Anyone Remember Billy Cotton? “Wakey Wake HO!”
Jul 30th, 2011 by 'holic
I’m off to the Grove for the first time this season tomorrow. I must say I seem to have picked the best day. I will be there for what will surely be the best atmosphere as Arsenal come up against a true Gunners legend. I will be among people who I suspect are mostly enthusiastic, if nervous at the same time. Those who read me regularly will recognise that description.
Pre-season nerves will not have been settled by the surrender of a two goal advantage against Boca Juniors in the late kick-off on day one of the annual pre-season tournament. There is a gut-reaction going on elsewhere as I write. Over-reaction? I think so, but entirely understandable. It is hard to have perspective when your captain is not playing for reasons that have not been properly explained. It is hard to have perspective when his armband ends up on the sleeve of another who seeks pastures new, and whose body language speaks volumes. It is hard to have perspective when a comfortable two goal advantage has again been surrendered by poor defending.
At least those of you at the ground have been spared another tortuous afternoon of ESPN coverage. How did they answer criticism of their amateurish presentation last season? They added to it in the shape of Robbie Savage. His contribution was to try to be funny (he isn’t) and to try to be controversial in his assessment of Theo Walcott, who promptly picked up the phone and presented the hapless pundit with the facts to shoot his argument down in flames. At least we did get some decent insight from Martin Keown however, particularly with regard to the shortcomings of Arsenal’s third and fourth choice central defenders.
Now the mistakes they made in the second-half today are nothing new to anybody. It is why we are clamouring for new signings isn’t it? And we know the club are working on those signings don’t we? Even if Arsene refuses to confirm or deny reports of potential targets, his chairman has confirmed our interest in at least Phil Jagielka. Others are strongly linked. Before you say it, yes I agree it would have been better for us to have sealed a deal or two (yes, two please Arsene) by now in order that the new boys can get acclimatised before the season kicks off proper. Another way of looking at the situation is that today confirmed it is right we should be concentrating on strengthening in this area. It’s a wake-up call, as if it were needed.
The loss of those two goals in three minutes to Viatri and Mouche (will you do the fandango? Sorry, couldn’t resist) completely distracted from a lot of good that had gone before. History should have told us that Argentinian teams don’t do friendly matches. Martin Atkinson showed astonishing leniency as the first-half was littered with a series of marginally late challenges, flying elbows, and general niggling. Encouragingly though Arsenal gave every indication of standing up for themselves, and not surprisingly Jack Wilshere put in a couple of fierce ones of his own as if to emphasise that we were not to be bullied out of it.
On both flanks the mobile and impressive Gervinho had another extremely encouraging forty-five minutes. It was no surprise that he turned provider for Robin van Persie to finish smartly at the near post to give us the lead. The new boy was withdrawn at half-time, but will hopefully get at least a half a game against our guests from New York. In midfield Emmanuel Frimpong also got himself out of some tight situations, and by and large did his job well. This was a good work out for him, but a long hard season awaits. Is it his time? I really don’t know.
Newly arrived substitutes Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey combined to fashion a thumping second goal in the opening minute of the second-half. The Welshman continues to hint at a readiness to form a partnership with Wilshere. Is that one that could survive over fifty competitive fixtures unchanged for whatever reason? The pursuit of Juan Mata or similar should not be postponed.
Overall even I have to admit it was a real mixed bag, and why wouldn’t it be in pre-season? Clearly there are things to be fixed defensively, and we have time to fix them. I will admit to be a little more concerned about the fact that Boca appeared to press the ball more enthusiastically than us. That is a part of our game that so often crumbles when things are against us. We have to match sides for effort in order to establish a platform for our more attractive game. I’m assuming allowances were made given the fact that we are playing on consecutive days this weekend. I would expect a more up-tempo performance next weekend at Benfica.
So the opening day threw up a situation that would not have been predicted beforehand as the Red Bulls defeated free-spending Paris St Germain, by the only goal of the game, to lead going into the final round of matches. That should add to the main event that already promises much, mainly thanks to the return of the one-and-only Titi. I’ve no doubt he will get the loudest cheers of the day, and if you fancy him to score at anytime then 7/2 is offered if you shop around. I just missed a tidy payout today, having punted on 3-2 and 4-2 to the Arsenal. I’m a bit more bullish about the final game of the tournament, and I have had a shilling or two on 3-1, and 4-1.
Best of all, as I am at the game I won’t have to put up with the second-rate television presentation. I hope when the next contract negotiations come around that the Premier League bear in mind the quality of broadcasting. ESPN continue to fall far short of what we expect of our national game.
183 Responses to “Anyone Remember Billy Cotton? “Wakey Wake HO!””
What, no drinks? π
I’m in the corner quietly guzzling, TS
Holic,
You and I saw the same match and unfortunately, the gobshite that is lady Robbie. His BS was far too obvioulsy for the effect of the cameras. Keown upheld our honour well. The prespective for me was the fact that we effectively fielded much our second team in the second half. Squillaci and Djourou looks to be a poor combination, worse than I remember it last year. Nasri didn’t step-up. On the brighter side, I thought Gervinho, Jenkinson, Frimpong, Jack & Aaron all looked really good. Let’s hope those midfield and defensive reinforcements arrive before the season starts.
Have a fabulous day in the sunshine tomorrow. Should be a decent game. Are we hungry for the first piece of silverware this year? We shall see… π
Evening Dr.C
I’ll join you in a guzzle π
A well reasoned review, but i have to admit i’m panicking.
if at least two centre backs and midfielder don’t arrive we are stuffed.
the same lazy attitude is still present, no pressing, thinking the games won at 2-0 etc.
how was eboue allowed to come on, while lansbury was banished to the reserves last night.
the club is being mismanaged on so many levels at the moment
Hope you enjoy your day out at the game and at the Pins ‘Holic.
Sounds like we need to be prepared to outscore teams next season if we are going to do anything – our preparation for the new season in terms of having players in and settled in time for 13th Aug has been pretty shambolic if truth be told.
Still as the real stuff approaches, it’ll be alright on the night, won’t it? π
Careful not to over-react all. I agree with what you have all said so far, but pre-season is to resolve these things, and make judgements on where to prioritise efforts.
At least there is a concensus about our most pressing need. A couple of decent centre-halves please Arsene. Ta muchly.
We have time to get it together.
Jenks – has just added to my good feelings about him. Could be the start of an era…. No pressure.
Good balanced review – nothing to add really is there, apart from what Zico said.
Let’s hope – SSFM.
TS – good to see you back. Have you been off running secret last minute HT trials ?
Left a couple of replies to you in the previous drinks π
The timing of our increased bids does seem a little tardy…
Evening Trev,
I will go back and check previous drinks now. I have been out and about all day today and then settled down (sort of) to watch the match on ESPN. Did I say I thought LR was a total c*nt?
Hey zico,
Yes, we need to score lots. Yes, it’ll be alright on the night. HT still firmly on the rails. Perhaps we can review travel schedule end of August? π
Dr.C @ #10
So hard to know what’s really going on. Who do you believe? Educated guessing is about as good as it gets unless someone at Arsenal goes on Pravda and says ‘we bid Β£x for player y”
*looks up, sees pigs flying*
Trev. Are you still on the moors? I do love it down there. Took the senora to Croyde for a week when she first moved over. Thought I’d impress her!
Frimpong, Jenkinson and Traore for the most part did well, as did Jack, Ramsey and Gervinho.
Awful goals to give away but not one player was a starter in the back four, and we already know how gash Squillachi is.
Bit of a freak out from the fans today. Good on Theo for setting Savage straight, he was back tracking like a bitch.
@ Goonerholic
Yes pre-season is the place to shake off the cobwebs but, this is an inherent problem we have. This pre-season is just highlighting the fact that we can’t improve our dodgy defence/attitude/workrate/know how – take your pick. We are seeing the same problems every season and it is optimistic in the extreme to think a few friendlies are going to make it all right.
