Taking The Long View
Nov 12th, 2018 by 'holic
I mentioned on Twitter post match that I had experienced the gamut of emotions over the weekend, and in fairness most them on match day itself. This isn’t the time for a detailed report. Most of you have seen what transpired, I’m sure, and other blogs have excellently covered the minutiae of what happened and when.
The day started superbly. I got to meet up with family for the match and we enjoyed a superb meal in Lamezia (I recommend the lobster and crab ravioli!) before heading off to Piebury corner to greet Paul (thank you for the book) and Alan Smith (thank you for signing it). Ian Wright was also in situ but as he was trying to eat his lunch I didn’t interrupt. A stroll back down Holloway Road to Provisions for a large cheeseboard and a cheeky little bottle of red.
Replete it was off to the armoury to grab this season’s home shirt for two wonderful young lads. The sun was out as we said our goodbyes and I made my way to a different view to my usual position in Block 4. I was glad to witness the commemoration of the one hundred years of World War 1 which The Arsenal presented with absolute class. A minute of silence and reflection for everyone present for family members caused a little something in my eyes.
The referees whistle brought an end to that minute and a crescendo of noise filed the stadium. This was a good day, yes? Well, of course that was pretty much the time at which it ceased to be so. We started slowly, as we have done with a similar formation and players so often this season. As good as Granit Xhaka was against Liverpool a gaffe is never out of the question and when he lost his bearings yesterday we were a goal down.
It was all too much for my new neighbour who screamed invective at various players and generally raised their blood pressure, and volume, to higher levels. At half-time I sought the refuge of my normal block. “Any spare seats by you?” I pleaded to my co-season-ticket-holder. “Yes”. I was glad to be back in familiar surroundings with a better view of proceedings, or so I thought.
We improved to a degree, but not as much as we have in so many other matches this season. It’s at this point one has to acknowledge the part the Wolves were playing. They had organisation, discipline, and a grasp of some of the dark arts, in particular time-wasting. I don’t blame visiting sides for doing it from the first minute to the last. They will only get away with what the officials allow. Referee Stuart Attwell showed no desire to speed the match up and that added to the air of frustration around the ground.
Henryk Mkhitaryan’s goal was a rare moment of class for me and a fluke to some. Good job we don’t all agree about everything. A frustrated crowd became an angry crowd when the fourth official raised the board indicating five added minutes while a second Wolves player in the closing stages was receiving lengthy treatment for a supposed injury, only to sprint back to his position from the touchline when play resumed. With a full raft of substitutions I think the paying public were robbed of at least another two or three minutes.
The anger subsided over a pint and a half of Guinness and friends debated the right and wrongs of the day. On the way home on the train I started thinking about where we are in a wider context. We have many new players this season as well as a new coaching regime. They have had to integrate with the retained players in a new system of playing for all. At this early stage we appear to have some round players in square positions and I am sure Unai Emery is trying different combinations in training to improve our effectiveness and consistency.
There will be good performances (Liverpool and Fulham) plus the occasional poorer performances of which yesterday was the perfect example. We are working things out on the job. That is what happens and the head coach is right to make his most uttered word improvement. That improvement will be required quickly if we are to dream of chasing Manchester City to the finishing line. The gap is already eight points. Who will beat City three times?
I don’t expect us to be involved in the shake up for the title right now, but if you had said to me in August that we would have won seven and drawn three of the first twelve matches I would have snatched your arm off. That is my measuring stick, the longer view if you will. New formations and new system will provide peaks and troughs and we are experiencing more of the former at the start of the new project, which is encouraging to me.
Where will it all end? Who knows? As ever my glass is half full. Others are looking miserably at the dregs in their glass. Vive la difference, and all that.
113 Responses to “Taking The Long View”
Cheers H!
Follow the club through thick and thin, don’t we all? Yesterday was a bit thin. Better days will come. All very natural to me.
Thanks Guv.
Very reasonable as always.
Top 3.
An omen?
But personally I’m not sure where my
glass is just now. It was half empty
immediately after the game as I stumbled
off to bed at 3.30AM Japan time
wondering if I’d put in more effort for
that game than some of our players.
