Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold?
Feb 1st, 2016 by 'holic
“They gave us a tough game last time and we have to put that right. It is a very important time in the season as we go into big, big games and have fifteen matches to go. The message is that we play at home, and we want to put things right, and put a strong performance in because the strength we show at home now in the remaining games can be decisive.”
Arsene Wenger reflects on the Boxing Day experience at Southampton. Less than six weeks ago we shipped four goals and, more importantly, three points at St Mary’s without Francis Coquelin and Alexis, among others. The return fixture is upon us and hopefully those two players will be back in the starting line-up as we look to seal a first win in four Premier League outings.
We are reaching the pointed end of the season when trophies are won by those with the greatest desire. We are about to be severely tested. After Southampton three of our next four Premier League fixtures are at home to current leaders Leicester City, and away to rivals Manchester United and Tottenham. Chuck into the middle of that the home leg of the Champions League tie against Barcelona and the need to keep the squad fit and confident is clear.
It is safe to assume that we will see wholesale changes again after the weekend, with only Laurent Koscielny, Francis Coquelin, Alexis, and Olivier Giroud retaining their starting berths. Back will surely come Petr Cech, Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Montreal, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, and either Joel Campbell or Theo Walcott on the right flank.
One man who definitely won’t feature is Mathieu Debuchy who has joined Bordeaux for the rest of the season on loan. I think Arsene has been remarkably good to a player who wants first team football in order to regain his place in the French team for this summer’s European Championship. To a player who had opportunities to play for Arsenal this month and prove he was worthy of a place in a title-chasing side. His departure leaves us a bit thin on cover for Hector Bellerin, with all due respects to Calum Chambers, still searching for his best position. Let’s hope that decision doesn’t come back to haunt us in the coming weeks.
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman sounded in bullish mood ahead of their trip to the Grove.
“We are looking forward to the big game. They know it is difficult to beat Southampton and we have a good record against the big teams and we want to keep that.”
Since beating us the Saints have suffered consecutive defeats at Norwich and West Ham in the League, and at home to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, before bouncing back with League wins against Watford, West Brom, and away to Manchester United. They have also acted in the transfer window, securing the services of Charlie Austin from QPR. They are up to eighth place in the table, just a point behind Liverpool who themselves are at Leicester tomorrow.
The ‘holic pound
There’s little point in being anything other than positive with the pound. If we are the real deal then Southampton must be put to the sword by the strongest side we have put out in weeks, months even. I’m on 3-1 to the Arsenal at a decent looking 16/1 and if we oblige we will all feel a little bit better going into a big few weeks.
Although it’s an evening game I will be there and I am unfortunately at work on Wednesday so the report will probably arrive twenty-four hours after the event. You will all know what has happened by then so I will try and make it a review with a difference. For certain I will be wrapping up in layers having seen the weather forecast. Brr. Hence the headline.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
230 Responses to “Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold?”
Frigid for me.
Sure hope Southampton doesn’t parka the bus. 😉
Saints haven’t won at our place in for league for 20 consecutive games.
L 15 D 5.
Let’s hope we continue to keep them that way.
Koeman is a very astute manager,and knows how to set up against us.
In 10 matches against Arsene,he has only lost twice.
It won’t be pretty,as there only shot on goal at Utd was the one that won them the points.
Early goal important again,to give us confidence,and make them come out and play.
The longer we go scoreless,the more doubts creep in,so let’s get at them from the get go.
Don’t expect many goals,as they have scored 11 and conceded only 10 on their travels this season.
Good luck to those going.
You never know what to expect with the weather and you never quite know what sort of performance we are likely to give. We haven’t played really well since the Citeh game and our performance at St. Mary’s was a surprise and disappointment to us all. At least of the returning players Aaron Ramsey can point out he was not implicated in the sad demise of Sir Terry as he didn’t play at the weekend. Of the team who played on Saturday and will probably start tomorrow Alexis and Le Coq were fresh and needed the game time as did Elneny, who one imagines will start on the bench. On current form Campbell will start ahead of Theo but it seemed to me that Ox produced a much sharper performance on Saturday and set up the winner beautifully. I suspect he might start tomorrow which would be a surprised of many.
I worry most about central defence at present. BFG has had an underwhelming season, Kos is not in top form and Gabriel showed some signs of fallibility on Saturday.
Regular readers will know I rate Charlie Austin more highly than most on here and a much inferior finisher in Shane Long caused us many problems on Boxing Day.
Notwithstanding this I have to believe we will win and the return of Le Coq will make us much more secure. I often go for a 2-0 win and I think Sanchez and Giroud will notch for us
COYG!!
Like the Sweeper I also think it will be a tight game, although it is one we should win. We have Alexis back, we have the Coq, and Özil, Ramsey and Campbell have all had the weekend off. And on that subject I think it speaks volumes of how Campbell has risen through the ranks that he wasn’t even in the squad on Saturday but both Walcott and the Ox started. It is quite likely that neither of them start tomorrow, I expect to see Coq-Ramsey centrally with Campbell and Alexis out wide and of course Özil in the middle and Giroud up top.
lars, i think you’re spot on. but i’m with ttg on the defense, gabriel had me staring a couple times against burnley. i think that’ll be per-kozzer, with monreal back in his spot and his opposite number hectoring down the right.
i don’t know for charlie austin. is he quick? that’s the only thing i worry about. well, that and to know if he’s a costa-like cheating see you next tuesday, which i highly doubt.
enjoy the weather, holic. even with it, i know you consider yourself lucky to be there 🙂
Lars: Campbell was in the squad but remained on the bench on Saturday. Walcott didn’t start but came off the bench.
Predicted line-up:
Cech, Bellerin, Per, Kos, Nacho, Coq, Ramsey, Ozil, Campbell, Alexis, Giroud.
don’t live in donegal anymore
.
.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
(sobs)
.
moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
🙁
Match day and the same question I always ask. What Arsenal team will actually turn up? That for me will be the deciding factor.
TTG. Charlie Austin at £4 million was an absolute steal.
Yet again we are treated to another damp squib of a transfer window. It’s all a bit limp and pathetic for me. Still, at least we go into the game top of the match day revenue league.
Here’s hoping for a good 3 points. If we turn in a performance like the one on the South Coast then I’m guessing there might be one or two more questioning our lack of a credible transfer policy?
See some of you later on then?
Enjoy.
gonna do me head in
worse things happen
cattle are mental
fans of dub
played out the back
ns10s
i’m thinkin of you
gooner T
god rest
loved walk home
moon gone
hour walk
2 hour stroll
me wee music player
barely see yer nose
wee squeeze box dynamo torch
king tubby
augustus pablo
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XGtXPaZ1OJs
rockers uptown
howdy steve T
top man
top man indeed
Howdy CBA
Top man yerself
When you heading to these parts?
First round is on me.
steve
things are flying around in the air
most of them the consequences of my money dealings
jeez fuckin louise
fuckin
ell – i’m poor
much as i am lookin forward de greetin many of ye fine ‘ holics
*wha*
obviously not ‘ holic himself
he’s nowt but a shifty shite
plum in the frame
for stealing my online dignity
the rest of ye
of course
(not him though-he evil)
EVILLLLLLLLLLLL
(nice at the same time though , inni )
So our busy January transfer window turned out to be nothing more than some furious licking. Again.
But with all those injured players coming back like new signings, we’ve managed to get half a team in January …. for nothing!
Cheapskate bastards! 😉
NO NO NO
Yer a cynical so and so
.
Or
.
We were supposed to build the new stadium to compete financially with the very best and for the second time in a row we are the paupers of net transfer spending,we have spent 15,7 mil in an entire seasons only out done by Spuds,Villa,southhampton can anyone seriously tell me why we just ddint stay at Highbury when he refuses to spend any money ???????? Sure,he wants to make sure his charities are taken care off like the forever injured Rosicky,Diaby,Wheel chair Wilshire,Welbz the geriatric etc.Rumour has it we are sitting on a warchest of more then 250 mil nd kroenke want to get half of that money out so he can buy the Rams,are we gonna stand for that.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6AO9-HWiYT4
the original s
feeling old
yup
and in the same way
or sideways similar
that MEDIA punk rock was invented
ooops
Ramones did it Jan 75
.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qOa4j7m-W2U
a few years later
the “KING ” was invented
fully original
shortly after
yup
that’s alright mama indeed
loada crudup
No standing at stadiums these days, Danish, so we’ll have to sit for it (those lucky enough to attend the best club in the best stadium in UK.
Meanwhile, having agreed to pay Pep £45m over the next three years it’s now rumoured Messi, Neymar, Pogba and Stones are on the menu for, let’s have a guess, £350m in transfer fees? Plus salaries.
