Twenty Days On – Time To Turn The Tables
Apr 1st, 2016 by 'holic
Twenty Days. That’s how long it is since we trudged out of the Grove, stopping only to applaud the visitors on their victory in the FA Cup quarter-final. Watford are back again on Saturday afternoon, and a repeat of the result less than three weeks ago is unthinkable.
If you have listened to this week’s Arsecast you will know I fancy Leicester to lose three of their remaining fixtures more than I fancy us to win all eight of ours, but that is what we have to target, starting against the Hornets. We’re back in ‘win the next match’ territory for the last six weeks of the season. Arsene said that and added,
“There will be twists and turns but what we have learned is that everybody can drop points against everybody, so we want to focus first on our own results. Once you’ve done your job you can hope that the other results go for you.”
The good news, of course, is that we found a balance and formation at Everton that restored hope and confidence. Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny formed a wonderful partnership at Goodison and will surely be trusted again to provide the platform that allows the likes of Alex Iwobi, Mesut Ozil, Alexis, and Danny Welbeck to flourish.
In that ill-fated FA Cup tie Welbeck was a late substitute, scoring one and missing the opportunity to salvage a replay for us. He deserves to start this time around and cause Quique Flores’ side yet more problems. We were largely in control of the first half of that match but toothless up front, and we were caught by two sucker punches from a decent counter-attacking Watford team. We will need to be more positive in the early stages this time around, as we were at Goodison, and indeed at the Camp Nou.
On the plus side we have won all five of our previous Premier League meetings with Watford. Their quarter-final triumph masked a slump in the League as they have lost three in a row, and four of their last five away matches. If you think 40 points is the safety mark they do need to win one more match this season. It seems certain they will be back next year which will surprise the many who must have doubted their survival chances back in August.
The ‘holic pound
No matter what our thoughts of Arsenal’s ability to win all eight of their remaining fixtures are, we do have the players to do exactly that and the pound will seek that positive outlook for as long as we can keep that run going. It is placed on a 3-1 home win on Saturday, available at a market best of 12/1. That hopefully will cover my share of the pre-match lunch bill.
Those of you who are going I may bump into at the ground or the usual place post-match. To those of you less fortunate I wish you a happy weekend with a win for us to celebrate and something unlikely to happen elsewhere. We can’t rely on that, but we can keep up the chase.
Let’s not forget too that it is Rocky remembered day. I saw mention of a minutes applause in David’s memory in the seventh minute. Let it be so. Gone, but never forgotten.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
105 Responses to “Twenty Days On – Time To Turn The Tables”
Cheers H!
For what its worth, I’ll think we’ll batter them tomorrow. 4-0, even 5-0. Have a great day out mate,
I will do Esso. Proper one planned. 😉
Firstly Esso, Thankyou for attaching that piece from Arseblog in the last drinks on Rocky. As anyone who read my drunk there I had a lovely memory of him too. He will be beautifully remembered tomorrow and when we do remember him I always think of my concern at a minute’s silence on the awful day his death was announced when we were about to play S***s . Their impeccably observed silence on that day did them massive credit.( for once)
As for tomorrow we should win comfortably if we play the Everton side ( or bring back Cech) . I think a 2-0 or 3-0 win is in prospect but it should be noted we’ve scored 19 goals in fourteen home games this season and not led at half- time in the last ten home games we have played . Surely a fast start tomorrow with Iwobi, Elneny and Welbeck creating space and hopefully havoc in the Watford defence will see us prosper…if we defend better than we did in the Cup.
Here’s to a glorious win and defeats for the Scum and Leicester this weekend. That might be the momentum shift we need
When I say Everton side, I of course mean the Arsenal side who won at Everton?
Thanks for the link in previous drinks, Esso.
Here it is again for those whose back-drinking skills don’t stretch to being able to open the previous drinks 😀
http://news.arseblog.com/2016/03/david-rocastle-and-me/
Nice one Guvna.
Applause at 7 minutes sounds an excellent idea.
A victory of any kind will do me.
Just win the next game. Repeat.
#believe
Thanks Holic
Win the next game!
Cheers Holic.
With you all the way. It’s “let’s win the next game” territory and who knows how it will end. We can’t control other team’s results so let’s just focus on our game. The players are good enough to finish the season with a flourish and I certainly fancy the Hornets to get stung tomorrow.
