Arsenal Banter Archive March 14 2013

14 Mar 2013 20:48:44
To all the pessimists talking about another trophyless season, it ain'tover till its over. Call me deranged or naive (joys of youth ;) ) But! "It is still mathematically possible"
Scots Gunner

I like your style there :)

You're deranged and naive! There, said it.

14 Mar 2013 13:55:21
Ed's any truth to two barca players to Arsenal Rumour?
rumour is valdes and Sanchez.

my mate who works for barcelona told me there is some chatter about the two of them joining Arsenal with a player joining Barcelona.

no idea of the player they are interested in. although Vermalen has been linked. {Ed027's Note - Valdes will be linked everywhere, especially us as we want a new GK, don't know about Victor Though, and Alexis will leave Barca, probably to the highest bidder, Juve are favourites

Whats with city doing a wholesale clearout. I feel with FFP this is the best time to clearout. make losses, get wages off the books and revamp.

i feel arsenal will do the same.

14 Mar 2013 11:15:19
Galatasarys Yilmaz quoted saying he would accept an offer to play for arsenal. would he be a good player to sign? Thoughts edd? {Ed027's Note - we need world class players to take us to the next level, he'd offer the same Giroud does to be honest

Have to disagree with you there Ed he is the joint highest scorer in the champions league with ronaldo and has one goal more than Messi. This is a guy playing for Galatasaray not madrid or Barca. This year he has overshadowed Drogba on the pitch so for me saying that he isn't better than Giroud isn't right and I would put him in the world class bracket he just needs the next step up in his career.
kb

14 Mar 2013 19:47:10
The Bayern Munich games sum up Arsenal's situation perfectly.

How can you sack a manager that takes a depleted team to Germany and wins 2-0?

How can you keep a manager whose first choice team gets thrashed 3-1 at home in one of the biggest games of the season?

Got a feeling the answers won't be known until the last game of teh season.

gun44

14 Mar 2013 19:18:33
Would love extra time then spurs go through

14 Mar 2013 19:59:11
Tire them out for their next prem game, more time in the comp to keep them busy but obviously not to win it! We'll sneak into third then.

14 Mar 2013 18:20:57
Firstly, well done last night. The problem is though, and we have seen this before, will AW say the team have now shown their worth and no new players are needed? He has previous for this type of after comment.

14 Mar 2013 17:55:06
Get win last night.

But you can't say our team are good enough. Our attack and midfield really need changes as we could hardly make 3 passes last night and had 5 shots which just isn't good enough in my opinion when you are the team that has to win by 3 goals.

14 Mar 2013 16:20:38
i;m proud of the team last night especially the defence, i've not seen them look so organised since the start of the season so I agree that if verm has to be benched then bench him

Also bench Schnezney as he cannot organise his defence.

14 Mar 2013 14:40:41
All those players they don't deserve to be at Arsenal, especially Girvano

14 Mar 2013 17:55:05
Thats a bit harsh. got sum players that everyone knows are not good enough, but not all of them youve got to remember you have 11 players and maybe 5-6 players I wouldn't put in the arsenal 1st team but if u had another 5-6 world class players playing alongside carzola wilshere and co they would play a lot better and it would take the pressure off our best players. new keeper, new centre backs, new def mid, new left winger and 10000% a world class striker that's what were missing,, giroud yesterday got the ball and must have controlled it and lost it 100 times and arteta just kept fouling players esp in the last 5 mins that ain't no gud when uve got to score in that time. its wasting time! j lockwood

Yes! I hate Girvano too! throw him out!

Wait, who's Girvano again?

Your statement reeks of stupidity and ignorance. All those players don't deserve to be at Arsenal? Pray tell us who does?

Have some cahoonies and sign off

14 Mar 2013 13:22:15
If Sagna leaves, jenkinson gets 1st and I think we should give hector bellerin a chance. Needs to b early though so we know whether to buy replacement or not

What about yennaris? He has more experience and is definitely a better player.

14 Mar 2013 13:07:35
Well done lads even though we didn't go through I stand and applaud you. You gave your best (except walcott) and that is all we, as fans, can ask for: you cannot do better than your best, so go out, give it your best, and don't worry about the rest.

This serves to back up my previous argument about the booing that has been going on all season. When players go out, give it their all and fight to the end, no gooner in his right mind can boo his team even if they lose. It's effort and pride for wearing the jersey that we are looking for, and we got that in abundance last night.

So very proud of the team,
one game at a time, next up: Swansea

14 Mar 2013 12:46:17
Finding it hard to be so enthusiastic about last nights result.

End of the day, we are out at the first knockout stage again, and are facing another trophyless season.

Meanwhile Blackburn, who beat us in the FA Cup, lost to millwall, who face Wigan at Wembley in the Semi Final.

