As It Happened – Blunted Gunners
Nov 2nd, 2017 by 'holic
The Gunners ‘cup team’ featured one change from the Carabao Cup win against Norwich last week, with Joe Willock replacing Alex Iwobi. If the latter is being saved for the trip to the Emptihad on Sunday could that mean we could go with a similar line-up to the one that took a point home from Chelsea at the bus stop in Fulham?
With Red Star pressing early a rapid Arsenal break ended with Theo Walcott’s effort from a Reiss Nelson cross being deflected over the bar. Shortly afterwards Ainsley Maitland-Niles sent in a cross from the opposite flank that Olivier Giroud smashed straight at Borjan in the visitors goal.
The game couldn’t gain any rhythm however with the Red Star players taking it in turn to lay down with mysterious ‘injuries’ and effectively killing time. Just pass the half hour Red Star made a rare break and Mathieu Debuchy had to clear a Srnic cross at full stretch. It was a reminder to the Gunners makeshift defence to be on their toes.
All of a sudden the game sprung to life. Joe Willock’s excellent run ended with Giroud’s effort being smothered by Borjan. Red Star responded with a fierce drive that Matt Macey was equal to. The giant goalkeeper made a magnificent stop moments later, tipping a Savic header onto the crossbar with his fingertips.
I had mentioned in the preview that we might need to be patient in the opening hour or so, and that was proving to be accurate. Walcott’s attempt to play in Giroud was intercepted and a threadbare crowd, but for three thousand noisy Serbians, groaned. With a minute left of the first-half remaining Boakye raced clear of the Arsenal back line only to curl his effort wide of the near post.
Barely a couple of minutes into the second-half Giroud collected a pass from Mohamed Elneny, spun around, and fired a speculative long-range effort over the bar. At the other end Srnic warmed the palms of Macey from a tight angle. Muted chants of “Come on Arsenal” and “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie” betrayed the feelings of the home support. Reiss Nelson’s direct burst lifted the spirits and only a desperate Savic lunge prevented the stop-gap wing-back from going through.
As the hour approached we were denied two penalties in quick succession. Jack Wilshere fell to earth a little too easily when challenged, but his tackler Savic definitely handled the ball shortly afterwards and we’ve seen them given. Were Red Star again starting to run out of steam as they did a fortnight ago? News that Cologne had taken the lead against Bate Borisov for the second time meant a solitary goal triumph would win us the group as things stood.
The best chance looked to have fallen to the adventurous Maitland-Niles but Wilshere took charge and saw his chip cleared of the line by Le Tallec. Cue the introduction of Eddie Nketiah to the obvious chant. Joe Willock made way for his young team-mate.
Rob Holding picked up a yellow for leading with an arm in an aerial challenge with Srnic. No complaints from anyone the pitch at that. Another Serb felt the need to lie on the ground despite no contact from Wilshere. A quarter of an hour left on the clock and Walcott got on the end of a Wilshere cross only to angle his header wide of the far post. Then Elneny found Walcott at the near post but he made an air shot and the chance was gone.
Ten minutes from the end Boakye found himself clear in the inside-left channel but again, thankfully, missed the target. The travelling Serbs again filled the air with song. Down went Stojkovic. “I’ve got cramp ref, honest”. Boos filled the air as the home support vented it’s frustration. Red Star made a substitution and all of a sudden only four minutes remained.
If there was a plus on the night it was the form of Macey, and Maitland-Niles in the attacking third. A left wing-back he really isn’t and better sides would have tested him more defensively, but the young man was a problem that the visitors only just managed to keep at bay. Otherwise it was another night of frustration as we were unable to put a fast pass and move game together.
It’s the squad team, I hear some say, but it is a squad team that has beaten all before them this season. One goal tonight would have given the U23s the chance to play the final two group stage matches, but a mixed eleven will again be needed in Cologne, 5-2 winners tonight. Glad I dodged that bullet tonight due to my lack of holidays. However I am also glad we have at least qualified for the knock-out phase in the shortest possible time.
