Usually, even in defeat you can take some positives out of a game, just a crumb of comfort. Sometimes it can be just one players performance for example that can soften the blow, but after a European club record defeat like this yesterdays by a huge 4 goals, there is nothing that any of us can cling to.
It was a dreadfully poor performance by the team.
Wenger’s team lined up as follows:
Szczesny
Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs
Song Arteta
Walcott Ramsey Rosicky
Van Persie
The opening exchanges gave no hint of the eventual scoreline and promised an even contest with both teams intent on attacking in an open and entertaining fashion.
Rosicky has a promising shot that whistled wide and moments later Seedorf had a shot at the other end. Shortly afterwards, injury forced Seedorf off and he was replaced by Emmanuelson.
Milan’s 1st goal on 15 mins, followed some sloppy defending and a poor clearance by Szczesny. Milan won possession, the ball was fed out to AC’s right flank where Nocerino calmly chipped the ball over a stranded Vermaelen to Boateng.
Boateng simply let the ball sit up and then thrashed a thunderbolt over Szczesny and into the roof of the Arsenal net.
It was a stunning and clinical finish, which left the Arsenal players floundering for the remainder of the 1st half.
Milan were from that moment on in the first half, in almost total control. Rosicky, Ramsey and even Arteta looked lightweight against the more robust Milanese players.
The Arsenal trio, hardly put in a tackle, worth the name, for the entire match.
Walcott looked like a little lost boy, totally ineffective.
Vermaelen was worryingly have a poor poor game, as was Sagna.
Were we seeing, for the first time since he arrived, the difference that Per Mertesaker has made to our defence?
How much will we miss him in the weeks ahead???
On 36th min Vermaelen almost contrived to present Robinho with a goal scoring opportunity as he got into a mess facing his own goal, but fortunately Arsenal’s best player of the first half, Laurent Koscielny, saved TV5’s bacon with a smart interception.
Two minutes later on 38, Milan’s star performer of the night, Ibrahimovic, looking suspiciously off-side, broke clear on Arsenal’s right. He left a badly off-form Sagna, trailing in his wake as he cut into the Arsenal box and pulled back an inviting low cross that Robinho headed into the net for Milan’s 2nd goal.
Arsenal’s defence was all over the place and even at that early stage I feared that we could be in for an uncomfortable evening.
What I did notice was that Gibbs, on the other side of the pitch, was the only Arsenal defender who appealed for the off-side. Maybe if the entire back-four had gone up for it, then it may have influenced the linesman?
Our defenders just seem so passive, almost as if they were accepting the inevitability of defeat.
Where have we seen that before???
On 41 mins Boateng bamboozled Gibbs, crossed for Ibrahimovic but Sagna got in front of him, just, and cleared.
44 mins and a limping Koscielny went off to be replaced by Djourou, with Martin O’Neill, no doubt, rubbing his hands up in Sunderland.
Arsenal spent almost the entire game giving away cheap possession, often via a long punt from Szczesny and on 46 mins, that almost cost another goal. Ibrahimovic out fought Djourou in the midfield, he fed the dangerous Boateng whose rasping shot thundered into Chezzer’s side netting. A minute later Ibrahimovic’s slide-rule pass took Djourou totally out of the game and only Szczesny’s brave challenge stopped Antonini from scoring.
Half-Time Milan 2-0 Arsenal.
Even Wenger couldn’t afford to let things drift anymore and turned to his 34-year-old saviour Thierry Henry, who replaced Walcott at half-time. The Arsenal revival lasted 4 minutes. On 49 Vermaelen slipped over trying to turn and stop Ibrahimovic’s pass to Robinho. TV5’s slip opened an inviting gap in Arsenal’s back-four, Robinho accepted the gift and smartly shot past a stranded Szczesny.
This was getting embarrassing!
On 58 minutes an Arsenal corner was cleared, and ended up down the other end in the blink of an eye where Antonini just shot wide. 3 minutes later Robinho skipped around Gibbs and looked odds on to score but Gibbs showed good determination to get back at the Brazilian and got in a tackle to clear.
The 65th minute saw Arsenal’s best chance of the night up untill then, Song got forward and lifted a cross into the box which Henry smartly flicked up and over to RVP. Robin turned and hit a good low shot, but Abbiatti made the save.
Wenger then played his last card, sending on Oxlade-Chamberlain for Gibbs. TV5 switching to L/B and Song going C/B.
Robin had another shot saved on 75, then 2 mins later came the coup de grace. Rosicky lost possession again, as he had done for Milan’s 3rd goal. It ended up with a clumsy Djourou challenge allowing Ibrahimovic to fall into the box and earn a soft penalty, which the Swede converted for 4-0.
To compound Arsenal’s miserable night, the referee turned down a stonewalled penalty when Mexes, not for the first time, grabbed hold of a handful of Van Persie’s shirt. RVP fell, but the ref waved play-on.
on 83 and 84 mins Oxlade-Chamberlain put over a couple of inviting crosses. On the first, Rosicky sliced his volley horribly wide, on the second Abbiatti made another fine save to thwart a great RVP header. On another day Robin could have had a hat-trick, but this was Milan’s day!
Full-Time Milan 4-0 Arsenal.
So, no positive’s from the game and no excuses from Wenger afterwards.
Can Arsenal win 5-0 in London? Probably not, but we can regain some pride.
For me, the priority, as it’s been since the New Year, is the FA Cup. It can still save our season but it will take a mammoth effort this weekend to not slip out of a second competition in a week.
We’ve been here before.
Written by Allezkev
Morning all
Don’t know how you wrote that good piece AK but glad you did, thank you…
We have been here before, you are spot on – Wenger has a tough task ahead of him before we travel to Sunderland…
Freddie is a free agent…. 😉
Nice piece AK, bad night allround!
Any word on Kozzer?
None yet Esp, fingers crossed it’s not a bad one…
Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn rapped: “The experienced players didn’t turn up for the manager and seriously let him down.
“The players should be disgusted with themselves. Confidence has been shot to pieces.”
Ex-Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira tweeted: “There was a lack of leadership.”
Shell-shocked keeper Wojciech Szczesny added: “Milan punished us on every occasion. We were up for it but they were the better team.”
rocky posted
Submitted on 2012/02/16 at 9:22 am
As bleak as it was last night, I still think we caan do them at home. We won’t go through, but we’ll win at home. If we play Gerv and Ox, I think it’s possible. Maybe even Theo and RvP up front just to burn them with pace. The 4-5-1 doesn’t work when you have 3 of the “5″ only able to slow the pace down, take it one way, check, turn the other way, play it sideways for the next player to do the same thing.
I put the blame all of wenger for that team he played. Why owe why did we start Rosicky & Ramsey? They are both as ineffective as each other & with both on the pitch we were absolutely appalling. Words can not describe how bad we played today (Rosicky is the most average player i have ever seen)! At least with chamberlain we have a good shape & he can create and skip around players (all the talk before the game centered around how milan do not like pace down the flanks) so wenger plays for central midfielders & all with no or little pace.
I just don’t understand his thinking behind this. And then his starts Gibbs who to be honest looked like a little lost boy who got caught out of position more times then i care to count & who didn’t show any attacking abilty at all. Thanks wenger play someone in our toughest game of the year who hasn’t played a game in 4 months!!!!!
What has coquelin done wrong in the past 2 months, he has been consitent & showed that he can do a job anywhere on the park.
We didn’t have anything going forward at all, midfield were terrible (rosicky please leave, he has the abilty to maybe play for a Bolton or Blackburn at best)
I am so angry………..but the sad thing is as soon as that team was announced, i new how we would play. Nothing good has ever come from a Rosicky/Gibbs combination.
Don’t get me started on that french twat at the back, he made his customary mistake to hand Milan the nail in the coffin goal.
Average Team, Average Players & Now Avergae manager who has completely lost the plot & the faith of the fans!!!!
I guess i didnt miss much then,hey?
Saw the first bit,,and could see the game opening up,just not like it did!
Morning all.i dreamt last night that we got pasted 4 nil by Milan…what?it actually happened? 🙁 good read AK.
Hi Scott, Kt…
Once was bad enough Kt…
For me, the priority, as it’s been since the New Year, is the FA Cup. It can still save our season but it will take a mammoth effort this weekend to not slip out of a second competition in a week.
