In the mean time…
The site was down this morning so instead of a post about the Arsenal Supporters Trust survey, transfer rumors, or a rant about the TV schedule you get blog regular TEAMPOSSIBLE’s lovely depiction of Xavi dreaming of Cesc. I will write something this afternoon, when I have more time. Until then… feel free to rant about whatever you want in the comments section. Like my hosting service, for example! 68 comments to In the mean time… |
   "Did they cancel the match yet or will Chelsea have to be embarrassed by their half-empty stadium and announced sell-out crowd?" "@seansgonewild 15 years in the top four, one year in 5th place != protest worthy" "@seansgonewild cold, early kickoff, problems with trains, and playing Blackburn. Plus, Arsenal were on a poor run. Some empty seats expected" |
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Looks like masterbation has made him fatter.
Lots of Barcelona DNA on those pink sheets, no doubt.
So this Saturday, we play Liverpool. I predict they line up as follows;
Reina
Agger/Carragher/Skrtel/Johnson
Masherano/Lucas
Kuyt/Gerrard/Cole
Torres
Hmmm.
We will line up likely;
Almunia
Sagna/Vermalen/Djourou/Clichy
Frimpong/Rosicky/Nasri
Wilshere/Chamahk/Arshavin
(assuming Cesc, RVP, Diaby, Song, Denilson all unavailable due to injury or fitness issues)
Ummm, am I off, or is Liverpool’s starting line-up as strong (if not marginally stronger) than ours? And we’re on the road?
August 11th, 2010 at 9:06 am
@Brahmabull, I can’t see Torres or Kuyt starting for them to be honest.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Jovanovic and Aquilani then for Torres and Kuyt.
Same problem.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:11 am
@Brahmabull, Agger as RB? And Johnson on the left? IF this is true, that’s a huge advantage for our wingers. Agger I see more as a CB. Carragher is another bonus for us.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:08 am
My directions may be wrong, but Johnson would be right back. And they have no left back, so Agger is as good as anything else they have.
Sorry… I’m just more than a little upset going into Saturday, because I’m longing for the days when other teams would look at our line-up on paper, Henry, Viera, Petit, Ljundberg, Pires, Bergkamp et al and go “holy shit – how are we going to stop these guys?”
I don’t think Liverpool are saying that today. Rather, they’re saying “holy shit, we can take these guys!”.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:14 am
@Brahmabull,
ya,
i guarantee you now they will come flying out of the blocks full of confidence and throw the kitchen sink at us. midfield will be over-run without song and cesc and if fabianksi is in goal this game could be over after 20 minutes.
we need to battle in the first in half an hour or i don’t think we’ll get anything out of this game
August 11th, 2010 at 11:01 am
@Brahmabull, Argh. We’re going to lose 2 – 1.
August 11th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
@Joe, we will not lose this game. I promise
LOL! But slightly disturbing too.
On another note, I don’t want fabianski in goal!!!!!!!!!! And I think that everyone feels he’s going to be no.1! FUCK!!!
August 11th, 2010 at 9:17 am
@Murt,
i’d like szcesny in goal.
casillas was 21 when he became regular 1st choice.
if he’s good enough he’s old enough. but i think wenger will pick almunia. i would have expected it to be fabianksi but ruined his chance with that horror show in legia
August 11th, 2010 at 9:25 am
@Chief Gooner, I completely agree on chesney, i’d love him to get the nod. He has a lot of confidence in his own ability. He’s like Bendtner on prozac!!!
I’m worried because of fabianski’s last interview. It’s as if he’s been given the nod. Plus he’s played a lot of the games in pre-season.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:13 am
@Chief Gooner, Yeah that’s what I have been saying all along. Almunia and Fabianski – both tried, tested and failed several times over. Either you buy a top class keeper or go with our top talent regardless of age.
love the unicorn dildo in the background.
Almunia
Sagna Kos Verm Clichy
Nasri Frimpster Rosicky
Eboue Chamakh Arsha
This is my line up for sunday’s match.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:17 am
@Yan, Doesnt look so bad, now does it?
