Well what can you say about that utter rubbish served up last night. We were truly awful and the performance highlighted exactly where our problems lie.
Firstly, I have to say that Dortmund were excellent, they ran us ragged all over the pitch and as terrible as we were they were a joy to watch. I dread to think what would of happened had their injured players been fit as it was bad enough watching them take us apart at will last night.
They played with pace, power and made us look extremely average! They had a game plan it seemed and it was to swarm all over us from word go. They identified our lack of pace through the middle and they were all over Arteta like the plague and had obviously made sure to put pressure on him from word go.
A game plan, isn’t that novel….. I wonder what ours was…!
I felt sorry for a few players, Bellerin was left exposed and left to fend for himself, Arteta exposed and slow yet should he even be in that position in the first place…. The list goes on and on and on but we all know nothing will change.
We looked totally lost and if we are honest the scoreline flattered us big time. They were guilty of squandering many many chances and in fact when you look at the stats they had 24 shots to our measly 4, doesn’t that say it all. Well not really because their team also covered 119km’s to our 108km’s so that tells you they worked harder than us as well and wanted it more than us. They won all the physical battles, their pass and move football was superb and they looked like a team that knew exactly how to rip us to bits….. They did a very good job of it.
If we look at the bigger picture, this is the fault of one man and one man only…. Our manager…. Yes Arsene Wenger has had years to buy the right players yet we have a midfield full of play makers and technically gifted players most of whom are all below midget height. Yes we were ripped apart at the back last night and exposed badly but what protection did the midfield give to the defence…. Absolutely nothing would be my reply.
We have Arteta who will no doubt get slaughtered by many fans today but is it his fault he is now old and slow and doing a job that is not his real position? As has been said for many years now it’s the same old round pegs into square holes.
Wenger has stated he wants and we need a Vieira or Petit type physical midfielder, well well well and how long have we needed one of those Mr Wenger and what are your scouts doing about finding one…?
I would go as far as to say we need two not just one. Is our scouting system so rubbish that in 4/5 years we can’t find these type of players or has Wenger just been to stubborn not to buy them. We have again just wasted the whole summer transfer window and not brought in what we really needed.
This is not the players fault this lies firmly with the manager and with the Board who think he can do no wrong and back his every move.
They clearly think no other manager out there can move us forward and make us better as a club, well I say that’s utter crap and gutless and fits in with how we play when it really matters.
We always try to make do as a club, we buy a few players but never enough and not what we really need to make a statement of intent or to show proper ambition. We just “make do”…. it’s a disease within the club and it seems as the board like to spout on about being a big club yet they fail to act like one.
I look at our team and we lack basics, we have a weak spine a slow spine and lack organisation. We have Ozil wasted playing out of position and he’s not the only one. DO the players know their jobs, is it drummed into them how to defend as a unit and to not let the defence become exposed… NO! We attack gung ho and a simple lob down the middle leaves the two centre backs all on their own….!
It happens time and time again and when Wenger sees this constantly and does nothing, you have to ask yourself what does he watch and why does he do nothing?
Last night was a culmination of playing a very good team who not only worked on our weaknesses they took us apart by exposing those weaknesses but we had no leaders, no one to rally the team, we looked lost and resigned to loosing only a few showed fight and passion.
We don’t have the right players for the job and for me we don’t have the right manager or board either as they sit and think everything is ok as we’ll scratch through and get 4th place again…!
We as fans deserve more, we pay more than everyone else yet get served up the same excuses and the same drivel year after year after year…. It’s almost not worth moaning any more Β as we can all see what the problems are, yet they never get resolved.
This is my team, my club, I hurt when we get beat. It ruins my day and my week and all because like all fans, I am being let down by the people who run our club and think “getting by” is acceptable… It’s not…! I am annoyed and upset and want to know why we are in this position and why it happens far to often…! People at the club get paid huge amounts of money yet fail to do their jobs properly it seems. When will the fans finally say enough is enough and want action and want the club run properly. A club run that is in a position to be competitive….. We have the finances we have the basis of a very good team we just don’t have the ambition from the top to make it happen.
Last night’s result won’t be a one off… Expect more of the same through the season we have a soft under belly and we just don’t have the players as our manager was negligent yet again in the summer and was allowed to be by the board.
Nothing much has changed the last 4/5 years has it!!
1st
Goonie said “I swear if someone else beats me to first am gonna have a cow. A big fat one too.”
keep your word now Goonie.
off to read the match report.
hats off, top honest post
2nd! Sadly I agree with everything you say rico, good post, except that Dortmund were excellent. After half an hour I thought we should have been 3 or 4 down, we couldn’t even pass the ball to a team-mate. But their shooting was woeful and against some it would have cost them. They soon corrected that and really slaughtered us. Abysmal performance from the very first minute. Fast start eh!!!
Food for thought by the better coach. Back to reading the post
http://youtu.be/KGika1c11I4
Borussia Dortmund U19 0-1 Arsenal Youth U19
Hinds the scorer. 15mins gone
Brilliant post. Exactly how I feel.
Rico….that is the best report I have read this morning. Honest and straight to the point.
One thing I can blame Arteta for. the first goal. He let the ball pass him by with Immobile behind this back.
Wath, that is up there with the best posts ever on HH…
Spot on!!
Guys, Wath wrote todays post..
I said it on the other thread, give this team and all the money we had in the summer to any manager worth his salt and we wouldn’t be in this position again.
so well done Wath. I thought it was Rico who wrote it.
That was Jack Dev, the ball over the top was over Jacks head yet he was still 5 odd yards behind Immobile… Gibbs then sort of chased back yet never got goal side and all Kos did was back off and back off…..
Why weren’t we in for immobile?
I can’t blame the players, just the idiot who stands by them and plays them.
Arteta, Mertesacker are just far to slow to be playing against sides who we all know have pace and energy in abundance and Wath is right, this won’t be the last time we see us get mauled in a similar fashion this season….
What was all that Kos handball about??
rico, morning, the players are not blameless, why could they not pass a ball to their team-mate in the first 15 minutes? Not just one, half a dozen aimlessly gave away to the opposition. To me it just set the tone for what was to follow.
Andrew, They couldn’t pass to each other because they were put under pressure and were getting bullied all over the pitch. No one calmed the players or took control to take the steam out of Dortmund we panic’d and made ourselves worse. They were in our faces and hustling and we didn’t cope at all…!
Thee sooner he goes the better. His tactics are outdated and are easily stifled.
Don’t be surprised he loses to AV. Then what?
My sentiments exactly wath, very good honest post.
Just like to add Wenger’s favouritism irks me as well. Why change the formation that worked last season to one that accommodated 2 players?
and now the inevitable will happen, we’ll beat some struggling outfit and out will come “this is the real arsenal” “finally here we go” and “our season starts here”. Just pathetic, all of it. This crap will sprout from not only Wenger either but fans as well, happens every year.
Great post Rico,
The fans deserve so much better than what this senile old git is giving us. I deserved a much better performance on my birthday!! lol The tension and frustration amongst the fans is sky rocketing and the emirates is going to explode on every poor touch, poor pass and opposition goal. I feel sorry for the players a bit as it does seem like they lack direction, a plan, a leader.
One bit that tickled me “we go gung ho” which is a fair point, we do seem to go gung ho in a sense that we throw players forward but where’s the shots lol I thought it was all out attack on the opposition goal but we seem to throw all our bodies forward with little end product it’s embarrassing. Why can’t Arsenal break teams down anymore? Our shots for and on target are getting lower and lower, there’s no excitement in our attack anymore, it’s all samey, dull and predictable. Shake up in the midfield needed against Villa.
