The Dream Ends In Madrid
May 3rd, 2018 by 'holic
Arsene Wenger sent out a team unchanged from the first leg of the Europa League in his bid to earn a place in the Lyon Final. His last words to the pre-match interview spoke of his team playing with the handbrake off. It’s been a while since he has plucked that one out of his memory bank.
Atleti started the brighter and forced an early corner which we just about dealt with eventually. A decent cross by Alexandre Lacazette was chested out for our first corner five minutes in. The loathsome Costa barged his way Nacho Monreal and chipped not only David Ospina but also, thankfully, the crossbar.
Moments later Laurent Koscielny appeared to severely tear his glass Achilles heel and was stretchered off to warm applause from a generous crowd. Calum Chambers came on to replace the skipper. I wonder if we will ever see him in an Arsenal shirt again?
The boys tried to respond positively and Aaron Ramsey just failed to set-up Monreal and Hector Bellerin. When the latter found yet more space he over-hit the cross but the Arsenal were finally settling into the tie. We survived when Danny Welbeck gave away the ball near the edge of the Atletico box and within seconds Costa was trying to wriggle into a shooting position, but mercifully Shkodran Mustafi was able to dispossess him.
We were so close to the first goal when Ramsey freed Lacazette but a heavy first touch meant he had to turn away from Oblak and the chance was gone. At the other end a game of head tennis in the Gunners box ended when Koke fired an excellent left foot volley just wide of the far post. Within moments Griezmann lost Jack Wilshere and his snap shot just missed the same post.
As tempers began to fray Wilshere was very unlucky to be the recipient of the first yellow card for little more than a shove when the referee had overlooked a number of fouls, particularly by Godin and Costa. Just when we thought we had seen out the half another dreadful defensive lapse cost us dearly. Griezmann picked out Costa who snuck in from behind the dozing Bellerin and lifted the ball over an already prone Ospina and into the net.
Atletico Madrid 1-0 The Arsenal
A friend tweeted that he would bring on Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Wilshere at half time. I agreed, but that isn’t what Arsene does at this stage of matches. Dangerously the first chance of the second-half fell to that man Costa, unmarked beyond the far post, but his free header was straight into the grateful arms of Ospina. Costa then attempted to play in Griezmann and the alert Granit Xhaka was alert to the danger and cleared the danger at the expense of a throw in.
Gabi was the recipient of the second yellow card of the night for a professional foul on Welbeck and the resulting free-kick found Ramsey in the six yard box, but the ball wouldn’t drop quickly enough having bounced off his thigh and his snatched volley was wide. When Mustafi slid past him Costa found himself in the clear again only to be denied by a superb last ditch challenge by Chambers.
Monreal’s professional foul on Griezmann on the edge of the box earned him a yellow card, but mercifully no more as Griezmann’s free-kick was wide of the far post. We got at them again but Ozil’s cut-back found only a wall of red and white stripes. A second avoided everybody as the Gunners attempted to ramp up the pressure. Oblak had to stretch to tip a Xhaka shot around his near post.
Back came Atletico and Costa was denied by a determined Monreal block. Another big chance fell to Griezmann but it was deflected into the arms of Ospina. Finally the obvious change was made. Wilshere, having little impact on the match, made way for Mkhitaryan with just over twenty minutes remaining. Saul hauled Ramsey to the floor and was rightly booked. The ensuing free-kick was cleared to Mkhitaryan just outside the box who volleyed inches over the bar and into the roof of the net. Such small margins.
Griezmann looked set to end the dream in 76 minutes but Xhaka made another wonderful last-ditch tackle to keep our fading hopes alive. Costa threw the ball away when we won a free-kick and drew a response from Mustafi, and both were booked. Mustafi cleared another Costa cut-back as nerves built approaching the final ten minutes. Costa decided to lie down for a couple of minutes. Torres was sent on for him to eat up even more precious seconds. Our rhythm was being professionally destroyed.
The clock ticked down on Arsene’s last European dream. I was tired of hearing how we were the better side. Atleti have done this before. They surrender possession but not territory. They employ all of the dark arts that we just wish the Arsenal would now and again. We threw the ball forward at the death in ever more desperate attempts at a miracle. It wasn’t to be.
