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[Jumpers For Goalposts]

@Swale Gooner
I just want to make it clear that I love this team more than anything else; and to see them losing precious points unnecessarily hurts a greater deal. I am optimistic that we will still contend, but it's also these games that we need to take seriously and know that at the end of the season, it would have made the difference.

I hope you're not all too annoyed with the fact that there are gonners that express some bit of frustration after a supposed victory. Answering your question, the 3 players were Song, Eboue and Diaby. Song, however, had a good game in the 1st half. He performed poorly in the 2nd half.

And no, I don't want these 3 players to be put at the stake; I'm just disappointed with them. I will still back them whenever they play, but performances after games are objective and not emotionally driven. Hope I made it clear.

You don't need to make anything clear mate.

99% of people can see that Diaby, Song and Eboue are not good enough for a team that wants to win one of the 2 big prizes. Any flak they get is not personal - it's because their overall play is so often found wanting.

But hey -

IF we were more ruthless at 2-0 and
IF the ref hadn't given a free kick and
IF Mannone had dealt with the free kick and
IF Song hadn't kicked through the back of Carlton Cole and
IF Eboue hadn't spent all match diving and looking at the ref and
IF Robert Green had let van Persie's header in

we would've won and no-one would over-react!!!!

[Number 5]

What a surprise, who told you those three were to blame? everyone else on here?

C'mon bro you watched the game, Eboue was all over the floor diving. I watched the early game and gave Torres hell for the way he flailed around the pitch. Eboue deserves the same.

Song and Diaby weren't awful. Nobody was great. We appear to be carrying Arshavin at a time we need him most. Song made more telling passes than Arshavin tonight.

[rigsby]

yeah don't get this song flak, he had a bad 2nd half but all season he's been pretty consistant. Arshavin was awful, nobody seems to be criticising him

[augie]

What game you watching swale ? We played well until their freak 1st goal eh ? So you didnt see the game turning for a while before that then ? Perhaps if you werent so quick to brand everybody else a tosser you might actually be in a position to correctly assess a situation We had lost control of that game for some time before they scored. As I said before we stood off them allowed them to pass the ball about and get into a flow and you cannot let any footballer, regardless of what level you play at, to do that. We continually make average players look better than they are cos all our players want to do is look silky when we have the ball and as I have always said, football matches are decided by two main factors.....what you do when you have the ball and what you do when you do have the ball. Sadly we do fcuk all for the latter

[Number 5]

Yes the keeper should have turned it round the post, but it was strange, to shoot from there wasnt what was expected...but yes Mannone should have done better, but these things happen, especially when a keeper so young is thrown into the mix

Bud that was last season in the CL when Ronaldo scored in the second leg.

Tonight even Martin Tyler called it from the box.

Direct shot from the free-kick specialist.

We cannot afford to carry a goalkeeper to glory. It may be an expensive purchase for a minimal position but history will show the teams with the best keepers take all the glory.

[rigsby]

who would you sign then? I agree we need a new keeper but whose out there that we could get?

[augie]

yeah don't get this song flak, he had a bad 2nd half but all season he's been pretty consistant. Arshavin was awful, nobody seems to be criticising him

Song had a bad 2nd half when they started to play through us which is exactly what happened v manyoo and is exactly the kind of thing that he is there to prevent Basically you are saying that he is doing well except that he aint doing the job he is picked to do

AA23 is a little genius. He has more talent that 8 of the other players in that team put together. However he aint playing well and that is obvious. He does need to work a little harder as well. But wenger needs to start using the guy properly instead of fcuking him about on the wing where he is constantly on the fringes of the game. Would any of us pick Bergkamp to play on the wing ? Would we fcuk....we would pick him in a central position (his rightful position) and play everything through him

[Number 5]

who would you sign then? I agree we need a new keeper but whose out there that we could get?

This is it Riggers, 2/3 seasons ago we could have got many a better keeper than we have.

Given moved for less than £10m. As did Friedel. Hell, Spurs snapped up Cudicini last year on a free. Shit I'll even throw Kirkland into the mix as being then what we have.

