Linkage : https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4926086/olivier-giroud-injury-arsenal-tottenham

Olivier Giroud injury rules Arsenal forward out of North London derby with Tottenham

Striker picked up a thigh strain in France's 2-0 win over Wales and has not recovered in time to face Spurs on Saturday lunchtime

Kos, Mustafi and Welbeck could all be fit to play........

The news on Giroud, obviously not good. Just read last 6 matches in NLDs we haven't won, drawn 4 lost 2. I remember when those were the kinds of results they were getting against us. We'd win at home, draw away most seasons.
This is the first time that I can remember where I felt we were underdogs at home in an NLD. I've never bet on a football match so I don't know if I'm reading the odds right but it seems its fairly even.
A win would give me a little solace in a season where its going to be depressing.

PS and please, please football gods, hand City a loss soon.

Apologies if you think I'm trolling you but do you have any idea when Spurs last won at the Arsenal?

Are u sure Welbeck is fit. Haven’t been able to find any confirmation

If u think that AW is not damaging the Arsenal brand look no further than this forum where a couple of days out from a derby there is simply no interest at all. Put your hand on your heart & say that you really care what the result is.

I have to agree with this Gaz, although I think it's Kroenke and Wenger, not the latter alone, who are damaging the Arsenal brand. I feel people should remember that Kroenke is the only reason why Wenger is still in his current job and any harm Wenger is doing to the club in that role is a direct consequence of Stan's decision.

That is a good point about the owner. I am struggling to see any light ahead. The players who will leave in the next 2 years will not be adequately replaced in my opinion. That plus the mental weakness of the remaining players is of concern. Only a change at the top gives us a chance for a turn around. I am not sure which arsenal team will turn up this weekend.

Lacazette is ray of hope. He's very good an unknown quantity to sperz. They won't know his movements. Assuming he starts with Giroud being out presumably.
How do we contain Kane, Alli and company? That's going to be the tough thing. I think we can score couple goals. More than capable despite Tottenham defending well as a team as evidenced by their goal against record. Its an NLD so players will be up for it.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41485422
Price of Football 2017: Premier League clubs cut or freeze majority of prices

I was very surprised at Liverpool's prices. Hand clap for them. Already a given we'd be the most expensive. Mildly surprised at Tottenham's prices but then again they have a stadium to build so understanding of the price.

The cheapest day out in men's football in England is at Liverpool, where a ticket, pie, tea and programme could cost as little as £18.40. That is thanks largely to the availability of 500 £9 tickets at Anfield for fans living in the L postcode area.
Arsenal have the most expensive matchday ticket at £95.50 - but this has been reduced from last season. Their season ticket includes all home Premier League games and seven European and FA Cup games.
As in previous years, three London clubs have the most expensive season tickets - Arsenal (£1,768), Tottenham (£1,700), Chelsea (£1,250) - but Arsenal and Tottenham's have been reduced and Chelsea's has stayed the same.

I think you neglected 2 issues when looking at Lacazette, first will Wenger start him. Secondly spurs actually have a manager who will likely actually brief his players about what tactics to use on Lac.

Then of course there remains the Arsenal defence. Eleneny, coq, Holding - just pick one of these names out of the hat. Anyway that is enough of my negativity. Time for Goonie to come on and cheer us up. The infuriating part is that if everyone plays to their maximum from the first to the last minute we could win the game.

[quote]on the rest of the team news…
Mustafi will have a final check [on Friday], Welbeck as well. I’ll make decisions on all of them [on Friday].

Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/team-news- ... b77z8Jx.99

You're right. In one off games anything can happen, and worse teams than Arsenal have beaten better teams than Tottenham countless times before. However, despite that I'm finding it hard to come up with any other pre-match prediction than a Tottenham win tomorrow.

