The Time Has Come To Show Classenal Again
Mar 2nd, 2013 by 'holic
Fifty three weeks ago, and I wouldn’t be an old boy if I didn’t add it seems like yesterday, I previewed the North London derby thus.
‘At a time when the natives are getting more vociferously restless to a lesser or greater degree, the Arsenal face a make or break test of that oft-mooted ‘mental strength’. It is perhaps fate that has thrown together the North London neighbours so soon after we have suffered poor losses in Champions League and FA Cup.’
Fast forward nine months and we were preparing for THE London derby again.
‘..lower-key it most definitely is not for the respective managers, both of whom know uncomfortable days lie ahead for the loser.’
So here we are again. Once more the fixture has added significance. For the second season running our friends and neighbours have the opportunity to put a potentially decisive distance between them and us in the pursuit of Champions League football next season. The big difference this time is that we have to travel to the dark end of the Seven Sisters Road, and that may have some bearing.
We have lost two and drawn two in Premiership visits to the Lane since last securing all three points there in September 2007 thanks in part to two goals from Emmanuel Adebayor. It is heartening to see him this season just twenty-seven goals short of the thirty he scored in that one good campaign for him. If reports of Jermain Defoe’s return from a mysterious injury are true then I would not be surprised to see him preferred up front for the hosts.
We can skirt around the issue all we like, but we have to accept that Gareth Bale is going through a purple patch and it is no surprise to see the media play up his value ahead of a match that will sell newspapers. The fact that Bale has figured in the last two matches, both won 5-2 by us, seems to have escaped the attention of some. Arsene rather wisely has played down the threat, although I have no doubt he has been preparing his side for the much less rigid role that Bale now has.
Carl Jenkinson should deputise for the injured Bacary Sagna again, but it is likely that Mikel Arteta will see more of Tottenham’s much hyped main threat in his role as protector of the central defenders. Bale’s willingness to get shots away from the edge of the box must be matched by a determination to get bodies in the way should danger loom.
Let’s also hope that the Spurs players share Scott Parker’s view of Arsenal being deflated by their narrow and late triumph against the same West Ham we stuck eight goals past this season. That’s only two goals less than we have scored against the neighbours in the last two meetings, and therein lies the extent of the task facing them. If Arsenal do get going then we have shown we have the firepower to seriously hurt them. Even Per Mertesacker hit the target in November!
The ‘holic pound cannot ignore the fact that this game tends to throw up goals, and lots of them. 39 in the last 8 meetings to be precise since a 0-0 at the Lane in February 2009. I cannot help but be attracted by the seriously tasty prices on offer for a 2-3 away win, and I am on it. I’m also tempted by a bet on us just to win, available anywhere at better than twos. The bookies really don’t fancy us, and they are rarely wrong, but I reckon they may just have misjudged this one. Click on the Gunners Gaming link above to back us at 7/3 (while that price holds!).
So there we are. If you have a ticket for the game keep your wits about you. For those watching elsewhere try to keep a sense of perspective throughout. In every derby game there are spells when the other lot are on top. The trick will be converting the opportunities that will occur, and recent history suggests we are better than them in that regard. They may have one huge threat, but we have half a dozen.
Let’s go prove it.
366 Responses to “The Time Has Come To Show Classenal Again”
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A new job?
For the second season running or friends and neighbours
Well you asked for it: Who (or rather where) are ‘u’ ?
Nice one ‘H.
3-0 to The Gunners.
No sweat.
Baffles me why the other lot even continue to turn up.
I thought I had hidden it better than that. Well spotted Ollie. Your job is safe
Baffles me why the other lot even continue to turn up.
Brilliant TaBS, love it.
Cheers, ‘holic!
And I would love the ‘holic pound to come good.
I shall therefore make no prediction myself.
As I said, I have retired since tipping the right score last weekend (but of course not betting, heh). :p
In other news, as I predicted, Reading sold out quickly, although even quicker that I would have thought.
I shall be keeping an eye on Tx from now on then.
Face to face with eternity, not later…but now.
Hark now hear the Arsenal sing!
Yessso!
That’s the spirit Esso
“White Hart Lane, may you rot and burn in hell.
May your walls fall and may I live to tell.
May all the world forget you ever stood.
And may all the world regret you did no good.”
Nice preview Guv, I love me a call to arms post everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Massive heh @ Adebayor been ‘just’ twenty seven goals away from the number he scored when he played for the good guys. We will win tomorrow if we hit the ground running and stop a certain patron of this bar from making any sort of predictions and/or observations before and during the game. Come on You Gunners!
Just punted on 2-3 at 33′s, 2-4 at 100/1, and a third successive 2-5 at 200/1.
Come on you riproaring reds!
I shall stay away from the internet in all its forms during the game, Cent!
Would love to be in the CL again and draw St Etienne next season.
*takes notes of all the guaranteed not-happening scores* :=
Nice work ‘holic . You have added a sense of balance much missing in the media and your point about Bale is well made. We were in a much worse place than this last season especially when 2-0 down with Mike Dean in charge. Hopefully our lads really do appreciate just how big this game is to us all but above all the club need a win.
Interestingly I was at the FA Vase today watching Tunbridge Wells move closer to Wembley. I overheard two worried Spurs fans saying that they had nasty feelings about tomorrow. Let’s hope we can prove them right.
The media have been more obnoxious than ever this week with their continuing circle jerk over Bale and the ‘lol isn’t Wenger stupid not having a plan to deal with him’ line they’ve taken. So a win would be doubly satisfying. We can do it!
Heh @ Ollie @14, I always knew you had the mental strength to take one for the team.
Holic’. I will be up at 4am Nz time to witness The Arsenal invoke a scorched earth policy at WHL. After our boys have corrected the recent imbalance in the universe, perhaps a certain G. Bale can concentrate his magical powers into solving the middle east crisis, or discovering a cure for cancer. Or he could just fuck off.
Sometimes, Charlie, I wonder if people in the media are really stupid or only pretending to be….
Stop pondering Ollie. They’re stupid.
just was forced by herself to re-read my recent past on this here – here
only to be embarrassed by the waffling of me
but i’d hope that you could ascertain ‘holic which posts were mine and which were not – most were mine to be fair
i’ve had the same problem in ‘the other place’ before – when the house was full of drunk relatives and i was – in my mind – the main man in The Marcels doin’ the low part of Blue Moon -singin my heart out but leavin the laptop open on both gooner pages for arseholes to take the piss outta me
anyhoo
won’t happen again but probably will
apologies in advance
I completely missed the 5 red cards given in the Corsican Derby (Bastia vs AC Ajaccio), 4 for a brawl at the end of the game!
heh, thanks for the heads up, IF
Nice one Holic.
Without Bale in their side, this would be feeling very comfortable indeed. You have to be a bit tense given his current form, but we should really be able to restrict him enough for our, as you say, many options to outscore him.
And that’s what I think it will come down to. Defending has become a lost art these days, and it will come down to who finds the net most often.
Exciting ? Definitely.
Enjoyable ? Not ’til afterwards, if we have won.
Like the players, these are the games we want to be involved in, what “it” is all about.
I do, however, find myslf generally pretty irritable today in anticipation of tomorrows clash. In the longer term, I will share your sense of perspective.
During the game, I will be wanting to instantly sell every player who gives the ball away or misses a shot on goal, or does anything other than score or mash another Spud.
Afterwards, well, by about Monday afternoon, they will all be “my” Arsenal again, and there is not enough of the season left to do anything other than get behind them for every remaining game.
Come on Arsenal. We ARE better than them.
Like the man said – let’s go prove it.
Heh ‘H , liking the look of those bets. Just can’t see the LWC’s getting two though. They definitely played above themselves on the last 2 occasions
Schoolboy error Cba
Relax Trev.
It will be a stroll in the park.
You going Tabs ?
Would live to put Peter Storey on Bale for 5 minutes.
