Morning all.
With just over a month until the January transfer window opens, and after suffering two more long term injuries, the press couldn’t wait to fire the ‘who you signing in January’ question to Arsene Wenger yesterday.
Yes, he responded but I don’t know why he does as all he’s doing is playing right into the hands of the lazy journals. Here’s what he said:
You have to give us time. We do our job as always. This season we bought five players who are all top quality so I think we have done really well on the transfer market and we try to repeat that in January.
What, another five players in January Arsene?
Ok, I’m kidding, I know he is talking about the quality of players signed and not numbers. Although one could argue that five would be about right if he shipped two or three out like Diaby, Rosicky and even Podolski. After all, what’s the point in keeping them if he’s not going to play them? Ok, he can’t play Diaby because he’s injured, he’s always injured. Flamini, he can go too!
More from Arsene:
I would like to remind you that, to buy football players, is not to go into a supermarket and just say: ‘I want to buy a right back or a centre back.’ It’s to find the right quality.
If you go out tomorrow you will see that everybody looks for the same positions everywhere. It’s not as simple as it looks.
We all know that at Aston Villa and West Ham there is a central defender running down his contract, waiting for a move. Both clubs will not want to risk losing them in the summer for free so there’s a good chance they’ll sell in January. Why not get in there early for one of them, better still, get both and breathe a sigh of relief as finally, Wenger’s central defence will be sorted.
There’s more:
In January it makes it even more difficult because players are even less available than in June or July. But we will try to be creative and have one or two good ideas.
I always have lists that you readjust because you come in on Monday, someone has seen a player and you have to follow up, watch him again, then watch him again and someone else has to watch him. Then when you come to conclusion I have to watch him. It takes time so that work never stops.
Well at least he has a list eh and one or two good ideas. That’s a start! A couple of defensive signings in January and I think most of us will feel a lot happier.
Lunchtime kick off today which must mean the FA see this fixture as being a banana skin for us and they are probably right the way we have been playing but, against Dortmund, we played a lot better. Ok, a bit better. lol
Rotation is again forced upon Arsene Wenger due to injury but coming back into the side is Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud, both of which are welcome. Ollie netted a cracker last weekend against the Mancs and with Danny Welbeck struggling with a niggly injury, I suspect the Frenchman will start.
Whether Alexis starts yet another game remains to be seen but personally, I’d like to see him get a rest before we face Southampton next week. Flamini will no doubt fill the Cdm position and that’s pretty much it really, he’ll fill it but will he actually boss it? Let’s hope so, he and Ramsey will need to work hard today.
WBA have squad problems of their own with Claudio Yacob beginning a ban, Jonas Olsson injured and James Morrison and Sebastien Pocognoli are both doubts and James Morrison has a bug of some sort.
The one to watch is their top goal scorer Saido Berahino!
This should be 3 points in the bag but this season, who knows what will happen. Just hope Arsene Wenger makes the right choices and those he chooses put in a solid performance and get the job done.
COYRRG’S!!!
Happy Saturday.. I hope!
Wenger looking at players? Wonder what he sees? As for buying players after xmas, I reckon he’ll buy a small striker, a microscopic mid fielder but not a colossal centre back or even a dominant DM! Fat chance, not his style at all. The man is a total contrarian shopper! Black Friday and he’ll come back with Easter bunnies!
Well we’ll see.
As for today, rather like last week this is a game that we would have won comfortably, in the past. Not so now, a draw would be good and I think a win would be a surprise! Essentially WBA are a relegation threatened side and we are top 4(?). Given our present form and the fact that it’s still november a defeat is definitely on the cards! Nightmare. I so hope I’m wrong!
COYRRGS
🙂 Wavy…
Morning rico, recent league matches and current position have taken some enthusiasm away I feel. As Ian Wright says, without Sanchez we are a mid table side. Actually lose today with or without Sanchez and we are mid table with equal wins and losses. But enough of this, we will win today, due a bit of luck after the ManU fiasco.
Good post Rico…
Monreal as def/mid?
Kev, anyone actually playing as a def/mid would be a start wouldn’t it?
Morning Andrew. I don’t think we are a mid table side but right now we are sure playing like one, although Wednesday was better. Tbh, we played well last weekend but couldn’t finish.
