Arsenal: Martinez, Bellerin, Chambers, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Flamini, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis, Cazorla, Giroud
Subs: Szczesny, Koscielny, Ajayi, Maitland-Niles, Campbell, Podolski, Welbeck
—
Arsenal rediscovered old bad habits as they went down 3-2 at the Brittania Stadium today, despite almost overturning a three goal deficit.
Arsene Wenger made a number of changes from the team which beat Southampton in midweek, with Hector Bellerin and Kieran Gibbs coming into the back four in place of Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal, meaning Calum Chambers moved to centre-half alongside Per Mertesacker. Further forward, Danny Welbeck found himself on the bench as Olivier Giroud was handed a start up front.
After three clean sheets in a row, there was a hope Arsenal had found some defensive consistency, but the changes at the back played a part in the home side going ahead after just 25 seconds. Stoke got down the right, Calum Chambers missed the header completely, the ball fell at Peter Crouch’s feet and he prodded home from close range. 1-0.
Arsenal responded well in terms of possession and should have been level on 10 minutes. Hector Bellerin kept the ball alive brilliantly, and the young Spaniard crossed to the back post. Olivier Giroud had a free header, the keeper was scrambling to get across but the Frenchman headed wide when pretty much anyone of us would have finished it, even All Neck Ned – the man with no head.
Crouch could have had a second after a dangerous cross found him free, but Bellerin did enough to prevent good contact. Emi Martinez just about made a save from a long-range Bardsley shot while at the other end Santi Cazorla whistled an effort just over the bar.
Kieran Gibbs had a half chance with a header that went the same way as Cazorla’s free kick, before Crouch straight-armed Chambers in the face only to get a talking to from the referee. That led to Stoke’s fans booing the young defender for having the temerity to damage Crouch’s arms with his rock hard face.
It got worse for the Gunners in the 35th minute when Stoke doubled their lead. Again, the cross came from the right hand side, Bojan’s run from deep was unnoticed and un-tracked, and his first time finish from close range was top class, giving Martinez no chance. 2-0.
In response, Giroud saw a header palmed over by Begovic but Arsenal were lethargic and careless all over the pitch. That carelessness was evident in possession, when we’d give it away and put ourselves under needless pressure, and when they had the ball when we simply didn’t work hard enough to maintain our defensive shape.
So, it was no surprise when Stoke grabbed another goal just before the break. Crouch headed it down, Walters was unmarked and he just rifled it into the top of the net to make it 3-0. It capped a fine Stoke performance and summed up everything that was wrong with Arsenal’s.
Arsene Wenger made a half-time change, putting on Danny Welbeck for Hector Bellerin to try and get something from the game. That meant Mathieu Flamini moving to right back. However, the next big chance fell to Stoke when a Bojan free kick almost caught Martinez out, but he just managed to get hands on it and push it into a Stoke player and out for a goal kick.
From an Arsenal point of view not much happened so Alexis took matters into his own hands (feet). The Chilean picked up the ball on halfway, charged through the Stoke defence in the 56th minute, had Giroud outside him, went around the keeper but his shot from a tight angle rebounded back off the post.
As always we were left ruing the missed chance as a few minutes later Stoke went even further ahead. Bojan picked the ball up down the left hand side, stepped inside, hit a shot which Martinez got a hand to but which went in at the near post. 4-0. Except it wasn’t, the goal was disallowed for Diouf interfering with play in an offside position.
The game then turned on its head when Arsenal were awarded a penalty for a foul on Flamini which Santi Cazorla converted to make it 3-1, and when Stoke failed to clear a corner a minute later Aaron Ramsey’s volley went through a crowd of players and beyond Begovic. From ‘4-0’ it was 3-2.
It looked as if the comeback might be on but the chances were made slimmer when Calum Chambers picked up a second yellow card from Anthony Taylor for a slight tug in a 50/50 with Bojan. The same referee who let Crouch straight-arm Chambers in the face with just a talking to couldn’t wait to get the red card out because, as shit as we are, he’s much worse at his job. Biased, at worst, but at the very best hugely incompetent.
Arsenal pushed for an equaliser, playing a back one of Mertesacker. Cazorla had a shot which Begovic palmed away and there were a series of corners and free kicks from which we couldn’t find a way through. Not even the late introduction of Joel Campbell, in the 92nd minute could save the day.
