usher the elephant out the door. He looks like a very Arsene-like signing to me though I would be surprised if Soton let him go before the Summer.
Good luck with the Beans and the Beer! I assume, with that kind of diet, that you will soon be flying over under your own steam ,as it were? 😉
Nonny,
I think the weaknesses in this side are drive and defensive nous in midfield and penetration down the flanks. There’s no point me suggesting names as I watch very little football outside of The Premiership, but I’d bring in someone who can break up attacks and convert defence into attack at pace. In the continuing absence of Diaby, Capoue, Fellaini, that bloke up at Celtic and if we really pushed the boat out, Fernandinho, all come highly recommended.
That would allow Arteta to push up and alternate with Jack for that position.
I’d bring Rosicky in and play Santi on the left, with the two positions interchangeable.
Simples! 🙂 Just my two pennyworth. I realise I’m talking bollocks!
Hehs at Bath and Ollie 🙂
Afternoon all.
Back from my self imposed exhile, I know it’s less then 24 hours, but it was, for me anyway, a long almost 24 hours. Esso told me not to apologies for my yesterdays comment, so I won’t, I will however try to justify/explain them.
There’s many posters on here who have views I don’t necassarily share, I’ve read stuff from fine posters such as Geoff, Nonny and TW that were pretty wide of my way of thinking, however I will always read their posts with interest and respect their opinions. Why? Well, because they’re here if we win lose or draw and will acknowledge the good times and not only berate the bad.
I see that Mike @11 got a bit of stick for calling out the BBB’s, I personaly think he has a point, they may not be out on force on this post, but on the last after the final whistle there were quite a few of the usual suspects in attendance. Posters who are always suspicous by their absence when we string together a few good results, but can’t wait to have a go at the first sign of a hiccup.
Don’t get me wrong, any stick that the team get after yesterdays showing is fully deserved, you’d be pretty stretched to be able to put any kind of shine on yesterdays performance, however to come here before the dust has even settled with a kind of “I told you we are shit” kind of attitude, like you actually find solace in our loss because it proves how right you are and how stupid the rest of us who don’t share your views are, really gets me peeved. (OK, I toned it down.)
To then spout such shit as “Spurs woulda won that game” just pushes me over the edge, not only because you’re then bigging up those cuntbuckets from up the road, but because there’s no possible way to prove that that would have happened. This season alone Man U beat us, Spurs beat Man U and we beat Spurs, so what does that tell you? Nothing, absolutly nothing, behalf from any team can beat any other team at any given time, it’s one of the beauties of the game. But as usual, I digress.
All I’m trying to say is that maybe some of your opinions may be a little easier to swallow if you just didn’t come here when things take a turn for the worse.
===
Hehs @ Trev and The Rev.
There was no positives whatsoever from St marys, we have known for a long time the squad needs supplementing, and the transfer window been open doesn’t make a blind bit of difference because as we all know wenger isn’t capable of doing it.
Tabs knows.
Nice post H2H. BM on the bar mate.
I had to put up with a load of crowing from LWCs last night. Always feels a lot worse when the crowing comes from your own.
Very kind of you to say so N7, but I can assure you I don’t! 🙂
Tabs/BtM.
I agree that Shaw has a nice little future ahead of him, but I don’t think that’s the kind of player we should be looking to bring in, especially during this window.
What we need are some seasoned pro’s, guys that have been there and done that, ones that can come off the bench (or start) and give us that little extra that we are so cleary missing. I’m loathe to agree with anything that comes out of Hansen’s north and south, but he was right last night when he claimed that we lack leaders on the field.
Say what you want about vP but he always tried to raise the game of those around him, he was the best, scrap that, the only decent captain we’ve had for years. I like the Verm, but as a captain he’s pants and to tell the truth he shouldn’t be a guarenteed starter, especially not at the expense of the BFG (preaching- choir- I know). The defence is an absolute shambles, there is no leadership there whatsoever and that is a position where our captain plays, if he can’t organise them properly then how can he be relied on to sort out the rest of the team when things aren’t going our way?
Who these players are and where we can get them from I don’t know, but seeing that we are one of the biggest clubs in the world surely we must employ someone who does.
If not we should make them get in touch with Snir. 😉
Don’t disagree with any of that H2H.
Well maybe the Snir bit. Reckon he would be too expensive for us 🙂
Heh Tabs and cheers.
Indeed, it’s the duty of a Spud to be a cunt and a pain in the arse, that’s a given.
true that?
What exactly does Gazidis do? Does anyone know?
Heh.
Can’t we get him on an apprentice contract?
Stick him in the reserves for a bit untill he’s ready to take over from IG………
But knowing us we’d probably sell him just as he reaches his peak. 🙁
Has anyone seen Ivan and Daniel Levy in the same room?
I’m loathe to spread rumours BUT 🙂 seems Theo will sign da ting tomorrow. And Eisfeld is going out on loan. ???
Heh H2H.
I think he wants a playing career before being “moved upstairs”.
Yesterday, on Twitter, he was threatening to fly over for the Manure game in order to, and I quote ” break that Dutch cunt’s ankles” 🙂
Thank you Dave Dave, for telling me what ‘we all know’.
I didn’t. Neither it seems to the majority of posters on any decent site.
You don’t talk for anybody but yourself. Try and remember that next time.
Got any links Abb?
Oh Tabs! Me post a link 🙁 Go to my Twitter 🙂
On our shopping list this window I’d like to see some size for the midfield (either a holding mid or a Diaby replacement, I don’t care which), a left winger and, ideally, an experienced left back to compete with Gibbsy as he learns his trade.
Hang onto Theo and pick the BFG when he’s fit and the above would take us on a level.
We don’t need a CF – OG, Theo and Poldi is enough. We badly need another option on that left wing. Nani isn’t the answer: in addition to being a horrible little cnut, he’s also a right winger and has sulked whenever red nose has stuck him on the left.
Happy New Years Andy Gorham, to the both of you 🙂 Hey H2H 🙂
As I see it there are some serious problems of balancing the squad at Arsenal.
I dont think we have a single striker who can lead the line. And that is the biggest issue. All our strikers [Theo, Lukas and Giroud] seem to work best in a 2 striker combo. Lukas is absolutely wasted on the left wing.
But if we want to play 2 strikers, we dont have any body to play on the wings. The best options I can think of is Ox and Gerv. [shudders]/
And more importantly if we want to play two strikers we need two DMs or one monster of a DM. We dont have that.
Squad looks totally unbalanced. Something I said, way back in August.
Problem htat we have is that its not like we are missing just 1 or 2 pieces of the puzzle. We need to change at lot of places. And that is a big issue midseason.
Got any links
http://home.roadrunner.com/~neddo/recipes_files/DSC_0248.jpg
@ 155 Hey 🙂 Seriously though, BBC Sport and Daily Mail leaking this.
N7 @152 – I would be happy with that. I think the big strong MFer with ball skills is long overdue. Le Coq can learn his trade from him and then we perm any 2 from LJW SC MA TR and AOC for the creative MF berths. Plus Lopez.
I think we need a ‘Song’ type player imho 🙂
abb – totally agree.
I (sort of) get why the Dutchman was sold in the summer, given his contract situation, his age and his salary demands.
I have absolutely no idea why we sold Alex Song, beyond a few training ground whispers, and I have even less idea why we failed to replace him.
He’s been a huge miss for us this season IMHO, dozey as he could sometimes be.
abb @158 I agree. Whatever happened to the one we had?
But even if we get a song type player.. that does not solve the problem of getting more wide players.
Or if we dont get wide players, we need one striker who can lead the line alone.
Tough days for Arsene.
Yep agree with N7, though I would much prefer the “Diaby-like player” than merely a stopper. Hard to come by I guess.
I too am unconvinced that a new striker is really what is required, unless he is really really top draw ie Falcao, and we all know that isn’t going to happen.
Rumours of Villa , Ba etc have left me pretty unmoved.
Bath, I don’t know enough about this Lopez fella to comment. He’s a striker rather than a winger right?
Abb – cheers, will take a peek at your twitter.
Sajit – I see where you’re coming from. Too many square pegs in round holes for me. I’m not convinced however that the squad requires wholesale surgery. 2 really good additions, a bit of tweeking and I reckon we are good to go.
Sajit @161 – I have huge respect for AW but he’s made this bed – he has to sort it out. Throw out the shit, sort out the remainder and buy some new fittings.
OG is totally capable of leading the line alone. He did it for Montpellier and he’s done it for us on several occasions this season.
I agree that we’re short a wide player though. If only to put some pressure on Podolski, and give us some rotation options.
Ba to Chelsea? FFS! I love Giroud but I seriously think this is a missed opportunity. Can see him score loads for Chavs/
tabs @162
Plays anywhere in a front 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0T5Ju_9gOE
Looks tasty.
@N7 Firstly, we dont have a good backup for Giroud. Secondly, if he is to lead the line , he needs good supply from the wings / wide areas. I just dont see him getting that supply regularly with our current squad.
Fellas, Remember how Alex would lob the ball into the box, he was such a positive player in that respect. Usually tried to move the ball FOWARD! We rely too much on passing in the midfield, horizontal and backward passes 🙁
Abb – cheers, will take a peek at your twitter.
DisGUSting behaviour!
Cheers Bath. Will take a look.
Nonny 🙂
Oh Nonny 🙂 If you have trouble finding me there, just go to Snir or Ollie Roo 🙂
Interesting points as usual from the regulars and the illuminaté.
However, it does frustrate one when the same comments are regurgitated time-and-time-again highlighting the same problems and solutions after sub-par performances. As ‘holic says, “consistently inconsistent”!
This russian-roulette reality is demoralising and if it were in any other profession at the very highest level, this blatant character flaw of the company and its employees would have been addressed and resolved internally long before now.
Mercurial brilliance can only take you so far in life, and the remaining part that lifts you into the bastion of greatness is your pure grit, hard work and “consistent application” to your role. Even “sausages” can be made to produce that!
Every football club, and organisation, has “sausages” but my fear is that at Arsenal with the Arsene-Wenger-model-of-2012/2013, I do not see how the addition of some January “caviar” onto the current plate will permit him to produce consistently palpable dishes he can be sure will satisfy the appetite for a top-4 “Michellin Star” ranking?!
This season’s dishes will continue to leave many cold unless the current, encumbent suppliers of our raw ingredients are duly held to task once and for all by our head-chef; that is assuming that he still has it in him to compete in the kitchen.
I for one do not see Arsene acquiring some fresh produce this January transfer window (which is further demoralising) and that will mean he has to somehow rustle up some consistent morsels with the caviar he currently has at his disposal. I truly hope he somehow manages to produce as he’s done before, but in the past that was with caviar who’s source and sell-buy-date he was assured of. This batch, on the otherhand, he is growing increasingly uncertain of the strength of its brand. COYBG! Victoria Concordia Crescit.
OMG! Nonny, So Sorry, I just reread you @ 169. You were quoting Tabs. Oh dear, what can I say 🙂 Good thing Holic doesn’t have a cut off policy for IQ 🙂 Time for a nap, methinks 🙂
Sajit @115,
Ba to Chelsea, I couldn’t give a feck about that as Giroud’s far better. Only striker worth buying would be an “exact” replacement for the Berk and that’s only Falcaó at the moment. What a New Year’s gift that would be! David Villà though would be an excellent aqcuisition for the rest of the season. Regarding the wings, even if Theo signs, we should still get Zaha for the now and following seasons.
Arteta isn’t comfortable in the deep-lying midfield position and his body language clearly shows that. He should be moved back into his more central/creative role as he occupied with Everton. If a dedicated DM is required (and I feel we do need that), Coq will grow into that eventually but an experienced, physical, and positionally aware buy would be excellent. I still like M’Villa, even though he’s abit mad, but Capoué would be better. The sale of Song I was happy with; he gave away more that he saved us from so let’s not dwell on him any longer.
Regarding the defence, another left-back is a must and so is an experienced back-up goalkeeper.
These additions then add some grit and hard-work to the mental side of our game and we’ll be fine. The BFG is a “must-play” MVP this season if we are to have any hopes of something special.
Good evening, all.
Tabs, @119 (i think) i agree with everything you say except i kind of understand the thinking behind playing Koscielny ahead of the BFG, for a while now the thesis that our defence will be disorganised in the absence of the BFG has been like a myth, maybe Arsene decided to put that myth to test and confirm or discard it once and for all. Oh, and thanks for the kind words i appreciate, I’ve left that village today (i went to spend the holidays with a friend’s family) so hopefully i won’t have to go through such an experience again.
Abb, thanks for the kind words too, i’m not much of a writer but i will try and pen something down and post it in the drinks soon, before then i will look for on twitter via Ollie.
Ollie, good to know you’re feeling better now.
Oh I do have a cut-off policy for IQ, ABB 😉
Only two people have failed it, however…
I don’t do Twitter, abb, it’s too young and happening.
@ 188
Stingy Voyeur / Theo Van Nasregas / Roberto Schadenfreude were three of them 😉
Theo to re-sign;
Baines;
M’Biwa;
Capoué;
Zaha
Villá if Falcaó not avail = Top 3 and at least one trophy this season!
Wishful thinking but there’s your Caviar! 😎
Dr Z i’m still looking for 188, anyone found it yet?
