Morning all.
Yesterday was one day too many to be throwing praise at our neighbours and although they are clearly a better organised team than Arsenal right now, they can still give us all a chuckle quite frequently. Not so much this season of course but in years gone by but as many of us said yesterday, there are far more important things going on at Arsenal right now and not all are for the good. In fact not much is good right now.
I like that one, a lot.
I digress, The Black Scarf Movement & REDAction have joined forces ahead of the Saturday night fixture against Norwich and they urge those who want change to get involved. Online Gooner has all the details if you are attending the match and want to let the owner and manager know how you feel. Likewise, if your a fan who doesn’t believe the club is in need of change then make your feelings known too but as both the BSM and RA say in the piece on Online Gooner, the most important thing of all is to be behind the team from start to finish as it’s not their fault.
Giroud can’t help being slow and unable to hit a barn door these days, Walcott can’t help being a toothless player who looks like a rabbit in headlights so often when he has the ball, Mertesacker can’t help being so small and fragile that he needs to turn his back every time an opposition player shoots and as for poor old Ramsey, it’s not his fault his performances have been dire this season or that on Sunday he didn’t make one single tackle on a Sunderland player…. Mind you, for once on Sunday, Walcott fired in a few really good crosses, the only problem was there was nobody in the box and I can’t think whose fault that would be….
Seriously, some of players really need a huge wake up call and either buck up or get out of Arsenal and to be honest, they’ve had plenty of time to buck up, so now it’s time to move on.
The only way I can see fans being slightly happy with Arsene Wenger staying for another season is by the club having a bloody good transfer window. Show a bit of imagination and intention and prove for once that Arsenal mean business.
Ship out the lazy and sub-standard and bring in players who are proved and have the right inner desire and passion for the game. If that means having to sign 6/7 players then so be it. Arsene Wenger has allowed this situation to unfold by being so frugal in years gone by and now it’s biting him hard on the backside.
If he wants the fans back onside, there’s only one way that will happen and that imo means spending a lot of money.
But even doing that might not be enough, not really, not unless by some miracle he tries something new next season and the chances of that happening are slim to none……
He’d do for starters wouldn’t he, let’s hope Alexis was telling Neymar how great life is at Arsenal and we need a new right-back……
Thanks for the pics Lee… 🙂
Morning all,
Nice post there.
In a perfect world we would have a new manager with a plan to go and spend the money on players he feels he needs and shipout the dross. Unfortunately we are stuck with Wenger at least until the end of next year. Sigh….
Do we trust Wenger to get the signings right and truly strengthen the areas that need it?! I fear the answer is the same as it has been for the last 6/7 years, NO. We’ll be left short in key areas as usual and another season of mediocrity will be the result.
Wenger is done.
Wenger is certainly done but that Online Gooner stuff is crass.
Thanks Lewis. In short, no….
Good post rico, morning.
Don’t exclude Koscielny from turning his back, he’s just as bad as Mertesacker, and has more own goals because of it!
I doubt many will get involved Adam..
Thanks Andrew..
You are right re Koscielny and he are Merts are not alone…
Me neither Rico.
Our defenders are so used to marking zones that they don’t like physical contact. Get a Caroll near them and we are in trouble.
I don’t condone all the rugby pulling at corners but other teams get away with it 98% of the time. Meanwhile we are marking fresh air, doesn’t seem fair does it?
Seems odd this stage in the season Adam. I’d have thought after the Villa game would be the right time to air any views if any…
No, it’s very unfair. I think it was the Newcastle game where Alexis was all but rugby tackled to the ground and the ref gave nothing… Little things like that cost points…
We don’t have an enforcer in our side. Last night when that dog Fernandinho started to put it about as he does every week, I noticed that Sergio Ramos stepped up and mullered him with a shocking tackle. Just like Tony Adams would have done if someone got a bit flash. We are far too nice? When Gabriel first came he looked like he wasn’t going to take any shit from anyone, now he looks like a pussy.
I bet that’s because Wenger has told Gabriel to cool it. Yes, we are far too nice and far to lightweight in many areas…
That’s what I think too Rico. You really cannot let teams intimidate you physically.
Agree Adam. Having signed players like Vieira, Gilberto and Petit, I really do struggle to understand why AW doesn’t sign stronger and more physical players these days…
It’s probably because he is caught up in some idealistic thrall Rico and hasn’t noticed that we no longer play very attractive (winning) football. The whole thing has just come to a head this season but it has been going on for ages in truth.
