Culture Clash Epitomised By The Bosses Pre-Britannia
Dec 5th, 2014 by 'holic
Again we arrive at the hardest preview of the year to write, especially for one who asks for respectful debate. There is a quality that is sadly lacking between two clubs who appear to occupy the poles of almost any comparison. Once again a difficult afternoon potentially lies in wait.
Arsene has done his best to lessen the tension beforehand.
“It’s a football game, it’s not a hate game. You want to focus on playing football. I believe it’s a tough place for everybody. They don’t lose many games at home, they are a stable team in the Premier League and they have a good record against many big teams.”
It doesn’t help that the team news seems so up in the air with Nacho Monreal, Tomas Rosicky, and Yaya Sanogo taking a place in the already overcrowded treatment room, and late decisions to be made on Wojciech Szczesny, Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs.
Should the latter two make it then the back four will pick itself, as they will join Calum Chambers and the Big Flipping Skipper. The boss must be tempted to stick with Emiliano Martinez behind them after three clean sheets in a row.
Ahead of them there is a case to be made for Olivier Giroud to come into the side, as much for his aerial ability in relation to defending set pieces as his obvious qualities at the other end. Could it be that Aaron Ramsey will make way in order to try and quieten the home ‘support’ early?
Stoke also have to give late tests to Huth, Whelan and Walters. The latter’s partnership with Crouch causes under performing opponents problems, and this season they have the unexpected bonus of Bojan to provide for them. Doubtless he and Alexis will be comparing their current employers to Barca at some stage.
There has been a seamless transition of manager at Stoke from Tony Pulis to Mark Hughes and a perceptibly subtle change of style, but the basics will remain, best summed up as they don’t like it up ’em. Hughes said beforehand,
‘We know if we do the right things and are competitive, we can cause Arsenal problems.We want to be positive, get at their back four and not let them get into any rhythm. Every club I have been at, the key is to break up that rhythmic passing they’ve got to effect what they want to do and then obviously you get a benefit from that.”
The ‘holic Pound
I am making the dangerous and probably crucial assumption that Koscielny and Gibbs will be fit to start and on that basis I see Arsenal getting a result at the Britannia for only the second time in nine attempts. Paddy Power offer 6/1 against a third successive ‘one nil to the Arsenal’ and that has some appeal, but I am going to stick with an old favourite and am taking the Gunners to win 1-2 at 15/2 with the same firm.
To those making the journey to Orc country I wish you a safe, noisy (in our end), and enjoyable afternoon. To the rest of us let’s hope streams are plentiful, and of good quality. Have a great one ‘holics.
166 Responses to “Culture Clash Epitomised By The Bosses Pre-Britannia”
Giroud has a big role to play. Something tells me Ramsey will be in the team though. Here’s hoping we see Gibbs and Kos. Come on you rip roaring never boring super high scoring Reds!!
Early and good one today ‘holic. Watch out for the rotational fouling and referee winking at Hughes.
Anthony Taylor of course. 🙁
Cheers H! Got a feeling we’ll do the so-and-so’s. Always hated them.
Next week mate, will be a supping a pint with your good self and Big Ian. Looking forward to that!
Fucking cheers for that news 8! Still they’re (PL refs) all fucking useless, so whatever.
Technically third. 🙂
Tomas injured?
Rear-end splinters, presumably?
Fine preview maestro.
Rambo will certainly start. The fella is finding his way. Plus there is no sense in pandering to local prejudices. I would like to see Alexis start from the bench.
I’ll take that 2-1 victory. In truth I’ll take any kind of victory but I would just love a clean sheet.
Go get ’em, orc slayers.
What if Kos and Gibbs don’t make it? Who the hell do we play then- Bellerin- Chambers- BFG-Flamini?
Would you play Martinez then? And who plays DM?
Sanogo is incredible. He and TR7 get injured without playing
Very tough place to go with a very under- strength team. 1-1, might be a decent shout
Pessimists!
We’ll throttle them.. 3-0 if Emi is playing, 3-1 otherwise!
😀
Thank you Esso, looking forward to it.
Evening all 🙂
Thanks for the preview boss.
Just win.
That’s it.
Can I just register my WTFness at the news that Abou Diaby is going to be offered a new contract if he can prove his fitness?
Thank you.
Heh! Love you Cynic. Mr Reliable!
Noted Cynic.
