Soton Vs Arsenal (will contain scores)

smuckers

HT 0-0 Gooners looking v leggy Soton have had better of it, Camara should have scored. Prutton sent off, looked v bad for Pires.

Pacifico

1-0 Arsenal

smuckers

muggins thought it was HT Ljunberg has just scored.

MrJoeSoap

Well it certainly should have been half time 48:30 on the clock after a supposed 3 minutes of stoppages (which was highly questionable in itself)!

Prutton was ridiculous, reckon he has just cost us a place in the premiership.

Words cannot describe the mood I'm in right now.

smuckers

Le Saux and Bernard have given Saints a good balance, very similar to Babayaro Le Saux at Chelsea, but if Bernard could stop giving the ball away cheaply.

MrJoeSoap

Yeah Bernard has been very poor today, Prutton, Redknapp and Quashie were all excellent until Prutton had to go and fcuk it all up on us. Why on earth did he react like that with the linesman?? It was clearly a yellow card, as was the first one.

The earlier decision re: Cygan and Camara where the linesman gave it but the referee didn't is just typical of our season. What is the point in him being there if he is just going to be ignored???

Bigger clubs, big decisions, we're going down.

Guy:Incognito

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Prutton was ridiculous, reckon he has just cost us a place in the premiership. .

If southampton are relying on taking points off arsenal to stay up I think the problems are much more deep rooted. Theres no way harry redknapp was going into this game counting it as anything but a great bonus if they got a point.

Not meaning to dump on your team, sorry. Just have never had to deal with relegation up this end

Guy:Incognito

MrJoeSoap wrote:

The earlier decision re: Cygan and Camara where the linesman gave it but the referee didn't is just typical of our season. What is the point in him being there if he is just going to be ignored??? .

there was a piece in four four two I think with David ellery, he reckons the linesman is only there for things the ref doesnt see, ie if the ref has his own mind made up the linesman just butts out, obviously not in extreme circumstances tho.

MrJoeSoap

Van Persie off, deserved.

MrJoeSoap

Stekelly wrote:

there was a piece in four four two I think with David ellery, he reckons the linesman is only there for things the ref doesnt see, ie if the ref has his own mind made up the linesman just butts out, obviously not in extreme circumstances tho.

But now we will be missing Prutton (our best player) for at least 3 games, and we cant afford that. Before he was sent off there was real hope of us getting points of arsenal, now its slim to none.

Guy:Incognito

van persie just got sent off.

MrJoeSoap

RTE Radio one has just repeatedly said its 1-1, even though I'm watching it on sky ands its 1-0. CONFUSED!

Guy:Incognito

jesus rte, its really not that hard to watch the match and say what score it is.

MrJoeSoap

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guy:Incognito

I take it thats 1-1? i just switched off gillette soccer saturday.

Davey Devil

That man Peter Crouch, I'm rueing the day Villa off-loaded the big man.

smuckers

Jens in no mans land and Crouch should have had a second.

smuckers

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Yeah Bernard has been very poor today, Prutton, Redknapp and Quashie were all excellent until Prutton had to go and fcuk it all up on us. Why on earth did he react like that with the linesman?? It was clearly a yellow card, as was the first one.

The earlier decision re: Cygan and Camara where the linesman gave it but the referee didn't is just typical of our season. What is the point in him being there if he is just going to be ignored???

Bigger clubs, big decisions, we're going down.

Yea Quashie has been more than a match forViera today, I've rated him since his days at QPR.

smuckers

Coles scores but offside.

A Dub in Glasgo

Result 1 - 1

MrJoeSoap

phew that was some finish...

Paul Smith - MOTM.

Theres hope for us yet. Conceding two goals (both 30 seconds over the injury time) would have been very harsh, we played really well.

Our recent form has been excellent, and I thought we showed great character today, something we've only seen since Harry took over. Thats only 2 defeats in our last 10 games, but we have to start turning draws into wins.

Arsenal seemed jaded, Henry played excellently but his finishing let him down somewhat.