August 11th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Are you kidding?
Chamakh is an unknown quantity, regardless of what he did for Bordeaux, or in pre-season.
Arshavin is either a world beater, or not.
I love Eboue, but as a super sub not starting right winger. Have we given up on Walcott? I guess so.
Kos is not starting over Djourou. That would be a serious red flag for me, given we sold Toure supposedly because Djourou was ready to start.
And that midfield had better play wonderful possession football, because Nasri and Rosicky might work hard, but they do not track back and they’re undersized. Frimprong is an unknown quantity (see Chamakh above).
August 11th, 2010 at 11:06 am
@Brahmabull, I disagree on Chamakh, he looks a beast. Finally we have someone who is our equivalent of Drogba/Torres/Rooney.
August 11th, 2010 at 11:11 am
@Joe,
i am very positive about him too. i love how brave he is in the headers, he’s got a great spring and great accuracy when he gets up there. i know he’s never been prolific but he hasn’t reached his peak yet and i think he’ll get lots of goals for us
August 11th, 2010 at 10:15 am
@Yan, I have to agree with Brahmabull on your lineup. Koscienly needs to start on the bench and be eased in because he was dismal against Legia. Frimpong was not that much better and that is an area for concern.
Who ever is the ‘freshest’ will get the RW start. Eboue will have 1 more day of rest compared to Walcott. Walcott still has to come back with no injury. If I’m Wenger then I start Eboue to pressure/soften up Aurelio for the 2nd half.
I’d start Almunia but I would have Sczesny on the bench.
My problem with any lineup right now where are the goals going to come from this season?
August 11th, 2010 at 11:18 am
@ctpa, Easy guys… easy. That isnt my dream line up either. Im trying to put something together with the tools available, and I dont think Im too far from what will be lined up. Remember: “We have belief”. Now, come on, I’ve seen abismal defending at EPL, Kos isnt that far from the final product. He anticipates playing. Thats good in my book. Djorou is a gamble, given the time off he had. There’s no one else at DM, and Eboue gives that spark that we need at the final 3rd. Walcott, Wilshere as subs should make it. I dont rate Masche nor Lucas at all. Call me crazy. Gerrard’s divings should be worrying us.
that picture is hilarious.
i bet torres cut his hair cos xavi kept making moves on him when he had his girly locks
I’m starting to worry that Sagna is our Xavi, as he seems to be fawning over Emir Spahic in the press everyday. And I really don’t like how the dotcom seems to be playing that fact up for some reason.
Nevertheless, that picture would be hilarious blown up into a banner and brought to a Barca match.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:33 am
@ArseChicago,
Hey, If Spahic is as good in his way as Cesc is in his….
the barca boys don’t seem to be quite as excited by ozil. i guess he’s not their type. but i’m sure xavi can put some barca DNA in him
August 11th, 2010 at 9:58 am
@Chief Gooner, Ouch.. Maybe Xavi will try the dropping the soap in the shower trick!!
August 11th, 2010 at 10:01 am
@Chief Gooner, Xavi: Ozil who?
Senderos is out 6mo with a ruptured achilles tendon. Too bad he can’t get his career back on track. I thought that was an injury for old men like Beckham. So far only Hleb and Flamini have escaped the leave Arsenal and sustained a major injury jinx.
The rock of Sunderland is now expendable as Kenwyne Jones moves to Stoke. Now Stoke will have 2 burly striker to fend against in Fuller (sent off in a friendly)and Jones. How the f**k do you get sent off in a friendly. Classless player for a classless manager at a classless club.
New look Brazil, same old result. The USMNT were pretty dismal despite a basically A list squad in supposed mid season form. I’ve watched this Neymar a lot and he’s the real deal. He’s a diver though and would need to get stronger to compete in the EPL. I hope the Brazilian we got in Wellington Silva turns out to be better than Robinho.
