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Arsenal Thread

Tonight is an important game. We should take a positive result where we can build on towards this weekend and United away. I'm hoping Giroud starts alongside Podolski and Arshavin. Also hope Wenger rests Cazorla because he seems a bit worn out. I hope we line up like this:
Mannone
Jenkinson Mertesacker Vermaelen Santos
Coquelin
Ramsey Arteta
Arshavin Giroud Podolski

Gervinho and Cazorla seem tired and I hope Wenger decides to rest them.
It's a shame that both Chamberlain and Walcott are injured, I would've started either one of them instead of Gervinho. Knowing Wenger though, he'll probably start both Cazorla and Gervinho toinght.


Also, did anyone hear that the squad flew to Norwich last weekend? A fourteen minute flight.:LOL:
 
Wenger explained that he didn't want to risk a traffic jam, and there weren't any trains going to Norwich on a good time. :LOL:
 
I think the most tired player was Santos ffs! We need to win the group!!! 3 straight loses :JAY: back2back .

Somebody needs to stop the bleeding :RANT: 5 shots!!!
 
What a piss poor performance! Another one...

Possession means f*ck all if you're going to pass the ball casually at the back with no real intent or purpose or objectivity.

Why the hell Wenger thinks it's a good idea to start Gervinho as a CF, Ramsey as a RW and Podolski on the left (considering he's the best finisher of them all)?? It beats me.

These go straight into the hall of "Infamous decisions by AW"! Like when he played Bendtner as a Right Winger.
Please don't tell me he's still trying to emulate Barcelona? They have Messi as their false striker. We have Gervinho :COAT:

And no matter what, when you have Walcott and Chamberlain injured, you HAVE to use Arshavin as one of your 3 forwards. To use an improvised Ramsey in that position and bench the Russian is an insult to football.
And I feel for Arshavin too, seeing this situation from the bench. Must be so humiliating.

Ramsey didn't put a foot right yesterday, made wrong decisions all the time. Gervinho may score goals playing as a CF... against Southampton he will. Not against stronger sides on the CL.
Similarly, I feel for Giroud. Watching from the bench people being improvised in his natural position.
FFS Wenger! :RANT:

Wenger has been the architect of his own demise lately IMO. Fair enough if things are not going your way, but when you're not playing your players in position and playing to your strengths, what do you expect?

When he says we "lacked a bit of sharpness", I translate as "we passed it around the opposition's box, side to side, back and forth, without posing a real threat, shooting on target or having an actual go".

This lack of objectivity is getting on my tits. Enough of that crap already.
There was a passage of play yesterday when we counter attacked and Gervinho did a good run on the left and crossed the ball to a dangerous zone. No one there! Only Ramsey, just on the edge of the box.
This not good enough.

As for our Left Back situation, it's calamitous. But it's not entirely Wenger's fault. Gibbs is injured and we all know that Andre Santos is fast only on his Ferrari. In fact, he has no real clue on positioning. That left side should be baptized as "Andre Santos Avenue". And theres no traffic jam there, it's an unobstructed highway!

Santos had a real nightmare there. It must have been his worst performance yet in an Arsenal shirt. He didn't successfully block a single cross! Everything went past him (when he was there at all).

I think we are getting found out, boys. The squad is not good enough and we're gonna be done for it.
 
I was surprised sseing Santos playing also second half.
Farfan and Uchida caused a lot of trouble on his side and nearly all (dangerous) attacks came along on this side...
 
I agree Rent, Wenger should've played both Giroud and Arshavin. I want to see Gervinho benched and Arshavin as a starter. Why on earth would you start Gervinho in the middle when he has terrible finishing. Put Gervinho on the wing at least and have Podolski in the middle.

One positive thing was that cheeky slide trick from Gnabry at the end. He looks like a real prospect and Wenger seems eager to get him some playing time.
 
gervinho is horrible player.

Slightly changing the subject...

how long has Wenger got left at Arsenal? How many years will supporter put up with no trophy?
 
cfdh_edmundo said:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Stan-Kroenke-Ivan-Gazidis--live-coverage.html

Live coverage of the Arsenal AGM. Not much of interest so far, Stan the Silent still saying very little and Gazidis giving his usual banal platitudes about how spending money "is not the answer" and how ticket
affordability is, "something the club will continue to look at" (and ignore).
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I'm getting so sick of Kroenke and Gazidis. I think Kroenke doesn't give a shit and doesn't even know a player in the squad. I'm getting to the point where I just want Usmanov to take over.
 
