Arsenal are staring into an abyss.
Spurs have been amongst the worst offenders in recent times for being goaded off the coach, made to put their kit on and then shoved out onto a field that you’d think twice about running an ‘orse out on.
But last night Arsenal looked lost. Prior to the kick off, all the talk had been about ten nil scorelines and the fact that Jewel didn’t want to put his name to what had carnage written all over it.
The reality was somewhat different. Arsenal gave it a good go to start off with, but even they lost interest in their interminable passing to no purpose after about 25minutes . On my telly screen that little box popped up. Ipswich had actually made twice as many attempts. Taking the ball to the Ipswich penalty area and then passing it to no one doesn’t constitute an attempt.
Ipswich were unspectacular. All the cliches you like. Workmanlike, committed, clunky…With the exception of Conor Wickham.
This was one game I wished Alan Smith was commentating on. After listening to him gush on and on and on about Jack Wilshire’s every breath it would have been fascinating to hear how he would have described the anonymous kid in contrast to the rough but exciting diamond that is Wickham.
The reason that Arsenal are in trouble isn’t just because they got beat by some yokels on a grizzly Wednesday night. It’s the stench of disinterest coming from too many of their players. I used to work with a guy who had a great little phrase for when a ‘co-worker’ had lost interest in the job just before going on holiday, ‘Head’s in his suitcase’.
Never seen a team with so many players with their minds elsewhere. The worst offender is Downsy Arshavin. €25M and he’s barely going through the motions. And they said we bought the wrong Russian.
The return game at the Emptycrates will be matter we are told. I’d like to know how so. It’s clear that since that coward Royston Keane legged it, Jewel has at least given his limited options some shape. Arsenal have failed to beat anyone this season that ran at them. If City didn’t have an Italian manager a dull draw could have been an emphatic win.
Why abyss? Why are they suddenly unstuck? What do you know? I know what players who don’t really care look like. Arsene is too stubborn to dip into that c.£50M operating profit and make the overdue changes. His squad isn’t up to the task. You work it out.
When do they play Barca?
BIOYC!
Sod loaning him back. Buy Wickham full stop. The kid has been coming off the bench all season under Roy Keane. He would not complain if he did the same at Spurs for now. The guy looks like a pain in the ass to defend against. He is definitely something different from what we have. He is not likely to score many right now, but that is not the point as we score enough goals anyway. You want to bring him on in those Fulham 1-0 type games – where it is tight but we haven’t much chance of conceding, but we somehow cannot score. He could create enough havoc to help break deadlock. All this at 17.
i am a lifelong gooner who is getting increasingly fed up with our lack of passion and wenger not dipping in the transfer market and buying some decent defenders . Spurs will overtake us pretty soon and i really dont want 2 b alive 2 see it happen, unless i become a spurs fan and believe me that is what i will think i will do COYS
???
And obviously already are as you signed off ‘COYS’!! hahaha
The ‘Holy Trinity’ wasn’t the problem! It was your defence, Ipswich just ‘oofed it forward all second half and it caused all sorts of problems.. Were your CH’s never taught “don’t let the ball bounce?!”…
(Shhh… Daws against Cheatski… :pinch: )
When Drogba pushed it over he’s head with he’s arm? Oh yeah…
Daws should still have nutted it & put the dirty Dogbath into touch in the process… Dave Mackay style. First game back though, it was a big ask of HR to put him through that.
Daws was facing towards Drogba who knocked it over he’s head with his arm, hence Daws lost the direction of the ball.. It had nothing to do with letting it bounce and not clearing it before you give the striker a chance which is what The Gooner’s CH’s were doing last night!!
He took his eye off the ball and lost the flight of it completely though, which was where it started going wrong. Just as culpable a mistake for a CB as letting the ball bounce over your head – Especially when there was a chance to take it out on the full (And Doggy-style in the process).
Daws used to have 2 or 3 of those moments a season though (Remember the handball/penalty against ManUre) but he needs credit for working hard to remove that aspect from his game. He’s becoming the real deal and we definitely look more solid when he’s there.
You seem to miss the point which is….Letting it bounce ON THE FLOOR not taking your eye of the ball..Wasn’t highlighting Dawson’s only mistake in a game where he was masterful and had Drogba in his pocket. Personally I wouldn’t give gooners ammo to use against us.
If someone scores a goal, you can’t claim that you had them ‘In your pocket’. That requires a shut-out as it only takes a class CF/wd 1 second to poach a goal. The handball is the ref’s to spot & has nothing to do with it, otherwise we might as well get one each of Defoe’s & VDV’s chalked off in the CL.
Bouncing ball, not getting the ball clear when you have the chance, they are both mistakes and you can’t say one is better than the other when they both result in a goal against.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Daws but there are elements of his game he still needs to work on, which he is doing. When he cracks it (which he will soon, probably this season), he will be about the best CB in the country and will hopefully go on to lead both Spurs & England well into the future.
As for giving Gooners ammo, we like to discuss things Spurs here (as well as baking & Norwegian Death Metal), and this is just an observation about a Spurs player. I’m not that bothered about theirs unless we are playing them. We can’t wear our lillywhite glasses just because we have a few ‘invited’ guests in the house.
AFC need a centre half, absolutely obvious. They are looking at Upson apparently. Campbell till the end of the season anyone?
Can’t see where you coming from.. Go back to my original post and for the life of me I can’t work out where you can see anything in it to compare what I said that got you having a dig at our captain (hopefully full time).. Thought from your first post you were a Gooner..
God love you old chap, I may be eccentric but I’m not mad! THFC since ’76.
My original ‘quip’ was along the lines of glass houses and throwing stones. You see, I’m a great believer in karma and what thou disheth out you’d better be happy to receive.
Given that we’ve probably had less clean sheets than Wolves this season, I thought it was a tad previous going on about defensive uncertainty. Poor old Daws simply took the short straw but it could have been Kaboom against Sunderland or any other number of villains.
Apologies if my attempt at karma deflecting humour had you springing on the defensive but equally glad that we both agree that Daws is in fact Captain Marvel material, worthy of the stripe for many years.
‘the return game at the emptycrates will be matter we are told’
Brilliant – what are you on about? Doesnt even make sense and shows you up for the retard you are.
Holy Trinity?
In the words of Rev Black Grape – ‘Nothing more sinister than ministers in dresses’