The talking about Arsenal FC thread (1 Viewer)

[Janer]

Fuck Ronnie Whelan, he said we beat the smaller clubs well but when we play the bigger clubs like City and United our 2 defeats we were beaten comprehensively!! what fucking games was he watching??? We were a hairs breath away from 2-0 at OT and we dominated the 1st half, when it was 1-1 vs City we were most likely to go on and win....

Although he did say loved watching us. :\

 

[Janer]

See we have sexy corporate sponsored dug out seats now...Citroen.

 

[Janer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/8313642.stm

I'm starting to think young Theo is just too brittle for the Premiership, he is racking up injuries like players near the end of their career do...or maybe his our version of Sicknote Darren Anderton.

 

[Serpico]

Mannone keeps his place?!?! Totally un-Wenger-like to stick with the young keeper just 'cause he'd playing well. Wonder what's going on behind the scenes.

 

[Janer]

Alex Song man of the match (again) in a rather non descript match.

/edit
They've scored deep into injury time, game was far too comfy for us and we were always in 2nd gear, serves us right.

 

[Unicron]

Yeah we played quite poorly, I don't think I've ever seen Cesc underhit so many dead balls.

Still very confident of progressing through though.

 

[Janer]

Yeah it's still piss easy to get thru (sorry 'Pool fans)
We'll hammer AK 4-0 at home.
Koeman's subs were def a game changer for them.

 

[Serpico]

Didn't see this but read that Song was up to his old tricks again: Defensive midfielder switches off late in the game,loses his man and we concede. Him and Diaby have attitude problems with commitment for a whole game that no amount of skill will make up for.
And I am in 100% agreement with Arseblog, an 18 year old keeper is not a sign of a club seriously intent on winning the title.
Sorry for the negativity but I was never like this when we had a proper squad, it's the mad addiction to youth (like some sort of crazed vampire) that has me like this. I was never this negative in Wengers first 8/9 years in charge.

 

[Janer]

I've never been happy with our keepers and I include 90% of Seaman's time with us.

 

[ratmonkey]

And I am in 100% agreement with Arseblog, an 18 year old keeper is not a sign of a club seriously intent on winning the title.

Surely if he's good enough*, his age doesn't come into it. Casillas was about that age when he made the Real team, Buffon would have been slightly older when he got his break.

* I have no idea how good or bad he actually is, but he's hardly any worse than Ben Foster.

 

[I Bleed Black]

Fuck Ronnie Whelan, he said we beat the smaller clubs well but when we play the bigger clubs like City and United our 2 defeats we were beaten comprehensively!!

I thought the exact same thing when I heard him say that, the man is a pathetic excuse for a football analyst.

 

[Serpico]

Surely if he's good enough*, his age doesn't come into it. Casillas was about that age when he made the Real team, Buffon would have been slightly older when he got his break.

* I have no idea how good or bad he actually is, but he's hardly any worse than Ben Foster.

All good points. If he turns out to be as good as either Casillas or Buffon then I can't really have any complaints. It's still a bit of a large IF for my liking.

 

[Unicron]

All good points. If he turns out to be as good as either Casillas or Buffon then I can't really have any complaints. It's still a bit of a large IF for my liking.

A few posts back it seemed as tough you were saying you were pleased that Mannone retained his spot because he'd been playing well (clanger against Brum aside) rather then have Manny come straight back in. He hasn't really done anything to warrent getting dropped but long term I'd assume Almunia will get the spot back, he was at his best when he finally got his chance when mad Jens was dropped and had the pressure of him to keep him on his toes. The message that he might have to look over his shoulder now could be good for him.

 

[Janer]

Mann seems a good shot stopper but his decision making is still very iffy, He had one of those moments again the other night.
Although you can teach him to learn wheras you can't really teach someone to be a good shotstopper, so....

 

[Serpico]

A few posts back it seemed as tough you were saying you were pleased that Mannone retained his spot because he'd been playing well (clanger against Brum aside) rather then have Manny come straight back in. He hasn't really done anything to warrent getting dropped but long term I'd assume Almunia will get the spot back, he was at his best when he finally got his chance when mad Jens was dropped and had the pressure of him to keep him on his toes. The message that he might have to look over his shoulder now could be good for him.

I think you may have been projecting slightly there Unicron. I just said it was very un-Wenger to keep him in there ahead of the usually first choice player on performances alone. It seems to take an awful lot to get Wenger to drop you once your in the first team. Take Eboue as a prime example. I think there may be more to the Almunia situation then meets the eye (i.e. it's not just Don Vitos performances that are keeping him out). I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Fabiansky used at some stage soon.

 

[Unicron]

Perhaps I misinferred but given your frustration at the way Wenger has been doing things of late I think that

I just said it was very un-Wenger

was an indication that you were pleased.

 

[Serpico]

Well just to set the record straight. I think Wenger is a genius, but a flawed one. I think the man has the talent to have won us a lot more trophys than he has and it's his stubborn streak that has cost him, and the club, over recent years. I think there comes a time when a manager has to ask what's more important, his vision or the club? And I think Wenger always chooses his vision. He should have broken his own rules in the past few years and spent money that he, and the club, claimed he had and to not do so was a dereliction of duty, particularly after Flamini split.
He's still a genius, and to my knowledge the only manager in English football in living memory that has won the league while not being the biggest spender that year. The only manager not to have 'bought the league' if you will.
So, in summary, I love the man and appreciate all he's done, but if he wasn't so stubborn and selfish I think we would have eclipsed ManU and Chelsea over the last 5/6 years instead of being a poor and distant third behind them.

 

[ratmonkey]

Well just to set the record straight. I think Wenger is a genius, but a flawed one. I think the man has the talent to have won us a lot more trophys than he has and it's his stubborn streak that has cost him, and the club, over recent years. I think there comes a time when a manager has to ask what's more important, his vision or the club? And I think Wenger always chooses his vision. He should have broken his own rules in the past few years and spent money that he, and the club, claimed he had and to not do so was a dereliction of duty, particularly after Flamini split.
He's still a genius, and to my knowledge the only manager in English football in living memory that has won the league while not being the biggest spender that year. The only manager not to have 'bought the league' if you will.
So, in summary, I love the man and appreciate all he's done, but if he wasn't so stubborn and selfish I think we would have eclipsed ManU and Chelsea over the last 5/6 years instead of being a poor and distant third behind them.

I'm pretty sure that's not even close to being true. For a start, I don't recall Man City winning the league last season.

I'd also be inclined to think there isn't the cash there to spend big even if he'd wanted to.

 

[Serpico]

I'm pretty sure that's not even close to being true. For a start, I don't recall Man City winning the league last season.

I'd also be inclined to think there isn't the cash there to spend big even if he'd wanted to.

First of all Man City are an acception to the rule as they have a lot of catching up to do before they can compete. If you take top four clubs my statement holds true.
Second, taking Man City out of the equation last season, name a club that have won the Prem without being the biggest spenders that season. Just one.
And third, your inclined to think there isn't the cash there, I said the money that he and the club said was there, I didn't say it was there, re-read the post.

Not even close??? You're having a laugh.

 

[ratmonkey]

95/96. United signed no one, sold Kanchelskis, Hughes, Ince. There'd be more, but unless someone has a handy list of who spent what when, it's too much effort to work it out.

I'm aware there's constant banging on about there being money to spend, doesn't mean there is. It's something to say to sound good.