Said “illusion” being, of course, the possibility that we could still win the league.
Our defeat this afternoon, coupled with Manchester United’s victory of Chelsea a couple of hours later put us 9 points adrift, with only six left to play for – so the best we can now finish is three points off the top.
In truth, such hopes were always an illusion, as we had blown any realistic chances of winning the league with a succession of draws in must-win situations. So we are left with two more games to try and secure third place, and wistfully wonder – not for the first time – what might have been.
We have however, cemented our status as a top four team.
Yesterday’s official arrival of St. Totteringham’s Day meant that we will be playing Champions League football next season. Finishing in the top four season after season is the one area where we have shown the necessary consistency. While I do not want to diminish such an achievement, I do not think it is unreasonable to want more than simply being a top four team every season…
Fresh off the win over Manchester United last Sunday, we headed to the Brittania to face a tough Stoke City side, in yet another must-win situation. The difference in football philosophies and the Shawcross – Ramsey incident from last year’s corresponding fixture added an undercurrent of spite and bitterness. 14 months on, the wounds on both sides have still not healed. We knew what to expect this afternoon…
Arsene named a certain sorely missed but never forgotten Thomas Vermaelen in the squad for the first time since August.
So we lined up Szczesny, Gibbs, Kos, JD, Sagna, Jack, Song, Ramsey, Arsh, Robin, and Theo.
Our bench was Jens, Verm, Squil, Eboue, Rosicky, Chamakh, and Nik.
As usual, we started well, and quickly settled into our passing routine. Stoke, as expected, worked very hard both on and off the ball, closing our players down quickly and trying to deny us time and space. Just five minutes in, Robin had the first real chance of the game after Ramsey played him in; he rushed the shot and sent it high over Begovic’s crossbar.
Just a couple of minutes later, Kos had a chance from the game’s first corner, but he also fired into the crowd. At this point, Stoke had not looked threatening. But, Robin’s chance aside, they had not looked uncomfortable in defence either. Some worrying signs were already emerging for us; the slow buildup, the labored, sideways passing, allowing defenders to get into and hold positions; poor crossing from the flanks, nobody anxious to get into the box.
We have seen these before, and, more often than not, they have portended inauspicious things for our side…
During one of his midweek pressers, Arsene took a couple of minutes to defend our side’s defensive record, reminding those assembled that we have conceded the fewest amount of goals from open play in the Prem this season. Quite correct; however, that is only half of the story.
The other half – which Arsene, quite naturally, did not call attention to – is that we have conceded at/over 50 percent (56, if I recall correctly) of our goals from set pieces. Easter Sunday at the Reebok saw us concede two in losing a game we really should have won.
Exhibit B came just shy of the half hour mark this afternoon. Arsh stupidly fouled Pennant over by the corner flag. The former Arsenal winger delivered the ball into our box, and our defence stood flat-footed, allowing Jones to nip in and actually chest the ball home. JD was badly at fault for Bolton’s winning goal at the Reebok, and he should have picked up Jones on this one. Unfortunately, our young CB was not done with the mistakes this afternoon…
The next ten minutes featured more Arsenal passing for passing’s sake, more indecision, and more reluctance to shoot at goal. We hogged the ball, but Stoke continued to look comfortable in defence.
Stoke then broke out of defence and created a couple of chances, which they couldn’t convert. Unfortunately, they did cash in again five minutes before the break. Jack gave the ball away, and Pennant – who also gave us problems during the February 1-0 win over Stoke at the Ems – was allowed to run in unchallenged on our goal. JD belatedly tried to get across, but his weak blocking effort only succeeded in deflecting Pennant’s shot over Szczesny and into our net. This time, JD was let down by the rest of the side, who stood off and watched Pennant run through…
Stoke should have wrapped things up less than a minute later, Walters slipping past Sagna to crash a shot off the crossbar. We tried to respond and earned a corner in the last minute of stoppage time. Arsh took it, but nobody was home and the whistle went a moment later.
We had lots of possession and little else, other than a 0-2 deficit and a sorry statistic of no shots on goal. Begovic, unfortunately, was not the first goalkeeper to enjoy 45 minutes with nothing to do against us.
Our players’ collective performance suggested a lack of urgency; if this was actually the case, Arsene certainly knew how desperate things were. He took the unprecedented (in recent memory) move of making a non-injury enforced double switch at halftime. Off came Ramsey (who didn’t have a great game returning to a ground with such unpleasant memories for him) and Arsh (who had a poor game), and two forwards – Chamakh and Nik, came on in their places.
This required an adjustment of player roles, so Robin moved from center forward to the hole supporting the forward striker (al la Cesc), Chamakh moved into Robin’s central position, and Nik took Arsh’s wide support position.
No matter, as Stoke was inches from adding a third just a couple of minutes in. They won a corner, Pennant delivered a dangerous ball into the box, and Huth beat everyone to it, heading just over the crossbar. Huth was then involved in handbags with Song, before limping off with a possible knee injury (separate incident) just a couple of minutes later. We seemed to wake up a bit after Faye replaced Huth and Nik shot narrowly wide after good work from Robin.
Chamakh then had a sniff, but screwed his shot badly wide – the guy who wears number 29 for us now looks nothing like the player who scored several vital goals as a lone striker in the first few months of the season. That miss was virtually his only contribution, and he looks a shell of the player, in both form and confidence, who was so important at the start of the season.
Just prior to the hour mark, Robin finally forced Begovic into his first save of the match, with a weak effort. As the minutes went by without a breakthrough looking any closer, a spiteful undercurrent began to show itself in our play.
