W HAM UP NEXT THREAD

[Percy Dalton]

I said during the Fulham game (some of you would have had my texts) that Mannone was "Hollywood".

Everything he done was exagerated and theatrical.

It is indicative of the state of our team and the majority of those who follow them that yet another Average Joe was touted as some world class saviour after one high profile game.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

Young Gks will make mistakes, we have to give credit for Mannone for coming in and doing so well when he has little experience at this level. I think he could be a very good goalkeeper in a few years time.

BUT, we cant afford to have him learning at this stage in our first team, I think Almunia should be back in for Saturday, he had a poor start, but I think with a point to prove and his experience in such games, he would be the best bet - with Wookash on the bench.

[NBM]

Why did Song keep kicking everyone yesterday???

Kick this



Not these



Consistently committed stupid fouls all over the place and although the penalty was weak as piss I'm sure it was given because he kept making clumsy challenges from behind. Please, someone teach him to tackle. He's had a decent season so far but thats one part of his game thats still awful.

[I Hate Hleb]

...Completely agree with all of that!!

I can see the logic starting Eboue up top in a tight game, but when we are 2 nil up with Bendtner and Eduardo on the bench, why not stick them on to give West Ham something to think about? Ram home that advantage!

I thought Diaby was ok today to be honest, one of his better games, Song was absolutely fine so I dont see why people are on to him again.

At the end of the day, its annoying, but 5 off the top with a game in hand isnt really a bad situation in October is it? Swale is right when he points to the overreaction on here, some people probably had little passages written out especially for when we lost / dropped points!

All about the Carling Cup and then shutting up a few jumped up little spuds now!!!

Well if that's the case then either Diaby's previous performances have been worse than even his biggest critics have claimed; or you are wearing the rosiest pair of tinted glasses ever invented BDB!!!

And sorry matey, but that last part is even bigger nonsense, if that's at all possible!! You are actually insinuating that people want Arsenal and these players to play badly in order to show that their point of view is right!!

Now despite our differences, you strike me as an intelligent man BDB. Do you really believe that there are Arsenal fans wanting the club to lose and players to under-perform so as to claim some kind of moral/intellectual superiority on a forum?!!

Do you actually think the likes of augie, donaldo and many other critics on here sit down before a game hoping that the likes of Diaby and Eboue play shit so that they can get their kicks from saying ' I told you so'?

Seriously, you and the other 'die-hard believers' need to stop trying to give the impression that because they dare ask questions and point out deficiencies, any critic of the team/manager/Board don't actually care first and foremost about the club and want above all else, for Arsenal to win. Nothing could be further from the truth so stop implying otherwise!!

[marcengels]

Why did Song keep kicking everyone yesterday???

Kick this



Not these



Consistently committed stupid fouls all over the place and although the penalty was weak as piss I'm sure it was given because he kept making clumsy challenges from behind. Please, someone teach him to tackle. He's had a decent season so far but thats one part of his game thats still awful.

Yep, have to agree. He has been doing good work this season but fell down in 2 vital areas yesterday. His tackling is poor, and was poor yesterday. It's amazing he didn't get booked for persistent fouls and the penalty was a culmination of this inability to choose/time a tackle. Secondly, he lost his way a little in 2nd half when there was some more pressure - a feature of other games we have dropped points in.

The guy has improved, but still needs to learn a thing or two.

[marcengels]

...and he was 1 booking away from suspension.

I'm not his biggest fan but what would we have done next week. and what will we do when he does get suspended - because although I don't see him as irreplaceable, he is certainly performing over and above his true level and way beyong the alternatives.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

IHH, if you have read my posts on diaby you will see that I am by no means his biggest fan, I think he hasnt really got what we need - but yesterday I thought out of a bad bunch he did ok, was putting himself about and covered a lot of ground when Cesc was annoymous next to him. Il pull him out when he is poor (most of his appearances this season!) but il credit him when he does well.

What im saying is, of course I accept people dont want Arsenal to lose, but they LOVE sticking the knife in when we drop points - hence the post above calling Arsenal "losers" - its an extreme overreaction and utter tosh!! When we win, a thread like this is about 9 pages long, its about 18 now - some people (not all) dont give much praise but love it when its time to have a moan.

We stopped bothering at 2-0, thats the annoying thing - because had we actually concentrated we could be talking about a 5 or 6 nil victory here - thats how good we can be, when we can be bothered concentrating!!


(ps - im not THAT intelligent )

[Galasso]

What im saying is, of course I accept people dont want Arsenal to lose, but they LOVE sticking the knife in when we drop points - hence the post above calling Arsenal "losers" - its an extreme overreaction and utter tosh!! When we win, a thread like this is about 9 pages long, its about 18 now - some people (not all) dont give much praise but love it when its time to have a moan.