Cent,
Glad you avoided the Lions on your way home. There was a fair few Hyenas round these ‘ere parts last night – most of ’em wearing Spurs shirts. 😉
Heh Holic 🙂
Is Dr Z doing his Mystic Meg bit again @178? 🙂
DanC – Fernandinho, Fabregas and Falcao. Now that’s caviar mate!
Too many people with multiple personalities on here Dr z 😉
Thing is, if you have sausage all the time you don’t think you can stomach caviar, so you convince yourself sausage is all you want.
Re: Bath @166. Lopez to sign for Arsenal? I doubt it. Based on the pattern of Atletico Madrid goalscorers moving to England, the two most likely destinations are Liverpool (as in Fernando Torres) or Manchester City (as in Sergio Aguero). I just hope those two clubs keep watching that highlight reel so they get the impression Lopez is going to score a goal for them every three seconds. Should drive the price up and deplete their resources. 😉
Dr Z @178,
Heh 🙂
Tabs @182,
Now that would certainly be Beluga! 😎
By the way, can somebody please tell me why those cunty Chavs are being allowed to buy all and any which Johnny Foreigner they want with their “questionably-acquired loot” with no questioning or accountability for the “home-grown player” rules whatsoever by the great-and-good “gurus” of British football?! What baffles me further is that they’ll almost certainly lose Cuntley Cashley Cole and Fat Lampard in the summer. Although that CunTerry’s still around, unfortunately! Are he, Cahill and Bertrand enough home-grown cunts to fill their ever growing UEFA void?
The only sausage we need now is a Vieira clone. Le grande saucisse 😉
Must be disheartening for the squad every week when the midfield walks in and Vic Akers sings “Hi-Ho-o-o-o-o-o”.
Arithmetically challenged, blind, blind drunk, or a combination thereof.
188 is the new 176. 😐
Oh no – the new 188 is the old 176. 😉
Come on Rangers, you’re the only true club in West London.
That’s a feckin red card! What a dirty cunt!
‘Holic @187,
Heh 🙂
Bloody hell, anyone watching the Chav game?
HTF is Marin still on the field?
Missed the game completely bar a peak at a screen when I was out doing New Year’s Shopping for the Cook-Up my Family was undergoing when I woke up around 5:55pm, but after seeing the highlights on the Player a few hours ago, all I can take from it is that Gibbs should have shot at the death to force another own goal like during the inital fixture against the Saints except it would have turned out to be the winner, Podolski should just go kick a ball against a wall with his right foot for hours (worked wonders with my left, oh Arsene… 🙂 ) and Sagna is feeling hurt by the club in a very bad way resulting in that sort of performance, its playing on his sub-conscious, a big shame the Coporal seems to be injured 🙁
H2H,
Shocking challenge by Marin! Lee Mason is a cowardly cunt! Geordies 1 up against the Toffees! Get in there! Poor defending from a long kick from Baines!
Quit talking about sausages, you’re making me hungry 🙂
H2H, just switched over to the Chelsea game, what did Marin do?
Dapper DanC: a home-grown player is any player who has played at least three seasons in England or Wales while still qualifying as an under-21 player regardless of their country of birth.
Oh, look – there’s an opening for a pass so… plays it upfield.
Evening all,
Good stuff up there ( no not a stuff-up) from H2H and Tabs among others.
DanC @172 – nice culinary based post, or baste post ? 😉
Makes a run towards the area…
Receives the ball from Trev and crosses for the far post…
We are signing Le Grande Saucisse?
Who is this? I can immediately rule myself out. It is not me.
Crosses Ollie stylee…………
Woah, a bit of an insult to Ollie that, my computer froze at the “moment supreme”.
Well in Wolfie. Oo er
Oh, Wolfie is now about to hear what he has never heard anyone say to him before:
Well in!
Lars,
Does that mean that the Chavs are staying within the regulations? I was under the impression that the recent rules meant you had to have a minimum quota of national players or players that have been reared on home soil. They don’t appear, on the face of it to have that; they’re just buying anyone regardless of restrictions.
It would appear that even though I do not have Le Grande Saucisse I still possess little bit maximum scoring efficiency.
Thank you for the leg up Lars.
Trev @197,
Heh 🙂 Merci Monsieur!
Wolfie & Lars,
Heh 🙂
DanC: you are allowed a maximum of 17 non-home grown players and a total of no more than 25 senior players in a squad. Apart from that you are allowed as many U-21 players as you like. You can change the list of players during the transfer windows, so players can be removed from or added to the list in January as well. Last season we removed Almunia to make room for Henry, so the Spaniard wasn’t eligible to play for us during his last few months he was under contract with us.
Have been living in the land of the foie gras and champagne for 25 years now and have seen most of the French players before they arrived at Arsenal. Gervihno was a wonderfully confident winger and goalscorer at Lille. Chamack was also a confident goalscorer just a couple of years ago. So many players seem to go off the boil and backwards at Arsenal these days. Arsene does not seem to be able to bring on players any more. Ramsey has been so poor for 2 years now. Wenger has lost his touch and should be moved upstairs. I don’t think he wants to give up his huge salary and will not be moved by the board. I have seen such a gutless anaemic and callow Arsenal. They have the agressivity of 11 Calimeros! Let’s bring in an ambitious motivator of men.
Lars,
Thanks for the clarification. Feck I hate those Chavs.
Come on QPR. Give us a jumpstart to 2013 to keep us going at least until the weekend.
Tabs @ 182, hahaha, i saw a few of them the in last set of drinks and also anticipated more, atleast till we win again, so that was partly why i posted that drink in the last bar, when i saw it was offside i could not be arsed to repost it so i just made a fleeting appearance(s) in the new drinks and went to bed.
Well in, Wolfie.
Taraabt to hookah in the winnah and send Chelsea reeling?
Shit goalkeeping by Krul and it’s 1-1 at the Mike Ashley Bowl.
LA grande saucisse, not ‘le’.
Proto, at least you acknowledge that Chamakh and Gervinho WERE decent players not that long ago, which a lot of people seem to not want to accept.
As for the rest, I have no doubt Wenger could still get as much money somewhere else if he wanted to go, so don’t think that bit is the issue.
I’m slightly worried that you want to bring Harry Redknapp in too 😉
Bt8b knows!
Great strike from our soon to be “senior” left back, but Krull should’ve stopped that.
Come on Rangers! Keep it tight!
Lars.
He lost the ball and went/slid in heavy, studs up and knee high. He really should of seen red.
===
I don’t really care that Ba went to the Chavs, but he could of waited until tomorrow as he was in my FFL team for today, tot5ally inconsiderate thing to do.
I think that’s the last we’ll see of him for a while, Stamford Bridge is where strikers go to die.
Cheers, H2H.
It may also be worth noting that Chelsea are struggling to break down QPR. They’ll probably win it in the end regardless, but it’s still 0-0 after 52 minutes.
Ba is a naive cunt! Feck QPR are a shit side! No threat whatsoever! Where the feck in Cissé
That should be a second yellow for Marin! Mason you cunt!
I’m not watching any of those games, but judging from all the drinks above, I would bet on Marin scoring the winner for the Bus Stop.
Marin’s been subbed. One cunt goes off and a bigger one comes on; Hazard.
Normally you’d be correct Ollie, but Rafa has done the smart thing and subbed him off.
The ref is a joke.
Ah well. Thankfully I’m not a betting man 😉
Crap, Everton go ahead. Pretty poor defending again by Newcastle.
Everytime I see Mata for the Chavs it makes me sick to the stomach. But for just a measly few million extra he wouldn’t have become another cunt!
1-0 QPR!
Heh, QPR score
Feckin get in there! Wrighty’s little boy!
heh, am I seeing that SWP scored for QPR?
Yep, Shaun Wrong Phillips gets on the scoresheet.
Nice strike.
It just so happens, Sir Holic, that I have The Official History DVD in my player right now, and it includes George Eastham (Arsenal 1960 to 1966) confirming your memory of the period, saying, “We’d score 4, but we’d let in 5.”
Newcastle are a good team these days (although losing at the moment as I type this, 2-1 to Everton), and Southampton are not especially good. Yet we pumped 7 past the former and only 1 in 95 minutes past the latter. One for the What The Hell File, I suppose.
Even if I am still quite certain that Chelsea will at least equalise, that game serves as a reminder that we are not the only team to make it difficult for ourselves at times. Not that it makes our performance yesterday any better, but still…
I have seen Uncle Charlie, Uncle Mike.
And there was me thinking I was everyone’s uncle.
Don’t be silly Lars, Man U would never lose at Norwich, for instance.
Oh.
Three minutes of added time to play at the Bus Stop…
Bt8b knows!
What a funny league the EPL is! Spend a 100 million and you can’t beat the bottom side in the league! Tarabt is a feckin’ player! 😀
Come on Newcastle!
Yeah QPR Wins Against Chelsea! 🙂
Ollie@236: exactly.
So, all in all we gained one point on Chelsea, pulled away one from West Brom but lost two on Tottenham and look to be losing two on Everton unless Newcastle get their shit together. Not a total disaster then, at least that is some comfort.
One down, one to go! Not a bad point at Southampton after all!
Top 3 and at least one trophy! 😎
Health is getting better again, and Chelsea lost, I’d say today is much brighter than yesterday.
(going back to work tomorrow won’t make it a great day, but there’s no football to fear 😉 ).
Goodnight folks.
Lars, Ollie, H2H and Dan C, i enjoyed reading your comments during the Chavski game and if i’m seeing correctly they lost the game at home, one more reason to be happy about that point at Southampton.
Rafa – interim manager, permanent cunt 🙂
Goodnight, Ollie, hope yu feel much better when you wake up tomorrow.
Lars,
Yeah but we have a game in hand over Everton and the Spuds and the reverse fixtures still to play. A couple of acquisitions this January and installing some consistent grit and steel and anything’s possible! Top 3 and at least one trophy.
Heh @ Uncle Bob.
Cheers Cent, indeed they did to ‘Arry’s Rock Bottom Feeders no less, Rafa’s making even more friends now. 😉
Bon nuit Ollie.
Nite Ollie. Take care.
Hey Cent, looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
SWP will probably remember this goal better than any in his career. Chelsea killer. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0FOJfrNIBY
Two games ago Arsenal scored seven against Newcastle and conceeded three, in their last game they drew 1-1 away to Southampton. Three games ago Chelski thrashed Villa 8-0, the next game they managed a 1-0 win over Norwich and today they lost 1-0 at home to bottom club QPR. Just saying,like…
H2H Rafa is always welcome to be my friend…so long as he keeps leading those lot down blind alleys.
Abb, i don’t always have to go through what i experienced yesterday to watch us play but like i said somewhere above i will write about yesterday’s experience soon.
Results like the Chavs have just had show why it’s good as a fan not to let your emotions have the run of you.
If drawing with a bitty team away from home is a terrible result that makes the players and manager cnuts, then what do we call losing at home to one of the worst teams in prem history, your local rivals no less, having spent hundreds of millions in the last few years?
Abb, i forgot to tell you that i’ve found you on twitter and i’m now following you.
N7, knows.
Hehs @Bob and Nonny.
Couldn’t be arsed watching the Chavs tonight. Preferred the Giraffe fight on BBC.
Bit gutted I missed Chelsea now, although the new Attenborough was extraordinary.
And now I hear Jim Davidson has been arrested. The good news just keeps coming. I wonder if the charge was “Being a total and utter cunt”?
DanC, top three still very much a possibility. It ain’t over yet by any means.
On the button N7 (as usual).
N7 knows@255.
Oh, and did anyone else find SWP:s non-celebration utterly ridiculous? That shit has gone too far. He sat on his arse there for two or three seasons so why the hell should he not celebrate that goal?
Oh Cent, That is really nice of you, thanks 🙂
Well said N7.
Tabs, I recorded that, look forward to watching it.
Just heard the Jim Davidson news, first thing that went through my head was Nick Nick, ha ha.
If those were the charges, he’d of been sent away for life years ago.
I was just about to post the same Lars, having just watched 8Ball’s link.
Utterly ridiculous. Fair enough if you’re Denis Law and you think you’ve just relegated the Club where you spent 15 (?) years.
If you’re just a shit reserve for 3 years it merely comes over as self-important, egotistical and bloody stupid.
Lars.
I agree entirely, I hate that hippocritical shit.
You just scored in a local derby in one of the only games you might win this season. At the very least go and acknowledge the away fans that pay your over inflated wad.
Well, must get ready for work. Goodnight everyone.
@265 Ah Vinny, nice of you to pop in.
Leave a couple of Bargain Buckets on the Bar on the way out, there’s a good boy.
I hear Djourou is getting sold, honestly i don’t know how i feel about that one, he a good fourth choice CB and knowing our injury record all three first choice CBs could fall in a week but at the same time i feel a youngster (Miquel) should be our fourth choice CB.
Very true H2H.
😉
SWP didn’t celebrate in respect to his bank balance
Wrong man TaBS.
That was our intellectually challenged Canagarian…
Ah apologies Holic and on this occasion apologies to Vinny. It seemed to have his footprint.
Oh well, TWO cyber stalkers. The price of Celebrity eh! 🙂
Lars, it certainly is mate, it certainly is!
SWP is the living embodiment of an amoral greedy cunt!
Jim Davidson potentially behind bars; couldn’t happen to a nicer guy! How the feck John Terry keeps escaping is beyond me!
Djourou out, M’Biwa in!
