Gunners Aiming For The Summit
Oct 23rd, 2015 by 'holic
“Everton is another big game so the target is for us to take advantage of that. We play in front of everybody so let’s take advantage of it. We have built up a run and that brings confidence, but you also want a good compromise between confidence, urgency and hunger. It must give us hunger to do more. That’s what we want to do against Everton.
Arsene Wenger points out the importance of producing another winning performance on Saturday evening. Victory would take us top of the Premier League, if only until the Manchester derby on Sunday. The confidence has returned and the defeat of Bayern Munich, on top of victories against Manchester United and Tottenham, will surely only strengthen that belief.
The Visitors
Everton arrive on the back of a defeat by Manchester United last week but that performance was surely affected by the news of Howard Kendall’s death. The Toffees had amassed 13 points from 8 matches prior to that and they remain in the top half of the table just 4 points behind fourth-placed West Ham.
Everton defeated Chelsea last month and have earned a point in our neck of the woods already courtesy of a goalless draw in N17 in August. Prior to the United match they also earned a point in the first Merseyside derby of the season.
They have an in-form striker in Romelu Lukako, who has 7 goals to his credit already this season. Defender John Stones, target of a very public transfer bid by Chelsea in the summer, and Ross Barkley in midfield are likely to be off to the European Championship with England at the end of the season.
The Arsenal
Aaron Ramsey’s hamstring injury sustained against Bayern will keep him out for three Arsenal weeks (so expect him back some time in the new year). David Ospina and Mikel Arteta are also ruled out along with the long-term absentees Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck, and Tomas Rosicky.
Arsene has probably got to make a decision between slotting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in as a straight replacement for Rambo, or switch Theo Walcott to the right hand side and recall Olivier Giroud up front. Hopefully beyond that any ‘rotation’ will be saved for Sheffield Wednesday next Tuesday in the COCup. Let’s get the best available team playing at a high tempo and pressing from the off to prevent Everton getting a foothold in the game and frustrating us.
I’m grateful to the BBC for an interesting little statistic about our HFB. “Olivier Giroud has scored his last four goals for Arsenal as a substitute. The Frenchman has scored four goals in his last four league and cup games against Everton.” He sounds worth a start for me. Get chalk on your boots, Theo.
The ‘holic pound
We are the form team in the Premier League right now. Everton have made things difficult for us in recent years and it is a fair bet that Roberto Martinez will set up to contain and counter. Everton have not won at the Grove but secured draws in 2006/7, 2009/10, 2012/13, and 2013/14. I will back against a repeat, however. Momentum could be halted at any time, but while it is with us the comfortable home win is sought. 3-0 to the Arsenal at around tens is too tempting for me. I’m on it. Be warned though, as the visitors have only conceded two goals on the road in the Premier League this season so far.
Pre-Match
The Daily Mirror’s John Cross will be at the wonderful Piebury Corner on Holloway Road from 2-4pm signing copies of his book ‘Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger’. Few have enjoyed the degree of access to Arsene in recent years as John so this promises to be a fascinating read. The added bonus of a delicious pie or scotch egg and a pint makes this a real pre-match attraction.
I will doubtless see a number of you at the usual haunt pre and post match. It looks as though we might just get a little bit wet! For those not lucky enough to be at the Grove I hope you find a decent broadcast to follow. As ever, have a good one ‘holics.
121 Responses to “Gunners Aiming For The Summit”
Drink!
It’s a privilege to come second to a legend.
I’ll take third behind those two.
‘holic royalty on parade.
Evening to you, highnesses! 🙂
arselicker
Boom!
New MLS stadium will be built in the older of the twin cities (St. Paul, not Minneapolis), about a mile from my house. 🙂
Are we the four jockeys you fortold H?
The end may be nigh…
@5
cba= can’t be arselicked.
Top 10 will do me.
I expect a famous 1 nil to the Arse in a dour game, with Everton putting 10 men behind the ball and playing for a draw.
€1.40
for 10mb
you feckers better be entertaining
don’t think i won’t send
a stern face
shower!
cba 🙂
Nice preview Guvna. Interesting stat on HFB.
I might just back HFB to be on the scoresheet again as he’s on a hot streak even if he’s only a part timer recently.
