Arsenal

[hauk]

Annoying result last night. Would like to say it won’t matter in the long run, but it’s the kind of result that will see us finish behind Olympiacos in the group and get a shitty draw against a 1st place team from another group in the 1st qualifying round. Oh well, it was at least nice to see least Liverpool lose!

[Lucas]

Nasri played an hour or so in the reserves last night & so did Fabianski (whole game).

Wonder what he'll think about now being 3rd choice with Almunia 2nd. Almunia will probably get his place back soon but I don't buy it for a minute that he's been left out for six weeks with a cough.

This. I wonder if Mannone will still be first choice come Christmas.

[TonyPlay]

This. I wonder if Mannone will still be first choice come Christmas.

I think Mannone is already first choice. It seems very similar to when Lehman was dropped for Almunia, then when Almunia started to fuck up Lehman was back in and much improved.

Difference is that I think Mannone already looks a better keeper than Almunia and I dont think he will have a rocky patch for Almunia to come back in. Few basic errors but overall I am very impressed with him

[Rev]

I think I'd put Almunia back in to be honest, Mannone doesn't seem mentally ready yet. He's good, but I just get the feeling that sooner or later he's going to do something spectacularly wrong.

[mop]

I like Vito but he's not a better keeper then Almunia, not yet anyway.

I think it's simply Wenger breaking the youngster with a nice long run between the sticks. He's done it before, as has been said. Almunia will be back to being number one choice soon enough, I'd say.

[KRP]

for fucks sake

[mop]

That was fucking shit.

ARGH!

Still, a draw away to west ham isn't the end of the world. Turning off towards the end of the game, all the time, is. We need to cop on.

[Rev]

Bit disastrous, just something to move on from. Although I've taken a liking to Zola as a manager, so if it helps him keep his job it could have happened at a worse time, I guess.

[BlinkyBear]

Hmph.

I was really annoyed at the final whistle-"2 points thrown away" and all that jazz.

Then I started thinking that it was ok, a point away to a team we struggle against is fine.

But watching the highlights it seems that we were robbed. Whilst Mannone was the reason for their first, it was never a free kick and the penalty was as soft as you'll see all year.

Hopefully these dog shit second half performances will be sorted out now-Man Utd,BHam, Az and now WH. We won't be winning the league by playing one amazing half and one shit one.

[mop]

We won't be winning the league by playing one amazing half and one shit one.

Bingo. I was really hoping the AZ game would make sure we wouldn't make such errors in the league.

Let this be the last of it!

[SeanR]

still got a game in hand. A win would put us in 2nd on goal difference, innit?

[Rev]

We won't be winning the league by playing one amazing half and one shit one.

It's a pretty obvious symptom of having a young squad - both for concentration and stamina. I'm not sure there is a solution that isn't a major change - except doing enough in the first half to see us through. Clearly two goals isn't enough.

[Arc'Tan'Gent]

Completely threw away two points there with bucketloads of complacency, spectacularly dodgy penalty decision notwithstanding.

[The Fox]

Not sure we had an amazing half yesterday tbh. We never seemed to get out of first gear and were very fortuitous for both goals. Penalty was dodgy as fuck, mind.

At least everyone else keeps dropping points too. :/

[Lucky]

So frustrating.

While I think we've got a real chance in the cups (CL included), as long as we can't defend a lead & can't kill teams off I can't see how we will win the league. It happened in the UTD game, AZ & yesterday.

Even though if we win our game in hand we'll be just 2pts behind Chelsea, as long as we don't sort the kepper situation out, don't add a Vieira type player to the midfield & cut out the thick things like what Song did to give the penalty away. (Cole went down a bit too easily but there was no need to be snapping at his heels in the box like Song was) I just can't see us winning it.

We need a Vieira type in the middle (not Vieira now but the Vieira of old), someone strong, a leader, someone to keep everyone awake for 95mins, someone to stop the team from relaxing and switching off.

With the Keeper, it seems AW has realised we aren't gonna win the league with Almunia (hell of a cold he's got) in goal, but he needs to realise that Manone is not the answer either. He's done well but surely he's not the solution now.

[SeanR]

if DJ goes to spurs cudicini'll be available...

I'm just saying...

[Lucas]

Cudicini is too good to be warming a bench. The problem is he seems to be happy warming benches, which I think is a little worrying.

[Rev]

if DJ goes to spurs cudicini'll be available...

I'm just saying...

I don't think he would be available. I think they'd just have 3. James seems a bit unlucky with injuries, Gomes is...patchy. Another would be useful for them to have, and they clearly don't mind having excess players in particular positions at the moment.