To put a bow on the stunning departure of MON, Randy Lerner, the owner didn’t say anything of significance about MON’s departure. If Wenger had spent 179mil over 4 yrs on the players that MON brought in, we’d want him out too. MON: poor man manager, poor talent evaluator, average coach. Claude Davis, one of those young English ‘talents’ that MON brought in is glad to see MON go because he thinks he’ll get more playing time with a new manager. Memo to Claude Davis: you’re shite and MON realized that after the fact.
Diego maybe on his way back to the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg for 16mil. He was so dynamic at Werder Bremen and so flat at Juventus. Good player, bad club IMO. The same could be said about Kaka going to Real Madrid. Ditto Benzema.
Carvalho, Ballack, Scholes, Van Bommel. Winners, leaders, professional ‘assassins’. Arsenal don’t have anyone who ticks all those boxes. We need someone like that.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
@ctpa, Wow, didn’t realize M’ON had spent that much money!!
About winners.. I thought Cesc just won the world cup!! But seriously whom do you suggest we buy? We bought Silvestre hoping we got a winner. We got anything but..
LMFAO
So what is our strongest starting XI this year, assuming no injuries and no more purchases?
I’d like a 4-4-2 with
Chesney (why not, the other two are jokes)
Sagna/Vermaelen/Djourou/Clichy
Nasri/Song/Cesc/Arshavin
RVP/Chamahk
Bench: Almunia, Gibbs, Koscielny, Diaby, Eboue, Ramsey, Vela, Bendtner
August 11th, 2010 at 10:28 am
@Brahmabull,
thats exactly what i want but most on here think 4-4-2 is dead.
not according to arsene who has said its the best formation before.
i dont know about djourou, he looked very rusty at times in pre-season and was turned quite easily.
koscielny looked good against milan but shocking against legia.
it really is a disgrace that we’re so light at the back and have two muppets fighting for no.1.
i dont want arsene to renew his contract next summer, i’m sick of the same bullshit every transfer window and then the injuries excuse in april followed by empty promises in may. he’s too stubborn to sign one or two players we need.
we’re one of the biggest clubs in the world, 3rd richest. its about bloody time we acted like it
August 11th, 2010 at 10:41 am
This may be sacriligious to say, but I want Pat Rice gone. Wenger needs another one or two younger, stronger personalities on the the bench with him (can anyone say Bergkamp?) to start acting as a counterweight and push Wenger.
I don’t want him gone, he’d done too much for our club. But I don’t understand the failure to address weaknesses. We have a youth orientation, we have an academy, we have a lot of talent in the pipeline. But you still need to drop in a player or two from outside the club on occasion to help dig in some footholds while you scale the mountain.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:54 am
@Brahmabull,
I think we’re both in the same mind-frame with the club at the moment.
You’re right in what you say that arsene has done alot for the club. he’ll go down as the greatest arsenal manager no doubt. but his stubbornness now will tarnishing his legacy a little i think.
i suggested in may after the debacle at wigan that we should lose pat rice and bring in david o leary and tony adams as assitant coaches. o leary said before he would take no.2 at arsenal or united. and who wouldn’t want Mr.Arsenal at the club. probably two of our best defenders in the last 30 years. you would presume they could sort out the apparent lack of organistional skills in defence. well adams went off to qatar or somewhere i dont know.
Who wouldn’t love to see dennis back at the club?
August 11th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
@Chief Gooner, i think it was Azerbaijan, actually!
And i’m not sure about St. Dennis, a legend for sure and all that but i’m not sure he’s loud enough for that kind of job. Always comes across as sort of withdrawn (and, if he doesn’t like something, passive-aggressive).
August 11th, 2010 at 11:52 am
@Chief Gooner, Wenger may prefer the 442 but he also builds teams around the personnel that he has and this current team dictates a 433, which I suspect he’ll drill to turn into a 451 as needs dictate.
