Morning all.
Where to start??
Another tough day at the office, and an even tougher result to absorb.
Here goes nothing……
We got off to a flyer for 5-6 minutes, creating a few chances with some fantastic football, but then the reality set in.
The most awful of crosses results in an awkward, bobbling ball to Kroos who finished it with as crisp a strike as you could hope to see.
The cross could have ended up anywhere, but it landed at the feet of a Bayern player, and more importantly, and unmarked one, who did the rest.
It was another in a long list of games we have fallen behind to an early goal, and teams like Bayern do not often let a lead slip, so we knew things were going to be tough from there.
It got worse through another goal conceded from a set piece.
Zonal marking – blame it or don’t, it is your choice, but any defensive system or set up only works when the defenders attack the ball or pressure their opponents,and, as is so often the case, we did neither.
Going 2-0 down meant there was no realistic chance of coming back, and our rash of early yellow cards made it that touch harder. From there, Bayern stepped up a gear, and were by far the better side for the majority of the first half, though we did have some good moments.
Half time came, and I think most of us believed changes needed to be made at that stage.
Unfortunately, Wenger disagreed.
It is impossible to say this definitely cost us, as we did have a promising spell early in the second half, and even managed to score a very soft goal via Podolski, proving that even the best of defensive units can make a hash of things, occasionally.
However, we definitely looked better when Rosicky came on, and some brilliant play, a world class move even, involving Tommy and others almost saw Giroud score a cracker, but it was not to be. If that at had gone in, we more than likely would have gone on to win the game, as we had some serious momentum, but as is always the case, when Arsenal make an error or waste a chance, we pay dearly.
Bayern scored a third and it was all over.
We had little luck go our way, but that is becoming the case too often to be coincidence.
We need to start making our own luck, and giving the opposition minimal chances to hurt us, and until this happens, we will continue to rue our “misfortune”. In the return leg, we have nothing to lose, so can go all out, but would need an early goal and send off to stand any chance at all.
Somebody mentioned the fact that it will be interesting to see how we go under no pressure in Munich.
I do not raise this to single the author out, or to ridicule the comment, as I agree with it, but the problem is we play in competitions where the pressure is always on, and a single lapse more often than not costs a goal.
Our guys must learn to handle the pressure and expectation, and if they can’t, must be moved on and replaced with players who know how to win.
I believe the players we put out there are good enough, or can be, but I wonder if THEY believe they are.
Certainly they are not playing to their full capabilities as a group, and that is obvious for all to see.
In spells we proved more than an equal for Bayern though, and that in itself is a positive, but consistency has been lacking at Arsenal for several years now, and that is one hell of a negative to overcome.
Jack, well he is our biggest positive and our biggest asset. We need one or two new players of his quality, and we need them soon, because a player that good deserves to have a top squad around him.
We lost, and 3-1 at home is never a good result of course, but over all, I don’t believe we played that badly, we just played a better side who took their chances and we did not.
Still, a 3-1 loss which could easily have been a 2-2 or 3-2 win at least says we are not a million miles away from the level required, but until we get those few top class players, and start finding some consistency, we will remain not good enough.
We can now focus on beating the other mob into 4th spot, and like it or not, it is probably all we have left to play for, though not a trophy!!
I will leave the player ratings for everyone else to discuss.
One last comment.
I did not see one single instant where our boys threw in the towel or did not try. Playing terrible football and not trying are two vastly different things, and I think too many see them as one in the same. They are not and the look on our guys faces after the game showed they are hurting, so criticise their performances, but not their endeavour, please.
Written by Scott from Oz.
Blimey Scott. Good write up without resorting to mentioning crocodile Dundee or fishing or mud huts is impressive mate. 😆
But a good match report. And a final comment which showed what most of us are thinking and feeling. At least they tried hard. Even though some of them were out of depth at this level.
Adam…………what would you prefer? An efficiently ruthless team or one that is exciting?
As I said……….I prefer a ruthlessly efficient team.
Thanks Devil….you words were ringing in my ears while typing lol!!
Morning all.
Thanks Scott for the report, hard work I am sure….
My one question to Wenger would be, why not start Giroud, with him on the pitch and the wide players feeding him, we have done well often.
Walcott was never going to get by a Bayern defence which seldom concedes goals.
Does it have to be one or the other devil?
Back in Wenger better days, we had a side which had both…
I read he sat alone in the changing rooms for 25 minutes after the game. Was that to think long and hard before facing the media, or just thinking long and hard about what happens next….
One thing I hope he doesn’t do, and that’s make a decision on his future based on a 3-1 home defeat to Bayern Munich…..
Rico, maybe he wanted to try and expose Bayerns backs lack of pace…maybe….
The few times our guys got wide, we could have used the big fella in the middle though, no doubt.
Wengers not the issue… KROENKE is and untill he is out and the board is freshened up it gonna keep being doom and gloom for us… also VERN 5 needs to be stripped from captain this year he has been shocking and has no impact on the team what so ever.. if it was based on pride and passion i would give it to Wilshere in a half beat… complete shambles we are once again!
I wondered the same Scott but lack of pace isn’t such an issue when the player knows what he’s doing, reads the game well and has great players around him, only one CB was deemed to be a bit sluggish wasn’t he?
Even then, he was hardly Squilli 😉
Matty, I think TV will leave for Barca in the summer…
good morning
We defended so bad. I’m watching Porto-Malaga and the way the teams defend was completely different. They defended and covered in all the pitch.
Every player knew what he must doing on the pitch and both teams played like a team.
Moreover, the way Arsenal usually play, must have a central forward playing with the midfield and be a reference on the pitch. Giroud ok. TW no. He hasn’t those characteriths. Has others.
Hi Devil. A good question but one that is moot at the moment. We are neither efficient or exciting and haven’t been either.for some time. At home we are boringly predictable and every team, even those from lower divisions, know exactly what to expect at the Emirates. Most fancy their chances too. The impressive things about Bayern their depth, fantastic work rate, individual technique and their options, always options. They can and do play the ball through the eye of a needle and have the ability to run off the ball into space. They rarely play the Hollywood ball but we resort to it all the time. Our lack of directness and focus was exemplified when we lost to the mighty Blackburn last weekend. It was yet another lesson that I doubt we will learn from.
Last night we played almost everything in front of the whole Bayern team and only when we began to run through their midfield did we look anything like dangerous. We were never in contention to win that game. Ever. As individuals the team don’t have the technique to get hold of the ball quickly, apart from Jack obviously and perhaps Theo and running around a lot might be ok but, as you saw last night, we tired quickly. Bayern run when they need to and when they move forward they do so with purpose. Their players are all happy to accept the ball in close spaces too. They are a different class and most likely one of the two best teams in Europe at this moment. Exciting or efficient? I would just like to win, ideally with a combination of both but to do that consistently at all levels you need better players and certainly more than raw enthusiasm.
I kept away from talking about the players individually, but Vermaelen looked exactly like a CB playing LB.
His positioning was terrible.
Rico, i was just fishing for an explanation, because i don’t know lol!!
Bayern is a great team, and we all probably knew before hand that we will not be able to beat them bar a major collapse. The lads gave it their best shot though.
This season is done. We just need to take stock and build a better team for the next.
Hope so Rico he was all over the place last night… and i feel bad people were leaving the stadium last night 20 mins in lol… I even listened to MR Morgan on bbc 5 live last night and everything he said was right… Silent yank has made no contribution since he took over he is just ranking in £££ from us and apprently he is known to sell his greatest asset in his americans clubs that he own.. Bring Usmanov is along he Dein and only till then will we bring and sing back are glory days..
Yes I would like both ruthlessness and excitement. But if I had to make a choice it would be ruthlessness.
Manure have hardly been exiting the past 20 years have they. Yet they were ruthlessness personified. And it has won them many cups in the process.
Rico. Vermaelen needs to go to Barca but, if they watched him last night, they must be having serious doubts. At the moment I wouldn’t pick him for our team.
Morning all,
Good post Scotty boy, not a good result to have to report on, but you did it well.
Maybe i have lost my enthusiasm with this team of losers. I have started to feel that we will just continue losing, as nobody seems to taking much notice, The press of course will always be ready to pile the pressure on but management just seem to move on and start talking about the next game. That ones past we move on. I dont think theres any point in moving on to the next game unless you learn from your mistakes. We can blame individual players for certain things they did in the game, Czezesney for never being able to hold on to a ball and always parrying to the closest opposing player, or Vermaelen for several mistakes and being out of position. Yes its easy to point the finger those two players were not alone. Every other player should be looking at themselves and be ashamed at that display. Nervousness is not an excuse after all they play to sixty thousand every other week. These players are not top quality, whoever we buy are not players you have ever heard of before. but the ones we sell are. Now lets face facts we knew we needed replacements some said two others said four, not that it matters because we all knew we wouldnt get any of the names we were linked with. Wenger is gettin plenty of stick from the press as yesturdays post stated, but lets be honest about things, he deserves a lot of it, by not investing in this team and coming out with statments telling me this team is capable of winning things is poppy cock. We need a good keeper, we have needed one for years, and we still do we need to lose Zonal marking how many more goals do we have to concede before the penny drops. Theo Walcott is not a centre forward. I have watched that lad from when he first kicked a ball for us and still havent seen him make a tackle £100 grand a week for what seems scandelous to me. I watched that game last night and i would put money on us making more backwards and sideways passes than forward ones thats why we lose, that and bad management its as simple as that.
Here a question for you all what impact as a fan do we have to make a change? As we stand now we face the same thing every year and we moan on the radio and on blogs. But too make a difference going forth what can we do? Chant Wenger out? Will that simply do?
Great write up scott!
Morning all!
Agreed on the passing Steve.
Not enough movement off the ball gives too few options, and that is where we end up…in reverse.
As soon as we get into trouble and have nothing to lose, we to straight at the opposition and look great.
I think the one person we need to recognise the issues is watching the sun go down over his Texas ranch.
Matty, we need Stan out first, and he is too far away to hear the chants.
Piers Morgan what a total fuckwit!
We nearly always do JM. Coaching or players??
Adam. Nor would I select TV, he is awful these days. In fact I am totally unimpressed with our central defenders full stop..
🙂 Scott
topa’ts – we say that every season around this time of the year, yet nothing every changes does it?
Scott, Stan should have heard last night as he was there, and I suspect he watches other matches from his armchair with a glass of bourbon and a fat cigar!
lol i like Piers i dont agree with him bangin on about Wenger getting the boot as its obverse its the board otherwise he would of been long gone.. Rico we said the same thing last year the club is now a PLC not a FC they just care about the business side of thing… STAN needs to go but how to you boot him out?? AST are the voices of the fans about time they ask for his head.
Very good report Scott..
Have to say though..bayern were weak at the back but the rest of the team made sure they got back every time we attacked,
our left side was once again exposed.
The whole set up at the back is a joke..1 on 1..player’s turning there backs dead ball marking..players looking the other way.
Sorry..but this team have come out under prepared mentally again.
Bayern’s goal’s were lucky in a way..but so was blackburns
It’s the same old chestnut…..we need to change.
I can’t see wenger throwing the towel in…
The arsenal is his life.
Football management is more important to wenger than his health he works none stop I’am told.
Some one has to relief him?
No one at The Arsenal is big enough.
As much as it hurt’s Scott…it’s down to us fans mate.
I never realised he was here Rico.
Wonder if he got a standing ovation 🙂
Rico………at the end of it all its all tactics.
Tactical nous and training is a high percentage of any win………whether you are exciting or not.
