Stoke at The Emirates is tomorrow night’s fixture. The hoofers, long throw ins, the ‘in yer face’ tackles will all be in the tactics dished out by Tony Pullis before the game I’m sure, all we need to do is keep the ball on the ground, find the perfect pass, find the perfect finish and let football win the battle.
This fixture was due to take place a couple of months back when the snow lay all around and inevitably the match got called off. Our team were already at the ground and most just packed up and went on their short journey home. Not Alex Song though, he had a tough old-time…..
Here’s what happened to our big midfielder…..
Oh, it was unbelievable. We arrived at the stadium and everyone went to their cars and began to drive home. I got just outside and found myself stuck in a queue for about two hours.
Nobody was moving. I decided that, at that rate, I would be there all day – so I turned back, parked my car back in the stadium and thought ‘OK, maybe I’ll try to walk up the road a little way and jump into a taxi’.
I walked and didn’t see anything – kept walking, still nothing. I kept going and going, and there was no point turning back. So I walked all the way to Brent Cross, taking the same route as when I go by car because I didn’t know the side roads very well.
I walked for four or five hours, because you have to go quite slowly and carefully in the snow. I had my coat pulled up, but nobody recognised me along the way – it was a very strange afternoon.
When I arrived at Brent Cross I found a taxi company, but the guy said there were no cabs. I begged him to help and he said he’d call somebody at home but it would cost me double. I said ‘No problem, I’ll pay triple or whatever it takes, I just want to get home!
I waited about 20 minutes and the driver arrived, I jumped in the taxi and got home eventually! I’m never doing that again – if necessary I’ll sleep in the stadium! As soon as I got home I had a very hot bath and went straight to bed.
We were all pretty cheesed off about the game being called off that day but maybe we should have spared a thought for Old Billabong Song who was on a long, cold, adventurous and expensive journey home. …..
Still, he can afford it 🙂
I know Wenger doesn’t spend much but maybe he could at least stretch to a few A-Z’s of London…..
Two snippets about players:
Young midfielder Kyle Ebecilio has signed his first professional contract with the Club. Having snubbed the Chavs last summer to sign for us, he’s now turned 17 – he’s another up and coming exciting young midfielder. Talking of which Young Guns reported yesterday that Wenger has secured another young midfielder from the Barcelona Academy. His name is Jon Miquel Toral and he’s an under 16 International with Spain.
For the more details please go to Young Guns website.
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2011/02/arsenal-agree-deal-for-barcelonas-toral/
Have a good day all……
Morning all
Bit of a light hearted post today – poor old Song plodding around the streets of London for hours….
Morning all.good read rico.
he’s got a RVP touch about him….
Cant believe he didnt pop into a cafe on the way and get a cup of hot soup 😉
Morning KT –
Looks like Wenger is getting one over the Barca again, YG’s has a video of him…
Hi george, who the barca boy or Embecilio
Least he like a lot of blokes that go footie Rico, get home 5 hours after the game and straight to bed 😉
Morning WATH, cracking 🙂
Takes me more than five hours thou when i go and i don’t stop in all the pubs….. 😉
Why are the media claiming nasri will leave?Aw said nasri’s contract talks will be held in the summer and nasri has just echoed that.why don’t they get a life and leave us alone?
because it sells a story KT, i don’t bother with them anymore…
Also whats up with the Daily mail?they had a headline that vermy suffered a setback but in the report they mention of no such thing and they even say he has made remarkable progress.i hope Aw says something on the matter later today.
We should also stop signing this La masia wonderkids.i want nothing more to do with that lot.
Morning guys
As much as I like getting up Barca’s noses, I really want us now to stop this getting young players from other clubs. I want to see more Jack’s coming through.
Morning all,
Poor old Song, i know the feeling when i’ve been uptown ask a local for directions and find you have to ask twenty before somone speaks English then find their as lost as you, a multi cultural country is not allways a big help
I don’t mind us getting the kids KT as long as we are getting them for free and because they are so young now they will always count in the homegrown when they finally make it..
But, what we also need is the club to buying the experience in the transfer windows to keep the ‘here and now’ side playing great football and winning…
Apparently Anderson is out for 2 months with a hamstring injury.
Morning Steve and Will
Steve – i thought the snow story was funny, can you picture him tredging around london lost 🙂
He wasn’t lost Rico he was clever he traced the way he drives, long journey though thats for sure…! Aslo the young kid from Barca is half English his Mum is English…!
Lost around the streets WATH, therefore taking the drive route – you know what i meant 😉 😉
rico, judgeing by what i read in the papers of football stars and their private lives, if i was his wife i would be a little wary of a story like that , but thats me , but yes it made me smile
😆 Steve, not our Billabong, he’s a happily married man but i understand where you are coming from….
mind you, its funny how all the other players drove home ok 😉
KT, Anderson is rubbish anyway, now if it was Nani….