So many players gave their all tonight, but frankly two or three need to look long and hard at themselves. That you let your manager and your team-mates down should bother you. That you let down nearly 4000 travelling Gooners upsets the hell out of me.
So to Sunday, and the emotional last home game of the season.
152 Responses to “The Dream Ends In Madrid”
🙁
Now to read the post!
So much for “doing it for the boss”……couldn’t believe I was watching a semi final and out last route back into Champs League.
I was going to do player ratings but that’s so 1990s
Great post Holic!
But I believe it goes deeper than that, it’s not just the two or three players….
We have no game plan no rhythm in our play making no understanding between the players too! Those guys weren’t even pumped for this game, way too casual…
Do it for the Boss?? Meh….I’ll get paid the boss is a nice chap!
I’ll name the two players I most want us to get rid of though.
Ozil and Welbeck. The tin man and scarecrow of the team.
I’m not saying who Dorothy is.
Please think before hitting the ‘submit comment’ button here tonight. Think a few years hence. Would my grandkids be proud of me for typing what I night do tonight.
I don’t mind admitting I’m struggling too. That hurts.
Can Bellerin and Iwobi join them as well?
Very fair summary Holic. You read the game very well albeit like we all do through red and white tinted glasses. On the positive side I thought Chambers did wonderfully well in very difficult circumstances . Xhaka was disciplined and made some great blocks and tackles. Ramsey ran his legs off as did Welbeck. Mkhi looked very likely when he came on.
On the negative side the full-backs were awful especially Bellerin who was as Holic said dozing but is frankly not worth a place in this side. He can’t defend and his delivery is awful. Nacho may be a case of tempus fugit. Mustafi can go as far as am concerned and Ozil needed to step up a gear although he worked hard. He doesn’t dominate enough in games like this.
Final word- how we missed Ollie Giroud tonight. He would have given us presence in the box.
The first leg did the damage. Gutted for Wenger and Koscielny. And I wouldn’t want Simeone considered even as an option for the next Arsenal manager.
I’d be very happy to see the back of Ozil too. He just isn’t ever going to do it for us in a big game and we could spend his wages on something better.
Thing with Bellerin is that I reckon his heart is in the right place, despite my cheeky comment in the last drinks that was really meant as black humour, but he’s been brought up under a coach who doesn’t coach.
Certain other players are just here for the easy ride and the cash.
Gutted.Would have loved Arsene to go out with one last hurrah but too many players lacked any urgency &,to be honest,the quality.Been watching for 40 years & this really hurts.Whoever is coming in has one fucking massive job to do.Good luck with that!!
Just to add!
I don’t know what we saw in Laca, I’m sure he’s a nice chap and all that but we did pay a lot for him and he’s no near showing us if that money was spent well.
Instead of playing those one’s and two’s a striker should pull the trigger he seems to have this passing thing engraved in his head I assume this is were Arsene comes in…..
Our fullbacks? Crosses? What bloody crosses those two should come down and see how 12 year old boys cross the ball on Saturday morning at Laurel Park FC kick off at 9am lower pitch! 🙂
Ambydex @16
Sorry fella have to disagree here he assembled this squad he picked most of these players, he coaches them week in week out! He’s always stands behind them and protects them.
It’s more like they have started to take the piss and he’s too blind to see it!
We were always told we will learn from it, did we?
2006 aside, when did Arsenal ever knock out one of the major teams in Europe in Wenger’s 22 years? I can only think of Milan in 2008. It’s a truly pathetic record and certainly is not down to luck or coincidence.
Well, he did it HIS way to the very end.
One Arsene Wenger!
Onwards and (with any luck) upwards, ‘Holics.
There were moments in the game where a ball would bounce in the middle of one our defender and midfielder….
What they do…they wait because one thinks the other will get to the ball and vice versa…
This tells me concentration levels are none existent within this squad…
I don’t want to hear about our team spirit and desire….and how bad they feel now….
This game was nothing about spirit and desire! It was a complete let down and yet again!
Not concentration levels IMO, just a hope that someone else will take responsibility.