This from a club which posted combined losses of £380m+ in the years since 2010 and just £10.7m profit last year, its first plus figure since the oily ones arrived in 2008. Oh, and that £10.7m does NOT including last summer’s transfer spending of around £150m on the likes of Sterling, de Bruyne and Otamendi – so that’s another real loss then.
FFP where are you? Or can someone with better understanding of these matters please explain.
Oskar
are the RAMONES the most influential band of all time ?
.
YES !!!!
.
disagree and i’ll break yer moronic internet jaw
twice – d
Above was on Man City’s menu of course, according to today’s rumours.
Oskar
ah
oskar
yer talkin fubble
jeez – if we didn’t love the Arsenal
i don t think we’d be in the boozer where ye get called out
so
how are ye big man
ye are a fuckin titan of this place
and
i said it before – i’m proud de know ye
Some might say The Beatles, cba, others The Golden Gate Quartet. For me it was Kraftwerk.
Oskar
23 was in response to your Ramones babble my friend. Yes they were great too.
I’m good, how’s yourself? You’re sounding well!
Oskar
oskar
neu 75
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GT0f1Tw3YXM
would be one of my favourites
can too
faust
harmonia
daf
but
neu
i think put the tin lid on the biscuits
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yJg1NNyke2E
always an interesting corny conversation starter too
if we are talkin music
which we aren’t
david bowie dying made me very sad
i never bought a bowie record
i never hung on his ever utterance
but
every band i liked
you knew liked bowie
apart of course from the Clancy Brothers
i thought he wrote great tunes
brilliant tunes
some rip-offs
some kinda rip-offs
most mish above
but
i went “holy fuck” when i heard
he’d died
.
god rest
(i’m poor)
(i did me time)
but
he couldn’t
eff and Jeff
at the same time
GON DON
.
hwttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yJg1NNyke2E
love that tune
i am not gonna handle
city life
MOOOOOOOOOOO
but
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SM2f0YWhP9o
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fKLowu0OwrU
another fella
doff of the cap
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7t3mHsdBM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G91XhkR4i_E
de old oirish
don’t ye know
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=A-pIEWA572A
is this me record ‘hol
been on the home made hooch
liquorice and lemon
both 47%
i do apologise
but
in my defence
i have been a gooner
for at least as long as a negligent consultant
plus an overseas smartarse
and half a dozen baby doll herberts
*clears throat*
now
COME ON YOU REEEDDDDDDDDDDSSSSS
Sorry I had to leave, cba. Back at ya with two bits of Kiwi … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DsfVXh-H3w … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=digLC94vx2I
Oskar
oskar 🙂
always a tonic
not always fer the troops
but a bate up the chops all the same
i’ll look at those two youtube yokes now
and get back to you
not that
yer sitting perched
trembling
I don t work for the Donegal Disgusted anymore
?
I’ve heard of her
the first one
not a bad stab
not a bad stab at all
gonna give the second one a go
second one oskar
enjoyed that
nice one
.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DDjpOrlfh0Y
north of ireland band i know nothing about
except
django django
apologies esso
.
i know yer an early reader
still
better than beatin tonight’s squad to death
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=VkqQj8Z_aVY
The last time at St.Mary’s, Southampton played a high pressing, counter attacking game which really unsettled our defense. Long (the fucking cheat) and Mane bullied Per and Kos throughout with their pace. Clasie and Wanyama took Ozil out of the game and we looked ordinary.
We did not have Coq and Alexis on that day and their presence this time around should provide some pace and also shore up our defense. Southampton will sit back and look to create one or two chances on the counter to score. They will come looking for a draw and they have shown in the recent past that they are difficult to beat. Only hope we score first and get that goal early on in the game. Love to see us wiping that smug look from Koeman’s face.
never bought a bob dylan record either
but fer sum reason
i have about 20 neil young albums
not that a few o them aren’t lumpy
early 80s
sweet mother o fuckin
Shite
Deary me
the cba clan are stretching and yawning
apparently due in no small part
to
This
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ14KSC07f8
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=71s-T8oUTQs
this’ll get em ail up
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UdSAxDyaXkw
yup
I’m gettin the record player fired up
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vGOEUo_sLxY
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pnPaOi6F4wc
Love the bass in your django django, cba. Here’s a bit of Brit indie for anyone into procrastinating… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5EnFG1-R-s
Now I must go again.
Oskar
cows?
who needs cows ?
when a complete cunt
can wake ye up !
?????????????
Ooops, wrong link for my previous. Should have been … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcNh_PrzRWk
Oskar
Gone now.
G’mornin’ cba.
You are in fine fettle for an insomniac. Big man hug ya glorious sod. 🙂
Nice preview Guvna. Had quite forgotten this was on. Go win, Arsenal. 3-1 will do nicely.
Cold? It was 38″ here today so I’m hoping for an early goal and a confident display to cool things down.
2-0 to the good guys.
UTA.
Nice preview Holic.
Agree with most of your team apart from Per. I think Wenger will want to play Gabby against Barca – and might allow him some game time in the interim. I also feel its imperative to have pace against a Southampton side who will happily sit back and play counter attacking football. I love the BFG but its not every game that suits him. Other than that, I’m with Lars @ 5: “Coq-Ramsey centrally with Campbell and Alexis out wide and of course Özil in the middle and Giroud up top”.
I think letting Debuchy is a mistake, even if it means having an unhappy player remain at the club. He is contracted to AFC and not France. How letting him go to Bordeaux makes any sense for the club is just beyond me. He is easily the best right back behind Bellerin and given a choice for cover at centre-half – I would have him ahead of Chambers too.
Ttg: if you don’t mind me saying sir, I seriously feel you have underestimated Shane Long. I can assure you that I’m not playing the “Irish card” in saying that – I just honestly think he’s a far better player than he’s ever given credit for. He destroyed us the last time and caused us trouble everytime he ran at the back four. And he has a tireless work ethic. I expect the same tonight – but like you, I hope that Gabriel plays instead of Per.
Good riddance to all the faux hype and sensationalism that the January transfer window brings every year. Y’know when players like Adebayor are making the headlines – that it really is the car-boot-sale of transfer markets. In fact, good riddance to a terrible January all in all – one in which the world lost some really super people.
Impec1: you are of course right. Not really sure how I got that so wrong.
Joe you are spot on. January sucked.!!
And not least because cba went awol. 😀
Joe
I agree Long can be a handful and is very quick but I would criticise him in the past for finishing that didn’t match the rest of his game. You’re quite right he is underrated and he could trouble us running at BFG but Austin is close to the best finisher in the league. The rest of Austin’s game doesn’t match up to the highest standards but if you combined the best bits of him and Long I think you’d have a very decent player
Looking for a decent football game tonight. With Cech, Hector, Ozil, Nacho and Rambo rested on Saturday there can be no excuses. Just hope Feo, who is in dire form gets left on the bench and maybe the Ox who had a much better game on Saturday gets another run out wide right.
Its freezing cold here in W.Norfolk today so am going well wrapped up and 3-1 doesn’t seem too optimistic. Surely lightening and Long can’t strike twice!
Ever hopeful
COYRs
Not sure what part of Italy Pelle is from but from what I hear there are some organizations in that country that are well acquainted with the concept of revenge. Once the game has started he most certainly will be alert to vengeful tactics so I say we take him out just prior to kickoff. 😉
Saints will stick to the same game plan as they did at st.mary’s, how will we respond may just determine the outcome.
Campbell instead of theo for me, deserving as well for theo has done nothing worthy to merit a chance ahead of joel. In fact it may work in our favour that we will theo coming off the bench in the last quarter.
Wanyama specially seems to turn up for this game than any other game as if it his auction all over again. Victor your audition is done and youa re not selected, so get on with it and have a stinker tonight.
Alexis is crucial he and mesut need to get their partnership going not just today but till the end of the season. Therein lies our best chance of winning the league.
2-1 to the Arsenal seems a fair result knowing it will be per against long again. It doesnt matter how we win, just win Arsenal.
They will stick someone like Clasie to Ozil to stop him from playing. This time around we will have Alexis to take some pressure off Ozil. Southampton will be very physical and I only hope the referee brings his cards with him. 3 points any which way will be fine as we cannot afford to drop points if we are serious about winning the league. COYG.
Gonna be hard tonight, the figuritive finger must be forcably removed if we want to take anything out of this fixture. Southampton are no mugs and their current form is better then ours, plus the’ve had the added bonus of an extra weekends rest.
Enjoy your trip H.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS.
No reason not to expect 3 points this evening. The same was, of course, true on Boxing Day, but that, at least was an away game. So, guys, no excuses. 3 points please.
COYG
Hard graft, focus, a bit of flair and a bit of luck please. That should deliver the result we absolutely require. Three points anywhichway.