My mate the Man u supporter was ecstatic when he heared the draw for the next round of the FA cup, my prediction was right, man u will become the team we need to see off this season, and i feel confident, as long as Wenger stops sodding about.
Morning guys what did I miss??? Aw will not be doing a presser before the Stoke game that says it all eh
That is it in a nutshell steve…
Howdy Erick, whys he not doing an i/v?
http://thegoonblog.com/2011/02/wickham-given-vip-treatment-at-arsenal/
This suggests TV has had another setback….
I wonder if anyone would believe that Story if Cashley had come out with it…!;-)
WATH lol long time what up??
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3426173/New-Zealand-quake-kills-65.html
This is horrific… Thinking of NZ right….
Or JT 😆
Rico the Sun is reporting that but its not yet clear but I think its Pulis comments after Rambo’s injury
I said to my mate, why do you think you will have an easy game then, he said, its not that, at least i get to see the first team play.
Ah, thanks Erick..
Nz we thinking about you what a tradegy
Steve where am from Mancs supporters are so annoying the live in denial and you can’t reason with them I just wear my Arsenal kit just to annoy them
Once we get sunday out the way, both us and the mancs could still going for three trophies by the time the FA Cup fixture arrives… i can see both clubs playing under strength sides….
however, if barca knock us out of the CL and the mancs go through, i think they will play an under strength side but we won’t…
Erick, manc supporters are annoying where ever they live 😉
Good idea Eric,
Rico watever the situation Its the mancs we have to play at full strength we can’t loose to them at all
I still stand by what i have always said, two changes every game and every body gets a rest, and we still have a strong first team, i dont understand how difficult that is to impliment.
Guys am already thinking of Sunday I must admit. We need that trophy
Steve I would go for four changes but Aw see’s it differently. We just need to mix it up the two teams we have are miles apart
Erick, you and I know that, all the fans know that, but Wenger, now he’s a different story 😉
Yeah Rico Aw is a different story.
Hey weedman how’s you….? Good to see you, Steve I agree with the small changes per game and as long as the spine of teh team is strong then that for me is whats important…! I still say they far to pampered didnt have all these changes 30 yrs ago and compared to now the pitches were utter shit and far more exhausting to play on…!
Eric, i always believe that anymore than two upsets the flow all over the pitch, but i would suffer that, over eight to ten, its not as though we have like for like.
Sunday cannot come quick enough – but, we have to beat the hoofers first, thats a big big game – win that and we are one point behind the mancs….
i just read on twitter that this young spaniards agent is Peps’s brother…..
and the kid wants to play for england as his mother is english 🙂
When you look at the game against Spains best, its games like that, that builds team spirit and bonding and trust. keep changeing the team and you lose the cohesion, i played for years, not at this level, but you do get used to what certain players are capable of doing, and the trust you have in one another ,massive changes are killing that, as every time you play is like starting all over again, thats why the great teams in the past have had the same players in, most of the time
Am great GG man whats been happening? We have missed your banter and post Barca thoughts eh
Steve I hear you and to be consistent we have to play the same team. Wath got a point the players are too pampered they are paid alot and they can rest when the season is over
My sentiments exactly
Steve – i think oliver was saying that too in his post yesterday, we all accept that rotation is needed but in 2’s not 10’s… its easy for one or two players to come into a system that is working well but ten, well thats just hideous in my opinion….
And definately too pampered… you imagine old Cloughie at half time against Orient….
He wouldn’t have minced his words i bet…. They would have all been told whata shower of ******* they were 😉
I reckon four changes would be max but the spine must be strong and nucleus must be the same so its easy for the players to come in fit in and the style and system stays teh same also the tempo and the creativity..!. Ten at once has proved time and again that it doesnt work.
Rico, one point behind the mancs and then lets see how they handle that knowing we right there waiting for them to cock up…!
I have to pop off for an hour or two, catch up later….
Spot on WATH, and they have a few tricky matches coming up….
Twitchy bum time 🙂
Hello HH, poor Song he walked all over London.
Just saw the video of Jon Toral he looks good (he looks like a English too) nice control of the ball great shooter. Hope he joins Arsenal.
A must win tomorrow may be two nil by half time. It must be said a 5nil or 6nil would be great to be honest with the chances we are creating its about time.
Erick, we would be three up at h/t and then just coast the 2nd half no chance of 5 or 6 i don’t think, it will be a hard game Pulis hates us and has no time for Wenger either so they will def put it about 2moro as well.
