Morning all.
Need a tissue?
I bet the Napoli players would love to be worrying about which side they’ll draw out of the ‘difficult pot’. Higuain said that being knocked out by us was an injustice. Err, no it wasn’t, it was simple mathematics and his side couldn’t score enough goals.
Staying with the Champions League, Per Mertesacker talks a lot of sense. After the lost he was open and honest about the way the players approached the game and now he’s spoken about the difficult task ahead but he’s possibly spot on!
If you want to achieve something in the Champions League, you have to take every opponent seriously and I think it is better for us when we have a good lot, when there is a draw that we can concentrate on.
When you look at the teams that finished top, if you pick one out, for me, I don’t mind. We want to go for it this season… we got a good result at Munich last season and after that we played a fantastic season.
You never know what can happen with a good draw and a serious opponent – you can get so much out of a defeat or a disappointment. I hope that we learn a lot from [the Napoli game] and we are aware of the next opponent.
Can’t argue with that. Not one of the clubs we can face can be taken lightly so there will be no complacency setting in next time. It matters not who we draw because to win this big trophy we have to beat the best and there’s no reason why we can’t.
They’ll certainly be no room for complacency tomorrow lunchtime either when we face Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium. The players need to put Wednesday behind them, wake up and start playing the kind of football which got us to the top of the league.
Actually, we need to play better than that.
We need to play much better to win at Man City. It’s two hard games that await us so it will be difficult because they are two of the best teams and we need some points.
We are on top of the table so we need to keep this [lead] and December is a very important month in the Premier League. We need to be ready and to fight to win these games.
Basically, we need to show all the characteristics that we didn’t show in Italy and hopefully, Arsene Wenger might add a bit of pace and width to our first eleven. We have the players available, start using them!
We all know these players have a lot more in the tank to give and we need to see that for just 90 more minutes before they can relax for nine days and recharge their batteries before taking on Chelsea at The Emirates…
That’s it for another day…..
Morning all.
Short and sweet, but straight to the point, is todays post.
Offer me a draw v the two Oilers and i would take it, but more so v Citeh, as i reckon we can roll Chelski.
Short and sweet Scott, that took me ages 😉
If our boys have anything about them, we’ll see a top class performance tomorrow…
Hey Rico, Scott,
Lets go for it tomorrow. Last match for the week and for whole of next week. We need good result more so cause there is no game for 8-9 days for us and if we don’t get result we’ll hate internet for next whole week until we play Chelsea. And Pundits will have field day telling every one I told you so.
Lets get that win.
Good Morning Lady, Sir, Gentlemen and Ladies.
Good concise post Rico.
But some short questions…….
1) After our game against Napoli how much did the opposing teams who will be facing us in the next round have learnt?
2) Did AW put out a team with the intention of not loosing 0-3 safe in the knowledge that any other result will see us qualified?
3) People criticize Jenks for being the weakest link in the defence. But in which game could Jenks be given a run out? Because he is criticized in practically every game.
4) Was AW keeping his direct and fast runners fresh for tomorrow’s game?
5) Are we seeing a shift in the priorities? Is the EPL now more important than the CL?
many supporters jump to conclusions.
but the STARK, RAVING REALITY is that AFC HAVE QUALIFIED TO THE LAST 16. Which is the intention every time we enter the CL group stages.
S2S i agree…the net will be no place to visit if we lose lol
Rico, i can only imagine how much time you put into coming up with something fresh idea each day.
Hiya Devil,
I guess we are all guilty at some point of adding 2 and 2 together, yet coming up with 5 🙂
Check your inbox mate…just sent a few action pics of Sean tonight.
Hi S2S, it will be like another international break…
Morning Devil and thanks..
I doubt many sides will use that game in Italy to judge the way we play, managers will do more homework than that. Maybe watching the way we set up and played against Chelsea in the CO Cup and Dortmund at home would tell them more.
All the time we set up without width and pace up front, I think we are easy to pick off.
But we have with and players with pace, AW just needs to trust in them more.
He is moaning about not winning the group, but surely that is down to him…
Scott – trust me, it’s not long 😉
nice pics mate.
one of them says a lot. Head up. Option analysis. Good qualities in a young footballer.