Andrew, for me your right the players not blameless when it comes to putting in effort and looking to change what’s going on during the play but we don’t have enough players with the attitude to take control… The few that got stuck in were let down by probably half the team who all decided to have an off night together.
now he cannot accomodate two players Brad. Jack is injured. So maybe Ozil will go back to the hole and Aaron will be the B2B player.
Sometimes injuries are a blessing in disguise.
I hope AW sees this.
William – the then what is “i don’t break contracts, i will stand by my decision to stay”
wath, every team knows that the best tactic is to get in our faces. We struggled against Everton until they took foot of the gas and paid for it. One day we have to learn to combat it. But we wont and we will suffer again and again.
lol so true Oz
Andrew, perhaps a little but it’s not their fault there was no organisation or leadership and that’s down to the manager….
I was shouting at the telly first 30 minutes! Like Merson said, why was no one geeing each other up like an Adams would have done? Because they were all so bad?
I have the feeling that even if Wellbeck had score, or even two, BD were so much better they could have upped their game.
rico, Wenger didn’t even flap his hands doing ‘The Penguin’ did he?
We don’t have the players to combat it Andrew, teams tried that with Petit n Vieira as well but we were just to strong and to powerful and both were also technically good….! Plain and simple is we just not good enough are we…! The way Wenger going he also going to ruin Ozil…..! Buy a player like that and waste him…. absolute joke…! Then you have all the half wits slagging off Ozil…! To a degree same with Arteta who will get slagged off but if we had a proper younger quicker physical player to play central midfield then Arteta wouldn’t be playing in these games and would not get exposed. Hardly rocket science is it.
Excellent post Wath. Agree totally. I am trying my best not to care but it’s impossible. It’s in the blood. I felt physically ill watching the Besiktas 2nd leg because of the consequences of losing. The trouble is, we hurt far more than the players whose wages we are paying although it’s clear that they haven’t a clue where they should be tactically. I was actually embarrassed last night. I would have been embarrassed if my school team had made some of the decisions the players made! Don’t really know what else to say. When one man can’t see what is obvious to the rest of the world what can you do?
BTW – Check out Arseblog this morning for another great post!
Devil I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Diaby’s game to return. Double pivot of Diaby and Ramsey.
sorry great post Wath*
U19’s now 2 up…………… We should of played them last night….!
Cue the apologies from the players……… embarrassing!
Dortmand 0 Arsenal 2
Hynds with the 2nd after 32mins.
This what the first team should have done last night.
Spot on RIco if u dont buy the right players u suffer in d big stage as we all saw yesterday
It would make a change if Wenger actually stood up and said “yes we were terrible, we were played off the park and I take a lot of the responsibility for this and also we had way to many players who just didn’t turn up tonight… I apologise to the fans”…………
That would at least make me feel that he accepts we were shit instead of trying to paper over the cracks with they were good we were poor defensively…. No Arsene we were shit full stop…! couldn’t pass couldn’t tackle couldn’t create and couldn’t keep up…!
Him admitting that we lack Vieira n Petit just about sums the bloke up when he comes out with that crap 2 weeks after the transfer window.
Now that would be awful Brad. I hope he twists his toe or something again.
As Wath said…..the half wits blame Ozil.
the problem is that OZIL SHOULD PLAY BEHIND THE STRIKER. END OF.
I dont want to see him shunted on the wing another time.he should be the main man now.
The main issue with this arsenal team is the formation(4141). Arsene wants to accommodate both Wilshere, Ramsey and Ozil in the same team. Ozil is paying the price by being shunted to the wings. Doubt moving him to 10 at this point in time will help as he is very low on confidence. There is no giving about this, it’s either he plays Ozil as a 10 or be benched. One of Ramsey/Wilshere will have to give way and be rotated. Ramsey performances so far is akin to 2012(back to flicks and holding the ball too long). 27mins into the match he(ramsey) completed just 5 passes. I wouldn’t blame arteta for the shambolic performance as we had the opportunity to address that particular area in the team and we failed to do so(blame wenger). We definitely need a CB and he failed to sign one after selling TV. Mert should be 3rd choice CB.
Borussia Dortmund U19 0-2 Arsenal Youth U19
Hinds again
If we end up playing Thursday night football, and I think we will, I hope we play the youngsters Wath…
Morning All,
Nice post, rico.
However, I don’t entirely agree Dortmund were excellent. We were rather pathetic! I’ve never watched an Arsenal team that tepid.
Dortmund were running through us as if the blue shirts were mere imagery that muffed into air on contact. Yet,the home side were shooting carelessly from distance when they had all ability to waltz into our 18′. I was hoping their unintelligent shooting would do them in the second half when that mobile Immobile did what they should have attempted more and scored.
Even at that, Welbeck could have completely changed the game for a better result if he probably wasn’t thinking much of what Loius van Gaal said about him. It’s 180 minutes in Arsenal’s shirt and four good chances squandered!
To me, a team can never be balanced if you toy with your DM. No matter how many strikers in your fold, the DM is the real spine of the team. Then your CB …before attempting to build your team. But for years, Wenger continued to toy with this spine and has continued to pay the prize.
You beat me to it Wath.
How rude of me good morning Rico and the house.Great post Wath
How about Jonker and De Kat taking over the first team. They seem to be getting things right.
So we’re spineless…………….. Sounds about right….!
Dev, the bloke as you say is a No10… play him there or don’t play him at all….!
Morning Rick, Don’t be daft Rick, the board are convinced there is no one out there better than the great Arsene Wenger…! They don’t have the balls to look for another manager or other options to take us forward, he the safe bet so they stick with him…!
wath, its rocket science to AW. If he cant learn to zip that stupid looking coat he has in winter, what chance has he got of KNOWING a DF was a desperate need? Just like he forgot to replace TM. Ok, I jest about him forgetting, but why sell till he had a replacement lined up? Don’t other teams refuse to sell until they have a replacement?
Nightmare now he has a new contract, how did it happen?
Ozil’s confidence is probably at rock bottom now anyway where Wenger has destroyed him. He probably wouldn’t be that great in the middle now, another player I feel sorry for. Something like 93-97 assists in 3 years at Real….Wenger certainly knows how to ruin talent.
Too many times now, were hearing players apologising after big games, it,s becoming the norm
and we simply dont want to hear apologies, I,d rather they said nothing.Its, becoming patronizing.
Wether its down to the team or the manager, It simply has to stop, Wengers finished, lets call a spade a
spade.sure he,ll continue to get us 4th place and the odd capital one or F,A cup, but thats all we can truly
expect under he ,s leadership.You,d be foolish to expect any more.The players, arteta as captain does just not
make sense, he should be a squad player at best,if at all. Ozil, ive decided not to give him a hard time any
more,because i have come to the conclusion that he,s just not as good as my mind built him up to be, simple.
The rest is down to tactics and playing players out of form, Jesus christ is this man afraid to bench players,
And the squad is simply too thin on great players and with too many not performing, A long season awaits or maybe
a short season, for that matter. the board have only their selves to blame.For giving this man so much power
for something he owns no part of.
Tai, I agree with you… Welbeck has had 4 very decent chances… He should of scored one last night for sure but also being only his second game I will cut him some slack, he looks interested, he makes the right runs and he gets stuck in. Once he scores one he will relax and score more. He a player the others also need to pick out and use more but last night he was feeding on crumbs as we creates zilch….!
Emma, Aaron and Jack should sit as a deep 2… Ozil in front of them behind Welbeck…. Central midfield all about discipline hard work and communication. For me Jack and Aaron can do the job….. one goes one stays it’s also not difficult and would also give the back four a bit more cover. With what we have available and at the club it’;s surely worth a try they can’t be worse that letting Arteta keep getting exposed by teams driving a bus through the middle of the park every time they attack with pace and power….
