But for the moment, we have to deal with the reality of our current situation; many of us thought the squad that opened the season up at Newcastle did not have enough experience and depth to challenge for major honours this season. That squad from last week has been further decimated by injury and suspension. We simply shouldn’t be talking about the fourth competitive match of the season potentially defining how things will go; should we fail at the Stadio Friuli on Wednesday, however…
Today we opened our home league campaign against a Liverpool side that had finished sixth last season. We shared a pair of 1-1 draws in the league last season, including the infamous April 17th Emirates Fixture, where Robin’s penalty deep into injury time should have secured the points, only for us to be pegged back by conceding an even later penalty.
Liverpool’s last win on our turf was a 1-0 reverse at Highbury in 2000. I remember little about that match other than the otherwise forgotten Titi Camara scored the winner. Liverpool wore a green and navy kit on that day, as I remember. And it was during a season where they didn’t challenge, where their supporters were apparently disillusioned with Gerard Houllier. Yet, the following season, they won four trophies, including an FA Cup final win in a match that shall never be mentioned here…
Our first team came in sporting an injury/suspension list as long as Santonio Holmes’ rap sheet. Nevertheless, the buildup focused more on who was present – well, restored – rather than who was absent. Arsene Wenger had stated that a certain Samir Nasri would be available for selection. A quick look at the available options convinced many of us that he would likely start, even though he had not featured since the Emirates Cup, a few weeks back.
We lined up Szczesny, Bac, TV, Kos, Jenks, Ramsey, Frim, Nas, Arsh, Robin, and Theo.
Our bench was Fabianski, Miquel, Lansbury, OC, Ryo, Chamakh, and Nik. One defender – and one with only a few minutes of prem experience under his belt. Surely we wouldn’t need to call on Miquel today, would we? Funny you should ask…
With striker Luis Suarez having won the Copa America with Uruguay, he hadn’t much of a break during the close season, so Kenny named him to the bench and started with Andy Carroll up front.
Our depleted side started cautiously, as did our rather defensive opponents. We had a decent opportunity about eight minutes in, when Robin’s corner found TV, who could only head wide under pressure. A minute or so later, Referee Atkinson issued the game’s first booking to Frim, who tussled with Henderson over a throw-in. A little bit of nothing, to be honest, but the card meant that Frim would have to be careful.
15 minutes in and Kos suddenly grabbed his lower back and went down in pain while brining the ball out of defence. It looked quite painful, and our defender had to be helped off the pitch, with a supportive Nas walking to the touch-time with him and offering encouragement.
75 plus minutes to go, Miquel on, and no more available defensive subs, should something else go wrong. We were told at the time that it was a back strain; whatever it is, I am having difficulty reconciling the images of Kos slowly limping – assisted – down the tunnel, and images of Kos trotting out at the Friuli four nights from now.
So Miquel slotted in and did not at all look out-of-place. At least part of it is probably due to playing alongside TV. The former was clearly our outstanding player yesterday. We won most duels with the vaunted Carroll, and made several timely interceptions to snuff out scoring threats. On the whole, our back five played very well overall. Bac, playing at left back so as not to force the younger, less experienced Jenks into an unfamiliar position, was also immense.
The game had a kind of stop-start rhythm to it, Carroll forced Szczesny into a fine diving save with a firm header (this time he beat Jenks in the air) from a Downing cross. Carroll then forced Szczesny to save another header later in the half, but that was pretty much the busiest our keeper was during this period. Not that Reina was overworked either.
At around the half hour mark, Frim took aim from outside the area and forced Reina to tip the ball around the post. Nas later shot not too far wide. But that was the sum of things. One particularly bad habit from last season that resurfaced today was the unwillingness to get into the box. All our approach play down the center halted pretty much outside the box. Bac and Theo got forward several times, and crossed to…Liverpool defenders.
We played a few extra minutes because of the time it took to look at Kos and get him into the dressing room, but nothing of note happened and we went in goal-less at the break. No goals in 135 minutes – and counting – of Premiership football for Arsenal. Still, we looked reasonably solid, despite playing Bac out of position on the left and having to turn to the rook (Miquel) for the final two-thirds of the half. Trouble was, we didn’t look like we would score at all…
The rain, which started falling during the first half, was much stronger in the second.
From the kick-off, Adam tried to lob Szczesny – for the second time in the match – from distance, but didn’t trouble our keeper. The match quickly settled into the familiar probing, yet not willing to take too many risks approach from both sides.
Roughly 65 minutes in, we had our best chance to score, as Arsh tussled with Kelly down the left. As the Liverpool man tried to shepherd the ball away, Arsh clearly pushed him, but came away with the ball, and fed Robin, who fired in a low shot which Reina had to block with his knees. We were unable to do anything with the corner and in a couple of more minutes, the match turned.
Right on the 70 minute mark, Frim, who played overall well, left his foot in challenging Adam for the ball. The former Blackpool man went flying and everyone knew what would come next – yellow, then red. Two matches, three sendings off.
While I wish Atkinson would have used a bit of discretion and spoke to Frim – vice waving the card – on the first half booking, our man knew he was on a yellow, and this was rash from him. No malice, but certainly a lack of experience, perhaps an object lesson as to why this squad needs more experience than it currently has.
Anyways, Arsene himself agreed the second yellow was deserved, quote “He deserved a second yellow; he should not have gone into that challenge.”
Regardless, the damage was done. Kenny sensed blood, immediately bringing Meireles on for Kuyt and then Suarez for Carroll a couple of minutes later.
Arsene responded by bringing Lansbury on for the ineffective Arshavin. From here, Liverpool started to turn the screw, and 12 minutes from time, they made the breakthrough, in unfortunate circumstances for Arsenal. Meireles fed an off-side Suarez on the edge of our area. Miquel tried to clear, but the ball went off Ramsey’s chest and into the net.
The first goal we conceded this season, and a very unlucky one.
Here in the U.S., arch Liverpool-homer Steve McManaman does the ESPN commentary (with Martin Tyler, I think), and he blithely glossed over a “hint of offside”, despite the replays showing Suarez clearly offside when the ball was played. “Hint” or no “hint”, offside is offside – the goal should not have stood. The ball did not come off an Arsenal player on the way to Suarez, so the Liverpool man should have been flagged and possession returned to us…
With that said, I am not going to have a go at the ref/linesman. Their job is hard enough, and I have the benefit of watching replays from my sofa. They have to make the call then and there, in real-time. This time, it didn’t go our way.
