Morning Gooners,
Arsenal 3 Norwich 3 neutrals would say a hard-fought game.
Arsenal went ahead on 65 seconds through Yossi Benayoun with a wonderful solo goal curled into the top corner.
The goal didn’t faze Norwich, they surged forward as if they knew that the Arsenal defence would be breached at any minute and of course it didn’t take long. Just like the Red Sea when it parted for Moses, the Arsenal defence did the same when it parted for Wes Hoolahan. His shot went straight at our keeper and it seemd to offer little threat but Ches made a dreadful mess of it and helped the ball over the line. 1-1.
Arsenal looked very fragile after that goal, it was as if the Arsenal players just wanted someone else to take responsibility and somebody did, only it was Grant Holt who was a pain in Arsenals side all afternoon.
His shot ricochet off of Gibbs and Ches rushed out only for the ball to leave both Arsenal players way out of their depth as it found its way into the empty net.
Arsenal were made to look like school boys and had there been a hole in the pitch they would have jumped over one another to get in there I’m sure.
The half finished 1-2 and it should have been more.
Arsenals first half display was woeful, this game was a stepping stone to Champions League football for next season but the players were just not at the races.
The £30 odd million that is generated by qualifying was not even in their minds, but I suspect it was in Arsene Wenger’s, he must have gone ballistic in the changing rooms at half time having been desperately disappointed with his players.
Had he a ‘proper keeper’ on the bench he probably would have brought him on for Ches but as we know that what we had on the bench was worse than what we had on the field so the team wasn’t changed for the second half.
I’m sure the players came out with Wengers words fresh in their ears as they actually looked a bit better.
We started to apply a bit of pressure and I could feel the fans thoughts about Robin scores when he wants and lo and behold Robin got on the end of a Song pass and to make it 2-2
This was the first time I smiled since the first 65 seconds Robin has been amazing this season and had he been playing in a better team he could have scored many more.
It wasn’t long after that that Robin must have thought time for another and duly delivered. A mistake from a Norwich defender let our captain in and Robin punished made it 3-2. Into the last 10 minutes and all we had to do was hang on but as always, that was to difficult for us.
We had brought on Alex Oxlaid Chamberlain for a very off form Ramsey and Chamakh for one of our better players Yossi Benayoun, we had to bring Coquelin on for Bacary Sagna who Wenger confirmed has fractured his right fibula. It’s the leg he broke earlier in the season.
The injury was caused by an off the ball stamp by Bradley Johnson but the referee wasn’t watching!!
Norwich Steve Morrison came on for a late substitution and he soon bought the scores level after sliding his shot passed the hopeless Ches.
3-3 and that smile I had on my face had disappeared, a frown was in its place.
We made our last attack forward and a through ball left Robin with an open goal only to be shoved in the back before he could get his two yard tap in, the whole stadium thought was a penalty but not of course the referee or lines-person.
The game ended and Norwich were jubilant, they must had felt they had an easy away game against one of the so-called ‘big boys’!
Well done to them.
Us on the other hand, the club should give the fans their money back!
This was a very poor effort from our players, they let the fans down and their employers as well!
They may think they superstars but they not and with yesterdays kind of performance we will slink away into obscurity.
The manager has been let down badly but we the fans have been let down more…..
Written by Steve Palmer.
I don’t see why you always need someone to blame…it’s the end of a long season, there is a lot of pressure, and remember Norwich are fairly good (they beat Spurs at WHL), and we’ve been hit by injuries. They’re human too, and blaming people doesn’t help anyone.
Time for new man at the top!! Also interesting that everybody says Arsenal are a one man team (RVP) but since Arteta has been missing nothing has gone right.
Well put we played like a team who could not care less they should not give us our money back for this match they should get the money back from the players for the last 4 matches
Morning all….
Thanks for the post Steve….
To my mind the bottom line with my beloved Gunners is that there are far to many mediocre players in our squad and we have been exposed all season because of it. Almunia, Djorou, Squillaci, Santos, Jenkinson, Denilson, Ramsey, Diaby, Gervinho, Arshavin, Benayoun, Park, Chamahk, Bendtner, Vela….. Are all not worthy to wear the shirt. I know a few of these guys are on loan but to me that is indicative that they should not be at Arsenal. We need a complete overhaul.
Matt when you get £60k a week you need to be held responsible for not turning up
Matt – a long season?
Ours hasn’t been that long and with just two games left we should be able to beat a Norwich side, we have a severve lack of depth and strength in our squad and that is down to one man.
The chavs have had a much longer season than us but look at how they dug deep when it mattered yesterday…
Neither the Manager nor the players are as good as they think they are!But without a proper leader on the pitch and anyone at the Club prepared to stand up to Wenger-the 7 year rut will get even deeper!!
the font – and when you are on £7 Million a year, you are expected to do what is right by the club and its fans…
Ric – totally agree on many you list but can’t see it happening….
Jenks and Santos though i’d keep & loan Ramsey so he gets his mojo back
Alf – agree re Arteta, we have seriously missed him but we should have a squad to cope, fact is we don’t…
This is all Wenger’s fault – time for the whining French prick to finally do us all a favour and FUCK OFF
rico when you say it’s down to one man I take you mean wenger in this case I think your wrong the players did not turn up yesterday you may say wengers job is to motivate them he played with a system we have yoused all season The players just did not put the effort in you could see Norwich players wanted a result you could also see our players had no desire we can not dig deep when we need to we when we’re playing the big teams when the worlds watching our players they want to look good maybe they want a contract at man city when there playing teams they should beat easily and make no mistake that was the biggest game of the season for arsenal football club they was nowhere to be found and on this occasion it’s not wengers fault
I’m getting fed up with Alex Song being a clueless twat. I’ve lost count of the number of stupid balls he’s given away when an easy and safe pass is available; and he does it in dangerous positions when we’re exposed at the back.
I don’t think his assists outweigh his profligacy, and at the moment we are where we were in eary 1997/8, when Adams ended up bollocking the midfield for not providing enough cover.
If Song wants to play further forward, let him, he seems to enjoy that area. But FFS don’t let him play attacking football in front of our area, because it’s too costly.
Matt
This happens every year. The collapse starts in April and continues right to the last game. The players are human but I think it’s more that they take the foot of the gas when they feel that their job is done. This Year the 1/0 win at home to city was ‘job done’.
Wenger is to blame for installing this top 4 is good enough mentality and it’s now time for him to go.
Our players, save a few, should hang their heads in shame.
How can a team which has had this much rest look so jaded??
Grrrr.
the font – when players like Song aren’t doing what he is meant to, when the defence is all over the place and when ramsey or any other player is having a nightmare, or when things are not ticking –
who’s job is it to change that??
who’s job is it to ensure we have a squad with depth to cope with injuries…
That is one man’s job!
Hi agag
because they lack the winning mentality – RvP got us to 3-2 and we couldn’t evn get back and defend that alim lead for ten minutes…. shocking…
Harry song let us down yesterday buy continually being out of position leaving wide gaps in our midfield and allowing them to over run us every time they won the ball drawing our central defenders out wide leaving gaps through the middle his distribution was awful and yet again two great passes by him flatter to deceive
Good Morning Gooners.
Morning Rico.
A difficult post to do Sir Steve. Well done mate, a great effort.
Agreed Alf , Arteta has been the missing link at the end of this season, We can’t rely on Ramsey and Song in midfield they are both too wasteful. Song looks good on the T.V because of his through balls being replayed but you have to watch him for 90 minutes to see the problems he sets the back 4 with going missing and passing to the opposition.They were both caught out of position for the first Norwich goal and when we had 10 minutes to hold the ball to take the points Song gave it away cheaply. Matt doesn’t want to place blame but I am sorry mate , if the caps fit , wear them.
Morning Charlie
not a happy camp this morning…..
