No Giroud, Cazorla, Ramsey, Walcott or Gervinho.. Another huge game in the race for 3rd…

April 20, 2013

Morning all,

So the PFA shortlist is out and yet none of our players are on that list. Shocked and horrified??

Of course not, nor am I but equally, I am surprised at by those who are, that being Michael Carrick, Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez, Robin Van Persie, Eden Hazard & Juan Mata.

Funny that eh!

What about the players down the other end of the league table, I’m sure clubs like Southampton, Swansea and West Brom to mention just a few, all believe that one or two of their players have been outstanding for their clubs. Some of who may just have played a huge part in saving their club from relegation but yet again, mid-table/lower table club players have been ignored.

I think that is wrong on so many accounts.

So, today….

Back then, Wenger had the edge over Jol....

Back then, Wenger had the edge over Jol….

Wenger V’s Martin Jol….

Here are the statistics courtesy of BBC

Head-to-head

  • Fulham are unbeaten against Arsenal in their past four meetings. Arsenal’s last win was 2-1 at home in December 2010.
  • The Gunners last triumphed at Craven Cottage in September 2009, Robin van Persie scoring the only goal.
  • Arsenal have won 15 of the 23 Premier League meetings between the two clubs. Fulham have only won three of them.

Fulham

  • Fulham have only taken one point from their last three matches, having been unbeaten in the previous five.
  • The Cottagers have picked up 11 points from London derbies this season. They have only fared better in 2002-2003 (13 points).
  • They have benefited from five own goals this season, a league-high with Manchester United.
  • Dimitar Berbatov has scored five goals in the club’s last seven matches. Ten of his 13 goals this season have been scored in the first half.

Arsenal

  • Arsene Wenger’s side have won seven of their last nine league games (W7, D1, L1).
  • The Gunners have scored 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season, by far the most in the top-flight.
  • Ten of Olivier Giroud’s 11 Premier League goals this season have come at the Emirates.
  • Mikel Arteta has scored five successive penalties in the Premier League since missing a last minute spot-kick against Fulham in November.

Fulham should be safe in tenth place but with only 40 points, they won’t want to drop any more, especially at home and even more so after their midweek defeat in front of their own fans. They will be up for this game.

As must we be, we need all the points from today and the only way to get them is turn up in the right frame of mind, fight hard from start to finish and when/if the opportunity arises, take our chances.

Any thing less than 100% and a chance of a 3rd place finish will be fading fast and 4th could even still be a struggle.

It’s up to Wenger and the players to make sure we come away from Fulham victorious….

Have a good day all…..

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Posted by rico

Post Updated! Wenger confirms summer transfer plans! Reading come to town & The Boys blow it!

March 30, 2013

Morning all…

Disappointment yesterday for the under 19′s in the NextGen series.

Having been in total control of the game in the first half, but unable to score more than one gaol, Chelsea knocked the stuffing out of them to take a 3-1 lead. Like their senior counterparts though, they fought back in added time to make it 3-3. Then, and again like the men, they took their foot off the gas, allowed Chelsea to score another and that was them dumped out of the Cup.

Will they learn from that?

Well if the first-team are anything to go by, no!

Talking of them, Wenger has been talking about the summer transfer window.

We have five players for the England team and 22 international players.

So we have to analyse. What will decide our attitude, my attitude, is how we do now until the end of the season.

What is important is we look at how we finish the season, how well we play – and make the decisions on who to buy and who to sell at the end of the season. This will be influenced by the way we play in our last nine games.

Sorry, but if Wenger is truly basing his summer transfer activity on how this current crop play out their last nine fixtures, then we really are in trouble! Any summer signings really should have been identified by now and the club should be ready to negotiate for such players at the earliest opportunity.

As for the players he will choose to sell, well a season is about ten months (roughly) of football and how a player commits himself week in week out, not just during a nine week stretch when he knows he’s playing for his future.

That players future with Arsenal started the day he signed on the dotted line, he should play for his future and for the pride of the club each and every time he puts an Arsenal shirt on, not just for nine games at the end of this season when we happen to be outside the top four.

