Morning all.
So, £173 million sat in the Arsenal bank before the summer transfer window, now there is £120 million according to reports and that’s not including the £30 million set aside to pay the mortgage. Disgraceful!
I’m not a huge fan of all these ex players who instead of getting on the football training ground and using all their so called knowledge of the game to help others, prefer to sit in the warm and cosy indoors and rip shreds out of the way teams play, but for once, Jamie Carragher has a point..
Whilst securing another handsome pay cheque writing for the Daily Mail, he has torn into Arsenal, well Arsene Wenger really:
For a decade now, Arsenal have been unable to contain opponents who go with a fast, physical gameplan. Everyone knows how to play against them.
When I watch Arsenal now, I get frustrated. They play the same way wherever they go — with their full-backs pushed up high and wide — and get caught on the counter-attack. They are the away team! They should be doing that to the home team when they go travelling.
Why don’t they learn? It is unforgivable that this keeps happening.
The penny needs to drop. When I played in Europe with Liverpool, the first objective was always to get a clean sheet: make yourself difficult to break down then, if a chance arose, pounce and pick up whatever you could. If the home fans didn’t like it, so what?
Yet Arsenal feel they can beat anyone. Anywhere. Playing their own game. It’s naive. The only team able to get away with such a philosophy in recent years was Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona — one of the greatest sides of all time — but even he wasn’t afraid to concoct different tactical plans.
With Arsenal, though, it seems there is one way only and you can’t help but wonder where it is all heading. Wenger is a legendary figure in our game; his achievements will stand the test of time but you sometimes question whether there is a negative to him being so secure in his job.
Of course it’s no coincidence that a decade ago, the Invinsible side started to fall away with players leaving one by one and it wasn’t long before we’d gone from being a big strong team at the back and in midfield, a team with pace and flair up front in abundance, to a side full of midgets, no midfield anchormen and our ruthless build up play and finishing has long disappeared.
It’s a sad situation to be in for all of us having gone from being great to mediocre over the last few years and I struggle to understand how a manager who really hit the ground running in the Premier League has sat back and allowed the change to take place in front of his very own eyes.
We all know when we moved, the purse strings were tight but I strongly suspect that not all players with power, pace and who stood over 6′ tall would have stretched the finances any more than signing yet another under-tall midfield midget would! And had he signed those kind of players, his ancient tactics might still work on the pitch.
He didn’t, he still hasn’t and I doubt things will change and perhaps that’s where Carragher’s view is right. His job being so secure is having a negative impact on the team and most importantly, the club and it’s fans.
So, as we head off to play an in form Aston Villa side, we can only hope Arsene Wenger learned from the performance and his kamikaze tactics on Tuesday and tries something a little different. Maybe he’ll try a bit of defending, send the team out to defend as if their lives depend on it and then perhaps try and catch Villa napping on a couple of occasions. However, new assistant coach Roy Keane will make sure that doesn’t happen and Villa have conceded just one goal so far this season. Steve Bould should be doing the same at Arsenal, but somehow I suspect his defensive knowledge and advice gets brushed aside….
After all, the best way to defend is by attacking isn’t it??!!
COYRRG’s – do yourselves and our club proud…..
That’s it for another day…..
New post up now..
Morning Kev..
No.. lol
Zuprin Park!!!!
Er, Upton Park
Thought that West Ham looked a proper handful against Liverpool, a quite insipid Liverpool it has to be said.
Seems that Fat Sam is constructing a very big, physical and Boltonesque side down Zuprin Park way…
Does anyone feel sorry for Alan Pardew?
No!
I didn’t think so…..
Morning All
Morning Rico, Lee, Adam and BT (Beatnik 😉 )
Morning Adam, Lee, Bt and all…
Nice win but……
Morning Rico, Lee and all. A typical Arsenal week methinks. Stink the place out and lose to Dortmund and then beat Villa 3-0 away with Ozil ‘lucking’ into the position that he probably should have played in from the start. Nice to win though but I doubt we will get as much room every week.