Morning Rico and all. So, after all I have seen over the last several seasons from Wenger, is the glass half empty or half full? We know that his insistence that CL football is as good as winning a trophy has become his mantra and his excuse for continuing along the same path for a long time now. But, are the team any closer to winning anything with the Wenger formula? Has he realised that the distribution of the club’s resources via the wage bill is entirely wrong? A club that pays players like Bendtner, Denilson, Diaby et al over £50k a week are always going to struggle I think as they won’t have the budget left to attract top players. This has and is happening. His refusal to spend when we needed it so desperately has placed an unbelievable burden on RVP. The fact that we are where we are with only one striker is unbelievable in my opinion and I for one would not blame Robin at all if he decided to move on. He is a bright man and none of this can be a complete surprise to him. Wenger’s refusal to spend MAY have been imposed upon him. That we will never know. But remember his persistence with Almunia when, surely a decent goalkeeper could have been bought for a relatively small amount. But, my biggest problem is with his refusal to utilise the help he would surely have at hand to coach our defence into anything like a cohesive unit. With Adams, Bould, Keown, Dixon and Nigel at his disposal why, oh why has he persistently refused their offers of help with his pathetic statements about his length of time in football? I will tell you why. He is arrogant beyond belief and his methods are outdated and stale. Every team knows how to play against us as we saw yesterday. Just hoof the ball up over the Arsenal defence and they will struggle. Is it going to change? Is Wenger going to change? Well, I think that deep down we all know the answer to that. Top professional sport is a hard place. An unforgiving place where results are everything. Personally I think that failure to qualify for the CL is a logical conclusion of where we are and much more importantly, where we are going if the club decides to stick rather than twist. Yes, I am pissed off at yesterday and yes, like many of you, I admire what Wenger has done IN THE PAST for our club. I also know that, if he goes, we might end up in a worse place with the wrong manager. But something just has to change. Another season permeated with disastrous performances like yesterday and over this season just must not be allowed to happen. It is time for some extremely hard decisions if we are to grow as a club and Kroenke must not be afraid to make them, although something inside me tells me he won’t. Wenger’s reputation is just too big. The alternative could be a series of the Groundhog seasons we have had recently. Believing that Wenger’s time is up is not being ungrateful or dismissive of the manager he so clearly once was. Today, he is not that man. Football has changed and he hasn’t adapted. He is frustrated and petulant and it hurts me to see it and say it. Sorry for the long post.
Morning Agag.
Retail therapy, that’s my perscription to you.
Gung~ho Rico, where was the self control when we we t 3~2…???
Where was the leadership on the pitch to say ‘ok lads, lets keep it tight for 10 mins and it’s in the bag?’
We have Verm & RVP out there. It’s surely their job to exercise some control.
No need at 3~2 fkr any defenders to go rampaging forward.
Song & Ramsey should have hed the nous to sit and not go forward.
AOC & Gerv have the pace to hit Norwich on the break.
Even Robin could have dropped deeper.
Instead we played like a bunch of kids over the Hackney Marshes…
Hi Rico, Steve and all you Gooners.
Good post Steve.
Its quite a strange one, where we appear to have two teams that could turn up or not. The team against, City, Spuds and the Chavs, and the one against Norwich, Wigan etc. It may be the end of the season, but with the 3rd spot still to play for, where was the passion and self pride and leadership needed to get us over the line. I have always said that all great defences are helped by a midfield that put a shift in and track back etc when possession is lost ie; Petit and Vierra. Did the players really believe that they only had to turn up against Norwich to win? Are they that stupid to think that EPL coaches have not done their homework on them to know, that if pressured, Arsenal’s defence is vulnerable to crack and make individual errors?
There are too many players looking for other players to assume responsiblity when things go wrong. we have too many mediocre players, and only a handful of players who stand out and try to make the difference, but cannot do it
on their own. The time has come to finally clear the decks of the likes of Djeaurau, dennilson, almunia, Chamuck etc etc and replace with quality. We have some fine youngsters, Frimpong, Lansbury, The Ox etc, mix them with some quality signings and we could become Winners instead of nearly men.
Hi Adam, what a comment….
I can’t disagree with any part of that really either…
Unless AW brings in a new assistant and he is prepared to listen and make changes we are on the tip of a very rapid downwards slope imho
Many fans believe that players are with us because of Wenger but I beg to differ now, if they were they would be putting in better performances each week for thier manager.
Personally, i believe a fresh face in the changing rooms is a must, we are stale…..
Spot on Charlie, but we could also say where was Pat Rice or Wenger, why weren’t they out their seasts, shouting at the players to do what they should be doing…
No direction what so ever – just imagine if Keown had been in Rices seat, after conceding the first, i bet we wouldn’t have let another one in, he’d have roasted them…
Arsene being an honourable man, will, I think,l reconsider his future at Arsenal during the summer and resign. if he does, the CEO should do the same.
It’s not about blame Matt, it’s about improving, so that we can continue to be recognised as one of the greatest all time football clubs in the world and not a mid table also ran.
Given that we enter the Champions League with no ambition to win it and given that the £30m revenue generated is never re-invested in the squad, I have a hope that missing out will hurt our foreign investors and our ‘fund’ manager more than it will hurt me.
A good write by the way, Steve… I don’t customarily rip into players but, the attitude of some of our players just beggars belief. Watch Robin leave now…
Why are they unable to motivate themselves?? You can only hide behind “youth” and “inexperience” for so long.
Hola, rico. 🙂 How are your chickies? Hiya, Charlie! I hope you didn’t bother to see the match live. Would’ve been a waste of your money. I’m seriously tempted to shop online. One must console oneself and all that. 😉
Hi Marinello
it’s clear this lot only seem to turn up against the better sides or start playing when we are down – complacency and a strong hint of arrogance imho.
wenger thinks ‘we can score more than you’ well not always as has been made very clear this seaosn. as you suggest, other managers/coaches have sussed out how to play us and change their tactics to do so.
they all know a long ball forward will bypass our midfield and bobs your uncle….
Actually Rico they are here because of Wenger.They are here because they believe that a route to top football comes early wiyh him and unlike at other clubs they will not have to work too much to get into the first team. Why did Ramsey choose us over United ? not so many to get past . That’s why.
Steve – i hope the loss of the CL money will be just what AU is waiting for and he finally makes his move.
It may mean we have a season of thursday night football but he will get us back on track fast….
When Wenger took over the first thing he did was to get rid of all of Graham’s lingering mistakes like Hillier etc. The first thing a new manager would do would be the same with Wenger’s mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes but most of them don’t cost £50k a week.
potter – put like that, it makes more sense.. nice fat cheque for not too much grafting…. well that needs to change…
Kanone, welcome….
If we don’t get CL football, Stan may just think about where he could save himself £7Million a year…
Kanone. I would like to think you are right but experience tells me that £7 million a year and a stubborn nature mitigates against it.
And that is just what is needed Adam, look at how much a clearout would generate…
But for that to work, a new manager needs to be appointed early but i just can’t see the board being that ruthless….
I strongly suspect AW will be ‘allowed to leave’ when his contract expires, unless of course the totts and newcastle both lose today and we get a freaky away win next weekend…
How sad that Pat Rice, a man with a 46 years attachment to Arsenal, is being quietly ushered out the back door. Nothing and no-one can be allowed near the centre stage at the dictatorship known as Wenger FC.
Who-ever takes his place will need to know the rules – always keep your mouth shut and always walk in the shadow of your master !
agag, chicks are fab thanks, getting more and more tame by the day 🙂
Has he confirmed his retirement yet Steve? Not seen anything on .com, but then thats no great surprise….
Also heard its going to be Bould..
Rico. I agree. After the game yesterday I walked up the hill and back to the car with a supporter who sits near me. There is nothing rabid or dumb about the bloke at all and I know he is a staunch Wengerite. He said to me that he now wished Wenger would leave before he lost all the love we had for him. This bloke was really upset as the bigger picture had dawned on him as, I suspect, it has on many of us. Rico, we ain’t going anywhere. We will almost certainly string together runs of good results but we won’t get that hard, winning mentality again under this regime. I doubt we will ever see its like in football again after Fergie and Wenger go.
The Arsenal and France right back Bacary Sagna, who was ruled out of Euro 2012 after breaking his fibula on Saturday, thinks Norwich City’s Bradley Johnson deliberately stepped on his leg.
Sagna collapsed in the first half of Arsenal’s 3-3 Premier League draw with Norwich shortly after Johnson trod on his leg, the same one he broke earlier in the season.
“I think he did it on purpose,” the 29-year-old told the sports daily L’Equipe on Sunday. “He stepped on my leg. Play continues, I get back on my feet. And when I tried to control the ball, I felt a crack, just like the first time at Tottenham.
“He stepped right where the plate was. I think the plate pressured [the bone]. It’s a neat break, just above the plate.”
Sagna was confident he would return from the injury. “That’s how it is. It’s football. It has happened to others before me,” he added. “I came back once, I will come back a second time. Even stronger.”
One of yesterdays failures was the goalkeeper not being as good as his publicity would have us believe. His kicking is appaling, so maybe time to get in some competition as I think he will turn out to be a great keeper, but not yet.
I still have trouble fathoming why why why we can’t win against these middling teams. Grrr.
How many eggs a day now, rico?? Adam, your 10:24 is quite a post!! 😉 Howdy?
Hi agag. Thanks. Having had time to calm down last night over a bottle of bubbly and a lot of phone calls from fellow madmen I felt I needed to take a position. It is essentially the same as I felt last year but our mid- season surge had me doubting myself. I imagine a lot of Gooners felt the same. Hope the shoes are all doing well.
