Arsenal Banter Archive August 12 2017

12 Aug 2017 15:56:34
Guys. Check out Liverpool and Chelsea pages. Feels so good to read it and know it's not arsenal they are talking about 😂.

12 Aug 2017 16:10:24
Shocked by Chelsea but not Liverpool, opening day games away are always tricky affairs. No one is up to speed until game 3 or 4 and everything is possible for all 20 clubs in the season ahead in game one.

12 Aug 2017 16:17:01
Something is very wrong at Chelsea, who have sold: Begovic, Ake, Matic, etc and alienated Costa. I thought they were a tad lucky last year when they benefitted from nit being in Europe and Conte inherited a squad that had won the PL the season before Leicester won it.

{Ed002's Note - They have not "alienated" Costa, he made the decision in January that he wanted to go. Begovics and Ake went to get regular game time and both Begovic and Matic have been replaced.}

12 Aug 2017 16:33:27
It's not a happy camp at Chelsea at the moment looking from the outside in. Conte seems on edge and agitated. I think their is friction there with the owner, especially over Matic. This only feeds down to the players. Is Morata really a upgrade on Costa don't see it tbh.

Things can change though in football quickly though with the transfer window still open.

{Ed002's Note - The owner doesn't come in to it.}

12 Aug 2017 16:38:24
Agree about liverpool. Do think they're fans are way over reacting, watford away with a talented manager in silva isn't an easy 3 points.

12 Aug 2017 17:42:32
Everyone wants to get off to a winning start and at the end of the season 3pts on day one are every bit as valuable as 3pts in game 38.
But opening day results or even the first couple of weeks in the season isn't always the best indicator of the season ahead, didn't Hull win their first 3 last season and Utd lose at villa 3 0 in the first game prompting Alan Hanson to say " you win nothing with kids " :-) I think they did the treble that season if I remember correctly :-)

12 Aug 2017 17:27:28
This season could be another cracker. Ed are you a Chelsea fan?

So many league debut goals already with Lacazette, Salah, Mounie (2) , Morata and Rooney.

{Ed002's Note - No, Third Lanark.}

12 Aug 2017 18:40:50
I think morata did alright and will be vital for Chelsea this season, an upgrade, yes I think in some way yes at least there isn't a red card waiting or suspension. Also I rate morata, he wasn't given the chance at madrid.

12 Aug 2017 21:28:32
I think we may be seeing the beginning of the Chelsea curse for managers.

Come in 1st season and its revelation, 2nd season it all goes wrong and the manager gets sacked.

Not the worst curse, but could be damaging in the long run.

on another note, I saw a few comments on the BBC live feed about conte being agitated due to the lack of spending and not strengthening the squad.

Haven't they already spent over £100m+, the football world has gone mad.

PS ed002 you mentioned previously about a breakaway league for europes top clubs. with ffp and the crazy transfers, do you think this will expidite this breakaway? and when do you think it will happen?

12 Aug 2017 23:43:01
chelsea have spent but also recouped a fair amount. I understand conte frustrations and I expect two more buys possible three.

12 Aug 2017 22:39:28
Ed is that something from this Game of thrones programme that seems to be all the rave?

{Ed002's Note - I have never seen it.}

13 Aug 2017 07:21:27
I note your comment Ed, but to sell Matic to a rival for the PL was astonishing. To sell an excellent young player in Ake, who I would love to have signed for Arsenal. To text Costa to advise him that he wouldn't be part of the plans for this season and not to sell him yet. To sell Begovic, a fine keeper. All this made little sense and have left Chelsea going not the season with a squad week numerically. f course they can sign players in the last days of the windw, but that isn't going to be easy as clubs sense their desperation. I also. Had the feeling that Conte was reluctant to stay at the club and hinted that some sales, such as Matic, were out of his hands.