With ten minutes to go, Arsene made his final roll of the dice, turning to another player supposedly on his way out the door – and who was pretty invisible during preseason – Nik Bendtner. He replaced Theo, who had a very, very poor game. We could have used Nik in the box, in the hope he could have latched on to just one of the wayward crosses that sailed in to nobody all afternoon. Instead, he spent most of his time outside the box, trying to pick out team-mates and rarely succeeding. That is not his game, and I don’t think it has ever really been…
Liverpool killed the game off in the last-minute with Suarez once again offside in the buildup to the goal, which he himself put away from six yards. Four minutes of stoppage brought a Ramsey effort from distance – and nothing doing from the resulting corner.
Seconds before the whistle, Agger appeared to haul Robin down in the Liverpool area, but play continued and then ended a few moments later. The crowd, which had generally been supportive during the match, serenaded Arsene with the “spend some !!!!!!! money” chant and added a “you don’t know what you’re doing” to it, as our grim-faced manager engaged in the perfunctory handshake with his opposite number.
Afterwards, Arsene was typically defiant in his presser. He made the point that “We live under circumstances where every defeat is an absolutely a disgrace and an earthquake” while reminding us “we are at the start of the season.” I would agree with Arsene only if these circumstances were viewed in isolation.
The problem, however, is that this defeat is part of a sequence where we have won a grand total of four competitive matches since the end of February. It comes after a summer where Arsene openly spoke about the need for strengthen the defence and how he was going to try and get all his business done early.
It comes during a summer where we sold our best player, allowed two defenders from the first team squad to leave, while bringing a winger (suspended for this and the next two league matches) from Ligue Un champions Lille OSC, a teen age winger from Southampton, and another teenager from Costa Rica.
Whether he likes it or not, many of us supporters will not view this result as a one-off; rather, part of a downward slope the club has been on since February.
The fact of the matter is that we are three matches into this season, racked by suspensions and injuries throughout our first team, with little but inexperienced kids to call upon as reinforcements.
As Frim showed today, youthful energy and enthusiasm alone will not see us through this difficult patch…
So, Arsene, while you tell us how difficult it is to do a transfer, or how things are in the “real world”, do try and see the point of view of the many supporters who feel our squad lacks experience and is extremely injury prone. And, for once, try not to characterize all these supporters as wanting you to buy for the sake of buying, or calling for your head.
There are plenty of us who are fully supportive of you and the team, but have concerns about the squad’s depth and strength – is that really so unreasonable?
If anything, Arsene shows signs of digging his heels in further. When asked about strengthening, he basically said “we look”. But he also said “we try to do the right thing for the club” and “you cannot do that (buy another centre back) every time you have an injured player.” I interpret that as justification for not making additional purchases. We have eleven days left in the transfer window, but I am not holding my breath…
It is what it is…
Whether Arsene strengthens the team or not, this is still our team, and whatever lineup he puts out there, I will try to support them as best as I can. If we are going to see more of the kids in these big upcoming matches, they absolutely need our support and encouragement.
Whatever you feel about Arsene, the board and the transfer policy, these players are out there doing their best and busting their guts for our club. I thought the crowd was generally understanding today, tried to encourage our players as best they could, and saved the boos/displeasure for after the final whistle – and I think clearly aimed them at Arsene.
We need to urge our players on – especially our younger ones. If we see some players half-assing it, then vent about it here if you are so inclined – but please don’t get on their backs during the match…
As much as I think we need extra experience in the squad, the youngsters generally did not let us down (with one notable exception) on this particular occasion. Miquel, Jenks, and Frim were all effective while on the pitch, and Lansbury did well – even earning a booking and telling Mr. Atkinson just what he thought of him – in his few minutes on the pitch. Rather, our senior players let us down, particularly our forwards.
As I said earlier, I thought Arsh and Theo were both particularly poor, but I am not going to exempt our captain from some constructive criticism. I thought he spent too much of today trying to be a facilitator, looking more to set up a goal, rather than trying to score one. It’s tough to score when everyone wants to be a provider…You can’t win if you don’t score, so…Back to basics…
I would also like to add a quick word on Samir Nasri…
Whatever the future may hold for him, I think he did well yesterday. He was clearly committed on the pitch and was one of our three best players on the afternoon. When he was confirmed a starter, I wasn’t sure he would give us much, but he proved me wrong and worked hard for the cause, did nothing to let the team down, and did his best.
There are reports coming out that his move to Eastlands has broken down and he will stay here. With eleven days still remaining in the window, I find it hard to believe that it has broken down completely – there is still plenty of time to get a deal through – if he really wants the move.
That is what it will ultimately come down to, If he wants to stay here, I think we can use him and I think he has a real opportunity with our former number four’s departure. But it will ultimately be up to him. If you decide to stay Nas, we’ll be glad to have you.
If you decide to go, good luck.
Anyway, this one is now in the record books and we need to turn our attention to Udinese Calcio. We absolutely must get a result there, and at the moment, we look desperately short of numbers.
Then a few days after that, we visit Old Trafford, still short. As supporters, we cannot wave magic wands and make our injured players fit. We cannot buy credible, experienced players and slot them in to our first team.
We cannot make our forwards suddenly start crossing balls competently, or place our captain in the area to convert them into goals. We cannot do any of these things.
We can, if we choose, encourage and cheer our players – who must be pretty low on confidence at the moment – in the hopes it will make a difference and inspire them on to getting results in these next two matches…
What do we supporters have to lose, by doing this?
Written by Oliver
I just want to add a bit and that is a word of thanks.
Today Highbury House is one year old and I don’t know where that time has gone…
Thank you to all who contribute to making this site ‘work’, whether that is by posting or writing articles for us to chew over, I really appreciate it and couldn’t have done without you all, so thank you again…
It’s been a bumpy ride for Arsenal during the past year, let’s hope the next year brings better times…
Have a good day all…..
rico…
Merlin96 says:
August 21, 2011 at 7:48 am (Edit)
In this climate of “doom & gloom”, I will recommend you all to read this book, “Great Brand Sotries Arsenal…’ first published in 2006 by http://www.cyanbooks.com before our move from Highbury to Ashburton Grove.
I will summarise some of the great quotations and contrast to what is happening to Arsenal FC today.
Herbert CHapman: “A club should be like a great family with all members of it sticking and pulling together in the same direction.”
