Morning Gooners,
So, we are now one down with three to go, competitions that is as if you didn’t know.
Out of the Carling Cup at the hands of Manchester City, who just so happen to be the leaders of the Premier League. As far as the game went, we handled ourselves quite well, animosity was prevalent as it would be with Samir Nasri included in the City line up, a very hostile reception was received from the once loved Frenchman from the Arsenal faithful.
What do you expect when you have turned your back for a few Dollars more.?
Arsene Wenger decided to rest van Persie, as he wants to save him for more important occasions in the coming months which is something I find unacceptable.
All season we have struggled for a replacement for van Persie and the other strikers we have, have not been able to hold a candle to him, so this result has not come as much of a surprise.
Most supporters were expecting a bigger defeat and thought that Tuesdays Carling Cup tie was always going to be a bridge to far. So what’s the point of having the leagues highest scorer, yet leave him sitting in the stands in a nice warm jacket or should I say cotton wool?
Granted he won’t get injured there but he was absolutely no use to us what so ever!
This competition has been used by the top teams as a training exercise for their second stream players as it’s never been recognised as a major trophy, so that being the case, is this just a money-making scheme to con supporters out of their hard-earned money?
Many times throughout the season I hear managers say that the players are exhausted, too many fixtures are played, the season to long and we should have a break during the Christmas period like they do overseas so surely this competition should now be dropped from the Premier League calendar. Let the lower divisions fight it out or pass it down to the reserve league?
In my eyes if a competition is not worth putting your first eleven in the firing line, then it’s not worth a place in the fixture lists. I doubt 60,000 fans would turn up for a reserve game but anyone that wants to watch second string players could do it at half the price.
I understand that not every player can play out the whole season but when top players are dropped or rested whatever term you care to use, it makes me wonder how we go to work everyday as a matter of course? We don’t have substitutes to do our job for us if we feel tired do we?
If we don’t turn up we don’t get paid!
These players work a three to four hour day where you and I, even part-time you work longer hours than that and if you get injured do you get paid for if you’re out for a year? No, me neither.
I struggle to see how playing in two 90 minute games a week could exhaust an eighteen to 28-year-old but then I am not a top athlete.
It’s also strange that we retire at 65 or for others its 70 and they retire in their 30’s – and usually as millionaires at the top flight of the game!
Football is so tough now isn’t it, no wonder they earn so much!!
Written by Steve Palmer
A little snippet to finish with and no, it’s not about anyone linked to us today, it’s about Jack Wilshere and Jermaine Defoe.
The rivalry between us and the noisy neighbours has stepped up after Jermain Defoe pledged to match Jack Wilshere’s £3,000 donation to charity if the we finish above them this season.
Wilshere voiced his challenge on Twitter last week and challenged the Tottenham fans, saying he would donate the cash to charity if they finished above us in the league come May. However, Defoe responded yesterday morning:
‘hear that @JackWilshere I’ll take on your bet 3g to charity if spurs finish above arse if not all my arsenal followers send me £1 for charity’.
Good for them both I say – whatever happens, charity will be the winner………..
Have a good day all……
It was only £10 for a ticket
Morning all – good post Steve..
I’d miss the CC, it’s a great competition that helps the younger players to progress and gives them a chance on the ‘big stage’.
It’s also chance for fans to get to see the team and at a much reduced cost. I’d be really sorry to see it go IF it did.
Also, it got us to Wembley last season and we haven’t been there for a while 😉
Re RvP, he needed a rest and all it did was highlight that we need a proven striker added to the squad. Chamakh has had his chance and sadly he has not failed to disapoint… Sell him and buy a striker who will make a difference…
quite simple answer really. Wenger feels a top four finish is a bigger trophy than winning the carling cup..
Mate, i think you are being a little cynical regarding Van Persie. Wenger has to juggle the squad and ensure others play occassionally in case VP is injured and also try to protect him against knocks.
You say that you wouldn’t get paid if you didn’t turn up for work but the likelihood of you sustaining a stress fracture or a muscular injury from being in the pub or sat on a train is highly unlikely so you can’t compare the situations.
If RVP played the other night and got injured everyone would be up in arms that he played. I don’t bother going to CC games because they aren’t included in the ST and i know it’s going to be a shadow team. I make Wenger right in prioritising.
Hi stonroy, and that’s because of the money it brings – maybe if he spent some of that money on a striker to help RvP, we’d get top four at a canter and to be honest, with a goal scorer in the squad on tues, we’d have won…….
I think he will in Jan…
Hi Steve – I agree re RvP, he needed resting, had he got injured we’d all be asking why he was risked….
Morning guys….I don’t feel so good. Got the FLU!
any remedies rico…..am dripping here!