[goonersid]

What game you watching swale ? We played well until their freak 1st goal eh ? So you didnt see the game turning for a while before that then ? Perhaps if you werent so quick to brand everybody else a tosser you might actually be in a position to correctly assess a situation We had lost control of that game for some time before they scored. As I said before we stood off them allowed them to pass the ball about and get into a flow and you cannot let any footballer, regardless of what level you play at, to do that. We continually make average players look better than they are cos all our players want to do is look silky when we have the ball and as I have always said, football matches are decided by two main factors.....what you do when you have the ball and what you do when you do have the ball. Sadly we do fcuk all for the latter

Augie, swale only comes on here to wind people up, if he honestly believes the constant shite he post on here then he is the most football ignorant person I have ever come across.

[g88ner]

who would you sign then? I agree we need a new keeper but whose out there that we could get?

That's the problem.

There's some shote 'keeper about (something we know all too well ) and I can only assume we haven't bought a new 'keeper for 2-3 years because a better one is either to expensive or simply not available.

I'm sure Mannone, Flappy, etc. might end up being top 'keepers BUT the Arsenal first team shouldn't be a place for a rookie 'keeper to learn his trade... it's not fair on him, nor the other players and it's not fair on the fans who pay good money every week.

As for Almunia... it saysa lot qbout his "talents" that he's struggling to get back in when Mannone (our 3rd choice) has looked shaky. 2 howlers in 2 games... surely Almunia will return against Sp*rs by default? - could be fun

[Number 5]

Song had a bad 2nd half when they started to play through us which is exactly what happened v manyoo and is exactly the kind of thing that he is there to prevent Basically you are saying that he is doing well except that he aint doing the job he is picked to do

AA23 is a little genius. He has more talent that 8 of the other players in that team put together. However he aint playing well and that is obvious. He does need to work a little harder as well. But wenger needs to start using the guy properly instead of fcuking him about on the wing where he is constantly on the fringes of the game. Would any of us pick Bergkamp to play on the wing ? Would we fcuk....we would pick him in a central position (his rightful position) and play everything through him

Fair first point Augie.

Second though, I'm reminded of the Euro's where AA made quite a noise from the left of the Russian attack. The DB comparison only works in a 4-4-2. In the current 4-3-3 RVP is playing well enough to command that central spot. AA should be intelligent enough to float around the pitch making an impact, much the same as Rosicky has done so far this year. I would have to say, if push comes to shove in an all fit side, for me AA gets benched for TR.

[augie]

But we should be playing 4-4-2 number 5 cos 4-3-3 is a *word censored* of a system especially when you see eboue playing in the front 3 I just cant get my head around what kind of a gobshite would play him there

[rigsby]

Arshavin is i that mould where he doesnt do anything for 60 minutes or so and then pops up with a goal. He's a special player no doubt, and in many ways atm he could just be off form BUT I do expect him to work a bit harder at times. He offers little protection for Clichy, and yeah your out of position but Bendtner was out of position this year and hell he works hard even though he might not be the best.

I would say that Rosicky would be better than Arshavin to start with, the man works hard and is a more natural fit out there. Arshavin coming on would frighten the shit out of a spurs for instance. Not saying I don't think he's great or anything, just that he isn't exempt from criticism and I think he needs to work a bit harder thats all

[Number 5]

Augie, swale only comes on here to wind people up, if he honestly believes the constant shite he post on here then he is the most football ignorant person I have ever come across.

That's harsh Sid. I used to think the same but Swale has been around here for a long time now. Anyone deliberatly trying to wind us up would have gotten bored a long time ago.

He's a genuine guy, I don't ever agree with him, but fair fucks to the guy for always fighting the good (?) fight.

[GunnerDude]

The really question here is did we need another goal to win this match? and the answer is no because if you give Utd, Chavs and even Liverpool a 2goal lead with there first team playing they wont lose it against a team like West ham(considering all there problems and lleague position).

Same old Arsenal always sleeping or is it arrogance. The same problem for the past 4 seasons.