Gunners Back On Target With Three Points In The Bag
Nov 29th, 2014 by 'holic
A good week for Arsenal got better at the Hawthorns at lunchtime. Whilst we may have lost Mikel Arteta from Wednesday we welcomed Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud back to the starting line-up.
Much of the match turned into a catalogue of opportunities for a clearly dominant, but far from ruthless Arsenal. From the off we took control.
Santi Cazorla, set up by Danny Welbeck, fired straight at Foster on just two minutes. That would prove to be a recurring feature of the half. Next came a solo effort by Alexis Sanchez that also found Foster’s gloves on six minutes. Cazorla was again teed up by Welbeck on eleven minutes but his effort was blocked.
Welbeck was held off in the nineteenth minute, but almost immediately we were forced into a change as Nacho Monreal hobbled off to be replaced by Kieran Gibbs, the latter not getting much of a rest. Alexis fired a free-kick into the wall and as the pressure mounted Aaron Ramsey put Welbeck through for a one on one with Foster, but the ‘keeper again stood firm.
In the 28th minute Giroud dispossessed Foster near the goal-line but curled his effort across the face of the unguarded net. A couple of minutes later Welbeck again set up Cazorla but again the influential Spaniard fired straight at the Baggies ‘keeper. Soon after Martinez was called upon to comfortably deal with Brunt’s cross, his first involvement in the match.
The one-way traffic resumed with Aaron Ramsey hustling through but sliding his effort wide, then Cazorla chipped just beyond Rambo as he burst into the box again. Either side of the half-time break we were given a reminder that not converting dominance into goals could be dangerous.
Brunt was rightly flagged offside in a move which ended with the ball in the back of the net. Just after the break an erroneous flag halted Berahino in his tracks after he got in behind Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.
Five minutes into the half Calum Chambers flighted a deft chip to Rambo who miscued a difficult volley in the inside-right channel. Arsenal were back in the ascendency. A couple of minutes later Dorrans was booked for pulling back Gibbs and Foster spilled the resulting free-kick only for Per Mertesacker to pull his effort wide.
In the 55th Minute Gibbs crossed just a fraction to high for the energetic Cazorla, surely producing his most influential performance of the season. Lescott headed wide from a Dorrans cross just before the hour was up but Arsenal finally broke the deadlock a minute later when Cazorla danced to the by-line and crossed perfectly for Welbeck to power in a header that Foster could only help on it’s way into the back of the net.
Cue West Brom substituting midfielder Mulumbu with striker Anichebe. That didn’t change things immediately. Rambo missed the target when through once more. Surely a second goal was coming? On 68 minutes Welbeck was brought down, the meat in a sandwich around the edge of the box, but Chris Foy, otherwise excellent, denied him even a free-kick.
The Baggies made their final throw of the dice, sending on forwards Gamboa and Samaras for Pocognoli and Sessegnon. The latter drew huge jeers from the West Brom support and manager Alan Irvine was serenaded with “You don’t know what you’re doing”. As if to prove, not for the last time on the day, that supporters can get their timing so wrong on occasion the tide turned for the final ten minutes. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for the tiring Giroud who had put in a full shift up front.
Margins can be fine in football, as in life, and ten minutes from time West Brom came closest to stealing a point when Berahino headed against the crossbar, but the Gunners cleared the danger and re-organised for a disciplined final phase.
With six minutes remaining Gamboa was booked for hauling back Welbeck as Arsenal threatened to break out. Gardner’s deflected shot provided a rare bit of work for Martinez who showed good concentration and saved comfortably. Minutes later he was even more impressive, clinging on to a Samaras cross over Koscielny’s not inconsiderable frame. In the last of the 90 minutes Rambo deflected Gardner’s effort wide.
In four added minutes the Ox was the third name in Mr Foy’s notebook for a blatant trip, but the Gunners saw out the match with a welcome show of disciplined defending. Santi Cazorla rightly earned the man of the match plaudits, but as I tweeted earlier a word too for Mathieu Flamini, not at his best this season, who typified that discipline and who looked more like the Flamini of old. With Mikel Arteta out for an Arsenal three weeks the Flamster will be needed.
Afterwards the boss reflected on the performance and acknowledged that final phase.
“In the end our solidarity got us through when the legs went in the last 10 minutes. Maybe we were a fraction lucky on the crossbar, but overall it’s a well-deserved win.”
Very understated. Indeed that was a very well deserved win.
140 Responses to “Gunners Back On Target With Three Points In The Bag”
Cheers H!
Hi, nice report there gov’n
1-nil to The Arsenal! and how about sunderland holding chelsea to that 0-0 tie!! Blueprint on how to play them 🙂
Cheers J. 🙂
Cheers Holic.
Esso, from the last round – Barcodes, no. Hopefully Stoke for the Guvnor’s birthday. 😎
Have a good one then Doctor Z. Thought you meant Stoke away just for a New York second!
For once I was happy to accidentally hear the result before watching the game, that last 30 must have been torture with the last ten akin to being hung, drawn and eighthed.
Excellent goal from Danny, lots of nice build-up from Santi and Emily very solid between the sticks, but my motm was Per who looked a completely different CD with Kos back. And only one new injury, that’s progress I guess.
Time to dent Soton’s bubble on Wednesday. Should tomorrow’s meeting with $iteh go wrong for them, and with one day less than us between games, we could be within 3 points of them with a win.
Öskar
A mention too for the Flamster who I never really noticed in the game, which has to be a good thing. He must have been doing his job without the usual histrionics or giving away unnecessary frees.
