Arsenal

[Art Vandelay]

I'm sure you do take great pleasure in knowing you've got one over us southern softies, but really you are just being a twat.

[hercules]

Did you watch today?

He's fucking woeful.

Fuck off, twat.

And i guess Fabregas played well? Its just biased views. Aliadiere was completely shit, Baptista played ok without ever excelling much like the rest of the team. Fabregas was in and out of the game as was rosicky. and Hleb was shit.

[Girth Certificate]

*topic crash*

anyone know what song this is playing at the end of the Sky coverage?

[Mars]

I'm sure you do take great pleasure in knowing you've got one over us southern softies, but really you are just being a twat.

Any time one of my Man U supporting mates rip the piss, I just remind them that we've TAKEN 6 POINTS FROM THEM this season

[BlinkyBear]

You really are a cock muncher aren't you?

If you've got nothing of use to say then fuck off.

[GoonerLee]

You really are a cock muncher aren't you?

If you've got nothing of use to say then fuck off.

Just don't reply to him as it only encourages it.

C'mon Mr. Do if you want to take the piss out of Arsenal fucking up (and I can't blame you when we play the way we have done sometimes recently) then please do it in the football thread instead of here. It's not really very nice is it especially when we're feeling slightly low already. I'm all for piss taking banter between fans but lets not do it in the individual club threads eh?

[Dude Ranch]

And i guess Fabregas played well? Its just biased views. Aliadiere was completely shit, Baptista played ok without ever excelling much like the rest of the team. Fabregas was in and out of the game as was rosicky. and Hleb was shit.

Fabregas hasn't had a good game for weeks. Aliadiere isn't good enough. Rosicky was poor but tried and Hleb understandably found it hard to get into the game and needs an outlet up front. Baptista and Aliadiere didn't give him or Rosicky that option.

I've not been impressed with Gallas at all this season and I'm confused about Gilberto at centre back. Surely it's tinkering for the sake of it, I don't see the point of simply accommodating players in the wrong position.

We have got a terrible injury list. With Henry and Adebayor, Clichy and Eboue we'd have murdered these. Maybe it's just bad luck but it was still a poor showing. Who here, at half time, expected anything other than 1-0? I almost laughed.

Johnson could do a job for us, he's very willing and knows where the goal is. Good luck buying an English player, though.

[Steve007]

Yesterday’s performance was disgraceful. I keep using the excuse that it’s a season of transition but it’s about time David Dein and his cronies invited Arsene Wenger for a little chat as I don’t think he’s doing his job properly.

Set pieces. My works football team take more dangerous free kicks and corners than Arsenal do and I’m not joking. Does Wenger ever practise them?

The use of subs (Wenger’s weak point). Why wait until the 70th minute every fucking home game to make changes? We’ve dropped too many points at home due to Wenger’s incompetence.

Tactics. We don’t have any. People say we don’t have a plan B but do we have a plan A? Doesn’t look like it.

Defence. It’s been a shambles all season and if Senderos is good enough to play for Arsenal then so is my Gran. Why is Gilberto playing at the back? What good is it to have two lightweights (Cesc & Denilson) in midfield?

I’ve been saying it for years but Freddie is finished. He hasn’t been the same since 2002 and it’s about time he’s kicked out the club because when he starts we might as well be playing with 10 men. Get out Freddie, you’re long past it mate and you just embarrass yourself week in week out with your pathetic performances. £70,000 a week for that? Fuck off.

The Beast is shit. Wenger has to send this clown packing. A Brazilian with the touch of a rapist could only ever end up at Arsenal.

Hleb just isn’t good enough, he’s had two full seasons and he’s about as much use as Eddie McGoldrick. Rosicky has had a shite season due to injury but where is the man who can spank the ball in the net from anywhere? He looks to be the new Glen Helder!

Lehmann is a good goalie but he’s too much of a liability. I’ve heard very good things about the Russian goalie so I’d like to see the club move for him.

I’m very disillusioned with the club. We need at least 8 or 9 signings (and I mean proper class signings, players who are ready to play for the team now, not in 5 years time!). But where is the money going to come from?

I’ve been watching Arsenal for 15-20 years and I’ve never felt like this about the team. I’ve always renewed my season ticket without hesitating but when I get my renewal forms come through in a few months I’m just going to laugh if they want me to pay £1500 to spend my time pulling my hair out and going home in a hump as I’ve been cheated out of my time by a bunch of lazy cunts.