Nice post, Wath.
The major reason Nigerian Arsenal fans give for supporting Arsenal is because we play beautiful football…we used to be the best possessive playing side in the EPL and behind only Barcelona in Europe…whenever we lost, it’s never we didn’t play beautifully. Today we’re down to 5th or 6th in possessive play in EPL! Almost every other side in Europe today see the ball more than Arsenal … and worse, we’re still losing.
Can anyone please suggest the reason I can now give whoever still asked me why I continue to support this side?
Andrew, Spot on, In July AW said if TV leaves yes we will definitely replace him, cue Sep 17th, TV wasn’t repalced and we didn’t get a powerful central midfielder… and the walls came tumbling down…. Surprise surprise………….. NOT…!
Devil/Wath
Not sure that people are blaming Ozil but even if you are playing out of your favoured position, you form part of a team and should at least put a shift in and look like you give a damn. Even when the BVB player dived to get him booked he just picked him up with a resigned look on his face. How came other managers such as Moronho (who I detest) manages to get players to pull their weight out of position for the good of the team? (Eto for Inter Milan in the UCL playing on the right springs to mind)
Tai, you shouldn’t need a reason to tell anyone why you support The Arsenal you just do, they your team…….! Simple…!
Morning all
A noticeable difference between the two teams imo, was the difference in size, stature and musculature! The Dortmund players were largely HUGE! They quite dwarfed our midfielders, head and shoulders taller and cart and horses wider! It’s little wonder when a team of their presence presses our little ones , our lot can’t string two passes together, whereas in good king Veira’s day no team outmuscled us! We may have some really technically gifted players but they, being Wenger boys largely nice and lack spite and real aggression.
Size is not everything, as the actress said to the bishop! But it doesn’t half help! Our positive discriminatory policy of buying lots of vertically challenged players is all very well, but it doesn’t seem to help our cause. Buy a big bruiser with good technical ability and I’m sure we’d see a huge difference when playing ‘big teams’.
Wath,
I like the thought of that, Wilshere and Ram sitting deep. One goes one stays. Ramsey doesn’t look as fit as last year though, seems like he’s running less and runs out of energy far quicker. Wilshere showed good discipline against Swiss in a deep role but he’d have more freedom in our system. For me it’s the only way Ram, Wilshere and Ozil will work on the same pitch completely dropping Arteta and Flam from the picture. Will it work? It can’t be any worse than Arteta in there tbh.
Fuck the formations the problem with Arsenal is Wenger!
BobJ, agree with you mate, Ozil hardly ever looks interested which doesn’t help but think thats the persona…. A player playing poorly also suffers, you run around like a headless chicken and nothing goes right, team mates are not making runs, there is no movement so you play worse and then your doing things that are not natural….! If you read his stats he is still running miles… it’s just meaningless miles thats the problem and for me until the players around him are moving and give him options then he will be wasted for us and he will suffer even more. He needs a powerful midfield to allow him to blossom.
Szczesny almost gifted BVB a goal yesterday. He needs to cut out those kind of sloppiness from his game and should have done better for the second goal.
The match was crying out for Roiscky, someone who can break with pace through the middle because of BVB high pressure game instead we left him on the bench
Wath, great post mate, i suggest you save it, because it’ll not be the first time you’ll need this season…..or any season for that matter…
Wenger ain’t going away anytime soon Lee so best we fix what we have at the moment as moaning about Wenger only falls on deaf ears…! Yes he is the problem so how do we fix that…? getting the best out of what we have is a start.
if they don’t score it’s hard to lose – f*ck it lets buy another midfielder instead
A reason to support Arsenal Tai? That’s an odd one to me…
Nickie
The problem with Ramsey and Wilshere playing the pivot is both wants to be the headliner on the front page trying to get into the box and scoring goals forgetting their defensive duties.
I would have preferred Ramsey in the deep lying role (DM)
Emma, why also does a keeper who is 6″5 always seem to be on the floor when people are about to shoot… He never stands up to make himself “BIG” he is always laying down… A very bad habit…! one that needs to be pointed out and “coached” out of him….!
Emma, fuck what they want….. as the manager you tell the players this is your job… Do it…! They are both more than good enough to both play deep and anyone that allows a player to do what they want should not be a manager. That’s their job in the team as said it’s about discipline, when your boss at work says please send an email do you deliver it by hand…? No otherwise you’d get the sack…..! Same thing, they need to be told what to do and stick to it.
Wath, another one who seems amazingly sure of himself, quite why one can only wonder
We can talk all day about players and formations, we know exactly what the team will be sat. I hope the away fans (if any are foolish enough to go lol) give Wenger a really tough time
emma, Szczesny sets me on edge any time a back pass rolls toward him. Coupled with his poor timings when coming off his line, I guess we wont wait long to see Ospina.
My biggest worry is Sanchez…how long further will he go before he drops his incredible work rate and start strolling around like all his colleagues?
Dev, I got you on Wilshere’s injury… however, on current form, Ramsey and not Jack, should have given way.
He made a few good saves last night Oz but the one in the first half from that Makatyrian fella was soooooooooooo lucky, Chex was almost sat on his arse…. luckily the bloke aimed the flick straight at him… 3 ft in the air it was a goal and Chez would of been sat on his arse on the goal line… who teaches him to do that and this no players on the posts for corners does my head in.
Wath – I hear ya mate
Nickie, 12:10 sums us up…. Everyone opposition manager and team included know exactly how we will set up on Sat…. Agbonlahor will have a field day thru the middle…!
Wath
Quite agree with you re Wilshere/Ramsey
That’s why i find this formation(4141) detrimental to the team. There is no way you can accommodate both(Ramsey/Wilshere). Sometimes I think it’s limiting Ramsey’s ability to move across the pitch as he is trying to adjust to the system. We’ve got to revert back to 4231 if we are to move forward. The season is very long so it baffles me why arsene is not rotating instead of playing both and shunting ozil to the wings
afternoon all
Very good post.
mostly are the bits I’ve written along time ago.
With this team, we must be preparing for more 7-1, 6-0,… and be out of the CL, to win the league, the 4th place, the FA cup, the League cup in december.
Ww haventr good players? yes, but we haven’t a team, we don’t play with passion and in happy way, we haven’t Footballer and Mental Health, have a feeling that there is no connection or trust between coach and players, the processes are spending and the coach is amorphous, lives the game to protest with the 4th referee, is not able to infects neither encourages players.
Morning Rico and everyone, nice post Wath, you just wrote it the way I had it in my mind till this morning, I have decided to enjoy the loss, wins and draws, they said if you can’t beat them join them, I am tired and weak from the complains……..if Wenger is blind or daft to see that he needs a Fernando, Fernandinho or Matic years back and just accepted it this week, then I have been more stupid following a fool like him, he plays Ozil on the wings and plays Jack in the hole, tactically he is not dead, he is just foolish and very stupid to see that is a tactical suicide, need I say more? I am tired and weak I want to enjoy my favorite team without complaining win,draw or loose I support the Arsenal and not Arsene
Wenger on Podolski “one of the finest instinctive finishers i have ever seen” Wenger on Ozil “we have brought one of the worlds truly great No10’s” ummmmm
Who is the gk coach?
And how long before Ospina gets his chance..?
If we have 2 in front of the back four surely they get a little more cover…. Aarona dn ajck need to talk and get used to one goes one covers and that allows the other players further forward to flourish… Ozil being the main one… runners in front of him and either side thats what he needs.
Also someone needs to tell the full backs that when we attack down the left the right back doesn’t need to also attack as well when it then leaves only the 2 centre backs totally exposed if a ball is then lobbed down the middle… we only been doing that for years as well… ah but it fits in with gung ho attacking… stupid me…!
