Would love to see Gabriel keep his spot at the expense of Mert. Just to give us more freedom to really smother sides as a unit.

Agree re Giroud being poor but actually should have stayed on as we weren't lacking pace in behind (2nd half) - Pool were essentially camped out in their own box by that time and the substitution completely ruined our rhythm.

Draw was fair, same silly obvious tactical/personel selections from our manager.

Am I the only one who would rather see Gabriel Mertesacker instead of Gabriel Koscielny? It would work better as a partnership imo. Koscielny hasn't had a great start to the season so let him fight to get his place back

Agree with most of the article however I disagree on Walcott. The only way we will know if Walcott can play in the middle is to play him for 4 or 5 games in a row. And frankly after winning the community shield and a very successful pre-season we should have continued with Walcott against West Ham, Palace and Liverpool. That way we would have been a little wiser if he could transition up front.

Walcott is a channel runner like all fast forwards we have had. Players of that ilk require the ball to played in space not to feet. And thats something others in the team also have to adapt to. It will never work bringing Walcott on for the last 15 minutes because players like Walcott require others to build play. In the last 15 minutes those players are tired and naturally drop deeper making it even harder for a fast player. Thats when you need hold up play not at the beginning of the game.

Probably, Ramboue. More than happy than every player has to fight tooth and nail for their place, but Kos is too good to sit on the bench.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Pretty fair assessment by Ace Face! Surprising from a Spurs fan.

comment by The Ace Face (U18814)
posted 3 minutes ago
It was a good 0-0, a fair result overall but arsenal were worse in the first half than Liverpool were in the second if that makes sense. Chambers was beyond woeful, Gabriel nearly as bad but he grew into the game and ended up performing quite well. Sanchez still doesn't look match fit, and Ozil was poor for me. Thought you looked much more dangerous when Walcott & Oxlade came on as Liverpool were stretched rather than you relying on threading balls through to Giroud in the 6 yard box. Liverpool look a stronger outfit this year, but a bit one dimensional going forward with Benteke as lone striker. Gomez looks a player, Skrtl had a good game. Cech MotM for me. Could both sides make top 4? At Chelsea's expense maybe?
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Would love to get their at Chelseas expense mate but its never going to happen.
They will finish top 4 and most likely top 2.

"It was a good 0-0, a fair result overall but arsenal were worse in the first half than Liverpool were in the second if that makes sense. "

Probably agree with you, but in fairness we also had a goal unfairly ruled out imo - looked onside to me, hence why I really couldn't pick a winner.

"Could both sides make top 4? At Chelsea's expense maybe?"

Can't see Chelsea finishing outside the top 3, let alone top 4.

Gabriel was actually pretty good in the first half bar 1 or 2 moments. He was essentially covering for Chambers who just kept losing the ball in silly places.

"Agree with most of the article however I disagree on Walcott"

Agree he's definitely not the player who should have replaced Giroud, if he's coming on as a sub it should be out wide.

I think Walcott will get goals played through the middle, being fast & having good finishing alone pretty much guarantees that, just don't think his all round player or positioning is really up to scratch.

Arguably we could spend half season carrying him and hoping he develops the nous, but can we really risk that this season? Should have done it two years ago

Arsenals goal should have stood no question.

I would have been livid had it been at the other end.

That said though, a draw was a fair result, both teams had chances to win it.

At 8.00 pm last night if you had offered me 0 - 0 I would have taken your hand off.

Arguably we could spend half season carrying him and hoping he develops the nous, but can we really risk that this season? Should have done it two years ago
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Yes. And thats why I suggested in pre-season that a striker is a must and in fact Giroud needed to be replaced. Not hang around the squad as a backup as others were suggesting.

What we needed to do was settle on a style on play. I believe we needed to go back to a more movement based counter attack style, like the one Ozil was used to at Madrid. That way our first choice, and backup striker would both play the same way. It wouldn't matter who came in and out of the team.

What you cannot do is mix styles. And Giroud, linking play slowly in the same space both Ozil and Santi are occupying is opening up your game to the counter as Liverpool pretty much did to us in the first half. Thats why Coquelin looked so over worked against Palace, West Ham and yesterday. Our weakness wasn't only Chambers giving the ball away needlessly. It was also when Santi was caught too far forward leaving Coq isolated against Milner and Coutinho.

