English Premier League

[JustaPerson]

Arsenal were really missing Chambers, Koscielny (especially him), and Debuchy defensively today. Not mention Ozil offensively (his effect on the team has always been very subtle.) But Sanchez kicked butt as always and Wellbeck managed to come through for them for that equalizer. I thought Bellarin did fairly well today. But overall, disappointing. Again, all of the possession, 25 attempts (to Hull's 4) but we couldn't win it. Next week should be easier with Chambers and hopefully Kosceilny coming back. January had better be a busy month for Wenger. 

 

ETA: Gillian Rosh, looks like Everton are bouncing back a bit. Proserpina65, Fabretwat? That cracked me up. I wasn't around when all the drama surrounding him happened (though I know the story) but after the third (fourth?) statement about Arsenal after his move to Chelsea even I was rolling my eyes. Though with all of our injuries, it probably would have been a good idea to resign him, but that's on Wenger. XD

Edited October 18, 2014 by JustaPerson

[ganesh]

I'm wondering if Everton is playing better because they have the additional matches of the Europa league. 

[JustaPerson]

I thought that was the reason many said that they weren't playing well. 

 

I'd say something snarky about Man United's draw with West Brom if Arsenal hasn't gone through the same thing with Hull on Saturday. I mean even the order of the goals (WB, MU, WB, then MU to make it 2-2) was the same! These easier next few games (for Arsenal) are a gift; they'd better not draw all of them or I'm gonna throw something at my computer.

Edited October 20, 2014 by JustaPerson

[Rick Kitchen]

After losing 8-0 at Southampton, Sunderland has offered to refund the ticket cost to all of their fans who went to the match.  24 pounds per ticket.  If the fans don't take them up on the offer, the amount will be donated to a local children's charity.  It's estimated that 2500 Sunderland fans attended the match.

[JustaPerson]

Old but hilarious. And what do we think about Tottenham? 

[wanderingstar]

I'm basically thinking "someone needs to punch Mou in his smug little face"

 

 

You, me and many others I'd bet!

[proserpina65]

Proserpina65, Fabretwat? That cracked me up.

 

Thanks, JustAPerson.  I can't take 100% of the credit, since it was inspired by Brooks Peck's deeming RvP "Robin Van Twunt" on Dirty Tackle, but I like to think I gave it my own spin.  (If you don't read Dirty Tackle on Yahoo, you should.  It's rather funny.)

 

I was really hoping we could at least beat Hull, but the injuries to our key defensive players are really problematic.  Good that Wellbeck is stepping up in the front - I take back all my "useless Danny Wellbeck" outrage after Arsene signed him from Man U.  For the time being, anyway.

Edited October 24, 2014 by proserpina65

[JustaPerson]

Word, proserpina65. I was really excited for further Ozil/Wellbeck or Ozil/Sanchez oppurtunities but then Ozil got injured again. Apparently he barely ever got injured before this. Maybe Arsenal needs to fire all of their medical and training staff and bring in all new people. If we bring in Sami Khedira, maybe an injury prone player will cancel out an injury prone club and he'll miraculously make it through a season in one piece. I guess I understand all of the criticism leveled at the club for lack of depth, especially considering the number of injuries they have. You'd think back up players for every position would be a no brainer with our injury record.

 

ETA: Wellbeck is working out better for Arsenal than Balotelli is for Liverpool at least, right?

Edited October 26, 2014 by JustaPerson

[wanderingstar]

Not a big Robin van Persie fan, but I cannot express how happy I am that his equalizer for Man United today wiped the smug right off Jose Mourinho's face. I have no doubt that Chelsea will win the EPL title this season, but it's nice that they won't get to have everything their way.

 

Everton winning today - and Lukaku scoring - made me so so happy!

[ganesh]

I know Courtois wanted that save back for sure. That was terribly defended. But, you can't expect to score only 1 against a decent team and walk away with a win. 

 

Unless Man City can keep pace, I don't know if anyone is going to catch up to Chelsea. 

[JustaPerson]

Preach, Gillian Rosh! I was hoping for a draw so Chelsea wouldn't get another 3 points ahead, and seeing Moruinho's reaction was simply priceless. I also have no doubt that Chelsea will ultimately prevail in PL, but I hope it won't be as easy as it seems to be right now.

