We’re getting killed right now:

Bruno Alves 38′ 1-0: Watch :: Download

Halftime Highlights: Watch :: Download

Lisandro López 54′ 2-0: Watch :: Download

WATCH FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS :: Download

Jeez…we are bound to face Barcelona or Juventus. It’s a weak side but even still we looked rather toothless in attack. Bendtner and Vela’s partnership was being disrupted by Porto’s backline and Bendtner just doesn’t have the talent to create with the ball. Eboue’s trying to get back in shape but he looked very nervy.

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During the game:

Emmanuel Adebayor scores: Watch :: Download

First Half Highlights: Watch :: Download

We’re winning ugly which is just as good as winning pretty. It’s a comfortable 1-0 lead because Wigan aren’t threatening but at the same time we’re not dominating either. I’ll take it.

After the game

Game over. Match Report. Commentators piss me off. Eboue got booed, so what?

MOTD Highlights

Arsene Wenger Sky Sports Interview :: Arsene Wenger Longer BBC Interview :: Steve Bruce Interview

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Slow day, thought I’d make a post:

Some guy scored for them: Watch :: Download

Fuck, they scored again: Watch :: Download

Highlights

Own goal, do you believe it? The bulk of the fault here is with the uber-excited Almunia who loves distributing the ball so much that he doesn’t care who he’s distributing to anymore. Poor decision by a veteran player, especially if you consider how inexperienced the left side of the back-four are. Other than this he’s had a good game so far.

Djourou Own Goal: Watch :: Download

First Half Highlights: Watch :: Download

Robin van Persie equalizes. The cunty announcer hates Arsenal, he keeps insisting its offside.

RVP 1-1: Watch :: Download

Quick Strike, RVP Scores again: Watch :: Download

MOTD Highlights

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Match Report and blog feed.

Arsene Wenger Interview :: Phil Scolari Interview (this guy’s a door knob)

Great win by the Gunners. We’ve now beaten Man Utd and Chelsea and lost to Stoke and Hull. Nothing about that makes any sense. I thought we dominated this game, they only had one shot on goal whereas we had more possession, better movement and more chances. Denilson should’ve made it 3-1 late on after being found by Bendtner but decided to dribble for no reason instead of one-timing it.

Time to celebrate. We’re back in the Top Four!

Before the game

A win gets us to the knock-out stages.

I always dig the intro when players come out and the CL theme is played: Watch :: Download

During the game

First Half Highlights

Might I interest you in a diving cunt? Watch :: Download

Would you believe it, our man Bendtner comes off the bench and gives us the 1-0 win. Nice going but you’re still not Arsenal quality. Watch :: Download

After the game

Cesc Fabregas Interview

ITV Full Match Highlights

Not exactly a fluid performance. Had trouble creating chances and ended up winning it on a very cheeky goal by Bendtner. The kick was taken with the ball moving but give credit to Bendtner for nice control and a near-side finish that ranks high on the degree-of-difficulty scale. Gallas got a nice enough reception, its easy to like a guy when you know you don’t have to put up with him much longer. Willie G almost cost us an early goal after he inexplicably gave the ball away to their striker who hit the post. The look on Gallas’ face after that was that of shame.

First game for Cesc as captain and he gets a well-earned win, his pass created the Bendtner goal. He had a good passing game against a very motivated Kiev side that probably should’ve been ahead on a couple of occasions, Almunia coming up with big saves. He wasn’t tested much but when he was he came through. Vela was rather disappointing, maybe I’m too used to seeing him dismantle Carling Cup competition and have come to expect exquisite skill on every touch, but he was a non-factor for the brunt of the game. I still like him as a striker on the left though.

Jack Wilshere made an appearance in the second half and looked unfazed by the occasion. I’m looking forward to many years of service from young Jack, there’s going to be a time when he’ll be Arsenal’s best player. Well, up next is Chelsea and if I was betting man I’d say we’re going to get crushed, especially if we fail to get fit. You never know Arsenal though, nobody expected them to beat Man Utd without Van Persie and Adebayor and look what happened. So I’m going to out on a limb and say 2-1 Arsenal.

Check the Match Report for more eloquent analysis. Also, grab this blog’s feed.