I am getting the feeling that AW is getting a bit pissed off with TV, introducing young Miquel at the weekend suggests to me that he is going in a different direction, he has seen how Kosi And Jd Have performed together so at present this is his starting two, i can see squilly edged out by Miquel and maybe the inclusion of another idealy a right footer, who else have we got
Lata Rico, don’t buy the shop up…! no more shoes either…! You know what you lot are like 😛
Bartley is the one that comes to mind Steve but he’s obviously up at Rangers, not sure abt the other young centre backs still at the club. Think AW now realises he stuffed up big time not getting cover in for TV…!
i don’t like to sound negative but arn’t we going a bit other the top with midfielders, is there a shortage of defenders or what, a right back of good standing in my eyes is a must, as i wouldnt trust Eboue to walk acros the street
Cheers WATH forgot about him
Who thinks TV will be back this season?
Thing is Steve is AW finally gonna let a few of the not gonna make it midfielders leave in the summer if he looking at another 16yr old..? Know a few shef utd fella’s and they were impressed with Bartley, as was said last night he had a mare over the weekend against celtic but was played in midfield so hard to judge the fella based on that.
Morning Will, I said end of Oct last year that I didnt think TV would play all season it went all to quiet and you just knew the problem was serious..!.
Wages will answer that Wath, imposible to pay them all
Will, i have already wrote TV off for this year, if he was to come back where would he go, Backup and another Lefty
I just wish Wenger or Arsenal would come out with the truth and stop mugging us supporters off.
Spot on Steve and seems we have far to many young ones on long contracts so they can’t leave on a bosman yet it costs us and arm n a leg to do that, law of averages means a few will go on to be very good somewhere but we can’t cry over spilt milk we cant keep them all its impossible…! least with sell on clauses in their contracts we get a few bob if they get sold on for decent money…!
clicky gibbs tv miquel jack robin all them leftys and we play AA bendy nas song down the left
This leads me to another topic what the hell is happening to Chamaka. I told Rico I don’t see him being better than Nikky eh
Wath and a team is due a thrashing from us the Mancs may be…i wish..
I’d like to play 442 with Jack infront of Clichy for a game just to see !!! Midfield of Nas on the right Cesc n Song in the middle, RVP n Theo up front…! Least that has balance, speed creativity and they will all put their foot into a tackle..!
Perhaps the wages at that level is so low its worth our while to keep them in the hope one will save us twenty mill
lets face it squill and kosi are not the greatest defenders in the world but if we win the CC and qualifi for CL not a bad investment
i have said in the past about moveing certain players into positions they dont usually play we used to do that years ago in teams i played for, and in lots of ocasions we found it bought skills out in different players for the better, some players who are one footed and have played on that side for years was switched when needed to cover, and found they performed better coming in from that side, Premier players seem steriotyped to just one position, certainly hard to mark against
Wath not a bad Idea. Steve like you am waiting for the Barca replay we just need to be deadly on the break
Steve, Ajax do that to all their players.
Eric we have the talent to beat them we proved that, but have we got the belief at camp nou, i have my doubts with cesc.
not a bad idea then, we might find a right back without it costing us a Will
Doubt with Cesc and I didn’t want to bring it up may be its me reading too much into nothing. Villa and Xavi talked crap after the game.
How many times will we hear the words
1) Good old fashioned English tackle
2) Get in their faces/ get in their face tackle
3) Letting them know he is there
4) Industrial tackle
I have no doubts that the Barca team were truly devastated at loseing against us. To keep hearing that they are the best team ever from all sources all over the world, and then get beat by us, is crippling but to lose after being one up is mind shattering to them. confidence that builds up over time has just exploded in your face and not by luck, but by fantastic play, they believed that they were the only team that could play that good, and now they are trying to find reasons why it happened, we are in a superb position as long as we dont underestimate them, the longer we can hold them and perhaps add to our tally the more their heads will drop, tempers will frey and we must keep the proffesionalism and just play a tight game and take our chances and we can take them i have no doubts.
morning all…interesting post rico, especially as we got hit with some snow last night. we got it fairly mild – the midwest got much, much worse…
And the main one Will DONT LET THEM PLAY
Howdy Oliver 🙂 Will trying to justify a career threatening tackle is just so cheap and its only used when you play against us
Steve we have to be intelligent when we go to the nou camp, we might have to play without the ball if you know what I mean but we have to go at them and above all believe
Morning Oliver,
Sorry to hear about your snow, do us a favour and keep it there. we have a few good games coming up and thats the last thing we need.Whats the time there
morning erick…well, it is stoke up next…i think there will be some lingering hard feelings – on both sides – from the shawcross – ramsey incident…but hopefully things will not degenerate into score-settling…
i imagine we will put a full strength side out…i hope not to see any changes for the carling cup final either. i understand some may advocate that, but i do not – i think we need to play our best eleven for that particular match. we need to win the trophy, and we need out starting eleven to get the feeling of winning and lifting a trophy to carry through the second leg versus barcelona and subsequent matches.
