Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

ibh

Frisbee wrote: »

Denilson really isn't the answer to our CM problem. Fabregas needs someone who he knows will sit back to shield the defense while he goes forward. He's half the player he was last season without Flamini to complement him.
Best player tonight was Kolo

Liverpool fan here, so I’m probably talking through my hoop. But would Toure not be a viable option in CM?? I’m pretty sure he played there at first for Arsenal and I even remember seeing him on the wing. If they can cover his moving from CB I think it would be a good move. A good defensive CM is not easy to find / buy so maybe Arsene would try it?? Think with Silvestre and Djourou to battle for a CB slot it could free Toure up.

yahoo_moe

We haven't conceded while Djourou's been on but it's only been:

(1) against West Brom first game
(2) second half against Bolton (they scored first half)
(3) Carling Cup against Sheffield Utd
(4) last night.

So not a lot of football - and against fairly meh opposition. Plus the goals scored by Geovanni and Bentley, say, could hardly be blamed on any of the defenders playing at the time so it's not always a fair measure.

He's looked good at times so there's room for optimism - but he's also been less good at other times despite the clean sheets so I wouldn't get too worked up yet on that front. His positioning, for me, still isn't great on occasion.

Frisbee

ibh wrote: »

Liverpool fan here, so I’m probably talking through my hoop. But would Toure not be a viable option in CM?? I’m pretty sure he played there at first for Arsenal and I even remember seeing him on the wing. If they can cover his moving from CB I think it would be a good move. A good defensive CM is not easy to find / buy so maybe Arsene would try it?? Think with Silvestre and Djourou to battle for a CB slot it could free Toure up.

Yeah he started out at left midfield.
People have been suggesting this for ages now but to be honest I don't think he would have the head for playing in midfield. Still too much of the headless chicken about him..

yahoo_moe

Frisbee wrote: »

Still too much of the headless chicken about him..

I agree - his positional sense is nowhere near good enough.

At CB his athleticism lets him recover when someone's trying to control a through ball, take it forward and then deal with a keeper but in a midfield area, players like Deco, Scholes, Modric, etc. would have given him the slip and got themselves enough time to play the pass they want.

Galvasean

Didn't see the game last night. Did Fabianski have a good game or did he have anything to do?

I see the nominees for Arsenal goal of the month are up;
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/october-goal-of-the-month
Strangely no Ramsey v Fenerbache.

Frisbee

Galvasean wrote: »

Didn't see the game last night. Did Fabianski have a good game or did he have anything to do?

He really had very little to do.
He made one very questionable decision where a through ball was played through and he could have reached it a country mile before the striker who was barely past the halfway line. He decided to stay on his line though.
Couldn't understand it...

Galvasean

Frisbee wrote: »

He really had very little to do.
He made one very questionable decision where a through ball was played through and he could have reached it a country mile before the striker who was barely past the halfway line. He decided to stay on his line though.
Couldn't understand it...

Same old so. From what I've seen of him his agility and reflexes are great but his decision making and command of the area are poor. Hopefully its just jitters and these two latter traits will improve with experience.

DenMan

Well I for one thought Fabianski played very well last night. Didn't have an awful lot to do but made some very good stops and commanded his defense very well. He is very vocal and after spending time with Dudek, Zaluska and Boruc has definitely improved imo.

On another note I am very pleased that Manuel has recovered from that nasty sickness he picked up all of a sudden. Let's hope it's not contagious and he (and others) are in contention for the big one on Sat.

Green Hornet

Manuel will be back in goal on Saturday apparently. Must have genuinely been sick after all.

Not convinced about Fabianski but then again I guess he gets very little match action and goalkeepers need that to build the confidence.

DenMan

Just read on the BBC website that there is only 10,000 fans at the San Siro tonight for the AC Milan/Braga UEFA cup tie. Shocking stuff. Both Senderos and Flamini started from ko.

Galvasean

Green Hornet wrote: »

Manuel will be back in goal on Saturday apparently. Must have genuinely been sick after all.

Doubt it. Managers make up sicknote stories all the time when dropping key players to avoid media frenzy.

Green Hornet

Galvasean wrote: »

Doubt it. Managers make up sicknote stories all the time when dropping key players to avoid media frenzy.

Thats what I thought too when I heard it originally. Its pretty much exactly what he did when dropping Lehmann with a "hand injury".

I think I'd rather see Almunia in the team for Saturday though. He's had a couple of bad games but overall his performances have been very solid. Not sure if this game is too big to throw in Fabianski.

Galvasean

Green Hornet wrote: »

I think I'd rather see Almunia in the team for Saturday though. He's had a couple of bad games but overall his performances have been very solid. Not sure if this game is too big to throw in Fabianski.