A level of buck passing that is a trademark of teams in recent years, sadly.
ATG, clearly Arsene is not clear from all the fault like take one example, I think he can out Mikhi earlier or even startt the game. But i’ve seen this exact same set of players play with more desire, more discipline and most important thing won the game. Surely that is not entirely down to Wenger.
And i talked specifically about tonight game, probably our most important match all season, the team played like this is some Emirates Cup game. It’s unacceptable. I’m sure those 12 years old at Laurel Park understand better than our players.
Good summary, Holic. I feel your pain 🙂
Two pretty average teams tonight. Tie was lost in the first leg when it should have been closed out. My expectations were low going in this evening and, for once this season, they were met.
Not the ending to a wonderful era that many of us had hoped for. Substantial changes and some difficult times ahead I suspect.
Ambydex,
Agreed…. this season has been exactly like the game tonight no real effort, no desire, no passion…you can add more to this line if you wish…
So what is the issue here? Did the players stop playing for him months ago and had an occasional good performances?
Or has Arsene truly lost the plot here?
There is a reason or a cause to our downfall I’m just trying to figure out which one is it????
I’m very disappointed with the level and nature of some of the criticism on here tonight. We were playing a very canny team who will definitely win this. The team worked hard but we are naive defensively and our goalkeeper went down too early but there was no lack of effort or desire, we were just playing a streetwise team in a ground where they are almost invincible . There’s a lot wrong with tge team and set up but don’t let’s throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Thoughts are with Koscielny. I suspect we might have managed this injury much better . It won’t be his last game for us. No one will buy him in the summer with that injury!
Those 12 year old boys are becoming more and more physical now, you can certainly see real passion and commitment on those faces!
God, I hope the new guy offers Keown a job as assistant and coach… haha.
TTG@10 and 26, that is exactly how I saw the game too. Some of the venom and negativity here is annoying.
TTG
I’m gutted and disappointed with that pile of horse manure they have just served us….
Not throwing babies out the pram yet but certainly proves the fact that in the manner we lost this 2nd leg goes to show that we are a long way away from what we used to be….
I sincerely hope I’m mistaken ….
Desi?
Venom? I would call venom a rather nasty stuff!
We only had one shot on target should really tell you the whole story…
Have a good one Holics, no more venom from me! 😀
I’ll say the one man I would get rid of. Özil.
We were up against an awesome defence and our defensive frailties cost us in both legs despite a sterling effort by almost all. In truth we just weren’t good enough to beat Atletico over two legs. We made plenty chances but didn’t take them in the first leg. We just didn’t make any clear chances in the second leg. Our soft underbelly and lack of defensive nous cost us in both legs.
I would have loved Arsene to sign off with the Europa League trophy and had we faced the opposition Manure faced last season, he would almost certainly have done so. However fizzling out as a result of defensive naivety is perhaps a more likely and appropriate ending for our recent trajectory. Pity but fairy tales don’t happen in real life.
I am now at ease with our change of manager. Time to rebuild. I hope our new man wins this pot in his first season!
Thanks Arsene. A Lot! Fare well.
…and excellent match report H.
TTG @26: if you said the team worked hard and there was no lack of effort and desire, I’m completely fine with it although I don’t agree with it.
One particular game when we lost the game but played with excellent display of effort and desire was when we lost against Man Utd or should I say to De Gea. That day were pushing hard and harder, we tried to make things happen but we lost anyway. And I applauded the team for that.
And if you compare that game with tonight’s game, well…
I was really hoping for the fairytale/love story ending but it was not to be. A great man, who became an inadequate coach at the end is now leaving us. Make no mistake, this man loved the club as much as we do here and it ain’t going to happen again. A huge part of Arsenal for me is departing. I even found a photo of me and him having a conversation some twenty two years back. What was the conversation? I asked him if he knew about Herbert Chapman. Little did I know that he would compete with him for the best manager ever award. And the lasting memory I have was that he did actually engage in conversation with me – it wasn’t just lip service.
