Morning all.
Ahead of the transfer window, like everyone else no doubt, I’m desperate to see Arsene Wenger bring in two players, one for the defence and another for the midfield. It looks like Arsene Wenger wants a defender:
If we find one we will do it. Without any doubt. If we find the right player we will do it.
The manager is certainly aware that he needs to improve his defensive options.
I think we are getting better but that’s what’s at stake. We have to show that in the final part of the season because we go now in the Premier League where we need to win the games. After we have the FA Cup and the Champions League and without defensive solidity we have no future.
No doubt we’d have been a lot better defensively had Lauren Koscielny had been fit for the last few months but regardless, not replacing Thomas Vermaelen was a huge error. Not selling him, I totally understood why he went but so often, it’s been about the not replacing players. Can’t say the same about Bacary Sagna though, in Mathieu Debuchy, we have a great replacement.
Tyrone Mings is the defender according to the Telegraph. I seriously hope he adds a defensive midfielder too and again today, we are linked to Christoph Kramer in the Mail. Fingers and toes crossed on that one.
Back to todays game, Arsene says:
Yes, there might be a few nerves but our job is not about history, it’s about today.
Just a few months ago, we were awful. February the 8th to be precise..
We’d been on a really good run, having taken 25 points out of a possible 27 and we were considered as being one of the clubs who could win the league, well not really in my opinion as back then we lacked something in defence/midfield and to be fair, we still do now…
With less than a quarter of the game gone, we were 4-0 down and all over the place. We really were awful and we couldn’t cope that day with anything Liverpool threw at us and it cost dear and from that day on, not only was our chance of winning the Premier League rocked, it was crushed to pieces….
We faded away, whereas the Dippers went on a charge to win the league and to be fair to them… No, I can’t be, I detest them and was so glad to see them fail in their mission. We just about secured a top four place as we have so often do, they came runners up and flunked their Champions League Group stage. We however are through to face Monaco……
The week after that awful result at Anfield, the Dippers headed to The Emirates in search of a similar result in the FA Cup. They didn’t get it, they went out and we went on to lift the big jug!
Today we have to manage without Jack Wilshere (ankle), Mesut OzIl (knee), Laurent Koscielny (calf), Mikel Arteta (calf), Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Tomas Rosicky (thigh) and Serge Gnabry (knee) are all injured. Theo Walcott could feature after returning to training earlier this week, as could Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Nacho Monreal.
Liverpool are dreadful this season, we are marginally better, well at times but as we know from the Stoke game, if the boys aren’t awake at kick-off, even average sides can batter us early on and the game is pretty much over.
I think they will be awake, awake and focussed from the off. Awake to make sure nothing like what happened earlier this year repeats itself….
More of what we saw against Newcastle and Galatasary should see us walk away from Anfield with all three points, anything less and it’ll be a struggle.
COYRRG’S – they are there for the taking, go and get the job done!!
Let’s hope it’s a great day folks….
Too true Rico. We will win if we reproduce our form of the last two games, but will we? As you say, anything less and we will all be baying for Wenger’s blood, again!
Today’s result, we will win by the odd goal in eleven! Their defence is marginally worse than ours, but our forwards are better than theirs and we’ve got more of them!!
Lastly, my choice of DM would be the rivet speaker, snideandlin! He has all the right qualities and would fill the gaping hole we have at the back end of our attacking force! As for the defender, God knows!! I suspect the ‘right player’ will not be available this TW!
We’ll have to wait and see. It’s like waiting for Santa to come down the chimney!
Good morning all. Only four more sleeps till He comes!
Wake up, it’s match day…. 😉
Morning Wavy, Morgan would be ideal but I quite like the sound of Kramer, and his surname easier to spell… lol
Good post Rico…
Yes, on currant form we should be confident going to Scousefield, but I have this nagging doubt in the back of my mind, that we’ll conspire to fcuk up again… 🙁
The problems with arsenal is they don’t take opportunity,Liverpool are there for the taken but our boys may not take it I hope they do.
I think they will Pryce…
Thanks Kev..
Alexis might get in the heads of the Dippers, especially after Brenda’s comments. They know how good he is and will concentrate on stopping him. Meanwhile, Giroud will terrorise their central pairing… 😉
morning all!
Cold but he sun shinning here.
Maybe good…
Wish we had the same JM…
Grey and raining here…
Interesting selection poser for Arsene today?!!!
