Arsene Wenger Wants England Defender In January. It Ain’t What It Used To Be….

Morning all.

Tyrone Mings is being linked to us. He’s a 6′ 3″ English defender who plays for Ipswich. He’s 21 years old and although he plays at left back for his club right now, he’s tipped to become a strong centre half and one who Mourinho apparently see’s to be the man to replace John Terry at Chelsea. Well if that’s true, he must have something about him….

The Mirror report that Arsene Wenger is keen to sign him in January.

He’s a nice guy, last Christmas instead of spending the day at home, he spent the day making sure many homeless people were fed and watered. What a lovely gesture and not something many footballers can brag about.

Talking of food, apparently that’s part of the reason Ollie has made a speedy recovery. Arsene Wenger said our striker eats well and has a solid structure.. Perhaps he should pass his diet sheet onto a few of our other players, Diaby could certainly do with taking a peep!

An evening kick off for a change today, a fixture that not so long ago we’d all be ready Β and waiting for and full of excitement as the likes of Vieira and Keane were about to go head to head. The battle of the best, the fearless and certainly a battle which we all loved. Sometimes we came out on top, sometimes them but either way, both sides more than matched each other on the pitch regardless of where this fixture took place.

Fast forward to the last few years and a very different picture has been painted……

Here’s our recent Head-to-head:

  • Manchester United have lost just one of their last 14 matches against Arsenal in all competitions (W10, D3, L1). That sole Arsenal win came courtesy of Aaron Ramsey’s goal at the Emirates in May 2011.
  • The clubs have met 219 times in all competitions. Manchester United lead by 92 wins to Arsenal’s 79 and there have been 48 draws.
  • Arsenal have lost to Manchester United 20 times in the Premier League, more than they have against any other team.

Now that doesn’t make good reading does it? Nor does the fact that Mike Dean is the referee…..

Man Utd are in a pickle, LvG is trying to sort things out after Fergie left and results/performances aren’t going well. We, well we are stuck with a manager who is dead set on flogging players to death and one who appears to be focussed on anything but defending!

Do that today and we’ll be punished severely and that dreadful record against Utd will continue. Change and that awful run of results will come to an end…

We have the players and we have a manager who once knew what to do with his players and if Β all of them come together and start performing as one, we can and we will win….

There’s plenty of talk about how Arsenal are already in the search of replacing Arsene Wenger and of course that’s inevitable because things aren’t going well on the pitch but right here, right now, we fans need to see that change regardless of who is being lined up to be our next manager.

Today will be all about defending as both us and Utd are at their worst.. If we can just get that right for once, maybe, just maybe, our attacking force will come out on top…

COYRRG’S!!

Have a good Saturday folks….

233 thoughts on “Arsene Wenger Wants England Defender In January. It Ain’t What It Used To Be….

  1. agirlagunner says:

    Just busy, rico. πŸ™‚

    What is it playing v. United; our players just lose their heads? That 8-2 still smarts.

    Oh, and of course, I timed my “return” to coincide with his, Ollie’s. πŸ˜€

  2. AndrewH says:

    Morning Rico, agag, house. Wish you hadnt posted those stats! You know we won’t see Giroud, it be same old players. Maybe Walcott in 89th minute. Id like to see Podolski play.

    But optimistically, Yorkshire is in Cyprus today, so that gives us big hope.

  3. clockendjim says:

    I hope and pray that Wenger abandons the disaster that is Monreal playing cenre-half. With such a promising star as Bellerin at right back, Chambers can then play in his more favoured position in the centre and we suddenly look far more solid at the back.
    Everyone can see it, then why not Wenger

  4. Brainwashed kev says:

    That was a very good post Rico…

    I’d like to think that the club is being proactive, and is putting out ‘feelers’ in order to secure the right man to replace Arsene Wenger…

    I’d like to think that…

    But I just kinda feel that Arsenal are still stuck in reactive mode. And will only act when they have no other option…

    Meanwhile, back in Chips’ abode, it’s his turn to deal…. πŸ™

  5. Wavy says:

    Yeh but, what do the SS panel know? Have they ever managed a Premier League club? Who are they to comment? 30 years in management might just qualify them!
    Afternoon all

    I’m going for 2-1 to the Arsenal. Hope I’m right.

