Stoke v Arsenal Match Reaction

[Letters]

Was it ever us? We were more physical but it was never our main tactic. We used to play football but we could hold our own physically, it was never our primary intention to 'rough up' the opposition because we couldn't mix it with them trying to play football.

[Özim]

But when it was us, was it not met with an absolute zero-tolerance approach from the FA, and a record number of red cards? Was our disciplinary record not widely condemned by all and sundry as being a disgrace? We did everything that was asked of us - we cleaned up our act, and went from having the worst disciplinary record in the league to the best - and our reward was for the footballing world to laugh as opponents kicked lumps out of us every week. It quite literally took broken bones and career-ending injuries before anyone started questioning what was going on, and even now it feels like opponents get 10 free fouls to every one of ours before a card comes out?

Personally preferred it when we didn't take the pansy approach, was good to see players getting stuck in. I also think fans are way too sensitive to challenges, Giroud falls over yesterday (not fouled) and there's people complaining he's unfairly tackled and should have a foul.

We lack any kind of physical side to our play, to our detriment IMO, when we had bigger more powerful players we were a much tougher team to play against because of it and teams accepted they couldn't jut come in and put us off our game.

[Özim]

Was it ever us? We were more physical but it was never our main tactic. We used to play football but we could hold our own physically, it was never our primary intention to 'rough up' the opposition because we couldn't mix it with them trying to play football.

In a way it was, yes we could play football but then to be fair Stoke aren't that bad these days either, but we could certainly mix it with the best if teams tried to put us off our game, Vieira use to strike fear into the opposition, he was fearful of a challenge and teams respected us more because of it. In the last 10 years we've become a bit of a soft touch and are seen as a team who complain about almost every tackle (much like a number of fans).

Referreeing isn't great but the way some go on you'd think they were making mistakes every other decision and totally against us which is ridiculous, I think there's certainly bias playing a part here because almost every week now people are complaining about the referee and using this as a reason as to why we lost or didn't score 5 goals.

I'm not talking about the bad challenges because obviously those should be clamped down on and generally they are, but more the normal challenges that some people portray to almost be criminal acts. Football is a physical sport, we don't want a sport where you can't tackle or touch a player, with tackling there will be mist timed tackles because players are only human and don't always time or do everything perfectly.

[Letters]

Fans of every club moan about the referee pretty much every game

[Power n Glory]

Theo USED to have that fluidity to his game. Ox USED to have that fluidity to his game. Ramsey USED to have that fluidity to his game. That's why we got all excited about their potential. Wenger will coach it out of Iwobi too. Can it really be that all these players just aren't up to scratch? The Arshavins, Velas, Podolskis, Afobes, Gnabrys, Akpoms. The Wilsheres. Yeah, the majority won't make the top level but who has Wenger really made? Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Ozil? These are self made players. Alexis is another one. The old back four, George Graham's. Campbell? Coquelin? Wenger wanted rid. Chambers was on fire when he first arrived, now he's burnt to a crisp. I hear Monsieur is thinking about signing back a Turkish kid he got rid of who, lo and behold, has suddenly found his feet in spectacular fashion - at another club. I believed Ox was going to be the next big thing in football when I first saw him play. Now look at him. Well on the way to becoming the next Theo Walcott.

One common factor.

We know these players can pass, move, perform at pace. We've seen them score and participate in some of the best goals you'll ever see. The talent is there. But look at Ox, is he a winger or a central midfielder? Ramsey, same question. Walcott, same question. I'm shocked Wenger didn't start Cech on the wing when he first arrived. Wenger is all about slamming square pegs in round holes. Playing tactics that disadvantage us and favour the opposition. Playing systems that isolate and put our players under pressure. We put in a decent performance, what, about 1 in 8 games now? That's because Wenger's one-trick pony is bound to find suitable opposition every once in a while.

We played right into Stoke's hands yesterday. Of course. Never once utilised the advantages we had over them. Played that ponderous crappy style that Wenger loves so much. We lost the key player who can make Wenger's tippy tappy flow with a purpose. What we really saw yesterday was another example of the players not being able to make Wenger's crackpot system work. But I bet they'd be twice as effective under a manager who could knit them into a team rather than leave them isolated as individuals. Great spirit, Wenger said. Well great passing, great movement, great purpose, those would be useful too.

This season he's being propped up by the general decline in standards across the league and the fallout from the mercenary cultures at chavland and gypoland. People are confusing this with Wenger being a decent manager. He's not. Hasn't been for a long time.

Decent bloke, of course. Decent manager? Watch us play and decide.

It’s a real shame seeing how some of Wenger’s gem youth players are turning out. I’ve said it before but I don’t think Wenger is that good when it comes to developing players that are really raw. I think he’s great at elevating the game of more established players but I think most of our young players that have been here since teen years have a serious lack of understanding and discipline in their game. I’ll start a new thread on this.

[fakeyank]

It was a shit game with crap performances. I am just glad we came out with a point. John Terry was right when he said that magneto is going to give us 12-15 points.

As for the other players performances, Ox was just total balls. I really think this lad has everything in him to be successful but he is running out of opportunities and has been nothing but total garbage. Walcott has done fuck all on the wing (since he was moved there), and Sanchez cant come back soon enough. Either put him down the middle or bring him as a super sub but dont start him out wide where he offers piss all.

I am certainly hoping that we get to have Rosicky back playing for his annual 3 month burst. He is the sort of player who will run with the ball, and frankly our midfield will be much better with him there than Ox or Arteta.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Personally preferred it when we didn't take the pansy approach, was good to see players getting stuck in. I also think fans are way too sensitive to challenges, Giroud falls over yesterday (not fouled) and there's people complaining he's unfairly tackled and should have a foul.

We lack any kind of physical side to our play, to our detriment IMO, when we had bigger more powerful players we were a much tougher team to play against because of it and teams accepted they couldn't jut come in and put us off our game.

I've heard the term "Arsenal don't like it up em" as long as Wenger has been at the club, which was a way of saying we didn't like being kicked off the park like United used to do to us at OT because they couldn't compete fairly on a physical level.

[I am invisible]

Personally preferred it when we didn't take the pansy approach, was good to see players getting stuck in. I also think fans are way too sensitive to challenges, Giroud falls over yesterday (not fouled) and there's people complaining he's unfairly tackled and should have a foul.

We lack any kind of physical side to our play, to our detriment IMO, when we had bigger more powerful players we were a much tougher team to play against because of it and teams accepted they couldn't jut come in and put us off our game.

Mate, I'm bang up for it, if it's gonna be a fair fight! If it's just gonna be our players getting sent off for every first offence again, while our opponents basically have to cripple one of our players before we even get a free kick, then it's gonna carry on being the pansy approach. You go out of your way to foul us > we go out of our way to draw attention to it. Tit for tat. A pretty shitty indictment of the game, but there it is...

[I am invisible]

It’s a real shame seeing how some of Wenger’s gem youth players are turning out. I’ve said it before but I don’t think Wenger is that good when it comes to developing players that are really raw. I think he’s great at elevating the game of more established players but I think most of our young players that have been here since teen years have a serious lack of understanding and discipline in their game. I’ll start a new thread on this.

We'll still be able to talk about how Wenger's a cunt / no he isn't though, won't we?

[Power n Glory]

We'll still be able to talk about how Wenger's a cunt / no he isn't though, won't we?

Knock yourself out. But considering what's been said about Ox and Rambo in recent weeks, I think it's worth having a different thread discussing the youth players.