Guest Post: Watching The Arsenal Win Again In New York
Apr 11th, 2015 by 'holic
A number of ‘holics have been good enough to share their thoughts with us in recent years. When our very own zicoinexile said he was heading for the other side of the pond this weekend and could he do a report on the Burnley match I ripped his arm out of it’s socket straight away. Thank you maestro. I so hope our last meeting this season is at the same place we met at the end of last season! Enjoy, all. I already have.
At about 13,000 feet, the air outside was continually thinning.
I could see the beautiful ellipse of the Emirates as we continued our ascent away from Heathrow, when the aircraft banked and turned back westward from whence it came.
The sight of the stadium had me wistfully thinking of the times I had sat underneath that white roof, often up the back of the (new) Clock End, oxygen also scarce as it usually followed a climb up those bastard stairs with at least a half gallon of ale inside me.
I found myself dis-orientated because my journey would not reach its terminus as it usually did, at Holloway Road, but in a far-flung foreign field, that for all its strangeness, is forever Arsenal.
Yes, I had touched down again in New York, and more specifically the home of the NY Gunners, the Blind Pig in lower Manhattan. It was Saturday and 4.30pm at home but 11.30am in this juicer of choice, where I ordered my first Guinness of the day. Breakfast in America.
Perched at the bar I had a well-appointed view of four different screens upon which I would be able to feast my eyes on the Arsenal, and that was without swivelling where there were another six behind me. The bar started to fill slowly, initially with a smattering of red and white (and yellow) tops, but soon filled to bursting. And noisy.
The clientele was an interesting demographic mix. People my own age or thereabouts, clearly all ex-pats, you could spot them both by their accents and, in some of the blokes at least, a telling bulge around the waist, which suggested too many Saturdays spent in bars and watching football. Or you could simply check out the names on the shirts : Dreamcast and JVC! On the other hand there were college kids aplenty, mad-for-it and knowledgeable, and they were mad for it beer wise too, sinking them by the stein before mid-day.
Ever accommodating, Spurs had lost by a goal and the mood of the bar was set – St Totteringham’s day was emerging closer into view. We just needed to take care of business ourselves. The team pretty much picked itself, the only surprise being Gabriel not even making the bench, but this was the 11 most would have wanted to start.
The teams emerged in the tunnel and a massive shout of “Red Army” went up in the bar. The Blind Pig never disappoints for atmosphere. Arsenal started well, and apart from a couple of moments where Per’s lack of pace found him out, the Gunners were well on top and it was no surprise when they took the lead. The impressive Coquelin (clearly our man of the match) bursting through from midfield found Ozil on the left and his blocked shot fell to Alexis who was also blocked before the ball fell kindly to Ramsey and he rifled a right footed shot into the net from about eight yards.
We awaited the deluge but it never arrived.
The first half turned into a war of attrition, with the dreaded Mike Dean continually stopping play for a series of niggling fouls. The only moment of concern a free kick from Trippier which Ospina did well to get strong hands on. Arsenal were a bit overelaborate and we never moved the ball quickly enough, playing everything in front of a packed defence.
The second half was more of the same. Burnley started with more intent but their inability to score, which has plagued them all season, meant that we never looked like losing the contest. For our part, we just never found a real cutting edge and many a move broke down just when things started to get interesting. To be fair to the opposition they did work very hard all afternoon, and putting things in context, both Man City and the neighbours have dropped points there recently, so we shouldn’t look too snootily on what was a hard-won victory.
As the game fizzled out to its logical conclusion, the atmosphere in the bar started to get rowdy again. It wasn’t lost on a large contingent of the audience that the winning sequence hinted at that of the Invincibles. “49, 49 undefeated……” was ringing in the ears as I sent another black one south.
Afterwards I ambled outside, squinting into blazing sunshine, and headed off to another boozer uptown to meet my hosts where I’d be forced to reflect that next week Arsenal would be back at Wembley, and I would be back in my living room.
But I know that lower Manhattan will be bouncing.
If you get the chance, there are worse places to watch Arsenal than New York City, where a warm welcome awaits Gooners from far and wide.
Go thirsty!
172 Responses to “Guest Post: Watching The Arsenal Win Again In New York”
First. After reading the post and refreshing, just to make sure.
Great report, Z.
Fine choice of standby maestro, Maestro.
COYG
well done, Zico. welcome to the left side of the pond. and we’ll done gunners, let’s hope the cutting edge returns next week (you didn’t leave London with it, Dr. F.?).
Top work top man!
#other clothing stores are available
Very good report Zico. I find those excellent afternoons / evenings in various bars watching the Gunners high on atmosphere but lacking a bit on detail as my grasp of the game gets hazier as time goes on! Your report conveyed the atmosphere and provided excellent detail as well. A real feat.
Enjoy the Big Apple one of my very favourite cities
Getting thirstier by the minute. Thanks for the report Dr. Z and I will put The Blind Pig on my itinerary for the next time I am in Manhattan on a Saturday during football season. 8 wins in a row and counting. 🙂
The New Yorkers don’t like Tottenham either it seems.
Cheers zico. Great read.
Nicely written, Dr F. Coquelin(& Ospina) also MoTM in my books.
Good read Zico. Interesting stuff.
Just arrived home from Turf Moor. Not the greatest game but who cares. A good, battling 3 points.
A good, fun trip. The away support were their usual, excellent self. The fact that the comedy spuds just kept the gifts coming just added to the trip.
Time for bed. Back tomorrow with a full away day update.
Invincibles indeed, zico, eight wins in a row now and the first time that has happened since the Invincibles. Absolutely brilliant!
And I also sense St Totteringham stirring in his cell, stomach rumbling as he contemplates his fast approaching feast day.
Another game in which I was curiously relaxed, even in the last quarter when a bit of Burnley luck or a careless pass by a gunner might have ruined all the good work before. Either that or I’m getting blasé in my old age. Or I am still deep in a dream from which I will wake to find Arsenal in 7th place and the physio-room overflowing at the seams.
This side really doesn’t need much to be the best in England whoever the Mancs and chavs buy. A bit of extra quality here and there and maybe one more big name to go with Alexis and Özilla.
But for now the Cup, 2nd place in the Prem and the pleasure of watching all those humble pie eaters…
Öskar
Reus and Hummels please.
Öskar
Nice one, zico !
Grinding out results is what champions do – unless, of course, it’s Arsenal.
Burnley were like Allardyce’s Bolton or O’Neill’s Leicester City. I know they don’t want to take us on in an open football contest but their constant fouling and niggling made it a tough watch.
Some credit has to go to Mike Dean for not succumbing to the cries of the Burnley faithful. It seems to be a feature of North West teams and their fans that they constantly commit fouls themselves but don’t understand what constitutes one against them.
