Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2016

farna_boy

Alfred Borden wrote: »

Love Sanchez and when he gets his form back, he will be devastating. Im usually a big Kos fan but he has been as bad as Mert and Gabriel this season. Think he could do with getting a better partner beside him or Gab continues to improve. Cant see a place at the club or Walcott anymore and Id let Giroud go too if Welbeck continues to emerge and we can get a Higuain type over the summer.

Ship Walcott out no question but I don't think we should sell Giroud or Welbeck, even if we do get another striker.

Just had a look at top scorers and Giroud is the seventh top scorer in the league this year and still has almost twice as many goals as any other Arsenal player in the league. Says a lot about us and the league this year.

wonga77

The strange thing is that people are waiting and still expecting Leicester to collapse and Im not sure why. Everytime they have lost they have bounced back, they might have had a little luck here but they have gone about each and every game in the right way and deserve their slice of good fortune.
Alot of people here point to our victory over Leicester a few weeks ago and that it was a pressure game we came through. We had plenty of luck that day too and people are quick to forget that only for a silly red card they would most likely have beaten us that day. Instead of collapsing they went 4 out of 5 and we fell to pieces, today was the first time we picked up 3 points since that Leicester game.

wonga77

It was mentioned today somewhere during the match but its probably been forgotten by now. Iwobi is on £850 a week and Walcott is on £130k a week, some serious revisions needed there.

FixitFelix

wonga77 wrote: »

It was mentioned today somewhere during the match but its probably been forgotten by now. Iwobi is on £850 a week and Walcott is on £130k a week, some serious revisions needed there.

Only revision needed is selling Walcrap

I love Alexis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEK-9u0d_oU

emmetlego

emmetlego wrote: »

Sure are, and they're getting the luck champions do too. Palace hit the woodwork in the last minute today, and I recall them having this sort of luck all through the season too. We have had the opposite luck in games recently too!

It sounds begrudging against Leicester, and that's not my intention, just pointing out that you need luck to be champions too, and they have it. The alternative to them or us winning it is just too hard to digest!

Ah yeah I suppose van nistlerooy missing the peno that time gave us the bit of luck along with the peno we got at Portsmouth

keano_afc

I both hate and love being an Arsenal fan when we play like that. Pity it's too little too late but entertaining all the same.

keano_afc

keano_afc wrote: »

I both hate and love being an Arsenal fan when we play like that. Pity it's too little too late but entertaining all the same.

Its an awful pity that this particular 11 didn't emerge back in January because they are the ideal crew if you are going to go to war. Today, we played as if we were top of the league and i do think there was a good bit of pressure on the lads given the recent negativity. They looked as if they actually enjoyed their football and we bullied Everton around the field in that first half. Body language was spot on and that 11 who started today seemed to really gel and click. I almost forget the disaster that has gone before (being a fickle b@stard ) but im actually enthused that if we can build a squad around those lads then we'll have that future we've yearned for. I didnt expect Wenger to shuffle the deck to be honest but im delighted he did and more than pleased with the results. The spine of the team hasn't looked as good in a long long time.

emergingstar

Elneny though

Never stops moving

Filling gaps all over the place

x PyRo

emergingstar wrote: »

Elneny though

Never stops moving

Filling gaps all over the place

He's everything Ramsey should be. Not sure our current game suits Aaron though.

Will be interesting to see how Elneny progresses. Man's potentially a beast.

emergingstar

emergingstar wrote: »

Elneny though

Never stops moving

Filling gaps all over the place

We've been crying out for that type of player with a long time. He's been a revelation. A big physical, direct player. Diaby aside we havent had one since Vieira in terms of a man who likes to attack. The rising tide that will lift all boats please god.

Looper007

Very good performance but all a little too late. We always go through a run of wins when its pretty much over and it annoys the hell out of me. We look a better team when Giroud and Ramsey aren't in our team. Welbeck and Iwobi were both excellent today as was Elneny. We kept Everton quiet but they were awful today really but don't let that take away from our performance.

It be nice to win the last 8 games of the season, then see what it brings us. As I said it's all a little too late but hopefully it go our way. I think Walcott is finished at Arsenal, I be surprised if he is still here come next season. Anywayonto the next game.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

We've been crying out for that type of player with a long time. He's been a revelation. A big physical, direct player. Diaby aside we havent had one since Vieira in terms of a man who likes to attack. The rising tide that will lift all boats please god.