Wenger’s side paid the price for a terrible first 45 minutes and once again leave Stoke empty-handed. Let the slicing and dicing begin …
Sigh
Couldn’t have put it any better. Just as things seemed to turn around and a bit of momentum going our way, this happens. Well at least there’s no more bullshit from the media on Chelsea going unbeaten. Fuck that shit they’re 24 games short, fucking 24! The way the media goes on about it is as if they’re some 5 games short. Unfucking believable.
Why are you worry about the cunts unbeaten record, it was never gone to be done in your life time.
Now, how about just saying we have a manager that pass his sell by date and the sooner her goes the better.
I wasn’t worried about our record, just media bullshit suggesting it could be broken is what works me up. And about Wenger this conversation has gone on long enough, I agree he doesn’t seem to be able to change things around atm. But 2 windows where he could spend and the team already looks much better. January is not far off let’s see what he does then (though I still find it incompetent we have to wait till January for a defender).
Why would Anyone thumbs down the above comment. Do people seriously think Wenger has a chance of winning the league again? If so what are the signs that point you in that direction?
This is not an angry comment rather one who sees a manager that has reached his peak and is declining.
Mate it’s just one of those things…
So 49 – 15 is now 24?
Their unbeaten run began since last season, so no it’s not just the 15 from this season. But I’ll let you off on that one 😉
So what is Arsene’s excuse today?
So what is Arsene’s excuse today?
The new stadium,
Oil money,
No top “qualady” better then Art, flam or diaby,
Hair spree,
We operate socialist wage,
Judge him in May,
In the next two years he will win the league,
The best ever squad,
50 thousand subs….
oh and the Ref too.
Take your pick.
Arsene IS the problem.
Same old wenger NEVER changing..
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a (first half) landslide.
No escape from reality.
Though a beer or two might help, and thinking about the (only PL) invincibles…
Caught in a fast break, no appeal for a penalty.
Open midfield, let Bojan walk on by and threeeeeeeeeee
I’m just poor boy (manager), I need some sympathy
same old same sht same broken performance same disgraceful use of tactics same look same mistakes same excuses. all repeated. nothing will change under him cant even get emotional with it nomore.
I can accept a bit of bad luck, players not being in form even a manager not being able to buy quality defensive players (sort of). But not being fired up for a game, not being switched on is disgraceful . And that comes from the manager.
wenger hadn’t got the balls to get off his arse to encourage the players !! he was scared to death of the Stoke morons . just sat there like a kipper while his team took a beating . any other manager in the league would have been ranting and raving ! fucking disgrace ! wrong players . wrong manager !! thumbs down all you like but that that sums the guy up
to the guy who thumbs down … give me your sun glasses mate
hes even come out and said he was shit scared to get out of his seat in case the stoke orcs gave him shit !!!!!!!!! fucking disgraceful wenger !!! get some balls off e bay !!
Is that where you got yours from?
Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
Next
Oh dear.
Mertesacker over burgers not in hell’s heaven for me. Why is he taking a nap while Bojan slips on behind him. Crazy. Kamikaze. It’s like he knows he has an excuse to hide behind when kos isn’t playing. Chambers ducks under the ball for the first goal. Tripe after tripe this season. Wenger out.
That bald fuck of a referee was awful today, defence was absolute shit in the first half. No Stoke FC fan has an IQ higher than a room temperature, I am fairly confident of that now.
what u do at stoke is to meet them with the same aggression ! not like our pussy of a manager who sits with his fingers up his ass while his taem is getting mullered !!
team
lets blame the ref
Room temp in Celsius
Another nail in Wenger’s coffin.
It is becoming increasing difficult to fight his corner.
Don’t worry, one or two win later and he will be the best manager in the world again. Not has been and modern football left him behind.
Arsene IS the problem.
Yeah we get it. You don’t like him…
sometimes doing the right thing is difficult
It is becoming more difficult by the day to fight his corner.
It would be another nail, if the Board gave a shit.
The board won’t give a shit, he is making the yanks money, why should they????. But, where is his pride and dignity as a football man to walk out instead of collecting 8 million a year while putting some decent men through a shit season after season.
Arsene IS the problem.
