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

Hahaha touche!

Can't remember the exact wording but had to laugh at a twitter exchange I saw this morn.

Upon hearing reports that if we beat Sutton we've drawn Lincoln next, a guy responded "so what you're telling me is we're getting two chances to be humiliated" hahahahahaha

Lets not forget we got a favourable draw last year in the quarter final as cup holders and managed to stuff it up. I read that Welbeck won't be playing tomorrow due to the plastic pitch.

Arsenal Fans

* Since they are arseanal fans some may not be safe for work*

Team named;

                   Ospina

Gabriel-Mustafi-Holding-Monreal

             Xhaka-Elneny

  Walcott-Iwobi-Reine Adelaide

                   Lucas

Bench: Martinez, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Maitland Niles, Oxlade Chamberlain, Sanchez

Interesting to see Debuchy back in the mix. 

Walcott sitting on 99 goals for Arsenal. Perfect opportunity to bring up the ton tonight.................hopefully

Thought the same thing. Might give us proper cover for Bellerin in big games if needed...

Picked it

He is the reserve keeper, and if I'm not mistaken, he just bought and ate a pie, literally the minute after Sutton had made their 3rd sub.

They showed him eating it in slow motion and everything. 

It was amazing.

#themagicofthefacup

And now the stories are coming out... apparently "Sunbet" were offering 8-1 that he would eat a pie during the game. His mates told him about it, so he bought it at halftime and had it sitting there waiting for the 3rd sub to be made. 

Sunbet said they have paid out "five figures" on it so far. 

F365 had an excellent piece on Sports Gambling  last week

Thanks for the tip, was a good read. For anyone else interested;

http://www.football365.com/news/footballs-gambling..

Sutton keeper has now been forced to resign over the pie issue by the way... 

https://twitter.com/talkingbaws/status/833794351906058245

All seems a bit ridiculous he's had to resign over it. Was a pretty poor game. Only Lucas really looked like he was playing a competitive game, no one else looked interested. Gulf in class looked greater between Bayern and us than us and Sutton.

On the one hand that sucks. On the other hand a total nobody now gets to end his playing career a f*cking peoples hero.

Really proud of the club in the way they carried themselves at Sutton:

• Wanted to let Sutton keep all the earnings but FA rules prevented this, instead made a 50K donation which will fix up all their facilities and add 2 classrooms for their youngsters.
• Didn't have the flag thing to swap because they gifted them a silver canon
• All the players left their jerseys behind for Sutton team
• Sanchez was brought on for the cameo to 'honour' their run
• Walcott & The Ox signed autographs for the opposition team

Rumours we left the away changing room in a state but TBF doesn't that happen after every football game?

How on earth is it ok to offer odds on something like eating a pie, when it's nothing to do with the game, and leaves the guy in question in such an easy position of influence?

Not eating a pie in this instance could have the exact same outcome of influencing the bet...

I reckon it should've been a slap on the wrist, and then a very serious look at what companies are and aren't allowed to offer odds on. 

Just all seems very odd, and unsavoury to me. 

Did you see the state of them BEFORE the game? They weren't exactly flash.

Amazing piece by Sarah Winterburn. She's one of the best football writers going around in my opinion.

http://www.football365.com/news/is-wenger-addicted...

Yep it's complete bullshark.  You can't put out a nonsense gimmick bet like that, get it publicity and not expect something like this to happen.  Eating the pie had no effect at all on the game, and you are right - knowing about the bet and not eating the pie is also influencing the bet.  Despite doing something a bit stupid, he doesn't deserve to be removed from a club that he is obviously very passionate about.  This is 100% the bookies fault as far as i'm concerned.  

F*cking disgrace. Look at the state of that floor.

Nah.. I'm sure it was meat  & potato

Guess the bookmaker has got exactly what they wanted  - publicity &  new customers.

I dunno about the "Piegate" situatation but bets like these gimmick bets are usually only open to new customers, & the "winnings" wont be able to be withdrawn until the account has tuirned over something like 20x the winning amount & think we can guess what usually happens to the "winnings" before the end of that cycle happens.

Man we've gotta be up for it this weekend. Interestingly according to Physio Room we only have Ramsey, Elneny, Cazorla out injured.

I'd be tempted to start with something like this:

               Alexis

 Perez    Ozil     Walcott

       Xhaka Coquelin

Monreal Kosc Mustafi Bellerin

                    Cech

Bench: Giroud, Welbeck, Iwobi, The Ox, Gibbs, Gabriel, Ospina

Only 3 injured players, but they all play the same position. 

Arsenal eh. 

I like it but perhaps not enough technical balance... I don't know if Wenger would play both Lucas and Walcott when we've got Coquelin in midfield as well. Too many runners, not enough passers?

I suspect we'll see Iwobi (or the Ox) on one side, with only one of Lucas/Walcott to start...

i'd start Ox over Coq in the middle to be honest......Coq form has dropped

Based on what? Last match he played he had a blinder statistically, just didn't 'look sharp' etc.

Arseblog outlined it well but can't find the thing now!

Ox will surely start as one of the CDM 

Alexis

Welbeck  Ozil Walcott (get ready for the WOW acronym)

Xhaka Ox

Monreal Kosc Mustafi Bellerin

Cech

Bench: Giroud, Welbeck, Iwobi, The Ox, Gibbs, Gabriel, Ospina

I just don't get why you'd play the Ox there at Anfield in a game that's got to turn our season around. He's got a future there, but he's not our best CM out of fit options at the moment. He's also notorious for giving the ball away in front of the back 4 and costing us goals. We got away with it at Sutton from memory, but other sides have punished him for it.

He's played far better at CM with more control than he ever did on the wing. It seems like he's coming into a bit of confidence, finally. We need to trust him, and we need to give him a run of games.

I like Coquelin, but a midfield of Coquelin and Xhaka will not get us anywhere long term. A midfield of Xhaka and a confident Ox might.

Coquelin also seems to get obliterated against any team on the same level as us or better. His positioning is surprisingly poor.

Also,if we lose at Anfield - big deal, to be honest. We can't win the league anymore.

Please no, the three teams I hate losing to the most - Liverpool, Man United and Spurs

we don't know what we are doing 

Terrible

Well, f*ck. 

Shambolic. 

Felt disastrous as soon as I saw the team selection. What's the deal with Sanchez? Is Wenger losing the squad? 

I think the fat lady is finally singing for our Arsene.

Rumours around Allegri are building. Sampaoli sounding like he's off to Barca Foal30?

20% of the PL goals Petr Cech has ever let in have come in his Arsenal career. Which began last season.

60 apps, 61 conceded for Arsenal, 333/241 for Chelsea

https://twitter.com/oilysailor/status/838090888026...

Sampaoli to us, Wenger to Barca

I see Sampaoli is 3/1 fav for the Nou Camp role. Another opportunity missed by Arsenal FC? We should of had him locked in 2 full seasons back. 

Can't comprehend why no Sanchez when The Ox & Iwobi still start.

FA Cup & Top 4 is best we can hope for now.

At least those two seasons where we won the FA cup it felt like we were improving and building momentum, this season just feels even to the most positive on here like a step backwards.

A big call for Paul to call out Wenger and from memory AJC/Gooner for Life have been mocked last season/earlier this season for even questioning Wenger.