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So we got Cesc as our captain now. This was an inevitable move which came a year too late. Don’t know what AW was thinking when he gave Gallas the armband but I’m glad he’s recanted his sin. To be fair to Gallas he was leading the team well enough during the first part of last season, the Birmingham game was his undoing. Crying about and pointing fingers at his mates isn’t what a captain does. That was some sad stuff to watch and I think those of us that were starting to warm up to him changed our opinion of him after that game. It’s going to be tough for him to take orders from a young Cesc knowing that he once he had the role and royally fucked it up. I don’t think the two can co-exist unless Gallas becomes the ultimate team-player and puts his emotion and ego aside. I don’t think its going to happen and his days in an Arsenal uni have to be numbered.

Arseblogger has a whole thing on what Cesc brings as a captain and he’s right but that doesn’t change the product on the pitch. Our midfield isn’t going to get a boost by Cesc wearing an armband, the only thing it’ll do is boost the morale of the team and give them a change of direction which can do wonders for a team that has the talent but can’t find the motivation. I don’t think motivation’s an issue with Arsenal though, it’s the lack of experience in midfield and quality in the back four. If anyone’s expecting this switch to have an impact in the type of results we’re getting they’re mistaken. This is definitely a new direction of Arsenal FC but one that’ll take some time to give back dividends. Cesc has to learn to be a leader, a captain and a person who everybody looks at for direction. He’s got to mature and stop being petulant, lead by example and keep his head high even when the team’s down 1-0 to Stoke. He’s got a long ways to go before he becomes a captain in nature and not just in name. Cesc says:

“It is a great honour for me to captain one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is a proud moment. I know it’s a big responsibility but together with my team-mates, I know we have the spirit and commitment to get back to winning ways and fulfil our potential.”

Can’t help but think a large part of this move has to do with Arsenal baiting Fabregas to stay in England after this year.

As for Gallas, I think we should sell him in the transfer window for whatever we can get. Good luck to Cesc. Kiev should be a test. Champions League is the way to go…

MOTD Highlights

1st goal.  here we go again: Download :: Watch HQ :: Longer replay

2nd goal, what a finish by Robinho. Our defense couldn’t stop an 8th grader: Download :: Watch HQ :: Longer replay

3rd goal – foul + penalty: Watch HQ

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That Robinho flick was beautiful.  Reminded me of Carlos Vela’s work in the Champions League.  Realistically speaking we’d have to run the table from here on in to win the league and I don’t see it happening.  In fact, I don’t even think this team is capable of winning two games in a row on the road.  The defense always seems to be caught trailing the ball and the midfield is more concerned with not losing the ball than trying to attack.  It’s a sad situation, the swagger that Arsenal plays with is missing and has been missing for some time.  It saddens me.

Gallas is no longer captain and that’s a move that came about a year too late.  Whining twats shouldn’t be captains, that’s the golden rule of captaincy.  Don’t make twats captains. Look it up.  Here’s the list of Arsenal players that are not “Arsenal quality”: Bendtner, Denilson, Hoyte and Silvestre.  I’m on the fence about Abou Diaby because I think if he develops his other foot he might amount to something good.  He’s got Adebayor written all over him.

These are sad times to be an Arsenal fan.  I think the goals should be a top four finish and to qualify for next year’s Champions League, forget about winning the league and maybe start getting this club back to respectability by grabbing the Carling and FA Cups.  At least they won’t keep talking about the lack of silverware in the last three years anymore.

To talk about the game a little, Citeh was running circles around us.  Their first goal was lucky but the second was pure class, they deserved to win because they were better in all areas.  Our most aggressive threats came from Gael Clichy bringing the ball up from the back with some speed but he was cut down just past midfield in most cases.  The midfield is toothless and Fabregas needs help, maybe the injection of Rosicky in 7 weeks time might help and maybe Eduardo can provide the inspiration up front because one thing is for certain: Bendtner is on the outs.  Vela didn’t start because of his long Mexican flight, not too sure if he could’ve helped since our midfield didn’t provide enough ammunition for the strikers to fire.

Bad, bad run we’ve got into.

Three months out. After he dislocates his shoulder playing in a meaningless midweek friendly. Now if this would’ve happened to William Gallas it wouldn’t have bothered me, but Theo? C’mon. We’re already going through a stage where we can’t by goals in the Prem and Theo was one of the lone threats we had. Nobody could keep up with is pace on the right and the man created at least two or three chances for us a game.

Now instead of looking to Eboue again to fill this role, why not bring in Jack Wilshere or maybe even Ramsey and see how they fare. They’ve shown spectacular skill and composure in the Carling Cup games (while beating Prem clubs) and deserve a shot here. I don’t know about you, but for me the most entertaining Arsenal play has come in the CC, not in the CL or Prem. More of that please.

