Beginning to get a feeling.

Chelsea at The Grove on Sunday - a game I've been looking forward to for a while.
Chelsea have the power, players like Essien who drive them forward, Anelka who, on a good day can turn a game, Drogba who's physical presence can make a difference. We have the technique, that close-passing game that can work around and through any defence on it's day and although we'll be missing RvP our 'nippers' might just catch EBJT and his cohorts napping.
In truth it could go either way and a lot may depend on whether we've got 3 of our regular defenders or just 2 but, given an even break I reckon we can take the points, assuming there are no further injury surprises. We need the win, Chelsea would, I'm sure accept a draw, so, come on Arsenal, time to play!

1-1, Fabregas and Anelka.You heard it here first

3-1 to Chelski, men against boys Im afraid

I thought it had been a good few years since you had a feeling JPR

1-1 I was going to say, but the yam yam said that. You will lose 2-1

villanfromluton wrote:I thought it had been a good few years since you had a feeling JPR

1-1 I was going to say, but the yam yam said that. You will lose 2-1

Bollox - the odds are against us, we've got our backs to the wall - we are The Arsenal, WE WILL WIN!

jpr60 wrote:

villanfromluton wrote:I thought it had been a good few years since you had a feeling JPR

1-1 I was going to say, but the yam yam said that. You will lose 2-1

Bollox - the odds are against us, we've got our backs to the wall - we are The Arsenal, WE WILL WIN!

Indeed

Finn wrote:3-1 to Chelski, men against boys Im afraid

Almost spot on!

Powder puff up front from what I saw today, you can have Heskey for £10m

Finn wrote:3-1 to Chelski, men against boys Im afraid

I'm afraid to say that your assessment, score aside, was absolutely correct Finn.

First 15-20 minutes it was looking good, we were knocking the ball around, Drogba was falling down complaining, Cashley was giving the ball away - 'Yes!' thought I (and several thousands of other Gooners, no doubt) but, actually it was 'No'. We gave away two bad goals - the second one gave me a ManU moment, it was as if I was watching some kind of repeat performance that I couldn't get my head around, ball into the box, no defence, keeper with brain in neutral - GOAL!
Beginning of the second half, attack, AA - GOAL! - or, goal disallowed. At that moment the match was lost.
Nasri had played well but to no avail, Rosicky came on and put in a shift - Cesc let his head drop - Song was replaced (a decision I cannot yet understand) and Denilson continued to play hospital balls to his team-mates at best, usually balls straight to the opposition. Eduardo is a predator not the leader of the line so he had a poor match getting bumped around, both he and AA need a Bendtner/RvP to play off. Our defence was poor, every single one of them including, of course Almunia.
So, at the end of the day we're more-or-less where we were last season - we'll not be challenging Chelsea for the title, we might get lucky in one of the knock-out competitions (which now includes the CL) but I woudn't bet on it. Shame, some of the performances this season have had us purring with pleasure but the Sunderland match wasn't, after all a case of 'winter wobbles', it was a November reality check - lose two or three players to injury and you'll win nowt!

The problem through the spine of our team has not been addressed and will, once again, prove to be our downfall.
We lack height, strength and have conceded far, far, too many goals.
If Song was injured and replaced, fair enough. If he was not injured and just replaced then that would border on lunacy, in my book.
Song has made excellent progress, was playing well yesterday and is a far better option than the poor Denilson. I wonder why Denilson was selected yesterday, with Song in the side, to do what job?
I'm not sure Wenger sees things that way though. I believe that Song's run in the team has been prompted by Denilson's injury. I think Wenger prefers the tiny, weak, poor passing, defensively inept, Denilson in the holding role. Despite the fact that Fabregas's performance is clearly stifled when Denilson plays next to him. If he continues to favour Denilson, we are in trouble and will struggle to hold a position in the top 4.
Having said all that I do think we can progress in the CL, provided we avoid the PL teams. Our style favours us against continental teams.
In the PL, however, we are found wanting physically. We are great between our penalty area and the opposition's penalty area but very average IN both penalty areas. I'm talking against the better PL sides, of course.
Where we go from here? Over to you Arsene.

Personally I think that Arsenal missed a trick when you didn't try and sign Gareth Barry.

His experience of the Premier League would have been good for you and think that he would have been that missing link that you needed in central midfield.