BT. Didn’t know you liked jazz. You groovy cat. 🙂
You can’t base anything on the Villa game the majority of their team had a bug….we need go to citeh,Chelsea or manure and beat them convincingly before I think we’ve turned a corner. So happy clappers real your necks in, we still need to address our weaknesses.We are stuck with Wenger and our current players like it or not that’s the situation……
Forever in our shadow. you will be, oh Tottenham, oh Tottenham you will always be shit to me!!!!
Chippy Brady!!!!
5-0 at the shit hole.’78…..
Super,super Mac!!!
Thierry Henry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lights Out! The Jackie McLean Quintet.. Listen enjoy….
Born of Frustration……
Night Kev 3pts…..
Only saw brief highlights on MotD…
Ozil played in his proper position, scored one, made one and from what I saw pretty much ran the show…
Does that mean that next game he’ll be back on the wing?
And if so then what does that say about Wenger?
Delighted to see Welbeck score, but Ramsey looks knackered…
As someone said, one swallow doesn’t make a summer…
What pleased me most???
A clean sheet…..
Good post btw Rico.
Night All
Bin Dippers…lol !!!
Let’s all have a bloody good laugh at Liverpool…
Hahahahahaha 😆
Didn’t see the match Dev , i will watch the sky highlights and Motd and then comment. However I have to think that one swallow doesn’t make it.
Sleeep well Ts….
night gents…
BVB played atythe same high tempo pace for 30 minutes against Mainz and then they ran out of steam…
Apart from RM and us majority of teams who played in the CL midweek dropped points
Exactly Gj… I was disappointed we lost against them even though I am a long term supporter because their best performance in a long time was against us on Tuesday.
I see Dortmund lost today 2-0 tsgh
How much did Soldado cost & why do you never see the media or rival fans go on about how much of a flop he is
Bt- my neighbour was trying to boast his team was the only English team to go away in Europe this week and earn a point… lol
Not a bad goal from Chicharito
https://vine.co/v/OW3WdXhBLJq
Slippery Sir G at it again.. 🙂
http://vine.co/v/OW3wiJU9e7i
Dev- I know everyone loves and thinks their club is a bigger than the next but BVB has won the CL 2 times for a reason…
indeed Dev.
Bt- if Man City beat Chelsea, Arsenal will be the only unbeaten team in the league.Can you believe that? lol
and 10 games unbeaten in the EPL since our last defeat
Ts, lol
I was impressed too… It’s work in progress but I like the fact that we are not playing well but we are getting decent share of points…
today I was impressed by the possession and by the amount of passes completed
the ball was zipping around like mad
I bet you do Dev.. lol
🙂
oh here I am tactful Ginge…..face to face I hit hard
D)
Tsgh I am probably wrong D)
Probably Gj…
Dev, Gj I echo your sentiments btw… unfortunately I am not as tactful as you when commenting as you know. 😉
He is tall then.. impressive.
If he keeps it up by the time he is 18 he will be an Olympic athlete…
Stay off the meat of the8-legged creature.. 🙂
Growing up mate. already 140cm (10years).
He is managing around 2.5k (2 times a week) and 5 km (2 times a week as well). The other three days….rest.
he still cant outrun me….but that day is not far away imo. By next May I think he will do it.
How’s the not so lil prince btw?
Sorry Adam…..forgot to mention you with the group of Rico, Kev and Wath.
Devil well wrote
Tsgh and BT 62 just thought some posts where posted today that expressed these sentiments before the match today maybe I am wrong.
Roger I am not sore you could get Wenger to change even with a tank 🙂
lol… Dev. goonie the loonie? I like that 🙂
Its good to feel the positive vibes when we win admittedly but I get what you saying though…
You put it so diplomatically though 😉
I know its not easy being AFC fan. Yes AW and the club do have a habit of making life difficult for us.
