Who Will Blink First When Gunners Host Chelsea?
Oct 28th, 2013 by 'holic
Hello all,
So after recording win seven of nine in the Premier League at the weekend we start a run of games destined to show just where we really stand in the greater scheme of things. Chelsea at home in the CoCup is not the most important of those, by any stretch of the imagination, but a victory with the sort of side we are likely to put out would speak volumes about the spirit and attitude in the club right now. Any London derby is one we would like to win, and this is no different, but priorities will be established ahead of the game.
The Gunners midfield is somewhat decimated with the injury to Mathieu Flamini and the suspension to Mikel Arteta. Fortunately if there is one area of the park where we have strength in depth it is there. It is doubtful that Arsene will go with his strongest side on paper however, given the run of Premier and Champions League fixtures coming up, but he will field a side capable of giving what may be a mixed Chelsea eleven a real test.
Until the press conferences are out of the way who could imagine what the line-ups will be? Even then I anticipate a game of cat and mouse between the rival bosses until the teams are announced an hour before kick-off. Mourinho has suggested that just 48 hours after beating Manchester City with a fortuitous late goal that he will field his kids, “The under-21 team will have a very good experience in the Capital One Cup.” The depth of their squad suggests something stronger will arrive at the Grove.
It may serve more purpose to check out the sides both clubs put out in the Third round. The bus stop in Fulham came west to Swindon and went home 2-0 winners in a far from one sided contest. Mark Schwarzer kept goal and they included the likes of Azpilicueta, Bertrand, De Bruyne, and Van Ginkel. Will Mourinho risk something similar at the Grove? Who knows?
As for us we emerged from another Premier League venue, the Hawthorns, with a penalty shoot-out triumph, giving opportunities to Lukasz Fabianski, Ryo Miyaichi, Serge Gnabry, Isaac Hayden, and Thomas Eisfeld. On paper we may look outsiders, but if Nicklas Bendtner comes in and maintains his recent good form we may just have an unlikely matchwinner on our hands.
For that reason I am going to venture the ‘holic pound (and not much more!) on Bendtner to score anytime, on offer at 5/2 if you shop around. Fancy something more exotic as a back-up? Tomas Rosicky at 6/1 to score anytime looks interesting.
Have a good one if you are going.
Take care ‘holics.
287 Responses to “Who Will Blink First When Gunners Host Chelsea?”
Get In!!!!!
Nice and thoughtful write up boss
Not depressed to get second.
Thanks for the preview ‘H.
PS: It’s little bit windy round here.
Never fancy us against Chelsea and frankly both sides have other fish to fry. I think we will play a pretty under- strength side and so will they but Mourinho speaks with a forked tongue and we may see the likes of Mata and Willian and Eto’o.
Our issue is whether we can score. Our midfield may be quite strong but my faith in TGSTEL is not absolute. Let’s hope he surprises us.
Top of the morning to you sir.
Cheers H! Just spent 40 minutes on the phone to Virgin support. Great way to start the fucking week. This can definitely only get better.
Europa spot?
It should be a good match I think. Our reserves have a good chance of getting past that lot if they play smart. It will be a great experience for the youngsters regardless of the outcome.
True, you are very punny 🙂
Looks like we got some of your weather today.
Cheers
Cheers DG, I try to keep the amusement levels in check when I visit.
Ollie, between about 4:30AM & 7:00AM was the worst time round ‘ere. Mel Brooks would have been proud.
PS: Ticket for Saturday secured this morning. Hope to see a few of you inn & around The HoF pre-/during-/post-match.
UTA!
Mid Table Obscurity.
A rare visit by Snir, and a debut for Batmandela of @invinciblog …. enjoy, both of you! 🙂
I see Joel Campbell got 4 assists for Olympiakos at the weekend.
Why did we loan him out? Is there still a problem with work permits?
“We’re not playing well at home and it’s your fault!”
That was apparently the gist of AVB’s (Angry Voluble Broadside) tirade at Spuds fans after his expensive assembly of crap struggled to yet another referee-assisted win.
There’s a book, Andre – it’s called How To Win Friends And Influence People.
Anyway, now the LWC also know that AVB stand for Arrant Verbal Bollocks.
dk, I think it’s still the work permit – but then again the reason he isn’t getting one is because he’s not good enough to earn enough caps to qualify so it’s kind of self-fulfilling in that respect.
Haven’t read the actual quotes from AVB, but I find it hard to believe that he really slammed their home support the way it’s been reported. I’ve seen enough twisted “quotes” from Arsene to believe that without hearing what he really said.
ttg: agreed, there is no way Mourinho will play only kids. I would be very surprised not to see Mata, Eto’o and Willian on the pitch. Mourinho is childish enough to more or less throw the game just to prove his point about the 48 hours, but he can do that while still playing the afforementioned players – hell, it would probably even satisfy his ego to see Mata play in a game they end up losing.
I assume we’ll see Vermaelen, Nacho and Jenks and I hope both the BFG and Kos are rested. We will have a back four that is not 100% used to each other in any case, and quite frankly I think having a younger defender next to him might mean Vermaelen takes more defensive responsibility instead of barging forward without thinking as he sometimes does. We’ll have Bendtner up top, possibly Rosicky in midfield as he didn’t feature at all on Saturday and most likely Fabianski in goal but other than that I have no idea. I hope we get to see Zelalem at some point during the game, it would be really interesting to see him in a proper game.
Lars,
Spot on. I note Zelalem has been training with the first team squad. I think we might also see Eisfeld and possibly Santi as he needs to build up match fitness.
I am getting the same negative vibes about Mourinho that I had the first time he was here. Yesterday they won a game they had no right to win but sadly they keep doing that.
Lars
I´d love to see Zelalem too, but think it´s too early in his rehab to feature. Didn´t he only return to training last week? I hope I´m wrong though…
Thanks ‘H. Hope all’s well.
I will never forgive Mourinho for his personal attack on Arsene. I know it’s far from likely, but I hope we stuff whichever rolling-in-cash club he’s managing every time we come up against him, just for that. I realise that we don’t have the depth of squad that “constantly-told” riches afford, but I have every faith we will do it (but then I do every match).
Come on Arsenal (tomorrow) :-).
Thanks for the preview ‘holic. Maybe we can huff and puff and blow their house down?
A little background from Wikipedia on the acquisition of Willian and Eto’o for those who missed it. Roman’s money and “personal” connections at work, apparently.
On 7 August 2013, Kerimov decided to drastically cut the team’s budget. Anzhi President Konstantin Remchukov suggested on Twitter that the club planned a fire sale of players to trim costs. True to his word, on 15 August 2013 Yuri Zhirkov, Igor Denisov and Aleksandr Kokorin were packaged to FC Dynamo Moscow for an undisclosed fee. The three players had been purchased with the previous two years at a cost exceeding 50 million euros. Remchukov said that the reason for the move was the “sharp deterioration in the health of Suleiman Kerimov, because of worries about the club’s lack of success.” In addition, Dynamo also signed Christopher Samba, Vladimir Glabulov and Aleksei Ionov from Anzhi. Other cost-cutting transfer included Samuel Eto’o and Willian to English side Chelsea (etc.)