    COYRRGS

  6. Brainwashed kev says:

    Pep, Rico? πŸ™‚

    That’s a nice thought, but I can’t see it myself.
    Guardiola would want any club he joins, to have the same ambition and winning mentality that he has and what he received back at the Camp Nou and what he enjoys at Bayern…

    Ambition and winning mentality hardly describes Kroenkes Arsenal does it? πŸ™

  7. Brainwashed kev says:

    Kroenke would want a safe pair of hands.

    Someone who doesn’t spend too much and whose ultimate ambition is balancing the books and top four…

    Martinez perhaps?

  8. Brainwashed kev says:

    Yeah Rico, Klopp is a possible, but Martinez would constitute the safe conservative choice, familier and safe…

  9. Brainwashed kev says:

    Hi BT…

    Adam is a big big fan of Martinez, and I always put a lot of store in Adams opinions.

    Mind you Adam is also a big fan of Bobby Mugabe… πŸ˜‰

  10. Micko'S says:

    Kev, I’d be amazed if we weren’t 8th tomorrow morning !

    Mingers in January, nothing unusal about that, wonder what Kollstrom’s up to these days.

  11. BT62 Gooner says:

    Kev, probably after xmas but you never know, the main airline here has cut the number of flights to London and stuck the prices up….Sounds familiar…..lol

  12. BT62 Gooner says:

    Adam, here is one you won’t believe. 4 adults to London return, mid week,roughly 6-8 years ago, with a well know Irish rubber band airline. How much?

  13. rico says:

    Hi Bt, right now I’d be happy with Martinez, he could fill in until Klopp/Pep are ready to move.. πŸ˜‰

    Off out again… Enjoy the match Adam if you have left before I get back…

  14. BT62 Gooner says:

    Adam, i’m not joking, when that airline operated out of Belfast, the average was around Β£20-Β£30 all in…They still fly out off Dublin and are still pretty cheap, Easy Jet, have cut all flights to London, usually 1 earlier morning and 1 early afternoon.

  15. BT62 Gooner says:

    Adam, not lucky enough havn’t won the lottery, though a couple in Belfast won Β£13m recently…

    Can’t believe you got away from Psycho Kev..lol

  16. rico says:

    I know Goonie, but there is light at the end of the tunnel now. 1.5 years and AW will be gone… If not before…

    Bt, I didn’t – had a bit of a busy day… Might try and catch on the iplayer…

  17. goonster says:

    I feel for monreal the abuse he gets online is undeserved. He’s not a Centre back yet le senile ll keep chucking him in there hoping for a miracle. God help me. I hope I don’t burst an artery.

  18. Lewis says:

    Wilshere should have two by now. And a penalty.

    This lot are there for the taking, anything other than three points is another failure.

    Evening all.

  19. AndrewH says:

    Mmmmm, could go either way, if Wilshire could only have had Ramsey’s streak of last year, game would have been over. Well, maybe not, I’ve just remembered our collapses. Come On!!

  20. rico says:

    Authors of our own destiny….

    Night guys and gals, I can’t be bothered to moan about what we have all just watched..

    I’m not even sure Arsene Wenger should be blamed tonight because we had plenty of chances to kill the game off but we didn’t take them…..

    Catch you all tomorrow…..

  21. dublingunner says:

    Hate to say it, The world and he,s wife predicted an Arsenal win today, I was the wise one who knew we wouldn,t beat a very, very average United team, I think we,ll just write this season off , folks. 2 1/2 seasons left, tick tock.

  22. Lewis says:

    So fucking over this team. Might have to take a break from arsenal for a bit. It’s not good for my mental state.

  23. goonster says:

    Lewis I beg to differ….we made their keeper look world class. All the shots were straight at him. We re so shit we ll make almunia look like buffon.

  24. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Offside- Fault- gk injury and own goal in the some played….
    Off-side and fault the referes didn’t see them? He didn’t see and understand why Szesc and Gibbs shocked in the air?…

    But AW again,,,

  25. bradster says:

    It still doesn’t take away from our poor finishing, lack of imagination and predictability JM. All teams know soak up the pressure and there’s always a chance to counter with us

  26. dublingunner says:

    In truth, the only teams we,ve beaten Sunderland, Palace, Burnley and Villa are all in the bottom 6 or 7 in the league. judging by that, We,ve no right to call ourselves a top team. Worse start in 32 years, says it all.

  27. Judge me in May says:

    Same shit different day /week/month /year…

    Poor finishing, absent midfield, terrible defending, ameatur organisation and average goalkeeping.. are all signs of poor management… Sort that before you blame the ref or your bad luck..