Chambers is available again, but bearing in mind how well Debuchy dovetailed with Big Festive German, I wonder if it would be wise to change the back-four?
Does Arsene drop Bellerin and move Debuchy to right-back, pairing Chambefs with BFG?
Does Arsene drop Bellerin, replace him with Chambers and leave Debuchy in situ?
Does Arsene stick with last weeks back-four and stick Chambers on the bench?
Or, controversially….
Does Arsene stick with last weeks back-four and put Chambers alongside Flamini (or AOC) in midfield?
afternoon, ye lasts hidings/beatings at the hands of L,pool, Everton, Man City and Chelsea, Really sorted the men from the boys, Lets hope we have grown up, Those 4 games really showed Wenger for being so one dimensional, and we had no clue how to cope with these games. We are a fantastic attacking team, with so many talented players, and goals will always come, But we simply have to find the balance between attack and defence. Seen a few photos of the team in training yesterday, they seemed to be working on defending corner kicks. a Good sign perhaps.
Good questions there Kev, I have a feeling he might opt for Debuchy in defence and Chambers at right back, or maybe even Bellerin…
Why not put Chambers in front of the back 4?
Or Hayden if he’s fit…
Spot on Dublin..
Defending corners in training?? Good, I hope they all stayed late for extra practice..
Afternoon rico and the house..
Season’s greetings and all..
Same old same from Wenger re transfer window., its boring.. If we find the right player we will do it.. and his classic there is no one available better than what we have.. Except of course a player with a broken back..
Excited about the game in scouseland.. Hopefully we come back with all 3 points..
My concerns would be defending set pieces and we all know stieve G and skertel compo finished us off within 5 minutes last time..
Sterling with his new hair cut could be a problem as well..
Prediction 2/2..
Common Arsenal..
Afternoon Rico and the House,
Kev Last weeks back four with chambers sitting in front with Flamini
spot on.
A touch of humour (I think) on a another damp day.
On thursday our first team visited two Childrens Hospitals bearing gifts.
The Ox was in the group that visited the Whittington and went to a young boy (thought to be about 5 or 6) who looked very downcast.
As Ox was about to give him a pressie the young lad said
“I don’t even like Arsenal why can’t we have some Liverpool players”
The Ox thought it was very funny the way the lad said it talked to him gave him
a pressie and left him with a smile on his face.
Well done to the Ox.
Afternoon Judge and Rick…
Yes, all very familiar words but I expect him to at least sign a defender, he has to…
Kev, I didn’t see your sentence re Chambers, sorry.. 😉
Afternoon all, two hours to go and I’m feeling apprehensive. Because we have the form to win and should with our attacking flair. But then we miss a first choice midfield of Ramsey/Arteta/Ramsey/Ozil. Flaming good job, AW buys so many midfielders! Masterstroke 😉
Rico, cant believe that on the injury front, you fail to mention Diaby missing? 😉
Then there’s Monreal Rico, I wonder if Wenger will try and fit him into the starting XI…?
Monreal as a def/mid perhaps?
Moderation again…. 🙁
Todays Team Chessny Debuchy Merts Chambers Gibbs
Flamani OX Carzola Alex Giroud Wellbeck.
SubsMatinez Monreal Coquelin Campbell Wallcot Poldolski.
Bellerin Not in squad.
Afternoon all…
🙂 Andrew, I just assumed you’d all assume… lol
Full team: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Alexis, Giroud, Welbeck
Subs: Martinez, Monreal, Coquelin, Maitland-Niles, Campbell, Walcott, Podolski
Sorry Kev, was out cleaning the cars… 🙁
Chambers at right-back and Debuchy CH..
Bellerin injured..
COYRRG’S!!!!!
Awake and ready BOSS!!!!!
Let’s do the Dippers!!!
Afternoon all…..
Shouldn’t they tire after a midweek game? We always use it as an excuse!
Morning allllll……let’s go lads…..
Afternoon Bt and Scott..
Oliver is a knob!
COYRRG
I do wish Chambers would stop pushing the opposition players…
Flamini!! Best he be very careful now…
Big game and we haven’t turned up yet. Shocker!
Come on Arsenal, get into this game.
Hi Rico……
Solid start, and our boys are working hard.
Withstand this early onslaught and we will be fine, I reckon.
They better had soon Lewis…
OC, Santi and even Alexis need to get more involved…
I think we are getting ripped to shreds Scott, we have nothing in midfield at all….
Sounds like Coutinho could do a job for Diving Diving Chelsea…
They will not keep this up.
