Champions Elect Swat The Arsenal Aside
Mar 1st, 2018 by 'holic
Arsene Wenger reverted to a back four and as expected relegated Calum Chambers to the bench. Petr Cech returned behind Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, ans Sead Kolasinac. Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka lined up behind Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, and perhaps surprisingly Danny Welbeck. Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang was retained up front.
Those players owed the hardy support who were able to attend a spirited response to their no-show in Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final. Quite why this match was played under the circumstances defied common sense. The threadbare crowd told a tale of the travel chaos facing so many supporters, as well as a degree of disillusionment among the Gooners.
A second minute burst by Aubamayang was thwarted by City’s sweeper-keeper, Ederson, and the custodian came out on top when Ramsey tried to play the ex-Dortmund striker again five minutes later. In the same move Welbeck claimed to have been tripped over in the box by Kompany, but nothing was given.
With twelve minutes gone Ramsey and Ozil combined to present a shooting opportunity for Mkhitaryan but once more Ederson was equal to the effort. However two minutes later Sane exploded into life and laid the ball to Bernardo Silva who sent a curling effort inside Cech’s far post. It was tough on the hosts who had started brightly enough.
The Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City
“This is a real test of Arsenal’s character” said Gary Neville, so critical of the team at Wembley on Sunday. Otamendi saw yellow when blocking Welbeck’s promising break as we sought to respond. Xhaka’s free-kick was saved by the City ‘goalkeeper at the expense of a corner. The overlapping Bellerin found Ramsey on the edge of the box and turned a shot that tested but didn’t beat the busy Ederson.
For all that the Arsenal were playing with a deal more positivity it was City who doubled their advantage when Sane and Aguero linked up to play in David Silva who beat Cech comfortably. You have to applaud the visitors, worthy champions-elect.
The Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City
In the thirty-third minute the match was effectively ended as a contest, and this time it was Sane as scorer rather than provider. The boos rang out from a disgruntled if sparse home support. There were a number of empty seats shown in the directors box. They are happy to let the manager be the lightning rod for the bolts of anger from a toxic crowd.
The Arsenal 0-3 Manchester City
But for Cech it could have been four when Aguero found himself in the clear at point blank range. At the other end Ozil’s effort was blocked for a corner. A friend noted we were having so many chances but not taking them. It really could have been 3-3 at this point. Xhaka tried his luck once more but inevitably Ederson was right behind it.
The half-time whistle brought with it more jeers and I just made out a small chant of “you don’t know what you’re doing” as the team walked off. Perhaps it was being directed at the manager? Whilst understanding the mood surrounding the club at the moment I thought that particular chant more relevent to last Sunday’s performance than tonight. We had run into a very, very good City team playing like us in our pomp over a decade ago.
Six minutes into the second-half Otamendi, already booked, tripped Mkitaryan in the box, avoided a second caution, and presented Aubamayang with his first penalty-kick for the Gunners. It won’t live in the memory long. The outstanding Ederson was equal to the expensive striker’s poor spot-kick. Auba had the chance to make amends but volleyed Ramsey’s clever chip wide of the target.
Champions need a hard core and their defenders were all prepared to leave a little on opponents in equal challenges. It’s one of the things you have to admire in them. We used to have players who did the same. Now the Citizens have a defence well versed in the dark arts. That is an observation, not a criticism. It’s up to the referee to put a stop to it. Mr Marriner showed no inclination to do so.
City made the first substitution and Walker, who had bullied Welbeck throughout the half, made way for Zinchenko. That Wenger hadn’t brought anyone off with Sunday in mind was something of a mystery. We can win that one, maybe. This match had long since flown. Guardiola was barking out instructions to his team while Arsene sat looking more unwell than we have seen for a while. This run is taking it’s toll on a proud man.
Cech’s right hand was big enough to palm another Aguero strike to safety as a quiet second-half petered out. City had far too easily throttled the life out of the game by this point and after an encouraging hour the Gunners looked resigned to their fate. Aguero was spared for City’s weekend fixture and Yaya Toure got a rare outing as a substitute in the snow. The City fans, many of whom are not unfamiliar with white powder, chanted the Toure song loud and proud. Gabriel Jesus was introduced for David Silva.
