Morning all.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has to be up there with one of the most frustrating Arsenal players right now. Scorer of our second goal and a very good one it was too, he just doesn’t do enough to help the team. He seldom tracks back, when he does is half-hearted and all too often he loses possession. He could so easily have cost us a goal yesterday from what looked like a good Arsenal moment.
But he scored, something others have struggled to do of late, as did Mesut Ozil and how good was it to see the German stick his boot right through the ball, sending it flying into the back of the net? Fitting too on a day where he shone yet again. If only others knew how to play alongside and around him.
Two very well taken goals were enough, well, two goals and a great goalkeeper because Petr Cech really did make a few superb saves to spare our blushes in Dorset.
One major talking point from the game was Flamini. A two footed tackle early in the game earned him a booking. He was fortunate not to see red and had one of their players tackled one of ours in a similar fashion, we’d be spitting feathers. The fact that the manager left him on the pitch until the end of the game was a risky move, he’d have been straight off and replaced if I’d had my way.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was the first to make way and on in his place came Coquelin. Ramsey moved to the right leaving the two DMs to boss the midfield. But they didn’t, not one bit. Bournemouth had far too much space and time in that area of the pitch. Alexis was replaced by Gibbs and right at the end, Walcott came on for Ollie to waste a bit of time…
It wasn’t the best Arsenal performance but right now we just needed a victory to stop the rotten run and get some kind of confidence back. A week of rest now before Saturday’s fixture giving the players plenty of time to recharge their batteries. Time too for Arsene Wenger to watch a few Leicester performances and work out a way to beat them.
Just as he did a few months ago….
Morning Adam…
It certainly is windy out here today, there’s rubblsh strewn all over the place…
According to Physioroom,
Wilshere due back 19th March
Cazorla due back 26th March
Rosicky no return date!
Are we playing Leicester on Saturday or Sunday???
Good post btw…
Another month at least then Kev, darn..
Saturday I believe…
Good read Rico,
Our midfield is proving to be as porous as the days Denilson had the responsibility of bossing that midfield.
Still, it will go down as another good stat for cech and le coq. Clean sheet and a win….
Ramsey too eh Ts..
Kev- on Sunday. and AW almost always beats ranieri so not worried there…
In their 14 encounters. The tinker man has won 1’s, bean beaten 8 times and drawn 5 times…
Rico- Ramsey has never been lauded as making us keep clean sheets nor been identified as the reason we our midfield seems strong… 😉
Morning all.
God help us the day a player sticks his elbow up and a player runs into it five minutes later.
I mean, elbows up is a foul, right, as is a double footed tackle, and judging by the comments, it seems not to matter how far out of the actual challenge the opponent was, he will get the free.
Yeah yeah, it’s an exaggeration of course, but I’m sorry, I just can not see why people would think Flamini served anything.
The other guy was never in the contest…..it wasn’t a 50/50, a 60/40 and not even an 80/20……he was nowhere near it.
Put it this way….if Flamini goes in one footed, we are all screaming for a free kick due to the late challenge.
Now, who is for tiddlywinks……….if we can bare the brutality lol.
I’m not surprised Ts.
Scott, I’ll remind you of that the next time a decision doesn’t go our way for a tackle far less dangerous than Flamini’s… 😉
Catch up later, stuff to be doing today…
Rico, if it were 50/50 then yes, a straight red, but that was nowhere near it.
I’m surprised so many think it was 50/50.
Rose coloured glass, Micko, fair call, but whatever the colour, maybe you should wear yours 🙂
Flamini was hamstrung by the early card I would say and I was surprised that Arsene didn’t consider himself lucky and put us back to full strength. Coquelin was on the bench.
Adam, taut was one very strange decision…leaving the guy on.
I’m sure everyone agrees on that.
Risky, at best…negligent, at worst, but he got away with it.
That’s true Scott but I barely noticed him really. In the interview afterwards his skin looked a very odd greenish colour.
