The Gooner Forum

The January window and deadline day in particular really irk me - football "journalism" has been dumbed down beyond belief with the media and Sky Sports News in particular turning top flight football (they have no interest in the lower leagues) into a pathetic and desperate soap opera.

Since silly season started we have been seen supposedly reputable reporters who tell us they have sources close to the club link Arsenal with:

Some more laughable targets: Lampard, Beckham and Henry.

Also some well known names: Huntelaar, Cavani, Llorente, M'Vila, Jovetic, Ba, Zaha, Lopez and Villa.

And some more low key "targets" such as Mbwia, Gourcuff, Diame, McCarthy, Benteke, Begovic, Holtby, Isco, Bong and Amorebiata.

None of those useless journos had even heard of Monreal until the deal was rumoured late yesterday! I cannot believe how they earn a living - some of them even cite rumours on Twitters as "gossip" and run stories on the base of that!

It never ceases to amaze me how the fans lap their bullshit up! They know fuck all and I bet rightly or wrongly Arsene enjoyed throwing this curveball at them.

So now that the transfer sideshow is over for another few months and our club looks unable to push for the infamous top 4 spot, how do we get rid of Wenger?

I still not over the fact that Natalie wore a neck high dress. Gutted.

Its hard not be critical of a team that ruins the efforts of Giroud, Walcott, Wilshere etc by individual errors on a consistent basis....we played like a team of drunks for an hour on wednesday. There have been too many poor performances, you have to admire the way we do fight back...but imagine what we could do if we sorted out the defence?

Another worry is that against both Chelsea and Liverpool we had 20-25 minutes to push on and win the game, but we were tired and leggy from fighting to get back in the game...understandable...but there was not one guy on the bench to come on and win the game for us. We used to throw Kanu and Suker on and it would scare the crap out of the opposition, Le Fondre is a crass example - but a good bench can supplement the efforts of a good first team.

We have got a player in, but that was forced by injury - the lack of investment in the squad may be that little bit of a gamble too far. Is it Wenger, the board..who knows - but its a mistake as a club in my opinion.

I will always support the team, i want to finish in the top four, and whilst i will be critical of Wenger and do believe his time is coming (end of the season perhaps) I will never lose respect for the man and abuse him. You finish where you deserve too...right now we are between 4-7th best in the league, we have gone backwards over the last 4-5 years, you can't deny that.

Walcott has proven me wrong (to a degree, he still goes missing), Giroud is excellent in my opnion (but needs suppport), Wilshere, Cazorla, Gibbo, OX...we have some excellent footballers, that should not be forgotten.

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:

augie wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:

augie wrote:Hope and pray that we finish outside the top 4 and I don't care who finishes above us - we have had the dire performances and we have had the embarrassing results so we cannot say that we were not warned but as per usual we decided to ignore them and we deserved every bit of punishment that comes our way

Can I also say that if some of you "arsene knows" sheep get plenty of stick from scum fans when they finish above us then just remember to get down and pray at wenker's feet again and everything will be ok

I think someone got up on the cranky side of the bed.

Absolutely and I don't dispute that - what is really concerning though is that I am not even angry and the anger has just made way for the acceptance and resignation of what we are.......a wealthy club with a small two bob club aspirations
As hard as it is to entertain those thoughts, what really gets my blood boiling is the refusal, still, of so many people to accept that wenger is a huge part of the problem I don't need for these people to back down so I can say I told you - BDB and MM99 have traditionally been two of the more positive and pro wenger supporters on here (in my opinion anyway) but even they have been critical of late and nobody is gloating at them for it. The part that saddens me is the one's who refuse to acknowledge what is happening in front of them cos imo nothing will change as long as these people continue to back wenker so if misery rains down on them from a great height then maybe it is cos they deserve it.

I hope your missus hides any rope, sharp objects or presciption drugs in the house mate, fukin hell Augie it's FRIDAY FFS..................................

Sadly lefty, I work saturdays and sundays so the "it's friday" thing doesnt do much to lift my spirits unless I was going to a game on the saturday and I dont think that does a lot for me as it stands either

hugh I can't remember who it was but some massive ITK on Twitter a few months ago suddenly revealed to everyone that he'd just been spouting lies and rubbish and making up rumours for a laugh. He said he couldn't believe how many people believed what he said (even over SkySports and BBC) despite the fact that not a single one of his rumours had come true and how he had tens of thousands of followers.