A quiet but enthusiastic chant of “Eddiie, Eddie” was probably intended to remind the manager that he had a substitutes bench behind him. “One Arsene Wenger” chanted the away end. Half and half offering of respect and derision perhaps? They don’t expect to face him again.
The final whistle yielded the expected additional chorus of boos for manager and team from very few remaining supporters. You can’t deny them that. They made great efforts to get there tonight, and in the second-half were let down badly. These are torrid days to be a Gooner. I have lived through worse though. Devoid of belief this side has to produce something on Sunday.
80 Responses to “Champions Elect Swat The Arsenal Aside”
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Nice write up H. Only thing missing is the continued apathy amongst home supporters as they meekly made their way out of the ground.
Beaten into submission by continued dire performances I suspect.
I’ll just add I know at least 6 that didn’t go tonight, because of the weather and knock on transport issues, – not because they suspected we would be rubbish again.
To think the A4 protesters got given so much grief by the regulars/top fans here and people like Gary Neville. Insulted over and over again for being willing to say in front of everyone what even then was about 4/5 seasons late. Incredible…
Seriously quick report guv.
I seriously don’t see us winning on sunday unless Wenger goes. Because they clearly aren’t going to do it for him.
Fair report Holic. They played well in the first half but we were awful defensively. We didn’t have anything go for us tonight. I can see huge problems with all of the back four . Both full-backs are shot to pieces and Ozil gave us nothing in midfield , his head was down very early on. Welbeck looked poor but I thought Ramsey and Mkhi worked hard and kept going well.
I’m astonished we didn’t sub anyone off with Sunday in mind but Sunday is irrelevant really. All that matters is the Europa League.
As for Wenger we have said everything there is to say. He’s a completely spent force but so much of this is his own making. He needs to be saved from himself .
Dark times indeed thank you Holic for the quick write up needed that!
Thanks for the speedy review, H.
Guess we saw the same game.
City are light years ahead of us in style and quality and it showed.
It was a masterclass in how to beat a lesser team without exerting yourself. They are just so much better.
On to the next one.
UTA
No shame in losing to a quality outfit like City are this season.
We just do not not have the technical quality in our squad to compete.
Confidence is clearly down the Gurgler,a bright first 15 mins,and then put to the sword with brilliant counter attacking play.
Now where i have i seen that before. ??
Given 10 games still to play,entirely possible we will hit the 50 goals conceded column,and will most certainly hit double digits in defeats.
Have we been any worse in pts and differentials after 28 games since the Invincibles season Ned. ??
Painful times to be a Gooner,but as you point out H,you and I and a few other old laggards in the bar have seen a hell of a lot worse.
Let’s pray for sunnier times ahead,but i fear major surgery both off and on the pitch is needed,before the clouds lift over the Ems.
Thanks for the report Guvnor.
As you say we didn’t take our chances
again, they did and we got punished.
A lot of stick for the defence, not
unfairly over the 2 games, but they
conceded goals to a very good attack.
We scored nowt against a so-so
defence in 3 hours.
Another game soon, I want us to
respond despite all the noise. What
we can do now is show some fight in
the league and try to win the ropey
cup so that’s what we should do.
Excellent and swift report Guvna. We need a similar response from the team.
Well beaten by a much better set of players. They looked like we did 15 years ago. Three excellent goals, the last two beautiful teamwork and virtually unstoppable.
It’s difficult to know whether many of our players are truly as average as they have looked recently or whether it’s simply the effect of a total lack of belief.
We do look 30 points worse than the visitors. I fear it’s the effect of years of buying bargains in Poundland. You certainly need squad players and journeymen but you can have too many of them.
As for the boss, you are right H, he does look unwell. He looked low, virtually a broken man at his interview. And his team is a shell.
You should always look to leave at the top of your game. As Keown said on 5-live, he needs someone to tap him on the shoulder and say, “it’s time to go.” He’s like a boxer wanting just one more fight. Sad days.
Indeed bath.
