Morning all.
We have worked very hard to get where we are. Now it is about how much we can keep our focus, how much we can push ourselves to do well and on that front I cannot complain. – Arsène Wenger
I’m not sure if Arsene is talking about the FA Cup or our season in general.
A win today and a quarter final place will be in the bag but we can’t take Boro for granted…
Arsene Wenger has hinted at a few changes but he’s also confirmed that he’s taking Boro very seriously… Good, because the opposition will want another big scalp to add to City.
Wenger has spoken about our last match:
The new situation in the Premier League is that the teams who are last in the league can beat anybody. You look at the quality of Leicester’s players and it’s quite frightening. One goes out and the one who comes in is also a quality player. That has changed.
It wasn’t a relaxing game at all because first of all we played against a good Leicester side and it looked like our game died in the second half. Was it physical, was it mental? When Leicester came back to 2-1 it looked more like it could be a 2-2 than a 3-1.
We were pretty shoddy in that Leicester match, especially in the second half when our performance really dipped and almost allowed them to nick a point. Boro will be at their level, if not better. They sit top of the Championship with confidence sky high…
It’s going to be tough, very tough….. But we’ll be ready:
We will not have the excuse to be surprised because they beat Manchester City in a convincing way.
That is a good warning for us. We are at home, we have a possibility to go to the quarter-finals so we cannot be surprised by them, that’s for sure.
It’s a big challenge, but big opportunity as well. That’s how we have to look at it. We have the luck with the draw to play at the Emirates so let’s take this opportunity.
I watched some of that City match and to be honest the home side had plenty of chances to take control of the game but perhaps flying in from Abu Dhabi on previous evening didn’t help their cause. Added to that, the Boro second choice keeper Tomas Mejías, was having a great day. At 6′ 5″ tall, he’s hard to beat and their defence as a whole isn’t bad either. They do have a couple of injuries in defence with both Tomas Kalas and Daniel Alaya expected to miss the game. Leadbitter, Bamford and Martinez are their three top scorers and perhaps the ones to watch..
2015 has been good for us at The Emirates so far as we haven’t lost a fixture, we haven’t even drawn one either but, some of our performances have hardly set the world alight. In order to beat Boro, that seriously needs to change because any lapse in concentration or taking the foot off the gas and they’ll be ready to take advantage.
No doubt Boro will sit back and absorb any early pressure and the longer we don’t score, the more their confidence will rise. We need to come out of the blocks early and with pace, width and 100% commitment.
Gabriel is expected to make his debut, Jack could be back on the bench, Alexis will no doubt be rested and Szczesny returns in goal. He needs a big game, as does Theo Walcott if he starts – he’s the man with great pace and he’s got to start using it. I think Welbeck will be the main man up front which will be good as he’s no passenger. The rest, well I haven’t a clue but I sure hope whoever plays, aren’t ready to let go of the FA Cup….
4pm kick-off, we are at home so there’s no excuses…..
I think we’ll win, but it’s going to be close……..
COYRRG’s
New post up now…
Morning Ts..
Morning Rico, Wath, Joe et al…
A miserable morning…
Am I the only one thinking a team of the stature of Arsenal should have put M’boro to teh sword? Albeit they have a very good defence…
Just watched 9 minutes of Özilly goodness just what we need him playing well coming in to the business end of the season.
He sure is Wath. Arsene suggested he’d come back a better player, well I think he’s always been great but now with Alexis and Santi around him, he has footballers who are on his wavelength…
And that’s what makes him happy… and finally, we are getting to see the real Mesut.
Just think how good Ireland could if we had all our players.
Players I don’t know like the England captain 🙂
A happy Ozil is a better player Rico….. The bloke is cheer class for sure, his use of the ball is something else… a proper proper footballer…!
Good result Joe..
Ireland beat the West Indies it’s the forth time Ireland have beaten a test playing team.
Wath, you were not mistaken, a smile was on his face….
Morning,
Was it me or did i imagine that Ozil played with a smile on his face as well yesterday….?
Can’t see him going anywhere Scott, not now he’s got Ozil and Alexis alongside him. Perhaps that’s why he’s happy and playing well….
Darn agents eh….
Ok…replay finished.
We were superb.
They’re keeper was phenomenal.
How often do we say that of an opposition keeper??
Too often lol
He’s hit his best form, and an unhappy players doesn’t do that, so I’d say the rumours are an agent chasing a pay rise for him.
Morning all.
Morning all..
Santi to At Madrid, perhaps that’s why he’s playing so well…. 😉
No chance has a deal been agreed, football clubs don’t do such naughty things do they… lol
I would take all the Santi rumours with a large pinch of salt.