Hot lemon goonster, or a tott of whiskey but you are off the stuff 😉
A hot toddy is a mixed drink, usually including alcohol, that is served hot. Hot toddies (such as mulled cider) are traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet or cold weather. They were believed to help cure the cold and flu, but the American Lung Association now recommends avoiding treating the common cold with alcoholic beverages as they cause dehydration.[1]
Traditional Scottish preparation of a hot toddy involves the mixture of whisky, boiling water, and sugar or honey. Additional ingredients such as cloves, a lemon slice or cinnamon (in stick or ground form) may be added.[2]
Depending on preference, the cloves and cinnamon stick can be removed before drinking, although leaving them in is often said to make a toddy even better for clearing a blocked nose and relieving a head cold.[citation needed]
The traditional English variation uses black tea instead of plain hot water.
That sounds just awful….. yuck…..
Thanks guys but I think I ll stick my mama’s remedy. Its eeky but hey always gets the job done. Didn’t go to work by the way.
Every cloud then goonster…. 😉
Looks like Martin O’Neill is to be the next in at Sunderland, he won’t want to keep Nik….
Martin o neil hates arsene,don’t he? Great another one who’s got a problem with leboss….oh well bring them on says I?
Diaby out,rosicky too but gibbs is training. Things are beginning to look up for us. All we need now is for bac and wilshere to come back and we ll tear the league a new one.
Goonster, you got the flu??????
That’s what you get when you mix birds with booze!!! Flu is infective and you got that by kissing mate. Liqour lessens the immunity system and voila Goonster is stuck down by flu.
Abstinence is the key Goonster….not mama’s yukkkkyyyy recipe.
BDW….Morning all you guys and chicks of the Gunner’s faith.
Good write up Steve.
I would have gone as far as to mention Stanley Matthews who finished playing at 50 something. He was still a winner and when the tackles were real tackles he just put his head down and got on with his job.
you could see most of the team against norwich were fffd. so to expect most of them to play again is a joke. look at liverpools best player lucas(out for the season, so their season is done for) the swansea team lost players and manu lost some players; more players were lost also. so you cant play tired playes to play twice. i enjoyed relying on ox to do something special he huffed and puffed and it was great to see his skills. its stupid to use 11 players through out the season. against olypiacos will be great to see ox again and hopefully diaby and rosicky with frimpong and coqolin and arshavin(who i want us to sell)
but ox was great. when he gets mature or does some weights i have no doubt that he will be bigger than any winger in the prem
Dude I ve got two days to go….two days and I ll drink all the liquor here on God’s green earth.
I got a feelin’ we’re gonna get a new recruit or two in Jan…
Hi dan, welcome – Diaby and Rosicky are both out injured….
Morning DG
Lee – i’m with you one that, also think one or two will leave…
Lee I hope so but knowing wenger….we ve got to sell before we buy. A part of me thinks he won’t…hope its just the FLU though cause we really need a proven goal scorer…..welcome dan to HH where its ok to disagree…..’cept when you step on mu toes. Hahahaha am just messing around with you men…but you are welcome.
Goonster……. HH’s very own PR Officer and Markettng Manager 😉
Stan what’s the use of not drinking for a week and then drinking like a savage to make up for it…..? Think I must have words with your Mum as she needs to kick ur arse as you def need looking after….!
Dortmund announced yesterday that they brought in gotze’s replacement paving the way for him to us in the summer.
hay rico i said hopfully. hay man were is your faith in rosicky getting fit.lol
WATH its cause I wasn’t drinking I got the FLU! What do you think might happen if I give up drinking altogether?
WATH, often keeps his blood topped up in his alcohol stream…. 😉
Good one lee…..hahahaha. WATH is crazy.
Goonster needs to be tied down to a chair so that he would abstain for more than a week from liqour and birds
We will try to have a word with mama Gonnerina about her wild offspring.
Did you say that George Best was your role model Goonster???
Players will leave and players will come in Jan.
And yes even though we lost on Tuesday I will still put out the same team, bar Chamack. I would have put AA in his favourite place. I still see the Carling cup as a better bet than the reserve league to put forward young players like OX, Frimps, Coq, Miguel.
I have a feeling that one day we will win it with a team full of homegrown players. That would be a great achievement.
Incidentally……..Why not put Bould in charge of the Carling cup team?? Now that would be a great idea. Grooming kids but more importantly grooming a future manager.
How lucky is Steve Bruce?
He lost his job on the last day of November, luckily all department stores on 1st December are looking for a fat twat with a big red face and some experience of wearing red & white!
Hi Wath, just got up 😉
dan, Rosickiy yes, he’ll be fit but it’s Diaby i worry about 😉
goonster, Ajax have also a replacement lined up for Vertoghen 🙂
Provisional Squad for tomorrow: Szczesny, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Santos, Song, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho, Walcott, Van Persie, Fabianski, Djourou, Benayoun, Frimpong, Arshavin, Chamakh, Coquelin.
Rosicky and Diaby out again. Just heard on the grapevine that the latter pulled his hammy while trying to cut his toe nails and had to stretch more than he is accustomed to.
I won’t hold my breathe maam….we ve got 4 decent CBs don’t think we ll be getting any for a long time. DG, did you said george best? No way I hate every thing manure! Can’t stand them just like Rico can’t stand the dippers! I hate Ferguson!
