Cherries Picked Off By Improved Arsenal
Feb 7th, 2016 by 'holic
Arsenal arrived at Dean Court for the first time in our history and when the team sheet was handed in there was surprisingly only one change from Tuesday. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came in for Joel Campbell. Arsene raised eyebrows by saying he was going with the players in form.
The contest started in open fashion and Oxlade-Chamberlain almost fed in Mesut Ozil in just the fourth minute but Bournemouth were alert to the danger and cleared. Before eight minutes were on the clock Mathieu Flamini was in the book for a double-footed tackle, and will hopefully reflect on how close he was to receiving a red card. Down to ten men with eighty-two minutes to play would not have been what we needed in our current run.
Alexis volleyed narrowly over the bar when freed by a simple chip forward by Aaron Ramsey and the next attack came to nought when Ozil appeared to be upended, but the German scored our first goal in four league matches midway through the half, converting a tremendous right foot volley when Olivier Giroud (thank you to my sub-editor who has better eyes than I) headed down another Ramsey chip.
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Arsenal
Incredibly just over a minute later we had a second. Again Ramsey was instrumental yet again putting the Ox clear in the inside right channel to drive across the ‘keeper and in off the far post. Hopefully that goal, remarkably his first away from home in the Premier League, will give him a much-needed confidence boost.
AFC Bournemouth 0-2 Arsenal
Petr Cech was finally called into action in the twenty-sixth minute, flying to his left to make a fabulous one handed tip over from Arter’s drive. Then on the half hour Hector Bellerin made a remarkable recovery tackle after Pugh had escaped Gabriel’s attention and made a bee-line for Cech’s goal. Bournemouth weren’t about to roll over and make it any easier for the Gunners.
Seven minutes before the break Daniels was allowed to run a long way unchallenged before teeing up Ritchie who hit his effort high into row T, there not being a row Z at the tiny venue. As the half wound to a close Cech had to be quick off his line to deny the adventurous Smith.
Five minutes after the break a wonderful break saw Ramsey and Ozil combine on the left flank but the latter’s cross narrowly missed Giroud’s near post run. Bournemouth countered and once again the right-back Smith found himself with an opportunity that thankfully he fired wide.
Ozil again turned provider but Alexis saw his effort tipped around the far post by Boruc. From the resulting corner Giroud headed straight at Boric. Then the Frenchman was fortunate to escape with no more than a lecture after appearing to rake Smith’s ankle. If it was a Bournemouth player on one of ours I would have wanted to see a yellow card.
As the hour approached Alexis rounded Smith with ease and cut the ball back across the face of the goal. Unfortunately we had nobody in the six yard box to convert. That was the signal for Theo Walcott to warm up, but it was Francis Coquelin who came on, replacing the Ox, with Rambo moving out to the right. If the idea was to kill the game as a spectacle it worked.
The pre-match talk had been of the chances of Benik Afobe scoring against his old club, but he was withdrawn with a quarter of an hour remaining after an anonymous display. Five minutes later Kieran Gibbs was sent on for Alexis, presumably to double up on Smith if required.
In the closing minutes the home team’s best chance fell to Daniels but he wasn’t quick enough to react and Gabriel atoned for a shaky afternoon with a hurried clearance. As the whistle neared Cech was forced into a double save. Bournemouth had huffed and puffed but Arsenal’s house, although built on unsteady foundations this afternoon, remained intact.
Aaron Ramsey, denied by Boruc in a last minute one on one, was named Sky’s man of the match for his return to form. I thought Ozil unlucky not to receive it. Again today he was class in everything that he did. Theo Walcott was sent on for Giroud as an exercise in running down the clock. The final whistle put a humane end to a dead rubber.
So we are back to within five points of next week’s opponents Leicester and hopefully out of the rut in which we had become entrenched. That’ll do for now.
108 Responses to “Cherries Picked Off By Improved Arsenal”
Speed Of Light “Holic!
Drink!
