Morning all.
LvG is a confident man ahead of our fixture tomorrow:
‘I think the balance in our selection is much better than last year, so I believe in that. But the most important thing is not only that I believe, but that the players are believing in that. When we win at Arsenal the belief will rise a lot.’
He fully expects Utd to turn up at The Emirates and roll us over! Why shouldn’t he feel confident, Utd sit top of the tree, they are scoring goals and Mata and Martial are stealing the headlines. Crikey, they even managed to win a game in Europe during the week so of course, they’re favourites for this game in many peoples eyes.
We of course have struggled a bit as usual at the start of a season and our European adventure has been nothing short of diabolical. Our defending has been woeful and not just in Europe. For our season to improve our defending really has to be sorted out. It beggars belief why it hasn’t been already as it’s not something new is it?
But where does the blame sit? The coaching, quality of players or the players themselves simply not giving their all?
I’m no footballing coach but Martin Keown, once a very good defender has given his opinion:
When I was at Arsenal, we spent hours on the training pitch working on set-pieces. It was mostly zonal marking, but we made sure we marked the player in our zone. It doesn’t seem like that happens now.
It looks like Arsenal aren’t splitting up the best headers of the ball — you’ll often see Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker next to each other when they should be covering a wider area. Koscielny will be absent through injury, so Gabriel and Mertesacker will need to communicate well.
For corners I used to stand on the penalty spot. I didn’t like going to the back post as I wasn’t as tall as Tony Adams and if someone leaned on me they might stop me jumping, which is what I relied on. We’d also have Patrick Vieira on the near post and Emmanuel Petit near me. These are all big guys, but Arsenal now have Olivier Giroud, Mertesacker and Koscielny — they’re all taller than I am.
When forwards come back for set-pieces they can often switch off. To stop this I would pair each one with a defender. A defender is a more reliable person than an attacker.
He’s committed to keeping the ball out of the net and there are few examples of forwards with the same passion. We defenders had a mentality of ‘over my dead body does this ball go into the net’ — we had to get something in the way.
I get teased about constantly going on about the lack of height in our side but apart from Merts and Gabriel, the rest of our players are under-tall so unless one or the other of our central pairing get their head to a corner or other set-piece, we are pretty much snookered. Ollie is of course thrown in there when he plays but right now Walcott is ahead of him so he’s out of the equation.
Mertesacker and Gabriel will as Keown says, have to communicate well tomorrow and make sure that one of them gets to the ball before a Utd player does because as Tuesday showed, if they don’t, an opposition player may just take advantage. If they can get that right, I think we’ll win the game.
And what about the ‘over my dead body does this ball go into the net’ mentality Keown talks about, a bit of that wouldn’t go a miss would it and I don’t just mean from the defenders. Defending starts from the front, just as attacking starts from the back and we haven’t seen enough of that this season. In fact our whole approach to defending has been sloppy and quite shambolic at times and it’s about time these players put that right.
If Martin Keown and his team-mates spent hours working on set-pieces and defending, then why can’t today’s players do the same as that’s the only way things will improve. Let’s hope that’s exactly what they’ve been doing since Wednesday morning!
I won’t hold my breath though….
Finally, there’s a really good article in The Telegraph by Gary Neville. Seems to me that between the two of them, Keown and Neville would sort us out once and for all….
Enjoy your weekend guys and gals…
I went to see Norwich reserves play ours on the first reappearencephalitis of Big Tone after his stay in Chelmsford. Late in the second half leading about 4 nil I think and they took a shot from about 20 yards out. Tony took it full in the face as he dived in front of the ball.No way was he losing that clean sheet even in a nothing reserve match.
Rico , horseburger :- Gallows humour.
Morning potter 😀 tell me a little bit about tony woodcock 😀
What the he’ll is that ?
Please ignore the cephalitis.
Oh my bad morning rico great post. Lol
I guessed Potter.. lol
Morning Goonster.
We lack that kind of attitude these days, how many times have we seen players turn their back on a shot/cross in fear it might hit them….
Rico you won’t get that back in the day. Tony woodcock and his cronies bled for the shirt 😀 those guys were like Spartans 😀 am super chuffed I ve been watching old videos all night on youtube.