If players can’t be up for facing the Blackburn’s and Bradford’s in football, then why should they be given the chance of facing the top European sides in the Champions League?

They don’t!

I am sure each and any fan not only has a wishlist of players we love to see signed in the summer, but I am sure we have a similar list of those who we want sold.

We don’t need the nine games to convince us otherwise.

One of those nine is at home against Reading today, a side who are in a nasty relegation battle and really are looking likely to be back in the Championship next season.

Annoyingly though, they have appointed a new manager this week in Nigel Adkins, a manager who knows all about getting the best form his players. He did it enough times at Southampton.

So this game will be far from a ‘give me’, in fact it could be a banana skin if the players don’t show up in the right frame of mind.

I think we all know the injury situation, Walcott, Wilshere and Diaby are sidelined and Gibbs has man-flu so he’s also a doubt.

Her’s a few match facts for you all, courtesy of the BBC:

Head-to-head

  • Arsenal and Reading have already met twice this season, with the two games at the Madejski Stadium producing an incredible 19 goals. The Gunners won 7-5 to reach the Capital One Cup quarter-finals in October (despite being 4-0 down after 37 minutes), and then won 5-2 in the league in December.
  • Arsenal have a 100% record against Reading, winning all 11 times they have met in league and cup.

Arsenal

  • Arsenal have won four of their last five Premier League matches.
  • Among top-flight clubs, only leaders Manchester United have been in better form than Arsenal over their last eight league matches.
  • The Gunners have led at half-time in seven Premier League matches this season – and have gone on to win them all.
  • According to Opta, Arsenal have scored six goals on the counter-attack this season, more than any other club in the Premier League.

Reading

  • Reading have lost their last five Premier League matches.
  • They have the worst away record in the top flight, earning just five points from a possible 45.
  • The Royals have conceded 57 goals, more than any other Premier League side.
  • Reading have the worst second-half record in the top flight; Arsenal have the best.

So there you have it, on paper we should win, in reality it will nothing so easy as that.

We maybe fighting for a top four place to secure a huge payout Champions League football, but Reading are fighting for survival in the top of the English game.

The team who wants the victory more, will be today’s winners.

That had better be us!!

Update.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the passing of David ‘Rocky’ Rocastle, and in honour of his memory the BSM & Redaction have organised Rocky7at7 for fans to sings Rocky’s name 7 mins into todays game for 7 mins….!

So if you are going to the game, let your voice he heard, let Rocky’s name ring loud and proud around the stadium.

That’s no more than the great player and the great man he was deserves…

Let’s do it today for that great man…..

RIP Rocky……..

That’s it for another day, have a good one all…..

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Posted by rico

Jovetic finally on his way? Bayern must not be a one off!

March 16, 2013

Morning all,

Bit of gossip before today’s post. Like the Isco story yesterday, the one today in papers linking us to Stevan Jovetic is no surprise. We have all heard his name linked to us before and if we are to believe what has been written, we have been watching the player develop for the last eighteen months.

For those who have never seen him, here he is.

I'm saying nothing.....

I’m saying nothing…..

This guy is valued around the £20 million mark, so he and Isco would set us back £50 million of our reported £70 million war chest available to the manager. We know though that IF that amount is there and ready to be spent, it could quite easily be increased if we get on and sell a few.

Valencia’s Adil Rami is another player linked. He’s a 6′ 3″ French central defender. I no nothing whatsoever about him other than he’s valued at £10 million…

Just a goalkeeper and a defensive/holding midfielder to go then..

Simples!

Onto today, a guest post:

When I was in high school, a mini-league competition was organized in my environment. Several teams were set up and we all auditioned to be a part of them. I was rejected on the account of being a Mertesacker and Squillaci rolled into one. This description hurt me at the time because I felt that I was a star and the coaches were dumb.

Together with other rejects, we applied to the authorities asking that they allow us  to float another team which they declined initially but later agreed when they saw the passion and determination on our faces.

Our coach told us that what we lacked in skill and talent we should make up for in attitude and work rate. We named our team ‘blue-gunners’ because we wanted to defend like Mourinho’s Chelsea and attack like Wenger’s Invincibles. By midway through the league we were tops by virtue of having a mean defence.