Meanwhile I expect FAP (Fragile Alien Princeling) to pull the Toffees all over the place.
I might even nip along to Piebury Corner to heckle John Cross. 😮
Only joking, Guvna.
Heh @ cba.
bt8
do you sleep?
do ye?
i get a chuckle each time from ye
each time
i look up ‘holic
“Cough’
DISCLAIMER
i have neither
either looked up ‘holic
or
been involved in any look upness
with regard to
the party of the ‘holic part
.
tabs n7
dig me out with a paper trail shovel
Everton don’t look on this game with much optimism, they haven’t won at the Grive ever nor have they beaten us at home since the early nineties. Giroud tends to cause them a lot of problems and I think Ox may start with Theo on the bench and HFB starting upfront. I also gave a feeling Gibbs may start too. But we haven’t got the scope to do too much rotation. I’m going for a 2-1 win and the chance to be top of the pile.
Enjoy the match Holics. I shall be there but I have a streaming cold at present and may be swathed in layers against the autumn evening. But what does that matter if we win?
thank you m’lud
for
deflecting attention
from
my
to be expected drunkery
€1.40
*taps foot*
CBA
I’m on a self- imposed month of sobriety which ends on Thursday so just consider yerself drinking for me . I know you won’t let me down?
*hears voices*
eh…….?
*hears voices*
Theo – Giroud – Ox up front with Alexis getting a well deserved rest, anyone? Gabriel to ease the strain on Per’s ageing fetlocks?
Having failed to cover itself in glory in recent weeks, the Holic pound sounds to be over-reaching itself at 3-0 imho. My Ya-Yas are out and iclined to go with the Sweeper’s black paint encrusted, 1960s vintage 1-0 to the rockers in red 🙂
can i just say
thank you m’lud
top man as ever
.
and
without goin into it
i’m guessin yer loaded
ye have puddles o liquid silver
claggin up yer sofas
i really do respect
people who have
sorted themselves
(without pouring washing up liquid into the worlds eyes)
but
i have fffrrrrr”tt
about ruthless money at all costs
shite
sorry m’lud
none of that is hoofed towards you
i have a problem with rich people
my own problem
my brother is loaded
Evening BTM
Might need the ‘ Street Fighting Man ‘ to make an appearance tomorrow,
Toffee men have several players well versed in the dark arts of stopping the opposition from playing.
Just to let a little air out of the Giroud stats, he has only been on the winning side twice in seven games against Everton (four draws and a loss round out the set), only two of those four goals came in league games and he has only scored once on the five occasions when he has started.
Theo is due for some goals against the Toffees. He has only scored twice in 11 games against them.
It will be a tough game, especially after the high of the Bayern match. Clive could well be on the money with a gritty 1-0.
NBN is the stats guy (or his monks are the stats men anyway) but I believe I’m right in thinking that the last time Giroud scored against the blues he also broke his leg. None of that tomorrow please.
Interesting dilemma for Arsene regarding Ox. The young man seems well short of confidence these days and his bad luck (misses against United or Bayern) is not helping. Hopefully he’ll get playing time in the next few weeks to get back to his best. It’s a long season and we’ll be much better off with an in-form Ox.
And hopefully we’re past the overconfidence (arrogance?) of the start of the season. Everton are a good team and we’ll need to be at our best to ensure the 3 points.
Let’s roll!
Play our strongest team. Collect 3 points. Then give them the week off.
End of. I’ve had enough of this poncing around with weakened sides when really there is no reason to.
For those going, enjoy. Another one due to TV that I will miss.
Much as I would be delighted to watch another 3-0 romp, I think Clive, TTG, BtM and Ned are on the money this time.
I suspect its going to be a hard fought, gritty scrap against thrawn, wounded, northern bar stewards set up to strangle the creativity out of us.
Here’s hoping we don’t choke at the prospect of taking first place for a day.
COYGs
For the last few matches it was a pleasant Arsenal did not pass until sunset.The speed of the attack is much better than before. Instead of the jerk and start the attack is fluent.
Everton will be atough game. They have had a weeks’ rest.
They will be robust in their tackles and hopefully the mo will do their work impartially and dish out the cards when and where necessary.
