It’s Them And It Must Be Our Day
Aug 31st, 2019 by 'holic
Let’s set the tone early here. Tottenham have only won two of their 27 Premier League away matches versus The Arsenal. There are rumblings that all is not well in the Middlesex camp. Forgive me if I plead with Unai Emery to throw the kitchen sink at them on Sunday afternoon.
The loss of Nacho Monreal (good luck with Sociedad, Nacho, and thank you for being a Gunner) means promotion for Sead Kolasinac, one would imagine. The pairing in front of the back four (please Unai) will be interesting. Matteo Guendouzi has looked an improved player in the early matches, Lucas Torreira looks eager and refreshed, but Granit Xhaka is one of the five captains. I suspect the latter pairing may win out.
Although Mesut Ozil is available for the first time this season it would be harsh for him to displace Dani Ceballos in such a game, although in his favour he does know what to expect from the North London derby. What would be really good to see is a full array of attacking talent in Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
As well as Nacho we have seen Mohamed Elneny depart on loan to Besiktas and we wish him all the best on his travels too.
Whilst we have our obvious injury problems the neighbours too are affected. Walker-Peters, Foyth, Ndombele and Sessegnon are ruled out. Dier and the loathsome Alli will be tested beforehand. Their biggest issue will be whether to start Eriksen, a player clearly unhappy and looking to leave before the European transfer window shuts.
Much may depend on our new faces. David Luiz must understand the depth of feeling involved and I hope he doesn’t give the referee a decision to make about his participation in the contest. Ceballos and Pepe have hopefully been prepared for what the match and atmosphere will be.
The ‘holic pound
Of course THE derby can throw form out of the window. Hackles will be raised. Yet the omens are all in our favour. I have but one slight concern. When you are leading 2-1 at home to Burnley and your two best players are taken off to protect the lead you can ride it out. Get 2-1 up on Sunday and go for the throat please Unai. Middlesex have players who would love to snatch a late equaliser in such circumstances.
I’m praying with a front three we could do just that so I am on 3-1 to The Gunners at 17/1.
The ABW preview
Here it is, thanks Danny.
87 Responses to “It’s Them And It Must Be Our Day”
Thanks Dave, I full concur with you. Funny how this fixture can make a 55 yr old man feel sick to his stomach, nervous and excited all at once, I’ll be flying back home from England when this is on, I’m hoping for a fab result when I land.
Exactly that, Mark. I can’t wait to get there and soak it all up.
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Fine preview Guvna although this one doesn’t really need a preview. They were poor last week but the week before drew at the Etihad so reports of their demise might be a tad exaggerated. We were ultra-positive in the second half last year in this match. I agree we need to fly at them from the off.
Interesting you say Xhaka will play because he is one of the five captains. There are four now because Nacho was one too and Emery didn’t think that made him worth retaining. Torreira was terrific in this game last year and Guendouzi was excellent as a sub towards the end. Xhaka has never flown out of the traps in his life but I agree he will play. especially if Ceballos and the Fab three all start.
I think we can win it 2-1 and just will??
Preview sets it up nicely. Hope to catch you tomorrow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3174Ndpdbw
Fine preview Guv’nor. 3-1, eh. Sounds more fun than the (very) nervy 1-0 I’m expecting, but if ever there was a fixture where three points matteted more than the performance then this, surely, is it.
Up the Aaaaaaaaarse.
COYG
Like the 3-1 Guvnor, thanks for the
preview.
No idea who UE will pick or what
formation we will play. I don’t think
anyone can say we are predictable.
Seen a few predictions on the XI and
very few include Willock or Nelson.
But it’s possible UE might show a bit
of faith here.
I guess the back 4 picks itself? And I hope Emery goes with a front 3 that I think most would like to see. Which leaves the midfield. I feel like Willock and Guendouzi have earned spots in the starting XI. I’m guessing Emery will go with Xhaka, although I’d prefer Torreira.
