Time To Play Catch Up
May 11th, 2015 by 'holic
A mixed weekend is drawing to a close as I type. We find ourselves sandwiched between the two Manchester clubs after both recorded victories, but mathematically our nineteenth consecutive top four berth was sealed when Chelsea and Liverpool drew at the bus stop in Fulham.
We can ensure automatic Champions League group phase qualification with two more wins, or victory against Swansea in the Monday night game plus a draw at Old Trafford next Sunday.
Swansea arrive at the Grove in eighth place having been in contention for a Europa League place for most of the season. It looks as though they won’t quite make it, but it has still been a good season for Garry Monk’s team.
We have nobody fit to return to the squad that took on Hull City last Monday, and could possibly lose Aaron Ramsey who was injured in that match and had not trained all week when Arsene addressed his press conference on Friday. Jack Wilshere or Theo Walcott would be in contention to replace him if he doesn’t make it.
The visitors will be without defender Jordi Amat, and striker Nelson Oliveira, but should welcome back Dwight Tiendalli, Jazz Richards, and Bafetimbi Gomis. The latter grabbed the winner in the reverse fixture at Swansea in November when we allowed a 0-1 lead to slip in the final fifteen minutes.
The ‘holic pound
The ‘holic pound, on a hot streak of one, is ventured on a nervous evening ending in a 2-1 win against well organized opponents. Paddy Power are wary of this and offer sevens.
All that remains is for me to wish you an enjoyable Monday culminating in three valuable points, and to apologise for a weekend of essential maintenance on the server which kept the site unavailable for long spells.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
100 Responses to “Time To Play Catch Up”
GET IN !!!!!!
😀
Manchester City to hand Paul Pogba £250k-a-week AFTER TAX for Premier League return…
I hope Pogba knows what’s in store for him there : http://i.imgur.com/60c9KP4.jpg
😀
UCL….not the cycling one. here’s to a win and fantastic evening for every gooner as we stroll in to Europe for the 19th straight season,and yes we will win at old toilet next weekend…f.a cup semifinal anyone? cheers good people!!
BB:D
Three points essential this evening. Need to stay focused on the final four games. Second is still in our hands. Twelve points to secure that, put Mancs in their places (third and fourth) and to provide momentum going into the Cup Final.
nice incentive for the players to set the record straight in our next two games. we threw away those reverse fixtures.
COYR!
Woohoo, the bar is open again!
Ned, it’s actually only 10 points to secure second.
Swansea are a good team and on their day a very good one. I do still expect us to win of course, but not in any way expecting it to be a stroll in the park.
Hmm.. so three years ago, Theo has not signed his contract, Wenger refuses to pick him, talks him up as a striker, talks about Henry starting wide blah blah blah then gives him a game or two up top in which he does well, Theo signs, ends up never playing as a central striker again. To this point.
It’s deja vu all over again.
Theo signs, ends up never playing as a central striker again. To this point.
Not true. He played there in the cup game against Tottenham where he got injured.
Cynic – actually I think that has it not been for that unfortunate injury against Spuds, we would have seen him in that role much more often.
In that game he has shown that he can work in that position, we essentially blew our dearest and nearest away by our pace and fluidity of exchanges in the final third and Theo was very much part of it.
The personell in the team during his time out changed and contention for positions is much tighther now (which is a only a good thing for a team) than it was before he was out. Still I can imagine him, Alexis and AOC/Danny starting in some games and work very well, interchanging positions.
Dont forget, he has been out for a year and albeit being “match fit” it takes much, much longer to get to the level of sharpness he was before he was injured, it took Aaron year and half to get to the level he was reaching before he got his leg Shawcrossed.
Belated birthday wishes to the finest player i have seen play for The Arsenal, Happy Birthday Dennis Bergkamp who would have turned 46 yesterday.
Tough game tonight but then which game is not. Arsenal need to start the game quickly and hope to hit them hard and have them playing catch up all throughout. Swansea do play good football and come under no pressure, so if we allow them time and space, we could be in for a tough evening. With Ramsey out, jack gets a chance to put in a tough 90 min under his belt and that is only good for him and the team. I am sure he is our replacement to Santi sooner or later for i do not see us replacing Santi with anyone from the outside. But then, let Santi play for long and well for us.
