The Arsenal v Wolves, Sunday 28 May

[Mac76]

0-3 Costa hatter

And will we really be surprised if it is?

[Niall_Quinn]

Can there be a less significant and lethally uninspiring event happening anywhere in the world this week? Or this century?

[HCZ_Reborn]

Uninspiring? It’s Granit Xhaka’s last game for Arsenal….in one of the few decent seasons he’s had it’s apparently made this a cause for mourning amongst Arsenal fans. Not me, at full time I’ll have a big grin on my face safe in the knowledge that, that Albanian half wit wont be trundling around the pitch wearing an Arsenal shirt anymore

Now if we can only get Turner, Zinchenko, Holding, Elneny, Nketiah, Vieira, Tomoyasu, Smith Rowe, Maitland Niles, Cedric, Mari and Lokonga to follow him out the door we will be making some progress. Don’t want or need cripples, simpletons and dead wood poncing off the wage bill.

[Niall_Quinn]

Really? Xhaka's going? Jumped or pushed?

[HCZ_Reborn]

Really? Xhaka's going? Jumped or pushed?

Does it matter?

[Marc Overmars]

Probably win 5-0 or something like that. Usually been the case on final days once the dust has settled on fucking it up.

[Letters]

Probably win 5-0 or something like that. Usually been the case on final days once the dust has settled on fucking it up.

Aye. I can see us winning quite well.
If we do then I think it’ll be our second best PL points tally?
For all our slip ups, it’s been a pretty decent effort.
I do wonder if we can build on it though.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Aye. I can see us winning quite well.
If we do then I think it’ll be our second best PL points tally?
For all our slip ups, it’s been a pretty decent effort.
I do wonder if we can build on it though.

Nope second best was 87 points in 01/02.

If we win we will match our maximum win record for a 38 league season (26 - achieved in 01/02 and 03/04)

The prospect of a) getting over 90 points and b) beating previous win records being dashed by an absolutely haphazard set of results in the last eight games is one of the reasons why I’m still seething.

And why I say Bollocks to the “trust the process” mob who think Arteta is some kind of saviour (not saying anyone here has that delusion before you get all defensive) or to those who think we should be satisfied with this season (yes it exceeded the expectations I had at the beginning but the collapse also vastly exceeded my expectations)

[Letters]

Nope second best was 87 points in 01/02.
So it was. :good:


And why I say Bollocks to the “trust the process” mob who think Arteta is some kind of saviour (not saying anyone here has that delusion before you get all defensive) or to those who think we should be satisfied with this season (yes it exceeded the expectations I had at the beginning but the collapse also vastly exceeded my expectations)
I don't think Arteta is a saviour or a very naughty boy. We've exceeded pre-season expectations, but the end of the season has been disappointing. Both those things can be true. I think we agree that the important thing is to push on from here. Whether Arteta can or not...I'm not sure, but he's earned the right to try, I reckon.

[HCZ_Reborn]

So it was. :good:


I don't think Arteta is a saviour or a very naughty boy. We've exceeded pre-season expectations, but the end of the season has been disappointing. Both those things can be true. I think we agree that the important thing is to push on from here. Whether Arteta can or not...I'm not sure, but he's earned the right to try, I reckon.


I don’t think he’s terrible, I think he’s average and I think there’s clear evidence that he is considered a far better coach than he actually is by our fan base and the media

[HCZ_Reborn]

I take that back, an average manager wouldn’t put out the same side that lost to Forest (playing Kiwior and Partey as full backs) that’s a sign of narcissistic derangement.


This is a prime example why I’m absolutely dreading next season. Well that and why even though I’ve claimed in the past I don’t hate Arteta…I don’t think that’s true anymore…I absolutely hate him.

Not hate him in the sense that I hope he’s the victim of a hit and run. But would kind of like him to just fuck off out of the club

[HCZ_Reborn]

Xhaka after a hat trick in his final game, scored twice already

[McNamara That Ghost...]

XHAKA!!!

From a few minutes ago.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Xhaka again. :lol:

Wow.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Me. :lol:

[HCZ_Reborn]

Me. :lol:

Wrong thread :haha:

[HCZ_Reborn]

Me. :lol:

In fairness you’ve set yourself quite the audacious task today

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Dead rubber of course but could we actually hammer a team for once?

Probably not.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Dead rubber of course but could we actually hammer a team for once?

Probably not.

Have recorded two 5-0 wins under Arteta, one against Forest, one against Norwich. And there was the 6-0 game against West Brom in league cup.

I think there’s only been one other time where we scored five goals in a game under him.

[HCZ_Reborn]

3-0 Saka

[McNamara That Ghost...]

SAKA!!!

[GP]

What a goal!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

JESUS!!

[Letters]

I take that back, an average manager wouldn’t put out the same side that lost to Forest (playing Kiwior and Partey as full backs) that’s a sign of narcissistic derangement.

:)

[GP]

The whole groud sings in unison "Granit Xhaka, we want you to stay"

Hard to disagree.

[HCZ_Reborn]

5-0 Kiwior

[HCZ_Reborn]

The whole groud sings in unison "Granit Xhaka, we want you to stay"

Hard to disagree.

No I find it very easy.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

KIWIOR!!!