Can now enjoy watching Man Utd and Man City kicking each other tomorrow knowing, whatever happens, that we will still be second at the end of it.
Eight straight wins, especially at this end of the season, is a fantastic achievement in the Premier League.
And all in spite of the last Dyche efforts of Burnley. 😉
14th Street is indeed Red. Glad you enjoyed the Big Apple. FYI, there is a group called the NY Gooners that meets at Legends, across the Empire State Building on 33rd St. and 5th Ave. The
Blind Pig/O’Hanlon’s/Winslow crowd have always wanted to differentiate themselves from that group and don’t call themselves that. They are Arsenal NYC.
By the way, personally I think David Ospina has been a great calming influence in our goal and, particularly for his debut season in this league, has done a tremendous all round job.
It seems fashionable to discount him as the “long term answer” in our goal, but I’m struggling to see what more he could have done.
Today’s game produced a brave dive at an onrushing forward’s feet, a couple of good diving saves and a very decisive punch out of a crowd scene, apart from all the usual stuff and generally good positioning.
Yeah, but will he like it on a cold evening in Burnley …… oh ! 😉
OOooooooooooooooooooooooo
SPINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice one, Zico!
Trev, well made points on Ospina. Regular drinkers in this bar know that I prefer Szczesny but that I also never hesitate to give credit where credit is due and Ospina did very very well today. He had little to do, but he did it really well.
Steve, looking forward to your report from the road! Will enjoy reading that while being slightly boilky tomorrow 🙂
Anyway, St Totteringham’s Day is now almost here…
Cheers zico, fine report.
Was a new yorker meself about 13 years. Its a good place to do just about anything …
I too lived in NYC for a number of years – great city.
Cant wait to see QPR trip up the Chavs before the title decider at the New Home Of Football!
Still cursing our early season draws,but agree with Oskar that this Arsenal team needs only a tweak or two to be right in the mix next season!
Fine report. I agree with TTG above, watching games in a bar though is great fun — especially when you are surrounded by like minded and the team is winning — I tend to miss out on many aspects of the game itself.
BTW, 7amkickoff’s statistical analysis of Coquelin’s impact is worth a read: http://news.arseblog.com/2015/04/detective-coquelin-by-the-numbers/
Two most telling numbers: our season average of Opposition big chances per game and Opposition conversion percentages per game are 1.22 and 8.86% and those stats since Coquelin started are 0.73 and 4.79% . That is as phenomenal a defensive impact a MF can have.
Some other impressive stats:
4 – Coquelin is 4th in the League in tackles per game at 3.5. That’s just 0.01 fewer tackles per game than Morgan Schneiderlin.
1 – Coquelin leads the League in interceptions per game with 3.8 (tied with Jedinak)
2 – He is second in the League among CM’s with 2.7 aerial duels won per90 (N’Zonzi is 1st)
68 – Coquelin averages 68% of his passes forward this season. Nemanja Matic only averages 66% forward passes and Schneiderlin also hits 68% of his passes forward.
I was quiet nervous about this game. Great to get the three points.
The team does not have experience chasing or winning the league so I hope we do not get undone.
We have 2 away matches United and Hull. Hope the team keeps calm and take things a game at a time.
We may not catch the leaders but every match we win puts us in new territory and great experience for the lads.
Get the points early and let the other teams sweat it out. Hope this turns out to be a great day!
Glad you enjoyed your visit to the Big Apple. It’s no Lumfinnans but it’s not a bad place to be.
Good win. Great three points.
Good read, Zico. There are so many good bars to watch games in in the City now. You’ll also find Gooners aplenty in Nevada Smith’s in the East Village and the Black Horse in Brooklyn. For raw match-day atmosphere try Smithfields on 25th Street, the base bar for Barca and Bayern Munich fans.
Three points during squeaky bum time is all you can ask. Anything more is a bonus.
Reading your NY report Z from a sun swept Portugal where the golf and masseuse work wonders this time of year. Didn’t see the game but it was great to drop into this bar and get a real account from the usual reliables. Vintage port all round!
Enjoyed the report Zico, thanks.
Howdy folks.
Been a while due to relocation, finaly got my cable and internet sorted, so I’m out of the stone age and back to the future.
Nice midweek post by Mr Steve T and I eagerly await his view from the frontlines of yesterday’s fare.
Well played zico, very nice report sir. You captured the NY atmos really well and still managed to describe the game, kudos. IMHO, not the best we’ve played, but an important, controlled victory none the less. Another three points meaning we can all sit back and “enjoy” our rivals games over the next coupe of days.
Enjoy your weekend all.
Up The Arse.
Not an easy game in difficult conditions but obviously happy with the three points.
I know he scored but I still don’t understand the notion of playing Rambo at right wing – no pace to get round the outside so always turns back inside, often slowing us down.
I’m no great fan of Theo but is Arsene proving a point, taking the piss or what?
UTA.
Let us all just stop for a moment and have a good old laugh about Tottenham.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Thank you for your participation.
Noosa – or simply trying to accomodate all of Alexis, Mesut, Santi and Rambo in the starting line up.
Lars.
You are very welcome.
Thank you for the opportunity.
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Stick a long wig on him and he’d be the spit of Charlie George.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/12/13/277C4CD000000578-0-image-a-20_1428841335963.jpg
Joe,
Hadn’t a clue we were talking Portuguese golf, port and masseuses.
More power to you. 😀
Joe, could you perhaps send of of those masseuses over here? I am totally knackered after a rather heavy drinking session yesterday…
Me too, Lars. 😯
Cheers everyone.
A quiet corner and coffee awaits.
Coffee Liquor I hope.
Fine report z. Enjoy your trip.
Job done.
Pity the Chavs didn’t slip up today.
Onwards.
Noosa,
No doubt that Ramsey has none of the attributes of a winger. I suspect he played there so there would be better defensive help on that wing compared to Theo.
Welbeck was probably brought on for the same reason. Trying to protect a one goal lead in a roughhouse game is not the ideal circumstance for Theo to come on.
I suspect there is also an element of AW making a point to Theo too. Whether that is with regard to his game, his contract or whatever, I have no idea – only an opinion which I am not going to express again.
ManUre vs Shitty – 2-1.
What am I supposed to feel ? 🙁
Marian Fellatio scored. 🙁
Trev.
Fellatio is a figment of your imagination. 😉
bt8 knows too much. 😉
Interesting on the day it is announced that Bacary Sagna is for sale after having a pretty awful time at Citeh it is salutary to note how poor a defensive full back Clichy is now. What do they do to them at the Etihad? He had bad moments for us but Clichy was much more savvy when he played for us
Savvy, TTG? You’re forgetting:
The Birmingham game (in which Eduardo broke his leg) when Clichy the Clown gave away the last minute penalty which had Silly Billy Gallas sitting on the pitch, not turning up at City the following week (where we lost 3-0) and from there an eight point lead at Christmas dissolved quickly. Row Z was all that was needed on tht dark day.
