Morning all.
Argentine journalist Hernan Feler tweeted:
After the Copa America in Chile, it will be made official the arrival of Arturo Vidal to Arsenal. Everything is closed.
If Feler is as reliable as the journos in England, his bold statement may hold little truth.
What a great way to end the Premier League campaign, 4-1 against one of better defensive sides in the league. In fact Pulis is probably not far behind Mourinho when it comes to defending, yet in a fabulous 45 minutes, we tore them apart. Actually, make that 17 mins because we were 3-0 up by then and the game was over.
Theo Walcott was on fire, his first was sensational, his other two showed strength and determination. Can you imagine him going to the Dippers and doing that to us? Because he will and that’s just why I hope he stays. He gave us something quite different in the box yesterday and showed he can play as a striker.
And what about Jacks goal? It really was pure class… Off to Man City – I don’t think so.
He and Walcott were really on form yesterday, especially in the first half but they weren’t alone. The entire team had a first half to remember, one which could so easily seen us notch up a double figure scoreline..
All against a defence which doesn’t concede goals…….
The second half wasn’t quite so entertaining – our level dropped a bit, West Brom probably put in a bit more effort after a half-time rollicking from Pulis.
Cazorla forced a brilliant save from Myhill with a curling effort from the edge of the box. Just before the hour mark, McAuley headed home to make it 4-1 but that goal was nothing other than a consolation. I suspect Benteke will have enjoyed watching it though.
Walcott left the field to a standing ovation and I hope that’s not the last one he receives and with around 15 minutes left of the game, Oxlade-Chamberlain came on to equally loud applause. Ramsey had a couple of chances to increase the score-line but the woodwork got in the way both times, the latter after a good save from Myhill..
Game over and a good afternoon for the Arsenal with 3rd place cemented.
The fans stayed behind to show their appreciation to the manager, his staff and all the players – the appreciation was reciprocated….
That could be the last walk around the Emirates pitch for a few of our players as the summer transfer window looms and one man who will definitely not be around next season is Declan Lynch as he heads to Bath Rugby Club for a new challenge. I thought Jack and Theo giving him a big hug after scoring was a lovely gesture. Both have certainly kept him busy over the last couple of years…
Now it’s onto the FA Cup Final next weekend and Arsene Wenger really does have a selection headache. Will Ollie come back into the starting eleven, or has Theo Walcott done enough to warrant his place ahead of the Frenchman. Same question for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after his return yesterday, does he start on the right ahead of Jack/Ramsey?
What a shame the manager hasn’t the same selection problems during the entire season…
Have a good Monday guys….
Too soon for the Ox I think however the Theo question ?
Is a quick darting player that can finish or a battering ram better up against Ron Vlaar ? or both which means dropping Ramsey or Jack . We will need Le Coq to get into Grealish and stop their momentum so if you assume that Sanchez , Ozil and Cazorla play with a back four and keeper the place competition is getting more and more fierce . I wonder if Wenger is regretting Forsythe and his team giving him a squad with few injury problems.
Bench for Chamberlain imo – tough call re Walcott/Giroud, if Villa play like WB did yesterday, then Walcott would get my nod although he’s not best at getting stuck in if we struggle…
I hope Arsene plays Theo on saturday, If he doesn’t it might be the last straw that persuades him to leave in the summer. I would also play Jack instead of Santi, who has looked a bit jaded aver the last few games, it would also be for the same reason as playing Theo.
I predict a 5-2 win 🙂
Brian
Morning all.
Theo to start for me. Outstanding yesterday, on MOTD, he always turns up for big games and usually plays well before he is kicked up in the air! Sometimes he reminds me of Reyes at his best and also his cowardly worst! And thereby hangs his problem, he is far too easily intimidated and deflected from his ‘natural game’ as a result of over large defenders assaulting him! Time to get over it and move on!!
The Ox won’t start but, he will be on the bench and may prove crucial in the last 23 minutes he will be given!.
Great report Rico, always easier when we’ve had a resounding victory, especially against an old enemy! (Pulls the Welsh wa….r) though I have to say his last two teams Palace and WBA have been a vast improvement on the rugby 15 he used to put out at the Black Country pugilists club! At least he’s now trying to play a little football!
Third, no pre-qualifying, the futures bright. Prospect of some, one or two really good players being added to the squad. The future’s rosy!
Can’t wait for the start of next season.
Pulis has recently been fielding a back-four of four centre-backs, so it’s possible that Wenger made a tactical decision to play Walcott, fast and mobile, as against Giroud, big and not very mobile?
It left the big lumbering West Brom defenders, with no target man to pick up and gave our attack the kind of movement that Lescott & Co couldn’t cope with.
Not sure how the Villa and West Brom defences compare? But I suspect that yesterday was a one-off and that Giroud will start at Wembley…
Having just wrote that, yesterday may have been a bit of an experiment and the end result could have convinced Wenger to go with Theo for the Final…?
It certainly won’t give Sherwood long to work out an alternative to the recent ‘Swansea/Sunderland’ tactics that he’s probably been working around for next Saturday.