RICO so you think the system we played yesterday 4 3 3 was wrong we we have beat the big teams this year playing that way or was it the players did not turn up let me do simple Maths for you this sum only works if you think arsenals players are better than Norwich players. Arsenal player s playing this system with desire commitment crush Norwich = not wengers fault arsenal players playing without desire commitment same system lucky to get draw = players fault there is nothing wrong with the system there may be something wrong with the big time attitude of the players if this was Chelsea or man city I could say we are just not good enough if this was a mid season fixture with nothing on it YES I would blame wenger for not being able to motivate the team but this was the biggest game of the season it was a champions league play off the players should not need motivation for game like this they should be busting a gut to crush lesser players with a proven system if any arsenal fan can honestly say that they arsenal players showed more desire and commitment than the Norwich players then I was watching the wrong match yesterday
That tells a story Adam, I think many fans who backed AW are slowly changing their opinion, I am one of them but that is because for all the good he did, he has in the last 5/6 seasons undone it all.
He has been somewhat stubborn and has failed to address severe areas of weakness, its clear we have problems defending but its more clear that he has done little to sort those weaknesses.
Yet, it’s possibly the most simple thing to do, four little letters would have changed so much and that’s ‘HELP’ – but he won’t,
It seems the more people suggest he needs help, the more stubborn he gets against change.
My own view is we need fresh ideas and fresh faces in the management and yes, with that may mean we don’t always see the kind of football we once knew but right now I don’t like the football we are seeing, so who knows what a new manager will bring.
Maybe a mixture of solid defending and a few goals would suffice right now….
Re Sagna :- It was a stamp , you can see him alter his feet to make sure . Probably didn’t mean to break a leg but did want to ” slow him down a bit ” as they say. It was clear on Sky this morning but they have lambert on the review programme so it won’t get a mention.
At the end yesterday I stood to clap Rice as he went round, however I think I was alone mostly everyone was so pissed off me included that the end of season walk became an embarrasment.
Adam 10.23: I totally agree with everything that you have said. Arsene has transformed the Club with his philosophy on how the game should be played, dietary needs, new stadia, new state of the art training ground, but no one person is bigger than the Club. He needs to overhaul the present 71 professionals, and clear out the mediocre.
rico says:
May 6, 2012 at 9:58 am
the font – and when you are on £7 Million a year, you are expected to do what is right by the club and its fans
not so. AW is compelled by law to do as the board says, and the board is legally compelled to look after the registered company
It is NOT a club
the font – so you are suggesting it was all down to the players and their lack of ability to get up for the game?
Who bought those players?
Why have we a team of players who lack the ability to raise their game??
It starts at the top and fiters down, we are a club that see’s getting into the CL as the bee all and end all, why? Money has to be the answer..
sorry, but that is all very wrong!
Alf, i think we all hope that a new keeper arrives this summer, ches has it all too easy…
not that old tale again alan 😉
we are a football club first and foremost, that is why we are in the PL…
Although i stick by my post, i would just like to point out that had we won this game our conversation this morning could have been entirely different, and although saying that weneed to understand that the diference between winning and drawing is also down to outside influences, although i didn’t say too much in the post but the referee had to take some responsibility for the result, where i normally blame the referee for decisions against us this time it was both ways Norwich started the bad decisions Off when Kosi pulled on the Norwich players shirt and wrestled him to the ground Norwich deserved the penalty but not in the referee’s eyes then came the Gibbs Cross in the box where the Norwich players hands were by his side but raised them as the cross came over again the referee waved play on and at the end the Van Persie Shove which in all honesty was blatent and the ref saw nothing wrong. we have to remember that for some reason we are not getting these decisions that is the difference between 1 pt and 3 pts and without sounding paranoid had this game been played with Utd as one of the teams at OT would these decisions been diferent i believe they would. We are in a position where we physically have to score to register a victory and it does what ever you think of Wenger make a difference.
change is d only constant tin.wenger shuld just go,is only arsenal fans dat get heart attacks.yesterday was a day to forgot.dat was a primary school performance.
Rico. If you look at Mourinho you can see a rather despicable, childish, petulant git who most people despise. Yet, he is fiercely loyal to his players as long as they perform. If they don’t he substitutes them at any point of the match when he sees it going wrong. He doesn’t ritually wait for the 70 th minute. But, regardless of what you think of him, the bloke is a winner wherever he goes. Arsenal is too cosy for the players and we have seen that for years. Look at the players on our books and how much they earn. It is unbelievable really.
rico says:
May 6, 2012 at 11:18 am
not that old tale again alan 😉
Rico, the board has legal obligations to the company and none to supporters
That is a legal fact, and while the company has the business model it has, things won’t change
Man U has a better business model for supporters, although the debt must send the accountants mad
we are a football club first and foremost, that is why we are in the PL…
Maybe we should get pep who managed the greatest football team anyone has ever seen 12 months ago with the greatest players in the world OH. Hang on a minute what level has he taken them to this year with unlimited resources and the choice of every player on the planet it can not be true they won nothing and lost to a ten man Chelsea who are worse than manager less (failed w.b.a and sacked) who lost 5:3 at home to arsenal I know what it is he needs a new challenge let’s bring him to arsenal where no player wants to come (crowd booing own players chamack yesterday )
Rico
the last line above is yours. I should have removed that bit. How do we edit here
Morning all,
If there’s a God out there he has to show us a sign starting at Villa Park today.
Hi Steve
I understand what you are saying about the decisions, so so many have gone against us and yesterdays in the final moments was a shocker, an absolute shocker.
How that wasn’t given on RvP i still do not know… Why would he take a dive when it was easier to score from where he was…
However, that can’t take away the way in which we played, the mistakes we made and not for the first time..
I am angry with Wenger because we have witnessed defensive/keeping errors for many seasons now and still he fails to rectify them, why?
We have a really really good back five but they are obviously not working as a unit, Song can defend when he puts his mind to but why does Wenger allow him such freedom to attack and leave our defence open?
If he wants Song to be the cerative, then why not start with him and Coquelin in the centre? Why persist with a dreafully out of form and low in confidence Ramsey?
We really do need a new keeper in, competition is key.
Arsenal are not winners, I have said this over and over, we have become highly adapted to being losers. The only time we shine is when we have been wrote off and have no chance of achieving anything. As so as the possibility of winning something or being in the chance for achievement we choke year after year, because the team is jam packed with losers who just don’t care, there is no desire in the team. I guarantee most of the players had a sound nights sleep last night not bothered by the events that took place during the day.
We can all call it, this United team is the worst we have all seen in years, certainly the worst I have ever seen, but they’re still in the title race with two games to go, you know why? They are a team of winners. Old red nose picks players who want to win.
There is no chance in hell Arron Ramsey would play again for united if he put in the performances which he has put in for us this season, yet he starts week after week. That says a lot about our club I am afraid.
Thats just what we need Adam, i despise the man but no-one can take away what he has achieved…
I think any manager who walked into our club would soon get rid of a lot of deadwood – the money they earn would be used to pay a few quality signings i’m sure but AW won’t, he’s too ‘father like’ to them all….
ESP that is right. Arsenal board and AW say 4th is fine to get to the CL. That is all they are interested in. If they win the CL the players can be sold off at large profit
alan, there is no edit facility – other than for me 😉
Hi Micko, you reckon Villa can get a home win, i’d take a draw there though 😉
Booing ramsey while playing for arsenal is moronic booing chamack before he even got on the pitch was pond life
This club stinks from top to bottom.
An owner who probably still doesnt know what happened yesterday, a board who have no idea what theyre doing, a manager that has assumed unlimited power and was destroyed mentally by Jose Mourinho and no longer wants the pressure of competing.
The net result is a team that have no expectations, no responsibility to produce.
Aaron Ramsey is as bad a player as there is in the league, will he be replaced? Of course not…….Wenger doesnt care about competing.
Success for Wenger isnt winning the PL next year, its seeing Ramsey improve over the next 5 years then go to UTD.
The best thing that can happen to this club is it falls out of the CL. Wenger would have no place to hide although he will no doubt have a shed load of excuses lined up.
I have made this point a few times, but their is no team in world football that shows such polarisation in their performances than Arsenal. The gap between our good performances and bad is a chasm, which points to the fact that there is no one managing this team.
These guys are motivating themselves, which means Wenger has lost the dressing room.
It will be a shame to see RVP go, but its absolutely vital that he does. He has 4 years or so to taste success and he wont do that here.
Esp – the only way we will get winners is to buy them and pray that the mentality spreads…
Not only ramsey either, there are a few others who would have been dropped and felt the end of a hairdrier…
Rico, no edit facility. Bugger! Perhaps you’d be so kind as to remove that last line for me:D
ESP, do ya fancy a beer down at Shamrock Rovers next season, I’ve heard they’re Europa’s barcelona.
