Arsenal Banter Archive March 29 2014

29 Mar 2014 21:38:24
wow I almost had a perfect prediction, only city scoring ruined that lol.
I predicted a slow but defensive start and half, with 0-0 at HT, and then come out second half Attacking get a goal and then play it out. pretty much did that apart from silva's goal.

but would just like to say a lot of posts this week have been about how far behind of city and Chelsea we are, but I don't think we are. because at home we made lpool look like manu, could and should have beaten Chelsea if the decisions went our way. and today could have won. all 3 games defensively we were solid, as we have been all season.
but those 3 away games I cannot get my head around.
Why were we defensively all over the place? especially lpool and Chelsea because the week after we were solid vs lpool and knocked em out of the cup.

Waq1, mate that's what makes Arsenal Arsenal, lol.

It's like a woman. Just accept them as they are, warts and all.

(No offence Ed002 and Jenny, lol).

29 Mar 2014 22:28:10
I posted the other day about praying that Arsene would do something in the past transfer windows and basically that's all we all want.

This team is far from devoid of talent it just drives me and others crazy that he doesn't just go and get the players we need.

People talk about tactics etc but when we were winning titles we just walked through everyone.

We need that extra or top top quality he likes to call it in 3 positions so do yourself and us all a favour Arsene and go buy them.

We are not a million miles away but without those 3 it will seem like we always will be.

We it is strange because if you take those 3 beatings at City, Pool and Chelsea aside defensively we have been pretty solid all season.

The common factor in those 3 beatings was a each was a early 12.45 kick off so for some reason we always start cold in these early games. I am not sure why, maybe we don't adjust something in our preparation leading up to a early kick off game, but in each we conceed early goals and are out of the game before we get chance to get into the game.

Ryan

Sorry mate but early kick off has naff all to do with it, the common factor as pointed out on MOTD was in the heavy defeats we defended high up the pitch, today we dropped back to the edge of the box when City had the ball.

The clock doesn't make you concede, poor defending does

Well said Banbury

As Banbury has pointed out arsenal have defended with a high line in those away games Now when you are playing against sides sides who are very quick on the counter attack and if you are playing a high line then you need Centre backs who are quick Unfortunately for you lot Mertesacker isn't one
Although his positioning is excellent he really got beaten for pace in those away games Yesterday as u defended deep he was excellent
P.S Thank You for doing us the favour guys we will duly return it by thrashing your own bitter rivals

Reet, correct .

Pers strength is his positioning and reading of the game not his pace, so we have to play to his strength, Liverpool exploited the high line so well. Hopefully AW will learn and revert to the sort of defending we saw yesterday

The baffling thing is why do it at Liverpool and Chelski after getting caught out so badly at city, and why away but not at home?
Love or hate him Arsene isn't stupid I'd love to know the thinking behind this and who along with Arsene thought It would be a good thing to do

29 Mar 2014 21:29:25
Just want to say you Arsenal fans are real football fans and a real proper club, especially a big shout to dags and gunner62 etc that come over to the Liverpool page and are so respectful and honest .I always enjoy reading your posts and have even started reading the Arsenal banter with great interest because of your comments.

Iffa,

Mate, its a pleasure. Now, smash Spurs tomorrow and go and win the league, lol. (A victory for football IMO)

29 Mar 2014 20:36:21
Eds, drmic to join in summer?

Don't know much about him, what can you tell us?

{Ed013's Note - Who is Dr mic}

I think he's some young striker who plays for Nuremberg.

15 goals in 26 games I think.

According to Opta he scores 1 in 3 shots compared to Giroud's 1 in 7. Wouldn't be a bad 3rd choice?

29 Mar 2014 20:19:03
I fully expect all the boys from the Liverpool banter page to come over and say hello and thank you.

Boys, form an orderly queue please, lol.

Aw Dags, cheers mate lol

Already had my say mate! Still wish you woulda won it; the look on Mourinho's face today was priceless.

Hi dags I was just on my way other when I seen your post so thought i'd reply instead of writing a new 1 good result first time iv cheered a arsenal goal other than a European night or vs man u lol I thought first half wasnt looking good fair play to your guys dominated second half and probably should have got all 3 points just hope we can seal a top weekend by roasting some spurs we just need to win out and hope 1 other team can claim a draw or win against city but arsenal team and fans I salute you

You're welcome boys.

Sad to say, but unfortunately we have let ourselves down over the past few games, and from a footballing purist's point of view, Liverpool would be worthy winners.

