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

The manager has or rejected the notion of any interest in berbatov. Says they won't move in tranfer market until extebt of bendnter injury clarified.

Aparently giroud is ill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ixlJdZQcIo

https://greatwen.com/2012/02/24/londons-football-gangs-1972/

interesting read. 

as for Sagna at CB sure he could play there but he's needed at fullback. 

I would like to see:

                        Szy

Sagna Koscielny Mertesacker Gibbs

                 Arteta Flamini

Cazorla             Ozil              Podolski

                     Walcott

Flamini could be swapped out for either Rosicky or Wilshere.

Heaps of FA Cup football live on ESPN this morning and Monday morning:

Including:

6.10 am - Arsenal v Spurs (Replay 7 pm)

Gotta luv Theo givin it the 2-0 whilst being stretchered off... Mind The Gap!!!

2-0, too easy

That was simply delicious. Back in your scummy hole you scummers!!

Some great performances all over the pitch. After that average first minute where Flappy made a poor pass out from goal and the resulting corner it was actually rather comfortable. 

They did not look particularly incisive. Tactics not very smart.  Got the feeling a 0-2 loss was a satisfactory result for them. 

Hopefully a better game at the Lane, their long suffering fans deserve to see a better effort. 

I'd say that's in our top 3 team performances of the year, alongside the Liverpool and Napoli matches. Incidentally all three games finished 2-0 but should've been more like 3 or 4 nil results. I would've been worried about that in previous years but our defence seems so strong now. We seem to be able to invite teams upon us at the end yet give up very few chances while doing so. 

So good that one of our best performances came with more than half of our first eleven injured, rested or on the bench (Szczesny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Ramsey, Ozil, Giroud).

Rosicky, what a player, give that man a new contract. So critical to the make-up of our squad. Gnabry, very very impressive.

Some of the passing interplay in the first half was brilliant. Hope theo's injury is not too bad... reports that bendy is out for a month... great to see ozil back this morn though

if NikB is out for a month then Wenger will buy a forward? I'm picking he will not. 

One issue is every time an Arsenal player is out for a month it's more like 10 weeks. 

With walcott coming off injured, it leaves us very depleted up front. We'll have to go to market now.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/04/arsene-wenger-theo-walcott-gesture

Actually, sounds like Giroud back for next game - but still leaves us fairly sparse....

Certainly a few players making 'come get me' noises:

https://metro.co.uk/2014/01/04/jackson-martinez-im-an-arsenal-fan-and-would-love-to-sign-for-the-gunners-4249227/

QUestion is, is there a decent striker around who isn't cup tied in Europe... (lets take it as red Liverpool won't sell suarez to us mid-season )

And Gnarby- jeez- what a fine talent. What an outstanding pass to Carzola - great composed performance.

Anyone else see grey-haired Paolo Maldini in the Arse director's box? Gone from looking 30 plus to 50 plus in space of 2 years.

Another great win! Hope to catch you all for Gooner On The Road in Wellington and Villa Away at The Pub on January the 14th (9am). Please RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/166579950217652/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Dominant.

Great fun last night.  Our seats were up above the Spurs fans, so we had to walk past their entrances to get into the ground.  There was a fight outside - well, when I say a fight it seemed to kick off a bit just in front of us with about 3 or 4 blokes and then about 20 cops jumped in and started standing on those involved.  I always wonder why people get into fights before the game as there is no chance they will get in afterwards and it just becomes a waste of £80 (unless they don't actually have a ticket). 

Atmosphere  in the ground was very good (apart from the Spurs fans who made noise for the first 5 mins and not again until Walcott was getting stretchered off). Aftert that first 5mins Arsenal were always in control and the only risk was that they wouldn't score one of the numerous chances they created.  All the time it was 1-0, you felt that if Spurs did equalise then Arsenal would just go up a gear and still win comfortably.  Made up with Rosicky scoring - the lad works his nuts off and it was great for him to get reward for it

The Walcott situation was funny and highlighted how ridiculous most knuckle dragging football fans are.  When he was down injured (in front of the Spurs fans) he was getting a pelt load of abuse, and then when he did the 2-0 to them, they went nuts. The amount of coins and (plastic) bottles raining down on him (and the stretcher bearers) was mental.  Grown men getting so enraged because a millionaire is being a bit mean to them is just laughable. 

