Arsenal Banter Archive February 09 2015

09 Feb 2015 22:28:18
Sanchez.

Play him tomorrow or rest him for Leicester and Boro game?

I say, give him a good rest and bring him back refreshed, injury free and raring to go for remainder of the season.

Agree/disagree?

Start him tomorrow with Theo on the bench, get the game in the bag, take him off ( replace him with Theo ) and rest him at the weekend.

If he's on the bench he will be in AWs ear for 90 mins to play, I say we have enough in attack and Tmrws game will suit DW and Theo to find their shooting boots

09 Feb 2015 23:07:09
Thought you had eloped with 025? What you still doing on here

Bench tomorrow and rested for weekend

He is going to play, and probably over the weekend as well.

09 Feb 2015 21:14:47
Do you agree with this agree/disagree thing, or do you disagree with this agree/disagree thing?
I can't decide if I agree or disagree.
Part of me wants to agree with the agree/disagree format, but than again a part of me disagrees with the agree/disagree format.

Sometimes, depending on the post, its hard to just simply agree with the post, when your head agrees or disagrees but your heart wants to agree or disagree with aforementioned post.

What do you lot think?
Do you agree with the agree/disagree format or disagree with the agree/disagree format.

If you do agree with the agree/disagree format, are you agreeing so you don't have to post a reply.

But if you disagree with the agree/disagree format, is it because you are not certain if you agree or disagree, but choose to disagree out of choice?

Do you agree? .

Can you repeat the question.

I agree/disagree totally dags

09 Feb 2015 21:32:37
Do you agr

Err, no Steve sorry :-)

My wife's out tonight so can I get back to you tomorrow on whether I agree/disagree

09 Feb 2015 23:14:38
Speaking of wives.

I wish mine was as dirty as this site :-)

09 Feb 2015 20:22:53
EDs I've moved and feel I should change my name as it's not geographically accurate, what do I do?
Thanks, good work by the way, you're awesome. I want to have your babies! x

{Ed002's Note - It rather depends where you have moved to WG - and where your heart truly rests. I know practically nothing of Willesdon aside from it being one of those areas of London I was warned off. When I first moved to London back in 1981 I was given a list of go/no-go areas and I am pretty sure Willesdon was on it.

I am probably a little old to support you in your quest to have an Editor's baby - but I rather suspect Ed025 would be keen to snuggle his hairy beer gut in to the small of your back and do what he can to assist.}

Ed I fear that you have been left in charge of ed025's southern comfort whilst he is away, the mention of an ed spooning a poster is not normally your style, as for willesdon though I agree

{Ed002's Note - You might want to forget the spooning whilst you worry about the forking.}

09 Feb 2015 21:16:43
Ed,

I totally agree.

Or, maybe I might disagree.

Choices, choices, choices :-)

09 Feb 2015 14:45:13
Eds can anyone shed any light on welbecks role in arsenal? Is he a long term investment or more of a stopgap? Will he be made available for transfer in the summer if other targets become available?

09 Feb 2015 18:16:27
I hope he isn't a long term solution. We gave a good run of games at his preffered striker position and his goal return was simply not good enough. He has the pace, dribbling and work rate that Giroud lacks, but Giroud has better hold up/link up play and slightly better finishing. Ideally we need a striker that ticks all these boxes. Harry Kane is a great example of an all round striker.

At 24 I can't see Welbeck improving drastically over the next few years. He needs to improve his goal return, work on his touch and decision making. If he could also stop being so clumsy then that would be great.

09 Feb 2015 21:21:44
To be a good/successful team, you need players like Welbeck in the squad.

He may not be an automatic starter, but he is a valuable member of the team, who can do a job anywhere along the front line.

Can cover left, right and centre forward.

Glad he plays for us and not one of our rivals.

09 Feb 2015 13:42:42
They have lost two games less than us and have drawn two games more. Pinching points is a skill. If we'd pinched a point yesterday and a point more ( a draw when we got beat by an odd goal) we would be third, those pointscadd up, don't belittle it. Its an art.
FROM STEVE EARLIER

I agree, stealing a point instead of nowt is an art, we aren't good at it, you can slate Man U all you want ( not you Steve) but 1 defeat in 17 games is a bloody good run. Man U have always had a never say die attitude, we need a bit more please

Dint we have something of a similar run in the begining where we went unbeaten but still it was too many draws? I am sorry I do not see this any improvement. We shall see end of the season where they are I do not see any difference between LVG's team or Moyes.
Opnions Divided.

Hood we're lower in the league and less points than this time last year and you see a improvement. Man u were seventh last year with less points and are third above us and have more points. They beat us at the Emirates, I really don't get your logic, sorry.

17 games with only one defeat, I think you are getting confused with another season hoody boy :)

9 games is our best run this season, a very long way short of 17 games

LGV's side are grinding out results, when was Moyes so close to the top??

Hood sorry also forgot to put in last post, you don't think man u have improved. Am I missing something.

I am not saying this is an improvement, yes manutd
are a point better of than us last week, (which is 2 so don't go on my math), if there is anything to go by I would look at the form guide where utd are 8th or something and we are 4th with 2 pts behind pool. I don't see what improvement u see in utd frm a team that anyone would fear to a team that anyone would challenge? And its utd associated with a brand of football not the way they are playing now, I am sorry. I maybe a bit pro arsenal but I can compliment a team doing v well or on the up, I don't see an improvement in utd only time will tell. Ppl laminte our most exp signing what has di maria or falcao done in the past few games? Same thing is ok to say to give them a season to adapt? These are the double standards I am talking abt

09 Feb 2015 20:21:04
In symplistic terms gentlemen I think the point Hood is trying to make is that United are 4 points better off after 24 games compared to last season, we have 13 points less.

