D-Sanchez-Cabello
A couple of months ago, this might have been a more daunting fixture. Since a remarkable start, their form has faltered, an influential chairman has departed and the players have begun head-butting each other.
If I were part of an ambitious lower league club, I’d be studying the Southampton model intently – to the extent I’d probably loiter around their training ground with a fake moustache. What good it would do? Not much – and who has a moustache these days? People who loiter…
When people realise this – The Fake Moustache Business will be on its last legs.
After being promoted in 2012, it has taken them two years to consolidate their situation. Where as most promoted clubs gamble their winnings and hope a team falls into place just in time not to be demoted – Southampton take the forward-thinking approach.
Southampton’s success has been built on a productive academy. Producing players at minimal cost, that can be later sold on for hefty profits.
Bale the case in point here. When Southampton sold him to Spurs back in 2007, they laid a clause meaning that whatever fee Spurs sold him for, they’d receive (depending on the sources) 10-25% of it. Annoyingly for them, they needed money so sold the clause to Spurs for £2 million in 2008. Bummer.
But the point remains – a commendable model that has stabilised their position in the most unstable of leagues. It has allowed them to sell a Walcott, confident that a few years later a Chamberlain will appear. It has also allowed them to access the £15-20 million-player bracket – yielding varying results it must be said. What the future holds for Southampton will be in part, influenced by how they balance transfer expenditure with youth system investment. If they shift too readily to £15 million pound purchases, they might risk damaging what made them successful in the first place.
Today’s game
The team, perhaps?
Wojciech
Sagna Per Koz Gibbs
Arteta Chambo
Cazorla Ozil Podolski
Giroud
Injury news: Arteta and Vermaelen are back, which, if nothing else, gives us leadership. No news on Rosicky, but judging by a Rosicky shaped absence in the training pictures, he is still recovering from his broken nose. Wilshere is a doubt, after picking up a ankle injury against Coventry.
I watched fragments of Chelsea’s visit to St Mary’s earlier this month. The game was uneventful till the last 30 minutes, where Chelsea took the game with a well-timed burst of intensity. There is no reason why we can’t do the same. They are defensively organised and Pochettino’s style is aggressive. I read an interview with Osvaldo a while back, affectionately bemoaning how Pochettino has them “working like dogs” in training.
An early goal will be important today (something so obviously the case – I feel ridiculous even saying it.).
On the subject of stating the obvious, I’ll leave you with this absolute gem!
Cheers,
DSC.
P.S. – Pocchetino is convinced that referees are penalising his team for being ‘young and good-looking’. Know the feeling, Mauricio…
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good spoof. Any more?
@Marcus
There’s plenty more;
http://youtu.be/auBgzKsUK9M
3 pretty points, please!
Beautiful. If this is the spoof, the real Holloway must be quite inspirational
“biscuits”
18:54 at the BBC gives us:
> Arsenal XI: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Arteta, Flamini, Ozil, Cazorla, Gnabry, Giroud
COYG!
The great thing is that we are not having to rush players back – Ramsey still not quite there so doesn’t play. Arteta and Flamini gives us a very solid defensive package.
Apparently the Arsenal bus has been caught in traffic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25907188
> Daily Mirror journalist John CrossSouthampton v Arsenal (19:45 GMT)
> “Traffic so bad heading to St Mary’s it’s even held up the Arsenal team bus.”
That was between 19:04 and 19:07
Ah well, whenever it starts, it is live on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra.
Oh and yes, Drew’s there reporting exclusively for Untold.
The clip is fantastic and there are so many more on Youtube. The show is called Apres Match and it appears on RTE (Ireland’s main TV broadcaster) after football matches, especially those involving the Irish national team. They have been doing this since Euro ’96. You could spend hours watching them.
The guy in the clip above who plays Lineker, Hansen and Lawrenson is called Risteard (Irish for Richard) Cooper and is so talented. There are three actors who normally appear on the show and they take the p!ss out of anybody in sport and in Irish culture in general. Footballers they take off include our own Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton and many others including Roy Keane and the controversial Eamon Dunphy. I would urge you to look up their stuff!!
