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Nearly Man

Post transfer window frustration, to the tune of The Beatles’ Nowhere Man

4 February, 2014 9:00 62 comments
Nearly Man

SUBSCRIBE TO THE GOONER

"He's a real nearly Man,
Sitting in his nearly Land,
Making all his nearly plans
For nobody.

Never has an unobstructed point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Doesn't give a f*** for you or me.

Nearly Man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missing,
Nearly Man, the club is at your command.

He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nearly Man can you not sign anyone at all?

Never has an unobstructed point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he worth seven million a year to you and me?

Nearly Man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all 'till somebody else
Lends you a hand.
He's a real Nearly Man,
Sitting in his Nearly land,
Making all his Nearly plans
For nobody.

Should've signed Demba Ba
Without a striker we won't get far
Nearly man, you should've dared to let us dream of Gonzalo Higuain

Ohhh La la la."

That's it ladies and gentlemen. It's over. The dream has gone up in smoke for yet another season and we won't get another chance like this one for years to come. The Manchester clubs and Chelsea will definitely be better under their new managers next season and who knows what Brendan Rodgers will achieve at Liverpool if he can somehow retain the services of Luis Suarez?

Everyone in the world knew that we needed to improve our options up front but now we are only an Olivier Giroud injury away from playing a 4-6-0 strikerless formation or watching in horror as Nicklas Bendtner is allowed to continue to desecrate our beloved Arsenal shirt.

Merci Arsène you've blown it again. Let’s hope that we can finish second to Manchester City, remember them? The team that have Agüero, Dzeko, Negredo and Jovetic to call upon.

You have failed to consolidate all of the good work that you and the team have done so far this season and you should be sacked for gross negligence because any idiot who has never even worked for half a day in football knew that we couldn't sustain a title challenge without signing someone to at least share the goal scoring burden with Olivier Giroud. Your treatment of Lukas Podolski is a mystery and one can only assume that he must have a serious fitness problem if you are picking Serge Gnabry ahead of him because he is quite clearly the best finisher at the club.

(Ed’s note – Piece submitted on Saturday 1st February. Podolski started ahead of Gnabry v Palace on Sunday, although it remains to be seen if he keeps his place)

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62
comments

  1. ITK

    Feb 07, 2014, 18:24 #45408

    Joe, Podolski played against Palace. He was crap. Have we missed him this season. Answer is no. Why doesnt AW play him. Reason, he doesnt do enough to warrant a starting place. The Pod is a better player when hes not playing.

  2. Joe Fitzpatrick

    Feb 05, 2014, 12:53 #45265

    Matthew Bazell & Ozzie- I just can't help but feel let down once again by the club that I love showing very little ambition in the transfer market. I agree that injuries to Mertesacker, Sagna or Giroud will derail our season as the wheels come off again. What can I do except for withdrawing my financial support of the club by giving up my season ticket and poking fun at the manager and board in any silly way possible!

  3. maguiresbridge gooner

    Feb 05, 2014, 12:51 #45264

    Ozzie, hear what your saying but the same rules are/where there for everybody including our old ditherer although he'd rather cry and complain about them and use them as excuses than use them to our advantage whenever he can. Yes we haven't the same dough as the blue mancs and the chavs but think of what we could have achieved if we used what we have (we're certainly not paupers) and had a decent striker.

  4. Matthew Bazell

    Feb 05, 2014, 11:30 #45253

    Too early to make a prediction. If we get a few injuries though at the back we could be in big trouble.

  5. Ozzie

    Feb 05, 2014, 11:08 #45247

    All very well to have a go at the manager - maybe justified, I dunno, but how about directing some of the criticism towards the clowns that run the FA for allowing Man city to acquire such a strike force thus creating a total imbalance in the League? Anyway, get behind the team - look what they have so far achieved with barely a striker.

  6. Westlower

    Feb 05, 2014, 9:03 #45236

    @Ron, Please carry on criticising anything that offends you re AFC. It's what makes this forum work but don't be surprised if I counter your point of view. If we all agreed with each others opinions life would be very dull. We've both been shaped by our experiences over the years and defend our own judgement on any given subject. My belief is that criticism should be constructive and not destructive.

