Arsenal 3-0 Wigan: Arsenal peaking at the right time

If last weekend’s win over West Ham was a cruise, this was a cakewalk. Although ‘cakewalk’ would not describe the aggressive manner with which our boys went after Wigan.

From the moment the first whistle went our full-strength side wanted to destroy the opponents. Robin van Persie may have got the goals but our entire team was sensational today.

Cesc Fabregas ripped them to shreds with his passing, Samir Nasri with his movement, Theo Walcott with his pace and increasing ability to find the right final pass. Alex Song and Jack Wilshere contributed with energy and quality, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna chipped in with some excellent attacking work while Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny were always prepared to deal with a Wigan danger that never came.

Nobody can get near Cesc in this form

People often criticise this side for failing to be clinical and although three goals was but a fraction of the amount that could have flown in, it was our incessant desire to score more that impressed me today.

At no point did we let up. At no point did we give Wigan — a side that has come from behind in the last two fixtures against us to snatch results — even the time to think they could get back into this one.

The number of chances that we created in the first half of them was incredible. I think I remember seeing a statistic indicating we had taken ten shots to Wigan’s zero in the opening 35 minutes. Reports of Ali Al Habsi’s performance in goal have been greatly exaggerated in my opinion — most of the shots flew straight at him and not the half a yard further away required to truly test his ability — and we opened the scoring when van Persie flashed home a delicate pass from Song after twenty minutes.

From that point on we were relentless. Fabregas steered the ship with a peerless display, better even than the man who walked away with his first hat-trick in an Arsenal shirt. There is a belief that the very best midfielders dictate play by making passes that move their teammates into the positions they want rather than the other way around and this ability was on display for all to see for today. His passing over the 90 minutes was incomparable, the lofted through-ball for van Persie’s second goal a work of art.

Fabregas also had a big hand in the final goal, releasing Walcott before the Englishman cleverly shielded the ball for van Persie to flash home the ball to complete his hat-trick. The Dutchman had blown an earlier opportunity to grab his third goal by blasting a penalty over the bar — I still think Nasri should take them! — and his joy and relief after scoring number three was understandable.

The knives were out for Wenger and this side after they drew with Leeds and lost to Ipswich but since we have responded in style: three wins on the trot, nine goals scored and just one conceded. Our team looks balanced in every department, our first-choice eleven stacked with players in good form that work together extremely well.

Lukasz Fabianski’s unfortunate injury has gifted Szczesny an oppportunity that he has taken with open hands. As much as I was enjoying Fabianski proving the doubters wrong I believe Wenger will maintain the younger Pole for the rest of the season. His confident presence appears to have calmed the side, as well as the supporters who for one reason or another believe he is a Messiah.

In front of him Djourou and Koscielny have formed a surprisingly solid defensive duo. Clichy has returned to form, Sagna is quite simply the best right-back in the league while in Song and Wilshere we have a central-midfield pairing with a great balance of skill, energy and aggression.

Meanwhile further ahead we have a front four that — when they play together — look unstoppable. Nasri has been the best player in the league this season, Walcott is getting better and better, van Persie’s return to the side has given us intelligence, unpredictability and leadership and Cesc, well, what more can I say that hasn’t already been said? He is a gem.

Wigan was the fifth league game this season that The Fab Four — yes, that is what I will call them from now on — have been played together. The results? A 3-1 win over Chelsea, three 3-0 wins over Birmingham, West Ham and Wigan and a 0-0 draw against Manchester City.

When you look at those figures the first thing that jumps out is the sheer number of goals that have been scored — 12 in five fixtures is magnificent — but what also becomes apparent is the goals against. Just one in five games suggests that when we have our best attackers playing together it allows us to control the game and give our defensive players far less work to do. The likes of Djourou and Koscielny should take immense credit from their recent defensive displays but Wenger’s notion that attack is the best form of defence is well supported by these numbers.

Injury-free with a settled starting XI, Arsenal are peaking at the right time.

Thoughts?

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Comments

  1. Fabregas is a gem? Please. Fabregas was almost Godly with his passing last night. That pass for the second goal was absolutely perfect. Just perfect. The Fab Four huh? Good one. I like it. Our attacking options really boast the strength of our side at its capacity and I hope that there are no injuries and we can keep up this fantastic form. Well done to all the guys last night. I was a bit worried when I saw Nasri and Walcott limping and EVEN MORE worried when I saw JD showing signs of discomfort with his shoulder. Please, oh please let nothing happen to JD. He is as steady as a rock for us. I just hope that we can be a little bit more clinical with our finishing. It certainly would help immensely against any strong opponents coming ahead. You’ve said the rest Mr. Webber. Well done again to the guys and thanks for a good report Mr. Webber. GO ARSENAL!!

  2. Now we clearly know our best XI.
    I believe this Arsenal team will have a big say in the title race if RvP stays injury free till the end of the season. It’s by no means to undermine the others, after all the whole team is as just important, but he’s so crucial to everything we dream to achieve. He’s a class act!
    Given that we play a small team in the FA cup next weekend, I hope the manager will field a strong team for the League Cup semi on Tuesday. Roll on Ipswich!

  3. I think the criticism was for not praising Cesc enough…
    Very good point on the “fab four” – impossible not to feel confident when they are all there and fit (fingers crossed).
    Good report – keep it up!

  4. @ Chris – Cheers dude, but not praising him enough?

