Discipline The Key To Finishing The Job
Aug 26th, 2013 by 'holic
The penalty for finishing fourth rather than third in the Premier League is that we now face the inconvenience of a Champions League qualifier in between two London derbies. Arsenal gave themselves a solid platform in the first leg, but start afresh on Tuesday evening and must give a disciplined and determined account of themselves, regardless of who is coming up next.
Arsene suggested in his press conference that “95%” of the team at Fulham would play against Fenerbahce, and it is true we don’t have too many experienced players to bring in. It is good to know he is not considering putting what would currently be our second string out. An early goal for the visitors could very quickly damage the confidence of the inexperienced.
From the team that started at Fulham I do think Arsene may make more changes than he has hinted at. He has already stated that Jack Wilshere will play, and although he has been less definite about the inclusion of Laurent Koscielny it would be something of a surprise if we didn’t start with our only two fit recognised central defenders. I also suspect an outing for Nacho Monreal. If we are in a commanding position at the mid-point of the second-half then two or three of the kids should get an opportunity to taste European football.
I watched the last half an hour as Fener pipped Eskisehirspor 1-0 on Saturday night. It was a physical encounter with both sides giving as good as they got. It will be interesting to see if that has taken anything out of the visitors on Tuesday. You will doubtless read elsewhere that Turkish sides do not travel well. Be wary of such sweeping generalisations. In last season’s Europa League they won at both Marseille (0-1) and Monchengladbach (2-4).
The ‘holic pound is warily pointed at a good old 1-0 to the Arsenal. Shop around for 8/1 against that happening. A few quid on the hip will come in handy next Sunday, but more of that, and hopefully some new arrivals as the week wears on. Then again, I have been brainwashed, so that probably won’t happen.
311 Responses to “Discipline The Key To Finishing The Job”
Get in.
Now to have a read.
Ha !
CF4 – Mata for the arse?
Steady Wolfie 🙂
A pint of your finest lager please (I have just been watching Ice Cold in Alex rather than the cuntfest, which, by all accounts I’m reading now, was not even entertaining…)
Bath – Haha.
Cheers ‘H.
Agree with your mooted team. Leave the youngsters on the bench until qualification is well and truly assured.
2-0 to the Arse.
Good evening chums.
Pissed as a carrot here. Love hot bank holidays.
Can’t wait for Easter 😉
Was a cheap shot Wolfie – but I know how you like ’em. 😀
2-1 to the Arsenal. Have that you Turkeys!
Now that’s a new one for me – pissed as a carrot?
What have you been drinking Guvna?
First XI?
Oskar
Nope…
I joined you in not watching Ollie.
I tried, but there were just too many Despicables on show.
Taking my daughter to her second Champions League fixture tomorrow so will be sidestepping The Tollie.
Good preview Holic. Agree with all of that apart from the 1 nil. I think we need to start fast and really go for it. 2 up in 30 mins means they will need to score 6. Game totally over and they will go through the motions.
New signings???? I put my views across in the last set of drinks. At this stage I have no doubt that we will be in the marketplace, I am just not sure at what end we will be doing our shopping. At the moment it appears that we have been for a look around Harrods and basically been told that we are not the kind that they want in that establishment and to take our custom elsewhere. It appears that we are still stood on the pavement trying to decide exactly where that should be. The fact that this has taken nearly 3 months to work out and the fact that we seem nowhere nearer to getting the quality in we need is still somewhat bizarre to me. Hopefully after a positive result tomorrow that all things will become a tad clearer.
For those attending tomorrow I hope you have a fun filled and relaxing evening.
Trev,
If I had known Lady Luck was escorting you tomorrow I may have been a little more exuberant with my score line. Now I see a 4-1 rout on our hands. Turkey with Heavy Mayo.
Bath – Haha, cheap shots? Line ’em up 😉
We need to get off the pavement and into a cab to Selfridges, Steve.
D’Urso!
4 – 0 for me, NorCal.
This young lady generally means a hatful or a 0 – 0, and it ain!t gonna be that ! 😉
‘Ice Cold In Alex’ the movie, Ollie? I remember it well (the first time around) especially for the loveliest starlet of her generation, Sylvia Syms. No disrespect intended but Ms Syms today looks, well, not the same woman at all! Food for thought when falling for beautiful young women, imo. 😉
Oskar
Bath. You know it, I know it, many others know it. I just hope that Ivan and his buddies are not stuck studying the tube map??? It appears that they need a little directing???
Sylvia Syms then … http://www.postershop.com/m/Syms-Sylvia/Sylvia-Syms_i3802497.html
…and now … https://www.google.co.nz/search?gs_rn=25&gs_ri=psy-ab&cp=9&gs_id=y&xhr=t&q=sylvia+syms&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.51156542,d.aGc&biw=1032&bih=476&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=jcobUuyrJ6e4iQfCioDQBg#facrc=_&imgdii=Na3TP60Yok3oxM%3A%3BA6LyVWtBAKObFM%3BNa3TP60Yok3oxM%3A&imgrc=Na3TP60Yok3oxM%3A%3BFVq-CDmXf4HsRM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.zap2it.com%252Fimages%252Fceleb-61290%252Fsylvia-syms-1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.foxestalk.co.uk%252Fforums%252Ftopic%252F83660-times-unkind%252F%3B540%3B720
Oskar
Mirror reporting that Real are trying to offload Benzema, di Maria and Ozil to fund their bids for Ape and Bitey….against the wishes of the first two. We are trying to look allurish….Wolfie time to sacrifice for Arsenal.
Ouch, Oskar ! How does that happen !?
Too much Guinness.
Be warned fellas.
Can’t see the point of spending that much money on players who don’t really want to be there.
Cold finish up with another couple of Arshavins.
Remember George Graham saying never buy anyone on the way down and that, sadly, is how players at the very top teams seem to view us at the moment.
Please note, I said top teams and not top clubs.
Cold = could. 🙁
Arthur has the antidote to being brainwashed, ‘Holic.
It is called life, Trev.
Guinnness is a health food, Bath. Honest.