  7. Tony Evans

    Feb 05, 2014, 8:20 #45233

    I think it boils down to the rather obvious fact that good sized, quality squads win the prizes, and Wenger has never shown us fans that he has grasped this undeniable fact. Westie says you can't legislate for injuries which up to a point is true, but you can mitigate their effect by making sure the backup players are of a good standard and that you have enough of them. Wenger doesn't do this and that is what annoys so many of us about him.

  8. jed

    Feb 05, 2014, 7:56 #45232

    Ron, yes Mr Wenger is just passing by, but so are all the players and backroom staff, just like the rest of us! So whilst we are here it's probably a good idea to enjoy watching this team and manager.

  9. Esso

    Feb 05, 2014, 7:30 #45230

    Probably the worst 'article' ever published by the Online Gooner. A remarkable achievement given the high standard of competition.

  10. DW Thomas

    Feb 05, 2014, 2:52 #45229

    Look. I get defending the team, players, even the manager for utter b.s. Bendtner's place in the team should have been forfeited long ago after his comments about not playing for Arsenal again. How he is still here is enough evidence of Wenger's disastrous decisions. We should have bought Higuain and Ozil. Squad rotation, right. City didn't score, but did have their chances against Chelsea. Even Eto'o hit the bar. Lets face facts. We have plenty of tough games left so it all comes down to the teams ability to deal with adversity. In the past 9 years they have bottled it again and again. Maybe they've matured, maybe not. We have to wait. But, instead of giving the lads some added strength, Wenger dithers. An injured player is brought in for cover. Arsene is the old dog that won't learn new tricks. Jose put on a master class vs City. Don't care for him much, but you can't deny he's a winner. Espn's list of top 20 all time managers has Pep, Jose, and SAF. No Wenger. He could have been up there with those guys. Instead he could finish his tenure as a has been and nearly man. This season just might be his last chance.

  11. Peter Hughes

    Feb 04, 2014, 23:04 #45228

    Ron. I was born in Islington have a season & have been a regular since 1967.That does not make my opinion more valid then anyone else as we are all entitled to one & I fully respect yours. Just think the team deserve a little credit.

  12. Gorgeous George

    Feb 04, 2014, 22:25 #45227

    Whether you agree or disagree with the sentiments credit to Joe for attempting to do something a bit different. Variety is welcomed and it would be great if some of the regular commenters on here put their thoughts into a cohesive article from time to time.

  13. Jason B

    Feb 04, 2014, 22:14 #45226

    ZZZZZ Heard this all season about signing this, that and the other one. The media said we were in crisis after the 2-2 at Southampton and yet after beating palace 2-0 they are aplauding us and tipping us as title winners.ZZZZZZ

  14. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 20:46 #45225

    To be honest Westie and Peter Hughes i think your biggest problem 9not just you two lads of course) is that you confuse those of us who criticise as being akin to not being properly committed supporters and as such you post in ways that makes out you somehow have a higher moral ground. I dont know anybody on here but id wager many of the most vociferous critics of Wenger and the club's hierarchy spend a bigger packet following our great club than those who post like you two guys or perhaps either of you. I can speak for myself of course and can steadfastly and honestly say that i've not rated Wenger since Sept 2004 ie the day he crawled into his own sea of whinging depression after Utd unfairly beat us at OT in game 50. Ive not rated the whining f----r since as he couldnt or wouldnt raise his teams morale for nigh on 6 months afterwards. He sulked and thus allowed them to sulk. Hes never changed since either, the excuse searching toad. However until 18 months back when i decided football was miles behind in priority to other things in my life i averaged about 16 games per season seeing the lads and always supported the team full throttle despite my views on the weak willed snob who 'coaches' the club. Im only making this point as this constant bleating to people you think should 'get behind the team' etc is totally skewed and wrong. Have your views by all means but don't get all high and mighty towards those of us who aren't convinced. Always remember that you don't know what people do to support and follow the Club and their comments on here dont give it away either. There are many who could see us win the title this year, celebrate like crazy and then happily see Wenger sacked the day after. Im one of them. Hes had his chance. Hes a depressing looking character. His gait is of one who thinks his way is the 'superior' way, yet has nothing to offer as evidence that it is. I saw Maureen last night breathing Chelsea, loving it, loving the battle, relishing the mind games and urging his troops on, loving sticking it up the favourites on their own cabbage patch and making sure he knows his players are appreciated by him. We need that, somebody like that, somebody who makes an opponent think 'f-----g hell, Arsenal are here, we re screwed, shall we go home'!. Top of the table or not Arsenal dont give the top teams sleepless nights and thats why in my view thay show us the way home come seasons end and we ll be thinking ahh well, same as etc etc. t doesn't make us the type of fans who aren't behind the team ffs. We just Wenger is as much help as hindrance, we ve all seen the reasons why for the last 9 years. Love him if you want. I dont and wont but i still love my Club.Wengers just passing by, like all his predecessors.