Highbury Spy, Gooner fanzine, January 2005:
“I’m quite happy to wear a different shirt next season, so bring it on and let’s add another chapter to that old tradition we’ar so fond of and that draws us towards that magnificent club in the first place.”
In February 1926, less than a year after joining Arsenal, Chapman is quoted as having said the following to Tom Whittaker, who was to become a great Arsenal manager in his own right:
“I am going to make this the greatest club ground in the world, and I am going to make you the greatest trainer in the game. Wht do you say to that?”…..(p.70, The Official History)
Paul Davis describes:
“I played for the Arsenal youth, reserve and frist team. Right from day one, as a schoolboy, you’re told,’Arsenal is different.’ This club is geared to win things – finishing second is not on the agenda. Playing fro Arsenal is about fighting for each other, team spirit and an ‘all for one’ mentality.”
(p.254, Rebels for the Cause)
Don Howe”There was a way of being at Arsenal. The saying was ‘Remember who you are, remember what you are, and remember who you play for’. That’s what they used to say to us.”
Kolo Toure: “Life is all about togetherness.”
Peter Hill-Wood: “Our strategic objective is to deliver the sustained revenue growth and profitability which will allow Arsenal to build on its leading position in domestic and European football.”
Keith Edelman, Arsenal managing director, 2005:
“I think we should be one of the top three richest club in the world in the long run.”
Guardian, 4th May 2002:
“CHelski is a business which includes a football club. It is listed on the stock market as CHelsea Village plc and counts football as ‘one of its activites’ while Arsenal is a football club firrst and a business second.”
“You weren’t world-class when Arsenal signed you.” Arsene Wenger’s reported response to Patrick Vieira’s complaint that Arsenal had failed to sign world-class players.
Running a football club – Model One –
Secret Society : Arsenal
Arsenal has always run its business in a very private way. The Eton-educated Hill-Wood family have an influence at board level for the best part of a century. Arsenal shares are listed on the OFEX market for private companies, but most shares are in the hands of a few board members who control the club. Fans own small numbers of token shares.
Plus
More focused on objectives.
Not subject to major external pressures.
Minus
What’s going on?
Depends on commitment and quality of a few people.
SIX LESSONS IF THE ARSENAL BRAND IS TO WIN
1 – Nothing matters more than success on the pitch – the core product drives the brand.
2 – Concentrate on building the relationship with fans and local community.
3 – Keeping Arsenal’s place as the leader in London football will do more for the brand internationally than any number of pre-season tours of “target markets”.
4 – A deeper commitment to customer service is crucial.
5 – Women and children need to be integrated fully into the life of the brand.
6 – Build the spirit and links between Arsenal and all its stakeholders – go beyond “keep informed” to “get involved”.
TOGETHERNESS
For the premierhsip period – until the Premier League insisted from the start of 2004/05 season on a uniform way to introduce all teams onto the pitch – Arsenal players made an entrance that became a distinctive element of their identity. Arsenal were the first and only team to run onto the pitch, line up in the centre and wave to all four sides of the stadium, home and away. The eleven players would applaud the crowd, the crowd would applaud them,a unity of purpose was visibly established between the Arsenal team and its supporters.
Over the season 2003/04, during which Arsenal set a record of going unbeaten fort he whole season of 38 games while winning the elague, another refinement developed. Just before kick-off the captain Patrick Vieira would high-five every member of the tam, then they would go into a huddle, arms over each other’s shoulders. Asked about this, RObert Pires revealed that the word spoken by everyone in that huddle was “together”. An English word, spoken in English, by a team of many naitons and many tongues.
At the beginning of the following season, as they approached and surpassed the record for teh longest-ever unbeaten run in English football, another ritual took place. A huddle at the end of the match signalled a collective resolve to continue the work into the enxt game. Then, at the beginning of every game (as other teams had initiated the huddle) it became the practice for each member of the team to high-five and hug each of the other. What would the stiff upper-lips of earleir era have made of this? They might have frowned at the particular expression but understood the intention.
WHile these symbols were developing, Arsene Wenger kept his cool, stessing not only the team’s exceptional footballing quality but also its sense of togetherness.
“There is a camaraderie here that is very strong,” he pointed out. In the same week Patrick Vieira rejected a big-money move to Real Madrid, the club with the greatest buying power in the world, and English defender Sol Campbell announced that he would sign a new contract with a pay cut to stay at Arsenal. “I ahve been in the game long enough to know that you can go chasing around trying tog et that kind of feeling, spirit and togetehrness we have at Arsenal and never succeed.”
Exceptional team and exceptional times, reinforceing the sense that there is a brand, a strong idea of what Arsenal stands for, an idea that lives in the minds of its consumers and its representatives. SOme people might think this a recent invention, as brands are generally (but wrongly) considered to be. Yet the qualities demonstrated by the team on the pitch, the identity exemplified by the players, the identification felt by the fans – these are not marketing inventions but the result of many years of shaping. The arsenal brand is strong and deep-rooted. Its effect on the minds and lives of those who pledge loyalty to it is fundamentall and long-lasting. The sense of togetherness is tangible.
Way back in its early years, the Arsenal baord of directors agreed on a club crest with a Latin motto, Victoria concordia crescit. As with most of these Latin tags most people give it a little consideration, believing it to be an insignificant piece of mock-heraldry.
Yet in this case it is worth thinking about becasue it comes close to representing the essence of the Arsenal board. “Victory grows through harmony” might be a literal tanslation. Ot in a freer version, as in the title of this book, “winning together”. The Latin motto actually points towards the core values of the Arsenal board that lie at the heart of its continuing success.
Jon & Matt Simmons “Winning Together: THe Sotry of the Arsenal Brand”…2005
How apt in this period of “doom and gloom”.
Morning All
Cracking Post oliver, it was like re-living the game all over again, painful!
Iv’e seen the first booking again on Frimpong, soft to say the least but, Atkinkson let him get away with one later on so i have no qualms about the red….
But two goals conceded, two offsides, that a bitter pill to swallow but regardless we need something up front, apart from a couple of wayward shots and a fine effort by Frimpong we were poor, we created little really, something which needs sorting out before wednesday…
Duties to be doing this morning, be back around 1130….
Morning Merlin, catch you a bit later…
Morning folks……happy to be alive this morning. After excessive drinking yesterday me and a couple of gooners crashed our car into a truck….
