Unai To Ring The Changes – And Watching The Lionesses
Apr 10th, 2019 by 'holic
Lady Luck deserted us in the draw for the Europa League quarter-finals when both the bus stop in Fulham and us were drawn away in the first leg. We were second in the pecking order so now face Napoli at home on Thursday night. If you want to put a positive spin on it then we have an opportunity to build a commanding lead to take to Naples.
Unai Emery’s press conference was once again a lesson in picking out nuances from his, possibly deliberate, quirky phrasing. He reminds me of when David Bowie told of taking a number of words on separate pieces of paper and randomly picking them up to suggest the lyrics for his next project. That would explain everything. Clarity came to him however when asked about the success he and Ancelotti, now the Napoli coach, had enjoyed in the past.
“This match is a big level, a big-level match, and the level we want to play. It’s a very big test for us in this competition. We want to play the best teams and Napoli now is one of the best teams, with the best players and also a very experienced coach.”
The team news is more encouraging. We do not have anyone suspended in the Europa League, also Laurent Koscielny and Granit Xhaka trained today (Wednesday). Emery was cautious when asked about them saying he would decide if they could play tomorrow. Frankly, after the performance at Everton this weekend, they will both be needed.
Petr Cech is likely to remain the cup-tie goalkeeper behind a three of Koscielny, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Nacho Monreal. Ahead of them Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac could flank Xhaka and Lucas Torreira.
The front three is where Emery has to earn his money. Alexandre Lacazette is probably the only guaranteed starter. We will need his all round ability and work rate against solid opposition. In such a crucial tie Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may be preferred on the left which would leave one position on the right for four contenders. If Aaron Ramsey is fully fit it is likely he will get the nod. Playing those three would give us a trio of different types of player all capable of scoring goals.
It wouldn’t be a bad bench that contained Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The ‘holic pound
I’m more confident of picking up money at the Masters in all honesty. When we met Napoli in the Champions League in 2013 both clubs won their home leg 2-0. I would take that again tomorrow. Napoli remind me of someone. Decent in attack but not always that secure at the back. Who could that be?
In the end I let the heart, as ever, rule the head. I fancy the visitors to score so for us to take a two goal advantage into the second leg we’ll need three. I have had a modest dabble on that at 17/1.
A fine night out
I cannot go without passing comment on my Tuesday attendance at the big match of the night. England Lionesses defeated Spain women in front of 13,400 supporters, a gate not seen at the County Ground in Swindon in many a moon.
The Lionesses were given the lead by Gunners star Beth Mead in the first-half having survived a confident opening spell from the visitors. We took a grip on the game forty seconds into the second-half with a sumptuous strike from former Arsenal striker Ellen White. Spain set up a teasing final twenty minutes with a goal from Bonmati, but the hosts held on for a deserved success.
The technical level and tactical approach of the womens game have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years as followers of the Arsenal team will agree. If the Lionesses are playing near you at any point do take the opportunity to go and watch them. Last night seats cost ten pounds for adults, incredible value for such a high standard of football. That of course applies to you wherever you are. Womens football the world over has made great strides as the World Cup will show this summer.
On to tomorrow. Have a great one, ‘holics.
68 Responses to “Unai To Ring The Changes – And Watching The Lionesses”
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It’s the ref’s fault I only got second.
Nice preview H. Actually managing to make this one which will be a very pleasant change. We need to keep a clean sheet. God knows how we expect to do that but we do.
Bring it on.
VAR review being conducted right now Cynic.
Wouldn’t mind 4-1 even if it does sound a bit optimistic. That way we can lose 1-3 in the return leg, get stuffed on Neapolitan thin pizza, and still move on to the next round.
No sympathy for the Spain mujeres? It must be the black legend still at work after all these centuries. On the telly this week I saw the all around defensive disaster of USA Women 5 Australia Women 3, so there could be a goalscoring chance or two for countries facing either of those teams in France this Summer. Will the 3 Lionesses score four?
Must be the name of a pub I frequented decades ago
Evening H
Only 6 goals scored over the 4 CL qtr finals,will we see similar cagey tactical battles across the 4 EL ties.
