Gunners Misfire Away Yet Again
Apr 15th, 2018 by 'holic
Arsene Wenger made six changes in the wake of the Europa League match in Moscow for the trip to Newcastle. Petr Cech started behind a back four of Calum Chambers, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, and Nacho Monreal. Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka provided the shield behind Alex Iwobi, Premier League debutant Joe Willock, and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang, with Alexandre Lacazette retained up front.
The hosts, winners of their last three home games without conceding a goal, started brightly, but Lacazettte it was who got the first opportunity in the fifth minute and he screwed his effort wide of the target. At the other end Brazilian Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea, got the first attempt on target and drew a save from Cech.
The same player then avoided punishment for an over the top studs up challenge on Lacazette’s shin. That simply made the striker angry and moments later when Aubamayang was picked out by Mustafi and crossed from the left-hand side Lacazette applied the finish at full stretch. It was wonderful to see two of Europe’s prized strikers combining in their first start together.
Newcastle United 0-1 The Arsenal
We were denied a penalty in our next attack when Aubamayang’s fierce drive appeared to deflect off Lascelle’s arm. Only a corner was awarded by our old ‘friend’, Anthony Taylor. The Gunners were taking over this phase of play, and Iwobi forced Dubravka into a save having created the space for a toe poke.
Newcastle were lifted when Shelvey found Gayle with a long ball from his own half but Mustfi denied the striker with with a superbly timed challenge. Shelvey repeated the long ball, Gayle laid it off to the right flank, Yedlin fizzed in a cross, and Perez flicked it inside Cech’s near post. Against the run of play the Geordies were level.
Newcastle United 1-1 The Arsenal
Aubamayang was the next victim of a raking challenge on his right angle but we were unable to make anything of the resulting free-kick. When Lascelles clattered Iwobi on the edge of the box Xhaka put Monreal in at the far post. The full-back headed across the face of the goal and Chambers, arriving at speed, couldn’t quite convert the opportunity. Lacazette broke with Willock and Aubamayang, but the pass to Willock found the young debutant unable to sort his feet out to finish a great opportunity.
There were no half-time changes by either side and the Arsenal engineered the first opening but Iwobi handled Monreal’s cross beyond the far post and the status quo was preserved. A rapid break by Perez highlighted the threat that the hosts still posed but Xhaka intervened and Cech was able to pick up the loose ball. When Shelvey played him in again it was Mustafi who stopped Perez in his tracks in the right-back position.
Ritchie’s agricultural challenge on Monreal on the hour mark brought the home crowd to life. On-loan Slimani replaced Gayle for the final third of the match. The striker’s welcome was a body check by Mustafi which could have been the first yellow card of a physical encounter. The impressive Iwobi found himself in a shooting position again but he tugged his attempt wide of Dubravka’s near post.
The Arsenal made their first substitution with Danny Welbeck coming on for Willock. Then moments later the Gunners back four was drawn to the right side, Slimani’s header teed up the unmarked Ritchie at the far post and he chipped the already diving Cech. The goalkeeper should perhaps have stood tall for longer and it would have been a comfortable save. Somehow we were in danger of losing yet another away Premier League match.
Newcastle United 2-1 The Arsenal
Two nearly became three when Kenedy’s effort was deflected by Mustafi onto the frame of the goal. Then Slimani set up Perez who fired into the side-netting. That prompted a second substitution by both teams, Joselu for Perez and Ainsley Maitland-Niles replacing Chambers. Maitland-Niles first action saw him impressively win a foot race with the fleet-footed and powerful Slimani.
As we moved into the final ten minutes Xhaka’s poor corner was cleared only a star as Elneny, but his long range effort sailed way over the bar. From the tightest of angles Lacazette fired into the side-netting. Cue the last substitutions, Murphy for Ritchie and Eddie N’Ketiah for the excellent Iwobi. Slimani finally drew Mister Taylor’s first yellow card for kicking the ball away to delay the taking of a throw-in.
It’s not hard to be overly critical of a team that can’t buy a league point away from home right now. The goalkeeper and defence are putting the strike force under some pressure to deliver and we know that is an area we have to address in the summer. How 71 percent possession doesn’t convert into points is astonishing. I’ve watched this film before.
91 Responses to “Gunners Misfire Away Yet Again”
Boo! Gerroff!