Then there was the time we were beating Spuds 4-3 and Gormless Gael decided to take a trundle forward and gift the ball to Spuds who said “Thanks, you plonker” and plonked the ball in the back of our net for 4-4.
He was always pretty poor and has only gotten worse. A steal at 8M. (Not quite as big a steal as Kolo at 15M, Nasri at 25M and Adabayor at 28M, but a steal nevertheless).
Enjoy your Sunday 🙂
4-1 and ManUre have their second offside goal ???
City spend a million squillion, Shoot a hole bigger than the Empire State in FFP and then end up bringing on Fat Frank when they’re 4-1 down at Old T.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!
Mangala (he of the 40M price tag and Mangled brain) played them all on, Trev.
Trev, mixed emotions:
Citeh losing helps in the quest for as high a place as possible for the Arsenal in the standings, and the more Citeh spits the bit the more likely they are to continue imploding. If they do implode, given FFP, they may be done for good. And Citeh really do look bereft defensively, and YaYa is past it. Citeh now look like Arsenal of recent past defensively.
Now 4-1; Lumpolard on for Useless Navas. City, look out below!!!!
But now have to listen to the hosannas for ManUre, and for that cheating bastard Ashley Young in particular.
I think it was 4-2 against the Spuds, BtM, when Clichy decided to stumble over the ball on the touchline and they ran off with it and scored.
That was already in added time. Apologies if I’m wrong but I can’t pass up the chance to actually remember a particular goal.
Clichy’s fondness for the in-match snooze was ridiculous though.
BJ,
Luncheon Voucher Guy is the new Messiah of Mancunian tactics 🙂 Surrey and Manchester’s pond life are ecstatic.
BtM @45 – 🙂
BJ,
Yep, you’re right on all counts.
And City are all counts too. 😉
4-2 now and City don’t even look interested in getting back to kick off with 2minutes plus 5 (?) added to go .
Note to the Abu Dhabis: that’s what you get when you hire a bunch of Hessians.
Btm
You’re right I did forget and that silly challenge at Villareal in the last minute
Man City have fallen apart in a rather spectacular way. They were, the first ten or so minutes apart, utterly atrocious today.
Just had a look at the league table. Interesting what a few consecutive wins can do for you. There are a few unmentionable clubs 10 and 12 points behind us at the moment. 🙂
And one of those unmentionable clubs (the particularly unmentionable one) is 27 goals behind us in the goal differential sweepstakes. Their fans must have enjoyed these last couple of months. 😀
Cheers Zico. Ya Jambo cunt ya!
As much as I enjoy watching City implode in such fashion, I really wished for the draw, should we get a decent result against Chelski, I wanted us to go to Old Toilet with nothing to lose, only to gain. United seem to be gaining some momentum, especially since Van Gaal finally found out he actually has Mata in the team. I reckon that our next game at their place will be much much tougher than the cup tie.
Did not enjoy that.. wished ManU imploded instead!
And the chavs won too.. ugh!
Goal difference seems to be important nowadays..!
Crap results today. QPR were terrible, the Chavs not much better. Rob Green all but sealing his summer move to CSKA Fulham with a rather tasty assist, his agent is probably picking out a nice comfy cusion for the bench as we speak.
What the heck has happened to the other oil fueled, lighter, blues? They were rank. Kompany looked like he’s been injected with an overdose of Carlton Palmer. The only decision Pelligrini got right was to yank him off at HT, he was extreamly lucky to still be on the pitch after that “tackle”. The rest of his team looked just as clueless, the defending can ony be described as shambolic.
There was no sense of urgency either, when Carrick limped off (let’s hope it’s nothing trivial) and Augerio, who is a shadow of his former self but at least put in a bit of effort, equalised, no one ran to retrieve the ball, no one geed them up, they honestly looked like they couldn’t care less. A squillion in oil dollars obviously dosn’t buy you passion.
It would have been hilarious if it wasn’t against their dispicable neighbours. I can’t stand Manure, nor their self entitled, prawn munching, Surrey dwelling, plastic fans. A plague on their houses…….. well……….. another plague then, the scurvy ridden gits.
It dawned on me that it may be our fault this Yanited renaissance. If the onion headed di Maria hadn’t seen red in the cup tie, then vaG would never put have Mata in. This “success” is more by accident then design, basterds. We’ll still kill ’em though.
It’s great to have you back, H2H. I’ve really missed the moderate, considered way in which you express your opinions and you completely unbiased approach – both of which I share right down the line.
Drink of your choice on the bar.
COYG
Excuse the diversion…
Objects were thrown at Chelsea players as they celebrated their winner today.
Mourinho said “If, at the end of the game, someone threw a pound coin, put it in your pocket. If someone threw a chocolate, eat it. It is no problem. Everybody needs a pound.”
And if someone chucks a bottle, pick it up and send it to Manchester City 😉
And now we return you to your normal programme.
*Takes Cynic’s coat and hangs it on a shiny new peg.
Pours a drink of his choice.*
H2H. Crap just about describes it.
Not sure why Fabregas was wearing a batman mask either. 🙁
He was wearing it as a disguise.
Mind you, he’s been disguised as a complete twunt ever since he put on their shirt.
Here is an article written by a Liverpool fan on his club’s current situation http://bit.ly/1bZP6oj it’s a long(enjoyable) read but it clearly puts our Emirate years into perspective.
*it’s a long but enjoyable read that clearly puts our Emirates stadium years in perspective.
TTG I must confess I did raise an eyebrow to your comment about how decent Clichy was with us.
Cheers to Trev for providing very precise references to his scatterbrained defending, but I remember myself not being even slightly perturbed when he left. My memories of him are of a *half* decent player who was sometimes afflicted by such ailments as headless chicken disease and ‘forgot what defending is-itis’.
PS Trev your descriptions of Gael screwing up were hilarious.
Plus BtM’s too, ‘Gormless Gael’ and ‘the in-match snooze’ my personal favourites in two top posts, had me giggling into my Listerine bottle (no I haven’t gone off the rails and started drinking anything at all that contains alcohol).
Nighty night all!
City made key mistakes in squad building in last few years by not bringing in much younger players and neither encouraging their own youth products to integrate. Suddenly they have a group of past-its nearing thirty who are very well paid and already have one or two PL medals, and some like YaYa and Demichelis medals from other leagues. Most of them were pure mercenaries to begin with (the odd Kompany or Milner excluding) and it would be hard for them to stay motivated without any pressure from the bench and any targets (they have never seriously believed they could win the CL).
