Morning all.
Happy birthday to ‘It’s up for grabs now’ hero, Michael Thomas. He’s 48 years old and shares his birthday with Vic Akers. The latter is slightly older…. Did you know he’s been at Arsenal since 1984?
Man City looked good yesterday and I can’t help feeling a tad envious of their squad. Watching Aguero, Silva, Toure, Kompany and co strut their stuff is pretty good on the eye. It’s like watching Arsenal when Arsene Wenger first arrived and blew a big hole through English football.
But how much have they spent I hear you ask?
Well I guess they’ve spent as much as needed and as much as the footballing rules allow. They have wealthy and ambitious ‘I want it now owners’ with a manager who doesn’t breakout in hives when he’s quoted a price for a player he wants….
Manuel Pellegrini is 61 years old, Arsene Wenger is 65 years old so not many years between them but one is ambitious and clearly wants to win the league at all costs. The other remains cautious, frugal and although he’s made it clear how much he wants to win the league, refuses to do so by simply throwing big notes at big players….
One club has a big banker, the other, big money in the bank and all earned. Self sufficient is the word I think and I bet when September arrives, a large chunk of that money will remain. Safely squirrelled away…….
Another big spender is Liverpool. Last summer Brenda got overly excited when given money following the Suarez sale. Not many have really flourished. The same could be said this summer, Sterling sold, money in and money soon out on a few more players… Whether they all click together under the guidance of the Brenda remains to be seen. Somehow though, I doubt it….
Liverpool have had a better start to this season than us, to be fair, a few clubs have but those old bin dippers have notched up a 1-0 win away at Stoke and they beat Bournemouth last weekend by the same scoreline. The fact that Bournemouth scored a good goal and Benteke’s winner should never have been allowed means very little…
Unlike the three points on offer today.
If you want to have a successful season you want to be strong at home – Arsène Wenger
We need to see a much better performance than we witnessed at The Emirates Stadium two weeks ago, a much better performance. Liverpool players have been spouting about how they have the tactics to beat us, some of our players have been saying the same about the opposition.
Talking the talk is all well and good but that doesn’t win points. Good football and commitment does and our boys need to be on the money from the off.
Benteke will be an ariel threat but the height of Mertesacker and Cech should stop him, Courtinho will try and take over the midfield, Coquelin needs to be strong but disciplined as I doubt Michael Oliver will be as lenient as the referee last weekend but as long as it’s the same rules for both sides, no problem. Martin Skrtel can be a threat on set-pieces, he’s also a dirty defender who will no doubt try and get at Alexis.
We have flair and skill everywhere on the pitch, yes, even Ollie when he’s firing home volleys like he did against Palace. When this team clicks, they are bloody good but when a few players fail to ‘turn up’, heads go down, passing goes astray and it all gets a bit ugly. We can’t afford the latter tonight. It’s a huge game, even though it’s early in the season and as the manager says, we have to be strong at home, we have to make it our fortress if we have any chance of winning the league.
In this same fixture last season, Arsenal turned on the style and put in one of the best performances of the season. More of the same tonight would do just fine…
COYRRG’S!!!
Transfer Gossip:
Lars Bender makes the headlines again. A late £18 million bid is set to be offered apparently.
The agent of Karim Benzema has reportedly said that the player is 1000% not joining Arsenal this summer. Although other reports suggest £50 million would secure the Frenchman’s signature.
Finally, Wenger was asked about Liverpool losing Sterling to Man City: “They refused to sell us Suarez, so I cannot feel too much sympathy for them’!
Neither can I….
That’s it for another day, have a good one all…
I am unclear as to the tax position of football clubs. Are players fees and wages allowable against taxable revenue?
Yes, Man City have become the barely acceptable face of sugar daddy clubs where Chelsea are the totally unacceptable face. Mourinho was spouting yesterday about how everybody loves to see Chelsea lose. I do believe the irony of the situation was lost on the little turd.
That’s the first time Mourinho has spoken sense Adam… lol
Morning all…
Great read Rico…
I’m very confident of three points today and quality display from the boys too.
Problem is – would Arlene still strengthen if we ended up with title-contention display tonight? Your guess is as good as mine.
Arsene
morning, I cant help thinking if wenger had bettered his offer from 40m and 1, to 50, 55, even 60m. we would of got Suarez. Again i think another case of Wenger,s refusal to up the bid, to make sure he got his man, City showed how its done with sterling.
Morning all,today’s game is a must win…@ Rico 10:15 quote of the year.
Thanks Tai.
I’d like to think AW will do what he plans to regardless of tonight’s performance…
Yeah Suarez would of made a good CB for us! 😉
Dublin, I’m not sure they would have sold to us at all, but sadly, we’ll never know…
🙂 bondex.
I hope so too Rico… however the little boy in me says forget Benzema…it’s sounded so much like Khedira already, so….
So did we, or did we not offer enough to activate the release clause on Suarez?
Morning all.
Not selling Suarez to us was not down to money… it was rather an issue of pride. Gerard and Liverpool felt Arsenal was not big enough to snatch their best player.
Oh, and who the hell knows whet here or not we are even in for Benzema?
So many conflicting reports…..sit back, get the popcorn…..watch it unfold, or not 🙂
I dont see any difference in the sterling and suarez deal, 55, 60 and a push from Suarez would of done it, maybe. My point is wenger wasn,t determined enough to get im, just imo, obviously.
catch up in a bit,
Good question Scott. From every indication nothing suggests we are.
🙂 Lee..
Sure backfired Dublin…
I’m off for a while so catch up later…
Suarez was before Ozil…at 40+1 he would have been by far our costliest signing then. Wenger made more efforts to get Suarez than he ever made for any player before the Uruguayan. Liverpool just were too proud and bitter!
Morning all.
Re Suarez; I think they said it was not enough cash, for sure, as well as asking what our negotiators were smoking! But the clincher for me was that they said they would not sell to a rival in this country. He was only ever going to be sold to a continental side, Barcelona was his pick and , off he went. They collected £57m or so, much better than £40.01! And we bought Ozil, who I notice has all his own teeth and keeps them to himself!
Good player though Suarez is, I think as fans and the management would always be waiting for the next ‘incident’ not good for team morale or performances if he were to be missing for 12+ games every a season due to suspension!
Sterling on the other hand wasn’t worth a quarter of what shitty paid for him. He’s not in the same league, ability wise as The fang! But he is English and he is part of a quota and so citeh were prepared to pay the price! And they can afford it!
Dagon Wenger would never have considered shelling out that kind of cash for either of them!
I I, of course!
Why would I write 11? iPad default iPad default……..Imo!
Why should we offer more than is required to activate the buyout clause?
Sorry, but that’s a crazy way to go about business.
Who is Dagon?? Should have been ‘Fagin’ iPad has never read any Dickens! In fact it’s never read f..k all. Poxy machine!
Dubs :- Suarez had a buy out clause which the club exceeded. Liverpool lied and said that the clause was not in the contract. They knew that selling to us would harm their top 4 hopes they also knew that Barca were in for him.His agent was using us to loosen their grip. I doubt had we offered the moon that we would have got him. He wanted the Costa Dorada and I don’t blame him.
I wonder how much money Man City’s owners have in the bank? 10 billion dollars? It’s about who you buy, not whether you make sure you spend every single penny.
AW has no problem spending, remember he bid £20m for Pepe Reina a few years back, provided he thinks it’s value – to us. Just last summer he paid £12m + for a teenage back-up RB from Southampton because he saw potential in him.
Just fyi, Wenger did offer more than £40m +1 for Suarez – the final bid was over £50m. Liverpool just were not willing to sell. It’s not entirely clear to me if there was a legally valid release clause or not – although John Henry boasted that there was and that he had ignored it – however Arsenal could not force Liverpool to adhere to any clause or take them to court because Arsenal were not parties to that contract, only Suarez and Liverpool FC were. Suarez didn’t want to come to Arsenal sufficiently that he was prepared to sue his employers.