Cech, Hector, Gaby, Kos, Nacho, Flamster, Aaron, Campbell, Ozil, Alexis, HFB
Ospina, Gibbo, Per, Chambers, Coq, Ox, Theo
No Elneny or Arteta even in squad.
or Iwobi come to that.
Kos is skipper tonight by all accounts.
Time for AR16 to step up.
Loads of Hate for Flamini on Twitter. He aint been that brilliant lately, but far better to get behind him and the other boys than waffle on with the usual garbage. Hey ho.
First time in a long time we’ve put a team out containing Ozil AND Alexis. Good stuff!
And our entire midfield. We need to stay on top of Southampton the whole game.
Time for AR16 to step up.
Yeah, step up to barber’s chair before it’s too late. Although it may already be…
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY6f-MHWwAAb2uF.jpg
Nah mate, he’s become a right luvvie, hob knobbing with the likes of that utter cunt James Corden.
Fuck the haircut taffy! Just stick a few in the old onion bag for us!
Come on.
Scalp the other guys bettersaid. Hmmmph.
come on you boys in red!!
wow, how much do we love petr?
our passing in the midfield is terrible.
Sloppy come on Arsenal!!!
Now then.
Two chances for Ozil to score missed. They are physical and the ref is as usual letting a lot of it go. Come on!
ksn, foster made a great save on the second one. agreed about the ref. but man, our passing is terrible at times.
Ref is Lee Mason. Believe me the worst is yet to come.
Ref you bloody blind bat!
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNN!
he’s not doing us any favors, that’s for sure.
how in the hell did we not score there? great work by joel and alexis.
Come on Arsenal. Let us please see Coquelin come on for Flamini. (Knows AW would never do anything I suggest.)
boy that was an ugly first half on our part, with a few moments of beauty. ramsey, based on that display, should never start again (that said, i know it’s an anomaly, so of course he will and should). gabriel doesn’t fill me with confidence, and hector has to be more careful not getting skinned. joel looks pretty good, though he was nearly as profligate as aaron. the hfb, nacho, and kozzer have been ok. the only players with high credit so far are mesut, alexis, and petr, really.
we were not at the races thats for sure, few moments of beauty, what a goal it would be when Mesut killed that ball from Alexis with touch from other world.
Ref is letting them manhandle us again, I am all for that but be fucking consistent, you cannot let one side kick, grab and strangle the other and give foul every time the second one touches the player…also ..Wanayama is fat cunt.
63%possession.
But not playing like a team with a lot of confidence.
Saints happy to sit in and hit us on the break.
if we can get the early goal 2nd half,make all the diff.
longer it goes goal less,the more frustrated we get.
With Spuds/City and Utd all winning,we must pocket the 3 pts by hook or by crook.
Long is another big cunt who fouls and grins; he knows the ref won’t call him. It is like playing with hands tied. All to play for. city leading and Leicester 0-0.
Another great save by Their goalie.
oooh, fuck. that was a good save. well done, og.
More shit passing and almost paid the price!
keeerist, what was that gabriel?
lee mason is a dumb bunny. no control over the game at all.
FUCK FORSTER.
Ref is really taking the piss. Almost got caught there. Forster makes three saves.
Here is all I am saying at the moment. Spurs, Man City & Leicester are winning at the moment. But then again some will its only one game.
Hurry up and glue his head together already…..
Grrr… COME ON!
Everyone is winning except us.
16 fouls, 1 yellow card.
Ref is really against us and clearly has an agenda.
hey its only one game right?
on to the next one right?
just keep supporting right?
First foul and Coq gets a yellow card!
Will keep supporting ta, but can’t I just let off my frustration.
c’mon coq and gabriel. neither challenge was necessary. damn it!
ta, don’t really care what *you* do.
We’re getting jack out of this fucking shit.
I’m with you mate. Every time i’m frustrated i always have people telling me about perspective and how its only one game. IMHO if Wenger doesn’t win it this year he needs to go. Even if he does he needs to call it a day
Walcott has been terrible since he came on. 10 years and this is how he’s developed. Ramsey seems to be leaking his brains too
shit.
Ref is a bloody C…!
Fuck!
This is not on the Ref. It is classic Arsenal. Pick any season we have challenged for the title in the last 12 years and this is how it always ends.
We are not winning this league.. Sorry.
Anyone still think Leicester city can’t win the league.. Think again. Well it’s not just 3pts anymore.
Two more points dropped. Spurs go ahead of us to third and we are at 4th.
I’d just like someone to tell me how we’ll fare against Pep and City if this is how we act in a season everyone agrees the title is mostly ours to lose. Wenger hit his top ceiling in 2004 and can’t get back there again no matter how much faith we have.
Spurs just passed us up in the table and we are clinging to a CL spot.
For all the lovey dovey Ozil stuff just about everybody indulges in, the player we’re really missing at the moment is Cazorla.
Back where we belong
Quite perceptive at 120. 😉
Losing a few matches does not mean AW has to go, ta. Have some perspective.
Had enough chances to win the game.
Rub of the green not going our way.
Oh i do like to be beside the seaside.!!
A trip to Bournemouth on the horizon.
Hopefully the fresh sea air will revitalize us.
Here is all I am saying at the moment. Spurs, Man City & Leicester have won. But then again some will say its only one game. Oh wait the other teams are picking up points.
Flamini-Ramsey partnership started as a barely functional one, creaked onto mostly dysfunctional, now it is comical. Individually not bad players but not a pair that can at all be trusted in the engine room. No positional awareness and little ability to play through the press. Rambo was more disciplined today but at his best he is capable of bringing the ball up through the midfield.
With Coquelin returning we need to find a solution for the Cazorla shaped hole in the midfield. His ability to control in tight spaces, avoid challenges and then spring an attack is sorely missed. Given Theo’s shocking form, and the immaturity of Campbell (technically gifted, hardworking but not a player to start in a title-run), maybe move Rambo back to right and try Ox who has been better centrally and despite some horror passing in recent performances well capable of dribbling through a congested midfield.
We badly missed Cazorla. The little magician.
We were not creative enough, not adventurous enough.
SAG @118
seriously my friend.
At the beginning of the season with only a keeper purchased in the Summer,i cannot believe that you entertained the thought that we could win the Title. ??
Any sane Gooner would have been expecting more of the same,a ding dong battle in the top 4,but no chance of challenging for the Top with City and Chelsea the front runners.
Notwithstanding Chelsea’s fall from grace,and Leicester’s unexpected rise, for me,we are where we should be,given the number of technically deficient players we have in our squad.
The fact we have flown a bit closer to the Sun recently,giving Gooners everywhere some reason to hope we might ascend to a higher plane,the reality is somewhat different.
I still think the FA Cup is our best chance of a trophy this season,and anything else would be a massive surprise.
Weak. Someone thought 12 years was long? We’ll be at least 3 more years then I’m wondering how much longer Wenger is going to be here for. The best thing he could have done for us was to retire at the end of the season and try getting pep in before City but his pride wouldn’t let him.
Back where we belong, fighting to hold 4th spot. Cech and Özil looking world class, the rest Championship level with even Alexis just flattering to deceive. The defence lucky not to concede – especially Gabriel who could have given away two pens if the ref hadn’t been kind to him. It’s going to be a long 14 games.
Reus and Hummels please.
Oskar
I see the knives are out again for the whipping boy. At least he got a couple of shots on target and provided a couple of excellent assist which weren’t converted, which is more than players on the pitch three times as long managed.
But along with most of the rest who played today I wouldn’t complain if he was upgraded in the summer.
Oskar
ta, you’re being a bore.
Oskar
G54@131- I was only hoping and praying that after almost 11 yrs without winning the PL this might actually be our year. How wrong was I although I still have a faint hope that we can still win it. The gap is getting bigger now. Might start thinking about fighting for the damn 4th place finish again. We can’t blame Wenger, he built us a stadium. We will go another 5 years without winning the trophy and you still won’t get some fans to see that it’s time for a change ( not saying this because of today neither).
How Wanyama and Romeu got out of that game without a yellow card is beyond me… Also a yellow card after 3-4 rotational fouls would have prevented further persistent fouling. But then what else can one expect from Lee Mason…
Still think that the two Ozil chances and Koscielny’s header were good enough chances to win the game. And their goalie was as usual having a great game against us. Really disappointed with Walcott – bringing on the Ox would have been a better option. Walcott just couldn’t retain the ball at all. Against tough tackling teams – Walcott’s game always goes missing(which means quite often in the premier league).
Precious points dropped today. Alexis seemed to be getting into the groove and it needs to be that way for us. Hopefully the Coq can start games now because Flamsey isn’t working at all for us and boy We do miss Cazorla so badly…
Many twists and turns ahead but we just need to win 2-3 games on the trot to get our mojo back.
