By Phil Gregory
Just a quick one from me, as I’m supposed to be building fences this morning…
Arsenal travel to QPR to face a fairly mediocre side struggling to avoid relegation. QPR are a great example of the logic that spending doesn’t necessarily improve a side as you would expect, and that too much of it can actually make a side worse.
Even from my own basic coaching experience, it is clear that bedding in more than a couple of new signings into an eleven means that the team will perform as less than the sum of their parts for some time, and a longer term improvement is reliant on the signings coming good.
Many fans take this latter point as a given, but how many times has an addition not lived up to the hype? For a manager, it is much easier to promote from within: no bedding in period and you know exactly what they will bring. Wenger’s approach seems to be along these lines; looking internally where possible and then buying one or two when necessary.
Last summer however did show Arsène’s effectiveness in the transfer market: big departures were replaced by an array of signings, so it just goes to show that a spree can be done efficiently, take note Messrs Bruce, Warnock and Abramovich.
Back to the game, however. Koscielny looks to be back from his injury, abating concerns of another defensive injury crisis. Meanwhile Diaby won’t feature as expected with another minor problem delaying his comeback.
So here we go again…
Szcznesy
Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Santos
Song Arteta
Rosicky
Walcott Van Persie Chamberlain
It will be interesting to see what approach QPR take with this game. Playing for a point isn’t really wise when there are a limited number of games left this season and they are still mired in the relegation battle.
That said, a point is better than nothing, and an open, attacking style would surely simply earn them a pasting from the Arsenal. Most likely they’ll look to use the Dean factor, kick the hell out of us and hope that can get them something out of the game. No wonder Sky didn’t want to televise this one.
Anyroad, I’m getting shouted out now so I’ll wrap up here, with apologies for the proverbial half rations. 2-0 to the Arsenal for me. A very wise commenter pointed out that a few of our results on our recent winning streak could very easily have been draws, and as Wenger mentioned recently, sometimes the luck that can make a difference has been falling our way in recent times. With that in mind, dropping points wouldn’t be the end of the world and indeed is likely to happen eventually. I would not like us to break the consecutive wins record that we’re nearing, but I’m always very pragmatic in my outlook.
Enjoy the game!
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QPR v Arsenal
Ref Watch: The issue of confidence and for the fifth time it is Mike Dean
Top games: The preview of the top teams’ games this weekend.
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Match fixing: Media rush to deny match fixing takes place
History: Bob Wilson – Billy Wright’s problem and Bertie Mee’s solution
Come on gunners. I can easily see 0-4 in this one. We finally have that confidence factor that has been missing in the Fabregas era. It’s finally the time of the team spirit and the Barca/Arsenal style of play to take over the dirty corrupt EPL. Go gunners.
I think that while it might be a rough and tumble affair ,with their side fouling us to break up our rhythm ,we should win 2-0.
Just hope the lads keep their cool under provocation and not get booked ,sent off or worse get injured.
Keep the faith ! Up the Gunners !
If they do go to kick the hell out of us we really do need to stay calm. That is the key.
Hope the fence stays up Phil.
I have always thought that Koscielny should be on the bench for this game. A yellow means he won’t be there for Man City’s game.
Just been watching Football Focus on refs and big decisions.
Steve Bruce said exactly the same as Viera; big clubs get big decisions at home.
Mark Lawrenson said that people always complained how many penalties Liverpool got at home, to which he reasoned: “it is because we were in their penalty area so much.”
So Dogface/Walter/refs 03 & 04, there’s your cue.
The Lawrenson Report.
We have had no home penalties this season, but have spent most games camped in the opposition area. Given Lawrenson’s reasoning,
a)how many penalties should we have had stastistically,(i.e. if Man U spend 20% of every home game on average in the opponent’s
penalty area, and get one penalty in every three games, say, then there is a clear ratio established, [the Lawrenson Ratio], of time in opponent’s penalty box to penalties given)
and
b) how many should we have had in reality.
Would love to see the “Lawrenson” Report….
Obviously poring through hours of games for data is a full-time job. Tony should suggest to the AFC that they create a Refereeing Standards Committee, and employ a few full-timers to study the application of the Laws, and how the Laws can be improved, (eg technology), who can then make their findings public (eg submit to the FA).
