(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread (Part 1)

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team named;

                      Szczesny

Jenkinson-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Gibbs

                   Arteta-Flamini

             Rosicky-Ozil-Cazorla

                       Giroud

Bench: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Monreal, Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott, Bendtner

String tea. But I was hoping we'd rotate our players a bit with a big dec run in. Come on lads!!

*strong team

Very strong team. I like it when our team has Arteta and Flamini starting, good way to protect the back 4.

<a href="http://i.imgur.com/7CZby9V.gif">Shark</a>. What does a loss mean for us?

A loss is OK. a 3-0 loss and a Dortmund win we're out.

Does Arteta's suspension carry through to knock out? What about Yellows?

Ah I just heard will finish 2nd as it stands. I think we have look combative but not threatening today. Ozil looks tired. Flamini was pretty handy. To two CB were solid. Carl n gibbs werent flash. 2nd goal was about swtching off.

F*ck that is terrible. 2nd in group means we're well up against it in the next round now. 

We can only draw one of these teams;

Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid

That's a friggin insane line-up. 

I'll take Athleti thanks! Frustrating to get 12 points and not qualify top. Screw you Marseille for contributing NOTHING to the group. First French team to not get a single point from the ECL.

Crazy huh, athleti is on fire this season as well

If you'd offered 2nd place outta this group at the beginning i would've taken it, but it's disappointing to get such a poor result on the last day of group matches given our form

Fair play Paulm. Hopefully we get Sagna back for city, Jenkinson has seemed a bit out of his depth against bigger teams. Walcott to start against City too? Or is Wenger going to keep easing him back?

Sagna's apparently out, aiming for a chelsea return

I reckon;

                       Szczesny

Jenkinson-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Gibbs

                Flamini-Ramsey

            Wilshere-Ozil-Cazorla

                        Giroud

Worse to get 12 points and not qualify at all...

Injury Update:

Podolski - possibly available for Man City away (Dec 14)

Sagna - probably available for Chelsea at home (Dec 23)

Oxlade-Chamberlain - possibly available for Cardiff at home (Jan 1)

Sanogo - available approx mid-January

Diaby - available approx March

Some talk about of theo getting a start tonight, will be interesting to see if he does

https://www.football365.com/arsenal/9071703/Tottenham-disappointed-by-tickets

HAHAHAHA

Although Ozil and Cazorla have looked tired at times lately Ozil will start, not sure whether Wenger will start with Cazorla or Walcott for this one. Either one can make an impact off the bench.

Read Wenger quoted as saying Sagna will be tested before the game, maybe something has changed looking at Paul's injury list?

Come on gunners. I need a pick me up after the game today. Starting to worry that our key players are tiring. Who do we sign in jan?

Lucky it's only 2-1 going into half....draw would be good

Reality check that......9 days rest will be much needed. Way too many soft goals, critics will be out in full force.  How good is yaya in full flight? Love giroud but need someone next level up. per and ozil drama at the end didn't sound good

That was a wake up. Nine days rest, Sagna resigning... and a (good) bdy or two in the window please Arsene.

COYG!

The whole team looked guilty in this game.

Defensively we weren't marking up and spilling posession.

Offesnively we wern't finishing or bottling the final pass.

MCFC made 8 changes from their champions league match, by my count we made 4 maybe 5. These guys really do need a break.

That was a tired performance, anyone see Sagna give up his chase back around 70th minute mark, he was shattered!

Walcott threatened throughout, City attacked down Monreal's side often, he didn't play badly just looked short of match fitness.

With Walcott gaining supreme confidence, now looking forward to reintroduction of Podolski, with people coming back and a gap between games we need to make the most of being fresh.

Well I stand by the legs of Sagna alone, I don't question is mental strength, you could see his legs gave way

Each to their own...

We were knackered and hit by a fresher city side with amazing home form.

In saying that, at 3-2 and on the attack I seriously thought it was on, the 4th goal was a killer and you could see us deflate after that. Oh well, lets see how they go back at our house later in the season - we all know they bizarrely suck away from home (except in munich???).