No Park again?? Bizarre….
*say
Yossi Benayoun has admitted that he was ‘surprised’ at being chosen as Arsenal captain for the 1-0 Carling Cup defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday.
The Israeli skipper, who signed on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Chelsea in August, captained a fairly experienced side which included the likes of Lukasz Fabianski and Laurent Koscielny.
However, boss Arsene Wenger opted to hand Benayoun the captain’s armband instead – something which he certainly didn’t anticipate before the cup clash.
“The truth is I did not expect this, but it was a nice moment. When the line-up was revealed at the hotel (a few hours before the match), I saw the letter ‘C’ next to my name; I thought there was some mix up. But overall it was a nice experience”, Benayoun told Israeli radio station Non Stop 103.3FM.
“It was nice to be captain for the night, but what matters most was the result and eventually we lost the game.
“It was the first time I played as captain in England. It’s a great honour, even though I’ve only been at the club for a short period while there are players who have played here for a few years, I still got the armband. But for me it’s more important to work hard and get more opportunities in the Premier League”.
WE SHOULD DEFINATELY SIGN YOSSI……..HE IS A HEALTHY VERSION OF ROSICKY AND WILL BE GOOD TO HAVE AROUND THE DRESSING ROOM AND ON THE PITCH.
Goonster, Vertonghen can play right back, left back, centreback and defensive midfielder.
And he does not play with birds and booze mate. Got my drift????
So can kozzer JD and the verminator….we need a new striker you guys not another CB.
We do need another striker mate. I agree with you . But Vertonghen is a player we should definately get. He is Petit mk 2. He is a ball playing defender/midfielder.
The Rosicky injury is a funny one, call me an old cynic but, he’s suddenly become injured after the Woolfsburg story broke….
Maybe there is truth to it and Wenger/Rosicky are making sure that he stays fit for the deal to go through….
can’t see Yossi going back DG, especially after the 5-3 comments 🙂
goonster, we need Vertonghen and a striker, obviously the most important is a striker but we need cover for LB too JV would be perfect….
So that must mean that Rosicky, AA, Chamack, Bendtner and Squilli going off in Jan. That’s 5 players out. Unless they are replaced by quality we will not improve.
I know it may be fantasy but if its true that we get Podolski, Gotze, Reus and Vertonghen then we would be in a strong position.
Seems as if those who want to give all for the club are sprouting now………Chesney, Frimpong, Yossi, Miguel, Wilshere.
Their demanour and aura are already leaving a great impression and their character walks before them. You can see it by their pride.
Look at the photo where Frimpong is sticking his middle finger to Nasri. Frimps….standing upright, straight backed with an almost devilish gladiator stare while Na$ri is hunched and walking away.
Frimps and Chesney’s body language is saying “This is our club. Dont yo dare mess with it” Much the same as the body language of past players like Campbell, Adams, Keown, McClintock, Bould, Bergkamp.
But which of those have really contributed, Rosicky is prob the only one.. It just means others will get more chances, like Oxo, Yossi, Coq and a couple more of the younger ones and if Tues is anything to go by, they’ll certainly work darn sight harder….
I’m going off Podolski, Remy would be better 😉
Well sorry to burst your bubble guys but we need a proven goal scorer not a CB/DM type player. We ve got coqpong(no pun intended) who are growing exponentially….buying a CB/DM ll only stunt their growth besides I ll rather have a real DM in the middle of the park than a makeshift DM. Gotze and remy for me. Ashavin and chamakh to leave.
It’s been a long time coming DG and we have a few more waiting in the wings too, Lansbury being one…..
Lee – only just seen your 11.24 😆
DG were you a gooner when adams,bould and keown marshaled our back line? Cause you come across as a johnny come lately*tongue out*
goonster, we all know that we need a striker, that’s the must, JV is just the ‘in an ideal world’ we would also sign……..
DG, you missed Rocky, MT and Paul Davis out of that list along with a cetain Mr Steve Williams…! We’re Arsenal don’t fuck with me or my team mates….! Exactly as it should be…!
I’d take Vertonghen and Reus now in Jan and get Goetze in the summer and get rid of the rest of the deadwood ASAP and we’d not be far off in my opinion….!
Lee, I have far to much blook at the moment hence I got that delivery of GG beginning of the week 😉
Stan, your a big tart…. bit of flu and your crying like a big jessie…! Get some whisky down ya tell ya Mum it’s strictly medicinal and you’ve decided that your a bit of a drunk and from now on your only gonna drink on friday nights only and only a max of 3 beers or two spirits……..! There’s a good lad…..!
😀
Lee you crack me up…..hahahaha
WATH, what are you saying fella? You told me months back to lay off the booze now you re pushing me head first into it again? Dude what happened to ya? Am worried about you men.
Good post Steve, hi to all. I think it’s hard to relate to footballers and what tires them out because we are not top sportsman. There is the science to prove that a run of games to close together can affect fitness, however much we dislike this. The problem is more one of their spare time and what they do with it. More charity events and or work for the club would go a long way!