Öskar
Like Martinez he showed concentration and composure when called on Oskar. Broke up attacks and gave the ball to people who can play. 🙂
BtM, when you drop in, I owe you a reply and huge thanks. You know why 😉
I have been insanely busy for a couple of days and tomorrow I’m preparing a St Andrew’s Day treat for the neighbours, Burns supper style.
Have a good one, sir. 🙂
Nice report H. A well deserved victory for the good guys and hopefully no additional serious injuries.
A very well deserved win indeed.
Games are coming thick and fast at the moment and with the grim reaper having cut the squad in half, it’s obvious that quite a few are nudging into the red zone. None more so I think than Alexis. His commitment is fantastic, he’s a superb example to the rest of the team, but he wasn’t at his sharpest today – not in the least surprising, but I would have rested him today, either in favour of Rosicky or instead of the irrepressible Ox. Alex has come into a rich vein of form and an extended run would do him good before Walcott returns to the fold.
I thought the pairing of Giroud and Wellbeck showed some real promise and it was a delight to see Kos back in the heart of the defence.
“Very understated”. It’s a pleasure to listen to Arsene in his post-match interviews. I sense things are on the up and I look forward to many more understated appraisals of 3-pointers for these fine young men in red 🙂
Make sure your haggis is nice and moist, Holic. Bath tells me that the Glenfiiddich does a marvellous job of ensuring just the right level of ‘hydration’ – and I don’t think he just Pict that out of the air 🙂
Thanks for a very fair and detailed report Holic. You never enjoy games like this until they are over but the last three games have suggested a much better rhythm to our play and if we only had a full squad we might get some consistency.
Dear old Arsene keeps citing return dates for players only to see others fall by he wayside. Three more knocks today. I wonder who will shake theirs off before Wednesday? Certainly not Nacho who looked in the wars.
I notice you didn’t give the banner makers any publicity. Possibly the best thing. I spouted off just after the game because it upset me because it was so ungrateful.
The fact that a few agenda driven supporters took the time money and planning to make a nice shiny banner telling Wenger to leave was totally embarrassing. What kind of fan does that shit? The kind that tweets bile 24/7 is my guess. The type of modern fan who wants to make a name for themselves regardless of the negative effect on the club they purport to support.
Fuck it! I’m tired of being delicate and cryptic. Twats like Tim Payton is where I’m going here.
Totally wrong and bang out of order.
Uta
BTM @ 13: Alexis definitely can do with some break, I thought today would have been a good day. TR7 is an able presser and passer, and even though he doesn’t have the directness, scoring abilities or any more the legs of Alexis he would have been a good choice today with Giroud and Welbeck already pressing and imposing on the defense.
He is probably not going to get a rest against high-flying Southampton or always difficult Stoke. Probably Gala game would be the first break.
Hopefully he will be used a bit sparingly over the mad holiday schedule and his fitness managed well over the Winter. If he stays fit towards the last few months of the season, given how then the games open up with most teams desperate for points and defenders tend to lose discipline due to fatigue etc. he can very well become the kind of unstoppable match-winner that propels a team through all competitions.
BTW, Afobe scored a hat trick today. I think that takes his overall tally this season across all competitions to 19 already, which is rather extraordinary. League One etc. but in this form he would definitely join in the pre-season next year and would probably look for a loan in another PL club.
You’ll recall that Afobe was in the first team squad three years ago. He played really well in the Emirates Cup games and then knackered his cruciate a week later (a la Frimpong who the disappeared out of sight). IF he returns it will have been a long way back, I’d be delighted for him if he does.
Ironically we’d be overflowing with strikers! Giroud, Wellbeck, Walcott, Afobe, Akpom, Sanogo, Podolski.
I totally agree with Dexter’s viewpoint above. I can see the moronic banners now:
“Well, if you must stay, Wenger, at least SELL some f*cking strikers!”
Glad the outrage in here about a little banner has died down. Well done Holic for not getting het up. MoTD didn’t even mention it ! We live in a democracy with free expression last time I checked. If the paying customer wants to give an opinion on the worst start for 32 years and a completely unstable, imbalanced squad situation, that’s probably quite a healthy wake-up call, especially with the window re-opening soon. The message is “Sort it out or stand aside and let somebody else try”. Sounds reasonable to me. Don’t know what to make of yesterday, great 3 points but it looks like we’re still going to employ attack as best form of defence and hope for the best at the back. Ramsey was again looking utterly confused about his role on the pitch. Fingers crossed on Gibbs and that Kos comes through a second test so quickly after his first. COYG.
Its an old banner, being held up by the same muppets who first held it up about 2 years ago.
As its a democracy with free speech, I say they are utter clueless cowardly knobheads and I’m fucking glad I never had to rely on them back in the day. Shoulder-to-shoulder? I don’t think so.
I agrée with Dr F that Alexis probably needs a break but imagine that hé is in the Thierry Henry mould of incredibly committed players who find it very difficult to sit on the bench while their teammates are giving their all on the pitch.
The objective choice of à match to leave him out of the squad would logically be Istanbul .view the travel and the relative importance but on a personal level I would really appreciate seeing him live for my first match this season .
Always impressive the difference in quantity and quality of posts after a hard worked victory than agenda ridden posts after a hard worked loss.
Scgooner,
Unfortunately MoTD did mention the banner but in the context of what was making the back pages of the Sunday papers. There it was – don’t ask me which one, I don’t care – but the whole of the back page taken up with the headline “Arsenal fans call time on Wenger”.
I’m not going to waste time thinking what to say about it when BtM and Esso have already done a fine job.