We’ve been here before.
Written by Allezkev
Kev,
Forget about FA Cup.
Sunderland will go through as we will not be able to score; with Kos injured..and Djourou a walking disaster..plus Gibbs is not a LB, awful positioning and no awareness……
Wenger’s excuse will be “tireness, mentlaly exhausted playing 2 games per week…..and I got to rest players for a crucial league game against S*CUMS…”
Most likey he will throw the FA Cup tie.
Welcome James, i was surprised to see both Rosicky and Ramsey start, and like you, i’d have started with Coq instead of Ramsey….
Rico am sorry i couldn’t write my post due to some unavoidable circumstances.i’ll make it up to you by writing a post today or tomorrow analysing our brutal failings in Europe.
Hi Merlin
Wenger has already hinted at changes for sunderland, and that was before last night…
can’t see us beating them tbh, they will have had a nice rest and be up for revenge, we will be wallowing in self pity….
Merlin,he cant afford to throw the cup.
Evening guys.
No probs Kt, how about the return leg 😉
If,may well be a big if,we beat Sunderland,we must be a huge chance to win the cup.
Again,if,we beat Sunderland,being knocked out of the CL could be a blessing in disguise.
If,maybe,hopefully…..
moaning HH,
gutted, horrible night,
our best 2 defenders were awful, verms and sagnia,
this complacency is spreading like a virus.
never mind the midfield and wenger tactics.
for once I feel sorry for the guy, his usually reliable experienced players let him down. but may be the verms got his head confused playing out of position for the last few weeks!
whatever it is there is no excuse, not even the pitch,
mental strength my foot!
I will take care of the return leg rico.
Woke up this morning thought it was all a bad dream, as i stretched out it dawned on me it really did happen. Another watershed moment for the club, so many in the last four years but nothing changes. But at the end of the season, big changes. We might be financially strong, but the administration of the club is faltering, and the playing staff is seriously flawed.
Time will tell Scott and we don’t have to wait too long to see….
Out of the two, i’d rather the FA Cup tbh and 4th in the PL…
we suckd last night … sagna is hopeless… the first goal was stupid… Vermy and Kozzer just couldnt handle the Sweed.
what the hell is wrong with our team.. have they forgotten how to pass forward we passed the ball side ways and back more than we passed it forward…it was embarrising to see us play like that..
we pay crab football… cant believe it Alex and gervinio are the only players who look to attack.. the rest are a bunch of pussies.!!!
i hope wenger quits and starts coaching the french national team…
and stan give away his shares….
we need investment.. we need personnel change..
Morning Rokabox, Winterburn said the same about the experienced players, they were the worts offenders….
Are people shortchanging AC???
worts = worst 😉
Morning all,
You think last night was bad, wait til we out the FA Cup and get beat at home by the swampies………..!
The team is a reflection of the manager………….! Gutless….!
Every season the same thing happens due to the squad being very average, no passion no commitment no bottle no leaders no plan B or plan C… predictable and we lay down and die every time it really matters…! No real surprise there as AK says we’ve seen it all before..!
Scott, for me AC are a team of old experienced men who we should of run ragged, we made them look like world beaters we were so poor, a half decent team will rip them to shreds….!
A bad dream natty, i hope it has made somone at the club realise just how far behind the top sides we are, and i’m not talking AC Milan – had we turned up and actually played, we could have run that aging side ragged…..
It looks like the wheels are in motion for our annual collapse 🙁
terry, how long we all been saying that about investment..
Morning Wath, just said the same, AC are an old side, we are youthful, we should have worn them down with our pace of play alone, then battered their tired legs…
Mark my words, two days ago I said there will b 4 goals…should have bet that one…=)
I really envy those here who still think we have a chance of winning something. This was as desperate a performance as I have seen and is beginning to look more in charater for this team than any good performance. At the risk of being labelled a “doomer” I can.t see anthing other than an empty-handed season and qualification for the Europa cup all we could achieve. I was going to say all we could hope for but I think you’re better off not being in that crass competition.
Last night was truly a gutless, clueless and hopeless performance. I really wouldn’t know where to start to analyse it, so much was horribly wrong.
That milan side was not old by any means,only zlatan,Abiatti,Van bommel and seedorf were 30 or over and Seedorf barely played.
Tlai………… it’s ALL your fault… you said 4-0 you just got it the wrong way round mate lol…………..
You jinx…..! 😉
what i dont understand is … we play a attacking formation but we hardly attack..
arteata is average… he hardly makes a killer pass… ramsay is also average .. he dribbles so much… he chases so much but hardly has any vision or impact with all that effort that he puts in…
rosicky is quick but he again is not creative enough nor does he shoot from distance.
our movement off the ball was a joke.. walcott OMG what can i say… his influence in the game is ZERO… all that pace and no end product…
i’ll b very honest but i fell suprs can kick the shit out of our current team..
Harry has made them such a wonderful team… he has picked players on a cheap.. and thier wage structure is even worse than ours…
Billboy,as bad as we are going,we are still 4th.
Chelsea…..they are worse than us.
Liverpool….shit.
Newcastle,seriously???
The first two have spent a hundred million or so in the last 18 months and we are shit????
They prove that its not JUST about dollars spent,its about getting the right players in.
It over simplified all the time by those saying spend some effing money….it takes much more than that.
Who to buy…..this is the important question.
I thought we had enough defenders…..just having a terrible injury run. Well,maybe we should buy half a dozen more to be safe.
We lack creativity big time in the midfield,and more goal scoring options.
I still reckon Ramsey will be a great player,but again,hes still a kid with too much weight on his shoulders.
Rosicky,Arteta…..these are the guys who should have stood up today.
Kt, same old every season eh, maybe the team will show some guts against sunderland, that’s all we can hope….
After watching that debacle last night I can see no way that RVP will sign a new contract either….!
Would any of you…?
Tlailaxu – i had hoped you meant 2-2 😉
Scott, Wenger ain’t got the right players in since he sold off the “invincibles”
What we lack Scott is players who stand up to be counted when it matters…..! it’s hardly a surprise we’ve lacked those type of players for years n years and wenger hasn’t addressed that issue one bit…!
As PV says no leaders but we’ve also said that for yonks we don’t need PV to tell us..!
Terry,Spurs beat us 2-1 at home with a handball goal…..
And who is our hapless and hopeless manager going to replace RVP with ? Chamakh ? Park ? Bendtner ? Perhaps Walcott, I seem to remember for a long while last season Wenger thought Arshavin was a centre-forward.
Morning all,
There are positives, we are still in 3 competitions if you believe Gazidas, Man City must be sooooooooooo jealous.
If rvp signs a new contract if things stay the same i’d be inclined to think he is nuts.some major investment is required.
Billboy, as AK says in his post, not a single crumb to be positive about last night….
Steady terry, not too much compliments for the yids…. 😉
Wath – no, not for a moment….
If i’m honest I think we can forget about the treble this season.
Oz,
I said that about Chelsea and Liverpool a day or two back but it’s difficult to convince yourself (myself) after watching that last night. You are right about Arteta and Rosicky and the others older players, they just didn’t want to know. Disgraceful really.
That’s Scott from Oz, sorry!
Micko,you’re soft lol.
Who to buy Scott –
Someone who has the abilty to take players by the scuff of the neck and get the best out of them on nights like last night..
That would be a good start….
How awful was theo by the way?he can’t dribble past his man like Gerv/oxo can.he has pace to burn but without a top notch AM to play him through he is useless.if we were an ambitious club we should be looking at the likes of hazard to replace him.he is so 1 dimensional its unreal.
AK asked a good question in his post, did we miss Merts last night??
Maybe we did, and i never thought i’d say that….
If we’re honest we’re watching the same old failing from the last 3/4 years….. It’s nothing new and it seems inbred in this squad… the question is why…. why do we have a team/squad with no fight in it..?
😆 Micko – you always manage to make me chuckle…
4th spot will go to the club who does the least amount of damage to themselves.
Big 4……not at the moment.
It’s a Big 2 and the rest.
Kt, after last night i think its harsh to single out any player, theo was no worse than many imho – we lost the midfield battle and it went tits up from there…..
Rico,I agree.
BFG has copped a raw deal since day 1.