The media talks more about Fabregas & Costa but every time I watched Chelsea play their most influential player — the one who made all the key differences especially when his team is under pressure — has been Hazard. He is or course playing for the wrong London club, but if Chelsea wins the league (which they most likely would) I think he will be recognized as their player of the season. Him and Oscar are the two players likes of which were absent from City’s squad — young, hungry and supremely skillful.
Anyway, I still don’t see any reason why we cannot beat them when they visit us at the end of this month. It would not be enough to win the league, but that awful Moaninho hoodoo can be gotten rid off for once and for all.
Have to agree with you at #37, Trev. AW has gone a lot more defensive in recent times and would rather defend a 1 nil lead than seek to make it safe with a second. I mean, why else would he bring on Danny in preference to someone who knows what that wooden contraption with the netting on it is for?
For mine it’s either a contract game or Theo is long gone. And I don’t want to think it’s the former because AW shouldn’t be taking risks when a game is in the balance. Personally I’d have left OG on because he’s a better defender than Danny (especially from set pieces) and more likely to score as well. So maybe it is a contract game after all. Or not.
Okay, I’ll say no more…
Öskar
Oskar @ 72: “AW has gone a lot more defensive in recent times and would rather defend a 1 nil lead than seek to make it safe with a second.”
Leaving aside all the Theo-sophical debates (intended), that statement is both objectively inaccurate and presents a questionable perspective about the game itself.
First, the idea that Arsene was some kind of a champion of gung-ho football without due respect and focus on the defensive aspects of the game is a somewhat of a media generated myth based on the immaturity of performances in the early days of Emirates era where sometimes his teams were compelled to risk for more goals because they neither had the resilience nor the experience to see matches out. Sometimes it worked, many times it backfired. However if you look back at Arsene’s finest hour with us — the “Invincibles” — that team had quite a few 1-0 (Fulham, Southampton, Blackburn) and narrow 2-1(Everton, City, Pool, Chelsea, Spurs, City, Chelsea, Bolton, Leicester) victories and they ended the season with a goal difference of 47. Which is a lot — they did not lose a single game so no negative impact on the GD — but their average winning margin 47/26 is similar to this season’s (assuming that we had drawn all the matches we had lost) average winning margin (31+8)/20.
Secondly, a match unfolds in its own way. Over a season the quality and depth of a squad makes the difference in final league standing but each match is its own very world in terms of rhythm, tempo and the feel of the game. Late afternoon game away at North under windy conditions has never been a source of joy for any of Arsene’s teams. Some fared better than others but we are not the champions of those matches. Starting with that condition, adding to the fact that the opponent are fighting for their survival and have two very decent home performances in recent time, and a high pressing tireless side when you arrive at 70-odd minutes with a goal lead, the team’s focus automatically moves towards protecting that lead. All matured teams do that. Arsene doesn’t try to micro-manage every little phase of the game — whether that is a good or bad thing is a different debate, every manager has their philosophies about how to manage games — but trusts his teams to collectively make the necessary adjustments. The team tried to score a second goal in two different bursts , the last one around 65-75 minutes and afterwards decided that they had seen enough to realize that it would be safer and easier to see the match out than get another goal. Arsene supported that ‘feel’ of the team by making his sub accordingly — as one of Giroud’s biggest fan I can concede that he was not having one office best days in terms of movement and touches and we were not being threatened through set-pieces where his defensive strengths make a difference, so bringing on a work-horse of a player who is also very fast and defensively disciplined seemed like a natural choice.
Lot of this is of course based on hindsight. If Danny had given away a poor pass and they had scored from that and then he had missed a sitter and we dropped points then you would have been right. But that didn’t happen, so the decisions to bring him in paid off. I am not a great Welbeck fan but I thought his cameo was rather suitable for that occasion. If I were the manager I would have probably brought on TR7 for an increasingly frustrated Alexis and use TR7’s press-and-pass. But ultimately the result and Danny’s performance (energetic pressing and chasing back and holding onto the ball) justified the substitution.
Very well put @DocFaust!
😀
Cent @ 67
It was a long but interesting read and I agree with you about the perspective it provides for our recent history. Thanks for posting it.
H2H @ 61
I’m not sure that Pellegrini “yanking off” Kompany at half time is a great incentive for other players – unless, perhaps, you’re Nasri in which case why not get someone else to do it just for a change.
UTA.
As usual, Dr F, you seem to have been watching a different game to me. Danny did bugga all after he came on, no defending of note and the usual lack of efficiency in attack. The more I think about it the more I suspect AW must have been giving Theo yet another message pushing Danny on late. If he really was looking to bolster the defence surely it would have been better to replace Özil or Alexis, not OG who excels in defending set pieces – where we are often at our most vulnerable.
As for the Invincibles, if you remember they also had a number of games where they went several goals up early and then cruised for three-quarters of the game, when they could easily have scored more. By comparison today’s side rarely has it easy and sometimes struggles to score when they simply have to, in an era when competition is overall tougher, especially at the top. In consequence I am not at all surprised AW has become more cautious. I’m just surprised, and disappointed, he doesn’t use all the tools in his box at least once in a while.
Öskar
@Dr. F
agreed! In fact, stats shows that we have 69% possession, 17 shots etc… we werent just trying to defend a lead, we tried to score a second, in a discipline manner.
ts quite clear what burnley is trying to do, they have two fowards that doesnt come back to defend much, and constantly stay up front. they DONT want to go through our midfield, instead trying to pump the ball up and use vokes to get the headers and ings to beat us with his pace and trickery. thankfully Mert was up for it and perhaps is the main reason why burnley’s game plan failed.
If we had attack without caring about our tactical positions, we could be left expose, and a counter maybe all it takes to be back in the game.
COYG
Good analysis Faustus. As to the substitution of HFB, we have no insight into any niggles or knocks that he might have sustained or been carrying that resulted in him being hooked rather than either Alexis or Ozil.
AW has gone a lot more defensive in recent times and would rather defend a 1 nil lead than seek to make it safe with a second.
We have four 1-0 wins all season in all competitions – Besiktas in the CL qualifier, WBA away, Soton at home and now Burnley away. The Soton game was in early December, and in the games between that one and the one on Saturday we have scored 2, 4, 4, 2, 2, 2, 0, 2, 3, 2, 3, 5, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, and 4 goals in all competitions.
That’s 24 matches in which we’ve scored at least once in 23 of them and at least two in 21 of them. 7/24 (i.e. more than 25% of them) has seen us score at least three goals.
Now, you could argue that while we’ve scored at least twice we’ve only won by one goal. But in all but three of those games where we scored at least twice we were 2-0 up when the opposition scored (if they scored at all) which very much refutes the claim that we don’t go looking for the second goal when 1-0 up.