Thanks Kev, Monreal as Cdm? That is spooky…. lol
Andrew, it would be indeed…
You know what Rico, I reckon that Bellerin could do a job there…
He played there in a Carling Cup tie last season and looked quite useful
Apparently Maitland-Niles is really impressing as a def-mid in the Stiffs, since he was switched there from the wing….
Being defensively minded and being able to read the game and snuff out danger doesn’t always require a player to be built like a fridge-freezer… 😉
Bellerin as Cdm Kev?
Kev, seen him play there a couple of times and he wasn’t to bad.
Good post Guv,morning all……
Kev, as for Bellerin as CDM, can’t see it….
… why not the lad Chambers as CDM and give another lad, Bellerin his chance at right back … when all is said and done, we have both quantity and quality available … just need a wee bit more confidence, luck and, most important of all, Ref protection from career changing tackles by over enthusiastic players fired up on the ghastly myth that ‘Arsenal don’t like it up ’em’ … who does I ask, who does?
Hayden for me when he gets back in two weeks..
Morning Bt,,
Back in a bit, need to get a couple of things done before ko…
Morning All,
I would like to remind Mr Wenger
Sagna=Debuchy
Tommy=Chambers
Flapper=Ospina
Bender-Postman]
Replacements in my view
Sanchez the only signing really.
Bonjour, mes amis! We are in dire need of a confidence boost. COYGs!
Confirmed lineup:
Emiliano Martínez; Calum Chambers, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Mathieu Flamini; Danny Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sánchez, Santi Cazorla; Olivier Giroud
Kev Maitland-niles,
Looked good on the ball,midweek liked to get forward,
to much for me…………………… my opinion.
I would like wenger to put a defender,
just in front of our two centre/backs,
I know its not done much these days,
but if its good enough for the german world cup winners,
and B/Munich (Lahm).
Surely its worth a try.
Good day Goonies and Loonies.
Seems that AW has the balls to drop Gibbs but not Monreal. That is good since he has rewarded the good work that was done by Nacho recently.
Good post boss. It will be a top one if AFC win.
So pray we win. 😛
Bellerin as a CDM Kev??? Never crossed the grey matter between my ears.
Phew, that was close…
COYRRG’S!!!
What was close Boss????
I notice that Ramsey still thinks he isSa,son! He has retained the
Out adolescent facial fuzz! So he’ll have a poor one today?
Sampson
Close to ko Devil….
you were going to be KO-ed ???
I’ve seen those given….
No, the match kick off time Devil..
What happened to NAcho???? why was he subbed???
The stream went off a few seconds before
Monreal off injured, will it ever stop
FFS, now Nacho is injured. Eeeek.
Hello, all.
Poor lad. Just as he was finding his feet.
And had settled in quite nicely.
Don’t think Monreals injury is a bad one though, otherwise he wouldn’t have played on surely?
Ramsey limping, WBA playing with 2 jokers, Les Dawson and Norman Wisdom…
Must keep our shape second half,
goals will come,with the three breaking forward,
fingers crossed.
Bit like a friendly at the moment.
I sure hope we step it up second half, I’m falling asleep here…
Just for you BT
I took my mother-in-law to Madame Tussard’s Chamber of Horrors, and one of the attendants said, ‘Keep her moving sir, we’re stock-taking’
lol good one Fred
If you one an in law joke BT here is one……
A man, his wife and mum in law went to the Holy land.
While there mum in law died.
The undertaker told him…….you pay £150 if you want her to be buried in the desert, £1000 if you want her to be buried in a coffin in a cemetery and £5000 if you want her to be transported back to your country.
After a few minutes thinking the man told the undertaker….I will pay £5000 to transport her back to my country.
The undertaker was surprised and asked why.
The man said “A few moments ago some geezer mentioned that around 2000 years ago in this country a man rose from the dead after 3 days. I am taking no chances with her”
Is Flamini still on the pitch?
They are getting back into it, they know that we are not looking dangerous to score too many and are picking us off.
Agree Potter…
Well played Santi, well played. Great header Danny boy….
Yaaaaaaaaay!!!
A great goal by DW23.
Now we need to get another.
