Can Arsene Outfox The Tinkerman?
Sep 25th, 2015 by 'holic
Mathieu Flamini’s two strikes on Wednesday night means we go into the match at unbeaten Leicester City with spirits raised. Matty will not be the only one of the ten players who came in for the win at the swamp to hope to be retained at the King Power stadium. A point acknowledged by Arsene.
“The players who have not played recently, like Flamini, came in with a fantastic spirit. That is very pleasing.”
With Gabriel picking up a one match ban for refusing to depart the pitch in a timely fashion following a sending-off that was proven to be erroneous, Per Mertesacker will surely start alongside Laurent Koscielny. In reality unless Arsene decides to rest Aaron Ramsey the only other survivor from Wednesday will be either Flamini or Mikel Arteta, one of whom will have to stand in again for the injured Francis Coquelin. It would be cruel if that were not Flamini.
Whoever gets the nod will have a key role to play if we are to shake off the lethargy that has plagued us in the early weeks of the season. Quite apart from improving in the finishing department we will have to be defensively organised to resist the efforts of the surprise package in the top flight. As Arsene observed,
“It is not the Leicester that you would visit four or five years ago. It is the Leicester who has the quality”
The only unbeaten team in the division, Leicester have beaten Sunderland and Aston Villa at home although those performances sandwiched a 1-1 draw with the team our squad eleven knocked out of the COCup. On the road they notably defeated West Ham, some performance given the Hammers form, before drawing at Bournemouth and Stoke. They currently occupy a top four berth, three points behind leaders Manchester City and two ahead of us.
Claudio Ranieri, one of the more acceptable managers at the bus stop in Fulham in recent years, has got his team organised and playing with flair and confidence. He is without Nathan Dyer and Matty James for this match, but otherwise has a full squad to pick from. In a modest appraisal he said in his presser,
“We must concentrate and be more careful because I think to beat Arsenal we must play the perfect match, and also have some very good luck. Arsene Wenger can put Alexis Sanchez in goal and Petr Cech up front and Arsenal will still have a great team.”
Don’t you just hate it when someone who used to manage Chelsea makes you smile?
The ‘holic pound
Is this the week that the real Arsenal returns? I hope so in as much as we could do with taking some of the pressure off a back four shorn of Coquelin’s covering. I have to assume that we will. Last season the fixture ended in a 1-1 draw with Alexis scoring first. He is due a goal or two, as is Theo Walcott. I’m gambling on them doing just that, and the visitors to win 3-1, which is priced at anything from 11/1 to 14/1.
As usual, if you are going have a wonderful day. Think of those of us hunting streams at 3pm.
Have a great one, ‘holics.
49 Responses to “Can Arsene Outfox The Tinkerman?”
Woop Woop!
Top two surely …
Nice one, H
Steaming tonight, streaming tomorrow.
Great stuff H.
A Ranieri-lead Leicester are a side I’d generally be happy to see doing well. Except tomorrow.
Such is his eagerness to play that Alexis is the only forward in the league who likes the sound of a go in goal. He could still play even when injured, his shorter stature ceasing to be a problem as his crutches extend his reach…
And a Lanieri Red Leicester is a hybrid cheese I’d have a taste of too.
Heh@ zico.
GSD @4, Alexis looks like he simply enjoys playing and even more being on the ball. I bet he is a pest when he’s sitting on the bench and that he takes a ball to bed with him like he did when he was 8.
Now to read the Guvna’s 5.5 pint thoughts.
Good preview ‘Holic. I’m expecting a decent match with a fair few goals. They’re pretty dangerous going forward with Mahrez and Vardy et al, but equally I think the likes of Walcott, Sanchez and Ozil should make life very difficult for a powerful, but slightly cumbersome, Leicester backline of Huth, Morgan and De Laet. I predict a recurrence of our most popular scoreline during the good run last season – a nervy 2-1 away win.
Happy drinking to all Holics out tonight!
Excellent preview Guvna.
The Tinkerman was quite despicably treated by the Chav owner as he had done a fine job building the squad that made them real contenders and that ultimately won them their first trophy in over 50 years with a couple of additions despite/because of the poisonous Portureptile translator.
I do love your observation: “Don’t you just hate it when someone who used to manage Chelsea makes you smile?”
It’s one of those soundbites that sums it all up.
Good luck with the wager. I’ll gladly have 3-1 to the Arsenal. We are overdue the team clicking into top gear.
– trophy
+ title
Very fair preview ‘keep. Leicester have a “never die” attitude these days, they came back from behind in their last 4 games. We’ll need to be at our best to win that game.