Great write up ‘Holic.
Holic,
Thanks for the usually fine match report.
I refuse to pay for BT sport and so had to watch it in a bar where there were subtitles but no audible commentary.
The initial irritation turned to joy as the subtitles betrayed the usual and wholly expected biased bollocks of the BT commentators.
Try it – I quite enjoyed it and spent the match commenting with another watching Gooner instead, 😉
Trev @ 22
More and more these days I watch with the commentary turned down to the point where I can just hear the slightest drone to avoid complete silence.
Very Simon & Garfunkel. To be recommended.
UTA.
Well scribed as per normal Holic. The win was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested with the only real pressure on us in the last 10 mins when our legs had gone – the effects of playing on Wednesday taking hold. The whole team put in a disciplined shift, in fact Flimflam was barely seen over the halfway line and quietly and effectively did a fine job – maybe he had less space / gaps to cover.
Personally I would have given MOM to Danny, who put in a terrific shift and created space and danger, interlinking / interchanging with Ollie & Alexis to good effect. His goal was top class.
Important as getting the 3 pts were, equally of importance was that the team played with shape and discipline for the whole 90 mins. This along with the Dortmund match performance gives hope that lessons have finally been learnt. If they can keep this up and it becomes the norm, along with some excellent players returning from injury in the next few weeks, the season is looking a lot brighter.
Let’s hope the crocks from yesterday are not serious and we can put a strong team out on Wednesday – a little bit of devil against the Saints won’t go amiss. This is a good test to see if we have finally turned the corner.
Free speech is important, particularly for unpopular views.
Equally important is freedom of response.
Even more so, proper attribution: the national press reporting the views of two publicity hungry bellends as representing the away support as a whole is more a victory for witless propaganda than free speech. They’ve made the entire support look like twats, but I guess that’s the price of free expression.
Victoria Concordia Crescit.
COYG
Trev @ 22. Appreciate you took one for the team and watched the game down the pub 😉
It was a massive bonus that you couldn’t hear Micky Owen, to be such a tosser with such a whiny voice is the most unfortunate of double whammys. Noosa has the right idea – just turn the volume down.
Esso knows @18.
Well that was a most enjoyable away trip, and a pleasure to see a) Kosser back and b) the Arsenal Gent baiting Mankers about Danny boy on Twitter for a good portion of the afternoon.
As for the banner, pfft. I think it was Napoleon who advised that you should never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake. A childish attention-seeking stunt that’s handily revealed that rich vein of semi-literate bedwetters, when they don’t actually have a loss to moan about. Thanks for marshalling them all in one place you risible muppets, makes it all very much easier for us to see who we should be pointing and laughing at.
N7 and Snowy, excellent commentary on the ‘bellends’
Noosa, I think the optimum is match on TV with ArsenalPlayer live commentary. Watching in the company of ‘friends’.
I did have David Pleat on the first stream I used yesterday. That failed and I found Michael Owen. One minute later, ArsenalPlayer.
Please give Alexis a break.. at least for a half anyway! He is due one, was on his last legs in the last 10-15mins.(Yet still effective enough!)
Play Rosicky, Campbell and Poldi! What’s the use of a large squad if we’re not going to use these players.. And it’s not like they’re bad players at all..!
Bring on the saints!
😀
We’re back in our rightful position – top of the league!! (sadly, it’s the injury league I’m talking about)
http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
PS – In light of this, you really have to give us some credit at battling through to the end of November, where we’re once again in the last 16 of the Champions Lge, and in my opinion, well placed to finish in the top 4 again (I’m still expecting ‘progress’ this season by finishing 3rd this season, behind the Oligarch clubs)…
I noticed Chelsea were able to pick literally their best XI yesterday, and their only official injury is Ake (the equivalent of Isaac Hayden to us!) Can you imagine if they’d had the following injuries this season: Debuchy (Ivanovic) 3 months, Koscielny (Terry) 2 months, Arteta (Matic) perpetual 2-3 week lay-offs, Walcott (Willian) 10 months, Ozil (Oscar) 3 months, Wilshere (Fabregas) 3 months, Giroud (Costa) 3 months, plus all the minor niggles we get….Puts the clubs’ respective seasons into some kind of context, and if the injury gods decide to swap clubs at any point this season, their big leads can still be eaten into with 2/3rds of the season to go!
Well put Snowy and N7, the banner boys have had their moment in “The
Sun”, damp squid comes to mind.
BtM…David Pleat…aagh!! I do have BTSport, so vision on / sound off and your heads up re Arsenal Player on is the way to go. By the way, have you given up on the chippy in Holloway Rd – Bath & I visited there a few weeks ago and agreed with your recommendation?
Gregoire, re the Physio Room list. If we replaced David Ospina with Isaac Hayden ( who actually is injured), the 11 players on the injury list would give most other teams a good and winning game. Shows how well the squad is holding up.
Southampton are giving city a game.. they keep their shape very well.
It’s going to be a really tough match for us, glad Kos is back, our defence needs to be up to speed on this one.
May need someone to help flamini with the mopping up. They have pretty fast wingers too, so hope gibbs is back.
Come to think of it.. Alexis better start.. rest him for the next match!
Hmmm.. so the saints will be coming to us wounded. Hope Schneiderlin is still out!
If our defence can hold we’ll get them on the break! Welbeck and Alexis on the wings again with Giroud in the middle should do the trick!
😀
Martinez have two clean sheets in two start!
Another match so soon? If we win we can sneak up the table unobserved kind of like a naughty kid just after the food is served.
