Morning all.
One only had to tune into the Chelsea match at the weekend to witness diving at it’s best, or perhaps worst is a better word with Gary Cahill being the main contender for dive of the weekend. What a shocker yet no yellow card from yet another seemingly Chelsea supporter in charge of the whistle. No doubt at the back of his mind he knew that a further yellow card for Cahill would have resulted in an early bath for the England defender and that couldn’t happen could it?
Of course not as otherwise his previous two footed studs up challenge on a Hull player would have earned him more than just a yellow card.
Both of yesterdays matches showed many moments of naughtiness too, most of which slipped under the referees radar….
Yet on Saturday evening, around fifty four minutes into our game, Santi Cazorla was clearly tripped as he went through on goal, yet at no time, albeit in a split second, did I see the referee move his whistle towards his choppers. Ok, it mattered not as Santi went onto score a wonderful goal but had he not, I doubt if Mason would have awarded us a penalty kick as Cazorla, in untypical (if there is such a word) Spanish fashion, stayed on his feet and he should be patted on the back for doing so. He did get to take a penalty later in the game and what a cheeky one it was too. Had Messi or Ronaldo done that, the footballing pundits would have been in awe, however, our little Spaniard is on the end of a bit of stick for being so ‘disrespectful’. Doh!
Staying with the game and patting players on the back, Big Ollie was awesome. His headed goal was an unstoppable bullet and his second was a wonderful finish, one which he said was able because of the perfectly weighted ball from young Hector Bellerin, our right-back who looks to be improving with each game.
Next up for us of course is a trip to Anfield to face a side who are on an awful run and totally out of form. Looks like Brenda’s supermarket sweep back in the summer is not paying off. Good, long may that remain the case…
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a doubt for the trip to Anfield as reports suggest he’s suffered a groin injury. His loss will be a massive blow if true.
Finally, later this morning the draw for the Champions League knock-out stages takes place and yet again we are in one of the pots. Had we not collapsed at home to Anderlecht, our possible opponents might not not have looked so daunting.
However, we did and it does and we could draw:
Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Monaco, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Porto.
Be kind to us, please!
That’s it for Monday, have a good day fine folk….
New post up now…
Oh and cheers bud, I shall be there again some day soon.
Lee, Adam must pay.
Next time, Arsene is sitting next to him 🙂
Taliban.. Shame someone doesn’t shoot them all!!
Open invite Scott….. Adam did burn a Ramsey effigy though!
Rico, it must be a London thing 🙂
Lee, that’s bloody disgraceful news.
The world is just ridiculous.
80 kids shot dead by the Taliban in North West Pakistan……
Sunny but foggy and cold here in Cheltenham…
Me too Scott…..
Morning Adam, I’d hoped he was but looks unlikely now, well for now anyway. Maybe he’ll be working on his coaching badges at the same time as taking the mickey out of Redknapp and Carragher… Lol
Adam, no invite?
I’m hurt.
At least we’ll be able to understand Henry 😉
Cold and frosty Ts 🙂
Morning Rico, Brudder and all. Nice time had by all at the HHCC last night.
I thought Henry was coming back to the club.
£25M contract for TH14!
Hi guys.
Schneiderlin…please.
How’s the weather like down your patch Rico?
Well done TH14…
Morning Scott and Ts….
The great Thierry Henry….
Morning Rico ,Scott you ‘lurker’ and all…
Rumours are the saints have knocked us back from making a bid for Morgan.
Interesting how the saints have lost all games since his injury. Or maybe the opponents in the last 5 or so games are too strong.
Interesting Potter ‘re.Gilberto,I thought he refused to join last summer that was why Boro stayed…
Thierry Henry has announced his retirement from football.
He’s earned it.
Morning all
Great news re Gilberto….
Potter – I’ll have a look at that link and pass it on for further advice, thanks..
Morning all…
http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/12/some-100000-or-more-wordpress-sites-infected-by-mysterious-malware/
Is this why you went down the other day ? Can you get it checked in case we all have to change passwords etc. Have to say I don’t understand a word of it.
