Arsenal Banter Archive December 03 2013

03 Dec 2013 17:23:09
Big 2 months for u lot I think, but thus far I can do nothing but tip my hat to u, I mean u must be doing well for malaga to re-awaken from from his embarrassing summer of crazy predictions of signings and his constant name changes to try and validate his claims.
So if a few got this far without stopping reading as i'm sure many will no i'm a utd fan I say thanks :-)
So now we are into the business part of the season, 3 games in a week and all that. Question is will arsenal once again fall off or is this another false dawn? For what its worth I say the latter to be right although I doubt your title credentials this season i'm sure u will all agree arsenal fans again finally have a team going places maybe more by luck than a master plan but either way i'm sure your all thrilled.
Now this part if the season is where the real work begins imo, the games come thick and fast and I feel this is where u will come unstuck again, (no I dnt think utd will win the league) although we may have a massive part to play in it still, for me its city, if they cam sort there away form out they might well be unstoppable.
However this is not a dig as city have shown us over the last few years there lack of a back bone in terms of grabbing the prem by storm and running with it, my main point is imo u are starting to build a very good unit playing good football again and winning games u should be winning, imo next season we may see the real arsenal back, its frightening proposition I grant u and its a challenge I can 100% guarantee u utd will be up for.
Once again u deserve all the plaudits u are getting right now and I raise my glass in honour of our games finally being important in terms if titles again!
P.s may I also give a big mention to Dagenham and G62 who must say are true gents along with many others on here such as stoner(shame he does not post as much now, its the pages miss) and laker who although we have fallen out many times and i'm sure we will continue to I do respect u mate. However a few a few tools will always remain ain't that right MKD and Malaga? But I am genuinely enjoying a more light hearted debate with many of u now and long may it continue.
Gd luck lads

Obviously I ment ''not another false dawn'

Well, perhaps its a bit too early to predict, and yes games will come quick, but in football, many factors change from game to game.

our midfield it outshining any other midfield, our striker is doing a decent job, being possibly a top 10 player for that position.

but for me it all comes down to one thing. the key signing.

last year Utd won, with RVP goals, and that was the deciding factor in many games, this year we have the Ozil factor, and it maybe understated that he barely moves on the pitch, but the stats show that he actually does move alot, taking up crucial postions without the ball.

at the end of the day, the season is not won in december, but a good start can only breed confidence.

also past 3 season we have faltered mostly with the start. we have finished strongly recovering from a bad start.

Utd for me are not contenders, not because a 9 point gap is the difference, but because the hallmark of the team was to win the games they are supp to win, which they have not like southampton @OT or west brom or cardiff and so on.

rvp is injured and it becomes a mission for rooney to save the game, compared to winning the game.

your midfield does absolutely nothing. and besides the fact you won 1-0 against us, with a header that would have been avoided had per played.

we probably played our worst game at the wrong time, whether it be nerves or what not. fact is we still out played utd @ home, with shots, with passing efficiency, with final 3rd chances, which just went begging.

the best team does not necessarily win, but I feel confident that when we play you next we can take all 3 points.

but again back to my old argument. as long as we beat the teams we are supposed to and pick up favourable draws against stronger opposition we can win the title.

and all the current team needs is silverware to solidify their status as players and give them the confidence to be consistent at that level.

Fergie never replaced scholes, or giggs or ronaldo. rvp is the wrong side of 30 and rooney is going to want a boat load to stay.

evra, vidic, ferdinand are either too injury prone, past it or at the end of their careers.

lets see what moyes can do in January. I know you guys did well in the champions league, but the next round normally determines the strength of the opposition. but if we are going to be title contenders at this moment, our biggest threat is chelsea and city. chelsea more so.

Well, I didn't want to comment, but since you mentioned me let me ask you something:
Do you remember what I told before the season eve started?
In case you don't, or you are too lazy to search I said:
-your winning cycle is over
-your squad is sh!t
-man utd fans are w@nkers
Can't argue with any of this claims ca and you

Oh and
"finally have a team going places maybe more by luck than a master plan"
Will you please explain that to me

03 Dec 2013 19:23:25
Hi CTR,

A lot of opposing fans look at us and why we've failed to win anything for a period of time and luck on a few occasions was a part of that but mostly the constraints of building for the future. I have little doubt that minus those constraints yourselves Chelsea and City wouldn't have so many EPL titles.

This is a team that has been built over the last few seasons even with the loss of players such as RVP and are maturing into a quality side, in my opinion nothing to do with luck.

Arsene knows how to build and play a team and this one has all the potential to achieve that achieved by his last great team.

We have shorn away our deadwood and the additions of Ozil and Flamini cannot be under estimated. The emergence of Ramsey and again now Wilshere with the likes of Cazorla, Rosicky, Walcott, Giroud, Podolski Chamberlain and our own young gun Gnabry make us an attacking force to compete against any one. We will buy again too.

Then we have the solidity at the back with an ever improving Szczesny and a team spirit that is huge.

These are all things that can only lead to good things, City are without doubt the team to beat with Chelsea not far behind.

