Morning all.
Looks like the away fans are gunning for Arsene Wenger too but then that’s no great surprise…. Unlike at The Emirates, I would imagine other grounds aren’t fussed if our fans arrive with banners in protest of our manager, just a shame there weren’t a few more and directed at Stan Kroenke. The rot starts at the top!
Inevitably, Arsene Wenger was quizzed about the calls for him to walk away:
I don’t comment on that. Do I need to say it again? I don’t comment on your question. Every person has responsibility to prepare for the future, always.
He was then asked if he is our future:
The only thing we can do is let people talk. We live in a society of total opinion but we live off not what we say but what we do, and what we do is on the pitch.
Well, what they did yesterday was to get three points and that’s just what we all wanted and the team so desperately needed…
Ok, it wasn’t great and it wasn’t fancy but we got the job done and not even the hoof ball football during the final minutes of the match caught out our defenders. Having Koscielny back made a big difference I think, he and Mertesacker were relatively untroubled, certainly in the first half and I don’t think the Baggies had one shot either on or off target.
Having Ollie back was good too. I know he’s not the quickest but he does have the ability to keep the ball and he works hard to get it too and I loved the movement up front with Welbeck and Sanchez switching sides. We haven’t really seen that since the days of Bobby and Freddie.
Perhaps we were a bit fortunate when Berahino was adjudged offside but hey ho, we were a bit unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty, maybe even two but we don’t get those decisions these days.
What a goal for us though eh. Santi Cazorla did so well to beat his man and then the cross to Danny Welbeck was simply perfect. The header from our English centre forward wasn’t bad either. Loved it and thankfully that goal was enough on the day.
As always seems to be the case, we again suffered injuries. Nacho Monreal, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all suffered knocks as too did Per Mertesacker who was a one stage limping around a bit. All will be assessed tomorrow, hopefully with a positive outcome.
All in all, a good job done. Another clean sheet registered and three points in the bag.
Plenty of transfer rumours:
Arsenal are preparing a £15million offer for powerful Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko, according to the Sunday Times.
The Mail think Everton midfielder James McCarthy will be the player Arsene will try and sign. The same paper again reports Tyrone Mings will be the defender we try to sign as he’s a much cheaper option that Mats Hummels. He’s English too.
As for Isco? £64 million, they’re having a laugh…
That’s enough from me, have a good Sunday all…
We will get Isco!!!!!!
Ok, maybe not 🙂
Morning all.
Morning again Scott and all…
Don’t think we’ll get the others either, well, maybe Mings…
Hi Rico, one is better than none, but two is better than one 🙂
Sure is Scott, two I hope….
Good read.
Morning Rico, Scott and all…
Morning Ts, thanks..
Quiet morning again….
Morning again Rico and Scott. I must confess to feeling a little uncomfortable when the press are continually pressing Arsene about the calls for him to leave. It seems they are out to demean him. Regardless of how stubborn he is etc., he is still owed respect. I thought the banner yesterday was unnecessary myself.
It’s the classic Arsenal dilemma once again I suppose.
Bonjour Bacon and Eggs.
Great post yesterday Rico…seeing we won.
Good one today…..seeing Martinez kept a clean sheet. While everyone is raving mad about our attack and our last two games which we won, I am raving mad that Martinez did his job without fuss and got two clean sheets. Watch his stock rising now. Suddenly in the Almunia and Flappy days we were groaning for a good keeper…..well now we got three good goalkeepers and they are all still young. Good for competition.
As for transfers???? We will get only two….McCarthy and Mings. But no Sissykoko boy.
We will get McCarthy for £15 and Mings for £8. millions obviously.
And suddenly the core is British.
Morning all
Not sure you can claim the away fans have turned two guys holding up a sign from what I can see in the picture the may be a few more.
Also it’s not the first time a small number of away fans holding up a Wenger out sign that time they got a going over by the the rest of the away fans around them.
I suppose the sign wasn’t ripped down this time.
Morning again Adam and Devil…
Nice to have a winning post to write… 😉
Adam, but fans want AW gone so banners are understandable I guess…
Why do we, as Arsenal fans, complain about the raw deal the media give us, then give them this on a platter?
That’s what I don’t get.
It’s a tough situation all round I guess, and I don’t know what the answer is, but I know one thing, and one thing only…..Stan isn’t it.
Yes, I agree Rico. It’s more the way the press are hounding him at the moment that is a bit off. He gets paid big bucks and it’s all part of the job I suppose but a bit of dignity wouldn’t go amiss.
Devil, Martinez looks quite good doesn’t he…
Very clean hands, Martinez.
He looks the part.
Joe, I know what I mean….