He's a great player, but definitely not big. Nothing like the build of Viera. Best thing about him as that he's always looking for space and trying to make himself available. It's such a basic of football, but he does it really well.

I remember in his first match, he was almost too all over the place. He's definitely controlled that a bit more.

emergingstar

Coq elneny in the middle and Ramsey on the right in the biggest of games would be interesting

Would be so much energy in there

Coq was back to his best yesterday too I thought

WoollyRedHat

The problem with Arsenal as many managers have sussed is that they give them too much space.

The way to combat that is for the likes of Elneny ala yesterday to continually parry the opposition when we don't have the ball, denying them space, forcing errors, then hitting them on the break. The key to achieving this is to have players that will constantly chase, parry and press and therefore the likes of Walcott become surplus to requirements.

We have also really been missing Wilshere who is able to beat several men with his dribbles and Cazorla who brought tempo and cohesion to the team. I feel if we had had them fit and in form consistently, we would be on top of the premier league. The starting 11, give or take, with Iwobi interchanging with Joel from time to time should finish off the campaign. We should be targeting a top three finish at least now.

Panthro

Apparently Francis coquelin had 12 interceptions yesterday. Most in premier league in 3 years.

#YouveBeenCoqBlocked

tayto lover

Well that's another weekend gone and we didn't manage to close the gap between ourselves and Leicester or Spurs.

Our next game is at home to Watford on 2nd April. - 3 points for us here i'd say.
Spurs away to Liverpool on 2nd April. -- Draw i'd say but 'Pool have a good record against them and might win.
Leicester are home to Southampton on 3rd April -- Draw i'd say.

L'prof

Any word on Ospina and Özil?

FixitFelix

L'prof wrote: »

Any word on Ospina and Özil?

I wouldn't be to worried about Özil as he was only stood on not any sort of strain or pull, Ospina was much the same just an impact injury

greendom

A bit of common sense amongst all the furore.. ?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/03/20/patient-arsenal-embody-arsene-wengers-class-to-infuriate-their-d/

We beat Everton 2-0. Let's never change anything.

emmetlego

Deleted User wrote: »

We beat Everton 2-0. Let's never change anything.

I hope you didn't bite your tongue so firmly stuck in your cheek!

Seriously though, that performance was the best I've seen since before Christmas, maybe the City game. And it followed the good performance away to Barca. It may be that we've turned a corner. Albeit too late sadly!

Good man Djourou. Recovered from his injuries i see

http://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/pic-a-former-arsenal-defender-has-ventured-into-adult-entertainment/70666


Fair play to him for kitting his wife out in the appropriate attire anyhow. Once a gooner always a gooner

greendom

greendom wrote: »

A bit of common sense amongst all the furore.. ?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/03/20/patient-arsenal-embody-arsene-wengers-class-to-infuriate-their-d/

Well your judged by your results as a manager at the end of the day and with the league being the expected objective of the fans this season. Wenger is the manager and he recruited the players so the buck stops with him. I was impressed with yesterday and i hope Wenger continues to stick with most of that team who started.

keano_afc

greendom wrote: »

A bit of common sense amongst all the furore.. ?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/03/20/patient-arsenal-embody-arsene-wengers-class-to-infuriate-their-d/

I wouldnt go so far as to call it common sense. The victory and performance was something we've seen far too rarely this season. With less pressure, the team responded as they usually do.

cson

We do have the softest run in. It isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that we could win every game. We'll likely overtake Spurs anyway so your depending on a Leicester collapse. Which isn't looking like it'll happen.

keano_afc

The quality of the teams we play isn't the issue (United away for example). This team has shown time after time that it cant get the job done when the pressure is on. We could have a run in against the likes of Villa, San Marino and Narnia. We'd still find a way to stuff it up.

greendom

keano_afc wrote: »

The quality of the teams we play isn't the issue (United away for example). This team has shown time after time that it cant get the job done when the pressure is on. We could have a run in against the likes of Villa, San Marino and Narnia. We'd still find a way to stuff it up.

I don't think Wenger has ever gotten the better of the Snow Queen

L'prof

cson wrote: »

We do have the softest run in. It isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that we could win every game. We'll likely overtake Spurs anyway so your depending on a Leicester collapse. Which isn't looking like it'll happen.

The league is gone, I only hope that they can pass Spurs and finish 2nd. Even though Arsenal won all of their remaining games last season, Leicester could easily finish on 80+ points which Arsenal can't catch.