AW plays the Barca way. No need of a plan B. Fine if you have a team composed of Barca players. Unfortunately we do not.
The BM team play was all tactical by comparison. I saw the whole game and the result was that AFC are tactically naive.
People………….compare the last two years of Graham to the past two years. Players are playing with the same attitude, same demeanour and same mentality and inconsistency.
That is why I feel that something is going on that we do not know about.
Fred, good post.
Wenger really needs to take stock.
Is it all worth it?
Wouldn’t he make a great scout or academy boss when finished managing?
He could still give DB10 advice when required 🙂
The only way is Red & White Holdings Matty, did you see Adam’s comment about Usmanov and his three boxes, all of which were full with friends and family…
His day will come…..
I used to like Piers Morgan Lee, however…..
I’m not sure he’s not ready to quit fred, his health must be suffering as it’s been going on for so long, his personal life must be also suffering..
No way to live surely, and he’s no spring chicken…
Tactics devil, what are they these days??
Totally agree Scott
Guys how you can hate him what he says speaks the truth… Who spends 7mil on santos for instance?? Wenger ums are r’s about players and when he decides to go for them its too late another team has snapped them up.. Van Buyten and Dante only cost £4m how great were they last night?
Im a massive Piers fan only cause he speaks the truth and say it how it is.
Morning all,
😀 First write up Scotty Boy and you are spot on. Very good write up. But I was disappointed I could not find any ‘AW out ‘ in the post… 😉
I watched FC Bayerns game against Wolfsburg and comparing last night’s game plan to that game, Jupp struck a master stroke. Normally, the bavarians rely on the genius of Schweisteiger and Gustavo to dictate play.Instead he played Martinez knowing Schweisteiger was a yellow card away from suspension as was Gustavo.
I can understand why AW started with TW14 instead of OG12 because Dante struggled against Olic but coped well with Dost of Wolsburg.
However, for the first time this side of christmas, Bayern used width and flooded the wingers, something I am sure AW was not expecting due to the Martinez inclusion.
As things are nothing is working tactically for us when it matters. Is it that we are so predictable or that the quality man for man is not as good as AW believes compared to the better teams in Europe? Just a thought.
And he’s a shareholder Matty 😉
I don’t like him for things away from football, don’t really read/listen to what he says about Arsenal…
Could not have been easy to write, Scott. 😉 Well, it certainly was painful to watch. 😀
Someone woke up at 9:30 this morning, one full hour after she was supposed to be at work. Eeeeek. Had to take a day off, tsk tsk.
Hello, all. 🙂 🙂
Good write-up of a difficult match.
‘Coming fourth is all we have left’. I think, in truth, coming last in a four horse race has been the sum of our ambition for too many years.
I think Piers Morgan needs a right hander myself, but he speaks as he sees I suppose.
Scott I do not agree. The worse thing for AFC is for AW to stay on in any position. It will have a boomerang effect on the next manager.
The cut has to be clean. Otherwise the next manager will simply be in the great man’s shadow.
Because for all the faults of the last 8 years he will always be the great man who transformed the face of AFC. PERIOD.
Self righteous cnut with a face that needs a slap!
oh yeah i agree Rico is a dumbass away from footy but i give his his dues though.. can wind up that Yid fan Mr suger up a treat on twatter 🙂
Lol Ginge.
There are enough lines written on Wenger 🙂
Devil, agreed.
Good call.
Dg..
can you see wenger walking out with his P45 in his back pocket.
Our next manager is really on a hiding to nothing.
How to make Arsenal FC a competetive side again is realy quite simple. Wenger needs to leave the training ground, his style is old hat.
For a start the defence should have a defensive coach and the midfield should have their own coach and the forwards the same . train in their own groups so that they work in tamden with one another only when they run like clockwork should they be able to train with the other groups.
So many times we see a player on his own trying to go forward but he has no one around him so he ends up having to pass it back. That should never be the case, players are not working together, they stay in the same positions and wait for the ball to come back. These players look worse than what they are by not being trained properly. A winger goes on a run down the wing and when he is ready to cross we have no bodies in the box. Never the case with United who will have 4 men chargeing in, but heh they are top of the league.
This team is being trained wrong they have no togetherness and its been like this for quite some time. When that changes our form will come back and even this team will start to win again.
Why Santos?
Why Squillaci?
Why Stepanovs?
Why Chamack?
Why Almunia?
Why Fabianski?
Why Adebayor?
Why Bendtner?
Why Eboue?
Why Senderos?
And a host of others.
They all cost money. Yet they were a joke and apart from Adebayor, who Hughes was idiotic enough to make AW an offer that he could hardly believe his ears when he heard it, the others gave us nothing back.
Are they or where they fit to wear the proud red shirt of AFC?
They never were and never will be. No not even if they bought it from the armoury themselves as supporters. They are not fit to put it on.
But TW doesn’t play there often enough to trust him as a lone striker against a side with such quality as Bayern Ts.
Unfortunately I can never see that Fred. Its hard to imagine AFC without AW.
But it will all have to come one day.
And the next one at AFC should be Italian or German.
No French fries or Spanish senors.
Rico. Theo offers no physical presence. Mrs Adam could knock him off the ball. He might be good with a big, quality striker alongside. Not Giroud or Chamakh obviously. But this is all jigsaw puzzle talk. Personally, I think our problems are much deeper and are historical in their origins.
I do not think Stan is the issue. If we are to believe what AU says then Stan is purely doing what the old guard told him to come and do. According to AU, the board guaranteed him that he would not have to spend any money because AW will ensure he doesn’t. According to Deliotte, Stan was never keen on being a majority stakeholder in the first place and that was the reason why he did not even have to pay for his shares straight away.
In fact someone close to Stan informed some of his debtors that books were shown to Stan proving that in the time of the board members running the club they had not contributed financially.
The move by the old guards (who we counted on to do the best for our club) was purely designed to stop AU from owning the club at all cost.
In fact, has anyone ever heard AU say a bad word about Stan if you consider the media’s view that they have some sort of ‘beef’between them?
However, as things stand Arsenal Holdings PLC is doing better than it was projected by PwC and Deloitte so I doubt he would sell up, especially with the TV money going through the roof and majority of clubs signing to the FFP with the FA. This is a club owners dream…
Ok realistically who you have step in for AW???
The feeling against wenger has changed.
Nearly all of us I feel are sad not angry.
Ginge, it may or may not be Stans fault, but would we be better off without him?
Matty, why not give Bergkamp a go?
An Arsenal legend who would command respect.
TS. Up to a point you are probably right. Kroenke didn’t buy some of the flakes that adorn our squad and he doesn’t motivate and prepare the team prior to a game. Probably because he is very, very seldom at the games at all.
Rijkaard. The only man to stop Barca’s 8 year rot.
Lowe and Klopp are all AW students and I doubt they will do better than AW especially since Klopp can not bring in Japanese stars and sell them in 2 years time. BVB fans have come to accept that they are a selling club.
Fred, i an not wait to read his auto biography if it is ever written.
I think plenty will then realise what he is up against.
Just my opinion though.
Adam you sound like A’rry( my misses could have scored that) mate.
Dunno about Bergkamp as much as i love him it such a burden for someone who isnt proven, would of prefered him as a right hand man over bould for sure though.
Personally I would like Ancelotti to step in. He has won as a player and as a coach with every club he was in either as manager or a player at the top level.
Lowe, Klopp, Conte are all good managers who are all winners with a winning mentality.
There is also Moyes (Scottish) who I like, but I feel that Moyes might find it hard at AFC. Then again I feel he can turn the club around. The only thing I find against him is that he has not won anything yet and has not managed at the top level.
😆 agag, that’s funny …..
Steve, I’m not sure we will get 4th this time.
Sp, spot on, AW should steer well clear from our defence and leave it to someone who knows… But he’s too stubborn to do that.
It is stans fault defo the guy doesnt even show for AST meetings.. If its true about AU then let him on the board at least least he would bring is David Dein back to the club, he was the only man who told wenger and set him straight about going for players.
Rico, 4th is a shoe in……keep the faith 🙂
Leow and Klopp might be of the same AW school. But they play to win.
Still………Ancelotti would make me happy.
Infact I think my first three preferences are …. Ancelotti, Conte and Moyes. In that order.
I go for those mentioned above simply because they are tactical man first, entertaining people second.
We can have an interim for a year also……….Heynckes of BM. He is out of contract next year since Guardiola is taking over.
some one told me Ancelotti is too old… i think a younger manager who would listen to the fans is required this time round.. Klopp a good shoutout.
i am off to bed.
Keep the chins up everyone….what else can we do?
Fred. She’d slide tackle you up the Bethnal Green Road. 🙂
Scotty, i understand why you would call for Bergy but what happens when we play abroad Bergy doesn’t fly. Wenger is probably the best man for the job but he has to be able to buy who he wants and that seems to be the sticking point. Have we funds, is it available. Wenger would never come out and tell the truth. but that is the difference to a good manager.
Heynckes is far older than Ancelotti.
Ancelotti is only 53 years old.
He won with Roma and with Milan as a player. He won with Juventus, Milan and Chelsea as a coach.
He is one of the top coaches.
Do not judge him on the time with the chavs. Even Mourinho got the sack there.
I for one would happily see him at AFC.
True Mr.Adam. Things on the field are AW’s doing no doubt however, footballing decisions are hugely influenced by the board. For instance, if PV had stayed and run down his contract would we have lost the £24M which is being paid in instalments anyway? But a decision was made to take any money at all. In fact, if it was not up to AW the board would have accepted £11m for him allegedly.
Obviously I am just stating things as someone who hardly knows what is actually happening at the club daily. However, since I started posting here, I have always backed by views on the point that, I use to ‘handle’ someone who works in one of the accountancy firms (one of the top 3 in 2012 according to Accountancy Age). They helped with some of the takeover and sales.
I have previously told you what he told me was one reason I decided never to renew my season ticket. And as time has gone on FT and Deliotte have published snippets of such news to confirm what he mentioned to me.
Did someone mention that cnut Morgan on here………… I thought he was banned….?
Everywhere and everyone,radio,newspaper’s,website’s,fans.
all talking about the next arsenal manager.
Could this really happen before the season’s over.
Dev would you consider Diego Simone? He would be my second choice. He knows the Sth American market as well as the spanish market better than anyone. And he is a dirty man, something we could do with for a change.
Lowe plays to win? Falling at semi’s on 2 occasions as favourite… soft underbelly imho. Klopp is publicly slated by his own players for poor tactics and changing tactics 15mins before a match. very good coach but we all know England is very different.
Ancellotte will do but he is barely making the oilers a super club, again my humble opinion.
Night Scott. Hi Agag.
Funny that adam
Used to bump into A’rry & Lampard senior a lot down there.
Bit tricky as he doesn’t fly….
I’ve some advice for Piers Morgan………he needs to put his money where his mouth is……….sell his shares to Usmanov………and then see what his advice can do for the club? F*** all I suspect.
He won’t of course cos he’s a gutless, spineless no nuts!
He knows less about football than I do!
Spaeks his mind…and what mind would that be? Arsehole (but not so useful!)
One for you lot down under my mate just sent me….
In 1802 an Australian invented the condom using a sheep’s lower intestine……………. In 1803 a Kiwi somewhat refined the idea by taking the intestine out of the sheep first….!
I think the big wish may come true very soon. However, I just hope we are the only club to benefit from sacking a visionary manager and benefit from it in the short to medium term.
My reason is that what we are going through is what Ajax, Barcelona, Monaco all went through before they sacked AW and Johan but then things went completely wrong afterwards. We could even add Souness, Brian Clough and Dalglish to that list.