Real Madrid Barcelona bayern.m ac .milan France England Chelsea all have or still want arsene wenger but what do they know about football
We need divine intervention rico, i believe in miracles.
AW is a trained economist. That is what they are interested in
gambon
‘These guys are motivating themselves, which means Wenger has lost the dressing room.’
If yesterday was anything to go by, they are not.
RvP gave us what should have been victory but so many around him let him down…
Micko, maybe its all a fix and the FA want it all to go to the final day, adds to the power of television 😉
shouldn’t worry about it alan, its long gone now 😉
That about sums you up Gambon you want r.v.p to go so he can have personal gain anyone who says something like that does not have arsenal football club at heart oh dear the games up you better go back to your spurs site
Ah Midsomer Murders are on. Good!
The only reason i would change the Manager is because while he is Arsenal Manager we will not recieve the decisions from officials. The FA find Wenger a pain in their side it is quite blatent even in Europe they treat him different from everybody else, this is a fact of life It has been made clear over many years. If by magic we should squeeze through Wenger will be side lined for our first 3 games who else has ever been banned from the bench for one game let alone 3 that tells you he is much hated in the world of federations.
Rico
Thats my point, no one is telling them what is expected. The players are showing up when they want to.
You give Fergie this same team and we wouldnt get near the PL, but we wouldve easily sealed 3rd.
Wenger has tried to reinvent virtually every aspect of the game, its not a game that needs reinventing.
The saddest thing is he couldve moved upstairs or gone to France in summer 2008 as a legend, he will always be remembered as the madman that outstayed his welcome.
the font – you know gambon is not a spurs fan so why suggest it??
Micko you have heard right, a beer I think would be a great idea.
Matt said in the first comment, that they’re only human, and I know what he means, but.. if they where actually human they would be paid a humans wage, and until that day when they are paid a humans wage I will expect more from them than I would the average human, and I think that is only fair?
Gambon made the point that Wenger no longer wants the pressure of competing, I couldn’t agree more. Lets see if we can bring Pep in spice things up a little!
stevepalmer
Nowich had an absolutely blatant penalty denied yesterday. Remeber Drenthes disallowed goal, 5 yards onside? What about Eduardos dive?
The FA have courted Wenger in the extreme long term, they have also asked him his advice on numerous occasions about strategy for the team / manager.
If they didnt like him, which i dont believe, you think it may be cos he is a terrible ambassador for the game? Refusing handshakes, constantly making excuses that is not good for the game.
Gambon, they will still kick him upstairs. He will get the keys to the directors karsi.
Steve – i was so sure we would beat norwich and secure 3rd next weekend, i was prpared to give him this summer to sort things out within the squad but agter yesterday i am livid, yes decisions didn’t go our way but should we really being relying on them to earn us three points?
The defending was shambolic and i includ the keeper and midfield in that…
How can we attract players to our club if we are not in the CL?
The slide has gone downwards for a while..
However, we all know deep down that nothing will change and AW and Stan will be here next season, we can only hope that Villa and Citeh win later….
gambon, i was being ironic honest…
Living champagne lifestyles from warm beer performances most weeks.
The font
RVP stays we wont win anything, RVP goes we wont win anything.
RVP stays HE wont win anything, RVP goes HE will win something.
4 different options, only one of them has a semblence of a good result.
Of course I want him to stay, but not if this shambles continues.
Great article spot on it was piteful. I used to play for a really bad football club down in Cornwall. We were relagation fodder every season we would stay up by the skin of our teeth. Then one week we had a new coach who simply didn’t except defeat. He changed our formation he dropped so called star players and replaced with less skillfull players with better attitudes. We stayed up and the next season even won a cup! For my old club this was outstanding and it all came because of a massive change in personnel and more importantly attitude. Our current Arsenal squad don’t have any players challanging for there spots on a consistent basis who are good enough to keep them out of the squad. In fact our squad is so weak that Ramsey can consistently underperform and still not get dropped. AW has created a situation were the players have nothing to fear. There wage is higher than it would be anywhere else and the minute they think they can do better they move on. This is all down to the manager, its up to the manager and the board to bring in the right players at the right quality and it then the managers job to give them the right attitude when going on the pitch. If they screw up there should be a queue of quality players waiting to take there place. When people spend there hard earned money at Arsenal you have to wonder if the players are earning it and I think AW needs to understand that for our money the least we expect is some hard work. If I underperform at work I get replaced. AFC should be the same. I’m so disappointed this morning I could barely right this but you don’t need to be an international football coach to work out whats going wrong as the tactics are identical each week as we don’t have a squad with any flexability. The attitude stinks, one more season I will give AW as I have reached the end of my paitience and I never I would say this but if he doesn’t clear out ALL the deadwood and bring in at least five world class siginings and really spend OUR money then he has to go. Really sad writing this. Soz for the long one.
Rico. Bugger the CL. There are plenty of good EPL ers that could improve Arsenal
Mancini £1/2 billion and struggling to win a below average league
A.v,b, well what can I say
Pep read my early
Fergi past the sell by date
Mourino arsenal hater
Harry Bassett still available
Pity Guus Hiddinck isn’t, not that I know of
Micko – spot on about the beer and champagne….
yes Micko is right
Gambon sorry for calling you a spurs fan I know your not r.v.p owes arsenal football club not they other way round
Scravaldio – don’t worry about the long post, it was a good one…
If only Arsene wenger would accept help – this current squad would soon shape up, with a few out and a few in and a bit of defensive coaching anything can happen, but it seems that AW will only listen to one voice and that is his own….
said yesterday alan, it’s not all about getting CL, its about challenging for top spot and beating the neighbours…
if we were third, one point behind the two manc sides i am sure we’d all feel a bit better but we are miles off points wise…
Gambon, point taken, yes he is a manager who wears his heart on his sleave and perhaps he has walked off without a handshake perhaps the best thing would be if the FA brought in a rule where there is no handshakes it seems to work when Racism is involved the decisions in Europe have been pityful Van persies sending off against Barca have we ever finished with a full team against them, remember the song stamp that he got banned from what will happen with Sagna’s yesturday i can tell you nothing.
good on you the font… 12.07
off to sort the feathered ones, back in a bit…
Rico, even 3rd we are a 20 point lessr team than Manure and Shitty
AW cares about the CL. He is King of Europe then, not just England
Now don’t get me wrong, :I think yesterday’s match was an absolute disgrace, but I think ALL the players RvP INCLUDED should hang their heads if not in shame at least to avoid the faces of disappointed fans. RvP had two clear chances that 70% of top level professional strikers would’ve buried. Anyway like I always tell myself when things like these happen “Regret is a useless emotion,how do we move forward?” By the way where’s Scott?
Scott, probably watch Midsomer murders like me
Rico, re.11.52, the sad thing is you could replace norwich with wigan in that post, what did we learn from that performance at home a few weeks back, the players are making the same mistakes week after week, it’s in our hands,all we need is 4 wins, all we need is 3 wins, all we need is 2 wins, now all we need is a bloody miracle, lessons have not been learnt, a manager can’t be right all the time but any good manager worth his salt will change things around when things are going wrong and this clearly isn’t happening at Arsenal.
Only one person responsible for Arsenal,s demise as a powerhouse
in English Premier League and the CL,Arsene Wenger,as he alone
picks the same mediocre players ,week in and out,whilst leaving ex
perienced ,mature players on the subs. bench match after match,so
time for Wenger to move on as he cannot possibly take Arsenal
further than a mediocre third or fourth place in the EPL ,rather obv
ious after seven trophyless seasons,forget the ;in Arsene we trust;
bs ,time to move on ,bye bye ?
Rico,
Seeing Chamakh coming off the bench yesterday, made me realise that AW really has lost it. Why bring a player on with 2 games to go that we need to win, who has shown no desire, who just goes through the motions and who hopefully will be out of the Club in the summer. The only other worse decision from AW would be that Nicky Pink boots is on his way back from Sunderland…
The bench needs strengthening, with new players coming in to offer competition for places.
I can’t see the Spuds losing today.
It all becomes rather tedious and boring. Arsene said in one newspaper today that we had a bad first half and gave away the ball too easily. Yeh, but isn’t that one of the things that you teach kids not to do when they first kick a ball. To quote Bill Shankley “if the opposition do not have the ball, they cannot play football.”
the scouts must be idiots or under instruction
http://redlondon.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/nasri-spotted-in-machster.jpg?w=316&h=290
Alan, I think Scott has taken a sabbatical, i don’t blame him.
http://redlondon.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/noname.gif?w=590
Really what is the point of going over the same ground again, When we all know the most fundemental problem of all (Arsene wenger) will be going no where!