Two big points here.

1) had we taken the FA Cup more seriously, it's looking very likely we would be heading for a Final Day Out.

2) had wenger got his tactics right in the first leg, who knows what would have happened last night.


Bayern went into yesterday's game knowing they had a 2-goal advantage - they were not playing at 100%, they were complacent and they probably didn't show us enough respect.

I applaud the effort of the players - Jenkinson in particular, He's got to be first choice RB - the way he spoke after the game aswell he sounded like the captain - it's players like him we need more of.

But after everything I've seen the last 4 or so seasons I just can't get worked up over one result, when a slip up/collapse/period of bad form just seems to be a game or 2 away.


(A very negative)

We've had another rough season, just take the positives and enjoy it ay

14 Mar 2013 12:30:03
and I said (and thought) arsenal would be destroyed in tonights game. what do I know.

delighted to be proved wrong, and really hope they can provide the same performance against swansea.

if you follow me on twitter, I apologise for the bad language when giroud took a shot from 100 yards out. I just couldn't contain it.

How would anyone know who you are?

Yeh sorry, I was logged out for some reason, didn't check the post after sent it.

14 Mar 2013 12:18:46
Amazed by Wenger comments how the rest of europe has caught up with the premiership and is a massive wake up call.

You've let this happen domestically let alone try to improve our record in europe.

Don't understand all these comments about how proud we are about last night. Its the second season in a row we've been knocked out in the second round, but hey we beat an understrength and compacement Munich side.

B. A, in all fairness they were missing a couple of players but we had made about 7 changes from our best 11.

Give the boys some credit please!

337

Sorry 337,
I just can't feel excited or proud being knocked out. Yes they did give it ago like last year after vitually losing the tie in the first leg.

On the positive side Fabianski looked solid along with Kos (who's had a mare most games he has played this season) and most played well. Rosicky was terrible especially in the first half almost thought he turned into Ramsey of last season.

14 Mar 2013 10:50:57
Where have all the boo boys gone?

Jensen Hatrick

We're still nowhere near good enough mate let's be honest, still loads of work to do and great players to bring in. What will you be saying if we lose to Swansea? Which btw is a real possibility. But I too am very proud of the performance last night and just hope we can build on it.

We did get knocked out if you didn't notice.

boo boy# 3412

14 Mar 2013 09:42:55
Considering that yesterday we arguably had 4 of our first choice back 5 not playing. Who should we play against Swansea?

Schez/Fab
Sagna/Jenks
Verm/Kos
Nacho/Gibbs

I think last night was our best back 5.

Nas

Schez
Jenks Kos Verm Gibbs

Mert seems to be great when we play deep (i. e when ours backs are against the wall) but looks exposed with a high line that we normally end up playing against "weaker" teams. TV also suffers from this to some extent.

On current form, for the rest of the season i'd pick:

jenks-mert-kos-gibbo

Fab, gibbs, jenko, kos

Fab Sagna and nacho

From Wengers pre-match interview, he is suggesting that Gibbs will be rested and Sagna is still injured remains to be seen which goalkeeper and centre back pairing are chosen.

14 Mar 2013 09:06:53
liverpool fan in peace.

well done guys. without jack. and podolski. you just ripped off a title contender.

proud of a team giving such a fight back.

harry scousser
ynwa

Class! Thanks Scouser.

14 Mar 2013 07:44:59
So proud of our boys last night. That is what the arsenal means and should mean to all involved.

Weare proud, we are determined, we do notcare about odds or chances and we work for each other, run for each other, and we DO NOT give in!

I also want to say the Travelling Fans last night were absolutely amazing and did our club and all other Arsenal fans PROUD.

They were pretty much the only voice that could be heard at the Allianz Arena and silenced the Home Fans.

To the travelling fans and to those 11 warriors who showed true Arsenal Guts and Spirit last night, I SALUTE YOU!.

Now, let's see that Arsenal, no matter who is wearing the shirt when 11 are on the pitch, turn up for the rest of the season.

One more thing, Jenkinson, you are Arsenal through and through. You were a warrior on the pitch, you can tell Arsenal runs through your core, and you told the commentator asking the questions that you did not want to speak about negatives after the display last night.

It is players like you and Wilshire that make me realise Arsenal will be fine in the long run. The standout player.

The whole back 4 were awesome!

J

Well it looks like the core is good. they showed their mentality with their backs to the wall. ramsey, jenks, gibbs, played well. ox was not exceptional but he had a go. for someone who has not played awhile he won the corner that led to the second goal.

Jack will be jack. no one will ever question his desire. but its good to know we have some warriors. we need more.

wally seems like a waste. he should be at liverpool. he barely tried and it was giroud who was working harder. real shame to have him as our highest paid player. I can see now why he was not worth the money. a few goals does not change your traits.

