Morning all.
Let’s open with a comment from Tony Pullis after the game:
The disappointing thing for me was the number of Arsenal players that surrounded the linesman. I thought that was something you couldn’t do. If he has given the right decision, he has given the right decision. You take it on the chin and get on with it.
I haven’t got a clue what offside is now. When the linesman gives it offside, the way that Arsenal players surround the linesman, and the referee then goes over, I thought if there were more than five players, you’re not supposed to do that. The referee has reacted after that.
Were some of his players not doing exactly the same after the goal was awarded?
Each time we play Stoke, I end up with another little reason to dislike Pullis even more and many of his players he has put together!
Call themselves a football team, what a joke and Pullis sets them up in such a way.
I’d love Arsene Wenger to sign Begovic, but after that, nothing, well maybe Sorensen….
As for Chris Foy, well he really needs to be taken to one side, shown a re-run of the game and be asked how he could allow a game to be played in such a fashion.
He really was dreadful and how Theo Walcott was not lying in a hospital bed last night with broken bones courtesy of Wilkinson to name one, I do not know.
Koscielny is another. How Shawcross remained on the pitch after his studs up tackle on our defenders ‘tackle’, well, it beggars belief really!
The fans made it clear what they thought of the Stoke man, singing:
You break peoples legs , You break peoples legs, Ryan Shawcross you break peoples legs.
And then Pullis has the audacity to moan about a strong challenge by Arteta on Michael Owen late in the game, what a cheek! A lot is being made of the so called punch thrown by Owen at our Spaniard straight after the tackle, but ‘handbags’ I say. Loved the way Wilshere was straight there to protect his captain.
As for the rest of the game, the new boy Nacho slotted in as if he’d been playing in league for years, he got into a great position down the left side on more than one occasion, we just could get the pass through to him too often. That will come.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud, Walcott, Cazorla and Kos all had chances, chances which on another day, another goalkeeper won’t keep out.
We can dissect the performance in the comments section but overall I thought we were a bit better, still much room for improvement but at least we kept a clean sheet. In fact did Ches even have a shot to save?
Everton dropped two points at home yesterday and Chelsea were beaten at Newcastle, so we have gained on both clubs.
Have a good day all…..
Arsenal were denied a 100% penalty when the German was down .I tell you what. I have never trusted these mo.In the past when Arsenal were challenging red faced for trophies,one gunner afer another .was penalised.That is why it’s very tough for the gunners/Chelsea/MC and other teams to challenge the dominance of the red face. The FA will make sure thru their mo to ensure the continued dominance of Fanchester UTd.
There will be a price to pay.England will never win the wc as long as rf’s dominance continues.
And not to mention that f#*king linesman who tried to disallow our goal, what a shambles. Good on lads for sticking up to the orcs and getting the win.
Morning all….
The officials yet again are the talking point.
Some of our players could have suffered serious injury yesterday and Foy did nothing to put a stop to the way Stoke were playing.
Disgraceful!!
Morning All
Thought we got behind the ball a lot better(Bouldy?)
Left back decent(exeception maybe?)
Morning Rico,
Good one, Would have helped out, but after an hour and a half in the Arsenal supporters club before the game and beers at half time then back in the supporters club for a couple of hours numbed the brain a little bit, by the time i got home i was ready for my bed. Thick head this morning but a 1.0 win was welcomed by the supporters club. As you said we started better and made quite a few chances, not a lot of love between the two teams, and although i think we started good, it did seem as if it was going to be a stalemate, Stoke were like a brick wall not threatening at all, their main concern was to stop us which they did well, but eventually we got a well deserved goal. Our new Nachoman had a good debut, nothing spectacular but just steady play, i think he’ll fit in well. I felt the fans were fairly quiet but walking back to the supporters club they seemed fairly happy. It seemed that the Arsenal supporters were more excited with other results which was all the talk. Looks like the Arsenal have started their come back, fingers crossed 🙂
The thing is, we as fans see it but what can Arsenal do about this bias against our players by officials? Will we have to wait till we suffer another broken leg before we act up? Also, anyone else fed up by the old pals act from the media and poor English managers? Read last night that in his time at Stoke, Pullis has spent £120m more on players than Wenger, why is this never raised whyen questioning why Stoke, A) Play a butchers game and B) never challenge for anything?