The defeats and draws againt lower half sides are a true reflection on the quality of this side, especially when you run through the games we won during our so called “good spell” in a lot of these games we simply had the brilliance of RVP whose red hot form gained us points in matchs that we were up against it for most of the game. This sadly has caused a lot of false belief that the side had suddenly gained the quality to win a top 4 place and in Wengers own words “there is not a lot of work to be done with this team”. Well will somebody please now be proactive enough to realise that the likes of Ramsey.Diaby,Walcott,Chamakh,Gibbs,Koscielny,Arteta,Djourou,Gervinho & Szcesney and the running Snail Song (who every now and then puts in one great ball amongst very many more mediocre one’s and who is one of the worst defensive midfielders of all time!)and fairy cake Benyoun, these along with returning loanies Bendtner,Vela,Denilson Almunia…all of these players are simply not the quality of a top class side, they would all be ok players in the likes of Sunderland (as Bendtner has proved), but they are not the quality for The Arsenal and if we aspire to remain/regain our place at the top we must have top class players. This means investment in quality, not Wengers cheap bargins or his usual poor centre half acquisitions, serious money must be spent on seriously good players including getting in someone the likes of Shay Given to be the class goalkeeper while szesney learns the game as he is not the match winner a top club needs…we currently have the weakest keeper in the top 6! Will it happen… not a chance while Wenger is in charge as no one in the club has the balls to criticise him and tell him that the players he has amassed are simply not good enough and his tactics for some time now have been pretty woeful……
So now we prepare for another season next year the same as the past 7 have been, with a few good results maybe, but probably this time our chances of finishing in the top 4 will be even worse than this year as I cannot imagine the other sides around us all doing as badly again!!! And to answer some of those before…..yes you must blame Wenger, he is supposed to be a top manager & coach and he is responsible for making sure the players go out and give each game 100%, plus he is responsible for the tactics, and he is responsible for the purchases, and seriously what if any has he shown he is good at since 2005????
The font
In a lot of ways I agree, RVP does owe the club for the length of time they waited for him to get fit.
That said I absolutely wouldnt blame him for leaving. If Wenger isnt willing to build a quality team around him he is right to leave.
You wouldnt find a michelin star chef working in a wetherspoons pub, even if they had stood by him through 10 years of alcoholism, the second he gets that star hes off to a top restaurant.
I have a dream…
It’s not all doom n gloom,
The shites will win n the yids will draw today.
We will win @ WBA and get 3rd spot
Arsene Wenger will learn and finally come to his senses and get rid of the deadwood
and add qualities, loan ramsey away and promote few others.
I have a dream….
Dream on Rokabox!
stevep – i’m with you on the handshake, i’m a bad loser and hate shaking hands with someone when i’ve been beaten…
Give me the PL and two domestic cups over the CL trophy any day of the week alan…
i meant, the club want CL football for the money it brings in…
Micko, and Blackburn and Swansea 🙁
Rico, you should always shake hands
Rokabox, your alarm clock is going off…. 😉
Rokabox. I have had a similar dream for a long time but it is turning into a nightmare with every passing season and with every large cheque I write to Arsenal Football Club at about this time of year. We don’t have any right to win anything but when things stop making sense, as they do at the moment, I think of all the other things I could do with the money and and the reduced heartache I might suffer if I just observed from afar.
lets start a campaign. WENGER OUT, WENGER OUT, WENGER OUT
EA7 – what would that achieve?
If you are dead against him, write to express your feelings to afc.com….
I know alan but 😉
I have to pop out with the woofa, see you later…
Very interesting article.
The Man City tactical board says it all. We are a shambles tactically.
http://sandalsforgoalposts.com/2012/05/04/is-vertonghens-versatility-the-answer-to-arsenals-problems/
Rico come on they won’t take notice. A public campaign is the only way including not buying seasons tickets
Adam,
I tried that but the heartache doesn’t diminish mate. In fact, if you are not there you don’t share the pain and it can be worse.
My dream is that this is all a dream and when I wake up it will all be ok. But it seems every time I wake up I’m still asleep.
I know Adam, its all been said times and times again, we don’t know how to defend and we miss ridiculous sitters in front of the goal, we had dodgy and inexperienced goal keepers
Same mistakes year after year, it doesn’t need a gambon to know whats wrong with this football club.
Aftermoan all,
And that my friends is why Wenger is no longer a top manager.yesterday i was in a jovial mood doing my preparations for my upcoming exams.after witnessing that horror show its like my brain has been shot.why do they put us through this every year?if 1 more ‘neutral’ says to me what a pulsating game it was i’ll punch his teeth out :@
Billboy. I’ll see you in my dreams. Guess I’d better give them the money and prepare for another emotional kicking then. Still, as long as Wenger gets his £7 million that’s all that really matters.
If Rvp wants to leave he has my blessing.30 goals in the league is enough to win a league title for any club.its ridiculous that we may finish 5th with the league’s golden boot winner and FWA/PFA player of the year in our team.
I hope this bunch of idiots had cancelled the pre season tour…they are disgrace to our club…..in arsene we rust
Today is the moaning day
Vermaelen has everything in his locker to be a great defender but he really pisses me off at times.yesterday he went AWOL.i even felt sorry for kos and if it were not for him Norwich would’ve been out of sight long before we scored our 2nd.i hope verm takes a long hard look at himself when he goes on holiday.am very disappointed in him.
Ktr7…..he owe us…if he leaves…he is worse in my book to nasri
Gambon 12:49when everyone wanted to take our Michelin star maker he honoured his contract and stayed with us if we had won yesterday this witch hunt would not have started up again
Ktr7
verm would had been a great defender under maureen tutelage…wenger had lost it…so his players
The Szczesny situation really highlights everything that Wenger has done to this club.
He is a big talent, however statistically you can see he isnt good enough.
We have conceded as many goals as West Brom, but they have faced 200 less shots.
And now the problem:
Wenger promises these kids first team places, pays them ridiculous money, and is too sentimental to be ruthless.
The result is Szczesny will not be dropped, he wont see the need to strive to improve, we will suffer and he will suffer. One day he will likely come good but its irrelevant as we will have 5-6 other younger players still in need of work by then.
I think you are having a recurring dream Adam. I had one of those once.
Why don’t you keep awake by working out how much of your season ticket price goes into Wenger’s pocket. If you manage it, let us know.
One for the Stato’s out there. How many penalties have we been awarded at home this season in the EPL and how many other clubs in the Premiership have been awarded the same number?
The font,,
thank the spirit we did not won yesterday…wenger would had been proud of the fight back and so will arsene fan be….time to go…i would take adams over him
Biliboy….is better you go and post the penalty stats at untold shit
Hello Rico and all. Some good points on here and I certainly agree that we have certain players that are not good enough for this current team. Some younger players may be good enough in time, such as Ramsey, but he is not good enough now and for me he has been overpromoted this year and needs 2-3 seasons as understudy to better players. I feel though the most damning aspect with Arsenal is the area of tactical discipline, particularly with our defence as a whole team. An Arsenal side mising certain key players and having decisions go against them should still have enough to overcome Norwich at home. This for me comes down to how tactical discipline is imparted to the players and how they are drilled to behave in certain situations. I actually think it has got to the point where it is not about buying other defenders as the individual quality of the players we have in defence is good enough but it is more that, as a whole team there is no understanding or cohesion. That is a big finger point at AW and his current coaching set-up, and we should be able to expect that a club of this level with the resources we have and the collective wages paid to players, the manager and coaching staff that we are more polished and leave no area of our play unaddressed. I have said before that the way we currently play doesn’t suit a back 4 and would prefer to see a back 3 with wing backs but that is another argument.
2 things struck me yesterday Rico that I thought were criminal. The first and most obvious was that at 3-2 up in the closing stages we should have shut up shop and left them no space to exploit. Sometimes this even leads to the killer 4th goal as they press on to a well organised defensive shut out and you catch them on the break. If you look at the space they had for their third and the positioning of our players it was awful. We had players cought out of position in a manner that would suggest we were the team needing to press for a goal.
The other worrying tactical issue in this game was early in the game when we had 3 clear warnings from Norwich re. how they were attempting to open us up even before they scored, and we failed to learn from this. It looked as if they knew we would push our full-backs on and they kept getting players in behind the full-back and played balls in between the 6 yard box, where they seemed to know Vermaelen and Koscielny would position themselves, and the front edge of the penalty area where they seemed to know there would be no defensive midfield cover, and they could therefore have their players run on to it to take a shot unchallenged. This happened 3 times from in behind sagna and we did not have the tactical nous to recognise and deal with it. More worrying is that we seem to be undone by this tactic a lot recently in games like Wigan and QPR and our keeness to push full backs on while not having defensive midfielders track runners looks like we are Sunday league in terms of preperation and attention to detail.