They have the right to protest , that’s democracy. Whether you or I agree is immaterial .It’s a shame that there is no nice way of doing it. There are many that will sympathise with it just as many will be vehemently against and the majority stuck in the middle.My problems with the man are purely related to what happens on the pitch and it is shame that we have had to wait for circumstance to force the changes that appear to have been implemented. Firstly injury has forced him to play Santi in the middle and lo and behold man of the match awards come along. We had to be embarrased twice before the penny dropped that we needed a rethink on how we defend and comments about Sanchez’s work ethic seems to have rubbed off on the rest of the team. Injury is still dogging us but maybe in the long run they might be to our advantage if it forces him to juggle his selections more often. As long as he doesn’t do it all at once and field a team with half a dozen players trying to find form we shoukd be alright.
Morning All…
Good post Rico..,
I tend to agree with Adam, decent fellow that he is…
The Wenger out banners make me feel uncomfortable, despite my criticisms of the man…
He doesn’t deserve our disrespect, and I suppose the revelations of £115million paid to the clutch of parasites, agents and lawyers (or ambulance chasers as I call them) put into perspective what Wenger is trying to fight against…
He’ll no get help from the hopeless EUFA, FIFA, FA or the indulgent EPL, whilst the petrodollar clubs are the virus that sustains the disease…
So, maybe all that kinda explains, partly, Wenger’s faffing about in the TM…
Only partly of course, some of it is of his own making, but I don’t like to see these banners…
Adam, the press have been on his back since 1996…
I hope the pressure sees him change…
Potter. I am not saying that the fans aren’t entitled to their opinion, just that, like Kev, I find it a little uncomfortable. This is from someone who believes Arsene probably should have left a few seasons ago.
Great point Potter re: Santi…
Arsene’s obsession with ball-playing inside-forwards has seen so many of our players, out of position.
Just get the right man for the bloody job you want done…
Good comment Potter..
Morning to you and Kev…
I know Rico. I’ve said all I want to on the subject really but I always feel that Arsenal and it’s fans are a bit ‘different’. In a thoroughly decent way of course. 🙂
Well, some of them anyway. 🙂
Adam, how was the scrambled egg?
5-6 guys with a Wenger out banner as opposed to 3000+ away fans and it’s the banner on every media outlet and it’s the away fans want Wenger out.
Kev. Hi mate. We had egg and bacon Nan with chilli jam and spicy baked beans. Plus some piping hot English Breakfast Tea. Wish you had been there with the other members of the HHCC and our glorious leader of course. Even Scott would have been welcome. 🙂
Hmm, sounds delicious mate…
Makes my Fruit n Fibre look a bit sad… 🙂
Yeah, wish I had been there buddy, but we’ll soon reconvene in a couple of weeks… 😉
🙂 Adam…
Then 2.5 more years it is then… lol
Don’t forget Fido Adam… lol
Joe, I suspect there was more than just the two. As I said in the post though, I wish the banners were more about Stan Kroenke because he’s the first one I’d like to see gone….
I didn’t say that Rico. 🙂
Naturally Rico. Fido always welcome. You know that. 🙂
Kev. Looking forward to it. Can’t you persuade Rico to come?
It’s just that no matter how many were involved with the banner it’s the fact that it was a very small percentage of the away fans buts it’s all we can see in the media this morning.
Our away fans are some of the best in the world but their ethos of supporting the club,players and the manager was highjacked by a small number fans. According to the media it’s the only thing of note that happened in yesterday’s game.
🙂 Adam, but without fan protest etc, AW will be staying put no doubt. Mind you, I am beginning to think he will in any case so let’s just hope he is learning…
He’s certainly learned how to leave his seat during a game …. lol
Fido say’s she’ll have numbers 1 – 100 on the menu Adam… 😛
Joe, only those away fans know how many supported the banner. I think the away fans are like most at the moment, they support the club and the team. They want the best for Arsenal and that doesn’t automatically mean they are in support of Arsene Wenger..
Quite interesting:
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9586905/the-arsene-wenger-debate-can-his-last-10-years-be-seen-as-a-success
From what I saw the last two games I like how Martinez handled balls in the pen area, while his organization was good. He went about his job without fuss. He did not look shaky. Ches will definitely come in again, maybe against Stoke, however I wish AW gave DM more time since it will only benefit AFC.
his distribution was good as well. his footwork was not found to be wanting. Plus the defense was reassured with him at the back.
The clean sheet will only serve to increase his confidence and stock as well.
