We were pants today

[thatgooner]

Eboue is the biggest waste of space i've seen playing for the Arsenal in the last 5-10 Years.
Bring back Cygan and stick him on the wing

[charliegeorgewhocanhitem]

The good thing is that we still won while having a bit of an off day, always the sign of a good team. I thought Diarra had a very good game, I've been impressed very time I've seen him so far, I think he could play the holding role in midfield alongside Cesc very succesfully. Agree about Bentdner, he looked good when he came on and made a decisive impact. Ok, the performance was'nt as good as it could have been but last season we would have drawn that game and it was imortant to take the three home points before our three away games on the trot. That can only give the players confidence going into those games. I just hope Newcastle are as awful as they were against the scouse yesterday, saw some of it in the boozer and I could'nt believe they could be as bad as that. They're bound to play out of their skins against us, typical

[donaldo]

Yes we did win and Manure got beaten( thanks Nic).But no one can deny the performance was poor yesterday.

[Galasso]

The performance was poor but we had key players missing while Wigan played much better and have better players than their position and results suggest. I think the main problem was, amongst some players under-performing (Clichy, Ade) and Eboue(???), was the absence of Hleb. Because he links with Fabreags, the midfield and strikers - no-one else can do this job.

It seems the strategy was hit it long to Ade for possible flick-on. Ade didn't win all that much and when the ball did go through midfield, the creation side of Denilson only resulted in square ball after square ball. Only in the second half when rosick went infield and Diarra started to drive forward did the tempo pick-up - a tempo that was lacking earlier.

While Walcott was involved in some good play, there's still far too many times when he seems to even struggle to keep the ball under control. Eboue doesn't seem to know what to do at the moment! Clichy showed that he still has alot to learn.

I have no agenda against any of our players (other than Song) just how I saw the game and play.

Finally, Gallas without injury and a good run of games is showing why he is a good captain, not only because he has scored a few goals but his attitude.

[aw]

I only saw the 2nd half, but what I saw wasn't crap. Ok, so it wasn't the run away victory that I predicted, but given the key injuries, the tired players from internationals and the fact that there was a "break", I'm happy.
Wigan played a good defensive game. We didn't get frustrated, we kept to the plan. It worked out.

There is no reason for anyone to complain

[I Hate Hleb]

COME ON GUYS, LETS CHILL OUT A BIT.

YOU CAN SAY WE PLAYED BELOW PAR AND STILL BE HAPPY WITH THE 3POINTS. THE TWO THINGS ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE!!

SIMILARLY, YOU CAN BE VERY CONTENT - OR EVEN DELIRIOUS - WITH THE WAY THE TEAM HAVE STARTED THIS SEASON, BUT STILL HAVE WORRIES AS TO OUR SQUAD'S STRENGTH IN DEPTH AND OUR ABILITY TO SUBSTAIN A PREMIERSHIP CHALLENGE.

YES, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE WON THAT MATCH LAST SEASON, SO CREDIT IS DUE TO THE LADS FOR GETTING THE RESULT. AND YES, MOST TEAMS WILL COME TO OUR GROUND AND STICK 10 MEN BEHIND THE BALL TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT, BUT THAT'S HAPPENED MANY A TIME AND WE'VE MANAGED TO PLAY BETTER THAN WE DID YESTERDAY!

AS FOR THE COMMENT THAT WE COULD HAVE WON 5-0, WELL WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE SHOT AT LEAST 5 TIMES AT THE GOAL TO HAVE ACHIEVED THAT, AND IN TRUTH, POLLITT HARDLY HAD A SAVE TO MAKE!

IF PEOPLE BELIEVE WE WERE WAY UNDER-PAR YESTERDAY, AS I DO, THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS THAT OPINION WITHOUT OTHERS HAVING A POP AT THEM FOR SAYING SO. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE 'FICKLE' OR THAT WE'VE 'BEEN TOO SPOILT' BY PREVIOUS SUCCESS. IT MEANS SOME OF US DON'T THINK WE PLAYED WELL - THAT'S ALL!!

WE SHOULDN'T BE BLINDED BY OUR MAGNIFICENT START INTO BELIEVING EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN IS PERFECT, BECAUSE IT ISN'T. HAVING SAID THAT, NO GOONER IS GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE WAY THINGS HAVE STARTED THIS SEASON AND WE ALL HOPE THE BOYS CAN KEEP IT UP.

BY THE WAY, SAGNA WAS MAGNIFICENT AGAIN YESTERDAY AND MY MAN OF THE MATCH. APART FROM SUNDERLAND, HAS THIS MAN HAD A BELOW PAR MATCH YET?

[Chippy]

Thanks IHH. A brilliant summary. Cheque in the post.

[Stays till the End]

wtf do people want we had 6 players absent after a inernational break and the pessamists (you know who you are) are predicting a crash in form in december.
saturdays performace was no different to how arsenal always play the only differance is that we didn't get an early goal
arsenal pass the ball all over the park (as 65+% possesion indicates) tiring the opposition thus creating space. Thats why Arsenal have scored 45 % of all their goals in the last 15 minutes.

Are all these people moaning because they like to leave 15 mins early or are they all seated at the south end?

[Chippy]

I am nearly always in the family enclosure with my son so we are at the SW end. Yes we are sick of not seeing any goals

As for the other gratuitous insults on here. I have supported the Arsenal for 40+ years, including 18 years without winning the league, so please don't call me fairweather or fickle. I am not whinging I am expressing concerns in a way I cannot to friends and family who are spuds, mancs or chavs. I always arrive early, do not leave my seat at half time and stay for a drink and the match highlights after the game.