Morning Rico and the house
Nice post rico
Goonie tony played for notts forest and o tjink we signed him from cologne, top player
I think this current team needs to watch clips of what being an arsenal player means. Too many softies.
Morning MG I read all about him all night. He even speaks English with a German accent 😀 but my God what a player
87 league cup semi final replay was my favourite, we went mental when we scored the winner, the old bill couldn’t get us out of shit hole
Great memory
I saw that videos too MG I think it was rocky who scored the winner 😀 good times. Ohhh to be a gooner 😀
*video
Rocky scored the 1st, ian allinson scored the winner
Oh ok I thought it was the other way round.
Hi all
Goonster – No disrespect but Tony Woodcock played in the early/mid eighties side that had a core of older players that were more interested in partying than playing for the shirt. Charlie Nicholas, Graham Rix, Paul Mariner, Kenny Sansom, et al. All talented, established internationals but didn’t put it in often enough. Woodcock always seemed to find an extra gear when an England game was coming up to preserve his place in the squad no doubt. During that period the only two players who gave their all every week were Stewart Robson and John Hollins. The youngest and oldest players in the team! Despite what people say about Robson as a pundit, he was a fantastic player who covered a number of positions and never backed down from anyone. He even went in goal once and kept a clean sheet against the Spuds when George Wood got sent off. In fact, Stewart Robson is exactly what the current Arsenal team could do with!
Thanks Bob I only saw footages didn’t really know all that but you could tell they were passionate. If this current team could show half thier grit and determination we ll be ripping this league. But nice to know that all generations had their “ifs and buts” lol. Thanks mate.
One of only 3 players to play for England with 3 “O”s in his name.
Originally played for Nottingham Forest went to Germany and developed into a top quality centre forward. He was wasted at Arsenal under Neil but was the best we had for 4 years .Got a bad injury and George Graham sold him back to Koln where he finished his career.
Not a Joe baker or Wrighty type scorer but a good player too good for us at the time.
I was talking Tony Adams Goonster, not Woodcock…
Stewart Robson??? Wasn’t he the cnut on arsenal TV?? The one that was always antagonizing us??
Potter you can say that again. He oozed class. He moves Luke Platini and very technical. I loved what I saw 😀
Rixo you just love ro spit in my coffee don’t ya 😀
*Rico
Hello lady of the house and other goons. Lovely post Rico.
Neville’s articles was sober and precisely a game plan our players really need. The gladiator attitude (over my dead body) is unfortunaly amiss in our squad. I wish they all had that, I wish they fought for each other, fought for the shirt. Surely they can dig in a little deeper and be a great team.
Nice weekend y’all.
Morning Mg..
Bob, that’s more like the Woodcock I remember. Robson is a bit of a tactician too isn’t he, shame his mouth got the better of him, he clearly upset someone at the club – can’t think who… lol
Never thought I ll say this but too many foreigners in our team. God how I wish jack wasn’t injury prone. We need his never say die atitude. So sad.
🙂 Goonster..
Hi Marshall. Couldn’t agree more re Neville’s article. Keown makes sense too.
I suspect Alexis has gone over tomorrows game in his mind, just hope the rest have and they bounce back after Tuesday’s dire performance. Hope there’s some truth to AW laying into the players the following day too…
Rico 😀 you and I know who that is. Don’t we?
Sorry goonie i think your right
Have to disagree Goonie, it’s not about the foreigners imo, it’s about what’s between their ears and in their hearts..
I think we do Goonster…
Rico I think santi needs to play higher up the pitch. The whole deep lying crap is robbing us off our most creative player. I ll say play rambo and lecoq at the base. Santi in the hole and ozil on the bench (yikes can’t believe I just yanked my favorite arsenal player off the team ). We need santi up top where he can wreck havoc on the opposition.
MG we need more jenkos wilsheres in that team. A real arsenal lad. One who knows what it means to wear the glorious red and white.
I’d agree re Santi Goonster, we are losing his creativity and goals with him playing deep. Shame AW didn’t sign another midfielder eh!!