We will see better times……………………….But not under Wenger,He has reached the point of no return
After watching the game again I must admit we played pretty well. Frimpong until he was sent off was a beast. He shielded the back four very efficiently. I think he ll be ready to replace song in a couple of seasons. And the verm…ahhhh. He was immense and kept carroll quiet all through. Am positive about the season ahead. We ve got a pretty decent second string team. All we need is a couple of world beaters and we ll tear the league apart.
So how might we define those values, built around the brand essence of winning together?
Asw ith any brand that creates a genuine emotional connection, people are important. A brand works best when its value create and exemplify stories that its adherents can relate to. To suggest such stories we need to use words of real brand spokespeople and we need to go beyond the lazy, single-word definitions that too many brands have adopted in recent years.
The first value we suggest is exemplified by a quotation from Patrick Vieira:
“It is one of the great things about Arsenal that we have the strength and spirit to show courage in the face fo adversity.”
The first brand value is Courage in the face of adversity.
A second value, also supported by a quotation from Robert Pires, is loyalty to each other. Robert Pires said:
“The attitude, the solidarity of a group, its force of character. In terms of Arsenal, that’s what we are trying to do.”
The third value is introduced by a quotation from Arsene Wenger.
“You always want to be positive because I believe, really deeply, in my side and when it doesn’t work out as well as you think it should, you deal with it.”
This gives us the third value Positive about the future.
Because the fourth value is almost a counterpoint to the third, it is appropriate to demonstrate it with another quotation from Arsene Wenger. These are the words he spoke at the Press conference to launch the “historic” kit design that the team would wear in 2005/06, the final season at Highbury.
“I love the fact that the team will be wearing a home kit that is inspired by the frist one ever worn at Highbury. It’s not only a way of encapsulating more than 90 years of memories, it also takes us right back to when we started at this ground in 1913.”
The fourth and final value is Proud of our past.
Perhpas there should be one other quotation to sum up the brand essence and values together. This comes from Thierry Henry, the Arsenal captain in 2005/06.
“Here everyone is pulling in the same direction but above all else there is an atmosphere I’ve never known before. We are all in the same boat. We laugh together. There is not a star. We are a true fmaily, including the supporters.”
These brand values ar rooted in the reality of the club. Football supporters identify with their team, in a sense they live their lives by the values they associate with the team. ALthough these values might not have been formally written down in these words before, they correspond to qualities Arsenal fans identify with through their team.
_______________________________________________________
I trust this will lift all those “gloom and doom” and believe what Arsenal fans are and the belief in Arsenal values from those four points above.
C’mon, start looking for “silver linings” from all those gloomy days ahead.
Happy birthday Highbury House!!! Great match summary Oliver, pity about the result though…. come on Arsene weave some magic in the remaining days of this transfer window!!!!
I agreed Oliver.
Time to stand four sqaure behind Wenger, the team and msot of all, Arsenal FC.
Ir ain’t over till it is over with the Fat Lady bawling her lungs out.
It maybe just another topsy turvy season liek 2005/06 where we were sh*t one game, absolutely brilliant the very next one and down the pits in the veyr next.
Expect an emotional roller coaster season with all its exhilarating height and stomach-churning downs.
And it is heartening to see all those youngsters grabbing the opportunity to give a credible displays. Kudos to Frimpong, Jenkinson and Miquel.
I ahve no worry over Defene and Goalie, both are solid.
Our weakest link is our Front-Line firing blanks due to lack of cohesion and a paucity of creative playmaking…meaning, a creative player is a priority no. 1 now.
Nasri?
I would ratehr forgo that 22-25-mil transfer fee and let Nasri palys out this season. It will be a tremendous boost to the morale of the team if Nasri said he iss taying for thsi season.
WHo cares about that 25-mil collected from CITEH as it will end up paying off Stan’s 750-debt and is not going to use to buy new players.
Yeah….HAPPY BRITHDAY HH!
And a fine and good morning to all……c’mon..positive vibes all round..lol
Morning lee…..we showed them didn’t we? Kenny daglish with his overpriced and overpaid stars couldn’t break a make shift arsenal team. we only had problems in the final third hopefully with the eminent return of jack the lad we ll do better.
And the light is finally being seen.
Hiya will…..we did pretty well didn’t we? Frimpong is a beast waiting to be unleashed
Morning all,
Great write up Oliver.
Happy birthday Highbury house, and a very well done to you rico.
going golf so goona have a sulk, later.
Steve, nothing to sulk about.
Itz a embaressment to b a arsenal fan at the moment…. that all i can say.
Why?
Shut up terry…..its great to be a gooner…..try being a spud for a change then….gooners these days! SMH
I am trying to work out why Terry feels that way.
PThe problem will is people seem to see only the negative side of things we actually did so well. I was particularly impressed with vermaelin woijech and frimpong…..whom I think should replace the ever erratic song.
Damn this touch screen phone…..
I dont need to support spud if i feel bad the way things are being handeled by the club, i have the right to moan… i cant understand why he screwing the team up. why the hell on earth is he playing players out of poistion.
arshavin not a winger … but a world class forward
walcott – same can be said about him.
without cecs we struggled to win with our 433 formation
now that he is gone why the hell dosent he change our formation.
RVP the guy is a matchwinner but if he dosent get the ball how on earth is he supposed to win the match for us.
name 1 left winger that we have in the team.
name 1 right winger that we have in the team.
i am not crying to sign world class players but we dont even have players to play in certain god dam positions.
Terry, it is a game, enjoy it good or bad and then go to someone who really matters.
it will all be addressed in due time….the transfer window is still open. We did so well terry against a Liverpool team that costs 100mill to assemble…keep the faith man. Hey and am not an AKB. Don’t give two hoots about wenger I just support the team.
Not £100M to assemble, but who had £100M spent on an already top squad.
Besides I just heard KAKA might be joining us…..hope its true though. He’s what we need at the moment. He could fill into the whole behind RVP.
Going for a walk. Back later.
Happy Birthday HH, Will “nothing to sulk about” get your head outta the sand mate, we bloody lost yesterday, we have man u next week and I pray we are still in the champions league by then, we’re all gooners and want the best for our team, you sound like your in denial, we desperately need some reinforcements within the next 10 days or some of us will go insane.
Ok will see ya….looks like am holding down the fort by myself…..where is everybody? Kev lee DK SYG….come on you guys the arse needs you.
