The Incredible Theft Followed By The King of Clubs?
Nov 3rd, 2014 by 'holic
With apologies to Poirot obsessives, two weeks on from our astonishing smash and grab in Brussels we go head to head with Anderlecht again. We will need to start the way we ended against Burnley at the weekend. If the anticipated home wins transpire then Dortmund and ourselves will have secured the last sixteen berths from group D with two matches to spare although the battle for first and second place will remain.
I think it is safe to assume that the Belgians will offer more of a threat than we faced on Saturday. After we made a bright start in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium we were penned back for long periods, particularly in the second-half. Although we look stronger offensively we must make sure of providing cover for what is still, lest we forget, a bit of a makeshift back four.
I was critical of starting both Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini against Burnley, but with the benefit of hindsight that may well have been a dry run for this match. Start them both, and unleash Theo at tiring defenders after an hour. I like that thinking a lot more in the context of Tuesday night.
It will be interesting to see if Arsene fiddles with the four advanced players from Saturday. Alexis surely cannot continue to put in the shifts he is currently, twice a week? The skipper summed him up perfectly in today’s (Monday) presser.
“He’s a bull – he goes again and again. That’s the only secret with Alexis, he wants to get better and better. That’s the way he is.”
I would stick with the form man who was our one stand-out performer in Brussels and who has played so very well for weeks now, and possibly allow Theo to give him a rest for the last half an hour if the situation allows. Aaron Ramsey and Lukas Podolski are perhaps alternatives to Santi Cazorla and the Ox? Tomas Rosicky will surely make a contribution before long. For all that I suspect we might see an unchanged starting eleven.
The ‘holic pound usually seeks value. I think somewhere along the line we will give someone a fearful beating, but not on Wednesday probably. The decent value kicks in with us scoring four or more in the correct score markets. I’m indebted to a friend, John on Twitter, for putting me back on to a punt that has yielded rich pickings before. 25/1 is available for Anderlecht to be leading at half-time, and Arsenal to win. Given our recent performances that looks a possibility, and not too remote.
I realise I should be there in person, reliving that night over 44 years ago when first I saw us lift a European trophy against the same opponents. Good as they were in the first match, however, this Anderlecht don’t have the same appeal as their 1970 ancestors. I have grand’holics to treat to a Manchester United fixture at current day prices. Sky Sports 5 it is.
For those going I hope you get a performance to savour, and a safe journey home. The forecast is for a sunny afternoon and a chilly but dry evening. Welcome to autumn. For the rest of you watching television or streams, hopefully not from behind the sofa, it’s ok to raise a glass to the boys on match nights.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
259 Responses to “The Incredible Theft Followed By The King of Clubs?”
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Well in Neighbour
Fine preview H. I agree with your observation that we are going to give someone a hammering soon. 30 shots on Saturday suggests a thumping is not far off. Probably not tomorrow. I expect a win though.
However the fact that a win takes us through suggests that we might just draw this against he odds. You know how we always make things difficult for ourselves and Ivan is sure to want a cliff hanger to keep selling the seats. 🙂
Good evening neighbour and bath, good friends and gentlemen both 🙂
Score early(ish) and I think we will hammer them. We are in better shape now than we were in the last game and we will not be playing on a shit pitch like we did in Belgium either. Let’s stamp our authority on the game from the start and we’ll be fine.
Cheers H.
I hope a hiding does materialise. I’m also looking forwards to seeing Alexis in the flesh.
I’ll be in the Tollie before the game and would be chuffed to meet any holics who are present. If any are…
There should be a few GSD.
People?
Fine write up Holic.
I think the point you make about the Arteta and Flamini Combo @ DCM is very valid and consolidates the same point made by Bath and Esso in the drinks. I think we’ve returned someway to last seasons formula of keeping it tight first and foremost. In fairness, it served us pretty well last season and had we adapted that stance from the off, I don’t think we’d be so far behind Chelski who are, imo, a very formidable side. Of course, the surprising thing was to see Alexis take responsibility @ No 10 and Stillman was absolutely spot on in his column last week in predicting that this would happen and that it would be a successful move. Alexis has so much work ethic, he’s strong too, can kick off both feet and one feels that Ozil may well have a job on his hands in reclaiming that central berth again. Left flank methinks for Ozil and Theo will have serious competition for the right flank. And as Stillman also mentioned, I wouldn’t be too sure about Theo’s automatic claim to a place on the right either. Playing two DCMs means no room for a box to box player in the start up and more space for Alexis. But imo, we shouldn’t need two players to play DCM if we had a better talent to fill that position in the first place.
Chilly and dry white wine please maestro. Crinkling leaves over here. 🙂
Hey Joe, as one more talented than I once sang 🙂 Fair comments.
bt8, I hear that. A glass on the way. 🙂
As I sip my ice-cold Magners (few drinks are better cold, but you don’t want it warm), I must say two things. One, to have been there against Anderlecht that night at Highbury, when I was but 4 months (not years) old, you were a lucky man indeed.