Fine write up, ‘Holic and particularly appreciated as I was on a flight so missed seeing the match. Highlights suggest a comfortable win as a 1-0 can be. On that basis agree with those who say Sanchez could use a rest. Given the Soton-City result, three points on Wednesday puts us right back into the mix.
Noosa@23, Uply @26: find a stream in a language you don’t know. That way you get the atmospherics without the commentary idiocy.
Uply, Bath has been filling me up with king-sized pizza’s in recent times and so Toni and the guys at the Chip Inn have had to forego my income stream. I’m hoping that competition will bring rewards in terms of even better service and haddock ‘to die for’ 🙂
In other news, future Arsenal manager (according to various banner wavers) Jürgen Klopp is continuing to show how he can carry not just his own team but also seventeen other teams by making sure Dortmund are still propping up the entire table. They are 2-0 down at Frankfurt with less than six minutes to play so will remain rock bottom.
God help the people choosing Wenger’s replacement.
Cheers for the report ‘holic.
Personally I thought we looked very disjointed at times, plus we surrendered possession way too cheaply, especially in the first half. Flamini was too far up te field too often for my liking, but to his credit was better in the second half.
Ramsey, bless him, is trying hard, maybe a little too hard. I really wish he’d cut out all the silly flicks and hollywood nonsense. Get back to basics and just stick to the simple stuff, that to be fair, when he does he does well. He made some good runs and decent passes, but also needs to be more positionally aware.
It was good to see Kos back, just him being present makes Per better, although Kos himself was still a little rusty. Again, we were guilty of defending too high and was almost punished, only a wrong offside call saved us from what could of been a very good chance for WBA’s top scorer. But that’s enough negativity from me, because……….
Taking into consideration this was an away game early kick off after a tough Wednesday night CL fixture, (the eagle eyed amongst you would have noticed that the Chavs had a later kick after a Tuesday game) then this was a vey good result. You also have to factor in that this was a team still missing key players and intergrating two returnees for their first start since returning from the treatment table.
We also had a new player, playing in a position he had never played since joining us, take a bow, Danny boy, plus our third, yes third choice keeper between the sticks. Both equiped themselves really well, the former grabbing our all important goal, the latter making sure the opposition didn’t. The second clean sheet of the week will surely bring a much needed confidence boost as we go into a tough looking fixture against the high flying Saints.
Due to this afternoon’s results a win against them would cut our deficit to only three points off the current 3rd place team, so plenty to play for.
Onwards and upwards.
Agree with N7, Snowy and Esso over the banner bozos.
Just to be clear, I’m not at all saying Klopp can’t succeed Arsene one day. But I’ll tell you this, if he resigns from Dortmund now he is not what we need. Anyone can manage when things are going well, but standing tall when things are going to shit is another thing altogether and if Klopp resigns because things have been going bad for two or three months then I don’t think he has what it takes to manage Arsenal. Also, for all the talk about “everyone” knowing how to play Arsenal and Arsene’s tactics, it certainly seems that Dortmund have been well and truly found out and have none of this fabled “plan B” bollocks.
I’m a bit surprised by reports suggesting that Dennis Bergkamp might succeed Liam Brady as Head of Youth Development. The surprise relates to the face that Brady was replaced by Andries Jonker who the article suggests is a temporary replacement . Now I wouldn’t normally occupy myself with this other than there are strong rumours that Jonker is laying down a different style of play for the youth teams. This is not only a bad idea but it beggars belief it could be allowed unless the people who appointed him wanted to effect a schism.
The thought of DB10 back at the club especially as a mentor is highly agreeable. He was not only a genius but a great club man and would be so wonderful role model. But it sounds like it comes from the ridiculous rumour pool which also is spouting rubbish about Hummels/ Casillas/ Dybala and Cavani, among others. And Petr Cech too. The standard of much of Brutish sports journalism is very poor indeed
The story that caused most amusement this morning was that we’re lining up a swoop for Tyrone Mings, if the Hummels deal fails. My sides.
Trev@22, that is my standard watching mode. Sound off and commentating with others in the room. Except usually it’s with only the cat, I am muttering the commentary so as not to wake the household early on a weekend, and I have had ample opportunity to perfect the silent scream, for good or ill 🙂
I am dealing with commentery by watching Russian streams.
They do seem to be pretty unmoved by whats going on until there is a chance or some cock-up made by someone (usually accompanied by Russian version of “what are you doing?” directed to the player in question which is very very amusing).
I also do it bit out of superstition, as funny as it might seem, last time I watched Arsenal game with English commentary were: that game at Old Trafford..and City with Liverpool away last season.
Dortmund are bottom of the league. I like Klopp, he’s a mad bastard with a sense of humour.
That club has been ripped to bits by Bayern.
Not entirely sure what to make of the Klopp situation, Lars, but he doea have some mitigating circumstances in Dortmund’s rapid fall from grace.
While our early season, very patchy form is undoubtedly aggravated by the loss of so many of our first choice players, so Klopp has lost Goetze and Lewandowski to Bayern, and his arguably two best remaining players, Reus and Hummels, to injury from his side of the season before last.
Come to think of it, it would be a fairly seamless transition for him to come to Arsenal, even if it were not for us. 😉
Bugga free speech, N7, I really don’t want my football experience spoiled by sad wankers displaying graffiti. And like Noosa and Trev I’d rather watch TV sport with NO commentary. Turning down the sound leaves the experience a bit flat, but surely it couldn’t be hard to have a red button which gives me just an atmos track of crowd noise.
