Arsenal Banter Archive March 18 2015

18 Mar 2015 22:57:26
So here's a question what would be your combined man utd/arsenal team over the last 25 years guys?

I've picked mine and posted it to the teams page, what's yours?

Me and my mate where doing this earlier just thought I'd ask your thoughts.

19 Mar 2015 00:04:17
Have added a different team to yours Chris, but one that I think is as good as your first 11.

19 Mar 2015 01:01:00
Smichel neville stam adams cole gigs vierra keane ronaldo henry bergkamp. Subs beckham wright scholes cantona vidic seaman

19 Mar 2015 07:02:04
So many variations u could choose and still come up with a title winning team Steve.

19 Mar 2015 07:03:59
Wow saint, I didn't think anyone on here could make me feel old but u my friend have done it. Big pete before your time!

Well that's depressed me lol.

19 Mar 2015 12:10:35
Steve leaving a place on the bench . Who for? Jeffers

18 Mar 2015 21:57:21
Klopp anyone? Why the Ernest Hemmingway not?! Serious question after tonight is he a Robert Louis Stevenson manager?

18 Mar 2015 22:14:16
Klopp and his team are not firing this season, like before. No manager has perfect seasons after perfect seasons. Klopp will be judged on what he does with his team next season more. Its his first real flop of a season so far.I for one think he will re emerge from this, but if he doesn't, its the old ex managers home for him.

18 Mar 2015 22:53:35
Tevez got to love the guy. What a player. Work rate. Passion . Goals. What we're city thinking

18 Mar 2015 23:50:59
Tevez is top quality.

Very suited to the English game.

18 Mar 2015 21:34:24
sorry, but I totally disagree with everybody on here regards Ozil.

yes, he's a very good player but not world class.
have said it before, I love the fact he's a Gooner but I'm still unconvinced.

He cost £42m. Now, I don't blame him for the price tag. That was agreed by the 2 clubs involved. Ozil has no influence over that.
But, he is not worth it.

I do feel sorry for him, being played out on the left, but it is hardly alien to him, he plays there for Germany, with much the same influence.

He is a very good player but not World Class.
Maybe he was at Madrid, but certainly not with us.

People keep saying he runs more than any other Arsenal player.
So what. Why don't we just put Red Rum in an Arsenal shirt, he will run all day.

Messi is World Class.
Ronaldo is World Class.
Arjen Robben is World Class.

Why?
Because they perform week in week out.
You cannot pick out a good Messi performance or a good Ronaldo performance because there are far too many to mention.

For those who come out with the rubbish "look how brilliant Ozil played away to Stoke or at home to Sunderland", read the above paragraph.

Would I sell Ozil and keep the £40m?
No.
Would I sell Ozil and buy Schneiderlin and Hummels?
Yes, definitely.

he is not W

18 Mar 2015 22:00:41
Dags are you moaning, this isn't fifa manager 2015 you know.

18 Mar 2015 22:02:50
I agree Ozil isn't world class but I do feel he gets harshly treated because of his price tag.

Cazorla had a pretty average season last year but didn't receive anything close to the hate Ozil gets.

If we bought Ozil for 10m would he get all the abuse that he is getting now?

I like Ozil and I really want him to stay. Everytime he plays in the Arsenal team we do play better. A lot of his passes go unnoticed, the way he can open up a pitch with a forward pass is beautiful to watch. He doesn't get credit for those passes but they important for our style of play. Don't think its a coincidence that Ramsey looks so much better with Ozil in the team.

Think why people are so mixed about him was they thought we got the next Bergkamp. He's nothing like Bergkamp, he's more of a xavi type player that keeps things moving and is a important link between midfield and attack. Hence why he is so respected in Spain.

The question of work rate will always be aimed at him, especially playing in the Premier Leauge. But if someone can't defend I don't expect too. I'm not saying he shouldn't track players and close down the opposition. But I rather have him not making tackles if it means him getting sent off or giving away pens.

Don't jump on the g Neville bandwagon, just remember how brilliant England did in the world cup.

{Ed025's Note - probably not noodles, but you have to factor in that his fee was almost all of that windows budget mate..