The winning streak raised expectations of
a miracle I suppose and now they’re
coming back down to earth. We are
finding ways to avoid defeat and we’re
also at the end of a heavy workload of
games over 3 weeks so I’m more half-full
of optimism now. Get Nacho back, get
something at Bournemouth and then beat
the Spuds seems the way forward 🙂
I am calm and focused
like an owl
When is a gagge not gaffy? Never, but particularly not when Xhaka does it. Excellent report, and especially on your pre-match activities. Didn’t see the match at all but you set a high standard that might have been difficult for any match to live up to. 🙂
gagge = gaffe for the less dextrous among us
Evening all. Thanks for coming back a day after the event.
Spot on Esso. ??
I hope so, bath.
I’d settle for the highlights, bt8.
Highlights? Your glass is indeed half full.
That won’t take you long bt8. ?
Indeed bath. The warning was not to watch the whole sorry affair. ?
That we don’t get easily beaten fills half a glass; not winning any more keeps the other half empty, for now. But this time last year, the glass would not only have been empty but smashed to the floor. So that’s progress.
I didn’t see the game live and only watched the highlights on MOTD this morning . I note your reflections Holic. The title is right out of the question , as is the top three but fourth place is realistic.
The four first teamers that we purchased in the summer have improved the team significantly. Lichsteiner is a useful squad player. Added to that we have two fine strikers and decent full backs ( we’ve missed Nacho enormously) and a real enigma in Ozil. We have decent other players in Cech, Koscielny , Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Holding and
Ramsey. Welbeck woukd be on that list but alas he already has his annual season-ending injury. Added to that we have fine youngsters in AMN, ESR and Nketiah. I wished we’d kept Nelson.
We have some big disappointments ( in my view) in Xhaka, Mustafi and Kolasinac .
To get top four we probably need another good centre back,a top quality holding midfielder and a fast, wide player . They won’t come until next summer so this season is about stabilising in the league , chasing the Europa League( probably our main target) and hoping to lift the two domestic cups.
I like Emery – he must rectify our first half apathy and our defensive openness but he is improving the impact of the team and he makes brave, knowing substitutions.
I agree with Holic that we can be pleased with things so far but we need to stop drawing and start winning . Our next three games are tough.
This gleaned from the BBC:
Arsenal midfielder Xhaka has made five errors leading to goals since his Premier League debut in August 2016. No other outfield player in the competition has made more in that time.
TTG@12: Not much to disagree with there. Whether we need another CB may turn on how well Kos returns from injury and whether there are any future expectations of Calum Chambers, now out on loan at Fulham. Cover for Torreira is a must, unless AMN is pencilled in for that. And you can never have too many pacy wingers. We also need some squad depth at left back, again unless one of the youngsters is considered a likely prospect.
I’ve watched almost every Fulham game (God forgive me) when Calum
was playing to observe his progress
progress?
he was ultra bad
every minute
OWL
@13
It feels like more than 5 Ned 🙂
After the latest it must be tempting to
give up on Chaka Khant.
He, Mus and Kola looked great signings
at the time – funny how things turn out.
Checking the Squawka ratings for Calum Chambers following Silly Second’s assessment @15, I noticed that Mustafi was our highest ranked player so far this season and the only one in the Premier League’s top 40. Make of that what you will.
OM@16. I know what you mean. However, the stats show Xhaka making fewer defensive errors than many of the rest of the team, but his disproportionately lead to goals.
@17
Ned,
Is Xhaka just unlucky or is it
because he has the turning
circle of a bus and can’t
recover?
On the bright side perhaps Mus’s
excellent stats will make it easier
to sell him at the end of the
season.
Maybe the stats have not considered that minor defensive errors are one thing, major defensive errors are quite another, while major defensive errors without the ability to recover from them are quite another still? Just saying.
Apologies for the negative tenor of 19. Actually, it’s time to get positive and to switch back on. If only we had performed better to give us that frame of mind going into the interlull. Another challenge for Unai Emery, and it will be interesting to see the post-lull response. Refreshing indeed if we come charging out of the blocks.
OM@18, Frankly, I was surprised to see Mustafi topping the Arsenal Squawka ratings. I would have had Auba or Lacca ahead of him, and certainly Torriera. I rate Mustafi more than many in this bar, but acknowledge his inconsistency and that when he makes mistakes he makes howlers.