I will play your game….who is our new manager going to be?
For me,there is only 1…Pep.
That won’t be us then Scott if history repeats itself…..
Morning Lads,
Wow what a game hey… Arsenal have turned from a fierce premership team to a schools reveserve team in 7 years… Just disappointment after disappointment… And it hurts im just outside london and have mix FLID mates and liturally last night i got hung to dry and it was a painful death.. What i dont understand is us the fan can see the problem, the tabiods and pundits can defo see the problem… so why cant wenger and the board see it?? i really feel that there will be a protest for wengers head soon to come and i do feel for him i dont believe is just wenger has to be something to do with the board!!! Dont see van perie being with us next year and dont blame him.. And for Henry to have his last game with his head down is just shocking!!
Well i hope usmanov comes in sooner rather then never he seems to be the only cure right now for this mess..
Wath, because players like that cost more than a fiver….
Play my game Scott??
Hi Rico. Time for cool heads perhaps,but where is the club heading? I don’t want to get into pointing the finger at the underachievers this morning. We all know who they are. But the team has been in a downward spiral for years now and if this isn’t addressed by the people who can do something about it then the troubles will be compounded and in a couple of years time it won’t be pretty.
Steve, all you know is when RVP is sold to compliment the sustainable model and add 30mil to the coffers his replacement will be a very cheap option costing no more that 5mill as is the norm…!
If one were to try and sift last night’s disaster it would have to be a very laborious task. One that might be impossible to do in one article. As Billboy said “Last night was truly a gutless, clueless and hopeless performance. I really wouldn’t know where to start to analyse it, so much was horribly wrong.”
It was like watching season 94/95 all over again. Then we had Hillier etc who were giving the ball away. Now we have Song, Ramsey, Rosicky, Arteta etc who did the same thing.
One sentence which smells of deja vu was the one I used to hear GG say in the 90’s towards the end of his reign. “If I find a player who can improve my team I will buy him.” Obviously that used to mean “How much can I make when I buy this player”
Now we have AW saying the same. And I ask “How much is the same of the same” if you know what I am meaning. Is there something hidden? Of course there is!!! But again….what is hidden? Anyone can tell??
Yesterday’s players did not want to play. Or rather some of them did not want and when that happens the rest follow suit. Kozzer got injured??? How many times I see that happening with my own players when the going gets tough. They start dropping like flies. I am not meaning that Kozzer escapes responsability. He is one of my favourites. But who is to say that he will not play next weekend??? Or is it that AW needed to play JD so that everyone can have his chance?? In the end if others are not pulling their weight, why should Kozzer??
The pitch itself did not help. I have seen San Siro not only once this year but often every week. And its always like that. Was it done on purpose? Shades of the GG days when he used to waterlog the pitch when Wimbledon came to play and sand it when Liverpool or Manure or a slick European team came to play?? To suit our team!!!!!
Had Sansiro been in an excellent shape we would have passed rings around Van Bommell. The pitch was atrocious on the flanks and that meant we were sucked in the middle where Nocerino (I was impressed by him…..AND I WANT HIM) and Van Bommell tackled hard and got in our faces. Song for all his efforts is only Songinho when those against him are inferior. Put Song against PV04 and the latter would just laugh in his face with the former pissing in his pants. Van Bommell is old, but he knows how to get in people’s faces. I remember once when PV04 and Van Bommell were against each other and it was a real fight. Was yesterday an equal fight?? I even doubt the fact that I doubt it.
Another issue is that we came against the Italian tactical defending system. Had we had proper footballers and leaders we would have stuffed that lot. As it is we dont have footballers but many players and if you have the latter you have to teach them tactics. You do not teach tactics if you have proper footballers in each position. Do Barca do tactics? Of course they do…..but its tactics how to get the better of the opposition. AW tries to do the same but not with footballers. He tries to do it with players. And that is like buying a T-shirt at the £1 shop, stick on a label to make it look as if its a designers’ shirt and go around in it. You may fool people at first, but then when you start washing it after a couple of weeks it shows up for what it really is. A Fecking FAKE.
Are some of our players a FAKE??
Do I need to answer that or you already know it??
I did not want to write another article to the one that Sir AK has excellently written. However I did want to rant.
To the players…..YOU HAVE BEEN WEIGHED, YOU HAVE BEEN MEASURED AND YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND WANTING.
Wath,we have won games this season that we’d have lost over the last few.
I reckon you’re being harsh.
12 months ago, Sunderland would have done us….maybe we’d have snatched a draw.
Aston Villa in the cup…same again.
Admittedly,we will know more in 6 or 8 weeks.
Good morning guys and chicks of the Gunners’ Faith.
Scott……yes we have won games this season that we’d have lost over the last few. But you can also add that we have lost games this season that we did use to win over the last few.
Rico….who’s your choice of manager?
The daily Mirror
Doomsday is looming large. Out of the Champions League, out of the FA Cup and defeat to Spurs – already ten points ahead of Arsenal – then Wenger will be under serious pressure.
But as belligerent and stubborn as Wenger has become, the Arsenal manager is under pressure because they are in danger of slipping out of the Champions League places for the first time in his 16 year reign.
Arsenal are at a crossroads. But with a new centre back to bolster the squad, new midfielder (of the quality of a Mario Gotze) new wide player and support for Robin van Persie (of the quality of Lukas Podolski) they would be on the up.
The money is there. Wenger has just decided not to spend it. This season’s financial figures may be an even bigger embarrassment than some defeats. When they are released, it will only infuriate fans further as to why Wenger didn’t spend.
No fan is interested in an impressive balance sheet. Just results. Fans pay big ticket prices but get small signings.
Vermy was absolute pants yesterday.his positioning was very very poor.he kept leaving acres of space in behind that Boateng/Robinho ran into time and time again.i thought he had learnt a lesson after how Rooney/messi/ibra had tore him a new one on his debut season but i was wrong.BFG may be slow but his positioning at the back is excellent.am starting to think BFG/Kos are our best CBs.
Matt J – because our manager is too stubborn to admit we have areas of weakness and we have a board who allows him to get on with it…
Hi Adam – we are all bound to be a bit angry this morning, i’m not about losing last night but i am livid about the way in which we lost…
Had we turned up and fought for every ball and play like we all know the team can when they want to and still lost then so be it but to think that 90% of our team just didn’t want to be out there speaks volumes…
Part of me wonders if it was AW’s comments about the pitch, were they too frightened of getting injured??
Devil,we are talking about fight here though,not talent.
I ain’t being harsh Scott i’m unfortunately being honest and the truth is we’re very average and we’re lacking in so many departments its scary…!
You mentioned buying the right players and I said your spot on, when you look at the invincibles and what wenger has sold the crap he’s replaced them with is frankly embarrassing…!
Rico, you asked yesterday was Bergkamp right to say what he did, he was spot on, we had no leaders last night, no-one who wanted to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Too many average players and not enough quality, it was like they couldn’t be bothered, had given up the ghost.
Song and Arteta spent the whole first half with their pants down, it was embarrassing, we’ve being crying out for a creative midfielder all season and Thomas Eisfeld walks through the door.
And for once Wenger didn’t defend the team afterwards, how could he.
Rico is it really all him though, i dont think we have the funds they make out that we have, he always going about if i had the money ill get this transfer or that… take the neymar comment and hazard in the pass… something defo not right here!
All the talent in the world Scott means nothing if you got no bollox….!
Of course Scott……but that is only one part of the package of the ideal footballer. Barton has a lot of fight. Put him against Barca and they will run rings around him.
To speak of fight alone is not right.
Talent is part of the fight.
Do all our players have the talent??? NO
Do all our players have a fight?? NO
Do all our players have the right attitude?? NO
ARE THEY FOOTBALLERS??? A FUCKING NO.
Then again we got no bollox and also very few with the talent required as well….!
Rico,the boys were saving themselves for the return leg.
Word has it here in Oz that some tall,lanky Frenchman with a big nose has plonked a tenner on Arsenal to win the tie.
He’s also gone all up with them to win the FA cup,League and to sign Hazard AND Goetze in July.
His big win,though,the BIG gamble,is that both Torres and Carroll will score one goal each in the remainder of the league…..gotta take a risk to win big though.
