Arsenal’s bad week continued with a late 2-0 loss to Swansea at the Emirates this afternoon.
Arsene Wenger rested Olivier Giroud, playing Gervinho as a centre-forward with Lukas Podolski returning the left hand side. After a hard game in midweek Arsenal started slowly and the visitors had two good chances in the opening stages.
Firstly, Ashley Williams miskicked from about 6 yards out after we struggled to clear a Swansea free kick, then after a great spell of passing and possession, they fashioned a chance for Angel Rangel on the right hand side of our box. His first powerful effort was saved by Szczesny and the Pole stood up well to deny him from the rebound.
It took Arsenal some time to get going, a good Jenkinson cross was headed away before Lukas Podolski had a shot blocked. The German then almost played in Gervinho but his flick was just too heavy and the keeper claimed. Another good Jenkinson cross saw Cazorla have a free header but it was fairly tame and easy for Tremmel.
Just after that though, Swansea had the best chance of the game. Nathan Dyer got in behind, onto a Michu flick on, got away from Vermaelen but as he moved to shoot the skipper got back and blocked the shot at the last moment. Jonatan de Guzman then fired a free kick not far over the bar after Arteta had fouled Michu.
Late in the half Arsenal had their best chance. Gervinho had a free header from about 8 yards out after a Gibbs cross but rather than, you know, head it on target, he decided to try and hit the corner flag. He didn’t even manage that.
Arsenal started the second half brightly, looking more alert, and good play from Jack Wilshere set up Santi Cazorla on the edge of the box. His left footed shot was struck well but straight at the keeper. The Spaniard had another go from further out but again it was easy enough for Tremmel.
Arsenal were on top but the visitors were still dangerous. Angel Rangel ran through Arsenal’s midfield, like a knife through butter, forcing Szczesny into a save which pushed his powerful shot into the side netting.
Arsene Wenger brought on Oxlade-Chamberlain and Giroud for the disappointing Podolski and Gervinho, and the Frenchman was involved straight away. He ran onto a misplaced pass only to be taken down on the edge of the box by last man Flores, but referee Mark Clattenburg saw the faintest nick on the ball by the Spaniard and waved play on.
Santi Cazorla had another volley saved by Tremmel while at the other end Szczesny was forced into another good save when Swansea cut us apart. The keeper kept Arsenal in it and although Thomas Vermaelen had a chance to put Arsenal ahead, there was late drama as the visitors nicked the game.
In the 88th minute Michu exhanged passes with Luke Moore to find himself clean through on goal, his finish was measured to make it 1-0. And late on, as Arsenal pressed to find an equaliser Carl Jenkinson was robbed of possession on the halfway line, Michu found himself with just Szczesny to beat again and did so with style to make it 2-0.
Boos rang out around the Emirates and it’s easy to understand why. Swansea played well but never really had to work for their chances. Arsenal looked feeble, out of ideas and like a team that needs something drastic to turn things around.
Another depressing slice of football pie.
IMPORTANT
I realise this will spark some ‘lively’ discussion – please keep it reasonable and sensible, both in terms of what you say and how you say it. Thank you.
Caz Volley SZCZ save – Verm header
Wenger was abroad thursday and friday – make of that what you will
probably finding new ways to praise our ‘spirit’
Or experimenting with “lacked a little bit of sharpness in the final third.”
Telling the French media fourth place is a trophy and if we don’t win that trophy, players should take a pay cut. Shouldn’t it be for a club as big as The Arsenal if they player didn’t win the LEAGUE should be paid less!!!!!!!!!.
If that is not an attitude of a loser, I don’t know what is it.
Arsene IS the problem.
I respect Wenger a lot, but ” We were jaded coz we gave a lot physically in the away games” is a lame excuse.
Other top teams grind out the results when jaded, whether at home or away.
Spend some money on top quality players. 11m for Gervinho could have been better spent.
I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again. Our club is being run by a manager with a degree in economics. What in the hell do you think an economist is going to do during a recession, whatever it takes to win or whatever it takes to remain profitable? Hopefully that’s rhetorical to most people here.
Alas the invincibles! All I can say is latetly we are woeful in a very visible way. QUESTIONS: —Has anyone realised that the likes of Ian wright, Lee Dixon have stopped positive criticism of the team? Even Tony Adams can’t hide his exasperation. —Some players arrive at Arsenal half decent and start so well but mysteriously loose their edge and passion. Arshavin ( four goals against Liverpool with both feet), Varmaelen harly put a foot wrong when he arrived, Chamakh arrived better than Bentner, now he can’t even get into the team. —Wenger mysteriously play players out of position. I’m… Read more »
nice to michu.
good to lose. so ivan can let wenger buy big players.
good ivan. just fucking sell our key players until we are out of champions league.
oh btw, dont give what walcott wants, so he can leave too.
thye’re blinded by their love for the money. They don’t care about the football or the fans. the f**king c***s. the board is a bunch of f**king c***s.
Arsenal Board out.
It’s never good to lose.
A lack of continuity is a big problem for us. There’s a reason Everton, for instance, are above us; they’re a great example of squad and managerial continuity…which is also why I’ve come around to the idea that getting rid of Wenger any time soon will NOT help.