Theo may finally get a game and that may be a good thing after all. Swansea full backs are a suspect and what better than pace at both ends.
Siggurdson, Monteiro and Shelvey are the ones to watch and probably Ki as well.
We need 10 points to be 2nd, lets start with 3 tonight.
Going along tonight and I’ll happily settle for 2-1, Holic. Here’s to another successful night for THP.
Flush with Cup Final tickets and feeling good 🙂
Tough weekend without my Goonerholic fix but now 3 points are looming on the horizon. Let’s snatch ’em. 🙂
Welcome back, Holic !
Well, it took a while to write so, as the bar was down all day, I’m going to re-post my bit of fun following yesterday’s main post on the Community Programme.
Arsenal Employability Programme
I noted with interest in the main post that Arsenal FC has instigated an Employability Programme as part of the Arsenal in The Community project.
This led me to wondering which of our players might be on hand to offer advice to youngsters on how to create the right impression at work.
For example, Francis Coquelin might suggest that a head-down, uncomplaining approach to an initial lack of opportunity, might eventually result in a meteoric rise in one’s fortunes, both in terms of income and esteem.
Seeing him pictured with our captain – in practical terms, at least – made me think that Per Mertesacker could offer good advice on how not to talk down to people.
Wojciech Szczesny would warn against the dangers of the crafty smoke in the toilets whilst in dereliction of one’s proper duties and responsibilities.
Matthieu Flamini could suggest the perfect etiquette required when introducing yourself to someone on meeting them for the first time.
Nicholas Bendtner might even be tempted back as the erstwhile prodigal son who, while not exactly tearing it up in his chosen profession, has acquired huge wealth, Ferraris, Lambourghinis, and even sponsored pants, just by telling everybody that he was absolutely the best in the whole world at whatever it is he does – or doesn’t do.
Similarly, Marouane Chamakh might drop in to offer advice on how to gel with your workmates.
Alexis Sanchez might expose the operation he underwent to have a giant battery pack inserted into his abdominal cavity, that turned him into some sort of human Duracell Bunny, impressing all and sundry with his constant, boundless drive and energy.
Olivier Giroud could give grooming advice and confirm that despite not originally being all that good, he bought himself a lot of time and tolerance in his job simply by being devastatingly handsome. And just look at him now! Everybody does …..
And finally, Theo. Well you didn’t think he’d be forgotten now, did you ?
He has lasted in his job longer than anyone else currently employed in the squad. All this despite being away on countless extended periods of sick leave, and whenever he did turn up for work, getting everyone else to do most of his job for him.
He just put the occasional, dramatic finishing touches to everyone else’s endeavours while all the girls were watching, and they loved him for it – as we would all love to love him for it.
😉
Trev.
Manuel Almunia on how not to instill confidence in your colleagues when trying to achieve and defend corporate goals? By means of special avoidance therapy his example will allow the youngsters to master how not to put on a confidence-zapping lost visage during critical moments of the campaign?
Lars@7: You are correct that ten points secures second. I was thinking, four games, four wins, 12 points. And then finish the season with a bonus win at Wembley.
Trev@14: 🙂
Work? I love it. I could sit and watch it all day…
This server is up and down like Sally Bercow’s *BLANK or BLANKS*
Nice preview H.
For those going I will see you there. The sun is shinning and I can feel a glorious evening descending upon N5.
Enjoy the game people.
Steve T optimism can only be a good sign. 🙂
Cheers holic.
A pathetic capitulation by the QPstRangers means we have to stay completly focused on the job at hand. Swansea are a well run team and I’ve been impressed with the job that Gary Monk has done. Even though they lost their best player to Citeh’s bench they have equiped themselves well and have managed to amass their best ever PL points haul. Only our best will do.
COYG’s.
Vinay.
Happy Birthday Dennis Bergkamp who would have turned 46 yesterday.
I believe he did.
Arsenal.com training ground photos REVEAL that Theo has come into a rich vein of form in the last week.
EVIDENCE:
Theo appears in FOUR (4) of the fifteen (15) photos shown.
This despite the mystery of the two missing photos. Said mystery was discovered yesterday when the total number of photos announced to be in the list was 17, not 15. The two missing photos continue to be missing up to one and a half hours prior to kickoff. Will Arsenal reveal the content of the two missing photos? Even more to the point, will it make a difference to the team that the manager picks????????
