Morning all.
Eighteen years Arsene Wenger has been Arsenal manager, the first eight, maybe nine were pretty darn good eh! Great football arrived, some great players arrived too and those he inherited, he gave a new lease of life to and with it came a few trophies. Then The Emirates came along, top players were sold off and the purse strings were closed tight for good. Yes we have spent money, but never quite enough to make us a Champions League contenders.
We came close, very close in 1996. Just not close enough thanks to a mad moment by Jens and a referee who wanted to hit the headlines…
From what Arsene Wenger has said, I don’t think he truly expects that situation to change either:
Maybe it was more open 15 years ago than it is today. The concentration of the big players in a short number of clubs is much more than it was before.
It is much more predictable today, the outcome of the Champions League, than it was 10 years ago. It is harder to win it, but as well more exciting.
If you make a poll tomorrow and say to people ‘give me four clubs who will win the Champions League’, then 80 or 90 per cent of people will say ‘there are these four clubs’.
I don’t think that we are one of the four who will be favourites to win it, but football is strange – and not always predictable, so let’s first qualify from the group stage and then we will see.
He’s right of course, straight away Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dortmund and of course Barcelona spring to mind, some may be tempted to throw in Chelsea and Manchester City too, not me though…
Of course I can’t see us winning it, either and that’s not me being negative, just realistic and football would have to be very strange for that to change. Miracle is perhaps the better word.
But as he says, football is a strange old game and anything can happen, after all, who’d have thought Giroud and Debuchy would have suffered such extensive injuries in the way they did? Not me and neither would the manager. Same with Aaron Ramsey, none of us can say he’d been overplayed before his hamstring went ping.
All the time we have a thread bare squad, injuries like that will hit us hard and big trophies won’t be won and certainly not this one.
Missing tonight is Serge Gnabry, Yaya Sanogo, Nacho Monreal, Theo Walcott, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Abou Diaby, Mathieu Debuchy and Oliver Giroud. The latter two won’t be back until the new year probably but Ramsey and Arteta are a lot sooner, 4 weeks is the worst scenario according to Arsene Wenger. Theo Walcott will be back in full training next week which is good news.
Jack Wilshere is in the squad but is unlikely to start.
I don’t know anything about Galatasary other than their fans are noisy and hostile and they drew their last match in this competition.
Let’s hope that The Emirates faithful can out sing them and the Arsenal team out plays them.
We need three big points tonight, we really do..
COYRRG’s, go get them…..
Have a great day guys and gals….
Thanks for something with my coffee Rico 🙂 Really is Diaby injured again? I thought he was coming back! You know, with all our injury problems, I was thinking about Khedira the other day. We need another injury prone player with high wages like a hole in the head.
Since Carvahlo looks to be staying at Sporting, a big bid for Schneiderlin at the earliest opportunity would make a lot of sense. Regardless, Chelsea will smash our midfield on Sunday. I hope not, but I expect it.
Pleasure Roger… 😉
Is Carvahlo definitely staying put?
Morning all.
Cheick Tioté wants to join us… lol
Morning.
You are absolutely right Rico, the only chance we have got to win the CL cup is NO CHANCE!
We are poor quality, I’ll prepared, bereft of star players, short of players of any quality and just not up to snuff!
I shall watch the game tonight but I really fear the worst!
We have yet to play well this season apart from the Charity Shield, another cup I know, but totally meaningless in the overall scheme of things!
COYRRGS
Morning rico. house, good post. Roger, Diaby is ‘not quite ready’! What on earth does that mean, he’s had some playing time, played 90 minutes, but cant even be ready as a sub?
Morning Rico, Scott, Roger.
Good read as always Rico..
Is Tiote bring his multiple wives as well? 😉 🙂
Scott my buddy. How was disneyland? A man of your calibre surely is not into fairytales? 😀
bringing*
Rico, good post, tonight should be interesting to say the least. It’s good to see that AW has finally got something right, we are not in the top four, perhaps the top eight for that matter. I must have been ten years to late for the final..lol, What’s the news on Kosser?
Lol Ah… you kinow a midfield of Le Coq in the UCL for a club with our resourcessays it all… then again its just hard-luck maybe. 😛
Ts, we’re you on Ops?
