Arsenal Banter Archive March 01 2014

01 Mar 2014 23:53:35
Serious post Gents and Jenny.

I have just heard that Chris The Redman (CTR) has just had a newborn baby son who is fighting for his life.

Putting all rivalry and banter aside, can we just keep Chris and his little baby boy in our thoughts and wish him all the best.

All the best Chris and your little Red Devil.

Lets put everything into reality as much as I hate Manchester United I have to say please god let the little one pull through

no one should be facing issues regarding their family especially children

god has his funny ways but I prey for a fellow fan he let's this go and CTR is back with his Manchester United tinted glasses back on watching with the new baby in arms

CTR as much as you wind me up I wish you and your's the best for what sounds like a major if not the fight of your life

god bless and wish you and yours well

All our thoughts and hopes are with you pal.

Quite agree. Makes you realise what's important in life. Hope it all goes well Chris.

All the best CTR, I really hope that the baby gets well very soon. My thoughts are with you.

Just read the post from CTR and football comes a pale second to the health of his little baby. We're all with you and hopefully you'll be back on here posting he's fit and well. Thinking of you.

God bless you Chris and of course your wife and your little son.
I truly will pray for a happy out come for you all mate.
We are lucky to have fantastic hospitals in this country so I as I'm sure everyone else Wait to hear great news from you soon

Prayers w his family

01 Mar 2014 23:08:39
Liverpool supporcter here.

Don't beat yourselves up so much. You alwacys have a tough time playing at Stoke.

People are finally sitting up and talking about Liverpool being in the title race. We are only ahead of you on goal difference.

10 Cup Finals left for us both in he league. You have some tough fixtures to come but guess what we go to Old Traffor next!

If we can't win the league then as a consolation prize I would want to blitz Manchester United and put 5 past them and I would like you guys to win the league.

Good luck for the rest on the season. Hope you get 29 more points and we get 30.

Lol, Thank you Tommy Gunn.

Yep, hope you hammer Manchester United and to be honest, and I hate to say this, but I can't see us finishing above you boys.

If we don't win the league, would love to see you boys finish above Chelsea and City.

TOMMY GUNN. We were crap Tommy pure and simple.!

01 Mar 2014 22:46:01
I'm not going to post from the heart because if I do I would say how disappointed I am with today's performance/team selection/players attitude/wengers attitude and ultimately, result.

Instead, I am going to take a leaf out of Gunner62's book (somebody whom I greatly admire) and think positive thought's.

This season thus far, compared to last, has been a huge success. We have significantly more points and more team spirit.
Last season, this time of year, we were languishing in about 7th or 8th place, going nowhere and looking like a lost team.

Where are we now? up there in the dizzy heights. Ok, we have just dropped to 3rd, our lowest position for a long time this season.

Thing's are not looking good for us, in all honesty. We have picked up 4 points from out last 4 games. We have hit a bad run of form at the wrong time.
If we want to win the league, we should be going to places like Stoke and beating them, just like Liverpool did at Southampton.

But, we have to remain confident and continue to support the boys. We have Everton (H), Spurs (A), Chelsea (A) and Man City (H). If i'm honest, I can only see us picking up 4 points again because we always bottle the big games.

But, we must remain positive and keep the faith and if we get a bit of luck we may pick up more than 4 points.

Call it defeatist, but I will now be happy to finish 3rd or 4th, qualify for CL, regroup in the summer, spend some money, get 2 or 3 very good players and kick on for the following season.

And before anybody has a good moan at me, please note I have been Gooner for over 40 years.

I have to hand it to stoke they did everything we didn't, well with a little bit of help from the ref (a spurs fan by chance :?)

but I have a question where in the team would you replace?

for me its a no brainer, so assuming you were the manager with 120 million what would you buy?

my answer a world class f**king forward, our front line are not good enough, giroud is a squad player someone for the smaller teams. to rotate in as a backup.

we are the arsenal and have been screaming out for nearly 10 years for a world class forward (i've blocked out robin van c**k face)


please god let us buy a superstar striker

Sorry, that should be Everton (A)

Definitely a forward.