Well even more credit to you then Rico.
I agree Wenger stuffed the Napoli game up.
Saying that, he has got plenty right this season, so let us hope he is back on his game tomorrow night (my time).
Funny, Devil, that is exactly what someone else said 🙂
and who if I may ask??? 🙂
for a lad of 8/9 that is one really high quality.
@DG,
Idk, fans are fickle. We have short term memories and we rely more on pundit’s judgement than what we see or realize.
For e.g. After Everton match BT sports pundits said Everton were great and they should have won the match and bla bla and they decided to show the Everton domination in highlights and apart from that one shot from inside the box all were from outside the box. So if the team keep playing in front of us without having any sort of final ball how can they have had better opportunities?
Compare that to one on ones we had with Howard and you’d see had two of them gone in we had won it comfortably.
Same thing again with tactics. Is it not possible that we have kept in mind we have to play 3 games in 6 days and try to conserve energy from beginning? We decided to let Everton have ball and up the tempo only when we wanted to. But we played bad.
One thing most of us don’t realize is there is losing and there is tactical retreat and past two games have been tactical retreat. If we win tomorrow then tactics paid off else it blows up in our faces.
Hope we win tomorrow cause I don’t want to stop visiting Arsenal sites and blogs.
It is weird….i see him at home and he is my baby boy.
Put a ball at his feet and he changes.
He is 7 atm, Devil.
Wath made that same call 🙂
S2S,
I thought Everton were excellent, and we were pretty good, but that is relatively speaking.
At our best, we beat them comfortably, imo.
Tomorrow will tell us a lot imho. Tactics from AW and spirit/attitude from the players..
I reckon they might just be out to surprise City…
I didn’t know which one was your lad Scott – otherwise I’d have said the same 😉 😉
Maybe I was too focussed on the bartender 😉
Short and sweet or is it good things come in small packages? lol; good post btw.
When I saw Kate Upton’s foto on the bottom of the post I was wondering of I had gone unto the wrong page by mistake. 🙂
s2s, Scott- If we lose, OG12 is useless will be trending…
Not mincing words Dev– I am with you there btw.
All this ‘OG12 is not Arsenal quality makes me laugh… it does the player no good and definitely doesn’t help the teams cause.’
OG12 never compares himself Batistuta or Raul or Squilaci or Henry; its some fans and pundits who do…
Scott- are turning your son into the Kaiser ( Franz Beckenbauer) of the Oz? 😛
Sagna fit to face Man City on Saturday allegedly… hope it is true.
Hi Ginge,
If you like, Rico may be kind enough to forward the pics….
Rico, the eye was wandering, hey lol
Beckenbauer….not a bad role model 🙂
Watch Draxler make Basel defenders look like defenders from a pub team.lol
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QDMtLTFfujk
Kool, buddy…
I should get your personally email as well if you ok with it…
Thanks Ts..
Not being picky but no-one here says Giroud is not good enough for Arsenal. Just sometimes, it’s very clear we lack a clinical finisher. Giroud isn’t that guy, he’s a workaholic yes and what he does is great but, he can’t do it alone and in certain games, we need something different up front imho.
But not Arsenal quality? Well that’s poppycock.
Sadly Scott, he’s young enough to be my son 😉
Both sent Ts/Scott..
Thanks Rico….and my email address if you could?
Rico, my grandmothers favourite saying was get them young and train them 🙂
Morning Rico.
Re Giroud? It is semantics really. Having said that he has proved that he can play for us I still believe that, when you look at the striking options of the other top teams in Europe, ours are limited. But, with the amount of money we have and the transfer window approaching we could change that. The club will probably have to pay through the nose, but that is a consequence of not addressing it in the summer. It is ‘only money’ after all. 🙂
You don’t want much Scott 😉
Giroud has done an enormous job for us thus far, but can not keep going.
I have wanted to see Ozil feeding Pod and Theo before saying we need a new striker in January, but time has run out so we must bring someone in.
The guys name has come up, and he has his big negatives, but would Berbatov be a short term fix??
White and one Sugar, Rico 🙂
I believe Berbatov would be enormously frustrating Scott and I really want to believe that we turned a corner this season. We all have our own preferences and our own feelings about Giroud. I personally do not see TW or Podolski as central strikers.
