Arsenal Fans Fall in here... SEDIA..

[Galantspeedz]

  On 1/7/2013 at 1:12 AM, Gee said:

always optimist huh?

 

the signs are good

[Gee]

Wenger: I pull Arsenal purse strings

January 6, 2013

 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has lifted the lid on the club's contentious transfer policy and revealed the extent of the power he wields at Emirates Stadium.

 

 

 

 

There has long been conjecture over Wenger's involvement in the financial structure of Arsenal, and the Frenchman says he is always fully involved in transfer negotiations and will be so again during the January window.

 

While most Premier League managers take a back seat when players and their agents sit down to thrash out contracts and pay packets, Wenger insists he plays a central role in every deal at Arsenal.

 

"I don't know how it works at other clubs, but the wages at Arsenal are decided in consultation between me and the board," Wenger said. "There is an amount of money that is dedicated to the wages every year. Within that budget, we try to come up with payments that are sensible and defensible.

 

"As long as the economical balance within a club is respected and you pay the people with the resources that make economical sense, then it is fine. If I want to pay a player a little more than the budget, then I ask for the authorisation from the board.

 

"The set-up we have means sometimes you have to let one player go to make space for someone coming as the squad is limited and sometimes you need to knock out some good players to make room for others."

 

Wenger went on to reveal his policy on wages is different to many of his top-flight rivals, with the Arsenal boss explaining there is a balance within his squad that ensures none of his players are paid vastly more than their team-mates.

 

So while some of Manchester City's stars may be pocketing more than

[VellfireS]

David Villa.. I very doubtful..

[Gee]

most expensive match ticket in England.

raking money but mediocre results.. ?

---

Man City return

[Gee]

are you serious Jack.. trophy?

half season gone and we're nowhere near the top, let alone contention.

if gunners play the same way, a slaughter is an almost certainty befall us.

---

 

Wilshere: Trophies are our focus

January 8, 2013

By Kevin Palmer

 

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has insisted a trophy is his chief priority this season and not the top-four finish his manager continues to focus on.

 

 

 

Jack Wilshere: Aiming to break Arsenal's ongoing trophy drought

 

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger reiterated over the weekend that he would rather claim another Champions League finish then bring an end to his eight-year trophy drought, but his star midfielder would beg to differ.

 

"We all want a trophy because as players when you finish your career, you look back and see how many trophies you've won," Wilshere is quoted as saying in the British press.

 

"We're all hungry for it and maybe if we get a trophy this year it can lead to a few more. Obviously it is easy to sit here and say that when we get one trophy it will happen, but we need to get that first trophy.

 

"We are still in the FA Cup and the Champions League. I think we are in a good position, we just need to make sure we get the results now."

 

Meanwhile, Wilshere has suggested his Arsenal side dare not lose as they take on Premier League champions Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with their hopes of keeping pace with the sides chasing a top-four position in peril if they suffer another defeat.

 

"I'm not sure whether it's make or break (against City), but we need results," Wilshere added. "We're not where we want to be in the League.

 

"We want to be higher and we have a game in hand on most of our rivals, so we have to make it count. It's no good having them unless we can win them.

 

"We know City are a good team, but we're at home so we have to take the game to them, and then in the FA Cup replay against Swansea we have to do the same thing. There are tough games coming up and we know that this time of year is so important, so we have to recover well and go again."

---

espn

[Gee]

Theo's demand have been met by a desperate Arsenal.

 

[Gee]

  On 1/7/2013 at 1:33 AM, Galantspeedz said:

the signs are good

 

Asnl 0-2 Citeh

Kosc was sent off the field after mishandling Dzeko in the box.

Sczez made a pen safe denying citeh early lead but that proof shortlived.

Smelling blood, citeh came pounding hard on glass walled gunner defence.

Ox was subbed by Per to plug the defence gap, while gunners were limping.

Citeh dominated the center with their 5 outplaying 3.

Milner let out a diagonal screamer to break the deadlock 0-1.

Dzeko finally scored with simple tap in after a rebound off Szez 0-2 which saw HT.

2nd half was all gunners, lead by Jack they reduce citeh to 10 men.