Jardim or Ancelotti will have their work cut out sorting the defence out.
That was double quick, ‘H.
Been there, done that and so on.
Cheers H. Nice report (although if you’ve watched this film before I must have read this review before).
Iwobi was very good. He is looking better again. He just needs a couple of goals now.
I quite like Benitez. Keeping Newcastle up and helping send Stoke down is not the end of the world. We are showing quite an altruistic streak.
some cheeky people here
and there
very cheeky
i am a broken man
@150 from previous
I haven’t the foggiest myself!
anyhoo
must go
cos it’s sure to begin
*set sheepskin coats to dull*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dvWwUT-mfc
I didn’t see the game but am not surprised by the result given the facts that we were playing away against an in-form team, had several first-teamers injured or rested, had played a hard game in Moscow on Thursday night and then travelled back Friday morning. No doubt, no allowances will be made by the media, pundits ex-players and some of our whinging so-called fans. I’m pleased to see Iwobi had a good game. Hopefully, we can still finish in the top six and win the Europa Cup. Even if we don’t, I remain very optimistic for next season.
Stu @8.
You are right to point out the circumstances. However, the result was not down to those things. It was down to us defending badly as usual. Back in the day we would have scored first and not conceded. Now the pressure is on the attack to score three or four every game as conceding two is something we can do against anyone.
I’m not optimistic or pessimistic for next season. If we buy some good defenders and defensively minded midfielders we’ll look a good outfit. If we don’t, we won’t. And I’ve got no bloody idea whether that will happen…
CBA
You are a broken but rich man! I hope you spent your winnings wisely. I spent mine on sex and alcohol but wasted the rest ?
As for the game the defensive woes are a feature of our season. We are probably close to the worst team away from home in the league at present. A previous Graham or Wenger side would have built on the platform of our lead , instead we tossed the lead away and you know when it’s tight this defence will snap like a twig.
Mustafi is unreliable because he always has a mistake in him. Cech is a very error- prone keeper. Nacho has been great this season but is looking jaded. Holding needs to play with better, vocal defenders around him. I thought he and Chambers did ok and I was delighted to see Willock start.
I hope Gazidis, Kroenke ( senior and junior) and Keswick do not let progress in the Europa, even if we win it, blind them to big lessons from the league programme. This side has lost a third of its games and can only win at home , our defence is terrifying to watch and the team always appears on the brink of a meltdown. Dexter points out that Jardim or Ancelotti will struggle to sort the defence out but a good coach has a great opportunity to make a mark in defence. Rafa Benitez would do a decent job with this team but would need some better defensive players. Finishing below Burnley is a possibility but it is very unlikely to affect a place in the Europa League- and it may make the penny drop for a very passive board.
I think Holding could be a very good CB. Same applies to Chambers.
We need about 6 players in the summer and to ship out about the same number.
TTG
I’m sure who ever comes in knows they’ll need to buy as well as try and coach some defensive nous into the ones that remain.
Wengers legacy may well be that mythical mid table mediocrity the more extreme sensationalist blogs have been spouting for years.
@11.
With Ozil, Mhkitaryan, Aubaumeyang, Ramsey and Lacazette I’d be amazed if we finished below 6th next year. How much higher depends on the defensive stuff. It’s not like we are a million miles away. Or like the problems are hard to see.
I prefer Holding to Chambers. And I agree they are both potentially a lot better than what we have seen so far.
Thanks for the quick report
guvnor, last week we got away
with it and this week we didn’t
I suppose.
thunder T
bit giggly talkin to you
.
always loved you man
japanface
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!
treating everyone to a wee something nice each
not much but blaaa yeah you know
i’m over the fuckin moon fella
?
Zippy report there Guvna. Depressingly familiar.
Neverteless we did look good early on with BamBam racing down the left flank like a neo-Henry several times before and after his assist for a lovely strike by Laca.
However good as we looked at the beginning we came to look awful at the end, between which we defended in a manner that would embarrass the Keystone Cops Fifth 11.
It’s time that we had someone in the club who knows how to organise a defence. I don’t really care how we do it and who has to be sacked, we need that man.
With a decent defence and the creative talent and striking talent we now possess, we might be a decent team again.
