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Arsenal (A) - Build-up thread

Pamplemousse

By Pamplemousse,
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CB Fry

CB Fry

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Posted
I fully believe Ralph wants a leaner, tighter squad to work with but I doubt it was his plan to be relying on Long for goals in order to survive.

 

By a remarkable coincidence the striker who, "doesn't really suit Ralph's style," just happens to be the one we had a £10m offer for. Who'd have thought. I think given choice Ralph would have signed a striker and sold Austin, rather than Gabbi but I guess we'll never know.

 

I also doubt we said to Ralph, "so about Cedric...?" and he replied, "no, get rid immediately and don't replace him. I want the only RB in my squad to be a mediocre academy player who isn't really ready yet."

 

This has boardroom fingerprints all over it and RH is just putting on a brave face IMO. If we stay up, he'll be straight in RK's office saying, "right, I've done my bit, now go and get me 2 proper f**king strikers."

Except he didn't select Gabbiadini or Cedric when he had the chance to.

 

Weird when facts don't fit the theory, ain't it?

 

If Ralph had want either of those two players to help keep us up, they'd be here now.

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beatlesaint

beatlesaint

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Nervous for this one. 4 weeks ago it was one of the games we expected to lose after 3 favourable games. Now it's become vital. Even a point would be huge, and for some bizarre reason I can see us grinding out a 1-1 draw

 

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

 

It would have been vital had Cardiff won Friday night. A point would see us out the bottom three, that would be a bonus.

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SKD

SKD

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Except he didn't select Gabbiadini or Cedric when he had the chance to.

 

Weird when facts don't fit the theory, ain't it?

 

If Ralph had want either of those two players to help keep us up, they'd be here now.

 

I’d imagine that Ralph expected them to be replaced. Not just sold then having to rely on a couple of youngsters who aren’t yet good enough.

 

Do you honestly believe Ralph thinks Austin is good/fit enough for his style? The only reason Austin wasn’t sold was because at that point it was clear we wouldn’t get a replacement.

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beatlesaint

beatlesaint

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I’d imagine that Ralph expected them to be replaced. Not just sold then having to rely on a couple of youngsters who aren’t yet good enough.

 

Do you honestly believe Ralph thinks Austin is good/fit enough for his style? The only reason Austin wasn’t sold was because at that point it was clear we wouldn’t get a replacement.

 

Yes to both points, what we have now isnt choice its circumstances.

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Pamplemousse

Pamplemousse

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From Ralph's comments it sounds like we'll be parking the bus, which is fair enough really. But going forward they're a very good attacking team, stopping them will be a major success. Also given our terrible league record at Arsenal, a point would be an amazing result. Defeat would not be the end of the world as long as we beat Fulham.

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beatlesaint

beatlesaint

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From Ralph's comments it sounds like we'll be parking the bus, which is fair enough really. But going forward they're a very good attacking team, stopping them will be a major success. Also given our terrible league record at Arsenal, a point would be an amazing result. Defeat would not be the end of the world as long as we beat Fulham.

 

We aren't good enough in defence to park the bus against a team like Arsenal for 90 minutes, especially if Stephens plays and decides to put his arm up to hail a fkin taxi in the penalty area !

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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

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Except he didn't select Gabbiadini or Cedric when he had the chance to.

 

Weird when facts don't fit the theory, ain't it?

 

If Ralph had want either of those two players to help keep us up, they'd be here now.

 

How do you know he had the chance?

 

A manager who made a point of wanting to give everyone a chance, including the likes of Ramsey, Gunn, Johnson, Slattery and Gallagher but decided an Italian international wasn’t worth checking out for a couple of games, or worth having as an option when Ings was injured?

 

I reckon RK knew we had offers for Cédric and Gabbi and told RH not to get too attached to them.

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Gingeletiss

Gingeletiss

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How do you know he had the chance?

 

A manager who made a point of wanting to give everyone a chance, including the likes of Ramsey, Gunn, Johnson, Slattery and Gallagher but decided an Italian international wasn’t worth checking out for a couple of games, or worth having as an option when Ings was injured?

 

I reckon RK knew we had offers for Cédric and Gabbi and told RH not to get too attached to them.

 

So! CB's theory is challenged by you, then you present yours as more believable. This forum is well weird!

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CB Fry

CB Fry

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How do you know he had the chance?

 

A manager who made a point of wanting to give everyone a chance, including the likes of Ramsey, Gunn, Johnson, Slattery and Gallagher but decided an Italian international wasn’t worth checking out for a couple of games, or worth having as an option when Ings was injured?

 

I reckon RK knew we had offers for Cédric and Gabbi and told RH not to get too attached to them.

 

Your argument is the manager was forced against his will to not select players he genuinely believed would help us fight off relegation, which was the primary objective he would have been given the day he got the job.

 

Your theories and ideas require far more leaps of imagination than mine do.

 

If Ralph rated Cedric and Gabbiadini then a) he would have picked them and b) they'd still be here.

 

Simple.

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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

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Your argument is the manager was forced against his will to not select players he genuinely believed would help us fight off relegation, which was the primary objective he would have been given the day he got the job.

 

Your theories and ideas require far more leaps of imagination than mine do.

 

If Ralph rated Cedric and Gabbiadini then a) he would have picked them and b) they'd still be here.

 

Simple.

 

My argument is that he was told when he was appointed that we are trying to reduce the wage bill and will need to sell before we can buy. Gabbi and Cedric were two players attracting interest and RH was told not to make plans for them or, more importantly, let them get injured. I think RH was okay with it, based on the premise that we were trying to bring in replacements, which of course we failed to do.

