***** ARSENAL CHIT CHAT *****

Lol - at least the supporters of the teams in 4th 5th & 6th know their teams are poor- after 12 league defeats some think they have a team among the 'elite' hahahaha !

I get the feeling from this thread and the Spurs v WHU thread that empassant done his bank backing the Spurs today. 

Lol I only ever back against the scum fella and I'm just happy to see them lose- particularly when they start to believe the hype and then come crashing back down to reality !

I may have posted on a game thread but I would not ever post on the scum thread itself....I would feel unclean and no amount of washing would make me clean again !

Up the 'ammers ! hahaha

BL MN SOK KOS NM SK GX LT AI MO PEA - something like this for me today. No world beating team but it's as good as we have for the moment.
Lacca has been poor, with his little flicks rarely coming off and taking little to no responsibility for the ball when it comes his way.

I think he is going to play his strongest side today whatever that is!

Fact is if he had done that before he might have had the space to concentrate on the Thursday League matches.

Play the strongest side every game. Take the casualties. It's not the taking part it is the winning that counts FFS!

worries worries!

No Ozil or Koscielny

Team to play Leicester: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Torreira, Xhaka, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette, Aubameyang

Subs: Cech, Elneny, Koscienly, Mavropanos, Guendouzi, Nketiah, Willock

We look so bare.

Kos being save for europa. Ozil foot injury they say.

Not sure why Monreal is not present but that leaves us with SK as a LB which hasn't proved to be his game.
This is either a 442 or 4231.
Given this side and the form of some of them I would prefer Mikhi to play Ozil's role as he has lost his way of late on the right. So put Auba on the left and play it as a 451. Don't think it will be that way and I don't like the the look of the side but Emery has earned some trust.

16 minutes in and the co-commentator says what ought to be done; Auba should be on the left and Mhiki should be in behind Lacca !!!!!! Emery, I'm afraid watched on and on in that first half while our system was exposed again and again and done nothing at all about it. We could have been out of the game already.
The red card is probably a bad one for them as it has forced Emery to play a shape more like the one he should have started with given the team HE picked.

Leicester have had 73% possession, how is that even possible with even 10 men

We emptied midfiled by giving them the numbers.

I think this is another defeat firmly on Emery's decision making.

I know Emery needs time to get rid of the dross, but if Wenger had got these recent results we would be baying for his blood.

I remain suspended is disbelief but am thinking of embarking on a double or quits modus to win some money on Arsenal. At the moment I can't see them winning anything and I'd even be scared backing them playing an under 11's side!

The wheels have truly fallen off. The players may not be great but in all honesty they are decent enough players who have produced some good results this season.

I just do not understand what Dick Emery is trying to do!

^Get through this informative season I think. He will be far more aware next time around and I believe he has been suggesting he needs a few, somewhat more robust types in the squad.

Nice to win some money on Arsenal for a change!

Or at least win some losses back

Well done Arsenal but truth be told I just can't wait for the end of the season and the transfer market or non transfer market!

Massive last minute goal. I thought we may have enough with a win of any sort but a 2 goal lead is a huge bonus particularly given we were 1 down. I know many will say we could lose heavily at any point but a 2 goal 1st leg lead in a semi final is all we could ask for.

I done Ozil Lacca and Auba anytime scorers.

f..k me they just keeping the door open for us !

Please oh please win your last two matches pleeeeeeeease .
COYI

^If we don't win today you will find your 'pal' sofabed on here a moment after the final whistle.

13 and counting

He blocked me after we beat them at their place . All I did was compliment them on their new gaff , no gloating , no goading , just a compliment .
It was all too much for him

I know from his posts he can give it........

...but also I know he doesn't take it quite so well lol

ARSENAL TEAM NEWS

Team to face Brighton: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Xhaka, Torreira, Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Subs: Cech, Elneny, Koscielny, Iwobi, Guendouzi, Kolasinac, Nketiah.

Brighton safe now so shackles off. Poch went strong v Bourn and look how that worked out for them ! A win of any kind would be welcome but a 2/3 goal swing may end up being crucial.

atleast we squashed those Valencia oranges in the first leg 3-1 whens the next match>?