There is a world of difference between an agent talking to another club about his client – if the rumour is correct – and the clubs agreeing a deal. Technically it is illegal anyway for another club to make an approach directly to a player, altho we all know it happens, as that sort of contact can only happen in the January of the year that a player’s contract ends.
Cazorla’s contract has another year to go from this summer – so maybe it is his agent just getting in the first shot before Arsenal sit down to negotiate an extension to Santi’s contract extension.
Nothin new there.
Cazorla is back to his best and here come the unsettling rumours http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/558387/Arsenal-Santi
Rumours coming out of Spain that Santi has signed a pre-contract with Athletico Madrid!! That’d be a real pisser if true….
Santi was exceptional again, as was Ozil.
Chambers had a really good game, a throwback to how he started the season.
Sanchez was, well, Sanchez, just fantastic.
And I actually thought that Flamini had a good game…
Very impressed with Gabriel.
He isn’t a flashy player, but to me he looks intelligent, keeps it simple and is a proper defender…
Koz and BFG will have to up their game, because if Gab gets into the team and he plays a few games, he might be impossible to shift.
Ireland taking on the west indies in the world cup
Great game a very convincing 2-0 hangover kicking in god I hate getting old.
Night all….
They always will be, one or the other are usually injured.. 🙂
imo both should be kept far apart. For example a fully fit Aaron should be played with Ozil while Jack should be played with Santi.
But of the two I feel that Aaron is more of a team player than Jack. Jack, although blessed with a high level of skill, is not tactically disciplined, while Aaron is a bit more disciplined of the two. However playing them both is not a good idea. Consider the fact that both have better games when TR07 is around. Why?? simply because he guides them and nullifies their mistakes.
You might have a point, especially re Jack and without sounding harsh, Ramsey is nothing near the the player he was last season…..
Seems that all our professional games this season have come when both Aaron and Jack have been missing from our line up.
Am I right or wrong? What do you think??
And Andrew, they didn’t need to bust a gut to get the win… Now a nice week of rest before Palace..
Tomorrow Devil
Well, the guys took your advice to heart, Rico.
Treated Boro seriously and it was a first class performance.
So that will be Chelea/’Pool/Chavs in the draw – bring them on!! 🙂
when are the draws going to be held???
I did not see it Rico. But just one look at the stats and heat map and it showed me all I needed to know.
Same here Rico. Gabriel will get better definitely. Today was not so difficult for him, yet he did his job professionally. Now he needs to get game time under his belt and learn slowly. Its next year which will see him establish himself.
Devil – the first half was really good, only criticism is we should have had the game wrapped up…..
I was pretty impressed with Gabriel and he’ll only get better the more he gets used to his teammates….
Haha agag, get to bed 🙂
Totally admire their manager coming out after a defeat and talking live to the BT Sports panel…
Couldn’t see Wenger doing that….
Good evening Lovelies and Hunkies.
It surely is a good evening to be in.
I did not see the first half. But from what I saw in the second plus the overall stats it seems we put on a professional performance. We kept them at bay and we had around 20 shots half of which were on goal. Boro did their best, but if their best is simply around 4 shots of which only 2 were on target then it just sums up the state of the English 1st div. Yes they may have won against shitty but that was a one off
All in all….very heartening to see the boys win.
Gabriel did not have much to do. He was eased in today. He will get more difficult opposition imo later on in the season.
Gibbs had a good second half.
Good to see that we kept a clean sheet with Coquelin, Per, Bellerin, Monreal and Ospina rested. That shows we have a good squad. However, it needs to be improved.
Three quality subs to rest those who began the match.
In the second half I liked Ozil. He could have got on the scoresheet as wel
I hope we get Blackburn at home, we owe them…..
Daft saying that Andrew, he probably would…. lol
Bet we get Dippers or United. Please dont be away.
God, I haaaate Barcelona. 😀 I hope they don’t win anything again.
Andrew, it’s cool-ish here, actually. But then again, it’s almost 2 am.
We are a very kind team indeed. fergies’ team would have killed them off…
Walk in the park……. 🙂
Ray Parlour on Talksport says our goalie could have a cigar during this 2nd half 🙂
Theo should have scored there. 🙁
Come on, one more, Akpom be nice.
Hi agag, warm out there?
Come on Chuba make my day
Just the two Andrew, here’s the third…
Come on Chuba, get a goal…..
He was good against City too Agag, looks more assured than our Pole….
Did I just see theo back defending? I need a lie down……
Odd eh Andrew lol
Pure class Lee, him Alexis and Santi just ooze class……
Have a proper squad now at last. And five still to come back!
rico, such a shame keepers always have their best games when playing v. us. 😉
Ozil is such a good footballer.
Afternoon all, 3 sub’s?!!!!
