A view from the ground from @foreverheady
I enjoyed the game and thought we were properly in charge throughout. The defence looked organised and apart from a spell in the second half when we seemed happy to concede possession, we always seemed in control of the game. I was very impressed with Campbell and felt he made a big impact: the ball seems to find him, and he was often involved. He provided excellent support defensively and his energy level seemed high – Monreal must have thought he was in heaven. Given that it was effectively his first proper match for Arsenal I thought he did well, and I would love to see him play again. There have been better players than him who have been one-footed and as the Tony Adams quote on the wall of the stadium says, “play to your strengths”. He seemed to give us a very different balance and it will be interesting to see how he is used. There is a line of thought that says that that left wing spot has been the hardest to fill effectively: Podolski, Ozil, Cazorla and Wilshere have all played there with varying degrees of success, and not all have embraced the defensive aspect of the role wholeheartedly, so it was good to see him trying so hard: he deservedly got an ovation when he left the pitch. Given the doubts over the fitness of our midfielders I wouldn’t be rushing to send him out on loan, although playing a dozen or so Premier League games for Palace, QPR or WBA would do him no harm at all I guess.
It was a good natured crowd, with a lot of youngsters there, and also a lot of empty seats, although I suspect that the official attendance was high as no doubt it was largely season ticket holders who were absent. Not many Club Level members seemed to have made it, and I can only guess that most were still on the ski slopes or wherever it is they head to over the Christmas holiday. Nice work if you can get it as they say.
And now we enter a period of brief normality with only a game a week for a while which will be very welcome for the players and rather dull for us. But thanks to our warriors yesterday we have the excitement of the Fourth Round draw to look forward to, and that is something to be more than happy about. I rather fancy an away tie at Old Trafford.
Positively Arsenal 
Thanks ‘Heady. I too fancy an away trip to OT for the next round.
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The lads did pretty well yesterday. Looking forward to another impressive home tie probably with Man City.
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Nice one FH
Are you fucking sadists… away trip to OT? Ipswich to beat Soton and we can have a nice little home game against the farmers.
Just to let you PA’ers know, I’ve finally booked my flight to UK for April, will be there for Sunderland home 18th (or FA Cup semi final… hopefully) CL quarter final on the 21st (hopefully) and Chavs at the Ems on the 25th. So up for meeting a few people for copious amounts of alcohol. George, would be great to meet you mate… put it in your filofax diary.
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Afternoon FH and it was a game easy on the eye. Just a little flutter when we switched off after half time but Hull did not have to the tools or the energy to do much damage. The back four were very composed throughout and Ospina barely had to move fast, let alone make a save.
Respectable effort from Coquelin though as I said last night on another day, with another referee, and with an opponent who fell to the ground screaming in agony, he would have seen straight red late on.
I think Sanchez was always likely to stand out in yesterday’s game against a team of plodders like Hull. Pity he did not score more and I’d say the same for Campbell and Theo, both of whom had good chances to score.
Did I detect a better rate of return on our use of the dead ball at corners and free kicks? I surely did.
In case you were puzzled by my instruction to “zip it” on Twitter last night it referred to the TV coverage of Arsene’s coat ! (again)
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I fancy a game against Burnley in the 4th round
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Chesterfield or Bournemouth at home would be a challenge
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Thanks FH.
I wouldn’t mind away at AFC Wimbledon next round; Rochdale, Doncaster Rovers, Preston NE, Cambridge Utd, or Fulham, are also tempting.
Let the PL clubs annihilate each other in the next round please.
City vs Chelsea.
Burnley/Spuds vs Everton/West Ham.
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FH
You forgot to mention AA23 in the long list of left wing problems.
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DC, how very dare you call my sweetheart a problem?
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Would love a home draw to a lower div club so we can play a couple more youngsters. I thought Chuba was unlucky yesterday as if we had scored the second earlier im sure he would have been given more time. I also think it was his sort of game and he would of scored.