That’s really all I wanted to say but here’s some more. The club’s been going through a real shitty stage, tying the scum, losing to Villa at home, the Stoke shit, the Hull hell etc. IMHO, the root of these problems is the midfield and defense, Fabregas looks lost out there playing without an enforcer like Flamini. Nasri’s effectively replaced Hleb rather admirably (on the wrong side) but that holding midfielder we’re so used to having in Gilberto and Flamini is missing. Rosicky will be back to train in 7 weeks so maybe he can provide that but that’s waiting too long. I think our Prem fate will be decided by then. It all comes down to AW spending some cash and acknowledging that his young Guns need help and can’t do it on their own – at least not yet.

Another disappointment of late has been Bendtner who hasn’t looked like Arsenal quality at all. Even when he’s one-on-one, he managed to fuck things up rather nicely. That play late against Man Utd when he had a chance to make it 3-0. Eww. He’s been forced into the starting XI because Van Persie’s stupid foul against Stoke. That was the dumbest Arsenal play I’ve seen over the last couple years, even worse than Lehmann’s fuck-ups. Going three games without your top striker will hurt any team, much less one that is so dependent on a finishing touch.

That’s it for this little piece on this primarily video blog. Expect some more.

Arse.

Before the game

Liverpool won, we got to keep pace.

During the game

Almunia saves Young’s penalty. Foul included: Download :: Watch

First Half Highlights: Download :: Watch

A real cunt of a human being 1-0: Download :: Watch – Good ‘ol Clichy, fucking up in big games

A big whore villa 2-0: Download :: Watch I can’t believe a cunt with a name like that can score against Arsenal. Wenger, please fix this horsehit ASAP.

After the game:

Match Report

Lowest point of the season? I think so. Is William Gallas a fucknut? For sure. Are we wining the league? No. Does Sidwell sodomize Brad Friedel? Yes. Did anyone hear Nasri’s name? No. Is black a color or a fruit? Color. Who is Denilson? Is Bendtner Arsenal quality? No. But given Arsenal’s quality of late, yes. FUUUCCKKKK THIS SUCKS>

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Here’s an email I got from a loyal reader:

You should really do an open letter on the site to the Arsenal Football Club, or to Arsene Wenger

Tell him/them to get off his ass and;

- admit Gallas is a faliure and should be publicly stoned
- buy the hardman midfielder and bison sized centre back we’ve been missing since the days of Vieira/Campbell and
- stop trying to plug the DM holes with ppl like denilson and song
- if he wants to have faith in his young players, at least give Diaby a chance in a pure DM role, he at least has the body for it
- accept that sometimes we need to stop playing ‘beautiful’ football – honestly its not like the days of the invincibles anymore when it was fun to watch and they were always counterattacking and raising hell in the defense. Now we watch them pass and pass, give the defence time to recover, and end up with a scuffed shot at the top of the box with 5 men in front of it, or squeeze out a cross from our overworked fullbacks.

The commentary period during an Arsenal match goes like this:

- The commentary raves on Arsenal’s flowing ball
- As they predictably struggle to break down the team, or misplace some passes, the commentator calles it an ‘Un-Arsenal-like’ performance when in reality it happens in 1 of every 2 matches

I mean what is Wenger doing? THe invincibles played at an extremely fast tempo and counterattacked at will, almost never crossed and got physical with teams sometimes (we had that red card record at 1 point)

Now we play at Serie A pace, trying to pass teams into submission/walk the ball into the net. We do cross a lot more, which is sometimes a good thing because we have a true target man in Ade and sometimes Bendtner. But in general we are too slow and look for the extra pass to often. For every 1 clear cut chance our passing movement makes, theres about 3-4 that we f**ked up.

It not like our weaknesses are new – they have been obvious for years now – our lack of height/spine in midfield and defence and our tendency to overpass and walk ball into net. I mean, even the invincibles had some of these complaints but not nearly as severe as now. Wenger has refused to address them. He’s not a good tactician – he’s only used 2 different formations in his Arsenal carrer(42 451), never makes formational adjustments outside of the 442/451 and doesnt make special substitutions – i mean Ade at West Ham was a no-brainer, or throwing on Walcott for energy. He’s only excellent at discovering and rearing youngsters.

F**k man, sorry to rant a lot but I am just fed up of this, going on 4 seasons now, and you seem to be one of the few Arsenal suooprters out there not on Wenger’s dick and blindly swallowing everything Arsenal do. (Although the # of discontented Gooners grow daily) Even my friends today tried to defend Arsenal’s performance somehow. I shud start to watch the games alone. THe commentator said the AV game was a shocker. it isnt to me anymore