What a shocking run of results to end the league season. A massive clearout is needed.

we need some homebred players, cant they develop any good players. its only kicking a ****g ball around FFS

In a worse position than Man U. A board who don't have a clue how to run a top club and not willing to spend what's needed either

Don't deserve 4th. 1 point from 18 and people were taking it for granted that we'd win our home games.

Thank you Arsenal for somehow being even more inept than Spurs over the last several weeks. Huge pressure on you now for the CL playoff game v Chelsea (if you both qualify).

sofabed- there you are.

First casualty is Danny Wellbeck on a free

Sad to see him go
Injuries got the best of him over the years

enpassant • May 5, 2019 9:51 PM BST
sofabed- there you are.

In fairness he did allow a respectable interlude before confirming your prediction
Absolute t0sser

May 5, 2019 -- 9:51PM, enpassant wrote:

sofabed- there you are.

Wasn't having a go at Arsenal. It was just an observation. A poor season would turn out to be a very good season if you win the Europey and qualify for CL.  Anyway, huge summer ahead for the north London giants (and Arsenal).

Xhaka, Ozil, Mkhit, these 3, in this order, must be first to go.

The next list, again in this order, would be headed by Mustafi, Elneny, Jenkinson, Monreal Koscielny = I would settle for this 8 going (of course Welbeck and Lich are gone with Cech and Ramsey).

Lacca and Auba have to compete for one place or one has to go too.

Dunk, Maguire &  Mee  would be my first three on the wanted list, English players who have more grit & determination then the rest of the squad put together

^than^

Emery has 1 year left on his deal. Are the mugs running the club going to do something about that before carrying out a squad rebuild? It's going to take more than 2 windows

sofaking • May 6, 2019 1:02 AM BST

Wasn't having a go at Arsenal. It was just an observation. A poor season would turn out to be a very good season if you win the Europey and qualify for CL.  Anyway, huge summer ahead for the north London giants (and Arsenal).

Note : Snowflakeking (spud t0sser) doesn't do 'banter'

Chambers is still there and he at least has gained a lot of experience as a CM which will come in very handy as a ball playing CH. He works hard, gives a sh"t and puts his foot in. Holding mustn't be sidelined either- I would be happy to see him alongside Chambers and Sokratis. Niles should be put into his natural CM position.

Mustafi, Elneny, Jenkinson go.

Xhaka stays....just. A good player but thick and doesn't learn, I'd give him one last final chance unless an offer came in.

Ozil stays to keep the standards high in training, if nothing else; Mkhit can stroll on.

Keep both Lacazette and Aubameyang, they're both too good to let go and normally one, or both would be injured if you look at previous season's with our squad.

Time to let Emery build his own side rather than attempt to improve Wenger's players.

Xhaka is absolute sh!te- not fit for the EPL let alone Arsenal.

I'd keep Leno, Auba, Lac, Torreira, Bellerin, Holding, Niles, Guendouzi, Kos, Monreal, Sokratis. Everyone else can be moved on over the next few windows and the squad rebuilt. Kos and Monreal will have to be replaced eventually. None of the rest are good enough.

But there is no point in doing any of it if the manager doesn't sort out the organisation of the defence and rid the stupid decisions our defenders make, not clearing the ball and trying to play football when we are under pressure etc etc. From what I've seen of Emery so far, he is another Wenger who concentrates on what we do with the ball not what we do when we don't have it. The defence has been weak for about 13 years and counting. Until he does something in this regard there is no hope for him to get it right.

Wenger out

Metro reporting Arsenal are about to announce that
Edu will be named as technical director

CL Ref's showing again how poor our Ref's are.

Given the two amazing fight backs by  English clubs in Europe this week, I’m now slightly more optimistic that we too can battle through against all the odds. Going to be tough with that defence, the hostile atmosphere in Valencia and the woeful Danny Makkelie refereeing, but as Spuds and Liverpool have shown, you have to keep believing. It would be the biggest upset of the week and my gut tells me that lightning never strikes thrice, but you just never know....

We really are a mystery. Rank poor can be followed by more of the same then excellent performances followed by rank again.

