Match Reaction v Blackburn

[Unai Tea]

We've had all 3 fit all season and the best one didn't get a chance until Gervais fucked off to Africa.

Obviously there's nothing wrong in having 3 good players for 2 positions. We have 1 good player and 2 [insert appropriate adjective] players for 2 positions. But no matter who we think is the better choice out of Theo and Gerv (and most seem to think it's Gerv), Wenger will sooner drop Oxlade than Theo - that is the truth.

He didn't ask who should have been dropped in the first half of the season for Oxlade Chamberlain. And there have been absences this year - Theo has had a game or two missed for minor things and Gervinho missed three games with suspension at least before the ACN). So far Theo has played in 27 of 32 games, Gervinho 20 of 32 and Chamberlain 9 of 32. And even if no one had been out injured/suspended or whatever, our history with players missing time suggest that it's likely that there will be injuries. If we have 25 games left this season (or so) Chamberlain should play in 20 at least, 15 each for Walcott and Gervinho. But who's available will play a big part in who plays the most.

I prefer Chamberlain to the other two and Gervinho over Walcott but I think they all will play regularly. Despite the stupid and disastrous subbing of Chamberlain for Arshavin, Wenger said that 2012 was going to be the time for Chamberlain to shine. Let's hope he sticks to that. It's quite evident he's a special player and we have very few of those. He's also a cause for hope, and there's very little left of that too.

We also have Arshavin. But then, who gives a shit about him anymore. He may just as well be dead.

[Power n Glory]

I need to get rid of ESPN. This was the only early kick off but no coverage from Sky or EPSN. Pretty shit.

Wanna see the game. Sounds like we played well. Never knew Ramsey wasn't starting but it's about time he was dropped from the squad.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I need to get rid of ESPN. This was the only early kick off but no coverage from Sky or EPSN. Pretty shit.

Wanna see the game. Sounds like we played well. Never knew Ramsey wasn't starting but it's about time he was dropped from the squad.

It is being shown in its entirety on SS2 at 20:25.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

I need to get rid of ESPN. This was the only early kick off but no coverage from Sky or EPSN. Pretty shit.

Wanna see the game. Sounds like we played well. Never knew Ramsey wasn't starting but it's about time he was dropped from the squad.

You actuall pay for that channel

[Syn]

on a memorable afternoon…I felt that recently we had quite good performances but did not get the results. Today we got the performance and the result, which is ideally what you want. I do not give much importance to the seven goals, it is just important we won and played well.

on Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott...
As you know, they are English! I feel providing today was as important as scoring. The flanks provided very well and scored through Alex. Robin is an exceptional football player and you could see that with his movement in the box, which could be shown in every football school. When you feed him in the box, he is deadly.

on why he didn't take Van Persie off...
Alex Chamberlain played three games for the first time in his career. He had a stiff neck at half-time, so I did not want to take a gamble with him. Then we had a problem with Koscielny, and I wanted to give some playing time to Benayoun.

on maintaining the pressure against 10 men...
We remained serious and were guided by the way we want to play football and not by any extravagant individualism. That is positive. We were mature and serious, we played together until the end.

on Oxlade-Chamberlain's pre-match knock...
I would not have taken a gamble today. In a very short period of time he has become an important player who can make a difference. I rested him in the last 20 minutes at Bolton, so he was not pushed to his limits. The medical staff said there was no risk he could damage his knee, so that is why I decided to play him.

on why he didn't use him sooner…
He was not ready earlier in the season. He has made a big step in the last months. He produces team play, he is not only going forwards, he is contributing to the defending and has improved very quickly. He is a fighter as well, with personality. He is much more mature now.

on whether he could get an England call-up...
Would you be surprised? I would not.
on scoring so many goals..
It was important to the confidence of the side that we win a game and get three points but the result in itself will not make us win at Sunderland. What will make us win there with the confidence we got today is to continue to play the way we did today. Every game is a new challenge and Sunderland are in a good spell as well. We have to be ready for that.

on fears that Givet had hurt Van Persie…
Yes I was worried because you never know how bad it is. That's something we cannot afford at the moment, to lose a player like Robin with Thierry going back to the States. Normally, Thierry today played his last game at the Emirates and in the last minute he scored his goal. So that is something special.

on whether Givet apologised…
Yes he did.

on whether he reads much into a 7-1 win...
No, as we said before we need consistency. Strangely I don't feel we played very badly at Fulham, nor at Swansea, nor against Manchester United - in the first half we were terrible but in the second half we should have won the game. But every time we just couldn't get the result and in the end if affects your belief. This will help us slowly to believe again that we could win. To win 1-0 at Sunderland would be fantastic and that's what we have to prepare for, to produce a good performance.

on sharing the goals around…
Yes, that was a problem I faced in all the press conferences at the start of the season. If he doesn't score, who scores, you know? It was right, I couldn't deny that. But I always felt that if you look at our numbers the trio of Gervinho, Walcott and Van Persie were involved in all the goals so they are more the providers because we play with two wingers. But the wingers can score as well, like today. It is something that is needed and we need some more goals from midfield as well.

on Henry's impact off the pitch…
Only positive. How much, you can never give a percentage, but he was very positive and everyone takes his advice on board because he has delivered here and they want to deliver too. He is respected and he was very positive. He is not going away yet, normally he stays until after the Milan game. So we go to Sunderland now and then we go to Milan - that is two massive games.

on whether he can extend Henry's loan deal...
I haven't looked at it, maybe the maximum possibility we have is two more weeks. Normally no [he would not be here for the Tottenham game].

"Normally"

A new Wengerism.

[Power n Glory]

I know. Signed up for that 3 month free promotion and too lazy to cancel. They hardly show any games.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

on whether Givet apologised…
Yes he did.

AW

[Olivier's xmas twist]

I know. Signed up for that 3 month free promotion and too lazy to cancel. They hardly show any games.

Their showing city fulham, i had it only because V media had it free for a month lol, like you say no games though serie A was quite decent.

everything else is bad, Ray stubbs less said about him and his mates on their there better

[Olivier's xmas twist]

on whether he reads much into a 7-1 win...
No, as we said before we need consistency. Strangely I don't feel we played very badly at Fulham, nor at Swansea, nor against Manchester United - in the first half we were terrible but in the second half we should have won the game. But every time we just couldn't get the result and in the end if affects your belief. This will help us slowly to believe again that we could win. To win 1-0 at Sunderland would be fantastic and that's what we have to prepare for, to produce a good performance.

Agree with this tbh, although it would be nice to beat sunderlandby more then 1

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Sunderland will be another stiff test, ONeil seems to have them ticking. . . .very decent manager and great motivator (ONeil)