Luis Suarez (wont happen)
Diego Costa (maybe but will prob go Chelsea)
Alvaro Morata (will be amazing for us)
Karim Benzema (we will get the best out of him)

I don't think what you said near the end is defeatist. As soon as both transfer windows closed 3rd/4th was still the most REALISTIC result we could achieve.
Now we could still win the FA cup. That would appease fans, well for 24hours post winning of course. Then the realisation that once again we failed to compete the entirety of the season kicks in.
Something really does need to change in a big way. Whether that's managerial or just an overhaul in players. I feel it's more than 2/3 players we need. I don't see the players we have fit the system we are trying to play. For example Arteta and Wilshere as the holding pair just doesn't work for me. Jack needs to be further forward. He didn't like it but some of his best performances this season when he was playing left side of the 3 advanced midfield. Arteta is a great squad player but his lack of pace and let's be honest he ain't a defensive midfielder.
In a season where we could have taken advantage of 3 of the top teams changing manager we hesitated believing the same philosophy that has bared no fruit in the past 8 seasons would work, instead it has allowed other teams like Liverpool and to an extent Everton to gain and the others down the road have maintained there position despite what could be said as an awful season for them.
After George Graham left, the club made a bold move getting rid of Bruce Rioch after only a short spell in charge. What a gamble that was and how it payed off. Something needs to change on that scale at the end of this season.

I think the change this that etc is a question beyond us gooners, i'm after team changes they matter more than who is running the team, what I would like is a world class proctologist to be on call for jan 1st to jan 31st and jun 1st to sept 1st and his whole aim is to keep removing wengers cheque book from his inventive places he finds to store it

i have to mark this season right now on all form as the one that could have been and the one that got away

i hope we get the fa cup but there is a small matter of citeh still being in it and with our forward line I doubt they are bricking it

Good post Rocky

01 Mar 2014 21:49:47
everyone and his dog could see what was going to happen if we did not sign some players in Jan.
How Mr Wenger did not see this is beyond me.
Wenger has no excuses, he has blown the season with the whole Kallstrom nonsense,

sometimes it is so frustrating being a gooner.

hope iam wrong though

we now need something to change maybe blood some youth? again its clear we are lacking pace, Gnarby had to start along with Ox with Flamini in the midfield.
I would of had Flams and Jack in the middle with Cazola in front, and Ox and gabs out wide, much more balanced, then you can bring Ozil on and he can pick out players making runs ahead rather then having to pass back all the time. His bad form is more to do with Wenger's team selection then his actual ability.
But wenger prefers playing names and having the more technical players playing rather than having a balanced team
Whats even more worrying its team selection that's costing us points
lets hope wenger stops trying to prove everyone wrong and starts to see sense

WITH THE RIGHT TEAM PLAYING WE CAN HAVE ANYONE ON ARE DAY

Wenger will not see sense.
He's making the same catastrofuking decisions he has made every season for the last 9 years.
Totally unacceptable that we should lose today with the players we had - not only on the pitch but on the bench aswell.
And hitching about stokes physical play when you know exactly how they will play is pathetic. I thought we bought Flamini to add a bit of bite, this game was made for him

01 Mar 2014 20:20:58
it will be an absolute disaster if we finish 4th! with the world cup this summer then having a qualifying round to actually get into the c/l we will find it hard to have a team ready for the start if the season and near impossible to have players signed! clubs won't sell untill after the World Cup incase they can increase there value, then after that the players again won't want to sign untill we have c/l guaranteed, the importance of not finishing 4th this year is massive! we need results against Chelsea and City now!

Rick I totally agree 4th again would be a major blow, we have to show improvement and that we are moving forward.
3rd place is the minimum requirement to be a successful season for us.

01 Mar 2014 19:41:11
I understand the disappointment with todays result, but the negativity regarding the season is mind boggling.
this season (and it seems a lot of people seem to have missed out, is not over yet) has been a huge leap in the right direction for us.
we may not win the league, but being close and competitive is more then good enough for me, for this season that is. especially if we can win the fa cup, which we have a great shot at.
like gunner62 said, we seem to be at our best when everything is against us. I can see this loss coming as a good kick in the butt just in time for the fa cup clash with everton. it will keep us on our toes, hopefully a victory their will kick our season on big time.
theres no need to be upset about the season, the game yes, but don't rule out the season yet. there are plenty of twists and turns to go yet. let's just enjoy the ride, and i'm sure there will be something to cherish at the end of the season.

Its the same old story though we had the opportunity to plug gaps in the squad for some of our on going injured players and as we have done for the last 9 seasons we make do. I am still very positive about this season but it just makes you think that we didn't need to sink to the depths of 11/12 and 12/13 if we had bought a player of ozils quality in at the end of the 10/11 season where we got so close to breaking the emirates curse but instead we let our 5 best players leave the club over the next 2 seasons just makes you think what might have been. I have and will support the players until the day I die!!COYG!

