Morning all.
I’ll get the gossip out the way before Kev’s post.
Apparently, well, according to the Mirror, Gilles Grimandi has been scouting Nabil Fekir and has sent Arsene Wenger nothing but glowing reports about the young Frenchman. He’s an attacking midfielder who can also play up front and he’s valued at £15 million.
Here we go……
I picked him up off of the rank at Victoria railway station..
“Fulham Broadway please driver” he said, and off we went.
By the time we’d got around the corner into Grovenor Gardens, a football related conversation was in full flow…
Being a diplomatic kind of guy, unlike many of my Arsenal pals, I soon got into discussing what a brilliant psychological genius Jose Mourinho was, how he psyched out opposing managers, how well Chelsea were doing and that the EPL was virtually in the bag…
Pass the sick bag…
I moved the conversation away from the Egotistical One and my passenger told me that his father was a dyed in the wool Charlton fan and that he’d first been taken to The Valley and seen Sam Bartram play in goal etc. As a youngster, his favourite player had been Tommy Lawton, the Chelsea and England centre-forward, and it was that that had turned him into a Blue…
We spoke of Alan Hudson, Peter Osgood, Peter Houseman and Jimmy Greaves and it was then that I told him who I supported, not that it affected the bonhomie.
At the end of the journey he gave me a tip and we parted with a couple of jokes. All good stuff…
But a part of our conversation, before he knew I was a Gooner, troubled me. And it was as we were discussing Chelsea’s forthcoming games and who he thought would give his team any trouble.
When I mentioned Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal he said simply and emphatically that “We’ll beat Arsenal, Mourinho always beats Arsenal”. No ifs, no buts, no possibility of an upset in his mind, his confidence was unshakeable…
And who could blame him when you looks at the statistics since August 2004 and compare them with Wenger’s previous record against Chelsea…
From Oct 1997 to May 2004, EPL & Cup
Home:
P…..W…..D…..L……F…….Ao
12….8…..2…..2……21….17
AWAY
P…..W…..D…..L…..F…….A
11…5……5…..1…..20…..14
NEUTRAL
P…..W…..D……L…..F……A
1…..1……0……0……2…..0
TOTAL
P…..W…..D……L……F…….A
24…14….7……3……43….31
And since August 2004, EPL & Cup
HOME
P……W…..D……L…….F……A
11….2……4……5…….9……17
AWAY
P……W……D…..L……F…….A
11….4…….2……5…..14….18
NEUTRAL.
P……W……D……L…..F…….A
3……0…….0…….3…..3……6
TOTAL
P……W…….D……L……F……A
24…..6…….6……13….26….41
So as you can see, prior to Mourinho’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, Wenger had enjoyed an impressive record against the upstarts from SW6.
But since the Cynical One landed in England, Wengers hold over Chelsea has been totally broken and Mourinho takes a special glee in humiliating our French manager. In fact, with the possible exception of Pep Guardiola, nobody ‘does it’ for Jose, like beating Arsene…
Part of it could be attributed to the high regard Wenger is held in within football and the serious football media.
Meanwhile Jose is viewed with a certain disdain and disgust due to his win at all costs and by any means way of doing things.
His cynicism mirrors that of Don Revies, Leeds United of the late 60’s early 70’s, who despite their success and brilliant players, are not remembered fondly among the wider football world.
Dirty Leeds has stuck….
I wonder how history will remember Mourinho’s Chelsea?
Whatever the financial ramifications, be they Russian Oil Money or The Emirates and living within our means or Wengers Project Youth or maybe even the dismissal of David Dein, its difficult to fully explain the grip Mourinho had around the throat of Wenger?
Well Kids, today the gloves are off.
Call it what you will?
Arsenals acid test.
Arsene’s day of judgement.
Or even Football Artistry meets the Mailed Fist of Reality.
But, simply, everything that has gone before was just a rehearsal, an aperitif, the tomato soup before the T-Bone steak.
It’s Arsenal v Chelsea….
It’s Good v Evil….
It’s Wenger v Mourinho…
And it’s about time that Wenger got some pay back…..
COYRRG’S!
Written by Allezkev.
Morning all..
Thoroughly enjoyed reading that post Kev. Loved it….
first…
come on Arsenal!
Think you’ll find you are second Jm… 😉
You folks all gone back to bed?
Well done Kev. A very enjoyable read.