First Nik earned a yellow for a clumsy and unnecessary challenge on Pennant. Then Jack went in on Pennant studs-up, both players earning cautions for the challenge and aftermath. Pennant and Stoke were perfectly justified – in my opinion – to be angry at Jack’s challenge.
I love that he hates losing and is willing to fight, but this was petulant and borne of frustration; frustration that Stoke were comfortably out playing us and that we couldn’t get anything going. Stoke were not dirty by any stretch of the imagination. They were up for it, played their football and were pretty thoroughly beating us…
While I never want us to meekly lose like we did today, we should still be above this sort of thing…
Pulis withdrew Pennant shortly after, sensibly not want to risk him getting hurt, another yellow or worse, as it had become quite heated out there. With 15 minutes left, we had to go for broke, and Robin had a close range chance, but hesitated and Begovic was able to save at his feet – we really should have pulled one back there.
We forced a series of corners, but were never able to put in a delivery good enough to fashion a chance. Stoke patiently defended and looked for a chance to counter; one such opportunity came when Whelan was put through, but Szczesny tipped the ball around the post.
We were finally showing the necessary urgency and with ten minutes remaining, we wasted an even better chance to pull a goal back. Sagna crossed, Begovic panicked and Robin shot over an empty net from a couple of yards out. Begovic was not the only one who panicked, as our number ten simply rushed his shot when he had time to set and tuck it away.
Arsene made his final substitution, with Rosicky replacing Song. Just a minute later, we finally got on the score sheet, with Robin starting and finishing the move, firing under Begovic to halve the deficit. Ten minutes plus stoppage time – and Huth had required a few minutes treatment – there was still time to get something from this, if not win it and keep our flickering hopes alive.
Sadly, another defensive mistake put paid to any of that, and it was the hapless JD who undid the hope less than a minute after the restart. He rushed a clearance, sending it straight to Walters, who promptly put it into our net.
Game, set, match, season…
The players knew it was done. Heads dropped and Stoke let us have the ball and concentrated on holding their lead. There were four minutes of stoppage time, but the only chance we had was from Nik, who forced Begovic to save deep into the added time. But Stoke saw this out with little difficulty…Halsey’s full-time whistle put us out of our misery.
Before I discuss Arsenal, I wish to give due credit to Stoke City FC and manager Tony Pulis. They were better than us today, better in every area other than time of possession.
We were the side third in the table, still with a glimmer of hope that we could win the title. Stoke came in already booked in next week’s FA Cup final, and comfortable in mid-table (now in eighth place). European football looks likely for them as well, regardless of the result next weekend at Wembley; Man City are on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League, which would mean an automatic Europa Cup slot for Stoke, win or lose the FA Cup final.
With that final next week, surely it was in Pulis’ interests to take no chances for that match and rest key players in this (relatively) less-important league fixture. With all that considered, why were Stoke the team that showed urgency and clearly wanted this more?
Why indeed? Fine work by Pulis and his team, playing this straight-up and getting a fully deserved win. There is a lesson in this for our players…
So ends a very difficult week for Arsenal Football Club. Seven days ago, we were celebrating a well-deserved win over Manchester United, hoping that perhaps we could still do something this season. Now, amidst the wreckage of another loss, a week of bitterness and frustration over the rise in ticket prices, and more speculation over potential sales of Cesc and Samir, we wonder what next….
We have two games remaining: home against Aston Villa, away against Fulham. We have secured champions league football and a top four finish, so what is left? I still think we should try and finish as high as we can, but will our players? Based on today’s listless, rudderless, insipid performance, I don’t really know…
I am greatly concerned for one Johan Djourou. Through much of the season, he was one of our best players, providing stability and solidity in defence. Two of his last three matches, however, have been frankly atrocious performances. Perhaps it would be in his interests to drop him for these last two games, get him out of the firing line, and let him rest and then get back to work on correcting what has gone so wrong in these past couple of matches.
Then again, it would be completely wrong to single just JD out when so many others underperformed today. I will give Ramsey a pass, as he still looked short of fitness and understandably seems to have some personal demons at this ground. Otherwise, Szczesny, Jack and Robin looked the only players who really tried to turn things around. We had too many others as passengers, and not for the first time. Kinda hard to win matches when three are carrying eight.
Arsene was understandably resigned and deflated afterward. There was nothing about calls going against us, about Stoke kicking us off the pitch, about “giving everything” and “lacking sharpness”. No need at all, because none of those things were true. The truth is that the team collectively hid when we needed them to stand up and be counted, as men. You know this, I know this, and Arsene knows this…
Arsene instead conceded “something has gone” from the team and that we “didn’t compete” today. As always, his words can be interpreted in more than one way, but I think the inference that we lack something is unavoidable. I have no doubt that he knows what are problems are and knows the underlying causes. However you look at it, this is his team, and these are his players. If they have let him down, the proverbial buck still stops with him.
The big question, going forward, will be what he does about it?
I allow myself a wry chuckle as I read the rampant speculation about how selling players x, y, and z while bringing players a, b, and c will cure all our ills. There is something to be said for the argument that our squad may need some freshening up but I also think that the current collection of players we have are good enough to win the league, domestic cups, and possibly more.
One key – again, in my opinion – is devising a way to play that highlights the strengths of as many players as possible, not just Cesc and Robin. That is easier said than done – but I don’t think it is impossible…
That is just one thing I have been pondering – this and the others are for another post on another day. I’ll just say that I don’t think we are far away (from dominating the league and becoming a real force in Europe) at all, and I think we already have much of the squad in place.
I think Arsene can make this happen by compromising on some of his principles, both in man-management, team structure and playing style. Whether he does anything or nothing will dictate much of what happens in next and subsequent seasons.