And another thing…..with regards the hoofing the ball in the last minutes. That is part of the game. why not? hoof it, reorganize and get the ball back. if not hoof it again. Its part of the game. It should be part of a defender’s repertoire. Hoofing the ball looses precious seconds which win games. If AW does not like it bad luck. If some of the supporters do not like it bad luck. At the end of the day…….ITS THREE FUCKING POINTS/CUP WHICH COUNT.
You angry or something Devil? lol
Coach, I didn’t see any of the game, not even MotD, but almost without exception, all the comments that I’ve read on the game and the team, have complimented Martinez on his performance…
It would be interesting to see Martinez given the next couple of games, but, as with past examples, Wenger rarely sticks with the inform goalkeeper and almost always goes straight back to his chosen No.1, whatever that players’ form….
I agree Devil, was going to write something similar, but it doesn’t mean that I like it! I think it demeans our level of football. To be fair we were all over the place in the last 20 minutes or so, and I believe they did really well to hang on till the end, another 2 or 3 minutes and who knows what the result might have been?
Of the banner, I. Think it was ‘T’s’ who said he had never experienced such a toxic atmosphere amongst the away supporters. The Real Fans! So……..there is obviously dissent at games as well as most of the blogs. There is no smoke without fire! The only was Wenger can change the current climate is to get the team to earn some good points from some of their close rivals. Starting with Southampton on Wednesday. Anything other than a convincing win will ramp up the ill feeling further.
From my own point of view I have no desire to see him gone he has been the best thing at Arsenal since the last best thing! (You can fill in your own favourite there!)
Hard to be a fan just at present.
Afternoon everyone.
Joe it’s inevitable that the banner will hit the headlines but really from an Arsenal perspective it’s nothing new. There has been a disaffected faction for quite some time but it’s presence has been largely kept under control at the ground by the stewarding who clamp down rightly or wrongly on such displays.The problem from the clubs point of view is that the numbers of unhappy people are growing but as I said earlier to varying degrees. I have no truck with people that see the only answer to be buying players at silly prices and blaming Wenger for not doing so. I also believe that the man has been a fool to himself in allowing the projection that he is omnipotent within the club to go undenied . It’s because of this that the blame has been put solely on his shoulders. Rico and I agree that a fair percentage of the problem stems from the boardroom both in our namesake in London and also in Colorado . The Arsenal is now a business pure and simple. It proclaims the number of Twitter followers and the far eastern support to be important and we are off to India apparently not to further the cause of our football but to tap the new vast market :- An Arsenal source said: “India is seen very much as an untapped market in terms of revenue streams.”There are more than a billion people in the country, so it doesn’t take a lot of working out that there are lots of opportunities as yet unearthed in that part of the world.”.This is where the unrest comes from, the paying customer at Highbury was made a promise by the club and they were uprooted to the new superbowl under the guise of developing the team to be at the top of European football. The perception is that the club has reneged on this promise and has solely developed the business side in the process hiking prices and having a seeming acceptance of the virtual trophy handed out to the most stable chequebook. In all fairness it is not surprising that the natives are getting restless .Until there is a way to unite the warring factions there will be utter polarisation of both sides of the argument and I am afraid more banners like the one first made about 2 years ago and seen again yesterday will be produced. The club needs to address this somehow and show that they are willing to start addressing the problems on the pitch , get a winning team and the problem will fade away , keep chasing the dollar and watch the protests grow.
Afternoon Wavy, you are right and I’d forgotten Ts had said that last night…
Can’t say I’d be thrilled to watch hoof ball each week but if it gets us three points on Wednesday I’d be happy… 😉
Potter – great comment, one I wish you had mailed me because it would have made a very good post.
You are so right about India, just what is the point other than to make money and perhaps to see Bobby play.
You and I not only agree re Stan Kroenke, but on not paying silly money for footballers. Hard working, good honest players don’t always have to cost £40 million etc etc.
Alexis is showing what £32 million can buy but top quality players can be signed for a lot less I’m sure…
And Mesut Ozil has shown that not every player adapts to the PL…..
Joe. re the fans I think ‘uncomfortable’ is the appropriate word whether the noise is coming from a very vocal small minority or otherwise.
As someone who goes to away games outside the m25 quite a bit; most times there is a sense of apprehension as we make our way to the game especially after an international break or UCL game. Yesterday it felt like the general consensus albeit from a very minute number was that we should lose so that AW can be sacked. We all knew Aw wouldn’t be sacked at least not this side of Christmas…
The few I spoke to were complaining about lack of defensive cover; and said Jose won’t do such a thing.I then asked them how many CBs’ Jose had and they said 2 first team with Ivanovic plus Zouma who has played less than 5 games…
Albeit Jose is a pragmatic, guerrilla style coach who is able to get the best out of his squad but we all know his principle can’t be sustained long term.