Öskar
Klopp has taken Dortmund to the bottom after only losing four players, Trev? Where would he take Arsenal, League 2?
Öskar
Modest suggestion for a song for our new keeper.
T(o the tune of We Love You Arsenal.)
Emiliano
That’s You
Emiliano
That’s You
Emiliano
That’s You
Emiliano
That is You.
@50 I dislike the way people say we dismantled Dortmund when we did not. We gave them Hummels and they sold us Goetze and Lewandowski left for free. It is their fault that they couldn’t cope without them (25 points off us even when they had Goetze and Lewandowski), They could have done what Bayer Leverkusen did after selling us Ballack which was refuse to sell us anyone. Klop has just been Tactically found out that is why they are last.
you are on point Oskar, Klopp still has a strong team even after losing those four players! Our Physio room has atleast 7-10 players season long and we still manage to compete. Now i like Klopp but am tired of this “wenger out” nonsense. This guy has given has nothing but good memories and whatever everyone else says about him, i still believe that by the turn of the year, we will be right in the mix of things.
Happy times ahead guys!!
Roll on Wednesday!! Bring them saints!!
Top comment on the banner wielders from Frugal Bugle on the arses yesterday at 10.40:
“I think it’s very sad that someone is so desperate to have their opinion heard that they resort to printing messages on their arsenal duvet covers that their mum bought them when Arsenal were last winning stuff and their little darling was happy. Now the spoilt bastard is so upset with not getting what he wants NOW MUMMY NOW that he resorts to utterly disgraceful banners after a hard fought win that announce to the entire footballing community what a princess he is. I don’t wish to be associated with any stroppy fuckers tantrum but because they insist on letting everyone know about it, I am. Have a chat about it in the pub, have your hissy fit on twitter if you must but not in the away end in front of the players who have just put in a good shift and have come over to thank you for your excellent support.”
*Applauds Frugal Bugle comment above*
Get over it lads. Move on. Interesting how it didn’t trigger any problems or scuffles with any other away supporters despite it being apparently only two “bellends, bastards, muppets, knobends”. Personally, I’ve always thought our away fans were absolutely fantastic. Also, Klopp gets chastised and berated by most here, not all, for a few crap months but our man should be immune. The banner made a point after, not before or during the game. It thanked Arsene for previous efforts. Ah here, I’ve had enough. “The Lady doth protest too much”.
An extract from the West Brom match day programme:
“And yet Wenger seems to be perennially under pressure, even in the wake of last seasons FA Cup win over Hull City. The bare statistics show that Arsenal have made their worst start to a campaign in 32 years, and yet they still sit just two points off the top four, a place where they would have been comfortably esconced had they beaten Manchester United as they should have done last weekend.
Wenger has seen it all before in his years at the helm and there is not a chance that his philosophy or approach to the game will change in the wake of current criticism. Why should it? It’s served him pretty well thus far and will likely do so again, so much so that, should you be of the betting persuasion, taking advantage of the current wave of hysteria and the accompanying longer odds and lumping on Arsenal for another top four finish might just be a sensible investment.”
Cooey, top 4. Maybe…. Sorry Joeos, but what a silly piece. Wenger is never under any pressure whatsoever, zero, zilch. He does as he pleases and probably will continue to do so for the next 2 1/2 years. But hang on, the Baggies had a point ; “there is not a chance that his philosophy or approach to the game will change in the wake of current criticism”.
Well my wish did come through, 1-0 to the Arsenal. All we needed was injury less game but then i am asking for too much on that. Monreal which was a injury waiting to happen, did happen. Gibbs wincing towards the end made me wonder is there any voodoo or with craft against our team.
Positives of the game- Santi Cazorla out running a defender and crossing, when was the last time he did that?, Welbeck scoring, Per and Kos combo working like a charm.
Saints mid week and most likely without Schneiderlin, well he lost his chance to audit himself in front of the prospective clients but then i aint complaining. He can come in jan here and do so as an Arsenal player.
With no LB, i expect Flamini to play lb and have Chambers as DM or will we take the gamble and play Bellerin as LB? time shall tell.
My take on the banner- Unnecessary distraction and classless. If you need to make your point do it anywhere else but not during a game. Even the ones who want Wenger out need to realize it should not be at the cost of a game ever. We do not need such things to influence or distract the players or even the manager though i doubt anyone truly cares.
A 1-0 again at the Emirates will sink in nicely with the dimunitive genius Sanchez to score, wait he needs rest doesnt he!!!!!!
Scg, it was an extract from an objective dispassionate article. Just because it doesn’t accord with your view of the world does not make it silly. It didn’t say fourth place it said top four finish. You appear not to have read from”Why should it”.
scgooner: Interesting how it didn’t trigger any problems or scuffles with any other away supporters
Sorry mate, but that is exactly what that banner has done on several occasions. When it was first seen at Brighton almost two years ago it erupted into full-on fist fights, for example, and the same thing has happened other times as well. And you don’t have to look very far online to see people who were there on Saturday be very pissed off.
Re: Said banner wielders.
Tossers.
I’m amazed there was no melee with countless injuries.
They ought to devote themselves to a productive activity in their line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7FP0fjty8U
Thiery is a free agent……
Sign him up. 😉
Henry back at the grove to his beloved Arsenal, as what? well who cares as long as he is here. Seriously, think he will be back as a brand ambassador and thats the best at the moment.
Heh @ bt8b’s link @ 65.
Joeos@ 63. With respect, I didnt say 4th I said top 4 also…?
How many sc. scgooners or SC gooners are here lately?
Are you the new Andy Goram?
