Match Reaction vs Sunderland (home).

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Three home games in a row without scoring. :haha:

We miss Welbz.

[Globalgunner]

Give that man a contract extension

[Marc Overmars]

We're back.

And not in a good way.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

7 goals in last 7 games since Girouds well ran dry

Good preparation for the cup final

[Master Splinter]

I enjoyed Mertesacker's performance. Lovely technique and a great range of passing.

Also, Theo and Rosicky dropped from Sunday's squad for their energy and positivity.

[Power n Glory]

Theo looked sharp coming on. Dribbling looks a lot better and he was taking players on for once. Only positive from that game. Shame he's being sold!

What's the odds on one of our key players having a hamstring injury before the final? :lol:

We haven't taken our foot off the gas. We were really going for the win in that game but we've got tired legs out there.

[Gooner23]

Theo and Rosicky off in the summer, not tip tappy enough.

[adzzzbatch]

Great momentum!!!!!

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Well there's the template on how to stop us for next season right there. Expect more managers to learn from this and use this on their trips to the Emirates.

[Power n Glory]

Was Henry wrong about Giroud?

[Ernesto]

Really poor performance.

I'm actually really angry with the players. There wasn't an ounce of professionalism in their performance and no respect given to the opposition.

I reckon that if the title was riding on this game and Sunderland had nothing to play for, the result would have been exactly the same.

[Marc Overmars]

A 7 goal swing needed for the 4th place trophy.

It's on!

[adzzzbatch]

A 7 goal swing needed for the 4th place trophy.

It's on!

I don't think Wenger wants his grasp of it to slip.

0-3 at home united win 4-0?

ITS ON!!

[Penguin]

That was the seventh time we have failed to score this season. The seventh. With a squad containing Alexis, Giroud, Cazorla, Ozil, Ramsey and all the rest. Seven. :haha:

Round of applause for Wenger, still achieving the impossible over a decade after the invincibles :clap:

http://www.fybertech.com/4thread/x_9477189/1328735938829.jpg

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Get fourth assured, power down for the season. :bow:

We can't escape it.

[Letters]

:lol:

3rd Place Trophy :bow:

[BOBN]

That was the seventh time we have failed to score this season. The seventh. With a squad containing Alexis, Giroud, Cazorla, Ozil, Ramsey and all the rest. Seven. :haha:

Round of applause for Wenger, still achieving the impossible over a decade after the invincibles :clap:

http://www.fybertech.com/4thread/x_9477189/1328735938829.jpg
The players listed are simply not as good at football as they or we think.

I watched City vs Swansea and the difference between us vs Swans was massive. Silva, Yaya, Aguero are simply cuter in tight areas, and techically superior. They scheme with intent, they dont dwell unnecessarily or pass side to side endlessly. Its authentic tika-taka.

And considering it has been said that all Wenger does in training is tippy tappy small sided games, for them not to master it is embarrassing.

I dont really know what Reus is like but he needs a player of the ilk of David Silva and fast.

[Niall_Quinn]

Predictable.

The barest of the bare minimum.

As usual.

The mentality is all wrong.

Will be even worse now we have effectively secured 3rd spot, eventually by the narrowest of margins.

The barest of the bare minimum. The story of a decade.

Only plus is we'll definitely win the cup, most likely with a dire performance and by the skin of the bacteria on our teeth. That will be enough to con enough fans into sitting on their hands while we gear up for another season of this.

Predictable.

Predictable.

Predictable.

Predictable.

Predictable.

Predictable.

Predictable...

[KSE Comedy Club]

I just think that once we were assured a top 4 finish, the whole team switched off. We have gone from a very slim outside chance of being in touching distance of Chelsea to struggling to not finish 4th.

It's pathetic and a complete let down. They should be ashamed of themselves tbh.

Also of note is that we gone back to the shit, possession based, tippy tappy happy horseshit that wins nothing and gets us nowhere.

God help us if we play like that in the cup final!!!

[Munchies]

Wenger just said 'we lacked a bit of sharpness' in the press conf

AW asked if signs of fatigue are a concern ahead of cup final. "It is a little bit". Will he rest players on Sun? "It's possible".

https://twitter.com/gunnerblog

:haha:

[Niall_Quinn]

Final table

1 Chelsea 38 40 87
2 Man City 38 45 79
3 Arsenal 38 31 72
4 Man Utd 38 27 72


Table a month ago

1 Chelsea 32 39 76
2 Arsenal 32 31 66
3 Man Utd 33 28 65
4 Man City 32 31 61


Sadly predictable.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

No Arsenal wins under total Tory rule

[Chippy]

Wenger just said 'we lacked a bit of sharpness' in the press conf

AW asked if signs of fatigue are a concern ahead of cup final. "It is a little bit". Will he rest players on Sun? "It's possible".

https://twitter.com/gunnerblog

:haha:

How ironic if we lost 0-3 to WBA and United won 4-0 at Hull. I shouldn't joke, anything is possible in Wumger! :(

[Kano]

How is this preparing for the cup final? We just finished a great run and now we're putting almost the complete opposite together. Most of the players are assured of their cup final places already and they know it. Just chill out for 5 or 6 games and canter into the final.