This is cold comfort now, I know, but I do think this team will be better next season and the next, provided the core sticks together.
Bunbuyist. .we have the same manager for 15 years, I think you can call that continuity.
And not sure how selling your best players every year will contribute to squad continuity, when year on year new players have to settle in and adapt to a new country and a new way of playing.
But yea the team may get better if it sticks together but we already know we are about lose theo and possibly sagna.
Wenger was abroad. Probably to buy more shit like Gervinho. That’s what I make of it.
yeah actually. Gervinho is really quite terrible. To think we bought him to replace Nasri. Make what you will of Na$ri’s moral’s. He was a quality footballer when he played with us.
Really Gervinho is not even close to being half as good as a footballer
Personally I don’t want either of Nasri or Gervinho near the place.
Does anyone know how much Laudrup paid for Michu?
Michu was 2 million. Bargain.
2,2 mill£ for michu from vallecano.. 16 goals i la liga last season, quality player he is.
I don’t understand why Arsene sold Eboue and paid 10 million to sign Forehead? At least Eboue can cover RB and dance.
Gervinho isn’t terrible. He has his moments (rare as they are) of genius. I really don’t get why he didn’t get played wide right and allow Theo to rip apart the Swansea through the centre. Gerv isn’t a CF!!!
I still find it incredulous to believe that Wenger won’t play Podolski up front even when he’s resting Giroud. Walcott – and yes I know he played shit yesterday but so did every other fucker on the pitch wearing the cannon – didn’t get a shout up front and he’s our most lethal striker but Gervinho who is – it’s fair to say – wank gets recalled. Chamakh has looked better than him so far but can’t make the subs bench. Personally I think it’s time Wenger went, the players seem to have lost all faith and respect for him… Read more »
Mate, couldn’t agree with you more. He was off to Switzerland. Trust me I know. My bro took a pic with him. Saw him chilling in business class….
Just to stay positive, I would like to think he was scouting the new Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera!
I guess one could dream ha….
It is a long time since Wenger “unearthed a gem” and I dont think he has it in him to find a new one. He has bought some talent but at 15 mil its not finding a gem its paying for known talent.
Wengers time is up. The sooner he leaves the better.
Was Song, and now Gnabry, Olsson, Toral and Jenkinson shit?
Now we’ve seen it all huh.
And to say that last night Henry was here in São Paulo, Brazil blocks away from where I live.
Anon:
No not shit. I never liked Song but he was ok as is Jenks but not much more. And you cant say that Gnabry, Olsson and Toral will make it. Sure they have talent but that was known before they came Arsenal.
I know why he was abroad, and under the same circumstances any of us would be abroad too.
It’s irrelevant to what happened today.
and why was that?
The fact Wenger was abroad is NOT irrelevant to today. He should have been preparing for the game as there was obviously no tactical plan of how to play today. It is naive to think WE just have to lay OUR game to achieve a result.
I really don’t care that he was abroad. I CARE THAT HE START WINNING US FUCKING GAMES. Buying a bumbling Buffoon with a big forehead is not winning us games. What a waste of 12 million. You want proper usage of out money then you don’t spend money on: 1) Gervinho – 12mill 2) Park Ju- Young 4 millllion 3) Andrei Arshavin-15 million 4) Sebastian Squillaci – 7-8 million that’s a total of 40 million. How much does one world class player cost again? If your frugal you need spend the money wisely. What shit is going on at Arsenal… Read more »
Of course its irrelevant, does anyone honestly think if he hadn’t been away for a day or 2 midweek the score would have been any different? We’ve been playing like a mid-table team since the start of the season just about, barring a couple of games where things have clicked a bit better. Granted this is a new low but its hardly as if we’ve been in such fantastic form over the last month is it? What I find most worrying is seeing Podolski looking utterly disinterested, as if he’s lost heart already – after all of 6 months. This… Read more »
My German friend warned me before the season about Podolski’s attitude. He claimed Poldi likes to party and loses interest in football very easily. Sadly, I’m beginning to see his point.
@remember the invincibles, because we aren’t good anymore
You might want to add to your list: Chamakh, Reyes, Baptista, Jeffers (ok long ago but still).
Whereas everyone agrees that AW is good at finding rough talent, it has to be mentioned that he also spent massive money on lemons.
Probably a wedding or a funeral.
Was he looking for a nice retirement community with a pool?
that’s a bit harsh on reyes. he was a quality player. was a real pity he never settled in london. the saddest thing about our current predicament is that i really think the players we have are capable of performing a lot better. on paper, it’s a squad that should be able to compete for 3rd with chelski and is only one or two really top class players of challenging mancs for the title. the sad thing is it’s really obvious to any team now that all they have to do is keep things tight for as long as possible… Read more »
Probably shopping for his custom jackets, this time with a hoodie, to hide his face in.
Was Gazidis also there?. I think so.
Nice tact there Blogs. A lot of bloggers would have used that as a chance to make themselves look good. Kudos.
