I was charged with doing the post match review as unfortunately ,for us all, our forever chirpy Andy Nic. is hibernating in the Hebrides.
I was minded to give it a swerve, hide under a rock and hope no one noticed. As my old Mum says “if you have nothing good to say-say nothing”. Had I written last night ,I suspect I would have had to ban myself.
Anyway, I’m sure by now you have all seen the match and don’t need me to explain what you saw. I found it painful, depressing and disappointing. Normally I can see a reason or at least come up with a feasible excuse for a poor performance. But not last night, it was a shocking display.
However, football is football and these things happen. Just the other night I tuned into watch Barca v Malaga only to see the mighty Barca churn up a load of old tosh in what was for them a must win game against a struggling opponent. The problem is that for Barca its a surprise, whereas for us its becoming somewhat of a norm.
People are collectively shitting their knickers on twitter, blogs and podcasts. Its a feeding frenzy and no one is safe. Arsene, the board, the players and any fan that has of yet failed to soil their Arsenal underpants, is being torn to shreds by the passionate hoard that claim to only have the best interests of the club at heart.
Each and everyone of us has a simple choice, do we help the team through this awful period, or do we hinder them and add fuel to the fire?
Arsene Wenger was, is and always will be a great coach, We have some great players and a whole lot of very good players, but something has gone badly wrong. If I knew what or why I would happily share my wisdom with you. The question is what can we do about it?
Well the answer is really simple. keep supporting and hope that the people who do know the whats and whys can find a solution. There is no option. When you choose to fully commit to a football club, the pain is part of the deal.
We can accept that all is not well without wanting to burn the whole lot down to the ground. I simply refuse to throw Arsene and the players under a bus because I can’t control my emotions.
A supporter in times of need is a supporter indeed. No retreat, no surrender.
Positively Arsenal 
also Henry, yes about £46m of CL money might be unavailable to us, but we will be in EL at the very least and that is some £16M, so it would be a £30M shortfall, but with the latest TV deal, it should have much less of an impact than it would have had 5-10 years ago
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what the hell is the point of the goal line official, for him to not see that the BM penalty was not handball is amazing, and the BM players suggested that he had told them it was not handball, then why in God’s name was the decision not overturned.
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Watched second half of Dortmund game and 1st half Leicester one…all while thinking of us and how the action relates to our team.
One noticeable thing is that despite intensity of play and dirtiness involved, not noticed a single instance of players giving a little kick or shove each time the ball is released. Loads of other fouls, especially if anyone is trying to run past opposition, but none of that.
In our game on Monday it happened constantly, as it has in many of our games for at least a few years. Refs give us the free kick perhaps once every twenty times. Not fouls which hurt us, nor stop what we are doing, as they happen generally once a ball is released, and don’t involve knocking us to the floor. Refs ignore it almost entirely
All the same, must be hugely demoralising for our players, putting them squarely in the position of the bullied. Also fits in seamlessly with all the stronger fouls, as well as all the minor pushes and pulls while competing for the ball. I believe it’s what ultimately led to one of the most dispiriting sights on Monday.
The ref pinged us for a foul somewhere near half time. I looked up and the ball had been placed about ten yards further forward and more central. Nobody seemed to complain for us. That speaks to me of a team whose heads are scrambled and hearts are in bad shape too.
I hate it and hate the refs for letting it happen, but the main question of the night is why on earth aren’t teams like Atletico Madrid and Leicester using this approach in tonight’s game?
We know they are cynical, anything-to-win teams, so the only answer is the referees. Both teams know they won’t be allowed to do it and so there’s no advantage to be had in trying.
I hate what these fucking refs have done to us over the years.
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Agree Rich on the refs. The problem is, the club have just taken it for many years….well, this year, it could cost , about 40million…..maybe they might rethink what appears a passive policy.
I did a stadium tour a while back with an ex player, and asked about the refereeing we get. He said…of the record, that the refs thought Wenger was trying to turn our football into a non contact game, resented it, and treated his teams accordingly. Seems they still do.