Oliver. I am not sure if you saw it yesterday but I apologise for the way I behaved. You are right to have your own opinion on the player.
morning steve…it’s 8:24 am…roads were not that bad this morning…most local school either closed or two hours delay, depending upon the respective county…
will, no worries…rico and i exchanged emails over the course of the day, and she alerted me that you apologized, so i jumped back on the site and responded under yesterday’s post…
squad quality and depth are certainly an emotional issue with us. and the player who’s merits we debated yesterday is one of the more polarizing figures at our club…at the end of the day, we all want our team and players to do well and win things – that is the most important thing…
Eric i agree100% we must not lose our tempers no matter what happens no Diabys, but we do have to work harder off the ball, although we defended better than i have seen all season, we are not giving our holders of the ball enough options, Barca are the best in the world at this art and i dont expect us to be as good but we must step it up and keep it up, they tired and we capitalised on it, they wont tire next time unless we make them tired
I want to dominate with a passion bordering on insanity and I don’t want players I think are passengers who will keep us at 4th place level with the odd semi-final.
I was players who are as driven as I am for success and to be the club side everyone wants to avoid.
Oliver spot on winning is everything and why not start on sunday to be honest we have never needed a cup the way we want that CC
Hello all.. every one seems relaxed..
bloody knicks…i am happy we finally got carmelo, but we allowed ourselves to get fleeced here – gave up way too much considering we had most of the leverage in these negotiations…i hope arsenal don’t go about player acquisition like this.
will, agree…i think we all want that…
morning stv..
All teams have players that some fans consider not good enough, get a squad where all the players are first rate and it causes problems inside the team, we have players who think their top notch but are not and the manager does not move them on, a balance is one of the hardest things to achieve and although i understand your frustrations Will, i dont think the problem will ever be solved. but were a lot closer than a lot of others, hence our position
Hi STV, not for long, we have started getting close and can almost taste it.
Afternoon peeps – popping in for half an hour….
This is true Steve and I think we have at least 4 players who would not look out of place in the championship.
passengers!!! some one even forgot their passport 😉
not good news re your snow oliver, i echo steve’s comment, keep it there please 😉
got to pop out againg, back in an hour… busy tuesdays 🙁
Do Arsenal have the most fan blogs on the net? I look at NN and it is mental how many there are.
I think they do have the most Will, someone was saying that last year that Arsenal have the most blog sites on the net..!
Because every arsnl fan has a say will..
Surely it would be better to have just a select few
means less moaning 😉 😉
Stoke boss Tony Pulis and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger have decided against holding their usual pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash against Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have endured a torrid relationship with Tony Pulis’s team since their promotion to the Premier League and have gone down to two defeats to the Potters since 2008.
Daily Mirror journalist John Cross revealed the strange news this morning, admitting that it’s both “mystifying and disappointing” as to why neither manager wants to take part in the conferences.
Wenger welcomes back Theo Walcott for tomorrow’s game, who has been passed fit despite a hamstring scare against Leyton Orient at the weekend.
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2011/02/22/wenger-pulis-pull-out-of-pre-match-press-conferences/#ixzz1EhQjfDOx
I’ll wait and wait for the injuries, punishments and “indigestion” football, caused by an overload of games in recent months and the two that follow, do not take freshness, clarity and class to the game and Arsenal players.
What I said earlier, you seem to be based in Barcelona but in the last match against Bilbao, rolled up their sleeves and pulled by Messi won the game. And to earn enough to score one more goal than your opponent. Simple, right? I personally would rather win by a goal difference in all games, exceptional views of what to do, provide 60% of possession and lament the poles, the hardness of the referees or opponents. Reduce the football to something simple at this point in time, right?
Ain’t that just great, no RVP or Kos for 2moro night and maybe won’t make sunday…! Just fuckin brilliant…!
I am so reassured to know we got squilli to come in as cover……………….
Exactly Wath.
JM, you are right mate.
Wath, just watched the interview, Wengers lieing, He is definitely going for it all guns blazing Sunday, he wants to make sure he has rvp and kosi for sunday, we could see young Miquel back in the mix for tomorow, but robin will not be risked Chamakh will step up or bendy we can risk them. tactics. i know the points are important, but he wont risk this chance of a cup. i never thought i would see the day that we pulled all the stops out for the Carling cup how times change
so we’ll have squillaci starting against stoke? not good…and does he start nik or chamakh? nik scored our equalizer against at the brittania in last season’s contentious game…but on the other hand, we have to get chamakh going again – perhaps starting him with a midfield containing cesc and jack, with samir and theo in support…i think he is more likely to score with these players – he will certainly get better service – rather than song/denilson/rosicky. not an easy call and we have to hope that both kos and robin will miss only tomorrow match.
Boo!! Hello, all. A lot of comments to catch up on. Back in a bit. 🙂
interesting post, rico! 🙂
A good chance to try JD with the new boy, i have taken a shine to him as well
Boo – what have i missed….