Good morning Disneyland Gooners and tourists from OZ
Good post boss. A bit hard to remember that we have been in it for 18 years and not won it. It hurts
But I prefer the EPL
Diaby injured? LOL
we should pool together and buy him a zimmer frame.
Hey Bt- I am not quite old enough for hip replacement ‘op’ yet? 😛
I was away for a bit and then had some one or 2 issues to sort out so.,..
Last tuesday’s defeat was another prove that I should stay away from live games and do what I do best talk bollox from my armchair…
How are you buddy btw?
WE were good against City Wavy, well, apart form defending… lol
How’s it going Mr Dev?
Ts, fine mate, meant Black Ops, thought the other had taken place years ago…lol
Morning Ts, Andrew, Devil.. Thanks re the post…
Bt, thanks, no mention on Kos by AW so one can assume he’s fit..
Hi Ginge/Devil, everyone else…
Disneyland was ok, but Hawaii was brilliant.
Neither was North London, though 🙂
Morning All
Morning Rico, average post, 😉
: P Miss your humour Sir.
Does selling second-hand dvd’s and designer handbags in the market on saturday mornings count as black ops? 🙂
Ah the sun has just broken through in London Town after a dull and wet start to the day.
Guess I’ll just saddle up and mosey on into town…
Hey Rico, all. Na, I dont think its sure Carvalho will stay put, its just the Mirror reporting that Sporting is negotiating a new contract with him. Money talks, but the problem is third party ownership means that a fair chunk of a sale wont go to Sporting… so he is probably worth more to them as a player… I guess.
Ha, Andrew, if Diaby is not quite ready, whats another few weeks between friends in the gym?
Did you get to see the 50 Police dept in action in Hawaii Scott??? 😉
Did anybody watch Man City play Roma last night? I thought the Italians had an all-in attitude. Their manager is interesting. Isn’t David Silva, superb player though he is, one of the most cynical, spiteful and cheating players in the PL? If he isn’t kicking your ankles, he is throwing himself down, looking for a foul or a penalty.
Morning Kev, you toad.. lol
Hiya Kev……did you get my email habib??
Kev, 30 degrees here today, and not a solitary cloud in the sky 🙂
Lol Scott… sounds fun mate.
I suppose you did not visit the island of O‘ahu to look at sharks in their eyes? I heard those sharks don’t like fosters drinking Aussies’ 😛
Nah Devil, but my dad was over a few years back and was stopped dead in his tracks due to filming.
Ginge, we Auasies have sharks as pets hahahaha
Didn’t see it Adam. 1-1 wasn’t it?
ha ha ha Scott… well you train them well especially those great whites to identify the foreigners.
Any mention of Rudi Garcia gets Syg thinking Yao Gervinho will be coming back with him to Arsenal…
It was Rico. But it was more the intensity that Roma played with that interested me. The looks on the players faces and their organisation plus their willingness to put it in for the team were impressive features. Even Gervinho was charging about, albeit to little effect. But I believe they had a few top players out. I know their manager used to be at Lille.
Adam, attitude goes further than talent, IMO.
I guys don’t show that killer instinct enough.
Our guys….
Scott. I tend to agree. I just couldn’t help thinking about the obvious lack of attention to details and the arrogance of our players when I was watching Roma last night. Our corners on Saturday were really inexcusable as was the intensity and work rate of some players. Every game looks like a feat of human endurance for Arsenal players. Isn’t this new fitness coach supposed to be the best around?
We are just lacking.
That’s a broad statement, but true.
What do we lack?
I can’t even out it into words, but it’s missing, and it’s on show most of the time.
When we get things right, we can seriously match it with any club in the world, but it’s too infrequent.
On the fitness guy…..I’d give him a few months to make an impact, to be fair.
Totti is 38 y.o and he puts in more effort than most of our players… the funny thing is he earns less than £4m a year… a true footballing legend too…
Players like Pjanic who see the game 2 steps in advance should be playing for us but…
we may not be fav to win cl but if we have d right players we can at the moment we are 4 orv 5 players short of becoming a solid team
Adam, just what’s missing from our team then – we don’t seem to have the ability to get at teams or players like so many other sides seem to do against us.
Perhaps that’s not the way AW wants his players to be. I’m all for a bit of attitude myself…
Scott, to me Aw likes to give his forward players freedom on the field… in ordser for that to be effect you have to buy players with football brains and not just players who loo good playing 7 a-side during training.