Sometimes a change is needed but my views have always been that we as fans should complain in the summer only; once the season starts we are in it together.. lets give the team the ’12th man’ in certain games to take us as high up the table as far as we can.
Would signing Sissoko be such a bad thing?
Dev, Martinez was selected for Argentinians senior team when he was 18. He always had promise;…
Shameful refereeing from Jones. The height of incompetence. Fans have very right to expect higher standards than this.
Rico, I think Ozil will come back stronger.. he is working on his physique/strength even more according to rumours…
He is also using this time to sort out his personal life which might have been distracting him… 😉
I missed the penalty Adam, was it a cert?
Bit football is a business and has been for years now. As Leeds illustrate so well, if you don’t run the club properly and you have no sugar daddy, you will be in trouble. I don’t mind that Stan takes some money out just as I have no problem with Usmanov asking for a dividend. My problem comes when the manager doesn’t adequately equip the squad for challenges that he knows better than just about anybody. His job is to win games and having a squad capable of dealing with things like injuries, is a big part of that surely. I remember, even when we were going unbeaten and doing doubles that there were still malcontents even then.
Rico. 100% and yet Aguero got booked for diving.
Ts, were you behind the banner?….lol
But it’s the chicken and egg situation surely. If the owner/board are happy to allow Arsene Wenger so much freedom to do as he chooses, then surely he he/they are accountable?
Arsene Wenger is getting a lot wrong but a gutless owner/board is allowing him to do so….
I hope he does Ts..
Jones helping Chelsea out then Adam, perhaps that’s because they dropped points yesterday…
Stan doesn’t buy the players or pick the team though. He owns the club and that’s all. I imagine that Wenger’s long term commitment was an intrinsic fact in him buying the place. The board could be be stronger but, honestly, can you imagine an old duffer like Chips or a footballing zero like Kroenke telling Wenger to buy more players? Wenger has Stan’s confidence and that effectively rules Ivan out of the decision-making process. AW has needed a partner who he listens to, ever since Dein left. Can’t see it changing just as I can’t see TH coming in and being quiet about what he is seeing. It’s an odd dynamic for sure.
Bt… you know I won’t respond to that. 😛
Hi Bt…
I agree re the on pitch stuff Adam but I guess my point is Kroenke is happy to let things just carry on because all the time we get top four, he gets a little extra in his pocket.
A more dynamic owner wouldn’t allow such goings on, one only has to look across London to see what a owner with ambition does….
Morgan has gone off for Saints, hope he’s out until next weekend… lol
Was it only me or am I right in saying that Aaron upped his game a bit with the reintroduction of OG12? He seems to thrive when having a focal point and yesterday got into good positions and made some good late runs.
What do you think folks?
I had dinner with a business consultant and lecturer recently who was also a Gooner. This bloke travels the world talking to high end management in some of the biggest value companies. As we were having the usual chat about Wenger he asked me how much I thought we needed to spend to really compete for the PL and CL.
I had a very interesting discussion with Kev about the points he made a couple of days later.
Still a bit too fancy footed for me Devil….
But why how much to spend Adam, why not how many players we need to be competitive.. ? 😉
Or even why we don’t train them better , apart from one or two positions we are well represented by the players we have. They just need a firmer hand to make them do what is necessary either on or off the pitch.
Rico. Because every player has a price. Of you like then, how many players more do we need to be competitive. The financial slant is relevant to me because it is a bottom line thing. You could but a DM for £2 million or £40 million. They’d still be a single player but probably with different abilities.
Or even why we don’t train them better , apart from one or two positions we are well represented by the players we have. They just need a firmer hand to make them do what is necessary either on or off the pitch.
Adam, for sure they all have a price but not every player has to cost £40 million surely. Take someone like Morgan or Wanyama, they’d improve our midfield enormously yet together they’d cost around £40 million no doubt.. That’s all I was trying to say really…
How much did you say we needed to spend out of interest?
It’s all about how much some Sugar Daddy is prepared to invest in players, to compete with Boring Boring Chelsea and Schizoid City, and to put into the pockets of parasitic agents…
It ain’t gonna happen under Kroenke…
And on reflection, after seeing that disgusting figure of £115m paid to those arsehole agents, I kinda don’t blame them.
That would be a good start Potter.
Lampard again.
Enjoying his time stateside I see.
You’re right Kev, under Kroenke it just isn’t going to happen…
When does the American football league start or are they playing now?
If they are, how come he’s not over there?
I imagine that we fill our quota of players but we don’t have enough quality to be a top team in my opinion. This could partly be the ‘way’ the players are sent out but I don’t think we have top quality in several key positions. For me the ‘how much?’ question nails it perfectly. Wanyama looks a bit lumbering to me Rico. Schneiderlin looks ok though but he would serve several suspensions a year if he played for Arsenal. It’s all opinions though.