A win is a win but…
It was a slow game before 35″ or so boring in fact watching the side passes from Diaby and Arteta (and others) killing our momentum in attack especially with 9 rugby players defending. The starting mid field is not the solution. Arteta lost his attacking (and shooting) instinct for awhile now and we cannot count on Diaby. It leaves with Wilshere driving our attack! And Jack doesn’t shoot much.
So if our MF doesn’t shoot we are handicapped.
Ox was poor in his passing and did shoot at least. We can’t hhave Cazorla and Podi both on bench…
On the Shawcross tackle (tackling the ballS of Koz)…shall we say if it were an Arsenal player who did that a straight red for sure.
Thanks Sp, back to be for you then..
We gave them nothing in attack fred, but then did Pullis even bother trying to attack?
No negatives, a win is a win.
Nacho slotted in well and looks a great buy already.
He seems to accept the responsibilty of defending which is what we need.
We dominated and got the result.
Morning all.
Shawcross…..well, how nobody has ever taken an axe to the bastard is beyond me….he does it every game!
I hate stoke as much as any other ‘football’ team. Horrible team, horrible coach and just plain horrible.
Deserved 3 points and much needed.
Morning Scotty, please relay happy birthday greetings from an old Gooner to your future Gooner son. 🙂
Tg, The club don’t operate that way… Not sure why though, they have enough evidence I’m sure
Happy Birthday to Sean Scott…
Plenty of negatives though, but that’s for Stoke to discuss…. 😉
Lewis, so do I!
Thanks Steve, shall do.
Onya Rico…stick it to them.
They really are a grubby mob.
What a revolting man, Pulis is, rico. Ick. Did you enjoy it, SSP?
Happy, happy birthday, Sean. Scott was he able to watch the game? 🙂
Playing Stoke is like players out on internationals. The main wish is that no one comes out of it injured. Points are an added bonus.
Tony Penis was just the pullis he always is, or something like that.
I know you all think I am biased towards him, but can anyone deny he has improved since signing on? He’s got more about him too. Some of his touches to get passed his man yesterday were quality, and that’s what has been missing from his game for a long time.
I know a couple of crosses were poor, but…..
agag, he is. Horrid.
Agree there John…. Talking of which, internationals aren’t far off are they?
rico, your boy Theo has, indeed improved. Tries to stay on his feet, too. 🙂 I quite like it.
Morning all,
A happy post by a very chuffed writter. lol
😀 Breezy you killed me with your comment. That was exactly my comment yesterday when the clueless linesman tried to apply his training… its a joke. It just shows the level and aptitude of refs we have in this country.
Tg, every season the rednose and his nasty crew get at least 12 points they should not get. the 2 liverpool matches and the fulham game earlier in September come to mind. That is the difference between a 4th finish and 1st sometimes and considering up until the fat ref awarded a penalty to us at home this season we had not been award one in 2 years.
The obvious one that made me laugh and probably killed AA23’s career was the blatant push by Titus Bramble on AA23 2 years ago in the dying minutes against Sunderland. That win could have taken us to 2nd but we ended up 4th equal on points with $hitty who had a better goal difference.
Hey but I am a conspiracist so… 😉
He’s welsh!!!
Agag, no….he was well and truly asleep.
The only games he can watch are CL, as they are usually around 6.30 am here.
He does watch plenty of replays during the week though.
All PL games are replayed 2-3 times in the week following the game, so we are pretty lucky.
I knew you’d come round agag 😉
There used to be a time rico, when as JJ used to say, he couldn’t beat an egg. 😛
Happy post Ts, I’m bloomin livid. Some of our players could have seriously injured yesterday.
Scott, how are you celebrating? I don’t get all of AFC’s games, here. I used to pay for two cable providers so that I can watch the CL and the prem. 😕 At least now, both are shown by just one provider. 😀
We had a quiet one today, but next weekend are having some of his school mates overnight.
