Up the Arse! Goons Thread

[Cruyff14]

That's because United are rubbish now at CB, so are Liverpool if you count them. Don't think he'd start at City either.

Vermaelen is no good at all. I lose all confidence when I see his name on the team sheet.

 

[glenferry23]

Signing a world class CAM was just as important.

Vermaelen may not be as good as Per or Kos but he is still a good defender and would be a starter at every other top club bar Chelsea. Vermaelen territory comes of very harsh.

He's had some poor moments when called upon in big games, hence my trepidation. Not sure he would start for City but probably most others.

 

[charcoalchicken]

Vermaelen is no good at all.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that, granted he had a dip in form and lost his confidence he is still top quality back up if either Kos or Per go down, Kos and Per though are pretty close to the best CB pairing in the league if not the very best and are a very big reason as to why we are doing so well this season.

As everyone knows a massive couple of months ahead of us with huge games just about every week this run is going to determine where we finish.
I honestly thought it was pretty much over when City got on top last week but we have had some good fortune with the City v Chelsea result putting us back on top 2 points clear.

I honestly kind of expect us to drop a couple of games coming up and probably slip from top spot we don't seem to fair too well against City/Chelsea/Utd (even though they are quite poor this season).

We have Liverpool away, Utd home, Stoke away, Tottenham away, Chelsea away, City home & Everton away with Sunderland, Swansea, West Ham, Hull, Newcastle, West Brom & Norwich as games we should win but take into account most of these teams will be fighting to avoid relegation.
Norwich away last game of the season may be huge too and decide where we finish as I'd imagine they would probably be pretty close to a must win game to avoid relegation, looking at that it ain't easy not by a long stretch.

But considering our competition will be playing a lot of relegation battlers and each other I doubt it's much easier for them too.

Managing our squad is absolute key here, injuries need to be avoided like the plague and we need Ramsey back and to his best coming home, Walcott I feel is a massive blow I get the feeling he would have been huge, banging them in during the run home as players tire from another gruelling season.

We need everyone to play amazingly well this run home and we need more goals from Cazorla, The Ox, Ozil, Ramsey, Giroud, Podolski, Wilshere and Rosicky.

If were going to win it it has to come from our pretty damn impressive and interchangeable midfield and our defence has to hold up which I have faith in.

We're in front so we are in the best possible position to be in, yes the two behind us are pretty daunting, but they are just that behind us.
It's in our hands we just have to do it.

 

[moomba]

Not sure Chelsea winning was that great a result for you lot. Draw was probably the only good result for you.

 

[glenferry23]

Ozil will need to be at his best for us to overcome the next two months. Against Bayern in particular.

 

[Shoei]

Ozil is not a player who controls a game. He is someone who drifts in and out of it and will pop up with a moment of brilliance to change the game.

People also need to remember the difference between the La Liga and Premier league.

Ozil comes from a Real Madrid team that was scoring 100+ goals a season, in a league where most teams just roll over and have their bellies tickled.

Now hes playing in a league where space is at a premium, teams know how to defend and you can't just do what you like.

It's something that he has to learn to do and hopefully after this season he'll be back on top.

 

[Flapjacks]

I disagree Bendtner is a fine 3rd choice striker he hasn't put a foot wrong in the games he has played this season.
Ideally we move him on and upgrade on Giroud but its easier said then done

 

[Cruyff14]

I disagree Bendtner is a fine 3rd choice striker he hasn't put a foot wrong in the games he has played this season.
Ideally we move him on and upgrade on Giroud but its easier said then done

So who's our second choice?

 

[Flapjacks]

So who's our second choice?

Podolski...

 

[glenferry23]

Walcott really is our second choice, when fit obviously. Podolski, albeit in only a handful of attempts, has been pretty unimpressive in the striker's role. Not sure where he stands in Wenger's view, next summer will be interesting especially if we go for a big name like Costa or Draxler.

 

[7zark7]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that, granted he had a dip in form and lost his confidence he is still top quality back up if either Kos or Per go down, Kos and Per though are pretty close to the best CB pairing in the league if not the very best and are a very big reason as to why we are doing so well this season.
.

Ever since his failed clearance last season that went to straight to RVP for a goal was the moment that I lost complete faith in him.

 

[horj89]

Ozil has been solid this season without being outstanding. Its his first year so it will take a some time to adjust. Look at Giroud, he has improved out of sight in his second season.

 

[iffstarz]

Not sure Chelsea winning was that great a result for you lot. Draw was probably the only good result for you.

We needed to know City could be beat with the right tactics, discipline and players. Gives us hope not only in our return leg but also its a reminder that City may drop points in the run home.

 

[moomba]

We were always going to drop points in the run home, even if we beat Chelsea.

But a draw would have kept them 5 points behind. Now its 3 and you've still got to play there.

 

[NTRabbit]

The only good result for us in that game was a draw, and a City win was preferable to a Chelsea win. Chelsea now goes into the final third of the season riding high on having done to the favourites City what nobody else has done all season and in 50 games, and in perfect position to bolt home at the end.

City win would have seen us behind, but knocked Chelsea off the tail and left us more or less playing chicken with City

 

[knife]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26051271

"Reported Arsenal target Julian Draxler is not interested in joining European champions Bayern Munich, according to his current club Schalke's chairman."

 

[NTRabbit]

Pretty sure that's because Schalke actually want to keep him

 

[glenferry23]

True, they have no need to sell unless the price is right. Interesting their chairman said a few days ago that only one club bid for them in January, and it wasn't Arsenal, it was a team 'north of them'.

 

[Northalives]

People also need to remember the difference between the La Liga and Premier league.

Ozil comes from a Real Madrid team that was scoring 100+ goals a season, in a league where most teams just roll over and have their bellies tickled.

Now hes playing in a league where space is at a premium, teams know how to defend and you can't just do what you like.

It's something that he has to learn to do and hopefully after this season he'll be back on top.

That's a really good observation I reckon.

The EPL is far more intense for the whole 96-100 minutes of football than La Liga and other leagues and given Arsenal's less than quality fitness/recovery regimes(in my opinion), Ozil is bound to be a whole lot better next season which is quite a scary proposition for other sides.

 

[windyhill]

3-1 Arse

 

[charcoalchicken]

hoping for the win and thinking we probably will

I'll go with the 1 - 3 scoreline too predicting Cazorla to get a brace and Giroud with the other one.

 

[Benno_900]

No Agger or Sakho. Agent Kolo to start!

Predicting a 2-1 win. Santi with both goals.

 

[monty1104]

Hoping for a big win. Watching the game amongst Liverpool supporters.

 

[glenferry23]

Szcesczny
Sagna Koscielny Mertesacker Gibbs
Arteta Wilshere
Ox Ozil Cazorla
Giroud

Wilshere if fit should start in CM for me, if not Rosicky. Gibbs I believe is the better LB and should be in ahead of Monreal. I know what Wenger wants to do long term with Ox but feel he should be out on the right for this one, with Santi back to the left squeezing out Podolski.

Don't believe we'll keep them scoreless, but backing us to win 2-1.

 

[Zidane98]

Ramsey not playing gives us a chance but few clubs anywhere can manage without their entire back 5 against a team of Arsenal's quality. 2-3 to you lot I reckon.

Any chance you lot can take Foo Kin NoOne on loan? He isn't doing anything for our thin squad.