The Games

New signing out for weeks! Palace out to cause an upset…

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

So we signed one and now he’s already injured and out for a while after suffering an injury to his back yesterday in training. However, there is suggestion that he was already injured when we signed him which if true, totally beggars belief why he’s with us at all. He won’t be in the squad for today’s fixture that’s for sure.

I find it hard to believe he was already injured as surely he would have undergone a tough medical??

Then again….

Transfer window is closed now and it’s back to getting behind the players we have giving them our full support through to the final day of the season which in league terms, is just fifteen matches.

Also missing today is Abou Diaby, yes I know, he’s always missing, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini, Theo Walcott and Yaya Sanogo.

Tomas Rosicky is back which is good news and we need good news.

February could be the season-defining month with a lot of crucial games coming up.

We have big clashes against Liverpool in the FA Cup, against Bayern Munich and big games in the Premier League.

So February is going to be the crucial month of this season in defining how we do.

I think Per is spot on and March isn’t much better either is it but it’s one game at a time, keep the confidence and keep on winning and let’s see where this season takes us.

Did you know that it’s been seven and a half hours of football at The Emirates since we conceded a goal?

Well that’s what the BBC stats say….

However, the beast of Chamakh is in town today and he’ll want to prove a point to his old boss and the home fans, so be afraid Per and Kos, be afraid….

Joking aside, today won’t be an easy game for us, especially as  Tony Pulis has taken over at Palace and tightened up their defence in fact we are the only club who have kept more clean-sheets than Palace.

The good news is that they have only scored five times away from home and never more than once in a single game.

Unlike us, Palace were busy in the transfer window and added Tom Ince, Joe Ledley, Scott Dann and Wayne Hennessey, none of whom are bad players in fact I’d have like us to have got Tom Ince. Just hope he doesn’t shine too much today if he plays.

Regardless of who they have and of course our injuries etc, we should have enough quality in our side to get all three points today and right now are far more important than the ones in the up and coming fixtures as if we win, we go back to the top of the league and put the pressure back on Manchester City and Chelsea who face each other tomorrow night.

We are at home, and we have to make advantage count…

COYRRG’s….

That’s your lot for another day….

rico

0 thoughts on “New signing out for weeks! Palace out to cause an upset…”

  1. stevepalmer1 says:

    Morning all,
    A fairly comfortable game yesterday, which we won quite easily in the end, but did we expect anything else. Tougher games are coming along and i am sure they will test us a lot more than Palace did. Has Wenger made a mistake, many will say yes, and with 14 games left i suppose we have to wait to see how things pan out. For me Giroud did very little and if injury should hit, i don’t see it as a major problem. Giroud is not the CF i would like to see leading the attack but the way we play i wonder whether we need one anyway. Our game appears to me to be all about midfielders, we have a team full of them and if we win games its normally about how they play. Giroud has never in my mind been a prolific scorer, and he never will be with the system we play. Possession seems to be the way to go and who can knock that when were top of the league, Teams coming up also like possession as well but they do seem to have a more direct way of playing. Yesterday with 90% possession against an inferior team only produced 2 goals, from midfield of course, Giroud wasn’t at the races at all. Our lack of spending in this transfer window won’t hurt us at all, the only way we can incorperate a really good CF is if we change the style of play and i don’t see that happening, Top 4 is almost guarenteed, and should we keep it tight the league is also a posibility. Centre forward or not i don’t think it would have made any diference at all.

  2. Adam says:

    Re Sanogo. I believe he has though I only saw him once during his brief cameo appearance before his expected injury. A lot to put on a young man though. Still, when Giroud gets a sprained tongue or a collapsed quiff we might get to see how good he is.

  7. rico says:

    Same with Santi Adam, there is no movement ahead of either of them when in possession. And then back we go or sideways we go and have to start all over again but that just gets repeated time and time again.

    Players won’t drive at the defence either, OC did once and scored, Gnabry has done in the past and scored.

    Why we try and pass through a side I don’t know…

    Being top of the league matters for sure, and we deserve to be because we have earned the right to be but I am sure this group of players could play a lot better but that would require a bit of imagination and change by the manager…

  9. rico says:

    Sure did Lee, the little Spaniard is such a wonderful player, he and Ozil alone deserve a class striker ahead of them, we’d be killing sides off so much easier.