That was scgooner at 69 on the wife’s iPad, must have a different setup, maybe from 6-9 myths ago when I still believed as much as I supported.
Haha, nice one H2H, This sc gooner chap is an imposter. He’s far too pleasant and agreeable to be me. But perhaps he thinks I’m an imposter, or one of those lads with the cabers at the very least.
Mnths/myths….the Freudian typo
Well I spent at least half an hour, around two-thirty writing a reply to one of the scgooners about that stupid banner, only to find the site wouldn’t load and the comment box was deleted and lost !
Maybe it was just as well.
I’m reading the Jon Spurling book previewed on here a few weeks ago. A panorama of Arsenal history, the new Forward Arsenal which was the book I was brought up on. If you’re short of a suggestion for Santa to bring you , you could do a lot worse
haha guys am not an imposter, scgooner i’ll change mine! I live here in south carolina so i thought it was fit to use that id! but am not sorry to say i love arsene to bits, and we’ve got him for the next 2yrs or so, so lets get behind him and the team coz all we all want is 3pts evevry matchday for the good guys!
That explains something. I thought the original sc on here was the one from South Carolina. Didn’t remember anything so hard line either. 🙂
Blast from the past… : http://imgur.com/gallery/oYqsmEn
😀
South Carolina ; You keep your name bud. I’m bowing out here. That “Hardliner” label is a bit odd, as a hardliner would generally be a conservative who won’t accept change or new ideas. It’s Stan, it’s Arsene and, alas, it is many in here, not I. I read almost everybody in here complaining about no accountability and no checks and balances yet along comes a tiny banner….. People here don’t want change or evolution, they want to blindly follow. it’s not a healthy way for people to socially organise themselves, in my humble opinion. Societies and peoples flourish when leaderships are pushed, challenged and asked to examine themselves. That’s why we have elections too. Without these controls, you inevitably end up with dictators, greed, lust for profit, exploitation and corruption. All a bit dramatic perhaps, when you’re talking football, but our’s is the people’s game. Signing off. Regards to all and thanks for the engagement for my brief spell on a bar-stool. The real SCgooner. COYG. Always.
Did someone call?
Henry will be back eventually : http://www.espnfcasia.com/arsenal/story/2176079/arsene-wenger-wants-thierry-henry-return-at-arsenal-but-unsure-on-role
😀
No good news on a left back yet? Guess they are going to give them every chance of improving to be ‘fit enough’ up to one hour before ko. Doesn’t bode well. A breakdown in the first half hour would be extremely disruptive. Hope the Plan B option of Chambers being introduced to the left back position is being explored.
Bloody phone on the blink… so thought I´d pop in for a spot of traditional entertainment on my retro PC!
Sorry to be a stranger in the bar, but typing on a phone annoys me! You are, as ever, well read H! 😉
*waves at Baff*
Goram´s alive?????
As Brian Blessed almost once said…
I’m a bit mystified – and a bit misty-eyed.
Bring back nutty Nigel, I say. Don’t remember him being injured every other game !
What was the point of retaining Coquelin this season ?
Presumably to cover for injuries as he wasn’t realistically going to be first choice. So with our hoped for prodigy, Chambers, being unavoidably detained at right back, Arteta in and out with various kinds of knack, our reserve left back having to cover at centre back and now injured, why the Donald Duck have we left Coquelin on loan for a further month ?
Flamini could then have reverted to his Champions League record breaking position at left back and Coquelin could have played centrally. Or even vice versa !
If you’re going to send your reserve out on loan when you already have 187 injured players in the squad, what was the point in keeping him at all ?
I’m expecting Arsene to produce a world class 17 year old surprise from the youth team tomorrow night. No less !
He was supposed to be back this week, Trev, but o no, that would make life a little easier, so we won’t let that happen. Let him stay at Charlton for the busiest period of the year, while one of our only two options in his position is injured (again). Yes, that’s more like it. Flamini playing there 3 times a week……. What could possibly go wrong?
It’s baffling, almost up there with allowing Jenks to go to the Spammers while keeping Belerin on the bench and not giving him a chance in his natural position when other RB’s fell foul of the injury curse.
I do love Arsene, but by gawd, he must be one of the largest “Rods for one’s back” manufacturers in the world. They should sell them in The Amoury, together with a big stick exclusivly signed and fashioned by the great man.
I suspect that Arsene is one of those people who, after lighting a firework, stays near it until the absolute last second.
Except, that Roman Candle looks awfully a stick of dynamite.
*awfully like
Our squad policy is starting to resemble something that would not look out of place in The Producers.
I have made the prodigious leap of faith here that there is a plan. Stunningly concealed.
There’s a policy? I know that there cannot possibly be a plan. 🙁
Indeed, H2H,
and heaven forbid we ever let Tomas Rosicky on the pitch. He’s played so little football he will undoubtedly lack rather a lot the consistency.
And, of course, he is an actual midfielder and we wouldn’t want a fit one of those coming into the team and playing in the position he is used to, would we?
It’s all a game of high risk chess with Arsene.
And Tomas, at the moment, does not appear to be his Czech mate. 😉
If there is, then it’s so cunning that you could brush your teeth with it.
Thanks Baldrick Wenger. 😉 😛
I ‘ave a cunning plan !
Heh Trev.
He obviously doesn’t want Poldi’s extra energy either.
No Lukas aid. 🙂
@trev
I agree that the little Mozart needs a game. Last time I checked he was getting pretty sick of Wenger pawning him off.