The other teams finally worked out that they couldn’t get past me so became the subject of brutal challenges, one of which led to a knee injury requiring surgery. I recovered well from it but have not been near the pitch ever since because of the trauma of that expirence.

We ended up finishing third and the team wound up because the other teams quickly snapped up our players that had been rejected in the first place.

I’ve written this because the mighty Arsenal are entering into a dicey period where they really need to win all their games to stand a chance of playing Champion’s League football next season.

We might not have a SAF as coach, the talent of Man City or Chelsea but we can do with having the right attitude and work rate as
a team.

The performance against Bayern must not be a one off.

The fan’s also have a role to play. The stadium was so quiet against Blackburn that I could hear on the television, one fan’s desperate attempt to start a chant. He was a one man choir.

The other fan’s suddenly found their voices to boo at full time.

Such must not be repeated at the Emirates again.

We may not have the money/desire to put an Arsenal shirt on Howard Webb or Mike Dean but we the fans can be the twelft man.

Let’s leave the moaning till May. Let’s set aside the Wenger, Bould, tactics and money debate.

For now it’s all about the team.

COYG’s

Written by Joywedsjeff

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Posted by rico

Wenger ‘throwing tie’ as Fabianski replaces Szczesny & No start for Walcott, Mertesacker or Cazorla either…

March 13, 2013

Morning all,

Well here we are then, the last last chance to remain in a competition for a trophy is here.

Things were looking up it seemed.

Frank Ribery looks like missing out through injury, his natural replacement, Robben is also injured and of course, Jerome Boateng and Bastian Schweinsteiger are both suspended.

So things were already looking better than they were in London.

I get the feeling Wenger has already said goodbye to this slim chance and is concentrating on the league:

Swansea is a massive game this weekend and qualifying for the Champions League is massive.

Add that comment to the news about Jack Wilshere, Lukas Podolski and Sagna being ruled out and Diaby being a doubt and it’s already looking grim. Then though Wenger plans to leave Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla on the bench. Per Mertesacker won’t be involved at all and nor will Szczesny, he’s been dropped rested. Fabianski returns and is likely to start.

Even when Fabianski has been playing regular football, he’s been full of errors, costly errors but this season, I don’t think he’s played one game for the first team, yet he’s being thrown in at the deep end against a German side who are full of quality.

Fabianski lacked confidence before this game, what the heck will this do to him?

It’s cruel on the player, really cruel in my opinion and it’s not fair on the rest of the team travelling to Germany.

The other option of course is starting with Mannone. He was on the bench for the fixture at The Emirates but is that option much better. I’d say not!

Our goalkeeping situation is a joke, no, it’s embarrassing!

That situation and the comments from the manager about this squad makes me raise an eyebrow:

I have great belief in the quality of my players, when I look individually at this team, they have a fantastic attitude. We are in the opposite situation to Bayern a little bit.

I am convinced that if this team can find a big game, with a big win, you will see a completely different animal.

This season we have fought to find that in the big games and we have another opportunity on Wednesday night and I hope the team takes this chance.

I have a great respect for this team and its attitude and they have not been rewarded yet. It is important for the end to our season that we do it.
So what is Wenger saying there, we have a great bunch of individuals who can’t quite work together to make us a great team? We fight in the big games? What like losing at home to Man City and Chelsea with ease, allowing the neighbours to score two really soft goals to win the NLD? Let’s not mention other fixtures we have just rolled over in, or the two domestic cups shall we?
That’s hardly fighting in the big games is it, but if we are to stay in this competition, this team does need a big game, but not only the players.
Wenger needs a big game too.
He picked tonight’s squad, it’s full of players he signed, no-one else but him. The same players who he says are top class and have great mental spirit, togetherness and attitude.
Well it’s high time he managed to get all of those qualities out of each and every player and on the same night, tonight!
Anything else could just do a lot more harm than it will good.
That’s it for today, good luck to the boys tonight, I think they are truly going to need it….
Have a good day all…..