    “Fabregas steered the ship with a peerless display, better even than the man who walked away with his first hat-trick in an Arsenal shirt. There is a belief that the very best midfielders dictate play by making passes that move their teammates into the positions they want rather than the other way around and this ability was on display for all to see for today. His passing over the 90 minutes was incomparable, the lofted through-ball for van Persie’s second goal a work of art.”

  5. They have started to peak at the right time. I enjoy watching them play almost as much as I enjoy watching the so called Arsenal supporters sitting back and saying “hmmm that man Wenger is actually a decent manager”.

    Good article however you made a point that every blogger seems to make. This so called return to form by Clichy has ironically come at the same time that Nasri // Walcott has been played infront of him instead of Arshavin. His better performances are more down to the fact that he is now been provided support from players in front of him. Thoughts?

    I really like him but christ he couldnt cross his legs!!

  6. A lot of people are calling what you call the Fab Four ‘Theo van Nasrigas’. Both probably a little cheesy, but hey.

    I was at the game and one thing that really disappointed me was the atmosphere. Probably the quietest I can remember us being.

  7. Also I think that song played a huge part in clichy’s success last night as every time n’zogbia ran at clichy song was there to stop him from running on the inisde. As long as we stay injury free for the rest of season we can sustain 4 serious title bids. Great article as usual Mr Webber.

  8. @ Christy – A great point regarding Clichy, I believe I made mention of this in the match report from the Chelsea game. Glad we’re on the same page 🙂

    @ Sam – I’ll stick with “The Fab Four” for now. Shame about the atmosphere, but I suppose that’s what happens when the opposition brings 20 fans and the game is so one-sided.

  9. Great game. We clicked last night. Hopefully we can continue this mid week.

    Song needs new boots, he slipped over many times.

    Andy, will ‘The Pig’ be showing the FA cup game on Sunday night? It’s on Setanta.

  10. Sorry Mr. Weber, I did mean what Chris said. Calling him a gem doesn’t do him enough justice. He was honestly majestic on the field and as the caption underneath the photo says, nobody can get near Cesc in this form.

  11. @Andy – What about the Chamakh write-up that should show how well he has helped us so far?

    I did write about this same starting 11 some time ago and got loads of slack for it…save for Delano and a few others. Can u now see that Chamakh is not Arsenal quality?
    Our best players are being played now and that stupid 4-2-4 formation to accommodate Chamakh…discarded. The right thing is being done and all fans are happy…I always had belief in this squad.

    I always knew that the defense was not the problem, but rather the attack..and I stressed and re-emphasized that point whenever I could to the disgust of few like Hey nonny moose e.t.c

    I feel so happy and wonderful that few like Kel (who obviously likes Vanpercy) and Amal (who thinks Chamakh is the best thing that happened to us) will SHUT-UP and change their minds about our players whom they actually know very little about.

    I will still also try to appeal to others to leave Arshavin out of their frustrations…Can we just be patient with this guy?
    Thank you

  12. As you said our team is reaching the peak at the right time.I don’t say it is only fabfour responsible for everything. I have a pretty strong feeling without Song, Wilshere,Djourou,Koscielny,Sagna,Clichy,Szczesny our fabfour will be nothing and they deserve praise comparable to the fabfour.Don’t be partial in your praise.The entire team has raised their level considerably and we are cursing those who haven’t done them so far .(Denilson, Arshavin, Bendtner, Chamakh ).

    Do i alone see wilshere playing in a style of Rosicky? Or anyone else there with me.

  13. @ GunnerBoss – Chamakh is Arsenal quality, the criticism of him has been ludicrously unfair. Without him steering the ship when everybody around him was injured or struggling for form we wouldn’t be in the position to challenge for the title. I agree with you that accommodating RVP and Chamakh in the same team is not possible — I wrote an article about it actually — but your persistent criticism of Chamakh has been harsh and in my opinion, wrong.

    Football is a squad game and Chamakh has been immensely important to our title push. You want people to cut Arshavin some slack, have a look at yourself and do the same for Chamakh.

  14. @ voley_gun – I wouldn’t say I’ve been partial to the praise of the rest of the team: I just presented some simple statistics that show how successful we’ve been with those four players in the side.

  15. How anyone can say Chamakh is “not Arsenal quality” after one-half season is ludicrous.

    Denilson and Bendtner are now going through what Song went through a while back- calls(by Arsenal “fans”) for him to be sold. These same fans now worship at the altar of Song!
    It is instructive to note that the Arsenal management do not run the organisation based on the opinions of experts on the internet.

    It will do these mouth-breathers a lot of good if they realize that their opinions hardly ever matter. I remember calls for AW to sign every player from Melo to Diarra. I am glad he does not run the club based on these vituperations.

  16. “gem”=great, “almost godly” = just short of perfect.
    Didn’t the original “Fab Four” come from Scouseland?
    Only 8 days to get a quality centerback. Nothing against anyone we have there, we just don’t have enough cover! If Song has to play there, he will be fine, but Denilson doesn’t have the salt to play the holding position defensively and makes too many giveaway passes.
    @volley_gun: Wilshere is one of a kind, but I do see a lot of Rosicky, too. He(Rosicky) really understands the game the way we want to play it. I know he is getting older, will be 31 in April, but I’d still like to see him play more. Since Wenger showed he could substitute in a timely manner against Leeds, maybe the Ipswich game would be a good time to start him again.
    According to Fox Soccer Report, we outshot Wigan 24-3!