Wenger was abroad Thursday and Friday? He’ll be permanently abroad soon
All the fans who want AW out should be very careful what they wish for.AW has made AFC a team to be admired over many years. He has really got to look very closely at the current set of players.They are players he has brought in to continue the way AFC play and too many of them are not up to the job.He has got to bite the bullet and get rid of some of them and focus on those that can still get us a minimum of 4th place at least this year and 1 cup. He is an… Read more »
We wish for a better manage who is not afraid to buy players in the summer and pay world class player the wages they deserves. We wish for a manage that if he sees a player not an Arsenal quality to drop him and take his loses. We wish for a manager who the player believe in him and know he wants to win a trophy as they are and not worry about the world and european economy going down. We wish for a manager to pay 30/40 million 2/3 world class players with 200 PW wage instead of chamack+Forhead+Park+Diaby+Ramsey+Arsha+Squad+Denilson+Bentner.… Read more »
What is this thing you warn us of. Get your head out of the past and smell the roses. It is always a risk changing things around but this team is stinking the house out
Woeful. 3 word’s. NOT GOOD ENOUGH! Swansea deserved the win. We created nothing. Nothing really clear cut. January will be the biggest month in Wenger’s managerial career. We need to spend so much money. Wenger said yesterday we can still win the league. If he truly think’s that, then he does need to go. We pay the highest prices for ticket’s and get nothing in return. When does something change? Because we can’t continue this way. There is no way we will get even top 4 this season unless we spend drastically. 8 points worse off than last year, and… Read more »
Why most of you lot wants this problem to solved bg bringing new players? Buy, buy,buy? We neeed tbat kind of player, we need that kind of player. Yes, good players are one of the component to a good team. But not only that. What about tactics; formation, movement, substitution etc. What about motivation; how you prepare your team so that they will give that extra something that will win them 50-50 balls, that will get them to keep snapping on opponent player’s heel till they get the ball back! Arsenal is full of good players! It’s the tactic and… Read more »
STEP 1: STOP PASSING THE BALL BACKWARDS.
STEP 2: START SHOOTING.
STEP 3: PLEASE REMEMBER YOU PLAY FOR ARSENAL.
Arteta as good as he is the culprit when it comes to back ward passing. Jenkinson is god at this though…..also gibbs is catching on.
Backpassing is killing our game, our moves are the same week in, week out. A few players willing to take beyond the risky pass and that’s it. The rest pass it routinely hoping a bird swerves off their arse and creates a goal scoring chance!. Ffs!
Many problems can be solved by one signing. A Midfield enforcer. Why does arteta pass back ? because he cant shove away people like Fellaini to have the ball comfortably and turn. We have three players that can be physically bossed in the midfield! and thats what almost every team is doing. Another big issue is bench strength. If we sign an enforcer, Coquelin is his backup(agreed not a big guy, but make do). Arteta moves to Wilshere’s position and Wilshere is Cazorla’s backup for the advanced role(Dont jump on my back for this guys, there’s enough games for both).… Read more »
would have to add…. stop giving so much space to attacking players… pressure the opposing keeper when a backpass is made… hustle back to help defend… get more play in the opposing box, we act like its a minefield… stop playing such a high backline…it aint working… and for gods sake, play with some f*cking passion… this is ARSENAL dammit… we truely do deserve better, are tactics are the problems, and wenger is to blame for that…whatever players we bring in, until we change tactics it will be the same results…. rant over….i love the arsenal, but she disapoints the… Read more »
The fans calling for Wenger’s head match after match is just crazy. I hope he would just leave where the board does a manager swap with Liverpool, where they need a quality manager and no restrictions on amount of money to spend. Bradon Rogers to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger to Liverpool.
Looking for another job if there’s any justice in this world
Arsene did say we would make a push up the league in December, he just didn’t say what year.
Next!
If it continues like this i’m afraid he wont see next december with us.
He needs to spend, the board need to lay it all out there and Wenger has to rediscover his lethal managerial touch or I afraid for arsenal
I feel like it’s 1995 again. I thought the Rioch days were over!
Spot on.
If I am not mistaken we need to win 16 out next 23 fixtures to finish with 69 pts (Last year’s 4th). Hope we don’t — because nothing will change and we will remain a mediocre club.
You are hoping we fail? You might as well go and support Tottenham then.
The way I look at it, I would much rather have one year of total failure (say 14th spot) and then a reorganization (board, manager, etc) instead of where we are not —- constant frustration and ruined weekends.
This is a good thing for Arsenal — things change after failure.
This year there have been a lot of upsets below Top 2 so it is very possible that a lower total is required.This is in no way excusing the appalling way some of our players have performed this season.
I know what he’s talking about. Only after disaster can we be resurrected.
Or what league.
Hehe good one mate.
Boooo
Exactly what we deserved.
Swansea were superior all round and thoroughly deserved it.
The people on this site – including people like Tim Stillman who still clutch at straws and believe that Wenger can’t be removed – need to get real.
Mid Table mediocrity is now a fact.
Stoke are above us FFS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stoke !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need wholesale changes on and off the pitch.
I hope the Black Scarf Movement got some traction today. We need more action like this.
I just feel bad for the fans who actually payed to watch that crap performance
With respect, I don’t think getting rid of Wenger will solve the problem. My only problem with Wenger is his inability to get the hairdryer out in the way SAF does – but I would have thought Bouldy can, so that solves that problem. Just look at the midfield. Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla. Brilliant players, all three, and easily the best players at the club. Every Arsenal fan out there would probably consider them our best three midfielders. Yet they underperformed. You can’t blame Wenger for three world-class players underperforming. You can only blame the players. Our squad is full of… Read more »
The only thing that will make a difference is to get rid of Wenger. Unless Black Scarf call for that they are wasting their time.