Hi Agag
Hi Agag, he sure does, shame his body language is what it is… lol
Hard to believe their keeper is second choice….
Oops, looks like I did Bt…..
Hiya, rico. 😉 When he’s not being a lump, he scores some great goals, doesn’t he?
Lee, Giroud scored just for youuuu. 😉 🙁 re your mum!
Hiya, Bt, Ginge, and Rick. 🙂
Ts, but I don’t like him very much…. lol
Hopefully not Bt…. Lol
Lee, so hard to believe…..
Lol Rico…. i know you dont hate him.. my choice of words…
Bt- barca doing the business
3 points Alexis 🙂
I know the six nations is on but……..
Yeah where did those three years go?
Rico, sush ,you’ll put the scud on him.
Rick, penalty shoot out in the Al Kass final
Not sure if the comments about Gabriel not being able to head a ball were in jest the other day but one clearance he got his head to first half nearly reached the halfway line….
2 more goals coming up soon for us then Lee…
On a serious note, we need them and then get Alexis off…..
Can’t believe its been three years Lee…. 🙁
Here goes…
“All the possession and no end product”
I don’t hate him Ts, just don’t rate him one bit… 😉
Hi Rico, yeah been trying focus more on work and we’ve been super busy. Was three years ago yesterday that my mum passed……
😀 Rico, for a minute I thought your 4:36 was written by the chief Flamster hater..
Evening all btw…
Just a 3rd Rick? Lol
How’s you Lee, long time no see on here?
Say it again Lee we need a 3rd
Rick me and my big mouth!
Thought you’d be pleased Agag… Lol
Na na, na na na na na, na na na na na, Giroud……
Was that the first tackle by Flamini? A foul?
Giroud Giroud Giroud!
Hello, all. 🙂
What were you saying Lee what a start
G ROD!!!!
Fookin heck, awesome Ollie….
At last! 🙂
G ROD!!!
As Giroud scores!!
All the possession but no end product…..
Not sure why Gibbs doesn’t just tell Arsene he wants to be a winger….. 😉
Got to start making these chances count……
Not a very defensive line up!
I’m worried! Flamini, on his own in front of the back four? Mmm, not good…….still well soon see! We are the Arsenal after all.
She Wore, She Wore…
Afternoon all….
COYRRG’S
Good result. Rick
Latta.
Our U17s beat ACMilan 4-2 to finish 3rd in the cup
Chris Willock made the difference
Goals, Nketiah and Da Silva both scored twice.
Afternoon Rico and the House
Todays team Chessny Chambers Gabby Kossy Gibbs \flamini santi wellbeck Ozil Alexies Giroud.
Subs Martinez Merts Monreal Rosicky Wallcott Coq Akpom
Villa score 1-0
Eating drinking and being merry Dev…………. 😉
Hope you’re well mate..!
Afternoon Gooners..
She wore, She wore!!!
Seems that no one is here today. What a quiet day.
Oyyyyy mates. Where the hell have you gone today????
In moderation??? lol
Get me out asap. Or I will call my hell raising friends
I am in moderation???? lol
Get me out immediately. Or I will raise hell as never seen before!!!!
Paulista to score a hat-trick of headers and show us his balls.
Well, not in the literal sense, but you get my drift. About his balls I mean not about the hat-trick of headers.
I dont think it will be close, we wiil stuff them or they will stuff us. Hopefully the first :-))
Brian
Morning All, again…
Morning Rico.
I’m really looking forward to today’s game, I’ve just got a feeling that it could be a good ‘un…
Off to read the post…
A super Post, Rico, and well put about the need to focus and not take Boro for granted.
After the Leicester game we must have learned that we cannot take anything for granted.
Personally I am excited about the game and looking forward to seeing who is in the team today but I am also just a tad concerned, because to lose a game like this – not that it should happen – could have a bad knock on effect for us in the Premiership.
Don’t want a draw Devil… Not with CL fixtures returning…
Anyway, laters….
5th! Yes, fifth!
Agreed Devil, who knows which team will turn up? The happy smiling soft one or the ruthless, determined successful one?
At least it’s a 4 o’clock k.o. So the whole of the squad should be awake!
Should win, 2-1 again, and it will be nail bitingly close until the 95th minute.
Morning all.
I will miss the first half…..but will see all the 2nd.
…..or we might get a draw Rico
Devil, if our boys don’t ‘turn up’, we’ll be out of the cup imo….
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
yes of course it will be close Rico. Infact it will be so close that till kick off the teams will still be 0-0. Make no mistake…..if we do not turn up it will be difficult. But if we turn up in the right state of mind and be ruthless Boro will get a hiding.
Let’s flip the coin and see which side will end up face up.
Have friends coming for lunch so catch up later…
An easy feat these days Devil… 😉
1st