Great post Waq
At the start of the season I said to be competitive again and a. top 3 finish will be an big step forward for this season.
We have been competing at the top for the first time in years and it isn't over yet, yes a couple of bad results and its a fight for 3rd but a couple of good results and it's game on again

Waq1

Sorry mate but you can only judge if it has been a HUGE leap in the right direction at the end of the season, 'if ' we finish 4th then we haven't improved no bones about that . For me what is becoming more and more apparent is, the failure to put £50,000,000 on the table for Suarez, not signing a true world class striker looks like being a bit of a blunder .

Banbury mate, spot on, but things like that go back 9 seasons. Missing out on mata, hazard, cahill, higuain and others by a few million. Then loosing players like nasri, rvp, cole and others for a few thousand in wages. Call them players what you like but if they had seen the ambition in the club they would have stayed. They all moved to win something. People have a right to moan when the club charges the highest seat prices and strikes the biggest sponsorship deals and then deals with the bargain buys.

01 Mar 2014 19:25:11
I think Podolski should change his name to " Lucas Substitute Podolski " and should change his jersey no to "67" because most of time he gets substituted at 67th min. As regard to Mr Oliver Giroud, think he would be better actor than a footballer, because the way the acts after missing chances after chances is mindblowing.

01 Mar 2014 18:42:48
Ok we hoped for and expected 3pts today and not getting therm or even a draw is a massive blow.
Sometimes we are at our best when we are up against it and the odds are against us and let's face we need to be now.

12 points from Spurs Chelski Everton away and city at home and we are right in the thick of it again, anything less than 9 and its CL qualification and maybe the FA cup for us this season.

Its not time to throw the towel in yet on the title race but over the next 5 weeks it might be handy to keep an eye on where the towel is at all times.

You are deluded mate. keep telling yourself that - this is why wenger won't walk or be sacked because of people like you!!!

Best I stick around then supermac mate, let's face it this time last year we had no chance of 4th and being Top of the PL at Christmas was just a dream.
We are a work in progress that's actually going quite well just not as quickly as we would ALL like

Supermac I haven't seen you on here before, g62 is a regular and clearly a dedicated fan. If there is one issue within arsenal it's the fans that moan at every opportunity. Like I said I haven't seen you on here before so I'm not suggesting your one of those people, however lay off the fans who get behind the team

Thank you Saint mate
its easy to moan at every opportunity even to boo the team when they are just one point off the top and a world class player when they need us most, and then when the trophy's do arrive turn up to the victory parade with an Ozil shirt on.
We are all disappointed players manager and fans a like but do you judge your real fans like you do your friends, the best one will share the bad times as well as the good ones

G62 oh come on, do you really think we will get 12pts. use your head not heart, we couldn't beat Man U, thrashed at L'pool and M City, couldn't score against Chelsea, Failed to beat Everton at home.

Please let's be sensible in a debate .
It is quite possible we draw all 4 games or even lose all 4 games by the odd goal, but we WILL not win all 4 games

Banbury mate I didn't say we would win all four I said IF! It would be a brave man who would bet a weeks wages on us doing that, it would be an person that bet his life savings house and car against it.
After crashing out of the champions league last year did you think we would end the season so strong?
9 from the next four we have a chance less and its ta ta title.
12 and its hello here we go again, stranger things have happend

SAINT ARSENAL

It is irrelevant how often someone posts on here, they are still entitled to their opinion, it doesn't mean support Arsenal any less.does it

Bud I think you've missed the point slightly

01 Mar 2014 18:21:46
Well the collapse has started one game later than it has the previous years. I suppose that's progress.

-£120mil in bank
-only team in last season's top 4 to keep it's manager from last season

If mourinho was in charge we would be top

We might be top but we wouldn't have 120million in the bank or a stadium all but paid for and after 2 year spending spree and 20+ million in wages later we wouldn't have Moriniho either.
We are The Arsenal not all at all cost Chelski or Real with a you cut my throat I'll cut yours relationship with manager and club

01 Mar 2014 17:43:35
Slip up before the gauntlet

Interesting approach

I'd have rather beaten stoke and then hit the gauntlet, but hey I'm not Arsene Wenger

Because points you may need, but Oxlade he will not play. Why you ask. well just because

Touché Arsene. It doesn't make sense to any of us, but hey, we aren't Arsene Wenger

Fans were amazing again. Sang their hearts out. Glad guys played half dead. Amazing when fans have more heart than players.