[g wings]

We need at least 8 or 9 signings (and I mean proper class signings, players who are ready to play for the team now, not in 5 years time!). But where is the money going to come from?

Bloody hell! I agree (but maybe not as vehemently) with most of what you say but 8 or 9 signings?

We need to replace Senderos and we need someone new up front (yes, johnson fits the bill). I really like Hleb but he seems to be struggling to get it going too often. I can see Wenger signing 2 or 3 players, depends what he really means by 'super signings'.

[Dude Ranch]

I agree with most of that, Steve.

I do think Hleb and Rosicky need something to look for up front and the neither of the front two yesterday are up to it. Without an outlet the wide men are struggling and have to hold the ball or play it square. It just doesn't work. Both are capable though.

Fred is a liability now, I'm afraid to say. It has to be goodbye. Same with Phil and possibly Gilberto .

Substitutions have always been like you say, it's really frustrating. Same with set pieces (for and against) which make me cringe. And Wenger has never been a tactician.

I'd look for a new goalie, and central defender (Woodgate) a winger and a proper, hard bollocks world class striker to compliment RvP, Henry and Adebayor. I'd also look to bring Bendtner back to challenge. Aside from that we have the basis of a great team when everyone is fit. But that's the final point. How can you have these injuries right through a season? Seems like more than a coincidence. Should we be looking at fitness and training methods?

Overall it's disappointing right now. The pace we once had is lost although injuries to Eboue and Clichy fuck us over here. I'm not sure the nine signings you mention is necessary.

A starting team of..

new keeper

Eboue Gallas Toure Clichy

Hleb Cesc Denilson/Diaby Rosicky

Henry Rvp/Adebayor

..looks good and we're nowhere near in a position to field that right now.

[Steve007]

Pires has never been replaced. He scored 15+ goals every year and you simply can't put a value on a player like that. Only at Arsenal will a player worth his weight in gold be given a 1 year take it or leave it deal. The man never wanted to leave the club! Did any of you read the Pires interview in a match day programme a few weeks ago? The guy was Arsenal through and through! He's one of the best players we've ever had and he could have done a job for us for at least the two years he wanted.

Wenger thought Rosicky would be the ideal replacement but I can't see him getting a hatful of goals every year.

We need at least 2 class forwards, a new goalie, someone with bollocks in the centre of midfield, at least 2 defenders and a few very high calibre squad players to step in when we have injuries and suspensions. As good as the kids are they are not ready yet. If the club wants to press on and win trophies then we need new players, it's as simple as that.

I'm absolutely furious with the team right now. I'd love to get in that dressing room and give the players a mouthful as it's clear Wenger hasn't got the bollocks to do it.

I'd also strip Henry of the captaincy and give it to Gilberto on a permanent basis. A forward can never be a captain and it's clear that Gilberto is much better at wearing the armband than Henry.

[Lucky]

Steve007 you sound well pissed off man, rightly so to be honest because we are playing shit lately and it even looks like the players are just going through the motions and coasting to a 3rd/4th place finish, and just waiting for the season to be over and done with.

I know we are out of everything, but how about the fans that travelled to scouseland yesterday or the season ticket holders that are there week in week out?

I think they deserve the players to show a bit more, a bit more.........can't think of the right word but basically look like they give a fuck a bit more.

I agree with most of what 007 says, but at least 8 or 9 new signings might be a bit over the top.

I think we need a new, younger quality goalkeeper, maybe the russian Akinfeev could be the one, we need a centre back as it seems that Wenger has lost faith in Senderos. To have him on the bench and play Gilberto out of position in defence speaks volumes.

Where was Djourou by the way? Woodgate anyone?

We also need a wide man, Babel or Ribery or both.

We badly need a striker, someone who scores strikers goals.

When was the last time a striker of ours scored a goal like Johnson did yesterday?

I posted a couple of weeks ago, that Leroy Lita and even Benni McCarthy have got good scoring records, you can add Yakubu and Johnson to those two as well.

I'm not saying we should go and buy one of these, but then again why not?

If they can do it in the Premiership at 'lesser' clubs than Arsenal then it might not be such a bad thing.

Eto'o possibly?

