[Jaspersharpe]

Speaking of players letting the manager and fans down ... match report from Hudds v L**ds http://www.htfc-world.com/reports/Leeds5/leeds011212.htm

Brilliant as usual.

[Jaspersharpe]

Bradford fans song last night was funny:

"Left cos you're shit, he left cos you're shit. Robin Van Persie he left cos you're shit."

How much worse can it get for Arsenal?

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

The Bantams are going to Wemberley!!!!!

Small matter of the semi-final first?

[Grubes]

How much worse can it get for Arsenal?

They could go out of the FA cup in the third round
Get knocked out of the champions league in the next round
Finish 5th in the premier league miss out on champions league and end up in the europa cup ..
Walcott leaves on a free at the end of the season and the rest of the squad have a mass exodus.
But Arsene keeps his job as manager ...
 

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Sent to Irthlingborough?

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/2012/12/11/coventry-city-plan-move-to-northamptonshire-92746-32403936/

[nai]

He may be disappointed with the performance (haven't seen it just read bits) but maybe not the result, and you can't help but admire his philosophy of not burdening the club with debt.

"My job is to deliver a team with the resources we have, and I have never complained about that,"

"I want a club to pay players from its own resources, there is no shame in that."

Some Arsenal fans may complain now but at some (near?) point in the future you have to suspect they will be extremely grateful for the guidance of the club through this current & recent period.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/9633456/Arsenal-manager-Arsene-Wenger-says-qualifying-for-Champions-League-on-a-par-with-winning-a-trophy.html#

[Snoops]

How much worse can it get for Arsenal?

They could go out of the FA cup in the third round
Get knocked out of the champions league in the next round
Finish 5th in the premier league miss out on champions league and end up in the europa cup ..
Walcott leaves on a free at the end of the season and the rest of the squad have a mass exodus.
But Arsene keeps his job as manager ...
 

This ramping on the Gunners all the time is a bit silly. Yes I'm not a very happy bunny at the moment, and it would be nice to be winning things, but Arsenal have given me an immense amount of pleasure over the past 30years.

When I was a  nipper we thought it was great if  we got anywhere near 5th place.

Lets also not forget that were it not for Billionaire Olligarchs and Sheikhs who have changed the face of top flight English football, we would have at least 2 premiership titles and maybe more over the past 7 years. Even Man Utd are paying Rooney and 'he who can't be named' 250 000 a week.

I'm not complaining, thats just how it is, and hopefully with the new shirt deals done recently, debt paid off on the new stadium, and financial fair play coming in, things will even out a bit more.
If it doesn't I'll still love em. (Doesn't change the fact that last night was pretty f**king embarrassing  )

[slackline]

 

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Hurrah!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20696090

BCAFC reinstated after "genuine mistake"

[Dr T]

I'm not complaining, thats just how it is, and hopefully with the new shirt deals done recently, debt paid off on the new stadium, and financial fair play coming in, things will even out a bit more.
If it doesn't I'll still love em. (Doesn't change the fact that last night was pretty f**king embarrassing  )

True dat...

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Compare

Contrast

FA impose lenient sanction for racism

FA complain to UEFA for imposing lenient sentence for racism.

[Plattsy]

You don't see this down t'Powerleague....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2012/dec/19/falcao-backheel-free-kick-video

[nai]

Rock Me 

Remember the shock of this at the time (and still hear about it now from Scottish rellies ):
http://www.footballwriters.co.uk/features/the-fax-behind-the-most-sensational-transfer-in-british-football/

[Dr T]

Been thinking about this for a week or so so thought I’d put some thoughts down…
A lot has been said about Arsenal letting too many players go recently.
So today's line up vs ex-players who are still playing
                                               Szczesny   (Almunia)

Sagna (Eboue) Mertesacker (Toure) Vermaelen (Gallas) Gibbs (Cole/Clichy)

                                    Arteta (Song) Wilshere (Flamini)

Oxlade-Chamberlain (Adebayor/Bendter) Cazorla (Fabrigas) Podolski (Nasri)

                                            Walcott (Van Persie)

Admittedly the Ox/Adebayor comparison is a mismatch in terms of position (although Bendter did play out on the right a bit…)

So if GREEN is the better player RED the inferior and ORANGE being much of a muchness on current form (injuries aside) how does it balance out?

Well if I'm right my assessment then the only real source of decline is in the center forward position (Giroud, and certainly any of the others, isn't up to the job either) - anyone else think that Walcott is really has center forward potential?? - so that's the problem.