  28. Marinello says:

    Hi Rico, Agag, Goonster, Kev and everyone else,

    Frustrating to say the least. All shots were straight at the keeper. Jack’s attempt when running in at the keeper was poor I thought.
    United must be over the moon. They were written off by everyone before the match.
    Not sure why Wenger cannot see that we need a strong ball winner in the midfield who can dig
    in and regain the ball and win tackles. We have too many similar players in the middle.
    I thought that their first goal was a tad lucky, Gibbs was still trying to get up when it hit his leg.

    No excuses though. We had many chances in the first half to go in at half time 3 up, and today was the perfect day to get a result and gain a bit of much needed confidence, that the players get from a win and maybe start putting a run of results together.

    Totally fed up now…..

  29. tsgh says:

    hey goonie; your boy gundogan is back from injury..

    klopp drew with SC Paderbourn 07 earlier… they wamt him out big time…

    Philosophy football has passed… managers need to be proactive now…

    Pelle’, wenger, etc are all struggling

  30. dublingunner says:

    Unfortunately, we can spout names till dawn, But we all know, nothing will change until 2017, When wenger decides he,s had enough. Failure to beat Man,Utd this or last season, when clearly at there worse, has just highlighted Wengers managerial decay, and has become distressing to watch.He just cant do it at the top,top level anymore.

  31. Joe says:

    Why are emptying are defense when we are only one goal down and running them ragged playing normal football for f*ck sake.

  32. goonster says:

    Ts you have no idea….hahahahaha oh lord arsenal is a joke. Have you seen assend’s post match interview? Hahahahah. What a tool.

  33. tsgh says:

    I haven’t goonie. I am fed up with trying to look at things from his perspective…

    There comes a time even when enough is enough… he must have some pride.

  34. goonster says:

    Ts he should have left after the victory parade. He would been remembered and held in high esteem. Now he’s royally fucked up. I feel for adam and the other season ticket holders. What a shame.

  35. goonster says:

    Am tired of folks bashing the players ts. Who picks the team? Who plays them out of position? I thought so. Wenger out Now

  36. tsgh says:

    Sagna should never have been allowed to go… I always suspected Sagna made him look far better than he was…
    Rumours were he was pushed from dfb by loew…

  37. Marinello says:

    TSGH: Kocelny also makes Per look good. He needs someone next to him with a bit of pace. He has that in the German national team.
    Do the Board ever income out and say anything after the latest run of results?
    Wenger said he was speechless after so much possession…
    I still reckon we will finish in the top 4……

  38. Joaquim Moreira says:

    we didn’t play bad today. We were unlucky. Again the refereer in the first goal: off-side, a clear fault by Feliani and if szesc had stayed lying on the ptch the referre must blew up. Thn, GK injury and own goal…
    AW: tell me why AW didn’t put Podolsky in. We need someone able to shot. De Gea was the best in the pitch because mostly of ours shots were weak. We need one more player in penalty Γ‘rea.
    Definetely, AW only “love” 13-14 players… + Diaby

  39. scottfromoz says:

    Another shocker of a result.
    Maybe I am better off not seeing it!
    I was away in a metal with pay TV, but the bloody television didn’t work!!
    Blessing in disguise, it seems.

  40. George says:

    We were rubbish. God help us against Dortmund. They will tear us apart.

    We will have a battle for fourth.

    I expect us to lose a few players in January and sign no one. Podolski is a goner as is Campbell and bellerin.

  41. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Morning Daffies and Ducks……..

    I read this this morning……. Blackett played alongside another young defender in Patrick McNair, the Northern Irishman making his fifth Premier League appearance of the season with 18-year James Wilson once again appearing off the bench.

    Louis van Gaal has given every chance to youth this season and today Blackett and co. rewarded their manager’s faith with strong performances as they stifled a front three consisting of Welbeck, the in-form Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

    And we have Bellerin on the bench while Monreal plays as a CB. Dont get me wrong….I am not chastising Monreal.

    LVG would have given Hayden, Bellerin and some other youth a chance by now.

  42. Lee says:

    Everyone saying it’s the worst manure team for ages what the fuck does that say about this bunch wankers we follow? Total defensive fuck up for their first goal, now there’s a shock! Surely Wilshere has to score at least one of his chances!
    More injuries blah blah it’s beyond a joke now he also could of quite easily seen red!! Im going to the Dortmund game and after that I’m going to take a break from this shit show, it’s all so boringly predictable yet there’s still some supporters that still support wenger!