At the present time this club is little more than a company and the directors subsequently owe their duty to the shareholders, not the fans.
Depressing shite.
wait until no shirt or ticket is sold for lack of faith.
It could have and should have been 4-0 so another thrashing by a big team was avoided phew!! Well done toon. Out.
The Jekyll and Hyde bullshit fucking attitude of this team is beyond a joke now. It’s not fair on the fans. To play like absolute shit in the first half only to come out firing in the second is just not good enough. The players should give half of their fuckin pay this week back to the club, they only worked 45/90. And Anthony Taylor. You fucking bald headed cheating prick, go die in a fire. Bullshit red card, WHO CALLS A FOUL THROW IN THE BPL?!? Nearly every throw is a foul throw but you call one to disrupt… Read more »
It’s not worth it mate.
It’s alright there’s an EPL classic match on now, ARS v EVE from 2001/2002.. Should take the edge off
that match seeing complete powerful arsenal team would make you more sad, than taking the edge off !
we should electrocute the referee through his prick.
hee heee heee hee!
good to know there’s fellow aussies who are staying up this late to watch that shite, and its not just me.
Your local Samaritans number is available here mate – http://www.samaritans.org
Have a wank and erase from your memory…for a moment at least.
What are today’s excuses?
Look there were a lot of positives
I think the team showed great fighting spirit to come back like that.. There is something special with this team.
special my ass!
the truth is we shouldnt have gone “walkies” in the first case
if we hadn’t, then there would have been no need to show a “great fighting spirit”
we were playing stokes FFS!
………but, chins up…at least we know CHELSEA IS NOT INVINCIBLE!!!!
This team gave a lot of effort.
They have great spirit.
It was a good comeback and unlucky not to get a point.
Defensively we lacked a little concentration.
We always see these problems in a post World Cup season.
Of course, we are disappointed but there were a lot of positives.
I believe we will recover and have a strong finish to this season.
Blah, blah, blah…..
we deserved something apparently
Adiós Alexis
Fuck sake I was so convinced we were going to go on a run after the Dortmund win, we just can’t seem to perform against the damn orcs.
What’d you expect? The game was in Mordor and Sauron was the official.
Sauron? More like worm toungue.
Any Arsenal fan who expected a bettr than a -3 defeat today is delusional. Fortuanately I expected this disastet so I am not unhappy about my expectations not being met
Nonetheless all is we. We have nice seats un our stadium. We have nice grass and our manager is good at economics and he is handsome.
No surprises today
Feel so fucking depressed right now. Creds to the team for the second half which was great. Referee had a stinker. Stoke is a fucking rugby team, but it was quite obvious that most of their players were a head taller than ours. We were always gonna struggle in the air duels with the players we have. I also feel we lack a physical presence, which was made extremly obvious today. We did not speed up our game. If you don’t speed up, you invite physical stoke.
Yeah, I guess it looks like most of our players are in the red zone physically. Passing & movement are so off today. Ugh. Losing like this is painful.
If you’re crying, I’d understand…
If you’re laughing, I’d also understand…
If you said those wenger out banners were a disgrace, no it’s not…
But, hey we have a new formation to look forward to… the 2-2-6…we’ll call it “The Wenger Disgrace” formation
Guilty of the crime of being unfunny.
i’m not here to debate sense of humour but it looks like more fans are hurt more than anything and they know my comments while hurtful are true
Arsenal
I like to take positives from everything in life. Today Chelsea lost and will not repeat our unbeaten run. That is still our record. Today we were forced to play a second string defence. We move on.
What a total shambles though. The fact that we finished the match with just one defender on the field speaks volumes about how broken today’s team was.
GMan,
Stay positive two more years.
Arsene IS the problem.
G-Man, who’s fault is that we played a second string defence against Stoke? Same issues, year after year… Refusal to sign good defenders.
For weeks, people were asking “why is Monreal playing CB?”, and “can we not play Chambers with the BFG in the centre and Bellerin at right back?” Today proved that Wenger was right not to do it for many weeks, but was forced to do it today because of injuries. People need to understand that you have a right centre back and a left centre back, and quite clearly neither Mertersacker and Chambers can’t play on the left side, which made the defence lopsided, making crosses and long diagonal balls so dangerous as proved today. BUT, and that’s a big… Read more »
Don’t even bother trying to give Wenger credit, if we had bought a centre back, we wouldn’t have to pick between playing our 3rd choice RB, or playing our second choice LB in centre back.