AstonVilla at home on Sunday, away at Fulham the following Sunday and then into a summer full of questions.
Nothing left to play for other than champions league seeding, so how about we go out and win for winning’s sake?
Written by Oliver
Morning all, good write up oliver, thanks…
I wish I had your belief in this current crop, imho they are nowhere near good enough to win anything right now, the balance is all wrong, the tactics are all wrong and our two so called big strikers are rubbish..
And, the desire to win is just not there when we play sides like Stoke – we didnt seem to have half the will to win as they did…
Difference again is they are a ‘team’ just like Birmingham in the CC Final, we however are just a group of players…..
Morning all,
Blinding write up as usual Oliver.
Just thought I’d say morning I’m speechless
Morning peeps, my sentiments entirely Steve!
And mine….
Be glad when the season is over now, just want to see what he does in the first few weeks after the close…
Glad there’s re-run of the game on in my packed office…..what joy!
I know I shouldn’t say this as rico loves dogs, but if I had an ailing dog i’d put him down and Wengers ailing.
bad game yesterday really bad one!Felt bad for rvp yesterday leading such a young midfield away at stoke
as we didnt get the lead n they got it i could see that there was no leadership there to tell the boys no experience player to tell them its all right we cn still come back no cesc n nasri didnt help
RVP deserves more for for his form scored again for us
I still dont have faith in wenger a manager who hasnt buyed top quality for 4 seasons to do it in one season i seriously doubt it hope im wrong but….
Your not wrong arsenal fan the mans a wanker and a prise one at that
Lee, i feel your pain, watching that once was bad enough…
Steve, if a dog is ailing that badly so would i but wenger has bought this upon himself – he knew we needed a ch in jan regardless of what he said at the time and now we read samba nearly joined – he is just kind of player we need…
I’m with you girl
Morning all,speechless is right SP, it’s difficult to make sense of the season we’ve just gone through.
In a way, when i look at Wenger on the sidelines i kinda get the impression that he himself is at a loss what to do? Maybe we all need a summer off, not just the players but Wenger and especially us!
spot on arsenal fan, everyone focusses on what cesc deserves in the sdie but what about RvP, we never hear him talking about moving yet when he’s fit he’s one of best, if not the best player we have…
jack and ramsey are great players, but against teams like stoke we need a bit more than just flair in our side…
wenger has it all to do now, i just hope he is looking for new players right now and i hope negotiations have already begun…
Lee I’d have to go sick I couldn’t watch that again
Maybe worst performance of the season. Arshavin looks like he has already left. Only RVP,JW,BS get any credits.
Roll on August !!!
This team are capable of nothing. Dont need to list the players who have to go as we all know who they are. But the stubborn old goat wont change his ways. Another average French Ligue 1 player and a couple of youngsters and that will be that I’m afraid. Absolutely abject.
Good to hear Steve 😉
Hi kev,
Wenger can have his holiday after he has made his signings, until then he needs to get a grip and get on with it – he gets paid 6M a year and if he’s at a loss then it’s his own bloomin fault. He bought this squad, kept this squad so it’s down to him now to get rid of those who he is at a loss with…
Rico, you must be mad girl, Wenger would never start negotiating until its the last minute in case he actually bought someone
Have we really guaranteed champs league football?..
On the positive side of things i hear that Denilson Diaby Eboue and some of the others are looking quite promising.
john, there have been plenty this season like yesterday…
micky – i sure hope you are wrong but i suspect you will be not far off the mark…
Steve, something has to change and for wengers sake it has to be this summer finally – too long he has been faffing around with the way deals are negotiated, i hope he just gives the names to Gazidis and he goes and sorts them out pronto….
G, no not really as if we come 4th we have to qualify but….
Steve – what, leaving you mean, good!
Hi Rico, can’t disagree with ya.
Patience is something a manager needs, but Wenger does take it to extremes. Ferguson gives players chances, but is far quicker at coming to a conclusion on a players value to his squad, and i can’t remember him being left with egg on his mush after flogging off any players not deemed to be up to the required standard.
Maybe Wenger is too close to his players???
I have lost all care in this team and club.
The only way we will lose them rico is if Wenger takes them with him.
Yeh exactly; I don’t have to say ‘Young Boys’ to remind us of the perils of that..
hey kev, wenger treats them all like they are hi kids, pampers them, defends them too much and certainly over pays them….
defiantely hasn’t got a ruthless streak in him which is whats missing, he should be saying, ‘sort your game out or get out of here’…
mamby bloody pamby….
Never mind Will only another couple of losses to put up with then we can put our feet up.
Don’t think you are alone Will…
If that’s what it takes Steve, then that’s what it must take….
Yep, Wimbledon, cricket and waiting for afc.com to tell us they have re-signed Sol campbell for free and with him comes Cygan…..
Anyone that watches NCIS, i just had a Dinoso moment remember high plains drifter when Eastwood cleared out a town, we need a high plains drifter as our first buy.
http://football-talk.co.uk/21755/fault-arrogant-stalwart-snob/
I heard Ian Ure is looking for a post too
Is he still going strong 😉
Must be 70 by now 😉
i went to Barnet on saturday – havent enjoyed a game of football like that for 15 years – maybe our players should be taken there to see what passion and commitment is all about. took my 11yr old son and he wants to go there next year – not Arsenal – can you believe that. im happy as his season ticket at Barnet next year will be £20 for the whole season or £1300 at Arsenal
SP, what about Jeff Blockley???
yesterday i saw the manu game when they won
the team came together n a huddle ferdinand van der sar n vidic telling each player to join in the pride the passion on their faces i suddenly felt they deserved it i this season i m sorry to say but havent seen such passion from our team if we had some of it we would have been in their place
nice comment rob…
passion and commitment – something so very lacking in our squad too often and especially against sides like Stoke City, they certainly showed what its like to possess both….
got to walk Fido, back in a while
If Nasri, Cesc and Clichy don’t feature in either of the last two games does that signal that they’re outta The Grove in the summer?