  17. To clarify, I mean that Wenger showed that he(Wenger) could make substitutions before it was too late in the Leeds match.

  18. It’s interesting what you say about the attacking players controlling the game so much that the defence really has very little to do. I remember an interview with Lee Dixon where he spoke about the famous back five and how a lot of their success as a defensive unit was down to the fact they had very little to do in most games because the midfield in-front of them was so controlling. From Van Persie highest up the field to the back four, we pressed them at every given opportunity and if we can maintain that level of effort and concentration in every game, I think we’ll be in for much more than the Carling Cup at the end of the season.

  19. Hay what more can any one say…. fabupous, awesome, great. the mark of a champion. i think we are getting closer and closer every match. but we must get more clinical.

  20. Good writing, hope the fab four stay being fab and take it to another level.

    Some comments on Chamakh were a bit unfair, he and RVP are different type of players. Chamakh like to play it safe and he definitely knows his ability, dosen’t take unwanted risks. I am actually impressed by his physical strength. Although with him in the side Arsenal’s play becomes a bit slower but is not a disaster.

    Rvp is a brutal ballerina when on form, plays fast direct 1-2s, always looking for space to strike the ball in the final third. When he is injured Arsenal become 3/4 of a league champion.

    Lets give Chamkh time, its not even 1 season and everyone say he sucks, weird man. Another thing on Arshavin, I think Wenger dosen’t know how to utilize him effectively, the man is suffering from lack of confidence. He played in the hole for Russia and Zenit, not on the left, we should be thankful that we have a right footed player that can play on the left and strike the ball equally well with his left foot.

    (The argument that Arshavin is the cause of our leaky defence is a bit lazy to me, so Clichy needs Arshavin everytime opponents bomb our left side? even on 1 on 1 clichy needs Arshavin? I can accept critics saying Arshavin passing and ball control is deteriorating but defence? pls….in last night game I didn’t see Walcott tracking back much, of course Sagna wins most 1 on 1s, saw Song actually helped Sagna more than Walcott.

    Anyway i hope we do the same thing to Barcelona as we did to Wigan 😛

  21. The last 3 games Arsenal have played they have been great BUT am not impressed because they are expected to win these games. Westham were utter rubbish, leeds are a championship team and wigan are 15th place team so basically arsenal should win these games and be able to do so without our best 11. We should also score more goals, yesterday we should have scored @ least 7.

    When you give time and space to even average teams they will hurt. The issue has never been that arsenal can’t play football it’s when people don’t give them space and time where we have been found wanting. If we could play these teams every week we would win the league. The principal idea is to find solutions to every challenge that confronts us, and for me we haven’t been able to do that, tougher game lie ahead lets see how we go.

    BUT all in all good win.

    @ weber You put forward some great comment BUT let me ask, when you write “Sagna is quite simply the best right-back in the league” do you mean defending or both defending & attacking
    cause if it is the latter that can never be true.

    Cesc is world class so i wont comment on him BUT for me the difference has been walcott he is not the best technical player but his speed is causing all kinds of problems, once he is fit he must play most games to the end. If we take him out of this team Arsenal become average.

  22. If we can sustain this form we are sure to win something this season. I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time about our club right now. The main thing is that we’re healthy and if we stay that way we will only get better, I promise you. As our confidence continues to grow our finishing will improve and we will increase our conversion rate on the many fabulous opportunities this team can create. We will be less complicated in the area and our tendency will be to shoot instead of pass. It has already started coming together. With this kind of talent, all it takes for us is to play together injury free in the right rotational scheme. Other than the obvious need for a centre back we are lacking nothing right now. COME ON ARSENAL!

  23. It was hard to single anyone out on Saturday apart from Wigan’s keeper who kept them in the game longer than they deserved. But I really like the partnership Song and Wilshire are developing – one pushes up the other stays back – and allows Fabregas more room to do his thing. I still find Theo frustrating as. That one on one with the keeper and he chose to pass – had me yelling at the dog! But once the second goal went in it was nice to be able to relax a bit. Now for Ipswich…

  24. Truly happy with the peformance but sad with the final score… wat adds is OT got 5 goals and i too think we should have had atleast 5 as well to pass on the message that the gunners are gunning forward…. Dare to block!

  25. @ Mr .Webber we are all arsenal fans and the truth has to be told. Its not rocket science to realize how slow Chamak is with lack of technic apart from heading the ball.I wont say he is not arsenal type but i don’t know whether he will regain the form of speed and instincts of a striker at goal. imagine is Persie got injured now God forbid, Can Chamak step in to devastate defenses like Persie besides which Premiership defender fears him any way. Am just disappointed with the coach in that he has had to sacrifice the talent of Carlos vela at the expense of accommodating Chamak. That kid is a gem and can be a Missie type when given enough game play. He is fast and can shoot from small angles.In fact the kid could be coming in for the out of form AA. I still have a rude feeling that even B52 is a better arsenal type of player than Chamak.B52 has scored for us against the best at Nuo camp and hasnt been so pathetic.I don’t hate Chamak but i would love to see him show desire to shoot and score instead of the stupid side ways passing he does pretending to be a midfielder. The guy irritates me so much. I just hope he has got some lessons from Persie.

  26. Hmmm Agree with most accept for the criticism at Chamakh, and wallcott really should be doing better, with the goals he has scored really confidence should be oozing out of him to blast that 1 on 1 chance. Nasri well he did not have that much of an impact on the game in my opinion he really seemed tired, and wasnt playing at the high tempo the rest of the teams were at..

