Pepe Reina gifted us a 1-1 by fumbling the ball into his own net on 90 minutes.
That was the opening day of this season. Liverpool were down to ten men for the entire second half, Joe Cole having received a straight red card just prior to the interval.
Dirk Kuyt gave Gael Clichy a torrid time that day, I have a feeling he will today too.
This is how we lined up back in August:
Almunia Clichy Vermaelen Koscielny Sagna Eboue Arshavin Wilshere Nasri Diaby Chamakh
On the bench was:
Fabianski Gibbs Rosicky Walcott Song Vela van Persie.
Thomas Vermaelen apart and as long as Sagna is fit; we will be stronger than we were back in August. Liverpool have lost Torres but gained Carroll and they have a top quality player in Suarez and even without their Captain Gerrard they will still cause us a lot of problems and we will need to be at the top of our game to win today.
The major change though is the man at the top for today’s opposition, ‘King Kenny’ who has turned Liverpool’s season around, they have gone from relegation material to 6th place and Champions League qualification is still a possibility for them.
We sit second, just! The Chavs won yesterday which see’s them on our tails, just one point is between us now so a win is even more important if we want to stay put and try and nick this League off of the Mancs. Hopefully their loss yesterday will have the same effect on them as our loss in the Carling Cup had on us – ok it wasn’t a final, but they were at Wembley.
Forget them though; we need to focus on us today.
Today is all about a great performance, play with passion for OUR club, play with grit, determination and pride.
Play without fear, yet play with respect and with inner belief.
Believe in yourselves but don’t be arrogant.
Be strong and show every Arsenal Fan you want to be at OUR club, show us why you want to wear the Red and White Shirt, show us all why we should still believe you have it in you to win the League.
Go out there today and play like the Arsenal side did against Liverpool back in 1989 at Anfield.
It may not be the final day of the season, of course it won’t win us the league either, but if every player in red and white today plays with the heart that we saw back in May that year, it will certainly keep us in with a chance.
The question is, Can you Arsenal??
Have a good day all….
New Post up
I’ll put the post up now Will, we’ll talk about the game on there otherwise your comments will get missed, can you re post your last please??
I think I could have written it.
No heart, no idea, no chance.
Hi Will
Yes, Oliver has done the match report, be up just after 9am….
Morning Rico.
Will there be an entry today?
Morning all…
I am still so pissed off with Eboue…
I will make a bold prediciton here.
Like 2005/06 season, we will be fighting to retain Top-4 spot on the last day away to Fulham, whereas FUlham is fighting to get a result to avoid relegation.
You think with Hughes putting 10-men behind the ball in their box to get a point will prevail?
I think so as with this present bunch, they can’t even score in a brothel even with lots of 19-year old nymphomaniac dancing on their laps for 98 minutes.
1 Away to S*CUMS – certainly they will lose as they can’t penetrate S*CUMS Defence.
2 – Away to Bolton – Coyle knew how to beat Wenger’s Crab Football.
3 – ManLeeds – Greatest insult of all if they manage to win the title at Emirates.
4 – Stoke away – With all those aggro form Wenger, Pulsi will wnat nothing better than to kick and hack Arsenal into submission.
5 – Aston Villa home? Houllier will be ultra-defensive knowing that Arsenal has a panicky defence is vulnerable to set-pieces, and quick counter-attack by Ashley Young and Agbonlohar.
6 – Fulham away – Hughes may eb fighting against relegation and if a point si needed, he will be ultra-defensive and hope to hit Arsenal [again] on set-pieces and quick-counterattack.
See, everybody knew how to beat a predictable Arsenal 70% Possession Crab Football like ManLeeds did by fielding two quick and ball-playing FB in Fabio and RIo and pressuirisng Arsenal midifeld into errors in midfield, plus stop all penetrative runs by letting Arsenal playing all their 30+ passes Crab FOotball outside the penalty box.
Nighty agag, you rest well – i’m gutted but if this kind of result helps make wenger see sense, then maybe at the beginning of next season we will all think it was worth it….
I’m off too folks…
Be good…
Night night……….
I can see a load of players leaving in the summer.
Rats………….sinking ship.
Au revoir, RA. 🙂 Nighty, rico. We have just handed the Mancs the title on a silver platter. I am heartbroken. 😥
AW is just really p****d off with his players, he belives in them yet they consistantly show why he shouldn’t…..
RA, i know exactly what you are suggesting, he also looked like he had a syrup on 😉 😉
Agag, 🙂
Got to go.
See you again.
Rico, do you think Silent Stan’s got two eyes? They looked a bit strange on the TV.