ARSENAL legend Gilberto Silva has revealed the club have invited him to join Arsene Wenger’s backroom staff to aid his coaching ambitions.
Progressive.
I’m off guys..
Stay safe folks..
Night all….
Don’t know about you rico but I haven’t been able to get a good nite’s sleep since nasty nic re-surfaced…..Maaaaaaaa !
I am Micko.. 😉
Very bad result.After dominating possession for the second half
we have conceded 2goals in the last 2mins to lose 3-1.
Ginge I have been told that Niles is in the team that were given 3 days holiday
because of the number of games they would be playing over xmas.
I agree with you he has had a very good season so far but to be honest I do not see him as a mid fielder, I see him as the Ox type.
Have you noticed Ollson has won his first full Cap. His last interview was very anti Arsene and Arsenal, referring to them as Him and They and could not bring himself to say thier names.
Its great to see Bellerin doing so well, now lets see Isaac do the same.
True, Rico,…true.
You burning the candle at both ends rico ?
Hi Micko..
Not sure I agree Scott, over here an offender stays in custody until a case has been proved either way, and that’s the right way imo. On such a charge, no person should have freedom. Not uni a judge and jury decides…
But I guess that’s a debate for somewhere else….
:d only if Roger.
Top post Roger.
Roger 6.35, i’m amazed you haven’t arranged the home-coming by now !!!
Rick – Niles has been superb this season. He deserves his promotion to the seniors.
Ross Barkley’s goal was top draw…
Shame about proceedings in Sydney.
Yes it is, Rico, and though the rights of the accused must be respected, until proven guilty at least, too often that overshadows the rights of the victim.
Scott, the press here say the same about the git being out on bail for murder. Shame it didn’t all end in just his death. Why an innocent has to lose a life in such a way is so very tragic…..
The law all over the world is an ass!!
The man in question was out on bail for accessory to murder….I believe his wife was the victim, but that’s just what I heard….and has also been in trouble for sending vicious letters to the families of killed Australian serviceman.
Nice to know the likes of him walk around as free as a bird.
Half Time Still 1-1 Come on Boys you need a win.
I have just seen a report of the siege Scott . One of the dead is the gunman
a 50 year old man these mad man are all over the world.
After 30 mins it is 1-1 ,Oconner the scorer.
Just seen on the news Scott, a sad day indeed…
Morning all.
Sad day down under…the siege did not end happily and it appears three are dead, though I believe one was the gunman, so I count two.
I said earlier, Australia has changed forever.
Thanks Eduardo, really great to see Hayden back…
Calm down Roger… 😉
Arsenal Under-21s team to play Bolton Wanderers: Macey, Johnson, O’Connor, Ajayi, Robinson, Hayden, Kamara, Iwobi, Zelalem, Crowley, Akpom
subs: Huddart, Smith, Sheaf, Willock, Mavididi.
wow just catching up in the CL draw, Im a bit slow today. I think I fancy a bit of Monaco! No pushover, but I think we are, strangely, favourites. Then I would like to think we’ll draw the winner of Porto v Basel in the quarters, followed by some semi final giant killing, and then taking the ultimate prize in a night of guts and passion and cries of theres only one Arsene Wenger! Its pretty much all mapped out for us 😉
Evening Rick – thanks…
Sure hope Hayden starts tonight, get him match fit and then in with the first team…
I have got my wish tonights team Macey,Johnson Oconnor Ajayi Robinson
Hayden Kamara Iwobi Zelalem Crowley Akpom
It looks like Isaac is D/M and he is Capt.
Niles is not in the squad
Evening Rico and the house.
Good read today Rico as was yours Scott.
Looks like our luck could be changing , not one of the big teams .
The U19s have been drawn away to Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of their Compitition.
Win that they play Zenit or Chelsea in the last 8.
Two big games for the lads this week .
Tonight the U21s play Bolton and on Friday the U18s play Reading in the youth cup.
I am hoping the likes of Hayden Niles and Oconnor will be in the teams, the youngsters could do with a pick me up.
Evening Kev, get you posh boy…. 😉
Evening Rico…
Just enjoying a cuppa in the Strand…
Very swish…
Evening folks..