[Marc Overmars]

I get the feeling there might not be a parade this year if we win the cup.

[Niall_Quinn]

No Arsenal wins under total Tory rule

Letters :doh:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

How is this preparing for the cup final? We just finished a great run and now we're putting almost the complete opposite together. Most of the players are assured of their cup final places already and they know it. Just chill out for 5 or 6 games and canter into the final.

Let's be fair, makes fuck all difference even if we did put on a good run before the cup....we always play shit at Wembley.

Last year we had a five match winning run, conceeding only one goal and scoring 12....two nil down in ten minutes against Hull.

[Niall_Quinn]

In related news: (Juventus is conveniently underlined)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/05/20/14/28E67EC100000578-3089116-image-m-4_1432127725220.jpg

[Kano]

Well if Emirates airline sponsor the FA Cup as rumoured then we won't even have to bother aiming for our own pre-season cup.

[AFC Leveller]

In related news: (Juventus is conveniently underlined)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/05/20/14/28E67EC100000578-3089116-image-m-4_1432127725220.jpg

Most of the teams on that list actually win stuff.

[Niall_Quinn]

How is this preparing for the cup final? We just finished a great run and now we're putting almost the complete opposite together. Most of the players are assured of their cup final places already and they know it. Just chill out for 5 or 6 games and canter into the final.

We don't do momentum. We do efficiency. Efficiently qualifying for the CL so we can pick up cash until the inevitable exit.

We don't have any excuses this year. We had as good a squad as anyone else, a fraction of the injuries we usually suffer and none of the top clubs were spectacular. If Wenger couldn't put in a challenge this year then forget it, nothing is happening at this club until at least 2017.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Efficiently qualifying for the CL

Sorry what team are you referring to ?

[Munchies]

If we lose to Villa, Wenger Out will be in full force once again

This time though, Ancelotti and Klopp will most likely be free..

[fakeyank]

No worries people.. our season will be defined by the FA cup final on 30th. If we fluke a win, all will be rosy and Wenget will be the toast of the town. Give him a contract extension already! :lol:

[Munchies]

@GuillemBalague
Rafa Benitez close to Real Madrid according to Italian press

https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague/status/

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

@GuillemBalague
Rafa Benitez close to Real Madrid according to Italian press

https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague/status/

Lucky for Madrid fans that Balague is usually full of shit

[Niall_Quinn]

@GuillemBalague
Rafa Benitez close to Real Madrid according to Italian press

https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague/status/

Yes, he's on holiday.

[Niall_Quinn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXIqx4rKNxc

[Munchies]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=okc_okem3Jg

Claude for manager :coffee:

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Surprise there wasn't a "Wenger Out" from him but apart from that not too much to disagree with it.

Disappointing end to the season and difficult to claim too much progress given our points tally.

Just don't fuck up the FA Cup final please.

[Globalgunner]

Surprise there wasn't a "Wenger Out" from him but apart from that not too much to disagree with it.

Disappointing end to the season and difficult to claim too much progress given our points tally.

Just don't fuck up the FA Cup final please.

Given what weve just seen. Isnt it predictable what Villas tactics will and should be. Only problem is that Benteke is more lethal in the occasional chance than the Sunderland strike force. Alternatively, they can just weather it out and take their chances at penalties. The Letters cup may not be easy to win for Wenger.

[Letters]

The Letters cup

Loooooool!

:rolleyes:

[Bumble]

it could have been worse... we could have lost. Sunderland had a couple of great chances. probably better than the ones we had. although doesn't really matter. still think we will turn it on in the cup final and squeeze past 2-1.

