Three Points To Set Up Final Day Drama?
May 4th, 2019 by 'holic
Dear ‘holics, apologies.
This is a broken blogger. Over an hour I have worked on the preview. It was a rare good one, honest. Lot’s of good stuff about winning tomorrow to set up another final Sunday of “Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again!”. I clicked Save Draft, and bang. It went. WordPress kicked me out.
I don’t have it left in me to redo it. Thankfully I can still remember the ‘holic pound. I’m on 3-1 at 12/1.
My team? Leno; Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal; Jenkinson or Lichtsteiner, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang.
Even more fortunate is the publishing of the ABW podcast match preview, attached below. Please excuse Josh’s pasty legs.
I hope I will see many of you tomorrow. Have a great one ‘holics.
105 Responses to “Three Points To Set Up Final Day Drama?”
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Damn you WordPress
But 3-1 it is. Though the
quality of our midfield leaves
something to be desired if
Jenks and Kola are to be the
wide players – like TTG I’d
rather start Willock.
Ozil for 45 minutes at least?
What a bugger! Never mind, we only come here for the Holic pound 🙂 🙂
Enjoy the day, sadly I’m not available to play. Steve’s buying the beers as my deputy.
The prospect of any three of Mustafi, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Lichtsteiner in the same team fills me with dread. I hope they all go in the summer. Arsenal quality not one.
No problem Guvna.
I struggle with your team.
We need freshness, pace and ingenuity and Ozil won’t start away at Valencia
My team would be
Leno
Jenko Mustafi Sokratis Monreal
Xhaka Willock
Nketiah Ozil Iwobi
Lacazette
Subs
Cech Kolasinac Mavropanos Guendouzi Auba Elneny Mkhitaryan
We will do it 2-0
Hard luck Guvna. That technology thing can be a right bummer at times.
3-1 will do nicely. I do think the team will show rotation and I suspect your selection is pretty close to what Unai will pick. I expect both strikers to play for part of the game if all goes to plan.
Hopefully we will catch up pre-match.
And hopefully Arsenal will win.
COYG
Don’t assume BHA can be rolled over. They maybe safe from relegation but the players might want to prove appoint.This plus Emery’s tinkering instead of playing a consisten t 11 due to
the Europa league may be his undoing.
There are no easy games in the epl.
I feel 3-1 is a tad optimistic. Brighton don’t score too many but are well organised and have a dour defense. I will be happy if we win by the odd goal in three.
ksn,
my optimistic hope is Brighton
have spent the night drinking
(I would have) and we beat
them 6-0 🙂
But any win will do of course
With you on both those points OM@8.
I’m also hopeful that Kroenke will have sent the players an encouraging message as he might be keen to finish the home games on an upbeat note to encourage ST renewals in the next few weeks. I know several people who are on the cusp of giving up their STs after 10 years and more.
Then again, Kroenke is probably unaware that Arsenal are playing today.
It’s a bad weekend for techonology. Mrs NDR lost her OU assignment she has been working on all week in a PC crash ; and has had to spend all weekend re-doing it. Must be her pennance for supporting Chelski. Hopefully the Seagulls were out on the lash last night thus allowing us to run riot. Probably not though : especially with an ex Spud at the helm.
The Broken Bloggers???? Sounds like a band name. I can see it now. Ladies and Gents, a big North London welcome, for The Broken Bloggers.
Who knows what will happen today? Who knows what team will start? Who knows if those selected will actually turn up on the day?? I mean, the only thing consistent about this Arsenal side is their inconsistency.
Still, who cares. I’m on the train and should be in the pub in just over an hour. Who cares about those 9 points just thrown away in a week that would have already ensured third place?
Ale please barman. And no slouching.
Watford looking the better side at the bus stop in the first 10 minutes and now Kante has done his hamstring. Looks like ttg was right
As a former Gooner I have a rare insight into all things Arse based and I must disagree with Steve.