That’s worse than Wolfie’s before and after while on holiday in Ibiza.
Haha, somebody needs to step into the Lady Nina role certainly 🙂
Ozil wouldn’t be a bad buy. Plays in none of the positions where we need to reinforce, so seems a shoe-in.
Sobering stuff Oscar.
Looks like the climax to Ice Cold in Alex wasn’t the only time she’s decided to neck her drink.
Nice review ‘H.
Fabianski. Jenkinson, Sagna, Per, Monreal. Frimmy, Jack, Rosicky. Poldi, Sanogo, Gnabry.
3-1 to The Arsenal.
Holic, Are you whimping out on us! 1-0 ? No way. Sigh. Not been brainwashed either. Sometimes in order to have Arsene’s’ back’, you have to be up front with him 😉 Youngsters to feature in the 2nd half, just like you said 🙂
Bath. I would take all three in a flash, if they wanted to play here that is. Casillas on the bench again tonight for madrid. Benzema scored the winner. It would be one hell of a coup to get one of those 3 .
Ozil, Di Maria and Eczema all played tonight. I don’t know if that means anything.
Anyway, the only Madrid player I want is Casillas. Which is not happening.
Would love Ozil. Great player. He was subbed off tonight and went straight down the tunnel, ignoring his manager. Di Maria, in contrast, was MOTM. Buy all three Arsene, who needs defenders
Re: tomorrow – got to be the firsts. The last time we sent out a second string was, IIRC, at Reading in the cup, and they had us 4-0 down after 45 mins before the cavalry arrived.
Nick a goal and then start ringing the changes.
COYG
Cynic
Casillas was on the bench and reportedly left before the match ended.
No idea how all this will play out, but suspect someone is leaving Madrid this week. I also gather that there’s a fear in Madrid that casillas might move to Barca – sounds like nonsense to me, but I got this from a reasonably good source.
Totally agree with Steve T above @37
And it would be a lovely gesture if our fans each left a long stemmed rose in their seats, after the game. Just make sure the roses are red (love) and not yellow (goodbye) 😉
Abb. sometimes I really worry about you. Are you having a hippy type moment??????
😀
😀
Can’t believe as iconic an RM player as Casillas would be sold to Barca. Worth remembering as we consider Woj’s future, that Casillas broke into the RM first team as a 17-year old.
Yellow roses at away games, abb?
Ha ha fellas! Kids not much older than me use to chain themselves to a tree, in order to save it. And sometimes, it worked 🙂 Arsenal is like a tree, deep roots in the comunity and lovely to watch (and dare I say grow) xx
NBN
That was my response – madness, Casillas IS Madrid.
But apparently he’s furious with the club.
The thought of ozil at the emirates has me drooling…the stars would really have to align though. If he really is available there would be other teams interested.
Anyone else find it odd that mata didn’t play today. I believe he has yet to start a game for Chelsea this campaign. I can’t imagine they’d want to sell him… Does he not fit into mourinho’s plans?
heh, tabs 34, quite.
I am still ignoring any transfer rumours so I’m not getting excited about anything but the actual football.
Which was a lot more pleasant than the weather.
Still no sign of snowy? :s
There are some rumours on twitter this evening that we are after really big names.
Someone even mentioned Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. 🙂
But, we will probably and up with Jo.
Madrid – absolute basketcase of a club.
They sell Higuain for 10m more, and you think they might be shrewd operators. They then go an blow 100m on Bale. And now they’re reputedly thinking of selling two players (Di MAria and Ozil) either of which you’d take in a straight swap over Bale. Utter circus. For all the money they’ve spent, what the fuck have they achieved? Not so sure as others about Casillas. I’ve a feeling that Mourinho might have been more sinned against than sinning at RM.
Quid on the hip? New arrivals? Nary a one in sight on either account. I must make up for this with more beer.
THMBD (translate into Latin as you please) 🙂
“What have they achieved ?”, Joe.
They’ve built a lovely big platform on which to introduce Bale ……
Oh …. 🙂
Anybody heard from that Irish farmer poet bloke?
8ball,
You mean ‘cba’ ?
He ain’t here today
Taken a rest
At his own behest
Oh well ……
* a tribute *. 😉
You mean cba, bt8bbgfg?
Good question…
Snap Trev.
I miss him…
Cba the very same. In the secure unit with Clive perhaps?
8ball,
That Irish farmer poet bloke
writes poems
that are all bespoke
but only for him
you’d have to say
‘cos he’s unique
is cba
Apparently Özil stormed off down the tunnel after being substituted today. He’d make a class addition to the Ems, no doubt about it. But a DM and another CD are bigger priorities, imo. And a 20+goal a season striker would top it off nicely. Not that fussed about a keeper, the competition between Sir Ches and Flappy keeps both on their toes.
Oskar
After the bailout of Spanish banks last year, why isn’t a huge clamor being made by the EU about the obscene amount of money apparently being spent by Real for a player whose greatest talent is being able to peel bananas with his feet? I don’t know much about RM’s banking ties but I believe the Bankia Group has been financing their purchases and if I recall correctly, it was rumoured that Bankia even offered Real Madrid players as collateral when begging for a bailout early last year. No wonder Germans are fed up with all this when their solvency is being used to pump close to 100mm into the coffers of a seedy outfit in North London.
I’d take Ozil in a flash, his eye for a pass IMHO is second only to Cesc currently in World football.
Di Maria is quite good too, he doesn’t always perform to his full potentials but that’s where Arsene comes in.
If Flamini is re-signing then I doubt we will get another DM or even defender, Sagna is better than anybody we can bring in as fourth choice anyway.
Cassilas is a bit tricky for me, he is, no doubt, a good ‘keeper but I doubt he can hack it in the EPL as I think he can be suspect to aerial balls, moreover, I believe Chez is good enough for an EPL title winning team and Fabianski is a worthy deputy.
As for the new striker, I think we will end up with either of Rooney or the bitey racist, personally, I prefer Rooney but if we don’t get any new striker and get a creative midfielder in the mould of Ozil or Cesc I will be happy.