I agree, today is when the team need to seize the moment.
To improve and grow as individuals as well as a team, they have to take on and beat teams like United, Chelsea, City etc. the confidence will grow and the odd player that used to freeze or go missing in these big games will learn to stand and compete and do all the things well that they do against less able teams.
To finish the season with such a good late run, will set the team up nicely for next season, with the addition of a couple of players.
I can’t wait for this game today. Maureen will hate to lose but will still have things to say like “today, the win was more important for Arsenal, you can see this by the celebration of the players.” For us it’s just a blip and I would rather be in our position than Arsenal’s…” Read that in an arrogant, Portuguese accent….
Nice one Rev, is there a silent collection?
Have seen Arsenal play Chelski a few times since the demented one took charge,1 was a very painful 4-1 at the Emms,
Which today still haunts me..
Another one at Highbury, when TH contrived to miss from about six yards out, that ended 2-2.
The law of averages must surely most be on our side, after yesterdays Citeh result, let it be today.
O2B….
I agree Bt. The worse one for me was the six goal hammering. We never even got out of the traps…
We have to be ready the moment the whistle blows today, no slow starts today
and everyone putting in a full shift. Anyone goes missing, they need hauling off and replacing.
Marinello, i try not to think about the six goal hammering, it has to rank as one of the worst ever..
Agree, no passengers today, any slackers, under performers get the hook…
Up and at ’em from the word go….
Don’t pin too much on this game, it may have come too early. The important thing is we look like we have a chance and we should be closer still next year. Chelsea are several years ahead of us in terms of players they wouldn’t swap. How many do we have?
Morning all.
Joe Say’s arrival nearly coincided with our decade or so of relative mediocrity, so I’d say there’s a lot more to it than mind game or tactical genius.
We all concede today is our best chance in years to beat that little prick, but we seemingly pass over the fact that we are on this position due to having our best squad in that time.
Now if we can’t beat them this season or next, then it’s all on Wenger and his inability to beat the man.
Every club has it’s bogey side anyway, and unfortunately, ours is Chelsea, but we’ve already had a few massive wins this season, so there’s no reason we can’t continue that trend.
We’ll never get a better chance to shut that Portuguese dwarf up imo….
This is arguably our best team since 03/04. Jose’s record against Arsene, or even Chelsea’s record against Arsenal in general post-03/04 were all against teams that were progressively, arguably, getting worse. After 07/08, everything went quickly downhill. Chelsea, however, slowly grew in influence, and their cash-flow never ceased. We’ve also changed up our tactics a little to make it more difficult for us to concede on the counter, which is going to ruin Jose’s game, and will possibly mean the game ends in a draw unless we’re at our best, a loss if we’ve dropped form. Saying that, I think we’ll lose to a penalty by Hazard after Drogba dives in our box for old time’s sake. See you all after gametime, Gunners!
Jeez Rico, thought you’d lost the keys again…..
Welcome to Hh Colin and Matt..
Colin, let’s hope no diving or cheating from that lot, either that or Oliver doesn’t buy into their antics…
🙂 Bt, alls ok so far today, although the post didn’t actually post so had to redo it….
Scott, I think it’s tactics Jose’s dirty boring ones….
Quietly confident I am….
Rico, i was not testing you earlier, posted from the phone, my somewhat industrial size hands messed up my user name….lol
I hear what you say Matt but other lesser teams have beaten them this season so anything is possible today. I think we may just nick it by the odd goal.
Looking where we were last season, we have moved a little closer to the Chelsea’s and the City’s, but I agree, we have a way to go yet.
Ha ha Bt, easy done…
Matt, I don’t think they have too many players who are better than ours, Hazard of course and their keeper, maybe Matic too but after that, they can keep them….
Better is not the right word, perhaps players who would make us a stronger team is a better way of putting it…
Marinello, the Totts blew them away and that’s what we need to do…
Pace, width, energy and clinical finishing….
Sounds like a plan, Rico…
Got to get at the ageing old man at the back Bt. Ollie should have a field day against him, and Alexis. Shame Theo is a lazy git as he’ be perfect for today….
I think we should do well today, so long as the whole team turn up!
I can’t remember the precise details of the chavs defeats this season, I mean why would I? But I seem to think that most of their defeats came when Matic was either injured or suspended. I would take him out at the first opportunity then we would be playing on a more even playing field. Also, player for player we as good, if not better in most positions, we however, are not so cynical or calculating about who we are going to kick out of the game, a la Cahill, et al!