[adzzzbatch]

http://arseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/shots.jpg

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Historically we have a habbit of drawing games against the same sides at the Emirates

Sunderland, Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea, Man City - 4 times
Man United, Fulham - 3 times
Middlesborough, Aston Villa, Tottenham - 2 times
Newcastle, Portsmouth, Birmingham, West Ham, Blackburn, Wolves, Norwich, Swansea, Hull

Add to that the sides that have beaten us more than once and not just the big sides

Man Utd, Chelsea, Aston Villa - 3 times
Swansea - 2 times
West Ham, Hull, West Brom, Newcastle, Spurs, Liverpool, Wigan and Man City


I felt it important to mention this because when you look at the table Chelsea are 12 points ahead of us, but gained only four points more than we did away from home. It is too many dropped points at home that is the catalyst for failure to challenge, taking this season and the previous ten, teams have got a minimum of 14 home wins and usually as many as 17-18 home wins.
We have managed to get 14 or above only three times in the last ten seasons, we have never won more than 15 home league games under Wenger.

Assuming we win on Sunday (big assumption at the moment) then that would be 12 wins, 5 draws and 2 defeats from 19 games

Which coincidentally would also be our league average over the nine seasons we have been at the Emirates.


It suggests that in the main even if you don't factor in our away performances that we drop points against the same sides be that top of the table or mid table, because we lack any kind of adaptability. The playing personnel might have changed but one thing remains the same and that is Wenger.

[Niall_Quinn]

Plenty of complaints from fans about the Emirates too. No atmosphere, no carry-over from Highbury. Was listening to Alan Davies lamenting how pointless it is trying to get an atmosphere going in the section he has been assigned. A "corporate theatre" is how he describes it. Fans were complaining about the prawn sandwich element after the Swansea game, saying they were missing 10 mins of each half in favour of sorting out their pizzas. Davies' suggestion is to open up a cheap tickets section and get some of the excluded fans back, make a new North Bank. I hear the club has also taken some sort of initiative to try and improve the atmosphere, don't know the details but I wonder how useful it can be when half the die-hard fans are locked out due to exorbitant pricing?

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think people have very short term memories, you can't create an Atmosphere artificially it has to already exist. Highbury wasn't just called the Library because it happened to rhyme.
I think we need to accept that we aren't the best bunch of fans in terms of noise (ill be honest half the time I'm not in the mood to sing and chant)

[Munchies]

Benitez to Real Madrid is really happening

https://twitter.com/BenSmithBBC/status/601457408704020481

[Niall_Quinn]

Benitez to Real Madrid is really happening

https://twitter.com/BenSmithBBC/status/601457408704020481

Do they not realise how fat he is?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Munchies failed to get directions to the La Liga thread.

[adzzzbatch]

I think people have very short term memories, you can't create an Atmosphere artificially it has to already exist. Highbury wasn't just called the Library because it happened to rhyme.
I think we need to accept that we aren't the best bunch of fans in terms of noise (ill be honest half the time I'm not in the mood to sing and chant)

I'm one of the first to mention how bad the atmosphere at the Emirates can be, but it's not always the case, there are times when the place is really rocking, us v barca or us v sp*rs as examples. But I do agree with most of your point.

I will add I do think our away support is the best in the league.

[Letters]

The atmosphere can be very good but it can be very bad, but it's not just at The Emirates, lots of clubs have this problem because they've priced out the more traditional support, Arsenal have relentlessly marketed themselves at the middle classes (who tend to be a bit less raucous) so that's what they've got :shrug:

[The Emirates Gallactico]

If the council weren't such complete dicks with us and contributed some money towards it and the transport improvements that would be needed, maybe we could expand the stadium to 80 or 90 k we could then have a section of cheap tickets for local kids ....... that'd probably be the best way to improve the atmosphere.

Unfortunately the relationship between Islington council and the club has been sour for a while now.

[Letters]

I never understood the transport thing.
Our stadium is within walking distance to Finsburty Park, Arsenal, Holloway Road, Caladonian Road, Highbury & Islington and Drayton Park.
That's 2 Tube lines, London Overground (which might not have been built when the stadium was) and an Overground line.

Our transport links are much better than Wembley which can be a pig to get away from.

[Penguin]

The players listed are simply not as good at football as they or we think.

I watched City vs Swansea and the difference between us vs Swans was massive. Silva, Yaya, Aguero are simply cuter in tight areas, and techically superior. They scheme with intent, they dont dwell unnecessarily or pass side to side endlessly. Its authentic tika-taka.

And considering it has been said that all Wenger does in training is tippy tappy small sided games, for them not to master it is embarrassing.

I dont really know what Reus is like but he needs a player of the ilk of David Silva and fast.

They're good enough to get on the score sheet against any team, or at least should be if our manager didn't turn them into a slow,boring and predictable unit. He drills possession into their heads so much that it's the only thing they understand.