Ok, live=love
TaBS captures my pre-game mood perfectly while Trev equally paints a perfect picture of what will, most probably, be my mood during and after the game.
tabs
how right can you be
i only read some of the posts and
i know and recognise the way i build a sentence and a hangover
but as you say this elderly schoolboy made a very big moustache
.
no speedoes for me
evening smallgangs
#32 was me
that’s just the way i talk
just checked
what used to be a stash of limoncello and liquorice swally has gone
there was about 6 litre bottles of it
the lemon and the liquorice root were in separate drinks obviously
s’all about takin time to macerate
.
it appears grieving relatives or hangers on as i call them are thirstier than a pelican on smokey bacon crisps
Sunday Telegraph claim a “middle east consortium” have bid £1.5bn for the club, promising transfer funds and reduced ticket prices.
I detect the claw of Usmanov behind this story, which is almost certainly a fabrication. The timing fits his MO to perfection.
More transfers – cheap tickets – Utopia is here.
WAGNER AAHHTTT, KRONKY AAHHHTTT, USMAAN …… Ohh. ….
N7, i saw that too, mate, i was silently hoping nobody will bring it up till after tomorrow’s game, tuesday at the earliest.
N7@35: completely with you on that one, I don’t believe that story for one second.
the sunday telegraph ?
well
there you have it –
it’s official
.
Trev – Yeh quite possibly. Young Snowy suffering with a bad cold. Got my name down as first reserve if the Good man doesn’t make it.
Cba – Haha, no Speedoes indeed.
N7,Lars – Completely agree.
Last season we put them in their place and they obediently stayed there for the rest of the season. Just like the dogs they are. Come on let’s do it again. Put them in their place, stomp on them and keep stomping on them!!
Yes, Per Mertesacker did hit the target in November. But was the ‘holic pound on it or mistimed as usual?
evening tabs
s’always nice to say hello
Evening Cba, how goes it Sir?
With all the focus on Bale I think we often forget about the strength in our squad. If Arteta and Wilshere are able to keep Holtby and Dembele quiet Bale’s supply should be fairly limited as Adebayor tends to disappear for long periods. Not to mention the fact that Tottenham play a high line and so that should play right into Walcott’s hand.
alls as well as can be expected tabs – thanks for asking
and indeed how are you ?
am osmosising henry westons at the minute
it’s 8.2 and not unlike my own home brews you have to approach it with caution
my apfelwein needs to be thrown in the air and the alco-goodness eats through your scalp as you run through the plume
but for the restrictions between here and over there – i would bring some over on my soon to be organised trip to the home of football
it’s been two dozen years since i’ve seen ‘em
Yes, it was a German place but my choice was the English cider. Good food, good fun.
http://www.blackforestinnmpls.com/pgs/beerwine.php
You know that feeling we have when other teams above or just below us all lose or draw, and we know we can drag points back by winning? But then we fail to take the opportunity…
Well the good news is they have all won so far this week, so I am now confident that we will too!
A win by several, imo. 2-5 looks about right, aye.
Oskar
#47 bt8 – i have no idea who you are and apologies for running up to you on this imaginary night bus
nowt wrong with english cider
its the best in the world in my opinion
cba. Please have a cider on my tab. If Lars doesn’t mind, of course.
Very well Cba thanks Sir. Looking forward to giving the ugly neighbours a good seeing to tomorrow. I have ironed the 1971 commemorative Speedoes in preparation. The nasty lillywhites will be getting to see my Ray Kennedy tomorrow, oh yes.
Haha the Henry Westons sound the real deal.
I shall greet your long- awaited return to The Tollie in the manner of Joseph’s father. I shall wear a technicolour jacket, feed up the bird, and buy lots of beer.
any chance of a pint of fizzy crested ten , bt8
its about the same price
i’m sure i can beat the bubbles out of it
mind you – bt8 is the postcode for the arse end of the outside of the big taxi bill of belfast
one bizarreville out there is called four winds
never quite got that name
#51
Mr Bow Son – ’tis you and ‘holic and quite a few others that i look forward to saying hello to
been a gooner since the early/mid 70s
and as i said before to ‘holic on here
i’d be offended if he put his hand in his pocket to get me a jar
i’ve had free insights from him and all of you every week
so Lars is paying
What else are you gonna do on a Saturday? Sit in your fuckin’ armchair wankin’ off to Pop Idols? Then try and avoid your wife’s gaze as you struggle to come to terms with your sexless marriage? Then go and spunk your wages on kebabs, fruit machines and brasses? Fuck that for a laugh! I know what I’d rather do. Tottenham away, love it!
#54
who’d a thunk it
am not the only one
there’s only one slow gooley
one go slowly
theres only goo lowly
Cba – Haha, you’re right. Lars is paying. Twas ever thus
Evening Snir. We are as one. Never liked fruit machines anyway
I like a fruit machine.
Some say it’s better than the real thing.
Hi fellas. I wonder where Spus fans go to calm their nerves, before the NLD. Arsenal has a few really good bloggers. But I haven’t heard of who speaks for the Tiny Totts and helps lead them into battle. Just curious
Anyway Holic, sometimes your determination to see us through is palpable in your writing. This is one of those times. Well done 
smallballs
even the frandom ruit sweets are called confused now
its a small world without fabulousness i think
.
adjusts heterosexuality in a manly way
.
nope
.
done a mischief
#58
abb
i didn’t write that thing – that you must read shite poems
see my recent posts
thats one of the ones i didn’t do ‘holic
but i did do some of the drunken ones
.
i’m sure you weren’t up all night in turmoil worrying about an arsehole
Tis a small world indeed Cba.
Luckily I am here to keep the fabulousness quotient high
Might wear my Alan Sunderland xmas hat- trick Speedoes tomorrow. What a hair and ‘tache combo that man had.
The very essence of fabulousness!
Abb,
Most Totts don’t get out til tomorrow, no time for the nerves to build.
Day leave innit.
If however you feel the need for masochism I believe their numero uno rallier of the chimps is a chap called “Dear Mr Levy”.
indeed you are
and its a fabulous job you do
“ooh matron”
.
alan sunderland
still a name that brings great joy and happiness to any gooner of a certain age – shitin’ last minute on the northern foe
still makes the hair stand up on my arms thinkin about it
yee fuckin haaaa !
Lol Tabs
cba, no worries, please! 8ball, big hello to you (previous drinks) 
i’m a bit let down arsaBB
you’re too nice
as usual
.
i hope you’ll read my future pointless pointlessness in the same poetic way you did previosly
+ u
see !
not all abot me
.
Haha, you old flatterer Cba, you’ve made me go quite pink.
And on that note of curly- permed, arm-hair standing, effin’ and jeffin’ awesomeness that was Mr Alan Sunderland, I shall bid you all a good night.
For tomorrow citadels must be slayed, chimps must be tamed and the points must be taken.
It will be a busy day.
Goodnight all.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66169000/jpg/_66169596_66169595.jpg
zactly wolfie
fuck em
fuck em all !
COME ON YOU REDS !
Hi Nurse.
Goodnight Wolfie.
Hehs @ Wolfie.
cba,
they must make sure that yours is one of the very last wards to close down.
Thank you Tohoat,
Can’t look like that unless you have seriously experienced anal pain and discomfort.
Hi Cent
cba, I have my moments (big wink). Tabs, I did as you suggested and read his latest post. He said something I can’t quite understand. “Their (AFC) crisis is a failure to adjust to a reality that isn’t half as harsh as the tears would suggest.” Was an interesting read, but a tad impersonal. One thing for sure, Spur fans FEAR us, judging by their comments 
#70
“that they” is the couplet that should be inserted post extraction on your hilarious hilarity based hilariousness
or not
givusakiss
Even as a gooner, I have to say 1.5 bi is far too high an evaluation for Arsenal.
andy villsy bosey pickin’ his donkeys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XtVm8z28e4
can’t keep ‘em out the bushes !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXAZJ28s1rU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EbiALCI4Do
still my favourite
b-side of good old arsenal
i’ve got it my hands just now
and playing it electronically though
oohhhh the advance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8oGGm13qWo
cba,
Really like your mad stuff. @70 was not supposed to be hostile -at all – hence the winky.