SAG
We are all hoping and praying mate,every last one of us.!!
Could have easily won tonight,but for their keeper,and we would have still been daring to dream.
Torture. No quality outside Ozil, Sanchez and Cech. The British core is rotten to the core, what a project that was. 250 mill in the bank yet the punters and the faithful have to watch our few stars toiling away with home-grown that has flopped, guys signed for circa 5-10 mill at best ( ok one or two work out ok like Monreal….but it’s one or two out of each batch of 5 or 6), loanees that can’t be sold but get another chance at our famous club….or has-beens like freebie Flamini or Mertsacker discarded by Germany 2 years ago. It’s Wenger’s arrogance and sense of his own importance, unaccountable to any higher authority, that leaves us under-equipped when the pressure comes on, that allows each window to pass. The really disturbing question is how long will Ozil and Sanchez stay ?
Where have all the hippies gone…
Forster with a brilliant game. But there are too many passengers in red & white. I agree with sc that there is too many mediocre players out there.
Massively frustrating. But there are still games to be played, aren’t there? Lets not overreact.
“It’s Wenger’s arrogance and sense of his own importance, unaccountable to any higher authority, that leaves us under-equipped when the pressure comes on, that allows each window to pass. The really disturbing question is how long will Ozil and Sanchez stay ?”
Really, let’s not overreact. Disappointing result, yes, but season not lost. Can’t we at least wait a bit longer (like say until its over) before we start turning on those in our own club? Tiresome.
Just got back home from what can only be described as a major disappointment. We huffed a lot and puffed a lot but created very few moments of real quality. We were very slow on the break and Operation Walk It In was just not good enough.
As has been mentioned above, we had far too many passengers tonight. Ozil and Alexis ran their socks off. Giroud battled hard but had very little support. The rest were average at best.
In the last 3 transfer windows we have bought two outfield players. One is a centre half and one a holding midfield player. Neither I would suggest are regular starters. There dare I say it is the problem. We just simply do not have the required quality. With 8 mins to go and desperately chasing the game we bring on proven match winner Le Coq. If that doesn’t give people a clue as to where we are then nothing will.
Yet again, massively frustrated.
relax it’s all part of the plan to let others have the pressure of leading before you win it in the last sprint
The British core is rotten to the core
Remind me how many players who started for Arsenal tonight were British?
Oh yeah that’s right. One.
But blame the players not even playing, that always works.
Any comment on the fantastic quality on display from Campbell, Sanchez, Ozil, Flamini, Giroud, Bellerin, Monreal, Koscielny and Gabriel?
Yes I’m being a bore. 12 years has also been a massive bore. Its always about waiting with you lot isn’t it.
—Listen the season just started give the boys time to get in the groove, never mind others are leaving us behind. Wait till the end of the season to express your disappointment or criticisms the team needs your support. Well the season is over and we didn’t do well but what did you expect with what we had? But wait a minute, the squad really isn’t that bad if we are to analyze the players, wait till the end of the transfer window to allow Wenger to fix the one or two problems we have. Oh the window is over? Wenger didn’t fix those problems? Well we actually have reason to be optimistic this season because so and so can step up his game, if such and such who spent last season with the doctors remains injury free this year he’ll be amazing, Oh this one has 1 more year under his belt, he’ll surely come good this season. Rinse and repeat.—
Might I remind that United are meant to be in a crisis having had LVG’s philosophy collapse spectacularly yet they’re only 5 points behind the best Arsenal team in the last decade that currently sits 4th?
But wait, I’m such a bore…
U keeping it real, ta.
I’ve just returned and have avoided back drinking because it was depressing enough watching a very frustrating performance. The same players always give good value- Ozil, Sanchez, Monreal, Cech and Koscielny.
My default position is to back Wenger but he strains our loyalty when he starts with Flamini who would surely struggle go get into any other team in the Premier League. We had some real nightmare performances tonight- Hector is willing but looking burnt out, Campbell looked limited, Walcott was lucky to get on ahead of Ox who I thought would bring some pace and directness and maybe the physical courage and commitment that Theo lacks. Giroud toiled manfully with Fonte tugging his short off his back all night but lacked support with Ramsey going through a poor spell. We miss Santi terribly on nights like this .
Forster is a terrific goalkeeper and played superbly but the most annoying thing was the lack of pace and commitment in the first half. We drifted through the game and I can’t remember us playing brilliantly in the first twenty minutes since we played United back in the Autumn.
It is vitally important that we win the next two games, both of which will be very testing. We then play United and Spurs . I got pelters a few weeks ago when I suggested this Tottenham side is the best they have had for years. I fear for us going there in March unless we can rapidly improve our overall performance.
And yes Lee Mason was pathetic and he usually is but he was not the reason we didn’t win tonight. Koeman was right in what he said to Wenger. We shouldn’t follow the conspiracy theory route of the desperate folks at Untold when we play like this.
Nevertheless hope springs eternal and we will be in a better position when Citeh have played Leicester if we can beat Bournemouth. But that’s a big if after tonight.
Afobe scored his third in his third PL appearance. Great to see him fulfilling his potential.
Agree totally TTG, and Dr F as well.
This team cant play for shit when there is something at stake. Watch them play better when its time to lock up 4th spot. I mean we are talking about the damn title, and we have not scored in 3 matches. 2pts from possible 12pts, not good enough.
I also went and saw the same match as Steve T @ 142
Once again, we didn’t play that bad, just couldn’t finish. Perhaps because we don’t have (and probably never will have again)a true world class finisher.
But even a simple ‘good’ striker would have got one tonight.
Simply don’t understand why AW doesn’t take a punt on a journeyman striker in transfer windows. At least the likes of Walcott might think ‘Jeez, I must be really shit if he’s bought HIM!’ 🙂
Mark,@ #151, Charlie Austin comes to mind.
Gents, you talk about strikers. Can you imagine where we would be if Giroud were to pick up an injury? Especially if it were months rather than weeks?
There was some hostility at the ground tonight directed towards Arsene. I really don’t like to see it but as TTG says, at times there is a big strain on the loyalty.
It may be useful to remind ourselves that what truly enabled us for the “best team in 2015 calendar year” run in PL. What facilitated the consistent flourishing of the individualities of Alexis and Ozil. It was a midfield pairing that provided balance and incisiveness at the same time.
In absence of someone like Aguero who is consistently great at creating chances from nowhere in the box and converting them, this incarnation of Arsenal depends on two modes of scoring — the classic counter-attack that we are still very good at when given a chance and the drag the opposition defense around triangles — with the odd bit of set-piece excellent thrown in.
When there is no scope for counter-attacking — Chelsea and Southampton home games, for example — the ability to maintain the possession and create the passing lanes around the opposition box is crucial, as is the ability to switch play from the center of the midfield. You need a midfield that is capable of recycling, and create triangles to drag deep defenses out, to open up some space for Alexis to run at and Ozil to find the final ball. Since Coquelin-Cazorla got injured our midfield has failed miserably to do any of that. Our home game against the Toons was very much like today’s, they actually played better but Kos got us a scrappy goal.
Now that Coquelin is back, one of Rambo or Ox really needs to find out a way to dovetail with his defensive consistency to allow more control and nous in the midfield. Otherwise no amount of technical brilliance from Alexis or Ozil would compensate for the the self-evident absence in our engine room.
Today it was also puzzling that we didn’t go for the third substitute. We lacked a direct dribbler through the middle — hence Alexis and Ozil dropping deeper and central too often — and maybe Ox or Iwobi (who had shown promising close control and passing in his few appearances ) through the middle for the last 7-10 minutes would have presented a different type of challenge for the Southampton defense.
Dr F. Just look at who we did bring on? With less than 10 to go and chasing the game, what change to we make that will make the difference? That’s right. Our go to player is Le Coq. As good as he has become he has hardly built his reputation with his attacking qualities?
As I sad earlier, I would suggest that this tells you enough about where we are as a club.
Steve @ 156: I thought it was an attempt to protect us against the typical last minute sucker punch we tend to suffer in games like this. Flamini was so out of position and his passing getting worse as the match progressed it made sense as a defensive sub (1>0 etc.)…but you are right that not being able to bring at least another striking option at the stage was really disappointing. Wish TR7 were back fit for this match, his kind of cameo appearance would have made a difference.
Wenger brought on Coq in place of a tiring Flamini to strengthen the defence. He was making sure we wouldn’t lose. It is still a mystery why he did not bring on Ox.
Perhaps we were happy with a point????
Not sure that too many near me would agree though.
