To Belarus With Love
Sep 27th, 2017 by 'holic
You’ve been waiting for this, I can tell. Come on then, what do we need to know about Bate Borisov? I can hear those chuckles. Well, I can read their website with Google translate, so I can tell you some stuff.
Their home ground is even newer than the Grove and built as a result of the club continually qualifying for European competition but having to play away from their own unsuitable ground. With a capacity of 13,126 (they have averaged 5633 this season) the Borisov Arena in Barysaw was opened in May 2014.
The season in Belarus opened in March and runs until the end of November. Bate are currently third in the Belorusian League two points behind Miner and one adrift of their deadly rivals, Dinamo Minsk, with seven matches left to play. They are bidding to lift the title for twelve consecutive seasons, quite the achievement.
Their most famous ex-player will be a familiar face to most of you, Alex Hleb. He was aiming to meet up with Arsene Wenger ahead of Thursday evening’s fixture. Their current head coach, Alexsandr Yermakovich, provided this respectful piece for Layth Yousif in the Islington Gazette and rather than me thieve quotes from it do give the article a read.
As Mr Yermakovich points out he doesn’t know what side Arsenal will play, which is actually different from our oft-repeated query as to what Arsenal will turn up on the day.
It is certain that David Ospina will start in goal, if fit. Our back three against Cologne was Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, and Nacho Monreal. As we saw on Monday Nacho has become our most accomplished defender so far this season and it might be better to keep him fit and go with Shkodran Mustafi instead?
Hector Bellerin played as right wing-back against Cologne But Ainsley Maitland-Niles may play this one with Reiss Nelson on the left, as against Doncaster. That would enable Mohamed Elneny and Jack Wilshere to play behind Alex Iwobi in the middle of the park. (Edit – @clockendsniper tells me Iwobi probably didn’t travel. Chance for Alexis to play as the ten?) Up front perm two from Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, and Alexis Sanchez?
The ‘holic pound
Yet another stab in the dark. A fortnight ago they held Red Star to a 1-1 draw in Belgrade. If that is a fair reflection then they deserve being treated with some respect and caution. We could go with a team just good enough to get a result. There is little value in 1-2 which is my suspicion so I’ll let positive me have a few bob on 1-3 to the Arsenal at 12/1.
There you go, short and sweet. To those awesome Gooners in Belarus tonight I say stay safe and have some fun. As for the rest of you, have a good one ‘holics.
91 Responses to “To Belarus With Love”
Is Sean Connery in it?
But of courshe! 🙂
Cheers Holic !
A shadow side in Belarus – what could possibly go wrong.
Should One slap a wedge on 1-3 at 12/1 – well, you only live twice !
Actually, with your permission, I will post twice – a piece initially respinding to Bath in the previous bar – cut off as soon as it was posted, and it took bloody ages ☹️
”
I wonder why we didn’t also try for a full back or two.
As another Ropey League game approaches, approximately 65 hours before Sunday’s Premier League fixture, our second string will have to step up again.
I suppose Calum Chambers was intended to stand in for Bellerin – given that Holding would be used as one of our three at the back – but he is now injured – surprise, surprise.
Nacho Monreal can hardly replace Kolasinac at left back because he is now an integral part of our back three for the more important Premier League fixtures.
Once again our squad management is called into question.
Was Monreal’s redeployment at the back part of the plan in the summer, or another unforeseen move born of necessity but now an integral part of the first eleven.
If Debuchy has become unemployable, why could he not be sold or even given away in the summer, even if we had to contribute to his new wages. At least that would have freed up a squad place for someone who could actually play when needed.
So do we now rely again on teenagers playing out of their positions away in Belarus ?
Or maybe we / the manager / Kroenke (delete as applicable), is planning to put a big enough pile of cash on the pitch for Borisov’s wingers to trip over ….. ?
We made two very good signings in the summer. The ones we didn’t make are currently looking at least as important. “
Evening H
Arsene has indicated he will field an experienced run on team with a young bench,whose game time minutes will depend on whether we have wrapped the game up early doors.
Bate are probably similar in quality to lower reaches of Championship division,so should be straightforward win,but with us who knows.
To touch on the madness of the fixture debacle this week,Sky now apparently want our home game against Liverpool shifted from 23rd December to Christmas Eve at 4pm. !!
Won’t be long till we get them requesting games on Christmas Day,like the good old days in the 60’s.
When Arsenal fail to put out their best eleven they are always a disappointment,3-1 defeat.
Great work Holic. I’ve been at the Oval today and thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful game only for the sort of conditions you expect at 7.35 pm on September 27th to intervene.
In a queue at the bar I heard someone ask his mate if he was flying out to Belarus. Funny place to go I thought and mentioned this to my colleague who said ‘ I thought that was where your boys were playing tomorrow?’. Until that moment I thought we were heading for Bulgaria .