I had hoped that the fairytale would come true because my Turkish neighbours (I live in Turkey) are going to the wedding of the third choice goalkeeper for Lyon so, of course, I would find a way of getting tickets. It wasn’t to be … and I’m not that surprised … because his time was up. I suspect that Kos’s time is up as well. I feel very sad about it all but glad that there is this forum for expressing it. Thank you all! This place is a real sanctuary. Thank you so much ‘Holic.
Please scan and upload that picture, Bodrum Gooneress, if you can. I would love to see it.
I share many of your sentiments.
Cheers, ‘Holic. Cheers and thanks, Arsene.
Not sure how Lonestar?
Painful night H
One shot on target all game,when we knew we absolutely had to score to stay alive.
Says it all really.
As BTM and Bath have already pointed out,the tie was lost at the Ems when the players belief went out the window after Athleti scored late on with 10 men in the first leg.
Only 3 more games to endure before the curtain comes down on a season we would all rather forget.
Then we can look forward to a new beginning, hopefully with a good tough no nonsense Manager, who can begin the task of a rebuilding job that hopefully will take us to a higher level and allow us to compete for the top trophies once again,something that we all took for granted in the halcyon days of yore.
Bodrum,
You can host it here https://imgur.com/
Paste the share link back in the drinks…
A ruptured achilles for Koscielny. That’s surely the end, you don’t get over those quickly. 🙁
Bath@34
All the way with you, sir. Absolutely spot on.
Atleti happen to be better at football than the Arsenal. They are more organised and disciplined than we are and also have players with heart.
I have come to terms with the fact that AW leaving is the right thing to do and at the right time too.
It’s time to look forward with hope and faith that we are doing the right thing and moving in the right direction.
UTA
I’m honestly going to miss Arsene when I think of it, of course I will I can’t deny that, he is one of the kind, the last long standing manager we will ever see and will be in our hearts forever….He deserves tons of respect for what he has done and achieved.
Players especially tonight have let him down massively, the only positive from this is that the new guy will not take under performances for granted.
Night all….
“a pitiless man, double-tough, and fear does not enter into his thinking”
s’wat we need
Randolph Scott’s dead cba and he was big supporter of the diamond formation anyway.
is he ?
was he ?
well , shut my mouth !
ping
pong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRnJbMT-WD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVkOzFU11iE
fuck ***
ya
spineless arsenal
footBallers
.
.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlCiDEXuxxA
spineLess
bastArds
&
&
&
.
.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3_xiUYMnXA
immanuel KantS
Same old waltzing about we’ve seen all season – slow, slow, thick, thick, slow – when football’s version of the can can was required.
You reckon pace is missing, bath? Too right. For all his faults Theo liked a big game and would certainly have livened up our funereal attacking – the initiation of which seemed to require at least two banks of defenders in place before we made our move. And as I said after the home leg the presence of OG up front, a proper CF in place of the midget now employed there, could have made a difference since we were never going to go through Atleti’s properly ordered defences. We could do worse than find who it is has them sorted so well and offer him a job. Unless, as Cynic suggests, we could engage Martin Keown for the job, an under-used talent already available to us.
Disappointing, but hardly unexpected.
All we need now to complete the miserable season is for the announcement of AW’s successor to be delayed until the last day of the window while would-be transfers sign elsewhere. Or, worst case scenario, there isn’t a new manager currently sorted and AW is asked to stay on for another year.
Don’t mind me, I’m having a private nigthmare…
Strangest feeling for me personally…
Been supporting the Woolwich since 2006, this is the first time i can remember having nothing to play for with games left in the season.
(I realize Europa league place is still in the balance, but it shouldn’t be…and I really can’t be arsed anyway).
G’nite all.
Nothing to play for, Lonestar? We could still finish 7th in a six horse race,mate. That would complete it!
@26
As you say TTG.
We weren’t good enough over the 2 legs, not
only defensively I felt as it was the failure of
the attack that cost us in the 1st leg. We let
in 2 goals over 180 minutes against a top
class side – that’s to be expected I think.
Chris, or even worse the club announces Brendan Rogers as the new manager…
A ruptured achilles for Kos is a damn shame
too, undeserved endings at The Arsenal for both
the captain and manager last night. Although,
I expect to see Kos in an Arsenal shirt again I
don’t think he can continue as a first choice
centre back sadly.