Of course he should have bought a new cb.
But was there any cb available below 20 mil(verm was the only one and he is injured until jan)? Dont think so. Almost every team is in for a cb but no ones having much luck. So while it was negligent of AW to go into a season with just 3 cbs, he really didnt have much choice
Oh please. How in the hell did he have no choice? This is one of the richest clubs in the world, charging the highest tickets prices in the land, yet your telling me that every other team in the premiership managed to start the season with 3 senior CBs but Wenger somehow didn’t? Wenger made a choice. The choice was that he could get by. He took a gamble. In my opinion a quite indefensible gamble that he thought he could make it through to January with Kos and Mert playing every game. He’s rather depressingly and predictably lost in… Read more »
I want a fucking name, price and the player who is available. “A rich club” doesn’t spawn players. ffs
There is no point trying to convince some people that is not so easy to buy someone. Yes we could offer money but there are three parties that need to agree on the deal. Some people need to remind themselves that we aren’t entitled to everything. Even City couldn’t by Alexis a few years ago.
Those making these arguments wouldn’t be happy anyway with a player we could get. Some people can never be pleased.
No mate, it’s not my job to find players for wenger to sign. Of course I don’t know anyone we should have signed because I havnt gone around the world scouting talent for arsenal. If you’re trying to say that all the club and it’s scouting powers couldn’t find one suitable CB , that’s even more embarrassing
What time is it today hehehe?
ARSENE WENGER
in out in
out out
in \_ in
out out
in out in”
…in out in out shake it all about
Please, Arsene, take a stress pill and think things over.
My mind is going, I can feel it,
I can feel it,
I can feel it…
Too many Arsenal fans are way too emotionally attached to Arsene Wenger to the degree they can’t see the blindingly obvious. He is finished and he is the problem. He has to go at the end of the season and there should be no debate, he has failed. His stubborn backwards arrogance needs to get out of this club if we want to turn into anything but a joke anymore. It’s painful to say but he’s an average manager who makes so many mistakes. We need to get over ourselves and start fresh next season. Change is good, stubborn stagnation… Read more »
Yep. Too many of us are confused with supporting Arsenal FC and Arsene Wenger.
My main issue with Arsene Wenger has always been the transfer windows and the big games as of late. We seem to be unable to beat the best team. We just fall apart from time to time. We seem to just turn up for the second half and not the first one. A game is played over 90 min, atm, arsenal just play the game for 45 minutes. Or even 30 to put it nicely. Most of our goals are scored in the 60-90 min. Sure, matches are won in this time, but we should push on to take early… Read more »
I’m really anxious for this January to just be done with, for better or worse. We all know where the team needs support, but if we do get any shopping done, I’m starting to feel it really must be a big purchase because adding another player who is just above average won’t do for our squad. Like with scoring goals, you don’t do it by moving sideways, you do it by going forward. So I’m hoping we don’t just bring in support, we bring in upgrades instead. If you aren’t sure what positions I’m talking about, I mean the ball… Read more »
lol
Ah, but we are consistent, Arsenal are consistently inconsistent.
OK, that’s fine – but who’s coming in then? And if we’re basing this on “bad results, manager’s shit”, Klopp or Martinez don’t fit the argument, so who? Not Simeone because why would he. Felipe Scolari? AVB? Sam Allardice? There are two aspects to sacking a manager…
If the argument is ‘nobody is better than Arsene we could bring in anyways’ then that’s a shoddy argument. If he left in the summer loads of managers would love to be manager of a club like Arsenal. Wenger himself was in Japan when we approached him and for the first half of his reign it was extremely succesful so basing on what a manager has done by now isn’t 100% fair as you’d have to take a risk. I just think a new manager could do better, when our current one can not. As for names there are atleast… Read more »
Arsene is a world class and not average coach. Injuries to key players made him look average. Period.
You can keep believing that if you want to.
By the way, Santa doesn’t exist and the moon isn’t made of cheese…
World class my BS.
How many times has he played Morinho?
