Maturing Arsenal Getting It Together
Sep 28th, 2013 by 'holic
Each season is a new relationship. This one could not have started much worse for Arsenal Football Club and their devoted, but opinionated, suitors. This one included. You question do you want to go on with it if we are going to have more of the same old, same old. Arsenal and suitors squared up.
“Let’s not give up too hastily. Here, have that shiny new Ozil you wanted, and a trusty old Flamini. Best of all though I have had that Ramsey repaired. All for you. How about it?”
So tonight, six games into the new season, the flame burns brighter than ever on this fledgling relationship. Occasional flare ups aside, and not fully stocked yet in the resources department, Arsenal are proving to be more than a match for their devotees desires. Five consecutive wins, three of them away, have the team sitting two points clear atop the Premier League. Perhaps it is time to remind ourselves thirty two matches remain, including two each against the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. Those tests will decide whether or not we are contenders.
For now though we can again enthuse about a midfield that wins football matches. Technically astute, the fine balance of qualities between Flamini and Ramsey, Ozil and Wilshere is paying off. Not afraid to drop back and defend for long periods, as we did truthfully in the opening half, but lethal when cutting loose on the counter, as we did in the second. Another component was added to the mix today. With Theo Walcott added to the inmates of the treatment room young Serge Gnabry was thrust into the right wing berth. His contribution at both ends was not insignificant. He put in a proper shift, as tweeted earlier.
It was fitting that the eighteen year old German youth international should team up with on-fire Aaron Ramsey to fire the Gunners ahead As the final half an hour approached. Arsenal, driven by Ramsey in his native South Wales, were opening up from the necessities of a cautious opening. Tactically we are becoming masters of football’s equivalent of rope-a-dope. It is becoming a feature. The knock out blow was landed by Rambo himself, ably set up by Olivier Giroud, another crucial cog in new look Arsenal.
There was the inevitable rally from a more than capable home side as we retreated further and further again in the closing stages. Wojciech Szczesny, largely impressive on the night was finally beaten by a superbly constructed Davies strike. The defensive replacements were called up, and the rearguard action showed signs of maturity so lacking on occasion in recent seasons.
So the partners in this fiery romance went home together happy at the end of the night. In thirty two games it will be known if a match made in heaven is on the cards. It has to be said the early excitement shows little sign of abating yet.
302 Responses to “Maturing Arsenal Getting It Together”
TOP OF THE SHOP
heh, well in H2H
*BURP*
Cheers ‘Holic.
It’s like a trophy
Excellent guvnor, and congratulations on the ‘holic pound, that over the last few weeks must of accumalated to a good few beer tickets.
Don’t know how you do it so consistently, ‘holic, beautifully written piece…
A very fine report. beginning to shed some of the excessive caution expressed in recent efforts! Keep it up young man 🙂
Any chance of a beer v Napoli?
It’s amazing that Serge was only 1 year old when Le Professeur was appointed manager.
Great day!
Well done the ‘Holic Pound. The boys are maturing by the game. Developing some good understanding. We sign a striker in January and watch out.
BLG added 6 more goals today against bigger boys. Bloody proud of her. She makes this manager stuff simple.
COYGs. Win the next match.
BMBD
Mature. I like that word.
Close to Manure but way better.
We play like we know we’re the best.
Confident Arsenal? It’s been a long time.
Welcome back.
Better than Manure?
Nice post Guv’nor.
Early contender for Fact of the Day from Hazza@8
Do we really need any major additions to this squad? When majority of the walking wounded are restored, it would be very hard keeping them all happy. Having said that, we do need quality support/competition for Giroud up top. That to me should be all in the winter transfer window. Who should that fellow be? Holic, you would be better off establishing your own gaming empire. Cheers.
nice stuff, holic, like the Güinness in my gläss. here’s to the fire remaining undamped as the relationship matures!
Thanks all.
Can’t do midweeks BtM, but a beer with you is long overdue. Any weekends soon?
and well done on three straight in the league…”he wins bets when he wants”.
Yes get in there you beautiful Arsenal!!!!!!!!
Interesting to watch bits of a Spurs v Chelsea today. Chelsea were stronger but in an era of more attacking football one wonders if Mourinho can unleash the undoubted talent there. LWCs have lost their stellar presence and look nailed on for 5th to me. Which leaves the Mancs.both have lost games against teams they would not have with their previous managers. If we can continue with the same work ethic, don’t have OG injured and can get our injured players fit we really have a bit of a chance. As Holic says there are some tough games to play and a long way to go. If only we had got a proper referee for the Villa game!
dat is from de young gunners I give kudos to dem gunners 4 life
Nice post ‘Holic. Puts things in perspective, we are top of the league, we have direct, confident and clever access to the games and we are winning. But, as you noticed we are yet to play with both Manchester and Chelski to finally know if we are where we want to be.
Until then, let us enjoy this run. If we continue to play like this, with little luck and less injuries, I am confident we will do something good this season.
Good write up, Holic, that dispenses with the need to say most of what I had planned, especially about our relationship with the club.
Of course, we would never stop supporting, dreaming and hoping, but there comes a point where you do ask whether you can continue to justify the cost of your support if the club doesn’t appear to “match your ambition”. Ahem.
That argument has been mirrored in microcosm by the Aaron Ramsey situation.
Was he, a year ago, really the best the club could do ?
While many admired his guts just for playing again after that horrific injury, few, if any, honestly believed that he would ever become the player he had been promising to before his Shawcrossing.
Thank whoever you pray to though, that the one man who did honestly believe it was Arsene Wenger.
He must now be very nearly as pleased and proud of his charge as Ramsey is himself.
And apart from his performances on the pitch, his post match interview on Sky today was a thing of humility, manners and class.
It does not befall us, as fans, to really be proud of him. I would suggest that is something for his parents and the manager who has absolutely refused to give up on him when it would have been easier to do so.
The rest of us can simply thank whoever we pray to again that he is ours.
After October 12, I’m permanently resident, Holic and complete with bus pass. My recollection is that the next round is yours?
And can I ask that while we rejoice in being top today that we don’t get all bitter and twisted when we lose a couple. Arsenal is like a puppy – for life! Well done Arsene btw.
After the permy crock, former scouser, sitter of many a geordie injury table, personality deprived, “expert” My Cologne (or however you spell his name) claimed that we were not a top four club this afternoon, I have an almost morbid curiosity what kind of excuses his coleagues and fellow waste of designer shirts will have for us sitting pretty tonight.
After three weeks on the road
Moving from Paris to spain toScotland to England tomorrow
Tickets for Napoli will be picked up. On monday after drive from Lake District
Even my wife ans son getting nervous
A sweet day. Football is good. Drink
Well said Trev. Aaron has come full circle and his incredible hard work has now been rewarded.
I have not always had the ” patience” to stay fully behind AW but he has always stayed behind his players, and specifically this group and now it is also being rewarded. Fair play.
Arsenal till I die
Hahaha, BtM. You may well be right 😉
… And Trev knows. Future captain..
Very Good Evening holics. Holic, you are the Bernie Taupin of football bloggers 😉 All this talk about relationships! We the fans stuck by them, when the chips were down. They are rewarding our fidelity, so beautifully. So even when our own lives may be less than fruitful, we just know the team is there, for us. What an incredible feeling that is. So very grateful.
Florentino, tough without Mesut, innit?
Arsenal is like a puppy
Let’s hope they don’t shit on the carpet for quite some time.
Really need a striker to get fit though, because Giroud is playing with niggles and they will catch him up if he doesn’t get a chance to rest up.
Arsenal’s son,
Arsenal’s son.
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey.
Arsenal’s son,
Son of a gun,
Arsenal now and fore’er.
(to the chorus of “son of a sailor”)
BMBD
I’ve said this many times and I shall say this again, not to be forgotten in January when they offer him for 30 million to us.
What an utterly overrated crap of a footballer Benzema is.
Really Lurky? I think Benzema would be a good buy but lewandowski would be preferable
Has the look and feel of a big away win, no matter how early in the season. Rivals dropping points, injured players getting their rest and honing their eagerness to pick up the slack in later games. A good mix of players, all pulling for the team. Come on Arsenal and keep it up!!
@35 Arse
Seriously? You watched any of Madrid or France games this year? He is absolute crap. He remained first choice attacker in Madrid only and only because of Zidane’s influence and their Algerian-France connections.
But as the things stand I wouldn’t be to surprised if Zidane lose his job because of the decision to sell Higuain, not buy another forward and keep Benzema. Fans in Madrid are not some pleasant bunch you know.
At the moment even young Morata is 5 times better player than Benzema is.
Another who deserves just as many kudos for his hard work off the pitch to recover from his injuries, as well as his fantastic current contributions to the team, is Sagna. Huge today in Swansea and what a joy to see him return to full health. Never should have doubted him last season.
The same corresponding fixtures last season:
Arsenal 2 Aston Villa 1
Fulham 0 Arsenal 1
Arsenal 5 Spurs 2
Sunderland 0 Arsenal 1
Arsenal 1 Stoke City 0
Swansea 0 Arsenal 2
For 12 Against 3 Pts 18
I am still an obsessed cunt who hasn’t consulted the doctor.
@39
Yes, but the wins you quote were scattered throughout that season, when our longest winning run was only of 4 matches. This season we’ve beaten this record within the first 6 weeks, and as a reward we find ourselves 4 points on top of the nearest serious challengers – Chelsea; while pending the return of half of the squad from injury. This can only be good for the psychology of the team.
Wow, I thought I had seen it all but 39 is the mother of them all.
Keep calm everyone. MNB is in da house.
Cent knows. It’s a damn shame.
Gotta be a spud…our “joint-leaders”
BMBD
Don’t get fished in.
=====
Well, Shearer, Savage and Hanson obviously couldn’t be on the show, but stilll very little praise from those filling in. In fact seeing that we started the day on top of the league and finished there too, it’s a bit wierd we were on fourth.
They don’t like us because they are not us!!
hey wait startship dont leave your “fact” unfinish , in the last 20 match 18 victory 1 draw 1 lost,yep wenger out
gnarby become the second youngest arsenal goalscorer in PL history (cesc is the younguest)
Just got in from work. Listened to the game on the radio but have not seen any off it yet. My plan was to watch the whole game but it is way too late for that. So MOTD it is then. The advantage now is that I can fast forward when the muppets are holding court.
So Starship, what you are saying is that nothing’s gonna stop us now….
😀
One of the worst songs ever recorded. How apt.
Super win and great defensive discipline, though a lack of clinical finishing could have cost us the win today. Im not sure which of our two attacking German players was the £42m player though. Out of the two Gnabry was by far the standout of the two.
Just seen a great point made on a general football site by a non-Arsenal fan in so far as Theo Wallbanger should not automatically reclaim his place in the side when fit – what an astute point. Gnabry’s back-tracking today was super to see, something Theo should learn from.
Please will all Gooners call the lad GNABRY not Gnarby. I know Brits don’t do languages but it’s not that difficult a name
Meant to add, Ramsey was immense, as was WS in goal – he caught everything. Back four was so solid, Ozil did not really impose himself which I hope does not become a feature away from home. This season thus far reminds me a lot if the beginning of the 2007/08 campaign, the linkage between both: one M Flamini – enough said
Point taken, I can pronounce it better than I can spell the boy’s name – in the German language there is no silent ‘G’
Nice post Guvna. Proper Mills ‘n Boone romance, innit?
‘Watched’ this game on the Arseblog Liveblog, the Drinks and the Arses and caught the three excellent goals on Arsenalist before crashing.
Thank you all for your excellent punditry. You put to shame those paid to comment though perhaps your bias (in the opposite direction) peeks through a tad.
Large Jeroboam of Dom Perignon on the bar for breakfast.
