Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Rocky7 
Date:Saturday November 3 2012
Time: 12:15PM
UK time is: 02:58:57
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Team News: Man Utd vs Arsenal
Playing Manchester United at Old Trafford is one of two fixtures that hold little enjoyment for me. Along with Tottenham at White Hart Lane this game is nothing short of gut-wrenching.
It`s an all too rare occurrence that we get a win at OT, and even when we do we usually require a large slice of luck on top of bitty performance, make no mistake, to take three points home today we`re going to need to work hard, play well AND be very lucky.
The likelihood that we`ll get all three of those things is very small and, truth be told, I`d be delighted with a draw today. Should we start like we did against Reading in that amazing 7-5 game, there will be no dramatic turn-around. Indeed, after being hammer 8-2 there last season we know exactly what happens when we don`t show up.
That said, Manchester United`s defence can definitely be got at today, their back line is as leaky as I ever remember it, if we can get Cazorla on the ball often we stand a good chance that he`ll create something for himself or his team mates.
Let`s hope that today is one of those rare occurrences and that we can take an unlikely three points.
Here`s the team.
Team: Mannone, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen (c), Santos, Arteta, Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere, Podolski, Giroud.
Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Walcott, Coquelin, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Chamakh
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Your Comments
Dear oh dear. 1-0 to RvP already.
Gooner_Vin
The game plan was to keep it down and probably keep vP quiet. Well, that hasn't worked to plan. We need to speed things up with confidence; we've been too tentative and just glad to keep the ball in our own half without much penetration. Think Wilshere is suffering from the second game syndrome for a returnee; he benefited from being informed late about the first game he played while he had too much time to think about this game. Courage is what is needed, not a desire to keep the score line low.
Naijagunner
There's a massive gulf between these two sides. Bar Jack, Cazorla, Mert and Arteta, we look a really average side. Oh well, this squad was never really going to challenge for the title. Sad to see another season go away. I don't see us ever winning a trophy under Kroenke.
Gooner_Vin
HAHHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!
Henry Baker Brown
Man Utd brush Arsenal with consummate ease. We are way, way behind the top 3 and it's absolutely laughable that Gazidis and Wenger responded to van Stapleton that 'we look forward to next season with ambition'. Yeah right.
Gooner_Vin
By the end of the day you'll be five points behind Spurs. You just can't match the mighty lillies! At the end of the day, you know that Wenger will keep on jacking up the prices to keep his bank balance overflowing while he serves up the same pathetic stinky ***** year in year out.
Henry Baker Brown
It is rather surprising to see just how wide the gulf between these sides has become, given the way we started the season. We lacked confidence today and looked like we wanted to just hide, keep the scores low, which explains why we started to show any urgency only after it was clear it couldn't get worse. At this rate, we need to dig deep from somewhere to restore our usual style. Poldi disturbs me these days. He lacks punch and is rather too negative for my liking. His Bayern days coming back to haunt him?
Naijagunner
Henry - we'll see you later when you get turned over by Wigan.
Gooner_Vin
It is a bit stale to even use the injuries to a few of our players as excuse. What was missing today was a sense of history! None of the players on today, bar Theo, Bacary and Vermaelen understand the rivalry and the captain didnt do his reputation any good, today. Bacary hardly went forward, which surprised me because he is very useful flying down the wings; fair to say he had to keep an eye on Young and Evra, but aren't those two equally supposed to keep an eye on our players on the right side?
Naijagunner
5 points? Pah. Childs play. We overturned 13 points last season. Piece of P**s.
Rocky7
If Malaga hadn't gone bankrupt you guys Really would be in trouble this time
HuddersfieldYiddo
Problem is our second choice players are nowehere near good enough. With Szczesny and Gibbs in the team we might have had half a chance. With Santos and Mannone we didn't really have a hope in hell. The likes of City, Man Utd, Chelsea can cope with a few injuries. We can't and that's why we won't challenge for the title again any time soon. Also Vermaelen has looked poor this season, he always had flaws in his game but instead of improving he seems to have got worse. Unluckily for us Koscielny hasn't been great either with Per our only consistent centre back at the moment.
bowiecokemirror
If Spurs weren't s***e we'd have been in real trouble last time. You can "if" and "but" all you like, but the table never lies. You have been better than us SO FAR this season, we have been better than you for the last 17 years. See you in May ;)
Rocky7
Bowie - don't think Mannone did a lot wrong today. I also don't believe it's just about our second choice players. Out of our three additions, it's only Cazorla that is truly world-class. We obviously lost van stapleton and song so we are even weaker than last season when one man carried us to third. Also, our style of play and tactics aren't working. Teams have worked out how to play us and nullify us. We need at least 3 top class additions in the mould of Cazorla and van Stapleton added to this squad plus a change of style to even be competitive.