How would manure cope if Rednose vanishes in the short term?
In AW and Cruyff’s cases, those managers took a sleeping club and transformed them into teams that will forever be celebrated. In all cases, fans became used to the success and demanded things that were not really certain.
Under Wenger, Monaco won the league in his first season in charge (1988) and the Coupe de France in 1989 and 1991, with the club consistently competing in the latter stages of the European Cup and regularly challenging for the league title.The club could have had even more success in this period, as it emerged in 1993 that bitter rivals Marseille had indulged in match fixing and numerous improprieties, a view that Wenger had long held.[7] In 1994, after being blocked by the Monaco board from opening discussions with German powerhouse Bayern Munich for their vacant managerial post after being shortlisted for the role, Wenger was released from the club, several weeks after the post had already been filled.[7][8]
After Wenger’s departure, the club went on to record two further league championships; under Jean Tigana in 1997 and under Claude Puel in 2000. However as the decade came to an end, rumours were surfacing that the club was facing numerous financial difficulties and Monaco has never ever been the same.
In JC case, he was sacked by Barca and then they went 8 years without a trophy spending an equivalent of £250 M during that period of the Rivaldo’s of this world. As usual I am just voicing an opinion.
Dev your views on Diego Pablo Simeone as a manager will be appreciated.
hello everyone on HH, I read that Wilshere keeps defending Wenger, why is that? Whats the purpose?
Mourinho.
He’d clear the decks in an instance…
And before anyone says it ….The reason Real Madrid aren’t ticking at the moment is due to their one-dimensional play through Ronaldo and player revolt….
And for all the youngsters at home ……..
This happenned at Leeds with Brian Clough in 1975….
…Player power ….
…but when Clough left he stuffed it up Leeds’ boards arse when he won nearly everything going with Nott’m Forest – League titles, League Cup, European Cup, Super Cup….and Leeds … well they got relegated whilst being managed by one of their old boys…..
Wenger and Revie are VERY similar animals ….
They both pamper their players and are/were good at being there or thereabouts in the league and cups without really realising their full potential ….
…When Revie left for the England job … as Wenger could leave for France ….. Leeds got the most controversial/TV persona and “Leeds hater” possible in Clough …
He’s not everyone’s choice, but Mourinho would give this lot a reality check and whip ’em into shape ….
Hi everyone,
So Sagna didn’t score the only goal then 🙁
Well my conclusion yesterday was that whatever is happening to Wenger right now, could happen to anyone – this is the law of diminishing return.
The selection yesterday was wrong and Wenger got it wrong totally.
Although we were outclassed but the selection didn’t give the players any chance at all.
Playing Walcott as a lone striker against a Beryen back 4 that consist of giants except Lahm (but who is one of the best right backs in the world)
Walcott didn’t get any of the ball , not one.
But as soon as Giroud came in and Walcott was pushed to the right and pronto we had a chance.Well Wenger knows??
I wasn’t expecting anything from this game , the result just makes the Saturday game more painful.
What was Wenger thinking resting players for the champions league game against the mighty Bayern Munich?
The Bayern team reminded me of what Arsenal used to be : Effective to the core.
Wenger doesn’t know anymore and that is sad.
Will anyone agree this is the first time a team under AW looks physically unfit? Was the pre-season not effective?
I look at the body language of the players during throw-ins and most of them look like they are taking a break.
Frank senior used to live over the road to me in Gidea Park….lovely bloke!
Morning SYG. Funny you should speak about this. There was a discussion I was listening to at the ground last night. The first question being asked was “Will Wenger be there next year?” No caveats or qualifications. Just a yes or no. The follow-up was the inevitable “Who would you like to see take over?” Again, just a name with no conditions attached. I said No and Robert Mugabe.
Blimey I forget about Diego Simeone. He is also a good un in management.
However, I would like to say one thing. I hope the next manager brings in only Europeans in the team. No Africans, no south Americans. Why?? Too much travel during international breaks.
How many Africans do Manure, Real,Barca and Bayern have?
Song is at Barca, yes. But the bench feels a bit of fresh air when he is abroad doesnt it?
😆 Wath, you not a fan of young Piers either i take it….
When I want to take my mind off of things I imagine Piers Morgan, Adrian Durham and Stan Collymore in a love clinch in a car park in Durham on a filthy night. In the back of an old Cortina, with plasticky seat covers.
wow tired today a long night that was – got three hours sleep but won a packet, bet 3-1 and pod to score – first time after all i have lost on Arsenal on ever bet against them but to me BM where a shoe in – does this make me a horrible supporter haha
Arsene Wenger got angry a few days ago because he was asked about something which was untrue.
So why do we keep hearing things come from him and the club which are clearly untrue yet we are supposed to believe them??
Oz. that is terrible. I sentence you to a day of plumbing Piers Morgan’s pipes. 🙂
What’s wrong with Sir Robert Mugabe at the helm? 😉
Rico. It’s all a matter of interpretation. 🙂
Spin spin spin….
Oz your turncoat………………… thats terrible….!
Ah Wath, the Aussie’s and the Welsh, not forgetting the Kiwi’s, they do love a bit of lamb,
Make’s a nice roast as well… 😉
Lee. That’s what I say. He wouldn’t tolerate white farmers setting up home on the Emirates pitch would he? And if a player made a mistake, there’s always a machete waiting.
SD London at 11:22 am ….. That “tip” was from the heart old mate … The reality was that most of us knew we’d get very little from the game… and yeah it was a bum-decision to play Walcott centrally ….
Adam at 11:23 – you are a star …. but you know that anyway
DG at 11:31…. Djemba Djemba was Ferguson’s only sorte into Central Africa … twenty games later he was out of the door playing Div2 football … For as nice and jovial as the majority of African’s are – e.g Amin and Mugabe …. In a high profile sport like top tier CL & Premier football … only 00000.1 % of them can cut it … and the ACON is another fcukng deterrent … Drogba, Essien, M Diarra, Keita, Kanu even, YY Toure are/were all decent … pity is, Wenger goes for the third tier Africans who are both gutless and witless ….
Rico re: Morgan ….. If he loves Arsenal and he has shares …. then tell him to temporarily flog them to the Russian billionaire ….
Ginge – You make a lot of sense and you know your football
tsGH says:
February 20, 2013 at 11:22 am
Will anyone agree this is the first time a team under AW looks physically unfit? Was the pre-season not effective?
ts….our preseason was spent galivanting around the globe. And guess what????? AW IS DEAD SERIOUS AGAINST SUCH A PRESEASON.
Economist he may be but he is also a stubborn old man. He will do anything to get his point across.
🙁 sorry guys but i figured if Wenger can take over 7m a year and get away with it, was one bet so bad? 🙂
tsCh – they were just simply a different class mate 65% possession when it was there to be won 7 shots to none, they dominated big time in that first half and knew they had us under control lets be honest – if not for the ref we’d never have scored – they were so much more effective and organised
Almost Afternoon Gooners…
Almost Afternoon Rico, a nice post from Digger…
Adam says:
February 20, 2013 at 11:38 am
When I want to take my mind off of things I imagine Piers Morgan, Adrian Durham and Stan Collymore in a love clinch in a car park in Durham on a filthy night.
Better still Adam……….you should imagine them on the loo trying to shit but screw their face all the time because they are constipated.
afternoon habib.
will soon send you an email.
Hiya Coach, interesting theory about fitness…
But it doesn’t effect City, United, Chelski, so i’m not really sure about it…
We were outplayed by one of the best teams in Europe/World, but coming 2nd in the group fcuked us really, again…
spot on Allez
That is it mates. Mourinho and Ancelotti to swap places in Summer. Mourinho with PSG and Ancelotti with RM.
Put your money on AW staying then
I don’t want Vermaelen to go, he is having a poor season, as is Koscielny, but Verm was superb at the start of the season, when Uncle Bouldy was having more input….
Both could be back to their best next season, and i don’t want to see Verm playing for those Catalan cnuts at any cost…
It does not affect them habib.
but it affects us because AW is against it. And since he runs the club he wants to make his point across.
Does he do it on purpose? try and fathom it out habib.
Adam re your 11.38 – Collymore would be peering through the window rubbing away, furiously!
Morning all!
The possible reason we are looking knackered, although i can’t be sure, could well be down to a lack of rotation in the squad…
Ferguson does it, and he’s a genius, Wenger does it and he’s an idiot…
i think many of us like Wenger tend to overrate our own players, (natural i guess) our defence at times is dire (and a lot of times) ALL of them including the keeper
Djemba Djemba was so good his parents named him twice. lol
Thanks Dev for your views. Cheers SYG. I love you and kevs history lessons too. Its like back at Sandhurst and Monckton…;) I always believe following trends to know someone thought patern but this days with Carnegie and Dianetics being studied by all who can read it makes it difficult for people to back their judgement.
Personally, I believe football is not about the quality of buys anymore at least not in the first 2 years of buying a player. Its about keeping your best players. How many of Fergies buys this summer have contributed this season? Whilst almost all our buys have contributed by which manager has built 4 teams in 6 seasons? and succeeded?
For instance BVB replaced Kagawa with a superior German player in Reus in my opinion ( Dev and Emma will corrrect me if I am wrong) however because BVB chop and change their squad whilst FC Bayern do no, we know the story… how far ahead are the bavarians in their league?
Kev – I’m not sure how I feel about Verm. He’s certainly been poor this season. Could thatr be just due to poor morale? Weight of captaincy? One eye on a possible move? Not sure, but something is clearly wrong. We really need to overhaul our back 5 (although I’ve not seen anything of Monreal so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say back 4)
Coach, i’m not sure about that Habib, would he really risk it all, just to prove a point…
No mate, i think it’s more down to a lack of emphasis being put on defensive drills and organisation in games…
You know, repetition in training, until the players ‘do it’ without thinking about it…
Our players, it seems, need to be reminded every half-time…
THAT is Wenger’s fault…
That is gross Adam….
Oz, off to the stocks with you….. 😉
Thing is Kev, Man U play fantastically as a team. Some real average players (Evans, Anderson, the Brazilian twin, Fletcher etc) but when they come in, the teamwork is so impressive. That’s why Fergie can be called a genius.
We often play as individuals. And when Wenger chpos and changes, it hardly works does it?!
Hiya Rock, yep, i know mate, but he was great alongside BFG during the early month’s of the season…
Jenks & Gibbo were excellent, a great unit, but injuries and reported interference by Wenger seemed to fcuk up their mojo…
Maybe he wanted to get Kozzer back into the team too much?
chops*
Rock, again, it’s what they do on the training pitch…
Everyone knows their job, they are organised, disciplined, a bit like Arsenal were at Stoke, Liverpool and West Ham, where we took 7 points…
And Bouldy was allowed his input…
Gibbs is an injury waiting to happen though Kev. I love him as a player but you are never going to get any sort of stability in the back 4 due to him being so injury prone.
Verm just looks so out of sorts this year, lacking in every single department. Such a shame, and I hope he turns it around.
Afternoon Ak, rocky….
I am at a loss at what has happened to TV…
Confidence comes from the top though, if players aren’t confident with the ‘message’ from the coaching staff, the rot sets in….
Which West Ham game kev? Home or away?
it was a strange night for me Rico, i don’t want to go over old ground but Wenger’s press conference inspired me to bet against him not Arsenal. I thought he deserved the lesson he got – Shame is it has to be against my team, anger bet i guess
https://twitter.com/ManUtd_PO/status/304196811554422784
I am sorry OZ but I do not agree.