For instance a stupid Law is sending the GK off for a foul on an attacker. When the GK comes out full-bore, to meet an onrushing attacker, a collision is almost inevitable when he goes for the ball. In the area a penalty should be more than enough. If the ref deems it an absolute denial of a clear goal scoring chance ( say the GK dives from behind an attacker as he is about to shoot, then a straightforward ‘penalty goal’ (similar to Rugby) could be given.
But sending off the GK seems to me a stupid rule, 9 times out of 10 he’s just going for the ball.
Other Arsenal news. Ryo sending in lots of crosses for Bolton. Bendtner scores for Sunderland to put them ahead of ManCity at the break.
All good things come to an end at some moment in time…. f*ck
Don’t worry Walter, another one is gonna begin next week at Emirates 😉
It just seems like we have ‘Dean Phobia’ and tottenham victory was too little a medicine for this phobia to end.
In addition to that both the QPR players scored for their first time in the league. Too bad we are on the receiving end of it. But I’ll blame the pitch, it looks a bit slippery. Rosicky cannot turn and twisting as much..
We didn’t show up against a team fired up to stay in EPL. We just didn’t have QPR’s urgency, may be we all (players & fans) got big headed!
There’s always next week….
the doom mongers are having a field day…where were they in the last 7 games? Idiots
Oh no, but that is football, we can not always win, even in the good run. I hope this is the last lost in this season.
And I hope Spud not take 3 points tomorrow.
Every beginning has an end,I’m not a coach(Though i have a team Makerere Young) but i will not take off Arteta and bring Chamakha,Gervinho when I’m looking for a draw or a win. I would rather bring on Ox and Santos imagine those 3kicks we got outside the 18yard box after Arteta have been substituted.
Did anyone of you see Deanshit when QPR scored their first goal!!The guy hates D Arsenal with a passion.
Kampala he was trying to give the advantage sign but I really don’t know for what reason as there was no foul nowhere to be seen. But maybe this was the closest he could come to raising his arms when they scored…
But not blaming him. We just didn’t play good enough in this game.
Was not at the game, but to me , sounds like a few of the old failings came back to bite, poor pitch, against that sort of team and that sort of manager…a bit like the Fulham game…and quite a few others. The fact is we have to learn to win these games on a consistant basis.
We have had a great run, but the warnings were there, too many times we had to come from behind, it was obvious there would come a game where we could not come from behind. There were also times when we lacked creativity. A team fighting for its life would provide the game when we could not come from behind.
But all is not lost. We will go into April joint third at worst. Other teams fighting for their lives will take points off rivals. Chelsea are a mediocre team fighting on many fronts.
The team have to come back from this…starting next weekend, I have a feeling they will. City got lucky today, we did not. We are now a very tough proposition at home, as Citeh and Chelsea will soon find out. But we will be up against physical organised defensive hoofing British style teams away during our run in, we need to learn the lesson from today. Complacency is not an option. If a pitch is bad, play the pitch. We will be ok, but these days, we never make it easy for ourselves. Keep the faith.
Walter, you sare getting famous!
http://www.arsenalnewsreview.co.uk/index.php/news/2387/30/By-Rhys-Jaggar-What-do-I-think-about-Arsenal
hahaha mandy that made me really laugh..poor Rhys got so much stick here he decided to rant about Walter on another site..what an idiot and a racist too
and since when did untold become Wenger`s official blog? someone is really bitter
Yes, quite amusing! The title of the article was “What I think about Arsenal” but it became…at least in part…. “What I think about Walter” Hope Belgiums finest is suitably proud!
Well it had to happen sooner or later, therefore don’t threat people, me wonders with QPR’s (tune) sponsors, the appointment of DEAN was just more than random?
Mandy,
sigh….LOL….oh well….
If I can correct him I will have gone to Cologne, Swansea, Dortmund, (would have gone to Newcastle but when it was moved to Monday couldn’t), went to see against Aston Villa and will go against Norwich. So it will be 5 and not 4.
And I think like a few million other Gooners over the world I would love to have a season ticket. But the fact that I was born and live in another country makes it mostly impossible for us to buy a season ticket.