18 Mar 2015 22:56:08
I'm on your side with this one dags. TeveZ is world class to BTW add him to your list :)

18 Mar 2015 22:56:35
Nope Steve,

Just saying Ozil is not World Class mate, not in an Arsenal shirt anyway.

19 Mar 2015 00:54:31
It would help him a lot if he didn't look like he's just sicked up a sherbert lemon from yesterday all the time during games.

19 Mar 2015 04:17:31
I have got a simple question.
Would you sell Ozil for 42 million pounds atm?
That is my criterion of whether a player is a success

{Ed025's Note - yes from me reet..

19 Mar 2015 07:25:23
Yes I would Reet as long as the money is reinvested.

19 Mar 2015 12:12:02
Of course ud take the 42mill

19 Mar 2015 13:01:40
I think Dags puts it best by saying he's not been world class 'in an Arsenal shirt'. He was definitely world class at Real, I remember Ronaldo thowing a paddy when Madrid let him go and I remember a time when Joachim Low called him Germany's answer to Lionel Messi.

19 Mar 2015 14:27:47
low had a mare with that comment., messi is miles ahead.

ronaldo wasnt moaning when di maria filled in his role and they won champions league

18 Mar 2015 15:41:37
You lot can pick a player to blame all you want. Our problem, now, and for the last few years has been Arsene Wenger, and his recent comments prove it.

It's crazy to think that the same man who took us to the brink of winning the Champions' league in 2006 is now coming out and saying that maybe we'd be better off finishing third in the group and dropping into the Europa League! Surely he can't be for real!

As much as I hate to say it, it appears Mourinho was right when he called Wenger a specialist in failure.The man has no fight, no ambition and no balls. Get him off the sidelines and in the board room ASAP!

18 Mar 2015 16:36:20
Balderdash!

18 Mar 2015 16:59:00
A post I agree with, wenger is achieving now, just about as much as he can. Qualifying for champs league, getting to knockout stages winning a domestic cup.He and a lot of the players are not of a standard to take us higher. We go on good runs and get good results, then shoot ourselves in the foot, its very often, when the heat is turned up. i like a lot of our players, but most are prone to individual lapses and rushes of blood which makes the difference between good and great.

18 Mar 2015 17:29:43
So our invincible were great, and how far did they go in the CL please do let me know. Your team is only great when they win the CL, we have certain lapses which i think everyone has, something which even city is going through atm, the players we have are good enough to win the PL, and i will stick by it.

18 Mar 2015 18:04:34
Hood this season or next? Which one are you saying we ate good enough to with the league fo . Now or future?

18 Mar 2015 18:05:22
The players are good enough, and more than capable if they can sustain a good run of form. The manager however, isn't good enough, the players need a leader off the pitch and they don't have one. Koscielny is the closest they have to that.

18 Mar 2015 18:39:28
Hood you slag city, you slag Chelsea you slag Manchester United you slag liverpool, yet we can do no wrong. Very commendable indeed. But mate they have their ups and down, but they manage to bounce back and win the big pots. Ok liverpool not on same level, but we are knowhere near achieving that and you defend every poor situation by pointing out someone eĺses problem. The thing is they havecwon thevleague and champions league in the last decade.

18 Mar 2015 18:50:51
Cig IF a little word, with big significance. IF the players were more reliable, they would be better quality. Reliance and nerve go hand in hand with abilty, Giroud probably has as much ability as say shearer, but shearer was more consistant and reliable, which takes him above the likes of giroud. Ps not picking on giroud, for all you sensitive people, just trying to makeca point.

{Ed025's Note - if giroud had the same ability as shearer steve....arsenal would win the league mate..

18 Mar 2015 18:58:02
This squad isn't good enough to fight on all fronts. No way

18 Mar 2015 18:58:45
Hood the invincibles won the league and went unbeaten the whole season, this team can't go the whole of a month sometimes, don't evenvtry and compare, them to this team. They also managed to go a little bit further without, the rushes of blood kicked in.

{Ed025's Note - a bit harsh that victor..

18 Mar 2015 19:17:15
I'm with Steve on this. Giroud has the ability to get 25-30 goals a season, but he is far to inconsistent. A problem with a lot of our players at the moment. They all just love to play Jekyll and Hyde with their form.

