Hull Of A Performance By Alexis
Jan 4th, 2015 by 'holic
A decent team performance enabled Arsenal to end Hull’s FA Cup dream for the second time in eight months, although neither side bore any relation to those that fought out the Final at Wembley last May. We called in David Ospina, Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal, Joel Campbell, and Theo Walcott (Good to see him starting a year to the day since sustaining his injury against the neighbours). Hull went further and made ten changes from their New Year’s Day win over Everton.
Both sides started brightly and we should perhaps have been ahead as early as the fourth minute when Alexis Sanchez put Campbell through but Harper saved with his right foot.
Francis Coquelin’s nasty looking challenge on Quinn after ten minutes might have resulted in a yellow card in different circumstances, and the Frenchman should be particularly grateful given he did eventually pick up a deserved card for a lunge on Maguire in the closing stages. Otherwise he did an impressive job in front of the back four although Hull could hardly be described as particularly creative in this area.
Per Mertesacker, skipper in the ongoing absence of Mikel Arteta, did open our account. Alexis, who had twice gone close himself shortly beforehand, finally planted a corner on the German’s head and the BFG wheeled away in delight. Both players were making their twenty-seventh appearance of the season and yet it is popular for some to be critical of the World Cup winner while pleading for a rest for Alexis. Arsene confirmed afterwards that the Chilean had refused a rest and wanted to play. Thank goodness.
Two minutes later Alexis was set up by Tomas Rosicky but McShane recovered brilliantly to slide the ball away for a corner, from which the post denied us a second goal.
McShane was booked for a high boot on Nacho Monreal as the half drew to a close. It is probably fair to say that with two-thirds possession of the ball we should probably have gone in with a bigger advantage and when we started slowly in the second-half the advantage looked a slender one.
Gradually though we awoke from our temporary slumbers. In the 66th minute Alexis was denied by Maguire’s block and a minute later Theo missed a golden opportunity to double our advantage, flicking wide went sent clear by the industrious Chilean.
On 73 minutes Coquelin’s superb through ball presented another opportunity to Walcott but he hasn’t yet got the sharpness, understandably, to convert those opportunities. A couple of minutes later he made way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and departed to a warm ovation from supporters delighted to see him back, finally.
We finally put the tie out of Hull’s reach in the 82nd minute, and what a finish it was from Alexis (who else) although credit Santi Cazorla for the assist. When those two played in close proximity we looked different class, although sterner challenges await. The ‘holic pound required a response at this point, but the only effort Hull could muster was Huddlestone’s effort which was comfortably saved by Ospina. Full marks for concentration because the ‘keeper was not overworked today.
So we are in the hat for the draw for the last thirty-two. Can we successfully defend the trophy? We need some of the walking wounded to return. Olivier Giroud will be back next week, and hopefully Mesut Ozil is close. Just as well given the knocks that Campbell and the Ox took towards the end of the game today.
A little Bunnahabhain is in order tonight, methinks.
162 Responses to “Hull Of A Performance By Alexis”
Holic. Please tell Pangloss. 😉
I had a Hull of a job getting there and back but it was a Hull of a fine day. Chambers, Coquelin and Alexis all very impressive. See you next Sunday when I hope transportation will be a Hull of a lot easier than today. Have I done that one to death yet? 🙂
Seems you had a Hull of a journey, BtM 😉
Quick off the mark and clinical, just like the Arsenal tonight…. Ahem.
The foul that gor Coq booked should have been a red, so he’s a lucky chap indeed.
Good performance but I thought we failed too often to use the runners. Only some shocking finishing saved Hull from a bit of a drubbing though, so it’s all good.
BBC and BT want shooting for stretching this into a five day weekend of matches and for employing Savage and The ASDA Savage, Clem, Michael Owen and everybody else. You know it’s bad when the best thing about the covrage this weekend was Lineker.
That tackle before the end of the game by Coquelin was indeed quite a shocker, lunging in two-footed, honestly, should have been a red (and we often shout for one when opposition player does this sort of thing). Other than that, I think he had a good game.
Santi with TR7 had really both good games and Alexis..is just Alexis. As for young Joel and Theo, both clearly not match fit, I suppose both of them having run of games under their belt would bury the chances they had, especially Theo who was pre-injury pretty clinical.
There were some pleasing signs, and I cannot wait for having Mesut back, those runs Theo made is exactly the stuff he will thrive with. Carry on few more weeks, please no more injuries and I still believe we can salvage something out of this season.
Bunnahabhain. Sounds like a rhyming response to Whatchahabin.
Pangloss. Just saw your response about Alexis in the last drinks. I do think he can use a rest but I’m not sure his performances have been dipping much in quality if at all. He always tries a lot of passes some of which go astray.
I have just thawed out after a foggy journey back from the game. I did not back- drink much but saw my colleague Pangloss duggest that Sanchez had an off- game. I thought them exact opposite Inthink this man has a very special approach- 100% commitment all the time. I thought the team fed off his and Rosicky’s application and endeavour. I was also much impressed with Coquelin until a silly tackle at the end where he could have seen red- in fact albeit from a long way away I thought he would go . However he is a big upgrade on Flamini, mobile, a range of passing and pressed intelligently. I also think Bellerin will be very good.
Hull were abject and should have tried to exploit the partnership of BFG and Chambers who I thought did well but is not a centre back yet and might be better playing in front of the back four. Otherwise Theo was very ring- rusty, unsurprisingly, Campbell has obvious skill but is incredibly one- footed and is off the pace of top English football and Santi deserves credit for a very consistent run of performances. Hard to move him for Ozil next week.
Sanchez is the signing of the season so far, without question
not usually a conspiricy theorist,but BBC Sport’s web page gave the following headline ” Herrera and Di Maria on target for Man Utd’
This against League One Yeovil. 2-0.
Thier assessment on Arsenal?
“Holders Arsenal through after narrow win”
This against Premiership Hull City. 2-0.
Does anyone else see this as slightly strange?
Perhaps I ought to start taking the pills again.
Hallelujah to OG being back next week. We spent most of the game searching for a second goal with some truly dreadful attempts before Alexis, who else, sealed it. Hopefully that will be the last we see of Campbell for a while. Lots of industry but zero help to anyone with his poor passing, giveaways and woeful shooting. Some may say Theo wasn’t any better, and nor was he with a couple of mishits, but his positional play was excellent and his edge will surely return with match time.
TR7 showed the kind of directness often lacking in our midfield, and Le Coq was at least forceful in the vacant DMF position. A bit too forceful on occasions and if he doesn’t cut out those horrible two-footed lunges he could prove more liability than asset. Ospina did all that was asked and perhaps should be given a premiership game or two for a better comparison with Sir Ches. That would make two subs Sir Ches will have to worry about after Emily’s impressive run earlier. In fact I’ll go out on a limb and suggest Martinez could be first choice in time.
