Momentum

Having (apparently) recovered from a disastrous start to the season The Arsenal have to keep the momentum going and get their focus right for the early game at Norwich on Saturday. Norwich are the sort of team that play football, they're unbeaten at home thus far and, unless their manager pulls a few strokes and decides to play a cautious (uncharateristic) game we should see an end-to-end match which, I feel will be to our benefit. I'm thinking we can beat most teams that play open football, so I'm expecting a good performance, a good win on Saturday. Come on Arsenal!

Yes, as always, I'm hoping for a good result.

A good, open game (as expected) and whilst we should've scored a couple more I'm pleased with the three points and with Arsenal's play in general. I'd rate that Theo's finest match for The Arsenal thus far - he hardly put a foot wrong and was very aggressive and technically brilliant- well done Theo! Another stand-out player for me was Thomas Vermaelen - very determined in everything he did, including exploding into forward positions - but they all played their part. Santos is certainly growing into that "legend" status (vacated by Eboue), he looks lazy at times but he's got so much technical ability yet can put his foot in when necessary. A good day out!

Had to go out today, so missed the game. Well pleased to see the result. I'll watch the full game tomorrow.
Pleased to hear Walcott had a good game though.

Keeping it going nicely - another two goals for RvP and I particularly enjoyed seeing us score from a corner. Vermaelen near-post flick and RvP, having backed off his marker, there to slam the ball over the line at the far - days of Bould and Adams came rushing back!
Another match to come - derbies are tricky although we've proved we can succeed against the Fulham-based team, let's hope we can do likewise against the other Fulham-based team on Saturday, eh?!

jpr60 wrote:Keeping it going nicely - another two goals for RvP and I particularly enjoyed seeing us score from a corner. Vermaelen near-post flick and RvP, having backed off his marker, there to slam the ball over the line at the far - days of Bould and Adams came rushing back!
Another match to come - derbies are tricky although we've proved we can succeed against the Fulham-based team, let's hope we can do likewise against the other Fulham-based team on Saturday, eh?!

what are you going to do when you play someone like Stoke and RVP gets nobbled for month or two ???

We played Stoke recently and, thankfully (or surprisingly?) we remained "un-nobbled". But, being a mischevious Spud, what you're suggesting here is that we're a one-man team, eh? No RvP, no goals eh? It's a bit like asking where the goals would come from after Thierry Henry left, or how we could play our football Fabregas-less.
You're asking the wrong person here Frenchie, it's Arsene Wenger who knows, innit?!

jpr60 wrote:We played Stoke recently and, thankfully (or surprisingly?) we remained "un-nobbled". But, being a mischevious Spud, what you're suggesting here is that we're a one-man team, eh? No RvP, no goals eh? It's a bit like asking where the goals would come from after Thierry Henry left, or how we could play our football Fabregas-less.
You're asking the wrong person here Frenchie, it's Arsene Wenger who knows, innit?!

you dont seem to score all your goals when he is playing... I just was wondering....

FrenchSpur wrote:

jpr60 wrote:We played Stoke recently and, thankfully (or surprisingly?) we remained "un-nobbled". But, being a mischevious Spud, what you're suggesting here is that we're a one-man team, eh? No RvP, no goals eh? It's a bit like asking where the goals would come from after Thierry Henry left, or how we could play our football Fabregas-less.
You're asking the wrong person here Frenchie, it's Arsene Wenger who knows, innit?!

you dont seem to score all your goals when he is playing... I just was wondering....

He can do it while he's available, then someone else will have to step up to the plate when he's not.

jak wrote:

FrenchSpur wrote:

jpr60 wrote:We played Stoke recently and, thankfully (or surprisingly?) we remained "un-nobbled". But, being a mischevious Spud, what you're suggesting here is that we're a one-man team, eh? No RvP, no goals eh? It's a bit like asking where the goals would come from after Thierry Henry left, or how we could play our football Fabregas-less.
You're asking the wrong person here Frenchie, it's Arsene Wenger who knows, innit?!

you dont seem to score all your goals when he is playing... I just was wondering....

He can do it while he's available, then someone else will have to step up to the plate when he's not.

but who ?

Gervinho, Arteta, Walcott, Chamakh, Ramsey - not to mention Arshavin and AOC. We've got goal-potential in spades!

jpr60 wrote:Gervinho, Arteta, Walcott, Chamakh, Ramsey - not to mention Arshavin and AOC. We've got goal-potential in spades!

You tell her, jpr

jak wrote:

jpr60 wrote:Gervinho, Arteta, Walcott, Chamakh, Ramsey - not to mention Arshavin and AOC. We've got goal-potential in spades!

You tell her, jpr

Seems you missed of Vermaelen.....

Well, if he's scorng at both ends I don't count 'em!
That was a game we obviously should've won - chances, shots-on-goal - but I suppose you have to give Fulham some recognition for the way they kept battling away. At one stage I thought we were going to lose so the equaliser came as some relief but three points were needed today so we've come away a tad downcast. Still, onwards and upwards, eh?
League Cup on Tuesday (who cares?) but we're welcoming ManC so, on principle you want to turn them over. I wonder what sort of team we'll have out - whatever Mancini picks it'll be a costly eleven, ManC don't do anything else - it'd be kinda nice if we put the kids out and still won, but I suppose that won't happen (i.e. we won't put the kids out, we'll still win though)!