Morning Adam.
It is only money and we’ve just earned some more by getting into the knockout stages of the CL but like you, I don’t think we have the striking options we need in order to win it…
We can do better than Berbatov Scott, and he’s a sulky so and so…
Fair call Adam, and i agree, but i guess i have my Wenger cap on.
We know he hates January, and hates spending so it may be an option.
Theo or Pod can do the job if given that killer pass Ozil can provide, i reckon….hope….
Torres would still be my choice, but it is hugely unlikely.
Scott. Apart from the last minute acquisition of Ozil and the perceptive and slightly surprising success of Flamini, he failed to secure a striker in the summer too, despite having 100 days to do so. I can see no reason why he can’t get the right player but it was his inactivity in the summer that will cost the extra £10 million now.
This will pan out in a few ways. We will win the PL with no additions and Wenger will be lauded as a genius. We will win the PL with a new quality striker and the same thing will happen. Or we will not win the PL, despite buying a new striker and we will sigh heavily. Or we won’t win it, without buying the elusive striker and the vibe will be that Wenger has blown it again and all for the sake of a commodity of which we have a great deal, money.
Just the one sugar Scott? 😉
AW has made a few signings in January though, Reyes, Arshavin, Walcott (I think) and a few more who possibly need to be forgotten….
i hardly see Berb as a key signing. We know if the price is right anything can be done, we need to step up and there might be the problem. We are yet to see if Ozil standard is the future or we’re back to the 10/12m Girouds. Look he works hard but lets face it, he’s no world class player is he. Check his passing and shooting accuracy, we need real quality, lethal quality and he is not it. He’s been better than i thought but if Arsene statements about having his hands untied are true… prove it and there is no better position to start.
Morning/evening Oz. I am generally with you on this one. We are certainly lacking pace and mobility up front. Giroud looked like he was running in treacle the other night. Seems to me that this means he will only bother defenders in deep situations as he is hardly going to run past them is he?
Make Dortmund an offer for Lew they can’t refuse I say Oz, or Liverpool for Suarez, Man Utd for Rooney..
Even if we offer Dortmund £15 million in Jan and loan him back so he can continue in the CL for his club..
Then get a player on loan until the summer…
Wenger made two statements that should not be forgotten – 1/ now we are in a different league and his handcuffs are removed and 2/ He will not sign a contract until he is convinced (i actually don’t believe this BTW) he can win trophies with this side. We have stumbled into the last 16 of the ECL as usual, nothing new there. If he looses to City and Chelsea, then what?
Who is of decent quality and possibly available atm guys?
Any realistic rumours?
What did it for me was the run he made for that through ball, poor chap looked like he was in reverse. The keeper got to it so easy. I was sat wishing it had been TW chasing down the ball…
Oz, if he loses to both sides, we could still be top of the league, and a few results should not be allowed to paper over the good work done thus far.
The fact is we are in prime position to win the league, and we must do everything possible to give ourselves that chance.
Would Lewandowski want to come to us though Rico. Personally I am not too bothered about the CL but believe that not to push hard for the PL after all the good work so far, would be a crying shame.
I can think of a few players I would love at the club and believe that signing one of them would give us a real boost on and off the pitch.
For the right price, possibly quite a few Scott but Arsenal really need to dig deep into their pockets, if they want to win the PL and progress in the CL..
Have you heard Rooney has knocked back a contract extension?
he’s a nice lad and we got more than we paid for but again Wenger is short on what was required IMO – now he has no excuses, the whole football world knows we need quality in that position not fill in’s, mind you, there might be the problem if you get my meaning.
Here’s a question then, IF it’s true and RvP really does want out of Man Utd, would any on here welcome him back??
Would £65 million buy Suarez? Could £40 million persuade AM to release Costa? Who knows?
Can’t see the RBP scenario myself Rico. As far as we are concerned, surely he is yesterday’s man.
Oops RVP…..
Chelsea are reported to sniffing around Rooney again, he’s another I’d be thrilled to see AW sign.