Great post Rico, as tasty as an almond croissant… 🙂
Tai, who is this Arlene? 😀
Isn’t Dagon a Rumanian def-mid?
If it’s any help Kev, she was a girl I knew when I was considerably younger than I am now, and she hailed from Walsall! Coincidentally her surname also began with a W. It’s a small world!?
That’s where the similarities end, oh just to add, she was a good sport, sorry that should read, good at sport!
As much as I like/liked Suarez, as a footballer, if we had got him, would we have got Ozil and Alexis???
Maybe it all worked out for the best, in the end.
Hmm, that sounds an interesting story Wavy…
You can’t beat a sporty gal,.,
Sorry to contradict you Kev, but you CAN beat a sporty girl!!
Afternoon all.
Looking forward to tonight’s game,I think we will win. Only question mark I see is about who leads our attack? I’d like to see Walcott. Bombard them with pace.
Good post rico, lets put on a show tonight. Just heard on Sky Arsenal only beat opposition 2 out of 11 times when M Oliver ref! Didn’t think he was one of our worst but cant place his games? Wasnt Villa last season was it?
The last time Wayne Rooney scored a competitive goal for Man U, Caitlyn Jenner was male #justsaying
I now know why I like Oliver, he sent of Di Maria after he called him a ‘son of a b****’ in Spanish – ‘hijo de puta’. And grabbed him!
Wavy, I’m lost for words… 😀
Good read Rico.
Adam re. the tax comment above, I was having similar discussion with a friend I was on a flight with to Munich yesterday. I was wondering how the likes of BVB, SC04, Bayer 04 and the likes will be able to compete with the likes of even Everton and WBA going forward.
As he is a staunch neoliberal he assured me that the EPL clubs provided over £2.4Bn to Gideon and the exchequers last season, and so the more stars/mercenaries we have in the EPL the better it is for everyone. 😉 That paid for so many nurses, policemen and the likes…
Accordingly, a recent Ernst & Young (EY) Economic Impact Assessment of the Premier League reported that the 20 EPL clubs generated a total tax contribution of £2.4bn to the UK Exchequer in the 2013/14 season. The assessment also reported that the League and clubs supported over 100,000 jobs as well as making a contribution of £3.4 billion to UK GDP.
I haven’t verified it personally and I am not that financial aware, but I have been led to believe that as with all corporation tax affairs, tax is only post profit. That is assuming the clubs are llc’s or Ltd. 😉
Kev/Rick-Jernade Meade if you remember him is now playing for Hadley FC in the Spartan South Mid league.
Such a shame imho… he was decent enough to represent Arsenal in the UCL but could not make it at Swansea or even a lower league team here…
Lee, Rooney hasn,t scored now in over 800 mins, imagine if that was giroud, he,d be called all the names under the sun, yet rooney, no one says anything.
lol Dg very true.
Kev I thought you might like to know that your boy Darren Bent is the only player to have scored against Arsenal for five different clubs in the Premier League. 😉
Surely he will be a decent backup. lol
In the last 3 seasons Rooney has scored 49 goals compared to Giroud’s 59, yet Rooney is dubbed world class and Giroud is abused.
TS. Thanks for that. I was wondering that, if Arsenal do have the supposed £200million in the bank and spent none of it, would that incur tax? If, however, they spent £100 million on say Ricky Lambert, would that reduce their tax liability?
Dublin, Adam told me Rooney is a git. I think that sums him up perfectly!
Brudder. I think I said “a world-class git”.
That’s true indeed Brudder!
Ginge, Arsene definitely missed a trick not signing Bent…
Meade was quite good, but his size seemed to go against him…
Are you confident for tonight? I never am whoever we play lately….
Kev. Would that be ‘Mugger’ Meade of Holloway Road?
There is no honour or dignity in simply buying success.
I am confident we can beat Liverpol. How they got past mighty Bournemouth is a question only the officials can answer.
Well, I’m confident… three points, clean sheet, quality display…
I am sure that they can find things to buy to reduce the tax liability without troubling the kit man. That 200 mill probably is to cover a lot more than just transfers however there should be a good percentage of it spare.
Doctorcontext. In a sense, every business buys success. It’s just a matter of degree.
Adam, indeed. What I meant though, is that I applaud and respect Arsene’s way…
Afternoon all…
Has Bender signed yet?
What we can all see down the road
are injuries and bans.
Wenger mentions he is looking for better
than we have.
Thats not addressing the problem..is it.
We all well most all,
have to look at the two clubs
who finished above us,Strengthen.
When he sold Tommy V,it took him
tell the next Transfer window to get
a replacement.
That is not trying to win the League.
A few Ozil assists, a man of the match performance from Sanchez and a couple of goals from Giroud on his 100th Arsenal Appearance, just what the doctor ordered.
Or is that asking too much?
I understand where you are coming from absolutely, but Football has become a financial arms race. We can complain about it but we too are owned by a businessman. The difference is that he hasn’t put any of his own money into the club apart from purchasing the shares. But, if we had lived in Spur’s shadow for the past 25 years and hadn’t really achieved anything except making up the numbers, I reckon we would be happy if an obscenely rich individual arrived and turned us into champions within a few years by buying some of the best players. Though someone will be along shortly to say that they wouldn’t want to win like that.
I understand that we can take the moral high ground and say we spend what we earn but the way that Season Ticket prices are heading, alongside the general cost of actually attending matches added to the packages from Sky and BT nowadays is, to me anyway, just as annoying.
I can envisage several scenarios playing out over the next few years both for Arsenal and for the PL but the real changes will come to our club when Arsene leaves as I doubt there are many other managers around who will have the same values or ethics.
Whatever happens, the real winners will be the players and not the fans.
Fred, he signed Chambers don’t forget… 😉
Is Chambers still at the club Rico? I haven’t seen his blond streaked Mohican for a while.
I think Montero was he,s downfall, he got thought a football lesson that day, hasn,t been hardly seen since. all be it, I think he was asked to play out of position. can you blame the player or blame Wenger for that.
Adam, I often wonder what kind of team we’d have now had Usmanov got hold of those shares….
He’s still there Adam… Somewhere..
98-99 Luzhny 1.8M, Ljungberg 3M, Diawara 2.5M, Kanu 4.5M, Pennant 2M
99-00 Lauren 7.2M, Henry 10.5M, Suker 500K, Sylvinho 4M
00-01 Jeffers 8M, Edu 6M, Stepanov 1M, Wiltord 13M, Pires 6M
01-02 Toure 150K, Gio 8.5M, Campbell free, Wright 6M
02-03 Silva 4.5M, Cygan 2.1M
03-04 RVP 2.7M, Reyes 13M, Clichy 250K, Lehmann 2M, Senderos 2.5M, Fabregas free
04-05 Eboue 1M, Flamini 1M, Almunia 2.5M
05-06 Rosicky 6.8M, Walcott 9.1M, Adebayor 7M, Diaby 2M, Hleb 11.2M, Bendtner 200K
06-07 Eduardo 7.5M, Fabianski 2M, Denilson 3.4M, Song 1M
07-08 Nasri 12.8M, Ramsey 5M, Diarra 4M, Sagna 6M
08-09 Arshavin 15M
09-10 Vermaelen 10M
10-11 Koscielny 10M, Squillaci 4M
11-12 Gervinho 10.6M, AOC 12M, Park 3M, Santos 6.2M, Arteta 10M, Mertesacker 10M
12-13 Podolski 11M, Giroud 13M, Nacho 8.3M, Santi 16M
13-14 0zil 42M
14-15 Chambers 16M, Welbeck 16M, Alexis 35M, Debuchy 12M, Ospina 3M Paulista 11.2M, Bielik 2.4M
15-16 Cech 10M
Don’t know how accurate that is but…..
Such a shame Adebayor had such a big chip on his shoulder….
Rico. Assuming Arsene had stayed, very little difference I suspect. Where most managers hassle their board for extra money to improve the squad Arsene doesn’t really seem to like it. Instead of paying it to the taxman they should give £500 credit to everyone who has held a ST for over 20 years and call it a goodwill gesture of thanks. Or perhaps a free bag of chips instead. 🙂
The spuds being supplied transatlantic through Walmart of course.