Well done boys. See you in the Super Cup final.

thank you ARSENE WENGER FOR giving us a team capable of getting to a European final, IF we can win it, all the praise will go to you for establishing arsenal as one of the top European elites teams in DA business. you have always been ireeplacable just like alex ferguson, hopefully emery can take up the mantal from here on in...……...

If you were stood outside Roman Abramovich's house, Chateau de la Croe, on Cap de Antibes this morning with a can of red paint what message would you send him?

After 749 games, millions of wasted air miles and dozens of missed episodes of Emmerdale we finally learn which two bald men will fight for that comb.

Arsenal are like a horse trained by Tony Martin. Not off followed by not off, then handbrake released..

Noticed Poch crying his eyes out the other night. Will be shedding buckets when Liverpool tear them a new one.

Tottenham Fan thought process:

We're in the Champions League Final, what an achievement, what a way to get there, all hail the mighty Poch, hope everybody on both sides fit and it's a great game. If we lose, Liverpool are a great side, love Klopp, good luck to them.

Please please please please please please Chelsea, beat the vermin in Baku. You may keep my first born son.

Apart from the first 15 minutes, it was a very good performance last night by Arsenal. Next season, Emery has to stop messing about with the front two and just play them both every game when available - they don't half paper over the cracks.

Tottenham fans real thought process:

What seems like forever we have been in Arsenal's shadow. Now it seems Spurs have a better side than Arsenal. But we NEVER seem to win a trophy whilst the Arsenal usually seem to win the odd one.

Please let us win a trophy God or i may be taking a long walk off a short pier.

Tremendous result. you only have to look at the impressive home record of Valencia to understand what a fabulous win this really was. No fluke. The best team won.

C.O.Y.G.

You have won a couple of FA Cups lately, a competition disregarded by serious football clubs. Given the fervour with which your fans used to celebrate coming fourth in the League, you know which is the greater prize.

We - both clubs - have won European Trophies, but contesting the final of the main one is again a greater achievement, its a shame your beautiful invincibles did not win it fwiw imo.

I'm not even sure any Spurs fans I know have even given any thought to what might happen in Madrid, most of us are still not quite sure that Wednesday actually happened.

jed.davison • May 10, 2019 1:26 PM BST
You have won a couple of FA Cups lately, a competition disregarded by serious football clubs. Given the fervour with which your fans used to celebrate coming fourth in the League, you know which is the greater prize.

Such arrogance with regard to the worlds greatest club competition is the exact reason why spuds fans are disliked with such intensity .
As for the "fervour with which fans celebrate finishing fourth in the league" look no further than yourselves .

And there was me thinking that 'serious football teams' win trophies

If Spurs finish 4th and get beat in CL final and we win Europa do they not play CL next season ?

Still embarrassed by the nightmare of the last few weeks. Got in himmel. So much work to do for Arsenal. The worst thing that could happen is winning the Europa Losers Thursday Night Football League! Not that it is not a worthy trophy to win. Arsenal are doomed while the owner wishes to milk it. I just hope the Sponsors realise and walk away!

Be careful what you wish for Wenger Out!

May 10, 2019 -- 6:22PM, jon b wrote:

If Spurs finish 4th and get beat in CL final and we win Europa do they not play CL next season ?

No, 4th gets CL no matter what happens in Europey. Spurs'll finish 3rd anyway.

Jed is right, teams who want to win the PL and CL don't care about the FA cup and haven't done for years, that's the only reason we won it. Valencia away win is not a 'tremendous' result. They are a poor team. More surprising that we actually put in a performance away from home. If we get into the CL we'll be mullered by KO stage teams unless he sorts out the defence. 13 years waiting and counting.

Arsenal have allowed Spurs to take their top 4 CL place without spending money because our owner is an incompetent skinflint who doesn't want to win the big pots. He didn't buy Arsenal to win trophies, his own words. You can start celebrating mediocrity if you want but there's a hell of a lot of work to be done before anything this team does is worth celebrating. Kroenke needs to be gotten rid of before this club becomes top level again. That might take 30 years.

In the light of anticipated travel problems for spuds fans in getting to Madrid for less than £2k or Arsenal or Chelsea fans getting to Baku at all , surely it would be better to reach an EFL or FA Cup final at Wembley and only have to worry about a thirty minute tube journey across London for the price of an Oyster card ?