Our team like our manager operate by reacting to situations instead of being proactively… players like DB10 , Kanu, Ljunberg etc who could read the game well in advance and act accordingly are missing in our squad.
look*
Players should be held accountable, but also show personal pride in their performances.
Sanchez is hardly a lifelong Gooner, so isn’t “living the dream” so to speak, yet busts a gut every minute he is on the pitch.
Others must learn from him.
spot on mate…
AS17’s first touch has gone pear-shaped in the last 2 games though. lol
Rico. But Wenger never seems to set out tactics that could nullify the opposition’s major threats so we can impose our own game as a result. I thought Roma, though with perhaps the lesser team skill-wise, were efficient and determined and their defenders looked completely fixated on not conceding. They sailed on the edge of legality at times but I found them and their manager impressive. Whether he would be on Arsenal’s short list when Wenger leaves in 15 years? Who knows?
Scott. Sanchez actually needs to be a bit calmer on the ball from what I have seen
lately. The guy is like a knotted fist.
Exactly TSGH, attackers need to be able to express themselves. Ok, you have a strategy, but when the moment presents itself, the player is the one making the magic on the fly. Which is why I didnt buy the argument the other day that Wenger is stiffling our strikers. My view, they are just not world class (even if Welbeck is somewhat of an upgrade).
But I dont quite buy your proactive/reactive argument either. The players you mention are just better! And more than that, they had a solid spine behind them.
Get a world class striker, and get a decent spine, then youll see results. Thats ‘all’ that Chelsea have over us.
Adam. I know, AW always says the best way to defend is by attacking, but imo, the best way to defend is by defending and as you say, doing so as if the players lives depended on it.
For me the last time we had a defender like that was in Sol Campbell’s day…
Debuchy looks that kind of player too, shame about his injury, a real shame…
I think he’s trying to hard, Adam.
He’s knows he’s a massive signing, and wants to do right by the club and it’s fans, I think.
Once he settles, he will be superb for us, I reckon.
Again, others could learn a lesson.
Rico, the best form of defence is attack, for sure, but only when you attack with purpose or intent.
Our possession based attack often gives no result, so Wengers theory is right, but we aren’t putting it Into practice the right way.
Sometimes though, when playing against a formidable attacking team you need to defend, pure and simple. You need to keep your shape and break the opposition’s will on the back of your dogged determination and this needs the whole team singing the same song and not over committing. This may be for 10 minutes or much longer but whatever, that is how you win the big games. Wenger has never believe in building a team from the defence though.
That purpose you speak of Scott is also about a kind of directness – players who attack the goal, who are strong and sharp in the box and are starving to score. We havent had that since we lost RVP.
On defence, I feel our general organisation (excluding set pieces) is ok. But we just get minced on a break, or at least when our attack breaks down. No speed and strength in Midfield. We will get mowed down by the speed of Chelseas counter-attacks Sunday, guaranteed. Hopefully we can put in a few at the other end to balance the ledger.
you have a point Roger…
You know I am a protagonist of Aw but to me he is better than he is but is bordering on becoming stale imo…
He switched his approach to more of a father figure in the post 2008 era to accommodate the 16 to 21 y.o he assembled who were living miles away from their family.. understandably..
But I doubt he has gone back to being a manager in the last 2 or 3 years since the average age of his squad increased…
Looking back fans may say the likes of Petit and Overmars were better than the likes of Hleb and Song but the former 2 also failed at Barca just like the latter 2..
The difference between now and then in my view is that football is becoming a level playing field in terms of talent with a very few being elite as compared to in the 90’s where only the ‘glamorous’ teams had the so called super stars…
Our players fail to put in the shift plain and simple…
If you look at AS Roma’s squad with their ‘pensioners’ like Maicon against City’s household names and then compare their midfield of Fernandinho and Yaya Toure vs Keita and Nainggolan as an example, there shouldn’t have been a contest in the first place…
One set of players wanted to rely on their name and skillset whilst the other set probably wanted it more… imho of course.
Depends on the opposition though Scott, try that against City or Chelsea at their ground and I think it is destined to fail. Same perhaps at Southampton which we did last season and we were lucky to get away with a draw.
This for me is where AW is naive, yet other managers like Big Sam etc will just set out to not conceded. They possibly don’t even think about winning certain games, just not losing and sometimes Wenger needs to think the same..