Can any of you blame Cesc, Robin, Nasri or Jack wanting to leave?
Not at all….you erecting today Kev? 🙂
When does the tiddly winks world champs start… I reckon more passion in that than from that shower of shit we got in our squad…!
Greetings one and all….
As I said yesterday, when I saw two defenders walking back as their striker sprinted for the ball, I turned the game off.
Afternoon, even a lovely walk along the Ridgeway has blown the AFC cobwebs away!! 🙁
morning all…nothing to smile about today. last night i started to think i only dreamt beating man united the previous sunday.
good post.
Gooners: I bring many years of football and many more in other sports (collective or not). I was also a manager for 18 years.
Being away from London, and having seen the TV almost every game of Arsenal and read many comments everyday, I tell you this:
a) when I see, AW throughout the game, head down, staring at his hands, looking away, there is a gap between the players and AW;
b) When a game is only played by a coach, to stand up and protest against the 4th referee, without ever a word of encouragement to players, a coach I see far and is confident that within reason;
c) When I see a coach who at the end of a game, limited only to go greet the opposing coach and turns his back on his players, is a coach who has no empathy with his players (who play and those who are on the bench).
AW coexists poorly with criticism.
AW created a model football praised, but when it fails, it is severely criticized.
AW became a private person, stubborn, owner of his reason.
Arsenal is now a team with no joy, no will, no soul, no calls, no goals, not believed in its possibilities.
I do not know if the best solution is to sell players 10/12/15. I think not. I think these players can be monetized in another more healthier environment. In this situation, 2-3 players would be enough.
The change would be another.
Hi oliver, nothing to smile about in the world of arsenal, not one bit….
Good comment JM, the change of manager i think you are suggesting?
a) when I see, AW throughout the game, head down, staring at his hands, looking away, there is a gap between the players and AW;
b) When a game is only played by a coach, to stand up and protest against the 4th referee, without ever a word of encouragement to players, a coach I see far and is confident that within reason;
c) When I see a coach who at the end of a game, limited only to go greet the opposing coach and turns his back on his players, is a coach who has no empathy with his players (who play and those who are on the bench).
SPOT ON….
JM, all your points are true and seems that wenger has def lost the dressing room and the players…!
If that is the case then surely he should just do the decent thing, or get a strong assistant to get it back again….
Arsenal need new blood.
We are losing a generation of great players who will go through the Club without winning anything.
Put on AW at “back office” and will seek a coach to “front office”, which is of roll up the sleeves, shout to the field, skip and jump, live the game with intensity and forward “warmth “, and claw confidence to the players.
He’ll be just as bad back there JM, if he won’t buy players to make ‘his team’ better, i’m sure he’ll do even less behind the scenes…
Got to pop off again, back shortly….
Jm, I think I agree with Rico, Wenger needs to change or leave back of office he will still be pulling the strings so what is the point, we either sweep the office clean or the office needs a change round.
Hi there Lee, to answer your:11.46. Got one up, got to let the base dry out, it’s a big big boulder down there [9′ post, a monster].
How did the re-run in your office of those Glorious Gunners go? Punishment….?
JM, some great points amigo, and the currant coaching staff don’t seem to be helping much either.
AK, ask yourself who picked the coaching staff…..! Enough said…!
Can’t disagree, Bob Wilson, Vic Akers, Gary Lewin and Pat Rice were there when he arrived, but he’s only changed things when they’ve retired or moved on.
Not sure i rate the goalkeeping coach much, and the medical side hasn’t won any awards since Gary Lewin joined England full-time.
Martin Keown slipped through his fingers, whilst you kinda get the feeling that Steve Bould is gonna be sidelined. No wonder there’s no resiliance in the squad.
that AFC set piece stat is un-real…
“We have our plans and we know what we will do,” said Wenger. “It is not the best moment to analyse after a disappointing game, but if you analyse all competitions and how we have done, the number of games we have played, then we have done well.
“We have to take a little bit of distance and make the right analysis of the season.”
Over half of our goals conceded are from set pieces. Now Wenger is a famous stat man and uses opta to know when to sell players, surely he must look at that stat and think to himself something needs to change?
Will, do they practice defending set-pieces in training?
I am guessing no Lee.
“but if you analyse all competitions and how we have done, the number of games we have played, then we have done well”
What planet is he currently on………….?
getting Keown or Bould would be start…
Zanussi…WATH?
It ain’t planet Earth thats for sure Lee….. Keown won’t get a look in he will tell wenger when he is wrong and he won’t like that same for Bouldy as well I reckon. Same old story who is wenger accountable too at the Club, who is gonna call him in and say sorry Arsene this season hasn’t been good enough, noone will cos they happy with 4th…!
Boo 🙂
Who is this Boo………. is he 6ft 3″ and can he play centre half…?
So, a “Yes man” it is then….that’s not a good start….so what we reliant on, SK’s input?
WATH, sign him now!!!
I wish Boo was that big bugger we need, sadly tis only the dwarf, me 😉
He added: “On set-pieces we have been caught and Jones didn’t even have to jump to head the ball – that is something to correct.
“It is the easiest thing to correct in the game, but you still must understand the flight of the ball and want to be first and have some experience.