Actually Vinny, if he is the Arseblog Vinny, is ok. One of those “Shame they couldn’t see each others faces” misunderstandings, I think…
Fair enough.
Typical that we get on a decent run, albeit three matches, and perform like that yesterday…even if we did get a point. Didn’t surprise me given the recent history of the club. Don’t know where we go from here but we seem to put the “handbrake” on at times which is very frustrating to watch. Sagna’s play was nutty at times, it just went all wrong for him yesterday.
Where was TR7 when we need a goal?….Ramsey is a decent player but we needed a surge forward in the last 20 minutes. TR7 was a vital part of our late surge last year, I hope he is not a forgotten man.
Benitez and Torres to be out by Friday in a double ousting soon to be known as the Spanish Inquisition. Later revelations include: Mata only surviving by the skin of his teeth (“La Piel de los Dientes”) after escaping allegations of guilt by association and nationality, as well as the subliminal suggestion imbedded within his last name which translates as “Kill,” which was originally the precise intention of The Inquisitor. Benitez and Torres to be banished to The Congo where they are to be appointed Manager and Assistant Manager of a third division outfit financed by The Inquisitor who, it is said, does not want to lose 100% of his investment in the pair.
Spirits improving then, ‘Holics?
I hope everyone had a stellar New Year celebration and a wonderful Christmas (for those who celebrate it).
I wish I could drop in and join the banter more often than I do, but the paymasters demand more than their pound of flesh. Too bad I can’t just give them the flesh in exchange for time and cash.
As always, my regards from the Republic of Tejas.
BMBD.
Dunno about you guys, but I feel a lot better after watching Chelski doing their best to be worse than we were yesterday.
Okay, make that a BIT better…
No news of any signings (except Theo) but the names being touted don’t fill me with thrills. Now, if we were in for the likes of Falcao and Fellaini, I’d get a much warmer feeling. If we really are a big club we should have BIG ambitions, in my opinion.
Oskar
PS: I HAVE A DREAM … that Arsenal lose out to Totteringham for 4th place in EPL … but win the CL. Wouldn’t that be totally hilarious! In my dreams…
Where was TR7 when we need a goal?…. Gedo @279
————————————————————
As I asked in 28, and in earlier drinks. And will continue asking because it remains a mystery that deserves resolving.
Oskar
With the need for TR7 so obvious yesterday coupled with the fact
( sorry, FACT!!! ) that he wasn’t on the bench, do we imagine he might be on his way during January? His value will be relatively high with a new contract signed during last season……..
I certainly hope not, as he has that pace and drive we so often lack.
Mysterious omission yesterday though. And I am the worst/best ITK ever. I did predict a couple of weeks ago that Theo would stay, and reports today suggest we have dropped out of the Zaha “race” because Theo is about to sign.
Does anyone actually know whether Tomas was ill / injured ?
Sorry Oskar, didn’t notice that right in front of me.
Two voices better than one though ……..
Bt8b @280,
Heh 🙂 Torres’ll take out alot more managers before he’s done with his career!
Rosicky was on the bench Trev – mysteriously unused.
Oskar@282 – that scenario would indeed be sweet sweet sweet, although I’m not sure my heart would survive it!
HNY Lonestar.
Trev,
TR7 was on the bench but Arsene chose not to use him for reasons only known to him I guess. I’d be surprised if his omission was anything other than just “tactical” from Arsene’s point of view; in the broad meaning of the word!
Like you, I’ve always felt Theo would sign a new deal, eventually, but that did not mean that we would pull out of the Zaha race! I’ve see that boy play live and believe me, he’s a proper, bonefide talent! Right up there with Ronaldo when he first went up to that debt-laden bunch up north! We have to get him this transfer window and what’s more, he’s a Gooner!
Tabs knows!
Oskar the mutt knows too! 🙂
Oops, missed that small fact – missed the first 2-3 minutes.
Even more surprising he wasn’t used.
That’s what I’ve heard about the new Wilfie, DanC.
If he’s that good, we should sign him and then sell Theo once his transfer value is secured.
*grabs coat and runs to dodge dish loads of flying peanuts*. 😉
I like your thinkin’ Trev; more than i do Arsene’s at the mo’ that’s for sure!
Wilfie will come to his boyhood club and Theo will blossom into TH14! The new Ronaldo and Thierry in the same side; feck me! 😎
“Pork scratchings also hurled his way which he evades with a Tarabet-esque pirouette”. “Thankfully the Dapper gent’s ensemble was protected from the shenanigans!”
“He leaves a crisp £50 note at the bar for the moonlighters to enjoy a few small drams of the finest”!
Salut and thanks against SWP for making yesterday’s result more palpable; even though you still are a money-loving cunt!
And to raise spirits further, deadwood removal appears to have finally begun in earnest; first Djourou now Squillaci! 😎
Some of those little sweet French pickles, cornichons I think they’re called, to go with my beers and sausages please barman. Wednesday night special, in other words. 🙂
DanC. I’d have to say AW’s “tactical” is one of the most meaningless words in the English language. But I think you knew that already.
I will miss Djorou. He is a fan of the club. Only good wishes for him.
Agreed, Sajit. Djourou not only has served us well but in the terms of this day and age, also long. If any of the other three had been injured this season we would have seen a lot more of him, and my guess is he would have done a very decent job. If he really leaves, knock wood the injuries to our center backs will stay away, and Miquel continues to develop promisingly.
Earlier in the week I saw Cesc put a magnificent ball on a plate for Adriano to score from the right wing. Reminded me of old times that aren’t very old at that. But I couldn’t find it so I’ll post this recent Adriano goal that is even more amazing, not involving Cesc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L4_SooJthE
TaBS – What! Uncle Jim’s behind bars?
DanC – that’s a nice little build on a sunshine melody, my man!
Chel$ki – spent a gazillion, on a diet of three managers a season, and get thumped at QPR. Arsene Oot and spend some f*cking money! You know it makes sense, bruv.
I’m walking on the sunny side with Dapper DanC.
Mark Lawrenson on the BBC website has us linked with this Sunzu fellow. If we can sign him we will have our best dancer since Adebayor and Eboue, guaranteed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRhWUF85rMU
Apparently Sunzu plays for this club in the Congo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TP_Mazembe
I hope it’s not the same club where Benitez and Torres are bound. 😉
And Sunzu is Zambian. We’ve been lacking one of those, I believe, in our quest for proper team chemistry.
Enough nonsense for one night. I feel like my Squillaci has been squeezed right out of me. 😮
Well in for the triple ton, bt8b, he says arriving as late as a Gervinho cross.
TP Mazembe aren’t a bad team by any chalk.
All the goals in the Barca A. Madrid game that Adriano scored in were pretty good apart from the comical fourth Barca goal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV3CwfyFso
What happened? Could have sworn there was an early doors cabaret in here this morning.
Aye well. Sign ‘O the times, I suppose. Getting really sad. The Arses has been pretty well fucked, hope this place can survive.
Back at work. Still not feeling great, but I’ll survive.
This place will survive mate. Anybody abusing on here will have that platform removed.
Arsenal.com really needs someone with a brain to write their website headlines. After Wenger spoke of a “mental problem” after we failed to beat Southampton, what do I see on the homepage this morning?
THE BREAKDOWN – NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Made me lol though.
Morning all.
How many new players have we got so far then?
Esso. The arses are fucked? OO~ER.
Afternoon all,
Oh Dear, Sounds like the Cangarian was busy overnight. Glad I missed it.
Hehs at Nonny and H2H.
Glad you’re feeling a tad better Ollie.
Half decent read on Fergusons antics and the acquiescence of the British media here …
http://www.football365.com/faves/8364439/Johnny-And-Al-s-Sir-Fergie-On-TV
He seems to have an idea that you are unemployed TaBS. Perhaps you should formally introduce yourself in a business capacity 😉
10 sleeps.
“The most important players for us are those who are here. Those who are on the transfer market will not help us win the games.”
So there are no players available that are better than we have then, Arsene?
Or they cannot win us games whilst they currently belong to someone else?
Who can speak Wenger? 😐
Heh, that would be sweet indeed ‘holic 🙂
Dr Z, I share some of your consternation, but I wouldn’t take what Arsene says at this stage too seriously. As I saw written elsewhere this morning, in the Summer he said he didn’t know who Santi Cazorla was. 🙂
Starting line-up prediction:
Martinez
Jenks, BFG, Kos, Meade. Rosicky Ramsey Coquelin Gervinho Giroud Podolski
tabs,
I think everything Arsene says is lost in translation or he is a master at mindfuck
I guess it’s impossible to take anything he says to the media seriously, but he just creates a target for himself – that statetment can be twisted a thousand ways by the gutterpress.
Which professional capacity are you intending to let loose, btw – Carlos or Rumpole?
Playing Fast And Lose
Oliver Holt on Harry Redknapp in the Daily Mirror: ‘And then last night happened. After the court case, losing England and leaving Tottenham, suddenly Redknapp was back.’
Putting aside the idea of anybody being ‘back’ after one win followed three straight defeats…can you ‘lose’ something you never had? If so, Mediawatch has lost Sofia Vergara. Boo.
haha
TaBS @311, very interesting read.
Have we bought/sold anyone yet?
zico 314. I speak Wengerish. : the latter, it’s a regular Wengerquote, not a difficult one to translate.
In the style of today’s blog: you can’t cook the sausage while it is still on the market stall. 😀
Dr Z, yep I agree with you that Arsene sometimes makes a rod for his own back. Often unnecessarily so. As you say, I think he just enjoys playing with the media muppets.
As for which profession, I think Carlos would be more apt don’t you? 🙂 Maybe Carlos to do the deed, and Rumpole to defend? Such a shame the silly chap can’t put in a personal appearance at The Tollie!
Bath – ‘Fraid not old son, though it would appear that Djourou seems to be on his way. Good luck to him.
BtM @299 – Sadly Uncle Jim is not behind Bars 🙂 Bailed until March I believe.
Ollie – Good line up. I think Schez will play and maybe Ox too? And heh @318
Yes, tabs, I think it possible/likely that both play. IMHO Martinez would be a suicidal choice.
I’ve only seen him the once Ollie in that Reading game, where it’s safe to say he didn’t cover himself in glory, so I don’t want to rush to judgement.
Just can’t see Arsene gambling on him at the wknd, hostile away crowd etc
Tabs @311,
Nice link. The sooner he leaves the British game the better for all!
Ideally though, i’d like that after Arsene’s tore him and that Dutch cunt a new one again!
I find it quite incredible but Stoke seems to be Cat. B, not C.
Therefore it isn’t selling quick at all, which isn’t good for me, again.
You can see that again DanC. That day can’t come soon enough!
Ollie – Stoke should be Cat Z.
Afternoon all!
BtM @299,
Heh 🙂 Nice assist my “glass half full” buddy!
Well in for the triple Bt8b! Zoom Zoom Sunzu! Another diamond in the ….???
Any Arsenal transfer news ‘holics? Where’s Soothsayer Snir when you need ‘im? 😎
FIGHT!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20901006
Tabs,
It really does fascinate me just how in such dictatorial-fear and how untouchable he’s always been held on these shores but in European competition he’s “Mr Average Manager” considering the vast, debt-laden resources he’s always had at his disposal?!
Those for me are the markers I use to assess just how great a mamager actually is.
In Auld Redface’s case; 3 CL finals and 2 CL titles in 25+ years at the helm = Mr Average Manager.
Arsene would’ve have won more if the tables were turned, that I’m pretty certain off!
Jaysus, this is my third dump today. All solid stuff too. What on earth is going on?
H2H @329,
Heh 🙂
Sign ‘im up! That’s the fight and desire we need to see at Shenley! 😎
I hear he tried to mame Sinclair and Mancini lost it big time!
Is it just me or is he looking far less Italian suave and more Lancashire rugged-hotpot these days? Abbs, Delia, Wolfie; what say you?
Andy Goram @331,
You must have had some games in hand…
Andy Guinness O’ram
Heh.
Heh, Dan, not sure I can join you in calling old PurpleNose Mr Average Manager, much as I’d like to.
I take on board what you say about the greater resources he has had at ManUre, but his record is there for all to see. Whilst it might be argued that he should have won more in Europe, especially in the Beckham-Scholes-Keane-Giggs era, his record of two wins and 2(?) other finals cannot be sniffed at.
Plus he was very successful at Aberdeen when he had little or no resources to compete with the Glaswegian Clubs.
Though I agree with you that he is a cunt of the first order, he is, sadly, a cunt who happens to be very good at his job.
It would have been very interesting to see what he would have done with the budget that Arsene has had in the last decade. I tend to agree with you that he wouldn’t have done as well, but we’ll never know will we.
All that said, and that’s as praiseworthy as I’ll ever get towards him, I do think his legacy will, in general terms, be a poor one rather than a good one. His contempt for the Media has now been mimicked by other “lesser” managers to such an extent that it is de rigeur for many to stop talking to the Media at any perceived slight. His intimidation of match officials has now percolated throughout the game such that it is still, despite the Respect campaigns, a far greater problem than it was when he first came south.
At some point, Manure’s debt will have to be tackled, and it seems that this is a job that Ferguson is more than happy to leave to his successor(s). We can but hope that the shit will really hit the fan at some point in the future. If and when it does, Ferguson will be partially responsible, though of course the Media won’t see it like that.
Bottom line is that he has become far too powerful. Power corrupts. Knighthoods and other baubles should be saved for retirement.