So in summary, I expect us to get three new ‘top quality’ players and Flamini. I suspect we will finish our business by friday but if we don’t and leave it till deadline day we will all just beg Snir to host it here for us so we can all enjoy the experience, again.
Goodnight all.
Oh and I miss CBA too.
An Irish farm boy lost
Home away at what cost
Maybe his sheep walked free
As he peed behind the tree
Or the Dog bite did fester
Do we need to call And Lester?
Toot ta loo a lootie too
Do not stay away…
Our friend called “cba”
Hey there fellas.
Haven’t been around here since the post about Terry :'(
(Clive, if you could please pass this along to his daughter…: “Just know that we talked about you quite a lot and that he loved you very much. I particularly remember an exchange about how you hate working in groups for school because no one is on your level. For that I praise you for being a step above everyone else. Although I would recommend being a bit more patient with others [oh the irony] 😉 )
I have been extremely underwhelmed by this summer and the hollow promises. I will use Steve’s phrase and say that we should be using the resources we do have to make the team as good as it CAN be. And no one on the planet can tell me the resources we do have warrant a free signing only. I understand we got shafted by Pere Guardiola but I think everyone can agree this is not how this summer was supposed to play out, regardless of whether targets A or B shafted us.
I posted this a few weeks ago, and unfortunately I agree with every word. As someone who would proudly claim he is an AKB, I feel genuine hurt and helplessness. He has until September 2nd to fix it.
If he doesn’t and we scrape for fourth again, he should not be offered a new contract.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/u06qhRBWcLE
As for the TDD – I hope I’ll have enough time to be for the whole day, but you’ll know everything you need to know. Hope it’d be fruitful.
Di Maria, Flamini, Cabaye, and a striker would do for me. It seems far-fetched but not when you consider one is a free and the other is someone on strike available at around 15m.
Good to see you stop by , Snir. Hope school is going well. I miss Chapel Hill. Love that place.
Good to see you Snir. I hope everything’s fine on your side.
I hate to get everyone’s hopes up but I’m hearing our bid for DiMaria has been approved…Not sure if to believe the article after the whole Higuain fiasco though…
http://soccerlens.com/arsenals-offer-for-angel-di-maria-approved-by-real-madrid/115124/
Round 2 of the Premiership completed and all but two teams have already dropped points! And one of the two is due to drop all three against us on Sunday. 😉
Oskar
Taking my seat in my new season ticket seats for the first time tonight. Three goals tonight and three top quality buys before the windae slams doon. Only one.
Auspicious evening then BtM. I hope the boys give you a suitable welcome party. Have you relocated now?
Very amusing to read all of the pimpled pundits scribing the Manchester City procurement model as the one that The Arsenal should emulate in the window – then see The Milk Shake of Abbly Dabbly’s men crumble to our “threadbare” squad in the warm ups and get a good kickin the Pellegrini against Cardiff.
Not worth the electrons that circulate around their single protons. Hydrogen heads inflamed.
October 17 marks the spot, Bath. Transatlantic travel and multi-million dollar brand building in Asia until then.
The rivers, hills, golf courses and Emirates Stadium all beckon. Demob happy and unbridled and uncritically positive!
Look forward to buying you a “Freedom Pint” at the Tollie in the not too distant future then. Meanwhile an early morning virtual toast to you. Slainte.
The Scummers and Chavs are bitching on F365 about how boring their game was and how tedious the season is so far.
Love it. The shoppers in Aldi complain there’s no caviar on the shelves while their counterparts in Harrod’s Food Hall are saying ‘Beluga’s so last season’.
I’m actually getting right into it and looking forward to tonight. A 3-0 agg lead may look comfortable but it ain’t job done yet, lads. In Wenger’s words, ‘it is job still to do’.
UTA
Two games into the season and people, never mind which people, are complaining that it’s been tedious so far!
What were they expecting?
It’s almost as if they had been persuaded that something really exciting would have happened by this point.
What a shame that everyone doesn’t rely more on their own memories and commonsense rather than the pap they are spoonfed by the meeja.
Personally I think Man U and Chav fans should just shut their gobs by default, especially if they’re going to waste oxygen by complaining! The only shit anyone should ever hear from them is how they ought to have nothing to bitch about.
I will admit to doing my fair share of it after Villa, but at least that had a wider context. And I’ve now seen the error of my ways in the last week – just like life, isn’t it? Sometimes, nothing is as it seems.
I do wish you guys would revert to Oxon and Camberwell. I can’t keep track on who is who these days.
Forget Oxon, Alf. He ain’t never coming back.
This time next week we’ll know a hell of a lot more about where exactly our beloved club is heading.
Somehow that thought is both exciting and utterly terrifying.
In the mean time, there’s the small matter of finishing the job this evening and then giving the swamp dwellers their annual humping.
Big week ahead.
COYG – on and off the field
Oh, and good to see BtM – the true zen master.
Sadly family illness will keep me away from my usual place at the Grove tonight but I anticipate a 2-0 win and I hope we make it into the group of first seeds as I hear rumours we may get relegated to the second pot. I don’t know who has definitive info on this?
I am very dubious about being so dependent on Real for our shopping,. Nothing is ever straightforward with them. At least Higuain wanted to come-these three don’t seem to share his enthusiasm for leaving.
And if Newcastle won’t sell Cabaye to us we will go for…..Gareth Barry according to the Times!
What bliss-Flamini ,Sanogo and Barry! I hope the top,top qualidee is following on after them.
Alf, geographically-based names don’t always tell the whole story, plus the Rosso management and I are vacating good ole Camberwell imminently.
And Porco or PR or Oi! Rosso! are all shorter than Camberwell. See, I had your thumbs in my thoughts when I changed my name…which sounds really weird.
Cheers ‘holic!
Would you put a cheeky bid in for Torres? If we could get him anywhere near back to his best he’d be a better striker than bloody Suarez… worth a cheeky £15-20m bid?
Cynic
No. His legs have gone. In fact, they’d gone at Liverpool in the last few months.