Lars – Managed to get to Wales without problem this morning. OK, they had closed the Severn Bridges so I had to come the long way round. I also saw a couple of significant lumps of tree down, and a couple of stretches of 20m of flood water, maybe 8cm deep. Honestly, as long as you have enough imagination to predict where you might get into trouble and take the requisite care, I thought conditions were quite driveable.
Some big numbers of people without electricity because of falling trees taking power lines with them, but without knowing how many trees take down lines on an average windy autumn night, and depending how long it takes to restore supplies I don’t know what the numbers mean.
I hope everyone is all right and that power gets restored quickly to those who are cut off.
Now, bring on Chelsea and let’s stuff ’em.
COYG
Catalan: he did return to full training last week, but Arsene seems to define full training as “ready to play” because players very often feature just days after returning to full training and quite often also playing from start. I wouldn’t actually be that surprised if Zelalem starts tomorrow.
ttg: good call on Santi, he may play just to give him some more time on the pitch to get back to his best.
Pangloss: doesn’t sound too bad, then. Cheers for the report!
We wish all of you well in coping with St. Jude, near the anniversary of superstorm Sandy.
Returning to a topic of some drinks ago: celebrated management’s birthday by going to the Red Bulls fixture in Harrison to root for the team’s clinching of the regular season title for the first time in franchise history. They did, but no bustop excursion thru Newark to celebrate; it’s on to American de rigueur playoffs. As for the main man, he’s indeed had an indifferent season, including a training ground dustup with the manager, but yesterday’s was an absolute maestro demonstration of how to play the striker position, via positioning, holdup play, movement off the ball, assists, et al.
And by the way, not a bad goal….Class Is Truly Permanent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qyWQsM3f40
Strictly off-topic, but the storm has just hit the south of Denmark. Impressive. A small part of our roof has gone already – still 2-3 hours to go. Could be great if the whole roof went – new roof on the insurance – just what I’ve been hoping for.
As the man said, beware of what you hope for 🙂
Afternoon all, hope all is well. Liking some of your optimism. I am like the bookies on this one. Can’t call it either way. Another shoot-out perchance?
Nice preview H. Need to rest our overworked fellas but need not to risk a morale-deflating drubbing. I think we have enough experience in need of game time to sprinkle ith youth.
I expect to see
Fabianski
Jenks
Vermaelen
AN Other
Monreal
AN Other
TR7
SC19
AN Other
AN Other
TGSTEL52 reborn as a half decent striker
I expect a close game.
I hope that bet is an accumulator and Nic gets a hat trick and wins you a fortune (or at least the price of a pint), H.
One prediction for tomorrow night –
It will be all about Mourinho, from his tedious press conferences where he is just side splittingly funny, to his pathetic attention seeking goal celebrations.
The bloke is a bad mannered, spoilt bully.
Successful though, you say ?
He only ever manages anywhere where there are bucket loads of cash to spend and, boy, does he spend it.
I could win the stuffing league with the money he has spent.
Did I mention that I don’t like him very much ? 😉
You are clearly a man with exquisite taste, Trev @24, at least on this occasion.
Thank you bath,
“exquisite taste” …… consider the condiment returned, old chap 😉
Hi Trev, I see that we are ad idem on that monstrosity of an individual.
Re: Mourinho. Me too. Good call Trev@24
Trev, I’ll be joining you in the insults directed at The Splashal One tomorrow evening.
A close game and a good shout is the sum of my expectations as they have players like Ba, Essien, Mata & Willian who don’t get regular first-team football.
If we get a result, then even better.
COYRRRs!
For fuck’s sake Trev, get off the fence will you? 🙂
Trev put it in much more polite terms than I would have 😉
Very accurately though.
Moanrihno I would call him…
Already coming up with excuses but the fact is we have had more rest and he will still play a more experienced side I can guarantee that!
His sense of humor is of a child and he is spiteful to say the least.
He likes to rub it in and he’s totally lacking class.
Tough one to call would be nice to grab a win at home against them.
Hehs at all the above… 🙂
Lars. Good news if your prediction of zelalalellelalalm is correct
Just one comment on this article: Where is “dwarf London” located? 😉
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24528383
From pravda.com
on Gedion Zalalem…
He is not yet available. He had a knee problem. He is back in full training but he has not played yet. He will play 45 minutes with the under-18 team later this week.
Nice one guvna.
Think we are definetly the underdogs in this one, the chavs have got a whole second XI that would probably beat most clubs first teams, I don’t buy that “we’ll play the under 21’s” bollox from Maureen, he always puts out strong teams against us, the slimy knob goblin.
I’d like to see Santi get another run out, he looked rusty Saturday. I’d also like to see Tommy V step up with a performance that might put him back in the CB reckoning, this is an important game for him as he’s not going to get many chances as long as Kos and Per are doing the bizz.
====
Lars.
Here’s what he said, not in print, but on camera, make of it what you will;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24696091
Personaly, I laughed when I saw/heard it, although my jaw did drop a bit.
Those quotes don’t need twisting, he says quite clearly that the fans could do beter…..
Ofcourse they could, they could go support a decent team.
ATG, thanks for the info. That’s him off the list of potential starters, then.
Cheers H2H. Not sure I think that was particularly much to write home about. But regardless there is no doubt that the demands on them from their supporters are getting higher, because the novelty factor of being near the top four but not quite there is probably starting to wear off. We’ll see what effect his words have, but I don’t think it’ll have a particularly negative effect.
H2H. Good to see AVB fanning the fires of discontent at WHL.
On another front, here’s another bad idea from Platini. Bad in terms of increasing the number of meaningless games, and bad mathematically too. How do you get four semifinalists if you have five groups, or am I being slow on this?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24701131
You’re being slow 8Ball mate. 😉
Eight groups of five, instead of four, still meaning the top two going through to the last 16.
In the Dwarf Land 😉
It’s a tricky one Lars, it could go either way. ie get the fans behind the team or open himself up to ridicule. A bit of a can of worms if you ask me, your always going to get the “we pay our money so we do what we want” folks, plus the cheer your team no matter what fans.
I can understand where he’s coming from, players need the support of their fans. But there’s a difference between a passionate plea to the crowd to get behind the team, or, saying that your supporters could do better. I think when he sees it back he may wish he’d worded it better, then again maybe he won’t give a toss what any silly little Spud thinks……..
We’ll then have something in common. 🙂
Evening all. Safe home anybody affected by the travel chaos.
Hi Poppet,
We are indeed of one mind. Poor you. 😉
Heh Lars, Ollie.
TS, good to see you’re sorted for Saturday. See you pre-game under the usual brollie.
Pangloss,
do you have a weather forecast for the first week in August next year. Thinking about booking my hollies. 😉
Dwarf London must be somewhere in Little Britain, bt8b.
Sorry to hear about your roof dk.
I know how you feel, we got hit hard here too this afternoon. the worst storm since 1990, winds measured up to 152kmph, wind power 11 (12 is hurricaine force). We lost a large portion of one of the sections of our roof on the NE side of the building, plus two of our inbuilt parasols (industrial brollys) were totaly ravaged. I was lucky enough to get most of the terrace seats in in time, plus saved a few windows by boarding them up, otherwise loose sections of the brolly or flying debris would of took them out too.