Both sendings off were completely justified, Prutton could probably have got a straight red for either foul he was booked for. Wenger was fuming with van Persie, understandably, he probably cost you two points there.

A good day 'pour moi' anyway, any Arsenal fans around?

sleepwalker

ah god what a devastating weeks its been as an arsenal fan

first off i have defended lehmann constantly for the last year and a half but that is one mistake too many. the same thing with cygan but that has to stop. this summer we must sign a proven goalkeeper and centre half.


now with pires out for the next 3 games and van persie for the domestic ties god only knows what gonna happen on tuesday against sheffield united a game that i had already chalked up as a certain win.


paul smith gets the MOTM award without a doubt. southampton really didnt deserve anything from that game, i thought they played well up until the sending off and then for the rest of the game relied on their own goalkeeper and jens lehmann to get something from it.(excuse my bitterness)

thats arsenal defintley out of the race for the title nowand i have a bad feeling that we might not catch united either for second place unless pompey manage to do something outrageous tonight. still though we will live to fight another day and if theres any positives to take out of the game its that flamini looked very good in the holding role and clichy was impressive yet again. but really i feel sorry for the midfield and attack who have consistently been let down this season by their defence and yet again we will be left wondering this summer whether paddy vieria is gonna go to real madrid or not.

MrJoeSoap

sleepwalker wrote:

southampton really didnt deserve anything from that game, i thought they played well up until the sending off and then for the rest of the game relied on their own goalkeeper and jens lehmann to get something from it.

True, but with the amount of times we have deserved to get points out of games and havent this season, I'm delighted to get points off Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and hopefully with Chelski and United to come.

Lehmann has never really looked convincing from any sort of set piece and without Sol Campbell they have nobody to command the penalty area from those situations. Barring they get a result against Bayern, I would assume the FA cup is all the Gunners have to concentrate on now.

sleepwalker

your pretty much right and looking at it now we're having a season that is fairly identical to what man utd. had last season

anyway congrats on the point i do hope southampton stay up and i shall be cheering your team on against chelsea and united in the coming weeks

jesus_thats_gre

Arsenal fans are committing mass suicide at the moment..

Arsenal seem to have totally lost there way and I think 3rd might be their only option..

MrJoeSoap

Yeah, it always seems funny to me that people can get so downhearted about being third in the premiership, in the last 16 of the champions league and still in the FA cup.

Then again I'm depressed because my side is in the relegation zone, but then I consider the Sheff Wed and Nottm Forest fans on here whose fall from "grace" has been going on much longer.

I guess the moral is theres always someone worse off than you.

case n basket

It depends on how high you set your expectations really... I won't be surprised if Arsenal lose at Bramall lane in the FA cup now. Bergkamp, Reyes and Van Persie will all be suspended, Pires may be out, along with Campbell, Edu and Gilberto. Aliadiere will most likely start that game, things are stretched so thin now that Owusu-Abeyie or Lupoli might get a sniff too.

Fingers crossed Wenger does a summer clear out and brings in some players who want it. (Lehmann, Almunia, Cygan, Lauren, Vieira out, Given, Kuffour, Van Bommel/Essien, another defender and a winger, in!)

Chong

It is great to see the demise of this great team continues, lol. Paul Smith played out of his skin today some great saves I hope Harry keeps them up. As for Prutton he should have taken his punishment and just left the field of play, it was such a horrific he should of realised that.

PHB

bye bye arsenal

Gangsta

PHB wrote:

bye bye arsenal

if u have nothing positive to contribute to the thread then don't post.

Chong

Gangsta wrote:

if u have nothing positive to contribute to the thread then don't post.

Whing Whing Arsenal are simply done and dusted. They have taken massive fall from grace this season, and it shows. The friendship amongst the players seems to be gone, no longer are they playin with smiles on their faces. Some thing also shocked me yesterday was Van Persie was sent off, Wenger castigated him when he came off, something I have never seen before from the French man. I and every Manchester United fan can bask in the fact that Wayne Rooney ruined their season and their record. Nothing this season is none more the sweeter than that.