Thanks Wavy. I thought Theo showed a bit more character yesterday and wasn’t quite so easily brushed off the ball. His second ( i think)was something we haven’t seen too much of in his career… He actually out-muscled a defender or two to get his shot in…..
WBA didn’t defend with much intensity on the first half yesterday. End of the season.
However, we have been very well in the whole game.
for Saturday, will be a difficult challenge. I’m always afraid of those teams with bad results in the last weeks and then, in an importante game, was like a game iof their lives.
Villa have been letting in a few goals of late Kev. Southampton battered them with pace and good finishing…
Theo showed what he can do, and we’ve seen glimpses of it before.
If he can stay fit and healthy, and continue on next season, we are set as far as strikers are concerned.
It was a hell of a display and the best thing was as soon as he got the chance, he pulled the trigger.
Jack was superb, also….damn I hope hey progress next season.
Giroud hasn’t started many of the Cup games so far…..
Scott, that could AW’s thought too re strikers…
I think both Giroud and Walcott will start against Villa. Walcott from the right, of course. With Walcott and Sanchez either side of Giroud, the big French may not be interested in shooting at the target…knocking down balls and flick-ons for both speed stars may be enough.
Rico, he might be right.
That was as good a performance as I’ve seen from him.
Funny though….all over Facebook, people are screaming that it shows Wenger should have been starting with him.
Of course, if he did that and Theo re injured himself, Wenger would’ve been at fault as well 🙂
Anyway, 45 minutes of our football……I loved it.
I was soooo tired before kick off, it needed to be good to keep me awake.
Suffice to say my eyes remained wide open.
Tai, I reckon you are right.
Vidal? Great player … energy, skill, strenght, fighter…like Sanchez. Will always add value to any team.
But what position does he play? Box-to-box imo. Arsenal has Ramsey, Wilshere and lately Carzola in same role…will Vidal be bought to limit the playing time of Ramsey and Wilshere? Don’t think so. Does Wenger believe Vidal can play as DM? Probably…and unless Wenger is willing to convert Vidal to DM…I don’t see him signing any player that would derail both Ramsey and Wilshere.
Wenger believes his future great Arsenal side must have Ramsey and Wilshere as starters! Sadly, because I wouldn’t start both together.
Or Welbeck Tai…
Me too Scott – if only he could do that each week…
And I believe you’re right too, Scott re strikers. Unless another major injury happens, I don’t see Wenger going for any striker coming summer.
A 100 times I will say it that both Sanchez and Theo either side of Giroud is a potent strike force at any level of world football. And believe me, Carzola in place of Ozil and Ramsey in the box-to-box gives Arsenal her most goal-den line-up.
Back-ups? There’s Welbeck for Giroud…Ox for either flank in absence of Theo or Sanchez…and there’s Gnabry too.
Rico, I suppose that most of us, not being able to choose the starting XI at Wembley, with any certainty, should be seen as progress and the strength of our present squad…
Kiwis, 0 runs, 2 wickets…. 🙂
IF IF IF Theo can be consistent.
That’s the question, and what Wenger must decide on….to rely on him or not.
Rico, Welbeck? Not against Villa…he’s been far too out to just start a final game.
Indeed Kev… A much deeper squad…
Scott, I think if there’s one player Wenger has always relied on it’s Theo…Theo just has his injury woes to blame for not having long gone beyond this level…
His pace, movement, timing of his runs and finishing are qualities any coach dreaming of counter-attacking football would love. All Wenger has done this season is cautiously introduce Theo back into the team without enforcing any set-back…then build him from pre-season to explode next season…
If only Shad Forsyth could keep him healthy!
Maybe not Tai, just throwing names out there really…
I’ve always thought Theo had the capacity to be brilliant, but not the football brain.
I hope he proves me wrong for the next 6-8 years 🙂
Morning all,good post rico… More of Saturday’s 1st half display and we would have the F.A cup in the bag. IMO getting a DM in the mold of Morgan will help our team a great deal.
I hope he does too Scott… 😉
On the contrary, Scott…I’ve always believed Theo is making the most of his strengths – pace and finishing…he’s not your tricky dribbling winger…he hasn’t got the skill…all he relies on are time his runs to perfection, go past any defender, then cross or finish mostly at the far post.
He’s no Hazard or Sanchez but should Theo share same playing times with both tricky wingers, I’m almost certain he’d outscore both. Such is my belief in the pacy English forward.
Tai, his first goal showed me something I’d never seen in Theo before.
Brilliant goal.
Thanks Bondex.
Walk time for me so catch up later…
Kiwis 14 for 3
The o’s first goal was just instinctive but number two showed a desire to score and three was purely poacher . It was a great hat-trick 3 goals all different.
Scott, most Theo goals are always brilliant. Beating a goalkeeper to his far post after assumedly having covered the angle is not always easy.
What about his second goal against Joe Hart at the Etihad last season? Exquisite!
Good Afternoon Lovelies and Hunkies.