Not the ending we wanted obviously but it
remains now this season to say goodbye to
AW and also to BFG who I hope will get a
game in one of the remaining fixtures.
Hopefully we can show our class as a club
and a support with a gracious send-off and
then turn our thoughts to the future.
Chris,
I think with respect you are missing the effect of the change at the club. I will gloss over the Theo comment. In the WM against a team of street fighterslike Atlético Theo would be last on my list of players to take them on. He’s moved on and so have we.
Now to your point about the new boss. Mislintat decides transfers now and bought Mavropanos without reference to Wenger. Who the new boss is won’t impact who we buy other than if no name is announced it might deter one or two signings from committing but I expect the name to be announced in the fortnight after the last game. They don’t want to do it earlier out of deference to Arsene.
Mislintat has a role we’ve not had before and with Sanllehi has effectively taken out a lot of what Arsene did before – and which caused great consternation for Gazidis and co with his changes of course. For example we had a deal agreed for Griezmann three or four years ago , when we bought Ozil and he pulled out of it upsetting Griezmann no end and meaning we tried to loan Demba Ba on the last day of the window. So I think your fears are unfounded. Arsenal will be operating in a very new way going forward.
You take me too seriously, TTG. And you certainly bit with my Theo comment! I mentioned him only to highlight the lethargic nature of our attacking and counter-attacking these days.
Similarly my reference to OG continues what I have been saying since Laca joined us … he’s too short for a focal point CF in today’s game. Since then of course we have signed Aubameyang who is nearly 6 inches taller, so hopefully we will see him leading the line more often than not.
As to the changes at the club, let’s wait and see what they actually amount to. I assume the next manager is already signed and can’t imagine Arsene would be fussed either way if the announcement was made tomorrow. The sooner he’s unveiled the better I say. If rumours prove true we may need all the time available to come to terms with whoever, while whoever may need the same amount of time to sell himself to prospective transfers-in.
However it eventuates we are living in interesting times for Arsenal FC. Let’s hope they’re not times of the Sino-interesting kind. 😉
Theo should never have been ostracised and should still be at the club. He is a far far better player than Welbeck and would have contributed many more goals and assists than the complete waste of time that is Mesut Ozil.
Anyway…
Theo Walcott had 10 years to make an impression and failed to such an extent no one really gave a shit when he left. Same could be said for Ozil and a host of others.
Let see it the way it really is….
There is a lot work to be done at Arsenal, and the squad that will remain after Arsene leaves is in need of a major reassemble.
Out: Ospina, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Jack, Santi, Welbeck
Possible forced sales: Rambo, Hector
Relegated to the bench: Cech, Koscielny (when/if fit),
In: Good GK; Big strong shouty CB; Dominating CMFer; Replace any forced sales; Young LB*; Young RB*
Simples. :0/
Without Ozil, we wouldn’t have even qualified for Europe this season let alone won it. We wouldn’t have qualified for next season’s competition either.
That idiot Keown shouldn’t be allowed within a mile of the Emirates home dugout.
Agree with the former President #69. You don’t buy a Ferrari then hook a trailer to it. If you want a workhorse, you buy one. Everyone knew and knows the kind of player he is. The most important player in the German national team. The second most important player in the Real Mad team when there, behind Ronaldo. Frankly, anyone can run a round and kick people. There are very few who can do what he does. So you let him do the creative stuff and employ others to do his running.
I find it strange so many people are criticising a guy with such output in terms of assists and general team play when so many put up with 13 years of Walcotts hiding from the ball, constantly passing the ball back to the guy who gave it to him, falling over, miscontrolling. Let’s see problems where they are, not retro fit problems to perceived player weaknesses.
*gets popcorn – awaits cynic*
*gets pint too – is not an eejit*
*is aware that’s up for debate*
*shuts up*
oooh 3/4 ton
*scores out 73*
@ 70 – Your last paragraph described Ozil to a tee
£42m
£350k a week
All he will ever win of any note whilst he is with us is the World Hide and Seek Championship.