Quazzie

emmetlego wrote: »

I hope you didn't bite your tongue so firmly stuck in your cheek!

Seriously though, that performance was the best I've seen since before Christmas, maybe the City game. And it followed the good performance away to Barca. It may be that we've turned a corner. Albeit too late sadly!

Arsenal always perform when not under pressure. That's not an issue. Only being able to perform when you're not under pressure doesn't win you any leagues or Champion's Leagues though.

greendom

Quazzie wrote: »

Arsenal always perform when not under pressure. That's not an issue. Only being able to perform when you're not under pressure doesn't win you any leagues or Champion's Leagues though.

how do you judge the level of pressure and at what level is too much for the team to bear?

What is the pressure level when you have been knocked out of 2 competitions in a week, where a 3rd defeat would properly knock you out of title contention and put you within reach of clubs looking for a Champions League place.

Low, low to middle, middle to high or high ?

It seems to me that the level of pressure only becomes readily apparent when the result is known

cson

cson wrote: »

We do have the softest run in. It isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that we could win every game. We'll likely overtake Spurs anyway so your depending on a Leicester collapse. Which isn't looking like it'll happen.

That run of 2-4-3 will haunt the club for a long time to come.

greendom

greendom wrote: »

how do you judge the level of pressure and at what level is too much for the team to bear?

What is the pressure level when you have been knocked out of 2 competitions in a week, where a 3rd defeat would properly knock you out of title contention and put you within reach of clubs looking for a Champions League place.

Low, low to middle, middle to high or high ?

It seems to me that the level of pressure only becomes readily apparent when the result is known

See that's making stuff up. We're already out of title contention.

greendom

Deleted User wrote: »

See that's making stuff up. We're already out of title contention.

I think you're picking at hairs in terms of the general argument. Anyway Leicester still have to get 13/14 points to knock us out, so we're still in the race atm

Quazzie

greendom wrote: »

how do you judge the level of pressure and at what level is too much for the team to bear?

What is the pressure level when you have been knocked out of 2 competitions in a week, where a 3rd defeat would properly knock you out of title contention and put you within reach of clubs looking for a Champions League place.

Low, low to middle, middle to high or high ?

It seems to me that the level of pressure only becomes readily apparent when the result is known

When we're in a quarter final and lose then that's buckling under pressure. When we're in the first leg of the last 16 and lose badly, but do well in the return leg when we're already effectively out, that's buckling under pressure. When we can't win a game to save out lives in a league that's been handed to us on a plate, that's buckling under pressure.

I'll leave the different degrees to yourself, but when we play a "must win" game, we rarely come out of it well.

keano_afc

When you beat the team that are top of the table with a last minute goal and then win one of the next seven games, thats buckling under the pressure.

Pudders

Whilst the article does have some merit, it is this line which I would challenge:
"Performances such as this must infuriate Wenger’s detractors."

This does infuriate us.
Because it shows that if he spent earlier on an Elneny type player or even bought Elneny himself earlier in the summer, we would be in a much stronger position;
Because if he spent on a striker as an alternative to Giroud and Walcott, in the mould of Welbeck or otherwise, once Welbeck got injured during the Summer transfer window, we would have been in a much better position;
If the team had been motivated at home against Swansea or Hull or Watford we would have been in a much better position;
How can we not string 1 performance in the league against Chelsea any year let alone this year (are we the only club they have taken 6 points from?);
Because we would have had Suarez if he hadn't messed about with his smart £1 additional bid, a signing that would have been transformational for the team;
Because this performance is a bit of an anomaly this year. Previous years Arsenal played exciting football. This year it has been turgid. I can't think of the team stringing 2/3 great performances in a row except the United Watford Bayern run. It is the worst football I have seen at Arsenal in the last 20 years. I don't think the football has been worse in any other year under Wenger;
Because the excuses of the injuries are coming out to explain this year away.

And later in the article Wenger criticising the fans - going week in week out, the fans have only got on the players backs at the end of the matches or the Swansea game when Wenger made the ridiculous substitution taking Campbell off. I was at Barca away and United away. United away was a truly awful performance yet the fans didn't get on the back of the players. Barca we sang in the lashing rain. The fans are giving it off line but on match days they still support the team.

Wenger is a dinosaur. I'd love to see him bow out winning the league. But it won't happen this year. And if he is to stay he seriously needs to spend the cash but we all know that won't happen. If Wenger had spent money during the summer, he wouldn't have got half the stick but a lot of fans think he is just doing Kroenke's dirty work and not spending the money as a business choice.

