Striker bid in? Arsene ready to ring the changes. Good!!

Morning all..

Happy Boxing Day. Not sure if that’s what’s meant to be said but it’s nice so I have anyway!

I know there is a reason for this day being called Boxing Day but for me this morning it feels like I’ve been a few rounds with Nicola Adams and she caught me around the head on more than one occasion!! Ouch! Yes it’s all my own fault I know…..

Transfer rumours continue, we are supposed to have made a €6 million bid for Paul-Georges Ntep and in other news, Jackson Martinez has hinted that he may make a move to us in January…

Anyway, enough of that, we have a game today and Arsene Wenger has had this to say:

It’s a local derby on Boxing Day and we know that West Ham have made surprising results.

They have won twice at Tottenham this season now and can be a tough opponent.

I think everybody takes West Ham seriously and expects great resistance from them. Last year we did well against them – we have to be inspired by that, go there and play our game again. But they have good players, always a good crowd and it’s a derby so they are always up for it.

Question is Arsene, are we??

Seriously, we really need to start playing better, a lot better if we are to start winning again.

Stories in the press suggest that we could see changes made for today’s match. Podolski is one of them, Koscielny may be back after injury and Mesut Ozil is set to be rested.

Podolski has not played at all since the second game of the season and he lacks a bit competitiveness. Of course I can only find it if I play him but he’s been in training for just two weeks now. I have to make that decision when I use him or not.

But we need to rotate a little bit because we play so many games now and we put in a lot of effort against Chelsea.

I don’t want to sound too harsh but I didn’t see an awful lot of effort put in against Chelsea, especially going forward and just two shots on goal suggests we can do an awful lot better.

Dean didn’t help our cause, we all know that and today it’s Phil Dowd so don’t expect too many favours again. I suspect he will have had a pre-match get together with Big Sam debating over who has lost more weight over the last year!!

The big names failed to turn up on Monday, well maybe they will feel like turning up today against the Hammers. If they can’t then who the heck do they fancy playing against?

Come on Arsenal, we are better than this, we can play better and we can win again, starting today…

Podolski will be desperate to play having been out so long, play him. Bendtner can’t do any worse in front of goal than Giroud is doing at the moment, why not start him? (Yes, that smacks of desperation) and Gnabry, well what has he ever done wrong?

Use him I say, he’d give us directness, width and speed. Nor is he afraid to get the ball and take on defenders, unlike someone else I could mention who plays on the right!

I know too many changes aren’t good for maintaining stability but things are’t going quite so well right now, so maybe a few fresh legs might just make a difference.

Ring the changes, spice it up a bit Arsene and lets go get three points on the board!!

COYRRG’s!!

0 thoughts on “Striker bid in? Arsene ready to ring the changes. Good!!

  1. kali says:

    morning Rico and all housers

    ” I suspect he will have had a pre-match get together with Big Sam debating over who has lost more weight over the last year!! ”
    cracking comment……

    need to bang on with three points today……knowing Sam thuggery will be a hard physical battle …better the boys be up for it…

  2. kali says:

    big-mouth Jose saying we are boring side!!! now that’s staggering comment!

    his formation was 4-6 ,and we were boring?
    i can’t & will never understand what goes in this man’s brain…
    mostly utter rubbish i suppose.

    now strong cup of balck coffee….

  3. rico says:

    I have no sympathy for myself either Wath. That’s what happens after not drinking for nearly 6 months 🙂

    Jose is a buffoon – I take little notice of what the arrogant one has to say..

  4. frednerk says:

    If we can get an early goal to day I think the so called happy hammers fans will turn the screw on fat sam,
    Mr sullivan and Mr gold wanted sexy football from fat sam,
    but as we all know,
    fat sam takes the money and leaves the owners with there trousers round there ankles.

  5. rico says:

    Morning Kev, glad to hear after all that fizzy stuff 😉

    fred, think we’ll need more than one early goal, it’s about time we started finding the net …

  6. stevepalmer1 says:

    Nice one Rico, Do i notice a little bit of tension from you on the wing, Don’t worry, if he plays ,these are the games he plays well 🙂 I am going to start looking at the positives, seeing that the difficult games have been played (for a while) we should in all honesty win these two next games which are a welcome 6 pts. When you talk about resting our tired players makes me smile a bit, 9 days rest the players had before they played Chelsea and if they were tired after the effort they put in, i would be amazed, but a couple of days rest after that strength draining display should help. Mesut Ozil our forty two million Marquee signing may need a rest so might our player of the season Aaron Ramsey Sagna Gibbs Mertsacker Arteta Flamini Wilshere Giroud. So we are left with the Italian who must be well rested, Gnabry who may need waking up Bendtner who has finally found his boots Eisfield who is probably holidaying Myaki who is probably queueing out side a chineese Jenkinson who is still adorning his bedroom and any other hanger on that isn’t tired. £50 odd grand a week, some on a £100 grand and the poor buggers are tired shame. Just another 90 minutes and 3 pts and they can put their feet up, i know we push them far too hard but they chose football as a profession

  7. BrainwashedKev says:

    Bendtner to start today might not seem as crazy an idea as I’d have thought, a month or so ago!
    Giroud needs a rest, Ozil needs a rest and maybe Ramsey…

    Flamini back and Santi as well.