Why would you expect me to criticise Alexis, Pangloss? The guy has been worked to death and has lost a little of his edge in recent weeks, but he’s still our best player by miles. No way would I criticise him at this time.
I’m with those who say give the guy a break, but in our current position it’s understandable why he’s picked for every game. BUT … if I were AW I would rest him against Stoke. We cannot risk having him injured at any time, but against Stoke would be the last straw for the Wenger Ahht brigade. Resting him for a whole fortnight would make his return against $iteh something to really look forward to.
Öskar
Excellent report, ‘holic. Could you describe circumstances when Bunnahabhain wouldn’t be in order.
8ball – I’ve been told.
I hope our antipodean colleague appreciates the flak I’m taking on his behalf.
COYG
I was more than mildly piqued on the train from St. Pancras to find myself sitting opposite a couple , the male half of whom asked me if it ended 1-0. I said it was 2-0 but not a classic and was sternly reproached by his partner . ‘ I don’t know how you can say that ‘ she said, ‘ we thought Arsenal were brilliant.’
I don’t know quite what the BBC planted in peoples’ minds but brilliant that wasn’t! Perfectly understandable on a cold Sunday evening but it was very basic fare. Poor old Ospina who has prompted a chant from our fans that I hope he gets used to before he cocks up a goal kick should have brought some thermals.
I think the Coq was lucky not to walk for the first tackle. He missed the ball completely and caught the Hull player’s leg, had a straight leg and led with his studs. And how he stayed for the two-footer in the second half I will never know.
In other words, the Coq needs to learn to control his tackle.
Anyway.
A good game that we should have won by at least three more goals.
“Remi Garde? Bilic?” – Catalan Gunner, previous round #71
Decent young bloods from what little I know of their management skills, Catalan, but that little is very little. I was really responding to those who keep naming high profile managers such as Klopp, Ancelotti, Guardiola etc. We did quite well with a complete unknown (Arsene Who?) and could do so again.
I imagine Gazidis with assistance from the incumbent – who is not the kind of chap who’d want to see his legacy besmirched after all his efforts – will pick someone suitable, experienced or otherwise. Unlike Sralex who I suspect was happy to see Moyes fail completely with the same squad he’d won the Prem with a season earlier.
Öskar
Ttg – They obviously didn’t think Arsenal were brilliant enough to watch the game to the end, or they’d have known the score.
I also can’t be the only person who noticed that Alexis appeared to playing with a lob on throughout that game by the way.
A very pleasant crisp evening in North London and for once we had the cigars on. TR7, Santi, Alexis and Le Coq all excellent, Hull pretty ordinary. Alexis and Santi as usual worth the price of admission by themselves – why on earth did Barca let this man go? In Le Coq we appear to have found someone with just a touch of steel in him – well on the way to being a crowd favourite already.
I think the Ospina chant could get very old very quickly – focus on the Alexis one (Oh Alexis Baby!). But my favourite moment, of course, was a goal from a corner. Could have been TA6! Get in the BFG!
Excellent write up Boss.
Lars. I agree totally re Le Coq and the possibility of two reds. If the first had been given then the whole make up off the game would have changed. I hope people remember that the next time it’s the refs fault if a result does not go our way.
Not a classic. Hull were poor I thought. We could have won by a hatful. In the end two were enough and we can look forward to the draw.
The interesting one for me is Ospina. I knew virtually nothing of him before the world cup. I did not know much more after if I’m honest but I thought he looked calm and assured. After Woj’s performance against Soton I just wonder if he had done enough to start next weekend??
Ospina looking good and has a spine to him. Le Coq certainly knows his English expressions like “shut the f@ck up” which he rather forcefully used to a Hull player remonstrating with him after Le Lunge.
Nice report H. Ah Bunnahabain – one of my all time favourites.
Job done. Fine performances from Santi, Alexis, TR7, Coq (bar the challenges referred to above), Monreal, Chambers, Bellerin and Campbell. The young lads give us hope for the future. Feo looked extremely rusty and that probably explains why he hasn’t been thrown into the fray earlier – he does look desperately in need of game time now.
It is difficult to assess how well our keeper and defenders played as Hull were truly abysmal and despite the slender lead and our utter profligacy in front of goal (we should have been outta sight by HT) they never made me nervous that we were going to be pulled back. Indeed it has been a very long time since I felt so confident at 1-0. I did like our break-up and interception rate in MF – that’s been a rare experience too.
Progress in more ways than one.
COYG
We could/should have been four up at the break and played the second half as un-urgently as if we were.
It seemed a flat game, particularly for a Cup tie. Hull had little or nothing to offer in the first half, and not much more in the second — and that lack of enterprise rubbed off on us to some extent.
Alexis worked as hard and skillfully, as ever, but seemed not to be on the same wavelength as the rest of team this evening. Santi and TR7 also worked hard but their endeavour was blunted by our lack of clinical finishing. Theo looked far from match fit, not unsurprisingly, as you note ‘Holic. Campbell didn’t really get into the game until the last half hour, and looked more effective on the left than the right, where he spent much of the first half having swapped wings with Theo. He could do with a run of games to test ttg’s assertion that he is ‘off the pace’ for top level English football. Not 100% certain I agree, though I do agree he is very one-footed.
At the back, there wasn’t that much to do. What there was handled tidily across the defence. Bellerin, as ttg also notes, will be very good, and possible much better than that. I also second Lars assertion than Le Coq was fortunate to end the game on the pitch, either because he could have picked up a second yellow on several occasions or because he could have got a straight red for jumping feet first into a tackle near the end of the game. Just as Chambers seems to be leaning to be less pushy with his hands and arms, so Le Coq needs to learn to cut out those flying tackles. Outside those he had an impressive game.
TTG. What would the lady on the train have thought if she had stayed for our second goal or was she just referring to the prawn sandwiches I wonder.
Great result but it wasn’t much of a cup tie. Hull were poor and didn’t put up much of a fight which was quite a surprise.
Le Coq was lucky not to be red carded for a crazy 2 footed, off the ground, tackle towards the end but otherwise I thought he did well and might well be in the side next Sunday.
Santi, TR7 and Sanchez worked their socks off and Alexis goal was a class strike. We missed far too many chances to put this game out of sight before half time, Walcott, Campbell and Sanchez the main culprits.
Just wish Ospina had used the ball better. He continually booted the ball up field falling inevitably on to a Hull defenders head, this is a useless tactic without Giroud or Welbeck in the side.
Today’s back four were untroubled and may well get another outing next week. I like Bellerin a lot, prefer him to Chambers at RB and hope to see more of him in the cup.