I think the answer would be yes Adam. No other club could afford £65 million for Suarez and J Henry will know that. Same with Rooney, go and offer £50 million and see what happens but do that in a few days time and get the answer.
Then move on to the next option and get someone in very early in January..
I could see Chelsea wanting Suarez. They have more money than Kev and Lee put together. 🙂
RVP….first, he would have to crawl on his hands and knees, and kiss the arse of every Goonerin the world.
What about FFP Rico? (He said, falling over with laughter).
Never say never though Adam 😉
If he’s full of regret and makes that clear, then starts scoring goals, he’ll soon be forgiven. After all, he only said what many fans thought.
like your style Rico and that’s how we should now be behaving – offer the real quids, if it fails move on
Won’t play any part with us Adam, we have oodles of cash don’t we… 😉
Rico. But he would be fairly short-term and Man Utd would want too much money. I can’t see it myself and wouldn’t want it either. The Suarez thing is interesting. He probably is worth that figure in today’s market, especially with the new TV money round the corner. Mental really.
we wouldn’t even be in this ECL comp without his efforts last year and as much as i rate the lad, no is my answer. I am concerned the injuries will increase and for that money… no
year before sorry earning us the 30m
Exactly Oz.
There are PL strikers who would make us stronger and at clubs who would love to get top money for them as they could make their own squads stronger by selling.
As Sp said the other day, Saints have Lalana (spelling), wouldn’t he be a good addition?.
Apparently we have £200 million in the bank. Don’t know if that is true though.
As a last thought on Suarez. Could Liverpool actually sell him knowing what an impact it would have?
might try this again. We done well out of him, ECL qualification, 25m not worth going back there now is what i am saying
I was just asking the question really guys, not sure I’d want to see him back either. I’d rather we won the PL without him and his side finish well down the table….
He’ll only have ayear left on his contract Adam and nearly two years older, we could get him for a tenner 😉
Not sure Lalana is the right buy Rico – Scott’s Torres certainly, the lad at Athletico definitely, Lew absolutely, this is the standard we should attain to reach now. Suarez would be the ultimate coup and if i were our lot i would be sinking every sub to get to this guy
Night all……have a great day.
the Ozil iron is warm, we top of the league, we have to push now for both January and the summer not leave it like we so often do. Get on with it while we’re hot i say – agree with Rico, sign the star and if he has to stay where he is so be it, get the deal done and lets hear for 6 months the hot shot is coming to the Emirates, lovely
night mate, sleep well
He’s on the up Oz ..
Night Scott, hope your wife had a lovely birthday…
Scott- I agree there ain’t a lot of strikers available to go around.
A proud and happy father you are…
————————————-
Lavezzi, Muriel are quality and reasonable options but maybe of the Aguero type (stature).
I personally do not want Berbatov; I rate him highly but imho we have too many players who are luxurous and do not work hard enough; we do not need a nother lazy so and so…
Draxler and Lewandowski would keep me smiling and AW/Sagna signing new contracts…
Then look at who we have and who is getting too old/not right in the summer…
luxurious playerr even*
Night Scott…
David Villa is saying he nearly joined us but Barca said no…
True, last January… but we passed on him this January.
Funny how we never bid for Hig at all…
this summer*
Interesting news: Wenger: Sagnawill have a test today. Podolski is available but I feel he is a bit short”
It was January 2013 Ts, before he moved to Madrid in the summer…
Forget Rooney, Suarez and Lewandowski etc etcetera.
I’d still take the plunge, and go in big, with a bid no club could refuse, and finally bring Darren Bent ‘home’…..
It works for me….. 😐
I don’t feel well… 😉
Hiya Kev,
whether or not you feeling well Darren Bent could prove to be a shrewd move and a catalyst for our season to get better. I still feel he can do a good job coming off the bench and starting the odd game when Ollie needs to be rested. And he will not be complaining if he warms the bench.
Plus with the chances this team creates he would score a hatful.
U ok habib??? better since the day you grew a year older?? 😀
A really great Post, Rico, I could almost imagine that as a call to arms by Queen Boudica as she heroically led her army against the Romans.
We are the underdogs and the short recovery time following the Napoli game has not helped.