Footnote: Iwobi showed more strength and determination in this match than I’ve seen from him before and Melneny ran until he dropped. Holding has a future at the club. Not sure about the rest of the back 5.
Quick of the mark, and sharp to a point, Guv’nor. Not a word to disagree with. I thought a makeshift team put in a shift and fought hard, but were outfought on the day. Nonetheless, a rock solid defense would have stopped both the goals conceded. Perez would not have been able to get off a clean shot for the first, and the second ball from Monreal’s initial headed clearance would have been at least contested breaking up the second phase that brought the second goal. These are things we must tighten up on. I agree with those who praised Iwobi, Holding and Chambers. Iwobi’s break from the first team has done him some good. Most of all we missed Ozil and Mkhitaryan to feed Aubameyang and Lacazette. We are the only Premier League team not to have won an away point this year, and we are on track for our smallest total of away points of any Premier League season.
Man Utd’s loss to West Bromwich ? puts our result into perspective., anyone can lose but at least we have our excuse that it was not our best team that played today.
GSD- I’m sure you’re right, and I’m not, about the manner of our loss, especially as I didn’t even see the game. I just wanted to nip the stream of negativity in the bud.
I really can’t explain our awful away form, although I think this game was different, given the special circumstances mentioned before. Over the last few years, even without playing particular well, I think we have always won at least nine away games. Part of my optimism comes from hoping this season has been a one-off, and with some purchases things can only get better!! We know Mertesacker is packing up, Jack will probably leave and I think Kolasinac will go too. I can’t see the club selling a centre-back they paid £35 million for, so I think we will stick with him. I think we will try to bring in a big centre-back, a proper younger left back and two central midfielders, who can play with real energy and are mobile, unlike Jack, I’m afraid. I would really like to see what Mavrapanos is like too.
Having said all that, I struggle to name many decent defenders in England or Europe.
One other thing I’ve noticed recently:- Iwobi has really bulked up. He’s obviously been hard at work in the gym.
That was abject. Mustafi and Chambers in particular were dreadful and I have just about given up on the manager now….
On a brighter note the Ladies are into the Women’s FA cup final and I am looking forward to taking my daughter to her first big day out at Wembley. Probably more so than watching our remaining mens league games. The Europa games are all we have to look forward to until August.
On another bright note…Mourinho’s face just now !
NDR @22
I disagree about Chambers. He had a mixed bag- I’m not arguing that he was uniformly excellent. However, he did a lot of good things, and I saw a lot more good than bad from him. And I’d much rather work with him and replace Mustafi than the other way round.
Stu- I’m with you that I expect our away form this season to prove anomalous. Next season I think will be a totally clean slate.
Man City are a ‘financially doped’ club. They exemplify everything that is possible when unregulated money is allowed to flood into sports. The playing field is not remotely level, and, due to the inactivity of the regulatory bodies at the time they still had the power to make effective legislation to control the influence of billionaires who wanted to use football as a plaything, it never will be again.
However, the playing and coaching staff of Man City are not responsible for this situation. What they are responsible for is how they played football this season. And they totally nailed it.
Well played Man City. They have proved the best side by a long way. It’s been a while since a club were so dominant. They deserve their plaudits and their successes.
He’s faster than most!
I think that I too have seen the movie several times too often this season, Holic. X-Certificate stuff pretty much every time I’ve watched it; although there was more quality and endeavour on display than in many of the previous debacles we’ve endured this season.
GSD is very much on 10/10 form today and I agree with most of the comments he’s made here and in the prior drinks during the match. There is much to be positive about when The Arsenal are going forward. There is more than there has been for many years to be negative about when the team is being attacked.
CBA
I feel the same way too…….?❤️? ( hides coquettishly behind fan) .
Anyway enough of bromance .
Some very good, constructive posts here. Citeh had a poor season last season and have stormed it this time. I don’t feel great admiration for them because they’ve been given an obscene amount of money and have spent it well …but they are still some way away from winning the CL .
I actually feel the most admiration for Liverpool at present . I like the way they play , I think they have the most exciting approach and while they have invested a large amount of cash they’ve sold well to generate cash.