Dortmund at home last season is another good example….
I believe we often attack for the point of attacking…take the shot so we see the purpose of all that possession.
Rico. You know, I am sure, that Wenger has much higher ideals. From what I have seen though, we have played very little beautiful and effective football for quite a while as he hasn’t really adapted to modern tactics. We are still a one-size-fits-all team with lots of little midfielders making it up as they go along.
Night all.
Still on Yank time 🙂
Adam, he’s too old to change now, unfortunately.
Anyway, I’m gooooone now 🙂 🙂 🙂
Roger- to me it is not about strength or height or size of our midfield…
Our midfielders for whatever reason fail to work as a unit when we do not have the ball… whether it is Aw’s fault, I am pointing no fingers but that is our big issue.
If we had bought William Calvaho who imo is not ready he wont necessarily have upgraded us in quality this season; he would have helped us in quality…
My ‘beef’ with AW from June was that he should have bought Morgan Schnerderlein when Liverpool had just bought 2 of Saints players as the backlash from fans would make Southampton not sell when Aw will want to go in with a bid…
Football on numerous occasions has shown size matters not;Ajax in 1996 went to the finals in 1996 with 4 teenagers in Davids, Kanu and were unlucky to lose in the final on penalties against an expensively assembled Juve team of Deschamp, Sosa etc…
A year before that Seedorf, Finidi George and Davids both teenagers won the UCL against world class talents such as Boban and Albertini of Milan…
Barca dominated football recently with only 3 of their players being over 6 feet in their starting squad…
Night Scott
All a bit hard t understand really Adam. Where’s our old manager gone….
I’m off for a couple of hours now, back later….
Nice arguments everyone, I enjoy it.
TSGH, I do agree on Schniederlin, as everyone here knows he was my first DM pic – and yes Wenger shouldve gone in there hard well before Liverpool started buying up the Southhampton squad.
Agree with Scott, that you want everyone to put in a massive shift every game and bust a gut like a band of brothers. But a few things – you need to keep players fresh so they can do that (big squad), you need competition in every position (to keep them on their toes), you need to instil a winning mentality that we are really genuinely working towards success if we bust a gut.
Still disagree about the midfield size issue – Ajax 1995 was a different era, with different fitness levels and style (not the quick breaks for example). Barca under Pep had a massively strong defence and the best attacking players the world has seen in recent times. So its not an argument for Arsenal . Even UTD with their new attacking force are learning the hard way that if your guts in the middle arent strong teams are going to slice you open (Leicester lol!).
Im not asking for an ugly enforcer – Im talking about a natural, determined, well-organised, strong and fast DM, wtih a bit of size and presence about him. Matic for Chelsea is a good example. We have… Wilshere. Terrifying.
Roger- I am with you on the different era and squad depth but you are forgetting Fergie won the UCL and EPL with Carrick and Fletcher plus Scholes and Anderson supporting.
I see no difference between Carricks style of play and Arteta and Fletchers and AR16.. if you add Anderson= JW and Scholes= Rosicky (approaching retirement).
Yes maybe CR07 was the difference but my point is that fergie asks for total commitment… Fergie did not had an Ozil or SC19 type quality since Cantona.
He had a bunch og 6 out of 10 players plus a few 8 out of 10’s like Rooney giving 100% in most games…
asked*
of*
Good argument Tsgh, to be honest I dont know how Fergie got so much out of those average players! (noone else got much out of them since). He was a bloody good manager,respect where its due. But remember too UTD at that time had an epic defence – Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra et al, they were frightening at the back. And teams feared Fergi teams. Another point, is that they had attackers – Ronaldo and Rooney in form in those days banging them in, so teams did sit back against them more. Good teams dont sit back against Arsenal (average ones do).
But anyway, before I have to run, the defensive side to our midfield is not up to it for me, not by a mile since Vierra. So while we can make comparisons with past teams, it doesnt if we pretend everything is ok in there at Arsenal, and all we need to do is try harder. I dont buy that. The guys work hard, they just get ripped up on the breaks, and get shoved off the ball in 50-50s, or concede fouls trying to fight with all they’ve got.
later Rico…
Additionally, last night Keita 34 y.o and Pjanic both under 6’0 out-muscled Fernandinho and Yaya who always looks legged against intelligent players.