I suspect Robin will be unleashed on Sunday, and Stoke aren’t exactly the team where we want Mr.Brittlebones playing. 😉
Miquel gave a good account of himself v. Orient, so let’s hope he starts tomorrow… Squidgy worries me.
morning agag…i am not sure i want to see miquel against stoke – he may have the height and looks a good prospect, but i thought he was still raw…stoke are a far better side than orient and will certainly put pressure on our defence. as little as i think of squillaci, i am not convinced miquel is ready for this…
regardless of what any of us feel, i find it difficult to see a scenario will arsene would start miquel ahead of squil…
Hi all,
i don’t think JD and Squlli together have lost a game yet have they?? Its Kos and Squilli that doesn’t work….
I think he will rico, not long to see,
hi rico – i think you are correct, jd and squil have not lost yet together…i think this is more to do with jd, than squil himself…while i think squil is generally a liability, i don’t think tomorrow’s fixture is a good time to give miquel some more experience. it is going to be difficult, i am under no illusions that stoke will “bring it”, and i think we will need experience and composure in the back. squil may not necessarily be known for these attributes, but i think alongside jd he won’t hurt us too much…
Hello, oliver. How are you? For a veteran defender, Squlli has been sooo disappointing lately; that’s why I wouldn’t mind seeing the new boy. You’re right though, Squlli is more likely equipped for the strong-arm tactics of Stoke and would start ahead of Miquel.
I’m banking on JD having a cracking game Steve and i’m with oliver on the Miquel, Stoke will be a tough task and i think its a bit too early for the young un…
I am not that excited about having Squil facing Stoke.
Can’t say i am either Will but he’s all we have really….
RvP and Kos are surely just being rested for sunday….
I suspect that too rico.
I hope we are right KT….
Chamakh’s confidence is shot.bendy is just well bendy so i don’t know who Aw will opt to start.
Yeah they are both being rested from the butchers of Stoke.
Probably AA KT…
AA is playing better.he will surely start against stoke or the CC final.
Will, I dread it if i’m honest, i wouldn’t mind the snow falling at lunchtime tomorrow 6 inches around The Ems and the game gets called off….
Rico one of chamakh/bendy will start at CF tomorrow.
Hey, KT, rico! 🙂 After Rambo, I really don’t put anything past the thugs of Stoke.
Rico so long as we keep the ball and go direct we’ll batter them.they aren’t so good away from home.
Squil is going to get battered and bullied.
Hi agag.i want us to smash them.Pulis saw first hand what we are capable of doing against barca.they’ll not be relishing coming to play us at this time when we’re peaking.we need to make a statement tomorrow which will develop a fear factor to all visitors of the Emirates in the coming months.lets start winning games before they even start.
Will kos has become very vital to us as the barca game showed.let squilli get battered.he and djourou am sure will do fine.
Why do not put Squillaci centre forward? He scores goals!!!!!
These are the sort of games that diaby usually delivers blinders.
Yeh blindingly useless KT 😉
Squilli will play noway you want Miguel getting bullied by fuller and Carew…!.
I’d play Bendy up front through the middle purely because we still looking for the “real” Chamakh who was abducted in October by Aliens…! So only choice is to play Bendy.
I knew id get you there WATH.you’re like a diaby magnet.
You don’t want a kid playing against Stoke, they would kill him.
Chamakh for me then KT
WATH i guess so too.bendy is more likely to score a goal than chamakh.i wouldn’t trust chamakh to tap in the ball from 5 yards right now.
Hi agag, all well with you?
Im not sure why people are considering Miquel.i saw nothing special from him.fuller and jones will bully him out of London.squilli and JD will do fine.JD makes anyone look good.
Diaby KT, he’s either banned or on the medical table 😉
Diaby will become a top player rico if injuries give him a break.i’ll stand by that.
I wish diabolical had a magnet that sent him someone else…! 😉
I’d consider Gibbs in front of Clichy as well for 2moro…! possibly Eboooie in front of Sagna as well least then a few more of our creative players escape the chance of getting kicked to shit and also Gibbs and Ebooie both cross well, ok well Gibbs does, Ebooie sometimes..! 😉
Diaby would be good if he learned to concentrate
I’ll be happy for him to become a great player KT as long as its miles away from The Arsenal…! I think you may be standing for quite a while !!
evening guys..
rico check aclf out last night..HH got a shout out…it appears you have a blog stalker.. 🙂
nice post..made me chuckle 😉
KT – if his feet and brain worked together i think he could be good as well, you know i like to tease you re him 🙂
WATH 😆
Eboue and Squilli on the left side would frighten me WATH 😉
Evening jj – i chuckled to when i read about Songs journey, glad you liked it 😉
I must take a peep at aclf…
no rico
dexters a nice one..
it was the one who appears as the many j’s 😉
i left him to it.. i like yogi as well as a few others on their..a blog war aint my thing but i told him about himself..