Some of my neighbours weren’t so lucky, they’ve lost a lot of windows plus other exterior damage. One of them have also lost a large trampoline that is now wrapped around a tree in my back yard. Fortunatly the guy that lost it was smart enough to chase it and secure it futher with a rope around said tree, otherwise it would, no doubtedly, have flown through one of the windows in the extra hall area behind the bar/restaurant.
Still, all the damage is only structial or financial, and things that are broken can be fixed, none of us have been injuried and that’s the most important thing.
Wind greatly subsided here on my way back. Not that it reached your English proportions today, I believe, mind.
Generally, Trev@44, there isn’t much weather in August and I don’t expect next year to be an exception. Up to you whether you think that makes it a good or bad bet for your Hols. Hope you enjoy them whichever.
Good to hear you got off relatively lightly, H2H.
What’s the latest on the “New roof on the Insurance Company” scheme dk?
I guess the Arsenal faithful got restless when they knew we had £110million and wouldn’t spend it – as it turns out, wouldn’t spend it on anything other than top, top quality.
The Spuds are now realising that they have shovelled another £110million onto the heap and, so far, it hasn’t improved them at all. Their best player now turns out to be a freebie they have been loaning out round the country for two years, and Les Dawson is still in the muddle/middle of their defence.
And Andre Ver Bose is surprised they’re not singing up in the rafters.
I see Wind, after his destructive efforts last night, has been keeping well below the parapet today, which I assume did not blow off with dk’s roof.
That’ll be more than enough for one week, young man. 😉
Sorry to have just noticed your damage report, H2H.
Pleased you are seemingly ok.
Sorry H2H, that place is your baby and we know the long hours you put in. 🙁 Dk, my commiserations, as well. xx
Holic, That’s a proper riddle in your title 😉 And I commend you on your restraint. Jose is such an easy mark 🙂 Eagerly anticipating seeing some of our youngsters (and Chelsea’s too) in action, should be fun!
Holics, found the GT video. In the archives under Dec. 30th, 2011. , entry 122. He narrates the video (made in 1994). At 0:32, you can see a cameo of him. It’s very cheery.
Pangloss,
You should start your own subscription weather forecasting service.
With your headlines of ” Everything Should Be Normal For The Time Of Year”, and “Perfectly Average Winter Expected”, I will, as the dragons say, not be investing. 😉
I had to go to Stamford Bridge on business a few years ago .It was an absolute hoot as it was the day after the famous 5th round cup tie which Reyes turned on its head with his two goals. Ken Bates was still bumbling around but was clearly being phased out and Kenyon gave off the arrogance that seems to have infected the club increasingly since. We played them again the next Saturday and beat them again.
Mourinho is a very arrogant guy and I agree with almost everything Trev said about him except that he won the Champions League with Porto without being bankrolled as he has been subsequently. But his football is soulless and it feels like he steamrollers teams rather than outplays them. The unwillingness to play someone like Mata sums him up well and his decision to loan Lukaku out looks a shocker.
I do hope we can turn them over
Sorry to hear of storm damage but glad everyone seems to be alright. Abb thanks for finding GT video. 🙂
Abb, thanks for that GT link – hadn’t seen that.
There was one contented man.
So sad for his family.
Anyone going tomorrow? Will try for post-match pint at the Tolly.
BtM,
I know Snir is bouncing thru London and was asking about fellow Holics.
Hope you enjoy the occasion.
Hope the winds die down soon for you and the damage is not too hard to fix/ replace.
I will have to sit between Wind and H2H for the Soton game in case there are still hard feelings. 😉
I was up again in the wee hours getting my ticket for the Marseille game. All taken care of. Section 112. Should be a good view. It will be a must win no matter what happens in Germany.
Cheers
Interesting, Arseblog’s recommendation that team selection for tonight’s game should be predicated on the difficulty of upcoming fixtures, particularly mentioning the home match against Southampton. How the mighty (Man Utd by name) have fallen and the meek risen up to take their place.
Loaning Lukaku isn’t such a dumb idea for Chelsea, ttg. Gives him consistent games in the Premiership he wouldn’t get otherwise as a 20 year old, and lessons the risk he’ll bugger off like Daniel Sturridge because he couldn’t get a regular start at the Bus Stop.
Best wishes to all ‘Holics suffering from the storm. As H@H said, if life and limb are safe that is the main thing. The rest is just repairs.
Everyone flipping their shit about a Torres “return to form.” Oh please. One good game does not a revival make. I have nothing against Torres personally, and I suppose a boost in confidence can do him some good, but the bottom line as I see it is that in his prime his game was always extremely contingent on his pace and quickness, and having lost a step or two he’s always going to struggle to reach anything like his old standards.
Great point about Lukaku, Ned. That makes a lot of sense. I do like him though, as long as he’s away from the Bridge. But he’ll end up there soon enough unfortunately, and quickly become a Douchey McDoucheson like the rest of them.
Apologies, I am a tedious obsessed wanker who won’t go and visit my doctor.
Yeah, how about Clichy? Looked pretty piss poor yesterday. His positioning was ok but he was so slow. Even the aging Torres was getting past him with regularity. Give me Kieran Gibbs any day. Can anyone who’s seen more of Citeh lately give a more up to date evaluation of Clichy?
Torres may well have found some confidence but it’s gonna take more than one game to convince me “he’s back.” And he’s never going to be a top striker again. Serviceable at best.
Good post ‘holic.
Sorry to hear about the roof H2H @ 46, hope you manage to sort the damage out soon.
Trev @ 50 & NorCal @ 58, a massive heh! 😆
My throat is sore from laughing then choking from said laughter (little bit bile (?), especially at NorCal sitting inbetween me and H2H :’)
abb @ 52, thanks for finding the link to that video. Watched some of it again and I read some of the drinks from around that time, a lot of nostalgia…
Thanks 8ball and Trev. Lot of treasures in those archives. Good stuff from good people. Like yourselves, 😉
Wind, you snuck in there! But you’re right! Had a good time re reading the holics’ work. Even our old friend Cusop 😉
It is the curse of the Bridge, GL.
There wouldn’t be all these stories about the strikers Mourinho is chasing if the Torres of old really was back. Indian summer more like.
Morning all,
Here is to a good one for the Arsenal 😉
Hi holics,
I figure we’ll go with this line up
Fab
Jenks TV Per Monreal
Hayden
Rosicky Santi
Gnabry Bendy Ryo
Bench:
Jack, Gibbs, Sagna, viviano, zelalem?
RE: Mourinho – I can’t stand that greasy slimy classless cunt.
@ #44 – Trev & Poppet are part of The Borg Collective, who knew?
@ BtM – I’ll be there, try to catch you in the back channels (with or without an anaesthetic).
TS are we back to the pineapple conversation there?
Sorry to hear some Holics have been hit by this storm, it just goes to show mother nature can be ruthless at times and there is no way escaping.
I truly hope you will be back to normal in no time!
As for tonight’s game it’s not essential for us to win but it would be awesome to see Moanrinho’s face afterwards!
Come on Arsenal!
zelalem?
Still not match fit as per my post yesterday from pravda.com unless Le Boss is telling us porky pies!
Heh! bath. Either that or sharpened kiwi fruit.
ATG, I think Arsene is being open in his assessment of Zelalem but it would be hilarious if he was on the pitch come 7:45 tonight. That’d give Luiz something to think about.
