EPL – Man Utd vs Arsenal – 12:45pm – 3/11/12 | SS2

[McIntyre]

Santos can **** right off back to Turkey as far as I'm concerned.

What a pernicious gesture. Symbolizes the state of the club.

We're fading fast.

If this club was actually functioning properly and the players had the right attitude, then the Captain would've ripped that shirt out of Santos's hands at half time and thrown it in the bin, and the manager would've subbed him because he's clearly not committed to the cause.

And come January he'd be the first out of the door.

Sadly, it seems there isn't one ounce of self-respect, leadership and will to win left at this club. :x :x :x

 

[future heroes]

There was one incident that clearly showed how far we have fallen:

van Persie could had ended Sagna's career with that * tackle, but no one stood up for Sagna. They don't care.

Everyone is a money grabbing whore in today's club football climate and it is all laughs. Disgusting.

 

[leo_ense]

The saddest thing for me is the lack of hunger from Wenger and the players. It was becoming more and more apparent but it seems Wenger cannot motivate his players anymore, or inspire desire in them. He looks as if he's lost his spark and the players look like they couldn't give a ****. Heads bowed, feeling sorry for themselves. Not one person out there to not accept a poor performance and forcefully turn things around.

 

[future heroes]

How could he motivate them when he knows that his hands are tied and he can not replace them properly any longer? Wenger has lost his spark. Any manager would do that under those conditions (your best players are sold each summer) and I'm surprised that we not have fallen further during Kroenke's ownership.

 

[jones]

The saddest thing for me is the lack of hunger from Wenger and the players. It was becoming more and more apparent but it seems Wenger cannot motivate his players anymore, or inspire desire in them. He looks as if he's lost his spark and the players look like they couldn't give a ****. Heads bowed, feeling sorry for themselves. Not one person out there to not accept a poor performance and forcefully turn things around.

Agreed. Couldn't care less about Santos asking for RVP's shirt, actually even thought we looked good in the first 15-20 minutes after HT including Santos, until they scored that is and Wilshere got himself sent off. The real problem for me is that nobody seems to care much, nobody trying to get **** done, no runs with the ball or off of it, no confidence to try and take a player on, nothing. It can't be that this all is down only to the players themselves, Wenger needs to have a look at his coaches and/or coaching methods. Then again I guess Wenger isn't all that motivated himself, seeing your best players leave every year surely doesn't help to instill some desire in yourself or others.

 

[AFC-Phil]

I'd say Wilshere was doing exactly that though. He was forcing the play, creating space dribbling and making himself available constantly. He was doing everything he could to take responsability.

 

[Vinci]

I could have forgiven Santos for his **** performance, because it's down to Wenger that he plays. He is not a fullback and has no clue how to defend or what to do, that's down to Wenger.

But really, how far have we sunk. We didn't come to Old Trafford to bleed, to show who we are, to shatter their ****ing dreams, we came there because it was the next game on the fixture-list.

I bet it hurts for Wenger to lose, it always does, especially against United. But he is at peace with losing; all we need is fourth place, they are much better than us, they play for the title. Our trophy is fourth.

I bet that is what he told the players too, that Saturday morning. When most players had finished their breakfast, Wenger stood up for some last-minute instructions(perhaps it were even the first instructions the players got). 'Today we must defend well and play like a team. Stop their crosses and pass the ball.' Santos, eating another pancake, listened to Wenger's instructions, but it was one ear in and out the other. He was dreaming of how he could outsmart everyone else and ask for Robin's shirt at half-time. It would be something he could show his family and friends, something that would a great reminder of the day he went on a field trip to Old Trafford.

So it happened, he got his shirt. He failed miserably to do anything useful on the pitch, but for him it was a day to remember. Unaware of what the game means to Arsenal supporters or what Arsenal used to represent.

Of course Wenger has done well to keep us performing like we have with the limitations he has been suffering under, willingly or not. It doesn't take away from the fact that no one was as motivated as Jack and they should be. We may possess less quality, but we should have made life harder for them. It's possible, teams with considerable less quality than us, do this every week playing against us.

 

[jones]

I'd say Wilshere was doing exactly that though. He was forcing the play, creating space dribbling and making himself available constantly. He was doing everything he could to take responsability.

He tried, but there was very little that did work out for him. Also, he was pretty much alone in that regard, Cazorla was man-marked very tightly, and there wasn't too much going his way either. The rest didn't even bother, no movement, no urgency at all. We made United look stronger than they are all game, our first real attack in injury time has seen us score.

 

[jones]

It doesn't take away from the fact that no one was as motivated as Jack and they should be.