pompus wierdo
anyhoo
is it true rvp and kozz are injured?? 🙁
I just read it jj, seems you are popular with your views 😉 😉
Yogi’s posts are cracking, i used to go on there but you can’t have a debate there its just a load of f-off’s if you don’t agree…. especially with wenger 😉
rested me thinks jj….
got to get dinner – back in twenty
‘Ping’ 🙂
See, all done and dusted 😉
me thinks rvp and koz are being rested…
theyve prob got niggles and they could play if they wanted to but v stoke wenger doesnt want them to 😉
The CC is the most important game in our season so far in my book. Yes Barca was up there, as is every PL game etc BUT – get those hands on a trophy, get the feel of being a winner and take that through with them in every game from Sunday onwards…
I just want us to get through the game without injuries, and come 10pm sit just one point behind old red nose lot!
we still need three points but i think we’ll be ok v stoke..
who replaces them
squidge or miquel
nikki or chamakh??
i agree rico – the carling cup is the most lightly regarded of the four competitions we are in, but we have already come so far that i think falling at the final hurdle will have a worse effect than being eliminated earlier. we have to close this out and win something…culture, values, and playing style are all wonderful, but the point of all this is to win things…
Did I hear blog war…? Who’s for the fire then…? 😉
I did end with sit 1 point off red nose lot jj 😉
Squilli and Chamakh/AA for me….
jj, squil in defense and chamkah to start of front, with nik first off the bench. that is how i would play it tomorrow…
I dread the thought of us losing at the final hurdle oliver, heads will go right down…
If we have our first eleven i think we should do it but i’m scared about tomorrow, like i said earlier, i’d be happy if the snow fell and it was called off again….
Not on here WATH, we are all civilised 😉
hes a nobody wath..
he reads HH all the time but never comments and then slags everyone off on another blog to gain respect..hes abit of a tit…no blog war though..theres only him who gives a shit..nobody else is bothered
one of those jeremys and jemima’s who never attends aways games and fucks off 20 mins before the end at home
came on here a few times and has held a grudge cos oliver schooled him on more than one occasion..
A jcl knob JJ ok well the fire is always easy lit and quick…! 😉
i agree oliver
jd and squidge with chamkaka up top..lets hope he bangs a couple in..but i got a feeling AW will go with fluffy flip flops..he seems more confident at the mo
Ah well it’s nice that Oliver taught him what’s what…! Nice….!
lol
Being a huge fan of Gavin & Stacey, i’d say..
‘Tidy’ 🙂
I’d def not go with Chamakh the bloke just doesnt want the ball, he’s scared, he’s a walking confidence wreck…!
jj, when was this????
and i also have a gut feeling that arsene will go with nik ahead of chamakh…nik is at least showing signs of life – this sunday afternoon notwithstanding – recently. plus, nik was the one that pulled us back to 1-1 at the brittania, in a fixture that stoke looked as though they would roll over us…
i no longer know what the deal with chamakh is…he just looks lost out there. confidence looks shot and he looks as though he has absolutely no idea of how to pull himself out of this funk…i would start him with a better, more balanced midfield than we had on sunday. i have to hope that better service will see him start scoring again…
anyone besides me becoming an fc copenhagen supporter for a couple of hours here? if they can somehow manage to win this tie over the two legs, szczesny’s tweet should be quite interested indeed…
If you think back a little Oliver Chamakh has been clean through a few times in previous games and chosen to cut back and pass, he has completely lost confidence and bottle…! The bloke needs to score a few goals in a game that we should win with or without him scoring dare I say the Orient replay..? We need him on form again for the last 2 months for sure..!
Can you imagine what Chez would say next Oliver 😉 Maybe AW has had a word though and told him to tone it down a little. . . . .
Im waiting for madrid v lyon game.
i am oliver – all the way 🙂
hes come on using different names oliver
when you had your debate with him he called himself joshua..
buts hes used jacob and jason too on here..
anyway enough of him i dealt with it
come on kopenhagen 😉
Oh shit I forgot abt real v Lyon….. thanx KT will watch that for a bit and keep peeking at the chavs score and also to keep an eye on the mighty Blackpool…!
Oliver copenhagen are quite good.i watched them at the camp nou against barca when Ndoye gave the barca backline no end of problems.at home they went a goal down to barca but equalised 40 seconds later.if the chavs go sulking there they’ll lose.
wath, agree…perhaps he is over-thinking things. the chamakh i remember from the start of this season finished instinctively. now it seems like he is dwelling over every move, as if afraid to make a mistake. i am hoping it is just confidence and nothing else. to the best of my knowledge, nobody has really gotten on his back about his worrying form. i thought he was very jaded and in dire need of a rest as november became december…now he has had that rest – and more – and looks a shell of the player that started the season…
unless there are other problems that we don’t know about, the only way to get him going again is to play him through this. if worked for robin and it looks like arshavin and nik are coming around as well…the problem is that results have to take priority.
