By Walter Broeckx
To start this match at the team who was level on points at the start of this match we had these players Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Chambers, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Rosicky, Alexis. And on the beach we had Martinez, Monreal, Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, Campbell, Walcott, Akpom.
Gibbs came in the place of Monreal who dropped to the bench. Welbeck and Flamini are both out with an injury and so we got Rosicky and Coquelin taking their places.
The second difficult away match in a row for Arsenal in the Christmas period after having beaten West Ham last Sunday. And looking at the bench we only see two regular starters in Monreal and Walcott. Arsenal to the bare bones with the injuries once again. A quick count makes that 9 injured and 1 players suspended. Not really the ideal way to start the new year.
The two teams with a rather slow start and then suddenly a header from Pelle that just went wide for Southampton and Arsenal replied with a shot from Alexis that had to be saved by Forster. And then another chance for Southamtpon but this time Szczesny could rescue with his foot.
The we saw the first attempt to kick Alexis off the field by Waynama and the ref let the card in his pocket…. Southampton then get a corner that looked a goal kick but lucky nothing came from it. Then a good attack over Alexis to Rosicky who’s cross was met by Cazorla but Foster with a good stop.
And after 22 minutes Wanyama with a second attempt on Alexis and this time the ref gets the yellow card out. The next chance was again for Arsenal when Cazorla crossed to Chamberlain and his shot sailed just across the top corner of the goal.
And then from out of nothing came a Southampton goal. Mane wide on the left behind Koscielny, Szczesny came out not really needed and so the goal was free and Mane turned it over the line from a tight angle. Szczesny should have stayed on his line or should have gone in a real pursuit of Mane but now by turning back he found himself in the middle of nowhere.
Then the same assistant again invented a corner when the ball went over the side line and from the resulting corner we needed a great intervention from Szczesny to prevent a second Southampton goal. Meanwhile Southampton drew all their players back around their own penalty area resulting in lots of possession for Arsenal but not really big open chances as the many bodies from Southampton did their job. Arsenal 1-0 behind at half time. And suddenly missing Giroud and Welbeck and having no big strikers upfront look to make things difficult.
Arsenal the most attacking team in the second half as can be expected and after 54 minutes a big chance for Alexis but Forster once again with another good stop on the low shot. And then another defensive mix up at the back for Arsenal. And I must say that Szczesny again didn’t look that good. A low cross that was stopped by Debuchy and Szczesny kicked in the feet of Tadic who took this present and scored the 2-0. We should have been level and suddenly found ourselves 2-0 behind after 56 minutes.
Time to bring on Theo Walcott after one hour of play. Chambers was taken off right at a moment when Chamberlain was kicked on the ankle without the ref giving a foul to Arsenal. Seconds later Arsenal was lucky when Pelle hit the post from a low cross and the rebound went over. Koscielny then joined in the present mood and played a ball back but too short. Lucky Debuchy was back on the line to clear the ball.
Then Sanchez escaped and was brought down just outside the penalty area and the ref gave the foul but kept the red card in his pocket and only gave a yellow against Gardos. The free kick went over, just.
Arsenal had lots of the ball but missing both Welbeck and Giroud resulted in Arsenal not being able to hit crosses at height and had to try to play over the ground. And Theo wasn’t effective against 10 Southampton defenders as he had no room to use his speed. And if there is one thing that Southampton can do it is defending.
The final ball for Arsenal just didn’t come. With 7 minutes left Debuchy was taken off and Akpom came on. But it seemed that the tank of too many players was empty after two big hard matches a few days earlier. And too many former Southampton players not having their best day against their former club.
Too many players missing and on top of that some crucial defensive errors cost us this match. And making defensive errors against a team that is in the top 4 is not the way to get a result.
Let us hope that we can get a few bodies back before next Sunday. And cut out the defensive errors please.
Bit worried by Chesney suggesting he’s more confident controlling his defensive area. Based on todays performance he’s got a lot of work to do!
Before all the trolls start infesting UA…..may I suggest that make a separate corner for them, where they can post to their hearts’ delight all their negative and critical Wenger’s fault BS?
Agree with everything you say. Maybe we need mad Jens to come in and help our keeper out, I remember how well he played when Jens was over here doing his badges. His game relies on some very fine lines in his decision making, he often gets it right, but twice today, he did not.
But yes, we seriously need key players back, no team would cope especially well with our injury list. Players like Arteta and Diaby will need full and frank assessments on the likelihood of them playing the rest of the season, I know Arteta is due back, but it seem he plays one game, then goes out injured again.
Apparently wenger was confronted on the pitch by a disgruntled aaa, if true, it confirms the view we have some of the most moronic fans on the planet. Doubt if wenger will pay much attention to such a fan, but he did look livid with the players at times.
Don’t like to single out individuals for a poor team performance, but wonder if we may see Ospina for a few games if he does ok in the cup?
Omg arsenal, putting trolls in a corner, good idea, but I would just export them to Stamford Bridge, some of them would like that.
OMGarsenal,
May I add my voice to yours please.
I wish they stay on that post and not come here.
Today we only have the defense and the ref to blame (mainly defense and perhaps no height up front). Can’t blame Arsene for this one!
Was that Southampton fan approaching our bench?
To be fair to them Southampton tried.to actually play good football against arsenal, granted we gifted them two cheap goals, on the positive I think Coquelin is looking good in the center of the midfield, any chance for challenging Mikel/Flamini for the holding role? I feel we lost Poldi just when we needed him most though, looking forward I hope in the next game we will have quiet a good number of first team players returning.
COYG
@Dan,
I thought he was an Arsenal fan.
Thought it was an aaa Dan, but can’t be sure and have not seen any confirmation.
We will soon find out though, if it was an arsenal fan, the media will be lathering themselves up into a veritable gizfest.
Very tough to take, I guess going into game with two holding mids who wouldn’t get in saints team was always gonna be hard then again flamini and arteta wouldn’t make saints team. Let’s hope and pray Arsene opens his eyes and brings in some proven quality. We ain’t far away
This was the game where it caught up with us after our brilliant battling performance against West Ham. Still, 6 points from a possible 9.