Two, Lars raises, along with his glass, an interesting point: Why is it that we get such lousy pitches away in Europe? Anderlecht, the Turkish clubs, even the San Siro on our last visit had a miserable field. I’ve seen high school football fields (at least, before most of the schools in my area of New Jersey switched to artificial turf in the last few years) that were in better shape, before crowds of 5,000 at most. Proud clubs like Anderlecht, Galatasaray (rotten bastards though their fans are) and the Milan clubs should be better than that.
GSD, I probably won’t have time to get there pre-match though will probably drop in for a swift post-match chaser. If you go in the Tollington Road entrance then out the door on your right, there are usually a few Holics clustered under the first umbrella. I don’t know who will certainly be there pre-match tomorrow.
Evening all – thanks Guvnor for another fine missive. 😉
Joe – your last sentence saved me replying to you.
Apart from this, of course ……..
Cheers Baff. I don’t know if I’ll be there post game but I’ll know where to look..
Almost certainly won’t be at The Tollie pre-match due to work – unless I have extremely good luck with trains …….
Re: BBC news story about Van Gaal being angry at “stupid” Chris Smalling for lifting his leg at Joe Hart to get his first yellow card before being sent off shortly thereafter. I saw that incident live and immediately thought my dog could have done that. 😉
The other incident that was sheer stupidity over the weekend was Jonjo Shelvey of Swansea getting an initial yellow card for kicking the ball away shortly prior to getting sent off himself. So far the Swansea manager has not been reported as having called Shelvey stupid. I guess we shall see which is the better managerial tactic. Personally I am voting for Garry Monk.
That is one ‘Holic pound that would make for nervous landing, ‘Holic. I am all for us being in the lead by half-time and with an even bigger lead at the end.
Interesting point made by Tim Stillman on the Flamini-Arteta double pivot about how important Flamini is to covering the left-hand side defensively with Santi and Alex being so attack-minded on that side of the pitch and Gibbs pushing forward to support them.
Nice preview Guv’nor….ahh, those memories of 44 years ago. Expecting a comfortable win and therefore qualifying for the knock out out once again – what a phenomenal record ( albeit in a simple group this year unlike last years group of death). Don’t think your funds will increase on this occasion.
Ned…Flimflam would also be giving extra security to the out of position Nacho man.
As a side note for the real Dr F, we have a young lady from Colombia staying with us this week ( an acquaintance of one of the Uply progeny).
Will be useful if the HT needs a new line of supplies 😉
Hi fellow gunners, does anyone know when we will have Ozil back from his injury? I thought it was said 6 weeks, that should put him back before the united game on 22nd?
Did somebody say there’s a new line of supples? 😉
Ned, I kept thinking Gibbs was out and flams was reprising his role at left back…
SCG@22: We worry about a makeshift back four now but that back four in 2006 was quite the thrown together, at least in the early rounds of the CL, and pretty water tight for all that. I remember that at the time Flamini was said to be the best right-sided midfielder in Europe playing left back.
If we play the two DMs again we may as well rest Alexis and keep him for the last 20 minutes, if required. Can’t see that happening of course, or my second preferred option of starting Alexis behind a front 3 of Theo, Poldi and Danny and going all out attack from the off.
AW seems to be getting more and more cautious as he ages, and what I expect is the same starting XI as against Burnley. I just hope he gets the subs on before the last 10-15 minutes – that’s if the game is still in doubt by then. By rights it shouldn’t be.
Rambo, Santi and Danny couldn’t possibly play as poorly as they did in the first leg when Anderlecht’s youngsters out-enthused them and were unlucky not to at least draw. Hopefully AW will have a plan to ensure that doesn’t happen again, which I hope includes the extra experience of TR7 and Poldi.
Öskar
Cheers H!
Small point of info – Tactics column on Arseblog is written by Anam Haasan, not Tim Stillman. He’s worth a follow on Twitter as well, for those use it.
Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn
But imo, we shouldn’t need two players to play DCM if we had a better talent to fill that position in the first place.
Amen to that, Joe.
Señor Uplympian,
Can’t get enough Colombian. Treat as precious cargo, please. 😎
Morning all. Cheers Esso. 🙂
Morning all,
I am as excited as a puppy with two tails. Can’t wait to cheer on the boys tonight.
COYRRFSNBG
GSD.
FSNBG?
bt8,
Come On You Rip Roaring Free Scoring Never Boring Gooners!
As it one of those day on a year again….
A round of drinks for everyone in the bar present or not so present yet!
Hope to celebrate my birthday with an Arsenal Win! 😀
UTA
Happy Birthday, ATG!
BTW, the U19 game v Anderlecht is live on Arsenal Player at 2 UK time.
Cheers Lars
Hoping to have peak at the game 🙂 at 2pm
Esso: My bad. Apologies to Anam Hassan, who indeed writes the Tactics Column on Arseblog.
Happy Returns, ATG.
NBN Thanks mate appreciated!
Happy Birthday Arthur – a good / winning performance will be the perfect present (along with a bottle of your favourite Polish liquid).
GSD hope you enjoy the game and equally the Tollie pre-match / post match imbibing.
CMBD
Thanks Uplympian! That pressie sounds perfect!
Holics, for those of us going tonight it’s time to get out our heavy duty gear from the back of the wardrobe. Don’t forget your new designer bobble hats, cough!