58 Responses to “As It Happened – Blunted Gunners”
1st?
Now to read the post!
Get in!
I least I scored! ?
At home we should be beating teams like this, team is not organised well enough yet again OG and Theo biggest disappointments. Youngesters showed more than senior players.
We are a long way from anything decent with this squad.
?
hol me house is full of INTERNATIONAL Padres
i hate them
.
we have fed them
but by buggerin fuckin
fuckin fuckin
they are satisfied minus several
.
.
professional tourists
soon to be non bereft of a slap
3rd
but with time difference that makes me first!
recorded this as at work,,, might delete tonight
i of course am joshing
.
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WANKERS
.
.
never felt more than slapping that fuckin cunt but I know it’s the wrong thing to do and i will consult my inner thump
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SLAP SSAYS THUMP
Followed game remotely from SF. It seems it was probably better not to be there. We have definitely not got the North London bragging rights at the moment but we have done the minimum necessary quickly and only conceded once and a freak goal at that. Nice that Macey did well. He is a big unit. AMN should replace Coquelin ( they could swap positions) . Hope the first team had their feet up
The youngsters showed nothing but a few flashy dribbles and an inability to produce a final ball, ATG. OG and Theo might have done better with what crumbs reached them (mostly thanks to Jack’s efforts in the second half), but the number of times they were left frustrated by the midfield’s profligacy was the most disappointing aspect of the night.
Macey motm, but really no one else in contention.
Overslept and missed the game 🙁
Then read the report from the
Guvnor and realised that might
not have been an entirely bad
thing. Anyway, we’re through so
alls well that ends well.
Onwards to the Shittyhole and a
big game for the 1st XI.
Should I be worrying about the LWCs winning the CL? RM weren’t great, but they are the holders ffs. Spuds as champions of Europe would be an intolerable embarrassment. AW could forget about a statue outside the Grove for starters as there could surely be no greater indictment of his latter days.
Chris@11
Should I be worrying?
No.
Dullest game so far this season as seen from the North Bank but through and we will win the group. My first look at Eddie – demands the ball and looks good. Some nice moments from Nelson and Willock both of whom look as though they’ll come good.
Theo utter pony. Good play in flashes from Jack but there’s a desperation in his play at the moment. Debuchy and Elneny calm at centre half but my head was in my hands every time Rob Holding was on the ball. he’s gone backwards. Macey had a good game.
Next two games Citeh and Spurs. Not confident.
The B team have done well for
us this season overall and enabled
all our players (except Nacho once?)
to be well rested for weekend
games. Can’t really ask for more
– they’ve given us a possible
physical edge going into the Shitty
game and there can’t be any excuses
about too many games or having
key players injured. And we won’t
have to play any key players in the
last 2 Ropey League games either.
The 1st 11 should fill their boots
between now and Xmas.
The Spuds are a fair side, nothing
great and will win nothing this
season just like last, then lose their
only useful player and their manager.
The future is grim for the LWCs.
I see mounting debts, falling
crowds, and a fat gum-chewing
manager in their next 5 years as
they settle into their once and
future role.
The West Ham of Middlesex.
Thanks for the report Guvna. Listened to the match on Arsenal player but fell asleep halfway through the second half. Delighted to read that I missed nothing. However that’s an ok result and ensures progress. No need to take foolish risks.
I’m a firm believer in the old GG doctrine of firstly ensuring we don’t lose a goal. It’s only as a result of such a standard that one can turn ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ into an article of faith. Would that our first XI could aspire to that standard.
God that was dull. Job done though.
Liking some of the young players now they have found their feet – Nelson, Willock and Macey all looked good but Eddie’s second cameo was a bit too short to draw any conclusions just yet.
Theo is having one of those spells that will only end when he scores a late winner as a sub against either Citeh or the Spuds with a 35 yard screamer.
You read it here first…
I was bored out of my tiny mind with last night’s offering. Mo was marginally better than last week and young Macey was head and shoulders above the rest in a dismal encounter.