The closer you get to the final,manager’s tactics become a bit more cautious,especially but not necessarily in the away legs.
It becomes just as important not to concede in the home leg,and given our away performances,probably even more important for us.
Ancelotti is inherently a defence first manager,so i would expect him to err on the side of caution,and field a more negative lineup with a packed midfield,with the aim of getting back home with minimal damage on the scoreline.
Unai knows we will need to go to Naples with a lead,but also knows the importance of not conceding.
He has confounded us all many times with his tactics and lineups for different matches,and i don’t expect this game to be any different.
I wouldn’t want to go to Vicarage Road on Monday night on the back of 2 damaging defeats and low on confidence,so we need the seize the day,or night in this case,trust the system and tactics Unai wants them to play, [which Laca confessed they didn’t do at Goodison]and make this another of our great European home nights.
Now that the referees will get in-game video assistance, is the next step for the teams to receive similar? Arsenal, for instance, often lacking players who can supply the team with adequate width as Steve is wont to point out, could call time out and appeal for video assisted width, or or VAW as it inevitably would become known. Virtual refereeing seems to have priority over virtual playing though. For now.
Not checked in for a while. Big day in the NDR household tommorow as I am taking the 12 year old daughter to her first ever Arsenal home game. We have done a couple of Arsenal ladies away games and she has done the Emirates tour but this is the BIG one. As a happy coincedence it is also my birthday. Do not let us down you mighty Reds. COYG !
Let me get this right. I don’t want to upset anyone. VAR was used tonight. It corrected a clear and obvious error by the officials (who’d a thought?) and meant a just result was achieved.
What’s not to like? ?
BBC coverage providing headlines saying Manchester United were “spirited” and “battling” in today’s match against Barcelona. Only in the small print do they bother to mention that the Mancs managed no shots on target. Biased coverage, or just more of the black legend (same thing)?
You are right ‘holic. There are many times when VAR is useful so I shouldn’t paint it with such a broad negative brush. But it has its foibles and getting it right is all about knowing what should not be submitted o the VAR judges. The devil is in the details of implementing it so that it does not become intrusive and I hope not to see as many intrusive moments in the Premier League as I have seen with VAR in MLS. Review of close offside calls leading to goals being the best use of it that I have seen
Thanks for the preview Holic. I haven’t got a scoobie’s about tomorrow. I have no idea how good they are and though I watch us every fortnight how good we are! I shall be there and travel in hope rather than optimism – maybe 2-1 to us?
I echo Bt8 about United. I watched it with my very knowledgeable 11year old grandson who wanted United to win because it would make the last four easier for Tottenham. Steve Mcmanaman is an idiot and maintained how well United were playing. I thought they were awful, Mctominay was their best player- the new Fellaini! OGS will really struggle in that job. Last four will be Barca v Liverpool and Citeh v Juventus, leaving a Barca v Juve Final !
bt8, VAR will not be absolutely perfect, because it still relies on an official who knows the geezer in the middle and may rule in his favour. That will happen, but rarely.
Referees and assistants should welcome the assistance relief this brings. I honestly think they do and will. Take tonight as a prime example. If United get a draw the Barca support and many others ? are digging them out and they know it.
Not a soul from either side, as far as I can see, has criticised the correct decision upon review. I have to say at the weekend the FA used VAR better than has been seen anywhere with screenshots advising the crowd VAR was in operation followed by an announcement of the decision.
It’s badly needed, particularly in the Premier League where the northern predominance of officials will always be an issue if it continues. It will however make this a duller place next season when injustice is reduced significantly and some aren’t as vexed about the performance of our ‘finest’.
Happy birthday, NDR and here’s hoping you and the daughter enjoy the game and bring good luck with you!
Evening TTG.
To be honest I have watched Napoli just twice since we drew them, otherwise not a clue. They do genuinely remind me of us. They tend to travel unhappily in Europe, but have a good home record.
Got a feeling this really is up to who wants it most in the second leg. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a draw tomorrow. Neither would I be surprised to win my bet.
?
