Three Points Wanted To Retain The Top Three Berth
Oct 20th, 2019 by 'holic
It’s been a full day, one way or another, and a preview post awaits. Let’s see what we can do at this hour of the night. Positives to take into Monday night? Middlesex, Yanited, and ‘Pool have all dropped points this weekend. Tougher is that we need to win at Bramall Lane to reclaim our top four berth having been overhauled by Chelsea and Leicester, both with home wins by the narrowest of margins on Saturday.
The good news is that we are back to full strength, Reiss Nelson aside. Now Unai Emery really starts to earn his corn. Bernd Leno will retain his place in goal, but oh, the options ahead of him. Does he bring both full-backs together after their extended injury breaks? With Calum Chambers in surprisingly good form in recent weeks there is no need to take any chances on the right, but Kieran Tierney seems to be an irresistible option on the left.
In the centre of the defence, where we can expect some considerable pressure on Monday, the hardest choice of all remains. Rob Holding has come back looking in decent form but his problem is that he is a left-sided player as is David Luiz. Perhaps the experienced Luiz could switch to the right to take Sokratis Papastathopoulos out of the firing line, but it would be a risk. Shkodran Mustafi, impressive in the cups this season remains the great question mark.
With Granit Xhaka somehow being a given for the head coach his partner at the base of the midfield will be the improving Matteo Guendouzi or the hopefully more defensive-minded Lucas Torreira. The latter may be preferred for a cold Monday night battle in South Yorkshire. By the same logic Dani Ceballos should see off a potential return for Mesut Ozil as the German and Emery make conciliatory noises to each other.
If Alexandre Lacazette is deemed fully fit then he surely returns alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe up front. Harsh on Bukayo Saka? Probably not. His time will come again and he will surely return a far more confident member of the side.
The Blades made a confident return to the top flight and whilst giving a good account of themselves early on three consecutive defeats have seen them slip to a point clear of the relegation places. They are a better side than that suggests as manager Chris Wilder pointed out pre-match.
“We are competitive and we fancy our chances and we are bullish. At the same time, however, understanding the threat and pace and power that Arsenal have in the top end of the pitch, we must respect that.”
The ‘holic pound
If we are being honest a draw looks very tempting, but when have I ever backed the status quo? If there is to be a result this has all the makings of a single goal triumph either way. 0-1 or 1-2? I’ve wrestled with it but have a feeling the hosts will force one over the line, so I’m on 1-2 at a best of 8/1.
If you are making the journey you have my admiration. I remember doing midweek trips up north many moons ago and the journeys home were generally unenjoyable affairs involving milk trains. Do they still run?
Here’s hoping all of us will be celebrating a return to form away from home just before ten.
Have a good one, holics.
77 Responses to “Three Points Wanted To Retain The Top Three Berth”
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Fab piece Dave, thanks very much, 1 nil to the Arsenal!
That’s the stuff to give the troops, guv’nor. 1-3 please.
COYG
Nice preview Guvna. As you say, this is where we start to judge Emery, with a full deck to play with.
I’m surprisingly confident. Two nil to The Arsenal.
Back as if you had never been away, Guv’nor. I’d happily take 1-2, and not just because it would land the ‘Holic pound.
Pangloss @previousdrinks: I can barely remember this morning let alone 1974, but swimming through the mists of memory comes the fact Sheffield United ended the 74-75 season with a dozen more points than we did. And we ended up a magnificent four points clear of relegation.
The other odd fact of that season was that we needed a replay to get through every round of the FA Cup until we reached the 6th Round, when we lost to the Hammers.
[…] Original article: https://goonerholic.com/2019/10/three-points-wanted-to-retain-the-top-three-berth/ […]
Thanks Guvnor.
Several selection conundrums
as you say. I wouldn’t be
surprised if Laca returns from
the bench.
Either way nice to have him
back and I’m with C100 on
the score – 2-0
Evening H
Another boring interlull gone,with mercifully only one more next month until next March.
I wouldn’t mind a crystal ball to peer into the future and see where we stand when the first interlull of 2020 comes around.
Will Unai still be in charge, with the Club firmly entrenched in the top 4,and the youngsters winning a thrilling League Cup final over the holders Man City, or will things have gone to pot with the club struggling to stay in touch with the top 6,and Freddie stepping up as interim manager while we conduct a worldwide search for a new Head man. ??