  27. @JJ.Pitman for heavens sake don’t pray for Rosicky . In most of the games we have played with him either as captain we have struggled or lost. We must maintain our first eleven for the Ipswich game and i would be comfortable if we started with B52,Carlos vela and persie up front.

  28. @ delano – “Am just disappointed with the coach in that he has had to sacrifice the talent of Carlos vela at the expense of accommodating Chamak. That kid is a gem and can be a Missie type when given enough game play.”

    What are you talking about?

    Number 1, it’s “Chamakh” and “Messi” not “Chamak” and “Missie”. I can’t stand it when people expect their comments to be taken seriously but cannot be bothered to use the proper names of players. That goes for using my name, too, it’s “Weber” not “Webber” for all those above.

    Number 2, Chamakh and Vela are completely different players. Vela was not sacrificed for Chamakh, we needed Chamakh to lead the line earlier in the season to make up for the absence of our two other forwards, Bendtner and RVP. How can you not understand this? How can you not realise that Vela is not capable of playing this role?

    On a separate note I’m exasperated today. How can people seriously complain after a win like that? And how on earth is Chamakh coming in for criticism when he didn’t even play? It’s utterly ridiculous. Cheer up people, seriously.

  29. @Byo – As silly as your accusations seem, i’ll still answer them. You dont even know me and you just came to this blog.

    1. I NEVER criticized Song, go back and read pre-season comments when everybody wanted melo etc. I actually stuck out my neck and said that that season would be Song’s season.

    2. I’ve always said we never score enough goals, but never criticized B52 or anybody in front for us cos thats what we have…go look again idiot. I rather criticized the coach for not bringing in guys like Villa,Suarez etc

    3. I critized Chamakh cos he came to solve a goal scoring problem and proved to be worse than what we had on ground, even though he REALLY HELPED us when we had no one fit…..
    a.Was there no better striker out there for us to buy?
    b.He was getting played at the expense of fit again strikers who are far better than him.
    c.The coach was changing the formation to accommodate him.
    d.What of Vela? Not just getting enough chances

    4. I never criticized the defense or even clichy…infact…I never criticize our players, but i’m always looking at the possible formations and which player could play where etc.
    Infact, i voted in the opinion poll in this blog and said that this present defensive pairing was our best.

    5. Dont ever join me with the rest in your arrogant criticisms again…always look back before you write rubbish about anyone.

  30. @ GunnerBoss – I would say your criticisms are far more arrogant than Byo’s. Byo didn’t make an accusation of you specifically at all, just general comments on the comments of others: I don’t know where you’ve got this notion of an accusation from. Personally I agree a lot with what they have said, too.

    I know you have strong opinions about the attacking shape but I still think your criticisms of Chamakh are WAY over the top. He was not brought in to solve a goal-scoring problem, he was brought in as a squad player who is physically robust, a good team player and could fill in when van Persie and Bendtner were not available. He has done this admirably and we would not be in the position we are in without his early-season form and goals. He was not played at the expense of fit strikers who were far better than him — van Persie took time to work his way back to fitness and has returned to form well, and both he and Chamakh were handled well during this period of transition by Wenger.

    PS. You’re criticising Wenger for not bringing in Suarez or Villa — give me a break.

  31. To add to my previous comment, this is what I wrote about Chamakh on the day that he announced his signing for Arsenal:

    “Although it is hardly a surprise to hear the move confirmed it is extremely good news. Chamakh will give us another physical option up front to go with Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner, allowing out frontline to rotate as required as well as ensuring we never have to see Andrey Arshavin play alone up front again.”

    “He’s not going to be a player that scores bucketloads of goals, Chamakh, but his pace and power will be a valuable asset to the team. Personally I don’t think he will start the season as first choice which could irk supporters wanting a David Villa, yet I believe his value to the team will become more prominent as the season progresses and van Persie and Co are allowed to stay fresh.”

    “It should be noted that Chamakh captained Bordeaux in the Champions League quarter-finals, which suggests he could be a leader in a similar mould to Thomas Vermaelen. At 26 he is hardly a pup and it is good to see the manager add a player that will be ready to make his mark from day one.”

    “It does prompt one uncomfortable question to be asked though: does this spell the end for Eduardo?”

  32. @delano: shouldn’t be singling out any one player for losses. Rosicky is not the only player to miss opportunities in games where we have lost or struggled. Even against Wigan, a negative view would be that we ONLY scored 3 of 24 shots!
    Personally, I never believe in criticizing a physical error. Lack of effort, sure, and I will comment on physical attributes such as lack of speed. You cant coach speed. Positional deployment is also something not always the players fault. Rosicky is older than all but Almunia on the opening roster and even older than Squillaci by a few months and been with us since 2006. He has the savvy, the desire, the skills, and, in my opinion(and evidently AW’s also) to contribute. Like a lot of others, he has been unlucky on finishing opportunities. I wont pray for him( only pray that players don’t get hurt) but I would like to see TR7 play more, certainly ahead of
    Denilson.
    @Andrew: I agree that Gooners should learn how to spell our players names, but there are 2 mitigating factors that may apply. One is the irritating tendency of our computers to anticipate and “correct” our spelling. It often takes a rigorous proofread to make sure. The second is that a lot of people are just plain poor spellers. Additionally, some of these names are not simple.
    That said, when the name is repeatedly misspelled in a sarcastic manner(ManUre, Spuds, and Man$hitty are okay I reckon) then this is objectionable from an Arsenal “supporter”. As far as single or double consonants, I have a sister-out-law(wife’s brother’s wife) who can’t get the second t in my last name. Ticks my wife off no end; can’t stand her(the sister-out-law) myself!
    We really need another centerback, 7 days to go!