One of my all time favourite clips is the one below where they take off the ridiculous Sky Sports News when Wayne Rooney broke his metatarsal in 2006. Listen to how the news reader speaks about Paulo Ferreira and watch out for the graphics across the screen! This style of reporting is not too far from the truth! It just brings out the undertones in the real Sky Sports News reporting when it speaks about English internationals!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpyDRFIKVgk
Did John Cross make up the bus story?
COYG!
Apparently the team is on the field, so, maybe:)
Minute 17. The entire team with the exception of SZCZ seem to have taken slow pills. We are not awake. COYG GET GOING
We are still on the coach. Having said that what a ridiculous decision by Mason for the free kick
That goal has been coming all game. Mind you Monreal was being fouled so shouldn’t have counted but with this ref no chance of that happening. We are not awake, this could very quickly become very difficult!
It’s still early, there is time to turn the result around. Come on, urgency guys!
their goal looked like a foul to me, but we have started very slowly
Yeah a foul on Monreal not called and a great tackle by merts called a foul. What a surprise first yellow card to Arsenal. Mason is just shit
Yeah a foul on Monreal not called and a great tackle by merts called a foul. What a surprise first yellow card to Arsenal. Mason is just shit
Conceded from a foul that never was… standard
Mason being a real pr..k now. Never a card for that poor conditions and first foul. The cheating ba…rd
Keep playing the cheat has nothing wromg with him. If Mason wants to stop play he will
Clear handball from Fonte ion the Southampton area shown as replay, I saw the Arsenal players appeal a couple of minutes ago. Still no surprises fro Mason
Southampton 6 fouls arsenal 2 fouls
who got the yellow card? Arsenal
Wow what a fucking surprise
This is the wrist we have been for a very long time. We really are lucky to still be in the game at this stage
1-0 to the ref so far. Second half can and needs to be better. For us, that is.
Arsene needs to throw the hair dryer at the team at half time.
We gotte make the second half count, I’m confident the boys can do it.
Don’t worry lads and mandy, we’ll come good in the second half. A few subs coupled with Southampton’s fatigue and the game should open up for us. Should……hopefully……..
Playing bad is not an excuse for the ref to tilt the pitch, the mert challenge was never a foul, and the goal should have been a damn foul. Giroud takes a yellow while they keep fouling us whenever we go for a counter and no yellow yet for them. Its obvious bias, if someone cant see this, he is either blind, stupid, or a d***.
We need something up in the middle of the park, there is something missing, Ozil is sleeping all half, out of a sudden he wakes up and we get our first chance, and started going forward, its in his hand, with lack of wilshere, ramsey, and Tomas, Ozil should step up and do something.
Its either a physical man league or football rules should be applied, the ref cant have it both way based on the color of the shirّts.
And yes, for all the media, AAAs, and other freaks, next year dont come blaming anybody but yourself for our 9 years no trophy, its impossible, cant happen, when a team is always cheated, while the others have rules bent for their benefit.
How’s the game guys?
I can’t watch the game and sky sport’s streaming is not very encouraging
Are we good?
arsenal not that bad, but mason much better
Na Na Na naaaaaaaa!!!!!!
OH YES! GIROUD!
Go on firstrow sports persian, couple of streams on there
Was it the rain, the pitch or the ref that really troubled us?
From the first minute till the last, I always felt we were too slow and strange somehow!
Or because of my bad mood? Uhrrrg, I need a change! Come on you Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well whatever Arsene said at half time that’s much better, what a great finish Giroooooud!!
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuper!
Yessssssss go Santi
Rusell
Thank you so much mate!
I’ll try that
Ooooooo santi cazorla!!!!
Never underestimate this team even with a bent ref
Oh crap, nothing wrong with that one. We still need to be awake
WAHOOOO!
Darn, what’s up with them, when was the last time they conceded more than one goal
We’ll get into cardiac arrest if they continue like this, have pity on us guys!