Mesut Ozil summed up – He could have agreed a move to any club in the world in January and the only club that wanted him was the one he was already at. We are now stuck with him but I hope we can find someone mad enough to pay us a decent fee. Highly highly unlikely though as nobody wanted him for nothing just a few months ago.
As for qualifying for Europe this season, I think Alexis Sanchez had much more to do with it than Ozil.
Alexis – 38 games, 24 goals, 11 assists
Ozil – 33 games, 8 goals, 10 assists
11 players attacking every ball.
A minimum requirement that leaves Ozil out of the equation.
The defenders will come up with stats of how many assists and runs he makes, but he should be much more effective if he is the “heart” of the team. Heart is not what he has provided.
On a separate note,I see Alan Brazil is now a dietitian.Telling young Hector to eat a raw steak.Fat cunt looks like he ate the whole cow.Jog on you fat Spud .
I once spent some time drinking in a bar near Blackfriars with Mr.Brazil. He had definitely done it before. My friend had a business meeting with him over lunch that lasted five hours. He is not really the man to give nutritional advice
Ozil has 12 assists this season, Cynic. Not an avalanche by any means, but nobody else in our squad even comes close.
Taking dietary advice from Alan Brazil would be like asking Ted Bundy how to be a hit with the chicks.
Indeed.The odious turd certainly has an opinion on anything Arsenal related.Trouble is,none of us want to hear any of them.
Guess it’s just me and the Prez who don’t use our Ferrari’s for ploughing the estate then….
Cynic,
Ozil may we’ll win nothing with us. But for a man who has won pretty much all the biggest baubles in football, doesn’t that say more about Arsenal, at least under late era Wenger than about him? To blame him for our woes just seems massively back to front to me. Perhaps a coach who doesn’t believe that defending is cheating will ensure there is a suitable platform on which a real footballer can build and do what he does best.
one of the best defence i’ve ever seen
Atletico
masterclass in 180 minutes
Ozil has won three FA Cups with us
they concede a goal every six hours on the Wanda M.
this season
oh boy
look and learn
I can remember a time when the FA Cup was written off by most Arsenal fans as the fourth most important goal of five.
Not by me though.
However by things of note I meant the league title and the CL. We need much better players than him to do one or both of those things.
Put it this way. Would Ozil get into any of Wenger’s title winning teams?
Not a chance.
scuse me
on the Comb
Having watched both our matches with them, you can see why Atletico don’t concede goals very often.
Although Atletico got lucky on a few occasions at the Emirates because we failed to take several good chances that we should have finished, they shut us out completely at their place.
I can’t imagine Marseille are good enough to beat them unless Atletico have a seriously bad off day.
But if you are happy (those of you who seem content with this guy) to accept paying £350k a week to a player whose contribution in a huge game like last night, where he was supposed to be our big creative spark, was to put three crosses in, fair play.
mesut is a good player but he’s not the Brain
Harry Dean is
was
Mesut is The Eye
ah fuck up
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8Fbf-7skM
Cynic,
In reply to your question of #89 above;
a. Which player in the current team would?
b. Wenger winning teams all had a defensive platform on which to build which is patently not there, clearly out of the managers choice as all the individual defenders play for their countries.
Neither of the above are Ozils fault, as far as I can see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3yXumNMW2E
On a brighter note…
Taking Junior NDR for her first ever visit to Wembley tomorrow for the Women’s FA Cup Final. We also went to the Ladies League triumph a couple of months back ; so hoping for a Spirit Of ’93 style cup double from the Lady Gunners.
Blagged tickets in club level through the under 11 team she plays for so hoping the Prawn Sandwiches are up to standard !
shoop
Bang
I thank you, cba. Been a while.
Quality time, NDR. Enjoy. Have a great day.
I like Ozil and think he’s worth the
money. Fair play to me 🙂
Bravo Brighton.
If you have deadwood around you even Messi couldn’t do it on his own…
His body language is not the best and he should have played himself on side for that cross yesterday but when things click he’s a superb player to watch.
If only Ozil’s magic moments made up for his inconsistency, lack of leadership, grit and goalscoring.
Like so many of our ex players , Keown is a sell-out to the media circus. i watched the game last night and not for one second did I think Ozil short-changed us. We did all right last night. Unfortunately, we lost it a week ago, when we were one nil up against ten men with half an hour to go and still only drew it.