Giroud was the most likely to score in the moment Wenger subbed him. To replace him with Theo is a no go in games you face strong defenders and you play without any accurancy into the final third.

The way Wenger set up the team is not right. The balance is not right. You cant give Ramsey a free role playing all around the field and hope something happen. Giroud wasnt in a goalscoring position in the first half. It was better when our accurancy and fluidy from midfield was better in the second half.

"Thought you looked much more dangerous when Walcott & Oxlade came on as Liverpool were stretched rather than you relying on threading balls through to Giroud in the 6 yard box. "

....or indeed high balls to Giroud which he couldnt bring under control if they were anywhere near him surounded by 2 defenders.

But yes agree....we played without accurancy into the final third.

Thought Özil got better as the game went on. Giroud was horrible to watch. Every attack ended as he got the ball. Alexis isn't even fully fit and you have Theo
And Ox on the bench?? Makes no sense.

Don't know why GT has to keep defending Giroud. Majority of us agree he is awful and now watch him respond by calling me an idiot or a clown. I don't mind having him around the squad but If he left I wouldn't care less

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No insults please

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The midfield and defence spend the entire night giving the ball away and yet again haters make it about Giroud's performance. As though the mf done some sterling job, giving him chance after chance that he missed.

Sanchez and Cazorla gave the ball away just as much as Giroud if not more but no criticism for them. When their giveaways resulted in direct counter attacks too.

The worst that can be said about Giroud (if being genuine) is that he's a solid striker, who's not marquee. You can't call a striker who contributes 20-30 goals (direct and assists) a season in the EPL "rubbish" nor is he deserving of the disgusting way you lot slate him.

The blame for the two points drop yesterday lays squarely at the feet of our shambolic midfield and last minute defence. Cech Coq and Gabriel performed admirably whilst surrounded by the incompetent performances of their teammates.

To blame Giroud and make last night's result about him being upfront is utterly ludicrous. Yes we know, you hate him and want him gone. But for Christ's sake STOP blaming him for the failures of others. Newsflash, you can put Suarez Neymar AND Messi in the team, if the 7 players behind them give the ball away like we did last night and WE STILL WONT BEAT ANY HALF DECENT SIDE!

Can't wait for the window to close so you lot shut it up until defender.

**December

Ramboue, have you actually read any of GT's man-love articles about Giroud?
Of course, there are plenty that value his place and role in the team, and very few that show total hatred for the guy, but on the whole you're making straw-man arguments.
Giroud is okay, on his day good, and we'd all like a Suarez or similar and there's no doubt we do need a regular netter to win anything. But who is this person?

"Sanchez and Cazorla gave the ball away just as much as Giroud if not more but no criticism for them."

They didn't, though.

Almost everything that went to Giroud, whether it's his feet, chest or head, pretty much came straight back - and when he did manage to do something, it was a one touch flick backwards. An utterly pointless player.

comment by Chris H (U15205)
posted 3 minutes ago
"Sanchez and Cazorla gave the ball away just as much as Giroud if not more but no criticism for them."

They didn't, though.

Almost everything that went to Giroud, whether it's his feet, chest or head, pretty much came straight back - and when he did manage to do something, it was a one touch flick backwards. An utterly pointless player.
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This comment is pointless because it shows you cant analyse a game properly. I am not denying that he had a few bad touches but most of the balls that finally came to him were difficult to control. Why cant you just see that. Sanchez always cut inside and were stop by Liverpool's defender, very predictable. I cant really remember a ball that went from Sanchez to Giroud or in that direction. Cazorla passing was not accurate enough as well. Wenger said himself "we didnt play well into the final third". And he is right.


Wenger's bodyguard One limelight on the board that are not brainwashed by the media of how good other players are.

Stepanov: They accuse me again and again of being a Giroud fanboy and I am not defending him for the sake of it. We all know that he is not on the Aguero level. That is not my point. Yes, I am for a new and additional CF at Arsenal and always saying that but that got ignored by some who spouting their rubbish about me again and again. Of how difficult it is to find a good additional striker we all can see in this tranfer market. All clubs are after these kind of players or you pay over the odds for a striker like Benteke (I really do like him) and make us believe that he is the striker we need upfront as we all witness how wasteful and average he can be as well.

Not sure what Ox has to do to get a start. Leave Ramsey on the bench to work on his ego, great player on his day but so frustrating to watch at times.