Morning all.
It was inevitable wasn’t it?
Here we are, just a day away from playing Manchester United at Old Trafford and the jibes, mind games or whatever else you want to call the comments by both managers and players, has begun.
The best has to be from our own manager about RvP:
Of course it’s strange for me to see him in a [United] shirt because for me he’s an Arsenal man. I took him when he was a very very young player. We have gone together through very difficult periods and he became a world-class player and for me he is an Arsenal player.
No Arsene, he’s not an Arsenal man, he left us and now he’s a Man Utd man, a true Arsenal man does not join one of our fiercest rivals, a club who most Arsenal fans despise.!
Moyes reckons he nearly signed Aaron Ramsey when he was Everton manager:
I was very close to signing Aaron. I had him and his family in my house but Arsenal beat me to it.
What a convenient moment to tell the world but there is a huge difference between having an offer accepted for a player and being close to signing him. Fergie told the world Ramsey had signed for the Mancs, but we all know what happened there!
The now Man Utd manager has also suggested he ‘passed over’ the chance to sign Mesut Ozil:
We weren’t close to buying him but something was mooted a little bit before that. We didn’t need that position at the time. I didn’t even say it was an interest, it was put to us and it was just something at the time we didn’t need.
Neither did we really ‘need’ him as we to have many a player for his position, but very very few clubs have a player like Ozil in his position and regardless of who you already have, players like our German don’t come along often, he is a true game changer. Moyes goofed, Wenger didn’t!
Then there is Rooney’s comments:
They must be sick of the sight of me.
I said before, it will be interesting to see whether they can maintain that because over the last six or seven years they have faded off. Certainly they seem in a better place. They seem stronger.
We know we will have to be at our best to beat them but we are capable of that. I have always enjoyed my games against them and it has always been a big game. Hopefully we can get the right result on Sunday.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
Not sure he is quite right about us fading off. Of late, we have started the season poorly, regrouped and had a good run in, so he’s wrong there. He may have enjoyed scoring against us in the past but right now, we are a very different side and he only has to watch a replay of the Dortmund game to see that we are capable of keeping the best of strikers quiet.
Aaron Ramsey has had his say on the upcoming game:
It is going to be another massive game – this was always going to be a big week for us and we couldn’t have got off to a better start. Hopefully now we can go to Old Trafford and finish the job off,” the Wales international said.
It would be massive [to beat United]. We are feeling really confident at the moment and we’re in good form in the league, so why not go there and win?
As has Szczesny:
It’s been a good week for us so far, two clean sheets and two results against two quality opponents, one away from home at one of the toughest venues in Europe, I believe.
Real Madrid got battered here [in Dortmund] last year so it’s a good feeling to come out of here with three points. We’re looking forward to Sunday and we’re going to try and make it a perfect week.
It would be an amazing week to get nine points out of the three games. Probably not a lot of people expected us to do so. There’s not a better time for us to go to Old Trafford, we’re confident, we’re enjoying our football, so we’re looking forward to it.
So are we Szczesny, so are we and we couldn’t be in better form ahead of our trip to Old Trafford.
Team news from the manager:
Flamini, I am quite confident will be fully available. Wilshere, we will see how he responds to his inflammation of the ankle.
It appears that Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski are being kept away from England and Germany respectively and who can blame the manager for that so soon are returning from injury. I strongly suspect Jack won’t travel up north either…..
One thing is for sure, whoever plays tomorrow will be up for this game, bring it on I say!
That’s it for another day, have a good one….