Happy birthday great read as usual. I have read every post and probobly most of the comments from day one just never replied before. keep up the good work rico.
dont get me wrong guys i was vrey impressed by both miquel and frimpong. the team lpayed very well.
i fell ramsay dribbles the ball way 2 much and his decision making is not that quick. he has all the attributes to make it big at arsenal but there is a long way to go.
i srtrongly feel if wenger gets the right players and i demand onli 3 we could actually be a dominating team with such a young squad.
a def, a right winger and a left winger and we will destroy every other team.
we switch back to 442.
just imagine
schezny
sagna chaill vermy gibbs
rw(?) nasri frimpong lw(?)
arsahvin RVP
subs: walcott, wilshare, ramsay, song, aox, traore, kozzer.
look at our forward line: RVP, arshavin, Nikki b, walcott, chamak.
do we really need a striker. the answer to that is no.
our midfield: Nasri, wilsahre, ramsay, song, frimpong, rosicky.
do we need any more: this is even better than Man u’s midfield.
def: vermy, kozzer, djouru we need one more and that is cahill
wing backs: traore and gibbs on the left and sgana and jenkinson on the right
wingers: we onli have Mayachi and AOX and they wont be ready for a another 2 seasons atleast.
we get these 2 perfect wingers and we could actually be unstoppable.
cant wenger see this.
ya and by the way i am an arsenal fan for life… no matter wht happen….
You called goonster? 😉 I’m not online today, as I’m on my way to an amusement park, but I’ll try to be later 🙂
Morning Again All 🙂
Just off to catch up with the comments
More importantly, why aren’t any clubs tapping up Almunia ?
Thanks for all the b’day wishes guys, and welcome to those joing today for the first time, sorry for the delay in letting you on, first comments go into moderation…
mog, thats good to hear, glad you have finally joined us 🙂
Hi Rico….what do you make of the KAKA to arsenal story? Boy that would sure lift the roof off the emirates….
Micko, cos he rubbish… 😉
seriously, he’s not good enough for us but you’d think a so called ‘lesser’ spanish side would offer him a place…
hi goonster,
nowt, it’s rubbish no doubt – quite a few rumours around today, lets home some prove true eh….
I would love to see kaka wearing the red and white….at least that would compensate for losing out on MATA.
Kaka would be nice but can’t see it myself, still think Nas is definately off, we really do need to replace fab, we’re gonna miss him big time, everything went thru him, he pulled all the strings, is there anyone here confident about wednesday night.
I am micko….I think we ll go through. Udinese ll need to come out and play…..we should hit them on the counter easily.
goonster, so would i but just can’t see it to be honest, looks like Mata is off to the Chavs 🙁
I’m not confident Micko but we have RvP back, Song, Frimpong, Nasri if he still with us, Gervinho and hopefully Kos and JD will be fit…
I’d play Frimpong and Song in the middle 🙂
Thanks rico, HH got a plug on le grove and ive read ever since. Im a bit of a fence sitter, can see good and bad points in most peoples comments. Don”t like saying we should go buy a,b or c because you don”t know if theyed want to sign or if there club would sell.
I hope your right Goonster, these are slightly worrying times, we usually do ok against the Italian sides, could be a real ding dong match, egde of the seat stuff.
I am close to giving up on blogs.
No Rico I wouldn’t play rico and song…..we need to release the ball fast. Song and frimpong are way to slow for counter attack.
mog, today or when HH started?
My blogging days began on LG, G&P write great posts and i read them every day, just don’t get chance to comment very often these days….
I’m neither a Wenger out, nor do I think he is the best thing since sliced bread either – It s AFC i love, not those who manage or run it…
I think we all know there are gaps to be filled and to a degree i don’t care who he fills them with, as long as they want to play for us and they put every last bit of effort they have in them into every performance…
I don’t care how cheap they are either 😉
goonster, i don’t think i’m allowed to play 😉 😉
Don’t give up on us baby as David Soul once said.
Frimpong didn’t look slow yesterday goonster, he popped up all over the place… He’s def quicker than Song…
Oh my bad…meant frimpong.
Blimey Micko, Good old S&H 🙂
I loved that show, always wanted Starskeys cardigan 😉
😆 goonster
Why Will??
oliver, good one! I missed the game 🙁 (a good thing, it seems), but your account was comprehensive and insightful as usual. 🙂
Happy birthday, HH. Lady rico, you do a fab job. 🙂 But oh my, where does the time go?
Hello, all.
Rico, i think you’ll definately get a game on Weds’ 🙂
Afternoon Gooners
Happy Birthday Highbury House….
Stan, i hope you had your seat belt on you twit……
If you want a booze up, fine, but get a cab home….
We don’t want to be doing an obituary on here thank you… 😉
Rico the plug was a year ago read ever since. don”t go on le grove that much any more so don”t know if they said any thing today or not. Goonster might have come up with somthing there you could be the new midfield general we ve been looking for.
Or should i say general es. deneilson got away with playing like a girl.
Morning Oliver.
Great post, again. Do you want the cricket scores? 🙂
Rico, i’d be straight into the shop, to get a shirt with Rico, no.9 on the back…. 😀
Hello agag, not on a plane today……?. 😆
Hi agag,
thanks but like i always say, its you guys and gals who make it work 🙂
Hi kev, thanks for the HB, i need to clean my nike tempo’s before wednesday then 🙂 Save your money, i’ll send you a shirt 😉
Hola, AK. 🙂 How are you? Some really good discussions on your post yesterday. 🙂 Most commented on, too, I hear. 😉
goonster, just re-read your earlier, slap wrist for your antics last night 🙁
😆 mog, i’d give denilson a run for his money alright, i’d be behind him with a stick!!
I love the arsenal 🙂
KEep the faith gooners, everything will turn out great!
😉 i’ll have to think up a song for ya Rico……..
Thanks agag, But i have to admit that it’s the headline that attracted so much interest, allied to it being a match day.
But it was a great days discussions….. Despite the result.
Morning all.
Did I just read that some guy called Theo Walcott world class??
Anyway, Are we any closer to signing anyone?
Things are bad that the club, but they have been worse. Lets just hope Wenger finally does the right thing and bring in what is need in the last 10 days.
Would love to see Usmanov buy out stan and send his ass packing.
rico, this is a nice place; although sometimes, when you’re not policing discussions do get a little heated. Ha ha. 😛
ADK, i wish i truly believed that too… Huge ten Days for AW and Arsenal…
Keep it cleans Kev 😉
Hi ESP, I’d like to see AU and Stan work together, we’d get the best of both worlds then…
I don’t want to come on all over cynical 😉 . But i do sense the hand of a money grabbing agent behind all these Kaka rumours.