Seriously Arsene,but Carroll AND Torres……..maybe it is time to go!!!
By the way despite our poor showing how good was ibrahimovic?his ball control was absolutely amazing;he could control a meteor from outer space.his hold up play,spatial awareness was excellent allowing him to link up play effortlessly.as Myles put it had Abiatti made a run ibra would’ve put him through such was the space we kept leaving in behind.the best player imo we’ve faced this season.
Cracking comment devil… morning to you
Rico. We are all livid ( most of us anyway), because this is just another station on the way down the pan. It is just too easy to be wise after the event isn’t it? But I ask again, where are we going? Aren’t we stuck in an unambitious cycle of self- sustaining under achievement? Are we going to lose our best player (again) this summer? And are the season ticket prices going up?
Scott, when I think back to the shit I’ve seen over Highbury in the 70’s and 80’s and seen us get a thumping or get beat, we had teams with no talent very little skill BUT i never walked out of the ground thinking I was short changed cos the players didn’t turn up or put in a shift, we may of been crap and lost but they never gave up they always got stuck in and gave 100% they were simply not that good…!
What i see now is very very different and thats what pisses me off.
Scott, that’s a big ask, Torres has scored a league goal since October, are you sure your not making that up !
Morning Rico. Which comment are you refering to, seeing that I wrote a lot???
W.A.T.H…..i never walked out of the ground thinking I was short changed cos the players didn’t turn up or put in a shift, we may of been crap and lost but they never gave up they always got stuck in and gave 100% they were simply not that good…!
You are one million percent right.
Devil,I responded to one single point……I never mentioned fight was all a player needed,never hinted at it,so no need for the lecture.
I feel we shoudl try something different…
arteta and ramsay were pretty average.
why dont we try this against sunderland
2 deeplying def mids
3 attackers and a striker
scheezny
sagna song vermy gibbs
coquellen arteta
arshavin aoc gerviniho
Chamak.
and we play the long ball game disrupt thier back 4 with long balls to chamak, he is a very good presence in the air. i wont mind us trying this against sunderland
both arshavin and aoc are good crossers of the ball … why not make use of chamak and paly to his strenght…
what milan did is they distupted the cb by playing long balls to ibra who in turn laid it off to the other players … you cannot say that chamaks hold up play is bad… he is amazing at it.. if we get in a few good crosses may b he might just start geting goals for us…
i want wenger to try tsomething different for once. play to the strenght of his players and not stick to one god dam tactic
Shit Scott that bet was pretty believable til you mentioned Torres n Carroll…………………… 😀
So to make it more simple………
In the early 90’s the team had little skill but lots of fight.
In the late 90’s-2005 we had a team with lots of skill and lots of fight
Now we have a team WITH NO SKILL AND NO FIGHT.
Scott
A while ago now, someone made a suggestion to me about hiring a tactician and we have one already, he has an article on afc.com each week, Stewart Robson – i’m not keen on the man myself but…
Re the manager, for me he has to be an Arsenal man, we need to get the pride back in the club and back into the players hearts and minds…
Personally, I wouldn’t want Pep, I’d rather see Keown, Bould, or Adams in the dugout with Dennis Bergkamp….
Did you Scott?? I thought it was over a coma or a full stop or inverted comas or question mark.
So true DG.that sums it all up.
Actually,ambition starts at the top and seeps through the club. It’s the old David Dein story of looking in the bathroom mirror every morning and asking “How can I get a better team?” A bit crass? Yes, but the sentiment is spot on.
Devil, I mentioned it the other day, no work rate, its blasphemy !
Rokabox, That DM article is spot on..
devil – your first of the day
Adam, we are going downhill and fast….
Isn’t Diaby the modern-day Stewart Robson?
Micko,its a deadset goer lol.
Wath,I said earlier i didnt see the game,so can’t comment on it.
All i said was I reckon we’ve won a few games this season we’d have lost last season,and in general,we scrap a bit better…..you’re reading too much into my comment.
We all know some go missing,and some are just missing!
Rico. Only one man can put the brakes on and he’s too busy balancing the books.
Micko – DB was indeed spot on and Paddy said the same last night, how can anyone really disagree after last night, we all love RvP but he couldn’t drag theplayers chins off the ground could he….
Spot on re Wenger, had he tried to defend any player lat night, he would have look a prize pratt….
Wonder what he said to them at half time, the way we played in the second half, i’d say he said nothing!
Adam, Stewart Robson knew when to walk away……or should i say hobble off.
Spot on Adam, the root of ALL evil starts with the Board and thats where the apathy has set in……………
Scott…..if you had seen the game you would have stated that even your under 5/6 players who you coach would have done some basic things better. You would have been horrified at the fare shown. And believe me….we were crap. I tell you that if some of the bloggers here were down on that pitch yesterday we would have made sure to put up a fight……voluntarily because we love the club.
And I would have loved to kick KPB’s in the royals for his scum connection.
Scott, do yourself a favour and watch the game, just make sure your alone with a few beers and an empty house so no one hears you ranting and shouting at the TV for the duration of the game….!
Micko. Cleaners, working at night, have reported seeing an apparition haunting the area around the treatment table. It is believed to be a tall man bearing a strong resemblance to Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch.
Matt J – i think it’s the management as a whole, starting with Stan and it spirals from there…
Look at the Chavs, AVB is getting it wrong, where is Roman?
He’s at the training camp, asking queations, where is our major shareholder?
Back in the States doing naff all….
Usmanov in for me and start again…..
Morning all,
Well written Sir Kev must have been painful i bet you would rather slay a dragon. 🙂
Not a good night at the office for our boys, but we are talking the best 16 in the world and by that display its clear to all that we have been punching above our weight for a while but last night has seen that we have found our level, dont blame the lads, they are not good enough in this company, they tried their misrable best but were seen to be outclassed, we have made our money from the champions league this year, so the board will be happy, and who know’s 5.4 is a possibility ha ha ha ha ha 🙂 but i still have faith COYG’s
Adam, and too far away to reach the pedal 😉
As soon as the line up was announced it was obvious we would lose(maybe not quite so convincingly). Wenger is looking more and more tactically inept, Coq and Ox down the left would have been a different game, the Ox would, at least have been up for it and given the opposition something to think about, instead we get Rosicky, probably to give cover to Gibbs, but what cover did he give??? What did he do all game other than give the ball away?! And why give Gibbs his first start in 4 months against the top team in Italy??? Surely he should have been eased in to build confidence and form, but no he is thrown in at the deep end and absolutely destroyed. To be fair the whole defence might as well of not bothered!!
It was a disgraceful performance from start to finish, probably worse than the Utd defeat because at least last night he had a ‘decent’ first 11 to choose from.
I have been to 3 matches this season, Liverpool at home 0-2 loss, Wolves 1-1 and Fulham 1-1. £50 / ticket, plus travelling up from near Portsmouth all in all the day ends up costing between £1-200, I just don’t see that it’s worth it any more. I know we can’t win every game but this is getting ridiculous. The quality on offer does not match the price the fans are having to pay.
Seriously fucked off and anticipating probably getting turned over again at the weekend. Arsene probably needs 4th and the FA Cup to keep his job.
I’m sulking catch you later.
Buon Giorno tutti Gooner familia,
I’ve just cut out peepholes in a newspaper, to blend my life incognito. Although many words are in front of me I’m still rendered speechless.
Our export product has become appalling fragile. A crying shame. No tactical creativity or awareness to tweak formation and mental presence. Primal instinct missing in the requirements of the modern game. Too much Zwitsal oil rubbing instead of cracking the whip over each other’s back.
Dutch press already suggesting RvP has lost his rooting to the club. And may have texted his agent to find him more fruitful grounds. Only a major spend overhaul of around 100 mln might change his mind.
Scott – do yourself a favour, don’t watch it 😉
Morning SteveP, George Michael sang about having faith didn’t he 😉
Wath,I saw the goals…..that was enough lol.
Fair enough Devil,and I would never attempt to defend anyone not having a go.
Was that at the time he drove through the shop window pissed n stoned Rico….?
As Rico said Scott…..do yourself a favour and do not watch it. go to fish, read a book, spend 90 minutes looking at nature (heck even paint drying) but do not watch it. you will finish banging your head against the wall.
