Fabregas is a better leader, has more intangibles than Özil. Been saying that and no way Özil would have come back from the problems Fabregas had, had it been him. He'd have cowered.
Özil is simply not a leader RM and the German team are tailor made for him. Others do the defensive work and heavy lifting giving him his sole job to make those sublime passes.
For the type of team we have (and need) Özil isn't a necessity. He'd have done well in the old invincible side.

I thought our support was pretty decent for a change decent amount of noise and I doth my cap to the guys doing that back turned thingy when we scored our equaliser

Would you have been so casual about it had it been an Arsenal goal that was disallowed? You didn't even mention their disallowed goal until I did, and now you're trying to make excuses for the wrong decision. The excuses have relevance, by the way. But so would excuses about many of the refereeing decisions you moan about.

Let me give you some advice. By going on and on so much about referees, your basic point loses credibility. Some of the moans you come out with, okay let me change 'Some' to 'Most', or even 'The huge majority' may have a bit of relevance. But it's lost by your silly - and it is silly -repetitive moans about referees. You look for any excuse to moan about them. I suspect the reason you didn't today was that that vital, probably game changing and incorrect decision, benefited Arsenal so much that had you been a City fan you'd have been moaning that he was corrupt or incompetent because he came from anywhere six inches south of somewhere. Make your posts during games more relevant by focusing on clear and important mistakes, not irrelevant, minor and debatable decisions for which there's no evidence they changed the course of the game. And just as importantly, rather than ignore them mention the wrong decisions that benefit Arsenal.

Your ultra or extreme bias costs your basic point some, or much of, its relevance. My opinion, obviously.

Özil has wonderful technical ability and vision, no doubt, but it's his body language that does my head in, the way he loses the ball and looks round in disbelief and then ambles back half-heartedly whilst the rest of the side are busting a gut to get back and defend.

People will say that if you look at the stats he does more running than anyone, and maybe that is so, but it's his whole demeanour that rankles with me.

A very good result yesterday for those Arsenal fans who want their team to win. Nice to see so many happy faces. The FA Cup is still a cracking competition and to get to the final yet again speaks well of our club.

I blame AW for Alexi's current form. Check the stats for his recent form and I bet I am right that he is not the same player as he was last year.

He should be our fox in the box and he should be leading our attack not stuck on the wing waiting for the ball to be passed to him.

On the wing he is not the same player.

Putting aside the nosetweak from Hoy - amusing given the way in which his own schnoz takes immediate evasive action on the far more frequent less happy occasions this season - yesterday was very interesting.

The seeds of hope were certainly there. Lovely to see Gabriel do well, ditto Holding and the Ox and there was a resilience hitherto absent from most of the season, even though some of the usual suspects were pretty ordinary again.

It is always churlish at this stage to start with the buts so here goes.

I was sure we were going to win pretty much as soon as the match started. We were playing like the inferior side, it was a cup tie and in such cup ties the inferior side will sometimes grab victory especially when the better side is not converting its chances. And we got lucky which is not of course unusual in football but neither can it be counted upon.

I will be very interested to see what happens next especially against Tottenham but I was pleased Arsenal won because I have realised that win or lose makes no difference to Wenger just as it doesn't to that other stubborn old *%^@ destroying the Labour Party (obligatory Corbyn reference you're welcome).

If you ask me, however, whether being in a cup final makes up for two more years of Wenger then my answer remains unequivocal. No. Equally, as I have mentioned I believe it actually makes no difference so I shall be looking forward to the final in which I hope - but don't fully expect - we will follow a similar pattern.

Yes, I expect Chelsea to prevail as they have the better players, and the way they overcame a very good Spurs side was impressive. That they could put on Hazard, Costa and Fabregas as substitutes tells you where the power lies in London football. Yesterday was a different match between two much flakier teams and it went our way. As for it not making much difference to Arsene, you could not have drawn that conclusion from his reaction at the final whistle. The win rightly meant a lot to him and his players, and the vast majority of Arsenal fans.

Really?

I meant that it would make no difference as to his decision over whether he stayed or left the club.

What I find interesting is the assumption that he's playing so badly. Had he not got the goal, I'd have still seen him as having a very good game. I suggest many people, had they read the forum from the time of that post, may well have seen it as a positive remark about Wenger's management. Which it presumably wasn't meant as. As I've said, bubblechris just has a major downer on Sanchez.