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Posted by rico

Be brave today Wenger! Take the money and run Stan!!

March 3, 2013

Morning all,

Well can you believe it, on such a day too, news breaks that a ‘Middle Eastern Consortium’, who do not want their identity made public yet, are planning to make a £1.5bn bid for our club.

A ‘source’ has Telegraph Sport the intention is to buy out our two major shareholders, although their is suggestion that the group would be prepared to work with Alisher Usmanov should he not wish to take up any offer made to him.

The cash offer, which is more than twice the amount at which Arsenal were valued two years ago and if successful, would wipe out debts that stand at around £250 million according to the last full year’s financial results.

According to a bid source, there would be substantial transfer funds made available to transform the club into a major force in European and world football. There would also be a pledge to reduce ticket prices at the Emirates Stadium — currently among the highest in the world — as well as an attempt to recreate “some of the feel of the old North Bank” at Highbury.

Well well, what do we make of that then?

Stan Kroenke has maintained that he and his family are at Arsenal for a very long time, surely if any offer of such magnitude came along, he take the money and run?

If this news is true, and if any such bid is successful, I guess today will be the last time the Totts have any kind of chance of beating us! ;)

Which takes me nicely into today’s fixture….

Be brave and go home victorious......

Be brave and go home victorious……

It’s North London Derby Day, a day when only Red & White matters. There is only room enough for one great club in this side of London and that’s us!!

You want some statistics?

Well here is one, the only one you are getting:

Bale: 19 goals in 32 appearances 

Walcott: 18 goals in 33 appearances

Nothing between them really, so what’s all the fuss about the Welshman? 

They have Lennon, Parker and Adebayor – we have Walcott, Arteta and Giroud!

They have Lloris in goal, we have Szczesny – ok they might sneak that one but he’s known to make the odd gaff.

They have Vertonghen, Walker and Dawson – we have Vermaelen, Jenkinson and Monreal!

They have Sigurdsson, Dembele and Holtby – we have Rosicky, Cazorla and Wilshere!

They have Bale – we have Santi Cazorla!!

I could go on, seriously guys, we match them, in fact we better them, we have no need to fear them.

Forget Champions League football, forget what has gone by this season for just one day and focus on PRIDE!!

Pride for the shirt.

Pride for the club.

Pride for the fans.

And Pride for yourself and you team-mates.

Whoever Wenger selects today needs to go out onto the turf at SHL,  do all those things and know that the 12th man up in the stands will be right behind you. 

They usually are, regardless.

Give them something special today, give us all something very special.

Three points and a double over them this season….

Let’s hope it’s a great day for the good guys…..

 

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Posted by rico

Wenger off to PSG or is he set to sign Falcao? Same boring tactics against Villa, or will we see something different?

February 23, 2013

Morning Gooners,

After a week of good feeling from some fans, not all supporters are happy with our lot!

Aston Villa bring their team to the Emirates today, a club who are struggling and fighting a relegation battle.

Every game to them is a cup final, players could see wages take a dip if they cannot save themselves from the Championship. Nothing makes players try harder than a cut in pay and this Villa side who turn up today will be all out to beat. It will be hard, it certainly won’t be a certain three points to the home team!

A fiend of mine, a season ticket holder, offered me his sons ticket for this game as he couldn’t make it, couldn’t or wouldn’t I don’t know but I felt that I couldn’t be bothered to see another dismal display live so I declined the offer. I felt I didn’t want to be there and have to wait till spot on seventy minutes before Wenger decides to either take off our ‘only trying’ players to put on less effective players.

On paper, I would expect us to win this game quite comfortably but which team will turn up?

Will it be the team lacking in confidence, movement, pace and finishing power, or will it be the team that tries in the second half once were 2 down.

Wenger’s tactics have sucked this season, I almost feel that he is happy with the results of late.

I sit there thinking that zonal marking will result in a goal, often it does too and Wenger seems to be blind to the fact that teams are using this as one of their tactics against us.

Villa will press us back, they will try and get stuck in quickly and we will just pass it back then across the park and eventually flapper Szczesny will receive it only to roll it out to BFG, and it all starts again.