What I’d like him to do more than anything and more than any personnel changes is to make Arsenal less predictable on and off the field. The most worrying thing for me was Legia Warsaw scoring goals off corners where they crowd the keeper. The defenders should be kicking the piss out of anyone who comes anywhere near the keeper, the keeper should pull a Lehmann and get ape-shit crazy and in general the team needs to stop being so nice and well behaved.
This isn’t a fucking ice-cream social. It’s a football match, act like men for once.
August 11th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I just re-read my comment and to be clear, the 433 and 451 are EASIER to pull off with this crop of players than a 442 because you need wing players in order to play a 442. None of our players are true wingers. Theo wants to be a center forward. Eboue is, well, he’s Eboue. Arshavin? Bendtner? See what I’m saying? And Weger isn’t going to buy wingers because we’d have to buy 4 of them in order to play a 442 properly and have backups.
Also, when he sang the praises of the 442 it was him coming out against the 451 and I believe he called the 451 “anti-football.” Then, when he had Adebayor he promptly switched the team to a 451.
The point is, Wenger is like the Bible; you can find quotes that justify pretty much any old horseshit.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
My thing is I want RVP and Chamakh playing at the same time, and both playing centrally. If Wenger is overloaded with center midfielders, then he needs to switch to a box 4-4-2 formation a la Brazil. We certainly have the fullbacks to play that style – Sagna, Clichy, Eboue, Gibbs are all willing to roam up the flanks.
The trouble is – where is the Song II to play beside him in the twin DM role?
Our roster is a cluster fuck, really. There is no good system that fits us perfectly, and for that reason, we will struggle against teams that are well coached and tactically sound, because our weak points will get exploited without mercy.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
@Brahmabull,
I think chamakh and van persie both need to be on the field so 4-4-2 is logical. we had attacking players like pires, ljungberg and parlour who were naturally central players work the wide positions well in a 4-4-2 so there is no reason in my mind why nasri, walcott, arshavin and vela cant work them.
i just don’t like 4-3-3 and i see 4-5-1 only serving a purpose against dangerous opposition like united and chelsea.
i really want to see van persie play just off chamakh.
the main thing i’d like to see us bring back is the lightening quick counter attacks we had before. our game seems to be much slower these days.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
@Chief Gooner, yeah, i loved it when getting a corner against Arsenal meant you were probably going to concede 15 seconds later. Now it means you’re probably going to score…
But it’s a different playing style for sure, this team is much more dependent on possession and deliberate build-up, where the 8-years-ago team was more dynamic and fast-paced. I guess that’s always going to happen when you build the team around a player like Cesc.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
@Brahmabull, We COULD pull off a 4222 which is what you’re suggesting with Denilson as the deep lying playmaker.
Also, just because you have a 433 doesn’t mean that Chamakh and RvP cannot play together. Robin on the left and Arshavin on the right is possibly the most outright attacking front three in the world. A midfield of Song, Cesc, and Nasri and we will see tons of 6-5 wins for the Arsenal.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Not speaking for RVP, and I’m not implying that he’s not a team guy, but no way would he be happy out on the wing servicing the new guy. He’s said as much, that his goal is a 30 goal/20 assist season. You don’t get that playing on the wing unless your initials are C and R. RVP is a central player, best at playing off a target man. He and Chamakh should make a killer pairing, especially if Chamakh is unselfish and brings RVP into things (something Adebayor never did).
If Wenger plays Chamakh out on the wing like he did Bendtner last year, I will throw something through my TV set. That was ridiculous last year.
PS – Denilson can partner Song, but the box midfield needs both DM’s to sit in front of the CB’s and be less attack minded. Maybe Frimprong and Eastmond can do this also. Diaby – no. Ramsey – no. Denilson would have to adjust his tactics on field.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
@Tim,
i just cant see us playing arshavin on the right when we’ve had him on the left since he got here.
and van persie really doesn’t look the same player out on the left when he has been out there.
we have got alot of similar midfielders alright. and i guess wilshere and ramsey are central midfielders too.
anyway for saturday i’m going with this team presuming we’re minus cesc,rvp,song,denilson,diaby.
