Match Preview

Arsenal 'targets' on show tonight and one would happily sign for us…..

Posted on by rico

Schalke 04 tonight at The Emirates and I don’t think there is anyone who wouldn’t want to see us batter them, giving us all the much-needed lift we need after the weekend.

Laurent Koscielny has overcome his backache and returns to the squad but this looks to be another fixture which has come too early for Sagna, Wilshere or Frimpong.

Yesterday, Wenger said:

We will see how they recover but 48 hours later is too dangerous.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also misses out tonight after picking up an injury at the weekend. Apparently one of the coaching staff is still looking into the big black hole which Rosicky, Diaby and Szczesny seem to have fallen into, goodness knows when they will be found and returned!!

Good news is Theo Walcott is back in training and should be fit for the weekend, but not tonight, Gibbs also misses out tonight but should be back on Saturday.

Arsenal have had a good start to the Champion’s League campaign as far as results go.

We have beaten Montpellier 2-1 in France and earlier this month we beat Olympiakos 3-1 at The Emirates.

Tonight will be a difficult fixture, or that we can be sure, hopefully because of that, the squad might be a little more focussed on the job ahead tonight and realsie that they actually need to put a bit of effort in for 90+ minutes.

If they don’t, we’ll get a battering by a side who will be high on confidence after they beat Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

But they too have their own injury concerns ahead of tonight’s fixture.

Attacking midfielder Julian Draxler, 19, is a major doubt having broken his wrist earlier this month and defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos is a doubt after more than two weeks out with chicken pox.

Schalke haven’t lost an away fixture in the Bundesliga  League so far this season, but when it comes to playing in England in the Champions League, they can’t buy a win.

Schalke defender Benedikt Hoewedes:

It won’t be easy for us, in London we’ll have to throw everything into the pot (but) with our fans behind us, I’m sure we can get a good result.

The last time we played Schalke in England it was at Highbury in the 2001/02 season, a game we won 3-2…

Lewis Holtby will be on show tonight and he would love to join us:

For me it was always a dream to play in the Premier League and it was always a team like Arsenal that I would like to play for.

Holtby’s contract is up in the summer.

Fans favourite Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will also be out to prove a point and he’s another player who has been linked to Arsenal more times than I have had hot dinners.

Would be good wouldn’t it if both did enough to convince Arsene Wenger to sign them but not enough to take any points back to Germany…. 😉

Afellay will be on show too whilst on loan from Barcelona, another player linked to us most transfer windows.

Oh well, no idea which Arsenal side will turn up, but at least they won’t have jet-lag as it’s a home fixture, unlike Saturday after their 14 minute flight to Norwich…

Let’s just hope they give all the home fans and those watching on television something  to cheer up about in relation to Arsenal, we certainly need it don’t we?

We more than deserve it too!!

That’s it for another day…..

rico

0 thoughts on “Arsenal 'targets' on show tonight and one would happily sign for us…..”

  5. rico says:

    Morning all.

    Hope you are right emma.

    Giroud set to be dropped, why the heck did we sign a big striker if we are then going to stick a winger up front in his place.

    Beggars belief….

  7. lolly says:

    Afellay will be on show too whilst on loan from Real Madrid, another player linked to us most transfer windows.

    # affely frm RM..isnt he a barcalona player???

  8. lolly says:

    bw maradona was in our town today for a inagural function..was a big moment in my lyf seeing him in real 🙂

  10. emma says:

    rico – Looks like AW is beginning to get impatient. We definitely need a fox in the box in JAN

    Schalke wont know what hit them after today.

  11. Diane Lancaster says:

    Affellay is on loan from Barca not Real ,Just hope we can keep a clean sheet tonight.Really worried about our defence and our 3rd choice goalkeeper .Must keep their 3 strikers out tonight !!!!!

  13. Potter says:

    If Ramsey is on the right , I hope we attack the clock end first so that he could be far right on the bench. Adter the last few performances I am rapidly losing faith in him . He’s not alone in that though.

  15. Invincible says:

    Afellay is loaned from Barca not Madrid..
    Arsenal have been linked with Huntelaar, Afellay, Farfan, Holtby, Draxler and Hoewedes in the past.
    Id like to see us get Papadopoulos, plays similarly to Kos and Verm, is young and could be a world class player one day, but i think he just signed a new contract.
    Hopefully Gnabry plays for a bit longer than at the weekend, and we get the three points.
    Come on Arsenal!

  17. rico says:

    Always works, deliberate Real Madrid mistake, shows you are reading 🙂

    Kidding, thanks, silly me got the two nasties muddled up…

  18. rico says:

    emma – we need to start feeding the guy, then he might start scoring, AW is dropping the wrong player imho…

    Lee – so did I….

  20. Scott from Oz says:

    The problem is with our guys being unable to land a cross on Girouds head….incredible that top flight players can’t manage it.
    The other top clubs always look dangerous when a player goes wide….we do not,yet we now have one of the most lethal headers of the ball in world football.

  22. Scott from Oz says:

    Something off topic….do people see any merit in bonus points for away wins??
    3 for a home win,4 an away win.
    Would it entice the likes of Stoke to actually venture past half way??
    Surely it would open games up,and make them better viewing.

  26. tsGH says:

    Morning all…

    Good post Rico. And nice info on both teams available players. You must be learning from John cross… 😀

  27. allezkev says:

    Good Morning Rico. A great upbeat post, but an air of caution to it.
    Nice one boss….

    Good Morning Gooners…
    This cuppa tea tastes great…

    Emma, i like that feeling, good one…

    Gotta say that i think it’s gonna be a close game.
    We might even have to be satisfied with a draw….
    Sorry to be so negative, but that’s the feeling i get…

  28. Scott from Oz says:

    Funny Kev…i am not sure what to think of the game.
    I know one thing,even if we draw it,we MUST perform better.

  30. rico says:

    I have changed it Scott 😉

    Thanks Tsgh and I do sneak my info from someone similar 😉

    Ak, I think we will be beaten, and yes, I am sorry to sound so negative too 🙁

    Morning to everyone i missed saying morning to earlier 😆

  31. DutchGooner10 says:

    I thought Afellay was Moroccan from the Berber region with a Dutch passport raised near the City of Utrecht educated by the youth academy of PSV Eindhoven and sold for the Catalonia recipe of Paella.

    But I could be wrong.

    Morning all.

  32. allezkev says:

    Seriously Scott, since we conceded vs Southampton, we’ve not kept a clean sheet.
    Don’t know what Bouldy & Banfield are doing???

    Gervinho is a better option centrally, he’s not at all impressive on the wing…
    Maybe we should forget him as a wide man and just rotate him and Giroud as the strikers?

  33. Scott from Oz says:

    Kev,we aren’t doing…that is our problem of late.
    Who the hell is this Afellay character…he is causing chaos today lol.
    Just heard some good news…De Gea is not happy at all at Utd and wants out.
    Also,i hope Fergie keeps playing the arse of RVp….break the bastard down!!

  34. tsGH says:

    Emma I like your news on team selection.

    I know Rambo is not everyone’s fave player but his energy will hopeful do to Affelay what he did to Silva in the Man City match. ie keep Affelay quiet…

    I am confident the ultra-laid-back Samba boy will manage to keep Holtby quiet on the LHS.

  35. JW says:

    Good morning all,

    Good post Rico, what’s all this about Afellay being from Madrid, where does it say that in the post?

    It always amuses me to read the hacks attempts at team selection, one day one of them will get it right I’m sure but I’m not about to hold my breath.

    Statistically tonight’s game is not a “must win” but from a morale point of view it most certainly is. A quick start, total concentration throughout the game and deadly accuracy in front of goal is vital. A win tonight and we will be in touching distance of the knock-out stage.

    I hope Emma’s feeling proves correct.

  38. allezkev says:

    Gotta remember Gooners, it’s still early days for Podolski, Cazorla and Giroud, first season adaption and all…
    So far so average for Giroud and Podolski, but we’ve seen glimpses of better things to come.
    Cazorla, well, he’s just a fecking genius….

  41. tsGH says:

    I am confident of at least a draw fellow gunners. We haven’t lost at home in the champions league since the 3-1 lose to McPurple Nose.