There are a number of teams of which we are one, results aside, that are playing far better football than United. You'd probably have to look as far down as 9th to find a team playing as poorly as they are but who are simply getting the points that brand of football deserves.

There is little doubt they are playing as poorer style of football that they did under Moyes as the are under Van Gaal, for Sam Allardyce to state they couldn't cope with United simply lobbing it into their box sums them up.

We are the ones that have made a pigs ear of this season whilst they have chugged along getting points. The same points they have now would have seen them lying in 6th after 24 games on goal difference from Spurs and behind, Liverpool, Everton, City, Chelsea and us. So any improvement on their part is mostly down to others and their good fortune.

Whether they have it in them to remain ahead of us, Spurs, Southampton and even Liverpool come May is a doubt, having made a hash of any easy Jan and part of February things get a whole lot tougher from March onwards for them.

Fixtures against Liverpool, City, Everton, Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs, Palace, West Brom and us could see them back where they finished last season.

With Spurs and Southampton playing quality football I still find your fixation with United somewhat odd.

Maybe you guys have the complex our team has had when it comes to them. Fergie is long gone and his like at United will never be seen again, especially in that circus freak at the helm now.

They are in the mix for the top four now but personally I see bigger and better threats than them.

You are pro arsenal, can't knock you for that, but to knock man u is wrong. No they are a milion miles from the fergie teams, but they are grinding results out and are improving. We will have to be better than at present to get past them in the league. They are not lying down believe me.

I don't see how when people like Blind, and Fellani bail them out. If its going to be those 2 they are dead forget lying down.

There are a number of teams of which we are one, results aside, that are playing far better football than United. You'd probably have to look as far down as 9th to find a team playing as poorly as they are but who are simply getting the points that brand of football deserves.

From Red Dog

Unfortunately you don't get points for artistic impression, a point is a point regardless of what it looks like. Fergie won the league playing like pants. Oh I wish we could.

You don't get it, teams sometimes need to be bailed out, god knows we have needed a few bail out s. If they didn't bail them out they would have lost, but they didnt. Hammer hammer chisel chisel. If we lose one of our next 17 games will you say we are rubbish.

10 Feb 2015 00:13:47
Banbury you don't need to cut and paste a reply I'm fully aware of the contents of my post.

Losing 1 game in 17 and being how many points ahead. Now that is quality.

We are talking the here and now, not seasons passed. If you with your alleged footballing knowledge think they have what it takes to make top four with that pile of 5h1te then I'm thinking seriously.

Again going back to Fergie when people say this team is miles of, just arguing for the sake of it with baseless points. Do you know if that was the old manchester united, there was only going to be one winner from that Game and we all know that answer.

And Steve there is a difference when you are playing well and loose one in 17, rather than scrapping through, they lost 1 in 17 and still 4th? now that's something.

And to add 1 in 17 games I have pretty much pulled up the form guide to show you where they and us stand in terms of points in the last 6 games.

09 Feb 2015 09:09:42
When I looked at the starting line up the first thought that came was Ozil playing instead of rosicky because of his reputation. As the game went on it reaffirmed the belief tha he is lightweight and can be displaced from the ball so easily. One needed someone to run at opposition defenders to keep them on a back foot which is not Ozils game. Apart from the goal scored Ozil at the wing did not work out.

I guess Wellbeck got a nod ahead of theo because of his defensive duties but he has such a heavy first touch leaves a lot to be desired. Apart from one or two moments he looked very average.

And finally Arsene Wenger needs to be a little more proactive/ruthless. Rosciky/Ozil and Walcott/Wellbeck at 60th minute after the spurs goal may have got us a better result than the loss. Atleast with these changes we would have been a better threat going forward.

Dont rate welbeck pointless signing

09 Feb 2015 06:16:25
Despite Saturday's defeat, we are only 3 points off 3rd place Southampton, 2 points behind 4th place Man U & 1 point behind 5th place Tottenham. The The midweek matches provide us with a good opportunity for a win, with a home match against bottom placed Leicester, whilst Tottenham have a difficult away match against Liverpool and Southampton have a hard match against West Ham. The forthcoming fixtures tend to favour Arsenal.
I would like to see us win both of this week's home matches, which would leave us in a competitive position to secure a top four place & in the last 8 of the FA Cup. We have Wilshere, Oxlade & Sanchez returning from injury this month. I would like to see the team selction rotated this week, with starting opportunities given in the FA Cup match to Szczesny, Chambers, Gabriel, Gibbs, Rosicky and Walcott, that is assuming none of these play against Leicester.
Let's get behind Arsene Wenger and the team on Tuesday & Sunday.

09 Feb 2015 08:14:00
Good positive post Rob.

Respect.

Saturday was a bad day and our ball retention rate was so poor I can only assume the team had been playing pass the parcel in the changing room shortly before match and were confused.
But hey ho that new found work rate commitment and disaplined attitude hasn't disappeared in a week so onwards and upwards says i

I know where you're coming from Robbie. but let's not make wholesale changes our equivalent of Man City's trip to Dubai. We really need to show this Boro side respect.