Even Alan Pardew has beaten Morinho more than twice, this tactical moron is too limited to beat a Morinho team, because he thinks short lightweight Barca type players are the vogue, and wants to prove to US ALL that he can win the BPL with such players which can NEVER happen in England.
I agree with you, but let’s not forget that this came on the back of a three-game winning streak; in addition to that, we almost rescued a draw from this game. While I’d want change at Arsenal too just like you do, if we look beyond the “wengerout” banners, what manager would we find in Europe realistically to replace him? Jurgen Klopp, who’s leading a Dortmund team sitting near the bottom of the Bundesliga table? David Moyes, who was just recently signed by Real Sociedad? Supply and Demand. We demand a replacement for Wenger who is a top quality world-class… Read more »
maybe pep will leave bayern for arsenal? haha burst of laughing, but you are right non of the top managers are available. we have to stick with wenger and wait for his contract to expire in 2 years time then we will see, if some miracle happened and one of the top managers want to come at arsenal ok, if not don’t replace him with shit managers like avb moyes, kloop is good but when his team has problems similar like our team with best players leaving and injuries he is much worst that wenger the table of bundesliga are… Read more »
Wasn’t there some rumors about thiery Henry on return to arsenal? I think TH also confirme the rumor to be true. To my understanding, I believe he would be a pretty good candidate to take over wengers legacy of arsenal if not join as a player or or leaa.
To call him a poser is frankly ludicrous. Poser? Phil Brown is a poser. Brenda Todgers is a poser. Both ugly fucking cunts and still posers. Wenger is no poser. So I can’t take this comment seriously.
so the chambers per duo didnt work? who would have thought. disappointing result.
how can people seriously defend wenger after that?
bellerin hasn’t played for months, and you re-introduce him into one of the most difficult away games in the league?
szczesny is fit enough for the bench, yet you go for our 3rd choice, who was at fault for at least one of the goals.
please guys, no ref excuses, the ref may have stopped us from grabbing the third through that red card, but he had no part in us being 3-0 down. Wenger out
When Wenger decided to gamble with no defensive cover this season he undermined all the work that he had done to assemble a good squad, again. Today he reaped what he sowed, again.
My goodness if you’re going to criticize please choose better arguments. This probably was the worst game Bellerin has played in his few appearances this season, but take note that their goals came from our left. First Chambers channels the headless horseman, then Gibbs leaves Walters to cross it while the rest of the team takes mental notes on whether Bojan is Spanish or Serbian. So if that’s your opening criticism, it’s really off the point. And your second even more, Martinez has been good for us, he did his job and you cannot fault him for any of the… Read more »
Mate for your first point, it’s not just about where the goals came from, football is more than that, what you want in your back 4 against the orcs is an assured player who knows exactly how to deal with direct teams like stoke, someone like sagna. Clearly bellerin was struggling, which is why he went off at half time, just because none of the goals came from his side, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a bad call to start him. As for Martinez, I can’t believe you can’t see he is clearly at fault for the second goal, he came… Read more »
you are right about a player like sagna with experience, and that it’s not just about where the goals came from , but we have debuchy who is maybe better than sagna and played very consistently at the start of the season, I don’t defend wenger but he was not at fault for the unlucky injuries debuchy had, i blame wenger for not getting cb cover after letting TV5 go, but can’t blame him for unlucky injuries the players had like debuchy, walcott, monreal, and if we had tonight sagna and kos, and gibbs would let walters taking his time… Read more »
As TV5 won’t play again this season, getting good money for him was a masterstroke. Not signing a replacement was fucking stupid. Despite an excellent dinner and some quality rum (Venezulan diplamatico) I am very VERY pissed off with that.
I’m not trying to fight you, I’m just saying it’s a bit nitpicky to call out Bellerin and Martinez when they certainly weren’t our worst players and again, I would not put them at primary fault for any the goals we let in. I’d say the other 3 defenders played worse then Bellerin at the back. Sure Bellerin occasionally gets caught upfield, but unlike most of our players he jets back to position as quickly as possible instead of wishing for someone to take over his responsibility. For the second goal 1) Gibbs doesn’t close Walters down, 2) everyone ignore… Read more »
Haha, you are defending the fact that Stoke and the referee are cunts by blaming todays game single-handedly on Wenger. You could blame Podolski for being ineffective for all of his 28 minutes or blaming some other player for not doing his job. But I understand. You are using “The Wenger Excuse”, nice.