Gooner_Vin
Szczesny gives us more confidence when defending crosses or any high balls in to the box. Agree Mannone didn't do much wrong today but he could have come for the ball when Evra scored. We were definitely outplayed today but I still think Podolski and Giroud will improve once they develop a better understanding with Cazorla and the rest of the team. Our full strength team isn't that far off the top 3 teams I still think. If we had Szczesny in goal, Gibbs at left back and Walcott or Ox on the right wing we wouldn't have looked so far out our depth in this game. Also it was too soon for Wishere to play in such a big game but injuries left us with not much choice but to play him.
bowiecokemirror
I actually think we should not have played Wilshere but played Coquelin instead.
Gooner_Vin
Yeah same here, Coquelin would have been a better bet but that's easy to say in hindsight.
bowiecokemirror
Had Wilshere not started today, there will be a few who will question the manager's claim to sanity. Maybe, he shouldn't have started in a game with such intensity and Coquelin on would have underlined our intent to prevent them scoring early. Easy to make these assessments in hindsight.
Naijagunner
Intensity? Nah! I should say "importance". Our "win today, Lose tomorrow" rythm is making me dizzy. We need to go on a good run, like we had last season, or confidence will go quickly and we will start a descent into mediocrity. It is not as if we don't have the players for that.
Naijagunner
I actually thought that Coquelin should have started in place of Wilshere prior to the game because of the likely intensity. My thought was to have him as sub and bring him on later. The really worrying thing was just how easily a United in second gear were able to fashion chances. And I can't see us turning this around because the pattern of the game was depressingly similar to those against Norwich, Schalke and QPR.
Gooner_Vin
Where's our gloating Henry Baker Brown then now?
Gooner_Vin
Haha I knew the dirty spuddies would cheer me up with another comedy masterpiece at *****e fart lane!! Where are you V_R you muppet, I'd love to hear more of your expert opinions on football lol
bowiecokemirror
No great surprise to see Spuds here counting the points before the game just as they always count the points before the season kicks off and somehow the Spuds commemorative calculator (£8.99) shows them ending above us. No point them counting after the event I suppose. Will they never learn?
Amos.
Hahahaha! Gooner Vin called it right on Henry Baker Brown there. Good one mate. I just didn't have any fight left in me to respond. Spuds are a hilarious lot who just never learn.
Naijagunner
I had this funny feeling that Wigan might do them!
Gooner_Vin
I thought Wenger could have subbed Jack, just like Fergie did with Cleverley - missed a trick there. At least, we were showing some effort at that time, but the sending off took out any hope of a comeback. This team is struggling to play fluently together, and it's not just because it was ManU - no one was hiding / lacked courage etc. We've been this poor for 4 games now. This squad is capable of putting on a good run together (similar to last season), so I'm still hoping a top 4 finish is on the cards. Challenging for the title would mean adding at least 1-2 more world class players.
prits
The other results have made me feel slightly better. Still, we could have made ground although we haven't been cut loose just yet. My expectations are to maintain top 4 with this new squad. And a big thankyou to HBB for chearing me up.
gunnerman76
Cheer you up? Watching VP smash it into your net after about 2 seconds. That cheered me up no end.
Henry Baker Brown
HBB you mouthed off. And now you suck eggs. Cheered us up !
Will-i-am10
Some points from this game:
1. Vermaelen is a poor defender
2. Santos is not a defender
3. Why can't our players be up for a game from the first whistle?
4. Why is Ramsey in this team?
5. What are our actual tactics when we play? Do we want to attack the opposition's goal?
6. How can a team consisting of International players not be able to fashion meaningful chances?
Will-i-am10
I thout RVP was tremendous today
Uskok
I actually think it was rude and very disrespectful of Spurs to lose at home to Wigan just to keep Arse hopes alive of Top4 by keeping the pts gap to 2 and not 5 by November-start.... taking the pee like that is not what the game is about, I hope AVB learns this sooner and not later.
Viyyash-Ramosh
I saw a good part of the game. Wigan fully deserved their win.
Naijagunner
What would I do without Spurs.
Sajit
Vermaelen is the most hyped 'defender' in the Prem.... he scored a few erarly goals when he joined Arse and has been dining out on it ever since.... cos we all know the worth of a centre-back is judged on his goalscoring... not like John Terryscum in his early career when he had the world's best GK Cech behind him, the then worlds best centre-half Gallas next to him and the worlds best defensive-midfielder Makelele in front of him... try judging Vermin on his actual DEFENDING over the last 2yrs..
Viyyash-Ramosh
...not UNLIKE.... ;-)
Viyyash-Ramosh
Keeping our hopes up? Spurs with a 2 point lead means we're currently guranteed to finish above you. You'll have to fashion a much bigger lead before we're in the slightest bit worried. Every year, you s*** your pants, it's even more inevitable then our nightmare Novembers.
Rocky7
Viyyash! You bitter, bitter man :-(
Naijagunner
better better ;-)
Viyyash-Ramosh
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