    I’d like to see both Gnabry & Podolski getting a decent run from the bench as well.

  8. rico says:

    Thanks Sp, I’m frustrated by all of them, so much talent and yet for some reason, we are struggling to play well …

  9. frednerk says:

    Tiredness is a mental thing,
    when I hear that rubbish from managers it makes me think back to my playing days,saturday,sunday,floodlight tuesday and thursday
    we never had to train,
    I can tell you if the manager said you looked a bit tired or I might put the ruhbub on for you at half time…the answer was always the same…Bollox

  10. HenryB says:

    A rousing and fun Post, Rico.

    The transfer rumours will ratchet up now and in some ways it makes the quieter times a bit more bearable.

    I have no stats but my impression is that we often struggle at Wham.

  11. frednerk says:

    2012/2013
    ENGLISH PREMIER We 23Jan 2013
    Arsenal 5 – 1 West Ham
    ENGLISH PREMIER Sa 06Oct 2012
    West Ham 1 – 3 Arsenal
    2010/2011
    PREMIER LEAGUE Sa 15Jan 2011
    West Ham 0 – 3 Arsenal
    PREMIER LEAGUE Sa 30Oct 2010
    Arsenal 1 – 0 West Ham
    2009/2010
    PREMIER LEAGUE Sa 20Mar 2010
    Arsenal 2 – 0 West Ham
    ENGLISH FA CUP Su 03Jan 2010
    West Ham 1 – 2 Arsenal
    PREMIER LEAGUE Su 25Oct 2009
    West Ham 2 – 2 Arsenal

  12. martin wengrow says:

    Very good post Rico .It’s surpriing that Gnabry hasn’t been used more, especially before Walcott’s return from injury. In the little time that he has been afforded he has shown more natural talent, and footballing intelligence than Walcott has in seven years. Also is much more willing and capable carrying out defensive duties.

  13. rico says:

    Thanks Hb, that was my aim 🙂

    fred, even those stats don’t make me feel confident…

    Hi Mg, one too many sherberts yesterday?? Good on you 🙂

  14. tsgh says:

    I am hearing GG are out of stock across the country WATH…;)
    Excellent post from our Principal Lady seeing as you have a sore head.
    Ntep?lol.why do we have a running contract for Auxerre to fleece us?

  15. DutchGooner10 says:

    Afternoon Moaners,

    Let’s not qualify their ‘mental strength’ and vigor before a ball is kicked, hey.

    Have some faith in the lads. Only come May we can judge if history repeats itself.

    Performances have the principality of bell curves.

  16. DutchGooner10 says:

    Afternoon Rico,

    Maybe it’s because Gnarby has football on his mind 24/7.

    Wallnut has football on his mind in between writing books and such….

  17. DutchGooner10 says:

    Same goes for Frimmy btw.

    Wanna be a gangster thug or have a professional career at one of the best academies in the world??

    Make up your f@#$ing mind son.

  18. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Afternonn all!
    starti watching the TV and the boxing day 🙂
    Jackson Martinez? Impossible for the moment
    Come on Arsenal!

  19. DutchGooner10 says:

    So the Special Needs One says we’re plain paper dull.

    How about an FA sanction for talking trash about a club which you do not govern?

    Besides can’t the FA issue a mandate limiting the number of strikers you pull of the market??

    There’s some false sense of entitlement creeping into our beloved game. If you’re prepared to flash and flush the cash.

  20. BrainwashedKev says:

    Oh, and btw, does anyone honestly take any notice anymore of that fake Portugese tosser at Gazprom???

    I don’t read or listen to anything that prat rabbits on about.
    He’s got nothing of any worth to say.
    He has been found out at Real Madrid.
    Give it another 18 months and he’ll be sacked.

    The boring accusations are a diversion.
    To divert attention away from the absolute rubbish football he produces…
    All his teams are easily forgettable.
    And so is he.

  21. DutchGooner10 says:

    Afternoon Kev,

    Fully agree on the 5 o’clock shadow tosser comment.