Nah mate not at all, ref was poor, stoke are more a rugby team than a football team. But all that stuff is out of your control, until we can convince the epl to kick stoke and ref out of the league, we’re just going to have to look at our own performance, and a big part of that is the manager
So the positives…
Cazorla and Ramsey scored… that might give them some confidence.
*Goes back to weeping*
Ramsey needs to be dropped. Yeah he was amazing last season but the reality is he’s fucking shit this season. Then again, bar one or two players I can’t really think of anyone who hasn’t been shit.
He had a few good games at one stage last season, otherwise he has been so over rated, He is a passenger on our team and is responsible for much of our troubles, Cowardly fucker, he pulled out of several tackles today, should be shown the door immediately.
You been drinking?
yep!….probably something stronger than alcohol, i am guessing!!
Be fair guys and apportion equal blame to the strikers.
Giroud’s header…alexis hitting the posts… football is a team sport. Defenders defend and strikers strike.
This referee should be refereeing net ball….
Well, in all fairness they scored two goals. You don’t expect a “title” contending team to concede 3 goals against Stoke Shitty Rugby Team. 😛
Awful performance
Awful result
Awful management
I don’t want to hear ‘the ref was poor’ etc, not good enough, this was abysmal.
We know what Stoke do and yet we had no game plan to deal with it or disrupt them, it was the same old play our game and not acknowledge the opposition.
Our defence today is the result of negligence in the transfer window in the summer. Yes we could buy in January but the horse has bolted.
The team is just not setup correctly and totally unbalanced.
Wenger should go now.
The first 45 is the worst 45 I have ever seen. No preparation, no gameplan, nothing. Wenger, practice defence and set pieces if you are capable, which I very much doubt. The shit storm goes on and on and it’s so predictable.
I would say again it was mentality thing, going down 1-0 after 19 seconds when the game not even started. the players surrender themselves like they coincided in 90 minutes and forgot all about the game-plan, and all the preparations and how they needed to play against stoke. What was that from gibss letting the stoke player to cross two times with no pressure he just backed up from the player and let him to put a very dangerous cross on top of that everyone know how dangerus stoke are in the air and let them cross like that i… Read more »
Our inexperienced back four crumbled after such a bad start whereas a more experienced one would probably redouble their efforts to keep them the fuck out… I think that was our downfall today. Anyway no one important won today and Chelsea even lost too so it’s not as terrible as it could have been.
I’m not even angry!!
As TV5 won’t play again this season, getting good money for him was a masterstroke. Not signing a replacement was fucking stupid. Despite an excellent dinner and some quality rum (Venezulan diplamatico) I am very VERY pissed off with that.
Where is Fatgooner when you need him?
Bollocks of a performance, no excuse for losing to OrcFC. Referee was a massive cunt but we shouldnt be down 3-0 at HT. Fucking granny’s tits on barbecue, this.
Everybody is perfectly capable of complaining without him.
Fatgooner has been thumbed-down so many times he just disappeared into the ether.