Does anyone think Chambers might get a chance? Given our CBs did not exactly shine against Poo, I wonder if someone with a less physical approach might be better against the divey spuds.
If Arsenal were to win ,they shd speed up the attack.By that I mean getting our guys to run forward and not pass all day.
There shd be variation of pass and running with the ball at defenders shd do the trick.At the same the gunners must be aware of the deadly counter attack something the fm failed to do and as a result
Arsenal finished bottom of the big 6.
Fine preview Guvna. 3-1 will do me nicely though I would have preferred to have Monreal at LB this weekend before wishing him well in sunny Spain.
I fully agree that we should throw the book at that lot though paradoxically that is when they are at their most damgerous with their rapid break-outs and they are much less capable of breaking down a determined defence than they should be. So throw the book at them, clip their wings on break-outs and make a disciplined 9-man wall when required.
To that end, a midfield of Torreira, Guendouzi and Ceballos is far, far preferable to one including Xhaka. I would go with,
Leno
AMN, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac
Torreira, Guendouzi
Pepe, Ceballos, PEA
Lacazette
I expect,
Leno
AMN, Sokratis, Luiz, Chambers, Kolasinac
Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka
Pepe, PEA.
COYG!
I watched a game yesterday where the defenders of one team were playing it out from the back all the time, passing it square into their own box more often than not to do so, and putting themselves under pressure constantly.
The other team pushed up on to them, gave them no time and the tippy tappers could barely get out of their own half. They lost 5-0.
So predictable as well, they weren’t good enough to play the way they were trying to do. I hope that’s not an omen.
In other news, I see VAR is proving once again that it is a complete joke.
Quick question for those who think it’s a good thing.
Do you think DRS has made umpiring better in cricket or has the standard dropped appallingly in the last ten to fifteen years?
Think we know the answer to that one don’t we.
13 is the new good luck charm. COYG
Surprised Ceballos is benched, with Guendouzi playing.
Cheers H.
I’m feeling bullish. My heart says 3-0. But even my head is leaning towards 3-1. Pepe to get his first goal in the biggest game if the season. I hope for no Xhaka but expect that hope to be dashed on the rocks, geddit?
Forget caution. Just blow them away. Cannons vs. cocks on a basketball. Nuff said
@15
I wrote that before the team was announced, but it did not post until now. Surprise, surprise, Granit is in. I hope he has one of his good games.
Sokratis. Why?
The Greek Mustafi strikes again.
Holding has to get fit asap.
No Jamie. We do not have a player called Sellabas.
I cannot believe I am writing this. But that yellow for Danny Rose was so soft.
How can Emery coach these individual errors? What can he do to stop Sokratis and Xhaka being Sokratis and Xhaka?
Shambles from Xhaka but Guendouzi should have cleared it nstead of fucking about.
Defensively a joke yet again.
This could end up four or five.
Lightning does strike twice, damn
Well done Xhaka I wonder what is he still doing at our club?
What can he do to stop Sokratis and Xhaka being Sokratis and Xhaka?
Pick someone else instead?
And we make them look sooo good
Double suicide
I do not believe our youngsters would be any worse
Cynic. I agree he should not play Xhaka. I can see why he has chosen Sokratis over Chambers but maybe it is time to rethink that
@24 Arthur
Destroying our midfield?
Thank fuck for that Laca get in
I hate it when our number 34 for talks about being a captain when his footballing brain doesn’t exist
Who was supposed to be out creative guy tonight???Maybe Ozil can play 2H… Then again our defence sucks
Arthur @31
Totally agree mate. It’s just painful.
Without 2 stupid individual errors we would be at everyone’s favourite scoreline. If only it was not so familiar
Totally avoidable errors being made wtf. C’mon boys let’s go!
Come on Auba get the fuck in
Auba boom!
Pepe needs to wake up with his final ball or shot. He will be popular because he’s a tricky bugger, but he has to add something meaningful to it and fast. Needs a goal.