I am really concerned for Arsene’s health. His hands seem to be shaking at times, and he looks like a tightly sprung coil.
If he is sensible perhaps this should be his last contract, because he has been a brilliant manager and has worked within ridiculous financial constraints.
I read today that Stan the man has ‘allotted’ a £35m transfer kitty, which includes salary requirements.
So if we pay the ‘average’ 4 year contract of £5m per annum, = £20m, he could only spend £15m on a new player, unless he sells our current players.
I don’t think Stan is going to spend much, he is a business man in for the return on profits, not the fans desperate desires for trophies. 🙁
I agree, rico. Like you, I thought Eboue had been having a great game before that moment of sheer idiocy. We are left to grapple with our inadequacies yet again.
Cesc was poor. 🙁 And Kroenke was listening, he’d have heard the boos/groans from the home crowd, and hopefully will do his best to address the ordinariness of our squad in the summer. We deserve a few good buys.
RA, might I add three words to your 6:55?? It’s tippy tappy wing to wing and… NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING.
Hi RA, i’m just glad Silent Stan watched that, i am sure he won’t be happy – well; i wouldn’t….
Me too Agag.
Not the best of time to be commenting, but I cannot understand the repetetive nature of our attacking options. It is all same, same!, tippy tappy wing to wing.
Nothing new there, we have all been saying it for months.
I need to go for a walk before I say something I might regret later!! 🙂
Why do i keep doing this to myself?i had decided to boycott our games since i know we’ll play shit but i still watch them anyway.
agag, i believe the ref got the time wrong but, Eboue should not have been such an idiot – we were handed a lifeline with our penalty, players of our so called standard should know better…
Unless the mancs totally muck up, we are second at best.. same old same old….
and where was our captain on a day we need him??
Sell him, his head is elsewhere, take the money and build a real team, not just eleven players who play around one man….
Hi, RA! 🙂 How are you? I hope your medical stuff is sorted. I’m gutted. We are so without ambition, I’m at a loss for words.
Not blaming, the ref entirely, JJ. We were very ordinary today, there is no denying; but they’re paid for that job, and they’re supposed to do it and do it well.
Thing is Agag, the Premier League ref’s are instructed to allow a couple of minutes added time after a goal has been scored (celebrations etc), and then sorting out the defensive wall when Song conceded the freekick would have taken a couple of minutes too.
It is possible for the ref to explain the time, (right or wrong) and it would not have mattered if Eboue had not run into Lucas.
I agree with last two posts
theres no justification that we cant score all game and then blame the ref for something eboue did..
we had 90mins to win that game and we were shit so whats 4 minutes supposed to do??
we didnt deserve the three points and we didnt get them
no point blaming the ref for that…
Disappointed, and angry.
We can blame the ref, we can blame one stupid player, but be honest, we did not look as if we were ever going to score, unless it was a penalty.
This team is just not good enough, and it is not just Eboue. we are slow, lacking in creativity and with too many players not giving their all, just like so many other games at home this season.
Please Sagna come back.
KTR7 He’s crossing is horrendous,he should not be classed as a forward, as he spends more time in midfield one footed and very seldom is in the right place, Chamakh has all ways been the better option, only he got dropped for Bendtner and Van Persie, what a waste. Chamakh was scoring regular and has done nothing wrong.
he sure will jj, especially as eboue is off to join them in the summer!!
I disagree, about the ref not having blown it. He blew too late imho. There’s no justification for the 4 added minutes.
bales going to fuck us up if eboue plays..
i aint blaming the ref at all
you play to the whistle..simple..
excuses have surrounded arsenal for too long eboues a bellend and thats the truth…
Steve rvp takes our corners because he has superb delivery.drogba takes them for chelsea too.
I can’t bear the thought of the spuds beating us 3 in a row in the league…
wenger, wake up you idiot, it was a clear cut penalty!!
Why no one cleared the ball properly out of the danger area before the free kick, instead we gave the ball right in front of their feet.
jj, about time we changed and went to rugby time, that will stop all this time dispute….
Regardless of our display the ref blew it.the 8 minutes were up and for rvp’s celebration its 1 minute max.where he got 3+ minutes i don’t know.
i hate eboue
thats me finished with that prick..he needs to go hes a fuck up waiting to happen
said earlier he was a liability…
Gutted…
I agree rico and JJ, eboue should’ve not push the liverpool player however soft the push was no need of a contact.
I think the player dived but it makes no difference there was a penalty given.
the ref got the minutes right
added time for carragher and then more minutes for rvp celebration after our pen..