I think the disquiet is loud enough that Gazidis must have noticed it. What happens next is usually that Wenger shrugs his shoulders, utters another load of unrealistic, fictitious nonsense – and then carries on doing the same things.
Good post Rico, and so right about BFG and Kozzer turning their backs, luckily we have Gabriel don’t we…. ?
He certainly had Andy Carroll in his pocket at Upton Park…
Afternoon All….
Rico, where can I get some bottles of that Spud beer? ?
Herb;
Interesting points re: Henry Norris, although he was not only Conservative in his politics but conservative in the transfer market with Knighton in charge, in fact you could say he was a bit of a 1920’s Stanley Kroenke.
He obviously doesn’t like to be confronted or even threatened by his sides defensive midfielder(s). They frighten him. As he is of advancing years he can no longer ‘look after himself’, and therefore shuns confrontation. Apart from which he will brook no criticism, not from any quarter! Why do you think he always buys players shorter than himself, well BFG excepted. It is simply so he can dominate them simply by looking down on them, they in contrast all have to look up to him, both physically and by default, metaphorically!
Wenger for ‘world domination’. I mean, he just knows everything, doesn’t he? The answer of cours is 42, but I bet he knows that too.
Morning all. Just clouding up here. Shame.
It took the arrival of Herbert Chapman to loosen the Norris purse strings, a progressive football manager, who unlike Arsene Wenger, was always willing to listen to good ideas, as with Charlie Buchans ‘third back’ theory, as I’m sure you know being an Arsenal historian like myself,
So if Wenger rediscovered his football personality and binned his economics one, then who knows?
But sadly that’s not going to happen and we’re gonna have to suffer a death by a thousand cuts until our most successful but ultimately flawed manager…
Couldn’t agree more Adam, just to add ‘then he signs a new contract’… lol
Resigns
Falls on his sword.
Thanks Kev 🙂
I’ll order you one of the beers when we need meet, although they could be sold out by then…
Kev if you want Spuddie beer just buy a common glass bottle, stick the label on it and then fill it with urine. The taste is roughly the same.
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Even if AW buys Neymar, Lewandowski, Xhaka and Mhitaryan plus Rafinha we will still win Fukall.
With the right tactics and the right acquisitions this season this team had the potential to do another Unbeaten season.
Can’t agree there Devil, not with so many injured and without Elneny for the first half of the season…
Oops, I missed the ‘with the right acquisitions’ Devil… ;
np Rico. If AW had made the right acquisition in the summer, bought Elneny during that time as well and we had the right depth in the squad we would have gone through the season unbeaten.
Still not convinced Devil, we have a mental block against Chelsea don’t forget…
And United , re the protest it will be sporadic but the club will do all it can to minimise it’s effect. Remember how they derided the BSM’s march which completely filled Avenell Road but the Police would only allow a handful of people onto the Bear roundabout.The club announced that only about 100 people protested.
Obviously they couldn’t see Highbury from their seats in Diamond Club.
The club’s never really been that good with numbers in all fairness Potter !
Except when it comes to counting money Micko..
Anyway, just popped in to say hi and goodnight..
Catch up soon… Night guys..
Buenos noches Rico.
Elneny told to stop shooting it’s not the Wenger way.
“I used to shoot a lot when I was at Basel but sometimes that doesn’t suit our style here. [Wenger] taught me to be more of a team player and to be intelligent in terms of when I shoot,” Elneny said.
Just watching Atletico against Bayern their workrate and intensity they have is great to watch..
I’m going a little green with envy..
Potter, it’s rife thoughout the team, you only have to look back at Ozil the weekend, he had the freedom of the park 1st half, everything went through him, we had nearly 80 % possession and not once did he have a pop, was always looking for the perfect pass.
What’s the worst that can happen, the ball deflects off a defender for a corner or to another Arsenal player, rebounds off the crossbar to a striker or Gawd forbid actually ends up in the back of the net.
Fact is we’re the kings of possession in the premiership, no other team can touch us, no-one can string 20 / 30 / 40 passes together but what’s the point of it if you can’t stick the ball in the back of the net.
Atletico 1 nil up against Bayern at half time.
The last one that had me jumping outta me chair was Alexis screamer against Villa in the FA Cup Final last May !
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Just read that Elneny has been told to stop shooting from outside the box. Mind bending. Could not believe it. Yes we knew that our players rarely shoots, maybe we thought they were pussies. But now its out…..its not Arsene’s way. Dear oh dear. What a poof.
