Yeah actually - whom is keen for a beer after the Thursday game? 

Yeah if the signing is done this week he'll definitely be on the trip to Asia. The only players I don't see coming, possible injuries aside, are Mustafi and Alexis. Everyone else is back in training so will travel.

Thread title updated because it's about the only thing we've been allowed to be excited about for a while :lol:

Join in pals

http://forum.insidesport.com.au/2547683/Fantasy-EPL-201718-TAKE-YOUR-PLACE-NOW#bm2548479

It's only the Community Shield but beating Chelsea anytime is fun and at least there's a lot to be positive about before Leicester on Saturday.

yer not a bad hit out.
Chelski typically methodical, even not in tune and missing Hazard hard to beat so a win is a win even at pens.

Ramsey captain when

Lacca was brilliant. Didnt expect him to score so early.  And him tracking  back  was awesome. Just wanted  to be involved  despite people saying  he rather  be  at the end of build up. Sead what a beast. Downside is xhaka having a up down game.  Also 😜😜😂😂us having  a back 4 of three natural fullbacks amd the ox the last  20 mins 

The less said about the defense the better lol and I'll wait until we have our first choice backline back before passing any real judgement.

Xhaka was up and down as all fuck but in the end popped up with the 2 assists to win the game. Thought Elneny looked better in midfield than he did. Sead is ridiculous and amazing. Holding looked really really shaky but I do wonder how much that had to do with who his partners were in that back 3. Put him in a back 3 with Koscielny and I think he'd be ok. I don't know what to make of Ox, I really wouldn't be upset if he was sold tbh. Laca looked excellent and still looked great when Giroud came on which is great to see, think we'll definitely see more of that.

All in all the win and the 3 pts most iomportant, but to do it after coming from behind twice is always a good feeling.

Yeah i think  not having a senior cb next to him to guide him made him shaky.  Kos , bfg and or musti are vocal .

Up until now I have disagreed with everyone.. but Cech looks shaky, man. What about his management of Fuchs' throw-in? I shat myself! :lol:

Holding is a great defender but my word his control of the ball and his passing game leave so much to be desired. Turned it over way, way too much. I wish he had Chambers' ability on the ball.

Sead - what a weapon. What was most absurd was he was one of the centrebacks, right. And his wideback was a non-defender in Ox, right. But Sead got forward SO much. And was a constant threat. What an exciting player!

I didn't feel there was the movement that Ozil is used to having around him. He looked short of option a lot of the time on the ball.

Welbz scoring against Leicester has become routine, and I love it :lol:

Lacazette did more defensive chasing down than I expected. He seems to thrive with players around him too. 

The Ox - I loved him. I want him to maintain this. I know he won't, but far out I want him to!

Gabriel off to Valencia, didn't work out in the end so no big loss. 

I have no idea why we're trying to get rid of Chambers, he's better than Holding and perfectly suited to the RCB spot. 

If Chambers leaves with Gabriel, that leaves us with

Kos (31, buggered achilles)
Mert ( Done at the end of the year) 
Monreal (31?) 
Mustafi
Holding

Considering next year there's a very good chance we lose, AOC, Ozil and Alexis on FREES, to be in this type of position with our defence is fucked.  Hopefully Bielik turns out alright. 

hey your not alone lol....
Our defense is worse than yours and we see no light at the end of tunnel And we'll sell Coutinho if not next week Jan window for sure going.

I can't help but think slash hope that Gabriel is now on a life mission to track down and destroy Diego Costa :lol:

Feel like if Arsene gets his way there is going to be a fair bit of change to the squad in the next 2 weeks. Gabriel and probably Debuchy just the start.

Not sure what we're playing at with Chambers, not as if he's off contract at the end of the season so unless there are plans to replace him I don't get it, otherwise if he leaves I don't see how we can stick with 3 at the back.

I don't know about anyone else but I fucking love how we insist on playing Kolasinac at CB just to keep a right midfielder who won't sign a new contract happy.

Unless some drastic changes happen between now and the end of the window it's gonna be a long season and an even longer 2 years. 

Not sure we should have bothered even showing up for this game tbh.

Saw someone on my Tl describe it perfectly, it's not even anger anymore, it's apathy. And that's far far worse.

:P
Considering the status this fixture should always have and used to have this one was better than the 5-1 slaughter 3yrs ago....and missing Coutinho as you know.
Besides what you guys think of the "wenger" factor he's not on the pitch and who ever should be on or not each player is more accountable than the gaffa imo.

I stayed up to watch the game and was excited to see how we would look with sanchez on the field at the same time with laca and was shocked with the whole line up. 
I'm glad I switched I went back to bed with anger at that line up and didn't have to watch us get raped.
Kolasinac and Laca have been great so far and both are dropped. 
Wenger still can't understand why xhaka and ramsey in the centre doesn't work and I could go on and on and on. 
Wenger may not have lost the dressing room just yet but he's clearly lost the plot.

Not sure how on earth you can think Wenger isn't the one accountable when he's been the only constant through a decade of shit. He's had different groups of players all produce the same crap over and over and over again, it's not like this is some unique recent thing.

Also this was so so much worse than the 5-1. Not sure I can remember a result and more so performance that was worse under Arsene's reign.

I am seriously worried about where we will be in 2 years time when Arsene's time is hopefully up.