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw Stones or Jagielkas as I once heard say. Luckily, Theo, Alexis, and the HFB do not live in a glass house — to my knowledge — so the Everton center back pairing had best expect to be rolled, barged, ghosted, and yes, thrown from start to finish and back again. Not just one street fighting man but a whole squadron to keep the three points safe and out of pilfering Evertonian hands.
Nice thought, sticking away the three points and topping the table for one good night’s sleep before watching the two sets of Mancs tear each other from limb to limb and each settling for a bitter one point. Just follow the script, boys.
Arsenal play the late game tomorrow so this will not have an impact on our viewing this week but there is a rumor out there that the UK sets its clocks back tomorrow night. I will await confirmation from somebody who really knows the facts.
No impact this week unless you plan to see Mancs tearing each other from limb to limb on Sunday, of course.
if i hear one more fuckin cow
fuckin mooooin’
i’m gonny bust it’s fuckin hole
wankers 🙁
half a fuckin dozen dogs
barkin their chops off too
fuck this fer a lark
no way to live
jesus
morning
.
UP THE ARSENAL
🙂
think i’ll wrap a block o cheddar
in bacon an snort it
big day ahead
3-0, Holic ! Why not ?!
Everton continued their old habits last week – a throwback to the days when the otherwise stubborn David Moyes would roll over for Sir Chewy McPurplenose.
We are, though, a different proposition these days to the teams of Gallas, Eboue, Bendtner and much greener versions of Theo, Ox, etc.
Either the power of Giroud, or the pace of Walcott, will provide the Jaggy Elk with a difficult afternoon, not to mention the probing of Santi and the craft of Mesut, or even the fact that Erin is with me this afternoon.
Only 3-0 ??
Come on you Reedddssss !
Morning all. Seems like a heavy night cba?
The toffees always play hard down here nowadays. Expect them to try & throttle the midfield. Speed will be their undoing so a turned on Theo up top and The Ox to replace Rambo. The sort of match where I would play Gabriel rather than Per. A hard fought game with just 1 goal in it for the good guys.
I’m heading back up the Bay of Biscay towards Blighty and the home of good beer. Have a large glass of Stella in front of me…..needs must. Hope the Internet connection will hold & I can keep up to speed on the game later today. Have a good one ‘Holics.
Safe passage, Uply.
We kick off as the sun sinks over the yardarm – give us a wave !
Geddit ?!
😉
This will be a tough nut to crack, Everton may have been quite crap v ManUre but they will not have two such terrible performances on the spin. The key for us is that the players must have moved on from the high of the Bayern game and come into the game focused. I will be happy with any win, and I would rotate as little as possible (i.e. only the Ox in for Aaron from the team which started on Tuesday) and then rest everyone on Tuesday when we can play the likes of Iwobi, Macey, Campbell, Flamini, Chambers and such. I would definitely start Theo up top with the aim of having him make Everton defenders do as much running as possible and then bring on Giroud at around 65-70 minutes or so.
CBA
Loaded is an exaggeration but comfortable is probably fair. You have to be reasonably flush to afford a ticket nowadays
Cheers Trev….the tide has turned and we are on the crest of a wave 😉
Cheers Guv’.
I’d like to see our strongest available team, no faffing about with rotation, that is what the midweek game is for.
Come out of the starting blocks quickly, grab a lead, then sit back and pick them off on the break would be my favoured aproach, but any win will do in this one.
COYG’s.
if i hear one more fuckin cow
fuckin mooooin’
i’m gonny bust it’s fuckin hole
wankers 🙁
What do you expect them to do, harmonise like a barbershop quartet?
Miserable sod
😉
Make sweet mooosic. 😉
“Give me the moooonlight,
Give me the girl ……. ”
Or, maybe, do the low-commotion ….. 😉
Moooooon River. ?????
Heh! cba,
Your cows are probably just Sunderland fans – cheering on Lee Cattlemole. 😉
Spam Allardyce ☺️
A little historical diversion ahead of the late kick-off.
Our first home game against Everton was a 2-1 victory in the old First Division in April 1905. Charlie Satterthwaite and Andrew Ducat scored our goals. We were still Woolwich Arsenal then and playing at the Manor Ground, Plumstead.
Ducat was a centre forward turned right half who was one of the few sportsman to have been an England international at both football and cricket. He played his country cricket for Surrey in the Jack Hobbs, Tom Hayward era and was good enough not only to play for England but to be one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 1920.