But it stinks when Arsenal fans change direction as frequently as a wind cock.
yes I can stomach AW and the club making it difficult.
But I cannot stomach hypocrites.
Yes I know Ginge. But give me Rico, Kev, Wath any time.
Give me your views. Same with Micko, Lee, Rocky, etc. (Cant mention everyone as it will take long)
Hell….give me even a lunatic with clear views…..Goonie.
But at least you know where you stand. You lot call a spade a spade.
Its the double faced I hate.
Lol… Dev you know how it is mate…
It ain’t easy being an Arsenal fan…
I am ok Ginge.
just pissed off by those who today were singing a different tune to last Tuesday/Wednesday.
Guys who last time were slagging the team and today are praising everyone.
Hey Dev.. how are you mate?
from*
Hiya Ginge.
Gj, not sure reasonable fans want us to lose so AW gets his p45.lol
Roger, the dippers also struggled against a high intensity WHU pack today…
As I said on Wednesday, BVB beat FC Hollywood the same way and as we know Pep sets his team up as AW does…
High pressing teams can’t do that every game; it will help if AW can have a winning formula against the big teams.It gives confidence and reassurance to the players and fans even though 3 points is 3 points no matter who you pick it up against…
Jose on the other hand will like to beat us 6-0 and lose 1-0 to Crystal Palace the following week so.. 🙂
Gj, never seen anyone hope we loose our next game, just to see AW sacked, but as they say, 1 swallow doesn’t make a summer….
Good evening my dear lovelies and buddies.
I am downright angry today. We were so crap. We had only 71% possession, completed only 741 passes, scored only 3. This is madness. AW simply must bury his head in shame. how dare he show his face now.
And to cap it all he did not play Jack and Aaron together. What a waste of talent. Ozil was again played out of position while Welback only scored because the ball bounced kindly off his boot.
To cap it all we scored only 3 against a very crap keeper who makes Almunia world class.
The midfield was overrun as usual and the centreback pairing looked suspect.
We need Alex Song back. and at the double.
–
–
–
–
–
-the above is dedicated to those morons who slagged off our players and manager last Wednesday and today are praising them.
No I am not talking about those who call a spade a spade. I am talking about those who try to destroy all that is positive with this club and then when games like today appear they go and hide behind comments while smiling hypocritically, waiting for the next time they can strike the knife in the back.
They can fuck off with RVP…….judas of a feather flock together
And they can suck all they want
Joe, I think lots of us dont necessarily want to change manager as much as we want to change Wenger the man in a few ways. His stubborness in transfer dealings, lack of tactical conservativeness against the big teams… oh I dont know, replacing Patrick Vierra…
I consistently say I dont want him to go yet, not least because he wont, so save your energy. I just feel that writing quality comments on HH will lead him to read our fine work more and find the inspiration he needs to make those small changes in his life, and ours, for Arsenal.
Or Southampton for that matter ATM game is a good one
BT 62 it will be interesting to see how strong a team Wenger will put out.
Happy BT 🙂
There are a few things to work on though. Schez needs to get his clearances in the sky and away. One last week led to the corner for Citys second, and this week he scudded one straight to Delph (I think it was) who had a nice shot on goal.
And there was a moment in the second half, where they had a free kick which was left to bounce in the box. Moments later it happened again from a corner which found its way to the back post villa player unmarked. Its really a mess in there…
Ramsey also needs to learn that when things arent quite clicking to go back to the simple stuff and play his way back into the game. Ill forgive him for kicking a backpass out for a corner!
But these are details for the training ground, right?! Wrong, we dont actually practice those things on the training field. Just more Wengerball 🙂 (ps I like Wengerball against the mid-table teams, that’s my dirty secret)
Tsgh
Is it just me but one defeat even if it was a bad one and some posters are hoping we will lose other games so that the Arsenal board will sack Wenger.
