Up the Arse! Goons Thread

[bok_party]

I appreciate the optimism, but this club has far too many deficiencies across the board - with these deficiencies being exposed more and more regularly now.

The loss hasn't ruined our title chances today as much as the attitude and ineptness on display from almost everyone involved. So many players simply didn't give a shit because they know they're safe and the manager's safe and not winning a title doesn't matter - because "we're Arsenal and top four will do and Wenger will look after us" is the prevailing mentality. Ffs, Ramsey barely broke a sweat all day, Alexis still isn't playing the team game, both Ramsey and Walcott can't even be arsed running into good areas. Then United have Rashford who isn't afraid to put a shit in on debut and give it a red hot crack. Worlds apart in attitudes, and it's ******* appalling and not good enough.

Zero accountability leads to this sort of culture, and this sort of culture won't disappear quickly.

The worst United team in 20+ years and still can't beat them at OT.

The squad has too many holes in it and that's Wenger's fault. The team selections are borderline sadistic,the players are in terrible form/injured/mistake ridden, there's negativity, stagnation and a sense of defeat around the club.

As an Eagles fan it looks like Worsfold's last seasons as coach, after 11 years the coaching was old, the players were past it and the fans had lost hope. The only difference is that Worsfold couldn't spend his way out of it.

It's one thing to say nobody saw Leicester's crazy season happening but If Spurs win the title this year then he should walk or be sacked.



Theoretically this team still can, realistically this team can't.

Since January we've won 3 league games - A last second winner against 10 man Leicester, A late goal against Newcastle in a game we were dominated in and a 2-0 win against Bournemouth. 3 wins in 8 games.

We've taken 8 points from the last 6 games. If it wasn't for the last minute winner against Leicester we would have 6 points from 6 games.

Tottenham have 18 from 6
Leicester have 13
Chelsea have 12
Man United have 10

It's one thing to say we are playing well and just not getting any luck but we don't even have that defense. We don't even look like scoring let alone playing well.

We have Swansea (H) and Tottenham (A) next, anything less than 6 points ends our season and if we are being completely fair, end Wenger's position as manager.

We can't go into next season in the same position with Guardiola at Man City, Potentially Mou at Man United and whoever Chelsea replace Huddink with. Ridiculous sums of money are going to be spent fixing those squads and if Wenger is still going to persist with this squad we are going to be in a world of pain.

Again, I don't disagree with either of you but five points isn't a lot. All it takes is for us to beat Spurs and Leicester to draw or lose and we are two points behind again. Our mentality is shot at the moment and that's the stumbling block. I'm not as optimistic as I once was earlier in the season but I just can't rule out that we can still win it.

For all the blame Wenger gets (some of his team selections can be baffling), the onus is on the players too. Some of these campaigners are just not up to scratch. Gabriel isn't good enough for top games yet, Walcott goes missing as does Ramsey and Sanchez is out of touch. This is Wenger needs to be ruthless and make some tough decisions (which he won't) if he really wants to win this title.

 

[go you pups]

Spurs the make it or break it fixture, no doubt.

Make it or break it week I think for both our teams. We have 2 derbies and West Ham have been brilliant at home this season (IIRC only Bournemouth have beaten them at home in that weird 4-3 game). Will be a tough game to get a result in I feel, even though we smashed them 4-1 last time at WHL.

At least you play Swansea at home, they were honest this morning but they couldn't handle our constant wave of counter attacks, then the NLD on Saturday night, we never beat you guys convincingly in these games (apart from that League Cup semi final a few years ago), if we ever win recently they're always hard fought 2-1s or 3-2s. It'll be a tough hard fought game, and I reckon whoever's squad is in better shape will probably win with the large amount of fixtures both teams have.

I have similar theories with Arsenal to Liverpool, though you guys are more potent in attack than Liverpool and your defence is much more accomplished, but I think they both need commanding types throughout the spine of the team, a big commander at CB (not Mert, too slow) and a big holding mid would do both teams the world of good that they can build around.

 

[PendlePie]

I think they both need commanding types throughout the spine of the team, a big commander at CB (not Mert, too slow) and a big holding mid would do both teams the world of good that they can build around.

Lol. You, me, everyone else can see this - but apparently our manager can't.

For too long we've relied on stop-gap players to fulfil crucial squad roles. Mert, Flamini, Arteta...the list goes on. These players simply shouldn't be on the list of a club contending for a title - and if they are, they should be used sparingly.