Hell of a match, thought we could nick it at the end.
In all honesty I’m dlad we drew but two points lost Xhaka does it again
Cynic @ 38
I agree with your general point, he needs assists and goals, but if you look at God or Thierry then you will see that instant gratification is for Twitter addicts. Could you not give him a little more time? You gave Theo a decade
Waiting in a delayed train after the match . Exciting game after we gifted them two goals. My feelings on Xhaka are well known he is a liability and should be nowhere near this team .
Emery picked the wrong team as he nearly always does . Ceballos ran the game when he came on and received stalwart support from Guendouzi who produced a great assist . Lacazette was excellent and Auba took his goal really well.
Leno made a Horlicks of the first goal. They were they were there for the taking but if your manager hasn’t got the ability to get the team structure tight it’s hard to win . No point in playing three great attackers upfront without enough creativity in midfield .
Nelson should have replaced Lacazette not Mkhitaryan
You gave Theo a decade
That will be the Theo who scored over 100 goals for Arsenal and had plenty of assists. The one who scored against the best teams around and didn’t just beat up Wigan for the lols.
The one who tore Spurs apart more than once.
That one?
Instant gratification is for Twitter, as is that thing where if someone criticises something, however slightly, it automatically means they think it or he is an irredeemable cunt.
He needs to wake up, that’s all. Especially when he has a very simple pass to play, but makes a total hash of it.
It is very early but I get a distinct whiff of “Star in a shit league” wafting about. I obviously hope this is not correct.
TTG, agree with much of what you said. Although after watching the replay, it was mostly a finger tip save by Leno on the first, so I can’t complain to much about that. What frustrates me more is Sokratis being so far up the pitch trying to win the header when Xhaka is already there and then letting Erickson run behind him for the tap in.
Agree that Nelson should have come on instead of Miki. Miki’s legs look like they are done.
Does Chambers now deserve a start ahead of Sokratis?
Cynic. What were Theo’s first three games like?
All I am saying is give the guy time. It is too soon to pull the trigger and he was not the reason we lost today.
I know we did not lose. But after gifts then two goals it feels like it
Gifts then= gifting them
TTG. I am no fan of Miki but I have seen scant evidence Nelson would have made the difference. In my opinion the tactics were fine (although I would not have started Xkaka) but stupid mistakes were to blame, not the coaching setup
A statistics say that Xhaka concede more penalties in the EPL than any other player.
If our back room staff know this they should never let the bloke near the team end off! Him talking about captaincy is something I will never understand!
How can you lunge like this in the box? Howe many time will he do it again and again and again?
Just sell him please!
No “gimmedaball” body talk from Pepe. Still shy.
Xhaka? Even Jimmy Somerville would think before…oh well
Worm milk’s on me.
GSD-
I understand your point about mistakes but Arsenal under Emery rarely if ever start well and certainly don’t dominate . It is because he nearly always gets the balance of his initial team wrong . My criticism of him today is that he made two quite big mistakes.
Firstly we did not have the right combination in midfield. Torreira played quite well but may not be fit but the three midfielders he put out were struggling to create anything once we got to twenty five yards from goal. The whole game had a lift when Ceballos came on. He created an energy and dynamism which we lacked before although this was the best performance I have seen from Guendouzi . No point in setting up the Fab 3 upfront if you can’t create opportunities for them.
Secondly the defence was very lopsided. Kolasinac is not a left-back he is a left wing-back and he was continually caught far upfield in both first and second halves. Despite three holding midfielders we seemed to have no cover for him in front .
I’m quite optimistic about the club in terms of the management and planning but Emery is light years behind the best coaches and we won’t get close to challenging for the title until we get a top-class coach. We might get CL with this squad but I’m not sure we will beat top-six sides very often and will struggle against the Everton’s and Leicesters as well.