Happy, happy, happy! A must win game and we delivered! More of that please…
Hope the goal will boost ox’s confidence.
Two minor notes from the game is we should’ve and could’ve sealed it with more goals but after the second goals we lowered our gear, you may say we need to control the game and I understand it but it’s only 30 mins of half time, need to get on to higher gear not lower.
Second one, I’m a bit disappointed when wenger put coq to replaced ox, and Gibbo replaced Alexis, you can see that we never really has the intention to attack and thanks God Bournemouth didn’t score.
Be more ruthless and seal the game by having goals advantage not just defend and defend and please win all rest of the games!
Sounds like a plan, Esso. 🙂
Delighted to be back on winning ways. Thought Rambo, Bellerin, Ozil and Cech very good, plus some trademark Nacho interceptions. Absolutely baffled how Flamini even gets in the squad. Had to win. Did win. We move on.
Good to have the points but we phoned that performance in against a very ordinary side and will need to be much, much better and play with some bloody tempo next week.
Stop strolling about ffs.
merciful hour ‘hol , yer speedy
cheers
and
CHEERS ARSENAL
combination of non-moving pictures methods for me
for the game
pain in the hole
but hey ho
we got there
.
some smartypants journalist
slagged the travelling faithful
for stealing ozil song from upton park
pretty sure i heard it donkeys ago
sung in a bar
about paddy mc court
from round these parts
.
anyhoo
UP THE ARSENAL
It was a Celtic song, cba, stolen by Newcastle, then stolen by West Ham. Chants are always pinched and reworked, by every clubs supporters.
So, we win a “must-win” game.
We now lie 3rd, a point ahead of Man¢iti, 5 behind Leicester City, who we play next weekend and behind the Tinies on goal difference.
I can’t take Leicester seriously and I won’t allow myself to worry about the Sp*ds.
Am I right taking this attitude? Only time will tell.
Would I be happier if I did worry? No.
Would I make more friends in this bar by frequent repetition and recommendation of this philosophy? Probably not.
Are our form, performances, selections and transfer policy everything that I would wish? No.
Would I make more friends – that I want – in this bar if I engaged in constant public wailing, gnashing of teeth and rending of garments over our form, etc? Almost certainly not.
For what it’s worth, I think the remarkable thing has not been our poor form over the past few weeks, but the good form in the weeks immediately following the loss to injury of Cazorla, Coquelin and Alexis in what seemed like five minutes.
Leicester City up next weekend – a match I shall be able to attend thanks to the sister-in-law, nephew and nephew’s brother in law.
Onward.
COYG
COYG
Your usual succinct and very appropriate summary Holic.
I totally agree with you about Ozil. I thought he was head and shoulders above anyone on the pitch although Ramsey did well, certainly better than he has done in recent weeks.
I thought Cech was his usual masterly self, Bellerin( who had initial problems with Pugh in the home game) had a very sound game , Gabriel had a solid second half but we were some way off our best. Hopefully this game will help to ramp up confidence for next week.
I had expressed doubts about Flamini’s inclusion before the game. He was decidedly average and might well have been sent off by a less lenient referee. I also agree with Holic about Giroud. It was a spiteful foul and deserved yellow.I also thought Nacho was guilty of ball- watching in the first- half and might have been punished without Cech’s intervention. Bournemouth’s two full- backs are their best players and did a good job today.
We need to bring in Coquelin for Flamini next week and against Vardy ( who scored twice against us earlier in the season) keeping Gabriel in is a no- brainer because the BFG could get run ragged.
A positive step forward but we will need a huge improvement on top of that to beat Leicester for a second time this season
Much needed 3 points. The performance was actually pretty underwhelming, but it makes a hell of a difference when you can finish your half-chances as lethally as Ozil and the Ox did today.
Agree with ‘Holic that Ozil was just that little bit classier than everyone else on the pitch today. It’s the picture in his head really, he saves a crucial second every time because he knows what he’s going to do before the ball’s even reached him, while players like Alexis and Ramsey (admirable though they are) tend to need to manipulate the ball for longer before laying it off.