Poldi and TR7 both appear in one of the 22 Politburo-esque training pictures on the dot.con but could there be some deeper significance? Of course there are also the customary pictures showing Wenger and Giroud discussing their favorite French restaurants too …
8 ball, if you look closely you can also see Monreal in the background in two of the pictures, one of which shows him participating in some playing exercise or other which reasonably should mean he’s got a fairly good chance of being fit for tomorrow.
Evening Holics!
Could do with Man U dropping some points tonight, Giroud looks very serious on that picture I’m wondering which restaurant they were discussing?
Bamm.
For old times sake. 😉
What a strike BtM Get in there son!
Ha ha BtM in fancy dress. Clogs. 🙂
😆 😆
‘This week, I will only drink one beer on Friday night, saving
myself thousands of calories’. If you want
to build a considerable business, you’ll have to be able to come
up with constant leads. Media Highlights: Blair on “The Big Idea – The American Dream” with Ivanka Trump:.
A win today and we’ll be within 3 points of Soton, which would have looked impossible just a couple of weeks ago. And a good idea to keep them on the downward path. I never believed they would stay in contention for top4, but they were beginning to look value for it. Should really only be Manure to worry about for 3rd place.
1-0 will do just fine, although it shouldn’t be that close. OG should be tuned up and ready to score a brace, so 3-1 looks about right. That’s if Poldi and TR7 have anything to do about it AND get on early enough – AW’s traditional 70th minute subbing has been delayed to the 80th lately. 🙁
Öskar
Bugga. Just checked the results and Poo, Manure, Swans and Hammers have all won.
Any win will do guys. Please.
Öskar
Big night tomorrow. I sense a slight waning of Southampton’s star which is scarcely surprising but their problem may be squad depth.
I echo the mystification about Coquelin and I am told by one who knows these things that there is every chance that Podolski and Campbell will be sold in the window and a loan transfer or Kallstrom lookalike will come into midfield. We may obtain a CB but there is no chance it will be Hummels or anyone expensive .
It is hard to buy in January but you don’t leave yourselves much option if you don’t buy in the right places in the summer! All I can say us that Poldi, Rosicky and Campbell must train pretty shoddily because they haven’t had much playing time. I think Tommy has actually had more minutes for the Czech Republic than he has for us and Poldi has played more fir Germany.
The window in the summer was so crucial because we ended it without any hope of challenging for the title and that is where one does struggle to divine a plan. You just HAVE to make sure the squad is right. Saying you can’t find anyone to play CB treats us like imbeciles.
I believe Nacho is fit tomorrow but any absence for Gibbs is never short .As for Theo he has scarcely got back before he is out again. It’s getting close to a whole year missing from the team. Still onwards and upwards
TTG knows @107 🙂
Oskar.
New Zealand on the same side of the international date line as England? Surely not. Fact is, Arsenal are playing tomorrow on this side. I hope they get six points. 🙂
I’m not so mystified by Coquelin’s non-involvement in the squad. Especially with Wenger having moved Podolski and Rosicky well down the pecking order this season, I can’t see any scenario where Wenger would play with his Coq (probably simultaneous injuries to Arteta, Flamini and Ramsey would be the only scenario). He’s presumably only still at Arsenal because his last loan period ended and he still has a contract with us. Thus loaning him out to Charlton keeps him interested, active and match-fit, puts him in the shop window, and in a position to be recalled in view of worst-case scenario injuries.
I’m anticipating Wenger going with one of Monreal or Gibbs tomorrow even if they’re only 95% fit, but if should they be both unavailable, he’d probably move Chambers across to LB and bring Bellerin in at RB. Chambers has played a lot against Clyne in training presumably, so might be best placed to know how to manage/mark him.
As for tomorrow, especially in light of today’s games, I just sense the league is starting to take shape now – some of the bigger guns are putting winning runs together, and a win tomorrow is especially vital. Our five wins in the league so far (CP, AV, Sun, Bur, WBA) have all come against teams who I think will be in the bottom 6/7 places, so it’s time we put a marker down against one of the better sides in the league – as much for our own self-belief and momentum alongside the importance of the 3 points!
Is it tomorrow yet?
TTG, 2014/15 Season Playing Time
Rosicky:
Arsenal minutes: 165
Czech Rep minutes: 359
Podolski:
Arsenal minutes: 181
Germany minutes: 214
Campbell:
Arsenal minutes: 221
Costa Rica minutes: 173
Lars,
I may finally have spotted Monreal in the background of picture #19 but he doesn’t appear to be doing anything too strenuous, unless standing on a patch of grass can be considered strenuous these days. 🙂 Also I believe Bellerin, appropriately enough, is in the background with a blurred focus in pictures #4 and 5.
It’s Wednesday here, 8ball, and the game is on Wednesday, right? The fact that it will be Thursday here when it’s played, and still Tuesday there while I write, only confuses people. Not gunners of course, they’re far too bright, but imagine a spuds supporter wandering in and reading this, the poor sod would end up in home for the bewildered. In the unlikely event he wasn’t already living in one…
Öskar
Who’s been fiddling with the drinks cabinet layout then?
Confused the hell outta me too Bath.
I might go for a lie down at White Hart Lane- “A Home For The Bewildered.” Brilliant.
‘holic Sir,
You need to take the site off ‘centre’ after the banner ad. Should be ok after that
NBN@112
Thanks for that.
Very much as I thought
@115 – Looks like some booger has been hitting the Australian Shiraz pretty hard! 🙂
Either I’m tired and emotional or some bugger’s ballsed it.
Has anyone mentioned the Dortmund fans and their classy “And if you fall I’m with you” banner yet?
