Arsenal Vs Bolton | Premiership 10/01/09

[Libertine]

What's that now, 7 games undefeated in the league?

Not a bad little run.

[Inchpräctice]

Decent game today but as usual we struggle to break down another team that parks the bus.
Bolton would've been delighted with 0-0.
Once again good old Bendy saves our arses, it's starting to be a habit of his.

RVP was on fire today, I really hope he can continue this form. Ade had a poor game and Nasri was a bit disappointing imo. I agree with the people who said he should play in the centre.
I was hoping AW might recall Traore in January which would allow Nasri to play centrally but apparently the loan deal doesn't allow that.
Denilson looked really sharp and energetic again today, he has a way of making sure that the tempo is kept high. Eboue had a good game too I thought.
Too many sideways passes today though, no-one wanted to take any risks. When Vela came on I hoped that would change but it didn't.

Still, 3 points in the bag and we needed all 3 of them.

[Gunflash]

1-0 to the Arsenal. Sometimes you need the old-fashioned scoreline. It's three points and we needed that after Villa won again.

[meridamullet]

first arsenal game all season fox sports in australia didnt show. doh

[arseman]

What annoys me is that if we'd lost or drawn, this thread would've reached 30 pages by now

[Inchpräctice]

You're dead right mate.
After the Plymouth match there were about 5 posts in here....!

[singaporegooner]

Missed the first half as i came home late...
but i was relieved to see the 2nd half kickoff all level.
General feeling i had during the course of the 2nd half is that we seem to be more stable defensively(not sure about 1st half), Djourou's clearing up the high balls, with Toure falling behind him to pick up any 2nd balls. Somehow i felt that was missing in the earlier part of the season when we were leaking goals like a broken bucket.
Nasri definitely needs to play in the middle, he is much much more effective there than on the wings.
Still i'm happy the team didn't panick and kept to the game plan.

[essexgunner]

first arsenal game all season fox sports in australia didnt show. doh

Try some of the links people put on here then you wont have to depend on Fox Sports

[essexgunner]

What annoys me is that if we'd lost or drawn, this thread would've reached 30 pages by now

Arseman, you are very right, too many people will critisise and not enough will give credit when it's due.

in fairness though this was a very poor game with not alot to talk about.

RvP had a great game, we got a dirty 1-0 win and 3 points to boot. Bolton are a Sh*t team to play at any time.

But as Alan Hansen said on MOTD, "Arsenal need to keep winning because Villa are not letting up". How true, but will they keep it up till May??

[thebish]

ok.. as I've been around a while, I'd better front up....

let's get the excuses out of the way... we have a squad of about 14 first-teamers, maybe 16 if you are generous with a couple who might think they are but have not played in the first tema for the last year...

before the game we had Nolan (captain) and steinsson (ever-present right-back) suspended and Cahill (ever present CB) injured. On the day we lost Elmander (only proper striker) in first quarter of the game, McCann broke his toe very early on in the first half - but played on injured.. Nicky Hunt was injured in the warm up - which meant we played Chris Basham who has never played in any premiership game at all - at Right Back (out of position) - and so were left not even being able to fill the bench - having only 4 players on there - none of who had a full prem game start to their name, and one of whom had never played a prem game at all....

so.... this was a severely weakened version of an already weakened team - with several players (KD, Ricky Gardner, Basham) out of position....

Megson is no allardyce - and he seems to have the frustrating strategy of NOT expecting or daring to imagine an upset against the top four (or should i say 5 ) and trying to soak up pressure for a skin-of-your-teeth draw. (actually - for once - it almost worked!) whereas allardyce would send them in baying for an upset and scaring wengers pants off, I doubt any arsenal player was scared yesterday...

as for the game.. First half - a game of two shite sides neither of which had a clue what they were doing - Arsenal - in the first half - considering the comparative resources you fielded, and that you were at home - were shockingly bad I thought...

second half - bolton had a 10min spell (and KD should have scored) - but otherwise pretty much all arsenal possession and we sat back soaking it up - and then having no "out ball" - so it came back at us.... the goal was inevitable - just gutting that it came after 84 fecking minutes when i had just begun to wonder if we might snatch a point.....

you guys won't know how depressing it becomes to lose week after week after week after week and then get a glimmer of hope of an unlikely point away from home - and then have that snatched away too.....

Arsenal deserved the win on balance - but i don't think a draw could have been shockingly unfair - cos to be honest - Arsenal seemed seriously lacking in ideas and vision and purpose....

about the crowd. Away fans always think they outsing the home fans - and of course with 90-odd percent of the 60,000 crowd being gooners - that's not likely.. BUT.... it was startlingly obvious from where I sat (and GG will back me up on this) how shockingly poor the arsenal support is....

it was virtually silent the whole of the first half (prompting several Bolton chants of "shall we sing a song for you") - and i mean shockingly bad. There was a wee bit more in the second half (we hate spurs songs) - but you only started singing when you scored - really, you did....

laughably - the fans next to us then sang their first song with 6mins to go - which was "you're not singing any more" - which was ironic since the bolton fans had been singing all game and continued to do so.

i am not claiming that bolton fans are better - far from it - the reebok can be quiet - but it is never as quiet as that - and they do sing before they are winning.

if you have the advantage of 60,000 fans there - why not sing and at least make the place intimidating????

i've been to the emirates 4 times now and seen us draw once and lose three times - always a depressing thought - but made tolerable - indeed enjoyable by the sparkling and gorgeous company of GG. and a drink afterwards to console the loser

[left right left]

i was pissed off with the way diarby played, i was looking forward to seeing him as CM... didnt look good at all

[Inchpräctice]

i was pissed off with the way diarby played, i was looking forward to seeing him as CM... didnt look good at all

No he didn't have the best of games yesterday.
It's a shame because he has the potential to be creative but he didn't create much.

[Bristol_Gunner]

tbh from the start the crowd was shite. it is really unprodictable at times with the crowd. Some times it is good sometimes it is bad.

[Andreys_Does_Simples]

The crowds always shit. Full of new agers who come to have a jolly little family day out and scowl when you stand up, shout, swear and the worst of all...sing.

We need to reclaim what's ours.

[Libertine]

The crowds always shit. Full of new agers who come to have a jolly little family day out and scowl when you stand up, shout, swear and the worst of all...sing.

and don't forget the bloody tourists taking photos....................