It’s just so unWenger to bring in some Brazillian ‘showpony’ that it’s all i could do to not burst out into hysterical laughter when i read it.
These agents, you just gotta love the tosspots, what would the Press do without them?
Hey kev my man….I hear ya. For your sake, I ll be more careful.
I’ll be on my best behaviour Rico, trust me…. 🙂
Gotta go, the gym awaits…
See ya all later….
Keep The Faith
Yeah Stan, you make sure you do….. lata
🙂 agag, i’ll have to get my groceries sent, then i’d not have to go out 🙂
Enjoy the pumping kev 😉
Rico you might just get a chance at doing that did”nt he say he was looking forward to coming back in a years time. Car”nt wait, not to see him play but you running after him with a big stick. You would”nt have to run that fast either.
canal+ reports that we have had a 20m bid for Yann M’Vila turned down.
walking pace mog, walking pace…
i’m hoping he doesn’t come back, i’m sure we’ll sell him eventually unless a miracle takes place and he improves by playing each week…
Why do we bid for players we don’t need? We don’t m’villa we need a CB a creative mid fielder and a striker. Go get them arsene.
goonster, M’vila would be an awesome signing, just awesome, he’s just what we need in the midfield, Frimpong would learn from him, big time…
Ditch Squilli and Song can be our 5th CH 😉
Have fun, AK. 🙂 Mr. Muscle.
rico, ah, the benefits of ordering anything and everything online. 🙂
hello, mog, Denilson (1/2 of the D&D) twins is a firm favorite of rico. Lol. 🙂 I wish he has a great run at Sao Paulo. Maybe then someone would wish to buy him.
Rico we have more pressing problems. We ve just lost our captain and inspiration we don’t need another DM. It was evident yesterday that we missed fabregas. We could do with a like for like. There were periods against liverpool that we had possession and did nothing with it.
Maybe they would like the other ‘D’ in the deal too, when is that man ever going to be fit… I’m sure he’s competing with Tomas ….
goonster, if we want to be stronger, we need M’Vila – right now we have two DM’s, both are unavailbe for the PL games coming up..
We need a DM, CH or Two is Kos is out for a while and a striker… 🙂
Guys, got to go off again, bust Sunday 🙁
Back around 4ish…
agag i did”nt think denilson was a favorite with his own mother.
perhaps thats a bit harsh but you know what i meen. got a mate who runs a pub team if everthing gos tits up at sao paulo there maybe an opening there for him. (thats a very big maybe) perhaps he could help put the nets up and the corner flags out, might even get a chance to run the line. did i say run the line, well you know what i mean.
Everyone in the pub..? [With Wath 😉 ]
George Graham;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14605425.stm
I am here.
Good write up on our youngsters, who did well yesterday…
http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/paucity-of-options-see-youngsters-thrown-in-at-the-deep-end/
Hello Will….
Hope HH’s 2nd anniversary comes under happier circumstances..?
India 267 for 8
I am not unhappy with the game yesterday.
Arsene after the game…. on Sky;
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11670_7114273,00.html
I’m unhappy with the performance of the Officials…..
It’s becoming a worrying habit and i’m beginning to wonder if there is some kind of underlying reason why..?
Also the amount of pulls and strains our players are getting…
Questions need to asked about the clubs preparations maybe?
I was chatting to a physio last Friday, and he told me the most advanced country in that area of that kind of medicine is France…
mog, poor Denilson. 😉 So unloved.
AK, not on a plane. 🙂 But I just had one of my best holidays. You should venture to my side of the planet. SE Asia is pretty and value-for-money.
Hello, Will. It is heartening to see that the young ‘uns held their own. Freak OG and poor officiating; I’m distinctly unimpressed by Liverpool. We’ll swing into some groove soon, I think.
Scott Dann on the bench for Birmingham, again….
Agag, you should have seen all those rippling muscles and six-packs down at the gym……. 😯
Well that was the guy standing next to me… 😆
Good holiday? where was that agag…?
I’d love to visit your side of the globe, but i can’t handle flying agag.
I know a lot of guys who love visiting in your neighbourhood.
As you say beautifull scenery and very good value for money…
India all out for 300
Six packs… Hmmm. Careful, AK… sounds like something WATH (or goonster) would like. 😀
Do we really, really want Scott Dann though?? Singapore and Bali. Bali. Bali was just about perfect. 🙂 Take the missus on a minimoon. 🙂
I thought we more than held our own against Liverpool and how many players did we have out?
rico doesn’t like to fly either, you’re in good company AK. 🙁
Many players, out Will. As you well know. 😉
Sounds great agag, my son has visited Singapore, on the way to Aussie…
Bali eh? Very glamorous…
You never been to Bognor Regis then….. 😉
Should have a few absentees back for Udinese Will.
Song, Gervinho, RVP, Nasri [?], Jack..?
Watching Kozzer yesterday, its looks doubtful he’ll be fit for Wednesday, Squillaci could get the nod, don’t think Nasri will play for obvious reasons.
Kev, many moons ago i went to Bognor regis – Butlins for a weekend, Bucks Fizz were there that night, I don’t half live life on the edge.
Just read some stuff on Nasri. If he’s happy, he would have signed that contract by now. 🙁
I’m not very worried about Udinese. It’s my hope that the players will approach the game with more urgency, and I’m fairly confident we’ll get a result.
I like Singapore too. Lots of museums and shows and it is so unbelievably orderly and clean. A bit anodyne for some though. Bali is gorgeous. Where is Bognor Regis? I’ve not been to England. 🙁
Ah yeah, Butlins at Bognor, i’ve also been there Mick.
Not sure who was the entertainment when i went..?
It was more Hi-Di-Hi in those days.
You know Red-coats and all that jazz.
Good for us kids though.
Bognor Regis is in Dorset [i think] on the South-Coast of England.
I think Bali just edges it agag…. 😉
Wrong, its West Sussex…
I just wiki’d it. “Bugger Bognor”, I see. 😀 I’ll ask rico to send you the photos I sent her. 🙂 It is my goal to get everyone to visit SE Asia. 😉
agag if you like orderly and clean lovely beaches and cristal clear sea. you car”nt go wrong with a trip to skeggy. (east coast of england)
Afternoon 🙂
Nasri cannot stay without signing a contract. Say it isn’t so RIco.
No he cannot Adam, surely..