He’s also 30 this season, so £20m would be far too much for him, in my view.
Right now, I’d rather have Giroud.
ttg: such rumours are false, we will be in the first pot if we go through. Bert Kassies’ site on European football has the answer as always:
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2013.html
Scroll down to the section headlined “Group Stage”.
Bookmark his site while you’re at it, it has all the information anyone could ever want about rankings, pots and such for European football.
N7@87: agreed, Torres is finished at this level. Is and always was far too dependent on simply outrunning opponents.
“Being Kolo”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyK_yq0vkTE
Heh ! @ the Kolo vid. 🙂
Agree about Torres, he may still have some flashes of his early days, but he is done and dusted. His game was based mostly on speed and little tricks, not strength. These days he is not fast as he used to be, and no confident to sell his tricks.
If we want to spend £20m on any Chelski forward I would prefer Lukaku. Younger and PL adapted version of Jackson Martinez.
Francois 🙂
Harrowing Trev 😉
Another one in the “Torres is done at the top level” camp here.
Bobby Pires. Still got it. Take a bow son.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2013/aug/27/robert-pires-spotted-greek-football-match-scores-video
Oh for another one like him to arrive in the next week.
Zidane seems to admire Kolo quite a lot. 🙂
Afternoon all
Good to see BtM back in the bar – are you HoF-fing tonight young man?
8Ball – Personally I thought Pirlo was spot on 🙂
Back just in time for an assist….!!
Scores?
Bang?
Ping.
BMBD
Ah, it seems I tabsed it!
Well in Lurky, doing your name proud.
Unlucky Lars, have one on my tab as consalation.
What a scrappy goal Lurky. Cheers!
3-1 to the good guys after a tense first 35 minutes. Up the Arse.
BMBD
Thanks for the assist and the kind words H2H.
Cheers Lonestar, 3-1 sounds good to me. 2-0 at halftime then unleash the youngsters. Is that to much to ask?
Now, I admit that this is probably just because I know how ridiculously important tonight most likely is but I am a bit nervous. These are 90 minutes that we just have to get through without doing anything stupid, and there is always a risk of becoming too cautious. Having said that, it would surprise me enormously if the boys aren’t well up for this and we are by far the better team overall so we should be quite alright. But until I’ve seen what attitude we’ll be playing with I won’t feel 100% safe.
Finds himself free on the wing.
Blimey, is that the tardiest pre-self-assist in the history of Goonerholic??!
Tabs,
I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the Kolo video but it was the Pirlo bit I was laughing at. 🙂
And Sir Bob – what a class act and, don’t know if it’s just me, but maybe not fully appreciated until ha had to be replaced. Just a brilliant player.
Lars,
I’m puzzled as to how you remain so sanguine about our transfer dealings – or lack of them – which could potentially really screw up the club, but are tense about the outcome of tonight’s game where we have a 3 – 0 lead from the away leg.
Now, Breathe, …… Relax ………… and “Ommmmmmmmmmmmm……. “. 😉
I had a dream last night that Arsène was the guest chef/speaker at a farm-to-table dinner at a local farm. seats ranged from $250 to $1650 per, out of my budget. so I volunteered to prep what he was going to need in the kitchen. I chopped a huge load of bread, celery, and carrots, and now have an enduring image of the man, shirt sleeves rolled up, finishing the stuffing by tearing a final piece of bread smaller then going elbow deep in the turkey, stuffing it.
analysis and application to this transfer window curiously welcome 🙂
tabs, great video!
Scruz: Interpretation:
” If you are only attracting vegetables in the transfer window, give up and go and stuff a big bird instead”.
Coat, thankyou. 😉
lol, trev 😀
Trev, if it seems I remain sanguine about transfers it’s just because I am unintentionally hiding it well. And the reason I place so much importance on tonight is that I think that whatever deals we have lined up (if any!) all hinge on the outcome of this qualifier and a failure to qualify would mean that we would have to go into full-on panic mode in the market so my worry about tonight is an extension of my transfer worries.
Lars knows.
Contributes to REALLY long build up
Good stuff ‘holic.
Sensibility is the order of the day, get it done and get it done early, then yank some of the big guns off and give the kids a nice run out.
I’ve been in Brabont over the last few days, Sunday finding myself in Den Bosch, who also have a football team who play in De Juplier League (2nd tier).
They don’t seem to mind what the meedja says about them, checkout their shirt;
http://www.fcdbfans.nl/img/nieuws/groot/091222_shirtselectie.jpg
Well in Lurky.
Trev – Bobby Pires number one for me. Didn’t receive the acclaim of either Dennis or TH14 but imo he was right up there with those two. Outshone both of them in 01-02 before he got injured in April.
Scruz – Stuffing Turkeys? Simple innit. 5-0 tonight.
H2H – Haha 🙂
Oh, to have a Bobby Pires in the team today…
Brilliant BtM @71! My arrival at the HoF from across the pond should roughly coincide with yours. First pint on me! Although the pints will most definitely be on you in May after Arsenal do the double.
Team News first … no, not Arsenal, the ‘holic team 😉 Snir, thrilled you will try your best to be here on TTD! Eandy, hope you are enjoying your vacation, but please hurry back. Delia, you are tardy on your match report against Fulham, but I’m sure that won’t happen again 😉 Btm, what a life you live! 🙂 Ttg, saved you for last, hope it all turns out, OK. Now I got to thinking about US … would be super cool if we could all purchase Goonerholic Tee Shirts, the proceeds to go to the running of this fine establishment 🙂
I see Pardew is now on about getting ‘World Class money for his World Class player’ looking for something like 20m for Cabeye………I guess its hard to blame them when you give them 35m for Andy Carroll.
Almost on par with MOTD at the weekend when ‘Arry was a guest “Analyst”. As soon as the Arsenal match came up for review he started twitching and bleating about Spurs being a better team. Now thats analysis for you! It seems all you need to make big money from the Football industry these days is a thick skin, a low iq and a neck like a jockey’s Bollox.