    We have played some big big games then Marca,AC all come to mind and we have done ok. The issue was before the montpellier win early we had not won in 13 odd matches away from home. I am positive about this year at least the quarters…

  43. allezkev says:

    Morning Adam…
    You going tonight?

    I did have the offer of a ticket, but didn’t fancy a 140 mile round-trip from the Coast, to see our mob so soon after ‘It happened at Carrow Road’….

  44. tsGH says:

    Ha Ha ha Scott. Goonie only does Filipinos he says. Oh and Irish lasses and any other thing that moves with dark hair to be precise… 😀

    Sorry Goonie I had to … 😀

  50. allezkev says:

    Trepidation, yes, that kinda sums up the feelings most of us have on here today Adam…

    All except Emma of course, and i hope she proves correct…

  52. Scott from Oz says:

    Rico,that is a lie,and you know it.
    If we rocked up to Old Trafford and he was manning their line,you would be dancing a jig!!!

  53. tsGH says:

    Hi Adam are you traveling on your new Sunseeker 92 sports to the emirates…?

    You can always ask Kev for a ride on one of his Agusta 109’s … 😀

  55. allezkev says:

    John Cross‏@johncrossmirror

    Wenger admits #afc already under ‘huge pressure.’ Wenger wants Schalke win and to keep ‘everyone happy’ at Thurs AGM http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-vs-schalke-preview-arsene-1394695 …

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    John Cross‏@johncrossmirror

    Wenger admits #afc already under ‘huge pressure.’ Wenger wants Schalke win and to keep ‘everyone happy’ at Thurs AGM http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-vs-schalke-preview-arsene-1394695 …

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  56. DutchGooner10 says:

    Aug 19 FT 1. FC Saarbrücken 0-5 Schalke 04 DFB Pokal (First Round)

    Aug 26 FT Hannover 96 2-2 Schalke 04 Bundesliga

    Sep 1 FT Schalke 04 3-1 FC Augsburg Bundesliga

    Sep 15 FT SpVgg Greuther Fürth 0-2 Schalke 04 Bundesliga

    Sep 18 FT Olympiakos 1-2 Schalke 04 Champions League (2012 First Phase)

    Sep 22 FT Schalke 04 0-2 Bayern Munich Bundesliga

    Sep 25 FT Schalke 04 3-0 Mainz Bundesliga

    Sep 28 FT Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-2 Schalke 04 Bundesliga

    Oct 3 FT Schalke 04 2-2 Montpellier Champions League (2012 First Phase)

    Oct 6 FT Schalke 04 3-0 VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga

    Oct 20 FT Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Schalke 04

  58. allezkev says:

    Ginge, you sure you gave the right address….
    Accra wasn’t it??? (think that’s right?) 😉

    Motorbikes, oh no mate, too dangerous these days…

  62. Micko says:

    Morning all,
    Little apprehensive about tonight, Schalke are no mugs and still a bit of an unknown quantity, more confident about Saturday.
    Scott 9.59, don’t go all American on us.

  68. DutchGooner10 says:

    TSGH I believe we got a dog fight on our hands tonight. There isn’t a game were Schalke scored less than 2 goals. And if they take a result home are in excellent stead to secure knockout stages.

  69. Adam says:

    I sense much cruelty on here this morning, especially Lee’s Kempton crack re Seb Squill. 🙂
    I will be powering my way to the Emirates in my Reliant Robin tsGH. It’s the only way for real gentlemen to travel in my opinion. 🙂

  70. rico says:

    Phew Scott, I thought you were being serious for a minute…

    Hi Micko..

    The question is will we turn up, did the hair-drier get thrown around after Saturday?

    I strongly suspect not…..

  72. tsGH says:

    I agree DG but I am counting on our excellent record we have held since 2006. I believe Schalke do not know how to ‘pack the bus’ as the saying goes. If Draxler is out we have a chance and I am confident Jenks will cope ok with the ‘berber’ boy. If we do not receive any injuries too early or get any unwarranted cards we will be fine I am confident.

    And you know Huntelaars record against TV is not great. And most importantly Poldi has a good record against S 04.

  74. DutchGooner10 says:

    * correction Schalke lost one game this season scoring none against Munich.

    Might be crucial not to concede as it will open up their play. This is a counter attack squad that only needs 4 or 5 passes to knock on our front door.

  81. Adam says:

    Now you’re being ridiculous Micko 🙂
    I do have some taste. It’s all in the way I twirl my handlebar moustache. 🙂

  87. tsGH says:

    Micko- Stan reckons he is a pilot with KLM and one of the other major airlines in the far east that is why he is a hit with the filipino ladies… lol

  88. GoonerB says:

    I hate to be negative as I am normally a glass half full person but I don’t have a good feeling for tonight. Please let me be wrong and eat humble pie but we have no Szcesny, Gibbs, Wilshere, Walcott or Ox. Podolski seems to be playing slightly injured and we also are still missing Sagna and Rosicky. I have probably missed someone also. What worries me more than those missing is that if John Cross is right AW intends to play with Gervinho up top and Ramsey wide right. I just don’t like it. It doesn’t scream of a world class line up and looks like square pegs in round holes again. Furthermore AW is likely to keep the same system that was so impotent at the weekend but has just rotated players into different positions in this system and with a possible argument that they are now in positions less suited to them. I think DutchGooner mentioned yetserday how Schalke transfer from defence to attack with great purpose, pace and with plenty of support. I am not sure this line up can really hurt them. It looks unlikely we will start with players like Giroud or Arshavin both of whome may have posed Schalke more problems. maybe combining them up top could be even more potent. If DutchGooner is correct in how they play then the one positive may be Coquelin. We will need a deeper lying midfielder with a bit more pace to try and stem their quick breaks. Anyway, I hope I stand corrected by tomorrow but I am struggling to muster any positive feelings towards tonights game.

  89. tsGH says:

    ‘Adam antiques’? Is that the codename for the fake ck1’s and Issey Miyake smellies you sell from the boot of your robins? 😀

  90. Adam says:

    I specialise in Jekyll Rolexes tsGH. I sold a diamond-encrusted Daytona to Lee and he uses it to attract female office workers in City wine bars. Like moths to a flame they are. 🙂

  92. DutchGooner10 says:

    GoonerB

    “Furthermore AW is likely to keep the same system that was so impotent at the weekend but has just rotated players into different positions in this system and with a possible argument that they are now in positions less suited to them.”

    If that’s the case it got ‘sack me if you can’ written all over it.

  94. Naveen says:

    wenger should try diamond formation, it will definately fix everything!
    My line up…
    Mannone
    jenki-mert-verm-santos
    coquelin/arteta
    ramsey-arteta/gnabry
    cazorla
    gervi-poldi
    best suitable formation, even after injury prones return! ha I’m a genious!!!

  95. tsGH says:

    DG10- another dodgy car salesman or is it marketing you call yourself this days…:D

    Your antique Jaguar auction website is down…lol

    Adam- Ah rollies that I may be interested… 😀
    I hope its not one of those that change colour in the rain from gold to blue… lol

    I will give it a go for a night out for a 5er….lol

  96. GoonerB says:

    Naveen (12.16), You are a genius, or at least would be if Fifa changed the rules to allow us to start with 13 players on the pitch. i can’t see us losing many games with your line up.

  98. tsGH says:

    B-52’s agent shooting his mouth off just like his client

    Tom Brooks told TuttoMercatoWeb: “The boy is happy at Juventus, even if clearly he would like to play more. When he is on the field more regularly, he’ll be even happier.

    “Why isn’t he playing? In all honesty, you’d have to ask Antonio Conte. Every player wants to play more and do his job. Nicklas has patience and respects the club, his team-mates and the decisions of the coach.