Cynic
Theo made his Arsenal debut in August 2006 and scored his first goal in February 2007 ( in the League Cup Final) . I believe that was between fifteen and twenty games later but Ned may have the stats. Please cut Pepe some slack, criticism of him at this stage is ridiculous. His two full games have been away at Anfield and the North London Derby.
TTG.
Top post and thanks for detailing your views so clearly.
I disagree about Emery, I think he may well be the guy to fashion us into something a lot more than the sum of our parts. But only time will tell.
As to what you say about midfield I agree but I don’t think any big change was needed, just don’t play Xhaka. I am not entirely sure Ceballos would have had the same effect if he had played the full 90, and for much of the game we dominated and created chances.
I also agree about Kolasinac but no-one wanted to see a back 3 and we just sold our only other left back option, so what do you want him to do? Hopefully Tierney will solve that problem soon.
I’m gutted we did not win today. It was shooting ourselves in the foot stuff that we managed not to.
I think we will win against the top six barring City and Poo and I’m confident of top 4.
Any time we are 2-0 down (no matter how avoidable) and we manage not to lose a NLD it is not a terrible result. For all my unhappiness I am thrilled that we did not lose.
Emery on Xhaka’s brain fart:
“The second goal is maybe the frustration from the first goal. The penalty… We need to also be clever in our box. There are more positives than negatives in 90 minutes. I am going to be optimistic and also I am very proud of the work, of our players. We will take those mistakes and improve.”
He did it before he will do it again!
TTGG@52: re Theo
Debut August 19, 2006 v Aston Villa (League)
First assist: October 24, 2006 v West Brom (League Cup 3rd round)
First league assist: December 26, 2006 v Watford
First goal: February 25 v Chelsea (League cup final). That was his 28th first team appearance.
First season: one goal and five assists in 32 appearance in all competitions.
Some positives: This team will dig in and fight, which is not something that we have been able to say for several seasons. Laca’s goal today was world-class and Auba’s a finish of a very high-standard. We will have hope in any game they play, despite not having a top-six-quality defence. Guendouzi looks a much more mature player this season than last. Cebellos will win us matches, Pepe will score and create goals once he settles in and we have talented youngsters coming up through the ranks.
GSD@54 is right.
Negatives: Xhaka.
Cynic. I just re read your @43.
I trust that we can disagree (as we often do) without any assumption that either of us are irredeemable anythings. I don’t think anything in my post suggested that I had any personal animosity towards you, or any desire to call you names, and, for the record, I certainly do not.
We are all Gooners here and there is a drink on the bar for you.
P.s. if I think you are a see you next Tuesday then I’ll say so nice and clearly. ?
Very good news tonight that Roma are looking to loan Mkhitaryan with an option to buy at the ene of the season( hopefully this is compulsory and not based on how well he plays or he will come bouncing back. He’s been a very unimpressive signing. This would leave us with a young squad . It looks impossible to shift Mustafi and there appears to be no attempt to shift Xhaka but the management deserve credit for tidying up the squad very effectively, promoting youth and getting rid of most of the deadwood
I’ve just seen Xhaka’s tackle on TV. I was close to it and thought it was awful, we all called penalty in unison as he did it but it is such a stupid brain fart I would actually fine the twat. It is absolutely diabolical from an experienced player
Ned @58
I may be seeing Xhaka next Tuesday.
Thanks Ned , very informative and thanks to you too GSD, you speak much sense as you always do.
One thing those not at the game won’t have seen which caused many of us real distress was an interview on the pitch with Willie Young at half-time. Willie is clearly suffering , probably from dementia and despite trying to read his answers was unable to reply coherently to anything asked of him. It was distressing to see a great old warrior so afflicted and quite wrong of the club to expose him like this. It left a very nasty taste in the mouth
The Monks are at your service, as ever, TTG.
That sounds very sad about Willie Young. Any sort of brain trauma is a terrible thing. If football goes through the same problems as American football has in that regard, I hope that the authorities behave better towards old players than the NFL has done.
