Tuesday 4 December 2012

Wenger: 'We have to find a solution'



Wenger: 'We have to find a solution'

Dear Arsenal supporter,

We were not creative or sharp on Saturday.

Swansea had a lot of possession so we tried to change things and took a lot of risks. In the end it turned against us and looking back maybe we should have been more cautious and at least secured a 0-0 draw.

Overall the quality of our game was not there. It was frustrating because we lacked decisiveness and creativity. It is true that Swansea deserved to win the game.

Monday 26 November 2012

Wenger: 'We lacked a bit of sharpness against Villa'




Dear Arsenal supporter,

We expected a difficult game at Aston Villa because it's always tough when you play away after a Champions League game.

Villa fought very hard and they had some chances as well, but I thought we controlled them quite well. I think we had room to win the game but we lacked a little bit of accuracy in our final ball.

I cannot fault my team for the spirit they showed for 90 minutes but it's true that we lacked a little bit of sharpness in the final third.

Wenger Post Aston Villa Press Conference

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Wenger's View: The best training for a game is to travel to Panama and back with your national team!


Wenger: 'We showed quality and movement'

Dear Arsenal supporter,

I hope you enjoyed Saturday's win over Tottenham - it was another entertaining game and it will help our confidence.

We were a bit nervous at the start of the derby and a mistake at the back gave Tottenham the first goal and then they had another good chance. But the sending off changed the game.

Emmanuel Adebayor had made a flying start to the game - he tends to play well against his former clubs - but it was a red card offence on Santi Cazorla. Of course there was no guarantee that we would win when he went off.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Wenger's View: 'Giroud has more self-belief now'




Wenger: 'Giroud has more self-belief now'

Dear Arsenal supporter,

It was frustrating on Saturday because we had the opportunities to win the game.

We were caught in a comfortable position because we did the most difficult thing - we scored the first two goals. But when it was 2-0 we lacked urgency defensively and we paid for that.

In the second half we gave everything and I have to give credit to the players for that. At 3-2 down we didn't give up, we continued to go forward and we had the chances to win the game.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Schalke 2 -2 Arsenal | Happy With A Draw | How Sad



My first reaction on seeing the team list about an hour before the game was one of relief not to see Andre Santos. He was replaced at left-back by Vermaleen while Koscielny took his position at center-back alongside the increasingly reliable big German, Mertesacker. On paper it would seem like the perfect call to make under the circumstances especially since Vermaleen plays as a left-back for his country. But given his and Koscielny's bungling forms in recent times, I was wary of having both on the field at the same time.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Arsene Wenger Press Conference and Exclusive Interview Pre-Schalke 04


Wenger's Views On The United Game


WE HAVE TO RECOVER FROM THIS

Dear Arsenal supporter,

Manchester United deserved to beat us on Saturday.

That is very disappointing, because we had a lot of the ball but we were not very efficient at either end of the pitch. They created more chances, they defended well and they were sharper than us in the duels.

Of course, part of our problem was conceding such an early goal. In a game like that, it's a massive disadvantage.

It didn't bother me that Robin van Persie was the scorer. That doesn't matter because all you want is to win the game. What is most important is that you don't make a mistake at the back and you don't give chances away.

We were poor defensively and there's no obvious reason for that apart from the fact that we didn't start well and that Man United have quality up front. They score goals against everybody and were better than us. It's as simple as that.

Jack Wilshere was sent off and I thought that was harsh. To me his second booking for a foul on Patrice Evra looked like a regular challenge.

I thought about replacing Jack in the second half but we were in a position where we had to attack and I had no offensive central midfielders on the bench. I thought I would leave him on a bit longer and then he got the red card.

At Manchester City, we drew 1-1 and we could have won that game. We didn't suffer from the comparison. But on Saturday we were not firing on full cylinders and we looked much more vulnerable defensively than we did at the start of the season.

Now we must recover from this and find our form for the Champions League trip to Schalke on Tuesday.

Finally, I would like to thank our travelling fans for their support at Old Trafford. They were always behind the team.

Thanks for your support.