As for us, while I admired the restraint and good sense in Devon Stu’s plea yesterday to retain Wenger for another year, this could really hurt the club, hold back young players, cause our current big stars to stagnate and increase the apathy at The Grove to unprecedented levels. The club is crying out for change more than any other club I can name in the PL next season. If Wenger continues I think we might really struggle to finish as high as we will this season and we won’t effectively contest the PL at all. He will get to the end of his contract next year with the club mired in mediocrity and light years away from the leading lights in English football. That would be a very unfair reflection on his time at tye club but is a danger when someone’s ability declines as rapidly as Arsene’s has. I want to remember him warmly not with a sense of resentment .
Nice report H. Due to family commitments I’ve not seen or heard of any of the game. I may delete the recording and rely on the highlights later.
As Ned pointed out above, we have not taken one away point in 2018. We are the only side out of all four divisions with that achievement. Our defence is woeful. We lack players with any degree of fight. Most of all, we lack leaders. There is no leadership on the pitch. This is not a new situation. This is something that has been wrong for several years now.
GSD@25. You are spot on about Citeh being financially doped. However, none of that accounts for the money we have totally and utterly wasted over several seasons. Mismanagement at the highest level.
Next season? Next season will only have half a chance of being a success if we bring in a whole new defence and a holing midfield player of real quality. The fact that there are some in the bar hoping that we can still finish in the top 6 tells you exactly where we currently sit.
Our season hinges on the Europa Cup. That is achievable but an incredibly tough task. We will need everyone fit and firing. A failure against Madrid could leave even more seats at The Grove empty.
Bring on MOTD.
“We didn’t put our chances to bed and made unbelievable mistakes,” Wenger told Match of the Day.
If he thinks they’re “unbelievable” he hasn’t been watching his own team for about the last ten years.
TTG. I agree with almost everything you say but I must admit, I disagree re Citeh. Several clubs have had ridiculous sums of money. It’s why the game is as it is now. Citeh have been a joy to watch and have played some breathtaking football. The one thing both Pep and Klopp have done is that develop players. At the start of the season there was talk of Sanchez going to Citeh and Stirling bring part of the deal. There were many here so against that due to Stirling being dreadful? He doesn’t seem to have had a bad season?
I would have happily taken either Klopp or Pep as a successor to Arsene. Whoever takes over now will have some massive rebuilding to do.
City aren’t THAT financially doped by the way, they only spent £25m more per season than Man Utd over the last five years, and you £25m buys you shit thesedays.
You know which club has really belted it out of the park though?
Tottenham.
They have massively improved (whilst still being complete coonts obviously) on a net spend of £410 000 a year in the same period. Yes, that’s correct. They have spent less than half a million pounds a year, year on year, in the last five.
They am become us.
I’d like Arsene to leave at the end of the season. Having won the Europa League.
However, I really struggle to see this viewpoint that we are close to mid-table if he stays. Burnley are the only club anywhere near to us in the 6th/7th position at the moment. Then there is a large gap to the other clubs. We are nowhere near falling through this gap. We have had an away season which all statistical analysis says is hugely unlikely and almost impossible to repeat for two seasons in a row. Even with Wenger at the helm I’d expect to finish at least 6th next year.
Would that be good enough to accept before a ball has been kicked? No.
Could we do better? Yes.
Is Arsene the best man to take us forwards? I do not believe so.
But I just cannot see all the dooming about how he is going to lead us into mid-table obscurity to be anywhere near realistic. If anything it puts me more in Arsene’s corner. I don’t mind fair criticism (he’s bloody well earned it!). But predicting the future as being more bleak than I can see any logical argument for just gives me more enthusiasm to see him stick out another year, finish 3rd (maybe win a cup, or do well in the Champions League!) and leave us on the up.
I can also see a huge amount of emotion to do with Arsene which gives people a lot of reason to subscribe to this ‘mid table obscurity’ line. People are so pissed off they will buy and sell any line to get others to agree Arsene’s time is up. Logic and experience have been kicked out the window. Welcome to the Internet.
Doom mongering is not necessary when the club faces the issues it does. There are enough real sticks to beat Arsene with. I just get pissed off when I see people ignoring all the real, corporeal branches lying all over the place and instead inventing really huge, gigantic, thorny, (imaginary!) ones to hit him with.
Why? Why people, why?
How bad would it be to accept that a 6th place finish is likely under Arsene next year AND that that is not what we want? And to do so without resorting to intellingence-insulting Chicken Licken style melodrama?
