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

Expectations: Sign a CB and DM in the first week of January.

Reality: Sign crocked lightweight midfielder at 11:58pm on Jan 31st.

No surprises on this result as painful as it was to watch, not much more to say. I'll be looking forward to the July window a lot more than I am the January window.

Didn't realise we had a new transfer guy but he's got to be better than the fictitious Dick Law!

I think he's French and based in Africa with a recommendation to search for players that will be injured, likely to be injured or under 21.

What are your views on the Arsenal fans giving it to Wenger on the way out of Stoke?

Hard to blame them having traveled up to watch that shower of sharke. But it's lacking in class and should really be saved for inside the ground or more civil organised protests. He's brought it on himself though and would have expected it and I can't imagine he cares in the slightest.

Thank heavens for that.

Disgraceful. Fair enough if you think Wenger should go but show a bit of respect to someone who's done so much for the club. Waiting outside the train station to boo him and call him a c*nt is out of order. Not having it one bit, just because you paid money to go up there and watch doesn't entitle you to openly abuse someone like this, particularly the manager of the club you support, nor does it entitle us to win.

It's Brian McDermott brumbys- as a Manager he was most successful at Reading recently. 

He was at Arsenal as a youth, hence the connection, but has now been bought into our scouting department on a contract until the end of the year, presumably to assist with getting the bodies in that we need.

Just watched that footage, absolutely disgraceful.

What actual 'supporters' would yell something like "Joel, get out while you can mate, leave!"

Ridiculous.

On the plus side, Jenkinson had a blinder for the hammers this morning....

Oh man that Wenger video is bloody disgusting.

Playing week in week out seems to have been the making of him. He lives and breathes Arsenal too. In the mean time, we're playing kids at full back away at Stoke, and fullbacks at centre back.

Got Hull in the cup. 

Lets bring Carl back in Jan... Bellerin is promising but he's just so tiny...

I see we have reached that part of groundhog season where Wenger asks to be "judged at the end of the season."

And going back to an earlier debate:

Also, take with a grain of salt maybe but the Secret Footballer has written a post about Wenger including the following:

Link

Pretty good piece that. You need to read the whole thing and put that sentence in context mind you.

Debuchy apparently back already which is a really massive boost. Szczesny too. Wenger has all but confirmed the starting lineup already:

Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Bellerin; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Flamini, Ramsey; Campbell, Sanogo, Poldolski

I'd probably want to be resting Mertesacker and Ramsey from this one too. I guess there really aren't any other options for CB but would have thought this was ideal to give Rosicky some game time. Fantastic that Sanchez and Koscielny haven't traveled.

Is it really worth risking Debuchy for this game? 

Not sure about that one, he must be fit enough or they wouldn't have taken him. Guess he needs the match practice and this should hopefully be a reasonably tame match with nothing really on the line for either team. Probably good to give him some time before throwing him straight into a game against an in form team in the weekend that we really need to win.

I would have started Hayden or one of our other young CB's and given Chambers a punt at DMF for Flamini & Rosicky/Zelalem in for Ramsey.

Don't mean to bring back the weekend, but I am interested in what you guys think about Jamie's comments on Mertesacker on Monday Night Football (Around 30:00 in)

Spot on in that play by play analysis really. Mertesacker was very poor.

I do feel some of that positional crappiness was down to him playing on the left instead of his normal right hand side position, but perhaps that was because Chambers is more comfortable on the right? Not sure. Either way the Sack had a shocker.

As I've said before, he's very very good with Kosc alongside him, but seems rather pants without that faster experienced CB as a partner. 

Hence I feel that our CB purchase needs to be an experienced one, not a youngster. Someone genuinely competing with these guys for a first eleven spot, with Chambers learning the trade from the three of them.

The Sack's played a lot of football from a young age, I don't think he'll be up to this level for more than another 2 seasons really, perfect for someone in the 25-26 age bracket to come in and start competing.

When he first came to Arsenal I thought he was the worst defender I had ever seen. No pace, poor first touch. Have to say since then I think he has been excellent. Wenger in my opinion made him a far better player.

Agree with the analysis, paulm and you too Leggy. 

As Paul says, it's mainly an issue with the pairing. He's great with Koscielny, because he gets to be the positional defender, and Kos runs everything down. But he's constantly in two minds as to what / where he should be, or what Chambers / Monreal  are doing to be comfortable. 

But yeah, he had a shark game. He wasn't the only one though.

Mertesacker has been poor this season but that was just embarrassing the other day. Has been top class alongside Koscielny but remember him being pretty poor alongside Vermaelen to start with too. Definitely need an experienced signing to pretty much come straight into the team IMO.

What i would give for Hummels in January.

2-0 up, Podolski (3) Ramsey (10) bloody awesome stuff!

Ramsey just scored a screamer, 3-0! All the goals are up on Instagram if you just look up the players name as a # tag.

https://vine.co/v/OrxgPdxiFYm

Goal of the century.

Interested to see how this Maitland-Niles goes. Imagine coming on in a CL match at 17!

Are you watching Buffy? I'm laughing at Liverpool. Gutted Anderlecht conceeded, was hoping they might sneak a 1-0.

Campbell showing why he hasn't got a run in the first team. So poor.

Ramsey's goal was one of the best long range efforts i've seen.

Yeah very impressed with how we started. Glad we have been able to take the foot off a little and give some of the academy kids a run too in the second half. Galatasaray are shocking though, really haven't tested us at all and half their stadium is empty. Sanogo is still hopeless.

4-1 final score, while Dortmund and Anderlecht got the draw. 2nd place it is. Please let it be Monaco/Porto.

Buffon I was watching the same game as you - Sanogo hopeless, Ox and Podolski sharp, Ramsey's goal was out of this world. Not so sharp is the "Thanks for the memories" banner being taken off fans who travelled across Europe.

Gala with a half-empty stadium was weird to see, normally they pack it full.

Sounds like Podolski has given something for Wenger to consider. I really do hope he gets some more game time before becoming the next Arshavin.