Rico
All the players our first team are crying out for will be fielded for the Carling cup haha, how insulting. The great Rosicky, Colombia’s number 1, Twinkle toes Santi all reduced to that. I’d be livid.
Gerry Peyton is GK coach Rico…
Nickie, You say that yet Santi came on and spent most of his time in our own half playing balls sideways…. same with Poldi, these players cannot hurt the opposition in our own half….! They to see our frailties… We all run to the player with the ball to play tippy tappy instead of running away into spaces and giving the man on the ball options…!
rico,
It shouldn’t sound odd. My comment before I got to that is clear and I asked what reason to give to continue supporting a side that has lost every good thing that attracted me in the first place. Well, the only left is that they still play home matches in red and… of course, we still have Wenger!
People who worship clubs they never get the opportunity to watch live on pitches are not truly pinned down by tradition…we choose teams to support mostly based on style of play or consistent in winning trophies. Such ties like families having supported, living in same province, etc, do not hold strongly.
Wenger’s style attracted a lot of fans, including myself, to the club…question is … does he want to chase all he attracted away before leaving?
Morning Luznic…
BJ you are right regarding Ozil putting in a shift. But many are blaming him. just hop on other blogs and you will read it.
The thing is that AW is so arrogantly proud that he does not adapt to other teams. He plays the game in the way he thinks it should be played. And he says that other teams should adapt their game to our style not vice versa.
He thinks that if he gets a lot of number 10’s he should be able to play them in any position he wants. His idea is that of 5 attacking players and 5 defensive minded players who can interchange positions according to situation. He is so stubborn in it that he tries to put Ozil, Jack, Aaron and Santi in the same team if possible. Because believe me….if Sanchez was not available yesterday, those four would have made the AM dept with Arteta behind them. And remember….at Everton, Arteta was more of an AM than a DM.
Wenger did’nt have any strategy. It would have paid off if we came to defend and earn an away draw rather than that performance.
Fuck me , Gerry Peyton still there….
the thought of shoot out football is also ok but if that’s your philosophy then why buy and Man Utd reserve team player though? and yes i know…. give him time
I guess it’s rotation Nickie, hopefully a few will make sure AW has no choice but to play them in the following fixture too and as it’s a Tuesday, plenty of recovery time…
Tai, right now, the cub would be better off without Wenger, and those fans who merely support the club because of him would see better football under a new manager.
To be honest, if fans only support the club because of Wenger, they aren’t Arsenal fans, they are Wenger fans, so whether they stay or go matters little really…
Afternoon all. That was shit -full stop.
I thought the Ox and Cazorla gave us some bite when they came on, but seriously, too many shockers.
I want to see formations changed and players benched.I want a 4-4-2
Ospina (chez was really poor)
Bellerin mert koz gibbs
Sanchez on right Ox on the left Rosicky Flamini in the middle with Flamster sitting back as TR07 does the b2b. We sub both after their yellow cards for Cazorla and Rambo
Podolski and Campbell up top
bench:
Chambers (tonsilitis )
Chez (hasnt kept a clean sheet in ages)
Arteta (villa’s pace will expose him)
Cazorla (not fast enough or strong enough to contain villas midfield)
Ramsey(been poor and quiet last couple of games)
Ozil (v low on confidence -not the game for him, rest him properly)
Welbeck (physical, quick albeit clumsy-he can pose speed later on in 2nd half for tiring podolski on 65 mins standard AW tactic.)
The old goat better pull a rabbit out of the hat at a resurgent ,fast , physical Roy keane g’d up Villa on form
Thanks Wath, in that case, sack Payton as well as Wenger…
Rico, surely that flock, must be getting smaller…..
Yep he still there Bt,
Spot on Rico, we have way to many Wenger fans who think AFC was formed in 1996…!
A flock of blinkered birds about says it all Bt…. π
Excellent post Wath…
You make sense for once… what was your GG laced with? π
On a serious note though, how many times have we talked about Ginter, Immobile over the last 2 or 3 windows? As you said our scouting system is that inept… the all deserve to be lined up and wiped…
As someone who follows BVB 09 religiously, it hates me to say that we made them look very good.
I know ove rthe last 3 years in the UCL they have appeared to be very good but on a consistent level they also flatter to deceive…
Unfortunately it comes down to who are our big game players in the squad?
Fans may question our defensive midfield too but I strongly believe that even if we had PV04 and Petite last night we will still get thrashed…
Kehl and Sven are not fit or bettr than what we have… particularly Sven Bender has not started games for BVb but Klopp opted for him instead of a better player in Jojic to combat our ball playing midfielders and it worked perfectly…
To me Rosicky has to play to get the best out of Ramsey and Ozil…
JW appears to be coming back to form but in my view he epitomises what is wrong with our midfield… tactical ineptness at the highest level…
hurts*
George, I wouldn’t give up on Ramsey, he works his socks off usually but his form has just dipped slightly, but then look at how the team are playing, he’s probably as cheesed off as the rest…
Get the formation right and players like Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey etc, will flourish….
As others have said, it’s about getting the best out of who we have and Wenger needs to just stop making certain players fit to suit his ‘plan’ – or lack of it…
Ts, They played to expose our weaknesses and obviously worked on that. They did it very very well and with a high tempo you cannot take that away from them. We on the other hand went out onto the pitch with our normal game plan… play your normal way…!
Vieira n Petit in last nights team would not of allowed us to get run over like that and would of helped Bellerin settle and get him through the 90 mins as well, we would of kept shape better and offered the back four way more protection.
Maybe the creative ones would then of made more chances..?
All what if’s cos we didn’t and we have what we have….!
You’d think so Bt, but I bet it’s not…
π Wath, sad but so very true…..
Totally agree again Wath re Paddy and Petit..
We really are spineless….
another point as well… as a few of the pundits sad last night, Per’s reading of the game when the ball is in transition is a big worry…
I expected a CB of his calibre to be talking to Bellerin and telling him when to press or drop off but he failed to do that all evening imo…
When Sagna left my big worry was how Per will be exposed tactically on the rhs.. so far, irrespective of match fit Per is he is making some very bad decisions during key parts of games… imho
Per’s positioning leading up to the first goal. I hope Bould and Banfield sort this out asap…
I know rico, but against Leicester , City and now BVB Rambo has looked slower and looks tired ..
Jack has to watch his petulance. He could have got sent off last night , needlessly.
I thought Bellerin did ok, but like others have said -he is too small of a frame and gets pushed off the ball far too easily. i remeber seeing BVB players just holding him off with such ease, it was painful to watch. Dixon, Lauren , Sagna wouldnt have that.
Crazy thinking how Jenks was farmed out…
rico,
Nobody in my country was born with an English club to support…we started supporting English clubs when television started streaming them live to our homes…and mainly from the EPL era…by then Wenger was already the Arsenal coach…the Arsenal playing style was attributed to Wenger…research on my part exposed the term ‘boring boring Arsenal’…many reports credited Wenger with revolutionalising attractive football in England.
So, it’s not my fault that I started supporting Arsenal in his era. My worry is that those great things he did to make the club so attractive have faded away.
I really wouldn’t see why you’re seemingly interested in quarreling with me for stating the obvious.
The players are not the problem. whoever keeps banging about that is barking up the wrong tree.
Its the mentality that the manager instils and the accountability issues.
If the mentality of AW is flawed the team reflects the manager. If the manager is stubborn and arrogant the team will reflect that.
If the manager is accountable to someone then the players will soon find that they are accountable as well.
yes even the groundsman would be held accountable. Ask the ones at the Milan stadium. Milan and Inter changed their groundsman 5 times in the last 3 years.