  43. agirlagunner says:

    Soo so angry about last night, I was almost throwing things. We just look soooo hopeless. WIlshere has done little to warrant a contract extension let alone at 150K a week.

  44. Adam says:

    Not really Rico. I think an air of resignation has settled over the place lately. As I said recently on a few occasions, it’s really all about after Wenger now and the crowd know that. If he wants to carry on then there is nothing that any of us can do about it. If he cannot see that his once-great reputation is in danger of being shredded, then so be it. The match went to script and like a patient after an operation for an I growing toenail we all realise now that there is going to be a period of pain and we need to accept it. Yes, there are players in our team that are playing very badly and there are those that are irresponsible big heads but it’s all part of the whole Wenger culture and won’t change while he still has the run of the place.

  45. agirlagunner says:

    This Arsenal team just makes me want to take a break from being a supporter. It’s hard not to feel hard done by as a fan, when week in week out you see the same mistakes made, and a lack of response from our players. It’s just so angering. What is worse is that they are paid so much and they do so little. Put in a shift, FFS. Stop being such fancy dans, get the job done for a change. And walk the talk. There’s certainly enough of it coming from our camp…

  46. agirlagunner says:

    Adam, there’s just no sense of accountability, is there? You have a coach who refuses to address the weaknesses in his team, and a Board that has committed so little money to the club. It was a slow and steady descent into mediocrity; and I feel that unless a few heads roll, the state of things will remain unchanged. Good luck winning anything in the next five years…

  47. rico says:

    2.5 years to go Agag…

    Unless Wenger walks before hand and if he’s under no pressure from the fans, the board or owner, that’s unlikely to happen….

  48. Adam says:

    Agag. I totally agree but, short of mass protests, what can be done? Some of have believed for years that the club needs a massive upheaval from top to bottom. The AGM confirmed that Chips Keswixk, the chairman, is an old duffer who considers that having the energy to lift playing cards three times a week is some sort of qualification for his job. He confirmed that Wenger runs the whole show and that the board have NO say in what is going on. Kroenke loves Wenger and the dynamic within finds Gazidis marginalised. At the top of the tree is Arsene. He is all powerful. He selects and buys the players, he sends them out onto the pitch and dictates the style of play. Something that has become profoundly unsuccessful recently. He is paid a fortune and has complete autonomy because we have an owner who is never there and who couldn’t give a toss about football. Quite honestly, is it any wonder that, once Wenger’s magic had worn off, we find ourselves in this situation. Charlie Nicholas said yesterday, on Sky Sports, that how much money Arsenal had spent was irrelevant when compared with the fact that the weak areas had not been identified and covered. He said that essentially what Wenger had done recently in this regard was ‘criminal’. I find it hard to disagree.

  49. Brainwashed kev says:

    Morning All….

    Morning Rico, Adam, Scott, Lee, Rocky, Coach, Oz, George, Marinello, BT et al…

    Boo Agag…

    In London Town it is raining cats n dogs…
    Gonna be like this all day it seems….

    As for yesterday, I listened to the game on the radio,
    an image in my mind of the game,
    that we’re all familier with…
    Over elaboration,
    lack of imagination at the set piece,
    nobody having a shot at goal,
    irresponsible defending,
    all down to the coaching and preparation of one man.

    That man runs the show, he never, it seems, delegates…

    So you can only blame one man…

    It’s all so predictable and all so boring.,,

  50. Brainwashed kev says:

    Adam, I can see this team collapsing against Dortmund…

    The team have zero confidence.

    And the fans have zero confidence…

  51. agirlagunner says:

    Adam, that makes for very depressing reading. πŸ™ πŸ™ I am done defending AW. He cannot seriously believe this team is good enough to win anything. We are nowhere near the required quality to be challenging for trophies.

    There has been such an erosion of confidence in this team, that is really rather painful to watch. I think this mirrors the disorganized state of top office affairs. Can’t stand the Kroenkes. I bet neither father nor son had watched Arsenal play before Syrup bought into the club.

  52. allezkev says:

    Fiddling around with the back/four, be it Bellerin @r/b or Monreal, whilst switching Chambers to c/b, seems to me like putting an Elastoplast over a gaping wound…

    Wenger failed to address the glaring problems with the team in the summer, and we are suffering the consequences…

    Maybe Podolski has been frozen out because he has voiced concerns over the balance of the squad?