Fingers crossed for a decent 4th round draw.
COYRs
Good Post Ned.
Just a few words on Coq. Feel he brings something we’ve been missing – an edge and bite – displayed in the way he wins the ball back, as well as his display of english vernacular. For a team as fast as us on the break, turnover is key. His attitude puts us on the front foot. I sincerely hope that if AW doesn’t persist with Le Coq, he retains those qualities in the team.
Hull were pretty average tonight, but this was in part due to our collective efforts to consistently close them down each time they tried to enter our defensive 3rd.
Bellerin, as one example, made an important block after chasing the play back for a good 20/30 meters at full speed and got his leg in the way of the final pass. This kid is truly blessed with speed, reads the game well and is not shy to get stuck in.
Like others have mentioned above, Le Coq is a refreshing change and does add the much needed steel and enthusiasm for the dirty work to our defensive effort.
The other player I thought worked his socks off defensively tonight was Santi. He seemed to be involved everywhere, a bit like Alexis.
He is enjoying a good spell of games and his passing is really sharp and crisp in attack. His assist for the Alexis goal was top notch.
As for Alexis, well, it doesn’t get any better for any coach anywhere, when a player of his class, actually doesn’t want to rest, period. Arsene has mentioned that his tests show no signs of fatigue, which is astonishing, considering the effort he puts in each and every match.
I met my Hull – supporting mate before and after the game. When your luck is out its out. He has just let me know he got flashed by a speed camera on the way home ! An expensive and fruitless day for him.
Incidentally I’m not sure if BBC showed how many empty seats there were( probably not as they were the reason !) but the Hull end was half- empty and a lot of other seats were vacant although not so many in our section. 5.30 kick- offs on a Sunday don’t work with journeys like many Hull fans had
Peter, am with you there. I really hope we keep playing Coq. He is fast and gets our attack moving fast. I hope we can get the almighty DM, if not I really like him, we have been saying we need that attitude in our MF, now we are complaining about it. Am fine with him, the more he plays he will learn not to make silly tackles like those two.
Yes, Coquelin does bring that touch of aggression that’s often missing from this Arsenal side, but as many others have cited, he really needs to temper those blatant two-footed or one footed studs up attempts or he’ll be sitting for three matches when the side needs to have what he brings to the table.
In fact, I’d really like to see him paired with Arteta in a two man deeper lying midfield, as Mikel brings a much needed “coherence” to the proceedings. With a fleet, aggressive partner like Le Coq coupled with Arteta’s control and link up play, the four in the back will look a lot better than it has so far. And while that may mean that AW would defer bringing in a DM until next season, for the way AW likes to see his team play, that may be the optimum solution in his view. If anything, he might bring in an experienced CD for cover.
Bayonne Jean@30 all what you said. My point exactly.
Whoever (TTG?) was saying their Hull mate got a traffic ticket on their way home after the game, here’s more bad news for the Hull away supporters trying to get home. 🙁
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2896570/Hull-City-fans-day-goes-bad-worse-bus-crashes-trying-leave-Emirates-Stadium-following-Arsenal-defeat.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
I can’t believe all those who see Le Coq as the second coming based on this one game. Apart from the fact he was lucky not to get a straight red in both halves he wasn’t exactly stretched by the feeble Hull attack. Nor was anyone else in the defence for that matter. If he learns to control his aggression he might mature into a useful player, but I suggest we wait to see how he goes against the likes of Costa, Rooney, Hazard, Aguero et al before anointing him as another PV4.
Öskar
I agree with OTD. I don’t see Le Coq being the answer at all. He is a stop gap at best. He could easily have gone for that first challenge. I’m guessing if he had then he might now be being viewed in a totally different light.
The one thing he has done, as Flamini did last season, is to highlight how much we miss someone of genuine quality for that position. If we were able to resolve that issue then I think we would see a marked improvement as a side.
le coq is turning into a very decent/different option to what we already have.nice range of passing,not afraid to get down and dirty.we have been crying out for a player like him get him we still moan.I was very impressed with his performance against west ham too.well worth a place in the squad for me.the crazy tackles will stop when he is not trying to hard to impresss to me it looked like eagerness instead of stupidity.
He seems to like a tackle just get his timing right we could be onto a good one. noting like a stint in the lower echelons to give you an injection of gratitude for what you have.
Oskar the dog, nobody is trying to make him the second coming. He is definitely better than the two turtles we have playing that position right now. I don’t think anyone will settle for him, we still need to get us CDM. But in case we don’t, knowing how January windows usually goes for us, I won’t mind seeing him been paired with either Arteta or Flamini. Instead of having both of them there at the same time.
Le Coq is still raw (as demonstrated by that second half tackle). I was at the game and didn’t see replays but did not think the first half challenge was a red by any stretch of the imagination. However I was surprised he didn’t get a yellow for it. The major quality he brought was defence-minded mobility and I do think that contributed to both the paucity of Hull’s threat and how secure the back pairing of Chambers and Per looked in contrast to every other time they have played together at CB.
If we don’t get the top CMFer we desire then the pairing of Coq and Mikel might be useful in games against teams that carry more than average threat whilst Flamini and Coq might turn the centre of the park into a re-enactment of the Somme.
Coquelin had a good game in my eyes as well. He added a bit of steel and mobility to our midfield. The last tackle was a dangerous one, however, I think he adds something to the squad and thus, could be a valuable squad player for us.
I don’t think anybody implied that he was the second coming, but overall he’s had 3 good games on the trot and nothing is wrong with lauding a player for decent performances. We need to remember that he’s also versatile as he can play left back and right back. With our injury record, we need players of his ilk in our squad.
coq played well we need someone with experience to play along side him. kudus to Sanchez, Rosicky, Campbell and Bellerin they all pray well. Now we have many attackers at our disposal. we need to bring in a defender and midfielder then our squad will be most feared in the league. up Gunners
Bath – “Le Coq is still raw…. as demonstrated by his tackle ….)”
Ooh err ! 😉
Is this who taught Le Coq how to slide tackle?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arsenal-FC-Sliding-Tackle-Gnome/dp/B007Z11A1K
More Poldi: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11325550/Lukas-Podolskis-move-to-Inter-Milan-is-good-for-Arsenal-stats-prove-the-German-is-defensively-poor-and-lazy.html
Either his name was too hard to pronounce or he signed too many bitey players.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30683791
N7
I read this piece on Podolski and found it interesting especially after reading yesterday’s programme. In it they printed the heat maps of the players in last year’s Cup Final. Podolski’s consists of two tiny pinpricks of activity on the left hand side. Cazorla, Ozil and Ramsey ( thankfully) contrast spectacularly with that. If he couldn’t be arsed to run in a Wembley Cup Final…!