The applause at 7 minutes in memory of Rocky will be an excellent gesture for a true Arsenal legend. If only the timespan had been just a little different what a dream team of Rocky 7 and Arsene would have been.
The stars have aligned and I will be making one of my occasional forays to the HoF tomorrow ( rare Saturday 3pm ko, in between indoor & outdoor bowls season, no family visits etc ) so really looking forward to seeing the boys in the flesh. Likewise hope to catch up with some of the Holics in the normal place for a jar or 2 pre match and post match celebrations!
#believe
We have never lost to Watford in the Premier League (won five out of five) but lost eight out of 12 in the old Division One.
esso, one for you on the bar (iirc you’re a fan of fine malt, so macallan 18 for you), that was a great link to weststandtone’s reflection. thanks.
i’ll, as always, be sitting there in the gloaming with coffee nervously awaiting a finger-chewing 1-0 win. i sure as hell hope the pound, esso, or ttg come through correctly, and early on…
Esso,
Can’t say I always agree with your opinion, but I must admit, if friends are somewhat reflective of the individual, you must indeed be something special to be acquainted with both Holic and the person you have last cited in the last article from “weststandtone”. That article was a sublime piece of writing devoid of any ambition, impressionism or intention that I have read about this club. An absolute joy to read.
Thanks to you both.
Have a nice lunch, ‘holic. 😉
Even better, bring home the three points!!!
Raise it a notch and then show us some consistency. COYG
@Joe My opinions are my opinions, and I aint shy of expressing them, but fair play to you.
I’ve known ‘West Stand Tone’ for 9 years now. He’s a proper and I mean proper (said in a Danny Dyer accent) gooner, as well as an incredibly kind, generous, true and loyal friend. I met him through Arseblog, same way as I met ‘holic. As an institution its importance in my life has diminished greatly, I’m somewhat sad to say. But its impact will never be lost on me. I’ve made some true, to-be life long friends through its presence, not just internet acquaintances. And the two aforementioned, are probably the best of the bunch.
Wish I was going to day. Will be grafting on the gaff this morning, and suppin’ in a Chelsea battle this afternoon. Would far rather be at TNHOF, but there you go.
Have a great day folks!
Morning holics! I know I haven’t been around much for a while but I would still like to report in, because I’ve barely been able to sleep tonight. Over in London on my way home to Sweden from a Tokyo-trip, and have managed to secure myself a ticket for the clock end. Staying at a friends in de beauvoir-town so I’ll finally get the quintessential “walking to the ground on match day “-experience.
Watering hole-wise, is it still the T if you want to meet up a few Holics and when should I pop by?
Three nil today.
…Might as well get out of bed.
Morning all.
A 3pm kick off on a Saturday? Really? Very nostalgic.
Taking my little bloke with me today so hoping for a far more convincing performance than the cup game. Same old question, which Arsenal will turn up today? Let’s hope it’s the one that wants to stick 5 plus passed a Watford side.
May try and say a hello over the fence. He’s still not quite tall enough to blag his way into the Tollie. Best he brings his pocket money so that he can buy his round inside the ground.
Enjoy everyone. Hopefully bump into a few of the regulars.
Morning all,
Saturday 3.00pm kick-off – sun is shining in an unbroken blue sky – and “We’ve got Ozil, Mesut Ozil …… ”
What could possibly go wrong …. ? ?
Smashing link in the previous bar Esso.
I’ve also had the pleasure of ‘West Stand Tone’s’ company in The Tollie on a number of occasions and he, Esso, Holic and many others are brilliant football company and just great blokes.
Good on the lot o’ya !
3-0, 3-1, – all sounds good. Just win at this stage. ??????
Great piece, by the way, Tone.
“Long is the way and hard, that out of boredom leads up to football.”
John Yella
Late to the party but still up for it – lovely story from WST and ready for a comfortable 3-0 to the Arse.
UTA.
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Ozil, Alexis, Iwobi, Welbeck
Subs: Cech, Chambers, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Giroud, Walcott, Campbell
Off out down the battle now after a quick shower.
Come on you Arsenal!
COME ON!!!!!!!
Re: Noosa. It don’t come easy, and it won’t. Not expectingi comfortable on this end but expecting a 100% effort or else!!!