Last season in August we beat city 3-1 in a friendly and we beat them again this past August…
Looking at those games and squad used shows that we have the talent and strength when we are fresh and up for it… imo
The issue is that we have 5 or 6 players carrying the team defensively in majority of games and so get injured/fatigued much earlier in the season… whilst as you inferrede other top teams rotate often and their DM/defenders are not the only ones expected to defend unlike us imo…
We claim lets get DM so that the likes of Ozil and SC19 can flourish but other similar calibre players like Hazard put in a shift and are about the same size too…
Final point.. I am not saying our DMers are good but the solution lies beyond just getting a mobile and young DM…
Afternoon Rico and the House.
Just back from a 2 week hibernation, no TV no internet and no English papers, so a lot of catching up to do.
Enjoyed todays post Rico good to see you have not lost the touch.
Looking forward to watching the U18 team play this afternoon, it will be my first sighting of some the youger ones.
Ref Diaby. There is a interview with him on the main web site. Reading what he has to say I think Arsene is converting him into defensive midfielder and at the moment he is not ready to play there . thats just a thought.
hi Rick… good to see all is well.
I am looking forward to u18 game too.. did Hayden make senior squad?
Indeed tsgh, defence is more than being about 1 man.
Hey, I love that you guys are into the U18 games too. I never get to see them much , only occassionally streaming.
Ginge , That is something I have to check up on.
I hear he is training with the first team and I am hoping he gets the chance to play with them .
The team this afternoon is Huddart, Johnson, Oconner Dobson, Moore, Iwobi, Maitland- Niles, Zelalem, Willock, Crowley and Hinds.
Zelalem the only non english player.
Watch out for Willock and Hinds playing above their age group.
Those 2 look promising.. fingers crossed for them.
I thought Hayden did ok against Southampton considering he was the least experienced but played on the lhs of CD…
Off to watch the match…
Is diaby really injured?
Permanently it seems.
If he were a dog……..
Diaby simply has to be pensioned off. He is never going to get back at prem level, the first tackle and hes off. The medical boys must know this, but Wenger is too soft, he will probably give him a pay rise
2-0 Arsenal u19s
3-0 now
4-0
5-0
Who has scored all these goals for theU19s?
We must have a ‘natural’ goalscorer there, somewhere!
Will any of them get a chance? Park didn’t and Campbell hasn’t, yet! Or is he going to be treated like Park and also Gervaise and any number of other non-favourites!
Time Wenger got a grip and played some of the shadow players and see if they could see the lime light! He was patient enough with Ramsey, why not a few more? And he would save the club millions in unnecessary transfer fees!
Win, win, surely?
5-1 final score…
Wavy, 5 different goal scorers…
No natural goalscorer there then! Bugger ! It must have been a team effort, I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing for the youngsters futures or its good for the club! Any way a ripping good result, shall we have the same tonight? 5-1 would be a great result….so long as we are the 5!!!
Team effort that won’t catch on…………
Team effort must be a Dutch thing….Lee
afternoon all!
Who had watched W. Carvalho yesterday against Chelsea?
Totti is a legend like di Natalie (he scores every week !)
Favourites to win the CL? how??’ with this team?
We aren’t favourites to the League too
We haven’t a deep squad, we have half players and one eighth player (Diaby)
Why we didn’t think in Fonte for central back this summer?
not very confidente for tonight…. and I’m not thinking in the game versus Chelsea for the moment
JM- Porto could have lost 6-0.. they were that poor or maybe the chavs were that good. lol
Still not convinced WC is our answer to our DM issues…
The back heel pass from the match official was also will ??? dubious…
Ts, i take it you were in the BVB end last Tuesday?
Afternoon all..
Good to see you back Rick, your break sounds fab. Thanks re the post…
Nice win for the under 19s, wonder if the ‘men’ can do something similar….
Didn’t Chelsea play Sporting Lisbon last night?
They sure did Rico…
I will not apologize for my view that anybody who claims to be an Arsenal fan but would rather Arsenal lose so that the manager may lose his job is not a true fan.
As Rico has said she would never want Arsenal to lose any game is fine and I am very happy that this is her view.