I’ll give him a new contract if he decks Shawcross and/or Hughes.
If Diaby get’s a new contract, would he be the first player to miss his own testimonial due to injury?
Bath….no doubt Diaby would injure himself in the process 😉
I think the operative word here is “IF” and there is nothing in the past few years to suggest that is a possibility, incriminating photos aside.
SCENE – A room. It’s dark though there’s a little light seeping under the door from the hallway and a light pulses faintly from a monitor in the far corner. Sounds of an intercom are faintly heard, as are some footsteps. They get louder and shadows break the light source under the door. It swings open, flooding the room with light and noise, then the door closes again and all is dark.
A light flickers briefly before blazing into life. Two figures stand in the centre of a brilliantly white room. There’s a bed against the end wall, near the monitor which is registering a little stronger now.
The grey haired man turns to the younger, dark haired figure and speaks quietly.
“How is he doing, doctor?”
“He’s just about hanging in there but it’s touch and go. Whatever you’ve got to say to him, you’d better make it quick. He could relapse at any time”.
“But he IS breathing doctor? On his own I mean?”
The younger man nods.
“Good enough”, says the grey haired man.
He approaches the bed and lifts a thin, frail looking hand from under the blanket, then places a sheet of paper on the bed. He places a pen in the hand and it struggles to scrawl an X at the bottom of the page.
The man strokes the ashen face of the head on the pillow.
“Sleep now, my son”, he says.
He looks at the doctor. “It’s done. Let’s go”
FADE TO BLACK
SCENE 2 – Another room, this one brightly lit and bustling with activity. A door opens and the grey haired man enters to a dazzling cascade of exploding lights. He makes his way swiftly to a table and sits, straightens his tie and smiles.
“I am delighted to announce that Abou Diaby has signed a new six year contract for Arsenal”.
The room explodes into cheers. The man’s smile grows and he thinks, “Take that, Chelsea”
Good stuff Cynic! Amazing we wouldn’t give a contract to Pires but will renew Diaby. I think Arsene sometimes likes to have a laugh with his public.
I think the Mings whispers( that sounds rude!) are actually sounding quite likely. A full- back who has never played centre back who we want to make into a centre back. If he is as good as Chambers he will do for me.
Where’s the irony in that though? 🙂
Heh Cynic. Very good…!
🙂
Stoke is having difficulty in scoring at home. Six goals in their six home matches this season. In fact they have never scored more than four goals in a home Premier League match.
If we sign Mings he’ll go perfectly with the Mongs who had the banner at West Brom.
At least he’ll get a decent nickname as well. The Emperor.
Cynic the dramatist. 🙂
If anyone ever happens to have the good fortune to meet Brian Blessed, get him to shout DIABY’S ALIVE! while you video him on your phone, whack it on YouTube with adverts, sit back and watch the money roll in.
Alan Sugar looking for a business partner you say?
Tell him to fuck off.
Sorry, I appear to have had one sherry too many this evening.
Another good giggle reminiscent of Stoke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4ARc6ULKtQ
Heh! Cynic. 🙂
After we’ve converted him from full back to centre back to centre back his song should be –
“Mings ain’t what he used to be …. ” 😉
Oops, only meant to convert him to centre back once ! 🙁
Imagine if we got Tyrone then we let a chance to sign Ronaldo slip, because Wenger can’t get hold of his agent… you know … we have so many Mings and so many Mongs, that he mings the mong number.
I’d better go and stand in the corner now. I may be gone some time.
The sooner Stoke and their Tar pit dwelling ‘fans’ are consigned to another league the better.
The media are pushing this hoodoo bollocks when it’s actually 2 losses in 7 games at their gaff. The loss last year was for me, more disappointing than the big away losses, so I am hopeful we turn up this time. Giroud and Wellbeck up top should cause them problems and give us some height vs the rugger buggers. But there really is no need to go overboard fretting about their physicality, it’s more a mental thing, so the less credence given to the simpletons in the media, the better.
UTA!
When pulis was at Stoke I thought he was a vile Chavvy classless twat…. And maybe he was. But since he left, he has gone up in my estimation, which to be fair wasn’t exactly difficult… But I ain’t sure Mark Hughes would be perceived as anything other than a cunt.
3-1 to the Arse.