Agree with 24 because I wrote it under a poor pen name. 😀
Sanchez!!!!
Alexis ..GET IN!!!
Come on Alexis!
COME ONNNNNNNNNN!
Sanchez.
Yessirree!
Need another goal before half time.
Come in gunners. Keep at em.
Iwobi.. what a player…
COME ON!!!
Iwobi!!!!
Iwobi!!! Yeah.
What did i say?
Iwobiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
GET IN!
😀
I do not inderstand his goal celebration.
Anybody else?
@Homer
He needs to improve in that area for sure…
😀
Agreed BB!!
Tho I hope to see it often. Maybe a few more looks and we’ll figure it out.
I am certain he’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice that!
Let’s improve the goal difference…
COME ON!!!!!!
What a difference scoring the first goal makes. They are not playing nine deep now. Need to score a few more as they tire late in the second half. Satisfactory performance so far and more of the same please.
intriguing first half. we alternately looked like we would rip them apart, or concede a goal due to a poor kick. love me some of that iwobi, thank you very much. his goal was the cat’s meow.
..for fun..it’s for fun now..!
Bellerinnnn…GET IN!!
😀
Bellerin, of all people. Any goal is welcome.
Iwobi, unlucky to hit the bar.
Boom!
Deflection. But it still counts.
Iwobi is just in the zone.
Amazing.
Time to get some subs in.
Giroud in…
Let’s see if he can get a couple..!
I am not too sure that we should let Ospina go.. that was a fine save!
COME ON!
Come on theo.
I still have hope you can earn that no. 14.
BB.
Totaly agree on Ospina.
Hes a fine keeper. No cech. But still, hes a solid keeper.
Good move subbing Alexis.. looks a little injured..!
COME ONNNNNNNNN!
Really liking the look of elneny.
Good on the ball, strong, a bit gritty but not too.
Theo!!!
relatively comfy, moments of unease, moments of real beauty. iwobi is just going to get better, shame he hit the bar. our defense still shakes like a bowl full of jello, always thing it’s going to let in a goal. but what a glorious day it is, and this is just icing on the cake!
6 games with four or more goals this week.. when was the last time that happened?!!
😀
Esso nose
Back from the battle. Enjoyed that. Should have scored 6 or7, but there you go.
Now come on you Mickey Mousers!
….and Pochettino’s mother is a whore
Liverpool goes a goal up, hope they get the result.
Fucking Kane, shit.
Just arrived back still unable to believe that we managed to lose to this mob at home in the Cup. Today we mullered them. The side looks totally different with Elneny and Coquelin in the centre freeing up Ozil much more and with the movement and quality of Ewobi, Sanchez and Welbeck. It was an excellent performance albeit against a poor team but we managed to make them look much better recently.
I thought Ozil and Elneny were deserving of MOTM but almost anyone could have won it. Perhaps fittingly on a day when we remembered Ricky, a not dissimilar player in Iwobi showed his enormous potential again. If we can win next week I think it is far from over. I don’t fancy Leicester tomorrow
Good, spuds drop two points.
Great day out. Stansted Express and first stop Bishops Stortford. Result!
The last three games have seen our best performances in a long time. The team looks so much netter balanced both going forward and in defence than we did only a few weeks ago. That has to be down to the addition of Elneny and Iwobi both of whom work hard to find space and make themselves available to the man in possession and to move the ball forward quickly.
Our goals were all beautifully worked today.
Keep this up fellas.
Win the next game. Repeat.
#believe
15
top shelf
not least half 6 in the morning
16 17 18 19 20 21
‘holic’s bar
fuckin excellent
god bless all here
?
My last game was Old Trafford. Work meant I missed the Swansea and Watford games (lucky me). Texts from terrace mates left me a bit fearful as to what I might find at the Grove this afternoon. Gooner against Gooner, scapegoating, Wenger out, etc etc.
I’m delighted to say not one bit of it. A delightful coat free start to the game in warm sun, an early goal, a four nil stroll, all the songs coming out (especially Mesut’s), not a word against the Manager, Oh Rocky Rocky, meant as stress free a game as there has been all season.