@Parisian Individually, they are exceptional without a doubt. Together, though, they just don’t click. It’s quite possibly got something to do that every single one of them is more of a offensive than defensive player and two of them are forced to do more defensive work than they’d like. We need a defensive mid titan, who can hold the defensive duties of the midfield on his own. Someone like Busquets for example (without the antics, obviously). That would give the other two players way more freedom and it would also mean we can rotate our 3 maestros, without the fear… Read more »
Welcome to the swamp, this could still get very ugly.
Many players far below par today. Clearly not Jenkinson’s day, Podolksi absent, Gervinho as usual, let’s stop it here. What’s going on??
We were third best today
Lost our identity after Cesc went. We switched last year to attacking in wide areas with pace, built around Van Persie. Now he’s tried to build it around Cazorla but the intensity is too much for him to be consistent at the moment. It’s hard to watch.
Lost our identity way before that. How many here remember The Arsenal’s reputation for ungraceful but highly competitive football? South butchers (early 30th Cent.), Chapman’s “unsportsmanship” counterattacks, Alison’s ‘one-nil to the Arsenal’, Adams’ offside trap, the Invincibles lethal counterattacking tactics…For a while we were on a par with Barcelona as “the most entertaining sides in the world” but those days are over. The Arsenal’s REAL identity is as military (Spartan?) as their historical origins, I’d rather have a bad reputation for competitive football with a cabinet full of trophies. Bring back the Adamses, Coppings, Storeys, Vieiras – each in their… Read more »
People calling for Wenger to be fired aren’t thinking straight. It wasn’t his decision to sell Fabregas, RVP, or Nasri. It’s just not feasible to expect him to continue to win when we are selling world class players like Cesc and RVP while they’re in their prime. It’s sad to think that two years ago today we had one of the most dynamic attacking teams in Europe which was filled with mostly young players just reaching their prime. It’s too we weren’t able to spend some money and fill in the cracks that team had, instead that team was broken… Read more »
Ermias, It wasn’t his decision, but the reaction after that is his.
He could have responded by bringing in more quality, but who have we got?
Pretty much. We were fucking shit. Szczesny – 7 Jenkinson – 5 Mert – 5 Verm – 5 Gibbs – 5 Arteta – 4 Jack – 5 Santi – 3 Theo – 1 Podolski – 1 Gervinho – -5 Szcz has been keeping us in the match against Villa and Everton, and almost did today as well. Coincidentally, he’s the only member of our team with ANY FUCKING CONFIDENCE. Strike that, that’s not a coincidence. Something needs to change. Hope bouldy gives them the death stare every day until results change. I suggest giving the younger guys a go against… Read more »
Fucking spot on. There is 0 hunger amongst these current first teamers. Give some of these kids a chance to prove what playing for the Arsenal is all about.
A fuckin disgrace.
Your right it is a fucking disgrace, this is more or less our best team playing week in week out and were 10th, I’m bringing my 7 year old kid over next week for the west brom game and I’m worrying I won’t get tickets, I don’t think I will have a problem now
I’m sorry was Walcott on the pitch today???. This kind of pop up shit performance from him is what makes him unreliable for a better contract.
Then again, he has his days so let’s just try to keep him and hope for the best. We’ve been reduced to this now!
Spare your little lad the humiliation Eric. We’re gonna get murdered
It’s blind love DB10, I keep telling him the invincible days will come back but patience is wearing thin
Absolutely disgusting performances.
Even though we hadn’t been winning anything for the last 7-8 years, at least we still used to play some brilliant football and dominate most of the matches we played, creating numerous clear cut chances.
This team is just unbearable to watch, that’s what hurts the most.
We don’t have Fabregas or rvp or even Song… anymore. Replacements are not good enough.
I don’t think the replacements are THAT bad. You’d think players like Cazorla, Wilshere, Giroud (top scorer last season), Podolski, etc., would be able to produce something, anything. On paper, we have a better squad than the table suggests. Too bad we don’t play on paper.
They are all good players. They are not THAT bad, but not good enough!
So many players look out of place. Only theo looks like a winger on this team.
Jenkinson to the BFG is probably all they do on the training ground.
TWO wingers in january please! Rambo, ox look like some for the future not the present, don’t ‘kill them’, send them on loan.
Come back Hleb, all is forgiven.
I don’t agree with the Hleb thing, but I fully agree with the winger stuff…
disagree with the winger thing, theo plays for himself. he keeps drifting infield when there is ample space on the right which left jenkinson with no option but to pass backwards or infield… that’s why i’m not too bothered if he leaves, he can have stormers but at the end of the day Theo isn’t right for the team at the moment… ffs he can’t even do the basics. People have a go at Gervinho and rightly so but no matter how shit he is it does seem like his is trying for the team. Theo can fuck right off… Read more »
We need technical quality, speed, and the ability to go past players in a non-bumbling manner on the wings. I will leave it to the professionals to find these players, but Nsue is cracking on FIFA.