I agree. If Almunia is anything like Lehmann he will kop onto himself and regain form when reintroduced to the team. Perhaps that is Wenger's plan?

Green Hornet

Maybe! The fear with Almunia though is that he seems to be very much confidence driven. More so than Lehmann. You always knew Lehmann would pretty much pick himself up straight away after a bad performance because he thought he was great. Almunia might be more inclined to take it to heart?

OPENROAD

Just watching Lee Dixon on the Arsenal phone in, what a legend the guy is, was a great great defender for us and talks so much sense, the best football pundit out there, love it when he is on Match of the Day.

OPENROAD

A couple of clips to get us in the mood


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BDPzRpvkMvY



http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QYyvLDkcFzU&feature=related

yahoo_moe

Jesus forgot about the Van Nistelrooy game... that was so incredibly stressful - cheers for the reminder

L'prof

Genuinely worried about tomorrow, nothing but a win will do and I think we will get anything but!

Love to eat my words by the way!

Royale with Cheese

What's the team going to be then? I'm gonna assume the worst, and that everyone who's rated as a doubt, is out.

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Almunia

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Toure

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Djourou

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Silvestre

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Clichy

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Nasri

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Denilson

---

Fabregas

---

Diaby

---

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Bendtner

---

Vela

---

Either that or drop Vela for Ramsey and play Diaby in behind Bendtner and Ramsey on the wing.

If it wasn't such a big game do you think Wilshere might have got a start? Very young I know but it's better than playing centre mids on the wing.

L'prof

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

If it wasn't such a big game do you think Wilshere might have got a start? Very young I know but it's better than playing centre mids on the wing.

If you meant early FA Cup or Carling Cup games, then yes. Otherwise, I'm afraid not...as much as I'd like to see him get some more time in the first team, I think he's quite some time off his first league start...although the way things are going, that can't last too long!

Frisbee

I completely disagree with Wilshere starting for us tomorrow.
He's not that good

OPENROAD

Frisbee wrote: »

I completely disagree with Wilshere starting for us tomorrow.
He's not that good

Really

Royale with Cheese

If it were a home game against average opposition (although there doesn't seem to be such thing as an easy game these days) would Wilshere be a better option than playing other youngsters out of position, who actually aren't that much more experiened.

That's what I'm asking. Not if he should start against United.

OPENROAD

Wenger won't rush him and rightly so I feel he is going to be an exceptional talent, don't expect to see him that much in the premiership this season.

Royale with Cheese

I wouldn't expect to see much of him, but there's currently 1 fit winger in the squad. What happens if Nasri picks up a knock in the warm up tomorrow?

OPENROAD

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

I wouldn't expect to see much of him, but there's currently 1 fit winger in the squad. What happens if Nasri picks up a knock in the warm up tomorrow?

If he is in the squad and the above happened then we might not have an option but to include him.

Beau x1

Please don't put Bendtner on the field today. Otherwise it is guaranteed that we will lose massive chances and as a result lose the game.

Frisbee

Beau x1 wrote: »

Please don't put Bendtner on the field today. Otherwise it is guaranteed that we will lose massive chances and as a result lose the game.

Eh who do you want up front then? We're not exactly spoiled for choice. I reckon this is a game he'll be up for anyway

Quazzie

Just looking at the pre match build up. Does anyone else think it's a disgrace how anti arsenal that wanker Jamie Redknapp is ever since his daddy took over at the spuds. Listening to him calling Adams, Keown, Bould, and Vieira dirty players really boils my blood.

Frisbee

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Just looking at the pre match build up. Does anyone else think it's a disgrace how anti arsenal that wanker Jamie Redknapp is ever since his daddy took over at the spuds. Listening to him calling Adams, Keown, Bould, and Vieira dirty players really boils my blood.

Agreed. What's even worse is the Andy Gray is doing the match commentary.
Think I might mute the telly...

Beau x1

Frisbee wrote: »

Eh who do you want up front then? We're not exactly spoiled for choice. I reckon this is a game he'll be up for anyway

Fair comment and all, but just watch in this game how many mistakes he'll make. The problem is someone like him seems to actually cost us a lot of the time.

Either way, hopefully he will wake up and play better today as you say :rolleyes:

DenMan

Come on guys. Let's get something ot of today. Diaby starts. Imperative that we pick something up. Tevez must be on the bench. We have Vela for the second half.

Beau x1

I'm surprised we won that as I though the most we'd get out of this would be a draw, but our performance was really good today especially considering our injuries.

gosplan

UUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That felt good :D:D:D

(particularly the full-time whistle )

Frisbee

Major boost for us.
We're not saved yet, but that was a step in the right diretion.

Worries would be that Cesc played very poorly except for setting up Nasri, alot of his passes going wayward. and Bendtner had a poor second half.
Tame shot at VDS when he shuld have passed to Nasri, and the second chance he should have given to Fab.