Still, at this rate, when the new manager does arrive the board will be able to hand him one billion £ as a kitty.
Adam- To answer your question, I would have to have a look at the recent financial stuff of Arsenal PLC/Holdings… 😉
As of previous years, since the money is not taken out as dividends then we do not pay tax on it…
We only pay tax on the interest though…
I might be wrong of course as I am just getting my head around this corporate tax stuff :P… I had to because I recently started working for myself …
Syg is the expert in that field. 😉 😛
The pros’ like Potter will be better at explaining this than myself…
my understanding of the situation is like this:-
if for illustration purposes one makes £100k a year but has no expenses such as accountant, office cost etc then they will pay 25% tax approximately on revenue. That might seem a lot i.e £25k to Gideon and the exchequers.
On the other hand if a company has £50k expenses a year through salary and the likes, then they will pay only £12.5k to the tax man…
So it works both ways… you pay the tax man less if you pay more salary but your profit is less…
The Glaziers and the likes used the loan route to take money from yanited (apparently). So far as the money is paid back in even for a day it can be taken out again without incurring tax…
TS. Cheers. It’s pretty similar to personal tax liabilities then though on a different scale with vastly different figures. The question is always about allowable expenses, like players.
Adam, I think Mr Usmanov would have had something to say about Arsene’s lack of spending. Perhaps David Dein would have come back and we’d have seen a very different AW in the transfer window…
Just guessing of course…
Utd have made a bid for Neymar then… 😉
Rico. Possibly, but I think that Arsene has become something of a legendary institution now. There is literally nobody else like him. I would estimate that with him you get the whole package. I doubt he would listen to an old hand like Dein now.
A hundred million for Neymar? Good business?
Either way Adam, sadly, we’ll never know….
Got to nip off again..
£100 million – too much surely… 😉
Why not? That’d be spending… what Arsene obviously doesn’t do.
They said £38 million was too much for Aguero. 🙂
You might like this document. its a tad old but very interesting to read.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/how-tax-break-gives-real-madrid-and-barcelona-an-unfair-edge-8749146.html
I have a feeling Yanited are trying to appease their fans…; they probably know none of their targets will join them.
If Neymar moves then I guess everything is possible in sports…
With Spain cutting corporation tax to 28%, my limited knowledge in that field tells me yanited would have to pay neymar 13% more.
TS. How much did Barca pay for Neymar, including all the monies that went to his Dad and elsewhere?
Liverpool paid £22.8m for Suarez in 2011….
The more fans push Wenger the more I’m compelled to believe he’d hold to prove he’s the only sane man operating within football circles.
He’d stubbornly try to win the title with present bunch, then plan to add another world class star and try CL next season.
Trouble is… I’d support him. The Mourinhos and Madrids are forcing all clubs to solely depend on the market for any success. The last time I checked that wasn’t Arsenal’s philosophy.
You’re not only beaten on the pitch… when somebody forces you to abandon your philosophy, you are a walking dead!
Mourinho cynically pointed out Arsenal had abandoned their philosophy by urging everyone to punch the calculator. The route to sanity in this modern era of football is through the grits of Wenger, who is clearly the last man standing.
If football is business then it should make returns, not an avenue for some drug barons and dirty dealers to recklessly spend their loot.
I want trophies for this team but I’d enjoy it most the Arsene way.
By buying Ozil and Sanchez Wenger has already abandoned his philosophy.
Adam, you’re right about the money…but I’m with Tai, respect to AW.
Wenger didn’t abandon his philosophy… he was only forced to replace Fabregas and Nasri, who left him a season or two too early. As well as announce to Baca and City that our selling days are over.
According to the magic of the internet Neymar cost Barca a grand total of €87m. barca also paid to Santos – 17 million Euros – and the 40 million Euro compensation paid to N&N (Neymar da Silva and Nadine, the players parents),
Apparently he earns 150k after tax weekly with Messi earning 100k more…
Tbh I am more concerned with how I am going to stay dry getting to the game tonight. The rest is just words and opinions.
And Kev 100k more…
Tai. Ok.
TS. So £100 million might be a conservative estimate? 🙂
And if you ask me, I’d say the little I know about team chemistry says that holding onto your key players after every season is more important and gives better balance than buying the so-called world class every season!
I strongly believe that our team would’ve be stronger if we still had Fabregas, RVP and Nasri in places of Ozil, Giroud and Sanchez. But we won the FA Cup the same season we never lost an important player… and repeated the following season… because yet again, we didn’t lose any important player.
I’m not undermining the importance of Ozil and Sanchez but I bet you the story wouldn’t have been same if we lost Carroll and Ramsey within same period.
Carzola
Tai. We’ll have to disagree on that one then. 🙂
Very wet then Adam… the football world would be damn boring without disagreements.
Very well…
Actually Tai, if you could see London this afternoon “Very wet” is quite appropriate. 🙂
Adam, we used to have Raphael Meade, but I ain’t sure if he went on to become a footpad, or whatever?
Peter Storey had a colourful life…
And I think one of our apprentices, back in the late 1980’s got convicted of a stabbing, whilst still on our books.
Yes, all life is here…
Still can’t believe the news One Direction have broken up today, never got over the Spice Girls !
Adam, get on to Lee, he swears by his beer coat, that’ll keep you warm and glowing all evening.
Micko. I will have to dismantle my One Direction shrine then. It’s next to my Bake Off memorabilia collection.
Life just ain’t fair Adam !
Don’t worry Mick, X-Factor starts soon….
Just hold in there, help is on its way.
Random AW! 🙂
Benzema is very expensive
Kev, Raphael Meade, a bit of a dodgy geezer !
Surely not Micko, I won’t sleep tonight now knowing that about 1D…
Who were they? lol
Re spending – surely there’s a happy medium?
And that imo is where we should be. Not throwing £50 million here and there at any big name there is around but paying what it takes to address the squads needs..
Right now I’d say that would cost around £50-60 million…
Or Charlie Austin for £15m and the midfielder (whose name I still can’t spell) for £25 million…
Simples 🙂
Adam, Steve McClaren could give you a few tips on keeping dry… 🙂
Benzema has said he’s staying in Spain. Thank gawd for that… 🙂
Cruel rico, West Life broke up and got back together again so there’s always hope.
Same team that beat Palace last week to start ? Not long till we find out, catch ya for the game.
Rico. On spending, I say the right player before his price. If he costs big money like Ozil and Sanchez then so be it. We’ve tried the bargain basement and it hasn’t really worked out.
Market forces and improved scouting from other clubs have changed the complexion of the market it seems to me. Marquee players can often bring enormous benefits, but they cost. It’s a managerial judgement call and not many get it right all the time. Even the best managers get it wrong.
Later Micko, hoping Walcott starts later…
Me cruel, nah…. Lol
Kev, Willey, Woakes and Hales in the ODI squad 🙂
Adam, yes, I agree but personally, I don’t believe in the prices paid for footballers these days and the more clubs fork out, the worse it will get imo. I’d actually like to see a cap put in wages and transfer fees…
I’m having a Wavy moment – on, not in…. Lol
Topley called up too…. his dad coaches my eldest!
Don Lee?
Rico, has Karim finally kicked Arsenal into touch?
Evening all..
Hi Bt, seems so thank goodness…
Yep Rico.
Lots of egg on the faces of Twitter ITK’s
Chambers and Gabriel are our CB’s tonight!!!!!
Thank god for that, it was soo boring Rico..
No Kozza or Merts on the bench!!!
Are you jesting, Lee?
Evening Rico and fellow Gooners
Just saw the team with no Mertesacker or Kos, it’s not April 1st is it?
COYG
Serious Lee re Gabriel and Chabers??
Agree, Itk’s have seriously mucked up… Lol
BT, too true….
It is official, BFG is ill, Kozzer has a mild back injury, Rico.
Wtf is AW on?
Would I lie to you lot?