Ox should have been on instead of Theo? Have you been watching him in recent games? Theo may be out of sorts after weeks playing on the wrong wing getting blocked going forward by Özil forever leaning towards his international position, but he’s still quicker than Ox, provides better crosses (on another day he would have had two assists today but for poor finishing in the middle) and his shooting is more accurate (at least his two shots were on target today whereas Ox fired over the top three times last time he played. Not to mention Ox hasn’t scored a single goal this season anyway).
No Theo isn’t playing well, but who is? To suggest others should have played ahead of him is just bias, imo. The ever popular (and ever forgiven) JC played twice as long in this game as Theo but was twice as bad. Get real.
But as I have said several times, Theo is just one of at least 5 players we need to upgrade in the summer if we’re ever to get out of 3rd/4th spot in the EPL. That’s IF we can afford appropriate upgrades, and Scgooner’s claim of £250m in the bank (#139) is I believe a pipe dream. I’d be surprised if we had £50m for transfers and not a lot in prospect to cover salaries, and that would buy us just one world class player, maybe two if AW can unearth another TH14 and TA6, the two positions most in need of filling.
Oskar
It’s not about being happy with a point but more avoid the despair of a defeat. I’m dejected as I really thought we were going to nick it until the end when we started taking too many risks and exposed ourselves.
In isolation the result is decent against a team parking the bus and hoping to hit us on the break. But we’ve lacked bite since the Liverpool draw and with all the players back we should do better than we did during the injury epidemic.
Time to wake up and stop dithering.
Oskar – for you to accuse others of bias is absolutely priceless!
You really should have your own show.
You welcome to disagree, IF. Perhaps you’d like to argue specific points rather than just snipe?
Oskar
Typical Arsenal.
At the summer of 2004 if someone would tell me that we’ll not win the league for 12 years I will see him as a hockey fan, but here we are, 12 years and still counting. The same manager, the same mistake…
Our challenging for the title this season wasn’t because we have anything special but because Chelsea, Man u and City are going through a recession. On a good season after 24 games there should be a team on 60 point.
It will be unfair to football if Leicester city did not win the league this season, because they have two things we don’t have; two strikers that score goals and defense that never crack.
No serious team contending for the title would have players like Flamini and Cambell in their starting eleven, and Walcott as their super sub. It is time for the Ox to be given similar opportunity like Theo and Cambell.
The latest news in town is that Dele Alli has already matched the number of premier league goals Theo walcott has score in his ten years at arsenal.
15 Games, 15 Wins = Champions, Simple not sure why everyones so worried, 🙂
Midfield and it being more exposed than Debbie Does Dallas is a worry I admit, and the fact we couldn’t score in said movie leaves me a little perturbed but hey ho we are in the mix, No point harking back to the missed opportunities in the summer lets see where we are come judgement day – Im still pretty confident we will finish above Leicester and That Lot, whether that will be enough who knows.
Oskar – as you have proved on many occasions,you are the master of endless repetitive sniping. I would’nt dream of competing with you in that department.
Its very kind of you to allow me to disagree.
My comment was plain enough.
No sniping.
I think you are the most miopic contributor to this bar.
It tickled me that you dont see the irony of your comment as you are so biased in your ceaseless defence of Theo. That’s all.
As I have said before it is your unending attempts to “prove” your views correct that wore me out.
I am sure you will reply in high dudgeon,but this is my last involvement.
No, I wouldnt like to argue specific points.
That way lies madness……
It is still a mystery why he did not bring on Ox.
Because he’s not been very good?
I dunno why there’s all this angst this morning though.
For all the talk about this being our best chance to win the league for 12 years, we currently lie one place beneath fucking Spurs in the table, ten goals shy of their GC, which is the clearest indication that we ain’t actually all that good.
Or at least that we should have, you know, bought a proper striker in the summer.
GD, not GC. The keyboard is moving about 😉
in the coming weeks there’ll also be Welbeck to turn to for some potent finishing!
Every season has these moments.
Bleak moments where results run against us and opposition keepers play absolute blinders. Moments where you’re not sure where our next goal is coming from, and you reflect glumly on what we didn’t buy in the summer. Moments where we get a visit from scgooner.
Last night was undoubtedly disappointing. We are undoubtedly in poor form. We undoubtedly could have used the summer better.
But we’re still in the mix, still two points off the favourites and still level with this tremendous Spurs team I keep hearing so much about. There is a lot of football to be played, and still every chance we might yet end a third straight season with some silverware. Obviously, things aren’t perfect, and there are some legit criticisms above, but there’s also a lot of the same old tiresome three years out of date drum banging.
For now, though, this is your moment. A moment to march up and down the bar with your little semi, telling us all how you told us so and that the manager is an evil man who steals all our money. A moment to make statements like “IMHO if Wenger doesn’t win it this year he needs to go. Even if he does he needs to call it a day” without challenge. A moment to spit your bile before we start putting results together again and you have to mysteriously vanish off for a few months.
So, I say enjoy it. Make like it’s winter 2011 all over again – Christmas time for WOBs. Meanwhile, the grown ups will carry on getting behind the team – a team that is struggling for form, but still has it all to play for, and we’ll see where we are in May. It’s a formula that’s worked pretty well the last two years, after all.
Seriously, lads: “IMHO if Wenger doesn’t win it this year he needs to go. Even if he does he needs to call it a day”. Catch a fucking grip.
COYG
N7. Your opening line says it all. Every season we see the same old mistakes. It’s not out of date drum banging. Far from it. The squad needs strengthening. I, along with many others keep being fed the same old excuses year after year. Injuries, officials, lack of money etc. What is it this time?
Mason was crap last night but Koeman was spot on. Apparently AW had a pop at Mason in the tunnel saying “it’s always the same with you.” Koeman said in response “no, it’s always the same with you. You had 10 chances to score and didn’t take any of them. Then you take it out on them, (the officials).
If last night had been a one off then I would be inclined to agree more. But it wasn’t has previous results will testify.
Every season has these moments? And what has been the outcome?
@Steve
Lately? A couple of FA cups.
The above wasn’t directed at you. You’re in here rain or shine. It was directed at the folk who only show up after a bad result and bore the living shite out of us all about how the manager needs to go.
Criticisms are fine: in fact, here’s mine – would we be in this mess if Santi hadn’t spent half an hour running round Carrow Road crocked?
The same old mindless “Wenger aht” bollocks, on the other hand – drop me out. When someone confirms they literally don’t care if we win the title – they still want him gone either way, I suggest we’ve well and truly entered the Twilight Zone.
And I say all of the above partly because I’d quite like to be able to have a moan in here without contributing to the tub thumping of people who are intent on pursuing a seemingly endless vendetta against the manager.
@ 170 – That would be the Welbeck who showed no sign of being able to score goals for this team, before his injury.
Infuriating result, mostly because we lost ground on rivals. Cech didn’t really have a save to make in anger while their keeper pulled off a string of top saves, but the team is going through one of those sparkless patches where somehow opposition keepers do just that. A goal or two would do wonders for the ‘mental strength’. When you don’t score, you start thinking that you never will.
As others have noted, Flamini and Ramsey are together less than the sum of their parts, just as Le Coq and Santi are greater than that of theirs. Ozil and Alexis can’t make up the Flam-Ram deficit though they worked their socks off. They get pulled too deep and then the triangles with Bellerin and Nacho get shot.
Also, when Theo came on, did we go down to 10 men? Could have done with Iwobi to come off the bench.
Is Kos crocked? He seemed to be moving gingerly all game and never really drove forward in the way he can.
N7. I realise that and always appreciate your views. But you know my opinion and my stance. I think at times the club lets itself down. I’m bored with the constant excuses.
Benik Afobe joined Bournemouth a few weeks ago having left the Arsenal academy to play football. Last night be scored his third premier league goal. That’s two more in top flight football than YaYa Sanogo has in his entire career. Have a guess which one is still on the payroll???
Sadly the above is one of many decisions that leaves good honest fans just scratching their heads.
Thanks for the hearty welcome N7. We’re in the same boat, all of us. It’s natural that those who want change should sound off each time things go pear, no ? As things always do ? Ok, fair point about the infrequent visits but my ilk (and we try to be polite and reasonable) simply won’t get any leverage during the inevitable relief-rally and results that follow when the pressure’s off again. The FA Cup thing interests me still. Defeating Hull City and Villa in the two finals proved nothing for me, nothing…except that the stinking unhealthy regime that is AFC these days would rumble on. There was no big result on a big stage against a top team, no dining at the top table. Only fan revolt can change anything. It actually got Brendan Rogers sacked, even with US owners. The Kroenke-Wenger axis is absolutely the worst type of football capitalism. It actually turns my stomach, genuinely. For example, can we have any guarantee that these guys won’t sell one of our two talismen if they saw a 60-70 mill bid next summer ? I much prefer the Oligarchs and Russians who keep investing, even when the oil price collapses. They show commitment to the fans and the cause. If it was real capitalism, they’d be looking for return and profit but, no, they commit capital on a sort of not-for-profit basis, even if it is ego-driven. How depressing, pathetic and frankly sad was it when Wenger said we have been at the top of the Prem for 20 years last night ? That’s like saying Aberdeen are at the top in Scotland always, or Fiorentina in Italy, or Villareal in Spain. Does he actually believe this stuff ?