Nice report LAdy. but one slight observation….Stoke have the 9th best defence of the premier. Yes, Pulis’ sides do not concede that much and are usually hard to beat, but this was WBA not Stoke remember that. Pulis may have mellowed after walking out of Stoke since he could not stomach anymore the monster he had created. I raise my hat to him if that is right.
Vidal???? When he is trotting out on the pitch I will believe it…otherwise I will remain sceptic.
Cech??? When he is in our colours I will believe it as well.
Easier to see Sterling in our colours than the above two.
Update on Ernie the supporter of the year ,Apparently he did get into the ground 20 minutes after the start , however the Old Trafford stewards confiscated his walking stick and he later found out that they had claimed to have destroyed it. The story just gets weirder as time goes by.
Seriously somebody from the Club needs to ask United if this is their policy and publicise it to prevent it happening again. After all I walked the two miles from my car to the ground yesterday and took my stick with me without any problem . Have to say though that after the 4 mile walk and two hours standing I am as stiff as a board today.
Kiwis 69 for 5
51 Overs left…
Afternoon all,
Walcott – 4 goals in 2 games.
Giroud – 1 goal in 9 games.
Said last week if Walcott was to score a hattrick he wouldn’t start the final, stand by that.
Latest news here is Cech is off to ManUre as a replacement for De Gea, can see that coming off as well.
Milner to snub Arsenal for Liverpool, thank fcuk for that if true, it’s not all bad news.
That would be a shame Micko re Cech…. Perhaps LvG and Mourinho get on better than AW and Mourinho…
Afternoon all..
Looks like Delia is heading back to the PL…
6 down Kev…
7 down 🙂
It’s more likely that moron oh knows that manure will not be challenging next year any,ore than they have been this! We should take it as a backhanded compliment really. The mentally challenged dwarf obviously thinks that with a really decent gk, Cech, we are seriously dangerous! Not with standing he HATES Wenger with a passion. So no deal with the arse!
Imo, of course!
Mourinho won’t sell any player to Wenger…and Wenger knows!
I reckon Utd will be very busy this summer and a bit better next season… I thought Utd wanted lloris or begovic….
He might not have much say in the matter Tai…
8 down…
Now 8
9 🙂
How rude Afternoon Rico and the house 9 down
Afternoon Rick.
What a excellent game of cricket this has been Rico.Would have loved to be there today
Sure has Rick, even Cook has had a good day… Lol
Well played England, great stuff from both sides….
Bbq time for me…
Chicken, Rico?
Lets hope the rest of this years test series is the same
No Bt, sweetcorn, onion, peppers and a quorn sausage 🙂
And the weather Rick.
Norwich in play off final have beaten Boro. So its them in the EPL next season
Let’s be having you…….. 🙂
Night all..
Let’s be having you…
When Norwich built their new stand a holiday Inn was built behind it. Norwich council held a survey in the local papers and on local radio to name the new part o the road leading to it . Letsbee avenue won hands down and so they called it an extension of Carrow road.
Was outside Lords when the 9th wicket went down.
Fantastic roar from the Members End.
Great result Rico/Rick, bodes well for a decent cricketing summer.
Cricket…………zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
All I know is the Aussies rule, Ireland are a close second and England are shite !
I never knew that Potter, thank you…
Kev, let’s hope, can’t let those Aussies win again…
Morning all…
You mob getting all excited about the cricket.
See how you are in a few months time when the real stuff begins hahahahahahaha
Morning all.
Kiwi’s are Aussies with a touch of class about them…. 😉
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
26 years ago today we roared, shouted, screamed and maybe some even cried with JOY as it was up for grabs.
AND WE GRABBED IT……….The night boys became MEN.
Ance,lotti sacked at Real.
🙂 Lee..
Are you in the sunshine of Spain?
No Rico, in my window-less office! Don’t go until Thursday afternoon.
I remember it well Friday 26th May!!
What a night that was…
Morning Devil, Bt..
Bet you cant wait Lee. FA Cup Final together with a few Estrella’s then?
Lee, kind of like the Scots compared to you poms hahahaha
BT, so Ancelotti to Liverpool?
Seriously, Rodgers can’t still be employed, can he?
Ancelotti is taking a year out, back operation apparently Scott..
I may blow the froth off a few Estrellas, when in Spain and all that!
Fair enough, Rico.
My back would be sore as well after a carrying that wage around.
Morning Scott, Rico and all…
Carlo to City…
Has to be done Lee.
Ha ha Scott.
Morning Ts.
Ginge, So who to Loserpool, ya think?
Then again, who gives a shit lol.
Apparently Khedira is joining Juve……………….. freeing up Vidal???
Ancellotti a year out????
imo……he will be the next after AW…..in two years time.
😀 Scott – The dippers can’t find any proper manager. The De Boer and Rijkaard maybe.
Dev- I will love Carlito to join us in 2 years but I doubt the board or Aw will want him. 😉
New post up now…
Frank De Doer even; finishing 17 points behind Psv.
I guess Rafa will come back to Liverpool with Hypia as his assistant