Time For Arsene’s Fighters To Turn Up
Dec 24th, 2016 by 'holic
Yo ho ho, and trust me I am full of it as I grab a few minutes to preview the Boxing Day match in between little bouts of helping out and lots of sampling different drinks and pieces of food. By Tuesday I will be, as Bez once screamed in Arabian Knights, “size of an elephant!” Someone really should remake the Banana Splits in HD. I digress.
From what I am reading and hearing elsewhere Arsenal have a MUST WIN game against West Bromwich Albion on Monday. That is much more significant game than a must win one. We get the picture. Throwing two leads away to end up pointless in two trips to the north-west has added emphasis to us securing three points from this one.
The seasonal relevance of Scrooge Pulis bringing his latest incarnation to the Grove is not lost on us. Having said that he has a pretty poor track record against us at our place, despite the times his Stoke (and last season West Brom) have made the most of home advantage against the team they love to hate.
The Baggies have looked strong this season and have an opportunity to climb to seventh place behind Manchester United if they can get a result in this one. Although obviously biased I cannot help but observe that our need is greater, trailing Chelsea by the equivalent of three wins.
Whilst the prognosis for the squad appears healthy in the coming weeks we are one body short from the eleven that suffered reverses in the last two outings. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ruled out by injury, but may have missed out in what could, perhaps should, be a reshuffle of our left flank resources.
It wouldn’t be the greatest surprise to see Kieran Gibbs get his chance over Nacho Monreal, a wonderful footballer but struggling for form of late. Alex Iwobi is the obvious replacement for the Ox, but there are question marks over his stamina. Might this be the match in which to give Lucas a taste of Premier League football? The prospect of he and Alexis interchanging, and interacting with Mesut Ozil is a tasty one.
James Morrison is a doubt for West Brom after missing training due to flu, but they will leave a decision until Monday and don’t be surprised if he features yet. Jonny Evans could make his comeback after a two-game absence caused by a calf injury, which his more cruel critics might say would hand us the advantage.
The ‘holic pound
“I have a group that is ready for the fight.” said Arsene Wenger. He’d better be right. A full house of hungover Gooners with indigestion will not greet another surrender with festive cheer.
I prefer to believe we have more spirit and determination about us than we showed in the second-half at Goodison and the Emptihad. West Brom do have power and as ever with a Pulis team they do have the players to capitalise from set pieces.
They may pinch a goal, but hopefully not a point. I’m taking the 21/2 on a 3-1 to the riproaring Gunners, not the out of sorts imposters of last week.
It is time to hit the driving range with the grand’holics, so that means it is also time to wish you all a very happy and healthy Christmas, or holiday for those of other persuasions.
There will be those for whom it won’t be the happiest of occasions for various reasons. Know that toasts will be raised to you over the weekend.
Have the best one you can, ‘holics.
87 Responses to “Time For Arsene’s Fighters To Turn Up”
Ho Ho… GET IN!.. Ho!
😀
Top man, but don’t let those grandholics run all over you maestro. ???????⛵️????♀️????????????????
Fine preview, maestro.
3-1 to the good guys will do nicely thank you Santa.
A very merry Christmas to Holic and all Holics everywhere.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wkEnLBvlE
Did someone say banana splits?????
Got this somewhere on yellow vinyl.
One for you CBA.
Fine preview H. Our recent performances suggest that a teenager with a bucket load of Frankie is more likely to keep clean sheets than we are so 3-1 would be more than acceptable. I also think that Gibbs deserves a run out and the chance to see if he can cement a place in the side. The full backs are not a problem. It’s the centre back pairing that causes me concern.
Festive greetings to one and all. I hope you all have a happy and healthy few days and that the Mighty Gunners don’t become the second turkey of the season.
You too Holic! Merry Christmas everyone . 2-0 to the Arsenal
Get the eff in. ?
Thanks to Guv’nor and all the goonerverse.
I’d love to see LP9 on that left flank and watch him provide the bullets for the ever diminutive Sanchez to drown Pulis in Public.
While I’d love to see a win with a margin as long as Wenger’s coat, I’d be going for a cautious 2-1 to the good guys. That score has been fulfilled on the wrong side on couple of occasions in recent times and needs to come in our favour.
As a part of “other persuasions”, I wish everyone happy holidays. And please whatever you do, do it responsibly.
⚽️ COYGs
I wonder if this article was copied and pasted from previous years with the name of the opponent changed because this sounds so familiar – a war cry to save something from the season is so familiar.