“I feel sometimes we are a bit naive.”
“Many would like to be in the Champions League but it is not enough, certainly, but the season has not been for nothing,” he remarked.
“It could have been a lot more, but you can see it is the toughest league in the world and we were very close, but we have to add what we miss.”
Boo! Well, it really feels more like Boohoo right now. We are an unmitigated disaster! 🙁
Hello, all. 🙂
Rico,if you like take this as my post that you have being asking me for
————————————————–
hi all , it has being a wonderful 9months together in this blog and with few smiles, and jubilation unfortunately the last 4 months has being pure sure grapes apart from the Barca trumping at emirate (i am cherishing that for life)no one is taking that joy from me, not even Wenger.
so i therefore welcome you to 3months of unending speculations of players to buy and unending Wenger smiles and interviews and suggesting that maybe he has got a surprise in his sleeve.
Welcome to agonising images and news of Man utd , Chelsea and Man city raiding the transfer market of the best players in the world.
Welcome to months of us wondering why didn’t Wenger get a particular player when he had the chance and like a flash transfer window will be less than a Wenger and we will find our self listening to Wenger :
We don’t need more players
we don’t have to replace Fabregas
Vamallen is like a new striker
Vela will replace Arshavin
….and so on and so forth.
Welcome to our world
Afternoon all.i wasn’t even surprised yesterday.we had no urgency at all.i managed to catch the mancs game later and i was so impressed by the pace and urgency of their play.i hope Wenger saying he knows what needs to be done doesn’t mean signing more youths.id hate it if his time with us would end at such a low.
Rvp doesn’t really deserve this.he has scored 19 goals since Jan-the most prolific in Europe’s top 5 leagues.he is the 5th best player in the world right now according to castrol rankings.with a better team around him and fitness permitting he could get even better.
Rvp has also broken another record by scoring in 8 consecutive away games.
Boo agag, good hols??
Hi SD and Kt…
SD, that’s cheating 😉
SD, very sunshiney, are we??
KT, right now, RvP is sui generis. 😳
Hey, rico. How are you? 🙂 Still on hols. You’d love it.
I’m good thanks agag, stop it now 😉
Agag you know i don’t speak Spanish so why all the teasing?anyway am good.
I meant, a class all his own, KT. 😉 It’s Latin, I think.
rico, but I’m sure you will. 😀
I speak spanish 🙂
and French (like AW !)
and Portuguese (like Mourinho !)
News:
Sahin (ex B. Dortmund) Real Madrid
Arsene Wenger continues to think about Benzema to boost Arsenal next season.
The absence of the French player in the King’s Cup final and the semi semi-finals of the Champions League again raised the rumors about the exit from Real Madrid.
According to Spanish newspaper “Marca “, Arsenal may submit a proposal for 25 million euros for the French striker.
The English club can thereby benefit from Benzema discontent for not being first choice for Mourinho.
Madrid have signed Nuri Sahin,AC Milan have signed Mexes and Taiwo,Bayern are after Neur and Coentrao,Mancs are after Sneijder and we on the other hand are deciding if to sign up teenage players on trials…
Coentrao (benfica) Bayern ou Madrid. He prefers Madrid and Benfica too
JM, how accurate are Marca with their transfer speculation?
Marca is the “official” daily newspaper of Real Madrid 😉
It’s a daily sport newspaper
Marca=Madrid paper.
So, JM, if Marca writes that Arsenal are interested in a Real Madrid player, with the prospect of a deal, then can we assume there has been some ‘contact’ at a reasonable high level?
I don’t think we are after Benzema.he is too expensive and no way will madrid let him leave especially with Zidane there.
Cheers KT. But why would the organ of Real Madrid rumour-monger against it’s owh club???
KT, AFC have Clichy, Gibbs & Nasri moving into their final years contract plus Cesc and all that jazz. If a couple of them left, and that’s quite possible, then Arsenal may have to ‘push the boat out’.
After all, would Kroenke want his first year in charge blighted by an exodus of some of our best players, and not respond positively???
No, there are an interest sure. I think Madrid wants Aguero so Benzema must leave. Sahin is on, probably Kaka out, or… Fabregas interest !
Marca may be a madrid based paper but they also print out loads of crap.they have always been on the forefront of the sacking of many madrid managers to the team’s detriment.Pellegrini was severly criticized by marca despite getting 96 points in the league.Capello won the league but was criticized for lack of flair.they also recently wrote conspiracy theories of how Benzema was dropped due to him not criticizing Wolf Gang Stark in the CL semis.at the end of the day they need news that will sell and won’t mind dragging the club into the mud so long as they achieve that.
JM, what kind of fee would Real Madrid be looking for, £20-£25million???
JM there is no way we are after Benzema.Sahin’s signing for madrid effectively rules out a cesc transfer.Aguero won’t go to madrid as he plays for their arch-rivals athletico.kaka may leave with Milan keeping tabs on him.
There are higher odds of us signing rvp’s son than it is for us to sign Benzema.just forget it as it won’t happen.
I don’t know.
K-Tr7 is right, The daily sports newspapers, usually “link” to a team, need news, seach information and speculation, have “spy” persons, write all the rumours, interview everyone, everyday a sensational header…
AK its absolutely disgusting how nasri is treating the club.he has had a good 4 months but now thinks he deserves to earn as much as cesc.if clichy leaves but a proper replacement comes i’ll have no problem with that.gibbs needs to go out on loan as he has looked like a deer in the headlights of late.
I don’t think will interfere with on the pitch matters AK.Wenger has all the power and since he is unsackable we can only hope he does what has been long overdue in the summer.