I agree with you. I can’t wait for the day when he finally buggers off.
H2H @329 Heh. Mancini and Balotelli deserve each other!
I was about to say Dan C, at 331, what a crock of shit.
But I see tabs got in first, long-winded as ever. 😉
Ferguson is a lot of things, most readily, a Red Nosed Twatstick BUT an average manager he is not.
DanC @332,
I am not a fan of Mancini, whether he be Italian sausage, or Lancashire tripe.
I think he walks and talks like a Teletubbie.
I am a Bobby Pires man. I have given Bobby a deadline to accept my marriage proposal. If he doesn’t do so, I am switching my affections to Olivier Giroud.
Mancini does not get a look in. Although I would consider him for the role of my Butler.
Dan C:
“Though I agree with you that he is a cunt of the first order, he is, sadly, a cunt who happens to be very good at his job…”
That line that sums it all up for me Tabs.
Fergie will only ever go down as one of the all time great managers.
Apart from what he’s done in Europe, 12 League title’s is an amazing feat in any mans language. What annoys me most is he has the uncanny knack of getting 100 per cent never-say-die commitment levels from relatively mediocre players consistently – and its that level of effort that so often makes the bloody difference and not raw talent by itself.
I’d never thought I’d see the day, but (with me) that makes three of us here sticking up for the rednosed twatstick.
Chemical showers all round.
Didn’t want to let the Canagarian down Dr Z 😉
OK, with Joe, four. 😳
Wolfie.
Your Butt-ler?
Yep good points Joe, H2H’
It still annoys me that ManUre won the title in 03, when we were at that stage, by far and away the better side.
The role of Wolfie’s Butler has been vacant for some time.
Hired help has been a problem within the Feelgood Foundation since the girl from Sainsbury’s made a beeline for America.
It’s just the way of it.
The search goes on. Doesn’t it Wolfie? 😉
H2H @343 heh 🙂
Or 07/08 Tabs….
No-one wants the job Dr Z, especially since Feelgood took away my Dressing-Room.
Corporate short-termism at its very worst 😉
You of all people should know the importance of the bottom line, Ms Smallballs. 8)
Heh 🙂
Indeed Joe.
DanC 332
I agree Mancini has that worn look about him these days. He didn’t ever make me swoon, Leonardo was the man for me. Think he does something at PSG these days but no one compares to Roger Federer and no one ever will!
Roll on the Aussi Slam.
Bring on the Moi Aussi Slammers.
From Mexico. 8)
Or 98/99 TaBs – still wrankles
Missing out on relatively cheaper players like Ba, KJH and Llorente can only mean one thing. Theres a super super super quality multi million dollar signing on his way to the Emirates..
Or , Park Ju Young, could be recalled from an early loan spell.
Indeed Bath, bloody Nelson Vivas up at Leeds I seem to remember.
Sajit, I prefer your first para to your second 😉
Seriously, I am flabbergasted about Llorente. He is a very good striker – can be the focal point, and is under 10 million. Not going for him is baffling. As baffling as why Wenger played Diaby on the RW.
Hasselwank scored, right , tabs? annoying.
I have a very clear memory of that game.
Well or surrounding events. Was just coming back from a work ‘seminar’ in Deauville (those were the days when business was booming and stupid money was being thrown for fun), dropped the bag back home, stopped at the cash point on the way to the boozer, took out 200 Francs and took local transport. Well, that’s when I realised I hadn’t actually taken the 200F but had just taken my card back and walked away, leaving the money for the next pundit (or for the machine to swallow back, I’ll never know).
Even one of the barman in what was at the time the best pub in Paris – The Floozy & Firkin (and remains the one pub that ever was so brilliant there before its demise when the Firkin chain sold it), who was a Leeds fan, was gutted that they won as he didn’t want Man U to win the League.
Painful memory.
And you knew that Spu*s were never going to beat the Mancs on the last gameday. Never in a million years even when they were 1 goal up.
I signed her ting once …….. And got slapped silly.
Is Wolfie’s Butt-ler a promotion from Mr. Receptacle?
I can only swallow so much ….. Oh!
Morning all.
Does anyone know when Chamakh, denilson, Park, diaby contracts run out?
Yeh, painful memories Ollie.
It was indeed Hasselwank who scored. Header I think. Watched that game with a load of mates in the Worlds End in Finsbury Park. Went straight from work and ended up getting sozzled.
I had also watched the ManUre FA Cup replay (the Giggs game) in there. I went to the first game but not the replay. After two absolute heartbreakers within the space of a few weeks, I began to think the Pub was in some way “unlucky”.
I shrugged these superstitious feelings off and ended up watching the Galatasaray Final amongst other games in there the next season. Us losing on pens was the final straw. I have never been back!
NorCal heh 🙂
Sajit – Isn’t Llorente a bit too similar to Giroud? I have no idea, having seen only Youtube clips of him, but it’s what I’ve read.
Heh. Unlucky pub indeed TaBS
Tabs @336,
As ever, a great argument you put forward Fella. And Zico, Wolfie, Joe and H2H; the label “Mr Average Manager” may indeed ring of an element of unfair bitterness from one’s point of view but one had hoped that it would have at least created a much needed balanced debate as to the true “greatness” of this figure within the modern game! And thankfully indeed, it has.
Firstly let me clarify my position, when I said “Mr Average Manager” it was an all encompassing term that includes both “coach” and “manager”. I agree, Auld Purplenose is indeed an exceptional “manager-of-men” (easy now Wolfie 😎 ) as he so admirably showed initially at Aberdeen (with modest resources resulting in a European trophy no-less) and then at the Old Toilet for the past 100 years or so, interluded by an unsuccessful, temporary stint as Scotland “coach” following the sudden passing of the late Jock Stein.
For me, Alex Ferguson is an exceptional “Man-Manager” and “Motivator-of-Men” who, as Joe states, is hard to understand how he manages to get the best from seemingly very mediocre players (ref. Mikel Silvestre) season after season! That for me is where he is one of the greats of all time.
Where he is also exceptional is his ability to self-reflect and understand precisely where his “personal weaknesses” are wrt to the running of his teams and his club. That for me is a sign of extreme intelligence in one’s character.
Alex Ferguson is arguably not as good a “coach” as Arsene Wenger (as a matter of fact, I think he stopped fully coaching at Manure in the mid-90’s once the cohort of Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, G.Neville, Sharpe, etc. were all reared to manhood by their youth-team set-up supplemented by their perenial tapping-up of the likes of Cantona, Keane, Ferdinand, etc) but he is by far a superior “Manager-of-Men” and a tactician. Align that with his superior self-awareness of his failings as a coach and manager to search for practical solutions whenever needed, that leaves Arsene, and nearly all other “Managers” in his shadow!
I am not trying to take any credit away from his incredible achievements, as they are domestically quite exceptional, but he has not achieved all of this success alone and where his greatness truly lies is in that he precisely knows where, when and if he is personally deficient and he invariably corrects them. That character trait will never leave him whilst he is physically able to get-up every day! For that, I rank him in the top 3 of all time football “Managers” in British football.
Just to further add more compost to the heap, I actually feel that Mourinho is, and will be superior to Auld Purplenose in far less time if he proves to be as self-reflective at Alex Ferguson is. Why i say this is that the fundamental common link between them both is, they are exceptional “Man-Managers” and “Motovators-of-Men”!
If only Arsene had those traits then I doubt we would be where we are as a club, wrt the playing side, as we are now. Intelligent Arsene certainly is but in footballing terms, not on the same level as Auld Purplenose, sadly. 🙁 A chemical shower awaits!
Delia @352,
Leonardo, I can understand, but the “Quentin Tarantino” look-a-like; hmmm! 😎 Exceptional lawn-tennis player though and he certainly is a ” great”! Role on the 1st slam of the year! Murray – Federer final please!
They’re still both cunts though, DanC. 😉
Ollie & Tabs,
World’s End, never again! Too many painful memories that no level of intoxication could have wiped away those sessions!
Sajit,
Think all of their contacts end Jul 2014.
Agree with Tabs, Llorente’s too much like OG as was Ba.
We need a David Villá type forward to compliment the attack. Falcaó wouldn’t be too bad either…
H2H knows 😎
Evening all, it appears NYE came a couple of days late for me but was well worth the wait. A long story best saved for the Tollie….
Anyway, how’s about a Transfer Window IKN update?
Demba to join other money munching sheep at The Baaas Stop.
Johan plans to blast away his NY’s Hann-gover in Deutschland?
Theo ‘Fenton’ Walcott now back on the leash?
Any more for any more?
A picture of the latest applicant to the position of Wolfie’s butler. A true cangarian in his own right. 😉
http://johnsmyth.ie/blog/2008/05/01/conger-eel/
H2H @329. I have a sinking feeling this ensures Balotelli will score against us.
Looking forward to hearing your story, TS!
8Ball.
I’d be suprised if he even played against us.
Heh @ TS
Manure`s debt won`t be tackled anytime soon. It`s simply a different philosophy to ours. Why should the Glazers worry about their level of debt when they win the title most seasons, and would likely have a queue of the world`s wealthiest stretching round Old Trafford, were they ever willing to sell.
Finally, it looks like good sense has prevailed over Walcott. It always seemed to me like penny-pinching at its worst. Why, when the boy doesn`t want to leave, and is on top of his game, would we think we could play hardball with him. I`ve read that it was a fear of his leaving for Manure that prompted our change of heart, but I think his 14 goals was the deciding factor.
Aguero is apparently likely to be missing due to injury. If Mancini benches Balotelli that leaves Tevez and Dzeko, assuming they are both healthy.
Tabs
98/99 was a fucking Killer! Went to first semi-final at Villa Park like you; could n’t make the second cos of work commitments. Watched it in a pub in rural Leicestershire full of united. Nearly broke me knuckles punching the wall when Dennis missed the pen. For Leeds game I was in LA. Watched it in the Cock & Bul in Santa Monical. Only good thing was it kicked off at 11.45 local time. Went on the piss afterwards with a bunch of Leeds fans who were in there (although it was motly Arsenal), including a large gentleman complete with ‘Service Crew’ tatoo. Drank them under the table. Bunch of nomarks, just like their football team.
He’s not an amazing manager – he’s just a very naughty boy. 😉
Delia @352,
What an amazing coincidence! I once met Leonardo, and he said exactly the same thing about you !
Ok, back to 352 to continue gniknird kcab.
Esso,
Hello mate, happy new year to you.
Heh at the Leeds fans. Those 2 games were bloody hard to swallow weren’t they. We were such a good side that season and ended up with nothing whilst the Mancs cleaned up.
That Bergkamp miss must go down as one of my all-time worst Arsenal moments.
Hope to see you at the Ems soon for a pint mate.
GTFI.
Phil McNulty just tweeted that WHU are in for Chamakh!
Please God, after 2 unsuccessful transfer windows of trying to offload the shit, please let this happen.
Come on you Hammers!
Heh TS on top punning form. 🙂
What, no Theo Walcout ? Has he signed ?
Sajit, I fear Diaby’s contract will run out before he does. 😉
DanC – make you right about PurpleNose knowing his limitations as well as his strengths. A very good delegator would be my guess, whilst at the same time keeping a handle on pretty much everything.
8Ball @368 Heh 🙂
@Trev, Diaby is a player who I like in FIFA.. Thats about it.
🙂
Hopefully Big Sam can make a cheeky bid for buy 1 get 1 free in Squillaci
Big Fat Sam Allardyce wants a gel-splattered Marouane Chamakh ?
I’ll believe it the day he signs.
Cheers and hehs! at Trev, Ollie & 8ball.
Abou is now back in full trainin,g Trev. Assuming he doesn’t breakdown again prior he making it back into the first team, I bet he strings at least 2 games together before another injury strikes. Poor Mr.Diaby 🙁
Right, awf to the pub for b’day drinkies.
UTA all.
biscuitbum, I don’t think the club has played much hardball at all. By all accounts it has been Camp Theo that never really wanted to start negotiations until very recently.
Sajit, Chamakh is under contract for the remainder of this season only and possibly Park also (some sources say he is, some that it is another year) while Denilson and Diaby supposedly have another 18 months to go. Squillaci is under contract until the summer as well and I think that may also be the case with Bendtner, though he could have another year after that.
Thanks for the info Lars. Time surely does go as slow as Denilson’s passing game when it comes to these contracts.
Tabs – same here mate.
Fuck me the end of that season was hard to stomach. Was back in England by May 26th (my birthday and 10 year aniversary of Anfield). Was out on the piss and had to suffer those utter cunts winning the treble, after me and mate kept winding these manc cunts up in the pub with ‘2 ni’s coming!’. Bayern hit the post and Teddy Fucking Sherringham then ruined my birthday. Good style.
And Bayern bottled it while 1-0 near the end of a CL final also that year, tabs. It was all too fucking painful.
DB10 penalty, that was a most horrible moment. F&F was totally packed, a lot of each set of supporters.
DanC, Tabs @363,336
Good work on Slur Purplenose.
Just don’t like those praisy bits for all his achievements, fair and logical as they are.
I wish there was an Opta stat for penalties awarded under duress – red cards not given under duress – opposition goals disallowed under duress – ManUre offsides allowed under duress etc. etc. etc – and how many goals have been scored in extra, extra Fergie time.
Then we would see the true raw achievements of Ferguson, unduressed, as it were. 😉
Enough painful memories, though, looking forward to your next trip to The Grove, Esso.