Do we care anymore about qualifying for a champions league when there is no real ambition to win? Last 16 is repetitive and boring. Surely whilst he might have realistically thought he had a squad to win the EPL, he must have known he needed to strengthen the squad to try and break the last 16 ceiling but he never spent.

If he changes great, but I doubt it. The worst case scenario is he moves to director of football and continues to wield power on the transfer market (or lack thereof).

greendom

keano_afc wrote: »

When you beat the team that are top of the table with a last minute goal and then win one of the next seven games, thats buckling under the pressure.

You see I think every time we lose could be construed as buckling under pressure. Lose at home to West Ham 1st game of the season. Pressure of new season expectation got to them. If they'd won that game, there would be no mention of pressure.

Likewise Watford at home in the cup quarter-finals. A home win there and who would have mentioned pressure ?

It only seems to be a pressure match after the game is lost.

It's a very easy stick to beat the team with. A very boring stick too.

greendom

Quazzie wrote: »

When we're in a quarter final and lose then that's buckling under pressure. When we're in the first leg of the last 16 and lose badly, but do well in the return leg when we're already effectively out, that's buckling under pressure. When we can't win a game to save out lives in a league that's been handed to us on a plate, that's buckling under pressure.

I'll leave the different degrees to yourself, but when we play a "must win" game, we rarely come out of it well.

I think you're substituting the word 'losing' for 'buckling under pressure', personally.

keano_afc

greendom wrote: »

You see I think every time we lose could be construed as buckling under pressure. Lose at home to West Ham 1st game of the season. Pressure of new season expectation got to them. If they'd won that game, there would be no mention of pressure.

Likewise Watford at home in the cup quarter-finals. A home win there and who would have mentioned pressure ?

It only seems to be a pressure match after the game is lost.

It's a very easy stick to beat the team with. A very boring stick too.

So if it isnt pressure that has let to the spineless rubbish we've seen in the last 2 months, what is it? Are you saying its just coincidence that our seasons pretty much pan out identically from February on?

greendom

keano_afc wrote: »

So if it isnt pressure that has let to the spineless rubbish we've seen in the last 2 months, what is it? Are you saying its just coincidence that our seasons pretty much pan out identically from February on?

I just think that handing out easy labels like spineless, or buckling under pressure is lazy analysis. There's an awful lot that goes into a defeat or a victory. Often decided on very tight margins, some which can be controlled and others which cannot.

runnerholic

This title race is far from over. I'll reserve my judgement on Wengers' performance this season until May 15th.

Arghus

Some people here talking about how we could go on a run and win all the remaining games.

Guys. This is Arsenal we're talking about.

jonneymendoza

"Mesut Ozil is ready to leave Arsenal if Arsene Wenger remains in charge, according to reports in Spain"

lol if true

greendom

Arghus wrote: »

Some people here talking about how we could go on a run and win all the remaining games.

Guys. This is Arsenal we're talking about.

yes a team that regularly goes on winning runs of form.

It may not happen but it's definitely a possibility.

greendom

greendom wrote: »

I just think that handing out easy labels like spineless, or buckling under pressure is lazy analysis. There's an awful lot that goes into a defeat or a victory. Often decided on very tight margins, some which can be controlled and others which cannot.

Well the other option is that we're simply not good enough. In which case it's time to get rid of Wenger for a start.

jonneymendoza

come on dont some of you even watch our games to see how lacklust we look when we play most of the time?

greendom

Deleted User wrote: »

Well the other option is that we're simply not good enough. In which case it's time to get rid of Wenger for a start.

but that's not the case for a team playing without a spine or one that buckles under pressure ?

greendom

greendom wrote: »

but that's not the case for a team playing without a spine or one that buckles under pressure ?

So it's both then?

keano_afc

greendom wrote: »

I just think that handing out easy labels like spineless, or buckling under pressure is lazy analysis. There's an awful lot that goes into a defeat or a victory. Often decided on very tight margins, some which can be controlled and others which cannot.

That doesnt answer my question. Our seasons are Groundhog Day. Now, its a massive leap to say thats coincidence. This team consistently, season upon season, finds ways to throw games away. They are spineless, of that there is no doubt. And if you dont believe thats true, what is the reason for the same failings over and over again? (I think it begins in A and ends in rsene)

EDIT: No idea where that emoticon has come from