Even though I'm firmly parked on the sidelines, I still believe that we have a good squad and good players but it's the management that is *%^@*** them up. Reading some the excerpts from Lehman's book and there is some good insight into Wenger's management style. Nothing has changed and nothing will change until that stubborn git is gone.

Count your blessings, maybe Lacazette will get a start.

Cos I'm sick and tired of waiting for Arsene to retire gracefully I hope we get *%^@*** flogged if it helps hasten his departure. I think it's in the best long term interests of the club if we get rid of him now rather than allow another 18 months of delusion and guff.

My prediction for tomorrow is that it will be a park the bus day with a couple of pacey players up front to take advantage of them pushing up too high.

I think he fears them scoring more than us not scoring. If it is going to be then who plays and who doesn't could be a problem. Personally, if I am right, I'd like Lacazette up front with Özil on the left. Imo this is not a game for Sanchez to start or an indisciplined Xhaka possibly Ramsey and Jack in the middle.

Of course he could do the opposite in which case they will pick us off every time we go forward.

Also mystified by this belief that Welbeck is any good. He's barely been on the pitch!!?!?. Now I know the retort will be about stats and "when he plays, things happen" but he doesn't play for more than 2 games at a time so what good is all that potential. It's like having a full tank of petrol in a jag(sorry gaz couldn't help it) that will either sit in the driveway or break down the minute it leaves the street.

Fair assessment on the tactical side but a red card for the "what will Wenger's do" analysis. Wenger has only on the rare occasions changed style for a game but he can't, and doesnt, do it game after game. I'm predicting a 4-2 win to spuds and for Arsenal to be
completely overrun in midfield.

Wenger ( ) claims he is a principled man. If his principle is to play good football and the success of a club. Then, he should not stay around to collaborate the demise of Arsenal football club with Stan. He is an experienced man (in his words too). So, he could choose his choice. He chose to stay around and try to pull wool over the players and supporters eyes. Shame on him.

Indeed. Principled my arse(nal). Stan didn't hold a gun to Wenger's head in the summer. He could have done the right thing and said thanks but no thanks to the two year deal.

I'd rather Tottenham dick us 5-0 tomorrow than suffer a narrow defeat where Wenger will inevitably blame the ref. If they were to batter us maybe he would finally smell the coffee and do us all a favour and walk.

I agree, as I don't see him as remotely principled. He's too in love with himself and puts his own self-interest (his huge salary and power mania) above anything else, including the health of Arsenal. However, that's the reason I don't believe he'd walk if we get dicked against Tottenham. If he did, that would make him principled, at least to an extent. He's a selfish old man concerned primarily with himself, and being a past it has-been makes that even more dangerous for the club.

I will await the cheers when the spuds score on Sunday and the jeers if and when we score. I cannot believe I read an arse website and read this negative shite. Yes I would like things to change but you guys would like to see spuds win WTF?

They can score 500 on Sunday as far as I'm concerned but like you Da I hope they don't sccore between 12 and 3pm tomorrow.

I trust you got the hidden message.................

Oh yeah I got the message, Bubblechris from Paralimni.

What would a Hammer's fan be doing in Cyprus ?

Agree Dafatone, I’m beyond sick and tired with Wenger etc but i hope we destroy those *%^@ers good and proper. I don’t think we will but I will be a happy man if we do. *%^@ Wenger, *%^@ Kroenke, *%^@ Spurs, up the Arsenal.

10 hrs to go and counting.
#UTA

Arsenal in a nervy 3-2 or 2-1 win.

