Arsenal

[rijit]

It occurs to me that Wenger should try and avoid playing away in the early Saturday game.

Seems to me it always ends up with a spanking and a red card.

Chic, joking aside a couple of footballers have told me that early k/o's are generally not liked by the players,especially if your away from home.

It's an arduous task for Arsenal to travel all the way across London.

Not saying its an excuse ups you've read how pampered sheltered and spoilt young prem footballers are,well from what i gather its true, and I've heard as a rule of thumb footballers, from leaving school to having kids they don't willingly do early mornings. and a 12 /30 ko/, well work it out maybe 8 ish?? could well leave them a touch frazzled and at an elite level of sport, it could well make a difference.

Edited March 23, 2014 by rijit

[BangrakBob]

It occurs to me that Wenger should try and avoid playing away in the early Saturday game.

Seems to me it always ends up with a spanking and a red card.

Chic, joking aside a couple of footballers have told me that early k/o's are generally not liked by the players,especially if your away from home.

It's an arduous task for Arsenal to travel all the way across London.

Not saying its an excuse ups you've read how pampered sheltered and spoilt young prem footballers are,well from what i gather its true, and I've heard as a rule of thumb footballers, from leaving school to having kids they don't willingly do early mornings. and a 12 /30 ko/, well work it out maybe 8 ish?? could well leave them a touch frazzled and at an elite level of sport, it could well make a difference.

I'd love to hear a player use the excuse in a post match interview "I was feeling a touch frazzled this morning, getting up before 8 is a right curfuffle"

[StevieH]

It occurs to me that Wenger should try and avoid playing away in the early Saturday game.

Seems to me it always ends up with a spanking and a red card.

Or maybe even realise that playing a high defensive line against top counter-attacking teams is suicidal. Especially when their centre back has the turning circle of an oil tanker. 1,000 games and Arse's tactics still look naive in the extreme when they are away to the bigger clubs.

truly staggering the way arsenal started that game. no flamini, fullbacks playing like wingers, your two centrebacks then playing such a high line. just insanity and couldn't have played into mourinho's hands more.

[carmine]

I should imagine that prick of a goalkeeper you have will be somewhat quieter on twitter this morning. No selfies of his gurning ugly mug thank heavens.

Happy 1000th Wenger. You managed your team like a schoolboy....and a very odd looking one at that

Edited March 23, 2014 by carmine

[Chicog]

I should imagine that prick of a goalkeeper you have will be somewhat quieter on twitter this morning. No selies of his gurning ugly mug thank heavens.

Happy 1000th Wenger. You managed your team like a schoolboy....and a very odd looking one at that

I'm surprised he wasn't throwing his own coat around to be honest. Probably couldn't get it off.

[P45Mustang]

To be fair, Arsenal are plagued with injuries at the moment.

Not sure if that can explain heavy losses to the top clubs though?

Looks like the problem runs deeper judging by what you boys are saying.

Fantastic EPL Saturday for the top clubs eh? apart from Mr Wenger's spoiled 1000th game.

They'll bounce back I reckon but they will have to play a lot better against City.

[SantiSuk]

Yep. Every man and his dog accepts that. Question is will Wenger play any differently now when up against Everton away? Title is beyond us now - I said differently before this match, which we expected to lose, but I did not expect wholesale surrender which must have inflicted severe crisis of confidence. Important to get at least 3rd to make sure we can choose freely in the transfer market in Summer. Must win FA Cup of course, otherwise difficult to see where we have advanced in a year.

Back to playing circumspect first halves for many of our fixtures now I suspect.

Arteta clearly past his use-by date at this level. Need a world class DFM and striker in Summer (plus keep 20m back to keep Sagna please).

[Chicog]

To be fair, Arsenal are plagued with injuries at the moment.

Not sure if that can explain heavy losses to the top clubs though?

Looks like the problem runs deeper judging by what you boys are saying.

Fantastic EPL Saturday for the top clubs eh? apart from Mr Wenger's spoiled 1000th game.

They'll bounce back I reckon but they will have to play a lot better against City.