Great review, hope Theo doesn't get a ban for the banter...

Keep going to the games FM! loving these little tidbits

Match Report from Arseblog is a cracker as usual;

https://arseblog.com/2014/01/arsenal-2-0-sprs-old-enemy-kept-at-arms-length/

A couple of bits I liked;

"As Walcott was stretchered off he reminded them of the scoreline so they
responded in typical fashion by pelting him with coins. Let's face it,
on the evidence of this summer, throwing away money seems to come
naturally to them."

"It's worth pointing out the pressure was
always on us – win and it's a routine victory at home against a
small team, lose and all of a sudden the 'balance of power in North
London has shifted' ... again ... zzzzzz."

I think Theo took his chance up front pretty well against Spurs. The movement especially was nice to see after the previous game with Podolski. Hopefully his knee isn't too bad. Ox back in full training this week too.

Coventry next round.

hopefully Wenger is seriously considering a good crack at the Cup. 

We normally have a good crack at it every year. Its just losing at home to teams like Blackburn that stuff things up. Wengers record in the FA Cup is pretty good.

Zing.

Is it true that Wenger has never exited the FA Cup in the third round? Thought I heard the commentators say that yesterday.

Sounds like Walcott will get no punishment for his 2-0 signing to the spurs fans. Awesome from our perspective but it's hardly a good look for the game, whether those knobs deserved it or not. Guess there was precedent here though - according to 101greatgoals Bale did the exact same thing to our fans last season when we lost 2-1...

To be honest, i fail to see why he should have to answer.

Was it 'offensive' like giving actual fingers is? Or shooting them? No, in my view.

If tellign them the score is 'offensive' then surely a finger to the lips as a goal scoring celebration to the opposition fans is offensive?

I think the problem would be all the coin-throwing that happened after he did it. There's a Daily Star article somewhere with a picture of a steward holding a massive handful of coins picked up off the pitch after the game. 

I loved it myself, and had a giggle, but you'd have to say the FA wouldn't want that sort of carry-on. Inciting the crowd and all that... even if he was being incited first. 

A warning is probably the correct way to go really. 

From the report I read, he was getting pelted with coins and bottles before he made the sign. I agree though, its not offensive at all. I even read a comment from a Spurs fan on ESPN who didn't think it was offensive and hoped his own player would do it if the circumstances were reversed.

Seems like Theo is safe from a ban but not safe from up to four weeks out injured damn it...

I think FA Cup would be a fantastic outcome, while still having a crack at the league.

Mario Mandzukic keeps being a name bandied about, I like what I see here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu1nuY556u8

Would take him in a flash.

Theo out for six months with ACL, gutted.

f*ck me he was hitting good form too. He'll be slutted, that's his world cup done as well. 

Adversity continues to rear it's head for this team, can we deliver?

Gnabry and the Ox suddenly just got 10x more important for their pace down our right side

Right- that removes any doubt that we need to go to the market for a centre forward.

Reckon a loan deal would be ideal given how long theo's out and how tough it would be to sign any decent striker this month. 

Wouldn't be surprised if it's berbatov. 

nnooo! oh man theo was looking good. sucks for the lad. now who do we have fit to play up front for the next game? podolski?

Giroud is back - not injured, was just ill.

I actually think this is a real opportunity to bring Gnarby into the starting lineup out wide in the League.

Given those available, we're likely to be seeing a front three of Podolski - Giroud - Ozil? That leaves the middle for the fit and uninjured combination of either Arteta, Flamini, Wilshere, Cazorla, Ramsey (when he's back) and Rosicky to fit in middle / wing depending on needs.

As Paulm said, Ox returning is very important, for the team and him. If he can find some form quickly, he can be fairly pivotal.