We (consistently) turn down opportunities to sign players who would clearly improve the side. It's hard to stomach Wenger's bullshit "there aren't many quality players available" excuse when Tottenham go and sign Alderweireld, West Ham sign Payet or Stoke sign Shaqiri. As Bojan noted, we have an abundance of technically gifted fairies getting regular game time. Ramsey and Walcott don't bleed for the jumper like Kane or Vardy do. Ramsey has shown his true colours over the past two weeks - bitching out of a 50/50 with Schmeichel, and this morning's 2/10 display against United. For someone who's career was almost taken away from him, you'd think he'd have a bit more ticker and resilience than he's demonstrated over the past couple years. He and Walcott are by far the biggest disappointments in this wreck of a season. Weak ******* pricks. Our English contingent is the worst in the league and Wenger has to wear that.

Wenger's excuses don't cut it anymore. This situation is entirely his fault - he starts horribly out of form players like Walcott expecting what exactly? He hasn't tried moving Alexis to CF to help him find form, he hasn't tried starting a stronger and more tactically astute Elneny instead of Ramsey at DM, and in several years still hasn't found a solution to our lack of a quality second CB and RM.

For the past several years we've failed dismally when the whips get cracking, but this season is, by far, the most spectacular fail of them all. We're a car crash club, as Windy mentioned. The Richmond of the EPL. This culture won't change while the same manager is in charge.

 

[RickSanchez]

Ramsey is the most overrated footballer we have had in a while.
He had 1 fantastic season and has been ****ing average since.
I'd sell that guy in a heartbeat for someone who gives a crap.
I know we're all super negative at the moment but when you deal with this shit for so many years, of course you're gonna be pissed off.
I'm a ****ing Freo fan as well so I don't know shit about success.
Thank god GSW are an amazing side and give me some sporting joy.

 

[bok_party]

Make it or break it week I think for both our teams. We have 2 derbies and West Ham have been brilliant at home this season (IIRC only Bournemouth have beaten them at home in that weird 4-3 game). Will be a tough game to get a result in I feel, even though we smashed them 4-1 last time at WHL.

At least you play Swansea at home, they were honest this morning but they couldn't handle our constant wave of counter attacks, then the NLD on Saturday night, we never beat you guys convincingly in these games (apart from that League Cup semi final a few years ago), if we ever win recently they're always hard fought 2-1s or 3-2s. It'll be a tough hard fought game, and I reckon whoever's squad is in better shape will probably win with the large amount of fixtures both teams have.

I have similar theories with Arsenal to Liverpool, though you guys are more potent in attack than Liverpool and your defence is much more accomplished, but I think they both need commanding types throughout the spine of the team, a big commander at CB (not Mert, too slow) and a big holding mid would do both teams the world of good that they can build around.

Per is positionally great and is a good leader. That's what he makes up for in a lack of pace. To workaround his lack of speed, we should be sitting that little bit deeper and win the ball that way.

 

[PendlePie]

Ramsey is a pretender. Spurs and Leicester have about 3 midfielders each who have gone well past Ramsey this season.

Nothing worse than players without ticker, and we have a fair few of them.

 

[go you pups]

Lol. You, me, everyone else can see this - but apparently our manager can't.

For too long we've relied on stop-gap players to fulfil crucial squad roles. Mert, Flamini, Arteta...the list goes on. These players simply shouldn't be on the list of a club contending for a title - and if they are, they should be used sparingly.

We (consistently) turn down opportunities to sign players who would clearly improve the side. It's hard to stomach Wenger's bullshit "there aren't many quality players available" excuse when Tottenham go and sign Alderweireld, West Ham sign Payet or Stoke sign Shaqiri. As Bojan noted, we have an abundance of technically gifted fairies getting regular game time. Ramsey and Walcott don't bleed for the jumper like Kane or Vardy do. Ramsey has shown his true colours over the past two weeks - bitching out of a 50/50 with Schmeichel, and this morning against United. For someone who's career was almost taken away from him, you'd think he'd have a bit more ticker and resilience than he's demonstrated over the past couple of years. He and Walcott are by far the biggest disappointment of this wreck of a season. Weak ******* pricks. Our English contingent is the worst in the league.

Wenger's excuses don't cut it anymore. This situation is entirely his fault - he starts horribly out of form players like Walcott expecting what exactly? He hasn't tried moving Alexis to CF to help him find form, he hasn't tried starting a stronger and more tactically astute Elneny instead of Ramsey at DM, and in several years still hasn't found a solution to our lack of a quality second CB and RM.