Interesting also in the Telegraph article to see Giroud’s incredibly impressive stats. That boy may not have any speed but boy does he work hard!
Good game, did well, not fantastic, did enough, Hull bad, we good. Done.
Oh, and also, anybody seen this?:
http://www.thirdrailnyc.com/
“Many fans, including our members, decided to support the team, committed to season tickets, and bought merchandise under the impression that Frank Lampard would be playing for New York City Football Club.”
Right. I mean. I understand history takes time to be made. It is not their fault the club hasn’t played a single competitive game yet. But also, how can you care so much then?
“Our support for our ownership group has been unwavering until now, but this we cannot support.”
Unwavering in the one and a half year the club has existed and done nothing?
“Many of those fans are rightly outraged by this decision, and we support any course of action they take to voice their discontent over this decision.”
Murder is fine by us, guv.
Ah.
Well.
Right.
Seriously, I have nothing against the NYCFC, or their supporter group, how could I? They barely exist. But that’s quite harsh words from a group of people who have yet to see their team play a competitive game.
I really do believe supporters of football clubs will be more spoilt when their first player signed is David Villa.
Brighton away in the cup. Joy.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal
🙂
Chris Hughton, ‘ere we come!
Brighton away. Last time we played them in the cup they gave us a good game, 3-2 with a couple from Giroud and the winner from Theo if I remember correctly. Gus Poyet I believe was the manager then…
A repeat of the same found two years ago. Let’s hope we get the same result!
I agree on Coquelin being a surprisingly decent option. No one has suggested he negates the need for a signing, but in the interim, he is a fantastic bonus! I also think sometimes it’s easier to see what a player brings to the side by watching them in the flesh so to speak.
As for the cup, I think we can be pleased with that draw. Obviously we don’t have the chav and oil city monopoly on getting cushy homes draws, but our game is eminently winnable.
Up the Kyber!
Ah well, that breaks the string of London fixtures in the F.A. Cup for the Gunners. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Brighton & Hove the last time Arsenal played away in the F.A. Cup?
Overlooked in last year’s run was the fact that in their six matches, Arsenal traveled a grand total of about 46 miles, which didn’t hurt.
This is the fifth time we have drawn Brighton in the FA Cup — and on each occasion but one we have been the away team. We won 2-0 away in 1935, 2-0 at home in 1980, 2-1 away in 1988 and 3-2 away in 2013.
Overall our record against Brighton is:
Played 14, Won 10, Drawn 2 Lost 2 GF 27 GA 7
of which:
FA Cup: Played 4 Won 4
League Cup: Played 2 Won 1 Drawn 1
The old First Division: Played 8 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 2
Brighton didn’t score against us until the 10th match between the two clubs. Pat Jennings keept six of those nine clean sheets, George Wood two and Frank Moss the other one. But we haven’t kept a clean sheet against Brighton since the first loss to them, a 2-1 away defeat in the league in April 1982
Bayonne Jean@53: you could say the semi-final last season against Wigan was ‘away’ even though it was played on neutral territory at Wembley as ours was the second name out of the hat. But you are right that our previous ‘proper’ FA Cup away game was at Brighton in January 2013, and the one before that was the 2-0 away defeat at Sunderland the season before.
Well played Burnley… Good luck with the replay!
Cheers NBN, that’s some proper trivia for the next time I’m watching us away i.e. in a pub.
impressive, those monks at castle ned. mead-full flagons for the lot of them, just after vespers, of course.
Cheers, Toby. I hope it wins you a pint or two.
The monks will gratefully drink your good health, SCG.
Daily Mirror making it up or no smoke without fire?
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny slapped with £20,000 fine for SMOKING in showers
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-keeper-wojciech-szczesny-slapped-4924564
Hopefully the spuds replay will go to extra time + pens, with the totts winning the shootout of course – so they continue to have extra games to play for a while at least.
Flagons of mead after bottles of Delamain Vesper, scruz? Is that what passes for a nightcap at Castle Ned?
Öskar
ned, i hope it wasn’t cigarettes he was smoking but some of pik’s finest californian.
they save the delamain for a nightcap, i’m sure, otd. i was referring rather to at least one of these they drink prior to the mead: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesper_%28cocktail%29
what does our stan do in his non-arsenal hours? figure out how to maximize his fortune, no doubt: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/rams-owner-announces-plans-to-build-stadium-in-los-angeles-132748401.html
were this to turn out like jerry jones’ dallas megastadium, he well could price out averagely-incomed folk in yet a second major city in order to pay for the development…
Kroenke moving the St. Louis Rams back to Los Angeles? He must be aspiring to the Al Davis community service award. For the uninitiated, Al Davis is (was?) the owner of the Oakland Raiders who pigheadedly moved the club to Los Angeles where they played as the Los Angeles Raiders for a decade or more before pigheadedly moving the club back to Oakland where they have played as the Oakland Raiders since then. There was a series of lawsuits filed between Davis and the Oakland and Los Angeles communities as I recall. The St. Louis Rams were bought by Kroenke after they were moved from Los Angeles, of all places, where they had been known as the Los Angeles Rams. The only case I know of in English football that is similar is Wimbledon picking up and moving to Milton Keynes. Most people in American sports would not consider Kroenke to be anywhere near as malevolent as Davis, but that is only up to the present time…
Not James Bond’s gf Vesper Lynd then scruz? Variously played by Ursula Andress and Eva Green … I dare say either would go down well with a flagon of mead! 😉
Öskar
I will leave that to Ned to answer, otd. I don’t want to speculate how many flagons of mead would make a vesper go down easily…
Talk about a bad season, this might put things a bit into perspective.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/05/hereford-playing-record-expunged-southern-league
Alexis cannot be dropped,without him we just arent able to have that cutting edge needed to win games. He may run himself to the ground this way but the reality is without him we do not have a scoring outlet.
Yet in the same breath, this weekend presents an ideal chance to see if we can rest him and win without him. Giroud and Theo can play upfront and if Danny is fine then we have 3 attacking options up front and we can afford to rest Alexis. Stoke home is an ideal opportunity to rest him for next up is City away and thats a game he has to play.
Woj apparently fined for behaviour and smoking all though Arseblog suggests otherwise. The thing with him is his cockiness is well documented and his form hasnt been great for him to do so. An extended run for Ospina looks likely.
No names in the transfer window being linked to us. The mario Suarez rumours have died down, Carvalho and Khedira not to be seen and even the so called Cavani to Arsenal likely headlines have gone to the back burner. Are we going to again do without a DM/CB??? That is suicidal considering we are unable to even beat teams like southampton/stoke.