The Muppet

Willem D wrote:

Whing Whing Arsenal are simply done and dusted. They have taken massive fall from grace this season, and it shows. The friendship amongst the players seems to be gone, no longer are they playin with smiles on their faces. Some thing also shocked me yesterday was Van Persie was sent off, Wenger castigated him when he came off, something I have never seen before from the French man. I and every Manchester United fan can bask in the fact that Wayne Rooney ruined their season and their record. Nothing this season is none more the sweeter than that.

Speak for yourself , I'm a Man U fan and winning the league would be sweeter than beating Arsenal .

TBH thats the sort of crap that causes most of the hassle here and theres no need for it. Arsenal are having their blip now, we had it at the start of the season. Hopfully chelsea will have theirs in the run in if not well then they deserve their title.. Either way there's no need for the gloating IMO .

Gangsta

Willem D wrote:

Whing Whing Arsenal are simply done and dusted. They have taken massive fall from grace this season, and it shows. The friendship amongst the players seems to be gone, no longer are they playin with smiles on their faces. Some thing also shocked me yesterday was Van Persie was sent off, Wenger castigated him when he came off, something I have never seen before from the French man. I and every Manchester United fan can bask in the fact that Wayne Rooney ruined their season and their record. Nothing this season is none more the sweeter than that.

yes the muppet is right this is the sort of crap that we don't want on this forum. Utd have got nothing to do with this game. go take ur s h i t sumwhere else.

jank

Willem D wrote:

Whing Whing Arsenal are simply done and dusted. They have taken massive fall from grace this season, and it shows. The friendship amongst the players seems to be gone, no longer are they playin with smiles on their faces. Some thing also shocked me yesterday was Van Persie was sent off, Wenger castigated him when he came off, something I have never seen before from the French man. I and every Manchester United fan can bask in the fact that Wayne Rooney ruined their season and their record. Nothing this season is none more the sweeter than that.

Arsenal will have to rebuild for next season and the FA cup is the only thing they can win.
4 new top class players are needed and wenger hasnt learnt at all from the collapse of the 2003/2003 season that we need better defenders. I have been thinking of the reasons why Arsenal are so poor this season and it has nothing to do with the Rooney dive. But if it makes Utd fans feel better then so be it.

And its the type of goading and gleeing by other fans that start most of the **** on here and im surprised by PHB.

MrJoeSoap

Yeah lets keep it civilised here lads, this thread was about the Saints-Arsenal game, nothing to do with United.

Chucky the tree

big win for cyrstal palace on saturday aswell, 4 point gap now.

prutton a twat. he should be given a 6 match ban for the way he acted. Surely he knew he caught pires? How the **** was he supirsed in getting a 2nd yellow? say goes for van persie, he seems very petulant and spoilt i feel.

nice to see the two managers not standing up for there players aswell.

talla

Willem D wrote:

Whing Whing Arsenal are simply done and dusted. They have taken massive fall from grace this season, and it shows. The friendship amongst the players seems to be gone, no longer are they playin with smiles on their faces. Some thing also shocked me yesterday was Van Persie was sent off, Wenger castigated him when he came off, something I have never seen before from the French man. I and every Manchester United fan can bask in the fact that Wayne Rooney ruined their season and their record. Nothing this season is none more the sweeter than that.

Don't post anymore crap like that in here again.

eirebhoy

Willem D wrote:

Wenger castigated him when he came off, something I have never seen before from the French man.

In fairness, he said 4 or 5 words to him and hardly moved a muscle in his face, I wouldn't say he castigated him. If he had've been subbed off we wouldn't know if he was critisising or praising him.

yop

Wheels have badly fallen off, to many "fair weather" boyz on the team not willing to put in the hard grind and get on with it, some terrible tackles and stupid carry on, Van Pirse is a flute, someone said in one of the papers yesterday that all he can be remembered for in is his first season is his petulance, he is no replacement for Bergkamp.
Prutton is some donkey, throw the book at him for that carry on.