There’s no fun in watching Arsenal these days, how I long for the days with the midfield of Cesc, Hleb and Rosicky, when Wengerball was the order of the day. If we have many more of these nights the stadium will be half full at best.
The away fans did their best to liven up the proceedings and their keepers’ tumbles were about as much entertainment as was on offer. The Ref was very inept in dealing with the constant stoppages as the visitors’ players collapsed to the turf, none of whom seemed injured. This all added to the tedium of the evening.
Surely the first team will give me something to cheer about on Sunday but having see Citi’s game on Wednesday I’m beginning to fear the worst.
COYR
You know it’s bad when people are pining for Hleb.
As for the young players, I guess I’m alone in not finding anything to rave about with players who hold the ball too long and lose it, or run up blind alleys. And lose it.
Shocking articles popping up regarding Cazorla’s injury!
‘I kept playing, they told me I was fine. The problem is that it did not heal and the wounds reopened, they became infected’
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/santi-cazorla-almost-lost-his-foot-to-gangrene-but-arsenal-star-remains-hopeful-of-january-return-a3675626.html
Crazy stuff! So why on earth Arsenal allowed for his injury to get so bad? Are the doctors here the UK so bad? In the Evening Standard article he said that he ended up with three different infections, how the hell did the Arsenal medical team and the rest allowed to happen? Is it Santi’s incompetence or is the club at fault here?
Good report, thanks Holic.
I missed the whole thing due to a lack of BT Sport and expertise in finding a stream. Good job too by the look of things.
If the squad was properly managed and invested in, we should be rattling goals in against the likes of these Ropey League no hopers.
But it isn’t and we aren’t. Empty seats are appearing though.
Maybe the blatant disdain shown for supporters is having an effect.
Enough to persuade the poor excuse for a majority shareholder and his board to sling their collective hook ?
Almost undoubtedly not.
More’s the pity.
More encouraging news regarding our medical personnel too.
Seems like the whole shooting match is descending into mediocrity.
Very, very sad.
Carling cup of call it whatever it is called now used to be a lot of fun. Carlos vela chips, Merida, Lansbury etc owning midfields, oh those days. Even Bendtner used to score there. Now it is soo taxing to see this team. Dont get me wrong, they are young and understandable that they will take time but what about theo, coq and just for yesterday Giroud and Holding? shambolic were those names and the less said about theo, the better it is. He is clueless, simple and plain and only coquelin outdoes him time to time.
onto sunday and boy it does not make for a look forward a lot game, still think if we score first and then dont concede immediately, we have a chance against this city team. Talks of invincibles maybe premature but they can win the league looks more likely as earlier as now.
Arsenal need leaders, until and unless we have those, this team will only be a curator’s egg, good in parts.
for non-british gooners who seek to set up a viewing of “’89”, i heard back from the folks who are managing the viewings and they’re not doing any outside of the uk. they’re going to ask the distributor about it, but didn’t sound hopeful.
currently the link here on holic’s site is for the region 2 dvd, probably in PAL format. i asked the person who answered my email to ask the distributor if they were going to get any region 1/NTSC dvds for sale, or for any other regions…
boring game, like the look of amn, holic’s right in that he was one of their unsolved problems. i was very disappointed at our movement last night: theo had three or more opportunities to pass back to nelson and flash down the line for the return, and didn’t flash but came short to nelson; wilshere, especially once he was in the middle after eddie came on, was just standing there while the ball was played sideways and backwards. numerous times we had the open man in the middle and a properly-struck ball would have reached; there were too few properly-struck balls, unfortunately (though the way the red stars were hitting the turf you’d think their balls had been properly struck!).
still, through to the knockout stages, and on course. one more point and i believe we’re first in group.
Here is the original Marca story about Santi’s gangrene, in English translation.
http://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2017/11/03/59fc2d9722601d063d8b45bb.html
If Santi’s infection got to the point suggested in the article and was missed by UK doctors then those doctors should be struck off if NHS and sued to oblivion if in the private sector.