We run such a tight financial ship, to allow him to walk free goes against all that the club say they are about….
You cannot moan about transfer fees and wages, tell everyone that we survive on sweat, waiting for the crumbs to fall from the table’s of the ” big clubs” and then effectively pay about £28 million to keep one uncommitted player for one year. It makes less sense than no sense.
Hi guys are we close signing anyone? Am so desperate anyone will do.
Goonster. We are in big for Harry Squillaci the older brother of the one we already have. He is 46 years old and injured at the moment, but, after a hip replacement he will be like a new player.
Adam, do you have a source ? You could be making that up for all I know.
Exactly adam, Nasri signs or goes, then at least if he still wants to go next summer we’d get more than 22million for him…
Micko. I didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up but after yesterday I felt we all needed a bit of a lift.
Good one adam….hahaha. But seriously who are we looking at? Its less than 11 days to the end of the window. We ve got to move fast. And now is the time.
Goonster. You make a pertinent point. Weigh expectation and the evidence of one’s own eyes against the realities of where we are and what we see, and with every day closer to the transfer deadline we lower our sights. Did someone mention ” super” quality players? Perhaps I dreamt it.
Yesterday we were without:
Jd
Gibbs
Wilshere
Gerv
Song
Lost Kos pretty early
Had three players making their debuts.
We lost Clichy and Fabregas in the summer
And yet…AND YET, we more than held our own against a top 6 side that had just had £100m spent on it in the summer and only lost to two offside goals one of which was a flukey own goal and had another player sent off meaning we had to play with 10 men again.
Get a fucking grip people.
Did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning Will.
The right players should have been brought in earlier on in the summer and we probably wouldn’t be be in this position now, we have 2 massive games coming up next week with the weakest squad i can remember for a long time, its ridiculous.
Adam 😆
RICO. Perhaps Nasri will strengthen the ranks of Man Utd instead of City.
Next season Adam? I don’t care where he goes next summer as long as he’s under contract we’d be looking at £50 to the open market…
But, if he does a u-turn, signs and says he wants to be at AFC, then we can always keep him…
Wednesday wenger should play him, b****x to Citeh…
Rico. You can be sure that either club would like it to drag out. They know that Wenger won’t buy before he sells so they will leave it until the last minute to ensure that we won’t have time to strengthen. Even if Arsene was so inclined and let’s face it, that isn’t guaranteed is it? If he does play him on Wednesday surely that will reduce his value. I can’t help thinking that it would be best if he went tomorrow and they paid the cash up front. After all, all the City sheikhs need to do is to put a penny on a gallon of petrol and they’ve paid for him. Or rather we will. Delicious irony isn’t it?
Weakest squad for as long as you can remember?
Are we facing relegation?:
Are we a mid table team?
Are we so spoiled with what we have had, we have lost perspective?
No, No, yes.
Valid point made there Adam but i have a feeling, don’t know why, that he’ll sign a new contract, maybe with an agreement that he can go next season..
Bit like Cesc last summer …
Can Citeh really offer him a regular start?
I’m not sure and maybe that’s why the breakdown…
Will, right now we are a mid table team – 14th when i looked 😉 😉
Does he want a regular start Rico? He probably wants to leave for a combination of money and his understandable feelings about the present Arsenal squad. This is not the last time Arsenal will face this dilemma I feel. Perhaps a couple of quality buys might convince him. I get a bad vibe from Nasri though and still think he would be better off somewhere else. As Alan Sugar once said ” If you want loyalty, buy a dog”.
And in 2 weeks time we’ll be in a six pointer with Swansea ! !
Wenger has got to pull his finger out, no-one is beyond reproach, its very frustrating at the moment.
With us, yes before this summers antics…
Now though, we need him, as oliver says in the post, we fans couldn’t question is commitment on the field yesterday…
Bad vibe from Nasri – he reminds me of anelka Adam….
I think he will Micko,
IF we get through on wednesday i think we could see one or two quality signings, if not, maybe just a CH…
But yes, no one person, may it be manager or player is beyond reproach….
Micko – don’t want the man gone though, not yet…. if he gets this right in the next ten days, we’ll be back on track and challenging…
But why wait until we qualify rico? its no secret that we have money this transfer window, we’re gonna need the players either way to push on this season, it doesn’t make sense.
Thats not what i would have done Micko, i’d have bought in june then look to a couple of bargins at midday on the 31st…
What my own view is, he has one or two lined up but any deal depends on whether we qualify for the ko stage of the CL…
But, and like i said before, had he bought them in june, we’d probably have killed off the tie at The Ems…
I don’t understand AW dealings sometimes….
Well unlike our boss I won’t be pulling my hair out worrying about it, a double signing this week would be lovely jubbly, like you say, wait and see and everything crossed.
iv’e had them crossed since 2006 😉
Rico. Have you seen the article on Arsenal Times? Who knows if it is or isn’t true. It does fit in with a lot of things though and some rumors that I have heard from the Devil’s Spawn who write about football in the daily rags. Problem is that the egg timer is running.
http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s378/st170548.htm
Why am i not at all suprised if the above story is true…
Just like the ‘effin FA have buggered up the England team.
We have the same ludite pillocks running our club.
I don’t rate Gazides and Kroenke has done a big fat zero since he rode in with his stetson.
I haven’t Adam, what does it say??
That is a strong strong atricle which, imho, someone would not write if it was not anywhere near the truth…
Kev, i never wanted SS in the first place, he is no better than AU in my opinion but one of the two would have not faffed around in the transfer window….
Kev has posted the link above. Where Arsenal are concerned there are many theories to explain the rather curious goings on. As I said, I have been told a lot of stuff, but it seems a bit wrong somehow to repeat them online because there is no verification possible, just theories that either do or don’t fit. But there is something about this story that fits some of the stuff I have heard. Also I was interested in the view of Wenger’s and Gazidis’ body language as shown by Japanese TV the other evening. Let’s face it, something is up somewhere. Oh, and I have just seen that Mata has joined Chelsea. Another one bites the dust then.
It says that the board and Wenger are at loggerheads. That Both are willing to spend, but the board is unwilling to agree to pay higher wages to players. Wages increases that Wenger is pushing for. It’s hard to sign a player if you can’t compete with the wages that the likes of Chelsea, Man u, city are willing to pay.
It actually makes a lot of sense. I’ve long had suspicions that Wenger may be unfairly taking the blame for Arsenals transfer dealings.