@FLORIAN against man city lady time we conceded more than 1
Still can’t see the game, but honestly I’m not a big fan of Flamini and Arteta combination
Talk to me guys, looks like we do better when I’m typing comments here:)
both teams are good.
i hope arenal will be better next 25 mints
Firstrow is working fine for me. 2-2, ozil hit the crossbar with a deflected shot
but still first goal was a masons goal….
so…
It’s about my Internet speed Rusell
It’s very slow, let’s win this game! COYG
I don’t have access to streaming from where I’m at now, so I’m following the Eurosport live text, they are a bit behind, and quite oblivious to Mason’s shenanigans, but it’s still better than nothing.
Persian Gunner, maybe one of the text commentaries works for you? I normally follow the BBC ones, but Sports Mole usually has one as well. And then many newspapers do to. But the beeb along with the paper, feel obligated to throw in a lot of crap as well.
Maybe for the next game, you can look around to see if someone makes a lower bandwidth feed. Going to a smaller picture will help, but the kind of encoding can help too.
Gordon
I know my friend
I’m reading from sky sports, but if you check my comments times here and there you may come to the same magical conclusion: when I type things here we do better on the pitch!
The last time was when Ozil hit the bar! 🙂
Very funny , I know!
Southampton seem to be running out of steam by now. COYG finish them!
Ah I see, probably best you don’t watch anyway, my heart’s pounding. Still 2-2,flamini sent off as I type
BBC says the send off was for fighting?
BBC says the send off was for fighting?
The other BBC page says two footed tackle. Nothing like being consistent.
2 footed challenge
Man!
Challenge got the ball but two footed. Southampton player takes our Cazorla free of charge.
> 21:24: RED CARD- Norwich 0-0 Newcastle – Bradley Johnson
> Three red cards in a minute then! Loic Remy and Bradley Johnson have a flare-up, they both push each other and then Remy goes in with his head. Johnson goes down theatrically, but referee Chris Foy decides to send them both off.
I wonder, did some referees put money on 3 red cards with 10 minutes left today?
Uh oh, it was only a question of when. To be expected when you get probert – mason – probert…
Mason made sure we don’t win this one. If only words could have material weight, for some scumbags to feel them on their own skin.
Well in the end that’s a point won rather than two lost. We weren’t very good for most of the game. Looking at the replay can’t really argue about Flamini red. The first Ston goal was scored by the referee as surely as if he put it in the back of the net himself. A perfect tackle penalised by a free kick and our defender fouled by the player heading the ball. Typical Mason cheating. Two handballs by Southampton not given. God he is a cheat
Six minutes??!
Lost points tonight, but so has everyone else at Southampton. Tomorrow’s games are not more critical.
COYG.
I said it again above and i repeat, its Ozil the secret ingredient. What a disgrace? Why is the law applied only against us? How come southamptons players got no yellows? Now tomorrow chelsea gets a free penalty and city get an offside goal. And then in the end of the season we lose the league and all will come here shouting its Wenger fault.
Now the stupid AAAs will come here and start their shit disgrace about how fu***** genius they are and that its not the refshite, and in best cases incompetence. Most of there attempts were of counter attacks from a foul either on monreal or cazorla.
If the media want a men game, then let us play with the same rule.
Our players did their best. And yes we started slow, but i dont think all teams play great all the time including City.
Total disgrace, unbelievable, not acceptable, when are we going to get friend? Or is it Dean up next?
I agree that free kick shouldn’t have been and Fonte fouled Monreal on his way to scoring.
Now watch out for justifications from MoTD and the rest of the media.
@ sammy the snake,
No, they did but not anymore, cause next time they will have a bad game just like this one, the ref will make sure they win the game.
I’ll accept such a result when the team plays shit.. But when the ref sets the tone by awarding them a phantom free kick, penalise us for a perfect tackle and let the other team profit from a foul, then I refuse to see anything wrong with our boys’ performance.
Frustrating game, 2 poor goals to concede. Ah well, onwards and upwards COYG
Yassin
I agree with you, refs always help them
City against Newcastle, recently
Bootoomee
Yeah, expect all sorts of justifications from those cunts on MotD. And a combo of sewer rats turning up here tonight. Sickening. Off to bed.