 

Sigh, the frustrating thing about Arsenal is that we're good (head and shoulders above many teams in the PL), but just not good enough. How I wish we were so we could give Chelsea and City a run for their money. Well, maybe the January transfer will change things for us. For now they can play as badly as they want as long as they win (I still think the team are seriously feeling Ozil's loss offensively...thank god for Sanchez) As long they're not Liverpool in that game with QPR bad, it's all good in my book. Who cares about style if you don't have the results to show for it? 

Edited October 27, 2014 by JustaPerson

[wanderingstar]

I usually enjoy Manchester derbies, but today's fell flat to me. I turned it off out of boredom well before Chris Smalling's red card.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Gillian Rosh

[proserpina65]

Damn you, NBC!  Use some of those useless cable channels for Premier League matches rather than informercials so that maybe, just maybe, I can watch Arsenal win once in awhile!  'Cause trying to watch on my computer, what with all the buffering, is impossible.

[wanderingstar]

Well, I was hoping Arsenal would beat Manchester United because I just hate United, but alas, it was not to be.

 

At least Everton one, so yay for that!

[proserpina65]

Well, I was hoping Arsenal would beat Manchester United because I just hate United, but alas, it was not to be.

 

I always approach the Man U matches with the mindset that Arsenal will lose.  And I've never been disappointed.  :-(

 

The Gunners soooo need defenders and defensive mid-fielders that it isn't funny anymore.  I really don't what upper management was doing, jerking Bacary Sagna around the way they did, not offering him more than a 1-year extension until it was too late and he was too pissed off to stay at Emirates.  Not that he would've filled all the leaks, but at least that would've been one less hole in defense.

[JustaPerson]

But this time, they so could have won it! This game reminded me of the Germany/Poland game a little while back. Germany had the majority of the chances and possession but were unlucky (or just bad) in their finishing and that the Polish goalkeeper (a certain goalkeeper we know) was having an amazing game that day. And Poland, with their few chances, made them count. I mean did United really play well? They had TWO shots on goal in 90+ minutes. It's a pity that all that possession and chances were made worthless by a chaotic 5-10 minutes. I mean that OG was such a spectacularly perfect storm of bad luck, timing, and communication (stop coming out of goal so rashly Szczesny, you're not Manuel Neuer!) it'll probably never happen again. Well, at least Giroud's goal was a beauty. 

 

That being said, the defense needs so much fixing. I hope Wenger addresses that in January, but I'm not holding out too much hope. At least start Bellarin on the right and put Chambers in center back! :(

Edited November 25, 2014 by JustaPerson

[proserpina65]

But this time, they so could have won it!

 

Oh, yeah, they could've, but if I think too much about that, I might start crying, and it's not even Christmas yet. ;-)

[JustaPerson]

Sorry to make you sad proserpina65. :') What's worse, getting outplayed (Chelsea) or just plain screwing up (United, Anderlecht, etc)?

[proserpina65]

Sorry to make you sad proserpina65. :') What's worse, getting outplayed (Chelsea) or just plain screwing up (United, Anderlecht, etc)?

I think the just plain screwing up is worse.  The Chelsea match - well, there was no real way to win that with the team Arsenal has, but they so could've won the others with a little luck, or with some, I don't know, wanting to (?) in the case of the Anderlecht match.

[JustaPerson]

Sigh, same. Well, Koscielny is back! No more Monreal in center back! Yay!! 

[proserpina65]

Sigh, same. Well, Koscielny is back! No more Monreal in center back! Yay!! 

Thank the old gods and the new for that!

[brgjoe]

Liverpool finally ended their losing streak!  Yay!  Still only scored 1 goal, tho.  But a win's a win.

 

They really still need help during the transfer window.  Though it will be too late for them to challenge for the title now -- or probably top 4 even.

[ganesh]

Just another day at the office for Chelsea.

[lambertman]

In the grand scheme, Arsenal's loss at Stoke really wasn't cataclysmic. It's just the nature of how it happened that is so painful.

[JustaPerson]

SIGH.

...

sigh.

 

Well, at least Ramsey got to score again (and Cazorla...kind of.) Especially against Stoke, whose fans hate him so much for getting his leg broken four years ago (can't believe I just typed that sentence out.) Hopefully this is the breakthrough needed to get him to back to last season's form. 

 

I think people are being a bit hard on Chambers...I mean he's been playing right back ever since Debuchy got injured. Even versatile players like him get rusty I guess.