I agree that Freddie is finished, not convinced that Baptista is up to it, Alliadiere isn't up to it. I like Hleb though, but agree that he's been playing badly lately, needs an outlet and Alli and Baptista give him nothing.

Cesc could probably do with a rest, but there's no doubt about it the boy is class.

Denilson looks like he'll be a superb player.

Senderos maybe hasn't improved over the last couple of years and maybe is not quite good enough?

I did also say a couple of weeks ago that the team/squad needs tweaking and not major surgery and I do still think that.

Could probably go on rambling all day, I think that'll do for now though.

[Daley]

http://www.arseblog.com/WP/index.php

This is always a good read and this sums it up really:

...we all have two weeks to bitch and moan and waffle and by the time the Liverpool game comes around we’ll have decided we need 43 new players and John Toshack as manager. Joy.

Sums it up I think. Changes are needed but lets not get carried away.

[Dude Ranch]

I think they deserve the players to show a bit more, a bit more.........can't think of the right word but basically look like they give a fuck a bit more.

I didn't post this at the time but when we went out with a whimper against PSV I watched the Celtic extra time. At the final whistle their players fell to the pitch and sat there for ages looking fully gutted. They were thoroughly knackered (they had played the extra 30, but still..) and when I looked at our lot jog off the pitch with hardly a wave to the crowd and, seemingly, without a care in the world it made me feel a bit sick.

You had a Celtic team with - no disrespect - very little chance of progressing against a top outfit and our lot with designs on winning the thing losing to a functional but ultimately poor team. The difference in response made me sad and I thought 'we need English players'.

It's not all doom and gloom by any means, we have a superb squad coming through. But we desperately need to filter out the dross and plug gaps with proven players. The trouble is what message are you sending to Djourou, Diaby, Denilson, Eboue/Hoyte, van Persie and Adebayor, Traore and Clichy - all genuinely good and deserving a place - if you go out and buy 27 year old experienced players, for big money, in their position on five year contracts? There's competition for places and then there's knocking these youngsters back to square one. I think either way can succeed and it's a case of Wenger being strong and ruthless. If someone isn't making it right now (Senderos, Aliadiere, poss. Djourou, Song) then let them move on. The alternative is to stay in 'transition' for two more years.

[Steve007]

I love Wenger for what he has done at the club, he’s the best manager we’ve ever had by some distance but we always fall short:

- No back-to-back titles. Wenger was content with what he had and thought they could do the same again. You have to keep building! A team that stands still wins fuck all.

- 2000 UEFA Cup Final. I still can’t explain how we blew this.

- Champions League QF exit to Chelsea. How did this happen? I’m mystified.

- 2006 Champions League Final. Should have been ours! The turning point of that game was when Henry missed the 1-on-1 chance to make it 2-0. I was right behind the goal and I could see where the ball needed to go but he fucked it up. Barcelona would never have come back from being 2 down.

The way I see it, the Wenger era so far should have given us 5 titles, 2 Champions Leagues titles, 1 UEFA Cup and a scattering of domestic trophies. Instead our underachievers have delivered 3 titles and a few FA Cups. History won’t remember them for that. We are the nearly men and it’s fucking annoying

[Dude Ranch]

George Graham was the best and worst thing to happen to the Club. Best because he dragged us up and made us into what we are today, without him I don't think we'd be as successful as we are/have been. I dread to think, actually. Worst because he showed the board that you could win things on a shoestring. Steve007, you talk about not building on success and I agree totally. I think the board were tight and expected it to happen a la George, ie bargain players and team spirit. When United won a title they'd go out and add two or three proper good players. They still do it now, they don't really buy tat (we'll ignore the benefit of hindsight) or cheap. We've never had that outlook. I think Wenger may have been frustrated by that at the start but now he sees it as a challenge to not spend money. In fact, for some time I've suspected the team has been his personal little experiment. But, I digress..

We need to be spending. At the moment I see us like Ajax, great philosophy and offer great footballing education but ultimately seen as small, a selling Club and unable to attract the top players. Who have we ever got that shocked that world? Bergkamp (we all love Dennis ) was hardly a performing star at the time. We did them a favour taking him and apparently got mugged over the price. Thierry wasn't a regular. Wiltord was expensive but not really a household name. Vieira? Who'd heard of him? Same with Petit. Overmars was known but hardly the most sought after. Pires could have gone either way. We've made players rather than bought ready mades. I think you can just about get away with that in 2007 if you mix in the willingness to buy from the top drawer ie Ferdinand, Essien, Rooney, Shevchenko, Veron, Drogba etc. Not all have worked 100% but the clubs took the chance and aimed high. I don't see us doing that. I admire how the Club is run but we need to shake things up with the team.

