Arsenal: Back from the procession

[Hoop Blah]

I think Murphy would've been a good addition, on a free, who'd have given experience and depth to our squad. He is one of those that really knows what it takes in this division and would've been just as credible a midfield option as Tabb and more so than Gunnarsson (although I'd guess he'd ask for wages to reflect that).

We were obviously looking to introduce a more cultured style of play and add a 4-5-1 string to our bow but, as we've seen, we were a midfielder short of being able to do this and our existing players just don't have the composure or awareness to keep the ball in the required way.

Murphy may have helped that and add a bit of Premier League nouse.

[Hoop Blah]

because i know for a fact that three of them are not correct, or misplaced.
but thanks for taking an interest, and speniding time informing me of your thoughts.


1. is not correct at all.
2. is technically correct, but gibbs is the defensive coach, so he takes those sessions
5. im sure this is true,they will have a discussion before the game, but its on top of alot more info on the opposition they are given and drilled on, not in isolation


3. is subjective, and can only be known by someone who inhabits brians head
4.is unknowable unless you are his made up "source", either that or it has been made up by his source

As much as I don't believe the original source and his ideas, your response there is just as flawed and unsupported.

You don't have to inhabit McDermotts head to have an opinion on what he's telling you or what you observe of his tactical understanding or coaching.

Why would 4 be unknown? Anyone in and around the match day squad at the time he said it would know and be able to pass on what was said. There does seem to have been some discussion amongst the squad over the benefits of our ridged tactical approach and so it's plausible that he laid it to rest pre-match.

The other 3, you say you know these for a fact, but have nothing to back that up do you? I was under the impression that Gibbs wasn't the 'defensive coach' because we don't split the training and coaches up like that (sure I've heard/read that somewhere but more than happy to be proved wrong on that).

[runrunrunrungilksey]

Why couldn't we afford anyone else?

the second bit of that sentence is important, "who we could afford, and add something to the the team"
im not having whittaker, rodallega or murphy as theyre people who arent at all proven and/or not guaranteed to add alot more to this team than the ones we bought.
i agree michu and yacob may have, but there is nothing to say we hadnt looked at them, and tried to do it, but were told they werent interested cos theyd had offers elsewhere

I accept your opinion however I don't agree when you say that Murphy, Rodallega and Whittaker are not proven?

Rodallega is an interesting one, at no point did he fall behind in the pecking order at Wigan, he proved himself when he kept Wigan in the prem on two or three occasions in his time in the prem and in my opinion is technically better than anyone in our current squad.

Murphy would have been a great addition to our midfield and again is proven at premiership level, can keep the ball and score goals, better than we have now.

Whittaker is a proven Rangers player, ok was in a poor scottish league but nevertheless a better right back than we currently have.

I also accept your point that we may have been in for them but it would have only been an inquiry as we wouldn't have been able to compete with the others, McDermott has said before we have a smaller budget than some championship teams this season.

I'm not wishing the club to go out and spend £50mil on three players however I thought we would have shown a bit more ambition in pre season and maybe competed with the likes of Fulham, West Brom & Swansea in the transfer market.

Anyway, I hope McDermott can pull off some shrewd January deals, ones that show a bit of ambition and give me hope of at least a decent fight.

[SCIAG]

Rodallega is an interesting one, at no point did he fall behind in the pecking order at Wigan, he proved himself when he kept Wigan in the prem on two or three occasions in his time in the prem and in my opinion is technically better than anyone in our current squad.

That's simply not true. As I said before, last season he was routinely picked behind Franco Di Santo and Conor Sammon, who are both terrible. I'd rather have Church than Sammon

He had two good years, but he's since had two poor years.

I'd compare him to Leroy Lita in his final year with us, living off former glories, unsuccessful for a long period, capable of flashes of brilliance but unreliable, and ultimately released on a free.

[runrunrunrungilksey]

Rodallega is an interesting one, at no point did he fall behind in the pecking order at Wigan, he proved himself when he kept Wigan in the prem on two or three occasions in his time in the prem and in my opinion is technically better than anyone in our current squad.