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud. Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Wilshere, Rosicky, Walcott.
Unchanged for fifth time in a row.. setting records all over the place!
😀
BB.
Ramsey being in the team could indicate he was the subject of the two missing photos. 😉
Hi All
Can anyone recommend a decent match stream for the UK ?
I never do this but Mrs NDR has gone out for the night leaving me daughter sitting and so cannot get to my mates gaff where we always watch TV games…
Cheers !
NDR – http://www.livefootballol.com/streaming/english-premier-league/11-05-2015-arsenal-swansea-city.html
I usually watch streams from there or http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/309330_arsenal_swansea/
enjoy
Hmm guess Holics soft blocked my links ..attempt no 2?
http://www.livefootballol.com/streaming/english-premier-league/11-05-2015-arsenal-swansea-city.html
Thanks Eandy…will keep looking
Don’t want to end up with the biased anti afc mob on the radio.
try livefootballol dot com
And they have Danny Mills for an Arsenal game again… Damn!! Such killjoys these television producers…
Come Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
http://sportzhd.tv/channel3.html
Come ooon!
Evening all, or whatever time it is with you.
COME ON YOU REDS!
Or that http://sportlemontv.eu/?watch=Y52imJmsY6KZq2OdmKqdmJmjY2VqaWdobGOdmJeVqJmbo6atY2VjqK2kmWOVoKBjqmNm
Ref should be better!
COME ONNNNNNNN!
Dire, this.
Right.. bring on Wilshere and Theo!
😀
COME ON!!!
Finally ref… good on you!
Yellow shelvey!
Sal Solo booked. I had a bet on a red card with him in mind 😀
FUCK OFF RAMSEY
/2012 mode
Timewasting cloggers, Swansea. So disappointing.
All a bit meh that, highly frustrating first 45.
A better second half needed.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!
Come on!
It’s Theo Time. Get Ramsey off.
WTF was THAT?
Any good streams for an iPhone?
Ref..come on!
Argh!
Does anyone know of any good streams for an iPhone?
Oops.
They’re tiring….
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
YES wilshere and theo on!
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
We’re making fabianski look good!
COME ON!
aaaarghggh
Should one up…at least. So frustrating
äll welsh buses parked in front of fab X_X
one of those days ffs
pathetic by arsenal.
can we pull it out of a hat this time?
hmmmm……
COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck!!
Utter shite.
Shouldn’t have taken Giroud off in a game where the bus was parked and should have put Theo wide, not up the middle. We had all the ball, no width.
Rubbish.
Pathetic
Might still salvage something….
We got to give it a good go!
COME ON!!
Well, this is a throwback!
Mugged at home by rubbish.
Ozil was shit by the way. For the record.
That Fabianski fella looks decent
Stupid loss…the soft underbelly shows up again
Been saying this, will say it one more time, we sold the better Pole.
Ah well..
We did look tired today but we finished strong.
Next week will be crucial… got to win that if we want to go after City and not finish in the playoffs again for the CL spot!
We’ll take it out on United!
On a different note, we are a multi million pound company. Surely we can arrange for a “good old” signal-jammer to be inconspicuously inserted in Ospina’s kit?!?
One of those nights.
An absolutly amzing run comes to an end, it was great while it lasted.
Time to pick ourselves up and get ready for the visit to Old Toilet.
COYGs
A rotation would not have gone amiss. A few key players look tired and leggy, Rambo, Ozil, Giroud all started very slowly, maybe TR7 and one of Theo or Jack could have started.
There was not much of a movement in the front line, and the speed of passing was too slow. The strangest thing was the crosses started to come in the box only after Giroud had left, while he was playing there was probably only one cross I can remember.
Do we concede that goal if Coquelin was playing? Probably not as he would have covered the right flank and would not have allowed the cross getting in. In days like these when not much is working it is better to keep the defense protected.
Anyway, #2 is out of our hands now (practically speaking as City is a bit higher in GD). #3 still is under control, but we will need to not lose against ManU.