Wenger said he couldn’t believe it (our defending for the 3rd goal), and that for me is even more annoying because this is not an isolated incident for this team and the team plays in his image. That means one of 2 things. One is that the players are not following instructions, in which case get other players in who can, as Fergie or Mourinho would if players were repeatedly failing to adhere to what they are told to do. They wouldn’t suffer players that are unable to do the job you ask of them. I however think more worryingly, the second possible reason is more likely and that is that AW and his coaching staff do not drill the team in the art of defending in a game and do not ensure that the team know what they should do if we are in a certain situation at certain times in a game. So don’t tell us you don’t believe it Arsene. It is we the fans that should be saying we can’t believe that a club with Arsenals resources and with so many people from the management and coaching to the players on collective high wages indicative of a team and management and coaching structure at the top end of the game, can still allow the same problems to recur. Even when you analyse if certain players are not good enough, and where we need strengthening we should still have had enough to avoid yesterdays disaster if we were a better drilled side.
Not in my book.rvp owes us i agree but why should he waste his peak years at a club where 4th place is as good as a trophy?there is only so much he can do…
Kc,
I would if I knew the answer and if Iask it there I would need a month and the help of a Cambridge maths honours graduate to work out what their answer was.
but they will all renew their season ticket ir otherwise attend games and buy merchandize paying for the failures
Top post GoonerB.I Was about to say what you’ve posted but you’ve put it much better.that 3rd goal was shocking 🙁
What the hell are most of you on I do not know what team you have been watching this year let me give you a fact with without wenger we will not win the prem league next year or the year after only two teams will be involved city &u.t.d and for the foreseeable future we will not win the champions league only 4 teams will have a chance u.t.d city barca real Madrid firstly they have the monopoly on where the best players want to go so it is an unfair advantage no matter who the manager is at arsenal at this point the last thing we need to do is unstable our club under these circumstances are wenger is world class no let me refraise the best ever of all time at making stake out of sausages If we had. £1/2 a billion to spend then I would agree he is not the man to take us forward as it is we have enough in the transfer kitty to buy messi some shoe laces get real or end up mid table
We can all put doubts over Wengers signings and at the end of the day criticise because they are not all superstars but i was reading lots of your coments last week when Podolski was signed and all i noticed was who else you wanted as well. Many of you had been calling for Podolski but what do you realy know about him, you have probably seen a few utube clips and have made decisions on that viewing, you have also been calling for the realy talented M’vila who i have read about, he likes to punch out 17 year olds and restaraunt owners now that is the type of players you ask for so when Wenger buys somebody and they don’t come up to his expectation he becomes incompetant and should Podolski turn out useless you will forget that you called for him to be signed and revert to how bad Wenger is. Its about filling up places with the money you have and the choice is whoever is available. you want Wenger to inform you of his targets before he buys and what happens then is like what is happening with Vertonghen City and the filth stick their nose in we have been linked to every player on the planet and the rich clubs have all outbid us they even buy our own players and these players you dont like. Clichey Cole Fabregas Toure Na$ri shit players who all will probably win somthing this year.
“for the foreseeable future we will not win the champions league only 4 teams will have a chance u.t.d city barca real Madrid”
And yet Bayern and Chelsea are in the final this year, completely invalidating your post.
As for not destabilising the club?
31
37
41
43
47
Follow the pattern of goals conceded. Change is imperative or things will only get worse.
We have lost 10 PL games this season in the league if im not wrong.thats 25% of our games!!!and we have conceded 47 goals!!!am sorry but that isn’t good enough.
Reading through some Arsenal sites and can’t believe some people are still staunch about Wenger. From a team that just misses out on the top prize…to one that collapses towards the finish line…now we are stuck with this team that has collapsed 3 times within one season and some people dont think its times for change? Anyone who thinks its not time for Wenger to go has got a dinosaur’s brain. People like them do the world a whole lot of good when they close their fucking mouths!
I can’t be arsed to watch anymore PL games.im only watching the CL final prior to the Euros.thank you Wenger for that…
New 0 Man C 0 ht
AV 1 Spuds 0
Wenger gets lucky.
Gambon, i’ll take lucky all day long.
Gambon keep up I said from next year barring u.t.d all these teams have been buying up the worlds best to fill not only the team positions but the back up places too look at real madrids midfield attack and look at the guys sitting on the bench we can not compeat any more unless the russian takes over and evan if he does it will take 3 to 5 years to build a super star team
Villa……plssssssssssssss
Man City 1 New 0 70mins
2.0 city
Spurs down to 10, the days getting better and better.
Ade-the-whore 1-1
2.0 city result one down one to go
Steve, pour yourself a large one, long half hour ahead.
Done half a bottle now Micko 🙂
Truly astounding how fickle one-eyed Arsenal supporters have bec
ome over the past six trophyless seasons blaming players such as
Denilson,Bendtner,Chamakh and others,who either haven,t playe
for their parent at all this past season or have had a few brief spells
of play ,like Chamakh,yet woeful Walcott,wimpy Wilshere,rubbish
Ramsey and awful Arshavin,when he did get game time ,showed just
how ineffective and way below a professional standard they really are in the big paying EPL ,how Alex Song get,s any criticism at all is beyond me ,but what to expect from fans who never played the game at any level,an absolute disgrace when the real problem is the
long serving Arsene Wenger who cannot pick his best starting XI every match ,due to reasons only known to himself,he alone picks
the same mediocre players week after week,making way too late
tactical substitutions when the game is already drawn,like yesterday
vs Norwich or when the match is lost vs Wigan,the blame is Weng er,s not Stan Kroenke or Ivan Gazidis,so time for Arsene to pack up
and leave the Emirates,there,s no other solution ?
Back in our hands again, I knew god wouldn’t sh@t on our heads, he’s obviously a gooner.
Some people just can’t see it can they samuel.
1.1 totts
just watched 20 min of nail biting minutes and were still in it can you ffffing believe it
Wenger must have someone out there writing the scripts for him.i cannot f**kn believe we are still 3rd 😮
Afternoon all, does that mean the teams around us are just as gutless as we are when they have it in their hands to nick 3rd…?
Geordies excused a little as least they played shitteh but the yids….! Now watch us fuck it up yet again next week at West Brom…! No chirping from any of the shitteh players they saying one big game still to go, ours win a game and they start talking about how great we are…!… maybe take a leaf stop the mouth and do the biz on the pitch…!
I can assure you that after watching Newcastle and Tottenham we are not the only supporters that have got the fcuking hump
Samuel dude calm down my man sheesh. So much anger there. Afternoon guys,the spuds drew right? We re still in the driving seat for third. Just hope the guys are up for the west brom game.
hello everybody!
Another oportunity next week!
A few possibles scenarios now.
But we must keep in faith!
We depend only of us!
Guys i just read that City want to give VP 250.000 pounds a week to lure him to Manchester. Anyone heard that too?
Hi wath……
Hey dk, where the heck have you been?
Hi Goonster my man! I’ve been here every now and then, I haven’t spent much time on HH i’m afraid, everything ok with U?
The mancs are really up for this one. I fear a thrashing. Come on swansea.
It’s over, City are gonna be champions this year. I guess u can buy your self success.. Am I the only one, who wants to see Dzeko at Arsenal this summer??
Am alright dk. Just have a throat infection. But am getting better.
Next match is the most important of the season. If we win, RVP the best player of the League and the player with more goals, in spite of everything, itwill be positive.
Afternoon Stanley… Hope your good fella…!
Will we be up for West Brom did you say….? thats the $64 million question…! Have faith JM it’s in our hands… that’s exactly why I have very little faith..! We cannot be trusted to be up for it as shown lately…!
Sounds nasty stan, is it serious? Hope u have a speedy recovery.
I ll take him dk. Him, podolski and robin ll be a fearsome strike force. But i don’t see robin staying. Am sorry.
Afternoon guys and gals,
so 3rd place remains in our hands then….
I think it depends on our season. If we finish 3rd and show our intent in the transfermarket I think he’ll stay.. But if he doesn’t, one more man needs to go, and we all know who that is…
Wath am really worried. This arsenal team scares me. They just don’t care. I think its a reflection of the manager. I don’t think i ve ever said this but i think its time wenger leaves.
Sorry dk but his body language says it all. Robin ll leave. Its a shame.
We’ll i guess it’s the same every year. We’re doomed. Don’t know why Podolski has joined us, does he know that when the season starts we’ll be without half the team!?
Hi Rico, yep its still in our hands. Hopefully we ll scale through. The mancs are really ripping the swans apart.