Funny that no one asks as to why this happens every year or who is to blame for it…
The season’s greetings to one and all, ‘Holic and holics, from all at Castle Ned.
3-1 at home over WBA is a relatively rare scoreline: only 1922, 1933 and 2006
ho de ho ho ho steve
?
fuckin brilliant chief
.
coloured vinyl
fuckin different age
stick yer £500 phones up yer hole
a bright green jimmy jimmy
the height of sophistication
.
howdy fellas
hope ye all have a goodun
F*ck Sammy Skyves
Very merry Gooners
Nice one, ‘H. Here’s to a return to form and normality after the Festival.
COYG
PS MERRY CHRISTMAS to ‘Holics everywhere, and also to Dave.
Ding dong merrily on high,
3-1 has a nice ring about it.
Have a great one, Holics.
I had a bright green Jimmy Jimmy once, cba.
Quick course of antibiotics and I was sorted.
Merry Christmas to all, I suppose… 😉
Great preview Holic!
As we Poles celebrate our Xmas slightly early I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. I’m sure most of us will get what they want but there is still one more pressie to come our way and I’m hoping it will be smiles all the way!
Merry Christmas Holics let the joys of this festive season fill your bellies 🙂
yeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!
have a great one ‘holics
the scalextrics and strong drinks are on me
.
UP THE CHRISTMAS ARSENAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers H!
Coloured vinyl, picture sleeves (a.k.a. flashy covers), etc., taking me back lads
Seasons greetings, love and peace to all holics everywhere, especially the man who makes it all possible.
Oh and for the poor, miserable sod that decides to pop in on xmas eve and spread the festive doom and gloom – Bollox!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Peace, love and happiness to all Holics everywhere. Have a good one everyone!
amen esso
i truly hope ‘holic knows how much we all appreciate him and here
.
FUCK OFF !!!!
it’s christmas
yer allowed to get all slushy n mushy
?
.
now
where’s me stout ?
Happy Christmas Holics everywhere. I’m being fed and watered today by my brother’s family (Canaries through and through)and the return fixture has been postponed until Tuesday as of course I’m going to the game tomorrow by kind courtesy of Gooner Kevin who is driving a car load of us idiots to Cockfosters to catch the tube.
It will not be an easy watch unless we get off to a quick start and make the most of all the chances that come our way. 3-1 to the Arsenal would be wonderful.
COYRs
I’m being fed and watered today by my brother’s family (Canaries through and through)
Is this a regular Christmas tweet?
OK OK, I’m going… 😉
Happy Christmas Cynic
.
you sir are a fucking tonic
cheers fella for giving big fat smiles year round
and also
thanks so much to the rest of the ‘holics
funny fuckers abound
.
.
(i am not avoiding the people in my house)
.
Hope you are all enjoying the best of days. ???
i am
.
here’s a tune
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DurNzCqdde4
when do these people go home ?
one o the cunts
brought a bottle o ginger wine
which appears on sniffing
could take the hair off a wooden leg
the disrespectful shite present bringing fucker
.
Status Quo on repeat
locked the door
the wee back kitchen where i brew
and
where the sound system is
FUCK EM !!!!!!
am off to the beach for a walk
R.I.P. Rick
.
cheerio
Merry Christmas to the guv’na and holics everywhere. May your day be filled with good food, drink & company wherever you are. Up the arse.
Cheers, Holic !
A special greeting to you, Sir,
and a very Merry Christmas to all in here ! ???
I won’t make this one myself for a variety of reasons but a great afternoon and decent journeys to all who are going.
3-1 sounds just about right to set the old Christmas bells a’jingling ????
It’s time to bring back the Christmas Day football, even if it’s just one match at lunch time or in the early evening.
I’ve been utterly skullfucked with boredom all day long.