Ah, ok, that makes more sense Bt
Thought you had been on the ….Lee.
Arsène Wenger has made two changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
Calum Chambers comes in for Per Mertesacker, who misses the game through illness, while Gabriel replaces Laurent Koscielny, who is absent with a back injury.
Elsewhere, Santi Cazorla captains the side while Olivier Giroud makes his 100th Premier league appearance as he continues to lead the line for Arsenal.
Arsenal team to play Liverpool: Cech, Bellerin, Chambers, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud.
Arsenal subs: Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs, Arteta, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott.
Evening Retsub….
Yes Lee…. Lol
Good Evening Lovelies and Hunkies.
Am I happy no Kos and Per???
yes and no.
Yes because the Chambers/Gabi combo has to begin someday. and I want Gabi to play.
No because the defence need to be consistent and too many changes can quickly rebound.
I hope that communication between Cech and the back four is a good one.
How can Kos and Merts both suffer injury at the same time……
Just seen our defensive line up and feeling a lot less confident about the outcome tonight. Other than than predictable line up.
Time for Gabriel to show his worth… Could be massive for him… Go pretty boy ?
Lewis, both Chambers and Gabriel might just turn up knowing they have a chance to show what they are made of…
Fingers crossed they do…
you see Gabi as a pretty boy Rico??? 😀
Rico, he’s not so ugly now he’s been here a while. Sanchez and Giroud’s looks must rub off on him a bit? Could have done without both CB’s going down.
BACK IN june it was rumoured that Real Madrid had bid 21 million for Kos. Who knows whats going on.
Oh.
that scenario never crossed my mind Potter.
could it be???
Kos+money for Benzema??? Kos plus 20mill for Benzema.
would you accept it.
Very Devil…. 😉
Ha ha Andrew…
Coyrrgs……
Let’s all pass around our own box shall we…. Goodness me!
Personally I would not , defence all over the place
Awful opening potter…
dont worry. the dippers defence is not exactly the tower of Mordor before Sauron destroyed himself.
Robbed?…
Very nervy looking
Perfectly good goal!!!
Fucking bullshit!!
Superb from Coq there
Officials have shown there hand early. Give us nothing.
HE WAS ONSIDE YOU USELESS PRICKS!!!
Liverpool, 10 men in their 18 yard box twice so far….
What a Shower of Scouse Shit…
Coquelin saved our arse again…
Bloody hell. Well done coq.
Things starting to unravel?
But he’s average Kev…. Lol
What is Oliver watching?
And again Coquelin….
I know Rico, but he’ll do for me…
Chambers is all over the place…
Chambers is out of his class.
Coq has been great so far. He is alone in that.
Sounds like Chambers has been suffering from a bad dose nerves
Me too Kev, in fact two like him and our midfield is sorted imo
This is dire. Don’t know why that’s surprising really.
Similar to the west ham game here, we can barely string a few passes together… chambers is terrible atm…
They are getting free runs through the midfield, gonna be a long night.
maybe keano is right and our boys should stop the selfies to much until we win some titles. Chambers put selfie online just before game. Game is looking nervy trusting we will settle down and nick it 2-1.
Come on AS
Good stuff Gabriel..
Wake up Arsenal!
No width, Only one man in centre mid prepared to fight, no fluency, no energy, suicidal passing. Do we have a centre forward on the pitch?
Shambolic.
This squad are ready to win things?!
Sure sure.
Good play from Gabriel.
Not sure this is a game which suits Ollie….
I give up. the game stream is coming in fits and spurts.
I can barely knit 10 secs together on the net.
Good stuff Cech….
I agree Rico. I wanted TW to start, we need pace and to keep their backline honest.
Petr Cech shows why we spent £10m on him…
I agree Rico we need to push Liverpools back line back a bit to allow ozil and Alexis some room, the Ox or Walcott would stretch them imo…
This team need a rocket up their arses!!!!
What a save.
This is absolute shit.
Me too A117
Coach, would you take off one of our attacking players and put Arteta on alongside Coquelin to give Chambers and Gabriel more protection…
A mess!
Our midfield are non existent, Ramsey at least has done a few things. Does arsene move him inside and move the ineffectual ozil or cazorla wide. Does he bollox.
We are so predictable.
Exactly Kel…
Spot on Kev…
There is not a snowball’s chance in hell this team can win the league imo… lack of spine, lack of power…
Fs blow the whistle, this is brutal
Agreed kel
Painful viewing…..still when all the new signings Arsenal have been working on for months come to fruition we’ll be fine!! Or b)….
AW needs to stop having favourites and play rotation picking the best team for the opposition. Why TW is not on the field is beyond me. Unless AW stops his favouritism 3rd or 4th is best for us. I am not giving up as we can win this game with adjustments, but this is same old. Time for adjustments and alterations to team formations and strategy on gameday. What happened to the Tinkerman – oh yes hes at Filbert St.
Coq needs a Bender?
Well played petr and Coq.
Other than that a shower of shit. Fucking premadonnas that think they don’t have to fight to wear that shirt.
how on earth we are not 3 or 4 down I’ll never know. Bloody livid.
According to the radio, Gibbs could be coming on.
Monreal to centre-back then?
Kev…..Cazorla is supposed to sit beside Coquelin. So i cannot see where Arteta fits in.
Its more of a case that Theo should have began up front. Theo would have given the dippers defence something to think about. and their defence will not push up easily.
with regards Chambers yes, I feel he is a bit awed. but he has benteke to think about. notice how Benteke sticks to him knowing that Chambers is nervy.
But I feel we will be different in the 2nd half
Hate to be a merchant of doom but it is laughable that a team that can’t even create chances at home can be considered potential champions. Having 2 cbs out is bad luck but yet again we look toothless going forward
Reality Check! I know the 2 first choice CB is out but what a awful performance by Chambers, he need a loan or if not good enough be sold. Santi and Coq in MF cant dominate this average Liverpool MF. No other player that moved in the TW so far could not improve this team. Well done AW.
Bender needs to be brought in to give coq a helping hand….
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that Chambers is a bag of nerves,? It’s a miracle we got to half time. It’s like that Swansea game all over again. We need to change things around or we will get punished.
The only good things are Coquelin who is doing the work of two and we seem to have a goalkeeper.
Debuchy for Chambers and get Walcott on.
Coq reacting to things superbly.some warrior like tackles.
Potter agreed re our midfield.
Are we really gonna play like a cup team for the next 35.5 games?
We need some brains in the middle.
Someone who reads the game better will do.
Lee 😆
Agree Kel….
I know our first choice cbs are out but further up the field we are poor…
1 shot on target at home and we can win the league. lol
B Lee…
Chambers is having a nightmare it seems.
So he needs help from his team mates if he stays on…
Can Gabriel even speak English?
I agree, Walcott should have started.
He probably should have started against West Ham…
So predictable… chambers is awful.
OX must come in
Alex to the middle…
and hope the game changing…
else, I hope we win a point.
This team is for win what?
Lewis…….
possession is 51-49 % (Arsenal first)
Shots on target 3-4
Attacks….32-28
So how come we should be 0-4 down???
yes I agree we are not playing well…..but neither are the dippers.
Let’s say that they have managed to reduce our team to their level.
Once again, it again shows the organisational talent that BFG brings to our defence….
Shots on target Arsenal 1 – Liverpool 5.
I thought Gabriel got better as the game unfolded….Coq & Cech were superb!
We need another Coq.
Anyone feel a trolley dash looming ????
Agree there Lee.. Nothing like two Coqs for 90 mins….
TS are you seriously arguing Liverpool weren’t the better team in that half of football?!!
Not sure what your watching mate
tsgh 8.54, stop going OTT on Le Coq, stats will show he made only 2.35 tackles that half ! Get a life.
Not watching but reading, sounds like a real mare, still we have Sanchez our get out of jail card, anything can happen, c’mon Arsenal.
Come on lets kill this game off…
had Chambers been subbed it would have destroyed his Arsenal career.
ok…..he is not playing well. but he needs to be allowed to dig in. and play
Can’t believe the same team has come back out for this half
Coyrrgs!!!!!