Amen! At least you actually enjoyed watching the side knowing that anyone from Cesc to even Bendtner could come up with a last minute winner. The play gets more predictable with every passing season, tippy tappy in the middle, send it out wide to Gibbs/Podolski/Walcott, proceed to cross it in low or high to the vacant six yard box. What ever happened to us creating chances in central areas bar hopeful pop shots from Santi? Back then you had faith that we’d get the goal and the floodgates would open, I think most Gooners had resigned to the fact we’d… Read more »
How depressing that I’m actually reminiscing about a last minute winner from Bendtner, Sagna cross, great header. Going wild on the north bank. Haven’t been to a game yet this season and I’ll think I’ll end up going to one or two tops, I think next season The Arsenal should pay ME the 30 quid to renew.
Feel sorry the chaps and ladies who paid the extortionate admission fee to watch that complete dross today.
Sayonara Champions League next year!!!
Unless we win it!
Oh. :[
You are having a laugh!
Chelsea will have a laugh with you too.
And I’m starting to think that’s a good thing.
I’m afraid you’re right, Stoneheads. For added ignominy, I think we’re also facing the very real and disgusting possibility of finishing below Spurs this season.
With that idiotic cunt AVB at the helm too….what a joke.
God we are useless. Press us and we are completely inept.
A push over the cliff , thats what push meant right?
Thank you for a making a bad day worse.
Watching them play is like they are playing a relay race where the defence has to drag themselves to midfield to make a pass, midfielders have to get next to forwards to make a pass and the forwards pass it back to defenders.only difference between them is intensity which we dont have.
Never thought I should say this… but maybe it’s time for Wenger to stop his career. This is embarrassing…
same here mate.
Without Wenger, we’d be even worse off. I’m not super excited about the team’s performance as of late, but I think he has been hamstrung financially. Having to sell our best players for the last 4-5 years just finally caught up with us. We’ve made a couple of missteps with signings when we had no room for error. Add in how injury-prone we seem to be as a squad and this is what you get. And if you sack Wenger, whom do you bring in? The next best choice is still worse than Arsene. That said, fucking hell today was… Read more »
You could have copy and pasted that post from any blog a million times over the past 5 years. Enough is enough.
Bullshit. How ‘hamstrung financially’ are sides like West Brom, Swansea and Everton?
Our squad is full of the crap that Wenger brought in and is paying a fortune to play this shit.
You know what I see with Wenger? I see a team full of apparently technically gifted football players that can’t connect 2 passes. Hell, there is absolutely ZERO movement off the ball! And you think buying Gervinho to replace Nasri is a genius piece of football management? I appreciate everything Arsene has done for this club, but that doesn’t excuse the total loss of style that Arsenal has endured the past 4 years. We are progressively getting worse, while teams like WBA, Swansea, Norwich, and Everton all play more attractive football than we do now. Something is very wrong here.
I thought this for a long time – but we have way more money than Everton and stoke, and they’re above us in the league. 3rd is respectable with the money we have – its shit but it’s true – but we’re not looking like a team that can finish 3rd are we? We’re not even fun to watch anymore. We’re turning into Liverpool. If we sign Craig Bellamy I’ll kill myself.
@ Frog: just because people have been saying it for 5 years doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
@A Yank – Best comment on here. That is what I think, and I reckon the money will lead to a big shift in transfer policy. @Frog – Yeah, many blogs have been saying that. Because it’s the truth. It’s logical. Consider the competition we have from City and Chelsea financially. Man Utd have vast commercial income. The pressure on Wenger to work miracles is justifiable, but the slating he gets when he doesn’t is ludicrous. @Fatgooner – How frequently do sides like West Brom, Swansea and Everton qualify for the Champions League? Perhaps this season they have just been… Read more »
@Parisian – look, I HATE to make this comparison, but I’m going to anyways. Did you watch the Man U game today? Even though they got themselves back up 4-3 in the first half, SAF made 2 substitutions before the break because he had enough of what he was seeing defensively. You really think Wenger would do such a thing? And I said “apparently” technically gifted footballers. I do not consider Gervinho, Walcott, Arshavin, Chamakh, Squillaci, etc. to be anywhere near the class required to play for Arsenal. Sure sure a lot of them didn’t play today, nor the whole… Read more »
Have you been on holiday?
Wenger lost the plot three seasons ago. Where the hell did he think we’d wind up after letting our best players go and replacing them with hapless kids and has-beens?
He needs shipping out. Yesterday.
I’m starting to believe “Hamstrung financially” is a default setting in the defence of Wenger and his tactics. I really don’t understand him as a manager. I was watching the United – Reading game on Saturday and witnessed the tactical genius of Sir Alex. He was conceding goals from headers swung in from the right hand side of his defence. What did he do you say? He took off Rafael and put in big man Smalling in the 30th minute. Problem solved. Compare that with Arsene’s standard 70th minute sub. Remember Arsenal against United when he took off the Ox… Read more »
We should have stopped Wengers’s career 5 years ago. Today it is 8 years too late. Wenger OUT NOW! Wenger OUT NOW! Wenger OUT NOW! Wenger OUT NOW! Wenger OUT NOW!
worst match i ever seen….