Fabianski made the saves that are expected from a goalkeeper. The double chance with Sanchez and Walcott was the most clear cut one but both players shot straight at Fabianski…In games such as this one or the Chelsea one where teams come and park the bus, we have to encourage the players to shoot from outside the box. We have some really good shot takers now in the side and the modern balls always wobble when struck well from a distance creating chances from spills by goalkeeper. The attempts at constantly ‘threading it through’ tends to fall into the hands of teams parking the bus…
Well Lurky, you’re saying it wrong, still.
He left on a free transfer.
This match pretty much sunmarizes why we need a better striker to go further in the league. Walcott , giroud or well beck won’t take it ahead. 2 steps forward and 1 backward. It will be a tense finish for 3rd now which was firmly in or hands. Only positive is that the run came to end earlier rather than in cup final
One win and one draw gets us third. Still in our hands Dr F.
H2H — right. Lurky, we did offer Fabianski a contract extension but he decided that he would go for a club where he is more guaranteed of #1 berth. If he had stayed back we would not have, most likely, brought in Ospina and with Szczesny’s form dipping he would have played many more PL games. He has been good with Swans but goalkeeping for a top level club where in majority of the games you will be tested only a few times in between passages of looking out is a different matter altogether where concentration levels have to be sharp. Woj and Fab are both great shot-stoppers but I think both have concentration issues.
KG @ 76: That is what I said. #2 is not in our hands but #3 is under control. No? 🙂
Right on good doctor.
We took coquelin off against Monaco and we exposed. Today did the same. Wenger doesn’t want to learn. Why not out Walcott on Wing and keep Giroud on. Take off RAmsey who was useless today. We should have finished 2nd this season. Finishing behind city after the shit season they have had doesn’t indicate progress
I think a little bit of complacency has been setting in the squad about their own quality. For last couple of years when things aren’t going well we used to try the simpler approaches, the cutbacks and down-the-line crosses, Giroud is pretty good at both the near-post finishes and headed goals. Today only Bellerin attempted to feed him those balls and the rest was maniacally trying to unlock through the narrow middle. The corners — another area where we have made great improvements this season — were awful, and there was a reluctance to shoot from outside which has been fortunately absent in recent times.
Tg @ 80: Taking Coquelin off was a key mistake, and it shows that Arsene is still not fully sold on the idea of a deep-lying stay-back DM. It has worked for us and he realizes the balance it has given the team, but at the same time I think he continues to believe that a proactive schemer or passer a la Pirlo than a reactive tackler and ball-winner like Coquelin is better suited to win games. I think majority of us fans disagree with that because Coquelin has amply demonstrated what we need to be defensively successful, but I have a suspicion that he doesn’t think a Coquelin like player is as essential to the team’s success as say the central defenders.
If that’s true then let’s brace for another season of mediocrity. There is no method in his substitutions. He is just too rigid and cannot think on his feet.
Again he blames luck for defeat. Will not say I made some bad decisions and that’s the reason I lost. I can see villa bring up for the final. Benteke is far better than Gomiz
Tg @ 83: Well I would disagree with you that this has been a season of mediocrity. The second half has seen great progress, but there are always matches where the faultiness gets exposed. Despite progress this is hardly a flawless team, we have certain weaknesses (most clubs do have some) that we have been better at managing in the last few months, today the good old hubris paid the players and manager a visit.
This was the first time in all these years Arsene had started five consecutive PL matches with the same eleven. Even when things are going well a little bit of rotation keeps the ideas fresh and players hungry.
I’m with you Dr. F. You’d think they would have learned and not taken swansea for granted.
BTW – seems to me that Ramsay is consistently poor against this team. (A Welsh hoo-doo or something, I dunno.) And you’d think AW would remember that and have given TR7 a shot. Ozil looked off the boil. Sanchez too. Agree with those above, taking off Le Coq was a fuck up by le boss.
Hugely disappointing that we can’t even get a point off this side at home.
If they coming storming back, win the remaining games and keep the FA cup, then all not lost. Its awful fooking tiring of having the label of “bottlers” and “soft under belly” hung around the club’s neck – and doing little to change that perception.
And I cannot stand Shevy. Its the liverpool association. And that he looks like a Dr. Seuss character (just, ya know – with the prison tats).
H2H,
If we sold Woj, then Fabianski would have been still here, that is why I think that we got the decision to stick with Woj wrong.
