Ok, so the Bolton thing was well, er…not entirely shocking, dissappointing yes, but that result was always probable.
Now, its on to our friends from Fulham. They are our friends for numerous reasons: they arent near us enough, they arent physical and they play 4-4-2 and they try to attack even though they are wack at it.
Excellent!!!
For this game we should return to our roots: 4-4-2.
At the beginning of the season I was campaigning for 4-3-3 ala Barca (with 3 out and out strikers), well Wenger settled for 4-5-1 with one real striker and no real wingers. The fact is this doesnt suit us well - in the league at least.
This Fulham game is a perfect opportunity to try out 4-4-2 again - against decidedly inferior opposition.
With Sp*rs on the horizon, I would like to see Cesc rested for this one (only if Rosicky is back though)
Lehmann
Eboue - Toure - Gallas - Clichy
Hleb - Gilberto - Baptista - Rosicky
RvP - Henry
A bench of: Almunia, Djorou, Flamini, Walcott and Ade
We should be winning these types of games. I hope we dont f–k up again.
It should be a nice warm up for the big one at the weekend …
Prediction: 3-0 (Henry, Henry, Henry) - Someone has got to feel the brunt of his missing out on the Euro awards again!
29 Responses to “Fulham at the Cottage”
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November 28th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Fulham are wack at attacking, this will be a nice warm up game for the weekend. Please, stop it already Fred. I would thought we would have learned our lesson by now when it comes to predicting these easy wins.
If we win tomorrow I’ll be incredibly surprised. To say the least. Fulham can turn anyone over on their own pitch. Ask Chelsea.
November 28th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Wenger says Baptista will be rested. Will Fabregas ever be rested? Gallas is not fit yet, so Fred’s team with Senderos for Gallas and Cesc for Baptista. Ljungberg might make the bench ahead of Walcott, knowing Wenger.
Last time as an optimist, 3-1 to Arsenal is my prediction!!!!
November 28th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
No matter who we play, or how badly we’re playing, or how young the team is, or how many injuries we get - everybody seems to predict a win no matter what. This shows the ridiculous and unrealistic levels of expectation people have of the team.
Having said that, in view of the fact that we are desperate to bounce back, Fulham are shite, Arsenal have a superb record against them and some top players are returning, even I predict a victory.
Unfortunately, I also reckon it will be followed by misery against Spurs and Chelsea, which may come in the form of draws or defeats. Hope I’m wrong.
November 28th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
Tough to predict the final score but I will wager Fulham to score first
A game that can go either way with Arsenal’s inconsistent form. Good news is Henry, RvP and Rosicky are back. Cesc needs a break. I like to see Baptista start. Can’t wait to have Diaby back. Boa Morte could move in January. He is a pretty influential player on the pitch. Arsenal needs that now. What say u Wenger?
November 28th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
AW says - Henry, RvP and Rosicky are back, Gallas is out and Baptista is rested. I think I know what that means - the usual 4-5-1.
With 3 REALLY IMPORTANT games coming up - Spurs, Porto and Chelsea - I think Cesc needs a rest. It would have been nice to see Rosicky and Baptista partner Gilberto but (if at all AW decides to rest Cesc) I suspect it will be Rosicky with Flamini (or even Ljunberg).
The game will be very tense. A few years back, we went to Fulham on the back of two defeats and scrapped a 1-0 win thanks to an own goal (from Marlet if I remember correctly). I don’t mind the same again.
November 28th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Yeeeeeeees.
Let’s PLAY Cesc the FULL 90.
Run that lad into the ground Arsene!
We can’t take ANYONE lightly… especially on the road.
Saying we need the 3 points is an understatement.
I’d rest NOBODY. All hands on deck. Get the “W”.
I predict a 6-0 win for the Arsenal.
RVP shoots while on a 2 on none, and misses, and Henry punches him in the stomach… so he passes to Henry the next 4 times, and Henry scores on all 4.
4 for HENRY. 1 for RVP. and we bring on FLAMINI, or secret scorer for the last.