Ah that complete knob…….!!! I had a little run in with him JJ…… Doesnt like to be told he’s wrong, came on the one day and spoke utter shit and vanished when he was told he was a plum…!
drogba on the bench for chelsea again – how the mighty have fallen…
The other thing Oliver he started off by playing on the last defender and then for some reason started to fall back and not play off the last defender at all, since then he has gone to pot…! Him or Wenger…???
jj, i thought he used “jacob” here? that was the cat i had the debate over rotation about, right? why use different names?
k, i’ve not seen fc copenhagen myself. other than brondby, i know little about danish sides – but you have credit with me, so if you say they are a good side, i am hopeful…
wath, i think all this is symptomatic of a player completely bereft of confidence…we need him, so hopefully he can turn it around.
Copenhagen have just had a long break i heard, lets hope they are all refreshed and raring to go…
Come on Mr Holloway, do your stuff 🙂
Agreed Oliver we need him playing well in the run in and confident so we can rely on him and not all on RVP’s shoulders…!
oliver, re jacob, joshuha etc – he is just a twurp who wants a ‘fight’ – he left here with his tail between his legs…..
ah, that’s right – spuddies and blackpool…ollie was refreshing when blackpool arrived on the scene and got off to a great start…now i am starting to find him a bit obnoxious…his side has plunged down the table, yet he still seems to have an opinion on all and sundry. he would probably be better served to drop the social commentary and focus on getting his side out of their rut…a win tonight would certainly be a good start…
perhaps i am being harsh on ollie, but for me, his act is wearing thin…
chamakh needed that tap in to go in, i think his confidence is rock bottom but he’s got it, he got us through the start of the season – he’s another AA….
tap in against LO i mean…
yep…he certainly helped carry us through the early portion of the season when we had so many injuries. that is but one of the many reasons i refuse to pile on regarding him – he showed us he is a good player and important part of our squad, he just needs to rediscover his form…
I am not having a go at him Oliver I just want the real Chamakh to hurry up and come back…!
JJ, bit harsh fella, I like what Holloway says and 99% of what he says is spot on, he dont kiss arse either and fair play to him, he also tries to play footie and gotta hold ya hands up on that as well with the money they have available.
oliver – i really like chamakh but how many players come to the PL and then play for the first three months non stop – thats pretty much what chamakh had to do due to injuries…
with him we have seen he has form to rediscover, just like AA – it will click back again and it may just be when we need him as we head towards the seasons end….
I’m amssive fan of IH, refreshing, honest, tells it as it is and plays footie regardless of the score – his side to play thug football either which is unusual for a side fighting for survival…. and having come from the Championship….
wath, i did not suggest that anyone was having a go at chamakh – i just made that point that i intend to refrain, regardless of how bad his form is/becomes…
it was, however, me and not jj that made the point about ollie…perhaps i am being harsh on him, but i do remember his being fawning towards red nose after their recent match with united…methinks he talks too much…and when his side is sitting just outside the relegation zone, he has more important things to worry about…
blah…anelka…
Sorry JJ me bad thought it was you not Oliver…. Maybe you don’t see all that Holloway says Oliver but he seems to be stop on the money with most of what he says, he says it like it is and the FA don’t like it and as Rico says his team plays footie they never try kick anyone up in the air and on his shoestring budget think he deserves a lot of credit.
My comments on Chamakh are all based on where and why has the fella turned into a wobbling jelly…? He was great and now looks like a zombie…! All points that we have raised must be an issue but cannot see how a player can go from being so good to being so bad…!
i like holloway wath..
have you been on the GG? 😉
wath, understood…and i certainly admire the way blackpool come to play, don’t compromise and try to impose their style and will regardless of the cost…i too enjoyed listening to ollie when the season first started…but now it is just wearing somewhat thin to me…i concede that i am being harsh on him…
I just think Holloway is like a kid in a sweet shop and he’s enjoying his moment in the PL….
Has Anelka scored oliver? I’m not fussed if the Chavs go on in the CL, when we play them in the final we’ll destroy them, its the mancs i want to see KO’d….
Wouldn’t sky sports just hate that 😉
well…blackpool just took the lead on the spuddies…
yeah, anelka scored…chelsea 1-0 up in denmark…
Ade still doesn’t know about the offside rule.
Oliver I think Holloway genuinely loves his football and hates being hard done by and goes mad when sees and injustice, he unlike many others says what he thinks though, that fine from the FA regarding his team selection was a case in point and to be fair utter bollox…!. I also think the media like winding him up as they know he will say something !! You know they love a story..!
Go on the blackpool 😉
ollie or no ollie, blackpool are winning now, so i think we all support them today!