T
Come on Rooney, score another eight goals please 😉
Dk, am petrified! The club needs to show some balls. Fans in the UK should rise up and protest. We need to get our club back from these creeps ruining it. Kronke out.
If wenger starts with Ramsey again then he shouldn’t be bothered to come back to his office, I would willingly pay for his belongings to be sent to him to Madrid, Paris or wherever the hell he wants to be.
He should also give some spanking to his keeper and defenders to try to be professional and see us through this shambolic season.
Eight goals! What are you talkin about Rico. We need him not to score. Robin must get the golden boot.
Hi Goonster,
well it’s last chance saloon and it will show just how frail or how big the players characters truly are…
i’m not confident we can beat WBA but they have a week to take stock, look in the mirror and ask themselves a few questions, nd that includes Wenger and Rice….
If this club wants to attract and sign better players, they need to get third spot….
we are lucky to be there, now we need to f****n wake up for just one game….
oops, sorry goonster, i hope all the other players bar Rooney get eight goals between them, i forgot the golden boot 🙁
Rokabox, i’d play Coq and Song in the middle together and play Jenks at right back….
Theo should be back too for next sunday…
Spot on rokabox…he needs to get his acts together or fuck off. Am tired of losing.
really sad that Bolton couldn’t hang on to their 2-0 lead 🙁
Better mama bear…
Am I the only one who noticed Ramsey during Norwich’s second goal? He was not tracking back! He was running like an old lady,, Like he had already given up.. Not another denilson please…
Last chance saloon….just seen all the results!
yesterday, I was very unhappy. Now, we must prove our strong and faith. Totts, for instance, have been their chanches and with lucky can’t reach the champions League. Moreover, toos best position on the League was when they obtain 71 points and were 3thd This “extraordinary” team can’t reach 71 points. Good. Next week, we can commemorate 3 things: a)the third place b)St. totts day c) RVP golden boot. .
I’m not entirely convinced that Ramsey should be the only one battered after yesterday ..
Poor lad has been on the end of a lot of stick, if i was wenger i would have kept him out of the firing line for the last few games, let him have a rest, a good pre-season and see how he goes…
Lets not forget he is still a kid, one that lost a year thanks to a footballing thug….
JM, that would make a very good sunday but…..
ArsenalDK: Ramsey was awfull iduring all game. In the second goal he was running like the Marathon. Song lose the ball on the third goal with a bad touch when we are upper the game, with confident and clear close ours goals. With today scores, everything was over. We must be patient….
Nothing against Rambo, I said before that Wenger is not doing him any favour by insisting starting with him sometimes out of position when its obvious that he is struggling and lacking confidence big time.
Fans booing him and being on his case all the time would destroy the player left in him.
On the other hand players who are playing better and with confidence kept on the bench, must be in low moral and wonder why o why !
WFL: Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2 🙂
Thats my view too Rokabox, there is no doubt he has quality but AW is not playing him in the right way – but then he has history for doing that with players…
Always love a victory over the dippers JM 🙂
am I the only one sick of wenger??
Rooney off, good, no goals….
No Adk, i think not – i was livid with him and the team after yesterday , still am today but i know he’ll still be here next season so i just pray this summer he does something to change his doubters minds….
Good afternoon mates and ladies.
How are you after today’s round. I guess you are all smiling.
So if AFC do not loose it means that a top 4 place is guaranteed even if the chavs and Barcodes win their next games. However if AFC win third place is guaranteed. Then again we might draw and the the scum drop points in which case we still remain 3rd.
My guess is that the pools have a hand in all this. Either this or everyone around us is crap. If we are 3rd at the end of the lge and we consider ourselves as crap then imagine those below us…..they are worse.
AW has one game left to play it all. He should not go with lovechilds, seniority or fancy. He should play a team to win.
My team would be
Chesney
Jenks,Koscielny, TommyV,Gibbs
Coquelin, Song (with strict order for Coquelin not to go forward)
Benny, TR07,OX
RVP.
Subs….Flappy, Gervinho, Djourou, Santos, Ramsey, Yennaris, Afobe.
I have told my dad that we will finish 3rd, since all the other teams have been dropping too much points.I have a feeling that all the players are not crap as much as we make out. But they are taking the piss out of us all and maybe too much trips to the betting shop.
One word people… Accountability…!
The board think the sun shines out their own arses so they busy patting their own backs 24/7 and Wenger is accountable to noone it seems as he’s made the board millions on their shares and thats his pat on the back… Carry on old son…! do what you want just make sure you get us CL every year…………..
hi devil, 4th is not good enough, if the chavs win the CL we will still miss out…
Thanks to villa n city 3rd is back in our hands lets hope we can step up and finish in style, inlike yesterday. Hope someone hammers some pride into them over the next week
Hi Wath
Get AU in I say, then AW would be accountable….
Get Tony Adams and martin keown in the dressing room all week jimario, that would do it….
If we make it to 3rd that Wenger learns from this.no more sentiments,all underperfomers must leave.also something regarding tactics must be worked on.seeing vermy/song playing like free spirits is damaging to our health 🙁
Yes but 4th is at least better than 5th.
But I am sure we will finish 3rd.
The games will be played at the same time………….so that must mean LASAGNA time.
Are they all the next games at the same time?
hello devil. I don’t believe in that squad
So who would you put out against WBA JM????
Yeh adams keown, lehman also linked recently. any of these would add pride n passion, also no player who has only put half a shift in would want to face them in the dressing room
Lets hope this time next wk we’ll be celebrating St.Bottleringhams day 😉
Its easy to slag Wenger off and ask for him to be removed but rememember we are still in third and the 17 managers below us are there because thats where they deserve to be, We are very fortunate to have a man that has Arsenal running through him you may consider top 4 not very good or not good enough i see it as consistant good managing, ask any fan from any other club and they realise just what a special manager he is. do you think its easy to win the premier league with teams like Utd and City above you with all their clout and money to be in 3rd at this time of the season is not just being lucky its by simply being better than the managers below you and Wenger is head and shoulders above most of them. rant over.
Kt, if we get 3rd and AW does what we all hope this season then i for one will be off of his back
there is only one thing he has to do all summer……..get the players to task and tell them that everyone is accountable. No more pissing around. Each must fight for his wages and honour.
devil – we have 90 mins to show what we have in the tank – 4th and a chav victory in the CL or 5th, it will make little difference…
Lets just go and beat Wba and secure that place and if AW has what he used to in him, he’ll make sure we do…
Steve, my rant is over too, this weekend is over (although not in my heart) but now its about next weekend for me….
And then I will pray for a summer of player exits and signings….
If AW truly has Arsenal running through him, he will do as we all hope….
Off for dinner, back in a bit…
Enjoy Rico………we will finish 3rd dont worry. 😉
I must watch WBA fist with attention. Then, I don’t know if Tw can play and the others players are fit. I don’t believe AW put at right back Jenkinson. Probably Coquelin.
I do worry devil, can’t see us winning next weekend right now….
JM
Jenks at Rb & Coq alongside Song for me 🙂
I think coquelin will be the RB. Benny goes to the bench. Song Ramsey,GervinhoRVP,Tr,Ox. Gibbs or Santos it depends.
that how it should be rico, but wenger would probably stick coq in the right and insist on rambo in the middle!
steve it is not only this season, do want to repeat what been said millions time, but should have been a lot better for a club like AFC.
he got the summer to sort it out regardless of what position we finish at the end.
Whew!! Thank god there are worse bottlers than AFC players. I can smile now. 😉
Boo, KT, stevieP, JM. 🙂 🙂
I’ve had my share of the blame game, however consider this, Arsenal are the only team in the Epl dat have their players leg broken for fun, unnecessary and false decisions against us by the Refs, the uncountable penalties and calls not given in our favor and the FA turning a blind eye.its psycologically draining for coach and players alike.I feel for them.yes they get paid we don’t still…..
prob Rokabox but Jenks is fit and he’s a Rb, maybe AW will finally do the right thing, he didn’t hesitate to play him there before when sagna was injured, fingers crossed….
Just read that Shitty have offered RVP 250Kpw. Personally I would sell him provided its Dzeko plus money, circa 10 to 16 million. If that is the case I would bite their hand off.
I have also read that AFC are after the barcodes’ Demba Ba and Cabaye. If that is the case than its bye bye RVP and Diaby.
Is Diaby really injured????? Or is he being kept back so that he will not get injured and diminish his chances of getting a transfer fee????
I have a feeling that Diaby is not injured but is being kept back so that he can be sold next summer.
I’ll smile next sunday agag, if we beat Wba 😉
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has liked what he has seen of the Toon duo this season as Alan Pardew’s men have put themselves in with a chance of Champions League qualification.