Evening all. Keep smiling cba and keep those mooing, mooing. So, when are you getting your arse over here for a game? There’s a ticket waiting with your name on it.
Cheers H. Missed the first half and dosed off during the second. Delia, I feel your pain. What I did see was as dull as dull could be. I have several Gashead friends who rate Macey and speak very highly off him so who knows.
From the brief bits I saw there were some lovely touches from Jack. The problem was that he seemed so far ahead of the others that the majority weren’t even close to being on the same wavelength. His omission from the England squad through lack of playing time is understandable. If we don’t by start giving her m more first team minutes then he could be another one that walks away for nothing at the end of the season. BtM, remind me again about this wonderful business model we operate???
Still, we’ve qualified and hopefully now have the chance of playing more knockout games than we usually do in Europe. I won’t be holding my breath though.
I’m at Rugby on Sunday so miss the Citeh game. Can’t say I filled with massive amounts of hope or confidence. A spot of egg chasing with the phone off might be the way forward.
NBN @24
I saw this article as well and got Google to do the translation, truly shocking!
Not sure where the club doctors come into play here or the medical staff. I just don’t understand how inept you have to be to allow this sort of thing happen at a club like Arsenal!?
steve T
it is number one on MY list of priorities
unfortunately ………..
.
?
a sad but realistic moo
.
.
.
.
ahhh go on
moooooooooooooooooooooo
?????????????
relive glory years
of the 80s
UP THE ARSENAL
(sarcasm, younguns )
long lean times watching shite dry
and
the name on the ticket
steve
should you choose to engrave it
is
.
H.A. Ndsome
.
.
OH FUCKIN YESSSS
or
Nigel
either /or
FUCK OFF YOU CUNTS
THE BIG THREE O
.
SMASHED IT
etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9d5csMFAfE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU0wByOE-6E
Three more games moved for telly, one of which is the home game with Chelsea.
Playing WBA away on New Year’s Eve at 4.30 instead of the Saturday 3pm
The New Years Day game at home with Chelsea has been moved to January 3rd at 7.45
We now play Bournemouth away on the 14th January at 1.30 instead of the 13th.
never pick a fight with a strongman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjzdQBzuvCM
always pick a fight with a strongman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjzdQBzuvCM
.
.
THE BIG THREE DOZEN !!!!
.
“Whaddya think a me now!”
.
.
.
.
“TOP O THE WORLD , ‘hol”
“TOP O THE WORLD”
*wipes 58*
.
.
.
*DROPS MIC*
.
.
.
.
Hygiene is yo friend , Gangstas
Harry Winks of the LWCs – The up-and-coming Golden-Boy of English Soccer. All over the BBC Prime-time News!
Dele Ali of the LWCs – The current Golden Boy of English Soccer!
Harry Kane of the LWCs – the New Golden-Man of English Soccer!
Mauricio Pochettino of the LWCs – the new Golden-Boy/Man Maker of English Soccer!
Oh Arsene Big Grand-Daddy Golden-Boy/Man Maker! What happened to Walcott, Wilshere, Gibbs, Chambers, Jenkinson, et al? ?
You know it’s bad when people are pining for Hleb>/em> – Cynic #18
Pure perspicacity. 😀
I guess I’m alone in not finding anything to rave about with players who hold the ball too long and lose it, or run up blind alleys. And lose it Cynic #18
Not alone, I said as much in #9.
Ooops, got a < back-to-front. D'oh.
ATG@26: I share your bafflement. Time for a second opinion from Trev, methinks.
What has transpired with Santi in his clinical care is utter and complete gross negligence by both the operating surgical team, and the Arsenal Football Club’s medics! Utter disgrace and unacceptable for a “Privately paid-for service”! ?
