It’s not the defeat that counts, it’s what happens next

48 Replies to “It’s not the defeat that counts, it’s what happens next”

1. Last season Koeman won with the 3 first goals being illegal and only the 4th at the end being a correct goal. If it would have been the other way round he would be up in arms.
   No complaints about the first Everton goal from me but the second looked to be after a series of errors from Clattenburg. First missed foul on Koscielny than gave a foul against Koscielny, then gave a corner when it looked not a corner and then Everton could score.

   But karma will bite him one day.

2. Arsene Wenger was actually very restrained in his comments about the referee, so Koeman obviously picked on that for a reason. Anyway, he’s the one with the problems. It’s a backhanded compliment to us that once again a listless team has turned up and considerably raised their game in playing against us.

3. If we think about type 3 match fixing then the late sending off is a present to Everton’s next opponents who happen to be Liverpool with Mike Dean in charge. We can expect a Liverpool win in that game I think.

4. I think Koeman had his comments rehearsed & ready following from Feb’s game with Southampton when Wenger said to Lee Mason “it’s always the same with you” & Koeman’s riposte was “it’s always the same with you”.
   His teams always rough us up and we don’t deal that well with it and referees are no help, so Wenger makes his point. Koeman knows what Wenger is going to say.

5. Referees are no help is putting it mildly! I think saying we don’t deal that well with it – roughing up – is extremely unfair considering we have to deal with it week in, week out and manage to do so and still go on long runs without loss and ended last season at second in the league.

6. Just wondering what our record under clattenburg is looking like, wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t that great. As for koeman it’s clear what his approach was yesterday, kick Arsenal off the park. It’s not easy to rile players such as Ozil up but it was clear to see he was very unhappy about the Everton tackling. Anyone expecting us to deal well with these rough house tactics under the pgmol’s watch is either deluded or a wind up merchant. My only wish now is for Everton to go on another poor run culminating in koeman getting sacked. He’s got no class at all.

7. I must say this our defeat to Everton last night will count if Chelsea won their 10th game on the straight and Liverpool and Man City won well against Sunderland and Warlord all tonight.

   However, our lose to Everton yesternight will not seriously count afterall even if Chelsea, Liverpool & Man City all won today but Arsenal beat Man City on Sunday to put their PL campaign confidence back on track. Then from there we’ll see what will happen next. For, Premier League results are unpredictable to confidently predicted them.

   My charge to the Gunners is they should try to identify the mistakes they did in the Everton game and improved on them going into the Man City game. And also learn new game tricks and apply them in their game against Man City. Winning that big game at the Etihad on Sunday by us will be pivotal in our title challenge to succeed this season.

8. Tony – it is the same old story this season, we are a top 4 side, not genuine title challengers.

   That is not to say Wenger is doing badly, far from it. The level of consistency that he produces in his teams is remarkable and he should be applauded for that.

   I have no doubt that the team has the ability to go on another run as well. What the team continues to lack though is the fighting qualities needed to grind out tough matches like last night.

9. Of course Koeman has confidence in referees, he remembers how he stayed on the pitch on a World Cup qualifier against England following another foul and then scored a late penalty to dump us out of the competition.

10. Top Guns

    ‘What the team continues to lack though is the fighting qualities needed to grind out tough matches like last night.’

    You know that, I know that and probably 90% of Arsenal’s support know that, but it’s the 10% pond life elsewhere that doesn’t get it.
    I thought Xhaka & Coqueline would be our solution but even they are unable to cope with relentless roughing up tactics of the type Koeman’s sides always employ against us.