Scott, it’s fair to say you’ll show more passion and get far more upset watching the game on TV than 90% of our lot did on the pitch last night….! That should sum it up…!
Does Kroenke even know we played yesterday?i bet you Usmanov would’ve taken action by now if he was in charge.
Krunkey thought we were in Milan for a fashion shoot KT…..
Those 5000 gooners that travelled to Italy last night should be getting their money back but I suppose there’s only so many times in a season that Arsenal can be handing out refunds.
Most of them would have witnessed the 8-2 debacle first hand.
Micko……me old china mate.
It was only those supporters who turned up…..they love the club.
The players did not.
Wath,I get as pissed off as anyone,have no fear.
There is a difference though……though ive supported the club for over 35 years,I have never had the tribal rivalry(for want of a better term) with other clubs you guys have.
I have mates who are very passionate about Liverpool,Chelsea etc,etc(no Spurs or Utd fans though) ,and we give each other heaps when our sides are winning or losing,but its never so manic as it seems to be with you guys.
I reckon am as passionate as anyone,its my nature,but honestly,if i reckon the guys have had a go and I’ve been entertained,its enough.
For example,the 2-1 loss to Utd hurt,but later on I thought it was a sensational game.
I guess what I’m trying to say is Arsenal means no more or less to me than it it does to you guys and girls,it just means slightly different things.
I need to remember that sometimes when posting.
Totally agree Micko, to travel out there to watch that shit, they should get their whole trip paid for!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/man-of-the-match-against-ac-milan-rosicky
This is a joke right?!
Off to bed now…night all.
Night Scott. Harness the peace of mind from a deep sleep.
gd night Scott.
😆 wath, either that or needed to pop for a wee in LA 😉
night scott…
Hi DG….
Got to go off for an hour or so, catch up later on…
Have a good afternoon….
Scott don’t curl the spine too much. But planking in bed doesn’t do good either, trance tension in the rubber bands will stifle you in the morning.
Come the revolution devil………….
UpTheArse, many of those would had to have taken a couple of days of work as well, that would have been a long journey home last night.
Laters Scott, hello Dutch.
Tiffin time.
I can think of a lot of things i’d much rather do than to sit up till 1.30am writing a post on Arsenal’s worst ever european defeat.
But make no mistake, last night’s failure in the San Siro, should not be seen as an isolated case.
Wenger’s team have failed badly in europe before, teams that contained Vieira, whilst Bergkamp sat at home because he wouldn’t fly, so maybe ‘glass houses and stones’ is in order here from some of our ex-players?
Good Afternoon Gooners btw.
Afternoon Rico.
Thanks for the positive feedback. I did not not enjoy the writing experience one little bit…
Wenger’s record in europe, be it with Monaco or Arsenal, is studded with poor performances.
But it was the lack of fight from our team that was the most worrying aspect of the game.
I know that you have to change your style to suit foreign referee’s, but where the hell was the tackling or closing down?
Arsenal were just so….. limp!
AK The piece brought a bit of balance to brainwash. Not easy to weigh disastrous aspects on delicate issues.
Spot on Sir AK. With PV we even failed on the big stage. So that points to one man only…….AW himself. We have long known that he is tactically inept.
Good post……….and thanks for the hassle you took even though you did not enjoy it one bit.
AK make that limp biscuits. That’s the way our cookie crumbles these days. 😉
Bayern Munich [a] 1-3, ……. 2004-05
Schalke 04 [a] 1-3, ……. 2001-02
Barcelona [a] 1-4, ……. 2009-10
Barcelona [a] 1-3, ……. 2010-11
Sevilla [a] 1-3, ……. 2007-08
Inter Milano [h] 0-3, ……. 2003-04
Liverpool [a] 2-4, ……. 2007-08
Man Ure [h] 1-3, ……. 2008-09
Shakhtar Dtsk [a] 0-3, ……. 2000-01
Spartak M’cow [a] 1-4, ……. 2000-01
Olympiakos [a] 1-3, ……. 2011-12
Yes, Wenger has had a few ‘bad hair days’ in his european travels!
So that’s 12 terrible results in 14 years……
Cheers Devil/Dutch… 😀
Imagine going thru the day, after watching that shower of shite, and not being able to ‘unload’ as we do on here, thanks to Rico…. 😯
Barcelona 2-4 at Wembley, forgot that little gem…
When we get knocked out we tend to do it spectacularly.
Every manger has poor days in europe, and i suppose that we are spoiled a little.
But it’s happened before and it’ll happen again, under Wenger and whoever succeeds him.
UTA, yes that does seem to be the case.
More often than not, if a game starts to go wrong, Wenger does seem a tad unable to do anything about it.
We were also a bit unlucky last night [ no, don’t larf ]….
The first goal was poor defending all-round, from Szczesny’s poor clearance, to both Gibbs and Vermaelen being poorly positioned and set up { Wenger’s fault possibly? ]
The second goal was off-side, no doubt in my mind.
An Arsenal player would have been flagged.
But where was the reaction from our back four..?
Where was the hands-up, shouting for off-side and the chasing back like they meant it?
It all seemed so limp……
The third goal came from Rosicky giving the ball away.
But Vermaelen was unlucky. On a good pitch he wouldn’t have fell over.
A combination of poor play then and bad luck.
If the game had remained 0-2 then who knows. Arsenal may have got a goal back and a more reasonably result.
But 0-3 killed us…
Clueless defending from start to finish, yes Milan did get the rub of the (horrendous) green,but in all fairness they could have scored at least a few more.
I know it’s a hindsight issue but I reckon Mert would have faired a bit better last night.
The fourth goal was again Rosicky fannying about and losing possession.
But the challenge by Djourou, tells us all we need to know about his quality and nous.
I was underwhelmed when i read he’d signed a new deal.
A nice lad, but an average footballer….
But it wasn’t a penalty in truth, so unlucky again.
I guess he couldn’t have done any worse….
Rosicky got MOTM on arsenal.com, WTF!!
Finally Robin Van Persie was clearly fouled in the box with the scores at 0-4.
A penalty and 1-4 would give us a glimmer of hope.
So unlucky again?
On another day, Arsenal, as poor as they played, could have escaped with a 1-2 defeat.
But it was Milan’s day.
Personally i don’t think that AC Milan have a chance of reaching the Semi-Final.
In essence, i think that Arsenal’s poor performance, made AC look better than they actually are..!!!
UTA, yes, i thought that Rosicky as MotM was hilarious mate.
Maybe the AFC.com lads should have been advised to give the MotM award a miss for this game.
An own-goal methinks.
UTA, i know that BFG gets a mixed response from fans on here, and elsewhere, and he has made a few cock-ups.
But so too did Tony Adams, and we lionised him..!
Merts maybe does a bit more organising on the pitch, than we give him credit.
Also a lot of what he does is about positioning, reading the game and thus does not catch the eye like a crunching tackle would.
I also think that Gibbs has a reasonably game, considering the car-crash going on around him and that it was his first game back in months.
Chucking him in cold against Sunderland, could have been risky?
It thought Theo was reading a perfumed letter on the pitch. Talk about horrendous and limb.
AK, I think your right, we made a trully average Milan side look amazing.
To be honest I am finding it very hard to believe that we will be beat Sunderland in the Cup on the weekend let alone finish in the top 4.
Anyone else fed up with the rollwrcoaster ride of the Arsenal this season?
Agree on BFG. Although think Coq should have been given LB for the next few and Gibbs eased back in.I know he is not a natural FB but has has faired well there. Tis all what ifs though.
Can this team get another result away to sunderland? On another terrible pitch? Dubious…..
Gooner sam – truly fed up. The red mist claimed a dinning room chair last night, missus not amused!
Sam, i think we’ll get a draw or get another thrashing…
No middle way i’m afraid…
UTA i hope Coquelin is given a role in midfield up at The Stadium of Shite.
He’ll dig in and we’re gonna need that up there.
evenin/morning all
We have to get rid of some of them, including Sagna. Some make a fuss over him. I’d be happy to see the back of him and 5-6 others
It isn’t working
Hey Lee.
What a great result eh?