Maybe the new stadium will turn us around because financially the results already look amazing. But when we hear our 'war chest' is £20m I can't help but think that's two thirds of Wayne Rooney, not even one whole Sean Wright-Phillips, or a Ricardo Carvalho outright. Fuck me, that's pretty grim .

[superpretend]

Maybe the new stadium will turn us around because financially the results already look amazing. But when we hear our 'war chest' is £20m I can't help but think that's two thirds of Wayne Rooney, not even one whole Sean Wright-Phillips, or a Ricardo Carvalho outright. Fuck me, that's pretty grim .

At least you can be glad you didn't get mugged over Wright-Phillips. Better to have that 20m than 7/8 of him.

[Lucky]

If he came to Arsenal instead of going to Chelsea, he would probably have cost us 12mill max, and may have even worked out and been a good buy.

There's always one price for Chelsea and another for everyone else so there's no way we would have paid 21mill for him.

Someone could probably pick him up for about 8mill now, not sure if I'd be interested any more though.

Prefer Babel for around the same money any day.

[Dude Ranch]

At least you can be glad you didn't get mugged over Wright-Phillips. Better to have that 20m than 7/8 of him.

Yeah, course . But, more or less, that's the market. Anyway, as I suggested, I'm talking what we're willing to spend not who we'd get and how they'd work out. We don't aim big in the transfer market and regardless of Wenger's knack of picking up heroes for pennies we need big name players who can deliver week in week out.

[Dude Ranch]

Prefer Babel for around the same money any day.

Me too. But I always get the niggling feeling we might get more from an English player. I don't know about Babel, but with Hleb (who I like) you might get two games at 100% (of his potential), then one at 80%, three at 60%, then back to 100% etc. With SWP (as an example) I think you might be likely to get a consistent season of 90-95% performances. I wouldn't take those figures to the bank ( ) but you get my drift.

I'm rambling..

[Lucky]

Wright Phillips is a good player and he hasn't become shit overnight (or over 2 years), but his confidence has gone and even when he gets the rare chance he doesn't exactly play like he used to at Man City. He plays like he believes that he isn't good enough for the Chelsea starting 11.

It's not even a surprise any more when he is not in the England squad, more of a surprise if he is.

That said, I do think a move to a new club where he plays every week and has a manager that has faith in him could kick start his career.

I'm just not sure if that club should be Arsenal.

[Steve007]

If he came to Arsenal instead of going to Chelsea, he would probably have cost us 12mill max, and may have even worked out and been a good buy.

There's always one price for Chelsea and another for everyone else so there's no way we would have paid 21mill for him.

Someone could probably pick him up for about 8mill now, not sure if I'd be interested any more though.

Prefer Babel for around the same money any day.

Stop! THIEF! I recognise that avatar - looks very much like the one I made (well ok, the one I cropped).

[Steve007]

Wright Phillips is a good player and he hasn't become shit overnight (or over 2 years), but his confidence has gone and even when he gets the rare chance he doesn't exactly play like he used to at Man City. He plays like he believes that he isn't good enough for the Chelsea starting 11.

It's not even a surprise any more when he is not in the England squad, more of a surprise if he is.

That said, I do think a move to a new club where he plays every week and has a manager that has faith in him could kick start his career.

I'm just not sure if that club should be Arsenal.

Wright Phillips is toilet. We might as well coax Glen Helder out of retirement than have that headless chicken!

[Art Vandelay]

The gist of the last page appears to be: rip up the masterplan, replace the squad, manager and youth policy and invest loads of money into half baked players who have had half a good season. The team at full strength is capable of winning the premiership, I have no doubts in that. At the end of the season we will be expecting to buy a new keeper when Jens leaves, and I should think we will try and get a top notch striker and probably a left winger too. I think when faith has been put into players who were frankly shit, such as Hoyte or Hleb they have repaid us. To say Hleb isn't good enough is madness, he has been one of our best players this season.

