Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[gerry]

all well, another day of gooner slagging at work to look forward to

[Dinny Breen]

Don't think the arse deserved that, beaten by City's only shot on target.

Still the absence of RVP really shows up the lack of a quality replacement, Park and Chamakh just huffed and puffed.

Still the Kos, Ox, Frimpong and Coquelin were Arsenal's best players and the effort and commitment is definitely gone a up a level from previous seasons.

Probably not the worst thing in the world to get knocked out as the semi-final's normally come around the UCL time and the Arse squad is too short on real quality to compete on all fronts.

[Dinny Breen]

Jamie Redknapp talking about Ox-Chamberlain's manly physique, surreal moment there...

[ONeill]

Rumours of a Frimpong/Nasri fight in the tunnel. Feck sake Frimpong. That's not fair.

[Dinny Breen]

Rumours of a Frimpong/Nasri fight in the tunnel. Feck sake Frimpong. That's not fair.

Frimpong took off his jersey to reveal a t-shirt the said BENCH. He then walked over to Nasri and stood right in front of him so he knew who Frimpong was talking about.

[Bingo]

Dinny/O'Neill, thought i'd take it over here.

Culching at straws - don't think so. Two games don't make Koscienly a success, sure Downing was MOTM V Sunderland. Kosciencly has largely struggled badly to date - so he improved in the last few games and suddenly he is a success. While Henderson and Downing haven't struggled but have yet to justify their fee and they are doomed to failure.

I'm sure that a a majority of Arsenal fans are happy with stats, MOTM awards, international caps, profit on transfers etc to judge a season and team but the main area i look at it is the end of season positions. When Arsenal have spent big to compliment their so called golden generation from the youth ranks I would expect that the money would result in trophies - in the last 5/6 years Arsenal are drifting further away from the top spot, no trophies, plenty of question marks. If Arsenal had spent wisely they wouldn't be in that position.

Liverpool have spent very well in comparison - Suarez, Adam, Enrqiue, Reina. Of course we've had some bad buys. But the 3 you single out far from bad buys at this stage.

[Dinny Breen]

If Arsenal had spent wisely they wouldn't be in that position.

Arsenal are a meritocratically run club, they do spend wisely that is why they are in the position they are, Wenger would look at Carroll and Henderson and see young potential but would he spend £55m on potential not a hope in hell. Liverpool have gambled this season, failure to make the UCL will set them back, for all that investment they are still not in the top four standings and are level on points with Arsenal who had only 4 points from their first 5 games. Liverpool can't wait for the Carroll and Henderson to develop and they would have expected Downing to hit the ground running, they haven't and are looking at the moment like very poor signings.

Most Arsenal fans have no ludicrous sense of entitlement and as long as commitment, attitude and effort is maintained then they tend to be happy with their lot although O'Neill and Gerry might disagree.

I think if Spurs get through January in the same position, they'll finish top 4, Chelsea's results are not to be unexpected as any coach will tell you that a change in style nearly always results in short-term pain, Man U reverted back to their awful crap after their early season promise was wiped out by the Man City result, so I expect Chelsea if they stick with AVB to be very good in the new year and real challengers next season. Man City will win it and I think Arsenal and Liverpool's lack of dept will mean they will miss out, all that could change after January mind.

[Bingo]

If Arsenal had spent wisely they wouldn't be in that position.

Arsenal are a meritocratically run club, they do spend wisely that is why they are in the position they are, Wenger would look at Carroll and Henderson and see young potential but would he spend £55m on potential not a hope in hell. Liverpool have gambled this season, failure to make the UCL will set them back, for all that investment they are still not in the top four standings and are level on points with Arsenal who had only 4 points from their first 5 games. Liverpool can't wait for the Carroll and Henderson to develop and they would have expected Downing to hit the ground running, they haven't and are looking at the moment like very poor signings.

Most Arsenal fans have no ludicrous sense of entitlement and as long as commitment, attitude and effort is maintained then they tend to be happy with their lot although O'Neill and Gerry might disagree.

I think if Spurs get through January in the same position, they'll finish top 4, Chelsea's results are not to be unexpected as any coach will tell you that a change in style nearly always results in short-term pain, Man U reverted back to their awful crap after their early season promise was wiped out by the Man City result, so I expect Chelsea if they stick with AVB to be very good in the new year and real challengers next season. Man City will win it and I think Arsenal and Liverpool's lack of dept will mean they will miss out, all that could change after January mind.

I agree largely with that - not much in many of the teams fighting for 3/4 places and a few points could separate the lot.

I think Liverpools squad has largely improved and we have options now we never had - no way could we have gone to Chelsea and rest some of our main players and still get a win in the past. I genuinely think that our squad is stronger while arsenals is going the other way.

Also by spending wisely i meant targetting the right areas - namely goalkeeper and CB, even in CM the last few years. I think Arsenal could have taken one of the recent league titles had they a decent keeper, another strong CB and a strong defensive midfielder. For years they have had a weak spine that got exposed and cost them a league title and a cup or two.

[Carntogher]

Dinny/O'Neill, thought i'd take it over here.

