₦airaland Forum

BTW
Maybe we should just return Gibbo to his original midfield position.

Keky:
This day signals the end of Cazorla's CM career.

Are you serious? Because he had one/two bad games?
Cazorla has been one of our best performers this season IMO

Good point but not good enough.
I particularly like how Gibbo refused to celebrate his goal despite players rushing to him. We are the Arsenal. We shouldn't be celebrating equalizing against Spurs. We should be winning the game! Good mentality.

Seems to me like the boys need a week long rest. The way we played in the first half, it was like some tied a stone to their legs.

Ozil...class! SHould have had three assists today.

Our injury issues really need to be addressed. We had only Iwobi on the bench as a forward player. Not good at all.

Meanwhile: UP ENYIMBA!

pickabeau1:
Shad was hailed as the super signing some years ago

Forsythe is still doing well. Our players tend to come back quickly from injury unlike before when 2 weeks could mean something else. (Wilshere and Rosicky are the exceptions )

The Youth Champions League starts with the teams in the group stage
What If the senior team does not go thru... will it affect the junior team[/quote]From Wikipedia:
The eight group winners advance to the round of 16, while the eight runners-up advance to the play-offs, where they are joined by the eight second round winners from the Domestic Champions Path.

Arsenal Youth team drew with Bayern earlier today. Match ended 1 - 1
Arsenal how have 10 points from 4 games
Bennacer scored our equaliser and Ben Sheaf missed a penalty which could have given us the lead.

ChokolateBoss:
Obviously a polygon. A circle doesn't have sides

A circle has infinite number of sides

More good news is that Ospina, Arteta (by Friday) Chamberlain and Ramsey (after International break) could all be back in training

Pataki:
Bellerin out - am so gutted. Debuchy to deputize. Not sure how the chemistry between Debuchy and Campbell is going to work out for tomorrow.

In other relative goodnews, Jeff is back!

France crashed out of the U17 tourny last week and Jeff returned after that. I'm surprised he's not included in the Youth squad instead for this afternoon's game against Bayern although given Bayern's youth team's performance so far, we may even still beat them with our second team (I hope I've not jinxed our team now).

Sad to hear about Hector's injury. Hope to have him back for the NLD.

My team for today

Cech
Debuchy Per Kos Monreal

Coquelin Santi

Campbell Ozil Alexis

Giroud

Keky:
How is Schneiderlin a better Passer?

Not much difference between both in terms of passes.

I do agree with edi287 on the need for a back up for Coquelin but I'm not sure Wenger will buy anyone as long as we still have Arteta and Flamini. Also I think Bielik is being groomed for that position. Fingers crossed.

I actually like the fact that we now have a plan B and maybe even plan C Not all the time, pass pass pass. Good thing the players were able to convince AW to changehis ways. At least even he can see the results.

iPopAlomo:
You said Zelalem won't improve his physicality in the Scotland Championship...

Nope. Didn't say that. I said

"So in a few months, he's improved drastically on the physical side"

iPopAlomo:
Do you you think they play 4-4-2 vs 4-5-1 in the lower leagues... it's never about tactics... that's why Burnley and some other teams can't stay in the premiership... you need players with quality and excellent technique with a good footballing brain to play tactical football... and those players don't come cheap...

Sheffield Wednesday beat Arsenal 3-0... were they superior tactically to Arsenal or we were out muscled out of the league cup...?!

You learn the physical aspect of the games in the lower leagues...

Again I agree. I still don't see how it relates to my post. That's why I asked for clarification

Arsenal XI: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Campbell, Sanchez, Giroud.

Chelsea should please keep Mourinho. He's their "Special One"

iPopAlomo:
The lower the league... the physical it gets... just so you know... it begins to get tactical at a more professional advance league... but the lower leagues are fucking physical... just so you know...

No dispute.
Can you please explain why you've highlighted this though?

Tonight's official team

Cech, Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Flamini, Kamara, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell, Iwobi, Giroud.