Hopefully we will give the Oilers a shock – why not? 🙂
Like you two gents I like Bent, in fact he is a gooner who can do very well for us for a year or so…
we should put things into perspective mates and see the whole picture. Our group was labelled the group of death and when the draws were made everyone said OUCH. Meanwhile Zenit were drawn with Atletico, Porto and Austria Vienna….a group which had we been drawn in it we would have gobbled them up for breakfast alone. And AW would have rested the team for the last two games knowing full well that we were in first place with no chance of being caught up.
Meanwhile Zenit came 2nd with 6 points. yes you read that right………..SIX FEKKING points. and we came 2nd with 12.
And before anyone starts telling me that Atletico are no pushovers think for a minute……how many of you would be praying for Atletico as our opponents when the draws are made???? I bet everything that 200% of you all will be praying for them seeing they are the easiest of our possible opponents.
Ginge……….Bent can help us for the next 18 months. And he can also help Sanogo and the rest find their feet without being of any hindrance at all or, wait for it, BLOCKING their progress.
Apparently AW has said Poldi is a ‘bit short’ but then so are Santi, Theo, Arteta and Rosicky. 🙂
Poldi will fit in nicely!
🙂 Kev, not Heskey??
depends on what and where he is short HenryB. 😉
Happy birthday to the one and only Santi… 28 today.
Ditto- re Bent. I was in favour of him over Hig last summer even.
and I will still say it mates………..being out of the CL would have seen the EPL handed to us on a plate. With the CL the league would suffer a bit.
I still prefer the EPL.
🙂 Hb, I like that…
Time for walkies, catch up later…
Dev- not a lot of strikers have broken into the 100+ goals club in the EPL; considering he played for the sperds, Charlton, Ipswich etc that is a great acheivement imo…
If I added correctly its 125 goals in the EPL alone.
Darren Bent?
I think Kev has got to you Dev. 🙂
if better strikers are available then ok Adam. But as a stop gap and as a finisher I think he will do well mate. Edpecially with this team.
Adam, I knew when I mentioned SuperDarren that I would be pushing at an open door.
Heskey!!!
Come on Rico, I’m trying to be serious here… 😛
Actually, if I am serious, for a change, I don’t think that Arsene will, not only, not sign a striker in January,
I don’t think he’ll sign anybody, especially if we retain a 5 point lead going into 2014…
My expectations of a marquee signing in January are less,than, of a fair election in Zimbabwe….
Not that I’m knocking Bob…
I think he is deeply misunderstood, and actually had a heart of gold…
Heskey for me. He’s 40 years old and only 19 stone.
Bob surely has one good season left Kev.
Good Afternoon Rico and All. Short but well precise reading to the point. Higuain really need tissue.
“Here’s a question then, IF it’s true and RvP really does want out of Man Utd, would any on here welcome him back??”
I won’t. He was speaking our language that we all spoke about in HH, that we need quality players. He was one of us. He gave us the confidence that when he is (was) in the field the goals (would) will come. We all cherish him. He was one of us. Even when he left us I still enjoy watching him, not ManU, played. But after the Old Tratford when he scored and Kissed their crest, then I know he is ungrateful.
Ho, ho, ho,
Hee, hee, hee,
RvP no play, play, play,
Sick, sick note, sick,sick note
Man united
Stuffed, stuffed, stuffed,
No badger there, no badger there,
Not many goals, not many goals
Down and down and down they’ll go
Let’s all cheer, and let’s all cheer,
Hope this scans, it only partially summarises my delight!
It’ s one of the best Xmas presents any Arsenal supporter could wish for! To see £25m flushed down the toilet!
Adam, I couldn’t agree more.
I have always looked up to Bob….
Whenever I am in a difficult situation Adam, I always ask myself ‘What would Bobby Magabe do?’….
If we can’t Suarez or RL, our answer is in Southampton. Pablo Osvaldo.
Hiya Ng, AW turned down Osvaldo last summer because he is a bit of a …..
125 goals is impressive Dev; not a glamous name but a player like him won’t need time to settle into the league etc…
Osvaldo nearly beat up Lamela last season for not passing to him.
……dickheaded nutcase
Surely we must look up rather than down.
Kev. I think Bob normally reaches for the machete when a problem arises. 🙂
RVP, out for a month I’m hearing….