Sad to witness it ending this way. He deserves better.
How on earth can we pick ourselves up and be competitive not just for Sunday but for the Milan game which is only a week away.
Citi were ruthless in the first half and toyed with us in the second, it wasn’t a pleasant watch. I just feel sad at what we have become, a shadow of our former selves, Wengerball but a distant memory.
It must be a joy being a Citi fan, just look at the away section. They came en mass in spite of the transport/ weather problems. I suspect the Club will have trouble shifting tickets for our remaining home games, it’s no fun being a Gooner these days.
Frankly Milan looks like another bridge too far. I think it’s better that we have no expectation that we might win that pot. I would be absolutely astonished if we did and beside myself with delight.
Realistically we need to get to the end of the season and the Wenger era whilst preserving Arsene’s and the club’s dignity.
The Board have to earn their corn between now and the summer.
That game was very reminiscent of our 2-0 win at City a couple of seasons back when Santi mesmerised and dominated the middle of the park almost single-handedly.
They’ve spent a fair few million petrodollars since then and, like PSG in France, are proof perfect that the team with the most money will attract the best players and coaches and win most consistently over the long term.
Their quality is higher in most departments as, most certainly, is their confidence. The Arsenal are playing for pride only in the League and absent any confidence and with rapidly diminishing competence, are not doing that very well.
There’s much for the new manager and his team to do in the close seasons to eradicate the incompetence and build on the existing strengths.
Fortunately, like Holic and Clive, I too have lived through worse and the sun will come out tomorrow. It will remain chilly for some time before its rays bring real warmth however.
(Resists temptation to make ‘amusing’ comment on Brendan Rodgers candidacy as Arsene’s successor).
Good job they stopped trying at half time or that could have been truly embarrassing
City fans not unfamiliar with white powder? This one does sound interesting! Cheers, holic.
three games against city 9-1 score line. Let that sink in for a minute
@13, 14
Hi Delia, Bath
“How on earth can we pick ourselves up and be competitive
not just for Sunday but for the Milan game which is only a
week away.”
“Frankly Milan looks like another bridge too far. ”
Well, we could try sticking the ball in the net, that always
works well for confidence. Apart from that, I expect the players
to remember who they are, how they got to the final, how most
of them won the FA Cup last season and how good they can be.
If it’s a choice between slinking away with our tails between
our legs, looking woebegone, crestfallen and generally hangdog
or standing up and giving it a go, then that’s no choice at all
to me personally. It’s a matter of self-respect and that’s what
we should show.
Milan are not as good as Chelski who we beat over two legs
just recently. We’re good enough to beat them and my
expectations are that we will.
Apologies to you both if you weren’t really expecting replies !
It was just that your posts made me think.
And I do agree big changes are needed, just not that we
should write-off the season when there is still something
to play for.
On the other hand (foot?) there were definite signs of effort today. Both Miki and Rambo had excellent chances to score in the first half but chose to shoot more or less straight at the keeper, and we missed a penalty. That’s three we might have had on a luckier day.
Then again I imagine $iteh had at least 3 more in their locker had they been needed, so the better side was always going to win.
With our top 3 strikers from the past three seasons all departed the club we seem to be struggling to score. Whoda thunk it.
Milan are in a similar form trough to us currently. We probably have the better resources – if they show up. That’s you Mesut, please stop making it so obvious what you’re thinking on days like today.
We have only six more wins than Swansea, and they are in the relegation places. I fear we are headed in the wrong direction.
At the start of the season I said to my work colleagues that I feared relegation could be Wengers final destination and even they non Arsenal fans could not see it happening, I still fear it if Wenger honours his contract, we have become a below average team struggling for confidence and form, lacking guile and class and truly world class players because sorry Mesut is not showing he is for me.
Aubameyang I’m going to give partial credit as it must be tough to come into a team on the way down and inject anything positive into it, his penalty looked like a player completely shorn of all confidence and belief.
As much as I disagreed with Wenger still being the manager as long ago as 2007/2008 I have never wanted him to turn into what he now is, a largely irrelevant historical figure with nothing to add and no way to motivate or inspire anybody.