Interesting that, individual for individual (again if I'm right) the back line doesn't show deterioration - so why the poor defensive form?? maybe the thoughts drift back to the days of the "old" back four when we think of how good (or otherwise) the Arsenal back four are.

No real conclusions just musings....

Now if we can have a better second half..... 

[Sasquatch]

Defensive form is not so bad, just seems a bit more fragile.  Same as offensive.  They just haven't seemed to find the right balance. 

I think the way you have it listed depends on how/when you are looking at the old players.  Toure and Gallas in 07-08 were very formidable centrebacks, Cole was a step up from Gibbs/Clichy, Adebayor/Bendtner played up top and would be compared to Giroud(not Walcott as he has mostly played out right) and of the 4 Giroud ranks 3rd(RVP,Ade,Giroud,Bendner), Cazorla is comparable w/ Cesc (not better), etc. 

[Dr T]

Defensive form is not so bad, just seems a bit more fragile.  Same as offensive.  They just haven't seemed to find the right balance. 

Probably true.....

I think the way you have it listed depends on how/when you are looking at the old players.

Going on current form - i.e. was Wenger right to let them go....

You raise a couple of interesting points - Bendtner for example should have been a centre forward but mostly played out on the wing with RVP in the middle - and when he did play in the middle he managed to miss too many from 2 yards out!

Cole was a step up from Gibbs/Clichy,

aye was...

Cazorla is comparable w/ Cesc (not better), etc.

maybe - he isn't getting a game at the moment as far as I've seen so.... - you're probably right though

[Snoops]

[quote author=Dr T l

Interesting that, individual for individual (again if I'm right) the back line doesn't show deterioration - so why the poor defensive form?? maybe the thoughts drift back to the days of the "old" back four when we think of how good (or otherwise) the Arsenal back four are.

No real conclusions just musings....

Now if we can have a better second half..... 
[/quote]

No regular left back. Gibbs great but a sick note.
Vermaelen making lots of mistakes.
No proper holding midfielder- song, arteta, are not in that mode.

[Dr T]

No proper holding midfielder- song, arteta, are not in that mode.

That's probably the key to it...

it's kinda four at the back (sometimes 2 if you consider that Gibbs and Sagna are more often wingers) and a front 6, with no real link/cover

The lad Jack has an engine and covers but is more useful going forward (as is Arteta)

Question is though - if there was a "proper" holding/defensive mid-fielder who would be sacrificed... (other than Ramsey the back heel king...)

Frimpong isn't likely to make the grade, Coquelin looks like a good midfield prospect but is he tough enough?

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Surralecks -

No matter how many times you renew your subscription to the ABU club, or your lifetime membership and covenant in your will so they get your money free from inheritance tax liabilities - sometimes, he just puts his finger on the nubbin, doesn't he?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/28/sir-alex-ferguson-alan-pardew

It is unfortunate but I am the manager of the most famous club in the world. Not Newcastle, a wee club in the north-east.

[Snoops]

No proper holding midfielder- song, arteta, are not in that mode.

Question is though - if there was a "proper" holding/defensive mid-fielder who would be sacrificed... (other than Ramsey the back heel king...)

Frimpong isn't likely to make the grade, Coquelin looks like a good midfield prospect but is he tough enough?

Not IMHO. We need to buy a big, tough, holding midfielder, tell Walcott to fuck off and buy a good striker. Sorted.

[Dr T]

No proper holding midfielder- song, arteta, are not in that mode.

Question is though - if there was a "proper" holding/defensive mid-fielder who would be sacrificed... (other than Ramsey the back heel king...)

Frimpong isn't likely to make the grade, Coquelin looks like a good midfield prospect but is he tough enough?

Not IMHO. We need to buy a big, tough, holding midfielder, tell Walcott to fuck off and buy a good striker. Sorted.

 prob' true - good squad player but not tough enough to be a defensive mid
a few percentage points shy of being a starter
useful to have though...

Think Nico Yannaris might be a one for the future two having seen him play a bit same for Jernade Meade

agreed that Theo isn't the future up front, Giroud hasn't been given a fair shout IMHO but another striker would be really welcome (and I don't mean getting Bendter back)...

[Dr T]

Wenger, Wenger
Sign him up
 

[tomtom]

Only 7 scored.. Sack him

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

How football transfers and loans work in the age of the Twittersphere -


https://twitter.com/fieldproducer/status/286559922634756096/photo/1

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Kevin-Prince Boateng -

Probably did more in about 20 minutes of football than UEFA and Platini have done in more than 50 years.


[As a commonwealth citizen, is he eligible for inclusion in the "Birthday Honours"?]