But why would any team want Özil to be doing the heavy lifting? That is not his job. We rarely saw Bergkamp or Henry defending. You don't see Messi, Ronaldo or Griezemann doing it too often. Isn't it about time we appreciated Özil for what he does as an extremely clever midfielder and a very efficient provider of goals? Cowering? Come on!

Is intangibles a euphemism?

Perish the thought that a positive comment might be made about our manager! Of course these things should go both ways - presumably when any player is brilliant Le Boss should get some credit?

Anyway Dartford are in the play-offs with a chance to get into the Conference. We have a young, powerful striker called Dwayne Ofori-Acheampong who would scare the life out of many Premiership defenders. Hopefully we can hang on to him but when Real Madrid calls...

In the 50s we had a winger called Gordon Nutt, whose performances sometimes had the fans describing him as nutless.

Maybe Gordon got a few kicks in the intangibles.

"I think this article misses the point to the discrepancy of the stats it's not the contract it's his position, when Alexis was starting as a striker he was scoring goals he was creating chances and Arsenal was winning. Then Wenger started putting Giroud\Welbeck up top Arsenal starting it's declined. Now Alexis on the left side and can't create as much offense because now teams build their defensive strategy around him because there is no real threat down the middle"

Comment at the end of this link, not mine. The stats don't lie:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/s ... s-10209601

Good post hoy. I just think American is desperate to use his largely unfair criticism of Özil as an excuse to suggest how marvelous Fabregas is and was. What problems did Fabregas have that he came back from so heroically, that Özil would have cowered at? Was it him, not Ramsey, who had his leg broken at Stoke?

Stats don't always tell the whole truth though, and thus can be used to bend the truth. Carragher's remark was little short of idiotic.

I agree with you, Hoy, but if we're going to let Özil be Özil then he must play his part by being Özil.

I'm saying why are we expecting something from Özil that he never showed before. I think its unfair. I think he has improved in areas he hasn't before. Definitely tougher. He scores more. The other skills [passing, vision] hasn't declined.

I would like him to develop the ability to change matches but its not what he came here with.

I don't disagree really. A bit like Xhaka (imo) he's almost, almost, there. Heard Wrghty say on Friday on Arsecast that Xhaka and Özil are players he'd have love to have played in front of and there's a sense that he'd get, demand, the best from them. Give them the eyes make the run and forge an understanding. Like Song and VP when he kept doing that high dink over the top knowing that VP is some sort of laser guided wizard who can volley that with the force of 3 Hassailbanks into the top corner.

Giroud and Walcott don't give a toss, they aren't those players. Alexis is perhaps a little too much the other way, but for that reason stick him up front I think. The reason he isn't is that why have Giroud and to some degree Welbeck in the squad then? Whatever bench Giroud and get Alexis up top. That's football.

If Özil can get some understandings around him with a forward in front of him who will make the runs and more drive in him that's a player I want. Without that he's half a player. He's the only player with that magic that we've got though and for that reason unless we replace him with somebody, Mahrez maybe, I wouldn't want to see him go just yet.

We are clearly underdogs in the final and that's not a bad thing IF Chelsea are a bit over confident going into the final and possibly get caught out early.

I hope this alleged Arsenal make over starting this summer, begins from the back. Defenses wins titles. We are much too weak at the back and its either lack of talent or lack of organization. Team defense can be much, much better as well.

I'm also not ruling out 4th. Again, we always produce some surprise wins. I don't think its a foregone conclusion we are out of it.Anyone think its a done deal that we are out?

"Alexis current form "


Jesus wept

It's hard to work out if Ozils qualities outweigh his glaring deficiencies.

Could have killed him for leisurely getting up after losing the ball yesterday

He's a talent definitely but has some pretty notable flaws

Sorry hadn't read Ashley George's post when I just sent that ...

However good to see I'm not alone

My opinion on Özil,he may infuriate some people with what looks like a lazy attitude, but when he looses the ball in final third areas​ and he
only strolls back ( by the way George Graham did this and wasn't criticised) when other players are running back to help defend he is there for any clearances from defense, as in the first half we cleared only for it to come straight back, and exactly how city scored their goal, he is in the team to create not to tackle back and harass the opposition.