The younger players no longer see him as an icon who can change careers and make better players, in fact it is constantly referenced now as the worst place to be if you are young as something is so badly wrong that players stagnate and go into decline.
This is reminiscent of how we were after the cup final defeat to Brum. We were abysmal after that game to. Winning once in about 10 games. The one game being Manu at home. Proper relegation form. Considering we’ve been like that way before the final I think there’s even less prospect of an up turn in form.
Well unless he goes.
Chris
Milan are unbeaten in about 12 games their last match being a 2 nil victory away to Roma. There are in much better domestic shape than us.
Taken in isolation, last nights loss wouldn’t be too bad, after all City are a good side and we certainly tried, we were just simply not good enough. Ho hum, I can take that now and again.
It’s all the other piss poor performances and awful turnouts over several seasons now that is the real story teller.
I think it was the tail end of the 2010 season when we were coasting at Wigan away and ended up losing 3-2 that I decided AW’s time was up.
We was a good side in 2008 and should have won the league, if it wasn’t for Taylor and Eduardo I think we might have too.
Has he been sacked yet?
Cheers ‘H.
What Bath said re the board @14; should they decide to surprise many of us and suddenly start to demonstrate that they are in fact fit for purpose, after all.
ewwwwwwwwwwwww to be ahhhhh Goooooooonahhhhhhhhhhh!
Strangely I didn’t think we were even that bad last night, Had as many chances if not more than City, Although I suspect they had far more gears to go up – Has it got so bad that a 3-0 defeat seems acceptable and better than some of what’s gone before :-/
On another note the club/Wenger need to come out and say these are his final games before he departs in the summer – It’s the only way this is going to end on a note he deserves and it may even lead to an upturn in the players performance if they try and send him out on a high. If not this is going to end in Vitriol and Abuse and that’s a terrible end to such great service.
Yes I was just thinking how much we missed Theo last night. Just the man to dig in in a crisis ?????. Theo fans should have watched him at Everton.
I’ve written to Arsenal this morning to protest about the decision to play the game yesterday. Our trains from St.Pancras ended just after the game finished. It was terrible misjudgement. I know a huge number of people who just couldn’t get there,it was effectively £90 down the gurgler.
What if a carload of supporters had been killed on the way to or from the game? For all we know they were. It was a really irresponsible decision . I will relay the club’s reply!
Ps I agree with Chippy. It is the Carragher view. If the players have any gumption they will do all they can to make his departure glorious .
We were booed off last night
so I guess it wasn’t acceptable.
I wonder if I’m the only one
looking forward to the Brighton
and Milan games 🙂
And a shout to Chris – you waited
until the 3rd post before getting
in a dig at Ozil – for masterful
restraint 😉
If the players have any gumption
The major flaw in your plan right there.
And, with the greatest respect,
sorry TTG, but it’ll be a cold day
in hell before I give a toss what
Carragher (or Neville for that
matter) says about anything.
This business about deserved
farewells and legacies baffles me.
AW will always be a manager who
won 3PLs and 7 cups, nothing
will change that. How do we even
know he wouldn’t prefer to be
carried out on his shield? I would.
One small thing to note.
Assuming City still have the proper Mancunian fans they always had, their fans made it to our ground last night.
Ours never turned up.
Weather? Nope.
We’ll win again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when
But I know we’ll win again
Some sunny day
Don’t get too despondent, people. The bookies have us as strongish favourites to get past Milan over two legs. We are also rated a shade of odds-on for Sunday’s trip to Brighton, who are not Man City by any means.
I had a thought last night, not sure why I’ve never thought it before because it’s such an obvious possibility that might explain the extreme reluctance to move Wenger on. Is it simply that he knows too much, knows too many skeletons, could reveal some serious stuff that would make life even more uncomfortable for some than it is now? Has he actually got them over the barrel to the extent that he needs to be completely hopeless not to decide when he quits?
Cynic, there was no public transport to the east and west of the capital. No way could anyone here have got there and back last night.
The Directors’ box was almost empty last night for a home league game against the best team in the country. Why was that? ?