    “However, he is too strong a player to stay on the bench, so it’s not good for him or for Juventus to keep him there. If it continues like this, we will consider our options. Could that be from January? We’ll talk about it over the next few weeks.”
    Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/espn/sport/story/176044.html?CMP=OTC-RSS#dbrRze4L1VGmi0ov.99

  99. GoonerB says:

    Naveen. Don’t worry, I got it that you were giving 2 options for some positions. I can just see this formation ending up a 4-5-1 as the game unfolds with Podolski having to drop deeper to the left and Ramsey to the right to cover and Coquelin, Arteta and Santi forming up as a 3 man midfield. That would leave Gervinho as a lead the line striker. I can’t see it working but you never know.

  100. DutchGooner10 says:

    TSGH We advertising sapiens been around since the first cave paintings. Selling warm furry nickers, barbeque parties, weapons of mass destruction and the first pages of management books. 😛

    Click on the link with right mouse, open link in New window. Tadaaa. See Adam is a freelancer for members of parliament and Buckingham Palace in the winters. 😉

  101. TT says:

    If the manager drops Giraud for Forehead he has totally lost it. After watching the game on Saturday for the second time I am still trying to figure out what Gervhino was doing on the pitch for the first 70 minutes. he was woeful, the rest of the team was bad but he stood out as someone that contributed nothing to the cause.

    I honestly think Wengers tenure at the club is coming to an end. After years of winning nothing and bottling finals and semifinals the end is coming soon, it has to be. I can understand bad buy’s, every manager has that problem. But buying less than average players and paying them far over what they are worth, so much that we cant get rid of them, is down right criminal.

    And entering season after season with permacrocks on the books, hoping this will be the year they come good is madness….and then after 7 years one of them breaks through we sell him! For those that want to point to him being in the last year of his contract well so is Walcott…which would you rather have kept?

    I don’t put all the blame on the manager but he has been the one that resides over this fiasco and before people say he cant keep up with the oilarcs here is a question. If we sold Nasri and Cesc last year for combined sum of almost 60 million then why did we not buy Mata? remember we already had an budget before thease sales. We dithered over the fee and wages but we still had more than enough to pay for him. Same this year we sell RvP and Song and wolla! we again balance the books in sales and purchases. We did not spend all we have, ass a matter of fact we actually made profit!

    Sure the board and owner are to blame too. They look to be quite happy to balance the books and see the worth of the club rise and rise. As long as we scrape the CL they get the revenue they want.

    But most of all I blame us, the fans, who year on year accept mediocre results an league position and do not challenge the club and force it to drive forward. There is though some indication that this is changing, people are being called and offered ST when a couple of years ago they where told they would be on a waiting list for the next 8 or 10 years. I have not bought any club merchandise in 3 years and wont as long as the club wont spend my hard earned cash on some silverware. Some fans are voting with their feet and before you say this is an over reaction to one bad defeat please look back on the last 5 or six years and tell me that the pattern we see this season is not the same as for the last few years.

  107. Micko says:

    For the 3rd group stage game in a row Irish telly are showing the Citeh game, guess we’re not much of a catch anymore.
    Looks like I gotta slum it down the pub again.

  109. tsGH says:

    Ah micko- you are wrong there, the Papadopoulos fella has a nice kebab shop down the old kent road….. if you show a tattoo you get extra servings. 😀

    Kev- Adam records you do imitation rollie watches…. 😀

  111. JW says:

    I bought a fake Rolex in Turkey about fifteen years ago, it cost me the equivalent of £4.25 and is still going! The Tag Heur fake I bought the following year, for £6.00, packed up the first time I went swimming while wearing it.

  112. arsenal11730 says:

    Emma – I hope you are right.
    However i am feeling more like GoonerB.
    Our inconsistency defeats us before we kick a ball.

  115. tsGH says:

    Now why would I do that Micko? lol

    Goonie on the other hand robs old ladies so that is a different story… 😀

  119. allezkev says:

    Ginge, a chicken shish, hmm, sounds very nice…

    I understand that Adam enjoys a nice claret with his lamb donar.

    Lee prefers a brown ale with his and Rocky is a vegan….

  120. tsGH says:

    I wonder where Duchess Rico is?

    I hope she is not in negotiations to buy Kroenke out of Arsenal. she might turn us into a competitive team again which would be….

  122. Will XL says:

    So it is quite apparent that Gerv is a firm favorite of AW. Kinda like Ramsey before him. Not that he isn’t a decent player, but he wouldn’t necessarily be one of the first on the team sheet for me. As a winger, he is practically useless and has been so since he got to Arsenal. My memory might be failing me, but i can recall seeing him ever create anything from a wide position. Despite that, he has been quite effective centrally, already surpassing last year’s goal tally. So if he is rotated with Olivier i won’t mind too much. But i just want him off the wing. Pity, he shows so much potential to be devastating out there. Why doesn’t someone get in his ear. Some hairstyle advice would be good too.

  124. Will XL says:

    I’m home from work today so i should be able to watch the match in peace…provided that this hurricane (the reason I’m home from work) does not knock out my electricity.

  127. JW says:

    Wii XL,

    Hurricane? There hasn’t been a breath of wind here for the last week, my you that could change by the sound of all the kebabs and doners being eaten tonight. 🙂

  128. tsGH says:

    How really kev. seem seems to have quite a few such issue?

    I guess that is what you get for owning and living in Eilean Donan castle… 😀

  131. allezkev says:

    Ginge, don’t know about that mate.. 🙂

    I think it’s taking care of us lot that keeps it crashing…

  132. tsGH says:

    I know. It must be frustrating for her….

    Its funny how we have all become so dependent on this internet stuff!

  133. Micko says:

    Tsgh, not sure about Eilean Donan but I know she pops into Windsor Castle every now and again to have a gossip with the queen.

  134. JW says:

    tsGH,

    I know all this veg is vital for health and I’ve got to stick with it but what I wouldn’t give for a proper old fry up! Bacon, sausages, fried eggs, fried bread, black pudding, tomatoes and mushrooms. Do you think if I added a portion of baked beans it would count as healthy eating? 🙂

  135. Will XL says:

    Tsgh… Yes, the same one! It hasn’t hit just yet, only rains since yesterday. But It should be hitting pretty soon. Shouldn’t be too bad hopefully. Only a category 1. I mean how much damage can 74mph winds do, really? 🙂

  136. tsGH says:

    A full can of beans counts as a full dose of the 5 portions of fruit a day the govt reckon we need in my house anyway. Half a tin if it is Heinz. lol

    I only have veg and fruits when I have visitors or am eating out… lol

    I dont know about you and your exotic fruits you eat daily… 😀

  137. tsGH says:

    That must be scarely. I experienced a mild sand storm once whilst flying in a helicopter and it wasn’t fun…

  139. JW says:

    Well I know what’s on the menu this evening, Purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, peas…..and….. steak and kidney pie!

    Gotta go, I’ve just drooled all over the keyboard.

    C’mon The Glorious Gunners, Give us win tonight!!!

  140. allezkev says:

    The away supporters at The Emirates, located as they are on the lower tier, are ideally positioned to offer vocal support to their side while also enjoying a great close-up view of the game. It was something I hadn’t really pondered until the weekend when it was noted that Sunderland had moved the away support to an upper tier and it’s something that a number of clubs do, sticking the away support far from the pitch to minimise their impact on their team.

    The Arsenal Independent Supporter’s Association today revealed that they have been in talks with Arsenal over relocating the away support at the Emirates from the south east corner of the lower tier to the upper tier and it is a move which seems to have been met with support from inside the club, the only consideration being, as with all things Arsenal-related, the cost of the move.

    AISA say

    Such a move would benefit Arsenal in a number of ways, including a greater number of cheaper seats in the lower tier would be made available to Arsenal supporters and potentially a greater chance for home fans support to be more visible and obvious to all.

