WEST HAM HOME THREAD

[Gunner Rob]

Stop moaning

We are one point behind Chelsea that by some is seen as progress because last year it was 12

thats one way of looking at it!
I will ignore the fact that we are below Bournemouth on goal difference

[DB10GOONER]

Oh dear, I'm grabbing a bottle of wine and sitting in me hot tub in the garden cos this is fuckin woeful.

130,000 quid a week for giroud who has time to take a touch, about 2 seconds to pick his spot from 14 yards and if it hadn't taken a deflection it was going wide.

I said earlier that the grotesque wages in top flight football spoils it for me and this just enhances that.

And DB you can defend him all you like but the guy is a mid table forward at best and should not be on 30,000 let alone 130,000

Woah there, cowboy! I've done nothing but call him bang average. He has good days he has bad days, but in general he is one of those average PL strikers that hit between 10 and 15 PL goals a season. I've also clearly stated on numerous occasions that we will not win the PL with him as our first choice lone striker. What I don't buy into is the whole over the top hysteria claiming he is "shite". He's not. I do think we could get more out of him if we played him in a better system, but how much more? I dunno. But I do know you cannot expect a striker to feed off scraps and that's all he got on Sunday. Our service to him was appalling and strikers live off service. Given that Giroud is very limited, the need for decent service is amplified and we simply did not provide it on Sunday.

The hysteria on this thread in general is embarrassing. We have idiots claiming we'll finish in the bottom half of the PL, or we'll finish bottom of the London teams, or that Sunday was all Giroud's fault, or that Cech (after one competitive game) is now utter shite. Christ, so many of you sound like little bitches that have never watched football before.

Regarding Sunday; Giroud was poor. But so was every single other player. Indeed, I'd say Ramsey, Santi and Ox (bar one nice run that ended in nothing) were all far worse. Ramsey in particular has gone back fully into Mini-Messi mode, overdoing everything, constantly looking for the difficult option, and holding too long when a quick easy pass is called for. Our defence were terrible for both goals and Cech was terrible for the first, but Cech will save us more points than he will cost us this season.

For me, we need;

1. a top top striker (whilst I have no problem with us giving Karim Giroudzema a chance, I'm yet to be convinced he'll do significantly better than Giroud in the PL, and in our "system", and with supply from our midfield)

2. a top CH (Mert is dead on his feet slow and a coward to boot).

You could probably add a LB and a top DM but I think the 2 most important positions we are clearly lacking in are striker and CH.

[augie]

DB you haven't referred to coquelin's performance Sunday in your post - did you think that is was acceptable ?
I know I have claimed consistently that he isn't good enough, and I know some will feel that I have a vendetta against him, but last Sunday showed exactly why he isn't good enough to be first choice DM for any team intending to challenge for the big prizes - his woeful passing was worse than pub league level, but he was absolutely anonymous as the shammers played through our midfield. Even for their second goal he went for the Hollywood slide tackle (aiming to be the one to win the tackle and come away with the ball) when all he had to do was win the tackle and one of his 3 team-mates could have tidied up. He, along with a big percentage of Gooners, now seem to feel that he is the mutts nuts and was very song-esqe in his performance Sunday and the last thing we need is another Alex song in our midfield

[Theoperator]

Augie, you are right, played poorly. His passing really hasnt been good all along, hopefully the guy will learn from his poor game, its the sign of a good player if he picks up the next game or two. if not then perhaps a CB will come in the window

[Gunnersaurus]

It's funny you mention Song because that's exactly how I felt about Coquelin on Sunday night, Song had an amazing season one year, came back the next year with silly blond hair and an over confidence about him where he was the star, forgot he was part of a team and wanted to go forward more than do his job, his head became big and I went off him as a player from that point.

Now, I'm not saying Coquelin has become too big for his own boots but you do have to imagine if the praise (and it has been deserved) has been registered and he's going to slip into his comfort zone now that he's signed up.

I can't stand the fact that many Arsenal fans online have the opinion that we need back up for him, we actually need competition because he should be made to fight for his shirt, if we sign back up or worse still sign no one and rely on Arteta than I can only see this ending one way.

He didn't have a good game, his passing was quite shoddy and you have to worry if the point no longer has to be proved, our season is in his hands so to speak and I'm not comfy with it.

I actually felt exactly the same about Ramsey last year, got laughed at on another site because of it but was proved right in the end as he had a below par season.

[Nos89]

Coquelin job is simple, stop the opponents getting to the defence, then a simple 5-10 yard pass to either Carzola, who was also anonymous for much of the game, or Ozil who was criticised for running back and tackling, which isn't his game, but at least he tried. Coquelin should not be trying 30 yard cross field passes, it is not his strength. Win the ball play it simple to a better ball player. That is what all the great DM's do. Makelele did it, as did Gilberto. Petit was told to do it by Adams. From January that is what he done, so hopefully Sunday was a reminder of how he should play rather than how he did play.