I expect us to win narrowly or draw and will try to work up interest in it but missing out on the Champions League is as disappointing as I expected it to be.
I like the idea of Mustafi playing instead of Nacho who is my hero at the moment. I hope Jack runs the midfield and I’d love it if we could find a pair of proper wing- backs and not shoehorn Reiss Nelson and AMN into the roles. I’d like to see AMN trying out for our first team midfield and he and Jack might be an interesting combination as I despair of Xhaka doing the job properly on a long- term basis.
Sanchez might work as no 10 but like me he must have viewed the last two nights with a sense of frustration . He might struggle to motivate himself to play just as I might struggle to motivate myself to watch. Of course I will but I do wish it was different. So different.
I notice we have five members of the first team squad injured so our new conditioning team is keeping up tradition .
Interesting stuff H.
Frankly I will be both astonished and delighted if we get anything out of this match with a team heavily peppered with callow yoof. The absence of Iwobi may be the biggest deficit unless LJW can recapture his top form and remain fit to provide the ammunition for OG and Feo.
Fingers heavily crossed.
Nice one, Guv’nor. Gold spun from not very much. Won’t be an easy game; trips to Eastern Europe tend not to be. Bate Borisov don’t concede more than one very often.
Among the ‘callow yoof’, Bath, are Charlie Gilmour, Vlad Dragomir, Marcus McGuane, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Josh Dasilva, all of whom travelled to Belarus. I wonder if Dasilva might get a start at left wing-back.
Could be Ned, but I think Arsene wants to give Nelson experience, even if out of his comfort zone. Shame Calum is gone in the fetlock.
By the way, my boss has leaving drinks after work tomorrow so the match report will not be an ‘as it happened’ and published at the whistle. Hopefully I will be able to put something together when I get home having watched it in the pub. If not I apologise in advance.
No need to apologise Holic. A 6pm kick off is an indignity that the likes of us shouldn’t have to experience. Cuts right across the cocktail hour and completely fucks up my supper time, normally timed nicely for a 7.45pm ko.
Mrs Countryman is not impressed.
Vlad Dragomir from Romania. And a midfielder too. His name alone should terrify opponents. I do hope he lives up to it!
Re my suggesting Kolasinac in CMF, my somewhat surprised thanks to those prepared to take the suggestion seriously. But I should make it clear it is posited on a back 4 with Nacho in his proper role.
Whoever started against Köln should start again, subject to fitness. Playing together, rather than changing personnel every game, should see them improve as a team.
Yes, Trev, even I have noticed our fullbacks caught upfield on occasions. But I still say there’s a better chance of finding one where he should be if we designate one to be there in the first place. 😀
H – All you need to do is note what you’re drinking at the salient points of the match, writing the report in the style of Jeffrey Barnard on a Soho bender, and all will be sweet.
…or Gonzo-style a la Hunter S Thompson. 😉
Thanks for the preview Guvna.
As you say a difficult one to call.
Good experience for the young
lads though and hopefully OG
and Theo can get a couple to see
us through the game.
Nacho didn’t travel and Mus did
so the back 3 looks right.
I read Sanchez didn’t travel either.
Then Da Silva on the left and
Nelson at 10 maybe.
Or Willock in the middle with
Elneny and Jack at 10.
Anyway, best of luck to the young
and let’s hope Bate don’t make
minskmeat of us.
Chris,
@14
I enjoyed speculating idly
as I had nothing better to do…..
Russians blowing up ammunition depot in central Ukraine today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUxieNVGgE
Russians the likely suspects I should say. The third such massive ammunition depot explosion in Ukraine this year.
Nice stuff H. Who knows what Arsenal will be picked and if it will actually turn up. Not sure I’m even that bothered to be honest. Thursday night in Belarus for the ropey league? Oh how we used to laugh at others.
In other news I’ve just read that Sky want to move our home game with Liverpool to a 4pm on Christmas Eve. If there is anyone still deluded enough to think that fans are not now just customers then just take stock of that for a second. Sky will apparently demand the fixture as they pay £11 million per game.
Christmas Eve at 4 is totally anti- social and anti- family. I won’t be going if it’s then . Don’t see many getting home afterwards like Delia and Holic to far- flung outposts. I always go to the Christingle service with my grandsons and thence to the pub and expect that to continue!