Massively frustrating.
Three things :
1) Forster will never have a better game. Never.
2) Koeman has a valid point about the chances we squandered – and even had the grace to admit that the Saints were lucky to get a point – quite like the man tbh – he is no Pullis / Fat Sam.
3) One of Leicester / City – maybe both – will drop points this weekend, but if we don’t beat Bournemoth that will be irrelevant and we can all forget about the title and start scrapping for third and fourth with Manure and the Spuds.
@scgooner
We are, of course, all welcome to our opinions. Mine is that yours is bollocks, and that you don’t have to stones to come and express it after a win.
As for the two FA Cups, I believe they still count whoever you played in the final, and that we beat Liverpool, Spurs, Everton and Man Utd (the latter at Old Trafford) along the way.
It’s all just goalpost shifting anyway. We were told Wenger would never spend money or win us trophies. Then he did, so it’s on to the next thing. If he wins the league, you’ll complain it was an easy Premier League this season and he’s not won the Champs League.
Your “ilk” simply aren’t interested in results. You’ve made it quite clear you want him gone, regardless of what happens out on the pitch. A draw or loss simply provides a more fruitful context in which to further your agenda.
As for the stuff about the Kroenke-Wenger “axis” (beautiful choice of words), and fan revolt, it’s just witless propagandizing. You can take your black bin bag and wear it.
Finally, a word on the “stinking, unhealthy regime”. The fact that your response to two FA Cup wins isn’t any sort of joy, but rather regret that the wins will likely maintain current leadership speaks volumes about your priority. As does the fact that during one of those cup runs you dropped in to inform us that you actively hoped we’d lose a cup semi final (Wigan, in case your memory troubles you).
There are those in here I agree with, those I politely disagree with, and then those who I think are far more interested in getting Arsene Wenger sacked than any sort of hope that this club might actually succeed under his stewardship. For that latter category of persons, in which you are included, I have nothing but contempt.
COYG
@Steve
Ditto on the mutual respect. Can’t disagree that we’ve made some strange old choices down the years, and that Yaya Sanogo is one of them.
In the last 4 transfer windows we have spent approximately £100 million. For that outlay We have signed a total of 18 players. Out of those 18 only Cech and Akexis can be considered first team regulars. The total outlay for Cech and Akexis is approximately £40 million. From those figures it shows that we have spent £60 million on squad players and next best things. Apart from the initial outlay that leaves 16 sets of wages being paid to squad players and NBT’s.
Ever wonder why fans get frustrated?
Figured courtesy of Wikipedia.
Civilised stuff N7 but no problem, you latch on to me every time I rarely appear, like a grumpy old codger slumping over his pint at the end of the counter. You’re always right. I remember you told me Debuchy was going to be way superior to Sagna. I expect you think Theo is worth 140k a week indefinitely when poor old Bac wasn’t worth a season or two on 90-100k after about 6 or 7 on 50k and less. Look at Sagna now. On the FA Cup as I recall, I started out by posing the question what would be better in 2014 ; 5th and FA Cup win or 4th and lose the semi to Wigan (as you’ll recall we were 5 th at the time). You twisted that somewhat, but no matter, I’m happy, on current evidence, to stand over your interpretation then and say the FA Cup wins were bad for the long term. A question ; what does Wenger have to do to be asked to stand aside ? If we had found ourselves where Chelsea were, would you have wanted him out ? Just curious.
@183 scgooner
One of the excellent things about this bar is that it’s very easy to find old posts.
Every time you show up in here, I remind you that you wanted us to lose that Wigan game (as you probably have done many times since). Every time, you deny it. Every time, I quote the following at you, and you go very quiet indeed.
http://goonerholic.com/2014/04/black-monday/
Post number 519.
“I want Arsenal to win the last 5 League matches and if they also lose the FA Cup final after winning those 5 games, I think it is absolutely the best long-term outcome for the football club.”
No word twisting. Just a direct quote.
At N7 I really had to laugh at that. You defend Wenger and attack me like he’s your own father and we all don’t want what’s best for Arsenal. I didn’t call anyone names. Maybe a little more frustrated especially with the recent results but Is he really more important than the club to you? Your comments tell me he is and that’s very good for you. But see most people know there will be an Arsenal after Wenger. It’s not a matter of if, just when.
It was my opinion before the season started that we should start looking for who/how to replace him, and how to manage his exit because we really don’t want to feck it up like that mob at Old Trafford.
But tell me something. As one of the top teams in England, qualifying for the champions league every year, what do you think our goals are when we start the season? To win the title and maybe a couple of the cups? Try to win in the champions league after earning the right to play there? Or do we start each season hoping to maintain our champions league status (even though we haven’t a chance in it), try in the domestic cups and leave the title for the big boys to worry about?
That said you go through a summer buying only one GK (an admittedly amazing worldie, mind) get told he’s all we need to complete us there’s no one else out there, with the history we had of not winning the big one for 12 years and then find out that last season’s juggernaut, Chelsea, are a complete wreck and United are really really struggling to make top 4. Well, this is your chance no? You only have one rival and they aren’t exactly setting the world alight. So what do you do, surge to the top of the standings (I’m ignoring Leicester here) and try to not make the same mistakes you’ve made before. If every season has “these moments” at what point do you decide to learn from them? Or are we wrong to think just maybe we might do things a little differently this time and win the damn thing? It’s 2016 but it feels like the false hope of 2008, or 2014 all over again. The FA Cups of the past 2 years have been a very welcome addition, but it has to build up to something better, especially with this season everyone else is having. And if Wenger can’t take advantage of this then he definitely isn’t going to win it with Guardiola and a free spending City next year.
Steve T – How many of the players we’ve signed for that 100m – the makeweights – are even still at the club?
Sorry, a grumpy old anorak-wearing codger. Great archives those, I’ll grant you that – impressive. And yea like I say, happy to stand over it all, especially now. Well dodged on the question too. You’re a gas man N7. Talk to you in May. I’d love to be wrong. You’re so wrong to say my “ilk” want us to lose. Think about it, our case is hopeless. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE. So of course we’d prefer to win all around us since losing doesn’t bring any change anyway. Forgive me for my fantasies about regime change. Fanciful stuff I accept.
By the way I have no agenda. I love Wenger and I was obviously ecstatic at our FA Cup wins. I want Arsenal to win. However I will be really really disappointed if all the frugality and moving of stadiums so we can earn and spend more money resulted in just a couple of domestic cups though. Poor return for some very very frustrating years I reckon and I do not want to keep talking to my United supporting mates and have them tell me they don’t want to become like us or Liverpool.
@ta
Less “defending Wenger like he’s my father”, more objecting to the concept of “fans” who would sack the manager – ANY manager – even if he won the league.
Not everyone is obsessed with Arsene Wenger – some of us simply follow the Arsenal and hope we’ll win each and every game, regardless of who’s in the dug-out.
Others build their little online hate shrines, and take the opportunity of each and every poor result to push for the departure of a man they want sacked regardless of results.
As I say above, enjoy your day and your ongoing, but ultimately fruitless, campaign to get a man sacked. We all need hobbies.
COYG
@Scgooner
“You’re so wrong to say my “ilk” want us to lose.”
“I want Arsenal to win the last 5 League matches and if they also lose the FA Cup final after winning those 5 games, I think it is absolutely the best long-term outcome for the football club.”
Or is Stan your Dad, is that it ? You’re “Silent” about him. Just bantz….
You are such a funny man aren’t you. My campaign? So expressing frustration on a blog amounts to a campaign where you’re from? I’m just on a 4 hour layover between flights filling my time with discussion on something I love but suit yourself. You might need your own little shrine to tell me when I ever mentioned the word “sack”. I guess Ferguson got the sack as well at United? Or maybe you can consult with your oracle to see further into the future and let me know about this wonderful world where because we love a manager he lives forever managing our club until he somehow becomes a serial winner. And maybe if you’re kind enough you might save some of this magic for me so I too could extend my working life indefinitely.
Talk about obsessed.
Lol bantz
@ta
Wanting a manager to go, regardless of what happens on the pitch, is an agenda. Repeatedly arguing for it in a public forum is a campaign.
I have literally no idea what you’re on about with the “live forever” stuff, but if you want a hand with your career, I’d be happy to ask the duty manager to move you up from burgers to fries, or maybe even the drive in window if you want to be stretched. Beyond that, I can’t help you.