Anyone think Giroud is playing like a man who knows another striker is coming in?
Lol micko.
Lewis not sure what I have said in regards to Liverpool playing better than us
Bloody shoot!!!
Arsene loves a gamble
So close….
What a miss…
Midfield is a concern.
AS17 should have scored…unlucky
Anyone think Giroud is playing like a man who knows another striker is coming in?
Wasn’t actually aware that he is actually playing.
We are much better this half… come on fs
Come on lads!!!
No service to og12 though.imo
We need Theo on ASP. Theo from the right, Sanchez from the left and Ollie through the middle and the dippers will be opened up.
Theo has to come on….
Jesus what a miss from giroud…. that could cost us
not sure how he missed that!
He should have started
Theo on for Ollie.
On comes the Ox,another player who perhaps should have started….
Coq off???
I wouldn’t have took le coq off imo…
I got a feeling that we’re gonna nick this…
Why Coq???
surely AAron should have been subbed.
Coq off is a massive gamble, Chambers seems to have settled down.
I haven’t Kev….
COYRRG
Suddenly we are shooting ………………………………………………………Badly
All us. Come on boys. Just that final ball!
? potter
Come on Theo ffs
Gabriel has grown and grown during this game….
2 goals in four and a half hours…..
And only 4 points from a possible 9…
Inauspicious start to the season…
Certainly not championship form….
0-0
at least clean sheet.
Chambers-Gabi combo seemed to have settled in 2nd half and nullified Benteke.
possession ended 60-40 in AFC favour.
Another poor home performance.
Losing our centre backs seemed to have a psychological effect on the team. Much better second half but know here near good enough.
Not a good night…..
Five points off the top already..
Night all….
5 out of last 6 home games without scoring.
Cohesion = stagnation. New ideas are needed at the club.
Same old same old.
I thought Coq leaving was a gamble….
2 goals in four and a half hours…..
But we don’t need a forward…………………………………………………………….Apparently
Well certainly the better team 2nd half but it’s as you were. We’re not winning the league that’s for sure, we still need 2 players defensive mid and striker…. We are the only team in the premier league that hasn’t bought an outfield player. Cech, le coq, Gabriel well done boys we would have been 3 down without ya..
The more I see of this the more I am concluding that we can only play 2 of Ozil , Sanchez and Cazorla. Having all three creates the over passing , we need something more direct or at least if he is playing someone to feed off Giroud. it was suggested earlier tongue in cheek I think , that we should go for Charlie Austin , could do worse.
I could accept defeat by a team that were far superior first half, defensively we were a shambles saved by Coq, Cech, and wood. Ironic we were cheated by a linesman. But I cannot accept the complacent manager who says no-one available. Deluded as in previous seasons?
“If you want to have a successful season you want to be strong at home,” Wenger said. “Normally we are strong at home. This is an opportunity to show that. lol
Failure to score in 5 of the last 6 games at the emirates is worrying, certainly.we needed cech and le coq on their game too.
Cant, see any progression from last season.
As for benzema saying in so many words, “only a clown would think i,m joining Arsenal, well this one clown among many thats glad your not coming, Don,t rate ye anyway, Dickhead.
Could be worse, could be playing Newcastle away this weekend, am I surprised at this evenings result, par for the course if your a Gooner sadly ! Everyone knows the season doesn’t start until September 1st when we’re 10 points behind the leaders, we all live in an Arsene Wenger wibbly wobbly world.
We didn’t score at home in two games… in 6 possible points we dropped 5…. we would like to be champions?
dippers didn’t loose again…
Why Giroud was changed from TW? TW haven’r space for running and without Giroud, the midfields can’t make combinations with “pivot”, because TW hasn’t those charactericts.
Our chances finished with this replacement and the dippers grew up in the game again.
Potter, SC have to play because Coq skill set is limited, AR play as a winger to compensate for Santi and Ozil lack of defending. The team weak and is always unbalance/held back by AW experiment. This is a very average team if i’m being honest.
There was a great chance to improve the team and the club gave/improve contracts to some players who should be in the championship.
To improve the team we had the chance in front of our eyes: Pedro didn’t want to go to MU because Van Gall. Was relativity cheaper for Chelsea and much more cheaper then Benzema ( a dream but not the solution in my opinion). Pedro, could play from the right, from the left, give speed to the team, is a fighter, a very good player (in my opinion), a winner, and wants to play a lot…. but we were blind.
Potter, Charlie Austin, I believe Real Madrid have first option, fingers crossed……..we deserve a break.
Not confident about visiting Newcastle without BFG and Kos…
BFG and Gabriel is ok…
Can’t score goals…
At the moment anyway…
Wonder if Wenger will start with Walcott up at Newcastle…
Come on chaps, cut out the negatives! We’re 9th a couple more 0-0s and we’ll be 6th and we can be assured of Thursday night football, yay!
Wenger for Mayor of London (ASAP) Le Coq for stud of the year, there’s no end in sight of where this team can peak!
One more ‘no result’ and the hangmen will be out looking to lynch the manager! I find my patience running very thin, already. The man is on borrowed time imo. He needs to find plan B, C and at least D very, very quickly or he’s doomed, doomed.
Come on Arsenal get a grip and remember this is a results driven game and we ain’t getting them at the moment. Top 4, same as this time last year, not a cats hope in hell!
Still time to cancel your flite Kev lol !
I wish yesterday was the last day of the transfer window.
Wavey, Highbury House, where it’s ok to moan.
Personally I,d of brought in Pedro and sold Walcott, he,s just not doing it for me. thats just me.
a game of poor finishing and poor refereeing decisions.
doesn,t get any easier, Newcastle, Stoke and Chelsea to come.
Dublin, hard to do it from the bench, should be starting for me !
Scott….positives please, nite Gooners.
Mick, I can assure you, that there’s more chance of Wath going to Newcastle, than me…
I am an armchair fan now mate, I’ve done my fair share of away games….
I’m certain that our millionaire players can manage without me…
Lol Micko,Kev.
I think the train journey from Newcastle will be an event and a half…
I wonder where our so called 2nd to none last season form has escaped to?
At least we kept a clean sheet.Our first in 4 games
At least when we moan we try to do it constructively. At the moment there is plenty to moan about. We are an unbalanced one trick toothless pony .We have all the talent in the world but have no end product . We were far superior to Liverpool but made all the mistakes that let them in . Sure we had a good goal wiped out wrongly , had it stood the game might have been different but in truth we were second best throughout the first half and worryingly unable to break them down in the second.
I know what you mean micko, he,s like marmite, for me 10 years there and still can,t get a starting place says it all for me, when he does get on, i,ve no confidence in im, heh, thats just me though.
Just home from the match. Fuck me, how frustrating was that? I mean, seriously, can Arsene really not see where our deficiencies lie? What is the point of moving the club into a high revenue situation if you are not going to use it to strengthen the team?
Mind you I have been saying the same for the past several years. It’s really boring now.
not too bad.
City will drop 2 points over weekend. 😛
Micko,
Not much positivity around lol.
Still, I say we had a legitimate goal turned down, and just reading back, I’m amazed not a comment was made about the stonewall penalty Giroud should’ve had……of course, plenty had a go at the shit shot which wasn’t actually a shot, but incidental contact after being dragged down.
Still, that’d doesn’t suit the argument plenty make on him, so……..let’s just all pass on that one lol
We were woeful in the first half.
Chambers had the worst half I’ve seen an Arsenal player have on a while, but as Devil said, the kid has a future, and taking him off could’ve done irreparable damage…he was much better in the second.
Gabriel was terrific, I thought.
Cech…..nothing needs to be said on him, he saved us.
Still, Ramseys goal awarded, penalty given and we are probably having a different discussion about a 2-0 win.
Even then, I’d be hardly gloating as Liverpool are absolutely crap, a team who have been gifted a win and a draw now, but we have absolutely no chance at all of winning the League right now.
In fact, if things remain as they age, we will not finish top 4.