We have Moss on Sunday, ably assisted by P Kirkup and M Perry, Fourth is R East. Preview in good time
It’s at times like these when I really wish I wasn’t alergic to alcohol. Oh for a twelve year old malt or three.
Well he did book a Southampton player on 96 minutes.
Lee Mason = cunt
As I said earlier today, if Wenger has the temerity to complain…’Same old Wenger always whingeing’
And that’s what all this ‘Whingeing Wenger’ stuff all over the media this week has been about.
Another poor refereeing display. A ref showing obvious bias. And they’ll be nothing.
If it was the other way round they’d be going on about ‘big teams this’ ‘big teams that’
Look I’m not saying we played great as it sounds from all I’ve read and heard we didn’t. It also sounds as if Flamini was rightly red carded but apart from that it sounds like yet again we was playing 12 men.
Not playing well is not an excuse for the ref to shown clear and obvious bias.
But you know the score lads, we wont get a fair press and we sure as hell wont get any sympathy.
All in all as much as I would of loved a win, all things considered not a bad point.
We played one of the best half in the second one, yes we were not in it in the first, but they didnt destroy us with attacks, if it wasnt for that first cheat goal, we could have managed to enter the second half 0-0
I wont blame any player at all, and will not tolerate it, give us a balanced field and the. Come blame the player. On paper Arsenal are way better than Southampton, then why is this first half, its morale and mentality, why? Cause wvery time we turn from defence to attack, booom a tackle from opponent, no yellow card.ok lets say EPL want a free flowing game, and its a man game, then why did Giroud get a yellow?
Our players were Warriors, Ozil was awesome in the second half, we could have got 3 pts if we stayed with 11 players on the field. Their attacks were from damn fouls, its not easy to stop a counter attack without fouling, especially when the other team goes woth all their players to attack, not afraid of a counter from us, all they need is a foul.
If the performance should decide the league champion, we should take a lot of trophys in the last years, and united should not have won a lot. This is total injustice. When are they going to stop it? Or am i going to stop watching football again?
Jambug, spot on mate, I’m for a cup of tea and some deep breathing exercises otherwise no chance of getting to sleep tonight!
Southampton is not an easy team at all, they have 31 points in this hard hard season, I didn’t see the game but it is not the end of the world to drop 2 points at their ground
I’ll watch the game later on Arsenal Player when I get home. Really want to see it with my own eyes.
@Bootoome,
Since you are here (sure u are, always), i would like to tell u that am out of the side which we held before that we can win the league, we cant, we wont, those up there will not let us. Wenger should conetrate on Champions League where the refs are more competent and less biased. Its impossible to win EPL with PGMOL there. I am starting to hate football.
@Jambug,
I like your theory, but I disagree, its impossible what we see today, and every match, to believe this is originating from media, yes helped (alot), but why does the ref to be so bias? Why doesnt PGMOL and FA at least ask him to be better? Why is Riley up there in the first place?
Its Calciopoly in EPL, cant be any other way, but why is Arsenal the team to destroy? I want answers from PGMOL why cant we get a damn desicion go our way?
@Walter,
Please sir, can you or anyone on this site, produce an article showing how Arsenal cant defend a counter as easy as other teams due to us not able to foul others, unlike them. Based with videos or pictures, would appreciate your time and effort. Thanks anyway.
A very poor first half, a much improved second half. The ref did not help, think Flams was a two footer but will need to see it again. He got the ball, but guess a two footer….if that is what it was is …all things being equal a red. Take it he misses Utd, palace and Liverpool? Let’s face it, Mason was clearly going to punish us for anything he could. Think we will see a lot more of him….and Atkinson this season.But their first goal looked like a phantom free kick against us, and a foul on Monreal….again.
A point is not the worst, they have had some good results at home.
But, for me, the strange story of Poldi, was surprised he was not bought on sooner as they flagged…..and as Santi flagged a bit. Is he being lined up for some German part exchange deal or something?
Never did I feel so much impatience and anger like that in the last minutes of one game.
Everything seemed to get slowed down, every action! Why did I have that feeling?