Obviously with the benefit of a second viewing my view changes from a late Sunday kick-off to a late Monday review, but from row 7 next to the tunnel (the best seat in the house!) this was an opportunity missed.The support was phenomenal, which may have owed something to the kick-off time. But it was Guendouzi v Son, wasn’t it? Few others (perhaps Laca, bless him) had the same impact. And I may delete this later, but we really have to sell Xhaka tomorrow after today?
Just home from the game, I’m sitting down to type this in before checking whether or not any of the usual suspects have posted impressions of the match and before watching the highlights on Match of the Day.
I don’t know what your hopes are/were for this season. You may be hoping to see Arsenal mount a sustained, and ultimately successful bid to with the League. If so, I fear you will be disappointed and this game, together with last week’s match at Anfield confimed this. For myself, I hope to see Arsenal finishing in the top four and return to the Champions Leage for 2020/21, and after this game and last week’s I am more, rather than less confident that my hope is likely to be realised. I would also like to celebrate St Totteringham’s Day this season and I saw nothing to make me fear for this, limited ambition.
I saw much to like in this performance; we got the ball to Lacazette on many occasions and I wondered aloud what would happen if we got it to him when he didn’t have his back to goal. We achieved this, apparently difficult feat, late in the first half and he duly tucked the ball away. In the second half we put Tottenham under sustained pressure for long periods and were, I thought, a little unlucky only to have one goal to show for it.
Before either of these two goals, of course, we conceded a couple. I watched the first unfold in slow motion and with horrible predictability. The visitors broke down our left, crossed to their left from where some bloke had a shot which came loose to Eriksson in the middle and he scored. There seemed to be some dismay in the team who lined up quickly while the LWCs were celebrating, but Lacazette made some “calm down, it’s happened, let’s make sure we react properly” gestures, and react properly we did, putting the team from up the road under pressure, which sadly didn’t lead to an equaliser. I was genuinely shocked by the penalty – I had seen nothing untoward and there were no appeals from the away fans sitting below and not far left of me. No doubt, the MoTD coverage will clarify what lead to Tottenham getting the ball to sweep upfield for their first, and what the penalty was for.
So – glass half empty – you shouldn’t miss golden chances against a team of Liverpool’s calibre and you shouldn’t go two down to a team that comes from a swamp. Glass half full – we weren’t humiliated at Anfield and we came back form 0-2 to draw level and I think, even without the rose-tinted spectacles that are compulsory for all who drink in this fine establishment, we looked the liklier winners for most of the second half.
Everyone’s favourite controversial innovation made its contribution after our second when Papastathopoulos (almost right without checking (misplaced u at the end)) bundled the ball in from close range only to have his effort chalked off by the dreaded thre-letter abbreviation.
I try not to repeat myself, but for clarity let me restate my position on VAR: I can see two possible objections to it – 1) It’s badly done, and 2) It’s a bad thing. I don’t think there can be serious dispute about point 1). When you look at cricket, tennis or rugby union you can see a review system that is done well – the crowd are informed of what is going on and can hear and see the basis of the decision. The FA (or is it FIFA or UEFA) have chosen not to let the paying public know anything, what is being looked at and why the decision has been changed/allowed to stand. I can only speculate why they have gone down this route, and I can think of no reason for it other than that they believe that the referees are incometent and their decision-making process cannot be made open or it will be ridiculed. I sincerely hope that there is some other reason, despite which they will change ther minds and allow the public to hear the discussions. It is point 2) that has me more concerned – we seem to be being sold the idea of perfect decision making, which I believe to be impossible and I’m not even sure it’s desirable. (Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I will try not to repeat my VAR-related opinions.)
Finally a few random thoughts:
In the first half, there were several occasions on which we started to break quickly from the back, only for whoever had the ball to stop and pirouette allowing the opposing defence to organise itself properly. This happened so often that it looked like a deliberate tactic. Why?