A draw would not be a disappointment, a win would be wonderful, a defeat would be a disaster.
I’m on the side of ‘wonderful’.
Nice one Kev, suitably appropriate on the day we did the chavs! (Ever the optimist!)
You are right Rico. We just have to be ready to go at the sound of the whistle, no slow starting or momentary lack of concentration…
Have a few Chelsea fans at work who are not that confident about them beating us this time around. Let’s see.
Let’s not take the old foot off the gas. Especially with City winning and United playing today.
Great post Kev.
I’m confident Everton win today…
Arsenal, we will see…
Wavy, got to hope Olivier is on the ball today. Cahill’s ott challenge on Alexis at their place was a leg breaker and definitely a red card offence…
Good Day Lovlies and Hunkies
What a nice beautiful day we have over here. And a great post to go with it. Nice one Kev. If we have a great win today make it a point that you do the post on match day. 😉
I would like to see us murder the chavs today.
And yes my dream would be to see Alexis on a run with the ball, John Terry lunges at him with a bone shattering tackle, but luckily enough for us Alexis sees him coming and manages to jump sideways. Unuckily for the chavs Terry cannot control his lunge and ends up crippling Matic (who was behind Alexis trying to stop him) out of the chavs side for the rest of the season. Terry is shown a red card and while he is going out of the pitch is punched by the under tall prick
And all of that will happen in the first 4 minutes of the game.
ahhhhhh……the sweet smell of dreams
JM. I think at the best Everton will draw against the Mancs today. United have picked up points at a time when they were not playing that well earlier in the season.
Any of 3 teams could finish 2nd. Let’s hope it’s Arsenal.
Absolutely Marinello and no passengers in the side either…
Read earlier that Merts might be fit but I wouldn’t start him, not today…
The comparison of Mourinho to Revie is very apt and highlights the disdain that I hold for Chelsea. I have many people that claim to have leanings for Chelsea , none of them want to talk about the pre Mourinho days although some remember Vialli fondly . Some of them didn’t even know about 1955.
Oh Chelsea , Chelsea you can stick your celery. 2nd and 4th verse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7wCfttJVnQ
Is that’s Gareth Bale’s family?
Potter, I remember playing against Marvin Hinton, who was in the 67 cup final v Spurs.
He was turning out for Barnet in the Herts Senior cup. Lovely man off the pitch, but at every opportunity during the match took my legs away….
A lot of the new Chelsea supporters probably would not know who he was. Think he was capped at under 23 level.
Bt, could be Keowns family…
Just saying….
Potter, i think Rico was referring earlier, to contact details regarding quiz questions.
If you would like them, then no problem, if not let me know and i can delete.
rico, for 15 mill this Nabil wouldn’t want to be a lazy Fekir if you know what I mean !
Ray Palour was saying yesterday Jose would tell ya he’d be secretly delighted with a draw today, win the next two games and take the PL title at Stamford Bridge in front of his own numpties, you can see where he’s coming from.
Just for Arsene’s own sanity he needs to take Jose’s scalp today and stick it in the trophy cabinet.
That always makes me laugh Potter.
Ha ha Micko…
Jose himself is quoted as saying he doesn’t care how his side win the league as long as they do…. Glad they can’t win it today though….
Hope we don’t see a Fabregas ‘love-in’ pre match in the tunnel….
Quiz questions yes please , lot of water gone under bridge since then with the hip and things, forgot sorry. So Rico can you organise it ? Please.
For sure Potter…
Who were you playing for Marinello , reckon if we could go back 45 or so years , we might have a bit of a team on here.
Use the GMail one then
Bt, is the email address attached to your comment the right one to send Potter?
Hi Potter, I was on Watfords’s books for a season in the South East counties league in 69. Then had a couple of seasons at Boreham Wood, before being transferred to Hatfield Town. Then work kicked in and marriage came along and the rest is history.
A mate of mine who I played against at school, John Margerison, turned pro for the Spuds, then transferred to Fulham in 74. Best and Moore and Marsh…
Did you play a bit Potter?
I packed up at 48, knee and ankle problems..