Hi agag – I sure am, can’t stand the dippers..;)
Hi Ts – thanks….
Lol you love to hate those barca boys .Lol
I think if we go past AS Monaco we have a chance… 😮
Not a fan of diver boy, Neymar, Ginge, you know that. 😀 Not a fan of Rakitic, either. Not a fan of Iniesta or Xavi or Pique either. Heck, I don’t even like Messi. 😀 Haha.
rico, you enjoying the dippers’ misfortunes, I see. I am, too. 😀
Not Bar a.Neymar and Rakitic are looking impressive lately…
I am good, Ginge. 🙂 And you? Haven’t seen much of Monaco, tbh. But I think we would be up to the task, and should handle them well enough.
Hey Agag. How are you keeping lady?
Boo, Ginge!! 🙂 I was actually itching to play v. Barca. 😀 WOuld have loved to send them packing. 😀 Same with Munich, haha.
Good afternoon all.
Good read Rico. Monaco is a very nice draw especially with jardim in charge..He is definitely not a ‘hose’ at least ego wise..
Top post yesterday btw Scott. Still The boy wonder is shite. Lol
Eeeee!! A decent draw at last. 🙂 🙂
The two sides will meet at the Emirates on February 25, before playing the second leg at the Stade Louis II on March 17.
Monaco have a Portugese manager do they?!!!
Does that mean that the Monaco players dive all the time?
Monaco, marvellous! I shall apply for a ticket, an away ticket, I can’t afford to go to the Emirates! It’ll be cheaper to fly to Nice and back than travel to London. I’ll stay with Ms Wavy, she lives near to Monaco, overnight! Two birds with one stone! And it’s warmer there than here, even in February! Yeh, looking forward to it!
Who paid the cash to get the draw fixed like that??
Many happy returns of the afternoon, everybody everywhere.
Catch up later….
To balance the books Jm?
That’s the tricky part….
yes,Monaco.
I think we are lucky with the draw but they have also a Portuguese manager….
However, I think they will sell players on january
Monaco, a bit of luck at last…
Only have to beat them now… 🙄
Or maybe AW will have done some good business in January Wath… 😉
Night Scott, I see my 10:13 worked then… put the mockers on it and at long last we get a decent draw…! About bloody time to.
I wonder if we’ll have less than 10 injuries by then..?
Maybe Diaby will even be back… 😀
No, the posts..
Night Scott….
Off to bed now.
Fingers crossed the sieges here and in Belgium find a peaceful ending.
Night fellow Gooners.
What, on Santi hahahahaha
I think we will too Scott… 🙂
Thanks but I don’t agree lol
To the post…..nice on, Rico…..better than yesterday’s tripe 🙂
Santi…..I was massively impressed he didn’t take the fall.
You know my thoughts on that crap, and the little fella copped a big thumbs up from me.
Oh we will be winning it 🙂
Scott, it’ll be good just to get passed the final 16 for once if we do, if AW now goes and signs two defensive players in jan, who knows how far we might go…
So that’s why Wenger allowed Anderlecht to fight back and draw with us.
If we topped the group we’d have copped Juventus 🙂
Rico, if we copped Bayern again, questions would have to have been asked.
I say we need to beat them all to win anyway, but still, the odds were just way, way too long for us to cop them again.
Psg v Chavs…. Nice 🙂
Mind you, I bet it’s fixed…. 😉
Arsene wanted Monaco….
For once we get a half decent draw…
Monaco.
We have our chance.
Sky Sports are so anal…..
Morning all.
The Mail reported on Saturday that Sanogo doesn’t want to gogo….
Monaco Wath…
Adam, I think the SS’s CL show starts at 11..
http://www.theweek.co.uk/football/premier-league/61787/arsenal-offer-sanogo-as-bait-in-bid-to-land-brazilian-midfielder
When is the draw?
Barca or Bayern then………..
Morning…..
You all know we getting Barca, Real or Munich, It’s a done deal…….!
Morning again all…
I hope t’s one of those three Brad, perhaps Porto or Monaco would be better for us…
Morning all,
3 winnable opponents in Atletico, Monaco and Porto.