It is not that Arsenal are inconsistent.
It is that they are only consistent in patches.
I got an assist!
#justsayin
Chelski 2:0 up in five minutes even though Watford were looking favourites to take lead it’s a shame but we need to win our game now!
Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Mustafi, Monreal, Torreira, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Subs: Cech, Koscielny, Kolasinac, Elneny Guendouzi, Iwobi, Nketiah
Defensively we look even less secure with Lichsteiner replacing AMN, who is not on the bench either.
OM @8 – I really hope you are right. We could deal with a drunk Brighton even with Lichsteiner and Mustafi in the team!
Anthony Taylor is the ref for our fixture.?
Well, there’s only six players in this team I wouldn’t have at the club next year, so we’ve strengthened from the other night 🙂
H- Lesson learned there. Write blog in word and paste across!
My bet is the old Skybet six questions jobby.
Q1 – Will there be over 3.5 goals? – Yes
Q2 – Will Arsenal have 7+ shots on target? – Yes
Q3 – Will Brighton make 20+ tackles? – Yes
Q4 – Will Shane Duffy be shown a card? – No
Q5 – Will Arsenal have 7+ corners? – Yes
Q6 – Will Brighton have 4+ corners? – Yes
40/1 for that little lot.
COYG how about a performance
Penalty for Arsenal as Monreal is upended. And….
Auba scores!!!!!
Bam, an early goal
Soft!
Silly dive that by Sokratis. So obvious, then makes sure he gets booked by begging for the free kick.
ksn, @17,
so far so good. and Taylor even
gave us a penalty
Leno almost made a howler come on sort it out lads!
I do wish we’d play with a bit more urgency, we’re awful when we stroll about.
Very soft pen BTM but I will take them any time we haven’t had some awarded so evens things out.
We have gone back to panic mode again!
Come on Arsenal!
Mustafi appealing for hand ball by the keeper there from his header 🙂
Taylor’s heard that it was a dive, Arthur. Anything resembling a foul in our box and he’ll award a penalty to Brighton.
Mustafi is 1/4
Lichtie is 1/3
Sokratis is 1/1
to commit said foul 🙂
Finally some shots from the edge/outside the box
We slacked a bit for about
10 minutes but then we upped
it again and Brighton were
clinging on not to concede a
game over 2nd I thought.
Happy with the 1st half and
hopefully we keep it up and
Laca/Auba bury them 2nd half
Anthony Taylor has been fair so far, OM.
He gave us a penalty which he could have justifiably denied and then booked Sokratis correctly. Fingers crossed for the next 45 minutes.
Micheal Owen being unsufferable again about the penalty but compared to the diving Salah and Mane do for so many of their penalties, it is a laugh.
That will be the same Michael Owen who predicted a Barcelona vs Liverpool Champions Leaague final on BT Sport yesterday…
Stupid cunt, Xhaka.
Absolutely no need at all. Send him off and do us a favour, he’s been shit al day.
Another brain fart from Xhaka. Mustafi and Xhaka are taking turn to screw Unai.
Oh FFS Arsenal!
Come on!
I can understand inability or poor defending but hara kiri? Fucking Xhaka.
As I said, Arthur.
However, Xhaka has such an excellent football brain that the bookmakers were refusing to give odds on him being the moron who would give it away.
What a turkey.
That is just pathetic, that “challenge”. Sums him up though.
More dross from the “quality players” as well today.
iBtM 31
Guess Xhaka was on 2:1
That’s what you get for strolling around!
Aubameyang is basically doing the job Ozil should be doing. Dropping off and looking for the ball, trying to get things going.
This is so frustrating we score early and control the game then we do the Arsenal thing typical!!!
A double change pls, Eddie, Iwobi
Emery’s told them to keep hitting high balls into the box for Giroud.
Another sitter for the season missed but good to see some urgency at last.
Come on.
Auba misses a sitter
How did Auba miss that?