The difference between our spending and others in the premiership is that we have no need for a buy out or hefty financial investment. We are solid and secure, with people in charge who care for the club. The investments in the new stadium will mean in time that in time we will be the richest club in the world, we are already doing very well indeed. Our spending thus far has been thrifty, but I admire that, we are now in a very strong position indeed to make that leap forward.

For us to progress we were all aware that sacrifices would need to be made - a season or two without challenging for the title is just that. We can pick the bones out of games where we could have done better or won more trophies, but these are just details. Wenger has dragged the club, and English football, into the future. His legacy is one which will not be appreciated for years to come.

[Lucky]

Stop! THIEF! I recognise that avatar - looks very much like the one I made (well ok, the one I cropped).

Google

[Lucky]

Wright Phillips is toilet. We might as well coax Glen Helder out of retirement than have that headless chicken!

I'm not saying we should buy SWP, I was just commenting on him because he got a mention earlier.

Not sure if he is toilet or as bad as Helder, I was just saying he needs to leave Chelsea and he could be quite good somewhere, not necessarily Arsenal though.

I did say though that if he came to Arsenal instead of Chelsea a couple of years ago he could have been good but that time has passed now.

[hercules]

I think ppl are getting ahead of themselves here. The team doesn't need to be completely changed, all it takes is 1 or 2 signings. A keeper is a definate for me wheter lehmann stays or goes. Senderos hasn't had the best of seasons so it might be worth sending him out on loan. rosicky is being played out of position and as i said before i think he can be our "link man" if he gets played behind a striker. I think its too late to buy another striker now, unless we sell Adebayor or RVP or Henry which i can't see happening. The team will be better next year regardless of signings, and with a fully fit squad Arsenal can challenge for all competitions including the premiership

[Steve007]

I think ppl are getting ahead of themselves here. The team doesn't need to be completely changed, all it takes is 1 or 2 signings. A keeper is a definate for me wheter lehmann stays or goes. Senderos hasn't had the best of seasons so it might be worth sending him out on loan. rosicky is being played out of position and as i said before i think he can be our "link man" if he gets played behind a striker. I think its too late to buy another striker now, unless we sell Adebayor or RVP or Henry which i can't see happening. The team will be better next year regardless of signings, and with a fully fit squad Arsenal can challenge for all competitions including the premiership

A fully fit squad will still take shit corners, a fully fit squad will still take shit free kicks and a fully fit squad will still underachieve. Wenger will still fuck up his substitutions and we'll still ponce around the field as if we've got all day.

The young players are fantastic but they are clearly being coached wrong as everything is perfect up until the final third of the pitch and then it descends into a farce. Also no one has picked up on the fact that Henry & RVP can't stand each other and it shows when they try and play together!

[Dude Ranch]

It's amazing how a team who can play the best football I've ever seen (Arsenal a few years ago when they remained unbeaten for a season) can fall so far and lose so much. A Transitional period admittedly, but have you got the team to build on or are you still looking for replacements?

Our injury situation this season has been possibly the worst I've ever heard of. You simply cannot do without players like Eboue and Clichy who provide pace on the flanks that the whole system is reliant on, Henry and van Persie (add to that Adebayor, suspended), Gallas, Hleb and Rosicky numerous times, Hoyte, Diaby.. and the list goes on. These absences have crossed over, it's not like we've had one or two out at a time for one match. That's the real reason our season has come off the rails after a great run of late.

So, to answer your question, our front side is capable of winning anything. Our youth will add to that and could possible become the best team in Europe for years. Possibly . Yes, we're not direct enough. Yes, we don't get enough goals from midfield. But when fit you'll see the Arsenal of old. Remember what we did to Reading? That was pure eye candy. Taken six points from ManYoo, beat Liverpool three times, should have beaten Chelsea twice (one last minute goal against to draw and one loss with our youth team).

Wenger will sign possibly one superb player in the summer, I think. I only hope he doesn't make Baptista permanent .

Thanks for the compliment about our football . We played much, much better than that a couple of years previously.

[Dude Ranch]

I may've been gettin my seasons mixed up. It was sometime 2002-2004 or something I think

To be honest, pick your season. The Invincibles was an incredible season for lots of reasons but the season we did the double, when Pires done his knee after possibly the best spell of football from any player I've ever seen, was just stupid. I watch the DVD sometimes and it's goal after goal of football that makes you shake your head. I get fed up of rewinding it. In fact, I'm gonna put it on tonight to cheer myself up!