Lee Mason, I fucking hate him. Oh, could I really? Big, big shame that we couldn’t pass his test.
A draw. Poor selection and tactics coupled with late subs.
Arteta and Flamini playing together? Arteta, awful performance for the whole game and Wenger didn’t sub him. Is he blind or what? Southampton players should thank Wenger for playing this liability for 90 min.
Arteta always struggles against physical teams that pressure hard.
Flamini, dumb player for a challenge like that.
And people here blaming the referee as per usual. Pathetic!
I’m still looking at the same Wenger for the past few years. He hasn’t changed. Indecisive in the transfer market, lack of motivation skills, complacency and poor selection and tactics. But the reason for almost 10 years of complete failure should be placed on the referees…
A new contract. Rewarding failure.
People who say Kroenke doesn’t care about winning are spot on.
. These are the games you have to win if you want to win the league, but given Flamini’s rush of blood, and the utterly abject performance in the first half, you have to say that’s a good, if disappointing, point in the end.
@sperez you are such a cunt. What a surprise to see you on here after a draw
Will you stop goingon about the ref you clown yassn. What about the dogs breakfast of a first half? What about the defending for the secondggoal. Good old jose must be having a right binder at this Horror show. Still that fool sells Mata to United Z what a cocktail
Now just waiting for Rupert
No matter how bad we played today (although second half was very brilliant game), I believe those players on the field, including Monreal gave all they can, they didnt shy any moment from trying to get 3pts. And Giroud deserve special praise for his effort and passion, he was brilliant today, never stopped. Ozil second half was awesome, why Mesut why? Why dont you start like that every game? Or is it fitting to the leagur, if so, next season he will be on fire.
Cause of our dissapointment we forgot to celebrate the goals and special moments. Giroud briiliant goal, no sorry, World Class goal, kind of goals which if AAA saw on you tubr, will make them moan till end of Jan for us to get that striker. Arteta double kick or whatever its callled in the first half to clear the ball away from our box, your age Captain, i guess i need a hell of fitness classes. Ozil in second half, specially after the red card, he was more brave as if Wenger talked to him in the half time break to man up, and he did. And you damn post, when an Ozil have that run, with players fouling him, and refs being blind and the ball coming for you, you should bend to let the ball in, and show u appreciate more the beautiful game, than the stupid media and biased refs.
Think man city also drew here. We are not going to win every game especially against 14 men.
#COYG
A lot of stuff out there saying Ramsey out for a further six weeks…..back to our usual injury situation if true. We are starting to look a bit short of players, especially if Jack has anything more than a knock, and let’s face it, with our injuries, fear the worst.Not sure an injured Draxler would be the best signing at this stage?
I have said it before, but we really need to do something about our injuries….not sure what, but something
Yassin,
The causes are multiple. Money changing hands and lack of accountability are among the main ones. Imagine what happens if a team wins the league with a limited budget compared to the big pockets – they might one day start wondering what are they paying for if they don’t win the title. One of the reasons for which I might one day get an interview for the Cheatski manager job.
Sperez…Yep, cunt just about sums you up !!!!
@LIEF what Jose with blood money playing the wiworst football in premiership history. Yeah great what a yardstick to put arsenal up against
Oh well Highamspark, at least these days, they are reduced to coming on after away draws! A bit desperate if you ask me
Wenger really has something against Podolski…
Maybe if he wasn’t so direct…just passed the ball instead of shooting, Wenger would like him more…
Or maybe if he had a conversion rate as poor as Giroud’s.
The players were – once again – very upset during the game. Poor them! I need to calm down, maybe, and hope all the best for them in upcoming days.
@mandydodd yes they’re always desperate . Shame but then someone who calls himself Sperez can hardly be a gunner anyway
@Lief,
You could be more classy and not start this clown thing, yes i will always hit on the ref, dont know if you watched the match, or you are a hell of a calm man, but i was having my blood boiling, easy, go back to the first poor half you call, and tell me about the 4 counters in which we were going from defence to attack, our players fouled, and yet no yellow card, while on the other hand, we cant stop a counter as easy as they do, except for our players to put 100% pace to get back, plus brilliant smart Mert/Kos slowing of theit attack to give time for our players to come back (this is how it should be done, btw) and then when we first try to apply their tactics (Giroud tackle), boom a yellow. After a while when our players realize they are under pressure and didnt have any chane at all on the other goal, they will start to have their spirit down, thus doing what you mentioned at the first half.