As for next season, I can’t see there being wholesale changes. We can’t afford to blow hundreds of millions on 7 or 8 new players, whether we need to or not. I would expect to see a proper left back arrive, a centre back and maybe one or two midfielders, depending if Willshere stays. Our attack is good and will cause serious damage to most teams next season.
I may be overanalysing it but I think Keown was reflecting a concern at the training groun£ about Ozil. He has a lot of absences as well as sicknesses and regularly goes back to Turkey after matches. Some of tye coaching staff think Wenger is too lenient with him .
I am an Ozil fan but I feel he can do better in some big games. He is not out of the Adams / Mclintock school of chest- thumping commitment. But he works very hard and in his introvert way is much more effective than he gets credit for. I think Keown was very depressed last night and took it out on Ozil onscreen . I thought it was a bit embarrassing but 8 loved the way Keown relished the idea of playing against Costa. That woulD be some battle.
I think there will be much more activity in and out of the club than most expect. This is a new era but there will be some potential casualties. I think Bellerin will go as he is saleable and I’m quite sure Mustafi will be let go. The one I’m not sure about is Xhaka, partly because aim not sure if we can make a holding player with better coaching
on a darker note
our attack is not good and will not cause serious damage to anyone
but the defence
well that’s a whole another –
(no, no please just -)
Mohel?
noooooooooooooooooooooo
Saying that Keown has sold out or, as Wenger did yesterday, that he was being controversial to get noticed is rubbish.
Keown here is angry with the waster that he sees, and you can tell his reaction to Ozil is both genuine and motivated by anger toward the end, when he gets cuttingly sarcastic about him and his illnesses.
To me that’s not a guy thinking about making his headlines off the back off a defeat, I think the anger is genuine here and his remarks about Ozil not doing it for his team mates is spot on. This is an honest reaction to a dreadful, gutless, performance.
IMO 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugmh6TCJrwA
It’s quite possible for Keown to
be genuinely angry and genuinely
wrong. Just like Cynic is 🙂
There seems to be a knee jerk
reaction to blaming Ozil every time
we get beat – I don’t know why
but it is what it is and won’t change.
I do know that there’s no point in
quoting facts as it never changes
anyone’s sincerely held opinions
so I won’t.
If he’s only valuable in WC winning sides or those with a Ronaldo or Messi upfront, Matt, why would you pay him top dollar to play hide and seek more often than not? When he’s good he’s very very good, but most of the time he’s plain average and seems totally uninterested.
Give me another Ray Parlour any day.
You’re right about Hector being saleable, TTG, but who else is in the current side? It’s galling to me that the spuds have 3 players, Eriksen, Alli and Kane who together would be worth approaching £400m, while we couldn’t sell our entire squad for half that. It says heaps for the comparative team-building and ransfer strategies of the two clubs in recent times.
Not forgetting the huge amounts they received for Modric and Bale already.
@114
well I wouldn’t and he doesn’t Chris
in answer to your question. Just
my opinion of course !
I feel there’s as much chance of
agreeing on Ozil as there was on
Theo or OG for that matter.
Course, it’d be boring if we all
thought the same thing……
😀
Mesut Ozil gets heaps because he’s supposed to be the Big Star Player, he cost a shit load of money, he gets three times the wage he is actually worth and he cannot string two or three games together of genuine impact.
Be completely honest here, if you can… how many times can you remember where we’ve had a really important game and you’re hoping (hoping, not expecting) Ozil will show you what a great player he is and he just doesn’t deliver anything at all?
The old “Oh well, he’s surrounded by dross” excuse doesn’t wash I’m afraid. Truly good players just stand out even more in an average side and the world class players lift their team mates.
Ozil never does that, and the fact that he so often is lost in the mediocrity around him just underlines for me that he is a very lukewarm player.
Great players lift a team, they don’t blend into a bad side.
Take Mo Salah, for instance. Man for man Liverpool are no better than us. They are set up half decently and all of their lot actually have a heart, even a dick like Milner, but they are a pretty average bunch. And then there’s Salah, who may turn out to be a flash in the pan but this season he is the difference for them.