  33. @Gunner boss you seem to have taken Boy’s views so personal. Please this just a forum for opinion and constructive criticism.@Weber i respectfully appreciate the guidance. Nevertheless now that our attackers are back does this spell the end of Chamak’s involvement in the team. By the way should we blame the coach for having gone for a wrong option of bringing in ” a good team player who is physically robust” . Me and you clearly know the weaknesses of this guy. In any case he is not any where near a Drogba neither a bully in the box like B52 can be at times in the box.I have no rating for a striker who shows no heart in scoring goals.Well the guy scored goals early in the season but which kind of goals where they. Simple tap ins and headers yet at times they were not match winning goals. We need Carlos vela back in the team as fast as we can please Mr. Wenger.We are just tired of struggling to win games with Chamak and B52 pairing each other.They are just pathetic and i hope he pairs at least either one of them with persie.

  34. First off I’d like to apologise to you Mr. Weber after spelling your name wrong far too many times without realising. My sincerest apologies.

    Second of all, Mr. Weber said this: “How can people seriously complain after a win like that? And how on earth is Chamakh coming in for criticism when he didn’t even play? It’s utterly ridiculous. Cheer up people, seriously.” -and I honestly agree. Why are people so peeved off after such a fine performance? It’s good to see many are still embracing the win with arms open but seriously, with all this staunch criticism of Chamakh, I can’t understand the state of mind of some people. It’s true that Chamakh was NOT brought it to take us to the top of the league in terms of goals scored. He was a decent TEAM PLAYER replacement. Honestly guys, LIGHTEN UP! Chamakh did a very decent job when he was up front in the period when Van Persie and Bendtner were unavailable to play. Sure he didn’t score those match winning goals but like Mr. Weber said, we would not be where we are without Chamakh’s inclusion to our squad. I HIGHLY doubt that Carlos Vela, despite the immense talent he has, could resonate the performance that Chamakh gave us at the beginning of the season.

    @ Gunnerboss, why would Wenger bring in Villa, Suarez etc. Mate, have you not watched Arsenal and their transfers? Clearly not…

    Also, Eden Hazard. Apparently Wenger is quietly prowling around, waiting to pounce on the given chance to snap up Hazard. (I think I made him sound like an animal there..oops..) My guess is Eden Hazard is some kind of a replacement for Fabregas or insurance at least. I know he’s not as good or might not be as good etc etc. but Wenger might know that his star midfielder is eyeing a trophy with Arsenal and then might head to Barca as per his dream. In theory, Wenger is probably willing to wait for Hazard to be released by Lille because he does not know for one if there will be a trophy even though we seem to be headed in the right direction, and two, what Fabregas is willing to do in the near future. The reports of Eden seem hopeful but the reports of being lazy are worrying. I hope, if my guesses and theories are somewhat correct, that if Eden Hazard comes to Arsenal, he will be willing to put in the effort that everyone at Arsenal FC does to win.

    I have a feeling I might slammed for my last additional note. Oh well..Good Luck to Arsenal against Ipswich. Hopefully it will be another aggressive ‘cakewalk’.

  35. Chamakh is arsenal quality. But maybe people can see what I was saying earlier in the season (when Chamakh was banging the goals in) – a fit van Persie should be our first choice striker.

    People who are criticising Chamakh really need a reality check. With RvP’s tendency to get injured, we need players who are ready to step up to the plate at any time (plus obvious cup rotation). Those players are Chamakh and Bendtner, two brilliant strikers that any team in the league would kill to have as back up/ rotation players.

  36. @ gandiv – the away crowd beats the home crowd hands down, in my recent experience.

    Maybe if home prices were lowered the “old skool fans” you speak of would fill those empty seats.

  37. Who is criticizing chamakh? I was only talking about THE PAST. Do you guys read? I only reacted to Byo in my second post

  38. After an incredibly awful day at work,my saviour was my beloved Arsenal winning and,doing it with real ruthlessness and style.Now we are finally seeing the team that Wenger has always enthused about and,how right he was! Not that I ever doubted him because,`In Arsene We Trust`.Isn`t it just great to see the superb RVP back to his wonderful best? Everyone was superb. As for Chamakh, give the guy a chance,he did really well considering how much harder it is to play in the PL than in the leagues in Europe.It takes a while to adjust…I mean…look at Berbatov…how many seasons has it taken him?

  39. I really in my life have never understood people like GunnersBoss and shambogunner who nothing more other than to come criticize players weather the team wins or not, this really gets frustrating to even bother reading, you are talking about villa omfg you are nothing more than a joke or nothing less than a city fan, you guys are seriously horrible take a leaf or a note from the Liverpool fans, no matter how badly their team, manager or player performs they always get behind that club and still scream their fucking guts out and still sing “you will never walk alone”. And your comments wow Chamakh was bought in to solve our goal scoring problems?? Which bloody world do you live in?? He was bought in to hold the ball up and bring others into play and also knowing for his heading ability.. Your entire idea of him is wrong right to begin with.

  40. Two men in possession of tape measures were challenged by Emirates security staff at the weekend. The two, who turned out to be Ipswich employees,were questioned then released.