We are pitching the tent in the backyard, and they are all very excited!
Foxtel gives us every single PL game live.
We also get every CL game and several cup games.
I recall that agag, bet he doesn’t say that now….
I watched 50min highlights on sky and then watched the 5min highlights on motd and it looked liked two completely different games I can’t understand why motd didn’t think that shawcross trying to amputate kos was not worth showing I think that’s why they have highlighted the handbags with Michael Owen so much to detract from what are players actually have to go through in certain games maybe our players should take the same action as racism victims and walk of the pitch as soon as they see shawcross humming the tune from deliverence
bbs, ditto – and motd only slotted in the ‘punch’ by Owen because other sites/press picked up on it.
I can’t believe they are even talking about the Owen incident, it was a non event.
Kozzer gets a sex change from that thug, and nothing said?
Off for a bit now, people for lunch so best get busy….
Back later….
He did throw a punch though Scott, but it wouldn’t win him a welterweight featherweight match 😉
Laters
Rico, it was shocker of an effort lol.
Anyway, i am off guys.
Have a great day, and enjoy the 3 points!!
To c
Hey wavy, I’m Welsh, love arsenal and hate pulis, so less of the blanket racism
Thank you Stoke for bringing back the passion of being a Gooner.
Forget your Man U’s and Spurs, beating those thugs, with their line-outs and scrums, and their forever moaning manager is what passionate football supporting is all about. Had our goal been offside it would have been all the more satisfying.
How nice to be young and be having sleepovers. 🙂 I just bet you, if that ere Fergie Red Nose, he’d be calling for the heads of refs and linesmen claiming “my player was almost blinded”. Haha. He was quite embarrassing about that Robin non-incident not too long ago, wasn’t he?
Try again……
Pull-hiss is the progeny of his ancestors fascination with excessive encounters with sheep over the hills and far away!
Arsehole….on every level!
Soz welshgooner. There are of course exceptions to every rule.
After noon all’good post rico… Yesterday’s match was really good for us..wonder what we have to do to make the men in the middle happy with us
Welsh, welcome. Wavy @ 12:00 😆
rico, whatcha cooking?? Hiya, bondex, howdy??
The crowd were also giving him the ” You know what you are ” chant but when the Break peoples legs one got going he turned and looked at the North Bank and actually looked shocked. As for Pulis nothing more than you would expect, he has an ingrained detestation for everything that Arsenal stand for and has absolutely no class.
BTW . Apart from being “” I am a hard man ” whose face was closest to the ref whilst the lino was changing his story , Why it was that nice mr Shawcross , You know what you are …………………………………………………………………………………………….
Scum manager scum players scum club….! Sums them up, really don’t know how or why people are shocked at how they played yesterday as they are never any different.
I keep hoping season after season that Stoke will be relegated and I hope it will happen one day. What got me angry in that match was the rough treatment Theo was getting from Wilkinson in the 2nd half. After destroying Wilkinson in the first half, it was like Pulis instructed Wilkinson to do anything possible to stop that from happening in the 2nd half. In the 2nd half wilkinson kept swinging his arms and kicking theo and the linesman did not call the attention of the referee.
The butchery of shawcross on kos deserves a red. Shawcross knew what he was doing leaving his studs on kos nuts. Kicking of Wilshere went unpunished. They are quite lucky they are in teh EPL, in the spanish league they would have ended up playing 7 v 11 in every matches. Love fellaini headbutt on shawcross in december when he was getting a rough treatment from shawcross
Good morning b/w everyone.
Scott from Oz says:
February 3, 2013 at 11:51 am
I can’t believe they are even talking about the Owen incident, it was a non event.
Kozzer gets a sex change from that thug, and nothing said?
Because Shawcross loves him mum and is not one of the players.
How Red Nose vents his spleen and gets away with public ear washings.