  15. peter Hughes

    Feb 04, 2014, 20:04 #45224

    Totally agree with Westlower. Do not think there is one supporter who would not have taken top place 2 points clear with 14 games to go.We are challenging for the title which many bemoaned we had not in the last few years.We might not win the league, as there are no guarantees just as there is no such thing as a certain win in any game.Now is the time to get behind the team & give them credit for their efforts so far.

  16. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 18:28 #45223

    'Lack off, There were other factors afoot that contributed to our defeats in Manchester. BFG missed the game at OT & Kos came off in 41st minute at Man C, plus we had 2 good goals ruled out. We were away in Dortmund before Man U & away in Napoli before Man City, which was our 3rd game in 6 days. This time around the fixtures work in our favour with Man C v Man U midweek before City visit the Emirates. I'll be disappointed if we don't win both games. Comes a time to give backing to the players who've played so well in the past 12 months. Injuries always play a part as Man City found to their cost last night. You cannot legislate for injuries, Man U lost RVP & Rooney at the same time, sods law!. Napoli haven't set the world alight since signing Higuain, getting eliminated in Arsenal's CL group. Ironically, Gervinho has made a bigger impression with Roma.

  17. Highbury Boy

    Feb 04, 2014, 17:56 #45222

    I don't think there's any realistic Arsenal fan anywhere in the world who doesn't believe we should have signed another striker,either as number 1 or as a back-up to Giroud;either last summer or January. We haven't and we have to live with that. What worries me just as much is that we have been lucky so far with injuries. Yes I mean lucky. Because our many injuries so far have been areas where we have had cover. If Per or Kos get injured or suspended what happens then? TV has been out for some while and if Sagna gets moved to the middle where he has been able to plug the gap against weaker teams it leaves a weakness at right back. Anyhow once again we have to live with the consequences of having a squad which is weak in certain positions. We can just pray that the GK,2 centre backs and Giroud stay fit for the rest of the season but with tough games coming up twice a week it will not be easy.

  18. jeff wright

    Feb 04, 2014, 17:49 #45221

    Lack of,the fact that we have played Palace and Cardiff twice and Hull once probably does beef up our win and defence stats. With us having a tougher run in than Chelsea and their defence doing better against the top sides than ours finishing ahead of them looks a tough call. Wenger has yet to finish anywhere ahead of Mourinho so it would be a first for him. Sides with better strikers might also have taken more advantage of those two one on ones with Wolfy that Palace created on Sunday. Chammy's first touch on the first one was reminiscent of Big Bendy's in the Nou Camp -although tbf he would probably have scored from the second headed one .

  19. Alsace Lorraine de Totteridge

    Feb 04, 2014, 17:16 #45220

    What I like about the present conflagration between the Wenger apologists and those who would like to see him managing elsewhere (i.e a local supermarket), is that, for the most part, it is nowadays conducted upon a more rational level. We are all anticipating the excruciating agony of a day of reckoning with several clubs who are capable of turning us over. Will we, like that bloke in the Davis Cup who is not Andy Murray, pull off something of a coup in the forthcoming games, or will we be found wanting? I will say it again. This team defend well and have a ton of guts. Am I wrong about it being 1988 ? Could it be 1971 instead? As Wyle E Coyote used to "sign" in the road runner films, EXCITING .........ISN'T IT.

  20. Lack of.....

    Feb 04, 2014, 17:02 #45219

    Westlower - do you think that the fact that we have not yet gone to chelsea, liverpool, spurs or everton has any bearing on our position today ? we have been to city and utd and look what happened there. we dont do very well against top teams do we ? do you think by chance we would do better if we invested a bit more ????

  21. Bard

    Feb 04, 2014, 16:29 #45218

    We have a good chance at Anfield but despite all this stats stuff, we won't beat Chelsea or Citeh. Both those teams have real power in their midfield It was a heavyweight contest last night. Both those midfields will outmuscle our skilful lightweights. Toure and Matic are too strong.