    Poor old Giroud, he just doesn’t seem to be their wavelength…

  12. Adam says:

    Lee. I was hoping for a rather different stimulus myself. 🙂 I already have lifts in my shoes in an effort to be as tall as you. 🙂

  13. Adam says:

    I dunno Rico. When you spend that sort of money on a player, a lot of pressure must come with it. We didn’t expect him to be playing such a short, square game surely. He gets the ball looks up and the picture he sees just doesn’t fit in with his ability to hurt teams. So he plays one-twos while waiting for some movement. Giroud is strolling around on the left wing, tongue out, quiff teased and I don’t quite know what Podolski is up to at the moment.
    Still, three points is all that matters eh?

  16. rico says:

    Adam, and he doesn’t look very happy either, he certainly didn’t yesterday when he went off…

    Maybe he just has a grumpy looking face and he can’t help it.. 😉

  19. Lee says:

    It’s like the whole footballing world knows that we need a proven goal scorer….Wenger, fuck ’em I’ll loan an injured midfielder that’ll sort our striking issue out! Beggar’s belief….give the man a morecombe and a three contract!

  22. Adam says:

    Morning dear Brother Lee. As they say, “What’s gone is gone” but you really have to question the wisdom of his stance. I saw him interviewed last night and he seemed to say that he risked losing 3 years (I think) if he gets it (transfer business) wrong. I have been considering that and wonder if, by strengthening the squad, you can also make it weaker but decided that he must mean that it might hinder another player’s progress. Personally, I think that relying on Giroud with Bendtner as back-up is a slightly terrifying prospect. Maybe that’s why he is Arsenal manager and I am not. 🙂
    Anyway, in a results-driven business, our position in the PL at the end of the season will be the final decider. It just all feels a bit risky to me, but then I am a cautious man as you well know brother.

  25. Lee says:

    Is that right we’ve bought one player in the last three windows…..?
    You think Stephen Hawking would be able to pass one of our medicals?

  26. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. Despite Pulis trying to suck the life out of the game with his usual stinking negativity, we prevailed. The atmosphere was awful, though it did perk up a bit in the second half I suppose. Again, real causes for concern over Ozil and Le Quiff for me as the missed opportunity to strengthen fades into the dim past of January. Wenger has taken one hell of a gamble here.

  28. Scott from Oz says:

    Potter, fair enough, but i was pointing out when i suggest Ox can play striker, it is with that formation in mond.

  29. potter says:

    Wenger wont go 4-4-2 though Scott . He is playing with a wall up front to bounce off of and bring midfielders into play . That’s why we have had 14 separate goalscorers this season so far.

  31. potter says:

    The Ox is better coming on to the ball and could not play as a lone front man.We have a few like that but only really Giroud to lead the line, but that’s hardly news to any of us.

  33. BrainwashedKev says:

    Considering the parked bus, and the 19th century football by Crystal Palace I think the team did OK…
    2-0 was what I expected beforehand…
    3 points is the priority.

    Now let’s see what the Oilers and Gazprom do?

  38. stevepalmer1 says:

    Evening all,
    That was a very comfortable win, the game was under our control for the full 93 minutes 2 goals from the youngster and he’s off and running. Although i love a win our perpetual passing sideways backwards and forwards as well felt somehow tiresome. I know we moan when we don’t turn up but today we fought as a team and i would imagine the players were knackered afterwards, but for me 2 penetrating runs seems to be very little return for the possession we had. Granted they hid behind a wall and never stressed Czez that much but i didn’t feel the excitement that i like to feel. Yes the result is the most important thing and 3 points are great reward back at the top and no prob lems Wenger smileing because we only have to pay our new man half wages, i know i should be grateful but a little more penetration would have made me a lot happier. I know i’m a moaner but afterall i like to be excited. Well done the lads a great 3 points. COYRRG’s

  40. Scott from Oz says:

    Damn, that hour wnet quickly.
    Bloody work.
    Who needs it?
    Ginge, i know what you’re saying about Ox, but the skillset is there for him to play up front, imo.
    He has it all.