All he has said today is, "It's a great club and my only regret is I didnt get involved in earlier". He's said nothing about strategy (economic or footballing), he's said nothing about a 1, 3 or 5 year plan, he hasn't even dredged up the usual fanciful mission statement or vision that CEOs do at these AGMs. I hope he does speak up, because at the moment his one-line can only really be interpreted as a complete dis-interest in club affairs. There isnt even a facade to see through! And I'm sure most of the rank and file shareholders (be they fans of the club or merely investors) will question his direction (or lack of it).
 
"12.40: Chairman Hill-Wood not coming across well here. Making snide, disrespectful jibes about supporters who are only venting their obvious frustrations. Not good."
 
cfdh_edmundo said:
"12.40: Chairman Hill-Wood not coming across well here. Making snide, disrespectful jibes about supporters who are only venting their obvious frustrations. Not good."
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I saw that bit. Hill-Wood is way out of line there. There are obvious things going wrong on and off the pitch.

On the pitch is down to the manager, a man who deserves lots of respect.

But off the pitch, is unacceptable to have a director dismissing fans concerns. Having the most expensive football ticket in the world, and being charged £13.90 for fish and chips... this is the stuff that sting fans in their pockets during tough times in the UK. This adds insult to injury IMO.

In other words, you sell the best players, your football is bloody turgid at the moment, but you still charge the highest prices in the world of football. And it's wrong for fans to complain? Fucks sakes.

Hill-Wood's gone out of touch with reality. He's finally senile.

All I know is I didn't renew my membership and didn't buy the new kit. I don't know where this money is going at the moment. But I will continue to complain, even if I'm not spending money with the club, because I care about Arsenal.
 
12.32: Wenger says qualifying for the Champions League is more important than winning FA or League Cup. He adds that potential signings don't care about winning the League Cup - they want to play in the Champions League.
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oh boy :COAT::ZZZ:

its too hard turning a whore into a Lady! :CRY:
 
Rentboy said:
On the pitch is down to the manager, a man who deserves lots of respect.
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Wenger has gone backwards this season as a manager. he has made far more stupid tactical and team selection mistakes, soon i will be calling for his fucking head again.

Last season wenger played the team to its best ability. Being ruthless and dropping players who were playing shit ie ashavin and doing good business last summer by buying early and experienced players.

This season so far he has gone backwards on multiple reasons.

1. Team selection. Rent has said it all so i wont repeat shit again

2.Tactics. cant adapt to shit and insisting in playing 433.

Wenger is fucking up the side. we actually have a better squad then last year IMO yet we are not doing any better, maybe worse we are doing.

this is unacceptable. Wenger is to blame for poor tactics and team selection.

You simply cannot blame the board, the price of a ticket or a meal of fish and chips.

So in a way, u have to blame wenger. u lot cant go and just stick it at the board all the time.

what has the board doen major wrong? u expect them to put a gun on RVP, fabregas, nasri, etc etc and force them not to quit arsenal>

U expect the board to spend 50m on a player? offer 200k a week?

The only thing i see the board being the issue is how they handle salaries. we pay nearly the same amount of player salarys as a whole then united and city yet our most expensive player is earning no more then 80-90k i think it is.

the reason is because we offered some 10 year old 50k a week. thats the fucking problem and that is all down to the board.

Most of our failing on the pitch is wengers fault. u have got to be delusional to disagree with me.

So in a nutshell board is at fault and also wenger.

IMO wenger takes the blame for 8 years winning fuck all.

The board are NOT responsible for team selection and tactics. dont u forget that lads
 
jonneymendoza said:
Wenger has gone backwards this season as a manager. he has made far more stupid tactical and team selection mistakes, soon i will be calling for his fucking head again.

Last season wenger played the team to its best ability. Being ruthless and dropping players who were playing shit ie ashavin and doing good business last summer by buying early and experienced players.

This season so far he has gone backwards on multiple reasons.

1. Team selection. Rent has said it all so i wont repeat shit again

2.Tactics. cant adapt to shit and insisting in playing 433.

Wenger is fucking up the side. we actually have a better squad then last year IMO yet we are not doing any better, maybe worse we are doing.

this is unacceptable. Wenger is to blame for poor tactics and team selection.

You simply cannot blame the board, the price of a ticket or a meal of fish and chips.