Can we do a fanshare where we get their fans for the rest of the season and they get the muppets who were “protesting” at West Brom?
Somehow feeling more centered than usual.
Oskar @114. Between your antics and the banner ad business it’s leaving me a bit off center actually. 😉
NBN/TTG : I think even I could get 173 minutes for Costa Rica. The only requirement is that you actually possess a pair of boots with laces. Likewise, the Czech Rep is full of budding Mozart’s but distinctly absent nascent Puskases (yes, I know he was Hungarian – but he’s as close to a Czech superstar as you can get) so neither of these metrics is overly compelling 🙂
Poldi’s games for Germany have been in lesser affairs. He went all the way to Brazil in the summer and sat on the bench watching the action. His only contribution to Germany’s World Cup was holding it after the rest of the squad had won it (and giving Angela Merkel a peck on the cheek – well, somebody had to do it!) So, I think Poldi’s a good court jester but not much else. I think his only really good game for Arsenal was his first at Liverpool when he and Santi both scored in an excellent 2-1 away win. He stopped putting in any effort after that and it’s been downhill since.
Arsene has said that Podolski won’t be going in the window so I don’t expect him to. Personally, I’d happily see him go. I was delighted when we bought him and my expectations were high. He’s been a super disappointment. I’m not at all surprised that, even in his prime, he failed to make the grade in Munich.
TR7 – I’m puzzled as to why he didn’t play instead of Alexis last weekend. Sanchez is ‘nearing the red zone.’ I do think Tomas will feature significantly before this season comes to a close.
Campbell’s cameos have looked promising. Will he make it as an attacker at Arsenal in the company of Giroud, Wellbeck, Sanchez, Walcott, Ox, Sanogo, Gnabry, Afobe and Akpom? Time will tell. If he leaves in the window for a run of starts with a lesser PL team, I don’t think that would necessarily be a bad thing. Otherwise, he’ll get the occasional sub opportunity. He’s obviously not ‘shooting the lights out’ in training or he’d feature more.
Coquelin had a real stinker for Charlton at the weekend. He won’t make it at Arsenal. Why did we retain him? I suspect he’s still under contract and AW is hoping that someone (e.g. Charlton) will buy him before he’s a free agent.
Cynic, excellent idea on trading the muppets for ‘quality’ fans idea!
Could be central to our future 🙂
Burnley squeak out of the relegation with today’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle. Go Clarets.
Relegation zone?
My eyes hurt !
Junior Joplin, H
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLIdBuFNgTs&spfreload=10
The upcoming Swansea match has the potential to be a very good match with two sides who both can be dangerous when they get it right.
It is a shame we have the extra (suspected) niggling injuries of Gibbs/Monreal in our defensive line for such a potentially tricky fixture.
Unfortunately injuries do seem to be part and parcel of our squad this season, even when we seem to be getting a break with returning players.
This Swansea outfit are a very decent side and Koeman is obviously a very tactically astute manager who fully understands his own sides strengths and weaknesses.
I hope Arsene can pull the squad together again, as with the recent Dortmund match, and provide a good solid team display from front to back against a top four team, based on a solid defensive platform from the back four, plus the all important DM role.
The clean sheet and 3 points against West Brom showed the side can work hard and concentrate at both ends of the park, even with a bit of fatigue after a tricky midweek CL fixture.
Another boring 1 nil would do me just fine again thanks Arsene.
Interesting perspectives from BTM @123 on each of those current fringe players.
I must say have enjoyed watching Campbell each time he has had match time, both in WC and for the arse. I truly thought he was a cut above most the way he goes about his work on the field.
Campbell seems a smart young player and a hardworking player for a young forward. player. But, obviously AW must see things on the training ground that are not working in the lads favour.
Re: Cynic. Janis Senior was a bit off-center if you don’t mind my saying so. 🙂
Cynic (#128). That is libelling Janice, mate. My neighbour’s cat sounds better than that at 3 in the morning…
For something perhaps more surprising try this which I came across in a movie a couple of years ago. A 1960’s movie icon – he dated all the top birds of the time including Bardot, Julie Christie and supermodel Jean Shrimpton – with a rather sweet Billy Joel number … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjSix58CXQQ
Öskar
…and he’s even older than me!
Öskar
Swansea?
Feck, I musta been hibernating. 😯
Sorry # southampton…..
My bad…
Coquelin had a real stinker for Charlton at the weekend.
Anyone who doubts that need only watch the highlights from the Football League Show from Saturday. There is a very good reason he’s on loan: he’s simply not good enough.
8 ball: look at picture #12, that’s Monreal in the background during an exercise with the ball. Out of focus but still very recognisable.
Anyone else thinking this blog currently lacks natural width? Be the best you can be.
At least we are less predictable now that all our play doesn’t go down the right.
Next week Holic, shift us over again. We’ll keep ’em guessing…
Sexy new formation. I like it.
Cynic’s suggestion Re the fan swap is brilliant. And the Dortmund fans would probably speak better English. I do bang on about the essence of being an Arsenal supporter but I can still hear my Dad drumming it into me nearly sixty years ago….
‘ Always support your team’
‘ Never boo an Arsenal player’
‘ Stay to the end and keep supporting’
‘ People are jealous of Arsenal so they will always be against them’
And so on.
Now more than ever I want the stadium filled with Arsenal fans , who whatever their opinion of Wenger or Kroenke, will cheer the team to the echo. They can let off steam here afterwards!
I must say I’ve done more than my share of booing but always from the armchair and never after a win 🙂
Mmmmm What’s happened there? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>