leaked first lot of adidas kits for next season;
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2013/01/05/leaked-arsenal-home-away-and-third-kits-for-201314-revealed/?
must say i like the look of those
Just dawned on me today that this time 2 years ago we were leading the league, and challenging seriously on all four fronts. We all know how that ended, but it's surprising to think that a team not as good as our current one (in my opinion) was capable of that. This thought reassures me somewhat that we have the personnel to be very successful. Hard this season with basically a brand new attacking 6 players on the field in our starting eleven (taking into account arteta's switch of roles), and some of our poor attacking form thus far, but it does look good moving forward when you peer through the gloom.
Our usual loss of two of our best players each season doesn't look so bad this time round, just walcott and sagna, and I think walcott will re-sign. Sagna may not, but he is 31 now and jenkinson gets better all the time. Plus I'm sure arsene would invest in a RB if sagna left as there's no one sticking out for the reserve/youth sides.
Before I'm torn apart for the comment that our team is better than that from two seasons ago, based on appearances for that season this was our most common starting eleven;
Szczesny
Sagna-Koscielny-Djourou-Clichy
Wilshere-Song
Walcott-Fabregas-Arshavin
Chamakh
5 of them are first choice now.
Clichy, Song and Fabregas out for Gibbs, Arteta and Cazorla, evens?
3 of them (arsh, djourou, chamakh) were still here until a few days ago, but aren't considered good enough for us anymore by Arsene, out for Giroud, Podolski and Vermaelen. Gain gain gain.
The one thing missing from your analysis is consideration of other teams.
City have spent about a billion pounds all told in the past couple of years, Chelsea have spunked loads also and we lost RvP to the scum.
The one thing missing from your analysis is consideration of other teams.
City have spent about a billion pounds all told in the past couple of years, Chelsea have spunked loads also and we lost RvP to the scum.
Only like walcott up top when we play sides with a high-ish line. Can't see him being effective there against the likes of Stoke, Westham etc. In fact he's usually not effective against those type of sides even when playing wide. He really needs space. Does he work on his first touch enough? Arsene should be having some sort of machine fire balls are his shins all day for a year to teach him that sh*t.
Good point Arsenal. Man City and Chelsea with all the cash are the biggest reason we've dropped down the pecking order. Last time we won the premier league was the season before Chelsea won their first...
Was saying this to a mate today, look at the City, United, and Chelsea striking stocks to see where we're lacking;
City: Balotelli, Dzeko, Tevez, Aguero
United: Rooney, RvP, Welbeck, Hernandez
Chelsea: Torres, Hazard, Mata, Oscar
Arsenal: Giroud, Podolski, Walcott, Gervinho
Clear to see we're not competitive enough in the striking stocks...
especially when 3 of those are better-suited playing wide...
guessing that's why we're being linked with so many front-men...
Llorente, Villa, Lopez etc etc
We need to pick one up, or maybe integrate Akpom into the senior side - wenger thinks highly of him apparently.
Also have the mysterious Joel Campbell out on loan...
Anyone know how Myaichi is going? Haven't seen him in the wigan matches I've seen, think he's had a few injuries
diaby played 65 mins for the reserves... and the substitution was planned...
Walcott about to sign new 5 year contract??
Was saying this to a mate today, look at the City, United, and Chelsea striking stocks to see where we're lacking;
City: Balotelli, Dzeko, Tevez, Aguero
United: Rooney, RvP, Welbeck, Hernandez
Chelsea: Torres, Hazard, Mata, Oscar
Arsenal: Giroud, Podolski, Walcott, Gervinho
Clear to see we're not competitive enough in the striking stocks...
Was saying this to a mate today, look at the City, United, and Chelsea striking stocks to see where we're lacking;
City: Balotelli, Dzeko, Tevez, Aguero
United: Rooney, RvP, Welbeck, Hernandez
Chelsea: Torres, Hazard, Mata, Oscar
Arsenal: Giroud, Podolski, Walcott, Gervinho
Clear to see we're not competitive enough in the striking stocks...
I might get flamed for this but here goes...
There is a lot of hype around Michu, I have been watching him through the season wondering where he came from and what clubs would cautiously look at him thinking when will his scoring form end.
I wondered if he is a realistic target for Arsene as he is quality, is at a smaller club (probably keen to move up) and he went to Swansea 2 mill so even if on sold for a profit would probably hit Arsene's under 10 mill preference and he is only 26 y/o.
Michu has a relatively good scoring record not just at Swansea but also Rayo Vallecano, rather than jump on his band wagon this is more of a it could be possible Arsene considers him when looking at the quoted "we will be if we find quality players"
Then there's Chico Flores who also signed for 2 mill is 25 y/o, lol
Wouldn't say no to Michu at Arsenal.