    But how come, a one finger greeting by Jack is sanctioned as an insult plus a two match ban and this prick gets away with the same gesture verbally?

    FA doing sweet F$#@ about it, hey.

  22. tsgh says:

    I surely had a good one WATH… Lol

    Kev-you know he calls himself the ‘special one’ for no reason…
    I guess if he has said it often enough to believe in his own lies…

    Dg,stop hating its all Dench… 🙂

  23. BrainwashedKev says:

    Hiya Dutch…

    Did you have a nice Christmas Eve buddy?

    I was chatting to a guy from Norway last Monday.
    He told me that the celebrations in Norge cover four days!!!
    Mate, now that a Christmas and a half…

  24. BrainwashedKev says:

    Ginge, he is a fraud and a fake…

    Tbh the subject is as boring as the football he produces…

    Anyway, all you luvly Gooners, someone is cooking me my dinner and I’m off to enjoy it…

    So Dutch/Ginge et al, I shall see ya a bit lata…

    Adios amigos

  25. DutchGooner10 says:

    Kev,

    I did have a nice Christmas Eve. Family get together fully furnished with the spoils one can imagine.

    Devouring leftovers from the event as we speak. 🙂

    Four days is asking a lot from your social stamina in my book. I take two as a maximum on my fatigue reservoirs. LOL

  26. DutchGooner10 says:

    Afternoon Ginge,

    I’m being harsh on (Judi) Dench cause he makes to many notes for a scandal. 😉

    Nah, I love Frimmy. That’s why I hate to see him gone astray. Had high hopes and still do, as I see in him the granite midfield enforcer we need in the not so distant future.

    If only Devil, Adam, you or any of the regulars could have a few words with this lad. His sane mind could return.

  27. Gunnerdna says:

    Team in full: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud

    Subs: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Monreal, Flamini, Gnabry, Walcott, Bendtner

  28. tsgh says:

    You are right mate…was just teasing.
    I was watching a few clips of his performances at Fulham last season.he looked like he was getting to his best but got injured on last day of season and so had miss all preseason..
    He definitely needs some rocket up his backside…

  29. DutchGooner10 says:

    Ginge,

    How many rappers would take his week salary if they were prohibited to ever utter any rhythmic poetry again??

    He’s wearing his socks inside out as well as his sense of perspective.

    Sorry.

  30. AndrewH says:

    Hi all. Podolski injured sitting on the bench Monday? Or maybe, when AW said he believed in rotation over the busy period, he meant places on the bench! Hope he doesn’t forget his subs today.

  31. DutchGooner10 says:

    Ginge,

    Some talents can’t handle the sharing of attention once they are in a pool of remarkable individuals.

    I say perform better than any other and you have your wish granted.

  32. devilgunner says:

    Good Aternoon Lady, Sir, Gentlemen and Ladies.

    Time to get on our winning ways again no????

    how are we doing today……….I got not live streaming. Internet playing tricks it seems.

  33. devilgunner says:

    and that is halftime.

    stats………..70% possession. 3 shots on target. 6 out of target.

    We should turn the screw in the 2nd half.

  34. devilgunner says:

    Oui Ginge.

    still trying to work out all that turkey and sweets I plundered and ransacked yesterday. dont worry mate……I will work it out on the threadmill beginning from tonight. Then it will be back to square one next wednesday and on thursday we start again.

  35. Joaquim Moreira says:

    3 shots on target, 6 out … maybe 6 cross the goal ans why we didn’t shot many more times outside area?

  36. devilgunner says:

    trekking, hiking and cross country jogging I dont mind. but here its raining cats and dogs and one cant go out to work it out. so the thread mill has to work overtime.

    I still feel we can take something from this game.

  37. devilgunner says:

    It will not be more than a draw mates I am afraid.

    it has a draw written all over it.

    Or maybe a loss I should add. 🙁

  38. rico says:

    Because Dowd is gutless, all this ‘if is was later in the game’ stuff is bollox. Booking is a booking and he should have got a second and off!!

  39. devilgunner says:

    The worst thing is knowing that a win will take us top and leave us there by ourselves because the dippers will surely drop points against shitty.

  40. devilgunner says:

    who cares how they go in LAdy????

    Theo might as well fart and it goes in through fart-force if needed. 😆

  41. devilgunner says:

    and we go top again. this time tied with the chavs but with a goal better to us.

    now we need to score more than fat Sam’s croonies while the swans do us a favour and take 2 points off the chavs with the dippers and shitty drawing.

  42. AndrewH says:

    Sounds like the freshness of Poldi and Theo needed. We had become a bit stale. Amazing Poldi didn’t come on other night then?