*Kroenke*
The relationship between Real and Atletico are good now. If they want Aguero and we wants to leave, they can pay or loan a few players.
I’m back. Hello, KT, AK, JM…
No more bargain basement buys, AW. If we are to have any hope of seriously competing, no one more el cheapo, please.
Arsenal had really nothing to play for ahead of their away game at Stoke and this is one of the main reasons they recorded a defeat. The title was unreachable and the third place was already secured. Moreover, Stoke were a difficult opponent for any team in Premier League on Britannia Stadium this season.
Lets hope so agag but we’ll probably see more of the same.if Wenger doesn’t change he must seriously not consider his own health.he looks older than red nose nowadays.
third place already secured? what nonsense, can’t you count?
what about aiming for second?
what about geeting one over Stoke for Ramsey?
and – last, but not least – what about the travelling fans?
good post, btw…
Football that may be true but their effort was really shocking.the away fans who have been brilliant all year did not deserve that.
Oh and 3rd place isn’t secure.
agag, right now, the way i feel, wenger has until the 1st july – if he has made his signings by then then we are doomed for another season like the last six..
i think we all know the board won’t get rid of him, after all, he is manager, director, and of course, financial advisor….
Hi SUGA,
you know what, i smiled once during that match and that was when the stoke city fans sang ‘ swing low, sweet chariots’ – i thought that was so funny and no more than we deserved – our captain accused stoke of playing rugby, they answered him well yesterday didn’t they….
oh, and as for singing boring, they are right, we were….
Football, fair enough… but the away fans must’ve felt ripped off.
KT, We need to do serious business. The other clubs would be making mad money signings, I’m sure. I don’t want that but 3 good buys will do me. 😉
rico, he really has to, doesn’t he?? Six seasons now we’ve come up short… when we could’ve done soooo much better.
rico,
did you read my post? first thing I did was apologising for ripping the piss out of Stoke in the preview!
Sorry Kt, i was outside, so couldn’t respond.
Why are you so certain re: Benzema? Who would have thought in 1996 that Arsenal would sign Bergkamp. I know the circumstances at the club are different, but even a tight=arsed club like Arsenal, go for a big signing to placate the fans
Hey agag, holiday girl, how’s tricks? It’s been 73’F down here, sunshine like the Med.
bollox
afternoon all…who said anything about third place being secure? i don’t think i did – i look back over the original post. but if i remember, i said we have now secured a top four finish, and can potentially finish anywhere between second and fourth.
if you ask me, i think we have a decent chance of finishing fourth. it may – in the end – depend on whether city sprint or stagger to the finish.
ok, i see that someone else suggested third is secure. a look at the table will show that is our current position, with the potential for us to slide on space in either direction, depending upon how these last couple of weeks shake out.
Yeh spot on Football I agree, going to the mighty Stoke when your Arsenal is a pretty daunting away game and having had such a great last few months nothing at all to prove, why in fact did we even bother going? ah that would explian why we actually didnt turn up then….!
AK Its plain obvious to see.you and i know that the spuds are as likely to win the league as we are to sign Benzema.
KT, of course mate, it was staring me in the face all the time…. Bendtner, of course.. lol
It looks like the gang has arrived.howdy boys!excellent read oliver.
stoke did us good and proper..
that would make a perfect video for how not to play football…
agag, he won’t though…
suga – had a bit of a hectic day, a viewing, two offers and still no further forward, i have neglected your post – sorry 😳
Afternoon Oliver, I was thinking maybe you should change the heading to “Delusional” rather than illusion……..! 🙂
very quickly, i shall stand by my comment that i think our squad are generally good enough. that is just speculation on my part, i concede, as they have not consistently shown it. my issue, as i have stated before, is that arsene sets them up in a way that nullifies most of their strengths and good attributes.
i may well be proven wrong on many of them, but i see so many being shoehorned into roles where they don’t flourish and where their best attributes are completely invaldiated, that i think that has at least as much a contributing factor as any lack of quality.
there is also the over-protective father persona which arsene has at least publicly adopted. treat them like children, they will behave like children. shield them from valid, informed, constructive criticism, they will never examine themselves critically and look to improve.
KT, how’s you fella….?
AGAG, allo sexy hope u enjoyin ya hols but am missing my brekkie tea cos you make the bestest tea in the world 😉
They are kept in a cacoon of comfort Oliver and sheltered from the real world of “proper” football where the aim is to compete and win…! Only one person to blame for that..!
rico,
no need to apologise…
best for the last and all that
just kidding!
we were shit
this current squad is passed its shelf life and its a shame we havent won anything but it aint suprising we dont win anything cos they are shit..
why the fuck dont we use the basics of the game??
does dead ball situations mean fuck all to us.cos we are shit at them…all these ball players are lovely and grace around the park on tippy toes but theres nothing tippy toe about a set piece..no ball playing, just get rid of it..
or forever be embarrased by shit teams..
According to Nasri’s agent nasri is committed to us…f*ck off!
oliver – someone came on about cl footie, he/she is right, we may have secured a place but if we don’t win the qualifiers, we won’t…
anyone watching sky sports news about the england under 21’s????
thanks k and wath…these last two matches will be done, quickly forgotten, and then it will be into the summer. a summer of pressure, uncertainty and intense speculation.
there is just one way to improve this team: a few heads need to roll, simple as that…
technically true, rico. i look at it from the viewpoint that fourth place means at least a qualifier – and i see the qualifier as cl football. if we finish fourth and get drummed into the europa league by virtue of losing a qualifier, so be it. but i still see the qualifiers as part of the cl competition.