Well rico what’s new?? We never seem to agree on anything 😀
Finally what are the odds 😀 you agreed at last. Oh happy day 😀
Ozil has to start though, he just needs to give a bit more, like so many others…
Agreeing all the time would become boring….
Goonie :- I have been looking for footage but can’t find any but this article sums up my first Arsenal hero JOE BAKER.
5’8” tall he was fast, courageous, a tigerish tackler with an exquisite touch and a fine passer of the ball, who finished equally well with either foot and would go in where it hurts to head home with no fear.
His courage was legendary likewise his fiery temper as when on a cold and filthy day on a quagmire of a Pitch he was dumped in the mud by 6’2” Ron “Rowdy” Yeats the Liverpool Centre back, picking himself up complete with a muddy divot, Joe threw it at Yeats filling his ear and followed that up with a smack from a clenched fist, he didn’t wait for the referee but walked off for an early bath.
The nearest to him in recent years must be Ian Wright, his wicked humour and all round ability endeared him to the fans and his four years at Highbury was never long enough as he left at 25 and scored plenty of goals for Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and then back to Scotland to play and briefly manage.
Joe died on the golf course in 2003.
Ozil is a flair player we have too many of them. We need steel and determination. Ozil’s countenance don’t show both. He needs to sit this one out. We need to be on those northern pigs from the get go. An early goal ll calm our nerves. This is manure for crying out loud. They haven’t looked good since feeguscnut retired. Why are all panicky? ? If we play to our strengths and nullify mata we ll think them. Am positive. 3.1 to the good guys. Theo and sanchez wirh the goals but we need to show up though. Win every ball, every 50 50 challenge. We need to play for the 90 mins. Concentration must be on all time high. Do that and we ll do them over.
Rico, goonie I’m going for a win tomorrow, if we loose the Emirates will be fuming
I expect, demand the team to step up
4-1 to the arsenal
Goonster. As Rico has said, Robson was sacked from Arsenal TV. Probably for being too honest and pointing out our defensive deficiencies! I actually met him at Huntington races a few years back and had a really good chat with him about the eighties team. He said I was “very perceptive”. He also told me that Wenger wanted to sell Henry after the champions league final against Barca but the board blocked it as we were moving to Emirates and they needed a marquee player what with Dennis retiring and Pires leaving! Whatever people think of him, he was a fantastic young player sadly hit by injuries which also prevented him winning England caps.
Morning Rico and all.
Potter 😀 really??? That’s the spirit. Hey I heard wrighty one time smashed a manure player in the tunnel after the game. How true was that? ?
Tbh Goonster, I don’t care who gets dropped as I think it would do them a lot of good. Like I said the other day, if they sulk then they aren’t what this club needs…
Potter you are spot on about Joe Baker. My brother still talks about the Ron Yeats incident. Yeats was known as the colossus and spent the whole game kicking Joe up in the air. Joe finally snapped and floored Yeats with one punch. Joe was sent off and Yeats carried off! lol!
Bob John lol that’s why he got kicked off arswnal tv Hahahahaha. Arsene arsene arsene tsk tsk tsk.
I reckon it’ll be close Mg but I think we’ll nick it as long as we see 100% commitment from everyone..
Big game for Gabriel as I worry for Merts. His lack of pace is a huge concern imo…
Morning Adam.
I like that bit of history Potter/Bob… 🙂
Hey adam 😀 feeling better yet? ? Come on you big baby stop sulking. We ll have a better game tomorrow. I promise you. We ll thonk the mancs. Cheer up son 😀
Hey potter am still waiting for your response on the wrighty incident. Did he really clubber a manure player in the tunnel after the game? 😀 😀 😀
I am ok Stan.
That’s the spirit adam 😀 we ll beat them. I have a good feeling about this. 3.1 then go on an unbeaten run again. Watch out.
https://youtu.be/p-O1MG13QGg
Hey wath I found the little woods cup game you talked about 😀
Morning all.
Top post and very interesting comments from Keown.
Defence is as much about attitude as anything else.
He put to bed the question on whether Zonal marking working or not.
