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

Interclub mens 6 in Wellington, you play?

yes, coach and play in Christchurch

I played tennis when I was a kid but I was a bit shit. 

for me the back 4 has to be, first and foremost, our best fit defenders in each position. So Gibbs, Per, Chambers, and Bellerin.  

Absolutely. Any combination has to be better than having Monreal at CB.

I've been playing since I was a kid but I'm still a bit shit! It's a good fun sport and I find it better than cricket which is not that fun if you're no good. If you only ever manage to stay in a few minutes then get out that's it for the day. In tennis at least even if you're getting thrashed you still get to play a full doubles and singles match which will last the best part of a couple of hours.

Tennis is great. 

Don't need 25 degrees  though this afternoon! Too old for the heat!

Tennis is great fun. Me and the missus go for a hit-out occasionally. I am quite poor for a male, she is quite good for a female, resulting in fairly even encounters! Can be embarrassing if she gets her aces going though, I tell you that much. 

On second thought I didn't mean that to sound sexist, meh, it is what it is!

Loving the discussion around the midfield. I too think we need a bruiser sitting in, with nice distribution skills. Matic, Fernandinho and Schneiderlin in the EPL look to be the types of players I'd be wanting. We gots to find us one of those - perhaps it's Bender, Wenger's been after him for a wee while now. Or maybe Carvahlo, from all accounts we just about got him last transfer window. 

On the other hand I love nothing more than a sexy looking lineup on paper, and with Wilshere, Ramsey and Ozil all in there, plus a front three of Sanchez, Walcott and Giroud, it's really a feast of names that has me salivating. 

And just on that, it hasn't been said yet, but how much are we missing Giroud??? I know Welbeck has done ok since coming in but when we look wistfully back at some of the offensive form of last  season, so much of it was about Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere etc playing off Giroud and making runs all round him. If he didn't score or assist, he was generally still heavily involved in most goals. We all know he's not the quickest and can be frustrating when he gets the big chances in the big games, but there's just no denying what he brought to the team overall. He's definitely underrated in my opinion and deserves way more kudos for a lot of our sparkling play last season. Particularly in the games when Ozil played well - he was a good foil for him, the way Ozil finds space, Giroud always seems to be able to flick it to him somehow. 

I worry for poor Giroud a bit now - he's had a fairly serious leg injury and he's nearing 30, that lack of pace may start to figure more prominently.

oh man, our wheels are falling off at the mo...

Waiting for the January silver lining...

Our next five games:

United (h)

Dortmund (a)

Wba (a)

Saints (h)

Stoke (a)

Nothing easy there. Not the way we are defending at the moment anyway.

Sorry chaps blame me...I was making a coffee before kick off and knocked it of the bench smashing my Arsenal mug :(
Really not looking foward to our next few fixtures especially Man-ure

Sheesh. Stoked when Mr. Once Again scored for us. Thought we were still in it when Gylfi scored, knew we were out of it three minutes later. 

So frustrating that at 87 mins we have the ball being played around the back four with no one knowing what to do. 

Alexis' ball to walcott was lovely. Shame it didn't stick. 

In fairness, they have never really been on this season.

Nothing much more to add. Great way to start your week wasn't it? At least you can always count on Spurs to cheer you up a bit. We are so lucky to have Sanchez but we'll be even luckier if he's still here in a couple of years. Can't imagine he wants to spend his peak years scrapping for 4th and he's probably already starting to ask himself why he came. He'll probably be at Real Madrid in 2 seasons.

Before the season I put $3 on him to be top scorer in the league @ $15.00. He probably won't outscore Costa or Aguero but it doesn't look the worst gamble at the moment.

^ Cheer up. Brooklyn Beckham signs for Arsenal !!!!!!!!!!!!!

see www.ukyahoo.com latest

Yep, said much the same earlier in the season. Now that it looks like 4th place will be in doubt come January, there will be some sort of panic signing like Arshavin.

That free kick was stunning. Sounds like Chambers is going to get himself suspended out of the starting 11 soon, which isn't optimal as I'd prefer him over Monreal still. I don't think that was the right starting 11, Jack needed to start ahead of Cazorla to give that midfield some muscle.

Pressures on the team now, it's truly amazing a squad that lost 3 players and purchased 5 has gone from winning the FA Cup and leading the league to struggling to hold onto leads.

It really shouldn't but did make me laugh when Sanogo came on for Chambers and the commentator said something like "substitution makes sense, they need to put as many goals on the field as possible at this stage." Fuck sake.