Great post, I absolutely agree 100% with what you have said.
If we can play with that attitude for the rest of the season, I'm sure we can make top 3 or 4.

14 Mar 2013 11:04:34
liverpool fan here thought you were brilliant last night. all you could hear before the game was how great bayern was and how brutal arsenal are. now if we don't get cl I hope youlot get it because if that was spurs playing last night I wouldn't want them to get through they r just too big headed to hear them now you would think they were winning the premiership every year. Tommy Irish Red

I'll get a fair bit of stick for this but hey ho.

We played well against a team that were only giving 60%. Same old Arsenal, only turn up when the other team doesn't. All this coming back in the 2nd halfleg is fruitless. we're out because we aren't good enough. there's no prizes or cups for out in the last 16! it was the same against Chelsea, coming back in the second half once they had us beat.

14 Mar 2013 06:49:36
My Arsenal!

How proud are we of that performance!

Keep it going boys, when's St Totteringhams day?

14 Mar 2013 03:39:23
Watched the game last night here in Abu Dhabi and on the panel after the game Alan Shearer absolutely slated Arsenal. All he kept saying was let's not forget Arsenal are out and this can't just paper over the cracks but the one that really got me was Arsenal only won because bayern were really poor! I I hate the media that we get. If a team beats us its because they outplayed us or got amongst us but when we do it the opposition didn't turn up, winds me right up. Shearer is the biggest bottle job going, was the spearhead of the golden generation who regularly failed miserably, oh and he couldn't hack it at a big club so chose to stay at the very mediocre Newcastle!

What a chopper! We pressed them high and forced mistakes. I stayed up til gone 2 to watch it I thought we were brilliant, (could be better). Actually finally found myself agreeing with wrighty, Bayern were there for the taking and we could have maybe gone for it a little earlier in the second half.

So proud to be a Gooner today, with a little more luck we would have done that last night, gervinho missed after good play, Walcott was flagged offside when he was no where near and clean through. Referee was a disgrace but then he wasn't helped by the pathetic bayern players going down holding heads and faces with no contact.

Hopefully we can kick on now we are no where near the top but we can still get that top 4

Adam P

Whilst I agree with some of your post two parts I am not so sure about
first, blaming the ref and the opposition players for the result is usually sour grapes and makes you sound like you are clutching onto straws
second, which big club couldn't shearer handle being at because I thought he went to newcastle instead of man u from BLACKBURN hardly a big club. As I say some of your post is good the rest inacurate or desperate

dave

We were BRILLIANT and I'm sure you're glad you stayed up.

As for Shearer, the guy is a useless pundit. Absolutely useless.

The Guardian recently wrote a piece about why everyone needs to up their game because or Mr Neville and they singled out Mr Monotone Shearer for a comment "I don't know much about him" he made about a Newcastle player during a game he was working on! Scandalous! Do your homework mate!
- he's only in a job because someone, somewhere was obviously a fan!

Dave

May I say thank ou for your comments

There were absolutely no sour grapes as my first few lines show. We were well worth the result and stating that if a few other bits had gone our way we might have got the whole result.

As for Shearer I would love you to be able to explain why anyone would "chose" Newcastle over Utd? Champions league football, title contenders year after year? Me thinks the pressure was to much. That said great player with a great record.

I just feel that for all the bashing Arsenal get in the press the one time they undoubtably deserve credit people like "Big Al" can only bitch and bring out the negatives

Adam P

He may have chose newcastle over united for 2 reasons
1 he is a geordie

2 newcastle at the time were title contenders in their own right

alan shearer is a terrible tv pundit but his footballing history is second to none in the premiership that is why he is still the all time highest goal scorer of the premiership history with 260 goals second place is 187 andy cole.
i do agree that at present you are getting bad press but that is down to form and all pundits jumping on the bandwagon. all said fantastic performance even though they left a lot of key players out

dave

14 Mar 2013 03:05:10
Has anyone else noticed that we play our best with our backs against the wall? Or whenever nobody believes we can do it?

Not just after tonight, but i'm sure most of you remember the 3-0 win over Milan last year? 3-0 at half time, blood pumping, shaping up to be a legendary victory. I don't want to explain what happened in the second half because i'm 99% sure I will get emotional.

But it seems as though we have to get a kick up the backside in order for us to wake up and start playing some football.

Wenger changed his tactics in the second legs and we won 3-0 against Milan and 2-0 against Bayern (AT BAYERN). Even though our teams were not considered to be god enough to accomplish such massive victories.

So i'm just curious, why don't we use these tactics in every game? Obviously we can't go all out EVERY game because we will get slaughtered on the counter attack. But if we can pull off a 2-0 away win against Bayern with an average team. (No Szczesny, Wilshere, Podolski, Vermaelen, Sagna etc. )
Then why can't we beat Blackburn at home with a full side? It just doesn't make sense.