Culching at straws - don't think so. Two games don't make Koscienly a success, sure Downing was MOTM V Sunderland. Kosciencly has largely struggled badly to date - so he improved in the last few games and suddenly he is a success. While Henderson and Downing haven't struggled but have yet to justify their fee and they are doomed to failure.

I'm sure that a a majority of Arsenal fans are happy with stats, MOTM awards, international caps, profit on transfers etc to judge a season and team but the main area i look at it is the end of season positions. When Arsenal have spent big to compliment their so called golden generation from the youth ranks I would expect that the money would result in trophies - in the last 5/6 years Arsenal are drifting further away from the top spot, no trophies, plenty of question marks. If Arsenal had spent wisely they wouldn't be in that position.

Liverpool have spent very well in comparison - Suarez, Adam, Enrqiue, Reina. Of course we've had some bad buys. But the 3 you single out far from bad buys at this stage.

You are way off the mark on Koscielny.  He has been outstanding all season and earned a call up and start for France in the last Euro qualifying game.  I doubt you have watched every one of his performances this season before reaching your conclusion.

Henderson, Carroll, Downing....all vastly overpriced, Kenny just throwing enough of mud and hoping some of it sticks....a real scattergun approach that has reaped success (suarez, adam, enrique) and failure.  The 100 plus million could have been far better spent.

[Bingo]

You are way off the mark on Koscielny.  He has been outstanding all season and earned a call up and start for France in the last Euro qualifying game.  I doubt you have watched every one of his performances this season before reaching your conclusion.

Henderson, Carroll, Downing....all vastly overpriced, Kenny just throwing enough of mud and hoping some of it sticks....a real scattergun approach that has reaped success (suarez, adam, enrique) and failure.  The 100 plus million could have been far better spent.

Yes by all accounts Koscienly has been better this year but has this improvement not been more recent since Varmalen and Arteta has come into the team and the whole team has had more balance. I don't watch him too closely but Arsenal have looked shakey at the back when he the main CB.

Henderson has impressed at times - Chelsea 1-1 in league he comes on, tightens up midfield and impresses as the game turns and Liverpool win 1-2. Its far from failure, Downing the same. Has yet to hit the heights but he's not exactly on the scraphead yet.

I hope you's didn't take the same approach with Henry when he signed for Arsenal  - rate a player on the 1st Dec and class him a failure.

[gerry]

 125 years today

[gerry]

we are up 5th tonight on motd, good to see others scorers than rvp


1. Newcastle/Chelsea, 2. Man City/Norwich, 3. Blackburn/Swansea, 4. Spurs/Bolton, 5. Wigan/Arsenal, 6. Villa/Man Utd, 7. QPR/WBA.

[gerry]

jasus lada no posts on our 4 0 win today. is o'neill and dinny dead?  if its that quiet on here when we win 4  0.      i will give here a miss when we meet city in two weeks

[Dinny Breen]

jasus lada no posts on our 4 0 win today. is o'neill and dinny dead?  if its that quiet on here when we win 4  0.      i will give here a miss when we meet city in two weeks

Na, just don't get to see many Saturday games but watched MOTD there, comfortable enough and a good cure to last weeks European hangover. A really like the balance of the way Arsenal are playing and the directness of their wing play is a tonic to all the tippy tappy toothlessness of the Cesc era. Whisper it but I think Arsenal will get something out of the City game, Arsenal fans have a lot of hostility towards them and motivation for the players won't be a problem (a chance to showcase their talents to their next club as well  ). A defence that contains both Richards and Clichy will give up chances and the new direct approach means Arsenal aren't as frivolous plus corners are now a threat with the Verminator...

Up to 5th and the treble is still on.....

[ONeill]

jasus lada no posts on our 4 0 win today. is o'neill and dinny dead?  if its that quiet on here when we win 4  0.      i will give here a miss when we meet city in two weeks

Na, just don't get to see many Saturday games but watched MOTD there, comfortable enough and a good cure to last weeks European hangover. A really like the balance of the way Arsenal are playing and the directness of their wing play is a tonic to all the tippy tappy toothlessness of the Cesc era. Whisper it but I think Arsenal will get something out of the City game, Arsenal fans have a lot of hostility towards them and motivation for the players won't be a problem (a chance to showcase their talents to their next club as well  ). A defence that contains both Richards and Clichy will give up chances and the new direct approach means Arsenal aren't as frivolous plus corners are now a threat with the Verminator...

Up to 5th and the treble is still on.....

Walcott seems to be able to ride the physical stuff these last few months. I've noticed a more aggressive streak to his game recently too and it seems to be paying off. Still relatively brain-dead in terms of creative football but he's giving full backs a bit of a headache with pace and strength. Again it was good to see the work-rate. Song, Gervinho and Arteta gave the centre backs as little to do as possible by working their balls off. The Verminator spent a lot of the time in their half - even for Arteta's goal I think he was the player closing in on the keeper.

Starting to stroke the ball about too. Beating the teams they should. Need to keep winning as Spurs don't seem to be letting up. Just finish above Spurs.