The club’s administrative hierarchy must also take full responsibility as the semi-elective surgery that Santi undertook which resulted in a wound infection with subsequent Osteomyelitis of his Calcaneum (heel bone) would’ve been performed by the Football Club’s own “recommended and affiliated Orthopod”; rather than Santi going abroad to his own home in Spain and to that Spanish specialist he is now under. He fully trusted Arsenal Football Club and they fucked him! He’s not the first “medically” is he?! Now we see why the “foreign lads in the know” tend to always want to go home for their elective surgical procedures and to undergo their rehab!
It’s incidences like this (both in our private practice and in the NHS) that make all of us who work within the UK healthcare system look bad! We are not and we are bloody good in what we do under immense workload pressures and expectations from the ill and complaining-well! However, there is something “disturbingly” sub-standard with how Arsenal football Club’s in-house and outsourced healthcare and conditioning engagements, are now since we shifted to Ashburton Grove. Why is that? And who’s to blame for that? I have my own suspicions which I’ll wait 19 months more before disclosing! If I was Santi; I’d sue! ?
Contract extensions with little realistic chance of playing = Guilt Money! ?
Have we also seen that with someone else before too??? How are you now Abu Diaby? ?
Dan. The contract situation at Arsenal in general is a shambles. How the likes of Sanogo, Wellington and all the others ever end up on the payroll is quite simply bizarre. That coupled with the potential talent that is about to walk away for nothing just makes you wonder if anyone really has any idea at the club re contracts?
That said, having thought about it, I’m surprised that I’ve even asked the question.
Quite Steve T! I’m surprised you’ve asked that too! ?
I know Dan. What was I thinking? Clearly need to open another bottle.
Trev
The likelihood of our majority shareholding selling his stake off has lessened even more in my view. I’ve been at a technology conference in California which for a bloke who knows the square root of bugger all about technology is a remarkable state of affairs! What I have been looking at is the strategy of the big tech players ( I had a fascinating chat with a guy who worked for Steve Jobs twice at Apple). For companies like Amazon and Google the opportunity to stream EPL ( as they call it here) games all around the world is deeply lucrative and enticing and they will probably be the front runners when the next bidding war for live TV rights comes up. Sky and BT’s hold on the rights looks extremely vulnerable to me as cloud computing takes hold and these mega brands turn their attention to sport.
This is very attractive for all Premier League clubs. It is possible that the rights may change hands for 50% more than they did last time becauseca lot of players – the aforementioned, Apple, Ali Baba , Microsoft etc might be interested . So for Kroenke he has a Go,den Goose which in real terms he doesn’t have to invest a penny in and which may increase its capital value by a huge amount. Frankly he would be mad to sell just because a few thousand people in North London aren’t happy. Most of the supporters of his franchises aren’t happy because he tends to be a loser. He’s used to it and in London he has lots of fall guys to deflect the bullets including one who looks like he will/ can go on forever.
The LWCs have got a big challenge to negotiate – lots of challenges actually – can they build and fill the new ground, keep their players and their managers, retain their wage structure which is out of sync with the big players in the Premier League but they’ve got a better coach and a better medical and training set- up and are currently a bigger draw than we are. Lose Kane and Poch and things start to slide. But if they can retain them who knows. A lot depends on if they win something this year. I don’t see anything other than a possible FA Cup for them and ironically if they go close but win nothing it gives a spotlight to their best players and PSG / Real/ Barcelona/ Bayern / Chelsea will go for Poch. All will blow the Totts out of the water salary wise but I keep hearing that all their players will stay for the love of the club. Yeah..right. Who thinks Daniel Levy wouldn’t sell at PSG prices ?
Nevertheless their future is every bit as bright as ours with our current Long- term owners.
Thanks for the Santi articles ATG
& NBN. Shocking indeed.
The only good thing was that Santi
is as positive as ever and wants to
come back again. Not sure I
could be so determined and willing
to play for Arsenal again if they’d
been so cavalier and incompetent
with my health. Anyway, the very
best of luck to him.