Missed the two new injured, Welbeck and Flamini, and the suspended Giroud.
Interesting to see that someone on the Arsenal web site commenting during the match thought there should have been two red cards for Southampton. And the Arsenal reporter thought we were the better team up to the first goal.
On to the cup match! Hopefully the new injured will be back.
I think we missed Debuchy runs today, he looked so tired. Anf kosienly was not there at all, still not match fit. Sczcesny had a bad game, buy that happens. Southampton is a good side, and I dont think they outplayed us at all. We need to come back on Sunday.
Chesney looked nervous against west ham and only seemed to get into his groove towards the last third. I think his confidence is taking a beating this year considering how few clean sheets we’ve had.
We definitely miss Arteta in defense.
We lost a point today with two childish mistakes,its unbelievable’and this should not be allowed to happen again not with monaco or hull its beyond normal.
Thanks Walter, a fair report.Not easy to take,shame the tanks were running on nothing today, but onto the FAC!
COYG! Aha and Amen!
Anybody saw liverfall’s two penalties but went on to draw.
It was a shambolic outing for a the goalie and that cost us the game. He makes mistakes too often.
This was painful to watch.
So many playes under performed today. Coquelin was the best, but this player is not at the same level as other injuried midfielders( Arteta, Ramsey).
Bad time for big goalie errors and all left their shooting boots too.
In corresponding fixtures
Last season scored 31, conceded 23 pts 40
This season scored 33, conceded 25 pts 33
Southampton 2 – 0 Arsenal
Pssession:
South…..41%
Arsenal…59%
Shots:
South…..13
Arsenal…11
On Target:
South…..6
Arsenal…6
Fouls:
South…..14
Arsenal…7
As I say, I didn’t see the game but these statistic hardly back the allegation of some that where ‘ripped to shreds’
Looking at how much possession we had as well as almost matching Southampton for shots the statistics alone suggest a much closer game than some would like to suggest.
Also, for a team that was supposedly so dominant they spent a lot of time fouling us.
Lets not forget Chelsea managed ONE shot on target at Southampton last week with an almost full, fresh, side.
We on the other hand had many injuries, and players returning from injuries, at the end of the tough Christmas program.
I’m NOT saying we deserved anything more from the game.
What I am asking, is why so many cant just take it for what it is?
A defeat to a good side.
No more, no less.
WHY always turn every defeat into a Wenger hate fest?
Im sorry guys but i’m supporting the Spunks as of now at least for today,they will keep mourinhoass at bay for a moment.
Why Jambug? Because many people are probably being paid to do so.
For me, I am hoping that this is our only losss for 2015. That is how I am supporting Arsenal. It has happened, we didn’t get the result we would have liked. But we can’t change the past, all we can do is better in the future.
@Jambug, great post! I have also mentioned elsewhere on here that most other results went our way AND that Man Utd play Southampton in the next League match! Seeing the bigger picture seems beyond a lot of people…
Chelsea 3 – 1 down at Spurs.
Clueless Mourinho.
No attack, no defence.
Looks like a nine point lead down the swanny.
Won nothing last year, looks like they’ll win nothing this year
Mourinho out ! Mourinho out !
That’s how it goes isn’t lads !!!
Gord.
Well said.
Vikrant
Indeed it does.
ooh i just love the new year surprisers i know it wont be news like us being beaten but i dont care it brings me happiness and thats what i need.
Period.
@jambug mourinho need to buy.
4-1
he knows no tactics
A fair write up Walter.
We did put a lot of effort in and at times played some good football, but we were undone by silly errors at the back.
I thought putting Chambers in midfield was interesting and on a positive it was good to see Walcott back on the field.
But – we need to get it right at the back – no successful team can defend like that.
@Dogra, the bigger picture is that this is our worst start in many years…
The people who are raving about this loss are doing so because poor performances and results have become the norm.
Wonder how Cesc feels being on the back end of a 4-1 drubbing by the Spuds right now?!!!
Reading Walter, Yassin, Kenneth, bjgooner, Kampala etc. is what keeps me sane.
Reasoned critique.
It’s obvious we defended poorly and our keeper had a bad day. That being said, with a severely depleted midfield and attack, we still carved out enough chances that on a ‘lucky’ day could of salvaged a point.
I can live with that. Move on to the next game.
It’s just the……..well you know.
For the ‘worst start in many years’ brigade, watch a season review of 1994/95…
It’s all Giroud’s fault, he passed round his STOOPID pills before the game!
@Vikrant – If I remember rightly we were dicing with relegation that season and finished 12th. Not sure if this is supposed to make us feel better??
Brigade??
I’m not looking to stir the pot here but burying your collective heads in the sand isn’t helping anyone.
There is a reality to our current situation that no amount of statistics or romancing over the past will solve.
5-2 Spuds. LOL!
Mourinhos Chelski ship 5 goals.
This will have the AAAA’s heads spinning.
Where’s TOM when you need him. Back under his rock no doubt.
Just saw Pat Rice watching the game, good to see him looking well after his scares. Despite not moving he was still more animated than Bould. How is our defensive coach and No2 escaping the limelight? Szczesny needs dropped for sure, so inconsistent its untrue. It looks to me the back four have no faith in each other and all are covering each other instead of concentrating on their own job. Thought Coq has looked ok, but over run today, he distributes faster that Arteta, which eases pressure more quickly. Up front no surprises,(too many absentees) though would have loved to see Chuba earlier. Gibbs? how hard is it to flippin shoot? HYN hope its not a long one.
Mourinho
WHAT A PRICK !!!!
Why are people getting so excited about spuds winning? Spuds would put fifteen past us the way we are playing at the moment. Think we got enough problems of our own before looking at chavs.
From AW’s interview at Arsenal.com:
> on the fan who confronted him…
>> He was a young boy and I think he was a Southampton fan. He was not arrested at all. I don’t think he said anything. It was not aggressive at all.
> on Podolski playing against Hull City…
>> I will make a few changes, that’s for sure, but he has not practiced for a few days – since our game at West Ham because of a tight groin so I don’t think he will be available for Sunday.
COYG!
The BBC is reporting that he was arrested, and that he was an Arsenal fan. I suppose this will get clearer in the future. I can certainly see AW being preoccupied when confronted.