And as for Sky, just when you think they begin to redeem themselves by bringing in someone like Neville who provides intelligible analysis and insight, they then decide to counterbalance all that by bringing in Carra. Is it expecting too much to be able to watch someone who has a rudimentary command of the English language? I don’t understand a word he says…………which in hindsight is probably no bad thing either..!
Joe @ 123
My favourite bit of the Redknapp “analysis” was when he announced that Spurs are better than Arsenal (aren’t they always Harry?), on the basis that “Arsenal have played two very average teams this week”.
The only team Spurs had played at the point of broadcast? Crystal Palace. Triffic logic.
Looking forward to more of the same from the MOTD lads this season.
Particularly expectant for the annual declaration, circa January, that “if Wenger can get this squad of players into the top four it’ll be his greatest achievement ever.” On the basis of that statement, the MOTD crew presumably feel that our manager is fresh off the back of his two greatest managerial seasons. Doesn’t feel that way though, given how they talk about him.
Thank you N7, you have restored my faith in all I hold dear about the BBC.
🙂 🙂
Joe/N7 –
Couldn’t agree more fellas. ‘Arry on Saturday was just unbelievable. Carragher can only be heard by small dogs, and for eye-tightening, sphincter-clenching incompetence you’d have to go a long way to find something to match Shearer and his new IPad last night.
So twitchy, Spurs have and always have had a better team than Arsenal? So they should finish above Arsenal every year then? Oh they haven’t in the last 18 years? So if their team is has been better and they haven’t finished above Arsenal what could have been holding them back all these years? Oh wait…
Apologies if someone has already linked to this dross
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/the-rundown/11-reasons-tottenham-absolutely-finish-above-arsenal-2013-123046842.html
The sad part is if they keep publishing this stuff before every bleeding season then if it ever happens they will say they foresaw it, while completely ignoring the previous 50 seasons when they were completely wrong.
Scruz,
Bread, carrots, cabbage= money
The large price range of tickets= transfer market and the ever changing and escalating prices
Out of your price range? Was it or are we willing to spend to get what we want?
Chopping? Well we have trimmed quite a bit from the squad now haven’t we?
Local Farm? Well we would like to buy PL experience and shop local but may need to go abroad
Shirt sleeves rolled up: our transfer window starts now, ready to get to the business, after we stuff those Turkeys
Oh, and you want to kill your father and sleep with your mother, obviously. 😉
My phone is clearly a smartphone, it blatantly refuses to open the link @128.
Cent – Ha! The link is a bit tongue in cheek but not enough to enjoy.
norcal, you’re funny. after tabs’ analysis, i thought of the “rolling up the sleeves” part, but i like what you did with the ingredients.
and i’m guessing i should do enough cocaine to kill a horse, too, a la freud. of course, that’s just as likely as me wanting to kill my father and sleep with my mother. 🙂 and, hopefully, just as likely as scum finishing above us this year.
Joe.
Alan le Pardieu is a world class cock knocker. How can anyone take him serious, this is the guy who bemoaned Arsenal’s use of foriegn players claiing how he woukld never do such a thing and then brougt in more french man then it took to build the Eifel Tower, he is the very definition of a flip-FLOP.
As for ‘arry, he puts the anal into analysis, what an a-hole. He gets away with gross negligence at QPR, I’ve never seen a relegated manager get off so scotfree. Yes Sparky made a bollox of that team, but Twitchey did absolutly fuck all to redeem them, in fact, he made them worse, yet still everyone (meejatypes) loves him, it’s unfathomable.
I was flipping chanels last night and came across MoTD, they were talking about the redcunt v bluecunt cuntfest, Schmickel seemed articulate enough, but Shearer was less then a dribble away from being a retard, painfully bland. Then came the Spertz game, Jonathon “I’m a fat turd with a girly voice” Pearce started the proceedings by informing the viewer, based solely on a victory at Selhurst Park, that “T***enham were now building a team to challenge for the title”. That was the end of that for me, I was just glad I kept my dinner down.
So many hehs above, keep ’em coming fellas.
Strictly for Wolfie’s viewing pleasure http://pic.twitter.com/NBFSO8koIj
Scruz,
The question is: will we like what Arsene does with those ingredients!
H2H
Agreed.
Also seems to have escaped attention that this forward-looking Spurs side, who apparently have aspirations of the title, have failed to score a single goal from open play in 180 mins of Premier League football so far this season.
They’re presumably counting on 38 penalties and then defending for their lives.
How did you get hold of my holiday snaps Cent?
Bastard photographer cut me off at the knees. Had me best Jimmy Choos on an’ all.
N7.
I saw nothing of the first round of games and only highlights of last weekends offerings. But nothing I saw of the Tiny Totts convinced me they’ll be anything more then also rans, even though Swansea were extreamly poorm it was still only a spot kick that seperated them.
Heh @ Wolfie.
Mykanos, Bobby????
Really?
Good call N7. Strangely the meeja harlots are so besotted that they are not making a small issue out of that at all, let alone a big thing like it would be if it was ‘blank-firing Arsenal’.
Haha, Wolfie, I will tell ma papparazis to get a full length photo next time. Must have been a swell holiday you had with Bobby, I guess ‘holics should start suggesting baby names for you and Bobby.
The LWCs may very well prove to be an improved side this season, but they’ve yet to do anything on an actual football pitch to generate the rosy view in which the media currently holds them.
I don’t know who they’re planning on buying in the next few days, but I have to say that, right now this moment, I think they’re a marginally weaker side than they were last season.
I think that the departure of Bale is a saga that has been running for so long that pundits almost seem to have forgotten that, for all the reinforcements added, they need to deduct his contribution – 32% of the team’s goals last term, including god-knows how many last minute winners.
Boy – Bobby Microballs.
Girl – Bobbi Noballs.
Too early to make any assessment on the LWCs other than that they will be pants. That’s a given.
Hahahahaha, Wolfie, I’m laughing like a maniac, Boobs Noballs.
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose comme Ollie dit.
Tabs
I like you regard Pires as a genius. A quite wonderful player and criminally underrated. And he loved scoring against the Swamp Dwellers.