As long as we don’t concede, we will be fine.
This is awful….
Good to see AW up barking instructions…. 😉
Lucas should get a booking for that, at least!
Good stop Ches…
Scousers seem to be targeting Chambers
They have four more players on the pitch than us it appears.
B.R. keep three at the back and flood the midffield. To slow down the free flow of Arenal passing. Right now it working.
AW – get Flamini off at halft time, he’s going to lose us this game imo…
Oh, and then sell him in January!
This really is awful. Glad we’re not playing a good side.
Arsenal only back four going forward is Gibbs.
Woeful, absolutely woeful!!
Hi Ng..
Phew, I’ll take that at half-time… 😀
Atrocious first half..
Shameful really..
Hundred miss passes
1/1 but in reality we deserve nothing
Really really poor
😮 😮
1-1 – that was incredible and credit where it’s due, great leap from Flamini to get the ball to Debuchy…
Surely it’ll be a better second half from us….
We will be winning this.
They are shit.
They’ll fold under pressure and we will nail then 2 or 3-1.
Debuchy needs to close the gap between Sanchez and him.
What the fudge Arsenal?
Judge, worst we’ve played this season imo. Thank goodness Liverpool couldn’t finish…
Got to replace Flamini now, one more foul he is off. Of course their foul on Gibbs beforehand was similar but no booking. Dont refs love booking our first foul
Bellamy says Pool outstanding.
Redknapp talks bollox, how can he say their goal was well worked, it all came from one of many Arsenal cockups!!
Andrew – Bellamy talks bollox too. They weren’t outstanding, we gifted them so so much.. If they were that good, this game would be over..
Just got to hope AW gets through to them during the break….
Ramsey and Wilshire being missed. And Arteta. Step forward Coq!
what’s this?
which why whenever we play with the first six team, we are always fearful, defensive, shaking everywhere, defeated at the outset?
We are so poor!
White knuckle time,,,,hold on tight…..it’s xmas…
Hi Rico and All
What we can take from this game is that we are still in it to win it. As compare to last season when we loss in the first 20 minutes in the first half.
Oliver bought again….
Bloody diving little arseholes, this mob.
Our players need to stay switched on after this stoppage
Give Walcott the last 20 minutes I reckon…
They are Scott!
Kev, he will tear them up.
Sterling you cheating little f****r!!
Santi the Genius
Get in Ollie!!!!
Great stuff…get in!!!!
Start warming up Theo… 😉
Get in there lads!
We have one more to come 🙂
Scott/Rico/BT can you see the confidence draining out of the Scoucers yet?
I reckon so Kev….
Not just yet Kev, one more needed I think….
There’s gonna be a lot of added time.
Plenty of time for Oliver to save those Scouse arses with a dodgy pen…
We need a third I reckon
Kev, yes, and I thought that would be the case….
Conceding was not in my plan, but equalising soon after would have hurt them.
With AFC, it’s always squeaky bum time. 😕
I read somewhere that Alexis isn’t a big game player…
Now go and get a goal you little genius…..
COme on, Arsenal. Come on.
Wouldn’t it be something if Oliver gave Arsenal a penalty???
Alexis looks knackered…. Get him off I say…
A bloody miracle that would be Kev.
Strange change…
It must almost be Theo time?
What happened Rico?
Ollie for Coq Kev…
Pragmatism Rico?
Campbell on for Oxlade-Chamberlain…
Blimey
Rotation rotation rotation
Perhaps Kev, but Alexis looks shot to bits and Ollie ok….
Sanchez should rested vs QPR
F**K off Borinio, F***k off Borinio… 🙂
Dippers down to ten….
😆
COYRRG
Campbell will work hard so not a bad move…..
Alexis off for Monreal…
Shut that bloody door Arsenal!!!!
F**k!!!!
Bloody set plays.
How fucking hard is it to follow the run?
Shocking Scott!!
How can you fcuking concede after having a mans advantage…
I fucking hate the scousers!
Defensively shite from a set piece there’s a shocker!
Gutted!!!
Typical Arsenal, couldn’t defend a sausage
I’ll take the result but it’s only just a pass mark.
We should have rolled them, and to give up a goal v 10 man is unforgivable.
Night all.
Disgraceful Kev, bloody disgraceful!!
Lee, I hate those Scouse feckers too, nearly as much as I do the neighbours!!
As much as we deserved, in fact not sure we deserved anything. Even when ahead against 10 we keep giving corners away.