    From Lady Arse. (that’s a blog btw, not a nickname 😉 )

  141. GoonerB says:

    I had 5 mins to get back on here. I couldn’t help but notice today while glancing through some of the papers back pages how little there was on Arsenal. The Sun for instance mentioned AW’s stance on the kick it out campaign but I didn’t see anything on our game tonight. There were the obvious write-ups on last nights game but after that ditto for us while Citeh had a double page spread on their game tonight. The mail had a very small section on our game while again Citeh had the lions share of tonights 2 EPL representatives. Part of me wanted to go along with it being the anti Arsenal media, but more worryingly I actually think it is because we are now being downgraded in our standing as a club. If this is the case it will not do us any favours when we are negotiating sponsorship deals and when a top player is choosing between us and another club. Many of us have said that there could be a negative financial fall-out from not showing the ambition to win silverware. I believe there is a shareholders meeting imminently. I would love to be pointing that out to the board and Wenger that while they are sitting all smug and pleased with themselves for not spending as much as other clubs, is it that we are we actually in the long run causing ourselves more financial harm than those small monetary differences make up in certain transfer deals. Mata certainly springs to mind. Just wondered what you esteemed gooners thought as I feel we as fans should not be overly negative to AW and the heirarchy but should let them know that we are still not entirely happy with their behaviour and that we are still watching them closely.

  143. GoonerB says:

    One more thing. I know most of us feel we need another striker in January. I know it was only highlights but I was impressed with the Valencia striker Soldado. He looked to be quick and took his goals like a proper top striker. i can only imagine that coming from the Spanish league he has the instant touch and control and ability to link in with team mates also. I have not seen much of him but does anyone else have any opinions on him.

  144. allezkev says:

    Rocky is a big Soldado fan, he’s been bigging him up for ages.

    Like you GB i was very impressed with what i saw on TV last night.
    Soldado was very clinical in his finishing…

    Looked like he could be the answer to our problems.

    Therefore he will probably join Man City….

  145. Micko says:

    Kev, think it makes a lot of sense moving the away fans to the upper tier, don’t know if you’ve been to Newcastle but it really is like being in the stratosphere, the German’s are gonna be very noisy from the start tonight, we don’t get going until the first goal goes in, I blame the singing section myself.

  146. allezkev says:

    I’m usually in the singing section Michael, as well you know….

    I think the problem re: lack of atmosphere stems from that mob who sit behind Wenger, and just moan…

    Yes, i’ve been to Newcastle, it’s the same at many grounds and about time our dozy administrators at AFC, got their arses in gear and did likewise.
    As usual it takes an outside organisation, to motivate those dopes, to do anything…

    The Jerries will make a lot of noise, and sing their songs in English…. mein Gott

  153. arsenal11730 says:

    I wish I had the confidence of many on here today.
    I am getting more nervous as we approach kickoff.
    Schalke are a quality outfit with some decent players.

  155. allezkev says:

    Would Wenger gamble on starting Gnabry…??

    Probably not, but SG is an interesting option, and the Jerries wouldn’t have planned for him.
    Don’t think it would phase the kid and if Gerv plays in the middle Gnabry could be an option on the right flank…

  158. rico says:

    Micko – Dot Cotton thinks so re your earlier….

    Ak, just got the one email from you today and the one from yesterday, is that right?

    Tsgh – I wish I had the money, if i did, I wouldn’t hesitate to go looking for Stan…. ( not goonie stan)

  162. DutchGooner10 says:

    Welcome back to the digi-natives Rico. Should we organize a crowd funding for a plane ticket and some pocket money? The stick to wack his bottom will be available in the baseball shop of one of his ventures. 😉

  163. allezkev says:

    Fandictor.co.uk‏@fandictor

    #AFC XI vs #Schalke: Mannone, Mertesacker, Verm, Arteta, Podolski, Santos, Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Coquelin, Jenkinson, Gervinho

  165. rico says:

    Thanks Dg, and yes please, doesn’t matter that I can’t afford to buy him out, battering him around the butt with a baseball bat would make me feel better 😉

  166. rico says:

    Ramsey & Coquelin, well they will need to be at the very top of their game tonight…

    I’m not sure that team is strong enough, if that is the starting eleven…

  167. allezkev says:

    Draw or a very narrow win….

    Narrow win will do me…

    A win is a fecking win…

    As Mick would say….

    He also says ” Drink, Drink”

  169. DutchGooner10 says:

    How fitting you can categorize the spanking between Arsenal red or the bruise colours from the away kit according to his resistance to comply.

  170. allezkev says:

    Sports_World‏@MastiSports

    Schalke XI v Arsenal: Unnerstall; Uchida, Matip, Howedes, Fuchs; Hoger, Neustadter; Farfan, Holtby, Afellay; Huntelaar.

  171. tsGH says:

    Honour Kev- where is my Dench hoodie you promised?

    You took my self addressed jiffy envelope ages ago,. What is going on? 😀

    Lady Rico, sorry to here about your internet issues. A word of advice be careful clicking on any of DG10’s links… 😀

  172. rico says:

    I am not so confident Ak, I just don’t see us having enough in defence to stop them, especially the man between the sticks…

    Of course I hope I am very wrong….

    Evening Tsgh…

    Dg, it would be the deepest colour a batter butt can go when heavily battered 😉

    Popping off for dinner, won’t be long…

  174. Joaquim Moreira says:

    hi!
    Hope we win today. Not very confident.
    Did you see Braga yesterday?
    Soldado is a very intersting player but is older now. Four years ago he wolud be a nice sign

  176. Will XL says:

    I’m quite intrigued about this match. After our last performance, this match will tell us many many things. Fingers crossed that I can watch it!

  179. stevepalmer1 says:

    Evening all,
    Sounded like a tongue in cheek kind of post Rico, I think we’ll be up for it tonight tough game yes but i think we’ll have the edge. fingers crossed of course. 🙂

  189. Scott from Oz says:

    It is now Rico,but early it was ours.
    Afellay booked for diving….can this ref officiate in thePL please???

  193. allezkev says:

    Can’t get a decent link, and those shit-bags on BBC5Live radio are covering Shitty, fecking waste of money that License Fee….

  199. allezkev says:

    Ah, i’m listening to some music and watching Sky text, that’ll do.
    They can whistle for a Sky subscription.
    Murdoch wouldn’t get me to piss on him if he was on fire…

  200. rico says:

    The commentator has just made a good suggestion, Podolski and Gervinho should swap, Pod would have done better just now….

  202. allezkev says:

    My Son wanted to settle out there Digger.
    A mate of his married an Aussie gal, and he’s happily settled on the East coast somewhere.

  214. rico says:

    He is Scott, Pod is doing well too but he’s getting frustrated with Gervinho….

    Santos is having a mare…

  219. rico says:

    I’d keep Santos on but push him up, put Pod central and either take Gerv off or move him right and take ramsey off….

  223. allezkev says:

    Lets get to half-time and re-group….

    Wonder if Schalke will feel a bit fatigued in the 2nd 45, they did have a massive game against Dortmund over the weekend?

  225. allezkev says:

    Maybe switch Coquelin to left-back, push Santos up field and just juggle the rest without wasting a sub?

  227. tsGH says:

    Don’t listen to those stupid commentators.

    Either of Roberto Carlos or Cashley cole will still be struggling to contain a 3 vs1 situation Poldi & Cazorla are leaving Santos in.

  228. emma says:

    Santos lack positioning sense. Gervinho left his forehead back home in africa. He has being so frustrating in attack. I say bring Kos in and push Santos forward. Gnabry can do better bring him for Ramsey. Cazorla is having a quiet game again. Hope we step up in the second half

  229. allezkev says:

    What about Gnabry on for Santos, switch Coq to left-back and attack the Jerries…
    defend in the German half…

    Maybe not, too radical for Arsene…

  232. rico says:

    I hope we step up too emma, Gerv really is poor again tonight….

    We miss pace on the right, Gnabry is a good call..

  235. allezkev says:

    GDNA, it’s conceding that worries me, and the weakness in our team is left-back not right-midfield…
    I know that Ramsey isn’t on top of his game, but Santos really worries me…
    Losing Gibbs has been a shit-sandwich…

  236. stevepalmer1 says:

    These comentators are realy getting on my tits they can’t say a good word about us if they tried Shalka have been on the back foot all night and the comentators say they should be leading. Gervinho is still to slow and Santos is an accident waiting to happen Bring Kos on mave Santos to the wing and take Gerve off.

  237. tsGH says:

    Serge on after 60 minutes I think.

    Rico – I agree he is struggling to get back. The question is who else is creating for us to score. That really worries me. I know everyone goes on about our defence but we have the best joint defensive record in the EPL. We are creating nothing from having 60% possession.