Sounds like it will still be up to the fans to keep the referees honest. At least when the bad call comes directly from the man in the middle, the fans have some object for their vexation. When a bad call comes from a faceless somebody else, where can a fan go to vent? Leave the stadium comes to mind.
That’s my pre-emptive strike against VAR, to go along with my pre-emptive strike against some referee a couple of days before our match that Steve criticized recently in the drinks. My apologies, I will give it a chance but there will be moments …
VAAAAAAAAR
My latest foray into the world of Google Translate informs me that Ancelloti in English means Incredible which sounds like a stage name if ever I heard one.
Looking closer, GT says the English translation of the Swahili word “ancelloti” is “incredible”. Darned auto-detect is almost as irritating as spellchecker
Apologies for the irrevelancies, impertinences and outright stupidities in some of my recent drinks, as well as any offenses given. No offenses were intended and I will try to do better. As for the stupidities I will try to be smarter and/or refrain completely to provide a degree of relief to the afflicted.
Some interesting comments above. If VAR corrects clear and obvious errors then what’s not to like? I’m sure that the system, when finally implemented, will have teething problems but it will need to develop and evolve with time. If the right decisions are then made then surely that is better for everyone? No doubt there will still be many decisions open to interpretation and that will divide opinion. If that’s the case then go with the on field decision and just get on with it.
A special day NDR. I hope you both enjoy it. I seem to remember that Arthur is making a family trip up as well? I hope you both have a great night.
Fine preview Guvna and glad you enjoyed the Lionesses’ outing.
Like TTG, I have no idea how difficult a task Napoli will prove tonight or how good we will be. I only know that the away leg will be a major hurdle for a team that struggles to get an away result against the bang average or ideed keep a clean sheet way from home.
I’ll be there, warmed by a bottle of Rosso di Montepulciano and a glass of Montenegro.
COYG
Holic
The good news re your post is that you are back watching live football , fully recovered I hope. Will you be back for the Palace game ?
Bath. Agree with you about VAR but I wonder if all the right decisions get referred . There was a potential penalty tonight that I thought bore scrutiny. And in a sane world Busquets would have gone in the first half
Enjoy! You will be fortified much more appropriately than me as I’m on driving duties tonight .
Into the unknown !
TTG, in recent years the fine Italian cuisine of Papagone, which we’ve enjoyed as a pre-match treat for over 25 years has sustained us through periods when a visit to the Grove has been less than pleasurable. I’m ever hopeful that the football we play tonight will match the cuisine for quality and the result will be more memorable than the dish.
I’ll wave to you from row 18. I’ll be the fella with the red and white scarf. ?
H – VAR for a matter of fact, like with the goal review system, is perfectly fine.
With offside it still can’t be used with consistency because you’re not going to be able to use it for every attack, only when goals are scored. You are still going to have offsides that are let go that lead to a passage of play that ends in a goal and you are also going to have a game stopped wrongly when a player is onside. There’s no way to stop those errors that end an attack wrongly so it cannot be applied consistently and should be dropped.
VAR on matters of opinion, like whether or not something’s a penalty, or stopping the game to check red cards, makes it a joke. It doesn’t help when the laws are framed by people who have never played the game, such as with this daft hand ball thing. They do not realise there’s a difference between raising your arm and your arm being raised.
I’d rather not have it at all if it’s going to be used in that way.
VAR and stupid interpretations of the laws combined are going to destroy football.
For example, you will not see a clearer red card challenge all week than the one by Salah the other night but VAR did nothing. Was it even referred? If it was and they let that go, it’s wrong.
The system’s a mess.
Thanks for the preview Guvnor.
Personally I hope we go with a
back 4 and attack from the off.
They’re not that great at the back
and a couple of early goals would
give us a chance to kill it off.
Wildly optimistic I know.
A drink of choice for bt8 !
First person to teach me a word
of Swahili 🙂
@Cynic 30
Watched Salah’s challenge several times, a clear red card if there was any, huge let off and bang wrong decision
OM @32. Thank you very much, that would be a beer with a rhino swizzle stick to remind me of sunny Africa where Swahili is much more than just ancelloti. 🙂
Cheers, Holic ! And good luck with the 3-1.