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I can not wait for Campbell to play with the same confidence he does for Costa Rica. When he finds his touch, expect him to score a few from outside-right of the penalty area.
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Only at left wing, George.
That’s not where he was when he scored that beauty against Barcelona.
I tell I lie.
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Chuba only got a few minutes and spent those trying to close down defenders – but he looks a really speedy type which bodes well. I liked the fact we ended with him and Maitland-Niles on the pitch, and that we started with Chambers and Bellerin. Coquelin too, who has been with us since his teenage years, and Fins favourite, Oxlade who by now must feel Arsenal through and through so we ended the game with a number of proper home-growns and some real hope for the future. And it was great to see Theo again, who will have enjoyed his run-around, and will soon develop the confidence to go past players once more. He has been with us for such a long time that it is easy to forget that he is only now approaching what are sometimes considered a footballer’s best years. Of course this won’t happen soon enough for many in this day and age, but you don’t have to look that closely to see what the manager is working towards.
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anicoll
if per could stay more centrally like giroud during corners like he did against hull, he will score more goals but most of the time he is going forward just to flick it to others. with his height advantage he should be scoring more.
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ha ha ha Coq au Vin Diesel… Shut the fuck up
https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/B02145CDE11163604328058159104_25889e4ec2b.5.1.5932280436885378495.mp4?versionId=XLPFvPu0KGI8pAh1Igf5ul9e0jWZIuj9
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back to the U21’s for akpom, Maitland-Niles and zelalem, AFC v Wolves at 7 tonight
Arsenal under-21s: Macey, Johnson, O’Connor, Ajayi, Smith, Kamara, Maitland-Niles, Iwobi, Zelalem, Crowley, Akpom
Subs: Huddart, Dobson, Willock, Mavididi, Hinds
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NB69
Will make Herculean efforts to meet up with you, just to confirm that you are the scary bastard I think you are…..
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He’s bound to be GP. Expect I’ll don a tin hat and be around as well …
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Meant to say – nice summary FH, enjoyed the game, would have loved for us to go 3 up early on and amazed Hull kept it down to 2 tbh.
Looking forward to Liverpool providing some entertainment tonight – first, the draw!
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Very solid and efficient performance by whole team, especially the engine room, Rosicky, Carzola and Cocolein
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The ball arrived exactly where it was supposed to Layks and exactly where, as you say, Per should be to do his best work.
Damn good header too
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Brighton !
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Nice draw: will have to take it seriously.
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U21’s leading 2-1 at HT away to wolves, Iwobi and Crowley with the AFC goals
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chelsea, man u, and city all got easy enough draws too
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I hope NB has made his amends to HM Revenue and Customs, otherwise it could be a long stay at HM Pentonville.
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Brighton, again.
Bannerwankers beware!
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it seems like the U21’s are hanging on a bit at the moment. Wolves have missed an open goal from six yards out.
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arsenal’s defense all over the place as wolves make it 2-2
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Full time: Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s 2-2 Arsenal Under-21s
after going 2 up it was Arsenal who hung on to get a point, considering how many of these lads have trained with the first team recently and even got game time, you’d expect more from them.
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Brighton it is then. Like a few other posters, I would like to have a few more of the younger players get a game. I am not sure Gnabry will be fit enough – but this is the kind of match he would well in.
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I’m watching our ‘Shea’ & the Dons scare the living daylights out of Liverpool at the moment.
Magic of the Cup!
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Brighton & Hove Albion AWAY.
‘Allo positivistas..hello PG….here’s to a vitally successful 2015.
I concur with G69 @ 4:07pm, JC could be that monster we have room for.
Can’t say I’ve not been surprised with how he’s seemed to struggle with the pace of the Arse. I expect he’ll come good soon.
Le Coq’s been immense. Germany & the championship seems to have enlarged his mojosphere for sure.
Now for that equally impressive cameo by Isaac Hayden and AW can stick 2 middle fingers to the saps!
who says we HAVE TO buy in january???
Ciao Poldi, it was great having you.