Regarding Arsenal, I don't for a minute think we actually tried to sign anyone (Villa included) apart from this left-back yesterday. What does it say about Wenger that he was forced to sign a bloke full-time because of a 3-week lay-off to our left-back? What if Gibbs had torn a hamstring against Stoke instead?

On the plus side, our lack of ambition allowed me to get a full night of sleep before Conduct & Regulation exam this morning - no staying up to see if our Cavani/Villa deal was pushed through in time.

augie wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:

augie wrote:Hope and pray that we finish outside the top 4 and I don't care who finishes above us - we have had the dire performances and we have had the embarrassing results so we cannot say that we were not warned but as per usual we decided to ignore them and we deserved every bit of punishment that comes our way

Can I also say that if some of you "arsene knows" sheep get plenty of stick from scum fans when they finish above us then just remember to get down and pray at wenker's feet again and everything will be ok

I think someone got up on the cranky side of the bed.

Absolutely and I don't dispute that - what is really concerning though is that I am not even angry and the anger has just made way for the acceptance and resignation of what we are.......a wealthy club with a small two bob club aspirations
As hard as it is to entertain those thoughts, what really gets my blood boiling is the refusal, still, of so many people to accept that wenger is a huge part of the problem I don't need for these people to back down so I can say I told you - BDB and MM99 have traditionally been two of the more positive and pro wenger supporters on here (in my opinion anyway) but even they have been critical of late and nobody is gloating at them for it. The part that saddens me is the one's who refuse to acknowledge what is happening in front of them cos imo nothing will change as long as these people continue to back wenker so if misery rains down on them from a great height then maybe it is cos they deserve it.

Firstly, any Arsenal fan that thinks the club is doing wonderful and that Wenger is on par with God either has serious mental deficiencies or they don't know much about football so don't dwell too much on what they say. These tend to be those that 'like' the club on facebook etc...

Secondly, I said at the start of this month that we desperately need a quality striker to be brought in and I will judge Wenger on what he does this month. If he failed to do so then I would no longer care if he left tomorrow. Like BDB, I won't abuse the guy and still have respect for him, but now I'm finally at a point where I couldn't care less if he left. A stark contrast to my previous views on Wenger I'm sure you'll agree.

augie wrote:

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:

augie wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:

augie wrote:Hope and pray that we finish outside the top 4 and I don't care who finishes above us - we have had the dire performances and we have had the embarrassing results so we cannot say that we were not warned but as per usual we decided to ignore them and we deserved every bit of punishment that comes our way

Can I also say that if some of you "arsene knows" sheep get plenty of stick from scum fans when they finish above us then just remember to get down and pray at wenker's feet again and everything will be ok

I think someone got up on the cranky side of the bed.

Absolutely and I don't dispute that - what is really concerning though is that I am not even angry and the anger has just made way for the acceptance and resignation of what we are.......a wealthy club with a small two bob club aspirations
As hard as it is to entertain those thoughts, what really gets my blood boiling is the refusal, still, of so many people to accept that wenger is a huge part of the problem I don't need for these people to back down so I can say I told you - BDB and MM99 have traditionally been two of the more positive and pro wenger supporters on here (in my opinion anyway) but even they have been critical of late and nobody is gloating at them for it. The part that saddens me is the one's who refuse to acknowledge what is happening in front of them cos imo nothing will change as long as these people continue to back wenker so if misery rains down on them from a great height then maybe it is cos they deserve it.

I hope your missus hides any rope, sharp objects or presciption drugs in the house mate, fukin hell Augie it's FRIDAY FFS..................................

Sadly lefty, I work saturdays and sundays so the "it's friday" thing doesnt do much to lift my spirits unless I was going to a game on the saturday and I dont think that does a lot for me as it stands either

No wonder your so down mate, change your job

I work for myself so can work on Saurdays at times, mainly the summer and only mornings as I play footie at the weekend.

