COC: Tottenham vs. Arsenal- 23/09/15 - 7:45pm - SS1

[General]

All round poor game and we just carried more threat than Sp**s. Ramsey was a bit hit and miss but I thought his work rate was excellent considering he's played two games in 4days, one of which was with ten men for over half the game. The guy has great stamina and gets into good positions which probably explains why Wenger is a big fan. 90mins and he was still sprinting and making himself available unlike our main striker. I don't think anyone covers more ground in the team, apart from possibly Sanchez. This is a rare quality at this level and shouldn't be underestimated. He had two potential assists wasted by Giroud and Sanchez.

Make no mistake about Arteta and Flamini, they don't have the legs to play this high pressing game beyond the confines of a pointless competition like this beer cup. Completely lost their discipline in the first half and handed the initiative to Sp**s. We only gained it back half way through the second with the timely substitutions. But credit where it's due, Flamini's goals were well executed.

Campbell on current evidence doesn't have the legs or discipline to play here. He looks like another Carlos Vela and looked shot after 30mins. If he can't last 90mins or give the boss a reason to keep him on in a competition tailor made for bit part players like him, then quite simply his days are numbered. Debuchy also had a mare and looked like he'd been drinking before the game.

Thank god this didn't turn out to be another Harry Kane show like the commentators wanted it to be. Desperately annoying player and someone tell me why his mouth is always wide open. Sp**s went to see the Pope...

 

[bingobob]

Thought Ramsey was excellent last night everything I want from an AcM. Created chances covered ground got stuck in and wasn't afraid to shot either.

Debuchy is a concern though.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

Look at the bright side, we're not Sp**s or Newcastle. What a shambles the latter are.

 

[Hunta]

Ramsey should have had three assists, Giroud missed a couple of good chances as did Alexis - who's scoring his chance if we turned the clocks back a year.

Think it just shows that it can be Ramsey, Özil, Cazorla or Jeff in that 10 role, if your forwards aren't doing their job then it's all pointless.

 

[A_G]

Thought Ramsey was excellent last night everything I want from an AcM. Created chances covered ground got stuck in and wasn't afraid to shot either.

Debuchy is a concern though.

Don't disrupt the AM tradition of ****ting on Ramsey regardless of how he played.

 

[GoonerBoy19]

3/4 from CF in 8 years.

Martial has score 3/4 in a week.

Without a doubt he looks class, lets see how well he does once teams starts to figure him out and defend better. Most teams now know how to handle Theo and also Alexis has lost his element of surprise. They now work hard for their goals.

 

[pigge]

Ramsey should have had three assists, Giroud missed a couple of good chances as did Alexis - who's scoring his chance if we turned the clocks back a year.

Think it just shows that it can be Ramsey, Özil, Cazorla or Jeff in that 10 role, if your forwards aren't doing their job then it's all pointless.

Jeff? Talent is obvious but he's not near first team level. Especially at that spot.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Our midfield trio has score more goals when Flamini and Arteta are in it than if Özil and Cazorla are playing.

Pick up your games Özil and Caz.

 

[Gooner n Proud]

Arteta was a bit rusty and clumsy at times in the tackle but overall had a decent game and with more match sharpness hes adequate cover for the deeplying midfield position until January where really should look to strengthen. I thought Debuchy and Giroud were our only 2 players who under-performed last night but to be fair to debuchy he didn't get all that much help from Campbell at times when Tottenham were attacking down their left hand flank leaving us exposed in that area on a few occasions.

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

All in all we got the expected performance, after the two recent setbacks. I still don't know whether I celebrated or laughed at Flamini's goals, but who cares....that win was important for team morale ahead of the next couple of important games so I'll take if, even though the COC is a distraction these days.

I only wonder, whether some of our fans thought they'd recieve some sort of fee from Spu*s, for starting the deconstruction works at WHL. Otherwise, a pretty classless act.

 

[General]

Ref was good and kept a lid on things it must be said. Both cards for Arteta and Flamini were flash points which could've easily ended up in a dodgy situation with our favourite ref's favourite ref in charge. I think Arteta's was particularly careless as it was knee high .