We were balancing on the edge from the start of the season. I was afraid cos miracles are not happening every season, like last one with rvp. We are playing slow, predictable and impotent and players are acting like they don’t understand each other. Also if I am Wenger, Podloski and Gervinho would be benched for some time cos they were really nowhere today. But this one is Wengers fault too… he was resting Giroud and didn’t have a decent CF replacement. WHY??? Cazorla is somehow out too. Good to see Rosicky back. I will try not to expect anything… Read more »
Bench Podolski and Gervinho and play who? Steve Bould? Vic Akers?
Play Ox and Giroud or even Chamakh if his still at the club. Podloski can be a good sub.
Why not? i wouldn’t mind giving bould a go in this team. Can’t be worse than Gervinho.
Play the kids in the youth academy. At least they give a shit.
FOR FUCING HELL’S SAKE.
DEAR BOARD,
YOU’VE SOLD VAN PERSIE FOR 24 MILLION. AND YOU’VE LOST US THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
NOW YOU INTEND TO STOP PAYING BONUSES. YOU’LL LOSE MORE PLAYERS.
WHERE DOES THIS END,
THE QUALITY OF THE SQUAD IS POOR. IT’S TIME TO MAKE 30 MILLION SIGNINGS. PERSONALLY I NO LONGER GIVE A SHIT ABOUT OUR FINANCES. JUST MAKE US PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL. IF YOU CAN’T YOU’LL SHOULD HANG UP YOUR BOOTS
REGARDS,
HAPLESS SUPPORTER.
good thing you used CAPITAL LETTERS, wouldn’t have noticed you there if you hadn’t *heavy sarcasm*
I’m just a little pissed off.
Sorry for the Caps
Don’t know why you got so many red thumbs. Interesting you should talk about non – payment of bonuses – you’re on to something there. The club’s administration would love the team to finish fourth every season, rather than third. Fourth means a smaller league place bonus payment to players than a second or third place finish ( we should forget about first altogether). Fourth place also brings the extra match revenue of a European competition qualifier, partly offsetting the expenditure of paying fourth place bonuses to players. Having ( regrettably ) worked in corporate finance in the past, the… Read more »
sorry, but this is not an accurate point – most clubs have bonuses if their players win stuff. If they dont win, they dont get bonused – and they shouldnt! This is an example of media hype at its best.
Reeferman, It’s not media hype. It’s economics….and certainly not a model that produces winning football teams, whichever way you stretch it.
Glad to hear someone looking at the financial side of things and taking a long-term perspective (instead of, for example, Walcott, who surely has 1 month left before getting out of this Götterdämmerung)
What would Kroenke do next if Arsenal failed to get 4th place? Would he still consider a mid-table club good to hold onto in the long-term?
Absolutely perfect. I’ve thought for some time that Kroenke has a short/long term exit strategy in mind, longevity of said plan depending on how well the gamble you mention turns out. At the minute we’re a cash cow for a savvy business man who has managed to drive share prices to an all time high.
kroenke would hold on to arsenal regardless of league position, just so long as he can still turn a profit. he also owns the st.louis rams(a local team for me) and the colorado avalanche…both teams are shit and havent won anything for years…wait…the avalanche won the mls a few years ago, we havent won shit….but he will hang on as long as there is money to be made
Have to say, what’s the point of having a great stadium, loads of money in the bank when we’ve got a poor team unable to compete. Who’s gonna keep turning up to watch THAT?
Tourists! For the young middle/upper class person in Asia or Africa today (and there are a lot of them), the typical vacation to the UK would consist of going to watch games and buy a load of merchandise from United, City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. It’s why we’re going on tours every summer to Asia. The Premier League has basically replaced historical sights/museums/royal family etc as the greatest attraction. If you boycott Emirates, plenty of people to take your seat from all over the world. (This is not just some racist “London full of ethnic minorities” shit either, I’m from… Read more »
I beg to differ NEW. Some of us “Asian” fans are really not that dumb and gullible. Here in Malaysia we talk about how far we’ve fallen, Spurs have a better squad than us, Southampton Swansea Everton all play more attractive football than we do, Wenger seems absolutely clueless when his tactics are not working, there are less players we can support and call heroes and be proud of it (Cazorla, Wilshere and Sczezny being closest and even then I feel bad watching them under perform the past few weeks). All in all even if I visit London again NOW,… Read more »
fucking. pathetic. this side is depressing. everyone in the locker room needs a forceful kick up the backside.
Pathetic.
I’m afraid that’s it; game over lads. This is the match where people point and say it all went wrong.
Don’t expect us to get Champs League football for the next ten years now, all our extra funds will be “covering our debts” because we finish 8th.
i kind of agree with you. The Van Persie sale could well be the tipping point.
How i miss the team with Fabregas, Nasri, Song, Van Persie and Wilshere as our core.
Sre we didn’t win but they excited. Hell, they excited. The Arsenal performance today was as bad as it gets.
Ha, it is interesting how minds are changing… if you posted something like this at the beginning of this bloody season youd be all thumbed down. I agree with you… somehow I don’t like this team… it looks limited and predictable.
I hope something can change.
Can we start panicking now?
no point its too late
What a shambles. We were completely outplayed. We’re a joke at the moment. If we don’t turn things round now we’re doomed this season.
No word has been invented to describe how I feel.