I liked my first sight of Nicholas Pepe, but he does look like a work-in-progress. There were lots of nice touches but he seemed not to produce anything form too many of them. As far as I recall, he’s pretty young – I look forward to him improving over this and the next few seasons.
We are still suspect at the back, but I suspect most teams (with a couple of obvious exceptions) would be weak if they were without both of their first-choice full backs. Again, no reason not to expect significant improvement when Bellerin and Tierney are fit.
I was impressed by Martin Atkinson, who, I thought had a good game and seemed not to be fooled by any nonsense from the visitors.
Early indications, particulary welcome to England fans (there must be some) that Harry Kane’s long-term inner-ear condition might have cleared up, which rose to unheard of levels when he was tackled on about 75 minuts and managed to keep his feet were dashed in injury time when he unaccountably fell over in the Arsenal penalty area.
The same cannot be said for Dele Alli (apparently he prefers just Dele – reason enough to use his full name) who seemed to spend more time flat on his arse than on his feet.
And so to the first bloody interlull of the season…
COYG
TTG and Ned, I went for a drink when the penalty was conceded and missed Willie, but the neighbour told me what had happened. Not good by the club to put someone like Willie in that position. I hope he understands that most of us fossils understand completely. He was the unlikeliest of Arsenal folklore heroes, but he most certainly was.
Scruz….
Prepare for your first trip to the home of football. My mate will not be using his season ticket so you can buy it off him and attend the Vitoria game. I will be in touch by email after I have consulted the Guvna for your address
Not sure what the price will be but I dont think for a Europa League fixture it will be too daunting. Prepare for Ecstasy!
Having watched MoTD, I now understand why the penalty was awarded. I also understand the remarks about Xhaka.
I’m very disappointed by what I think are over-strident criticisms of Unai Emery. I saw something, I think on the BBC site but it may have been elsewhere about Emery having to work hard to get himself a new contract at the end of the season. I thought it was just shit stirring from the usual suspects. I don’t know why, but I hoped for better in this bar.
COYG
The active nihilist is able to become a life-affirming, self-possessed creator of a value-system in spite of the abyss that looms before him
The passive nihilist is not able to find the courage or motivation to transcend a life-negating, cynical outlook, and thus everything in the universe loses value for him
oh boy, I’m so smart, I could kill myself and still be alive!
Just read through and there were
some cracking posts in the bar.
We should have won. Fair play to
the Spuds though, they’ve now
drawn 2-2 at Shitty and at our
place even though they deserved
nothing from both games.
The VAR decision was correct,
he mistimed his run.
UE has got the team to fight and
well done to him for that. But he
was wrong to say the 2nd goal
may have been about frustration
after the 1st goal – it was 30 mins
later and it was about stupidity.
I understand he wants to defend
his players but that tackle in our
area was simply indefensible.
Early in the season and for me
there are many games to play
before we talk about UE’s future.
Or Pepe’s for that matter.
Just to say – Theo was much
less experienced when he
joined us.
Pepe has great potential I
think, let’s give him a season
and see how it goes.
In the meantime, thank
Bergkamp for Auba and
Laca, they are a threat to
anyone.
A thoroughly enjoyable day out in North London yesterday spoiled only by the generous donation of two free gifts to Bottenham’s points appeal.
I’m really pleased by this summer’s squad refreshment, encouraged by the emergence of some excellent young talents from the academy and neutral (occasionally trending toward positive) on Emery who deserves credit for his contribution to the clear out and credit on the clarity of communication to Mustafi and co on their playing prospects. I do hope the Mkhi rumour is true.
I am enthused by the prospect of Holding and Bellerin’s return and excited by the prospect of Keiran Tierney whom those north of the wall seem convinced is the best LB produced there ever (for Bath “What! Even better than Booby Cox?).
The clear out will be complete only when Mustafi, Xhaka and Kolasinac depart and my only regret then will be that we signed them in the first place.