After all, you never give anyone you don’t like, your winky, do you ?
trev
i would pay no attention to me
iffin i say something pointless
i would use that as a benchmark for my inanity
i love the collection of reprobates that inhabit ‘holics bar
its just occasionally that those that surround me do a wankydoodle
and endeavour to be intentionally rude to people – pretending they’re me
and thats not me
i call people cunts to their face should they require it
not computerwise
anyhoo – as a man who lived undercover in tottenham for years
COME ON YOU REDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘holic
you should get a “this is definitely so and so ” function in the bar
can i request a complicated algorithm to ascertain whether its me or not
i’m not complicated but i think the algorithm should be
Sound post Holic.
Had a good weekend in Plymouth so far, complementary food throughout the Open Day, excellent campus and subject tours, good subject talks, excellent quality of bird (and I ain’t talking about no Seagulls
), unlike London everyone is nice here, dare I say I’m liking this place a lot more than I thought I would :S
But the only downside. My coach to London leaves at 4:30pm. I’m going to miss the 2nd NLD of the season for the 2nd season in a row! A mix of BBC Sport and the bar will be used to keep pace, maybe the radio if the game is on, step up your game people! And you too Arsenal!
Heh cba, I always have a wry
when I see your name pop up as I backdrink 
wind
night time red eye buses are a way of life for me
i live away from where i work
mind you
now that you mention it
fuck this
thankyou wind
if i hear another one of my seventeen kids lookin for shoes
“wha whaa”
nope e dopey
if you’re old enough to shit in a nappy you’re old enough to go out and earn the money to buy ‘em
yup indeed
i think a small snooze is in order
cos i fear a roarin session might ensue later on today
yup
lillywhitecunts is not what i’m gonna shout
cos i’m from the north of ireland not the north of london
.
yeah – i’m a gooner of old
but later today “i shall be mostly screamin my fuckin head off for the ARSENAL”
can i wish all the ‘holics and the man himself a good fuckin roarin and shoutin match wherever you’re watchin it
Morning all,
Welcome to derby day.
This could be heaven or this could be hell…
cba, I shall keep a close watch on your ip when you transform into Jekyll.
Nice preview Holic.
Let’s go win, Gunners.
That lot don’t like it up ‘em.
Meanwhile, what’s with this £1.5b bid from a Middle Eastern consortium, then?
Mystery consortium, bath? Not having it.
One or other of Stan or Usmanov is testing the water. Probably the latter, but not certainly…
Sign the petition to have a Middle Eastern consortium take over Eurostar.
No takers? Bah. Would benefit me far more than Arsenal being another plaything of oil rich cunts.
Or Usmanov.
Oooh, one of the Gorams mistakenly revealed their true identity this morning!
(that will look very strange to anyone who didn’t spot the mistake
)
I am almost climbing the walls here, almost six hours to go – just under three until Beer o’clock. I have no idea what to do for those three hours, but at least I am now starting to feel excited about the game. It will be emotional, I will most likely be angry, terrified and happy all at once by the time the game starts but that’s football for you and without it my life would be rather boring
Up the Arse!
Haha; I think I get you there, Lars, well spotted! Need a combination with social media to understand though,doesn’t it?
Ollie, no need for social media here, just a matter of a bit of luck with the timing…
Come on Arsenal! Crucial game this
If we play our game and take our chance, (Giroud I am looking at you!) we should win this one!
Commmeee on You Gunnnnnerrrrs!
Morning all,
It’s here ! Great ! Oh shit ! Oh well ….
Sunday Times preview consists of nothing but Bale and, well, more Bale, by Sounness and even his old school PE teacher. And a dirty great picture of, you guessed it, Bale.
What exactly has this bloke done btw ?
He’s not as good as Jack Wilshere who gets no mention at all.
The only Arsenal news in said paper, is of the mystery consortium bid from the Middle East. Funny, isn’t it, how although we would all like to see the best players at Arsenal, every time there is talk of some multi billionaire taking the club over, I recoil at the prospect of becoming a petro-dollar fan, demanding to win the league every year because of the stellar squad we would have so artificially assembled.
No part of an Abramovichian farce for me thanks, or having to read how our uber-pressurised manager, whoever it may be, is slating his fed up, under performing players in the press again.
No, just the knowledge that we are doing everything we possibly can, with the resources we have.
I seem to have heard that somewhere before.
Here’s to a walk in a Wilshere Wonderland this afternoon.
You are my Arsenal,
My only Arsenal,
You make me happy
When skies are grey,
You’ll never know
How much I love you,
Please don’t take
My Arsenal away.
Once more unto the Shitheap, dear Gooners, once more;
Or close the Lane up with our Arsenal dead.
In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of Derby Day blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of Thierry;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour’d rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the Arsenal cannon; let the brow o’erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled Rocky
O’erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill’d with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest Gooners.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of Peruvian anti-riot suits!
Fathers that, like so many Herbert Chapman’s,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their Guns for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your Invincibles; now attest
That those whom you call’d fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to humiliate Hotspur. And you, good Gooners,
Whose limbs were made in Goonerland, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your Canon; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like Tony Adams in the Box,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry Denis for Arsene, Arsenal, and Saint Jack!’
LET’S FUCKIN’ HAMMER THE CUNTS!
“Whose blood is fet from fathers of Peruvian anti-riot suits!”
Proper poetry, mr Abowson!
Not wearing the feather hat and boa then Tabs ?
Nice one mate. Enjoy.
Haha, Cheers fellas, though I think Mr Shakespeare must take the credit for 99.99% of that.
Trev, sadly Good Man Snowy has failed her late fitness test, so am just leaving now to pick up the ticket and head over to Neanderthal Town.
Phone is buggered so will be incommunicado. Good luck everybody.
COME ON ARSENAL!
Cheers Tabs. Take care.
Podolski smashes 1
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL !!!
Must be an omen. I NEVER score.
Nice one tabs,trev you hatcher!cmon u gunners!
Have a good one tabs.
About an hour until I shall leave for the pub. Tick, tock, tick, tock…
Well in Trev. Feather hat and Boa (red and white) concealed about my person ready for the big reveal!
Good lurking for the glory position Garsguns
Right, really must go. Toodle pip.
Cheers fellas . Have a good one lads.
3-0 to us. No sweat.
Enjoy Wolfe go dazzle them!
…Let’s also hope that the Spurs players share Scott Parker’s view of Arsenal being deflated by their narrow and late triumph against the same West Ham we stuck eight goals past this season. That’s only two goals less than we have scored against the neighbours in the last two meetings, and therein lies the extent of the task facing them….</i)
Masterful.
COYG!!! FOYS!!!
Stay safe, tabs. GWS snowy.
And well in Trev!
You know what? Screw this sitting around doing bugger-all, I’m off to the pub
Magnificent TaBS
But take my advice,there’s nothing as nice, as kicking the @”@” outa Tottenham !!!
Come on you Reeeeeeeeeeds !!! Please
Mert 4-2 @ 900/1 would be nice lol or Walcott 3-1 or Giroud 4-1 would mean Happy Days in Chippys Manor, Scrap that just 3 points would do!!
*doffs cap to TaBs*
Here we go lads, here we go. Stand firm, stand behind the team and remember that they’ll still be in our shadow whatever happens today.
Good to see LWCs all over the press chatting shit about “the balance of power” while Arsenal say very, very quiet. Bodes well.
Oh, and fuck all the takeover chat. “The biggest problem with Arsenal is that they have no face” proclaim faceless, imaginary takeover syndicate. You’ve got to laugh.
Pains me how shit the arses are these days.
Blogs’ smiting stick is a bit of a joke really. Should be wielded like it is on here; personal abuse of gooners and people connected with the club will NOT be tolerated. Whatever anyone thinks of Le Boss, throwaway comments referring to him as a cunt should not be tolerated.
Sad to see mate. Especially on a day like today.
Hi Esso, only there intermittently, haven’t been for a couple of days.
I only venture some evenings and not after non-wins. It’s certainly not what it used to be, sadly.
I blame twitter, mostly.
1-3 to the Arsenal! They just told me.
Esso @ #118
Very well said. Le Boss’ reign may well be coming to an end but to ignore his magnificent achievements and to stoop to such levels demonstrates ignorance in the extreme, especially on NLD day.