The tactics we used against Milan, and against Bayern clearly work. Why can't we do the same every week?

Is it the players attitudes? Is it Wengers tactics?

Thoughts welcome.

Nick.

Well its clearly not tactics. its the players. these guys need to dig more and bring more of the same. the only thing might have been the mind game.

second keeper, captain out. perhaps crusing for a draw. the germans come out to turn it on whenever and boom we are in it and their legs give way.

wenger knows how to motivate. just that we need more players who are easily motivated and don't need a pep talk like little children.

13 Mar 2013 22:15:48
I'd like to clarify I'm in no way condoning the abuse Ed02 suffered. I find it sickening and pathetic that anyone would resort to that.

However realistically the sort of persons who do resort to that are everywhere and if you have a site like this you have to both expect and ignore it.

It disgusts me and I condemn it without knowing the full extent it went to but I am surprised that it has made us lose Ed02 (Ed27's still doing a good job though) as I would have thought such mindless trolls would be commonplace and par for the course on such a forum.

Real shame but as long as 02 feels its best I back him.

Bet you any money is was spurs trying to sabotage us!

FOYS!

14 Mar 2013 02:34:21
Im always proud to be Arsenal and tonight reinstated the love I have FOR MY TEAM. We played like a team of old, fighting for THE TEAM and by God all of us watching are proud of what we saw.

Mr AW why not keep the same team for Swansea.

Hope springs eternal.

So fkin proud of my boys

Bones

13 Mar 2013 23:31:13
i noticed during tonights match that Fabianski was really vocal with his defence, he gave them rollocking when needed, and a congratulary pat on the back on the back, he made the right decisions when called upon and pulled off a good save or two. I know the defence seemed to be more man marking than zonal, but barring his kicking at times, thought he had a good game.

Koscielny, what a game, pace, composure, wins nearly everything in the air, good understanding of the game, TV5, please take a seat, your place in the team should be coming to an end.

Jenkinson, errr goodbye Sagna, enough said!

Gibbs, would you have thought that was his first game back from injury, great game.

Arteta, fairly composed throughtout, few decisions from the ref going against him, but the two late free kicks going against him, he should have known better.

Ramsey, runs his heart out, still plays square a lot, but still gives his all

Walcott, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU ON?

Cazorla, great touch, good movement, good engine, good all round performance

Rosicky, like for like replacement for Wilshere, always on the move, always trying to make things happen, good game

Giroud, scored early on, good work rate, but without regular service couldn't have done a great deal more

More importantly though, we played as TEAM, we defended as one, we didn't panic, we played with composure, with heart, and with pride

Great performance from lads, another day and that would be us in the draw for the next round

N. Wales Gunner

Mostly agree with all of this. Not sure we say goodbye to TV yet though.

My main point is Ramsey. If the whole crowd didn't groan everything Ramsey lost the ball he might be a little more adventurous with his passing. He's actually a very good player when he plays we a bit more freedom.

13 Mar 2013 23:16:29
The away goals rule is such a horrible way to be knocked out. The way we were playing tonight if there'd been extra time we'd be through, the last English club in the Champions League.
I've got to give the team credit, in my earlier post I predicted an embarrassment due to the loss of some key players but it was far from that. In fact it was one of the best performances all season, and it was Bayern that will be feeling embarrassed tonight. Tonight's performance demonstrates that we still have the quality to compete at the highest levels and that we definitely deserve CL football next season. And if we play the rest of the season like the game tonight then there's a strong chance we'll get it.
Not many teams can go to the Allianz arena and get a result, so I'm so proud to be a gunner right now. Our defence looked strong, how it used to be at the start of the season. Jenkinson was one of the best players on the whole pitch, I honestly can't see why he's not started ahead of Sagna in every game. Per and Kos looked like a decent pairing at CB, worth a try in the next few league games. And it was nice to see Gibbs back in action, honestly can't decide whether him or Nacho deserve to play every week, its a tough call for Mr Wenger.
We definitely missed Wilshere bossing the midfield but I thought Rosicky did well enough at filling in.
Gutted that even though we walked away with a fantastic well-deserved win it just wasn't enough to make up for a poor performance a couple of weeks ago. But now we have to look forward to the last league games and focus on taking 4th (or even 3rd!) spot! Providing we play like tonight Swansea should be no problem!
Sorry for the long post!
GunnerGirl

"And it was nice to see Gibbs back in action, honestly can't decide whether him or Nacho deserve to play every week, its a tough call for Mr Wenger. "

That is what should be happening all over the pitch. 2 players both battling for the 1 spot.

Why not play Nacho at left back & Gibbs in front of him, move Podolski up front & go back to a 4-4-2. Simples!
Smudge