I don’t see how anyone can be staring miserably at the dregs in the bottom of their glass this season.
Staring miserably at the dregs on the pitch is bad enough 😉
There’s nowt but positives really. Even where the serial under-performers are concerned, you have to believe that, with this manager, they won’t be around come next August.
If Mustafi, Xhaka and even someone like Ozil is still here this time next season, then I’ll be worrying. The next two transfer windows will sort everything.
As it is, we have a decentish keeper, Holding is growing into a decent player, Monreal is coming back soon hopefully and we have adequate right backs.
Midfield is still a concern as is the attack, in part, but we have Torreira, Guendouzi, Lacazette and Aubameyang. Iwobi looks a much better player than under Wenger (although he’d pure squad fodder for me)
The only real concern for me is the one decent game in ten nature of Ozil and HM, but twas ever thus..
And even Jenkinson has had a couple of games.
Happy days.
Apologies to our Scottish friends, but it looks like the American ladies have taken advantage of your very best. ?
the big island
of
three tetchy bed fellows
only ever gave a single solitary fuck
about HERE
when the north of Ireland
STENCH
was visited on you
fuck those crazy paddys !
little realising that in the future
bigger queen admirers
than her fuckin corgis
would be holding all the cards
even though they would vomit
at the very notion
that any one would think they were
owners of their Irish accents
.
.
.
its an english thing
bundle the bomby shooty people together
(all the time wondering why are we over there among em)
now
brexit has brought the notion of subtleties
to the deconstruction of the North
.
“I didn’t realise the discrimination”
“I didn’t know the difference between em”
“How have they gotten away with it for so long”
“Why weren’t we told about this”
“Why do we now have to pretend we would be sad if the dup were no longer part of the uk”
“Those fucks are nuts”
“Numbers though”
8ball
hefty lump of my family are Scottish
they stay with me regularly
they mercilessly mock me
but
in quiet response
i no longer have to remind them of their proud heritage
.
What does the world think of when it thinks of Scotland ?
maybe
1 the pipes – Irish
2 the kilt – Irish
3 whiskey – Irish
4 the name – Irish
.
.
but
they’re still lovely
bless em
.
.
don’t pick a fight with the Scottish here 8 ball
they’re a proud shower o gooners
and
WHATEVER YOU DOOOO
don’t show em
no 25 above
.
(oh they’re angry )
(well you’d be too if ye historically missed the last night boat back and were stuck there)
and
yer humour turned to freckles
and
ununderstandability
and
furry arteries
but
.
.
.
.
Charlie Nicholas
??????????
.
.
.
*fires up chip pan*
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vkYiCdn834
.
.
.
tunes for the mighty Esso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LR02-cOfFU
haaaa
UNIONIZE !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afIxWQwKv0Q
BIRTH
SCHOOL
WORK
DEATH
Cba, you have many like-minded folk in this place when it comes to Brexit and the divisions it has caused, and the lack of consideration for the Irish situation the government appears to have shown. I would prefer however your Scots rants were expresssd elsewhere. Don’t forget I am half sweaty.
Thank you.
The pint at the Hemingford pre-match was definitely the highlight of my Sunday afternoon. I am seriously concern with our dip in form over the last games I have attended ,( Liverpool excepted), Blackpool, Sporting, Palace and now Wolves, all of which were dire encounters.
Not only have we started games slowly but the tempo has been slow and our passing errant. Very few players have enhanced their reputations, Rob Holding being one of the few exceptions and our 3 hugely expensive attacking signings have failed to live up to the recent hype in the media and on line.
Thank goodness for the interlul at least I have had the opportunity to get down to the 02 for the tennis. Emery has a lot to sort out before we begin what will be a series of challenging games . Let’s hope Nacho can return fully fit for the Bournemouth match and our attackers can find their shooting boots while away on international duty.
This all sounds very negative but that’s the way I’m feeling right now.
One bit of good news, I have received a full refund on my train ticket for the journey back from the Blackpool game which I will gleefully spend tomorrow for a trip to the tennis.
COYR
ttg, i hope mrs. ttg’s scan went well today (if i remembered her schedule correctly)…
Good to see Claudio Ranieri back managing in the Premiership. Seems the right fit for Fulham.
And seconding SCG@39, TTG.