COYG!
Are we enjoying Chelseas loss? I would look at our own performance’s. WS seems to a bit to over confident. He needs to be be shown that his is replaceable, that will get him down to earth. Didn’t AW do something similar to Jens?
By the way, any reason for my comments to be in the moderation?
Now busy period in EPL is over. Statistal deviation from mean points to gain after 20 games:
Chelsea +5,03
MC +2,08
MU +2,06
S’oton not counted
Tottenham +5,05
Arsenal -1,81
…
Liverpool -7,39
Everton -11,00
‘January 1, 2015 at 7:12 pm
Mourinhos Chelski ship 5 goals.
This will have the AAAA’s heads spinning.
Where’s TOM when you need him. Back under his rock no doubt.’
You know , I always thought you were half a bubble off plumb but kind a sharp. Looks like I’m gonna have to reconsider that notion based on your recent digs at me.
Arsenal have a really poor showing and I decide to stay away because I’m sick and tired of being negative myself, and here you are complaining about mine staying away just because Chelsea lost too…?!?
Who gives a shit about Chelsea? Certainly not me.
I only said they were the most balanced team in the league because they were at the time. Take Costa’s , Aguero’s, and Alexis’ goals away and Chelsea are still in first place, while City and Arsenal plummet six and eight spots respectively.
Watching Mourinho blow his head gasket on the touch line is almost as amusing as reading your stupid posts.
Get your shit together man and stop embarrassing yourself for fucks sake.
My post was to Jambug.
Tom
I like some of your posts but other times you say something and when taken to task have a habit of disappearing.
Nice to see you made it through Christmas unscathed.
I fail to see how I’ve embarrassed myself but if that’s what you think.
Tom
And here it is for all to see.
My ‘little digs’ as you like to call them. I prefer to call them questions, challenges if you like, but hay, if you think they’re digs that’s up to you.
Whatever they are none of which you answer, and I can assure you, non of which embarrass me.
So now’s your chance to just answer the questions I originally posed to you, following you little ‘head spinning’ jibe.
This is how it went back on the 28th.
“”jambug
December 28, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Tom
You said:
“As for the conspiracy theorists on here , their heads must be spinning after today. Chelsea had Fabregas yellow carded for a dive that should’ve been a penalty, Man City had a goal scored from a clear offside position by a Burnley player but I’m sure someone will come along shortly to make ‘sense’ of this for me :)”
THIS I SAW AS A CHALLANGE. I JUST TOOK UP THE CHALLANGE, I SAID:
Yes I will.
1)….At what point EVER did anyone on UA EVER say that decisions don’t go AGAINST other teams, or FOR Arsenal?
If you can find it please show me because that is what your sarcastic comment is inferring.
So come on, where has that EVER been said?
UA’s claims of bias are made on the basis of pages and pages of statistics, over many seasons, and many many games, by professional and Amateur Referees, both of an Arsenal persuasion and otherwise, and NOT ON THE BASIS OF ONE DAYS EVENTS.
I find your out of hand dismissal of all the hard work done on this site most perplexing, considering, save from the type of ridiculous comment above, you never have a single shred of evidence to back up your contrary point of view.
As I’ve said many times, you think this site is run by a bunch of lying, deluded and paranoid fools yet you insist on keep coming back.
Strange man.””
And yet here you are again.
As usual when asked to explain your baseless little digs, you vanish faster than a Turkey on the run up to Christmas.
Some come on, have some balls man and explain your little ‘head spinning’ jibe !!
And why your at it, explain how Stering didn’t see Red (3 match ban)or RVP a Yellow (accumulative ban) over the weekend?
I’d be interested to hear how you can justify those appalling miscarriages of justice.””
Hence my little ‘head spinning’ reference.
I was being ‘ironic’ you do realise that don’t you?
Anyway, answer the questions.
Tom
As I’ve reproduced our original ‘debate’ for what it was. don’t you think this comment:
“Get your shit together man and stop embarrassing yourself for fucks sake.”
Was a bit un called for?
@Walter,
Excellent write up and I also feel once the missing players start returning and we get some better luck on the health front, this time will be ready to take off. Too many key pieces missing due to injury/suspension throughout the season.
From the potential starting lineup missing today include: Giroud, Ozil, Ramsey, and Arteta, while also Walcott and Koscielny for much of this season.
That’s like saying how good would Chelsea be without Costa, Fabregas, Cahill, and Matic for much of the season? I’m sure they would of dropped a few places as well.
Postgame, Mourinho basically said Phil Dowd was too slow to keep up with the pace of the game today (which I agree Phil Dowd is in pretty much all games he officiates) while praising Martin Atkinson (not surprising either to Untold readers). It will be interesting to see if the FA actually does anything considering that’s 2 games in a row that he’s criticized the refs.
Bet the FA leave JM alone Jerry.
We certainly need players back, think this is the worst season I can remember for injuries.
But, it does seem that the same frailties seem to resurface against the same teams that play in certain ways.
Have not enjoyed this season, just look forward to us kicking on and getting a bit of consistency, and finally getting on top of these injuries. Can’t believe the injury situation, in addition to the longer term injured, we lost Poldi, Sanogo and Flam for today’s game.
But guess we will have to be patient too, some of them, namely Kos and Jack seem to need a few games before they are back to their best.
Well, what a way to christen the new years folks. And this is why I never bet on Arsenal – because they always let you down. Just read Wenger’s reaction, quite laughable to blame the referee for losing. Anyway, I did find some pleasure when he said he doesn’t want to speak about our calamitous goalkeeper and that Ospina will start on Sunday. We should have got a new number one years ago. Yet another mistake on Wengers part.
Im still enjoying the season, but i can only really remember 3 games where i didnt feel on the verge of having a panic attack right up until the last minute haha.
“Yet another mistake” you say. How about you make a list of all the things he got correct and compare them to these so called ‘mistakes’. He won the golden glove last time year remember? No, of course you dont, because it doesnt fit in with you negative view of Arsenal.
Im still hoping Martinez gets another run out! He impressed me more than Ospina tbh. Im glad that hes dropping Szczesny for the time being though.