I don’t for one minute believe that Wenger has such a crap eye for a defender, that he messes it up every time. Nor do I believe that good defenders can forget how to do the basics. So there is only one reasonable assumption left to make; we just don’t practice defending enough. The words of Bob Wilson, Martin Keown, Gael Clichy and others backs that up.
I don’t think it matters if we get Jagielka, Cahill and Samba. If we don’t spend enough time on the training pitch getting it right, we will always be prone to basic mistakes. That is Wenger’s fault and it is incredible that he doesn’t recognise the problem.
It wasn’t an outrageous piece of good fortune that George Graham acquired one of the best defences the world has seen, it was lots and lots of hard work on the training pitch that made them that good.
TS @ 11 – HT never comes off the rails for pre-season friendlies (check my drink #155 in last post) but I do wonder what the hell has been going on at Arsenal this last two weeks – for example, wasn’t Eboue as good as on his way to some Turkish mob?
Nasri, was wearing the captains armband today? Is that some sort of black humour, or what? (Oh I forgot, he “loves” the club). Jeez…
Still think we should sell him and replace – knowing our luck he will get a long term injury against Benfica next week in the course of showing his love….
Hey ‘holic(s),
The first 90 minutes of live Arsenal that I’ve seen in 2 months and not much seems to have changed. ESPN Deportes has the TV rights to the EmiCup here in the US, so listening to 2 Argentines instead of Savage et al was a treat. They couldn’t figure out how Somoza managed to stay on the pitch either. Super Jack, Gervinho and PingPong were picked as our standouts and I’d have to agree (Andrei and the Dutchie, too).
My own thoughts about our defense today post-Koscielny echo those of Martin Keown (via ‘holic). For now, I’ll chalk up the last half hour to preseason fatigue and rust, but the fact remains that Jenkinson, Squillaci, Djourou and Traore is a back 4 that will make the kinds of mistakes we saw today.
The good news is that those 4 are all second-choice in this squad, and the only time that we would see them on the pitch at the same time is in the event of an injury epidemic. The bad news is that this is Arsenal, we ALWAYS have injury epidemics.
The answer that Arsene has for our depth problem seems to be Jagielka, and he looks like a fine backup for Koscielny & TV. But for those of you who know him better than I do, what’s his mentality like? Is he the kind of defender who gets tentative and panics when his team is under pressure?
Have a Newcastle on me tonite, ‘holics. Never too early to start drinking the lifeblood of our opening day opponents. Vamos El Arsenal.
Trev/PHW & zico,
Have looked through previous drinks now. Some fine nostalgic post there as well..
Dr.z, like you and many here, I’ll be on that HT at least until we have no more silverware to go for. In fact, I’ll be on it even if that does happen. Agreed, CMC is purely for recreational purposes. OK, maybe if we lost 10-0 to the scum then it might be medicinal π
PHW, everything very clear to me now re: you and Lady N. Saddle-up and enjoy, it could be a rough ride π
Dr.z @ #16
Yes, surreal to see Eboue back on the pitch and with Nasri as captain. Perhaps Le Boss had a teensy, recreational dip into the CMC? All is forgiven, at least he knows what does and doesn’t work now….???
TS @ 19 – was he lip synching to Frere Jacque and using the hornet formation?
15 Pete,
You’re absolutely spot on. In addition to strengthening the defence, the coaching must receive attention. During last season, our frailties in this part of our game were cruelly exposed too often. I tend to remember George Graham’s philosophy of building a side up from the defence, with “1-nil to the Arsenal “being the watchword.
Now that is not to say that we don’t play a far more attractive game under Arsene Wenger, but the present coaching for dealing with set-pieces must be improved. Much of our defending is due to lack of concentration, lack of cohesion and just plain lack of confidence. The trouble is, opposing teams are beginning to suss us out and steps must be taken urgently to put things right by the coaching staff, before next term begins.
We need to stop playing offside at once, it has never worked. Track all runners.
nicky,
Thought we did pretty well from set pieces today. ‘We defended a corner’ multiple times, reasonably well, most of the time π
It was the open play defending that sucked in the second half. Big gaps between midfield and back 4 left loads of space for an OK S.American side to make us look…er…. not OK at the back. Squillaci and Djourou both switched off and conceded two soft goals that we have seen many times last season (and the one before that).
BUT, it was a pre-season, friendly game.
Pleaser have a drink of your choice on me. Tomorrow we will hopefully get to see a back 5 of Szcz, TV, Kos, Bac & Gibbs. That should look altogether better.
Enjoyed being in the stadium. Good sized crowd – would have been a Highbury sell out, I suspect. Very healthy sprinkling of youngsters, boys and girls. The two little black lads, twins, with identical (new blue) Walcott 14 strips on were a picture. Pretty typical pre-season atmosphere. No edge, little noise, just a pleasant seat in the summer sun.
The Wonder of You is no longer wondrous and seems to have wondered off. The Boys Are Back in Town then Jumping Jack Flash preceded the pre-appearance video. Noticeably, all of the Cesc bits, apart from his goal in Milan have disappeared from the video – not that I’m reading anything into that of-course.
Seems like the match I saw was remarkably like the one you saw, Holic. I’m delighted to hear that I missed a pile of audio cobblers though. (While in the US, I turn off the TV volume and listen to the audio commentary on Arsenal.com – there’s usually a bit of a time lag, but you get the crowd noise without the idiocy).
Koscielny looked solid as a rock, I thought. Beautiful tackle around 15 minutes to kill a dangerous break. He looked confident coming forward and his distribution was good. JD 20 looks twice the player when Kos is alongside him. Squillaci tends to instill a great lack of confidence in everyone with his errors and positioning. (Having said that, Her Nellieness’ comment of “That’s not right!”when his substitution was greeted by a round of boos was right on the mark).
Good outing for Gervinho and Frimpong. Jenkinson looked good going forward. His lack of speed meant he was caught out several times in the second half though and fast wingers will skin him regularly. I thought Arsenal played quite well in the first half. Good goal and a well deserved lead. When Robin scored the in-stadium camera flashed to Cesc. He didn’t look overly interested but was applauding politely.
For most of the other regulars, this looked like just a warm up in the sun. The second half substitute pretenders did little to impress. I was excited by the thought that Afobe was warming up. When I discovered that Afobe was in fact Eboue, well, let’s just say my excitement dissipated.
BUT WAIT! If Eboue hasn’t gone to Galatasery – maybe Felipe Melo hasn’t gone either? Frimpong is not ready to cover for Song, not by a long chalk. Felipe, Arsene please, and I’ll settle for one new centre back.
I think we need to see Sagna, Kos, Vermaelen and Gibbs start behind Song, Ramsey and Wilshere to instill a bit more pre-season pep into the post-match discussion at The Pins tomorrow – to which I’m looking forward greatly. See you there.
Good man BtM.
Atmosphere will be buzzing for Titi tomorrow I’m sure.
Also I expect us to win well which will keep the more extreme expressions of nervousness on the backburner.
Still much to do though.
Looking forward to seeing you both tomorrow.
Frimpong’s range of passing was excellent today, he has a future at the club being so strong and a great engine. He has no fear either, which is a huge asset at that age.
P-MG, I don’t think we’ve been introduced. Welcome to the drinks.
Have to say I agree with just about everything you have said. My only rider on Frimpong is he does get caught once or twice unaware of what is around him, but extracts himself well. Still raw but a good prospect. Does he stop us having to sign a defensive midfielder this summer? I think not, but hope to find out a bit more tomorrow.
I do think he will make it though.
The more I think about it the more angry / worried I get about Nasri being given the armband. Is Arsene seriously that out of touch with how the fans feel?
Maybe I can pinch IDKA’s moniker!?
Could be just the dodgy wine. Tomorrow I’ll wake up and find myself on the HT again.
But, truthfully, shit performances (not that today particularly was, or was important) and people wanting to go home, I can take. Being insulted like that, I can’t.
Ta Holic, I pop in for the odd drink now and then. Always enjoy the blog.
