As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
The Europa League looks a bit shit this year - West Ham and Rangers currently heading for the semis!
Soft as fuck this year, we’d never get that type of piss easy run to the trophy of course (we’d probably fuck it up anyway even if we did).
First time we played the Europa the shadow of Atletico loomed large and I never felt we’d win it with them in it (and so it proved).
Then the season after I had the same feeling that whenever we crossed paths with the chavs it was good night - and let’s not speak of that ever again.
Now with us nowhere in sight you’ve 4 absolute shite teams left, next season when we’re back in (yeah I’m a rose tinter!) watch us get the likes of Atletico again it or one of the other big guns that drop in from the CL.
This season could have a nightmare ending. Dippers winning the League or Champions League. Shammers winning the UEFA cup, Swamps top four, and the Chavs or Dippers winning the cup. All three of our main London rivals look like achieving something this year while the EL Beige revolution chugs along sideways and sideways again. I could hold out hope that Hierarchy at Arsenal would wake up but I am not sure they have the knowledge or ambition to do anything about it. To make things worse reading that Clive had a contract from another club waiting to be signed and he was talked out of it just fucking compounds my misery . What next a statue of him doing his two-fingered salute with his leg sticking out so people can trip over it. At least the statue would move faster than him. Anyway happy Easter
Just waiting to see Brighton revert to being absolutely gash today - just as they have been in every game in the past 2 months apart from when El Beige's Bottlers are the oppo
Just waiting to see Brighton revert to being absolutely gash today - just as they have been in every game in the past 2 months apart from when El Beige's Bottlers are the oppo
This will be all over by half time
Just out of interest, which first team players are you calling bottlers?
Seems a really unfair accusation to me. The younger players (Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Tomi, White, Gabriel, Odegaard, Ramsdale) have carried us for months so their level dropping isn’t a surprise and shouldn’t be labelled as bottle jobs. Losing Partey, Tierney and Tomi has caught up with us (and they’re not bottle jobs either)
As for the others (Laca, Cedric, Xhaka, etc) - they haven’t bottled anything. Their level has been consistently shit or average most of the season
Just waiting to see Brighton revert to being absolutely gash today - just as they have been in every game in the past 2 months apart from when El Beige's Bottlers are the oppo
This will be all over by half time
Just out of interest, which first team players are you calling bottlers?
Seems a really unfair accusation to me. The younger players (Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Tomi, White, Gabriel, Odegaard, Ramsdale) have carried us for months so their level dropping isn’t a surprise and shouldn’t be labelled as bottle jobs. Losing Partey, Tierney and Tomi has caught up with us (and they’re not bottle jobs either)
As for the others (Laca, Cedric, Xhaka, etc) - they haven’t bottled anything. Their level has been consistently shit or average most of the season
Collectively the squad have failed when it matters most. The run of 3 games we had in the position we were in - Palace, Brighton, Southampton - was the run that should have seen us bank a minimum of 7 points. I call that bottling it
Not disputing how good the kids have been - indeed, up till the past 2 weeks they've carried some of the sorry sacks of shit that you mentioned. However, now is the telling time and we are back to playing the same awful football at a snail's pace that we did last season. How has that suddenly happened with essentially the same team that has played most of the season? Pressure has definitely got to them
Collectively the squad have failed when it matters most. The run of 3 games we had in the position we were in - Palace, Brighton, Southampton - was the run that should have seen us bank a minimum of 7 points. I call that bottling it
Maybe simplistic but I think injuries have caught up with us and you can’t ignore that as a mitigating factor.
Losing Tierney in the warm up against Palace and replacing him with Tavares who was at fault for both Palace goals (especially the first one!) shouldn’t be ignored.
As for the Brighton game, not sure if you watched it but it was in my opinion a tactical cluster fuck by Arteta… not helped by Lokonga’s first half refusal to play or even look for a forward pass!
I genuinely don’t think we’ve bottled it. Our form has always fluctuated but we’ve got through one way or the other. However, this time I just think we have a young, very small squad that can’t cope with these injuries. Especially when our “striker” never ever makes life easier for us by scoring a goal!