For me RVP should be able to be rested if we need to it comes down to the manager and having a strong enough squad to cope…regards to strikers I am afraid he fails miserably at the moment.
I agree Rico. Lansbury has not lived up to expectations. I would have liked it if he did but unfortunately no. But Coquelin, Frimpong, Oxo, Miguel, Jenks will be there and will make it. But they will still need time to do it gradually. We have Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott, to join them and suddenly the team is looking strong. That is I am leaving out RVP, TV05, Kos, Bac, Merts. They all have ARSENAL blood in them.
Stanley, listen to Dr WATH’s orders!
Goonster…..I was a gooner when you were not even in your mama’s and papa’s creed. Not even your nappy was created yet.
I remember Alan Ball, McClintock, Brady, Rix, O’leary etc.
Hey DG, avoiding my “sting” ain’t ya? Well?
I can’t lee. Am confused. One minute he wants me to lay off the booze the next he’s telling me to jump right in….it makes no sense. DG, you know alan ball? Who’s he?
Hi Sam – that’s my view too, you can’t play a player all season and in every fixture, that counts for any of them, if those who are there to rotate with aren’t good enough, who’s fault is that?
But, until the transfer window opens, wenger can’t do much about it, just hope he does when it opens…
I think he hoped Park and Chamakh would step up….
Can we apply for a work permit for Campbell in Jan??
We can rico since its not in the same year but I ll rather he stays back and gain more experience and playing time. Just like I would have been happy had ryo gone on loan too.
It seems Lee that poor old Stan gets very confused these days…. I tell him to drink a whiskey to cure his flu for medicinal purposes only of course and he understands that to mean I am telling him to drown his liver… That is not what I said at all….
Whiskey to cure your flu Stan and then I suggest your Mum kicks your arse and only allowes you to drink ONE evening a week…! Fridays only…!
Is that better for you to now understand 😉
goonster, i’d rather he did too, just think about what Wenger might do, if he can get him a permit i think he will….
Yeah maam but he’s gonna end up sitting on the bench for long spells hoping for robin to get injured or burn out. And when he’s eventually handed his opportunity and fails in his first few games fans will get on his back. We ve seen that repeat itself over and over again over the years. He’s better off on loan.
Very funny WATH and I don’t live with my ma…..sheeesh what can a guy do to get a bit of respect around here.
good morning,
The press says today our interesting in Leandro Damião.. He is a young and godd player, but expensive.
Sporting Lisboa has a dutch good central forward. Was cheaper but is price now grow up.
Now, i’m commit to tomorrow match. In my mind no other score than our victory. But last year, I’ve prognostic the same and the scored was different.
Leandro who? All in the papers JM. Won’t happen this side of judgment day.
I’d rather have a european striker JM, far quicker to settle and know the pace of the game better, we need someone to come in and score goals straight away which is going to be a hard task for any new signing.
Afternoon all,
It appears you all have no problem with us being kicked out of the CC for the want of a striker, im sorry but we have one of the best strikers in the league and he doesn’t play. That was for a place in the semi final not the first round, playing against supposedly the best team in the league. will it be alright to risk RVP tomorow against high flying Wigan or is it to much of a risk. Bugger me is he a footballer that needs a nursemaid or is he a top striker that will help us win trophies. Play him or sell him dont pay and save. Stan get yourself down the doctors and get yourself checked out i have heard of a few thats come back from holidays abroard with things that affects the imune system with flu like symptoms, you may need a little Aid’ssssss
Afternoon JM & Steve
Arry wants Drogba 😆
Steve – i didn’t like us going out of the CC, not one bit, the blame falls on Wenger for not having built a deep enough squad – we should not be relying on one striker to perform each game…
David Villa, he’d score for fun in this side 🙂
What competitions can we use VP in then Rico
I ain’t happy about loosing the the manc arabs Steve but nor do I think playing Robin would of mean’t us winning, I do think wenger missed a trick that playing 4-4-3/4-4-1-1 he should of played AA with Park or Chamakh for sure it’s AA’s best position to sit in behind the striker in a free role, RVP does need a rest with the burden of games on him if your only gonna say we should of played RVP then really we should of played the 1st eleven..? No..??? Agree our poor overplayed players are spoilt rotten they played 60/70 games a season in the 70’s/80’s and on far worse heavier pitches and they didnt need a “rest”…. the football world we live in dictates these situations am afraid and if wenger had of bought a decent striker in the summer we would not be discussing resting RVP or not being a factor on loosing to the ragheads of manchester…!
PL, CL and FA Cup Steve, it’s not only RvP though, many players needed a rest, our fixture list is now hectic until after the New Year…
We rested Song, Arteta, Theo and Ramsey – the difference was though that those who came in for them played well, Chamakh and Park were poor….