Over to you now boys.

Game of 2 halves if ever there was one Dags,,

Your not out of it, but a win would have seriously boosted your chances,, why diden;t the pod just welly it?

I was for 90 mins an adopted Arsenal fan DG, Second half singing to the telly, to the tune of Charlie georges ditty.

Flamini superstar, best midfielder second half by far.
Flamini superstar, scores his second goal coming off the bar.

Repeated several times. ( sad Goat I know )

However, a draw has done us a massive favour, but at the same time increased the pressure, which up to now we have managed to avoid somewhat.

Tommorow afternoon will be spent largely behind my sofa!

Thanks and Kind Regards.

YNWA

Thank you Giblet, a true footballing scholar and a Gentleman.

Sizemick. Are you sure you are not a true Gooner?

I can't believe you know the Charlie George song, lol.

PS, I thought the pod would have absolutely buried it TBH.

Dags

Charlie george was the 1st player to make me realise just how much I love liverpool, as I can remember (just) feeling miserable for ages after he scored that flukey tap in at wembley in 71, then lay down impersonating an upturned crab in celebration,, gutted I was, absolutley gutted .

Aged just 7, I had become seriously affected.

Charlie to me represents just 1 of many fantastic characters that adorned the game then (too many to mention) which are sadly lacking in today's money orientated game.

the 70, s was an outstanding footballing decade, and a privalige to witness 1st hand.

Football today is good, but not as much fun, with fewer teams now able to compete for the trophies on offer.

YNWA

Yep I remember that "25 yard" tap-in mate, lol.

Funny enough, that's when I started to get interested in football (I was 5 years old).

I remember my dad coming home from Wembley with a big red and white hat on and going mental because we won the cup (indeed the double).

Thats when the bug started for me, lol.

29 Mar 2014 19:28:12
Credit where credit due, great effort. don't get beat at Everton and should be fourth again. Got to be greatful for small mercies at the moment. Grest croud tho.

29 Mar 2014 20:12:06
A big well done to the 5 people (14% ) of the voting poll who called today's result correct, I applaud your knowledge and faith.

29 Mar 2014 18:20:33
Effort there but no pace or cutting edge, can't see at the moment where a goal will come from.

Yep pretty much agree, we miss the pace of Walcott badly to push teams back. I would get Gnabry on to be honest.

It would Giroud off and take a chance and whack chamber up front, get the ball to him and get him running at that defence and force a mistake

I totally agree Steve.
It's the slowest paced squad iv seen in years. It's even more infuriating when City were there for the taking. But we just don't have the ammunition to take it.

And Gnabry would be a good idea but when you have static forwards then even that would make little difference

29 Mar 2014 17:54:06
21 minutes in and everyone on the Man City team is running around like Usain Bolt. Whereas up front we are wearing Nike Deep Sea Divers boots.

29 Mar 2014 16:31:49
After 60 mins Palace are beating Chelski 1 0? Last week In a third of that time we were 4 0 down. I realise Chelski will most likely come back and win but how can palace put so much more of a fight than us?

And Villa mate

29 Mar 2014 15:56:33
Just looked on the Man City banter site and the last ime anyone posted on there was 02 March and before that in Febuary and on Rumours on the 17th March. I was quite surprised is there any reason for that Eds? I thought it would have been a hive of activity.

{Ed001's Note - it has always been a quiet site mate, never managed to get it going, I guess their fans just already have good fan forums to use.}

Let's hope we can get two posts on there tonight Golds :-)

29 Mar 2014 14:42:59
Confidence is shot to pieces. Everyone doubting the manager, expect this to transfer onto the pitch today and be awful once again. Realistically I'm going 1-3 city and when full time blows we will be relieved it wasn't 6. Hope I'm wrong of course but can't see it.

29 Mar 2014 13:15:01
Man U losing again, I think we need to look at that mess and consider just how well we have done so far, I think our problem is attitude and courage, when players walk out on the pitch and cross the line management is by and large over, its down to attitude, courage and the common cause, yeah sure formations are important, I don't think that's our problem, its down to players not turning up, being scared and not being able to express themselves through fear of making mistakes, I expect a shaky start, if we hold on we might get something.

If I was managing Cith, I would be saying " get at them, turn them around, get in their faces, pressure on the ball at all times, they are scared of making mistakes so force the mistakes out of them, if you lose the ball win it back in 20 secs or less, put the pressure on.