Bring back Vieira and Anelka in January!
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Gotcha.
Go Arsenal.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:25 am
?There is no team in England who you can say is not reachable?
says AW on the official site.
I hope he has considered teams below Arsenal as well.
November 29th, 2006 at 9:39 am
Nope. too bad. Baptista is going to be *rested* at Craven Cottage. Very strange for someone who hasn’t been playing that much really.
We are going to be a little inconsistent this season, and that is the reality with a young squad trying to gel and play together week-in week-out. There is definately quality in the squad, but not the consistency we need to win the league.
Realistic expectations for the next 4 games which Wenger said would make or break our season.
W Fullham 0-2 Arsenal (0-0)
D Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham (0-1)
D FC Porto 1-1 Arsenal (0-1)
D Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal (1-0)
1 win and 2 draws (5 pts) ain’t bad but would effectively have us chasing for 3rd/4th spot from now on. I am just being realistic given our current form. beating pool 3-0, drawing lowly toon 1-1, comeback to beat hamburg 3-1, then collapsing 3-1 at the reebok (yet again).
We’re not playing poorly per se, just not getting the results when it matters. Unlike United and Chelsea this season, they’re getting results whether they play well or not, but at least they’re consistence - hence the differenct in points.
November 29th, 2006 at 11:40 am
Maybe he was talking about Watford in relation to Arsenal.
November 29th, 2006 at 11:44 am
Arsenal had injuries at Bolton too, this is why I cannot understand the venom. Would Chelsea beat Bolton without Drogba, Shevchenko, Terry, Lampard? Or Man Utd without Rooney, Saha, Ferdinand, Scholes? These are the equivalent players that Arsenal had missing. And Bolton are better this year than ever, look at the table.
November 29th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Cesc starts on the BENCH.
Song and Flamini in the starting line-up.
Henry & RVP up front.
Go gett’em
November 29th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
here we go AGAIN !!! conceding from a f-cking CORNER from 6 bloody YARDS!!!
November 29th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Its official.
We’re a club in CRISIS.
Down 2-0 at Fulham.
Oh Joy.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Now, we’ve already fecked this game. Can people now please stop doing their predictions of an Arsenal win in their previews just because we’re Arsenal.
Okay, now I’ve go that out of the way, Wenger could have just pushed us off the cliff tonight. Drops both full backs and plays Hoyte and Flamini there. Um…replacing good but slightly naive young talents with two absolutely talentless naive young talents. Yes, I can really see the method there Wenger.
Your right Stag, we could be crisis. Where will we finish, top half or bottom half? I’ll go for 11th.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
really? Is injury the reason or excuse? if chelsea had their entire first team injured their second string will still beat many first teams in the EPL. Okay, so we don’t have a bottomless cash pit like Chelski, but still why does arsenal have such a large roster of players and if a couple stars get injured we then attribute our poor performance to injury? Isn't a big club like Arsenal supposed to have deep enough pockets to have a squad with depth? Or is it because of Wenger's policy not to buy experienced big names and rely heavily on youth Fergie style and try to win trophies?
So we're down 2-0 after 19 minutes at the cottage. Henry, RVP, Rosicky are all fit and playing. Can you explain why we're trailing 2 goals to a crap team like Fulham? Why did the manager rest Baptista when he's hardly been playing and instead started Song in midfield and playing Flamini AGAIN at LB? I think Wenger's erroneous tactics is sometimes an additional reason for our inconsistency this season.
If we draw 2-2 i'm happy.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
So there we are.
down 2-1 at the half.
lets see what we’re made of.
First half at Fulham, we were outshot, they had more possession, and more corners…
This is FULHAM folks… and it appears they have come to play football, and we are STILL LOSING to them!!!
OK… I am going to say that I “believe” in the team, and in THIERRY HENRY, to step up big in these type of situations.
I think we win the game. 3-2 or even 4-2… with Henry leading the way.