Wenger must spend.
We all know what we need.
He MUST know.
Just because I don’t get on here every single day complaining about the lack of signings, doesn’t mean I’m content with what we have.
No point repeating the same comments all the time, but he has, what, 9 days left to get the job done?
He’d better.
tsgh, I used to date a girl who couldn’t speak a word of English, just so happens she was born in Newcastle, whatever goes on across the border stays across the border, nudge nudge wink wink, have a great weekend matey whatever the result !
To get the best from Theo we have to play him in early . When we play a series of wall passes probing on the edge of the area Theo is negated . I tend to agree that as we play in this style we need a different type of forward different to both Giroud and Theo.
a clean sheet wit two balls hit the post…
If in the 6th stage we will not be in the first 5-6 places in the table, forget title and Champions League next year.
Lol… Micko.Sleep tight Sir.
Scott- your boy Coq was good tonight. Excellent points made above…;
my yellow cards tally on here is as much as Dench’s record. 😉 so keep fighting mate. Shame Joe is not coming around.
It is worrying though that a club of this stature has to celebrate last ditch tackles as positives…
Scott. It looked like a foul on Giroud. It happened right in front of me so I was surprised no players really appealed. But having seen it again I think he slipped.
I do still hope i,m proved wrong on Walcott, but I don,t think it will be any time soon.
Adam, Scott i feel your pain. It,s goin to be long season.
Nite all.
Adam, your getting really boring now lol.
Big 9 days coming up Scott, nite guys, time for my bunk.
Not claiming to know it all…
but our form over the latter part of last season was unrepeatable; the team was set up to play a cup way…
As I have been saying since March/April, our goal return from Dec 2014 to May 2015 if repeated from August 2015 to May 2016 will never make us champions.
Is it OG12’s fault? Definitely not. His record is decent. He is what we have…
The issue is that the whole DM stuff is not working for us…
As potter has alluded to earlier, OZil, AS17 and SC19 dont really work.
Ideally we want Ramsey in CM alongside an Alonso type CDM. Even Gonalon will do…
Interesting how we have scored more goals over last 3 seasons with Flamini or Arteta alongside Ramsey than any other combo…
Micky. Boring and frustrated are awkward bedfellows. Currently I am both I freely admit.
I was chatting a mate last week, season ticket holder who sells his ticket and goes to the away games instead.
Says the atmosphere at the Emirates, is terrible.
We’ve been to a few away games together and I think he’d like to go to a few this season, but frankly I struggle to enjoy going anymore, so I doubt that I’ll be going.
It’s a shame as I used to love the away games, especially up north where they all hate Cockneys…
But I’ve really turned into an armchair fan.
I still love it and listen to the radio or catch it on TV, enjoy all the Adsenal blogging, but some of the magic has gone for me…
My mate has given up his ticket this season, after a lot of years.
It’s a different game now, better in some respects, especially the skill, but I miss some of the old rough edges that was very much part of English football…
Commendable Adam to watch this team in this rain…
I second that kev.
The away games are becoming negative as well…
moreover it is too expensive…
It cost me less than £300 to watch BVB last weekend including food. It will cost me £140 to travel to NUFC game on train alone…
Football is not the same…
After next weekend I am done paying for games too…
Maybe AW knows it is a shemitah year… maybe City and Roamn will go broke and then we can buy all their players. 😛
The facts, how I see them Ginge, is that our midfield do not provide enough goals and it falls to Alexis or Giroud/Walcott to score….
How many goals has the Ox scored in his time at Arsenal.
How many from Ozil.
You could go on.
Your the stats man, what are the strike rates of our attacking players, goals/apps etc?
I sold my ticket tonight and agree with Kev , the magic if not gone is definitely waning .
TS. Thanks. Someone’s gotta do it. 🙂
Potter, maybe going with your son keeps your enthusiasm up, but even that don’t work for me anymore…
I love to be in the company of my son, but I’d rather visit his home and watch it on TV now…
It’s not an age thing as I don’t consider myself as old, it’s more to do with the modern game and ifs fcuking obsession with money….
Just looked up Shemitah. Never heard of it before. Fascinating.
How you slap if am the way down from Norfolk, Potter, I’ll never know…
I cannot imagine the journey home after watching 90 minutes of our millionaires running around and passing, passing, passing, ad nauseum…
You have my respect mate…
Night All
We didn’t go tonight though my son was away on business and I stayed in the front room . It is getting harder and harder to get the motivation . I enjoy whilst I am there but the journey home especially night matches is just plain hard work.
Morning all…
Such unexpected outcome last night.
Question, and a big one for that – will Chambers ever make it as a footballer? I never believed any Arsenal player could make all the kindergarten mistakes he made in 45 minutes in a whole season. What was going on in his mind while walking down the tunnel after first half could make an interesting topic in the psychology world.
However, I never believed it when I saw Gabriel and Chambers starting… whatever happened to Per and Kos at same time during such a big match was responsible for the outcome of the match. The whole team was affected by Chambers shambles… it took only Coq and Cech to rescue a point from that game.
For me, Carzola is the problem of the team… he is so good that he must play… and Ozil must play centrally too. Then Ramsey… Coq is so certain. To accommodate all these, Wenger sacrifices Walcott’s pace and finishing from wide. Even in home games, Wenger packs the middle and continues passing endlessly…
Theo should get back to the wings asap. Wenger should then decide between Carzola and Ramsey who partners Coq… we’re not scoring because Wenger has suddenly gone too conservative!
In all a goal in that second half would have changed our assessment of the performance. We must win at Newcastle.
I seriously think we’ll get the coveted 4th spot this season….. we look right on track for that!
rinse repeat rinse!
The months and months of planning in purchasing our new signings will be the difference! Imagine if we’d put all our eggs in one player’s basket and he decided to stay at his current club?!?!
Wenger will have to fall back on plans b) c) and d) and NOT do another Dale Winton!
Tai, I’d wait until Chambers matures and plays more.
Adam, the angle I saw showed contact on Giroud, without question, and on his back leg….he may have also been slipping but still, it was a penalty, I reckon.
Ginge, Better to be celebrating last ditch tackles than the alternative 🙂
I can see plenty of good in the team, but as I said, there’s no chance in hell we can win the League unless Wenger buys two players……at least.
On Ox…..at least he will take a shot.
Ozil won’t.
Why?
Is it a directive from Wenger?
Morning guys.
Again, Wenger gets back to his tactical absurdity… how could a home manager searching for late goal remove a striker for a striker? I would have removed Ramsey for Walkout, then Chambers for Chamberlain… pop balls into the air from deep, aiming for Giroud’s knock downs for Walcott, Sanchez and Chamberlain to pounce.
But then, what do I know?
Tai, I think Giroud is made for playing a quick guy off him.
2 up front……but it won’t happen.
Have to reach the conclusion that it’s a directive because it’s been going on for so long. Hleb was hounded out for not shooting , will Ozil go the same way.? Even Cesc knew where the goal was but this lot are shot shy , the more I see it the more I believe it’s in the training . Oh for a Malcolm MacDonald that would take everything into the net if needed.
Good morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Tai……have you ever seen Shitvestre play for us??? Chambers is surely way mauch better.
So…..Per and Kos drop out because one had upset his bowels while the other strained his back when looking at his mate’s rectum to see if he could rectify the problem. In come Chambers and Gabriel who were playing together in a competitive match for the first time this season. Chambers had a mare in the first half, but improved in the 2nd while sweet angel Gabi (Rico said it not me) was immense throughout. Bellerin is 20, Chambers is 20, Gabriel 24 Nacho is 29 while Coquelin is 24. Such a young defensive department and no one expects mistakes???
Ohhh and we kept a fekking clean sheet. Take heed of that.
And where Per and Kos really ill and injured?? or was it a ploy by AW to rotate the CBs and give Gabriel and Chambers playing time??
before the game I was sure we would keep the clean sheet. yes there were moments where it was nervy but at the end I was proved right.