Well that’s Christmas 2016 done and dusted and me, semi-conscious at about 2.00pm Boxing Day, here to wish everyone safe landings after whatever you’re still up to after midnight Christmas Day…
Sad about Rick, the epitome of Brit rock n roll. One more time guys … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJehSTGx9CI
…and no Christmas would be complete without … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJoXCwkPVi8
It has been 51 years, Cynic
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/12/25/last-christmas-day-match-51-years-ago-long-standing-footballing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZHH7gsKbE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhwCqAmggnM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNPJuJSVmNA
and
it’s St Stephen’s Day
not
Boxing Day
ya godless heathens
now
let a little Quo in yer life
?
moooooooooooooooooooooo
merry Christmas chris
you are front and centre
I get this entertainment for free
cos of ‘holic
cheers chief
ye are a fuckin wall of bugger off fuck you
but
you can back it up
mind you
imp fail
writes shite the way my ears read
fuckin love him
like yerself
can throw words about
read like a fuckin dream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFhSpRgeIEE
for cunts that scoffed at Quo
i’m looking at you ‘holic ya terraces terror
.
the QUO are yer friends
welcome the QUO
the QUO are good
*slowly swings pocket watch*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVsBYFlzCAg
RIP George Michael and Ruck Parfitt
Sorry Rick!
Merry Christmas to all of you and wishing a wonderful time for you and the family during the festival fervor and beyond.
Baggies will be tough as ever. Pulis knows how to get under the skin of Arsene and his team and this wont be any different. Hope and pray for Perez to start and have him and Alexis on the wings with Giroud up top. 3 points is all that matters and a scrappy 1-0 gets the same no of it. I dont mind 6-0 either.
Don’t mind a bit of Quo if it’s from the days before they turned into a cabaret act, sba. You know, before they replaced the drummer and bass player and went all afternoon tea dance musically
any fine people on here
know add on for kodi
for peeking over the back fence
got something already
not bad
but ive vowed
to accept nowt but platinum this year
*worth it*
arthur ?
?
Thank you for remembering my day SBA.
how many steve T s are there ?
i’ll fuckin tell you how many there are
there’s only………
.
Happy Christmas Big Man
TOP OF THE RANGE !
Giroud and Iwobi start. Hmmm.
Cech
24Bellerín
5Gabriel
6Koscielny
3Gibbs
34Coquelin
29Xhaka
7Sánchez
11Özil
17Iwobi
12Giroud
Substitutes
8Ramsey
9Pérez
13Ospina
16Holding
18Monreal
31Reine-Adelaide
35Elneny
Giroud and Gibbs to start. Theo not in the team.
Petr Čech; Héctor Bellerín, Gabriel Paulista, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin, Granit Xhaka; Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, Alex Iwobi; Olivier Giroud
Substitutes: David Ospina, Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal, Mohamed Elneny, Aaron Ramsey, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Lucas Pérez
Come on.
COME ONNNNNNNNNN!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
HFB ram it down their throats
Status quo
Silly yellow by Giroud…
COME ON!
Huff
Puff
Huff
Puff
Never in doubt!
😀
Not watching the game away at friends dinner have we scored yet? How is it looking?
@ATG
We just won it 😀
Classic scoreline. Classic bum squeaker. But the necessary three points.
G rude (to Baggies that is).
Didn’t see it but from the descriptions on the web. Big late goal though, and the long lost clean sheet.
We won just the way Chelsea beat West Brom recently
Beauty of a header BY Giroud by another excellent assist by Ozil.
🙂
Did we need that result and left it very late. However, credit to the boys they played well, something they did not do against Everton and City, and the goal looked like it was coming anytime. Big relief.
Arsene’s fighters turned up for you, Holic. Magic Man Ozil!
What an absolute delight to see an unambitious team of time wasting winkers sucker punched with no time for recovery.
Giroud Blew The House Down. Good man, Ollie.
Sounds like we left it very late fair play to the boys three points is three points!
Will watch the game later
UTA
Very strange atmosphere in the stadium today. No booing at any time, but as quiet as I’ve ever known it first half. Things livened up when the team did (funny that) and it could, and should, have been four or five. Foster was outstanding. Pulis teams are antifootball. WBA brought very few fans – wonder why.
One nil to The Arsenal, a clean sheet and I’m back home on the turkey sandwiches. mince pies and Guinness.
Happy Christmas fellow Gooners. Bring on Fat Sam with the new Year’s hangover.
All credit to the players. They kept fighting for the winner to the bitter end and reaped their just reward.
I note the BBC regard it as a late escape for Arsenal whilst Manure appear to have convinced the BBC that the teams above them are quaking with fear at their championship credentials.
Just keep winning fellas.
COYG
BMMBD
The commentary I was hearing, bath, said our season has been in crisis since going 1-4 down on the opening day, so I guess you can’t pay too much heed to pundits.
God bless Olivier Giroud
Hated but rated
Late goals for the Chavs, Yoonited or tge Poo ars evidence of indomitable team spirit and courage but if Arsenal get them they indicate we were lucky .