Lurky @37, to be fair I haven’t watched much of him this season, it’s hard enough getting up at stupid hours of the morning to watch arsenal in NZ let alone la liga. I have been reading about him though and he just sounds like a man out of form. Ramsey is a perfect example of how someone can return after bad form and become a star, albeit his excuse was a serious injury. He is only 25 and I reckon is just going through a rough patch. Never easy with fans on your back especially Spanish ones. I’m not saying he would be the best buy but I certainly don’t think he would be a bad one in the long run
ttg, I know it’s gnabry, but i like to call him gnarby for fun, a nickname, if you will. it never crossed my mind that people misspelled it that way. and, I didn’t realize it upset you.
sigh, mnb is like athlete’s foot…just when you think you’ve gotten rid of it, it comes back.
Hey scruz,
You can have Gnarby on the right and Carzola on the left.
Nurse, see to ttg, please. 😉
trev, ha! but, odd as it mat be, I can’t stand carzola, prolly because announcers actually call him that for real. and gnarly gnarby sounds way better than gnarly gnabry 😉
Santi on the left of me,
Gnabry on the right here I am
Stuck in the middle Giroud.
It might just catch on….
2 + 1 = dustbin.
Unbelievable. The BBC Sport homepage fails to include any reference to Arsenal, rather featuring storeis on the Manchester United, City and Chelsea games.
H2H, we know who you are. 🙂
Erm, me thinks @61 still needs a bit of fine-tuning, Guv.
Given the identity fraud starting to occur time for the new moniker.
Trev @21 excellent post. In total agreement.
BT8B – yes, noticed that too, it’s become embarrassing that’s the case.
G’night people. Be good.
Just want to say: I loved the Pole in the goal today. Lots of high balls across his box and he claimed all with authority. Well done Woj. Keep up the focus.
Steve T,
I’m always ready with a dust bin, trash can, rubbish pale, refuse bottle or vacuum sucker if ever needed. 😉
Looks like Gnabry’s confidence switch went on in the 40th minute, started with that run through the box and ended with a goal. I like how everyone is tracking back when a run forward breaks-up.
We only can play who is in front of us, one match at a time boys. Squad getting healthy, still think Bendtner will have a big part to play for us.
One match at a time.
Guv, setting aside the COC match vs. Albion, where you’ve not published a wager, that’s three in a row on the money for you. Have you ever hit three in a row before on the Arsenal? Have you had a longer win streak?
Whatever, keep it up (as long as Gunners are in your win column)!
Also, with your new umlauted self, do we now address you as Gehr – EHR’ – ner – HER’ – lic ??? Not to worry, you’ve öned it.
Behind @60 — Yes, it’s becoming something of a feature of the BBC Football website to totally ignore Arsenal’s scores/league position. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but its becoming noticable and irksome. Good post ‘Holic — cant wait to meet you and buy you a pint before the Norwich game. You are dead right when you point out that the competition is still in it’s infancy — a long long way to go,but hopeful signs all the same. Agree with Arse Down Under re Benzema — he would work as a January buy for me, although cant really argue with Lurky as regards to his current form. Got a feeling Arsene would get the best out of him.Re Rambo – at this rate of improvement he stands to become one of the very best midfielders in the Prem this season and into the future. As an aside — does anyone recall Slur Alex’s comments last season,in which he stated that Arsenal look to be quietly building an excellent side — seems he knows a thing or two about football after all!
I only hope my physical attendance at the Norwich game wont jinx us!
Lets enjoy riding the crest of this wave while we can!
I dont suppose I am alone in enjoying,to an unhealthy level,the current Manure situation. That poor little boy in RVP’s head must be glummer than glum.
8 ball @ 60: Speaking of BBC Sports — if we must indulge their growing irrelevance — we just need to wait for the first dip in the results (and there would be an inevitable dip in the season) for their sudden growing fascination with Arsenal. Very predictable.
Sometimes in last season — I think it was either Tabs, or Trev, or NBN or N7 — someone posted a fantastic explanation about the general dislike of Arsenal in wider British football media tracing back to how Arsenal broke the northern hegemony etc.
Trev @ 21: I think a player like Ramsey is really a quintessential Wenger type in terms of their respective approaches to sport: a combination of desire, humility and quiet confidence. The continuous desire to learn and improve and grow is something that is one of the hardest things to inculcate in a young mind if it is already not embedded in the psyche.
I also think the time spent by Aaron playing on the wings was a true education and it didn’t go to waste. He has learnt to operate in small spaces, learnt to recognize and manipulate the pockets of space that , unless you are as gifted as Cesc or Ozil and can see things that others don’t, tend to flatten out in your perspective once you are playing from deep-central. Loved the way he almost intuitively recognized the angle of Gnabry’s movement for the goal and reversed the ball.
Im gonna KILL anyone who starts talking about title. Its 6 matches FFS.
We lost the title after 28 games and 5 points in the clear.
Feet on the ground. Please.
Of course..no one here. but the fucking commentators are talking shit. Just to jinx Arsenal. Im sure.
Are any of the US Gooners here getting the same error message from Arsenal Player?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BVTQVudCUAAoHAC.png
Nice write up Guv. U do what u do and u do it all too well.
Now; Said this before. If arsenal can consistenly finish top four over God knows how many seasons, then surely its only a slight adjustment away from being the best team in England….whether its down to transfers, rallying the ones you have, cover for injuries in squad depth or individual ramseyesque spirit.
I personally think the ‘adjustment’ hinges on bringing in serious competition for Giroud, no disrespect to TGESL…when we have that, we have hope.
Snir I get the same message.
IP @68 your physical presence would only hinder the people sitting immediately to your left and right. I’ll have you know my name is actually arse end of the world. ADU died with the blog. But thanks for your support on the benzema matter.
Brilliant stuff ‘Holic…One of your finest posts for some time. Nailed so much of what so many are feeling in so few words (unlike some around here!)
Trev@21:
“Thank whoever you pray to though…” That would be Dennis for me!
“…that the one man who did honestly believe it was Arsene Wenger.” – And isn’t it just wonderful seeing him with that glint in his eye again?! Couldn’t help but notice it today. A bit of the old Arsene has certainly returned and not a moment too soon. His pride in his “kids” is so obvious and, at long last, they are repaying the faith he has consistently shown when most, if not all around him, were questioning him for it. Ramsey is the perfect example of that as you rightly point out.
“He must now be very nearly as pleased and proud of his charge as Ramsey is himself.” – See above!
“And apart from his performances on the pitch, his post match interview on Sky today was a thing of humility, manners and class.” – Taught by the very best in reality. Wenger has his faults but class has never been a problem for him.
Such an exciting time for all concerned with the club. We know that we probably don’t have the squad to manage to keep this going for 32 more EPL games and all the rest, but how wonderful is it to even be able to dream again?!
All that said, we may not have the squad but I am pretty sure that Manure don’t even have the first XI, Chel$ki don’t have the right manager and the LWC’s the cohesiveness that comes with time. Only actually see Citeh as real competition right now, but we will need a LOT of luck with OG and a couple of others avoiding injury to stay the course.
But, like I said, how great that we can even be talking about the possibility of being right up there come May…
COME ON YOU GOOOONERRRSSS!
Four words:
Win the next match.
BMBD
I said it on twitter yesterday that Ramsey is a monster. He wasn’t even tired by the end of the match. Amazing fitness levels
We are on a good run, no talk of title yet please
I agree, unless we’re talking about knighting Ramsey 😉
Morning all, or whatever time of day it is where you are.
Lonestar –
Three words.
Champions in May.
Morning H.
Nice write up and nice to still be sitting on top.
I have watched the highlights and most of the first half. We are on an impressive run that will hopefully continue on Tuesday night.
What really makes me laugh is that the spuds are second. I have some spud mates who are itching to start blushing about how great they are and how they are going to win the league. Then they look up and the one team above them is the mighty Gunners. They are fuming, especially when all I do is laugh hysterically at them.
Kids football this morning. I will watch the rest later.
It’s 820 pm here Holic, must say I’m very jealous of IP for meeting at the Norwhich game. Treat him well, he is an old bastard! Bit soft on the drink as well.
Heh, chuckling here.
Soft on the drink? Aren’t we all 😉
Morning Steve. Great feeling, innit? 😉
Well I’d consider myself mediocre on the piss which is Better than most and as a slightly younger gooner I suppose I should be 😉 . Great post btw guv, mucho respecto, yes we speak Spanish over here
Gracias, senor.
Excellent write up Guv, you’re a beacon of class, humor, and eloquence.
@thierry wrightcamp “A bit of the old Arsene has certainly returned and not a moment too soon.”
Yes this!!!
We all focus on the improvement, unity, and strength of the team and rightly so but what of Arsene? He is a LANS himself, back to his old tricks again. He appears invigorated, it’s as if he has rediscovered his form of old. He seemed wounded for the past few seasons, beat up a bit, but now? I’m hoping he has turned a corner, because I’ll sadly admit I was beginning to doubt him, and I’ve never been a capricious soul.
I mean, I’m as happy as a clam to see the reemergence of our “Welsh Jesus” as blogs puts it, but I’m just as pleased to see Wenger in form again, long may it continue.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2013/09/29/4296912/the-sweeper-ozil-assured-of-wenger-extension-at-arsenal
Ollie – I love you, but we’re adversaries on Thursday 😉
Is there a Goonerholic fantasy football league? And can any gooner join no matter how big or small ?
You are a bit late to the party AEotW,
There is one here, currently headed by someone with inside info!
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
The league code is 1653590-366073
AVB: “They are in a negative spiral in terms of results. To [get] out of that negative spiral is extremely difficult.”
Since then:
WWWWWDWDWWWLWWWWWWWWW
Now, my welsh is a bit rusty, but I believe that means “Rather Rambö than Bale”
Mr ‘H – really enjoying your recent posts and some of your excellent writing (despite being Guinness assisted- so watch out for the drug testers knocking on your door in the morning).
I’m sorry to plagiarise you but yes I do “love going up the bar, me”
Cheers.
Toby @92 HEH!!
Right now words fail me in my efforts to adequately express how GOOD it feels right now.
I love that the little club down the road dropped points so they can immediately stop all this ‘joint first’ nonsense.
And meanwhile the media are positively spitting feathers over our situation. Their pettiness is quite staggering, and by way of illustration, observe:
MOTD stick us on 4th
Football365 can only kiss T*tts’ arse, you should see how they were gushing over their squad depth a few days ago
BBC sport obsessed with the losers in Manchester rather than the current leaders
LOVING it.
Nice one ‘holic
Thanks Holic good on ya
Video of Koscielny vs Swansea. Piece of art if you ask me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFtYyCUvqjM&feature=youtu.be
I’ll lay it on a plate…..
Boom – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C-8ZfNafqA
Well in Toby. Re yours @92, beware of Welsh language references. There are a hell of a lot of Ls in many a word in that language. Otherwise, heh.
Good day, all.
I’ve been somethings in the drinks that don’t quite sit well with me so I will try to point out the few I can remember now:
1. Some people seem to have this idea that ‘Arsene is back’, ‘he has turned a corner’ and stuffs like that. Sorry to break it to you but Arsene never left! The man has been held back by a number of things, like finance, little boys inside players and Cesc’s ‘homesickness’, in the recent past but this summer he didn’t have to contend with any such trash.
2. We will sign 2 or 3 players in January; I don’t know why people would even believe this. Even with our current injury problems the only part of our squad that actually needs re-enforcement is in the central striker position. If Arsene thinks we need someone on the same level or below Giroud’s level then he will stick with Bendtner, Sanogo and Akpom and if he wants someone above Giroud’s level the only target we can realistically get in January(and that’s considering his footballing abilities alone) would be the Bitey-One-Who-Found-guilty-Of-Racism and we all know how difficult it would be to get him so barring an injury crisis of proportions never seen before in football we won’t be signing anybody of note in January.