Gary Jacob in the Times is , I suspect a closet S***s fan and wrote a carping report on Monday’s game. They’ve sent him to Belarus just to keep up the good work and his tack today is it’s a long time since we got a youth product into the first team. I expect a cynical report tomorrow whatever happens. I’ve rethought about the game and hope the young lads can use it as a stepping- stone in their development and though Belarus on Thursday is a step down in our status it’s a chance for them which I hope they take
Steve T,
I don’t like Sky and all my sympathies
are with the fans (are they even
customers? Just extras to Sky I think)
but honestly if I was paying 11mil a
game it’d be played when I wanted
too. Sky are just a symptomatic
side-effect, bit like my gout really.
It’ll probably be some other bastards
after the next contract round.
Only ourselves to blame.
Although, after a minutes thought I
realized you probably know all this
already. Anyway, I’ve typed it now!
I won’t be going either if it’s played then. It’s a total disgrace to even consider that. How do away fans get home.
It typifies everything I’ve grown to hate about the game with an absolute passion. I have very little in common with any of it anymore.
If it is played at 4pm then for the first time ever I would advocate a total boycott of the game. I would love to see Sky broadcast from a totally empty stadium.
Agreed Steve, and heh Cynic. Match report will consist of 6X, 6X, 6X on repeat. ?
Gooner Holic Is Unwell..
As for Xmas Eve football, bring it to me and bring it to me now.
Or move the World Cup to once
every 10 years and scrap the
continental competitions. No more
international breaks, no more
fixture congestion and I only have
to feel bad for England once a
decade instead of every 2 years.
Ancelotti got the boot!
Hope he returns to the EPL…
Back home after great time in Croatia. I highly recommend the island of Vis which is totally unspoilt. Out of bounds for years being Tito’s HQ during WW2 and then a secret base during the Cold War. The war time air strip used by the RAF and USAF is still there and the cricket pitch created by our aircrew has an annual match, a Croatian/Aussi keeps the tradition alive.
Caught Monday’s game in the bar of my friends small hotel in Trogir. Thought we were lucky not to be behind at HT but we improved in the second half thank goodness, Nacho was my MOTM.
Not happy with tonight’s squad, too many chances have been taken and I will be surprised if we come away with a win. A lot will depend on Jack and the BFG , we really shouldn’t need to be watching this game from behind the sofa!
I can’t think that the police will agree to the proposed late kick-off on Christmas Eve. Travelling will be difficult with thousands trying to get home for the holidays apart from we football fans. Isn’t it the usual practice to close some mainline stations at this time of year for engineering work.
I’m the driver on Sunday, Gooner Kevin is confined to barracks and we have rail replacement buses between King’s Lynn and Ely, I’m leaving at 07.30! Looks like it will be an alcohol free day.
COYR
A bucket load of 6X or kids in the Ropey????
Not the hardest decision in the world H?
Enjoy your evening sir.
Delia, God forbid the dreaded rail replacement buses between King’s Lynn and Ely! 🙂 When I did that route in 1981 the trains were running on a regular schedule and I very much enjoyed the lovely scenery, which reminded me of a Dutch landscape painting. Your Croatian island sounds a bit like nirvana, I must say. Thanks for the great description.
Reminds me that we haven’t heard from Bodrum Gooner for quite some time, whose reports from the coast of Turkey were among my favorite ones to read on here. Greetings, Bodrum, if you are reading. 🙂
Arsenal team to play BATE Borisov: Ospina, Holding, Mertesacker, Mustafi, Willock, Elneny, Nelson, Maitland-Niles, Walcott, Wilshere, Giroud.
Subs: Macey, Dasilva, Gilmour, McGuane, Dragomir, Akpom, Nketiah.
With that midfield Willock must really rise to the occasion, and AW is putting quite the vote of confidence in him. The other striking thing is the lack of recognizable names on the bench. Macy and Akpom have been around for a while but I don’t think I had heard about any of the others a year ago with the possible exception of Dragomir.
Let’s see how they do. I only wish the game were on TV here.
It’s no great surprise with five players injured and a game on Sunday that we are putting out a rather belie- strength team. It’s respectable but we need our senior players like LJW and Theo to step up. A draw in prospect?
Come on you Gunners!
Come on you Gunners
Hope LJW steps up tonight and shows his quality and leadership. And fitness!
Gooooaaaallll!
He just did! Fabulous from LJW to burst through the box and lay on Theo for a tap in. Willock and Nelson also looking confident.
Great work from LJW and a great finish by Theo brings Arsenal the lead and Chris to an early ejaculation.
Philippe Auclair on Twitter
Wilshere superbe depuis le coup d’envoi, contre un BATE Borisov il est vrai faiblard. Passe decisive pour Walcott, 1-0 pour les Gunners.
Spot on mate.
Theo again!!!
Score another eight, Theo, and the manager might give you two minutes at the arse end of a league game some day
Yeeeaaaahhh!!!
Strong assist from their keeper there but good finish from Theo.
This game’s over. 3-0.