So in a way, u have to blame wenger. u lot cant go and just stick it at the board all the time.

what has the board doen major wrong? u expect them to put a gun on RVP, fabregas, nasri, etc etc and force them not to quit arsenal>

U expect the board to spend 50m on a player? offer 200k a week?

The only thing i see the board being the issue is how they handle salaries. we pay nearly the same amount of player salarys as a whole then united and city yet our most expensive player is earning no more then 80-90k i think it is.

the reason is because we offered some 10 year old 50k a week. thats the fucking problem and that is all down to the board.

Most of our failing on the pitch is wengers fault. u have got to be delusional to disagree with me.

So in a nutshell board is at fault and also wenger.

IMO wenger takes the blame for 8 years winning fuck all.

The board are NOT responsible for team selection and tactics. dont u forget that lads
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I hear ya Jonney, but as baffling as his stupid decisions are (Giroud, Arshavin, Gervinho in the center, Podolski on the wing, not signing a GK), we have to admit: the man knows a thing or two about football, so I'll refrain from criticising him so early in the season.

Bloody hell, AW turned Alex Song into a good footballer. That was pure magic :LOL:

Well, these non-football things such as the price of tickets, hot dogs, beer and fish and chips, these are not down to Wenger. This is a rip off, there's no other name for it. And the board deserve all the stick they got coming their way for that.

It's just too cheeky to charge these prices and have such constraints with investment on football. Gazidis is useless IMO. I mean, what the f*ck does he do there? What is his job? Lots of things are down to Wenger and signings is one of them. Wenger has been taking the fall for that, but I don't buy it. It cannot be down to him only.
Gazidis say that Wenger has money to spend - been saying that for 4-5 years. But Wenger doesn't spend the money. So, what's in it for Wenger, if he saves money? What would be his interest in not spending his transfer budget at the expense of football results? Why would he self-sabotage himself like that?

I don't buy it for a second and I think Kroenke's people, especially Gazidis, are covering up their own arses. Wenger is the only man facing the fire.

I get frustrated with his stubborn ways and his crazy experiments, but he has enough credit and good will on his side. If I'm calling heads, I'll point to the board any day Jonney.
 
True. the board hasnt made things easier thats for sure and tbh even Fergie makes some stupid team selections and tactics. so its not as if no other manager is immune to this. i just hope wenger is dont experimenting with this current setup and changes things drastically though.

i said this to my arsenal fan mate, When wenger retires, u will see him retiring in his big large yact in Monaco. Thats where all the profits have gone :)
 
I'm starting to see Jonney's point about Wenger. I used to idolize him (Wenger), but i'm beginning to doubt. He certainly is very stubborn.
 
gerd said:
I'm starting to see Jonney's point about Wenger. I used to idolize him (Wenger), but i'm beginning to doubt. He certainly is very stubborn.
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The thing with Wenger - even when his best teams with Petit, Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp etc were winning titles they never DEFENDED a title did they??

Also they have never won a European trophy under his command.

It really is time to freshen things up at Arsenal. And the quality of player gets worse and worse every year. Apart from Wilshere and Carzola, which Arsenal player is world class? Maybe Vermalaen? Arteta is very good player but isnt world class.

Arsenal going backwards fast and its sad to see they are team in England I 'follow'
 
HI ALL.

i went to see arsenal play at the emirates. great atmosphere and was surprised wilshere started. he was a cut above the rest though and still nowhere near his best. he will be our rvp/henry/fabregas player ie the man we rely on.

he is just world class. will become as good as iniesta/xavi one day.

Back to the game we played with more urgency and belief but still lacked some spark.

Santos was SHOCKING in the first half. he played as a bloody left winger leaving our defence with a back line of 3. QPR kept attacking santos's side and he was nowhere to be seen. Plus he tried to do daft skills in the fucking left side of our half for some stupid reason.

Total fool he is but he upted his game and played better in second half staying in defence.

Ramsey had a bright start to the game. did well as a right winger but faded in the 2nd half.

Wilshere came off and walcott on to spice things up and ramsey moving central and we did well. Sagna and walcott linked up really well providing some fantastic dangerous crosses(one led to the goal).

Sagna is miles better then Jenkinson. fantastic defender and a winger too.

Carzola missed a sitter. he was poor today. so poor that even Ramsey played better then him.

Girud worked hard. he played great. kept the ball well, won 9/10 of the headers and worked his socks off. great job.