Chambers is young. Like Bellerin. Bellerin got roasted at Dorntmund and then did not look back. Maybe Chambers got roasted a bit yesterday and from now on he will not look back.
And remember….we had a goal disallowed while Ollie should have had a pen. yes the dippers hit the post twice and Cech made more saves in the first half alone than in both previous games combined. but that is not our fault. Cech has been bought and is paid his salary to do his work between the post and if the dipper players hit a four inch post instead of a gaping 20ft by 8ft goal than its their problem. we got undone by two refereeing decisions.
overall we deserved to win. we did not and its time to move on.
and for those who criticize Ollie….someone here mentioned that in the last three years Shrek has 49 goals while Ollie has 59. Yet Shrek is WC while Ollie is not. lol.
look at the match from another perspective.
And if you keep running after the negatives you will not allow the positives to catch you. Slow down…..and let the positives allow you to see them.
If by the 5th game we are above 5th place then I can assure you that we will challenge.
and its normal that we go through a cycle where we will find it difficult to score. there will be a time when even if Ollie farts it will go in.
Tai…..when Ollie came off for Theo I said the same thing. It should have been Aaron who comes off. not Ollie.
Ollie, Sanchez and Theo should have been our attack. FROM THE BEGINNING.
Morning Rico and all.
Hindsight is certainly a fantastic thing but that performance was not unlike about a hundred similar ones I have seen at the Emirates. Yes, Chambers was nightmarish but with no game time for months and a pacey Liverpool midfield I felt for the bloke. Gabriel got better and better as he accepted more responsibility though.
With us being squeezed into the back end of the transfer window there isn’t a hope in hell we will be adequately equipped now. Shocking planning for me and 100 days wasted. Although I can see why this has happened again, I have to agree with TH’s thoughts on a 4-player window. CB, ball winning CM, striker and proper wide man. When you are at the Emirates looking down on the game the amount of unused grass in wide areas that could be used to stretch defences from the halfway line is ridiculous. Obviously Arsene has other priorities though and has never been a fan of proper wingers it seems. When teams come to the Emirates they love to squeeze us through the middle and we are happy to oblige.
Adam, dear old Arsene is readying the trolley as we speak!
Adam I have been saying all along that we need 4 more players. 2WC and 2 squad players. Now if we sign 4 WC players pushing those we have to become squad players than the better.
but I do not feel we need another CB. I feel we are equipped well there. If a CB comes than it must be that one of Per and Kos will leave. And I feel it wont be Per.
i feel that the Gabi/Chambers combo will play much more than usual this season. by the end of the season they will be regulars.
expect that combo toplay against fast paced teams.
believe me…..yesterday’s clean sheet is a very important one since the dippers attack is a fast paced one.
what I do not like is AW telling porkies since I do not believe that Kos was injured and Per was ill.
Morning Brudder. I just read the comments from Gary Neville last night and also TH’s. It looks like that might be a war of semantics but the facts have a truth of their own perhaps.. It’s all opinions. But with the financial restraints presumably lifted these days I think Neville makes some interesting points.
Do you think we will win the PL or the CL this year? Early days I know.
I agree 100% with Devil, but Adam, I also agree with your comment where it’s been a repeated scenario time and again.
I couldn’t blame a chambers a single bit, and I am do decent he will end up a very good footballer for us.
Gabriel…..what a player he will be.
Ferries time was the last minute of stoppage time.
Wenger time is the last few days of the transfer window.
Let’s hope he comes good.
The one, single thing Wenger says that pisses me off, and leaves him exposed, is the old chestnut of “we are working hard on transfers, but top players aren’t easily signed”.
Don’t say it.
Don’t make yourself look silly, as all other top clubs have no issue making signings.
I am confident as well as “do decent”.
We won’t win the CL or the PL with Wenger in charge, imo!
Devil. I say we do need a CB and point to last night’s game as proof. If, as you say, Wenger was lying and Per and Kos were in fact fit, then I would suggest a mental check up for Arsene would be in order.
Personally I have serious doubts that Chambers is a top CB in the making but I don’t see him in training every day.
yesteerday’s match was the perfect deep end game to throw Gabi/Chambers combo to test them. did both of them come out with flying colours??? no. but there will be games when Chambers will be praised and Gabi will be lynched.
its part of the learning curve.
but the defending department came out with a clean sheet.
Gabriel will never be lynched.
Anyone trying that will end up worse for wear lol.
Devil. Really? After a terrible start at home in the PL and after begging up your chances of the title, you say that lying to the fans and throwing an unproved CB pairing in against Liverpool was “perfect”? In a game where you wanted to get the doubting home support back onside? For the first half hour the defence was a complete and utter shambles and it was pure luck that we didn’t concede plus Cech’s saves of course. I am at a loss with that one.
Morning all,
We have always had the walk the ball into the goal mindset. Best way to get the defence out of the box is to shoot from outside it.
Cazorla used to be so accurate on the long shot when he arrived, now wayward if he ever tries it.
Skertel played very well, seems to up his game against us and was always on to Giroud. That he managed to get the few half chances shows that he is a classy striker.
you have every right to doubt Adam.
and yes you were right…..For the first half hour the defence was a complete and utter shambles and it was pure luck that we didn’t concede plus Cech’s saves……..I will not contradict you.
but yet…….Chambers/Gabi combo kept a clean sheet for 90 minutes.
let us split the first three games into halves.
1st half vs WHU….Cech conceded.
2nd half vs WHU…Cech conceded.
3rd half vs CP…….Cech conceded.
4th half vs CP….Cech CLEAN SHEET
5th half vs Dippers….Cech CLEAN SHEET
6th half vs Dippers….Cech CLEAN SHEET.
of the 8 defenders we have currently at the club…..Debuchy, Bellerin, Kos, Per, Chambers, Gabi, Monreal, Gibbs it is only Gibbs who has not played at least one half. yes he came on to tighten things at the back but for less than 20 mins.
Debuchy 2halves, Bellerin 4 halves, Per 4 halves, Kos 4 halves, Chambers 2 halves, Gabi 2 halves, Monreal 6 halves, Gibbs….sub.
next game I feel it will be Chambers and Gabi again.
Cech and the defensive departments are getting to know each other. and yes mistakes will be made.
We grumble at AW for not rotating enough. Then when he does it we shake our heads.
We say that Mourinho is a tactical strategist. yet when AW rotates he is not.
we say that Mourinho throws youngsters at the deep end. yet when AW does it we say its a risk.
We say that Shrek is WC. Ollie is not. and yet in the last three years Ollie has scored more.
everyone sees it all from a perspective. I see it from mine.
Adams was labelled a donkey once, and in his first season he heehawed much much than he neighed. but he became Mr Arsenal.
Time will tell. we wait and see.
Morning Adam and all others…
What a crap night!
Adam, it wasn’t luck but poor officiating that prevented us scoring twice:) 🙂
It’s a frustrating time for us all, no doubt.
Devil. You are a coach and I am not. I just comment on what I see after 40 odd years of sitting in the stadium game after game. If we win the PL or the CL then I will have got it wrong.
Morning all,
I agree I think AW has gone too consecutive.
A balance needs to be struck… we either go back to winning by the odd goal which won’t win us the title or we go semi-kamikaze.
Adam- was ‘shemitah’ fascinating in a good way or bad way?
I happen to think Neville is spot on re AW…
Devil, would you rotate both Cb’s at once though?
I have to say, that’s a bloody risky call.
It paid off though, so all’s well….and it wasn’t our backs that caused us to only draw.
It wasn’t our forwards, either….bloody officials.
To be honest, I thought our midfield had gaping holes in them in the first half, putting extra pressure on the backs.
Anything Dev…but that Gab and Chambers were deliberate.
From day one, I said we needed a monster of a CB. Chambers was roasted by Montero at Swansea… since then he nose-dived. He appeared good in second half because players around him upped their game and pressed all over. Playing him at CB this season will cost us dearly. Cech won’t always be capable of cleaning up all his mess.
Yes, Scott… Ollie is built to play with Walcott off him… or Sanchez… but Wenger understands this business his way and just his way… I’ve no choice… his the pro, I’m not.