Just the nature of things...and the frustration of seeing problems repeat themselves season on season. If players perform to the level at which they are touted to be, and paid to be, then they are unlikely to be lavished with praise for doing their job. If they are exceptional or poor in some area, then there will be more chat and will be pulled up over it. Does that sound familiar? It's called the world of work.

[brazilianGOONER]

Hope our players were watching Barca play to the last min against a weak side.

yeah, like their last champions league game? :awnker: :awnker:

[brazilianGOONER]

yesterday's match is about what happens to a team that wants to win the premiership with a championship goalkeeper.

that's already 5 points we lost because simply of goalkeeper faults. we'd be top of the table with a game in hand if we had a good 'keeper. we must do something about it.

i'm really upset. and what the fuck was wenger doing at the bench, sleeping? c'mon, lots of youngsters like nic and ramsey crazy for a few minutes while eboue and diaby were dragging their asses on the pitch until the 80th minute? fuck off, why does he have to change things always so late in the game?

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Hope our players were watching Barca play to the last min against a weak side.

yeah, like their last champions league game? :awnker: :awnker:

But it would appear they learnt enough of a lesson from that game not to make the same mistake next match. We didn’t.

[Mikegooner87i]

Not just the keeper brazillian.

Vermaelen and Gallas were bossed by Carlton Cole yesterday, which pretty much confirmed to me that we cant handle, 'big strikers' please tell me how we are going to keep crouch quiet next week, he always seems to make what he wants of our defense every time we play against him...

[brazilianGOONER]

Not just the keeper brazillian.

Vermaelen and Gallas were bossed by Carlton Cole yesterday, which pretty much confirmed to me that we cant handle, 'big strikers' please tell me how we are going to keep crouch quiet next week, he always seems to make what he wants of our defense every time we play against him...

i don't think that it was about vermaelen and gallas, mike. the first goal was completely mannone's fault, you can't say otherwise. and in the second, cole was not in a dangerous position, he was covered. it was a clumsy tackle by song, completely unnecessary. so i don't think gallas and vermaelen have anything to do with the goals, and gallas even scored on the other end, so this one, just like manchester united, goes to the keeper and the keeper alone. it's now 5 points we lose because we do not have a proper goalkeeper.

you know the two most old and clichê sayings in football, here in brazil? the first is, "team that does not score, concedes" and the other is "a winning team always starts with a very good goalkeeper". both sound very obvious, but they are not. arsenal football club is clear example

[BT]

For what its worth, my observations from yesterday:

1) We badly missed Rosicky. He really does open things up and link up play in a way that is totally beyond Diaby and Eboue.

2) The fact that Wenger is persisting with Mannone only indicates to me that he knows the keeper situation is a mess. You would never get the other top teams playing thier third goalie out of choice. I wonder if West Ham dont improve, whether Wenger will make a bid for Green in January. After all, he'll want World Cup consideration. I dont think he's the answer, mind you, but it might be better than nothing.

3) What was said (i think by augie) about just running up and down alongside their players is so true. Apart from TV5, none of our players were even thinking of tackling. Weirdly, the guardian stats put Arsenal 4th for winning headers amongst the likes of Bolton, Sunderland, Stoke which is bizarre if true.

4) Cesc getting hit in the face. Couldnt really tell what happened from where I was sat. Was it malicious?

5) Practice fucking crossing

6) Like everyone else felt, there was an inevitability about this result. When it went to 2-1, i looked at our players and not one was looking up or rousing the troops. Someone, Cesc or otherwise, should have been telling everyone to focus. And if the players can't do that, Wenger needs to but with this same uncommitted attitude rearing its head again, they wont win things. I really thought against Everton and Fulham they'd shown a new battling side but yet again, they were arrogant and lazy and with a warning on Tuesday as well! Unbelievable

[CraigPollard]

...and he was 1 booking away from suspension.

I'm not his biggest fan but what would we have done next week. and what will we do when he does get suspended - because although I don't see him as irreplaceable, he is certainly performing over and above his true level and way beyong the alternatives.

I dare say Song was looking for the yellow card today as his suspension would have been for the Liverpool CC game midweek, and would not have any adverse effects on the PL. Unfortunatly, despite kicking everything that moved, the card never came. He will probably not play on Wednesday, then he will pick up a yellow against the scum and get suspended!

We were fuckin shit yesterday - simple as that. Neither team played well, it was a shit game that no team deserved to win and hearing the arsenal crowd cheering every pass at 65 minutes was a fuckin wind up!