For the past several years we've failed dismally when the whips get cracking, but this season is, by far, the most spectacular fail of them all. We're a car crash club, as Windy mentioned. The Richmond of the EPL. This culture won't change while the same manager is in charge.

I don't think you're the Richmond of the EPL, imo we are with a mix of the Dogs (etc 5th placed finishes, always falling short of CL, the spursiness etc).

Yeah a new manager with new ideas, having his say on the squad etc is the best thing forward for you guys, as what a few of you guys said, if Spurs win the league or finish ahead of you lot, it could be the best thing long-term for you lot. You lot historically have been winners and it's not the Arsenal way just being content with CL qualification and R16 exits, his CL performances have been poor since you lot lost to Man Utd in that knockout final like 7-8 years ago also.

Anyways, good luck with this week, we can only hope Leicester has a banana peel moment midweek while our teams win, then bring on the Derby.

 

[go you pups]

Per is positionally great and is a good leader. That's what he makes up for in a lack of pace. To workaround his lack of speed, we should be sitting that little bit deeper and win the ball that way.

I think he is tactically excellent too which is why he's been an established German international for years, but he's getting older now and I don't think a manager should change his tactics to suit any one player. Reminds me of Michael Dawson somewhat, tactically he is solid, but he was slow as treacle and a big reason why AVB defensively could never get it together for us. I thought AVB had the right ideas, but he didn't have the right cavalry/players bought in to do the job and relied on goals from Bale, Dempsey and Defoe to win us games. Poch is similar in style to AVB imo but Poch is much more accomplished and his gameplan defensively is astute, probably because he was a defender in his playing days and that playing experience helps his thought processes.

I think Mert playing an Italian brand of football would suit him currently however.

 

[PendlePie]

Yeah a new manager with new ideas, having his say on the squad etc is the best thing forward for you guys, as what a few of you guys said, if Spurs win the league or finish ahead of you lot, it could be the best thing long-term for you lot. You lot historically have been winners and it's not the Arsenal way just being content with CL qualification and R16 exits, his CL performances have been poor since you lot lost to Man Utd in that knockout final like 7-8 years ago also.

You're bang on here. Things naturally become stale after a while - but the main factor is, like you said, that recent years haven't yielded much onfield success. Persisting with a manager who is incapable of improving the club's status from "also-rans" to "bonafide contenders" is toxic. It leads to a culture of complacency and translates to a lack of belief/ambition/determination from the players. Players feel safe, there's no real sense of urgency, there's no real hunger to play for the shirt or the fans. I look at Tottenham and I see 11 players who will die for Poch every week. Wenger has lost that and he doesn't have the stomach to make tough decisions on players that have been poor and soft for a long time. We're seeing the full effects of it all this season.

Anyways, good luck with this week, we can only hope Leicester has a banana peel moment midweek while our teams win, then bring on the Derby.

Despite the rivalry, I and many others have nothing but respect for how Poch has gone about it the past couple of years. He's well and truly showing Wenger up at the minute. It's you or Leicester for mine (we are completely cooked as far as I'm concerned) and both clubs would be deserving winners.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

This season of missed opportunity is going to haunt the club for a very long time.

 

[bok_party]

I think he is tactically excellent too which is why he's been an established German international for years, but he's getting older now and I don't think a manager should change his tactics to suit any one player. Reminds me of Michael Dawson somewhat, tactically he is solid, but he was slow as treacle and a big reason why AVB defensively could never get it together for us. I thought AVB had the right ideas, but he didn't have the right cavalry/players bought in to do the job and relied on goals from Bale, Dempsey and Defoe to win us games. Poch is similar in style to AVB imo but Poch is much more accomplished and his gameplan defensively is astute, probably because he was a defender in his playing days and that playing experience helps his thought processes.

I think Mert playing an Italian brand of football would suit him currently however.

It wasn't pace that killed us last night though. It was naive mistakes such as marking and positioning and rashness from Gabriel. I know what you are saying though. Experience means alot more than pace.

 

[glenferry23]

Where are those Ramsey to Barca for 50m rumors? Always made me chuckle. Nowhere near Barcelona quality.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Where are those Ramsey to Barca for 50m rumors? Always made me chuckle. Nowhere near Barcelona quality.