11. We all know the script, if we sail too close to the sun midseason, the vested interests come out and stop the team in their tracks. The referees are surely just …willing…foot soldiers for something else.
    Then, as the season goes on, the chosen team/teams reach relative safety, we get left alone to cement a champions league place, which may…or may not buy the silence of the club execs, if not the manager
    We all know what has been going on with the refereeing in the last couple of months, just about every major, game changing decision has gone against us. Three dodgy pens in our last 3 home games!
    Yet they still the go out and do their best, usually with success. It usually takes opponents, and or referees cheating, to defeat, or even get a draw against us. Wenger still has his romantic beliefs on the game, that he will overcome what is set against him. I am not sure he will prevail completely, but admire his spirit in trying
    Some say our team need to toughen up and match physical opponents, but anyone who watches our games know referees will not allow that.
    To be honest, I am not over optimistic on this team winning the league, it is probably good enough, but too much is set against it, and people at the top of the club stay silent. I strongly suspect much of this is down to some sort of establishment dislike of our manager and they way he refutes the English game. Will be very interesting to see how his successors teams are treated, but hopefully not for a while yet.
    The positive thing about last night, despite his own reported wishes, and the desires of some of the media/WOB, Koeman will never be Arsenal manager, we dont want managers who have to resort to turning a well funded, half decent team into cloggers. That may be the English way, but hope Wenger is not on his own, and other more enlightened coaches like Klopp and Pep can help turn the tide of this desperate brand of football

12. This must have been another Koeman, maybe it was his twin brother complaining about refs decision after losing to Leicester last season.

    ‘Angry Ronald Koeman hit out at the inconsistency of Premier League officials after seeing his side denied what he believed were two clear-cut penalties in their 1-0 defeat at Leicester.’

    http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/14401076.display/

13. Mandy I think all here apart from the flailing and failing troll can see with both their eyes and that’s why we have the reviews and more importantly the pre-cog previews!

    ‘Lack a fighting spirit’ such as that displayed by Everton as they were allowed (as in given permission) to target Coquelin before HT.

    We all saw the match.

    This must be the same kind of ‘fighting spirit’ that has served England so well against Iceland, Costa Rica and Ecuador in recent tournaments *slow clap*

    pgMOB Rules Football (ok?).
    It’s football, but not association football as you know it.

14. Top Guns
    “What the team continues to lack though is the fighting qualities needed to grind out tough matches like last night.”
    That is utter bollocks and an insult to the players. The fact we have pulled ourselves back from a losing position six times this season makes nonsense of that statement.
    We were fighting like tigers for the draw in the last few minutes and almost pulled it off but for a desperate goal line clearance. We dominated and pressurized them for large periods of the game despite their rough house tactics. Things didn’t work out but certainly not because of lack of fighting qualities.
    And Leon where do you get your 90% of supporters know that from? Have you done a poll?

15. Very true Finsbury.
    How very dare a Frenchman….with a distinct measure of success, try to bring a bit of Rinus Michels to a league that seems to prefer the tactics of Pulis, Allardyce, or the likes of Pochettino and Koeman who invest heavily in such basic tactics. A league that venerates Charles Hughes or Graham Taylor over Cruyff.
    As for England/FA, in fairness, they do recognise the qualities of Wenger, three approaches for the England job….that we know about. But thee last two tournaments, they were stuck with a manager who thought it would work putting a load of overcoached Tottenham players into last summers tournament, unable to think for themselves away from Poch.
    But even if the FA do rate Wenger, it seems the EPL have far more influence over the PGMOB, and just about everything else in English football, I am sure a lot of what is wrong with the game, as well as such as untold riches rests firmly with Mr Scudamore
    I doubt if he will face the obstacles Wenger has faced, but intrigued to see how Pep ultimately does in this league of cloggers

16. From the article in the link: “It is the third game in a row Koeman has been dismayed that penalties have not been awarded to his team by various refs, but in the previous two matches they didn’t cost Saints, as they went on to beat Stoke and Liverpool regardless. ”

    I will say it in Dutch so he will understand: “Koeman je bent een lul.”

17. Mandy

    Or a league that valued Carlton Palmer over Le Tissier (dodgy cheese eating surrender monkey name?)?

    Alas that’s not an opinion but the record.

    The record also shows the negative impact lack of protection has had on three AFC England players, and consequently England: Wilshere, Walcott and Chamberlain.

    as for the gibberish merchants referring to Viera, Bergkamp’s artisan elbows, or Keown are forgetting is the 49th game, you know, the one people sing about every other week.