BVB & Arsenal
Man of the match =O lazy (Ozil)
Our 42.5m man is stand in the match.
Our 35 m man runs .
Per and Laurent open the door’s of goals.
Devil – there ya go mate, spot on
George, perhaps against City and last night suggests his injury is having an effect on him but I still think he’s key to our midfield…
I totally agree Wath in terms of the physical presence those two legends would have brought…
my point as always is that we can not keep expecting 5/6 players to be responsible for our defending at the very top level.
Lets compare how hard Kevin Groskreutz, P.E.A, Mkhitaryan, immobile worked off the ball as compared to Alexis, Welbz,Ramsey, Ozil…
RM won the UCL last season but were still thrashed by BVB a few months ago using the same approach because RM like us have only 5 or 6 players defending…
It comes down to why or how Fergie has not had a DM since Butt or Keano retired but won the UCL and 3 or 4 titles in that time…
Our coach does not demand hard graft from certain players… imo…
I don’t see Rico is quarreling with you Tai more a question of why you would need a reason for supporting Arsenal…..
If your reason was to support them years ago due to the good football you don’t just change now because we are not attractive anymore… That’s called fickle and glory hunting… seems many fans round the world change teams to just support who ever is winning.
Tai, what makes you think I am quarrelling??
I was merely replying to your last comment about fans supporting the club because of Wenger and he might push them away before he leaves….
Those kind of fans aren’t true Arsenal fans, that’s all I meant…
Regardless of who is manager, how we play, whether we win or lose, Arsenal fans stand by their club…..
I may not have a coaching license but the little I’ve garnered watching this game tells me Ramsey and Wilshere shouldn’t play in same team and both play excellently. They’re both great b-to-b midfielders. Playing Arteta, then both and Ozil will certainly throw in confusion we’ve been seeing . Why can’t Wenger start and rotate them according to the strength of the opposition?
With just Wilshere and Ozil…there will be room for Ozil to be effective, just like having the German with just Ramsey.
Please,please send this post to Ivan gazidis at once & ask him to honourably resign as wenger is HIS responsibility because wenger has done bugger all to resolve the obvoious flaws in this squad for the past 7 /8 years!
oy oy oy
The club is bigger than everyone concerned.
I have been supporting AFC long before AW came and will continue doing so after he goes.
I began supporting AFC in the late 70’s and believe me……I saw crappier performance than yesterday. I saw players who were not fit to wear underpants with the club’s emblem on, but I still supported AFC. they did not turn me away. I suffered but stayed. So whatever Arsene does will not see me bugger off.
No manager, however much he has helped shape the club, will be ever bigger than the club. And no player for that matter either.
Those who piss off because of a period in the club’s history are simply that….PISS
Uwot, Think you will find Gazidis works “with” Wenger he is not his boss…. The owner is Wengers boss…!
Tai- AW persisted with Kanu your country man and DB10 for several seasons and then he finally succumbed it wouldn’t work even though on paper they were the most technically gifted players we had….
Those who garner bits of news of the training ground reckon JW is the most hard working player in training and so automatically I guess it makes him difficult to be dropped…
Uwot, Gazidis is NOT AW’s boss!
.. I meant playing Kanu and DB10 together
Ts, Jack was one of the few who really put in a shift last night…. Yes he still holds onto the ball to long but isn’t that due to there being few options for passes the last few seasons…. Again, why do players go to the man on the ball rather than move away and into space giving him options.
Ramsey doesn’t look fit to me and at 80% the fact is we looking for excuses yet it’s all down to one man and one man only. His stubborn ways will never change and it’s always about him being right and showing us that he can turn a cart horse into a race horse and a sprinter into a long distance runner. The team must play his ways on his terms non negotiable…!
Wath,
Maybe because you fail to put yourself in my shoes for once. Of all clubs in the world, I chose Arsenal…why? Beautiful football and winning with it too. Who was in charge? Wenger.
At a point, the winning stopped…I hung onto beautiful football…now both are gone. What is left?
It has become very glaring that Wenger has stalled…why wouldn’t the club get rid of him and save the positive emotions of fans like me, who need a new era to cement their support?
I didn’t even watch Arsenal before Wenger … so, what can I hold onto unless a new manager comes and makes positive changes?
U19’s won 2-0…..
Wath, exactly mate, some day and i hope soon, somebody higher up will wake up and smell the coffee……what, i’m becoming delusional..lol
My team out of the present squad
1st team 2nd team
Szcezney……………… Ospina
Debuchy………………..Bellerin
Gibbs…………………….Monreal
Kos………………………. Chambers
Per………………………..Haydn
Arteta…………………….Flamini
Ramsey………………….Wilshere
Ozil………………………..Cazorla
Welbeck………………….Giroud
Sanchez………………….Podolski
Theo……………………….OX
Is that rocket science??? rotation is the key. And yes…..I would not hesitate to change the AM/Forwards from game to game. Just to keep the opposition guessing. And everyone on their toes.
Yes there are players like Campbell and my favourite Rosicky etc I left out.
But I put those two teams (both 4231) simply to show that if managed correctly each would get to play in their position. AND INJURIES WILL SURELY GO DOWN.
Actually Tai, I have a few friends who live in Africa and are AFC fans so I know your position very well…. None of my friends are suddenly questioning why they must remain Arsenal fans, they may have first been attracted by a player or by the play but they now way past that and they are Arsenal fans through thick and thin I think if you need a reason to support a club there is something very very wrong…!
Dev, that’s way to sensible and you know full well Wenger won’t do anything remotely close to sensible and getting the best out of his players…!
Ts they said Alexis is the most hardworking player in training, he even stays after everyone is gone
Wath,
Call them today after that yesterday’s poor performance and feel their pulses.
I was never attracted to Arsenal. Its in the family. And the first thing that gets drummed into your head is ARSENAL. And the same goes with my son.
And I expect that when he has children it will be the same.
AFC DNA
I speak to them daily Tai….. they are as pissed off as me but none question why they should remain Arsenal supporters…!
Dev,
In regards to Rosicky do you think he’s refused to give up international duty and that’s pee’d off Wenger therefore he’s thrown a hissy fit and gone “that’s it you’re not playing” If so very petty.
Tai
‘It has become very glaring that Wenger has stalledβ¦why wouldnβt the club get rid of him and save the positive emotions of fans like me, who need a new era to cement their support’?
Why wouldn’t the owner and board make changes which would better Arsenal FC and all fans, not just those who chose to support Arsenal because of Wenger, winning trophies and playing beautiful football?
Rosicky and Campbell not getting playing time is beyond me Devil…
I dont know Nick. I am not in AW’s head (heaven forbid) and therefore I cannot throw light. however, I think that he said something similiar that TR07’s body needs to recover after playing two games in a week for the national team.
Imo……and if Rosicky’s body allows it,…….Thomas should play in every game.
Everyone around him ups their game when he plays.
Rico, when the day comes and he leaves, he should have no say, in who his replacement should be..