Wath I’m sure like me you played football and played two or three games a week while also doing a full weeks work elsewhere ,granted not to this level but we played or i did where it cost me to play i paid my subs each week and took the chance of being injured because i loved the game, I wanted to play every round of every competition and got the right hump if i was dropped, but never for being tired playing and winning was what kept me playing. I won one final got to a few finals but only won one trophy but i wouldn’t have it any other way and i wouldn’t have changed anything. and i got paid nothing.thirty odd years of playing for just the love of the game. and they want rest.
Steve, if you mean the players attitudes I agree, most of them stink , people like Nasri are so far up their own *rse they think the world revolves around them. Having said that in the current game the margins are so close between the teams that 10% extra from being rested can make the difference.Rotatip should ne the answer but of course that conflicts with form…..who wants to rest a player who is performing consistently…
Hi Gooner Sam, I want whats best for The Arsenal, in twenty odd years time when our grandchildren read the record books i hope they will be happy that the Arsenal team of today were not put on to much, and how we always saved our players and nearly won some thing.
I think it’s down to RvP’s history of injuries, had he not have suffered so much over the years i bet wenger would have started him on tuesday. As you rightly point out Steve, he’s the in-form striker in the PL, why should he not play.
Steve you are a legend for telling Goony that he should go do some checkups. He should get his memory checked also…does not know flaming red headed ball.
Personally I would rather play the second string as I said earlier and youths then play the first team in the CC. I think that it is an opportunity for those who are not first teamers. And my wish is that we win it with a team made up fully with players produced from our club.
rico, methinks I ought change avatars! This one looks like someone who, when asked whether what I made for dinner was any good, says “Ermmm… Yes.”.
or
“Eeek.” 😉 😉
Steve, I’m ambivalent on having played van Perfect. While I would have loved to see him; AW’s hope must have been, like all ours, that Chamakh or Ju would score. Alas. If he is handled with kid gloves, it is for good reason. He hasn’t exactly had a continued run injury-free, has he?
😆 agag – leave it to me 😉
Hello, DG, your comments re: goonster made me laugh. 🙂 How are you? goonster, maybe your ails are withdrawal symptoms. I do think you drink too much. 😀 Hello, Gooner Sam. Hola, WATH. 😉
There, that is so much better, rico. 🙂 I like this weird green blob with lipstick. 😉
Thanks Agag. I like leading Goony a merry dance. Paying him back for taking the mickey out of me when I was new to this sight. Poor bloke, he does fall for them or worse…..walk into knots himself.
🙂 agag
DG, you little rascal 😉
Hi Ricolicious, When a player is injured or absolutely Knackered i would agree to rest him. Robin since he has been with us, has had many seasons of rest, i personally dont think Robin is being over stretched, but i am not the one sitting him out. I have said in the past, that if players are being used too much rotate them at a couple a game, or play them for the second half only. I knew and everybody else knew that our other strikers were not scoreing goals so why leave him out completely makes no sense to me whatsoever. It seems to me that the carling cup was a sacrificial lamb as we were maybe never going to beat City, but the shock was that we could have won that game and should have, the second sting will move onto the first team soon enough and players will emerge that will be our next stars but to give up before we start i find hard to take. In my eyes you give your all for every game and we should only change players for a tactical reason, rest is not one of them.
Rico, can I send you a photo to make my avatar??? I do not know how to do it? Can you kindly help me please???
And with snowfall, too, rico. I like!!! Have you been going through WP tutorials? 😉
DG, so many “doctors” here dispensing advice now. Allezkev, M.D. would be in good company when he logs in. 😀
JM, is this Damiao any good?
Popping off, won’t be long….
Hi Devil Glad it made you smile, Stan always puts a smile on my face.
Hi Agag, would be nice to see you on the side in a nice bikini an Arsenal one would be perfect.
nigel Winterburn interview to footballfancast
As part of NIVEA FOR MEN’s ‘The Great Football Experiment’ , the Gunners’ Legend Nigel Winterburn played in a team of England legends against Sunday League side Ivory FC. The ex-Arsenal star took time out to answer some questions about his former club and the season ahead.
FFC: What have you made of Andre Santos’ start to the season?
NW: “The problem he faces, which is inevitable when players come to play in the Barclays’ Premier League, is that people are very quick to judge. We also look at the weaknesses very quickly; I think Santos is a terrific player going forward. He’s accomplished on the ball, obviously people are looking at him and saying that his weaknesses are that defensively he doesn’t look very stable but I’d like to judge that over the course of the season and not over eight or nine games. I think it’s too early to judge. What I will say is that he is very very talented on the ball; defensively there are still those question marks around him but let’s see what happens come the end of the season – he has the potential to be a very good buy for Arsene.”
FFC: Would you agree that the development of Kieran Gibbs has been a little bit disappointing considering the promise he showed a few years ago?
NW: “Well I think it’s a bit of a situation for Kieran Gibbs to be honest because I think if you look back a year and a half ago I was expecting him to be really pushing Gael Clichy for a spot in the Arsenal first team but he’s had so many injuries and I think as a young lad who in the past has played further up the pitch it’s not natural for him to be playing at left back and he needs to learn the defensive side to his job. But if you’re not spending time out on the pitch and you’re not spending time out in training against real top quality players you never get that chance to learn and develop from your mistakes. He’s still at a fantastic club and has a lot of time ahead of him but he needs to somehow get over these injury problems that he seems to keep picking up.”