Don’t think there will be too many changes from Saturday’s starting eleven but hopefully we pep up the pace from the off. An early goal would settle us all down and as I need to leave on the dot of 21.30 to catch my train, no late goals please.
Hope to see more of Theo and please can TR7 get some game time.
See you all at the Ems.
COYRs
Many happy returns Arthur. I hope the boys in red give you a monster result to mark your birthday.
GSD – I hope you have a great time.
Drinks on the bar to celebrate Arthur’s coming of age (again) and to toast a famous victory to commemorate that one over Anderlecht a few years ago and to seal qualification earlier than I can remember us ever doing.
COYRs
B’day’s be good and happy, especially when a match is on to be won. Happy B’day ATG.
———–
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-outbid-arsenal-alexis-sanchez-4562675
The Reds offered the Catalan club more money for the forward, but according to Spanish newspaper Sport, took a £3million hit to allow the 25-year-old to join the club he wanted.
——-
Well this proved not only that Alexis has all the skills and work ethic to be the top 5% but also that he’s got the brains to go with it too! Rejecting Pool for us is one heck of a classy move, nevermind that they offered more.
When we have all our players back would like to see a variation of 4-4-2 with Giroud and Alexis up front. Welbeck and Theo on the wings and Ozil in the centre (provided we have good enough cover). We’re on our way to winning titles again! Good Times are near!
Up The Arse!
😀
Cheers Bath and BB looking forward to tonight already 🙂
Under19’s are one nil down! Come on lads!
Crowley looks like one hell of a player.
Arsenal U19’s pull one back one a piece!
Too right LG
Happy birthday ATG! 🙂
Happy Birthday ATG!
GSD, Thanks for spelling it out for me. So far this season I would say more that we have been Never Boring than we have been Free Scoring but (fingers crossed) that part may be about to come into full effect. 🙂
Happy Birthday, Arthur !
I know nothing about it but I’ve left you a bottle of Polmos on the bar.
Apparently you should be careful – it’s 96.7% proof ! 😉
Next round of wailing from the Scousers is due any time.
It seems that having got themselves back in the Champions League, they have already accepted that they can’t actually play in the competition.
Brentan is complaining that the games have disrupted his mid-week training schedule – who knew !? – and is so bereft of any hope of beating Madrid that he is going to drop Steeeeeeevie Geee so that he is fresh to play against Chelsea at the weekend.
The rumour on the radio this morning was that Raheem Sterling would also be left out for the same reason. How pissed off will they both be if they are dropped from playing in the Bernabeu ?
Maybe Sterling will be playing there every week next season anyway ?
Is there a good white flag shop in Madrid ?
Trev: what, he really said that??? Unbelievable.
Sky Sports News last night, Lars.
He said the bit about mid-week training – not the bit about being bereft of all hope.
But why else would you drop your two “best” players. It’s the sort of thing relegation zone clubs do against the top teams so they stay fresh for games against their real rivals.
Travelling Scousers will be pleased. 🙂
Big thanks to bt8, GSD and Trev! I will be staying clear of that stuff you need to be able to drink it correct way otherwise you end up burning your throat!
I know people back in the day use to make two litres of vodka out of one bottle of the stuff!
Scousers are already feeling the pressure and making excuses.
Under 19’s are 2:1 down
6-0 to Madrid. You heard it here first.
😀
A small collection of Arsenal Gifs to get everyone in the mood : http://imgur.com/gallery/ozR7n
😀
Cheers for the preview ‘holic.
Many Happy returns Arthur.
Enjoy your night GSD.
Trev: that’s just staggering.
Anyway, time to head off to the pub!
On way. Ready for this one.
Oh yes.
And cheers to all well wishers. All I really want is 3 points. And for Arthur, of course.
I mean I want 3 points for Arthur. Not that I want Arthur…
Is Wolfie around?
GSD….I want Arthur, I love Arthur…….Arthur Guinness of course 🙂
Hope you are already getting a few scoops down you. Keep warm all those going to the game…it’s a cold one tonight ( not just the Guinness). No I’m not obsessed with the drink stuff – I’m not Dr Z 😉
Heh – obsessed.
I prefer focussed although it doesn’t last. 😉
Happy day – ATG.
Nice link BB.
I love Rosicky’s belter. Hope we see him tonight.
Dr Z…..standing at the bar, pointing at the Guinness pump whilst waving a £5 note is the maximum focus required and one in which your constant training makes you true champion standard 😉
many happy returns, arthur. a bottle of grey goose (gotta change it up, eh?) on the bar for ya. better than the stuff that burns if you drink it wrong, certainly.
ned, that’s precisely what i was thinking of, at 23. it’s down to how well the players work together…remember, that record back four had big phil in it, too!
trev, heh at brentan. what a maroon (not even a proper red, get it?).
3 points please. no injuries. pleasurable viewing (focussed or unfocussed, either way) if at all possible.
Happy Birthday Arthur.
Early goal required tonight but I fully expect us to put this mob to the sword. Our performance over there made them look good so an opportunity to fix that.
UTA.
Where are the holics at?
Easy now GSD easy tiger hrrrrr 🙂 ha ha
Thanks H2H and Zico! Appreciated fellas!
Just couple of beers tonight working tomorrow so need to behave.