I want to win the league in style this season, but believe me if we play like we did yesterday in all our remaining games and win the league or CL I will be one very happy, very drunk gooner. Remember I lived through the era where 1-0 to the Arsenal was the normal result.

IHH summed things up perfectly.

[Stays till the End]

COME ON GUYS, LETS CHILL OUT A BIT.

YOU CAN SAY WE PLAYED BELOW PAR AND STILL BE HAPPY WITH THE 3POINTS. THE TWO THINGS ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE!!

SIMILARLY, YOU CAN BE VERY CONTENT - OR EVEN DELIRIOUS - WITH THE WAY THE TEAM HAVE STARTED THIS SEASON, BUT STILL HAVE WORRIES AS TO OUR SQUAD'S STRENGTH IN DEPTH AND OUR ABILITY TO SUBSTAIN A PREMIERSHIP CHALLENGE.

YES, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE WON THAT MATCH LAST SEASON, SO CREDIT IS DUE TO THE LADS FOR GETTING THE RESULT. AND YES, MOST TEAMS WILL COME TO OUR GROUND AND STICK 10 MEN BEHIND THE BALL TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT, BUT THAT'S HAPPENED MANY A TIME AND WE'VE MANAGED TO PLAY BETTER THAN WE DID YESTERDAY!

AS FOR THE COMMENT THAT WE COULD HAVE WON 5-0, WELL WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE SHOT AT LEAST 5 TIMES AT THE GOAL TO HAVE ACHIEVED THAT, AND IN TRUTH, POLLITT HARDLY HAD A SAVE TO MAKE!

IF PEOPLE BELIEVE WE WERE WAY UNDER-PAR YESTERDAY, AS I DO, THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS THAT OPINION WITHOUT OTHERS HAVING A POP AT THEM FOR SAYING SO. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE 'FICKLE' OR THAT WE'VE 'BEEN TOO SPOILT' BY PREVIOUS SUCCESS. IT MEANS SOME OF US DON'T THINK WE PLAYED WELL - THAT'S ALL!!

WE SHOULDN'T BE BLINDED BY OUR MAGNIFICENT START INTO BELIEVING EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN IS PERFECT, BECAUSE IT ISN'T. HAVING SAID THAT, NO GOONER IS GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE WAY THINGS HAVE STARTED THIS SEASON AND WE ALL HOPE THE BOYS CAN KEEP IT UP.

BY THE WAY, SAGNA WAS MAGNIFICENT AGAIN YESTERDAY AND MY MAN OF THE MATCH. APART FROM SUNDERLAND, HAS THIS MAN HAD A BELOW PAR MATCH YET?

And he had no beads or braids in his hair for that game...... strange pehaps they have magic powers

[T.S]

I want to win the league in style this season, but believe me if we play like we did yesterday in all our remaining games and win the league or CL I will be one very happy, very drunk gooner. Remember I lived through the era where 1-0 to the Arsenal was the normal result.

Doom and gloom, pessimist, fairweather supporter! Takes one to know one!

[charliegeorgewhocanhitem]

I am nearly always in the family enclosure with my son so we are at the SW end. Yes we are sick of not seeing any goals

As for the other gratuitous insults on here. I have supported the Arsenal for 40+ years, including 18 years without winning the league, so please don't call me fairweather or fickle. I am not whinging I am expressing concerns in a way I cannot to friends and family who are spuds, mancs or chavs. I always arrive early, do not leave my seat at half time and stay for a drink and the match highlights after the game.

I want to win the league in style this season, but believe me if we play like we did yesterday in all our remaining games and win the league or CL I will be one very happy, very drunk gooner. Remember I lived through the era where 1-0 to the Arsenal was the normal result.

IHH summed things up perfectly.

Oh but we had some good laughs during those 18 years whe we did'nt win the league, did'nt we????? I rmemeber when I first started supporting the Arse (68) we had'nt won a trophy since the 1953 championship win, my first trophy and yours I assume was the fantastic night at Highbury in 70 when we won the Fairs Cup (UEFA cup to the younger posters here but in the days when it was a good cup to win ) I really hope we don't get like the mancs and only remember the Wenger years as they only remember the siiiir alex and premiership years. If we did'nt have history we'd be fuckin Chelsea and we reeeeally would'nt want that now would we

[Chippy]

3 FA Cup finals on the trot, and beat the mancs after we looked like we'd thrown it away. Unfortunately the only one of the 3 I got a ticket for was West Ham and I was in their end

Still hate Willie Young for all sorts of reasons.

[26may1989]

Still hate Willie Young for all sorts of reasons.

Willie Young was and is a god, though admittedly a rather lardy one these days. Pulling down Paul Allen remains the only highlight from that game.

[dvbrisgooner1]

Sorry to start a new thread but I got home expecting to find stuff about how awful todays game was but see stuff saying December is now going to be OK and Diarra is the new Vieira.

We were crap. If we had played a good team we would have lost! This was the worst game of the season so far (I did not see the game in Prague). it would be difficult to point to any of our players and say they had a good game (I might make an exception for Clichy). If Diarra was that good today how come we never threatened the Wigan box let alone the goal in the first half. We could not pas the ball out of midfield! This is Arsenal!

If we play like today with the upcoming fixuers we will be lucky to get more than 10 of the available 21 points in December.

Only bright spot Bendtner made a huge difference when he came on, looked more mneacing in 10 minutes than Ade in 90.

Sorry had to get this off my chest. Probably had too many beers and will regret this in the morning when the football brains among you go to town, but i was one extremely relieved Gooner at 10 to 5.

Yep, worst performance of the season so far. THREE POINTS - that's all that really matters.