We were second best all around the pitch and looked a real mid table side. That is what we will get this season. A couple of wins, a defeat…..a couple of wins, a defeat. On average I would say a defeat every 3 or 4 games and around 12 -15 defeats by the end of the season. If you defend like that in games at this level you will consistently lose football matches. If you do not work on the defensive positional side of the game in training, you will continue to make mistakes and lose football matches, a pretty simple concept. Here is the juicy part though; If Arsenal do not sign at least 2 quality centre halfs, drop the goalkeeper and change the management team this month, they will finish mid table. Writing is on the wall for me, now let’s see if this board have any ambition or sign of a backbone.
December 28, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Tom
You said:
“As for the conspiracy theorists on here , their heads must be spinning after today. Chelsea had Fabregas yellow carded for a dive that should’ve been a penalty, Man City had a goal scored from a clear offside position by a Burnley player but I’m sure someone will come along shortly to make ‘sense’ of this for me :)”
THIS I SAW AS A CHALLANGE. I JUST TOOK UP THE CHALLANGE, I SAID:
Yes I will.
1)….At what point EVER did anyone on UA EVER say that decisions don’t go AGAINST other teams, or FOR Arsenal?
If you can find it please show me because that is what your sarcastic comment is inferring.’
No , that’s what you thought my comment meant. In reality it didn’t.
What it did mean however was that there’s no league- wide conspiracy to give the title to any particular club, be it Chelsea , MC or anyone else, contrary to what you and many others have said many times on here.
The PL is too busy counting the money by a shit – ton to preoccupy themselves with conspiring to elect the champion by other means than the competition itself.
For if they were, then for sure a spineless excuse for a PL referee like Anthony Taylor would’ve been in on it too ,and he wouldn’t have booked Fabregas for simulation , but would’ve given a pen instead.
Tottenham / Chelsea game further proved this. There were some game changing calls that could’ve been given Chelsea’s way ,and no one outside of this forum would’ve cried foul.
They weren’t.
I’d like to think the league has finally caught up with Mourinho’s antics and realized they had been played for fools.
And just in case you or any one else think it’s Man City the FA wants to win it again, then why allow a clear off side goal stand for Burnley ?
Looks like a case of bad planning or execution by the ‘ conspirators ‘
And finally , when two posters are engaged in a debate then yes , it’s kind of rude to not respond to a question posed , ‘ engaged ‘ being the key word here.
Many times contributors post their opinions and simply just walk away. To think that someone had read your post directed to them and they are avoiding answering it for a fear of losing the argument , is presumptuous, don’t you think?
I never assume people have ‘no balls’ or ‘run and hide under a rock’ when they don’t respond to my posts, I simply move one.
I suggest you do the same.
BTW, happy new year to you and every one else.
Cheers!
@Kirman,
Is your hate for Wenger causing you to put words in his mouth?
Arsene Wenger said: “[It was a] self-inflicted defeat — we made mistakes which allowed them to win the game, We had the lapses of focus in a vital area, where you pay.”
He clearly blamed the team for the loss, not the ref. The only time he criticized the ref was in regards to the foul by Gardos on Sanchez :
Arsene Wenger, “It was definitely a red card, It was one against one with the keeper.”
And he’s right according to the rule book, which you want to disregard as much as some of the PGMO refs.
There’s a big difference between saying the ref made a bad decision and blaming the ref for the loss like you said. If you want to look at a manager who blamed a ref for a loss, go read moaning Mourinho’s quotes.
On the lighter side of a miserable NYD for Gooners….I hope this makes u chuckle and consider the irony of it:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20141229/szczesny-how-i-improved-in-2014
@Kirman : Explain to me how Wenger blames the referee for the defeat when he talks about a “self-inflicted defeat”…
Kirman, you say wenger blamed the ref, but the word ” self inflicted” indicates he believes the blame lies elsewhere
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150101/wenger-it-was-a-self-inflicted-defeat
As for your betting tip, if Arsenal always let you down, surely that would make them the safest of bets?
interesting to notice that some people who have been absent for many weeks suddenly came back to Untold.
If you can’t celebrate with us when we win, then don’t come when we lose 😉
Mandy, what do you think of my post?
Lol, yet again the aaa coming in here, flinging around accusations and just being completely wrong about them. I dont know if theyre all the same couple of morons or if being an aaa means that you have to be a moron prior to believing Wenger should leave. I must say that the people i have met that were frothing at the mouth over how much they hate Wenger, usually are a bit on the dim side.
Walter, dont take any of this personally, its a democracy, as Arsene said once “let them talk”.
If you dont want other Gooners to join in anytime they deem fit, dare I suggest you create a private members club for all the people you like only.
What say you?
@Jammy J…
“I must say that the people i have met that were frothing at the mouth over how much they hate Wenger, usually are a bit on the dim side.”
Yep, that about sums it up.
So Sczcesny made mistakes and cost us the game, so can we move on. Can we stop blaming him as if he was a bad keeper. He saved many gamea before, and he made a mistake. Its annoying. Do you want to over pressure him as it was woth Fabianski and Almunia, so he then fails? He made a mistake, last games he didnt. Which GK makes no mistake the whole season?
Aliens, think he is a good keeper who has improved on some aspects of his game but he does have a couple of flaws that need ironing out, including at times rushing out, he usually gets it right, but when he does not, it looks bad, but he is young and will get over this.
But though the keeper makes the headlines, our defenders did not help matters today, worth remembering it always takes Kos a few games to return to his best after being out.
Good keeper, great future, bad day.
@ Mandy Dodd
Very well put. One slight; I think his attitude is rather immature…I guess with age will come maturity. It comes to us all.
Aliens.
Tom
If you can find it please show me because that is what your sarcastic comment is inferring.’
“No , that’s what you thought my comment meant. In reality it didn’t”.
Don’t believe you !!
Anyway,
The inference from all the hours of work by untold is of a ‘conspiracy’ if that is the right word, AGAINST Arsenal, as opposed for anyone in particular.
Hence:
The Refereeing assessments that have shown over a number of years that we get a bad deal from Referees.
The statistics that show we get less penalties than all our direct opponents.