The link again:
http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s378/st170548.htm
Oops. Looks like you had read the article by the time I posted the summary – I was responding to your early question about what it says
I wish I could find the post where i left a comment about how i felt wenger hides the board……
Doc. If it is true they are running it close to the wire to come to a compromise. Something will have to give and it’s hard to know whose hand will grow stronger as the days pass and the deadline looms. It’s pretty plain that this current squad is weaker than last years. Factor in the inevitable long injury list and pretty soon it will be squeaky bum time. Perhaps it’s that already.
Hi Doc, i have seen it, but thank you…
How many of us have said something is going on, something is very wrong at board level?
This board is out to line it’s pocket, WATH has been telling us that for months….
Now, I wish AU would make Stan an offer and buy us outright….
Rico. The offer of £14k a share is there. Stan could walk away with many millions in profit without actually having done anything. Just can’t see it though and many say that if AU took over Wenger’s would walk.
My Theory…… IF ITS TRUE
Wenger is taking all the jeering, booing and ‘you don’t know what you are doing’ comments…
Wenger has been the one to face the media and answer shit questions.
Wenger has been the one to go on and on about ‘project youth’
Wenger has been the one who says he won’t spend money on big named players, ALL the time while the board has told us there is money….
WENGER, has finally had enough of taking all the crap when it’s not all of his doing…..
BUT, who is the inside source….
My guess, David Dein, not long after he and Wenger had holidays together…. Wenger confided in him, hoping he would spill the beans….
I’m not sure Wenger would walk though Adam, IF AU bought him out.. Would AU not bring DD in straight away and we all know what good friends they are…
Why do i think it’s DD, well, he’s been in the press all week advising fans to back our manager hasn’t he…
Perfect timing imho…..
Are they still such friends? Didn’t Dein resign as chairman of R&W Holdings? Whatever is going on, they are playing with the fan’s loyalty and that ain’t a good or smart thing to do. How can Kroenke possibly understand a fan base like Arsenal’s? If only you could actually believe anything any of these people say. History tells me we can’t, so we will have to let them play out their power games regardless of the impact it has on us.
http://www.arsenalinsider.com/index.php/frimpong-in-twitter-row-with-gooner-piers-morgan/?
Wenger and Dein are Adam, they had a lovely holiday together,but i think you are asking about R&W Holdings, i think DD resigned in hope that AU would get a better chance of a takeover – i read that somewhere…
seen that will, it’s funny but i ask myself – what is an afc player doing arguing with piers morgan on twitter….
it’s just so so wrong imho…
Sorry i had to nip off as it’s getting interesting.
Adam, i think Dein resigned as a ploy to try and help Au get his foot in the door.
Fiszman wouldn’t have anything to do with anyone who had Dein in his team…
I wonder if Dein is sensing that the opportunity to make a come-back is more of a possibility now Danny has gone and that it’s clear that Gazides isn’t up to it…
I would like to see DD back.
kev, that’s what i heard about DD too…
You guys recall when the job was up for grabs, there was a gut form vodafone who was in the running – he was an arsenal fan through and through… i wonder what would have been had he got the job instead of IG….
Is DD the answer, i don’t know, i’m not one for going back in life but right now, many things have to be better that Silent Stan and gazidis….
Again, IF that article holds any truth….
Will, what’s all this Twitter nonsense about….
But great to see Jack backing up his buddy Frim…..
I’m off for an early one guys, shattered….
Nighty all, catch up tomorrow ….
Funny old end to the day…..
TTFN
Gazides and Kroenke must have knew that ‘this’ was the Transfer Window for that duo to make a statement….
Well they have made a statement of sorts, and i’m not in the least impressed…
For example, what is PHW still doing in the Boardroom, making decisions, a terrible lack of judgement by Kroenke imho….
Hello Rico. Goodnight Rico.
Many Happy Returns boss…. 😀
Chelsea signs MATA…..what a waste. Am so bummed out.
According to Jamie Sanderson, the reports of Arsenal bidding for Yann M’Vila are a load of bollocks…..
Good he’s not what we need now kev. We need a creative player not a defensive one. Watching frimpong yesterday banished all my fears for a song injury. He ll easily replace song in a couple of seasons.
Francis Coquelin will in contention for ManUre game….
He’s just come back from the U20 World Cup.
He had a good season last year with Lorient.
He’s 20 now and about ready to show if he’s got what it takes…
No point spending £20million on some big-time charlie, if we’ve got the quality at the club now Stan….
How much did Mata cost?
If that Arsenal Times story was kosher, then we lost out on wages.
Remember when Wenger first came to Arsenal, one of the first things he did was give Seaman, Adams ,Dixon, Keown, Bould, Parlour and Nigel a pay rise….
Why was that?
Possibly because the tight bastards in our Boardroom undervalued our most experienced and reliable players.
The Arsenal Board have always been wankers.
Nothing has changed….
Yeah kev. I have huge faith in these young uns. I believe frimpong is a better DM than song and coquelin has massive potentials. According to some experts in france he’s better than makelele at the same age. Hope wenger plays him though
I think Frimpong will be the best DM in the league by the end of the season.
Stan, Wenger may not have any choice mate…
But the ManUre game can take care of itself, to me the Udinese game is one of the most important in the career of Arsene Wenger.
That’s all i can focus on….
About time Arsenal enjoyed a bit of good luck methinks…
I have said it for years there is no smoke without fire. PHW and his cronies are a bunch of wankers. They kicked out any dissenting voice like they did DD and later nina bracewell. These guys are the real problem not arsene. I just hope he ll come out and say it as it is rather than be the fall guy for them.
Imagine how good he would be now Will if he’d not got injured a year ago…
He could already be in the England team…
Stan, Arsene is playing the ‘long game’….
PHW should be history by next summer. Hope he takes Harris and Keswick with him….
Am sick and tired of those guys…..maybe they are all spuds trying to ruin our club from within.
I’m offski Gooners.
Stan/Will, goodnight lads, see ya tomorrow.
Yeah will frimpong really impressed me yesterday. He’s one of the shiny lights we had on the pitch yesterday. Most gooners at the pub with me kept moaning about us not signing but what they failed to notice is how incredibly talented our second string team is…..last year we had almunia eboue denilson bendtner vela etc. Compare that lot with the current players and you ll see what I mean.
I know what you mean Kev, he would have been a monster.
Midfield of Wilshere, Rambo and Frimpong.
Looks like am all alone here. Oh well good night guys.
New Post up…