It’s a hell of a tough gig, playing for so long sitting on a yellow, and especially as a DM.
Good Morning Lovelies and hunkies.
Good points on the game Rico……bar the Flamini incident. I am with Scott all the way. I saw it from different angles and at slow motion…..its the fault of the opponent. Flamini got the ball, got there first and when the other saw that he had lost the ball he played to win the foul knowing fully well that it would be given.
on a different matter…………
…….when the best ever 11 AFC players in history are teamed up…..Cech has to be number 1. He is superior to Seaman and any other keeper in AFC history. 12 clean sheets in 25 games this season.
I just hope he wins the golden glove this season. Hopefully this month will see him surpass the 16 clean sheets he kept 2 season ago…….and each time he is breaking his own record.
People vote for the best goal every season…….but imo the goal by Ozil was a coach’s dream and straight out of the training grounds. It was a team effort and Ollie’s knockdown in the right place was simply superb. I enjoyed watching that goal over and over again.
Ollie has his flaws, but as a focal point and team player he is irreplaceable.
Adam, I kinda feel that Coquelin came back a bit early, and that he is still catching up.
Seems that Wenger is easing him back in as he daren’t risk losing him again at such a critical time of the season…
If Coq doesn’t start this weekend I’d say he’d be nailed on to start against Barca and ManUre….
Wenger can rotate vs Hull…
Also, I wouldn’t allow Hayden or Akpom to play…
Why make things more difficult?
Hi Coach….
I guess I did a U turn over Flamini…
But I’m kind of in the middle, because to me it didn’t look a malicious tackle…
It’s just the way the Laws are today re: two footed tackles.
Hiya Kev. are Akpom and Hayden allowed to play in the FA cup vs AFC??
Kev….Flamini’s left foot was on the deck. It was touching the grass…..yes it seemed as if it was two footed but its not. infact the left foot is bent at the knee…..if it was two footed both would have been stretched.
But as Scott said…….the other player knew he was going to loose the ball….so wanted to earn the foul. And as you said…..there was no malice in MF’s tackle.
Yes Coach, I see your point completely…
Strange how Giroud is routinely routinely fouled at every Arsenal corner, but nothing is ever given..?
if every time Ollie, Ozil or Alexis is fouled we are given a penalty we would have, what, 3 every game. lol
Ollie would break Drake’s record or 42 league goals in one season. maybe even Dixie Dean’s record of 60. lol
Afternoon guys..
Still a red…. 😉
Hi All
I’m with Scott on the Flamini thing. For it to be a tackle there has to be two players contesting the ball. Gosling was no where near it. In fact he went in late on Flamini then started limping when he thought he could get Flam a red. Where do you draw the line? Go on you tube and look at an FA cup semi final winner by Dennis Wise against Luton in 1987. He comes in at far post and two foots the ball into the net. Should he have been sent off?
Bob. Dennis Wise should have been sent off every game. 🙂
The little prick.
Darn high winds!!
Afternoon Rico and the House
Shocking day down south just done the school run for my G/daughter. dust bins and rubbish flying all over the place.
Watched the game this morning and have mixed thought on flammini.
At first was a red but slowing it down I was on the fence.
Then I saw the tackle that smith ?? made on Ozil in the 14th min Which was not even a foul
.
Now I think if the Flam was a red so was that one.
Afternoon Rick.
Rubbish weather here too, thank goodness it’s not recycling day tomorrow otherwise my bin would be down the street… Lol
3 big games coming up for the Academy.
Tomorrow the U19’s are away to Anderlecht in the Champions League.
It is live on BT Sport Europe with a 5pm ko
They completed the double over us last year so it is not going to be easy
On Sat the U18’s are away to the Chavs a game we must not Lose.
the lads have just 2 away games to play away to the chavs and the Spuds.
Draw both or win one and they will be in the play Off for the Top spot in the Compitition.
A superb performance considering we were 24th last season.
Then next Monday we are away to Coventry in the Youth Cup.