The statistics that show we get more bookings per foul than anyone else.
If anything the inference is that Manchester United and Liverpool are, as a rule, prime recipients of refereeing bias, but as I say, it’s more about the shit WE GET than anything else.
Oh, and by the way, you didn’t actually answer one question, all you did was try to deny you said what you said.
In case you missed them, the questions where:
1)….At what point EVER did anyone on UA EVER say that decisions don’t go AGAINST other teams, or FOR Arsenal?
2)explain how Sterling didn’t see Red (3 match ban)
or
3) RVP a Yellow (accumulative ban) over the weekend?
And why we’re at it
4) Ferdinand didn’t even get looked at for grabbing Giroud round the neck.
4 simple answers will do rather than the same evasive musings of your last post.
We’ll done Gary Monk. Could our club learn something from him?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/swansea-boss-garry-monk-calls-4906442
Aliens, depends what you mean by his attitude. Trying to think what he has been criticised over…..seems confident, which is a good thing, especially for a keeper, he likes winding up a certain rival team and winning charity bets with Jermaine Defoe….ok by me, selfies at WHL, maybe I’ll advised, but just a man of his times, he is not unique on that.
Having seen motd and revisiting the game, it looks more and more like he has been let down by his defenders today. Still made mistakes but a keeper should not be exposed as he was in that game.
Seems like a day when defending went out of the window in most games, unfortunately we didn’t have our strikers so we could not take advantage of anything like that.
WC just made a mess today and it happens .. He did 2 foolish acts and the team paid for iit. Overall we were a better side minus the 2 blips.
Tom, don’t especially agree that there are not teams those in power want to win the title, just remembering the favours Urd were handed in Fergies last season. But really hope you are right that the FA finally have Finally caught up with Jose’s antics. If so, about time. But, yet another game where Cahill escaped red, think that is about four this season!
Piers Morgan has been at it again…..
“Honestly, and I say this with great respect, Arsenal fans who still back Wenger are complete idiots.”
From hereonin I would like to be referred to as ALIENS COMPLETE IDIOTS.
Thanks.
I absolutely fucking despise Piers Morgan. Thankfully he is generally hated by most people, so i can only hope that that has a detrimental effect on his mental health.
Piers Morgan should just stick to what he does best…..phone hacking….allegedly
LOL…great retort Mandy Dodd
Piers Morgan should just get raped by a big baboon then he can tweet it that I like it
A big baboon is about 90 pounds. A big chimpanzee is about 150 pounds. Apparently a chimpanzee is very likely strong enough to rip the arm from the socket of a human. Clint Eastwood’s friend, the orangutan, can get up to 260 pounds. A large gorilla is in the 400-500 pound range.
I’m not sure where to find the data, but it is my recollection that a well endowed male gorilla only has about a 3 inch penis.
Are you sure we should introduce Piers to a baboon? 🙂
For the last week or so, UA has been sitting about 5. Towards the end of the game, (not too long after?), I started seeing a 3 instead of a 5. Maybe that is in keeping with what omgarsenal said, that the trolls all came over here when we lost.
Is Piers Morgan a ‘true’ Arsenal fan ? Does he go to all the Arsenal home and away games ? Does he cheer on the team ? Has he been seen at any games ? Just asking !
In the meantime ,where do I go to sign the ” Complete Idiot ” list ?
Morgan is a bit of an idiot but talk of ‘rape’ in any respect is at a minimum tasteless and in most public spheres totally unacceptable. I hope that this will be addressed by this sites owners promptly? Best to think before posting I would suggest.
I like to think that baboons would display more class than their cousin , Piers Morgan , heckling and big arses notwithstanding !
The FA look at elbows flying around the day after I wonder if any action will be taken against a serial offender Mr Cahill for a nice kick into the back of Harry Kane no chance of getting the ball I expect Mr Dowd saw it
OK I’ve slept on the game and can put my slant on the game and my feelings about it. Being one of the fortunate ones to be able to attend almost all games at home and away I feel pain every time we miss a shot or don’t cut out an attack by the opposition.
I am pained when I see our otherwise excellent goalkeeper lose his head and chase down lost causes leaving his goal unnattended;
I am pained when I see our opponents chasing us down and win back the ball;
I am pained when we fail to pass the ball to our own side;
I am pained when we fail to shoot when it looks easier to score;
I am pained when we fight amongst ouselves as at Stoke; I could go on and on but you get the gist of what I am saying.
I would like to say though that some of the comments made on this thread have been excellent but some are disappointing and I don’t think the language and abuse being levied at both posters and a certain Piers Morgan helps at all. I had the dubious honour yesterday of making a complaint to a Policeman at Southampton regarding certain chants by the Southampton fans against Arsene and though he acknowlegded he had heard the chant and promised to report it in the debriefing I doubt anything will happen. As a supporter who avoids singing the ending of certain chants myself (a personal stance) I felt incensed by yesterdays Southampton chants and made my complaint. For the record the chant was and I quote ‘You’re just a French Jimmy Saville’. That kind of chanting (including some we sing)and some of the abuse levied at people on and off this site has no place in football.
Oh and in case you think I’m one of the ‘Highbury library’ I sing and shout throughout every match I attend am am not in any way a quiet supporter as those around me at the Emirates will testify.
Like all of you I am hurting but that hurt will go away when I enter the Emirates on Sunday and as usual I will be singing and chanting all through the match until the end. You see all my hurt (including being flashed by a speed camera on the way home) will be gone again and I can be happy like I was on the way home from West Ham. There’s nothing like a win to cure the hurt, but that’s what being a football supporter is all about isn’t it?
When we loose, its mostly the fault if the ref, then the injures, then ‘bad day at the office’ line, players too tired etc in that order. But its never the fault of the players or the manager. But when we win? I need not say. We keep reading that we need a player in this position or that and we are always given reasons why we did not sign such a player. We don’t know the truth of the transfers but we get a lot of justification for not doing it. Last week AW said that Lucas’s transfer to inter was a joke and a rumour and now? He said that the offer is serious? Something like that. So who’s lieing? Why would Lucas stay if he is not getting a chance. He is a international player isn’t? I would certainly move. Then AW says that when fans request to sign X or Y players that he will sign only players with Arsenal class. Whatever that means. Which we can then conclude that the current lot are Arsenal class? Then why should we blame the injuries? Surely the boys coming in should be of this so called class?