 

[SuperGoon]

Random thugs.

Arsenal deserves the benefit of the doubt really. We don't go on murder sprees which results in getting English teams banned from europe or push black people off trains, so hopefully this is quickly forgotten.

 

[gunnercelt35]

Beating that lot whilst in first gear fills me with a warm glow. We weren't really at the races but still had enough to overcome them

Flamini's volley was a thing of beauty. Stunning technique and was a very difficult thing to do made to look easy.

 

[Salieri]

Is this the real life.....Is this just fantasy!

Beat Spu*ds at the ****e line.....with a brace from Flamini...!

 

[redanddread]

Could Joel play as a No. 9?

Yes

for Bolton.

 

[redanddread]

Arteta was a bit rusty and clumsy at times in the tackle but overall had a decent game and with more match sharpness hes adequate cover for the deeplying midfield position until January where really should look to strengthen. I thought Debuchy and Giroud were our only 2 players who under-performed last night but to be fair to debuchy he didn't get all that much help from Campbell at times when Tottenham were attacking down their left hand flank leaving us exposed in that area on a few occasions.

Hey, normally think you're spot on with several of your opinions but going to disagree with you on the Arteta issue.

Arteta, rusty, yes but he's constantly being bypassed in midfield and once beaten has no hope in hell of getting back to recover the position. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciated what this guy has done for the club and for a few years he was our most consistent performer, however, he's shot & has been for the last 1 1/2 years.

Will he be adequate cover until Le Coq returns or Wenger decides to dip into the transfer market come January? Not imo. Against more robust & technically gifted midfields, Arteta will be "piggy in the middle". We better pray to whichever gods that Le Coq ain't out for too long.

Santi's position will be under threat if Arteta plays as Wenger has to put some legs in the CM to assist & Ramsey should return to his favoured position.

Deboosh was woeful (he was constantly bombing forward and being caught out of position) & I thought Giroud looked like a lazy lump up front. Campbell doesn't have the engine for the EPL-he work hard but looks shot after 30 mins.

 

[redanddread]

All in all we got the expected performance, after the two recent setbacks. I still don't know whether I celebrated or laughed at Flamini's goals, but who cares....that win was important for team morale ahead of the next couple of important games so I'll take if, even though the COC is a distraction these days.

I only wonder, whether some of our fans thought they'd recieve some sort of fee from Spu*s, for starting the deconstruction works at WHL. Otherwise, a pretty classless act.

Utterly, just shows that all clubs have a pile of idiots in their fan base. The impetuousness of youth, the herd mentality or maybe they're just plain yobs, either way it was embarrassing. At least they had the class to do it in victory.

However, you can get a sense of the aggro involved

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-fan-video-shows-what-6506980#rlabs=2 rt$sitewide p$5

English tabloid Mail reports that the Community Shield holders may not have to face the wrath of Football Association as clubs hardly get chastised for the misdemeanours of their fans, but it is murmured that the notorious fans, if correctly identified amongst the 3000 that made it, could even face lifetime bans.

 

[Rosi7]

Just watched the highlights last night.

-Incredible goal from Flamini.
-Honestly had no idea Campbell was even still in the squad, thought he had left lol

 

[Gooner Zig]

People notice the times when Ramsey loses possesion - that's the issue, they conveniently forget how

-Supplied Gibbs with a brilliant through ball which should have resulted in a goal (Gibbs' cut back was poor)
- Beautifully opened up Sp**s defence again only for Giroud to shoot straight at Vorm; and
- Supplied Alexis with a chance to score

He had a mixed bag, offensively very good however his issue is that he's careless in possession at times - if he tightened that up his overall game would be immense.

I'm a harsh critic of Gibbs but he was outstanding last night - that run in the first half should have resulted in a goal if his cut back was a little better but he was defensively and offensively very good - Debuchy on the other hand was woeful.

 

[chessygoal]

Gibbs made a terrific clearance and Flamini scored a brace, I think we have used all our season's luck on this one!