Cech was brilliant today – it’s looking more and more like an absolutely outstanding and crucial signing, and he must be pushing Ozil and Monreal hard for player of the season so far? Bellerin was excellent too. And while I’m glad the Ox scored and I thought it was an excellent finish, his form still worries me. You’re never confident that he really knows what he’s doing when he gets the ball, his end-product generally is very inefficient (his numbers are not good enough for a front-3 player for a title-aspiring side), and I arguably would place him 5th choice behind Walcott, Welbeck, Ramsey and Campbell for a place on that wide right position. If he keeps his place, I hope he can prove me wrong and gain some form and end-product, but the trajectory of his career concerns me a tad.
Swift, concise and on the money, Holic. Attaboy, Pangloss.
Cheers H.
Great result….
I’ll leave it at that.
Onwards and upwards.
Cheers BtM.
Betis 1 FC Neville 0. 😀
We met our basic objective of taking three points but our play did not inspire much confidence. We allowed them a lot of time on the ball and they were parked in our half for most of the second half. Playing like this against Leicester will definitely not get us the three points we need to stay in the race.
Ox played better and when in form appears to provide our attack greater edge as compared to Campbell. I hope he keeps scoring in the coming games. I did not understand not bringing on Theo earlier as this is just the sort of game where he is most effective and would have given us a goal. Giroud could have done with some rest too.
Ozil has started getting into scoring position regularly. He was unlucky not to score against Southampton. His assists have dried up which is a bit of a worry.
Alexis was again good but has he lost some speed? He appeared to struggle at times but he will only improve. Ramsey had a good match.
Gabriel had a few iffy moments and needs to work the kinks off his defensive play.
All in all a satisfactory day. Need to repeat it next Sunday.
Nice end to the day as Chelsea hold Manure 1-1.
Hmmm… Costa equalises in stoppage time. Funny thing, it’s not at all irritating when he does it against Manchester Rowdies.
Strange.
Next three games at home.
One place, three reasons.
“That’ll do for now!”
Indeed. Fine and fabulously rapid report, boss.
Must win? Job done.
Not our most inspiring performance and I was disappointed with our ball retention in the second half. However I would have taken the points anywhichway and the improvement in Ox, the first half return of Rambo to top form and Cech’s top class reliability are bonuses.
Onward
Yes, Pangloss, I admitted I threw a barely seen by the naked eye, itsi bitsy fist when he scored…strange indeed
If we beat Leicester next weekend at home (we beat them 5-2 at the KP) and the Spuds and City draw the table will look like this
Leicester 53pts
The Arsenal 51 pts
Tiny Totts 49 pts
Oilies 48 pts
All with 12 games to go.
All still to play for. A week to allow wounds to heal and to hide Flamini’s boots. Coq in the starting XI and Elneny on the bench.
Let’s fucking go. Come on you Gunners!!!
Alexis on his way back to his best. Coquelin a week or so behind but Should be up for Leicester. Gabriel finally getting a run in the team and I hope worked out a few kinks today
Good call from a Scouser on 606 just now for supporters that go to the games and hate the greed from clubs. Don’t stay out of the stadium or be late watching the match – you’re only hurting yourself. Get in on time and support the team. But don’t buy a programme, don’t buy a drink, don’t buy food. Support the local businesses around the ground instead. I must say I’ve done this for years. I stopped buying programmes when the ST went up 3% as a protest and I’d rather use the local fast food outlets and pubs than buy the crap in the ground (I do weaken for a cup of Bovril on evenings when it’s sub zero – that is positively Proustian).
I like football again this weekend after being rather downcast walking away down Hornsey Road on Tuesday. :-):-)
Countryman @23: My approach as well since that 3% ST hike. I don’t miss the programme, feel much better without crap food and overpriced piss and already have more than enough merchandise and no desire to update my classic shirts. Don’t feel it’s quite enough protest against crass commercialism but haven’t yet completely reached the point of jacking in the STs.