Win that and we will be at home to Notts F or Liverpool (at the Emms) in the next round
I think it will be a tall order to win all 3 games.
Could have a couple of teams out of the CL soon then… Lol
Might as well say goodnight. So I will…
Catch up tomorrow….
Don’t go Ricooooo ?
I’ll turn you, Rico…give me time, and you’ll be sending Flamini an apology Hahahaha.
Morning all.
I’ll add this last point, thou.
If the referee thought it was a foul, and he obviously did, why wasn’t it a red???
I mean, in these incidents, it’s all or nothing, surely.
I’m glad he didn’t, quite obviously.
Rick, it’ll be interesting to see how the Coaches rotate the youngsters…
Can Reine-Adelaide play in the Youth Cup?
Can Arteta play in the Youth Cup? ?
If Glen Kamara can’t get a start for Southend, then it don’t say a lot for his chances at Arsenal…
Wellington Silva seems to be doing well at Bolton, so is he gonna be the next player to seem as if he’s washed up at Arsenal, only to break into the squad?
Kev, Wellington has enormous talent…let’s hope he keeps his head straight because he may just be that next guy.
Yes he can Kev
I think it is possible that the team that plays tomorrow could also play in the youth cup with the exception of Iwobi (if he plays) and Plegeuzuelo. These 2 and Moore are now the only players too old to play for the U18.s
IF i was gatting I would play the younger players against the Chaves and the strongest team against the Spuds and for a change put winning before development
Can a lepard change spots??
Kev did you see that that the Ipswich fans gave Niles a hard time against Reading
Mick was livid and told them just what he thought of them saying he is a kid and cannot turn it all the time.
I gather it was his first bad game of his loan and Mick took him off at h/t
No Rick, I didn’t see that…
Mick McCarthy showed a bit of class there…
A bit different to Tony Pulis and Gnabry.
What has happened to Gnabry?
Flamini red card………… through what coloured spectacles ?????
He was miles ahead in the tackle, yes he jumped in and silly boy but it wasn’t ever a 50/50 he won the ball by miles which probably saved the bullshit red card… How many times do players commit far worse against us and get off scott free….. no excuse but can we please have some perspective and consistency..!
And………….. fuck the refs the media and the commentators……… when do they ever stick up for us…? bollox to the lot of em…!
Stick together for fuck sakes and we are Arsenal…… let em go piss in the wind
About time me thinks Arsenal fans got some perspective……………..
Is Arsene the man………….
do we have the right players……………
fuck the owner he’s a no mark bell end……
The most important part is the fans (yes thats us) get off their arses and support the fuckin club/team as thats all that really matters at the moment…
We all agree things aint right, the club is full of stuck up pricks running it BUT we can still win the league…. So who the fuck are you……………?
If you are proper Arsenal then stop fucking moaning and support the team and least give this a go, we ain’t got nothing to lose.
If all you wanna do is moan then you aint Arsneal at all, so fuck off elsewhere…. Been there done it 70’s 80’s and the rest I ain’t spoilt and yes i agree we have prima donna’s but really why keep on moaning when we have the best chance in years to finally win the league…………..
Get behind the team and shout for what you believe in…………….
It’s not about Wenger or this player or that its about The Arsenal………….. Enuff said.
Good morning lovelies and hunkies.
Wath, that was simply great. Not only on the Flaminigate but also on how AFC fans should support the club. At least I am not alone in thinking like that
For the full 90 plus minutes that the team is on the pitch they get 100 percent support but in the three hours journey home the rest of the surrounding circus comes into conversation. It’s impossible for it not to.
Morning Wath, Devil, Potter and all..
Wath, it was a red… 😉
Good morning Potter, Rico and all…
Dev- it is all but confirmed Allegri is about to take the chav job…
Another manager AW might struggle against…
The EPL will be interesting next season; AW, Pep, Jose, Klopp, Allegri
Morninng Ts. Perhaps Wenger won’t be at at the club next season….