There is one quick, sure fire answer to get better refereeing….don’t renew on Wenger, and appoint Eddie Howe……not suggesting that btw!
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Final fixtures confirmed for 2016/17
Want to know when our final eight Premier League games of the season are taking place? Look no further.
Today we received confirmation that our season run-in, including Emirates FA Cup games, will look like this:
Middlesbrough v Arsenal
Monday, April 17
Kick-off: 8pm
Sky Sports
Manchester City v Arsenal (Emirates FA Cup semi-final)
Sunday, April 23
Kick-off: 3pm
BT Sport
Arsenal v Leicester City
Wednesday, April 26
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
Sunday, April 30
Kick-off: 4.30pm
Sky Sports
Arsenal v Manchester United
Sunday, May 7
Kick-off: 4pm
Sky Sports
Southampton v Arsenal
Wednesday, May 10
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Stoke City v Arsenal
Saturday, May 13
Kick-off: 5.30pm
Sky Sports
Arsenal v Sunderland
Tuesday, May 16
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Arsenal v Everton
Sunday, May 21
Kick-off: 3pm
Possible Emirates FA Cup final
Saturday, May 27
Kick-off: TBC
Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170412/final-fixtures-confirmed-for-2016/17#WRCP2VjG1ZiSXoT0.99
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Report- Nketiah scores hat-trick as Arsenal U18s beat Manchester City 4-3
U18 Premier League
Arsenal 4 Manchester City 3
The prolific Eddie Nketiah scored a hat-trick as Arsenal U18s came from behind to beat their Manchester City counterparts 4-3 at London Colney today.
Coach Kwame Ampadu named a very strong side comprised mainly of second-years but it was City who took the lead through Lukas Nmecha in the 14th minute.
Arsenal were soon level, however, with Nketiah making it 1-1 after he finished well following good build up play from Joe Willock.
Nketiah proceeded to score again to put Arsenal in the ascendancy but Jadon Sancho’s strike meant that the two sides were level at the break.
The drama continued into the second half with the unlikely source of Tolaji Bola putting Arsenal back in front after he was feed up by Malen.
City refused to give up with Nmecha making it 3-3 from the penalty spot in an enthralling encounter.
Nketiah wasn’t finished, though, with the striker completing his hat-trick to put Arsenal 4-3 up.
There was a chance for another goal late on but Nketiah missed a penalty. It mattered little as the England youth international had already made the decisive contribution to the game.
Arsenal: Virginia; Osei-Tutu, Olowu, Medley, T. Bola; McGuane, Dasilva; Smith-Rowe (Dragomir, 68), J. Willock (Gilmour, 89), Malen; Nketiah. Subs not used: Crean, Ballard, Burton.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 12, 2017 by Jeorge Bird.
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Mandy
Good and sickening at same time to hear some sort of explanation for it.
Sounds incredibly similar to Gary Neville’s oft repeated claims that we became ‘precious’ at some point before invincible season (I imagine he likes to place it just around the point our English stalwarts were leaving side, especially if he ever chats to them), that we didn’t like any contact, felt we deserved special protection, and complained too much,etc.
He might have gone on to say that such behaviour deserves to be punished with extra aggression, which of course is a code for fouls, or he might have just implied it.
Only problem with that little theory is it is a complete lie. For years, and almost certainly even back then, we were probably less likely to dive or exaggerate fouls than the rest, certainly than his team would. The reality is that the teams who foul hardest and most are also very likely, in current times at least, to go in heavily for diving, play acting and every other type of cynical play and cheating.
That was always true of Neville’s Utd, Chelsea, everyone really. You see it at Stoke, Burnley, West Brom- but that reality is completely denied. The idea of teak tough, hard and fair, honourable teams is a complete and utter lie
The worst diving i have seen by far in recent years was John Walters for Ireland against Germany. Non-stop, ludicrous, throwing himself everywhere. Commentators pussy-footed around it. Any of our players, especially Ozil, would get the mother of all kickings from the press for it and reminded of it till the end of their days here. It would be the proof we are dishonest cheats and always have been. The justification for any extra spite in fouls against us. John Walters ,I’m sure, is regarded as a tough honest lad.