I didn’t even make it out for a throw-in!!!
Thanks for making me smile even though I’m furious – much needed!
Sorry guys that was my fault, again.
These players + Wenger should be ashamed of themselves. No passion or heart and a lot of arrogance and stubbornness from the manager. Call me a whinger all you want. The fact that even at 1-0 in stoppage time, we were happy to run towards our own goal and look for a back pass shows that these players quite frankly don’t give a rat’s ass about winning and that only comes from the manager. Starting Gervinho ahead of Giroud is simply Wenger trying to prove a point that he can turn him into a striker. And when a manager puts… Read more »
Podolski played CF most of the game. Gerviniho was on the left…. Just to get the facts straight..
Podloski didn’t play -he acted as a fake shadow of rvp.
I actually really fear for Wenger’s job. Something feels different this time around.
I, too, fear for Wenger’s job. I fear he’ll get to keep it.
Took me 4 hours to get there today so missed the 1st half. Wish I’d missed the fuckin 2nd half as well.
Heh. Trust me mate, you’d have watched the 1st and probably excused yourself to a burger never to return!, shit all round, shit all round!
Just as I got there I heard the halftime boos – good start.
As I tried to get in I had to wait to let people out the turnstile. At half time.
Should’ve known then.
I stopped watching after 85 minutes because my eyes were hurting too much.
I am genuinely happier with the loss than I would have been with a point.
Some more results like these and maybe we’ll actually buy some quality players in january!
Sickening stuff. Sick to my teeth of wenger and gazidis blathering on about the uneven financial playing field. We pay £1mln pounds in wages per week more than those horrible spuds. And who brought those players in? AW!!
Yep we pay more in wages than spurs, that’s one of the many reasons why we finish above them every season.
Seriously though, wages are proportional to income.
WENGER OUT!!!! honest opinion.say what you want
All Ramsey’s fault, right? right?
We are finally ripping what years of under investment, terrible squad building and paralysis at broad level have sowed. We are now a mid-table team playing mid-table football.
reaping.
Grim Reapering!!!!
Thanks, write in haste, look at fool at leisure
I wasn’t mocking u, it just made me think of how our team is right now, i can see the grim reaper standing above the emirates, just waiting for Kroenke, Gazidis, Wenger etc…. As much as I think we are desperate for a change somewhere, i’m loathe to believe that sacking wenger is the answer, we will look the biggest mugs in football when truth of our finances are revealed in his tell all book. He’s a miracle worker but he no longer has the men around him to get the best out of modern day pampered footballers
don’t know what to say.
no leaders. no fight. players look clueless.
nothing wenger does on sidelines effects the outcome of games.
what happened to “deadly” theo?
i hope they have a lovely weekend in their massive houses.
Annoying team! increasingly annoying manager! The manager can’t explain all substitutions but surely he can explain his team’s performance! can’t he?
He does a better job explaining trends in the society at large
nothing new. we’re five off the third spot, so mathematically speaking nothing changed. we may still as well finish 3rd, and remain in the top 4. and i couldn’t care less. as i said before, it’s not about the position. it’s not about the fact that we’re in danger of not qualifying to CL for the first time in 15+ years. it’s about the style. it’s about what brought me to support this Club – its philosophy towards the youth and its insanely attractive way of playing. it was that what made me not really sad when we lost from… Read more »
Could not agree more. The beautiful passing game we used to play is gone. Swansea can now pass us to death. Just pathetic
I think we were in fairly significant danger of that last season… and also in 2006 (Lasagnegate). But other than that, I am worried about the Champs League, but in all honesty, we’ve been out of it before and the world didn’t collapse. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wenger quit this summer, he’s getting too old to be getting booed at home games. He needs to go and be a director of football, or something, for his own health. Still, who would you get in?
Santi was misplacing passes all game, why was he not taken off when Wilshere was doing most of the CAM work.
The problem is Wenger is supported by the board. We need Usmanov to buy out Kroenke to see real change
In the present situation … Yes, it is the only solution because Whinger is the boss to himself, no responsability, can do what he wants, no results target (except finish 4th). Don’t like Suggar Dady but Kroenke has 65% of the shares in the Club and can also do what he wants. Radical change is needed i.e. OUT Kroenke, Board, Gaz, Whinger and half of the team!! OUT NOW. Pissed off for seven years, but always Gooner since 1971. COYG!
“Given away cheaply” was said at least 20 times today and it defined the game. Cazorla looked tired. Yes he is our best creative player but we can’t play him every game. We need to rotate. Put Arteta up and play Coq.
Well blogs.. I am running out of things to say.. Lets just suffer in silence..
Well, as badly as things have been going I did NOT foresee a 2-0 loss at home to Swansea regardless of how well they played. We refused to pressure the ball when we didn’t have possession and seemed happy to pointlessly pass the ball around their box. No one had the sense of urgency we so clearly lacked. If we don’t buy a couple of catalysts this January, I am extremely concerned for the plight of this team. I’ll never lose faith in my team, but it sure it dwindling right about. Turn this around Gunners, before it’s too late.
Honestly this is fucking garbage, where is the passion from our players?
I have seen some passion from Wilshere, Jenkinson and Vermaelen for example. What they need is confidence. But you only get that through winning. We went into a vicious circle. Let’s get behind the team to help them out of it.
