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Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal must find a way to maintain focus if they’re to stand a chance of winning the FA Cup this season.
The Gunners could only hold onto their hard fought lead against Swansea for two minutes at the Liberty Stadium before settling for a 2-2 draw and a replay at the Emirates on Wednesday week.
Reflecting on the sloppy defending which pre-empted Danny Graham’s equaliser, and which has all too often pockmarked our season, the Spanish midfielder laid down the gauntlet to his teammates.
“It’s a great chance to win a trophy,” Arteta told Arsenal Player. “We don’t want to miss it.
“We improved a lot in the second half [against Swansea]. We had many chances to finish the game earlier, but then suddenly with one mistake they scored the first goal.
“We kept going and showed a lot of character to get back into the game, score and go ahead. But then we conceded a sloppy one again.
“I think we were the better team. We dominated possession better than them and created more chances. We deserved to win the game and that’s why we’re disappointed.
“We’re on a good run. We’re disappointed with the draws in the last two games as we could have won both of them but I thought in the second half we played very good football.”
In other news, Johan Djourou has revealed that Per Mertesacker advised him on the benefits of joining Hannover before also admitting that his spell of bad form as an auxiliary right-back took its toll on his self-confidence last term.
The Swiss centre-back completed his loan move to the Bundesliga at the weekend and will spend the rest of the season in Germany ahead of a possible permanent move in the summer.
“Per is a good friend. He told me many positive things about Hannover 96 and he said that I should go there,” Djourou told Bild.
“Last season I had to play right back and I lost a little self-confidence.
“I have a good athletic quality and I play aggressively. I always want to play and in Hannover there’s a good opportunity for me to do that. It´s the perfect club for me.”
Arseblog News couldn’t help but chuckle when we found Johan was already doing his bit for 96 TV (Hannover’s version of Arsenal Player) – the perfect club indeed. His German is a little rusty, but the smile is still winning…
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Wish Johan all the best. Seems like such a genuinely nice guy, which is a total rarity in modern football.
It is a loan move after all, and he is 25. The lad could become a real Arsenal centre-half yet.
I’m all for nurturing and blooding our own attacking talents, but I always felt that centre-halves need to build their strengths away from Arsenal, at clubs where defending is tougher and more constant.
He is one to talk.
Arteta
Arteta. I love you bro but you should should have caught their equalizer in the face like a man.
Catching it in the face!…
Nah, it might have killed him
His Lego hair would have saved him.
Schezzer was also guilty of going down too early. He should have stood his ground.
Arteta I agree should have taken it in the face but he might have needed plastic surgery after that and we don’t want to spoil that Super face of his. I mean those eyelashes?
Speaking of handsome Spanish Michaels, I hadn’t realised how pretty Ignasi Miquel is. Giroud who?
I’m having a very gay day today.
Sczcesny need to work on his kicks. It will get us into trouble sooner or later. I mean why does he go back and wait for the ball to come to him then kick? its simple to kick balls you know. Just fucking kick it with all power. I dont know how many times he might have put sagna under pressure with his kicking.
Forget giroud, arteta, ignasi. This is the guy
http://www.nsno.co.uk/everton/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/rosicky-150×150.jpg
@Llldre
Every single game Rosicky plays, he turns out to be the best player out there. But Wenger still opts to keep him on the bench. I am not convinced with Cazorla playing in the centre. He is a great winger and he should be playing there. In recent games he’s gone missing when opposition players press well. Rosicky is the best playmaker at the moment. It will be good if Cazorla, Rosicky and Wilshere are used together
Read a Sky Report of the Swansea match.TW14 not mentioned once.He was playing,wasn’t he ?
I think Arteta could have closed down Graham and easily saved us that equalizer and replay.
Kick the Sh*t out of Swansea and show them who’s the Boss. Enough of Michu.
Bring back David hillier I say!!!
Jonny jenson
Why do we always leave it until the second half to up the tempo?
i think only jesse ventura can answer that question…lol
I agree with MA. I watched most of that game from behind the couch.
And much as I love him, and much (obviously) as I want him to succeed, it really is time Giroud started scoring ugly. I am all for assists to Gibbsy etc, but that is not why we have a big centre forward.
