Six Months In And We Still Haven’t Found What We’re Looking For
Dec 27th, 2018 by 'holic
Getting home 24 hours after the event enables me to take a different view to many others on the undoubted disappointment of Brighton away. That doesn’t mean I’m right or they are wrong. It’s a view I actually formed quickly after the match last evening as the pre-supper beer and vino took hold, and as I enjoyed watching us with the eldest of the resident grand’holics, the recipient of a signed Mesut Ozil photo on Christmas morn.
We started very well, we agreed. Unusually, this season, we were very much on the front foot in the early exchanges. The first goal seemed inevitable, and arrived courtesy of the dogged determination of Alexandre Lacazette, and a sublime finish from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. This pair enjoys each others company and in moments such as that we understand why. In a cozy front room we relaxed and looked forward to a totally dominant performance.
It appeared that in the aftermath of the goal we were suddenly looking for a way of controlling the game without the degree of risk that had accompanied our early probing of the Seagulls defence, both laterally and centrally. Lichtenstein and Kolasinac were no longer freed as they bombed forward. We looked to find team mates with safe passes. The creativity evaporated.
That didn’t raise any alarm bells initially, but Brighton forged more and more chances when we lacked concentration. Murray netted having clearly kicked the ball from the grasp of Bernd Leno. How on earth is that not a card? Then one hopeful long ball, Lichsteiner’s misplaced header at full stretch, and Locadia was allowed to easily go round Leno to slot home the equaliser.
At the whistle we have to accept that was probably what we deserved, if not the hosts. A grand’holic took a break to grab some food and a drink. By the time he came back I had to inform him that Mesut Ozil, provider of that oh so important signature, had been replaced at the break. “Why, grandad?” I had to say that the new manager reacts quickly if he doesn’t like what he sees in the first-half and for now we must trust his judgement.
The second-half has been a happy hunting ground for us in most matches this season, but a turgid contest remained just that. We huffed and puffed, and the manager decided the answer was to send on a fourth midfielder, Aaron Ramsey, for Lacazette, the glue that holds our striking options together. If that sounds too critical it isn’t meant to. As I tweeted later the manager is getting used to us, and vice versa. This is how things were likely to pan out on occasion.
A final throw of the dice saw us replace Laurent Koscielny with Ainsley Maitland-Niles. At some point we switched to a back three and indeed the last of the substitutes looked to have given us a fresh option. However, with ten minutes remaining it seemed only one team was likely to nick it and so for the second match running the ‘holic pound profited, albeit modestly, from an early cashout.
Briefly were into the top four, but nobody around the buffet table in a Black country village expected Watford to help us out in the late kick-off, and we were not surprised at their defeat by the bus stop in Fulham. As well as ourselves the west London club will, however, be looking at the ever-increasing gap to the top three. If we are to retrieve what looks an improbable situation it is at least in our hands, starting at Anfield on Saturday evening. That looks to be a supreme test of where we are right now, in all honesty.
And yet we need to take a step back and consider the circumstances. Once more we are in something of an injury nightmare, an issue that was laid firmly at the feet of the former manager and his medical team in recent years. Few teams could cope with being stripped of it’s defensive backbone to such a degree. We have a fledgling manager (as far as the Premier League is concerned) and he has got more right than he has wrong.
Brighton wasn’t a good game for him, but in the greater scheme of things it is a fixture we genuinely did lose last season. We may be falling away from the title battle before we get to the pointed end of the season, but we are far from being out of contention for a Champions League qualifying berth. The FA Cup third round is about to launch, and we are comfortably through to the knock-out phase of the Europa League.
It seems too easy for the negativity to take a hold, but how many times did most call for a degree of patience with the new regime back in the summer? That was the correct call then, and remains so today.
We love you Arsenal, we do.
22 Responses to “Six Months In And We Still Haven’t Found What We’re Looking For”
A win at Liverpool on Saturday would bring some much needed cheer. Not out of the question at all, but oh, these injuries. (There isn’t a ‘Coquelin at Charlton’ Christmas miracle hidden somewhere in the wings on the pantomime stage is there?)
Good thoughtful piece. Never easy to manage the expectations of younger fans, particularly when Mesut Ozil had made an earlier appearance in the house.
Onward and upward. Hope you had a great Christmas.
I did, thank you sir.
Bargain of the century at the grand’holics golf club yesterday. Foolishly on my last outing of 2018 I ‘lost’ my 9 iron, and have since mooched around looking to replace it rather than go back to Chipping Norton.
Yesterday I looked around their American Golf store without joy until as I was about to leave I spotted a bundle of left handed irons marked down to 99 quid. They were a full set of fully refurbished Wilson Staff C200 worth three times as much.
Even better, in the local tonight I won the cost back in the fruity. God moves in mysterious ways.
I hope you and Helen had a blast too, good sir.
Cheers H!