  22. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 16:04 #45217

    Chris - All fair stuff mate. Might need a custard topping on your motor though! Yes, its all speculative really and we ll never know. PS I dont think he would walk voluntarily in the circs you mention Chris. You suggested a sacking. I just reckon if Abram said 'youre sacked for finishing under the Arsenal', i just reckon Maureen would say fair enough.

  23. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 15:53 #45216

    @Lack off...Hard to disagree that Man City & Liverpool have a better strike force than AFC but both Chelsea & Everton have scored fewer goals, Everton 10 less than AFC. Scoring goals isn't solely about the main striker(s) as AFC have had 17 individual goal scorers this season. This suggests we have a better balance to our team than most, perhaps that's why we're top of the PL? Only Chelsea have conceded fewer goals (1 less) than AFC. No team has won more games than the Arsenal.

  24. Bard

    Feb 04, 2014, 15:39 #45215

    Westie: i think I'm on safe ground in suggesting that no humble pie will be eaten by anybody. Kallstrum will still be in the treatment room nursing his bad back and Bendtner will still be impersonating a striker

  25. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 15:31 #45214

    Westie - 48136. Agree totally mate.

  26. Lack of real ambition dogs the Club

    Feb 04, 2014, 15:18 #45213

    Benteke would have loved to have come and for sure Arsenal could have got him. Goals will decide the balance of the season. we have the weakest striek force out of city chels liverpool evert. if you stop our midfield runners as Jose M and Martinez did then Giroud cannot function. Internally at Arsenal i would bet my house that the real target is 4th place

  27. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:44 #45212

    Ron, Demichelis playing in midfield instead of Fernandinho handed the initiative to Chelsea. A natural centre half, coached to play in a 4 across the back, can't play the midfield role against the top teams. Arsenal tried it with Martin Keown for a while but he simply didn't have the skills to be successful playing there. Phil Jones at Man U is another example of a square peg in a round hole. Some people are surprised Arsenal have never played TV in the holding role but it's easier for a midfielder to adapt to the central defender role, aka, McLintock & Gilberto Silva. Last night I thought Dzeko's finishing was unusually woeful & Silva spurned a good early chance. Could have been a draw on another day. Man City's defence & Chelsea strikers remain their weakness.

  28. Joe Fitzpatrick

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:44 #45211

    Is anyone seriously going to tell me that we couldn't have got someone like Christian Benteke if we had gone for him early in the window? I'd rather have Giroud and Benteke than Giroud and Bendtner any day of the week but it's so much easier to rhyme Ba rather than Benteke. I think Ba will escape Chelsea in the summer and show that he can still get the goals with a good run of games and the right service (Cazorla, Ozil Wilshere and Rosicky would make this guy look amazing)

  29. Pete

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:41 #45210

    Most half-goons were saying this current squad isn't good enough to finish top four, they also spout that Man City who sit two points behind us are the best club side in Europe. Only one conclusion to that. WENGER MUST BE A GENIUS.

  30. Chris

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:40 #45209

    Ron - Have to disagree with most of that. I tihnk it's quite likely we'll finish ahead of Chelsea and will eat my car if he then resigns should it happen. Also, they have totally different strengths but given a totally level playing field - the same budget and no risk if the sack for 5 years, say - I'd back Wenger to top Mourinho's haul every time, despite Mo's skill at setting teams up for the one off.

  31. CT Gooner

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:11 #45208

    Why are people on here still acting like qualifying for the champions league is such a great thing. Like folks say we've been in it each of the last 16 years, and every one of them a disappointment, obviously some more than others.

  32. Unchives

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:10 #45207

    I don't know why these pieces are published.....we haven't failed yet. Lets play the big boys first. We are a better footballing side then all of them. There is not one striker that would have made a big enough difference except Suarez, and we all know it. If we beat Liverpool, Man Utd & Citeh, we will beat Chelsea as-well, we are overdue a result against them!

  33. maguiresbridge gooner

    Feb 04, 2014, 13:07 #45206

    Good one Joe, well summed up but the(you)would have rhymed better after(me), but i'm sure it will still go down well with the older music fans on here. And if ever there was an apt name for what an excuse for a player is doing to our beloved shirt it's desecrate.