You are right, a back up for Song is definitely needed with the ACN (Doubt we will sign one tbf), but Frimpong can get game time due to Diaby’s lack of fitness.
Himself and Song sitting deep together might even be a way forward to protect the back four in some games.
Sign Keown. Save him from ESPN.
I am a little more persuaded by Arsene’s press conference that we may yet sell the avaricious little git, Catalan. He was backtracking furiously by the end of it.
I should clarify though. I don’t want him sold if he is committed to us one hundred percent for his final year. CL qualification will cover the loss of a transfer fee, but his body language is terrible at the moment.
If he stayed and didn’t put in a full shift that could be the penultimate nail in Arsene’s coffin π
On the Nasri armband, he’s fourth in line probably, was just an unfortunate moment that the rest were off the pitch. Was a hard one to stomach alright.
Still want to stay for the season even if he does piss off at the end, but he shouldn’t be near that armband again.
Didn’t see the press conference Holic. I’ll have to catch the quotes tomorrow. For a second there I thought you were calling Martin a little git. Would be a brave man who did so….
I’ve always felt that whenever Squillaci or Djourou plays there is an accident waiting to happen. Well today we had the two accidents. I can accept goals being conceded in the normal run of things, but when they result from a defender losing he ball in their own half, or missing a tackle by falling over is more than frustrating.
Towards the end I was half expecting third accident by the way of an Eboue-conceded penalty but fortunately that didn’t happen.
But hey, it was only a pre-season tournament and their were promising performances from Gervinho and Frinpong. Jack looks to be refreshed and up and running again. Hope for better tomorrow.
Pete @ 15 – good points. In 2006 Keown coached an eventual back four of Eboue, Toure, Senderos and Flamini.
Result ? A CL defensive record and a place in the final.
Zico – agree completely. Trying very hard to remain optimistic and preparing to eat my own words, but you do wonder.
What can be taking so long in arranging the transfers of established internationals who supposedly want to join the club, i.e. Mata and Jagielka.
Or are these just purely fictional targets ? It seems fairly widely accepted that we are pursuing them, and if we’re not then who, at this late stage, are we going for ?
Why are players with chronic injuries not properly investigated or operated on until one or two months inti the summer break ?
Why are players, supposedly under offer to other clubs, playing in friendlies and risking their fitness ?
Maybe they are not under offer to other clubs.
Again, there is no word on the situation from anyone at Arsenal. Oh no, of course, they can’t divulge this top secret information, in case it precipitates a stampede for the services of Eboue.
Well isn’t that exactly what we want ?
*looks up and spots TS’ flying pigs *
I notice a lot of question marks above, and realise that no-one can answer any of them. Except the club, of course, who won’t.
Well I have to say that at Β£2,000 per season, I feel entitled to a few bloody clues.
Catalan – yes, still between moors. Should be Dartmoor tomorrow.
Funnily enough I passed through Croyde yesterday en route to a great beach which is little known outside of the locals, at Putsborough, if you’re familiar.
It’s a big leap from Jimmy Cliff to Wang Chun.
Just saying….
Trev. Putsborough Sands — spent many a happy childhood Easter holiday there. That was the first place I took Senora CG on arrival. Well, not the first… maybe the second!
Catalan – InCroydeable π
Bed time Trev! π
pete at #15 100% suport those coments right on the money
Dr.z @ #20
Well spotted! π
Just for Catalan…
Arsecast devotees will know the significance!
‘Holic, do you really think that someone with one year to go on his contract, who has already intimated his “ambition” to play for someone else, will give us anything like 100% commitment?
I think we are more liable to get another listless final season similar to what we got from Mr Adebayor. Just a hunch.
I know that Wenger likes to gamble and take risks but I cannot see many positives from Nasri staying rather than taking the money and seeing what we can get to replace him.
zico, two words.
No, not those…
Liam Brady.
Holic. I’m lost for words! π
Er… thanks?!
Times were different then though Holic, and thus a bit of an unfair comparison, borne more out of hope than expectation perhaps?
Maybe “those” two words were what you meant after all π
Not to you, sir.
Expecting a character reference from BtM tomorrow π
I’ll consider myself on probation then π
Give TH14 a shout from me.
Good post and agree with the sentiments above. If the want aways dont know what real adulation is they will tomorrow. What price becoming a legend, me thinks all the spanish and arab gold will feel pretty weightless in their pockets as the what have you done for me latelys watch the been there done it, created history being lauded. Will be pretty uncomfortable. Good game btw and plenty of positives.
Having missed most of the game today (last 12 mins on a stream), just went to Arsenal Player for highlights and . . . ‘Coming Soon’ . . .
6 1/2 hours after the game finished.
Sometimes this club really test you . . ;(
Don’t blame Nasri-we need to persuade him to stay with competent defending.We showed some variation in attack-but once again a glaring weakness was obvious to anyone but the most blind-that defence did not look good enough. Jenkinson has a long way to go as an attacking player-and is only marginally passable as a defender. The central defence was wide open to the counter-even before they scored-for 2 reasons-too little pressure in midfield-no matter who was present and both centre backs are positionally clueless. How similar was Djourou’s error to the Birmingham fuck up? Do we have to watch a re-run in every game next year?
Yes we need Mata-but we won’t solve a defensive weakness by talking about it-we need a centre back and a central midfielder of experience.
Hey Goonerholic,
Fair play to you mate, as you clearly like to write with as much objectivity and minimal “impulse” as possible.
However, I would really like to know what you consider good preparation for the upcoming season? We have 2 weeks left until the EPL starts and I personally feel Arsenal should be dominating their “lesser” preseason opposition by now…
Fact is, what was on show today whether it was 1st choice, second choice or a mixture of the two is indicative of what’s is to come… Preseason is a time for gaining fitness, trying new things and ironing out the chinks in the amour. This is something that we have yet to show – no change. Nothing new.
You say you expect a more up-tempo performance against Benfica next week but is that more of a hope than an expectation? I mean, we lost to Birmingham in the CC final. Although i HOPED, did u then EXPECT us to beat the red Mancs in the FA cup and Barca in the champs? You have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run don’t you? Benfica are certainly better than Boca as Boca are also better than that Greentown team. If we struggle tomorrow, draw or lose my suspicions will be confirmed. Preseason is where you build up confidence, form and the foundation on which you base the realistic expectations for the upcoming competitive season.
I really want Arsenal to do well(which i am certain you do to) but with the current state of affairs at our “well-run” and beloved club I just do not see us sustaining a challenge this season. With the need for investment in better quality playing staff(you know the areas), improvement to our mentality and ability to efficiently get results when it matters; that is just too much to ask of a great but faltering manager.
I know i’ve sounded really pessi but it seems that our entire squad right down through to youth systems all have this recent “arsenal way” of playing ingrained in their system and unfortunately it is not a winning formula – dare i say – yet. I saw the barca kids woop(kinda) Bayern the other night(albeit a preseason friendly) but they never stopped playing, lost concentration or were only”at a good pace for 60 minutes” as Wenger has now said. These are basic things we as a team consistently do the opposite of. How will this be fixed in the space of two weeks? Fact is, Barca have built a fear factor about themselves that simply nobody can compete with…The great TH14 you will see tomorrow used to be part of ours!
Sorry for the overly loooong post you probably hate me now π lol
P-MG: Song will most likely not be going to the ACN on account of Cameroon not qualifying. They still have a chance to qualify, but it looks quite unlikely. They have two games to play, but even if they win both they still need a few other results going their way.
Did Theo phone in to the ESPN broadcast? What did LS say to make him do that and what did Theo say?
Oh, and Trev@35: well said, there are a lot of questions that the club really needs to answer in one way or the other.
Ok, ‘Holics – I’ve been simmering for a while now, but I’m a bit boiling now. I will take care to not go overboard, though, in my commentary.