    An Ipswich spokesman said ” we were just checking to see if our brand new Neoplan Starliner with 52 Luxury Reclining Seats, air Con and DVD/CD Entertainment System (with the DVD of the first leg welded in to the tray) will actually fit through the gates of the ground.

    This will allow us to park the bus across the 6 yard line. If this is not possible, we will have to use our 10 year old ford transit, which doesn’t have nearly the same defensive qualities.”

    Wenger appeared unconcerned by the Ipswich tactics:

    ” We respect the opposition, but we will not worry about their game. We will worry about our own game, I mean… we won’t worry about our own game, as well as not worrying about their game. Our players will play the game the same as the last leg, er…no, I mean the players are capable of playing better than our last game.

    If we play well, if we show commitment, if we show desire to win, if we don’t let Denilson and Arshavin play at the same time… we will progress to the final of the illustrious Carling Cup”

    A sneak preview of the training session showed the team practicing trying to roll the ball under a replica of the Ipswich bus, but it didn’t look good – Bendtner kept hitting the wheels, RVP kept putting the ball over the roof, and Walcott had to be treated for concussion, as he just kept running straight at the bus.

    Wenger stated: ” The player is OK, he will be fine for the match.. He is working with our trainers, and he is now running with his eyes open.”

  41. @ gandiv thanks for the most interesting comments i’v read on arsenal in a long time. @ least someone is prepared to tell the truth about the goings on at Arsenal.

    People blame the board but think its wenger who should be blamed. Am sure the board would give him any amount of money he wants BUT that’s just not how he does things look at what he did at Grampus 8, its the samething and it has not worked.
    Look at MAU they have played poorly in a lot of game but it looks like they will win the league what does that say of us…………….

    anyways good luck guys against Ipswich

  42. @”GunnerBoss”-
    I generally do not respond to specific commenters on Arsenal blogs by name, rather endeavor to address comments based on my limited knowledge and opinion. But I will make an exception this one time. Andrew Weber actually addressed some of your rantings adequately, his observations on Chamakh and Vela are very apt.

    First, when you have to call anyone an “idiot” because you decide that a comment was directed at you, it displays your lack of vocabulary(in English) in expressing yourself cogently without resorting to abusive language.
    At least you used the word “arrogant” (in another sentence) which consists of more than 2 syllables!

    It may surprise you, that I do not comment on every article on this site is not an indication that I am new here, it just means I am discerning. And by the way, you may want to look in the archives.

    You claim your criticism of Wenger has been based on not bringing in Suarez and Villa. This is only an indication of your paucity of knowledge when it comes to football. I was not aware that Wenger has to discuss his transfer dealings with you or in public. And you know for sure he never tried for Villa or Suarez? How? Trading for a player involves many factors: cost; current contract and whether the player is on the market;needs of the team and how they fit into the team; does the player want to come to Arsenal; etc, etc, etc. I am tickled to know that the management at Arsenal do not base their decisions on what any of the “managers” on the internet think.

    Please try not to let your innate anger spill over on a blog. We are only discussing football as it relates to our beloved club Arsenal.

  43. @Byo – Do you know the meaning of e.t.c? I never mentioned the names of the players that should be brought in during pre-season….But, I only used those players as an example of the type of players I would like or expect us to sign-up.
    I can see that idiots like you just respond without thinking clearly and I of all people know clearly how we trade and work in the transfer market.
    Andy must have been preparing something on Chamakh’s defense so it doesn’t bother me at all, besides its all in argument and he did write up some good stuff which of course is still very debatable….but atleast he supports his arguments even though initially it was very hard for him.

    If Chamakh didn’t come in to help in goal scoring, then what did we bring him in for? I cant believe you are so silly as to believe Andy – hook, line and sinker-
    I better leave you alone cos you are really silly, it seems you dont even watch our matches…ur just like most others who just follow whatever they feel and never have a definite opinion about something.

    ONE thing you should know about Andy is that he is a very f…king good writer. He can make anyone a hero. He’s still the reason I blog at all.

  44. @GunnerBoss-I really cannot believe I will spend another few minutes to decipher your rantings….again! Because I find it rather unbecoming trying to make sense of incoherent ideas apparently influenced by borderline I.Q

    No, you have no rudimentary understanding of how the transfer market works, nor do you have an iota of an idea of how a team is set up. I am for one glad Wenger does not discuss his transfer dealings with experts on the internet or the press.

    You have consistently demonstrated that you have a limited understanding of whatever it is your are trying to say. Your liberal use of words such “idiot”, “f…king”, “silly”, says that you would not recognize a good writer if you saw one!
    “The meaning of e.t.c”? What has that got to do with the price of beans?

    Let me repeat. It is not necessary to display your latent anger when discussing Arsenal and football. It is well to understand that opinions expressed have no bearing on decisions taken by those who are paid to run the club.
    And I will not directly address you any more!

  45. Can’t believe 5 hours have passed and no one has commented on Anthony’s laugh riot funny bus story! Wonderful! Hope we get an early goal and force them to get that bus out of the way! Pitch will be much better at the grove!

  46. @Anthony, that really was hilarious. Nice work there! Especially with the Walcott concussion thing. I really like the guy but wow you made it all pretty funny. Thanks for lightening up the comments =)

  47. @Anthony – your story is a complete fabrication. Everyone knows Ipswich travel to away matches on a tractor, a combine harvester and Nelly the cart horse. They’ll be up at The Grove “Uuurly in the marnin’ ” stacking their goal mouth with hay bails.