Even with the return of the magician and Aaron, the biggest area of concern remains the dm/cb positions and we should not allow that to damage the season further. Coquelin and Per are not the answer for those 2 positions if we really need to turn the corner in this season.
I read the John Cross report in the mirror last night and was frankly amazed at its claims if they are true. And whether you like him or loathe him, I think its fairly safe to say that John Cross has ties with the club, therefore I’m inclined to believe there is a semblance of truth to all of this.
Curiously, I was waiting this morning to see what Bloggs made of it all during the morning coffee. Of course the usual puns and jokes were made and while blogs makes it clear that he supports the managers stance, I think there is a far bigger point being missed here.
What type of a club is being run here if one of the first team players, after having a ‘mare of a game, thinks its perfectly acceptable to have a smoke in the showers afterwards? A player earning 80-90k a week! What does it say about the discipline, or the margins of what is regarded as tolerable in the club? Do you think Fergie or Mourinho, would be handing out a relatively paltry fine to their No 1 GK after such an indiscretion? I wonder what Alexis thought of it all, having spent time under Pepe and seen players of the ilk of Ronaldinho being catapulted out of the club for a lack of work rate on the field? Wonder what the reaction would be in Bayern Munich, if your lack of concentration resulted in the concession of two sloppy goals and you thought you take some time to brood over the matter by having a smoke in the shower? Or realistically, would such a blatant sign of disrespect and indiscipline have happened at all in the first place?
Some may think that this a minor indiscretion, but its one that tells a lot about the current state of play when we see the lackadaisical approach, the complacency, the persistent defensive indiscipline, lack of concentration or mental fragility which has plagued teams for many seasons now and wonder how these things can happen at a club of this stature?
And maybe I’m being harsh, or reading too much into it, but I honestly don’t think so. Maybe this is something that eventually happens when your a manager for some 17 years at a club when its only natural that players get used to your ways. It strikes me as something more than coincidental in this context, that the primary players who are busting a gut this season, are the relatively new or newer ones. And the players who have been culpable are the ones who have been at the club for some time (Wojciech is 24 and has been at the club for 9 years now).
If you can’t bring a semblance of respect and discipline to the team cause off the field, how can you seriously expect things to gel on the field?
Of course, thats not to say that Wenger hasn’t achieved a lot for the club and got so many things right. But my overriding feeling is that if he got the discipline right in his teams, he would have far more to show for it.
Joe, I’d be utterly amazed if Woj really did have a fag in the showers. It just doesn’t make any sense on any level. Something may very well have happened in the way of him and Arsene having a bust-up, but why on earth would he smoke in the showers?
And besides, there was nothing much wrong with the work ethic or attitude of the team v Hull.
@Joe
If the story is true then Woj should be dropped. Terrible lack of professionalism.
That said, you are taking an unconfirmed story in a tabloid and then using it to extrapolate broad-brush assumptions about the squad and its relationship with the manager + his approach to discipline, and then further to how all of that impacts on-field performance.
On that basis, I’d say that yes, you are indeed reading too much into it at this stage.
The Mirror said that the sun would rise in the East this morning.
I opened the curtains (just to check, you understand).
Tabloid journalists – not worth the shit on your shoe. 😯
N7,
I did qualify my piece by saying IF it was true but considering the story is published by John Cross and the efforts on behalf of the club to prevent it from being published – it doesn’t make for comfortable reading.
Other things arise too, such as why would the Mirror would print such a thing and risk being sued? Or has there been a statement from club or player on same? The refusal by Wenger to comment on the matter recently clearly touched a sore point. And its not as if it’s the first time this has happened (Jack in the back of nightclub and with some groupies in a pool and Gallas).
Yes, maybe I am making “broad brush assumptions” as you say in linking such behaviour to the attitude required for diligent on-field performance. Or maybe I’m just highlighting some things that others just don’t want to accept.
Lars,
There performance against Hull was indeed very good. The thing is our application is not consistent. And I really do believe there is a problem at a coaching level when it comes to defending and workrate in putting pressure on the ball. More of an attitude problem in players applying themselves properly. The contrast with Alexis work rate is stupendous and the shocking thing is it shouldn’t be.
@ Joe
I think you’ve misunderstood my comment.
I’m not suggesting this incident didn’t occur or that I don’t believe the Mirrior’s report. In actual fact, I rather suspect that there’s at least some truth in it.
But a single tabloid piece alone, without comment or response from the club, is not a confirmed, reliable source of information. It also doesn’t provide context. And further, we have yet to see how the manager will respond – for all we know he could behead Chesney on the halfway line before the Stoke match. You’re assuming a soft response on his behalf, to a story you don’t know to be true, and then getting agitated about it.
You suggested you might be reading too much into it, and on the basis of the above, I agreed – at this stage, you are.
I don’t personally think this incident is remotely comparable to Wilshere smoking on holiday. If true, it’s far, far worse – if Woj came off the pitch having turned in a stinker of a performance and did ANYTHING he wasn’t mean to do, be it smoking or lighting his farts in the middle of the dressing room, then that suggests an extremely poor attitude. Plenty of decent players have smoked in their down time, but doing so while on the job, so to speak, is another matter entirely.
One further point: there is precisely zero risk of the Mirror being sued for this story, even if it’s a total fabrication. As the saying goes: trust me, I’m a lawyer.
The “you can’t handle the truth” stuff at the end – you could append this to virtually any comment where someone disagrees with you, couldn’t you?
Didn’t mean to cause agitation, but I do think we should keep things in perspective, and avoid “after therefore because of” style cause and effect confusion. In other words: at least let the manager balls up his response to this incident before you have a go at him for it.
I would also add that I think the decision as to what to do next, assuming the story is bona fide, is complicated by our next opponents.
It’s easy for me to say “drop him” (and I think we probably should), but Ospina is a good 6 inches shorter than Woj, and we’re about to play Stoke.
Start the Colombian, watch him fail to deal with high balls and there will be plenty of people out there asking what on earth the manager was thinking. It’s a tougher decision than it first appears.
Ospina appeared to have very safe hands the other day. Woj often doesn’t.
That’s true Cynic.
But as many of us have learned in life, the extra six inches can make all the difference.
Quite impressive though he has been in his limited appearances, Ospina has no experience of playing Stoke. As observed by blogs and Gunnerblog on the Arsecast (before showerfag-gate blew up), we need a Wet Spam type performance from Szcz v the Orcs. Come for everything and take everyone out in the process.
If he does that and we secure a win, I’ll send him 20 Gauloises myself.
Szczesny is 24.
He had a bad day at his job and subsequently he may or may not have smoked a cigarette in the shower — why in the shower? puzzling choice of a place to light up a cancer stick — for which the club may or may not have punished him.