Looks like the great Southampton forgot to close the back door.
Rico. As for your 3.03pm. It was a bit of a shock when he asked me but the figure I came up with, completely off the top of my head, was £150 million. There are obviously caveats and refinements that could be discussed though. 🙂
Hiya habib.
I got your email. will answer you shortly. good points mate.
tbh, we just need a CDM and another CB. Others we buy to beef up the squad.
yes we can improve all positions in the team by buying better players however do remember that if we buy a player someone must eventually move out. For example we have OG12 and DW23 who can play CF. If we buy another CF either AW has to change the formation or else one of the strikers has to be moved on.
AW has to learn like the midget one how to rotate the players. For example 3 games Cazorla begins and Ozil subs him at 60 mins. Then for the next 3 games Ozil begins and Cazorla subs him at 60 mins. Keep them fresh by rotation. And play them in their natural position for feck’s sake.
I think that AW will buy Mings and McCarthy. At the end of the season MF will be released but Arteta will be kept.
The defence was a whole lot better with Kos and Per as its centre. but I really felt for Monreal. He was getting a good run of games and acquitted himself well. And why not rotate him with Gibbs? 3 games one and 3 games the other?
Chambers could rotate with Debouchy and the CBs. He has established himself now in the defence but he needs to rest. Hopefully Debouchy will return stronger and not get injured plus Kos and Per will not get injured. And yes Chambers might even be tried in a three men central defence. And let Debouchy/Bellerin plus Gibbs/Monreal act as wingers. At the same time this allows a two men strike force…..ex Giroud/Sanchez…..Wellbeck/Theo.
Why not?
These are all permutations that AW should be humble enough to utilise.
Suddenly a 3-5-2 leaves us with Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla and Ox for the two CAM positions. With Arteta (and McCarthy) cleaning up behind them. And I have left Flamini, TR07, Podolski all out.
And Diaby as well. lol
There’s a lot going on here isn’t there?
Kronke, I agree he seems happy enough to let Wenger get on with things but, if the Nasri story is true and he did order him off the plane in order to claim his £25m then you can bet your bottom dollar his has more than a passing say in who else comes and goes. It would seem that Wenger is happy with this, well publicly at least. The truth may be somewhat different?
Wenger’s immediate problems and the rumblings of discontent arise, as much as anything from his seeming relutance or stubborness to put any faith in some of the players he identified as squad players, Bellerin, Afobe, Hayden, etc etc and of course the result of such narrow mindedness has in part left us in such a parlours state. No you don’t have to buy or pay ridiculous sums of money for players who, according to the boss may not improve the team at all. He has a point!
Wenger also takes all the flack, both on and off the field. I reckon he even talks up the tea lady! She who leaks all the filth from the inner corridors of the club!
Finally, back to Cronky, or as we know and love him, the Syrup! There is no chance of him ever selling his shares in Arsenal, it may be dripping today but with the projected revenue stream, he knows it’s caviar tomorrow! And he can be patient! Also you can be sure Usminov will take his share of cash out of the club when the time comes. Potter you. Are spot on.
All that is wrong with contemporary football and the cash that drives it is being acted out at our revered club. We have become the pragmatic microcosm of the soccer microcosm!
Adam,I hope they forget on Wednesday too.. 🙂
3 players would do for me, two defenders and one Cdm and then bring Hayden through…
£150 million, I think we’d need Usmanov for that kind of spending….
Devil, we’ve all been saying about rotation for ages, we are not seeing enough of it.
Great points Wavy, you should write a couple of posts…
You articulate a lot of our frustrations really well mate….
Coach, you make it sound so simple….
And that’s the bloody point, it really isn’t as difficult as Arsene seems to make it…
He is his own worst enemy at times…
I mean, at the end of the day, we’d love him to rediscover his mojo, it would be great to have the old Arsene back…
And that’s the real bummer, because he probably can still do it…
rico. It would probably less bearing in mind the money we got for Ramsey, Jack and Giroud and a couple of others. 🙂
Afobe…. 18 goals in 23 games for MKDons.
Worth a place in the squad next season???
I really hope so, the boy is one our own kids.
Therefore he had the club in his blood.
Wavy, I agree with Kev, you should write a couple of posts 🙂
Adam, all 3 are AW’s fav’s, they are going nowhere any time soon…. 🙂
I like McCarthy, I remember sitting next to Adam, watching him kicking everything in an Arsenal shirt for Wigan…
That’s just what we need, he can put his foot in and he can also play….