I just wonder where we're gonna go from here. Tomorrow it'll be 'The Kids' up against a more-or-less full-strength ManC team at their place - it'd be a great boost if we could pull something off up there but no surprise if we get put in our place. Then Stoke at home at the weekend - have we got the spirit to return to winning ways as we did after the two earlier upsets in Manchester? Indeed, have we got the means? Should we get an early goal we can build on it and get a good result but if our apparent lack of 'cutting-edge' means we again get frustrated who's to say Stoke can't overpower us over 90 minutes?
I don't recall having felt this despondent with The Arsenal before - it's as if we've got all the parts in place (OK, we've got injuries but we've also got a squad) but the machine doesn't function properly. It's a wait'n see situation - I hope Arsene's got something up his sleeve!

jpr60 wrote:I just wonder where we're gonna go from here. Tomorrow it'll be 'The Kids' up against a more-or-less full-strength ManC team at their place - it'd be a great boost if we could pull something off up there but no surprise if we get put in our place. Then Stoke at home at the weekend - have we got the spirit to return to winning ways as we did after the two earlier upsets in Manchester? Indeed, have we got the means? Should we get an early goal we can build on it and get a good result but if our apparent lack of 'cutting-edge' means we again get frustrated who's to say Stoke can't overpower us over 90 minutes?
I don't recall having felt this despondent with The Arsenal before - it's as if we've got all the parts in place (OK, we've got injuries but we've also got a squad) but the machine doesn't function properly. It's a wait'n see situation - I hope Arsene's got something up his sleeve!

I really admire Wenger for the job he's done at Arsenal and indeed what he's brought to the English game.However, i feel his stubborness is the difference between finishing 3rd and actually winning the league.regardless of Adebayor's stinking attitude he is a big miss from the Arsenal side.Wenger IMO needs to add some quality big money experienced signings to those kids or you could find yourselves out of the CL places.Villa,Man city and Spurs are closing the gap

Drawing from QB's point, your kids were thoroughly trashed today. Given that your club has gone 6 years (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) would you Arsenal fogeys rather Wenger had played a full strength team and showed some intent to win the competition?

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:Drawing from QB's point, your kids were thoroughly trashed today. Given that your club has gone 6 years (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) would you Arsenal fogeys rather Wenger had played a full strength team and showed some intent to win the competition?

We are in enough shit injury wise already, without chasing the Carling Cup.
You might also care to look at the role played by one of our kids in tonights defeat, his name is Silvestre, a bright prospect for the future.

Wasn't a bright performance but, then again one wouldn't expect our youngsters to pull off a surprise against a full-strength ManC team which cost millions to string together. I thought we were doing well with 0-0 at half-time.
Watched the game at the pub my mate runs - he's Irish and a Liverpool fan so we could console each other for a thoroughly sh!te November over a couple of pints of the black stuff.

What do you think of Wenger's childish post-match antics, jp?

jpr60 wrote:Wasn't a bright performance but, then again one wouldn't expect our youngsters to pull off a surprise against a full-strength ManC team which cost millions to string together. I thought we were doing well with 0-0 at half-time.
Watched the game at the pub my mate runs - he's Irish and a Liverpool fan so we could console each other for a thoroughly sh!te November over a couple of pints of the black stuff.

unlike the 7 brilliant teams to face them before you

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:What do you think of Wenger's childish post-match antics, jp?

Not sure it was 'childish'. I've heard that Hughes had been ranting around during the game, pacing up and down in front of Wenger (who objected to the fourth official) and then proceeded to bad-mouth Wenger. If that's the case I'm not too surprised at Wenger avoiding Hughes at the finish, I mean, shaking hands with someone who's all proud and pleased and has been giving you a hard time for 90 minutes? If it were me I'd have put the head on him. Still, it would have been 'nicer' to have shaken hands - but who cares? For some it'll be another chance to have a poke at The Frenchman, he can handle it.

I do think Wenger is an ungracious loser - it's a French trait, I think, and not very attractive.

One of my few fond memories of Pardew was when he squared up to Wenger after he had a french hissy fit about his celebrations.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:One of my few fond memories of Pardew was when he squared up to Wenger after he had a french hissy fit about his celebrations.

He didn't square up to him - he was just bouncing around like Tigger.

jpr60 wrote:

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:What do you think of Wenger's childish post-match antics, jp?

Not sure it was 'childish'. I've heard that Hughes had been ranting around during the game, pacing up and down in front of Wenger (who objected to the fourth official) and then proceeded to bad-mouth Wenger. If that's the case I'm not too surprised at Wenger avoiding Hughes at the finish, I mean, shaking hands with someone who's all proud and pleased and has been giving you a hard time for 90 minutes? If it were me I'd have put the head on him. Still, it would have been 'nicer' to have shaken hands - but who cares? For some it'll be another chance to have a poke at The Frenchman, he can handle it.

In spite of whatever has gone in in the game I have always offered to shake hands at the end of the game.It's ungentlemanly not to and i'd be saying the same thing regardless of who we were talking about.Wenger as great as he is lets himself down on occassions with his petulence

French arrogance