I'm torn with this one. Don't want to see Spurs win. But if we win, Wenger ( ) and his players will go with their "self-belief" BS again. It is not helping the long term of the club, with this start-stop ways. It has been going on for too long (a decade !!!!!!!!!). How many times have we been put on a pedestal. only to drop later. The club and team is not fundamentally set-up for a better tomorrow. Beginning with the departure of an arrogant and stubborn manager. He no longer has any magic (or clue of his lack of)

Another 1-1 draw

Aussies: The game will be broadcast LIVE on SBS from 11:00 Pm

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article ... l-sbs-week

Had a discussion with a fellow Gooner. A coworker, Swede, became a fan when Freddie became a legend. We had a talk about players in the Wenger era that 'threw away' a chance to become Arsenal legends. Some them could give a toss probably.
So far we came up with this, any more?
Reyes
Ashley Cole
Fabregas
van Persie
Nasri
Adebayor
Hleb
Diarra
Bentley
Clichy was debatable
Kolo Toure was debatable
Lord Bendtner debatable

Thanks mate. Although it is 10pm eastern standard time or 11pm in the Deep South.

Thanks mate. Although it is 10pm eastern standard time or 11pm in the Deep South.

Well this is the crux, ( and I see it’s been referred to elsewhere ) if you want Wenger to go - and whether he would or not is a separate issue- this purgatory has gone for so long, that the real question is raised, how can you get 100% enjoyment from winning a game, when you know Wenger’s smug grin will be present and that he will live off the result for at least 6 months. This will make the fan protests harder to raise in the Spring when the conditions are right ( I hear from the boys that this is the strategy, with hopes to get the numbers up and strategic banners inside the ground too )

So whilst most of us find it hard to actively cheer for spuds , the though of at least seeing Wenger in full on pressure mode, squirming and getting stick from all sides is far more appealing. Even if he still going to cling on , its personally satisfying and gives us an interest, childish maybe? But you take your pleasures where you can. So many end up doing what I do , watch the game in pretty much neutral indifference. This brings into question the point daz made when I was last on here a couple of weeks back , if some of us no longer care about the club or results that much are we still fans . And like him, he has Brentford and I have BHA to channel interest ( the real big game for me is Monday night vs Stoke) , so I guess I might not be anymore either? I don’t especially like that feeling, but that is what has happened, never thought it would after 50 odd years either. So even in a world when Wenger finally goes ( and ideally Kroenke too) I should in theory come back into the fold, but the likleyhood is that the goalposts will have moved, and maybe the best I can hope for is to support two teams. Time will tell.

One thing I don’t miss on a derby morning , from the Aubert Park days is having that bloody helicopter whirring over head from about 2 hours before k.o

When you get to the point an Arsenal manager has to emphasize his side are not underdogs in an NLD, its a low point. A very low point
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/wenger-ars ... 08883.html

I'd be fairly disappointed if that's all I got in a knock shop Gaz .... the shambolic NZ rugby league team didn't learn much from losing to Tonga last week .... tonight they lost to Fiji by the enormous score of 4 - 2 .

Quite right ...all those who want us to lose to Spurs [ including my own son ... traitorous little swine ]

I admire Spurs as a team and what Pochettino has done but they have some absolute gilt edged f*** full blown anal fans and sure as hell I wouldn't want to give them anything at all to be cheerful about .

I'd rather we beat Spurs then go on and lose to Brighton , Bournemouth , Burnley , Southampton .

Whatever the result there is no way Wenger will leave before his contract expires unless we lose about twenty in a row .

I doubt whether he has anything else going on in his life except football .

At least you have the north London derby to cheer you up. Have not bothered watching the rugby league World Cup other than the first game against England. It wasn’t much of a game at all.

Ashes coming up but I hardly know any of the players so interest is not really there. If England don’t beat this mob I will be shocked. We have a number of fast bowlers who are as capable of putting together a few games as Welbeck & Wilshere are for arsenal.

Been on magnetic island for a couple of weeks so all is pretty laid back. Arsenal can still raise my blood pressure however.

If I were in England with a few dozen Spuds supporters chomping at the bit to banter for weeks after then I might think differently. Sadly, having been a passionate supporter and then watching the management ridicule and take the piss of the supporters, I know what I'm seeing and don't care what the result is, as long as it means something will change.

Know what you're saying but Wenger picked up the pen and signed so is complicit.