Zagreb away match thread

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.
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GoonerMuzz
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by GoonerMuzz »

Kvltman wrote:This is from football365.com. Apologies for the cut & paste but it simply sums up exactly how I (and I'm guessing a lot of others!) feel...

“I knew since I [found out] our schedule that I have a squad of 20 players, all experienced and every decision I make is very difficult,” said Wenger in pre-match press conference. “It is quite easy to change two or three players, more than it was in years before because they are all at a very good level.”

Ah, here we are again. So lovely too see you, take a seat. You’re right, this event is a little earlier than normal this year, but go with it.

Any Arsenal supporters filing out of the Stadion Maksimir on Wednesday night would be forgiven for shouting “f**k cohesion” at the empty stadium, continuing the fine tradition of football supporters screaming obscenities at inanimate objects. If this was Arsenal’s first step along the road to Champions League success, they tripped over their own lace and smashed their face on the gravel.

Arsenal are not losers because their Champions League campaign is in tatters (because it obviously isn’t), but due to the message this defeat sends out. If Arsene Wenger’s decision not to buy a single outfield player (the only club in Europe’s top five leagues, remember) was because he thought he had adequate cover in vital positions, he was wrong.

Individually, this squad is good enough. If all are fit and all are gelling together they are among the most capable sides in Europe. But that status quo is so rare that it barely bears mentioning. It’s something we’ve said before, and will no doubt say again: If this is the performance of the team which well be needed through the cold winter months, a title challenge looks a laughable prospect.

This has been a fortnight so utterly Arsenal that it may as well be christened Thierry Gunnersaurus Adams-Chapman. A silent deadline day was followed by serious injury to Danny Welbeck and another to Jack Wilshere, both suffering setbacks in their recoveries from existing knocks. On both occasions Wenger issued a ‘let’s wait and see’ message but, within days, three months was issued as the hopeful estimate for both. Then, on the first occasion Wenger was permitted to display Arsenal’s strength in depth, they fell woefully short.

Each one of Arsenal’s changes fell short in their bid to impress. Mathieu Debuchy has regressed badly from his Newcastle days, Mikel Arteta offered a dire impression of a holding midfielder and David Ospina looked like a rusty reserve goalkeeper. Olivier Giroud went one step further, missing a presentable chance before being sent off for two yellow cards even before half-time. To add a red bow to a night soaked in pure Arsenal, their inability to defend set pieces again reared its ugly head.

Unexpected failure is hard to take, but there is nothing as frustrating as predictable, and avoidable, downfall. Take one step back, respond impressively, fall short of top spot, get knocked out in the last-16 – it’s Arsenal’s Champions League Groundhog Season. Supporters used to worry that they would never achieve European glory with Wenger in charge. Now even the quarter-finals seem a distant dream.

Wenger this week aimed to curb expectation on Arsenal’s chances in this competition, urging realism through the poetic insistence that “We are not dreamers”. Here’s a list of clubs to have reached the last eight since Arsenal did: Shakhtar Donetsk, Tottenham, Schalke, Internazionale, APOEL Nicosia, Marseille, Benfica, Milan, Malaga, Dortmund, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, Porto and Monaco. In this competition, Arsenal have not just been overtaken by the best, but the rest too. And that’s not a dream.

The manager will stress that this is just one defeat, neither catastrophic nor indicative of a terminal decline. Wenger is right on that point, but there now follows a run of games which will truly test Arsenal’s credentials, and put their summer inaction into a more relevant context. Chelsea (a), Spurs (a), Leicester (a), Olympiacos (h), Manchester United (h). Gulp.
I'll be honest i've never looked closely at it this way before but the list of teams listed there is shocking.

There's not one team on that list i'd ever have rated as better than us over the last 10 years if asked except maybe Dortmund.

It show's how arrogant i'd become as an Arsenal supporter after our years of success in the 90's and early 2000's. :rubchin:

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MrT
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by MrT »

"Arsenal is one of the best teams who ever played here and they did exactly what we agreed they would do," said Mamic, as quoted by the Daily Mail. "We thought it would be very important to close the middle, to stop the fast passes.

"That's what we did and it's nothing new. We have already seen other teams who beat Arsenal use the same tactics. This is a good way to beat them.

"Arsenal has top four top international players, and other top players compared to Dinamo, but they are not world class. We just concentrated in not letting them come to the ball. It was probably one our best games tactically."
No point adding anything to this. :lol:

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Ed Hunter The Gooner
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by Ed Hunter The Gooner »


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Perryashburtongroves
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by Perryashburtongroves »

I've got a strong suspicion that yet again, the old *word censored* was trying to make a personal point last night. I truly think he purposefully picked a 'weak' team and thought he could win and then tell everyone that we didn't need to buy anyone, that he knew best and the rest of us are all ignorant, ungrateful mugs. Once again, though, he fails at something and comes away looking more of the prick that he actually is.