Reg Varney
Tai, Gabriel IS that beast of a CB.
Giroud should be plan b) we need a top drawer striker and have done for ages.
Coq needs competition for the DM position, he was good last night but he can be a headless chicken.
The shoe horning of his favourite players has to stop, pick your best eleven…period!
I reckon everyone is making good points.
Well, except me, as I’m always wrong 🙂
The circumstance under which AW introduced our CB pairing is something I have always criticized AW about.
I always referred to how fergie introduced May, Silvestre, Vidic and Rio to the back line. He always gave his new CB’s at least 10 minutes every 2 or 3 games…
I personally think Chambers did ok… he rode his luck but for someone who was probably not expecting to play last night until last minute he did ok…
Pauli did well too… his old handicap of misjudging headers initially did not instil fans with confidence in my view…
Adam, I am not saying we will win the EPL and/or CL. What I am saying is not the end result of the grand scheme of things. What I am talking about is Chambers and Gabi.
And Scott is right on three counts…..Gabriel is the beast at the back. and … it wasn’t luck but poor officiating that prevented us scoring twice…..and the midfield had so many gaping holes at the back that at moments it seemed like a sieve, and that put great pressure on the backs.
had we won we would have been singing a different tune.
Lee you are right. Giroud should be plan B. but for people to say that Shrek is WC when Ollie has outscored him is ridiculous beyond comparison. Ollie works for the team. Shreks works for himself and when it suits him.
Tai…..Chambers will cost us so much that we kept a clean sheet for the first time this season.
mates, remember that when everyone was villifying Aaron…Scott and I kept on his side. even when he was crap.
And we are doing the same with Chambers.
Yeah Scott, Gabriel is good, very good imho. But I had Per’s replacement in mind.
Gabriel is similar to Kos… like Vermalaen, he may not gel with Kos. Can Gab and Kos combo together when we’re faced with a fast-paced attack, especially in Europe? What do you think Dev?
Rico. I only just saw the Neville thing as getting away from the Emirates last night in the car was the worse I have ever known it. When I got home I felt the usual frustration as most who attended did I imagine. For me the problems are glaring but I don’t want to get into a war of hair splitting tbh. But, like you, I agree with him. The word “arrogance” was a bit edgy but, on further consideration, I believe appropriate.
Neville said Wenger’s tactics were naïve or arrogant…..
Ginge….I do not think that Chambers and Gabriel knew at the last minute. I feel they knew the whole week that they were going to play.
how many of you will bet that soon Nacho will get a slight tweak or sore throat and Gibbs will get a game???
the squad as it is right now, a bit short, needs to be rotated and AW knows that. and yesterday the age of the defenders was 20,20,24,29 and with Coq 24. A very young defending dept. With Per, Kos that would have been 20, 30,29,29.
time to phase out that defence slowly and introduce the others gradually. Maybe AW should do as Ginge said of Fergie……bring them in gradually.
how much I would give Gabi and Chambers out of 10 for yesterday??? overall I would give them 8 and 5.5
but those in front of them…..Cazorla and Ozil need to put their shift in as well and protect as mch as they like creating. Coquelin was immense. but I think we play a midfield axis of three in the middle no??? coquelin does not play alone.
Dev- based on this comment from you: ”and the midfield had so many gaping holes at the back that at moments it seemed like a sieve, and that put great pressure on the backs.”
what do you think the midfield issue is?
Our clean sheet yesterday was not down to Chambers, rather that we nearly didn’t was certainly on his shoulders. Coq and Cech saved Chambers blushes.
Devil, for what it’s worth, I’d say that same to Chambers what I’d have said to Aaron a few years ago…..keep it simple, get the basics right and the rest will take care of itself.
He only really got into trouble by trying to play out from the back in tight situations.
Belt it long if need be, get some touch and confidence…he will be fine.
That AW is arrogant there is no contradicting that. HE IS. end of.
but then….geniuses were always considered queer in the head.
Ginge….will Kos and Gabi work together??? Against certain teams yes. against fast paced attackers no. but given time I think it will work. with TommyV it did not because I happen to think that TommyV was a bit over rated. He gave us one decent season and then it was downhill. and I saw him play for Barca. he was crap again.
Gabi goes in where it hurts. Kos as well. In the EPL they will work a lot together. but in the CL they will not.
“Arsene Wenger’s job is absolutely amazing but I just cannot get my head around why he would not sign players of power to assist these talented players that you’ve got to enable them to win the league,”
“It is the one big, if you like black mark, against Arsene Wenger in these last 10 years of why he hasn’t identified an issue with these types of players because they cannot win the league with those types of players. It can’t happen.
“To me it’s arrogance. I think it’s arrogance. I really do. To think that you are not going to adapt your team, to change to impact on the other teams that you’re playing against and their strengths.”
Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal captain, said that a change had occurred when Wenger attempted to build his team around Cesc Fabregas.
According to Henry, it is about “belief” rather than arrogance. “It is either naive, or arrogance,” responded Neville. “Because they keep losing this way. Belief? It is miss-held belief.”
Wenger later conceded that his team’s start to the season was well below his expectations but rejected the wider criticisms.
“The sharpness is missing a bit,” he said. “I would like to give credit to Liverpool as well. We still miss the spontaneous attitude to finish well what we start. We have started very average, I must concede, with four points after two home games.
“Look, I don’t know what that has to do with arrogance. You find all kind of attributes for me since I’ve been here. I try just to do my job well for 20 years. I leave judgement to everybody else, the assessment of the quality of my work.
“Everybody has his opinion and is entitled to that opinion. I could prove to you that it’s not necessarily right, but let’s not go into that debate. When you don’t win, you’re wrong and people find reasons. Are they good reasons? I have enough experience to know when it’s right and when it’s wrong.”
There was little doubt that Arsenal were denied a perfectly good first-half goal when Ramsey held his run perfectly to finish Santi Cazorla’s precise pass but Simon Bennett, the assistant referee, ruled the goal out for offside.
“It was a regular goal,” said Wenger. “I can’t see why it was cancelled. It was clear and, on that front, Liverpool can’t complain in the last week. I have spoken to the referee. I didn’t ask an explanation.
“What does it change? It’s about decision making and he got it wrong. But I could see, live, that he could not be offside because he started behind. From the timing. I thought maybe the angle on television would be different, but it was not. We were insecure defensively in the first half and gave them many balls, but even then we had chances.”
Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, said that Ramsey’s “shirt looked offside” and described it as a “great decision by the linesman”. He also rejected Arsenal complaints during the second half about how long Simon Mignolet was taking over his goalkicks.
“He’s managing the game, playing the game,” said Rodgers. “I didn’t think he was time-wasting. He’s away from home, getting the ball and the referee thinks he’s time-wasting.”
Rodgers also said that Lucas Leiva still had a future at Liverpool amid interest from Besiktas while Wenger described stories suggesting he might sign Karim Benzema from Real Madrid as “dead”.
Tbh, I don’t think there is a cat in hells chance AW would rotate Merts and Kos together on the same day and certainly not when facing Liverpool with Benteke up front.
Putting Aaron, Cazorla and Ozil together does not work Ginge.
AW should play…..Coquelin, Aaron and Cazorla combo. or Coquelin, Wilshere and Ozil.
but putting Coquelin, Cazorla and Ozil in the middle with Aaron on the right or left does not work. Aaron drifts inside allowing Bellerin to attack the wings. yet when Theo plays on the right, Bellerin cuts inside to shoot. And Theo attacks the centre only when the ball comes in from the opposite wing. Otherwise he keeps his position
Aaron is no winger. He is mostly an AM who is Central. out on the wings he is a square peg in a round hole
Adam, I think AW is very arrogant and pigheaded, stubborn, tight, and past it!
New post up now…
Dev…then that means Per pairing with either Kos or Gabby… then Chambers when Per is not there… until he comes good, Chambers is certainly the weakest link of that chain. For me, give me a 6’3” monster of a CB, about 26 years to partner either Kos or Gabby.