Being called an IDIOT by a genetically distorted FOOL makes me feel intelligent !!
“Too many players missing and on top of that some crucial defensive errors cost us this match. And making defensive errors against a team that is in the top 4 is not the way to get a result.”
This could be an excerpt from any one of several post match analyses of our recent matches against the better teams in the league or CL.
Rather than concentrate on the mistakes that refs make and the supposed conspiracy, why not analyse the mistake ridden defense that has been Arsene & Arsenals domain for at least 6-7 years now.
Mistakes happen. Poor performances happen. Playing away to the 4th place team after a crowded holiday schedule with half the squad on the treatment table is always going to be tough.
I think we were missing today: Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Flamini, Diaby, Ozil, Podolski, Sanogo(?), Welbeck, Gnabry with Walcott only good for the bench and Giroud suspended. In addition several others have only recently returned and were not fully up to speed.
The world hasn’t ended. Once we get some of the missing first team players back things will be fine. It really is as simple as that (I do acknowledge that the first choice defence was poor – but we didn’t score either!).
@ Pete
The world hasn’t ended, poor performances do happen, Arsenal will be better when the injured return, playing away to the 4th place team was always going to be tough and when all is said and done Arsenal will probably end up 4th as seems to be our divine right (it was Arsene that invented the 4th place trophy after all). However, I’m willing to take a bet from anyone here that the same narrative will be written in a a few weeks time when we next have a tough away game-Arsenal will continue to shoot themselves in the bollocks. Why do I say that, because we have been a consistently inconsistent team that has little or no clue what it takes execute a balanced performance against the better teams in the league or against any manager that has any grasp of advanced, modern day football tactics.
Eventually most of you will grow tired of listening to Arsene’s excuses and waiting for the corner to turn. I’ve stood by him for ages whilst the hordes screamed for his head-unfortunately I can’t see any hope of him leading us to the promised land anymore.
We’re a talented yet underperforming team that has serious deficiencies that the manager has shown a consistent inability to resolve.
Injuries are no excuse for the repeated mistakes continually being made.
This is becoming very concerning. When you see Chesney continually trying his Cruyff trick & obviously not getting a telling off it makes you question what other correct coaching tactics are not being applied.
Until the 1st goal we were equal in terms of play, 2nd half was poor except for Alexis.
The BFG may need to be renamed Big Soft German. Nice guy but never an Arsenal Captain.
In my opinion these are worrying times & that shouldnt make me an ‘AAA’ for saying so.
Couldn’t help noticing the lack of happy new year wishes from the usual negative bunch, on an article titled ‘After a day asleep…. ‘.
All the posts were from the usually reasonable posters on here, also known as AKBs. And yet they’re supposed to be the strange ones!
Ok guys it was a joke a distasteful joke if we took things so seriously in life there would be no fun! Seriously now is Piers ever gonna get raped by a baboon? It is people like you who take a loss and bend it to you’re own negative effect oh no we played soon bad because we are not good enough. Yeah there injuries and players coming back and fatigue. Oh shit we had a bad day it’s the end of the world! Saint an come take me!
Redanddread we are talented and underperforming that is very contradictory. So why is that? And what info is shown here the cause of that?
Freddie our keeper had a headless chicken day.
gord and brickfield I am truly sorry for my comment baboons have better taste than piers it would be impossible to reinact the act in real life as the baboon would just throw up…
We’ve just lost 2-0 to Southampton- not to oil money or the top 3.
It was a wonderful performance by a great team who were well beaten by a team of inferior individuals.
So what is your explanation?
A defeat to a team of inferior individuals but a better team?
Why are they a better team?
Why did our weaknesses outweigh our strengths against limited opposition?
Nothing what so ever to do with the way the team was set up or who played ? Why not?
Defeat and poor performance is unconditionally accepted because Arsene Wenger is the manager-and anyone who says otherwise is labelled Anti Arsenal. Hardly objective. Teams and managers should be judged on performance- and we sit 6th.
Yes V Cong, we are talented but underperforming, so where is the contradiction in this? Is this not possible? In fact its happening far too often.
Every player can have a bad day and the do. When keepers make mistakes, those mistakes get magnified because they usually cost us points like they did yesterday.
The problem with Szczesny of course is that he keeps making the same mistakes over and over, which suggests one of two things;
1. His judgment when to come out and when to stay is impered beyond correcting it , or
2. No one is really working with him to improve this part of his game which really is in desperate need of improvement.
We don’t know which is true for sure , bet let me mention another aspect of his game that might shed some light on this – his penalty saving style that involves a shoulder , or entire body fake going one way just before the pen taker strikes the ball, only to revers himself and dive the opposite direction.
This particular style might be effective against players who wait till the last moment for the keeper to commit himself before they pass the ball into the oposite corner.
There are two players in the PL who take their penalties in such a manner;
Hazard and Ballotelli and the Italian isn’t the regular penalty taker for Liverpool.
99% of penalty takers have their eyes firmly on the ball when Szczesny does his little shimmy, so they are totally unaffected by it and the only thing
Wojtek accomplishes by it, is being late to the ball when it’s struck into the corner he chooses to dive into , further lowering the adds of making the save.
It’s a pointless fake by Szczesny that should’ve been pointed out to him by someone at the club , and the fact that it hasn’t ,suggests that there’s very little of any analysis and corrections being done with our goal keeping
personnel.
Va Cong-there is absolutely nothing contradictory with a team being described as talented yet underperfroming. What’s so difficult to understand. I think that the players we have are a talented bunch of footballers but our team has underperformed badly. In much the same way we were a talented team between 2000-1004 but underperformed badly in the CL. What’s so hard to grasp, they’re not mutually exclusive states.
Goonergerry,
maybe because they had only a couple of injured players and we were missing a lot more and some of them world class players.
In case you didn’t noticed the list of injured players (that makes us sit top this week in the injury league) are: Podolski, Flamini, Welbeck, Ramsey, Arteta, Wilshere, Özil, Sanogo, Gnabry, Diaby. And if you add the suspended Giroud that is 11 players that couldn’t be used.