Trev 375
If only!
What’s this about Feo signing!
Trev, it would certainly be quite interesting to see such stats.
No Delia, it’s Feo siNGing ! 😉
Esso,
Certainly was. As Ollie said earlier, I never really held out much hope that the LWCs would do us a favour on the last day. I remember the atmosphere at Highbury being very flat that day against Villa.
Couldn’t believe the finish to that Manc/Bayern game. Mancs had been utter rubbish all game.
May 26th your birthday mate? Bloody good day to have a b’day. Were you at Anfield in ’89?
Talking of Birthdays, many happy returns TS.
Good points Trev re Ferguson @387
Happy Birthday TS !
TS Birthday? Have a great one, pal!
Lobs a lazy one into the channel for the onrushing Tabs………
What, is TS having his birthday today? If so, have a great day!
Ollie @386, you’ve taken me right back to that DB penalty. Complete exhilaration at seeing the Ref blow up for the foul followed by instantaneous desolation when he missed it.
Grim.
Luckily, unlike you or Esso, I don’t remember having to put up with any Mancs. I think that would have sent me over the edge!!
Goes for the early one …
BANG
Heh, well in Trev!
I see I’ve refreshed too late. Well in Trev, good assist, tabs!
Leaps into Delia’s arms, who drops him ‘cos she’s looking for Leonardo. 🙁
Motors in late into the box , like Chamakh..
Is that your first ever “legit” goal? 🙂
Maybe motors is too strong a word for Chamakh.. strolls in rather..
Tabs,
No mate did n’t make Anfield. It was a re-arranged game and tickets were long gone. Was actually out of work at the time and had been up town for interviews. Got back just before kick off and could n’t be arsed to rush up the pub. Watched it at home on me todd during which time I demolished a 4 litre cardboard box of red wine. Rushed out straight afterwards and pretty well obliterated Sittingbourne single handedly. Woke up on the floor of the Crown, pub right over the road form our house, the next morning. Pub Dog (a great Dane) was licking my face, very enthusiastically. Landlady appeared and told me, they’d done me a lock in, and then about half one in the morning, I just lay down on the floor in front of everyone and went to sleep. No one could wake me or shift me.
Cheers fellas – can’t remember when I last scored without derision and disciplinary measures being taken. 😉
Could be Tabs ! 😉
Sajit, you need to seriously check that motor of yours 😉
Esso – Haha, brilliant! 🙂
Trev @409 Haha 🙂
I tried to make a run for the goal but the site just said it posted a duplicate comment, but I wasn’t 🙁
Oh, and well in Trev!
And a massive Heh at Esso kipping on the pub floor 🙂
Ever wonder about Borda Disorder?
The defence presents exhibit A @ 407, your honour. 8)
tabs @392 – that 1999 last game at THOF was so anticlimatic – we should have won the double and we had zip. LWCs took a dive for sure.
The tramp of honour was so sad and the body language from MO11 and EP17 was, “goodbye”.
Fucking Hasselbank.
well in Trev
epic Esso
Trev, perhaps ‘holic will find a post that he has to remove before that century! 😉
Is anyone working on bringing players in? Or are we just chopping wood this window?
Please please please someone ask the team scouts what they are doing this month.
I am all for getting rid of players that don’t play, but we need a few that will.
Well in Trev.
Sajit your motor needs a serious overhaul…. And an oil change. Perhaps that is why chamakh’s hair looks like that? He’s has a well oiled coiffure.
Lars, Arsene has consistently said that it was up to Theo to agree the the £75K offer. If I were Theo and were told that I should be grateful we signed him and dutifully put pen to paper, as if we rescued him from purgatory rather than push the boat out to sign the most courted youngster of his time, that a host of top clubs, including Chelsea and Liverpool were desperate to recruit. I would be less than pleased.
On another tack, will we ever see anything of Botelho, Galindo, Wellington, Campbell and others I`ve probably missed, who we bought over from S. America, and who are now plying their trade in the Spanish leagues. Can anyone tell me if we are subsidising their European careers?
Haha, if it wasnt obvious , I waited for a while to be deliberately late – like our hair gelling Moroccan.
🙂
Think I need to lie down again, too much of an effort for a day of recovery today. Hopefully it’s not a setback.
Goodnight all.
The stuff of Nightmares …
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/tottenham_hotspur/149533/horror-hair-legends-gerry-francis-celebrates-61-years-of-unwavering-style.html
Bath – yeh that was a bloody horrible afternoon. Petit and Overmars stayed on for another season didn’t they, but they never again reached the heights of that season.
Trev @387,
Good points and that’s why the sooner he leaves the better for all.
Biscuitbum @419,
Spot on! Joel Campbell is a regular international performer and goalscorer for Costa Rica! Why the feck is he still out on loan at Betis and not in our first team squad?! That feckin’ work permit thing should’ve been sorted out by now! It’s been two season for fecks sake!
Ollie, i can’t believe you would chalk off my only legitimate finish… 😉
To more worrying things,
My Auntie Marj has been ill in hospital for so long, they’ve changed her name to “I can’t believe she’s not better”. 😉
Come on lads, enough of the near-miss reminiscing; I might just slash my wrists if I read anymore.
Esso @407,
Heh! Top stuff! 🙂
Betis, Real-ly ?
Biscuitbum:
Arsene has consistently said that it was up to Theo to agree the the £75K offer.
When has Arsene ever said anything about the amount of money on offer? And when has he even said that it is all up to Theo?
Rather belatedly, nice finish for the quadruple Trev!
Chamakh-esque in every way including gel! Whilst at Bordeaux of course! 😉
Hey Lars,
And when has Theo ever looked worth more than that anyway, which he hasn’t, and hasn’t even been offered it, well no wonder he hasn’t signed it then, the contract, not the pound notes ….
Sorry, I can’t do any more Theo willy wontee ever again.
Has he signed yet ? 😉
Trev @424,
Heh 🙂 That’s just mooootiful!
Thanks DanC, just needed someone to put a gloss on my finish. NOOOOO… Not those puns again. 😉
Oh that was re 428. 😉
Trev,
Heh! A right churn for the worse awaits…
It is the figure that has been most quoted, admittedly by the media, but people like John Cross seem to be clued up enough. If they are now saying Theo will sign, should we believe them?
Biscuitbum,
Cross is an Arsenal fan and usually quite positive regarding Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. Feo will sign and it was never in doubt, in my mind once Jack et al did the same! May the deadwood clearout continue unabated! Lumbly Jumbly!
So Johan (excellent servant to the club) and the Squid to leave, Theo to re-sign.
Pretty good work in a 3 day timeframe 8)
Evening all,
Sorry I’m late, got waylaid (down Wolfie!)
Good crowd in too. Ollie feeling better?
Evening Major !
Evening Faulty 😉
On his team against Swansea AW said:
“I just play the team that I think has the best chance of winning the game, without considering any rotational desire, unless I think one or two players need a breather,” he said. “It will not be based on the fact that it’s purely rotational.”
Rotational. Is that a new word? If not, has it ever modified the word “desire” up to now? At any rate, it seems surprising he wouldn’t consider his rotational desire. I know I always do. 🙂
Evening ‘H.
Ollie was feeling better, but then had to go for a bit of a lie down (see @421).
With both the Major and Fawlty in, perhaps Ollie is the new Sybil? 🙂
Watching the capital derby in chilly jockoland. Looking like a draw.
Evening TaBS,
Hope the pain isn’t scything its way through to Ollie’s foot 😉
Theo looks like he is all smiles in this set of Arsenal in training this week:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/46496/training-gallery
Evening Holic.
8ball,
Ivana’s desires are fully rotational….. Or is it she desires fully rotational?
😉
Holic haha 🙂
Hearts v Hibs? No wonder Feelgood is quiet.
NorCal. Those Russian women have lusty desires from what I’ve heard. Not sure if Ivana is Russian, mind you, but her name seems to fit the part.
I doublechecked Theo’s pictures since I’d only seen the ones at the end of the reel. It looks like he’s only smiling in 3 and and half of the 7 pictures. Maybe he decided to sign the contract halfway through the training session?
No goals in Edinburgh. I won’t have to keep the piece between zico and Ian Mathers 😉
Tabs @441,
Oll-ie is two Sybilbles. 😉
Biscuitbum: Cross is a Gooner and by several accounts a decent chap in person but he doesn’t seem to have any better connections within the club than the average fan. He spouted a hell of a lot of bollocks about Cesc, for example, and also claimed that Joe Cole to Arsenal was a done deal in the spring of 2010.
So no, I don’t believe it if he says Theo has signed 🙂 I have said and keep saying that I will believe it when it is on Arsenal.com.
Evening Holic.
tabs@441, then who would be the new Manuel?
Trev,
Being from Texas, I can drawl it out to a full 3 sillybulls. 😉
NorCal,
Texas in North California ? Shee-yut ! 😉
@ 446 and 448
Absolutely dire stuff. The game up here is dismal at the moment.
Thankfully, they’re having a winter break.
Someone may notnhave told them yet that winter lasts 10 months…. 😉
Trev 🙂
Lars – new Manuel? Tricky, I’ll have to give that some thought.
Reckon Wolfie will wanna be Polly 😉
Sounds pretty grim fare Dr Z.
Holic yea better thanks. Wasn’t great an hour ago so took an ibuprofen, now in bed and in IPod mode. I should be fine in a few days I hope.
‘Twas an old-fashioned derby the commentator insisted. They always used to be dire? 😉
Hey NorCal,
My cousin, who is an army undertaker, was one slight misunderstanding away from becoming US President.
Yes, he’s the Barrack Embalmer. 😉
Just watched Arsene’s presser. Ten minutes and he said nothing. Hope people will understand. He can’t say anything in January…
Jesus Trev,
Mind the splinters at the bottom of that barrel 😉
Has your bug bottomed out now Ollie ? 😉
Oh, Wolfie as Polly – of course!
Evening all.
Lars. The Joe Cole deal was done. We pulled out when Cesc stayed for another year. I will tell you where that came from over a beer one day.
Doubtless that came from some wide boy, Steve T. 😉
Might have????????????
🙂
Oh Kev, you are so wrong. Especially in Ontario…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM8XqgyF7Hc
Trev,
For that @ 458, I hope your coat is on, and you’re half way down the street…..
Zico
Don’t bother taking it off these days. 😉
🙂
Steve T: that will have to be next Sunday then if you can make the Tollie before the City game 🙂
(but it doesn’t really add up – Cesc decided to stay rather late in the summer and Cole signed for Liverpool just after England had gone out of the World Cup)
Holic – Brilliant! 🙂 🙂
Evening Steve, had a bloody lucky escape with Joe Cole if we were that close.
Funnily enough I’m out with Joe Cole’s cousin tomorrow. I shall ask. 😉
Evening all,
Regarding Cole, that’s what I heard too Steve T; deal was all but done! And heard that from a wide-boy too! Not Feo I might quickly add! 😎
Nevertheless, I’m relieved we’re not the ones having to give him a 3 million golden-handshake to feck-off! Looks too like he’ll be linking up with our gelled-up shisha-boy to indulge in total football under Fat-Sam! You know, i still have faith that he’ll come good! He might play himself into some confidence and form?! You never know cos he’s a hell of a player in “Football Manager 2011”!
Trev @458,
🙂
Stewart Robson, as Daniel Sturridge would say, is a “humungous” fanny! End off! 😎
Lars knows. 🙂
Interesting shitstorm on Twitter based on a John Cross piece.
Interesting that he gets slaughtered by people for his work, then is the vehicle they use to have a pop at Arsene.
Not intended as a criticism, but an observation on human nature.
See 466 Lars…
Heh Holic, I did suspect as much 🙂
And agree with 475.
Oh, look at the time – I’ve got to be off to bed. Laters, lovers of the Arse!
Dan, you talk of the deadwood, so you would have been as pleased as I to hear that Chamakh is talking to Fat Sam. Let us all pray that`s true and that he`s the first of many.
Biscuitbum,
I’m delirious at the prospect. And should he rediscover his form, well, what a lovely dilemma for the Arse….
Assuming you’re not from Cangary or Hungada, Chipper Welshman, may I say what a funny, informative and inspiring comment that was.
Do drop in again.
Just as soon as my sides have recovered.
I met a bloke doing a crossword today.
Can’t remember his name – it was P something, T something, R. 😉
Interesting shitstorm on Twitter based on a John Cross piece.
Is that the piece where he compared Arshavin’s contribution and wage to the contribution of Walcott and his reported demands?
Probably not. The Messi piece? Arsenal fans don’t want Messi, they simply don’t want any more Parks, Gervinhos, Squillacis and Chamakhs.
Thanks Dour.
Hope you don’t mind. ‘Chip’ is a temporary issue.
Ta.
Evening Nonny 😉
Messi piece it was.
Every word he reported generated a thousand in response on Twitter.
Job done…
I don’t quite get how Giroud is similar to Ba by the way. Not that I am bothered about Ba not coming, I just don’t see the similarity
I think the inference is that Arsene regards both as out and out centre forwards in the style that he has rarely used.
Surprised that Giroud was signed, to be honest. May prosper more than Chamakh as no significant competition apart from your boy, who will be better employed in a free across the front three role…
No worries ‘Holic.
I am dour and sour but I don’t mind at all. Probably shoulda ignored the pot stirring.