‘holic
i can only apologise again and again
one among many of my failings in yer bar
is my stilted and half- the -story rants
i to be perfectly honest shouldn’t embark on anyway
cos who gives a monkey’s fuck
what i think anyway here on an Arsenal forum
but
in the interest of beefing out my Caledonian nonsense
i have uncles long dead left for Glasgow
i have brothers and a son left for Glasgow
i consequently have “unintelligible” nephews (great and otherwise ?) and grandchildren from Glasgow
i drink with Dundee and Glasgow men in Donegal every week
i just said goodbye to a housefull of big vowel churning relations from wouldn’t ye know it , Glasgow
.
Each and every one of those fuckers JUSTIFIABLY make fun of my accent amongst other things
.
.
.
but
i understand yer feelings
ive been annoying on purpose here
a bar you’ve set up
and
shouldn’t expect shite in
(indeed were this a real bar i’d a been bounced long time since)
.
.
so
apologies again
and i will really endeavour to shut my face in future
.
.
UP THE ARSENAL
.
(offence caused was by drunken accident rather than design)
.
.
.
but
as is my modus operandi
.
yadda yadda yadda on telly
it is NOT an Irish border
it is the English border in Ireland
.
.
it is not a single line border
with a no man’s land
it is a BORDER REGION
with people
The French president’s spokesman accuses Trump of lacking common decency.
The historians will be taking note.
Even as Trump continues his merry way of deny, accuse and offend.
ooooh
i see what ye did there
????
Apologies for conjuring his hateful name.
1/2 !
Politics is for the bereft of brains. If you don’t believe me, just look at those who make a career out of it, both in Parliament (of all types) and in the media.
It’s also by far the most boring topic for discussion ever. I’d rather discuss bunions.
In other news, anyone who hasn’t yet bought 89 on shiny disc should be aware that is currently £3.99 on Blu-ray at Zavvi.
Thanks to everyone for their continued good wishes for Mrs TTG who had her scan today. She sees her cardiologist in the morning and hopefully may be allowed home afterwards. I will keep you informed
Morning All.
Brexit, Bunions and Trump. My
cup runneth over. I’m with Cynic
so I’ll just comment that I have
an annoying corn on the inside of
my little toe. Would anyone like to
discuss?
the choice to not think about politics
is a privilege
lots of people are alright jack
many aren’t
politics doesn’t wear a suit
politics is whats happening
outside yer front door
so
cunt off
.
is that right ?
cynic ?
glad to hear it went ok ttg. now for the bigger meet and greet, with the dr. fingers crossed it’s all ok!
.
.
.
career politicians
come in many packages
.
i know a few
none decided to be
circumstances sorta dictated
it’s their career now
.
they didn’t do PPE in London
they wondered why their families couldn’t get housed
mmmmmmm
“Is it cos of my name ?”
.
i’m at it again ‘holic
i’m sorry
it’s just everyone is an expert
on brexit
like tons waxed lyrical
about cruciate ligaments
with all the knowledge of a dope with a sore foot
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jcIQiP01A
except i did
cos fuckin nowts changed
cept
walked home this evening
with this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEqXaM4ADCY
.
so ?
.
.
what a balloon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Hy7uAb_eU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vwQuuO52I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJ9eWyxnZ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPCO85TSVlA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM3f-pRidnU
.
wrestle with yer macchiato now
ya fuckin bullshit lying bullshitters
.
they’re no
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4q3Cy8X6Mo
.
.
.
.
.
been testing ‘holic’s shitewall
just now
it works
.
nothing posts
lucky
proper subversive
.
on me own
the vowel garglers have long gone
they said where they were going
i just nodded politely
.
herself took to the bed
uncharacteristically i am not in the bad books
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDo7OZ-1GcE
a condition i don’t usually experience
she’s started invading the wee back kitchen
record player cd player nad amp ns10s
comfy seat wee fridge wee stove
wee telly
door out to the cattle
anyhoo
sorry holic i’m at it again
i really don’t mean to
anyway
she was
all over this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqAvuL1-aGA
“In your mind you think you’re him”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYQTL-ws6p4
.
complete bollocks
i have been Joey Ramone since nineteen and 76
“and
if i did ever fuckin think i was anybody else
it’d this fox huntin cunt ”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icCi_4yQA9w
“it’s like you fuckin don’t know me at all”
*throws boa and flounces off*
.
herself s in bed
but i acted her part
just so i wouldn’t look stupid
.