    If you’re going to come on this blog and attempt and fail to defend these transparent cheats please remember: we have seen the matches!

    pgMOB rules football (OK?)
    It’s a variable football code of sorts, but not association football as you know it (please refer to Iceland, Costa Rica, Ecuador etc.)

18. Great player but, given the record, it is fair and most reasonable to conclude that Conte as as much credibility in football as Tapie.

19. Perhaps the FA have been asking pigmob to try and get Arsene sacked for the last few years so they can employ him to manage the England team, now it all makes sense…

20. Dodgy cheese eating monkey name ? That sounds racist and I am reporting this site

21. To the Cheese Eating Monkey Protection Society (CHEMPS)?
    Who even talks like that anymore?

22. Leon you are a genius. Shame nobody knows as much as you apart from Top guns.

23. Who talks like that?

    I don’t know lets take an easy guess shall we:
    The ginormous football brains that rate Andy “goal kick” Townsend over Chamberlain, Walcott etc.

    Genius is an understatement.

24. Tony,

    Murdoch Sports have already pushed an utterly preposterous article up on their main football page today from that paragon of journalistic integrity, Adam Bate, detailing the ‘flaws’, ‘defensive fragilities’ and ‘creativity issues’ which may ‘scupper a title bid’.

    So fragile in fact, that the chump actually points out himself that Williams’ header was the first goal we’ve conceded from a corner all season. Then, more fatuous nonsense about Cazorla’s absence, backed up by the absurd claim that it is only Sanchez and Ozil’s ‘force of will and flashes of genius’ which has been holding us together; he clearly (purposely) missed the outstanding contributions from players like Ox, Giroud and Iwobi over these past weeks – the assists, the match-winning goals and the all-round dedicated and inspired play.

    Apparently Everton were all over us. Outside of his tiny mind, this was a dull, lumpen match with any excitement saved until late: the winning goal, a clear penalty to Arsenal (not given) and a moment of indiscipline from our opponents which, if it had occurred 20 minutes earlier could easily have cost them everything. As it is, they have three valuable points but their best defender out on suspension for the biggest game on their calendar. Let’s see if they exhibit any ‘defensive fragilities’ going forward.

    Bate is like Koeman, a delusional vulture with an overly-high opinion of his own worth. It’s no secret Ronald wants the Barca job, but he won’t get a look in there in this lifetime or the next. Allow him this moment of triumph, because it won’t get any better and he’ll likely be fired/quit before next season is out.

    Typical bottle job. No minerals in the man.

25. What “ginormous” football brain could connect Walcott, Ox Chamberlain & Andy Townsend?
    They’re not even from the same generation.
    How does that actually work?

26. Perhaps if the 106,00 people who signed the “Dean” petition last season each put in a fiver for crowd funding, we could hire a lawyer to establish if we, as a group of Arsenal supporters, have a case of Malfeasance against PGMOL and the FA.

    As we pay money for match tickets, memberships, etc., they (PGMOL) surely have a “Duty of Care” towards the administration of the games that involve our club.

    Even if the rumour that we were looking to do it got into the mainstream press, it would cause a mighty stir at the very least.

27. Menace
    Thanks for your vote of confidence.
    You & the SWP pussy are absolute classics.

28. Flares:

    He (Bate) also said something about “what every Arsenal fan is going through”! Well, the dickhead never contacted me to see what I was experiencing. If he had, he couldn’t have made his sweeping statement.

    What he would have heard, though no doubt run out of space to write, would have been an Arsenal fan showing anger and frustration at the games officials and administrators in this country, and perhaps a call to the Select Committee investigating, to look at corruption in football, other than asking the FA to do it themselves.

29. Looks like I wont get to learn about Andy Townsend, Theo Walcott & Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. I bet they make great team.

30. Yeah…we lost a match and so what? No team wins them all and this is no cup competition. Avoid losing to Man City and we’re back in it.

