An Internationals View
Sep 11th, 2019 by 'holic
How does one make an interlull piece less tedious? Well, rather than try and cover every game featuring a Gunner I’ll talk about the three matches I did watch, with no presence from The Arsenal whatsoever. Apologies if you are in Wales or outside the United Kingdom.
Monday was spent in front of two screens watching simultaneous broadcasts of Scotland versus Belgium, and Northern Ireland against Germany. I have a confession to make that will not endear me to my most antagonistic contemporaries either side of Hadrian’s Wall. I have, ridiculously perhaps, developed quite an affection for the motherland, home of my Caledonian cousins.
I can identify with a team that is once again very much an underdog on the international stage. Mum lived in a mining village just outside Stirling and so it was natural when we went to visit family when I was about ten or eleven years old I asked to go and see Stirling Albion. They lost at home to East Fife, 1-2, but oh those red shirts with white sleeves, and my first scotch pie at half-time. A pastry case filled with boiling water from what I could gather. I was hooked for life and am now a member of the supporters trust that runs the club.
Stirling are a poor side again this season, and so too the national side on the evidence of the last two matches. After losing to Russia, the world ranked number one Belgium was always going to be a tough ask. Therefore imagine the springing forth of unreasonable hope when Scotland started the brighter, knocking the ball about with purpose and enthusiasm.
Unfortunately the latter evaporated before ten minutes had passed when Lukaku opened the floodgates. The Scots do not so much have a thin under-belly as the thinning skin of a ninety year old fishwife. From this point its became a question of how many the visitors would run in. Thomas Vermaelen (distant Arsenal connection) and Alderweireld (boooo!) made it three before the break. In the second half they took their foot off the gas but man of the match de Bruyne completed the rout. ‘We shall rise again’.
Norn Iron, threatening to reach a major tournament again, were knocked off the top spot by the Germans. Between them Washington and Dallas (I kid you not, my American friends) squandered three great chances to score for the hosts. They would prove to be costly as Halstenberg and Serge Gnabry, remember him, scored at either end of the second-half to secure the points. Northern Ireland will be looking to bounce back from that.
So to England against Kosovo, a team on a fifteen match unbeaten run and only a point behind the Three Lions at kick-off. My goodness me, what a match to watch if not for the purist. I summed up the strengths and weaknesses on Twitter as being England’s superb front three against Kosovo’s technically superior and effective midfield taking on two defences that couldn’t catch a beachball in a telephone box. I may have phrased it slightly differently on the night.
In under a minute we attempted to play out from the back with all of the assurance of Dean Martin on his third bottle. Keane played in Berisha, 0-1 Kosovo. Wakey wake! And wakey wake we did. Keane’s second assist set up man-of-the match Sterling for a headed equaliser. I’m more impressed with that fella every time I watch him play, damn Manchester City’s luck.
“I never dive” Kane, a Vojvoda own goal, and a brace from young Sancho had us secure, 5-1 to the good at the break. It was all over, surely. Except nobody told Kosovo that. Within ten minutes of the restart Berisha and Muriqi (from the spot after the world’s most expensive defender could not sort out his clown shoes) had reduced the gap to two.
The crowd, and millions of television viewers were transfixed as Kosovo poured forward at every opportunity. The finish was nervier than it should have been thanks to “he never misses from the spot” Kane having a poorly struck penalty saved, but England clung on to their one hundred percent record.
Good news was reported earlier today that all our international players flew out, and came back, unharmed. Let’s get back to real football and Stirling Albion. “Mon the Binos”.
48 Responses to “An Internationals View”
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Thanks Dave, saves me looking up the scores!
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If you go up Stirling way around Christmastime keep your eye out for Great Britain’s only reindeer her, to which I have a preposterously distant connection, parading through town. If you go up in the summertime look for them on the mountains near Aviemore but just don’t feed them any nasty English food.
her, = herd
Can’t even blame the spillchucker for that one. ?
Thanks for the roundup, Holic.
Holic,
I rarely watch international football outside the two big competitions if England aren’t playing . The decline of Scottish football is an essay subject. They produced a better team in the mid-sixties than the world champions , certainly more flair players , but their team now is pretty pathetic( Tierney aside and he was aside on Monday)
England have a very questionable defence , a pedestrian midfield and one of the best attacks in the world. Their goalscoring record is phenomenal but when you cap Michael Keane you ain’t a world football power. Stones and Maguire and hopefully Rob Holding are much more likely to see England to success but we still need a better midfield than Henderson and Barkley. I think the Euros might be a great opportunity for England if Southgate bloods young flair players like Mount and Foden now. Sterling is extraordinary. It’s like aliens abducted the prat who played against Iceland and substituted Messi 2.0 in his body. Amazing . I await Wenger’s explanation of how he nearly signed him. And I happen to know he was very hopeful he would join us when at QPR .