Who is gonna have the bollox to lob the heads off Suga…?
we certainly have been playing like, errr, what you said…and i think some of our players would benefit from moving away from the club. but i still think we get so little out of most of our squad – particularly the forwards – that i think adjusting many of the things we do will see better results.
arsene’s apparent man-management is another problem in my opinion. the most counter-productive think he can do is watch the players collapse under pressure and then trumpet their “mental strength” if they are tuning him out at the moment – which i believe is possible – the nonsense he comes out with may be one reason why.
there are a lot of things we need to change. but i think we have the basis for a championship winning squad here. i don’t think it is necessary to blow this up and start over.
the biggest question, in my mind, is whether arsene is willing to compromise on specific “principles”? if he is – and the tour to malaysia and china suggests that he can be persuaded to change some things – and takes the necessary actions, we can be really, really good.
if he is not, and sits on his hands, he makes himself the biggest impediment to success.
We beat barca,mancs,city and chavs.ability isn’t the problem.
W.A.T.H.
don’t think AW is the one to do it, as he is too emotionally attached to the ‘Excusables’ and sure as hell there is no one at the club to have one testicle to stand up to him, let alone a pair!
and that’s why I would prefer AU to Kroenke – the stuff about third place trophies and signing up for 20 years to finish second would result in just one head being delivered to Uzbekistan on a silver platter 😆
just five minutes in and liverpool are already 2-0 up at fulham. is maxi rodriguez a “new signing”?
k, i agree that we have the ability. we just get so little out of so many of our players…
it feels like we play only cesc and robin’s strengths.
because our squad is ridiculously unbalanced and number of players is asked to play out of position?
‘We told you so’
maxi and kuyt can’t stop scoring for liverpool. we get an occasional goal from theo or arsh, otherwise and it’s robin or nobody for us…
square pegs in round holes, suga…too many players of similar qualities, and players who bring other qualities shoe-horned into our template, nullifying the respective strengths…
all the blogs are the same..
everyones had enough..wengers losing the club..hes obviously lost the dressing room and all the fans are now wanting answers as a united front..
hes got to deliver next year and hes got to sort every nook and cranny out in the squad..
if he dont do it..hes gone for me..
wenger said something had gone..
i want to know from mr wenger if he was talking about himself..
i think the blance of our squad is wrong too….
oliver, i am with you, top four = CL Footie, he/she was just pointing out what we all know…
jj, the “something has gone” comment is his acknowledgment that we have fallen apart again. i would have liked to hear someone ask him “what specifically is it that has gone?” but of course nobody did…
he knows what the problem is…whether he does anything about it is another issue entirely.
np, rico…there are plenty of errors in the original post, i am sure.
which goes back to wenger oliver, why does he try to make players fit what he has bought, either buy players to play his way, or, play the right way with who we have….
Nikki and Chamakh came on, did we go 442???
NO…
rico,
and how funny that we stopped crossing the ball into the box once our two biggest aerial threats got onto the pitch?
question: is Wenger a tactical imbecile or are these players that thick?
Suga, ur 8.10 is spot on mate… noone has the balls to shout at wenger as they just happy he keeps the dosh rolling in…!
Square pegs round holes has been going on for seasons… nothing new and it doesnt work…!
this who mis-utilitzation of players is on arsene. again, too many square pegs in round holes, we try and force everyone into a template that only a few players really excel in. nik and chamakh routinely get killed on the forums – look at what arsene asks them to do? arsh made his name at zenit and with the russia national side (euro 2008) playing behind the striker, here is shunted off the to side – when not playing alone up front, as arsene had him do last season. these – and other players – don’t often shine for us because we don’t untilize them in situations where we can take advantage of their best attributes.
not all of them are world class, i readily concede that – but i think most of them can do a job for us if we utilize them properly.
liverpool score three quick goals against fulham and are now strolling it midway through the first half…
remember – once upon a time – when we would do that to other sides? seems like a lifetime ago…
suga, for me its wenger, he tells them where to go when they come on…
actually, i just wish he would tell them where to go 😉
back to wenger then oliver, if you are right that they are good enough, the blame has to lie with the man who is not doing the best with what he has…..
7 shots 4 on target and 3 goals……
Anyway,
I am done for the day, you all have a good evening, i’m off for the day…
nighty all
Back again
0-3 without Gerrard two players emerge: Suarez and Meireles. Lok at the difference and the joy, ease and level of confidence.
The qustion of the game: can fulham obtain the some score then Newcastlel v Arsenal ? 😉
that was my main point rico – i suspect (cannot say i know for certain) that by and large, many of our players are good enough. but arsene sets them up to play in such a way that we get very, very little out of many of them. so of course they will look like rubbish. they are asked to do things they are not suited to and put in positions where their best attributes are not emphasized.
in my opinion, this is clearly one area where arsene is letting the players and club down…but not at all the only area…
nite rico 😉
i think you have a point with some of them oliver but there are still a few who no matter where they play are not good enough – i truly hope they find pastures new next month….
Oliver just look at the mancs.valencia,fletcher,o’shea,carrick,park and hernandez are fairly limited players.red nose however has a system that the aforementioned players are comfortable in.he delegates duties to each of them and they perform to the maximum.we on the other hand seem to have very talented players with free roles.it takes alot of discipline to do that and lots of workrate to make it work.when our best players are off form or injured we lose that discipline and work rate rendering the structure almost useless.
Night folks….
Exactly K-TR7. MU has a rigorous tactic system and every player knows absoluteley what he must doing in the field and for the team. So, when someone is replacing he must doing the some job of the other one.