The big problem I have is this doublestandard… it’s a huge, pink elephant or llama or gorilla in the room. Now I’m no Nasri-apologist, but here’s a thought – he wouldn’t have been wearing the armband today if our “captain” wasn’t on the bench suffering from a case of “unsettlement”.
Jebus, what does that even mean? Last I remember, Cesc is under CONTRACT through 2015. What do you mean his mind isn’t ready to play. You play where your contract says you play until the team who owns your contract says different; and you’re the captain ffs.
Now contrast everyone’s tacit understanding for Cesc with this castigation of Nasri. At least HE was on the pitch. He has not signed an extension with us, but that is his right. And reading Blogs this morning was even more disconcerting. Sure we paid 13.5mil for him for four years. If we eschew the 20mil offer from Manc Shitty, we still would have received his services for four years. He is not saying, “I’m too unsettled to play. Or, I would really rather you sold me to someone else.” Or some other such nonsense. Yet, he is the evil one.
Really?
I tell you one thing. If I were a player on this team, the LAST thing I want to see is Cesc wearing the Captain’s armband. There are more ways to act disrespectful to your club than advocating your transfer in the press. What message will it send the youngsters, not to mention RVP, if Cesc is still here once the season starts and he dons the Captain’s armband?
You can not travel with the team during preason. (If you’re injured and can’t play, you can still travel with the boys. And don’t give me that “It’s Arsene’s policy” rubbish. If the captain says he wants to travel with the team, the captain travels with the team) You can miss the last games of each season with hammies. You can sit on the bench while your team plays an admitted preseason friendly at home.
I agree with whoever said that there is mismanagement on so many levels. But, I also think the malaise at the club is intensified when nobody there checks our “captain’s” attitude. You know, Sun Tzu wrote that (paraphrasing) in a well-ordered army, rewards extend to the lowest levels and punishment extend to the highest. When does the organization (and we supporters) stop giving Cesc every indulgence?
I apologize for this length of this – and I don’t expect many will read it, but I had to get this off my chest. Circumstances like this REALLY make me wish I were still on active duty and faced with an organizational challenge like this.
Anyway, pretty soon I’ll just go back to drinking…I mean, why even complain about defensive frailties. Let’s just win each game 15-16 (I once heard a wise man say at the bar).
*still fuming*
Up the Arse.
Took the two saucepans to The Grove today. I must say that it all felt a bit strange. I entered the ground and it all felt like I had turned up at a local tourist attraction rather than a football match. I agree totally with the verdict on the atmosphere given by BTM. It was lack lustre and as I said, tourist like. It bordered on amusing at times. Those in the red singing section started a rendition of βstand up if you hate Tottenham.β This was greeted in the tourist section with bemused looks and polite applause. All very strange.
Now I also agree that this is not the time to get carried away but for me Holic your second paragraph sums it all up for me. Gut reaction will kick in as the old frailties come back to haunt us. Now I really do not want to go too overboard but we all know what the reaction will be. And with some justification I would suggest. I have massive reservations about our defensive system and personnel at the moment. JD and Kos are both have potential but in my opinion make far too many mistakes for me. There were two occasions in the first half where we were cut to ribbons down the centre. I am still not convinced that centre half is Kos or JDβs best position. I wonder if either playing in front of a back four may not prove more profitable in the long run.
It was a strange old game. Jenkinson showed promise. Traore showed why he has not been able to hold down a regular position at any club he has played for. I am genuinely concerned about our abilities at full back. Frimpong looks as wide as he is tall. Again bags of potential but he still has a massive amount to learn. Arshavin looks likes he has lost some of that puppy fat and at times he almost broke into a fast walk?????
I thought both goals were taken well. Both were good finishes after decent moves. Gervinho was lively. Jack buzzed about, Ramsey looks like he is in a hurry to make up for lost time and I thought that Chamakh worked hard when he came on.
So where does that leave us? Well not a lot further forward really. I am also a tad concerned with less than 2 weeks to go before the season opener in the North East. We certainly have not sorted out the defensive problems. We appear no nearer to sorting the Cesc situation. The Nasri situation is a mystery to me. I have no idea why he was handed the armband. I may be wrong but he did not look massively interested to me. I also do not understand for one second why we are prepared to gamble losing 20 million on a player when we are not prepared to match other clubβs valuations for players that AW would appear to genuinely want. Mark Schwarzer springs to mind.
As we departed I am still none the wiser as to what kind of situation we will be in come the start of the season. Still, the kids had enjoyed themselves which I guess is what counts. That said I think we were all somewhat disappointed not to see at least a 10 minute cameo from TH14 in the first game. A bit of a shame for those of us only available to attend the Saturday.
For those attending tomorrow I hope you enjoy yourself. Have one for me in the Pins. I wish I was able to join you all. I sincerely hope that we start to get our bloody fingers out and show some urgency in getting the squad sorted and match fit for 13 days time.
Enjoy. Keep the faith.
PS : Matt and Clive, thank you for your kind word in the last post. Much appreciated.
@Holic
Billy Cotton’s catchphrase cry was: “Wakey Wakey” as in “Wakey Wake-eeeeeeee”
So, unless you’re making an obscure play on words*, even you don’t remember Billy Cotton.
*Yes, you’re going to have to spell it out.
A few things.
First of all, I did notice a change in set-pieces. We switched from man to zonal marking. Not convinced but any change is welcome.
I definitely think Frimpong is ready as he has everything you want and need in a DM. He’s got a good forward pass, very good in the tackle and the tussle, can get out of tight areas without losing the ball. The only down side I see right now is that sometimes he gets caught too forward while the opponent is breaking but that’s due to AW giving him “Song freedom” to join the attacking play and I’m pretty sure he’d tone it down once the league starts.
About Cesc, I have no idea why but according to the mail he left at HT with an Arsenal employee so it was approved by the club. Either way, I don’t see a reason for the club to let him leave at HT.
The only thing I can think of is that AW had a change of heart in his attitude towards him and is looking to “discipline” Cesc because of the Don Balon interview. I’m pretty sure AW doesn’t really see eye to eye with Cesc on what was said in that interview, that could have created a sort of “how dare you” feeling for AW towards Cesc.
If we don’t get a CB I don’t know what needs to happen for us to get one. I’d love for Keown to be a defensive coach and I really don’t understand why he isn’t anymore. It doesn’t sound like something happened between him and AW because Keown speaks fondly of AW every time he gets a chance to do so, so why he’s not a part of the staff is beyond me.
Not feeling good after today’s performance. This is where we are supposed to set the mood for the season to come but instead we stand around and let the Argie waltz through our defence to give up a two goal lead. Too similar to the memories of Newcastle, Sp*ds, etc., and the stench of the end of last season is still too heavy in the air. π Someone please step up with a giant fan and blow the stench out of here.
bt8bbnn – To me the results are a minor issue. Last season we won all our friendlies except for Milan but we had the same problems – Horrible Goalkeeping, basic mistakes, conceding goals from set-pieces.
This season we may not be winning, but we ARE changing things. Take a look at our change in set-pieces, it is not man mark anymore, it’s zonal in sort of a T shape from the goal to the edge of the box. I was actually quite pleased with the lack of danger we experienced from set-pieces.
True, we still conceded from basic mistakes and still our work rate in the 2nd half was lousy but at least one thing was changed so let’s hope the other things are attended too as well.
Holic, I have to say, I saw your little debate with blogs and Tim Payton and I have to say I agree with everything you said and I wish I could have expressed it the way you did.
In the case that Cesc does stay, he can experience quite a backlash from all the people trying to slam him on Twitter for things which are as you say “not that black and white”.
Kudos to you. It’s important that respected figures in the blogosphere like you and blogs create an opposition to the popular thinking which is often wrong and has the characteristics of a knee-jerk reaction.
SSFM damn it!
It’s only the beginning of August after all. There’s plenty of time to fix it all. Two weeks to go before the beginning of a difficult early season fixture list and a key UCL qualifying tie. We’ve got plenty of time. Don’t you worry mate. Everything will be okay.
I’ve got this ‘unsettling’ Bill Murray feeling coming over me.
