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.
QuartzGooner wrote:Theo played 90 mins mid week and guess he will play midweek vs Shakhtar so was not used for 90 today.
Denilson needs games to get fully fit guess that's why he was left on so long.
Team had loads of shots it's not as if we were playing badly, more a case of West Ham parking the bus.
Fair enough Walcott playing 90 mins midweek having just returned from injury explains why he didn’t start, but his hypothetical involvement against Shakhtar should never come into it. Today was the far more important game, 1) cos it was the immediate issue at hand, and 2) we’ve already all but qualified from the CL group, whereas we’re 5 points behind Chelsea in the league playing catch-up.
Likewise with Denilson’s fitness. Surely that comes a distant second in terms of importance to winning the match today. It would make sense if were 3-0 up & cruising but not at 0-0 when changes needed to be made.
Ultimately we deserved the win & just about got it but if we hadn’t then we’d have only have had ourselves to blame. Sluggish first half, gave them a hold in the game & something to defend with their lives. Cant say anybody except the back 4, and especially Sagna & Kos, had a particularly good game today. Still, a win is a win is a win.
Blade wrote:Aw says Fab4 has slight injury on hamstring and is confident he will be fit for Shahktar.
-does this means 3 months out ?Wait till our meds team get their hands on him.
is that just an excuse for his poor performace today though? played a very sloppy game today, gave the ball away a number of times and his poor pass lead to the tackle on Denilson...shame that didnt end his game
Ricay wrote:Happi burfday to me... Today I will be mainly drinking Fosters, getting totally wankered & seeing the Arse give the whammers a good seeing to !
You do know Fosters is just the shit no one in Australia will drink right? Only reason it gets exported. The good stuff is all still here.
I don't gives a toss at my age.... It's cheap & its alcoholic...
LDB wrote:Fosters is gash. Infact most big brand lagers are utter gash, i dont mind kronenbourg but other then that its all about continental specialist lagers and ofcourse CAMRA
A lot of the media reports and comments I've read today suggest that we were under par but I thought that for all but 20 minutes in the first half, the performance was pretty decent. Certainly I've seen us a lot flatter in games this year, notably West Brom and away at Liverpool. 17 shots in the game, and Green the undoubted man of the match reflects the way the game went.
Walcott was introduced at just the right time. The Hammers had defended for their lives, chasing shadows for much of the second half and Walcott was able to benefit as the game closed out. I think he had a lot to do with them being on the back foot for the last 20.
Back line held up well too - Koscielny is a welcome return for the shaky Djourou and I thought Squillaci gave his most convincing 90 minutes yet. Fabianski didn't have a lot to do but did what he had to......although it's only a matter of time before one of those punches ends up on the end of a volleyed boot or head.
I thought Denilson was really poor. I try to take a balanced view and ignore some of the morons around me who decide to hammer him for the first misplaced pass (same bores that usually slaughter Diaby, Almunia and Eboue from the kick off) but I really did think he was grim yesterday. Poor passing and slowed the tempo. Jack, Cesc, Nasri and Walcott asap - drop the lazy Russian too
REBEL GOONER wrote:tbf that game should have wrapped up way earlier. we won and thats the main thing.
Agreed!
I think the scoreline actually flattered the spammers.
Okay we weren't great and both the crowd and players seemed a little subdued but then what do you expect when a team parks the bus and Green plays unusually well.
All ifs and buts but on another day Fab may have scored early on.
Nasri hitting the bar
Song low at Green
Theo off the post.
Could have easily been 3 or 4 but Fair play to the shammers they were resilient and almost held on. Wasn't a great game but hey! I'll take the 3 points.
doing pushing forward so often ? Getting us 3 points !!!! 