 

Grioud works so much better as a super sub. Someone to bring in at half time to break the deadlock or something like that.

 

And for goodness sake, rest Sanchez! God knows he needs it.

Edited December 8, 2014 by JustaPerson

[proserpina65]

I think people are being a bit hard on Chambers...I mean he's been playing right back ever since Debuchy got injured.

 

Debuchy's been injured for so long that I forgot he existed.

 

Chambers is young, has been playing out of his preferred position, and has had to carry a lot of weight on his shoulders.  I don't really blame him.  I blame management (and not necessarily Arsene - I mean upstairs with the money and the decision makers)  Arsenal's back line has no real back-ups to cover for injuries.  They screwed around with Sagna, not offering him more than a year's extension until it was too late.  They let Vermaelen and Jenkinson go.  They basically hamstrung the defense.  I mean, it's been a long time since Arsenal's back four were the scourge of the Premier League (they've never really replaced Martin and Big Tone), but still, the defense needs defenders, you know.

 

And yeah, how dare Aaron Ramsey put his leg under Ryan Shawcross' foot and get it broken?  Clearly it was all his fault.

[JustaPerson]

I know right? Sometimes players refer to him or he pops up in a video and I'm like, oh yea you're here too. Like Per and Laurent in this vid. (2:12 min)

 

 

Figured we might all need some cheering up...

 

And it continues to piss me off how AR is booed at Stoke. Stay classy, Stoke fans. It's not like you guys are bringing back some truly awful experiences for him or anything

Edited December 9, 2014 by JustaPerson

[wanderingstar]

Especially against Stoke, whose fans hate him so much for getting his leg broken four years ago (can't believe I just typed that sentence out.)

 

 

Wait - what?

[JustaPerson]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrNtBdKIC5w

 

Yep. In six places apparently. I wasn't following the PL back then, but it's well documented. Arsenal and Stoke have hated each other ever since (after Wenger basically called Stoke a rugby team after Ramsey's injury and Pulis defended Shawcross's actions.) They boo each other excessively and the Stoke fans especially single Ramsey out for some reason. 

 

ETA: you know this was a while ago, Fabregas was still an Arsenal player! I confess I might be missing things from the incident and its fallout. Am I missing anything proserpina65?

Edited December 10, 2014 by JustaPerson

[proserpina65]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrNtBdKIC5w

 

Yep. In six places apparently. I wasn't following the PL back then, but it's well documented. Arsenal and Stoke have hated each other ever since (after Wenger basically called Stoke a rugby team after Ramsey's injury and Pulis defended Shawcross's actions.) They boo each other excessively and the Stoke fans especially single Ramsey out for some reason. 

 

ETA: you know this was a while ago, Fabregas was still an Arsenal player! I confess I might be missing things from the incident and its fallout. Am I missing anything proserpina65?

Nope - you got all the important details.  It happened in February of 2010, when Ramsey had only been starting for Arsenal for about 2 months, and he didn't get back into the side until March 2011, although he did play for teams in November 2010 on loan from Arsenal.  It was nasty business, but then Stoke can be a nasty side.

[wanderingstar]

They boo each other excessively and the Stoke fans especially single Ramsey out for some reason.

 

 

I've only been following the PL since the fall of 2010, so I missed this incident. Don't get why Stoke fans boo Ramsey when their player broke his leg! *smh*

[proserpina65]

I've only been following the PL since the fall of 2010, so I missed this incident. Don't get why Stoke fans boo Ramsey when their player broke his leg! *smh*

Yeah, well, it is Stoke, after all.  They kinda have a reputation.

[Danny Franks]

It's not quite as simple as Stoke fans being morons (though the tribal mentality of football makes lots of people morons). There was a rather nasty campaign waged against Ryan Shawcross, the player who broke Ramsey's leg, in the aftermath. Wenger, the Arsenal players and possibly even Ramsey himself suggesting Shawcross did it on purpose (which was patently untrue. You could see from his reaction that he was sickened by what happened) or that it was part of the mentality of him and his team to cause injuries (which again, I would say is untrue). The player's disciplinary record both before and after that incident has been pretty good. Stoke have always been physical, and played a rather agricultural style of football, but they've strayed no further outside the rules than any other team.