Bt8
My wife’s friend runs the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd and we visit them every year near Tomintoul. I find myself forced against my will to drink Islay and Speyside malts in significant quantities.
Now it looks like there is another reindeer herd in the Cotswolds if the inter web may be believed. Probably fed exclusively on haggis.
TTG
You don’t say!
Small world and all that. I would love to go there some day, which I never have. A distant cousin of mine imported the herd from Norway many decades ago, or so it is written. Islay and Speyside for the gentleman!
It’s clear to me England need
a Chambers/Holding CB
partnership plus a midfield
duo of AMN/Willock.
Eddie at CF and we’ll be set.
Strip Kane of the captaincy,
drop him and then announce
it’s due to his persistent cheating.
What a cracking message that
would send to young players.
Over to you Southgate. You talk
a good game on ethics now can
you walk the walk?
Sounds like an outrageous
even ridiculous idea to drop
a player for persistent
cheating.
I was only joking when I
started typing but then I
thought why not really?
It’s odd that it’s accepted
so easily
Excellent round-up, Guvna. I watched the Belgium game from behind the sofa. That fella de Bruyne and his 10 colleagues were the differene between the two teams. TTG, I think it would that analysis requires a PHD thesis rather than an essay. Nonetheless I have been impressed by what Steve Clarke achieved at another hopeless case, Kilmarnock and hope that he might again be able to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Rahem Sterling is a terrific player and far far better than Kane or any other English player in that 11. I am not bothered about international football much but let’s be real, England again will falter in the q/f’s, semis in any major tournament because they still play not to lose than to win.
Arsene taking up a role in FIFA is welcome news for all football lovers, the man is an encyclopedia and if the governing body really wants to improve, they should listen to him, else it will just be a high profile signing with no end product.
Back to the real football, we play watford sunday who are 1 point in 4 games and who will turn into barcelona when they kick off. We still need to sort the midfield out if we have any hope to win the game and no unai, guendouzi,torreira, wilock is not the answer, you need a creator and there are just 2 out there who can, Ceballos and more importantly Ozil, what is the use of a front 3 like that with no one to supply. When you think on this, also think that this playing from the back is nonsensical. Good luck boys for Sunday, we would need it big time.
TTG – Islay and Speyside indeed! I like a drop of the Laphroaig Select myself. In small measures naturally.
The chap Sterling is a bit good. But hats off to Guardiola for moulding him into the young man/player that he is today.
I’m hopeful for the motherland. We do produce some exceptional talents, just not enough of them at anyone time. Hence most Scotland teams always have that one player that would grace the top tier of Premier League sides and the rest of them would be part time reindeer herders from Midlothian! Still in Clarke we trust. Unfortunately he’s not got a lot to work with.
Watford have a new manager, so we might see the new manager effect of a surprise defeat for the Arsenal. But I’m hoping we return to our flat track bullying ways. On paper it certainly should be 3 points. Yes agree we need a creative influence in midfield with some legs. Guendouzi, Ozil and Willock for the win!
Best of luck to AW if the reports
of a FIFA role are true.
FIFA sadly lack the integrity and
understanding he will bring to
whatever he does for them.
I hope he brings a long spoon.
A sharp knife might come
in handy as well.
Good interview with Ceballos on the Daily Heil website. I loved this quote.
‘Unai wants me to show my personality on the pitch and I feel the responsibility this season of taking the reins, of wanting the ball in difficult moments of games, of not hiding. Really good players take that step forward when it matters.’