Pity you’re going to miss the pottery smashing on sunday.
Oh well….
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Gnabry!……….whats the latest on our 4th wingman, Gains?
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He’s not built for endurance, but he did this today. Akinfenwa Pirlo-ing Liverpool players.
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Well six days into the window and no signings – in fact unless I have missed something no one has made any signings (other than Inter)
I’m frantic !
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Schezzer fined for smoking in the showers?
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Thanks Tim,
I was lucky enough to watch both Coquelin and Chamberlain on home debut against Shrewesbury. Both impressed me, it was Passenal who told me Chambo was the one to watch (Passenal knows!).
I’ve heard Coquelin needed to mature (smoking in the showers?) and a slack run out for the u21s earlier in the season wasn’t impressive, but he seems to be focused at the moment.
Always impressed by his tackling when not using two outstretched feet and I think there’s more to come with his passing? Not an awful player to have in the squad and given the injuries a short term loan to Charlton was smart thinking. From someone. Somewhere (shush! It’s a secret….can’t be upsetting any lily livered Groaners).
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Dexter was a big fan of Coquelin. Shame Dex threw his hand in with us.
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Was Dex annoyed at the lack of a new CB?
Problem is players of the ilk of Koscielny and pre-ankle knack Vermaelan are not that common, which is why Utd and Barca were after the former Skipper. e.g.: for what it’s worth I like Smalling (AFC appear to have followed the player) but he is still inexperienced at CB and needs a season or two to see how he goes, I believe Utd should’ve promoted him to first choice CB last season.
In contrast Abu Dhabi City’s decision to buy Sagna as a thirty something back up to the thirty something Zableta makes absoultely no sense whatsoever. Unless they were interested in weakining a rival. With Sagna AFC had four tried and tested CBs for the PL last season. What’s crazy is, that based upon what we have seen, that Sagna is better at CB then either the Mendes mule Mangala (there’s no doubt about it!) and Demichelis too (less sure on that, but that is my instinct, for the PL at least). For me the above is an indication that part of the thinking behind buying Sagna was the desire to weaken a rival.
However long term Debuchy does offer more going forward, but for the injury he had shown the same gr*tty leadership we’d had from Sagna and was therefore missed when out. And Monreal may have developed for the better over these past six months too. Add in the streamlining of the squad with Plodders plodding off and plenty of Yute eager to take his minutes.
Looking at how former Groaner pin-up Klopp has failed to cope with the loss of Goetze (Key AM) and Lewa (key CF) from his squad, I don’t think the CB situation has been as bad as some may have felt. Though I can understand the critique, having been worried about Koscielny all last season. But for myself I am happy to defer to the judgment of those who dug up a gem of a player like Kozza in the first place.
AFC have good young CBs, Hayden and Chambers. Exciting. They’ll get enough mintues so that they won’t stagnate like Smalling, hopefully. Injury permitting (Hayden!). Another mid-twenty player may have to come in if as I suspect Koscielny will play less games (maybe not three a week?) going forward from now on?
The above is all speculative guesswork.
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A Day trip to Brighton… fuck, I’m envious. Great town, great pubs… fish and chips on the pier and should be a ticket to the next round
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I remember now, Hunter! I do like Hunter but arguing with Dex and Gains, that wasn’t good.
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Bloomin’ marvelous.
Former spuddite Chris Hughton is now in charge of the Seagulls.
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Fins, I remember Hunter arguing with someone else too !
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I didn’t feel like it was an argument,
I just thought it would be interesting for him to research AFCs history in the pre-UEFA inter-war era, which was of course a different world.
Otherwise I agree with the old mucker on most things.
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Revisionist wishful thinking there, Fins.
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For you young fuckers who are too young to remember…….. the end of a legend.
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I read that Bony is on his way to Manchester via Africa. A sort of Lampard type Geographical move. Didn’t Swansea have another forward who was all the rage not long ago? Forget his name and what happened to him.
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that would be Michu… so really, where is he now?
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