Holding makes it 3-0. Have we been playing the wrong eleven in the league.
Turn off now Chris. You’ll run out of Kleenex
?
Poor defending, our trade mark. 1-3. Don’t feel very safe anymore.
I’ve jinxed it haven’t I 🙁
Brilliant marking.
1 – 3
A great save by Ospina but the flag is up, however we are going to need to keep awake here.
This could end up 7 – 10.
And that’s just at half time.
Great save by Ospina, could have been 2-3.
Is the chelski owner Bate’s coach?!
😀 😀 😀
Ostersund – Hertha Berlin is the only game being broadcast here by the Rupert Murdoch channel. They will show the Everton game later, the dickheads.
Willock got an intentional elbow.. should be a red!
Holding hits the goal post. Exciting, all right, so far. Two attack minded sides with shit defenses mean more goals, thrills and spills. Travelling gunners are getting their money’s worth.
Not so callow yoof after all. Young players showing real metal mettle. LJW rolling back the years. Sign him up, Arsene. Goodbye Mesut.
BB@57, no; the Chav owner moonlights as Tim Roth.
Ton up for the BFG. 4-1 (soft pen)
1-4. Giroud scores with a clinical penalty after Mustafi fouled in the box.
over
OG the big girls blouse!
I think Wenger needs to have a word they are becoming very sloppy!
Holding slips and it’s 2-4
We concede again, 2-4.
Well if you manager tells you to not go commit when are 4:1 up then this is the end effect!
Do we have the world’s worst defence. Almost 3-4 after they miss with an open goal.
Elneny looks tired. Sub time, AW.
What the hell is Niles doing?
Very appropriate performance. We have no midfield enforcer to protect our back three so they are running straight through us and we are very slow at the back as well.
Going forward we look like scoring every time. It’s not a very European performance. You can get away with it ( probably) against this sort of team but against teams of quality you’d suffer.
It’s as worrying as it is exhilarating tonight
Ten minutes to go, everyone out of gas, and no experienced subs.
We look tired and BATE are running around like stallions. Something wrong?
Typical Theo performance. A tap in, a great finish, unlucky with the save – and then total rubbish second half.
Jack MOTM by a country mile. Also plaudits to Willock, Nelson and AMN.
Elneny too had a good game, Countryman.
countryman100
Not sure what he is doing sometimes his doesn’t know how to adjust his body to play the ball it doesn’t look pretty!
Job done. Young lads looked good. Jack continues his rehabilitation. Well played all.
Finishes 2-4. I’m very happy with that and thoroughly enjoyed the game. Played two, won two, all with a squad team.
Right, on to Brighton at home Sunday morning!
Great away win for a team full of kids. Well done. Good outing for Theo, Holding, Giroud and Per. I expected a tougher match but BATE came into the match only in the last half hour. Looking forward to Sunday, already.
Job done either way!
Well done to one and all.
Nice for the kids to win, good
for their confidence and a bit
of team spirit before the next
Ropey League adventure.
Oh and a final word for those 700 away fans, as I understand it 300ish from the UK and the 400 from supporters clubs across Europe. Bloody marvellous support and I hope they enjoy their beers in Belarus tonight.
Good call, cm100.
I echo CM100, the fans who went over there deserve enormous credit and I hope they all enjoyed it. My big takes from the game were that we have huge attacking potential. Walcott and Giroud are good bench options and Nelson looks a gem . I believe he could play ( as an attacking wide man) in the Premier League now.
Jack was excellent and I think a better option than Xhaka in midfield. If we didn’t play Ozil , Ramsey, Xhaka and Jack could play.
Defensively with no enforcer to shield us we were very open and very slow. We looked very Ricky in the last twenty minutes.
Congrats to Ollie Giroud on his century!
watched it on fox
not as disagreeable as you’d think
and discovered elephant and castle
have both jumped over the river
We did well making a fast start with Feo cashing in with 2 goals. However, once Bate found their game and the home fans found their voices all our old failings came to light. Tonight’s MF were caught out of position and didn’t have the power, pace and strength to recover and protect the back 3. Even Theo and Jack lost their way in the second half and Giroud never looked comfortable.
I am very happy that we won but if AW continues to play the youngsters, who ran out of steam in the second half, I fear we will be caught out by the better teams we are likely to meet in later knock out rounds.
Shambolic defending in the second half and Elneny having a poor game apart, a win is a win. Jack was brilliant first half but still looks short of match fitness to last 90 minutes.
As everyone says without a proper DM we cannot win against the big boys even in the europa league and once we get the third placed teams in the UCL joining the list, we will be found out.
I dont know what to say about Holding, second season syndrome or did we hype him too much. Talking of defenders, Mustafi is poor.
Cheer up, some! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>