3. We can’t win the League if we don’t sign anyone by January; this notion is too simplistic to hold any water, we could sign Ronaldo and Messi in january and they will get injured in february and our old guard will still go on and win the League for us. We could as well sign Ronaldo and Messi, they stay fit throughout the season and we still end up winning NOTHING! Signings don’t guarantee you any trophy.
4. We are where we are today because of Ozil’s signing; while Ozil has contributed significantly to our success so far I’m under no illusion that we are top of the league because of him, I believe the players we had here before him where doing an awesome job before he came in. I know some will dispute that and say we struggled to finish 4th last year but the truth is that our squad gelled by March and since then NOBODY has won more EPL points than us.
5. There is also this growing worry in some quarters(not here mainly) that Ozil doesn’t influence games enough. If you have watched him over the years then you will know that Ozil is NOT the Xavi type of player that controls possession for his team but he is another special type of player that consistently wins games for his team by bursts of creative brilliance rather than total domination.
6. Our squad doesn’t have depth; in your own private time, take a look at the number of important players we have out injured then ask yourself how we are managing to win games.
These are just a few I could remember at the moment, feel free to disagree but give my points a thought with an open mind first.
*I’ve been reading somethings.
Good morning from Lanzarote where the sun is shining and memories of my evening out with lady Arsenal are helping me get over the effects of the drinks that followed.
Lovely report sir.
Now off for a swim.
Good points Cent.
Well said Cent. Well said.
Regarding the L:s, Pangloss, I believe that the only Welsh L yesterday was this one http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/28/real-madrid-atletico-madrid-la-liga
I’ll take your point into consideration though.
I lifted this from somewhere on the interweb:
“Arsene Wenger has been making a few disturbing noises. Nothing definite, just the odd hint that the clock is ticking on his career in England, that he may be entering the last lap. Now, he may be in coquettish mood, he may have been genuinely hurt by those impudent dimwits who waved placards at the Emirates last month, or he may finally be feeling the strain of his endlessly demanding job. Whatever the reason, he must put it behind him. For, nobody has brought such qualities of intellect, perception and principle to the sport. Nobody has come closer to transforming a simple game into a thing of beauty. Arsene Wenger never saw football as a ‘brand’, instead, he recognised its potential for making something akin to magic. As such, he is irreplaceable”.
My opinion too.
Cent@102. Nothing to disagree with there.
Toby@92. When you see it written down like that, it’s hard to understand why the press don’t rate us as title contenders.
Cheers, Gents.
DKG @109, frankly, I don’t want them to rate us as contenders now, I want it to dawn on them when it’s already too late.
aj, you sunburned tourist you. Cheers!
Sorry Cent, but I do think we need another forward option. We’ve needed one since the Dutch rat left, in my opinion. No slight on Giroud, but he can’t do it on his own and although I do think our back up strikers have a significant role to play this season, particularly Bendtner, I think we are a world class striker away from winning the league. Which isn’t bad considering the angst and despair around the place after the Villa game and fruitless transfer window (up to that point).
And as for the suggestion that, based on a decent performance, Gnabry is somehow on a par with Theo in terms of pecking order… Well, all I can say as a witty, concise yet illuminating rejoinder is… Pfffffffffttt!!!
Nice post Cent.
I like what you’re saying even if I’m not in complete agreement with all of it.
I personaly believe that the squad could benifit from some extra additions. Yes, we still have a pletora of quality to return, but most of them are from the attacking midfield positions, we are certainly sorted there.
Anyone (not you) who fails to see what Ozil brings is blind. His very arrival has lifted the club, not just the fans, but the whole team too, daily we can read interviews from players telling us that they want to be on top of their game just not to let him down, wow, that’s some presence.
Like you, I’m not sure if we will bring anyone in in January, but it would be great if we could bring someone in of the stature of Ozil to give us another boost, in that respect, new signings can win you trophies.
What is good so far is that who ever is being called on, whether it’s Flamini, Gnabry, Jenkinson, Vermealen, Monreal, Bendtner Eisfield, Bellerin, to name, erm almost all of the rest of the squad who ain’t the first team, or injured, has done a decent job and made an impact. That is something that has been lacking in the past. And is probably why the vast majority of those called upon previously aren’t at the club any more.
The manager and staff deserve kudos for that as much as the signings too, I think.
Norris, I think we need a world class striker too, I just don’t think we will get one in january and I think it’s possible for us to win with the ones we have already.
Whether or not we sign anyone in January, I think we should make another move for Suarez.
Even if we don’t really want to. Just to annoy Brendan n co off some more! Talking of the scouse manager, there was something in the paper about LFC offering him a new contract to ward off interest from the chavs, spuds and…. Arsenal??? Bizarre.
What I take away from what Cent said regarding signings isn’t that he believes another signing could help us (of course it could!) but rather than that we can still win the league if the stars align, Giroud is rested for the right games, Poldi comes back and can do a job up there every third game or Bendtner finds his form of old etc. We have the players to last a season, to get a few wins and draws against the rest of the top teams. We really do. If our main players are there for the main games, we could really do it. And the flip side is that we can get a world class forward in january that can get a cruciate ligament a day after the window shuts.
I don’t see Cent as saying that we shouldn’t make sure to get ourselves in the best possible position to win the league, just that there are several ways to do that, and one can actually be to play experienced internationals with tons of league goals, like Walcott and Poldi instead of buying yet another new player (“killing Gnabry” in the process).
The short-sighted me would love to see another world class player come in a forward to really challenge Giroud, and one that can do what he does as well, hold the ball, be an outlet, since it is very important for the kind of game we play at the moment. But the me that believes in the players we’ve got thinks we might just continue to strengthen by developing the players we have.
I don’t believe we will win the league this year. Not because we are bad, but because other teams will come good. If we do, I’ll be over the moon, and you can’t hold it against me, because I’m not being pessemistic about this team, I’m just being realistic in that even if you have a fantastic team, the PL has several other teams that are of a very high standard. Even if the table don’t lie, it’s kind of a lottery in that way. Several teams will be close, and it might come down to a lucky penalty in the seventeenth round that seals it for a team, even if we don’t know it then.
So, poing being, I wouldn’t mind another forward in january, since I can’t see us winning the CL with just Giroud. The league? If we’re lucky, we might just.
*couldn’t help us (first sentence)
Cheers, H2H. I agree that new signings can win trophies, I’m just saying that in our own case the resources we already have are more important in our quest for silverware than any new signing(s) we may or may not make in January.
Remembered the lad spending some time with us in Kenya on vacation…skipped renowned tourism destinations to this third world corner of paradise to play football in a battered pitch with more gravel than grass. Down to earth guy, thought he’d be taller but thats besides the point. He promised us trophies though and had a good chuckle when a fan said on a comedy show where he was interviewed on national television that he’s better than Bale!.. the fuck yes!
We know he’l be back coz doubt it or not, whateva mojo he’s on, he got it from here!:)
rtsp://v7.cache4.c.youtube.com/CjYLENy73wIaLQnk4tDW88CdZBMYDSANFEIJbXYtZ29vZ2xlSARSBXdhdGNoYOzGoJmg9oXFUAw=/0/0/0/video.3gp
Well, weekends don’t come very much better than this.
I am sitting here in front of the telly watching the tail end of the game again, slightly hungover but very very happy after a great day out. It started at about 2 when I met up with a mate for a pint and after that we walked to a nearby football pitch where another mate’s 7-year old (who of course supports Arsenal, he’s been brought up well) was playing a match. They won 6-1, and during the game I kept checking the score from Shite Fart Lame and was convinced that Totnum were going to win it when Torres was sent off. As we now know it didn’t happen, and then it was off to the pub to watch the ManU-WBA game. I did expect ManU to not impress particularly yet still win it, but I sure as shit wasn’t expecting them to be in complete tatters. They were truly awful and West Brom were well worth their win – and at the final whistle the Aston Villa win was also confirmed and it was now all up to our boys to take advantage.
And take advantage we did, of course! I love how we now seem to be able to adapt the way we play when our attacking game isn’t flowing fully. We let them have the ball and then hit them hard when the opportunity arises. That second goal we scored was a bloody brilliant counter-attack.
Lots of cheering and singing down the pub after the final whistle, and we then moved on to another pub nearby and kept drinking and enjoying the sweetness of the win until it was rather late and I got a cab home and was in bed by about 3PM.
Three points for the Arsenal,dropped points for Spuds, Chelski, Man U and Man C, a solid eleven or so hours of pub time with mates and now a very slow and relaxed Sunday mostly spent sitting doing doing bugger-all. To quote my compatriot Fredrik Ljungberg: Fucking excellent!
Toby, understands.
Good stuff, Lars.
Nice one Lars
Great stuff, Kenyan. When was the video taken?
I suppose a Sunderland win today would be deemed a bit greedy…
Cent, I too think we COULD win the league, but we would need so many things to go our way, not impossible, but a bit of a stretch. The fact we are getting results even with the amount of injuries is a massive positive and a good sign.
@104. Do you live in a picture postcard then, aj? 😉
Well argued points @102, Cent. Wenger out!! 😉
Ofcourse we can win the league. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
If this was any other team we’d all need waterproof underwear for all the arse kissing the media would be doing, you only have to see them drooling over the dispicables to see what I mean and they are in second.
The Special twat lost in the CL and he has picked up one point from the last two league games, yet nothing has been made of it, can you imagine if Benitez had done that? Hell, if it were us we’d be in a full blown crisis induced meltdown.
The two teams mentioned above have their full squad compliment to choose from while we have too many great players out injured, yet against all that the holy pundits hold true, we are still winning games, 12 away wins on the trot, yet cuntbuckets like My Cologne are claiming we are not a top 4 club, a position we’ve never relinquished since Mr Wenger began 17 years ago, take about extracting the Michael.
The meedja have their favourites and we are not one of them, but we should use that to spur (crappy word but necassary) us on.
Ha Ha.
Stoke just conceeded a goal from their own throw in.
H2H, good stuff @130 and 131.
8ball, heh.
Norris, the thought of us winning the league this season is not ‘a bit of a stretch’, for me.
130 Yep, so true. The pundits and hacks decided the chavs and city were the best teams before a ball was kicked and they simply refuse to let their egos be dented by having to countenance an interloper, especially Arsenal! Hence the drive to find sticks to beat us with. Owen even said in his article that he couldn’t understand why Wenger had not spent in the last few years and put it down to his penny pinching! I suppose it’s a bit of a stretch to expect someone wanting to establish themselves as a pundit to have a basic grasp of trivial things like, erm facts. The small matter of a humongous debt to service and reduce is completely irrelevant to the dim witted tool.
Cent
Good for you mate. Wish I was as confident.
Afternoon all,
Top report ‘H, cheers for that mate.
Haha what a day yesterday was. The Totts and Chelsum dishing up just about the best possible result in The Battle of the Cunts, laughing my conkers off at Mancunian ineptitude in the afternoon, and then a trip down the Juicer to watch Arsenal take full advantage. Perfect.
As for the game, we started slowly and it is certainly arguable that the Swans were marginally the better side in the first half but for some reason I never felt that we would do anything other than win throughout. The day up to then had just been too good to even contemplate failure, and there is a resilience about this Arsenal side that we have often lacked (including even the commendable run in to last Season which had it’s fair share of fortuitousness).
The turning point for me came in the last seconds of the first half. Gnabry, a willing worker defensively but up to that point not in the game as an attacking force, suddenly came inside and beat a couple of defenders with ease to manufacture a chance from which the HFB could and should have at least worked the Keeper.
It no doubt filled the young lad with confidence and set the tone for the start of the second half. For 20 minutes we were irresistible. Dazzling interchanging of positions, sublime one-touch passing, we tore through Swansea at will. By the end of it, we were 2 up, should have been 3 (Mesut baby that first is coming), and the game was (almost) won.