Arsene Wenger is reportedly weighing up a move for Lyon’s in-demand midfielder Nabil Fekir, 21
So whenever he is subbed, Wenger will have to say ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j-LkDxZsbk
right an Dr rotten
Yup
See
Home hooch
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jRv-fgfLFTk
Michael rode the girl next door
Hallelujah
He rid her on the table
and
He rid her on the floor
Alle-00000
-00-00-00-00-00 yah
.
scamps we were
Oh how we laughed
I can reach through the bars
I CAn
silly bastas
*click*
*click*
*ding*
*ding*
*ding*
TWATISTAS
.
OH
OHHHHH
if only
some macho
Back in the day
shoulder to shoulder
fightin fer fuck all
tripesters
Mythsters
would stop me
DAISIES
I’ve seen harder bald spots
an lines o washin
“watcha wear in’ ?”
“0ooh this blouse is harder than his”
Vacuous twonks
“HARSH”
“ye seen me loafers”
diamond
Measured preview Holic, like arsene in the preaser…given the disgraceful opposition…
Just the names get my blood boiling and none more than shawcross.
A truly disgraceful footballer and I fully support aaron in not wanting to give this prick any sense of ok with his bullshit apology for such a disgraceful tackle…
Tony pulis – still a total disgrace to football..trying to defend shawcross as a nice boy… He is not a nice boy he is a simple football thug….
I truly don’t understand how any football fan could follow this lot…
All I hope is for a win and get out of this place with a full team…
using a tablet
Yeah
The irony isn’t lost on morrisshite
Cheerio
Top men
and
Women
Off
for a wee while again
Not my choice
The council wire brushes me eyebrows of a Tuesday
.
January 72
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOpgr1ElXg
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenals-alexis-sanchez-showing-true-4754711
FInally! He’s getting a break against Gala! YES! Take the well deserved rest! 27 games played already…WOW!
I think the team should emulate his incredible prowess of recovery! Then we’ll surely be on our way.
Up The Arse!
😀
Thanks Holic.
Top stuff Cynic.
I’m with H2H- just win.
Some fabulous stuff there, Cynic 🙂
Beautiful response @ 20 Bt8 🙂 🙂
Anyone thinking of going to the stadium to watch the game on the big screen. Eight quid with a free beer?
Didn’t know about that BtM.
Sounds good but I have to get my daughter to an extra dance practice this afternoon – exams next week – which starts at half time, so it’s Sky Sports News on the iPad for me. 🙁
Focus, hard work, determination, grit, rugged defiance, strength and a wee bit of game-winning magic from HFB and Alexis please.
That’ll do nicely, thank you.
COYGs
Nervously awaiting the team sheet. This is a game I would love us to put one over those awful “fans” in the Black Country!
Lets hope our travelling crowd do us proud, I’m sure they will.
Trying to get a decent feed on “free2all”
COYRs
Toon up 1-0 at 60 min. Probably won’t last, but you never know….
COME ON!
You can do it barcodes!!!
😀
Breaking : Spanish 19-year-old right back Hector Bellerin makes his second Premier League start for Arsenal
COME ON Bellerin!
😀
THERE IS A GOD.
(well done DB10, don’t know how you did it)
Oops
Haahahahahahwhw
Eat that you cunts
Bye bye Invincible Chelsea! You never even got close!
Thank God. Only 1 invincible team, COYG!!!!!
Cesc suspended. Chelsea 1 point out of 6. Happy days. 😀
Let’s win this one.
COYG!
Ah Chelski.. do not take the name Invincibles in vain!
HAHAHHAHAHHHA!
14 games don’t make an invincible season…fuck off cuntinho
Is it safe to say that Matic is most important piece of this Chelsea team and not the overrated Costa or that rat Fabregas.
Always knew that once that chelski defence broke down ..all their attacking prowess will come to naught!
When we have Kos back, we look like a proper balanced team again! Let’s make sure our defence is airtight and we’ll win a few!
Up The Arse!
Fuck Cuntski!
Any streams about?
BB. Looks like Kos only made the bench. Let’s hope the BFG-Chambers combo does the job along with Gibbs and Bellerin.
http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=293070&part=sports
@bt8b
If there’s any consolation, at least our players are getting some game time. And Bellerin wasn’t half bad the few times he came on!
We should still take Stoke! Am fairly confident!
😀
No Kos no clean sheet. Fuck. Our most important player
holy fuck what is happening
shambolic start..come on lads!