They don’t have it. Podolski, Giroud, Cazorla are all new signings, Gervinho, Mertesecker, and Arteta have been here for only a year, Walcott is on his way out, our captain is low as fuck on confidence. How can you maintain passion for the team if players are consistently leaving? In our starting lineup only Theo and Sagna have been with us for a long time, and both are going to be out come January. This bullshit needs to change, and soon. Wenger is a great manager, but he is too fucking stubborn. It’s great that he wants to play a… Read more »
apart from the bit where vermaelen stopped chasing michu i thought he did alright.
of course, he did stop chasing michu…
“We will come back. Now we have six games, four at home, and if we do well in this block I think we have a chance to come back. But of course it is vital for us to do well in these games.”
Arsene Wenger
Poo
Ok now let’s give a good rest to Arteta, Cazorla, Giroud and others on Tuesday night, and bring in the likes of Coquelin, Arshavin, Chamakh, Eisfeld and so on. They can’t be worse than what we have seen today can they?
I’m sorry guys…I always aim to be the most positive and optimistic guy on the site, but that was fucking unbearable to watch…we’re a mess! I think I’ll take a short break from all this, wake me up when January comes :'(
We’ll call you when the time comes, but don’t be alarmed if Theo’s playing centre forward somewhere else by then.
I don’t who’s playing in St. Etienne’s youth team these days but i’m sure he’ll be regarded by management as a suitable replacement, whoever he is.
I said it you all thumbed me down, the truth is hard to swallow i have no joy in getting to see my beloved club suffer, but hear this NO ONE I MEAN NO ONE BE IT CEO, COO, BOARD MEMBER, MANAGER OR PLAYER IS GREATER than ARSENAL we are the ARSENAL its time to we demand for the team that used to win things, i am sick of always hearing about our much money we are making i want to hear how many cups we have won
Gervinho is just further proof that Wenger has lost the plot. How in the fuck is he good enough for Arsenal?!
He is absolutely fucking useless. How many moves were there where we had pace to our attack? Very few? Well on those very few moves, Gervinho just stood there with the ball, wouldn’t pass it, wouldn’t get a cross on, Just his trickery bullshit which ends up tricking no one but himself and his teammates. Useless player.
I hate bashing our players but seriously, he can’t cross, he can’t shoot, he can’t head the ball, has awful control…and yet he somehow has 5 goals haha. His change of pace is good and all that tricky shit he does but that is kind of negated by the fact that he can’t cross the ball in the first place.
Gervinho is absolute garbage.
One of those games where Swansea get 5 chances and score two goals.
Arsenal get the most possesion and are happy with it.
Now wenger will say possesion is a positive!
#sad!
It is simply not good enough. We are only 2 point above Liverpool and they have been terrible this season. The team have no ideas. That’s Wengers fault. He has been amazing for football and immense for us over the years. But it’s time ‘Wenger Out’
I’ve not been for a lapdance at the strippers’ before, but I imagine that being at the stadium for this match would have resulted in similar emotions.
Turn up excited and full of anticipation, leave feeling frustrated, unfulfilled, and with a spring clean of the wallet to boot.
Up to 10,000 seats empty … Who were the clever ones ????
Gareth, I said on here ages ago that the grove would empty and got slaughtered for it.people saying that we have thousands on the waiting list blah blah blah. The trouble is those running the club only know a full stadium and took the waiting list as gospel. I was there in the eighties when we used to get 17.000 on some nights. Was always going to happen and will get worse. We are in recession and the club talk about living within our means etc except that it just didn’t occur to them that the same may apply to… Read more »
0-2. Empty seats ☑ Poor football ☑ No passion ☑ No subs ☑ Make Swansea look like Real Madrid ☑ Gervinho anonymous ☑ NOT AGREESIVE☑=SHIT!!!
I am not defeatist. But after that game, the truth is WE SUCK!
this isnt the arsenal we know anymore. hell, im talking about a front three who has no idea who the main striker is. A midfield where they do more backward passes than forward. Sczcesny didnt deserve to lose today but the rest of the team has no excuses.
Long season ahead but a real arsenal fan should understand we are in trouble right now, not fatigue, not lack of form but a true lack of quality and teamwork. A mid-table club at best and would be lucky to get european football next season.
Sort this shit out wenger.
Whinger can not sort this shit out because he is the main producer of this shit we are in for 7 … Sorry, 8 years and will be even in a deeper shit if we do not kick him OUT NOW!!
We fully deserved what we got. Our build up was slow, this is possibly the slowest arsenal team I have seen. No ideas, no creativity, hopeful little chips into the general direction of the striker, arteta has been badly exposed lately as the defensive enforcer he isn’t, woefully poor corners from Walcott, not much more to say really
Can anyone give feedback on the BSM walk earlier? Arsenal will only buy players now in the window in order to try get in the top 4. It says a lot about our ambition as to when we had VP, Cesc, Nasri etc why we couldn’t have got the two extra players that could have made us truly compete. To rely on Diaby to be fit shows that AW is no Einstein. And to dish out contracts to Squilacci into his 30’s but not look to increase guys like Peres and Sagna as he approaches his 30’s has left me… Read more »