Ts,Tuesday will be hard.
Agag time you invested in a boat for getting home from work 🙂
true gj…
Evening all great result today but hope we don’t bring back villa’s bug back to London
AV beat looserpool last weekend at the kop btw…
2 defeats in a row for the modern manager..lol
It’s going well, ginge. 🙂 And I’m in a much better mood today than last week, that’s for sure.
Hello, Nash. 🙂
Love that Liverpoop were hammered. Just love it.
I would like to hear Jamie ‘squeaking’ Carragher’s comments after the dippers lose.. 🙂
😀 well so they say Ng..
Bt- I an sense your joy down here… ; until Tuesday of course.. 🙂
One man trash is another man’s treasure.
lol I know Lady. Hows the new job going?
We needed that performance.. particularly Welbz and Ozil… weight off their shoulders me think…
The dippers feeling the effects of playing 2 games every 3 days re. the UCL.lol
Lets see how many of the CL teams from this league win by 3 good goals away from home this weekend..
Hey, ginge!! Howdy? I am great now. Nothing like an Arsenal win to cheer me up. 🙂
Ts, just happy we won!!!! lol…
Lol Ng.. you know my views on Song is very similar to yours… I think sections of fans misunderstand his role in the team but just a point of view so…
Goonie, the dippers are/were a one man team…
Gerrard is worse than Arteta..lol
Ts. Credit where credit is due. Re. Song.
Hi Agag.
Not sure Ozil played that ‘centrally’ today personally…
He played is usual inside left or right and interchanged with Sc19 very often…
I think what was different was no JW and AW playing Ramsey and Arteta in the pivot… their record/winning ratio playing together as a double pivot is very impressive.
Both were tactically enough to cover the full backs when the bombed forward…
Lol Ng, give it up brother.. lol re Song.
Hi Miss Agag… how are you?
Bt- what are you smoking on today? lol
Go change your grav, roger. I think veryone should change theirs. 😀 I quite miss the old monster ones though.
Goonie, all fine now. 🙂 Had to check in at a hotel last night; I couldn’t go home since all the roads to my house were submerged in water. Ick.
Happy man Roger?
Hi all, can I just say you all look particularly beautiful today, ya little gravatar monsters
Oviation * Ovation
Jenkinson was booked
He is completely out of form
Standing Oviation for Song.
Hahahahahahhaha loserpoop are losing? ? Perfect Saturday for me so far.
Hey agag just tell me you re above water at least. I ve been worried sick. Are you okay? ?
The Corp,just booked…
O2 O2B O2B A GOOOOONER!!
Wavy, if WH hold on to that lead, it would be a great weekend, for sure. 😀
Agag, the dippers now 2-1. WH playing well against an ordinary l’pool side. Will they win? Nah!
Heard him say he had ten players wanting to play central no 10. In that case, why does he not buy players who actually like playing out wide instead of all central midfielders?
rico, still really frustrated about that match, more than any other we’ve played so far. Grrrr.
But today I am happy. 🙂 Who are WH playing, JM? Hello, rog. 🙂
Wenger unrepentant about playing Ozil wide! Says he will play there again, probably. Reason? He was pressured into playing Ozil as a no 10 today by the press and the fans(perhaps) I mean what do we know about football in comparison to 31 years experience? Next week, he’ll play him on the right wing, because his best players can put in a shift anywhere on the pitch, and after all, ‘Arsene knows best!
Sometimes his know it all arrogance and stubbornness absolutely baffles me! He just ain’t wired up right!
Next game for Ozil will be interesting then!
Good performance by the boys 🙂 Ozil played well, credit where its due, and he had lots of nice touches and movement even aside from a well taken goal and assist. Cant complain even though we played the second half in second gear. For sure there can be improvements, but that was total control.