Ooops…
COME ON!! Plenty of time left!
And there are people out there who claim that we don’t need new CB. Think again
Come on Gunners!
BFG is nothing like the same player without Kos. We need a real gutsy performance now
End to end stuff!
COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!
Horrible start Holic pound is still on!
Come on Arsenal!!!!!!!
Get out of the Fkin way ref!!
Maybe we should stay paying off the refs like the other clubs…
What is the ref doing?
Jesus this ref is useless!
SUPERB save!
COME ON!
Come on Giroud stop waving your arms we aint getting nothing from the bloke in black!
Get Welbeck on the flanks!
PUT POLDI ON!
We need to get some shots on goal!
Fuck, our defence looks lost, Per is really really fucking uncomfy on the left side
Shambolic
We are getting ripped apart!
Defenders ball watching in the box!
Fuck sake!!!!
Yeah .. we need a proper centre half.
But Bojan isn’t too bad either.. wonder why no one snapped him up cept Stoke!
We are second best to every ball!
It has to be said BB that was a really good goal!
Good goal indeed ATG, helped by some of the worst defending you’ll ever see.
We are loosing the ball in seconds no build up just blind passing!
IF we want to win anything we got to have strength in depth..especially the defence.
We’re missing Kos and Debuchy dearly! If only we have our first eleven fit for any extended period of time..
COME ON GET BACK IN IT! SHOOT AT GOAL!
why kOS on bench.
a wenger genius tatics!
REF is a bit of a Hansen!
REF IS UTTERLY USELESS!
GIVE THE MAN SOME BINOCULARS!
FFFF!
Perhaps the people who keep claiming Chambers is a centre back might reconsider . It’s not his position. He is a full back unfairly pressed into action because the squad has no cover. The kid is 19 and I’m not blaming him. And playing Giroud upfront on his own away from home limits the speed of our counter- attacks.
WTF are they doing jesus christ!
ABC
Kos is on the bench cos he can’t play three games in a week with his injury .
Welbeck-Giroud partnership looks to work well.. wonder why we changed that today.
Think he’ll come on sometime in the 2nd half.
Our players do look a little tired.. second to most balls!
Great stuff we are getting stuffed!
It’s late and I’m off to bed now. Disgraceful effort
These are international players they should be ashamed with this!
Lost for words!
NOT GOOD ENOUGH! END OFF!
this is really really difficult to watch.
We definitely need some reinforcements!
And they are all defensive!
🙁
Hahaha I don’t even know what to say. What a testament to Wenger’s genius though, taking us from last season to this nonsense. Please someone defend this. Please…
Blimey — this aint fun.
My joy at Chelsea losing and the Invincibles achievement still standing for another year has been completely deflated.
3-4 Arsenal. Please….
See 92- ditto
@92 Spot on TTG,
Chambers is not a CB and never was and guess what- neither is Monreal.
We started the season with two CB’s with one of them carrying an injury and the other in the wrong side of the 30’s.
And yet, lot of people here are confident that we don’t need a CB?!
Well, think again. And again. And again, until you and Arsene realize that we actually don’t need one, but two central backs. Until then we will get slaughtered by teams like Stoke. And fully deserved it is.
@TTG
Agreed! Our woes seem to emanate from our defensive shape.
Can’t help but think how well off we could have been in if not for the extended injuries to Kos and Debuchy. Plus we never really got a proper DM.
Almost all our midfielders are geared towards the offensive aspect of the game, do hope someone becomes available in the next transfer window to offset this anomaly.
COME ON! PUT UP SOME FIGHT!
Here we go again more nightmares
Ramsey WTF pass the ball mate
Shocker of a cross by Alexis!
oh.. and a customary F chelski …and the ref!
Brittania and Anthony Taylor…..perfect storm.
I’m sorry but Ramsey has not been up to par for a long time. I think he needs to sit on the bench for a bit
Nearly 4th went in
Of course it has to be Bellerin out. I guess maybe because he was our best defender in the first half, by far.
Shit!
Definitely not our day.. even the Post denies Alexis!
Take Ramsey off please
If Alexis has been overplayed…then how come the rest of the team isn’t chasing the #$!#$@ ball down like he is?!
Grr….
Mertesacker is all over the place. One of the worst defensive performances by an Arsenal defender that I remember so far and there were many of them over the years.
The ref has it in for us….