.
.
.
Dave
sorry
Politics in the parlor
Front door no barrier
.
clearly spelling was in the garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIkD0F8MrpI&feature=youtu.be&a
sorry 8ball
shut up valve has seized
i am obsessed with this though
have ye seen it ?
wow
i useta write shite for telly
but never – ever – was anything
as good as this non-written shit
writ
.
.
.
*drops mic*
*nods to Pharoahe Monch all smug like*
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7t3mHsdBM
Wenger turned down the Fulham job before it was offered to Ranieri, according to the Mirror (so it may be true, or may not).
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsene-wenger-rejected-fulham-before-13588051
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8aiUI0eyDs
TTG@52: Hope Mrs TTG gets the all clear today.
OM@53: No.
cba@80: 🙂
ned @82
yes , dear ?
what , dear ?
tunes , dear ?
plumptious , dear
.
here’s a ditty
to be honest
the only good tune
these squares aren’t round journeymen did
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8YHwgGX9fU
all things considered though
i prefer their earlier stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-LD2v3EDFw
dunno why the shouty fella
shouted all the time
bad crease in his trousers ?
sta-pressed not quite ?
hairspray for his little back of the head hair fountain structurally unsound ?
ahhh paul
*chuckle chuckle*
*schmooze schmooze*
when will we please never see yer like again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CAzwewVjZ0
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
?
it’s always interesting
to hear diehard jam fans
struggling to defend this shite
cos
mods
don’t like chaos
mods iron
socks
@82 Ned
You do seem to be right. Pity really
as I thought it was quite topical.
And (like Brexit and Trump) I can’t seem to get
the bloody thing to go away.
Still I will talk amongst myself for a bit
in that case
I read the story about AW turning down
the Fulham job – seems he’s holding out
for Bayern Munich according to speculation.
Course AW is welcome to take any job he
chooses but I’d be a little sad to see him at
Bayern with the likes of Hoeness.
Coincidentally, there’s a story in the
Independent about Ramsey going to Bayern
too – at the end of the season in his case.
Not really sure how he’d fit in at Bayern
but they do have an aging side so perhaps
a major overhaul is planned.
Bunion crusade a political success?
The only other things vaguely Arsenalish were the
rumoured PL plan to limit clubs to 12 foreign players
in the squad and the story that FIFA are investigating
5 PL clubs for illegally signing young players.
Oooh, I nicked the ton
🙂
A success!! Glad I stuck a toe in the
water there
And a tip of the hat to bt8 for the late assist
Anyway, I digressed. I hope we are not one
of the 5 clubs under investigation as a transfer
ban would be particularly ill-timed for UE just
now – I am sure he will want to recruit a couple of
players now he has had a chance to look at the
squad in action.
Well in for the megaton, OM.
Reminds me of the player who scores the unknowing goal that bounces off his bum and then runs into the net to apply the coup de grace four times with no opposition contesting. 😉
You are very welcome for the assist, I should have said. 🙂
Re: OM @53. The topic was bunions, not corns. Out of order. Deportation, even. 😉
Mrs TTG is home , very tired but pleased to be here. She will take some time to heal but it’s very good to have her back. While I’ve tried to follow the news around Arsenal I must confess I’ve not felt very much in the loop .
I would like to thank so many of you for your kind wishes, prayers and positive thoughts. It is so kind of you and very much appreciated. As for this Brexit thing what’s that ? ?( fucking disaster that’s what )
bt8
@106
Deportation ?
I am determined to remain.
Despite the blistering attack
on my poor corns leaving me
without a leg to stand on.
TTG,
That’s good news. A glass of
medicinal brandy to you both
– though you may have to drink
Mrs TTG’s while she recovers.
3 cheers for Mrs. TTG and the poor worried husband. So glad to hear she is doing okay and please let her know we care. 🙂
OM. You have been granted a late pardon. On the condition you will allow Trev to make corn and bunion puns, which he will if he is reading this. 🙂
Wouldn’t want to put him on a pedestal of course. It hurts to think about the foot pain those classical statues must have after standing for so many years.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>