I said this was better than the 5-1 drubbing.
sydcro, I never quoted wemger isn't accountable but that players are as well.
Look, I get what you guys go on about wenger, any of us would in our own clubs as well but what I'm saying, despite x player is on the bench instead of who and this and that the fact is all players are in the 1st squad as we know. Sure some are better than others etcetc But they train together, they are expected to combine as standard first up and should no matter whats going on behind the scenes etc and there is some quality we all can agree on this. They don't do it week in week out.
Then its the "ticka", they are feckin over paid pros, thats why no matter about wenger they should get a right royal kick up the feckin arse to fight for the shirt first and utmost no matter the varying quality of the player/s and the whatever regards the manager....
Oh its wenger, its wenger, all I keep seeing on the pitch when this does occur is players screwing up, over many games last season and other times in the past not just this last game..
Pride ? ffs we've had a player such as milner, over age, out of position, LB last 2seasons as you know, he's no super star but he dug in game in game out thats what I'm talking about.
Its quoted even, downfall lack of leadership, determination, no belief.
Bellerin ? hanging back last man waffles at the clearing ball, wengers fault ?
Holding ? with an approaching Firmino shows him the inside - wengers fault ?
Sure wenger with his aids needs to nuture and have them prepared but where's the responsibility of the players ???  up to you as a player to stand up with your fellow players/mates.
I just get sic of managers always having to take the fall, its not only him..
Do you know of the facts regards to this past starting line up ?
As mentioned why if some say xhaka and ramsey don't work why does it happen ?
Do you know the change room and management goss why this occurs ?
Then I could understand who's to blame.
Couple of FACups that I'm sure others would like - heck wish it was us with those Cups for starters.
wenger has only just not made CL for the first time, his fault entirely ? do you know all of the facts behind the scenes incl the board ?
IF you know the real facts I'm all ears, were all just supporters that sadly don't know everything whats going on behind the scenes, maybe thats all I should have said lol.....

@LFC,

Players make mistakes, you're right. The Bellerin one was definitely a mistake. But would he have made that mistake if he hadn't had all confidence sapped out of him by playing a foreign position for the first half of the game, as well as the game prior?

Holding showed Mane the inside, but why was Holding in the position to have to defend one of the most lethal wingers in the comp 1 on 1?

Now, the players aren't completely absolved of blame, but when the exact same issues persist throughout dozens of players in game like this, you look at the one constant. 

I was Wenger Out last season, not because I didn't think he could do a job, just that I think he's taken this team as far as he can. You can look at most teams around the world and see how a new manager, with new approaches reinvigorates squads and gets the players fully committed again. 

I'm Wenger Out now because I don't think he can do the job with this team and I think the long term effects could be damaging. Right now, he's only ruining his reputation and it's truly sad to see. 

Playing  dat guy welbz over  giri out and lacazette was insane , Ox over sead? Holding over musti? Who gives a fuck if  musti has a agreement with inter, play the guy. This was much worse than the 8 2 result.  We shown no spirit oDr fight. Wenger needs to go. He's tarnishing  his reputation  even more the more he keeps on going.

jlm, I get your pov but I'm still on players for the main.
Obviously watching from the sideline for years is players putting IN despite what is occuring off field and, most of your players are not consistent.
Sure a new gaffa inspires due to the change but a good player plays good week in week out, you see this in mid to low table teams, x amount keep doing the job..
IMO Kos is just about your one and only top liner who does so from the backline, body on the line and all just as any great CB.
Look at your mids, who plays a sound game week in week out - none imo and you have one of the most gifted Ozil.
Look at Ramsey when in the green shirt is another thing but at one stage our game he's destracted by the bench leaving a huge hole whilst Firminho heads one in.
Front, forget Welbz, the fapping is due to Giroud being hot and cold from the get go, he struggled making consistent impact at united and whats different to date disregarding injuries.
In saying that they still are good enough and the rest no - imo wenger should be pissed paying good players for sub standard performances for so long and tarnishing his and past players.
And yet he'll be to blame and the fresh air will confirm it all but you know what - its the board who are the real culprits imo.
I'm bringing in another pov for discussion.

You're right about one thing, the board is to blame. In the end it's them who decided to have no fucking balls and say no to a manager who has let football pass him by. They were ones who failed to put their foot down and make a decision to try and move the club forward instead of treading water for another 2 years. I mean what happens if in 2 years Wenger says he wants another contract? At this point I don't trust anyone at the club to have the balls to say no.

As for the players, of course they're not blameless but the fact this has happened multiple times with completely different groups of players means Wenger has to take the majority of the blame. He's either the unluckiest manager of all time or he just doesn't have it anymore.

I mean you just look at some of the shit of the last decade

- Losing 8-2 at United
- Losing 6-0 at Chelsea
- Losing 5-1 at Liverpool
- Losing the title in 2008 despite being on top for all but 3 weeks from September to fucking March
- Somehow finishing 4th in 2014 despite again spending more time in 1st than anyone else.
- Capitulating in the League Cup Final against Birmingham
- Losing 5-3 on aggregate against Liverpool in the Champions League QF despite being ahead on away goals in the 85th minute.
- Losing 10-2 on aggregate against Bayern last season
- Capitulating at home against Monaco.
- Collapsing in the League cup semi finals in 2008 losing 5-1 against Spurs away.
- There is of course our away record against City, United, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool since 13/14 which reads Played 21, Won 2, Drawn 6, Lost 13, Scored 24, Conceded 52.
- Then of course there was the time we lost against Sheffield United 1-0 despite Phil Jagielka being in goal for the final 34 minutes of the game.
- Drawing 4-4 with Newcastle despite being up 4-0 at HT.

There is only 1 real constant through all of that and it's the manager, so when the same thing keeps happening with different groups of players it's hard to place the majority of the blame on anyone else really.