Auba missing a sitter? That’s new …
Why on earth did he wait so long to sub Xhaka and Lichtie?
We need some luck today if we are to win it seeing we have narrowly missed so many chances. Kola, Iwobi and Guendouzi coming on for Lich, Mkhi and Xhaka. Some urgency injected.
Momentum killing substitutions? Hopefully not. I’d have taken Ozil off though.
Why not keep the same urgency after we scored the first goal and now we are back on level terms and they woken up finally ffs
15 minutes to save the season. COYG.
Three losses in a week last week killed us. Our worst week in the last ten years?
Same old springs to mind!
The energy levels showed by Brighton players is amazing. We have flagged in the second half, not surprisingly.
Timid shit header from Lacazette.
COYGS!!!!
it must be now
Clear hand ball not given
One point from twelve with CL football in our grasp, against four bollocks sides.
Next year can we have our last four games as Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs?
We might actually get up for those.
Europa again, deservingly so.
It doesn’t matter since we’ll play Barca in the Euro Super Cup. COYG ?
We deserved this and got exactly just that nothing else. Mentality of these players is just not right we score 1st goal then we going to stroll mode it’s hard to watch really…
Some players keep saying we’ve learned from this we’ve learned from this they repeat one another over and over again it’s like a broken record
Same old Arsenal
We’re Europey standard.. so no complaints.
Unless we get new defenders that’s where we’re at.
Looking forward to the 2nd leg…
Pretty average in all aspects. Cannot see this lot beating the Chavs if we reach the final.
Just as well top four isn’t a trophy.
No use sitting there with a face like a bulldog’s arse, Auba. You’ve missed more sitters this year than a common Bendtner.
It’s a bit weird that he was sniffing around the Golden Boot with all the simple chances he missed this season.
I hope I never see Xhaka in an Arsenal shirt at the Emirates again . The man is really a hugely overrated idiot
Xhaka can bring Mustafi with him too…
Unai Emery does not strike me as one who suffers fools easily. Good luck Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi if I am correct.
TTG,
I second that not sure why we even bought him, average at best and always does one like Mustafi!
Well, without Auba, our season would have even shitier. If he hadn’t scored that goal at Watford Emery would have lost four in a row.
Your description of Xhaka is too kind, TTG.
Them 2 together with half a dozen others
bt8,
We shall see about that something tells me it’s not going to be that easy off loading them..
I hope UE is able to lift the
players after a hugely
disappointing 2nd half.
Tough game to come away but
if we can come through there’s
still a shot at redemption from
the Ropey League.
Laca and Auba are brilliant together… now if only we could get some sort of defensive cohesion if the team.
Would be disastrous if we were to lose Laca or Auba.
Someone mentioned it earlier, the subs were at a point we were on top and at the most threatening, at the time I was thinking wait another 5 mins coach.
Iwobi contributes nothing to this team, Xhaka and Mustafi are worse, they take away from this team. Between them:. 2 penalties at Palace, penalty against Spurs and penalty today. Without those penalties we would be 6 points better and comfortably in top 4.
I honestly think all 3 are not good enough if we want top 4 and compete in CL.
Thank you Rambo, always gave his best. Thanks Petr.
Just getting rid of Xhaka and Mustafi would make us stronger, even without replacements.
Rambo in tears at the felicitation there.
How on earth are we letting him go is beyond me?!!
Thanks for the FA Cup Winners and the wonderful memories Rambo. You are a top top man.
We also should have done a whole lot more in the January window after the injuries to Bellerin, Holding and Welbeck. With those three fit for even half of the final stretch of games – we would have finished top four most probably. Huge second leg coming up at Valencia and hopefully a final in Baku.
Rambo…top top man!
Will make any team stronger, all the best to him!