You got the black armband on today as a mark of respect for Big Sean SteveO?
Shocking decision for me to give him the boot this late in the season and with them having a real shout at staying up. Beating Everton was a massive result for them and even though they followed that up with a piss poor performance last weekend I still had them favourites to finish ahead of Everton but not that they’ve given him the bullet there’s no chance.
Collectively the squad have failed when it matters most. The run of 3 games we had in the position we were in - Palace, Brighton, Southampton - was the run that should have seen us bank a minimum of 7 points. I call that bottling it
Maybe simplistic but I think injuries have caught up with us and you can’t ignore that as a mitigating factor.
Losing Tierney in the warm up against Palace and replacing him with Tavares who was at fault for both Palace goals (especially the first one!) shouldn’t be ignored.
As for the Brighton game, not sure if you watched it but it was in my opinion a tactical cluster fuck by Arteta… not helped by Lokonga’s first half refusal to play or even look for a forward pass!
I genuinely don’t think we’ve bottled it. Our form has always fluctuated but we’ve got through one way or the other. However, this time I just think we have a young, very small squad that can’t cope with these injuries. Especially when our “striker” never ever makes life easier for us by scoring a goal!
I think we all knew that the decision to leave us with such a tiny squad for the final months of the season was a big mistake waiting to happen. Tavares and Lokonga aren't players that are ready for a top 4 run in and games against Chelsea, Spurs etc. It's why I think its such a shame we aren't in one of the lesser European competitions because they offer vital game time to players like that
As for Laca - what's to say that hasn't been said. Shows for me what happens to players when they have no competition for their place. Bit like what happened to Leno a season or two back
You got the black armband on today as a mark of respect for Big Sean SteveO?
Shocking decision for me to give him the boot this late in the season and with them having a real shout at staying up. Beating Everton was a massive result for them and even though they followed that up with a piss poor performance last weekend I still had them favourites to finish ahead of Everton but not that they’ve given him the bullet there’s no chance.
Crazy, and I wanted Everton down so fucking badly
I sincerely hope Burnley now lose every game and go down. More new owners that obviously haven't got a scooby doo. What he'd done for that club was nothing short of miraculous. I'm sure if you asked bigger clubs like Forest, Sheffield Weds and Sunderland if they'd settle for what Burnley achieved over the past decade they'd take it
I think we all knew that the decision to leave us with such a tiny squad for the final months of the season was a big mistake waiting to happen. Tavares and Lokonga aren't players that are ready for a top 4 run in and games against Chelsea, Spurs etc. It's why I think its such a shame we aren't in one of the lesser European competitions because they offer vital game time to players like that
As for Laca - what's to say that hasn't been said. Shows for me what happens to players when they have no competition for their place. Bit like what happened to Leno a season or two back
Totally agree mate and that’s my point. Rather than the first team regulars being bottlers, it’s the lack of squad depth that the pair of geniuses (Edu abd Arteta) have left us with that is more responsibile for our struggles. That includes the decision to let Auba go for free and not replace him. Laca has been shocking; if he gets a new contract the world has gone fucking mad.
I think we all knew that the decision to leave us with such a tiny squad for the final months of the season was a big mistake waiting to happen. Tavares and Lokonga aren't players that are ready for a top 4 run in and games against Chelsea, Spurs etc. It's why I think its such a shame we aren't in one of the lesser European competitions because they offer vital game time to players like that
As for Laca - what's to say that hasn't been said. Shows for me what happens to players when they have no competition for their place. Bit like what happened to Leno a season or two back
Totally agree mate and that’s my point. Rather than the first team regulars being bottlers, it’s the lack of squad depth that the pair of geniuses (Edu abd Arteta) have left us with that is more responsibile for our struggles. That includes the decision to let Auba go for free and not replace him. Laca has been shocking; if he gets a new contract the world has gone fucking mad.
Funny thing is, when Auba was here Lacazette was playing much better. You'd see him come off the bench, all fired up to make an impact and then when he got his place in the team I thought he was doing really well, even if not scoring regularly. Since Auba left its almost like he's given up and he knows there are now no consequences for shit non scoring performances
We've got such little competition for places it's embarrassing
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