 

The fact is, Arsenal had developed a reputation of being soft. Of being talented, technically gifted footballers who would fall apart if teams were physical with them. And it worked often enough for teams to plan their games around that, when Arsenal came to town. Before Stoke it was Bolton and Blackburn. It went too far in that game, as it had done on other occasions. Wenger's reaction to it was no less simple-minded than the Stoke fans who now boo Ramsey.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Danny Franks

[lambertman]

Christmas miracle - Arsenal comes up with a big win on the road at West Ham!

 

With Ozil and Ramsey due back in january, dare we yet again ask if this team is turning the corner?

[wanderingstar]

Frank Lampard will remain with Manchester City until the end of the season, ensuring he'll miss the first half of the MLS regular season.

 

And yes, as a Red Bull New York fan, I am enjoying the Keystone Cops-ness of this immensely.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Gillian Rosh

[wanderingstar]

Chelsea losing makes me happy. Chelsea losing in emphatic fashion to Tottenham - a team they usually beat for fun - makes me ecstatic.

[ganesh]

I wasn't able to wake up for the Chelsea game since it's NYE and my hemoglobins are more vodka than iron. A few weeks ago, it was pretty much Chelsea takes the title. Now, they are totally deadlocked with Man City: identical records, goals scored, and conceded. I've only been following professional soccer legit for about 5 years. It's just the right amount of games that I'm drawn in by the stories. 

[isalicat]

So glad to find this thread - another Arsenal devotee here...although this season is torture. I should be used to this as I am also a San Francisco Giants baseball fan (from age 8 - long predating my Arsenal love) and we pride ourselves on enduring misfortune. (yeah, yeah, not so much lately :)

 

Anyways the game against the Saints today was a true trial and we were found so wanting - what has happened to Szezzzccy? and this was a crucial game - put some people on to score early and often, Arsene, not wait until its looking dire!

 

Yet photos of Arsene and Dennis continue to grace my office walls. What can I say - Gunner forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lambertman]

Sczc was absolutely awful. That should have been a nil-nil tie.

[Elsydeon]

I am laughing my ass off at the players and managers whining about condensed holiday schedules. No sympathy from me for those overpaid primadonnas. They get millions a year to play and cushy travel. Just suck it up and play the damn game.

[wanderingstar]

Not only is Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool, it looks like he's headed to LA Galaxy. The rich get richer...

[Danny Franks]

Not only is Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool, it looks like he's headed to LA Galaxy. The rich get richer...

 

Hey, he might finally win a title. Hope he doesn't, mind.

 

The sooner he's gone the better, because we're already in for five months of the longest goodbye to the fairest prince in all the land (just don't diss Phil Collins).

[wanderingstar]

Well, yes - Stevie's goodbye is going to make Landon Donovan's seem restrained in comparison.

[AimingforYoko]

Derek Jeter would be a better comparison. Except Jeter's got five titles. *Ducks*

[proserpina65]

I am laughing my ass off at the players and managers whining about condensed holiday schedules. No sympathy from me for those overpaid primadonnas. They get millions a year to play and cushy travel. Just suck it up and play the damn game.

Some of them do, others don't.  It all depends on which team they play for, even in the Prem.  But for a lot of the biggest complainers (at least those whose interviews we see), yeah, get back to me when you have to work every day for minimum wage.

Christmas miracle - Arsenal comes up with a big win on the road at West Ham!

 

With Ozil and Ramsey due back in january, dare we yet again ask if this team is turning the corner?

You jinxed them! 

 

Yeah, there goes my hope that the new year might bring a better Arsenal.  Man, do we need defenders or what?  I think we can safely count out the Prem title this season.  Is it too much to hope for an FA Cup repeat?

Edited January 6, 2015 by proserpina65

[wanderingstar]

I liked two things about Arsenal's win over Stoke today:

 

1) Seeing Mesut Ozil playing again after such a long injury layoff

 

2) Alexis. Sanchez. Damn - what a player!

[proserpina65]

2) Alexis. Sanchez. Damn - what a player!

 

Best acquisition Arsene's made in ages.  He is a beast.

[AllAboutMBTV]

Not that I don't enjoy watching him play, but please rest Sanchez for a week before he ends up injured and on the bench with, well, the other half of the team.

[lambertman]

Need Alexis this week at City, but if he plays against Brighton in the FA Cup we riot.

[JustaPerson]

DAMN. THAT GAME. Game of the season for me by a mile!