Am sorry if you cant see or analyse this, but this is reality sir, so dont call me a clown for asking for an unbiased ref.
Yes, the AKBs will disappear again when Arsenal start to sink, out of all competitions…
This might be a little late than usual this season but under Wenger you know it will happen again…
Le grove has been brimming with wengerites but we all know they’ll hide in their caves in the end.
@sperez,
Really? Did you watch the damn match? Didnt you see we were a player down, and low conversion rate bad player Giroud, saved to concecutive goal threats for southampton? Didnt you realise this poor Giroud scored a brilliant goal today? And stop this conversion rate about Giroud, its all misleading, he doesnt get too much chances, so whem he waste some, it will affect this rate you always moan about.
@SPEREZ yeah not as much as you will hide for talking such shit all the time
Stupid way for Flamini to go for the ball, but the Southampton players legs were not near the ball so there was no danger of an injury and no contact with the player was made.
He shouldn’t go in like that but you can be sure it wouldn’t have been a red card against us.
Surely we can’t have this ref many more times this season without it looking too blatant.
@Sperez,
No, you see, this Untold Arsenal site, is the cave we are hiding in, its you who come here start this I HATE WENGER, AND AM SMARTER THAN ALL OF YOU attitude.
If you dont like AKBs, get the hell out of here.
Des Kelly on BT Sport says ‘only a draw for Arsenal at Southampton, are the wheels starting to come off’.
Sperez,
go back to your playing ground Le Grove then. You will feel much more at home there.
We didn’t see you when we win, no need to come when we don’t win.
More on the ref of course in our next article… So no need for you to come again. Just enjoy us dropping points and go back to your computer game where you can win each game and be a better manager than Wenger.
I would agree that the foul leading to the first Soton goal was soft just as had the ref blown for a foul that too would have been very soft. A defender in that position has to attack the ball . Monreals attempt at defending was very poor and that’s where you should be venting your anger
Moving on to the penalty claim.Had the ball not bounced up from his leg on to his hand the yes it would have been a penalty but Fontes arm was in the position before the deflection so yes it hit his hand but come on there was no way it was a penalty. Sotons claims for a penalty in the second half were understandable but either the ref didn’t see it or he was being consistent in his interpretation of the handball rule.
The sending off was 100% correct.
Soton were the better team and I thought you looked tired at times.
I’m sorry but this team can not win against any top team.
@mike t yes you’ve given it away ‘thought you looked tired ‘ why don’t you just Dick off and go to your Spurs loving website
soft… non existing foul from Mertesacker would be a more correct description.
Imaginary foul might also be a good way to describe it.
About Monreal when a player has his arm on your shoulder to hold you down when going for the ball it is a foul. Because as a result the defender cannot attack the ball.
But we know that Mason will only give us a penalty when a defender will take the ball in his hands and run around in the penalty area for half a minute. So I don’t even bother that much with penalty decisions.
The first goal shouldn’t have stood. That is what matters.
Think Mike T, will have to go to a Chelsea website.
Leif 10.59….with of course the exceptions of the likes of Bayern Munich and B Dortmund. Have a feeling some on here see Spurs as a top team, and the media certainly see Liverpool as a top team. Jose was so scared of us recently he sent out his expensive team to play for a nil nil. So we are not so bad after all I am sure you will agree.
What team do you support Lief, same as sperez I think.
highamsparkgunner
Never in any of my posts on this site have I claimed to be an Arsenal supporter. I have always been totally up front about who I support but Spurs you couldn’t be more wrong.
@mike t so why even come on here. I would more like die than go on a Chelsea site
Yassin,
Like you, I’m mad about the ref but on the balance of play, I am not too upset about the draw. It was a game of 2 halves and while Moss was an ass as usual, Southampton did play well and could have won on merit.