TTG
The British media have never recovered from the sacking of wide boy George,who allowed his favs into the inner sanctum at Highbury for cosy fireside chats on all things Arse.
For the past 20 years they have had to cope with a classy,knowledgeable Frenchman,who was unfailingly polite,answered all their questions no matter how crass and inane they were,and never played favorites.
He stuck to his principles of how football should be played,and never wavered whatever the criticism from the press.
Arsenal were always the Club that everyone wanted to fail,it’s always been that way,whether it’s a class thing,we were always the Aristocrats,
particularly at Board level,and i think the other Clubs thought we were always looking down our nose at them.
The Press seem to have the same bent about them.
We are the upper class toffs,and the rest can please themselves.
Envy also is front and center,as we hold 3 league records that i doubt will ever be matched.
The unbeaten league season,
A season with only 1 defeat.
An unbeaten season away from home.
Yes we have made plenty of mistakes along the way,but through it all i know the mistake were always made with the best intentions of the club at heart.
I am just very very glad my Dad was a Gooner.
Hear, hear, Clive.
COYG
What Clive said @74.
Clive
Very well said. I had a grandfather and Dad to thank. My Grandad was a regular at Woolwich ! We just got lucky I guess
Sweeper! Street Fighting Man. 🙂
We were faced with having to breach a brick wall and made very heavy weather of it.
We struggled to get going in the first half and I believe there was only 1 shot on target. The right side of the attack was starved of the ball for long periods, Iwobi moving into the congested centre and Ozil and Alexis sharing much of the play on the centre/left of the pitch. Consequently there was a lot of space for Hector to make runs into but he just didn’t get much of the ball!
We upped our game in the second half and had complete control of proceedings. I think we were all beginning to wonder whether we would be thwarted when a wonderful cross from the right from Ozil found the HFB’s head and the ball floated across the keeper into the top corner.
Relief all round and 3 points made up a little for the abortive trip to Citi last week. The attitude was good this week, everyone put in a shift, the second half performance deserved the win. WBA came for a point and very nearly got one” but we have Giroud, Olivier Giroud”.
Dunno whether to laugh or cry. OG finally gets a start and my wait to see he and Theo playing together … continues, with Theo back in the physio room for his annual holiday. Fuck.
Good on OG anyway, scoring with only the second ball aimed at his head all game. Why have a player who will win you the aerials and then keep passing to him along the ground? That’s when anyone seemed to remember he was actually out there. No wonder he was getting frustrated and likely to get a second yellow at any time.
Alexis as ever the Energiser Bunny, Mesut as ever drifting around passing sideways (but credit for remembering OG had a head). Iwobi industrious and an improvement on recent efforts, though still without a final ball of note. WD Gibbo who looked good most of the time and Belle on the other side likewise. Xhaka and Coq worked hard, Kos played more conservatively (and effectively) than in recent matches. Can’t remember Gab doing much at all. Rambo looked in nice touch in his cameo. Did Lucas touch the ball? Is Cech quite the player he was?
Three points and a big sigh of relief. The next few games look easier.
Happy New Year.
Evening all,
Homeward journey tomorrow so the review is probably 24 hours away. I hope you have all had as good a holiday as possible.
Thank you for so many kind words. You are the best.
Geriatric hype, again.
It’s only Albion.
Bad year for the Legends indeed. Dropping like flies.
No doubt it is some considerable consolation to them to know that global mortality rates among the poor are still considerably higher.
Perhaps this knowledge alone can somehow offer solace over morning kedgeree and Tattingers.We can but hope.
Merry Christmas.
Chris. Lucas made a great chance that OG should have scored, and had as effective a cameo as Ramsey.
I hadn’t seen the game on TV when I wrote that. I’ve just watched the MOTD highlights and it confirmed what I thought. (via @arsenalist)
http://arsenalist.com/f/2016-17/man-city-vs-arsenal/arsenal-vs-wba-motd-highlights-analysis.html
Hint to Chris – Lucas wears no 9.
Whenever I’ve seen Lucas, usually live, in his limited opportunities, he has been effective. Goals and assists. Reminds me of someone who always gave us problems, Dirk Kuyt at Liverpool.
I would have brought him on at half time for Francis and gone 442. WBA had no midfield to speak of anyway and Francis did all of his work in their half.
MOTD made it look like we battered them, which, to be fair, we would have done without Foster.
Hi honey, i’m home. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
And to think I was going to talk to sonmeoe in person about this.