Rico you dismissed Tai’s opinion because he was indicating what’s right about we Nigerian fans, I was attracted to Arsenal a club unpopular with people here because of Kanu and then we saw how attractive they play and we followed the London gunners like they call them here, years after KANU left the Arsenal followership is still growing but now that Wenger is intentionally running the reason why we follow it looks as if the identity we are known for is fast disappearing, unlike most of you we are not in anyway affiliated to Arsenal so now why do we keep giving ourselves heart break over a club that the locals there don’t even recognize us with, that doesn’t make him fickle, the reply he got makes me feel you guys think its a must to support Arsenal more reason why Wenger doesn’t care about the fans because he knows come loose or relegation you will be there, do that to man utd fans and see their anger, you can’t just change things with the blog alone
Too right Bt, don’t want him involved in anything once he’s gone…
but for the record I don’t support Arsene I support Arsenal and I will just wait and be patient for the next 3 years as all I can do is watch as this great man ends his glorious career by ruining the end himself, he deserves no pity from me, he sold his soul and career for whatever only him knows, I am a gunner through and through but international fans are different to the local ones always take note
Luz, the problem is that is sounds like your supporting a team just because they used to win and play pretty football and that they must win to continue with your support…. Fans the world over want us to win but we will still support them ever if we crap and I was brought up with us being crap. I know many of my friends take the piss out of their friends in Africa because they change teams like their underpants… It’s called being loyal… Support your team for a reason yes but then don’t change just because things are not as good as they were.
If we wont play with speed and skill , we should play with muscle and tactical astuteness. 1-0 to the arsenal if need be….
When is Diaby back ? lol
those who think that AW will not be involved in his successor are surely taking the piss. He already has chosen his successor……..Joncker…..who is academy head coach.
Luznic. I didn’t dismiss Tai’s comment at all, I merely pointed out that if certain fans choose to walk away when we are playing badly or losing etc, then they are not true fans of the club….
I couldn’t care if Arsenal fans come from the moon, if they claim to be an Arsenal fan, they support them through good times and bad….
I forgot that point Devil. If you are right, at least he’s had vast experience at some top clubs…
Dev, what about his mate in Japan?
George, Did you mention the Diaby word…………….. lol
January George, he’ll be our new signing… π
Wath did you read my first comment of the day and the last one before this, you are not talking about me, I support my team through thick and thin, I am talking about many fans who is questioning there reasons and I know Tai is not, like Devil said Arsenal is drummed into his ears from small and I am the only one supporting Arsenal in my family, 14 years of supporting the Arsenal but I am in it for the long haul as I can’t imagine myself following another team, so its not me but rather don’t look at the views of your few friends but the larger fan base in Asia and Africa but not me though
Wath, i think there should be a points system for mentioning Diaby, accumulate 3pts, (1 each time you use the “D” word), and your Binned….lol
I’m from Africa and i started supporting Arsenal during boring boring Arsenal, 1-0 to the Arsenal and Highbury the library.
Why must you question your loyalty to Arsenal because we’re playing crap? I have a friend who still supports Sheffield Wednesday and another who has every local rugby team shirt. The difference is one is loyal to the club he feels a part of and the other supports the winners at the time.
Yes Luz, I am not talking about you… My comment was based on the fact that when you make comments like you made it makes out that others are supporting the team for the wrong reasons….. I have many many friends in Africa Luz I lived there for years and I also know how fickle the majority are who have all followed Chelski, Man U and Citeh over the last 5/6 years… We also have many fans who only followed Arsenal because we won, they are now already following someone else lol
I can see where Luz is coming from new fans attracted to the game and there are no doubt 100.000’s ever year, are far more likely to follow shall we say, a more successful club than align with a permanent bridesmaid. United are a classic example of capturing a market at the right time, Real and Barca are others
no BT. If AW wanted him as the successor he would have got him already. Imo Joncker was bought in to be bedded for the next three season ready to take over. Rico made a point…..his background with successful clubs can testify to that. He has vast experience managing clubs in the Netherlands, and being assistant to various coaches at different clubs including Barca and BM. He was also involved in the Netherlands national team and was also a coach at youth level
my feeling is that at 51 he is well placed to be AW’s successor. He will be 54 when the latter retires
Sad thought is how hard Cazorla worked to defend our lead against Beshiktas to get us into the CL and how that same passion isn’t in the players on the pitch yesterday.
The problem is that Wenger will see making changes as weak and not a vindication of his rather ancient ways. He has set his stall out and he is going to live by the results. I wouldn’t add “Or die by them” in this case, because the owner must be crapping himself if the advice is to sack Wenger. I just can’t see him doing it although Arsene richly deserves it for being so impossibly rigid, backward and it must be said rather boring and unsuccessful. Where is the proof that his ‘way’ is working? It obviously isn’t.
The only positive scenario I can see playing out would see Wenger deciding that he has had enough and going off to try his theories out (for Β£10 million a year) on the 12-14000 fans who regularly turn up for the Monaco games. He is simply out of touch and completely off the pace when it comes to the realities of today’s PL. Until then we will have to suffer a number of defeats, shocking displays, injuries and eat lots and lots of humble pie. We will have the press gloating as well as opposition fans. When dealing with an institution like Wenger common sense goes out of the window and pragmatism takes over. Then, when a new manager eventually comes in we will see if Kroenke has the stomach or the pocket for the fight, because that is what it will be.
Agree Adam, i have stated before, having him move upstairs would be a total nightmare
Exactly Bradster – I wouldn’t even think about not supporting Arsenal, let alone writing it on an Afc forum…
Liverpool was playing Wenger ball in the 70’s-80’s, Swansea and Southampton were out classing us in Wenger ball over the last 2 seasons. It’s not only Wenger that could create slick passing and attacking football. There are other coaches out there who can do the same and better.
Dev, funny, i thought the same as you, once he had began to settle in, time will tell. It’s a pity that’s another few years away…
Crazy this is though Adam, making changes is a sign of strength, weakness is standing by watching everything go wrong and doing nothing about it.
Not only Wenger at Arsenal is guilty of doing just that….
Brad, agree again, especially the doing it better bit…
The board are hard at work thinking how Scotland voting Yes tonight might affect revenue… π
π Ts, but it’s tomorrow… lol
Rico. I agree. That was my point really.
You know me Adam, straight to the point… π
Thanks OZ you understood that perfectly well, Wath which country in Africa did you live in and yes fickle fans are in abundance here they made me hate Man utd and Chelski a lot, big mouthed people
Walkies time for me, so catch up later….
Adam,Rico, this has to stop, he bought time with the FA Cup, he’s fucked that reprieve up, surely somebody somewhere, has to say “enough is enough”. As i watched last night, i was thinking, if that had been Chelski and not BVB, 6-0 would have been a good result….
Top post Wath. Very Honest and Forthright.
This hurts, I was so bullish heading into the match – I feel weak and low after that shambles. Do not know if we will stand up fight, or weaken and get a few more poor results. This could be a Long Season, after i had so many high expectations.
Come On You Reds – Always a Gooner……
I’m in total agreement Bt, but unless Kroenke/Board grow a pair, nothing will change…
TTFN…
Dear me Rico…:D
I am as clueless as the manager I have adored and defended for so long…
Hey Luz,
Spent a good few years in South Africa, also traveled into Bots, Zambia and Malawi.
When I looked at the squad Sep 2nd I though if we were ultra lucky and got away with very few injuries (yes I know that’s just not gonna happen) then if Wenger is thoughtful with his team selection to protect the slower players when we play the pacey powerful teams we could actually compete despite not buying the glaringly obvious in a central midfielder with pace n power and another centre back who is also big strong and powerful. Already two weeks later those two additions that were left unfilled yet again has come back to bite us in the arse…!
nice places Wath but whenever you plan on visiting Africa again visit Ghana, Ivory coast and Nigeria lovely nice places people hardly talk about
The blueprint for the world’s top clubs seems to be that, apart from the obvious Spanish and German exceptions, they become the playthings of the very, very rich. These guys don’t really care about financial losses too much but they are also not overly concerned with profits either. They seem to want to own clubs to big themselves up and play the puppeteer while entertaining their friends. The football authorities in this country have allowed this financial arms race to flourish and our problem is that we have a manager who is morally against those clubs and finds their very existence an affront to his footballing puritanism, a man who seems to be of the ‘old school’, a man who encourages youth and a man who espouses the beautiful game. Well, reality has got in the way sometime during our journey and at this moment we are on a road to nowhere. I would have thought that Kroenke bought into Arsenal because of Wenger and his seeming immortality and when a new manager, not Joncker please, comes in we will see how far Kroenke’s resolve actually stretches. That could be Usmanov’s time.