    We’re just one game away from a Wembley final against Hammers or the Leg Breakers. (Leg Breakers is my bet). Surely whatever team we put out will be fired up enough to get the job done? Chesney’s comments in the press have once again got me excited. I LOVE the attitude of this guy. ‘We are Arsenal and believe we can beat anybody’. Legendary.

    As for our recent shut-outs and good results, although I’m happy of course, I have to agree with those that express reservations due to the quality of teams we’ve played. Basically we’ve not been tested and I think it’s just wrong to think our defensive problems are solved on the basis of these games. Wigan, Wham & Brum were all hopeless in attack I’m afraid. Some have voiced a theory, kind of based on The Professor’s statements, that in a way our constant attacking threat nullifies a need to defend but while that me be true with the teams just mentioned it won’t be with more attack minded teams. I’m seriously worried that it looks like we’re not going to be getting that big central defender we all want, on the basis of recent results. The time to get the nuclear supplies in is now – not after the bombs dropped.

  48. Enough with the rantings guys. What happened to Walcott and let me hope he will be part of the game. For the first time today i would love to see Persie partner with Chamak and Bendtner brought on for 45 minutes. The reason is by Ipswich packing the bus we may need to use our aerial threats and drop those balls in their penalty area. Am hearing rumors that United is cashing on for Chamberlain. Wenger better be serious and pay up the kid.By the way we should not fool ourselves Chamak was brought in to score goals and not to hold up play for midfielders to come and score. I f he is substandard we must admit. There is no excuse of adaptability. Just look at the confidence and finishing prowess of Asamoa Gyan’s Sunderland yet he is much more newer than Chamak.He is just good enough for a bench player.

  49. @delano – you think RVP will play? I doubt it. Bendtner and Chamackh I should think. Hopefully they’ll score hat-tricks each and shut some mouths up. What do you mean ‘What’s happened to Walcott?’

  50. @Nonny its my wish that Persie leads the attack. I have seen those two morons play and they are utter rubbish. With the lack of directness from Chamak Ipswich may force the game into extra time and who knows may be penalties. We just need our best to do the business and we prepare early for the fa tie.There is no way chamak can dribble past a packed bus neither can B52 try.Wenger better be aware of the tactics by the opponents and which player is right to suit the situation.

  51. @Byo – Do you know what “@Andy” means? It means whatever question I have is aimed at him personally. Why are you just so silly, why do you keep on arguing when you know you are wrong?
    I agree i might have gone over the top to say “Chamakh is not Arsenal quality”, but since the question was aimed at Andy, it was meant to provoke an answer from him and not from idiots like BYO.

    Andy knows he owes me an explanation for completely supporting Chamakh even when he sort-of knew he was not right especially when the manager was trying to change our pattern to accommodate him etc

    So, my question was to him.

    When you brought in your dirty mouth you never knew what the consequences would be, did you? So long as you keep on being the asshole you are, I might as well offer you a towel to clean-up and start acting right.

    When Andy referred to me criticizing Chamakh even when the guy did not play….fools like you who never watch our matches do not even know the truth from reality cos he actually played in that match (Wigan), but this issue is from way back as explained above.

    You dont even watch our matches, so why talk like one who knows everything? Which coach ever discusses his transfer dealings with the public? We watch matches and talk what we like, but, we could be lucky if the coach sees it and says “WOW, this could be a good idea”. All else is just to please/appease oneself especially when the rant is borne out of frustration (ur team losses etc).

    My point is; do not respond (arrogantly) to anything you see especially when it is not directed to you.
    Andy could have well agreed that i was right, but I fueled his canon by adding “Chamakh is not Arsenal quality”.

    Finally, anyway you want to look at it, I WAS RIGHT(Andy acknowledged this, albeit very late-on). Those that follow what went on know this. I only wanted Andy to say I was right. The whole issue has nothing to do with the past two weeks….JUST NOTE THAT.

  52. In order words, win or lose, Chamakh plays or not, as long as he is not the first choice……I have absolutely no problems at all.
    Do you all mis-firing gunners get me point now?
    Stop mis-quoting and mis-judging me. Why is Andy not writing something to show that Chamakh should continue to be 1st choice and say the coach is wrong? I did that way before and predicted this line-up, why then do I get all this slack?

    Even Kel’s point about RVP(I dont know why he cant spell it this way) is still way too real to be brushed aside. So, what happens when we lose him?
    Very simple, whatever form of title challenge goes alongside that injury. Hence my point. It is not a direct attack on the guy, but probably on the coach. We need pacy people up-front, this has been our style…the last thing I thought this guy would lack is PACE. Every other thing could be easily forgiven/overlooked. (I seriously doubt Dzeko is what Citey needs right now.)

    I’m seriously pissed off with you guys for taking my points completely out of context. Has anyone seen me writing here for sometime now? I just felt I should take a shot at Andy about stuff that happened way back.

    We’re doing fine now, so why should anyone even think i was/am complaining? Even when we lost the cup games, I wasn’t bothered cos I knew we weren’t playing our best 11.

    When I saw this guy come on after the Wigan hat-trick, he was full of running and all…..I was laughing and said “Look what RVP has done to this guy”.

    Lastly, no matter what you guys say…..I still think this guys standards are way too low for us(especially in the striking department). We had an oppurtunity to bring in someone and we blew it(especially after selling Eduardo). Can you compare the Chicarito signing for Manure? We could bring in all kinds of shit for the defense and it wouldn’t matter much.
    Our problems have always been in front, when do we solve those problems?