SSFM.
Snir@58. If we don’t get at least one centre back then Keown wants to make himself available to play, not just coach.
Hollic. Billy Cotton???????????? More like Billy Smart’s at times???
(I would do one of those little smileys now but I really don’t know how to).
Snir, I hope I’m just overreacting to a poor result and poor performance in a meaningless preseason game, but in short order we have to do some business to put our squad into shape and shore up a leaky defense. The team also has to show more focus throughout our matches. That focus seemed to be there in the first half but soon died out as we have seen so often the last few years. I’m hoping against hope things will get better but my faith is running thin. Arsenal, show me a performance tomorrow please…
bt8bbnn – I think for the team to show focus they need to be challenged constantly which is a major flaw. When they do get challenged by the opposition in front of them, they can beat the best of the best, it’s against the lesser teams that they stroll away.
That brings me back to the psychologist we need to “sign” and “ze (lack of) mental strength” of these players.
It’s obvious we need to do some business.
I was just commenting on what you said that nothing has changed when in fact it did, and it changed significantly – A whole new tactic on how to deal with set-pieces, which is quite hard to implement in just 3 matches.
I think Mata is close because AW backtracked on his Nasri stance today meaning he’s open to selling him. That can only mean he’s got a replacement up his sleeve.
A CB is an absolute must.
Getting Mata and Jagielka, selling Nasri and keeping Cesc would do a whole lot to our title chances.
I’ve still got the faith, but like you, it’s hard for me to hang on to it when I see things like the game today.
Someone mentioned it at the bar that Gervinho is much more direct than Nasri on the left and instead of cutting inside to the edge of the box he crossed it to Robin for the first goal. Excellent goal from top to bottom, starting with Frimpong winning the ball, Robin linking up with Jack who opened their defense with a beautiful ball to Gervinho. Invincible like counter attack.
And I’m absolutely convinced that Frimpong is ready, especially when he’s gonna play against the lesser teams which will have 30-35% possession so he can get his experience and learn not to get caught in attacking positions too much (because at the moment I don’t see any other down side to his inclusion in the side).
Snir – Don’t count your chickens regarding Mata. Twitchy Redsnapper wants him too. And if Twitchy wants him that’s means it could be a bidding war and Le Boss doesn’t do bidding wars well π
Twitchy Redsnapper = a floundering creature resembling a dog (a beagle) in apperance which emanates a fish like odour.
s/b “appearance”
69!! Get in there π
I’m not scared by the prospect of Spurs bidding because he doesn’t want to move there – He’s got CL football at Valencia and Spurs isn’t in the CL.
There can’t be a bidding war for Mata. He has a 17M clause in his contract that requires Valencia to accept the offer but they have the option of offering him a new contract and doubling his wages first.
The only 2 things that scare me with him is that he’s kinda becoming a Sebastian Frey and that City will bid for him because they’ll outbid the hell of our contract offer.
Have to say I watched the MU-FCB and wasn’t impressed at all with Thiago.
Not impressed with Thiago??? Hell, if it remained 1-1 I would have had a Thiago shout out for ya. He scored another cracking goal. That makes three goals in a week from the Xavi role. That’s pretty smooth my Yankee amigo π The ball sticks to his boots like glue, he’s fantastic on the ball, and has great vision. And the guy is scoring from distance. That’s the kind of guy we could use. Especially if/when we lose Cesc.
But we don’t want another future Cesc situation with a player from BarΓ§a’s nursery. This three year ongoing soap opera is beyond tedious π
Hey Snir. Do you think Israel can qualify for 2014? They’ve got a tough group with Portugal and Russia. Looks like they got screwed by the draw π I hope they can sneak in through a second place playoff somehow. But I’m not putting money on it. Shalom.
Well SV – The ball stick to his feet like glue? Nothing special since he’s from Barcelona and it’s a feature they all have.
To be honest, apart from Thiago’s shot Barca didn’t even shoot once and De Gea did nothing the whole game (I think he should have at least tried to save Thiago’s shot, I think he’s a flop but that’s a debate for a different day).
He barely tried any defense splitting passes and played mostly sideways passes.
The guy can shoot I’ll give you that, but that alone doesn’t make a good game, cause he was NOT good last night.
Barca struggled to create chances without Xavi, but well, we already knew that Barca always struggle without that cunt.
About Israel, very hard draw but I think we have a very small chance of sneaking it since Russia isn’t too stable, but let’s qualify for the Euro first π
Snir,
You got to take a closer look at Thiago next time. His control and confidence is exceptional for a BarΓ§a player (especially considering that he’s 20). He was the exceptional player at the UEFA U21s too. Remember? Btw, did you notice we was wearing the #4 yesterday? The number Cesc covets so after his idol Pep. Maybe Cesc isn’t going after all.
De Gea had absolutely no chance on the shot. A flop after one friendly, eh? Have you ever said that about one of players before? One of our past keepers after a single friendly perhaps? Double standard? No. Hmmmm. How long was it before you thought Denilson or Almunia were flops? Honestly.
Cheers holic an holics, love reading all the drinks and all but haven’t seen my beloved Arsenal to date. Tomorrow is a go… Can’t wait…. I’m so f@)$:-@g! pumped didn’t even tell my mom cause shed blow it for me and my lil gooner Maverick… Gervihno sounds a godsend an I’ll be ok w a Rambo wilshere pairing, at what expense tho? No trophies only adds to this (really) sad decade of footie. In arsene I trust but as w my life management can’t sit idle for this long, can they? I’m a little optimistic for the season, and why shouldn’t I be? May is a long way off, til then holics and maybe after drinks are ( virtually ) on me!
SV – I don’t think he’s a flop cause of last night’s game, please don’t tell me that’s what you understood.
I’ve been thinking he’s WAY overrated for 2 years now, and that Asenjo is as talented as De Gea is if not more.
I honestly think that Woj’s abilities are better than De Gea, especially his one on one, the way he closes every single angle make it borderline impossible to score against him one on one (have a look at Anderson’s shot at OT and Messi at the Ems).
Almunia and Denilson? Right away, you can add NB to that too. On the other hand I think that Diaby can be a very good player if he wouldn’t have gotten injured from everything he does in his life, sometimes I think he strains a muscle when he presses on the gas pedal in his car.
Control and confidence don’t mean that he had a good game. I didn’t get a chance to see the Euro U21 so was only talking about MU-FCB. Wasn’t impressed with him or Barca at all.
Problem is, United looked pretty decent.
FSS – Enjoy it mate!
Morning ‘holics.
Sun is shining, taxi is booked, and I can’t stop singing ‘Thierry Henry.’
This morning I shall enjoy my 4S π
Well, everyone seems to be fuming at the groundhog day situation which seems to be building up
I understand, as ‘holic does – Great measured post ‘holic
We need at least one center half – That much is clear
Frimpong looks good, I must say
Better to just have a drink and not think of our difficult start to the season
Cheers
Enjoy your day ‘holic π
Enjoy the return of Titi GH.
Went down the lane the other night said to the cunts we’ve got the new Ian Wright they said to me who can he be I said to them his names Thiery Henry
Thiery Henry
Thiery Henry
What a Player,
Won’t go overboard about yesterday as I didn’t see the game, Lets just say after Reading match reports I was not surprised to yet again see our defending had cost us dear, The other point is does Wenger take a perverse pleasure in winding up the fans these days I mean Nasri captain of The Arsenal fucking shocking after what’s been going on, We now only have two weeks till kick off and those signings are musts I fear for us otherwise.
Have a Top Day Holic,
Have a great day Holic. Can I revise my photo request to one of the pints on the bar, rather than of the owners? I’m guessing it’ll make for better viewing. π
Strong coffee please. CBeebies on TV doing my sore head in π
OK. Day 2. Cesc top on, coiffured and red-y to go rattling up the Victoria Line to H&I. Crail Golf Club bunnet spotters will be disappointed today. Far too hot in London for my “doolichter”.