18 Mar 2015 19:27:45
Yes went a seson unbeaten, but we know there are others who have done the same, speaking abt a month going unbeaten in the league we are pretty much going to do it this month. I will defend the team because u cant, even when they win. If they win expected if they loose expected. I have to compare teams i am sorry but the truth is none of the english teams have qualified frm this round. And if chelsea are the best the way they went out to psg was nothin but hilarious

18 Mar 2015 20:25:09
CIG what he is saying is if you finish 3rd you get w second chance in the Europa but if you finish 2nd there is no second chance, basically he's moaning that Liverpool get another chance and we don't but quite why he'd want one I don't know.
Teams dropping into the Europa from the CL only devalues the competition even further in my view, teams shouldn't have to work from September to April to get to the Quarter finals only to go out to a CL wanna be last 16 failure playing their first tie in the whole thing, that would be ridiculous.

18 Mar 2015 20:28:55
Shouldn't you be taking Margaret shopping?

{Ed025's Note - "i dont belieeeeve it 337".. :)

18 Mar 2015 14:01:43
Jaw has hit the floor this morning reading some comments! Ozil is a good squad player FOR Lewis Carroll's SAKE!! Ten better number 10`s than Ozil!!. For the record I think he is a great player who`s style is languid and therefore gets blasted because of it! Don`t even try and tell me he isn't trying this season! Opinions vary on here that's great but surely they shouldn't vary from glass half full to half empty to empty to overflowing before the half time whistle! I exaggerate but only a bit.
We are getting there and have got there WITHOUT a sugar daddy and building our own stadium - not being given the Etihad! I for one am proud of the way we have done it and would rather cut my own arm off than let Usmanov come in a la Abramovich. I also feel we are getting closer to the sugar daddy clubs with one or two additions feel we can give them a run for the title.
Those that think we are 5 players short - really we are so poor we need to replace half the team! Its not Football Manager or the Spuds!!
Don't also know what Giroud and Ozil have to do to to win some fans over
It is so easy to come on here - which I love reading agree or disagree - and say he's rubbish let's bring him in sell him get rid of him because we will never know because 99% of it will never happen yet because it has been said it must be true! CS Lewis! can say England won't win the next world cup sit back and then have a smug smile on my face when it undoubtedly doesn`t happen - doesn`t make me a football genius.
We know why we are where we are - stadium etc - surely we can see we are getting better and only going to get even better! Our time is coming!
Win lose or draw get behind the team because no other teams supporters are going to!!
One last thing are you the Colin Firth character in Fever pitch " Trust Arsenal to score one when we needed two " or his optimistic Bald mate? Think we scored two didn`t we? Me I am glass half full and Arthur Conan Doyle those who will say I am not a realist!! COYG

18 Mar 2015 15:49:35
Great post mate! Have to agree about Ozil, he makes some great things happen but get's slated because he's not a constant presence like some of our other players. And when we're playing the right way, he doesn't need to be!

18 Mar 2015 11:51:12
The Özil haters really need to stop listening to schooles, owen etc.

18 Mar 2015 12:40:43
People need someone to blame and because Giroud was unavailable due to scoring and Danny is unavailable for stick for 3 more weeks because he scored the winner against utd this ones down to Ozil to carry on his own.
People love a band wagon to jump on when things go badly and bashing mesut is all the fashion today.

18 Mar 2015 14:15:40
I do not see anything wrong with the way he played yesterday, pretty much created the 2nd goal, had a free kick well saved, and a shot which missed the goal by a whisker with the keeper beaten. Moaners will be always on here, and the same people who can't appreciate a win when we win, but its something to get back at thier collegues in office wow.

18 Mar 2015 14:30:45
Ozil played quite well for me. Player ratings had him as one of the top 3 players for us

18 Mar 2015 16:39:04
All the ex professional footballers who are pundits haven't got a clew about football. They are all wrong in their opinion of ozil. They haven't a clue what they are talking about. What do they know about football. How can they say some of the negative comments, with so little knowledge of what's required. They should talk about things they know about. Oh wait.

18 Mar 2015 17:24:21
Yea yea you can go on, we always compare this teams individuals to the invincbiles and say this is lacking etc etc, but can someone refresh my memory if the invincible the team of 49 unbeaten did any better when it came to CL.