It wouldn’t be Arsenal if we didn’t concede and give the collective fanbase’s heart several flutters, but in truth the pounding of my heart was due largely to notions of what might happen than anything Swansea actually did. We looked pretty solid that last 10 minutes.
Plaudits will rightly go to Gnabry’s excellent performance and to Aaron yet again for a second half display that was out of this world, but I hope mentions in dispatches will also be reserved for Schez who was faultless, the BFG who was magnificent and Flamini whose work-rate and cold-eyed scariness has added so much to this side.
The old Arsene Wenger back? As Cent said, he never went away.
Nice ones, H2H ‘n’ Lars.
One thing I want to say about the second goal was that I really, genuinely have not seen us counter attack with that much verve, flashy passing and mesmeric movement since the Henry days. In fact, the last time I witnessed such a devastating box-to-box counter in an Arsenal game was when Man U did it to us in that CL semi-final a few years back.
Nice to have that sexy football back – noone does Wengerball like Arsenal!
H2H, see my 95 for my exact same take on the media reaction to our early dominance. Those slags simply can’t bring themselves to praise us, it’s hugely satisfying to look down on their puerile behaviour.
A nod to Norris at 133 too. Hit the nail on there mate.
Also I think it’s down to an absence of the ability (or the balls) to come out with a controversial viewpoint. Much safer just to big up Spurs with their inferior goal difference and number of points.
I ssw it, porco mate, nice one.
Afternoon tabs, fully agree on Flamster, Woj and the BFG. Thought the whole defence was massive, only one slight blip from Sagna allowing their guy to run on and score, but I think he thought Per had him covered. Apart from that we were never really in trouble…..
Still didn’t stop me chomping at the ol’ fingernails though.
Indeed H2H, down to the quick.
Actually I must admit that there was a bit of poetic licence in what I wrote above. My confidence was not perhaps as total as I am now making out.
Just after Swansea scored I do remember saying to the Chap sat next to me “I fucking hate Football. Why do Arsenal continue to do this to me?”
Still all’s well that ends well and ready for the next one! 😉
Afternoon all. Some cracking posts again. Cheers.
Afternoon ‘H. I could get used to this top of the league malarkey. Feels good. 😉
afternoon guv’.
What tabs said.
You and me both TaBS.
Let’s hope we do.
Afternoon H2H, sorry about you know who last night. Will always clear those when I find them.
Lars, drinking? Surely not…
To ‘Holic’s point, you have to go back to the 2009/10 season for an example of the club at the top of the table after six league games ending up as Champions.
Season Top of table after 6 Champion Arsenal points after 6
2013/14 Arsenal (15) ? 15
2012/13 Chelsea (16) Man Utd 9
2011/12 Man Utd (16) Man City 7
2010/11 Chelsea (15) Man Utd 11
2009/10 Chelsea (18) Chelsea 12
Heh, just read Moyes stating that Yanited do not have “sufficient class” to win Champions League.
How can any manager, who is in charge of team like Manure ever say that? Can you imagine if Arsene admitted just once that we are not up to par with any other European team (even if it was true sometimes)? The shitstorm in meeja would be unbearable.
Yet Moyes says that collapse like against City is probably not going to be only one, then his side is piss poor against WBA which played really well and now this.
It is not only about media giving him a slack but when you consider sports side of the whole proclamations, how much belief do you instill as a manager to your players if you openly say that they are not good enought to win Champions League, and especially if they play for ManU. No wonder he could not attract any serious talent in the summer..
Some excellent drinks from the regulars above. I, too, think we want to add a top-quality forward in January, not so much to backup Giroud — Bendtner is a forward in the same mold and can play that role — but to provide an alternative style of play.
A Suarez-like forward would fit the bill, but I really don’t want Suarez himself. Having seen how Ozil’s arrival has lifted the players and the fans, we don’t want to do anything that disrupts that team spirit. I fear Suarez’s arrival would be corrosive.
NBN I think (and really hope) that whole Suarez ship has sailed already. I simply cannot see us going after him again now.
I suppose Arsene likes his footballing side and wanted him to be “statement of intent” kind of signing, but since we got Fishgod I do not think that we will be after him.
Which brings me to the point of what kind of striker should we pursue in January? As you said Giroud and Bendtner are similar type of strikers. Benteke looks like obvious choice but other than him?
I personally think that we are not going to sign any world class striker in January simply because there will be none available. And to be honest it would not surprise me at all if Bendtner and Sanogo proved to be seriously good enough contributors to be used as regular backup for Giroud.
Did not think that I would say it again but somehow Bendy won me over in very short period of time. Maybe it is the new look, maybe it is the shift he have put in in COCup or maybe its the way he chews the gum, but if he gets fit again I think we might be well sorted in striking department once we get our injured players back.
Liverpool playing in flak jackets this afternoon for some reason….
I agree with Cent@102. Özils performance will depend on the team to get him balls in areas where he can get to work. The last three games we’ve been tame going forward, not enough penetration. Yesterday he came all the way back to the cbs to get some balls at all. I think this is because we don’t have Cazorla or Rosicky who both can link up Flamini and Ramsey with Giroud and Özil better then Wilshere on the left.
To many times he had to meet the ball with a defender in his back. He’s not strong enough there yet.
Zico,
Must be the latest idea from Brengun Rodgers. 😉
Heh! Are they indeed z?
Radio listening here. Can’t watch that mid-table shit 😉
Moyes is well out of his depth at Manure.
The media bitch and moan about British managers not getting the chance to take over at the big clubs, well here is why.
He’s not got a winning mentality, it started the moment the fixtures were released, moaning that there was some sort of conspiricy to make sure he had the most difficult start possible. I was pretty surprised he wasn’t called in to clarify or explain his statement as he basically accused those that make the fixtures of bias against him.
Bemoaning a tough fixture list may slide at Everton, but surely the reigning champions should fear no team? Sad for them, hilarious for the rest of us, and long may it continue.
There’s even a petition.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/341560/Moyes-in-Liverpool-Arsenal-and-Chelsea-fans-launch-campaign-to-save-Man-Utd-boss
Heh Holic
You are not missing much.
Holic, it wasn’t my fault I had all those beers – someone must have had a bad influence on me!
Cent
I liked your post this morning and particularly the points about Ozil and signings. Arsene has not played the perfect hand over the last few years(we accumulated far too much overpaid dross) but given the constraints he has still done well and much better than almost anyone else could have done in the circumstances.
Re Ozil you make an excellent point about his style. He is a game-changer not a game dictator. He played one ball to Giroud in the first half which was quite brilliant .OG turned the wrong way but the pass was magnificent.
As for Giroud we haven’t got adequate back-up.Poldi didn’t play well centrally last season,Sanogo is an injury-prone kid and Theo requires a complete change of style if he plays there. TGSTEL might be adequate but frankly we need a bit more in the way of insurance.
There are strikers we could buy-Martinez at Porto (but cup-tied for Europe),Douglas Costa at Atletico,likewise . Demba Ba is even less likely to be released if we are above Chelsea but one boy we could look at is Jordan Rhodes at Blackburn. He gets goals in the lower divisions and is a great finisher. With our build-up play he could be very effective. The big play would be to go for Benteke( who we did bid for on deadline day) or Rooney who might be looking to bale out by January. so there are options but not many straightforward ones. We certainly won’t try to sign many. Nor do we need to-Gnabry, Bellerin and Hayden are good young players who will only get better
not h2h, pangloss. mnb masturbating in public again, without the wit or intelligence of diogenes.
Pangloss, you were not responding to H2H, just someone who really needs help.
scruz knows.
Must admit though I thought “half wit” to be quite the compliment from a guy with an IQ of 1.5…….
which is ironicaly also the length in milimetres of his member.
h2h, well, no wonder he gets off so easily.
Why is no one mentioning Sturridge as a striker option?
I think he would fit perfectly in out system. He is young, English, explosive, speedy, good finisher, good dribbler, can create a chance by himself, can offer something different to out attack. Often accused of being selfish in front of the goal, today he made two assists and a goal for his team.
He won’t come cheap, but won’t cost as much as Suarez.
The problem is that I think that the bit should have been made in the summer, because knowing Liverpoo, they will put a 50 mil. pounds price on him in January.
OK, fair play. Sorry all, especially H2H
Sturidge is not an option, as I see it Lurky. New contract at L’poo, plus I don’t think he’s as good as his hype suggests, plus L’poo would demand an absolute fortune for him.
Roonet looks disgruntled at Manure, he’s easily the best player in their team and fair play to him, he’s giving it his all on the field, but his body language looks like someone who is not content.
Michu is a player that Wenger admires, so don’t rule out a cheeky bid.
There surely players in other leagues that we can run the rule over.
Pangloss.
No need to apologies to me good sir.
MNB is a sad and pathetic specimen, like that guy that nobody likes that always seems to worm his way into parties and gatherings, no one knows how he got in, or why he bothers, but he’s there non the less, lingering like a bad smell.
Been backdrinking …
Trev @21 – Great stuff on Aaron and indeed Arsene’s unstinting faith in him.
Faustus @69 – I’m afraid that was me. Thanks for your kind words. If you don’t love Arsenal you hate ’em. Same as it ever was. We will never be the media darlings.
Cent @102 – Great stuff mate, some of which I agreed with, some of which I didn’t. For the record and using your numbering …
1. Agreed.
2. Agree with you that the only position where we’re really short is at Centre-forward but don’t agree that Suarez is likely to be the only top class target available in January. I think a lot will depend on what happens in the Champs League to xmas. To give one example, knock Dortmund out and who’s to say Reus wouldn’t be available at the right price?
3. Agreed, but top class signings only rarely have a detrimental effect.
4. Don’t agree. Think Ozil has made a massive difference and will get even better. As both you and Ttg point out even when he’s quiet, he’s full of potentially game-changing moments. Whilst our winning run began in March, at no point in the run in to last season did we look like a title-winning side, at least not to me. This Season the performances are such that yes, I am beginning to dream. Ozil is a massive part of that.
5. Completely agree.
6. Agreed, with the exception of centre-forward. I wince every time Ollie goes down.
Lars @122 – Haha, great stuff Mr Bad Influencer! You didn’t get to bed until 3 pm?? That was a real late one 😉
Lurky – I wouldn’t consider Sturridge simply because of that cunty dance he does every time he scores 😉
H2H, agree about Rooney, he could be a great addition, but Michu, not my cup of tea.
I’ve analyzed him in many games in this season and in the previous one. It is true, he can score 10+ goals, maybe 15+, but he doesn’t do more than that.
Many will say that he is a striker and his job is to do just that, to score goals, but for me, modern football requires a different type of striker.
That is why I don’t like Benzema too.
In today’s game of football, where the strikers are the first line of defense, someone like Michu and Benzema are a luxury players. They don’t do the dirty work, rarely defend, sort of parasite players, depending on other players most of the time.
Giroud is a fine example of the opposite. I admire his constant chasing defenders when we don’t have the ball, winning duels, fights for the team. As long as he continues to do this he will be a starter.
But we need to add one more forward, more mobile one, who can run on counters, make chances for himself, Walcott type fast, but with more strength, stamina and ability to retain the ball or dribble past opponent.
B8BBGFG@126…some time in July. Won many young hearts that lad.
If only we had suarez; we’d bite every hand stretching for the trophy!
Eandy, I hope you are right about the Suarez ship having sailed. I suspect you are right about not making a striker signing in January for dearth of options.
I assume that AW was once shaping Bendtner into the sort of striker that Giroud is. The talent was always there; the buckling down to making of the most of it was what was missing. If that has changed with New Bendtner then that would be good news.
Tabs, I would take Reus in a heartbeat. ]
As long as I know, he has a release clause of 30 mil, starting January 2014.