Does that really give us outsiders some sort of a right to arrive at any conclusions about the team management’s authority and team’s discipline? In my opinion it doesn’t, but I can understand why others would like to see this differently: when things don’t go well we must try to find reasons or patterns.
It is worth noting that Szczesny, at a very early age of 22 or so, had decided that the Twitter-mania was doing damage to his commitment and concentration and he has removed himself from the habit of sending sound bytes and sharing photos. Just an observation to balance the accusations of lack of professionalism. I don’t think one becomes the #1 GK in a CL playing team by the age of 22 without showing not only talent but a huge amount of commitment and professionalism.
He was excellent between the sticks last season, progressed in leaps and bounds. Saved many a points for us — which the naysayers rarely come to acknowledge — in PL when we were up 1-0 or fighting at 0-0 or 1-1 and then won by a late goal or so. He actually won the Golden Glove last season.
I am not in the camp of those who think one isolated “indiscipline” incident — which may or may not be true — and a couple of poor performance (the last one at the back of an excellent commanding performance at WHU against long-ball barrage) somehow disqualifies him. As Arsene says if we are to drop a GK following a poor performance we are quickly going to have a squad of GKs all without any confidence.
Tempest in a Teapot Tuesday! 😉
Goonerholic, fitting photo selection for such a historic competition.
See you have caught Le Coq fever and are a fan. He simply must start against Stoke, warts and all. Charlie Adams, you have met your match 🙂
It’s thoroughly irresponsible to smoke in the showers. You run the risk of dropping burning ash on your….or their todgers. That wouldn’t help team spirit very much.
Re: 82.
Not to be flip or anything, but to put that drink #497 into fuller context we ought to have a look back at the two previous drinks:
on 26 Aug 2014 at 3:22 pm495Uplympian
Howdy cba, how’s the dung meter reading today?
on 26 Aug 2014 at 3:35 pm496can’t be arsed
howdy up
reading low
FACTS!!
Why are U.S. Supreme Court nominees sometimes rejected in their Senate confirmation hearings? Simply because they have published so extensively people can criticize them for what they have written on a variety of issues. It is sometimes best to keep one’s thoughts off the internet, whether they are well considered or not. Unless of course one is blessed with the humor and eloquence of cba, Uply and more than a few others I ought to name. 🙂
*Sigh*
I’m not going to speculate as to why Steve T took the regrettable decision to cease posting here, but if memory serves he did not specify that it was somehow because of me.
I wasn’t rude to him, I didn’t abuse him. We didn’t even engage in heated debate. I used an analogy to which he took exception. I, personally, did not see and do not see an issue with said analogy, but I am not going to go into that here, because we all see these things differently and Steve isn’t here to say his piece.
In the happy event that Steve either returns or I run into him in the Tollie, I will take care not to use the same expression around him, because I am an adult and when I inadvertently irk someone I like I generally make a note to avoid doing so again in future, regardless of whether I think they’re right or wrong.
It seems a little childish that the whole conversation is being brought up again now, five months on, and with one of the principles absent, much less so clearly misrepresented and in an attempt to point the finger.
Bogus H2H, to you I say: please do grow up.
COYG
So…. Messi is disgruntled it seems!
What are we waiting for???!!?!?!
We definitely would not bench him for whatever reason, on the contrary! We’ll play him till he breaks!!!
Up The Arse!
😀
Bid for a 17 year old player rejected? Why are we even bidding for a seventeen year old right now. We have bigger fish to fry. I don’t know the ins and outs of our transfer business, but I really don’t want to hear news about some 17 year old kid right now. We have enough of those and none is breaking into the team at this point in time. Just my opinion of course.
N7, A drink awaits you at the bar. Maybe Lars’ wallet has been underused recently? 🙂
Joe
John Cross has as strong a link to Arsenal as my Nan does and she’s been dead a fair while bless ‘er.
In fact my nan has MORE of a link, as she used to roll Mr Hillwood Senior’s Woodbines for him during the blitz, as she could make a mean rollie with her eyes closed.
sanantonio;
Why are you getting worked up about Arsenal signing a 17 year old prodigy? That is what ALL clubs do, in order to SAVE millions if they are lucky! WE sign him for one or two mill and even if he doesnt make the grade, he gets sold on for a profit.
It is a separate transfer situation and not related to the 1st team’s need. We have signed a few kids in our time with reasonable success. Even Vela, who gets branded a flop for some weird reason made the club about 11 mill in all.
Dr F at 80; Hear hear! Great post! Ta
Not sure which 17 year old we signed today but there has been a lot of talk this week about Le Coq who was 17 years 2 months when we signed him in 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Coquelin
Yet another who struggles with “facts”
What you have, Mr East Coast to West Coast is extrapulation, conjecture at best.
You fail to realise that there is also a real world beyond this fine establishment, where people actually meet and talk face to face…..
Just saying like.
While I’m at it, when we lose Aussie makes numerous posts, he is also known to pop in when we win too, so by definition I believe that too makes him a regular.
newsnow is full of bullshite non-story articles, ridiculous, baseless transfer rumours and down right lies at the best of times, but during the transfer window it goes up several 1000000000 notches!
BUT I still regular take a peak! 🙂
Have we signed Cavani, Isco, Cech, Reid, Mccarthy, Sissoko, Dybala, Schneiderlin, CarValeter yet?
A mischievous post and some personal stuff creeping in which I would prefer to avoid.
Steve T is a busy man these days but in tip top shape.
Thank you.
It’s thoroughly irresponsible to smoke in the showers. You run the risk of dropping burning ash on your….or their todgers. That wouldn’t help team spirit very much.
I refuse to make any jokes about smoking todgers.
In other news, if Winston Reid doesn’t at least get booked tonight, it will show me he is not committed to the West Ham cause and is therefore not the kind of character we need at Arsenal. The fact I’ve had a bet on him to get a yellow card has nothing to do with it.
🙂
Winston Reid is looking bloody good tonight. Reading the game well. Making interceptions, blocking shots and clearing the keeper’s spills. Looks worth the quoted £4m tonight.
Football has for a long time been on an upward trajectory, in terms of transfer, fees, wages, agent’s commissions, ticket prices and football subscription TV contract fees… Modern footballers and the world they inhabit has never been so far away from the “average” supporter. Indeed, what constitutes the average fan these days, to the media moguls, TV exces, Oligarchs and oil billionaire club owners is any fucker committed to forking out their hard earned for the brand, either by watching the games on TV, online, or, at a push, in the flesh…
As long as they buy the 3 new kits a year and subscribe to the TV channels that pay the clubs ever more and more astronomical amounts every time the Premier League TV rights deal is up for renewal, then the footballers, managers, agents, club owners, agents, Tv companies, media hacks and those that laughinly claim to govern the game and look out for its interests are all laughing all the way to the (swiss or offshore) bank…
So, considering all that above and all that is wrong with the not so beautiful game, it is like a fantastic breath of fresj air to know that someone somewhere is prepared to fight for the good of the game, to bring it back within reach of core support and for the averaga (mug) punter, the bloke in the street…
So, lets give it up for this very average and everday, humdrum, ordinary Joe man of the people; Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein!