Jack will get possession, he will try and head forward but you can feel nobody will give him an outlet. Back it goes again, this time to Santi who will go it alone until he hits the Villa defensive wall and if he isn’t robbed of the ball, no doubt he will pass back also.

If Gervinho should start he will go on a couple of runs his head will be down and he will try and take on the whole Villa team until he also losses it.

Our game is predictable that’s why we get beat so often.

Any team worth their salt will have watched the videos of our previous games and know that most of our passing will be in our own half, they also know that 90% of our shots are off target and the ones that are on target usually are aimed straight at the keeper.

The Villa defence will know that the only forward player that will challenge in the air up front will be Giroud so they will dominate if he is not a starter. They will know that if they rush in on Theo he will pass it backwards and then disappear leaving whoever else is there on his own.

Predictable is the word for Arsenal these days in fact I have to say, I don’t think we have a plan A let alone a plan B.

Arsene will no doubt play one of our centre backs as a left back our best winger as centre forward and a flapper as a goalkeeper. If Villa have a shot on goal look for a forward rushing in to collect the parry as its always down the middle predictable yes we are.

If were lucky we may score the first goal and Villa’s heads will go down quickly.

We could press and go for the second but we will probably be stunned by going ahead so we could be vulnerable straight away. Villa will know that as we are predictable they will know that no matter how the game is going we would not make any changes until the magic 70 minutes so if they do take the lead , they will be aware.

Although I believe we should win this one, it will probably finish as a draw.

Go on Wenger, surprise me. Do something different, try something different, even if it is a substitution at 53 minutes!

Written by Steve Palmer

Onto some gossip from the papers:

Good old Wenger has gone and done it again with his silly comments!

We can do it (Falcao). If we find a player of top, top quality we will take him.

We are in a stronger situation where we can spend some money. I’m not reluctant to do so. First of all, we only had money recently. We went out to spend money at Christmas but we didn’t find the players.

What utter poppycock, of course there are players out there, many of them and certainly a few who would have strengthened our side.  Just why he bothers to open hi mouth sometimes I don’t know. As for Falcao, well I am sure we’d all love to see him up front but realistically  it just isn’t going to happen. It might of course should Mr Usmanov buys all of Kroenke’s shares but……

Another story, this one suggests that talks have taken place between PSG and our manager. Apparently ex French President, Sarkozy, whose time in power in France ended last year, has been acting as facilitator for his friends at PSG.

Wenger though is having none of it. Well not this summer anyway:

I have never thought about throwing in the towel. I love winning, so I will carry on.  I have a contract until 2014 and I will be here until then. I will make a decision on my future in 2014, not before.

Wenger says he loves winning, well prove it!

Starting today!!!

Have a good day all, only three points will do!

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Posted by rico

No wonder we can’t defend & Santos on his way out?

February 9, 2013

Morning all,

I’m sure we have all read that Brazilian side Gremio are claiming they are in talks to left-back Andre Santos. All depends on us being willing to let him go apparently. Come on Wenger, do the decent thing and just give him away. He is no use to us and it’s a chance to offload his salary!

What is with Arsene Wenger, he’s obsessed with attacking football isn’t he?

We have great technical quality and that’s why I believe we have such an important number of players that assist and score our goals.

Everybody is allowed to go forward. Everybody contributes to our offensive play. Because the players are quality, you find many of them involved in our goals.

To be honest I was not convinced at the start of the season that I would play [all the attacking players] together, but I am happy that slowly they understand each other well and we are efficient in goalscoring. In some games we score plenty of goals and we are certainly scoring more than last year.

What about everybody is allowed to get back and defend too, we don’t always see enough of that. In fact sometimes it’s our defenders on the attack getting us into trouble as they can’t get back in time or are caught out of position.

Maybe Steve Bould is having a quiet word, out of Wenger’s earshot of course. Last weekend certainly looked as if he had as we defended much better. Or did it appear that we were much better because Stoke really didn’t have a clue how to attack and nor did they try too.