There was a time Carew was Arsenal's nemesis in the champions league

pazienza:
Though I still want Wenger out of Arsenal, credit must be given when it's earned. Wenger's tactics today like that of Chelsea was top notch. We were completely unpredictable, from start to finish. Van gaal and his charges didn't know what hit them.

This was the kind of tactical flexibility Wenger had at the beginning of his Arsenal career that endeared him to all Arsenal fans, before he became obsessed with possession football.

Interestingly United fans are blaming their loss to LVG's refusal to change tactics.

I was surprised when Fellaini came in and they didn't resort to long balls. Quite surprising. Asides the occasional slip ups which gave them sight of Cech's goal, we were largely comfortable through out. Long balls to Fellaini may have been the only chance they had and that's if Per failed to intercept the crosses

iPopAlomo:
I don't remember mentioning your moniker... if you're not pikabum pikabrain... you really don't need to pick up the reference...

I remember someone telling me the alomo have been drinking is adulterated... I never took offence... now that I think about it.... I think it was you...

Don't dish out what you can't eat bruvah...

E maja nah. We won today. Oya hug or shake hands

Great win and good weekend too. That Bimfo guy Don chop money.

Two points:
1. Those Chelsea fans who said we didn't play well against them can now see the game plan we had before the ref spoilt the game.

2. This is what we keep begging Arsene to do. Change your tactics to suit the opponent. No one will complain if we have 10% possession as long as we win. I give Arsene 100% to tactics today.

At least we won't have to write long epistles during this international break

Petr Cech: "Sometimes we need to be uglier on the pitch. You need to make sure that, no matter how you do it, you win"

Spy360:
Do you know why the Emirates is always full on match days unlike Stamford despite that it is twice in capacity and that both are in London?
-Negative Football

The same questions Abram asked that led to Mou's first sack, as the team began to play badly in an attempt to entertain.

Yes, the essence of footie is not to win but to entertain. Winning becomes important only when entertainment is achieved.

Nobody is asking us to play negative football in every game. There are teams we will beat easily even with our brand of football but it is sheer arrogance if we refuse to adjust our style to match opposition tactics.

Wenger: "Martial was one of the players Monaco didn't want to sell, so we never made any approach. United offered special money."

Exactly Arsene. Every player is available

Spy360:
If you saw the game vs Leicester, you would agree that when a team comes out to play, its very exciting. You will agree with me that any team that does that with Arsene is on a suicide attempt.

I am not talking about negative football tactics as introduced by JM. You win by playing a ten man defence- that's negative football.

People will call negative football good as long as you win, but for me it's no tactics at all; it destroys the very essence of playing soccer.

I don't like negative football but the whole essence of football is to win. Playing the right tactics implies setting up your team to win.

It's not just about spotting talent, when he was asked why he didn't buy Martial after watching him for a long time, AW said he didn't think Monaco would sell. What's that?
Arsene doesn't do well competing for players when other clubs are interested or when the selling club proves stubborn. How many times have we lost players just because another club is interested? Or how many times have we had to wait for a player's contract to run out just because his club is proving stubborn?

Players are always available for the right price.

Moving forward, may be too early but enough of discussing the past
Arsenal team to face United

Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Per Monreal
Coquelin Cazorla
Ramsey Ozil Alexis
Giroud

Personally I'd like us to play Theo on the right and Ramsey instead of Ozil but it probably won't happen.
Also if Kos is fit, replace Per with Kos

We can win the ManU game. It all boils down to our tactics for the day.
If we win, I don't care if fans get carried away again like we got carried away when we beat Leicester. It still won't cover the fact that we're at least one additional player short. Very few teams will be as naïve as Leicester and go all out against us. I know Wenger likes football that way and I like it too but every team will do what will give them victory.

pickabeau1:
Well on this I disagree.....


I maintain thevproblem is not really the money but the stubbornness of a man who does not believe in

1. Defensive solidity
2. Poor marking of set pieces
3. Playing high line with slow or injury prone defenders
4. Playing without a DM for so long until now
5. Sticking with crappy or injury prone forwards

Its not about money but the prestige of being in the ucl is key

We're saying the same thing. When we were building stadium, our team always lacked one or two players going into the season. We were told then that it's because there's no money. Now they say there's money, our team has lacked one or two players over past two seasons. The new excuse is, there's no "special" player.