Yeah I'd take Michu no doubt.
Looks like Theo will sign for five more years despite my initial doubt. Very happy with this outcome.
Predictions for City?
At home I'm believing for a 3-2 goal fest.
Szy
Sagna Mertesacker Verm Gibbs
Wilshire Arteta
Ox Santi Podolski
Theo
^ yep surely. Pretty consistent eleven of late, giroud's injury worry probably makes that decision easy for arsene
some talk of diaby but surely madness given his injury record
arsene also cryptically saying no one else will be leaving
i guess we need squillaci in case of injuries with djourou gone
love it if arshavin stays, could be so important from the bench
3-0, easy win.
bit of a dag the MCFC tickets being turned in.
3-0, easy win.
bit of a dag the MCFC tickets being turned in.
What I don't get about this season is apparently the average attendance is in excess of 60,000 but each game there are rather large clusters of empty seats.
What I don't get about this season is apparently the average attendance is in excess of 60,000 but each game there are rather large clusters of empty seats.
Thanks for pointing that out about season ticket holders, never knew that!
A couple of strange quotes from Arsene recently first is the "it was only one out of Demba and Olivier" surely with Giroud at 10 mill and Ba at 7.5 we could have got them both considering we were replacing RVP????
Secondly the "When you score seven goals in one game and only an own-goal in the next one, it's difficult," he concedes. "If you look at the Newcastle game you say: 'Fantastic.' If you look at the Southampton game you can come out and say we need to strengthen our offensive department. Football is like this. That's why you need to take a distance."
The above is pretty schizoprhenic considering overall when you look at this season and the last half dozen we are treading water and possibly about to go backwards from the end of this season.
When looking at the contracts we only have Arshavin, Squillaci and Fabianski coming off contract in June (assume Theo will sign) that still leaves Djorou, Bendtner, Denilson, Chamakh and Park to name a few with very long contracts (2-4 years remaining). We need to cut losses just to reduce the wage bill, even the loans are probably being topped up by the club.
If Hannover did truly request to buy Djorou instead of loan at first I am gobsmacked this wasn't taken up...
Well that as a train wreck!
It's really hard to rate the overall feel of the team when Koscielny has a brain fart and rugby tackles Dzeko. Unbelievable Fair play to the Manc's, you can't fault them for any part of that.
Kompany's red was 50/50 for me, will be interesting to see if it gets overturned.
The problem with our long ball strategy was we couldn't get it into the box in dangerous positions, our crossing has been woeful. Gibbs really excites me, and Verm seemed to step up, but the rest of the side didn't seem to fussed.
Koscielny getting the nod ahead of Mertesacker should have been a good sign for him, but he's blown his chance to move up the ranks dammit.
Will be interesting to see if we strengthen, apparently we're eyeing up RB replacements for Sagna. I know we have Jenkinson but surely we could do with someone else in there fighting for a spot too once Sagna hangs up the boots.
I still think we need another option up front, and I agree with Skinny B about the dead wood, surely they've all got to be cleared out.
END RANT
hard to know what to make of the game with such an early red
most stuff I read after we beat spurs 5-2 suggested we shouldnt read much into that so I guess the same goes now
Dean is a terrible referee. An I'm not saying that about the cards, both probably fine for me and I very much doubt kompany's will get overturned. But the game nearly got out of hand with players from both sides getting very frustrated with the inconsistent decisions. Was a physical game, they were all at eachother, was great to see, but ruined by Dean - he'd ignore a couple of card-able offences then dish out a pathetic yellow to someone as if he was apologising for the previous non-decisions.
Cannot believe arsene started diaby. With all his injury problems, to rush him back after his midweek hit-out, crazy stuff. Honestly thought he'd pull a thigh or calf in the first 5 minutes.
Why isnt arsene trusting coquelin? Signed a new contract, doesn't get a look in after arteta goes down in training, he must be wondering where this is going. He is young but arsene has a reputation of giving them a go despite that. Selecting Ramsey might've been a better bet as well. Diaby was rusty, can hardly be blamed for that, but still he adds presence and excitement to our midfield, if only he could stay fit. Perhaps he should be managed in a similar way to Ledley King and players like that now.
We have 7 games in the next 21 days, that midfield will need careful rotation with Arteta now missing for all of it. I'm scared.
hard to know what to make of the game with such an early red
most stuff I read after we beat spurs 5-2 suggested we shouldnt read much into that so I guess the same goes now
Dean is a terrible referee. An I'm not saying that about the cards, both probably fine for me and I very much doubt kompany's will get overturned. But the game nearly got out of hand with players from both sides getting very frustrated with the inconsistent decisions. Was a physical game, they were all at eachother, was great to see, but ruined by Dean - he'd ignore a couple of card-able offences then dish out a pathetic yellow to someone as if he was apologising for the previous non-decisions.