The players and teams at least have the excuse of self-interest for their mendacity, but how did the media and referees, who ought to live and die on their impartiality, manage to be hoodwinked by it? I don’t believe the press or referees could possibly be that gullible or foolish.
If we really wanted to fuck with Pgmol to the max and try to push reset and be welcomed back to the English fold, or I guess if we have just been driven half mad by grief, we could do no better than trying to get Neville himself to take the job. If not him, then an angry-with-Utd Giggs. If that fails, press the nuclear button and give Roy himself a call.
But no, Neville is the one they’d be most afraid to screw over. He would never accept anything like the treatment we receive, and the media would have an instant and serious problem dealing with the massive dissonance of a ubiquitously respected individual crying foul after every game. Anyway, that’s an extreme and nihilistic fantasy/nightmare, born of anger.
Someone in the Koeman (hate him) mould, or Howe, would presumably be about halfway there,though. They wouldn’t accept it, they’d cry foul, and the media l would have to decide whether to try crush their credibility or not. Pgmol would wait to see what they were told. Something would give.
Sorry to go on, but after accepting Monday with relative calm, my anger, and sadness, has been building tremendously since and doesn’t seem done yet.
I expect you understand, as though you keep much calmer than me, our beliefs about the rottenness in the game seem pretty damn similar.
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Very similar Rich.
Interestingly, in the EPL this year, Howes Bournemouth have been given the most pens this year……10…….. And the diving cheats , better known as Tottenham have one of the best balances, 8 given two conceded. We……and interestingly, Utd, have a balance of -2. And with the pen ….wrongly given at palace, -3, the worst in the top 6
It is said throughout the media Arsenals board are too passive, and know nothing about the game…….If Ivan really wants to be a catalyst for change…..this is one area he may like to look at…..Stan might as well……£40 million. Maybe they do need a DOF.
Because other clubs would not easily accept what we get
http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Premier_League_Penalty_Statistics.html
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Team news: Koscielny, Cech, Lucas
Will Laurent Koscielny be back for Monday’s trip to Teesside? Will Petr Cech be between the posts against Middlesbrough?
The boss is hopeful they will and he had the very latest news on our absentees when he faced the press on Friday:
on the latest team news…
From the last game, I believe that we have a chance of getting Petr Cech back in the squad. Laurent Koscielny is joining in today. If their tests are positive, they will come back into the squad for Monday’s game.
on Lucas and David Ospina…
Ospina and Perez are still out.
on the chances of Cech and Koscielny making Monday’s game…
Eighty per cent. At the moment it’s pretty good, but sometimes the 20 per cent can play a villain’s part in the final preparation.
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170414/team-news-koscielny-cech-lucas#WMLDBfum2kt886Tv.99
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The boss’ future… and Ozil’s future
Mesut Ozil’s future was one of the hot topics at Arsène Wenger’s press conference on Friday.
The Germany star gave an interview this week in which he said he was focusing on games rather than a new deal for now. And his boss echoed those sentiments.
“In the final part of the season, with eight games to go, it’s difficult when you get distracted,” said Wenger.
“We have to focus on the right
“Nothing [has changed],” he replied. “I focus on what is important for me, that is the performance of the team and what the fans are interested in is the performance of the team.”
“We spend a lot of time in our society to focus on things that are superficial and not take care of the essentials. The essential in football is that we have to make sure of one thing. Good players on the football pitch. That’s what we have to take care of.”
Wenger on Alexis wage and security
Alexis’ salary, the chances of a top-four finish and the security situation in the wake of the midweek attack in Dortmund.