Why didn’t we get him, instead of Everton, when he left Wigan…?
Rico 😀
Kev. I’m still sulking over Aneke and Lansbury going, sure hope Afobe doesn’t join them. Why he’s at MK and we have Sanogo, I don’t know….
In that case Rico, Wenger Out!
I’ll get my banner! 🙂
Potter I agree with your @1.28 post I just wish it was different but things are the way things I shouldn’t get up set or angry.
Tsgh don’t get me going on fans who hope arsenal lose on the chance Wenger will be sacked it’s a subject I best stay well clear off. 🙂
The way things are with both types of FFP I am not sure Usmanov could spend that kind of money.
Good question Kev…
I’ll make you a big one Adam, it will read ‘Kroenke Out’! 😛
😀 Joe.
I’ll do you a post sometime, when I climb on my soap box next. My problem is that I’m reactive rather than proactive! I’ll send something. To the gmail account, if that’s where it’s supposedly go, in a few days time. Something will have set me off…….again!
rico, if Frank keeps banging in the goals for Citeh will they even let him go, think he’s due to join up with the mighty NYC FC in January, he could stay yet.
Gotta say that banner is a big improvement on that A4 sheet of paper last week, I’d like to shake both them Gooners hands !
Again Joe you are right about Usmanov the ship of artificial money has sailed . What he might bring to the party is a different attitude in the boardroom one that wants to win at football as well as financially. That is all we can hope.
The yahoo address Wavy, I look forward to that…
🙂 Micko re the banner – Frank will have to go there won’t he?
my spuddie neighbour cant seem to control himself.. lol
I cant wait for wavy’s post…
Citeh own NYC FC, won’t they have the final say.
You still got a box at Chelsea tsgh ?
Out of curiosity rico how much does a box on HH cost ?
Free to all Micko…
Re Usmanov, surely he’d just rubber stamp the spending of what we do have to sign the right players?
Or perhaps encourage it a bit more than Kroenke/the board do…
I’m off for the day folks..
Catch up tomorrow, night all….
Potter re your @5.43 now that FFA has kicked in our money will go further hopefully the manager will buy the players we need.
But the club can’t do much about the large number of injuries we keep suffering and we can’t blame the manager for over playing players this season.
Even when he rotates like yesterday we still have bloody injuries Monreal,Gibbs and Ox I am in the camp that blames the refs.
Wenger is responsible for most of the muscular and knock injuries recurring in the squad for the last few years…
He brings in players which then doesn’t trust, therefore won’t use them to rotate, he overuse players he trusts who then get injured by being overplayed..
It’s bad management from Wenger whichever way you look at it.. imo..
How is Wenger responsible for the knock injuries I thought they where down bad tackles like the one on Jack’s.
I also remember reading an article(can’t remember where) that the knocks Arsenal players are suffering is leading to the muscle injuries.
Saw the Arsenal goal on MotD2, great run by Santi, and Welbeck, what a leap and header. Top top goal…
Southampton is gonna be bloody hard.
Night All
Kev, if Southampton play like they did yesterday, we have a chance. A slim one, but…. 😉
Morning to you and all….
Because Wenger rarely rotates players, doesn’t trust his squad players…..
We will be winning guys 🙂
Morning all.
Morning Lee and Scott.
Rotation, or the lack of it frustrates the heck out of me. I see Swansea are rumoured to be after Joel Campbell in January.
Why not loan them Sanogo….
The referee diatribe is all very boring…..they didn’t seem to affect the invincibles did they?
As for Wilshere he will continue to be a perma crock unless he changes his style of play, imo.
Morning all.
Morning Rico, Brudder and all. It’s nice tucked up in bed with a cuppa this morning. 🙂
Rico, we rotate players regularly.
Into the medical room.
Out of the medical room.
So on, so forth 🙂
Lee, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it a referee decision that saw the undefeated run come to an end?
Diving little Manc bastard…..I see your point though.
Lee, do you have a HH crystal ball or something? 😉
Morning Adam..
Scott 🙂
I have a grump on, last night a filling decided to drop out whilst cleaning my teeth. My cup of tea is a struggle… 🙁 🙁
Scott, yes you’re right but that was one decision over a whole season….some like to blame the referees every other week!
I quite liked the referee who gave the penalty to Bobby during that 03/04 season…
Without it, would we have gone unbeaten? Wonder if Untold remember that one,,,
I know Lee.
I said the other day that we do enough damage to ourselves to drop points, but we still can’t ignore the say the officials have.
Bloody disgraceful.
Still waiting to have it explained how Arsenal players have had 6 broken legs since 2008 not sure any other team comes close. I surppose if they had been rotated they may not have been on the pitch when the tackle that broke their legs was made.