He makes my three favourite players of all time-Baker,Brady and Pires. I just don’t know what order to put them in.
Too right Tabs.
Spertz have done well to bring in reinfofcements, yet their most impressive player against Swansea was Townsend. Not one of the newbies has PL experience, it’s literaly a whole new ball game for them.
Speaking of the Swampdwellers, I see that Bale’s failed to turn up for training, that’s nice of him. 😉
Ttg,
Couldn’t agree more re Bobby Pires. Top three is always tricky. For pure talent alone it’s difficult to look outside of the holy triumvirate of Bobby, Dennis and Thierry. But my own top three would be Pires, Charlie Nich and Rocky.
H2H,
Did you catch Bale’s garb whilst he’s bunking off? I’m not sure the Fashion world will be an option when it all goes tits up at Madrid.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSr69Y1CMAAVhLI.jpg
If this transfer eventually goes through I’d be willing to bet that Madrid sell him within 2 years for less than half of what they are reportedly going to pay for him.
Tabs, O dear, o dear. Still, I bet that would go down a treat in Mykanos with the emphasis on “go down”. 😉
I totaly agree, I think it would be a big mistake moving to Madrid, but when all’s said and done he is a very good ball player, he may very well make it, but at this stage and for that team it could all be very hit and miss. At least if he’s feeling homesick the old *Rock of G’ isn’t that far away.
*yes he looks like a simean and no I’m not a racist.
TaBS, @151, whilst I agree that his outfit, and practically everything about Bale is horrible, I, sadly think he will make it at Madrid because;
1. La liga defenders give attackers way too much space and he will those space to the fullest.
2. He obviously puts in a lot of work in training, how do I know this? He is obviously not the most naturally talented, heck he almost got offloaded for below £4million not quite long ago, he is where he is today because he put in extra efforts on developing his strengths and weaknesses whilst generally transforming his game for good, we’ve had so many players who had more natural talent than him but didn’t make it because they couldn’t be arsed to put in that extra effort needed to succeed at the highest level. So I think he has the right attitude and will continue working hard enough to succeed.
I can’t believe I just typed all that words in defence of a fucking Sp*d! *scurries off to wash himself squeaky clean*
One other point. It now appears to be accepted wisdom that we are leaving our transfer dealing until our involvement in the CL is officially confirmed.
Is this;
a) because we have deals lined up for players who will only join if we gain qualification
b)because we are so risk averse we won’t spend any money until qualification is confirmed
c) because we might have another £30 mill to spend on even more spectacular purchases
d)because we have failed to get our act together and are using this as an excuse
e) because it is easier to do big deals on top,top quality at this stage of the window
f) anything else
I ask because I haven’t got a clue but suspect it is a combination of a and b
Apeboy apparently throwing his bananas out of his cage because Levy has put a hold on his transfer to Madrid Royal Zoo.
TTG – you missed out g) all of the above.
It’s g)
And h bath; Arsene, Gazidis, Law, the board, Kroenke and the tea lady don’t care about the team or the fans, they are just lining their pockets.
Ttg @154 – Reckon you’ve summed it up very well. A bit of all of them I should think.
H2H – Heh 🙂
Cent – Completely agree with you and H2H on Bale’s abilities and his attitude, I think he’s mustard, but I still don’t think he’ll make it there as
(a) I don’t think he’s as good as Madrid seem to think he is. For that kind of money they clearly think they’re getting some sort of Messi/Ronaldo clone. Great player though he is, he’s nowhere near that level and Madrid have a notorious lack of patience. Personally I think they’ve been seduced by a series of wonder goals in the second half of last season. Wonderful goals that they were, it shouldn’t really be forgotten that for huge chunks of games he went missing.
(b) The other concern is off the pitch. Everything you read about him is that he is a home boy. He still lives in Wales apparently. He will be placed right at the heart of intense media scrutiny and I wonder if he will cope, let alone thrive in it. Doubt that he’ll learn the language, and he won’t have the entourage of someone like Beckham for that not to be a problem.
Even if he’s sold at half price within 2 years that’s still £40m plus, so still a fair old whack.
Just my opinion and it’s all just speculation at this stage, but I don’t see him being a long-term success over there. I guess we’ll all soon find out.
TTG – I don’t care.
If they get it done, then all well and good. If they don’t, then they likely deserve the tar, feather and pitchfork treatment that many appear to advocate. Subjecting them to the treatment won’t help the club or the team but they would get it anyway.
I fervently hope, and fairly confidently believe that they will get it done, so the potential effects of “the treatment” are moot.
I am also not looking forward to the succession of “why oh why oh why didn’t they get the players in earlier” complaints should any player that we sign have a bad day, and the “last minute trolley dash, panic buy” remarks should we get in any players who don’t make the grade. I think the first is wholly unjustified, and while the second has some merit, it doesn’t have much, and certainly not sufficient (in my opinion) to merit the number of times it would, no doubt, be trotted out.
COYG
Yep agree with Bath @156
Fair enough TaBS.
Szczesny, Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker, Monreal, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla, Podolski, Walcott, Giroud
Interesting that Sagna is retained as CB.
Fabianski, Koscielny, Rosicky, Miyaichi, Gibbs, Sanogo, Frimpong
H2H – Giving Kos every chance for Sunday I guess. On the bench if he is needed in an emergency.
ttg @154 – It’s d of course 🙂
Maybe Tabs.
But Sagna’s done a hell of a job there, maybe Wenger wants him to get used to the position.
N7 @124: Spot on! 🙂
Hypocrites.
H2H – Yeh that may well have played a part in AW’s thinking.
Come on you Arsenal!
What the tiger man said 😉
Juan Mata’s Dad is in the directors box at the Emirates, make of that what you will.
Lots of empty seats.
Just got in!!!!
COME ON YOU GOOOOONNNNEEERRRSSSS!
COYRRR”S
slides onto barstool after pouring himself a quick half…
come on gooners!
.Super Schez
Heroic save by Woj!!!
what a sequence. glaring hole, no fouls called by ref, and chez saves the bouncing ball off sagna’s head.
afternoon, abb, h2h.