Have just found this. I´m sure that you´ve all seen it before. It does raise the question – which of the Arse players would you want to go to the pub?
For me; Ox and Poldi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMSHQRBMtFg
G’morn hölics and hölicës,
Sorry to hölics who’re experiencing or experienced hardship re: windstorm. May the good Godaholic, the Supreme one see you through.
Nice preview Guv’nör. I am optimistic for an outcome, whichever way. I only wished the Flam was fit. Nevertheless, I look up to an exciting encounter.
COYGs
Let us all not forget that today is the 40th birthday of a man who can make even the most heterosexual of males drool, or alternatively hate him out of jealousy because every woman – gay or straight – also drools at the mere sight of him. And he was also a bit good at football, I seem to remember.
Happy birthday, Sir Robert of Pires!
Surely tonight would be an opportunity to give a chance to that young French striker we bought in the summer – you know, that one who was injured for ages.
He’s what ? Oh …… 🙁
And Eisfeld has a back problem apparently. Was really hoping to see him play.
TS,
Poppet and I part of The Borg Collective ?
We were just bjorn to pun, mate. 😉
Heh Catalan, good to see you here a touch more often.
Thanks Trev! Just need to find a minute and make it more of a habit once more.
Me? A drinking habit?? 😉
Flamini, The Ox, Walcott, Podolski, Diaby, Zelalem, Eisfeld, Sanogo, all injured.
Frimpong unlikely to be considered if today’s papers are to be believed, but quite possibly another load of press shit stirring.
Arteta suspended.
All taken out of our midfield and attacking options. 🙁
Hello from London fellas.
Hope to see as many of you Holics as possible tonight.
UTA.
Snir, Tell ’em what you put on your landing card!! 🙂
Trev
Carry on like that re: injuries and you’ll need to prescribe yourself some HT happy pills. FYI, the CMC is always well stocked with those but I’d check the expiry date before use.
Anyway, it’s only the first FOUR(!) on your list that are likely to make any significant difference to our results this season….
Then again, think how much deeper our squad will be when those four return whilst all of their other team-mates remain fit and healthy….
*Keeps sipping the Kool-Aid*
Had a trip to Germany recently as a friend paid for me to have my first holiday in 32 years, and I got to see VFB Stuttgart play Werder Bremen, Blimey was it ever noisy, but it was very cheap and very entertaining
Sadly it did make me realise that my chances of ever getting to watch my rip roaring free scoring never boring gunners at home are ever so slightly non existent, I am unemployed and live a looooong way from them.
So every time you guys go there I love reading about it and living vicariously through you, just remember me on one of those occasions and have a quick drink on me 😉
I’m an armchair supporter through necessity but it does not make me any less of a genuine supporter, approaching my 24th year of fervent support.
This might just be the beginning of a true Arsenal resurgence and I will be quite glad to change my moniker to reflect this new era, hoping the Kool-Aid is not too damaging 🙂
Like the picture of the bus stop in the main post btw, Holic.
It’s very apt for Mourinho.
Looks a bit old and seedy, has a glass front which we can all see through, and it’s empty – noone wants to be there. It even has a yellow line to indicate that he will only be stopping for a limited period.
Funny, eh ? 😉
TS #71 and Trev #79, I am sure that we would both indeed happily put Seven or Nine past them ;-).
Off to my 1st League Cup Tie in 40 years, the last being the game against Norwich at Highbury in the 70s and I certainly don’t want to see a repeat of that evening.
Being half-term there will be plenty of noisy youngsters in the crowd.The atmosphere should be fantastic, let’s hope we and they go home happy.
Our line-up should be interesting, here’s to a rip roaring Cup Tie.
As always COYRs
Thanks for the kind ones all.
NorCal.
Nice one, two games in a week. I think one of the regs can be found in the block you will be v marseille, Delia, if I’m not mistaken.
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Enjoy, Snir.
Speak of the devil. 🙂
In the nicest of terms ofcourse.
Lars, turning 40 is child’s play! But I’ll wish him a good one anyway. We love you Bobby !!!
Snir, don’t let any holics lead you astray, at least not before the game 😉
DepressedGooner, where do you live?
Hey abb,
I live in a tiny little village on the outskirts of Newbury, where we get a bus every two hours, My journey to St Pancras took just under 4 hours.
Oops and last transport home is 17.55, meaning I would have to leave London almost as soon as I get there 😉
Hey Depressed, I’m going to google your location, now 😉 Holic, if you could give him my email, please.
Well, I looked Newbury up. Not far at all. Very doable. You would just have to stay overnite, that’s all. Would love to make it happen for you. What you think 😉
Which small village, Depressed. I call Wantage home and used to work in Newbury so know the area fairly well.
Goodluck to the guys tonite, COYG!!!!!!!!!!
And shut that pile asshole Mourinho
NEWBURY !!!
Holic often walks there from the ground to get his train back to Swindon – via Bristol !
I thought you were going to say you were in New Zealand or Oz.
Newbury sounds very doable. 😉
Oh, bounced in while I was looking the other way. 😆
Hey it does indeed, Trev. 😉 Pangloss, couldn’t find Wantage, but I’ll keep looking! 🙂
Well in Trev. Cannae whack natural talent, pal. And the tabs glory position as well! You’ll have Wolfie drooling.
Ok, found it. Charming and quaint. Right out of a fairy tale. And who doesn’t want a happy ending! 🙂
How are things, abb?
Hey guys,
Awesome offer there and very doable if you were that daft…errr I mean kind 😉
I live in Compton, a bit out of the way really, I like the place but it is a little restricting.
And NEWBURY!!!!
Yup it sounds doable.
Hi Bath, fine, and yourself? 🙂
Depressed, nothing would give me greater pleasure, then you going to the Emirates. So just sleep on it, ok 😉
Not bad thanks. Just sitting here unable to move cos I’m holding a USB lead on a dodgy connection trying to download new maps to a TomTom satnav I thought had died, listening to Mahler 7 and trying to keep the puppy amused with my other hand.
Snir @ 83, if I was going to Uni in London, we’d definitely be having a chat over a pint at the Tollie pre (and most likely post) game tonight. One day buddy 🙂
Well in Trev 😉
Oh bath, puppy will keep you amused. Gosh I miss puppy breath, nothing quite like it 😉
Only another 31.40 minutes to sit still to maintain this dodgy connection! Puppy breath is not so sweet after she has her sardine!
Ha ha, And who gave her, said sardine. Good luck with connection, btw!
Pity tonite’s game not on my plan. Must clean out my ears, for player 😉
Well in Trev.
===
Depressed.
Straight Outta Compton !?
On a gangsta tip.
87% downloaded and 19.22 to go according to the SatNav tho the laptop says “Connection Interrupted” and 0% downloaded, worryingly.
The Sardine is good for her coat apparently. Moreover she loves them and looks quite miffed when we simply offer kibble. However, on traditional Calvanist principles, as she enjoys it, it’s clearly doing her no good whatsoever. 🙂
Blatter comment about CR quite brilliant if you ask me. Or is that brilliantine?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24730976
Bath puppy seems to have the stubbornness of a cat. 🙂
who doesn’t want a happy ending!