So no, Arsene has most definitely not set the team up to defend a one-nil lead rather than to go two up.
Welbeck came on as a direct replacement for Giroud, went up top and drifted about. Did sod all, is rated wold class. The mystery of a non scoring centre forward being rated as anything other than a waste of time and money continues.
Cynic, I don’t think anyone on here thinks Danny is world class which in any case is an overused and imprecise designation. However a lot of people on here do appreciate his contribution to the team and his willingness to play wherever and whenever the boss asks him to.
*silently watching*
For all we know, Theo may have told Arsene there is no way he’s staying at the club next season. Maybe he has been crap in training. Or maybe something completely different.
@80 : From my seat behind the goal we were attacking Giroud struggled on Saturday, mostly because of the very physical, close marking game that Burnley played on him. I thought Danny brought a much surer touch, a far greater pace and additional incisiveness which we might have benefited from greatly had he been introduced earlier. Bit hard to criticise him for ‘drifting about’ (two good shots on goal while he was drifting) on the basis of ten minutes on the field. That was high paced drifting. Maybe he should make a spaghetti western? High Pace Drifter as a sequel to Clint Eastwood’s effort (High Plains Drifter). 🙂
I think Bath’s on the money @81. I’m very much in the “appreciate his contribution to the team” camp. I think he’s agreat acquisition and at 23 has great scope for development and improvement for Arsenal and England. Interesting how enthusiastically our away support greeted him every time he ventured out of the dugout “Danny Wellbeck D D D D….” I think many there too appreciate his contribution to the team.
Amusing after-match entertainment provided at Turf Moor by Lee Dixon on Saturday. He obviously liked to hear our fans singing “Lee Dixon’s a Gooner” so started dancing on the field to milk that so that he could record a couple of thousand Gooners singing about him on his iPhone for posterity.
“Now Grandkids, here’s me at Burnley in 2015 and all these folks were singing my name. Good, eh?”
Found this in the comments under an article in the Guardian:
So LVG has dropped most of the players he spent a bomb on, dropped the tactics he spent the first two-thirds of the season saying would work in time, restored Rooney to the position he’s spent most of the season refusing to play him, restored Moyse’s two major signings to the heart of the side, and the team is playing well again and winning with style.
Some manager, that LVG…
It could also be added that the only reason LvG found their current lineup is because RvCunt got injured and Di Maria got himself suspended.
Oskar,
I’m glad you agree with me about Theo – or at least why he was not brought on against Burnley.
Just for the record though, I don’t think AW has “gone more defensive”, rather that we are trying to score from a more secure base.
Lars’ goal stats back that up and it’s strange to call a manager defensive who fields a front five of Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez, Giroud, Özil and one of Welbeck or Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the fastest player in the club at right back.
Apart from that, good posts above from BtM, bath, Dr Faustus, Lars and blackfoox have left me with nothing to add.
I’m not so much fascinated by how well Wilshere, Gnabry or Diary are going to play as learning how to pronounce Mavididi’s name. A lot of possibilities there. 😉
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150413/team-news-wilshere-captains-under-21s?
Diary = Diaby in a non-spill chucker world.
Actually, I am backing all three of Wilshere, Gnabry and Diaby to play great and get back to full health and help out Arsenal’s 2015-16 campaign in one way or another. Especially Diaby because who can resist a Cinderella story?
Mivvy Diddy.
A lolly made by Ken Dodd (showing my age on two counts there)
Ospina apparently has the best winning percentage of any player in the history of the Premier League, of players who have played 10 games or more. Still I hear people saying he is not the long term solution. That assertion is based on what evidence, I wonder.
Cynic. I see Ken Dodd was born in Knotty Ash. Could be where the comic possibilities took off? 🙂
Thanks Trev/bath/blackbox.
All of us in this forum of course are never going to agree upon every single facets of team selection, substitution, in-game tactics etc. That disagreement is the whole point. But at the same time we as supporters should probably give the manager the benefit of doubt when we don’t agree with his decisions, that he made the decision for the best interest of the team and not try too hard to invent reasons. As Lars pointed out, what players do and don’t in the training ground often has big impact on the selection.
We all have our personal favorites. I would love to see more of TR7 , even if cameo appearances. Lars would probably have liked Szczesny to be brought back in etc. etc. But at the same time I am happy to acknowledge that unless a game situation demands so the team doesn’t need that tinkering at this time. Arsene of course has a job keeping the majority of the squad happy, if not the entire squad which is well nigh impossible, and how the subs contribute to the team’s performance coming off the bench would be a good indication of how he kept them motivated and focused. Lot of great players have spent a lot of times o the bench in big clubs in their respective careers.
Speaking of Szczesny, Seaman has some excellent words of advice
http://news.arseblog.com/2015/04/seaman-time-is-on-szczesnys-begloved-hands/
I don’t know about that, but the demise of Mr Dodd senior’s pet gave rise to the foulest tongue twister ever.
Ken Dodd’s dad’s dog’s dead
Try saying THAT after a couple of lemonades.
Ospina has done really well. He has been a calming and secure presence. A couple of times he has made really good saves to help us out. And he has been generally reliable. He has not made any silly errors to concede anything, he has grown in stature in terms of his presence in the box, stopped shots well, come off his line when needed and swept up a few dangerous situations and been quietly confident whilst doing all of this. Top work.
I wonder a little about how he is viewed by the squad. He is not an overbearing type. His communication with the team, in-game, seems much better now than the first couple of games but presumably it will be easier to communicate with the team and integrate into London life as time passes and his English improves, so he may become more vocal on the pitch (and off it) as he is more comfortable with the language. He does seem like a nice bloke though.
If he keeps this form up and throws in a worldie save or two before the end of the season (a great save to keep us level at OT before we go on to win, or something) I don’t think there will be much more argument about who our number one should be.
He has a chance at the moment to stake a claim for that first-team slot. A tough challenge- being a first-choice premier league keeper is hard, certainly tougher than anything he has done before. Can he grow into the role?
Faustus: Lars would probably have liked Szczesny to be brought back in etc. etc. But at the same time I am happy to acknowledge that unless a game situation demands so the team doesn’t need that tinkering at this time.
Pretty much spot on. I maintain that Woj is the better keeper overall, but there is absolutely no reason to make a change at this point so I am not calling for it.
And heh@94!
It is not as if Ospina is some raw novice. He has played 44 internationals for Colombia, twice as many internationals as Szczesny (and while I am not sure it is a telling stat, they have virtually identical clean-sheet records: 21 in 44 vs 11 in 22).
On communication: our back four has been increasingly Spanish-speaking with Bellerin and Nacho playing regularly. Plus Santi and Alexis are Spanish-speaking (as is Arteta) and Paulista will understand it well enough.