He joined Arsenal from Southend United in 1904-05, playing 188 games and scoring 21 goals before being sold to Aston Villa after the 1911-12 season for £1,000, by when he has won three of his six England caps and we were in financial straits.
Ducat retired from professional football in 1924 and managed Fulham for a while, if not particularly successfully. He was sacked after two seasons.
He continued playing first-class cricket into his mid-forties, retiring in 1931 and taking up a position as cricket coach at Eton. He died of a heart attack while playing in a match between two Home Guard teams at Lord’s in 1942.
🙂
mooosters
🙂
and
thunder T
pay no heed to my bla bla blurbles
fulla shite
a polite description of the drunken me
cba. Sounds like you got plenty of moolah yourself. Wink.
WH 1 Fulham Bus Stop 0. Matic sent off.
Tee hee!
More fun and games for MOOOOrinho.
At HT, WHU 1 – Chelsea 0 and Matic sent off. HaHA.
Moaninho red carded too…HAHAHAHAHA!
😀
Oh my Jose. Oh my oh my.
An ominous moan can be heard from the far stands at Upton Park….
Hahahahahahahhaahahahha!
🙂
Come on.
Come on!
Comeeeeeeeeee Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
News just in from Chelsea
https://diamondcelebrities.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/mo.jpg
that pass by Mesut..oof
Girouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuddddddddddddd!
GET IN!!!!
😀
GET IN KOS!
Kozzer!
KOSCIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELNyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
GET INNNNNNNNN!
😀
Fuck’s sake.
oh Gabriel 🙁
Unlucky…. nothing to worry about!
Come Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
That goal was down to Ox dawdling on the ball when he had a wide open Bellerin to his right. Hard luck on Gabriel.
After losing the ball, the Ox had a very good look at Barkley’s run on the counter, but decided not to run back at full tilt until the ball fell to Barkley. Quite disappointing when his dawdling, as Jean pointed out, lost the possession in the first place after Bellerin made a good run to his right.
We are still a goal ahead, and I’m sure Ox is intelligent and apt enough to make up for it.
How about the 2 assists from Santi and Ozil, though?
That ball by Mesut to OG was as inch perfect cross as you will ever see..no chance for Howard to get there.
Bring on Walcott…. his pace will be devastating!
Come On!!!!
OX off and Theo on please.
Come Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
We’re TOPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
GET IN!!!!!!!!!!!
😀
…and F Moaninho!
Up The Arse!
😀
WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE, SAY…..
we are top of the league! …absolutely loved that tackle Gabriel made and his reaction afterwards…I really like this squad..like ..a lot.
Cech once more proves his worth. 2 points the difference between top of the table and not top of the table.
Top!
Ozil MOTM for me… worked his socks off, brilliant assist… deserved a goal, which he nearly got too!
What a satisfying week!!
😀
We can’t ask any more than for all players to give their all every game, regardless the opponent. And tonight, after a big game against Bayern, they played their hearts out again.
Top of the league! Cech with another game winning save. And how about Wenger’s selections? The subs played their parts perfectly, and OG for Theo was inspired. Coyg!
Alexis better be rested for the league cup… he’s looking a little tired of late.
We’ll need him for Munich!!
🙂
Anyone want the last “Arsene Must Go” banner.Might come in handy at Stamford Bridge repainted with updated manager name change.
We are top a of the league.
Say, we are top of the league!
.BMBD
Giroud had a fantastic game and so did Mesut…
We should have scored the third but it was just one of those days. Really happy with how this team is shaping up… Today when we weren’t able to score through our usual smooth passing and movement, we scored a couple of cracking headers.. That is just the sort of variety needed for a successful season. Want both Santi and Ox to get a goal soon… Santi delivered a lethal free kick again after that pearler against bayern. The manager got his selection spot on and this was a fantastic performance considering the amount of chasing the team did against bayern…
http://i.imgur.com/kVl8l1i.jpg
😀
Back from a wet but happy Grove after a very gruelling match. I don’t know why Theo was not brought on for Sanchez who was running on fumes after half time. I was delighted with the attitude of the side. One or two players were very off key ( Ox and Sanchez) but the defence was effective and Coquelin played a very disciplined role in front of the back four.