Your season in relation to the EPL could be over in the next two games, it is that up and down with you so far this season, but a United with SAF could never be discounted, a United with Moyes is a whole new ball game.

You find yourselves now with a team top heavy with deadwood and your better players coming to the end of their careers. You still have the likes obviously of RVP and Rooney so in any game you cannot be discounted but over the long run with the way you are still playing it for me is difficult to see you at the top.

Hence anything you achieve this year will be a huge bonus for you in a period of rebuilding in the mould of Moyes.

I strongly disagree that u out played us mate, but that's a near fair enough (as i'm gunna get from u) I suppose, assessment of our team.
I would also agrue against giroud being a top ten striker tbh, yes a good player on his day but he just does not score enough goals imo in the important matches.

Thats fine mate like I said I dnt think we will win the league this season, but I do wonder how many times u have discounted us winning it over the last 10 years, i'm sure u will point to the fergie factor and him being able to win things with average teams but then I would turn the argument around and ask why wenger has not won nowt for 8-9 years with players that have gone on to win things elsewhere and why this is different? Because of Ozil? Well u had nasri, fabregas and rvp all playing in the same team.
As I have said I really rate arsenal atm, but feel this team will need a good season together before everyone sees the best of them. I laugh when pundits so quickly discount u, however I will point out there are valid reasons why they do. We have been here a few times before with arsenal, I think this time its different but then i'm (as u no), not always right.

Honest opinions should always be welcome as its good to see how others rate your side be it positive or negative as long as its honest it is always worth reading. The thing that is a waste of human life is people who just try to look for an argument, there's very little enjoyment to be had there.
Good honest banter with the odd humorous dig here and there has to be a good thing

Good evening CTR,
My friend, you are more than welcome to your opinion, and indeed, I wholeheartedly agree with many of your points.
Olly Giroud, although far from being the finished article, is in my opinion one of the best forwards in the prem league. He is big and strong and leads the line very well, his hold up play, which in this Arsenal team, which has an abundance of attacking mids, is absolutely first class, thus allowing for them to get forward and pose a goal threat.
Remember, this is only his 2nd season and he has 10 goals already and will get better as time goes by.
Will we last the distance? IMO I honestly don't know my friend. We cannot compete with the likes of Chelsea and Man City as far as finances are concerned and our squad is not as large as theirs but what we do have is a more balanced squad, the team, to a certain extent picks itself, which is not a bad thing in terms of consistency and team morale.
We have stormed to the top of the table, are playing the best football in the prem and have a solidarity that no other team can boast.
I have been a GOONER for over 40 years so i'm not daft enough to think the league is won after 13 games. We have been in this position many times over the years, as have Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Blackburn and a host of other teams, but finished nowhere. Talk of the title is for fools and people who know nothing about football, so I would never talk about winning the prem so early in the season.
Yes, we are a few players short of my dream squad. We need cover for Giroud (would love your boy hernandez) and we need cover for Mertesacker/koscielny. But, I think we are there or there abouts mate.
For the record, I personally love it when you come to the Arsenal site because you give us banter but I think you also take the banter as well, and as G62 said, that's what its all about. long may it continue.
PS, imo Manchester United will not win the league because their squad is not good enough for 2 reasons. Fergie, IMO, the greatest manager to ever walk this planet, left the squad in a poor state (people might say that's a weird statement because you had just won the league). Secondly, David Moyes did not address the issue when he took over. Oh, and thirdly, the departure of David Gill, who was instrumental in a lot of Man Utds success. In fact, he was the equivalent to our very own David Dein and ever since he left we have not won anything for 8 years, so the same could happen to you my friend lol.

{Ed002's Note - You need to register.}

Oh my, wot a very compelling argument u put forward MKD!
Wow there really are a few on here ain't there.
Some are capable of having light hearted banter and a few act like total tools, can u guess wot side u fall down on mate? Yep u got it, your sitting right next to charlie (hes the one with muchies and red eyes, claiming he 'really' knows wot going on in the inside man, saying a lot but making very little sense)!
While the rest of us enjoy our football not allowing our bitterness to over take our love for our OWN team!
Yes i'm sure your right we are over, finished, kuput, only a w@nker can't see that now!
Ill just have to wait and see if our 3 month trophyless rutt continues.
We will see who looks stupid in the end :-) my memory is very long and I will come for u, maybe not tonite, maybe not next week but I will come rest assured lol, untill then sleep well sport :-)

Check the stats out, probably watch the game again. see who created more chances, perhaps we did not finish, and you did win the game, but the better team did not win.

i guess time will tell.

and why we did not win with nasri or cesc or rvp?

perhaps because rvp was busy collecting a pay cheque on the treatment table? you clearly love that traitor too much to defend him.
the year we had him firing we lost cesc and nasri, and he player well and decided to take the money. we shall see who wins trophies now.

mentality and balance affected the team. nasri maybe playing well now, but he would not make our midfield at the moment.

selling key players every year does set you back, and when we don't do that, well we are top of the league.

ramsey has reached a stable consistent perfomance, wilshere will get better, cazorla needs a bit more time, and ozil is ozil.

our defence has been mean and tidy.

you need to watch more arsenal games to know how far ahead we are of your team in all departments besides the strikers. we are that key component away from being the best in the league.