Where the Directors travelling in from the “east and west of the capital” too? ? ? ✈️ ?
Wherever the City fans came from, whether it’s Manchester or elsewhere (even London) they showed up. If we’d been challenging for the top two or three places the ground would have been full.
In other news, PEA has spoken about players “being a bit resigned”, which will go down like a cup of cold sick with El Presidente.
An interesting take on Arsenal’s problem. Pity about the source of the final quote though and the resultant ending.
https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/03/arsenals-problem-french-bureaucracy/
Julian Nagelsmann
In all honesty it’s not the clubs fault the country comes to a standstill because of some snow.
Where I’m from it can -20 and shops are fully stocked and life goes on.
Stadium and pitch was prepared to perfection for the playing team that performed.
As Cynic mentioned above if it was us in the top flight people would turn up, unfortunately it’s not the case as everyone knows it.
“Let them eat cake”! ? ??
Hoffenheim’s Head Coach?! Indeed! ?
In the Guardian article about the potential Bellerin to Juve move, it claims the Arsenal right back has come to question his career direction and that he wants a new challenge. It says he is conscious former colleagues have blossomed since leaving Arsenal, particularly Oxlade-Chamberlain. Another rather sad indictment on where Arsenal are at the moment.
Cynic
I couldn’t possibly have got there last night. Do you turn up for games? If not why not? Citeh fans came on train and tube and there were only 3000 of them after all.
OM
I was just mentioning Carragher because I agreed with what he said on this occasion. The point is this is no longer about Wenger it’s about Arsenal . He has won three titles in 21 years. George Graham won two in 9 years .
Yes he’s done a great deal but he’s harming the club now. At any other top club in the world he would have been released some time ago. Chelsea would have sacked him in 2007!
The point is that most of us in this bar would like him to leave with due respect and recognition . That was what Carragher was saying. The club is in a terrible state and Wenger has lost his powers. He hasn’t got a job for life and just because he turned down lots of great offers at his zenith he can’t hold that over us now. No big club would hire him now or if they did I’d be seriously surprised. Yes he’s been exceptionally loyal but so have Arsenal to him.
The way forward is to try to salvage this season ( very difficult but not impossible) and start with a clean slate at the start of the close season. An announcement now would add clarity and allow Football to pay homage to Wenger.
With a World Cup coming up it will be hard to recruit players early so we will need a new coach in asap and make plans as early as we can.
he’s so lost it, he forgot u can make substitutions during a game of association football, just sat there, forgot he could save some guys for the tricky trip to the south coast with the cause last night lost, or is he playing the cup team sunbday ? very very sad but very very inevitable
With a much better effort we got the same result, Sunday City wasn’t at there best and done us 3-0, that for the most part was down to just how bad we were. Better performance yesterday but City just upped a gear and disposed of us like swatting a fly and then toyed with us in the second half.
AW spent more of the game sitting down far more than I have seen in ages, Im sure that was due to what could he do ? The players played better but still lost 3-0 and if City were inclined could of made the score line much worse if they so choose to in the 2nd half but the damage was done and why rub salt in the wounds.
Pep speaks very highly of AW and so he should, so to see his team in virtual cruise control in the 2nd half wasn’t a shock. Reminded me of Germany Vs Brazil but not to the same level but you probably understand what I mean.
Its a very sad state of affairs that THE ARSENAL are in such decline, 30 point behind the leaders and 10 behind even 4th. The gulf in class has just got even wider and with no signs of it shrinking.
Its been allowed to happen and every fan has seen it coming yet the man in charge hasn’t. So what defense does he have ?
The media has question why so many empty seats and the reason is 2 fold, one have a look out the window and two the fans don’t get £100,000 a week to turn up.
Sad days ahead, very sad.
“Football is 30% tactics and 70% social competence.” ?
TTG@49 As another ST holder who was snowed in last night, and as a result had to endure the Sky commentators and pundits, I too was impressed with the discussion by an unsurprisingly emotionally-involved TH14 and a surprisingly respectful Carragher.
There was also an interesting article in yesterday’s Torygraph on Wenger after Arsenal.