And thanks Homer I have missed you out kind sir! And Scruz thanks mate definitely need to spicy it up a bit!
Thanks All of you it’s areal pleasure to come on here and get so many kind words from all and not only that 😀
Arsenal team to play Anderlecht: Szcesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck.
Substitutes: Martinez, Bellerin, Flamini, Rosicky, Podolski, Walcott, Sanogo
Many Happy Returns Arthur!
Hope GSD meets up with someone soon. Sounds like he’s going right off his head!
And Esso 🙂
Lets all laugh at Scouse Cunts
Lets all laugh at Scouse Cunts
La la la
Liverpool, or is it Liverpool Reserves, v Real: Mignolet; Manquillo, Skrtel, Toure, Moreno; Lucas, Can, Allen; Lallana, Markovic, Borini.
If ‘Pool don’t tonk the Chavs at the weekend, Brendon will look more prat than pragmatic.
Yeah its a big mistake Ned isn’t it.
I think Rogers is showing a little naiveté in all this.
Thing is, if this team is spanked tonight, then it’ll raise many more questions that would ordinarily be asked if they fielded a strong team and just lost on merit. I think you must always play to win, especially in games of this magnitude. Otherwise, whats the point in qualifying at all?
joe, the point is they get an extra chunk of valuta for qualifying. if they’re too chicken to perform, ah well. that’s life as a red.
already we’re playing better against the anderlechtians. or they’re playing with less tempo. if we could string the right passes together, we’d be in already.
that was a lucky break, though good covering after an abysmal pass, danny.
chambers is a player, that’s for sure. and a brilliant last-ditch tackle by per at the top of the box, after he was on the ground.
great combination play down the right, very nearly in by ramsey, deflected. delightful.
i guess i am drinking alone. not the first time. *opens a bottle of green spot*.
Scary moments come on Arsenal!
scruz come on I’m aways here to help ya!
aways? always!
Am loving this game… very open albeit a lil scary at times 🙂
COME ON!!!!!!
This is why Wenger had double CDM last game. Way to open in the back.
Silly ball from Cazorla to Alexis!
Cazorla and Ramsey just look a little off it.. they’ll shake it off..
Pass it to ALEXIS!!
great save by the PIG, though.
*pours ATG a birthday green spot*
They’re pretty good.. defend in numbers and once they win the ball.. their wingers sprig forward in quick counter.
This is tougher test for our defense than Burnley…!
wrong time to backheel, aaron.
ooh, nice pickout by ox to chambers, and nearly in for alexis off the post.
ox having a nice game.
Brilliant welbeck is fighting like Alexis!
😀
PENNO!
GGGGGGGGGGGEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttt
IIIIIInnnnnnnnnnnnn
TTTTTTTThhhhhhhhhhhereeeeeeeee
Cool as a cucumber!
ARTETA!
Get in!
boom. 1-0.
Beginning of the collapse for pool as well it seems 🙂
no yellow for vandenbore? or the big bearded bastard?
It’s that man again…
ALEXIS SANCHEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
GET IN!
WHAT A GOAL!
dos!!!!!
The ‘holic pound looks fatally flawed
just..wow!
bb…FUCK YEAH!!! what a brilliant response to the block.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALEXIIIIIISSSSS
What a goal!!!
Cant believe those mugs sold him to us.
‘holic, let’s not count any chickens either way.
heart still pounding from that goal. I LOVE ALEXIS!
Brings the ball all the way from our half.. wins the free kick…
Takes the free kick.. gets the rebound.. and SCORES!
I think we got ourselves a proper player here.
😀
bb, it looks like the ox is learning from him, too. wouldn’t that be just the tastiest, alexis and aloxis on the same team
scruz,
I seem to sense that welbeck is working just the little harder, wouldn’t want to look like he’s not trying… Alexis just seems to lift the team.
And to think we have Theo and Ozil and Giroud to come back.. 😀
oooooh, run aloxis… what a break down the left. welbeck could have made it 3.
bb, i was just wondering where the returnee’s places were going to be in the team.
would it be too wrong getting a boner while watching alexis…i’m starting to think maybe he’s not human…db10 on steroids???
and agreed about welbeck. he’s definitely working harder.
kg, i can’t see how. 😀
kudos to nacho in defense, too. he looks great so far this game.
what a pass from alexis to welbeck. and what a bringdown. but his first touch was poor. corner to us.
Bloody birthday phone calls now dont people know I’m watching The Arsenal!
aaron hurt. lower back, hopefully he can recover.
scruz,
Think we can stick Welbeck/Alexis on the wings when Giroud comes back.. and yes we will have a selection problem in the rest of the midfield(GOOD!).
Either that or try 4-4-2! Giroud and Alexis.. but only if we get adequate cover..!
.. and I forgot about Wilshere. (although his detractors will say that we are actually winning games when he has not played of late).
😀
whew. back on his feet. calling trev!
and that’s a two goal lead at the half. nice game so far. our defense has been stretched but not broken, and the PIG has been fine when called upon. our front six, mmmm, good.
@BB doubt we have a team to play 4-4-2…jus be inviting trouble
We can top this group.. although I wish our defense would tighten up. When we get Kos back we’ll be at optimum levels.