I do not agree with that substitution. It should have been DW23 who should have been subbed. OG12 was keeping the CBs occupied with his holding up play.
Grrrrr. Close out the game, for crying out loud!!!
He’s only just back Devil….
Not another!!
For gawd sake, get the ball and keep it!
Cazorla has been nominated MOTM
Oh, it was so much easier in the George Graham era, listening when you are one nil up.
Well that was nervy at the end…
3 points in the bag and a clean sheet, just!
Off out with Fido, catch up later…..
That was nervy. Phew!!
A win! In the league! Seems a while.
Good jokes Fred and Dev, 3pts ,next another 3 against Southampton please….
I’m off now for my 19th nervous breakdown!
I’m not impressed. The last twenty minutes were totally embarrassing…….again!
A win’s a win but there’s WINNING and there’s winning……..just!
Still we have just beaten a top 13 team the highest of the season….it can only get better, or can it?
1-0 to the Arsenal sounds good but it doesn’t reveal the truth and says nothing about the performance, still there’s always next week!
I am mainly happy for Martinez. Another clean sheet. He is quiet and unassuming. No big ego. And his stock is rising. Hopefully he will get to play in the next two or three games. To increase his confidence. The more cleansheets we get the better.
Third big game in 7 days. A decent and fairly professional performance with a couple of scary moments. Good to see Kos back and Giroud to give us a few more options. He and Alexis are going to have to work a few things out position-wise but all all a good 3 points.
Evening folks…
I think this whole team is very down on confidence and are very nervous when defending a lead. This game, although stressing for us during the last ten minutes, will have done them the world of good.
I hope we can continue to build on the last two performances and the more we can grab a win, the more the confidence will come back…
I would have been back earlier but I fainted after reading Adam say he was glad to see Ollie back… 😛
0-1 a nd a clean sheet.
But, last minutes were terribles… why not another sub AW in last 5-10 minutes?
and probably, more players injury…
Campbell perhaps Jm as he get’s stuck in?
I barely heard Flamini mentioned by the commentators today. Was that because he was doing very little, or because he went about his business well?
I can’t make up my mind….
Evening Rico and all…
I think I might have experienced the beginning of the end of Aw’s reign at the Hawthorns…
I don’t believe I have experienced a more toxic away experience than today… I was not even sure if some fans were disappointed we won or that AW is still going to be around after the win. I was at Blackburn 4 years ago on Santos debut when we lost even after the yanited thrashing but I am certain today was even worst…
All my views btw…
Anyway, Bt. you can’t blame me for us losing when I am at the grounds anymore… 😀 I have this season been to Sunderland and West Brom and we have won both so… 😛
Evening Ts…
Just writing my post about the fan ‘stuff’.. Sad but inevitable….. …
Catch you tomorrow folks..
Night all.
night Rico
Rico. 🙂
Afobe hat trick , 16 so far this season.
18 Potter
Good going ,
Morning all.
A very good result, and a decent performance.
I was hoping the CL could kick start our season, and it might well be the case, though time will tell.
Plenty more bridges to cross yet Scott, the Southampton match will tell us a lot on Wednesday.
Half looking forward to Wednesday for some strange,weird reason……..
One view:
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/11/29/photo-the-banner-that-has-caused-a-stir-at-arsenal/?
Another view:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/fan-cam/gooner-tells-arsenal-fan-tv-he-is-mad-with-piers-morgan-claude/?
Fred, not seen Maitland-Niles play def-mid myself, just going on what I’ve read.
Like you, I’d tend to lean towards a player who has a defenders mindset rather that a converted attacker.
BT, re: Bellerin, I know what you mean, but he looked ok in that Carling Cup tie…
Good morning Rico and all. From Dishoom in fact. :). Just waiting for breakfast.
Morning Adam and all.
Not too much chilli in your scrambled eggs I hope….
Morning guys.
A win v Soton will confirm it…..we will be on a winning streak 🙂
Morning Scott, would be a great win if we can beat Southampton…
Hi Rico,
I think it would confirm we’ve turned the corner.
We must beat them.
A loss or even a draw would be two steps backwards.
It could certainly do the team the world of good Scott. They have looked low in confidence, another victory would go along way to boosting that confidence…
New post up now…