Poor old Hector Bellerin, feel so bad for him and I hope he doesn’t take being taken off badly. It was just the wrong game for him. Anyway, this is it with Arsenal. We can look very dangerous as an attacking unit when the players are fired up. On the flipside, we don’t seem to know when or even how to defend in certain circumstances. Sometimes you need to start a game with containment in mind, but that’s something we just never seem to do. It’s always all about attack, regardless of where or who we’re playing. Still though, really… Read more »
We didn’t deserve it. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think we have had a convincing win in any of our league games this season. That’s a real issue if you’re a top team. I’m surprised Wenger hasn’t made any mention of handbrakes at all because I’m pretty sure someone forgot to take it off. Terrible Team Play of the Day: Crouch gets covered by 4 players a foot shorter than him for a corner. Corner taker has a laugh and kicks it to him anyways, ball arrives and although surrounded, has all the appearances of a free… Read more »
Crazy how incompetent refereeing in Stoke freezes us. Ref played advantage so many times when Stoke players fouled us, therefore not counting as fouls, therefore not getting closer to being in the book. Pretty much every time we fouled the ref stopped the game, and that resulted in Chambers being sent off. Saying all that, we were crap, missing Kos, badly. Another thing, it’s like with United, we have a mental block when it comes to playing Stoke away. I was actually thinking yesterday when Wenger gave his press conference that his voice was almost trembling when talking about this… Read more »
Everytime an idiotic groundswell of support gathers yet again, those inclined to stand by Wenger need to sit down and revisit shambolic crap such as this game (as if this was needed). A fiasco of epic proportions from start to finish. No leadership from the manager (hunched and motionless on the bench the entire game) or anywhere on the pitch. Arsenal were panic-stricken from the outset and if anyone doesn’t think this all starts with Wenger and his own feckless leadership they are kidding themselves. …and perhaps it might occur to some what a demoralizing atmosphere it must be for… Read more »
Well, that ruined my weekend…Laurent has never seemed so valuable, all of a sudden. What a god awful rubbish half…
I miss Koscielny
I’ve been following Arsenal fan tv on youtube for about a year now and it’s laughable how fickle our fans are. before the 3 game win-streak it’s all wenger out jeers, then we win a few and it’s ‘wenger is a genius’ or ‘wenger deserves credit’ just fuck off. I know it’s not easy losing to these pricks but are we really surprised?? I’ve simply grown accustomed to it.
We lost 3-2 coz ref made a mistake, the 4th goal was not offside. We almost got a point and we could have had chambers not been sent off.
but I now have joined arsene out brigade, he is not the man anymore. We didnt even win a single tackle in the first half. Its not good enough.
Im not even surprised, disappointed or angry.
Deep down i knew we wouldn’t beat Stoke and the worst thing is the Stoke players knew it too, the simple fact is the 3 goals they scored wasnt due to long balls, tough tackling or foul play. Without Kos we are shocking defensively & with Kos we are adequate.
Once again and as with most seasons, our squad isnt good or strong enough, and as with most seasons we’ll get exactly what we deserve.
No matter what you think of wenger its definitely time to question his ability to set the team up for games and motivate the players. That first half was diabolical. as a fan i expect arsenal to beat tottenham and stoke every season. Or at least the players to give their all in trying to do so. I didn’t see that today nor in any game this season for that matter. its also been gojng on to long to keep hoping everything will suddenly just click into place. really starting to worry about this season and whats going on at… Read more »
This is getting ridiculous. The only so-called top team that consistently collapses every two games. Lot of our players are average in terms of quality and are overestimated because they play for Arsenal. No sense of urgency to close fown opponents in their defence even being down three goals, absolutely disgusted.
Well that was crap. Guess we just have to hope that our main rivals – West Ham and Southampton – lose this week as well.
If I remember rightly, this is also the time of year when we’ll be losing our last game in Europe and then drawing Bayern in the knockout round.
Can’t argue too much with either the team, the shape, or the substitutions. Chambers’ missed header in the 1st minute immediately put pressure on us, and it took us until the 2nd half to get going properly and recover our confidence. Game of fine margins, could have swung either way and we created plenty of chances that we couldn’t finish. Funnily enough, Stoke scored 3 but barely created chances, which is the story of our season so far. Now rest some players for Galatasaray, and prepare for busy Christmas period ahead. Debuchy is going to do us a world of… Read more »
No surprise really – is it ?
I actually feel sorry for sanchez. He must be scraching his head thinking where the fight is in this team. Why play if you are going to roll over and give up
Hope 7amkickoff points this out:
23 pts after 15 games = 1.533 points per game
1.533 ppg X 38 games a season = 58 pts by the end of the season
Is this the season we finally miss out on top four?
Wenger’s 10years refusal to give real depth to AFC has proved costly once again. It hurts to see Arsenal contend for 4th place when we can be 1st. For today, I take solace in the fact that the self acclaimed “happy noisy one” is unhappy
Yet another masterclass from Arsenal on how to lose in spectacular fashion
Well that was fucking dreadful. Those Stoke fans those, such megacunts.
What’s left to say?
Did I hear Arsene saying recently, that he doesnt do plan B? i didnt want to believe it, but I know in my soul, its true.
Brittania stadium, no plan B?? Has Plan A ever worked there??