In Blogs’ defence, trying to police his ‘contributors’ vs the generally respectful & erudite bunch in this bar would be a full time job.
UTA! & COYRRRs!
A bit off subject, but the press is being quite puerile in their coverage of the nld. Everywhere I turn, I see headlines of “monkey” pictures here, “Jack taming a monkey” picture there. This is really wrong and there should be no place for such gratuitous cruelty in football. Get it right, A CHIMPANZEE IS NOT A MONKEY.
Great stuff ‘Holic. How things go full circle, eh?!
I actually think that a genuinely tough but winnable game lies ahead of us today and maybe that will enable us to see the difference between playing Bayern and playing the Cunts, belief. We simply didn’t look like we believed we actually could beat BM whereas we have to know that we can win today with so much experience of doing it in the past.
For any who may have missed it, there i a truly hilarious graphic over at Invinciblog – http://invinciblog.com/?p=769 – that should do all decent Gooners proud!
Not a day to think about management, board, transfers, Bayern, defensive training etc.etc.etc…
Well, not if we get a result, anyway, and my money is on 2-1 to the mighty us!
COME ON YOU GOONERS!!!!!
Good stuff guvnor.
I’ve been pretty amazed at all the “most important NLD in years” guff being spouted.
When has a NLD not been important?
It’s always the first fixture you look for when they come out, well, it is for me anyway.
League positions and form means nothing in games like this, it’s just who’s up for it more on the day. I’ve been quietly happy with all the attention that the LWC’s have been getting, it puts the pressure firmly on them, although, by the way the meedja have been jizzing over Galen you’d think he was a multiple WC, CL and title winning phenomenem instead of an, admitedly, very decent player in a rich vein of form who, in truth, has won just as many major titles as I have.
We’ve heard it all before, the, better squad, the shift of power, the this is their year, the blahdy blah, blah, blah blaaaaaah. It’s like they roll out the same tedious story, but just change the names of those involved. Yawn!
At the final whistle we will know who is the better team (on this day, history tells us that we are far superior). I’m still not convinvced that this is the be all and end all of the season, not with thirty points still up for grabs, there are still way too many variables for this to be the decisive fixture. Still, winning against those scumbuckets will always be a major priorety no matter what’s at stake.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS.
I see we have a new Bard in our midst @ 96 – tremendous.
COYRRRs.
PS – get well soon, Snowy.
@TS 123. Have you seen the number of arses on a non match day lately? 2 to 3 hundred at best, when he was getting several times that. Agree its not an easy job but I do feel it could be better organised.
Anyway.
Come on you Arsenal!
Lets do these shit houses, good style!
From backdrinking;
Wonderful nonsense from cba.
Good stuff from Snir @54, although you do realise we play on Sunday, right.
Great call to arms fom Tabs……….
Although I thought Wolfie would be more of a Shake-spear kinda guy.
Esso, I love Arseblog, I did the drunks a few years ago during games, but it got too abusive for my taste, so I didn’t bother anymore. I suppose the bigger you get, the more likely it is you attract that element. Shame.
Sam Wallace @SamWallaceIndy
Aaron Ramsey starts for Arsenal with Wilshere & Arteta in midfield …
Retweeted by gunnerblog
Arsenal.com @Arsenal
ARSENAL TEAM: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Monreal, Ramsey, Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla, Walcott, Giroud #THFCvAFC
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite More
Arsenal.com @Arsenal
ARSENAL SUBS: Koscielny, Rosicky, Podolski, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin, Mannone, Gervinho #THFCvAFC
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for those streambound http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=187692&part=sports and I am getting quite nervous, cortisol levels are going high but I have a feeling we are going to beat them! COME ON!
The w*nky To*ttenham hotspur went to Rome to see the Pope,
the w*nky tottenham hotspur went to Rome to see the Pope,
the w*nky tottenham hotspur went to Rome to see the Pope,
and this is what he said: FUCK OFF!!!
Who’s that team we call the Arsenal,
Who’s that team we all adore,
We’re the boys in red & white,
And we’re fucking dynamite,
And Villas Boas mother is a w………………………………………………re
Who else thinks our bench will the game for us?
Heh @ TW link.
Morning all.
West coast Gooners all beginning to stir in the NorCal household.
Full family up for this one.
Lets grab some pints and points today.
Cheers everyone.
Fair point(s) Esso, and as you say, come on you Arsenal!
‘Mad’ Jens reckons it’s very unlikely that Bale will score today, I think so too.
been backdrinking – wonderful stuff TABS@96!
I rate the LWC’s so highly I have backed Jenkinson (25/1) and Monreal (20/1) to score.
COME ON YOU RIPROARING REDS!
morning, everyone! and a beautiful morning it is, with such a game afoot. bows towards tabs@96.
anyone else love the mute button on the tv? especially when piers fucking morgan is on the pregame show. i wish they made them for people, i’d use it on him and throw it in the ocean…
fuck OFF piers…”why should wenger be fired?” arsenal fan my ass.
Hi everyone ! scruz, I feel your pain. Why oh why on THIS day, does Fox pick him of all people to be a spokesperson for AFC ?!
scruz, Every time I see that cunt I wanna hurl a rock at him.
Nerves starting to kick in, I need beer.
Round for the bar please guv’.
Come
on
you
REDZZZZZZZZZZZ
ComOnTheArseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenal!
i will be so glad next year when fox no longer shows the games. it used to be relatively good coverage, now it’s farce. and they have absolutely killed fox soccer news with their talentless new lineup…danny diccio, seriously?
Rosicky with the winner today..you heard it here first!
COME ON !
Win! Just win…
no doubt, holic, no doubt atall.
Fuck that, I’d fine anyone who so much as smiled at the opposition cunts.
3-0
C’mon holics
C’mon you Rip Roaring Reds!!!! 
Anyone else spotted Nachos head being made ridiculously huge in Sky Sports starting line up graphics?
come ONNNNNNNNNNNN you gunnerrrrs!!!
Come on you Reds!
The feeling I get on a day like this I really could tattoo onto my knuckles in a very classical fashion…
COYRRR’s
Win Arsenal, get well Snowy.
Feel better Snowy!
COME ON ARSENAL!!!!!!
Giroud looking likely
H2H @ 126
Bang on my wavelength again sir, couldn’t agree more. Lose today and it’s far from over, whatever anyone says.
Anyway, that’s not on the menu. Chimp Face to probably get one but end up on the losing side. Can’t believe the power shift talk has been resurrected! Every year I think ‘This time they’ll learn to keep their gobs shut until full time.’
Every year I’m wrong. Just like one of the Wu Tang said, the hard-headed never learn.
Right. Battle time.
Nice Jenks
Oooohhhhhhhhh.
Come on Arsenal forza forza forza, as don Vito would say. I think.
Ooooooooooooohhh.
ooooh shame OG!
Good start. Giroud really nice touches. We are going into the 50-50:s with intent. Will probably let one in soon I guess, because it feels good at the moment.
cheeky jenks.
Verminator.
Great tackle tv5
Adebayor… what a stupid cunt.
Should of been red.
Adebayor you cunt!
I don’t even have words for Adebayor.
On Ramsey as well.
Great pass jack, touch too long.
not surprised at ade, monkey spunker.
Great work off the ball by our lads, Sp*rs are clueless.
COME ON YOU REDS!!!
Quite calm at the moment. Only thing that gets me nervous is our own corners. I can just see us lose this game on a break from one of our own attacking corners.
not like that’s happened before, Toby.
Quite cynical from Vertonghen
Quite cynical from Ramsey
Now diving on a yellow… Ade has quickly joining Diouf and Barton as ever despicable players. The sooner retired the better.
MONCUNT
Fuckity fuck
Knew he’d get one. They’re only allowed one more then it’s time to start working towards our 5.
good, that’s out of the way, then.
FUCK
Actually, we didn’t learn.
Good way to handle it Scruz.
That was no masterful attack. No special pass. That was crap defending. Again. And what makes it infuriating is that we’ve really defended well this far, and then that.
