Arsenal Banter Archive December 29 2013

29 Dec 2013 22:35:32
So we won away against a team desperatley fighting for points and won away at a very inform team. We played poor/averafe on both occasions, yet came out of it with 6 points. This is the stuff of champions is it not?

How many points do you get for beating City at Etihad, three. How many points do you get for beating West Ham or Newcastle, three.

Mertesacker and Koscielny were superb today. I thought Rosicky and Flamini did well too, showed lots of heart and steel against physicallg strong players (Tiote and Sissoko). Giroud was feeding off scraps, but that goal was needed for his confidence. Cazorla is wasted at LW/LAM. We loose too much of his creativity when he has to track back.

Team for Cardiff Imo

Szeszcny
Jenkinson - Mertesacker - Vermaelen - Monreal
Flamini - Rosicky
Walcott - Cazorla - Podolski
Bendtner

29 Dec 2013 22:07:01
Chuffed to bits.

Decent performance but an awesome result. Newcastle probably the most in-form team in the prem at the moment and ST.James Park is never an easy place to go.
Thrilled for Olly Giroud, who has taken a lot of stick recently, myself included, but he worked his little French derriere off today and fully deserved the goal.

Most neutrals/experts talk a lot about of midfield but you have to give a shout out to the defence. Sczezny, Gibbs, Sagna, Mert and Kos were blooming brilliant today, as they have been all season, bar the Etihad, and stood firm against a very good attacking team with 52,000 crazy Geordies behind them.

Hopefully we are back on a good run. let's keep it up against Cardiff. Well done today boys.

29 Dec 2013 19:05:57
Today was Giroud's 32nd game of the 2013/14 season for club and country!
Yep reckon the bloke deserves a bit of a breather and a maybe just a little more respect sometimes.

The blokes a true soldier and for me deserves a medal for devotion to duty.
Love the bloke but not in a Flybo way of course :-)

G62, I reckon he might give him a well deserved rest against Cardiff and play Podolski upfront.

29 Dec 2013 18:19:53
That was a nice win today, not a vintage performance but as has been said a few times this season. in previous seasons we wouldn't have won that.

It was always going to be a difficult game against newcastle but we now need to concentrate on improving our goal difference, city and l'pool are both ahead of us in that department and it could be decisive at the end of the seaon.
Cardiff presents a good opportunity to get a few goals and potentially rest one or two players.

Anyway. I thought Jack played well today and Mertesacker is fast becoming one of my favourite players.
also hoping that Giroud can find a few mroe goals in Jan but as much as I do like the work he does for us we need more options up front.

Happy New Year fellow Gooners!

Happy new year bacon.

29 Dec 2013 17:25:44
Today, I saw Santi's worst performance. Podolski should have come on for him, but no big deal, we won. That's the main thing. We're top of the league, and now, Cardiff.

Oh and Rosicky needs to stay! His work rate is phenomenal. However, I wouldn't be too disappointed if he ends up playing with Thierry.

Your right Messenger Caz and one or two others struggled big style today, plus I thought Arsene's sub's were strange, but he and his ways have got us to the top and 40 + pionts so ain't complaining at all

That's exactly the way I see it. Wenger is unorthodox but he's getting the job done. That's the main thing. I question some of his decisions but still have the upmost respect for him. I hope he says for at least two more years.

29 Dec 2013 16:08:15
For all those of you that have moaned and moaned about Giroud, today shows why he is a very important part of Arsenals side, he got battered all day long and still comes up with the goods .

Superb result when many were waiting for a slip up

29 Dec 2013 15:43:08
Huge result today - especially with their home form and recent decent run Vs our poor run

We battled hard

Does Tiote have a get out of jail card? He knows how to foul

Thought Bendtner looked tired or lazy when he came on as Rosicky was doing all the closing down!

One tough game and shows our title credentials - well done

Thought Kos, Per, Flamini and Rosicky were great today as it was a battle. Giroud lived on scraps but delivered plus good assist from Theo

I thought Niko did well when he came on, give him a break
What game was Jenko watching could of given Niko an open goal with a quick throw in

To be fair I think Jenks had already decided to try and run the minutes down as soon as he see the ball going out.
All ended well and who knows if he had taken it differently and we lost possession?
But he didn't and we are top :-) :-) :-)
All is good lads

No idea what he was doing

I don't moan about our players but it did shock me to see Rosicky who had been running for 80 mins, closing down the goalie and defenders when NB had just come on with "fresh" legs and a point to prove

Onwards and upwards - let's fight for that top spot in the second half of the season as we did in the second half for 3 points

29 Dec 2013 15:36:17
Good to see Olly get a much needed goal today! He needed that, having not scored in 8 and the critics were circling! I would rest him for the Cardiff game and start the pod!

Totally agree Greeny mate he is knacked and needs a breather, so pleased for him about the goal.
Just hope he is not missed as much as Ozil was today, both have had a few critics lately but sometimes you never know how valuable something is until it not there

29 Dec 2013 15:31:01
A massive three points against the team with the second best form in the league (behind man city) coming into this game. Newcastle have also only lost one home game all year. A huge win and we will finish the year top of the league with a lovely home game against Cardiff on New Year's Day.

Personally I would shuffle the pack and bring in arteta Podolski Monreal and Jenks (possibly vermaelen too) and then bring back the big guns for the spurs game to batter them. After that we have a nice rest until our next league game.

29 Dec 2013 15:26:45
We finish the year top of the league

What club in England would not take that at the start of the season

CTR yes we can win the league

Giroud was worth every penny of 12mill fee

Coymfgoonerssssssss

29 Dec 2013 15:15:35
Oh my god! Bentdner for Giroud. Please let me be wrong score an effing goal please!

29 Dec 2013 15:01:45
Rosicky has been outstanding today

29 Dec 2013 13:28:33
3-1 my prediction for today .coyg

29 Dec 2013 12:35:15
2 big games coming up, 2 wins and I think we would have done well in December, the only thing missing was the 2 extra points from the Everton game, I didn't expect to get anything away at City especially as we were in a key CL game a couple of days before that match, whilst they had a dead rubber against B Munich and could afford to rest 5 big name players, Chelsea was always going to be a tight game and we could have had a penalty but will take the clean sheet, and a good win away at W Ham we gifted them a goal but recovered well. Today will be very tough make no bones about that but I really feel this is a fixture where we cannot afford to drop any points, a win will really show our credentials . The Cardiff game I am expecting 3 points from, hopefully Podolski and Walcott will now pick up from Ramsey

Fingers crossed

29 Dec 2013 10:52:38
Does anyone know of a decent link for todays game?

My missus got me the ssn day pass package for Christmas :-)
I got 6 passes I think they worked out at about £5 each in the bundle she bought me ( bless her gorgeous bum)
So I'm all set for today, CPalace and Bayern games plus the next 3 that sky show of our games.
Not the answer to all games I know but I'm happy today :-)