I’ve been very willing to wait and see how Emery does with this team, but I really am struggling to see it, he makes bizarre team choices, even more bizarre substitutions and seems to have no real idea what formation we should be playing, he believes in certain players far too much and not enough in young players who deserve a chance, there are really only 4-5 players in this Arsenal team who are actually good enough to be Arsenal players or have we fallen so far that actually we have the players to match our current status as a top half team only.
The fact Aaron Ramsey is leaving is the most incomprehensiible part of the whole season long debacle that is 2018-2019 – one point from 12 is simply not good enough, only relegated Huddersfield performed as badly as us there.
On the positive side, this will make defeat and capitulation at Burnley less painful
I’m going to have a beer now I do not want to think about Arsenal this evening, they have really shown today that these players are plainly not good enough to wear the shirt. Unai needs one more season no point getting rid off him now, however we need a revamp in personnel.
I don’t think we progressed this season in all honesty.
Thank you Rambo for your hard work for those special goals, moments and trophies!
Good luck for the future fella you deserve it!
Last summer we decided to give a new improved contract to Xhaka while withdrawing the offer to Ramsey . Who on God’s earth made that decision and why ?
I have to say I share some of the reservations about Emery. Back 4 or Back 5? Midfield alignment? Use of Özil? Development of young players? Today bring Nketiah on and do it earlier. Guendouzi started the season well but has been awful . Today Leno saved us from humiliation at the end. Against Brighton
Not sure if we can win the Europa League. Sarri is very unimpressive but we have to negotiate Thursday first
I don’t get the over the top criticism Unai Emery is receiving from some of the fans right now. The team has bottled it in the last four games really – Unai had done a fantastic job to get us in the position where we were. He has been incredibly unlucky with injuries to Hector, Holding, Welbeck and perhaps most importantly Ramsey in the last few games. Most importantly he hasn’t had one transfer window of his own to improve the squad. It was plain stupid of the club to not invest in January despite of so many long term injuries and the defense looking creaky. Ideally he needs three to four transfer windows to complete this squad. I would wait for a definitive judgement on him for at least two windows. For me he has done a very good job so far with the resources he had at his disposal.
If we get nothing from the second leg or the final Raul is going to look pretty stupid not to have done more in January after the injuries to Bellerin and Holding.
For the season I would give the owners of the club 1/10
Raul and Gazidis 1/10
Emery 4/10 (4 points from 18 is piss poor)
Players 3/10 (how many games have we really looked good in this season? 5? Even during the unbeaten run.
Sancho- interesting post.
I’d give Kroenke 0/10- the man is a parasite leeching off our club ( have I mixed scientific terms ??)
Raul 1
Gazidis minus 2( bullshitter supreme)
Emery 5- inherited a shit shower but appears out of his depth.
Players marks would vary but some including Xhaka, Mustafi, Lichsteiner and Mkhitaryan would be very low.
Leno, Auba, Laca, Sokratis and Torreira have done ok
Ramsey was player of the season. The impact of his injury underlines how important he was.
The club is in a mess . Bath’s post this morning got me thinking about not renewing. I’m very depressed about the future. A low spending summer with the poor strategists at the club recreating the Suarez debacle , set against sides that want to improve- Wolves, West Ham, Everton and maybe Watford suggest we will struggle to improve our league position.
Lots of other issues- putting money into Kroenke’s pocket, poor quality of football, lack of defensive nous, doubts about hours of video analysis and what it actually achieves when we start so poorly and sheer cost .
I usually relent but ever since Kroenke took 100% control I’ve felt very resentful .
I’ve been there for the last five games. That was my last of the season.
Valencia apart, they have been awful. I can’t remember a worse run.
Here’s hoping we do the business in the Europa.
But I need a break. Watch some cricket, do some gardening, have my annual love affair with the Tour de France.
See you all in August.
Stats can tell any story you want them to, but official Premier League stats reveal we made a whole seven tackles today. Seven.
That’s utterly pathetic.
I’m not going to watch the last game against Burnley I will chose to do something different on that day, I have always given my time for this team and I too need a break.