Well the line in the sand is now,with a full squad to choose from as Countryman points out @3,there really are no more excuses.
A bang average journeyman newly promoted side in Sheff Utd,should be dispatched with the minimum of fuss.
They have absolutely nothing going for them technically,just plenty of honest endeavour.
We are a class above them and i won’t be the only one seriously disgruntled if we don’t return to London with the 3pts.
Arsenal’s passing game can be stopped especially if they are slow. The passing sideways and all day ball retention can be nullified by Sheff Utd who wont give the gunnerrs time and space.
How about long ball and diagonal passing which can split the defence with speed.
If the gunners are slow they could be vulnerable to the sucker punch.It had happened during Wengers time but he refused to change and asa result he would inevitably lose to rf
Clive: good to see you in. It seems to have been a while. Hope all is well.
Morning Ned
Yes all well,trust same with you and yours.
Busy with work,5 gr/children to keep in the style to which they are accustomed. ??
Plus recently became a great Uncle,so there’s another mouth to feed.???.
Halfway to a first eleven plus a sub.⚽⚽
Chambers has been playing too well to drop him in my view. If I was the boss I’d challenge Ozil to make a claim to a starting place and pick:
Leno
Bellerin – Chambers – Holding – Tierney
Torreira – Guendouzi
Ozil
Pepe – Aubameyang – Saka
Time to see us play and for all the cribbing, football isnt the same without the arsenal playing.
Tierney set to start, chambers at rb, torreira hopefully as Dm and Xhaka as Cm with a front 3 of auba, pepe and i think saka considering lacazette is just coming off an injury. Can we for once see Ozil start instead of ceballos? Sheffield would be prepared for a known 11, can unai for once keep the front foot and say, dont care what happens, let us win 4-2 again?? time shall tell but till then 2-1 to us hopefully with auba scoring his 50th goal for us
Your 1-2 prediction has a nice ring to it, Holic but Vinay’s 2-4 would be more entertaining, particularly if it included one of these rare beasts, a Pepe hat-trick.
The replacement of the faltering fullback by Kieran Tierney is the equivalent of the addition of an extra player as we’ll one who can actually defend, knows when to get forward and when he does, who can cross the ball unerringly onto a pinhead.
All we need now is a pinhead in the middle. 🙂
Enjoy. I’m not going tonight but will be at Thursday’s game.
Excellent preview, Guvna. 2-1 sounds about right. The Blades will play the kind of robust energetic games that have posed us problems since the Invincibles were broken up. We will do well to come home with 3 points but if we are to return to where we all believe this club should sit, this is the kind of game that we have to win. If necessary by scrapping it out. I do hope Emery isn’t going to play for a draw.
apropos the tornado in dallas, lonestar are you ok?
fourteen days without football and it’s sheffield bloody united but
addicts can’t be choosers. off the smack, for now
(leaving meaning)
We’re off to see Mesut, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!
because because because because because
Mesut not in the squad tonight according to Sam Dean of the Telegraph. I did predict this. Bet he play’s Thursday.
A super preview for a very tough game. Surely though we can’t leave Guendouzi out he has been brilliant and has the bottle for a game like this. The Scousers struggled at Bramall Lane so we will definitely find it hard but I think we will manage a 1-1 draw
No Tierney, No Holding, No Torreira , No Ceballos, No Bellerin
Unai takes his time in getting to his best eleven doesn’t he?
Our bench does look very tasty though- Martinez, Martinelli, Torreira, Ceballos, Tierney, Holding, Lacazette. If you add Bellerin, Ozil , Mustafi and Smith Rowe I think that would beat tonight’s team!
Leno, Chambers, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Willock, Saka, Pepe, Aubameyang
Subs: Martinez, Holding, Tierney, Torreira, Martinelli, Ceballos, Lacazette
OK, so Tierney’s going to come on and score the winner as the grand announcement of his PL arrival.
I am deeply disappointed with this team.
I’ll leave it there for the moment.
A shocking line-up.
I’ll leave it there for the moment.
C100
I know what you mean. We all know what you mean but this close to kick off I always go with the coach’s selection and hope we perform. The big disappointment for me is the omission of Tierney. Sheff Utd put a lot of crosses into the box and we need to stop them at source. Can Kola do this?
He’s resting the subs for Gdansk.
Disappointed with that selection, fingers crossed though!