Go Blackpool 😆
Re: Chamakh. Do you think he has lost that natural strikers instinct and wants to be one of the passing boys?
good question Will – and is that something that wenger takes out of their game…..
i remember when rosicky used to shoot on sight but even he doesn’t do that anymore…
denilson though, now he’ll always have a pop from distance
Will, you cant take away an instinct !!!! For some reason he just seems to of stopped doing what was working for him and as a consequence has completely lost form…! Rico plz refrain was using that crab like persons name…!
will, i don’t think so…it’s possible that it has been coached out of him, or is being asked to play in a fashion that negates those attributes…but i think – without knowing what is inside the man’s head – it is more a confidence issue. part of the problem from sunday is that i think he and nic don’t combine well together. that is one reason i am hopeful that playing with robin/theo/samir/cesc/jack will see him get off the schneid…
Yeah, that is exactly it. They all seem to play 5 a side football. When Chamakh first came along he shot on sight, headed like an old fashioned centre forward but now he wants to get involved in the build up play.
This is why I am crying out for a clinical, greedy striker who is not interested in passing the ball. Why I said someone like Ian Wright or even Defoe.
two nil to the Blackpool……….. Have that you spud cnuts…..! 😉
woo hoo…blackpool 2-0 up..
blackpool folded a 2-0 hand at home against man united a few weeks ago…hopefully no repeat here.
With a huge helping hand from the ref Oliver who failed to give them the most blatant of penalties which would of made it 3-0. . . . In all honesty Blackpool are great going forward but just as bad at defending, their best way to defend is just to keep going forward and scoring…! Hopefullt 2 or 3 more would be great 😉
Will, go wash your mouth out Depoo…? who..?
and the mighty orange army roll on 😉
re chamakh..i dont thinks hes ever been that much of a lethal finisher..even in france he linked up the play with gourcuff
he gets more chances in arsenal shirt though thats why he was banging the goals in early doors i just think he got tired and then lost his form…
think its more a confidence thing..he’s never ben clinical always more of a channel runner and a target man
JJ, not for one minute am I saying he clinical far from it but his game is the channels and playing off the last defender which he has stopped doing completely, as Oliver says is that AW saying drop off and hold up play or get more involved and its against his natural game??? what ever it is he needs to get back to what is instinctive and whats his natural game and then the goals and the play will return.
nah not defo
etooo
anelka again…chelsea now 2-0 up…
and rambo scored for cardiff earlier…
rambos just hit a cracker for cardiff 😉
I think AW will go with Arshavin tomorrow and neither Chamakh or Nik….
snap 😉
good oliver, i want the chavs to be up for their game v the mancs… 🙂
AW’s gotta go with one or the other with AA in support..
Fuck the chavs. . . . Ramsey scoring is great news 😉
Etuhoo did u say JJ…? 🙂
watch out orient (and denilson) 😉
rambos coming to get ya
i didn’t see that – go rambo go …. 🙂 🙂
Have a look and click on the Rocky utube tribute…!
Have the hankies close..!
http://www.fansonline.net/arsenal/article.php?id=566
WATH 😥
Mustn’t forget the date….. not that we would….
Spuds 3.0 down to blackpool
blackpool are now 3 up with ten minutes to go. they should be able to hold on to this.
Oh well least the spuds can send postcards and buy some rock…!
Hoooooooooooorah 😆
Not a chance of forgetting March 31st Rico…!
watched the second half of the chavs game they won but looked dire, dont look for any help from them
😆 WATH…
No VdV = no DVD 🙂
And ten years WATH……
3-1 tiny totts – good result for olly 🙂
Right you fine folk, it’s way past my cocoa time –
catch up tomorrow, be good all
nighty night….
thanks for another
goodgreat day here on HH 🙂As for your thoughts on Chamakh and his form, everybody wanting Van Persie back as soon as posible has brought Chamakhs form down, chamakh has done us proud and we have let him down in my opinion, in our rush to include VP, he was doing the buisness for us and has more or less been pushed out to make way, look at his passing compared to bendy and vp very seldom gives the ball away.
lol wath they can bring back some of those shirts with the fake boobies
they all a bunch of tits anyway
night ricolicous..
chamakh will be back hes just lacking confidence..
its a result of what steve said really..he did need the rest.. a few goals and hes back in business
I think if you look at the games Steve Chamakh was off form before RVP came back and it was noticable that he wasnt leading the line or playing off the last defender anymore. I know I keep saying that but he was direct and ran the channels well and made the centre backs give aways fouls pens etc and its because he didnt drop off at all and then all of a sudden bang, he drops off he’s not direct and his game goes to pot. Is it becasue AW asked him to change or did he talk himself into thinking he was tired not playing well..???? who knows…! I know I want him back to how he was the start of the season cos he was a handful for defenders…!
Ooops….. ni nite Rico, sleep tight….! All those poor spuds on that long trip home !!! Shame lol 😉
Morning all
New Postie Up 🙂