Well, if it’s good enough for Arsène to talk about philosophers… I missed the press conferences. Did he mention anything about Greeks and gifts or that the hotel was a bit spartan? Enough.
Tonight’s encounter was probably the least attractive fixture in the group from ITVs point of view but the combination of Manchester City’s hopeless failure – we can laugh having been through the same problems – and the malaise which is seeping through the squad have focussed the broadcasting minds wonderfully. How long before Keane, Chiles and whomever else is involved mention club in crisis? I’m going for inside 2 minutes into the programme. Late to the party following their failure to have any sort of broadcasting rights to Premier League football, I am sure that they will want to make the most of this opportunity.
Arsène touched on this yesterday. To an extent, he is right, it is fashionable to knock Arsenal in the media because it gets page views, sell copy, brings in advertising pounds. There is nothing new in that, it will be the same whether Arsenal win or lose again. To apply that to supporters is not correct, in either sense. Yes, Arsène people are emotional but that is the real world, it’s nothing new save for your reign. This is without a shadow of a doubt the most testing season because previously there has always been a strong sense of hope, that things could be turned around. Now I sense that is not there, so you must too.
Just because people are questioning you and your methods doesn’t mean that they want you to fail, I’ve never seen a situation like this at a top flight club where despite the failings, few actually want the manager to leave.
A lot of the questioning is borne of frustration, the same feelings that the manager has, feelings betrayed by the manager’s demeanour and body language. Whilst nervousness from the stands can transmit to the pitch, a brooding, prowling, scowling touchline presence is going to feed negatively to the stands; it’s a vicious circle. More than anything though, I don’t think that a genuine belief exists in the squad. We agree they are a talented group of players but no-one is stepping forward to take responsibility for performances. Yes, there is an element of new players but we are now in the fourth month of the season, they have to have gelled by now; something is very wrong if a lack of understanding is the problem. It’s an excuse that I’ve heard which just does not bear scrutiny. If that is true, tonight’s match is doomed before it starts.
The manager noted that everything about the club is in fine fettle, the structure, the financials, the tea ladies. Which is all well and good except the most important thing isn’t; the results, the performances. Up to now, Arsenal have got away with it. To be tenth and within two wins of the top four is testament to that. But it can’t go on, it just can’t. As fortuitous as the five point gap is, that can quickly turn to double figures so whilst the manager is right to downplay the sense of doom, it is deflecting attention away from genuine concerns. To be honest, you don’t expect the manager to do anything less, to divert pressure onto himself. What you do expect is a response, from himself and the players on the pitch. This is supposedly a fairly smooth run of games, nothing too strenuous and perhaps four of the next five games being away from home will help somewhat, but the intensity of feelings is only going to get stronger if they are not four wins.
Starting tonight would be good. It is reminiscent of previous trips to Greece, certainly in the Champions League where rarely is anything of note dependent upon the outcome. Looking at this season’s competition, there is little to choose between finishing top or second. Finish first and the joys of Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, or Valencia await, tricky fixtures all. Finish second and trips to Shaktar, Dortmund or Barcelona await. Both positions in the group offer tough and relatively easier draws in the next round. It doesn’t matter at this stage of the season either, the domestic form is of more importance long before that.
The team I expect tonight is
Szczesny; Jenkinson, Squillaci, Vermaelen, Meade; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Coquelin, Arshavin, Rosicky; Chamakh
A little bit stronger than a League Cup side but not by much. Arsenal’s result travels to Greece have been poor yet they were, I think, the first English club to beat Panathinaikos on their own ground with arguably a much weaker team than tonights. Maybe history will repeat itself or we’ll be third time lucky having lost the last two visits to Piraeus.
Enjoy the match wherever you watch it. ’til Tomorrow.
eboue was a fair right back..
for a season
then we bought sagna and eboue became a winger..
i spent years on here telling everyone eboue was a decent right back and backup to sagna was all he was but apparently he was our best dribbler of the ball and thats why wenger used him as an attacker..wide right wide left front three middle three..
rarely saw him in defence after we bought sagna but eboue couldnt defend all that good so thats why we bought sagna..
the only winger i know who played 30 games a season for 5 years but created fuck all..spent most of it falling over and acting a pratt..
LG,
Eboue kept missing his midfield appointments @ the hypnotist…
I blame AW!
“the disadvantage we have is we play the second game away, but it’s not statistically proven it’s a disadvantage”
lol that is so typical Wenger….
AW:
““People don’t understand tiredness very well in England sometimes,” he said. “They think you can only be tired at end of the season.