Never done West Africa Luz, Did Gambia when I was very young on hols with the folks but that was it. I have a few mates in SA who are Nigerian and they are Arsenal mad….! Most of SA are mancs the place is full of the plastics…! They were all liverpool fans 25 yrs ago…!
Too true Wath. But the liverpool fans are still clinging to how good their team was back then. Seeing alot of chelsea fans around now though, not so many Man City fans.
I have a post for you rico. I ll send it on the next interllul. Wait for it. It’s to die for π morning HH.
Goonster
Adamant
Stan. I am looking forward to reading your post.
Are you still sore buddy?? Come on now. He won’t be here forever. Hopefully after his contract ends he ll bugger off to Paris saint Germain. A guy can dream no??
Hehehehehe It’s to die for adam… trust me. I ll probably win a pulitzer (spelling) price when you re done.
Stan. I imagine I feel similarly to many Arsenal fans. It’s time to move on. Anybody who loves the club must feel the same way surely. All things must pass.
Stan. Then I must see it. Send it to Rico and she will forward it to me. π
Exactly adam I don’t let it get to me anymore. I see arsenal like I see a fly tangled in a spider’s web. I feel no pity or pleasure. Not until arsene fucks off. Won’t let that old bugger get the best of my emotions again.
Hahahahahahhaha adam you fish head you. Nope the whole house has to read it at the same time. Trust me you ll be thrilled π
Wath I didn’t realise you belonged to the landed gentry ie toff :P? were you shooting elephants in the safari’s of africa smoking on some cubans…? π
Thank you Stan. π
Hey ginge your display picture is Mathias sammer right??
Luznic stop selling W.Africa. Wath does not do fufu mate… lol
Hardly Ts, Spent some time there when my folks lived there, Dad went over on contract…! I would never shoot an elephant mate, only with a Nikon…!
It is my man goonie..
The best DM in the modern era aside from Frank Rijkaard of course… since you are a dutch man eh yank… π
Only Eboooie does fufu……!
π π Wath… just pulling you legs mate…
Nikon have some very good scopes for hunting rifles too..
Nikon P-223 4-12Γ40 BDC 600 Riflescope with Rapid Action Turret…
ha ha ha Wath; Abebawhore did Fufu before big matches… that was why he was always caught offside… π
Luznic, here is a westerner attempting fufu or eba below…
http://twentysomethingandstarving.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SDC17764.jpg
Don’t do riflescopes either Ts, just a D700 with an 18-200mm lens mate….! Only hunting I do is down the butchers π
No wonder Adebyewhore ran round like a lardarse………
ha ha Wath…
so far you are not hunting in one of the revolution bars at 2:am in the morning wearing one of Davide Icke’s shell suits… π
Evening folks..
Off to catch up…
Goonster – I look for ward to your post….
Fufu is a lovely meal, when you have it with egusi and stock fish then you will be dumping the western cuisine, Wath try EBA or fufu you will like it and Ts I like the Ghanaian way of frying plantain its called kelewele love it
Luz, it sounds like wall paper paste… I prefer good solid wholesome food like kfc, pizzahut and burger king lol
Watch Rico throw her toys out the pram after that comment…..
Ts if you know anyone who wears shellsuits please exterminate them… There are a few bars in Hillbrow you’d like to visit Ts… a really nice little area of Jhb….
Each to their own Wath! π π
Wath there are lots of mans in S/Africa but Liverpool still rules and tells tales of how they won back then but in Nigeria there are only three teams Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester united, I have only seen one citeh fan and I have scouser fan as a friend always funny when I tease him, he loved Luis Suarez and I still don’t know why, there is a popular pundit in Nigeria who has been supporting Nottingham Forest since the days of Brian Clough and he still does till today, TS Adebayor is Nigerian from the western part just like me he only grew up in Togo but he is never the one to tell the truth is he, I don’t like him because I still wonder why he plays for Togo, if he played for Nigeria his name would be spelt Seyi Adebayo what the R is doing in his name still baffles everyone so they poke fun at it like the British commentators pronounces it when he scores adebayorrrrrr!!! what an ass
Top post wath, it’s up there with the best of them, me and you were brought up on pea-shooters mate !
To quote spitting image, I’ve never met a nice south african, to be taken with a pinch of salt gooners !
TEO, anytime you fancy watching the beautiful game your more than welcome to borrow my season ticket at Brentford, at least you’d get your monies worth, fcuk Arsene he’s just a french eating surrender monkey !!!
So pissed off with all things AFC.
rico, you’ve excelled yourself with the painting and decorating, might need to come around and give me a quote.
Nothing wrong with a good peashooter battle Micko…. Kev cheats he gets the catapult out…!
Ah the old spitting image sketch, was piss funny at the time…!
Nothing wrong watching the Bee’s mate either just a shame you can’t nip out back into the pub like the good old days…!
Luznic, thanks for understanding and expressing my point further.
I went out …just getting back and wouldn’t some ignore comments above.
Nobody, Wenger and SK inclusive, would ever dismiss any Arsenal fan who stayed all through the tortuous nine trophyless years with a wave of the hand. If you want to count real modern Arsenal’s fans , count every head that has been there between 2005 to date. But it’s either Rico and Wath chose not to understand or I didn’t explain well enough. I’d never know which is which.
While those years passed and Chelsea, Man U won trophies in torrents, we had reason to hold on, kept supporting dear Arsenal. We have the Emirates and knew the effect would surely take time to pass away. Mind you, in Nigeria, I’ve never met a Spurs fan…Liverpool fans are quite few…just like Man City fans…but Chelsea fans, 70% were Arsenal fans, would taunt and taunt and taunt. As well as Man U fans.
But we stood firm…half of the time my handset rings, the caller addresses me as Wenger or Mr. Arsenal. I was almost certain Wenger would address most, if not all, our weaknesses last TW. I was equally willing to give him one more year to completely balance the team. When he kicked off with Sanchez, I had great hopes…I waited for Khedira to follow but same characteristic Wenger hesitation reared…I hoped and hoped for a real DM and a CB, who doesn’t necessarily need to be a cover…one who could come in for Per or Kos without the team dropping in quality. That’s all I believed was needed to balance this side. Then go for the luxury of a striker, that I believed could have come next TW without hurting us. Giroud’s injury scuppered things but still, Wenger should have got that DM and CB.
But the picture I get here for complaining is – who cares whether you support or not? Perhaps same way SK and AW think about generality of Arsenal fans. Then it’s in the blood!
Yet someone suggested to stay away from home matches…someone suggested white handkerchief etc. We’re all gutted seeing our Arsenal slip away. Then I made the point why I joined and why it’s become almost impossible to see reason to keep on. That demanded friendly appraisal not harsh dismissal. I wouldn’t have approached it same way if you were the one supporting a Nigerian club from that distance.
you call Burger king and KFC wholesome solid food we eat it for refreshment before the main food which is fufu and EBA and to us they are the solid ones……
lol……Nandos here is just to talk over meal very underappreciated though good chicken they always serve me with great French fries……..KFC well we just go there to drink Heineken and Becks we have a different food culture to you lol
Luz, am pulling your leg mate I can’t stand kfc… Burger king the best of a bad bunch and yes at a push Nando’s if starving…..!
Micko, great to see you back. I’ve missed your wit….