And as said above, it seems unlikely he would care about pushing for a transfer. He seems quite content being on the bench forever.

[redbloodcell]

He used to be awesome, but nowadays he is less so. Seems to be totally unwilling to come out and claim anything now which cost us quite a few goals when we had to use him.

[Rev]

He used to be awesome, but nowadays he is less so. Seems to be totally unwilling to come out and claim anything now which cost us quite a few goals when we had to use him.

He'd probably be more confident in net if they could provide him some sort of bench to sit on. Then he could treat claiming things as his occasional warm-up.

[Petrousgyre]

Hopefully these dog shit second half performances will be sorted out now-Man Utd,BHam, Az and now WH. We won't be winning the league by playing one amazing half and one shit one.

Agreed. Last season our boys would turn up half asleep and concede in the first half only to come out fighting in the second. This season we've got the first half down (bizarre opening few minutes against Standard Liege notwithstanding) then fall apart in the second. Very frustrating, we didn't play terribly against WH but I left the game more pessimistic then I've been of late that we'll win anything this season.

[Art Vandelay]

The penalty decision was awful, but the ref was obviously trying to make up for his decision not to award the really obvious one from 5 minutes before. We didn't do enough to win and you've got to commend Zola for making the changes to get back into it. We just coasted about thinking that 2 was enough when it obviously wasn't. Pretty dog shit performance all in all.

[FATEone]

He used to be awesome, but nowadays he is less so. Seems to be totally unwilling to come out and claim anything now which cost us quite a few goals when we had to use him.

Since he almost got Petr Cech'd.

[jayboy]

I know its a bit early but being a born and bred North Londoner I really look foward to the NLD....moreso than any other fixture.

I hope Arshavin gets his form back for this game and Manone is dropped.

I think Lennon, Defoe and Woodgate maybe out for Spurs, but then I guess they can slot in Bentley and Crouch who I can see causing problems.

What are peoples predictions?

[anders limpar]

I cannot fucking wait for Saturday. Massively fired up for it, the biggest game of the year by a country mile.

I predict an 11-0 with Eboue to beat Ted Drake's record and score eight. Bentley will rupture his anus trying to ride out a Vermaelen tackle with the team coach and their fans getting pelted with bagels from the Happening Bagel shop as they limp back up Seven Sisters Road.

(probably be a nervy 2-1 to us)

[Rev]

I hope Arshavin gets his form back for this game

That's a bit harsh.

[KRP]

I cannot fucking wait for Saturday. Massively fired up for it, the biggest game of the year by a country mile.

I predict an 11-0 with Eboue to beat Ted Drake's record and score eight. Bentley will rupture his anus trying to ride out a Vermaelen tackle with the team coach and their fans getting pelted with bagels from the Happening Bagel shop as they limp back up Seven Sisters Road.

(probably be a nervy 2-1 to us)

I don't have any confidence in Arsenal at the moment, hopefully 3-1.

[BlinkyBear]

Wenger finally feeling the pressure to deliver a trophy? The starting 11 tomorrow is VERY strong. I know we're playing a pretty strong team in Liverpool and probably using the chance to get some fitness in some of the returning players, but I just get the feeling that Wenger's not leaving anything to chance this year in many regards and will be doing all he can to get some silverware in.

Let's just hope we don't throw away a first half lead tomorrow eh?

[Lucky]

Wojciech Szczesny

Lukasz Fabianski

Philippe Senderos

Kyle Bartley

Mikael Silvestre

Kieran Gibbs

Kerrea Gilbert

Fran Merida

Francis Coquelin

Craig Eastmond

Emmanuel Frimpong

Aaron Ramsey

Mark Randall

Samir Nasri

Eduardo

Gilles Sunu

Nicklas Bendtner

Sanchez Watt

pretty strong squad

starting 11??

--------Fabianski

--Gilbert---Senderos---Silvestre---Gibbs

-------Nasri---Ramsey---Merida

------Watt---Bendtner---Eduardo

Would like to see Coquelin involved somehow as I'm really hopefull he'll be one of the few prospects that really go on and 'make it'

Gutted Wilshere is injured, and what's up with Vela?

maybe

-------Nasri---Coquelin---Ramsey

------Watt---Bendtner---Eduardo

[anders limpar]

Coquelin is very highly rated according to the savants/autistics that write Young Guns. Bit of a hard bastard by all accounts. Anyone rather than Diaby! I'd forgotten that Gilbert was still on the books...he was rank against West Brom, if Liverpool field a decent winger (Babel LOL) they could have him on toast.

Also, Merida has to start so that my amazing song for him can get another airing. It's a fucking smash.