Afternoon Rico, really looking forward to this match today.I think we have great chance.I am over Fabregas now, but admittedly it took a while. He still had 16 assists this season, the most this season, But anyway, when Wenger said, with all the terms,it was not as easy as people think, to bring cesc back. “cryptic i know”, but surely that means Fabregas was not willing to take a pay cut, and wanted more than Wenger was willing to offer, but Chelsea could offer what he wanted.
Afternoon Dublin..
I think we have a great chance to and hope we can take it….
Rico, no problem use that email address…It’s the only one i have…..lol
Potter, no need to apologise, you’ve had more important things on your mind….
Bt. Thanks. I’ll sort it now…
Come on you Toffees….. 🙂
Rico , Great stats by the way, Ye lets hope its not a fabregas tunnel love in, an more of a mourinho touchline tussle.
5mins gone and Everton are already 1-0 up.
I hope Everton win and we also win. That will put us in a great situation.
Everton one up 🙂
“11 years ago today, Harry Kane celebrated Arsenal winning the league title at White Hart Lane.”
i’ve got a picture with this 😉
Everton 1-0 up..
How many of today’s player know Cesc from his days at AFC??? Kos, Gibbs, Aaron, Thomas and maybe Theo.
the rest have never played with him and let’s be honest…..from the above lot only Kos will begin the game. The rest will be on the subs bench.
Come on arsenal….Morning HH are you guys fired up or what?? Off to read the post.
Dublin. Can’t take any credit sadly as it’s Kev’s fine work today…
No Ramsey for you today then Devil?
I had to read that twice AK that was top draw. Really enjoyed reading. You sir are a genius 😀
There’s only one Goonie….How you doin’
Morning rico if I see rambo on the wings am definitely going to have a cow….we need Danny boy and alexis on the flanks. Don’t Start debuchy too bellerin should be able to handle that short cuss hazard. 2.1 to the arsenal OG with both goals. Come on.
Bt am doing fabulous can’t wait to smash this rent boys. We just have to win this for my sanity. I can take another year of not thumping that Portuguese prick. God that guy grinds my gears. Grrrrrrr
I think that AW will go with the above team
Ospina
Bellerin, Kos, Gaby, Nacho
Coquelin
Danny,Ozil,Cazorla, Alexis
Ollie
Imo I think Danny will begin the game. He is a big game player. i thought a long hard one if Aaron should be the one who starts on the right, however if he does that it willj diminish our directness. Danny brings directness to the team that Aaron does not do. Danny running on the flanks and cutting in will keep the chavs on the backfoot. Aaron is slower and he will tuck in thus allowing only Bellerin to speed from the flanks. With Danny on the flanks with Alexis both of them can interchange the sides and keep them stretched.
And Hector can cut inside to shoot……..any bets he will score today????
Haha are the manscums really losing to everton? Ahhh nirvana 😀
OG a brace dev. Put a punt on that.
I love your lineup too dev but let’s hope arsene is thinking like we all are. This is a marker for next season. Lose this and all the good work done this year is down the drain. Win this and we have our fear factor back. I believe we will. The lads know how much this means to us fans. About time we celebrate a win against that classless coont.
Still don’t understand how Pardew bests maureen yearly but arsene cant…. even Martin o Neil has a good record against that coont. He really must hate us. Gosh I hate that smug bastard. Adam of you re ten feet close to that poison dwarf please slap him across the face for me.
Sorry Rico my mistake, Credit to Allez so. I think he,ll go with Bellerin and Ramsey on the right, Ramsey offers more all round play than Welbeck, unless he wants to all out attack.
Get fcukin in 2-0
Haha yanited 2 down and it’s not even half time. I have a joker-esque grin on my face. Hehehehehehe
Everton 2-0 up now.
🙂
fantastic results so far, Cmon Wenger, just this once, do one on Mourinho !
3.0 toffees 😀 this is turning out to be a good weekend.
Arsenal – Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud
subs: Szczesny, Debuchy, Gibbs, Wilshere, Walcott, Flamini, Welbeck
Where is Gabriel? ill?
Ramsey on the wings again….ffs.
Oh well come on you gunners….
Afternoon All.
Afternoon Rico.
Just on my way to the ground.
Thanks everyone for your kind words on the post.
Really buzzing now…
My heart says 2-1 Arsenal.
My head says 1-1.