That is what Ozil should be doing for us, if he’s this great player. I don’t expect Ozil to score loads of goals (around ten would be ok) but I do expect a “star player” to carry a team.
If he can’t do it, and evidence a-plenty shows he can’t, he;s not worth it. You can’t beat up the likes of Watford or Palace and be regarded as a great, or even good, player if you disappear when you play anyone half decent.
I wish we had let him run out his contract because we’re just burning money giving it to him, especially if stories of a restricted budget are true.
I admire Ozil’s ball skills but those are very fair points there Cynic @120.
“They are set up half decently…..”. And there is the issue. Being set up properly helps them firstly concede fewer stupid goals and secondly provide the platform for scoring more goals. Replacing Ozil with flavour of the month player x would not resolve either of these issues. Replacing the manager with someone who has a plan of some kind, as every other manager of a top club does, would though. And then we might see the best of a player who has been German player of the year god knows how many times. That’ll be Germany, who win things and have a structured approach. It’s almost like one follows the other…..
I’ve kept quiet since Thursday night because I want to be absolutely sure how I feel about that defeat and the last two entire seasons before I say anything.
Not that what I say will make one scrap of difference to Arsenal football club, but this is an interesting place to come and it deserves considered opinion.
For now, I would just say that there is a lot of sense back there from Clock End Rider, bathgooner and Cynic especialyy @120 ( and I’m an Ozil fan).
Sorry, TTG, you were supposed to be on that list.
Chris,
We’ve had this argument before but I wonder how you see Ozil as playing hide and seek but not Theo – noe wh was a true master of camouflage amongst opposition defenders.
Karma took its time, but it got you in the end, Shawcross.
Stoke…Karma for mocking Ramsey me thinks.I won’t miss the bastards.
Stoke City relegated?
Stoke down…Happy Days!
Yes goodbye Stoke back to Division 2, for that is what it should be called, where you and your horrible supporters belong.
Stoke City – A bunch of thugs on the pitch and a bunch of braindead morons in the stands who still mock Aaron Ramsey for “walking with a limp”.
Cynic @126 ( live from the South East Counties League Cup. Final!) My thoughts exactly. Good riddance knuckleheads !
Thank goodness they’re gone.
Loutish excuse for a football club. Fucking thugs.
Would be great if they are guaranteed League 1 status this time next year.
Best thing that’s happened all year.
And we should be good for at least three more points next season!
What a lovely way for Stoke to concede the goal that sends them down. The foot of Nemesis!
Bye! Don’t let the trapdoor catch your fingers on the way down.
Baggies beat Marshdwellers 1-0. They may still survive despite the worst efforts of Pulis and Pardue.
Surely they have to give the job to Darren Moore. Remarkable turnaround.
According to Poxy Tina, Tottnumb don’t need silverware to prove they are a great team, maybe he’ll now tell us they don’t need to win either!
?
Good bye to bad rubbish. 10 years in the top flight and they brought the grand total of eff all to it, apart from thuggery, long balls and the tactical use of circus freaks as players. Never darken our door again.
Oh and can I just say, it was a pleasure jousting with some of you over the last 24 he’s on the Ozil issue. The inter web is not always a pls e overburdened with reason and respect for opposing views. It’s a pleasure to find such a wonderful place. On to tomorrow….
Maybe I should give up watching The Arsenal – just turned on the Women’s Cup Final and the Chavs scored after 10 seconds ?
Hopefully Stoke will follow the lead of Sunderland who are managing to get relegated 2 years in a row.
fuckin bla bla fuckin bla
fuckin tonight
fuckin belfast
.
NOT THERE
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwumR1nWZFg
fuckin fuckin
peter fuckin perrett
fuckin fuckin fuckin fuckin
FUCKIN FUCKIN FUCKIN FUCKIN
extra
FUCKIN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYuGlD3XSOw
FUCK OFF
.
an you can fuckin fuck off fer a start
.
.
FUCKERS
.
.
.
PETER PERRETT
?
Very best wishes to Sir Alex. Let’s hope he pulls though and returns in good form