It is a league game and I try not to go overboard at moments like this. Things are not as bad as the reaction that is being expressed. Chelsea lost at Newcastle, we won there. Chelsea won at Southampton, we have got a draw there. That is how a league works.
With your suggestion for AW to focus on CL, I think that is worse as it is more dependent on luck. As the last draw showed, we don’t have much of that (luck). EPL remains our best shot and while I understand your apprehension, I intend to continue to keep the faith. I implore you to do the same.
‘I’m sorry but this team can not win against any top team.’
Arsenal occasionally beat top teams (this shows how Wenger is not a world class manager as people here claim) but we all know Arsenal can beat the shite ones.
Mason, not Moss.
@MIKE T so what’s there to be happy about ? Spend a billon pounds and play the worse football in the premiership and praise a hateful manager who gouged a fellow managers face who had cancer
Walter et al
I enjoy reading both the articles and indeed I would like to feel that in my postings I have always tried to be objective and I hope respectful in putting forward my opinions.
Ok my Blue Tinted Glasses give a different view to those that have Red and White Glasses but if people cant engage in respectful debate and agree to differ then surely we are doomed
Having said all that if the overall view is my postings/thoughts aren’t welcome then so be it .I will wave a cheery goodbye.
What do you think?
Wish I could like Yassin’s comment at 10:53
Sperez I thought you were better when you were in your room giving yourself a blow job. Might as well stay there and get a Tattoo of Le grove on your food head sure it suits you.
@sperez
The AKBs are the ones who NEVER disappear. We are the ones who are supporting when all the fair weather friends are moaning and criticizing.
Man U 1- 0 Arsenal, Arsenal 1 – 1 Everton and Southompton 2-2 Arsenal are just three out of way too many games Arsenal have started slow this season. While in other games we were able to come out on top mostly due to superior talent and individual skill of our players, it’s much harder to do so against quality opponent when you decide to play only for 45 minutes or thereabouts .
To say Arsenal started slow against the Saints is being generous . For the first 44 minutes we were second best all over the pitch . Our movement , player spacing and pace were the worst I’ve seen all season. The game probably should’ve been beyond us ,had Southampton taken their chances little better in the opening half.
Questions have to be asked about the wisdom of starting Arteta and Flamini against one of the most dynamic and pacey sides in PL.
Arteta didn’t cover himself in glory in the second goal conceded when he allowed Lallana run past him for the half the length of the pitch and score , while Flamini all but ended our chances for three points with a reckless two footed challenge that earned him a straight red .
Having those two start against Southampton who move up and down the pitch as a cohesive and well drilled unit, limits our offensive capabilities and makes it difficult for players like Ozil and Cazorla finding anyone to pass the ball to in the final third.
If this game showed us anything , it was that being very good for a five or ten minute spell during which we score a few goals and then drop back and try to knock it around , might be good enough against clubs in the bottom half of the table but not good enough against the better clubs.
Based on our performance, it was a point gain rather than two points dropped.
“Arsenal cannot beat ‘top’ teams”
So Southampton is now a top team?
Well then, we beat them 2-0 earlier in the season and we have beaten Liverpool, Tottenham (twice) and Newcastle. I want to believe that if Soton is a top team, so are those mentioned above. Right?
Mike T,
We have nothing against people with a different opinion as long as he/she can provide evidence for their assertions and remain within reason while having a debate. What we surely have something against is the people with an infamous attitude, people that come here only to spew out their venom against the Club, the Manager and generally all of us here.
@Bootoome
Surely what you say is logical, its just the way we are treated in the league, while seeing other teams benefit from wrong calls that makes me frustrated, and then they why does the te play like that in the first half, if i am frustrated, how can they feel.
Anyway, belief is back, and we will either win the league or die trying, if tomorrow City wins, we will get those points back in their game if nobody does us a favor.
@MIKE T well guess it’s a cheery goodbye then !
@yassin @bootoome this is where we have to all have to stand together. Title is a marathon not a sprint. We are going to win this without financial doping , PGMOL favours. #COYG
What mike t and sperez or is it suarez came here to do is glaring. No one should be surprised.
