Yes it's that time of the year when Spurs fans start avoiding their Arsenal fan work colleagues as it's time to pay up, Spurs after Saturday's result mathematically cannot finish above Arsenal!13 points behind with four games to play I make it.
And reference Saturday's game once again we had a dodgy ref who somehow found an extra 2 minutes on top of the staggering 4 minutes they gave for Spurs to fluke an undeserved equaliser, makes you want to spit

I don't think either side have much to brag about this season.

S'funny..my boss is a Spurs fan (even if her nephew is Henri Lansbury!) and yet she couldn't get the Gooner supporting head of IT to have a bet with her...
Oddly enough, three years ago, he was happy to take her wager, and even give her the draw...
Still...I was happy enough...
I said on Friday it had 2-2 written all over it

Just thought I would bring this one up again for the Gooners...
Henri was warming the bench tonight, and hoping for a run out late on...He's only got about another week to go if he's going to be Arsenals youngest player, and it's not looking likely now!

I was thinking its a bit early for this lol

Yes I was hoping him Lansbury, Merida and Gibbs would be given a go instead of Diaby and Diarra but I guess he wanted to give Diarra a game and wanted to keep some experience on the pitch to begin with.

Merida only got a couple of minutes once we went 2 up.

Having a chat with the boss this morning, and she says tbh, it may not be such a bad thing if he doen't become the youngest. After all it would just put added pressure on him, and he's quite happy to be slowly bought on with Wengers judgement of when he'll be ready

Its good that hes not getting impatient. I think she is right.

His chance will come, its probably better for him that he isn't lumped in too early and compared to Denilson and Fabregas (all the publicity has not really helped Walcott IMO). There are a number of fans watching out for his progress though as it is rumoured he will be something special. He will have to be to get a place with the midfield we are developing though.

It's getting close folks! the most Spurs, if they win ALL their games, can now achieve is 65 points Arsenal's current top of the table tally! tho' they did KO us from the m.mouse cup.

As long as Man Utd finish higher than either I'll be happy.

Well done Arsenal, staggered over the line at mud bath Wigan reaching an unassailable 66 points over the missile throwing m.mouse cup winners on March 9, not quite a record.

(3 out of the last 9 premiership points where's the next prem' win coming from?)

I think we have blown our chances this year YP. Though STD is always enjoyable it doesnt go without a bitter taste today. All the CL teams had a hangover weekend (excluding Liverpool that play this week).

I cant help feeling that Wenger is going all out for the CL again and once again we will end the season with nothing.

Happy STD fellow gooners, it feels even better when we were told that we would finish below them after Henry left by the deluded spuds.

Yesterday's result was a let-down in the fact that we now have to rely on Man Utd to mess up instead of having the privilege of solely focussing on our own results. Hopefully things will take a turn for the better when we go up to OT (although hopefully Bolton can do us a favour midweek....or maybe that's just asking a little too much!)

Everything started going wrong for Arsenal in the premiership post that grinning legbreaker Taylor did the dirty, players were then coming out with "let's do it for Eduardo!" always a mistake to wallow in emotionalism just get your head down and keep professional I'm sure everyone (except you know who)will agree.

Well, before that in 2008, you had already drawn with Brum once, Spurs once, been hit for 5 by Spurs and 4 by Man Utd. So the signs were there.

Please don't see this as having a go at Arsenal again. I'm just pointing out facts. I think it's inaccurate to put the loss of form down to this one incident.

Erm that would be reasonable if it wasnt for...

1) The Brum game was the game he broke his leg. I know we should have put the 8 minutes we had him to more use!

2) The Man Utd and Spurs were both cup games where we fielded an understrength side. You can argue the stupidity of that but that is the case. Which proves that our backup players arent up to it. Yes I know United also played an understrength side but for left wing we are/were really suffering when we had 4 players injured that play that position it didnt help.

3) Chelsea and United have both suffered bad results with key players out so yes it does matter. Though every team could play the what if game but of all the players I would have prefered RVP not to have been injured at all this year and that Rosicky hadnt turned into Aliadierre.

1) You didn't draw with them in January then? An Adebayor penalty?

2) Under-strength side or not, Arsenal still lost those two games. It's still the same club, it wasn't a completely changed XI and I imagine the magnitude of those defeats had some effect on the following games.

3) I'm not picking on Arsenal, I was just responding to YELLOWPINKYs assertion that this was all down to Martin Taylor - which is frankly ridiculous. United have been very fortunate with injuries this year I agree, Chelsea haven't what with missing Cech, Terry and Lampard for prolonged periods.