Arsène Wenger

Monday 5 November 2012

United 2 -1 Arsenal | Santos Didn't Do Anything Wrong| Wenger's Tactical Nous In Question


Saturday's visit to Old Trafford was an opportunity to bury the ghost of the hiding we took in the same fixture last season. But within three minutes of kick-off, no other than the Dutchman we've come to hate hit our net and there was that feeling that if weren't careful we could be on the end of another hiding. Truth be told, the final result was respectable and flatters our overall performance considering the penalty miss and the number of clear-cut chances that United missed on the day. We could so easily have been buried -again.

The greatest harm the club's self-financing policy and in effect that unsuccessful youth development  program the club embarked on after the move from Highbury to the Emirates is that it has denied the team of players who understand historical rivalries and what it means to wear the red and white colours of Arsenal FC. That is why Andre Santos would think nothing of exchanging jerseys with the most easily identifiable "enemy" mid-way into a "battle" -a battle we were losing.

Saturday 3 November 2012

United Away! A Chance To Bury A Few Ghosts | Yes, We Can!


Opta Stats
*ManUre have won seven and lost none of the last eight matches against Arsenal at Old Trashford in all competitions.
*Shrek scored his first Premier League goal, his first in the PL for ManUre and his 100th Premier League goal against Arsenal.
*The Gunners have scored just 10 goals in 20 Premier League visits to Old Trashford, with last season (8-2 defeat) being the only time they have netted two in one game.

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Reading 5 - 7 Arsenal | After The Euphoria Comes The Inquest


Every now and then, every football fan will see one game that he will never forget; one that he will remember exactly where he watched fifty years later, who he watched it with and most of the details.

In 1989, the Nigerian Flying Eagles came from 4-0 down against the USSR in the quarter-finals of the Under 21 championships. With 25 minutes to go, the deficit was overturned and we went on to win the game on penalties. No Nigerian of my generation will forget the game that came to be known as the "Miracle in Damman"

Watch Arsene Wenger Post-Reading Interview

Arsenal Vs Reading Highlights (High Definition)

Monday 29 October 2012

Wenger's View Of QPR: 'We needed to be patient'



Wenger: 'We needed to be patient'

Dear Arsenal supporter,

We were delighted to get back to winning ways against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

It was important we won after losing our last two games. We had to wait for our chance and make sure we took it.

I was happy with the result because our confidence was a bit jaded.

QPR have quality and I don't think they will stay at the bottom of the league. We were a bit lucky they had Stephane Mbia sent off, because it made it easier for us to find a winner in the last 20 minutes. We played a serious game against a good team.

I made the decision to start Jack Wilshere and was impressed with his performance. Technically he was excellent and overall he produced a classy performance.

I didn't tell Jack I would be starting him until the morning of the game. Sometimes I think it's better to not have much time to think about the game when you have been out for such a long time. I also included him because I thought a player with his experience and class would give the team a lift.

We'll have to see how he responds from the game. He was kicked on Saturday and had no problem, which is a good sign.

It was also a big positive for us to see Bacary Sagna make his return. He did well and is physically ready.

Thanks for your support.


Arsène Wenger

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Over-analyzing Norwich



Recently, I read an interview in which Patrick Viera was quoted as saying that Arsenal has the ability to beat any team in the world. It was worthy praise from a man that the Arsenal faithful are divided about his current status -legend or traitor. There was a caveat at the end of that quote, "...but they also have the ability to lose to any team in the world too."

Monday 22 October 2012

Wenger's View On Norwich: It was a shock to the system


Wenger: 'It was a shock to the system'

Dear Arsenal supporter,

We gave a disappointing performance against Norwich on Saturday.

I felt that we lacked a bit of sharpness throughout the game. We tried to get into our rhythm after 20 minutes but we missed what makes you successful at the top level - complete focus.

We certainly had a lot of the ball but ultimately we did not create much with that possession. It was an illusionary domination.

Mikel Arteta Reacts To Norwich Defeat

Sunday 21 October 2012

Silent Guns | Who On Earth Loses To Norwich?


If ever there was a day to call the name Gunners to question, yesterday was it. What the fuck kind of gun fires like we did yesterday? I've seen us have some really bad days but yesterday was the daddy.

Norwich City! Who on earth loses to Norwich? They had played seven before us and won none. They are 19th on the damned table. Did we even take a shot at their goal in all of 90 minutes? Okay, I remember the one Arteta took in the last ten minutes or so that their keeper wrapped up comfortably. Other than that, did we threaten Norwich's goal?