I mean seriously… which clubs are going to beat us over 38 games next year. I want a list.
Right now I’ve got five on mine. That is enough of a catalyst for change as far as I’m concerned.
I mean seriously… which clubs are going to beat us over 38 games next year. I want a list.
Well all of the top five, probably twice each, based on our recent appalling record against the top teams, then you can add any number of teams to them.
Any team that gets after us, if we don;t get a proper manager who knows how to set a team up.
On Thursday we had the perfect illustration of how lacking he is on that score, when we briefly went down to ten men with Ramsey injured. The players were looking at the bench to get some sort of idea of how to set up, and he just sat there so they had to try to work it out for themselves.
He’s always been like that, but this bunch aren’t good enough to do what his teams of past have been able to do, which is to work it all out with no coaching.
GSD,
Very good post.
My concern is that since the start of the year we’ve lost at;
Bournemouth
Swansea
Brighton
Newcastle
Forest in the Cup
These are very average sides.
Earlier in the season we lost at Stoke and Watford. We drew over the holiday period with West Brom and have yet to play Huddersfield .
At home we’ve only lost in the League to United and Citeh. Our away form MAY improve but what if our home form gets worse? It might happen and as I think we are on a downward spiral , getting further away from the top I believe we might be at risk.
Having said that I can’t see too many below us who I believe will take our place but I believe we will move further behind the top teams
You can effectively divide the league into three sections. You have the top 6 or 7. There are those constantly embroiled in mid table mediocrity and the final group who will always be in a relegation dogfight.
We are well and truly bottom of that group of top 6. With 5 games to go we are 13 points short of 4th with a large gulf in goal difference.
We are 33 points adrift of the champions.
As each year goes by the gaps just get bigger and bigger. It needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed now.
24 – yes : at least chambers can change. mustafi however…
City have been the best team by miles this season and thoroughly deserve to win the league However, they have bought it with a squad costing more than £700 million. They can spend far more on purchases and wages than any other team, even Man U. The level playing field went the day Abramovitch arrived and then got doubly worse when City got bankrolled. Be prepared for the same scenario for years to come.
I totally disagree that our purchases have been poor value for money. Of the current squad, I would say the following were good purchases:- Cech, Ospina, Chambers, Holding, Monreal, Kos, Xhaka, Ramsey, Elneny, Ozil, Laca, Auba, and Welbeck. Mkhit and Kolasinac cost nothing. Some of the above were indeed outstanding purchases. The only one that bothers me is Mustafi. I thought he might have suffered from first-seasonitis last year but might have improved this year. Unfortunately he hasn’t. I’m not sure why, because at times I can see a very good player in him.
Mustafi is puzzling. At times he is every bit the German international centre-half, strong in the air and making critical tackles; then at others, he looks gormless, like when he let Perez get in front of him to score the first goal today, or had the breakdown in communication with Cech in Moscow that also gave away a goal. And I know that TTG, who sees him live, has concerns about his positioning. Are these consistent errors a fatal flaw, lapses in concentration or something that can be coached out of him?
Our major purchases in the last five years.
13/14. Sanogo, Flamini, Ozil, Ajayi, Macey
14/15. Sánchez, Debuchy, Ospina, Chambers, Welbeck, Bielik, Paulista.
15/16. Cech, Elneny.
16/17. Xhaka, Holding, Pérez, Mustafi.
17/18. Kolasinac, Lacazette, Mkhitaryan, Aubamaying, Mavrapanos.
None of the above included the numerous next best things who spend years and years out on loan, never to be seen again.
I think our purchases for this season have been good. The other years have been average at best in my opinion. A lot of players bought just have not been good enough.
I don’t see how we can moan at the “financially doped” when we have just made several poor purchases.
Cynic @ 33
You quote me as asking what teams will beat us OVER 38 GAMES. Then you offer a list of teams you think will beat us in individual games. I won’t argue any of them, first because you may well be right but secondly (and far more relevantly) because that was not the point I was making. You have a great line in not answering what people actually post about and instead answering a similar or related question which better suits your agenda. And I don’t pipe up about it, no matter how often I see it. It’s not a debating club and life’s too short. And I agree with the validity of your points (without necessarily agreeing!) even if not the way you , on occasion, introduce them.