Just when you and your Dad needed a lift, the Gunners came thru for ya…. 🙁
Alan MP;
I can understand your frustration mate, but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
There’s plenty of dead-wooders who should be out the door before Sagna…
defenders are crap. People wonder why I like Barton & Shawcross. We could have done with them last night,. One decent striker
Delap long throws to Per would be nice
Oh well.
The board and AW won’t change, you know that don’t you
Dutch, 1.39;
Theo is an enigma mate, when he’s good, he’s very good and when he’s bad, he’s pants!
He isn’t the kind of guy whose gonna do something extraordinary when the shit hits the fan.
It’s a bloody shame, because there’s a good player in there somewhere.
All the over-hype in his early career hasn’t really helped.
Alan MP.
I actually quite like Shawcross as a player.
A different manager than Pulis would have improved him technically, but at Stoke RFU it’s all about kicking the opponant up in the air.
The Ramsey incident means he will never be seriously considered as an Arsenal target.
Barton may have been considered in the summer, if the rumours were accurate.
Despite his habit of courting controversy, i think he might have had a positive effect on some of the pussies in our dressing room.
Wenger might have got into his head and sorted out some of his demons?
Money and agents i suspect, killed any chance of a deal.
Something i think that rankles with Barton and that he greatly regrets, if you read between the lines of what he has says concerning Arsenal since the summer…
Alan MP,
Delap is a bit of a one-trick pony mate…
we can do better than him… imho. 😉
but that one trick brings goals
People, let’s not write off this TEAM too fast.
Our League performance is:
1st 7 games = 7 points out of 21 points;
Next 8 games = 22 points out of 24 points;
Next 7 games = 7 points out of 21 points;
Next 3 games = 7 points out of 9 points.
Or 43 points from 25 games.
If our results are 7 wins 3 draws 3 losses for last 13 games,
Then, total points = 43 + 21 + 3 + 0 = 67 points.
From 2005/06 to 2010/11 season, this is the lowest point to gain Top-4 status.
Therefore, Wenger is more interested to qualify for next year CL CUp ratehr than go all out for FA Cup.
Beat S*CUMS next weekend and we improve out chance to qualify for CL Cup next season.
WIth Kos injured and Per out for at least a month, he cna’t risk Van Persie this week and will save him for next week crucial league game.
Without Van Persie, I can’t see anyone scoring as O’Neill is a shrewd manager and will pay 4-6-0 to hit us on the break ‘cos he realised that Arsenal can’t keep a clean-sheet.
Moreover this demoralised team may very well stop playing for Wenger, saving their elgs and Sunderland will adapt a physical intimidating game to rub our players off their stride knowing Arsenal players will not go in for any 50:50 balls.
Team I may see this weekend?
……………………………..Fabianski
…..Yennaris………Djourou……..Miquel………..Gibbs
………………Coquelin………………..Ramsey
…………………………….Benayoun
….Oxlade-C……………Chamakh……………….Arshavin
Without Per and Kos, Wenger needs to rest Vermaelen.
SImilarly, he needs to rest Song, Van Persie and Walcott.
Plus Sagna had just return from a serious injury and can’t play 3 no. physically intense matches within 7 days.
WHo know, this TEAM will be filled with bravehearts who will not rollover and die at Stadium of Light..like their seniors did so shamefully at San Siro.
Boo! AK, how you manage to write without the histrionics is truly impressive. 😀 I have mellowed down now. No help for it. We were just terrible all around. 😉
Hello, alan and merlin. 🙂 Boo, rico!
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/1552/38/exclusive-de-boer-its-too-early-bergkamp-take-over-arsenal
Boo Agag, just surfin’
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/hawksbee-and-jacobs/blog/2012-02-16/winter-arsenal-miss-david-dein
pressure! what pressure!?
pressure is bird flue, seriously, I am more worried about the swan than football! said the special one.
By talkSPORT
Thursday, February 16, 2012
0 comments
Emmanuel Petit has branded Arsenal’s performance against AC Milan a ‘disgrace’.
Arsenal’s Champions League hopes are all but over after they were crushed 4-0 at the San Siro in the first leg of the last 16 clash.
Speaking to SoFoot.com, Petit said: “This match is a disgrace. I agree with Wenger – it is surely the worst performance of the club in the European Cup for a long time.”
Petit, who won a League and Cup double during his time in north London, expressed his lack of surprise at Arsenal’s inconsistent form this season, citing their haphazard approach to replacing Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
“When you look sloppy and rushed in the transfer window last August – I am sad but somehow it does not surprise me,” he said.
The World Cup winner also lamented the decline of the club since their last trophy win in 2005 and says flops Andrey Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky should be kicked out of the club.
“I wondered what had become of the team that I knew. It’s worse than I thought – and what is perhaps the most worrying thing is to say that the club will not do anything this summer to stop the machine,” he added.
“Some young players are doing nothing to justify the confidence that Arsene gives them. In behaviour, in body language, you can see they are gone.
“Do not hesitate to talk about end of cycle. Regardless of age. It must be said to Arshavin, to Rosicky – ‘Gentlemen, thank you, but goodbye.’ And quickly. I wonder about the future of the club. Arsene must quickly regain balance. Arsenal were a contender, now they are mere participants.”
Surely Arsene can finally see we need change?every man and his dog has said all we have known for sometime?its time we had an overhaul in the team but so long as the board and Wenger remain stubborn nothing will change.
KT, Wenger has just signed Djourou on a new contract and has been reportedly looking to extend Rosicky’s contract…
That’s not the overhaul i think you had in mind mate…!
Arsenal, as a club, as a team, as individuals and Wenger as a coach and his staff, need to learn how to win again after too many years of putting the clubs housekeeping first.
That’s why i disagree with you Merlin, with respect.
The FA Cup IS important.
Too often this club has blown opportunities to win things with this blasted obsession with finishing in the top four.
It is almost endemic now!
Are we a football club, ie winning trophies.
Or an effin Bank, ie finishing in the top four.
I know where you stand.
You know where i stand.
Now i wonder where the rest of you Gooners stand?
Thierry Henry returns to New York after ‘completing the story of the legend’
By Jamie Sanderson
Sport – Latest analysis on the Sporting world –
Thursday, 16 February 2012 at 3:55 pm
Henry pays tribute to the travelling Arsenal fans at the San Siro
They say you should never go back, but as Thierry Henry boards his return flight to New York this afternoon, he can consider six weeks spent back with his beloved Arsenal as a job well done.
“Thierry completed the story of the legend,” remarked manager and mentor Arsène Wenger on Saturday, after his 34-year-old hired help had flicked home his 229th and final Arsenal goal, as the Gunners edged past a spirited Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light.
It was Henry’s third goal in six appearances on his return to English football, coming from just three shots on target, and showcased just a glimpse of the delights the Frenchman had offered before being tempted by Barcelona in 2007.
He left North London then, in his own words, as a selfish captain, who had ordered possession of the ball, not earned it, quitting after boardroom rumblings left uncertainty over whether the club that had made him, would be able to fulfil his ambition of lifting Europe’s biggest prize, the Champions League.
Henry managed to achieve that goal in Spain, but never looked the same player. A switch to America and the exciting New York Red Bulls followed, but still, Henry seemed a man held back, with unfinished business elsewhere. He had always hoped of a return to Arsenal, and then after 18 months of flirting, including training stints and pre-season friendly’s, he was eventually given the chance to secure his legacy by re-signing on a short-term loan in January.
Both player and manager were quick to say Henry would be a sideshow, not the main attraction, but his sparkling personality and talent has driven an Arsenal side down on quality but high on spirit in recent weeks, with a winner against Leeds United in the FA Cup and one versus Blackburn Rovers in a 7-1 rout showing there is still class in his wily old legs.
The news filtered through last week that New York Red Bulls would be exercising their right to recall Henry for their training camp in Arizona, meaning no dream show down with Tottenham, the club he has teased and tormented in his Gunners pomp. As such, his final run out for Arsenal would come against AC Milan, in a competition that had intrigued and frustrated one of the Europe’s golden centre forwards for years.
Arsenal, 2-0 down and sinking, drafted Henry into the action at half time, but there would be no dream swansong. The 34-year-old shouted, waved his arms and led by example, but in the end epitomised the Gunners performance, by trying everything and doing little.