Yes, a disappointing result. Arshavin is just going through the motions, time to worry now, when he's selected, I thought Djourou improved as the game went on. Vermaelen just unlucky with the OG. Gervinho adds pace and makes things happen, his goal touch will come and he'll be a real asset and I'm really starting to like Santos, he looks a real good footballer. So disappointment but we're much improved, we needed to move the ball more quickly today but we had 10 men with AA playing, he looks like a pub player now. I think if Gervinho had started the game we'd have won.
With regards to the Man. City game, who gives a toss, we don't need the extra fixtures the Carling Cup brings.

Goalscorers at Wigan kind of proves the point I was trying to make earlier - Arteta, Varmaelen, Gervinho, van Persie - with potential for more from the likes of Ramsey and Walcott. A good, solid performance - sets us up nicely for some team rotation in the ECL match in Greece next week - hope we'll still win there and perhaps The Ox will be given a chance to shine, along with Frimpong, Coquelin.

jpr60 wrote:Goalscorers at Wigan kind of proves the point I was trying to make earlier - Arteta, Varmaelen, Gervinho, van Persie - with potential for more from the likes of Ramsey and Walcott. A good, solid performance - sets us up nicely for some team rotation in the ECL match in Greece next week - hope we'll still win there and perhaps The Ox will be given a chance to shine, along with Frimpong, Coquelin.

Yep, a solid performance, no dwelling in front. We kept at it for 90 minutes. A bit more experience in the side has improved the whole team focus. I'm liking what I'm seeing.

Seems a good performance, 5th is guaranteed after that one

The match last night screwed up our momentum somewhat - OK, it was mostly youngsters/squad players but you'd expect I liitle better from professionals hoping to further their respective careers, wouldn't you?
Overall the pitch was sh!te *(i), the refereeing was sh!te *(ii), the Greek fans were sh!te*(iii) and, to be fair we were pretty sh!te *(iv) too!
*(i) loose divots and bumpy surface, players slipping and sliding - it was a bit like the original (new) Wembley pitch. I'm pretty sure Santos turned his ankle due to the irregularity of the surface.
*(ii) looked as if he'd decided pre-match to distribute a few cards - Arsenal players were being fouled quite regularly (the bloke who netted the third goal must have committed six fouls that the ref saw but wasn't carded), yet Frimpong saw yellow after one of the Greek players did a pirouette as Frimpong went to challenge for the ball - ridiculous!
*(iii) they had some bloke with a microphone, leading the singing, booing whenever Arsenal had the ball from the first to last minute (OK, the Greek fans mostly whistled when we were in possession) - how can UEFA allow that, it was constant and deafening?
*(iv) that was the Christmas Cracker Joke Arsenal team featuring Arshavin/Benayoun giving the ball away and getting in each-other's way and Clown Keepers - Fabianski looking anything but confident, miss-kicking, poor distribution - and he was replaced by Don Vito who looked big and strong. He left his area to head clear (ref could've blown for the Greek boot at head-height but that would've spoilt the follow-on fun) then didn't know where he was (who he was?) and instead of collecting a weak, bouncy header tried to scissor-kick it and missed completely for goal no.2!
Nothing good came out of that match for us and now we've lost yet another full-back for a few weeks! You've gotta laugh though, eh? One man team? Yeah, if that man is Szczesney cos if he ain't playing we don't have a clue in defence.

Arshavin is looking more and more like a pub player.
I can't remember an Arsenal player who has proved a bigger disappointment.
He's capable but he just does not fight to get himself into the game. Hence, he's a feckin waste of space.
If a senior player has that attitude, you certainly don't want him around the younger players.

Thought Arshavin would be one of the Prems top players when he came.. has been shite thou..

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:Thought Arshavin would be one of the Prems top players when he came.. has been shite thou..

He just doesn't seem bothered, that's unforgivable.

jak wrote:

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:Thought Arshavin would be one of the Prems top players when he came.. has been shite thou..

He just doesn't seem bothered, that's unforgivable.

Don't know if you saw the game last night jak but at one point the ball had come across the box and Arshavin was coming in to meet it but Benayoun, who wasn't perfectly placed (compared to AA) swivelled and hit it wide on the volley. Benayoun then turned to (apparently) apologize to Arsahavin and you could lip-read Arshavin's "That's OK" response. That was a goal under any other circumstances than last night's performance which was, from start to finish a comedy of errors!

jpr60 wrote:

jak wrote:

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:Thought Arshavin would be one of the Prems top players when he came.. has been shite thou..

He just doesn't seem bothered, that's unforgivable.

Don't know if you saw the game last night jak but at one point the ball had come across the box and Arshavin was coming in to meet it but Benayoun, who wasn't perfectly placed (compared to AA) swivelled and hit it wide on the volley. Benayoun then turned to (apparently) apologize to Arsahavin and you could lip-read Arshavin's "That's OK" response. That was a goal under any other circumstances than last night's performance which was, from start to finish a comedy of errors!

I must say I've never been a fan of Benayoun, the following should not be playing for The Arsenal.
Goalkeepers aside.
Djourou*
Squilacci*
Arshavin*
Rosicky*
Chamakh*
Benayoun
Diaby
Park*

The asterixed are particularly crap.

So, we've got the basis of a good squad but we need some ins and outs in January to add the final touches and also to convince RvP AND Walcott that The Arsenal is the place to be.

Give Benayoun a chance. For a scrawnly little fella, he didn't half fight when he was playing for us. Sublime with the ball at his feet too.