There’s a difference in the rhetoric , most of the United comments are harping on about things past whereas ours is about the present. Best thing is not to listen to the talk , get moving and do the walk.
morning rico,am glad that our manager has taken over the ming games putting pressure on Rvp as well as michael oliver, flamini should play and blind both rooney and rvp,I also say bring them on and they will wish they had Ozeel.
good morning
the same everywhere. Only lamentations and “crocodile tears”
Morning all, United have got what they wanted, a flagging side who are down the league due to bad management and bad play. But what they have got is publicity for their game of the season to the premiership leaders. Personally i would have let them shout their mouths off until after the game, and when we come away from old toilet with a win, just offer a statement to the press, that it was just a stepping stone for our quest for the league. As for Moyesy and his boasts about Rambo and Ozil what a load of old tosh. United the great club they think they are, crawl to Arsene Wenger to buy our 30 year old centre forward. So in fact the mighty Manchester United have crawled for us for help. Arsenal football club being run by benevolent charity oriented business people allowed them to take the best scoreing centre forward at that particular time to make United a one man team, who eventually took the title. This season we having finished the season with very few world class players left, Arsenal had to scour the world of football to find players to fit our system, where United’s incompetant manager couldn’t secure anybody bar one from his old club who has looked like a missfit.. And on reflection the great Wayne Rooney who tried his hardest to get away from Manchesters chains has been pressganged into another gut twisting year as a number two striker behind Arsenal reject Van Purse. Lets get these 3 points on board and move on..
we’ve gone to old trafford many times sprouting off we’re ready and left with nothing, lets get the points then fire some broadsides at the EX champions.
certainly a different way of looking at the events stevep1 🙂
Morning Oz,
Only one team in the league to worry about, and that’s our own.
Hi Rico, SP, Ozgunner, Potter etc,
A great result in Germany where the Press didn’t really give us much chance of a result, and now onto United who are starting to put a few results together. Should be a cracking game but I agree let the team do their talking on the pitch.
Morning guys.
Quick one to say hi as i am off for the night.
Have a great day and i will catch you all tomorrow.
Agag, should you log in,
My thoughts are with you, hope your okay and keeping out of harms way. look after yourself.
Must read!!! How arrogant RIP was in the dressing room when walcott refused to pass him the ball from ‘walcott’s book’
https://twitter.com/4FC86/status/399130456031252480
Good post rico,
Gm/Ga/Ge b/w wherever you are all Gunnersphere
Quietly confident we will win tomorrow
COYG!!!
Morning all…
I dislike Rvp even more now….
Very interesting Post, Rico, and highlights that ‘mind games’ have not gone with the red nosed one.
The difference from the Ferguson era is that most of the comments seem to have been made in a light hearted or superficial manner.
The remaining sour, self pitying mind games now only come from that weirdo Maureen who is simply pathetic.
Oh, and good afternoon to you. 🙂
Thanks Hb, it always happens when we play them,but at Potter said, their comments are bleating on about the past. Tomorrow is about the future and we need to batter them.
A sign of things to come hopefully…
Good afternoon all.
Here are some stats:
Arsene Wenger’s performance at OT:
01 … 1996/97 … 0-1 loss
02 … 1997/98 … 1-0 win
03 … 1998/99 … 1-1 draw
04 … 1999/00 … 1-1 draw
05 … 2000/01 … 1-6 loss
06 … 2001/02 … 1-0 win
07 … 2002/03 … 0-2 loss
08 … 2003/04 … 0-0 draw
09 … 2004/05 … 0-2 loss
10 … 2005/06 … 0-2 loss
11 … 2006/07 … 1-0 win
12 … 2007/08 … 1-2 loss
13 … 2008/09 … 0-0 draw
14 … 2009/10 … 1-2 loss
15 … 2010/11 … 0-1 loss
16 … 2011/12 … 2-8 loss
17 … 2012/13 … 1-2 loss
18 … 2013/14 … ???
Barring that aberration 2-8 defeat, we did not scored more than one goal at Old Trafford during Ferguson Era.
Arsene Wenger’s dismal record at OT:
– 3 wins 4 draws 11 losses.
– There are 2 no. 0-0 draws and 2 no. 1-1 draws.
From past trends fort eh last 18 seasons, we always will struggle to score at OT.
Will 2013/14 be any difference?