  53. Adam says:

    Agag. I was so depressed yesterday I thought “Now what would Agag do? ” so I bought a new pair of boots that I don’t really need. πŸ™‚

  54. allezkev says:

    Oz, nevermind Wenger mate, the virus we need treated resides in Colorado…

    Get shot of Syrup and then we might see some progress…

  55. ozgunner says:

    allezkev – the boss has money, full support of the board regardless and does things completely his own way – good job for someone? Or would we prefer a russian like chelsea have that sticks his nose in every 2 minutes? Wenger out first i say

  56. Adam says:

    Oz. I tend to agree there. The problem for me is that we don’t really know what Kroenke is all about as he has never really had a serious decision to make. I can envisage him perhaps offering the job to one of about 3 or 4 managers and them telling him in cold terms, what players he would sell, who he would bring in and how much it will all cost IF he wants the club to be challenging for the highest honours. Then we might know the calibre of this man.

  57. ozgunner says:

    I think Wenger will make that decision as well – he’ll get a huge pocket of shares, statues and god knows what and then asked to pick the next tactically inept individual – sorry mate, just over this club lately and all the years of crap they have dished out. It could only have ended one way with his ego.

  58. Wavy says:

    I don’t think the players are substandard, I think we have a very good squad, mostly! There are of course the missing links, CB and DM, and the old skinflint refused, absolutely refused to find suitable players to fill the gaps, last summer. Criminal! But the real fault lies in his inability to coach the players properly, should I say defensively. It seems Bouldy’s influence is totally disregarded and he has been marginalised. The players are as good as their sum of parts, that is ‘a team’ this team is just a group of individuals who seem to BR playing like a crowd of kids chasing a ball around in the playground. It’s pathetic!
    The time has come for a new broom, a new broom with a bit of nouse. Wenger’s ideas and methods are sadly past their sell by date. If a team as poor as manure, and they were shocking in the first half, cannot be at least 3-0 down before the half time break, but then wins the game, something is seriously wrong, seriously wrong! Then the old sod appears post match and says he doesn’t know how we lost! The reason is simple, we conceded 2 really sloppy goals and couldn’t score enough up the other end! Therefore we lost!
    I could go on and on, but I think I’ll save a bit for later………I’ll go and have a cold shower and see if that makes me a little less angry!
    Time for a change. Leyton Orient look like a viable alternative and they need a bit of help. Maybe I’ll throw my lot in with them? At least you know what you are going to get down Brisbane Road, not a lot! Bbutthese things are relative!

    Oh, morning all!!

  59. scottfromoz says:

    Adam, I’ve come around to something you said quite a while back.
    I’m not conceding I was wrong, but maybe, just maybe, you were right…..don’t get cocky though πŸ™‚
    Maybe we do need to see Wenger go to see the back of Stan.
    I maintain Stan is our biggest problem, and have always said he needs to go, but it simply won’t happen with Arsene hanging around.
    Once Arsene goes, I do believe we will see the club drop away, but if it takes that to see Stan cash in then It can only be a good thing.

  60. potter says:

    Adam is quite right , there is an air of total complacency at the ground , The crowd no longer get upset , the cats in Holloway road are safe as they walk home. We all know that we are treading water and that the future starts with the hierarchies departure. Arsenal are returning to one of their periods of slumber. We were great in the 30’s but fell away in the next few decades with little splurges in the late 40’s and early 50’s.All went quiet until the early 70’s and then fell away until the end of the 80’s and the early 90’s then of course the millennium decade where we were successful again. We have now tapered off and will sink back to also runs until a whole new structure comes in and we rise again . It’s the way that it has always been and will come as a shock to those that have only known Wenger as manager but there has to be pain before it gets better. Will the board notice ? Probably not ! That is until the general public see the premierleague for what it is , just a marketing exercise designed to relieve as much a it can from the general populace , until a new shiny toy comes along.

  61. ozgunner says:

    we’ll win a few games on the spin shortly and the usual will be out with we’re back, we’ve learned our lessons, Arsene is god after all and so the story will go on – the dictator hanging grimly to his fat wages and ego games. While his squad under perform whilst enjoying their fat paychecks, knowing he’ll protect them at all costs because after all, he brought them. While all the time the board examines bank accounts and nothing else. This is Arsenal FC 2014

  62. ozgunner says:

    Wavy – he’s saying that a lot lately and you are right – you messed up your chances and a clean sheet is highly unlikely now days, so what’s to be surprised about? lets be honest Arsene, come on you can do it at least once before you go.

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