Bradford match thread

[storrmin571]

Hope that the club are onto directory enquiries this morning for Peps number.

[DB10GOONER]

Congratulations to Bradford who were everything we are not: Hungry, motivated, organised, Trojan-like, difficult to break down, strong, confident, together and honest.

This ^ x 1000. Well done Bradford. You showed guts, determination, heart, hunger, desire and tactics (!). You didn't resort to kicking us off the pitch and actually played some good attacking football. I genuinely hope you win the thing.

As for us? We were poor. But that should not take away from Bradford's efforts. They compressed us again in midfield and basically nullified Cazorla for large parts of the game - how deep was he coming to try and get on the ball?

Yet again Zonal Chaos (used to be called Zonal Marking, but the new wording is more accurate) cost us a goal. There was at least a 5 to 7 yard run up available to Bradford for that set piece. When will Wenger fucking snap out of it and let Bouldy do his job? Oh, yeah... that'll be never...

Forehead is shit. Camel is shit. Ramsey is now as bad as Legohead ever was - a truly appalling performance. Ox looks either jaded or totally demotivated - either way, his dip in form is alarming.

It says everything about the lack of leadership that the only player (until Rosicky came on) that tried continuously to fire us forward was one of our youngest - Wilshere. He is too good a talent to be managed by modern-era Wenger.

After Rosicky came on it became VERY apparent that he, Wilshere and Cazorla have no faith in either Forehead or Camel. They spent so much time passing between the three of them and actively avoiding wasting the ball by giving it to the 2 donkeys up front that it was embarrassing. Cazorla looks more and more frustrated. Podolski looks demotivated and frustrated after spending so many games tracking up and down midfield.

Someone above mentioned that we have good players but no proper leadership, instruction or direction from Wenger. I agree 100%. When we failed to have a shot on target for 69 minutes Wenger made a couple of substitutions but basically stuck to the same tippy tappy "strategy" and resorted to his good old stand-by routine; look frustrated, moan a bit to Bouldy, have a pop at the 4th official. Any other manager would be yelling instructions to his players, moving people around, trying different tactics. But not Arsene.

For me this is our most humiliating cup defeat since Wrexham in 91. So now Wenger has "overseen" our worst drubbing in modern history and our worst cup exit too. Brilliant work. One Arsene Wenger!

[Glitch33]

Sad to see all this back biting, IMO Arsenal are Britain's top club, not new-money powered, it's like an institution. Hope everything turns round sooner rather than later........

But, if we kicked of again tomorrow, same line ups, I'd stick money on Bradford. The lack of desire, fight and determination was shocking, did they think they just had to turn up?

It is not the institution it was. Kronke is a sports team investor, looking for financial gain. Gazidis and Wenger are his henchmen, engaged to maximise his profits.

Wenger truly is an economist now rather than a football manager.

Get the black bags out at the next home game and mourn the decline of our club.

[SteveO 35]

Good luck to Bradford in the next round but unless they get Middlesbrough or Leeds, they will get stuffed over 2 legs by any of the others.

That isn't sour grapes - they deserved to beat us fair and square, without any foul means and in Wells had the most dangerous player on the park. But they aren't exactly running away with League Two and over two legs, as one of their own has said on here, it isn't going to happen.

Any way, I hope the miracle does happen and they reach Wembley now

[SaltaireBantam]

Sobered up now.............still feel sorry for your away support, most of the players simply do not deserve that loyalty.

The team performance was lacking in fight and the only "leader"was Wilshire but these are the ones without balls and the ones that really let you down on a freezing cold night in Bradford against a L2 back 4 of whom only one would be playing if we didn't have injuries..

Mertesacker - Bullied by a Hanson, a smaller and limited L2 CF, he should be hiding in shame today.
Vermaelen - Given run around by Wells, always on back foot whenever Wells touched the ball, frightened of him.
Ramsey - Does not even look like a PL player never mind an Arsenal one.
Podolski - Should be ashamed at his lack of effort/movement. Did what? Pathetic.
Gervinho - Honestly, I think free transfer Wells is better. How he missed I have no idea, it was right in front of my eyes, the worst miss I have ever seen and he wasn't even under any pressure.

So, that's half your team, and near enough it's spine, if it had one. But it doesn't. I thought the same watching Olympiacos turn the game around last week, too many are simply are not up for a fight.

I've read this board all week and TBH I haven't liked the abuse Wenger has been getting. I've understood the frustration but thought maybe more respect was due, but, after last night I can't see a way back for him to be held in the high regard he once was, it's his squad, built over time and yet no manager on earth can turn that squad into winners, of anything.

It was great to see Arsenal back and I met some good lads yesterday, I hope change is made for you sooner rather than later, that way things won't get messy. Good luck and goodbye.

[Leedsgooner1]

I thought Jack was the only player up for it last night & the rest were awful, I think our European scouts need to be looked at as who the fuke recommended Gervinho to Arsene , shocking night all round & i feel sorry for the lads who had to travel back down south after the game, i only had to get back to Leeds but it was a fluking horrible trip back on the train with those joyful Bantams

[Eboue-Why?]

Sobered up now.............still feel sorry for your away support, most of the players simply do not deserve that loyalty.

The team performance was lacking in fight and the only "leader"was Wilshire but these are the ones without balls and the ones that really let you down on a freezing cold night in Bradford against a L2 back 4 of whom only one would be playing if we didn't have injuries..

Mertesacker - Bullied by a Hanson, a smaller and limited L2 CF, he should be hiding in shame today.
Vermaelen - Given run around by Wells, always on back foot whenever Wells touched the ball, frightened of him.
Ramsey - Does not even look like a PL player never mind an Arsenal one.
Podolski - Should be ashamed at his lack of effort/movement. Did what? Pathetic.
Gervinho - Honestly, I think free transfer Wells is better. How he missed I have no idea, it was right in front of my eyes, the worst miss I have ever seen and he wasn't even under any pressure.