His idol is Rosicky, he stated in some interview that he loves Arsenal style of football, so I wouldn’t be to surprised if we activate that clause. The problem is that I think we would not be the only ones interested.
Aye to all that Lurky.
Tabs, Cent, you are spot on about how Ozil causes damage. He is a connector more than an orchestrator. Nor is he a driver at opposing defences, like Jack. Get him the ball between the two banks of defenders and he’ll get it through gaps that defenders haven’t even seen are there yet, let alone started to close down. His movement between the lines, like his first touch, is superb. His best work is done in a flash. You barely have time to appreciate the quality. A touch, a pass, and its done, with the opposing offense left carved open.
What Lurky said @169.
Damn auto correct. That should have been “opposing defence carved open”.
H2H, I think you deserve an apology, as I thought you were capable of making as bone-headed a comment as the one I responded to.
Sorry.
(I know, Guv. I know.)
Humbly accepted Pangloss.
NBN knows @171.
I would add that, as great as Ozil is at the moment, he can be even better, as he has some weaknesses which of course will be corrected under Arsene’s guidance. I expect him to fully shine in the next season, or January if I am an optimist.
Ttg, we both agree on the (in)adequacy of the back-ups we have for Giroud but we will have to agree to disagree on the quality of players that will be available in January and indeed who we think Arsene will go for. As you noted it will be hard to get Ba on loan, I don’t think Rooney will move in January, same goes for Benteke and as for Rhodes, Martinez and Costa I’ve not really watched them enough to make an informed assessment of their quality.
TaBS, you make a very valid point as regards my number 2, I just don’t see us making any big moves this January.
3. Agreed.
On 4, I can’t deny Ozil has made tremendous impacts for us, on and off the pitch, but his and our success so far has been largely, in my opinion, dependent on the very solid foundations laid by the people who were with us before he came.
Lurky, Sturridge hogs the ball too much for my liking but I’m sure Arsene can iron that out.
We’ve only really seen the tip of the iceberg of Ozil. His influence off the field has already been enormous, think about it, he has literly united an entire club, fanbase, lock. stock. the whole bloody lot.
He’s only had the opportunity to train for a few weeks with us, yet he created more opportunities in his first few games then any stinky manc had done over their whole start to the season. He was instrumental in our home win against the Orcs and without crossing into the realms of too wierd, I don’t think there’s a gooner out there that wouldnt want to have his babys (ok, too wierd, 😉 )
Finally time to watch the game soon! Had about 50 guests last night to celebrate my 40iest 🙂 so bed time was about half-6 in the morning just to get up at 11 to clean the mess with a massive hangover. But i just can’t stop smiling since i managed to sneak out last night for a short check on the results. Does it get any better?
As for the meedja: i couldn’t care less what they say or don’t say about us. The more people think we are not top 3 material the more joy i get out of our current results and the table 🙂
Almost forgot: many thanks to holic for the again superb article and all the nice people here with a lot of absolute top posts.
Keep it up that way, i love it.
Night all
Many Happy Returns Datsyuk.
About Ozil, he is not the bombastic all-action type of player, and even in his very quiet games he contributes massively simply in terms of his general mobility and uniquely intelligent use of space. He stretches opposition players all across the pitch and opens up areas for others to run at. When Santi is back in the team we will see how potent Ozil’s movements are as no defense would be able to track both of them together.
If Giroud-Poldi-Theo keep their shooting boots on we should have no problem scoring at least 2-3 goals per match when those two are together, even if Ramsey’s extraordinary scoring run comes to an end. But even there Aaron would find more and more of these opportunities running into the box.
For a 24 year old the maturity of Ozil is really unbelievable. He doesn’t get frustrated when he is not getting the ball, or tries too many tricks when not allowed to impose or demands the ball too much, very patiently keeps creating these open territories for others and chooses to hold or dribble or run exactly at the right time. A preternatural ability to make the right decision.
There are a lot of areas for him to improve: on-the-ball technical abilities can still get better (for all the comparisons with God he is not at his level yet), goal scoring ability needs to improve, may be a bit more work-rate would be necessary in PL. But the appreciation of what is happening on the pitch and the decision making are simply unsurpassed in this league. And only a few peers in world football.
Abb, Gervinho on target once again for Roma.
He will be great for them as we predicted. Still sad we sold him.
The worse things get up at old trafford, the more likely Rooney is to leave. Whether we would try in January is another matter. But he would definitely be interested I think. Playing with Mesut as well as Jack and the other England players should be reason enough, never mind working under Wenger and getting the fresh start and challenge he needs.
Reus would be an awesome addition and he, like a few others may be getable once CL progress has been sorted, or not. Michu although a decent striker wouldn’t be anything other than a back up and his lack of pace wouldn’t really suit our game, I don’t think. Benteke would probably represent the easiest to get, although his new deal may add a few million to the fee. I’d love us to try for Lukaku but there’s zero chance of that happening, especially while Mourinho is the chav manager….
So we can try for him in January then! 🙂
It was funny how Wenger over ruled Santi’s date for his return from injury. He knows if Santi plays next week at WBA, then he will get called up by del Bosque…. Sod that! Despite their great victory at OT, we should have enough to beat them without Santi.
But it will be amazing to think that after the international break we could have Cazorla, Theo, Poldi and Tomas all back, fingers crossed that we don’t suffer any further injuries! 🙂
Lurky
Gervinho was never going to make it at Arsenal, I don’t think. His confidence never recovered and he needed a move.
I think Wenger has assembled a squad with great team spirit, resilience and mental strength. there has been occasions at the Grove where the crowd have turned on our players which is just wrong and counter productive, Gervinho was always going to get that treatment and he doesn’t seem able to overcome that. Tbh he shouldn’t have to, but I guess it’s easier to sell one player than boot out a few hundred miserable football ‘fans’.
Tabs / Cent, good exchanges above.
One of the great things about a player of Özil’s stature is that they occupy defenders whatever they are doing.
And assuming that he doesn’t suffer a long term complete collapse of form, he will generate an energy in the crowd that will repeatedly lift the team.
I don’t know how Arsene is going to fit them all into the same team, but I cannot wait to watch the interplay and movement between Özil, Cazorla and Rosicky. There could well be a few cricked necks in the stands just trying to watch them.
I must remember to take a few business cards with me 😉
Tabs – Reus is beyond magnificent but he’s not a centre forward. I’d have him in a second though.
As for the title – I really want to know why Chelsea are considered Title Challengers from before the season when they finished two points above us and got weaker (all their signings can’t compensate for missing Mata due to Mourinho’s stupidity) and we were told we’d struggle for fourth after adding the best number 10 in the world bar Cesc.
How does this work exactly? I’m curious.
Norris,
Personally, I’m very disappointed with some of the recent crowd reaction to Jack Wilshere.
It’s true that at the moment he is nowhere near the player that ran the game at The Emirates against Barcelona. But he has missed the best part of two seasons – a similar absence to Aaron Ramsey, and look how ling it took him to recover his form and fitness.
Like Ramsey, also, Jack is now playing out of position a lot of the time, trying to do a job for the team on either wing while we have so many injuries.
He takes an absolute battering in every game he plays, and a little more patience from some fans wouldn’t go amiss.
Speaking of Gervinho, that’s just added credit to Aaron who manned up and didn’t crumble because of the crowd while Gervinho did.
Trev – I agree. The first goal yesterday was so good. Tiki Taka at its best.
If there is something I like is that we are able to score in so many ways this season. We can score on the break, in possession, on set pieces, fr distance. I love it.
I also think our pressing style is a hybrid style which could be described as a tweak to counter pressing (Klopp’s Gegenpressing system), and it’s working well.
We do press that way only with Rosicky though. When he’s not playing we revert to pressing deeper to great effect because our defence (and in particular the CB partnership) is so solid.
Snir,
You need to send your question, on a post card, to –
Match of the Day, BBC, Manchester. –
I’m sure they can explain. 😉
Cheers, Trev, and a big Heh, @ ‘…there could well be a few cricked necks…I must remember to take a few business cards with me.’
I also don’t understand why some ‘fans’ get easily sucked in by the media and forget that Jack is on his way to where Ramsey is now.
Ned, I don’t know how I managed to miss your 171 earlier but that’s a very good description of Ozil’s game.
Cent @177- Yep all fair mate. As regards what happens in Jan, I guess we’ll just have to see. Suppose a lot will depend on where we are at Xmas, whether Ollie has stayed free of injury, the progress of NB and Akpom, and the recoveries of Poldi and Sanogo.
H2H @178 – Bang on about the uniting powers of the FishGod!
Datsyuk – Many Happy Returns for yesterday.
Faustus – Completely agree, though at the risk of being hung drawn and quartered I do think that memories of Bergkamp are slightly rose-tinted. He was a magnificent magnificent player and when on top of his game had few peers. However, he did have his quieter periods and his form during 99-00 and 00-01 was a big dip. Mesut is a different player but in terms of technical ability I really don’t think he’s that far behind Dennis, if at all.
Agree with Norris on Gervinho, he was never gonna make it here on a consistent basis with or without a small section of the crowd getting on his back.
Trev – Completely agree. Anyone slating Jack is a moron. Thought he had a good game going forward in the second half on Saturday. He does tend to stay tucked in when we’re on the defensive which does leave Gibbs a bit exposed on occasion. Amazing to think that Jack probably won’t be first choice when everybody’s fit. What a multitude of midfield riches.
Snir – Personally I think Reus could easily play as a centre-forward in a mobile Wenger side. TH14 wasn’t a centre-forward before he arrived in north London.
Agree with all of that TaBS.
We are of one mind 😉
Dr. T now depending on the business of Arsenal fans with cricked necks from watching passes between Ozil, Cazorla and Rosicky, I see. Business should be swift. 😀
Trev
I’ve given up trying fathom why some of the home crowd feel they are entitled to heckle and spit bile at our players. Regardless of anything else, it does nothing but help the opposition and hinder our own hopes, plus potentially damaging the confidence of players. It’s embarrassing too.
Who’d a thunk it ‘H! 😉
Assist?
Double standards about Gervinho and the British boys.
Why I am not surprised at all?
Anyway, case closed, we sold him, life goes on, he is still a forehead and not some HFB or BFG, but he continues to fight, continues to score, two for Roma tonight with more to come, much more.
But who cares as he was never gonna make it at Arsenal.
Wonder why ?
…Hits it better this time…
Not double standards at all Lurky. I have zero interest in somebody’s passport. More importantly nor does AW. Gervinho was given plenty of chances. He largely failed to take them.
Haha. Well in Cent but I think you know who takes the glory … 🙂
Gervinho hasn’t had to return from horrendous injuries and still face almost constant abuse, like Ramsey and now Jack it seems. He was let go because Wenger felt he wasn’t needed, or not good enough. Personally, he could have come in handy given our injury list, but he wouldn’t have featured much.
I don’t see any double standards either. Just a player who has moved on to have more playing time and success hopefully. Good luck to him.
Scores when he wants!
TaBS, haha, of course I know, mate. I totally agree with your 193 by the way.
Gervinho?
Pants. End of.
The Tin Man from Oz had more heart.
Completely agree Norris. Good luck to him.
Cent – Haha and cheers 🙂
This has been doing the rounds all day on twitter. Anybody who hasn’t seen it and doubts the divinity of the FishGod, I urge you to take a peek …
http://bbcsporf.lockerdome.com/articles/109745461
@ 206
You’re allowed to do that as long as it doesn’t touch the ground. 😉
206 ha! Quality…
Gervinho returned from the disappointing ACN, jaded and knackered. played out of the position and still faced constant abuse. He was let go not because Arsene felt he wasn’t needed as Arsene himself stated that the player and himself were under pressure from the fan base and he had to sell him for the players sake. He could have come in handy given our injury list and he would have benefited from having player like Ozil behind him.