On the North Bank, I think it fair to say a general acceptance that the league has gone and the only target is to finish above Spurs. In fact general hilarity at the thought that we could go eight unbeaten after 2 wins from nine. Let’s finish as well as we can and then go again.
Elneny, Hector and Iwobi terrific today. Many others good. Nobody bad.
Best chant
Watford: Stand up if you’re in the Cup
Arsenal: Stand up if you’ve won the Cup …
It’s gone hasn’t it.
And yet, and yet …..
It’s the hope that kills you.
Scousers did a job. Southampton’s turn tomorrow. Seven games to go. Sorry fellow cynical old North Bankers – there’s still a small gleam in my eye.
put one me last pint jars
on the table – low one
just now
not thinkin
slate slab
her teapot ? undercover
.
so
half on half off
down me shin
fuckin bitch
Barcelona need to get over themselves. 685 passes, three shots on target.
Fuck watching that every week.
rejuvenation ?
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=cXEK2ufq2lw
is the meter still running ?
.
by the holy chin dimple of brady
we slaughtered !
.
how long though
before
hatchets
turn to butter knives
(though) included so as not
to raise a mob
.
always been a softener in literature
.
yup !
this is literature
!
i miss living in donegal
?
cows ducks sheep
(they had a bad break up)
.
send money via ‘hol
to
shameless money harvest
so
i can learn to live again
moooooooooo
sooner rather than later
would be lovely
.
*tick fuckin tock*
oy
stuff
yeah
shot yesterday
born today
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24tnfs_marvin-gaye-i-heard-it-through-the-grapevine-acapella_music
Donny Gall was ITN newsreader Sandy’s pop star brother.
Went solo and found fame with the teen audience after his band broke up when an attempt to be the new Mick Jagger failed.
I mean, what kind of name is The Gall Stones for a band?
Regulation win against a side with little to play for in the Prem and putting all their eggs in the FA Cup. Next week won’t be nearly so easy.
But an excellent performance nonetheless which should generate some much needed confidence. Well played by Iwobe and El Niño, two future Arsenal stars if I’m a judge (who cost us next to nothing btw) and joint motm today. The latter in particular looks an inspired buy.
Can’t resist pointing up Theo’s immaculate positioning for his goal, something Danny rarely manages to find in the box.
Perhaps unfair to criticise after a 4 blot win, but there seemed to be more goals to be had with a bit more effort, and we’re still 10 behind the LWCs GD. I doubt we’ll catch the foxes, but to end up behind the neighbours on GD will be an even bigger failure, imo.
Looking back, cba? To a simpler life in the country? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wTKo_kPlck
RONNIE CORBETT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
🙁
i bought his book
proper hardback
what a brilliant wee fella
🙁
howdy chris
sorry
just was told about Ronnie Corbett
up there with Leonard Rossiter
in my mind’s favourites
two crackers
1970s for me
world of sport
later
https://m.youtube.com/?reload=2&rdm=1yqiwo2wx#/watch?v=icjtVti3HYw
“i think i am gonna start a row
in me best clobber
oooh look at me
in me polo neck ”
.
*bleeding on the ground*
“no surrender no surrender”
.
WANNNKAAAAAAAAAAA
Hey cba. I can’t make your youtube links work, they keep reverting to youtube home. Is it me?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lWnOgs4j884
https://m.youtube.com/?reload=2&rdm=1yqiwo196#/watch?v=WMGvQ2v-ZRM
does that work ?
the greatest singer of all time
The link at #88 worked fine, but #99 just went to Youtube Home again, Weird. See if anyone else has the prob, if not c’est moi.
Is this the one you mean at #99? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMGvQ2v-ZRM … same as yours with ‘reload=2&rdm=1yqiwo196#/watch?’ omitted.
Let’s hope there’s no truth to this … http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/7046192/Arsenal-Chelsea-and-Leicester-stars-were-prescribed-performance-enhancing-drugs-by-British-doctor.html
Or at least nothing proved…
*trev an baff go to ground*
i
for
one
am
never
*woof*
well in shorty
What are you doing up at this hour, cba? Apart from canine impressions?
Meself will be disappearing now, cya laterz.
It’s not just you, Chris. the links are posted on a phone and if you’re watching on a computer browser it reverts to the home page a lot of the time. Taking out the m. bit of the url usually works though 🙂
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://goo.gl/SuHRvK