Got to play Swansea first.

[petermik]

Same old Arsenal,pretty football for most of the season then fade away/capitulate when pressure comes into play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough? Tony Adams/Lee Dixon would have relished these matches-but that,s when Arsenal LAST had a good side

just sayin

[StevieH]

Same old Arsenal,pretty football for most of the season then fade away/capitulate when pressure comes into play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough? Tony Adams/Lee Dixon would have relished these matches-but that,s when Arsenal LAST had a good side

just sayin

ah yes, those big foreign pansies like vieira, petit, bergkamp, henry, pires, ljungberg, gilberto, fabregas. they didn't like it up 'em did they?

[SantiSuk]

Yes it's curious that Wenger won everything with a good old-fashioned British-style defence (which I think he mostly inherited, though Viera and Petty were his signings were they not and a cut off a similar block). Very curious that Arsenal management then seemed to give no attention to paying decent money for top defenders. Even now the back 5 together can't have cost more than Ozil. We are not alone in that - the art of good strong intelligent defence is a hopelessly undervalued one IMO.

Our back 5 are still a good defence - it's the cover in front of them and overstretched midfielders like Cazorla giving the ball away too much that is mainly to blame - plus the curious hi-line set-up in the case of the Chelsea game.

[P45Mustang]

Meanwhile the new City and the new Liverpool do their thing.

Mourinho mixes the foreign pansies ( your phrase not mine) with the likes of Terry and Cahill.

And it seems to work.

Just saying like.

[Chicog]

You can"t put all the blame on the defence when they're repeatedly left exposed. Why didn't Flamini start?

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[jellydog]

Same old Arsenal,pretty football for most of the season then fade away/capitulate when pressure comes into play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough? Tony Adams/Lee Dixon would have relished these matches-but that,s when Arsenal LAST had a good side

just sayin

ah yes, those big foreign pansies like vieira, petit, bergkamp, henry, pires, ljungberg, gilberto, fabregas. they didn't like it up 'em did they?

Too easy, but I like it anyway.

[StevieH]

You can"t put all the blame on the defence when they're repeatedly left exposed. Why didn't Flamini start?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

it was mental, wenger knows how mourinho likes to play. especially with his undefeated record at stamford bridge. so you go there and sit with a deep flat back four and play with at least one defensive mid, in this case flamini. don't give their three main men behind the striker any space at all. so arsene set them up with no flamini, attacking fullbacks and a high line. genuine madness that was, suicidal in fact. 1000 matches and he's still able to be that naive. bizarre.

[Chicog]

Probably would have been OK if they'd stuck to their guns but the charging forward was reminiscent of the Hussars and Dragoons in Crimea.

(Topical eh? )

[P45Mustang]

Has anybody asked Arsene why he didn't start with Flamini?

I'm still confused how General Laudrup got it so wrong at Swansea too.

[wilai]

Capt Jack Sparrow having a tough season

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjaHXHMIMAAlrIF.jpg

Edited March 23, 2014 by wilai

[Chicog]

Aaarrgh they keep interviewing him on "Arsenal Fan TV", some bunch of youtube wannabes that run around looking for whingers.

Not difficulty after a result like that.

[SantiSuk]

You can"t put all the blame on the defence when they're repeatedly left exposed. Why didn't Flamini start?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

it was mental, wenger knows how mourinho likes to play. especially with his undefeated record at stamford bridge. so you go there and sit with a deep flat back four and play with at least one defensive mid, in this case flamini. don't give their three main men behind the striker any space at all. so arsene set them up with no flamini, attacking fullbacks and a high line. genuine madness that was, suicidal in fact. 1000 matches and he's still able to be that naive. bizarre.

Agreed - bizarre.

Why can't we get decent football journalism that asks mangers sensible questions instead of the dose of banal tripe they dish out? I guess they are afraid they will be cut out of the party if they ask difficult questions

[Chicog]

Did you not see the interviewer trying to get a rise out of Solskjaer?