Playbook was thrown out and direct play was deployed although missed chances and wasted

set piece opportunities ruined the effort.

Albeit the iron will shown, a much much better defending,

time was not on their side and a glimpse of a point was never meant to be.

What's next Wenger?

--

 

Enough pressure for reinforcement signings?

[Gee]

 

 

Theo Walcott signs new Arsenal deal

January 18, 2013

 

Theo Walcott has signed a new three-and-a-half year,

[Tarzan666]

sweee..100k pound a week..

 

wonder is he the highest paid in arse.

[Gee]

  On 1/18/2013 at 11:34 PM, Tarzan666 said:

sweee..100k pound a week..

 

wonder is he the highest paid in arse.

 

After Wenger i think yes he is.

 

Now keep calm and pass the lad a lot of ball.

[Gee]

Chel 2-1 Ars

 

Falling 2-0 behind homeside, the gunners played 1st half in a slump.

Conceding mostly due to lack of discipline in defense and a mistimed challenge by goalie that invited a pen.

Though the gunners make a strong comeback in 2nd half, chances upon chances by Giroud, Theo failed to find the net

until a superb thru pass from Cazorla found Theo who calmly chipped it in pass Cech at near post.

Gunners definitely the better side in the 2nd half although Chels still delivered threat in fast breaks.

Score 2-1 stood even after +5.

 

So how did it go wrong?

Sagna was caught off position several times, can't do much crossing to feed Giroud.

No coordination nor discipline (or lack thereof) in defending, quality as well.

Overall played too casually (or carefully) in first half, shocked when caught off guard.

Injuries?

 

Highlights

great fighting back spirit, though it should have been from the start.

Gibbs, Cazorla has been brilliant.

 

[Galantspeedz]

waiting for a exceptional signing

[Gee]

  On 1/21/2013 at 1:31 AM, Galantspeedz said:

waiting for a exceptional signing

 

thought 'signed' Theo exceptional leow?

[Galantspeedz]

  On 1/21/2013 at 5:20 AM, Gee said:

thought 'signed' Theo exceptional leow?

 

another one... we need 2 mah

[Gee]

  On 1/21/2013 at 5:36 AM, Galantspeedz said:

another one... we need 2 mah

 

hehehe who might that be..

[Tarzan666]

sad sia..see the match last nite...

 

timid in 1st half..trailing 2 nil..nearly wanted to switch off..at least they showed more heart in 2nd half.

[Gee]

Arsenal 5-1 WestHam

 

Second half blitz downs Hammers

---

 

Arsenal kickstarted their Premier League campaign as they blew West Ham away with four goals in the space of 11 minutes at the start of the second half to run out 5-1 winners at Emirates Stadium.

 

Brewin: Signs of classic Arsenal in demolition

The Gunners had slumped to successive defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea to leave them facing an uphill battle to regain a place in the top four.

 

Manager Arsene Wenger knew there was no more margin for error and despite falling behind in tonight's rearranged Boxing Day fixture to a fine strike from Jack Collison, his side found their form, equalising through Lukas Podolski's 25-yard screamer.

 

Olivier Giroud scored his first goal in six games to put the hosts in front just after the restart, before German forward Podolski tore the Irons apart, charging down the left to set up Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott and Giroud again as Arsenal romped out of sight before the hour.

 

West Ham had to play the closing stages with 10 men after what looked a serious injury to substitute Daniel Potts, who was carried off on a stretcher following a clash of heads.

 

The Gunners now head to Brighton on Saturday looking to keep alive their FA Cup hopes, before next week's visit of Liverpool will again put the character of Wenger's squad to the test if they are to close back within striking distance of Champions League qualification again.

 

Arsenal signalled their intent early on as Walcott made a darting run inside West Ham full-back Joey O'Brien, but his low centre through the six-yard box was behind the onrushing Giroud.

 

Jack Wilshere needed treatment after he was caught on the ankle by West Ham midfielder Collison. The England man, who has just returned to full fitness this season after more than a year out, was soon able to continue.

 

On 15 minutes, Walcott was almost away again down the right, but Winston Reid did just enough to get across as the England forward shot into the side netting.