{Ed002's Note - Matic wanted the move. Ake wanted guaranteed game time. Costa made the decision to leave in January but there has been no offer for him yet. Begovic wants to be playing at his age. The club will not keep players who don't want to be there. Replacements for Ake, Begovic, Matic and Costa have already arrived at the club, so I am not really sure where the concern is.}

12 Aug 2017 15:45:08
Conte for the sack at chelsea lol.

12 Aug 2017 15:59:57
Stranger things have happened mate and the last two premier league winning managers have gone that way in much less than a season.

12 Aug 2017 16:17:59
I actually think Conte will go. I think Benitez and De Boer will also be in trouble.

12 Aug 2017 18:14:02
On think Chelsea will not be in a hurry to repeat what happened with Jose and will get themselves sorted out on and off the pitch.

12 Aug 2017 15:22:57
Went out last night so missed the opening game and am kinda disappointed that I did.

Did pop into the Arsenal chat and was pleased to see some of the usual suspects (Darren from Tampa) and a new face in Gibb0. Great catching up.

Looking forward to the rest of the season. I have high hopes for Kol and Lacca. I think Xhaka will be inspired this season too. Also hoping we make another 1 to 2 (preferably 2) signings.

12 Aug 2017 13:28:52
Call me crazy, but how about Ozil to play next to Xhaka and Sanchez if he stays behind Lacazette and Giroud.
What you all think about that?

12 Aug 2017 13:46:06
3-4-1-2? I can't see Ozil next to Xhaka as anything other than a disaster to be honest and in regards to the formation, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Stick with the 3-4-3 / 3-4-2-1.

12 Aug 2017 13:53:29
Call me crazy but I think Elney should be played in the middle of a back 3 in games where Kos is unavailable.
I really think the lad could excel as a sweeper.

12 Aug 2017 13:57:16
I'm a big Ozil fan but you need to be good at stopping opposition attacks and breaking up play if in that position.

12 Aug 2017 14:12:57
G62 mate, and I thought I was crazy with my idea 😂.

12 Aug 2017 14:25:17
I know Moe mate it's nuts, but I really think he could play a David Luiz role really well.

12 Aug 2017 14:41:52
Don't get me wrong I like elneny he playes safe ball which is good but aggressive enough to be David Louis and be a sweeper. that's what I think. You might see something in him will enable him to do the job but I can't. I think Wenger tried it in the preseason, didn't see much of it so I can't judge.

12 Aug 2017 15:06:28
It's the hair making you see him in a David Luiz role lol.

12 Aug 2017 15:21:41
You are crazy. Lol. Not in a blue moon.

12 Aug 2017 12:43:57
Rooney looks leaner and happier than I have seen him for years going into a season, I think we might see the best of him one more time at Everton this season and when the best value for money signing is disgust in May I've a feeling he will be one of the tenders.

12 Aug 2017 12:56:20
yoo little too late for him body wise. i'm not sure he will be a starter. gifi coming in starts then its a, battle for striker place.

12 Aug 2017 06:44:33
I thoroughly enjoyed last night's match and in the cold light of day, it was clear that we were going to have defensive problems with only one recognised CB fit and he, Holding, is a very young and inexperienced one. We started with the following players unavailable;Sanchez, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Cazorla and Wilshere. We also had players coming back from injury and not worth risking in the starting line up, such as Ramsey, Coquelin and Mustafi. Wenger clearly realised that we had a problem in central defence as in pre-season he tried Elneny and even Maitland-Niles in the back three. Perhaps one could criticise the zonal marking which left a complete mismatch of Monreal marking Maguire, when our tallest CB Holding should have man marked Maguire. THe more worrying matter was the admission that he left the door open for Giroud to leave, when he is clearly a scorer of goals. Hopefully against Stoke Mertesacker and Mustafi will be fit to return and give defensive stability to the team. It is quite encouraging that since we changed our formation to three at the back we have only lost one match and that was early on in the use of the new formation. How Wenger copes with such a strong squad will be interesting to say the least. The next few days will tell us whether we can keep the three important players in the last year of their contract and if we can ship out the dead wood. Something that was noticeable last night was how little we missed Sanchez, with Welbeck showing a return to form and linking well with the excellent Lacazette. Offensively we looked good and the defence will improve as the 4 CB's return. One last comment about Ozil's handball, this was of course a handball and the dreadful referee missed it, as he also failed to give us a penalty when a Leicester player clearly blocked an area with his hand and a penalty should have been awarded to us. Can't wait for the Stoke match, I ahve a feeling we are in for a very exciting season.