We had better not get any bids from the Mancs or Chelski for Alexis..!
Great first half I think I have missed most of it with the calls I got!
Great from Alexis again a bit of scary stuff to start with but hey we have managed to turn a gear up on them!
Come on Arsenal!
kenyangooner,
The only trouble i see there would be pace, if we get someone in with enough defensive experience and pace, we’ll be able to do it methinks.
If we ever have everyone fit at the same time we’ll have a glut of attacking players!
😀
I wish they’d fine Ramsey every time he tries a backheel.
Apart from that, most pleased… so far.
agreed, cynic. unless in the final 3d, backheels should be outlawed.
Anderlicht attack and move well.
Arsenal fortunate they cannot shoot for shyte.
Chambers having a good game. Again.
And the Ox looks good. As does DW.
Oh … and didn’t state the obvious: Alexis is the best player on the pitch by a country mile!
:))BB
you know with our luck that is almost impossible..great feeling though to be getting these results with plenty of our good guys to come..long campaign to come,mancs up ahead..massive test!! up the arse,this one’s already won!!
how on earth did we not score there?
ALexis work ethic is rubbing off on welbeck…. 😀
..and oh Alexis was so good in his last one, he scores his own assist.\
COME ON! Get more goals!
Alexis … wow.
what can the guy not do?!?!
is alexis the new chuck norris figure on our team? can alexis speak english…in russian?
Homer,
did you see that sublime pass…. can’t wait for Ozil to come back, what a link up that’ll be.. Play Alexis down the middle! Giroud may find it hard to get his place back.
😀
yeah BB – Alexis’ touch is crazy good.
OXXXXXXX
OX!!
Again … Alexis at the start of all of it.
game over!!
OX is learning allright and who won the ball to provide the assist?… Alexis.
😀
man, that was alexis-like. what a fast player he is. great work by alexis to win the ball in the first place.
that certainly looks like the future to me.
Ah.. the defense again.. and ARteta’s out!
WE really need to get some defenders in the next window!
Goal totally offside.
And Arteta looks like he’s limping….
damn. well played, anderlecht. should have been offside, though.
shit, grabbing his hammy.
I think I may’ve cursed Chambers.
He’s been skinned twice in the last 10 mins.
losing arteta and he only came back the other day doesnt make sense…cnt seem to remember gattusso or viera pickin up these many injuries, not cool
we going to bottle this one too…from 3-0???? seriously??????
come ON, guys.
Was it me or was that NOT a pen.?
WTF guys … throwing this one away!
an offside goal and a dubious penalty. sounds about right for us.
COme On!!!!!
Subs please!
get welbeck off. he seems to have lost interest.
poldi and rozza for ox and…welbeck.
well played, alexander. decent shift from danny.
let’s put this to bed.
Focker took out Alexis…. grrrr!
Desperate free kick that. Abject.
You are fucking joke!
Ah…
this is a fucking joke!
Fuck.
Shambolic defending. What the hell ….
Weak. Bullshit. Terrible.
Really?
fuck.
ever since arteta came off.
This is goddamn humiliating.
That is just pathetic. Tin hat on…
poor by the PIG.
Arsene looking like he just woke up thanks to a scare prank.
Another spineless Arsene Wenger side.
Goddamn unbelievable.
red card all over!
glad they seem to be playing for the draw.
vandenborre should have had a yellow well earlier.
christ on a bike, i hope we score.
fuckity. fuckity. fuckity. fuckity. fuck.
Sanchez wondering WTF is going on, and he’s not the only one.
You have to wonder why Arteta was not subbed when he was trying to get off for ages. He was stranded just outside the area on their first because he couldn’t make a tackle and that was that.
We’re a fucking laughing stock. Again.
Sure, an offside goal that never should have stood.
But Anderlicht walked all over arsenal in the last 35 mins.
Embarrassing match. Just weak. Minus Alexis and Ox, we were awful. No defending. BFG looked poor. And Chambers took the 2nd half off. And Flamini can no longer do a job. He’s useless.
Infuriating. This is another weak, spinless arsenal sided.
Disgusting.
I’m sorry well done to Aderlecht!
Well.. no worse than what we did to them at their place.
Still it does look like a 2nd place finishing, means we meet a top team in the next round.
Will say it again… we need defensive players …!
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
Oh…and at home. AT HOME these clowns give away a three goal lead!!!
WTF is going on?!?!?!? Here’s an idea Arsene – fucking practice defending. And while you’re at it, buy a few players with some goddamn balls.
Apologies holics, but this is just rotten. Top to bottom.
I’m off.
NO COMMENT!
3 nil up and we fuck it up!???????????????????????
And i hope Alexis doesn’t throw in the towel and move to one of our main rivals if we don’t rectify the situation..!
ARGHHH!!
Thanks you Arsenal!
we are so good at this..think we actually broken it down to a science…at this rate FIFA will need to come up with an award or somthg…Balon d’ fuck up…am sure we would win it years in a row…ad infinitum!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ffffffuck!!!!
Despair and shambles! Thanks again!
Did this just happen? Again?