1) Yes we did I didnt realise you were going that far back but then Chelsea and United have also had some iffy draws its hardly a case of tapping your nose and saying ahhh you see the writing was on the wall.

2) Yes we lost the games but your point was that the first team was getting shakey it wasnt the full first team by any stretch so no point made really.

3) I am not sure United have been that lucky they have dropped points when Rooney has been injured I also remember a bit of a makeshift defence earlier in the year unless I am mistaken.

I think you are wrong and in this instance YELLOWPINKY is right we have missed Eduardo simply because we have not had anyone that could really replace him because he was the replacement for left wing. I'm Not going down the route of vilifying one player for all our woes as its not his fault we didn't buy a player for that position in the summer or winter transfer windows nor did he mean to do what he did. We have been lacking depth there since Pires and Ljungberg left I think Wenger is waiting on Vela I hope he is worth it.

So to sum up.... Arsenal's collapse of form is entirely down to a foul by Martin Taylor?

Just so us non-Arsenal fans know what we're dealing with here.

Now you are pretending to be obtuse.

No it is not that at all and neither is it because of your claim of the signs were always there either. I am sure I made that clear. Its due to not having the depth to replace missing players, in particular on the left wing. As you unwittingly pointed out the games we have recently really shipped goals is when we have played more of the 2nd tier players. Ask any Arsenal fan the one position we wanted strengthened in the Summer.

Having said that every team has dropped points whilst having one or two key players out this year.

Ok, no that's fine. I just felt it was ridiculous to put the loss of form entirely down to one foul on one player. I would agree that a small(ish) squad and particularly a couple of problem areas (the flanks, fullback backup and a second striker) are to blame. I would also suggest that players are seemingly all suffering slight drops in form at the same time - Adebayor's goals are drying up a bit, as are Fabregas' and Hleb doesn't seem as incisively brilliant as he was back in 2007.

It still has had an effect as much as if United lost Rooney. Or chelsea Joe Cole etc etc.

Our Second striker has been injured pretty much all season. Not that its ever mentioned much at all, he is called Robin Van Persie. Some would argue first and was our top scorer with 11 goals last year even with only playing 22 games but wenger said Ade was first choice earlier this year. I have to say Bendtner has been disappointing especially given his international form as has Walcott.

I wont go into it too much but they have been moved around a lot re the flanks. We have had Fabregas playing right wing. Hleb has been moved to the left and centre. I dont think its helping and making them more unsettled. I cant remember which manager said you are better changing just one position than moving around a few players...

I always felt that you looked best earlier in the season with Fabregas and Flamini in the middle, Hleb pulling the strings behind Adebayor and Eboue/Rosicky/Walcott/ on the flanks. Then again though, I see your point about a lack of depth as none of those three are bonafide 'wingers' and two are arguably not even midfielders. I guess that's an area of weakness but I always feel Hleb is wasted out on the flanks and goes missing, his eye of a needle distribution is better utilized in the middle for me.

quote:

Originally posted by proIix:
So to sum up.... Arsenal's collapse of form is entirely down to a foul by Martin Taylor?

Just so us non-Arsenal fans know what we're dealing with here.

Slightly more than a "foul" might I suggest? Eduardo was lucky not to lose his foot from that "foul" . Insult to injury, and totally overlooked due to Taylor's horror tackle, Brum' get awarded a penalty for the most blatent of 94th minute dives robbing Arsenal of all three points.

The point I'm making is ...sentiments like "we'll do it for Eduardo" often prove counterproductive. And while I'm here, Drogba should have been red carded for his celebrating that offside first goal Sunday as he removed his shirt (one yellow card offence) and he jumped into the crowd (second yellow).

Technically speaking - it was a foul, the injury was horrendous and the 'tackle' was dreadful. But the term is still foul. I agree with you that 'do it for Eduardo' sentiments will get you nowhere but have been making the point that there is more to the loss of form than just that foul in that game.

Are you being serious about Drogba?

quote:

Originally posted by proIix:
Technically speaking - it was a foul, the injury was horrendous and the 'tackle' was dreadful. But the term is still foul. I agree with you that 'do it for Eduardo' sentiments will get you nowhere but have been making the point that there is more to the loss of form than just that foul in that game.

Are you being serious about Drogba?

Yes of course, tecnically how can you doubt me being serious?