But why would I care about what Rhys thinks about me…. Just consider it as a free advert for Untold 😉
Had to laugh reading all this nonsense before the match. 2-1to the r,s there was only one mediocre side out there today and it wasnt qpr! Come on urs
Walter your right free advertisement !
Funny that, I always thought that Rhys was Myles’s love child as Myles seems to post most of Rhys stories/comments over there.
It wouldnt surprise me even if Myles was Rhys as no one reads that shit website anymore and he probably has to make up replies to himself.
Why can’t Wenger be more like Sir Alex. If only instead of Djourou (who is shit by the way) we’d handed Dean a new contract, we’d have gotten a penalty from somewhere and the opposition would have a man sent off for breathing on Van Persie, and then we could all celebrate in the joy of victory which would be so fulfilling because we can then rub other people’s noses in our ‘glory’..you know..with the songs we would sing about it. Until we lost the next game..then we would ‘demand more’ again..because the people running our club are actually secretly wanting to ruin it and all of our dreams of glory with it. What’ll we do then? We’ll have no option but to support some other team (maybe Barca- I hear they are good) and then convince their fans that foreign fans can actually love the team. But no, that would make us hypocrites, so we must ‘rescue’ our club from stupid wenger (who earns 5, no 6, no 7..no I have on authority of Mr. Palmer that he earns 8m a year) and the bloody yanks who have no ambition.. as proved by the fact that QPR beat us yesterday AND by the fact that we haven’t been able to gloat for 7 years. wenger out.
oh and I forgot.. I meant to right all of the above in block letters.
Why do you guys even visit Myles’s site? I quite reading it 5 years ago.
Lol@Shard. Very nice. I’d like to add…
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So many worthless players not worthy of wearing the ARSENAL shirt. I have been a season ticket holder and gone to every game and spent over 50,000 pounds over the last 50 years. I HAVE A RIGHT TO DEMAND CHANGE!!!!!
We will never win a trophy again under Wenger. The 7 game unbeaten run just papered over the cracks and we played poor sides throughout and got lucky. Lets face it we are a mediocre team with a manager who is more interested in scouting and recruiting 10 year olds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mark my words we will finish Europa league if we’re lucky. EVEN SPURS show more ambition (OH HOW THAT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!)
Wenger out NOW!!!! Get Hazard, Gotze and MVila in for a start. Sell half the team. Get Usmanov in to “invest”. So ANGRY that I cant type more. I’m OFF to get drunk now….
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p.s For any new visitors..no .. Untold hasn’t become Le Grove… the above is just a sample of what the AAA and BBB will be saying now. You can multiply this by around 20 if we lose to City next week by any chance.
Very good Arvind and Shard, s very AAA, especially bigging Spurs up, that is what they have been doing until recently. Along with calling for Martin O Neil, Moyes, GG, that Swansea bloke etc and personally counting empty seats that they wish to put black bin bags on, apparently at the last home game, there were 36324 empty seats. Kronke will have to act!
Aw, poor Rhys must have stopped enjoying the lively debate his naysaying comments provoked on this forum 🙁
@Shard & Arvind:
LOL
Just to add another oft quoted AAA maxim, from I believe Einstein- something to the effect of ….repeating the same mistakes over and over again is the true definition of madness – wherever the AAA are, you see this quote. Guess it means something to them…bless’em
@Arvind:
Actually, I’ve enjoyed Europa League this year. I wouldn’t mind seeing Arsenal play there. Less prestige but better football 🙂
I’m pulling for Athletic Bilbao, who I thoroughly enjoyed watching smoke ManU.
More post-match bad news.
Apparently, a QPR fan struck an assistant referee with a coin during the game.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2123642/FA-QPR-hunt-coin-thrower.html
We want good officiating. We don’t want officials being injured (or heaven forbid, killed).
@Anne: Yes… Bilbao played beautifully against ManU. Just ran rings around them like they were Barcelona or something. I don’t mind Europa league either, but the pressure that the team and manager will hence be under will be immense, and we will find it really difficult to attract the really good players. Hopefully we finish 3rd or 4th. Cheers.