Stop complaining about the bloody ref please. Only losers do that. We’re not doing enough to even earn the right to score goals in this match
What is Flamini doing on that wing?
Ha ha this is disgraceful!
Bunch of over paid divas! Nothing else!
What a fucking joke.
Stoke isnt very good. Neither is arsenal.
worst arsenal side ive seen in 10 years.
Another embarrasment.
FInally a decision for us!
WTF… certainly took his time! Maybe the cheque didn’t clear…
A fucking penalty, can’t believe it!
Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel?
@ta
Like it or not refs do make a decision in a match.. see the goal disallowed and the penalty given.
And as for the loser gripe you know where you can stick it. 🙂
COME ON!
Now let’s get another back!
Get in. Santi
Anthony Taylor is truly an idiot. I’ll take the PK, but that was not a penalty, FFS.
COYRG!
Long way to go still
Come on Arsenal!
Close one. Welbeck bravo
Yes Get in! Ramsey
GETTTTTTTTTTTTT IN THEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRREEEEEEEEE
New better stadium.
New better training ground.
New better commercial deals.
Higher paid players.
Equals …Poor football and Worse results.
What the hell is going on?
GET IN!
Well taken Ramsey. Great goal!
…and let’s get another!
COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The standard of refereeing is dismal!
We need an overhaul for these chaps!
FUCKING REF WHAT A COCK!
how why, what …I just dont understand
Worst referee performance ever?
I rest my case… no one from either side will be satisfied with this ref!
SACK THE REF!
Can’t believe it, this is too much. Go fuck yourself stupid cunt ref
What is wrong with Gibbs? Why waiting so much every fucking time.
Ta: ‘Stop moaning about the ref’. And you moan about our players (I think you whined about Ramsey at one point) — get the fuck…
Anthony Taylor was the ref who won it for Villa at the Ems with a display of such biased decisions that if he wasn’t getting a kick back (which given how broke Villa are is unlikely) suggested that he was either a Villa fan or utterly incompetent. I haven’t seen this game but it may prove that he is indeed utterly incompetent.
Even though we pulled two back this is not good enough
First half display ABYSMAL! They should be ashamed including the manager!
I don’t feel sorry for Chambers one bit he had his arms around the guy and deserved his second yellow! Nor I feel sorry for Bellerin! It’s Arsene’s fault end off. These are professional football players and we lost this game in the first half!
Roller coaster Arsenal = Arsenal FC
Ref was but we can’t blame the ref because we strolled the first half like a bunch of ballet dancers!
No EXCUSES I had enough of hearing same old shit over and over again! Don’t get me started on injuries! A club like Arsenal should be able to cope like any other big team!
Mid table team! NOTHING ELSE!
RANT OVER!
Bath
Come on don’t go blaming the ref mate he gave us a life line and disallowed Stoke goal too. Yes he had shocker and he should never be allowed to REF any EPL game cos frankly he’s not up to the standard.
Charlie Adam still on the pitch after the Sanchez assault is beyond belief
OK, I’ve been out and seen nothing apart from the BBC text report since I got back in about ten minutes ago. I can see from that that the line up we picked was shite, and basically gave the game away. Kos on the bench? Right back off at HT? Welbeck not selected to start?
Fucking bonkers.
Chambers will miss the Newcastle game so I dearly hope Kos is fit. I note Ajayi was on the bench today and I suppose Chambers may now play in Istanbul . Possibly Ospina will too.
You can’t give three first half goals away and expect to survive. Sadly the game is full of knee- jerk opinions such as Martinez should now be our first choice keeper and Chambers is a top CB. These are young lads who need time and the occasional break. Chambers is far too prone to foul and pick up yellow cards through inexperience which is not surprising. So give him a break and don’t think he is a CB.
We have been playing for fourth place since the end of the window so we have to look at the constructive issues. Bellerin is promising, Ramsey is back on the scoresheet and the side has plenty of fight in it. But Wenger desperately needs to strengthen quickly in the window because some of our players will be running on empty by then. No point in stalling to save a few bob and only bringing people in on 31 Jan.
I see us finishing fourth but only if we turn up at places like the Britannia.
Some exceedingly awful performances today: Giroud, Gibbs, Flamini & Per especially. Alexis found it very hard as well except for that wonderful solo run.
The crosses for the first two goals should never happen. Too many times Gibbo allow those crosses, with Flamini nowhere to be found (and ball-watching for Bojan’s goal).