They do need to start flying in Olivier.
why does the above comment warrant thumbs down??????????????????????
thumbs down not only for a bad comment anyway
We could just bye Michu before next week, make things a little easier on ourselves
if by bye you mean buy then that would be clear as mud but if by bye you mean bye as in to the fourth round that would be equally acceptable
bye for now
Yeah deserved that, struggling with new-fangled touch screen
He might have meant “bite Michu”. A bitten Michu would certainly be less effective against us.
or possibly even “bi” Michu, that is, surgically alter him into a hermaphrodite
ever seen any of those score against us?
thought not
That’s a theory Only Sam, perhaps he was drawn to the pink outfit guarding goal?
This zonal marking for corners gives me kittens. Especially against a team we were physically bigger than. Ah well, we’l get them in the replay!
Djourou has spent more time in front of the Arsenal TV cameras than he’s spent on the pitch in the last few seasons but I would still like a good replacement. Lescott would be ideal and then we could really rotate without lowering the quality of the defense. Great in the air for set-pieces too.
This lot lose focus quicker than a fuckin tramp on meths.
Sort it.
i am the secret arsenal defender and i am here to let you know that we’re a well drilled unit whose powers of concentration are oh look a packet of maltesers i like those i wonder when the new iron man film is coming out and when do i need to pick that suit up from the dry clean oh fuck who let that bloke score anyhow as i was saying
This had the potential to be a funny comment. But it wasn’t.
Quick, change your name to Slow. Quick.
This is one case where Mikel himself is culpable. He’s clearly speaking with a captain’s mind and I hope that he is reviewing footage as I type in order to glean where he should be ready to cover for his teammates’ tendencies.
That said, this team needs a kick in the pants for failing to close out 10 minutes (inc 5 injury time). I know, our mighty Champions League defense of 2006 still coughed up to %^#$ Barca in the final, but we were down a man.
I don’t care if this is the Quite Vincibles, play kickaround for 10 minutes and choke off Swansea. I did love the fightback from the Michu goal, but once ahead, stay ahead.
Oh, and one issue with fixture congestion and FAC replays is that if we continue to let clubs square with us, we increase the possible number of contests Szczesny must wear hot pink. The Arsenal must rally around their keeper!
you just got to love arteta..
Bollocks, i’m getting fed up of having to listen to this sort of shit everytime we fuck up,”we must concetrate more”, “we must work harder”, “we must show more team spirit”, stop talking and just fucking do it then……..
We must kick Walcott down the fucking road….
Yeah but the mental strength was good. Zzzzzz
Seems Wenger is unsure whether or not to buy players in this window. Some reports quote him as saying, ”we will only buy special players”, it seems as if an excuse is set up there, and he could say there was no special players available.
It is a necessity that we sign players. If we want to be competitive at the top end of the,league and in Champions League, it’s obvious
hat the squad must improve.
Know this is off the subject ladies and gents but was wondering if you could help me out… Where do the spuds get all their money from…? Is that levy twat really rich or something…?
Not as rich as Silent Stan that’s for fucking sure!!!!!
No, arsenals great owner silent Stan rather buys a big ranch with 5000 cows than invest money in to arsenal. He can go and milk his cows i would say..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2242510/Arsenals-American-owner-Stan-Kroenke-buys-80m-ranch-Rocky-Mountains.html
Fuck lionel midget Messi.
Cristiano ronaldo blatantly robbed.
Rvp didn’t make world xi, that’s consolation I guess?
They’ve already given little Messi the award for next year as well.
If we’re propelling forward in the future, perhaps he can retire in anticipation as well?
If they get both zaha and sneidjer…well..id be pretty upset about it. Like tevez and mascherano to west ham. Where were we?
I don’t think I’ve seen it mentioned but was anyone else shocked like I was when Rambo gave HFB that gorgeous cross which Giroud didn’t head home? With how many goals HFB has scored this season off headers I was amazed he missed and I was partly in shock at the quality of Rambo’s cross!
Thank you sir. I too was surprised giroud didn’t head that home, that was supposed to be a vintage giroud header. Bang. Back of net. I guess he himself was shell-shocked that ramsey had delivered such a fine cross. Oh well……
Some of the missed chances and weak shots on offer was pretty appalling
Honestly, Wenger needs to spend some money on new players, and not young players like Luke Shaw in Southampton. That is not a signing, he needs to sign some big names like Villa or someone.
When anyone mentions signing big names, reminds me of a Celtic fan I used to work with. Came in and said they’d signed the biggest name in European football.