Good stuff here from GSD, TTG and Ned. Enjoyed your report Pangloss and agree on VAR Part 1 but not 2. @69 SSY so second para covers the “Ozil is shit, VAR is shit”, and now “Pepe looks like is shit,” repeat ad nauseam, but how do you account for the “Theo walks on water?” constancy?
Pangloss
I hope you are not labelling me as a ‘shit-stirrer’. I try to call it as I see it and my personal belief is that Emery is not a good enough, consistent enough, imaginative enough or talented enough coach to bridge the huge gap we need to navigate from the top teams.Readers will know I thought his tactics were diabolical at Anfield and as someone who goes to virtually every home game and a few away I notice a team who never start games as effectively as they should and usually have to switch tactics to improve the performance. I hope I am wrong the club needs stability but Arsenal are an elite club ( in my heart and mind anyway) and Emery is some way off being an elite coach
Cynic. I just re read your @43
You misread it, or I wrote it badly.
What I was saying is that often, it seems that criticism is taken as the critic believing that the object of the criticism is an IC, when all they are doing is saying that said object might not be the bee’s bollocks at all.
Doesn’t mean they think it’s complete shit, just that it’s a bit of a let down and not as advertised.
So… Pepe looks like a very average player to me, especially for the money he cost, on the evidence so far, even though it is early days. He has had two chances that I can recall, and possibly more, to put a team mate clean through on goal with the simplest of passes that even I could pull off and on both occasions he has failed that simple task. His shooting is wild and his crossing and general passing leaves much to be desired.
He has individual tricks and he will excite on those alone, but if he doesn’t quickly add some end product to these, what’s the point?
Need to improve a lot and quickly.
I’m so smart, I could kill myself and still be alive!
Any time you feel like testing that theory, please do.
Some excellent comments above.
Pangloss VAR had nothing to do with our chalked off goal. The linesman flagged clearly at the time. VAR just confirmed that he got it right. MOTD showed that Kola was a good two feet offside.
Nobody seems to have mentioned the two handed shove on Auba from a cross in the second half that sent him tumbling by the penalty spot. Right in front of me and looked a clear penalty. MOTD of course didn’t show it.
Otherwise I agree with many points made. Xhaka useless now for several years and must go. Guendouzi magnificent- build midfield around him and give him a big five year contract. We had three of our first choice back four missing and will improve. Ceballos must play. Pepe just needs his first goal. Kane is a cheating see you next Tuesday.
The crowd were quite magnificent. The atmosphere whilst queuing to get in, on the concourse and in the stadium was exceptional. We even had a rousing chorus of Laca’s new song in the gents! Dele Ali has inherited Patrice Evra’s old pithy Anglo Saxon welcome from the North Bank.
I left the ground feeling in two minds. Pleased to have come back (again) from two nil down, disappointed that we didn’t win.
Oh and OM gets it spot on. Thank Bergkamp for Auba and Laca indeed.
That last was a joke by the way, before the outrage starts.
Having had a swift read back, it might be worth reminding yourselves that Walcott arrived at Arsenal aged 16, with no real track record in the game so comparisons are irrelevant when it comes to Pepe, who is 24 years old and a full international with five years league football under his belt (albeit in France).
I am simply saying he doesn’t look all that good at the moment. Obviously he might turn out to be the best thing since sliced bread, and I hope he does. But I have Gervinho in my head when he blows those simple five yard passes into the run of his striker.
Quite simply, we should have won that game, even having given those melts a 2 goal start by naive defending of the type that we must eradicate asap. We were by far the better team. If we continue our current rate of progress then the future is indeed optimistic and Pangloss will certainly be able to celebrate St Totteringham’s Day again.
iBtM @72, KT might even be as good as Ally Shewan.
Seems Mkhi really is off to
Roma. No option to buy in
the loan deal though.
Good luck to him.
We didn’t need him as an
AM but there is a risk we’ll
be short on the right if
Pepe is injured. Anyway,
he was too expensive for
a reserve so a fair deal
Hopefully Pepe will get his first goals and assists soon and kick on from there. I think he will have good figures by the end of the season and he strikes me as one of those players who can produce a moment of quality during a game when the team is off the boil that turns a draw into a win.