Thanks everyone who have expressed their disappointments at not having all 3 points tonite. I need not say anything on that.
Even if both city and chelski buy another win tomorrow which is not certain, they would have only be ahead of us temporarily because come matchday 27, we will surely come back atop the table. (You heard it first here)
Onward, upward and forward to the next game.
COYG!
@Tom
I like your analysis, but this team has gained points due to good defending, which the ref made sure not to keep for us, anyway, today it wasnt all our fault, Southampton were brilliant, Arteta wasnt fit i believe, Monreal lost concentration, which made us lose two points we really needed.
As for Arteta/Flamini, spot on, but if you look at the bench/injury, you will understand we had no one to replace any of them, i dont think Podolski/Chamberlain were fit enough for a high pace 90 minutes, I thought Ox would replace Arteta but the red card prevented that.
As for second Southampton goal, it was a total lost of concentration from all the team, Arteta should have covered, Flamini should have been helping Sagna, Sagna was too much high in the pitch, which was the first mistake we did in that goal. But this things happen, and those mistakes sometimes just come in the wrong timing.
@Mike T, I think you are being too generous to the ref, they weren’t soft fouls they were blatantly incorrect decisions. 🙂
I suspect he was evening up the previous foul he gave against Southampton which was not a foul either, again terrible refereeing compounding one mistake with another leading to a goal (which should probably still be a foul considering the use of his forearm to Monreal’s head, though Monreal certainly should have attacked the ball as you mentioned).
I’d agree neither of the handball claims were strong enough claims to be penalties.
From recollection it was a two footed challenge aimed solely at the ball with the opposition player not in danger from the tackle (more of an interception than an actual tackle), as his legs were not in a position either between the ball or behind the ball where damage could be caused. I’d suspect this Ref may not have called it or at least not given a red card had the roles been reversed.
However saying that players shouldn’t be diving in two footed at all and so I am not really complaining about it being a red card just annoyed at all the one footed bad tackles that were in fact more dangerous than this particular two footed tackle that have been let go against us already this season.
@Sperez, that is hilarious, you are the one that only comes out of hiding when we have a poor result. A pathetic spurs supporter with an Arsenal obsession pretending to ‘support’ Arsenal would be my bet!
Unfortunately, we really miss theory and Ramsey when attacking. But hopefully Rosicky back soon, we are going to need him.
Arsenal hinting he may have transfer news on Friday.
John cross now reporting flam will get four games as he has already been banned, shame such things do not apply to players who two foot….or for that matter, elbow our players
Think you guys are being a bit harsh on Mike T at least from today’s post, certainly not right to lump him in with Sperez and co based on him giving his opinions on the decisions even if we mostly disagree with them.
Not like he is pretending to be an Arsenal fan and abusing his own team.
I should stop now, defending a Chelsea fan of all things! 😉
While it was a poor first half performance from the team’ compounded by a non- existent freekick , a foul on Moreal resulting in an undeserved goal , things did pick up in the 2nd half .
The Saints were quite good ,but the ref did ‘help ‘ them along. We were quite slow to counterattack and did not have the inspirational spark at all .
I too tend to agree that its a point gained rather than 2 lost . A bad day of the office no doubt , but hope we make up any lost ground in the coming games.
Dare we hope that the Spuds and/or Hammers have good games tonight ?
The AAAAs coming on and ranting here when we draw away from home – when did that happen ? Are they getting nervous ? Seems that way . In the meantime , the AKBs are being positive (as usual !) and in numbers back at the Untold cave (?) !
Up the Gunners !
@Brickfields Gunners
I guess sperez and co were angry and upset with the news that Arsene is going to extend his contract so lashed out as soon as the opportunity arose. Spoilt children behave like that.
@ sperez. Can we beat the “top” teams? The next few weeks will show that. What will be will be. Being top of the league raises expectation which has to be balanced with reality. We now beat teams we are “expected” to beat.. do not lose the lead in games. It is a start. As far as Wenger is concerned we have him signed for another three years and I bet Puma’s sponsorship was linked in some way.