Up the Arse! Goons Thread

[PendlePie]

You could say he has been quite average/poor since coming in for Per after the Chelsea game (certainly lacked confidence) but the reason I would stick with him is the potential of Gab/Kos if successful far out ways the current centre back partnership of Per/Kos, which is good but limited.

Pretty much.

Arseblog wrote an interesting piece on it earlier. Pretty much saying that Gabriel or Kos with Per are probably the two combinations whereby each centre half compliments the other as well as possible. He also noted how pairing Kos with Gabriel doesn't make us immune to quicker players, counter attacking sides, etc - which is true.

Gabriel and Kos will be the medium-term defensive partnership at the club, and while they still have improvement left as a pair and are doing fine, we should stick with it.

 

[mikeh]

I thought we were very lucky not to concede 2 goals in the 2nd half and "do a Liverpool" which was fresh in my mind from the previous night. The only thing that prevented it was a combination of Bournemouths poor finishing and Cechs brilliant keeping. Honestly I was biting my nails all the way through the 2nd half and only relaxed in the 2nd minute of injury time. Arsenal are not good sitting back defending a lead and they would have been better off pushing for a 3rd to put the game away early in the 2nd half. Instead we saw wave after wave of cherry attacks driven by a dominant midfield. Ozil was very good although sometimes I think his mind works too fast for the other Arsenal players so often his work goes to waste. Sanchez was OK and will be better for that run. Giroud looks out of touch. Ramsey and Bellerin were serviceable. Like you other guys I have no idea why Flamini started rather then Coq and he was very lucky to stay on the ground IMO.
Different approach needed next week. If we sit back like we did on Sunday, Vardy and co will cut us to ribbons. I am hoping for a start like we made against Man U and blow them out of the water. Its still there for them if they want it badly enough.

 

[NTRabbit]

Because Coquelin is being managed and he didn't need to start against Bournemouth.

I still think you're going to see the same problem, to a lesser extent because of the speed difference, when Coquelin plays against Leicester, because he'll still have to partner Ramsey, who still stubbornly refuses to do the job he's supposed to be doing.

 

[windyhill]

Arsenal halftime/full time,bet of the week.

 

[Benno_900]

Cech
Bellerin - Gabriel - Koscielny - Monreal
Coquelin - Ramsey
Campbell - Ozil - Sanchez
Giroud

Play that team on Sunday and we win.

 

[Cruyff14]

Coquelin back is huge, without him playing I would be a lot less confident.

 

[glenferry23]

Campbell was quite unlucky to be dropped, hoping he starts this weekend. Despite Ox's goal, he wasn't that impressive otherwise.

But get the feeling Wenger will persist with either Walcott or Ox ahead of Campbell on the right.

 

[bok_party]

Wenger on Ox:

I think Alex is too harsh with himself and he allows himself to get too down.

It’s not so much a lack of confidence, it’s more he has such a high expectation level that he is very demanding of his own performances.

But he is only 22 and we forget these guys are still very, very young. At the start of your career you are a talent and then you become more efficient.

Alex is now getting to the age where he will be most efficient as a player. But an automatic choice does not exist in our job, especially at big clubs.

 

[elhadjihenry]

Campbell was quite unlucky to be dropped, hoping he starts this weekend. Despite Ox's goal, he wasn't that impressive otherwise.

But get the feeling Wenger will persist with either Walcott or Ox ahead of Campbell on the right.

Walcott will be next to useless against Leicester as they will sit back and completely stifle his pace, really hope he doesn't start. Need a player with dribbling ability and vision so surely it will be Campbell or Ox.

 

[glenferry23]

Walcott will be next to useless against Leicester as they will sit back and completely stifle his pace, really hope he doesn't start. Need a player with dribbling ability and vision so surely it will be Campbell or Ox.

Agreed. We need dribbling ability against Leicester (and most sides in fact). Campbell is a vastly superior dribbler than Ox and Walcott.

Which means he'll be on the bench.