Anyway, he is sold, case closed. Pants. End of.
Yeh cos Arsene always acts cos of “pressure from the fanbase”.
Tosh.
You boys and your drink numbers. Makes life difficult sometimes 😉
Evening.
Wengers a class act, he isn’t going to say he sold him because he didn’t make the expected grade. He is a decent player, just not of the grade Wenger hoped for. The abuse he got was disgusting, as it is for any of our players.
But he is no longer an Arsenal player so time to move on.
Nor did he face “constant abuse” in the ground at all.
@206 Some of us saw it on here yesterday. But yes great stuff.
That’s an old Ozil party trick. I saw him doing it while on duty for ze Germans, love the cheeky smile though.
As for Gervinihio, I saw the Roma game tonight and their opponants were terrible, a more one sided affair you could not imagine. The gulf in class between the Serie A and PL is unfathomable, yes the Serie A has a few decent sides, but the rest are absolute dross.
I’m happy that Gerv is doing well at his new club, but I’m not sad that we allowed him to go, he was just not up to the rigours of the PL, that doesn’t make him a bad player, just one not good enough for us, it has nothing at all to do with his nationality. There has been more then enough Brits that have been moved along, think Bentley and Pennant, not to mention the latest batch that have gone bye byes.
Here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MEm1CY0MTY
All this “constant abuse” bollocks.
Go to any ground, and any team and you will find a section of the home fans who give it tight to one of their own. It’s what football fans do. And its nothing new at Arsenal.
Willie Young when I first went to Highbury.
(Although that might have been because he was Ginger) 😉
One other thing to add to the Ozil comments. He brings something that we lacked last season, and really haven’t had since TH14 left, and that is someone who you believe could always produce that one moment of genius to conjure a goal out of nothing against the run of play. No game is ever lost if fans and teammates have that to cling to.
Some absolutely fabulous drinks, as per usual.
Regarding Reus, can’t really see Dortmund wanting to sell after losing one umlaut to Bayern München, and now seeing Lewandowski saying the other day that he will leave at the earliest possible time. Might still happen, but, can’t see them too keen on it.
Might be because I’m drunk now but I’ll say it – we have every chance of winning the league this year. And with that I mean about the correct percentage if we take the other teams into account that are of the same level. The last few seasons we’ve rather been a team going for fourth or third. This year we are a team going for first. Still got other teams doing that, and might still end up below them, this is football, after all. But I really do believe we will be in it this year. And that for me, of course, is all that counts. The win might slip away by pretty much any valid or stupid reason or result. But we have the quality to try.
I’m so fucking proud just because of that. That is all I can ever ask for in a league as tough as this.
Hello all. I have been mightily occupied lately, so have only been able to read the posts. Back drinking has been an immense delight, however.
First, I would like to congratulate the Guvnor on a fine string of wins for the ‘holic pound, long may it continue.
It has been truly enjoyable watching Gnabry’s progress over the last few games. Against Stoke, he kept it simple. At West Brom, he was a bit more expressive even though some things didn’t quite come off. At Swansea, he kept it simple in the first half, defended stoutly, and then began influencing things. His goal was well-deserved, but what was even more impressive was his defensive work. It was telling that their goal came after he went off as Özil wasn’t aware of Davies sneaking up behind him as Gnabry would have been.
He’ll probably go through more dips in performance, but I think we have another solid youngster on our hands. Imagine what he could be in a few years.
Heh z, I was at Willie Young’s debut.
Signed from the LWC’s and we had history with him.
First game for us, a 1-4 at home against Ipswich I think. Not quite Eboue standard, but he got rounded on. Nobody was in doubt he was a a female reproductive recepticle.
Weeks later he was a folk hero.
Football supporters, eh?
@217,
Or maybe because he was Scottish. 😉
Oi, behave T 😉
Jeez I hate the coverage of our games in NZ now. Short of going online at midnight this is the first opportunity I’ve had to get involved since the Gunners shot down the Swans … and of course everything has already been said! Grrrr.
Anyway, how about Gnu as a nick for Gnabry, to go with the Ox and Ram we already have?
Giroud did his usual rolling around in agony routine … only to be up and running again within minutes. As I said about five drinks back: “Either he’s a real actor, has legs made of carbon fibre, heals faster than a vampire, or he’s able to play with broken legs”. Still very curious. And if we’re still debating an offside for him then RvP would be perfect! Even less likely than Suarez (my second choice) and Rooney (my third) perhaps, but imagine… 🙂
Öskar
Maybe OG just has a low pain threshold, Otd.
Perhaps Ned, but OG doesn’t look like a guy who can’t take a punch, and any other player reacting as he does and I’d expect him to be out for the mandatory Arsenal ‘3 weeks’, ie 3 months.
I’m just pleased to see him recovering so quickly … every time.
Oh, and when I said “if we’re still debating an offside for him” I meant offsider of course.
Hmmmm, it wasn’t me … I just had to add the ‘r’ as the bluddy spellcheck incorrectly autocorrected offsider to offside. Stooooopid. What’s the point of a system that doesn’t recognised perfectly good English???
Öskar
Trev, DO one. 🙂
Regarding Centre forward :
Giroud is not only about long balls, he has very good touch and skill (eg, our second goal against swansea). So with him we are playing our usual delicate passing game, with a bonus of his defending corners and outlet for long balls.
Big Willie had a bad time to start with because he played badly for Tottenham Hotspurs & not only that had recently been sent off for a punch up with Supermac….. so not an obviously universally popular signing at our place.
However he did shrug that of to become a real cult figure.
All clubs have had scapegoats over the years, normally quite unfairly. We have had many some, like Jon Sammels, who eventually got transferred & others like Paul Davis, who stuck with it to get the trust of the fans with his classy performances.
Never seen the benefit of targeting players like this but there you go !
Okay, as the date of the sale of Dortmund away tickets approaches I am going to go out and ask here if anyone has access to those tickets. I have no illusions that when they will be available to Red level members they are going to be long gone.
Since Dortmund is only one slightly longer train ride from Prague, it would be a good chance for me to see our boys finally in flesh.
Oh also I am looking for 4 tickets, ideally to away fans sector 😀 (Outrageous and highly unlikely I know), but anything will do as the travelling party and I are ready to tweak our size.
“Ready to tweak our size”. Surely some kind of euphamism?
🙂
Well not really, maybe I chose wrong words heh 😀
The size of the travelling party depends on how many tickets we secure 😛 right now the idea is me, my gf and two friends. If I secure only three ticks, the gf stays home (her idea O.o) and so on.
Tabs @210,
I noticed that Arsene sometimes tells the truth.
Zico@217
If “constant abuse” is what fans from this and other teams usually do to their own players, it doesn’t mean that is the right way.
Crime is also usual thing in mine neighborhood, so I should approve it just because is the common thing in many neighborhoods.
Not sure you’ve watched a fan video of Diaby getting abused by the Arsenal fans in stands during the last season’s game wishing him to brake his leg once more cos’ he is shit. Do I need to approve that one too, just because it is common thing, and some fan sections are just like that, you know.
As for Gervinho, The fact that Gervinho was in great form at Lille and for Ivory Coast this last ACN, and is banging goals for fun at Roma at the moment is not irrelevant
I agree that he was not at his best at Arsenal. I want to find the reason for that, because he has a great potential, before and after Arsenal he was/is doing great. If the reason for his failure are the fans, which is my opinion, let us make sure that won’t happen again, because we are letting good players go away that way.
G’day Holics.
Looking forward to some more silky passing and mental strength tomorrow night with no sign of the handbrake.
Mine is currently a Mojito.
Mr. Dog, I can understand you wanting animal names, but I’m still sticking to Sarge Gnabry and Corporal Jenkinson for now. Think we’ve got room for several nicks, though!
…and not talking about Bendtners here.
Bath knows.
To be fair Lurky, because of the climate of discontent, anyone who made errors was getting rounded on. Nobody’s proud of it but many football fans are like that. Other fans who aren’t lke that tell them to shut up sometimes but hard to police other fans without getting kicked out…
I remember the away fans even had a go at Henry when we lost that one away game, and he has a statue outside the Emirates!
I felt sorry Gervinho but like Arshavin, his confidence was shot. I wish him all the best.
I have to say as someone who went to home and away for more than 15 years in Israel, I strongly disagree with your conclusions on “all football supporters.”
Israeli fans (and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s in particular – who started The 12th Player fangroup which I was an active part of) had adopted the Greek/South American culture in 2000 and started bringing drums, making up songs (as opposed to chants) and started tifo shows (banner shows akin to the new flag at the Emirates with the 49 that goes up on the supporters themselves).
Just a small example – https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/944469_10151656645852464_1567180737_n.jpg
But the most important rule of thumb is cheer your team on for 90 minutes.
A player makes a mistake? Misplaces a pass or shoots wide? The first thing you do is sing his song.
Booing at HT or the final whistle is now EXTREMELY frowned upon in Israel and does not happen, and on the off-chance that it does, the guy in charge of the songs immediately starts a song to eliminate the noise of the boos.
I know this because I was the guy with his back to the game in charge of picking the songs (a very hard job might I add, some songs are oriented when there is a corner or the team is piling up the pressure, some songs are needed to wake the other gates up, etc.) – https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/14560_10151366147777464_1424424155_n.jpg
Don’t worry, I would watch the games when I came back home. That was my sacrifice as I felt it was my job and calling and my way of helping my team, which for me is the most important thing in the world as there is nothing more important on a Saturday when you’re at the match than three points.
I believe that as a supporter, you’ve got three ways you can affect the game, and thus your team.
You can help your team by cheering them on, you can damage your team’s chances to win by jeering and booing, and you can be neutral by not cheering and not jeering, and just keeping quiet and watching the game.
I know what I’d rather do. I know what I did. I know what I will always do.
That’s the way it should be, that’s the way it is in many places. Unfortunately in England, it isn’t.
I find it astonishing that it is expected that away support will be louder than home support throughout England (not just Arsenal. The away support is heard much more than the home support in games all over England). I find it astonishing that the players have to distinguish between away support and home support because there is such a difference.
To make it clear, I am not criticizing Arsenal fans. I’ve learned to live with it that their culture is different and that’s how things are. I am simply bemoaning the fact that it is different, and I have tried to change it by emailing Redaction with suggestions (including the flags and other choreographic shows [that’s how it’s called, Ollie knows about it, Marseille are extremely good at it. The best are probably FC Zurich though]).
The first thing I would change if I were listened to is change from chant to songs.
The Santi Cazorla song can last for a maximum of (usually) 45 seconds.
Maccabi has a 2 verse song with the Seven Nation Army melody which stretches out to a few minutes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lceG8L0DodM
This allows the crowd to sing around 10-12 songs a half and able to actually get to 90 minutes of cheering the team.
Some football fans have adopted this approach and it truly creates a frightening home atmosphere for the OPPOSITION (the way the Ems was against Spurs. That’s how it should be EVERY game).
I can only wish it would change in England.
Holic – please approve my comment – it says it’s awaiting moderation 🙂
Sorry about the cheap crack at 09:13 Eändy.
It was first thing on Monday morning and I felt the need for a quick “Phnarr phnarr”.
As well as talking a great deal of sense, you make an excellent job of expressing yourself in a foreign language.
Good luck with securing as many tickets as you want.
Latest injuries related news
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2013/09/30/4299189/wilshere-faces-fight-to-be-fit-for-napoli-test-but-rosicky
Fair enough CoR @237
Hehe its fine Pangloss,
no offense was taken since there was no reason to do so:)
Yes, Gervinho’s confidence was gone but he never convinced me he was up to the PL consistently. The Bologna defence, in particular that great clod of a CB Antonsson, certainly did their bit yesterday in helping him get his confidence back.