Cheers.
Trev,
Now with 4 more years of our President, does that not make us an Obamanation? 😉
Giroud and Podolski were both surprises. I’d rather have signed just one of them and at the moment, Giroud is the one I’d have wanted. Ficklestein though, as before he started scoring I thought he was shit 😉
Giroud would have gone the way of Chamakh if van Stapleton was still here.
The need to play him has revealed the value of the fella. Now if only Theo would realise he is a mobile wide player who can cut in when required we are sorted, apart from cover.
Would Ba have sat on our bench ahead of the Chavs bench? Thanks to his agents we’ll never know…
NorCal,
A lot of people here drive pink cars.
Does that make us a pink carnation ? 😉
Night all,
Before I get barred. 😉
Trev,
🙂
Sweet mother of God, Trev 😉
Will be an extremely happy man if we sign up Theo and chop out two or three prime cuts of dead wood inside the next fortnight.
The back end of the window can then be used to procure the necessary reinforcements.
Couple all of that with the new contracts for the Brit pack and I think we will be able to agree that it’s been a decent few months for an organisation that has spent the previous three years attempting, and generally failing, to find its own arse with both hands off the pitch.
Looking forward to seeing some of the fruits of all this hard work out on the pitch in the months to come.
COYG
Anybody lurking for a half of a millennial goal? Dinks one over the defense just in case.
One
Stands one up at the far post.
Roberto’s not my uncle!!!
Thx N7
I agree with your assessment at 496. Wish we would bring a couple in to help with this year, but I like the British core that is signed. Need a couple players now to make that push for top 4 a bit easier.
Cheers
“Roberto’s not my uncle!!!” joins Balotelli’s “Why is it always me” as one of the oddest all-time goalscoring celebrations.
Well in, NorCal. I am still in two minds bout resigning Theo for a big number. Will we be saying about him in a couple of season what we are saying about Bendtner, Arshavin and others, too expensive too move on? That said I’d be happy for him to stay, but would not be devastated if he left. I am not sure there is another manager apart from AW who can turn him into the finished article that he thinks he already is, but we know he isn’t yet. I would also bet he will never again be sold or more than we get for him hen his time to leave does come.
As for the 2 I want. I think we need a strong DM. Someone who can control the back and not get hacked off the ball. I love Mikel but a more ” robust” DM would suit me.
The other thing we need is a dribbler. A tricky get to the end line and cross, dribbler. Someone who only needs to beat his man once( I’m looking at you Gerv). Ollie G and Theo can finish a ball and Santi is good at patrolling just at the top of the box, but we need a dribbler. Someone that’s not afraid to take it into the box. Break a defense down, dribbler.
My thoughts anyway.
Well in NorCal 🙂
Wind,
Happy new year. Good to see you here. Hope the family is well.
Cheers mate.
NorCal. Wellington Silva could be a dribbler for the future, if he keeps developing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1WGFogP0vo
Dribbler for the present sits on our bench, Rosicky by name.
Ah, NorCal, where is Hleb when you need him…
Diaby was meant to be that physical box to box midfielder. Time to give up on him?
Yes Hleb.
I don’t think Rosicky is the dribbler I am referring to. He helps carry it direct before teams can organize their defense but he is not a player that carries it into the box and puts pressure on an organized defense.
I am not saying we have to sign Messi, but If you watch even Barca when a defense is organized they too have some trouble breaking them down…… Until Messi takes the ball and glues it to his foot and attracks 3 players, then a one- two and he scores. What we need is that someone that pulls 2-3 defenders to him on the dribble and then provides a cross or a pull back. I was hoping it would be Santi, but he likes to provide movement along the 18 yard box but not into it. We need a penetrator. (Wolfie, my love, ready to play the field?)
Diaby is that physical box to box that we need unfortunately even being optimistic I just don’t think he will ever be on the pitch more than 3 games at a time. I hate, hate ,hate to call time on anyone but Diaby I think will be one of the best there never was.
I don’t know if it’s just because I didn’t take any drugs this morning, but I’m actually feeling worse than yesterday. 🙁
I was just thinking yesterday that my 3 games in the North Bank at row numbers less or equal to 4 have seen us score 18 goals.
I think for all the other games I was a few rows higher (amazingly only been upper tier once, or was it just the box game with ‘holic? 😉 ).
I’m hoping there’s no reverse stat if I’m row 4 in the Clock End or we’ll get a pasting next week :s
NorCal, I think Gervinho was supposed to be that guy that dribbles into the box and for the first few months he also was to a large extent. His dribbling and subsequent cutbacks gave us a few important goals, like the equaliser away at Udinese which more or less killed that tie off. Quite why he never manages those dribbles anymore I don’t know, but I think the idea behind buying him may well have been that he was supposed to do just what you suggest (and I agree, by the way) that we need.
Ollie, get well soon!
I nominate Lars as my spokesperson today.
Morrning all witgh a *mini-boilk* going on.
Belated thanks for b’day wishes to tabs, Trev, Ollie & Lars.
The meeja furore surrounding Balotelli & Mancini quite incredible. Almost as frenzied as the will he or won’t he stories for Theo.
Joke Hole to be joined by Chamakh at The Spammers? The world is a funny place.
UTA!
NorCal,
Hleb has been consigned to pre-assistory. 😉
Trev on top form again.
2013 will be the year of the pun.
We don’t need a dribbler at all, dribblers are cunts. What we do need is a power runner in the Overmars mode, someone who can also drive in hard behind a defence without the ball, like Freddie used to. Ljungberg dribbling was almost comical, he had the worst stepover ever.
In fact I’d say since we started fucking about with dribblers we’ve lost the kind of powerful, get the fuck out of the way, football that truly made us a team worth watching. Tippy tappy dribbly wibbly, or getting run over by Vieira, Overmars and such like? I know what I prefer.
Thank you Ollie, I will make my best not to say anything stupid on your behalf!
Nonny,
Spare a thought for Ollie. Talking about dribbly wibbly an’ all, while his collies are still so wobbly ! 😉
Heh @ Trev and his dribbly-wibbly collywobbles. The mind boggles.
521 drinks and no interlull?
I’m with Nonny at 518.
Did I really just say that???
Anyway, too many of our team are a soft touch. Get intae them, as they see in these here parts….
Let’s go all Stoke City 😉
Hleb seems to be back at BATE Borisov. Is that the club where every player is supposed to be named Boris? If so, he’s out of place.
Hardly, Ollie.
Unless you believe that Viera and Lauren were more philisophically attuned to Stoke City than Arsenal? 😛
Partially in agreement with Nonny, if we are in need of dribbler we need the kind of who will not slow our game down, like Gerv for example continually does when he *censored*s around with the ball.
However we could use someone who could quickly beat one or two players, drag them on to him and then release accurate through ball to now free teammate. Might be carrying water in to sea with this one but thats exactly why is Messi so important for Barca in breaking down parked buses. His ability to quickly go around one or two players and well timed ball released on onrunning teammate..thats what we need and not someone who beats his man…and then waits for him to catch up to him and try beating him again -_-
Viera and Lauren playing for The Arse. That’s enough to make anyone dribble.
Apparently Chamakh has signed for WestHam…on loan.
Good afternoon all
This post has nothing to do with the transfer window and everything to do with a reminder as to the class of The Arsenal
Yesterday (3rd Jan for those having trouble remembering) son, who is a Junior Gunner, went to the annual party at The Ems, dropped him off at 10am and picked him up at 4pm, He spent the day being entertained, watching the training session and finally getting photo’s and autographs with the team – total cost of a priceless day for him? absolutely nothing, thats right £0.00 (well other than the hotel stay before…)
ps Theo was there together with Chamak and Djouro, but apparently the only signing being done was autographs, not a contract in sight 🙁
Afternoon peeps.
Belated best wishes for your B’day TS
====
I also watched that Man U semi in a Firkin Pub, the Fiddler and Firkin in The Hague, I almost blew chunks when Ryan “Brotherly Love” Gibbs ran down the touchline twirling his shirt while showing his sponsered by Carpet Right chest, the hairy twat.
Been to the Fiddler a few times H2H (post Firkin era), as I have played football in the Hague a few times over the last few years.
I really like the fact that they have kept it pretty much looking like a proper Firkin pub.
Heh..Barca wants 20 mil for Villa …bit steep?
Excellent tale, Gooner Ref.
Cheers Sir H of 2H
Wow, I see Chamakh has been ‘officially’ loaned to West Spam.
Hmm…I wonder now, maybe that loan will do him some help? He looked the part before van Pigsty came back after injury and he has been suffering from little to no playing time at all. What if he scores …say …10-12 PL goals for Ham till the end of the season…sell him or bring him back? Thoughts?
They have indeed Ollie.
I owned the lounge bar on the otherside of the church. (TABU, formely Budda Bar)
C-Hammer-akh.
Eandy @ 532
We could get Aston Villa for that amount. 😉
Hahah indeed H2H, but Villa in Arsenal shirt was very nice imagination indeed, torn apart now I guess although even before there was very slim chance of us signing him I think.
Morning all,
I did say I wanted 2. A no nonsense can’t be pushed off the ball DM. And a dribbler. Someone who can breakdown his man and pull the defense apart.
Lars, I agree that Gerv was to be that player and when he is playing well and not trying too hard and has a final ball, he is that player. Unfortunately, that is a rare rare sight.
Theo has been that type of player at times. His dribbling against Newcastle lead to a goal for OG and one for himself.
Eandy,
Like you, I equated a dribbler to Messi. An example this year in the PL I would use is Hazard. He commits defenders and pulls defenses to him opening spaces.
Well, we all have our wishes and thoughts on what we need but what we really need is players that will contribute and play. Players that AW has confidence in.
Cheers all.
I thought I had taken some Doliprane with me this morning in case I’d need it, but I must have managed to put it just the wrong side of the pocket 🙁
Really suffering now.
Ollie,
have they closed all the bars in France?
Has all the tuition and long hours spent extolling the virtues of self-medication, been for nothing?
Alcohol will cure you. *
*May require repeated dosage – if symptoms persist, please contact H2H
There’s nowt on Spamakh on Pravda yet, Ollie?
NorCal,
A Messi Dribbler? You must have seen a few in the Tollington, surely?
Heh, amatures. 😉
zico
Well, according to Nonny, all dribblers are c*nts.
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2013/01/04/151203_chamakh-prete-a-west-ham-off.html
France Football say it’s done, TS.
Oui Ollie et Jamie de Young Guns
TS, now you are putting it all in doubt with that latter source, you know…..
Arseblog says that Arshavin rejected a loan deal to Reading. I am so disappointed by this unprofessional attitude.
I have always supported him but now, just hope we can get him off our books. What a waste of money.
Heh! I genuinely thought he was one of the really reliable ones, dare I say it, an ITK even. But what do I know…?
He’s very well known for copying stuff from other people and claiming it as his own, TS….
Jamie’s a rotter? Thanks for the tip Ollie. The fact that he writes for The Metro should have been a warning sign to me.
Many happy ones TS
You can believe now, TS! 🙂
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/marouane-chamakh-loaned-to-west-ham-united
It’s a sweet thought that at some point in the not too distant future, each of Denilson, NB52, Squillaci, Arshavin and Chamakh will be off the wage bill entirely.
In their place will be (hopefully) half a dozen decent, committed squad players on 60kish each (so, decent footballers you’d hope), pushing for first team spots and helping plug the gaps when injuries hit.
I feel like I’ve spent the last two years dreaming of such a time, when the squad is not fully 25% dead wood.
You can also write off Lewis Holtby as a cunt:
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2013/01/04/171721_holtby-a-tottenham-en-juin.html
(even if it will only be apparent next season)
It is omelettes and eggs. No eggs – no omelettes! It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem.
Ollie, we have 10 Lewis Holtbys in our team. We need someone else.
That’s not my point. My point is just that he’ll be playing with a chicken on a basketball on his shirt.
In the HT, there are no class one, two or three.
Only Class A, Class B and Class C.
Cheers ‘Holic, it was a good day.
Ta for the link Ollie. I only hope our transfer IN team are being as pro-active as our OUT team.
Barack
When the seagulls follow the trawler…. 🙂
Credit where its due : Park, Vela,Denilson, Chamakh, TGSTEL – getting rid off all the above in one season is a cracking piece of business.
Sajit, sorry to be a pedant but only Vela is off the books. It’s taken two seasons as well.
TS
If you eat seagulls every day it’s difficult to return to trawlers
West Ham supporting mate – Can’t believe we’ve signed that useless cunt from you lot
Me – You liked him when he was playing for us
Him – That’s BECAUSE he was playing for YOU and not US.
😀
Good point Barrack.
Sausage omlette, please ! 😉
First Friday post-work Guinness of the year. I’ve missed it 😉
Thank fuck it’s the weekend, because I was definitely feeling worse today than yesterday.
Lewis Holtby to sign for the Spuds on a free.
Trev, would the omlette be made from seagull eggs?
Hey all and a Happy New Year to the best Gooners in the world!
I am going to be honest and say that I did so much real drinking over the New Year period that back-drinking 570+ drinks gives me a headache just thinking about it! So, with that in mind, I apologise if I repeat lots that has already been said before.
Anyway, feelings after Southampton are that, yet again, the massive deficiencies in this squad were laid bare for all to see. This squad is WEAK, full stop. Truth be told, a very tired Newcastle made us look much better than we truly are and, although the result was a joy to behold, there were times when we looked like getting beaten by them until they ran out of steam.