So you see why I'm not bothered about the extra money we get from CL qualification?
The matches only serve as entertainment to me. I don't watch them because I think Arsenal will win it.

pickabeau1:
I disagree
Those two matches are money spinners

We names 28m pounds at the minimum at that stage

QF means we make extra 5-6


Money is the game

But you see that's the issue. The extra money has not helped us over past few years. I've learnt to manage my expectations as I can't control what's happening at the club.
For me it's a distraction. Until we get a manager that actually shows the drive to win the champions league, I refuse to get my hopes up.

Over to the next league game abeg. Manchester United.

All said and done, I still expect us to do well in the league this season (top 4). As it is, no team has been consistent so far and I believe we have a good squad even if we're missing one or two players.

As for the CL, though mathematically, we still have a chance to make the next round, it's always been a distraction anyways at least for some years now. What's the point of getting out of the group only to get kicked out in next round. Two unnecessary extra matches we can do without IMO.

I don't have much to say about AW that hasn't been said before. I only wish he had stepped asides a few years back. He'll probably be revered by all now if he had. He's done a lot for Arsenal and deserves all. Now, even his most ardent supporters are finding it hard to stand by him. I like the guy and have defended him in the past but he has brought Arsenal to the point where results don't mean move me anymore. I've had very minimal expectations of our team so when they don't achieve, I just shrug and move on.

iPopAlomo:
I thought you know football... arsenal was average and we were called boring boring arsenal... we were wining 1-0 and playing for draws until Arsene Wenger showed up... for arsenal to be seeded in the champions league it's all down to him... tottenham would give an arm and a leg to be were we are... he single handedly converted our finances from gbese to one of the top ten richest football club in the world... without a sugar daddy... the greatest team of the last ten years... uefalona had their drought period... wining nothing in La liga... for a while...

so my friend... you're asking the wrong questions... how many managers would agree to coach arsenal without transfer fees to sign players... I know Mourinho wouldn't coach us... until we cleared our debt last year... the last ten years we used in paying for the Emirates stadium... how many managers would agree to coach our team... ever asked why Roberto Martinez left wigan...?! they needed to sell their best players to offset their debts... wonder why Bolton isn't in the premier league or why Big Sam left...?! they needed to sell to buy...

we needed to sell to buy and offset bills... we managed fourth position... played in the champions league for cash flow and you spew rubbish... Piers Morgan is a fucking journal... what do you expect from him... his job is to create controversy...

if Arsene Wenger is so bad... Bayern Munich and Real Madrid or the national team of France wouldn't be looking to him to manage their team...

You get most of your news from untold arsenal... how much adulation do they throw at the feet of Wenger...?

If you're a fan... you're a fan... if you do not buy season ticket or never contributed financially to the club... you've got nothing to lose... there's the door... stop being a fan...

Lol. On top simple question I asked?
Yesterday's defeat must still be hitting you hard. I've moved on.
What's untold Arsenal btw?

Arsene may have done all you said but he's going to leave Arsenal one day isn't he? So let's go back to my question, say he leaves today (or whenever ), would you hire a manager with similar record.
Like I said, serious and honest question

ElFenomeno1:
Deffo RE: Lukaku.
Looks like Ospina is the cup competition GK..... Wonder what Wenger will do against Bayern!

We've played Fabianski against Bayern before so don't think Ospina will be that bad.

Outside the top 4, Lukaku is another striker I like. With the way we play, I tend to prefer strikers who can give defenders a hard time and hold up play long enough for his wingers to find space.

Possible line up for today

Ospina
Bellerin Gabriel Koscielny Monreal
Ramsey Cazorla
Chamberlain Ozil Alexis
Giroud

^^
So who will you like to see at Arsenal from any of the other PL clubs asides City, United, Liverpool and Chelsea?