  238. rico says:

    I’m not so sure Kev. I reckon Merts from a corner is our best chance, that’s the only thing missing from his game tonight 😉

  240. tsGH says:

    Ramsey is doing a fine job keeping Affelay out of the game.

    Kev- Both Poldi and Santi are leaving Santos very exposed. Poldi is neither attacking nor defending and we are all blaming Santos who is at least being and outlet!

  241. rico says:

    Schalke on the back foot all night Steve, you sure?? 😉 And I agree, they should be 1-0 up, they have had the only clear cut chance…

    I’d move him up onto the wing Tsgh, we always say that’s where he is better suited. Have a shuffle around and go 442…

  244. Scott from Oz says:

    Dna,you ar kidding.
    Ramsey is playing well mate.
    Take your blinkers off for christs sake.
    No,he isn’t our best,but he is nowher near our worst.

  250. allezkev says:

    Come on Gerv, i did a post on you, now don’t let me down, get your alpine bonce on something and bloody score… 🙄

  253. Scott from Oz says:

    Rici,i don’t mind people offeing an opinion,but when they single out the same people week in,week out regardless of performance,it is ridiculous.
    Be honest in your appraisal…it is not hard,and Ramsey is going ok.

  254. allezkev says:

    Scott, chill buddy, it’s just opinion, don’t go freaking out, or you’ll knock your kangaroo over…. 😉

  255. arsenal11730 says:

    I will take the point now. We are lucky not to be behind.
    Cazorla looks off again and it seems if he is off we are.
    Maybe Chamakh is worth a punt???? Who knows not me

  261. rico says:

    We just have no pace Kev, nothing on the wings, can’t cross but if we do, no-one is in there…

    We sure need a couple of changes…

  264. Scott from Oz says:

    We target Theo,but Gervinho has no footballing brain either.
    He just tried a pass through 3 sets of legs!

  266. allezkev says:

    Giroud on now would alter the games dynamics.
    Give the German’s tiring defence something different to think about, as long as Gnabry comes on with Olivier…

  272. arsenal11730 says:

    It would be nice to do a chav and win ugly.
    The Carrow Rd display popped my bubble and turned me bearish.
    I have been miserable since Saturday because of these jokers.

  282. arsenal11730 says:

    We are beginning our annual November run a little early this year.
    Hughes must be salivating to play us….

  284. arsenal11730 says:

    The captaincy needs to be given to Arteta as TV needs to be dropped. He is well below par this season. Getting the captaincy is the KissOfD at our club.

  287. Scott from Oz says:

    Vermaelen hasn’t been that bad,but yes,he is off.
    Arteta would be a great skipper though.
    Look at Gnabry go!!

  291. arsenal11730 says:

    Sorry lads and Emma but Saturdays performance caught me off guard. I have learnt that Wengers squad play in bunches.
    We are a psychological team and they take time to shake off setbacks.

  292. Scott from Oz says:

    And again Santos lets us down.
    No,we are not playing well as a whole,but shit….Santos is just bloody terrible.

  293. allezkev says:

    Sounds a bit desperate now, Jenkinson off for Gnabry…

    Not sure what ‘Old Stubborn’ can do….
    QPR could be the start of some kind of crisis talk…
    That’s if we lose.

  298. rico says:

    Bloody heck, Kroenke and PHW are at the game, well I guess he will be at the AGM, I hope he is given a tough tough time…. Hell in fact!!

  303. rico says:

    Gibbs, Walcott, Frimpong, Sagna and Jack should all be back in the squad for QPR, good, I think we need them….

  304. Scott from Oz says:

    Rico,Santos CAN defend,but he just doesn’t treat it as a priority.
    He seems to wander back at his own pace,and he has deadset cost us two goals today and one v Norwich.
    That is not to say we haven’t deserved to lose,but he just doesn’t seem to bloody care.

  305. arsenal11730 says:

    I am GUTTED. The sad truth is I am lost and have no solution.
    Diaby is an unreliable joker. Our keepers are NOT good enough.
    We need a goalscorer and a keeper.
    Gerv is simply NOT the answer.
    Midfield is fine and I like our defence when TV is on form.

    I know City are losing in Dam but they need more experience in the CL.
    The AGM will be more of the same crap.
    JW needs to start Saturday but it is unfair on him as he is not 100% yet.
    I am never this pessimistic but i have a bad feeling about this teams psyche.Sorry

  306. allezkev says:

    That’s three successive goals, that can all be traced back to poor defending by Santos…..

    Not good, not good at all…

    Hope things don’t get out of hand, but i’m afraid that the Gambon’s of this world will be celebrating this result…

    Past experience seems to point towards a few more disappointing reversals as Wenger goes into one of his depressions…

    This needs sorting out big time, but i hope nobody acts in haste, we need to keep cool heads.

    There’s still a long way to go in this season…

  310. Scott from Oz says:

    Kev,We seem to have a Gambon replacement here already.
    Quiet a few weeks back,now it is all “Wenger out”…….gimme a break lol.

  311. emma says:

    We never looked like scoring. It took a 17yr old to get us a shot on target. Gnabry should have come in earlier. Santos did what he love doing at best. Keep the opposition on-side for the first goal. I have being shouting changes since the 55th min. Santos shouldn’t have being out in the 2nd half

  312. rico says:

    He can defend Scott but his positional sense is shocking, absolutely shocking and nothing is being done about it. Imho the only place he should play is as a winger. Tonight he looked unfit, got forward too much and left the left side open.

    Anyway, I could stay on here moaning all night but what is the point, I am fed up with it….

  314. allezkev says:

    You know, it was on the cards….

    Saturday we had ‘Norwich haven’t won a game this season’…

    Today we had ‘Arsenal not lost at Ashburton Grove to foreign opponants’…

    Next saturday we’ll have ‘QPR not won a game this season’…

    Oh no..!

  315. rico says:

    Gdna, none of that, differ with opinion but no name calling!! If you are angry, go and chill and come back another day…!

  316. Scott from Oz says:

    Dna,good call mate,good call.
    Players missing,players out of form….what would you have done champ??
    Tell us your side??
    You cant simply tell players to play well,and you cant simpy beg them to hit form.
    Well,maybe you can,but mere mortals cant.
    You blamed Ramsey,as usual,but not once have you mentioned Santos……please explain???
    You must be Brazillian!!
    If so,take him back….PLEASE lol.
    At least i can watch with an open mind and see who is having a shit game.
    You obviously can’t!!

  317. rico says:

    Agree emma, subs too late… again!

    Ak, said the same a few days ago about Qpr, you just know what’s going to happen eh…

  319. arsenal11730 says:

    Start Gnabry on Saturday at least he cares and puts in effort.He has shown more as a sub in the last two games than our seasoned pros. Coq was ok.

  320. allezkev says:

    Emma Le Coq should have switched to left-back, that was always going to be where any goals would come from…

    GDNA, just sleep on it mate, it’s no good ‘going into one’ whilst your disappointed…

    Nothing is gonna change, nobody is gonna sack Arsene Wenger, nor should they…

  322. rico says:

    I really don’t care what you think of Wenger gdna, that is your own opinion and no-one can change that.

    All I ask is no name calling, it’s simple…

  323. Gooner Sam says:

    Bad results happen over the course of a season but ever get the feeling of groundhog day with the same issues rearing their ugly heads. Wenger may have changed the personnel but he hasn’t changed the fragile state of mind of the team..

  324. Scott from Oz says:

    No need Rico…he is another in a long line who can’t handle a loss.
    Trying to decipher a loss is one thing,but spitting the dummy over it??

  325. Will XL says:

    Santos was caught out to often. But the goals were both a result of bad defending by more than one player. The team seems to have lost their way in attack. The players have the ability but their decision making at the moment is terrible overall.

  327. allezkev says:

    I DO NOT want to risk Jack in a crap game like QPR….

    That smacks of desperation…

    Yes, bring him on, but don’t load all our concerns on his back.

    Why wasn’t Frimmers on the fecking bench…

    What was the point of having that sack of shit Chamakh on the bench???

    We already had Giroud.