Is it just me? But the thought of signing Hernandez from ManUre (unlikely anyway) leaves me pretty well unmoved.
Yeah, he does ok as a super sub, but I think his goal scoring record, I believe, plummets when look at his record as a part of the starting XI…
I don’t want any ManUre cast-offs…
The now Man Utd manager has also suggested he ‘passed over’ the chance to sign Mesut Ozil:
We weren’t close to buying him but something was mooted a little bit before that. We didn’t need that position at the time. I didn’t even say it was an interest, it was put to us and it was just something at the time we didn’t need.
………………………………………………………………………………………
He did tries to hijack Ozil Deal at the very last second; but unfortunately, he tried to negotiate in English and not German.
Plus he was concentrating on getting Fabregas and Felliani and Baines and… whichever Everton players he tried to tap up.
True, he reckon he is short of a creative playmaker; but he knew nuts about Ozil and was never in the bidding for Ozil.
At OT, they were all commenting : “Ozil who?”
……………………………………………………………………………..
You can be assured that ol’ Rednose is still the Robert Heinlein “Puppermaster” with Moyes just a wooden Pinocchio.
Prepare for battle of OT III as Moyes will adopt his Puppetmaster’s tactic of physical intimidation and with Felliani as the assassin hacking down Ramsey, Ozil, Santi and Giroud.
I remember being at Old Toilet and seeing the Gunners win 2-0 with two from Alan Sunderland…
A repeat tomorrow would be nice, with two from Ramsey!
I quite like him Kev
Merlin, all that about Ramsey is in the post, one I guess you didn’t read….
Ok Rico, just for you……
I really rate that Hernandez…..
I hope we sign him in the January Window!!! 😉
Wonder how the Hairy Biker will do in Strickly this evening??? 😀
After the game on Wednesday, Adam and I had a deep conversation about the merits of Quick Step as compared to the Tango…
Whilst I have nailed my colours, firmly in the corner of the Hairy Biker, Adam leans more towards Abi Clancy.
Great strike Reading…
nice one as always, good read. thanks rico.
lets get behind the lads and come out of old toilet with all the three points.
up gunners
😆 Kev, he’s going home….
Two from Ramsey and two from Ozil 🙂
Thanks Fug, we certainly have the players to beat that lot…
Yeah Rico, I think that tonight, could be his lot… 😛
Never know with the English public though Kev 😉
I liked Rachel but never noticed what a poor dancer she was. As you know Kev I used to dance the authentic Argentinian tango for a living with my second wife Karen Hardwick.
Are you Mark Ramprakash in disguise Adam?
Unfortunately not Rico. I like one woman at a time. 🙂
Sort of.
Boo!! Hello, all. 🙂 Read the comments yesterday; I’m happy to say I am well. Thank you all for asking. 🙂 I’m still on hols, back in Manila n Monday.
Glad to hear you are well Agag.
You sure Adam? 😉
Hi agag, so good to hear from you…
Adam, once more, my admiration for your talents, knows no boundaries… 😉
Agag, you little tinker, we were all worried…
You on?
No a Rico. Not really. 🙂
You ok?
🙂 Adam…
I’m as well as can be, guys. Been monitoring the news, too. The hard-hit areas look as though a tsunami had barreled through them. 🙁
COYFRRBaggies
Agag, latest report, that 300-kph typhoon had affectedmore than 1-mil affected and alleged 80% of houses flattened at Cebu alone.
Disaster may be on the scale of X’mas Day Phuket tsunami.
President Aquino is mobilising about 15,000 military personnel; and Philippines certainly will need massive international disaster relief from ASEAN and global community now.
Chin up agag.
Truly awful agag, I feel for you all….. 🙁
rico says:
November 9, 2013 at 12:46 pm
I quite like him Kev
Merlin, all that about Ramsey is in the post, one I guess you didn’t read….
………………………………………………………………………………
Rico, I am all about Ozil which that Scottish haggis claimed he is “not interested”.