Enjoy this Disney picture book I assembled in a Guinness world record time of 5 minutes.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/02/article-0-0253371F000005DC-697_468x521.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46181000/jpg/_46181415_fergusonget_466bod.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/11/24/article-0-07310586000005DC-48_468x353.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/8/9/1249842863693/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-001.jpg
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02437/fergie_2437807e.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2012/12/27/1356612530552/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-v-Newca-008.jpg
Some headlines as well to commemorate (sir???) Fergie’s perpetual verbal onslaught.
“Referee Alan Wiley upset over Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘unfit’ jibe but says he will not sue Manchester United boss”
“Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson has no case to answer after Newcastle fury, says referee Mike Dean”
“Ferguson fumes at ref after loss”
“Sir Alex Ferguson avoids punishment for confronting Mike Dean”
“Ferguson intimidates referees, Benitez claims”
“Ferguson followed the referee on the pitch, venting his fury”
Rico
Gimme 1-0 to arsenal anyday.
Just came back from church to pray for the fitness of our players,
It might have bit more effect than the medical department we have at colney.
totts 0-1 :-(-
Thy played wth one more player all or almost the second half
I see the titts won. 🙁
I meant tots. 😳 Although, they are, of course, t*ts, too. 😀
Agag. Language please. 🙂
A not altogether Freudian slip, Adam. 😳 Howdy? 🙂
Wath you are wrong mate.
Scum manager, Scum players, Scum club and Scum fans + Scum town…
Everything about the Potteries is Scummy
I don’t even hate Spurs quite as much as I hate Stoke RFU…
Hi Adam….
Agag, wash you mouth out soap and water…
I really am quite shocked at your industrial language shopping buddy.
I hope your not like that when you get your credit card statement… 🙄
😉
Shawcross, Pulis and StompRFU are everything I hate about that last vestige of traditional English football.
That is violence and intimidation…
Pulis brings nothing to the table in terms of technical coaching, entertaining football or sophistication…
His remit is, brutality rules, ok….
Ha ha ha, AK. I did try to correct myself. ;oops: rary, On the contrary, turn very religious when I get my credit card billing. Quite a lot of “oh god” interjections there, I tell you. 😛
Back to work, lata…
Ha ha Agag….
You should go to Confessional more… 🙂
Gone now
Most despicable manager in the prem: Pullis, Pardew or Fergie?
Afternoon…..
Lucky Totts again then…..
Take care, Kev. 🙂
TG, Pulis and Fergie, for me. Couldn’t stand Phil Brown either before they got relegated.
I see a picture forming.
Pullis and Fergie for me too, followed very closely by Big Sam…. and yes, the orange man himself…..
Gervinho is back!
Cote D’Ivoire out of the CAM!
Italy won today France in rugby!
Dg,our only billboard forehead is coming back.They lost to Nigeria 2-1 so expect some Oscar-like comedy performance on your sports channel soon.:-D
How did this Man City side beat us??
Hoorah JM 🙂
Yuck, the walrus, how could I forget, rico? How was lunch?
Yet again Sturridge does an impression of Suarez. and gets a yellow card for diving!
Should have been red…
Lovely thanks agag, but I have to say that, I cooked it 😆
So, Fat Sam – English, Tangoman – English, Tony Pullis – English, Pardew – English.
And they kept saying Wenger was killing the English game.
It’s strange, but I’m glad we can complain about our players being kicked. It’s actually an indicator of the way we are playing. I’ve said it before. Arsenal midfielders must push forward with the ball whenever we open up spaces in the defense. When we do that, we will e either draw a bad challenge or have a pass into the box open up. We have to force defenders to commit. And not merely allow them to re adjust.
Jack, Rosicky and Disney who were all missing at the time are great at this. I wish Santi would begin to play like that to because he is capable. I just think he isn’t quite accustomed to being kicked yet. I hope he gets over the fear. He could easily become one of the elite in the premier league.
Did my auto correct just turn “Diaby” into “Disney”? Kinda fitting I guess. His fitness saga is s bit of a roller coaster ride.