———–szcezhny————
sagna/djourou/vermalaen/clichy
———–frimpong————
eboue/rosicky/nasri/arshavin
———–chamakh————-
bench, walcott, jet, koscielny, vela
August 11th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
@Tim, I know you love Denilson but I wouldn’t use him and playmaker in the same sentence. I don’t think we will switch back to a 4-4-2. As you said, RVP will probably spend a little more time on the right. I also expect to see him and Chamakh switch positions pretty frequently depending on our point of attack. As always, Sagna will provide width allowing RVP to move to central positions when needed. It’s risky, it’s Wenger and it’s Arsenal.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Funnily enough, in the 2nd half against Legia Warsaw, we moved to 4-4-2 and scored 5 goals as a result. However, We probably will start the season off with 4-5-1 or 4-1-3-1-1 since it’s away to a strong team, Liverpool.
Lineup should be:
Almunia (hate to say it)
Sagna, Koz, Vermaelen, Clichey
Frimpong
Eboue, Wilshere, Nasri, Arshavin
Chamakh
My real worry here is Frimpong and Almunia. Nothing more has to be said about Mooney and I just don’t see Frimpong ready to start yet against the Cesspool.Would love to see CZ start and Nordveit in for Frimpong.
August 11th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
@Tim, Chief
Arshavin has played in three places since he’s been at Arsenal — left, right, and center.
August 12th, 2010 at 6:06 am
@Tim,
arshavin rarely played on the right,almost always on the left. he played central as a striker because of injuries. after which wenger said the future plan was to put him back where he had been, on the left. and i can remember him saying that.
we’ll see what wenger does. i think wenger will start with a 4-5-1 at anfield, may stick with 4-3-3 at home but i am 100% sure he will test a 4-4-2 in the coming months at emirates when he has both rvp and chamakh at his disposal
2 comments on the England U21: Everytime an England player received a pass, it bounced away 2 yards before they controlled it. You can’t beat Holland or Spain with with poor technique. Lansbury on for Rodwell was a step down in the midfield.
Going into Anfield, I am not worried about how many goals we will score but how many we will concede. I think even without Cesc we will be stronger in attack than last year. Nasri is going to make a difference this year as will Chamakh and Wilshere. Defensively we are quite vulnerable. Gallas, as disruptive as he was, put in some really good shifts last year. The GK situation has not improved and without an experienced defense offering protection, I can see last year’s mistakes repeated as well as new mistakes being made. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous for the season opener. I am still hopeful of at least one more signing before the deadline but I am starting to get restless.
Maybe Roy Keane can recommend a nice dog for him.
Ideal line-up based on what we have available:
Sneezy
Sagna-Djourou-Vermaelen-Clichy
Nasri-Eboue-Rosicky
Walcott-Chamakh-Arshavin
This avoids throwing Frimpong into the deep end. And those of you who have watched Ivory Coast know that Eboue is capable of playing centrally. If Arshavin is injured then Wilshire can start on the left.
Can’t see a win.
Also. Wenger should watch the England – Hungary game for the Hungarian CB Roland Juhasz. One mean son of a gun.
Same old England except for Walcott, Jagielka, Johnson and Hart. Same old Capello.
August 11th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
@ctpa, At least he played a 4-2-3-1 in te first half. 4-4-2 in second. That was a change.
I like Brahmabull’s line up and 442 formation. It’s a pretty good looking team except for GK and Djourou, and cover/competition for Song.
I have good feelings about Chamakh, which I didn’t have last Spring. He doesn’t have the pedigree as a top striker I would have preferred and has never been a prolific scorer, but I admire his strength, bravery, workrate and attitude. He seems hungry, humble, and fierce. Maybe he’ll get better service and enjoy the physical aerial game and have a break out season this year or next. He seems to have a nice understanding with Nasri.
So far this preseason there has been a great deal of positive sounding talk from the players (except for Cesc, whom Goodplaya points out sounds almost as if he doesn’t believe the team is championship caliber but has been convinced by Wenger’s belief to stay on) about being desperate to win something. We’ve heard this before, if not as intensely, without achieving results.
