Match Reaction v Wigan

[Newguy]

I think this is the worst Arsenal team I've seen, so I don't agree we have the right mix, we're a long way from where we should be and our performances this season have been largely poor.

I dont agree we have the right mix either, I said we have the right ingredients. We've seen this side defend and a attack very well, but the problem is they havent managed to do either of these things consistently or at the same time. Why Wenger cannot get the side to do both more consistently is for a different thread, but I do believe a top manager would get the mix right, leading to consistently better performances.

I hope Wenger can sort things out, no one likes to witness someone tarnish their legacy and the team do need to perform better than they did today but id rather the 3 points every time regardless of how much i disagree with the way the club is run at present. Id rather this team learn what it takes to win games now, I want the team to do well now. I dont take pleasure out of them being shit in a hope that things will change at board level because it wont (not saying you do btw). So if we do get a cash injection for transfers, regardless of how much money we supposedly have (as the board will only sanction the usual pittance anyway) Id rather that cash injection be a push towards us being championship contenders because we have been on a run of wins and closed the gap a bit, than it be the push that was vital just for 4th because we've reached feb and we're 8th.

To be honest no fan should be unhappy about a win, the usual response is that it is just papering over the cracks, but then if you keep winning.....I'd rather we keep winning however possible, while Wenger and Bould try and sort this shit out...it's not like we have any other choice this season...is it?

[Power n Glory]

No BS from Wenger either. He said it's good but not good enough and recognised we weren't playing very well. I agree with him. But still 3rd. Pretty decent!

[Gervinho's Forehead]

[Dennis]

to those saying how hard done by wigan must feel, i say......

fuck 'em!


my team won, 3 in a row, clean sheet away from home. happy little bunny!

merry xmas gooners!!

[GP]

God bless us, everyone!

[RomfordPele]

Great win. For all the sky bullshit about Wigan, they are and will remain northern cloggers and spent a lot of the match kicking us, getting away with niggly little fouls and then whining whenever we put a tackle in. We did well to get the three points under the circumstances.

We still need signings and will need to replace walnut with a pacy striker when he leaves next month ...

[Gervinho's Forehead]

A big issue for me is that I don't think we'd have got a goal had we not been awarded a penalty.

Oh and arteta receiving the ball running around in a small circle and then passing it back is fucking annoying.

[Cripps_orig]

A big issue for me is that I don't think we'd have got a goal had we not been awarded a penalty.

Oh and arteta receiving the ball running around in a small circle and then passing it back is fucking annoying.

And thats the big worry.

We wouldnt have scored v WBA without the penalties and same here.

Arteta is a terrible player. Not what we need at all. Slows our game up so much.

Anyway read the thread and i see now we have won a few games in a row, the feeling on here from some is all is right in the world again

Im naming no names but these people never learn. Anyway good to see Theo shut his critics up further. Surely has to be upfront from now on

[fakeyank]

Match reaction to todays game: Good win despite playing shit.

What this means for the future: go back to the last 5-6 seasons. We always go on good runs and everything is rosy. If you are looking at Arsenal to become the Arsenal that played brilliant football going to be challenging for titles, that wont happen till we have Wenger. If you have brought your standards down to just taking part in competitions and getting 4th, we will acheive what we want.

I unfortunately belong to the former. Any win is good though... may be a miracle will happen and Arsene will be gifted brains by Allah.

[Cripps_orig]

on a tough game…
It was a very different game [from Reading]. They stopped us from playing and they did that very well - especially in the middle of the park. We didn’t find the same fluency going forward. It was much more a win because we really wanted a result more than because we dominated the game. We had chances, but, especially in the final part of the game [it] was difficult to come out at the back and master possession. They had a lot of possession in the end but we really wanted it. It’s good because [we showed] more determination than domination in the final part of the game.

on Wigan’s penalty appeals…
I’ve just seen it [the appeal for handball against Vermaelen]. That is not a penalty. I haven’t seen the appeal against Gibbs. I have just seen Vermaelen [and] that is not a penalty. Honestly, the ball comes like that on the arm - you have to raise your hand. The Gibbs [incident] I didn’t see.

on three League wins in a row…
It’s good but not enough. We want more. I hope that gives us a bit more belief and confidence and that we can play with a much more positive environment. We had to show nerve and we did it. Overall, it gives us a week to prepare [for] the next game and hopefully at home we can continue to win our games. Away from home, our record is quite good. We have only lost two games - at Man United and Norwich - since the beginning of the season. It’s an important part of the season now.

on if the players will be off on Christmas day…
Yes certainly.

on if it’s better to have the time off…
I would prefer to play. When the team is on a roll, you want them to go out and play. Physically, it was a difficult game for us. Maybe we need a little breather because we played two hours at Bradford and then at Reading, and today [was another] physical game on a very heavy pitch.

on Walcott playing centrally…
I wouldn’t like to judge him on one game. For me he has the ingredients to play there. I wouldn’t like to judge him on one game. He did not have much service today, he was a bit isolated. He can always be decisive, even if he does not have the greatest service. Today he made the decision because he got the penalty.

We dominated the game? wtf?