  328. Vonnie says:

    Seems that Bouldy is learning management skills from AW. Watch the disaster waiting to happen and do nothing about it. When the damage is done make changes too late to make a difference…………….

  330. emma says:

    ak – that is what should have being done. Taking Jenk out was a mistake. should have taken santos out and coq switch to left. One doesn’t need a soothsayer to know if the goal was going to come it will be from LB area

  331. rico says:

    And now their heads are dragging on the ground Will….

    I am done for the day, if any of you name call or squabble overnight, tomorrow you will be in spam!!

    Respect each others opinion, it’s not rocket science…

    Wenger – just go and sign Huntelaar, Swarzer and Sakho in January…

    Night all….

  332. Scott from Oz says:

    Dna,give us your starting line up!!
    You know more than Wenger……tell us!
    The difference between me and people like you is i do not think that Wenger knows everything,but i accept he knows a lot more than i do.
    Keyboard heroes pop up all the time,but what club have you ever managed??
    It is so easy to say “Wenger out”,but until you offer up something constructive,you are a non event.

  333. arsenal11730 says:

    AW needs to stay; Unless Usmanov takes us over, Kroenkes model only works with AW at the helm.
    Apart from a new experienced keeper and adding a goalscorer. Our squad is decent and competitive.
    It is our fragile mental state which has been our weakness since 06 in Paris. We have had multiple chances to win the PL since 03, but we consistently blow it.

  335. Joaquim Moreira says:

    What we want to do with this team and with this tactic and system?
    Our kind of game it’s always the some and the others teams, in Britain and abroad, know who are our weaks and the way to win us.
    Mostly of you talk about Gervinho. He is the only one who had played int he opposite midfield. Alone. He did his job in the right way. We defended too, He went to the wings cross. We went straigt to the area. We looked up and nobody were arround. He played completely alone and must solved alone. Where are the others?
    Podolsky is always an invisible player. Ramsey was completely out of his natural position with any idea in his mind. Without Sagna, our right side is out of the game. Our position on the borard League is exactly where we are now. Mancs,chelsea,totts,Everton,Newcastle,Liverpool, all of them play better then us. In the league chmapions, mostly of the teams are much more better tactically and play better then us. Our first posution on our group was gone and we must try harder not go relegate to Europe League or out of the european competiions.
    One shot on target only in extra time! The some in Norwich! We need new players? yes, maybe but much more important it’s replace the system completely.

  337. Scott from Oz says:

    Dna,you have just insulted nearly everyone on this forum,but are too bloody ignorant to even know it!!

  338. arsenal11730 says:

    Maybe buy a few winners who can spread the feeling throughout the squad.
    I simply do not know.
    My poor missus now has to suffer until Saturday because of these incompetent prats. This was Schalke not RM or Barca…

  339. allezkev says:

    Emma, i know it’s easy to be an expert in retrospect, and tbf i haven’t seen the game.
    But i saw Santos ‘live’ last Saturday, and that was enough.

    He should have been hooked or switched forward at half-time…

    Was Bould hamstrung by Wenger’s instructions???

    Coquelin to left-back just seemed so obvious.
    But maybe he had a key role in midfield and we had nobody to cover him if he was switched…

    Hench, why wasn’t Frimmers on the bench…?????????

  341. Scott from Oz says:

    Kev,you’d be amazed how calm i am mate.
    Usually i’d have blown by now lol.
    Fair call though,we “non-players” must stick together lol!!
    Does Wenger panic when things go bad???

  342. Scott from Oz says:

    On,and by panic,i do not just mean During the game.
    I mean off the field,and when we have a poor run of form.
    Does he back the players too much?
    Sometimes a rocket is exactly what people need.

  344. allezkev says:

    Just seen the goals, poor defending by BFG and Verm for the first goal.

    The guy who scored the 2nd was in acres of space at our right-back spot.

    And where was our right-back???

    On the fecking bench….

    Tactical ineptitude…

  345. Will XL says:

    The bigger problem is our impotency in attack. We haven’t created a chance in two games. Santos and his defending be damned. If we can’t score or create, our defense will never have an easy time.

  346. Scott from Oz says:

    I can’t blame them for taking Jenks off…..may as well be two down rather than one down.
    Well,i should say i can’t blame them for taking a back off,but they got the wrong back!!
    Still,Jenks has had a bit of football,and did like flat tonight…maybe that was partly the reason it was he that came off…maybe.

  348. Will XL says:

    we will continue to be stretched and force or defenders into difficult situations, where eventually over the course of 90 minutes, we will concede.

  350. Scott from Oz says:

    Will,exactly what we are saying.
    Is anone starting to think the PL is overrated???
    Look at the “big 4” clubs last games in the CL….it doesn’t exactly do much to back the train of thought that it’s the best league in the world,does it??

  351. allezkev says:

    Tbh, i am also quite calm as well Scott.

    I’ve kinda been hardened to this thing…

    But nothing will change.

    Wenger will stay until the summer of 2014 when his contract expires…

    Has anybody noticed that there’s been no talk of a new contract?!

    Arsene won’t be sacked, he’ll walk when he’s had enough, that’s unless he suffer’s a load of abuse by Arsenal fans…

    Maybe being away this Saturday is a good thing…

  352. Joaquim Moreira says:

    We never been the control of the match except in the first 10 minutes. The replaces were our dead. Was better secure the 0-0.

  353. Scott from Oz says:

    Kev,i reckon the timing is getting closer for Wenger to go.
    I think he needs to go on his own terms…or at least given that chance,but the time must then come when he is pushed.
    I still say we are going to have a bastard of a time replacing him.
    Some of the names people have thrown up are just ridiculous….well,it is ridiculous to think these guys could come in and instantly make the club successful again.
    Under the circumstances,Wenger does an incredible job.
    We should all be hoping those circumstances change before the manager does.

  354. allezkev says:

    Arsenal must get at least a draw in Gelsenkirchen in the return.

    Can we beat them in their ground???

    Inter Milan anyone???

  355. Scott from Oz says:

    Of course we can Kev…..depends what form we take into the match though.
    Right now,they’d put 4 past us at home.

  356. DutchGooner10 says:

    Like I said during the day. Schalke don’t score less than 2 goals per game this season.

    I accepted this will be another year we will be pushing a rock up hill. Full stop.

  357. Scott from Oz says:

    I defy anyone to say we don’t miss Diaby BADLY……
    He gets injured,our form dips dramatically.
    Some may call it coincidence lol
    Still,getting Jack back will help big time.

  358. allezkev says:

    Scott, managers don’t usually go if a club is doing well, er, unless it’s Chelsea…
    So if there’s a change at the helm, it’ll be during a serious dip in form.
    We might have to suffer a few years of fallow if the situation comes to pass.

    That’s what the likes of Gambon don’t consider…

    A change in manager doesn’t guarantee a change in fortune…

  359. allezkev says:

    Kroneke will have to loosen the purse strings if there’s a change…

    We won’t get one of the top managerial candidates unless they’re given a shed-load of cash to spend on top of a Wengeresque salery.

    But that situation is almost two years away, so lets worry about the here and now…

  362. emma says:

    We need a good keeper. Both goals could have being saved if Vito was reactive enough. Miguel needs to be promoted to the first team. For QPR, I will give Cazorla/Poldi a rest both looked out of sort

  363. DutchGooner10 says:

    Let’s be mature enough here on HH coming days. We developed a fine crop of people’s here don’t want the corrosive spouting they got elsewhere.

    Thanks Kev and Oz for protecting the vibe on HH.

  364. allezkev says:

    Of course, silly me, we’re home to QPR…

    Adam, that’s not going to be a happy environment mate…

    As it stands no, but my Kevin went tonight and might offer me his ticket…

    So we can meet and discuss that parking problem if you like, in between grumbling…

  365. Scott from Oz says:

    I have my moments Dutch…they are not as frequent or volatile as they were in the past,i am happy say 🙂
    It took me a while to realise that the true Gooners stick around here,where those who just want to create drama drop in and leave just as quickly.
    Yes,we all have disagreements,but the name calling is almost nil,as it should be.