Royale with Cheese

Only saw the last 10 minutes. Couldn't have been more wrong about what I thought would happen, couldn't be happier about that either.

gosplan

Frisbee wrote: »

Major boost for us.
We're not saved yet, but that was a step in the right diretion.

Worries would be that Cesc played very poorly except for setting up Nasri, alot of his passes going wayward. and Bendtner had a poor second half.
Tame shot at VDS when he shuld have passed to Nasri, and the second chance he should have given to Fab.

In fairness to Bendtner, I thought he should have gotten one of those headers in the first half but he popped up in midfield a lot, ran his socks off and looked really wrecked trying to run at the Man U defenders late in the game(though that didn't stop me shouting at him at the time - useless donkey).

And in fairness to Ade, he probably would have played the same but converted one of those chances.

DenMan

Brilliant win today by the guys. In fairnest to Cesc, he was well marked by Anderson who I though was Utd's best player on the pitch. Likewise I was thinking a draw, but am over the moon with the win. Well done Arsenal. Defence looks well organised today and Gallas leading by example. A great day.

OPENROAD

I really had a feeling we would get something out of the match today, when the media etc turn against Arsenal that is when we are at our best Considering the injuries we had and certain players playing today were not 100% it is a massive result.

See Arsenal were wearing a special one off home jersey today.

yahoo_moe

OPENROAD wrote: »

I really had a feeling we would get something out of the match today, when the media etc turn against Arsenal that is when we are at our best

I thought our best chance was trying to snatch something from a tight match, but didn't really trust our defence to keep it tight enough or deal so well with United (though in fairness it was an off-colour Utd attack-wise). Shows what I know

Don't think it necessarily means a strong title challenge for us this season (though it should instil some extra confidence if any was needed) but should get the media off Wenger's back for a while which'll be nice.

And for anyone who was calling for Wenger's head, I assume you're not enjoying this victory of courageous attacking football today and that you still believe he should go? :rolleyes: We all get annoyed sometimes with the lack of an imposing centre-half or whatever, but gotta take the rough with the smooth. And today was definitely smooth...

roryc

congrats on the win lads

SantryRed

Weren't there people calling for Wengers head after last week?

Fickle bunch:rolleyes:

DenMan

Well I can safely say I wasn't. Contrasting to the Arsenal/Man Utd game, apparently the Wigan/Stoke game was a complete bore.

Pepe LeFrits

According to ANR, the mystery striker being signed on a free transfer in January is a 20 year old Brazilian called Lenny. He'll go on loan to Salamanca.

DenMan

Anybody think Amaury Bischoff will start in the Carling Cup next week? Scoring goals in the reserves right now and itching for a start. I hope Wenger selects him.

Pepe LeFrits

It'll be interesting to see what line-up he goes with alright. Bischoff was MOTM for the reserves the other day and with Bendtner required for first team duties, he could well get a start. Playing Vela on his own in attack would be very unlike Wenger though.

Also Havard Nordtveit is back from Salamanca and could feature.

Green Hornet

Almunia looks like he's back towards his early season form. Nervous at first and picked up the ball from the pass back but increased in confidence as the game went on. Fabianski did okay when he came on too.

yahoo_moe

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

It'll be interesting to see what line-up he goes with alright. Bischoff was MOTM for the reserves the other day and with Bendtner required for first team duties, he could well get a start. Playing Vela on his own in attack would be very unlike Wenger though.

Also Havard Nordtveit is back from Salamanca and could feature.

I'm heading over for this match and it'd be nice to see Nordtveit alright - only familiar with him through reading reports plus it'd free up Song to play in midfield when sometimes he's had to play at the back in Carling Cup. I'd normally expect Bendtner and Vela up front but you never know, particularly with Bendtner having played last midweek too and looking knackered by the end today. How would a 4-5-1 with just Vela up front work - maybe like this?

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Song---Ramsey
Wilshere

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Lansbury

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Bischoff

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Vela

L'prof

jasonorr wrote: »

Genuinely worried about tomorrow, nothing but a win will do and I think we will get anything but!

Love to eat my words by the way!

:pac:Genuinely :pac:worried :pac:about tomorrow, :pac:nothing but :pac:a win :pac:will do :pac:and I :pac:think we :pac:will get :pac:anything but!

:pac:Love to :pac:eat my :pac:words by :pac:the way!

Yum, yum, yum...get in my belly

Wreck

Sweet win, delighted, but it could very easily have gone the other way. Bendtner was a huge disappointment for me today, ok he worked hard, but his passing and finishing was just not up to scratch. Nasri was obviously super, totally owned Neville and took his second goal very well. Off out to continue celebrating and winding up my utd mates