So Wilshire is responsible for the tackle that put him out for 12 weeks let me remind you it wasnt even given as a free kick.
As for the invincibles and it being boring maybe the refs where better than they are at the moment or the ref that made those decisions to end the unbeaten run is in now charge of the company who appoints the refs.
I wonder where fans of italian football clubs saying the same thing that this ref thing is boring.
Did anyone see the pen that wasn’t given yesterday for Man City? Beggars belief how a professional could miss that one.
There are many refs who are more likely to get players injured than others.
Who said Wilshere was responsible for the tackle that put him out for 12 weeks? And boring it is…
Rico I like that ref to but I am sure he is well retired or had to find other work.
Of course they wouldn’t remember that Rico. That was all the curvature of the Earth’s fault….
Joe – I really don’t get your point.
The players who commit the fouls are the ones guilty, not the ref. The ref’s are really poor poor in this league that’s for sure but many clubs are on the receiving end of shocking decisions, City is a prime example yesterday.
Hiding behind a referee for the way we play, lose and concede easy goals is wrong imo…
Out of interest, how many of our injuries this season have been because of a bad tackle?
Jack yes but??
Or the shift in magnetic north!
Exactly Lee – this ref stuff is bollox imo. A feeble excuse for the rubbish results and injuries…
It’s not an excuse but it is a factor.
Ok the way he plays was blamed.
On it been boring maybe it is and it would be nice not to keep going on about how bad referring decisions changed the out come of a game again. I thought one of the reasons some people are against technology is that it will stifle the debate on a Monday on referees performance.
If the officials did their job, it’s entirely possible Diaby, Eduardo, and Ramsey would never have copped their injuries, so I’m not sure why we should dismiss their input guys.
It’s fine debating it but it being a reason that Arsenal have under achieved??? Really??? Look to Wenger and his gross neglect of the squad for starters!
We’ve actually been a little lucky.
Giroud copped an absolute shocker last season v Citeh….not sure how he didn’t cop a broken leg, and there’s been a few others.
Tackles designed to maim are simply passed over by the officials, and though they may or may not have an impact on the result of a game, they can ruin a mans career.
How though Scott? Those referee’s didn’t know beforehand that those thug players were about to break our players legs…
Unless the FA go to zero tolerance, the standard of officiating will never improve and as Potter said recently, they are told to keep the game 11 v 11 for as long as they can…
The ref’s are very poor I think on that we all agree….
Lack of tactics, over playing players, buying cheaper options…… still each to their own.
That is true Rico the players that make the tackles are the ones responsible for the outcome of that tackle.
But because they know or believe that if they make a robust tackle against an Arsenal player that leads to an injury they will not receive the punishment it merits.
Rico,
If they’d stamped out these “tactics” teams use on us earlier, I reckon opponents wouldn’t be so happy to try and kick our guys out of the game.
What about not buying a plethora of midgets and getting the balance of the team better?
That view is an opinion Joe, not factual. Players already know that a bad one will get a three match ban yet still bad tackles happen.
Like I said, apart from the injury to Jack, which other player of our has been sidelined this season through a back tackle?
Rico to get of the ref issue I hope your not in pain due to the lose of your filling.
During my holidays I lost a crown now that was back in early September since then i have been to 3 different dentists. That lead to me having root canal work over two visits a visit to the hospital which lead to 3 days off work because my jaw had swollen up to the size of a tennis ball. Finally had the crown replaced on Thursday of last week.
Hope your dental issues go much easier on you.
I blame Black Friday….
Morning All
If a ref sees the trend of the game and decides to act then he is a better ref than the bloke who treats every incident as an isolated one. Rotational fouling was invented to take advantage of weaker refs. But you are right Lee, it should never be used as an excuse for Arsene’s failings. But it is a convenient thing for those who believe he is beyond criticism. He has pushed it for years but this season it has all caught up with him. He knows that.
Morning Kev.
Scott, that’s what I mean. Zero tolerance and the FA stop pandering to Sky Sports and Bt Sports…
Guys, I’ve said it several times now, it’s not an excuse, but it is a factor…….why should we accept it?
It happens week in, week out.
There planets of other factors, including our tactics and our lack of squad depth, but it’s there for all to see, and let to go on.
The standard of refereeing in the PL has been terrible but it being the cause for Arsenal’s shortcomings………
Kev, I blame you 🙂
How lucky was Sanchez not to end up with a bad injury after Cahill’s tackle in the Chelsea match.
Lee. I think you were onto something when you cited the curvature of the earth though.