Today should be a very different test, we are the away side and I’m sure Martin O’Neil will want his side to go for goal in front of his own fans. But they defend so our forward play will have to be at it’s best to break them down.

I’d take a 1-0 away win right now that’s for sure. Three points are three points so I don’t care how we get them today either, just get them.

Sunderland have had a few good results of late so they will be feeling a lot better than they were and they have a few good players who can cause us problems. Adam Johnson, Steve Fletcher and of course Danny Graham who knows how to score passed us, he did for Swansea. James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon can also cause problems on their day, so this is going to be a tough test today.

Team news:

Sunderland: Cuellar (doubt – hamstring), McClean (ankle), Cattermole (knee), Brown (knee)

Arsenal: Koscielny (doubt – calf), Vermaelen (ankle), Gibbs (thigh), Fabianski (ankle), Coquelin (hamstring), Gervinho (rested)

Wenger said yesterday that Jenkinson, Miquel or Sagna would be the ones used to replace Koscielny should he not pass a late fitness test.

He also said that he hope the pitch has been especially prepared for our arrival:

Hopefully the pitch is good, the conditions are right and we can play our game.

We all know it won’t be but let’s not make that an excuse. Go out there and play the game we need to do in order to win.

That’s all that matters!

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Posted by rico

Monreal debut. Time to gel, time to play and time to give the fans something to cheer…..

February 2, 2013

Morning all,

Well this is it folks, this is the squad we have until the summer.

Diaby is fit, Arteta is back in the squad for today’s game and of course, Fabianski is almost ready to return. Coquelin is also very close to returning but Gibbs, well his return is like a open flight ticket. Who knows when he’ll be back.

But Gibbs being out will now frighten us a lot less now than it did and that’s because on paper, we have finally signed a quality left back, so no more suffering Santos!! Well, not until we face Bayern Munich in the Champions League as our new boy is cup tied.

Hopefully Meade, Miquel and Coquelin should all be available for selection by then and the Brazilian is overlooked.

However, before then, we have a few Premier League matches to address, starting today with Pullis and his lot coming to town and the new boy is just thrilled to be here and part of our future:

Yes, I spoke to Santi, we had a long conversation about things,  I asked how things were here and he only had very positive things to say. He said that Arsenal was a massive club, the people are great and it’s really just a big family. He only had good things to say. I am sure we can be successful this season and I am really looking forward to the challenge.

Yes it does [help that Cazorla has been a success]. It helps that I’ve been able to share a dressing room with him at Malaga, that everything’s gone well and that the people here have been incredible in welcoming me. 

As there’s a familiar face in Santi, I’m a lot calmer about things. Having shared a dressing room with someone who’s already made this journey is a good feeling. Now it’s my turn and I can’t wait to follow in his footsteps.

To be honest, when I was given the option to come here I went for it because it’s a massive club, I didn’t even have to think about it. 

Of course, there are Spanish players here and a lot of youngsters, which this club is known to attract. I’m delighted to be able to train and play with those guys and I hope my stay here will be the best it possibly can.

I’ve watched loads of Arsenal games and there have been legends that have played for this club. I know everything I can from watching the television and from what Santi has told me in this relatively short period of time.

Monreal is right, there are plenty of legends in football who have played for OUR club.

There is plenty which is good about OUR club.

There is history in OUR club which can never be taken away.

We need each and every one of our players to realise that they are here to play not only for OUR history, but for OUR future.

What that future will be, only time will tell, but for the sanity of all us fans who love OUR club, may the boys give their all from today onwards.

If they do, good results will follow……

Now let’s smash that lot from Stoke!!!

Have a good day all…..

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Posted by rico

Cazorla suffers problem in training. Villa deal takes a turn for the worse & beware of the wounded….

January 30, 2013

Morning all,

A ‘light’ post this morning, well the start of it…..

Just what is Santi up to and why is David Beckham laughing so much?

Wouldn’t you love to know?

What is it?

I can’t find it Becks..!

Whatever his problem, it didn’t go away!

It's still there, whatever it is....

It’s there, I know it is, it’s just tiny like me….

And nor will the rest of the problems go away by the sound of it.