I thought Giroud had an admirable game and I agree with the praise for Ozil. He and Santi put in major shifts against a team who did not have a Champions League tie in their legs. Ozil’s ball to Giroud for the first goal was sublime.
I do worry about lack of options off the bench. It’s all very well closing a game down but if we had to win it with different options we didn’t have very much to offer.We have to play a real shadow side on Tuesday and give our first team a rest even if we go out to a side flying high in the Championship.
I’m very frustrated with Ox. I think he may have sustained his usual injury after a few games in the first team but he was really lacking end product today. He’s a lad who has possibly had too much too easily and he’s not developing into the player that someone with his ability could be. I’m not sending the hunger you sense with Coquelin or Bellerin . But he’s with the best mentor of young talent and I’m sure this hasn’t escaped him either
Sadly Delofeu soured the game with three blatant dives. He’s very good at it but should have been booked although Lee Mason wasn’t hoodwinked. Having seen young Bojan on Monday and the regular theatrics of Fabregas the diving tradition is alive and well at the Nou Camp.
@TTG
I think it’s a little harsh on the Ox.., he’s the type of player that wants to take on defenders. Would love to see him develope more!
Having said that, he does look a bit rusty (nothing a few games won’t rectify) and it was his mistake which led to them scoring. He should have passed to Bellerin(?) on the wings who was free.
Shall put it down to him not getting enough regular games.. hope he gets a proper run! And he better not be injured.
As for Delofeu… well our ex-Barca player is better than their ex-Barca player!!
😀
Good for Bellerin. He’s cleansed.
Never have to roll the ball on Campy Camp.
Delofeu should have had at least one yellow card for dissent and one for diving.
Deul-o-faux deserved the third yella for playing with wet underwear.
Top of the league before Halloween! Ooooooooooooo-scary!
A defensive second half just to keep all the Gooners and Goonerettes on the edge of their seats! Never in doubt as we did it against the Mighty Munchkins!
Alexis looks cream-crackered! A midweek break from the CoC-lul should help! Put yer wee legs up Maestro before the wallowing Swans at their Welsh-Britan-nia Stade next Sat! The back-up singers should be enough against the Steel-city Blue & Whites!
Up the Arse all day and all night! COYBG!
More on the Ox: thought he had a much better second half, doing more of what he does best — running at the defense, putting pressure on — and he had a couple of nice passes towards Alexis. Just needs to realize that “box to box” involves running back as well as forward. But with a consistent run of games and more experience, we’ll see a more refined product.
And what do we make of Flamini’s recent offensive exploits? AW’s latest LANS for the attack?
Top
Of
The…
The ..
League!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring on the latest charges against Mourinho.
Better be good this time though.
And bring on the Mancuntian shenanigans, aka war of attrition. 🙂
Worst 100th drink ever.
@104. Heh.
I think 8ball is responsible for the first ‘reverse tabs’.
Why does Danny Murphy’s head always have that weird frozen quality?
Oh. Right. Because the only time I ever see it my TV is doing fast-forward at 30 times regular speed.
Arsenal play in red.
Our pitch is green.
Lee Mason is a crap referee.
Ozil is an amazing football player.
Not everything he does is perfect. He can certainly frustrate (SHOOT!). And I have seen better. Wearing our colours too. But I have never seen anyone who plays football the way that he does. He seems like he is playing a different game- which is an overused expression that usually means simply that someone is good- but in his case actually describes what he does on the pitch.
If you watch his body language slump, followed moments later by a dart to the ball, lay-off and 60 yard dash forward, I am pretty sure that at times he acts like he is not interested so that opposition players stop paying him as much attention as they should.
I always used to stand outside the box facing away from the goal and pretending to tie my shoelaces before my school team took corners. I scored a lot of goals with my sudden runs into the box because I was never marked. Even after scoring with the same trick previously in a game. The body subconsciously switches off when it assesses you as being no danger- it’s an evolution thing or something.
I am sure Mesut uses body language as subtly and shrewdly as anyone I have ever seen play the game. He makes defenders switch off. Sometimes he can even persuade half the stadium that he isn’t 100% tuned-in. But I think it is deliberate. He can’t ever say as much though or the jig will be up.