Cynic @29 and 30
Nail hit firmly on head.
And apologies to those who are wondering why ancelloti has been deprived of its capital letter and transformed into an improper noun.
Villarreal play Valencia today in an all-Spanish Europa League quarterfinal first leg. Santi Cazorla is looking to overcome the disappointment of last week’s loss to Betis in which he missed a late penalty that would have given his club a draw. I really hope we don’t meet Villarreal at any point because I’m not sure what my loyalties would be seeing Cazorla playing against Arsenal. Xhaka on one side and Cazorla on the other would give me quite the odd choice to make.
Arsenal
Cech
Sokratis
Koscielny (c)
Monreal
Maitland-Niles
Torreira
Ramsey
Kolasinac
Ozil
Lacazette
Aubameyang
Substitutes
Leno
Mustafi
Elneny
Guendouzi
Suarez
Iwobi
Mkhitaryan
I’ve forgotten. Is Xhaka suspended, injured, or just left out?
Ramseyyyy
He wants to go with a bang
Xhaka, reportedly, failed a late fitness test, Bt8.
Get in!!! Ramsey!!!!
first blood
Judging by the picture of Ancelotti on uefa.com, taken just after Ramsey’s goal, it looks like Mr. Incredible might be more accurately described as Mr. Incredulous that his defending has let him down again. Many more times may it continue.
Playing some nice football first
20 minutes
Great attitude
Great finish !!
Lucky, Torreira!!!!
C’mon boys. From now on let’s score a goal every ten minutes.
second blood
That last wish of mine was probably a bit more optimistic than the 4-1 I wished for earlier, but at least Torreira’s goal gives us a shot at the 4-1 if we maintain the application.
Nice first game for young NDR !
Santi just scored to equalise
If we do win this tie we face the winner of Valencia-Villarreal, meaning we would go up against either Gabriel or Santi Cazorla, who both have something to prove to Arsenal.
We were unfair to Gabriel but treated Santi reasonably well. Watching Santi would be a treat even if he was playing against us. First we have to win this match over two legs.
Could of/should of been more up but this is good, very good, no issues if we keep up this display in the 2H
It looks like the ‘holic pound (3-1) could be in order at this point if the typical scenario pans out, of our taking our foot off the gas after leading. Either that or 2-1 which would not put us in any kind of advantageous position for the return leg. It is time for an infusion of rocket fuel.
bubble gummed neapolitans
It has been a fantastic first half from us and we have been all over Napoli. That missed chance by Insigne was just the warning sign for us though. Keep up the same performance in the second half and we could easily score a couple of more goals. It would be critical not to concede though and as always with Arsenal, attack seems to be the best form of defense.
PS: Why are we letting Rambo leave?!!
We have our best defensive players (Koscielny, Papa, Nacho and Torreira in particular) on the pitch so we should have a shot at a clean sheet. Wouldn’t want to jinx though so let me emphasize that I said it is just a shot.
desi, I do not know why we are letting him leave and it is a sad situation that could come back to bite us but on the other hand I believe he is having one of his two best seasons for Arsenal while his other seasons did not live up to that standard. Probably it is the injuries that have always been the one thing holding him back from achieving better consistency. Especially if he can stay healthy long enough to lead us back to the Champions League before leaving he would round out an excellent Arsenal career bridging the two managers nicely.
Is it me or Auba is not at his best, for a while now …Torreira looks massive tonight, Ozil as well
Iwobi and Mkhitaryan on for Laca and Ozil.
What a miss to make it three.
Another double save by their goalie. Need a couple of goals. COYG.
They missed an open goal from five yards. Arsenal enhancing their reputation for ‘defending’.
A clear enough warning
I’ve never been Ramsey’s biggest fan but we spent so much time obsessing over Sanchez and Ozil that we’ve allowed our actual best player to go for nothing.
I hope so
Guen to come on
We gave them the midfield
Brilliant result. Let’s score some pizza in Italy
What a relief that we didn’t concede.
Created 17 chances and scored only two.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>