For those of you who immediately associate the word “riots” with Brixton and who’ve never actually been to this part of London – make time for a visit, do an Eddy Grant and “walk down to Electric Avenue”. You’ll find some really funky folks enjoying life and some of the emerging eating places in Brixton Market alone are worth the visit.
Holic, Ollie and I will be deconstructing and reconstructing everything Arsenal, the world and the rest of the galaxy tonight. I think there’s a fair chance we’ll conclude that the defense needs strengthening (my money would go the way of Cahill – but, we’ll see). No doubt we’ll mention Savage’s name during “comfort breaks”.
Snir @58 and after. I’d like to agree and disagree respectfully with your thoughts on Frimpong. I think:
– An outstanding talent who will make it at Arsenal and with Ghana.
– Superb Emirates Cup last season. Tragic injury in Ireland.
– He needs a full season, e.g. Jack at Wigan b4 Arsenal prime-time
– To introduce him as Song’s deputy is a massive risk -IWWTWS*
May I bore you by suggesting that a better strategy would be to introduce the powerhouse of the Brazilian national team – Felipe Melo. Superb ball winner, great DM, masterclass forward passes and scores a few to boot. He doesn’t fit at Juve, he won’t feature there – I’m convinced he’s the silky steel these youngsters need in their midst right now. Yep, he’d be unavailable because of red cards from time to time. So was Patrick. PLEASE, Arsene, spend some f*cking money on Felipe.
So, I’ll be back later to read Holic’s review of a day in my life. Enjoy the game today wherever your watching. Glass half full, Happy Train, the sun WILL come up on our defense, and remember it’s only a friendly.
* If we want to win something.
–
Nice one BtM, enjoy!
BtM – I’m sure you mean Jack at Bolton and it wasn’t a full season, it was from January to May.
I don’t mind giving Frimpong the time to play against the lesser teamst till we hit January and that would equal Jack’s stint at Bolton ;).
I’m pretty sure lots of people were hyped about Denilson and wanted him to get a place in the side and not go on loan (when he was a prospect :\) so I don’t think there should be a difference. I’d give him the chance this season, it’d be a good thing for Song too.
I don’t really get why you would want Frimpong to go on loan, what is it that you think he needs to improve? You didn’t write it on the post so I’m a bit confused. The only down side I currently see can be fixed in a jiffy and that’s getting caught forward a bit too much.
BtM, you do realize Felipe Melo just signed with Galatasaray, right? He is off the market.
I don’t know if it’s true but it’s going around Twitter that there is a surprise for AFC fans at HT. It’s being said it’s Thierry switching sides and plays for AFC.
If that turns out to be true (although I doubt it very much) I think I’ll have tears of happiness!
@88 Snir Geuli That would be amazing if that happens! It should be good match either way I think…
Ppl are going crazy on Twitter.
Like I thought the rumor is being branded as total bollocks.
But according to Matt Law of the Express there IS supposed to be a surprise to AFC fans today.
A clean sheet maybe….
Gooners are tourists, I see you all moving to Milton Keynes next.. Stand up if you all hate the dons.. Followed by applause .. Psml
We’ve been tourists for many a year Cus, its called the Champions League – oh forgot your mob are on Channel 5 – that’s like Skegness π
Cusop, You are the master of lost references. Best of luck in Moldova and other outbacks of the Europa league before you crash out. π
Nice one Dr Z π
Sorry Nas , didn’t see you there , Beers ?
97 bottles of beer on the wall …
Tabs, You can pick your illustrious number (on my tab). π
Fodder for the HT MkII suggestion box: How about a sidecar for Cusop to be positioned alongside the rotten tomatoes car, which would be equipped with slingshot and launching platform for riders to take potshots at the captive Cusop and/or other Sp*ds to be designated later.
Nice report ‘Holic , struck the right balance between the knowledge that it was only a pre-season friendly , and the continuing concerns that we continue to find ever more imaginative ways to shoot ourselves in the foot .
As for me , it has taken me 24 hours to recover from the fact that Robbie Savage is no longer living with Carlos Valderamma in a Columbian outpost and is still being employed to talk about foootball by fools .
Is there a bigger c*nt in the world ? I seriously doubt it . Does he tell his daily hair stylist ” I want the Selina Scott circa 1984 look please ? ” .Is there anything more irritating than his worthless opinions or his witticisms ( about as funny as thrush ) being spouted by his naselly high pitched whining . Come back Stewart Robson , all is forgiven .
Savage should be marched out to Tower Hill , tortured with electrodes and hot spoons , and then left for the birds to feast on . Just my opinion .
As regards the game , nothing to add to the already excellent posts above . Flipper looked lively , Jack looked like the rest has done him good , and Jenks looks a better bet than Traore . Frimpong had a good game , and the reserve defence made individual errors .
And so to today . Welcome back Thierry Henry . A Prince amongst men .
How about 100 Nas ? π
Cusop’s in with the pets Nas , I think .
This cheered me up esp the part played by dreamy Bob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbCuYuYlozA
Afternoon all.
Nice report ‘holic, I’ll hold back on my judgement untill after todays game, as I feel yesterday was just a starter and today will be more the main course, yum, yum.
Speaking of fine dining, it’s most definetly time for beerunch, I’ll start with a Russian TJ please, I’m sure tabs will join me, please top up the rest of the gents’ glasses too.
I sure will H2H , cheers .
From the previous drinks.
I loved the father and son posts, good stuff gents, My parents were not football fans, but me and my brother were lucky that a neighbouring couple, who sadly were unable to have kids of their own, were Arsenal made and raised us as their own in goonerdom. Sadly they are departed, but they will always live on in my heart,
Mr Rhetoric, ooh, so you’re the one who read my comments π
I had my fair share of disagreements with *Mr McNulty, his blogs more often then not contridict themselves and ars nothing but a collection of badly worded cliches, I haven’t bothered with them anymore, in fact the “quality” of the blogs at the beeb have taken a noise dive over the last few seasons and every post usually ends up in a pissing contest between IOU’s and Mickeys. tedious stuff. They also got rid of Robbo and Chris Charles which were the only ones worth reading,
*McNulty, started to get more then a tad self rightous, case in point. If you try to type “McNumpty” into a beeb comment box you get referred to the profinity filter. What a plank.
I know you so well tabs. π
NYGunner @ 17
I think Jagielka would walk straight into our team and I would then be happy with Kos as back up.
LG @ 55
I read it and enjoyed your “rant”, not saying I agree or disagree with you, but you certainly do raise some good points.
ps, my use of the word rant is in no way meant to be derogitory to your post.
Time to hit the bar.
Enjoy the game lads.
You do , H2H , you do π
Completely with you on the CH issue , we need someone who will walk into the side . A little unfair on Kos who I think is a lot better than many give him credit for , and hopefully he will continue to improve , but that’s life at a top club .
I thought Lonestar’s points were well made , though I didn’t agree with all of them . I think there is a difference in that it is Cesc’s home club , the guy has given his best over 7 seasons , and his injury , in the absence of any concrete evidence to the contrary , has to be taken at face value .
That said , I understand Lonestar’s frustration at the double standard applied . Freddie’s parting shots on leaving were pretty grim , but because he is a legend he is quickly forgiven . By way of comparison , Denilson’s interview which accompanied his transfer request was pretty inoffensive stuff , yet he gets carpeted because he hasn’t formed part of a trophy winning side .
I thought Nasri had a poor game yesterday , but must admit didn’t pick up on the negative body language that many did .
I see what you mean about the ESPN coverage. Unbelievably embarrassing.
Fairly good first half, I thought. But for the love of Dennis, please let Jack’s injury be only a minor one…
Afobe looks like he has a bright future.
Great to see TH14 back. Almost as great to see TV5 back again.
That goal we conceded was utterly ridiculous.
Not too bad a game, if you ask me. Bartley should probably have done better on their goal, but I have to say I love the way Szczesny reacted. He absolutely hates conceding.