Ooppss not sure what happened above, but the post where ED002 "you need to register" was from me, dagenham gunner

We outplayed utd in the 2nd half and if giroud or ramsey would of had that chance that nicky missed then we would at least got a draw but its history now so can't change it but I can really see utd struggle to be in top 4. up the gunners

Stats! Well we all no they are not always correct, acording to the 'stats' obi mikel and cleverley were better than xavi and inesta!
U can't make many any decent arguments based on the stats! The best team won imo end of u won't convince me otherwise and many on here have admitted that!
I said before the game the result win lose or draw changed nothing in terms of the team that has set the bar to to match!

CTR there is a fine line of when stats are used. some common sense is also needed. but watching the game helps.

Cleverly and obi mikel are good at what they do. the basics. hence their stats look good.

well if in your opinion the best team won, then clearly the better team won at Old trafford, when Manchester United got totally outplayed by madrid who came there and won it 2-1, because Manchester United did not score. taking into account ramos scored for utd.

I would agree totally with that laker, after the nani red card madrid were better, but over 2 legs united deserveed the win, wouldn't u agree?
I know sometimes its hard to take off the goggles but I seem to remember rooney blazing a great chance wide and giroud getting away with a blatent pen, now that's wot the stats won't show u.
Many of your own fans admitted the better team on the day won, yet u seem unable to give united the credit we deserved for the win, and u say its u dnt have an agenda against us?

Agenda against us? Blimey, CTR you sound like AVB mate lol

I have an agenda against every team not Arsenal.

"after the nani red card madrid were better?"

"over two legs united were better?"

which team won again?

going by your argument that united beat arsenal, sods law to the stats, united were the better team.

but against madrid united were better over 2 legs?

you do realise you lost the game right?

hard pill to swallow or too much pride?

and if your discounting stats, only results matter, and if I remember correctly its madrid that won over 2 legs.

"you remember rooney blazing a great chance wide and giroud getting away with a blatant pen"

now how many chances did united have against everton? and who won the game? by CTR's rule of statistical omission ( ROSO)

we missed chances against you lot, and you did against everton. the better team always wins mate.

CTR's (ROSO)


legend

ROSO - Rule of statistical omission.

03 Dec 2013 10:14:27
Although it may be slightly risky, I would like to see us rest some players against Hull. I understand Sagna has a hamstring problem, so:
Szczesny
Jenkinson Mertesacker Vermaelen Monreal
Arteta Flamini
Walcott Wilshere Rosicky
Giroud

Thoughts?

03 Dec 2013 10:45:14
Whether it's complete rest or using substitutions really well we have got to fit it in some how and games against Chelsea, Napoli and City are when we need to be strongest.

Those games will have come and gone before we get anyone else back off the treatment table.

We need to take special care of our back four and Flamini/Arteta. Those together with an ever improving Szczesny are the base of all the good things we are doing.

ROBBIE. I understand where you are coming from but in the past Hull could be a bit of a bogie team for us as was Bolton. Anyhow, I feel we should go all out full strength nick the 3 points as we have two big games against Chelsea and Man City this month. My feeling is if we are going to drop a point or two let's not do it against Hull as we should beat them with our usual squad. Resting players for this game could prove to be dodgy and could put us under enormous pressure going into the Chelsea and Man City games. We have all seen Arsene in the past do what you suggested and we have ended up regretting it and screaming that he should have played the best team. let's not forget what Hull did to Liverpool last Saturday who would have had a bet on that result? I wouldn't .

Goldboy i'm with you all the way. If we rest our best against Hull and lose, squeaky bum time faces us against Chelasea, Napoli and City. I would rather ensure the 3 points against Hull, and give us a greater mindset against Chelsea etc. We must enter the games thinking we can win, not worrying that we might lose. That confidence can be gained or lost against Hull. let's take it!

03 Dec 2013 08:26:11
Its funny how everyone says we've got a thin squad but during the immortals season we only used 22 players of which 2 of those only played a total of 3 games combined. From my count AW has used about 23 players
(ox, theo, santi, ozil, per, poldi, gibbs, nacho, sczez, arteta, flamini, ramsey, tv5, sanongo, giroud, gnabry, bendtner, park, roscisky, jack10, akpom, jenkinson, sagna) all in all now!

People keep talking about burn out yet TH14 played all 38 games that season well am not counting other competitions here either. History tells us that AW doesn't tinker too much with the back nor the attack but be braced for a lot of changes in midfield because AW believes that is were a game is lost or won with how we like to play.

During that season he bought 2 players during the january window and 1 we all hate!kkkk (couldn't resist). So be braced for a relatively unknown striker and a backup to someone most probably a backup to sagna or TW14.!

All this has been deduced from past events, and we all know how history has this habit of just coming back.

03 Dec 2013 00:31:28
A fit podolski fighting for his world cup place would push us to title glory

Lol yes Malaga of course he will!
If not you might have to dip in the market for a new striker, any rumours going around? Ill just wait for you to get off twitter and let u finish talking to INDY before u get back to me