As for players getting stick, it’s sad but has been going on since the gladiators fought in the Coliseum. I can remember a section of the crowd groaning every time Jon Sammels touched the ball (not in the Coliseum, of course) and, as someone else said, go to any football ground in the world and there’ll be a crowd scapegoat (Justin Edinburgh up the road, for example). I guess it makes them feel better.
Tomorrow is the time to stamp our authority on the group and shut up all those who thought it would be difficult to qualify (and have now gone quiet – a bit difficult to moan about a team that have just won their last 9 matches).
Napoli are going well but the fact is that the points they dropped were at home against the newly promoted (and shortly to be relegated) Sassuolo. We have confidence, class and momentum – that’s what wins football matches. Should be a good game though.
He hasn’t played for anybody for two years, but a glimpse of Robert Pires training with us today has made my loins tingle.
Pangloss @240,
“I felt the need for a quick Phnarr, Phnarr” ,
is surley some kind of euphemism ? 😉
Lurky,
Anyone wishing Diaby to break his other leg is pathetic, shameful and embarrassing.
On Gervinho –
Have to disagree with you, I’m afraid.
However well he may be doing at Roma, he was never going to make it at Arsenal. He was physically too weak for the Premier League, hopelessly inconsistent, and whether it was a mental or physical issue, he lacked the strength and composure to finish off runs and goal scoring opportunities.
He needed far too much time on the ball to make the twists and turns I recall from his YouTube vids, and his decision making was often quite bizarre.
Even Arsene Wenger, who shows fantastic patience and loyalty to his players, gave up relatively quickly. That should be proof enough.
Good on him if he does well in Italy but it wasn’t going to happen at The Emirates.
(No, I never booed him – or anyone else)
I’ve watched a few Serie A games this term and to quote Shania Twain, “that don’t impress me much”.
The games are played at a snails pace compared to the PL and players have much more time on the ball, maybe that’s why Gerv’ is doing so well there.
For these reasons I am quietly confident about tomorrows night game, in what is by far, on current form, the strongest CL group. Marsaille 3rd, Napoli 2nd, Dortmond and Arsenal 1st in respective leagues.
238 Snir
That’s a great post, thanks. And it would be great if we could get the same kind of thing going over here. A few songs with more than a dozen words would help create a prolonged intimidating atmospohere (for the opposition, obviously!).
It happens a fair bit away, Ive sang the same song over and over for 20 minutes (not just me, a few others too!) and it does create a fantastic atmosphere.
H2H
I agree, as long as we dont invite trouble by making silly individual mistakes, and play as we have been of late, I can see us winning; 3-1. Higuain to score, obviously.
Tabs,
Reus would be a wonderful signing. Ambidextrous, young (24), good in the air, another option at set pieces and pace to boot. Scored 19 goals last season, plays either wing and could be an option to play through the middle. Is he worth the 30+m price tag though? Or could we get better value elsewhere?
What I would be more comfortable about, is spending that type of money on someone like Julian Draxler. This lad is only 20 years of age and made his debut in the Bundesliga at 17. He is also ambidextrous, can play either wing, scored 13 goals last season, very good in the air and for a lad who is 6ft 2′, he has amazing technical ability and pace to burn. In short, he is a prodigious talent and its no coincidence that we bid for him during the summer.
Now that we’ve a healthy German contingent, the German market will be much more accessible and given the strength of the national team, I’ve a feeling thats where we’ll be focusing our efforts.
Snir, top drawer stuff @238, you’re definitely studying the right course.
Snir @ 238, that would be truly brilliant stuff if we could get it going. Our home support tends to switch off at times during games, especially against the “lesser” teams. The singing and chanting tends to go on longer only when the Mancs, Chavs, and Scum come visiting. Against others there seems to be more of a, “Go on, entertain us” attitude about supporting the team.
Away from home, however, our travelling support tends to drown out home crowds almost everywhere we go. Against West Brom, one stand of Gooners drowned out the rest of the stadium. Our away fans are truly inspirational for the team, and more than once, the players have come out to specifically thank the away fans, and more than one has remarked about how much better it feels playing away than playing at home due to the support. We need to replicate that sort of atmosphere at home.
On another note, I decided to take a gander over to the Online Gooner following the Swansea game, bearing in mind that ‘holic has pointed out that they’re not so bad. Well, Guvnor, I hate to say I told you so. Kevin Whitcher is so galled about having to write about a string of wins and being prevented from chortling with glee while expounding some AST agenda, that he inserted this gem into his match report while talking about Gnabry’s contribution: “Additionally, he drove at the Swansea defence in a way his senior colleagues rarely did. It’s something Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain used to do, and Jack Wilshere occasionally does. Eventually, this sense of natural intiative gets coached out of them at London Colney, but it served Arsenal well in Wales.”
He just couldn’t resist getting in a sly dig at Wenger. Where he gets the idea that Arsenal coach initiative out of players is anybody’s guess. Henry, Pires, Ljunberg, Vieira, all demonstrated their natural initiative time and time again to beaming smiles and applause from Wenger. Fabregas never had any “natural initiative” coached out of him, that’s for damn sure. And to claim the Ox no longer shows initiative is as ignorant as anything I have ever seen. There is a certain ethos to the way Wenger wants (and usually gets) his teams to play. He emphasises team work, using your colleagues movement and positioning to work the ball forward and create goal-scoring opportunities. Wilshere is learning to pick his moments for those bursting, kick-magnet runs of his, and slowly but surely, he is forcing referees to acknowledge more and more fouls in dangerous areas, creating set piece opportunities for the team. I do not also recall the Ox suddenly becoming shy of making runs with the ball and beating opponents with his skill and trickery. To claim that a man who is famous around the world for getting his players to express themselves turns around and stifles their natural instincts is ludicrous in the extreme.
I guess I should give up on that site after all.
MrBure.
Against West Brom, one stand of Gooners drowned out the rest of the stadium.
Not to take anything away from our magnificent away support, but there were hardly any Brom fans in the rest of the stadium, vast empty regions in most of the stands bar the away segment.
Mr Bure
Whitcher is a wanker and I have told him that several times too. His agenda goes against the club and the fact it kills him writing anything positive about the team/manager/players shows what a pathetic self serving twat he is, along with payton and the other members of the cunts convention.
IMHO, the all seater stadia have changed the whole atmosphere at games. When I was a kid, there was a saying that the North Bank sings while the Clockend stings, a crete for a bygone era, but true non the less. The visitors to the all seater East and West stands were not exactly known for their chanting either.
Here in Holland many stadiums have “sfeer vakken” (as Snir would know) these are reserved for those who call themselves ultras, but not as I had previously mistaken them, in a houligan way, but in a drum banging, horn blowing, song singing sense. In Germany they have brought back the terraces behind the goals to greatly enhance the atmosphere at the games, I can’t see it happening in the PL anytime soon though because of the undoubted backlash and references to Hillsborough that would enevitable be raised.
If you’re looking for a reason that the stadiums in the PL do not generate such atmosphere you may want to look at the cost of the tickets. Many of the traditional noisy working class fans have been priced out of going to games and have been replaced by more conserative middle class types, but that’s just an uneducated guess from me.
Snir, really interesting post. I’ve seen a similar approach at Japanese baseball matches, where each player would have his song sung as he came out to bat. Every section of the stadium had a song-leader conducting proceedings. Sometimes there was call and response between the sections. It does create a fantastic atmosphere.
H2H: spot on. Terraces and cheap tickets combine to create terrific crowd atmospheres, albeit not without a dangerous side, let us not forget.
MrBrue @ 254: I have often heard/read this myth of Arsene ‘coaching natural initiatives out of players’ perpetuated by people who either do not understand the game or just simply have an agenda against the man or the club.
Arsene makes a true footballer out of someone with natural abilities. It is a team sport, and natural initiatives are most important when they contribute to the collective goal.
What was worth noting is that Gnabry didn’t try those runs all the time, or as often as he does say in a reserve match, but chose the occasions wisely. That is what the Arsenal set-up has coached him in a very period of time. Same with Ox, if he was running at defenses all day long and shooting from distances it would be a one-dimensional game that any top level defender in PL can defend against 95% of the time. Ox is still learning the passing game, and the movements off the ball, and once he has mastered those he will be able to use the natural dribbling ability to much more devastating effect by choosing the right occasion.
As you said, ludicrous suggestion. But something that is actually made not that infrequently.
H2H, I’m not sure I buy the ticket price explanation. I’d far rather say that all-seaters is a much bigger cause because it simply doesn’t feel as natural to sing while sat down, and because you can’t form groups in the same way as you can while standing up. And there is a growing movement (supported by many clubs, Arsenal included) in England to introduce safe standing so I wouldn’t rule it out. It will undoubtedly take a few years still, but as it has now once and for all been officially acknowledged that Hillsborough didn’t happen because of standing as such but a stadium that wasn’t anywhere near fit for purpose and disgraceful policing I think the debate will move on.
Faustus@260: agree 100%.
Its the no booze thing, if we could swig from a can or 4 of Carlsberg Special brew during the games, the atmospohere would be massively improved, erm probably…
Not very nice from the online gooner that, I personaly have never visited, can’t see myself doing so either.
But he might want to take a butchers at this;
Did you know? No Arsenal player has attempted more dribbles than Jack Wilshere (19).
Did you know? No Arsenal player has attempted more dribbles than Jack Wilshere (19).
Hasn’t completly been coached out of him then?
Other interesting titbits from the same page as that bit;
MIDFIELD – AARON RAMSEY (Arsenal)
This lad is in the form of his life. He is starting to display the confidence and produce the performances that I heard he was capable of when he was a trainee. For years he struggled to live up to the billing, but well done to Arsene Wenger for retaining belief in a player many, myself included, thought incapable of such impressive performances.
Did you know? The Welsh midfielder has won the most tackles in the Premier League so far this season (29).
And;
FORWARD – SERGE GNABRY (Arsenal)
The German youngster appears to be yet another Arsene Wenger protege destined for great things. Gnabry proved against Swansea that he is quick, strong and can score goals. Football Association chairman Greg Dyke suggested recently that foreign players in the Premier League are limiting the opportunities of homegrown talent. Wenger clearly thinks that if you’re good enough, you play – regardless of age or nationality.
Did you know? Gnabry is the 97th player to score for Arsenal in the Premier League (excluding own goals).
Not to mention;
MIDFIELD – JACK WILSHERE (Arsenal)
If Arsenal lift the Premier League title this season, it will be down to their midfield quartet of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Mathieu Flamini and Wilshere. Their performance in the 2-1 win against Swansea was so cohesive that it was enough to make Spurs fans feel nauseous!
So… which pro Arenal site did you find that I hear you ask…
The BBC.
A team of the week, compiled by, wait for it…. Garth Crooks!!
WTF.
It wasn’t an explaination Lars, it was a theorey, actually, an uneducated guess (I said as much). Although I have been to all seater stadiums that have a not too bad atmosphere, but again, they had “sfeer vakken” plus the price of a seaon ticket wouldn’t get you into two fixtures at The Grove.
I agree that if you could get like minded supporters into groups the noise generated would be better (again, “sfeer vakken”), it also explains why away fans are heard.
I was in England when the Hillsborough disaster occured, it left a massive scar on the national physcy. I have ofcourse been away for many a year after, but even after all the new findings, I can’t see a quick fix in the returning to terraces issue.
All seater stadia has all but irradicated the houligan element too, do you think the government would want to take the chance that that would return?
I personaly can’t see it, but I could be wrong……
It definetly wouldn’t be the first time. 😉
Still, atmosphere, all seater stadia, terraces and sfeer vakken aside, there are always going to be those that will feel it necassary to boo, piss and moan. It’s just the way it is.