What exactly Santi & Rambo were playing at after the first goal was conceded and Arteta went off only they know. All we needed to do was for a ten minute spell keep possession, slow down the game, stay disciplined to remove any chance of an Anderlecht revival.
All we did was lose shape, lose discipline, take risk in possession and passing we didn’t need to and forgot to defend. We got a free kick and instead of floating a cross in or keeping the ball we tried an extraordinary goal.
We underestimated the opposition, again, and the lack of a true defensive cover at the base of midfield was exposed, again.
i can’t wait until our injured are back.
No one anticipated a long lay off for Debuchy and Kos at the same time but at Arsenal we should know better!
Buy more coverrrrr! Defensive midfielder or Vermy’s replacement … just get it done!
Frustrating and demoralizing, especially after all that hard work.. when was the last time a team came back from 3 nil down to draw at home in the CL with us?!!!
With Arteta gone, am really worried for our next match!
🙁
Arsene, what say you??? Can’t wait for this one.
Homer/BB : Some of the midfielders should take huge responsibility for the loss, especially Rambo and Santi, and the way they just stopped caring about organization and shape and defense once Arteta went off.
Rambo really should go back to basics. The very basics. It was unprofessional the way he asked to take the free kick in the dying stages to simply kick the ball in the stadium.
And without a DM in January quality teams are going to just go run at us down the middle to score goals.
ANDERELECHT WAS THE BETTER TEAM it pains me to say
Shambles!
what else can you type?
embarrassing? we are not experienced enough?
@Docfaust
Yes i agree and also welbeck seems to have lost his impetus to chase down balls once they got in their groove.
All I can think of now is, as long as Alexis keeps playing the way he plays we should manage a top 4 but should anything occur to him…
We should be closing out games like this, better teams are going to take us to task.
When is Kos coming back? and get Bellerin a proper game, we’ll need him if anyone else goes out for a spell. Time to rotate our defense a little.
I shall finish it here!
Bunch of DIVAS earning too much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BB I agree but we lost shape and the rest happened!
You cant loose a game like this with being three nil up!
Watch the third goal: we simply let the winger run and cross. Just like our second goal against Hull. No early tackle, no pressing, no squeezing up space, Poldi jogging back, Flamini nowhere to be seen, Gibbs in two minds, and then there is a runner directly through the heart of the defense that no one — Flamini, Rambo or Monreal — even bothers to track.
We stopped playing after we scored the third goal and thought that we don’t even have to defend. And got three scored against us by a bunch of 20 year olds from the Belgian league.
Someone in the field was supposed to just get the team organized but all we saw was disjointed passing and disinterested walking about.
Nada no fucking chance! Nie ma takiej mozliwosci!
So who fell asleep the players or the tactics??????????
I don’t want to come across like scapegoating Ramsey, but the attitude of chucking backheels in all the time, no matter where he is on the pitch, is the kind of attitude that fucks us. That’s not a serious footballer in my opinion, it’s show pony stuff. Just play football simply. Get it, pass it, stay in shape.
BB @ 203: Danny doesn’t put half the defensive work that Giroud did and he doesn’t have half the nous and eagerness in the penalty box that Giroud has. Has pace and technique and not a bad finisher but has little respect for the difficult side of the game.
Santi looked tired pretty early on in the second half. Could we not have started with a relatively fresh TR7? Has he suddenly become that bad?
Doc Faustus @ 198, you say quality teams? No any shitty teams will run through the middle and score. I bet Wenger won’t buy anybody in January. Anyone willing to bet on that? Even at 3-0 up, I still wasn’t comfortable with this team. There is just lack of believe among these guys. As soon as Anderlect scored, I knew they were going to bottle it.
You’re surely right Dr. F.
But Anderlicht was not the better team – they had more desire and worked harder in the last 35 mins.
This looks to me like another bunch of prima dona arsenal players with fragile mentalities. Away, one could at least make a plausible excuse how this happens. But at home. AT HOME!!!
Am so angry with this side right now. Blame falls squarely on AW … again. He’s simply incapable of preparing his sides mentally. We look like a bunch of pansies out there – minus Alexis. Could the need for a strong DM be ANY MORE CLEAR ARSENE???????
Embarrassment. That’s all this is – more humiliation. Sure, we’re in the CL, but with no hope whatsoever of winning it.
DF
So what does that mean? Do these players think too much of winning things for just being there? It aint good enough not you fault!
Erm, Think it’s best to leave it at that. Truely horrific, A club known for having some bollocks and discipline turned into the modern day keystone cops! Can blame the manager but for fucks sake positional play and some level of tactical nous should be second nature to pro footballers what a shambles. As for the man in charge he either buys some fucking defenders and a DM to stop this bollocks happening or maybe it is time to say goodbye. Fuck knows what an attack like Madrid or Bayern would do to this lot.
Up The Arse,
I’m stunned at this result I’m sure there is more of me and the like
Cynic @ 209: Spot on. For a player trying to get back to form and fitness this was a shockingly unprofessional display by Rambo — and he is one of my favorite players — especially the idiotic ‘cute’ passes and heels and that awful free-kick. Same problem Jack has. Stop experimenting in the actual match, first get your confidence and fluidity back by doing the basic right then the fancy stuff would automatically start to happen.