But I reacted to what she had actually wrote and when I used the word sickening it’s how I felt at the time. The reason for this is I enjoy the exchange or views that takes place on this site but I had made the decision that I was going to stop posting and reading any future posts. Maybe I could have used a less emotive word to describe how I felt but that’s how I felt. Now I know that the are posters on this site who hold views that are completely different to mine and would be happy Wenger lost his job. Some of them invited me to stop posting others called my views stupid or moronic others made fun of my use of punctuation ,spelling and grammar let’s call that one the English teacher.
I think it’s fair to assume the the muppet picture was also aimed at me.
Now the English teacher made a statement that I should have known that what Rico wrote was done under the term banter. I am afraid I don’t know Rico well enough to make that kind of decision so I reacted to what was actually wrote.
Just a thought Lee posted maybe Rico’s comment was done tongue in cheek? so maybe he had doubts or maybe not
Bt- last week was the Saints CoC game… lol
Joe, that’s all done and finished, don’t start off again please…
But, for your info, the muppet joke as with Scott, thankfully he is able to identify humour!
I thought so Bt.. So I’m not going mad… lol
Ts, wasn’t having a go at you, this time..lol It was in my head about the BVB game, because two lads living close to me attended. The main thing was, they said their tickets had a bar code, that gave them free train travel to the ground. I thought you could shed some light on this…… Stop going to Arsenal games…lol.
Rico, i started to doubt myself….lol
Yes Coach, I did get your mail and will reply soon…
30 degrees Scott, mate that would slaughter me. I quite like a bit of Pommie weather. 🙂
Speaking as a toad, I have had my tea and have to hop off, lata 😉
Rico I am sorry if you think I am try to kick start an arguement I am not what i was try to do was explain why I wrote at the time.
As for the muppet joke i’av been called worse 🙂
Ha ha Bt….
Radio on loud Kev? 😉
I’ve just said Joe, the muppet picture was a joke with Scott!
Just for the record Gjoe, re-read my comment, I never called your views stupid, what I said was biting the hand that feeds you was, rico lets you air your views freely on here, I assume she hasn’t got you by the knackers !!!
What I wrote at the time
By the way this important to me that you understand this because I respect what you are doing posting an article every day. Keeping a site i enjoy running though out the whole day.
OUCH!!!
Bt62, what with Dortmund, Chelsea and Tottenham, I’m surprised tsgh has time to watch The Arsenal.
tsgh- Porto??? or sporting?
Micko do I have to can I not just take your word for it as for the knackers I would like to keep that a secret
The muppet joke was never an issue
If flamini start,am definitely not watching.if he does not,I may reconsider.Le coq is better than him right now
Joe, reality is, even if I did hope for two losses if it meant the end of Arsene Wenger, it would be my opinion and one I’m entitled to!
Bt, trust me, a big ouch! lol
Do you want the bad news Sukky !!!
sporting my bad- JM
Hi Micko, you seen the team?
Micko- you have nothing but bad news. 😛
Hi Sukky, Gj
Arsenal team v Galatasaray: Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Flamini, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck
As predictable as Adrian Durham on Talkshite… lol
Alex Chamberlain in CM… oh dear…
Hi rico, just annouced on sky news, by the time you get this, someone will have put it up, I’m not falling for that one, Flamini starts, kosser is in and Wellbeck is up top.
OC and Alexis – wow, that’s very unlike AW. Hope that means Mesut in the middle, if so, it could be good…
Ha ha Micko, just tying to save myself a bit of typing… lol
Scott I am sorry I got you involved in the sh*t storm the other night hope you enjoyed your holiday good luck mate.
Joe, for goodness sake, move on….
Tsgh hi good to see you spent the day posting I missed you as for the team it’s the best we could put out with the injuries.
Flamini does start at last but I got this watch the match feelings.aggggggg,I hate Wenger
keep up the positive vibes gj … its always refreshing to read.
In Wenger’s 18 years at Arsenal, he has faced 207 different managers.
Daniel Alves has told O Globo that he will leave Barça at the end of the season and will play in the Premier League next season.lol.
final pay check…
Gedion’s goal earlier…
https://vine.co/v/OmJK25lUeAd
As a mate of mine says “strap yourself in”……
lol… Bt. so you are a joyrider too?
LOL…Rico…
Nastasic was born (28.03.1993) the same day Totti debuted with Roma.. crazy. true legend
Sorry Ts….good one…
Ts, hope your in the armchair….lol
Ng, if you are around… watch Song do his tikka takka at WHU last weekend.. lol
https://vine.co/v/Ou1iEm1vFFL
Watch Wellington Silva against Ath last weekend… impressive.