Evening all,
Another pathetic display, when your centre forward wants to take corners when he should be in the middle says it all, absolutely no ideas at all, gave the ball away all afternoon. Cant shoot wont shoot absolutely pathetic, our season is over. Arsenal need change, probably wont get them. Arsenal are losers and that says it all.
Something, really should be done to penalize these refs for poor decisions. There seems to be no meaningful consequence when they mess up.
regardless of the time Stef, that idiot should not have left liverpool back in….
How do we motivate ourselves after this latest disaster?? Hmmmm. I don’t think it possible.
Thanks, Marriner.
Anyone surprised?red nose was at the ground.how the hell did the ref add 12 minutes?
However, Eboue was a knob, the ball was in no mans land he didn’t need to do what he did, the dipper player had nowhere to go…
Eboue was a knob…
The ref lost it! too many minutes added on why 4+ minutes were added on there was no logical reason for it.
Spot on Stef, how, why?
The board said 8 added mins??????
I’m shite at maths but 90 + 8 does not = 102!!
My head is reeling, I’m gonna throw up…
jj, he had a good game then made a big feck up – makes me wonder about his loyalty to the end….
especially with the swampie rumours….
Kuyt (pen) 90+12
self destruct button again
hes a joker alright manutd are pissing themselves…
eboues a cock
fucking bellend he is…
wanker
the summer can’t come soon enough.
How many minutes??????
12 minutes play ???
What a joke.
Thanks Eboue…….
I guess not then.
fuck….
Oh, god… We may still lose…
phhhh…
Fuck, we’ve won it!!
fucking yeah!!! wooohoooo!
Let’s hold on now boys.
come on 1 goal i ask for 1 goal is that to much
Seems we are scared.
Well done, Arsenal. Well done.
are you watching stan?? hope so..
God, grant me patience…
this is shit
gr8 pass by cesc 🙁
If we had a Paddy type, some players (Cesc, ahem) would be getting an earful….
Pass pass pass pass pass lose the ball.
Lady luck we need u right now!
It’s not even as if Liverpool have been great; so why are we struggling???????
I don’t know why I still get excited and up for the game.
Just fudging shoot, Arsenal!!!!
Pathetic agag, exactly….
🙂 Stef
Wilkins is right, we have no-one out there to get this lot pumped up….
We look like a side who has a player sent off
Pathetic, pathetic, and have I mentioned pathetic???
It is a sign of our squad when we put Bendtner on to try and win us the game.
Hahaha what a tackle from Shelvey.
How come Liverpool are the one with three players out and we’re the ones who look nervy??
6 foot 4 striker
on the wing???
This is shocking.
the meerkat comes on as predicted for Theo.
dilly dally diaby..
Time for a couple of changes Arsene………
@Rico
Good think I didn’t saw it then, saved by HH.
Arshavin will come in soon if Theo keeps getting wrong with crosses. If u ask me I would change Cesc or Wilshere for Arshavin.
So freakin’ frustrating…
headbutted in the chin by one of his own Stef, nasty 🙁
4 4 fucking 2
THEO – Shooooooooooooot!!!
What the hell happened with Carragher ?
I didn’t see it.
ok
so two teenagers at fullback and no carragher for last half hour
if we dont score…..
falls over injured when hes not and lets saurez run at goal
dickhead..
yeah real mental strength from the class clown
eboues a liability
You can see one hopeful punt into our box and a goal can’t you.
were going to get beat
fucking about trying to walk the ball into the net and pool will counter at some point
and if its ngog il do my fucking nut
😆 agag – he’s so annoying, just wait until wednesday, daddy this, daddy that grrrrr
Anyone one see us getting robbed today?
If theo could dribble…
rico, Redknapp’s biased. He’s the most talentless (note: not “least talented”) commentator on the telly.
Decent game so far.we need an early goal though..
cesc hasnt been the same this season, especially since barca..i hate playing those fuckers it fucks his mind up for rest of season
he wasnt even good v blackpool a few balls over the top against a high line defence isnt dictating the game..
Apparently, it’s been five hours now since we’ve scored at home! Fudge! Five hours???
Penalty chat at H/T – Redknapp says the dippers should have had one, what about JD?? Dragged almost onto his back, def penalty imho….
cos we are arsenal
we dont take advantage we do it the hard way…
severly lacking a ruthless streak
we have no natural wingers theo cant play wing and nasri likes to come inside..
Cesc is having a bad game; Jack’s out of sorts. And why are we not taking advantage of their young defenders??? And two others on a yellow?