Oh and that late free kick that he casually thwacked into the crowd should ensure he never gets near another one. Ever.
It was rather embarrassing for Arsene to leave the field without shaking the hand!
Fucked away 4-2 lead at home in last 3 minutes against Spurs….fucked away a 4 goal lead against Newcastle…fucked away 3 goal lead today at Home…Wenger really needs to own up…what does he coaches at training ?..What he feels a Flamini can do a job at DM..he was released by struggling AC Milan..Monreal at CB after 1 injury ??….for all good things like Sanchez there is a Flamini at Arsenal…and Wenger earns 8M an year for this…
ATG,
I concur, game after game we seem to lose concentration and give our opponents the advantage, only Alexis seems to have any urgency till the final whistle but he’ll tire of it unless the team chases the ball till the last minute.
Am thinking either the team is not fully fit to do so or their desire just isn’t there. Arsene MUST make the hard decisions and make the appropriate changes if we’re to move up a level to compete for the league title and CL.
And I must add that DocFaust is spot on when he says we need a proper DM (which most all of us will agree) if we are to avoid certain maulings at the hand of better teams. Arteta does not seem to be able to shake off his injury and Flamini isn’t any better at the moment.
Still we have (attacking)players coming back, so I pray we score more than we let in, it’s the best we can hope for at this stage am afraid.
My three points go down the fucking dog!!!
What can you do but I think it the manager who set them to play like this so he should take the blame!
Not surprised at all.
Paying the prize for not signing backup central back and defensive midfielder.
Some bizarre referee decisions and some very, very bad display from some of the last year star players.
Anyway, we were never going to be the first in the group and with defense like this I think that Dortmund is going to kill us at our place. However I feel that we have enough quality to finish second in the group, so it is not all that negative.
But then I think of Monreal vs Bony on Sunday…
Yet again we come here and the same problems resurface
When you have a coach that never rotates his team, this is exactly what happens. When you have guys on the bench hungry to play, and you keep playing the same folks day in day out this is exactly what happens. People take stuff for granted. This are 20 year olds. So Campbell, Rosciky, bellerin and Poldoski couldn’t have started against them.Welbeck and carzola could have used some rest. Wenger it’s up to you, whatever.
I also don’t want to sound like I’m typing with Alexis’s nuts in my mouth, but if Ramsey (and Wilshere) need to look at someone it is him. bags of everything, doesn’t have to try hard to prove it, just plays the game and he does great things as a matter of routine. Works hard, doesn’t try anything fancy just to look good, does clever things at the right time, in the right place. If he’s in his own half, he’s tackling or chasing, not flicking it through six pairs of legs to a team mate who’s marked.
Aaron was magnificent last year because he just got on with it, and by doing that he was able to pull of the extraordinary at times. Simplify, play, be fantastic. That’s all I ask 😉
Anyway, time to strangle my PG Tips chimp doll and dream of Gareth Bale.
Good night.
Throwing away a three nil lead at home to a, at best, Championship level team is inexcusable.
Gutted.
We have to play Galastaraay away and Dortmund at home..What are the Odds of losing both the matches…..and going out at Group Stage ???
Wenger can then go out and blam referees/ chelsea/City/injuries and everything else on the planet…What is Bould doing at Arsenal?. Wasn’t he supposed to teach defending ?….While we are rightly having a go at Wenger, what is Bould shielded with ?
Homer & ATG: I don’t know why that is. But last season and a half it seemed like we have learnt to close out games — I think last season we didn’t drop any points from a two goal up position — and a much needed composure and craft was finally getting into this new generation Arsenal side. Arteta was pivotal to it, as was Rambo’s tirelessness and the desire to do the defensive side, and of course some fantastic defending by Kos.
It is evidently turning out that those were more of an isolated improvements and somewhat happenstance and we didn’t work on making it systemic.
It’s not that we drew but the manner which that occurred which just pisses everyone off.
No desire.
Ok.. enough ranting from me, everyone must be tired of my mumblings by now.
Bring on the next game, we’ll need to redeem ourselves there.
We will get knocked out in the round of 16. That way we can focus on the PL and FA cup. And Wenger is just there sitting down. Showing no passion, no yelling at some people and put fear in them. This team is taking after the character of their coach.
One other thing surely that’s the end of the Monreal at centre half experiment he has neither the build or positional nous for that position – In all honesty I’d rather have seen Frank Mc step in,his legs may be gone but he would have certainly got the clueless lot in front of him into some sort of shape. Not Monreals fault in the slightest he’s not and has and will never be a centre half !
These are twenty year olds from a Belgian league, are you kidding me? Unbelievable, just unbelievable.
Just a little comparison before we all go to despair!
Dortmund are in relegation zone in the German Bundesliga!
We on the other hand fuck it up in the Cl but seem to do a lot better in the EPL!
Come on we have to look at that too! Yes we didn’t win which we should have but we also did not loose the fucking game so lets chill!
Yes we were dire in the second half and the rest! However the ref had a really bad game! We were punished once again, however this time we were shit at the back!
I think Arsene needs to clear the chair it’s not of a bad mean but his ideas do not work any longer. It’s sad times …. but I don’t think he has the charisma to make them young again!