This 46 year Australian Arsenal fan is about to leave our temporary lodgings near Covent Garden and head to the Emirates with my 12 year old son to see my only ever Arsenal game. I couldn’t time our stay to be here for a first team game so was resigned to not seeing a game.
A heartfelt Thanks to Steve T for alerting me to tonight’s game and £6 later we are on our way.
Unfortunately I was very ill in France last week so no pre-game beers.
Wish us luck. Will report back tomorrow.
@98 Good Luck!
Hello ‘holics
Been a while since I dropped in here but so good to see the usual suspects still gracing this fantastic bar
Like everyone I’ve enjoyed our win streak and hope we keep it going
Also, Chavs are fluking wins and I wish we were just a but closer to them
Well, may be next season
Cheers
In case someone of you ‘Holics doesn’t know,
Arsenal’s u21 game vs Reading is live on Arsenal player, nice chance to watch both youngsters like Gnabry, Iwobi and Crowley or check the form of certain monseur Diaby and Wilshere.
http://www.arsenal.com/live
Back with a century Harsha! Well Played!
George @98 … have a great time. Savour every moment. Nothing better than taking your son for his first AFC game!
Dr Faustus,
Nah ! Lars is Szczesny’s Oskar ! 🙂
Geordie Won Me,
What Catalan said. Enjoy it, both of you !
HMRC was quoted as saying, “Ken Dodd has two new Diddy men. Diddy Pay? and Diddy Fuck!”
😆
Cheers for the tipple Pangloss, gratefully downed and one waiting for your good self.
Heh @ Noosa.
Oskar, you must have indeed been watching a different game, because all those I have spoken with thought that DW made a decent contribution in his short cameo.
We get it, you are a Theo fan, I think he has his strengths too, but he also has his weakness’, which I’m afraid pretty much outweigh his good bits. As Doc Faus (some great contributions btw) alludes to, we all have “our favourites”, I was pretty wary about Ospina, I thought he was too small, and I prefered Woj, but he has come in and done well. He has made a mistake or two, as all players do, but I’m not going to use them as a stick to beat him with to push an agenda.
None of us are privy to what goes on behind the scenes, so we can only speculate as to why DW is prefered over TW, but where there is smoke there is fire and something is definetly amiss as far as young Theo is concerned. TBH I’d be suprised if he is still with us after the summer break, but that is up to him and his
money grabbin, self serving leachesagents.Hope you had a great time George’ inspite of the result.
Hope the result tonight is not an omen for Saturday and particularly sad that Holics going to see their first game should witness a defeat and one administered by Martin Keown’s son!
I have generally tried to stay out of the Welbeck/ Theo debate but my impression of Danny’s two cameo appearances against Liverpool and on Saturday are that he did everything he could reasonably be expected to. He lifted the tempo against Liverpool and his sharpness may have caused Can’s dismissal and on Saturday I thought he did extremely well in the time that he was on. Re Oskar’s point he was particularly noted at United for his ability to defend effectively and I was surprised by OTD’s comment that he would have kept Giroud on for his greater defensive qualities. So defensive abilities matter in a forward then Oskar!?
Trying to tighten up a game at the death I like what TR7 gives us in that he has high work rate, can win the ball and takes opposition midfielders back towards their goal. He always raises the energy level in the side. Gibbs, Chambers and Flamini are put on to give us extra cover particularly out wide but Theo would be a nonsensical sub as he has virtually no use as a defender or inclination to defend and would have left Bellerin exposed. He is a sub to bring on when you need a goal or are coasting.
Dr F@93: Best line in that Seaman interview:
“…it is not until after they go, that all these guys realise how good Arsenal is”.
gawm69@98: hope you both enjoyed every minute of it.
H2H@107: think you are right about Theo. Can’t see him getting much playing time next season except off the bench as things stand, and he’ll want to be starting with the Euros coming up.
To be honest, I hope he stays. I would hate for him to leave and in doing so stregthen a rival. However, he held us, the club, over a barrel last time out and if he (by that I mean his people) think they can do that again then I think, to use a poker term, they have seriously misjudged the strength of their hand.
Interesting, for those who revel in speculation, summer ahead.
I think it’s time for the Feophiles to recognise that mural dyslexia is unproductive. It’s sayonara time.
In truth, we haven’t missed him over the last few months. His qualities are real but he adds nothing to this team which has pace in several other positions now and plenty of finishing power.
It’s time to allow Liverpool to feel that they are a big club again by signing Feo from Arsenal.
When he plays against us next season, Monreal/Gibbs will have him in his pocket.
COYGs
“Just for the record though, I don’t think AW has “gone more defensive”, rather that we are trying to score from a more secure base” – Trev (#87)
Doesn’t ‘a more secure base’ imply ensuring that base is securely defended as the first priority? Semantics?
The point I made about keeping OG on, Ttg (as I’m sure you well know), was in relation to Danny and his supposed defensive qualities. If that was why Danny was sent on then it would have been far more logical to have him replace Özil, who thinks defending involves watching and hoping someone else will do the job, rather than OG who frequently proves valuable against set pieces.
Nor was I suggesting Theo should have been used instead of Danny. It would have been quite the wrong time to bring him on. But if a defensive player was needed then it wasn’t Danny either, with Gibbs and Flam still available. It had to be a message to Theo.
Final comment on Theo. He may well be as past his use-by date as many here maintain, but it would be nice to see him get some game-time so we can see for ourselves. I’m reminded of the Poldi situation last season when many here couldn’t understand why he slumbered on the bench week after week. Given his subsequent less than stellar appearances for Inter, AW looks like he got that right. Maybe he’s also right with Theo, but I’d still like to see the evidence. An FA Cup start perhaps?
Öskar
After being out for a while, it’s comforting to see that the stalwart proponents of tedium have remained vigilant and active. Carry on, then.
If every player ‘we haven’t missed … over the last few months’ is now surplus to requirements, bath, I guess it’s also sayonara time for Debauchery, Sir Ches, Jack, Ox and Gnu too? Not to mention, Abu, Mikel and TR7? They can all play for Pool next year, right?
Öskar
If it was down to those ‘being out for a while’, Lonestar, there would be nothing at all to read here. 😉
Öskar
Check out the player who got the assist on Giroud’s first goal for Arsenal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IehHzZCN3tg
Francis Coquelin, #22.
Sorry the link was wrong. Here’s the right one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkwpFU4uKwk
Just wonder should we start ospina vs reading.
@oskar
I think everyone agree that theo, like other members of the club, is an important asset. However, he is not a definite starter and he currently, does not provide the balance that wenger wants for the team.