Indeed.
and trying to keep the puppy amused with my other hand.
oo,eeer. 😉
H2H
I swear to god that this is true, my first day at HMV and the very first delivery I processed had the album by the N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton in it, I nearly giggled myself stupid, which is not a good start to a working day, course had I known that just six months later they would have closed my branch I might not have cared 😉
abb
I shall be most sleepless with the sheer giddy excitement possible in the future 🙂
Heh H2H @117 – when I typed that I did kinda suspect that there was a risk of misinterpretation.
In truth, I was trying to keep the socket connected with my left hand and throwing a toy for the puppy with my right to keep her amused and away from my left hand meanwhile trying not to joggle the connection.
Seems to have been a successful download though the dodgy connection is a pain in the butt. Careful, Wolfie (and H2H).
Depressed – If I remember correctly, a Mr T Walcott went to school in Compton. Assuming that I’m around, I could be persuaded to give a gooner a lift from Compton to or from, say Didcot, which would see you getting the journey done in considerably less than 4 hours. ‘Holic, please feel free to pass my email address to Depressed.
“Ok, here’s a low bridge with LOW BRIDGE written in big letters on it, and I am driving a lorry. Maybe I should slow down in case I don’t fit underneath it? Nah, that’s for cowards, let’s give it some wellie – I’m sure it’ll be alright!”
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/arsenal-v-chelsea-match-travel-warning-as-lorry-crashes-into-bridge-at-finsbury-park-8911258.html
Lars @122, FFS.
Mind you, you have to give the driver credit for trying to skid it through on its side…..he clearly recognised it wouldn’t get under the bridge on it’s wheels but didn’t build up enough momentum on the skid to get it right under the bridge.
That is, unless he did a 180 degree spin whilst in the skid and actually started the manouevre from the other side.
Getting back on the wheels after skidding under the bridge on his side was always going to be a problem.
Cracker
😀
Let’s hope for a great result
Hey Pangloss, nice offer bud, but its the whole trip there and back that eats up the time.
Mr Theo certainly did go to school here or so I am assured, but the bus schedule is truly appalling so I guess that’s where he learned how to run really, really fast 😉
If I actually lived in Newbury then getting to London is quite straightforward, its the on the edge of Newbury bit that is such a real pain in the bottom.
I have to go into town to sign on every fortnight 🙁 and they never schedule it to fit around the bus schedule, usually they do it so that the time I leave and get back home it has taken almost four hours, I swear they do that deliberately.
Worse, they once wanted me to go to Reading when the offices were being redecorated or some such nonsense, and the only time they were prepared to offer would see me miss the last bus home, and I have walked home before but it takes just under 3 hours and is not fun….or SAFE!!!!!
american gooners, if your cable/dish setup gets bein sport us (or beinñ deportes) the game is being shown. live at 3:30 et for bein sport us viewers, and delayed at 7 et on beinñ deportes. on comcast beinñ is on 651, here in the bay area (new digital channel).
it’s also on “advanced cable communications”, at&t u-verse, atlantic broadband, bright house, directv, dish, liberty, time warner cable, and verizon fios. apparently they have exclusive right to show the coc.
for everyone else, i think that means streams of decent quality will be available.
enjoy the game all who go, and i look forward to “watching” it with the usual suspects here at the bar. speaking of which, h2h, glad you made it through with as little damage as you shared, sad what happened in hounslow and in a lot of other places where people lost their lives. be safe, gooners!
depressedgooner, you’re in watership down country! watch out for rabbits, or cba might sic his cows on you…
We love the little rabbits, even the cows are ok, cba can do as he wishes in our little slice of heaven 🙂
Hey fellas! Depressed, cleaned out my inbox, just for you 😉
Depressed – I feel your pain.
I was signing on for a while in Didcot. I delayed registering with them for ages because I didn’t expect they’d be any help, but finally my wife persuaded me, and guess what? You’ve got it, they were no help at all.
Fortunately I was mobile, so it only took about an hour, but Lord knows how long it would have taken by public transport. I admire your willingness to allow the system to do something for you when the Newbury offices were being done up. I fear, in your place, I might have lost any chance of them being helpful by telling them exactly where they could stick their suggestion that I spend 6-odd hours travelling into the office.
Best of luck finding somthing, and do get in touch if you want a lift to the station or fancy a drink sometime.
Bath @various,
Walking away with the “Euphemistic Series of Posts 2013” award.
Puppy breath ….. Sardines ……. other hands ….
As H2H said, ooh errr. 😉
Scruz suffering from intergalactic interference @126.
If your connection is playing up, just do as Bath would do – hold your dongle in the other hand for an hour and a half and it might come through on your Tom Tom.
NURSE !!! 😉
lol, trev. you’re nuts 🙂
Heh Trev @ 131 and 132. You did make me chuckle loudly. Woke the puppy.
Cheers Pangloss, you’re on the next time you are in town 🙂
aab, how do I send you a message and clutter it up again?
Heh @ Trev
siskindtheresa2@gmail.com
That is where you’ll find me, mate 🙂
On some other blogs there’s people who are indifferent about tonight’s game. That’s just beyond me. Every game counts, every competition counts. Especially if we know that it’s Chelsea, that it’s Ashburton and that win take us into quarterfinal.
Let’s go you Metal Machine Reds!
Knowing that Snir is in London is a good sign.
I remember the last time he was attending Arsenal games we won three or four games in a row, against class opponents, can’t remember which exactly, Milan and United maybe?
Come on Snir do your magic once again.
As for the game today, I often said in this bar that I hate Chelski more than Sp’rs. With Maureen in charge this year and CunTerry as a Captain, can’t think of something more disgusting than their club in the whole Universe.
COCup or not, kill them before they lay eggs.
Our squad today.
Fabianski – Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Monreal – Ramsey, Wilshere – Rosicky, Cazorla, Miyaichi – Bendtner
Ozil and Giroud on the bench if needed.
It is a surprisingly strong team. Not sure that I wanted Ramsey to start, but what do I know.
Silly, just wot are you doing on other blogs ! We’re fired up about this one. Just read that Chelsea has played the Arsenal a total of 180 times, more than any other club. You think they would have learned by now 😉
waves to all lurkers ~~ 🙂
so i see gnabry’s knock kept him out. hopefully he’ll be available for the weekend.
and there’s a park on the bench!
*waves back at Nursie*
Snir, shame I won’t be there tonight – third game I’ve missed since the stadium opened 🙁
Hope you enjoy it.
Ryo supplying the ammo for Bendy.
Surprised to find myself looking forward to seeing what Bendy can do.
Snir was at Liverpool away, I remember that much.
from one samurai to another, trev?
Lurky, strength of side probably forced on AW by injuries, though I would have started Hayden instead of one of Ramsey and Wilshere.
And Park on the bench! Will he be the empty seat?
Stronger side than I expected. But so are the Chavs.
Not many “under 21’s” in that Chav line up.
COYG
Cheers NBN, Hayden to come in the second half to help us keep the 4-1 lead.
This is winnable.
Come on you gunners!
come on GUNNERS!
and, are we going to get the rub of the green today? i dowd it.
Chelsea have only one player on injury list! C’mon lads, we’re behind you!
well defended at the top of our box by three players. glad to see kozzer in this game, hopefully he’ll have eto’o in his pocket, if not, then will.i.an.