Here’s what the boss said:
on if Alexis has been offered £300k a week…
First of all, I cannot confirm that we have offered that. Secondly, we will do as always. We have to consider our financial potential to sustain the wages for the whole squad. What is for sure is that what is paid per week today was 20 years ago per year. Will that continue to go up? I don’t know. I’m always tempted to say no but I was wrong on that front.
on the mood at Arsenal…
It’s not been very enjoyable as you certainly know, but bad moments are part of our job as well. You focus to prepare and make sure you respond in a strong way in your next game.
on the lessons learnt from Palace…
To play with restriction and a little bit of a handbrake on doesn’t help the performance. We are under pressure to deliver and the best way to do it is to play with freedom and accept the risk. In football, when you want to play, you have to accept the risk that things can go wrong. They have more chances to go wrong if you play with a little bit of restriction in your game.
on Walcott’s comments saying Palace ‘wanted it more’…
It is not acceptable [that we wanted it less], but the players were conscious of that when we were in the decisive duels. That’s what I said straight after the game. We were beaten, and you have to face reality and respond.
on just how big the challenge of making the top four is now…
Massive. We might get there, we might not get there, but the only thing to get there is to believe we can do it and that’s what we have to focus on. It’s not the fear to fail, it’s the desire to make it and that’s the only chance we have to make it.
on how he regards security following events in Dortmund…
Well, we have security – we have two securities. One internal security, organised by the club. And then the public security, organised by the state or the government. I think internally we have improved our level of security and protection, but I think it’s a very sad way that our society develops. Even today, you come out of a football game and you cannot speak to a fan without having a bodyguard around you. I find that you personally cannot go to your room anymore without having security in the hotels and I find that a very sad side of the development of our society. But on the other hand it just reflects what our society is about today, which is that there is insecurity there and it’s just in sport like in any other part of society.
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170414/wenger-on-alexis-wage-and-security#52FkyAtv4eSMKvEo.99
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I’m disgusted and outraged at Wenger refusing, in his press conference this morning, to reveal private and confidential information in regards to a players proposed wages, and to the hiring of a Director of Football. How dare he, how very dare he.
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Mattias KarénVerified account @MattiasKaren 3h3 hours ago
Wenger says Sanchez “prefers to play wide than up front” because he can touch the ball more often.
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Wenger says Arsenal are having “negative possession” at the moment where “you go nowhere” on the pitch. #afc.
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Sam @samuelJayC 28m28 minutes ago
Bosnian media reporting that Kolasinac will join Arsenal and has been told that Wenger is staying. #afc
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if Arsenal do sign Sead Kolašinac, we would be signing a versatile defensive player, he mainly plays for Schalke 04 at left back, but has also played central defense and defensive midfielder. He turns 24 this summer, and is physically strong and is six foot tall, German born and raised but plays for his parents country Bosnia at international level after having played for Germany right up to U20 level. Over 120 first team games for Schalke 04 and he is on a Bosman Free.
Always the cheap fucking option for Arsenal, wenger out, stan out, the board out, I don’t care how good he actually is, we used to have ambition and sign the likes of Sol Campbell, but now we are reduced to signing Bosman Free transfers. What a joke of a club.
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an Arsenal share was sold this week for a new record high of £18,250, putting a share value of Arsenal FC at £1,135,496,750
Less than ten years ago the record for an Arsenal share was £8.400 which put the share value of Arsenal FC at £522,639,600 a rise in value of £612,857,150, so the share value has doubled in less than 10 years. Not bad for a club in a crisis for over ten years now.
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One thing that is quiet amusing if you like Wenger and dont like the Wob mob, which is the thought of the collective meltdown that the sports media and Wob mob will have if Wenger stays… boy, those guys are going to be really frustrated! Plenty of ranting and spittle laced expletives and a load of quickly forgotten articles demanding this and that ,it will leave them all so angry that we can sit back and see them run out of things to say. And the celebrity Wob will have to dig deep, as I said most amusing!
Old Wenger, he stays full of dignity while those people go potty. Much to be admired in that. Seems to me dignity is the one thing to hold onto these days.He always answers the press questions with intelligence and a good deal of fencing and strategy. He knows what they are up to and plays them at their own game.
Boros going to be tough,(Im sure they can smell blood) but a sound win before the FAC would pick the lads up a bit. Must have been odd for the lads to have played at Palace, where the whole ground, home and away was against you? Palace are well aware (like Wet Spam were until they moved to the fish tank) that the noise in the ground is an extra on your side. Perhaps the lads should start playing for themselves,rather than expecting any help from the crowd?