Ramsey is just fortunate to be a permanent starter for a club of our magnitude let alone Barca.

 

[kreglze]

Ramsey is the most overrated footballer we have had in a while.
He had 1 fantastic season and has been ******* average since.
I'd sell that guy in a heartbeat for someone who gives a crap.
I know we're all super negative at the moment but when you deal with this shit for so many years, of course you're gonna be pissed off.
I'm a ******* Freo fan as well so I don't know shit about success.
Thank god GSW are an amazing side and give me some sporting joy.

Look at my teams... I have no hope

 

[PendlePie]

Would be really interesting / terrifying to look over the last few seasons, and pinpoint the one match from each season that best demonstrates a full and proper Arsenal choke.

Birmingham was right up there, but this last night was almost at that level.

 

[kreglze]

This week is probably one of the most important weeks in Arsenal's history in the past several years. Swansea is a must win. Luckily I have Thursday off, so I will be able to watch us sink or swim.

Then NLD is one of our most important in a long time, we win and we are right back in this. We lose, and that is our season done.

Our team is going to be so important for this. We need to go something like this.

Giroud
Welbeck-Ozil-Alexis
El Neny-Couq
Monreal-Kos-Mert-Bellerin
Cech​

Let's be honest, Wenger isn't dropping Ramsey to the bench, he will be there. I feel El Neny and Couq would give us a more sturdier midfield, may not be as creative but would be harder to break down. Mert is much sturdier than Gabriel in my opinion.

Welbeck may not be amazing but he has a damn dip and a crack I am happy to keep starting him if he is going to offer that, running at defences and making defenders nervous, if you didn't want to play him, put Campbell there. Got pulled down a couple of times last night because of that, and forced yellow cards out of their defenders.

Sanchez has been awful this past month and a bit. But lets be honest, we won't drop him, he showed bits of promise but can't put it together. Campbell would be someone I would introduce later on in the game if it called for it. Hell, replace Giroud with Welbeck and put Campbell on the left for something different if you want..

This has now gone onto a ramble but, point remains, this week is vital in the life and times of Arsenal FC.

 

[PendlePie]

We'll beat Swansea and get the absolute shit belted out of us by Tottenham. 2-1 win and 2-0 loss respectively for those games.

Really difficult to picture Wenger making any sort of tactical or personnel changes that will get us going. He isn't capable of it in this league anymore.

 

[Benno_900]

I'd start Campbell over Sanchez.

He has morphed into Eboue.

 

[glenferry23]

Ramsey and Sanchez are two who should be dropped. But won't.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

We'll beat Swansea and get the absolute shit belted out of us by Tottenham. 2-1 win and 2-0 loss respectively for those games.

Really difficult to picture Wenger making any sort of tactical or personnel changes that will get us going. He isn't capable of it in this league anymore.

Tottenham are everything we are not at the moment, Structured, brilliant pressing, high energy, discipline.

 

[Benno_900]

Bang on

 

[charcoalchicken]

Still trying to recover from that shitheel Theodore's performance, the guy is entering or in his prime at 26, has years of experience in the EPL and is on 140k p/w and he delivers that ****ing shit.

The most pea-hearted of performances from the guy who kicked and screamed about wanting to be the main striker, he is an absolute fraud in every sense of the word, I ****ing hope China come knocking for his services because he is bung average, Oxlade-Chamberlain is heading in that direction too.

Campbell has flown past both those frauds and been given 1/8th of the chances to show something, anything.

Danny ****ing Welbeck shits on both of those guys. At least he ****ing tries and gets involved.

I also hated Ramsey's performance as well just ****ing useless dross shit.

Alexis Sanchez really has got to turn this slump of his around or our season is well and truly done for.

If i'm being honest though after that performance, they don't really deserve it imo.

That performance was just so blase & disheartening, you'd expect them to come out breathing fire, up for it, when in fact they were the complete opposite, uninterested, they let themselves get rolled over by an injury depleted utd. team that would struggle against Aston Villa or a Championship side, with so much riding on that game and to come out like that I dunno, I think that just spells doom.

 

[kreglze]

Maybe bring this guy back

 

[Benno_900]

Maybe bring this guy back

That's one of the most unconvincing hattricks I've ever seen.

 

[kreglze]

That's one of the most unconvincing hattricks I've ever seen.

Yeah belted it at the keeper twice. He could be a decent lower premier league striker. But at the moment I wouldn't say he is the quality we are looking for.