I'm out tonight with some lifelong mates and it's gonna get messy and I am gonna have a hangover from hell tomorrow morning so I will have a couple on you behalf mate.....

rodders999 wrote:I still not over the fact that Natalie wore a neck high dress. Gutted.

me too frigid old cow

DB10GOONER wrote:

augie wrote:Hope and pray that we finish outside the top 4 and I don't care who finishes above us - we have had the dire performances and we have had the embarrassing results so we cannot say that we were not warned but as per usual we decided to ignore them and we deserved every bit of punishment that comes our way

Can I also say that if some of you "arsene knows" sheep get plenty of stick from scum fans when they finish above us then just remember to get down and pray at wenker's feet again and everything will be ok

I think someone got up on the creaky side of the bed.

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:

augie wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:

augie wrote:Hope and pray that we finish outside the top 4 and I don't care who finishes above us - we have had the dire performances and we have had the embarrassing results so we cannot say that we were not warned but as per usual we decided to ignore them and we deserved every bit of punishment that comes our way

Can I also say that if some of you "arsene knows" sheep get plenty of stick from scum fans when they finish above us then just remember to get down and pray at wenker's feet again and everything will be ok

I think someone got up on the cranky side of the bed.

Absolutely and I don't dispute that - what is really concerning though is that I am not even angry and the anger has just made way for the acceptance and resignation of what we are.......a wealthy club with a small two bob club aspirations
As hard as it is to entertain those thoughts, what really gets my blood boiling is the refusal, still, of so many people to accept that wenger is a huge part of the problem I don't need for these people to back down so I can say I told you - BDB and MM99 have traditionally been two of the more positive and pro wenger supporters on here (in my opinion anyway) but even they have been critical of late and nobody is gloating at them for it. The part that saddens me is the one's who refuse to acknowledge what is happening in front of them cos imo nothing will change as long as these people continue to back wenker so if misery rains down on them from a great height then maybe it is cos they deserve it.

I hope your missus hides any rope, sharp objects or presciption drugs in the house mate, fukin hell Augie it's FRIDAY FFS..................................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0

Just remember, if you're having a shit day at the office, can't stand the people around you etc there's always somebody else having a much worse day than you.
Ladies and gentlemen I give you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N6ByXdMONk

If you ever wanted to be a fly on a dressing room wall, The Hawthorns would be the place today!

Bendtners Drinking Buddy wrote:Its hard not be critical of a team that ruins the efforts of Giroud, Walcott, Wilshere etc by individual errors on a consistent basis....we played like a team of drunks for an hour on wednesday. There have been too many poor performances, you have to admire the way we do fight back...but imagine what we could do if we sorted out the defence?
Another worry is that against both Chelsea and Liverpool we had 20-25 minutes to push on and win the game, but we were tired and leggy from fighting to get back in the game...understandable...but there was not one guy on the bench to come on and win the game for us. We used to throw Kanu and Suker on and it would scare the crap out of the opposition, Le Fondre is a crass example - but a good bench can supplement the efforts of a good first team.

We have got a player in, but that was forced by injury - the lack of investment in the squad may be that little bit of a gamble too far. Is it Wenger, the board..who knows - but its a mistake as a club in my opinion.

I will always support the team, i want to finish in the top four, and whilst i will be critical of Wenger and do believe his time is coming (end of the season perhaps) I will never lose respect for the man and abuse him. You finish where you deserve too...right now we are between 4-7th best in the league, we have gone backwards over the last 4-5 years, you can't deny that.

Walcott has proven me wrong (to a degree, he still goes missing), Giroud is excellent in my opnion (but needs suppport), Wilshere, Cazorla, Gibbo, OX...we have some excellent footballers, that should not be forgotten.

Exactly - but what is Wenger's reaction to consistently throwing away silly goals and having to come from behind to win or draw games? Extra defensive drills GG style led by Stevie Bould? Going out and signing a CB suited to the physical and pacey nature of English football?

Nope - it is to come out with some half baked comments about 'we pay the price for our philosophy' as if any good attacking side has to compromise defence. Don't Manchester United, Barcelona, Spain and other top quality teams somehow manage to combine the two? This bollocks about being 'a bit nervous defensively' - well of course we are because if you've got centre backs who can't jump or head a ball, or who get bumped around like little kids against anyone remotely physical, or a GK who comes racing off his line or misses corners.......any team in the world would be 'nervous defensively'.