According to reports, we are going to have one last try at signing David Villa and that’s it. Well I wouldn’t bother personally, not if it’s true that Manchester City now want him to replace Balotelli. We can’t compete with them for wages and at his age, I suspect Villa wants a bumper salary.

Oh well, the dream was nice while it lasted!

If Walcott had left, everybody would have said, ‘You lost a top striker.’

“Giroud is getting there, I believe. He has started 11 Premier League games and scored eight goals. In all competitions he has 14 goals. Overall, he is slowly getting there.

“If you look at the Africa Cup of Nations, the best striker is Gervinho and after [him] we have one or two good young players who will get a chance.

Then Podolski! I forgot Podolski, who we bought to play as a central striker, so we have quality strikers.

Walcott has been with us a long time now and after a handful of games playing centrally, Wenger suggests he’s considered to be a top striker. He says he signed Podolski to play to play as a striker too, so why has he been sticking him out wide on the left and watch his struggle?

Gervinho, well it will take me and suspect most fans more than a goal or two at the ACON’s to convince he is a quality striker.

Anyway, let’s hope the three we do have right now find the back of the net tonight, we need a win, for no other reason than we all want to see an Arsenal side win. Top four, well what will be will be and if we don’t get there in May, then blame Kroenke and his cronies below him, including Wenger.

Thomas Vermaelen is fit for selection tonight so he should slot straight back into the side, Coquelin, Arteta and Fabianski remain on the sidelines although the latter is ready for a couple of matches for the reserves now..

Whisper it, but Diaby is still fit too……

Wenger needs to get his team focused for tonight, Liverpool will still be seething from their FA Cup exit and of course from earlier in the season when we beat them at Anfield.

I’ll end on some positive news, the club have announced that they won’t be increasing tickets prices next season.

I’m surprised they didn’t keep that bit of news up their sleeve, or maybe it’s an attempt to appease fans for no transfers this month…

If so, it won’t work!

Have a good day all….

461 Comments | Daily Bits and Bobs, Match Preview | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by rico

Biggest hint yet that a defensive midfielder is set to sign? A Bright’n Cheerful day ahead?

January 26, 2013

Morning all…

I read that Wenger is moaning about what Alan Pardew has done in this transfer window and the fact that only a few clubs will have to face his new rejuvenated side. Funny enough, we are one of them.

I don’t recall him saying that we were also one of the fortunate ones to have faced them when they had more injuries than Diaby has had in his career…. And that’s saying something.

Ok, Newcastle sit in a ‘nasty’ place in the Premier League and they needed to make a few signings but, what they have done to date is pretty darn good in my view.

Moussa Sissoko

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

Massadio Haidara

Yoan Gouffran

Mathieu Debuchy

Instead of moaning, why didn’t Wenger go and sign one or two of the players that have now joined Newcastle?

How many of us would have been chuffed to see at least two of the above sign for us?

How many of the players Pardew has signed would have NOT improved our squad?

How many would have broken the AFC PLC Bank??

Seriously, OUR club has missed out.

Talking of Newcastle, they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Brighton, our opposition for today. I watched a lot of that game and Brighton were on the top of their game. They never let Newcastle settle, they harried the opposition players, closed them down and were prepared to work from start to finish in order to progress into the next round.

I can’t think of the last time I watched us play and thought that about our side.

No doubt some will suggest we did that at Swansea, I’d beg to differ….

But if Wenger wants to come away from Sussex with a victory, he is going to have to ensure the team puts in that kind of effort today, otherwise we will go out of the FA Cup.

Squad news for today’s 3pm kick off.

Vermaelen, Arteta, Coquelin, Fabianski and Gervinho are all missing. Frimpong has gone on loan to Fulham for the rest of the season  so he won’t feature today either.

Maybe the departure of Frimpong is the biggest indication that Wenger is ready to sign a defence minded midfielder? It certainly should be….

He’s only got five days left to bring in a couple of players this transfer window.

I’m beginning to doubt he will though…

Good luck to the guys today, Captain Jack to show us the way?

Have a good day all…..

336 Comments | Match Preview | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by rico

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