Hi scruz and company 🙂
A slow start by us to say the least.
TR7 gives this team it tempo
Evening scruz. Nursie, Bath and the rest.
things picking up, ttg. two screaming breaks undone by poor choices.
Waves to H2H ~~~
Ttg – true statement sir.
Rosicky is whats missing.
And – love Feo but eby on earth is tsking free kicks ?
Hermmm …
aaron!!!
RAAAAMSEEEY
Get in Aaron!
Ha Ha Aaron 1-0 🙂
Raaaaaaaaaaammmmmmsseeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy
that was definitely coming. no way back now, for the turks. let’s see a right stuffing, now.
Stick a fork in it – this is done. Well in Aaron old son, undroppable on this form.
Waa Hoooo!!!
Move stared by Poldi!
Poldi Poldi Plodi!!!!
Get in there Aaron Ramsey!
What an improved lad he is. Fantastic timing on top of all his other qualities.
Btw – if we were to sign Juan Mata I would pretty much cry for joy. One of the best players in the country.
Every hack i ever took on ramsay i humbly retrack.
Aaron sir … I am an ass!!!!
that was a bit cynical on theo. definitely deserved the card.
a homeric apology, homer. 🙂
Ramsey shaved his beard AND scored a goal? This does not compute with the bearded power hypothesis. Must rethink. 😉
going for the assist…
Well in Homer. Wish some of the negative blogs would be as quick to put their hands up after the slating they gave the lad.
Scruz. That’s what they all say. 🙂
Tabsed it
lol, bt. curved in the far post, i guess.
Customary blood rush to Ches’ head moment.
oooh, shoulda pulled the trigger earlier og…
He scores when he doesn’t want
He scores when he doesn’t waaaaant
He’s scruz
He scores when he doesn’t want
LOL, n7… 😉
I don’t mind admitting (in fact I am PLEASED to) that AR has really surprised me. Genuinely thought he was going to be another Eduardo after he seemed to be unable to do anything right for about 5 months.
Now he is, as has already been said, in undroppable form.
Spectacular!
I think a special mention for Nacho too. Really fine player although very much understated and underrated in his play.
Cannot wait for the next few days to see how much BETTER we can make the squad!
WOO HOOO!
tw, i for one will squeal like a little girl getting a surprise present if we get mata.
Homer @ 196:
I crossed your post there so, yeah, what you said!
Scruz,
I think that Mata is as good as Rooney but I don’t think that we will sign Mata 😉
nice run, santi!
TW – alll good sir.
Great minds and all.
chezza! brilliant pushing it off the post. that was a bullet. and again!
Woj, really makes the BIG saves!
Customary Ches wonder save.
Wow
Wow
Wow.
Offside yes but – sir cheese with the i stincitve stop — eff me!
Fuck me!
Even Chezzer is looking world class!!!
jens laughing in the stands…
Jens!!!
jack *working* that throughball.
Sagna is fucking superman.
aaaah, heck. og over the top.
Oh Giroud just missed a sitter.
Olly?!?!
THAT was UGLY!
Well,
Job done really. Well done lads.
A slightly eccentric defensive performance.
We do want to impress Mata’s Dad!
Well in Scruz, but the glory goes to N7 😉
Decent half. Defending a bit sloppy at times but doing enough. Santi different class.
Hope we gave him a cushion Ttg 🙂
if only for the song, tabs, if only for the song 🙂
Haha 🙂
What Tabs said.
As for Woj, if he could only cut out the rushes of blood, he’d be one of the best, his shotstopping is amazing.
Busy here so I’m only catching bits and pieces, but Fene look far more up for it then last week, so well done the lads.
crap, poldi does his hammy.
gibbs in for poldi, on the left.
Bloody hell.
Ramsay is all over the pitch!
How is he going it?!?!?!
Not good with Poldi. Thin getting thiner. 🙁
Monreal having a good solid game.
Ears were burning from that beard comment scruz. Lets just say the beard is so powerful it’s residual effects last long after removal.
Hate to see players pulling up clutching the hamstring. Let’s hope it’s one of those 2-3 week pulls and not a several month tear.
that was bt8b, bearded. maybe aaron has been watching too many shaving commercials…:)
and stretchering him off, not good, not good at all. no short one, this.
Was that Bale in disguise?
Sorry 8ball with that beard comment. No offense scruz it was the Guinness talking!
Tabs
Hope we gave him a gin and tonic at half- time ( or a Rioja)
none taken, bearded. have another, on me 🙂
sanogo for og. come on, yaya, get in.
ooooh, close by santi. good save, vulcan.
Aye, lots of it Ttg.
oooh, theo puts it off the bar.
Is Meireles spanish for meth junk?
Cheers scruz! Stretcher is a bad sign.
Dirk kuyt.
Liverpool – that one cannot overlook.
Helluva player tho.
What
a
goal!
Brace for Rambo!!!!
aaron again! brilliant ball movement from midfield for that one…seven or eight one-touch passes, for the goal.
ok, a couple were two-touch, but still, brilliant.
Nice one Aaron
Poldi out for at least 3 weeks 🙁
NOBODY, but NOBODY deserves that more.
Great stuff Aaron….Spectacular performance.
Bryan Robson comparisons anybody?!
ryo on!
Theo off, Ryo on. Good luck Ryo!
Ramsay!!
AW – gets him. Keeps him.
Maybe rambo is all that and a bag of chips.
AW sticks with him. Give it up for AR amd AW.
damn, yaya nearly opened his account. should have returned the pass.
SANTI IS GOD.
H2H @249 – Haha 🙂
Theo off. Surprised Jack is playing the 90.
Good old Rambo. He has looked good so far this season hopefully his form continues!
How can Ramsey be booked and Alves escape?
man, love this team. they’re as full of running now as they were at the start, maybe moreso.
jack, they’re beating you up for the haircut.
great ball from aaron. jack should have worked it a bit more (not to the point of over-elaboration, mind).
oooh, jenks deserved that. great pass from ryo, vulcan in the right place.
bing. “wenger not wonga”, but be sure to spend some, wenga. especially now with poldi down…
Job done. Well Played Arsenal.