I can see why welbeck was sub on though, burnley have always aim to bypass the midfield through long balls. To pressure them into making hasty long ball, having sanchez, welbeck, ramsey pressuring is indeed quite scary… furthermore, welbeck can also run at defenders, or behind them~ and lastly, giroud seems a bit off, perhaps a little fatigue?
i think its important to realise that arsenal defence doesnt start at the back four, rather, it start way up front, with the fowards!
#coyg
Just watched the link at 117 for the first time and it’s worth watching too. What a season Alexis has had.
I’m glad you have found a use for Welbeck, blackfoox, because I never have. He’s supposed to be our #2 CF striker behind OG, yet he rarely scores (none in the Prem this year) and rarely assists (one this year). Nor can he cross the ball when played as a winger, where his goal-scoring is non-existent. It must be all this pressing you refer to. Pressing must be the new fan-thriller.
But I know I’m alone with my thoughts on this matter, so no need to tell me yet again what it is he does that makes up for being useless in his primary function as a forward.
Öskar
On the other hand I am pleased to see Özil finally showing the kind of form expected from someone who cost what he did. Still not the full 42.5 million quid, but definitely now one of our best on the field.
And about time too.
Öskar
When are people gonna understand that market price and footbaling ability are not ready made bed mates?
Two words to prove my point;
Andy Carroll.
For futher reference check the Spertz squad for the Sodildo’s and Lamela’s to fully grasp the concept.
Come back Nike, all is forgiven
https://twitter.com/ArsenalEdits/status/587611824293568512/photo/1
Finally got round to your link @67, Cent.
Interesting read. Echoes of our last decade, only Arsene pulled off a miracle every season.
Much to be thankful for, not least the courage to move stadiums.
Nice analysis of fan attitudes and expectations too. Equally applicable to many of our own.
Thanks for posting it.
COYGs.
Cynic,
that third kit is most likely color tester to determine which one of the colors in the three bars under “Fly Emirates” goes best against the base. Otherwise we are going to be another Qatar Saint Germain.
And no, nothing can persuade me to forgive Nike for creating this http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/11/article-0-14060425000005DC-654_634x490.jpg
Anything Puma comes up with is better than that abomination.
If it’s a colour tester they’re still knobbers for considering using those colours. 🙂
Oskar, here we go again @113.
You take one sentence out of a post to try and make an issue of it.
I qualified that sentence with references to Lars’ illustration and Arsene Wenger’s attacking selections. But, of course, that is just semantics to you.
We’ve just beaten Liverpool 4-1 and won a very tough away game to extend a run to eight straight wins. Of course, you will say that it was ‘only Burnley’.
Well, in case it didn’t make your gigantic plasma screen, ‘only Burnley’ have just beaten Man City and drawn with Tottenham.
Your reaction to these wins ? “Reus and Hummels, please”.
For bloody hell’s sake, mate, can’t you ever just simply enjoy what we have and what we do ?
Like Dr Faustus, I would love to see a lot more of Tomas Rosicky who I think brings his own set of skills and drive to the team. I don’t know why AW doesn’t pick him more often, which is why I don’t do it to death after every single game.
I honestly don’t like falling out with any other Gooner over their opinions to which they are perfectly entitled. But agenda driven drum beating is just plain tedious.
Cynic,
Hard to imagine how you could make that kit much worse.
It will not be appearing in any wardrobe near me. 🙁
Eandy, i think i prefer EVEN that ! Ugghhh !
Trev,
if its color tester it will be most likely just dark blue with either of those colors as highlights…which is perfectly fine by me for third kit ..I mean..really..how often are we going to play in that one anyway throughout the season. This years third one was used on how many occassions? 2? 3?
Besides, even this years kits were not looking that good in preview images and especially away kit turned out splendidly well in my opinion.
I prefer Hummels to Pumas
*ahem*
Last year I did participate in an online survey sent out by some market analysis group who I think was hired jointly by Arsenal & Puma where color options were presented and some trick questions about what shirts I would wear when were asked. I hope Spuds do not indulge in such strategies to gauge the fashion and intelligence barometer of the lot, otherwise we might see them appearing in yellow, green and pink with Eh? written across the chest.
Dr. Faustus. Those shirts might help their club morale. 🙂
On second thought, just about anything could do that ….
“No idea stays pure. Even the flowering of art isn’t pure. And the sun has spots. All geniuses menstruate. On sorrow floats laughter. In the heart of roaring lurks silence. ”
Long live Little Oskar and his Tin Drum.
8 ball @ 135: 🙂
@136: to be accurate, the quote is from The Dog Years, not The Tin Drum.
Let me reread my dog-eared copy of “From the Diary of a Snail”. Super stuff.
Saw this on the ACLF blog and thought it worth posting here too:
I wanted to be a soccer player, and I became the best of the best, the number one, better than Maradona, better than Pelé, and even better than Messi – but only at night, night time, during my dreams. When I woke up, I realised that I have wooden legs and that I’m doomed to be a writer – Eduardo Galeano, the Uruguayan author who died yesterday.
Evening all. The first warm and sunny day of the summer means I have been partaking of ale with the neighbours in the garden. The Tuesday night post is therefore suspended, and will be a Wednesday night post.
I will try not to mention Danny or Theo. 😉
Doesn’t matter guv’, they will still somehow come up. 😉
Holic, would be interested to hear your perspective on the respective merits of Messrs Wellbeck and Walcott (the ‘W Debate’) in the Tuesday night post post-poned until Wedndesday (‘W Day’).
Behave yourselves. 🙂
I’d prefer you to sum up the party manifestos, without mentioning the following words
“working families”
“mansion tax”
“working people”
“tax avoidance”
“zero hours contracts”
“wankers”
It’s a tough task. Easier until I included the last word…
According to the Torygraph quiz I should vote Green!
Mmmmm…
I always thought you were bonkers, H. 🙂
Haha, and now I do too bath. 🙂
If you remember, Dr F, little Oskar did rather well with his drum. He became a famous muso and a very wealthy little jazz drummer.
One of the best books I read way back in the 1950s!
Öskar
Oskar @ 148: You won’t probably believe me but when I posted it I was really not thinking of your moniker, I simply was sharing my love for a stalwart writer. Just like you I love Tin Drum but I also love lot of his other works, the uncategorizable “From the Diary of a Snail” is bloody brilliant as well. After I had posted I realized that it does read to be an oblique allusion to your posts, and as I am known to indulge in such elliptical comments I am not surprised you read it to be so. 🙂
How sensationalist our times have become. In NYT obituary they spent most of their words about the controversies about his life, that he was in his teenage years was as brainwashed as the rest of his generation and his nuanced and complex stance about middle-east etc. … instead of talking about quite an extraordinary writer and someone who lived the irreconcilable contradictions of his life brilliantly in his art.