Come on the heart…
COYRRG
Chavs playing with no forwards typical Moron-ho
Come on arsenal
Go get ’em Kev, have a good one, now wish i had gone…
Bt am feeling super confident for this. If the lads turn up trust me we ll spank this chavs team. They lack an outlet for the long ball over the top ala drogba and costa. Fabregas is not known for his hold up play. We should win this. Keep hazard quiet and we ll thump them.
Whats happen to Gabriel?
Mets is fit? and he isn’t ?
Debuchy central defender?
Hmmmm. Gaby should have been used instead of Per. Hazard is playing as the lone striker. He is faster than Per for sure.
He’s not even on the beach dev….
Come on arsenal come on
Afternoon Kev, hope it’s a great game with the right result…
Afternoon all, shame no Gabriel today….
Today I would have played Gaby. Whatever formation the chavs play. Drogba and loftus as the only alternatives as attackers.
This could be edge of the seat stuff, with BFG on the pitch…
Beach???? You have a touch of the sun Goonie??? Lol
Got to make the Utd loss count..
Coyrrgs!!!
Come on you FUCKING gunners…..Come on. Yeeeeeeaaaaaah. Do this for the gooner nation all around the globe. We re due a win ffs. Come on.
Sure could Bt….
Is Gabby injured, Rico?
catch you later
Guess so Bt…
Bring it ON!!!!!
And the boos ring loudly……
Stop Booing Rico…..lol
Coyrrgs!!!
Come on!!!!
Come on..
That’s the second by ivanovic on Alexis! The second was a yellow at least!
COME ON!!!!!!
It’s ok rico, Terry had a word in the ref’s ear about it !
Like what I see so far, we’re hunting in packs.
That was a stone wall penalty….we need to watch out for those long over the top passes from fabregas. That was close.
Yep, same old eh Micko…
Too close Stan.
Solid start.
Ramsey is drifting in far too much…. He’s leaving Bellerin a bit exposed..
Has the offside rule changed?
Forget the stonewall penalty….should never have gone that far, Stan.
Fabulous Dive!!!!
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Wouldn’t it be ironic if he gets a second booking….
I thought he was onside Scott
Mickoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
coq in the book yet nothing for ivanovic earlier…. Dreadful!
Bloody heck that was lucky….
Funny old half….
Ivanovic gets away with murder week in, week out.
Everything about the Chavs is putrid. From their racist fans stuck in a 80s timewarp to the cheating players and narcissistic manager.
Rico we re not playing badly just need to keep our shape. That ball over the top is our Achilles heel over the years against chelshit. Drogba scored a truck load via fat frank. Fabregas is a better passers-by of the ball than fat frank hence the reason we seem to be struggling. If they had costa or dogshit we re definitely be 1 down. Close shave.
With them playing 9 across the back we just gotta be patient, it will come !
I bet Jose will say they should have had three penalties in the first half.
We need to stop fabregas not hazard. He’s the lunch pin. He’s going to hurt us if we keep allowing him to pick that pass.
Spot on Bob!
Stan, I didn’t say we were planning badly.. 😉
Just need to be a bit more ruthless and calm in their area. This game is for the taking….
Stan, they have a 37 year old Dogpoo on the bench if they get desperate ! He’s well past his sell by date nowadays.
Alexis needs to improve on his decision making. We could have gotten 2 goals by now 😀
Rico, I reckon our planning is good…..just the execution is a little off 🙂
We don’t score because we still over elaborate and they get their shape back. Half time and I would say 2 -1 to them on penalties.
Our problem is we have too many players who slow the game down so we allow them to get back when we have a break.
I thought it was a 32 seater Micko….
This game is calling out for Theo but he’s too bloody lazy….
Let’s hope the execution improves Scott….
Coyrrgs!!,
Potter, think we only forced the keeper into one save that half !
Dogpoo on ! Oscar off.
Dogshit is on
Is this a tactic or have we run out of steam
We’ve gone flat….
Santi or ozil out and welbeck in…we need rambo through the middle. Geez it’s not rocket science.
Get Welbeck on, mix it up a bit Arsene !
Need a shake up…..
Ozil looks done in..
Very flat this half
Red card??
True Rico, seems that way…..I’m even thinking throw on Theo….aahhh
about bloody time, he should be off!
Danny boy I reckon Bt but Theo’s pace could hurt the chavs big time.
Both Rico, Gung HO……lol
Bloody heck, AW is going for the win… Coq off??
🙂 Bt
Be a hero Theo……
Here we go Gung HO!!!
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, get off you little shite !