COYG!
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anyone watch the Bayern Munich v Real Madrid game midweek, I really don’t understand, a massive game for both clubs yet neither of Ancelloti and Zidane were roaring or shouting, not a sign of either of them waving their arms about frantically, no inciting the crowd, and I never saw either of them run up and down the sideline like a demented cat, what fucking sort of example is that, are they not meant to be top modern managers.
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yes Mills, for me the best side effect if Wenger does sign a new contract will be seeing the complete and utter meltdown of the malcontents.
I would hope that everyone reminds them of one of their favorite quotes
“doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”
also it would be so good pointing out how much of a complete and utter failure their campaign has been.
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Ironic how the wobs say the same thing over and over again Ed! Groundhog day! Or Groundwob day?For me watching Merson, Sutton, Robson and Morgan all ranting and seeing how their opinions dont mean any more than anyone elses would be pretty funny. I cant stop laughing about it today…
As for Zidane and Ancelotti they just have no pushun Ed! Imagine if Ancelotti came to us, and AFTV started on him? It would be one of the most embarrassing things ever…but that s their way?
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I’m holding myself back from believing the Sead Kolasinic rumour. Because I want it to be true. I admit to occasionally doing fantasy transfers in my head and going on whoscored etc to do some amateur scouting. The Schalke left back’s numbers caught my eye. High interception and tackling numbers (even accounting for the fact that it is the Bundesliga). Seemed to me the better left back than the more vaunted Ricky Rodriguez at Wolfsburg. I for one would be pleased if we had signed him. But all the news is based on some Bosnian news outlet. We’ll see I suppose.
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am I missing something, lots and lots of headlines today that “Wenger upset with Walcott” over his after match comments v CP.
for the record
Walcott said: “We are all disappointed in the changing room, like the fans are. We let them down. We can only apologise. They wanted it more. You could sense that from the kick-off.”
and the response to being questioned on those comments
Wenger told a press-conference: “It is not acceptable. But the players were conscious of that when we were in the decisive duels.
“That’s what I said straight after the game. We were beaten, and you have to face reality and respond.”
now the slant of the coverage in the media, twitter and blogs too, is that Arsene is upset with Walcott. For me Wenger’s comments in no way show any annoyance at Walcott, or at the comments themselves. If anything he acknowledges that Walcott was correct and that he himself, stated the same thing in his post match conference. And that was is unacceptable, is not the comments, but the fact that our players were not as up for the game as was required.
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well shard I would say that RR has his big reputation from the attacking side of his game, the free kicks and goals, while for me Kolasinic is much less polished in attack and looks to be a bit more of a mean defender, maybe something we need more.
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…just the mob jumping on anything they can Ed. Must be frustrating for those inside the club, but Im sure they stopped internally fighting for the truth years ago when dealing with the press.
Wenger rarely comes out about players ( cant even think of him doing it offhand, but perhaps there are circumstances), Arsenal are pretty entertaining for the hunting (p)hacks at the moment. How upset they would be if we win the Cup!
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but mills that is wrong of the club, they should not accept it from the press. Ban any fucker – journo and the rag he works for – from press conferences if they act in this way. As I said above, am I missing something, or how is it that those comments by Wenger on Walcott’s comments are being reported to be “Wenger upset by Walcott”. For me its just pure anti Arsenal and the club is wrong to stand for it.
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I agree Ed. Just more fake news, leading people up the garden path. But the club play the silent game and weather it all.
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eduardo
I agree with you. I appreciated the way the club kept quiet and generally were above all the media speculation/circus. But with a change in circumstances, their behaviour needs to change too. Take them head on because this decade long campaign has led us to a fractured relationship between the club and fans, and the club’s silence has played a role in it.
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Yes, a bit of Fergie four letter ranting and banning of the BBC Etc. Chuck the wanker Journalists out, if necessary employ United Airlines security, sick of us putting up with it. Even my wife who hates football notices the bias everywhere.
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New post up
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