That's simply not true. As I said before, last season he was routinely picked behind Franco Di Santo and Conor Sammon, who are both terrible. I'd rather have Church than Sammon

He had two good years, but he's since had two poor years.

I'd compare him to Leroy Lita in his final year with us, living off former glories, unsuccessful for a long period, capable of flashes of brilliance but unreliable, and ultimately released on a free.

He let his contract run out so he could leave, the likes of Arsenal & Everton nearly signed him in 2012 but went for Podolski and Naismith instead, who I would agree are better players than him. Look, I'm not saying that we should have signed him I was using his situation as an example.

[melonhead]

Pog had a good game - surprised he was subbed

Really? Classic Brian sub. Right up there with taking Kebe off right after he gave us a second goal.

In fairness to Brian, Kebe gave the signal to come off. Pog not sure about that in my opinion but again a justified sub when Le Fondre scored.

yup, kebe asked to come off, and pog had totally given up about twenty minutes earlier, after a sharp start

[melonhead]

because i know for a fact that three of them are not correct, or misplaced.
but thanks for taking an interest, and speniding time informing me of your thoughts.


1. is not correct at all.
2. is technically correct, but gibbs is the defensive coach, so he takes those sessions
5. im sure this is true,they will have a discussion before the game, but its on top of alot more info on the opposition they are given and drilled on, not in isolation


3. is subjective, and can only be known by someone who inhabits brians head
4.is unknowable unless you are his made up "source", either that or it has been made up by his source

As much as I don't believe the original source and his ideas, your response there is just as flawed and unsupported.

You don't have to inhabit McDermotts head to have an opinion on what he's telling you or what you observe of his tactical understanding or coaching.

Why would 4 be unknown? Anyone in and around the match day squad at the time he said it would know and be able to pass on what was said. There does seem to have been some discussion amongst the squad over the benefits of our ridged tactical approach and so it's plausible that he laid it to rest pre-match.

The other 3, you say you know these for a fact, but have nothing to back that up do you? I was under the impression that Gibbs wasn't the 'defensive coach' because we don't split the training and coaches up like that (sure I've heard/read that somewhere but more than happy to be proved wrong on that).

i know for a fact that brian reviews every game, and goes through things he highlights with the squad, cos hes said so.
i know someone takes defensive sessions with the team, because brians talked about it.
the idea that they talk about the opposition for ten minutes pre game, and thats it, is laughable.

the bloke is obviously just making stuff up

[melonhead]

Why couldn't we afford anyone else?

the second bit of that sentence is important, "who we could afford, and add something to the the team"
im not having whittaker, rodallega or murphy as theyre people who arent at all proven and/or not guaranteed to add alot more to this team than the ones we bought.
i agree michu and yacob may have, but there is nothing to say we hadnt looked at them, and tried to do it, but were told they werent interested cos theyd had offers elsewhere

I accept your opinion however I don't agree when you say that Murphy, Rodallega and Whittaker are not proven?

Rodallega is an interesting one, at no point did he fall behind in the pecking order at Wigan, he proved himself when he kept Wigan in the prem on two or three occasions in his time in the prem and in my opinion is technically better than anyone in our current squad.

Murphy would have been a great addition to our midfield and again is proven at premiership level, can keep the ball and score goals, better than we have now.

Whittaker is a proven Rangers player, ok was in a poor scottish league but nevertheless a better right back than we currently have.

I also accept your point that we may have been in for them but it would have only been an inquiry as we wouldn't have been able to compete with the others, McDermott has said before we have a smaller budget than some championship teams this season.

I'm not wishing the club to go out and spend £50mil on three players however I thought we would have shown a bit more ambition in pre season and maybe competed with the likes of Fulham, West Brom & Swansea in the transfer market.

Anyway, I hope McDermott can pull off some shrewd January deals, ones that show a bit of ambition and give me hope of at least a decent fight.

still not having those players, but thats just opinion
the main point that if we wanted to survive we should have invested more is fine, i agree
but anton invested what he could, and we did what we could with it. & theres not alot to be said imo

[Hoop Blah]

I wasn't saying his points were made up, just that your responses were just made up and without any specific knowledge to prove otherwise either (last night was a bit like that!).