We had 16 corners today we didn’t get close from any them as well. Stats are not on our side for all the possession today we showed nothing.
The guvnor said it all a couple of threads back.
This current April Arsenal team is the worse I’ve seen since the 80’s.
Yes I know it’s May now.
I take no solace that an offside Kane and an Auba missed pen could have been the difference between a St. Totts day. We have managed to throw away a comfortable top four place away all by ourselves.
So much for moving grounds and competing with the top European sides eh.
Ho hum is the season ending description.
Get Wenger back lol
I was sorry to see Aaron Ramsey leave today. I remembered that a few years ago, Clive asked me for my thoughts on young Ramsey. Here’s what I said then about a young man who I thought would be our future captain soon. My crystal ball was misty and I was mostly wrong in retrospect but I’ve enjoyed the Ramsey years nevertheless.
“Hello Sweeper,
I think that for the sake of context, its important to remember:
1. The extent of the “coup” and excitement associated with winning the signature of the best young prospect of his generation, ahead of the likes of Manure
2. The form, impact and energy he was displaying immediately prior to the moment that Shawcross’ scythe severed the tibia and fibula of his right leg, condemning him (and Arsenal) agonizingly to a full year of absence from the game.
I can only imagine the agony of the physical and mental climb through rehab to full fitness. I think I can conceive of the doubts associated with the return to the game. I can comprehend the pain of rebuilding the stamina required to perform and the huge frustration of sharpness and skills lost during a redundant year in a career already too short in the base.
So, I was not surprised that :
– He didn’t explode out of the infirmary on his return.
– He appeared to have lost pace and staying power.
But I WAS very surprised by his apparent lack of fear in putting his damaged leg in danger (he never shirked a challenge). And, frankly, I was very disappointed by the doubters who, apparently unaware or disrespectful of circumstance, criticised his play to the point of calling for his exit from the club.
Arsene said on his arrival “He lacks a little bit the technical side of the game”, referring of-course to a skill-set developed in Welsh high school football and the proving grounds of Cardiff FC (hardly the Nou Camp or London Colney).
So then finally to your question.
I think Arsene’s primary request of Aaron will be that he continues to develop the technical side of his game, learning “on the job” and the training pitch from Santi, Arteta and Diaby.
I expect Arsene to rotate a rich vein of MF talent to keep everyone sharp and out of the red zone. This will see Aaron start fairly often against lesser teams and feature as holding- sub in bigger games.
He’ll feature just behind the front two in MF when he starts, with latitude to add width and pace now that his stamina and speed have recovered.
I think we’ll see “four teams” this season. One each for BPL, CL, FA and League Cup. Aaron has the fortitude and game for the domestic cups and will start in both, captaining the League Cup team to build his leadership.
I think he’ll score more goals for Arsenal this season than ever before. This by virtue of a less hurried approach and through taking on tired legs late in games.
With Sczez, Jack, Gibbs, Theo and The Ox, Aaron is the foundation on which the clubs future will be built. His personal qualities transcend the others and, while Jack will be the star of the future, Aaron will be the anchor, the rock of stability, the Captain who picks up more silverware than any Arsenal captain before him.”
Needless to say, I’ve stopped trusting my own forecasts!
Good luck in Italy, Aaron. I’ll follow your progress there with interest.
Very good posts on here tonight. ‘Desi’gner Gooner I admire your good sense and loyalty to Emery . It’s very hard to know how much the team and the manager should take responsibility for performances.
I think Emery switches his starting formation all the time and he has confused his team. They have no obvious defensive shape and they are very disappointing in midfield. I’ve been calling out Xhaka all season. I think he is a desperately annoying player and has done very little for this club .
We will know more about Emery’s team next season IF he is given enough financial resource to make a real difference. The decision to let Welbeck go for nothing is a huge financial hit and evidence of how badly the club was run under Gazidis .
