(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread (Part 2)

Pretty happy with our performances since the opening day. 

Draws against the English and French champions, both Away, and victories in every other game. 

Now to Chelsea... this is big. 

Opening day excluded I guess you're meaning? I was about to be a smartass and then re-read it. 

We've got reading in the next round of the league cup. While west ham have chel$ea and mou utd face pep city

Liverpool vs Spurs as well. Soton vs Sunderland also an all-prem clash. 

Draw looks quite nice if our B side can deal with Reading. 

let's have another 5-7

What a morning that was

Still the most ridiculous game i've ever seen.

Let's not go 4-0 down again though.

Xhaka's goals have been a joy to see. Not just for the goals alone but because it means now teams will realise the threat he poses from distance and will be closing him down quicker. How many times have you seen teams sit back against us and allow us to play it around 30 yards from goal and ultimately do nothing with it? If we make them come to Xhaka it creates space elsewhere for the more forward players to exploit. We have needed a threat like this for a long time.

6000 posts

That's a lot of time spent here

So how do you line up for Chelsea? Back 4 is settled, while Ozil and Sanchez are both musts, but the rest is pretty much up for grabs.

                        Cech

Bellerin Koscielny Mustafi Monreal

                Xhaka   Cazorla

Walcott           Ozil           Sanchez

                    Perez

This is my personal preference without Ramsey or Giroud available.

think Giroud will start. If he does maybe Iwobi in for Walcott.

I think we'll see a similar line up from the Forest game against Reading. Wenger has said he now has the depth to put out slightly stronger teams in the League Cup and would like to try and win it.

Cech

Bellerin Koscielny Mustafi Monreal

Coquelin  Cazorla

Walcott Ozil Iwobi/Ox

Sanchez

Most likely line up IMO

I don't think Iwobi should play, personally, unless Coquelin sits a lot deeper. Iwobi just isn't a natural defender at all, and struggles to track his man.

Believe Giroud is injured? In any case, I expect to see Wenger stick with the tried and true. I'd be surprised if Xhaka's bombs have changed his mind.

It would not be a typical Wenger move to play Perez or Xhaka.

Valeo's probably right. Public opinion will never sway Wenger. 

If I think about my personal preference, I'd have Xhaka sitting deep, with Cazorla slightly ahead of him. But I think we'll probably see the Coqzorla monster again. 

When it comes to the forwards I'm a bit torn. 

I like the idea of starting Perez and moving Sanchez to the left, but Sanchez at striker is just starting to work, and I do think that Walcott is better suited to our team when Sanchez is at striker. Sanchez likes to come deep to pick it up, and Walcott's the perfect foil for that, he will come in and make runs off the shoulder, so we don't suddenly get stuck with no one up top at a crucial moment. You could see the difference against PSG when Walcott wasn't there, it just didn't gel quite as well, even though Alexis did score. 

I also think Wenger will play Iwobi. Defensive weakness seems to be the buzz cry around him at the moment, but I would be surprised if he was benched because of that. 

One game of defensive absentmindedness from a winger doesn't equal bad defender. He was pretty switched on with tracking back last season, definitely a starter for me over the Ox ATM.

I would like to modify the Sanchez experiment by playing someone through the middle who wants to be there. When Sanchez drops deep we lose that into feet option up front with Walcott running off him. Perez will always provide that while Walcott can continue his runs. Also means we can have our 3 fastest available forwards playing together and putting pressure on a patched up & aging CB pairing of Luiz + Terry.

Cazorla recreates Henry's flick and volley against United on the 2nd attempt:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/arsenals-san...

Today also marks 20 years of Wenger at the club. The last ig milestone (1000 games) also involved playing Chelsea.

Also: 

Not sure why 30 seconds was used rather than simply passes before a shot. But basically, we spend a lot of time passing the ball sideways in the final third before someone gets annoyed and shoots. As I said the other day, Xhaka now seems to provide the sort of threat we have needed.

Also not sure of the actual source for this, just taken from another forum.

I noticed that Iwobi takes a lot of pot shots from in and around the outer edge of the box; not always successfully - but led to a couple of goals.

I noticed that Iwobi takes a lot of pot shots from in and around the outer edge of the box; not always successfully - but led to a couple of goals.

20 years of Wenger. wow i didn't realise that. what an achievement!. I also i didn't realise that he is the only gunners manager I've known since I started following football!

Anyway, someone the other day was talking up his best 11 from the 20 years. Here are my pick. but really there could many more in this line up. 

Seaman

Gibbs (couldnt bring myself to put Cashley), Adams, Sol (sorry Kosc), Lee 

Veria, Cesc, Pires, 

Sanchez (or Overmars!! fudge thats tough), Henry, Bergkamp

Yeah..will be weird from me when Wenger goes; only manager i've ever known at Arsenal.

I feel ancient reading posts like these. Terry Neil is the first one I remember. He was signed from the Cocks. 

Yep, 78 Cup Final was my first game supporting the Gunners so I've been through the Terry Neil, Don Howe, George Graham and Bruce Rioch years. I just finished reading Ray Parlours book and apparently, we tried to get Wenger a year earlier but went for Rioch instead.

I want him gone but at the same time will be sad when he goes. That sums it up for me really.

I'm in the "I want him to retire if we can get Simeone" camp. With Pep & Klopp recently moved Simeone's the only other manager on my radar I'd want running our club. 

People want Simeone without actually thinking about how he would fit in at the club. For one, he doesnt know English - so we'd go from a Manager who has oversight of everything to one that is the opposite.

Wenger will be almost impossible to replace. We will go through a few tougher years and likely find it harder to attract players unless we get a Guardiola or someone of that ilk, which  i seriously  doubt.

I'm still well keen on Jorge Sampaoli. 

Well up for tonight!!!

Remember Dragan Stojkovic? Everyone assumed he was being groomed for it a while back.

Anyone know of a good stream for tomorrow mornings game? I'm trapped at work until 7am.

Could really do with some BeIN Connect right about now

Im no good with streams sorry, but it is friggin annoying that we don't have an online option, not even properly through skygo - not that that's much of a stream anyway

Can't wait until we catch up with the times

reddit.com/r/soccerstreams

15 minutes in and Arsenal are leading 2–0! Goals from Sanchez and Walcott. What a start.

Fudgeing get in!!!!

Smashed 'em bro.

Have to back it up next weekend though. 

Ozil is a remarkable footballer. 

it's business time when Sanchez does that weirdly homo-erotic shorts thing. 

What a result!. Found a semi decent stream and set my alarm but it didn't go off! :( Woke up a HT but missed all the fun.

Not bad, that! Diego Costa getting angry was hilarious.

Reminded me a lot of the last time we beat them in league (i believe?) where Terry slipped over. Good times.

Bit worrying about Coquelin; looks like he'll be out for a couple of months. I like Xhaka, but unlike everyone else I don't think he's quite ready.

How good was Theo, by the way? Different player this season. Got stuck in, great tackles, created several chances, could've bagged a couple more.