Now we’ll just have to get two!
now, fuck.
what the fuck is happening
This is turning into a joke
Just stood there!
Carbon copy of the first.
What were we doing??
Well, we’ve been two behind to those fuckers before and won, so…
COYG’s.
Right. Two goals down. Now it’s out turn to get five.
Well their two goals are out of the way we can go ahead and score 5 now
0-0 was comfortable. Fuck sake. Come on
Giroud’s touch sometimes really let him down.
Fuck this continuous lack of concentration from our defenders. Didn’t they learn anything from Blackburn?
Sets us up for a third straight 5-2 win
But that’s been the story for a few years now.
two defensive errors costs us ..otherwise more than on par with LWCs, final ball letting us down..still cant see us losing this one.
In training do we actually practice how to defend????
Serious question.
My 3-2 win is still on then.
Seriously, our central defenders …..
We were bossing that game for most of the half and we go in 0-2 down, again.
Still think we might do something. Dangerous score “2-0″ – what do they do ? Can but hope.
Fuckin lwc – biggest 45 mins of our season coming up
COYR
Stand firm lads, stand firm.
That was a perfectly good half from the lads with two defensive howlers at the end. Still all to play for.
Is anyone on here joking about 5-2 taking the piss? I’m fucking fuming. This is the North London derby ffs. Two nil down at the Shithole is no joking matter, whether or not we’ve turned this around before.
Fucking hell.
High defensive line with Mertesacker in the team, combined with no pressure in their half, had Arsene actually watched Spuds this year?
And, we should bring in Walcott in the second half, oh wait….
Two minutes of madness, has given a completly different reflection on this game then there should be.
For the first half hour we were lording it, they didn’t have a sniff. Unfortunatly I think we thought we had it too easy and passes started to go astray.
Not sure where to go from here in the second half, we’ll certainly have to create more chances then in the first 45. It’s not looking good, but it’s far from over…
COME ON YOU REDS!!
Well Steve, Arsene did say “we don’t prepare for Bale”.
Sounds a bit silly when that happens. I know he probably didn’t mean it, but it looks like we didn’t.
Wow, we’re even shitter than Spurs
I supposed I should be depressed and concerned right now, no?
Well I am not…
45 minutes to go and, if we can rekindle the intensity with which we started the first half (as we normally do after a half-time team-talk) we may just get a quick goal and see things really change from there.
Truth be told, this is all so fucking normal now that rationalizing it is the only option when one wishes to stay sane. Wenger and Co. had their chances, too many in my opinion, to sort out the obvious problems and the most obvious of them all, the hilarious defending, appears to be the one most ignored.
Jack to get on the score sheet and us to squeeze a draw out of this debacle, if we’re lucky.
Well, you’ve got to have a dream.
Sounds on the radio we are getting stuffed
Gotta score early in 2nd half to have a chance, and not concede more. Shite defending, but giving possession away so easily didn’t help.
Dembele actually appologises to Santi for booting him and Clattenburg is stood rright in front of him.
Is not that difficult you hair transplant wearing prick. Do u fecking job. Dickhead.
I’ve lost count of how many defending cock ups have cost us points.Do these players who earn so much can’t do the basic task of concentrating on the basics of defending?Pathetic..Poldi n tr7 on at ht immediately arsene..pls don’t wait till 70 mins..
North Bank 1 @ 210 knows.
Keep calm!
We need a striker who will score and we need LJW and Santi to make the bullets. I know he links up well but Giroud doesn’t convince me as a striker. And as for Theo…well? Bring on Poldi and Rosicky and get stuck in.
Would somebody please inform our players that I get up incredibly early here in NZ to watch this shit.
Holloway we were lording it over possession wise but were there any clear cut chances that we created?Our play is like barca yesterday.all the possession but no end point..
bath…
You have it spot on there. Giroud has looked less and less the man to lead our line as the season has gone on. We just don’t play the kind of football that he needs to be successful.
I genuinely believe that he is an excellent player, capable of so much more, but if the stubborn one won’t play to the strengths of the players that we have, what else can we expect?!
ComOnArsenal
Impressive failage…
I hear you on early!
BFG!!!!!!!!!!!
Per, I salute you!
GET IT!
Mertesacker!!!!
More of the same please!
Mertesnack on THAT!!
We’re on !!!
PER!!!
Here we go again.
Oh Nacho! Nice strike
keep it up Jenks and company!!!!
2 minute fuckers go back to your holes!!!! CEeeeeOM ON ARSENAL!!
Cocks are gonna brick it.
COME ON ARRRSSSSEEENAAAAL
Per has assumed the mantle of le bob pires as the scourge of lwc.Making a habit of scoring against these fools..
What is wrong with Theo ffs.
Ramsey has been brilliant today I have to say so far!
We should re-sign Pires just for the Derby!
Lurky, he’s not doing anything unusual.
Get Tomas on.
Oh, i should be manager
TR!!
phew!
Good game Jenks, undeservedly subbed off.
Jenks off ? Not Theo ?
come on you irascible REDS!!
2nd Goal as an Arsenal player, his 2nd NLD goal also, all in the same season. Take a Bow Per, always coming good when a goal is needed in such an occasion
Get Better Soon Snowy!
Time wasting at 60 minutes at home?
Ok, that is it, Walcott out
Love we didn’t stop play for adecunt.
Why doesn’t he book the tosser. He knows the rule
and clattenberg telling off Dawson: it’s my responsibility to stop play, not arsenal’s, no go play football and no more complaints..
Per to the rescue, whew!
Let’s not bother tracking runners, eh
Phew, lucky there.
COYR´s.
OOOOH!
C’mon Arsenal!!!
Come on Arsenal, please…..
Giroud just ain’t at the races.
and Rambo has gone with him
Giroud making crosses he should be at the end of
come on lads!!
Poldi for HFB, theo in the middle.
Poldi for OG Id say now
Sit down, shut up.
I’d go with that Eandy
Arteta for Poldi…
Risky.
But ballsey.
TR will fill in for Mikel I guess
Well no point in sitting back! COME OON!!
If we gonna play Ramsey at RB we may have gome 3 at the back
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh Aaron!
Oooo Ramsey WHYYY
What. A. Miss.
Shit, close, get one now!
oooooh shameeee brilliant pass by TR
Woj taking chances ! Too risky
COME
ON
ARSENAL
Why the f*ck isn’t Walcott on that wing?
Arrrrsenal arrrrsenal fc were by far the greatest team the world has ever seen…
Score NOW
ohh Theo
Ooooooooh, close.
Szczesmunia strikes again……
6mins ET.
COYRRR
Ok , we have 1 minute left to injure gareth bale. and save our season.
God we need a hero NOW!
Looked like Minnie Caldwell in t’snug
another minute for fan time wasting.
Come on!
Love you Arsenal, we do.. Till next time
Smug cunt gallas on.
FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCK
damn.
Big fucking sigh. Really big fucking sigh.
Crap.
We needed a tie at a minimum. Sloppy defending at all the wrong times will see us finish 5-7.
Spurs will drop points in there next 5 games but we needed to stay within 4 points.
7 will be too much to ask.
Damn.
Media lockdown..now
Magnifies my boilk.
Bollocks to them. Bollocks to that stupid heart shapy primate.
Piss off.
No problems with our effort. Can’t finish. Poor defending.
trev @303 entirely. sadly.
Same old same same old fuck ups at the back cost us another game!
They will never learn they haven’t bothered correcting those issues they never will!
Toothless up front as well!
From being on top yet again we loose the game in a moment of two major fuck ups….
When is enough ENOUGH?
Trev,
Is that a heart?
I always thought he was showing us how big of a cunt he is.
Don’t lose your heads, people.
And that, as they say, was that.
Fucking Bollocks. Not enough of the ‘big’ players turned up. Theo MIA, Grioud poor, even Jack was quiet. No creativity, shoukd not have lost that though, defending let us down, again.
No St Totteringham day this season im afraid. .
But I still hope we can beat Chelsea for 4th. If not , UEFA cup, is a tournament we can win.
I think we competed more than well enough but at the same time feel we were rubbish at the back, hopeless up front and not all that great in midfield. Weird.