On this occasion, I will simply observe that I do not see your post addressing any of the points THAT I ACTUALLY MADE in my @32.
I think the problem with Mustafi whose form was sufficient before we signed him to gain a place in the German team and for us to shell out £35m for him, is the same as has occurred for other competent CBs who have preceded him at Arsenal in the years since we last had a proper screening midfielder (Gilberto).
They have ended up confused and demoralised and been pilloried for errors which often result from a lack of midfield cover or systematic defending. Gabriel, Squillacci, Cygan, Vermaelen, Djourou, Senderos all appeared capable of excellent performances at times but were prone to the same kind of erratic individual errors that we now associate with Mustafi and Chambers (and previously associated with Koscielny). I know none have left to go on to great things but that may be due to the effect of their Arsenal experience on their confidence. Several had been highly regarded before we ‘worked our magic on them’.
Do we have a strange susceptiblity to signing such erratic individuals or is it perhaps something to do with the environment and/or system they find themselves in?
TTG @ 34
Absolutely. I agree. I think we are moving away from the top six, without any real danger of dropping into the second tier that Steve identifies @35. Which I think is quite enough cause for concern without hearing that we’ll be finishing in the bottom half of the table any time soon.
Steve @35.
I’d say that is both an accurate and a succinct assessment.
TTG
Away from the woeful first team effort on Tyneside,and the tedious introspection that has ensued,
Good news for the under 23’s,as Leicester lost yesterday,and we only have to win our last match away at West Ham to win the Title regardless of other results.
Great win for the Ladies,that’s 4 out of 4 wins with just the Youth Cup semi tomorrow to make it a 5 timer.
On a separate note,
it is the 29th anniversary today of the Hillsborough tragedy,and listening to some of the family members,parents/siblings etc,who lost loved ones in the tragedy,it is clear how they are still mourned deeply after all these years.
Many have never been to a football match since that terrible day,others plainly still utterly bereft at their loss.
Adored Husbands,idolized Fathers,beloved Mothers, and children on the cusp of adult life,was the common theme in the stories of loss.
They say time is a great healer,but listening to the heartbroken today,that has yet to happen 29 mourning years later..
Bath @41
You may well be right. If it is our coaching that has screwed him up then fair enough. Regardless of what caused his issues I would happily get rid and start again with new coaches and a new player. I’d keep Chambers and Holding, hope the Greek lad comes good, sell Mustafi, and, frankly, buy two top quality CBs to go straight into the first team.
BTM @ 26
Cheers!
c
b
a
Scores!
Great post @32 GSD but I think
the Chavs probably set the benchmark
for how low in the league a Top 6
may actually go when they slumped
to a maureen inspired 10th.
That was a one-off situation that
just proves your basic point
though.
I’ve just watched the motd highlights. I thought our goal was excellent and hopefully the sign of things to come.
Their first was poor. The second was simply embarrassing. I would love to hear what Wrighty and Keown really think about it all? My guess is that it would be slightly less diplomatic than the version adapted for television?
71%, eh?
Didn’t watch the game but it certainly sounds familiar.
Oh, bugger all.
While I am at it, Anthony Taylor probably could have awarded us a few penalties but did not do so.
At least according to your report, ‘holic. 😉
Send Mustafi and Xhaka on an African safari but don’t tell them how long it lasts.
On the other hand, I think I might agree with bathgooner where he says:
“Do we have a strange susceptiblity to signing such erratic individuals or is it perhaps something to do with the environment and/or system they find themselves in?”
Aw fuck it all I have had too much red wine but at least that is better than watching Arsenal lose another one.
In any case, I don’t think we can sell Mustafi for as much as we bought him. Salvation Army comes to mind.
For Xhaka it is something worse.
‘holic please delete as many of the above as you see fit, as least it will tell me how far over the line that I have gone. Thank you, as always.
I believe we are still to score our first away point this year? Can’t be bothered to check that fact, but we certainly haven’t won an away game in living memory. Disgraceful either way.
What does Bould do when not sitting next to Arsene? Why does he still have a job?
But Manure losing at home to the bottom club has provided some light relief … Ya Boo Moaninho.
