From Joel Pergande : Norwich – fine margins
Myles,
Fairly accurate piece on the above game.
However no mention of the 2 definite penalties AFC did not get.
Also no penalties at home all season.
As we know, it is a game of fine margins.
The most important stat this season for AFC is the fact they have shipped nearly 50 league goals.
George Graham would be turning in his grave if he was dead.
No team deserves to finish in the top 3 who lets that many goals in in the current era.
However, they still might just do it. What does that say about the current state of the “Prem”. Sure Wenger is not the man he used to be, but then again who is? You’ve surely seen the excellent Mickey Rourke film “The Wrestler”.
However, judging by what else is genuinely on offer elsewhere to replace Arsene (forget Guardiola), we are just as well to stick with what we’ve got, aren’t we? 3rd or 4th in the league this season after the horrendous start, minus our entire midfield from last season (Cesc, Nasri and Wilshere, who was YPOTY last year), minus full-backs for much of the season having lost Gael “Not as good as Ashley” Clichy to City and Sagna to two leg breaks now, up against the financial might of the 2 Manchesters, up against Chelsea who despite their luck in the 2 cups, up against Spurs and Liverpool who both spent big, big, big.
Could we really have hoped for much more???
Had we had a player like “Toure Yaya”, we might have done better… but he is the most expensive player in the league. He was never going to come to us.
Myles replies :
Could you have hoped for more?
With this owner and this manager? Not really.
With David Moyes in charge, Arsenal would have turned up against QPR and Wigan.
So today’s visit to West Brom would be a formality rather than a potential trauma.
Szczesny has had a dip in form and may be out with a back injury.Odemwingie trained on Friday and looked sharp, we are told.
But West Brom have nothing to play for.
Their season is over and their manager’s left.
If Wenger had any class he would give Roy Hodgson a look at Oxlade this afternoon.
On Friday young Alex said that he played centre-mid as a kid. Bingo! A two-footed player who can swerve both ways can do what Bobby Charlton used to do in the mid-Sixties.
Dribble and shoot, score from inside the box as well as outside. Hold onto the ball when you’re winning, switch passes from one side of the pitch to the other, which Arsenal never do – Wenger’s robots are so obedient that there ‘s no crossfield.
Have you ever noticed that? 99% of their play is one-sided and gradual.
AOC might be the Bobby Charlton of 2014.
Yes, it’s a very different game now, with far less space. But football is football.
Right now, Alex is a raw kid with a lot of flair who will not improve unless he plays.
Long-term, we don’t know what kind of career Oxlade will have.
But, even now, he’s far better than the flaky Gervinho.
Unfortunately, Wenger is such a control-freak that he doesn’t want Oxlade in the England squad.
It’s a shame.
Alex could be an impact sub today and an impact sub for England as well.