I also remember the pundits prasising chelsea having the best defense, not sure if blocking your own players comprises of that. Oh wait they i forgot retired footballers easy to sit and comment from their, dint Shebby Singh do it?

18 Mar 2015 19:48:22
Steve R
Think the pundits you mention have another agenda... trying to unsettle players and fans - Man U/Liverpool forever.

18 Mar 2015 20:41:32
Ece you get us into conspiracy theories next. Lol

18 Mar 2015 09:10:43
The Ozil bashing that is everywhere this morning is utterly ridiculous. Him and Santi were the 2 best players for Arsenal yesterday. If we cannot see what Ozil does on the pitch you simply don't understand football. Do you just where the ball is, or do you watch the GAME, the movement, draggin players out of position with a yard run that allows a teammate to be in space to collect the ball. Ozil is Arsenal's best player, closely followed by Santi. It's just a shame Arsenal have a player like this that no one appreciates. In the words of Pep Guardiola: "When you watch the game, you don't see Mesut Ozil But when you watch Mesut Ozil you see the whole game."

18 Mar 2015 09:44:26
Totally agree with you D and Pep Gardiola, people should record a game and then play it back just concentrating on Mesut.
Its a real eye opener to just what he does for and brings to the team that no one else does, Sanchez is a in your face fantastic player and Ozil is every bit as good but in a more subtle way.

18 Mar 2015 10:05:44
I understand football but when he drifts out onto the left it pains me. he can't beat a man and his crossing is not good. he slows us down. i can think of ten players id rather have off our striker too.

we will continue to give ozil time but he just isn't the player we expected for the cash. panic buy. good squad player but an expensive one

18 Mar 2015 10:27:26
Thumbs up D-DOT! Mesut ozil is our future!

18 Mar 2015 10:41:45
Great post. I think he is so underrated. And most people that slag him off are the match of the day watchers

18 Mar 2015 10:50:36
Ozil a good squad player? Just a ridiculous statement if I've ever heard one. Him and Ramsey are our two best players by a mile. We are 11-2 since Ozil returned from injury. Coincidence? No.

18 Mar 2015 11:30:58
Derby, you come out with some gems but panic buy and can't beat a man, what games have you been watching.

Didn't you see him run passed 3 of them in midfield last night, puleeeaaase tell me your joking this time. ;-)

18 Mar 2015 12:22:02
Of course its no coincidence that our stats are better with Mesut why wouldn't they be?
If Ozil doesn't create 10 golden chances a game of which 3 get finished plus score himself he's not worth having in some people's eyes, its the same with Giroud he can score 2 create another 2 but a couple and some people talk about the ones he missed.
Some can do no wrong and others no right, if they we're on twotter every day slagging spurs but were a lot less effective on the pitch of they'd be heroes

18 Mar 2015 13:01:14
So in our strongest team ozil starts over cazorla? No chance for me.

18 Mar 2015 14:07:57
They play together. His best position is behind ozil next to Coquelin in centre midfield.

18 Mar 2015 14:16:48
Anyday Ozil starts over Carzola. If you dint watch yesterdays game santi was pretty poor.

18 Mar 2015 15:06:41
Ozil and Ramsey play really well together plus Carzola is off this summer there's little doubt about that.
Ox Ramsey Le Coq Mesut Sanchez
Dont look to shabby to me

18 Mar 2015 17:06:35
Cazorla is a num10 . Not a centre mid . Fact. he's only playing there because of injury's etc. If he starts next season there I'll be amazed.

18 Mar 2015 17:27:03
What injuries do we have please tell me again, we have ramsey who can play there, who is a much better player in that position. He has come out good playing in the deeper role which has worked and similarly worked for him in the first season he played.

18 Mar 2015 18:14:01
We have arteta out out. Ox out who has played there before. Flamini was injured recently bac . Same with Ramsey. Wilshere is out to. Diaby always out

Cazorla did not play centre mid in his first season here mate what planet are you on. your hoodie must be too tight blinding your vision

18 Mar 2015 07:03:56
I know ox is injured but where were our other attacking options from the bench last night? It was kind of nice to see defensive reinforcements which we have often lacked but it would have been nice to have a striking game changer to bring on. Well done Rambo for making such an impact though.