I did say 2-0 before the games, but I didnt know they would kick one in for us too, so Ill take that 😉
2-0! 🙂 🙂
I’m off for the day guys and gals..
There’s a pizza calling me somewhere…
Night all….
wh 1-0 🙂
JM, haven’t seen the game so can’t comment on today’s game…
Exactly Andrew….
Villa have only Plan A.
Wellbeck yields much more to not be static but move into the pitch.
Ramsey is a disgrace.
Cazorla tired.
Chambers is not right defense.
There is no direct replacement for Debuchy. AW does not trust Bellerin. Have two players per position,means: when one can not play, the other one, plays.
That’s it Rico, it wasn’t the 2-0 but all the other stuff that was demoralising.
Agag, you and me neither, but more the performance, and the transfer window, and the fact we have no CDM, no defenders and…. Too much!
Sukky, my mistake then…
Rice,Ozil dropped?you must be kidding.I wanted jack dropped and ozil back to number 10 and Ramsey back to box-to-box.And I told you early that we are winning and keeping a clean sheet.Aston villa are very stupid for sitting deep after 3-0,they made †̥ђƺ second 45mins very boring.
Phew! Am still not over the Dortmund result, but this victory has gone some way to pacifying me. 😀 😀
Nope, good result. I look forward to watching the game on Sky later…
Couldn’t have asked for more than that.
Andrew – should of been off very lucky player and manager there ha!
Lewis – sadly for Wenger no mate
Thanks goodness Andrew…
And Chambers just pulled someone back but not 2nd booking.
Can we play this lot every week?!
Not watching either Potter, but it sounds like Keane all over…
Heard that Chambers has been booked and Keane on the touch line is trying to wind him up .Not watching is it right.?
Thought you wanted him dropped Sukky?
Thansk Andrew..
Oz, don’t forget they beat us at home last season… 😉
No!!! Only reason Diaby a sub is because Flamini is now injured.
Dublin – Wenger hold his hands up, you’ll be waiting a long time for him to do that…
Makes me wonder if all the bashing by the media has made Wenger wake up!
Rico, villa had bug through team. One sent home, one replaced before kickoff (like our sanchez) and several playing with it. Another replaced half time. Hey, its spurs over again!!
it’s Aston Villa and this is our level to shine – any tougher and we struggle, not rocket science and no magical formulas
I told ya Rico.Ozil is on fire!
Why we were so slowly and predictable?
Why the others teams play with more pation and dynamic then ours?
when we accelerate the opportunities and goals arise.
my post yesterday, Welbeck will score today, how chuffed am i.. wenger should be made publically say he was wrong. jesus over 20 years a manager and couldnt figure out,playing ozil there,could only improve the team. shameful ignorance.
Ignore Neville, he’s like the rest of them…
Who has the stomach bug, us or Villa?
According to Phil Neville, Villa been best team, had best chances!!! Idiot, what about three goals, were they not good chances?
Chambers booked and now he’s having words with Roy Keane! Only a sending off can stop us surely.
Thanks Geziah..
Andrew, not yet eh… lol I’m sure they’ll be an excuse as to why we won, if we do….
Stomach virus apparently not flu. And Sanchez should never have been on team sheet according to BBC. Printing error!!?
No tin hat needed Rico, I’m not usually optimistic, but had a great feeling Welbeck would do it for us today. Who needs Sanchez, LOL. Of course if we win, it will be down to the flu bug Villa have had. Wish five live hadn’t just mentioned the 4-0 Newcastle lead!
Yeah Rico he’s behind Welbeck
3-0 😮
Is Ozil playing in the proper number 10 position?
Ozil and Welbeck then 😛 😛
World beaters
Lol
Play Ozil in the 10 role and guess what happens? Wasn’t rocket science now was it
COYFRRG
I hope it’s not a biggie Agag….
Adam and rico, I haaaate all the rains. One just left, I’m sure another one is coming. 😕
WATH, please no talk of Diaby!! 😉
BT, haha. I’m on save mode, not to worry. 🙂
Villa started well then….