I like Giroud’s work and the way he doesn’t hide but so often he looks like he is playing one foot in a hole. Gets planted, movement not great.
Wide positions were poor.
Made no sense to take off Jenkinson at all, especially as he was going forward well. If you are putting a midfielder on, don’t put your least mobile midfielder at right back and take off your right back. Nonsense sub really. Ramsey was doing ok but if you feel you need more attacking options, why take off an attacking right back and put Ramsey where he can’t do any damage going forward, nor really do anything that useful defensively?
We need to give Bould carte blanche to sort out the defending. If Wenger doesn’t want him to work with the players, tough. Mind you, it’s too late now he should have been given total control of defensive work months ago.
Still not over yet but these cunts think they are better than us and even allowing them to think it hurts. Cunts.
We are a decent team if we cutout our defensive mistakes. Our captain was shit. Giroud was rather disappointing too.
Spurs a tad worse than us, but not much anymore. Totally clueless when the other team has the ball. They didn’t defend well at all this game, we made them look better at the back than they were. We really had this game sewn up in midfield, couldn’t finish and made two defensive mistakes. Apparently, that was two too many. Good effort overall. I can live with our defending most of the time and we hardly seem to let in any proper normal goals. It’s always the mistake from us, never the brilliance from the opposition. Well, not exactly true, but pretty much.
I consider this a hugely disappointing night and am already looking forward to getting the bragging rights back the next time we meet. As much as our season turned on this game, there are plenty of games left on which a season can turn again, for both us and spurs, and especially Chelsea. We’ll probably get our fourth spot, if not a third, and Giroud will probably get his 20 peaches. Can’t really see us getting that trophy, but I can see a win against BM, even if it won’t see us through.
I’m getting some more fucking white wine (all I’ve got at home! Love my red, can’t stand the white stuff most of the time) but well, it’s just that kind of day. I sincerely hope Adebayor didn’t get a career threatening injury (I’ll never ever wish that upon a player, and he really did look miles of it anyways) but I have no problem with him being in some pain for a little while.
Ah, the small victories.
Always hurts to lose to the inbreds, but I don’t count us out yet.
Performance today was pretty much fine, but we’re back in that rut where the goals won’t seem to come.
Question mark on that second goal over why we didn’t get a foul for the very late challenge on Santi, but you can’t just stop the way we did.
As I heard someone say the other week: when our captain leaves to join the LWCs and wins the double with them, THEN we can talk about a shift in the balance of power.
Keep your heads, don’t get dragged into the hysterical finger pointing and if anyone sees Piers Morgan please kick him hard in the nuts.
The final curtain.
Last call for alcohol, ladies and gentlemen. Last call.
Thank you.
Any optimists still around? Last weekend you promised we would be third right now..
That, my friends was a worst case scenario. A very very bad start to the day. My anti depressants are gonna take a caning this morning. The old “third place,Ollie G 20 goals,one trophy” looks as wildly optomistic as it ever was.Faith is one thing,reality another. One thing though — as painful as it would be to finish below the spuds, Chelsea are still in our sights. Having said that, I cant wait for this season to be over.
we lost
the queens got the trots
and a cardinal says his sexual conduct fell below normal standards – he’s an ankle man i’m guessin
what a day
Toby has it spot on.
Also, always good to accentuate the positives, and I thought that Santi had a good game, Jenks was largely excellent and Ramsey did the work of two men, while still lacking a bit of quality at key moments.
Underwhelmed by the world class simian. Sure, he scored, but he also scored an OG, missed a sitter and was AWOL on the tyre swing for long spells.
Shitty result, just shit !!
Okay, we lost the battle but we haven’t lost the war yet (at least for the 4th place) and hey, who knows we will win the ECL. No use being sad and low now, just move on and let us see at the end of the season what is this Arsenal team made of…
COYG!!
The only thing I will add right now is that it was 4 defensive cock ups. They only scored on 2. Bale missed a sitter and so did Siggridson.
I don’t think we will get up to a CL place. I am usually optomistic
But we can make anyone look good.
Arthur
Enough was enough a long while back. Now we are just seeing more than enough.
LJW was obviously totally and utterly FUCKED by 75 minutes. Couldn’t run, pass or do any of the things that he would normally do to the standard that he is capable of. The Ox sat on the bench must surely have been wondering what he needs to do to get a shot in the team again. Central midfield, blistering pace, decent strength and a desire to beat these twats was EXACTLY what was required. Didn’t even get warmed up.
Ramsey was playing a fabulous game (although he still slows down counter-attacks so quickly that I am sure opposition defences must be paying him for his help and passes the ball so far backwards that attacking moves that involve him on the edge of their penalty area almost always end up as defensive moves on the edge of ours) so what does AW do? That’s right, he takes off another player having a great game, Jenks, and puts Ramsey in at right back. BRILLIANT! Two own goals for the price of one.
Well at least he could be there to receive his own passes!
But those are specifics and games are won and lost through those, seasons are not. What we really need to look at is the more general picture…
We cannot defend and we can rarely find our shooting boots any more too. So, letting in goals and failing to cancel them out with our own would, by using nothing more than reason and logic, appear to be our now standard M.O. and a guaranteed way to fail in our chosen industry, football.
£123,000,000 in the bank and yet we couldn’t find a replacement for RVP? We couldn’t find a centre back better than Squillaci to serve as back-up? The same with the GK position.
We simply don’t have the board or manager to take this club forwards. I understand that the likes of Citeh and Chel$ki have almost unlimited resources, but that isn’t stopping ManUre from running away with the league, is it or even the cunts down the road from making us look like a bunch of fools today?
So what is the problem if it isn’t a desire to see money pile up in the bank whilst failing on the pitch time after time, season after season, for the same reasons EVERY season.
WE CANNOT DEFEND FOR 90 MINUTES IN ANY MATCH AGAINST ANY SIDE REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY AND THAT IS THE FAULT OF THOSE THAT TRAIN THE DEFENCE, THOSE THAT PICK THE DEFENCE AND THOSE THAT BUY THE DEFENCE.
The prosecution (or should that be persecution?) rests.
Uncle Charlie! I’m still here. Losing a game against decent opposition away from home when the confidence isn’t on top isn’t such a strange thing. I hate losing against the LWC, I really do, but I still stand by my creed that you are never ever 1) certain of winning a game of football 2) deserving to win a game of football which means that 3) any team can win any game of football which means that 4) any team WILL win at times even against better opposition.
No team has 100% success rate, and like it or not, Spurs haven’t been half bad going forward this season.
Still the optimist, hoped for second place prior to this game, now my target is fourth. As an optimist, you have to revise your goals from time to time, when following the Arsenal.
All in all, good derby, we really went into the tackles and showed effort and a lot of quality. We just never showed enough quality in a row to actually get that second goal.
So yes, one optimist still here. Optimistic about our chances of CL football next season. Optimistic that we’ve got quite a few decent players. Optimistic we are still a better team than Tottenham (remember, the best team doesn’t always win, which kind of is the point of watching sport in the first place). Fucking fuming we lost to the fuckheads. Hurt as well.
Such is life.
Some poor poor defending.
How can the captain of Belgium and a German international with nearly 90 caps make such stupid basic errors over and over again ?
Do they really need Steve Bould to coach those things.
Question: Do you see any imminent departures if we dont get CL? To be honest, other than Szcz, I dont see many players leaving this summer.
I think Bac will go anyways.
So no CL, is not a disaster – as opposed to previous years when we had world class players in the squad.
Effort was there but we are so sadly lacking in certain positions that results like these are becoming the norm, I’m afraid that’s what happens when you sell your best players every summer, That lot have improved a tad but it’s more our regression that leaves us where we are !
Will they have the DVD out by tommorow?
Sajit
No, sadly it is not.
Exactly Chippy. We have sold our best assets for so many seasons now – starting from Cole, Hleb and Flamster.
Dont want to go into the details of the departures or why they left but whatever you say, they left us weaker..
BollockyBollox! Jenks woz good. The end.
Massively sloppy at the back. You can not give teams a two goal start.