Totally agree Potter, back and forth to the game is something entirely different and venting is the norm but when I look around at the fan base it’s just a constant moan…….. My comment wasn’t aimed at anyone on here as we all moan but we do it outside the confines of the “90” mins…. the fans that go need to get behind the team and be heard and when you look back at the some of the home games our supporters in the ground need to look at themselves they are embarrassing in my view, as I said the other week why go if your just going to sit there like a lemon…?
It really doesn’t take much to turn that place into a noisy ground and if you gonna vent and moan then as you say thats for the journey there and back.
Was only ever a yellow Rico 😛
Thankfully Wath, Kevin Friend agreed… 😉
Seriously though, a ref like Dean etc would have drawn a red with a big fat smile on his face. I’m all for strong tackles and to be honest, our lot don’t do enough of that but keep the studs down, that’s all I say….
Give the referee’s nothing as we all know what they are like towards Arsenal.
Wath, i need to see you queing up for the rat filled pies at Stoke next season. 😉 you moaner. lol
Wath is right. I have attended Roma-lazio games. I saw Inter-Juventus and the supporters were superb. AFC supporters are pathetic in comparison.
Ts, I used to enjoy a day out at the old Victoria ground it was always a welcoming place……. I’ll give the rat pies a miss thanx mate they are all your’s..!
Dev- sections of the tourist making the home games make the fans appear ‘pathetic’..
Some are filtering into the away games too this season as the usual die-harders are being squeezed out of attending games due to factors such as high rents, transport, lower wages etc
🙂 wath…
I think i won’t being going to Stoke again anyway..
WBA is another place of my list… Pulis has brought his stench.
Ts, every team has the “tourist” problem, did you see the pic of the 20 or so Chinese in their half chav half manc scarves on Sunday…? so who exactly were they supporting…? I said the other week the grounds have a proportion of fans there just to be seen at a game and that’s not Arsenal fans who have flown in from around the world I am talking about ppl who just go to a game because it the “thing” to do…. they are still a minority compared to the rest in the ground so there is zero excuse not to get behind the team and be vocal… many other fans are vocal and the only time we are noisy is at away games, the club like the happy clappy atmosphere it’s all very civil and jolly well that’s also bollox it’s football it’s supposed to be about passion getting involved how ever you can to support your team for 90 odds minutes..!
Everton always a good trip Ts….. You’d fit in well with a nice shiny shell suit..!
Morning Rico and all.
Wath, what I don’t understand is why the place is noisy for certain games, like when Liverpool, Utd, City and definitely the Totts arrive… Yet for other matches, the place always seems quiet..
Morning Adam.
Vela scored a peach of a goal last night. Funny enough, it was a chip…. lol
🙂 Wath, I jhave to come for scouser eloquence lessons from you to fit in… 😉
Rico, just saw that it looks very ‘peachy’…
Morning Adam
Wath agreeing me convinces me I am wrong hahahahaha
Great post mate, I absolutely live the passion and fire.
It’s something we should all have, and yes, I mean the guys on the pitch and behind the scene as well.
Morning guys.
The home crowd is an enigma. For most games many die hard long term supporters either sell or exchange their tickets but when the biggies come round they are there in force. For away matches I am told that the tourist foreign supporters clubs are getting tickets instead of people with lesser away credits. Is this diluting the noise levels further?
Morning TS.
Vocal support is part of a feedback loop. The crowd responds to the team and vice versa. It has been good on occasion this season but, for every Bayern Munich or Man Utd, there are a few Chelseas and Southamptons.
Potter, I don’t believe tourists are getting away games tickets….not unless they pay massive money for them.
I’m a rep for Arsenal Australia and I guarantee you we have absolutely no access through the club for tickets to away games.
We get between 6-12 (I think they’re the correct numbers) allocated to us for home games, depending on the Category.
That’s all.
Wath- I think the tourist at the bridge has increased alot this season for obvious reasons.