Southampton ran for 90 minutes, looked like they wanted it more and should have gotten what they deserved if we are honest about it. We lucked our way into a point and thank Dennis for that. But, as I have said on a few occasions this season already, all a team really needs to do to give us a game at the very least is run a lot and keep doing so for the full 90. When teams turn up and give us space we destroy them. When they park the bus we struggle. When they genuinely try to get a decent pressing game going with views to counter-attacking should the opportunity arise, they tend to walk away with 1 or 3 points. Our lack of a plan B again or simply other managers are now smarter than Arsene? Surely it has to be one or the other, doesn’t it?
I am not calling for heads to roll, but I believe we can all see that Wenger is, as always, fudging around regarding transfers. Why the delay? Hasn’t it been obvious since the inevitable injury to Diaby, since the inevitable and continuing poor form of Arshavin, since the inevitable overuse of a returning from injury due to overuse LJW and the oh so inevitable and obvious to see from the moment we sold The Rotter hole in the attacking end of the pitch that we need players with the quality to get on the pitch and make a difference and NOW?
I have said for a long time that January will show us where the board and the manager have placed their priorities and, failing some fairly impressive action in the window (and some obvious targets have already made their way to other clubs) we are probably watching the end of an era when all we really want is to see the old magic return in time to save the manager and the season.
Fingers very much crossed that the man at the top gets this one right.
Good luck to Chamakh.
Some of us Arsenal supporters are very quick to dismiss footballers that do not obviously sparkle with the technical brilliance which we have found ourselves almost entitled to expect. 14 goals in 67 appearances a large number of which was played as late second half substitute is not the record of a ‘useless’ player, and to add the decent number of penalties and free-kicks own.
Our tactical rigidity which precludes the variation in formation within a single match made sure Chamakh didn’t get much chance once RVP was fit, but there were matches where he could have been more effectively used. A successful example was the away 4-3 loss last season at Blackburn, there were many other matches where he could have been used similarly. He was a more than decent player for Bordeaux and he had contributed well to the very bright start for the 10-11 campaign.
A great team is able to keep different types of players with varying degrees of qualities in the same position happy and use them appropriately. We have become too rigid in formations that are too dependent on one or two players.
Thierry @ 574 — I think there are two fundamental problems (more than lack of quality in individual positions) with our game now: a. lack of cohesiveness and understanding which are really pre-requisites for the type of football the team is built around to play and b. tactical rigidity and lack of adventure.
For (a), we cannot expect anything else with the astonishing player turnovers and squad reformations we have been having in recent years. Hope this group — and with the few necessary addition — stays together for a while.
For (b), we all know Arsene is a genius and he has proved the pundits and commentators and fans and all of our self-evident conclusions wrong many times, but over the last couple of seasons there have been too many odd decisions made (leading to poor result). I am sure there were great reasons for each of those individually considered, but collectively the lack of strategic success in key moments of important matches paint a relatively negative picture of tactical failures. The Southampton match was a great example: almost everyone was puzzled why TR7 was not introduced at any stage in a game that could definitely do with directness and some urgency. Similarly, once Giroud was brought on not a single quality cross was delivered into the box. Similarly, no attempt at using Arteta’s significant creative abilities by pushing him up. Etc. etc.
Given the way the football market is today with money and scouting networks, we will never be able to assemble a squad with depth and quality like we used to have in Arsene’s halcyon days (imagine players of the ability of Kanu and Wiltord as squad players). And neither can we expect to unearth a Cesc to revolve the team around (maybe Jack in 3-4 years?)…we need to be able to vary strategically not only over a season but sometimes within a match and use our resources optimally. The idea that we are essentially wasting someone of Arshavin’s — albeit mercurial — abilities while paying him big wages where a better handling of the situation may have seen us enjoying meaningful cameo appearances by the little Russian from the bench shows that not everything is right with respect to strategy and man management in our club.
Doctor Faustus, I’m still up for a blood contract.
Cheers, pint of it on Lars’ tab.
Dr. F. @ 575: Well said, sir. Chamak was indeed crucial for a fair spell of games.
AA reminds me of the same. I was just sitting here thinking of the 4 goals he took against Liverpool. And that cracker of shot to make it 2-1 against those cheating shits from Barca … (a tie we shoulda taken but for the red card on the Dutch D-bag; and perhaps if Bendtner could FINISH!!! But i digress). I wish that AA was on the squad sheet week in/week out.
Wasn’t it Landraup (sp.) for Swansea who said, in essence, Arsenal are easy to play against? Seems he’s got that one right, as its always the same thing. And that’s annoying and frustrating.
Funny though. We as supporters want beautiful football. Er … no we want wins, cups, and glory! Er … no, we want players with sublime technique and skill — but that also get wins, cups, and glory!
Fickle lot we are. I try to remember that its a sport, where anything can happen. That’s why for example, despite glaring supperiority on the squad sheets between Chels. and QPR they play the match anyway.
And i do echo the observation, expressed here previously, that the beautiful (and effective) passing game that was Arsenal, is no longer. We get only glimpses of it. (But frankly, i’d take the ugly wins.)
Its just now Jan. 4. If its Jan. 24 and all that’s happened is Chamak was loaned out, then maybe I’ll start to grumble.
Best of luck to Chamak BTW. Would love to see him knock in a bunch of goals.
Cheers holics.
Poll : Does David Villa [if it happens] excite any of you?
Looks more like we are again scraping here. I love Villa, no question. But I think he is past it, 32 and now injury prone.
Another case of a player such as Shava, who will come in to Premiership way too late to adapt to the Premiership style.
If we had got Villa 4-6 years ago, I would have drooled, but right now, it looks like we are just trying to scrape for Barca hasbeens.
Having said all this – still will be better than Chamakh.. so..
Wow! Philippe Auclair & Blogs ripped into our tactical shortcomings on The Arsecast. A bit depressing but hard to argue against….?
FA cup hunting in Wales.
A combination that brings to my mind the Millennium Stadium in May 2001.
I know that stadium in Cardiff was to prove a fairly happy hunting ground subsequently, but, to this day, I still don’t know how we lost that cup final. I remember at least two goal line clearances and Liverpool’s dutch keeper capping (see what I did there?) one of those displays with a point blank save from TH14. And that day the Scallys also had Henchoz playing reserve goalkeeper, conceding such a blatant penalty, that Stevie Wonder would have struggled to miss it. Ah, the officials were crap then as well, it seems.
Of course, we only need look as far back as either a few weeks, or (if you want a slightly longer perspective), last season, to know that Swansea is not an assignment we can look forward to with any sense of anticipation. Talk of rotation is in the air, and given that our best 11 on the day at the Emirates could not match the Swans for ball retention, goal-scoring or even desire, a few weeks ago, then a change in personnel might not be the worst idea.
Except to say who do you rotate, and with whom? Rosicky and Mertesacker could come straight into the team from those missing last week, but who else? Corporal Jenks probably for Sagna (give him time to come out of his trance), but beyond that, it’s not as if we have a whole series of squad players that Arsene has suddenly decided to start trusting, so what will the team look like, come Sunday?
Fact is, I don’t care – I just want us to win the tie.
If we want to win it, we have to hope for the free-scoring Arsenal to turn up. If they don’t, then there will be 90 plus minutes of worrying which player will make the unforced, un-necessary, defensive fuck up that removes even the need for a replay at our place. So assuming it is the former, how many will we need to score to win? More than five, yikes?
I’m beginning to pine for that Arsenal, back, you know the one that used to score one, concede none? The current vintage is playing havoc with my blood pressure. And as the game is on Sunday, I have to watch it sober, so that I can run around at 7 a-sides in the evening, in full denial of my midlife crisis. 😉
Come on Arsenal, you owe it to my heart.
Sajit – Villa would be an excellent signing IMO
Midlife crisis? What midlife crisis? 😉
TS – Past examples of Arshavin and Shevechenko dont worry you?
Heh @ 583
Coming to a cinema near you, 😉
TS –
haven’t heard the Arsecast yet, but it’s pretty hard to argue with Bloggs’ post today, where he’s talking about Arsene’s transfer double speak.
Without repeating it all here, what difference does it honestly make to our midfield, centre back, left back and goalkeeper situations whether Theo signs his new deal or not.
If Miquel is ready now, then all well and good. But how can he be when I understood he has been injured for some time ?
And whether he is or not, surely Theo is not going to play central striker AND left back.
I know, cards close to the chest and all that, but to hear one day “We are looking to strengthen everywhere”, and the next, “Let’s make sure the players who are here stay here first, and then we will see if we need anything if we look outside”.
AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!
Like Zico, my blood pressure won’t stand it any more.
I’m with Sajit on the Villa situation.
A few years ago, I would ofr jumped forv joy, but he’s not a shadow of his former self since his leg break, which he still hasn’t fully recovered from and may never will.
To tell the truth the whole transfer window leaves me cold, I can’t really get excited about any of our so called targets because I honestly don’t see who would make such a major difference.
I’d prefer we stuck with what we had and played to their strengths rather then the 433/451 or whatever it is that was clearly designed for the type of player that has already left us other the last few years.
I haven’t had time to listen to the Arsecast yet, but if they have berated the tactics then I’m on the same page as them. We’re set up to do the tippy tappy, but we can’t. We’ve literaly got a new team, so surely it makes sense to cut our cloth accordingly.
Ofcourse I’ll welcome any new addition, but I’d welcome a formation/tactical shake up even more.
Sorry to be a doomonger, folks, but we`ll probably be the last London club, at least, to conduct any business, if at all. Fulham and the Hammers have already made signings, Holtby has just agreed to join the Spuds, Chelsea are about to, and old trouty will get several in at QPR. While we are looking for `value` or players `of the right quality`, others are strengthening their squads at least. I expect we are waiting for the final week to see if we can get any of the remaining players for a knockdown price. We may not even be looking seriously yet, let alone talking to the clubs of possible targets. The joke is that in todays Mail (Bleaugh!) we are quoted as having by far the largest, at £70m, transfer budget in the PL. We might as well not have a pot to piss in.
Trev I read someone the other day(Martin keown I think)saying arsene was being very clever making Theo feel wanted saying he was our priority first and foremost.not to mention whatever he says getting thrown back at him ie the shitstorm he will have to hear over declaring an interest in holtby and then not getting him.
“Lets make sure that those players that are here stay here first.”
Interesting words from the boss. What a shame we did not put such a policy in place 3/4 years ago??????
Biscuitbum, you do realise that the Holtby signing is for the summer though, and that it is hardly relevant to this transfer window in terms of what one team needs NOW.
Yep,
I agree H2H – I feel that the free-scoring Arsenal I referred to above is in spite of our tactical approach, a lot of the time, rather than because of it.
I also think Wenger’s slavish attitude to system and formation has been partly responsible for the demise in some players’ careers e.g. Arshavin, Bendtner (an ordinary talent perhaps, but not as bad as he was made to look when forced to play out wide).
Oh and all of what Trev said about Blogs piece today on Wenger-speak.
garsguns,
Theo hasn’t been too bothered about being wanted for 18 months, and I’m past caring about his sensibilities.
And please, no more of the “you wouldn’t feel very wanted if you were only offered £75,000 per week – and FMV” – FMV for WHAT ?
Being injured and fairly poor most of the time, then, just because you say you are, you are suddenly a finest plateful of Russian Caviar, and not just a pair of porly seasoned old chipolatas.
And, I am now at the point where I don’t care if Arsene puts on his SuperWenger suit and says “I am going to boldly go where no Arsenal manager has been before, and sign Falcao, and Pirlo, and Messi, and drag van Persie back here by the nads”, only to have to admit three weeks later that it all went wrong.
Three weeks of dreaming that something amazing was going to happen.
One super positive moment of ambition and bravery and boldness.
Isn’t that what Happy Trains were built for ???
Over to you Feelgood, YES, FEELGOOD everybody, FEEL GOOD !!!!
Trev knows.
Oh, so it’s MY fault?
Bloody medicine men…..
Dr. F
I agree with you on both counts, but if I add those points to the others I have already made I find myself thinking or even saying something that I do not wish to say again, at least not until the end of January.
Your point regarding TR7 at Southampton is a very valid one and it begs the question:
Is Arsene more worried about losing than winning or is TR7 not actually fit enough to be on the bench…
Which leads to more questions, depending on the response:
If Arsene is more afraid of losing a match than risking a little to win a match, how can that be changed or, if it cannot be changed, is he still the right man for the job?
Do the team believe in their ability to win matches and should we even expect them to if the boss doesn’t?
If TR7 is on the bench but not fit enough to play, why are we still waiting to sign the midfielder(s) that we so clearly need if a player that is an unfit or not yet ready can make the bench?
Worrying stuff, but here’s hoping that the pressies that Santa will SURELY bring will answer a few of those questions at least!
Arsene’s double speak and pseudo-intellectualising of transfers is becoming laughable. When you consistently miss out on signing “proven” talent that can improve your “squad” immediately to your rivals no less, yet retain those that are clearly not good enough or continue buying “potential”, it’s utterly indefensible.