He’s the Anti-Mesut. 🙂
I don’t agree that Ozil’s vision is waning. You don’t lose that as a player. What you are seeing is that he needs more time on the ball to make those passes. The flicks and shimmy’s which use to buy him a yard of space aren’t as effective when you can’t execute them at the same rate of being closed down by the opposing player. It’s because he doesn’t have time on the ball to impose himself in games why he’s not been as effective for us in his latter years than when he was at Madrid. He’s still that same player, just a little slower in thought and in body. With younger player’s who have had better training and nutrition and are as fit as a butcher’s dog, closing you down in seconds with other players cutting out the angles for passes. Ozil is losing the ball rather than being able to make that killer pass. If we paired Ozil with Guendouzi and Willock, players who will do the running for him and always show for the ball when he’s under pressure then we might see a better work ethic from Ozil. I’d even maybe play 3 at the back and 4 in midfield to have Ozil sit behind the front 3 spreading the ball for our attacks, with Torriera, Guendouzi, Willock doing the running and fetching for him. Pressing/closing winning the ball back isn’t his game. So play him to his strengths. Long and short of it, you just don’t lose those quality’s over night and none of us doubt his ability. He’s a good player irrespective
If we really wanted to attack
we could Ceballos with Guen
or Torreira and Ozil in front
of them to create for our front
three rapiers
Sincere apologies for yesterday’s slanderous attack on English food, ignoring at least two generations of gastronomic imrovements. Kebab please maestro.
TTG@6,
Are you sure that you’re allowed to drink Islay malts all the way over near Tomintoul?
Dorset Mick,
Even if I’m not I do! ?
There is a smashing little whisky emporium in Tomintoul ‘ The Whisky Castle’ . The proprietor is very knowledgeable and it is usually full of overseas visitors especially Americans .
hello
message for dino
though i have a healthy disregard
nay
disgust for lovey dovey peace love and understanding
i think i was unnecessarily rude to you
i think being just plain rude woulda sufficed
so
if i can just dial back
and say
each to their own
it takes two to tango
and many hands make light work
.
.
.
GOD BLESS ALL HERE
.
.
.
and you fuckers up above
can fuck the fuck up
about swally
fuckin gaspin
how’s it goin dorset M
(word to the wise though – thunder Ts a wrongun – pwopah wrongdoinger) er
the m’lud stories
in chambers
?
take the hair off a wooden leg
a lotta the loaded are
though
himself did slow his horsedrawn carriage
just last week when
my youngest grandchild
she can only be three
three and a half
maybe four at best
got splashed
.
she commandeered the vehicle
.
.
it’s to be sold at auction
along with himself
third or forthwith
.
(minus his teeth got me eye on those)
OBVS !
so
he’s not all bad
Great win 4-0 away at
Fiorentina.
Mesut is needed to this team and we need him more than ever considering our front two/three, rest all hardly merits an argument considering what he brings in to this team.
CBA@23,
Much like your good self I still appear to be alive!
Just keep positive, and try not to do anything too stupid – advice I’m trying to take myself.
Have a diet tonic water on me, and look you you’re enjoying it!
Has anyone heard from Clive recently?
cba @21.
Cheers.
Our starting positions are miles apart. That’s not gonna change. But two to tango is right and there’s never any hard feelings. One on the bar for you.
Ceballos interview with Sid Lowe was very good. If he carries on the way he has started we will all be desperate for Real Madrid and Zidane to spurn him so he signs a permanent deal with us. I’m already keen as mustard to keep him.
Does anyone think RM might fancy Xhaka? ?
GSD, I am not exactly certain whether RM would be interested in Xhaka but having my lingering doubts propose that our newly more creative wheeler-dealer management types consider a triangular transaction letting Arsenal keep Ceballos, Xhaka go to a Spanish lower league club where his talents would become clearer, and RM would receive the rights to a double dozen future galácticos who have recently released their teething rings.
Hail Dean Martin!
Hail the third bottle!
Xhaka knows…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJwZcfREQiU
Whisper this…
The interlull is almost over.
For three weeks.
Talking of 3 weeks, Laca seems
to be out for 3 weeks. Not good
but better than aggravating his
injury I suppose.
Xhaka and Torreira fit after all.
More opportunities for Nelson
I guess.
3 weeks? Wasn’t Laca just out for 2 weeks of inter lull? I count 5 weeks already and suggest sending the medical bill to uefa or some such inane agency.
Inane agency?
Plenty of choices in the UK
just now
Nobody is sending me to the gallows at the ministry of toffee, OM. :))
I’m afraid that went over my head
bt8.
Not a good set of results today.
Apart from the cricket I suppose,
which is going oddly well
Since the start of last season
Manure have had 16 penalties.
We’ve had 5. So have Shitty,
Spuds and Chelski.
Liverpool have had 8.
Surely an independent enquiry
is called for. I’m available to
lead it if the FA just give me a
ring. Well, and some cash too.
If the FA are reading this, I’m available just for the cash – no need for a ring or any promises; they won’t even have to call me in the morning.
COYG
Watch out for VAR effect on MU penalty totals. Likely to skyrocket
Well done Norwich!!
Very impressive result for Norwich. Can they keep on producing this kind of performance?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>