Are we really title contenders? How can we possibly be that when we lose games such as this one? How can we hope to be up there with the title contenders in the last few weeks of the season?

It will be easy to chalk our loss to Norwich down to the goal that Mannone conceded which brought to fore his lack of any credible claim to becoming first choice keeper but the team as a whole was complete rubbish for all of 90 minutes.

It will be easy to chalk it down to a hangover from the international break but Chelsea, City and United had just as many players as us involved but they put up good shows yesterday and all of them took maximum points from their games. We knew this before we played later in the evening. We knew we needed a win to keep pace at the top.If we needed to be motivated, this was it.

It will be easy to chalk it down to the injuries we had ahead of the game but we had better quality in every position than Norwich  except maybe the goalkeeping position. No, Mannone isn't a top flight keeper. Neither is the man whose position he has usurped. I am talking about Fabianski because Mannone really has no chance of upstaging Szczesny. And if Szczesny is out injured and Fabianski is out for 3 months, what happens if anything happens to Mannone? Someone called Martinez will take over. We have a goalkeeper crisis but I guess that's the subject of another day's venting. Aaaaaaarggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Okay, maybe it's Wenger's fault -he's usually the easiest target on days like this. But come on he fielded the strongest possible side minus the injured. Should he have donned a jersey and taken to the field?

I don't think so. I think the team has to take responsibility for this one.It was such an unenergetic display from every single player that started the game yesterday except for Arteta. He put in a decent shift and his exasperation showed at various times

The depth we boasted at the beginning of the season is really neither here nor there, is it? Gnabry, an 18 year old prospect was the best we could do when we needed a rabbit to be pulled out of the hat. I didn't think so and he didn't.

This was a day when we should  have been celebrating Wilshere's return to the team after he was surprisingly [for lack of a better word] named in the match day squad. Just like I thought he was only there for show. We couldn't call on him when we needed a match winner and rightly so. Norwich defended desperately at times and someone may have sent him back to the horse placenta people

I really am tired and not in the mood for this blogging shit today.


Saturday 20 October 2012

The Breakdown -Adrian Clarke Analyzes The Season So Far


After The Interlull | It's Norwich Away!


Two whole bleeding weeks without any real football. Really wasn't much else to do with all the extra time I had on my hands but to hole up in my man cave at every opportunity and tidy up all sorts of things I keep putting off for when I can find good time. Did come up from my semi-hibernation for 90 minutes last Saturday to watch the Super Eagles spank the Lone Stars of Liberia 6-1 to qualify for next year's African Cup of Nations.

Also took the time to get familiar with Fifa13 as well. Haven't been able to find much time for it since my ordered copy arrived. Have won some and lost some. While I like some of the new features, I really am pissed off with what EASports did with the first touch control -it's so difficult to bring the ball under control with the first touch now. Really will take some getting used to.

Watch Ray Parlour Teach Poldi A Few London Slangs

Arsene Wenger's Press Conference Pre- Norwich


Friday 12 October 2012

Yawn! The Interlull! Yawn!




Yaaaaawn! One week without football and the international break is only halfway gone. Thankfully the first of the international games will be played this evening and we'll get to see a few games without any emotions and pray silently that all members of the red and white army who have been conscripted to go do battle for their various countries will return in one piece.

The club has confirmed that the Koscielney scare from yesterday was just that -a scare. He passed a medical examination yesterday afternoon and was back in training by evening.

Thankfully there are other ways to get Arsenal entertainment when the team is not doing it on the green grass.

Sagna graced the Twitter takeover couch recently and took on a few questions

 

Thursday 11 October 2012

Why I Welcomed This Interlull | The Squad Gets Deeper After The Break


I usually hate the international break with the kind of passion that I only reserve for bad breath and BO but this time I welcomed it with a loving bear hug and hoped to hibernate for the two weeks that it will last.

I welcomed the break because I saw Gibbs limp off against West Ham last Saturday and after watching his replacement, Santos for the rest of the game I was convinced that he isn't the ideal cover for Gibbs. I really am fond of that cheerfully disposed Brazillian but whatever else Andre Santos may bring to the team, defending isn't one of them. I will be glad to see Gibbs back, fit and ready to man that left-back position; the international break will afford him time to rest and get back to first team duties. He was on England's list for their two games during the international break but that injury against West Ham put paid to that.