Snir, yes it was but you should also remember that in games like these when you have made a bazillion subs then things often go a bit wonky. As long as we had our first-choice defence on the pitch they created absolutely nothing.
Lars, I agree, they barely touched the ball but it was like the defense was in awe of Henry and just looked at him pass the ball in the box!
Oh well, at least it was Eboue who’s being sold and Bartley who’s supposed to be the 5th choice CB.
Well Done Martin Keown ! Proper Arsenal man . Refused to bow to the ” Le Grovist ” agenda set by the inept Stubbs and the gibbering twat that is Savage .
Arsenal decent in parts . Flipper confirmed he’ll be quick and tricky , Ramsey and Rosicky had decent games . Silly goal given away at the death .
Can I echo Steve T above and say what a pleasure it was to see TH14 back .
Lars , I’ll join you in those prayers that Jack’s injury is nothing more than a tweak .
Have come straight from Twitter – is it actually possible to “throw away” a one goal lead? Four goal lead, yes. But surely the Red Bulls just “equalised”.
Main problem seemed to me to be failure to score when on top.
I’m sure you’ve all made similar comments above. I’ll go and have a read now! Beers…?
Cheers Dr C , don’t mind if I do …
Totally agree – merely an equaliser and not some sort of meltdown . The hysteria which accompanies a pre-season friendly continues to amaze .
In years gone by , it would have warranted merely a scoreline in the paper the next day .
I only caught bits of a stream, whilst playing with 3 kids (got to keep the powder dry)…. can you give me a summary of Afobe? From what I’ve read (Jamie at Young Guns) he was played out of position but was “tidy”. Anyone?
Now then, Mr Bell, who’s a lucky boy then?
Henry awesome at the end. Had a tear in my eye.
True arsenal legend. Mr Nasri and Mr Fabregas take a long hard look. I think it was Snir that said earlier that Cesc is not a legend at the moment. Could not agree more. For the definition of legend look no further than today.
Mr Bell very lucky .
Afobe made a bright start – my stream was a bit fuzzy so it was often difficult to distinguish him from others . Thought he was neat and tidy . Played out wide . Made a good chance for Flipper .
Faded a little in the 2nd half and was subbed after about 70 for Arshavin . A good prospect but nothing more than that at this stage . My guess is he’ll go out on loan again .
Given Arsene’s comments, I am a little confused that Lansbury was not invloved at all. Maybe just the fitness issue. I hope so – would like to see him, Frimpong and Bartley all in the senior squad this year. I am confident that they could adequately replace some of the dead wood.
Odds on Rosicky being our 3rd new signing? π
But seriously, very useful indeed if he has rediscovered his form.
Have just seen a brilliant quote to the boo boys, on Twitter by @northbanklower, – “don’t behave like it’s a friendly with mexican waves if you’re going to then behave like it mattered and boo.”
So Tabs, how do you reckon they are getting on down in The Pins? Shall we open the GT in a show of solidarity?
Rosicky difficult to assess given the strength or otherwise of the oppo . Think he’s looked pretty sharp all pre-season to be honest . Let’s see how he looks in 13 days time . Might be first choice given potential injuries to Theo and Jack .
As regards the kids , certainly think you’ll get your wish re Frimpong . Think Bartley will go on loan . As regards Lansbury – difficult to assess – my guess is he overdid it on the holiday cocktails .
Good Call Dr C π
I’ll go get the pipes . Chinese or Californian ?
Californian, I think = a more mellow Sunday feel.
A good choice Sir . Californian and Countryfile , it doesn’t get much more mellow than that π
Am I the only one left with a feeling after this weekend has not helped one bit in sitting out all of the confusion surrounding the squad?
Haha Booing At a friendly I’ve heard it all now π Did I seriously read on teletext Alfreton Town beat Sheffield Wednesday 14-0 surely they’ve got that the wrong way round if not fuck being a Wednesday fan!!!
Saying all that the Boos in my view are not for today they are for a summer of inaction to this point and I suspect they were aimed at the Top Brass, Still carnt get over Nasri getting the captains armband that tops the lot and WTF is Eboue doing on the pitch if he’s leaving all very very strange.
Massive 13 days coming up Come on Arsenal get the 3-4 players in we need and let’s fly out them traps,
Dr Z? You there?
Not alone Steve .
Though not sure we would have been any further forward had we won both games 6-0 .
We all know the weaknesses of this side , and that they are not addressed by the return of Vermaelen alone . He must go out and bring in a stellar centre half who is not merely a very good player , but above all can organise and lead the defence a la Campbell .
Chippy π As you say , it could be worse , we could all follow Wednesday .
Problems with the lock Dr C ?
BtM @85 – totally agree about Felipe Melo. Matt will doubtless be on to remind us that he is ‘useless’, but I think he would be ideal.
He would not allow the younger players like Ramsey and Wilshere to be bullied, and Frimpong would benefit hugely from having a hard, experienced international to learn from.
The fact that he would be unavailable now and then would also be ideal as it would give Frimpong a chance to put his lessons into practice.
You cannot rely on a youngster playing his first, first-team season to take you through a full program of Prem and Champs League.
There is also a tendency to see Felipe Melo as just a hard man. Let’s not forget he is actually one of the launch pads for the Brazil national team. Not too many mugs get in there.
No Tabs… just wondered why the GT was so low in stocks. Then I thought of Dr Z.
No, Steve T, you are not alone.
Ah , understood Dr C π
Evening Trev . Don’t know myself but hasn’t Melo already gone to Galatasary as Snir indicated above ?
Tabs, Snir – hadn’t heard, or seen, that, but I’ll disappointedly take Snir’s word for it.
Shame – would have been great to send F Melo to the post-match interview with Gobby Savage. See what the little shit is really made of, π
Steve T – allow me to pass on the syntactical lesson I received from a few fellow ‘Holics when I was also struggling with the ‘winky/smiley’ thing.
Simply type a colon or semi-colon, followed immediately by an open-bracket or close bracket symbol. Voila! Sorry, I can’t spell parenthesis.
If it doesn’t work, blame Stingy Voyeur.
You are most definitely not alone btw π
Trev@137 – I’d fancy Olga Korbut to do the twat . Didn’t hear his exchange with Theo yesterday but apparently he soon backed down .
He was a disgrace after the game today , just kept banging out the same old tired cliches , notwithstanding the very logical interventions of Martin Keown .
Me @138 – oops, make that Stingy Voyageur.
Blame him fior that too! π
Haven’t heard or seen anything of any coverage yet TABS – been out on the moors all day – topping up the hairy hands π
π
A disappointing end to the game but I don’t think it was a reflection of where we are, despite what I said @ 15.
We usually capitulate when we start panicking and drop off, today was down to us being in practice mode. We were so in control of that game we barely got above a walking pace. We were guilty of not making the scoreline reflect just how poor NYRB were but there was an exhibition feel to the game, as highlighted by many flicks and back heels.
The real low point was Jack going off injured but that was offset by good performances from Afobe and Rosicky. TV and Kosh looked very comfortable and will definitely be our starting pair, if we don’t sign anyone.
With everyone fit, I am sure we will play at a higher tempo against Newcastle. Gervinho and Walcott wide with Jack getting things going, our game will move faster. I think there is a nice balanced feel to our team now and if we can tighten up the defence with assured discipline (work on it Arsene) I am really looking forward to the new season.
To those that booed today.
Guys we know it is frustrating and given our previous capitulations, I can understand some trepidation. However, even in a competitive game booing can only have a detrimental effect. You should have seen the game for what it was, Titi’s homecoming. Use that vocal energy in support, not Mexican waves and boos.
To be honest, this weekend hasn’t really made me go nuts on the defensive issues.
I’m actually more bothered about our lack of chances created than our defensive issues.
We barely created chances even though we had 100% possession, not to mention yesterday we scored 2 goals from our only 2 shots on goal.
cheeky bottle of white….sharing, of course.