I do not overrate our players. I know who I would keep and who I would replace.
imo the left full back situation is already good for next season. Gibbs and Nacho are a good bet for that berth and both are on the same level, so the manager, whoever he is can rotate and rest. 3 games each and you rest.
We need a gk. Chesney is good but young and unchallenged. He needs a senior figure who can guide him. I still cringe when I think of Julio Cesar at QPR for nothing. Whoever sanctioned a no go for that gk deserves to be whipped till he bleeds dry.
Sagna should be kept but a younger and better version should be bought so that he can challenge. Jenkinson can go to centre back for a few months on loan and come back. He is a good prospect but needs to play there.
We need another centreback who commands and leads. In the same manner we need another DM who can act as PIVOTE and create not only destroy. We need him to be a leader. Arteta can be pushed further up to rotate with Wilshere, Ramsey and Cazorla. Sorry, but no TR07, no Diaby, no Coquelin etc. Not good enough anymore for this level.
Podolski I would keep. He has shown flashes of his best and remember that like Giroud he is in his first year. Both are in double figures. Giroud I would keep as well. We need him against 3/4 of the EPL teams. Theo I would keep but only as a winger.
That means we need a GK, two defenders, two midfielders and two forwards. IN EVERY FECKING DEPARTMENT.
You know Rock, what really really pisses me off, is that this squad of players could really be challenging, they are, imho, good enough, but a combination of things, a change of emphasis in training perhaps, a media campaign that has affected everyone (me as well), and some awful luck, has conspired to fcuk our season up big style…
SYG – Lets hope Gazides follows suit….
Allezkev at 11:55 am. Even an AW lover like myself will admit Rednose does it better. In my opinion the reason why we struggle with rotation is that we rotate too late into the season when players who have not been involved weekly are too rusty. Rednose and possibly Capello (RM) and Jupp Heynckes are the only managers I have come to know in football who manage to blare the line between squad players and main stars. When AW rotates even Steve Wonder can sense it is a 2nd string team on the field.lol
Rednose between August and October when he knows he can drop points hardly uses the same starting 11 in 3 consecutive games. AW on the other hand (as was Cruyffs downfall at Ajax) waits until after 3 or 4 months to rotate. After such long time out players will need a new pre-season to get up to speed to match opponents who do not play as many games as we do or have a better squad.
Away Rock….
Yeah buddy, i know what you are saying, Santos didn’t help, he just allowed more anti-Arsenal propaganda to be lumped onto us…
Bad luck though, because if Meade had stayed fit, then he might have come in…
Where i do blame Wenger totally, is his transfer business, there is no excuse in that department…
Kroneke is a problem there as well…
And the Board are just totally useless…
Where would you play Patore and Jovetic when you sign the check? lol
Devil – agree with your post mate actually 100% but until we get a manager who knows how to prepare properly, doesn’t matter who you buy IMO
allezkev says:
February 20, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Hiya Rock, yep, i know mate, but he was great alongside BFG during the early month’s of the season…
Jenks & Gibbo were excellent, a great unit, but injuries and reported interference by Wenger seemed to fcuk up their mojo…
Maybe he wanted to get Kozzer back into the team too much?
………
You know Rock, what really really pisses me off, is that this squad of players could really be challenging, they are, imho, good enough, but a combination of things, a change of emphasis in training perhaps, a media campaign that has affected everyone (me as well), and some awful luck, has conspired to fcuk our season up big style…
Only one person has fucked up our season habib…….AW. He was, is and will remain a great man who changed the face of our FC. but his stubbornness has derailed it.
That is why he has to go. I have nothing against him. But a change in the air is needed.
Coach, missing out on Cahill was a major blunder imho…
dev – Maybe he could have installed Kozzer as a DM and see how that went rather than fuck up a working partnership. But hey, that’s AW for you.
The same AW that obviously thinks Theo is some kind of powerhouse colossus playing up front on his own with his back to goal in a match we really needed a positive result from….
Good post Scott.
We were poor a lot of scouts and TV5 and Sagna aside , who we’ve all heard rumours on, there will be another big departure.
Arsene got it tactically wrong yesterday, the current board are hanging le prof to try and quite rightly as Kev put it , our players are unfit.
The state of some of our players, burger boys..
Coaching not up to scratch and we have players we have destroyed.
Arshavin springs to mind. Diaby and Rosicky should be played and if they break-bin them!4 years of taking a paycheck is too much.
Btw Our goalie is on the move..hence concentration of a 7 yr old
Coach, i used to disagree with Sir Stevo over the goalkeeping situation, but i should know better than to argue with an ex-centre-forward, 😉
He has been proved 100% correct, we need quality and experience between those sticks…
Kev – Not so sure on Cahill…. He’s hardly been pulling up trees at Chelsea this season
For me i gathered two things these season as an arsenal fan.first of all the arsenal board do not care about football(usmanov does though)and second we do not learn from our mistakes on the field.take a look at mancity,it was synzhezny to dzeko.at blackburn ,synzhezny to kazim.at munchen synzhezny to muller.set pieces at chelsea(twice),mancity,man utd,munchen to mention a few.not marking a player in a dangerous position countless times,twice yesterday.missing vital goal scoring oppurtunities at schalke,chelsea mancity astonvilla to mention a few.managerial problems,not making right changes in time,making it hard for a player(carzola,arshavin,giroud,ramsey to mention a few although ramsey is getting it at DMF). However if i were an arsenal manager i would use diaby, wilshere,carzola as midfield trio with podolski ,walcott giroud upfront.because bayern would be without shweini and diaby would(should give adequate protection to the back four in addition strength and physical presence which munchen would be lacking.this would allow carzola and wilshere to flourish in attacking munchen,and with the three of our highgoal poachers upfront they provide speed(walcott)physicalpresence,aerial ability and near post instinct(giroud), experience(podolski) and goalscoring (all of them).this should provide the best outlet of goals we have.Not to forget we must provide a dependable and best depending unit(not individuals) so that we have watertight defensive five.synzhezny most improve his handling of crossing and shots.the other four i can’t say anything but must defend as unit(bould where are you).the champions league is the may be the only way to qualify for the champions league because chelsea tottenham and everton are not going to let us have it easy.This is one outlet i think will give us an edge over munchen and may be get a 0-2 win away from home.there are other ways but this my suggestion
Me too Kev. I was always fully 100% confident that Chezzer would be the keeper we longed for. It really hasn’t happened. He still has one or 2 clangers per game in his locker, ready to produce at any moment. Maybe some better coaching is the key? That GK coach for Norwich and England is meant to be pretty tasty…. worth poaching him maybe?
ts……….in a 4-1-4-1 formation or a 3-5-2 formation both Pastore and Jovetic can be played in the same team. Slightly different with a 4-3-2-1 formation but even here they can both be used. However the dynamics are different as who defends and who stays up.
Yesterday we were so narrow that when Bayern wanted to take a breather they became narrow and it seemed that the game was being played in a 20 foot wide alley instead of a 70 metre wide ground. Our players where so tactically naive that they did not notice that BM were playing narrow as well. That was between the 18th and halftime.
When Giroud came on and Theo went out wide we stretched them immediately and started to cut through them. Then a comical goal sealed our loss.
Nice chatting Coach, Ginge, Rock, Oz and all, but i have to leave for awhile…
But, i’ll be back in a couple of hours, keep up the debate, it’s good…
Agreed Dev. And lets face it, they scored 3 bullshit goals that could have (should have) been thwarted. Ok, our goal was also ridiculously fortunate. But for all the huffing and puffing, for all those that are creaming their pants over how amazing Bayern are… Did they really threaten the goal in the entire second half? When we had width, we were better. If we do that away, then who knows. I know 3 goals (at leats) is a huge ask,. But not impossible.
catch ya later allez
On the defence it is true it is AW’s fault. Because even Kos is ahead of Sakho in france and TV is more dependable than Kompany for the Belgiums. the BFG as a sweeper is immense until they switch to a flat back 4 and push up against better oppnents when he struggles.
Debuchy is 27 and has always been 2nd to Sagna until his recent leg break, so man for man it is arguably not as bad. However, where do you find the Tony Adams or Kaizer or Baresi of this generation to instil some fight or siege mentality into this back line. The only player I see in this league who has that apart from Terry, Kompany and Carrager is Williams of Swansea. Agger was meant to be the next best thing but he looks like Senderos in disguise. Would we welcome Hangaland to us if he does not renew his deal?
Guns for life I agree 100% with you.
But please……your punctuation is in dire need of an overhaul mate in same manner as our coaching. 😉 I was literally cross eyed by the time I finished reading it. 🙂
Just pulling your leg mate.
Agree re cahill Ak…
see you Kev habib. enjoy. will send an email soon
Ts – I’d still take Distin at the moment over what we have.
https://twitter.com/wayneveysey/status/304205869132947456
no argument with that either rocky haha
Wenger swapping sides again SYG?
why do you think AW has failed to go 3-5-2 Dev?
Conte moved from the AW (4-2-3-1) every manager is now playing the moment Oscar made Pirlo look like Ramsey in the first half last year. He has flirted with the idea but no concrete conviction.
Will your 4-3-2-1 be like Carlo Ancelloti’s christmas tree or Shaktars?
I don’t believe goal.com for one minute…
QPR’s manager Harry Redknapp made these comments about Samba after the deal was completed, “Chris is just what we need. He’s a monster. Great in the air, quick, a leader, strong, fantastic in both boxes, hard as nails. He’s a proper centre-half. He was willing to take a massive pay cut.”
Now why is he at QPR?????
How many of us would like that type of player?
I forgot about him Rocky… Its amazing how him being a French,black and left footed CB AW never went for him. He has the french calamity in him though. The semi’s or finals last season causing the goal.
Apologies if I seem to have offended anyone with that comment
Hiya Ozzie – how’s it hanging?
Crap here …. cold and miserable …..
Dev, Samba looks very rusty and unfit. He was at fault for most of their goals recently. But I get what you mean. Long term idea solution but he would not have been of benefit to us this season…
Thanks at devil gunner,i was using a java phone and was trying hard.I will try next time though
Ancelotti’s ts!!!!
But we need 3 box to box midfielders one of whom is slightly more defensive than the other two for that while the full backs will have to stay out wide.
I think that AW has failed to go for 3-5-2 is that it is against his principles of a back four. 3-5-2 is more rigid and tactical but less expressive. AW’s 4-2-3-1 is more expressive (when it has the right players that is) and flexible.
We should have got Samba when he was ready to leave BB, he and Cahill would have been solid……
He seems to fit the AW mould Ts. I’m amazed he doesn’t play for us.
Why is it that Italian players have never been a mainstay in the PL?
Joking Guns for life, mate. Thank God that it was me who pulled your leg. Adam would have munched it to bits and sent you the bill because one of your bones got stuck to his gums. 😉
righto…………I am off to pick the little prince from his class.
Cheers Adam. c u mate
DG. 🙂
Is Nick Clegg really an Arsenal supporter? Oh dear, oh dear.
What a tease,Adam will kick you on the face when he sees this
Stewart Robson has just battered Arsene Wenger in an interview with sky sports….
QPR’s manager Harry Redknapp made these comments about Samba after the deal was completed,
Chris is just what we need.
He’s a monster – So was Harold Shipman
Great in the air – So was Douglas Bader
He’s quick – So is premature ejaculation
He’s a leader – So is Robert Mugabe
He’s strong – So was Ade Akinbyi
He’s fantastic in both boxes – So was Justin Fashanu … allegedly
He’s hard as nails – So was Ron Harris
He’s a proper centre-half – He has a No. 5 on his back?