Henry had failed once again to spark Arsenal to European glory, but as he strolled over to say ‘au revoir’ to the travelling faithful at the San Siro last night, the fans who had cheered his every flick and kick, were just delighted to have seen a player who represents everything the club stands for, complete the story of the legend.
The cavalry may be on it’s way !! Let’s hope anyway.
17 shares changed hands this afternoon and Usmanov may be in a position to make an offer for the club ?
16/02/2012 15:11 7 @ 1,575,000.00
16/02/2012 14:45 10 @ 1,500,000.00
14/02/2012 16:21 1 @ 1,550,000.00
14/02/2012 16:19 1 @ 1,650,000.00
13/02/2012 16:35 1 @ 1,600,000.00
10/02/2012 11:31 2 @ 1,400,000.00
03/02/2012 10:38 2 @ 1,600,000.00
03/02/2012 09:03 13 @ 1,400,000.00
To quote Rocky Rocastle ” Always remember who you are, what you are and who you represent”
Every player that ran out onto the pitch last night should take a couple of minutes out and have a long hard think about that.
That’s interesting Bergy. Where did the info come from?
Hi Mick.
Offski for a spell.
Bye Mick. 😉
Kev, a day out at Wembley in May, does it get much better than that.
Evening fine folk, so usmanov has bought a few shares then??
Is taht true, i bloomin hope so 🙂
Micko says:
February 16, 2012 at 5:03 pm
To quote Rocky Rocastle ” Always remember who you are, what you are and who you represent”
Every player that ran out onto the pitch last night should take a couple of minutes out and have a long hard think about that.
Two minutes only Mick???
They need a fecking whole week to come out with answers.
Evening to you all fine folk of HH
I disagree slightly with you AK. True the FACUP is important.
However it is about time that we started putting the Charity Shield as the most important trophy of the season. And it should be a priority every season. Not once in a while.
hi,
everybody is unhappy here.
My opinion: it’s nice to parcipate in CL but we haven’t team for win a title. whithout Fabregas, like the last years, we haven’t any reference in the link betweem the midfield and the strikers. Like a couple years ago, Arsenal football with Fabregas is completely different with him or not. Ramsey is in a wrong position. He does the same of Song,Rosicky, Arteta. He is completely out the pitch. trying playing like we usually do with those players is a mistake. with strong teams that defend well we haven’t solutions. Of course we have more ball possession but we are always out of the game, completely controlle by the other team and completely innefecient.
Catch you later
AK – that’s been taken from here.
http://www.plus-sx.com/companies/plusCompanyDetail.html?securityId=10092
bloody mozilla crashed!
Thanks Andy
Good post AK, shame our team were absolutely spineless,hapless and clueless….something has to give!?! The rot has to stop!
Best player was an 18 yr old sub wtf does that tell you about our squad??? Garbage!!!
Hi Lee, says it all doesn’t it when a 17 year old show the others the way…..
I wonder what would have happened had we played our CC side, no fear sometimes brings glory…..
Just eased myself into Thursday night football by watching the mancs turn over Ajax….that’s if we qualify for the Europa!?!?
The sad demise of a massive football club…..so sad! Still they’re making £3m per home game, ho hum! Wankers the lot of em!
Hiya Rico, 17yrs old makes it even more pathetic!!!
No CL football, no St Tott’s day,no FA cup, no intent in the transfer mkt, no ambition and no RVP…..
WATH summed it up earlier so eloquently… “no bollox”
I thought we’d be enjoying the fact that both mancs are playing on a thursday…. not all so rosy though eh….
Putting myself through it now…. Porto v citeh now! 🙁
Lee –
‘ No CL football, no St Tott’s day,no FA cup, no intent in the transfer mkt, no ambition and no RVP…..’
What have we become…
Fucking hell citeh bench has dzeko and aguero….. Chamakh and Park! Lol
Aston Villa? Everton? A fucking Joke?
Trouble is though Lee,
Stan and his merry men will be rubbing their hands together knowing we got the extra pennies for getting into the KO stage, unlike Fergie who I bet is fuming for football reasons alone….
H ewon’t be think money, he’ll be thinking about what he can do to make sure that never happens again….
Hi Lee.
Chillax. Your sounding like Stan… 😛
Look it’s not life or death but all we want is some fucking honesty and the piss taking to stop!!!!
Bollox to them being on the Citeh’s bench, they’d be 3rd 4th 5th on our starting eleven Lee….
You really trying to make me grumpy 😉
Hello my ol China…..I just don’t like having the piss taken out us lot!
I’m chilled just embarrassed by that effort last night…..
Cheers AndyP, i will have a butchers in a mo.
What a joke of a football club, when we get excited about shares changing hands….
Did someone say grumpy….?
Is that Wath i hear????
Lee my good man, how ya doing matey….. I am so pleased you liked my eloquent comment earlier 😉
David Silva, he’d get in our 11 Rico! : lol:
Hi AK,
Lee’s right though 🙁
Honesty is all we have asked for from the day we moved, now and years after the move, which was all about us being able to compete with the top clubs, we have gone backwards…..
WATH, good evening and spot on comment! 😉
Just Lee 😉 😉
Hi Wath, you eloquent 😮
Grandad…………. Did you say sumfin or were you mumbling with your teeth out….!
We need a time machine….sit AW on it and turn it back a few years!!
Lee, it’s been a bit of an embarrising season tbh.
I not sure where i read it, but someone was making comparisons between the end of the Graham reign when he also failed in bringing in the quality players we needed. And how things are with Wenger now!
Strange how after Graham/Houston went, that Dein went out and brought in Platt and Bergkamp….
Rico, I’ll have you know I am extremely eloquent on very odd occasions…..! very very odd occasions I will add….! 😉
I hope you remembered to get my Sterident on the way home from school Grandson?
I thought Wenger looked a tired weary defeated old man last night……!
Fuckin hell Lou Ferringio plays for Porto!!! 😆
Looks a broken man…. Not financially though!!!
Does anyone have the link to the post made by “angryofislington” regarding AU @ the 30% threshhold?
😆 Wath….
Lee, that’s classic, has he turned green yet and his shirt all ripped 🙂
You know, I’ve always thought ibrahimovic and robhino were shite and last night we made them look Messi-esque!!
All old rich men look sad, lost and old – they are usually worrying about the next divorce settlement…..
I’ll go find it Andy…
Rico be careful with your ageist comments!! 😆
http://angryofislington.com/2012/02/10/alisher-usmanov-and-his-30-arsenal-shareholding/
here is the link….
Did anyone notice this 4 days ago?
Flamini left the London club under bitter circumstances, something for which he blames Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, as he was not offered a contract extension once his contract ran out, and he was snapped up by Italian side AC Milan.
The French midfielder has been hampered by recurring injuries during his current spell at Milan, and has constantly been in and out of the team. His performances for the club have not helped his cause in featuring on the international scene on many occasions.
The 27-year old has not featured at all this season, with a cruciate injury keeping him out of action, and it seems like Milan would be looking to offload the injury-prone midfielder in the summer.
With Arsenal visiting AC Milan for the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League, newspapers report that the Gunners could be willing to offer Flamini an escape route from Italy and make a return to the Emirates Stadium
Read more: http://www.soccerplay.net/former-arsenal-star-to-return-to-the-emirates/18158#ixzz1mZwLdDvO
Yeh with comments like that Rico AK will never talk to you again….
I though we made then look like world beaters last night Lee and in fairness they nothing but an average side who we let dictate the game and who we played in front of for 90% of the game hence the backwards and sideways bollox…. it’s why we had 52% of the game yet did nothing at all with it….!
Rico, don’t worry have just found it, but thanks for trying to help anyway. Just trying to work out how many shares each individual director has in the club. Does anyone have any ideas?
Sorry Lee, a slip by me and i know AK will be offended 😉
Wenger has seriously aged though over the last couple of seasons, wonder if he blames the pitch or Cesc Fabregas 😉
Actually, forget that, he probably hasn’t noticed…..
AK, i did, the thought of flamini coming back revolts, i’d rather Freddie and he’s up for free and… he looks good in CK’s 😳
Get in there Lou!!!!
Bummer thought Lou got one! Good game btw…
Balloteli 50 games 22 goals for citeh….
Andy P, Potter mentioned the number of shares the other day, there are something like 63,000 shares of which Kronk has 42 odd thousand Usmanov about 18,000 and the rest are held by individuals and investments groups…!