Thank you, let me know and I’ll send you a quote…
Sorry Tai, It seems you have totally missed my point and nowhere have i said anything about whether you support or not. Supporting the club we love isn’t about getting a medal or a pat on the back fans the world over have suffered and do suffer when the team is crap all I have said is people that moan about not doing well and why should they support the club really are not proper supporters they will move on to the next team……
Tai, the reason to hold is because it’s Arsenal FC…
Any fan will tell you that…
I knew you were Wath…..but anything to support the lovely delicacies lol and if anyone here meets Wenger on the streets of London do me a favor and give him a slap for me, the heartbreak he is causing millions of fans is not right, rico you are having a quiet day still angry after the lacklustre performance yesterday? Cheer up we might maul AVFC
π Luznic… lmfao…
Micko, what made me think you lived in Ireland?
wath.. extermination? lol
Yes Ts anything in a shell suit lol
I’m going to buy Wenger a shell suit….
Rico, get Ts. to give one of his to AW.
π Bt, good idea….
Bt- only if you lend me your dungarees made from jute … lol
AW needs velcro jacket.. I wonder if he wears an elastic necktie? lol
Ts, i think AW should be wearing a jute and buck wire, three piece with matching undies….
Rico, it’s almost Bake Off time….lol
It is Bt and I’m off there any minute… π
Just had to shut the hens up first… I love life.. π
I’m off guys, catch up tomorrow…
Thanks Wath…
Night Rico….
35 mins gone…….Roma already 4-0 up vs CSKA Moscow and Gervinho is tearing them apart on his own.
yeah we used to make fun of him. maybe AW was beginning to destroy him after all and his present coach has rejuvenated what was there.
Just seen Gervinho goals. I said at that time he was sold we were making a big mistake. Florishing now with Roma
We passed in fabregas because we have Ozil. For Fuck Sake!
yes, Gervinho is fantastic. Last year, was the some and he plays where he wants and where is feeling confortable. In the right place, we can see the best of him and how he can be important for his team.
Besides, recovered the joy of playing.
Why is Ozil being played on the left wing?!!!!!! Β£42million for one of the best playmakers on the planet and then shunt him out to the left wing. There’s so any things wrong with Wenger’s set up, where do you even start.
Gervinho did a better job up front than any of our strikers have to date.
Debuchy, confirms he has a broken ankle ligament and will know on Friday, if surgery is required.
BT. It’s a good job Wenger didn’t buy some RB cover then. π
Adam, there always Belerin,Chambers and le Coc, read a story relating to Lassa Diawara being free and available….
WATH. This Post is such a classic. But again that what been expected from a man with few words that knows realities.
But what was missing in the Post was the SK’ s responsible as owner to listen to the so-called customer’s complaints. He only shows up when there is a Board Meeting, when we won something or when we have to sell a player for big money. I just don’t think he love the sport that much. If he does, he would demand an explanation. Just look at Chelsea owner.
Because why would you allow all these shambles to happen to a club or sport that you love ?
Ah, good to see Mr Foster Grant is back…
Diawara, yeah, that’s just about right… π
Why is everyone talking about Arteta?at least he was our best passer,tackler and committed some fouls to make β Μ₯ΡΖΊ game look flattering for us.What about Ramsey who didn’t tackle,pass or even move,he keep jogging.Right from β Μ₯ΡΖΊ start,we were playing with 10men,even on Saturday we played with 10men.Ramsey shouldn’t be playing now,it seems he haven’t got over that injury and Wenger formation is not helping him.And why did we brought welbeck?campell would have buried those chances even sanogo(lol).Morning house
I agree in parts Sukky. i think Ramsey is off form and trying too hard to be the creator and goal scorer like last season. i think he needs to go back to the double pivot role.
Regarding Welbeck, he hardly got a chance as a striker at Man U so he’ll need time to get accustomed to the way we play and hone his finishing.
We haven’t seen Campbell play as a striker but I do believe he would be very useful as a winger. I imagine a line up of Arteta and Ramsey with Campbell, Ozil and Sanchez in front of them with Welbeck up top.
Sukky, did you miss that great ball by Ramsey through to Welbeck the other night… π
Bradster, I too hope we soon see Campbell play as like Alexis, he’s a worker for the team…
Morning all…
Morning Rico. Surely all this stuff about ancient out-of-contract defenders can’t be true.
Morning Adam. I hope it is to be honest, even if it’s just until Christmas…
Diarra too…
Adam best you dust you boots down!
Apparently Draxler caused Chelsea all sorts of problems last night….
Oops, there goes another ship along the sea….
Didn’t Wenger keep Diaby and bin Diarra?
He certainly binned Diarra but for Flamini I think, then Flamini walked out for free just a few months later…
Good decision by AW eh…
Who is Diaby?
Half man half mattress…..
That’s a generous percentage of man…
Thought he was a French medical exchange student. He’s had plenty of in house training.
Ha ha Bradster..
I have grown tired of casting glances all round the world for better players.I have come to the conclusion that it’s not our players that are particularly bad it’s just that they are a disparate group of disorganised nomads. I am not convinced by the owner or his boards lack of ambition but in truth it comes down to the way the team is coached.We may not have the specialist players that we need and that is down to the manager but we have to work with those we have. We need the George Graham attitude , first lets set about not conceeding and build from there. It worked for Graham and Mee and all the way back to Chapman .”” Lucky Arsenal”” the team that soaked up pressure but scored when they attacked. At present our team is set up to pass the ball and keep possession but really it needs to be more perceptive about where it is passing. We need to work on making runs and people looking for the runs being made instead of taking the easy option and giving it 2 yards to a marked man. We need a pattern something that the players can work too. We need to be organised so that they feel comfortable with what they are doing. At the moment it’s give it away quick and hope someone else can do something exciting.
I think the players have lost all confidence in what they are being asked/expected to do…
Jacks latest comments kind of lead that way…
Yes, I can see it now, Adam in the centre of midfield, directing operations, resplendent in his Gola ‘Bobby Gould’ boots…
I would sit in Club Level to see such a scenario…
Morning All
Morning Rico…
Glad I’m not going to the Villa this weekend.
A fee days ago I suggested that Arsenal would get a draw up there.
Now I’m not so sure that we’ll get the one point…
Can’t remember when I last felt so despondent about the team!
Morning all.
Potter, The conclusion I draw from your post is we need a new manager. I completely agree.
Kev, that is a worry. IMO the away support are the most ardent and vociferous of supporter, when they lose heart you know something ain’t right!
Morning folks, read a piece relating to Draxler last night, he was asked did Afc want him? ans: Yes, Did he want to go? ans: Yes. Why did it not happen? He terminated the informal interview. The questions were asked yesterday in London outside his hotel, another promising career saved…
Lewis, we’ve needed a new manager for years.
Dev- Syg will be having some words with you if you keeping going on about Yao gerv… π
I ‘loved’ the way the special 1’s team were trying to bulldoze their way through S04 last night…
Pelle’ well another AW or should I say the Sth American AW…
Morning Rico and all…
I actually feel we need a coach and Wenger needs to manage.
A guy with new ideas and hands on coaching.
Wenger needs to express his game plan and the coach must train them into doing that.
Yesterday playing for BMAlonso showed again that you don’t need to be a 6’2 franco-African to be top DM if the others around you are wiling to put in a shift.
Alonso was available and was keen to join us apparently but he was too old and not a proper DM and too similar to Arteta according to the general consensus…
Michael Ball-ache another chav dickhead!
Lewis, I did hear that even the away fans are losing faith in Wenger…
Morning Kev..
But we’ll bounce back against Villa… That’s what AW will tell us π
Bt, I read that too, shame it didn’t happen eh, Chavs will probably get him now…
Morning Ts
New post up now…