  43. devilgunner says:

    I am watching Uefa coaches stats zone website.

    and it seems we are running rings around them now. 9 shots on target, 12 off target. 66% possession. And we have covered more kilometres than the hammers.

  44. tsgh says:

    Dev- we have talked about SC19’s effective position as a no.6 next to a very good DM… its a shame we do not have a DM like Petite to make SC19 play there like he did at villareal .. he has been good today!

    Maybe he is not physical enough for this league…

  45. agirlagunner says:

    I hope you had awonderful Christmas, nash GDNA and JM. 🙂

    I’m so glad Theo and Poldi are back to scoring ways. Couldn’t have come at a better time. 🙂

  46. tsgh says:

    Ng, It was not vintage AW or AFC performance but we are playing like a Fergie’s team…;

    I will say we have a solid base but one or 2 of our creative players are struggling imo…

    Its no wonder that when Ramsey on paper a CM with the best defensive attributes in the starting XVIII, fails to creat or score he is seen as s having a bad game…

    OG12’s lay-off for Poldi’s goal was top notch…

  47. tsgh says:

    Arteta today. 95% pass completion, 5 tackles & 1 interception, as Squawka app says.

    MF has not won 5 tackles in a single match since he joined us…

  48. tsgh says:

    I am hearing 2 weeks max. for our AR16…

    As is often said the guy who plays an important role is often underrated. When he is missing one notices it very easily… MA08 super!

  49. bradlop says:

    I felt Cazorla had a much better game today and helped us by taking on players allowing space for others.
    Big up to Gibbs too in regards to width and beating his man.
    I think Ramsey injury is a blessing in disguise for both. He gets a rest and Wenger needs to alternate Rosicky and Wilshere.

  50. stevepalmer1 says:

    1 oclock went down to watch the Morris dancers and meet my gooner pal and his Gooner family, missed the morris dancers which started at 12’30 ( result) went down to another pub and drank for all we was worth till quarter to 3 then made our way back to my mates for a streamed match, ten of us crowded round a tele plugged into the laptop and every ten minutes an ad come up, Watching the game and silence entered the room when WH scored, the mood soured untill i told them all that i had predicted a win on Highbury house they know i sometimes post so they think i know what i am talking about, i told them i happened to think Theo would score, and they laughed but when he did they went mental, We carried on until the end and they started to tell me they thought we would win as well, i finished my beer and made our way home and am now tucking into my Lobster salad and still grinning happy and contented. 🙂

  51. Scott from Oz says:

    Morning all.
    I missed the game as we are staying with in laws who have no bloody Foxtel…..bloody hillbillies 🙂
    Anyway, a great result was ours, and the winning habit is back on track.
    Citeh was important…..Chelski more so…..this one was absolutely critical.If we failed to get a result here, it truly could have seen our title bid die, i believe.
    Top of the League???
    I haven’t seen other results but can not believe Liverpool would bet Citeh, ever.
    Off now…..i will catch you all tonight after day 2 of the Ashes 🙂

  52. agirlagunner says:

    SSP, good to hear. I f remind myself all that when I feel the urge to buy absolutely unnecessary things. 😉

    Happy, rico?

    Catch you later, Scott. 🙂

  53. tsgh says:

    If things stay as they are the dippers move to 4th place..

    Scotts today’s results below… how Moyes came back to win??
    Hull2 – 3Man Utd

    Aston Villa0 – 1Crystal Palace

    Cardiff0 – 3Southampton

    Chelsea1 – 0Swansea

    Everton0 – 1Sunderland

    Newcastle5 – 1Stoke

    Norwich1 – 2Fulham

    Tottenham1 – 1West Brom

    West Ham1 – 3Arsenal

  54. tsgh says:

    it is funny how the media have forgotten about AW alleged struggles against fat sam…

    According to the media WHU won’t be in the bottle 3 if Andy Carroll was fit.lol

  55. agirlagunner says:

    rico, a new striker has to come in. It’s imperative now, if it wasn’t before. Players who have shone in the first third of the season look knackered right now and ought to be getting more rest.

    Hiya, ginge. UNited are up to sixth now, I’ve read.

  56. HenryB says:

    I had to turn the sound off while watching the City v Pool because of the dreadful whining of the tart Michael Owen.

    He is a PR specialist blatantly acting on behalf of ‘Pool, and with the other ex-Pool players on the ‘expert panel’ BT it is disgustingly biased.

  57. tsgh says:

    Note, we have OG12 and the dippers have a world class striker in LS07 but Liverpool have taken 2 points from the current top 6.