Woohoo! Transfer window open!
That’s 3 consecutive matches Ramsey has gotten the official Man of The Match award.
Hells yeah.
Ryo ans sonogo both look like players.
Round on me. Especially for poldi. Hope hes alright.
Ramsay – what can you say.
He is boss!!
That will do. Shame about Poldi though.
At what point do we need to rethink the ceiling for Ramsey as the next Ray Parlour? No offense to Ray of course! Arsenal haven’t played a game this season where he wasn’t at least in consideration for MOTM.
Job finished off efficiently enough, but losing Poldi is a blow, and I hope Ramsey doesn’t have one of those groin injuries that you never quite get rid off. Gibbs to revert to being the left winger he used to be?
Also did Aaron’s injury have anything to do with that photo on the front page of the Guardian’s football site right now. Pretty incriminating shot.
Great result. Not seen any of the game but you can hardly argue with a 5 nil aggregate victory. Just have to wait for news on Poldi. Reports saying Rambo limped off holding his groin???? Also interesting reports from several sources that Juan Mata’s father and agent was in the directors box????? No idea how true that was???
Wenger time im going for we are not close to signing anyone but you will be the first to know 🙂
Huge relief. Brilliant display and well deserved. Ramsey, what a player! Shame for Poldi though, it means we must bring a striker definitely. I feel Sanogo is not there yet.
And heh at Liverpoo, level on goals with Notts County, extra time there. Wonder what Suarez is doing tonight, maybe looking over that clause with a microscope.
Juan Mata’s dad was apparently not in the director’s box after all.
Or was he.
Nice win that. Must admit I was flicking between our game and the women’s Ashes though, as our game was dead.
Ramsey’s second was a great take. Looked at first like it might have been shinny but what a lovely finish it was.
Kolo is doomed at Anfield by the way.
Top, top stuff there by so many of the XI. Nobody ducked out particularly and most were stars. Even if we the fans don’t “deserve” a couple of world class super duper pooper scooper players, surely the players we have do.
Shame about iPod. Let’s hope it isn’t too long out and that the world class left winger we are surely looking to sign can slot into the team nice and quickly.
Although maybe Ryo is like a new signing!
Shush now…Enjoy the result 😉
Post match interview with the boss.
He was just asked what’s changed for Ramsey and his face totally lit up. “Confidence”.
This may end up being his last season with us, but I will always have so much respect for Wenger. He’s a proper football man, and a very decent one too.
Ian Wright legendary goal scorer – top notch media knob-end.
Lee Dixon: “it would appear that this week he’s going to sign two big players”.
Make it so Arsene.
As long as those big players are not Grant ‘bull neck’ Holt and Kolo ’round arse’ Toure
Lovely stuff Arsenal. Stepped up and simply got the job done against a bunch of dirty little hackers. No wonder Wilshere hardly has a chance to get going in games. He’s constantly getting targeted and repeatedly fouled while multiple refs let the opponents just hack him down all over the pitch.
As for Rambo, GET IN THERE MY SON!!!!
I feel sorry for Chavski and Scum Utd fans. They don’t have our Welsh wizard!
Wenger: “I have heard like you that … Juan Mata could be on the market. There is a reluctance anyway in England to sell to each other”
An interesting problem for the boss if Ramsey holds his form when Arteta is fit, because Arteta will be important against the better sides.
Hmm, interesting. I was considering starting a long, flowing, tippy tappy move for the triple-ton. I see that additional skill will be involved in guessing the goal-scoring post. Soooooooo,
Pushes the ball towards the left wing…
Step-over, rolls it from foot to foot, cross-over toe poke to the middle
…Collects it and spots Ramsey’s run…
… Makes himself available on the left…
Runs onto Cent’s pass and pushes it out to Lurky…
sprinting down the right, curved run leading me to the top corner of the box…
…just as…
gets a phantom pass from lurky and pings it to the spot…
Spots Yaya Banana’s run behind Bale….
Tries for the real-time TABS position, hoping that a clean-up will award him a GGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL
Routine tap-in for you Lurky if no cleanup occurs. Nicely taken though. Well in.
lurky, that’d be a top banana, eh? so long as bale didn’t go down on its skin…
I’m usually wending my way home after games so don’t see the extremes on different websites but it is truly fascinating to contrast the comments on this site with those of the pond scum who frequent Le Grove.
This site is a site for Arsenal fans and the comments reflect this. Supportive of young players. Unbelievably Sanogo and Miyaichi have been crucified on Le Grove which I think is quite appalling. Some idiots claim that a win tonight was bad for the club cos it keeps Wenger in a job. How ridiculous- most clubs would kill to be in the Champions League.l
It’s my fault for consulting that garbage but I do despair when people with views like that attach themselves to your club.
Played Pangloss! 🙂
And with that, I bid one and all a very good night.
Yawn, another bloody Champions League campaign. Do you realise that supporters of other clubs would get quite excited about playing alongside the top teams in Europe?
Ho hum. Night all.
What to say.. it’s all about confidence.
(celebrating with scruz, pangloss, and cent, while Bale is oddly observing Yaya Banana)
Best ignored Ttg. Better for the blood pressure.
Well said N7 @284
Some idiots claim that a win tonight was bad for the club cos it keeps Wenger in a job.
Print page, wipe arse with it
In the depths of despair post Villa I did ponder the waste of time the CL is for us, but I’d never want us to lose just to get rid of Wenger. I might think it sometimes on darker nights, but then I realise I’m being a c*nt and wake up.
Le Grove can fuck off. He’ll be crying into his Peroni because he’s spent two years aiming all kinds of abuse at Ramsey, and now Rambo is making him look even more of a mug with every passing game.
The denizens of that blog are GUTTED when we win. They’re not Arsenal fans in my book.
Anyway, enough of that. Cracking result tonight, well done the lads. Just a shame there was no goal for Jenks at the end there.
Heh @ Cynic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>