    Great article Tony.

31. Mandy, Believe, if you think you will fail, you almost certainly will.

    Crowd fhund, I’m in, if my domain applications wouldn’t disa[[ear by means of some illicit action from the .gov I’d do it myself, after the next supreme Court Application, over .gov DPA breaches, abuse of legislation and position and brexit illegalities is over. 😀

    Untold I would like to see expanded, I love my club, but the topics ae greater than US, I think a more open accessible forum would bring much of what is wanted to the fore for analysis, but I can’t say that many other clubs have the stomach for what doesn’t effect them. Bournemouth incidentally get a bit of this, plus the decisions going against them because they are a minnow.

    Wenger leaves when Thierry is ready, there is no one else for me. Come on Belgium at the WC, that team is a monstrous squad. They need to be more defensively disciplined and mature, Lukaku learns Henry’s game, he is one hell of a player.

    Koeman, has shown a lack of class, but equally an understanding of how significant the media is to every tie.

    I think he is tactically very astute and a good judge of ability and obviously a good man manager, but yeah, never at Arsenal.

    I think the point is to learn to mimic our opponents at times, aldo making teams respect you, the nerves of Gabriel are evident, as with Jenkinson, it’s only this not a lack of ability. Williams definitely played on the basis he fancied the Arsenal move which never materialised, but I think it’s due to the fact in the CL he would sturggle, look at Spurs and their 6 feet of 11 players who can’t play football as well as rugby.

    They ask why the best players are in Spain, why ask! So you might have a long illustrious career and potentially be ft for CL and rested over xmas. It will take it’s toll. the Premier league is becoming saturated with talent, then it becomes a league where only the bravest and most ide hard ply their trade.

    I know the officials impacted the game significanlty, but we rotated poorly at Vasel, and look what it got us, only Athletico would have been worse, Barcelona the third worst option. If we get the dodgiest CL draws abd even Linker mentioned ball fondling, we cannot expect a revolution without blood.

    Only when it pays someone more to uncover it than cover it up, will it change. The climate is right, the investigation must continue.

    Als we are showing character, but it’s 11 men and you defend from the front, Iwobi needs to work on this, but has an excuse (age). The Ox has improved, but he needs to learn to press to about a yard off and stay goal side, who is he Joel Campbell?

    Ozil, needs supplimenting, Draxler through the middle in ten with Ox and Alexis either side is crucuial, but a world class forward now becomes a must. also switching from 4-2-3-1 to 4-1-2-2-1 would help occassiobally, giving more freedom to the central midfielders ahead of likely Coquelin.

    I think actually strangly enough, throwing money at this problem works. You have to be a lot more obvious about hacking down our men if we have capable reinforcements. Spuds and their 3/4 like for like full backs makes a huge difference. It’s only FM but I often use 2 of 3 subs on FB and always have 6 and 4 first team options.

    last season it was Mert, now it Monreal. Although I think Kroenke, doesn’t mind us sitting where we might get interest in star players……

    I am all for increasing the number of shares, to reduce his control, I like Usmanov a lot.

    Some of our fns act like we broke, it’s only as Iwobi said, you have to be a good person to play at Arsenal. And if you look at our last four major acquisitions, they have been exactly that and supreme quality. Draxler, Reus fit the mold. we need another CB, so that Gabriel can feel a little more relaxed. Bellerin is so in need of cover. because if he goes before Bayerm we are £$^&£*!!!!

    If Wenger is taking the journey I think he is, he’s becoming a bit more comfortable with deception. We will win the league if we strengthen as only we can. We invest half of the money we have lying about now, we will not be able to be stopped.

    Limp to new year for all I care, just make sure we don’t give City the game and take 3 points from Pulis, which will be much the same as Everton and Stoke

    We weren’t supposed to be touching the top after Nov, yet here we are still second with a flop at Everton. It’s still there, he didn’t lie Chelsea are not favourites, we are. They will never say it now.