 

Why would he not give them any game time to at least see what they look like? When he is willing to give a bunch of kids their first start to try them out, why was he so convinced an Italian international and a Euro 2016 winner aren't worth looking at?

 

Not only did he not want to give them a single game to see if they were any good but you're saying he thought we'd be better having absolutely nobody in their place? What about Elyounoussi, does RH rate him?

 

If this is the squad RH wants, why did we (supposedly) try and waste all that money bringing in Maehle, Agustin and the rest, if he doesn't want them?

 

Can we at least agree he doesn't rate Hoedt. :D

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CB Fry

CB Fry

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My argument is that he was told when he was appointed that we are trying to reduce the wage bill and will need to sell before we can buy. Gabbi and Cedric were two players attracting interest and RH was told not to make plans for them or, more importantly, let them get injured. I think RH was okay with it, based on the premise that we were trying to bring in replacements, which of course we failed to do.

 

Why would he not give them any game time to at least see what they look like? When he is willing to give a bunch of kids their first start to try them out, why was he so convinced an Italian international and a Euro 2016 winner aren't worth looking at?

 

Not only did he not want to give them a single game to see if they were any good but you're saying he thought we'd be better having absolutely nobody in their place? What about Elyounoussi, does RH rate him?

 

If this is the squad RH wants, why did we (supposedly) try and waste all that money bringing in Maehle, Agustin and the rest, if he doesn't want them?

 

Can we at least agree he doesn't rate Hoedt. :D

 

You're all over the place.

 

You're now pretending Cedric and Gabbiadini didn't play at all under Ralph when clearly they did get some game time. Remember your own previous post about how Ralph "gave everyone a chance"? They had a chance, he preferred Valery and Austin and Obefemi.

 

He didnt rate them, he let them go. If he wanted either of those players to be front line, key players, then they would still be here.

 

We didn't buy anyone but Ralph would have had his eyes open that this was very likely. It was obvious to little old me that we would fail to sign players in January because we always co ck windows up so it should have been obvious to him if he did his homework on our ways of working.

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Chewy

Chewy

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Can we stop this argument now? A) it's about some bonkers conspiracy theory, B) it's irrelevant as they're not available to pick and C) it's extremely tedious.

 

So, to the game. Can't see any chance to be honest, but hoping to be proved wrong and pleasantly surprised at a sneaky point. Either way, just hope we play well so can take some confidence into Wednesday which now is a must win.

 

All the cliches about free hit and anything being a bonus apply today.

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CB Fry

CB Fry

Posted
Posted
All this 'my made up theory is better than your made up theory' is hilarious. None of us have a clue what he knew/knows/thinks but in any event we have the squad that we do. Get behind the team and the manager ffs
Agree. However, there's only one made up theory in play.

 

Gabbiadini is on record saying he left SFC entirely because the manager not rating him. Over and out.

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SaintZamboni

SaintZamboni

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What a bunch of miserable bar stewards! We beat them and they get all cry baby about it. The one guy posting that Ralph isn’t better than Hughes is the best. Absolute ignorance from someone who evidently doesn’t watch anyone other than his own team through rose tinted specs.

Hopeful we’ll get a draw 1-1

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Useful Idiot

Useful Idiot

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Posted

I'd probably go for this team against them to be honest:

 

-------------------------McCarthy------------------------

------------Bednarek-----Yoshida-----Bertrand------------

Valery----------Hojbjerg---------Romeu------------Targett

---------Redmond---------------------Armstrong---------

----------------------???????????------------------------

 

I don't think any of the available forwards are good enough. Long's legs seem to have gone, Austin has no mobility, on recent performances Gallagher doesn't look great, Obafemi is raw and just back from injury and I haven't seen enough of Barnes to have an opinion of him.

 

If Obafemi is fit enough to play from the start I'd probably pick him because he is quick and seems able to control a football. If not, I'd probably go for Gallagher because picking Austin is like playing with 10 men when we don't have the ball, and picking Long after he's lost his pace is like playing with 10 men full stop.

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egg

egg

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I'd probably go for this team against them to be honest:

 

-------------------------McCarthy------------------------

------------Bednarek-----Yoshida-----Bertrand------------

Valery----------Hojbjerg---------Romeu------------Targett

---------Redmond---------------------Armstrong---------

----------------------???????????------------------------

 

I don't think any of the available forwards are good enough. Long's legs seem to have gone, Austin has no mobility, on recent performances Gallagher doesn't look great, Obafemi is raw and just back from injury and I haven't seen enough of Barnes to have an opinion of him.

 

If Obafemi is fit enough to play from the start I'd probably pick him because he is quick and seems able to control a football. If not, I'd probably go for Gallagher because picking Austin is like playing with 10 men when we don't have the ball, and picking Long after he's lost his pace is like playing with 10 men full stop.

I like that back 3. I'd have Redmond up top in that system with JWP in behind with Armstrong.

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Badger

Badger

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Posted

 

A game againts a sort of a bogey team in a relagation fight and with Shane Long? Draw written all over it.

 

Bogey team ? We haven't won a league game at their place (Highbury , and since the Emirates) in our last 23 visits. Shane Long score ?

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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

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What's the average attendance at The Emirates?

 

I remember it being about 1/4 full last season when they played Man City, apparently because 6th in the League, a cup final and last 8 of the Europa league was such an embarrassment and they were staying away in protest. Can't beat die-hard fans who support their club through thick and thin.

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Bad Wolf

Bad Wolf

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You're probably right unfortunately, but playing five in there will give us a better chance. Five at the back leaves us so exposed in the centre of the park and I fear a hammering if we do. But here's hoping for a miracle!

 

Just play 7-0-3 and hope for the best.

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