  34. ApolloGooner

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:52 #45205

    I agree with Jeff Wright - only by winning the title can Wenger’s choices now be defended. He has put himself in a position where anything less than winning the league leaves him open to criticism of leaving us short when he didn't need to. It’s all very well people saying we need to get behind the team etc. but there is a limit to how much anyone can try and force ourselves to believe something we don't believe. If the players were giving less than 100% in games how confident would anyone be then? Fortunately they have performed admirably for the most part this season but can we truly say the club and Wenger have given 100% off the pitch in an effort to win the title? I don't think so! They never do, although I am certain if top 4 was under threat they would have splashed out in January. But when it comes to winning the title we are almost expected to buy into this fallacy that we cannot compete with Man City and Chelsea (note: to compete with them doesn’t mean we have to outspend them, it just means we need to use more of our own massive resources). If we come 3rd as I expect, no doubt we'll still have Gazidis patronising us with his '' we outperformed our net spend'' nonsense again, telling us we should be proud. We are fed this kind of spin every year but it conveniently ignores the resources we had that were left unused … resources that could make the difference between winning and not winning any silverware. The attitude of the players and the defensive discipline is much improved this season. This simple and long overdue change in approach didn’t cost a penny but has made a huge difference to our results. However, the lack of real genuine ambition and desire from those in charge still remains and ultimately I expect this to cost us once more.

  35. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:49 #45204

    Chris - They all have their own take on 'reality' and theyre often all as idiotic in what they say as they stir and manipulate the media. As for sacking him if he doesnt top us, im pretty sure he'd agree and walk without rancour if that happened. Blame Wengers failings on losing players if you like, but its only a very partial explanation as you know. My view is he rightly had 5 years of trophyless latitude following the move to the new ground. The last 4 are his years of failure for me. Id have sacked him in the OT tunnel August 2011. Big money signings like Chelsea have had for the last decade doesnt explian their success on its own. Such players need management. Even in the years theyve won and hes been away, its been his team there in truth. I cant abide Chelsea and i dont like Maureen too much, in as much as im allowed not too without knowing him, but Wenger isnt in the same bracket.

  36. Chris

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:36 #45203

    And what about Mourinho's pathetic bleating about his ‘Little Horse’ that is being fed milk? Obviously I realise the game he's playing here but come on... Wenger would be slaughtered for coming out with stuff so detached from reality. Mourinho's 'Little Horse' that has won the CL, UEFA League and FA Cup in the past two seasons and has since been strengthened with getting on for £200m worth of talent? As for Arsenal's '8 years of building to this point' - 8 years that included repeated losses of key players, such as Fabregas, RVP, Nasri etc, for mostly financial reasons? He's fooling no one and looks like an idiot for coming out with it! He should be sacked if he' doesn't finish ahead of Arsenal this season.

  37. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:35 #45202

    Thats him Westie. The one with titles in 3 countries and CL wins with different Clubs and lesser Cups lying all over his lounge. He walks a bit lop sided at times. Thats due to Wenger wriggling, whining and struggling to get out of his back pocket for the last 10 years.On your eatlier post, you can eat humble pie if you want, but you ll need to harness your pie first as its high in the sky right now.

  38. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:29 #45201

    Ron, Is this the same Chelsea & coach who couldn't beat struggling West Ham at home in their previous game? Outsmarted by that well known Victorian coach Big Sam for pity's sake! Long live Queen Maureen.

  39. John Gooner

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:26 #45200

    I think people miss the point about our summer/January striker problem. Our problem is not that Giroud might get injured, he's not a typical Wenger player i.e. stick-thin light-touch, he's a well built lad and can handle himself - Hence so few injuries since he arrived. The problem is in that we rely on Giroud when he is incredibly slow, has no right foot and isn't much better on his left. I love Giroud to bits and I think his hold-up play is vital sometimes, but in the big games, you might only get 1 chance in 90 mins and there's no way in hell we can rely on Olivier to bury it. If only we could combine the physicality and work rate of Giroud with the finishing of Podolski, the pace of Walcott and the self belief of Bendtner - Perfect striker!