We got lucky at the end. QPR went all out attack while our defence fell asleep offering QPR golden chances. they had 2 one on ones!

overal a great game. FANTASTIC atmosphere and thats £50 well spent! i am no longer a armchair fan :)
 
The goal came off of an Arshavin Cross. At least that what was seen from Romania. :D
GirOud is trying to hard, he should stay more in the box.
 
I saw the match on television jonney. I agree with most things you said, but to me the man who made the difference at the end of the match was clearly Arshavin. He made the goal: the cross for Giroud's header that was the beginning of the goal, came from Arshavin. This is a player that should be played or otherwise transfered (for a lot of money) to another club.
Leaving a player like that out of the team is loosing both money and points.

Could well be that he didn't delivered enough for Arsenal, but if you look at the raw talent, Arshavin is together with Cazorla (and before Wilshere and Oxlade Chamberlain) the number one of Arsenal. Wilshere was good, but not as good as jonney says...He clearly is a very talented player, but he still has to deliver...of course he was hampered by injuries.

I was glad Arsenal won, but i feel sorry for Julio Cesar who played a hell of a match. Granero should have had at least two yellows...and i don't understand why Hughes had the nerve to be furious about Mbia's straight red card...Hughes is an asshole of a manager...
 
The thing is Arshavin has always been a good crosser of the ball. Giroud is wasting his time running to the middle getting the ball. I know he`s getting cold blood sitting upfront w/o no assistant. We play like there`s no big man in the box...frustrating w/ all the short SLOW passing n the 2o turns a players does w/ the ball. It does F`all in the middle of the park.

I hope the lads will start to gel in the final third ,again. Cazorla should play on the wing and switch into the middle. We need to cross the ball into the box gies (scottish accent) Giroud chances.

I fully agree w/ gerd about Arshavin! I think mid week , Arshavin will change Wenger`s mind. Sagna was superb, Jack was impressive too, considering his absence. He could be England`s Xavi and Cleverley could be the Inesta.:))
 
I see it the other way round if you were to compare them, Cleverley is best when he keeps it simple, Wilshere has that added ability to dribble in closed area's and in the final third.
 
I am of the same opinion as Gerd regarding Arshavin.

I said here a gazillion of times, so no need to elaborate too much.
All I'm gonna say is that Arshavin did in a single attempt, with his weaker foot, what Walcott and Gervinho could have spent the whole weekend trying to pull off: a perfect delivery for Giroud.
And when it that finally happened... Presto!! What d'ya know?? You grab a goal!
Play a proper CF in the middle and have the good creative players delivering him the crosses.
Well, if we have to insist so much with this 4-3-3 system, than at least have the decency to use a proper CF and provide him the service! Instead of using an improvised Gervinho and trying to pass it into the net.
If only AW would have thought about it before :P

Giroud is itching to get on the end of such crosses, you can see that. And just give him half a chance and you'll get more rocket headers like that one. It would've been a goal normally, but was paired by a great keeper (Julio Cesar) and in the follow up Arteta poked it in.

But getting back to Arshavin, he gets a lot of stick and much less credit and goodwill from the fans. The cold hard fact is that he is miles away from our other wingers in terms of delivery and creation.
The Ox also has that quality, a good delivery and good sense of weight for his crosses, but he's still just a kid.

Walcott has that old problem of decision making and finding the right weight in his crosses, but at least he finds assists with low crosses. But Gervinho... He is a very positive fella, but it's infuriating to watch him.
He's always using his same old moves to beat defenders (not always works) and then crosses straight into the defender's legs, always those low balls.
It just doesn't fly, IMO.
I'm sorry for his injury and hope he gets well asap. But in the meantime we might gain a bit of quality if Arshavin is used more.

I only shudder to think how our left side would look with Arshavin and Santos though.

On a final note: keepers. This weekend watching Julio Cesar brings this issue to the fore once again. He almost kept Arsenal at bay with a remarkable performance. Last weekend Mannone cost us 2 points with that fumble at Norwich.

This makes a huge difference in the end. We discussed this enough here. Me, Bobby and others, with different opinions among ourselves.
But one thing you can't deny - our keepers are not in the same level as the rest of our squad. If Julio Cesar goes for big money to a club like QPR, that's one thing. But it's unacceptable the fact that we didn't even try to get him when he was available, or any other world class keeper for that matter (Stekelenburg to Roma for £6m springs to mind too).

The disparity between the quality of our keepers and our ambitions in this league is very clear for anyone to see.
 
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