You look across Europe what top 6 side from any of the leagues would of put up with AW’s last 7yrs?
http://www.plus-sx.com/companies/trades.html;jsessionid=B559B90D40ED8EE2BF8DD0FD05A30DE3?isin=GB0030895238&securityName=Arsenal+Holdings+plc
Not sure that understand all this AndyP, but it looks as if Kroenke bouught 91 shares from Fiszman and around 80 from Lady Nina in April 2011.
Does that look right?
Lee –
None, just look at what the Chavs have done and how many managers they have got through, and they are soon to see another one go if AVB doesn’t turn things around…
Sacking Ancelotti and getting AVB from Porto cost them £28 Million…..
All our board want to do is save £28million….
He’s either got compromising photos of a board member or on their payroll…..
My 3yr old daughter has just joined me on the sofa from her bed coughing her little self rotten!!
Think thats 9100 and 8000 shares Ak which would be about right…!
Can she play midfield on Sat Lee, get her better mate we may need her…!
I’ll keep her out of the clutches of our medical team….she’ll be ok!
🙁 Lee, poor liitle one, big cuddles will make her feel better….
I’m off for the day guys, catch you all tomorrow..
Nighty Night and stay safe all…..
Cheers Wath, i thought that after i read your 8.35pm.
Bring Bartley back from Rangers i say.
And why your at it Lansbury from West Ham.
Goodnight Rico, you poor old sausage…. 😛
Night Rico!!
Night Rico we’ll try and behave ourselves on here when your gone 😀
Ok Wath, she’s gone, get the beers out…. 😀
It seems Usmanov is def on a buying spree……..
Why would he keep buying if he didn’t wanna take over…? and he’s paying big money for shares as well…!
bollox to the beers AK i’m opening the GG mate…. I bet SP appears now I’ve opened the goose up 😉
Actually it’s a cuppa for me, but then i am at a funny age, so i am always being told… 😛
I’m tucking into a bottle of vino….AK you crack a beer open mate!
Wath, what do you think about the weekend?
Are we in for another calamity or do you think we can recover enough to get a result???
Lee, i had a bit of red red wine yesterday, whilst watching those frauds in Arsenal shirts.
You to Lee, what do think about Saturday?
On my last prediction (2-1 to us last night) errrrr 1-1?
http://twitpic.com/8jwanc/full
Well i thought 2-2 last night…. 🙁
Sunderland will go for the jugular right from the off.
It depends on our back-four i suppose…
A 3-3 draw….
AK, the big question is will we turn up… will Mr Stubborn pick a team to compete and win or will he insist we try to play tippy tappy crap that gets us nowhere on a cabbage patch of a pitch, play a few of the young ones who will be up for it who will get stuck in and who make a difference, if he does that and changes the fuckin formation ( not a chance ) then we could win….. Gut feeling is our bottles has gone he’ll not change a thing and we’ll get stuffed….!
I’m off for the night guys.
Thinking about Sunderland has just made me feel depressed.
Great to see ya back Lee.
Night you Gooners
A sad indictment of how The Arsenal have been declining!!!!!
Night AK, hope Mrs AK is ok!
Cheers Ak take it easy mate,
Just me you and the little one left Lee, best i pass the GG out mate and send you a large one over pronto….!
Amazing how all the ex players are saying the same things we’re saying about the squad and the team eh, good to see we’re not the only ones that see it and think it…!
Lee did you see the article about what Eboue said about last night and the players…? It’s piss funny but also spot on…!
If and it’s a big if WATH….if only someone else could see it! 😉
No I’ve not seen it mate…
I think he does see it…………….. He isn’t that stupid or blind, i think he so stubborn and so set in his ways he just won’t accept he’s wrong and thats the end of it…! Project youth failed, his formation is wrong as the person it was mean’t for has left he hasn’t replaced quality with quality and if he now looks to buy decent players he’d have to admit he was wrong all along it’s never going to happen is it…!?!?!
Porto have really got something about em….shame we’ve got fuk all about us!
Spoke to my pal who went last night…..said he should be re imbursed by the club!!!
Check it out its very funny but also spot on…..
http://twitter.com/#!/TheRealEboue
Based on what we know, SK holds 41,463 shares or 66.64% of the clubs issued share capital, whilst AU holds 18,116 shares or 29.12% from what we know and has been disclosed. Which means that 2,640 shares or 4.24% are held by other individuals or groups (AST et al).
He definitely can’t/won’t change his philosophy as that’s like admitting I’ve fucked it…..he needs to just concentrate on football matters and have a no 2 that has some input into what’s going on!! I suppose we can dream!
Sounds about right Andy P, although AU isn’t at liberty to announce individual share purchases he’s only at liberty to announce when he hits certain percentage shareholdings but also he may have agreements in place to buy withing a set time frame thats given him the 30% already but he’s not actually taken them on to keep under the 30% maybe to see how things pan out the next few months…!?!?
Can’t see him changing either Lee to be honest…………..
WATH imagine if he’d wanted to talk about the game? 😆 very funny and true!!! Sadly!!!
We all know what a clown he was but the fella speaks from the heart and he’s spot on especially about Theo….. lol
We should sell TW & AA and buy hazard or goetze…
She’s back again, I’m outta here thanks for the chat & support, see you later mate, be good don’t give George Goose too much of a hammering!!! 😉
I’ll try not to Lee, hope little one settles down and feels better soon mate,
Take care n chat soon…!
Arsenal’s humiliating Champions League thumping by AC Milan came in the same week that stakes in the club traded at their highest level ever.
An unknown investor has paid £16,500 each for two shares – a price that would value the Gunners at £1.1billion – plus another handful at over £15,000 despite the crisis now facing beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger following such a comprehensive 4-0 defeat.
Surprisingly, the anonymous buyer is neither majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, who owns 66 per cent, nor Russian predator Alisher Usmanov, who wants to take his 29.95 per cent holding to 30 per cent.
Usmanov has an offer out to buy shares for £14,000, but not £16,500, which is £5,000 more than Kroenke’s mandatory offer to stakeholders last April when he took control of the club.
Russian billionaire Usmanov is frozen out at board level. But a 30 per cent holding will make him liable for the Premier League’s fit and proper person test, thus hiking up the pressure on Arsenal to grant him director status.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2102227/Arsenal-worth-1bn-recent-share-sale–Charles-Sale.html#ixzz1maggJPKY
Good morning guys and chicks of the Gunners’ faith.
I thought that the jokes had left Arsenal when Eboue went to Gala.
Now without him Arsenal have turned into a joke.
He speaks from the heart and whatever personality he is I agree with practically all he said. What the guy said is exactly what goes on in the dressing room. Physically he has gone to another team. Mentally he is still in our dressing room. He was being honest with Theo, Song, Ramsey, Arteta and above all with SCROOGE.
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit warned the club need to completely overhaul their squad if they are to start challenging for trophies again.
The French World Cup winner claimed the Gunners needed to sell a host of their star names and bring in at least five established players in the wake of their 4-0 Champions League thumping by AC Milan.
“We shouldn’t hesitate to talk about the end of the cycle. Regardless of age, we have to look seriously at certain players. Right now,” Petit told http://www.sofoot.com.
The 41-year-old, who formed a formidable partnership with Patrick Vieira in his three years in north London from 1997 to 2000, singled out Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, Andrey Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky as players who were letting manager Arsene Wenger down.
He added: “Certain young players haven’t done enough to justify the confidence that Arsene has in them. Walcott – somehow he’s going to have to reach the next stage. It’s been years that he’s been at the same level.
“Ramsey, against Milan, I got the impression it was his (twin) brother on the pitch. In the way they behave, in their body language, we see they’re not there anymore.
“You have to send out a strong signal. You have to say to Arshavin, and to Rosicky: ‘Gentlemen, thank you, but goodbye’. And soon.
“What’s needed is five or six players of real stature, great experience. Players who are 27 – 30 years old at most.
“Players with technical qualities, obviously, but also strong character. A group of guys who refuse to accept defeat, who inspire confidence in the rest of the team.”
AND THAT IS FROM THE MOUTH OF A WORLD CUP WINNER.
Morning all,
New Post is up…
See you there devil…. 🙂