@Coutryman
I heard that guy, and some of his points were valid, but he did sound like a professional scouser to me. I though his dismissal of the ‘foreign’ fans was particularly patronising.
One thing following Arsenal via the internet has taught me is how absolutely dedicated to following our club most foreign fans are. A guy who posts in here, ‘Steve-o’ travels over from Singapore and a more dedicated follower of Arsenal, you could not find, born on The Caledonian Road or otherwise.
Via Arseblog and here I have met true Arsenal supporters from Scotland, Ireland, USA, France, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland and all parts foreign. I thought his attitude about looking after ‘the locals’ stank.
I forgot the shirts, although my boy does wear a team shirt. I do take the view that a 59 year old portly gentleman can express his support via a scarf (provided free at a CL game a few years ago) and a beanie hat or cap (bought several years ago) and that I don’t need to show my straining gut in a replica shirt! (mind you, as they say, it’s all bought and paid for!).
Esso – absolutely hear hear to that – I wasn’t supporting his attitude to non locals, just the bit about programmes etc. I am in awe of our international Gooner community and well aware what a privilege it is to have a ST that many elsewhere would give their right arm for.
And I forgot to add that I definitely do not cut a dash in modern football shirts which makes that decision a lot easier. They neither compliment me nor I them.
Glad we got the points today. However, i thought we weren’t confident at all in defending. Well, we never are comfortable in defending a lead. Sadly we have always been like that. Chaotic defending all around.
Just saw Chelshit vs. Manscum…and despite the score line, both side never looked shaky while defending. Why can’t Arsenal be confident while defending? Sometimes it feels like we even forget basics of defending when we are under pressure. Shudder to think what Barca will do to us 🙁
Apologies if i don’t sound too upbeat.
@Countryman
Great stuff mate. Also like you, I’ve never worn or bought a club top for myself. I’ve always found it highly amusing watching fat 40+ year olds wobble around with ‘Highly Tuned Athlete #14’ displayed proudly on the wide as a London Bus backs.
No way I’m doping that! A simple badge (old skool club crest) on the jacket does it more me.
-p
-more + for
Just wobbling around.
Don’t mind me.
Self-selected bunch of Brits who like foreigners. Shame! 😉
Succinct summary, ‘Holic. Three points from a ‘must-win’. As Bath said, ‘job done’, and especially having gone four games without a win.
Thanks once again H.
Very swift and efficient almost like our first half performance…!
Nice post Pangloss @ 9.
“They neither compliment me nor I them”
Heh. Brilliant as ever Bath.
Very impressed with Smith at right back for Bournemouth today. Ideal back up/challenge to Hector.
Not the most attractive game of football.
Pragmatic at best.
Don’t think we really got out of 2nd gear once the goals went in.
But didn’t think we needed to against a distinctly average Bournemouth team.
All that mattered was the win,and a confidence boost ahead of next weekend.
Central defence worries me,as Gabriel does not look anywhere near the forceful no nonsense defender he was earlier in the season.
Kos has played alongside Per for so long,that i think he is struggling to adapt to a new partner.
Even if Francis is only 90% fit,he has to start next week.
Has a Sunday game ever had a 12 noon kick off before. ??
Cheers for the speedy and fulsome report H.
Had a bowls match this afternoon and managed to catch the first 30 mins of our match in the bar before and last 30 mins of cunts v cunts after – seems my timing was good.
We achieved what we set out to do and got the vital 3 points – results more important than performance at this moment in time. Hopefully this will settle the boys down and give them the confidence to complete the double over the foxes next week.
Felt a bit dirty hoping the chavs got an equaliser but anything that keeps both of those scummies well below us gives me a certain satisfaction.
Gabriel needs to relax. Sunday night shot of Brazilian firewater leaving time to recover for Monday morning training?
Brazilian coffee chaser could be useful, of course.