Come on Arsenal!
Come on you REDS!
bendtner still has the first touch of an ox at times. not THE ox, mind.
Our first corner!
freekick nick.
let’s see santi send this in for a goal.
Evenin all!
Just enjoying the delights of a packed train made worse by the half termers adding to the human traffic, as I do my marathon commute once again out to the middle of nowhere.
Heh! @ Trev for the gustatory comments, even if the condiments one was a bit spicey…
How can anyone be indifferent to this game?! It’s THEM, and HIM thrown in for good measure. They are still a hideous bunch of monstrous cunnies whose destruction makes me wet myself with glee.
Bring. Them. On.
fuck. defensive calamity. jenkinson. 🙁
Oh Jenks 🙁
Unlucky for Jenk
ohhhhhhhh Nacho, almost!
ooooh, nacho intercepts outside their box and nearly fires one in, wide right. barely.
actually touched a defender slightly, should be a corner, though nearly impossible to see the touch in real time.
Why do we have to make it easy for them so often? Come on lads.
porco, other than that we’re doing pretty well. i hate it was such a screwup.
jenks just not at the races atm. probably still feeling crap about that header.
gotta score a goal, COME ON GUNNERS!
Can’t post from home tonight Holic is my IP blocked?
We’re giving the ball away too often …
so much for this being a game to be indifferent about…my heart is pounding a mile a minute and my freaking hands are shaking. come ON.
Ryo is our weak link
i dunno, kc., jack seems to be pretty poor s well. and nearly headless nick isn’t contributing a whole lot, either.
Rosick not passing as well as he can!
Cheers for the snapshot Scruz, I’m just following by text and as such am effectively ‘watching blind’!
God, I hate that Luiz fella and his stupid hair….and Willian and his hair… and Mikel and his…Oh, God there is so much hair, everywhere. Help us, Lord.
Help me. I’m so full of hair hate. I need a hair shrink.
It’s not over till it’s over.
halftime, we should be in here level. giroud on for skeezix at the interval, please.
cheers, porco.
We can get at this team of rentboys, don’t you worry!
Come on Arsenal!
Come on Arsenal. This is a big second half and we need a response to lead us on.
Oh jack is holding his own well, good bursts forward and links well with the creative midfilders….its upfront where we have a problem. Ryo is not getting into space at all. Bendtner has been a spectator but to be fair we have been attacking from the wings
Not expecting much out of this game, but is it me or is Bendy just completely useless?
To be fair the entire team looks a bit out of it, but he really does not have an excuse for that.
I’m afraid NB is looking like the same clueless, peripheral player he usually is. Ryo’s actually made a few really intelligent runs into their box, he’s just not being picked out.
But we looked shapeless for the first 15 mins.
Can still be won though.
COYG
kg, jack didn’t seem to know where to go with the ball at times, like he’s playing his way into the game. hopefully he’ll have another scorching second half.
ryo is having to cover too much defensively for jenks, who seems out of his depth a bit. he’s also hampered by a complete lack of linkup play from the headless wonder up front.
dg, it’s not just you. if he had the industry of a giroud he’d be 100% a better player.
Ray Wilkins should become a TV pundit for a living. I mean he’s got a real gift. Really sees what nobody else can. Take for example he’s discovery that chelsea have greater strength in depth than arsenal.
The guys a genius. Uncle Fester looking muppet.
We are better than this. Come on guys don’t let us down. We can still win this one.
Only managed to catch bits and pieces, missed their goal, saw Nacho’s chance, not that impressed with the rest.
COYG’s.
Sorry Arthur, not sure what the issue is, have released your posts for now.
Apologies all, not at base. Could someone summarise whos emails I have to share with who?
Thanks,
‘holic.
I’m sorted Holic, but thanks.
Ozil hayden n giroud warming
Thanks Holic!
More like it from us! C’mon lads!
shoot the damn ball!
Where are our shooting boots?
Come on!
Why are we so scared of shooting?
kg, you might be right about ryo. he’s not taking his chances even when he gets the ball…losing it easily coming in from the side.
better, from santi. at least it’s a shot on goal…though it might have been a wayward cross.
uh oh, nick saw og warming up, is playing harder. 🙂
Ok, Bendtner curiosity is sated – same slow, casual, frustrating individual he always was.
Ping.
BMBD
Damn. TaBS’d it again…but at least I’m taking a shot. Come on you REDs!
BMBD
oooooh, aaron. almost.
Scruz @199,
Bendtner has proved often enough that he is hapoy to do the absolute minimum he can get away with and still get paid.
özil in for ryo.
Come on Ozinal
Come on Ozil!
Ooh, second one in off the backside tonight. 🙂
yeah, trev, i can’t see a way back after this kind of performance. it’s really frightful, and not just because it’s close to halloween.
a slice of pinapple, perhaps, trev?
fuck, there’s game. 2-0. mata.
Ouch.
Jesus!
bring on giroud right now, boss. oh, look.
Sick of getting beaten by them!
well, i’m not happy to be two nil down, but it’s pretty cool that we can bring on özil and giroud from the bench.
Another £52,000 trousered for a supreme effort from Bendtner.
Nice work if you can get it.
Giroud has already done more than TGSTEL managed all night.
nice play through the middle, shot blocked, out for a throw. eto’o makes a striker’s challenge and brings down santi in a good spot for a freekick, 25 m out above the corner of the box.
kozz, you bloody beauty.
Questioning the wisdom of bringing OG and MO on.
More scary moments!
Think Fabs should abandon his post and join the offensive, we should just go for it, nothing to lose at this point!
15 minutes!
jack, over by a bit. keep going, lads!
ha ha ha ha
Ramsey off for Park. Strait face.
come one, let’s get one!!
Legs are too tired now!
Don’t think we will poses any real threat now! Shame!
Unlucky Cazorla!
four minutes for two. can we? come ON.
I thought we can win the PL, I really do, but after this game there is no fuckin’ way we can do it.
We are not hungry enough, not yet anyway. We should be, but….
Over and fuckin’ out.
Moanrihno wants a red card what a tosser!
damn, damn, damn.
Meh, I hate those kuntz.
First time all season, I’ve gotten that sinking feeling. 🙁 But hey, we had TV, Jenks, Bendy, Ryo and Park out there. All with little or no game time experience, for quite some time.
bring on the scouse bastards, next.
There wasn’t enough hunger to win this game in my eyes very sloppy goal put us under pressure then we only looked like we’re going to chase shadows! Shame because I hate loosing to them!
I just hope the lads will not drop after this defeat!
Mugmushers on the weekend and let’s see the real Arsenal come Saturday!
Chelski do have a massive squad and our injury list is massive when you compare the two teams!
Well, we can’t deny the better team won.
But I’m not fussed about this competition. Good to have the free weeks for players to recover. We don’t have a big squad like Chelsea.
Need a good performance on Saturday to turn this lacklustre spell around.
I don’t think any of us are in any doubt about what we need in January.
Just got to hope this is not one of those “Arsenal collapse” situations we have sadly become accustomed to.
I hope and think it won’t be as since Ozils arrival we have had a nice confidence boost and the guys will just look at this as a missed opportunity.
Bendy should never…….EVER……EVER be allowed to play for us again, I’m 42, overweight and slow as hell but I still think I’d put in more of a shift than him 😉
We need to get rid off Bendtner!