FFC: Obviously it wasn’t a great start to the season from Arsenal but their form has picked up, what do you think they can realistically achieve this year?
NW: “I’ve heard lots of predictions about Arsenal: that they’ll finish in the bottom half of the league, that they won’t get in to the top four. They’ve come back with a terrific run, what you have to say is that Arsenal have been a top four team for a long time and that has to be what they’re aiming for again. Usually think to yourself if I’m in the top four around Christmas then at some stage during the rest of the year you’ll get a chance to challenge for the title. Arsenal have been there a couple of times in the last few seasons and haven’t gone through with it. It’s so competitive this year, especially when you consider Tottenham’s form. It’s so early in the season and we do get carried away with that so let’s just see how things develop but I think if Arsenal don’t finish in the top four Wenger will be very disappointed.
FFC: Do you think a top four finish would be enough to convince players like van Persie and Walcott to sign new contracts?
NW: “Well I think it also depends on the transfer window in January and in the summer. I think that when you look at those players, particularly Robin van Persie with the way that he’s playing at the moment, they’ll want to see some more real quality players coming to the club. I can understand why he’s not signing at the moment. I think he will stay if Arsenal sign the right type of players and sees the right kind of development at the club. He’s worked under Arsene Wenger for so long and they really respect one another.”
FFC: Finally, which one of Arsenal new signings have you been most impressed with so far?
NW: “I’d have to say Gervinho. He’s got loads of energy, terrific pace. Over the last couple of weeks people have said that his finishing hasn’t been great but the signs are there that he’s a creative player. I’m not sure that he’s going to get 15 or 20 goals in a season but he could quite easily get 10 or so and he’ll get plenty of assists. I think he’s started his career well at Arsenal.”
Winterburn, who made 440 appearances for the Gunners, won three league titles, two FA Cups, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup whilst at Arsenal. Nigel was talking to Football Fan Cast at a match between an England legends team and Ivory FC – a conference side under the management of Terry Venables and Ray Wilkins. Although starting brightly and controlling the game early on the England team eventually went down 2-1 to the younger, fitter and better organised Ivory FC.
Nigel Winterburn was speaking at NIVEA FOR MEN’s ‘The Great Football Experiment’ match between Ivory FC and a England legends XI.
Steve, I recall a time when I was still a 17 year old playing with the under 19. We played a semi against one of the best and top teams in the land. No one gave us a chance, however our coach prepared us so well that we went out and gave quite a good account of ourselves. We gave them a good game, a good amount of whacks, albeit not dirty ones, and showed them that even though we were not favourites as they were we were not going to roll over and loose. With 5 minutes to go we were still playing in their own half and might have scored. We eventually lost on penalties however the fact that we drew 2-2 and went to penalties made us heroes in my village. And we were only the under 19 in a little unknown country in football.
This puts last Tuesday’s game into perspective. Even if we had put all the players who had 21 years or less I would still have expected to win the game.
Football is a game played 1% by the feet and 99% by the head.
I still would play young ones in the cup. And as I said earlier, why not give the cup to Bould to coach???
Afternoon gooners,
Spurs are a charity case, end of.
Rico, I thought Theo needed head & shoulders!! 😆
Micko, gd afternoon.
Who’s a charity case??? the spuds, scum, shit lane you should say. No mentioning of their name please
Like my short-lived avatar looked to have been saying, Steve: “Eeek!!!” 😉 😀
Now is the time for AA and Chamakh and Ju to find form. Robin can’t keep on saving the day.
Devil, it must have been a bit dangerous playing football in those days what with all those pterodactyls flying about !
agag: Damião will be next year in one of the biggest european clubs.
I just watch him once and he is good. He has class.
And we used to play on hard ground Micko. It was dangerous…..but we never complained. We used to have pterodactyles dont worry, even though the age of dinosaurs was over. But we always played because we loved football not because we were paid.
we used to play in boots. Now they play in bed slippers.
and I know you were trying to pull my leg Micko, 😆
Afternoon Gooners.
Busy today. Afternoon Rico.
Very interesting post StevieP.
Personally i really enjoy the Carling Cup as it is. The fact that clubs like ManShittie and managers like Mancini are so desperate for silverware that they play a virtual 1st XI doesn’t take anything away from Wenger’s policy of playing youngsters in it. And what great youngsters we have witnessed in recent times!
OK i’m as frustrared as anyone else at the missed opportunities in this cup with several S/F ko’s in particular.
But i thought we were fantastic on Tues night and now Shittie have two difficult games with L’pool to get around.
Bully for them. So in the grand scheme of things [topfour] going out wasn’t a disaster for us.
Gotta go. My public need me… 🙂
We need to off load Agag and buy quality. they have had their chance. Santa one striker please.
Nice one Devil a game you remember for ever.