 

At the other end, Matthew Taylor's 20-yard effort was deflected up and on to the roof of the net by Thomas Vermaelen.

 

Arsenal failed to clear their lines, and from a second corner on 18 minutes, the ball was headed out to the edge of the penalty area.

 

Collison took one touch to set himself before firing a superb strike through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner.

 

Arsenal produced the perfect response to level within four minutes.

 

The ball was fed out from Wilshere to Podolski on the left, some 25 yards from goal.

 

The German promptly stepped inside before unleashing a blistering low, left-foot strike into the far corner.

 

Arsenal soon settled back into their trademark passing rhythm.

 

A quick one-two down the left through Giroud and Kieran Gibbs played Podolski in on goal, but his snapshot was hacked clear by O'Brien.

 

West Ham, though, were in again as half-time approached when a long ball split the defence and fell to Cole, whose chip was only part-blocked by Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and Aaron Ramsey had to scramble back to boot the ball off the line.

 

In stoppage-time, Cazorla's curled free-kick was heading to the top corner before Irons keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen clawed it away.

 

Arsenal were ahead just after the restart.

 

The Irons had been pressed back by a series of sweeping attacks.

 

Walcott clipped a corner towards the near post, where Giroud arrived to drill it back past Jaaskelainen for his first goal since a late double in the 7-3 win over Newcastle on December 29.

 

Before West Ham could mount a comeback, it was 3-1 on 53 minutes.

 

Walcott got away down the right, before the ball was recycled back to the other flank, where Podolski played a one-two with Giroud before squaring for Cazorla, who rolled in a clever backheel.

 

Arsenal were flying and immediately chalked up a fourth on the break inside 60 seconds.

 

Podolski was set away down the left, charging clear of a stretched West Ham defence before clipping a perfectly-weighted pass across into the path of Walcott, who smashed home first time at the far post.

 

Arsenal, however, were not finished as Giroud added a fifth on 57 minutes, with Podolski again the provider following another surging run down the left.

 

After all the high drama, the tempo of the match dropped as fast as the temperature.

 

There was a lengthy stoppage with 18 minutes left as substitute Potts needed treatment after a clash of heads, eventually taken off on a stretcher, covered with an emergency blanket in a neck brace and receiving gas. As all had been changes used, West Ham had to continue with 10 men - through some 12 minutes of stoppage time.

 

---

espn

[Gee]

Is it all in their heads?

 

Revisiting gunners recent lapses...

if the attitude is fantastic, the spirit is there but result not going your way on 50/50s then I'll say it's the quality of the player that is not (yet perhaps) good enough for the competition.

 

Good players not necessarily mean competitive enough, if not the best there is:

- costly poor defending

- outpaced out of position FB

- pitch leadership

 

Club level:

- selling off best player(s)

- most expensive ticket in EPL

- inept adaptive strategy (aka predictable)

---

 

Arsene Wenger says he agrees with Theo Walcott's assertion that his Arsenal players "don't believe they are good enough", and wonders whether all the negativity around the team is affecting the squad.

 

Arsene Wenger and Theo Walcott are worried by Arsenal's lapses

 

Walcott questioned whether the side have a psychological issue after the latest first-half capitulation against a big team, this time in the 2-1 defeat away to Chelsea on Sunday. The Arsenal manager, however, could only concur.

 

"I agree with him," Wenger said. "The players come out and think 'we could have done better'. But when you look at the first half we lost goals we shouldn't lose, 50/50s you cannot lose in big games. You can say what you want but you have to go with a mentality in big games based on belief and total commitment.

 

"You can always find explanations but at the end of the day you turn up and you play with full power. Is the repeated sceptical attitude of the people around us affecting the belief of the players? I don't know. But we have to raise beyond that and take that as a challenge.

 

"I don't question the players' character but then you look at the consistency of the results in the big games. The attitude of the players is fantastic. They want to do well and are focused, maybe a bit too respectful in the big games of other teams.

 

Every time we start to show what we can do it is when the game is already lost. That is what we have to change.

 

"You want to win your big games and turn up with a committed attitude. Last year we could win big games and on Sunday you come out of the game and think 'what is happening?'

 

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