    We are not that bad after all… we could be better still… 😉

  58. Scott from Oz says:

    Crowley certainly looks the goods, Ginge.
    Can you produce that class though, or are kids born with it?
    That is special.
    I see what Sean does with a ball at his feet and know he never got it from me, and certainly was not taught it by me, so it is just a gift, and it is something he was born with.
    How many kids play the game world wide on a daily basis and compare it to how many have the football brain Crowley obviously has….it truly is special.
    Liverpool…shit.

  59. BrainwashedKev says:

    Well, we needed that result…

    It should settle a few nerves…

    A bit suprised that Wenger didn’t rotate more.
    But great to see Theo score a couple and see Poldi back in the groove straight away.

    Still need to see some action, if possible, in January Window…

  60. potter says:

    We went a sort of 4 -1 – 4 -1 formation as Pod came on . It bought Cazorla inside and gave Giroud more support , kind of worked too.

  61. Merlin96 says:

    Cazorla as our “No. 4” did the trick, sparying passes, creating chances and haraasing and takcling in the middle .. a la Cesc.

    Ozil is our “no. 10” after Poldo came in.

    Again, it reinforces the fact that we have one helluva fatigued team for playing too many games without a rest, namely, Ramsey, Giroud and Ozil.

    But with Waloctt and Poldolski ready to start, plus OX coming back next month, we need to rotate the TEAM big-time for the next week and they relaly need a rest on 4-Jan-14.

    The game was transformed when:
    – “Fresh leg’ Poldolski added drive and verve down teh flank and cutitng into centre.
    – Cazorla rotated to centre and Arsenal suddenly had plenty of shooting opportunities.

    To win at St. James Park, we cna’t afford to repeat the same tired tactics with fatigued players like the past 3 league games.

    I will stick with Cazorla in the centre as “no. 4” with Flamini riding shot-gun on him protecting the Back-4.

    A reminsce of 2007/08 – Rosicky-Fabregas-Flamini-Hleb with 2013/14 of Poldolski-Cazorla-FLamini-Walcott and Giroud-Oizl or even Gnabry-Ozil?

  62. devilgunner says:

    A good fine morning to you all fine friends.

    Scott………its the nature vs nurture debate. I believe in them both. you are born with some and you nurture some.

    when we are born we have a type of skill which comes naturally to us. then we nurture other skills to complement that one.

    I was never blessed with great technique myself. I still cannot dribble past two or three players not even if my life depended on it. however I always had a knack of finding a teammate ….. simply because I was (and still am) blessed with a 360 degree mental vision of the pitch. even if I am wide on the right looking towards goal I still know where my mates are all on the pitch…..even behind me. Put me in a tight situation with players close to me and I would loose the ball if I tried to dribble. however if I tried to pass I would always succeed……with both feet.

    even when I coach I always visualise the pitch as if I am above the pitch not on the side.

    even when I am driving a car I am always aware of what is going on around me.

    that is something you are born with mate. you nurture it yes and nurture other things to complement it, but we are not born with a clean slate as some would have us believe.

  63. devilgunner says:

    take your little one. from the photos I saw I told you immediately certain things……..head up, option analyses, good body posture and agility……these things you dont teach them. A player who plays with his head up is because he knows how to keep his head up. once a player starts playing with his head down he will always remain a headless chicken.

    Cesc always played with his head up.

  64. BrainwashedKev says:

    It sure was a bit windy last night…

    Morning All…
    Morning Lee…
    I hope you ain’t back at work yet?!

  65. rico says:

    Morning all….

    Hope Sagna soon puts pen to paper…

    And really hope that our three goals don’t give AW an excuse not to sign a striker…

  66. Adam says:

    Morning Rico, Lee, Kev, Devil and all. Some mornings I just can’t seem to get out of bed.
    Decent win yesterday and Poldi made a difference I thought.

  67. BrainwashedKev says:

    Morning Adam…

    I am a great admirer of your lifestyle Adam…
    Thus, I am stretched out on the settee, with a great mug of tea…

    Ah, that’s the life… 😉

  68. W.A.T.H says:

    Glad someone at work it makes up for the rest of the year where he does sweet FA and just gets pissed every lunchtime…!

    😀

  69. devilgunner says:

    Seems as if Kev is trying to reach the other end of the settee with his toes.

    keep on stretching mate. it will do your calves and hamstrings the world of good. 😆

  70. BrainwashedKev says:

    Morning Coach…

    Ha, I know what’ll me good Habib, and it ain’t stretching… 😛

    It’s another cup of tea… 😀

    Morning Wath, how’s ‘Cheerful Charlie’ today????
    Hawley Arms this afternoon?

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