Night Scott…
Wouldn’t Giroud be best forward to keep on to defend corners.
Toooold ya!!!!
Looserpool and Brenda will get all the credit now.
This must be the worst game Alexis has ever played..
Ox obviously not fit enough.. and we lost all midfield..
Only cazorla, debushy and Giroud had a decent game..
Fucking depressing..
Nite all..
Lack of ambition
In the corners we defended ourselves and two or theree liverpools player were free!
Disgraceful!
Always the some!
I’d have thought so Andrew..
Judge – the gushing over the dippers is already on Sky Sports, why I just don’t know.
Undone by a set piece again , what happened to Dublin’s corner practice ? . So predictable ! can anyone say that they didn’t see it coming ?
Because we were so poor we made those fuckers look good….
Schoolboy stuff….vs 10 man take the ball and just f*** pass it, not let them have it….
West Ham (a) is gonna be a real 6 pointer!
What a poor display,yet we get the draw,
football really is a funny old game,
when you bring a defender on for a midfielder,
you are telling the players to sit back,
so we did,and waited for them to strike,
sat here biting me nails,even against ten,
you new it would happen.
two weeks ago Coquelin was playing for Charlton,
This squad is so unblanced.
Not sure if know on here rico,
but Mings dad is a chelsea scout.
Gutted, would be putting it mildly, So much for their practicing set pieces is right, thats points dropped against ,City, Lpool, Chelsea ,Spurs, Man u,and Everton. We just just cant beat half decent teams, Interesting Fact, Arsenal’s possession vs Liverpool (36.5%) was their lowest opta stat, since they started back in 2003, Were we lucky to get anything from the game.
Poor.totally overrun on both flanks.sterling and continuo were immense.
We even made Henderson look good.
Man of the match wasn’t skrtel , it should have been Cazorla..he bust a gut tonight and I felt for him.
Mertesackers face when Skrtel rose to equalise was such a wimp picture… Shocking.
Tactically they out done our blind mgr, and subs wise it was strange. Flaminj and welbeck were pants. This wasn’t a game for Campbell, and only coquelin performed from the 3 subs.
What Brenda does with that praat boring will be interesting …what a &£))))…
Fred, I didn’t know that. No chance of getting Mings then….
George, I too seen that pic of mertesacker cringing, when quite obviously should of been blocking,or getting on the end of it, wimped out is true. As i said today the goals will come,but until we sort that bleeding defence, we will continue to struggle. Wenger says judge me may. You will be judged a lot earlier than that, like january, sort it out, Wenger.
Not sure chelsea want him,
Oxo,s know,s him played with him academy southamton,
he was a tiny little kid then,southamton chucked him out.
None of their players were good imo, we just made them look good…
Dublin, that from Merts was embarrassing…
Fred, fingers crossed then, looks like Southampton may have got one wrong if reports about Mings are to believed…
Still, not sure he’ll solve our problems, mind you, neither will a big tall Ex German international…
Night all….
Didn’t bother watching MotD.
What’s the point of revisiting Groundhog Day…
As for the January Window, what does it really matter???
Wenger could sign Ronaldo and Messi and we’d still defend like a pub team.
There is a flaw in the teams mentality, a weakness, and that comes from the manager…
He pinpoints the players he wants to sign, trains them, chooses the tactics, prepares and picks the team, makes the substitutions, blah blah blah.
Ok, he doesn’t actually play, but he’s responsible for those that do…
The buck stops with him.
Chelsea
Citeh
Manure
Dippers
Everton
Deluded wankers
Not beaten any of them this season, that’s fucking pathetic imho. Wenger needs to get a fucking grip and add some steel to this squad in January! Merts and Flamini need replacing, what top team would have a CB with the pace of a three toed sloth? Embarrassing!!!
Morning all.
I’ve been thinking a bit today…yes I know, it makes my head hurt.
When we hit the lead and continue attacking, we concede and Wenger cops it for being negligent in not s fending the lead.
When we hit the lead and we shut up shop, We concede and Wenger cops it for not keeping up the attack and inviting the opponents to have a crack at us.
We all talk tactics, but how can we blame that when he’s tried both ways and both ways has failed????
It’s on the players, and yes, Wenger buys them, but what do we all really want when we lead with 20 to go???
Do we want to defend the lead, or would we prefer to play the style that got the lead in the first place?
Players need to wake the hell up and whichever way we play, remember that defending is all about effort and attitude, and personal as well as professional pride is ten times more important than coaching.