And as you will notice that list includes our best goal scorers (after Alexis) and all the players that could play centre forward if fit.
And then we only got outdone by creating the two goals from them ourselves.
We played in a formation that never had been used before. I admit that Coquelin has not yet won me over (but I might be wrong) and he is the third choice defensive midfielder.
Chambers played in midfield and I had the impression that he was a bit hampered by playing at his former club. He didn’t want to do anything wrong and looked a bit nervous. Not that strange for a young lad. And when you don’t want to make mistakes you play with the handbrake on and …then you will surely make mistakes. It affected our game I thought.
Our only striker (only really fit) was Alexis and when it was 0-0 he got room and we created some chances. Once they could score from our error they drew themselves back and defended and tried to hit us on the counter. And then we really started missing a player of the stature of Giroud or Welbeck. I’m sure with one of them on the field we would have had a better chance.
Theo looked completely unfit and his game needs space and as Southampton drew everyone back there was no space.
Please let me know what part you didn’t understand so I could try to explain it again by making some paintings.
oh, and the league isn’t finished yet.
Gouresh it is of course possible to analyse the team as underperforming, but unless you have some way of analysing that and putting forward evidence, the final sentence of your comment is just supposition.
Tony:
Do you think with the exception of injuries & ref’s decisions we have not gone backwards & the playing side of the club is in good shape ?
Hi Tony: We spend a lot of time and energy on the ref’s, which by no means is a waste of time. It’s something no one has done, for whatever reason, and is highly appriciated. One can now watch the game from another angle. But we seem to very conveniently blame every single element apart from ourselves for our losses. Which I think some of the fans are trying to point out one way or another. This could also be the reason why Untold is being accused of being biased towards to AW. Now one has to back the team and the manager that’s a must, but when we see certain things on the ground, which by the way you don’t need to a pro licence coach to understand and certain error’s which are occuring so very often, one has to wonder why is this happening? If one goes back to the days of Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Steve Bould, Sol Campbell, David, Seaman, yes they made mistakes, but the same ones repeatedly? i doubt it very mcuh. as a player, if you make one mistake, you think, that’s it. no more. But whatever the case, my personal opinion is that when we loose or win, i wish that we could have a indepth analysis on the way we played sub’s etc along with the ref’s report will be a facinating read. for eg what’s the logic of the 70 or the 90th min sub when we are chasing the game? Yes, i really wish i could spend time analysing the play and have a database like the one Untold has on the ref’s but for the next 5-6 yrs thats not possible with 2 small kids at home.
And finally, like i mentioned in one of my previous comments, AW brought out the best from the aging defence when he took over Arsenal, gave us the invencibles back 5, so he know’s a thing or 2 about the importance of defence. so what’s happening now?
Tony
The only evidence you need to see about us under performing is that so far statistically its our worst season so far in the last 20 years –
1 Chelsea 20 25 46
2 Man City 20 25 46
N 3 Man Utd 20 14 37
N 4 Southampton 20 19 36
t 5 Tottenham 20 2 34
N 6 Arsenal 20 9 33
And we cant blame oil money this year can we
Arsenal, net spend £46m
Chelsea, net spend £10m
Manchester City, net spend £32m
Manchester United, net spend £122m
Southampton, profit £31m
Southampton, profit £31m
West Ham United, net spend £31m
Unless walter you can prove how much these other teams have bribed the referees to give them all the decisions against us…good luck
Just one more set of facts for you-
Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City) – £3.47m-a-year
Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) – £7.6m-a-year
Louis van Gaal (Manchester United) – £7m-a-year
Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) – £8.37m-a-year
I cant find the wages of koeman but i would hazard a guess that its nowhere near any of the above.
Gouresh we are under performing why? Refs this is what this site is about, data to prove that it is not a conspiracy. Are you not blaming under performing because of Wenger? And where did this squad come from?
Thanks Tony, just read your redanddread same applies to you comment. If you have come on this site more than 5 years, I really do not need to explain. We are talented underperformed because what the refs let happen to our players who are not always 100% and cannot play the same 11 with consistency.
Tony Attwood what do you call Aaa when they have babies?
Nick Lee you are such a fuck wit, you wouldnt believe how frustrating it is to read your comments. You say we cant blame the oil money we dont have because for ONE season we spent more. You dont base a team on the players bought in one season you absolute knob. If you compare how much was spent in the past 10 years, then you’ll have a much fairer idea of the kind of money Arsenal are up against.
Also, i see the 8mil that Arsene is on, being said everywhere as if its some sort of dig at him. You people are so desperate to find something to insult him with, its sad. Where did you even get those figures from?
Jammy:
Isnt Nick Lee pointing out some real facts ?
Furthermore others have pointed out the same type of mistakes made but by a few different series of players & yet those people are called ‘fuck wits’ etc or ‘AAA’.
Defend Arsene if thats how you feel but calling others who point out their concerns & issues names is almost like a child covering their ears when a parent tries to tell them something they don’t want to hear.
All Nick Lee pointed out was the in ONE season we spent more than Chelsea and Man City. So according to him, because we spent more in ONE season, that means our team should be just as strong as the other two. How is that a fact? Hes completely disregarding the many prior years to this when those two spent huge huge sums of money and Arsenal during this time had to even sell their best players.
And its nothing like covering my ears; in fact i would say its the opposite. If i had just called him a fuck wit and left it at that, then yes, you may have had a point. But instead i told him why he was wrong and also how i came to that conclusion. Its not the first time he makes a ridiculous comment like that, but he does it constantly. He offers a opinion/assumption of his and says it as if its the gospel. This gets extremely frustrating when you have to read it day in day out; specially when he is confronted with facts/evidence he just doesnt reply and then moves on to the next article to give his negative opinion. Calling him a fuckwit is being kind tbh.
Jammy:
Unfortunately many feel Arsene as he is lauded as a great should be doing better with the players he has & that the mistakes constantly witnessed should not be happening as regular as they do.