I’m sure you’re a fantastic cook, rico. 😉
Disney 😀 I thought it was your pet name for him. I agree though, we aren’t direct enough. Some matches, the “fear” in our players is almost palpable, ergo, the pointless, sideways passing.
What a strike by ‘me me me me Stevie’ …..
Git!!
TG,
Not all though, there are some very good young managers out there who are British.
I’m not a fancy cook agag, just love simple food, the rest is too complex for me….
😆 Will. How fitting indeed….
On wednesday after our liverpool game, i was asked how it felt to be a fan of Arsenal and also support my country Nigeria. I was speechless but after the win against stoke and ousting gervinho from the afcon with a 1994 performance( the Nigerian team were ranked 5th in the world) i know the answer. I am estatic. I know the likes of syg dont rate the afcon but there are three players in that tourney that will be automatic starters in the gunners team. And i dont mean inferior players like gerv, drogba, yaya toure,…. I mean Emenike of Nigeria, pitoipa and alain traore of burkina faso. I wont be surprised if any of them end up in the Epl next season
Citeh are poo.
2-2 Citeh 🙂
What a finish!
Happy days for you Joyweds 😛
Imagine how good Aguero would be in our team.
I wonder how many Gooners are now, for the first time in a while, not wishing we had signed Enrique?
Not because we didn’t ever need him, or we shouldn’t have signed him, because we should imho…
But now, and finally, we don’t need to as we have a Nacho 🙂
Congratulations, joyweds. 🙂
What was reina thinking and some arsenal fans want him…. Despicable
Wouldn’t need to much imagination agag…. 🙁
I forgive him joywed, especially if Citeh go onto win… and then win the PL……
I’d still love us to sign Reina too…..
Thanks rico and agag… Only downside for me is the return of forehead to arsenal.
Nice one Joywed… My black stars will be gunning for your Super Eagles in the semi’s… It will be like ’92 again. Back to the old guard of African football. Stephen Keshi vs Kwasi Appiah. 😉
Keshi has really impressed me as a manager
I wonder how AW is feeling now as Gilles has told the footballing world that we are monitoring Alain Traore? He is probably a double agent feeding the scums with all our transfer targets as in Capoue’s case on the last day of the window. :-d
I doubt there is any truth in the Traore story from Grimandi Ts…
Think City have very little chance of winning the PL title now…
🙁
I know, rico. 🙁 On the other hand, I love how Nasri is now a benchwrmer.
Joy, if he were able to replicate is IC form for AFC, it wouldn;t be so bad. As it is, he’s been a massive disappointment.
Tsgh… I think that would be the final. Stephen keshi is a much villified figure after leaving out brats like odemwengie and the likes of obafemi martins from his squad. But he stuck to his gun and now he is a hero. I Cant wait to call wenger a hero again but will it happen? Gilles a double agent? He’s definitely a suspect.
rico, I think, United will drop points; Pursey will sustain some injury, etc. 😉 Well, one can hope. 🙁
think Arsenal week a week is away for his target.
Enrique?
Aguero? Of course…:-)
but even Dembele from Fulham went to Totts what I can expect?
😀 Agag, I have even forgotten about that ambitious french player….. what is his name again? 😉
I thought he would have asked for a move to FC Anzhi the way he wants to win trophies at all cost? Not a lot of players can claim to have won a Russian title.
You are right Joy…., you have Mali instead.
You may have a point there Rico re Gilles comment.
Vpurstrings seems to be going through a bad patch. No goals in 2 or 3 matches it seems…
I don’t even think about nasti anymore agag 🙂
Good Evening to the Lady of the House and my fellow Gooners.
Rico – Thanks for the quotes from Tony Clueless, my coverage cut away to another game after a quick round-up of the plays of the game. So, I missed the after game comments by players and managers.
Emma – I think were right about Wilkinson being under instructions to stop Theo at all costs. The one thing that Stoke RFC are vulnerable to is speed, Theo was a constant threat to get in behind their backline.
However, three points is three points and should be be appreciated.