The lack of pace and ambition in the first half was painful to watch. Why we needed two DMFs at home mystifies me. Rambo in the middle for Le Coq or a good dose of Rosicky and Wilshere would have been more constructive.
And poor old Theo, pushed into the middle of a crowded bus parking area late on instead of being given room down the wing … wtf was that about? At least his positioning was immaculate and he could have had a brace … if he wasn’t so sadly rusty, but what can you expect given the only game-time he’s had in months is 75th and 85th minute subbing? Start him, ffs AW, and let him stretch his legs and find some touch.
Yes Cynic, Özil was rubbish (again). Had a couple of nice passes in the first half but drifted out of the game (as usual) in the second. But at least I noticed him which is more than I can say about Santi. Why do these key players run so hot and cold??
Getting done home and away by a mid-table team is pathetic, I have Welsh friends who are going to make my life a misery! Urrrg…
Öskar
I think playing Le Coq at all was a mistake, Dr F. Rambo and Wilshere in MF would have guaranteed more ambition in this game. Or give TR7 a game. And starting Theo on the wing would also have guaranteed more go-forward. Way too much hubris demonstrated today.
As they say in real estate … Rotation, rotation, rotation. 😉
Öskar
Just on the way home now from what I can only describe as a dismal evening. The first half was as poor as I can remember for some time now. No shots on target and passes going astray all half.
The second was marginally better and we came to life a bit more when the changes were made. I was not disappointed to see Coquelin taken off for Jack. I thought that was the right decision. I was disappointed to see Ollie G taken off. Unless he was injured that made no sense to me. We now had two extra players on the pitch that could cross a ball and had removed the one player who was likely to win it??? I still don’t get that.
Then on 75 minutes The Flapster came and caught a corner and you just knew it was going to be one of those nights. What followed was a succession of back passes to Flappy before we fell hook line and sinker for the sucker punch. The sucker punch that many around me could sadly see coming a mile off.
We have been on a great run but we do still struggle to break sides down who come to defend. We seem to run out of ideas. We may have scored 100 goals this term but our striking options are limited. I think we paid the price for that tonight.
All in all a disappointing and poor performance. We need to dust ourselves down for the weekend. Another performance like that is just not going to be good enough.
It might be an unpopular opinion but I don’t think taking off Coquelin was a mistake. It wasn’t as if Swansea bombarded us once Coquelin left. The nature of the game was such at the time of the Coquelin substitution that the defensive midfielder was the most disposable player on the pitch. We were chasing a goal and Swansea were just interested in defending. Their goal took even them by surprise. Once we had taken the ascendancy in the second half, Swansea were clearly playing for a 0-0 draw. Gomis who was clearly not fully fit was thrown in just to hold up the ball and give Swansea a breather because they were getting battered.
I don’t want to be on the wagon of ‘ Ramsey and Ozil were rubbish’ because in the game I was watching, they tried their hearts out. We aren’t entitled to break teams open every single game. Sometimes a team will come along that will have a day like Swansea did today. Our shooting was off today and that cost us the game. We had enough chances to score atleast a couple of goals but everytime we went straight at Fabianski. Perhaps it is a very good wake up call ahead of the Mancs game and should ensure even better effort against them…
Don’t get this ozil was rubbish stuff. No one covered themselves in glory tonight but I don’t think he was worse than anyone else. If anyone has a poor game then by his usual high standards it was Sanchez. I lost count of the number of over hit balls he played this evening.
Sanchez has had a poor second half of the season, by his first half of the season standard Steve. But he did score a brace last time out so escapes a bollicking for today. At least he always plays 90 minutes with enthusiasm.
Öskar
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One of those nights that came just at the moment we wouldn’t want to have one of those nights.
Can’t help thinking that with Swansea playing deep there was never going to be much chance of Theo getting a clear run at their defence so finding a way to keep Giroud on so Theo could play off him would have been the thing to do. We don’t seem to have a three at the back option that would let us replace a defender with an additional attacker. Wilshere for Le Coq pushes everyone forward one position, in the hope we can overload in the middle, but it makes it very tight there and you then need a striker who can feed off half chances.
Tees it up anyway
Shame to waste Cynic’s fine through ball.