Turned out to be Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.
They love a big name at Celtic Park.
Pierre van Hooijdonk anyone?
Every time i hear the “Van”, i’m thinking of that fucking dutchman…
Ashley Williams should be given a huge statue..
Wow played a 90 min beautiful game.. Spent bout 3 hours away from my phone.. And still no transfer news? Not even rumours.. Only Sky rumouring on a bid for david villa?? This is getting upsetting that we not making obvious moves like the rest?:-(
I hear we’re making a super ambitious double swoop for Frank Lampard and David Bechkam.
Show some intent and Spend some fuckin money..
Isco, Guidetti and Villa would have been great signings.
Walcott to ‘sign da ting’ apparently!! Breaking news in its infancy but encouraging signs nonetheless!!
Source?!
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/01/07/3655958/walcott-to-sign-new-arsenal-contract-this-week
It is frighteningly predictable that if we have a lead which needs to he held, that we will fuck it up and concede. It happens time and time again.
Our only “defence” it seems is to keep pushing forward and scoring goals.
Two recent examples…
4-0 up to reading
4-2 to reading (you’re thinking oh fuck off they’re not going to do this to us are they?)
5-2 and they shut up finally
3-2 up to Newcastle
Almost immediately 3-3
We all know what happened next
Why can’t we just close games out? A 2-1′or 1-0 is still worth the same 3 points as a 4-1 or a 5-4. Our defence is disgusting and frankly our attack isn’t as good as it used to be and when it isn’t scoring those extra goals for a buffer things like this Swansea or the 3-3 against Fulham
The players are I think good enough but what the fuck is the plan?
Not necessarily disagreeing, since we do need to batten down and close off games, but the reverse of a statement you made is true. If we get the victory and 3 points, it could be 1-0 or 5-4, the goal difference is the same as well. Just being fair.
I am also curious what Bould might have in mind to ensure players know who and where they need to switch off marks such that we stop leaving the weak side open to predators.
on a completely unrelated note, i just came across an old arsenal 2010 calendar when cleaning up my study. 10 out of the 12 players on the calendar are now either gone (rvp, cesc, almunia, gallas, eduardo, clichy, nasri) or on their way out (bendtner, denilson, arshavin) of the club. the only 2 still here are verminator and theo (who could well be off also). that’s some pretty crazy squad turnover in just over two years!
It’s far too high a rate of turnover, it’s hard to work out what proportion of it is good/poor management, player cuntiness and bad luck.
Sticking with Denilson and Bendtner (arguably Almunia. Although I don’t think he was awful then, we could have done better. Szcz waiting in the wings though), bad management with the benefit of hindsight.
Rvp, Nasri, Arshavin and Gallas, I’d put down to player flaws (some cunts prounouce it ‘ambition’), in Arshavin’s case I’d still call it bad attitude although some will question the manager.
Cesc gets away under the ‘Barca clause’. Whilst you could point to Wenger, the 3 years left and the fee we got, it’s such a rare case, it’s hard to deal out blame.
I don’t know if too many would argue with Eduardo and Clichy leaving, probably sensible management letting them go when he did.
Not sure what point I’m making. None, I think. Actually, in conclusion, Wenger doesn’t take too much responsibility for the squad turnover, but I do question how he’s reinvested the proceeds.
Fabregas
Arshavin
Nasri
Song
Wilshere
Diaby
Ramsey
Makes me sad to think of what if all of them stayed and some of them didn’t lose form or get injured all the time. Fucking stacked midfield options.
Na§ri?! Do you miss that cunt?
Agreed. He was decent for us and (very) occasionally looks good for City but they paid £25million for him, there was no way we were going to turn that down. Cazorla cost 15 and is twice the player.
Arteta could have closed down Graham and saved us the equalizer and replay.
Fellaini has a £22 million buy out clause. Chelsea apparently going to activate it and if they do ima be pissed cause we weren’t looking at him
I’d love us to sign Fellaini but it’s not as simple as meeting the buy-out clause, that would only put us in competition with Chelsea to sign him. It’s shitty but if they want him, they’ll get him.
what the fuck is with Arsenal players coming out and saying we will win the F.A we ain’t good enough ffs.this PR thing is shit.mind the door arsene.pep next!
Arsene Wenger please buy.
That is all.
Coyg.