What is missing this summer even more than previous ones is faith that Wenger will remedy our weaknesses defensively. I hope it will still happen but the whole summer has been wasted. Most commenters here seem to agree and I sense that the Arsenal faithful have similar expectations, concerns, and frustrations at this point.
I’d like Wenger to stay but with some new, younger and strong-minded coaches, especially for the defense. I’m not thrilled with Gazidis and his performance so far. The club underperforms commercially and lots of this Arsenalisation strikes me as window-dressing, yet is touted as major efforts done on behalf of supporters.
I’d like to be more excited for the start of the season. I am looking forward to it but I really expected Wenger to find some reinforcements now that money is less of an issue. On occasion a big transfer is really important for the morale of both players and supporters. The cold scientific, management rationalism of the Arsenal brain trust is sometimes wanting–football is about passion, and sometimes those fires need to be stoked.
Hmm.. What do you make of this?
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/837768-mesut-ozil-manchester-united-transfer-confirmed-by-official-website
This should be enough to send a lot of gunners into a tailspin asking for Wenger’s head (as he hasnt yet signed anybody famous).
August 11th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
@Akash, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8906798.stm
This is real.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:16 am
@Akash, Not real:
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={FE60904B-C2A8-4E60-9B05-700DBBC29BBC}§ion=playerProfile&teamid=&bioid=94382
They haven’t signed Khedira. It may be that they have targeted these players, yes. But they haven’t signed him.
Wenger will have to buy a CB before the transfer window closes because it would be suicide going into a season with only 1 experienced CB in the Verminator and 3 inexperienced in the likes of Koz, DJ and Nordveit.
Bartley just went out on loan, so we don’t even have one to call up from the reserves.
Not buying would be insanity, and while Arsene may be stubborn, he is not crazy. at least, I hope so
Gibbs started slowly in the 2nd half against Hungary, but really came to his own in the latter stages and provided the first assist for Gerrard. He combined well with Ashley Young on the left side and looked more dangerous than Ca$hly Cole.
LONDON CALLING: Just watched the final minutes of the Spain v Mexico friendly. 1-1 ( Spain score in extra time, Mexico let them. I could’nt see Cesc in the final line-up. Did he play?
RVP is still in London, Netherlands like France did not play any of thier World Cup players, except the number two keeper. They draw I hear. France lost.
London out
Wilshere only played 10″ because of a stomach complaint that had him in the hospital.
Player updates:
Nasri 79″
Vela 58″
Arshavin 80″
Fabregas 45″
No report on Song
If Fabregas can play for Spain then he can play for us and Wenger can stop coddling him.
That man Hernandes scored for Mexico. Looks like Man U has signed a ‘pistol’.
August 11th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
@ctpa, Walcott only played 45″. Gibbs 45″. Gerrard did yeoman duty.
August 12th, 2010 at 4:06 am
@ctpa, isn’t the reason he’d rather not play Fabregas against Pool that he’s got the trip from Mexico and comes back late, rather than any fitness concerns?
But in any case i agree with you, if a 23 year old in peak physical condition can’t shake off a jetlag in two days, there’s something very very wrong in the world.
Thank goodness football is played with football and not a golf ball or else Joe Cole would be the next Messi.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=813302&cc=5901
This is why psychiatry and psychology are growth professions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2010/08/how_will_the_premier_league_pa.html
Phil McNulty the football’s greatest pundit tips Chelsea to the title. Oh, Is it because they lost 5 players and havent replaced them? Is it because they lost every preseason game except one?
He also says “Arsenal were never more than on the margins of the title race last season, while Wenger’s pretensions on the beautiful game were stripped bare by Barcelona in the Champions League”.. SERIOUSLY!! Sure we were humbled by Barca but did he have to take a cheap dig at Wenger?!?
August 12th, 2010 at 6:27 am
@Akash, And oh yeah, he reckons spurs have one of the strongest squads in the premier league!!