😆
That’s it Adam…
He’s my hero… 😉
T’s, the guy would make a difference up front. I’m sick and tired with the push around. OG12 lack pace, Osvaldo complement that department.
Nasher, I think Giroud should seriously consider growing a moustache, very much like Mitchell Johnson…
Not sure if it would make him run any faster, but I think it would suit him…
Lee, btw, is growing a very stylish beard.
Whilst Adam and I look a little like ZZ Top…
“Osvaldo nearly beat up Lamela last season for not passing to him.”
That’s exactly what we been missing, ‘The fire and passion’. Those players who never fail to turn up for their pay cheques yet play as if they don’t care and get away with it, is about time they start showing up and don’t waste opportunities when presented to them.
Hi Kev. OG12 is good but not there yet. I’m just tired of waiting. Get someone who can get the job done or compete with him for first place. The guy complement all the other attributes but sure lack pace.
Afternoon all, Nice one Rico. 🙂
I have read the post but not all the comments, so i may be going over old ground. As far as Giroud is concerned is he good enough, does he work hard enough, has he got the right temperement all these questions for me Answers with a yes. Has he got pace, is the one massive no for me and a centre forward must posess this comodity. Back up strikers are there, to cover and take the pressure off, Giroud has done well up till now, but as of last season and up till now he has only confirmed that he lacks in some departments. I see buying a striker as the difference from winning trophies to being pot less again, but who sells that kind of striker at this time of year.
Who could be prised away from their current clubs, many of us had our eyes on Suarez but i am pretty certain that we all know that wont happen. other CF’s would not want to move at this time either, so the chances of aquireing a top class striker is a no goer in my eyes. Sanogo is nearing recovery and Podolski is ready now Super Theo is also nearing a full 90minutes the chances of a centre forward Materialising this Christmas is Minute. Arsene Wenger has spent more money in one season than i have ever seen him spend and although he may of made a few quid on our deadwood sale i would think that he would hold on to whatever he has left till season ticket time. Wenger has a habit of securing CL football he will look at what he has spent and where we are in the table, and also his records of Run ins that has found that 4th spot. He wont spend of that i am almost certain.
Wenger has not signed his new contract and i dont suppose he will till his present contract runs out, i dont see this as a problem as a 24 million 3 year deal is not to be sniffed at, Wengers here for the long haul and i believe Giroud will be too.
Ng, I liked Osvaldo at AS Roma; I was talking about him and Lamela last season and during the summer. True he has passion but, I think we are doing OG12 a major de-service considering him an upgrade on Olivier imo…
I don’t think he is prolific enough though; and definitely not an upgrade in my view. At 27/28 y.o his best season was lasts eason when he scored 16 goals; Park has a better goal return than Pablo… not saying Park is a better player btw…
I just do not think Pablo improved much after 2010 when he left Espanyol I think…
I still think Benteke will suit us to the Tee… he is not cup-tied and is ‘hollywood’ enough to move on in 3 years time if he ever gets too big for his own shoes.
If we want a poacher then Dev’s buddy Di Natale is the answer imo..
A real poacher who is still running 8 km plus most games at 36 y.o
The last of a dying breed and still averaging 1 goal every 4 games in Serie A.
T’s, there is no way I’m putting OG down. Don’t we love to see when OG is having a bad day on the pitch, someone else comes in and get the job done? That’s the beast of the game.If you are not up to task someone else should be allow to do it. It just plain to see that OG12 cannot take every defender or hardly any defender one on one. We have to put our sequence passes successionally for him most of the time to find the back of the net.
No disrespect OG12. I know he is trying his best but another option would be nice.
Evening all..
RvP out for a month, well that’s a reason to smile I guess…
When we look at those we consider rivals how many options do they have up front?? If the money is not there then I can understand knowing that our option is limited. But when the money is there let go for a proving striker. Why sit and curse in the dark when you can light a candle.
Theo and Mel are expecting their first child, how lovely for them…
If the scan shows its going to be a boy, sign him up Arsene 😉
I know buddy.lol
There is no doubt we need another option Ng.