Just to shift away from last night,
The one argument I really don’t get is the old – “This is our best chance of winning the League, everyone will be stronger next year”, Its quite clearly a false argument and a load of old bollocks – How do people know everyone will be stronger – It was said about United last summer, Didn’t turn out well – As for City they spent 100 million on sterling and De Bruyne to add the pace they lacked again they don’t seem a whole lot better to me, As for Chelsea they have a big big re building job and im not sure the Ruski is so inclined to throw millions away on it – Liverpool don’t have the financial clout to sign what they need and as for the others they will improve slightly due to the TV Money so in essence the so called smaller clubs (Fucking hate big club small club moniker bollocks) are just as likely to gain the points of the bigger clubs as they are doing this year, Makes it far more interesting too !
Following Football pre sky was so much more fun – And a damn site less stressful ! 🙂
NZ Gooner- So when is he allowed to call it a day. I mean there has to come a day when himself has to retire. I mean come on dude, yea he has done a lot for the club, does that give him the heavenly privilege to coach us till we end up in 2nd division ( exaggeration) but I mean come on guys, when a fan says anything about a coach that has been here 21 yrs to call it a day, some fans act like you don’t respect the guy for all has done for the club.
And Cheaper how can I forget it was soooo Much cheaper !
Cynic. From a very brief look 6 off the players have joined the club as Academy players. Out of the renaming 12 all are still Arsenal players. They include the likes of Debuchy who has obviously just left on loan. Why we needed 4 right backs on the books at the start of last season I will never get. It also includes the likes of Bielik, Ospina, Welbeck, Gabriel, Chambers etc
The problems were all too evident last night and are typical of the club in general. Chasing a game that if we genuinely want to be considered as a title challenging side we bring on Le Coq?
Regardless of the end results this season my opinion won’t change. We could and should be a lot better than we are.
Burgers? Fries? What are you on about? I guess its all you have the mental capacity for which is alright by me. You should probably step away from that stuff though it doesn’t do your health any favors. And I won’t want you having an MI and landing on my operating table. Anyways gotta go. Can’t honestly say it’s been a pleasure but I guess you have many more people and things to direct your contempt at.
And please lay off the burgers.
@196 SAG
I assume that was a question for me.
Obviously, he needs to go at some point, and we’re probably not a million miles off it now. I would imagine he’ll be permitted to choose the time of his own departure – something which I assume ta also agrees with, given that he’s apparently not calling for a sacking.
I really only have three thoughts on this topic:
(i) five points off the top in February off the back of two FA Cups isn’t grounds for removal for any manager, whatever our frustrations;
(ii) even the most mental of critics would probably concede that Wenger is one of the club’s two greatest managers of all time. On that basis, I would hope his eventual departure will be handled with a modicum of class and respect (and not with words like “toxic”, “axis” and “regime”); and
(iii) I don’t have an enormous amount of faith in the board to choose the right successor, and what Utd are currently going through makes me suspect that the transition could prove quite painful, so I’m not in a mad hurry to get there.
I’ve no problem with criticism of Wenger. I’ve offered one above, and have made plenty more this season.
I do have an objection when people who’ve made it quite clear that they want him gone regardless of results attempt to whip up negative feeling (or “fan revolt”, as it’s charmingly described above) in here, partly because it makes it impossible to add your own considered criticisms without contributing to a cauldron of fuckwittery (not to mention alliteration), but partly because I’m just not that keen on stupid people with transparent agendas.
@ta
Feel free to take a second crack at that comeback if you like.
N& – There are those who would sack the manager even if we won the league and those who would fight to defend his position even if we got relegated.
Bottom line for me is that he’s won very little in the last dozen years to justify still being manager of a top club, even allowing for all the financial constraints, stadium move and so on.
No other club would have put up with him and it is both something to be critical of and something to admire. We have a stability most other clubs should envy, but the way they behave demonstrates that they do not.
Results-wise there’s not a lot to shout about (yeah, I know, two FA Cups on the spin) but at the same time we could end up like Manchester United when he goes.
The important thing is not when he goes but who comes in. We’ve already missed out on Klopp (not a huge miss) and Guardiola (be interesting to see how he handles a properly competitive league).
I’ve sort of come around to the “There’s nobody better who is available” way of thinking, but I’ve stopped wanting to win things. If it happens it happens, if it doesn’t so what?
But one thing is for sure. If we finish below Spurs this season he has to resign as a matter of honour 🙂
N&? Damn my sticky shift key
Heh @ Cynic last line.
To be honest, I’m sick of arguing about all this stuff. We went round the houses on it for years and years and years. Any argument about the last 12 years will simply devolve into “we were skint” vs “he sat on a £200m war chest”. We’ve all worked out what we believe by now.
What’s clear to me is that he’s not going to be booted out, and – as you rightly say – even if he were to be, there’s very little guarantee that it would work out well for us.
Personally, I’ve not stopped wanting to win things, nor have I given up hope re: the remainder of this season. It’s been a shit few weeks, but these spells are forgotten if we get a happy ending in May – last night was bad, but nowhere near as bad as that semi against Wigan in 2014, or the eve of the Spurs match in summer 2013. Both of which were largely forgotten come May.
Basically, I’d like to be able to come in here and talk about the Arsenal (good stuff and bad) without having to defend Wenger from some of the one-eyed, over the top bollocks that was in evidence last night. I don’t want to perpetually re-run the same old tired arguments, and I – for one – would certainly want the manager gone if we were to be relegated, or even suffer a season like Chelsea are having.
No one has to pick sides. It isn’t about pro/anti Wenger. It’s just about wanting to talk about football like a normal human being instead of getting hysterical and demanding “regime change”, like you’re trying to overthrow Kim Jong Un or something.
I also agree that I’ve not the foggiest who should replace him. Every time I think there’s a candidate who looks promising they seem to go to absolute shit within about twelve months.
The whole thing is sufficiently uncertain that it makes me just want to watch the footie, support the team and hope for good things. On that note, here’s hoping we turn it around at the weekend and start playing our way into some form.
COYG
Lars: You asked a couple of drinks back about clubs being drawn against each other in the FA Cup for three consecutive seasons (as we now have been with Hull). It is unusual but not unknown. It has happened to us three times before, but all quite recently:
vs Chelsea, 2001-04 (four consecutive seasons);
vs Man U, 2003-05; and
vs Bolton Wanderers, 2005-07.
Still awaiting my serving of revenge.
A fine chianti please, barman.
NBN @ 205. Curious. They all must happened AFTER the fix went in. 😉
The disappointment after every result that does not go our way is obvious but then some glaring mistakes makes me wonder as to how we allow this to happen over and over again. Boss to be blamed??? well yes but then arent the players also responsible? Why cannot ramsey keep the game simple and acknowledge that he needs to provide cover to flamini in such games. I love Aaron but he does no favours to flamini in the pivot.
Theo i am done, totally done, he cannot improve any further and if this is his best, then please let him go. 10 years is more than enough for everyone, including theo.
5 points off the top does not mean it is all over but the worry is it is only going to get tougher. Away games to spurs, united, city, everton to fathom, home form not at all promising and a lot of players under performing.
14 games to go, 42 points to play, even if we consider that this could be the lowest points to win the league, we would need atleast 35 out of the 42, that sounds tough, very tough. Oh Dennis help us.
Re: Chippy @ 195. Personally I expect to be worse at this time next year. Nothing to do with Arsenal or football generally of course. 😀
Basically, I’d like to be able to come in here and talk about the Arsenal (good stuff and bad) without having to defend Wenger from some of the one-eyed, over the top bollocks that was in evidence last night.
I think people are basically fed up of the script being repeated every year and knowing that it won’t change unless the manager does. It might change for the worst though.
I mean was anyone surprised that “busy in January” turned out to be anything but?
Wenger is a very interesting and complex character. For instance, a good friend of mine had it from an extremely reliable insider that Wenger has an extraordinary business brain and kind of morphed during the stadium years from Coach/Economist to Coach/Economist/Businessman. The size of the balance sheet, the loans, the appartments, containing costs, FFP – all this enthralled him and it dovetailed very neatly with his idea in the noughties to create a young team costing virtually nothing. After almost ten years winning almost everything this was a legacy he sought and the Stadium was a kind of smokescreen for that project. That it failed just left him to immerse himself ever more in the big business dealings, latterly with a major international sports group. The business side simply turns him on as much if not more than the football side…apparently. I can’t verify this for certain but it makes sense to me. Could it explain why the purse strings stay relatively tight even now ? My friend’s contact said Wenger could easily have had higher net spending even during the Stadium years if he’d wished. The bankers (pre the Banking crash remember when standards were loose) were quite happy with the projections and future receivables and projections. Royal Bank of Scotland pre-Crash for God’s sake ! The contact mentioned Wenger’s ballooning remuneration too, saying Wenger sought this as his reward given the lack of Cups. Not for financial or material gain but because like all great businessmen it’s not the actual cash itself but it’s recognition and reward that is sought. Perhaps also (this is me, not source) the Viera comments about “just let the players play” also show this kind of diminished involvement with the playing side v’s the business side. So, no N7, I don’t find talking about Wenger boring. Far from it, he’s a fascinating, complex bloke (sure look at those L’Equipe pictures!). Nor is it disloyal to the CLUB for that matter to talk about and question him. Is it an agenda, yea probably, no more than your’s.