How did we not score?
Amen to that Micko!
why we not shot ???!!!!
final 5 minutes: hazard own two yellow cards!
Classless bunch of s***s!
Hope the FA look at Terry gesturing and telling the Arsenal fans to F**c off. What is repulsive piece of excrement he is
Seriously I just don’t get the idea of bringing in players 8 minutes to the end of the game. Who does that? If we had welbeck earlier in the game maybe just maybe. I give up I don’t think arsene ll ever beat maureen. So depressed right now.
They won’t Bob, he’s English! Hate him. His initials sum him up!
Rambo my man of the match…he was the top performer on the pitch.
Ospina very lucky to get away with his awful challenge on Oscar, can only imagine the reaction if it had been Szczesny
Yet again we fail to put their defence under pressure . I often wonder if any our coaches ever played against a boring defensive team With a team of six foot plus players no point playing in front of them and swinging long balls into them . You have to get wide ,to the bye line and turn them , make them defend facing their own keeper and put doubt between the two positions.
B.J the media will call it Terry’s passion , he is a folk hero after all you know.
yeah potter we went in the middle far too often, and our reluctance to shoot from outside the area a problem too. Alexis for all his fine work and energy don’t half cough up the ball far too often with poor passes
eduardo 6.08, think it would have been exactly the same reaction to be honest well apart from Scott but he has the advantage of having over 101 camera angles living in Australia……a stone wall penalty and a foul anywhere else on the pitch.
Goonie- Kos or Bellerin for me..
Eduardo, stone wall penalty for me too, and possibly a red card..
Rambo goonster? !!!!
Not for me either Jm…
rico, it’s been a decade since we last finished a giddy second in the league, will we match it again this season ?
That incident happened right in front of me. In real time it looked like a routine coming together.
Quite a lot of coming togethers today Adam…….bit of an odd one.
Oscar taken to hospital at half time, couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, didn’t he put in a nasty head challenge at the Brigde on one of our players….what goes round comes round.
Sure hope so Micko….
Adam, replays make it look worse…
I’m off guys. Struggling to post, peed off after that result and Vera is on..
Night all…
If Theo had his playing head on at the moment, he would have been ideal to get to the byline and cross the ball in.
Shame, but a point may well be important come the last game of the season.
Goodnight everyone.
Sleep tight.
0-0 against Chelsea and we are all down lol… better than getting beat by them as per usual.
Positives from the game for me, we didn’t get beat and in general we held are own i also think we finished injury free, also that game shows us excatly where we are when up against the best and an idea of what we need come summer. Oh and utd got spanked, that’s always nice to see.
Negatives… couldn’t break them down at all, i thought wenger made his subs way to late, also imo if they had Costa today i think they would have Nicked a goal or two and won the game.
So imo a subotic or Howedes is needed in the back line, we all agree a defensive mid is needed schnerdlin/wanyama/kramer/mccarthy etc and up top it looks like we need to try a find someone who’s a bit better than giroud and Danny. .. who I’ve no idea all depends on are transfer budget come summer.
No negatives from me…..I thought we were superb.
One side was attempting to play football, and one was more interested in stopping us from doing so.
We were fouled from the moment play began, and I’d like to see the back of Alexis’ legs today.
Ivanovic is one arsehole of a person, and how he continues to get away with his playing style is beyond me, but shows all that’s bad with the game.
Our boys played brilliantly and had our chances, so no, no negatives here.
We destroyed Liverpool.
We outwitted and outplayed Citeh.
We beat Yanited at OT.
We stuck it to Chelksi and weren’t intimidated by them.
I’d say we’ve taken one almight step forward this season, and I’ll wager anything they won’t beat us next season.
We are headed the right way and it’s great to see.
Scott, gotta love your positivity but you must have been watching a different game to me !
We started off ok but it all went downhill from there, we almost won it in the 92nd minute but where was the motivation, energy and urgency in the 2nd half, it was non existent !
The onus was on us to attack them, they pretty much only needed a draw to seal the league with two home games to come, Wenger wasn’t brave enough in his substitutions today.
Hate to admit it but Wenger simply hasn’t got the tactical nous to beat Mourinho, what is it 13 failed attempts now.
You’ll wager anything they won’t beat us next season, didn’t you wager something very similar the beginning of this season lol……
I agree with you Scott…
Well, up to a point… I thought we dropped a bit in the early part of the 2nd half, but Chelsea started going long ball and it took us awhile to adapt.