  40. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:22 #45199

    Masterclass - Cant argue with that. Mourninho has his character flaws, as we all do, but as a tactician, hes peerless. Rafa used to run him close though and with lesser players. A top tactician himself. This is why Wenger wont ever win a CL. Hes tactically naive and dismissive of opposition tactics, which is just plain arrogance or maybe ignorance or a bit of both, esp in circs when an opponent has better players. JM will change his teams after 5 mins if it isnt doing it. AW has never understood using the bench.Having said this, ive alwys thought thta AW should have and would have done well at Clubs with mega top players and he shd have tried his hand at Madrid for instance when he was younger and had the chance.Im firmly of the view that our best teams uder AW didnt much follow his leads, they often ad libbed and made it up as they went along when in the s--te. I can recall many games of that 49 where they chucked his bidding into touch so to win a game. Do players commit themsleves body and soul for Wenger as they do for Maureen? Im not sure they do. JM s players clearly like as well as respect the bloke. Arsenal need a coach of similar stature and until we get one we wont raise our bar. All coaches get it wrong some times, but rarely repeat the same errors time and again and hope for a different outcome.

  41. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:17 #45198

    What a hoot if Kallstrom or Bendnter scores the goal that wins Arsenal the title. Humble pie anyone??

  42. Zis is Arsene speakin..

    Feb 04, 2014, 12:03 #45197

    main bien relax our banque-balance is healthy n'est pa ? this guy Kim once he is out of crutches in 6 weeks he will surprise you and he was a free transfer. he can play centre forward, midfield or in goal. This is value no ? if i break the banque-balance in trying to win something and then i fail the Stan will fire me and zis is sans doubt the best job that any man can have.....

  43. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 11:59 #45196

    In the words of the Moody Blues: Tuesday afternoon, I'm just beginning to see, Now I'm on my way, It doesn't matter to me that Joe Fitz is blowing us away!

  44. Ron

    Feb 04, 2014, 11:57 #45195

    Id sooner have had nobody or say, a bloke in his 30s with a dodgy back than Demba Ba Joe.

  45. Bard

    Feb 04, 2014, 11:52 #45194

    Pretty brutal Joe but bang on. The quibble I have is that he hasn't really blown anything because he never went for it anyway. It's only us mugs that hoped for a proper title challenge.

  46. Masterclass

    Feb 04, 2014, 11:52 #45193

    I would not put my mortgage on any Wenger team going to have to get a vital result against another top team. I would however always put it on any team managed by Jose Mourinho. I dont care if you do not like him. If you love football and love winners then you simply have to respect this man's coaching abilities and absolute desire to win things

  47. James

    Feb 04, 2014, 11:30 #45192

    The way some of you talk is that only a striker can score a goal. Did Chelsea beat City last night because of their strikers, have Spain won World Cups and European Championships because of their strikers. Did Arsenal go into free fall when Van Persie left because they lost their striker, of course not. A good team attacks as a team and defends as a team, football games are not won by having loads of big ego'd super star strikers but by skill-full individuals who are comfortable all over the pitch.

  48. Chris

    Feb 04, 2014, 11:08 #45191

    Joe - If Giroud gets injured, I wouldn't be that much happier about Ba coming on in his place rather than Podolski playing in the centre. Yes Ba is a better bet than Bendtner but not by a country mile, esp as Nik is pretty decent at team play and we have plenty of goal scoring midfielders. And I think you're being naive if you thnk we could have got Hernandez or Ba for a 'little bit over the odds'. Man U seriously need H whilst the chances of Mourinho bolstering our strike force at this stage of the season for virtually any price are zero.

  49. Joe Fitzpatrick

    Feb 04, 2014, 10:57 #45190

    We all knew that we would have to face Liverpool twice, Bayern Munich and Manchester United after the window shut. I just can't help but feel that Wenger has blown it again and wasted a fantastic start to the season by not strengthening the squad again. Everyone is available for the right price (see Juan Mata to Man utd) and if we had to pay a little bit over the odds to get someone like Ba or Hernandez to cover for Giroud then I'd have been happy. What if Giroud gets injured now? Will you all be saying that we will win the league as he is stretchered off? Negligence.

  50. jeff wright

    Feb 04, 2014, 10:54 #45189

    The defence for Wenger only works this season if he wins the league ,although in recent times he has been in a better position to do so but failed . If he fails again then he will be ,well, the nearly man. Wenger is a great illusionist and who can ever forget how he managed to make the League Cup vanish before our very eyes when playing relegation doomed M'c Cleish's Brum at Wembley ... with Kos and Wolfy having one hand each on the trophy ... Arsene's next trick will be to make the the Barclay's Premier League trophy disappear ... now Nicolas can you step forward please...