Ok, so in the window, if we dont strengthen in two positions (and we all know the positions we are talking about), I will be concerned that we will drop out of the top four by seasons end.
Dropping out of the top 4 might be the best thing to happen to us.
Cos we all know the board wont sack him, and it might make Arsene realise that things have reached an all time low. Making top 4 will just paper over the cracks and it’ll be same ol next season.
Yeah, please let us drop out of the top 4. Lets make Allardyce our new manager and while your at it, lets become a mid-table team. So we can live happily ever after knowing that wenger is gone. Maybe then we will finally have nothing to complain about and we wont have to put up with fans writing abusive things about the club that they are supposed to support.
Don’t get me wrong, no arsenal fan wants to miss out on top 4
But if we get 4th again, do you really think Arsene will change his ways?
Yeah, that’s a great idea. Like Liverpool, dropping out of the top four worked out great for them didn’t it? I agree that the holes in the squad mean that the best we can hope for is top 4 and a cup run but this is a baby/bathwater argument.
Not only do we lose we always seem to find a new way to do so. How can a team come up with so many methods of failure. Team is excellent at finding ways NOT to win.
Many of the home fans in attendance at the Britannia today have mothers who are also their aunts.
And sisters.
Arsene strategy : whatever happens we,ll kill them in the last 20 minutes through our superior physical stamina.
From 3-0 down . …. Against Stoke ! …God help us in the champions league. Ground hog day again and again.
Coyg
Arsenal played like a cheap hooker. They looked ugly, sucked hard but occasionally you get a sense of relief.
Wait. I thought of a better analogy. You know those dumps that take you two flushes? Arsenal’s first half performance was the “pre-first flush” and their second half was “post-first flush”. Just too much crap to get rid of.
Dire all over the pitch. Defenders failing to do the most basic of tasks. Challenge for the ball, block crosses, mark your man. Real simple stuff. Chambers and Mertesacker where fucking awful today. Made an overhill Crouch look like a world beater. Made Bojan who is decent look like iniesta. 3-0 down to a team featuring great talents like Jonathan fucking Walters. How can a professional team concede after 20secs. Against a tactic you should have been preparing for all week. The simplicity of beating stoke. Stop Bojan. Stop crosses. Win the 2nd ball off crouch knockdowns. They are so… Read more »
Looks fucking injury riddled, tired, red zone side that put inan utterly deplorable first half.
Not enough quality cover especially at the back and base of midfield….and that is on the manager. Per looks like a dead man walking he is so tired….the view of him and Flamini basically walking back as the second goal was put right in was dire.
Thankfully the holiday period is coming up which means the all important winter break which we desperately need.
Oh wait…..
Fuck.
nc
Gibbs was just awful! The first 2 goals were all his fault. What was he doing on the first goal? He was way up the field. He has all the talent in the world but no tactical sense. You are playing away from home and you are bombing up the field in the first minute of the game. Walters is not a fast winger. How can you not close him on the 2nd goal?
Giroud is better as a sub than a starter.
Depressing!
Agree wirh NpGunner 100% Too many tactically stupid players, how can a full back be bombing forward in the very first minute? When you know you are playing away against a team that will most likely pressure you from the onset? That boy Gibbs really annoyed me yesterday, and Chambers ducking a cross in the 18 yrd box?? Also our genius manager playing the very slight Ballerin against the most physical team in the league? what a joke of a manager, thats why he can never have a clue on how to beat Morinho, something even Alan Pardew has done… Read more »
and how shit is Flamini. Average when he was at his peak, the one aspect of his game (Energy lol) has completely gone leaving a player that does absolutely nothing. What top team in the world would have this fool on the pitch or even in reserve.
Yet i am being unfair, because WENGER is the one that cheaply brought him back to begin with, and who has continuously failed to replace him.
Loved Alexis shouting at him, probably told him to fuck off and retire in chilean
This. But you’d have some people say he’s better than gustavo, mvila, carvalho, etc.
And our other alternative is arteta…33 years old, injury prone.
Those are the dms that’s suppose to wing the treble with(bearing in mind our style of play)
Arteta should be reserve. Maybe starting 10-15 games a season and only coming on to shore things up. Yet in this Arsenal team he is the most important cog. WENGER built his team around an over the hill attacking mid turned Dm who can’t run and is now injury prone.