  43. Micko says:

    Got everything crossed for a draw tomorrow nite but I can see Chelsea getting a good trouncing, Citeh are scoring goals for fun at home, hope I’m wrong.
    Catch ya later tsgh.

  50. Micko says:

    That was hard work, some big games coming up now, time to show what we’re made of.
    Agree AndrewH, it could be worse, he could be playing for Barnsley.

  51. tsgh says:

    Pundits and fans should calm down and not put pressure on the Ox imho…

    Excellent finishing and all but apart from the goal… he looks like a player coming back from injury…

  52. Joaquim Moreira says:

    We must play better then this.
    Our defense it’s very permeable.
    Ozil was away of the game
    And this game comprove one think: we must have someone playing with Arteta. Without Flamini we must have someone who thinks fist in defend and second attack.
    Monreal wasn’t again very lucky when we must started the game for the back.

  61. rico says:

    3 points, top of the league – happy days…

    Now we need to start stepping it up because we need to play much better than we did today and we can play much better than we did today…

    But, we needed that big time…..

    COYRRG’s….

  64. rico says:

    He took a kick I think Oz, he certainly pulled up and Ox looks like he’s struggling too, hopefully just cramp after being out for a while…

  67. AndrewH says:

    Only one hand on a player and it’s a booking. Giroud has two on him pulling him in penalty area and it’s not even a foul.

  101. Scott from Oz says:

    Lewis I was thinking earlier that if I was playing alongside Ozil, as soon as he received the ball, i would get moving and find space, as he would find me.
    Our guys aren’t doing it.

  119. Scott from Oz says:

    Ox as a striker, anyone?
    I’ve said it for a while, and I reckon that goal was further evidence as to why he’d succeed.
    What a pass from Santi.

  123. Micko says:

    Scott, I’m the same with evening kick-offs if it’s any consolation.

    The goals will come 2nd half, need to get Rosicky on asap.

    Kev must think he’s at Stamford bridge ! Poor sod.

  128. Joaquim Moreira says:

    75% possession… only 5 attempts…
    Always the same problem: why we not shoot outside area?
    we played in the same way always close the penalty área. It’s easy for a defender.

  133. Scott from Oz says:

    Lol Rico.
    As you know, I rarely watch non Arsenal games, so I am at least familiar with Jedinak.
    He is tough as nails, and does his job well.
    It’s obvious the task Pulis sets him.

  138. Scott from Oz says:

    Rico, agreed, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing having him at the back.
    Red needs to start waving cards around.

  144. Scott from Oz says:

    God I hate 3am Monday morning kick offs.
    Come on lads……we are very close to tearing them apart ATM.

  157. Lewis says:

    It would be horrendous Scott. A real chore. Palace looks awful before he went there though, now they’re playing with purpose.

  168. rico says:

    Crikey, a bit of cute play by Chamakh, followed by a dreadful pass…

    Loads of possession, now let’s push on and get an end product…

  178. tsgh says:

    ox next to Arteta… Poldi gets a start

    Not in squad today: Vermaelen, Flamini, Wilshere, Ramsey, Diaby, Källström, Walcott, Sanogo

  179. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Ozil, Podolski e Giroud

    subs: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Gibbs, Rosicky, Zelalem, Gnabry e Bendtner

  181. Micko says:

    Poor ole Chamakh, still hasn’t recovered after being dropped for Rvp, used to love that one, couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat or is that Bendtner I’m thinking of….

  184. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Afternoon all!
    If we not win today we don’t win the League.
    It’s dificult to understand why we try the signs on the last day. The important moves were did a few days before,
    Som our squad is short now and shorte then a two weeks ago.
    come on Arsenal!