I’d have an answer ready for him Andrew, and it wouldn’t be pleasant….
🙁 Re Alexis..
Andrew, I want Diaby back too, shows how bleedin desperate we are…
If we get another defensive injury rico, Wenger will ask how unlucky have we been?
BT62, it has to happen to us! How many flaming injured now?
Hope those typhoons soon pass Agag and yes, he would.. lol
Wath, spot on, what message does that give Bellerin! One injury at the back today and we are in the mire. We already have one foot in it!!
I want Diaby Centre-Back Wath, start of a new dawn for the poor chap!! Try it out next week.
Just heard Alexis, injured in warm up…
What a joke we are!!
Afternoon all…
Agag, keep your head down, with weather that bad you’ll not be able to shop!! Quids in…
Adam, just getting ready for KO, have a mate coming over to watch the match and have a few drams. Will need ear plugs. he’s very vocal watching Arsenal but not when we’re over at the Emms….lol…Bonjour mon ami…
That bench says it all JM…. Why no Bellerin…? makes out that he was useless Tuesday and what does that do to the boys confidence that he now not even on the bench….?
Wenger man management… f’kin pathetic…!
Dreading this now…. You just know Diaby will end up centre back lol
Hi BT. Just chilling here mate with a friend over from France. 🙂 Hope you are well.
Hi Agag. That is bad weather news.
Not a lot of defenders on the old subs bench! Not a lot of defenders on the club’s books, either, well not fit ones!
Not feeling too confident today………….unusual, for me!
2-2 at loftus road
Arsenal substitutes: Ospina, Coquelin, Diaby, Alexis, Rosicky, Wilshere, Podolski
Arsenal team to play Aston Villa: Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil, Ox, Welbeck
No defenders on the bench…
agree Sukky – although never understood why we brought him to be honest let alone brought him to England
his ago is the problem agag – he thinks he’s god gift to football
I quite prefer summer forever to anywhere cold, Oz. 🙂 Yay to living in the tropics!
Now to win today!! We need a response; recollections of the match v. Dortmund make me ill. And I wish AW would just go, if he doesn’t think he can take this team any farther.
No campell on †̥ђƺ bench,I must say †̥ђis guy made a huge mistake coming back.
we’ve had one or two lashing of late as well – winters last fling, then we sweat to death for 6 months lovely ha!
Oz, we had two typhoons in one week. Imagine!! Yesterday was a disaster, couldn’t go home since all the roads to my house were flooded. 🙁
you must be sending it over AGAG – we have just had a weather warning issued as well
Boo!! Hello, from typhoony Manila. 😉
rico, Giroud would have scored a few headers by now. 😉
Adam, how goes it, mee old china?
Nash, Roman wouldn’t take it from the groundsman, never mind the manager.
Oz, i hope to be numb, regardless of the outcome…..lol
Hi Oz. Do you think for a second Roman Abramovich would tolerate these kind of behaviors from his manager at Chelsea?
good read as well Rico
some good points Nash
gameday and TBH feel numb today – we win, we hear the Wenger dribble “we’re back” we loose and the hole just gets deeper but so does Wengers – ffs what a mess
Good Afternoon Rico and All.
Excellent Post Rico. I hate to agree with Jamie Carragher but he’s right.
Last season Chelsea came to the Ems and defend while we went there and attack and got ourselves exposed within the twenty minutes. The same with Liverpool. Sometimes you wonder if AW care anymore. But if you’re in cahoot with the Boss, you do whatever pleases you and getaway with it.
Arsenal fans and Supporters need to do exactly what Liverpool did a couple years ago. Kick Silence Stan out of Arsenal, so he can take AW with him.