That wasn't motivation, that was a lack of experience. Dean was giving them every 50/50 decision all game, but he was definitely right to send Wilshere off, very stupid tackle in a situation where there was no need for that. It's just because it's Jack that people say it's motivation, if Diaby got sent off for a foul like this near every single poster on this board would call him brain dead as they usually do.

 

[eye4goal]

What I hated the most was the love RVP was getting before the game and during the hand-shake. It probably helped him get over his nerves a great deal.

 

[eye4goal]

Cazorla was trying too, but there wasn't much space. Our lack of width and pace upfront made it too easy for them to press us higher up. I don't think they would play that way if Walcott was playing from the start. How many runs did Podolski make in behind their full back?

 

[VAVAVOOM 14]

Anyone remember the way Gary Neville snubbed Schemeichel when he went to City?

It would've been nice to see some Arsenal players showing some animosity towards RVP. At the very least we shouldn't be displaying ditzy smilies and hugging him.

We lost before kick off.

 

[evoh_1]

The edge has gone from arsenal and there is an attitude of just turning up for a kick about.

Santos' shirt swapping at half time should have got him a slap, can you imagine Vieira, Adams or Keown letting a reserve left back swap shirts with Anelka or Beckham at half time when losing? I'm not asking our players to headbutt rooney and van Persie in the tunnel but don't rub his c#ck like its aladdin's lamp, its disrespectful to the fans who pay your wage.

But this comes from the Wenger respect line that we mustn't have aggression in our game and all those distractions from passing the ball around between centrebacks.

 

[VAVAVOOM 14]

The edge has gone from arsenal and there is an attitude of just turning up for a kick about.

Santos' shirt swapping at half time should have got him a slap, can you imagine Vieira, Adams or Keown letting a reserve left back swap shirts with Anelka or Beckham at half time when losing? I'm not asking our players to headbutt rooney and van Persie in the tunnel but don't rub his c#ck like its aladdin's lamp, its disrespectful to the fans who pay your wage.

But this comes from the Wenger respect line that we mustn't have aggression in our game and all those distractions from passing the ball around between centrebacks.

HAHAHA!! That had me rolling.

 

[Proof]

van Persie could had ended Sagna's career with that * tackle, but no one stood up for Sagna. They don't care.

We saw similar lethargic reactions from our players. I remember last season when Van Persie was surrounded by 4 Bolton players and no one came to support him. He also stood up for Wilshere at Camp Nou after Mascherano's tackle.

 

[VAVAVOOM 14]

van Persie could had ended Sagna's career with that * tackle, but no one stood up for Sagna. They don't care.

We saw similar lethargic reactions from our players. I remember last season when Van Persie was surrounded by 4 Bolton players and no one came to support him. He also stood up for Wilshere at Camp Nou after Mascherano's tackle.

Thats because we have no backbone. Could you imagine the same scenario happening with Keown, Vieria, Campbell, Lauren, Parlour, and Lehmann on the pitch?

World War 3 wold have broken out.

Not this team though, no, we're pacifists. If someone clatters or tries to intimidate our players we should turn the other cheek and retaliate by conceding soft goals.

 

[fabo]

Vieira would have throttled Santos is he was captaining us on Saturday, given him the Lauren treatment!

It's no shock when you constantly hear rumblings from departed players about the number of people who coast at Arsenal, about the lack of a real concerted effort to achieve anything and lack of pressure. You'd wonder about how much truth those statements carry but they all can't be wrong.

Sadly, Van Persie was right to leave if he had a shred of ambition, which he obviously does. The knife into our chests was the fact he chose United, but they are in the mix to win trophies this season and he is leading them.

 

[Glovegun]

I don't condone the abuse Santos is getting but he should know better than to do it in front of hundreds of cameras, and it confirms my suspicions that he is another one in a long line (Almunia, Eboue, Chamakh, Bendtner) who are here to either have fun or pick up their paycheck, not to win things.

I don't want any more lovely five-a-side players. I want serious people who want to win and I want a manager who demands that of them.

 

[kopzilla]

Wenger had been out witted and out played by Ferguson for ages.

It won't change anytime soon.

Our top 4 chances this season don't look good unless we consistently win against lesser sides.

 

[Hunta]

I think we'll get fourth by a few points actually, especially if we get another striker or two in January. We have the following fixtures before we play Man City in January:

Fulham (h)
Tottenham (h)
Aston Villa (a)
Everton (a)
Swansea (h)
West Brom (h)
Reading (a)
Wigan (a)
West Ham (h)
Newcastle (h)
Southampton (a)

Everton away will be tough but we have a good record at Goodison and as for the rest, we really should be winning them, though I can see us slipping up against against West Ham/Newcastle.

We'll smash Sp**s I reckon.