He was willing to take a massive pay cut – Thats not what the Russian chairman said ….
How many of us would like that type of player?
A DICTATING BALDING COCKNEY MURDERING FAGGOT WITH NO LEGS AND NO SIGHT FOR GOAL AND WHO WOULD COME FOR PEANUTS …. with a No. 5 on his back …..
Stewart who, Rico? Sorry…. do you mean “bitter and twisted has-been fuckwit West Ham fan with nothing better to do with his time than whore himself around every media outlet possible in a hope that people still (a) remember who he is, and (b) still give a shit about his opinion”?
That’s the one rocky 😉
Could not believe that goat of a robben belives if he played fulltime it would be worst for us.I would love him to get injured to the extend of breaking his legs against us
https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague/status/304209277986406402
Mourinho – See you soon in the Premier …
😀 SYG
Later. and take it easy Dev… I always appreciate the views of a professional coach as yourself. Especially if they watch other leagues…
Gfl, Jack had a ‘to do’ with him at the end didn’t he?
Or has someone already said that 😉
Guns don’t stress about the serial diver. He has hardly ever played 90 minutes even at PSV apart from the Orange team. And guess what he is the cause of them failing always.
I’d never get tired of punching the smug look off that c*** Robben’s face.
SYG. A magnificent 12.59. 🙂
You might not believe this but, when I was a kid, doing some temporary work, I got given the sack by Douglas Bader.
What is the precise translation of half man/half gopher Balague’s tweet.
Nick clegg on AW : ‘The Liberal Democrat leader and Gunners fan was asked on LBC Radio what he thought of Arsenal’s defeat last night and said: “I’m heartbroken … I know what it’s like to lead a team through ups and downs.”
He added: “The guy (Wenger) has achieved amazing things in 16 years and he has got an incredibly young and talented team … to now start all blaming it on him, I think might make things worse at Arsenal.”
If I find out that the new Pope Tony Blair is a Gooner that’ll be a serious blow.
SYG – I am good mate thanks how about you 🙂
Balague’s predictions are more suspect than the Mayan calendar.lol
He always starts a prediction with either ….I was having dinner with x,y,z and he told me…..
Or I just got of the phone with x,y,z and he said….
He is Malaga gooner in disguise from the rumours site. 😀
I would like to clean my toilet with Robben’s head and import a billion fire ants to feed on Stewart Robson’s fetid flesh.
Does that make me a bad person?
With Allastair Campbell promoted to the Jesuit Captain… to replace Count Hans Kolvenbach. lol
http://sulia.com/channel/la-liga/f/b56be6e2-460d-4b3a-8321-2815bf80bcc6/?source=twitter
Mourinho
TS. Are you sure he isn’t Myles “I was talking to David Cameron the other day” Palmer?
Another in line for the glue pot.
Just having a brain wave!
Say Wenger leaves in the summer
All this talk of David Moyes been considered does not fill me with excitement.
Why not go for the Bayern Munich coach.
If he can put this kind of team together and can afford to leave Arjen Robben on the bench and he will be available in the summer?
Then i dont see why not.
he’s agreed with Shalke SD
SD. He’ll be 102 at the end of the season. 🙂
😀 Robson was to host Loose women… its only when he will stop being biter and twisted
TS. I can see Campbell in a set of flowing robes walking one step behind Pope Tony making a collection for Blair’s burgeoning property empire. Entirely in-line with Papal doctrine.
TS. Does that mean he will sit close to ex rear-of-the-year Carol Vorderman?
wants to host… even
bitter…
Just hope Mourinho doesn’t replace AW
Mourinho for me Rico.
Sd – he’s far too old…..
Easy job for Pep to walk into though eh…. Call me an old cynic!
But only if he grows a long beard
Lmfao… with incense swinging in whatevr that is called banishing all evil spirits (conspirators like me)
It depends Adam, I think he has a thing for either your crush or Carol McGiffin (spelling)
Rico, you cynic….
For a short 2 year spell Maurenho is not bad. But he has never built a team in his life. His buys are comical. Who ever bought Mutu deserves a visit from Uday Hussein.
here you go peep listen to mr morgan for yourselves 😛
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21517190
Carol McGiffin? Now you’re talking…(drool)
I thought Udqy took a 75 mm up the jacksy.
As for Mutu. When he’d had a few lines he was pretty good wasn’t he?
Didn’t Ranieri buy Mutu, Ginge …. I recall us beating them 2-1 with a Cuducini dropped bollock at Highbury and Mutu scored …..
… Maybe Mourinho could bring Ozil, Kheidra, Varane and Benzema with him ….
Maureenho would do for me.
Thought you wanted Pep Adam..
And less of the Loose Women abuse please 😉
I knew someone would Lee….
Adam says:
February 20, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Ha ha …. the name dropper eh …..
Got me once when he wrote on his blog that he saw John Terry at a reserve game with a No. 5 on his back and in the companion of two goons …. with Mr. Palmer stating that he kept out of Terry’s way …. as if Terry would know who he actually was ……Lol
Yes he did…. tinkerman now with Monaco
And Ronaldo Syg, then just maybe Jose would do ….
Or Gambon…
Rico, are you on the Loose Women panel too? lol
SYG you should enjoy reading this:
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/02/jose-mourinhos-trend-of-poor-signings-continues-with-khedira/
Pep? Yes Rico, but he is off to BM.
Jose “the Special One” Mourinho has six league titles and two European Cups from his last seven seasons. Special indeed, and serious success by any measure, but his achievements are marked by one strange, serious deficiency: his inability to identify decent central midfielders.
Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard were stalwarts of Mourinho’s three full seasons in charge of Chelsea, but both players were signed by Claudio Ranieri. This meant that Mourinho needed to make just a single signing to complete his three-man midfield. That man was eventually Michael Essien. So successful was Essien, in fact, that Mourinho went out and bought Michael Ballack, switched from three to four central midfielders, lost the title and got fired. Even then, Essien and Ballack were his best buys in central midfield – unfortunately, they’re not the only players Mourinho signed to partner Lampard and Makelele.
Tiago, Maniche, Jarosik, Diarra and Sidwell were all purchased for Chelsea on Mourinho’s watch. It’s true that Tiago was arguably a success, and Mourinho has since stated that selling him (at a loss) after one season was “a big mistake” – a description that could better be applied to the signings of those other four players.
Then, in 2008, Mourinho took over at Inter Milan and quickly identified central midfield as an area that needed strengthening. Thiago Motta had recently been released by Athletico Madrid and was available on a Bosman. Mourinho, of course, decided to sign the pedestrian Sully Muntari from Portsmouth instead. In the end, this decision allowed him the following season to sign Motta and Milito from Genoa for a considerable sum of money, plus four Inter players, plus a fine for Inter chairman Massimo Moratti due to the underhand nature of the signings. Sharp business.
And he hasn’t learned: now in charge of Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho has just purchased Sami Khedira (pictured), part of Germany’s bronze medal-winning World Cup team, for a rumoured fee of around £13m. The 23-year-old German-Tunisian was hailed throughout the South African tournament as yet another member of a young, talented and attacking Germany team. He was. However, it was mostly as a passenger: playing between Mesut Oezil and Bastian Schweinsteiger this summer, Khedira had the easiest job in football. He spent his four weeks running gamely but uselessly from box to box surrounded by a team of highly gifted youngsters and won his praise simply by association. Quite simply, his contribution to Germany’s success was minimal.
Khedira now looks as though is career is going to take one of two paths: a post-tournament flop along with Poborsky, El Hadji Diouf and Kleberson; or a maladroit midfielders purchased by Mourinho. Neither is a very appealing option.
Bit slim for you isn’t she Adam??
And I doubt you could beat off her toy boy 😉
Rico. So my cravings for the larger woman has stereotyped me eh?
Who is she going out with? Stevie Wonder?
I am Ts, how did you guess. Must be as I’m usually busy between 12.30 & 1.30 😉
Nice one Ginge … The irony is that the majority were decent players Tiago, Maniche even Diarra … Pity we let him go …… I certainly wouldn’t have minded Ballack at Arsenal … He was a brilliant player ….
Sully Muntari, Jiri Jarosik and Steven Sidwell … ??? I don’t know about those
Ha ha, not at all, some young 30(ish) year old I think Adam, engaged to be married…. Mark Cassidy is his name….
I didn’t take you as one having a toy boy after dissing men daily during lunch time weekdays… 😀
Got to do some work now. Working from home is hard with this brilliant site… laters
Rico. It takes all sorts I suppose. Is he related to Hopalong Cassidy? Or Natalie Cassidy, the rare beauty and slimmer of the year from Eastenders?
Finally on Pep
Guardiola’s record in the transfer market with Barcelona was decidedly mixed. There were undoubtedly successes like Gerard Pique, Dani Alves, David Villa and Javier Mascherano – while more recent purchases like Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas also look like being shrewd aquisitions.
Some that didn’t work out so well were Alexander Hleb, Martin Caceres, Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Keirrison – although the short-time Zlatan Ibrahimovic spent with Barcelona perhaps asks the most questions of Guardiola’s judgement.
Signed for a reported €69.5m from Internazionale in July 2009, in a move which saw Samuel Eto’o go in the opposite direction, the Cameroon international valued at €20m as part of the deal.
Of course it is only fair to point out that even the most successful managers with proven track-records can still make expensive mistakes in the transfer market – although few, if any, inherit such a wealth of talent.
Guardiola could manage for a-thousand years and still never have a trio of players as gifted as Messi, Xavi and Iniesta – all of them schooled in the expectations and traditions of their football club at La Masia, just as Guardiola was himself.
Carlos Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Victor Valdes and Pedro are others to come through the famed academy, which Guardiola benefited so much from.
It’s easy to describe that sort of inheritance as ‘lucky’ but there was nothing fortunate about the way Guardiola improved those gifted individuals even further and molded them into a such a consistently brilliant team, in an environment where every dropped point is greeted with the most detailed of post-mortems.
Real Madrid’s first ‘Galactico’ experiment and other moments in history tell us eleven great players don’t always make a great team and for that reason it’s understandable that Guardiola’s qualities appeal to any owner or chief executive with a high-profile ‘project’ that needs managing.
Now the batteries are recharged and he’s rediscovered his passion for football following a sabbatical in Manhattan, it is vital that Guardiola hits the ground running at Bayern, as we all know how quickly even the highest of managerial stock can fall.
Adam are you a feeder? 😉
Oyyyyy mates………….does anyone of you all think that Schweinsteiger looked compatible in a AFC shirt yesterday?? After the shirt swapping that is.
http://arsenalaction.com/2013/02/20/video-wenger-out/
good player devil but because of the total team philosophy he’s not a stand out is he? Or wasn’t last night. Just does everything well, bit like BM really lol
Nice write up Scott, unlike anything we see the tabloids!
I personally believe the slow starts are down to the huge pressure that has been heaped on the club, manager and press. To play our sort of football you have to be confident and play at a high tempo. And you have to enjoy it. You can’t give teams like Bayern a two goal start, it’s suicide. The sighs and frustration can be heard on the pitch and when you are already nervous it makes it worse. Not an excuse at all but an explanation for the nervous starts.
I don’t like criticising players but for me we need a World Class goalkeeper to take the pressure off the youngster. He is parrying the ball too often and not getting it away from danger. Mind you when you have a defence in front of you that isnt going with runners and is being caught ball watching, it increases the pressure. Theo needs support and at times in the second half we played Bayern off the pitch but the start killed us. Bayern are a quality side but that third goal probably decided the tie. But you never know.