Jed is not right. Speaking for myself FA Cup means a hell of a lot, as a small boy growing up Cup Final Day was just that...a whole day dedicated to the two sides who'd made it to the final, the worst loss of all time was getting knocked out at the semi-final stage and missing the biggest day of the British football calendar. The most historic competition steeped in great tradition, it's not all about the Premiership you know and it's money with it's ridiculous Sky hype.

pixie speaks for me too , and probably for anyone who has had the fortune to attend a Wembley cup final . An experience and memories that last a lifetime . I still can only recall very little of the more recent season we finished 3rd .
Possibly the reason I get so frustrated with those who prioritise a 'top 4 finish'

May 11, 2019 -- 11:22AM, pixie wrote:

Jed is not right. Speaking for myself FA Cup means a hell of a lot, as a small boy growing up Cup Final Day was just that...a whole day dedicated to the two sides who'd made it to the final, the worst loss of all time was getting knocked out at the semi-final stage and missing the biggest day of the British football calendar. The most historic competition steeped in great tradition, it's not all about the Premiership you know and it's money with it's ridiculous Sky hype.

That was back in the day when the FA Cup actually meant something to the big clubs.  Nowadays teams such as Liverpool and Spurs put out weakened teams even when they get to a FA Cup semi-final.  I doubt Liverpool were devastated when Wolves knocked them out in the 4th round. Since Man U dumped it off for the Super Cup in 1999-2000 it has lost a considerable amount of its prestige.

Jed didn't say that the FA Cup doesn't mean a lot to you Pixie. He said the big clubs disregard it and that it's not a priority for them. He is right. It is all about money to the bigger clubs and their owners I'm afraid, Arsenal too.

sofaking • May 11, 2019 4:43 PM BST
That was back in the day when the FA Cup actually meant something to the big clubs.
Nowadays teams such as Liverpool and Spurs put out weakened teams even when they get to a FA Cup semi-final.

.......... since when were a club without a trophy in ten years classed as a 'big' club ? Another spuds fan talking up his team without anything tangible to show for all their efforts

I'm a Spurs fan, I know you boys don't like to dwell on it but there was a time when we were the FA Cup team. I was 14 when we beat Man City in 1981, I can still remember both games like they were yesterday, and similar with all the finals from 1973 onwards - it was THE day of the football year, and the whole day would revolve around it.

Three things which none of us can do anything about happened:

The FA devalued their flagship competition to appease Man Utd.

As the Premier League has grown in stature and financial gravity, so the FA Cup has diminished - I could name the Coventry team that beat us in 1987 off the top of my head from 1-11, I couldn't even tell you with any certainty which teams have played in the last few.

And most importantly, we've all got old. It feels to me that to lament the demise of the FA Cup is to lament the loss of one's own innocence. How simple life was then, jumpers for goalposts and let's meet the players in the bus on the way to the ground, FA Cup Question of Sport etc.

In one sense I'm quite envious of people who still feel the magic, like I am with people who find some comfort in religion, but they're sadly all kidding themselves.

Good post, Jed.

Not all of us are quite so withered and cynical tho, I'm sure I'm not just speaking for myself when I say I would willingly swap fourth spot for a Cup Final win.

Hope he rest the entire 1st team today.

yes squad rotation is the right call today, still need to batter the **** out of those mercenerys today to keep confidence going, plus ive had a small bet, COYGUNNERS

Anyone been watching BT Sport s coverage?
Tony Adams on there as a pundit &
very funny he has been

Congratulations City, and to Liverpool too. To be that many clear of ‘the rest’ is quite an achievement.

Big close season for us, but with our owners I do fear a further few seasons of relative mediocrity.

Embarrassingly, I’m off to the CL final as a corporate husband. Could be a very painful evening if Spuds lift that particular pot.

golden boot for the arsenal striker not bad and a good win today

whos wilock must be from the academy wonder if hes any good??