So many Gooners hate it but he proved that when it’s done right, it’s effective.
We just don’t do it well enough….or at least, consistently and diligently enough.
Over my dead body……what a statement from a defender.
That says it all.
What quin was that?? Nial quin?? Former Sunderland player and chairman??
afternoon all!
Tony Woodcook is backing ? 🙂
Cazorla is or more valuable player
Yeah right jm 😀
Good point on the zonal Scott. It works when done properly eh…
Arsene took another kicking from Sky just now. They are going to ramp the pressure on him up this season.
Rico we need to make the pitch as big as possible. Shaw is injured and I think blind has been playing on the left for them. Alexis and walcott to run towards him when we have the ball. Why is everyone panicking? Manure are pants lately. Yes they are top of the league so? West ham is third!! Our form has been indifferent this season but we ve held our own against the big boys for 8 months now. Bar the Dean inspired chelsea debacle we haven’t lost a big game in almost a year. We looked comfortable against the chavs until gabby got sent off even after going 1 man down we were still in the game. We ll beat manure maam. Am positive. I
Going to the game tomorrow adam??
Gits aren’t they Adam..
Stan. Yes I am. I go to all the home games.
Rico. They always need a whipping boy and Stelling loves to kick a man when he’s down. And Arsene is down for sure.
Rico, it woks brilliantly if everyone does their job.
At set pieces, I reckon our guys don’t follow the runs, which causes all sorts of problems….we give away too many free headers.
Either Bould is no good or is not allowed to his job…another one of Arsenals mysteries lol
What I think is quite telling is that we are all talking about getting some steel installed and using former players as examples and yet, Bouldy apart, Arsene always brings in ex-players of a certain type to help out. Bobby, Thierry and Sol were all great players but I don’t see any of them as the type of personalities to really get things going. We could do with a Frank McLintock, Tony Adams, Martin Keown or Nigel Winterburn on the training ground to shake them up!
Hi Adam,
Sounds as though the media would be all over Wenger even if we beat the Mancs.
It’s the same everywhere-they have ther favourites.
Spot on bob about time too.
Hi Scott. Yes, the media are very anti Arsene now as he had the temerity to refuse to answer yet another question about something that micro shitbag Mourinho said.
Having said that, the issues at the club are heading toward change. I really can’t see any other outcome right now.
He certainly is Adam, such a great shame to see….
Sure does Scott. I think AW spends too much time on our attacking play.. Not that it shows always.. 😉
Adam wait till we win the next game and everything ll be forgotten. Arsene has 33 lives. That dude could last forever. Lol. The only way arsene ll leave is when he doesn’t feel like it anymore. He ll never be fired. Trust me .
Bob, I often wonder why after doing so well back in 2006, Keown wasn’t kept on full-time…
Adam, do you really believe Kroenke is ready for change. He’d come out in a rash at they very thought….
Walk time for me so catch up later…
Somebody should sit the ox down and tell him to watch Zaha. He’s having a stormer today. Brunt has been left for dead a few times already. Lol. That’s how a winger should play. Get in behind the wing back and whip in a good cross.
Adam, you know my thoughts on change…..the one man that needs to recognise it’s required is the one who doesn’t lol
I must say I’d get mightily pissed off at some the questions asked in press conferences.
I’d last 10 seconds in that situation 🙂
It is a shame Rico but, as some of us might have mentioned, his failure to push on during the summer was always a risky tactic for him. Too many players either not in form or not good enough are letting him down too often now. Massive question marks over their future under a new manager.
Stan, I was just tuning how dangerous Zaha looks, but this diving shit is annoying..
Though I guess he won a game last week doing it.
Talented kid, and is tearing West Brom apart.
Rico. I doubt that Kroenke is in any position to judge whether change is due or not. I don’t see him as a prime mover in what’s happening myself.
Scott he’s a gooner though 😀
So I hear, Stan 🙂
At the moment with the way his American teams are performing Arsenal is the jewel in his crown.
Goonie those were the days when the league cup meant something.
You didn’t answer my question potter. Did wrighty ever clonked a manure player in the tunnel after the game? 😀
Palace is almost at the top of the League.
who is the referee for tomorrow?