Anyway, lets hope the fans continue to get behind the club, a win at Villa should set us up for the Spurs game, tough place to go but with confidence we can beat them and get back on track. Hopefully the Olympic diver will have an off day.
Thanks Adam ,
Thanks OZG.
Thats’ cancelled i guess
tall and short – Ramsey and Arteta were non existant in the middle of the park. NO closing down whatsover.
Was chatting to a few ex players and scouts last week at a charity event the other day and he mentioned they have behind the scenes problems at the club.
Expect a firesale in the summer, and possibly a change of ownership;)
I work in football.
I thought you owned a kebab shop George ?????
…. or is that another George …. The other day a “George” mentioned knocking out over 200 Souvlakis if we won……… Barbecued Pork and salad in Pitta bread …
Ha ha Adam but no, neither…
Hi Kj, Villa is at home, pressure will be immense but at least we know they’ll be no resting players from now on…
Well, there shouldn’t be with so few games left….
What football george??
THIS IS FOR ADAM’s EYES ONLY
Off out with Fido…
Laters….
laters Rico
Kev. Need I say more. Thanks.
Oh Carol. Wherefore art thou Carol
Not here I fear
With your rear of the year.
Lee. Yes 🙂
Adam, i just loved the way, she kept on brushing up against that dancing geezer, does she frequent fish restaurants per chance???
Kev. We’ll be having fish for tea. 🙂
Adam… 😆
lol
I would like to see the likes of Akpom, Gnabry and Eisfeld getting on the subs bench, for some of the remaining games of the season…
I know that every game from now till Newcastle could be a must win, but i’m sure there must be some games where these lads could get on the bench and maybe get a run-out…
Rather any of them than Arshavin or Squllaci?!
https://twitter.com/natm_mag/status/304249626188455936
We’re two steps away from being Liverpool. And many fans are trying to push us into taking that first step back.
One thing that AW had said that nobody can dispute is that the season’s performance is judged over 38 games. Until then, I’d love to see more support. If we as fans can’t get behind the team in tough times, how can we expect players to show loyalty and dedication? How can we be upset when the media criticises us? We need to be firmer in our stance, whatever it is. Don’t be happy when it works and then clamour for the house to be torn down once we lose a game. We cry when a player wants to move on, but then we turn around and crucify the players who we once showered praise on when their form wavers. And the same applies for the manager. Apart from last season (despite finishing 3rd) we have been in the title race until the latter part of the season in the last 8 years. We all look back and complain about misfortunes and shady refereeing as an explanation. The only complaints about AW was in the transfer market dealings, even though we all know the reason behind it. Then one year when we sit in 6th (albeit just 5 points behind 3rd), suddenly AW has lost the plot and must go to be replaced by God knows who. Gimme a break. Funny how this team went from “potentially amazing” to “clearly not good enough” in 5 months. A lot of Hindsight Experts among our fans.
3rd is not where we want to aim, but when all factors are considered, it its a realistic expectation given the totality of the circumstances.
I wish us supporters would just spend more time being supportive and not destructive. Wenger has not done everything right, but he’s far from a failing grade when viewed with the proper perspective.
Syg. That is so kind of you mate. I am touched. Carol does look quite muscular in that pic doesn’t she? I reckon I could take her in 3 rounds. In a completely innocent way of course. Actually she is far too small for me in honesty.
Two holds, and one submission……
The mind boggles Adam…. 😀
Kev. I think she would get me in a full body slam. 🙂
Arsenal are ‘in talks’ with Athletic Bilbao over a possible free transfer for Fernando Amorebieta, according to the player’s agent.
The 27-year-old will not sign an extension with the La Liga club and is set to depart the San Mames at the end of the current campaign because of it.
Amorebieta’s agent, Gines Carvajal says there are a lot of options available for the defender to consider, but states his client wants to join a Premier League side and Arsenal could well be his chosen destination.
Carvajal said:
‘We are in talks with Arsenal, he could join them in June.
‘We have had some contact with Anzhi [Makhachkala], they were ready to make a good offer, but my client wants to play in England so the transfer to Russia was not possible.’
Since breaking through the Bilbao first-team in 2005, Amorebieta, who can operate both as a full-back or centre-back, has made a total of 233 appearances for the Basque club and has been capped eight times for Venezuela.
Known for his versatility, hard-tackling and position, Amorebieta would certainly offer us more options in defence and would be an astute signing for us this summer.
I kinda like a Half-Nelson myself Adam… 😛
Les Kellett, Tally Ho Kaye,Big Daddy, Bomber Pat Roach, Kendo Nagasaki and Mick McManus……now we’re talking!!
AK another good defender that’ll have that trait coached (or not) out of him at AFC……
Scott, though I agree with a lot of your post ( good one, by the way) I don’t share your last opinion.
You say we can’t question their endeavour. I challenge that. Due to work commitments I only got to see the last half hour of the game and I’ll tell you now I was instantly struck at how, as an example, Arjen Robben sprinted to close everyone down, sprinted to chase back to cover a team mate or make to a tackle and sprinted to attack us. In short he worked his arse off and sprinted a lot the whole time I was watching. Jack aside I didn’t see anywhere the same ‘endeavour’ from our boys.
Ergo, I will indeed question their endeavour as and when I see fit.
Lee…. 😆
Les Kellett, now yer talking mate…
Used to have me in stitches…
Afternoon folks.
I see the players are coming out in support of Arsene Wenger, especially Thomas Vermaelen…..
AMAZING FACTOID : Bomber’s (Pat Roach’s) screen wife in “Auf Weidersehn Pet” was Madge, the old skank out of “Benidorm” ……….
right off to me bed, thanks for your company folks and see ya tomorrow
I like Benidorm – never knew that about Madge though……
Night Oz, sleep well….
SYG, isn’t just a pretty face Rico! 😉
I have come to realise Lee 🙂
Don’t tell Adam I watch Benidorm though, he’ll cringe no doubt 🙂
Oz, i thought you was gonna be up all night… 😉
Sleep well….
Bg, we never do close down quickly do we… If we could add that to our game we’d improve a tad. Then get some organisation and start defending from the front, we might get somewhere….
My dirge for AW departure… with goonster singing.lol
There was an instant in the first half when Walcott broke and before you knew it there was at least five BM players back covering!
I just don’t get why we don’t defend/close down the same way – surely Wenger can see that is what needs to happen for us to get stronger?
I love Arteta like the next man but since he got back from injury our speed of play has dramatically crawled to a snail pace. Until he stops looking for the BFG or SC19 whenever he receives the ball we will always become so predictable.
At least the games Ramsey played as a DM we had a high pace to our game.
Thank you, Rico. I’m having arguments left and right with people claiming they worked hard but just weren’t good enough. No, we weren’t good enough. But we bloody well DID NOT work hard enough either. Ahem… Excuse me.
Ts, I don’t think Ramsey brings speed into our play either
Diaby once did, but against BB he too was guilty of slowing us down…
Bg, Tbh, I often think we look like a side that are just going through the motions, they need a rocket up their backsides……
I think the closing down is a SB thing from an observation point of view. When he came in what he tried to instil is to get the team to set up as (the traditional bank of) 2 line of 4 and then defend around our penalty area.
This worked initially or it works if the opposition has no quality in the final 3rd because it causes the opposition to lose the ball. An example was the 2-0 win against the dippers where Stevie G lost the ball at the edge of our 18 yard box and within 27 secs we were in their area.
However, since then I think the Arteta-Pirlo comparison has gone to his head and he wants every single build-up play to go through him.
Until AW buys AM and wingers who like to go behind the opposition defence we will not go anywhere. All our players like to play in-front of the opposition. There are no AA23 or Ljunberg or Pires in our team any more apart from TW14.
That’s what happens when we sign players and then make them fit into a rigid system.
I still think Bould is restricted in training after all the early praise and Wengers comments…
Arteta just isn’t a strong enough, or good enough DM, and why he’s played there goodness only knows. Well I do, it’s because Wenger didn’t replace Song!
You have a point there Rico. But I think he transitions the game from the back faster than Arteta and the BFG do.
Abu Dhabi has admitted that the 3 month lay off has affect his fitness. I think subconsciously h knows he is out in the summer if he gets injured again and so he is playing a very safe game. Unfortunately for him he has to realise his time in this league is over. No matter how much every player thinks he is the best player in the squad this league is not made for him. Or at least since Dan Smith and Essien…
Don’t worry Rico. i think we have at least 2 signings confirmed one being your boy Capoue. He has recently stated that he would prefer us to PSG. actually he said England lol
The other is Amorebieta. |he wants to come to us too unless his agent receives a brown envelope from FC Anzhi… lol
Striker I would prefer Keisling but maybe too young and unknown…
I’m off for a while, Wednesday night is my Zumba night 🙂
Catch up later…
I hope you are right Ts, however….
A bit of Salsa… 😀 Enjoy
I know the M Villa ship has sailed away but the boy followed money and he has not even played for FC Rubin Kaza yet…
Good post scott
Good evening rico, tsgh,lee allez and all gunnersphere
Very funny the way the media goes about it that we were outclassed. Arsenal had 58% of the possession to bayern’s 42% but we know the stats that matters(final scoreline). We were not outclassed but sloppy in defending. That has being our biggest problem which needs addressing. In big matches this season we have often faltered (mancity, chelsea, manutd, liverpool at home etc). allowing 2 goals lead on each occasion before we start fighting back. When playing such matches it’s important you don’t concede the first goal but it has happened all season long with us. The CB and DM’s need addressing. Our structure when defending needs to be worked on. We need a quick CB and a DM that understands what it means by positional play when we are under pressure. The transition from the defence to the midfield is damn too slow(mert and arteta). I understand AW playing Walcott upfront. It would have worked out if only we scored the first goal, this would have made bayern to push up from the defence. Watching the match again you could see that in the first 7mins we got behind their defence 2/3 times but as soon as they got their goal they sat back in banks of 2 making it difficult to break down because of the quality they have. They then relied on the breaks and attack us with pace. There is that mentality in the squad that whenever we play the big teams we are bound to concede first. It’s a mental block which needs to be eradicated by our players
tsGH Great point.
The nerves aside, we struggle to create when teams play deep, like Bayern and Blackburn. If we can’t get Theo in behind, we end up passing the ball to death in front of the opposition and it is easy for them to defend that in numbers. Giroud should give us a plan B but we don’t use it. We aren’t physical enough to power through teams, we have to pass and move. And we need somebody who can dribble past players with the ball and create chances, we don’t have that with Ramsey or Podolski in wide positions.
Podolski is quality player and a natural finisher but he isnt a winger.
At least gervinho runs at people. It is just unfortunate that he has the control of a shopping trolley witon speed…..!
There are some blindingly obvious problems that don’t seem to get adddressed. I am a Wenger fan but sometimes I feel he is reluctant to change things around and thats why he needs a good number 2. I am not sure Steve Bould is the man, as much as I respect him. But a few signings, of World Class Players, and the sale of some of the players not up to the top standardincluding a keeper, holding midfielder, centre half and a ‘proper’ striker and we could be there. At least we finally have the money after the last few years of financial planning and stadium/Highbury redevelopment.
spot on Emma.
Evening Gooner familia,
Scott a well written train of thoughts. My compliments, although I disagree we were anywhere near dictating a result, even when lady luck sprinkled some star dust on our corner conversion.
Dismantled, outclassed, embarrassed. Use whatever word you want. Arsenal were a million miles away.
It must have tasted like a particularly bitter pill for Wenger. Not just a defeat but a humbling.