    The league is about injuries, refereeing and the media, a lot less about ability than we’d hope. see: F1.

    Chelsea lose Hazard and Cost, they will drop points. Liverpool can’t keep it up, Spurs haven’t got game winners and City are having a Pep crisis. Welcome, he is annoying, it’s like Meglamaical, he didn’t do well at Bayern, it was just easy, well is the CL for them.

    we make good headway just off the top, Chelsea as seen last season can get very complacent and for Hazard and Costa in particular, personal agendas could sway it heavily.

    13 is the magic number.

32. Results wise, that’s a pretty bad couple of days.
    Time to focus and respond if ever there was one

33. A club in Cyprus is demanding much of their FA resign. Or, other teams will form a new break-away league.

    The story reads like Arsenal. Referees making up rules as they go along, consistent card problems against specific teams, ….

    There is no mention if the Cyprus FA has sought “advice” from The (sweet) FA or The Premier League, or if the officials in Cyprus had sought “advice” from PGMO.

    http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/12/14/omonia-demands-cfa-resignations-match-fixing-allegations/

34. Sir Winston Churchill was once asked about his position on whisky.

    Here’s how he answered:-

    “If you mean whisky, the devil’s brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children;

    If you mean that evil drink that topples men and women from the pinnacles of righteous and gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness and hopelessness….

    Then, my friend, I am opposed to it with every fibre of my being.”

    “However, if by whisky you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the elixir of life, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes;

    If you mean good cheer, the stimulating sip that puts a little spring in the step of an elderly gentleman on a frosty morning;

    If you mean that drink that enables man to magnify his joy, and to forget life’s great tragedies and heartbreaks and sorrow;

    If you mean that drink the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of pounds each year, that provides tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitifully aged and
    infirm, to build the finest highways, hospitals, universities, and
    community colleges in this nation…

    Then my friend, I am absolutely, unequivocally in favour of it..!!!

    “This is my position, and as always, I refuse to compromise on matters of principle.!!!”

35. The Four Principles of Indian Spirituality.

    The First Principle states:
    “Whomsoever you encounter is the right one”
    This means that no one comes into our life by chance. Everyone who is around us, anyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether to teach us something or to help us improve a current situation.

    The Second Principle states:
    “Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened”
    Nothing, absolutely nothing of that which we experienced could have been any other way. Not even in the least important detail. There is no “If only I had done that differently…, then it would have been different…”. No. What happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward. Every single situation in life, which we encounter, is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.

    The Third Principle states:
    “Each moment in which something begins is the right moment”
    Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier nor later. When we are ready for it, for that something new in our life, it is there, ready to begin.

    This is the Fourth Principle, the final one:
    “What is over, is over”
    It is that simple. When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution. That is why, enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move on.

    I think it is no coincidence that you’re here reading this.
    If these words strike a chord, it’s because you meet the requirements and understand that not one single snowflake falls accidentally in the wrong place!

    Be good to yourself.

    Love with your whole being.

    Always be happy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XdUKx3E3FU

36. The prayer .

    At dinner with friends and family Johnny was asked to say the prayer. “But I don’t know how to pray,” he replied.

    “Just pray for your family, friends and neighbors, the poor, etc,” said his father.

    “Okay,” the boy said.

    “Dear Lord,.. Thank you for our visitors and their children, who finished all my cookies and ice cream. Bless them so they won’t come again.

    Forgive our neighbor’s son, who removed my sister’s clothes and wrestled with her on the bed.

    This coming Christmas, please send clothes to all those poor ladies on my Daddy’s Blackberry who do not have any clothes.

    And provide shelter for the homeless man who uses Mom’s room when Daddy is at work….AMEN”

    Dinner was cancelled.

37. Great tunes BG. You’re always an inspiration!

38. MEDICAL LAWS , RULES , OBSERVATIONS AND DOWNRIGHT LIES !

    *Disclaimer: I accept no responsibility for the consequences of using these aphorisms as guidelines for treatment!​*

    *1) ​Murphy’s Law*​: If any thing can go wrong it will

    *2) ​Gattuso’s extension of Murphy’s Law​:* Nothing is ever so bad that it can’t get worse.