Don’t know. So many stories about old Trafford pizza gate for one
Press: Nolito (Celta de Vigo but is a Barcelona player) can move to Arsenal?
He was played in Benfica maybe 3 or 4 years ago…
City losing, can Newcastle hold on
Afternoon rico and the house
We need the players to turn up, like we did against shity away last season
Wenger is under huge pressure,, its time deliver
Steve McLaren is shit.
2 more for Afobe today, well worth the Sanogo experiment.
How did we miss out on kun aguero? ??
McLaren ll be sacked in the morning. Hahahahahahah the geordies are going home entertainment mass 😀 I ll definitely be watching the true geordie on youtube today :D.
Goonster. When you get the answer please let us know. 🙂
*En masse stupid spell corrector
Howdy nasher 😀 I really want to know if it’s true. Lol
Can Arsenal buy a player above 50m? Because that what player like Aguero or Lewandowski cost.
Hi Goonster. Get Silent Stan out and Arsenal will be different.
Nasher we paid 42 million quid for ozil so I see why not.
Thanks for the description of the Baker v Yeats catch weight contest! I was there that day and I wasn’t looking, I was reading my programme! If I remember rightly, the second half had not quite started, the incident occurred on the centre spot and both teams were milling around in the centre circle. I guess I was waiting for the whistle to blow for the restart and when it went there was Baker shaking his head and looking very aggressive heading towards the changing room.
Your graphic description fills in a few missing seconds! Thanks Potter, thanks very much.
Nasher am really not bothered anymore. I ll be living in the past until things change. I have the 70s 80s 90s and early 2000s to watch and follow. I ll be in denial till things improve. Kroenke wenger gazidis can all go to hell 😀
When you get owners that love the sport and their clubs and love winning they wouldn’t scare to spend the cash to get what they want.
Wasn’t the pizza hurled by Fabregas, though nobody grassed him up!
Of hard men, anybody mentioned Peter Storey? Or even Vic Groves?
Yes Ozil 42M. Who’s next?
The game has change and if you want quality you have to spend. If you want to compete and win you have to spend.
I see no club that is going to sell there quality player below price. Player like Aguero or Lewandowski cost alot. If Arsenal had a player like Aguero or Lewandowski, how much do you think the asking price would be?
70 million nasher lol
And a pound.
Evening all.
City back on song then…
Saints robbed of two penalties…
Unbelievable refereeing at Chelsea.
Dreadful Adam.
Nice to see Saints go ahead… Lol
Come on you saints
This Southampton side isn’t full of big named, big paid stars but my goodness, don’t they work hard…
Van Dyke (spelling) and Wanyama are real grafters…
Wonder what Koeman would achieve with our lot….
But neither were good enough for us eh…..
Ha ha bloody ha!!
3-1 Saints…..
Great finish Pelle ?
Excellent Southampton. Should have been more. Two penalties missed and a sending-off for Falcao and probably Ramires too.
See what a determined bunch can achieve?? Is that Southampton team more talented than ours?? Enough said. Afternoon guys.
Adam, have you heard Mourinhos interview? What a sore loser. He blamed the loss on not getting a penalty yet Southampton were denied two clear ones..
What an arse he is! 🙂
I reckon Eva has had a huge effect.. Lol
Adam, you will smile.. Today I went to a birthday party for a lady who’d turned 94 years old. I was expecting cucumber sandwiches and a cup of tea.. Oh no, out came the Prossecco and I ended up going home slightly wobbly on my feet ?
Rico. That did make me giggle.
As for Mourinho? I think we saw a man on the edge there. Completely irrational rant, full of ego and more than pathetic. I can only wish him the very worst.
Me too Adam, the very worst…
I thought you’d like that… ?
Come on England!!!
Off now so I’ll bid you all a goodnight, catch up tomorrow…
Night all..
The Portuguese GIMP has lost the plot
Taxi for Jose
Australia is much better then england!
Why we didn’t try to sign M’Pele instead of Benzema?
Wanyama It goes unnoticed throughout the game, but it is a very effective!