12 Aug 2017 10:44:26
Exciting game, first games can always be erratic and unprecticable like this as it takes a few proper games (friendlies don't get you there totally) to get up to full sharpness.

Plenty of firepower available, hopefully we can keep hold of Giroud as he offers something different to the other strikers. Defence a concern but don't forget that was missing Mustafi and kos who would be 1st choice. Holding has talent but needs that experience alongside him. The back 3 just need to stay back really at all times. Corners again are one of my main concerns and we really need to go back to man to man, but Wenger seems to like this Zonal nonsense. The problem with Zonal too many pass the buck and leave it to someone else to deal with. When it's man to man it's simple stay with your man and challenge him in the air.

11 Aug 2017 23:09:20
We do have professional mourners among Arsenal fans. All they do is mourn, and mourn and mourn even when the team wins. This is only the first game of the season we can only get better. Thanks boys for the win however it came I AM NOT COMPLAINING.

{Ed033's Note - Did an Arsenal player die today and they had to hire a professional mourner? You'd expect them to have to "mourn, and mourn and mourn even when the team wins" otherwise they wouldn't get paid would they? 😎

12 Aug 2017 06:58:27
Starting lineup had 5 players out. Ozil and Ramsey were short of match fitness. We were missing our best player and we were missing 5 CBs. That was a bloody fantastic win. We made mistakes for every goal, we will improve on that performance. But sure, have a whinge people.

12 Aug 2017 07:51:51
The moaning on here is why I left the site. No loss for you guys I'm sure but its annoying/ depressing/ disheartening.

We were appalling yesterday but without Kos and Mustafi.

12 Aug 2017 09:21:30
Always a miss Ozil, I know what you mean though, it's pretty incessant stuff and cost quite a few good posters.

Big shame.

12 Aug 2017 10:32:52
Ozil every poster we lose is a loss mate and I hope you personally will come back on a permanent mate basis but I think if you make wearing those special Arsenal glasses compulsory the page would become very Stepford wife's for everyone.
We don't all have to agree about everything and people are entitled to be unhappy about the club not mounting a single title challenge for over a decade mate.
Once people stop moaning without anything changing then they've stoped caring and that's not good for anyone.

12 Aug 2017 10:34:16
I never moan 😁😁.

12 Aug 2017 11:21:18
It's because Ramsey scored ed033 there is always a celeb death about a day after ;)

12 Aug 2017 11:47:57
gunner I honestly think you need to let go of this rose tinted glasses angle you come at people with.

It's no different to saying some guys wear the veil of gloom.

Everyone wants to talk about Arsenal that's why they come on here, everyone I'm certain knows what's gone on over the last 20yrs and what's changed and what hasn't.

The big thing is just about enjoying the football. It's not people wearing red tinted specs it's people loving football. Remember what you grew up as a kid doing, simply loving football.

Now we are all becoming bent out of shape about this being wrong that being wrong, this player being crap, the manager this that and the other.

Not so long back this page used to be a bundle of laughs and we were winning naff all then either but people have gotten caught up in a perpetual cycle of gloom. Remember when ed025 used to love coming on here and chatting?

Yes we all have gripes but to read the same constant thing everyone of us already knows really does make you think wtf.

I honestly can never wait for the season to start, I just love footy mate and of course the Arsenal. I'd go every game I could even if we got relegated. 😁.

13 Aug 2017 06:06:04
Thank you Stoner, you've summed up my thoughts perfectly.