Just an innocent question about Flamini’s yellow card. Does it make no difference that he got to the ball well before the Bournemouth player and won it cleanly, as the slow motion replays showed?
No, because he was off the ground and out of control of his tackle.
We did just enough to put us back in the hunt. The performance lacked conviction, we were put under sustained pressure in the second half yet came away with a clean sheet thanks to stout defending with Cech once again proving his worth.
I still think the MF duo needs a rethink and expect changes next Sunday. Spirits have been raised but expectations for the title probably not.
COYRs
Didn’t look too far off the ground or out of control to my unpracticed eye Cynic.
http://arsenalist.com/f/2015-16/bournemouth-vs-arsenal/flamini-tackle.html
Elneny’s wife produced his second child today, hence his absence from the match. Congrats. That was a quick pregnancy he only joined us three weeks ago!
TTG – Are you saying that his wife was pregnant when we signed him? It’s scandalous! How did he get through the medical? For heavens sake, why are we paying out money on some bloke who we’ll have to send out on paternity leave at the pointy end of the season! WENGER AHHHHT.
A second child, TTG? As well as the first one yesterday?
Oskar
Three all important points, so can’t grumble too much. But…
Just when you’d expect genuine title contenders to go for the jugular and annihilate a clearly inferior team what did our lot do? Shut up shop for the final hour, relying on the cherries’ woeful shooting and Cech performing Cech specials when required. Too close for comfort I reckon.
So we live another week. But we now MUST beat Leicester … a) because if we can’t we’re clearly not good enough to win the title, and … b) we’d be too far behind anyway.
Well scored Mesut and more of the same please. Well done Ox with the shot/cross, whatever it was, first away Prem goal for the club (and about time too). On another day that would have narrowly missed like far too many like it in recent weeks.
Yep, luck played a part today, the goals going in and Flam ‘earning’ yellow instead of the mandatory red we usually get for tackles like that.
I hate this ‘cruising’ we do when leading only by two. Had they scored how different the last 20 minutes could have been. But they didn’t, so hopefully this does mark a change in our fortunes.
Oskar
Amazing stat on MOTD2 that of the 99 games The Ox has played for us he has only completed the whole game 9 times, the rest he has either come on or taken off as substitute.
It’s not unusual for a shot from him to hit the woodwork but for once it actually went into the net rather than bounce away. Hopeful it’s a portent that this talented footballer will start to show it on the pitch regularly.
Nice report H. I listened to the radio commentary and have just watched the MOTD highlights.
First, the Flamini tackle. Straight red all day long for me. Reckless, dangerous, unnecessary and extremely stupid. If that had been a Bournemouth player on an Ozil or a Sanchez all I would be reading is about how poor the officials are blah blah blah. For those that always blame officials when we lose please take note. We get our fair share.
I thought we took both goals very well in a performance where we were hardly spectacular. If stats are your thing then it would appear that Bournemouth had more of the game. But three points are three points and very welcome they were too. The first of many must wins.
Very much up for the boycott of everything on sale at the ground. I rarely buy anything these days but have on odd occasions been tempted with the pint and our chaser special offer. I shall refrain in the future.
Bt8.
Like Steve says above, red card all day long, Flame was extreamly fortunate to stay on the field. Personally I can’t understand why he was left on for the entire 90, he looked like an accident waiting to happen and was lucky to escape a second booking.
I didn’t get to watch the match but I am happy we win. Our confidence seems to be at all time low. We scored 2 goals before the half hour mark and then lost stem. These are the type of matches we suppose to use and cancel the 4-0 bashing we receive at the hand of Southampton. I don’t know why but I have the feeling that goal difference would determine something this season.
All the same 3 points in the bag
Cynic, bt8b, SteveT: FIFA’s Law 12 say that ‘careless’ tackles are a foul, ‘reckless’ ones a yellow, and ‘using excessive force’ is straight red. So by the letter of the law, Flamini’s sanction seems correct, though you’ll see red given for less. The fact that the Flamini played the ball several feet in front of the opponent, was back on the ground as the two collided and didn’t catch the opponent with his studs despite flying in with both feet, makes it ‘reckless’ rather than ‘using excessive force’ in my book.