DepressedGooner
We’d have to sub you after 30 minutes but at least you would have scored a hat trick by then 🙂
It’s fairly obvious we won’t be on top form all season so let’s say this was just a bad day in the office or the hand brake business.
I know the whole teams plays the game but Jenks mistake was vital to the game in my eyes it slowed us down and we couldn’t recover when we conceded.
Bendtner did fuck all, all evening it has to be said. Lazy and lethargic!
One last thing to add is that we need to spend again in January if we are to win the League!
A striker is a must! Please Arsene!
ArthurTheGööner
I like your confidence 😉
If not a hat trick, I would at least have taken out one of theirs 🙂
Not fussed about the competition too much but we seemed overawed and lacking in cohesion tonight. I saw quite a few goal-scoring opportunities present themselves but with the players up top being so static tonight they went unconverted. It was like the worst of 2011-2012 season when we just passed the ball around the 6 yard box until we lost it without even having a shot on goal.
I was surprised to see Ramsey and Wilshere starting tonight because I felt fresher players were definitely needed in midfield.
The most disappointing thing is not losing but the way we basically gifted goals from our own corner (wtf, again?) and from a situation that should have been dealt with much better.
Ah well, no new injuries and a chance to get at Liverpool this weekend and show them who’s boss!
Meh not fussed about going out -Squads nowhere near strong enough to fight on all fronts but losing to them Cunts always pains ! What we did learn is Billy Big Bollocks is still a lumbering tub of uselessness and Ryo is nowhere near ready, Desperatley need Walcott and Poldolski back to give us some options up top as its so easy for good teams to nullify us and just hit us on the break.
On the plus side thought both Rosicky and Ramsey played well as did Giroud when he came on plus Cazorla got some more minutes, On to the Scousers !
Up The Arse!
Ps thought Park had gone long ago had to check we hadn’t Re Signed him ! Either that or the Running Man got a Run out 🙂
Chippy knows
It could probably have been a different game if we hadn’t played with ten men until we brought Giroud on. Massively disappointed in Bendtners “effort”.
One point on the first goal: I know most people will blame Jenkinson, but while it was a poor header, Fabianski was much too slow. He was far too passive, he must be able to read that situation better. He simply has to know that Jenkinson can’t get too much power into his header on a ball like that take a step forward to be ready for a weak header. He is also much too slow to react once the header had been made, I guarantee you that Woj would have been much quicker to react and would have got the ball and floored Azpiliwhathisface in the process.
Oh well. At least this means that there will be nine days of rest between City away and Chelsea at home. But losing games still effin’ sucks 🙁
wonderful report on arseblog news.
Three quarters of the way up the M6. Away for a few days. Listened on the radio. Yet another game where we hardly troubled their keeper and again caught on the break. We sounded very poor for most of the game.
Not back drunk much but Chippy hits a big nail massively on the bonce. Squad is nowhere near strong enough. We all know it.
Onwards to Saturday.
Lars, it was Jenks fault.
The direction, the power of the header, the awareness for the opposition player run, it was all wrong and it was Jenks fault.
I only wonder, why not playing Belerin?
I’ve seen the kid couple of times and he already looks better player than Jenks.
I like Jenks, love his attitude, his love for the club, he is a fan and all that, but it is time we all admit that at the moment he is not good enough. Not saying that he will never be, but to be honest I am not so confident he will either.
We simply cannot afford to carry on passengers in the team. Arsene needs to be ruthless sometimes. If we got rid of Gervinho and Coquelin, who would have come straight into tonight’s team, then I am sorry to say this but there is no place for Jenks. If that means we give Belerin a chance then I am ok with that. If that means we should buy a new RB, then I am ok with that too.
One thing is sure, we have a problem in the RB position. We have a problem on the striker position too, because Bendtner have the guts for many things in life but simply doesn’t have the guts and quality to play for Arsenal.
And no, we aren’t striker away from being PL title contenders. We are CF, RB, DM and most importantly a good physician away from that.
Lars @ 250: Exactly! That was the first thought I had, Fabianski should have judged that situation much earlier. Too passive as you said.
I will maintain despite the result that we should have played more of the youngsters like giving Hayden a run, or Akpom and Ollson. The obnoxious one was always going to take this game very seriously and show off his ‘strength in depth’. They showed much more intensity and commitment as almost all of their first eleven is playing for a first team chance and you can’t blame a Jack or Aaron or Santi or TR7 if they had in the back of their mind the upcoming fixture. Even though they put in some effort compared to which should be the final nail in the Arsenal career coffin performance of Bendy. The lack of intensity was just awful to watch. This match was all his to make a statement, and he has been pleasantly surprising in the cameos until now, but today was just abysmal.
Ryo made a few nice runs, and positionally was very solid both in defense and attack but just isn’t ready yet especially against an opposition full back like Bertrand who has too much strength and know-how. A loan in January would do him good.
Nacho played very well, I though TV5 wasn’t too bad either, neither was Kos. Carl has dropped off a little bit recently, his crosses have been poor, cannot hold the ball well in opposition half, the defensive mistake can happen to anybody as long as it remains a rarity.
Lurky, I’m not saying Jenks is not to blame. It was a shit header. But three players could have prevented that goal independent of each other – Jenks by doing a better job of heading the ball, Fabianski by reading the situation better and Wilshere by not stopping in his tracks allowing Azpilillilculilicopueta a free run. Don’t make Jenkinson the lone scapegoat just because his mistake was the most visible one, that’s what I am saying. And I seriously can not understand why Jenkinson, poor as he was today, is all of a sudden not good enough to remain at the club. He’s shown several times that he can play a lot better than this.
And quite frankly it surprises me that people seem surprised that Chelsea have a bigger squad than we do. That’s what unlimited resources can do for you, you know.
Lurky @ 253: Jenk’s fault, surely, but a top level goalie would have been more proactive. Fabianski looked a bit tentative, lack of match practice…this is always a problem for second choice goalkeepers.
I hate losing to those loud mouthed boffins!
Lars @ 255: I think Jenk is having a performance dip, he played really well last season in Sagna’s absence. Defensively he makes a mistake or two (like most very young fullbacks tend to do) but you can see he is short of confidence by his lack of athleticism going forward and the quality of his crosses which were his strongest points. I think writing him off now would be a bad decision, he has shown to be capable of much more.
Hope the team would use this loss as an inspiration when we meet those fuckers again.
Bollox.
That is all. 🙁
What worries me though is our lack of intensity in these games, we look like we run out of gas/give up too early, and our persistent injury worries. If we had Poldi, Flamini/Arteta, Chambo on tonight maybe I would have been more disturbed by tonight’s result, still hurts me that we lost though, especially to that lot and their loud-mouthed denizens they call fans.
zico knows too.
Plenty of valid points above but the real reason for tonight’s result is not down to any individual player – although Bendtner did absolutely nothing to relieve the pressure on his own team, or threaten his opponents all night. Hopefully his last game in an Arsenal shirt.
The reason for tonight’s result lies in the erosion of proper competition caused by the amounts of money that egotistical oligarchs and ‘other’ billionaires are allowed to donate to their self publicising football projects.