Scott you forgot the gravitational pull factor….. 😉
Scott. It’s true that Kev has a lot to answer for. 🙂
Our guys get yellow carded for grabbing the arm of an opponent.
It’s there Lee, don’t underestimate it’s impact hahahaha
Lee. I would cite Newton’s first law of motion but I think Rico would sin-bin me.
Adam, the curvature of the Earth factor was brought to my attention by a Dutchman…….
Scott did you catch any egg chaser at the weekend? 😉
Me too brother. I conducted an experiment in gravitational pull only yesterday evening and found it had increased exponentially.
Egg chaser???
Arsene Wenger insists his 24/7 approach to managing Arsenal will deliver results as he again defended his position.
The Gunners boss insisted he is not bothered about the criticism after Saturday’s 1-0 win at West Brom. A banner was unfurled in the away end at the Hawthorns which read ‘Arsene, thanks for the memories but it’s time to say goodbye’.
Danny Welbeck’s winner failed to appease some supporters despite the Gunners sitting two points off the top four in the Barclays Premier League.
But, after 18 years in charge of Arsenal, Wenger said he will ignore the jibes and will not waver.
He said: “I don’t mind. I do what I love and I think I do it with honesty and total commitment. I invite you to live with me and see in seven days what kind of work we produce and you will see it’s with total commitment.
“I think we have shown extreme consistency and that’s all you can do. We’ve had ups and downs in the league, that’s true, but you only come back again when the spirit is strong and united inside the club.
“If we have shown consistency it’s because we have that, we have values and respect them.”
Welbeck netted on the hour, his 11th goal for club and country this season, after a switch saw him move out to the right and Wenger joked about his tactics.
He said: “I never know what a Plan B is. I started to manage a team at the top level in 1983 so, if I am completely useless tactically, I am a genius.”
Morning Kev..
Rugby!
Scott is the issue with our squad depth not tied up with our injuries. I read an article that the author believed that the team of injured players would be better team than the one we are putting out at the moment.
I know we need another defender and a good DM.
Oh no Lee……saw the result and one minute of highlights but that’s all mate.
I see your boys rolled us.
We have some rebuilding to do.
Morning Scott, yep, blame me mate…
Morning Rico….
Morning Adam. I did hear that there was a bit of a rumpus at a CostCo last Friday…
Apparently some powerful women were involved.., 😉
Joe, even before the season started, we were thin.
A few injuries later and we were several players short.
It doesn’t help, but when we were thin to begin with, we are on a hiding to nothing.
Big shoulders, Kev 🙂
Hello guys, happy new month….. I’ve been away for some weeks now and I’ve had a big challenge logging into this page. I always get an error message (405 error). It was really frustrating but thank God I’m back at my station. Going through all the post I’ve missed should keep me busy for a while. As for the game on Saturday, winning is more important to me at this point especially as Chelsea also droped points. We need to start taking more of our chances especially in the 1st half where we always look in charge.
Off out have a good day everyone like I said earlier hope the tooth doesn’t cause you to many problems Rico.
Thanks Joe, it’s being sorted later…
Hi Bondex, had a few probs on HH, all resolved now…
9.40 Joe – that was a red card all day for me, shoddy reffing and dreadful from Cahill…
I watched path of MotD2 last night, and there was an incident when Everton pumped the ball into the Spuds box…
About 10 players jumped to meet the ball in a large mob of flailing arms, legs and whatever else…
The ball was eventually cleared and despite the Everton fans behind the goal protesting, I have to say on first glance, I saw nothing wrong…
Of course after several replays, some slowed down, you could see a Spuds defender had deflected the ball with his arm.
It was impossible to know if it was a deliberate act or not and as both Officials missed it, the moment was gone…
The point being, in the modern game, being a referee is a thankless task, and they receive little or no support from the game itself…
Yes, maybe the standard of refereeing is not as high as we’d like, but then the standard of cheating by players and Coaches, has never been higher and the FA has never been weaker….
Kev you grafting?
Technology in full is the answer for me Kev. That would stop the FA having their favs…
Kev, you are right, but thugs have little or no fear that action will taken afterwards, either.
The crook officials includes those who watch a video replay, see a potential leg breaker and let it slide.
New post up now…
Cahill’s challenge on Sanchez was a straight red all day long….
Yes Lee….
You?
That Lee, was where the FA bottled it, like they always seem to do when a petrodollar club is involved or ManUre, and that’s where the invidious influence of SKY & Co can be seen to be having an effect….
Costa kicks out at O’Shea….. Nothing….
Costa throws an arm into the face of Brown….
Violent Conduct, straight red all day….
The ref bottles it and goes yellow…
Why?
Abramovitch, Mourinho, Sky, all three..???