Ned. My understanding of excessive force is a tackle that is in danger of injuring your opponent. It’s a case of interpretation but I can’t see how a studs up two footed lunge does not put the opponent in danger of injury? I think he was a very lucky boy.
Just my opinion.
Has anyone else noticed how the phrases “fucking wanker” “arse twat ” and “stupid fucking stupid cunt cunt” are at their most useful when used as descriptive phrases,in reference to Spurs fans?
Its a thought that just occured to me,and I was keen to share it.
Form is very temporary as we are seeing with United at present. It can click in or disappear in one match and set you up or ruin you for the season. We have definitely had a lot of fluctuations in our performances and to win this league we’ve got to win several tight away games against the better teams, or at least not lose them. That assumes we win our home games which look a lot easieralthough no games are that easy at the business end of the season. Momentum has a lot to do with it and fixture congestion and injuries. In that respect we’ve got a tough programme and Leicester have a definite advantage. It’s theirs to throw away but if we beat them on Sunday that could produce a negative reaction
Good 3 points in the circumstances and far from a vintage performance,but hopefully that will kick start the run in !
As for The Tackle – A Red all day long these days and stupid in the extreme given that 3 points were absolutely vital, Not sure what goes through his head as he couldn’t make a tackle from that moment on and was left groping air every time a Bournemouth player got anywhere near him – He was sold more dummies than a crèche 🙂
Excellent, much needed win. We remain bang in the title race.
Re: Flamini, I thought a yellow card was the correct decision, but he could have had few complaints if it had been red. Utterly nonsensical to go to ground in that way, in that area of the pitch, 8 mins into a critical away game. He was saved by the fact that Gosling was a long way from the ball, but he absolutely gave the ref a decision to make, when he really didn’t need to do so.
Big performance needed next time out. Get a result in that game and it really will be all to play for.
Oh, and well done Aaron Ramsey – superb performance.
COYG
TTG,
Have just been looking at the Fixtures and it seems on paper Leicester have the easiest run in although their last 3 games are tricky – We are on countdown to Squeaky bum time and looking at said 3 games id be quietly confident that if we were within 3 points of them at that stage we would nick it – Being within 3 points at that stage maybe the problematic part mind !
Let’s home Elneny’s excessive fertility does not hamper our title charge further . Like Pangloss this has alarmed me greatly. We need him to keep Flamini out of the squad.
Well Elneny has come to the tight club TTG as many of our players are considered Pampered 😉
My coat’s already on!
Crap…. – t + r
( maybe tight club also correct ).
Up 62
🙂
Red card for Flamini all day long and I could not believe my eyes when the ref only showed him a yellow. The directives to the referees are that both feet off the ground, studs up shall be deemed dangerous, i.e. a straight red. I would have been absolutely livid if an opposition player had done the same thing against one of ours and got away with a yellow.
Apart from that though, I thought we controlled the game very well. I have seen the phrase “a very average Bournemouth” used, but only Leicester and Totnum had won more points in the ten games preceding yesterday. Bournemouth these days are far from the naïve team of the first third or so of the season and I expect them to stay up fairly easily. We made them look ordinary, and I was never really worried during the second half. We showed them wide where they tried to cross and we cleared. We had by far and away the better chances and could or even should have scored one or two more. A vintage performance? Far from it, but a very solid one which was much needed. That said, we will need the Coq ready to play from the start on Sunday.
Clive: we played Huddersfield at home in the cup a few years ago which was also a Sunday 12.00 KO.