Wish you all the best with the ‘holic pound this time 😉
5.5 Five pint five – out of ten ? 😉
Outfox eh ? I’ll give it a mention – the others are all too pissed. 😉
Good luck with the pound. 3-1 would be very nice indeed.
Hope the Flamster plays – love that desire to get into the box and follow up long shots. Why don’t our forwards do that ?
Thnks to all those who responded to my exercise post in previous drinks.
Trev for his thoughts,and yes i did want a serious answer.
To Matt also for having the wherewithal to improve his health.
It is not easy to commit to a long term change in your lifestyle,that leads to a healthier life,but once you make the change,and you start to see and feel the difference,you will never look back.
If also by changing your life for the better,you can inspire someone else to do it as well,then it is all the sweeter.
Now to read H’s post.
Nice preview getting our appetites whetted for our first 3 Pm Saturday game of the season. I’m optimistic tomorrow I think we might win this one 2-0 with Alexis getting off the mark.
I’d retain Flamini but I think he’ll drop Ramsey back and retain Ox wide on the right. If the Flamster stays in he might be our top- scorer by tomorrow night. Hope BFG found the outing at the Swamp helpful fitness-wise and the other boys enjoyed a decent rest .
As for Ranieri he was always a dignified and agreeable man and he appears to have mellowed if anything. Tomorrow we want to beat him but let’s hope he makes a decent mark over the season
TTG: Good evening to you! Sorry to be a pedant, but wasn’t home to Stoke also a Saturday 3pm fixture? I also think Flamini or Arteta will replace Coquelin, with Ramsey out wide right and the Ox on the bench. Don’t think Wenger will go too gung-ho from the off against a confident Leicester side at home….
PS – Hope you’re right with the score though. Tempted to put money on Walcott bagging one tomorrow myself, but would be delighted to see Alexis break his duck for the season.
Just back from a short break in Cornwall and as the guv’na knows, a steady mobile signal is as rare as the spuds finishing above us. However when stopping at Sainsburys Helston, they had a wi fi network. I logged into my home page (BBC) and could download their web pages no problem. So I quickly logged into Goonerholic with a response “sorry content not suitable for display” – you’ve been banned H 🙂
Clive will be pleased to learn I spent much of the time on the South West Coast Path enduring some steep climbs but arriving at pretty fishing villages with pubs to match and enjoying some good beer as a result. Met some lad proudly wearing his gooner top the day after the win at the Marsh dwellers – his grin was so big he was having trouble sipping his beer. Either that or he had a good night before with the pretty lass sitting with him.
As always a good preview holic. Feel both we are due some goals and The Foxes good run is due to end, so I’m optimistic your pound will once more show a profit, though of course a win with any scoreline will suffice.
No team has scored more goals than Leicester in the league this season and only three have conceded more, so the goals should be gong in at either end tomorrow — or it will be a drab 0-0 if the footballing gods are feeling particularly perverse.
Good summary H
I have many fond memories of visiting Filbert St with my Dad back in the old days.
They always seemed to raise their game against us,
[ still do if last season is anything to go by ]
Going back to the mid/late 60’s,i remember watching a tough uncompromising right half cajoling and remonstrating in equal measure with his team mates,spurring them on and accepting nothing less than 100% effort.
Little did i know that that same player would soon join the Arse and be converted to a centre half,and lead us to the famous win against Anderlecht,and then to the glorious double of 70 – 71.
Down through the years we have had some cracking games at their place,5-3 and DB hat trick just to pick one.
Having said that,for all their efforts against us,they haven’t beaten us in 17 league games since their last win in 1994.
It is their longest winless run against any other top flight club.
Much as i admire what they have done this season,and again their fighting spirit and never say die attitude is still there for all to see,they are not in the same class as us technically.
If we bring our A game we should win this one.
Their defence is vulnerable,and if we bring our shooting boots then i can only see one outcome.
But we have to match their desire and fight,much as we did to match the Spuds at the Lane.
We cannot afford to have one eye on the CL game next Tuesday.
With City/Utd/West Ham all having very winnable games this w/end,and with 6 teams only 1 point behind us,this game goes into the must win category for me.
NBN – “goals should be gong in …..”
Bang on. 😉
All together Clive…
Fran – kie – Mc – Lin – tock.
UTA.