Ramsey?
We all knew that Ferguson and Wenger were battling it out to sign him with Everton nary in the picture whatsoever.
In fact, Wenger flew Ramsey to Euro2008 (Germany?) where he was a commentator and Ramsey was so impressed on what Wenger did and said that he decided to sign for Arsenal FC.
Even the presence of Ryan Giggs was unable to persuade Ramsey to sign for ManU then.
The danger for Ramsey is that he needed to stay grounded and shouldn’t let this instant fame gets into his head as Ramsey is still not the finished product and got 3 to 4 more years of development before he attained that tactical awareness of Fabregas and the languid and weighted passing skills of Ozil.
Ramsey is extremely lucky to have a bunch of worldclass midfielders in Rosicky, Cazorla and Ozil training daily.
Not forgetting a bunch of talented youngsters in Gnabry, Zelalem, Jon Toral, Olsson and Dan Crowley pushing for a spot in the senior squad.
And of course, when Walcott, Poldolski and OX fully recovered by December 2013 …..
Off out with the woofa now, back in a bit…
Merlin, I think Ramsey is well grounded, and on his current performances, I am not sure why anyone would question how good he is now, or how good he may very well become…..
Thanks for the update, Merlin. It looks pretty hopeless there. And Cebu is one of my favorite places in the Philippines.
rico, I agree with you, btw. RvP is NOT an Arsenal man. A captain does not jump ship.
COYFRRBaggies. Keep it up….
Rico, it is only the first flush of success for Ramsey and we will never know how it will go in the future.
The Brit Pack:
Walcott, Wilshere, Ramsey, OX, Gibbs and Jenkinson.
We will only know how grounded Walcott, Wilshere, Ramsey and OX will be when they approach their peak at around 23/24 year old.
I saw too much badge-kissing and too many of our youngsters at the initial flush of success, their heads turned and failed to develop to their full potential as Wenger saw in them.
After 8 long years and I saw this Brit Pack as Arsene Wenger finally realised his dream of a rebuilt 3rd team that will dominate English Football and Europe for decades to reach marquee status of the likes of Real, Barca, Milan, Bayern Munich and 1970s Ajax.
And that is Arsene Wenger’s obsession of hat “Ajax Model of team Building” which emulates the 1970s Ajax; and we are seeing the first green shoots and by Feb/march 2014, we will only hope it is the real deal, and not imploded like many heart-aches like 2007/08.
But you can only judge what you see in front of you and right now, Ramsey is playing very very well…
Sorry, but I can’t jump into your sceptical world right now Merlin, I’m enjoying how we are doing right now…
What the future will bring, no-one knows as you rightly say, so why worry about it?
What will be, will be…..
1-0 Chelsea Kev 🙁
Liverpool 4-0 up…..
1-1 Chelsea 😛
WBA 2-1 up 😛
Chavs get a penalty… After a blatant dive!
2-2 – diving cheats!!
As it’s so quiet, I’m off to enjoy my Saturday night…
Hope you all enjoy yours too…
Night all
wasn’t penalty…
A draw at the Bridge is a great result
Morning guys.
Chelsea player did exactly what Chamakah did to Arteta, took a stride off line to force the contact.
It was obvious, and that is the problem, because referees are blind to the obvious.
Still, a great result for us.
And there lies the danger for us with those divers at OT.
As Arsene Wenger said before, it is maturity and consistency that will win us the title.
Rico, pardon the SCEPTICISM AS “BEING THERE, DONE THAT”.
Since 2005/06, I had bragging that Arsene Wenger will rebuild this 3rd TEAM< his "first" team that he envisage how football should be played based on RInus Michels' Total Football, that you nurture a group of talented youngsters from Colney End Academy to senior squad …. with Henry as the FULCRUM then and Fabregas as he anchor.
Too many false dawns, the cruellest cut being he failed to strengthen in Jan 2008 resulting in our perennial Feb/march collapse, finished 3rd, 4 points off the top.