I am with H2H on the atmosphere (lack of) explanation. Although it is in part due to seating, it is mainly due to the exclusion as a result of cost of the young and old working class men who formed the backbone of the North Bank choir even as late as the mid to late 1990s but had largely disappeared by the mid 2000s and if they are at the Grove are scattered between the hordes of mute middle class spectators and dumb Eurotourists.
263
WTF Indeed! 🙂
There is a rumour on Twitter that Abou Diaby is refusing to collect any salary from the club till he gets back to full fitness, as stated it’s not confirmed news, but its the kind of thing I would expect from him.
In confirmed news; Maureen stormed out of his press conference in anger. Excellent!
Dumb Eurotourists?
That’ll be me, Lars and Ollie then? 😉
Is Scotland in Europe?
Oops, forgot the 😉
Hmm nice post Snir, but pretty much agree with everything H2H has said on the topic.
Yes it would be nice if the home atmosphere was like the Spurs game every home game, but the ticket-pricing (and the crowd that that pricing draws in), the lack of standing and therefore the opportunity for like-minded souls to congregate together all militates against that. The away support are the same people as the home support. You can bet your bottom dollar that nearly all of those who go away also attend the home games. The only difference is that they are all grouped together, they are allowed to stand in their seats, there won’t be any “corporate” fans, the feeling of a “day out” and thus the booze consumed will be greater, and the notion of “us vs them” will obviously be magnified away from home.
As for the “British” atmosphere, I’ll take the British atmosphere over pretty much anywhere other than Germany.
Sure it could be noisier but banging a drum or anything approaching a Band at a football match is the height of cuntery imo.
As for how vitriolic we are towards our own players mentioned elsewhere in the drinks, hahaha. We generally remain far more supportive of our own players at times when things aren’t going well far longer than many other places in Europe or South America. And Arsenal fans generally remain more supportive than most Clubs here. Most players new to The Premiership generally remark on how supportive their fans remain, irrespective of what Club they play for here,and how different it is to what they were previously used to. Sure there will be cunts everywhere, including Arsenal, who can’t wait to slate the players or the Manager, and maybe it’s getting worse in an “I want it all now” age, but I’ve never seen a home crowd completely turn on their own team here as I’ve seen in many other places – the waving of white hankies being but one example.
Each to their own, but I’d take the atmosphere of an Arsenal vs Spurs match over pretty much anything else, largely because the atmosphere is organic, it grows from within, and it will rise and fall with the rhythm of the game, rather than some pre-imposed dance routine orchestrated by a frustrated conductor (not you 😉 ), which has little or nothing with what is going on on the pitch.
As I said above, each to their own.
Yip, agree with what that tabs fella says.
The opportunity to booze all the way on the journey to away grounds might just have something to do with the vocal nature of the travelling support. Just a guess.
Although you can’t keep that Top Man Snowy quiet in any circumstances 😉
Benitez press conference has just finished.
Best line: “Arsene Wenger is the best manager in the Premier League.”
@221 Holic,
Willie Young? Ian Ure? Gillie was available at 62,500 pounds (not millions) and Arsenal weren’t sufficiently quick on the draw to capitalise on one of Scotlands’s greatest exports since Zico last left Dunfermline for a tour of New York. Wenger Aaaht!
(Queue long Ablog dissertation on roast pig, which lasts for an entire summer, on Arsenal’s inadequacies in the transfer window. Yaaaawn).
Anyone going to the Napoli game? I’m buying beers at 6.30 in the Tollie. (Steve T, I will, as always be cunningly disguised as someone you don’t recognize. All part of the fun and a little tactic that, eventually, makes the beer taste all that much better 🙂 ). You know it makes sense and, for everything else, there’s Arsenal.
Lukaku was on my wish list for a striker. But there’s no way the chavs would sell him to us. Well, not while Mourinho is there. So, give it 3 months and we should bid for him then.
Whomever is on LJW’s back is a shitball. He contributed to our goals in a number of games this season, last game inclusive -when he slid to intercept the ball & switched on the attack.
A man of statue & stature, never scared, never intimidated.
Remains undaunted in his desire to see this team move forward.
The only player that showed faith in his team mates a couple of seasons ago to taunt the battle lines of the swamp dwellers, even though he never laced his boot throughout the campaign.
Oh! My dear Jack.
Oi, I heard that zico 😉
Tabs @270 – I’d agree with all of that.
There have ben a few examples of more complex lyrics but, traditionally, chants / songs have been pretty short or consisted of a lot of repetition. Any change to that would almost certainly have to be generated at away matches because the chances of seated, probably widely spread spectators trying to get something going off a song sheet are slim indeed.
Interesting idea, Snir, but I agree with Rabs that the organic nature of the atmosphere at it’s best, produces more excitement than a conductor or a drum or band (gawd forbid) could.
Anyone starting a band up near me would be looking at a swift kick in the castanets. And as for vuvuzelas ………
H2H at various above,
Top stuff, mate.
Norris, Maureen going to last three months? If they somehow loose tomorrow in Romany he is gone in less than three days 🙂
Cheers Trev.
Norris, he was on mine too mate, funny how Chelsea’s best striker got loaned out and they stuck with Ba and Torres (Itchy and Scratchy). Eto’ooooooo ‘s not looked that impressive (yet) either.
10 years of hard work by Moyes has finally paid off.
Everton are finaly above Man U in the table.
I bet he’s proud.
Lurky; Ha, yeah could well be lightning striking twice with him getting the boot after a disapointing CL result.
H2H; I just dont think Mourinho trusts young players enough and he’d rather sign a player in his 30s he’s worked with before. Basically, he is a shit bag too scared to try Lukaku,
H2H @281,
Brilliant, 😆
hey holics. afraid I’ll be cut off by new post so suffice to say you fellas out did yourselves. See you on the other side. #Gervinho 🙂
Tabs and Trev – I hope you’d have given me more credit than that 😉
Obviously I knew what happened in the game and chose the song accordingly.
The songs that make all the gates get up (including the older people that came to watch a game a la “stand up if you hate Tottenham”) are songs I would normally start when the atmosphere and the game is dying down.
But I would signal to whistle for the ref after a horrible decision, or things of that sort.
We are very engaged in the game and choose the songs based on the things happening the game.
There is a song that everybody sings and gets a certain excitement when it’s started (kind of like “we’re by far the greatest team the world has ever seen) so I would start it at a corner or a free kick to make sure everybody would sing it as they’re already riled up from the opportunity to score.
As for drums – You’ve got no idea how it helps to carry the song. The more you carry the song, the more you actually have a chance to sing for 90 minutes.
H2H – That could be a reason, but it CAN change because I’ve seen it change in two countries now (Israel, and in Holland with our brotherhood Vak410 of Ajax).
Tabs – I LOVED the Spurs atmosphere, I just want it to be that way on a weekly basis and you’ve gotta do everything you can to do that.
The tifo show Dortmund did in last year’s semi-final is something that is ordinary in Europe and almost every crowd does it, but England doesn’t and I wish RedAction would because it gives the players a massive lift.
I’d hate to be thought an admirer, but when it comes to atmos Pool’s ‘Never Walk Alone’ takes some beating. We should commission something as good from one of our celebrity fans.
If Mick Jagger, John Waters, Ray Davies and Chris Martin can’t come up with something catchy between them I’d be very disappointed. But, please, not The Stones ‘Start Me Up’ which the Auckland Warriors, who play in the Aussie rugby league comp once adopted. Starts out great … until you come to the line ‘You make a grown man crrrryyyyyy’. Big mistake that, for a team which are perennial also-rans!
Öskar
Snir,
I always give you immense credit 😉
I do know exactly how a drum carries the song and, I have to say, it gets right on my threepenny bits. 😉
I don’t know if anyone else will agree with this but, personally, I think there is something in the British character that will rile against being “conducted” at a football match, and being told what to sing and when.
I do agree that it is very impressive when foreign supporters turn up and all sing together throughout the entire game. I’m just not convinced it would get off the ground here – or even that I always want to.
Of those that sit near me, there are some decidedly flat baritones, and the noise of them blasting in my shell-likes for 90 minutes would not be a pleasant prospect.
One other point:
How would the 60,000 at The Emirates actually see you conducting or know which song to start up ?
Or would you be stationed on a permanently erected scaffold tower in the centre circle ? 😉 😉
Trev – If there is one thing that I think will lead to a great atmosphere is safe standing which is getting talked about more and more.
Those stands are usually for the Ultras (who I will repeat and say are not Hooligans, despite some Ultras groups adopting a hooligan mentality. The Ultras groups themselves are not hooligans by definition) and the “singing section.”
In that way, that gate will be for people who come to sing for 90 minutes only as people who don’t wouldn’t like to stand for 90 minutes but to sit and watch the game.
There you have someone who stands with his back to the gate and is easily distinguishable.
After he chooses the song, it picks up in that gate and then slowly picks up in other gates so that it doesn’t matter whether they see the guy in charge of the songs or not 🙂
As for British mentality – that could be changed with the changing of generations.
My father has been going to Maccabi games since he was 4 years old in 1962. He obviously does not cheer for 90 minutes but goes to give the ref a rollicking and watch the game.
But the new fans that have joined since 2000 and the transformation have been educated that that mentality is the way it should be and that’s how they act.
It can be changed, but the change will only take place with the newer generations (ages 12 [that is usually when kids start going alone] and up).
Holland has made a huge transformation into Ultras groups and is one of the best in the world now. Just a small sample – http://www.israup.net/images/fc3e0592303b5a2635a80ff2e197f719.jpg
This is AIK Solna’s farewell to their captain.
http://www.israup.net/images/3678a1d37d6a885c1eac4756e90dc034.jpg
This has nothing to do with the British mentality of not being conducted, and there are banners of this sort at the Ems (the Muamba one is one I can think of, the 49 etc.). I just think RedAction is a bit close minded and don’t think outside the box to see where they can improve based on other fanbases around the world.
If Crystal Palace can do it there is no reason Arsenal can’t – http://www.israup.net/images/46b6d1b08718e012fb6e54d4dcdad4a4.jpg
Fortuna Dusseldorf’s tifo show with Dusseldorf’s skyline – https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/526871_10151538366712024_1297481388_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/1003209_10151538805492024_1897922332_n.jpg
Maccabi in the Europa League – https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1012500_500728340022770_1583802764_n.jpg
True, these are things that the crowd will have to get used to doing and sometimes RedAction will have to place pamphlets with instructions on every seat, but the crowd eventually get it and it’s beautiful to watch and gives the team a massive lift. It CAN be done.
These are things that can totally be done at the Ems with a bit of effort.
Trev I replied to that but my comment is awaiting moderation again 😉
I bet it is ! 😉
Must say the warm-up acts tonite very entertaining! It’s all in the delivery, people 😉
Oh, I almost forgot. Mr Whitcher also claimed that we shouldn’t be too excited about having 15 points from our first 6 matches as we had 18 points from the equivalent fixtures last season. I’m sorry, but didn’t we have only 9 points at this stage last season?
Either the clock in the bar hasn’t had its batteries replaced since it died at 1.09 this morning or every single Holic is in the land of Nod.
RISE AND SHINE HOLICS!!!!!!!!!
*beats pan with wooden spoon*
Alright alright! Cut that racket out!
In honour of the Boss’s 17th, a tippy tappy 6-pass move to the 300th, starting….now!
Picks up the ball in midfield, performs Wilshere turn, evading outstretched foot of Mike Dean…
Looks up, grins wickedly and performs one-two with Anthony Taylor’s nutsack. The bald twat falls to the ground writhing in agony. God banishes him to the Conference for play acting and waves play on.
Plays looping one-two with The Wizard of Özil, Mike Riley decides to ape Ferdinand and lunges to grab hold of shirt….
Ignores ripping shirt and plays perfectly weighted through ball….
Nods it in.
Oooops, as there were no chevrons, I’m claming it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Well in, H2H. I was beginning to fear no-one wanted to take the shot.