Being one of the best players at Arsenal over the last couple of years, this season Mertesacker is maybe the weakest link in the team.
There I said it.
With all of you saying and blaming players last year it worked!
It’s Swansea , Man U and Dortmund next… please have Arteta fit for at least one of those matches.. we will be in for a proper test this month.
THE MANAGER has to speak his mind and if he set them to defend this lead like we did against Bar Codes 4:4 then the same applies!
Guidance from the top makes it a game! We should have gone Arsenal guns fucking blazing!
Fortunately it wasn’t his game plan!
Is this result really any surprise to any sensible arsenal fan who knows the slightest thing about footballA
Why is Monreal playing CB? I thought Chambers was bought to replace Vermy. We have bellerin, if he can’t play against a team of 20 year olds from a Belgian league, then who is he going to play against. Guys,me think Wenger is losing it, believe it or not.
What I am not able to understand is why not play Chambers at CB (wasn’t he playing CB at Southampton and also in pre-season ?), and why not continue with Bellerin at RB so that Chambers can play CB. Astonishing to think but not if you know the policies of Wenger…He thinks he knows better than most of people…his Arrogance will not take us anywhere…
Here’s a thought play Alexis in place of injured Arteta and put on Theo.
We may end up winning or at least not losing matches but on the downside Alexis will probably put in fora transfer next season..
OK am done.
Bring on the swans!
SAG you just stole my thoughts
It is sad that as soon as we conceded that offside goal, there was a feeling of inevitability that we would bottle the game.
As soon as they scored you could sense the panic in the team. Why are we panicking at home while leading 3-1 against some 20 year olds from Belgium?
The team completely loss its shape and organization and ran around like headless chickens trying to score again. Why not just lock up shop? Instead, you have an experienced player like Ramsey whacking the ball in the stands from a free kick 40 yards out in the 90th minute when we are hanging on to a 1 goal lead. Utterly ridiculous.
ATG@ 233, if that match lasted another 2 mins we could have lost. There is no excuse, reasoning or justification for throwing away a 3 goal lead against fucking Anderlect ( sorry about my language). Am just pissed off
Criminal.
At 3-0 we should have applied the blow torch, subbed Theo and Poldi on and gone for more goal difference. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve complained about AW subs coming on TOO LATE.
Disgusted.
Öskar
SAG for coach please
Loved the earlier comment ” 24 year old Belgian league players”
After this display, AW needs to retire the phrase “mental strength” from his post match summaries for a long, long time.
This one is in many, many ways worse than Newcastle 0-4. That was robbery. In this one, the side was nervous from the start and could have been down early. Simply put, Anderlecht was more threatening throughout, and there was not an ounce of defensive nous on the pitch once they scored. And no bellyaching please about the offside; show some gumption, play through it, and see the game out.
Arsene wenger is doing a great job;
Of proving Mourinho, Stuart Robson and Joey Barton were all correct….
Well done arsene; can’t wait to hear about our mental strength, quality and team spirit
SAG
Easy tiger! I wish it would be different agenda!
A bit unfair to be pointing the bone at Nacho. As some have already pointed out it makes more sense to play Cal at CD and Bellerin at RB. Either way it would have made most sense to have gone all in for Reus and Hummels in the summer (at the expense of you know who).
Why AW continues with Danny playing Malcolm in the middle beats me, he doesn’t have the skill set. How Santi gets another full game is also a mystery. But neither as great a mystery as the timing of his subs, and all making AW look a bit senile frankly.
Worst of all was the air of inevitability once the foot came off and Anderlecht were allowed to score. That the second was so far offside didn’t help either.
As I said, criminal, and someone needs mandatory sentencing.
Öskar
Aussie, am just pissed off. Oskar, you are right about subs coming in late. He does the same time all the time, regardless of the situation. He waits till the 80 minute mark to make changes I don’t get it.
We drew the game because Arsene set his troops to defend a 3:0 advantage!
It didn’t work the same way at St James’s park!
I thought we are going to come out and stuff them a bit more! However we let them back in!
Arsene needs rethink his thoughts but there’s no point of making it go silly!
No DM this summer. No Added centerback(s). And we just loaned out Coquelan!!! WTF is going on at Arsenal?
Chambers as RB while Bellerin sits on the bench while playing Monreal out of position. Ramsay and Santi having a shocker while TR7 sits on the bench. More insane man management from Wenger. It never changes.
And the BFG is the BFG no longer; now he’s become the CFG – the Clueless Fucking German. I loved the BFG and wish he’d come back.
I’m sure Holic will not be impressed!
When games are open like this, its brings out the very best and the very worst in Arsene’s teams.
The primary issue was in midfield and the sheer amount of players who were more focused in going forward to score another rather than retaining their shape to see the game out. Completely naive. And from experienced players too.
We’ve been great in recent years in playing some scintillating football. But we’ve been very very poor in winning decisive games. And there’s a big difference between aesthetically playing well and knowing how to win games.
It scares me to feel that we do need a new coach!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
‘Holic will be as impressed as the rest of us, ATG, but will no doubt find a way to write a constructive report. Which I wouldn’t want to have to write in a fit.
Öskar
Seems he’s written it, I must go and read…
Öskar