Arsenal V Mou's Hoes, 26 April KO 1600

[Letters]

We all know what's going to happen ..... the chavs with their expensively assembled squad will come there and put ten men behind the ball and hope to steal one of the counter or a set piece. Death by suffocation as Alan Davies puts it. We've got a week to prepare and to devise strategies to counter it so we can't have any excuses for it

Easier said than done though. We've got better players than most but Chelsea have only lost two league games, at Newcastle and Spurs, strangely. They drew with Utd and City at their places and beat Liverpool.
We're not going to catch them, a win would be nice and keep momentum going but a draw is the most likely outcome IMO and wouldn't be a disaster.

[Master Splinter]

These horrible cunts barely know how to play football anymore.

We should sit back completely and see if they can create anything and hit them on the counter.

We know exactly what they'll do, so play the same game and we should come out on top if Ozil/Cazorla/Ramsey/Sanchez are on their game.

We'll pick up about 15 mysterious injuries in midweek though. And these villagers will score from a multi-deflection, assisted by the wind, the ref, the assistants and Satan on the pelanty spot.

[fakeyank]

I don't really understand why you pour so much scorn on my thoughts that there are some positive signs after winning 18 games out of 21 - a run which has taken us from 7th to 2nd and seen us progress to the cup final and during which we have already beaten 2 big rivals away from home, one in the cup quarter final. And yet you see this, a one off game which we could lose or draw for all kinds of silly reasons not in our control, as the measure of progress. I get it's a Mourino side but we are 10 points behind them. Were we, say, 5 points behind or fewer and this was a game where we could either overtake them on the home straight or get close to them and put some real pressure on then yes, I would see that as significant. As it is, they're far enough ahead that they could lose this one and still win the title without breaking sweat.

Personally I will look at the performance as much as the result. I'd be disappointed if we lose, very annoyed if they thump us. I won't cry if it's a draw, Mourinho will come for a draw and they are masters and bus parking and sucking the life out of games.

We have gone over this many times. What you see as progress, I see as 'been there, done that'. End of the day, I feel that my reasoning is valid because I have 10 years of data to back up that this is more than likely a false dawn, while you have 21 games to back up your argument. If this matter were to go to a court of law, I think my viewpoint would win 9 times out of 10.

Anyway, the question of why I put so much emphasis on the Chelsea game... Chelsea will park the bus this season and they will park the bus next season as well. We know what Mourinho will do, we also know what Wenger will do and we also know that Mourinho will come out on top if the status quo persists. Beating them will show that we have tried something different.. successfully! Imagine the psychological boost the players will get by beating a team like Chelsea.. these are the sort of games that you will carry into next season (just like the City game away this season).

What I want to see next Sunday is us going for it and looking to win. May be we will come out with a draw but if its a draw, it should be a draw because Courtois had the game of his career. We all know that we will come out with 80% possession but I want us to be creating chances and dominating them. A loss and this season is no different than last and that is not progress IMO.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Easier said than done though. We've got better players than most but Chelsea have only lost two league games, at Newcastle and Spurs, strangely. They drew with Utd and City at their places and beat Liverpool.
We're not going to catch them, a win would be nice and keep momentum going but a draw is the most likely outcome IMO and wouldn't be a disaster.

True it's difficult to do but Wenger is getting paid eight million pounds a year to do it. It's kind of his job. Plus the likes of PSG and Athletico were able to get past it so I don't think it's as difficult as you make out. I mean, it's been said numerous times already but it's hardly something new or innovative; it's basically cowardly lower-league team park the bus mentality except with much better players ..... not that different to what we faced yesterday.

Yes we're not going to catch them but this game is vital to win just to put to bed this whole "Wenger can't beat Mourinho" curse thing. If it's us and Chelsea going at it for the league next season I really don't want this thing continuing to loom over us; it'll add extra pressure on to us.

[AFC Leveller]

Wenger has altered his approcah in the big games this season, we arent gun ho any more, we play it safe and hit teams on the counter (OT and City).

If we can approcah this game as a must win and play to our strengths then i can only see one winner. yes Mouron will park the bus and suck the ife out of everyone but our record at home is as good as any team, with 2 losses in 2 seasons.

[AFC Leveller]

Chelsea and Mourinho will do what they do best and drive a dagger right through the heart of Football.

0-2.

Sadly, that is true.

[fakeyank]

True it's difficult to do but Wenger is getting paid eight million pounds a year to do it. It's kind of his job. Plus the likes of PSG and Athletico were able to get past it so I don't think it's as difficult as you make out. I mean, it's been said numerous times already but it's hardly something new or innovative; it's basically cowardly lower-league team park the bus mentality except with much better players ..... not that different to what we faced yesterday.

Yes we're not going to catch them but this game is vital to win just to put to bed this whole "Wenger can't beat Mourinho" curse thing. If it's us and Chelsea going at it for the league next season I really don't want this thing continuing to loom over us; it'll add extra pressure on to us.

[milla]

In the same way I opted for a Golf over a McLaren 650s.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

We all know what's going to happen ..... the chavs with their expensively assembled squad will come there and put ten men behind the ball and hope to steal one of the counter or a set piece. Death by suffocation as Alan Davies puts it. We've got a week to prepare and to devise strategies to counter it so we can't have any excuses for it

Mind you, if I were Wenger I'd try and bring out the mind games this week in the press. Make a few snarky comments about them "parking the bus", "playing like a relegation team" etc etc ............. hopefully the cunts in the media will run with it (given their love-in for Mou it seems doubtful) and perhaps, just perhaps Mou may get fazed by it so that he may set them up to be a tad more expansive ....... something we could then subsequently exploit. I mean, the title's all but won so what would he have to lose?

Thinking of a masterplan....

[Xhaka Can’t]

We have gone over this many times. What you see as progress, I see as 'been there, done that'. End of the day, I feel that my reasoning is valid because I have 10 years of data to back up that this is more than likely a false dawn, while you have 21 games to back up your argument. If this matter were to go to a court of law, I think my viewpoint would win 9 times out of 10.

Anyway, the question of why I put so much emphasis on the Chelsea game... Chelsea will park the bus this season and they will park the bus next season as well. We know what Mourinho will do, we also know what Wenger will do and we also know that Mourinho will come out on top if the status quo persists. Beating them will show that we have tried something different.. successfully! Imagine the psychological boost the players will get by beating a team like Chelsea.. these are the sort of games that you will carry into next season (just like the City game away this season).

What I want to see next Sunday is us going for it and looking to win. May be we will come out with a draw but if its a draw, it should be a draw because Courtois had the game of his career. We all know that we will come out with 80% possession but I want us to be creating chances and dominating them. A loss and this season is no different than last and that is not progress IMO.

Thats almost the same as 18 times out of 21.