I can bet you Roman Abramovich knows his first 11 players in Chelsea team sheet. Ask Kroenke to name the first 6 in the team sheet, I bet you he wouldn’t. And it wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Because if you invest in a sport you don’t love that much but, your investment is getting reasonable returns every year, what do you care if you’ve few disgruntled Customers?
Never get a tattoo of your boyfriend/girlfriend….I changed ♍Ɣ 4th name to cesc and here I am today watching fabregas playing for †̥ђƺ rival.
I have †̥ђis feelings that arsenal will keep a clean sheet today.
Another post with a few comments I’ve written before.
If we not win today we can start thinking in others targets
Afternoon all, your on a roll rico.
Is this the same Villa that flirt with relegation every season and finish mid table giving us the heebie-jeebies !
Win and they go top, gotta fancy their chances, Villa Park has generally been a lucky hunting ground for us down the years, 3-1 to the Gooners !
I have to nip out too, back in a bit…
Thank you Adam…
Me too, 2-0 to the arsenal! Nah, not possible! 2-1 to Arsenal.
We’re like a guilty man’s admission of his crime…..no defence!!
COYRRGS
Good luck everyone for today, Im off, see you for the post match wrap 😉
Remember 2-0 to the Arsenal
The incompetence knows no end and will in fact continue for years yet.
Excellent post Rico. 🙂
Off out peeps, catch you all before KO, liquid refreshments required for the day ahead. I’ll leave you all with this..O2 O2B O2B A GOOONER!!!!!! Latta..
Thanks Lewis – I’d like to see Campbell start…
Hope Bellerin plays too, leave Chambers as if one of he Merts or Kos get crocked, we are up the creek without a paddle…
£ 120 mill in the bank and we have a Defence as thin as we do, says it all really.
Morning all. Nice post Rico.
Carrager just echoing what most can see, it’s so obvious.
The defence and keeper picks itself today, no choice.
I’d like to see two holding midfielders Wilshere with either Arteta or Flamini, would prefer neither of the latter in the first team anymore but again no choice.
Frontline:
Campbell, Ox, Sanchez
Welbeck
Would really like to see cambell given some game time, hopefully he would seize his chance and work his socks off.
We need the players to step up and take games by the scruff, the bench don’t seem capable of preparing them tactically so we need some individual brilliance to get three points.
Has to be three points, any less is another failure.
Andrew, hope you have your tin hat on… 😉
Morning Andrew/Syg.. And to you Bt.. 😉
I like Welbeck Roger, once he gets a goal I think he’ll settle, Alexis, well what a player he is.
Morning all, Syg hope the lucky streak continues..
Probably longer BT 😉 years and years
Sorry, in my delusional state I forgot to say morning rico and all.
SYG, I’m so Well Jel. If I was in Protaras I’d come and join you. Hope it works, I’ve had good luck over there.
Roger, you mention improve defence, how long have people been talking about that? for years now, the constant in all this AW…..
Clucking Bell AndyH – Like minds eh
We are missing Giroud, Rico. And yeh, you are 100% on what you say.
However I watched the Man City game, and Welbeck in the middle was a million percent improvement on what we had after Giroud got crocked.
1) Try not to concede.
2) The win
Maybe the underwhelming Welbeck will nab his first goals today. Fingers X’d
No, you all wrong, we have a tactic and its going to work today. Outscore them!
Expect Welbeck to break his duck and a little respite as Arsenal beat team in 2nd place.
Even Podolski might come on and slot in a left-foot winner. OK, I’m going to hide at 16.45.
Morning all from Cyprus.
I’ll be in Dherynia Inn for the game.
We never lose when I go there. We go a goal or two behind – but we never lose. 2-1 to The Arsenal.
Call me on it afterwards !
Trouble is, we improve the defence and our attack goes missing.