Commeon boys! Welbeck, Ozil and Alexis. 2-1
O2 O2B O2B A GOOONERRR!!!!
Those videos are doing making me dizzy….
O2B Bt.. 😉
Bleedin shoot!!
Right footed corner taker down the left might be a good move!
Danny boy…..
Nice goal, good stuff Alexis…
O DANNY BOY!!!!!
O Danny Boy!!!! 🙂
O DANNY BOY!!!!
That was a clear red card!!
Jeezz
I am firmly in my armchair.. lol
SC19 playing in the role he did at Villareal and Malaga most times… he’s doing very well there…
What horrid horrid fans!!
Good man Ts,
Wath’s buddy Yilmaz is having no join this evening… lol
SANCHEZ!!!!!
Thoroughly deserved by Alexis…
They need Eboue me think. 😛
Alexis is being targeted it seems…
Silly Flamini!
Is Campbell on the bench?
JC needs to come on after 60 minutes.. we need Welbeck fresh to ‘taunt’ JT…
I hope CC21 drops that playground fouling before saturday… Hazard and Oscar will have him otherwise…
Bt- I never see a performance like this live… ;(
he is Bt…
First time I have seen Wellbeck ln a Arsenal shirt and I can see why LVG sold him.
He will never score goals. What a ldiot.
Ts, it’s the right game for him, now..
Ha ha Rick, strange decision by LvG….
ha ha rick…
this is his twin brother.
Hi Rick, great result for the U19s today…
tsgh 7.17, what’s your point……..
Are we about to see Welbeck get his first hattrick, 23 minutes to wrap it up
Good Evening to everyone, nice night to be a Gooner and happy independence to Nigeria
hi there!
good score at the moment…
Let’s hope so Micko, shame Sanogo isn’t on the bench, even he might score in this game…
O DANNY BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
another nonsense from me micko…
Well played Danny Welbeck…
Chuffed to bits for the lad, I really am…!!
oh yes luznic… happy independence day to naija…
Fuck me!!
what a shift ref…
shite…
How is Melo on the pitch still?
Get Campbell on for his defensive work…
Lord knows Lee!
Or Coquelin 😮
Great save…
Morning all.
Decent result thus far.
I may be a little soft but Szczesny didn’t seaerve a red for that…the first touch was too heavy, and no contact made.
Joe, what shit storm did you get me into?
I get myself involved mate, so don’t ever apologise for that lol
Welbeck looks dead on his feet…
Two top saves Bt, looks good…
Indeed Rico, we’ll be see more of him…
Soon I think Bt… lol
Very soon…lol
Mick, your just a troublemaker, coming on ‘ere upsetting everyone…
It’s enough having to put up with Adam digging everyone out about their punctuation and spelling.
It’s like being at school…
Scott, it’s all your fault, just accept it….
And where’s Wath, there simply isn’t enough moaning on ‘ere…
Good day allround 2 games 2 wins 9 for 2 against. In tonights team there were5 English players , could all of them be in the next English squad. I for one hope not.
Just seen the Welbeck goals, quality…
Especially the third, superb control and finish.
Rick, did the Kids win as well?
Thanks Ginge, happy for Welbeck, something in me just keeps telling me this boy still has a lot in him if he doesn’t relent, great to have him and lovely hatrick, Falcao is still yet to score and Welbeck has 4 goals in 5games…….so much for LVG stats
Scott thanks good win by the team tonight
kev, 5-1
Cheers BT…
Who got the goals mate?
What a shame Santi’s didn’t go in, would have been two 5-1’s 🙂
Zelelam, Hinds, Crawley,Wilock and Iwobi. Kev
Kev, everyone knows I come from a long line of chickens, first sign of trouble and I call for a taxi.
Welbeck tonite has put himself up there with the true greats, only the 3rd Arsenal player to score a hattrick in the champions league behind Thierry Henry and Nicklas Bendnter !
How did Santi play overall Rico?
You ‘ll do for me Mick.
Anytime you need a cab…
Cheers BT…
Hinds has been doing well…
He was ok imo Kev, but the stars were Welbeck, OC and Alexis for me..