Maybe Bielik, Nelson and Chambers will be like new signings but we do need more obvious planning for our best young players. I sense Emery is very muddled in this respect but we do have a great opportunity to win the Europa League which would give us Champions League football
BTM
I trust you are enjoying your Caribbean sojurn,although having frequented those fair climes myself,that is probably a silly question. !!
I don’t think any of us back in those heady days of yore,would have predicted that not one of the names mentioned at the end of your post above,wouldn’t still be wearing the Arsenal team shirt in 2019.
I do think he was unfairly treated in the latter Wenger years,when like the Ox,he was frequently asked to play a wide right side/wing role,completely foreign to his natural position which was a box to box more advanced midfield role,much like Frank Lampard performed with distinction at Chelsea for many years.
Whenever he played for Wales he always played that position with distinction,so i do think he was wasted in that wide role.
I can see him playing another 4/5 years in Italy where the slower pace of the game will suit him and his body,and he will i am sure be played in the position that best suits his talents.
He will win plenty of Trophies given Juve’s dominance of the league,and the thought of him teaming up with Ronaldo and the other quality players at the Club,will bring out the best in him.
I know he leaves the Arse with a heavy heart,and i don’t suppose any of us will know the real reason behind his departure,but i am certain the money men at the Old Lady will be rubbing their hands with glee,at having landed a supremely professional footballer in his prime,without spending a zac in transfer fees.
Possibly Emery switches his team because he knows he can’t rely on any of them that much.
I hope all the booing at the final whistle and walking around the near empty stadium will have been noticed by those who hold the purse strings and, more importantly, that they actually give a shit about that kind of thing.
It can’t have done the egos of our selfie obsessed first team much good to have to stand there whilst two teams of winners walked to the centre circle.
We have so many players to get rid of it’s unreal.
Cech is going, Ramsey is going, Welbeck is going.
I would get rid of Lichtie (anyone sane would) Mustafi, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Mkhitaryan and Ozil at the very least.
There’s a whole host of fringe players, players coming to the end of deals (or near to it) and young never will make it types who could go or who would be part of a squad, but the regulars above need to go.
I know Sokratis has his fans, but he’s a weak player and not actually all that good at defending. I watch him go down at the slightest contact and wonder how we’re supposed to rely on someone like that to fight at the back when it’s needed. He lacks heart and we should be able to find better.
Kolasinac just isn’t anything really. Can’t defend, can’t do much in attack. Doesn’t even occupy space that well. Not good enough.
Ozil and Mkhiitaryan well.. I’ve had enough of players who don’t create and who slow down our tempo when we need to build it. We badly needed Ozil today and he did nothing. I know that view won’t be popular but care not a jot. He’s an awful drain on the finances and doesn’t do enough often enough. The Armenian fellow whose name I can’t be arsed to type should be off back to Germany sharpish. Waste of time and money.
I’d even consider offers for Aubameyang, if they were big enough ones.
Big rebuild needed.
BTM@95: Sczez, Jack, Gibbs, Theo and The Ox, Aaron is the foundation on which the clubs future will be built .
As Yogi Bera said, never predict, especially the future.
Tempted to slip in, cba-like, for the ton.
Thank you Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck for playing your hearts out for our great club. It is sad to see the both of you leave but all the best
I should not have bunched Mustafi with Xhaka as I did earlier. Mustafi is simply not up to standard but not the dimwit Xhaka is. At any rate I pray they are not Arsenal players next season.
Best of luck to Danny and
Aaron and to Petr too.
In the end it seems we have
run out of steam and limped
past last seasons total points.
Need to find a performance
Thursday, if we do then it
will be a meaningless
game against Burnley where
we can surely play some of
the kids and a decent rest
before Baku.
All is not lost for the season
though UE will need to earn
his corn to lift the team for
the Valencia game. We are
still favourites to go through.
bt8,
I think you are being a little
unfair (?) to Mus there. On
his day he is just as big a
dimwit as Xhaka 🙂
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>