    *3) ​Barach’s Rule​:* An alcoholic is a person who drinks more than his doctor.

    *4) ​Cochrane’s Aphorism​:* Before ordering a test decide what you will do if it is a) Positive or b) negative.
    If both answers are the same don’t do the test.

    *5) ​Rontgen’s law​:* The length of a radiologist’s report is inversely proportional to the certainty of his diagnosis.

    *6) ​Pathologists workup*​: In a battery of laboratory tests there is always one that must be thrown out of the window! Decide which one.

    *7) ​Koch’s dillemma​:* A patient who most certainly has tuberculosis has a negative IgG/ IgM result.

    *8) ​Mantoux guile​:* A positive mantoux test is a good excuse for starting AKT when unsure.

    *9) ​Lele’s Law​:* The congeniality of a physician is inversely proportional to his ability.

    *10) ​Saddam’s law​:* The arrogance of a patient’s relative is inversely proportional to his ability and willingness to pay your fees.

    *11) ​Extravagant aphosrism​*: If a patient’s relative says “Don’t worry about the expenses, give the best treatment”, be sure he is not paying for the treatment.

    *12) ​Bargain hunter’s rule​:* A patient who does not bargain before treatment begins has no intention of paying your bill in full.
    Corrolary: A patient who bargains to bring down the price will ask for further concession when presented the final bill.

    *13)* The patient who begs for concession will demand the most expensive room once admitted.

    *14)VIP law:* VIP patients are never normal humans.
    Corrolary: If a VIP appears normal, he will become abnormal because of your treatment.

    *15) ​Munchhausen’s law​:* The easiest way to cure a psyco-somatic patient is to refer her to an expensive Consultant.

    *16) ​Palcebo rules​:* Placebo’s work only if they are expensive.
    Placebo’s sometimes work better than real drugs.
    A sympathetic physician is often the best placebo.

    *17) ​Machiavelli’s law​:* A patient /relative who say in his first visit that he has full faith in you has already consulted at least three other doctors for his problem.

    *18) ​Indoor anachronism​:* Patients who need to be admitted the most always refuse to get admitted. Those who can be sent home want to stay on.

    *19) ​Lord Cohen’s comment​:* The feasibility of an operation is not the best indication for it’s performance.

    *20) ​Telesco’s law​:* A physician’s availability is inversely proportional to his ability.

    *21)* Surgeons with poor surgical skill excel at conservative treatment.

    *22) ​Bhojraj’s aphorism​:* Conservative treatment of a prolapsed disc is more difficult than a discectomy.

    *23) ​Ingalhallikar’s observation​:* A surgeon’s interest in an osteoarthritic patient is directly proportional to her willingness to undergo a TKR.

    *24) ​Laud’s advise​:* If you have to choose between buying a car and buying equipment, buy the equipment and walk to work. You will be happier because your work will improve and healthier because of the exercise.

    *25) ​Morton’s Law​:* Many surgical patients are “high risk”. Some surgeons and some anaesthetists are also “high risk”!

    *26) ​Sugiyaki’s Law​:* All operations have excellent results in the hands of the originator.

    *27)* The worst enemy of “good results” is a “good follow-up”.

    *28)* A surgeon who has no complications is either not operating at all or is being economical with the truth.

    *29)* Humerus fractures heal if the two ends of the fractured bone are in the same room – unless you have operated.

    *30) ​Tatake’s law​:* Some fractures unite in spite of surgery.

    *31) ​Adam’s Law​:* Fractures used to heal even when there were no orthopaedic surgeons.

    *32) ​Rontgen’s curse​:* Rontgen is the orthopaedic surgeons’ best friend, because he invented the x-rays. He is also their worst enemy, because the surgeons started treating x-rays instead of treating patients.

    *33) ​Implantology​:* All implants are designed to make your old instrument sets obsolete.