What pisses me off even more NOW is he talks of retaining players as being more important! What about the Dutch Douché bag, Song, Nasri, etc?! Where they not worth retaining? Could you not have tied them down when 2.5 years was left on their contracts? Or if not keep them until your gave “ready replacements” regardless of the financial loss? I’d rather he said nothing at all or admit that he has made mistakes rather than just spout the usual garbage defending his and the clubs perennial position which now leaves me very cold! Every other top club now has the “same” world-wide scouting networks that we have. Hell, even Newcastle’s and Swansea’s appear to be better than ours right now: Both clubs that were in the Championship less than 3 seasons ago!
If we do not make any “squad improving” signings before the end of January then the dereliction of duty from ALL of those concerned will be indefensible!
Auclair on the Arsecast is spot on!
Trev @593 knows!
Meh
Clips it the the far post…..
Trev always knows, DanC. Just as sure as I do ‘assists’ 😉
And great goal!
And Bang!
Bugger!
Those crosses that hit the post and then get in, always make for excellent viewing.
Of course it’s always harder to pretend they’re intentional goals when you write your intentions for all to see on the drinks 😀
tabs, your 602 is worthy of a 601 I’d say! 😉
I do love it when you get angry Trev 🙂
I also think keeping The-o should be a priority but NOT our only one and it certainly should have no bearing whatsoever on strengthening other areas of the squad (GK, DM) unless we’re about to blow £50M and £250K/week for a Falcao (yeah right).
The Villa rumours seem to be currently gaining momentum which prob means he’s either not coming or he’ll join in the summer.
IMO, there’s still a very ‘end of era’ feeling in all that’s going on both on the field and off it. It’s not that AW isn’t a genius. It’s just that his time at The Arse may well be up for the benefit of all, including the great man himself.
*puts Paint It Black back onto the turntable*
See… I get number 606 and I talk-spite 🙁
PS: Excellent point Steve T @ #590. Oh to have convinced RVP to have stayed with us for just one more year.
Oooh, it inadvertently nestles into the top corner!
“Runs towards the away supporters in a bid to exhibit meaningful intent with the finish”. “Lifts his short to reveal a message – “Come and get me Arsene, I can improve your squad this January””! 😎
Usmanov. Dein.
RvP was unconvincible, don’t fool yourself.
Yes Steve T, I do, indeed, know !
I know I would like to sit at the table and dare, just once, to look at the posh starters on the menu.
To imagine what those super-super quality entrees must taste like as they dissolve on the tongue.
To almost drown in a bowl of Zabaglioni, as truffles melt before they hit the taste buds.
I know I would love to sneer at the sausuage and chips, huddled next to the third rate strawberry ice cream.
No, I would actually like to be able to ignore the bargain bucket end of the menu all together.
Just once. Forget that I have been conditioned to expect only sausage, and wonder how the hell I will pay for anything better over the course of the next two years.
And yes, Feelgood, I know it is all your fault !!!
You sold me a seat made of Caviar, and Zabaglioni, and Tiger Prawns, and I have found myself shoved to the back of the carriage amongst old sacks of out of date sausages and strawberry ice cream.
DanC, sign da ting, DanC, DanC, sign da ting!
Cheers Ollie! Hope the lurgy’s well on the way to abating?!
Ollie 🙂
Up and down, thanks DanC. Really struggled today. Though I was coughing less, I generally felt weaker, the afternoon at work was painful.
Feeling better again tonight, so hopefully the weekend will leave me the time to completely recover.
– Not so sure Ollie, missing out on the “one” spot is like a dagger through my heart. End of an era maybe? 😉
– Phillippe Auclaire very good today on the Arsecast I thought when he offered some constructive criticism. All pretty valid stuff.
– Transfer talk? Meh. It’s only the 4th January ffs.
– Villa? Completely in the same corner as H2H and Sajit. £15m for a 32 year old? Meh! It won’t happen. Nor should it.
All this waiting for Theo before we do anything stuff is crap anyway.
Take a player like Zaha. I don’t know or care if he is brilliant or shit, as it seems we’re not signing him. This decision has been presented as n “When Theo signs, we don’t need Zaha” scenario, but how about signing up Theo AND adding Zaha, then we can get rid of fucking Gervinho?
Strengthening. A difficult concept to grasp for Arsene Wenger it seems.
Thinking about it, it wouldn’t surprise me if we did sign a striker and a wide player though. We’ve got rid of Chamakh, trying to get rid of Arshavin and Gervinho you might as well write off for the rest of the season, because of the ACN.
Darren Bent and Wayne Routledge to come in then 😉
Ollie – Allow me to wallow for as few moments. It doesn’t matter. Nothing can change what’s happened. I tend to agree with what you say although most footballers have a price, if you get my meaning.
Forwards.
Was reading a novel today where most of the main characters died of the bubonic plague, Ollie.
Bent would be alright Nonny. He’s neither sausage nor caviar but something in between.
tabs 615, when I said it is ‘worthy of it’, I obviously meant, it really was the perfect post for a 601. I was not suggested that getting 602 itself was a worthy thing.
Sort of a sturgeon crossed with a pig, TS?
Something like ‘The Stand’, Nonny?
heh at 621
Wolifie in with a Bang AND a Bugger @602 and 603.
Plus sa change …….. 🙂
It was a book about the English kicking the French arses in the middle ages 😉
Thankfully I seem to not have all the symptoms of the bubonic plague.
There is hope.
heh Trev
TS @606 knows!
The Holtby to the LWCs free summer transfer is further evidence of that! A player we were clearly interested in adding to our squad and would’ve cost relatively little moolah in wages!
Most now looking at Arsenal from outside-to-in are believing that the End-of-An-Era is upon us! Very painful to see! If Zaha goes to Auld Purplenose, then that’ll be the final nail in the coffin!
Of course, I’ll still sign Da T’ing is picked Ollie! 😎
Trev@610,
Yummy. Just what the chef’s rustling up for one this Friday evening. “As he adorns his blazer and cravat in preparation for supper…”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20917594
They buggered off when the fans chanted “You green bastards, you green bastards”
Heh trev silly season gets to us all and arsene doesn’t help anyone’s blood pressure for sure I’m sure at this stage we can trust the boss to say:noo I not bid for mvilla abou is back and looks great plus frimmpong is back and so on,Theo might think he’s Russian caviar but I don’t. far from the finished article if it ever happens.sure as anything if he buggers off to the mancks he will come good the swine.
A blazer and cravat for supper, DanC. Sounds a bit chewy …….
Kind of a ‘jacket’ potato, I guess ……
Nonny @618,
Who gives a rat’s arse?! 😉
David Bentley ? 🙂
I think Theo is just being placated publicly. I believe the spouting about “not all being about money” and how he’s suddenly now “an option down the centre” is all posturing really. I think they’re absolutely terrified that Fergie will table an offer now that he’s showing some form. While that would be a PR disaster, it will never be as bad as loosing RVP. The public pronouncements seek to smoothen the backround discussions and try to take all excuses off the table. The big plus, from the clubs perspective, is that Theo would not be assured playing time with any of the other clubs any more that where he currently is. I’ve never been more indifferent about loosing a player. I honestly think he’s completely overrated even at 75k a week, let alone the muted 90k thats currently on the table. For me, its money that could be spent better elsewhere after 8 years of utter mediocrity. What I see mostly now, is an ego that serves the self and not the team.
I was travelling today – so I downloaded the arsecast and tuned into Auclair whom I always find interesting. I was somewhat surprised by the interview. It was the first time I noted a genuine sense of perplexion and disquiet on his front. He mentions that “lack of spring” or “swing” been missing for some time now. Of course he’s right. And his observations on the lack of tactical acumen, or how the AA situation has been mishandled are also relevant points.
And like others, I too was amazed at some of Arsene’s pronouncements in relation to transfers. But I just try to take it all with a pinch of salt – as its clear he doesn’t want to say too much about anything. By getting Chamahk, Djourou and potentially Squillaci / AA out – it will free up some of the wage bill to subsidise the players he wants to bring in. Like you all, I just hope they’re of the right quality and in the right areas. A few good signings would be a positive lift for everyone at the club.
Trev,
Heh 🙂 Very lean m’Lord..
I’m off for a Tia Maria and a lie down 🙁
A lie down with Tina and Maria?! 😎
Our Squad – Sausages or Eggs? Fish or Fowl?
============================
Sir Chez – Fish eggs, could be Sturgeon.
Fabi/Don Vito – Eggs on the face.
Gibbs – Quails eggs, soft boiled.
Sagna – Caviar, not the finest.
Jenks – Eggs benedict, could get fishy in a year or two.
Santos – The finest fish and chips.
BFG – Devilled ostrich eggs.
Kos – Quails eggs, very hard boiled.
Verminator – Sometimes fish eggs, sometimes fowl eggs.
Djourou – Looked like caviar but ended up tasting like bratwurst.
Santi – Beluga, mature.
Jack – Beluga, immature.
Arteta – Perfectly formed and mature fish eggs but taste doesn’t compliment Beluga that well.
Arshavin – Perfectly formed chipolata (thanks Trev).
Diaby – Eggshells.
Rosicky – See Sagna.
Ramsey – Caviar in the making but currently tastes like a cumberland sausage.
Coquelin – Saucisson et oeuf de poulet.
Frimpong – Blood sausage and ecky thump.
Ox – See Jack
The-o – It says caviar on the menu….
LPod – Fish eggs, watch the sell by date.
Gervais – Battered sausage
Giroud – Beatles eggs.
Chamakh – Young sausages used for unspeakable things (allegedly) & passed sell by date.
638 brilliant.
Trev. That is exactly the point. Why should you not eat of the better menu? If you can afford it that is? If your wallet allows then what is the problem with that? Nothing I would suggest. Juts think what reaction you would get if you had promised Mrs Trev for the last 4 years that things were definitely on the up and that there would be no more Little Chefs for a night out, only to fail to deliver. Now Mrs Trev knows full well that you are able to afford to dine at far more up market establishments, but for some reason the Little Chef it still is???? I have no doubt that she would be less than happy.
This is the most important transfer window in Arsene’s reign. If he gets this wrong then I would go so far as to suggest that he may not get another chance to put things right. Yes, it is that important.
TS Eggsellent…..
Trev @624 heh 🙂
Evening all,
HNY to all,
Happy birthday TS.
For those that are interested,
There is a quite wonderful post on ANR,by a Liverpool supporter,in defense of AW’s record at Arsenal.
I must admit to being quite taken aback that a fan from another club could put so much time and effort into a Post about a Manager at another club.
it really is an excellent offering,and if the figures are to be believed,it is also an eye opener as to the overall cost to Utd if Van Persie stays for the full tenure of his contract.
The post is under the heading,’ Massive Rant from a Wenger fan ‘.
For those rusted on Holic’s that can be bothered to read it,i would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the Post.
Cheers
The Sweeper
If Theo was at any other so called top club in any other country he most probably would of been shipped out ages ago.
The problem is that over the last few years we’ve lost too many “stars”.
With all due respect, Theo is famous for just being famous, he’s never really done anything of note except for costing a lot of dough and getting an England call up at way too young an age. If you consider that there have been 3 World Cups since Theo joined us and the fact that he is still only 23 it puts into perspective the ridiculousness of this whole situation.
In which other team, when you look at his erradic contribution, would Theo honestly be considered a “star”? Yet here we are getting strung along by a wannabe. He’s obviously got a degree of talent and potential, but aren’t those the very reasons we signed him eight, yes eight bloomin years ago? I’m sure that if you’d of asked any gooner this time last year if they cared if Theo left the answer would of probably been a big fat “MEH”.
Now I keep hearing stuff like “give him what he wants” and its “imperative that he signs”. Once again the media spotlight outshines his talent and real value 100 to 1. He has become the be all and end all of the Arsenal, if we lose him then we will forever cement our reputation as a selling club, the club that can’t keep hold of it’s “stars”, a feeder club for the big boys. The whole saga encapulates everything that is wrong with the game today, the brinkmanship from the player smiling smugly at the camera while his scumsucking agents hold the club over a barrell behind the scenes, sickening and it’s become beyond tedious. To tell the truth it’s come to the point where I literaly couldn’t give a toss either way and that is a sad place to be.
Arsenal Bloody Arsenal.
TS @638,
Heh 🙂 A culinary deli-ght!
One should also add the Head Chef: Le Boss; Beluga – Near Expiration?!
Blimey, you lot are prolific… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
H2H knows. Preach it brother. I think I’m sailing in the same boat as H2H regarding this ridiculous situation.
I’m not sure what annoys me most; the sheer inconsistency of the team who keep promising to string together a good run of results, who can produce devastating performances along with some gritty performances (1-1 at City) who then fail to beat teams in the bottom half of the table. Far too often are teams like Southampton, Norwich and Villa (no disrespect, but teams we should be beating) given credit for ‘wanting it more’ or ‘working their socks off’ when Arsenal simply don’t turn up. But what I think annoys me more is when the squad doesn’t perform, is the ability to ‘win ugly’ or lack of. Who can Arsene call for from the bench? When United have Hernandez and City have Dzeko, impact players, who can we call upon? Chamakh, Gervinho and Ramsey, hardly impact players to say the least.
This only highlights the need for Arsenal to get rid of the ‘sausages’ and replace them with some consistent, experienced, high quality players. Move the likes of the Ox (who’s time will come) Arteta and Mertesaker (who have seen their best days) to the bench and create some squad depth. Its a mixture of empty promises from the board and a lack of commitment from some players. I have never agreed with needless spending but at some point someone will have to realise you have to spend money to make money?