The man has earned respect, despite his failings. His time at Arsenal clearly has to end soon. I would be astonished if we won the Europy League but whether we do or not, he should make an honourable departure this summer.
As I’ve observed before, it’s important to know when to leave the party, preferably of your own accord and at the top of your game. The latter isn’t now possible but he can still make it his decision.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/02/arsenal-hector-bellerin-juventus-new-challenge
—
🙁
Correction: “30% of coaching is tactics, 70% is social competence.”
Another defeat met with resigned apathy by myself. Never been this way before….Purely from a football point of view City do play some great stuff. Reminds me of of us 15 or so years ago !
Spot on Bath @ 53
It was a very good discussion with Henry and Carragher. I can’t sign up to the view that because someone is strongly associated with another club we reject their opinions. I’d rather listen to Carragher than Paul Merson or Stewart Robson . Henry and any of Wenger’s players like Ian Wright are clearly torn between loyalty to their gaffer and their duty as pundits. I thought Carragher’s views were extremely respectful and shrewd.
But the Wenger interview was really sad. He is a broken man, his mantra appears to be ‘ I’ve done it before I can do it again’. Manifestly, he can’t
City’s 2nd goal sums up the Invisibles’ era: too slow, zero tackling, on a bamboozled press. Bayern was the foreshadow; chickens now roost.
The invisibles … that’s quite cute – hats orf.
https://youtu.be/D0bZofM6EOU
Clive@9: You are right. It has never been this bad since the Invincibles. And, yes, us old lags have seen worse.
After 28 games:
Season Leaders Arsenal Points difference Goals conceded
2017-18 75 45 30 39
2016-17 69 51 18 36
2015-16 57 51 6 28
2014-15 63 54 9 30
2013-14 63 59 4 28
2012-13 71 47 24 32
2011-12 70 52 18 39
2010-11 63 58 5 29
2009-10 66 64 2 33
2008-09 65 49 16 26
2007-08 65 65 0 21
2006-07 69 49 20 22
2005-05 72 44 28 22
2004-05 68 58 10 32
2003-04 70 70 0 18
In 2005-06, when we had fewer points after 28 games than this season, we still end up fourth.
Was that a passing straw I was clutching at?
At this level, the margin between winning and losing is small. Our team is not that bad technically, and the gap with squads higher in the table is not that great but it is sufficient, when compounded with the absence of confidence, to put us where we are.
It’s not a lack of confidence, it has been going on too long, with too many players, for it to be that.
It’s a lack of basic bottle and coaching IMO and an ingrained attitude of complacency from top to bottom at the club.
TTG – Not criticising the fans for staying away just saying that using the weather as an excuse (and I don’t mean by those who didn’t go, I mean by those explaining the low crowd) is what I think is poor.
I’m certain that if that game had been us challenging them for top spot, even if we were a few points behind or maybe third, that crowd would have been much bigger.
Almost capacity
Cynic
I appreciate your point but there is no way that that crowd could have been more than 45,000 last night simply because trains weren’t running. I feel robbed of £90 because I couldn’t get there and had no time to sell the ticket. .
I’m not sure where you live but as Holic pointed out it was a nightmare travelling in the South- East, the South- West , from the West and from the East. Nowadays with less fans in London the demographic of fans is more diverse. I’m amazed how many fly from Belfast and Dublin for games. Last night was a very stupid time to have played such an important game
We had a decidedly better squad in 2005-6 Ned, including: Lehman, Campbell, Cole, Toure, Lauren, Gilberto, Fabregas, Ljungberg, Pires, Bergkamp and Henry … plus van Persie, Hleb, Reyes, Walcott, Song, Diaby, Flamini, Clichy and Adebayor to choose from for the bench.
And if things got really desperate we even had a TGSTEL!
Did nobody watch the news yesterday about what happened to people who attempted to travel on Thursday night? Particularly out west. Cars stranded in blizards overnight at Newbury, Hungerford, Chiseldon, Wanborough, all routes to Salisbury. They had to deploy the Army to help people stuck on the main route to the south west, the A303. No trains because all lines were blocked by broken down trains, no coaches because routes were impassable. Don’t tell me we could have got there if it was a big match. It was a big match and my seat remained empty.