  188. BrainwashedKev says:

    I see that there are reports of the Arsenal management (?) trying to see if there’s a way that they can cancel Kallstrom’s contract…

    You couldn’t make it up… 🙁

  193. rico says:

    Can’t argue there Adam 😉

    I think you might be right Scott, very clever and don’t you be so cruel 😉

    Kev, what about a gem? 😉

  194. Adam says:

    Kev. You reckon? Mmm. I see it as a movie starring Vinnie Jones, Razor Ruddock, Sean Bean and Ronnie Corbett as Mourinho. 🙂

  195. Scott from Oz says:

    Rico, i think that was her plan all along.
    She told me to go…..all too easy, and i suspected nothing.
    Maybe i should stay home…that will bugger her plans up 🙂

  199. Scott from Oz says:

    Adam, somehow, i knew that hahaha.
    Jose……is there a more horrid creature in football?
    I think he even noses out Suarez, and that is a massive call.

  200. Scott from Oz says:

    Here is a woman, for you….
    The boss lady tells me today that my return trip from London should include a stopover in Hong Kong, rather than Dubai.
    My rather naive response was, why?
    Well, the shopping is great in HK, says she.
    So what, i asked.
    She tells me she has decided to meet me there for a few days shopping.
    Unbloodybelievable lol

  202. devilgunner says:

    Good Post Rico.

    Adam 10.57am……you are the bread upon which the imaginatively creative mind thrives. I visualised it all mate. 🙂

    three points will not cheer me up Rico. I want a thumping win where even if we fart or burp it will go in for us.

  204. Adam says:

    I would like them to kick the shit out of each other for 90 minutes under a forbiddingly dark sky before a huge freak lightening storm, fuelled by a massive solar flare, strikes with venomous power and incinerates both teams to small piles of carbonised dust. Then it arcs violently across the ground taking the Russian, the Sheikh and Mourinho with it. The detritus left from the poison dwarf will be small and rather unpleasant but it will be topped by a small piece of cropped grey hair and an arched eyebrow. Sic semper tyrannis!

  206. rico says:

    🙂 Adam, just been reading about Jose and the FFP, what a joke that man is….

    It was Kev, hard to get motivated really but three points might cheer me up a bit. Hope it’s a great game for you to be at….

  207. rico says:

    🙂 Kev, a little slip, must have forgotten Pulis had moved for a slit second…

    Mind you, tactics will be the same no doubt….

    Tiz, same as, had a ‘grey moment’..

    Thanks guys..

  208. BrainwashedKev says:

    Yes Oz, but personally I’d prefer a win for the Oilers…
    As I think we can reel them in.
    But if Gazprom get on a roll, forget it…

    Morning All, btw…

    Morning Rico, it must have been a struggle doing that post…
    Going today, but I’m not really up for it…
    Be good to see my boy anyway…

  209. TizTeezy says:

    Unlike us, STOKE? where active in the transfer window and got Tom Ince? Hope he doesnt play well today if he gets to play? Are we playing against STOKE PALACE FC pls blog?….ehmmm morning house

  210. Adam says:

    Surely Mourinho will park the bus and then claim that Man City are negative and boring. He’s already kicked off on their FFP status. I find him about as convincing as Tony Blair on WMD.

  213. BrainwashedKev says:

    Rico, check the 12th paragraph…

    We’re playing Palace not Stoke…

    I suppose it’s the Pulis effect… 🙂

  215. rico says:

    Oz, agree, fixtures like these need winning but not sure it’s going to be a breeze…

    roger – that story did the rounds yesterday, not sure how much truth is in although another story this morning suggest we are going to send Kim back to his club…

  219. rogerbij says:

    You couldnt make this stuff up. We needed a striker desperately, but instead we loan a midfielder to cover for injuries… who himself was injured BEFORE we did the medical! According to BBC, Wenger knew this and proceeded. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26000458

    My mumma once said, dont leave your homework till the last minute. But once again, thats what Arsenal did. Goal.com quotes Schalke general manager Horst Heldt as saying the refusal to sell Draxler was due to the club being unable to sign a replacement. Same with Lazio and Klose. It is plainly obvious that the closer you leave it to the end of the window, the less chance you give the selling club to find a replacement. Hence, they will be less willing to sell. Just ask Newcastle about their difficulties to replace after selling Cabaye. The message is if youre going to do business, do it seriously, do it early. Fingers crossed for a February miracle starting today.

  224. Scott from Oz says:

    Potter, it is what we all must do.
    Support the 11 on the pitch, see how the season pans out, and react accordingly.