Agag asked me the other day if I thought we were missing Giroud. You know what, I think we are, he was always back defending corners and set-pieces… lol
True Rico! And the striker that you and I were banging on about turned out to be… Welbeck. Sigh. At least we have Sanchez, I love that guy already
True BT but the lesser teams generally dont have enough quality to hit us (often or badly) when we lose the ball from their pressing. Also, its a risk for them because we can counter-counter. Their best chance is to be very tight, and feed off scraps until they can put in a lucky long ball … which could happen
Thanks Bt..
Roll on the day, £120 million in the back and the numptie couldn’t sign a CDM and CB, beggars belief….
Yeah its working for them (somehow and so far), but my point is we dont have to be more defensively minded against them in my opinion – we can play Wengerball.
But dont mis-interpret me, we DO need to improve the defensive performance regardless, especially at set piece time! Also, we dont bomb both left and right backs forward at the same time (ever!), and we do have someone (or switching players) sitting in front of the defence to slow down and disrupt any breaks.
So improve defence and then enjoy the football!
Roger, same could be said of Arsenal, still can’t defend, can’t handle teams pressing them, can’t score enough goals and handle teams who come at them with pace. They lucky to be 2nd and we still have AW.
Rico, nice post, Jamie not as thick as he looks,.don’t worry Rico, some day this all will end and AW will be confined to the history books….Villa will be a big test, a draw now ,yes please….
Roger, but it’s working for them… 😉
Jeff, could see a few changes after that hard work out on Tuesday, they must be exhausted after running around chasing the ball and Dortmund players for 90 mins…
The reason Villa is second is…. LUCK. They are about to go on a slow slide. I mean well done to them so far, making the most of their chances. But as Savage analysed, they are not doing anything differently that they other 2 Lambert seasons where they struggled. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/29262223
Average possession 37%, average shots per game 6. This is not top 4 quality.
Arsenal 2-0 today.
Hope to see Carzola, Rosicky, Jack and Ox playing from the start… Sanchez,Ramsey and Ozil to the bench
Villa seem to Lure their opponents to sleep in the first half with their bland football. How much of that is down to Roy Keane i don’t know
Ditto Wath, it’s all so sad…..
They were great that Invisible side.
Huge credit to Lambert too, he struggled last season and some fans wanted him out. What does he do, gets Keane in and things look a lot better..
What does Wenger do? head in the sand and ploughs on regardless…
Have to see a man about a roof….. They playing hoof ball and counter attack Rico, just the kind of play that we get found out on regularly…! I can see us getting stuffed to be honest…! How sad does that sound….! Season over before it’s even started…! That’s how our manager makes me feel at the moment.
Roger, they have leaked one goal, and with Senderos defending! And they sit second in the league for a reason, I hope you are right, but I just can’t see us getting anything from the game…
Thanks Wath, Roger & Jeff..
Morning to you all too..
First noddy on the blog 😀
Lovely read Rico. Looking forward to the game today.
Carraghers point nails it when it comes to playing away against powerful teams. We all know it. But I think this largely applies to those teams that are very close to, or better than the quality we have.
Villa wont be a match for us today. Their defence is good (no Vlaar maybe today?), but there attack is nothing special. They are not a top 4 or even top 8 team. So we can play Wengerball against teams like Villa, and I hope we do. Its more upcoming games against teams like Chelsea that lately Im looking less and less forward to…
Nice post Rico..
I loathe to give Jamie any sort of credit but like you i think he is right. I’m not expecting any changes though.
During the city match, the camera turned to the bench and Bouldy was in Arsene’s ear. The boss nodded in agreement and immediately sent some orders on to the pitch. Few minuites later we conceeded the equalizer.
Our defensive personnel are not up to standard so nothing Bouldy can do…. The boss needs to swallow his pride and do he obvious.
Great post Rico
Same old questions same old answers and Carragher is right on so many levels. Amazing how 90% of the footballing world can see it yet Wenger and the board choose to completely ignore it.
Can’t see us doing anything today at Villa, Keane will make sure they are well up for it and expose our weak underbelly (spine) yet again….
Morning all.