This could be the day we finally put it all together in the way we should have done several times already this season. Lots of goals for us, from every direction with Theo in the thick of it. An Alexis double would also be a welcome way to kick his season into top gear. Although he’ll do it hard from the #1 position. 😉
Further to previous. I understand the value of exercise, Clive, and no disrespect to your advocacy is intended (by me anyway). I’m not entirely inactive, but exercise is only half the answer. You’ll never be fit so long as you allow yourself to get fat, making adjustments to diet an equal imperative. I found giving up food (not just the fat and sugar aspects but the sheer excess of it) a lot tougher than giving up smoking (as I did 20+ years ago) ever was.
Oh, and I’m mid-70s so let’s see how you’re going in another decade! 🙂
Öskar
I do not expect Leicester to play their normal open game against Arsenal. They will be 11 behind the ball and play a counter attacking game. They have some very pacey players which will create problems for us. They also lead the league in scoring. All of which makes me very nervous going into the match. 1-3 would be a fantastic result.
Cheers H! City away was always a fun game for me. Grew up with a lot of their boys, specially from Coalville and Ashby. They used to regard me as a right freak and I got called cockney by all and sundry, although it in them days my Leicestershire accent was as broad as my gut is now. They always used to put on a good show at home, especially against London clubs, with Chelsea being particularly loathed.
I’m looking for Alexis to find his shooting boots today. C’mon lets put 4 past ’em!
Trev@18: ‘I’ see what you mean.
Bit of history trivia for today’s game: first match between the two clubs, then Leicester Fosse and Woolwich Arsenal, was a League Division 2 fixture in January 1985. Leicester won 3-1 at home. Our goal was scored by Peter Mortimer whose main claim to fame is that he scored our first goal against the Mancs, then still called Newton Heath.
Our overall record against Leicester is W61 D44 L28. Last league loss to them, as Clive noted above, was at Filbert Street in 1994, 2-1. Wrighty penalty for us. But we did lose an FA Cup replay on penalties in 2000. Last home loss was in September 1973, 0-2 in the league, with Jon Sammels in the Leicester side.
er, that first game was in January 1895, of course.
Holic
been reading. not posting.
Share your recent despondentcy re semi recent football antics.
Can put you and family up here in Auckland ( would love to)
Take me up on it anytime (while i yet live).
Hope we win. as always.
Thank you so much for your continued endurance.
Top gooner.
Have to love Arsene Wenger.
Following a week dominated by the Costa-Gabriel-Mourinho nonsense – oh yeah, and some bloke called Dean – Mourinho decides to take a thinly veiled swipe at Arsene by claiming the latter is the only Premier League boss not under pressure.
This is because, he says, Wenger is the only boss who is in no danger of being sacked despite the fact that he never wins anything.
Wenger, in a battle of wits, then slays his unarmed opponent.
How ? With a similarly bitter swipe at the Portugeezer ?
Nope. He does it by paying a compliment to Claudio Ranieri – by saying that today’s opponent is a good manager who built the Chelsea team that enjoyed their first period of success, quoting the recruitment of the young Lampard, Terry and the players that the squad was built on.
Mourinho put firmly in his place without once mentioning his name.
Class.
Imp fail,
You’re gonna need a big sideboard ! 🙂
Sideboard Trev?
I would suggest a fine cellar and a selection of good malts.
Officials having a great game at Spuds. Four goals, three offside.
What are you on about Trev? Mourinho never mentioned Arsene’s name either. He could have been talking about any manager.
Wasn’t that really clever too?
Oh. Oh hang on. Erm…
All together now…
Vid – eo – Re – play
Come on you Gunners.
BMBD
Gregoire
You are quite right ….and I was at that game. One’s memory fades as time goes by!
Looks like our reserves are better than Citeh’s first team judging through Tottenham! This title is still very winnable.
Nasri is the only player who gets booed at Tottenham and Arsenal!
Come Onnnnnnnnn!
Lucky escape there come on lads regroup!
Warning signs were there
Sort it out ffs
Get in there Theo!
Disappointed I didn’t get round to my vow to back a Walcott goal as mentioned earlier in this thread! Sounds – unsurprisingly – like a very exciting, open game…
Cmon boys!!
More goals in this match, wide open
With his head!!!!!
That’s three for Alexis!! What a goal!
ALEXISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!
GET INNNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
😀
Ox caught watching, track back ffs
Oh Giroud u beauty!
I had a good feeling about this game but not quite as good as this. Sounds like a belter!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Brilliant! Just caught the second half, now that’s the Arsenal we want to see. Goals for everybody, great come back into the game for alexis, Giroud gets a goal, Theo gets one, nice! I saw cech stop a few before the second went in, am sure he was immense today. Drinks for all.
If he shows up, we stick with him.