Holic
Well said.
We had exactly this problem here. We were told only to travel in an emergency. A televised football match doesn’t constitute an emergency. We couldn’t have got home from the match because all trains stopped by 10pm.
It’s ridiculous to point at the crowd as a sign of supporter disloyalty .The club have effectively pocketed about £2million from fans who would have liked to have gone but just couldn’t get there.
I’m really disappointed that such an irresponsible decision was taken in such a potentially dangerous situation.
I still await a reply from the club.
Absolutely, Holic. Transport nightmare on Thursday, my local operator threw in the towel in advance and that made my decision for me. In any case, the last thing these sprightly young bones and sinews of mine need is an unplanned slalom down the icy steps of Emirates Stadium on a dark Thursday night.
Despite the whines of many, and their inclination to pick up any old piece of shit to bash the Arsenal with, football spectating is supposed to be a leisure activity done for fun, not something you do do get a boy scouts badge for meritorious attendance under grossly arduous weather conditions. Include me out on nights like that.
Funny to see continuation today of the acres of typeface, digital and inky, using the Carabao Cup as the pinnacle of the focus for the current ‘Wenger-induced apocalypse’. What a yawn. Carabao will be delighted however to see their cup elevated to such a level of prominence. The very same contributors demoted both FA Cup and Community Shield to the “not really worth winning” category each time Arsenal won them three times each in six fun-filled visits to Wembley in the last four years.
Good old Carabao. Good old objective press commentary. What is a Carabao anyway? I’m sure Brendan Rodgers knows. He’ll probably bring one down from Parkhead when he arrives at the end of the season. 🙂
TTG, the Club are probably still awaiting their reply from SKY. SKY have apparently prioritised communications with Comcast above Premier League teams.
Holic, TTG, BtM,
all spot on.
My ST is out on loan this season, precisely because, as BtM said, football supporting is supposed, above all, to be fun and in all honesty there was not much of that left last season for a number of reasons.
Had I been in possession of my ST on Thursday night, it too would have remained at home with me. There were no trains running in any event, but it would have been a totally stupid decision to try and travel from the point of view of my own safety, my family and the emergency services.
I have missed three home games in the ten years since the Emirates opened (orior to this season). The last one was against Stoke in 2011, also because of snow.
The difference ? It was a Saturday 3.00pm kick off, so Sky had no plans to televise it live to a global audience.
In such circumstances it is permissable to consider the safety of the fans.
Trev,
the 11.30 pm returns home, in bleak mid-winter, on whatever night of the week Sky dictates, in the rain, have taken a lot of the shine of things. These haven’t been counterbalanced by a core repertoire of Saturday 3 PM kick-offs, because Sky have dictated that Arsenal should play the majority of home weekend games at 12.30, 4.30 or 5.30 PM on Saturday or Sunday depending on your luck.
Meanwhile, most of the squad are driving home in Lambos, Ferraris and Bentleys. So there is that. I suppose I should be pleased for them.
BtM,
you should be pleased for them indeed.
The trains on my line are a nightmare – no crews, half-length – cattle would complain at the conditions. An 11.30pm return home would have been quite the luxury last season – many times I arrived at 12.00 midnight or after, and I only have to get to Welwyn Garden City, theoretically a 35-40 minute all stops journey from Finsbury Park.
I have arrived at the station in WGC to find “no service due to signalling problems” – having already bought my ticket the day before – and had to quickly divert and drive to Cockfosters and get the underground service. One of those occasions was the Champions League match against Bayern Munich, so you can guess the stress levels trying to get there on time.
So yes, it was good to see the players filing off their luxury coach inside the stadium, with only their bluetooth stereo headphones for entertainment on the arduous journey from the training centre.
And having made the journey don’t you dare (* note to BtM) upset the visiting fans by wearing your colours in their vicinity. ????
57 ttg
Ian Wright has zero loyalty to Wenger or the club. Same goes for Merson Robson too.