We always show up at this fixture just wanting to get through unharmed and not willing to enjoy the game and force the issue. It is an attitude issue that we need to address. We started playing only in the second half.
Also Arsene could have been bolder with the subs, once 3-2 we could have brought on Campbell a bit earlier in place of Gibbs (who was having a shocker with his crosses and cut-backs), move Ox to left, Campbell to right and station Poldi in the middle of the penalty box for the half chances from crosses.
TTG @ 151: We knew the early result at Newcastle and the team should have gone into this match with verve, knowing there is a great chance to reduce the deficit to 10. We have persistently fail to start away matches at Stoke with positive attitude. It may be a shit-hole populated by abominable creatures, but it is still three points.
Gibbs is not an youngster anymore, he cannot really let those crosses get in. And Giroud — one of my favorite players in this team — should be embarrassed about how easily he caved in under physical challenges.
Positives that both Rambo and Santi broke their long-running dry streak, and the near-comeback would inspire some confidence.
Once it was 3-2, I thought we will score at least the equalizer. With a little bit more composure — some awful crosses from Gibbo and Flamini — and nous we may have gotten one.
Did Chelsea lose today?
😆
Hahahahahaha
GT@154: Yes, Toons won 2-1. Old man Drogba pulling one back. They would lose more. But we would of course fail to capitalize …
TTG, agree with you on Chambers; let’s not forget that he’s played virtually every match at RB, and to slot him back into CD after those exertions and against Orc Neanderthals is asking too much. He does need to stay smart and avoid soft yellows, especially when you’re already on one.
Also agree with you that Bellerin is promising, but will always have to rely on pace as a more attack-minded RB — probably have to balance him off with a more defensive left back if he’s to play on a regular basis, as he’s always going to be lacking in physique. He chased down a lost cause which OG should have buried to change the game. OG needs to play to his physique and recognize that moaning at the Brittania with Anthony Taylor is not going to work.
And last in the rant: Gibbs. Sorry, but have not seen any consistency in what he brings to think he’s up to the standard you want at LB.
GT
The best thing of the day indeed 🙂
Chelski lost and we scored more goals then them! Bus Parkers!
😀
Today was also a demonstration of why we should rotate a little bit more. Santi, even though he was better in the second half, was simply running on fumes today and it showed in his final deliveries and corners etc. Before TR7 got injured from too much of bench-sitting he could have swapped places with Santi for some minutes.
Against Gala I hope we would not send Per, Kos, Chambers, Santi, Alexis, Ox, Gibbs, Rambo, Flamini, Giroud and Welbeck. Send essentially a reserve team with Bellerin, Poldi, Campbell and TR7 as the only first squad members. 🙂
And the “new” CB we need should be able to play on the left side, like Monreal, as both Kos and Chambers can play on the right side in addition Per. Kos can and does play very well on the left, but that works because of the way he and Per complement each other and their understanding. (Kind of unfortunate how Kos-TV5 never worked out, both being a bit similar, but theoretically a good right-left match).
Got to agree with the rotation, plus we may still win it and finish tops!
REST ! REST ! REST! that’s what the squad needs… look like they are on their last legs a match ago!
😀
BB @ 161: Yes, especially given the Toons will come to Emirates with a bit of confidence, and on their day they are not a bad team. That is a must win match before we go to Liverpool as after that the crazy holiday period starts. We win against Newcastle and Liverpool, we will ride that wave going into the new season. Otherwise we would lose significant momentum in PL.
Also, winning against Gala is not guaranteed to give us the top spot, Dortmund has to lose too (or draw and we win by 6 goals or more), as we are tied head-to-head and they have a much superior overall GD.
Jean @ 156: Gibbs has failed to make that next step up both in consistency and quality, in defense as well as in attack. Forward play is becoming too predictable, and defensively the same mistakes reappear every few matches. If this goes on at the end of the season we may need to take a closer look at the LB position as well. Monreal is a capable deputy, but our #1 must be much much better.
@DocFaust
All very cogent and sensible arguments.
Do hope Arsene sees the wisdom in this, we can and will put on a substantial challenge once Theo, Ozil, Wilshere and Debuchy gets back into the team ….provided the rest don’t get themselves injured or get run through the ground by starting every game!
What a team we’ll have when everyone’s injury free ..one can only hope!
😀
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>