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

Buffy that gif is something else!

Good result this morning, Giroud missing another chance he should have finished, same for Ozil as well. Walcott scoring at will and Podolski scoring too (via a Giroud layoff).

I suppose when you have a team playing the way we do with lots of players scoring, it's good to know that Giroud can almost not be required to score as long as he's holding the ball up for layoffs and interplay and contributing that way.

After this morning im excited again about our forward play. And maybe even rest giroud and playing theo or poldi up the top instead

any one know more about ramo injury?

Back to our rightful position at the top.

1990 is better than 1961 :)

Buffy probably right, title winner  is MCFC. However 20 games to go it'd be great if 3-4 weeks to play there was still 4 teams separated by 3 points. Apparently been 40 years since the league was this close at this stage. 

Newcastle, Cardiff, then Cocks in the Cup

My pick for the EPL title:

Manchester City

Chelsea

Arsenal

Liverpool

Sorry you Gooners, I would like Arsenal to win the title but without a better frontman than Giroud it's not going to happen. Gerrard is fading with age and that's going to cost Liverpool in the end. Chelsea are the London side who could improve more and possibly pip City.

Your picks match the odds.

tough one in the morning

draw not much use especially as Chelsea v Liverpool gives us a little chance to slip away

still plenty of talk around signing a striker in Jan

give Ozil a break and start TR

start Walcott with Bend and let Giroud have a rest too. 

0-0 HT

Ozil missing with a shoulder problem, apparently out for '2 to 3 games'

Him and Ramsey as well... testing times 

Monreal and Vermaelen didn't travel with illness as well, leaving a pretty thin bench

Great result away at the Geordies.

Few chances, backs to the wall at the end and a bit of fight shown by the likes of Rosicky and Sagna

Bring on Cardiff then the yids in the Cup

Massive win that

Few niggles out there. Gibbs has done a hammy by the sounds now as well.

Surely Giroud and Rosicky can't play against Cardiff. We need to freshen up badly in that game. 

Man that was tense. ....sczczsy hitting remy nearly killed me. Huge win for us

Nice tough win. With niggling injuries and tiredness we will be tested over the next few weeks. Playing podolski or theo at the top to rest giroud is surely in the professor plans

Still waiting to hear some news on the injuries to ramsey, ozil and gibbs. No real info has come out after the last 2 games.

Popping along to have a look at the next 2 games - Cardiff tomorrow and then Spurs on Saturday.  Bit of a shame that it seems that Ozil will miss them both, but I guess the good news is that I will get to see the ego that is Bendtner.

Giroud out of Cardiff game. Gibbs has a calf strain. Ramsey is 3 weeks. Nothing to report on Ozil, apparently saw a specialist yesterday but no word yet. Rosicky and Wilshere have slight niggles. Monreal and Vermaelen were ill but are recovering.

Testing times indeed... thinking for Cardiff tonight;

                     Szczesny

Sagna-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Monreal

                Arteta-Flamini

      Walcott-Cazorla-Podolski

                     Bendtner

What's the story with the West Ham and now the Cardiff games not being on Arsenal TV on Sky?

Will be an interesting line up. Walcott not 100% either so could be seeing Gnabry. Who knows what the bench would be!

Edit: Monreal faces a test to be included too, so may see Jenkinson on the left?

Gnabry should start in place of Theo imo.

Still looks a decent team despite the plethora of injuries. I think it's important that Mert/Kos and Sagna stay fit more than anyone else.

3 points required regardless of emergency ward

agree Gnarby should get a run

Great stuff lads, digging deep this morning and battling right to the end to get the win

Nice finishes, bendtner unlucky with the keeper falling on his ankle after he scored

We looked a tad leggy this morn though... fixtures are catching up with us

just 18 rounds to go

Fudgeing cod - typed all this out and my wanking browser decided to eat itself, so I have to do it all again.

Terrible first half yesterday, although the second half was good fun.  I was dead centre behind the goal Arsenal attacked in the second half (7 rows from the front) so although it was pretty wet it was a great view for the goals.  It was pretty tense as it got later in the game and there was a real feeling that Arsenal had blown it when Mertesacker missed the 2 free headers - the first one especially was a sitter.  Even Bendtner's goal seemed like it was not going to happen after the save from Sanga's header had pushed the ball wide, but it was a great finish.  It is really funny when Bentdner comes on as there are almost ironic cheers when he does anything half decent, but you can tell that all the fans want him to do well.  I hope he stays for the humour factor, but I get the feeling he will be gone in the summer.

Obligitory football supporting knob story - there was a bloke about 10 rows behind me in the first half who spent 10 minutes yelling "DRIFT IT IN.....DRIFT IT IN.......FUCKING DRIFT IT IN......WHY WON'T THEY FUCKING DRFIT IT IN THE CUNTS???" everytime an Arsenal player had the ball in the Cardiff half.  Made me think he had been given one of the Fast and Furious films for Christmas

lol that's hilarious

twas a good finish from bendy boy alright, the keeper had done well to make himself big in front of bendtner, hitting it into the roof was his only option and he did that well, super unlucky with the ankle

I thought the same after the Sack headers too...

Be sure to give us a summary of your spurs visit on sat, huge game that considering their form under sherwood and our injury issues. Reckon it'll be a tight one. 

Lol at drift in. Spurs game will no doubt be a cracker, hopefully it is on NZ tv?

Yeah should be as the cup is on ESPN over here.

Yep, 6.30am Sunday morn on the ESPN soccer channel. Pretty civil time.  

saweeet

blackburn v MCFC

Rochdale v Leeds

then us v Cocks

Berbatov? Sooner go Milito if we need a 34 year old striker. 

There is a story claiming we're about to spank 34m GBP on Diego Costa. Can but dream.

highly unlikely

article I read on it includes a piece about Kalou, even less likely surely. 

Agreed, Jan tabloid transfer rubbish.

To be honest feel we need decisive action now not in 3 weeks. Cupboard very bare. An injury to Walcott or poldoski now....

I'd sooner get a CB than a striker

Not sure I agree. 3 CB's in squad and sagna can play there. It's unrealistic to expect Giroud to keep playing a full game every week.

I don't really see how we could recruit another CB without vermalen forcing his sale. Clearly he wants to be going to Brazil, not moving down our pecking order.

Cheers Buffon and Goofy, will be locked in on Sunday morning ESPN.

Winston Reid and Diego Costa would be lovely

Must say Tommy V has taken his demotion like a champ. Makes all the right noises in the press no matter how he's feeling, has played fairly well when called on, despite having zero game time under his belt. Can't ask for much more from a professional. I also like that he still captains us when he does play.