2010/11 was when we led the table going into December and then usual collapse, finishing a dismal 12 points off the top.
7 long years since 2005/06 going through that emotional roller-coaster ride, just case-hardened now against another "Feb/March Collapse".
Sure, it is most enjoyable and pleasantly surprise as this rebuilt 3rd Team continues to accelerate tot eh Top of the table, and if they survive November Slump, after seeing off October Blip, and remind Unbeaten throughout December and January; with Wenger strengthening the squad with two or three astute buys, then and only then I will say we are the real thing come Feb2014.
The key in winning the title is not 2013 – as long as we are still within touching distance of the To -, but really, in January 2014 as to how to strengthen the squad.
We failed in 2007/08 and 2010/11 simply due to one primary reason – either no funds to strengthen the squad further or his stubbornness in continue to believe in the squad and prefer not to strengthen to maintain the "special togetherness".
With the Brit Pack and German Spine, this TEAM are friends on and off the pitch with a certain camaraderie now.
"We defence as a Unit;
We attack as a Unit;
We are always talking to each other."
Philippe Senderos
Feb 2006 after 1-0 win at Bernabeau Stadium
That is that kind of "Special Togetherness" we are all seeing in this TEAM; friends on and off the pitch.
Dare I said that Ozil is that "Eric Cantona" Effect that transformed Fergie Fledglings into a title-winning side that dominated English Football for decades.
Mesut Ozil will have exactly the same effect on Wenger Wunderkind.
Arsenal are on top of the world right now.
5 points clear at the top of the Premier League, striker Oliver Giroud has been leading the line in inspired form.
However, back up striker Nicklas Bendtner has been sub-par and Lukas Podolski has been out injured.
Chief executive Ivan Gazidis today admitted that their isn’t sufficient back up in the forward position and Wenger may look to buy in January.
“We will see where Arsenal will be in January and whether or not the club will invest in another forward,” he told L’Equipe newspaper.
“Olivier Giroud won’t be able to go on all alone until the end of the season. We need to buy.”
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/arsenal-chief-executive-ivan-gazidis-confirms-club-are-looking-to-bring-in-a-striker-in-january/
Don’t really like that qualifier:
From one orifice: “…..whether or not the club will invest in another forward.”
And immediately contradicted himself by mouthing out of that orifice the sun never shine on: “Olivier Giroud won’t be able to go on all alone until the end of the season. We need to buy.”
@#$%@@ Just do it in January to strengthen the squad @#$% even if it is to spend 20-mil to buy worldclass youngsters for the future.
Squad needs strengthening with:
1 – RB (like when we bought Monreal in January)
2 – DCM as Arteta and Flamini is showing his age with frequent niggling injuries.
3 – Giroud will be physically and mentally exhausted by Feb/March due to “over-playing” like a certain Spaniard, who was overplayed and just dead on his feet by March during his last 3 seasons with us.
Merlin, we all know Wenger hates the January window,and if we are competing for the title come January, he may bring in a new striker.
If we fold before then, he will wait.
I have been of that opinion for a while, and it could very well explain the comments.
We need to take this game to United. Especially be disciplined not to give free kicks away in Rooney’s range.
Let’s hope the first team are mentally and physically switched on for this game.
We need to take this game to United. Especially be disciplined not to give free kicks away in Rooney’s range.
Let’s hope the first team are mentally and physically switched on for this game.
Our guys will be switched on, no doubt.
COYRRG’s!!!!
Morning all…
3-1, Aaron will FINALLY grab that hat trick!
🙂 Scott, I don’t care if it’s a 1-0 with us winning by an own goal, I just want all 3 points…
But, my true hope is that we absolutely outplay them and batter them good and proper!
Agree totally, Rico.
3 points and we send them out of contention!
We also show the “experts” that they know nothing.
Morning Rico and Scott. Are we playing today?
Morning Adam, I think so 😉
New Post up now….