She wore, she wore!
Esso!
Good to see you too had a great time with family this Christmas.
Chelsea home?
Definitely better late than never, ‘holic. :). Glad to hear that that at least one of the grandholics is on the right road and hope they got an extra giftie.
I still have not seen the game but the result is certainly not the worst.
Are we really in for that Calero chappie, the defender from Real Valladolid? If so can we get him now please? If it is somebody else the now part of that request still applies.
A very sensible and balanced report Holic. This time of year the games come so quick and fast that it is hard to get a true perspective and I was certainly disappointed last night. I’m realistic about where we can finish but a holiday period spent with triumphant Swampies doesn’t improve the mood.
Emery needs more time than most Gooners are prepared to give him and I’m dubious tgat he can get us into 4th but I do want to see obvious progress and although it is there in some respects our defensive tribulations show no sign of ending. Let us hope for a very positive display at Anfield. Our away form is much better than last season and we’ve stepped up to the mark well in big games this season.
I think the likeliest signing is Banega. We may not sign another CB with Mavropanos returning. He has been out for a very long three weeks
Agree with your central point
Guvnor.
4 points out of 6 so
far is middling, but it’d suddenly
be a great Xmas if we can nick
3 more points at Anfield.
Difficult but certainly doable on
out best form
We’ve been linked with Banega
a lot. I’d have thought getting
some new defenders in would
be the priority. We’ll need to
replace Aaron, Danny and Cech
as well.
A balanced perspective as ever but I beg to differ with the positivity. I am worried and not because there were expectations but because the errors seem to be oh so similar. Unai was expected to address what Arsene failed in the end, Defense. If it was about personnel, Emery is good enough to have seen it in a few days on pre-season itself that we are severely lacking in that department. Sokratis alone could not have solved the complete mess, this area should have been addressed immediately. More importantly, the shape of the team is nowhere to be seen. We are caught listless so many times during a game that you wonder what are the players thinking when they play? This does not need too much thinking right, it is fairly obvious. Why is there no damn discipline from the players on the pitch/ Come on Unai.
Taking off Ozil or Lacazette and not playing Ramsey will not help, as long as they are there make use of them and if you feel they arent good enough, sell them once you have the replacements. Keeping them and not playing is not the luxury we can afford.
I have no hopes for tomorrow, i am dreading if we have another of those 4-0,5-1 scorelines. I pray i am proven wrong for nothing else will make me happy than to see that shit team lose.
Very measured reflections, Gibbs. I agree it is far too early to make a judgement on what UE and his team will achieve at Arsenal and this past few games his defensive plans have been severely handicapped by injuries and suspensions. A measure of his difficulties was the need to use a convalescent Kos for 70 minutes. I share the failure to understand the basis of any of the substitutions and suspect it was ‘a bad day at the office’. We were never going to compete for the PL this season but the scale of the challenge merely to achieve fourth place is becoming clear. Here’s hoping UE can come up with a plan.
Arsenal have announced the death of former Chairman, Peter Hill- Wood at the age of 82.
RIP to a fine gentleman who loved Arsenal and respected it’s traditions deeply.
RIP Peter Hill-Wood. Thoughts with friends and family.
Thankyou for everything you gave to our club.
Thank you TTG.
Can’t help but feel we were a better club under the patronage of his family.
Indeed Guvna @13 or Gibbs as my Spillchucker prefers to call you.
I told you I was ill !
It’s ok though – we’re winning the Paralell Premier League up here !
Toodle-pip !
Nice report boss. I must say, 4 points from the last 3 more than winnable games is not good form.
I’m not sure what to make of the numerous half time tactical changes. I like the idea that we have a manager who is prepared to change things and make bold decisions. However, if you make a tactical change at half time it would tend to suggest that stuff has not gone to plan. As a one off then that’s more than fine. But it seems that these changes are occurring far too often for me and I’m not really too sure what to read on to that. The minimum it says is that the squad is nowhere near where he wants it to be.
Very said news about PHW. I echo Gibbo at 13. I also feel the club was in far better shape and far more stable under his chairmanship. RIP.
Seriously, RIP Peter Hill-Wood.
I had some fun in here with him but it was always intended with warmth.
What Holic said @13.
Sad news indeed, RIP Peter Hill-Wood 🙁
And what Trev said @17. RIP PHW.
I must confess I wrote a criticical article of PHW after his gaffe at the AGM a few years ago ‘ Thankyou for your interest in our business !’ .
However I remember him mainly with affection and respect . One of my mates who used to travel to all the Champions League games told me a lovely story of a slight kerfuffle in the foyer of the Arsenal team’s hotel in Prague.
PHW came down ( in mid-morning ) to inspect events clad in silk dressing gown, brocade slippers and his pyjamas! Nobody from the Arsenal party turned a hair. He was a remnant from a kinder age.
RIP the Hill-Wood gent.
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