Give Wenger six months with Aguero, Silva and Yaya and he'll turn them into toothless, sideways passing idiots too.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

I never understood the transport thing.
Our stadium is within walking distance to Finsburty Park, Arsenal, Holloway Road, Caladonian Road, Highbury & Islington and Drayton Park.
That's 2 Tube lines, London Overground (which might not have been built when the stadium was) and an Overground line.

Our transport links are much better than Wembley which can be a pig to get away from.

I dunno, whenever I've been (which hasn't be for a good few years now) it's always a bitch to get out of with both the nearby "Arsenal" and "Finsbury Park" station completely jammed. There's probably some kind of health and safety rule thing at any rate about the maximum capacity of tube stations near public arenas/stadiums.

I was reading up on this the other day on a few blogs/articles and they reckon the cost of the transport upgrades would be around the 100 million mark, with TFL unlikely contribute any of the money themselves hence the entire cost would have to be borne by us. That also doesn't factor in the cost of the stadium expansion which probably would be a similar figure so in total you're looking at around half what we paid for the Emirates in the first place. So given the sacrifices we've had to make the past decade to finance the Emirates, it's something I doubt the club would be prepared to do again, especially when you're not going to make much of an immediate return on the extra capacity by flogging the tickets cheap. Mind you, given the astronomical figures we're getting for TV and starting to get for commerical deals these days, 200 million isn't as overwhelming as it was back in the early 00's.

It's really quite annoying as both the Scum and West Ham are benefiting a lot from help their local authorities/councils for their new stadiums/expansions, either through public funds, help with getting planning permission or in the case of West Ham a free stadium delivered to them. They realise the economic benefits to the local area of having a successful major football club, from the money brought into local businesses to the community spirit it develops. Yet Islington council treat us with almost contempt. They also refused our request to increase the number of concerts we could hold a year (an easy way to increase revenue) and we had to take them to court over it (sadly we lost). Meh ... they're probably all Tories who prefer Fox Hunting to football.

Letters. :doh:

tl;dr - We'll have to cope with the shit atmosphere. :coffee:

[Dein-machine]

In related news: (Juventus is conveniently underlined)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/05/20/14/28E67EC100000578-3089116-image-m-4_1432127725220.jpg

Who's the team bottom of the league - it says English football team but it must be wrong - far too embarrassing if it is, wouldn't like to be known as an English football team who's wages are lower than the Memphis Grizzlies!!

[Letters]

We can't expand the stadium now, but I never saw an issue with us building a bigger one in the first place.
Dad and me used to walk to Caledonian Road, it's about a 15 minute walk but by the time you get there there's no crowd and as we go north we were getting on the train before most of the crowd, we often got a seat.

Us :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

I use Highbury & Islington, it's always the most rammed because it's closest to Euston and Kings Cross. When you've got up to 60,000 people using public transport at the same time I'm not sure really what solutions there are to ease congestion. I actually think stadiums in London are far more accessible with ease than others around the country.

[Kano]

They're good enough to get on the score sheet against any team, or at least should be if our manager didn't turn them into a slow,boring and predictable unit. He drills possession into their heads so much that it's the only thing they understand.

Give Wenger six months with Aguero, Silva and Yaya and he'll turn them into toothless, sideways passing idiots too.

this is also the side-effect of buying players from smaller clubs, which we mostly do. they are still on learning curves and demand less from fellow squad members and the manager. clubs that buy in the big players have more freedom to control the game as they wish, push the coach to listen to their perspective in times of trouble. barca this year being a good example.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I use Highbury & Islington, it's always the most rammed because it's closest to Euston and Kings Cross. When you've got up to 60,000 people using public transport at the same time I'm not sure really what solutions there are to ease congestion. I actually think stadiums in London are far more accessible with ease than others around the country.

I use Highbury and Islington as I come in from Stratford on the London overground, getting to the stadium is always quite good where as Finsbury Park and Arsenal it's human gridlock. Going back is fine as well, more crowded but I used to go into the Bailey for a few pints with an ex work colleague after the game so the crowd outside the station has mostly dispersed.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

this is also the side-effect of buying players from smaller clubs, which we mostly do. they are still on learning curves and demand less from fellow squad members and the manager. clubs that buy in the big players have more freedom to control the game as they wish, push the coach to listen to their perspective in times of trouble. barca this year being a good example.

Yeah I agree, from what I can tell Barcas likely treble this season doesn't have a great deal to do with Luis Enrique who whilst probably being better than Tata Martino, isn't a top manager. It's to do with having the best front three in world football, and having someone like Andres Iniesta who can always find one of them with a pass.