There is one way to iron it out and that is through sheer bloody hard work on the training ground. When USMarty always used to bang on about the board being to blame for absolutely everything I used to urge him to look at things that weren't part of their control i.e. the defensive organisation of the team. There are teams like Stoke that are set up better defensively that don't have the resources to buy the attacking players we have. How do they get set-up like that when their defence consists of kids from their youth set-up and cast offs from Chelsea and Man United - through sheer bloody hard work that's how. Its something that Kenny Sansom described perfectly in his book in the League Cup winning season in 1987. I see precious little evidence of that work ethic in the current Arsenal......which as you rightly say is criminal given the creative players we have at our disposal. The notion that the likes of Cazorla, Wilshere and Walcott would somehow need sacrificing to accommodate a well organised defence is crass - did Drogba suddenly stop scoring 25 goals a year because Mourinho had the defence well drilled. Did Vidic suddenly go AWOL because Ronaldo and Tevez got 60 between them in a season playing some of the most flamboyant attacking football in the country?

As for the point about the strikers we used to bring on as subs......Wenger could easily have secured a £15m+ striker as a fourth option if he had the appetite.

SteveO 35 wrote:Exactly - but what is Wenger's reaction to consistently throwing away silly goals and having to come from behind to win or draw games? Extra defensive drills GG style led by Stevie Bould? Going out and signing a CB suited to the physical and pacey nature of English football?

Nope - it is to come out with some half baked comments about 'we pay the price for our philosophy' as if any good attacking side has to compromise defence. Don't Manchester United, Barcelona, Spain and other top quality teams somehow manage to combine the two? This bollocks about being 'a bit nervous defensively' - well of course we are because if you've got centre backs who can't jump or head a ball, or who get bumped around like little kids against anyone remotely physical, or a GK who comes racing off his line or misses corners.......any team in the world would be 'nervous defensively'.

There is one way to iron it out and that is through sheer bloody hard work on the training ground. When USMarty always used to bang on about the board being to blame for absolutely everything I used to urge him to look at things that weren't part of their control i.e. the defensive organisation of the team. There are teams like Stoke that are set up better defensively that don't have the resources to buy the attacking players we have. How do they get set-up like that when their defence consists of kids from their youth set-up and cast offs from Chelsea and Man United - through sheer bloody hard work that's how. Its something that Kenny Sansom described perfectly in his book in the League Cup winning season in 1987. I see precious little evidence of that work ethic in the current Arsenal......which as you rightly say is criminal given the creative players we have at our disposal. The notion that the likes of Cazorla, Wilshere and Walcott would somehow need sacrificing to accommodate a well organised defence is crass - did Drogba suddenly stop scoring 25 goals a year because Mourinho had the defence well drilled. Did Vidic suddenly go AWOL because Ronaldo and Tevez got 60 between them in a season playing some of the most flamboyant attacking football in the country?

As for the point about the strikers we used to bring on as subs......Wenger could easily have secured a £15m+ striker as a fourth option if he had the appetite.

Agree with this 100%.

Wenger has turned into a first team coach who coaches only technique and attack or perhaps the better term is marginalized himself into a first team coach. He completely ignores the defense 100% which is why they are slipping and falling down like the Keystone Cops - they are out of position constantly. And no one talks. One thing that I noticed about Jamie Carragher the other night is that he was constantly shouting at his defenders - barking instructions on where their line should be, when they should all come out, etc.. Our players don't talk at all. No one in that back 4 are doing this. That is criminal negligence - especially considering that Vermaelen is Captain.

Even the attackers don't make runs - a lot of them will stand in a line up top and not move, playing 1-2's with the man with the ball. Occasionally, there will be runs, but that is the exception rather than the norm. Ok - I am starting to get off the point here.

To be honest, although I am unsurprised that we have a reactive signing, I am happy that he hasn't bought anyone else. He will pay for his arrogance because even if the Nacho Man is better than Gibbs, is it really going to solve our lack of shape? How we play off of the ball? etc. I highly doubt it.

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/ ... dium=email

"Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal tried to make a second transfer window signing - but failed because the other club didn't want to sell.
The Gunners tied up a deal for Malaga defender Nacho Monreal just before the close of play on Thursday but had been linked to Barcelona striker David Villa and West Ham midfielder Mohamed Diame.
And, whilst refusing to name the player the Gunners were in for, the Frenchman did state the north London club were keen to bring in extra reinforcements.
"We were close to one more signature," he said. "It failed because of the desire of other clubs to keep their players. It wasn't a money issue."