There was a report in the press this week that Amazon have dropped their interest in Premier League rights and it is likely, in that scenario, that the value of domestic rights will drop by up to 20%.
Overseas rights will be the growth area when the next contract is settled.
Martin Keown was on form during last night’s FAC game on the BBC.
“Everyone seems to be a Tottenham fan now ; it’s funny because I never met one until last year…”
TTG,
Very interesting stuff @48 – thanks.
Zuckerberg is already looking at contactless payment systems to operate through Facebook, according to a recent BBC documentary so, even if Amazon drop out, there are bound to be huge changes in how football is “consumed”.
According to those who are paid to know, the young are no longer sitting down watching matches on television screens – no matter how enormous they are (the screens, not the young). Football is, apparently, watched more and more on mobile phones, so you could expect the major service providers to become more involved too.
Personally, I couldn’t imagine anything much less fulfilling than watching a football match on a phone screen, but then I’m not that young either.
New Day “Risen”!
The LillyWhiteCunts of 2017-18, are clearly the mirror of the 1965-66 Hammers! “They think it’s all over (already); not quite yet, ya Cunts!” ?
Ned @42,
The pictures of Santi’s foot look horrendous.
His toes even look like claws, but it’s far too early to be talking about Santi claws.
* offers immediate profuse apologies *
On a serious note, I share your bafflement at how this could have happened. In the article it says he was playing with a wound from surgery that repeatedly reopened. That should have been warning enough for anybody – from the nurse dressing or stitching the wound, to the doctor carrying out the post-operative checks.
The simple fact that the wound would not stabilise should have raised the alarm.
Quite apart from that, any injury would be receiving physiotherapy treatment and examination. Santi’s infection did not progress from 0% to 100% overnight, so there was time to become suspicious and investigate before it reached the state it did.
Anyone in close contact with that joint could and should have noted the obvious signs of infection –
Colour – there is almost always discolouration and redness at the site of an operation but that should gradually and steadily reduce. We are talking about a period of a year or more here, so someone must have realised that all was not well.
Swelling – see ‘Colour’ above.
Pain – see ‘Colour’ above.
Temperature – there should not be any lasting raised temperature at the site of the operation. If there is, infection would be the first worry and should be investigated immediately. To detect the raised temperature does, however, require the use of several highly sophisticated instruments – they are called fingers.
As I said, Ned – baffled.
Hello Trev,
2 interesting posts!
I had an achilles op about 18
months ago and the post op checks
were just as you said. The Drs repeatedly
told me about checking the wound
carefully everyday. My op was in
Japan and I’m not a professional
athlete but I would have thought
it’s just the same or even more
carefully monitored for a footballer.
It’s very strange.
And I’m watching the Leicester vs
Stoke game on my iphone ! It’s not
too bad, although better on an ipad
or a PC. SportsNavi provide live
coverage of every PL game as part
of a joint venture between Softbank &
Yahoo. There’s other sports too and
it’s about £20 a month unless you
have a softbank phone in which case
it’s only £3 a month. As I understand
it you can also buy some kind of
device which will enable you to
connect your mobile phone to your
TV and watch as usual. The future
already seems to be here and it
doesn’t look good for the cable tv
companies. Not sure what it means
for the clubs other than more oceans
of cash but it will certainly come I think.
Trev
“I share your bafflement at how this could have happened.”
Really Trev? With all we now know about the Arsenal medical team and the 3 weekers?
Sadly, no matter how tragic Santi’s tale is, the one thing I’m not is baffled.
Trev,
Try to keep it simple. ?
Any post-op wound that doesn’t show good healing (granulation) after 7-10 days within a fit and athletic 30 year old, should ALWAYS raise red flags. The foot is a dirty place operate on and manage post-procedure, so infection risk is invariably higher there. However, anything brewing in the foot and the ankle, should’ve been detectable by several eyes that were there (including by Santi himself), as it’s not usually all that challenging. Common things are common in life, and surgery/medicine is no different to that! Godspeed!
City away. What could possibly go wrong? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>