Matchday Thread - Arsenal vs Chelsea- 24 January 2016

Our best moments had to fall to Flamini and he had to play like a brain dead person.

There's a reason the best moments fell to Flamini: the rest of the team was doing fuck all so Flamini had to run around like a mad man for 70 minutes getting into every position he could. If everyone did their job, Flamini could have calmly stuck to his position. But they didn't, so he didn't.

To be fair I was thinking the other day how Per would be removed from our starting line up, I thought he'd play this season and then Arsene would slowly move him to the bench but I think this is it. Gabriel should step up and take his spot ahead of him right now.

I've been wanting this for a while, but benching a captain doesn't come lightly at Arsenal. Which, although frustrating, is kind of refreshing in a world of knee-jerk decisions, scapegoating, billionaire playgrounds and trophy counts. Somewhere in that soulless chaos of the Premier League, we're still applying emotion to our decisions.

I thought taking Giroud off was wrong to say the least. So many times we found ourselves on the wing without a target to cross it to, he's also very good on set pieces etc... Should have stayed 100%.

I disagree. We were bound to play catch-up for 70 minutes. Giroud is a holding centre-forward, which is useless if you don't have a majority of the ball. Sticking with Theo made more sense at the time, as he offers an outlet in the counter-attack. Either way, Wenger has said the main reason was to save Giroud as he didn't train yesterday.

Cech was good, Koscielny Bellerin Monreal were fine, I liked Gabriel too, Flamini is brain dead, Ramsey was elite I salute him for today's performance did 3 man's job at least, Ozil was fine but could have been better, Theo was not good, Campbell was good, Alexis gives me hope.

How on earth can you call Flamini brain dead and then say Ramsey was great? I give up. This bandwagon shit just has to stop. Flamini is the flavour of the season, he needs to be hated by the supporters - despite the fact that he's done a great job covering for Coquelin for two months. Yesterday he had the toughest position on the pitch: DM against 11. He wasn't good, but at least he tried to get something from the game.

A. He was unmarked most of the time because they marked the players capable of scoring Ozil, Theo, Ramsey etc. B. Even before the sending off our back line was waaaay more exposed than I would have liked. C. Gave too much time to William on that through ball to Costa D. He was in the box for our goal right between Gabriel and Koscielny pointing fingers and shouting most probably confusing Gabriel E. No one who isn't brain dead would take that ball Ramsey gave him the way he did. I'm not saying if he doesn't score there he's a retard, it's just the way he took it. F. Watching Ramsey run around like a horse putting everything he had in that game made me proud. Anyone suggesting we should sell him can meet me outside Emirates for a chin testing.

B. Even before the sending off our back line was waaaay more exposed than I would have liked.

Still only conceded one goal, which, despite how much you want to blame him for everything, wasn't his fault. I mean, these:

C. Gave too much time to William on that through ball to Costa D. He was in the box for our goal right between Gabriel and Koscielny pointing fingers and shouting most probably confusing Gabriel

...are ridiculous. You're now guessing what went on in Gabriel's head to fit your perception that Flamini is awful.

E. No one who isn't brain dead would take that ball Ramsey gave him the way he did. I'm not saying if he doesn't score there he's a retard, it's just the way he took it.

I agree, but he is a DM. He doesn't have a poacher's instincts to make the correct split second decision to score a goal. I don't see how this is a big deal. At least he got in the position to begin with.

I just find it hilariously retarded to blame one individual for a team performance in a team sport.

I swear to Bergkamp I haven't seen Henry's review on Flamini when I posted that. I just remember when we conceded he was running around like a headless chicken in our box between our center halves. It's just wrong... But if I blame someone for the loss it's Per. Flamini was poor though.

I swear to Bergkamp I haven't seen Henry's review on Flamini when I posted that. I just remember when we conceded he was running around like a headless chicken in our box between our center halves. It's just wrong... But if I blame someone for the loss it's Per. Flamini was poor though.

What was he supposed to do? It was three minutes after the sending off, with the team still figuring out how to position themselves after a red card substitution for a new CB. Flamini had nothing to do with that goal, but for some reason people don't want to blame the people at fault so they blindly pick Flamini instead.

Never seen anyone run literally through their center halves like an elite striker confusing them...

"I don't know what he's waving at"; Flamini's second stint at Arsenal summed up in one sentence.

Ramsey and Flamini doesn't work. Ramsey is a liability in the middle as he's always on walkabouts and Flamini's pretty wank and not good enough to be able to support himself. It wouldn't be as bad if we had someone like Coquelin alongside Rambo but poor Flam is getting blown by every match with no help.

We need an active midfield anchor if Ramsey's playing CM, Elnenny's skillset is supposed to be his workrate & teamwork so he surely can't be any worse than Mathieu.

Apparently we were the team that allowed most shots at them in January. Joint worst with Sunderland....