 

[PendlePie]

Agreed. We need dribbling ability against Leicester (and most sides in fact). Campbell is a vastly superior dribbler than Ox and Walcott.

Which means he'll be on the bench.

The more you think about it, the more it's obvious that this match is absolutely defining for the club. Obviously it's huge for our title hopes, but by extension it's absolutely massive for Wenger.

How and where we finish this season will be significant in determining how the back end of his career is viewed. This is the best title chance we've had for years. The most important game of the season is here, and there's a chance for Wenger to respond to all those criticisms of the last several years - re: tactical decisions, team selection (criticism of which leads fans to believe deserving players won't get a game over coaches pets and chronically shit players), execution, nerve, etc.

Put in a shit performance, draw or lose, and it's as you were. Nothing changes. But if he executes everything right this weekend, if we come away with the win, then not only are we a decent title chance but the fans will truly believe that there's something more than the customary top 4 finish ahead.

Absolute huge week. The biggest for us since the back end of 2013/14 - if not before that.

 

[elhadjihenry]

Agreed. We need dribbling ability against Leicester (and most sides in fact). Campbell is a vastly superior dribbler than Ox and Walcott.

Which means he'll be on the bench.

Campbell's defensive habits will be needed in this one too, he and Sanchez will have a lot of work to do to help out the fullbacks which I don't see Walcott or Ox doing much of.

Cech
Bellerin - Gabriel - Koscielny - Monreal
Coquelin - Ramsey
Campbell - Ozil - Sanchez
Giroud

Play that team on Sunday and we win.

This team selection is a no-brainer to be honest, lets see if Wenger has a brain this week

 

[HODGEYROAD]

If Wenger can't win the Title and Leicester or Tottenham do then he needs to walk away.

 

[Benno_900]

This team selection is a no-brainer to be honest, lets see if Wenger has a brain this week

I bet he will select Per and Ox.

 

[glenferry23]

I bet he will select Per and Ox.

Ospina a good chance too.

 

[Benno_900]

Ospina a good chance too.

Let's not go crazy here.

 

[Latro]

 

[Latro]

 

[glenferry23]

Interesting reading. Who is he Lats? A journalist?

 

[Latro]

Interesting reading. Who is he Lats? A journalist?

Financial columnist for Inside World Football according to his twitter bio.

 

[glenferry23]

Financial columnist for Inside World Football according to his twitter bio.

Fair enough. Would be interesting to see what his associated debt levels are in his other entities. Very difficult to tell at that institutional level given the complexity of their group structure.

The Arsenal Group wouldn't be guarantors or similar to KSE, but can understand why it would be important they maintain a strong balance sheet and continue to provide him with distributions.

 

[undefined]

Exhibit #1749272 that our two major shareholders are complete plagues on the club.

 

[mikeh]

The more you think about it, the more it's obvious that this match is absolutely defining for the club. Obviously it's huge for our title hopes, but by extension it's absolutely massive for Wenger.

How and where we finish this season will be significant in determining how the back end of his career is viewed. This is the best title chance we've had for years. The most important game of the season is here, and there's a chance for Wenger to respond to all those criticisms of the last several years - re: tactical decisions, team selection (criticism of which leads fans to believe deserving players won't get a game over coaches pets and chronically shit players), execution, nerve, etc.

Put in a shit performance, draw or lose, and it's as you were. Nothing changes. But if he executes everything right this weekend, if we come away with the win, then not only are we a decent title chance but the fans will truly believe that there's something more than the customary top 4 finish ahead.

Absolute huge week. The biggest for us since the back end of 2013/14 - if not before that.

I'm sure Leicester would be hoping that Flamini is in the starting XI again

 

[kreglze]

Good news for our depth. Welbeck could be good to play as early as next week against Hull.

Also Wilshere and Cazorla are only a few weeks away.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Good news for our depth. Welbeck could be good to play as early as next week against Hull.

Also Wilshere and Cazorla are only a few weeks away.

ROFL