Monday 8 October 2012

Wenger: 'We passed an important test'


Dear Arsenal supporter,

We expected a difficult match at West Ham on Saturday and we were not disappointed.

It was a game with a lot of pace, where both teams went for it in different styles. It was a good test mentally as well, because we went 1-0 down to West Ham's first shot on goal.

But we came back, won the game and passed an important test of character.

Thursday 4 October 2012

Arsenal 3 -Olympiakos 1 | Winning Ugly | An Inquest Into Some Awful defending


Quite often we are accused of being more interested in playing pretty than grinding out a result when we really need to get a result. This time we dug in as the occasion demanded and ground out a result. No, it wasn't vintage Arsenal by any stretch of the imagination on the night but it's three points in the bag. Six points out of six. That is what the records will say and that is really all that matters. No one will remember the nail-biting ninety minutes that was endured to secure this win. No one will care that we didn't play well on the night. The only statistic that matters ultimately went in our favour. Arsenal 3 - Olympiakos 1.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Preview Olympiakos: Up Against The Geeks


First off, after reading the financial report released last week by Arsenal Holdings, it was easy to grasp the fact that the club had made what looked like very significant pre-tax profit but there was a lot more fiscal mumbo jumbo along with this good news that my poor little head found difficult to decipher. I didn't worry much because on Twitter I follow a fellow who goes by the odd name, The Swiss Rambler. I don't know anyone else who's more savvy about the business of football than he is and from experience I knew he wouldn't be able to resist dissecting and breaking it down for pinheads like me. He didn't disappoint. His piece 'Arsenal -The Song Remains The Same' is well worth the read and you will get an education while you are at it.

Watch Wenger Press Conference Pre-Olympiakos


wengoly by arsenalist

Monday 1 October 2012

Wenger's Views On The Chelsea Game


Wenger: 'I felt that we gave the game away'

Dear Arsenal supporter,

We played against a good team on Saturday but I feel that we gave the game away.

Chelsea had three shots on target and scored two goals, from soft set-pieces. Defensively we were just not at the level you have to be in a game like that, and we were punished for it.

My players showed plenty of quality and spirit but we have to show personality and authority to ensure we do not concede goals in that manner.

We did not attack the ball on either goal and you could see that the main difference between ourselves and Chelsea was in the air. That made a difference.

In big games like this it is vital not to make mistakes because every time you are behind in a big game you have a 65 per cent chance to lose. We came back at Manchester City last week and did so again against Chelsea, but then straight away we gave away another goal.

After that you have to take risks and you open yourself up because you are playing against good players and they can hit you on the counter-attack.

We had our chances, with Olivier Giroud going close right at the end. It was a good opportunity and I have to say that Petr Cech kept Chelsea in the game at times - he was outstanding.

There could be an over-reaction to a defeat like this but we will deal with that. What is important is the personality you show in a big game. We were not at the right level in that respect.

We have another big game coming up against Olympiacos on Wednesday so let's focus on that now and get the right result. We have made a strong start in the Champions League and we want to keep that going.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Arsenal Ladies after they won the Women's Super League on Sunday. It is a tremendous achievement and they now have a chance to complete an unbeaten season next weekend.

Thanks for your support.


Arsène Wenger

Sunday 30 September 2012

What Went Wrong Against Chelsea?


It's on days like this that mustering the will to whip up a post is hardest -after losing a game especially one we contrived fantastically well to throw. I realise now how easy it is to pound out words on my key boards when the joy of winning a game and the attendant adrenaline are there to fuel enthusiasm. Fuck it, I'm not a reporter who has to objectively tackle the job of sending in a report to his editors on the Arsenal vs Chelsea game. No, I am an obsessive Arsenal fan who is maliciously satisfied when United or any other team I consider competition lose a game. I am an Arsenal addict whose perfect fix is an Arsenal win. That didn't happen yesterday so it's cold turkey day.

Friday 28 September 2012

Watch Wenger Pre-Chelsea Press Conference | Santos Chained | Etc

Good morning Goonerland.

It's that day of the week again that allows for a little irresponsibility for those who have worked hard all week. Yes, you can be forgiven if you let your hair down this one day of the week and guzzle a drum but only if you are sure, you can walk  a straight line afterwards, must not slur your speech, must not topple over without support, must not fall asleep at the bar and under no circumstances should you disgorge the beans you ate at lunch within sight of men. You've been warned. Big brother will be watching.