  53. @GunnerBoss Lol dude, you are a person like we say a dogs tail can never be straightened so there is no point in arguing with you, its better banging ones head against the wall. Anyways so according to you lets hear it what would resolve our strike/attacking options, lets me see if you think like a gooner or like shitty fan, also if i may ask what are views on Kosc and Squal?

  54. To add to that, nobody is saying Chamakh should be first-choice. You’re arguing with yourself as far as I’m concerned. I can’t wait to write a new post and turn the page on this ridiculous discussion.

  55. Indeed we shouldn’t tolerate derogatory language here.However i think Gunner boss’s rants are directed to the coach. I see a point when he says our problems are in the attacking department and not the defense. We create loads of chances but lack prolific finishers. At the moment we are enjoying services of V.persie and Walcott. I don’t want to imagine what can happen when they get injured.Look at Barcelona their defense has been made to look good due to pacy and efficient attackers who kill off the game at the hands of their opponents. Imagine Arsenal had a twin partnership of V.persie and Fernando Tores, we could be dominating England. I remember seeing Henry and Persie on the same pitch in 2006 at O.T. The coach is the problem not to have seen what is obvious to the fans. Some people think Edwardo was a better replacement but are forgetting this guy also lacked pace though he was a fox in the box. Suarez is available for the taking but the coach is comfortable in the services of Chamakh or B52. A good striker must have some descent pace or if not have some power in the legs to take shots . B52 has at times shown me ability but am always let down by Chamakh. He seems to be in the class of Zigic the Birmingham striker and not fit for arsenal unless he styles up.

  56. @Aman – I know ur sick somewhere, but please stop putting me in it(ur sickness). Did I mention anything about SPEED? How do you read? Dont you know anyone that is FAST in RUNNING in your village?

    @Andy – Byo clearly responded to me and the slack i got from him needed to be addressed. He did it very arrogantly and possibly provocatively too. He joined other issues into it as well which I addressed, but rather than admit or say what his point was, he maintained the assault …..meaning it was very intentional indeed.
    I cannot understand your defense of him at all….and i’m really pissed with this. He clearly generalized me with others that sought melo etc

    He should watch his comments…
    “It will do these mouth-breathers a lot of good if they realize that their opinions hardly ever matter. I remember calls for AW to sign every player from Melo to Diarra. I am glad he does not run the club based on these vituperations.”
    WTF was that about?
    He could’ve simply said he was not talking to me and i would’ve apologized. Infact, I need to take a break. I’m really pissed

  57. By the way Citeh are fooling themselves . They haven’t solved anything much in their attacking line. With so much hype about Dzeko i realized he is not in the likes of D.villa or even a kind of Torres. He is much of a Chamakh type of player and just wait when Carlos gets injured not even Silva will save them in getting the 4th champions league slot. A striker who pretends to bring others into play is either shot of form ,confidence or is not a good striker at all. I just hope we play our twin strikers and progress to Wembly tonight.Then slaughter Huddlesfield for dinner on Sunday. At least 3 trophies are realistically achievable at the moment. Don’t ask me about Barcelona the earlier we are thumped the more we concentrate on the domestic glory at the expense of our rivals which means we must not let Money city be ahead of us at all cause it may not have many game in April. We must just be up there with the leaders since they have more chances of progressing in Europe than us. No one should get me wrong to think am a coward cause its the law of averages and common sense here

  58. I think the most nerve racking thing about this game tonight is waiting to see the starting team, we all see this as the pivitol game, and i agree with you, we lucky we’re playing hudds on the wknd rather than everton, iv been on this site almost every hour at work today waiting to hear anything new, the hours have dragged waiting to see our boys get closer to a trophy, honestly they deserve it, we’ve been playing so well lately and i wish i could watch our boys daily, tonight for me is definately full strength team, rest them for hudds and ready for the toffees in a weeks time.. We will need to be patient and technically on form as they will sit back and try hold on im sure, here’s hoping for a hungry performance from whoever walks on that field tonight and takes us to wembly!

  59. @Aman – Why is it that you cannot READ what people write to understand it, but just rush to say something else?

    Do you want me to compare Kos and Squilachi or what? I guess from the arguments that emanated from the poll here(about our best CD pairing) and what you have seen, you would/should know their differences, strengths etc. Were you just asking a question or trying to be nice? I would’ve been glad to help but i’m really pissed off right now.

  60. @GunnerBoss – Dude do you think i really care if your pissed or not.. and secondly i am asking your opinion of those two i am not really bothered to track back and read what was written there. i am just trying to find out here what is your opinion on them, is the same as your opinion as chamakh a total waste in the arsenal club.

    I dont even understand why all this criticism is even thrown at chamakh the entire world knows he was never going to be first choice ever, it was always going to be RVP and NB 52, if we were going to play two strikers. Chamkh was a backup for these two that’s it, he did is job and is very capable of doing it again, you think its so easy to get a prolific striker as in Toress with clubs like city always sniffing? Your comments i am sorry pal make you look very illiterate and stupid in the world of football. Maybe you should follow golf..

  61. Ha ha ha am just enjoying your rantings ” who cares if you get pissed off” ha ha ha we won the game any way and B52 is the second choice striker.

  62. Whats up guys you are not lightening up the blog am fuckin bored men.I want to see comments coming in and whats happening at the groove as we prepare for the Nuocamp rascals.

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