Cannot believe arsene started diaby. With all his injury problems, to rush him back after his midweek hit-out, crazy stuff. Honestly thought he'd pull a thigh or calf in the first 5 minutes.
Why isnt arsene trusting coquelin? Signed a new contract, doesn't get a look in after arteta goes down in training, he must be wondering where this is going. He is young but arsene has a reputation of giving them a go despite that. Selecting Ramsey might've been a better bet as well. Diaby was rusty, can hardly be blamed for that, but still he adds presence and excitement to our midfield, if only he could stay fit. Perhaps he should be managed in a similar way to Ledley King and players like that now.
We have 7 games in the next 21 days, that midfield will need careful rotation with Arteta now missing for all of it. I'm scared.
scan tonight, early word is 3 weeks
I do like our midfield stocks but last season arteta was injured for the last few games and we only won one of them, shakily on the final day
he has a big influence on our team, he should be captain in my opinion
We could do with another proper defensive midfielder, I hear there's one not playing at Barcelona... although he was voted the flop of the la liga season so far LOL
no lol for us, we could of done with him in our team.
and as for Obafemi Martins!
hard to know what to make of the game with such an early red
Yep.
On Dean, since moving to the Emirates he has officiated 25 of our games. Of those we've won 4, drawn 10 and lost 11 (from F365).
interesting... lets' not forget this amusing little ditty as well;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLdMNZR6QDM
Here is our upcoming schedule;
Jan 17 vs Swansea (h) FA Cup
Jan 21 vs Chelsea (a) EPL
Jan 24 vs Westham (h) EPL
Jan 27 vs Brighton (a) FA Cup (should we progress)
Jan 31 vs Liverpool (h) EPL
Feb 3 vs Stoke (h) EPL
yikes
Eish, that's intense.
Wenger has come out and said he's keen on signing someone to cover Arteta. Song back on loan? Surely that's a bit too cheeky!
M'Villa is apparently being scouted by QPR, surely he's a great option? Or Fellaini?
Also, would it be worth intervening in Galatasaray's deal for Sneijder? 10m Euro's seems like chump change for a 28 year old midfielder of his experience.
the ref was correct to send Kos off, it's indisputable.
it is not the refs fault we lost.
Agreed, he didnt cost us the game at all. But I thought his performance was woeful aside from the two major incidents, without particularly benefiting either side.
I thought both reds were fine and I cant see kompany's being overturned. You just cant tackle like that anymore.
I thought both reds were fine and I cant see kompany's being overturned. You just cant tackle like that anymore.
wow that surprises me about kompany
arsene:
"My plan is to keep all of the players we have and then to add maybe, if possible, two new players to the squad. We will spend big (again) because we had restricted finances because we had built the stadium and had to pay that back," Wenger said in an interview with Al Jazeera Sport recorded before the City defeat and broadcast on talkSPORT this morning.
"You look at any club who has done that, and they have gone down (in performance).
"We stayed at the top level, yes without winning the Premier League, but we were always at the top level.
"Now we have come out in a much stronger position financially again, so we can spend."
been a bit quiet on the transfer front actually
I hear David Villa is injured again
been a bit quiet on the transfer front actually
I hear David Villa is injured again
This has always been my reason for not wanting him, he's a little older and injured easily, although my flat mate argues differently (he's a Liverpool fan so would gag to get some quality in up front to support the biter).
If he's talking about 2 big spends, then we must be eyeing up a striker in there, as well as a midfielder. Rosicky & Arteta are both getting in the twilight of their careers, so it'd be good to get someone who can play that holding role that's in their prime.
'parrently TR7 has a calf strain now too
Deep midfielder and a proper striker would be the go
Cant believe arsene said 'spend big'. Don't think I've ever heard those words outta his mouth...
Xabi Alonso and Rademel Falcao please
Lots of arsene speak on arsenal.com today
rosicky's strain minor
arteta's scan was good, only minor, could be quicker than 3 weeks
fabianski a week away from training
those are our only injuries, wow, cant remember the last arsenal season like this injury-wise. I probably just jinxed it.
arshavin in squad for swansea tomorrow morn
Great game and goal by Wilshere.....hate to think what state we would be without him at the moment, this far into the season and we still arnt playing well which is a bit scary, also jacky boy needs a break soon as well he's been. santi has been very quiet of late too. Huge game against chelsea this weekend as well
ps Rvp is killing me