Good luck mate.
I like the look of this Jenkinson chappie.
Sets it up ….
Heh @ Dexter.
Laughed it in.
Ross Barkley. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.
Barkley like Everton has really gone off the boil… I watched him and his team at the Grove last season and he was the best player on the pitch that night. He was fantastic…
Heh @ Dexter @98.
Agree @103. Become the victim of his publicity. Far too greedy. Making all the wrong choices….generally to try to win the game himself. Much like LJW a few months ago.
They’ve only gone and equalised…
Chesterfield that is…
How is Poldi’s new love interest Inter doing?
Booooo
Oh and Everton actually levelled too…
Those Toffees are revolting… their fans are some of the whiniest, moaniest fuckers I have ever had the displeasure to encounter. They are almost as bad as LFC fans. Talk about sense of self entitlement, puts even some of our own to shame…
I really didnt understand the hoohaa about Szczesny smoking a fag in the bogs, or if he actually did. Now, if he had been caught snorting a half ounce of Bolivia’s finest, or chasing the dragon or something, then yes, I could dig why the tabloids (slow day lazy bastards?) tried to make such a big deal of things.
But smoking? Really? Zzzzzz
He will be back for Stoke and Ospina would have played vs Hull whatever, or Martinez would have if Ospina was still injured.
It aint no biggy, to have a ciggy (sorry) 🙂
With you there Dexter. Storm in a teacup.
Definitely Bath… Now if only we had upstanding individuals like John Terry or Wayne Rooney on the club’s books…
No idea if the smoking allegation has any legs, but it’s not like a keeper is running around all the time wearing his lungs out. I’m reminded of Shane Warne who managed to take 708 test wickets and nearly twice that first class wickets while being an overweight chain-smoker for most of his career.
Neither makes a great example for team-mates, but nor is the risk to their form equivalent to that of outfielders in Sir Ches’s case (Jack please note) or quicks and specialist batsmen in Warne’s.
Storm in a teacup, imo, (although it might depend on the kind of leaf he was smoking) on a par with not having sex before a game – something I personally try to fit in before any game I watch (even in front of the telly 😉 ).
Öskar
Touché, Dexter. I was called away while writing my last and didn’t see yours.
Öskar
Former ref’s chief Keith Hackett has gone bonkers and said five Premier League refs should step down. The only surprise is that Anthony Taylor is not one of them, and neither is Jon Moss. These two are the worst two refs in the league.
He also thinks Mike Riley should be fired.
https://you-are-the-ref.com/time-for-a-review/
Oskar, Shane Warne was a very unique example of a sportsman who enjoyed a puff.
Not only was he a regular smoker during the peak of his career, but he was also busted by the media for smoking at the backend of his career while being sponsored by Nicorette (a stop smoking aid)..
just drinking quietly in the corner of the bar.
Dexter, am not saying we can’t sign a 17 yrs. I just want to hear news about us bidding for someone that’s not that age that’s all. And am not worked up about it, like I said I don’t know the ins and outs of the club.
Well it looks like we won’t be getting Sissoko anyway. He’s off to PSG apparently.
With the injured all starting to return AW will probably decide against buying more bank accounts to feed in January. Walcott, Özil, Ramsey etc will be like new signings!
17 could be considered a bit long in the tooth for an AW investment signing, Fab and Theo were both 16.
Öskar
With Kos having a relapsing chronic ailment that seems likely to persist throughout the season unless he gets 6 months rest, AW really has to bring in another reliable centre back option.
OTD
I’m with you ( metaphorically of course) on the sex thing.
I try to have sex almost every night. I almost had it on Saturday..almost on Sunday and almost on Monday ……ad infinitum.
Trouble is one of my teammates was smoking in the showers a few years ago and ash landed where it shouldn’t. End of my career in every sense. He wasn’t fined a penny
I don’t know how they keep fags alight in the shower, Ttg. Or why anyone would want to shower with teammates in the first place for that matter. I’ve shared a shower with the occasional woman who could be considered smoking, but that is stretching the memory somewhat now…
Öskar
Scuz, Otd: They are monks. So the answer to the question is none or an infinite number.
Otd, ttg, wasn’t it Brian Clough, or perhaps Bill Shankley who said what tired his players out isn’t “the sex the night before, it’s the staying up all night looking for it”
Woj smoking in the showers ?
Rumour has it that after a Flakey, Ropey performance for which he definitely did not win the blue Ribbon for Plugging the gaps in his goal, Szczesny in fact grabbed his pipe – not a fag – and went off to enjoy a Rough Shag in the showers.
That is all.
*look ’em up !* 😉
Trust you to pipe up when there’s a pun on offer, Trev.
Öskar
All this talk of tobacco. How about we all take a toke off a Peace Pipe, and pass it around …
After all, one of the most popular refrains, here at the bar is
“You misunderstood, what I said”. 😉
…and you believe wacky baccy will help with comprehension, abb??
Öskar
Hey Oskar, smiles. It’s just we can’t always feel the inflection of someone’s post as they meant it. xx
On the subject of showers
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6GhI-_CYAAGHLb.jpg
How in the world is Bony worth £30million? Unfreaking believable, this is just crazy. God help us.
Cynic. I guess Gary Neville didn’t get the luck o’ the Irish then. 🙂
Bt8b, sounds more like he got a leprechaun’s hut…
Ned, that’s deep. Oooh, er, hmmmm.
Trev, are you trying to say the goals against him in the Saints game were just lucky strikes?
Sanantonio
The fact that this polish kid is looking like Arsenal are trying to get him, judging by the players and Polish clubs quotes anyway, it doesn’t mean we aren’t in for anyone else (well I hope that’s not the case!) The rumours at the moment are out there, if you want to trawl through the rubbish on Newsnow! The Star is saying we are about to sign Cavarhlo and Loic Perrin.
How’s that work for ya? 🙂
I read that bbc article about Hckett criticising the standard of refereeing. And it’s well over due. But nothing will come of it, unless there is real pressure put on Riley and his Lee Masonic lodge! The PGMOL have responded with some outlandish stats saying that refs get 95% of big calls correct! What a load of bollocks, but the BBC article just took those figures at face value without scrutinising them…
And that’s the problem. The stats and spin needs to be looked at and the PGMOL need to be opened up like the can o’ worms it is.