With a display like that, Aguero would be priceless. He seems to want to run away with the league…and carry the city of Manchester with him.
It’s 4th of July, Christmas, summer and spring when I see mourinho in defeat. Pride surely comes before thy fall.
Morning all.
For a second, I actually though Chelski may have been hard done by, but I should’ve known better.
What a wanker.
I can say that, as today is Australia Day 🙂 🙂
Not sure what it takes, but let’s just hope I boys head out breathing fire v UTD.
What a tosser! The pathetic Pygmy has been pole axed. Oh dear, what a pity, never mind!
I think it’s time he relocated, back to the home of port, and I would suggest he should immerse himself in the only export that country excels in, vats of port!
I noticed he got another veiled reference in about how some clubs are happy finishing fourth whilst he wouldn’t, well not this season. Good god he recognises the fact that his team aren’t even going to get close to the coveted fourth place trophy. Not a lot of ambition there then! Is he angling for constructive dismissal and a huge pay off and subsequent huge pension. I suppose we can all dream. English football would be a damned sight better off without his intrusive, unpleasant remarks and comments about how f’ing good he thinks he is and f’ing useless his peers are in comparison.
Good shut! The sooner he departs these shores the better.
Wavy, I’ve always said the mans over rated.
He spends and spends.
Now his clubs in trouble, rather than simply start the hard work that’s required, he blames everyone bar himself.
Just don’t send him over here 🙂
Morning Scott and all…
Up for today then?? 😉
Morning rico and the house
We need the players to turn up like they did against shitty away last season
I’m going for a comfortable win
Morning Mg. Agree, big performance needed today from all…
No chance of AW going ‘upstairs’ then… Good…
Wenger said: “I will retire, don’t worry. But no, I haven’t decided on a plan yet. I think it can be more instinctive and impulsive than that.
“I’ve heard that so many times, ‘Next year I will retire’ and then they continue, or go somewhere else.
“I think one thing is for sure that, when I retire, I will really retire.”
Hi rico, this is the squad wenger believes in, there can be no excuses today, the fans will be up for it, the Emirates will be buzzing
I bet the Emirates wont be buzzing Mg… It should be but too many tourists without a voice…
If we put a performance in today it will be buzzing
I have a good feeling about today’s game
Morning Rico, All…
I always dreaded matches against Man U…why? No team dominate Arsenal more than Man U in English soil…never mind today’s Chelsea and their millions!
Hi guys.
Ravi, who knows?
I can never tell before a game if we will be up or not, but 5 minutes in it’s pretty clear.
Let’s hope.
We’ll know in the first five mins if the players and fans have turned up.. 😉
Morning Tai. Always time to change that and this Utd side are imo very different to the Fergie days…
True, Rico.
I think the fans must lift ther act.
Yes, they work off the effort the players put in, but I reckon the opposite applies as well.
Morning Rico, Scott and all.
Scott -. I wonder why the press are not making any headlines out of this Jose Mourinho: “If we make top four it will not be so bad” .
If AW had said that, that would have made all the back pages.
Hopefully Rico
We go 2nd today if we win by 2 or more goals..
Jose’s 3rd season blues continue… lol
Micko- who said history never repeats itself as I always say… 🙂
Ts, don’t mind the British press…defending champions are just eight points out of 24, joint 17th on the log, already conceded 17 goals after conceding just 22 in 38 matches last term…and no one has mentioned crisis yet…some people have all the luck!
Still they strenghtened with Begovic, Falcao, Eahman…while retaining the core that won the title…
Stop dreaming of that 2nd Ts…I’ll take 1/2 a goal win.
Ginge, how about some stats
lol Tai.
Mg- the stats I have won’t please you.
Who’s the ref for today’s game
Ginge, when Joe Say made that claim, I instantly thought of “top 4 is like a trophy” lol.
Of curse, in its right context, he’s right….finishing top 4 from where they are now would be great result, as it was when Wenger said it.
All about the context, but then, spending so many hundreds of millions suggest they should never be in such a position, especially with the worlds best manager at the helm hahahahahaha
Morning Ts…
Antony Taylor Mg..
New post up now..