I know we should not gloat but to see the smile so brutally whipped of the likes of va va voom, pires et al is funny

MrJoeSoap

For gods sake man, what was the point of that post????

sleepwalker

united fans are coming in and going wild with flaming what is all this silliness about ?

what makes it even more pathethic though is the fact that instead of concentrating on winning the league you seem more obsessed by simplying coming above arsenal. we're only 4 points behind you yet the way your talking you would swear you were 14 points ahead.

anyway someone close this thread before it erupts into a slagging contest

SteM

sleepwalker wrote:

united fans are coming in and going wild with flaming what is all this silliness about ?

what makes it even more pathethic though is the fact that instead of concentrating on winning the league you seem more obsessed by simplying coming above arsenal. we're only 4 points behind you yet the way your talking you would swear you were 14 points ahead.

Yeah you're dead right, it's stupid and I don't know what some lads are at.

Coming above Arsenal is important to me because it means that we have automatic qualification to the Champions League next season, couldn't care less about them otherwise. I'd almost prefer if they kept up good form so they can give Chelsea a decent game (think it's at Stamford Bridge?) in a few weeks, that could help United close the gap on Chelsea bit.

All in all I thought the Saints deserved something from this game. Once Van Persie was sent off I thought they'd get a goal, didn't know if that'd be enough though. What was Van Persie at? This does leave them seriously depleted as they're already without Bergkamp, Reyes and now Pieres too. 'Suppose the tabloids will be dredging up the good old 'Arsenal disciplinary problem' stories again this week :rolleyes:

Edit, I just came across this quote from the Guardian:

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: "I told van Persie at half-time after he had been booked that the referee would be under pressure having sent off a home player to square up matters and that he was an obvious target."

Does Wenger not understand that by saying stuff like this his players will continue to act petulantly!? Van Persie got himself sent off, it was nothing to do with the ref looking to even things up from what I could see.

Chong

Apologies lads sorry the crap.

yop

No mention of United in my post.......
All I said was in relation to the Southampton V Arsenal match was it not???

Don't see who is getting carried away with whether or not United are 4 or 400 points ahead of Arsenal?? Whether you finish in 2nd or 10th at the end of the day you want to win the league, with the very ordinary performance that Arsenal have put in against Southampton and the previous matches they will fall further and further behind the 2 ahead of them.

MrJoeSoap

yop wrote:

No mention of United in my post.......
All I said was in relation to the Southampton V Arsenal match was it not???

yop wrote:

I know we should not gloat but to see the smile so brutally whipped of the likes of va va voom, pires et al is funny

It doesnt matter whether you mentioned United or not, everyone knows what you meant.

Back to the match, Prutton has offered a fairly heartfelt apology, doesnt excuse what he did but goes some of the way to a redemption I suppose:

Pruttons Apologie

He should really have apologised to all the fans, it wasnt just the ones who heard what he said who he let down.

yop

"It doesnt matter whether you mentioned United or not, everyone knows what you meant."

Drop the holier than thou act, I am sure if we had a look back at some of your posts you have doing plenty of gloating at Uniteds suspense


Prutton was right to apologise, had to do it. He probably thinks that doing this would ease the situation with the FA, doubt it will but at least he was big enough to come out and apologise!

sleepwalker

i think the point of wengers comment was to show that he blames van perise fully for the sending off as he had already warned him to be careful at half-time

and i couldnt be arsing arguing yop we can have the slagging match when the season ends

SteM

sleepwalker wrote:

i think the point of wengers comment was to show that he blames van perise fully for the sending off as he had already warned him to be careful at half-time

Maybe, but that's not the way it reads to me.

yop

"i think the point of wengers comment was to show that he blames van perise fully for the sending off as he had already warned him to be careful at half-time "

How do you see it Stem?? He gave the lad a warning at half-time, he did not heed it, he got sent off, I am sure Wenger is totally fked off with him now.
Van Pierse has bundles of talent but seems to get too involved in situations where he does not need to.
The elbow on Saturday, he really should have walked, the elbow on Kieran Richardson, he also should have walked, he really was lucky on both occassions.