Again, touché Arsene.

01 Mar 2014 17:09:28
What a pathetic game that was, and it seriously damages our title chances, next we play Everton, Munich, Spurs, Chelsea, Man City. And that game was the final straw for me and Giroud.

Giroud is useless and I don't care what people say, he has heart yes he is a decent player yes, is he good enough to lead the line of a team chasing the title no, and anyone who thinks different just needs to look at his stats. He only scores at home, so is totally useless away from home, and only against weak opposition, against big teams he is anonymous. He has never dug us out of a hole even Bendtner has Cardiff this season as an example. He spends half his time waving his arms and pulling silly faces when he misses. He can't run with the ball, you can't play the ball to him quickly for him to run onto as he has no pace, he can't run at goal as he can't dribble, his whole game is back to goal flick it onto to somebody else, and the odd close range finish. Part of the reason Ozil hasn't played as well as he did at Real is because of Giroud at Real, Benzema and Higuain made runs for him dragging the defence and getting on the end of passes Giroud doesn't. I again am not denying his heart and love of the team but quality wise he isn't good enough, I used to be of the opinion that he would be good back up and over the summer add another striker now I just want him gone, use Sanogo and Podolski as cover and add a quality striker with a range of talents and a big game mentality.

I still don't understand why Wenger didn't sign a striker in the summer let alone January, and why today Chamberlain came on so late. My hopes are resting on the FA Cup, not given up on the league but looks so hard to win it now, and Bayern second leg, I can't see us winning that even if we managed it last year.

01 Mar 2014 17:07:50
No pace no urgency no decent shots no chance. Scrapping for fourth in all seriousness.

01 Mar 2014 17:00:25
Simply not good enough to win the league these are the games you MUST! Win will be battling for 4th once more can't see saints getting anything against Liverpool

I rate Kos but he gives away to many penaltys think that's 4 this season costing us to many points . Massive games coming up we have to win now no more mistakes .

Come on you saints do us a favour!

01 Mar 2014 15:50:12
First half ended. What a boring game so far. Some of our passing has been Sunday League. I'm waiting for the Ref to change into a Stoke kit for the second half and a thick pair if glasses.

01 Mar 2014 14:18:37
Heres the line up today!

Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Rosicky, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud.

Gibbs is back which is HUGE! Hope he doesn't get injured again. We need him for bigger games ahead!

Poldi starts again and I fancy him getting on the scoresheet.

Stunned Flamini isn't playing alongside Wilshere? This is a game tailor made for him to roll up his sleeves, bark orders and be a "captain".

Clearly Wenger knows best!

Ozil back and on the bench!

01 Mar 2014 11:56:07
A bit worried about Ozil today as if he plays well it will Be a case of " so he should its only stoke " and if he doesn't obviously dictate the game the snipers will be out in full voice.

I'd have brought him back for the Everton or Bayern game myself where the focus will be More on the teams than the man.

He is a class player so hopefully I'm just being to protective towarsds him and Arsene will once again prove he knows better than me about how to handle his players

G62, I think it's a good game for him to show he won't be bullied.
A stat I read on Ozil.

Mesut Ozil has created more chances for team-mates (73) than any other player in the top five European leagues this season.

I think it's our finishing we need to work on.

MgM those stats don't surprise me at all mate, he has had a better start than people appreciate, but that's the problem he does so much that goes unnoticed by many.

01 Mar 2014 10:27:02
"I love Arsenal, I love playing for Arsenal, I love my team, " he is quoted as saying by the Mirror. "Arsenal are the most followed team in France and I remember I used to watch them when I was in France so it was a pleasure to play for them, so why leave?

"It's great here. It was like a dream when I joined the club because I used to follow Arsenal when I was in France and then I had the opportunity to join them and it's a pleasure to play for the team."

Sagna hinting at Arsenal stay

01 Mar 2014 08:05:13
Couple of things. Arsenal to win today 3-0

Wenger. why the media perception of him dragging his heels? A few red top comics are covering the story, any truth to this worrying rumour?

To all the Wenger haters, or even those who are a bit puzzled sometimes by him ( me included ), look around. what else is there?

COYG

01 Mar 2014 07:05:14
Morata will be the best signing we have had since Henry if it comes off

Kid will score 25-30 yr 1

Just watch