Morning all.
Jens Lehmann has written a book and having read a few extracts which have been printed in the newspapers, its definitely on my list for Santa. He’s laid into Gallas for his strop against Birmingham which pretty much cost us a league title in 2008 and he’s revealed all about his rivalry with Manuel Almunia. The rest of it should be good although I bet Arsene Wenger won’t be thrilled about him disclosing the sometimes unrest within the squad, especially as the Frenchman has told us for the last 21 years that every squad he’s managed has been ‘together.’
Anyway, I look forward to reading the book, possibly more than I’m looking forward to the match at the weekend. Only because we just don’t know which Arsenal will turn up. If the message about what this fixture means to the fans has been drilled home, the team might be ready to put Totts to the sword. Let’s hope so eh and hope is pretty much all we have left to cling to.
Some good news is Danny boy is back. He’s fit and he’s been throwing himself around in training. Like Walcott he can frustrate, especially in front of goal as chances all too often go begging but unlike his English team-mate, he’s a worker. Welbeck is quick too and on Saturday we need pace up front. We need width too and Danny has both qualities. Welbeck faces a late fitness test before Wenger will make a decision on whether to start him. Fingers crossed.
Lacazette has played many games said Wenger in his press conference this morning and there’s a chance he might not start on Saturday. Yeah right, there’s no way Lacazette will be on the bench if he’s fit surely?
Arsene Wenger said he has a plan to keep Kane quiet and he and the players have no fear ahead of the NLD. All are fully focussed on nullifying Totts strengths. Hoorah!
Toby Alderweireld is a major doubt with a hamstring injury, Winks, Kane and Alli are slight doubts as is Hugo Lloris but I suspect they’ll be fine having had a nice two week break. Wanyama and Lamela are ruled out though according to the Physio Room website.
Let’s be honest, we’ll take any help we can get against that horrid lot so the more players they have injured and missing, the better. Hopefully Mike Dean will be struck down with Man Flu over the next day or two and we get a different referee in charge, not that the rest are much better than Dean..
Giroud is injured and has been ruled out for the weekend. Koscielny is fit though and Mustafi could be back as like Welbeck, he faces a late fitness test.
However, it’s not about which players we don’t have, it’s about who we do have and how Wenger approaches the game. If he gets that right, we could win. Get it wrong and we’re doomed…
What I’d be telling Alexis is to get at Serge Aurier because if he gets rattled, he’s a walking red card. Alli is too but with him our boys need to be careful as he’s a good actor.
Is Jack Wilshere the man for this game? He certainly dislikes the Totts as much as many of us do and it’s not like our midfield couldn’t do with something different in it. In fact I can’t remember the last time our midfield had a major influence in a game. Xhaka and Ramsey hardly fill me with confidence but then I don’t think either know what their role is. Neither really help out those behind them do they, and neither are the kind of player who can breakup an oppositions attack and turn it into one of our own. Perhaps Jack could.
What about Mesut Ozil, is this the match for him? I’m not convinced it is because we’ll need to match, no better the Totts work rate. Same with Iwobi who for a big fella, is a bit soft when it comes to the defensive side of the game.
Pochettino will have his players fired up for this one and he’ll have them organised and focussed but I watched them against Utd at Old Trafford and they struggled. If we come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders they can get flustered but play tippy tappy sideways stuff and well be the team which fails…
As for Mike Dean, we all know what to expect and so should Arsene Wenger. Don’t give the guy a decision to make then we’ll have nothing to worry about…
Let Wenger find something else or someone else to blame should things not go so well, after all, it’s never his fault is it……..
Morning, good post rico. Have to disagree that Gallas’s strop cost us the league title. Or have I read it wrong? Decisions and actions in that game cost us, not the Gallas sulk.
Thanks Andrew.
Wasn’t Gallas sulking instead of clearing the penalty which was hit the post or something similar?
Actually, I’ve got that totally wrong. The penalty was scored. Oops.
There were three things that got to Gallas. 1)Mike Dean! 2) The sickening injury to Eduardo. And then the late late penalty from Clichy’s tackle.
And Gilberto and Jens ?
I think his strop affected the team afterwards though.
Rico, Wenger himself was in my view the chief culprit for the collapse in our title hopes after the Eduardo incident at Brum. Deja Vu the French fretter post Pizzagate at Old Trafford when the unbeaten run came to an acrimonious and iffy end with old Mother Riley helping Sir Ferguson out . Wenger doesent have the mental strength to be a top successful football manager and his weakness is passed onto his teams. It’s not not down to misfortune either that Wenger and his teams have failed to ever win anything in Europe.
Oh I don’t know Jeff, once or twice he’s managed to motivate his team after a heavy defeat. Not many though admittedly… ?
I reckon Rico that Wenger ‘s motivation techniques only work when the pressure is off to win things .He has often picked up points in the league once any chance of winning it was gone .He lost the plot completely after those incidents at Brum and previously at Old Trafford,.The Invincibles went from being unbeatable to looking like a side who were fighting relegation for awhile once they had lost a game.
Afternoon all and an excellant read El Rico.