Hey lads. Does anyone know the latest news on that Costa Rican youngster Joel Campbell? He’s playing in the U20 WC right now against Spain. CRC 0-1 ESP HT. Are we still after him or is he lost for good?
Glad to see Trev mastering the smileys and passing on his knowledge to fellow ‘holics in need. He is a wise man indeed. Give a man a fish and he is fed for a day but teach a man to fish and he will never be hungry.
A cold one for the fine gentleman Trev, if you please, barman.
Catalan @ 135, not low in stock, you just need to know where to look. I see you have given up though and gone for more traditional medicine @ 145.
Haven’t seen any of today’s game but if they are now booing at pre-season friendlies then the Grove is going to be a bit of a hostile place for the home team this season, probably sooner rather than later. Yes the home team. From their own “supporters”. Jeez.
Where did all this “entitlement” mentality come from? Can you say hand on heart that any other team’s fans would boo their own team before a ball is kicked in anger?
Happy days…. π
It works. Cheers Trev. π π π
One other thing that confused me today. Chezzer’s new squad number appears to be 13??? Now I know Almunia is still there but there is no secret that he is on his way. So why has Chezzer not been given the nymber one shirt? Does that mean we are in the market for another keeper as well?
Steve T @ 151; I think (and all evidence points this way), that Chezzer is a touch mental. And prefers the number 13.
As far as I’m concerned, the more mental the keeper, the better.
Dr Z. So, you’re trying to tell me that home grown is not a traditional remedy??? Away with you, sir.
See the cricket?
Mr Bell should be forever grateful (IMO).
And the morons that booed at Trent Bridge should look to themselves, too. Play to the whistle, and all that.
Only saw brief highlights on Channel 5 Dr C, and he was a lucky boy but grateful or otherwise I think that is probably the innings that will seal the match for England.
Booing seems to be a bit of a trend at the mo…..
Re: Trev @138, I was wondering when somebody would point out that SV is universally responsible for technical problems on our home and office computers. π π
I’m a trouble maker 8ball π There is no doubting that.
Re: Pete @143, When we do win the big one, the booers will not enjoy it as much as the rest of us, of that I am assured. π
So an MLS side won the Emirates Cup, eh? An MLS side??? Well, if we’ve won this friendly tourny the prior four seasons and did not win any real silverware during that period then this should only be a good omen. Reverse logic and psychology this season: don’t win the Ems Cup and win real silverware during the season π
Hey CG,
Chezzer is a “touch” mental? π
God love the kid, he’s bonkos!!!
I wish the boobirds could get turned out by the stewards, or perhaps have some silver melted down and poured on their tongues.
Get behind the team, FFS.
So string theory and quantum mechanics subscribe to a multiverse. Just think, in some universe out there we’ve won trophies in each of the past six seasons π Mind boggling that π
SV,
Ok so you and Chezzer are mental.
In the quantum world there is a chance that scotch in my glass will spontaneously return to the bottle from whence it came. Only problem is, one would have to wait nearly 10 exponent 20 years for that to happen.
I don’t think we will need to wait that long for the boys in Red to come good.
I hope π
LG,
I just hope it takes us less than 10 to the exponent 20 years before we win our next trophy in this universe π
And once it happens, I’ll drink a bottle of scotch π
What the fuck happened at Trent Bridge? (hic)
Good evening ‘holic. Can’t answer your Q though.
Doh!
‘Hols,
The “witch” was a looker.
Please see if we can hire her aboard the HT Mk II. “Good service” is important in more things than football. ;))
Har har…
‘holic, I know it was the style to wear long hair and all, but don’t Pickettywitch all look as if they are wearing wigs?? Maybe this is a question for Tabs’ alter ego or Clive Waterman [Gooner since ’54] but impressions sometimes are as important as fact, as they say in the mystery novels. Whoever it was up above who was drinking white wine, may I send your table a bottle of Gabbiano Pinot Grigio. Quite tasty and not too expensive. Cheers all. π
… and for those of you asking yourselves the question of whether it is worth it to drink that one extra glass or to save it for another day, I have the answer ….
Drink up, lads!!
I don’t feel the need to read too much into preseason games, even more so this year since our preseason’s schedule has been rejuvenated with our asian tour. We’ve been coming out all guns blazing for a few years now and came short when it mattered. Like Pete said it felt like a training session. I’m certainly not the only one yearning for competitive games though. It was nice seeing the boys and all but can’t wait to see them fight for real.
That being said I agree with Steve T: the uncertainty has lasted long enough. I’m not pleased to say the least with Arsene’s admission that things could drag out until the end of the window. It’s about time we sort things out and I wouldn’t mind at all if we started playing hardball with Nasri and Barca. Arsene has been showing his poker skills under a mask of kindness, I really hope his ruthless side will resurface sooner than later. If need be auction them publicly and send the both of them to Milan clubs and if either one stays, make them fight for a starting spot.
@Trev and BtM: If that’s the choice we have, I’d rather we get Melo than Huntelaar or Matuidi if you get my drift. If we get Melo (which seems doubtful as he’s just stated he’s about move on for better wages and we’re not that kind of club but then who knows since on the other hand he’s coy about the club he’s negotiating with) I have no clue if he’s suited to our style, he seems slow imho. Actually as far as players I don’t know what needs and can be done. All the CBs linked to us are no better than our first choices. Samba is very combative but moves like an ocean liner, Jagielka is an experienced organizer but Everton’s defensive record does not speak in his favour, of the 3 Cahill would probably be my pick but again I don’t rate him better than what we have. Then I understand it may not be easy to convince any of them to relinquish an automatic starter spot. Squillaci has to go though, it’s time to swallow our pride and cut our loss. It’s not that he’s that bad for a 4th choice but somehow he manages to make players around him play poorly and he has the crowd turning against him.
Speaking of, a few members of the home support are a disgrace that will cost us as much if not more than all the other issues at the club combined. We’ve shown the door to Denilson, Eboue, Almunia (and unfortunately imho Bendy), it’s about time we stop being complacent at all levels and give a warning to the deadwood in the crowd too. Like on the pitch it only takes a rotten egg to spoil an omelet.
Trev, Samba may move like an ocean liner, but ocean liners don’t fall over very often as Djourou did one day ago. The Titanic sank how many decades ago? π
Dead wood in the crowd? I hope you aren’t looking at me, Trev. π
Do the eye rolls work on this site? π
Matt, Melo already signed with Galatasaray on a season loan.
I think Woj didn’t get 1 for the same reason Gervinho didn’t get 27 yet. They’re waiting for them to leave.
Am I the only one terrified more with the lack of chances created than our defensive problems?
Yep. Hey Trev. I got a new one for ya:
“:roll:” π
The Guardian is predicting that we will finish 5th this season. Presumably just ahead of the Spuds π
Stewart Robson on Talkshite “warns” Arsenal fans that the potential arrival of Mata could mean the end of Nasri at the club.
Stunning.
Well done Guardian. Really imaginative, investigative journalism: an exact repeat of what other hacks said last pre-season and probably the one before that! Don’t they EVER learn?
In other footy news, Blackburn moves for Goodwillie. There is just so much good material one can come up with once they have Goodwillie π
I believe Lady Nina would agree π
A good man is hard to find.
But a Goodwillie is good to find …
Goodwillie charged with sexual assault but the charges were subsequently dropped on Goodwillie *winces*
You just can’t make this stuff up.
Morning chums
Quick one from me. What Blogs wrote this morning perfectly sums up my feelings from the weekend.
Tabs, you’ll love what he wrote about Lady Robbie – what an enormous c*nt that ladyboy is.
Thanks for all the great insight above fellas, I was away y’day but will catch up with my recordings later (sound turned off to avoid the helium-voiced one).
PS: For ‘Holic. Ta for the text, did a day trip to IoW hence no ‘Dubai-bury Cup’. Hope you and the gang (Ollie? BtM? Others?) had a great day out and a good ‘blether’ in The Tolli post match. See you for the Mugsmashers?
π
Yup, it works well Stingy, thanks