Two shots on targets? Sadly not good enough.
Last season we had one world class player who was our get out of jail card. This season we do not have that. And boasting about having 123 million in the bank will not appease anyone looking to find the funds for their season ticket renewal.
Reality is that we have 18 players that have gone on and won 54 trophies since we last won anything. It may just be the time for the board to have one big reality check.
What Steve T said @331.
Needs to be sorted.
If it takes an Arab takeover, well bring it on.
Ah well. Same old, same old.
Sorry you didn’t get to see us grab some points Tabs mate. Still gutted I couldn’t make it, but glad the ticket went to a good home.
Podolski should have been on sooner.
Rosicky needs to play.
Koscielny needs to play.
Wengers team selection cost us this game.
I have lost patience with him.
We now lose every big game.
Even today we had the balance of play, but you can’t just keep saying that we only lost because we gave away two easy goals and couldn’t score.
That is, after all, what it is all about.
I feel, at this point, that there is no game that we can’t lose.
And before I get shot down for being negative, think Swansea (h), Bradford (a), Blackburn (h) etc. etc. etc.
Good stats Steve T @ 331
Interesting.
Don’t want an Arab takeover at all. Nor a norse one. This is a football club in the end and I’d rather take less trophies than us being just a way to promote a brand that is something else than ours.
Give me a proper owner, one who have earned his or her money in an ethical way, not by birthright or by conducting business in a dictatorship, and give me an FA-cup every five years and I’m happy. I DO want to win more. I really do. But I don’t want us, OUR FUCKING CLUB, being owned by any immoral fuckhead just to get there. Not saying all Arabs are like that, nor all norse, once again, this has nothing to do with race. Rather, most people with that amount of money is people who have not really done much good.
Sorry to spill my political views here a bit, but fuck it, let’s win trophies. Let’s crush Spurs the next time we meet, but please, let us not do it with money from oil, earned on the backs of people slaving away in bad working conditions. I do NOT want my wins to be payed for with other peoples blood.
I WANT OUR TEAM TO BLEED. The get paid enough to do that. I do not want people to bleed to pay them. I’d rather bleed to pay my tickets than to ask someone in a country far away who has perhaps never even heard of the club to bleed for it.
Nah, an FA-cup now and then and regular wins over Tottenham and I’ll be satisfied. This is MY club and I don’t want it to be a fucking toy for someone who should really look after his or her employes, not play with my feelings.
A bit drunk at the moment by the way, so not sure I got spelling, grammar and thought right in my last post. Please bear this in mind when reading it.
True Trev.
Club needs a shake up from top to bottom.
Too complacent and too smug.
What Trev said.
And why didn’t Podolski start?
Agree Trev.
Spot on Bath.
There just has to cone a time when it finally sinks in. You have to ask the question. Is anyone on the board for their love of Arsenal or is it all about making money?
A perfectly valid question in my submission.
Toby
Spelling and grammar spot on! Have one on me fella!
We need a ‘Go To Guy’, one reliable in a pinch. We had such a fella last season and sold him. We know the story, he didn’t want to stay, boo whoo. But we could have forced him to stay, and his massive EGO would have prevailed over his temper tantrums. He would have played for us, and given his best. Not for the ‘right’ reasons, but who cares. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Worst decision AFC has made in a very long time
#336
a bloody good read
Hope you’re feeling better Snowy
3 more hours to London on his coach, on the back of a loss in the NLD. Fuck me
For the negatives.
Giroud and his 20 (later 30) goals.
He may come close to this number if we play against Reading, Wigan or Villa every week.
Against better oppositions he displays his slowness, disability to dribble his marker and premature shots.
As for Ramsey, I never was and I dare to say never will agree that he is Arsenal material. I would like to be proved wrong and a loan next year would do wonders for him. Just don’t let him start the remaining games this season.
Walcott, well, is back to his usual form. Nothing to add.
Add to that slow defensive high line, against two of the fastest players in EPL, no pressing at their defenders (will Walcott ever learn how to press opposite players), and we got what we deserved.
Sad.
Positives were Jenks and Monreal. Good games for both of them.
this site is surely an oasis of reserved optimism, and it’s a pleasure to read that not all is wrong with our club so i tend to reserve a lot of criticism simply because it’s hard not to get really wrapped up in things when all is not right. but i think the arab consortium’s quote sums up my fear.
Arsenal is at a pivotal position at the moment. The fear is that the club is facing a cycle of decline like Liverpool. From our point of view it is the perfect moment to make this bid because at this moment in time you can still genuinely justify this extraordinary valuation on the club.
i can’t help but think our long slide toward liverpoolesque mediocrity is nearly complete. all that can be said about our transfer policy has been said. we need to clear out some folks on too much money. we need to be careful not to overpay for big names because it’s too likely they’ll turn into a torres, but i have to say that we have paid pretty good fees for the players we brought in. so does anyone believe that gervinho or santos has a future at this club? podolski looks like a useful player, but is he really a player that can be counted on? santi is probably the single player we’ve brought in besides perhaps arteta in the past two years that was worth the money in my opinion.
more to say, but i’m tired of typing.
Steve T.
Is anyone on the board for their love of Arsenal or is it all about making money?
Well, if there’s any truth to todays rumours (the arab bid) then I think we’ll soon find out.
It’s a massive amount of cash that they are (alledgedly) offering and our value will never be as high as that if we continue to tread the path we are now seamingly on.
—
abb.
You can’t have a disruptive influence like that in the dressing room, especially if that individual was captain. Hard as it is to swallow, he had to go.
—
Lurky.
I thought Aaron was one of our better players, maybe he’s not one of our so called star players, but, unlike some, he never hides.
cba @ 85, no worries
And 17 kids, bloody hell mate 
H2H
Agree re: Rambo.
Not a top class player at this stage, but covers every blade of grass whenever he plays, gets in faces and never, ever hides. I don’t think he’s the problem.
Wind.
That’s gotta be the first time that the words no worries And 17 kids have ever appeared in the same line/scentence.
Abb. It was not the worst decision to sell RVP. The worst decision of all was not replacing him. That is where in my humble opinion we got it so wrong.
Just want to say this.
We lost this game because of a few defensive howlers. Not because we don’t have a megacorporation backing us up. Having had that, we might not have lost. Absolutely. But we might also have lost. It’s football. That is how it works.
Football for me is FAR too important to be about trophy’s.
I don’t hav any idea on how to close in on this subject, especially not now, and in this scene, but seriously, what do we really have football for? What is the reason we follow it? Would we all go around with giant smile if the FA decided that only AFC could by players for the next 20 years and noone else? Or any other stupid rule, feat, idea or pile of money that would change our position as a team practising a sport, to just an entity being here to keep us happy, giving us the strength to attend our day to day jobs? Football is all about winning. But not just about winning points or games. It’s about winning minds. It’s about winning hearts. It’s about winning us over, we the people that look on. It’s about inspiring us.
FOOTBALL IS ARTIFICIAL from beginning to end. We make a flat piece of land filled with grass and some plastic. Then decide that only 22 people might thread on it at one given time. It’s all bollocks. The only thing that gives it a place in our lives is the concept of a fair fight. The rest is just shit. I never ever ever ever want us to spend more money than we do. I never ever ever want us to sell our club, our identity in football, to someone who will pump in shitloads of money to promote a brand. I know we are already halfway there, but I don’t like it one bit.
I wouldn’t pay the ref to win a game. I wouldn’t pay the FA to win a game. I don’t want anyone to pay our players an over the top wage just so I can feel good.
I WOULDN’T FUCKING FEEL GOOD if we payed boys 300 000 pounds a week to kick a ball. I wouldn’t. It goes against everything I stand for. It wouldn’t do me anything. It wouldn’t get me aroused. I am not the kind of man who likes those silicon breasts.
For fucks sake, all I am asking for is a team that can compete and win the must win games, not every time, but at least one third of the time. Or half.
That we don’t have today. Yes we need changes. No, I don’t know which. No, we don’t do well enough.
But for fucks sake. The day Arsenal is just an outlet for some rich idiots fantasies I will long for this day. I really fucking will. I’d rather lose to Spurs, who whether we like it or not, seems to be run in a decent fashion, than to win against Manchester City with oil money of our own.