…and be sure to alert all the lions that dinner is on the way, bt8 (#55)
Re: strange susceptiblity to signing such erratic individuals #41, I imagine it’s some sort of knee-jerk reaction to not having enough dosh to sign real defenders and AW crossing his fingers and trusting to the fading instincts that secured Campbell, Gilberto, Petit, Vieira, Lauren, Kolo et al (while forgetting Stepanov, Luzhny, Squillaci, Santos, Grondin, Malz among many others).
@61
Chris,
you’re right about the away points
this year – of course that ignores
the away wins in Ostersund and
Milan
Ostersund. Yes! We beat them away, YAY, and then lost to them at home…
you’re determined to see the
worst 🙂
Milan yay! An excellent win ?
Milan was a good win, Matt, but the Prem is a better measure of where we’re really at. And we’re currently nowhere.
But I am quietly confident we have a small nucleus of quality that, when added to appropriately over the next several windows, will revive our fortunes. I’m looking for a return to regular St Tott’s days within a couple of years (if not just one), and onward and upward thereafter.
GSD – I misunderstood your post.
Quite simply, the current top five will finish above us again next season, and that’s enough to make us also rans. That alone should see change.
“’But it didn’t work and I have to be realistic enough to say that maybe our balance offensively and defensively doesn’t work.”
Arsene in his post match interview.
I’ve lost count of how many times that I’ve said the balance of the side is not right?
So frustrating.
Here is the season’s away results so far. Warning: may include upsetting content:
Away wins
Sep 28 BATE Borisov (Europa)
Oct 19 Crvena Zvezda (Europa)
Oct 22 Everton (League)
Nov 26 Burnley (League)
Dec 28 Palace (League)
Feb 15 Ostersunds (Europa)
Mar 8 AC Milan (Europa)
Away draws
Sep 17 Chelsea (League)
Dec 10 Southampton (League)
Dec 13 West Ham (League)
Dec 31 WBA (League)
Jan 10 Chelsea (League Cup)
Apr 12 CSKA Moscow (Europa)
Away losses
19 Aug Stoke (League)
27 Aug Liverpool (League)
14 Oct Watford (League)
5 Nov Manchester City (League)
23 Nov FC Koln (Europa)
7 Jan Nottingham Forest (FA Cup)
14 Jan Bournemouth (League)
30 Jan Swansea (League)
10 Feb Tottenham (League)
4 Mar Brighton (League)
15 Apr Newcastle (League)
Having read all of the above I feel less optimistic than when I started. Sorry ‘Holic, I’ll have to give you up for my own peace of mind. By the way, am I right in thinking our qualification for next year’s Europa League will depend on Southampton not winning the FA Cup and us finishing in the top 7, or 6 if they do?
This is correct Devon Stu.
Ned. Are you sure we’ve lost that many away games? And to such notable opposition?
The only reason I ask is that it has been suggested on numerous occasions that we have a squad that is good enough to mount a title challenge? Surely losing 9 league games away from home suggests something totally different? It leaves us with a mountain to climb ?
Let’s face it our defence coaching is either really bad or not existent and this is not something that has happened for the very first time this season in fact this has been happening for years now. Last two season show exactly where we have fallen behind and it’s not because of so-called whinging fans.
We have been in decline for years now, stats don’t lie and if Arsene is a stats man than he knows he has been falling short each year. Our transfer policy has been exactly the same. With the injection of the new guys there is light at the end of the tunnel that things will take a turn for better things to come.
I’m sorry to say but if the manager is baffled why our away from home form is so poor then I’m baffled why he’s still in charge.
Chris @67. That’s the most optimistic I think I’ve ever seen you! As it happens I agree with you. Front five are sorted assuming Rambo signs new deal. Assorted squad players (Iwobi, AMN, Nelson) may make it. Now need to buy a number of defensive players including a GK.
GSD top analysis in a number of posts.
“…given the current Premier League standings, sixth-place Arsenal – who City beat in the final – would benefit, filling City’s place in the Europa League second-qualifying round if they don’t win the Europa League this season.”
…everyone saying that the rest of are games in the league are meaningless…
NO, they are NOT!
SSY
It goes up to seven European places. Four in the CL and three in the Europa. Two of our Europa places go to the Carabao and FA Cup winners. If the winning teams qualify by their league placing the available places are allocated on league position.