Theo’s been smart – nowhere to go, get the corner
Cesc needs a wake up call and Jack is knackered…
This game is there for the taking, Oh to have a goal scorer…. 🙁
theres no point hitting it in the air cos rvp cant beat both skrtel and carragher in the air by himself
so get it out wide stretch the defence and cut it back to the 100 midefilders weve got running in..
boooooorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnngggggggggggggggg
if only theo could dribble
liverpool are going to see a player sent off here if we go after the right players..
two defenders on a yellow..
and robins dead balls are frustrating
when he crosses its perfect when he shoots, the satelites duck for cover and the ball comes back with ice caps on it
I agree but we seem to be missing something. Oh that’s it, someone who wants to score.
says it all when eboues been your best player
flanagan now on a yellow
go after him…
Jack and Cesc are both having a bad day….
We need to be tougher and a little more clever with the foul. Carroll is very good at backing in and drawing the foul.
I agree JJ, fake in, pass out.
theo v jack robinson
nasri v flanagan
go wide use the wings
Scouse poofs.
Clichy is getting no help on the left hand side.
weve woken up abit now..
only taken 15 minutes…
koz unlucky
too slow..cesc absent
Not looking good guys.
mereles on the left..eboue should be ok..
spearings not the best we should dominate that midfeild..
i think we’ll win
if we dont then roll on the summer
j.d.’s got the minerals to handle the ariel threat..
just gotta stop those ariel balls going in…
which is where eboue and clichy come in
nasri v flanagan…
nasri should rip him
Agree jj, Kuyt v Clichy does not excite me !!
I just hope the CB’s can handle the bombardment from the air we know will be coming.
thats a decent lineup..
still think clichys the weak link and liverpool will exploit it..
with theo and rvp we have enough to score..
need cesc to be on top form today as well
nasris supposed to have agreed a deal months ago..
but nothings been made official yet..
the rags are just regurtitating old news..
he’ll sign
and if he doesnt its a project youth fail..
buy a young player..
develop him
win no trophies
sell him in the last year of his contract for same price you bought him for..
Just seen the team, looks pretty strong.
JD is back 🙂
Ah, says it all then agag 😉
No Sagna or Song, Diaby in 🙁
The Daily Fail, rico. 🙂 Ahaha.
Hi agag, where did you read that about Nasri… 😮
We are allegedly considering a Nasri sale… Sigh. That people churn out such rubbish; more to the point, that they’re paid to, is really rather… sad.
Boo! Let’s win this, boys! COYRRR!
Afternoon, we up for this game then??
Silent Stan is at the match today….
Also no way is kos the slowest with denilson and fabregas around.
I saw that RA but there is no way thats true.theo is by far faster than jack.jack has good acceleration though.fitness wise id say that jack is fittest.
RA, I just read the same article in the Daily Mail.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1377679/The-fastest-slowest-fittest-players-Premier-League-club.html
JJ, they do show passion and commitment sometimes but we don’t see it very often. Maybe that is why all love Jack he is all over the field yelling, making tackle, runs, but we want all the players committed to the game and give all to win not just one player or few at most.
Afternoon Guys,
Trying to keep my mind off worrying/analysing today’s game, I have been reading blogs and papers.
I read somewhere, stats that showed the fastest player in each team, the slowest player and the fittest.
I don’t know where the data came from and I am not sure what to make of it, but;
Arsenal Fastest: Jack Wilsire; 22.35 mph (Joint with Walcott).
Arsenal Slowest: Koscielny; 21.65 mph
Arsenal Fittest: Jack Wilshire; 7.5 miles covered during games, on average.
I suppose there are statistics and then there is ….
Great compliment to Jack tho’.
stef
passion and comittment is the missing ingrediant in this squad
if they want to show us they have it the time is now..
the next few days will define our run in..
we have to be winners and not just talk about it..
yeah will..
i aint heard no fat lady yet…
lets hope the players havent heard her either..
a good win today and its 4 points gap..
4 points is nothing with 6 games to go…
and with everyone back in training we dont have to play the likes of denilson or nikki..or rosicky or squillaci…
or diaby..or almunia… 😉
come on boys…
utd also have everton and chelsea..
everton are in good form now and chelsea will want revenge and to take our second spot..
we also have stoke and bolton which we alwyas struggle..
so its not easy.
utd will drop points but at this minute in time i think we will too..
but like i said that might change if we can get 6 points from pool and spuds..it could change the whole aura at the club..and if we beat the mancs then who knows…
Osi, waht will be the final score 1-1 or 2-2 🙂
when boys become men, if win all 7 remaining games that will be the headline.
Question is will Arsene play with Diaby or Song, we all want Song but is he really ready to play.
Today I would like to see passion and commitment to win for Arsenal most of anything, but I do like to win.
Maybe it is time to fake it to make it.