Also like to comment on Holding, he's shown every time hes played a maturity beyond his years, cannot fault him in his attitude and some amount of skills on the ball. Think that was Gabriels best game, ironically on his 50th appearance. Well done as well to the Ox deservedly motm, finally when Monreal is be written off he has a brilliant match, not just for his goal but his for his endeavour right through the game.

Had a few enjoyable matches I have watched Arsenal this season. I also mad quite a few good days out following them. However, yesterday was easily the best all around day this season watching and following Arsenal.

Away Boyz
Food
Match
Caught up in proper punch up after match. Had to fend off to make sure Luke did not get caught up in it.
More food.
Looking forward to final
#wengerout

Last time I saw a punch up outside the ground it was also City. I was with my son too.

Only time I've been punched direct in the face, from behind after a tap on the shoulder, was against them as well.

Steve, it wasn't an Out versus In fight then??

Does Wenger's formation change signal he's willing to change?

"Arsenal chief exec Ivan Gazidis has offers to leave London this summer.

The Times says Gazidis whose maternal Grandmother is Cypriot. is set to snub mega-money offers from America and remain at the Emirates – despite a bust-up with Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners boardroom chief has been courted by the US Soccer Federation.

But Gazidis, 52, is said to be keen on remaining in London to oversee the post-Wenger period at Arsenal.

He has been identified as a potential successor to Sunil Gulati, the US Soccer Federation president, who is due to step down next year."

http://www.parikiaki.com/2017/04/cyprio ... -to-leave/

First chance to post since the semi. Great to win and great to see a bit of heart, desire and commitment in the performance - because for me we didn't really play that well, we weren't fluent and struggled to create much until it got a bit end to end with some tired legs at the end.

Credit to Holding and Gabriel in defence - obviously to Kos too but we expect that sort of performance from him. Ox played well again in his wing back role and Sanchez so often our match winner. Wenger deserves credit for the timing of his subs, Welbeck for Giroud done at just the right time and bellerin on for Ox was correct as Ox had got through a lot of work down the right and that is where Sane was coming in from. Coq on at the end to shore it up was fine by me.

Lets also be fair and say we had a degree of luck in the result. Of the 3 contentious decisions City's goal was a big let off and a very bad call from the ref at a critical point of the game. I thought Ageuro's pen was touch and go, pundits kept going on about contact from Ox but contact doesn't equal foul (don't know why everyone seems to think it does when looking at pens) Ageuro seemed to trip himself more. The Sanchez one was more clear cut for me, Navas loses him and just grapples for anything he can get his hand on - certain pen. City also hit the post twice but welbeck had a couple of great chances as well.

The 3 at the back has been an ok move to regain some confidence, I'm not convinced of it long term, or that we have the players for it. If we keep going with it I'd like to see Sanchez go back up front and Iwobi/Welbeck come in. I still think we need some more dynamic player in central midfield. Xhaka and Ramsey did ok but there is a lack of speed and agility in there.

Could be some rotation for Leicester on wednesday as 120 minutes will have sapped some energy.

I kinda get all that but when you lose the ball a few minutes before the final whistle of extra time at Wembley ....

Also Giroud was a pile of shite yesterday. So static, no outball in the first half.

Credit to holding and ox who were both fantastic

I feel that the linesman is getting overly criticised for the disallowed goal. It took a camera from the vantage point of the corner flag to see that the a moving ball was in just in by mere centimetres. In fact from his perspective the ball would have looked out so its unreasonable to expect him to see otherwise given his position.

Peak Gleiber.

What is there for me to eat humble pie about, although I don't touch pies with pastry toppings anyway? I was trying to give you helpful advice about your moans about referees, that's all. Sorry if it offended you. Bias is natural for football fans. I'm actually biased myself. It's just I suspect your moans about referees might have more impact if you tried to be a little more even handed.

On your points about Bayern, do you know they play three friendlies each year against German sides who are in financial difficulties, and meet all the costs for holding the friendlies themselves so that 100% of the gate receipts from the match go to whatever club it is? Is that your idea of bullying? By the way, they don't have a patch on cheating compared to the Spanish giants. Any hatred for them in Germany is apparently largely based on jealousy.