Unless Southampton win the FA Cup this means that the team finishing in seventh will qualify for the Europa. Leicester are eleven points behind us with five games left and they have a markedly inferior goal difference
Clive
Thanks for the update I hadn’t heard about Leicester losing but picked up the girls winning despite much more attention being paid to the other semi in the media.
Hopefully we can clinch the title against West Ham on Friday. Looking forward to seeing the Youth team tonight
Chris,
Good to hear you’re optimistic about
the future – I agree with you and
most others.
Thanks Ned for the full horror story
of our away form this season.
There’s no defence for it in more
ways than one.
Thanks, bathgooner@72.
Some advertising copywriter wrote thus to me today to announce special travel insurance opportunities for Arsenal fans .
‘Whether you’re traveling to watch Arsenal win’ – when exactly would that be? We haven’t got a point away in the league this year ! ‘
Thanks Holic, and apologies but I haven’t had time to back drink yet.
Another top performance then.
80% possession in the 2nd half – I don’t remember one shot on target.
Our defending at both their goals was shambolic as usual.
Not one single point away from home in 2018, during which spell we have lost to Bournemouth, Swansea, Tottenham, Brighton and Newcastle !
Scored 4, conceded 10.
The only team in the top 4 divisions without an away point this year.
Still, mustn’t overreact.
More changes all round the team again and the fact is that those coming in to the side are not good enough for the Arsenal.
That, of course, is just my opinion. If you disagree, good luck to you.
I understand that the changes are designed to protect what has become our top priority, the Europa League, but surely The Arsenal should have better reserves than Calum Chambers to call on.
Maybe that is unkind to Chambers – perhaps he has the quality but lacks the coaching and direction – but that doesn’t happen either.
Compare and contrast Wenger and Benitez towards the end of that game. While Wenger remained in his seat, Benitez was up giving very precise instructions as to where he wanted his players positioned.
At the same time, Chambers was in the opposition box, leaving his wing totally exposed to a breakaway – which did happen – and Mustafi had to commit himself to a very risky tackle to prevent a possible third goal.
This kind of nonsense has been going on for years now.
Has the money I’ve been paying to watch matches turned me into an entitled brat ? I sincerely hope not.
I do think a club charging it’s supporters the highest prices in football to watch, should be offering up something better than a never ending mish-mash of teenagers and misfits – whichever competition we are playing in on the day.
If anyone wants an intellectual exercise to do, maybe you could think of some more full backs we could play at centre half – and vice versa – or midfielders who, in their first season of first team football could try their own position for one game , but also try out BOTH fullback positions.
Can you name three number tens at the club who regularly play on either wing ?
Or someone who alternates on a weekly basis between holding midfielder and false nine / number ten.
This, friends, is today’s Arsenal.
Roberto Firmino has made 49 tackles in the PL this season, more than any Arsenal defender. He plays up front. Speaks volumes.
Excellent stuff Trev. Playing players out of position? That’s not like Arsenal??????
Oh, Steve@73, ye of little faith: with the right mental strength there is no mountain you cannot climb.
Though we seem to be on an endless plain at the moment.
Great result for the Youth team tonight,beating Blackpool 5 nil to advance to the Cup Final,which will be a 2 legged affair against the Youth league Champions Chelsea.
Look forward to reading TTG’s summary of the game when he returns home from the Ems tonight.
Excellent post above by our resident physio.
Well done the kids.
Now here’s something for the optimists…..
In 1988, Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest. They lost the League Cup Final and finished 6th in the league.
12 months later they won their first league title in over a decade.
You see were I’m going with this…. ?!
Holic
You have mail !
Clive,
I’ve sent it on to the Guvna.
It was a delight to be there. They played beautifully and Smith- Rowe is a very serious talent indeed .
Not many of those left in the Bar Steve,and with good reason.
In fact there haven’t been many for most of what even for us,has been a
very very underwhelming season.
And given the European Cup Competitions pedigree of our Europa league semi final opponents,you won’t find many if any,that are expecting us to reach the Final.
We just have to place our Faith in the new backroom staff tasked with bringing in some serious technically proficient proven match winners in the summer.
Great news about the U-18s. Good to know there is some vim and vigour still somewhere in the club. Looking forward to reading TTG’s report.
It’s here Ned. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>