I thought we finished the half strong and looked more likely to score than them…
Who looked more relieved at the final whistle???
I thought we were superb.
Nite Gooners,
You’ll be glad to know I chucked the tumble dryer in the skip wath !
that’s how I see it micko… started well but fell away, and as much as i hate Chelsea and their tactics they work against wenger to which he has no answer…
I agree with you scott on taking a step forward this season but that only depends on how we strengthen this summer can we kick on.. I have to disagree about seeing no negatives mate, we still can’t beat them… that’s my negative and until it changes it’ll remain a negative.
The frustration is that the plan that Mourinho used today was hatched some time ago and still we persist with playing the same way and getting the same or similar results . We have not devised a way to get through and create serious pressure on their keeper. We may be improving and the standard of our players is getting better but tactically we are not changing when it comes to playing against Mourinho’s system.
We may not have won in 13 but we have only lost 6 or 7 in that time and we are getting closer! We had several chances to score Cazorla, BFG, Ozil, Alexis etc, we didn’t but we should. They had a couple too glaringly, Ramires but all the others were meat and drink.
After the whistle the Chavs reaction was elation, they knew they had got a draw where no draw and even less a win would have been justified. I got the distinct impression that they felt they had got out of jail, or stolen a point. The result was all that they had he’d for….a bit low on ambition! I somehow think that if nothing much changes down Sloane Square that the chavs won’t be winning much next year. They have gone fron ‘winning the quadruple to winning a singleton. Given all their cash and their style of play and their one or two world class players, it’s not much to show for all that investment.
Watch out Chelsea we are coming for you!!!!
We can only play as well as the opposition allow us, and Chelsea aren’t winning the league out or luck, so Micko, your opinion is accepted! but yes! we must have been watching different games.
Tactics were great as we created some decent chances to score.
Joe Says tactics also worked as they got the result they wanted.
Hard markers to suggest both sides can’t play well, though using different tactics, IMO.
Next time I offer a wager, maybe you ought to take the offer if I’m such an easy target….how much so you owe me for Ramsey 🙂 🙂
Oh, I do have one tactical move I disagreed with….Giroud should have stayed on (unless injured) as in the last ten minutes, we could have used his aerial presence.
Morning all..
Scott, I bet Micko will be relieved you accept his opinion.. 😉
Game of two halves imo – started very well but second half faded and fresh legs needed earlier. Not sure why Giroud went off but to me it seemed a bizarre decision when Ozil looked dead on his feet….
Pleased we didn’t lose but frustrated we couldn’t bury one or two of the chances we had, especially Ozil’s.. Maybe Girouds left foot would have hammered that home….
There I have to disagree Scott, If anything he should have come off earlier and we should have changed our play. Aerial balls are meat and drink to their defence, we had to keep it low but also not through the middle where they are waiting. We needed pace out wide where we could have seriously tested their backs , got in behind them and crossed hard and low . Cahill especially is not so good with his first touch and even if our guys couldn’t get there a deflected own goal would have been possible. We played in front of them Alexis and Ramsey going inside to run straight into their strongest position and getting too close to Ozil. They needed stretching we allowed them to compress us . We had one shot on target in 90 minutes, we criticise them but they had double.They are boring and we were predictable , the same as December 23rd last year when we got the same result using the same tactics making the same mistakes.
Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports, Henry said:
‘I think they need to buy four players – they need that spine. They need a goalkeeper, they still need a centre back, they still need a holding midfielder and, I’m afraid, they need a top, top quality striker to win this league again’.
Potter, we needed someone at the end……or to stop banging crosses over, no question.
Hi Rico,
Thierry is repeating what we have all said here of late……we should get paid for it as well lol.
Hi Scott.
Rico, those exclamation marks should have been comma’s, so my “opinion accepted” didn’t come across the way it was meant…it looks pretty abrupt so Micko, apologies there.
I still say we were good though 🙂
I thought we were good Scott, just need to find a way to get through a bus…
Just not good enough…..again!
We are not far away though….
I know we say it at the end of every season, but this summer really is a big one for AW. Possibly his biggest, with just two years left for him to win the PL…
New post up now..
Rico, IF he continues the trend of buying absolute quality, we will win the League next season.
Injuries aside early on, we’d have been a massive chance now.