    *34) ​Techonological advances​:* Technology advances in leaps, often in the wrong direction.

    *35) ​Fagin’s rule​:* Hindsight is a perfect science.

    These rules go on and on and I am sure you must have finished your huh uh hg quota of spirits by now. I hope you can all keep on adding to these gems of distilled knowledge!

39. @ Tai – 14/12/2016 at 9:14 pm – I was hoping that we get 4 points from the Everton and Man City games – a win at Everton and a draw at city , but since that is not going to happen , am hoping we win this weekend .
    Cheers !

40. Hoping so too BG. The Everton loss truly sucked me off. But what else can one do in a situation where you’re not directly involved to make an impact? Just motivate yourself and hope the next game comes better.

41. Mickhazel – all of the evidence over the past decade points to what I have said.

    And we do all support the same club so is there really the need to be so insulting?

42. I said your statement was bollocks, and I stand by that. What is insulting about that? All right I will rephrase it. I think your statement is incorrect. Is that OK for you.
    Your opinion that our players past and present lack fighting qualities is insulting. Where is your evidence that we have ever thrown the towel in and given up.
    Your opinion that we have no fighting qualities is just that….an opinion.
    The fact that we have come from behind in six games this season refutes your assertion. The reason we occasionally lose is, in my opinion, because we do not play well enough and sometimes we are screwed by the refs, not because we lack desire or fighting qualities.
    Fourteen league games without losing, then as soon as a result goes against us people like you start moaning and coming out with crap.
    There I have insulted you again.

43. Mickhazel – I’m embarrassed for you really.

    The problem with people like you is that you take every result in isolation and not in the context of the season or not in the context of say the last 12 years.
    The last 12 years have been very similar yet you don’t have the ability to realise this.

44. Top Guns
    Whatever.

45. Two days later & still no sign of the SWP pussy. Has he bottled it? I think so! Sad fuck!

46. Brick, (curtsy) you made it onto the page of a few friends.

    Come on guys, war for peace!

    Let them troll, they are just delusional, but when the whisper turns to a roar, none shall be afraid and none shall be able to deny!

47. TopGuns

    Taking every result in isolation isn’t a crime, in fact it’s at the heart of modern football management. Think Ranieri last year. Always reflect on the last game, never think beyond the next.

    Having said that, it’s all too easy to put the blinkers on when each match is more complicated than it might at first seem. The 1-1 with Ushited can be looked at a variety of ways. Had we been one up vs them at home and conceded a late equaliser, the press would have slaughtered us. Therefore, it is they who should feel the loss and us the gain. However, would a Ferguson team have let us back in? I think they might have embarrassed us. The Telegraph described us as ‘uninspired’ – what could be more inspiring than scoring a fantastic goal in the dying minutes to earn a point at Old Trafford? Aren’t United players supposed to be inspired playing for the Special One?

48. Very very funny to hear that Arsenal “lack fighting qualities” as soon as our 14-match unbeaten run comes to an end.

    Very funny.

    As Tony regularly points out, football journalism and punditry has little bearing on what actually happens during a game. But it does have a hugely detrimental bearing on how some fans perceive or think about football.

    Arsenal’s failure against Everton was technical, not physical. An Ozil shot on target, Iwobi’s shot evading the defender on the line or the ref correctly calling the blatant foul on Alexis and the result goes our way. We dropped below our usual standard of passing and this affected our ability to create chances as much as any “rough treatment” by Everton did.

    And let’s remember, when Arsenal allow “the dark arts” to creep into our game, we get punished for it. Xhaka gets a red for a tap-tackle and pundits/journos break out that stupid “456th red card of Wenger’s reign” stat and talk about how undisciplined and immature we are.

    “Arsenal are too easily provoked” they like to say. Well, we didn’t take Everton’s bait and kept trying to play our game. Focusing on physical failings AT THE EXPENSE OF EXAMINING TECHNICAL FAILINGS is a regressive approach to the beautiful game that is clearly exposed by the failings of the English national team.