I can confirm that Wenger does indeed have a plan for Kane and there was an inkling about it on the last post !…………………..Potter`s going into hospital and having a leg transplant with Harry !…………………..taking one for the team Potter…………a medal is on the way……………..only if we win though !
😆
How can Jeff say Arsene hasn`t any mental strength ???………………………..how many times does Arsene say about it ?…………so many times that Arsene could open up a branch of……Mental Strength “R” Us ……..in every town in England !
I`d swap a win against the Spuds for a loss in the Carabeo Cup any day of the week……………and the EL !…………………….I`m desperate !
I hate them swines !……………….they`re dispicable !……………..
Jeff, or it’s a last ditch fight for top four…
Thanks Lc. I’d like both but that’s aiming low really. We should be thinking about winning Saturday because we’re challenging for the league rather than just bragging rights. However, those days of winning the league are well and truly over under Wenger..
In fact I don’t even think he’s capable of winning the League Cup…
Yep Rico It’s all about that top 4 trophy at the end of every season for the old man from Alsace and another failure this season to win it should see the Wenger’s yawn inducing tenure finally stutter to an end. Some believe that a defeat to the scum will see the French fraud fall on his sword on Saturday … but he is good at finding excuses for the ever increasing bad results – it’s always some one else’s fault and never his own – players dive …the ref’s are not good enough … the pitch was unplayable… International breaks cause a lack of sharpness… my fav one this season was when Wenger claimed after the 4-0 drubbing at Anfield that our players concentration was affected by the recent transfer window events …! you couldn’t make it up.
Ha ha Jeff, he mentioned the top four this morning. Probably because he knows we won’t get a place in it again this season.
As for the Liverpool excuse, well how crazy was that because our transfer window mess was down to him and him alone…
rico, It’s a disease under Wegner and we’re in the prolonged stages of it, not interested in competing for the league but content with a top 4 place and we’re not even very good at that anymore.
Win the Europa Micko and no doubt he’ll say that’s our aim now.. after all, a trophy is a trophy and he mentioned the FA Cup more than once this morning…
rico, no hope, collective team spirit, something we lack in spades, probably went right over his bonce ! Can’t be easy suffering from foot in mouth disease.
I like that Micko, foot in mouth disease… ?
Night guys.
Morning all. Cold but lovely and sunny here.
Hi Adam, same here. Jack Frost paid a visit overnight..
So we are looking at Fekir from Lyon. Haven’t we been screwed over too many times by Aulas already or is someone on a nice little earner.
Afternoon Rico and All
Arsene has been giving out some free
advice to the Sp*ds.
He Say’s:
[You win trophies] by keeping your nerves and getting the players to focus on what is important. At some stages, by fighting a little bit against your inhibitions – the fear that you won’t get over the line. Basically you need to focus on what is important and not focus on the trophy too much,” the Frenchman told reporters.
“I was always more focused on finishing in the Champions League. When we had less resources financially I knew that we needed the money to pay the stadium back, so I was more focused on that than on Tottenham. I was never too focused on Tottenham.
Is he saying he has not been focusing on the Sp*ds
and thats the reason the last 6 premier games have
been winless?………………………………..
N………………………………………………….urse.
frednerk,it’s just more inane waffle from Wenger he is jumping on the Poch’s spuds have won nothing band-wagon to try and wind Poch up .It is of course a fact that under the Argie the spuds have not won a pot , although Wenger claimed that a top 4 place was a trophy and that the FA Cup was less important when he was finishing in top 4 places , but as you point out Wenger is not beating the spuds himself and another draw at home against the scum will be as good as a defeat really with all the other top 4 contenders likely to win or at least draw their games .So a win for whinging Wenger is required to buy him some breathing space because despite what he claims he knows that bragging rights still count in North London – albeit that the major trophies have all been won over in West London for donkeys years now. Perhaps Wenger has not been focusing on Chelsea either ! You couldn’t make it up.
He should just concentrate on sorting his own mess instead of commenting on everyone else.
Blame deflector extraordinaire!
Turd of a man…
Evening Fred, all.
Piece of advice, don’t watch or listen to anything Wenger is a part of. It’s all poppycock… but then you probably know that. ?
Evening Rico and the House.
It’s been a good day for the Academy.
In a early start the U18’s won 3-0 and a fantastic goal by Reiss Nelson saw the U23’s beat Porto 1-0
in the u23’s International Cup. Porto are the holders and have won the cup twice in the last 3years
If you get the chance to see the goal look at his position .
Wath if your reading Ben Sheaf had a very good game.
Morning all.
Big day, and I really don’t know what to think of our chances, because who bloody knows which of the Arsenal twins will show up???
We could easily beat them, and could just as easily get belted by 3-4.
Will Alexis get back to his best?
Will Ozil stand up?
Will our defence hold?
No idea 🙂
The French bowel mover to score a brace. 3-1 to The Arsenal, maybe 3-2. But a win, & its so Wenger!!!!
GG, I just hope Lacazette actually starts!!!!
Why, is he injured?
Not to my knowledge, but Wenger has benched him recently.
Morning you two and all.
Wenger said Lacazette has played many games.. I’m sure he’ll start though..
New post up now..