Not just a setback but a brutal confirmation that his team is more detached from the European elite than at any time during his 16 years.
When Arsenal went 2-0 down midway through the first half, the stadium did not turn into the bear pit many had expected.
Arsenal supporters are exhausted with demanding better. It was almost as if they had lost the will to scream their defiance.
Whether you support Wenger or not, whether you trust him to lead this club back to the top or not, it feels as if something is grinding to a halt.
And unless there is a considerable injection of cash, it is hard to see the club climbing back to where it once was.
Many more, of course, will now join the clamour for a new manager at The Emirates.
The split between Wenger loyalists and WengerOut backers will become more intense.
Starved of investment, Arsenal have gone stale. They are slipping back.
There is no way of disguising that.
nice piece Dg10…
Arsenal legend Bob Wilson has branded Stewart Robson as “bitter” over his criticism of Arsene Wenger.
Robson, a former Arsenal midfielder who until last year worked for the club’s in-house TV station, launched a scathing attack on Wenger prior to the Gunners’ 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on Thursday evening.
“I hope it [Wenger’s exit] is sooner rather than later because I certainly won’t miss him because Arsenal have been going down the wrong road for quite some while,” Robson told the BBC.
Robson also blamed Arsenal’s eight-year trophy drought on the 63-year-old and claims the Frenchman “doesn’t do much coaching” and “doesn’t have an actual game plan”.
Wilson, however, believes Robson is hitting out at Wenger because he is no longer employed by Arsenal.
“This is a guy who worked for this club up to a few weeks ago, doing the pre-match stuff on the opposition, who then went to a newspaper, without naming anybody who had given him the so-called facts about him [Arsene Wenger] being a dictator,” Wilson told the BBC.
“Today, he’s been on every half hour on Radio Five Live, and this is a guy who obviously is a bitter guy because he’s no longer got a role or any employment here.”
I have read, that Stewart Robson tried to get a job on the Arsenal Coaching Staff awhile ago.
But was turned down flat by Wenger…..
That rejection could go some way to explain why Robson has it in for Wenger….
There’s none as bitter as a wanker scorned.
DG. Very perceptive post.
All this shows is that the bad mouthing is not just aimed at AW but a serious and systematic attempt to nail Arsenal to the scrap yard.
Even Merson said he was not sure how Robson would have got the SB news as they ain’t close.
Dutch, maybe, just maybe, Stan will take it upon himself to bring Dein back on board, whilst putting Hill-Wood and his cronies out to grass…..
Talking of grass Dutch …… 😉
Tnx Ginge you’re not doing bad yourself offering food for thought. Proud to read so many on HH giving sanity a reason to exist in these trial and tribulation times.
Two thumbs up to all of you.
I’m listening to Dark Side of the Moon, so grass would certainly aid the experience Dutch…. 😛
Night all
Nowadays, Arsenal maybe between the 25th and 30th team in europe. This is the reality even AW said we are playing with 11 internationals and so on.
BM is much stronger then us. Schalke was before we were in all the competitions. We think we are better in the reality we are.
Kev. Peace and love man.
Good evening all.
Two very good posts today Scotts and Emma (6.03)
My good lady says that because of my love for evey thing that relates to Arseanal I am a senile octogenarian and well past my sell by date.
With this in mind can all you guys who would like to see Mourinho replace Arsen exlain to me what makes you think that under the present premiership squade regulations he would be able to more successfull then Arsen . Do any of you think he uderstands them?
I doubt he dose.
Morning all.
Bendtnershone, fair enough, but Robben only came on as a replacement, so wouldn’t it stand to reason he would be fresh and full of energy though??
Robson…..even we put up with him here a few nights a week.
He is just a prick.
I think the biggest mistake AW made was to go along with the false impression that he had all the power. Looking closely at some of the direction and appointment of IG and Law, I will stake a huge amount on it that Stan orchestrated the appointments. Dick Law’s appointment makes no sense at all. From being a south American scout to being in charge of all contract deals whilst Rowley ands even Comolli were better candidates.
Hi JM
Gallagher and Lyle a bit earlier Adam…..
It’s 70’s night….. you know, when Wath was in his 40’s….. 😀
Rick, no way Jose for me 🙂
JM, we’re probably even behind the best team in Portugal, Benfica…
Kev, so will a flowery psychedelic shirt, brown corduroy funnel trousers, a multi-coloured Afghan scarf and wildly grown facial hair.
But hey, I’m no nostalgic or dressing room stylist. Grass can supply that fantasy without scouring the attic for props. I will hide some in a pack of Arabic beans with dominant aroma, to put the dogs of your trail.
hey guys did we win last night? my pc crashed!
howdy DG10? what’s cooking?
Scott are you saying that he understands the regulations and all the pitfalls?
Hey Goonie, got some pots and pans on the flames cooking up our famously known Dutch synthetics aka extacy. 😉 Special delivery for Kev.
Hey Scott, I was following the comments on this thread as well as other match time commentaries and all seemed to agree we weren’t at the races at all in the first half. We started the second half well then I tuned in. The consensus seemed to be that aside from Jack the team needed a collective kick up the butt.
Robben may have been on for only half hour but he didn’t lessen his pace the whole time he was on. Aside from Jack did any Arsenal player do that for even a quarter of a hour?
Thanks Dutch, your a cool dude…
But to be fair and honest JW10 was also poor in the first half. It has been the case since the Norwich defeat.
I don’t think he has had a great first half since he came back from injury but his second half performances have been nothing but spectacular.
Calm down Stan….
you mean caught in a time freeze goonie… lol
How are you buddy?
am good ginge…..too much porn downloading i guess. howdy kev, am calm mon fre!
Kev I’m known as Samuel L Jackson wearing a pale skin.
you mean with the bald head and tough jaw huh, DG10?
ha ha ha ha I thought since you Adonis, Stan Goonster aka Ron Jeremy retired from acting you don’t do porn any more…
Black trench coat and Shaft’s nonchalant stride in my step makes it complete Goonie. Bad mofo is my style. Chicks digg it.
Off for a Japanese bite. Beef Teriyaki with pandan rice and emping blado.
Hello all….
Have we signed anyone?
Anyone watching the big game?
why take Cesc Fabregas off?
Not me Lee, I’m watching a programme about OCD people in dirty places. It’s horrid!
Fecking plonkers the lot of them but Rio takes the crown. Championing his arrogance in such impotent fashion.
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has taunted Arsenal fans on Twitter following the club’s 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
http://www.touchlinetalk.com/united-player-makes-arsenal-jibe/32322/
Southend v The O’s…… I meant 😉
What a git Dg, what an absolute git Rio is!!!
Ah, how are Southend doing Lee 😉
I take that back about Rio, that was a dig at Piers Morgan 😉
Beat the O’s so they are wembley bound!
Night all…
Are you watching the divers Lee?
Read carefully Rico, last sentence definitely aimed to darken the nightmare for Gooners in general. Either that, or Piers must don multiple wax chins per day.
Night Lee, Dg and all……
I’m gone too….
I will Dg, but PM does have a few chins 😉
Offski now…..
Night Madam.
I’m off too fellow Gooners. Night all. Keep ya cool.
Why do we play better in the second half ?
This is a question I am sure many of you have asked yourself recently. Most will have heard this statistic by now: if only second half performances would count in the PL, Arsenal would be top of the league! Incredible stuff!
Why is it that we start not just sluggishly in midfield and attack, but also so poorly defensively this season? Especially against the top teams we have handed the game to them through bad defensive mistakes in the early stage of the first half, time and time again.
Yet, come the second half and we are usually firing from all cylinders. The team seems to be transformed after the half time breaks: starting with real purpose and shape to our football, and fully determined to win the game at all cost. Why cannot we play with the same intensity and focus from the start? Is there something wrong with our preparations? Do our players need a rollocking at half time to make them play better; or is it more to do with tactical adjustments?
I have been thinking about this situation for quite a while and I will share some of my thoughts with you in this post. But please join in with your arguments as well, as together we might get a bit closer to the truth regarding this bizarre situation.
Paradoxically, the fact that we do so much better in the second halves of our games compared to the first ones, is both disturbing and filling us with hope. If we could only spread out our form for the entire 90 minutes of the game, our performances would increase significantly.
But why aren’t we?
I reckon Arsene and Steve do little in terms of specific tactical preparation with the team prior to a match, as in analysing an opponent’s weaknesses and strengths and determining a bespoke strategy on how to beat them. I don’t know this for sure, but going with Fabregas’ comments regarding this subject a while ago, I reckon there must be some truth in it.
Arsene is a strong believer in playing our own game/ style of football and this should overcome everything that is put in front of us. He is not alone in this: any manager who believes in a ‘total football’ approach tends to focus their energy on perfecting the system rather than adjusting it every time, depending on whom we play against. Johan Cruijff, Louis van Gaal, Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, etc do/did it to a large extent. If the system is made perfect and maintained in that way, it will deliver the very best there is: highly attractive and very successful football.
However, it is not easy to get to a level where the team can conquer all: it takes a lot of time and effort. And it really does not help that our best players – including our two previous captains – have left us in mini-droves over the last few seasons.
I reckon, Arsene is struggling at the moment to get the team to play once more his football philosophy and tactical concept to the required levels. I really do not think our players lack the motivation when they start a game, but somehow it is not clicking between the players, and as a result, they simply underperform collectively.
At half time, Wenger and Bould can talk to the players about specifics that are not being done the way they should be done in a particular game. As a result, the players come out with a clear picture of how to be more effective and with more collective belief that they can turn things round. The turnaround in performances, from the first half to the second half, have been significant this season.
I reckon the longer the team plays together the better they will understand, and be able to execute, Arsene’s system of football and associated tactical principles. Hopefully, the team will start playing as well in the first halves as they do in the second halves, as soon as possible. It would make a big difference to the remainder of our season.
From total Arsenal not total cnuts (Robson or Morgan!)
Morning Lee.
There are plenty of teams and athletes around the world renowned as slow starters, and with no explanation.
Wenger should start with guys like Rosicky instead of the likes of Diaby…Tommy brings speed and movement to our game,and when we have those qualities, we win.
Stewart Robson….if i met him today, he would be head butted and then bitch slapped.
I am not joking.
He is a prick.
Rico, when i am sober….had a wee few drinks this arvo….i will write you one hell of a post.
I reckon i am on a winner…..
From the Telegraph….
Dear Stan
It sounds like you’re going to give Arsène Wenger your full support at Thursday’s board meeting. Well, if you genuinely care for the Arsenal, or at the very least care for your substantial investment, please attach conditions.
You must either persuade the manager to change his ways or face the inevitable prospect of changing the manager for another. And please tell Ivan Gazidis to stop being so darn deferential towards Wenger. No employee is bigger than the Arsenal.
Those familiar with your business modus operandi say it’s your style to appoint individuals (including inherited ones), give them a budget to work with and leave them to get on with it. Not now. Not with Arsenal’s season in this kind of meltdown. You need to be more hands-on. It’s time to challenge the manager and the culture. We know you hate the nickname ‘Silent Stan’. So don’t be.
Arsène looks exhausted, being crotchety with the press and opposing managers, traits that transmit a negative message to a dressing-room increasingly riddled with doubt. He needs help, Stan, a proper sounding board that he respects, a director to stop him faffing about in the transfer market. Arsène dithered over Juan Mata and Gary Cahill and Chelsea said thank you very much. He then rushed into buying Per Mertesacker, a giraffe in a sport of gazelles. You were there on Tuesday. You saw Mertesacker labour. Seriously.