If anything Wright seems to have a real issue with his former manager.
The papers are full of supposed player unrest at Wenger. Which to me smacks of players and their entourage eager to try and shift all blame off themselves and their precious egos.
Which is pretty pathetic. Sure Wenger should carry the can but the players have played a not too insignificant part as well.
Dexter
Let me point you to the article in last week’s Sunday Times. It made me revise my opinion of Wrighty . David Walsh who wrote it is no patsy. Wrighty speaks of his relationship with Wenger and it was very moving and contradicts your view of him. I tend to think it is very authentic. I think it genuinely pains him to criticise Wenger.
Merson who is a fuckwit and Robson who is a slimy git are in a different category. Wright squeezed every drop of ability out of his body. Merson who had huge ability although massively one- footed did the opposite. He pissed, snorted and gambled his career at Arsenal away and was a massive problem for both Graham and Rioch . He has no moral high ground from which to criticise the professional attitude of this group of players.
Robson is a loathsome character who has put the knife into Wenger fir years. I think it might lie in the fact he expected a position on the coaching staff. Sadly I think he does know a lot about the tactical side of football.
I agree that the players bear a lot of responsibility but the Hytner article in the Guardian ( which I understand is well sourced) tells us of Koscielny breaking down in a meeting arranged by the players who felt they weren’t going to get coaching help from the management. What an indictment if true?
Did anyone watch Oxlade today? He was so composed, excellent all round, constantly looking for the ball, driving forward, keeping it simple when needed and bossed the midfield.
He’s played his way to these performances over the season, showing great performances consistently over the past few games and this is the result of competent coaching gradually improving a player who most here were glad to get rid of and thought belonged in mid table somewhere and wasn’t worthy of putting on our shirt.
When last did Wenger develop and really realize a young player’s potential? A lot of people are blaming the players and talking about confidence. Well they bear some of the blame for their lack of effort but having played under a few coaches myself you could have all the ability and desire in the world but the manager’s instructions, tactics and coaching dictate most of what happens on the pitch. There’s no escaping from any coaching deficiencies when you have to face another team that’s executing their own plan.
TTG – It should be no surprise that the players don’t get help, as Wenger himself said years ago that he lets the players work out where things are going wrong.
When you have the likes of Adams, Dixon, Winterburn, Seaman, Bould, Sol Campbell, Pires, Henry and Bergkamp, with other less notable names oin the mix as well who were all strong characters, that kind of approach can work.
We still didn’t win anywhere enough with those players however and perhaps with a proper coach they might have done back to back titles at least. I know we had the Invincibles season but a lot of luck went into that, as well as far too many draws but that’s another story….
I think, and have thought and said so for far too long, that Arsene Wenger is both the luckiest manager we’ve ever had, in terms of what he inherited, and also (in my opinion) by far the most over rated.
I know that won’t be popular but three titles in 21 years is a joke record, if you look at it objectively, and the complete lack of anything resembling a coherent setup on the pitch demonstrates clearly his lack of ability as a coach IMO.
I was watching Liverpool earlier and they have perhaps two players who are better than anything we have, technically. They have a collection of mediocre players otherwise, but they do look like a team.
A quite average one most of the time, but a team nonetheless. I can’t stand Klopp but he appears to be able to set a team up and coach it.
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I’m a reformed character, Trev, having sent some time in rehabilitation under the tutelage of Steve T (where I had to buy my own drinks of course).
“Merson who is a fuckwit and Robson who is a slimy git” TTG at his articulate best there and I can disagree with neither assessment.
No, Frank. But I did see him score the winner at Wembley when we sunk Chel$ki once again and Arsene did that number on the Social Needs One. Ox looked pretty well coached then. Great day out. Injuries and brain fades diminished many of his subsequent contributions. I hope he’ll manage to shake both off. I’m grateful to him for the £40M he contributed to Auba’s purchase.
TTG
Thanks the reply. I haven’t seen the Wright article you refer to. It would be a massive shock to me if he was genuinely fond or loyal to Wenger as he has seemingly jumped at any opportunity to stick the boot in.