Even Suarez on his own can’t win a trophy;
I agree with everyone who who says we need another striker; in fact I even wrote that in one of my post last season for Rico after the draw against Everton…
I just think its over board when OG12 gets 2 chances all game and then he gets blamed for us losing when even Suarez missed 4 chances against Hull when they lost…
Are you going to be the mid wife or god mother Rico? 🙂
One on One…
Ng, most teams have 1 striker apart from the EPL oilers and Psg who have tonnes of them.
BM have Mandzukic and pensioner Pizzaro,
My other team BVB have only Lew and he is only there in body not in mind.
RM have only Benzema.
i know all these teams are not in the EPL but this alone should show that teams are struggling to buy or find top strikers.
If we consider the dippers a rival thery only have Suarez as the natural striker; the bad dancer is as useful a striker as Theo or Poldi could be
That injury to RvP equals 8 fixtures…
That would be nice Ts..
I disagree re Sturridge, he’s having a good season… Well he was before getting injured..
I stand by ‘if you pay the right price’ any club can sign almost any striker…
There are obviously very different types of striker.
Villa for example is small, skilful and quick and clearly a great finisher, just like Sanchez of Barca and Aguerro at Citeh.
On the other hand there is the big bustling forward like Benzema and Ollie who have power, height and with that great shots and heading ability.
The main difference between these two types (and of course there are other types) is that Ollie and Benzema need the midfield and the wingers to provide them with the chances, and not tp have to run half the length of the pitch being chased with speedy defenders.
Ollie has looked out of form in the last two games, and coincidentally our midfield has been under the cosh in both of them, and gave him very little support.
Coincidence? 🙂
Hb, and how often do we see him back in his own area either defending or trying to get the ball, he hasn’t the pace to be there and then up in the penalty area if we go on the attack..
I can’t work out why a midfield full of the talent that ours is, is struggling to create chances…
You are right Rico.
Manure, Chelski and many other clubs have ‘bought’ titles by doing just that. Find the best players and buy them for whatever price their clubs demand.
We have not been able to do that it seems for the past few years, but hopefully that is now changing, at last.
An even playing field will make it very interesting as the first part of this season is showing.
Spot on Rico.
Part of the problem I guess is that we have missed the pace of Theo to scare other teams when they are attacking by that threat hanging over their heads, and I am sorry to say that one or two of our skilful midfielders do not have any more pace than Ollie.
And yes, he is ace at helping the defence at corners and free kicks, but we may be asking too much of him.
Theo is a must for tomorrow.
Only trouble is Hb, we have the money and we should have spent more of it early in the summer.
That’s true.
I think we got caught up in chasing Suarez, and if we had succeeded = we would have won the lot with the way he is scoring.
Oh well, there are other fish to fry. 🙂
We left that move far too late too, should have gone for him earlier and once the dippers said no, move on to the next…
Off for dinner now….
Egg on toast…? 😉
Morning guys.
Chilli Kev and it was flippin hot! 😉
Hi Scott and all…
Anyone home or is it offski time?
Night guys….
Following the Napoli game, and yet another European game totally under our control, just waiting for us the win the tie, only to see us blow it.
I must confess that I felt that ‘this mob is gonna get stuffed at Wastelands’…
Now, I’m a little more optimistic, and I feel that we can get a draw…
I do hope that Sagna and Walcott start, even if that constitutes a bit of a risk on the right flank…
We cannot afford to go there and just defend.
The Oilers defence has it’s suspect moments, and must be put under pressure whenever the possibility arises.
Night All…
Our Comeback supersedes Our Setback
Yes we made mistakes in Italy and let Napoli get away with a win, so was Aston Villa during opening day of the league. But we get back on track and sit on top of the table with five point clear. Our “bounce back” mentality will once again prevail on Saturday. There is no challenge too difficult, no obstacle too high for this current Arsenal. We just have to keep the faith.
Big Big game today, lots of fighting talk coming from the Arsenal players and Manager, brace yourselves for disappointment today as when do we turn up when a big game comes up. Yes we know we can beat anybody on our day but how often do we actually do it. I consider us as the 4th best team in the league, win today may move us up a spot.
Morning all..
New post up…
Sp, I reckon we’ll scrape a draw…