“For me it’s a lack of freshness and you recover with a few days’ rest. If I take you out now, I can make you tired in 10 minutes. But tomorrow you will have recovered and won’t be tired for two months. It can happen with repetition of games with the Champions League. But it is part of the job and I don’t want to complain.
“I believe Swansea are a good team. They played well, while we were not at our best. If you are like that in this league this can happen.
“It is not an excuse. It doesn’t stop me feeling completely responsible for losing the Swansea game but I believe as well that has happened before and I try to be as objective as possible after a defeat. That little bit of freshness [we lack] is only part of the explanation. Some players didn’t play on Wednesday night at Everton, so they were not tired.
“At the moment it is fashionable to be against Arsenal, so every single word you say people turn it against you. It doesn’t stop me saying what I believe.
sorry, i just saw this.
re:http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-fatigue-only-one-factor-in-defeat
There are moments of entertaiment Poodle but to entirely honest I do not enjoy watching Arsenal either live or on the box
I enjoy the build up, I enjoy the aftermath – win, lose or draw – I enjoy the rare and really good flashes of genius – occasional – very occasional ecstacty
But my support is a scourging of my soul
And will be
LG ,Did I say I was a better anything than you?
No ,I did not.
I likely am .but I didn’t say it.
How tragic u cannot spell ecstacy
Probably something like that, Aman! And definitely all AW’s fault, for sure… Or the board’s. It’s not clear whose responsibility exactly, but surely someone is to blame!
I was just responding to your Karachi comment before. Perhaps it should have been crabbing near Clifton?…
You don’t need to George, as I am very perceptive…
“improve ya rotations so JJ & tha doomers can go back to paying homage to ya testes Arsene!”
(bragging rights…its what they’re really crying out for)
ecstacty = diminished ecstasy…
not a surprise with that avatar, anicoll5…ha!
Hey, Aman, Pashtuns have fun too (I think!) At least the sufis among them must experience mystical ecstasy…
Eboue had a long and entirely unsuccessful period on the wlng
You may also recall he was then slotted into midfield in the centre
I remember a game against Spam with Eboue as Zidane
Bizarrely he was better there than on the wlng
got you the first time LG…
nah, Judas ain’t in Clifton.
Listened to Robson last night talking about ho defence wasn’t a topic at Arsenal and how Bould is basically gagged. I didn’t want to believe it but, watching tonight and seeing Squil shutting his eyes and clutching his body when the goal shot came towards him. It’s very difficult for me to see how this guy is a professional player and more fucked up is that our scouting network brought him here.
Gervinho, apart from the drag back and assist what the fuck was he doing out there and where has the player we thought was going to kick on gone? At one point it looked like he got blown over when he should of powering towards goal. Ramsey, Coq, Veminator, all played like strangers. Couldn’t believe it when I seen him running out to the edge of our box without leaving everybody else behind him. Bould really having a say in all this. Sad fucking sate our club is in at the moment. Something has to change.
LG,
more like misty-cal energy with the way we’ve been playing lately
people dont understand squad depth and selling your best players can be detrimental to your squad very well in france sometimes..
people dont understand trophies very well in france sometimes either..
they think you can only win a trophy if you finish 4th or make a huge profit..
for me, its a lack of investment and you recover if you stop spunking the money on trying to polish a bunch of turds..if i give my best players now 150k a week, in 10 minutes the bank account feels it, but tomorrow we still have our best players and wont be shit for two months..it can happen if you keep your best players, but i dont want to complain..
at the moment its fashionable to be a selling club and blame everyone else, for every single pound we make the results will go against us, it doesnt stop me saying what i beleive..
I agree anicoll5,
methinks Eboue might have been a really good DM
most definitely NOT a winger!
I blame the gaffer!!!!!!!
damn JJ,
got off the mono-headed one and jumped right on the stereo one…
hope you don’t have ‘em in surround?
add: “methinks Eboue might have been a really good DM or box-to-box CM
..and on that note…
i bid u good night, gents.
PURPLE REIGN!
I am rooting for Celtic tomorrow.
Btw, where’s Irishgray? Are you around Dec. 26 and planning to watch Arsenal v. West Ham? Looks like I will be in NYC this time and eager to watch at the Pig.
@goonerton
So Squillaci should’ve struck his arms out and play handball?
Was at a gig so missed the match. Seems I didn’t miss much though. Same old, same old?
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=10147
Scary stuff, a post up this early?!?!?!