Your great club had an opportunity to bring in Hugo Lloris last summer. Arsene hesitated. Why? He worried about collateral damage to Wojciech Szczesny’s confidence. Come on. Shielding somebody’s feelings is all very well but this is sport, not a cub-scout jamboree. This is about winning, about the law of the jungle. Anyway, Szczesny has hardly looked a worthy successor to Jack Kelsey, Bob Wilson or David Seaman this season. It’s a painful truth for you and the board but the club miss David Dein. He’d tell Arsène to stop prevaricating and buy.
You could have got Patrick Vieira on board. Or Brian Marwood. Please, tap into ex-players’ expertise. Don’t let your rivals reap the benefits.
Stan, when Bayern Munich were in town on Tuesday, ending your season, did you meet the people on their board? You might have bumped into Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who conquered Europe with club and country, or the World Cup-winning Uli Hoeness or Matthias Sammer, he of the 74 caps and the job description on the club website that reads: “trophies are his absolute priority at FC Bayern”. Trophies. It’s the name of the game. Keep one eye on the bottom line, Stan, but why not for once make a break for the finishing line?
When Bayern’s board makes decisions, as it did so stealthily and successfully with Pep Guardiola, it draws on decades of accumulated dressing-room wisdom. Arsenal can’t. A board full of civilians stays in awe of Wenger. I bet you stand up and salute when he walks into the room. Look, Arsène’s a fine man and a good manager but he’s not some mythical legend who cannot be questioned. Tell your chief executive to be tougher. Heaven knows, you pay Gazidis enough. Sir Alex Ferguson spoke on Wednesday of having “a million arguments” with David Gill and they’ve won trophy after trophy, built team after team.
At the Emirates on Tuesday, you may have seen that fan with the shirt bearing the words of that Wenger mission statement: “We don’t buy world-class players. We make them.” But now you sell them. Listen to the fans, Stan.
The growing fear is Jack Wilshere could be next. Jack’s a good kid, wholehearted, and definitely committed to your great club but what happens if there’s another season of losing out in 2013-2014? Jack wants to be No 1. Do the math.
Talking of which, Stan, you need to revisit your remuneration policy. You’ve the fourth largest wage bill in the EPL, pushing towards £150m a year, yet the balance is wrong. Let’s cut to the chase. Let’s call your problem under Wenger the Squillaci Factor, an average player paid way over the odds. So divide the cake more cleverly. Promote meritocracy rather than mediocrity. Be American.
Sorry to twist the knife, Stan, but take another glance at Bayern.
They’ve a good blend of home-grown darling and high-class hiring, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez. And just how many of your players would get in Bayern’s team? Just Jack. We all love Theo but he doesn’t deliver like Thomas Müller. Have a word with Arsène. Ask him where his leaders are, his real “go-to guys” beyond Jack?
Stan, in truth, you’re lucky. Arsenal fans could be picketing the ground, chaining themselves to the railings. You must understand their hurt. Supporting a “soccer” club is not an emotion switched on when crossing the stadium threshold on match-day. It lives with you, keeps you awake at night. It becomes an obsession that can wreck jobs, marriages and bank balances.
Stan, ignore the social-media uprising. On Tuesday, there was no mutiny at the Emirates. It is hard to imagine many other supporters of leading clubs being this stoic. But do not take quietness for tacit acceptance. There are stains on a famous shirt.
Tell Arsène that today.
Ribery wants to have a look in the mirror….the ugly fuck!
Lee, you reckon our fans are tolerant?
Really?
Maybe their protests are simply misplaced, and the message doesn’t get to Stan, but the majority are vocal.
Lee. Morning mate. Who wrote that letter?
I noticed a couple of grammatical errors I wanted to point out to him. 🙂
Do you think Arsene would listen?
There lies the rub.
Actually Lee, I think I would prefer your version. 🙂
Lee. I just found it. Written by Henry Winter?
The day that knob goes to bat for Arsenal you better believe things are bad.
How very depressing at this time in the morning.
Top of the morning Adam….
Morning Scott.
One hell of a letter,and one every Gooner should endorse……..Stan MIGHT see we are not happy.
Stan may not care though.
Truce please mate.
I have gone off half cocked a few times and apologies.
Speaking to Rico in private, she assures me i have read things the wrong way, so would like to start afresh.
We may disagree, but i would never suggest you have anything but Arsenal at heart.
You may think this to be silly, but i watched the Green Street Hooligans for the first time a few days back, and it made me truly appreciate the fact i can not even pretend to understand the passion you guys can have.
Anyway, i offer my apologies, and though we may cross swords, i am seeing things in a new light.
I still like Aaron though 🙂
A virtual handshake then Scott. A fresh start. 🙂
Yep.
Good man.
Watch Football Factory Scott it’s a little closer to reality than Green Street it’s more about how the ties also go beyond a match day and how people are through the week and how life revolves around Arsenal mates and the rest can piss off…!
As for Arsenal fans being tolerant yep I think you’ll find they are very tolerant…. rants on the internet are not the same as have mass boycotts and protests at the ground and in fairness it’s not got to that yet as people sort of shrug shoulders and an apathy sets in where they all say “well nothing we can do is there” so they just accept things but things are changing…. When the worm turns the shit will well and truly hit the fan.
Morning Wath. The calming voice of moderation. 🙂
That is where we are. Football, like life, tends to run in a cycle and often it is only with the benefit of hindsight that we gain perspective. Yes, we are not in a great place at the moment and if fortunes are to change then a change of direction will need to come from the top. Believe me, the Arsenal fans I know really want to see the changes made. They want to believe.
Wath, i ordered it on Ebay a few days back after a fellow Gooner recommended it.
Still this movie gave me a glance, and i almost felt irrelevant.
It did, however, make me want to get over there even more.
Those movies are also glorified rubbish as well Scott, they probably cover about 20% of the reality and the passion and what it means to grow up as a fan of the Club that we love…!
I had a few mates come over from SA a few years back and could not believe what it was like to go to a game and to be around Arsenal mates through the course of the week, they said they thought you have a pint before the game watch the game go home…! Blew them away…! They said to see what it meant to people was something they could not grasp.. they said they thought their rugby fans were passionate but they said they have no idea when it comes to football and what it means to people here.
Wath, even i don’t have a pint after the game and go home…bit hard at 3 in the morning 🙂
I do not pretend to know what you guys go through.
I would love to find the words to write an article discussing the different emotions and displays of passion Gooners worldwide go through.
I am sure we outsiders would learn a few things from you guys, and am equally certain some of us would gain some respect for what we go through.
At the end of the day, we all love the club in our own way.
The GSH’s was bloody good entertainment though 🙂
One part i love went something like this.
Arsenal have a great club but a shit gang.
Millwall have a shit club but a great gang.
Spurs have a shit club AND a shit gang.
Classic,!!
The role of Arsenal in the local community is fascinating. I just sort of grew up with it as part of the family and culture of the area. Dad’s Dad took him then he took my older brother, who took me and now we take his son. As a kid I played football every day of the holidays on Highbury Fields and my junior school played tournaments on the “cinder” pitch a couple of minutes walk from the stadium. Weirdly, these days I park right next to it to go to the Emirates and I see the kids playing just as I used to.
Adam you and I and many on here always say we’ve seen far worse teams over The Arsenal than this lot but when we paid a quid to get in it’s didn’t really bother you to think you were being ripped off, we then knew what to expect we knew we were average we didn’t have expectations we were not spoon fed the spin and the lies from the club and that’s whats most frustrating and annoying these days.
I don’t think anyone knocks fans around the world Scott they all make sacrifices and stay up all hours of the day night to watch their team. The fact is though people on the outside that look at it as merely supporting their team cannot grasp what it’s like to grow up with the tribalism and going to school full of fans of other teams and thats with you all your life… it where you know who the enemy is and where the lines are drawn, you drink in pubs that are Arsenal your mates are Arsenal it’s like a big family you go away with your Arsenal mates words really can’t explain it and to watch us splutter and chug along on the pitch hurts like fuck, ruins my week or weekend and i can’t stop or change that it’s how it is…! As the old saying goes you can marry and get divorced…. There is no divorcing the club you love it’s a lifelong thing and your Arsenal til you die…!
Morning all…..yeah Adamski Winter wrote that article. How’s Mrs A this morning? Mrs Lee is under the weather, I had a DIY dinner last night!! Not a happy bunny!! 😆
I remember the “pre-Wenger” days.
The days we were a very good club, but not a shoe-in for top 4.
Maybe i am blinded by the fact that back then i could watch just a few live games a year, yet now, i can watch every game.
My view is probably distorted, and i see things now as the ultimate as an Arsenal fan….except for the trophies 🙂
Wath. I absolutely agree. I have to say that I do feel slightly like a dinosaur these days as I realise that I am a customer of a corporate business. I can still be a fan in my head, in the same old way, but the Emirates move has changed Arsenal. Inevitable really. One of the things that really keeps me coming back for more (punishment?), is the people that sit around me. We all know each other and firm friendships have been struck up. There’s a whole ritual still involved with going, be it a day or evening match, that involves routines at home, clothing, departure times, parking up, a pre-match cup of hot chocolate on cold days ( a steal at only £2 a shot 🙂 and of course the jokers seated around us. Since I started taking my wife she has caught onto it big-time. She used to be happy to get me out of the house for a few hours but she never counted on the level of emotional attachment she would feel for the whole thing. She gets it now and the people around us have taken her in as one of their own.
Still, I suppose it all adds to the pain and what doesn’t kill you supposedly makes you stronger. I have to admit that the drives home can sometimes be quite silent though. 🙂
Wath, i know what you are saying.
From our end though, we look at you guys and count you lucky…..you can watch the mighty Arsenal actually play.
You have no idea how hard it was for me to NOT come over in two weeks time.
The wife gave me the go ahead…done……she told me to book.
Driving to work the next day, i thought if i wait another 12 months, she can come and Sean as well……my entire life would be complete if i could watch my team with my two best mates.
We all see things from our own perspective, and we all need to respect the fact that we don’t fully understand what others go through.
Believe me, i know i am as guilty as anyone.
I always look at the bright side, but shit, it hurts seeing our Jack shed a tear!
Hi Lee. Lovely of you to ask. She is recovering well. Any op, no matter how small, is to be taken seriously. Her eye is a bit sore but, after she drank a couple of bottles of Dom and stuck one on me she felt better. Best wishes to Mrs Lee for a speedy comeback mate. 🙂
It is funny Adam.
My wife says nothing when she wakes up.
She will say the next afternoon that ” i guess your boys lost”.
It took me a while to realise she knew that when she slept through the game, we had not scored.
When she is cranky the next morning, it is because our goals have woken her up.
Gee, we get so rapt up in things…..hope all is well guys.
Scott. A perfect example of cause and effect I think. 🙂
Yep.
We better stop this.
If Rico catches on, she will think her job is getting easy 🙂
I wouldn’t want to cross her myself. 🙂
Morning Sicknotes 🙂
Wishing you all a speedy recovery, I’m off back to bed with the flu….
She has a nasty side lol.
Kidding of course 🙂
I feel great Rico….the sun always shines here 🙂
Fingers crossed you feel better soon….
Bugger…..
Rico. Very cruel of you. 🙂
Err excuse me, I am here you know!! 😉
That’s me Adam…
I too am very well Scott, but thank you anyway… 😉
I hope everyone is well, Rico.
Santos scores for Gremio…..hahahahahahahaha!
Denilson to equalise??
Me too Scott, including you 🙂
I am blushing ……
New Post is up, see you there….