I'm sure they do coach them through defensive situations and organisation (or though you wouldn't think it having watched us play) but you said that Gibbs is our defensive coach. I don't think thats true. I think he and McDermott just coach the team together, it's not a case of Gibbs works the defenders and McDermott the forwards etc.

You say the idea that they only talk about the opposition for 10 minutes before the game is laughable, but you don't KNOW it's not how they do it, you just assume it isn't (correctly from what I understand as it happens) but state it as more factual than his made up rubbish even though it's just as much made up as his.

[melonhead]

bah, and humbug to you sir





the first two points are correct.and with some basis. since id rather use brian himself as a source, than mateys made up one
and since hes clearly talking rubbish on those two, i think im only being sensible to assume the rest are utter horseshit too

[Stuka]

[RobRoyal]

Jesus McAnuff, what a fool.

[Gordons Cumming]

Ouch!!

Can see why Wiltshire was whinging for the rest of the game.

[Maguire]

Bit of an unlucky booking that - he had an inept airshot (well, just sliced the ball) and the follow up caught Wilshere

[creative_username_1]

Wilshere has cocked him on the foot

[Nomad_Royal]

First of all let me put some of you twats straight! I'm not happy about what happened last nite. I have spoken to a reliable source in the club.

1. McDermot doesn't review past games at all! (Crazy if you ask me )
2. McDermot doesn't do any specific defensive work,drills,etc...
3. McDermot doesn't have a clue about tactics or planning, patterns of play, tactical subs etc.....
4. Before the game McDermot said to the squad' we're not gona change the formation we're gona stay 4-4-2 because that's the Reading way.'
5. Before each game the squad have 5-10 min discussion on the opposition?

Now to the game

We started brightly and really should of been 1-0 up. For me pog should of smashed it from there. The main battle was in Midfield, with the quality of arsenals three no one gave ledge of tabby any help? so what are you meant to do? The strikers didn't help enough especially the pog. And one of the centre half's has to step up to squeeze up the space. McDermot changed it at half time by that time it was too late!
Let's discuss some of the players:
Gorks/mariappa- both too reactive didn't read the game and organise, also they kept giving the ball away straight back to arsenal
Cummings- had a poor game positionally all over the place and distribution was awful.
Kebe- how the hell are people not slating him? Alrite he scored but he done absolutely fcuck all! (Waste of space)Ledge- I felt sorry for ledge he hasn't been great so far this season but he can't be blamed for yesterday yes he gave the ball away but more then anyone else I don't think so, a couple of times I think he should of held the ball and wait for something to develop but like others he was forcing the pass. Why? Because he wasn't given any options the wingers and strikers were not moving to support ledge or tabby quick enough. And because of how they lined up they were chasing shadows. Let me ask you? How many teams in the prem can play two CM against santi,arteta and wilshire?
Jobi- was having a bit of joy against sagna but overall not a great display he wasn't very effective when he moved inside but worked hard and should of buried that chance towards the end.
Noel/pog weren't totally effective, tried but were too slow to support the midfield its like they only know how to run forward
Hal- excellent when he came on a breath of fresh air not everything came off but he was exactly what was needed showed good feet and vision at times.


For me we lost that game before it started. if Mcdermot doesn't work on our weaknesses doesn't plan or give decent instructions and is too rigid to make tactical changes then we might aswell start getting ready for the championship. That's my rant over if you chose to reply its up to you but I don't give a flying fcuk I call it how I see it!

The real twat? Someone who comes here with a made up "source" spouting rubbish (as others have demonstrated) and insulting everyone else on the board.

AS for your comment about Kebe how the hell does sonmeone who scores "do absolutely fcuk all"

[Ian Royal]

Bit of an unlucky booking that - he had an inept airshot (well, just sliced the ball) and the follow up caught Wilshere

Yeah, didn't think it was worthy of the card. Wilshire's a right little cry baby (not for that , but he was whinging and moaning all game at the first sign of a robust challenge from anyone - particularly Tabb)