  366. allezkev says:

    Dutch, i can understand people being gutted by tonight’s result, but tomorrow is another day.
    Marching with black scarf’s solves absolutely zilch…

    Out of adversity, we need to stick together, as there will plenty of cnuts out there putting the knife in….

    Dutch, you need to pass around the Schimmelpenninck’s…
    You know, ‘The special one’s’….. 😉

  367. Adam says:

    Kev. Just let me know. I will be going. I could hook up with you before the game. I’m a glutton for punishment.

  370. allezkev says:

    Let me speak to my lad and we’ll see.

    All being well, it could an enjoyable Saturday, despite the football…

  373. DutchGooner10 says:

    Kev I will send a bunch of ‘special ones’ in a pack of Colombian beans.

    Can’t add much else to what’s being said. No need to rehash. 😉

  375. stevepalmer1 says:

    Sorry all, i don’t agree with a lot of what you say, Wengers in the stands hardly he’s fault he’s frightened to make a move or they will ban him for the next 3 games. Personally i feel we are playing some nice football, not many teams pass as swift as we do. We are not doing the business up front terible passing and running into blind alleys which in turn puts us back defending, i agree Santos was poor i don’t blame anybody else for his lack of defending skills but he looks ok going forward. Gnarmby was at fault for the second goal 3 times he passed to them and the 3rd time we were punnished but he is only a youngster and will eventually get better.Its our forwards who are our weak link at the moment and pressurising our own defence, i didn’t think Manone made any bad mistakes and didn’t stand much chance for both goals. Gervinho had a couple of chances but he wants to beat every body before he shoots but that has always been his trouble he has talent but he is a greedy player and he is the bugbare up front but apart from that we are just not making chances.

  377. allezkev says:

    I will look forward to my ‘Special Delivery’ mate…

    Dutch there is no point beating ourselves up, it’s the way it goes…

    I blame the Board, and i always will…

    Kroenke will do nothing, because he doesn’t care, he’s an investor, a parasite.

    Hill-wood is an old idiot…

    Those two will precide over a shed-load of spin tomorrow…

    Wenger will be criticised whilst those two will hide behind him and Gazides/Fox will hide behind their paychecks…

  379. allezkev says:

    After 3 Champions League games Arsenal are 2nd in their Group with 6 points.

    After 3 Champions League games Man City are bottom of their Group with 1 point….

    Makes you think doesn’t it…???

  380. DutchGooner10 says:

    Kev that’s the blood trail I have been sniffing for a long time. I want that a$$hole out. I wasn’t as happy bunny with the appointment of the new retailer cuz it spells priorities wrong.

  383. DutchGooner10 says:

    Nite SP1.

    Dortmund beat Madrid tonight. They got pulled a sock over their heads by Schalke this weekend. They were still in the zone from that game. Mentally we were flat as a doormat.

  385. Micko says:

    Dear Mr Wenger,

    We’re just two lost souls,
    Swimming in a fish bowl,
    Year after year,
    Running over the same old ground,
    What have we found,
    The same old fears,
    Wish you were here.

    Smudge, see what you can do for me the weekend, cheers matey.
    I’m off to my bunk.

  386. allezkev says:

    Champions League: Arsenal form concerns assistant Steve Bould
    Arsenal are “lacking confidence”, said assistant manager Steve Bould after the London club were beaten 2-0 at home by Schalke in the Champions League.

    Bould, taking charge in the absence of the Arsene Wenger who was serving out his touchline ban, watched Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ibrahim Afellay fire the Germans to victory.

    “We haven’t looked our best since the international break,” said Bould.

    “We lacked a bit of confidence. It’s a concern we’re not making many chances.”

    Continue reading the main story
    “We’ve gone behind in last five games – to keep coming back is tough”

    Steve Bould

    Arsenal have struck fewer shots than any other team in this season’s Champions League – only 22.

    “We normally create chances, so we’re not accustomed to this,” added former defender Bould, who played for the Gunners between 1988 and 1999.

    “It looks like we’re lacking confidence on the ball and that’s unusual. We looked a bit tired and jaded.”

    Schalke created the best chances of the match. Huntelaar missed from four yards and failed to connect with a Jefferson Farfan cross from about the same distance, while centre-back Benedikt Howedes fired over from eight yards out.

    “If we escaped with a 0-0 draw we would have been delighted,” said Bould.

    Some Gunners fans booed at the final whistle, and Bould added: “We’ve lost at home and of course they’re frustrated. We are as well.”

    Arsenal came into the match on the back of a surprise 1-0 loss to Norwich and next face QPR at home on Saturday.

    “We have a tough game here on Saturday,” added Bould.

    “We’ve gone behind in our last five games – to keep coming back is tough.”

    Gunners captain Thomas Vermaelen agreed that his team-mates did not test Schalke enough.

    “We lost on Saturday [to Norwich] and we wanted to do better here,” said the Belgian.

    “It was the same story as Saturday – we didn’t create enough chances. We gave it 100%, but it was a bit difficult.

    “These moments are difficult but you have to work hard.”

  387. allezkev says:

    After Arsenal’s defeat to Schalke the fear for Arsène Wenger is that failure is self-replicating
    Arsenal were in the air for 14 minutes when they flew from Luton to Norwich for Saturday’s Premier League fixture and there were 14 minutes left on the clock here when Schalke took the lead they so deserved. Fourteen was also Thierry Henry’s old number.

  388. allezkev says:

    By Paul Hayward, at the Emirates
    12:17AM BST 25 Oct 2012
    Comment
    90000
    2012-10-25 00:22:06.0
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/champions-league/9632302/After-Arsenals-defeat-to-Schalke-the-fear-for-Arsene-Wenger-is-that-failure-is-self-replicating.html?service=artBody
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    There, the coincidences end. Much of what Arsenal are going through is familiar. Their performances bounce up and down. The old syncopating rhythms seldom come. The team seems thrown together rather than laid out by design. When Schalke scored a second late on, through Ibrahim Afellay, even the club’s steady European record started to fall apart. At least Jack Wilshere is nearly ready to start again.

    To call it the Arsenal diaspora might be a bit strong, but as Arsène Wenger, the manager, admitted: “We have lost many players.” To manufacture a new star here in Islington is to lose him to a free-spending predator, so there is an understandable tendency these days to hire older pros who might stick around for a bit. After these past five days, Wenger will need to reassure Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla that they made the right moves.

  389. allezkev says:

    After eight Premier League games Arsenal sit 10 points behind the leaders Chelsea. The patrons of this luxury arena have had to watch Robin van Persie bring an extra spark to Manchester United’s attack and Alex Song add yet more might to Barcelona’s midfield. Sometimes Arsenal look like a club stuck in a permanent state of bereavement.

    Their problem since they last won a trophy, in 2005, is not hard to quantify. It is the exodus of many of their best players to the two Manchester giants and Barcelona. The fountain of youth could no longer repair this rolling damage so Wenger turned to older heads. Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos, Mikel Arteta, Cazorla and Podolski were among the starters in this Champions League fixture who are products of other cultures and philosophies. Thomas Vermaelen and Gervinho are younger arrivals from elsewhere.

  390. allezkev says:

    This is Arsenal’s 15th Champions League campaign in a row. Europe provides an escape from the let-downs of domestic competition. To be ninth in the Premier League table at this point — and 10 points adrift — is ominous, especially after the weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Norwich. “After a result like that, I can understand people’s concerns about our competitiveness, and I share that concern,” Wenger said last night.

  391. allezkev says:

    Now 16 years into his reign, Wenger has found an infinite variety of ways to promise happier days ahead. Today’s annual meeting of shareholders will test his verbal dexterity again. The reality on the pitch changes but the underlying message is the same. The longer the drought goes on, the more people are tempted to leave. And the more people leave, the more Wenger is forced to turn to old pros, some of who are simply not good enough (Santos is an example).

    Assimilation and adjustment become the club’s raison d’être. In his annual address Wenger is like a preacher insisting that God exists while evidence to the contrary multiplies all around. But he does still have plenty going for him: his intelligence, experience, budgeting skills and faith in expressive football.