So, that's half your team, and near enough it's spine, if it had one. But it doesn't. I thought the same watching Olympiacos turn the game around last week, too many are simply are not up for a fight.

I've read this board all week and TBH I haven't liked the abuse Wenger has been getting. I've understood the frustration but thought maybe more respect was due, but, after last night I can't see a way back for him to be held in the high regard he once was, it's his squad, built over time and yet no manager on earth can turn that squad into winners, of anything.

It was great to see Arsenal back and I met some good lads yesterday, I hope change is made for you sooner rather than later, that way things won't get messy. Good luck and goodbye.

All the best matey for the rest of the season. Your lads didn't try and kick us off the park, just good honest players who put in a shift.
And as a born and bred Lincolnshire Yellow Belly, it was a lovely touch to see the England flag remembering those that died in 1985. It's a day I'll unfortunately never forget.

As for Wenger's Arsenal......can't even be arsed to type anymore

[supergeorgegraham]

I think its quite funny, the Micky Mouse cup could have been a great kop out for Wenger. If we had won it he would say that we had a trophy and all would be fine.
I did not even bother to watch the match mostly due to those reasons.
As a fan I have had enough now as most of you on here have.

[OneBardGooner]

I pulled a Double Shift yesterday/last night - At first I didn't want to do it, but needed the money - the ONLY reason - But having just read some of the comments and listed to 5 live on the way home last night to Gooners calling in (for Wenker's Head) I'm glad I didn't get to watch the game or else I'd most likely have put my boot through the screen...


This is a downward spiral that has been ongoing for 6 - 7 years now and it is NOT going to stop. What "WE" have to do is hang in there - NOT despair of the love we have for the club we love, but do all we can to ensure the Changes we "Need and Want" become reality...yes, other than phoning fan programmes and protesting there (in this player molly coddled age where managers and board are a million miles from the fans) seems little else that can be done - the board and the manager do not listen/care and have one thng in their sights "Profit"...So may I suggest everyone write a letter (polite or it gets tossed in the bin) calling for the changes we know are now the only way out of this hell, and though it may seem futile eventually the scales WILL tip in our favour.

Also phone/text/e-mail into the pravda TV show on Monday nights - with the wenker crack licking yes man tom watts in charge- and give him/the club/the manager HELL!...If the majority of callers all call for wenker to F*ck Off....it can spoil their easy viewing statistics etc....and maybe, just maybe hurry the inevitable along.

I honestly and truly cannot handle much more of this humiliation....

[skizz_b]

that really hurt.

[northbank123]

that really hurt.

I hear you fella. For some reason last night hurt more than any defeat I can remember for a long time. Probably because it signifies just how far we've fallen and still deep down for all the anti-Wenger sentiment on here we know that there's no end in sight. If we're extremely lucky he'll resign at the end of the season, more likely walk away at the expiry of his contract in 2014 and quite possibly still be here beyond then.

Surely this has to be the earliest end to a season for us for some time??? Even ignoring the fact that we will inevitably sacrifice the FA Cup and be thoroughly outclassed in Europe, when was the last time we beat a top team in any cup competition? Might well be wrong but maybe all the way back to CL run in 06? We haven't got the quality to win the CL and we don't have the bottle to win the FA Cup, or the desire.

And all jokes aside a 'trophy' of Arsene's making does not constitute something to play for. I couldn't give a flying fuck whether or not we get to repeat this cycle again next year by virtue of scraping 4th place 20+ points off the pace.

[Dan_85]

that really hurt.

I hear you fella. For some reason last night hurt more than any defeat I can remember for a long time.

It's the drip, drip, drip Chinese water torture style of our decline that is really killing me. Each season progressively worse than the last with no lessons being learned. Just when you think a 4-0 drubbing in the cup at OT is painful enough, along comes a home defeat to newly promoted Hull. Totally outclassed by the mancs in a CL semi should wake this club up right? Oh no, we've just suffered our biggest defeat in over 100 years. You think that losing a cup final to relegation fodder Birmingham City should give Arsene a kick up the arse but then our first team manages to lose to 4th Division Bradford.

Just when you think we've become as shit as we possibly can, it somehow manages to get worse. And not a thing changes, nobody at our club has the balls to make important decisions. On we go with more of the same. Groundhog season after groundhog season. And it fucking hurts because we feel powerless.

[IW8Goalmachine]

that really hurt.

I hear you fella. For some reason last night hurt more than any defeat I can remember for a long time.

It's the drip, drip, drip Chinese water torture style of our decline that is really killing me. Each season progressively worse than the last with no lessons being learned. Just when you think a 4-0 drubbing in the cup at OT is painful enough, along comes a home defeat to newly promoted Hull. Totally outclassed by the mancs in a CL semi should wake this club up right? Oh no, we've just suffered our biggest defeat in over 100 years. You think that losing a cup final to relegation fodder Birmingham City should give Arsene a kick up the arse but then our first team manages to lose to 4th Division Bradford.

Just when you think we've become as shit as we possibly can, it somehow manages to get worse. And not a thing changes, nobody at our club has the balls to make important decisions. On we go with more of the same. Groundhog season after groundhog season. And it fucking hurts because we feel powerless.

I actually get a pain in my head when I think about it and I want to punch something. A mate of man said to me on Sunday that wenger is the only man for the job at arsenal, I bit his head off with a ten minute rant and let's just say I won't be seeing that guy for a wee while

[M-50]

Fair play to all travelling gooners, great support

Jack Wilshere's attitude was fantastic, you definitely spurred him on at least

[donaldo]

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