  51. John Gooner

    Feb 04, 2014, 10:32 #45187

    Give Joe a break, he didn't know we were going to beat Crystal Palace at home and therefore definitely win the title.

  52. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 10:25 #45186

    @Gunner Rob, If you truly believed you were buying money at 4/5 on Man City winning PL (post 47777) you'd better have a press up at today's better rate of Evens. Opportunity to Double Your Money, anyone remember Hughie Green?

  53. James

    Feb 04, 2014, 10:04 #45185

    Silly poem, To me the anti Wenger are on the same level as the Stoke Orcs or the Crystal Palace travelling trampolining ultras.

  54. chris dee

    Feb 04, 2014, 9:55 #45183

    Aguero,Dzeko,Negredo,Jovetic.Your team got a damn good thrashing.

  55. alakanlaya

    Feb 04, 2014, 9:37 #45182

    well no one is blind as those who will not see

  56. Chris

    Feb 04, 2014, 9:34 #45181

    Little point in playing the remaining fixtures then, hey Joe? If the team had the same lilly-livered defeatist and weak minded approach as a sizeable section of the support that posts on here, we would have been relegated this season already. Truly pathetic and childish outbursts from a lot of you. Quite enjoyed the song though, but as Savage says an oportunity for something much cleverer and realsitic was passed up.

  57. Dark Hei

    Feb 04, 2014, 9:06 #45180

    What remarkable silliness. Last time round the naysayers say that we do not win the league in September. Now they say we have lost the league on 28th January! It matters not if we win on the pitch. The only thing that matters is buying a spanking new toy to get fans a high!

  58. Tony Evans

    Feb 04, 2014, 8:59 #45177

    Good stuff Joe and I share your frustrations. Wenger had so much time to buy in reinforcements yet he waits again until the last possible minute before apparently trying and failing to bring in either Klose or Kalou on loan. That tells me he knows full well that we are desperately short up front and yet he completely f**cks it up again. I despair of the man and don't understand why this happens time and time again.

  59. Savage

    Feb 04, 2014, 8:55 #45176

    Started off like an intelligent satire, ending in a twist about how the nearly man is top of the league. Until I realised it wasn't smart enough for that.

  60. Alsace Lorraine de Totteridge

    Feb 04, 2014, 8:51 #45175

    So you are comparing OGL to the character Jeremy Bender in Yellow Submarine. Or have I got that wrong. Anyway, very amusing. Mourinho's dismantling of the Man City Bandwagon through nous, preparation and his team having belief in him, as well as signing another effective central defensive midfielder, shows what we are missing. Hopefully the chaps will have watched that game and worked out what to do by themselves. We do have a realistic chance, but we now have to win all our games if we want the pot. We are scoring goals from all over the squad, which is good.

  61. TheRealWorld

    Feb 04, 2014, 8:47 #45174

    Meanwhile, in the Real World, Liverpool may well still lose out on 4th place, and we may very well win the title. Suarez's contract extension must surely have a release clause if they don't make the CL _yet again_. Ba? Podolski is better than him. Higuain? We probably wouldn't have signed Ozil if we'd gotten him early in the window, and I'd rather have Ozil. The Jan window is a joke... that's just the harsh reality of it, and Wenger is right to want it scrapped.

  62. Westlower

    Feb 04, 2014, 8:46 #45173

    Joe, Joe, Joe, You were going so well until you got to Demba Baaa (we've enough sheep here already). City's magnificent strike force couldn't muster a goal between them when they most needed to. So you reckon it's all up for AFC then Joe? Thankfully some of us retain belief. Quote from Mick Dennis in today's Express: 'Wenger can zip it up as a champion'. Arsenal's impatient supporters gain no solace from knowing they can take CL participation for granted. But the rest of the football world can see that qualifying for Europe's top tournament for 16 consecutive seasons - and reaching the knockout stages 14 times in succession - is proof of consistent excellence. Without the help of a Russian oligarch or a Middle-Eastern royal family Arsenal have blithely ensconced themselves in the top four. They have done it while constructing a spanking new ground and building up cash reserves. Remarkable. And, all the while, the Gunners have played wonderful, joyous football. Arsenal remain the only challengers to those subsidised spendthrifts, City & Chelsea.