Again, I want to qualify this by saying Wenger buys the players, so he is as guilty as anyone.
Good point Scott, but it’s the quality of our defending that is the issue. And I feel that has to do with how they are coached to defend, or not in this case. We are clueless at corners, no one seems to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing and therefore lack the confidence and know how to defend their box. And as someone pointed out yesterday, Giroud is one of our most effective players at defending set plays, yet he gets taken off when it’s obvious we will have to defend to see out the game. Shutting up shop was the best thing to do yesterday because we were woeful at doing anything else, we just don’t have the personnel or coaching methods to do it properly. A good side would have stolen those 3 points yesterday, but we are not a good side.
Morning all,
I blame both. We can’t pass for shit. So much experience in the team and we can’t even hold onto the ball. Wenger for been too soft. Surely a Rolicking for Merts for not attacking the ball, Gibbs for not been on the post and Sanchez for silly tricks near the box.
Personally Campbell should’ve replaced Sanchez when he looked tired and Giroud stay on as an outlet. But hey, i haven’t ever managed a team so what do i know.
Coquelin looked good for me when he came on, better than Flamini and similar to Arteta. Just putting it out there
Players, tactics, training for set pieces etc who’s responsible for all this? We are now reaping the rewards of Wenger not strengthening the defence/midfield in the summer. It’s all rather boring and predictable but it keeps happening every season, it’ll only change when the manager does.
Agreed Bradster. Coquelin offered more than flamini.
Morning Lee, Scott, Lewis and all..
Giroud going off changed the game imo. Well, not changed it but we didn’t have an outlet to someone who can hold the ball… Still doesn’t take away how rubbish we defended.
I’d have like to have seen Alexis taken off, he really struggled yesterday and he looks knackered.
Morning Bradster – agree re Coq and I never thought I’d say that..
Flamini is rubbish, waves his hands around at others whilst doing very little himself…
That was our lowest possession stats since opta began ( I thought I read somewhere yesterday!)
As for Flamini if he spent less time waving his arms around like a seagull and concentrated on the game that’d be a step in the right direction!
Coq was ok BUT imagine if we had a proper DM? Have we really had our expectations lowered this much? We are the 4th richest club, it’s about time we started acting like it….
Coq is not the answer but I’d rather see him start against Qpr if Wenger won’t give Hayden a chance.
We certainly need a proper DM, but we have done for years now..
And sorry, but I think Merts was awful again……
I wonder if Merts is the problem….
Rico well he certainly didn’t help….. he has been shite this season and was woeful against stoke! We need some steel in our defence he seems too nice!
Agree Lee. It could be if the players get nervous around him, I know I get nervous watching him….
Morning All,
the best way to play against 10 men is to make the pitch bigger,
so taking off wide players and playing narrow,
is not what you do,plus taking off the big man up front,
is also a negative.
Yes I do have my coaching badgers,
its all very basic.
Wenger looks a nervous wreck once again.
Still QPR at home we will bash them,
everythink Ok….Happy Christmas.
Ah but you haven’t managed as many games as AW Fred… 😉
Played more games rico.Certain about that.
Got the knees to prove it.
🙂 Fred…
Good Mornin lady and gents
The more i see the highlights the more annoyed i get. We were petrified of them , knackered before we even started, and I think every gooner knew was sort of expecting us to cave in.
Alot has been said about Merts chickening out, ox and Alexis being out of gas and giving the ball away, flamini being a waste of space etc…Personally i think Chambers has been exposed as no better than Jenks, who is sout on loan.
Monreal is not good enough, Welbeck is just average and we are generally too soft when we go away.
We treated Liverpool like they were Real madrid in their pomp and we played like Barnet.
With such small mentality, what did we expect?
We wont win games with midgets and when we buy giants, we have to make sure they are not scared to jump up for a header.
QPR at home should at least provide some joy. I would like the boss to play the side he played against the turks. Its highly likely Sanogo will go to them on loan anyhow…
We were really shite in the middle of the park yesterday. Pathetic, still Liverpool didnt beat us and I can’t understand for the life of me why they are praised for their draw at home. They were just as pony.
If everyone keeps telling Wenger how great he is,
nothing will change,
He lost the plot years ago,but is still very much respected.
So we go from game to game not knowing if we,
will get it right this time.
Thats the dilemma we find our selfs in,as supporters
New post up now…
Morning George, C&P your comment onto the new post 🙂