"and i couldnt be arsing arguing yop we can have the slagging match when the season ends"

Well unless you are a Chelsea fan I am afraid we will not have much to slag over cause neither United or Arsenal are going to have much silverware to fight over, maybe the FA Cup, but that is it

SteM

yop wrote:

"How do you see it Stem?? He gave the lad a warning at half-time, he did not heed it, he got sent off, I am sure Wenger is totally fked off with him now.

It reads to me as much of a criticism of the ref as the player who was stupid enough to get himself sent off. Just my opinion, I'm sure the quote can me taken in a couple of ways.

Iago

Van Piersie had a reputation in Holland as a hothead before he ever came to England, as I see it nothing has changed. He's petulant and will cause more problems for Arsenal than he'll solve.

Overall I think it's been amazing that Arsenal have fallen so far so quickly and I think that the blame lies squarely at the feet of 3 men in particular. I'm a united fan and I'm not having a go, just outlining where I think things have gone wrong, we'll start with

Patrick Viera; Club Captian, talisman, midfield enforcer. One of the greatest midfield talents to play in England, or at least he was up until this season. Keane was right in the tunnel at the Utd v Arsenal game "if you were that good you'd be playing for madrid" that's the heart of the problem for Viera right there, his heart isn't in it anymore. He should have gone to madrid when he had the chance and really tested himself, instead he's simply turning up in london and picking up a cheque without actually playing well. There's a real question around his temperment and attitude and I think he's been found wanting in both, as a result an Arsenal team that should be driven by him is instead leaderless and his negative attitude is rubbing off on the rest of the team. If Tony Adams was playing for Arsenal you wouldn't have seen the capitulation in Munich and they wouldn't have dropped points against Southampton, Adams was a leader and an inspiration, Viera simply isn't.

Thierry Henry; On his day there's no player like him, his creativity matched only by his eye for goal. The problem with him is that his day isn't coming often enough to help Arsenal. There is a huge reliance on him and when he's unable to deliver Arsenal really suffer. He's played with injuries for most of the season out of nessecity but as a result has been pretty ineffectual overall, he still has moments of greatness but not nearly as many as last season. Temperament and attitude in the big games is in question as well, too often he doesn't perform when Arsenal need him the most.

Arsene Wenger; Good manager? Yes, good tactician? yes, responsible for Arsenal's downfall? Yes. There are 2 areas where Wenger has really let Arsenal down;

1. Discipline: By not criticising his players and insisting that every decision that goes against them is a mistake by the officials he has set the attitude in Highbury that we can do no wrong. There is no discipline from the manager and no discipline from the players. Tomorrow night they face Sheff United in the FA Cup, their only real chance of silverware and they are without Henry, Campbell, Pires & Edu through injury. That's bad enough without having to play without Bergkamp, Reyes & Van Persie through suspension as well. Arsenal have had 58 players sent off during Wengers time in charge and he will argue the case on practically every one of them. Had he come down hard from the start he wouldn't have to. It's cost Arsenal before and it will cost them again, at some point he needs to wake up to that fact.

2. Style of Play; Arsenal play by far the most attractive football in the premiership, but they are far too narrow. That's fine at Highbury which is one of the narrowest grounds in England, but not so good when they're trying to break down Man Utd or Bayern Munich and their strikers are going around like Vampires, terrified of crosses. They don't have a single player who can score regularly with his head, or even regularly lay the ball off with his head, that's inexcusable, and something that can be worked on at the training ground, so why haven't they?


In saying that Arsenal have been punching above their financial weight for a long time now and have been successful. I think this season should just be written off and start again from next year. Buy 2 centre halves and a new keeper, pick up an old fashioned blood and thunder centre forward if you can and next year could be far more successful