I don't think anyone has pointed out, why play Theo through the middle in all pre-season games, then leave him out for the first proper game? Giroud slowed the play down. Giroud is not crap he's just not fit to play the style we have need to play. Ozil, Sanchez, Walcott and Chamberlain (who proved he isn't a right-back) have pace, power and technique.

Carzola needs to be bossing that midfield and demanding Coquelin to play it simple, from what I saw on Sunday, it was the other way round. Coquelin looks to be a leader on the pitch but needs to be reminded of his own role. I think he has the discipline to do it, but on occasion gets carried away with the praise he has received. It's the captain's job to make sure everyone is doing their job on the pitch. Strangely, I can see Coquelin being made captain at some point in the future.

[Humoresque]

Mistake #1: sticking Cazorla out wide left when he's proven he runs the team from the center

it's maddening, starting two d-mids at home against West Ham when they played with a diamond midfield, you need to get wide and both Santi and Ox would always drift in, playing right into their hands. Wenger is simply tactically unaware.

we don't have truly wide players who'll get chalk on their boots, and against a diamond 4!

on the first goal the players , in particular Koc. didn't get goalside and it was partially Czechs fault b/c once you go out that far you need to get it but Czech just isn't used to our crazy backline.

on the second he may have been screened a bit, plus look at the defenders, nobody was rushing out and they stood there trying to protect themselves instead of blocking the shot, they are soft just like their coach.

[DB10GOONER]

DB you haven't referred to coquelin's performance Sunday in your post - did you think that is was acceptable ?
I know I have claimed consistently that he isn't good enough, and I know some will feel that I have a vendetta against him, but last Sunday showed exactly why he isn't good enough to be first choice DM for any team intending to challenge for the big prizes - his woeful passing was worse than pub league level, but he was absolutely anonymous as the shammers played through our midfield. Even for their second goal he went for the Hollywood slide tackle (aiming to be the one to win the tackle and come away with the ball) when all he had to do was win the tackle and one of his 3 team-mates could have tidied up. He, along with a big percentage of Gooners, now seem to feel that he is the mutts nuts and was very song-esqe in his performance Sunday and the last thing we need is another Alex song in our midfield

Agree totally. Just didn't have the time to go through every shit performance of every player.

I've been a Coquelin doubter from day one as he always struck me as rash in the tackle and a red card waiting to happen. But he was very good in many games last year. But then so was Giroud. The problem is neither is top class, they just have a run of doing well, and then in many other games we see that they are not good enough to be first choice in a team with real PL winning ambition. Coquelin is average for me, good on his day, poor on other days, but deffo not top class.

[Theoperator]

I thought that all the mods were coq lovers DB10, this site is turning proper s.hite

[DB10GOONER]

I fantasised that all the mods were coq lovers DB10, this site is turning proper s.hite

[Yankee_Gooner_Dandee]

Ramsey needs to be dropped from the preferred starting 11. Walcott/Ox/Sanchez need to be the options for the right and left side. Ramsey can be an alternative for Cazorla or Ozil, but not play with them.

[OneBardGooner]

Where's the Banner???

Fwank have you got it or has Simon???

WENGER OUT!

[Rugby Gooner]

This is a reality check for the A.K.B's,(although they won't take it on board). Also Jose must be pissing himself.....he sold us a past his best carthorse of a goalkeeper for £10m,(that he only paid £7m for and used for 10 years). He then buys a younger, bigger Keeper for £8m!
Why didn't we buy Begovic?

Probably because Begovic isn't as good as Cech.

Oh Yeah,I forgot how well Cech played on Sunday!

Yes, he was amazing and we all saw it.

So you're judging players on one game now?

Not just on that game mate,but on the previous season.He was not good enough to be the Chavs first choice keeper for that year, and eventually they decided that he wasn't even good enough to be their "second string" keeper so they sold him to us!

[storrmin571]

Ramsey needs to be dropped from the preferred starting 11. Walcott/Ox/Sanchez need to be the options for the right and left side. Ramsey can be an alternative for Cazorla or Ozil, but not play with them.

Blame Ramsey again. You've got it in for the man.

[markyp]

Ramsey needs to be dropped from the preferred starting 11. Walcott/Ox/Sanchez need to be the options for the right and left side. Ramsey can be an alternative for Cazorla or Ozil, but not play with them.

Blame Ramsey again. You've got it in for the man.

drop Ramsey,WTF,the player coveted by Barca,really?but we do need a system that gets the best out of caz,rambo,jack etc but Wenker will never see it not like we do but then we haven't had 30 years in footy so what the fuck do we know??