And to think we used to blame Hleb for over dribbling.
Maybe that is why some players cant wait to get out of the Ems. They are not allowed to express themselves fully.
Probably a direct order from Stan……….
Morning Devil, Lee and all…
So what we all thought about not shooting turns out to be true. Shocked? No, me neither…
Considering the way to win is by scoring goals, what a crazy thing for AW to do… Beggars belief really…
Morning Rico and all. Interesting, but hardly surprising. It’s not as if the walking the ball into the net method has paid dividends this season is it?
What a goal by Saul Niguez last night in a really fascinating game.
Almost as good as our goals at Sunderland on Sunday!!!
Morning Adam..
It was a bit special wasn’t it. I’d love to see At Madrid go through…
Brudder. We only played with 9 men though. 🙂
I thought you would Rico.
They must be the most difficult team to play against in Europe at the moment. In the same way that we are probably one of the easiest.
Can you imagine the media build up should Bayern and City get to the final. I’d much rather it was the two Madrid sides. A nice local derby… 😉
Me too.
Why do we easily remember Arsenal’s shots from outside the box????
Why do the Chavs fans tend to forget particular Lampard goals from outside the box???
Answers on a post card to Rico@Highburyhouse
I think we all know the answer Devil..
lol.
Lampard alone has had more shots in his entire career than Arsenal players in the last 10 years
The hope for a good transfer window is just continuing the madness. How many players have we been linked with in the last ten years and how many have come, the Suarez embarrassment being the highlight. AW will not change now he’s stuck in his ways; a philosophy that’s from a bygone era. The EPL has moved along rapidly and he hasn’t…..were already being linked with players and you just know they won’t happen, bah humbug!
I wonder how many of Lampard’s goals were deflections ? It’s all about buying raffle tickets.
@ Mike 100% agree1 Sad but true….
Noooo, this summer he’s going to spend spend spend Mike 🙂 🙂
Not that he’ll know what to do with all the super signings… lol
The man is not for turning.
Wenger will not tolerate long-range shooting…
>> Wenger will not tolerate long-range shooting…
Saw Joel Campbell attempt a long effort one match, he wasn’t even on the subs bench next game 😉
And he’ll be on the tranfer list this summer Andrew…
That’ll teach him…. ?
Else you didn’t play in any games at the start of his Arsenal career because, “he has yet to learn the Arsenal way.” ( that is a rough quote from memory.) obviously included learning not to shoot from outside the penalty area! Amongst other little details like lining up along the 18 yard line with half a dozen other red shirted brethren waiting to shimmy sideways and then back again and then out to the full back and then another few passes across the box until in desperation the ball finally goes to Kos on the halfway line! Then it starts all over again and with the same ultimate result , another abortive attack with never a hint of a shot or often even a cross! ‘Kin hopeless. It’s little wonder we are the top of the table of possession stats and even less of a surprise that we are bottom of the goal scoring charts!
The state totters.
‘Kin iPad now. First word and the whole point of the piece, was not ‘Else’ I typed ‘Elneny’ the rest might now make more sense unlike grandad Wenger’s tactics!
Interesting to read Pep wants to sign Walcott. If true, I guess he reckons there’s a footballer in him…
Santi back on Saturday..
Afternoon…
No he want’s Walcott in charge of the breakfast run, Pep hates a cold bacon roll in the morning!
🙂 🙂
Night all…
Pep wants to sign TW? But sure for not be a central forward ! This wrong idea kill him for be a effective Arsenal player
Morning All…
Morning Lee ?
Moaning…
Moaning all!
Where shall we begin?
Wenger……….???
Do you know, I just can’t be bothered!
Says it all really!
Still, bright and sunny here although a very chill wind blowing presently.
“Our attitude has been impeccable from day one this season. We want to fight together until the end.”
“This team has character and a good attitude. Some people question that, but they shouldn’t.”
Here lies the problem!
Morning Rico, Brudder and all.
If what Arsene says is true then this season’s failure can only be down to the fact that the squad/team is not good enough surely.
“Spurs stylish? serge you must be smoking some of Liverpools Henrys stuff. Spurs have been effective because of the PGMO laws but stylish? The only club that plays beautiful football is Arsenal.”
From another Arsenal site, bet you can’t guess which one?lol
Morning Adam and all….
🙂 Lee, UA….
Whammo!!!
To be fair, even a blonde moment wouldn’t have prevented that one… 😉
New post up now..