Offside
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by Offside »

Perryashburtongroves wrote:I've got a strong suspicion that yet again, the old *word censored* was trying to make a personal point last night. I truly think he purposefully picked a 'weak' team and thought he could win and then tell everyone that we didn't need to buy anyone, that he knew best and the rest of us are all ignorant, ungrateful mugs. Once again, though, he fails at something and comes away looking more of the prick that he actually is.
Vanity is one of Wenger's main characteristics. I'm sure he smugly thought his deep squad would handle this match easily.

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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by flash gunner »

Another loss another game towards Wengers exit

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g88ner
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by g88ner »

flash gunner wrote:Another loss another game towards Wengers exit
Where is that quote from? :rubchin: :lol:

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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by flash gunner »

g88ner wrote:
flash gunner wrote:Another loss another game towards Wengers exit
Where is that quote from? :rubchin: :lol:
Chaucer 8)












:? :lol:

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Gunnersaurus
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by Gunnersaurus »

Perryashburtongroves wrote:I've got a strong suspicion that yet again, the old *word censored* was trying to make a personal point last night. I truly think he purposefully picked a 'weak' team and thought he could win and then tell everyone that we didn't need to buy anyone, that he knew best and the rest of us are all ignorant, ungrateful mugs. Once again, though, he fails at something and comes away looking more of the prick that he actually is.
Worked well then, was stunned to see Arteta AND Cazorla together, he probably thought he could get away with it than talk about the options there, right now though he will be praying that nothing ever happens to Coquelin.

Shocking display and arrogance, can't even put it into words.

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flash gunner
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by flash gunner »

Gunnersaurus wrote:
Perryashburtongroves wrote:I've got a strong suspicion that yet again, the old *word censored* was trying to make a personal point last night. I truly think he purposefully picked a 'weak' team and thought he could win and then tell everyone that we didn't need to buy anyone, that he knew best and the rest of us are all ignorant, ungrateful mugs. Once again, though, he fails at something and comes away looking more of the prick that he actually is.
Worked well then, was stunned to see Arteta AND Cazorla together, he probably thought he could get away with it than talk about the options there, right now though he will be praying that nothing ever happens to Coquelin.

Shocking display and arrogance, can't even put it into words.
"It's so important to realize that every time you get upset, it drains your emotional energy. Losing your cool makes you tired. Getting angry a lot messes with your health"

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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by flash gunner »

Ikechukwu1 wrote:
g88ner wrote:Was I imagining it or did Gibbs DUCK when Zagreb scored their 2nd? :shock:
You sound surprised. Or have you forgotten that BFG (Big Fucking Gimp) similarly ducked out of a Stoke corner last season? Yup, that's Captain material. Oh wait, Arteta is captain.... :oops:
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing"

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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by OneBardGooner »

flash gunner wrote:
Ikechukwu1 wrote:
g88ner wrote:Was I imagining it or did Gibbs DUCK when Zagreb scored their 2nd? :shock:
You sound surprised. Or have you forgotten that BFG (Big Fucking Gimp) similarly ducked out of a Stoke corner last season? Yup, that's Captain material. Oh wait, Arteta is captain.... :oops:
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing except Wenger is Clueless"
:wink:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34275448

I couldn't watch the game last night - emergency cover in work - but got in and heard the result on the radio and thought to myself

"Here we go again"... just watched part of the post match interview with the BBC and he really is clutching at straws for excuses....and uh... :blah: :blah: :blah: ...and uh ... :blah: :blah: :blah: ...and uh .... :blah: :blah: :blah: ...and ug exceptional circumstances ... :blah: :blah: :blah: ... and uh....

The world has gone mad...a man with no idea of how to run a top class team and he gets £8 million per annum into the bargain....


I have lost all respect for him... and that makes me sad.

didn't think I could ever feel this way about someone who was once the best manager in the prem.
Last edited by OneBardGooner on Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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OneBardGooner
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by OneBardGooner »

flash gunner wrote:
g88ner wrote:
flash gunner wrote:Another loss another game towards Wengers exit
Where is that quote from? :rubchin: :lol:
Chaucer 8)



:? :lol:
Is that cup and chaucer ? :lol:

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OneBardGooner
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by OneBardGooner »

1,000,000% correct.


:bowing21: :bowing21: :bowing21: :bowing21:

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Salvage
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Re: Zagreb away match thread

Post by Salvage »

The fact that Arsenal has made top 4 -- 3 for the past three seasons with Giroud as our top striker, shows that the EPL standard has really gone low. Very Low.

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