[HCZ_Reborn]

:)

So beating a side already on holiday in the final rubber stamp game of the season. Makes playing Partey and Kiwior as full backs a good idea. Wretched fucker will convince himself its worked and will start them in that position next season if we aren’t careful

[McNamara That Ghost...]

5-0 FT.

[Letters]

So beating a side already on holiday in the final rubber stamp game of the season. Makes playing Partey and Kiwior as full backs a good idea. Wretched fucker will convince himself its worked and will start them in that position next season if we aren’t careful

I don’t care.
I don’t care who we play today or about the result.
I’m glad we won on principle but as you say it’s end of season nonsense.
Brentford just beat City. We all know that wouldn’t have happened had City needed a result.
You rail against people who deify Arteta - personally I haven’t seen anyone do that - but you can’t help yourself being all Frank Grimes about everything he does.

[Letters]

I know it’s a bit skewed by end of season nonsense but City only scored 6 more goals than us in the league, despite Haaland. I kinda agree with people who say we need a striker but conceding goals seems to be a bigger issue than scoring them.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don’t care.
I don’t care who we play today or about the result.
I’m glad we won on principle but as you say it’s end of season nonsense.
Brentford just beat City. We all know that wouldn’t have happened had City needed a result.
You rail against people who deify Arteta - personally I haven’t seen anyone do that - but you can’t help yourself being all Frank Grimes about everything he does.

:haha:

The irony of you mentioning Frank Grimes, is that Grimes was absolutely correct about Homer and everyone else either didn’t care or didn’t see it.

Again I’m not talking about on here, but Arteta is absolutely deified online…speaking ill of him on Twitter is considered heresy and “trust the process” is an incantation up there with “may the lord bless you and keep you”

For someone who doesn’t care about my Arteta invectives, you sure as hell engage with them constantly. It’s bizarre, especially when the only difference on this season is you found our collapse disappointing and I found it unacceptable and it brought up for me too many of the facets of his management that deeply trouble me.

In the end today, fortunately it didn’t matter as Wolves were looking for booze bargains in the departure area of the airport. And even I as much as I’m glad he’s going, would not have begrudged Xhaka a hat trick today (half hoped he would)


But I have high standards and expectations, you may think too high…but I’m bloody cross about the drop off and will be for some considerable time. And I’m certainly too indignant to indulge the piss take to a decent player like Tierney in playing Kiwior at left back.

[GP]

I know it’s a bit skewed by end of season nonsense but City only scored 6 more goals than us in the league, despite Haaland. I kinda agree with people who say we need a striker but conceding goals seems to be a bigger issue than scoring them.

88 goals scored. Our best total ever. Conceded way too many, particularly at hime.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I know it’s a bit skewed by end of season nonsense but City only scored 6 more goals than us in the league, despite Haaland. I kinda agree with people who say we need a striker but conceding goals seems to be a bigger issue than scoring them.

We actually kept more clean sheets than City, that’s a real skewed stat for you

The defence was ok until we lost Saliba and then the whole system we had fell by the wayside

This tells me two things, one like so many of us screamed until we turned Purple under Wenger we need a plan B (the whole system of playing a high line was completely unravelled by the Brighton speed merchants) which includes being able to go long and a striker in the Mitrovic mould (without being a complete arsehole)

Second, this was less about having centre back cover than right back cover. White isn’t a right back and I think he’s a perfectly good centre back…and he and Saliba should alternate….then we should sell Tomoyasu and bring in a proper right back.

[HCZ_Reborn]

88 goals scored. Our best total ever. Conceded way too many, particularly at hime.

18 clean sheets in 67 home league games under Arteta. It’s fair to say that it’s never been a speciality under him

The way we play also invites goals, games against Leicester, Palace, Leeds, Chelsea we found ourselves giving away cheap goals in search of adding more to the scoresheet ourselves.

Having Xhaka in that more advanced position, as well as the eschewing of traditional full backs means we cede more territorial advantage as well.

[Niall_Quinn]

Does it matter?

Very much. If it's a club decision then it shows the club is destined for nowhere. If it's a player decision then I'm a bit stumped by that. Why fight so hard to stay in past seasons and now go? Where's he going? Turkey? China?

Regardless, we have ONE (and only one) player with balls for the fight. And that's Xhaka. So it's a huge step backwards if he's genuinely leaving. He was the one indicator that suggested this team could be un-Wengerised.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Very much. If it's a club decision then it shows the club is destined for nowhere. If it's a player decision then I'm a bit stumped by that. Why fight so hard to stay in past seasons and now go? Where's he going? Turkey? China?

Regardless, we have ONE (and only one) player with balls for the fight. And that's Xhaka. So it's a huge step backwards if he's genuinely leaving. He was the one indicator that suggested this team could be un-Wengerised.


That’s a bit of an irony considering he’s the final hangover from the Wenger era. I don’t think it’s anything that
Wenger did to pick out players that lacked testes, but fortitude along with skill comes with a price tag and by the time we could spend again…Wenger was too past it to recognise a decent player

Ultimately I don’t think it matters. I simply don’t trust Arteta’s judgement so sometimes you have to rely on providence. We know it took an injury for Zinchenko to be pried out of the starting line up, and hopefully he gets an unexpected enlistment to the front line in the east in the summer

[Mac76]

No I find it very easy.

Me too, I wasn't singing it