Mata, the Che£ski match winner, was due to become an Arsenal player until Abramovich flashed the cash to derail the deal and take him to the bus stop.
Shaun Wright-Phillips, in the best form of his career, went exactly the same way from Man Citeh at a time when they were strapped for cash.
As Chelsea stock pile players and sprinkle loan players around the division to suit their own desired ends, teams like Arsenal have to cope with the honest limitations imposed on their own squads by having to earn their money.
Add the ever increasing and highly frustrating injury situation which has returned to the club this season, and tonight’s result becomes inevitable, as the manager is forced to try to balance out the demands of four competitions on what remains usable of his squad.
A FFP system, with teeth, is needed now if tonight is not to become the ever more predictable shape of things to come.
In the meantime, f*ck Chelsea, and especially that classless twat that calls himself their manager.
I fucking hate Jose!!
Hmmmm. The chickens are circling and the cows coming home to roost I’m afraid. For the first, second or third time this season (depending on your view) our depth has been found out. Imagine how it might have been if we’d also signed Suarez and a decent CD to go with Özilla. (not to mention a few less injuries of course)
Let’s hope our bright, shiny 2013 image hasn’t been too badly tarnished come January and the gaps can be properly plugged.
Öskar
Apologies, I am a tedious obsessed wanker who won’t go and visit my doctor.
Never a palpable result when it’s that feckin’ arrogant cunt Maureen and Cuntski but it’s only the Mickey Mouse cup and bigger and more significant matches now come thick and fast. The loss is no biggy in that respect.
What was disappointing from this particular match though was the return of our recently tepid and impotent display against Dortmund in the CL. No pressing, no rapid movement with one-touch creativity, and a feeling of fear.
The inclusion of 8 squad members in the starting eleven was certainly an excuse for the final result tonight but the ease by which Cuntski’s second-string controlled the match and passed through to the quarter finals was pretty worrying!
The lads really do have to dominate the Scousers on Saturday and tear them all new ones! No more handbrakes lads over the next 2 weeks!
Flamster’s absence becomes clearly visible in these matches were his intelligence and bite in front of the back four is sorely missed.
Jack’s no-way near fit enough to play two matches a week and Ryo was worryingly ineffective. Bendtner was Bendtner, the “greatest striker in the world”! Let’s just stay in the mix for the treble up to January then we go all out to procure the services of a “world class striker” and a solid back-up for Flamster! COYBG! Onwards to the matches that really matter!
Agree 100% Trev.
Öskar
Depressed, you’ve got mail 🙂
Not just “greatest striker in the world”, Dapper Dan, he’s the Greatest Striker That Ever Lived.
Please get the title correct. 😉
Öskar
Trev @262 knows!
Apologies, I am a tedious obsessed wanker who won’t go and visit my doctor.
Faustus, I have no intention to prove myself right, but when we started… why would Fabianski leave his goal any further to be proactive, exposing himself like Hart was the other day, when there were two Arsenal players, Jenks and Wilshere, in control of the ball.
Jenks had plenty of options what to do with the ball. He choose the only one that was wrong. The simplest rule as a defender is that if you are in panic do not pass the ball towards your own goal.
Is that to much to remember, because this is not the first time he did exactly the opposite.
Anyway, it is not Jenks mistake that frightened me the most this evening. It was Chelski dealing with our attacks with ease and getting us on the counter after our corner. I have a feeling that the Maureen always knows what to expect from us and how to react. In other words I feel that he is not even scared of us and our style of play, like he knows he can win 10 out of 10 against this naive Arsenal.
Tightening the middle, leaving us the flanks and getting us on a counter, the formula that I thought Arsene was fully aware of, seems to had worked once again for Maureen. Shame.
AKB?
Heh @ Oskar 😎
@Lurky, let’s wait and see what happens in our Cuntski matches that matter! Our first eleven +5 can challenge any side in Europe! That I’m 100% sure of! COYBG! Bon nuit!
abb, so do you 😉
Nighty night folks, another lovely day in town tomorrow 🙂
DanC, that is exactly my point. I think that we are better then them, at least we have a better manager. The painful and frustrating thing is that they always find some way to beat us. Can’t stand them.
Trev @262, spot on. And that is why — this may though sound disrespectful to the history of English game, which is not my intention — we should really not at all focus on League Cup and to a certain extent even FA Cup. We cannot compete in four fronts and taking the League Cup lightly I believe has more benefits. I know that Arsene has had to change his position about League Cup in recent years because of all that pressure to win ‘something’, but this should remain a nurturing ground for our junior and fringe players, and those who need match practice.
Also everyone slating the lack of depth I would request we keep in mind the key injuries and also the fact that we cannot really compete with the likes of ‘vulgarly amassing footballing wealth’ clubs like Chelsea in building ‘squad depth’. We invest in our players, do not treat them as disposable resources come the next season, and a team spirit and morale are key ingredients. Arsene has never worked with a large team, and if winning competition now simply means groping around in the world’s talent pool like a greedy mother-fucker then I abhor that obscene success.
And despite all that, we are still top of the league and since the start of 2013 the most consistent team in PL.
Lurky @ 272 — I don’t think it is about right or wrong, just like you I also have no pretensions of being infallible, but I see the role of a GK in a quality team like ours to be able to sometimes save us from ourselves, stepping in for defenders’ mistakes. Just a different point of view.
Cheers then Faustus, appreciate your opinion.
Night all, I need a sleep, it is going to be a long day tomorrow at work, considering my closest colleague is a Chelski fan.
Good luck Depressed, fingers crossed. xx
Dr Faustus @ 278. Makes perfectly good sense to me. Our under 21’s get regular game time, such a precious commodity. They could have been match sharp and raring to go.
Loaning out Jenks and Ryo would probably benefit them..Nothing can replace playing on a regular basis.
Nite Lurky and anyone else headed to Bedforshire 🙂
I’ve just returned from the game. The match was bad enough but worse was waiting in an interminable queue for the Tube and being harangued by 9,000 morons from the Bus Stop. If there is an IQ test for fans they must have a great chance of finishing bottom.
Onto a very forgettable match in which neither goalkeeper was really tested in ninety minutes. Sadly I always feel when Mourinho faces Wenger he eats him for breakfast tactically. What decided this game was the first goal. Once we conceded we played straight into their hands.they defended deep and with Bendtner as the fulcrum of our attack they weren’t hugely pressurised. Ryo hasn’t got it at this level and Jack was very wasteful in possession. TR7 was excellent and Giroud showed more in twenty minutes than TGSTEL who I hope I never see in the first team again did in the previous chunk of the game that he played. Otherwise I thought Koscielny and Monreal were decent but I concur with Faustus and Trev . Faustus is right about the Capital One Cup . It is important to place it in context. Frankly when Giroud was substituted I would have switched the move and brought Park on. The chance of him and Ozil getting injured was just not worth the tiny chance of us getting back in the game.
Very depressing night. Huge game on Saturday. We need to lift the mood.If only our talisman Flamini was fit.He is such an influence in this team
Just in but too tired to post other than agree with ttg-283. Perhaps I expected too much but on the night we were beaten by a better side. All our old frailties were there for all to see. Let’s hope for better things on Saturday.
Night all.
NB , I prefer not to have him at all . Everything is wrong with him .
Thinking of you all >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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