Obviously it is interlull time now so we will have to wait a bit to see how he goes in the next few games.
Also, Laca’s goal was absolutely world class. Auba is not great on the wing but it is hard not to play Laca up top when he does stuff like that. Hopefully we will see Pepe and Bellerin combining down the right which will give Auba space to run into the box where he is most effective.
What do people think about the idea of trying Auba up top and Laca on the left? Did we already give that a go?
Hopefully Pepe will get his first goals and assists soon and kick on from there.
On this we agree.
Morning Holics
We looked a rabble in the first half, it looked as though we had put out a bunch of strangers on the park, there was no cohesion in our play and we got what we deserved, two dreadful errors giving the Spuds a two goal lead. My heart sank, where was our mid-field , we were completely over run? A classy piece of play by Laca gave me some hope and I went off at half time to meet a pal who has moved seats who promised me the second half would would have me smiling again.
Goodness knows what was said to the players during the interval but there was energy from the kick-off and we were all over them for at least half an hour . Excitement abounded and we were rewarded for our positive efforts with Auba’s fine goal. At that stage I was convinced we would win the game but we eased off and the Spuds came back in the game so in the end I was thankful we came away with a point.
We were let down by Emery’s initial line up and his reluctance to make changes until late on. Our defensive frailties almost sank us again and until Ceballos arrival we lacked any creative flair to feed our potent strikers with that killer pass.
The main positive was the second half display of young Guendouzi who continually moved the ball forward. Why Xhaka wasn’t hooked before the interval is a mystery. I thought Torreira was out muscled
in mid-field and may still not be a 100% fit. As for Pepe, I felt sorry for him in the first half ,90% of the play was down the left aimed at Auba and the poor lad spent the half ignored, waiting in acres of space down the right waiting for someone to give him the ball. All very strange, then it was a very strange game.
Sorry for the ramble. COYR
It wasn’t a ramble Delia,
I enjoyed your and several
others reports of the game.
It’s always interesting to read
and thanks to you, C100, TTG
and Pangloss for sharing
TTG, think “over-strident” rather than “shit stirrer”. We are both entitled to hold, and express, our opinions. Apologies if mine were capable of misinterpretation.
COYG
I was guilty of coveting Dortmund’s midfielder Henrik Mkhitarian. And I was less than pleased after reports suggesting he was heading for the Emirates were dashed when he turned up a the Old T instead. But I was more than pleased when he arrived at Arsenal and replaced an increasingly uninspiring Alexis Sanchez following a swap deal with Manure.
I’ve been completely underwhelmed since by the very same Mkhi. I’m pleased he’s gone. I can’t summon the enthusiasm to wish well someone who was paid more in a week than I earned in a year for disappointing me to the back teeth every time I watched him play.
For everything else there’s Chris Willock for whom my expectations and admiration know no bounds. So I wish YOU well, Chris with the energy I might otherwise have expended on our one-time Armenian.
(Unai – please start this man ahead of Xhaka, no matter the time of day or day of the week. Go on, we know you read Goonerholic and so “Good Ebening” to you).
C100
I also spotted the push on Auba. It was a definite penalty and much more pronounced than Mustafi’s on Harry Kane at Wembley last year but poor Harry’s balance issues must have exacerbated his fall.
I agree with Bath that on reflection we should have won the match. Knowing that he was letting Mkhi leave the next day it was an extraordinary decision by Emery to bring him on especially as he is crap! But it was typical of his inconsistent and muddled thinking. Very similar to Wenger playing the Ox in a thrashing at Anfield and then selling him to Liverpool.
In retrospect the decision not to accept £60 m for Sanchez from Citeh was stupid and cost us greatly. Mkhi was the port we turned to in a storm. Thankfully Raul and Edu are clearer of thought than the people running the club then
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