I always say it; You can trust Arsenal to gift the opposition the odd goal. What’s the problem? Why have we forgotten the old 1-0?
Some other observations from the Bolton game: Having watched the game you can’t gripe about the point. We were thoroughly outplayed for much of the match, but still having taken the lead I think we should have kept it. That?s the test a championship team.
Ashley Cole was sorely missed. There was just not that thrust and link up play on the left flank. Cole has also been one of our best players this season.
Going unbeaten is becoming quite meaningless the way we?re dropping points. You don’t need me to tell you that you are worse off from two draws (2 pts.) than from a win and a loss (3 pts.). Fulham and maybe ? just maybe, Bolton and Charlton I can understand. These teams can do damage to the best on a good day, witness Manu and Chelsea?s loses. But Portsmouth, and Leicester?
Other thoughts: Arsenal clearly needs a fifteen-goal-a-season striker. Bergkamp is brilliant but he is the Heskey of Arsenal. I would love to see a hard driving central midfielder like Frank Lampard in our team ? Viera and Gilberto are more defensive and lack that thrust. The last such we had was ?Manu Petit. Besides the V&G simply do not score. My idea of such a player would be Okocha or Scott Parker of Charlton. He has sparkled whenever I have seen him, and his two strikes against the Saints were superb. Under Wenger?s tutelage he can only blossom.
This Bolton game is the only one I?ve seen in which we have been thoroughly outplayed. A point in many ways is a fair, even generous result. Just hope Bolton can do the damage of past seasons when they meet Manu. I don?t envy any team that has to play them during the championship home stretch.
Ed. — A-G, fair points well made. Though we do have the “15-goal” scorer you are looking for, his name is Sylvain Wiltord and he has averaged 15 goals a year over the last three years. Also, Pires and Ljungberg can score. Now, if you point is that we need that sort of scoring from a central midfielder, yes, that is something we are lacking.
15 Responses to “The Bolton result and other rants”
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December 20th, 2003 at 9:37 pm
The fact was that A. Cole was stupid to get himself sent off and couse as that game too. He was not missed in my books.
The whole team did not play well and I find it very hard to understand how poor we were today. of course as a team we will lose some games but Arsenal today were very poor.
We seems to lost it big time when we play the two teams from Lancs as I mention.
PEACE AND MAD
December 21st, 2003 at 12:40 am
There is no satisfying some people on here. At the end of the day we are still the only UNBEATEN team in the league! We are still TOP OF THE LEAGUE for heaven’s sake! Don’t get me wrong. I wish we could win every game, but the law of averages don’t permit that in life. Every now and then there’s going to be a game when we play below par like we did today. But the qualities of championship winning side is being able to grind out wins and draws when you play crap. Also remember that the title is won in May and not in December! As for comparing DB10 to Heskey…that is like comparing Arsenal to Tottenham! You’re way off the mark in that respect! Give me Den any day of the week! He may not have the speed, but he is one of the most gifted players in the EPL! Heskey is a waste of space in my opinion! I’ve seen more skilful players with beer guts playing at Hackney Marshes on Sunday mornings than him!
December 21st, 2003 at 12:31 pm
True we are on top of the league maybe till the end of the day. Yes and I was the one defending this guys when people were having a go at Lauren and co.
I also mentioned, it that we are going to lose a game during the season and which is part of the game.
But what I cant stand for is getting sent off for being silly and coursing us all the 3 points instead of 1 at Leicester.
December 21st, 2003 at 12:59 pm
It is hard at times being a Gunner. Both comments above are true.
Remember the new Arsenal dont know anything about 1 nil to the Arsenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The past 4 games had being like sitting down waiting for the final kick before the opposition scores.
OK in each given season we will play one or two poor games but the past 4 games had being very poor. We will not win each game in a season but A. Cole got himself sent off for something very silly. He course us 3 points.
But I dont think I will not compare our players with others or another club. The players mention above will not fit into Arsenal and I have all the trust in Le Boss. We have draw some games of late but I know he will get things right on Friday.
Satisfying a Gunner will never happen but I hope comes end of the season we will still be on top.
Have a Merry X’mas Gunners
December 21st, 2003 at 10:36 pm
basically… I just read the comment that Bergy is a waste of space… as… Heskey is… and he is our Heskey?? oh pleeeeeeeeeease!!!!!!!
He still has some skills… he’s just not a scorer like he used to be……
Gilberto and Edu are more defensive minded midfielders… and Viera CONTROLS the game…
they are not supposed to score!!!!!!!!!!
thats why we have Pires….and Freddie…
with 2 strikers… that gives us 4 players that are very capable of scoring…
I really thought Clichy was just fine….. not sure having Ash on the pitch would have helped… as I think Bolton played better than us… PERIOD… nobody was exceptional for our team…
Why have Wiltord and Kanu….. if they are not going to get a chance in a game like that….. we were being outplayed….not creating many chances… so you change it up…
we didn’t deserve to be up one-nil…….but if you are in the 80th minute……there is no excuse for blowing the lead……
3 ties is the same as 1 win and 2 defeats…..
we need to start going for the wins….
still… 1 point from the top…..
not bad……
December 21st, 2003 at 11:14 pm
You misread my comment about DB10. I never said he was a waste of space! I was just having a go at someone who said that Dennis was our equivalent of Heskey. If you read my post again you’ll see that I’m calling the mighty Emile…A WASTE OF SPACE!