That system permit overcome injuries, suspensions and fatigue especially geir better overall team, doing a better management of the team without losing aggressiveness, strength and tradition of collective victory
k, great point about the mancs. plenty of world class players there, and plenty of not-world-class. but everyone has a role to play, and everyone is put in positions where they can use their best attributes. we cannot say that with our squad.
geir=management
No, because our system requires players of high technical content, where changes are reflected in the collective. Moreover, in our system, players become tired and needed replacements, which are reflected in overall performance
Hernandez would be a failure in our system.Nani said just the other day that red nose restricts his freedom on the pitch.we try to implement the virtues of total football.when it works its sublime but when it fails we just seem to play boring tiki taka.Free roles can work when we have the likes of cesc/rvp/nasri… on the pitch.however,if they aren’t there and the likes of bendtner/diaby/den come in we lose the high intensity pressing which is what our structure is based on.as a result our system becomes non-existent.
Exactly. Nani is a technical player. He wants his freedom and not be integrate in a rigourous tactic board.
Valencia sticks to the touchline,helps out his fullback and puts in crosses.Hernandez stays on the shoulders of the CBs restricting their movement and ability to stride forward to make passes and as a result rooney has space to run into.Park tucks in on the left to form a midfield 3 without the ball to prevent them from being overrun by teams playing with 3 CMs.Giggs does the playmaking and carrick the destroying.in addition they have pace to burn on the counter…its simple but effective that even average players can perform in.
ok, I’m goig outside. 1-3…
Arsenal youngsters Frimpong, Bihmoutine, Roberts, Webb, Boateng, Aneke, Glagow, Henderson & Smith all have one thing in common. All were born in England, but none of them want to represent the country of their birth.
Why is this????
Among the reasons, one could be the rubbish coaching you get inside the England set-up, plus the rubbish football played by English teams from all age-groups…
Benik Afobe and Alban Banjaku could go the same way. Can the England set=up really afford to lose all these players???
so, which country they want to play for?
Bihmoutine- Morocco, Aneke- Nigeria, Frimpong- Ghana, Henderson- Rep of Ireland, not sure about the others. Afobe- could be Congo, Banjaku-could be Albania.
I siad it and said it again.
Just get players who are proud to play for Arsenal and literally die for Arsenal and not those gutless wonders on display.
Every year, we have that “Summer of Discontent” with agents preying on “indispensable players” are trying to break that rigid salary structure and Wenger behaving like a french poodle rolling over for his favorite players.
Time to stop this rot and retain players that are committed to Arsenal:
1 – Sell Fabregas as he had lost all interest and commitment to play for Arsenal.
2 – Sell Nasri as he is just a pretty boy, easily intimidate by the physical nature of English Football, a square peg in a round hole and bluntly, he is not suitable as a leader and gone missing in action when the heat is on. You need to build the midfield around Wilshere-Ramsey-Song plus a new creative playmaker with flair. Nasri is not and if we reatin him, we will have another “5 more fo misery of that Cesc-led Era”.
3 – Clichy. Just sell him as he is a liability, not top-notch and committing one or mroe “fatal error” per match. He got a greedy agent and any competent LB from premeirship league will give out defence more solidity than Clichy.
4 – Gibbs? He is not it and a pale shadow of Clichy. Sell him and look for a new LB.
If Wenger still isnist on retianign this highly-expensive and mediocre squad he ahd assembeld over 6 years, then Kroneke shoudl get rid of him in August 2011 as he had certianly lost hsi marble and still deluded and obsessed with proven right with his “hand-picked orldclass youngsters who will certianly blossom next year…next year…next year…ad infinitum”.
Theo Walcott?
I retierate. He is a central striker like Michael owen or Robbie Fowler and not a right-flank attacker liek Dutch Total Football 4-3-3.
Theo doe snot have that football brian to play as an attacking right midfielder cum striker as hsi isntinct is to score goals and not to create chances or cross the ball from forwards.
Might as well trade Theo for Pennant if Wenger wanted a right-flank attacking mdifielder.
Thoe’s main attribute is hsi speed and quickness where he runs at defenders in the centre with plenty fo space, between defenders, off-the-shoulder quickness and diagonal runs to latch onto an accurate long pass over the defence. He is a traditional central striker where his quickness will give him that split-second to striek the ball with half-a-yard space. Adnw e all know Theo can hit the ball hard and accurate.
Might as well sell Walcott to English teams that paly him as central striekr ratehr than stupdily hanging him out at right flank which does not work for the past 3 seasons…..like playign Diaby as left-side mdifield.
I see Wenger destroying Theo’s career and confidence by stupidly playing him at right-flank instead of centrally.
I cnanot envisgae Theo renewing hsi cotnract and may even demand a transfer if this kind of abysmal and gutless football at Stoke City are dished out this week and next week.
Stoke City match?
I thought I saw Theo having a cuppa amongst the spectators and not on the pitch?
Merlin96, you make good reading, and I can understand your anguish,but we have the nucleus of a good side but without the commitment, Cesc and Nasri are two of who I would keep. both players are still young and have acquired experience and that is what is needed in our side right now, we need to add to that experience with players with fighting spirit, players that will instil confidence back into a side that have given up. We can blame individual players but the reality is that the Manager did not buy in January, we needed shoring up at that particular time and he missed the boat as usual. Had we injected talent and commitment at that time, I believe we would have had a very different ending to our season. You have your Favourites the same as I but selling quality is not the same as selling fringe players that do not have the skills required. it was a tactical error and the management know that, the question is will they now put that error right. Wenger himself has admitted that we lack commitment and experience so he understands his made a massive mistake, but can he put it right.
morning…
New Post up
Hi Allezkev!
Intelliigent players !