I expect lots of sideways passing as well like Swansea, I really, really, really hope I am wrong, but I think the writing is on the wall.

COYG, be brave, fortune favours the brave

Lack of ability is not the players fault but lack of effort running and work rate is, you can't always be brilliant but you can always give 100% effort on the pitch

29 Mar 2014 11:32:39
For me the worst thing that could happen today is a spirited performance in defeat with every one saying how much of an improvement on last week it was.yuck.

A fighting footballing fantastic performance that ends in 3 pts is very very much needed.
Not 1 0 spurs type victory or a 0 2 Bayern Munich teype brave defeat, the team need to restore our confidence in them and they have a lot to do to make that happen.
A big ask to out play city I admit but its a situation the players have got them self's into and they need to man up to.

It's not going to happen, our confidence is shot, too many injuries to key players and Wenger unable to rise the team to a standard that could test the big teams.

29 Mar 2014 10:19:34
Banter please Eds,

History I fear could be repeating itself.

The January signing of the blonde swede from Abba may not be enough to save your season as a Waterloo scenario plays out . Another heavy defeat today could be the catalyst to Wenger ( Napoleon ) falling on his sword and relinquishing his throne to the incomming King Louis ( Van Gaal ). How uncanny Dags, you're preffered choice I believe!

However,, I am hoping the above scenario fails to play out, and your boys get back on track, firing all cylinders ( cannons ) at your disposal, resulting in a much needed morale boost to all concerned ( my team included ).

Come on you Gooners, you can do it.

Good Luck.

Kind Regards.

YNWA

Lovely post Sizemick, beautifully analogised.

Van Gaal? definitely mate.

29 Mar 2014 09:29:20
Hello gunners just wanted to wish u lot the best fot today's fixture hope you manage to beat city will boost our title chances and put you guys right back into contention
Cheers guys

Thank you Reet. Gentleman.

29 Mar 2014 00:52:10
I really don't understand people wanting wenger out.

In the early part of the season, none of us expected us to win the league.
But we did want us to close the gap at the top, from previous seasons.
We are 6 points of Chelsea, not playing catch up for top 4.
We are 1 game away from the f.a cup final and favourites to win it.

Next season I expect us to be challenging, a clear out of a select few, 3-4 singning's.

For me I would reason his failure in the transfer market over the past 2-3 seasons. Not having signed adequate players for the positions we have been crying out to fill. The money has been there. Ultimately this is what is costing us being more realistic title challengers because our squad is paper thin.
If he spent big on a gk cb rb holding mid and a striker ( mt opinion of the positions we need filling ) I'd give him 1-2more seasons. But he won't do this.

Mgm, I kind of hear what you're saying.

You're right, our realistic expectations back in August wasn't that we'd win the league or even challenge if we're honest.

BUT what many of us were hoping for was progress- for me that includes in wenger as much as in results.

Last summer's window was an opportunity to strengthen in a number of areas, it didn't happen (forget Jan, always a 'funny' window, it was last summer for me).

losing the way we have to our direct rivals away, 17-4 collectively, is totally unacceptable. Ok a loss is a loss, but its the manner- if they were close 1-0, 2-1 games, etc. it wouldn't seem so bad. Then the fact that AW makes excuses, etc about these games, bothers me, because it means he isn't prepared to learn.

Then there's our on-going injury problems- sure all clubs have injured players, but it seems we have long term injuries to key players *every season* and for the first time AW now talks about looking at this?

On the surface it appears that we're not too far away- perhaps that's true. We've had a great run in parts of the season as we know.

BUT to shorten that gap from being perianal bridesmaids to THE 'bride', UNLESS there are specific changes in transfer policy, tactics, preparation/training/medical care, etc. we may as well be a million miles away (Scholes).

So the question I am asking myself is, can AW pull everything together and shorten that gap?

I'm just not sure anymore and perhaps the time is right for change.

His failure to appreciate that pemier league football is about athletes not midgets who pass pass pass.

Rocky I disagree
i think our keeper is ok, centre backs I think we need a fourth, i'm happy with the 3 we have.i would love us to sign a box to box big lad.and 2 top strikers,
I know we may loose the worlds greatest player, bentner?, but chin up I think we will cope

If I could wave a magic wand it would be Arsene who takes us forward and buys the players we need to win the PL league again, but imno longer sure that's a option.
I hope this time next year we are top and Arsene is our manager still I really do, my heart says yes my head says sadly no