Someone tried to get me ousted from the Ems in 2008 for being too noisy… lol
Fulham use to have the biggest Tourist problem when they were in the EPL…; maybe they were given free tickets after spending a certain amount on kings road or Fayed’s harrods…
Or maybe it was due to the MJ statue…
kev, must have a few of those tickets somewhere…
Mesut Ozil, Mesut Ozil, I just don’t think you understand, he’s Arsene Wenger’s man, he’s better than zidane, we’ve got Mesut Ozil………happy to be back on HH
Wath big rallying call, when I watch on TV and hear the noise in the Brittania from the Stoke rugby football club fand and I watch the Ems then I wonder why it’s not noisy, we are winning the league and till may I won’t believe otherwise, the fans in the Ems needs to play their part, the players and the coaching staff also even we the fans watching from thousands of miles away, it can be done and it will be done
Long time Luznic, thought you’d abandoned us… lol
Ts, he’d do quite well for us, shame AW never signed him… lol
Scott- you obviously come from the wrong country…;)
I have been to 3 away games this season, including Leicester, WBA, Stoke…
The WBA,Stoke games had about 30% of the away fans being from South East Asia and the Yanks…
I have a skewed view of the Leicester game because Arteta played 😉 but Stoke and WBA games were awful not because of tourist; i hasten to add.
The atmosphere was dreadful and the performance was as toothless…
I wonder if the Arsenal fans approach each game remembering the last performance, especially if it’s been bad. Or do they start afresh with support and passion in their voice?
I have a feeling it’s the first…
Long time Luznic
Rico. To say that there hasn’t been a degree of predictability to the games this season would be stretching it. There are familiar patterns, like the rather drab first halves with the somewhat square play. Wenger hasn’t come up with many tactical surprises lately. 🙂
Can’t agree there Scott .I know that the Scandinavian clubs do well both home and away. Also I was with a French man in Catalonia watching the Bournemouth match who has been to more away games than I have in the last 2 years. Maybe due to their closer proximity they have better ties with the box office. Also if you read Untold-arsenal.com they are always talking about the allocation to the Belgian club maybe you need to shout louder.
Ginge a long time its been, find it hard always to post on HH technical issues most times. Hi Rico thanks to you I look up to something to read everyday,what happened on Feb 5 you kept me waiting all day till 6………smile everyone we’ve got Mesut Ozil…and Ollie G could be worse we could have Adam Llallana and Christian Benteke
Rico- i think there are some games (away games) that fans know they are going for a hard time…
Stoke for sure; Blackburn use to be another one; my last time at BB was on Santos’ debut when we lost 4-3. it was cold and wet.. right after the 8-2 lose to Yanited…
WBA use to be ok before Pulis showed his face..
for places like Stoke away fans feel very heavily policed. The police escort fans in and out of the ground…
Middlesborough was always one of my fave places. My first venture outside London as an Arsenal fan
Newcastle away is nice or use to…; mostly guaranteed win.
For Yanited games I have always part driven and so I haven’t sensed the despair on the train journey
The train journey in my view plays a part too…; the ones’ that are more than 2 hours long seem less nervy (if that is the right word…)
Adam, but isn’t that when the fans should help the team along? I know it goes both ways but someone has to start it…
Feb 5th Luznik? You’ve lost me there…
I meant The Ems really Ts..
New post is up now….
Potter, the supporters clubs do not get an allocation, that’s all I said and I can state that as fact.
These guys are getting them via unofficial avenues.
There is no way some supporters clubs would and others wouldn’t.
Ginge, again, tickets to away games are always available, but you pay a premium for them and whatever you think may be the case, it’s individuals arranging their own tickets.
Let’s face it…if a trip to London costs me 6-7 grand, what is $4-500 for an away game?
It’s a one off, so most proper Arsenal fans would pay it.
Let’s be clear, I never said there isn’t plenty of tourists at away games.
I see Scott- so fans get the tickets before coming down to UK? I didn’t know that…
I always though individuals sorted out tickets once down here…
I always sussed’ the prices were a premium though…