[petermik]

Same old Arsenal,pretty football for most of the season then fade away/capitulate when pressure comes into play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough? Tony Adams/Lee Dixon would have relished these matches-but that,s when Arsenal LAST had a good side

just sayin

ah yes, those big foreign pansies like vieira, petit, bergkamp, henry, pires, ljungberg, gilberto, fabregas. they didn't like it up 'em did they?

Not ONE defender among them

[Chicog]

Same old Arsenal,pretty football for most of the season then fade away/capitulate when pressure comes into play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough? Tony Adams/Lee Dixon would have relished these matches-but that,s when Arsenal LAST had a good side

just sayin

ah yes, those big foreign pansies like vieira, petit, bergkamp, henry, pires, ljungberg, gilberto, fabregas. they didn't like it up 'em did they?

Not ONE defender among them

Campbell, Lauren, Cole, Toure....

Were you pissed when Arsenal went 49 games unbeaten or are you just stupid?

Edited March 24, 2014 by Chicog

[StevieH]

Same old Arsenal,pretty football for most of the season then fade away/capitulate when pressure comes into play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough? Tony Adams/Lee Dixon would have relished these matches-but that,s when Arsenal LAST had a good side

just sayin

ah yes, those big foreign pansies like vieira, petit, bergkamp, henry, pires, ljungberg, gilberto, fabregas. they didn't like it up 'em did they?

Not ONE defender among them

you said "play-too many foreigners who are over here just for the dosh and cannot/do not want to battle when the going gets tough" - no mention of defenders.

[SantiSuk]

www.GibbsorOx.com

Se if you can get the right man!

[P45Mustang]

SS. I know people in the advertising business who could sell this idea to Specsavers.

Brilliant.

[StevieH]

www.GibbsorOx.com

Se if you can get the right man!

that is very well done.

[SantiSuk]

I'm feeling very smug this morning.

Ox and Gibbs both cleared with no suspensions (as expected). FA confirm that no red card was warranted anyway (not expected). Told you so!!!

I did not see one pundit or refereeing specialist on TV say that it was not a red card incident. To the contrary - they all said it was undoubtedly a red card. So - I wonder if Sky will give the boot to that so-called "referee expert", Dermot Gallagher, who was brought in to pronounce that attempts to deny a goal scoring opportunity are the same as actual denials. Pilluk - he's the one who should be red carded by Sky! P'raps they should recruit me with my FA refs qualification, Grade 3, minor league stuff and whistle expired long ago, but at least I can read the Rules

Good to see that the ref will not be suspended - last thing we need is refs that are scared of their own shadows and I agree that the officials team has to call it like they see it; if Mariner rechecked with his assistant after Ox confessed and the assistant confirmed his view it was Gibbs (dunno whether he did) then the right refereeing decision was made IMO. I can also accept that the ref may have been unsighted when judging whether the faux save prevented a goal.

Matters not, we were still rubbish and bad referring decisions are all just swings-and-roundabouts (we have had some go our way). We might not have felt so demoralised about the game though, had it finished say 3-1.

I see FIFA, through UEFA, are mounting a rearguard action to stave off any calls for video replays being used in football ("more eyeballs needed, not technology"). To$$ers just can't accept that football has been totally eclipsed by rugby in getting refereeing right. Amateurs. And ... football simply has to get rid of this nonsense of double-jeopardy within the penalty area, built into the 'denying a goal-scoring opportunity' rule. It will continue to rankle until we get a 'Lambert moment' in a really high profile match. Penalty goal awards are the only sensible answer.

Edited March 24, 2014 by SantiSuk

[mrbojangles]

I see FIFA, through UEFA, are mounting a rearguard action to stave off any calls for video replays being used in football ("more eyeballs needed, not technology"). To$$ers just can't accept that football has been totally eclipsed by rugby in getting refereeing right. Amateurs. And ... football simply has to get rid of this nonsense of double-jeopardy within the penalty area, built into the 'denying a goal-scoring opportunity' rule. It will continue to rankle until we get a 'Lambert moment' in a really high profile match. Penalty goal awards are the only sensible answer.

Couldn't agree more

[StevieH]

penalty goals? what fresh madness is this?