I am of course not suggesting that this is always true and that he isn’t sometimes simply knackered… Whatever his qualities and weaknesses he is no Alexis. But Alexis is no Ozil either. Glad we have both players- Chalk and Cheese. And Cech.
We have a defence we may be able to build a Championship-winning team on. It’s been a long time.
Three points today were all that mattered. Great stuff.
UTA
We’re finally seeing the full fish-god and I for one am delighted. So what if he doesn’t score, when he can deliver divine assists as he has in recent games? Better than Fab4 in his best games, imo. And to think it’s all coming together since I dropped the umlaut…
I was pleased to see Theo fully rested rather than subbed on late. Had the toffees stuck in an equaliser I’m sure we’d have seen him, but he was never going to be called on to defend while we hung on, and the complete rest will do him good. Ox, otoh, was hugely disappointing and had Theo started on that wing the game could have been over by HT.
Let’s hope AW rests a bunch of players for Tuesday’s League Cup, a trophy we really don’t need to go for (especially as it’s the first of 3 away games in 8 days with a deal of travelling involved). A good one to test the mettle of our youngsters, imo.
The Swans may look there for the taking, but we sometimes don’t take such games seriously enough, so not a lot of resting there I hope – even with at least a point being highly desirable in Munich 4 days later. Not to mention at home to the filth 4 days after that.
Then it’s WBA, Norwich, Sunderland and Villa which could be okay for some rotation.
Oskar
I didn’t mean to diss Ox completely. He’s not seen a lot of game time and I’m hoping it’s more a case of rust. And I don’t think wing is his best position anyway.
Oskar
Cynic. They all count, and the ones that just barely make it over the line after a miskick annoy the hell out of the opposition even more. 😉
Excuse my doodling while I try to figure this out:
Mousa Dembele (http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/first-team-profiles/mousa-dembélé/), a midfielder, plays for Tottenham.
Moussa Dembele (http://www.fulhamfc.com/player-profiles/moussa-dembele), a striker, plays for Fulham. Note the extra “s” in his name.
Mousa Dembele, the midfielder who plays for Tottenham, used to play for Fulham, and to the fullest extent of my knowledge, spelled his name the same way when he played for both clubs.
… or did he??
Body double?
bt8b@114: The Moussa Dembélé who plays for the neighbours is Mousa or Moussa Sidi Yaya Dembélé, 28, a midfielder and Belgian of Malian descent. He used to play for Fulham.
The Moussa Dembélé who currently plays for Fulham is 19, a forward and French of Malian descent.
There is also a Senegalese hurdler of the same name.
There are around a dozen Dembélé’s, mostly French and all of Malian descent, playing professional football around the European leagues.
Damn all the clocks.
6.30 wakeup on Sunday would have been early enough. 5.30 was simply unnecessary.
Oh well. Where are we?
I remember- Top of the (the) League!
Morning GSD!
HaHa- I nearly forgot too but I got the extra hour do my heart goes out to you .
I thought Ozil ran himself into the ground yesterday. Don’t know what his stats were but I know where his heart us. I think he loves our club and has adjusted to English football and I think we’ve adjusted to him and his unusual style. I love what he does , his assists are sublime and his ball to Giroud for the first goal was brilliant.
He’s even won over the umlautless Oskar!
Great victory yesterday – grinding out a win like that against a decent side is a promising sign….
Gabriel was fantastic again (I loved the passion of his celebration when he made that last-ditch tackle in injury time), and it’s a reminder of just how far our squad have come in options since this time last year. We’d practically ceded any chance of winning the title by Oct/Nov, and I remember all those horrendously makeshift back fours (Monreal at CB, Chambers getting lots of games and being overly relied upon, and Kos out crocked for a long spell). Now, we’ve got 2 decent understudy full-backs on the bench, and 4 excellent CBs battling for 2 places….
Only problem could come if Giroud or Walcott get injured, as the competition/variety between them seems to be working very nicely, and with Welbeck not back til Jan, I wouldn’t want to be relying on just one frontline striker for any significant period of time. I also feel validated in being one of few people backing Wenger’s refusal to buy just for the sake of it in the summer. Sure, we’ve had some indifferent performances already, but which team in European football hasn’t, and that was more due to poor performances on the day by players who are normally better rather than lack of squad options.
TTG,
Oskar only ever had virtual umlauts anyway. 😉
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>