We won - and that was the bottom line today. Not pretty, but playing Stoke never is, but we kept going and got a deserved result. There were some negatives out there but that can wait for now. Mind you, part of me would be happy for us to miss out on CL just to see this bunch of clogging wasters get relegated. They are a disgrace from 1 to 11
Sorry can't agree (and not just it's Arsenal) - that run of there's has included quite a bit of luck and contributions from the referee!
How anyone expects Adam to behave himself, when Pullis has zero self-control, is a mystery. Shabby club with psychotic players and a manager that encourages them to push the envelope due to their lack of ability. Wigan yesterday proved it can be done the right way, minus the thuggery, on a tighter budget. I hope Stoke get relegated,if not this season then next. The fans, although they cheer the aforementioned thuggery (what else have they got to cheer about?) are the exception. They have awesome support that deserve something better to watch than the garbage served up by Pullis week in week out. Great result today, we are in real danger of turning into a tough, combative side. Last day nerves already.
Not unlucky, we got Levyied, (not prepared for the start of the season, it cost us 7 points, with those we would be fighting for second. Can't fault AVB though.
I think you notice when Stoke are pathetic when they treat a throw in as a free kick.... Humiliation of its highest order.
What ever happens, I now admit that I was wrong to doubt AVB. He is definitely the manager to take us forward. The man has worked absolute wonders. Give him the Summer to get in a couple of his own players and to change things round a bit, and I am confident he will keep us competitive for next season. There isn't another manager I would want at our club right now.
"He is definitely the manager to take us forward. The man has worked absolute wonders." Still think the jury is out on that, bar the away form (which has been excellent) . Get in a playmaker CM and a decent striker and we shall see.
Yeah, I'd go along with that. He certainly seems to have done wonders for team spirit, and the players seem to love him. Just still not sure about some of his tactics, or selections.
I've been a pretty big backer, and continue to be, but he's definitely a man with strengths and weaknesses. His strengths are his ability to infuse a fighting, positive spirit in the team, formation and tactics (with a team I still say didn't make sense from the moment we didn't get a real playmaker) and (overall) his man-management. But his subbing and lineups have often been eccentric failures. He tries to be too clever, I'd say. The best run we were on featured the players you'd expect, and subs to match. When he gets off the beaten track, it's one brilliant result to two weird failures. Yet: overall, very good job, AVB.
Will he get his own players in though or will Levy go for the Bargain Basement 31st August cut price deals again.
A bit too dogmatic at times IMHO (the "high line" etc) . But total credit for slotting in with the squad and making it business as usual re the fight for the CL placings after the upheavals last summer.
You do know that we've averaged 5 points a year more under Levy than we did in the same period before he joined? You can't just change one thing he does and assume everything else will stay the same - if he had signed players earlier in the summer we probably wouldn't have got Dempsey - how many points has he got us?
Agreed to a certain extent, Levy has moved the club forward but he is still a handicap owing to his tranfer policy. Get things sorted early, then if a bargain offer like Dempsey turns up buy him as well. Stability wins things, Ferguson, Shankley, Matt Busby and to a certain extent Wenger (before he started flogging his best players to pay the mortgage) proves that. Last season we still had VDV but knew he would be leaving. Every thing was a mess. I think he is heading in the right direction with AVB but Levy needs to stop trying to screw the odd million out of othter clubs and get the bloody deals done. Levy charges us enough for tickets so he should be prepared to fork out to compete. I can understand that if Redknapp was still in charge he would have to keep an eye on the finances but those times have gone.
On a side note - is this the first match we've won this year without Bale scoring? If so - nice to end that little jinx.