Them being heavy favourites for the title now probably suits us down to the ground as well. 

I question arsene's selections a little on this game. He chose Jack on the left when he's been playing on the right, and our left-hand side struggled badly for it. Monreal has looked great of late with rosicky or cazorla ahead of him, but he and jack just didn't quite have the same understanding. I know this was done to accomodate theo, and probably to add a bit more defensive steel with jack playing over santi, but it just didn't work out the way it was planned. In hindsight I think rosicky or cazorla would've been a better pick. 

And man, some of the offside decisions in that game... wow

Chelsea next week is going to be MASSIVE. Plenty of rest til then. Wonder if koscielny's cut is bad? Not too shabby having TommyV come in as back-up though, hopefully he can get into the groove pretty quickly - he looked good when he played the ManU game. 

Who saw the Mertesacker / Ozil bust up? What started it or what was it about? I have read that Ozil walked off the pitch after the game and didn't clap the away fans, was this before or after? I went to bed about 90th minute. Still missed two goals. Haha.

Totally saw Wilshere pull the fingers to the crowd though, he's bound to get a ban for that one.

Don't know what else to say about the game. Scoring 3 goals and losing by 3 is a weird result. Way too many mistakes, and City just way too clinical while we were way too sloppy. A few of their goals just shouldn't have been scored though, end of. And especially the timing of them, killing us right after we'd scored.

Agreeed on Wenger getting it wrong, with the first team and the subs. Boy, did it make me laugh when the board went up #12 for #23 and it cut to a guy in the crowd with his arms in the air shrugging "Why are you bringing on Bendtner when we're chasing the game?". Lol.

Our Big Sack gave ozil a mouthful for not going to clap the away fans and just heading off the pitch.

Ozil issued an apology via his website after the game.

Ah, ok. Thanks for that. Not so serious then. Good on Sacker for giving him a tune up.

Was nice to see Walcott stand out for us after his time on the sidelines. The finish for his second goal was lovely.

I love that Ozil got hauled up for that by the BFG. Additionally Wengers response of '...the Germans will sort that out' is also great, leave it to the players to keep themselves accountable for club tradditions/being good sports etc.

Kosc photo of his cut was awful, but in 9 days he should be good to go on it, just so long as its not done anything deeper than skin damage.

From what I've seen Vermy was only caught out once for the Silva goal? Good signs from a guy who hasn't played alllll year!

apart from spurs LOL everyother team gained on us this weekend too. Wilshere doesnt need to step up rather then getting angry.

Whisper it... but a loss to chelsea would probably see us drop to 4th on the table. 

Scary innit. 

Arseblogs talked about the perfect sh*t storm of 'tired players, poor referring, and bad selections' which I have to agree with.

Going into the Chelsea game and assuming Kos is back I'd be hoping for:

                           Szy

Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs

               Ramsey   Arteta

Walcott              Ozil               Cazorla

                      Giroud

Subs: Fabianski, Monreal, Vermalen, Podolski, Rosicky, Wilshire, Flamini

Very much so. And with the Mourinho curse, it would take something to beat them. A draw would be possible, but 2 points from 9 is still a bit sharke. Will have to see how the team steps up from this loss to City. Will be interesting.

We'll be fine, Liverpool will draw with Cardiff, we'll beat Chelsea and City will lose to Fulham. It's fine. We'll be fine.

And agreed on that team, Walcott has to start. Surely Wilshere has to get in trouble for the finger he gave the City fans?

Will likely get 1 game - that's what suarez got for doing the same thing a while back

If they hold the hearing before this weekend then it will be this game I think.

No bother, we probably don't need him for this one, reckon we go with brumbys team. 

Think Mourinho is less of a curse and more of him just putting 10 behind the ball every time they play someone half decent. He's always been like that - likes to stop the other team playing first and foremost. A glorified Tony Pulis if you will.

Tony Pulis on a Mancini budget.

Bayern aye... bring it on!