Up the Arse!
Indeed, Dexter,
That Lee Masonic lodge is looking a bit Dowdy. I think it’s the murky Oliver green Moss that’s growing all over it, and it needs someone to Hackett all down.
You do feel, though, that it’s going to take someone a bit more Wiley than Riley to sort it all out.
😉
Bony for 30 million, 180k per week to City??? Insanity rules, he is not half that good but who am i to say.
The way things are going i really would be surprised if we end up buying anyone this month. Wenger will feel with most of his first teamers coming back, he may not need anymore additions for it would mean he has to rest some of them again.
Even though i believe we need a cb/dm desperately, the chances of that happening is remote for i cannot even see any realistic names up for grabs and even if they are, we are not remotely close to them.
On the positive, Ozil and Sanchez together this sunday, well that is definitely something to look forward to and with Giroud and Danny back, we should trash stoke for they gave us quite a hiding at the britannia.
HFB will return but I can’t see Ozil being brought back v the Orcs. Feo will probably start on the bench and only come on if we are home and hosed or if we are desperately chasing the game. Not sure that Danny will be fit in time.
Make no mistake, this will be a toughie.
Stoke will certainly not be an easy game, Bath. It is one we should win, but it’s going to take a good performance to do it. But I do think Theo will start if Danny is still out. He did 75 minutes v Hull and will have had a full week’s rest.
*Throws ‘The Book’ at Trev’s 134*
Bony is this season’s Christian Benteke. Awesome scoring record, but not a top level player. If money is no object he’s the kind of player you can bring in to sit on the bench, but in our world that’s Alexis Sanchez level cash.
Don’t see us spending much in January for the simple reason that the players we really want – the Schneiderlins of this world – will be moving in the summer. Plus, we should already have enough in the squad to finish top four.
If we don’t sign a DM in January I’ll be OK. If we don’t sign one in the summer I’ll be furious.
N7, I do think we need to acquire cover at CB in January though if Kos has a chronic recurring problem as has been implied.
Lars, you may be right about Feo. I was considering how vulnerable and rusty he looked rather than his need to add more game time.
Terrible events in Paris.
I do think Winston Reid is a possibility with his whole contract situation. And of course cheap, it reminds me of the Gary Cahill situation years ago. I wish we had gotten him then. Have not seen much of Reid, but people seems to saying a lot of good stuff. He doesn’t need to get used to the PL,so I really think if we are serious about CB,we can get him. I know some people want Hummels but don’t think Wenger will be ready to pay what Dortmund might be quoting for him.
Hackett’s criticism of the referees is completely justified in my opinion but I don’t agree with him about the five worst referees since so many bad decisions have been made by referees who aren’t on his list, but I do realize I’m very far from the best judge. At times I have been certain that Lee Mason is one of the worst however.
I haven’t noticed Jonathan Moss (who is scheduled to referee our game against Stoke) being particularly bad but he’s not on Hackett’s list, which does include Andre Marriner, Mike Jones, Lee Mason, Chris Foy and Lee Probert. But I have a feeling Trev’s list at 134 may not be the worst refs, just the refs with the most punnable names. 🙂
But I would like to nominate the duo of Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver for the Tweedledum / Tweedledee award for the most annoying smirk after making a bad decision against Arsenal.
Yes terrible events at Paris. A satirical take interpreted in the wrong way and viola 12 dead in a shootout in the city. These madmen will destroy this world.
Why should we not play Ozil this weekend? I understand he needs to be eased in but he needs game time and what better than a home game against the orcs. Imagine he gets directly involved in the city game the following week. He will be expected to perform miracles. This sunday is ideal for the magician and i sincerely hope this protecting is done and he in unleashed. He will be under scrutiny but i believe the man will come back better and brilliant.
Perfect coincidence will be if Mesut has a magnificent second half of the season and the dna so and so fades off the second half as he usually does. Odds for that??? Matic and our DM will decide that i believe. I am convinced Mesut will work wonders with a dm next to him. Now that does not mean flamini/arteta or coq.
Hope Washed Up in France, is ok 🙁
My sympathies lie with the people of France. xx
The killings at Charlie Hebdo remind us that football is only the most important of the least important things. Our sympathies and thoughts with the families of the slain editor, cartoonists, police and other victims. I would only hope this terrible event gives pause to some on social media when they start to hurl around vitriol without a second thought.
Thanks for your concern ABB but I`m way down south a long way from central Paris.
A totally despicable act by those who cannot accept any view or act that does not concur with their blinkered outlook.
I will not be surprised if this was commandeered from outside France and hope all involved will be found, unmasked and brought to properly conducted justice.
I sincerely hope that this will revolt all organised religions and lead to more tolerance rather than retribution and retrenchment.
nbn 148
sadly twas only a matter of time
.
there’s a dangerous difference between putting yer head above the parapet
and
tying a big pink bow to it and shouting “come get me”
to those
who will and indeed did
.
very sad state of affairs for their families
dreadful
cba 150
.
yeah
cheer everyone up
ya miserable dollop
.
cba 150
sounds like a motorcycle
.
rev
vroom etc
.
washed up, thank you for letting us know you are ‘ok’. Quite agree with you, btw. xx
cba. Beware those who talk to themselves. (As one who speaks from experience.) 😉
But one who speaks to himself from experience, bt8b?
well
if it isn’t
a fine
bt8
happy new year
howdy diddle do
to you
.
mate o mine
that postcode bt8
four winds
outskirts belfast
breezy as anywhere
ill deserved name
not windy at all
I used to talk to myself but I was so boring, I couldn’t be bothered to reply.
Tolerance?
Well, that is exactly the cause of it all, you silly “europeans”.
Keep on dreamin’, hippies.
bt8 how are ye fella ?
and you as well brother Ned
.
yerself and the monkereenoes
are amongst my fave here
.
I still have the 70s football mentality
enjoy facts and stats
cos
that’s all I had like other non london gooners
shoot magazine and a fleeting glimpse of actual football on motd
or
fa cup games
.
“THESE YAANGSTAS THEY KNOW NAFFIING”
.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Okay, I think it fair to say the window has been open long enough for anyone lined up to plug our defensive gaps prior to January would be on board already. We can all sit back now and wait for midnight on the final day and any club desperate enough to sell us someone on the cheap.
Öskar
134 Trev 🙂
As for transfers, unlike N7 (I think) I won’t be at all happy if we don’t sign a defensive midfielder this month. We have needed one for so long it would be tantamount to negligence if another window went by without the most obvious gaping hole in our team wasn’t filled! A CB is also required simply to make up the numbers after TV was sold for such a healthy amount (well a lot healthier than the Belgian anyway).
Will we see these new arrivals? I remain hopeful….