Great to see the old gag about the bald men and the comb being wheeled out Jed. I’ve also heard Chelsea-Arsenal being likened to two rats fighting over a courgette in a urinal. Nevertheless, to put it into perspective, it’s a first European Final for us in 13 years, so we are right to see it as a big deal and, in the new manager’s first season, a sign of progress. Obviously, it’s not Europe’s elite competition, but after banging our head against a brick wall in that one for years, we cannot in our current state pretend we are an elite club.

Summer recruitment is going to be fascinating and will reveal the strength of Emery’s character. I admired what Pochettino said about Spuds backing him in the transfer market and having a plan for competing for Top 4 or he’d be off sharpish. I’m not sure any of us think that Arsenal actually have a plan.

There's been no semblance of a plan ever since David Dein left.

Bit sureal but was bowling tonight & met Gunnersaurus he was on the opposing team, not that I would know that unless someone told me who he was, 25 years doing it  with the best view in the stadium

Arsenal are demanding UEFA guarantees the safety of Henrikh Mkhitaryan ahead of the Europa Cup final in Baku.

The North London club admit they are "hugely concerned" about the midfielder potentially missing the final against Chelsea because of the continuing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Armenia captain missed the Gunners' earlier fixture in the competition against Qarabag in Baku because of the issue, which has flared once again with the Azerbaijani capital city set to host the final.

Hostility remains between the neighbouring countries over the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region, where a ceasefire was declared in 1994 after fighting erupted several years earlier.

Third world venue for a first rate final . Whatever could go wrong ?

“....Azerbaijan have banned Armenians from entering the country over tensions between the bordering rivals,” Armenian sports journalist Hrach Khachatryan of VbetNews told football.london.

“If a person’s passport shows any evidence of travel to Nagorno-Karabakh, barring a diplomatic passport, they are forbidden entry to Azerbaijan.

“Moreover, the citizens of any countries having Armenian surnames have almost no chance to travel to Azerbaijan.

“So you can have a UK passport, but if you have an Armenian surname, you will be not allowed to pass the border.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How can this be allowed ffs. We should threaten to withdraw from the competition.

Two distinct principles:

Azerbaijan has the right to accept or reject whomsoever it chooses.

UEFA should never award major finals or tournaments to countries which exercise that right arbitrarily or prejudicially.

I have an idea that Arsenal would have made a lot more of the issue under the Dein/Wenger regime, but even so fair play to them for raising it officially.

Right on both counts Jed.

I believe that FIFA have, in the past, banned countries when their governments meddle in football.

They certainly have but not for something of this nature.

On a brighter note, I see Santi Cazorla has been called up to the Spain squad after a four year absence. Nice to see him back from that injury, smashing player.

With players and clubs sanctioned for making political statements this cannot be justified.
We should have a word with the Chavs to see if they would show some solidarity (very unlikely of course since Roman must be looking forward to seeing them play !).

Arsenal's Henrikh Mkhitaryan to miss Europa League final against Chelsea


Is that
A-bad News
B good news
C doesn’t matter

or d- an absoulte disgrace that a country has been given a final that can't guarantee  a respective players safety bcause of their nationality.
it's like giving a wc finals to a country that is anti-semitic, misogynist and homophobic. oh wait.....

To make it fair, Chelsea should be forced to leave a player at home. Someone like Hazard, for example.

I hope the stadium is half full, only possible way to prevent something like this happening again, awarding a final to a place that is closer to the Mount Everest than the City where both finalists are from! Chances where it was always going to be contested by two teams from western Europe, UEFA have deliberately priced out fans in order to supplement their own greed, I hope there is some kind of FIFA-esque investigation into the goings ons of how much money and who money is being paid to for a place like Baku to be awarded a major showpiece event. Luckily for them it's two big Premier Leauge teams so probably enough neutrals will show up, imagine if it were a Turkish team v a Ukrainian side.

Micky wont be missed much as he's an underwhelming signing from the beginning, he;s gone downhill fast since being in the Bundesliga team of the year and creating the most assists in the whole season!

UEFA are a f..king disgrace.

agree


disgrace to the fans

Arsenal say it is 'unacceptable' and they will speak to UEFA...........................AFTER the final. Money money money.

Heard on the radio that Wenger says he's finding it difficult to get a job.

Lidl looking