December 21st, 2003 at 11:34 pm
well!!!!!
I apologize…… didn’t think anyone could seriously compare DB10 to Heskey!
Dennis still is a very capable passer…. and when he is passing well…… it really opens things up for us… especially with Henry Pires and Freddie…
December 22nd, 2003 at 5:12 am
Ok, here we go. I’ll be impressed with our unbeaten record only when we win the league. YES WE ARE UNBEATEN, BUT MANURE SIT ON TOP OF THE LEAGUE.
We are dropping too many points to teams we should stuff. Like last year, our defence still suffers from their inability to hold out when we are in front.
Viera is back, but still lacks the skill we know he has and along with Gilberto is being carried slightly.
We all know Henry needs a partner, but Wiltord and Kanu are not the answer. We should look at someone like Alan Smith at Leeds. I know he can be hot-headed but I’m sure Arsene could sort him out. It would also be of benefit to the England team as he would be a better choice than Heskey. (I know the majority of you are not interested in our national side, but I am).
Earlier this season I suggested we needed Freddie and Bobby to get in the box earlier especially when Thierry drifts out to the left. This has been happening recently and they’ve both appeared on the scoresheet.
Right now Arsenal are where I want them to be. I know I wasn’t the only gooner hoping for a ManUre win yesterday as the result saw them go top for xmas and as everyone should know, NO TEAM TOP AT XMAS HAS WON THE PREM. LEAGUE.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A TERRIFIC FESTIVE TIME AND AN EVEN BETTER NEW YEAR.
p.s. There is no truth in the rumour that Saddam Hussein has been hiding in the Spurs Trophy room or that the first thing he asked was “Did I beat David Blaine?”
December 22nd, 2003 at 7:16 am
I’d like to see us get Alan Smith as well… I think he’d fit nicely…
having said that… Wiltord and Kanu have NOT been given a proper run out this season at all…
and…
they should at LEAST be given a few matches, especially in games like the Bolton match, where we were being outplayed… and not creating chances…
I’d go for Smith as well… hopefully we see someone come in… during the transfer period.
December 22nd, 2003 at 12:00 pm
True, unbeaten will mean nothing if we fail to win the title back..
All I need for X’max is a partner for Henry and back to the old ways where we win games with one goal margin…
But I will be happy to see the Gunners where they are now if the team on top is going to beat the Cr*** from To@@@ham…
p.s But I read David Blaine is going to be the new Sp*** manager after losing how many games on a row..
December 22nd, 2003 at 12:04 pm
R u still in london or in Jersey. .. I try to email you but got a message back about unknown address.
December 22nd, 2003 at 1:46 pm
Not having Cole didn’t cost us the game. Clichy did fine under the circumstances. What cost us the game was the vast majority of our players did not come to play. Clichy was not involved in the Bolton equaliser so why blame him? We didn’t want to be there and played like it. We brought on Parlour for Bergkamp after our goal which told Bolton we would not try for the 2nd killer goal but defend the 1-0 lead and our posture invited the equaliser. We’d have been better off substituting Kanu and Aliadiere for Silva and Bergkamp. Kanu can hold up the ball, kill time and create for the 2nd goal. Aliadiere has loads of pace and energy and defends well for a striker. He would pressure them from their own box and help stop any build-up for them as well as being able to contribute for a 2nd goal.
Its not the fact we had a draw it is HOW we got the draw. No passion or committment. Had we had it, we’d have been up 2-0.
We do need a 2nd striker but its not the reason we drew 1-1 instead of winning 1 or 2 - 0.
December 22nd, 2003 at 4:53 pm
>NO TEAM TOP AT XMAS HAS WON THE PREM. LEAGUE.
This is not true. It has happened once. ManUre in 2000-2001 was on top in December and went on to lift the title. Not to worry though, because the Arsenal are in an excellent position.
December 24th, 2003 at 1:57 pm
the problem with arsenal at the moment and what has been the problem for the last two years is that vieira and Gilberto are, to put bluntly, crap. you say it is vieira’s job to control the game, the problem is he hasn’t controlled a game since chelsea away F.A Cup semi-final. also we do not need two defensive minded players in the centre, one is enough. in Europe the reason why we annually do ***** all is because opposing teams no there is no threat from the centre. we need a scholes type player who can break from the middle. the vieira of five years ago could do the defensive job by himself, however he has gone stale and jogs around like hes on a beach in St Tropez.
January 7th, 2004 at 4:09 pm
u have got to be aving a laugh mate.vieras playing nowhere near his best but a 50% viera is still the best midfielder in the world. form is temporary and class is forever or some bollocks like that.