18 Mar 2015 03:30:23
People on here are saying we can take positives from last night and its an improvement. Can some clarify, when the draw came, we probably couldn't have got a better draw even if we'd managed to win the league stage and we failed. The same way we failed in the past against dortmund, bayern, barca and milan, by getting stuffed in the first leg with chonic defending and not handling the pressure and failing gallantly in the return when in truth, there is no pressure, because its a no lose situation, your going into it, in all intense and purpose out. It seems no different to me. Can someone enlighten me? I must be missing something. They werr all prettyuch the same script.

18 Mar 2015 06:53:49
The script is here get over it and stop moaning as always. Q win is a win.

18 Mar 2015 07:36:16
To be honest mate there has to come a time when some of us stop living in the past, continue to drag up what went on before as some kind of massive cross we have to bear, simply because we are Gooners. :-)

We messed up in Europe, we lost a game with ZERO pressure, players went into that first leg believing it was a cake walk. We are not the first team of players to do that and we sure as hell won't be the last.

Where are Liverpool, Chelsea and more than likely City in it and Chelsea were actually expecting to win the whole thing.

United against MK Dons, City against Boro and Chelsea against Bradford all took those teams for granted.

If you can't see improvements or you don't want to see improvements in the way we are now playing and your classing United and City as lucky or whatever then there's zero anyone can say to make you feel any different.

We are a work in progress, we are finally on the right tracks, you cannot seriously expect this team to have got to the final of the Champions League, won the title and beaten everyone in the top four away from home all in one go especially as you see us at least 4 players short.

It's difficult steve, patience is not everyone's thing, previous blunders or gaffs do not sit kindly on the minds of any of us but at some stage you have to let it go and look forward.

We will win trophies, I still believe with Wenger, or whoever follows on from him. We have such a good base and the makings of a fantastic squad. It's not possible to have the absolute best in every position but the team is as together as I've seen it for a long time, there are no glaringly bad "deadwood" type of players in our current 25.

We all get frustrated steve and you more than most but we are a long way from the days of Santos, Bendtner, Squillachi and the likes.

The season is not over and we still have the opportunity to retain a trophy and get our highest finish for years.

Obviously if we don't I'll pop down the "Swinging Rope" public house near you and drown my sorrows with you. ;-)

18 Mar 2015 07:44:48
You're missing a lot.

18 Mar 2015 08:09:57
The players weren't alone in thinking Monaco were a formality in the first leg there were plenty on here predicting massive wins talking about who we should rest for that game and who we be playing in the QF.
Its difficult to be devastated by last night's result because the tie was already 95% lost.
Steve on this your right its the same as other seasons where we gloss over the the 180 minutes with a hard luck ending but its done and dusted now.
Many things are far better now than for years and reasons to be excited far out weigh reasons to be pessimistic since the turn off the year.

18 Mar 2015 08:16:42
Red dog the first leg we did have pressure. it wasnt like we were away to bayern or barca. this game tonight was no pressure. most people believed we were out. this was a gift of a tie when you think who we could of got. this was our chance, we bottled it.

18 Mar 2015 08:26:40
What pressure Derby, pressure in the belief they were going to score what, 5 or 6. We're out mate simple as, we can forever come up with what ifs.

I mean, what if you were the boss, can you just see that team, jeez we'd win the lot and some. ;-)

18 Mar 2015 10:12:56
we have a semi final against reading. no presssure on them its all on us

18 Mar 2015 10:08:55
i disagree mate. when bradford went to chelsea they had no pressure. pressure was on chelsea mate,

psg go down to 10 men pressure is off pressure is on chelsea.

levante go to real madrid where is the pressure there.

no idea what your on about mate and i'm not sure you have played football much

18 Mar 2015 02:14:32
Thought we were excellent tonight we came up short but we are such an improved team right now. Most of that due to coquelin he has made a huge difference.

18 Mar 2015 00:08:23
A lot of posts tonight. I'll have fun reading tomorrow at work lol. Dags your reply earlier about the food shopping trolley Loved it mate. Wheelie good lol

18 Mar 2015 06:53:29
Lol, pleasure mate