Let's get on with it: Yesterday, a Hendon Magistrates' Court, in North-West London banned our adorable, sunny, Brazilian left-back from driving for the next twelve months with a £2,300 fine to boot after the court found him guilty of leading police officers on a merry old spin around London while driving at between 135mph-145mph which is double the 70mph speed limit. He eventually pulled up at the London Colney training center where he told the police officers he had been driving so fast because he was running late for training and his music had been so loud that he didn't hear the sirens while the officers were chasing him.

Arsenal Holdings' Financial Results 2011/12


Thursday 27 September 2012

Giroud Breaks His Stubborn Metal Duck | Wenger Tells Walcott To Be Patient


I missed my very first game of the new season last night on a night Giroud broke that stubborn metal duck of his while the team over-ran Coventry 6-1 in the 3rd round of the Capital One cup. I wasn't alone in missing the game as the game was not televised in my neck of the woods or anywhere else for that matter it seems and Gooners from all over the world could only follow via live commentaries on the net, gamecasts and twitter updates.

For a competition that has largely been considered as low priority, it's amazing how much demand there was in Goonerland for updates and the excitement was palpable as news filtered through on Twitter that Arsenal had gone a goal up in the 39th minute from no other than Olivier Giroud. While Gooners around the world were happy that we were one goal up, we were even happier that it had come from the handsome Frenchman. That one goal many have touted that he needs to unlock the flood-gate of goals in him has finally arrived. The opportunity came sooner he expected to add to his tally in the form of a penalty but it wasn't to be -his well hit penalty was saved by the Coventry keeper so we have to wait a while longer to see how much water is behind the flood-gates.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Watch Wenger's Interview Ahead Of Coventry Game Tonight | Squad List Released



The League Cup -or better known these days as the Capital One Cup after its current sponsors- has kicked off once again. It's a competition that's considered low priority by the big clubs maybe because of the £100k prize money that is awarded by the Football League to the winners -WTF is that? £100k?

The big clubs see the competition as an opportunity to give younger players and fringe players a run out which usually paves the way for giants slaying by the smaller clubs who usually take it quite seriously since it may be their only chance to get their hands on a trophy and then provides a short cut to Europe to feature in the Europa League.

Tuesday 25 September 2012

The Walcott-Wenger Standoff


Theo has spoken up about his contract situation and as expected it has generated quite an animated buzz in Goonerland. He's moved to squash speculations that his over-the-top demands for an improved package is the reason his contract extension has not happened yet.
"That speculation on the money side of it has never been me. That's not me. I'm not the sort of person who's influenced by money. I always make my decisions based on football and only football..."
The LP on which that song was recorded is worn out and all scratched up and the needle gets stuck in a groove all the time. It will keep repeating "not about money" if someone doesn't lift the pin. We've heard it over and over and over again. It is a tired tune.

Wenger's Views On The City Game


Wenger: 'A point was the minimum we deserved'


Dear Arsenal supporter,

I was pleased with Sunday's result because a point was the minimum we deserved when you consider what we put into the game.

I was happy also with the quality of our display and our spirit, but I was also a bit frustrated because I feel there was an opportunity to pick up all three points. We had early chances and very late chances, especially when Gervinho missed the target from the edge of the box.

Overall I hope that a result like this will reinforce our belief and confidence and reassure us about our potential in this league.

We conceded a goal from a corner and I take that criticism on board, but it's worth noting that Manchester City are the team who score more goals than anyone else from set pieces.

At the other end of the pitch it is true that we missed chances, and it's important to be clinical in games like this, but I believe that will come. When you have the basic quality that we showed on Sunday, the rest can improve.

Vito Mannone had another good game in goal. He looks very solid. He made a little mistake on the corner for Man City's goal, but I am happy that it didn't affect his game after that. I like what he is doing.

I can confirm that Thomas Vermaelen did not play because he had 'flu so we left him at home.

Laurent Koscielny had a great game and stepped in very well. We have a number of classy centre backs, and it is a very difficult choice. No matter who is left out, they will feel disappointed. But I will rotate the centre backs and take into consideration the strikers we will face.

Thanks for your support.
Arsene Wenger's signature


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