Drogba?
Hiya AK…….how are you???? We were pulling Goony’s leg today. I wished you were here.
How’s life behind the wheel???
All of you ok??
Devil, it was ok to make tackles as well, I’ve just noticed its snowing on my computer, don’t panic people its only a light flurry, don’t think its gonna settle.
Micko, I thought it was something john terry’s old man was peddling….
Kev, that’s dedication beyond the call of duty.
Lee, i just twigged your 3.52.
Hello, Micko. 🙂 How are you? Lee, 😆
It would seem that we need to offload, Steve. I had high hopes for AA and Chamakh… These days, they seem so ordinary. 🙁
That was a short tea break, AK. 🙁 It’s your turn to give goonster medical advice.
JM, maybe you should be a scout for our club. 😀
Rico, there’s only so much time you can spend in the jacuzzi munching on your beluga caviar, where are you !
I’m good agag, I gotta skedaddle, catch you later.
AGAG, why do you want to off load Steve? He’s done no wrong in my book… 😆
rico, re: your 2:30– Hopeless. 😉 I daresay Chelsea’s No. 9 would fit the bill, too. 😉
lee, you could be a red top writer. :p 😉
Boo 🙂
agag, you know i like Villa 😉
Lee , unlike Micko, i didn’t twig it – i’m thick these days 😉
Hi and Bye Micko….
Dandruff not snow….
Ah – I’m hopeless but then I haven’t got any snow on my screen 🙁
Guys this FLU is killing me. What do I do? I can’t take it anymore. Its Friday for crying out loud. All me mates are out already. What a waste. DG, I ll get you yet. Hey agag maybe if you were here rubbing me chest I won’t be feel this bad.
rico, weren’t you the one who installed the snowing effects?
Bed goonster…..
goonster, eewww. 😕 I think you miss your Thai mamachitas. Tut tut.
I was agag but they weren’t showing on my screen, i had to reload the site and there they were 🙂
I love them 🙂
Oh man,why are you sending me back to bed maam? I just got off the bed for the first time in hours. No way am going back besides its blogging time.(have always wanted to say that)
I love the look, too, rico. 🙂 Pretty.
There will be other Fridays, goonster. 🙂
Oh don’t remind me off them mamachitas….you ll only prolong my agony. Oh what I ll give for a massage from “baeka”. God I miss phuket!
My world for a bottle of vodka now…..all I ve got here is my mum’s Swedish ale. Yuck
Apparently martinez thinks we are an inspiration….mind games huh? Wants us to go easy on him. No way we ve lost to many points to the latics over the years. I say tear them to shreds. I ll never forgive them for ruining our season back in 07/08. Crazy bunch. It was that fat double chinned prick steve Bruce that ruined it for us. Hand them the whipping of their lives boys. Do it for the GOONSTER! As a get well soon gift.
goonster you’re hopeless. 🙂 WATH is the world’s biggest consumer of Grey Goose. I don’t think he’ll give you a bottle though. 😉
Spain, Italy & Coratia, handy auld group there!
Get’s everyone in the Christmas mood agag 😉
Oh, and us here in the UK ready for the hard cold winter 🙁
Are you for real Agag? Why, send me his number let me give him a call. I could use a few bottles right about now.
I like martinez though. He plays real footie not a foul mannered stinking son of a whore like tony pulis. Men I hate that northern bastard so bad. Wish I could smack him in the gob. What a dinkus.
*not like
… While the weather here has turned decidedly better, rico. Cool (for us, maybe 27 degrees C) and dry.
Our last few matches at Wigan don’t exactly fill me with confidence, goonster. But I’d be very disappointed with anything other than a win.
Relax agag we ll win. The team is brimming with confidence and don’t forget we ve got the best striker in the world. We ll turn them over.
Good evening fellow Highbury housers!
At least we still a a fullish squad for the Wigan match. Diaby/Rosicky don’t count anymore I’am afraid. In future Le boss shouldn’t even mention them when going trough the injury list.
Tomorrow we must have confidence and steel and go for jugular so to speak.
Smudge diaby does. Maybe TR7 doesn’t anymore but don’t count out diaby. He ll come good. I have huge faith in him.
🙁 🙁 I missed AK earlier….
27, thats lovely agag – perfect for me 😉
Hi smudge, the perfect afternoon would a good win with many a goal to get our tally up a bit….
He is now in his mid 20’s goonster so time is still on his side but patience is running thin . I think if, and its a big if, he could be quality
but i fear we may never know.
If we can play like we did at norwich, rico without the mistake and glaring misses (the gerv) then maybe 🙂
The boys are well rested smudge…I expect fireworks. A lot of the first team players must have had a wake call after tuesday day night. They know that they need to up their game orr risk losing their first team place. Players like walcott in particular will be on fire. Look out the gunners are in town.
Stan, i’ve just been reading thru todays comments [ loved Waths transfwr business] and all i keep on seeing is you complaining. You great big Jessie! I thought you was a bit of a Dutch hard~nut, exponentially of course…
Come on Stanley, man up, it’s only a cold.