I’ve supported Arsenal since the mid 60’s & there’s always been times when managers have been criticised, it happens at every club. Bertie Mee was highly & rightly criticised for selling Frank M too early, made worse that he was replaced by a totally inferior player called Jeff Blockley.
Terry Neill was another highly criticised eventually sacked driven with the influence of fan protest.
Arsene has done some wonderful things but does that mean he should be supported & not be asked any doubting questions no matter what ?
Va Cong: as far as i know this site is for Arsenal, the player and the manager. in that order, which means, that the club comes 1st, players 2nd and so on. its a fantastic site with great information and debate. untold has done a great deal of reviews on the ref’s but let me ask the question. given in a game of 90 mins the ref makes say, A number of decisions, out of which, X are right and Y are wrong decisions. then consider the number of chances we miss, the wrong passes we make, the mistakes at the back etc. given all the above factors, there could be some sort of calculation to find out the percentage of the ref’s influence on the loss. i guestimate 15%? what about the balance? who is responsible of that? the media? the fans, the players, the manager? who? blameing the ref is the easiest thing to do so that we can hide behind it.
Jammy Thanks for your insults.I was also posting the league table and showing how the other teams around us have spent last year.I was pointing out how southampton have spent a fraction that we have over the years but sit above us and have outplayed us twice this year with a new manager.
And i dont think i would struggle to find something to use to discredit our once great manager,he is doing a good job himself with his teams performances this season, which have shown up his lack of tactical nous and his defensive frailties.That is there for all who know about football to see.
Gouresh – blaming the ref is not the easiest thing – it is the hardest thing, because we do it with evidence, based now upon reviews of hundreds of matches done by many different refs across something like six seasons.
Your analysis is the one that is often put up, but it is fundamentally flawed – it is not that refs make errors. It is that the errors are biased against certain clubs.
The margin between winning and losing is small – and one or two decisions against one team are enough to sway the balance.
All teams miss chances – that’s irrelevant unless it can be proven that Arsenal miss more than other clubs.
Freddie Jeeves – no of course, no one should be supported no matter what. But this site doesn’t do that. What we do is two things: we raise questions that others don’t, and we look ahead to what might happen when Wenger goes.
I won’t repeat all the stuff written which tries to consider what happens when Wenger goes, but here’s a new element that I have heard from a number of sources – that Newcastle have a real problem finding a manager because in part off the way the fans have treated Pardew.
Tony
I think the problem with newcastle recruiting a managers is that mike ashley pays peanuts to managers.Pardew was on £800k a year.I can think of 8 million reasons why we wont have any problem getting a world class replacement modern day manager especially one with tactical nous.
@Freddie – Of course im not saying that he should be above any type of criticism, but there is a huge difference between the odd bit and what Nick Lee and the likes do; which is blame Wenger for things they simply dont know about. They will take any opportunity to try and place the blame on him for absolutely anything that goes wrong at Arsenal. They let their hatred for Wenger get in the way of actually supporting Arsenal.
@Nick lee – Have Southampton got into the champions League 16 seasons in a row? No of course they havnt, so i have no idea why you are bringing them into it. The first game we played against them was using a 2nd choice team as it was a cup game and the second match we played better than them, but failed because of 2 mistakes by the keeper. Were you even watching those games?
Jammy Thanks for the reply without the insults.I did watch the southampton game on tv as i couldnt get to southampton.Did you honestly think that we were the better team and it was just 2 lapses from chez that cost us??Next you will be trying to tell us that we played well.It was lucky we only conceded 2 goals and some of our defending was shambolic.No wonder you think everything is rosy at arsenal and our manager can do no wrong.Open your eyes and be honest with yourself about what is happening.Don’t let your love of arsenal blind you.
I cant be bothered to argue about this because we will never agree. Whether we played well is a matter of opinion and its obvious im not going to be able to change yours, so its pointless. We’ve played some god-awful football at times this season there is no denying it, but im not one to blame Wenger for every single thing that happens. We only conceded 2 goal because of 2 goalkeeping errors. You say not to let love blind me, but i could say the same to you; to not let your hatred of Wenger cause you to never take anything positive from a match. I know that i would much rather be blinded by love than hatred (although i still dont agree with you that i am). Nothing good will come out of that, so i choose to give my team my full support through the shit times and the good.
We’re only 3 points from the top 4, just be grateful to Wenger that he has taken this club to such a level, where you now consider that to be a awful season.
And sorry i didnt mean to insult you; youve just got no idea how much your posts frustrate me haha
Jammy
I am a realist and call things as i see them .Up until about 4 years ago i would of never critisised Arsenal and Arsene.I though what he had done in his first 12 years was nothing short of sensational.He was the best manager in the world and i admired everything that he did.He revolutionised the way we played and have seen some of the best football i will see.He won us many trophy’s and seemed to unearth players that nobody else could and made them int superb players.He could do this on a fraction of what united could.We then decided to move from highbury and build a new stadium.The first 4 years at the emirates i knew like most was going to be a transitional period with funds being limited but we were promised eventually that we would be able to compete with the big boys of europe.I suppose now i changed in the way i felt when we were lied to either by the manager or the board.We were told money was available by the board but we weren’t using it ,only selling off our better players for huge profits with either no replacements or free transfers.
Also what i noticed is that the game had moved on ,tactics had changed and the gems he unearthed in his earlier days weren’t there because eveyone else had the same ideas but were prepared to pay that little bit more to seal the deals.Partly its not wengers fault that he has stuck with his tactics and philosophy’s but football moves on and doesn’t wait for anyone.You either move with the times or you get left behind and i think that’s what has happened to our manager.
We are now being tactically outhought by younger managers who are more dynamic and more reactive.They are able to change tactics mid game ,make substitutions when needed and change their game and players accordingly.We don’t and i don’t think we can.A manager at one of the top european clubs should be able to do that.I wont mention transfers and bying players that are NEEDED and not just available .
People thought that winning the F.A cup was the start of a new era but i dont see it ,i wish i could.But hey that’s me being a realist and someone whose played football for 30 years and watched it for even longer..
Right, i see this being said constantly by the aaa “football tactics have moved on and left Arsene in the dust” Can you please explain to me what has changed tactically in English football in the last 10 years?