All was very easy for the defence until we went down to ten men, then they have to work a bit and at times it all looked a bit of a panic.
A CDM would improve us enormously but we haven’t really got one have we… 🙁
That’s me done for the day.
Great result, pretty good performance too, very good from some… 😉
Night all….
He has Kev, Crowley hit the crossbar and scored a penalty, which he won.
Thanks Rico…
Our defence will get a very interesting examination at the Bridge this weekend.
Thanks for info BT…
Night All
Night Rico, Bake Off time….
Kev I was very impressed with the kids. A good allround performance. I liked the look of Dobson Willock and Hinds but it would be wrong to say they were better then the rest of the team. It is looking good for the season
That’s for tomorrow Bt… 😉
Gone now..
I’ll keep quiet then…lol..latta
Micko, one was a true great, the other just though he was.
There will only ever be one Bendtner.
Kev, I accept full responsibility, as always, and without reservation 🙂
So the first team won 4-1 an excellent result but not as good as the U19s! I knew they couldn’t emulate the children!
The future’s bright………..the future’s I the reserves!!
Wenger please note!
Played really well until Chez’s Rush of blood and even then the defence put in a shift.
Will Sunday be as fruitful? 4-1 to the Arsenal sounds good to me……..we’ll see…….I live in hope.
Kev, last I heard Wath was last seen selling arms to North Korea !
Easy Scott, Bendtner was a legend in his own under-pants or am I thinking of Giroud !!! Can’t be easy being a super star in a bed of roses.
Bring on the Chav’s, nite Gooners.
Night Micko.
Wavy, I hope the fans show some patience as well regarding the kids.
Me too Scott. How many have been ditched?? From Lansbury to Larsson to Senderos? Some good some bad some shocking but all were not given enough support of belief! Maybe if the man management had been more positive then maybe, just maybe some would/could have gone on and become legends……..then again……?
If Santi had not chipped the keeper and gone over his legs would we have got a penalty and the keeper sent off ? Just asking.
Potter, probably not lol
Wavy, we fans do expect results though, and the pay off can be a lack of chances for kids.
Morning all…
Nice to wake up and not have to remember a boring draw from the night before…..
Stop moaning, Rico 🙂 🙂
Just catching the game now…..ok, not the best opposition, but we have spark.
The challenge, and I use that term loosely, on Sanchez was a leg breaker.
Lucky that thug Szcesny was sent off!!!
Me moan Scott, never… 😉
Morning Rico and all. Good first half performance, though Melo should certainly have gone for the two-footed tackle on Sanchez but the ref was not that interested in keeping up with the play all evening. Ches was a bit rash with that challenge and after that they got a bit of momentum and we began to look tired. Perhaps Merson is right about his concentration levels. Ospina did good, but his distribution is not the best. The fireworks were bad and UEFA should take some action. Well done Danny Welbeck. A very nice hat trick.
Adam, I read one minute ago 6 Turkish fans have been arrested.
Damn, the penalty on a keeper for ever so slightly mistiming a challenge is harsh, considering what happens anywhere else on the pitch.
He pulls his hands away at the last second so wasn’t taking the player out intentionally, if at all.
This is where a video review system would help, IMO.
Morning Adam.. Can’t disagree there.. 😉
I agree Scott but a ref that misses the Melo challenge is never going to be consistent.
Glad you had a good time on your holiday though. London next?
Adam, nowhere BUT London for me.
Clear cut penalty for me Scott…
Rico, I just saw it again and the player dragged his legs…no penalty for me 🙂
The body of Ches took him over Scott… 😉
Had their keeper done that to Welbeck, what would you have thought? lol
Honestly?
Play on.
First touch was heavy and wide, so scoring opportunity was gone.
Keeper pulls his hands out if the way.
Player drags his feet to force contact….play on for me any day.
The rule stinks, as compare that to what is a red card anywhere else on the pitch…..it (usually) take a Legbreaker to be a straight red..
That Melo tackle could so easily have broken Alexis leg, absolute shocker wasn’t it…
I don’t believe you re the penalty… 😉
New post up now..
In Melo’s case just a yellow . I thought at the time it was. off , on replay I think he took the hands away but I wonder had he put his hands forward would he have touched the ball ? Ospina looked a safe option albeit a bit short . Not a problem against European sides but a Stoke / Chelsea type sized team could give him physical problems.