I’m predicting a ManU draw against Newcastle. The Barcoded Thugs can rough them up and I can see some late tackles, some breaking legs, some real shit.
yup its out of our hands..
but if we win all our games that includes beating manutd..
whic will mean if utd win all theirs (except for the loss v us) its only one point..
all we need is one slip up from utd..one draw..
but weve still got to win all ours
hard to see i know but if we beat the dippers today and the spuds in the week we could have momentum to go on a mini run..like after xmas..we won 7 on the trot before we drew 4-4 at newcastle..
we need another run
you’re right, confidence is everything and we can get that get that by winning our next 2 matches, but again i’m saying that ManU are 7 points ahead of us and it’s out our hand winning the title.
will..well its definaltey something between his ears that doesnt tick..
technically and physically brilliant..
mentally?? yhes not the best..
concentration would fall into the mental attribute category so i make you right..
osi..confidence breeds from winning games…
fans and players alike..we need three points and the confidence in the club will start to come back..
liverpool and spurs are big big big matched..6 points against those bastards and everyone will be ready for the fight…
JonJon i’m not confident we can win that one. But, even if we win it’s only three points and isn’t enough to catch up.
JJ, I am not sure it’s drive with Diaby. I think it is focus. He can intercept a pass, stride forward, beat three players and then wonder what he is having for dinner. He loses concentration/focus.
I just don’t think this team have it and we need a few experienced, proven winners.
the mancs still need to come to the grove osi..
and they play schalke as well which could take alot out of them
weve just got to keep winning..
if we are within a point with three games left it wont be impossible..especially if the mancs lose to schalke..the momentum could swing and the losses of two semi finals could de rail them..
its all in his head will..
you can only teach a player so much..the rest in his head and if he cant use his head then hes pretty much reached the optimimum level…
you cant teach motivation and drive..the player either wants it or he doesnt..
I will start to as well, jonjon but that’s if only if ManU at least draw their next 2 fixtures. ManU look like a lucky team.
If Diaby could concentrate, he would be one of the best CM’s in the world.
osi
if we take 6 points from liverpool and spurs i will start to beleive again..
hi rico
diaby doesnt have the drive to do that at a consistent level..
yayas a determined machine
diabys heads up his arse most games..shows one piece of skill and then decides thats his lot hes done his bit for the day..what time does the match finish i want to spend my wages..
ManU are feeling down. They won’t win their next match at Newcastle provided the thugs like Barton and Co play as aggressive as they did againdst us. But, will Arsenal take the matthers on their own hands? The answer is:??????
Hi Osi…
Back a bit later, things to get done before KO…
hi morning all
Villa hasn’t scored in like 10 games.he could’ve easily won the game for barca on several occasions.he looked like Torres yesterday.
Toure’s perfomance hs what we hope to see more often from diaby.he delivers such perfomances sparingly.
hi ktr
pepe is a power player isnt he..very fast very strong..
i watched the game last night its interesting to see how shit david villa is now..
the player of the day for me though was yaya toure..
best performance of the day..
thats what a strong box to box man can do for you..he ripped utd to bits..utd midfield had no control of the play and they didnt score because of it..
we need a player like that..
Hi jj.pepe was outstanding last night.it got me thinking of using kos/vermy as a sweeper in front of 2 Cbs against messi.
But we can rico and thats the point.if we have our best 11 on top form i expect a smashing perfomance and nnthing less.
morning..
will thats becuase we had no denilson, we had fullbacks who could cross and we had a clinical striker who wasnt injured most of the time..
as soon as the ball went forward it stayed forward, it didnt come back, just in case someone else might be in a better position after another 50 passes..
i also read that piece on stan..it seems the logical move…you dont make money touring austria..wenger finally has a boss…
‘when we feel like it’ – that’s the problem, some of our lot don’t feel like all too often…
Hi will.in away games we are a direct counter attacking side.we can play that way rico if we feel like it.
Morning Kt
Thats because we had the players to play that Will…
I watched an old vid of from 2003. No 100 pass moves at all.
Morning all.
Spot on AT, pass pass pass is boring and just gives the oppo too much time….
Stop the marathon passing to shoot and score. Play like in the blackpool game. Two three passes and the ball is in the net.Chelsea against WBA don’t engage in 100 passes. A ricochet and Drogba was there to score.
Morning Will
Agree re the first five minutes – do to the dippers what we did to the chavs i say….
The first 5 minutes will tell me everything I need to know today. If we are at them and the passing is slick, I will know the players are up for this.
If we back off and defend “zonal” and our passing is slack and sloppy. We will lose.
This is a fantastic read:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8455719/Stan-Kroenkes-blueprint-for-Arsenal-future.html?