Dr F … I did take your Little Oskar reference, especially the banging his drum bit, as a dig at me, and I had to smile at its appropriateness – no obliqueness about it! And definitely no offence would have been taken if it had been intended. Few things please me as much as reading something genuinely funny, or clever, even if I am the butt. It makes a change from the, shall we say, less erudite comments. And I’m not criticising them, I’m praising you.
I don’t read the NYT, nor any other paper regularly, for just the reason you state. That and the fact I’ve reached a time of life when I simply don’t care much about what’s going on in the world. It’s seldom inspiring and rarely written in sufficient depth to be worth the bother. But I do dip into the London obits occasionally (they assume all the more relevance the older you get) and I think you’ll find the Guardian’s Grass obit suitably rewarding.
Öskar
Trev … I wasn’t making an issue out of a single point, I was trying to clarify. I have never said anything about AW setting out to be defensive, I was referring to that late period when we’re ahead and looking to conserve what we have. It is my opinion, and perhaps mine only, that we have tended to be more defensive this season IN THAT PERIOD OF THE GAME than we have been in the past.
As for Danny (or Theo), you’re welcome to ignore me when I mention them, which I usually only do in response to what others have posted – which I thought was the point of these debates. In this round you mentioned Danny first, speculating why he was sent on and I responded to you, agreeing with you as it happens. Later I was making a point to blackfoox in response to his point to me.
And it’s not like I’m the only one pointing up Danny’s deficiencies, so have a go at them for a change.
The ‘Reus and Hummels’ reference had nothing to do with the Burnley game, it was a continuation of an earlier post where I said the current side was looking great and needed only a bit of tweeking with another star buy or two to make us truly competitive. We are after all 7 points, maybe 10, behind the Chavs with both Mancs breathing down our necks, so I believe there is still room to improve the squad.
And after a closer look at Varane in today’s CL game I’d like to change it to Reus and Varane, okay? 😀
Can we let this go please Trev? I may visit London again next year and was rather looking forward to putting faces to a few names.
Öskar
For the record, Dr F, I am currently reading Alan Bennet’s autobiographical Writing Home and Julian Barnes’s Arthur & George, about the sensational (in its time) Great Wyrley Outrages and Arthur Conan Doyle’s interest in proving the innocence of the chief suspect in the case in the face of massive racial prejudice. On a lighter note I’m half-way through Bernard Cornwell’s Warrior Chronicles about the making of England under, and after, Alfred the Great.
Howzat for eclectic!
Öskar
Oskar @ 152: I did read the Guardian obituary. Better. 🙂
I have read Arthur & George, so-so. Not the biggest Barnes fan, but Flaubert’s Parrot has a lot going for it, I guess so is the History of World in…
Other two I am not at all familiar with. Reading unfortunately has become quite the privilege and luxury nowadays, with work and a spinning three year old bundle of energy keeping me busy. Recently re-read France’s wonderful Le Dieux Ont Soif (Gods will have blood) after many years, still a peerless description of the damages done by unquestioning fervor for a cause, and my favorite novel about the French revolution. Vargas Llosa’s new novel is enjoyable as expected (if not comparable to his best) and I am reading it slowly, and some technical book about the relationships between music and language processing.
@145 – I’m pleased with my vote match. Labour. Accuracy in the press? Woteva next.
Would you be happy to see Klopp if he came here, or would you feel like giving him a slap?
Would you clap Klopp or clip Klopp?
*gets on horse, with coat, and leaves*
Excellent article about the Bradford stadium fire, asking whether it was mass murder, rather than an accident.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/bradford-fire-stafford-heginbotham-martin-fletcher
Klopp leaves and city links start. Expected, for its the glaring managerial position available end of the season and the most obvious choice of a manager is Klopp.
Some want him here and as much as i say yes please, reality is not now. The boss can have his farewell the way he plans to do and he deserves as well.
Reading and Wembley beckons and the romance of the cup holds sway. Expect the same 11 that played burnley to start and even though it will be a tough game, expect us to win this.
United chelsea on saturday and for once we may end up wanting a draw or a chelsea win for realistically second is what we can aim for and united are the biggest threat to us. So any points they drop is beneficial for us knowing also that we have to go to OT later.
And this one http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/the-story-of-the-bradford-fire-book-extract
Cynic@125: who knew our home colours were “High-risk red and white” and our away ones “estate blue and empire yellow”? Dulux taken over Puma’s marketing department?
http://www.footballshirtculture.com/Equipment/puma-afc-pre-match-jersey-high-risk-red-white.html
http://www.footballshirtculture.com/Equipment/puma-afc-pre-match-jersey-estate-blue-empire-yellow.html
Oskar @151 – “Can we let this go please Trev?”
I can, happily.
I will assume your post @151 was also “letting it go”. 😆
Ned, – empire yellow ?
Seems to be something to do with the Empire State Building and Major League Baseball …….
What the hell has that got to do with Arsenal, Highbury or the English Premier League.
Marketing people really don’t get tradition at all, do they ?
Trev. Surely it’s Imperial Yellow? Chinese classic.
Much like Chickenshit White. 🙂
My second line omitted, ‘North London classic’
Whatever it is, bath, it ain’t necessary and it ain’t right.
High risk red ? Empire yellow ? Pffttt.
You are quite correct there Trev – high risk red is pure gobshite. What’s wrong with classics. Cardinal red? Cherry red? Arsenal red?
Those shirts are bloody dreadful no matter what they call the colours. Like the top half of a Victorian bathing suit.
The duke has landed.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32325432
A passport, leastways.
I’ve been surfing tonight between the two CL games and a rather depressing Test match. The most interesting is the Porto game. They were the team we would have chosen in the last 8 if we had got through yet rather like Monaco at our place they are overturning the odds. And watching Dante and Boateng at the back for Bayern it seems amazing that they are first choice centre backs for a team like Bayern. I’d put them way behind Kos, Gabriel and even the BFG.
And Jackson Martinez looks very tasty. A natural finisher
PSG ‘s demise suggests Chelsea made them look good
Agree with all of that, TTG and add that on the basis of tonight’s performance Cavani is way behind both Giroud and Wellbeck. The delicate touch of Red Rum with a comparable level of awareness of the off-side rule 🙂
Trev, Bath: It’s all a load of marketing bollox. We play in red and white. End of.
Thanks Ned >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BTM
Yes with you on Cavani who I am consistently underwhelmed by.In the first half he was free in half an acre and had he not tried to control the ball as if wearing diving boots he had to score. He had a poor World Cup and I really can’t see what the fuss is about. If PSG need home grown players we have several Frenchmen who are better than what they have in the same positions. Debuchy, Koscielny and Giroud. Let’s not tell them