A bit nerdy, but none the less interesting for that once you get past the throat clearing which lasts for the first third of the article. But the final third has some tips on how to beat Leicester. Spoiler alert: park the bus.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2015/12/competitive-balance-football?curator=MediaREDEF
Steve T@54: Excessive Force under Law 12 means “far exceeded the necessary use of force”. But then whenever did anything FIFA does make any sense? No disagreement with you that the Flamster was a lucky boy.
Which basically means throwing yourself into a challenge with no way to halt your own momentum, which leaving the ground two footed certainly is.
I do wonder if the reaction would be quite so blameful if it had been Ramsey or Coquelin rather than Flamini though. From our own fans I mean.
Flamini is now one of those deemed ‘no longer required’ so although the red card would have been justified, some of the reaction to the tackle has been a bit over the top. In my humble..
Heh, if you’ll pardon the expression 🙂
@65/Ned: thanks for the article, it’s very informative although maybe a bit too confident about the value of the “expected goals” model.
Here’s an interesting interview from Ranieri: https://twitter.com/DanielHarris/status/696671844351537152
It’s really hard to dislike the man to be honest.
Quiet in here when we win, innit?
Cynic. The tackle was irresponsible. In my opinion it would have been irresponsible no matter who had made it. My point was more about the officials. That decision went in our favour. No one generally remembers these. It’s always the ones that we don’t get that people somehow seem to remember.
Hi Lars
thnks for the heads up re Noon kick offs on a Sunday.
Obviously a rarity. !!
On another point in your post,i was one of those citing Bournemouth as a very average team,and i don’t resile from that.
My concern was with our own performance,which just didn’t have that ring of confidence that shone through in the Man City win that seems so long ago now.
I think the January horriblis,has dented their confidence big time,and you can hear it in the words of the manager/players themselves,in interviews on the website.
Even though we won comfortably on Sunday, we certainly didn’t exhibit the same joie de vivre that our NL neighbors and the Foxes are playing with.
Momentum is everything in any sporting contest,and those 2 have it in spades at this moment in time.
Although having no major injuries does help of course. !!
Having said that,i still believe man for man across the pitch,we have far better players than Leicester.
So if we bring our A game to the table,and start the match at the same ferocious pace we did against Man Utd and City,then we should beat them.
It’s going to be an interesting week at the Emirates,as i am sure there is plenty for Arsene and his confidants to think about re tactics/team selection et cetera.
I guess we will find out around 2pm on Sunday,if they got it right.
In breaking news. !!!
We have just made a new signing.!!
In the newly created position of ‘ First team video scout ‘,we have signed from Leicester,the guy who unearthed a few of the gems,including Mahrez, that are now enjoying looking down at the rest,from the summit of the PL.
I wonder if he can find a pre-cert copy of Killer Nun?
Perhaps he could bring Mahrez with him? The foxes could have Flam, Ox, JC and Mikel as make-weights in a deal?
Oskar
Interesting comparison. Impossible to line the table up, but should be possible to work out what it means! I hope…
Head-to-head record between the Premier League top five in 2015-16:
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
Good guys 4 3 1 0 11 4 7 10
Foxes 6 2 3 1 8 8 0 9
LWCs 5 1 2 2 6 5 1 5
Manure 4 1 2 1 2 4 -2 5
$iteh 5 0 2 3 3 9 -6 2
Oskar
As I thought, all the spaces have been removed. Grrrr!
Clive@73: all part of the expanding data analytics at the club. Here is a Guardian article from 2014 about the football analytics company, statDNA, that the club bought.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/17/arsenal-place-trust-arsene-wenger-army-statdna-data-analysts
Don’t know what the Ramblers would have made of it all. I suspect their data analytics didn’t go beyond counting the dead and the beer kitty.
Otd@76: Interesting table. Underlines why none of the top clubs has broken decisively from the pack.
It’s Atkinson reffing on Sunday. ‘ Abandon hope all ye who enter the Grove’
Not my favourite ref, but then I don’t have one. ?
Good table OTD
We would have been bottom of that in other seasons
NBN @ 78
Those Ramblers knew the stats that mattered.