    When Song left, Wenger identified 21-year-old Francis Coquelin as a potential replacement. Last night you could see why. Coquelin is skilful and dynamic. He is a hunter-gatherer with an artistic streak.

    Carl Jenkinson, the right back formerly of Eastbourne Borough, is another making rapid headway. On the bench sat the 17-year-old German Serge Gnabry, who is tipped for great things

  392. allezkev says:

    Wenger can continue to argue with some justification that Arsenal are underpinned by a marvellous scouting and coaching culture. The fans, though, will think back to Cesc Fabregas, Gaël Clichy, Samir Nasri, Van Persie and Song and conclude that failure, like success, is self-replicating, especially when other clubs are prepared to pay vastly higher wages.

    In a more ruthless state of mind Schalke would have put Arsenal two goals down in the first hour. At the other end Gervinho was again press-ganged into a centreforward’s role, which left Olivier Giroud, a big summer signing, on the bench until the 76th minute. Gervinho, who was booked for an appalling dive, is no No 9, or not against good opposition. Lacking natural width, Arsenal relied on Podolski, Aaron Ramsey and Cazorla to weave patterns through the middle. It looked hard work.

    In their favour was a formidable Champions League home record: one defeat in 44 matches. Not since Manchester United beat them in the 2009 semi-final had Arsenal lost control of their destiny on this pitch. But their scrappy, disjointed play invited punishment. It came with 14 minutes left when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar span on to a headed pass in the Arsenal box and smashed the ball past Vito Mannone. Afellay’s goal four minutes from time confirmed the rise of the Bundesliga as a threat to Premier League power.

  393. allezkev says:

    Arsenal were lucky to make it that far before being impaled. There was no great deflation as the stands began to empty. The team’s followers had lowered their expectations by the time Huntelaar pounced. The Norwich result and the team’s rhythm-less performance will have prompted them to seek with renewed vigour the explanations of Wenger and the board.

    “Keep the faith” no longer seems an adequate riposte to the evidence of regression. For the admiring neutral, it is disquieting to see Arsenal in this state.

  394. Scott from Oz says:

    We need change.
    We need Stan gone.
    We need an owner who will spend….not billions,but enough to make us competitive.
    We need Wenger to be given the chance with that new owner.

  395. Down under but not down hearted says:

    Hi all, as my moniker would suggest I’m a glass half full type. However after getting up at 02:30am last night/this morning, to watch that shower of shit and after the abysmal performance against Norwich( never in my 23 years of being a gooner have I seen us play worse) I find myself asking…
    – where is the passion?
    – why do we not have any sort of plan b?
    – why do we insist on playing people out of position?
    – why can’t we make any subs before 68 mins?
    – why the fuck do we still not have a quality goalkeeper(let alone super,super,super quality)?
    – why did we go into the season with 1 striker, unproven in the EPL?
    – why is a 17 year old the answer when we are chasing games? Don’t get me wrong I think gnarby has a big future, but surely a club like ours has to have better options. It is called the Champions league you know.
    – why do we CONSTANTLY rely on players with shocking injury records being fit? And then when the same players get their inevitable and lengthy injuries we hear the same shit about how we can’t predict whose going to get injured and how when they come back from injury, we are told said players are LANS! I’m sorry but we can’t rely on these guys and as much as like diaby and rosisky they have to be shipped out. And Gibbs- great player when fit, but regularly not, so why didnt we get a decent lb to fill in when he inevitably misses large chunks of the season.
    – why didn’t we buy a dm so we can utilize arteta’s attacking strengths better? don’t get me wrong he is amazing as a dm but I still think he is being wasted there.
    Sorry for the rant but I’m so pissed off at the moment. The look on my boys face( he’s 8) when I told him we lost to Norwich was bad enough but when I told him we’d bounce back last night and at least show some grit, it was heart breaking to tell him this morning that we were just as pathetic as we were on the weekend. I was going to let him stay up with me to watch the game v man u(kick off 08:45pm down here) Having second thoughts now though. Never thought I’d be worried about a visit from QPR, but at the moment my glass is nearly empty!

  396. Lee says:

    Morning DUBNDH, I had the pleasure of seeing that shit from the stands! Too many players aren’t good enough pull that red and white jersey on! As you say we rely on a 17yr old to change the game….beggar’s belief, one shot on target and it was Gnarby in the 94th minute….absolute joke! Something has to give, this rot needs to stop!

  398. Scott from Oz says:

    Glass half fulll…..gee,it’s looking bloody empty from the other side of Oz lol.
    We played better this mornng than v Norwich,but still not good enough.
    Still no spark.
    I doun’t understand why a bad performance is put down to a lack of care or passion though….thats too easy.
    I,and everyone else on this planet,have days,even weeks where nothing goes right.
    We work for companies where,at times,everything goes wrong.
    We have to understand these guys are only human,no matter how we and the media portray them.
    Just because they are paid as if they are superhuman,it doesn’t make them so.
    Look at our list…..we have a top class 12 or 15 players,but that is it.
    Look at Citeh and Chelski….they have a top class 20 or 24.
    Take a few injuries into the equation,and we are in trouble.
    Passion isn’t the answer….well,maybe it is for a few of them.
    Morning all.
    The sun rose….we all woke up…..life can’t be too bad,can it lol.

  401. Scott from Oz says:

    Just watching a replay,and one thing stands out immediately.
    Those players not within five yards of the ball are walking.
    We had these spells last season,and always paid dearly.

  402. Lee says:

    Adam, my dad and I had a near death experience on the way home from that shower of shite last night! About 10 mins from my house on the A120 we were doing 60mph and the car in front hit a stag!!! We swerved and missed the whole thing….we were almost as shook up as witnessing those jokers eralier!!
    But seriously the Audi A3 that hit the deer was fcked!!!

  406. Scott from Oz says:

    Lee,that English deer got some payback against a German car….at least he put his body on the line!!

  408. rico says:

    Bloomin heck Lee, that’s sounds awful, those stags are big old boys….

    Good job you can swerve things nearly as well as Wenger!

  413. Scott from Oz says:

    Lee,Santos would never wear the shirt again if it was up to me.
    No care,no responsibility,no idea how to defend…..we were killed on his side.

  415. Adam says:

    Lee. Glad to hear you’re ok. But very weird coincidence as, for some reason, I was talking to a mate who lives in Canada yesterday and he was talking about the dangers of hitting a moose.
    Was everybody uninjured? I am scared to enquire as to the poor animal?

  418. Scott from Oz says:

    Lee,i am trying to work out why Gervinho doesn’t just take players on.
    He runs,stalls,stutters,pauses and tries to offload.
    His dribbling ablity is wasted.

  419. Lee says:

    Why not take him off and put coq there?? I’m no manager but for fuck’s sake he was dire all night…we now are relying on an injury-prone Gibbs!
    Something has to give, on that performance our season is over already!

  425. bondex says:

    morning all…….. any positives from yesterday?I bet even the most positive Arsenal fan will find it hard to draw any good thing from that game.

  429. tsGH says:

    H a Ha Rico…, I love me an Arsenal but since the start of the season I have tried to not make Arsenal the end all for me as I realized it was affecting every part of my life when we lost.

    A lady recently told me she would never date an Arsenal supporter because of the way her dad behaved when arsenal lost. I then realized that was very true.

    So waking up to hear 2 young soldiers including a young lady are dead in Afghan I realise if some over paid lucky fools can not pull themselves out of a rut I am not going to shorten my life feeling depressed for this idiots. The lot of them.

    Apologies for going of course… 😀

  430. rico says:

    That’s a good way to look at it Tsgh, my problem now is I have come to expect little different from the club, certainly all the time SK is our owner and Wenger continues to go along with SK’s ways…

    I haven’t seen any news this morning, that is sad, the sooner the troops come home the better….

  432. Scott from Oz says:

    Tsgh,that is exactly the way it should be treated….as the game it is.
    I love it when we win,and hate it when we lose,but is still a game,and will never rate alongside the health and wellbeing of family and friends.

  433. Scott from Oz says:

    Rico,the problem is will Stan ever sign a manager who doesn’t go along with his policies?
    Maybe it is time for,dare i even think it,the Russian!!

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