I’ll just leave it there for the moment.
Gdańsk?
When are we playing in Poland?
Pepe just missed a sitter ffs looking dodgy at the back still!
Europa league final TTG
WTF is Xhaka doing king fu fighting?
Brainless bit of midfield thuggery from Xhaka. Who else?
They don’t have a clue.
Typical!
Words fail me . We are clearly second best with virtually no sustained possession or control and we look vulnerable at the back . And Xhaka! ?
Indeed we look clueless but if he gives Saka a card he should have done the same few seconds earlier the other way.
Mike Dean strikes. The kid gets taken down in their box and Dean books him for a dive…
Playing out the back again which we have already mastered by the looks of things
Not good enough end off….
When my daughter was very small she used to describe things that were not to her liking as “all poo poos and we wee’s”
That pretty much sums up Arsenals first half performance
We should have been two up before they scored through Auba from Pepe’s cross and then Pepe from 9 inches. Their blades would have been blunted. Much to do in the second half. Time for the master tactician to earn is corn.
Commentators saying Saka manufactured the contact. Hazard and Vardy get better rewards.
Another poor half in a season of super poor halves.
Awful dire first half. No pressing no running. Just terrible football from us. I think David Moyes’s teams played better than anything I have seen so far from Emery’s sides.
Thank God my internet was down and could not comment real time. Horrible selection, no creativity. Why on earth Dean doesn’t check the bloody VAR, also for the pull on Sokratis which would have been given against us. Oh, did I mention that Dean is a c…
If Emery had balls, not saying brains, would make at least 2 changes at the start of 2H.
@41
That’s exactly what I said
Mane last minute dive for Liverpool versus Leicester.He got the penalty.
I hope we’ll make changes at
half time.
2-0 is out the window so I’ll go
for 3-1. COYGS!
Dean should be made to
apologise publicly for the
Saka booking. Dick.
Yellow for Saka unbelievably harsh. Dean’s eyes lit up at the chance to show everyone what a great referee he is.
We haven’t played two good halves in the league yet this year. Hopefully we manage one in this game and it is enough.
COYG
More of first half in the second half
What the f… are they doing? Are they scared of them?
Laca has to come at 60′, move Auba on the wing, maybe things change. A draw looks an achievement tonight. Damn
should of equalised
I’ll settle for a good 30
minutes. But no sign of
it so far.
We look so lethargic as if we were the team who are one nil up, its disappointing and disgraceful!
Two wide men off for Laca and Martinelli please
Emery with selection of Xhaka just looses it for me. Also why not start with Tierney and sub him later. What has happened to Torreira, surely he’s not worse than Xhaka, Guendouzi has also been off tonight.
Dean is stealing the show now though what a tosser!
I can hardly believe my eyes. Xhaka substituted. Now, please, Tierney for Kolasinac.
Laca must come on
and is. Xhaka off
Fair enough UE is going
for it
Pepe reminiscing of Theo MK2?
That Watford game told us everything we needed to know about Unai Emery and this team.
Another season of mediocrity beckons.
Mesut Ozil sitting at home in his carpet slippers having a chuckle at the expense of his old mate Unai.
Wilder is managing the game really well. We aren’t getting near them . Our ‘pressure’ is them inviting us to come on to them
This is comical as much as it’s sad at he same time, Unai is not the right man for this job!
Disgusting show from the players and the manager
We are so ineffective and Mike Dean has made it worse.
I said as much after the Watford game ATG. That was the final straw for me.
The manager bears more responsibility, defo not the right man, a good bloke but not a top manager.
Suddenly we are in a hurry
To be honest we look no
better or worse than our
other away games this
season. We just haven’t
had things go our way
tonight – or to put it
another way the chances
haven’t fallen to Auba.
It’s much worse than that OM
OM
You forgot to mention last season away games
It’s a shame that so many good players cannot be played in their best positions, or at the right time. Always reacting, never on the front foot.
I also don’t understand the quite things didn’t go out way today? It because we didn’t do it anything to happen to go our way!
Clueless running around like headless fucking chickens!
Had enough of this shit. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Bloody spell check keeps butting in
UE is making good players worse what is he asking them to do ?
If a team doesn’t come out we’re lost not 1 chance made in the second half
I’m so disappointed just too many problems
As I have stated previously, it is one thing to have the players (resources), but quite another to deploy those resources effectively.