Match Reaction vs Wigan Athletic (neutral).

[I am invisible]

has anyone actually seen this drmic guy play regularly though? or just because we are linked with him everyone thinks he is special. as don't recall anyone mentioning him before we were linked with him. Remy would be a good one, used to the league now after a couple of seasons with pace and directness. Lukaku would be good but got no chance with that.... Chelsea aren't us when it comes to selling a good striker to a rival.

Nope, not seen him once outside of YT clips, and didn't even know he existed until we were first linked with him. But I think you can at least get a vague idea of a player's style and what their strengths and weaknesses might be from those clips, and you have to say his stats for this year are impressive (21 years old and he's going toe-to-toe with Mandzukic and Lewandowski in the scoring charts, at an inferior club)? Obviously I'm not suggesting him for our big/main CF signing, but for the money being suggested, and given the sheer number of players we may have to sign this summer in all areas, I'd definitely put him on the short list for bonus forward signings...

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Why? A reason other than that no one else is using it. I have seen Utd, City and Pool use it this season at times.

I'm not sure I understand the suggestion. If it is that we should play 442 at very specific times, when the situation calls for it in a particular game under a set of special circumstances, then where is the actual merit in it? We should surely switch to any formation in any given game that calls for it at the time? Not that we looked particularly more acute with a 442 and two forwards anyway.

If the suggestion us as I suspected....that we should play 442 on a regularly basis, there is so many reasons (to my mind) why it is a ill advised idea. I tend to think formation talk is a symptom of a team or squad of players who simply don't have a fitting set of playing personnel at their disposal.

In comparison to Giroud, I think Sanogo is an upgrade. I think we'd have been playing in front of their box all day with Giroud and playing it short all day instead of pressing for a goal. When he was subbed on he didn't get a shot on goal. That's how bad our striking options are at the moment. I don't think the kid was that bad because we at least saw some chances develop from his movement and he made himself available. It was his first start in months and he's rusty. Much like Ramsey who had an off game today as well. Some mistakes but he wasn't bad just lacking match practice.

Giroud has his own set of footballing idiosyncrasies, I'm in no doubt about that.....but for me Sanogo isn't near his level. For being soo rusty alone he shouldn't have even been considered. The game was far too important to allow for a player in a position as important as his who is rusty. That is the manager's fault though not his. There is a reason Wenger only started really considering him this year and that should tell us that the boy isn't ready for football at this level. He needs to go and have his practice game time for another club, not literally learning his trade missing chances all over the place in an FA cup semi final.

Astonishing from the manager there. As is taking us into a season with the worst set of forward options I remember at the club. I've got nothing against Sanogo at all and would like to see how he progress but this is no place for children any more. We need need men who can play.

For the love of GOD Wenger buy a proper forward FFS!

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I think some mention has to go to Oxo as well.

He was a bit off but he tried to go forward and attack at every opportunity.

Sanogo deffo has the pace, he just needs to sharpen up his ball control/shooting skills.


Keane and pretty much all of itv can fuck off.

Made me laugh at the end that Adrian cunting chiles asked that Wigan player if he thought Wigan played well and he said 'yeh they did us proud, I mean arsenal have nicked a goal from a set piece, other than that we would've been ok'

What?!? So your penalty counts as an attacking goal from open play then does it? Fuck off!

You're talking about Ben Watson. Funnily enough I went to school with him and was in the same football team. He's not the sharpest tool in box shall we say and I was surprised to see him sitting there when I flicked the channel on! I thought for the most part Dixon and Keane just talked across him which made for slightly awkward viewing, but maybe that's just because I know him.

We had more than enough chances to win the game and had we gone out I really would have feared for Wenger. He got away with it this time but the margins really are fine. Fair play to BFG for atoning for his monumental sin.

On signing Remy who I like, I just get the feeling that if Wenger fancied him, he'd had signed him already..... I know he had the rape case over his head, but part of me thinks that that was not the actual deterrent in signing him.....

[Niall_Quinn]

News going around that Giroud is on the way out this summer. I think that's the best move for everyone concerned. He started well but then showed over the course of this season he doesn't have the character to cut it at this level. Sanogo has bags of character, he must have to effectively start his career against Bayern and in a cup semi, but he doesn't have the ability to match and obviously shouldn't be playing at this level either. Have we ever got a full season out of Walcott? He's fragile. Looks like we need to get THREE strikers in the summer. That's a hell of a challenge. Campbell will have to be one of them seeing as he's already signed.

[Özim]

We won yesterday which was great although we made very hard work of it, thing is though nothing was on the line yet, the final is where the trophy is on the line and that's where if anywhere we could bottle it, Hull would be our expected opposition and they're the kid of team that could make it hard for us.

[Niall_Quinn]

You are such a WUM.

The WUMster.

[Özim]

Why do you think it's me wumming?

I'm responding to the comments from the players and manager that we'd got over the psychological barrier, we haven't yet.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Not sure I agree... I think the trophy was on the line and potentially Arsene Wenger's future.

I don't mind if we lose Giroud (though I think we have been harsh on him and I don't mind him personally) but we have to bring in the quality first imo. Shame shizzle with VM8R and anyone else of any kind of quality. Bring in the quality needed first then flog them if you have to. Or at least put the deal(s) in the pipeline far along enough for it to be a formality.

[Özim]

Not sure I agree... I think the trophy was on the line and potentially Arsene Wenger's future.

I don't mind if we lose Giroud (though I think we have been harsh on him and I don't mind him personally) but we have to bring in the quality first imo. Shame shizzle with VM8R and anyone else of any kind of quality. Bring in the quality needed first then flog them if you have to. Or at least put the deal(s) in the pipeline far along enough for it to be a formality.

It was on the line only in the sense a place in the final was available, when we lost to Birmingham it was in the final not the semi's when the trophy was to be awarded after the match.

There was pressure yesterday, but it was a little different, think Wigan missed a trick by taking off McManaman as well, very odd decision he was by far their most dangerous player.

[Niall_Quinn]

Why do you think it's me wumming?

I'm responding to the comments from the players and manager that we'd got over the psychological barrier, we haven't yet.

Because you have shiny bait on your hook.