Dr AK’s advice = put on a couple of extra jumpers when you go to bed, and aweat it out you mamby pamby. :-). :-). 🙂
Ak try being me now. Come on let’s go. You think its easy. I ve got phlegm dripping all over. You think you can handle it. Be my guest.
Blimey today has flown by.
Tea break over amigos
What’s a little phlegm Stan.
Look at Wath. He went right thru the War.
You don’t hear him complain.
Right, gotta go.
Lata amigos
WATH,fought in the great war? Lord how old is he then? Older than the earth. WATH were you with the British expeditionary forces holding down the maginot line? My granddad might know you. Men, what I ll give to be alive during the great war.
Guys come on am sick…..I need to blog or I ll fall apart. Rico DG agag lee AK come on guys. Don’t desert your good old stan now. He needs you.
they’ll be up for it smudge…. 😉 3 points….
Hi AK, and now you are off again 🙁
AK, such quick tea breaks. 🙁 you forgot to tell goonster to calm down.
Hello, smudge and goodbye, smudge. goonster, take your meds and sleep.
Nightynight, rico. 😉 But one last: what are you making for dinner?
Nighty agag, I’m heading off too – jacket pots and salad tonight, simples 😉
Be safe all, have a good friday night, catch up tomorrow….
Night all
😛
Oh poopie….I missed them…oh well goodnight folks. Stay away from cold dark alleys. My friend just got mugged. Bye
Goodnight Jimbob…. Goodnight Maryellen and Goodnight Johnboy…
Life has a gooner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74&feature=related
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The Emirates Stadium Mystery
Date: 30th November 2011 at 12:44 pm
Written by arsenalinsider
II’m starting to think I’m missing out on something. Is there a big party that everyone goes to? Something exciting on the telly? Or perhaps it’s a free goodie bag for the first 10,000 on to the tube?
It’s an age old moan but I am going to go on about it again. Just what is people’s (I’m refusing to call them fans) excuse for leaving Arsenal games at the Emirates early? Yet again on Saturday towards the end of the match against Fulham streams of people were leaving as the game was reaching its climax. And it wasn’t just a few hundred it’s thousands.
I’m pretty lucky, I took the decision to not get my season ticket next to the fantastic chaps from Sussex that I enjoy a pre match ale with every week. I went for the much maligned singing section organised by REDaction. Ticket on my own, but have made many new friends around me, singing, standing, swearing, mass bundles when goals go in, all good natured banter and eagerness from everyone to learn the words to any new song that crops up.
I accept not everyone wants to enjoy games in that fashion, and apart from one or two other isolated spots everyone else pretty much sits down, but for heaven’s sake, you are there to cheer the team on, not turn your back. Players and managers talk about the 12th man, and how a crowd can suck a goal in for them.
So instead of leaving the game early and complaining about how bad Arshavin played back in the pub before the match has even finished, give the players a “come on you reds” or something and help the team turn one point into three. I could just about understand it if we were getting stuffed 5-0 at home but not when the game is tantalisingly poised at one apiece.
We pay some of the highest prices in the world to watch our team, and with fans all over the world some of us are in the lucky position to be able to watch the team live on a regular basis. So why would you want to leave the game before it’s finished? You can practically make out the cannon on the far side of the pitch before the 4th official has put his board up for added on time.
Maybe we should get the club to dig out the old scoreboard that used to hang off the side of the East Stand at Highbury with the clapping hands and “come on Arsenal” scrolling across, so people remember that they are there to cheer on the team and not just send a volley of abuse towards the player and manager each time the team doesn’t win.
Article courtesy of Stuart Watson from the excellent Arsenal Insider
If Arsenal roll up at Wigan & think it’s gonna be a cakewalk then we’ll get done again.
Wigan have been quite unlucky quite a few times already, so far this season. They have deserved more than they have got from their games to date. And eventually their luck will change.
If Arsenal/Wenger turn up with the wrong over~confident attitude [again] then Wigan’s luck could well change today…
Maybe that over~confidence was a sympton of the Cesc era, hopefully now behind us.
Ruthless in attack, scrooge~like in defence, that’s the recipe for today.
Has Wengers New Arsenal absorbed the lessons of past fecklessness?
We are about to find out?
COYG…
Evening Oliver
Morning Lee.
Btw, Stanley……….. Calm down.
Morning AK….
New Post up
Morning Lee….
Hi Everyone, I haven’t logged on for a while.
Goonster, you need to get some chicken soup inside you, wonderful natural healing qualities.
I watched the Man City match, and had to agree with one of the pundits who said that Chamakh appeared lost on the night, and should have seized the moment. I was impressed by Frimpong and the Ox. I thought that there was nothing in it, but that we lacked a finisher in the last third. City’s scorer cost £28m……..
How long before Nikki “Pink boots” is back from Sunderland? Saying that, didn’t O’Neill have Heskey playing for him at Leicester? Both big strong players who were not known for their goal scoring proess.