And I fucking mean that. Cause the win itself doesn’t mean anything to me if the game in itself has stopped having any meaning. And it will, if we continue down this road.
I don’t care if we get the three points from a lucky break, a shot from outside the box, if we have two red cards and just hold on for an our. I don’t need a 5-0 to feel good. I love winning and I’ll take a win WHICHEVER way the team can muster it. But I won’t take whatever way to MUSTER THE TEAM. Cause even if it is not cheating, it’s just money lost on me. It’s just money lost on the sport, and it means fucking nothing.
Let’s just play football. Seriously. Fuck internationals. Fuck oil barons. Fuck it. I don’t care if our players are English or not. I don’t care about race. I care about values. I love Wenger for being a purist. I get mad at him for making mistakes. I love this club for trying hard to stay on the path not to victory but on a path that WILL MAKE THIS CLUB ACTUALLY MEAN ANYTHING.
Ponder this. Manchester City wins the league. Are you happy? No. Why? Because you are Arsenal supporters. You have an emotional attachment to a certain club that plays football. You don’t care that City won the league. In fact, you despise it. And it’s only because you have an emotional attachment to OUR CLUB.
That attachment must be about something more than the name or the fucking logo. It must be about something else. We don’t follow a name, do we?
I am not a supporter of the WORD Arsenal. I am a supporter of the club. Values and all. The day the club gives them up I’ll just be a follower of a logotype. A brand. And seriously, that day, isn’t it better to spend your time collecting stamps?
Fuck it. Don’t know what my point is.
Love Arsenal. Can’t stand the Spurs. Feels like shit to lose today. We will win the next time. This isn’t our first loss, nor will it be our last. Let’s just hope we have a club we can actually stand behind the next time we get a win.
Cheers Arthur. Just had a quick read of what I just wrote in my longer post, and I can promise you, spelling and grammar really have taken a big hit at long last. Hope you can get through it!
Abb,
RVP was gone. Keeping him would not have changed that. He became a disruption. He was a leader and a get out of jail card until about march last year and another season would not have changed his mind. He would have just left for free and still made a load of cash on the way out with us left holding an empty bag and still have struggled in the race for 4th.
Where we really miss a leader is in defense. TV5 is not that leader and we play too high a line against some teams. The spuds have been lethal on the counter all year and we got caught with 2 very simple thru-balls that I see kids execute every week. That is poor scouting and very poor organization and communication. It is time for a massive change, or we will become Liverpool- great history but mediocre team.
Giroud is a very good Hold-up striker who is good in the box off of crosses. If no one can cross the damn ball anywhere near him then he will struggle. He also needs someone to gather and run off his knockdowns. Theo should feed off of those but he doesn’t. Poldi should play more. He is a finisher that needs time on the field.
We will find it hard to catch anyone above us and those right behind us will be loving their chances to catch us. We better get our shit in order.
N7.
I´ve said it before and I´ll say it again, I don´t think what we have is a player problem, more of a tactics/line up problem.
I´ll get into more detail another time, but I will say that I don´t think we have 100% square pegs, but still oval shapey ones for round holes.
Our substitutions today just highlighted my already pretty strong fears that plots, although not completly lost, are pretty well missing.
A drink for anyone who is here today. Thanks for keeping it civil and worth reading. I hope that continues.
It remains astonishing to me that our defenders can be so inept at the job that they are paid a King’s ransom to do and that no-one seems able to coach the midfielders and defenders how to defend as a unit.
I’ve had enough beer…………………
Vodka Coke please, Nor Cal.
@Toby
not being from london or even that side of the ocean, there is no geographic attachment to this club and as such it’s hard to truly hate the spurs in the way that i know a lot of fans do for several reasons perhaps. one, they haven’t really been that good since i’ve been following this club so maybe that colors my perspective, but two, they’ve never built a giant footballing robot of a team with a lot of petrol money and some penchant for spending it on frivolity because it was come by so easily, and three, because from time to time spurs are fun to watch, especially given their haphazard tradition of defending. if anything, i simply hate spurs fans for their constant braying about nearly meaningless triumphs.
all that being said, that they seem to have genuinely passed us for good this season cannot be tolerated. our club needs to be playing champions league football, and that was hanging by a thread before the match today to say nothing of its state now. and yes, what’s so galling is that we do have a pretty big brand, a pretty good income, and the ability to buy talented players and play the way we’ve become known for, all of this being undeniably more powerful and/or better than spurs and in fact almost every other team in the league. that we are listless now, trailing a club that by all accounts is not a worldwide brand or run by an oil oligarch or middleeast consortium of royal asshats is a question not of the values i’d say but quite of the ability of the management, be it the board or wenger to guide us from pre to post stadium glory. i said i have reserved criticism for the club, and for good reason because i don’t know what goes on behind the walls. what i will say is that if our management, whoever is truly pulling the strings back there is incapable of beating the clubs who don’t have the financial clout, or the recent history, or the experienced management that we have, then it’s high time to change something. ask yourself if you believe our tactics or lineup would have really changed much today? i think perhaps, but only marginally, the biggest problem seems to be that the team isn’t really that good. for that too though, the problem lies with the people buying the players.
i’m rambling though so i’m done. for now.
and i’m not even really distraught after this match, which tells me that i already prepared myself for a loss, and that’s even more disappointing than the scoreline at the end.
1.5bn quids for Arsenal.
How much do we really worth?
You don’t have that kind of cash, Sheik Yerbouti.
Toby,
That’s the rock and a hard place right there. An American that will suck the club dry or an Oil states plaything not a pretty choice!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
H2H
Again – in total agreement.
We have too many players in roles to which they are not suited, because we did want to spend the money to fill gaping holes in the squad. I honestly believe that a specialist defensive midfielder and a mobile, goal scoring centre forward would make a gigantic difference to this side.
I tend to live on BtM’s sunny side, but I must confess I had no idea what the subs were about today. Jenks was one of our more potent threats, and his removal felt extremely odd. I have literally no idea what our formation was for the last 25 minutes, which is extremely worrying as far as I’m concerned.
I still think we will be OK, but I have to say that it fairly boils my piss that we did not learn from last season and have found ourselves heading into another derby game needing points at this stage of the season. The nature of derby games is that you quite simply will not win them all, and we should have spent in the summer to ensure we would be clear of the LWCs. I generally hate the notion that money solves all ills in modern football, but we were all in here on 31 August praying for a defensive midfielder, another centre forward and a keeper.
That’s as much moaning as I’ll do tonight. There is still a lot of good in this side and I still think we can finish top 4. I will remain behind the manager and team until the very final whistle.
COYG
#353 Toby class post that – always good to get a bit of perspective after a bad result
I’m amazed that since the game has ended how measured the criticism for Wenger has been. I confess I believe him to be a busted flush. While we have no dominant or effective defensive midfielder we leave an extremely slow central defence exposed. Given their lack of pace and without the right pressure on the ball they defend way too high.And do they ever practice offside??? That CAN’T be Bouldy! He was a master defender and must be in pieces on that bench. He must be considering whether he wants to be there in such an impotent position working with a control freak.
We have run LJW into the ground but he hasn’t played for 8 days so its not pressure of games. I think its just pressure of expectation because the quality around him isn’t good enough so we look to him so much..We also have OG who isn’t a top quality striker working his bits off but to little effect and today Theo couldn’t trap a bag of cement.
Nevertheless Spurs had the MOTM in a defender!The stats of this game will be meaningless as we basically systematically removed our midfield to chase the game and were bound to give up chances.
I am hugely grateful to Wenger for what he has done but he’s now tactically naive,ponderous in the transfer market and can’t set up a defence to save his life. I really can’t see us picking up with him in charge. The Scum looked very limited today except at the back where everyone knew his job . I still think they will struggle on the run-in but we have to be bang on in virtually every match and sadly not playing Everton and then getting the flak we will for going out in Munich will pile huge pressure on the next match at Swansea .We will probably get another 7 against Reading as flat track bullies do but its big games that count.