Love this quote from Nigel Winterburn. I have always maintained that this style of play requires only one full back pushing on, when the ball is on the left the RB is back with the CB's, and only moves forward as the switch is beginning to happen. That extra player is critical.

You'd like to think Steve Bould is raging about this too having been part of that defence, but Wenger clearly won't use anyone else's ideas when it comes to the team.

Looks like :Pique might be available in jan

Can't tell if this is a joke. Surely given his lack of form and age he's not the solution for us...I'd rather we picked up a Reid or other mid twenties type player who can play 3rd string and take the starting spot of Per in a season or two.

Can't tell if this is a joke. He's 27.

Just need to quote myself... clearly Wenger is not reading this Gooner Thread.  If anyone know's his email can ye just pop my message through to him?

Chur,

G

Hummels talk gathering steam. Now that would be a signing... not sure if we'd pay 30 mil for a CB though!

I'd much rather a new manager than a new centre-back. It now has to be a question of who, not if. 

These same things happen time and time again, given that we sold our soul to move to the Emirates and the words that come out of the hierarchy's mouth I can't fathom how some are happy to be taken for a ride by the club. 

Mancs in 2 weeks, hopefully we come back unscathed from the international window because we are up against it as it is. Sanchez is still the shining light by a country mile, whoever mentioned earlier they had a punt on Sanchez for golden boot could do a lot worse.

In classic Arsenal style, the Argentine team Arsenal de Sarandi were leading 2-1 in the 94th minute and managed to lose 3-2. Here's the winning goal.

Wow. Well off my game with that one.

Not much of a surprise, but as Podolski and Rosicky have met up with their international sides they have both been interviewed and questioned on their role (or lack of) in the currenty Arsenal side. Both sound a little confused, given the form of others and how many full games some players are getting. Rosicky even mentioned he is still in or around the top 5 for fastest players at Arsenal and last Czech game he played he covered 12km, so health or fitness isn't it. And form can only be found by playing. I've missed him this year, thought he was incredible at points last year, driving us forward through midfield.  

As with the last few seasons, once everyone else has broken down we'll wheel him out for the Feb-May scrap for 4th.

I don't know, seems a bit rough to me. He was excellent last season, and there have been times where he could have come on and have certainly been no worse than those who were already on, for the last 20 minutes or so. 

Or if there's no intention of playing him, let him get some sharpness with the reserves. 

Is anyone else concerned by Arteta resigning on for next season giving the signal we won't be getting a beast DM?

He even may got another season on top of that, logic would say if we are retaining him Wenger must see him as still being the first choice.

Yes please Rosicky in for Cazorla

Someone mentioned while playing 4-4-2 let's have Poldolski with Alexis and or Welbeck, as both will need a rest at some stage.

Then Giroud will be back in what early december, gee I hope Sanogo does not get anymore game time ahead of Podolski. Podolski is here and now and Sanogo may have potential but for the good of the team and himself he needs to go out on loan in January.

With lot's of noise coming from Rosicky and Cazorla I was half expecting Joel Campbell or his Agent to be doing the same.

Good interview with Alexis doing the rounds on the net

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/367889....

I think it's important to hang onto experienced leaders like him for as long as possible, even once they start to become squad players and don't start much anymore. He would be a great guy to keep around the squad. It's something we have not done very well in the past. Gilberto for instance who we have still never really managed to replace and was desperate to stay should have been kept for at least another 2, maybe even 3 seasons. Even Bergkamp, the greatest player ever to play for the club had to keep begging for one more season each year.

Yep totally agree on keeping him as a squadie, however was sorta being sarcastic that his resigning means we are 'happy' with him as the main man for DM and therefore we do not gain the beast we truely need.

Schneiderlin is making noise about leaving for a Champions League team, the irony being Soton are 2nd and looking good for top 4......

Our season in one picture:

Morning gents, news on the injury front is mixed. Ozil is out until January (7 weeks) and Giroud is back in training! No updates on Kosc or Debuchy but seeing either of them back before January is looking less likely.

With Giroud back and Ozil out for a spell do you think we might see Wenger dable with:

               Giroud Welbeck

Sanchez Wilshire Ramsey Walcott

Gibbs Monreal Mertesacker Chambers

                    Szy

Having two outlets up front relieves that midfield 4 from having to push high up the field, and our two wide men have the pace to track back and support the full backs.

Could be interesting!

Alexis is playing through the middle and I fully expect Wenger to continue with that