Ned
No beer for the Ramblers.
We took our fitness very seriously.
As for analytics,i doubt any of the Ramblers would have been able to spell it,let alone know what it meant. !!
As for all the fuss about the Flamini tackle,the Ramblers wouldn’t have batted an eyelid,as any tackle below the knee was deemed acceptable.
Indeed Flamini would have probably received a bollocking in our day,for not taking the player out. !!
Clive@82: 🙂
all the cracker hatchet tales
and with the delicate name ramblers
?
can picture the “manager/handler”
pre – game
kneeling on one knee in the pouring rain
john ford western style
drawing out the plays
in the mud
with the ripped off leg of a chair
steam rising from the huddle
.
.
.
?
wanderers, rovers, ramblers, all very pretty
my hearts in the highlands but my mind’s in the swamp. 😀
we are all in the gutter
but some of us are looking
UP THE ARSENAL
Whatever, cba. As you were.
now where’s the wee smiley symbol for misinterpretation ?
i thought it was rather good too
aaaahhhhhh well
Misinterpretable wee smiley symbols only doled out in better moods
A win that mattered a lot and win it was.
Flamini red card for me as well, he was reckless, so early in the game as well and imagine playing 10 men with about 80 min to go. How can he be so stupid?
After scoring the two goals, we did not look like scoring more or did we not want to/ is this game management? I know Alexis had a chance and so did Aaron in the end but then did we not want to score more? Will goal difference come into picture later?
Leicester were excellent against city. They are playing with no fear and know that everything is a bonus and that attitude makes them extremely difficult to beat. Yet we need to beat them this sat or else it is their league to lose.
Play Coquelin saturday, flamini against kante is a no contest. Maharez vs Monreal is a battle to relish but then there are so many sub plots in this mouth watering contest. Arsenal need to win, the foxes have no fear, the battle lines are drawn. Will it be winner take all????
Clive. I’m sure that any tackle below the knee would have been deemed lightweight in Ramblers terminology?
If Arsenal win on Sunday I will give you an unambiguous smiley face.
Sunday is definitely a ‘must win’ not so much for the points to haul the Foxes back and keep up with/above the Spudz but more so for the boost to our belief and confidence to restore the swagger to our play which has been conspicuously absent since the Southampton thrashing at Christmas. Without regaining that belief and playing with a swagger I don’t see us winning the Premiership. It’s time to assert ourselves and demonstrate our credentials.
I strongly disagree with the red card shouts:
– he got the ball when the opposition player was at least a yard away
– his feet stay at ground level at all times
– his back foot is mostly under him
I agree he should not have taken the risk and that overall he is a liability. Like everyone I hope Coquelin will return for good sooner than later but I have the feeling that if it was Coquelin many would be less categorical about the color of the card to be shown, if any…
Telling it like it is as I see it too, Matt. Yellow card was probably just about right. Meanwhile, Flamini was part of the team that has 3 or so straight clean sheets. Hoping Coquelin starts next week though.
8ball
91
ye at it again ?
see that stick yer houlin’ ?
in pancake day stylee
flip it !!!!
*VU level football feedback ensues*
*bitta lemmy*
*lotta jesus and mary chain*
(i suspect double genius not involved)
bam
BAAAMMMMMMMMMMM
*holsters eyebrows*
Not for me to bring out the red card on you cba for that out of control two legged self-assist. Too good natured, I tells ya.
BBC story on Zouma’s forthcoming six month injury layoff inexplicably predicts Cahill to take over at right back if you read closely enough.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35527443
shameless CBA
shameless.
off the ground too.
“…Leicester winning the Premier League would be the greatest sporting story ever told…”
I am sick of “football lovers”.
This makes me tummy – brrrr & brrrr.
We are football and they are freaks.
Fuck Lestah.
Some brief facts related to cba @98.
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/642138/Ten-things-pancake-day-shrove-tuesday
Will have to research the rest of it later, there being no footnotes.
top man clive
top man
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>