According to Caught Offside, he will make the pair a key part of his summer rebuilding programme at the Emirates Stadium, with plenty of arrivals and departures expected.
A clause in striker Ba’s contract means he can leave the north-east for a modest fee and he could be teamed with new signing Lukas Podolski and star man Robin van Persie in a new-look Arsenal attack.
Meanwhile, Wenger is equally impressed with the box-to-box performances of Cabaye and the Frenchman may fancy joining up with his countryman in London, particularly if Newcastle miss out on top European action next year.
Central midfield is an area the Gunners boss is believed to want to improve this summer, after his side were exposed by injuries to Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta during the current campaign.
But Cabaye will not come cheap, as he has proven himself to be a top Premier League performer and is a huge favourite of both the Magpies fans and Pardew.
we will beat them Rico. I am positive about it.
Oxford United have signed Arsenal’s Damian Martinez for the crucial must-win match tomorrow at Port Vale. The Argentine youth goalkeeper has moved to the Kassam Stadium on an emergency loan deal that will cover the last domestic league fixture of the season at Vale Park.
The 19 year-old has been brought in by manager Chris Wilder after the club decided to not extend Middlesbrough keeper Connor Ripley’s seven-day loan at Grenoble Road. With Ryan Clarke sidelined with an abdominal muscle injury and back-up goalkeeper Wayne Brown requiring an operation on his knee problem, Wilder was only left with inexperienced goalkeeper Max Crocombe.
Martinez is regarded as a very talented young player at the Emirates, after he joined the London club from Independiente in the summer transfer window.
“With such a pressure game against Port Vale on Saturday we’re looking to bring in someone with maybe a bit more experience and we have been working hard to make that happen,” said manager Chris Wilder.
“Damian came with tremendous recommendations and we saw him play well on Wednesday night for Arsenal reserves, so we have no hesitation in bringing him into the squad. He has a presence about him and wants to come and help in such a big game, with hopefully three more big games to come beyond that”.
Martinez himself couldn’t contain his excitement: “I am very excited to be playing for the Oxford United first team on Saturday. It is going to be a great experience and I will try and help the team as much as I can. It is exciting and hopefully we can win to get into the Play-Offs. It is great to train at Arsenal because there are some great keepers, a great goalkeeping coach and great staff, so it’s good to play at Arsenal and it’s good to play at Oxford because it is going to be a good experience”.
The Argentina international was called up to the full national squad for friendlies against Nigeria and Poland, and will wear the number 31 shirt for tomorrow’s long trip to Stoke-on-Trent. Although Wilder couldn’t hide his delight in his youthful capture, the ex-Bury assistant manager did reveal he tried to sign fellow Gunner’s goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
Wilder bemoaned, “We have a fantastic relationship with Arsenal, but unfortunately Almunia had something happen on a personal level that stopped him coming. The top clubs have been fantastic. We’ve had conversations with Sir Alex (Ferguson) and Arsenal – Manuel expressed an interest to play, but sadly he’s got an issue which he needs to take care of”.
Say it again Manuel………what issue do you have??? 😆 😆
upgunners, we get hard done by thats for sure…
sorry about the typos,
steve p, in answer to this post question, I blame both, but primarily the manager,
good night all.
devil – i’m not confident….
Just read that article in the Metro, they are worse than the daily mail for garbage 😉
Night Rokabox…
No way will AW get Cabaye and Ba from the geordies, they are on the up….
off to dinner
Why we buy Podorsky and not Huntellaar?
On the other hand JM……why not sell RVP for 25 million and get both Podolski and Huntelaar????
I like them both. And they do not have frequent injuries.
Podolski is done at 10 million. Huntelaar will not cost more than 10 either. So that leaves 5 million extra……buy Benny with them????
1 out and 3 in and money is the same!!!!
Keep RvP 🙂
IMO I would not Rico. Too many injuries and now is the right time to sell him. What happens if we keep RVP, we do not buy any1 else and he gets a long term injury??? he is not new to them no. Plus he will be going to the Euros so expect little rest.
Devil
I think you mean “1 in, 3 out, money the same, and yet again Arsene has strategically weakened the team”
Something that has been going on since the day we sold Vieira.
I can understand why you suggest selling RvP devil, but what ever we get for him, maybe £25 Million, will it be re-invested or will the money be put away in the Stan fund??
We need more players at RVP level, not to remove the last trace of world class at the club.
City have Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva & Aguero.
We have RVP
Therefore we have A LOT of catching up to do. Selling RVP isnt the best way to start.
Also, Ba has gone off the boil, is he worth taking the risk?
Sagna is class gambon…
Anyway, that’s my day done, catch you all tomorrow…
Nighty night all, have a good one – stay safe….
…….but its the best way to finish. I am off Rico. Time to go. Dont want to catch some ………itis flu.
cu and good night Lady.
Yeah Rico, im his biggest fan. I just meant IMO that central spine of world class players is so important.
GK, CB, Mid & Striker.
Lehman, Campbell, Vieira, Henry.
VDS, Vidic, Scholes, Rooney
Hart, Kompany, Toure, Aguero
Szczesny, Vermaelen, Song, RVP
Our version right now just isnt even close.
Please Gambon……just for you to understand. I am here but for you I am not here. Do not quote me, act indifferently as if I do not exist. This is the last time I will address you. I will not quote you or refer to you……..as if you are invisible.
You and I do not agree. not on issues but on personality.
Thanks and goodbye.
Oh the irony in that pathetic post.
I’m watching Inter-Milan
Catch you all tomorrow
JM, you don’t half live life on the edge, careful you don’t fall off !
from a blogger
Since the takeover in September 2008 by the Abu Dhabi United Group, Manchester City have bought 3 players from Arsenal at a combined cost of £48 million. This means a massive return on investment for the incredibly shrewd Arsene Wenger as Kolo Toure only cost £150,000, Emmanuel Adebayor cost £3 million and Gael Clichy was only £250,000 – a total of £3.4 million. If Arsenal relent and sell off Fabregas and Nasri to City for what is rumoured to be £80 million for the pair it again would be a fantastic piece of business (financially), as Fabregas didn’t cost the club anything as he came through the academy and Nasri cost £12 million.
http://www.oleole.com/blogs/leighc10s-blog/posts/former-arsenal-players-off-to-man-city
rico says:
May 6, 2012 at 8:24 pm
I can understand why you suggest selling RvP devil, but what ever we get for him, maybe £25 Million, will it be re-invested or will the money be put away in the Stan fund??
The ” Stan fund ” aka his profit, is the investment. That’s the point
Sad but true
I think this won’t happen, especially as ” caught offside ” say it may. They seem to talk rot
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/05/05/arsenal-plot-audacious-newcastle-united-pair-swoop/
also here
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/898324-arsenal-lining-up-move-for-newcastle-duo-demba-ba-and-yohan-cabaye
It,s not Stan Kroenke,s fault when he,s highly paid long-serving man
ager Arsene Wenger picks the first X1 week after week but includes
woeful,lazy,inept players such as Sagna,Wilshere,Walcott,Ramsey,A
rshavin and refuses to play Chamakh or Ben-Ayoun from the start so why doesn,t Wenger just hand in his resignation already,he can,t
take the club any further than a mediocre 3rd place in the Premiers hip,all the excuses in the world don,t hide the simple facts,time,s up
Arsene Wenger,seven trophyless seasons ?
Evening all.
Well,I was in the bush town if Coonamble during the game,with no tv showing the game,and no phone coverage,so the few minutes I was on here was using a mates phone.
Just got home now.
I’m probably glad I was away for a few reasons.
Obviously it was a game Gooners wouldn’t enjoy,and another penalty not given to boot.
Looking at the comments,the same thing has happened,and something I’m glad I missed……..all the narks and guys who jump on for five minutes during the bad times were out on show.
Funny,they were nowhere to be seen a fee days back when the positive news on Podolski. ame to light.
No,these vultures only jump on to lay the boot in,and I’ve absolutely no time nor respect for them.
Glad I missed it.
Glad to be back now,though.
hiya mate
how are you Scott??
I agree 100% with you. Some people are stomach churners the way they comment.
Probably they are a sad lot in their own personal life.
I am not an AKB and neither an AW basher. I like to call a spade a spade…..but it seems that there are people who if you do not agree with them they label you with idiotic adjectives.
Morning –
New Post up
Devil,I stand in the middle too,as you know.
I’m in no position to comment on the game,suffice to say I’m disappointed.
No way on the world we should be letting 3 goals in at home v Norwich.
Morning Scott & devil
i’m no akb or wenger basher either but i was livid after saturday, and still am…
scott – to darn right we shouldn’t be letting in three goals at home but what is being done about it? its not the first time we gift cheap goals, so wenger has to portion some of the blame…
anyway, i’m off to the new one….