If we LOSE tonite… then we are in CRISIS… and are rudderless without leaders… get CESC on the feckin’ pitch… we need to WIN the game Arsene. Simple as that. I think the boy can play 45 minutes of football.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
It’s official.
Last year teams beat us by kicking us off the pitch.
This year they have a new solution - just put a cross in the box and our defenders will let anyone have a free header!
Let’s get our priorities straight and pratice our basic defending before playing “beautiful football”.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
Stag, you always do this sort of rallying call at half-time. It never works.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
Arsenal are that predictable now. Teams know how to score against them, when to score and how to stop them. Last season, I felt Arsenal were exposed, had nothing unexpected to offer and their weakness were on display. Well, same thing today. I forgot who on this site mentioned that McBride would score from a corner today…I have to admit I was worried about corners and crosses today. I was wishing that Arsenal could head into the break without giving a corner up. Sure enough, they give up a corner and guess who scores? The American and the Canadian have both scored goals today….
I just wish Arsenal stopped giving up goals and losing from mistakes they have already made countless times in the past. Started more than 2 years ago, when they gave up goals against Southampton at Highbury from corners. And then in Dec 2004, Arsenal should have beaten Chelsea but they gave up both goals from corners and free-kicks.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Confidence is obviously shot. Now we’ll see what character this team has.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Senderos gets a second yellow card. That’s our character. Shot attempts are 14 to 3 in favour of Fulham. I was looking forward to watching the delayed broadcast at home after work. Now I might just stay at the office….
November 29th, 2006 at 4:18 pm
Hmmm, let me guess - the bungling oaf has been beaten for pace and pulled a couple of people down. Bendtner’s scored again I see, they’re raving about him big time.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
and you do the woe is us… the game is over… and it doesn’t always work either.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Well this might just convince Wenger that he needs new experienced blood in his team come January.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Sendy OFF.
we’re COOKED now.
Praying for a tie, down a man, at Fulham…
BOTH United and Chelsea lead of course.
Time to rethink the January transfer window.
We are not very good right now.
Of course, there will be folks saying… its OK… we didn’t play badly, were unlucky, see the bright spots…
they are outplaying shooting possessioning us all over the pitch.
its fulham.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
What top player at any club is going to be allowed to leave in January? No-one, unless you pay silly money, which Arsenal haven’t got. This is the team your stuck with for the season, so you might as well get used to it and look for some positives when or if they happen.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
You might be right.
Positives?
How about the fact that there will be seats available later in the season if anyone wants to go!
November 29th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Arsenal’s first loss to Fulham in over 40 years. Here are the Eurosport stats…
More possession, more short passes and even more corners but zero points.
Fulham Stats box Arsenal
43 Possession 57
2 Goals 1
11 Shots 8
4 Shots on target 4
54 Headers 39
3 Saves 2
2 Goalkeeper off his line 2
5 Corners 6
18 Fouls committed 15
1 Offsides 3
4 Yellow cards 6
0 Red cards 1
89 Balls lost 93
51 Successful tackles 39
9 Interceptions 2
0 Long balls 0
266 Short passes 409
9 Assists 6
4 Successful crosses 1
November 29th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
I’m gobsmacked….I guess I shouldn’t be but I am.
Fulham! If there has been one team in the EPL that I always felt assured about us playing it was Fulham.
And Wenger….for Pete’s sake.
Replacing Clichy and Eboue….yeah right. Great diagnosis! The man is brilliant, I’m a believer, but whowsa sometimes you just gotta say it like it is.
It’s an argument that can never be proven but I maintain our problems start at the front this season not the back.
If the attack had shown any apptitude to finish at all this season we would be looking good, close to the leaders, and our confidence would be high.
Instead we rely on goals from free kicks….and the defence is all wobbly cause they know the attack is powderpuff and they will have to defend 0-0 all game long. And lets face it we have NEVER been a side to defend 0-0. It’s just not in our DNA.
Wenger said it….”the moment of truth”.
That was it. And we lost.