Arsene Wenger, and coaches/managers like him, have almost killed the ‘English Game’. However, he certainly has NOT killed the game of football in England. The Premier League is the most watched league around the world because of the attractive skilled football espoused by Wenger and his ilk.
Unfortunately, Neanderthal knuckle draggers like Tony Clueless/Pubis insist on trying to preserve the ‘English Game’. If all the teams played like Stoke, the Premier League would be bankrupt. Tony Clueless is just too ignorant and stupid to realise that he and his ilk are killing the game of football. England will never win the World Cup as long as managers such as he and teams like his are allowed to perpetuate the ‘English Game’.
Evening CG – The real annoying thing about Pullis is we are all talking about him today, he’ll love it….
He doesn’t belong in the game……
Rico – You are right. As far as Tony Clueless is concerned, any press is good press. Sad isn’t it. He is just too stupid to realise how clueless he really is.
I’m off for the night folks. Have a few things to do and then an early night..
Be good all and stay safe…
Night Night
On a more positive note, our new left back Nacho Monreal shows promise, although one game is too little to make a full judgement, and is not afraid to put his body on the line in pursuit of the ball. He is off to a good start and appears a capable substitute for Gibbs. I’m still hoping for a speedy rcovery for Gibbs though.
He is just horrid Cg, horrid……
Gone now….
Morning all.
Good Morning Scott. It seems only us colonials are left, everyone else has gone to bed.
Hi CG.
They are very soft, no doubt lol.
How goes it?
I am on and off as work is getting in the way…bugger!
Work, the curse of the drinking man.
I’m well Scott. Beating Stoke RFC has certainly improved my spirits, especially after seeing the results of some of our near rivals. If we keep it up we will take one of the Champions League spots and have a good chance at the FA Cup. I live in hope.
Anyway I’m more than a little peckish, so I’m off to get some lunch. I’ll catch you this evening your tome and very early tomorrow morning my time.
The FA cup is a distinct possibilty.
CL football…well, with Chelksi falling apart and the Spuds missing strikers, we are looking pretty decent.
If we can get on a roll, we will finish top 4.
If we do, still a big if, then plenty will have egg on their faces.
Aparently David villa is telling everybody that will listen, that he is coming to London to play for Arsenal in the summer. Sources say that when Wenger bid for him in january where his value was eighteen million, and was rejected, will be into his last year of his contract with Barcelona and will obvioudly be cheaper. Villa is 31 years old so Wenger would have to change his policy of only offering one year contracts. Walcott Giroud and Podolski Gervinho would be wise to upp their game. 🙂
If we can get on a roll, we will finish top 4.
If we do, still a big if, then plenty will have egg on their faces.
As always the question is :- Is 4th place good enough for the egg to appear on people’s faces.
Potter, yes it is considering most pundits and most Gooners of late have said we can not finish top 4.
You seem to be asking a separate question there.
Is settling for top 4 good enough….no, it is not, but that has nothing to do with my statement.
Don’t forget Chamakh Sp, he’ll need to step his game up too 😉
One of those with egg on their face will be me, maybe… 🙂
We need a good run of results, but still need others to drop points too.
Don’t want to be going to Newcastle in need on three points on the last day of the season that’s for sure.
Morning all…
Good morning Rico. Another strange atmosphere at the Emirates on Saturday but the crowd were united by a hatred of a common enemy.
I wouldn’t worry about having egg on your face. You do keep chickens.
Morning Adam,
Ha ha re my chickens…
I had a feeling a might had been. So many empty seats again.
I wonder what will happen if we start stringing a few good results together, will fans go back to their seats or stay away.
We have another common enemy coming up, that NLD will have a big say in where we finish this season.
The team could certainly string some good results together. If it wasn’t for the defensive problems that has blighted them for years now, they would have won more games. That’s for certain. Possibly the results between now and the end of the season will play a big part in who is the manager next season? It seems pretty clear that things really can’t be allowed to slip any further.
Totally agree re the defence. maybe AW should leave the scouting/signing and coaching of defenders to someone else from now on….
I’d love to know who was behind the Monreal signing, because he is very unlike a Wenger purchase.
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