The January thing…. I dunno.
I have no idea how on Earth we ended the summer with so few additions, it made zero sense to me. But we’ve added Elneny and Gabriel in the last two Jan windows, which seems to meet par as far as I’m concerned. It’s not like there are loads of top players wanting to move in Jan, particularly right before the Euros, the other top clubs didn’t do much business (if any) and I didn’t see anyone move who made me think “if only”.
I know there are some voices above for Charlie Austin. Most of my family are QPR season ticket holders. They love him, but they openly laugh if you suggest he could play for Arsenal. Plus, he’s apparently very hard to keep fit – our witch doctors would have had a field day. I don’t think he’ll prove to be a big miss, could be wrong.
Summer a totally different story. We should have signed a DM and a centre forward, simple as that. But January? I find it hard to get too worked up about, we’ve done OK, and for once we didn’t leave our business to the nth hour.
Obviously, others take a different view, and that’s fair enough.
Well, scgooner, if the subject’s not boring it must just be you who bores the living shit out of me.
Fingers crossed for a win at the weekend, eh?
Toodle pip.
Just pray to God that HOLIC BAR clock will not stop somewhere in May.
That’s all I’m gonna say.
A year with out St Totteringham’s Day would be bad enough, Silly Second. The ‘Holic Bar clock resetting would be insufferable.
How much downside is there for signing Charlie Austin for 4M, if he can score the winning goal just like he did vs Man U? Just wondering out loud, does the team management go into any new season with goals they would like to achieve? If those goals are set, but not met, what happens?
@Tapera
It’s a fair question – I’ll have a guess (and obviously it’s no more than that).
We’re not short of warm bodies at centre forward, particularly once Welbeck comes back in the next few weeks. So it would ultimately be a case of spending £4m, plus (let’s say conservatively) £3m a year for 3 years, to provide cover for our cover for a month or so.
Another question: Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool were all looking at strikers this window. Charlie Austin went for £4m. None of them signed him. How come?
If we’re going to sign a striker now, I’d like it to be someone better than Giroud (who I rate – so we’re talking a high bar). We have numbers, what we need is extra quality.
If we were going to sign a further back up player this window I would have liked it to have been a ball playing central midfielder. We really haven’t adapted to the loss of Santi, we miss Ramsey out on that right wing, and in the absence of Jack our options in this area are fairly limited. Maybe Elneny will turn out to be this player, I don’t know, but I think it’s a potential squad gap that’s causing us more pain that anything at centre foward just at the moment. Santi made this team tick, and we look lost without him.
Afobe for 10M pounds would have been a good punt, best striker in the championship by a mile and clearly would have loved coming back heralded.
As for all the teeth gnashing I could not care less. Everything in life things tend to ebb and flow, some people can accept it others whine on twitter about life not going their way. Win the next two games and we’re back in the mix.
Tapera@216: Charlie Austin is on a contract that runs to June 2020 that pays him a reported £80,000 a week. That runs out at an almost £19 million wages commitment on top of the £4 million transfer fee and whatever bonuses he might be eligible for.
Whether that is a lot or a little downside, I’ll leave to others to judge.
@219
Bloody hell.
N7: I agree with every word. Good stuff!
Hoping for a win this weekend. Support the team. COYG!
http://www.espnfc.com/blog/marcotti-musings/62/post/2800154/arsene-wenger-not-a-loser-at-arsenal
😀
Najia Gooner@164: Check your facts before posting. Your last paragraph sounded ridiculous as there’s no way Delle Alli or whatever his name is, has already matched Theo’s Premier League 10 years goal tally. That’s just absurd.
Theo has scored 81 goals for Arsenal with 53 being in the Premier League. I won’t even bother to check the Spud guys stats because that would be a waste of time.
I think the usually sensationalist media were referring to this guy already matching Wilshere’s goal tally in an effort to hype up the Spud player.
If we’re going to sign a striker now, I’d like it to be someone better than Giroud (who I rate – so we’re talking a high bar). We have numbers, what we need is extra quality.
Agree with that. This team with an Aguero in it would be truly terrifying. Or put another way (and I actually don’t think is necessarily the case as I’d take every one of the 2004 team over this bunch) perhaps the only real difference between this team and The Invincibles is Thierry Henry?
Something to think about anyway, for about five seconds 😉
Also regarding warm bodies and the likes of Welbeck, I too have a warm body but I’m nowhere near good enough to play for Arsenal, and neither are most of our forward options. Sadly.
Giroud is, when he’s on it. He’s not on it all that often though.
I’d actually suggest that if you stuck peak Thierry in any of the current top six, maybe seven clubs, they’d win the title this season. The man was unplayable.
As for current players who might have got a game in 2004: none of Cech, Sanchez or Ozil would have looked too out of place. Bellerin, Kos and Coquelin might have got a sniff. Most of them don’t have anywhere near the aura of the players they’d be up against, but that aura was partly a by product of the trophies they won.
Painful thought process today.
The lack of goals counts against Ozil for me. The other two might get in, although I’ve always thought Mad Jens was underrated.
Some very good analysis especially by Steve T, Dr.F and N7. I’m getting to the point where there is so much analysis of every shred of evidence or activity relating to football that I’m losing interest in following it and more importantly there are a lot of morons like Durham who are prepared to spout absolute bollocks just to get a reaction from an audience- a funny way to earn a living.
I’ve become more positive about Wenger in the last few years than I was which is a different situation to most fans.
I suddenly started to feel,that he had a really great ability to reinvent himself and to remotivate the team. It pains me that Champions League qualification is such a big deal for most clubs but for Arsenal it’s not regarded as anything special even by our own fans. I think the reason is that in an age of instant opinion and short- termism a man in the same role for twenty years is outside most people’s span of attention. I know fans who want him out because they want a new face at the presser and because he can’t surprise them any more. I find it amazing that he has shown immense loyalty to Arsenal when he could have moved on but he hasn’t sacrificed money because he gets very well remunerated.
My one hang- up with him is his unwillingness to spend at the level our other big rivals are. We can afford mega- stars and I understand Gazidis rather likes the idea of a huge deal that would underline our ambition. He floated the idea of signing Messi to Wenger and it was Arsene who said no. We did sign Sanchez but we need more quality of this level.I think both Ozil and Sanchez were grudge purchases, I’m certain Ozil was.
Really great players change the history of a club. The Bergkamp deal did that and I’d love to see us push the boat out because it would reassure fans that the club is as ambitious as they are. That’s what’s missing at the moment. The fans feel that Arsenal’s level of ambition is constrained and clubs like Citeh and Chelsea will leave them behind.
In reality Arsenal has been astonishingly well managed financially but to what purpose? That would be my message to the Board if they ever asked me and I wished I had said that to Sir Chips a couple if years ago at the AISA Christmas party!
when is a homosexual cake
not a homosexual cake ?
the north of ireland is a glorious place
and park the bus
on
wearing the blouses of
the ugly sisters of glasgow football
mind you
did once find myself
in amongst
a lotta blue jerseys
good while ago now
and drink taken
.
proper fear
.
.
and cheers ‘hol
i try not to make a mouth of meself here
my mouth however
is persistent
228 responses when we lose. Love it 🙁 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
@TTG
I think this summer will be fairly telling.
We clearly have money now, and we’ve clearly been willing to spend it. My reading of last summer was that we spent the window chasing a striker, probably Benzema, and had all our eggs in that rather large and expensive basket. By the time it didn’t happen, various other attractive options had been and gone.
Or, I could be wrong and it could be that Arsene said “two summers of spending – that’s enough for me for the foreseeable”.
What he does this summer will give us an insight into which it was. If we spend tuppence again then alarm bells will ring, but my bet is that he’ll be going large on someone. Not sure who it’ll be that comes in, but Giroud is 30 next season and we’ve chased strikers two summers running, so I’d guess a forward.
Also worth noting – in the last three years we have a higher transfer spend than Bayern Munich. Admittedly, we’ve needed it more than they have, but even so – we’ve not been stingy. You might even argue, as Steve does above, that we might have spent better and not all our business has been top notch.